Doing a search is a popular statement these days.
We are able to search the internet using digital ‘search engines’ to find out details on whatever subject we want..
Many times all we ever hear is
“I looked it up using a search engine on our web browser..”
…and there are several well known names we use.
These AI (artificial intelligences) answers to our search, are so immediate that we have come to prefer this instant answer, instead of asking the Lord and waiting patiently for His Holy Spirit to tell us; or by taking the time to research for ourselves in the Bible and Dictionaries or Thesaurus. We need to be aware of not allowing a popular search engine and the internet to be our source of supply instead of or in preference to our Heavenly Father.
We are to Search/Zarah
or Seek
the Lord with all our hearts
….and He will direct our paths.
Prov.3:5,6 & Deut.4:29
We are to Seek for Him while He may be found.
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found;
call on Him while He is near Is 55:6
However there is a Psalm where David states that
the Lord
searches
out our path.
Psalm 139:3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
Below are various translations where some say search, others say discern, comprehend, know and compassest.
ESV: You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Psalm 139:3,
Psalm 139 :3, NIV: You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Psalm 139:3,
KJV: Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Berean Standard Bible You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.
American Standard Version Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English You know my way and my steps and you have investigated all my ways.
English Revised Version Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
King James Bible Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
A Hebrew word for SEARCH is ZARAH 2219
verb
זָרָה
zaw-raw
scrutinize, spread, scatter, winnow
Almost every modern English translation of the Bible will have a different rendering for the word search – zarah.
Some others are:
Living Bible: sees me
Aramaic Bible: know my ways
Holman Bible: observes me
International standard version: scrutinize my life.
King James version: compassest me
ESV: search me
Douay Reams Bible: understood me
New English translation: observes me
And NIV: discerns me
In all these different renderings, not one is wrong or better than another, and it could be that our Heavenly Father is showing us the rich meaning and depth of His Word. Through these words His Spirit reveals to us a greater understanding of the message He wants to impart to us. So in this case there is not a translation that is incorrect.
The Hebrew word comes from a primitive root: zuwr; to toss about; by implication, to diffuse, winnow — cast away, compass, disperse, fan, scatter (away), spread, strew, winnow.
Recall that every letter of a Hebrew word has its’ own meaning and pictograph. Each letter is a word and here the word zarah is spelled:
zayin resh hei.
זָרָה
The zayin זָ represents and looks like a sword which cut something open to expose the inner layers.
The resh רָ is bent over to the left some of the ancient Hebrew sages tell us that it is a sign of humility or shame.
The letter hei/hey ה is the third letter which represents the presence of God.
When God cuts through us and reveals what is inside of us it brings us to shame and humility in His presence…..However He does not leave us there…it’s a process.
Here the meanings: scrutinize, spread, scatter, winnow, carefully investigate; remind us of Messiahs words that were describing the divide and sift that was to come for His disciples in order to test their faith.
Just as Messiah Jesus/Yeshua said to Simon in Luke.
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:31-32 (NASB)
The Greek word which is translated as
demanded actually has the idea of a request.
satan has desired to sift you ALL…
WHY is this necessary?…
it is for us to see what is in us.
Messiah/Jesus said
the devil comes and finds nothing in me.
The key word in the phrase he has nothing in Me is nothing. The English word nothing is the correct translation of the Greek which is ou oudeis.
The word ou means not
and oudeis means no one, none or nothing.
When the Greek word ou is combined with oudeis,
nothing becomes emphatic.
The Greek phrase is a Hebrew idiom which has the legal sense of no claim.
Therefore, Messiah was simply saying that Satan had
no legal claim on Him.
In what sense does Satan have no legal claim on Messiah?
The answer is that Satan has no authority, claim or control over Messiah Jesus/Yeshua in any way, but he does have control over the world systems, kingdoms and non-believers.
There are two important points to help us understand what Satan controls.
The first point is that during the temptation of Messiah by the devil, he reveals that he has authority over the kingdoms of the world Luke 4:5-6. Notice that the devil states all of the kingdoms of the world were handed over to me.
And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” Luke 4:5-6 (NASB)
These verses help us understand that the devil not only owns the kingdoms of the world, but he controls them as well. Luke 4:5-6.
The second point is that in John 8:43-44 we read that non-Christians, (those who do not accept and believe that Jesus/Yeshua was and is the only begotten Son of the Living God and died in our place;) are under the control of the devil and have the same desires as the devil.
Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. John 8:43-44 (NASB)
The Greek word translated as of in the phrase
of your father the devil is the Greek word ekin.
It means out.
This means the Pharisees were like the devil, out of, being of that seed.
1 John 3:10 also reveals that we belong to either Christ or the devil.
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:10 (NASB)
The verse tells us every man and woman either belongs to God or belongs to the devil. Those who practice sin belong to the devil. The verses before and after verse 10 make this clear, non-Christians belong to Satan and he has control of them because they are not Christians. Scripture states that the devil is the god of this age, the ruler of this world, and the prince of the power of the air.
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19 (NASB)
In contrast 1 John 5:18 tells us that Christians cannot be touched or controlled by Satan.
We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18 (NASB)
Therefore, since Messiah/Christ was God and sinless, Satan could not control Him.
Satan had no legal claim on Him.
This is why Messiah said, . . . he has nothing in Me… and when satan tempted Him in the wilderness, he was not successful: Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13. Messiah/Christ was without sin Hebrews 4:15.
Can we say the same…
What will be exposed
when we are sifted and scrutinized
by His Spirit of Holiness?
Who will withstand the time of shaking?
What will the light expose in us?
Once our Heavenly Father has opened us up and revealed all the shameful things in our lives; He does not leave us in that state, He cleans up our lives so they are worthy to carry His indwelling presence. He is going to pursue us until we are willing to let Him open us and cleanse us, so that He can abide/live inside of us and we can become what He created us to be in the first place.
He will zarah/search us in our lying down.
The word for lying down is rava’ . רָבַע
raba: to lie stretched out, lie down
(recall the letters b and v are interchangeable.)
Original Word: רָבַע
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: raba
Phonetic Spelling: raw-bah’
Definition: to lie stretched out, lie down
Strong’s Hebrew: 7250. רָבַע (raba) —
to lie stretched out, lie down
This word comes from old Akkadian word RV,
which has the idea of lying down to reproduce.
raba: to lie stretched out, lie down
In all modern ways of understanding today, our Heavenly Father is watching us even in our most private moments. He is there looking for anything that may hinder the fullness of His presence in our lives. When He finds it, He pursues us until we confess only pure motives and honest intentions of our hearts towards Him. He searches for anything that could prevent Him from being all He longs to be in our lives. He observes the fruit of our lives, our actions and what is reproduced, then He prunes us so that we will bear even more fruit.
Is He really that intrusive /interested in our lives, watching and observing our paths and even our most Intimate moments?
He is obviously acquainted with all our ways.
Here that word acquaint in Hebrew is
katan which is used in a hiphal form.
spelled with a letter c or k. Strongs 5532
cakan — to be of use or service, benefit
cakan: benefit
Original Word: סָכַן
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: cakan
Phonetic Spelling: saw-kan’
… acquaint self, be advantage, ever, be, unprofitable, treasurer.
A primitive root; to be familiar with; by implication, to minister to, be serviceable to, be customary — acquaint (self), be advantage, X ever, (be, (un-))profit(-able), treasurer, be wont.
Hiph`il Perfect1singular הִסְכַּ֫נְתִּי Numbers 22:20; 2masculine singular הִסְבַּ֑נְתָּה Psalm 139:3;
Imperative הַסְכֶּןנָֿא Job 22:21;
Infinitive abs. הַסְכֵּן Numbers 22:30; — be used, wont, strictly exhibit use, or habit,
הַהַסְכֵּן הִסְכַּנְתִּי לַעֲשת לְךָ כֹּה Numbers 22:30 (J)
have I ever shewn the habit of doing thus to thee? hence shew harmony with (עִם) one Job 22:21, be familiar with, know intimately (subject ׳י) Psalm 139:3 (with accusative דְּרָכַי).