Tag: Soul

Questions Scribes And Pharisees Ask

The one who asked this question,

asked it to test Messiah.

Mark 12:28-34

  1. And when one of the scribes came, and heard them disputing together, and saw that he had answered them well, he put a question to him, Which is the first commandment of all?

  2. 29. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. 30. And, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment. 31. And the second, which is like it, is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: there is no other commandment greater than these. 32. And the scribe said to him, Master, thou hast answered well with truth, that there is one God, and there is no other besides him. 33. And that to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is better than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34. And Jesus, when he saw that he had replied skillfully, said to him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And after that, no man ventured to put a question to him.

Matthew 22:37-40

  1. But when the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they assembled together. 35. And one of them, a doctor of the law, put a question to him, tempting him, and saying, 36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37. Jesus saith to him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as much as thyself. 40. On these two commandments the whole law and the prophets depend.

Luke 10:25-28

  1. And, lo, a certain lawyer  1rose up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26. And he said to him, What is written in the law? How readest thou? 27. He answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. 28. And he said to him, Thou hast answered right: do this, and thou shalt live.

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

He calls Him “master, Rabbi, or doctor”,

as the Sadducees had in Matthew 22:24.

Which is the great commandment in the law?

Notice this translation does not read

the greatest but the great.

That is, the great/greatest commandment,

or

the one most important.

Before we look deeper at Messiahs specific answer we should consider that the question is not which of the laws was the greatest, the oral, or the written law. The Jews give the preference to the law delivered by word of mouth; they prefer the traditions of the elders before the written law of Moses; but the question was about the written law of Moses; and not merely about the decalogue, or whether the commands of the first tablet were greater than those of the second, as was generally thought; or whether the affirmative precepts were not more to be regarded than negative ones, which was their commonly received opinion; but about the whole body of the law, moral and ceremonial, delivered by Moses: and not whether the ceremonial law was to be preferred to the moral, which they usually did. Yeshua/Jesus had already made a contribution to the discussion by setting the ethical above the ritual.

Matthew 15:1-20, cf. Matthew 19:18-22.

The point of this question was:

which kind of command is great in the law?

That is, what kind of a commandment must it be to constitute it a great one?

Not, which commandment is greatest as compared with the others?

One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question:

Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?

Which is the great commandment . . .?  Literally, of what kind. The questioner asked as if it belonged to a class. Messiah’s answer is definite, “This is the first and great commandment.”

Matthew 22:36 f. What kind of a commandment (qualitative, comp. Matthew 19:18) is great in the law; what must be the nature of a commandment in order to constitute it great? The commandment, then, which Yeshua/Jesus singles out as the great one κατʼ ἐξοχήν, and which, as corresponding to the subsequent δευτέρα, He places at the head of the whole series (ἡ μεγάλη κ. πρώτη,) in that of Deuteronomy 6:5,

The Jews are said to have divided the law into “greater and smaller” commandments. Which was of the greatest importance they had not determined. Some held that it was the law respecting sacrifice; others, that respecting circumcision; others, that pertaining to washings and purifying, etc.

The law / torah / instruction. The word “law” has a great variety of significations; it means, commonly, in the Bible, as it does here, “the law given by Moses,” recorded in the first five books of the Bible.

The scribes declared that there were 248 affirmative precepts, as many as the members of the human body; and 365 negative precepts, as many as the days in the year; the total being 613, the number of letters in the Decalogue. Of these they called some light and some heavy. Some thought that the law about the fringes/zitzit on the prayer shawl/garments was the greatest; some that the omission of washings was as bad as murder; some that the third commandment was the greatest. It was in view of this kind of distinction that the scribe asked the question; not as desiring a declaration as to which commandment was greatest, but as wanting to know the principle upon which a commandment was to be regarded as a ‘great’ commandment.

Messiah said the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind and strength.

What readers outside of Israel and unfamiliar with Hebrew culture may not have realized is, that even a child knew the answer to the question on what the greatest commandment was.

How did they know?

Because they recited it every day in their morning prayers when they said the Shema.  The daily declaration of faith:

Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad Baruch Shem Kavod Malchuto L’olam Vaed.

Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our G‑d, the L-rd is One. Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever. You shall love the L-rd your G‑d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart.

This comes from the word of God in Deuteronomy 6

and specifically the biblical text of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, which contains the Shema,

a central confession of faith in Judaism and Christianity.

In the recitation of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, special emphasis is given to the first six Hebrew words of this passage:

Shema Yisrael, Adonai eloheinu, Adonai echad.

The Shema is the core Hebrew affirmation and admonition.

And you shall love את Yahuah your Elohiym, 

with all your heart, and with all your soul,

and with all yourself;

and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 U’ahavtah את Yahuah Elohayka, v’kole levav’ka, v’kole nefeshka, v’kole meod’ka; v’ahav’ka l’reacha kemo’ka.

The reason they asked Him was because at that time there was amongst others, duly noted above, a big debate among the Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees, Rabbis and Teachers of the Law, as to whether the greatest commandment meant we were to love God with

all our hearts, soul and might (strength)

or

hearts, soul and will.

To love Him with all our might would mean:

force ourselves to love God with all our hearts and soul, like gritting our teeth and doing it whether we want to or not.

But if we are to say we love Him with our wills, it would mean

we just simply sit back and decide, making a choice to love Him?

The issue is that the word meod could mean either or both.

mə·’ō·ḏe·ḵā

Deuteronomy 6:5 
HEB: נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־ מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ 
NAS: your soul and with all your might.
KJV: and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
INT: your soul all your might

3966 meod: Very, exceedingly, much, greatly

Original Word: מְאֹד
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: m`od
Pronunciation: meh-ODE
Phonetic Spelling: meh-ode’
Definition: Very, exceedingly, much, greatly
Meaning: vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

Derived from an unused root meaning “to vehemence” or “force.”

The Greek equivalent often used in the Septuagint (LXX) for “meod” is “σφόδρα” (sphodra), which also means “very” or “exceedingly.”

The Hebrew word meod, is an adverb, used to intensify the meaning of an adjective or verb. It conveys the sense of very or exceedingly, often used to emphasize the degree or extent of something. In the context of the Hebrew Bible, meod is frequently employed to underscore the intensity of emotions, actions, or characteristics.

 In ancient Hebrew culture, language was often used in a vivid and expressive manner. The use of intensifiers like meod reflects a linguistic tradition that values emphasis and clarity. The Hebrew Bible, as a foundational text for Jewish and Christian traditions, uses meod to convey the depth of human experience and divine attributes, highlighting the importance of wholehearted devotion and the magnitude of God’s works.

The Pharisee who asked this question, as we learn in verse 35,  asked it to test Yeshua/Jesus, because as previously mentioned, that even a child knew the answer to the question on what the greatest commandment was; however, the Jewish oral tradition taught by the rabbis referenced something called:

Derech Eretz, which literally means: the way of the land.  

Hebrew: תורה עם דרך ארץ – Torah with “the way of the land”,

it’s a common phrase in Rabbinic literature referring to various aspects of one’s interaction with the wider world. A term used to describe proper behavior good manners,

Derech Eretz  teaches respect for all of humanity, including those handicapped, the elderly, and those in need regardless of their race, religion or color. In contemporary Jewish life today, derech eretz, (literally “the way of the land”) means something like good manners or the done thing, proper etiquette, common decency and correct moral behavior.

However, in Messiah’s day the Pharisees taught that

Derech Eretz was equal to the study of Torah. 

In the Mishnah in Tractate Avoth 2:2 it declares “Beautiful is the study of Torah with Derech Eretz, an involvement with both makes one forgets sin.”

This Pharisee wanted to test Yeshua to see if He agreed with them.

This is the basic point of their questioning Him.

Here we see the wisdom of Messiah and our Heavenly Father in His reply being aware that they were trying to trick Him.

Yeshua/Jesus knew what was in a person’s mind and didn’t need anyone to tell him what people were like, because He himself knew what was in every person. John 2:25

By the time Yeshua/Jesus was born, Aramaic had been the language of Palestine for centuries; because of this, the vast majority of scholars agree that He spoke almost exclusively in Aramaic, specifically in the Galilean dialect of Aramaic which would have been His native language. Aramaic was the common language in Judea and Galilee during Messiah’s time, and Hebrew, the language of the Bible and the Mishna, was also common among Jews.  While He very likely spoke Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek, Aramaic was probably the language He spoke the most. The Gospels record Messiah speaking numerous Aramaic words.

When Messiah grew up as a boy in the village of Nazareth, He no doubt attended the synagogue school. The Jewish child was sent to school in the fifth or sixth year of his life. The pupils either “stood, teacher and pupils alike, or else sat on the ground in a semicircle, facing a teacher.” Until the children were ten years of age, the Bible Torah and Tanakh was all they learned. Both rabbinic material and Josephus mention that in the first-century Judaism it was a duty, indeed a religious commandment, that Jewish children be taught Torah.

To learn Torah and to teach it, as it is written

“thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children ”

Deuteronomy 6:7.

The elementary school system among the Jews developed in connection with the synagogue. Even before the days of Yeshua/Jesus, schools for the young were located in practically every important town. Simon ben Shetach (75 b.c.) taught people systematically. He decreed that children should attend elementary school (בֵּת הַסֵּפֶר) the “house of the book.” The Book, of course, was the Torah, with the explanation and oral law. He decreed that children should attend elementary school (בֵּת הַסֵּפֶר) the “house of the book.” The Book, of course, was the Torah, with the explanation and oral law.

When the son reached the age of twelve, the Jews believed his education in the Torah was complete enough to help him know the Law and keep it. He was then known as a “son of the Law. Recall the event of Messiah age twelve, remaining in Jerusalem talking with the Rabbis.

Much of the Torah and the prophets and writings were memorized rather than written or read. However we know Yeshua/Jesus could read Hebrew as He read from the Isaiah scroll. This was not an isolated case as teachers, rabbis and visiting guests regularly read from the Torah Scrolls every Sabbath.

However, the school system did not develop until Joshua ben Gamla (64 CE) the high priest caused public schools to be opened in every town and hamlet for all children above six or seven. The word for education (חִינּוּך) in modern Heb. is derived from the root חָנַכְ, H2852, to train which is used in late Biblical Heb. “Train up a child in the way he should go…” (Prov 22:6). Other verbs are used to denote “training,” “instructing” and “learning.” Teaching and learning often took the form of repetition שִׂיחַ֒, H8488.  The scribal school was attached to the Temple and was called the “House of Life.”

In the Mediterranean world in which Yeshua/Jesus lived, children held a different kind of status than they do in our world today. We expect our children to grow into adults and to engage in a life of fulfilled dreams. This was not the case for parents of Messiah’s day because more than half of the children born at this time never reached puberty, they died of diseases and of malnutrition; so when children appear in the Gospels, they usually are used to convey a very important message. For example such is the case in the passage of Mark’s Gospel 10:14.

 

In their culture, children had the free reign of the family compound. They lived in extended families, brothers lived with their brothers and their wives and their children; the eldest brother or their father was the patriarch. The women lived in one section of the home, usually to the rear where they were not so vulnerable to passers-by. The men lived in another room, usually near the front of the home and were seen as the protectors of their women and children.

The children roamed freely between the two areas and were often used by the adults to discover what was going on in the other rooms. They carried stories back and forth and were the ultimate destroyers of secrecy between the men and between the women as they had access to the whole house; so if anyone wanted to keep a secret, it was necessary to make sure there were no children within earshot. With this in mind, when the disciples tell the children to move away from Yeshua/Jesus, it may not have simply been a matter of giving Him some quiet time. It may have been that they were protecting him from gossip/stories that the children could retell to the adults; however, Yeshua/Jesus in welcoming the children shows that He has no secrets, that His life is open and what He talks about is for everybody who has ears to hear. The story is to show that Messiah offers a special relationship with all men and women including children. He was authentic, trustworthy, and didn’t try to hide His private life, by allowing the children into His life proved that.

Research revels that the first elementary school was probably in Jerusalem with the institution spreading to the urban centers at a later time. Joseph ben Gamala (c. a.d. 65) tried to make elementary education universal and compulsory by endeavoring to make provision for teachers in all provinces and allowing children to enter the school at the age of six or seven. Instruction was given in reading, and the Torah was studied both in its written and oral form. The curriculum in the elementary school was basically the Bible, the Old Testament and the Apocrypha. The Pseudepigrapha was not part of the formal education in school, though it had a widespread circulation. Scientific ideas were embedded incidentally in the Old Testament, this is true also of political ideas. The Old Testament was studied in Hebrew, except for a few passages in Aramaic, notably in Ezra and Daniel. Some apocryphal books were in Greek, but Hebrew continued as the language for scholarly study.

Back to the scripture in question and the four areas that Yeshua/Jesus included in His reply. Matthew only records three: heart, soul and mind. 

Matthew 22:37  “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” 

From the Greek – KJV

both the text In Mark and

Luke both say all 4.

However from the Aramaic, the Peshitta Bible,

Matthew records all four areas:

Matthew 22:37  “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love THE LORD JEHOVAH your God from all your heart and from all your soul and from all your power/might/strength and from all your mind.’ 

Messiah was making a direct quote from Deuteronomy 6:5, yet it seems as if He did not quote the passage accurately?  In Deuteronomy 6:5 He says

we are to love the Lord God with all our might,

but in Matthew 22:37 He says

we are to love Him with all our mind.

This seems to point to the fact that

mind and might are two separate things?

The One Who gave the covenant commandments in the first place would not have made such an mistake and it also seems strange that the Scribes and Pharisees who were trying to trap Jesus and knew every letter of the law backwards and forwards, didn’t point it out?

Here is where digging into the Peshitta, the Aramaic Hebrew translations helps to reveal what Yeshua/Jesus did.

The name Peshitta in Aramaic means “Straight”, in other words, the original and pure New Testament.  The Peshitta is the only authentic and pure text which contains the books in the New Testament that were written in Aramaic, the Language of Mshikha (the Messiah) and His Disciples.

This quote follows the Hebrew text of Deut 6:5 and then adds another phrase

and from all your mind.

No OT text has these 4 stipulations as does the peshitta NT

in all three NT quotes of Deut 6:5.

The peshitta OT text does use the unusual word in its final phrase w’minkalah quinak – with all your faculities.

Messiah apparently preferred that the all your mind condition be included in our love to God. Almost all Greek translations leave out all your strength in this verse, but include it in the parallel passages of Mark 12:20 and Luke 10:27. However the critical greek text also leaves out with all your soul in Mark 12:33. (Page58)

The on-line version of the Church of the East Peshitta New Testament text in Aramaic/English Interlinear Format. http://peshitta.org

Matthew 22:37  the Aramaic Bible shows that He did quote the passage correctly, the only difference being that He added a comment to it to challenge the Pharisees!

In the Greek the word

mind is dianoia

which simply means:

 mind, understanding or imagination.

Yeshua/Jesus, however, was not speaking in Greek, He was speaking in Aramaic and according to the Aramaic Bible what He said was

from your power and your mind.

In Hebrew Strongs # 2430

cheylah: Strength, power, force

Original Word: חֵילָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: cheylah
Pronunciation: khay-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: khay-law’
Definition: Strength, power, force

W’min kalah quinak – with all your faculties.

for the Hebrew word m’od or meod (strength, will).

He used two Aramaic words

 kayla (power, strength)

and

Reina (mind, will)

meod: Very, exceedingly, much, greatly

Original Word: מְאֹד
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: m`od
Pronunciation: meh-ODE
Phonetic Spelling: meh-ode’
Definition: Very, exceedingly, much, greatly
Meaning: vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

Derived from an unused root meaning “to vehemence” or “force.”

Greek equivalent often used in the Septuagint (LXX) for “meod” is “σφόδρα” (sphodra), which also means “very” or “exceedingly.”

Definition
muchness, force, abundance
NASB Translation
abundantly (1), all (1), almost (1), badly (3), carefully (1), closely (1), diligent (1), diligently (3), enough (1), especially (1), exceeding (1), exceedingly (14), exceedingly* (3), excessive (1), extremely* (1), far (1), firmly (1), fully (1), great (16), great abundance (1), greatly (52), greatly* (1), hard (1), harder* (1), highly (4), immense (1), louder (1), measure (2), might (2), more (2), more* (1), most (1), much* (1), quickly (1), richly (1), serious* (1), severely (1), so (2), so much (1), sorely (1), strongly (1), swiftly (1), too (2), utterly (1), utterly* (3), very (139), very well (1), very* (2), violently (1), violently* (1), well (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מְאֹד  noun masculine muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly (compare Assyrian mu’du, abundance, HomZMG 1878, 711 (‘treasures ana mu’di, in abundance’) DlHWB 399): —

1 force, might, Deuteronomy 6:5 וּבְכָלמְֿאֹדֶ֑ךָ

and with all thy might; hence 2 Kings 23:25.

Deuteronomy 6:5 
HEB: נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־ מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ 
NAS: your soul and with all your might.
KJV: and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
INT: your soul all your might

 In The Lord’s Prayer ḥaylā/kayla translates as power.

The Aramaic says: For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.

Strong’s Hebrew: 8633. תֹּ֫קֶף (toqeph) — Authority, Power …

Definition: Authority, Power, Strength Meaning: might, positiveness. Word Origin: Derived from the root תָּקַף (taqaph), meaning “to overpower” or “to prevail.”

Strong’s Hebrew: 2429. חָ֫יִל (chayil) — Strength, valor …

חָ֫יִל (chayil) — Strength, valor, wealth, army, capability. Word Origin: Derived from the root חוּל (chul), which can mean to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, or travail. Usage: The Hebrew word “chayil”

8632 tqoph tek-ofe’ (Aramaic) corresponding to 8633; power:–might, strength. 8633 toqeph to’-kef from 8630 ; might or (figuratively) positiveness:– authority, power, strength.

8633 toqeph to’-kef from 8630; might or (figuratively) positiveness:– authority, power, strength. 8632 tqoph tek-ofe’ (Aramaic) corresponding to 8633; power:–might, strength.

In this exchange we see

both the mind of Christ

and

the wisdom of the Father in operation.

Yeshua/Jesus answered in his own native language, Aramaic, which meant that He would have had to more clearly define the Hebrew word

meod (strength and/or will).

This word can be stretched to mean:

inner strength or resilience.

The word might

in Hebrew is simply the word 

meod

which often used as an adverb to intensify and modify a verb.

The most common rendering for meod is very.

He is very (meod)  מְאֹד

Strong’s Hebrew: 2430. חֵילָה (cheylah) — Strength, power, force

חֵילָה (cheylah) — Strength, power, force. Word Origin: Derived from the root חָיִל (chayil), which often denotes strength, power, or an army.

Strong’s Hebrew: 360. אֱיָלוּת (eyaluth) — Strength, might …

אֱיָלוּת (eyaluth) — Strength, might, power. Word Origin: Derived from the root אָיִל (ayil), meaning “strength” or “might.”

As mentioned above, in The Lord’s Prayer

ḥaylā translates as power.

Aramaic said: For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.

 If He would have said kayla (strength) 

 ḥaylā power, strength; fortitude, endurance

Synonyms: (ḥaylā), (ˁūzā), (ˁušnā) energy…

He would have said that:

you must use your own power to do good works

as loving mankind to show your love for God. 

If He would have just said

reina (will)

He would have simply said

you must choose to love God, regardless of Derech Eretz. 

Instead, Yeshua/Jesus used both Aramaic words which clearly defined the word

mo’ed

as

the strength of your will.

In other words, in the Hebrew this commandment would read,

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,

with all thy soul and with all the strength of your will.”

Again here Messiah used one of their own sayings on them.

When they wanted to equate oral tradition with the Torah but not place it equal or greater than Torah they say:

“The second is like unto it.”

Here Yeshua/Jesus confirms the importance of Derech Eretz by saying: you shall love your neighbor as yourself,

but without placing it above the commandment to

love the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength of your will.

In reality He did not misspeak Deuteronomy 6:5 He simply translated it into the Aramaic!

But what is strength of the will?

Loving people as we term and understand it, is often hard if we are simply trying to do it in our own strength and base that love on human feelings and emotions; especially when there are problems, conflicts and other desires. In the case when we ‘feel’ we do not love someone, we are to love with meod – the strength of our will. Not by human emotion. but by letting the unconditional love of the Father flow through us to them. There can be times in relationships when love no longer comes naturally or there is abuse in that relationship, however in that case, we must choose to love and sometimes it will take all the strength of our will to love that person.

This is the same with our Heavenly Father. When the battles get tough, the mountains too steep and we cry out to Him and seemingly get no response and we may find it hard to love God in the midst of your struggle can we look up and say: “Father I still love you no matter what happens.”  That is loving Him with all our meod.  We just don’t love the Lord, we choose to love Him and sometimes it takes all the strength of your will to make that choice, just as Messiah clearly pointed out that the second is like the first.  Sometimes we confront a person that we cannot naturally love, but we must make the choice to love and sometimes it takes meod – all the strength of our will, to follow Derech Eretz, respect and love for all mankind.

There is another verse in Isaiah 26:3 where the Hebrew word is translated as Mind  – Yetsar יצר Yod Samek Resh

Isaiah 26:3: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,

whose mind is stayed on thee:

because he trust in you.”

Perfect peace is something we all long for

and according to Isaiah 26:3,

we can have it so long as

our minds are stayed on Him,

Isaiah 26:3 
HEB: יֵ֣צֶר סָמ֔וּךְ תִּצֹּ֖ר
NAS: The steadfast of mind You will keep
KJV: peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed
INT: of mind the steadfast will keep

 יֵצֶר סָמוּךְ Isaiah 26:3

a steadfast purpose or frame of mind.

The Hebrew word for mind is the word

yetser

which in its very Semitic origins is the word for

imagination.

yetser: Inclination, imagination, mind, purpose, framework

Original Word: יֵצֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: yetser
Pronunciation: yay’-tser
Phonetic Spelling: yay’-tser
Definition: Inclination, imagination, mind, purpose, framework
Meaning: a form, conception

G1271 (dianoia): Refers to the mind, disposition, or understanding.

– G1761 (enthema): Refers to an inward thought or purpose.

The Hebrew word yetse” primarily refers to the inclination or disposition of the mind and heart. It is often used to describe the inner thoughts and intentions of a person, whether good or evil. In the context of the Bible, yetser can denote the moral and spiritual inclinations that drive human behavior.

In ancient Hebrew thought, the concept of yetser is closely tied to the understanding of human nature and morality. The Hebrews believed that humans possess both

a good inclination (yetser ha-tov)

and an evil inclination (yetser ha-ra).

This duality reflects the ongoing moral struggle within individuals to choose between righteousness and sin. The idea of yetser is foundational in Jewish ethical teachings and is explored extensively in rabbinic literature.

Isaiah 26:3 
HEB: יֵ֣צֶר סָמ֔וּךְ תִּצֹּ֖ר שָׁל֣וֹם ׀
NAS: The steadfast of mind You will keep
KJV: [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth
INT: of mind the steadfast will keep perfect

The way we can obtain this shalom/peace, is by

having our minds stayed on Him.

The text reads shalom shalom = double peace – perfect peace!

God will keep us in perfect peace

if (condition)

our imaginations are stayed focused on Him.

The word

stayed is

samuk

 sā·mūḵ, 5564 strongs

סָמַךְ

which is like a covering, overlaid. to lean, lay, rest, support

braced (1), holds (1), laid (6), laid siege (1), lay (17), lean (1), leans (3), relied (1), rested (1), steadfast (1), support (1), sustain (3), sustained (2), sustainer (1), sustains (3), upheld (4), uphold (1).

The Hebrew verb samak primarily means:

to lean upon or to support.

It conveys the idea of resting or relying on something for stability and strength. In the biblical context, it often refers to physical support, such as leaning on a staff, or metaphorical support, such as relying on God or His promises.

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the concept of leaning or supporting was significant in both physical and spiritual contexts. Shepherds would lean on their staffs for support, and elders would lean on their wisdom and experience. Spiritually, the Israelites were encouraged to lean on the Lord God, trusting in His strength and guidance rather than their own understanding or the power of foreign nations.

When our imaginations cover our Heavenly Father, His peace will become our peace. His imaginations will become our imaginations.

How do you keep your mind stayed on God?

He is showing Himself all around us in the nature He created and part of every environment we may find ourselves in. Many times we just don’t understand that He is there; wanting to show us and teach us from every tiny flower and bird, to the huge energy of the sun and the entire starry universe. It really is so easy to keep our minds stayed on our Heavenly Father, if we will just stop and let Him reveal Himself to us.

The word strength and power

are basically the same word from the same root – 

chayl/chayil.

In the Hebrew and Aramaic it means

to tremble or shake.  

It comes from an Akkadian word chalu 

which is a word used for:

a woman in labor, giving birth to a child.

Ephesians 6:10: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

In Greek the word for strength or strong is

endynamousthe

from the root

en donamoo 

where we are familiar with the reference to dynamite. It can mean power and might.  In this context, it is to grow stronger.

The Greek word for

power is

kratel

which is might, strength and power

and has the idea of establishing dominion.

The word

might is ischyos

from the root is which is:

a force to overcome immediate resistance.   

The Greek does read well as Paul is exhorting us to become strong in the ability of God to establish dominion over an immediate problem or attack.

So now we know why they asked Yeshua/Jesus this question and…

that the inclination or disposition of the mind and heart is important and…

that we are to

love your neighbor as yourself but without placing it above the commandment to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and strength of our will.

And God will keep us in perfect peace

if

our imaginations/minds are stayed focused on Him.

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

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.

BECAUSE 8

Because – Silence Is Beauty

1 Peter 3:3-4. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. Learning evolves out of communion but we should be mindful not to mix the two.Many times we are over anxious to learn or speak or get answers to our prayer requests.We will see the Lord most clearly in the silent still pool,

where we can hear the still, calm, small voice. Kings 19:11-13Here in this place, words are as pebbleswhich when dropped into quiet water,send out ripples and distort the image.He wants to minister to us in the beauty of the silence.In ways He could never communicate by words alone. Psalm 62:5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.He desires to look deep into our souls and as He searches us out and knows us,His blessings will come in ways yet unknown to us. He desires we also minister to Him. We need to be still and wait quietly for His salvation. Lamentations 3:26. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.Time spent in His presence is never wasted for only He can touch us the deep in our souls.Our modern, technology oriented lives, have become too busy and too noisy.And we are too eager to impatiently move, to get up and go on with our lives and are easily tempted to dispel the perfect, calm, place in His presence because we’re too busy and so we can do what we need to do to move forward   Like a child with a short attention span we want answers and action NOW!We leave our ‘shopping list’ of needs and requirements at His feet, and rush out of His presence, without any semblance of real or meaningful communication and expect home delivery without delay!We are often uncomfortable in the silence.

It takes practice and discipline to remain quiet before Him for any prolonged length of time;Yet it is for us to minister to Him from our inner desire, asking Him to create in us a clean heart, and to renew a right spirit within us. Ps 51:10The still waters of Psalm 23 where the sheep must drink, are those same pure waters, where we too must take in His spirit.Sheep are not happiest when drinking from fast-moving waterNo doubt sheep are afraid of the rushing water and rightly so because if they fall in, their wool would become so saturated, that they would drown with the extra weight pulling them under.

Likewise for us to receive the full benefit of His life-giving waterin the form of His Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh, we must be still and know that He is God. Psalm 46:10Because in the silence and stillness, that pool will reflect all that He is; and all that He will be in us; and all that we can become in Him.The more still that the water is, the more accurate the reflection, as with a mirror made of glass. Likewise the more we are still within, as well as externally, the better we reflect Our Father. We can only see our reflection in still waters otherwise what we see is distorted.Our cry should be, “search me and know me”. Psalm 139:1, 23Then after we are refreshed from the still waters of the pool and we touch that which has imbued us with life then, when the ripples go outward across the surface, it is symbolic of the giving out of ourselves.

But unless we first fill up; there will be no substance in our outward reach to the lost and hurting world around us.Jesus, lover of my soul

Jesus, I will never let You go

You’ve taken me from the miry clay

You’ve set my feet upon the rock

And now I know. I love you, I need you,
Though my world may fall, I’ ll never let you go
My Saviour, my closest friend,
I will worship you until the very end…There is no salvation without purification, so the need to have God create in us a clean heart, is essential for maturity as a believer.

We have to have an inner cleanliness. For Jesus himself reminded us, the pure in heart shall see God. Matt 5:8Everyday we should take a mental mikveh/ a bath for our minds and determine to be honest with ourselves and then, to think on, whatsoever is pure, etc., as referenced in Scripture. Phil 4:8Our minds stray, our hearts wander, but let’s not lose our souls but instead discover the living Word Himself and plant Him deep within us, to purify our hearts as only He can (James 4:8); by the washing of the water of His Word . Eph 5:262 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Because in the silence of His presence there is holiness and the fullness of His Shalom. When Jesus said My Peace I give to you. John 14:27He was talking about Shalom which cannot be translated into just a single word..

When there is Shalom there is tranquility,

there is an absence of disorder and violence,

there is justice, sufficient food, clothing and housing. Divine Health no sickness.

There is absence of conflict, lack, hatred, abuse, bribery, corruption, pain, suffering, immorality and all other negative forces.

That is what Jesus was meaning when He said, ‘My peace I give unto you.’ This place of Shalom, is being still and knowing He is God.Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

Because there is beauty in the silence and in the stillness of His shalom.

~~~~~

Mikveh or mikvah (Hebrew: מִקְוֶה / מקווה is a bath used for the purpose of achieving purity

~~~~~~~

Shalom to each and everyone.

Mysteries Secrets – A Prophetic Plan Revealed

‘Once Upon A Time….’                                                                are often the first words to a made up story. In many ways the end for us as believers is simply, the beginning.

We are at the Beginning of the annual scripture readings followed throughout Israel. They start following the last of the Biblical 7 Appointed Times of God / 7 Feasts of Israel, looked at in previous post.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/sheltering-presence-god/This is a perfect time to remember the first word of our real HIStory is B’RESHITE, or the more familiar GENESIS.It is Pronounced be-re-sheet and means,

In The Beginning.However, it means much more than beginning it means at the start of or ‘at the head of all things’ in the sense that it is the beginning, but also infers

that

the Head Creator planned each step

which

began as a

THOUGHT. 

Here the Mystery of The Gospel is within Genesis.

Also spelled Bereshit, Bereishit, Bereishis, B’reshith, Beresheet, or Bereishees.It is most appropriately the title of the first weekly Bible scripture reading or Torah Portion, which in Hebrew it is called, The Parashah.

Sometimes titled Sefer Rishon – the First Book or Sefer Ben’at Ha’olam – The Book of the Creation of the world.

For readers convenience all the scripture references (Torah Portions) to follow through the Bible in a year are listed on a single page and can be accessed from MMM Homepage or https://www.minimannamoments.com/weekly-readings-to-take-us-through-the-bible-in-a-year/

The first letter B at the Beginning of this word gives revelation.Literally: Son God Destroy Hand Cross!B in the Hebrew alphabet (aleph-bet) is the letter BetBet means house and its shape is composed of three Vav’swhich add up to the number 18 (Every Hebrew letter also has a numerical value see charts and information also available on Home page or click on the links below:)

https://www.minimannamoments.com/alef-bet-alphabet/ 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/ancient-pictographic-hebrew-language/

the same value for the word chai or life.Chai, (living / ḥay) is a Hebrew word that figures prominently in the culture of modern Israel; the Hebrew letters of the word are often used as a visual symbol.

The word is made up of two letters of the Hebrew Alphabet –  forming the word chai –  ח  Chet  and  י Yod , meaning: life, alive, or living.

The most common spelling in Latin script is Chai. (Tea lovers may notice the name of their favorite drink!)

In Hebrew, the related word chaya means living thing or animal, and is derived from the Hebrew word chai (חי), meaning life.

The Jewish toast is l’chaim, to life.

Chaya feminine, Chayim masculine
The house of creation is then the life of the universe. Bet also has a pre-fixative function meaning ‘in’.

Suggesting God’s intention of abiding within the realm of creation.In this first weeks schedule, the portion opens with this statement about the creative activity of God.In the beginning God created the heavens and earth Genesis 1:1

The Scriptures actually begin not from the 1st person perspective of some man’s understanding of God but from an omniscient 3rd person perspective, a voice (קול) (sound, voice, noise pronounced Kol),
that reveals the glorious power that created the entire cosmos by means of His Word. דבריו

John 1:1-3 In the Genesis was the WORD and the Word was with God and the Word was God He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John 1:14 The Word Became Flesh and dwelt among us.

Proverbs 3:19  By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;

 The very 1st verse reveals the nature of God as being triune, which is also indicated where the plural form of The Name is used as Elohim with the singular verb used bara. Meaning, He, (God), created.Later in verse 26 we read (Hebrew reads from right to left)and it’s a direct quotation from Elohim that uses plural personal pronouns.

  1. Va•yo•mer Elohim na•a•se a•dam be•tzal•me•noo kid•moo•te•noo ve•yir•doo vid•gat ha•yam oov•of ha•sha•ma•yim oo•va•be•he•ma oov•chol-ha•a•retz oov•chol-ha•re•mes ha•ro•mes al-ha•a•retz.

  2. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.

Stopping for a moment to realize what a breathtaking statement this is in the opening line of the Scripture. We also see it is shrouded in mystery as the Bible describes how Elohim created the universeyesh me’ayin יש מעיין    

(ex nililo-) לשעבר

(over a 6 day period,)out of מתוך nothingness האין .Who else can create out of nothingness?
The end of this action was a stunning creation of a human being–

betzelem elohim in the image of Elohim אלוקים Himself.

בצלם אלוקים

The introduction to the 1st day of creation is with a vision of the Earth as להם זכויות tohu vavohu     ווהו טוהו   without form and void,

and the spirit of Elohim is seen hovering over the waters.

Following this we read the first direct quotation of Elohim:– Yehi Or!Let there be light!  We are then told that Elohim saw that the light was good (tuv טוב), and He separated it from the darkness (חושך choshekh), adding that Elohim called the light (אור or), day (יום Yom la or) and the darkness (חושך choshekh), night (לילה lay’lah).This was the ending of the 1st day.

Here is another great mystery – the mystery of the 1st day. It suggests some sort of divine designation of good and evil, light and darkness, connected to the creation and division of time.Before He created the specific Light/Or,
 it was the Shekinah Glory of God The criteria for determining the start of each day is at Sundown / erev rather than at sunrise / boker. In Israel today and everything to do with the Hebraic Jewish calendar is based on this scripture that Elohim declared.

And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Vaihi erev vaihi voker yom echad. 
It should give us pause to question why it was ever changed, especially if we believe that God always knows best!

A brief overview of the following days:

Genesis 1:1–2:3 

Dividing the upper waters from the lower waters Elohim formed the canopy (חופה) above the Earth.

Some scholars believe that the waters above were in the form of solid ice! We know outer space is freezing cold and even from a commercial plane at 36,000 feet and the outside temperature at that height is -57° C (-71° F)!This may also explain another suggestion that before the flood, the sky above looked more pink than blue from earths surface. The thick layer of ice may have caused the suns rays to reflect through it as a prism altering it.

On the 2nd day and called the physical canopy heaven (שָׁמַיִם Sha•ma•yim).

Va•yik•ra Elohim la•ra•kia Sha•ma•yimOn day 3, He set the boundaries of the land (ארץ eretz) and seas (יםמי Yahm) and called forth trees and seed bearing vegetation from the earth.

Elohim fixed the position of the Sun, Moon and stars on the 4th day as a way to establish both the times and seasons (יםדענמ), (including His 7 Appointed Times/Feasts), and to be a source of illumination to the earth.On the 5th day, the fish birds and reptiles were created and received the first personal blessing from Elohim.
On day 6 Elohim created land animals and finally a human being (betzelem elohim בצלם אלוקים) from the dust of the earth.  Dust (ah-vahk   קבא)His sanctified the 7th day as He ceased His work and designated it as a day of rest.

  1. Vay•chal Elohim ba•yom hash•vi•ee me•lach•to asher asa va•yish•bot ba•yom hash•vi•ee mi•kol-me•lach•to asher asa.

  2. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.

The word Shabbat is derived from this word.

In Genesis 2: we are given a closer look at the creation of Adam and that Elohim also has a personal nameYHVH  הוהי yod hay vav hay  the sacred name of God, that is, the Lord.Literally: Son  God  Destroy  Hand  Cross!

 

For many scholars it is generally believed that Elohim is the name given as the creator of the universe. This name implies justice and power where as His personal name expresses the idea of the Creator’s closeness to us.
This can be better explained where we read that it is YHVH who breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life to become a living soul, (betzelem elohim) formed him from the dust of the earth. 

 Va•yi•tzer Adonai Elohim et-ha•adam afar min-ha•ada•ma va•yi•pach be•a•pav nish•mat cha•yim vay•hi ha•adam le•ne•fesh cha•ya.And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,and breathed into his nostrils (מ ש) the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

The life-force is not a result of organic material, it is from God. Neshemah chayim = breath of life.

Chayyim is plural (literally lives, not life) Elohim is plural.

Are Soul and Spirit the same thing?

Chayyim hints that God put into Humans more than one kind of life.

From Mary’s physical body she put forth a song of Praise in Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

Nephesh = breath. This cannot be the plural of majesty – it must be the plural man? God breathed lives into Adam? Breath and being are a supernatural thing, and they come from God, outside our three dimensional realm. Evolution teaches against this concept, that life is an accident. Microbes, germs, etc – are not included with animals in the animal kingdom.  Food for thought!

Va•yi•ta Adonai Elohim gan-be•Eden mi•ke•dem va•ya•sem sham et-ha•adam asher ya•tzar 

and the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

 In the Garden of Eden (Gan Eden)was 
the tree of life (etz ha-chayim)as well as the tree  of knowledge of good and evil(etz ha-da’at tov vara).Adam’s first responsibility before the Lord, was to work and guard the garden and to refrain from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

He was originally created as a single individual however the Lord, (YHVH הוהי yod hay vav hay /The Name/ Hashem), decided it was not good for him to be alone, so He had all of the animals pass before Adam to see what he would call them. Adam’s ability to name them was by divine inspiration, as he incorporated in their name a subtle description of their very essence, characteristics and functions. Example below: 

Genesis 2:19-20 “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them:

and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field;” … (KJV)

This all happens before the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:22 and before the fall as described in Genesis 3:6

Looking in Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary at a few Biblical Hebrew names for common animals we find;

Thus we see that the names derive from observable physical characteristics of the animals or their observable behaviors. The cormorant is named due to its diving into the water in pursuit of its prey.

Following this amazing feat, none of the animals were a match for Adam so the Lord put him into a very deep sleep
and built a woman from his side so that she would be a helper in front of him. Ezer kenegdo.

According to scripture when he woke up, Adam was very happy and called her Ishah and they became one flesh basar echad as the very first marriage ceremony took place on earth.Shortly after 3:1 we are introduced to the serpent na•chash נָחָשׁ as the shrewdest of animals which the Lord created.The Scripture tells us the first thing the serpent said, was by way of hissing at eve the haunting question –  did God really say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?

Tree of Life – Etz ChaimShe answered correctly.  Omitting the deadly consequences concerning the fruit of the tree of the knowledge good and evil, the hissing serpent implied that the Lord was keeping from them special insight that would cause them to be as gods.

So began the downward spiral into evil… (which is interesting if spelt backwards, is live! The word evil means literally, out of harmony with God.)

The tactics he used on her have not changed in 6000+ years. First she believed the lie, which involves our mind and our thinking. Second by looking at the fruit, she used her sight and then the action, as she took it from the tree. Lastly, in eating the fruit it resulted in the sin, which was a direct violation of God’s instruction to them. She was not alone as the Scriptures tell, Adam was with her at this time and knowingly ate the fruit offered to him. We often hear this action called the fall of man. It was in fact of enormous consequence, being an act of treason against God’s will, it resulted in them being expelled from the garden immediately and mankind came under God’s curse with the ultimate judgment being – death.The entrance to the garden and access to the tree of life was guarded by Cherubim with flaming swords so they would not eat and live forever in a fallen state.The serpent also had judgment pronounced upon him.  In doing so, the Lord prophesied that a struggle for the fate of the human race would follow. Being represented by the serpent, Satan שטן (from the Hebrew word adversary) now had illegal rights to humanity as they were now under a divine curse. But God had promised to reverse the curse by means of the seed זרע Zera the Messiah משיח the Anointed One who would crush the head of the serpent and restore mankind to his original position. The Bible comprises the complete story of redemption and describes the cosmic war to reverse the curse by means of the seed of the woman who would come and to deliver humanity from the clutches of sin and death.

The story continues citing some of the consequences of sin. How Cain murders his younger brother Abel הבל in a fit of jealous anger and is banished from his family.Abel is a biblical forename which may derive from the Hebrew Hebel, itself derived from hevel (breath or vapour), or from the Assyrian for son.

We are told of some of the descendants of Cain (קין Kayin) who followed in his evil ways, (evil = out of harmony with God), that we also hear of Adam and Eve’s third son Seth, סת meaning, compensation. Their descendants began to call on the name of the Lord and Seth had a son named Enosh ענוסה which means man, and is a clear reference of the coming bar enash / בן אדם or son of man. Daniel 7:13

Notably the 10th generation descendant of Seth was Noah נח Noe or Noach = rest

John 1:1–14  reminds us again that it is very clearly a reference to the opening words of Genesis and John identifies Jesus/Yeshua as the Word (devar מִלָּה ) of God Elohim. (Word of God מילת אלוהים) and points to the fact that He was the creative power whose command cause the entire universe to come into existence. He Jesus/Yeshua is the true light from God,  אור אמיתי מאלוהים

the Promised One who would bring truth to all the nations of the Earth and would be the fulfillment of the mission of Israel by giving birth to the seed of promise. The person of Jesus/Yeshua was the promised seed Jesus/Yeshua ben Yosef /Joseph עישו בן יוסף the Son of the Father full of Grace and Truth, and even though His own people rejected Him… it is only a temporary situation which will end and all Israel will turn to Him and be saved. Romans 9:11.This is the secret plan of YHVH.

Jesus is the mystery of the ages that God set in place, the secret plan and seed He planted in genesis (the first beginning) that He would send Himself as the Redeemer as the seed of the woman Who would crush satans head. The plan of redemption both began and ended when Jesus died over 2000 years ago, the mystery of the gospel, the Word of God, became flesh and died in our place to redeem all mankind from Adams sin, the fall. And as scripture records, if satan had known the outcome he would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. He is outwitted and defeated.Before that happens the opportunity remains for all people to become the children of God by ילדים של אלוהים personally receiving Jesus as their Savior Lord and King. Make sure we and our families have made this important decision, for once an individual accepts this invitation they become grafted into the original covenant blessing that was given to Israel.Another fascinating revelation can be seen in the letters YHVH and their meanings from the paleo Hebrew letters and a prophetic connection to Messiahs future death.because evenWe have been given the Word/Torah of Truth and the life of eternity He has implanted within us. Eternity is in our hearts in the very essence of the spirit He breathed into the red dirt that He had formed into a human soul.

There are many genesis, not just one beginning, and as one phase comes to a conclusion it simply makes way for the new beginning.

The end of His story is the (genesis) beginning, for He is the beginning (genesis) and the end… Are we ready for our next GENESIS?

Keeping It All Bottled Up – Part 2

God places all the tears we have wept in a special place…  

In a bottle and a book. (Psalm 56:8)

Every tear that we have shed has been saved up.

The ancients who lived in David’s time, had a practice of putting tears which were shed for someone who had died, into a little bottle called lacrymatories.

(lah-krim-ah-torrie)And when they buried their deceased loved one they would place these lacrymatories or ‘bottles of tears’ inside the tomb. The ancients believed this practice actually helped begin the healing process of losing a loved one.

Archeologists who have unearthed ancient graves, commonly come across these ‘tear bottles’ inside the tomb, indicating it was widely practiced in ancient times.This noun Lachrymatory, pronounced læ-‘kree-mê-tor-ee, (also the root of our word crematory).

It comes down through the ages by way of the Latin word ‘dacrima,’ which shares ties with the Greek term dakry for tear, a distant relation to Old High German zahar also meaning ‘tear’, which fashioned the modern German Zähre for ‘tear’, and Old English tæhher which is nowadays, ‘tear.’

These little bottles were made of glass, pottery, agate, sardonyx, or hard baked clay.

The word here rendered ‘bottle’ means a bottle made of skin, such as was used in the East; but it can also mean a bottle of any kind.

Our tears are precious to the Lord, and He is aware of each tear we shed.

Most of our emotions are connected in some way to our crying liquid tears as well as to the physical cavity of the eye itself helping it to stay moist so we can see.There are 3 types of physical tears produced by our bodies:

First the basal variety, which are made as a form of lubrication and protection for your eyes.

These are constantly secreted in tiny quantities (about one gram over a 24-hour period) and coat our eyes when we blink, yawn or water from a dry climate.

This is what a basal tear looks like under a microscope(Above watering eyes in a micro climate)(Above: yawning from exhaustion tears)

There are biological and physiological components that initiate tears from the tear duct, for the purpose of cleansing and washing the eye.It’s a built in automatic window wash!

Second type we produce are reflex tears.(Above: Tears in response to cutting up onions.)

These are also for protection and are released to help wash away particles in response to irritants, such as wind, dust, smoke, cutting onions or that wayward eyelash. (Greater magnification of above.)

The third type of tears – emotional tears.
These tears contain more protein-based hormones than basal or reflex tears. Our tears, no matter what the form, are a combination of salt water, oils, antibodies, and enzymes.Studies have revealed the scientific basis of tears, and show how weeping and mourning tie into the deepest regions of our brains. The seat of the Soul is also believed to be in the same area of the brain.

Tears are intrinsically connected to emotion. There is a whole process that we go through starting at the time of tearing up, yet each one looks vastly different when examined under a microscope.(Above: tears from laughing until we are crying.)Laugh till we cry,frustration,anger,sadnessand griefloneliness

paindepression love reliefexcitementhappinesssuccessecstatic joy

– Seems like every one of the above list could evoke a tearful reaction…

(Above: tears of ending and beginning.)Not all tears are alike; and each person’s tears are unique to them, just as our DNA, fingerprints and retina scan are.(Above: tears of elation at a liminal moment.)

Tears cover the totality of all of our lifes’ experiences

Does a tear of grief look any different from a tear of joy?

Yes!

Each tear is different: when you cry based on the underlying emotion it produces different chemicals which show up in the tear drop. (Above: tears of change.)

Each tear contains the emotion and the pain and hurt caused by an outside influence often through words or actions of others or a physical trauma to the body.
(Reference: Joseph Strondberg.   Emotional Components of the Tear.)

 Interesting Note: The work of the late Dr. Masaru Emoto, a visionary researcher from Japan, studied the impact of human consciousness on water and its crystalline order.Water that was imprinted by love, gratitude, and appreciation responded by the development of complex beauty,

and

water that was mistreated by negative intentions became disordered and lost its magnificent patterning.

Perhaps something similar occurs in our tears?…It’s known, for instance, that tears contain unique substances depending on their cause.If that is the case for water outside a physical body, how much more could the water that is part of us be affected?

Each human body comprises 50-70% water.

Emotional tears, for instance, contain leucine-enkephalin, a natural painkiller your body releases in response to stress.

 The Black and White Photographs in this post can be found in the public domain on www “Topography of Tears,” (photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher of ‘The microscopic structure of dried tears’.)
Tears are the medium of our most primal language communicating from birth to death, hunger and everything in between.

Tears cover the totality of all of our life’s experiences.(Above: tears of remembrance.)

Each tear will carry a composite of the events of a human life amounting to one drop of the oceans expanse.

Crying is to the emotions within the soul, what soap is to the body, it truly a cleansing thing.

It contains all that is ours as is represented in our DNA, so no wonder He keeps our tears.

It’s a unique record of each of us.

The shortest sentence in the new Testament speaks of Messiah’s tears:

John 11:35

Va•yivch Yeshua.

 Yeshua wept

However when Jesus wept wept in the garden of Gethsemane, the sum total of all the tears shed by humanity on the whole planet, from the Genesis in Eden to the completion of time in the future at the end of the age. They were being borne in His body when He shed His tears for every soul, prior to the shedding of His blood on Calvary’s cross.

Jesus who as the Son of God, bore all the tears for the sins committed by and to mankind.First came the water and then the blood.   Heb. 5:5-9 

The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us of, ‘His strong crying and tears.’ These are tears which we cannot fully understand; but they were tears for the sins of the world, the weight of which in that most mysterious agony He was then bearing.There is no telling just how many tears have been shed throughout history, yet all our tears, the sum total of human existence was put on the cross.

Untold multiplied billions of tears were covered that day by the blood of Jesus. Each tear we shed has a purpose.  Tears are unique to each one of us and they are designed to give us comfort when we our souls are overwhelmed with emotion and conflict.All our perceptions and all our lives experiences are contained within the tears of failure, joy, etc., and every human emotion we have experienced in our lives; good, bad, or indifferent.

It changes when we come to know Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, because He changes us from within.(Above: tears of momentum)

Tears of agony, rejection and defeat are changed into tears of relief, acceptance and hope.(Above: tears of possibility and hope)

There is coming a time for all righteous believers when God will wipe away the tears for ever.  They are poured out upon his altar as a one-time offering to God.

(Its an interesting thought that it in some way it could be connected to the water libation performed during the Fall Appointed Times?!)

In Isaiah 53, when Jesus/Yeshua, bore our griefs and sorrows, every emotion, and every response since the time of Adam and Eve. All our life’s experiences, that is what Jesus took upon Himself. That is when He wept and why that statement is so powerful.

Our emotional hurt often isn’t our own fault, but rather caused by the wrong-doing of others.Weeping actually brings a healing power to those who have been wronged and helps us heal emotionally.

One day for some of us our need for tears will come to an end –

O Lord my God, I cried to you, and you have healed me. Ps 30:3

Adonai Elo•hai shi•va•ati e•le•cha va•tir•pa•eni.

 

He Knows!

A  vast receptacle, brimming over with our weeping.

However… 

One day our need for tears will come to an end –

A new day is dawning.

A new beginning is coming.

A new joy is arising in our hearts, because His Word declares that although

One day God will wipe away every one of those tears and there will be no more crying.   Revelation 21:4

He will replace all our tears of sorrow with pure joy because ALL the OUTWARD causes of TEARS will be absent.Never again will we shed a tear over losing a loved one or a beloved family pet;

or weep by the casket or graveside of a departed family member;

 or shed a tear for a departed loved one or friend, for these are the former things of this life that will pass away.(Tragedy: tears of awe and sorrow)

Never again will we hear tragic news(Above: tears for what could not be fixed.)or see a flag-draped casket of a soldier who lost his life in a war.(Above: tears of Grief.)

Never again will we experience any physical pain, for God is going to ‘wipe away all of our tears’, that were caused by the outward things in this life.
God will wipe away all the INWARD causes of tears.

There will be no more tears of LONELINESS.DEPRESSION.FRUSTRATION.GUILT and SHAME.

No more tears of Remorse(Above: tears of Remorse.)

or DISAPPOINTMENT.(Above: tears of those who yearn for liberation)

(Above: Tears of timeless reunion.)

All there will be in the Presence of the King of Kings, the Creator of the universe isJoy unspeakable and full of glory as the everlasting arms are wrapped around us..

Rejoice, mending broken hearts is His forte.Jesus quoted and said that He came to bind up the broken hearted and only God is able to do such a thing.

And sadness and sighing will flee away leaving only happy smiles!Joy WorshipReliefLoveHappinessAcceptanceSecurity

On a lighter note as the scriptures say, a merry heart doeth good like a medicine; so here is a small dose…

Sometimes holding back the laughter is too muchand the tears fill our eyes

…sometimesor in Lucy’s case both together!

Whatever our situation in life’s journey lets never forget…

God keeps it all bottled up so we don’t have to!When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry..show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile  because SHALOM!