“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me (El Roi)…’” (Genesis 16:13) In the journey of life, wilderness-like trials often arrive without warning. Like Hagar, there are times when we are pushed out of the familiar fences of our daily lives, standing alone in a […]
“For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance (Nachalah).” (Deuteronomy 32:9) In Hebrew, ‘Nachalah’ signifies ‘inheritance’ or ‘legacy.’ To the ancient Israelites, this word represented the land passed down through generations, to be kept at all costs. However, the Bible uses this term to declare a stunning reversal of identity. It is
“Place me like a seal (Chotam) over your heart, like a seal (Chotam) on your arm; for love is as strong as death…” (Song of Songs 8:6) In the ancient world, a seal (Chotam) represented a person’s name, honor, and non-transferable proof of existence. The woman in the Song of Songs desperately asks her beloved
Chotam (חֹתָם): The Only Seal Engraved on God’s Heart Read More »
“For you are a holy people (Am Kadosh)to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 7:6) When we hear the word holy, we often think of moral purity or
Am Kadosh (עַםקָדוֹשׁ): A People Set Apart, Cut Off from the World’s Current Read More »
“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed (Limmud)tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary… He wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed (Limmud).” (Isaiah 50:4) When we hear the word ‘scholar,’ we imagine an intellectual who has accumulated vast knowledge. However, the original Hebrew word ‘Limmud,’ translated as the learned
Limmud (לִמּוּד): The Humility of a Disciple Tamed by God’s Hand Read More »
“For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble(Anawim) with victory.” (Psalm 149:4) In the journey of life, we all encounter moments when our inner resources are utterly depleted. When betrayed by those we trusted, when health fades, or when the ivory towers we built come crashing down the world brands us
Anawim (עֲנָוִים): The Person Who Has Only God Left Read More »
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the Lord has helped us.’” (1 Samuel 7:12) We often remember ‘Ebenezer’ as a monument of victory. However, the origin of this name lies in the place of the most humiliating defeat
Ebenezer (אֶבןהָעֵזֶר): A Beacon of Hope on the Grounds of Failure Read More »
“But Ehud escaped while they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.” (Judges 3:26) Ehud’s footsteps were driven by sheer desperation. Having just struck down the oppressor Eglon, he found himself in a precarious, life-or-death crisis with the shadow of a lethal pursuit looming close behind. The place he reached
“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,” (Exodus 19:5) Though every existence is precious, few titles bestowed upon us in the Bible are as heart stirring as ‘Segullah.’ In Exodus 19, God declares to Israel,
Segullah(סְגֻלָּה): The Jewel Kept in the King’s Private Treasury Read More »
‘Jeshurun(יְשֻׁרוּן)’ is the blessed name of a people dwelling within God’s presence, ‘Ichabod(אִיכָבוֹד)’ is a name that starkly reveals the tragedy of a life without it. Originating from 1 Samuel 4, this name is a dreadful proclamation: “The glory has departed from Israel.” Given to a child born amidst the disaster of the captured Ark
