1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him Ps 98:1
Praise the LORD! Sing a new song to the LORD; praise him in the assembly of his faithful people! Ps 149:1
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Ps. 96:1,2.
When we think of songs and singing in worship and praise to the Lord, we probably think of hymns and in modern times, choruses.
The most well known songs in the Bible are probably the
150Psalms /Tehillim /תהילים
and then the
Song of Solomon or
The Song of Songs שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים : Shīr Hashīrīm.
The Hebrew title for the book of Psalms is Tehillim/תהילים, meaning “songs of praise,” and individual psalms are referred to as Mizmorim: Mizmor Aleph (Psalm 1), Mizmor Bet (Psalm 2), and so on.
We looked at the Song of Solomon in an earlier post.
However these are not the only songs recorded in the scriptures. There are many more, some we may not have read or even realized they were songs.
We usually associate songs or singing with musical accompaniment but it can also be simply voices without instruments: a cappella, (Italian: “in the church style”), performance of a polyphonic (multipart) musical work by unaccompanied voices, a performance by a singer or a singing group without instruments.
What was a song was in ancient times?
There were a number of words for singing and songs but the word used for SONG inExodus 15:2:
This is why one translation (the NIV), does not render this as a song at all but as a defense. Here however a basic English translation cannot tell the history because in ancient times songs were really stories.
The lyrics in modern Christian music don’t tell stories like the old hymns and Gospel songs did, so the younger generation may find it difficult to understand what it means to say that
God is our song….
which is in fact telling a story, the History of what He has done for us.
Exodus 15:2: “The LORD [is] my strength and song.”
There are several words for song in Hebrew.
זִמְרָה – zimrah – melody, song in praise of Yahweh
song שִׁיר as a noun:
poem, chant, hymn, poetry, ditty.
zimrah: melody, song (in praise of Yah)
Strongs# 2172 Original Word: זִמְרָה Part of Speech: Noun Feminine Transliteration:zimrah Phonetic Spelling: zim-raw‘ Definition: melody, song (in praise of Yah)
Exodus 15:1 HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־ הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה NAS: sang this song to the LORD, and said, KJV: of Israel this song unto the LORD, INT: and the sons of Israel song likewise to the LORD
It was sung after one of the greatest and most well known miracles, when God parted the Red Sea, allowing the children of Israel to cross on dry ground, escaping Pharaoh’s army. When the Egyptians pursued them, God closed the sea over them, washing away the chariots and horsemen.
Moses led the men in a song of praise to God, while Miriam leads the women singing the chorus:
Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea. Ex.15:20,21
There are at least 185 songs in the Bible which include songs about battles, coronations, funerals, cities being destroyed, and seas being parted. The book of Psalms contains 150, being a collection of songs written over the centuries by different leaders of Israel. 6 are from the Song of Solomon and Lamentations. However there are some 35 other songs, chants, dirges, and hymns spread throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Some of the songs are very similar to Psalms, the other pieces of poetry may or may not have been sung or set to music. A list below includes many of them.
Numbers 21:17 HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־ הַשִּׁירָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עֲלִ֥י NAS: sang this song: Spring up, O well! KJV: sang this song, Spring up, INT: sang Israel song likewise Spring
As Israel wanders through the wilderness they come to a place called Beer. Beer is a Hebrew word for well, and there the whole nation refills its’ supply of water; and being a very happy occasion, the Israelites break into song:
Spring up, O well! Sing to it! The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter and with their staffs.
Deuteronomy 31:22 HEB: מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־ הַשִּׁירָ֥ההַזֹּ֖את בַּיּ֣וֹם NAS: wrote this song the same day, KJV: therefore wrote this song the same day, INT: wrote Moses song likewise day
Deuteronomy 31:30 HEB: אֶת־ דִּבְרֵ֥י הַשִּׁירָ֖ההַזֹּ֑את עַ֖ד NAS: of this song, until KJV: the words of this song, until they were ended. INT: of Israel the words song likewise until
Moses instructs the nation of Israel to love and obey the Lord when they enter the promised land; reaffirming the law. He then appoints Joshua as the new leader, and calls the people to pledge their allegiance to their God.
Moses puts it all together into a song, which he and Joshua teach to the people.
It is a well known fact that people remember things easier when in the form of a song or poem. Children especially learn quicker with for example the alphabet songs. This was a method employed by many cultures, where the majority could not read or write; stories were passed down through generations and were often accompanied with music or sung. Although it seemed like entertainment, it was a way to ensure that tribal history was remembered, when word of mouth was all people had to pass on information to future generations.
Here in Deuteronomy, it is a covenant song of God’s faithfulness: He is the righteous Rock of Israel and the song reminds Israel of the Lord’s blessings; and warns them of the consequences of disobeying Him.
The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.
The Song of Deborah and Baruk.
Another victory song, and one of the oldest texts in Scripture.
Judges 5:12 HEB: ע֖וּרִי דַּבְּרִי־ שִׁ֑יר ק֥וּם בָּרָ֛ק NAS: awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, KJV: awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, INT: awake sing As
Deborah, a prophetess, leads a small Israeli militia against their Canaanite overlord’s well-armed forces. Her field officer Baruk meets the enemy commander, Sisera, on the battle field. Baruk wipes out Sisera’s forces, but Sisera escapes on foot.
He doesn’t get too far. Sisera stops to rest and sleeps in a nearby tent, and the woman whose tent it was nails his head to the ground.
After the battle was won, Deborah and Baruk wrote a song of praise to God, rejoicing over His deliverance. They also sing about the battle heroes,
Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD; But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.
After young David kills Goliath, he and king Saul triumphantly return from the battle. The women of the cities are very happy about the victory, and they meet King Saul with musical instruments, dancing, and singing a new song:
Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
The song becomes popular and even, Israel’s enemies, the Philistines know it 1 Sa 21:11. Saul becomes jealous of David, and this song becomes a problem for Saul driving a wedge between the two of them for the rest of Saul’s life.
We have read the songs about victory, covenant and wells, but this is the first of many sad songs in Scripture called a lament.
David writes the song of the bow when he learns that both Saul and Jonathan have died in battle. It’s a sad day for David and for the whole Hebrew nation: Jonathan was David’s best friend, and Saul was the anointed king of Israel. David chants this lament or dirge forSaul and Jonathan and has the sons of Judah learn it.Its possible David may have named it in honor of Jonathan, who was a skilled archer.
2 Samuel 22:1 HEB: אֶת־ דִּבְרֵ֖י הַשִּׁירָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את בְּיוֹם֩ NAS: of this song to the LORD KJV: the words of this song in the day INT: to the LORD the words song in the day
Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!
After Saul died there was a 7-year civil war between Judah and the rest of Israel. Judah names David their king, while the rest of the country serves Saul’s son Ish-bosheth. However, Ish-bosheth upsets his own general, who was a warrior named Abner. Abner defects to David, swearing to make him king of all Israel. David accepts Abner’s alliance, and it looks like the war will finally come to an end. However, there’s just one problem: Abner killed one of David’s men in an earlier battle, and now that man’s brother Joab wants revenge. Joab pulls Abner aside at the city gate and murders him. Horrified, David writes a funeral chant for Abner.
Should Abner die as a fool dies? Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.
Song of David’s Deliverance
2 Samuel 22, Ps 18
We looked at the song of victory above where it gave Saul real problems when he realizes that his kingdom will pass to David.
Because of this Saul spends much of his reign hunting chasing after David. Eventually, God delivers David from Saul and he writes a psalm of praise to his Savior. This song is actually recorded twice in the Bible: first in 2nd Samuel, and again in Psalms 18.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.
When David commissions the building of the temple, he ordains the house of Asaph to be a family of worship leaders. Asaph and his sons are faithful to their duties for hundreds of years and his family wrote 12 of the Psalms. As the temple was commissioned, David asked them to sing and like David’s psalm of deliverance, this one is in both 1 Chron. and Psalms 105.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
Asaph’s Song for the Temple’s Completion
2 Chronicles 5:13 HEB: וּבִמְצִלְתַּ֜יִם וּבִכְלֵ֣י הַשִּׁ֗יר וּבְהַלֵּ֤ל לַיהוָה֙ NAS: and instruments of music, and when they praised KJV: and instruments of musick, and praised INT: and cymbals and instruments of music praised the LORD
The shortest song in the original Hebrew text is only 5 words in length.
The temple construction is finished, and the ark of the covenant is brought to the Holy of Holies. The sons of Asaph praise the Lord, and God’s glory fills the temple.
Saying for He is good forever His mercy/loving kindness endures.
King Jehoshaphat is outnumbered by his enemies, so he pleads with God for help. A man of the tribe of Levi brings Jehoshaphat a message from God:
“Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s”.
So the next day when they go to battle, they put singers on the front lines not soldiers, and the singers cry out:
Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
The Lord ambushes Jehoshaphat’s enemies, and once again saves His people.
The Song of Songs
Solomon is credited with 1,005 songs; 1 Ki 4:32, but there is one which stands higher than the rest. Mentioned earlier, we know it as the Song of Solomon, or the Song of Songs. A love song between a man and a woman, and their wedding.
I am my beloved’s, And his desire is for me.
There are 3 songbooks in the Bible, the documents made up entirely of lyrics.
The 1st and by far the biggest is Psalms.
The 2nd is Song of Solomon.
The 3rd is Lamentations.
Unlike Psalms and Song of Solomon, Lamentations does not state itself as being a songbook. However, when the book was translated into Greek (the Septuagint), it was called a book of dirges. This book mourns Jerusalem after the fall to Babylon. Each of the 5 chapters begins a new poem and 4 are acrostics using the Hebrew alef bet.
How lonely sits the city That was full of people! She has become like a widow Who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces Has become a forced laborer!
The prophet Isaiah was called to preach to the people of Israel with both judgment and comfort and one of his messages uses a song as a parable.
My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.
It is a metaphor:
the Lord is the one who built Israel, just as a man builds a vineyard. And instead of following the ways of God, Israel killed the innocents and perverted justice.(Is 5:7).
Isaiah is prophesying that the nearby land of Tyre will be forgotten and desolate for 70 years. The Babylonians will plunder her, and her harbors and fortresses will be ruined; but after that time, Tyre will engage in trade again, like an old harlot trying to be remembered by her suitors.
Take your harp, walk about the city, O forgotten harlot; Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs, That you may be remembered.
Not all of Isaiah’s songs are sad. The prophet says that there will come a time when the Lord will once again protect Judah from her enemies and in that day, the people will sing of how God shields and protects their cities.
We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.
Ezekiel mourns Israel’s captivity as the lion-like nation has been hunted, captured, and dragged away into exile.
They put him in a cage with hooks And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would be heard no more On the mountains of Israel.
The book of Ezekiel tells of God’s judgment on the Ancient Near East nations. Tyre, a rich city for sailors and traders is one city that will fall to the Babylonians; and when Tyre is ransacked, Ezekiel predicts that the princes of the world will sing a song of lamentation for the fallen city.
How you have perished, O inhabited one, From the seas, O renowned city, Which was mighty on the sea, She and her inhabitants, Who imposed her terror On all her inhabitants! Now the coastlands will tremble On the day of your fall; Yes, the coastlands which are by the sea Will be terrified at your passing.
Ezekiel’s lament over Tyre
Ezek. 27
Ezekiel is told by the Lord to give another dirge/lament for Tyre, one which describes her downfall more completely.
Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, Your sailors and your pilots, Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise And all your men of war who are in you, With all your company that is in your midst, Will fall into the heart of the seas On the day of your overthrow.
This is a song within a song. Ezekiel is making his own lament for the city of Tyre, he says that the sailors and captains of the sea will sing their own song about their fallen city.
Who is like Tyre, Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea?
Ezekiel’s second lamentation over the king of Tyre.
Ezekiel isn’t finished with his sad news for Tyre and God has him take up yet another lamentation for the king.
Some read the lyrics of this song as a judgment on the human ruler of Tyre. Other scholars see this as the story of lucifer’s fall from grace, since Ezekiel describes the king as: an anointing cherub who covers who was in Eden, the garden of God.
As an interpretation, it can refer to both.
Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you.
When Tyre seems to get a break, it is only because God is also bringing judgment on Egypt; and the Lord tells Ezekiel to take up a lamentation song over Pharaoh as well.
You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations, Yet you are like the monster in the seas; And you burst forth in your rivers And muddied the waters with your feet And fouled their rivers.
The Lord sends a shepherd named Amos with a message for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Israel must pay for the way they’ve mistreated the poor in the land, there are consequences and the Lord speaks forth His message of justice which is a harsh one, and Amos sings a dirge/lamentation over Israel.
She has fallen, she will not rise again— The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up.
Habakkuk’s song
Habakkuk 3.
There are only 3 chapters in the book of Habakkuk the prophet; in the first two, God and Habakkuk speak back and forth about how God will deal with the violence and injustice in the land of Judah.
Then Habakkuk writes the last song of the Old Testament: a psalm that praises God and begs for his compassion.
LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.
There are some other songs mentioned in the Scriptures but the lyrics are not included:
Solomon wrote 1,005 songs. 1 Kings 4:32. not all are recorded.
When king Hezekiah repairs the temple, the trumpeters sound a song to the Lord. 2 Ch. 29:27.
Some of the Levites who return from exile in Babylon are specifically responsible for songs of thanksgiving. Neh. 12:8.
Jesus/Yeshua and the disciples sing the hallel in the upper room after supper. Matt. 26:30.
Paul and Silas sing a hymn when they’re in prison before God releases them.Acts 16:25.
The 144,000 redeemed witnesses in John’s revelation sing a song before the throne of God, the living creatures, and the elders this is a song only the 144,000 know. Rev. 14:3.
Our Heavenly Father created music as a means for Believers to express our heartfelt adoration in worship toward Him and to share His praiseworthy deeds with others. The Bible contains over 180 songs that bear witness to His character, power, plans and purposes, and not all are found in the Book of Psalms. From hymns and prophetic songs to chants and dirges, throughout the scriptures there are examples of our Biblical ancestors lifting their voices to honor our Heavenly Father, Creator and King.
Victory Songs and Battle Songs
“Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!” Psalm 118:15
Biblical heroes have theme songs in Scripture that declare God’s victories.
Deborah’s song: The song sung by the prophetess Deborah is one of the oldest victory songs recorded in Scripture, coming after she leads Barak into battle against the Canaanites, God empowers their outnumbered army to overtake the enemy. When the Canaanite commander, Sisera, escapes during the final battle, a woman called Jael completes the mission by crushing Sisera’s skull with a tent peg. Deborah and Barak sing their victory song to the Lord, giving Him all the credit for the win as they tell the story of the battle. Judges 5:1-31.
Paul and Silas’s worship: Paul and Silas cast a spirit of divination out of a servant girl while they were on their first visit to Philippi. The girl’s owners are so furious that their money-making opportunities have vanished with the unclean spirit, that they arrest Paul and Silas, strip them, beat them with rods, and throw them into prison. Paul and Silas begin worshiping God in their cell and a violent earthquake shakes the foundations of the prison, the doors swing open and all the prisoners’ chains fall off. Instead of escaping their prison cell, Paul and Silas they stay and take the opportunity to lead their prison guard and his family to Messiah. Acts 16:25-29.
Prophetic Songs
The children of God have always used music/song to mark holy events. These songs were passed down through the ages so that each new generation would remember God’s mighty acts, His loving kindness, and His supreme power. Many Biblical songs are prophetic in nature and in the Old Testament, Biblical prophecy was often accompanied by music.
“David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.” 1 Chronicles 25:1
“After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.” 1 Samuel 10:5
“Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. But now bring me a harpist.’ While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha and he said, This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water.” 2 Kings 3:14-16
“He [Saul] was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did.”1 Samuel 18:10
New Testament Songs
New Testament scriptures confirm the importance of
singing as an important act of worship.
Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19, James 5:13, Matthew 26:30.
There are the songs listed in the book of Revelation, one of the most beautiful examples of a song in the New Testament is Mary’s Song also known as the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55, most scholars believe that the format of the verses is poetic, similar to that of the Psalms. When the angel Gabriel visits Mary and announces that she will conceive a child, he also tells her that Elizabeth her elderly cousin, will soon give birth to a son. When Mary goes to visit Elizabeth, the baby in her womb leaps for joy as Mary greets her; and her response to Elizabeth’s affirmation is truly inspiring.
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
How Are Biblical Songs Important Today?
The songs in the Bible not only provide us with a better understanding of His story today, they also have a way of uniting all of God’s people in collective worship.
The first and the last song in the Bible are amazingly similar, as both are a spontaneous, praise-filled celebration of our Heavenly Fathers’ redemption.
For 400 years the children of God were enslaved by the Egyptians. and when they cried out to Him, He sent Moses to orchestrate their deliverance. However Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he had no intention of allowing his captive laborers to go free. God’s power was demonstrated and eventually Pharaoh’s heart was softened after the 10 successive plagues on Egypt. Through the first 9 Pharaoh’s grip on the slaves grew tighter, then the 10th plague was so horrific, that it finally broke Pharaoh’s resistance and he let God’s people go.
As they were leaving, Pharaoh changed his mind again and decided to chase them. There was one final obstacle which stood between children of Israel and their freedom, the Red/Reed Sea. As Pharaoh and his army got closer, the Hebrew slaves became trapped; then God’s power flowed through Moses and the huge body of water parted, allowing the Israelites to cross over on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to follow, the waves of the sea flowed back and drowned Pharaoh’s army.
As they realized the enormity of their deliverance, Moses and the Israelites burst into a spontaneous song of praise.
“I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” Exodus 15:1-2
This 18-verse song of deliverance in Exodus 15:1-18 is a detailed list of God’s miracles and His power to defeat the enemy. Even as Israel collectively sang about God’s strength, provision, mercy, and justice, the lyrics turned into a faith-filled prophetic view of God’s continued victory on their behalf.
The last song in the Bible is found in the book of Revelation.
Scripture refers to this final song as the song of Moses and of the Lamb. Revelation 15:3 In this passage of Scripture, John has just witnessed the saints overcome the power of the Beast through their faithful obedience to Messiah. 7 final tribulation plagues are administered by 7 angels, but the saints stand by a “sea” of glass and sing their song of triumph to the One who has secured their redemption.
Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.
Both the first and last song in Scripture center on
God’s redemptive power to deliver His people out of slavery
and into the promises prepared for them.
Worthy is the Lamb!
Revelation 5:9–10
In the book of Revelation, John records a scene in God’s heavenly throne room. There’s a book bound shut by 7 seals, and no one is worthy to open it.
Until a Lamb appears.
The Lamb represents Messiah Jesus/Yeshua all through Revelation, and He is able to open the book. The others in the throne room bow down before the Lamb, taking up their harps to sing a new song.
Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; For You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; And they will reign upon the earth.
The first song of Moses was in Exodus 15 after crossing the Red Sea and the last song in the Bible is similar. In Revelation 15:3, John sees the victorious body of believers in Messiah who have overcome the beast. They sing a new song of Moses, one with different words, but a similar message: Our Heavenly Father has conquered the enemy, and He deserves ALL the worship glory honor and praise.
Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before you, For your righteous acts have been revealed.
Worthy is the Lamb!
In the same way we began singing a new song to the Lord. In Rev. 14:3, they sang a new song and in the future we will join in with that singing. Until that day comes, we too can sing of all that He has done for us.
We can daily
sing a new song to the Lord
from our hearts, declaring how good He Is, how Holy and longsuffering and Almighty He is. We are to worship Him in spirit and truth, declaring the wonders of the Creator of the Universe. Singing and making melody in our hearts to the One who died for us, took our place, took our sin upon Himself so we can be forgiven and be with Him forever.
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for.
Please don’t leave this page without knowing Messiah is not only your Savior, Lord and soon returning King but He is also your beloved and His desire is for us to be His Beloved.. to have a personal relationship with Him NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
Anyone who has been following Messiah Yeshua/Jesus for any length of time is painfully aware of the fact we are in an ongoing war. It is not simply a physical war but one that originates in the realm of the spirit. This war will not stop until Messiah returns; which is why He told us to..
occupy til He comes!
Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
When He said that, it is a call to build and extend the Kingdom of Heaven using/applying all the resources, gifting’s and talents that our Heavenly Father has imparted to us for His purposes.
And because the war is not a physical one we are told that
are not carnal/physical in 2 Cor. 10 :4 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
They are mighty through Him.
The enemy’s warfare and battle plans are rooted way back in ancient millennia, he is not new at the tactics he uses against us; which is why we need the insight provided by Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit, so we can wage a victorious warfare. There is one kind of warfare which we now term as guerilla warfare which does not play by any known or mutually agreed rules or strategies. This is where the enemy knows that those they are in conflict with are so strong that they cannot win; but nevertheless they hope to gain a victory by wearing down the enemies troops with a type of guerilla warfare or terrorism. Daniel 7:25 tells us this that the wearing out of the saints is a very well used strategy.
This is the kind of persistent and unabated assault that brings us to the point of just wanting to give up; it’s summed up in the word attrition. It involves consistent harassment which causes extreme frustration causing one thing after another to hinder distract and we often say the idiom: like having a spanner in the works! Everything we try to do is plagued by annoyances, irritations and aggravations. Certainly most readers will have had these kinds of experiences at one time or another.
The scriptures are written for us for many reasons 2 Tim. 1:7 & 3:16 to encourage and educate and we are most certainly not alone in our fight.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: His Word is for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live.
One great example of how the enemies tactics occur is in the life of Nehemiah when he returned to Israel from the Babylonian captivity and discovered that the land had been taken over by many people from other nations including the Amorites and Moabites. These new occupants resisted the Israelites when they began to return to their homeland. One reason they feared the Israelites was because of their support from Persia, the then most powerful nation in the world. The people who had taken over Israel knew that victory over the Persian Empire supported Israelites, was a war they could not win; but they could harass them to the point they might give up and go back to Persia. This war of attrition has never stopped and is still evident today both against nations and individuals.
For those readers who may not recall that the story of Nehemiah and Ezra takes place at the time of the return of Israel from captivity where they were exiled. The Northern ten tribes of Israel, Samaria were taken into captivity by the Assyrian Empire. After the collapse of the Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian Empire became the world empire and the Northern ten tribes of Israel were scattered throughout the world. The Southern Kingdom, Judah, remained unconquered until the rise of the Babylonian Empire, which finally conquered Judah and took them away from their homeland.
During their captivity Babylon fell to the Persian Empire. Daniel was a favorite of the Persian King Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC) and the Jews enjoyed favorable status with the Persian Empire. This, however, resulted in much jealousy among the people of the other conquered nations. This jealousy was evident in the story of Haman who plotted to have the Jews destroyed. The plan was thwarted because of the courage of Esther (a Jew) who was then the Queen of Persia and had much favor with her husband King Xerxes who was the grandson of Cyrus the Great (486-465 BC). Esther’s step son King Araxerxes I (465-424 B.C.) granted a decree that allowed Nehemiah and Ezra to lead their people back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple under the protection of the Persian Empire. This is almost a repeat of Jewish History beginning in 1948 AD when the United Nations granted Israel the right to return to their homeland.
The responsibilities on King Artaxerxes and the increasing threats of war from other nations became so great that he put his son Susa in charge over the Israelites. Susa was the grandson of Esther and sadly had no respect for her or the fact that she was Jewish and so Israels support from Persia broke down.
Both Nehemiah and Ezra had faith that even when Persia’s support failed them The Lord God Almighty would not ever fail them. If God wanted Jerusalem to be rebuilt He could and would do it, without the help of the Persian Empire. This proved true however, the lack of support from Persia did give their enemies some confidence to further harass Israel.
God never fails us but sometimes people give up before they see the answer to their prayers and needs, failing to simply trust in our heavenly Father and His timing and provision.
We read in Ezra 4:4: “Then the people of the land weakened the hands of Judah and troubled them in building.”
So it would appear that the battle including these acts of attrition were effective.
The expression
their hands were weakened
is an ancient idiom meaning
to become discouraged and fearful.
The word weakened
in Hebrew is
meraphim
spelled mem resh pei yod mem
Ezra 4:4 HEB: עַם־ הָאָ֔רֶץ מְרַפִּ֖ים יְדֵ֣י עַם־ NAS: of the land discouraged the people KJV: of the land weakened the hands INT: the people of the land weakened the hands the people
מְרַפִּ֖ים
Meraphim comes from the root word
rapah
which means:
to sink down or to loosen one’s grip.
The word is found in a Piel (intensive) form so it really has the idea of:
just letting go.
In other words,
just giving up.
It’s not a strange thing to experience, and no doubt most readers have felt that way at times during both personal lives and in ministry. Sometimes It can seem as if individuals just focus on and take aim at you from every angle, criticize, condemn, and accuse you of things that you never said, did or intended. Nothing is going the way that was hoped or planned and if we are not vigilant with our hearts, eventually, a person can become discouraged and then they meraphim or give up. Sometimes ending up with deep resentment and bitterness. Those in ministry are getting no response, no one seems to want to support them and they face one obstacle after another; it seems the enemy is relentless. The idiom of the last straw, the final blow to all the fighting and pressing in falls on us and its all designed with the goal of getting us to give up- tomerephim.
The constant harassment by their enemies caused the Israelites to become so weary, tired and discouraged from the mocking rhetoric. The attacks were not actually physical to them personally, but while they were building the walls their homes were robbed and their crops destroyed. This persisted and when Nehemiah returned after a visit back to Persia, he found the people had merephim – weakened and given up.
They had given up working on the walls to protect their own interests and they had fallen into spiritual paganism and idolatry.
Ezra encouraged the people and stirred them up to complete their mission
and so did Nehemiah.
This is where we get our well known phrase in
Nehemiah 8:10:
The Joy of the Lord is our strength.
We will not fulfill God’s work for us if we fall prey to the work of the enemy, to his war of attrition and his terrorist attacksagainst us like Judah did, and allow negative thinking and words to control us. Instead, we need to fill our hearts with the Word of God like Ezra did, by finding a congregation, assembly or fellowship of like-minded believers where you can encourage each other with songs of worship, praise and joy, and then enter into the joy of the Lord. When we encourage others with songs and testimonies of praise and joy and they in turn encourage us, together we will stop the enemy dead in his tracks. For where you were merephim – weak, the joy of the Lord will make us strong.
Ezra 4:4: “Then the people of the land weakened the hands of Judah and troubled them in building.”
There is a personal application for us individually in our own spiritual walk with our Heavenly Father and Paul, gives us a solution in Ephesians 15:19: “Speak to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”
We must not allow the work of the enemy to succeed against us like Judah did, and allow negative thinking and words to control us.
Instead we need to fill our hearts with the Word of God like Ezra did and encourage each other with words from scripture.
The Hebrew letters resh-pei in the word for weakened, reveal an interesting insight and it may be this is what has happened with those in charge of some countries and their citizens.
The Resh – people have become judgmental;
Pei – people talk to much; and the
resulting in them becoming self-deceived.
Are countries inflicting a war of attrition against themselvesand thereby weakening themselves? If this way of life continues, no doubt many will give up.
Here as in Exodus 19:2.
many need to
face the mountain.
As the Body of Messiah, we are to have a combined mission and goal and the more united we become as one with Him, He is us and we in Him; that common commitment and devotion to the Fathers’ will, plan and purpose will transform any barriers that prevent victory. It will turn them into stepping stones on our way to achieving that which our Heavenly Father has called us to do. It seems that until we are faced with an insurmountable mountain, our petty differences will not diminish. And until we are delivered from pride and ego and put our focus and intent on hearing, receiving and being a doer of His Word, any forward motion and spiritual maturity is hindered and splintered.
Proverbs 22:10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
Cast out the scorner/scoffer/tormentor and strife will go, for where there is strife there is every evil work. James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.
Prov 13:10. Among the proud there are always contentions: but they that do all things with counsel, are ruled by wisdom.
Arrogance leads only to strife, but wisdom is with the well-advised.
Strife can develop when a difference of opinion becomes the priority in a relationship. Strife and war or fighting are inseparable.
Strife is always accompanied by pride and an unteachable spirit.
Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion. Where emulation, zeal, and rivalry exist, there also are sedition, anarchy, restless disturbance, and every villainous act. The whole state is evil, and utterly contrary to the rule of the Gospel.
The enemy will always try to divide and conquer and sow questioning seeds of doubt and unbelief, causing our faith and trust in people to waver. It started in the garden…and will not stop until Messiah returns. Keep that helmet in place protecting our minds from the whispering accuser.
In the secular world it is said that to be successful one must surround oneself with positive people. If we surround ourselves with negative thinkers and talkers we will become negative too.
If anyone has ever helped out in the nursery during meetings you will quickly learn an important lesson. If one of those little ones began to cry, within moments the others begin to cry and truthfully, adults are not much different. If we are around one person crying, complaining and moaning, it’s not long before others add their own complaints.
We sometimes feel we in a prison or a hole in the ground with seemingly no way out.
Psalms 28:1 “Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.”
silent to me
The Hebrew word for
pit is bore
953 bowr: cistern
Original Word:בּוֹר Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration:bowr Phonetic Spelling:bore Definition:a pit, cistern, well
In ancient times a prison was a pit that someone was thrown into and without someone sending down a rope, a person could not get out of it. Similarly, if you fell into, or were lowered into a well, as old abandoned wells were often used as a prison, remember Joseph? Crypts were used for the same thing, they are places where once you go in, you usually don’t come out.
RegardingPsalm 28, to say that if David doesn’t hear from the Lord, he will die or enter a place he cannot get out of. Some of us have no doubt felt like we entered a dark place, like a deep well or a prison and if we did not get some direction and help from our Heavenly Father, there was a feeling that we would never escape.
It’s a curious statement that when David says that he calls on Adonai, He is silent. Does it simply meaning that when David presents his request to Adonai, his prayer is not answered?
The word silent is karash. חָרַשׁ
karash/charash: altogether
Original Word: חָרַשׁ Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: charash karash Phonetic Spelling: khaw-rash’ Definition: to cut in, engrave, plow, devise
1 cut in, engrave, of worker in metals נְחשֶׁת וּבַרְזֶל ׳ח Genesis 4:22 (J),
Psalm 129:3 upon my back have ploughmen ploughed (figurative of oppression by wicked); חֹרֵשׁ = ploughman Isaiah 28:24; Amos 9:13 (“” קצֵר); ׳ח with oxen subject only Job 1:14.
3 devise (as one who works in, practices), usually bad sense, object רָעָה Proverbs 3:29,
It is closely related to the word karas which means to be rough.
Maybe some of us can relate to that feeling, wondering why our Heavenly Father seems to be being so rough with us? The word Karash isn’t only used for silence but in its primitive form, refers to a plow or till which makes an engraving into the ground. In the form of a noun, it’s describing a cutting instrument. The word karas spelled with a Sade at the end means to lacerate, or wound.Karash is also used for an enchanter, magician, or to be artificial. It could be understood that silence from our Heavenly Father is similar to the cutting of a deep wound.
The use of this word would seem to point to the situation David was not asking for deliverance from the problem he found himself in, as he had confidence that was already covered. Rather he was wanting deliverance from the deep emotional distress he was experiencing, which was the result from people who were saying things about him that were not true. Could it be that this was the deep hurt, fear and worry that followed, causing an overwhelming feeling of oppression and dread that stole his joy for life itself? David was speaking as if he just wished Adonai would take him home and away from it all; even today, that’s not a strange wish for many going through horrible persecution. In such a position we wish for and desire to know our Heavenly Fathers comforting presence and in the next verse David speaks of his supplications –
Heb. Canan/ chanan.
Tehinnah
Or (feminine) tachanuwnah {takh-an-oo-naw’};
from chanan; earnest prayer — intreaty, supplication.
Original Word: חָנַן Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: chanan Phonetic Spelling: khaw-nan’ Definition: to show favor, be gracious
chanan/canan/Supplication here means:
to show favor.
David is saying that he is showing favor to God and He is doing it with his hands lifted up.
Questions we need to ask ourselves, when we go to our Heavenly Father with a need, who is it we are wanting to favor, ourselves or our Heavenly Father?
David is asking that he not be drawn away from the Lord by the intentions of the wicked in verse 5. The verses seem to indicate that to him the pressures of job, relationships, and health, were not that important; and we know that David did suffer the loss of his job through the broken relationship with Absalom his beloved son, as well as the loss of his health.
What David was looking at in this verse was not what he had lost physically but how they affected his relationship with his Heavenly Father.
In Psalms 98:1, David is praying and knows the Lord is his rock; then he is declaring that his job, his relationships, his health are not the rocks he depends on in his life and he can live without them.
He is saying that he cannot bear to lose his relationship with his heavenly Father. He is begging the Lord not to leave him because he would not be able to handle that, it would send him into a dark pit and he would die.
Messiah said we would have trials troubles and tribulation in this life and they are for the continuing working out of our salvation in the process to spiritual maturity.Phil.2:12
These mould us and shape us into the people our Heavenly Father wants us to be by sifting and refining us and the process purifies our hearts. At anytime we feel He is far away …He is not, He is simply allowing the testing of our faith and trust in Him, desiring us to seek Him more whatever our circumstances look like. We are to occupy til He comes again
and spiritually don’t give up an inch of ground already won; and encourage ourselves and others with Nehemiah, that our joy, and in turn our strength is in, and comes from, only Him. So
don’t give up
because we are assured in
Joshua 1:5 & Hebrews 13:5
that He will NEVER leave us nor FORSAKE us…
EVER!
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
What exactly does that title mean, and what’s the significance for us today?
The common understanding: He is both divine and human
two natures, one person and that
Son of God implies His deity
and Son of Man implies His humanity.
The term
Son of God. האלוהים בן
is the translation of one Hebrew and one Aramaic phrase used in the Hebrew Bible as another way to refer to humans who have a special relationship with God.
Where the Son of God
is written inDaniel 3:25,or, as
bar elahin
it may be rendered: a son of the gods,
i.e., a divine person or angel.
It is worth noting that even the roman centurion declared He was the Son of God recorded in Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39
And the Centurion and those who were guarding Yeshua, when they saw the quake and those things that happened, they were very afraid, and they said, “Truly, this was The Son of God.”
and The Righteous One in
Luke 23:47 Aramaic Bible in Plain English
When the Centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God and he said, “Truly this man was The Righteous One.”
The identity of the
Son of Man
appears in the twofold aspect of being representative of God, our Heavenly Father, both by heralding the Kingdom of God and as the prophet calling people to repentance and salvation.
He was a Son of Man, that is, taking on the form of a human being; and He is the Son of God, in that He has always existed as the Eternally Begotten One Who comes forth from the Father forever.
He always has, and He always will be and
this is reflected in the Hebrew Shema.
The Father, Son, and their Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal, meaning the three are One and always existed together.
The Scriptures record that Jesus/Yeshua, was conceived by the power of Holy Spirit, it was a miraculous, virgin birth and not by human procreation.
The term Son of God as applied to Messiah is unique.
It doesn’t mean He was a child of God, as Christian believers are when they are adopted into God’s family; instead, it points out His divinity, meaning He is God.
The term Son of Man has a more important and historical meaning in that, it doesn’t just make Him equal with humanity.
Daniel 7, tells us that the Son of Man
isnot simply a human figure but
a very exalted figure.
Son of Man אדם בן
The phrase Son of man appears multiple times in the Old and New Testaments. The Hebrew expression
son of man בן–אדם, ben-‘adam
appears 107 times in the Hebrew Bible, 93 times being the majority are in Ezekiel. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew phrase
בן אדם ben adam
translates as son of man
and is used for a person, any named or unnamed person. In Hebrew, the term is ben-adam,
the equivalent in Aramaic is bar-adam. We are familiar with Messiah being referred to as The Last Adam.
In Daniel and in post-biblical literature, the similar terms
bar-anosh and bar-nasha are also used.
If Yeshua/Jesus spoke Hebrew, and He used the Hebrew phrase
ben adam, then He was simply claiming to be a person.
Even if He spoke Greek, He would have used the phrase
huios tou anthrōpou, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew ben adam, and again is still simply claiming to be a person.
In the Old Testament there is one place where a different phrase is used for son of man.
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” KJV, Daniel 7:13
A portion of theBook of Daniel, including this verse, is written in Aramaic and the Aramaic forson of man is בר אנוש – bar enosh. It would appear that Yeshua/Jesus was speaking Hebrew all the time, but used the Aramaic phrasebar enosh instead of ben adam,in reference toHimself, then those listening would have known that He was calling Himself thebar enosh from Daniel 7:13,the One who “came with the clouds of heaven” which was a well-known messianic prophecy in the first century.
In the gospels, the term
Son of Man,
reveals that He referred to Himself most often as
Son of Man rather than Son of God
In the Greek New Testament, the phrase
“son of man” is υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου – huios tou anthrōpou,
but is always used in reference to Yeshua /Jesus, either by Yeshua Himself in reference to Himself; or by others in reference to Him.
This title seemed to be His favorite self-designation.
In Mark 10:45 He said
The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
So He often calls Himself Son of Man and those with ears to hear would have heard Daniel 7, in which He was claiming a very exalted role in the prophetic promises of redemption. Promises which were unfolding right in front of them, literally being fulfilled as they were listening, so it would appear this was purposeful.
He continually revealed His identity to those witheyes to see,however not so deliberately that they would have the unrestrained zeal to seize Him and make Him king. By disclosing His identity, He spoke truth with wisdom, aware of His Fathers timing in the plan of the ages unfolding around Him.
Others in the Bible called Yeshua/Jesus, the Son of God, in particular the adversary and unclean spirits. HaSatan, a fallen angel who was well aware of the true identity of Yeshua/Jesus, used the term as an insult, mocking Him during the temptation in the wilderness. Unclean spirits, are described in the scriptures as being full of fear in Yeshua/Jesus’ presence, and said,
You are the Son of God.Mark 3:11,
wanting to know if He had come to destroy them before the allocated time. Matthew 8:29.
Mark 2:28
the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.
Son of God or Son of Man?
Son of God
As Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14,
and 1Enoch /Apocrypha, clearly indicate,
this is a title that reflects
deity, majesty and His supernatural nature.
It was an important title for the Messiah and used by Yeshua/Jesus in referring to Himself.
In Hebrew literature from the time of the 2nd Temple,
Son of ManexpressesMessiah’s deity
far more than the title Son of God!
In the New Testament He is presented as both.
Mark, writing in his gospel, begins in the very first chapter and verse with Son of God, using the old title for the King of the Davidic Dynasty yet inMark 22:28, He is referred to as Son of Man.
Some say Son of God refers to deity
and Son of Man refers to His humanity.
It seems logical but based onDaniel 7, which already noted is the source of these expressions, there is a different picture.Daniels vision is of 2 divine figures on 2 thrones. One is an older looking figure called the ancient one.
“I watched till thrones were [d]put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; 10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The [e]court was seated, And the books were opened.
According to Daniels vision, this Son of Man in the form of a human being isbrought on the clouds of Heavenand will be given eternal rule over Israel. The Son of Man who was divine but in human form and was given sovereignty became identified with God. Because of this, when the term Son of Man was used, based on its origin in the book of Daniel, the speaker, or author, often had deity in mind. The idea that God, our Heavenly Father would have a second in command comes from old Hebraic theological thinking.
The High Priest /Cohen haGadol, asks Yeshua/Jesus if He is
the Messiah
the Son of the Blessed One -The son of God.
Are you the Mashiach Ben HaM’vorakh?
To which He answers I Am.
In response to the direct question of the High Priest, Yeshua/Jesus does not hesitate and identifies Himself with the One who spoke to Moses at the burning bush in
Exodus 3:14
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.h This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
By saying this, Yeshua/ Jesus not only affirms that
He is the Messiah, the Son of God
and also indicates that
He is to be identified with Adonai Himself.
John 4:26; 18:6.
What did Jesus/Yeshua mean by the Son of Man?
Yeshua/Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of Man. Being born of a human mother, He was a fully human man but also fully God. His incarnation meant He came to earth and took on human flesh, He was like us in every way except sin.
This title Son of Man goes much deeper because Yeshua/Jesus was speaking of the Daniel 7:13-14prophecy.Probably, everyone listening, and especially the religious leaders, would have been familiar with that reference.
Son of Man was a title of the Messiah as well, the anointed one of God who would free the people from bondage; at the time, Roman oppression.For a very long time, all of Israel had been expecting their Messiah, however, the High Priest, religious leaders and many others refused to believe Yeshua/Jesus was the One they were waiting for. Many Jewish people thought that the Messiah would be a military leader who would liberate them from Roman rule. They could neither believe nor understand that it was to be a servant Messiah, Who would sacrifice Himself on a tree to free them from the bondage of sin.
As Yeshua/Jesus preached throughout the land of Israel, He was well aware it would have been considered blasphemous if He had called Himself the Son of God; and calling Himself the Son of God would have without doubt, terminated His ministry before the time appointed. This was later proved to be true when during His mock trial held and led by the religious leaders. Answering their question He clearly stated that He was the Son of God, then the High Priest tore his own robe, and immediately accused Yeshua/Jesus of blasphemy and issued a death sentence.
They understood that Jesus claimed to be God. Stoning was the prescribed punishment for blasphemy
Leviticus 24:16; cf. Deuteronomy 13:6-11;
The term the Son of Man can be found 32 times in Matthew, 15 times in Mark, 26 times in Luke, and 12 times in John.
In Matthew, Mark and Luke, the title is always recorded as having been used by Messiah of Himself and never by an angel, a man, or an unclean spirit. There are only two places in all 4 Gospels where the term is written as being on any lips other than Messiah.
Of the 12 references in John, 10 are spoken by Messiah; the expression was used twice by men, and then only by way of unbelief and criticism: e.g. “We have heard out of the law that the Christ lives forever: and why do you say, The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
Son of Man is Messiah’s own description of Himself, and is a term linking Him to humanity, showing His positive and intimate relationship to us. In the account of the wilderness temptation, He was on a human level. In reply to the first temptation, He said: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.” meaning that He was in the wilderness as a man, as the Son of Man and standing where every one has to experience. However, He chose and perfectly obeyed the commandments.
In answering the 2nd temptation, He said: “It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.” placing Himself within the limitations available to every individual and at the same time declaring that He was living according to Torah commandments, which everyone must obey if they want the Fathers’ fulfillment for their lives.
His response to the 3rd temptation was:
It is said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”
In stating the Torah scripture, He declared that the Torah/Teaching/Law/Commandment, which governed Him, and to which He was obediently submitted, was exactly the same as that which governs everyone. By showing His family connection to humanity, He completely identified with all our human experiences.
The common understanding is that Son of God implies His deity, which it does, and that Son of Man implies His humanity, which it does also.
He was a son of man, that is, a human being, and He is the Son of God, in that He has always existed as the Eternally Begotten One Who comes forth from the Father forever, with all of the divine nature fully in Him. He was born of a virgin, Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit, so He is also fully human. It’s a completely unique concept and can only be fully comprehended by understanding it spiritually.
It means: Jesus/Yeshua, was a godly human being and the special One sent by our Heavenly Father. He was the Son of God in the flesh, having a physical body like ours. He was a human whose presence on Earth required a special creative act of our Heavenly Father. Just as scripture says in:
Luke 3:38 Adam, which was the son of God — Adam, being descended from no human parents, but formed by the power of a divine creating hand, might with peculiar propriety be called the son of God, having, in his original state, received immediately from God, whatever the sons of Adam receive from their parents, sin and misery excepted.
Romans 5:12 -21;12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that [1] all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not….
1Corinthians 15:45 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.”The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Yeshua/Jesus in His earthly lifetime related to God as His own Father, calling Him Abba.
The divine eternally existing Word, Who always was, and always will be One/Echad with Adonai. John 1:1–3,1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him;
14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater 10:31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
14:9-10,Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
and 28 You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
He was not in the habit of proclaiming Who He was; yet in certain situations He would make open and honest statements and at other times, He would hint, indirectly inferring Who He was. It was only when the Father judged that the time was right and mostly this was when His life was on trial, and they asked, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the living God?” then He said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man coming with great power and glory.” Messiah openly confessed His deity timing it exactly when He knew they would condemn and crucify Him for it.
According toDaniel 7, Son of Man has the double meaning of human being and, the exalted heavenly one and Yeshua/Jesus obviously meant to communicate both meanings.
What does the title Son of God mean today?
Tragically, many people still refuse to accept that Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach is God and in todays liberal society, millions of people reject the idea of absolute truth as proclaimed in Gods Word.
The Bible, is consistent and clear in proclaiming that Yeshua/ Jesus is God. For example in John 20:31 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
Many only see Him as a good man who had some good teaching, or was one of many prophets written about in the Bible. They categorize Him on the same level as other religious leaders throughout history.
However to those who know Him, Messiah said straightforwardly, and uncompromisingly
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6,
Many think Christians are narrow and intolerant, especially when it come to alternate lifestyles however, truth comes from Messiah Himself.
As the Son of God, He continues to make the same promise of eternity in His presence to whosoever will follow Him today:
“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:40.
One other place where Son of Man is used is in
2 Cor 12:3 and I know that this man
or I know this barnasha…
which means literally this son of man.
Barnasha is an idiomatic word for:
being in the flesh.
Both titles can be applied to Jesus/Yeshua/Messiah.
Son of Man more to His deity
and
Son of God to His humanity.
which is the opposite of what most people think!
The Son of man came down from heaven.
To seek and to save that which was lost. John 3:13
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so
the Son of Man must be lifted up. John 3:14
3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
God’s Only Unique Son.
He came to save us and make us His own..
make sure He is both
Son of Man and Son of God
to you today.
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
24 Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 Forwhoeverwantsto savehislifewill loseit,butwhoeverloseshislifefor My sakewill findit. 26 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?…
Matt 16:25 AMP. or whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].
Also in Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
John 12:25 Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Mark 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
In Revelation 12:11 Messiah again speaks of not loving our physical earthly lives above Him. And they loved not their lives unto the death –
Meaning that they did not so love their lives that they were unwilling to die as martyrs. They did not shrink back when threatened with death, but remained firm in their attachment to their Savior, and left their sacrificial death as a testimony to the truth and power of faith.
In the well known chapter of Hebrews 11:33 where the heroes and heroines of faith/trust/batak are recorded. Verse 33 says who by faith [that is, with an enduring trust in God and His promises] subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions…
Closed the mouths of lions,
is a reference to Daniel and the story we are quite familiar with.
The following historical information may not only be of interest but help to explain the reason for the strong faith exhibited by Daniel in the lions den and his 3 companions who were thrust into the fiery furnace. Both are extra-ordinary accounts of faith filled men whose lives were lived in exile and under tight control of idol worshippers.
Many in the west are unfamiliar with any government /royal kingdom that operate under strict rules with penalties that include death/torture for breaking the conditions by which all citizens and or foreigners in exile there, are to live their lives. Regimes that enforce unrighteous regulations are notably those who serve false gods and not the true living Creator of the universe. Many of these so called gods are the fallen angels who followed Lucifer and are still, like their master, deceiving the masses into false religions, idol and demon worship; an ongoing issue recorded all through the Bible.
Like Daniel and the 3 who did not fail their testing times, we are to stand firm on what we know to be the Way the Truth and the Life. Scripture warns us that times are at hand when every persons faith will be tested.
When faith is tested, we can expect to be tempted, however we can also expect to be strengthened; even when it brings out our shortcomings and inadequacies. In this respect, testing is a positive and good thing because it allows us to see where our lives need improvement. Only when our beliefs are tested can we truly know ourselves and if we are principled men and women of integrity; and that He is our Father and we are truly His children.
Matthew 4:1-11
The story of Messiahs’ testing/temptation, shows how the Son of God/Son of Man was to fulfill His calling by only using His power in obedience to His Heavenly Father’s purposes and plans; and we are encouraged that “No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
“…we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5.
Testing proves the quality of our faith and of our character, by confirming the integrity of our beliefs and values; thus building confidence in our Heavenly Father and imparting to us a greater strength of resolve.
We know that there will be times when we will be put to the test and have to stand strong in our faith in Him. When that time comes, we must remember His promise to us to be strengthened and that He will be with us.
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7.
Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
James 1:3
Going from the verse in Hebrews 11:33 to the Book of Daniel 3:8-30, readers are introduced to three young men: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
This account takes place about 600 years before Messiah was born during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who besieged Jerusalem and took captive into exile, many citizens of Israel. Among them were four young men from the tribe of Judah who, after they were living in captivity, they were given new names. Daniel was called Belteshazzar, Hananiah was renamed Shadrach, Mishael was called Meshach, and Azariah was named Abednego.
As well as being fellow Hebrew captives, they were also Daniels’ friends. The four young Hebrews soon proved themselves to be exceptionally wise, they found favor with King Nebuchadnezzar when Daniel was found to be the only man capable of interpreting one of his troubling dreams. The king placed him in a high position serving as chief governor over the whole province of Babylon, including over all of the wise men of the land. Then at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as Daniel’s advisors.
These brave believers in the Most High God held on to their faith even when threatened with death by fire. Their lives serve as inspiration for those whose faith is challenged or those who face persecution, torture and hardship for their beliefs.
But why were they so courageous?
Why did they not try to save their own lives?
Sometimes martyrdom fulfills the Father’s plan and other times divine intervention better accomplishes His purpose.…
The lesson for believers is that we must be ready and willing to serve the Lord whether in life or by physical death.
King Nebuchadnezzar had a huge golden image built as a symbol of his power and glory. He then commanded his people to bow down and worship this image whenever they heard the sound of his musical herald.
Those who disobeyed the order would be thrown into an immense, blazing furnace.
According to classical historians, Nebuchadnezzar was, the man responsible for making Babylon one of the wonders of the ancient world, and was credited with building the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Interestingly ‘Nebuchadnezzar’ seemingly wasn’t his name, because the second ‘n’ was apparently an error?
His Babylonian name was Nabū-kudur-usur, if so, he should be called Nebuchadrezzar. The ‘mistake’, supposedly by author of the Book of Daniel, has become the most frequently known name by which the Babylonian king is now referred to.
Nebuchadnezzar, like most absolute rulers, insisted on his subjects coming to the gold statue of himself and paying homage to it, and by association, to worship Nebuchadnezzar himself.
Because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego worshipped only the One True God, they refused to bow down to the false idol and by association to the king.
3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
For some reason, Daniel is not on the list, so he avoids this punishment, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are summoned to appear before the king; yet, they remained courageous in the face of Nebuchadnezzar’s demand to bow down in front of the golden statue. They said:
Daniel 3:16-18: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer you in this matter. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O King. But even if he does not, let it be known to you O King, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Not only did they refuse to bow down to his idol, but they just call him ‘Nebuchadnezzar‘ not prefixing it with ‘King’, and they did not finish what they said with ‘live forever;’ and the letter ‘O’ in most translations is not there in the original Aramaic. Their reply was, lo chashechin and in the KJV it’s translated as: “we are not careful to answer you.” which is basically the meaning of lo chashechin saying in a blunt fashion: “we do not need to answer you.” In a way it’s a disrespectful answer, like saying,
“I don’t have to answer to you.”
But note they add the word pitegam
which is rendered:
on this matter.
Pithegam is not a matter but a decree, a demand or command.
The word matter is pithegam which is: a decree.
The three Hebrews were not defying the king in everything, only in this specific decree. There is a lesson for us here, that when we are living under leadership that is not in line with scripture, we are only obligated to obey unless it is in directly against the command of our Heavenly Father.
When Nebuchadnezzar heard that the three Hebrews had refused to worship his idol he was furious. He summoned them and would normally have had them cast into the furnace immediately, but instead he gave them a second chance. However, by doing this, he gave himself a challenge in front of everyone; was he going to face disgrace and embarrassment by backing down to their God?
The three young Hebrews may have known that Nebuchadnezzar respected their God, which in turn may explain the attitude toward him. What the young men told Nebuchadnezzar was, “If our God is able, He will deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire.” The next word should read as then, not and. Then he will deliver us from your hand /or your power.
The word deliver is shazav
which means: to rescue,
but in this form, it would really be inciting the king because they were saying: If our God is able he can rescue us from the fire, then we will really be rescued from your power…. or in other words:
If our God is able he can rescue us from the fire we’ll never have to submit to your power and it will prove who’s really in charge.
Then they added a final insult to the one who dared to defy their God. But even if He doesn’t choose to rescue us, we are still not going to worship your gods.
For the three men the emphasis was not that they were confident that they would be saved from the fire, but rather on their commitment that they wouldn’t bow down to any other god/idol.
All through the history of the ecclesia, right to the present day there are Christian believers similar to these three young Hebrew men who took their stand in faith for God, but they’re not delivered. Many have been thrown to lions, burned at the stake, tortured, shot, hung, beheaded and many other horrors. Just as the 3 Hebrews, they stood strong saying: “My God can rescue me, but even if He doesn’t, I am not about to deny Him.” Have we ever had to face such a decision, or maybe we are about to?
Nebuchadnezzar was furious and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than normal. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound and cast into the flames. The blast from the flames was so hot, it killed the soldiers who had put them in.
Then he was amazed marveled at what he saw:
“But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:25, ESV
Calling the men to come out of the furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged unharmed, and not even a hair on their heads was singed and their clothing didn’t even smell of smoke.
This made such a huge impression on Nebuchadnezzar that he made a declaration saying:
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.” Daniel 3:28, ESV
Due to the miraculous deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the King made a decree that the rest of the Israelites in captivity were now to be protected from harm and that they were guaranteed freedom of worship; furthermore they all three received a royal promotion.
The most important fact is that being Hebrew/Israelite/Jewish, they were forbidden by the Ten Commandments to worship any ‘graven image’, because it is a form of idolatry, these men could not in good conscience kneel before the Babylonian king’s statue. There are rare instances within Hebrew/Israelite/Jewish law that mandate an individual to sacrifice their own life rather than engage in something that violates the commandments written in the scriptures.
They were still determined to die rather than bow to the idol, even if God did not raise them from the dead.
Yehareg ve’al ya’avor
“Let him be killed rather than transgress”
refers to the requirement to give one’s life rather than transgress a law.
Although ordinarily one is permitted to transgress halakha when a life is in danger, certain situations require an individual to give one’s life.
There are three sins for which one is always required to die rather than transgress:
idolatry
sexual misconduct such as incest, adultery, homosexuality, or bestiality
murder
Adultery and idolatry are also excluded; according to most authorities, a person must give up their life rather than violating these prohibitions. The Talmud (not scripture) also says that if the violation would be public — and especially if it’s a time when the ruling authorities are seeking to get Jews to violate the Torah’s commandments — one must give up your life rather than commit even the smallest infraction.
The first exception, idolatry, is extrapolated from Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might,” meaning that one should even surrender one’s life rather than serve any divinity aside from God.
For us the meaning of the story of the fiery furnace is that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a graven image/idol of the Babylonian king, for the simple clear reason that God forbids it; and for their faith and loyalty, they are saved from the oven or furnace. The story also reveals God’s power directly to Nebuchadnezzar and offers a moral lesson to everyone living under tyrannical regimes and also to those rulers who would try to set themselves up higher than the One True Living God.
In chapter 6 we read of Daniel also defying a kings decree.
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;
2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
Praying 3 x a day refers to the 3 daily requirements:
shacharit the morning prayer
minchah the afternoon prayer
and ma’aariv the evening prayer
These date back to the time of the patriarchs and are referenced in Daniel 6.
Apparently the king Darius Daryavesh the Mede didn’t want to deliver Daniel over to the lions. Daniel would have been in his 80’s. However the new Persian law forced him to deliver Daniel up to his accusers since no decree or edict once issued by the king could be revoked. Verses 15/16 15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.” 16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.
Has anyone ever wondered why the importance of the lions?
Why a lion pit?
Below is a picture that shows King Darius’s son Artaxeres II standing before the figure of the goddess Anahita riding on a lion.
Anahita is the Sun God of ancient Persia and the protector of Persia. (Persia is modern day Iran.)
Mithras, or the lion is the symbol of the Persian identity depicting strength and unity.
That unity was very important as the Persian Empire was made up of many conquered nations, but each conquered nation shared in the governmental structure of the Persian Empire.Daniel was one of its three presidents who was a prince of the Judean Empire.
The lion symbolized the strength of the Persian Empire and it’s this strength that would maintain the united Empire together with the conquered nations. They believed that there was strength and power in unity. For this unity to be kept, all those who were a part of it had to agree and worship one primary god and in this case Anahita was picked and the picture shows her riding on the lion.
The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran
On the left is King Artaxerxes II he is facing the goddess Anahita who sits on top of a lion.
In the background to Anahita can be seen the clear display of the sun which is a representation of the ancient Iranic god Mithras, the sun emanates 21 rays, the same symbol which is used by varous ancient Iranic cults among the Kurds of Iran, Iraq and Turkey. The 21 rays related to the festival date of Mehregan (Festival of the Sun-god Mithra) which takes place from the 16th to the 21st of Mehr of the Iranian calendar.
If anyone violated or placed another god above Anahita, they would have to face the wrath of the lions and this is the reason why the lion’s den was kept.
These lions were kept to punish anyone who desecrated the authority of the reigning god or goddess.
That is why it was so easy to set Daniel up and get King Darius to sign the proclamation that no one could worship any other god than Anahita!
This was not simply a battle in the physical realm but it was in the spiritual realm too. If Daniel survived being thrown into the lion’s den, it meant that the whole religious order, if not the existing governmental structure of the kingdom would be under threat. This is the reason why King Darius ordered everyone to worship Jehovah, Daniels’ God. All the elite of Darius’ kingdom witnessed their sun god Anahita challenge Daniels God Jehoveh and there was no comparison. At the same moment he was thrown into the lion’s den, Daniels’ God Jehovah supernaturally
closed the mouths of the lions.
Research shows and scripture suggests that there must have been very many lions in there.
This is because the servants of Anahita were thrown into the same den afterwards and they with their families numbered almost 300 and the Bible says they were devoured before they hit the ground!
Once in the lion’s den is it a possibility Daniel, who in his wisdom, understood the secrets of God, exercised some scriptural dominion, (Genesis), over the lions and they became docile and full of shalom?
However one thing is certain, King Darius knew that Daniel had a personal relationship with the Creator God of the universe; and not only that Daniel would be protected by this God Jehovah but also because this God clearly loved Daniel. This was a great deal more than could be said for false goddess Anahita, who did nothing to either save or protect her servants when they were thrown to the lions.
It appears King Darius was so impressed with Daniels dedication to God that he adds something very revealing. He said that
God will deliver him.
The Aramaic word used here for deliver is shazav
which means
to rescue or deliver,
but it is a deliverance made out of love and affection!
Scripture records that King Darius is really saying,
‘that if your God loves you so much, He will not let you suffer this fate.’
It could be true to say that sometimes God will not only deliver us out of a trial because He loves us, but He will also act to protect His Name and good reputation revealing what kind of Righteous and Loving God He is.
Both Daniel and the 3 Hebrew youths were very aware of the fact that they had all been raised to know and keep the 10 commandments; and to not deny the living God, nor to bow in worship to any other idol even unto their own death.
We need to understand the Hebraic mindset and that they were prepared to die, having no fear. They were full of faith in Gods’ ability for the outcome, whatever that may be.
They trusted their Heavenly Father that because they had been faithful in their obedience to His commandments, to not to bow and worship any idol; that He would either deliver them from the lions and fire by a miracle, or raise them from the dead if they burned or were mauled. Or, they would simply die and be in His presence. Either way was win-win situation for them all.
Belteshazzar/Daniel, Hananiah/Shadrach, Mishael/Meshach, and Azariah/Abednego is what every one of us is going to need in the days that lie ahead, and starting today, not in somewhere off in the distant future.
We need to ask ourselves the very serious questions..
Do we truly love Him?
Are we keeping His commandments? because…
“If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.
John 14:15
And echoed by Messiah in
Mark 12:30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.” John 14:21
That includes those given in Deuteronomy 6:5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Are we loving our lives more than Him?
Is our faith unshakable unto death?
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God; we need to stay in His Word and remain strong in the Lord and the power of His might. NOW is the hour of preparation, keep your lamps filled family, and keep your eyes on Him the author and finisher of our faith…keep looking up for our redemption our deliverance and our exodus is drawing very nigh!
Messiah is coming
He is even at the door….
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him Ps 98:1
Anyone who has been following Messiah Yeshua/Jesus for any length of time is painfully aware of the fact we are in an ongoing war. It is not simply a physical war but one that originates in the realm of the spirit. This war will not stop until Messiah returns; which is why He told us to..
In 
Anahita is the Sun God of ancient Persia and the protector of Persia. (Persia is modern day Iran.)
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