Yareh - Fear of the LORD

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. " Proverbs 9:10

One word that comes up often in the Bible is the word "fear" (yareh) and especially in reference to God. For some, it has made them feel that the God of the Old Testament just wants human beings to be afraid of him. But then we read verses like,

(Of the Messiah) ... And he will delight in the fear of the LORD. (Isaiah 11:2-3)

and
The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life. (Proverbs. 22:4)

It is obvious from these verses that the "fear of the Lord" is a good, rather than a negative thing. The key to understanding these verses is to know that like many words, "fear" has a broader sense in Hebrew, encompassing very positive things like honor, respect, reverence, and worshipful awe. In fact, every time we read the words "revere" or "reverence" in our English translations, it is from the Hebrew verb "yareh."

Rabbinically, the "fear of the LORD" was considered one of the greatest goals of a worshipper's life. It means to always be reminded that God is watching, and to realize the importance of living according to his will, and to be reassured of his constant care. It does mean to realize that God will discipline those whom he loves (Revelation 3:19).

But, the emphasis is on a positive, reverential relationship with God, not in terms of being terrified by him. If having a reverential awe of the Lord causes us to live with integrity and obedience to God, it will ultimately transform us.

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:26-27)

Da'at Elohim - Knowledge of God

"For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." ~ Hosea 6:6

When English speakers use the verb "to know," we think of knowing in terms of the mental grasp of facts. In Hebrew, the word for "to know," yadah, is much broader.

Many languages have two different verbs to express the idea of knowing a fact (information) as opposed to knowing a person (relationship). Hebrew tends toward the second idea - having a relationship with a person, and even extending it to mean to care about someone, even to be intimate sexually. For instance, the very literal KJV reads,

And Adam knew (yadah) Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain. (Genesis 4:1)

This idea is especially important when we learn about the biblical concept called the "knowledge of God" (da'at elohim). A Westerner opens the Bible and wants to prove God's existence and develop a theology about God's nature, and would call that "knowledge of God."

But the Hebraic view is that "knowledge of God" is having a life in relationship with Him. This is true spiritual wisdom - to know the Lord's will and live it out. We can see this thinking when we compare Christian Bibles to a Jewish translation. In the NIV we read,

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.(Isaiah 11:2)

but in the Jewish Tanakh it reads,

The spirit of the LORD shall alight upon him: a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and valor, a spirit of devotion and reverence for the LORD. (Isaiah 11:2)

In this verse,"da'at" is translated as devotion. They see knowledge of God as intimacy with God, knowing him as a son does his father, and a wife her husband. We should think of that when we evangelize - are we trying to fill peoples' heads with facts, or bringing people to know him personally?

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9, also Habakkuk 2:14).

In the Jewish translation, it means

"For the earth shall be filled with devotion to the LORD as water covers the sea."

Tov Ayin - A Good Eye

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23 ESV

Often things Jesus says in the gospels make little sense until we understand that they are Hebraic idioms and even lead to wrong interpretations. The descriptive word for eye is translated "single," "sound," "healthy" or "good."

Jesus' saying appears to be a Hebraic idiom that was used to describe a person's outlook towards others. A person with a "good eye" (tov-ayin or ayin-tovah) was a person who looked at others with compassion and had a generous spirit, and gave to others as needed. The person with the evil eye (ayin ra'ah) is one who is stingy (with compassion) toward others and greedy with money.

This expression is still used in Hebrew today. When people go through Jerusalem raising money, they say, "Please give with a good eye!" The same idiom is also found in Proverbs: "A generous man (literally, "A good eye") will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." (Pr 22:9)

Jesus also uses it at the end of the parable of the landowner who pays the workers all the same, no matter how long they work. The landowner says to the complainers, literally, "Is your eye evil because I am good?" (Mt 20:15)

Understanding this idiom helps us understand the whole passage in Matthew 6 that begins with "Do not lay your treasures up on earth," then talks about the good/evil eye, and then ends with "One cannot serve two masters - both God and money." All three of these sayings are part of a greater teaching on having the right attitude towards others and money.

Now we know what Jesus means in terms how we can be filled with light and darkness. If we love others and help them, our life will be full of light.

Levav - Heart, Mind

In Hebrew, the heart (lev or levav) is the center of human thought and spiritual life. We tend to think that the heart refers mainly to our emotions, but in Hebrew it also refers to one's mind and thoughts as well.

Many cultures assumed that the heart was the seat of intelligence, and without an advanced understanding of physiology, it makes sense. The heart is the only moving organ in the body, and strong emotions cause the heartbeat to race. When the heart stops beating, a person is dead.

Because the Hebrews were a concrete people who used physical things to express abstract concepts, the heart was the metaphor of the mind and all mental and emotional activitiy.

Other interesting physical terms are also used - when we read "inmost being" the Hebrew often is literally "kidneys" (Prov. 23:16), and the life was understood to be in the blood (Genesis 9:4).

Understanding that the word "heart" often meant mind and thoughts often helps clarify the meaning of passages. For instance:

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts." (Deut. 6:6)
means
These commandments are to be in your minds, a part of all your thoughts.

"The heart of the wise instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips." (Prov. 16:23)
means
The wise person's mind considers his words so that he can speak persuasively.

One more lesson we can learn from the meaning of heart is from the greatest commandment, to "love the Lord with all your heart."

In the Gospels the phrase "and all your mind" is there to emphasize that fact, but from Moses' time it would have been understood that way.

As Paul says, we must "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5).

-Hardships-


A year from now

you will know why

things never went your way



and you will remember the day

when the sky was grey

but he showed you how



and that you can

if you want

and that you will



but for now

don't look at what

you didn't get



but look at what

you can do;

what you're good at



you are so much more

than you were

a year before



and a year later

things will change

some good some better

I know it takes time

to overcome

all the hurt



but for now

know that



you are where

you are meant to be



doing what

you are meant to do



and seeing what

you are meant to see



feeling what

you are meant to feel



and one day they will all make sense.

It takes courage It takes courage to admit to yourself that God's plan wasn't what you wanted. And it takes patience. To find out what exactly He has in store for you. And it takes faith. Alot of it, to believe that He will have something better in store for you, although it might really hurt you in the short term, but in the long term it would be one of the best things that could ever happen in your life. Honestly, I'm scared. I know, I know He has his way of doing things, and He is one who never makes mistakes. Our heavenly Father watches upon us, loves us, cares for us, and listens to us. He sees us sad, his presence is comforting, but to face what we have to sometimes take an emotional toll on us. Father I thank you for loving us, may Your will be done. We'll put it all in your hands Lord. Amen.