There are certain events on the Gregorian calendar that have become traditional annual days of celebration. The most popular is New Years Eve, almost worldwide. In England it’s November 5th for guy Fawkes night; and in America 4th July for Independence Day. At all these gatherings people set off fireworks and sparklers.
There is a scripture in Isaiah which speaks of fire and sparks.
Isaiah 50:11: “Behold, as all of you who kindle fire, who are surrounded in sparks, walk (a righteous walk) in the light (of) your fire in your burning. From My hand this shall be for you in pain (so) you will lie down.”
The study of the Hebrew scriptures is ongoing and Jewish rabbis speak of the 70 faces of Torah. Jewish sages taught that every passage of Scripture has at least 70 different ways of looking it and understanding it.
We should always bear in mind that our Fathers Holy Spirit lives in our hearts and all interpretation of Scripture must come from that same Spirit.
Apart from the first reading, there is also another layer of understanding to be revealed in this verse.
The first word in Isaiah 50:11
is Behold,
The word behold in Hebrew is the word hen
which has a meaning of:
here is a revelation from the presence of God,
which is essentially saying in todays vernacular:
Here is a revelation from the presence of God – pay close attention!
In the course of researching some of the Paleo Hebrew pictographs for the letters and words of the Hebrew alefbet it revealed something interesting
The first letter of hen is the letter H. Written in modern Hebrew script is
and the pictograph for this letter is this image of a man with his arms raised and pronounced hey, the image meaning: look, behold, pay attention.
The 70 faces of Torah is the teaching that there are multilayers of understanding of each Scripture verse. One face of Torah, or layer of understanding, may be referring to those who kindle fires.
Another face or layer, is a reference to those who express passion. We all have some passion that we like to express, something or someone that holds a special place in our hearts and lives.
Isaiah 50:11: “Behold, as all of you who kindle fire, who are surrounded in sparks, walk (a righteous walk) in the light (of) your fire in your burning. From My hand this shall be for you in pain (so) you will lie down.”
(Behold often translated in other Bibles as Look).
What are we bing told to pay close attention to?
It’s to
“As all of you who kindle fire…”
The word in Hebrew for kindle is kadech (qodehe).
Following a little research on this word, it is revealed that In its Semitic origins this kadech, kindle,
comes from
the polishing of a red gem or precious stone also called a carbuncle;
and it also refers to
a piece of coal that begins to glow red.
Many of us have no doubt watched a piece of wood or coal in a fire and if it is blown upon it will start to glow red. That is the idea of kadech. In the Hebrew language the word fire: is ‘esh and it not only carries the idea of fire but also of passion. Here is a picture of one aspect of our relationship wit our Heavenly Father that when He breathes on our kadech carbuncle, just like that hot ember, we begin to glow with ‘esh, passion.
Is our Heavenly Father giving the reader a revelation that we could read it this way:
as all of you are having your passions polished, or blown upon /His breath on us to glow bright red; (from the red symbolizing passion)
The verse continues by saying that we
are then surrounded.
This word surround is me’az’ri (meazere)
which is like a girdle or belt tightening around a body.
So we are surrounded by sparks / ziqoth/ziqah/ (ziqowt).
In Hebrew the word
Sparks is Zichoth זקת
Ziqoth is a bright, sharp shinning,
like sparklers or fireworks.
As we allow our Heavenly Father to mature or intensify our passions for Him by the power of His Spirit of Holiness, we’ll begin to be surrounded by sharp brilliant shinning sparklers that will increase.
There have been instances where believers have spiritually discerned this zikoth in people, and can actually see it in the natural realm. However, It is probably true to say that all of us can see it in the Spirit. Many of us have met other believers in Messiah in whom we could sense a glowing, a deep passion for their Savior. These are the ones who allow their Heavenly Father to kindle or polish by maturing their passion for Him.
The firework displays that many attend are a great picture of bright shinning points of light. As we continue to submit to the Fathers creative work in us, He will increase or intensify our passions and we will begin to be surrounded, me’az’ri, by sharp brilliant sparklers, ziqoth, which can only seen in the spiritual realm.
We must remember that as bearers of this sparkling light, we get that light from the indwelling of Messiahs Holy Spirit; it is not anything that we can make happen by ourselves.
When we bear the zikoth, even if you can only see it in the Spirit, there are many natural signs of it and people will notice.
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,… they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
There is a caveat with the increase in ziqoth. When people see or sense that ziqoth, there is a tendency to look to the person rather than to the Lord. We are cautioned not to receive praise or allow worship toward ourselves, some tend to assume some of that worship. People begin to praise and honor individuals, lifting them up because of the ziqoth.
Satan whose name was Lucifer, which means the Light Bringer or Bearer, began to be lifted up in pride Isaiah 14:12-15 and a third of the angels started to look at him. He began to accept their worship that belonged to the Lord God and he fell into the sin of pride. Now we are the light bringers, only because of Messiahs spirit within; and when people see or discern ziqoth, we must not let any praise be directed our way, we must always point tour Heavenly Father.
Some may think they can imitate the same passion to try to draw attention to themselves, however our Heavenly Father is not fooled, nor are most people. Isaiah states clearly that the individual who is genuine, who kindles a fire, express a passion for God and wears His ziqoth, is also walking the narrow way of truth and living a righteous life.Isaiah 50:11.
Many pastors and leaders have carried the ziqoth, and allowed their members to put them in a place of honor. The congregations lift up the person because of the ziqoth, seen or unseen; and if the person does not reject the attention they will fall just as Lucifer did. Then they too will lose those sparks; and if they don’t defer to the Lord their sparks will fade. Like the account of Moses, when he came down from the mountain his face was filled with such intense sparkle /ziqoth, that he had to wear a veil. As described in Exodus 34:29-35, Moses’ face shone because of the fact that he had been in God’s direct presence when receiving the ten commandments on Mount Sinai, and God’s glory had transmitted itself to his physical appearance.
Here is revealed the little play on words from the post title, where fireworks are referring to the sparks (zichoth) of light that are created from them. The name of a female chicken being hen to behold and pay attention; and the fact that Moses’ face glowed after being in the presence of the Lord God.
In 2 Corinthians 3:13: Paul reveals a reason: He (Moses) kept covering his face with a veil, he did not want the people of Israel to see the glory fading away.”
Some men and women with that ziqoth, allow others to bless them and then they watch as the ziquoth fades away.
How many of these people that we have seen or sensed, have this ziqoth only to lose it; but they keep going, trying to make everyone think it has not faded away. No one can produce a passion that is not honestly there.. It’s impossible to fake a ziqoth, and people get tired of those trying to fake it. They are not fooling anyone, only themselves and like Moses they keep that veil over their faces so others will not lose confidence in them.
Those who have this authentic ziqoth must walk continually in the light.
1 John 1:5 Walking in the Light. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:7 he says, “If we walk in the light as He [God] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Messiah declared that He is light and we must walk according to His commandments if we love Him; bringing all praise and honor to Him. He is the genesis, the author of the passion that He is breathing into us.
Messiah in us – the divine spark, the hope of glory.
According to Matthew 5:14
We are the light, the ziqoth of this world,
it’s time to shine.
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, Deliverer 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.
who answered in response to Him calling their name.
Hineni — הִנֵּֽנִי
pronounced: hee-NAY-nee
Hineni is not like the modern Hebrew word po,
which means present or
here, in the sense of taking a classroom attendance.
Hineni by itself is often translated as Behold!
It tells people an important announcement is at hand.
Behold was a way to say “Look… look what I’m pointing at”.
The initial use of hineni in the Bible, was part of God’s first words to Adam:
Genesis 1:27-31” Then God said, “Behold [Look!: Hinneh], I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold [w-hinneh], it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
God was saying,
Hinneh! Look! Look what I’m pointing at…
All this, I made for you.
This fellowship and closeness enjoyed by them was changed after they disobeyed by eating from the tree God commanded them not to and Adam knew it! However, God called out to him not because He didn’t know where he was in the garden, but to re-unite and restore the broken fellowship with him after his disobedience.
Our Heavenly Father was providing Adam the opportunity to confess and repent. He was asking Adam to communicate and talk with his Creator and return to the close intimate relationship. and at the same time, He was giving Adam the chance to be accountable for his actions.
Adam’s initial reaction was flight and to hide, and avoid God’s question with a non-answer:
“I heard you, I was afraid, and I hid.” Genesis 3:10.
Adam did not respond with, “Hineni” — “Here I am”.
Later in Genesis 22. we read of a very different interaction.
Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Hineni! (Here I am)”.
Genesis 22:1, NLT.
With the Hebrew word ani, it proclaims,
“I’m at Your service, Lord!”
it is a way of expressing
total readiness to give oneself –
it’s an offer of total availability.
Interestingly, this is not a one-sided announcement, because our Heavenly Father also says to us, “Hineini.”
“Then you will call,
and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and He will say:
Here am I.”
Isaiah 58:9
In Genesis 22:11 we read about Abraham / Avraham:
And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham:
and he said, Here am I.
God calls out, “Abraham” and without knowing what the Lord would ask of him, he answers, “Hineni.” Genesis 22:1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
Abraham replies without hesitation, despite not knowing what will come next or what God is about to ask of him.
By answering ‘hineni’, Abraham declares
his readiness and his faith.
His faith is proven as he proceeds with the request God has just made of him; to take his only son, the one he waited so many years for, and offer him as a sacrifice.
When Abraham finds out that God wants him to prepare his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice, he obeys. As he places the wood on his son and they proceed to the place of the offering on Mount Moriah, Isaac calls out, “Father?”
Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son” [hineni beni]. And he said, “Behold [Look: hinneh], the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
Wanting to be present for his son’s needs as well as for God’s, Abraham again answers, “Hineini.” Genesis 22:7.
Then, one last time, as Abraham lifts the knife and readies himself to slaughter his son, the majestic Malach YHVH (Angel of God), calls out to him from Heaven: “Abraham, Abraham.”
He answers, “Hineni,” as God mercifully shows him the ram that will take Isaac’s place (Genesis 22:11).
These prophetic words, “God will provide Himself the lamb” was a beautiful foreshadowing of YHWH’s plan for the Messiah and Abraham illustrates God’s sincere desire as our Father in Heaven to restore our broken relationship with Him through the great cost of His only Son Yeshua. God shows us His future Messianic redemptive plan when He calls Abraham to do the unthinkable — sacrifice his son, Isaac — a picture of how God would sacrifice Himself as His own son, Yeshua /Jesus.
Abraham also illustrates how God makes Himself available to us while longing to hear us say, Hineini
Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold [w-hinneh], behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place YHWH Will Provide [YHWH Yir’eh], as it is said to this day, “In the mount of YHWH it will be provided.”
As previously noted, Hineni” (hee-neh-nee) is a Hebrew phrase comprised of two short words:
‘hineh’ and ‘ani’, meaning “here” and “I”.
More literally, “hineh” is translated as
“behold” (certainly, surely),
which is a much stronger word than simply “here”.
When the two words are put together, ‘hineni’ becomes more than just sharing your geographical location. It is a powerful declaration – one that can be made to our Heavenly Father, and one that He can make to us
With reference to the past or present, it points generally to some truth either newly asserted, or newly recognized. Genesis 1:29, 17:20, 27:6, 1 Samuel 14:33. With reference to the future, it serves to introduce a serious or important declaration. Exodus 32:34, 34:40, Isaiah 7:14, according to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon.
Hinneh can be found over 800 times in the Old Testament, but there are a few times it is “Behold, I”, and has often been translated as “Here I am”, from the Hebrew words hineni and hin’ni; often being a response used when an authority figure called someone, e.g. Jacob speaking to his son, Joseph:
Genesis 37:12-14a
Then his [Joseph’s] brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he [Joseph] said to him, “Here I am” [Hineni]. Then he [Jacob] said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.”…
Genesis 31:11 and 36:2.
Jacob/Yaakov, whose name was changed to Israel, was told to travel, first back to his homeland in Canaan, and then to Egypt. This was to set plans in motion for the Hebrew nation to be strengthened in captivity.
In Genesis 31:11, 13
“Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ [Hineni]… [The angel of God said] ‘I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”
The first time Jacob’s name was called one one time, the second ooccasion God called on him, Jacob’s name was said twice:
Genesis 46:2-3
God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am” [Hineni]. He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.”
Jacob was essentially saying,
“Look! I am here, and I’m willing to go wherever you lead me.”
In Exodus 3:4 we read of Moses/Moshe.
Moses was and caring for his father-in-laws sheep, when suddenly he notices the strange bush that is on fire but was not consumed.
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush,
“Moses! Moses!”. And Moses said,
“Here I am.”.
Sometimes written as hin·nê·nî as seen above. Strongs 2009.
God reveals His name as “I AM WHO I AM” to Moses at the burning bush and commands him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Moses’ response of ‘hineni’ showed that he was ready to hear and obey, again, not knowing what was about to be asked of him. God tells Moses how He has seen the afflictions of His people, heard their cries and that He knows their suffering. He intends to intervene, and He wants to use Moses in that intervention.
Without knowing all that it would entail, Moses’ response of ‘hineni’ becomes a turning point in his life for the next 40 years.
In 1Samuel 3:4 we read the experience that Samuel/Shmuel had when God called him.
That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
The young boy Samuel, was lying down most likely he was asleep, in the temple of the Lord, not far from the place called the Holy of Holies or Most Holy Place.
One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down Samuel is actually asleep when God calls to him.
From this example of Samuel replying ‘hineni’, since initially he does not know it is the Lord. Samuel thinks it is Eli calling his name. This demonstrates that ‘here I am’ can also be used within the context of a family, indicating readiness to pay attention or follow instructions.
‘Hineni’ can be a child communicating their willingness to submit to their parents’ requests. It’s even been compared to a type of military responsiveness, as if the person uttering ‘hineni’ is saying, “at your service”.
In 1 Samuel 3:1, we find Samuel as a boy, ministering to the Lord, which is already indicating that even as a child, Samuel had a heart inclined towards God’s ways.
When God calls out to Samuel, Samuel runs to Eli, thinking he was the one who called his name.; this happens three times and each time Samuel’s answer is ‘hineni’.
Samuel’s call from God was to announce the downfall of the priests of Eli’s line, and this allowed Samuel to become the prophet-priest needed to anoint the earliest kings of Israel.
Samuel would be instrumental in David’s rise as king and ancestor of the Messiah. He was Hannah’s son, the barren woman who prayed for a son, and God granted her request. In thankfulness to the Lord she dedicated Samuel to Him and after she had weaned him, she brought him to the priest Eli,
Samuel’s life was dedicated to being in the presence of God. Perhaps, no surprise that one of the most intense “here I am” stories came from a very young Samuel, before he even understood who the Lord was:
1 Samuel 3:4-16
YHWH called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am” [Hineni]. Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am [hin’ni], for you called me.” But he [Eli] said, “I did not call, lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
YHWH called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am [hin’ni], for you called me.” But he answered, “I did not call, my son, lie down again.”
Now Samuel did not yet know YHWH, nor had the word of YHWH yet been revealed to him. So YHWH called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am [hin’ni], for you called me.”
Then Eli discerned that YHWH was calling the boy. And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, YHWH, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Then YHWH came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
YHWH said to Samuel, “Behold [Look: hinneh], I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them. Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of YHWH. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am” [Hineni].
Three times God called Samuel, but Samuel didn’t understand because He didn’t yet know the Lord God/YHWH, so he could only think that it was Eli calling him. However, he didn’t ignore the call, he responded immediately to the voice of authority he was used to hearing.
When Samuel learned to discern the voice of God, he was ready to listen and deliver God’s message. Samuel was afraid to share the news with Eli, his teacher and father-figure, but after he said, “Hineni, here I am”, he gathered the confidence and shared the terrible fate awaiting Eli’s family.
Isaiah 6:8 Isaiah Yesha yahu
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”.
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah is quick in his obedience. He gives a resounding “yes” to God’s call, before knowing what would follow.
This response by an individual is more than a basic acknowledgement of being in a physical location, the word “Hineni” has an all encompassing meaning by way of saying, I’m not only here, but I’m here spiritually, I’m all in. I’m prepared to consider my ways and who I really am, what’s important to me, and how I can be a blessing in the lives of others.”
Hineni’ is not only the response of God’s true and faithful servants, Ii’s also a statement God Himself makes to His children.
In Isaiah, there are three examples where the Lord promises His continual presence and provision; in chapter 52:6, 65:1, and in the following verse:
“Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I.” (Isaiah 58:9)
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” [hin’ni sh’lakheni]
In this instance, God didn’t call Isaiah by name, Isaiah volunteered, and without any hesitation. What was it that he was volunteering to do? Isaiah stood up to be God’s reflection on earth. According to Isaiah, here’s what would happen if you freed the oppressed, shared bread with the hungry, brought the homeless into your house, and clothed the naked:
Isaiah 58:8-9a
“Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of YHWHwill be your rear guard. Then you will call, and YHWH will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am’” [Hineni].
We were called to be image-bearers of our Heavenly Father and of Yeshua/Jesus. When we are truly a reflection He will will be able to look at us and and see Himself in us. He will be able to say “Hineni! Here I Am. I see Myself in You”.
It’s time for us to volunteer like Isaiah did. It’s time for us to call out to our Heavenly Father saying ” Here I am. I’m ready to go and do. Send me!” When you call out to HIm, He will answer, saying, “Here I Am and I see you! You are in Me, and I Am in you”…Then He will give us instructions and directions.
Yeshua/Jesus, God in the flesh. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1; He makes Himself available to us, always waiting for us to say, “Hineini.”
He calls to us during times when we have hidden ourselves from His presence.
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am (Hineini!)
“I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:19–20.
Messiah promises to abide with us, if we allow Him in.
Only with His presence can we truly fulfill the call to be of service to our Heavenly Father. For Messiah Yeshua/Jesus says,
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.” John 15:4.
Yeshua/Jesus lived out Hineini, always at the service of His Father, doing His will, and with His help, so can we.
“I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8.
As with everything that He asks of us, Yeshua/Jesus has gone before us. He knows what it is to live here in an earthly body and still be of service to the Father. But Yeshua/Jesus always did what pleased His Father and fulfilled the divine Hineini that was prophesied inPsalm 40:7-8:
“Then I said, ‘Here, I have come (Hineini); in the scroll of the book it is written of Me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.’” Psalm 40:7–8.
We must ask ourselves what will I do?
Paul tells us “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1.
And the Father gave up His Son, to restore our intimacy with Him. In doing so, they have demonstrated the most profound Hineni of all time.
In that way, we fully live out Hineni in the eyes of our family and community in a way that truly pleases and glorifies Him. And He will be fully available to us as well.
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen … to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I.” Isaiah 58:6-9.
They all answered in the same way to Gods call saying
Hineni – Here I am.
When our Heavenly Father calls to us by name and asks
where are you?
It is not because He doesn’t know where you are physically, He is asking us do we know where we are spiritually and in relationship to HIm; and if we are ready to reply saying Hineni!
What was the response of those we have looked at? In every example, It was the response of a servant: ‘hineni’.
We see ‘hineni’ appear at pivotal moments throughout Scripture. Moments when profound change is about to take place in the lives of those responding to God.
What makes ‘hineni’ such a powerful statement? It is an offer of complete availability, of total readiness to serve. When we say ‘hineni’, we make ourselves fully available to whatever it is God might ask of us. Even without knowing what that might be.
The answer of ‘hineni’ is one of faith.
The answer “hineni” means: “Here I am ready and waiting to do Your will. Here I am, a partner with You in the eternal covenant between You and our people. How can I fulfill my role more fully?”
Yet the word conveys so much more. To say “hineni” expresses a deep desire for a spiritual awakening, a moment, however fleeting, in which we feel close to the heart of the Father.
It indicates a receptive mind and an openness of soul. It declares a readiness to engage, to take part in the unfolding of Gods plan of the Ages.
One New Testament example is recorded in Acts 9:10-15
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord” [Greek: Idou ego, Kyrie]. And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.
Our Heavenly Father called out, by name, those He needed to fulfill His plans. Ananias quick response changed the course of Paul’s life, and he became the missionary to the gentiles.
In the Psalms we are assured that God is our ever-present help, and He delights to make Himself available to His children. By God saying ‘hineni’ to us, He is saying that He hears us, He sees us, and He knows us.
Are our hearts prepared to answer?
Are we ready to offer ourselves,
even without knowing what service He will ask of us?
Let our prayer today be that our hearts will answer without the slightest hesitation, and that we might make ourselves fully available to whatever our Heavenly Father asks of us; and that our faith would be added to in the process.
Song by Marty Goetz
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, Deliverer 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.
We are more familiar with the story of the rebuilding of the walls from the book of Nehemiah. However Ezra was the prophet and scribe of that day and his account gives another aspect of the scene.
This story takes place at the time of Israels return from captivity. The Northern kingdom of Judah had been taken into captivity by Babylon, however during their exile and captivity, Babylon fell to the Persian Empire. (Persia is modern day Iran). Because of two brave individuals Daniel and Esther, the Jews found favor with the Persian kings.
(The term Jew is the name given to the Israelite tribe of Judah. Today it is often ascribed to all people living in Israel, not just those from the tribe of Judah, son of Jacob.)
Although Daniel was from the tribe of Judah, he was still a favorite of the Persian King Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC). He also found favor with Cyrus’s grandson King Xerxes (486-465 BC), Esther’s stepson King Artaxerxes I (465-424 B.C.) loved Esther like she was his own mother and because of this the Hebrew people had great favor with him; so much so that he granted a decree that allowed Nehemiah and Ezra to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple while under the protection and backing of the Persian Empire.
When Nehemiah returned to the land he found that it was occupied by Assyrian settlers. These were the people who had been sent to occupy the land many years earlier by the Assyrian empire, which was now no longer in existence.
These settlers who had moved there from the land of the Amorites, Moabites, and other nations, were not too happy that the Jews were planning on returning; and in fact, they were afraid of them because of the support given them by the Persian empire.
So they were determined to harass, intimidate and sabotage the incoming Jews to the point where they would just give up trying to regain the land and would just go back to Persia.
This story has a familiar ring to it and we know that history does repeat itself.
Because the Persian Empire, which ruled the known world at that time, was supporting and backing the Jews; they couldn’t declare outright war against them, as it would have amounted to suicide. Instead they began a strategy, a plan of campaign, sometimes called a war of attrition, designed to wear the Hebrew children down.
A war of attrition -meaning
Romanized: Ḥarb al-Istinzāf;
Hebrew: מלחמת ההתשה,
Milḥemet haHatashah
Attrition warfare is the term used to describe the sustained process of wearing down an opponent so as to force their physical collapse through continuous losses in personnel, equipment and supplies or to wear them down to such an extent that their will to fight collapses.
The way they decided to attack them is something still used in many places around the world today, which we call terrorism.
As time passed, King Artaxerxes was overly occupied with his own domestic issues and ongoing problems in his kingdom, as well as the threat of other nations wanting to engage in war against Persia. Because of this, King Artaxerxes gave his son Susa the responsibility of overseeing the Israelite/Jewish/Hebrew nation. Susa did not know his grandmother Esther and was not endeared to the Jewish people; to put it in a modern term, word, he was anti-Semitic. Because of this, Persia’s support of the Jews dwindled away. Nehemiah and Ezra believed that if God wanted Jerusalem rebuilt He would do it without the help of Persia; so the lack of support did not disturb or deter them. We know from scripture that indeed our Heavenly Father did help them.
However, when the Amorite, Moabite, and settlers from the other nations heard about Persia withdrawing their support, these enemies steadily increased their harassment and terrorism. Although Nehemiah and Ezra were confident that God would protect them, unfortunately, the people refused to trust in God.
In Ezra 4:4 we read that this ‘war of attrition’, was being very effective.
The people of Judah’s hands were weakened and they were troubled by their enemies in the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
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
At some time during our years of serving the Lord we can feel that way too.
There are times that it seems like people and circumstances just come at us from every side and angle, they criticize, condemn, and accuse us of things that we did not do.
This is a time when the enemy tries to make us react in the flesh trying to make us resentful and bitter. He wants
to discourage us
and cause us to want
to meraphim or give up.
Because of the constant harassment by their enemies, the people of Judah did become very weary and discouraged.
Although initially, their enemies were unable to physically harm them, they mocked them and made fun of them. Then they robbed their homes while they were working on building the walls. The terrorism continued as they destroy their crops while they were concentrating on the work in hand.
Nehemiah had returned to Persia for a period of time and when he came back to Jerusalem, he found a people who were in a state of spiritual despair. They had given up working on rebuilding the walls of the city to protect their own homes, families and crops; and in the process they had fallen into spiritual idolatry and even turned to pagan practices while being preoccupied with building their own houses and making money.
Gods’ people had merephim – given up.
It is not something that just happened thousands of years ago it is happening to people all around us today.
What did Ezra do to encourage the people?
We can find the answer in
Ephesians 15:19: “Speak to one another with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.
This story is the source of the well known and often quoted verse from Nehemiah 8:10:
“The Joy of the Lord is our strength.”
We will not fulfill the assignments our Heavenly Fathers has for us if we fall into the enemy’s traps, snares; and give in to his war of attrition and terrorist attacks against us like he did with the people of Judah. Instead, we need to fill our hearts with the Word of God like Ezra did, and encourage each other with scriptural songs of praise and joy. Praising the Lord will stop the enemy in his attacks. Praise binds kings…Psalm 149:8-9 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints
The Joy of the Lord
becomes a weapon against discouragement.
It is a spiritual force because it comes from a spiritual source, our Heavenly Father.
God is spirit as Messiah said in
John 4:24.
He does not have emotions like we understand emotions and feelings, His joy that He imparts to us, is to strengthen us in the inner man so we will rise up and
be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Ephesians 6.
Not our own strength which is limited, but His strength which is unlimited and always available. It is the Father’s and Jesus/Yeshua’s desire, and in His own words… that our joy may be full.
These things have I spoken unto you,
that My joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be fulfilled.
John 15:11
We draw from the well of our salvation with Joy.
Joy is like the ‘dipper,’ the container, that we use to reach deep into that well, that spring of living water within us from the Fathers Holy Spirit, that is what will sustain us. The fullness of what our salvation means gives us the hope that will never be disappointed; and strength comes from allowing the Word of God, both in scripture and in the person of Messiah, to be the living word dwelling richly in us.
They experienced the rise of resistance, and as so many of us have experienced in our walk, discouragement is one of the devils favorite tools that he uses against believers in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus. He will always resist the work of the Lord and stir up opposition to try and hinder what God wants to do. He is persistent but we must be more persistent and persevere in what we have been called to do. James encourages us that we must resist the devil and he will flee. and by doing that in Messiahs name we will experience the rise of resistance in our own walk.
Phil 4:13 we can do all things through Messiah.
Proverbs 23:17-18
Whenever we are fully occupied with the will and work of the Lord we will always encounter opposition and intimidation. If we were not a threat to hasatan he would not focus on us so much; we could interpret this as a backhanded compliment! We must persevere even when there seems to be no immediate solution or answer in sight. The enemy will come with fear which causes us to take our eyes off of God and onto our circumstances. Our Heavenly Father will make a way where there seems to be no way. It’s our red sea moment and Jeremiah 32:27 encourages us: is anything too hard for the King of the universe?
2 Chron. 16:7
As the world grows darker and more violent, we are to shine brighter and bring true shalom/peace to all with whom we have contact; ever ready to share the good news of the gospel of the kingdom and encourage one another to stay strong and never meraphim.
Luke 18:1 always pray and never give up!
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, Deliverer 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.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
A brief recap: we looked at
the belt of truth,
the breastplate of righteousness and
the feet being shod with the readiness of the gospel of peace.
We saw some of the differences and similarities between the Roman soldiers armor and the High Priests garments.
4 Feet shod with the gospel of peace (not with actual shoes.)
5 shield = faith
6 helmet = salvation/deliverance
7 sword of the spirit = Word of God
8 prayer = all kinds
Roman soldier 6 pieces:
Helmet
Breastplate/Body armor
Belt
Shield
Shoes
Sword and Spear
All kinds of prayer – not applicable.
The belt worn by a roman soldier was around the loins for protection of the physical body, and often a short sword was kept in the belt, ready for both defense and attack.
The main purpose of the waistband/sash/belt and ephod of the High Priest was to hold the breastplate of judgment in place. It was called the breastplate of judgment because of the 2 stones urim and thumim that were used to determine the outcome of an inquiry or question to the Lord, and His answer was given by indication one of the stones. i.e. judgment.
The breastplate
Ephod front = Abrahams Covenant
Ephod back = renewed covenant.
It represents priestly grace and the veil of the sanctuary, with the gold, but without the cherubim.Exodus 28:31.
Body armor:
Breastplate = righteousness.
The 12 tribes of Israel were represented by 12 jewels/ precious stones, 4 rows of 3 jewels each. Non Israelites/gentiles are grafted into spiritual Israel by grace, mercy and faith and are the righteousness of God through Messiah. He has made us in right standing with the Father. By His righteousness we have the privilege to be called His children. 1John 3:1
For a Roman soldier the breastplate simply gave physical protection of vital organs: Heart, lungs, etc. nothing of spiritual value.
The High Priest wore the representation of the tribes over his heart. As previously noted, it was also called the breastplate of judgment = Torah instruction and teaching. We are judged already and by the blood of Messiah are in right standing with the Father and our High Priest Yeshua/Jesus, Who carries all of His spiritual children in His heart. The Israelites position, or standing before the Father, was neither affected nor altered by their changing circumstances, infirmities or sins. Whenever the High Priest went into the Holy place, there on his heart, were the names of Gods’ people; emphasizing the (belt), truth of security. It is important to note that their names were not simply written upon the precious stones but engraved on them, and could not be easily washed or wiped away.
1Thess. 5:8tells us to put on trust/faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of being delivered as a helmet.In contrast to the breastplate of the High Priest who was serving the Lord and the people. The roman chest armor/breastplate was to preserve the individuals own life, looking to save and protect self and to defend against physical injury to vital organs. For the child of God,Proverbs 4:21-23 instructs us that:
above everything else guard your heart.
This is more correctly translated:
keep thy heart with the greatest vigilance for out of it are the issues of life.
By guarding our hearts – the righteous avoid a deceptive path. We are also told not to seek to save our own lives by our own strength, but to place our lives in the Fathers care; and He will sustain our lives as we lose ourselves completely in Him.
The heart is the central organ which conditions all a persons activities and the character of his life is dependent on it functioning correctly, both physically and spiritually.
Additionally in Proverbs, go and see which is the right way to which one should cling. People with good hearts are those who love the Lord and His Word, they are generous, loyal, trustworthy friends and caring neighbors, who are aware of the consequences of ones words and deeds. Scripture tells us that we must guard our lips v.24 our eyes v.25 and our steps v.26.
Back to Ephesians 6 and the next part of the armor:
Always carry the shield of trust /faith.
The Shield is mentioned in scripture in many places including the book of Beginning/Genesis.
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your SHIELD, your exceedingly great reward.” Psalm 3:1-3 Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah But You, O Lord, are a SHIELD for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
Always carry the shield of trust/faith…What is it for?
with which we will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
How does God SHIELD His people?
The best picture is from the Exodus out of Egypt.
Exodus 13:21-22 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. Exodus 14:19-20 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
When God shields us, it is a complete, divine, full protection on all sides, top and bottom, 360 degrees, all round about, because He is also our Rearguard. (Isaiah 52:12). However, the Roman shield is made by human hands and only gives partial protection, leaving the individual vulnerable to attacks.
Those fiery darts that the shield of faith protects us from can be from hurtful situations in the past which still cause pain today, remnants of previous attacks that the enemy tries to bring back to the surface and torment us with.
Next we are to
take the helmet of salvation/deliverance.
Eph. 6:17.
For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak. Is. 59:17.
Exodus 28:36-41. 36 You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37 And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban.
38 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord. 39 You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work. 40 For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty. 41 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests.
The Hebrew word for TURBAN is derived from a verb which means: to roll or wind around. This may refer to the fact that the High Priests’ TURBAN was wound around his head like a tiara/crown. The head-dress of the High Priest represented his subordination to God, his obedience to God’s commands and submission to His will. This is relevant to us as believers, because we are to be submitted to the Lords will and obedient to His commands; our life is no longer our own. The fine linen of which it was made, tells of the personal righteousness which must be found in the one who stands in the presence of God on behalf of others. This can in no way apply to a roman helmet.
Holiness to the LORD.
The Lord Himself will separate the Holy Ones/kedoshim, from the unholy. His Name shall be on the foreheads of the righteous saints.
Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 22:4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
The Roman helmet was made of metal, whereas the turban/ helmet of the High Priest was made of linen. Linen = righteousness.
The Hebrew turban/ head band, was symbolic of royalty and on the forehead/headband of gold was written: Holiness unto the Lord. 1Peter 1:15. Following the Holy One Who called you… that was the standard that had to rule the life of the priest and those who look at him. It represented a complete consecration to God.
take the helmet of salvation/deliverance…..
This was symbolic of the protection of the mind and the thoughts. We need to remember that the mind is the primary battlefield and where we are to take captive every thought that is not from the Holy Spirit before it goes any further bringing those thoughts into obedience to Messiah and His word.
This is warfare and we have the authority to command all negative and ungodly thoughts to leave in the name of Yeshua/Jesus. James tells us we are to resist the devil and he will flee. Thoughts come from the enemy of our souls in the form of temptations, we must recognize them and we are not to entertain them but cast them down.We have the mind of Christ/Messiah.
A Holy lifestyle is the key to having the mind of Christ and being able to immediately take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Christ/Messiah and the wisdom of God. This helmet/head covering, is the hope of deliverance/salvation, and of us becoming Christlike in our thinking. The place of a priest before the Lord, is a service of holiness. Jesus/Yeshua is our High Priest.Hebrews 7:28.
The reference to the High Priests garments are more in line with what we as disciples are supposed to be showing to the world – not that of a violent, aggressive, merciless soldier, ready to maim or kill for the least reason for worldly purpose, gain and rewards. But rather the soldier of Messiah/Christ, one who is aware of the spiritual realm and its consequences. We are told in 2 Timothy 2:3+4 endure hardship as a good soldier. One translation puts it: Accept your share in suffering disgrace as a good soldier of the Messiah Yeshua. No soldier on duty gets with civilian affairs since he has to please his commanding officer.
Along with the SWORD given by the Spirit that is
the WORD of God.
The Word of God is the sword, the sword is the word of God.
Personal protection is provided in the armor of God in all but the sword. This is the sword of the spirit, and is one that divides between soul and spirit, the carnal and the spiritual, and the joints and marrow.
It cuts to the real issue of sin by using Gods Word coming out of our mouth. Just as referenced in
Revelation 1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
What is the sharp, double-edged sword coming out of His mouth?
The answer lies in Hebrews 4:12,which states, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”Ephesians 6:17.
The ancient Romans employed the two-edged sword as a formidable offensive weapon, and a metaphorical sword is portrayed in both Hebrews and Revelation. It is not a real sword to hurt maim or kill people; but rather the Word of God, scripture, spoken by believers in faith; which will stem the tide of evil and defeat the onslaught of darkness.
This two-edged sword symbolizes Messiah/Christ’s authority and judgment, holding humanity accountable, even making access into our thoughts.
The image of the two-edged sword also helps us grasp the inestimable value of God’s Word. This Bible we carry and even have on our devices, is powerful and sharp and comes from the very mouth of our Lord. Historical figures such as William Tyndale, John Wycliffe, and Jan Hus are heroes to believers, because they worked through intense opposition in order for us to hold this weapon in our hands. The Word of God holds truly formidable power and is capable of transforming us at our core. We should never forget just what a privilege it is to have it in our possession. However it is of no use lying on a shelf gathering dust, we are to be doers of His Word and allow the Sword of His Spirit to take authority over the works of darkness.Eph. 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
1John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Isaiah 49:2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me. Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Revelation 1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Not a physical Roman sword of violence, killing and destroying others; but a sharp two-edged sword out of the mouth, proclaiming the Word of God.
The High Priest carried no physical sword, his sword was spiritual, he spoke the word of God in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. He carried the burden of the sacrifice for sin upon himself just as Messiah did. In the same way as Yeshua/Jesus quoted Torah, Prophets and the Writings all through His life, and even on the cross, the High Priests quoted from the Psalms. Revelation 19:15 tells us He will return with: A sharp two-edged sword is coming out of his mouth, so that with it he can strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron, and he will tread the winepress of the wine of the anger of the wrath of Almighty God. 16 On his robe, and on his thigh, is written a name: King of kings, and Lord of lords.
Praying Always With All Prayer And Supplication
Most Roman soldiers did not spend any time on prayers for themselves, and almost never prayed for the cause of the poor and needy. Only the priests were called to pray and make intercession to God on behalf of others.
Exodus 34:8-9 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”
Psalm 82:1-4 1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. 2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.
In Christianity today, we have intercessory prayer warriors who wage spiritual warfare against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. In some instances, it is questionable how many can honestly stand righteous and blameless in all humility before a Holy God. There are some who like militant and brutal Roman soldiers, have been fighting in vain because they consider themselves spiritually superior towards their fellow believers, instead of serving others in humility and love.They are not gracious, merciful and kind; loving God and loving their neighbors, and it can be because they do not put on the correct armor of God! One good example of wearing the wrong armor is David when he fought against Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:38-47 38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin.But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
David didn’t use the armor of Saul. He came in the name of the Lord of hosts. He came in the strength of God, totally dependent on Gods’ ability not on his own.
The battle is the Lord’s, and He will fight for us and give us victory! Having declared His Word in a situation we need to stand in faith and see His salvation! The most effective weapon we have is prayer based on Gods Word.
James 5:16 Amplified Bible
Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].
As we pray at all times with all kinds of prayers and requests in the spirit vigilantly and consistently for all God’s people.
Have we prayed prayers like this?
17&18 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Are we doing this on a daily basis?
Eph. 6:10 We are to grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength and use all the armor and weaponry that God provides so that we will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the adversary.
How many of us are praying at all times, vigilantly and persistently? Are we growing powerful in union with the Lord in union with His mighty strength?
Or are we murmuring and complaining about our situation, or are we just sitting back and doing nothing to change it?
Are we walking daily in obedience to even the 10 Commandments?
Are we loving our neighbor as ourselves?
Are we even loving ourselves?
Are we living in the peace that God has given provided by our Prince of peace/Sar Shalom?
Is the definition evident in our lives, families and congregations?
If we truly believe what God’s Word says, why are we living at a lower level spiritually?
Have we become so wrapped up in life itself, that we are not walking side-by-side with our Lord.
The subtleties of the adversary are just that, subtle and sneaky, and are often quite inoffensive and so we entertained them; these are tactics that will cause us to stray from the Narrow Way. Taking our time and attention from the Lord and moving our focus onto things that distract us from the plan of God for us.
Ephesians 6:10-13 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We are not fighting flesh and blood so we don’t need physical weapons. Messiah came to spiritually destroy the works of the devil and in His Name this is what we are to do. Maybe we need to remove the image of the unholy Roman armor and put on the spiritual Holy Priestly garments; this is how the Royal Priesthood does spiritual warfare.
2 Chronicles 20:14-24 14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high. 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” 22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.
It wasn’t by physical fighting with physical weapons, nor with empty, powerless words, without direction or purpose; but with the high praises of God in their mouth, and a two-edged sword of His Spirit in their hands. They praised the Lord, and the Lord set ambushes and destroyed their enemies; not one escaped.
Psalm 149:5-9 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, 7 To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; 8 To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute on them the written judgment— This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!
1Cor. 16:13-14 Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong. Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].
This post is NOT in any way saying that our weapons of warfare in the spiritual realm are passive or non confrontational. As we look at the High Priests attire in comparison to the roman soldiers armor, they are indeed powerful and mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. However, we have the mind of Christ/ Messiah not a roman mindset, the Hebraic mind of our High Priest Yeshua/Jesus; not the roman soldier whose mandate is to destroy and rule over with cruelty. Although an obvious example, the images we have been exposed to, may have given us a somewhat distorted picture of what Paul was attempting to convey to believers concerning our role as soldiers of Christ/Messiah.
We are to fight from our blood-bought position of righteousness, holiness and truth; wrapped in the unconditional love of our Heavenly Father.
Intercessory Prayer truly is warfare, where we are battling for the souls of men and women by confronting the darkness and all the demonic powers of the enemy. It’s not done with natural weapons or natural protective armor; and it’s not done in our own strength or name. We are wrestling against very real spiritual forces and is to be taken very seriously.
Psalm 149
Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.
5 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.
6 May the praise of God be in their mouths
and a double-edged sword in their hands,
7 to inflict vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters,
their nobles with shackles of iron,
9 to carry out the sentence written against them—
this is the glory of all his faithful people.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 139 above, could refer to the tribe of Judah where in all Old Testament accounts of the children of Israel, the tribe of Judah, (which means praise); always went first, leading the way on journeys and into battles. Literally Praise went ahead of the whole of Israel.
And the warfare with the 2 edged sword of the spirit was against the demonic spirits/forces ruling through kings and noble sand leaders.For believers we are to comprehend and apply the victory won at Calvary; and understand that Messiah took possession of the keys of hell and death. He is the victor and only in and through His Name and shed blood can we stand.
Only on, and with, the authority He gave to His disciples can we fight the good fight of faith; and see those in bondage to darkness get free and delivered.
Only from a position of complete trust in Messiah and the Father can we engage the enemy.
Only with clean hands and a pure heart.
Only clothed in His Righteousness, a member of His Holy Priesthood.
Only with a grateful heart of love and thanksgiving are we going to be effective in this battle for the souls of humanity. Without His strength and courage we will not be able to resist, and stand, and remain standing, when the battle is won, still praying vigilantly and persistently.
The High Priest was and is our Messiah, Who is continually the intercessor between us and the Father. In Him we have all we need to walk and live in victory. If we will just be a DOER and apply it to our lives. We are a part of the army of light, soldiers of the lion of the tribe of Judah. Our battles are spiritual first and foremost, they are not against people, we are to love our Heavenly Father and His Messiah and people, that is the reason we fight.
Yes we are to fight, but fight on our knees, and humbly standing before the Lord in prayer, we are warriors of light; inspired by His love, mercy and grace and we belong to the day, let us stay sober and vigilant, watching for His return.
We are clothed in this armor of light and once it has been put on it should never be taken off; simply affirm each day that it is in place, checking our spiritual position, posture and attitude in the presence of HIs Holiness.
Here is an example that may help us to pray these verses.
Father I thank you for your provision in my life which will cause me to be victorious in Messiah. I have on the helmet of the salvation with the hope of being completely delivered that you have given me through faith in the redeeming blood of Yeshua/Jesus, This protects my mind against every lie and temptation of the enemy of my soul as I take every thought captive to the obedience of Messiah. I have the mind of Christ and the wisdom of God and discern my Heavenly Fathers voice, obeying His directions for my life. I have on the breastplate of trust, faith and love, of His righteousness as your Word says in 2 Corinthians 5:21 the righteous man shall live by faith. Father, You made Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become Your righteousness in Him. This breastplate of Yeshua/Jesus my High Priest, declares I am grafted-in to the children of Israel. You have placed me visibly over your heart and my heart is diligently protected by this breastplate because out of it flow the issues of life. I have on the belt of truth, Your Word is truth. Messiah is the Word of God made flesh and He is the Way the Truth and the Life. His truth has made me free from the law of sin and death. My feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, true shalom where nothing or missing or broken and I am ready at all times, in season and out, to share the good news of His redeeming power, love, grace and mercy in restoring our relationship with our heavenly Father. I have the sword of the spirit which is your Word coming out of my mouth, declaring your truth and proclaiming victory in faith, knowing that you watch over your word to perform it, that it does not return to you void but accomplishes what you send it forth to do. I hold up the shield of my faith in your ability to do all that you have promised in your covenant through Yeshua/Jesus blood. I trust you and know that this shield will stop every flaming arrow of the adversary because no weapon that is formed against me shall prosper. I know that you are also my rear guard and I am fully protected by the spiritual armor that you have provided. I am praying at all times with all prayer and am on guard, standing firm on your provision and promises in Yeshua/Jesus Name.
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, Deliverer 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.
Hineni – Here I am
Hineni — הִנֵּֽנִי 
In the previous post we looked at
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