Help Us to Dream
Your
Dreams oh
Lord!
Your
Dreams oh
Lord!
Twice in Ex. 34 the Lord announces His "hesed" translated in the Amplified and the KJVS Bibles as abundant in goodness and keeping of mercy. This is the passage where God answers Moses's prayer to "see God" and He is allowed to have the "backside" of the Lord pass before him. In this powerful scene God hides Moses in the cleft of a Rock then passes by and proclaims who He is: "The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness (hesed) and truth, keeping mercy (hesed) for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting [avenging] the iniquity [sin, guilt] of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].” Ex 34:6-7 Amplified Bible. The Amplified Bible uses [these kind of brackets to better explain the Hebrew words as best they could with the KJVB text they used] and I added "hesed" in parentheses to show what words or phrases were interpreted from that word in the above passage. God was emphasizing His "hesed" by repeating it twice. It would have read in Hebrew "Yahweh, Yahweh El, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in hesed and truth, heseding ten thousands in a familyline, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin...." How do I get that translation. I start with several versions of the Bible, go to Strongs Concordance to understand the original Hebrew then find Hebrew scholars to give me better insight. Both the KJV and Amplified however seems to have misunderstood God's character and word when they seemed to have inaccurately interpreted the word "visited" or 'avenging' a parent's iniquity "on" future generations. Perhaps avenging for those children but not avenging it "on" those children. That is counter-intuitive to so many other scriptures about God's character towards the children of believers in both the OT and NT.
In an attempt to better understand the meaning of the word "thousand" in Hebrew, I ran across a website by Skip Moen who describes his mission on his website called: "Hebrew word study" as "recovering the meaning of Scripture, one Hebrew or Greek word at a time." I was blessed by the few articles I read in attempting to better understand this passage but my first rule is to let Holy Spirit teach me thru my own study of the original word. After I did this I was most blessed to learn the meaning of a different word in this passage that was far more important for me to understand. It helped me understand the next verse that seems so contrary to the 'hesed' love he just proclaimed. I couldn't find any study focusing on this word "thousand". Instead he focused on a different word that in simple ignorance to Hebrew thought, the KJF translators likely misunderstood. Moen explains the meaning of the word pāqaḏ that KJV and other Bible translators translated "visiting." My few lessons in Greek by a dear Pastor, Mike Redeker, taught me a lesson in translation I will never forget. "It is always important to know who is running the verbs." In the way KJV translated this word God runs this verb and yet it sounds to contradict the nature of God for God to run this verb in a negative way towards children of sinners as if they were the actual sinner. This word pāqaḏ reveal God's hesed so much better than I ever imagined in the way the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are treated by God when their parents/grandparents fail to represent God well. In the KJV and Amplified version and most any other English translation it appears God's anger is poured out on the generations that follow because of an unfaithful dad but it is the exact opposite in meaning. Moen points out that this Hebrew word has a negative connotation and a positive one and the positive one is used about half the time in other uses of this word in the OT. Sure enough Strongs Concordance concurs. We NEVER get punished for having unfaithful parents or get "brownie points" or a "free pass to heaven" because our parents were faithful. We each get to choose, but for those who have parents who did not represent God well, there is an extra measure of grace for them. That is the kind of "visit" the children of unfaithful parents get from God. How does a translator determine whether to use a negative or positive connotation of a word in a particular translation. The "law of first mention" is a good start. That translation "rule" says the best and most complete definition of a word in the Bible is found in the first time this word is used in the Bible. So I went back to Gen 21:1 the first time the word is mentioned in the Bible. God came to "visit" Sarah in order to do what He promised. Obviously a very positive visit. In all the definitions that this word can mean according to Strongs, clearly in this first mention it means "to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit." In Sarah's case all this was true about this vist which deposited in Sarah's womb the seed that would bring about the One who would Redeem the sins of all our Father's before us- Jesus was to come from her family line. Through Jesus, the mercy of God poured out upon a world ruined by sin so that Sarah's seed could bless every nation on the earth with the choice to follow that Redeemer or reject Him. Either way, it is all about choice. I get to choose to worship God or the demons behind our false gods. How much better I understand that this passage no longer contradicts so many other passages like: He "is close to the broken-hearted", "is a Father to orphans and widows," came to "set prisoners free," "open the eyes of the blind." He keeps a "special eye" on those who's sinful ancestors would otherwise keep us in those patterns of sin. He puts a deposit in us because of His "hesed" lovingkindness that gives us fortitude and courage to break sinful patterns. All these years this passage seemed to perpetrate the victim mentality and self-pity that I could so easily fall into through the years. It made me question God's mercy and justice but now I see it is rich with unfailing, steadfast "hesed" kind of love that is beyond words. This morning, God put these word to music, singing them over me to confirm that I am finally free to understand God's justice and hesed love for family-lines much better. I sing this over those who come to this blog for comfort, wisdom and revelation today: I bless you and bless your family too, with grace and mercy that will follow you and them all the days you roam on earth until my Son returns to reign My child. They still get to choose to follow or to disobey. Yet my hesed love and grace and mercy follow them in a special way. To give them many chances, To give them special grace To see my hesed love for them each day. I choose to bless their heritage. I bless their children, their children's children too and so, so many more after them. Until they come to Me with hearts that turn to Me. Chorus: It's my hesed love that draws them, It's my hesed love that holds them. It's my hesed faithful nudges they'll receive. I will pursue them with a love that will not fail them. Yet they get to choose Life and death Its theirs to choose. And the more my children understand My hesed love And pour it on their children and their children's children, Their kids will not help but come to Me with Holy hands of praise. Chorus: It's my hesed love that draws them, It's my hesed love that holds them. It's my hesed faithful nudges they'll receive. Some will still harden their hearts because of the sins of their Father And when that happens I give them special care, Special love to draw them in. Because of the faith of my first mention on the lips of the patriarch of that family, Those that first called out to Me in faith. They knew that only I could redeem their souls That moment that faith met Me. They knew it was not just for their redemption But for yours too! Chorus: It's my hesed love that draws them, It's my hesed love that holds them. It's my hesed faithful nudges they'll receive.
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Genesis 32: 9-12 Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord, who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,’ I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, [hesed] and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I crossed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mothers with the children. You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there are so many.’”
Jacob the deceiver, robbed Esau of his birthright and his inheritance as the first born son. His mother put him up to the last bit of thievery because Rachel knew God promised both her and Issac that the "latter would rule the elder." It was God's prophecy and promise to both of them. Yet Issac, out of favoritism of Esau, was going to disobey the Lord because of the traditions of men. In that culture, the inheritance went to the eldest son. Today in some circles we would call this a "religious spirit" that "nullifies the words of God for the sake of the traditions of man." Nathan French has taught me that it is these "traditions" we fall into that dull our ears to hear the voice of God. Jesus said the "sheep will recognize their Master's voice." While most of the time God speaks through our thoughts, so does the devil. So how do we recognize the difference between a thought that came from the voice of God, from the devil or from our own mind. In this simple story of reliance on God's steadfast love and a prophetic word, we see the attitude of the heart we need to approach and respond to a prophetic word from the Lord. 1st- Jacob admits such kind of love is udeserved- "I am not worthy of even the least of ALL the loving kindness AND of ALL the truth". Jacob's humility clearly is seen as he recounts how little he left with and how much God blessed him. He sees God's hesed love and truth surrounding him and he knows he is not worthy of rescue from a brother who is angry because of Jacob's deception that gave Jacob a blessing and an inheritance his father intended for Esau. 2nd-Jacob honestly admits his fear of what Esau might do to him and his family. I learning that fear can hinder the answers to our prayers because fear = doubting God's protection. Yet denying what is in our hearts also hinders those answers. I love Jacob's willingness to confess his fear that Esau is coming with 400 men to kill him, his kids and his wives. When we admit our need, our fears, our inadequacy and know what we deserve, God answers with love and mercy undeserved. 3rd- Jacob remembers and in his prayer reminds God that he is stepping out in obedience to God's prophetic word, "Return to Your country and I will surely do you good...and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which can't be counted because there are so many." 4th- Jacob had the faith to risk everything and obey God's voice over the voice of fear that Esau's wrath might rob Jacob and his family of God's promises. The end of this TRUE story is that God gave Jacob wisdom for how to approach Esau. specific things to do He sent small bands of gifts ahead of him and his family. Oppulent, luxurious gifts, then sent his family with all the kids so that he might solicit even more mercy for the huge family and servants who were dependent on their dad/husband/master for provision. By the time he arrived, God blessed Jacob's humble prayer and faith in God's promise to bless him. That answer started with a game plan to soften Esau's heart and ended with an unexpected hug from Esau. Living in this kind of an estranged family is all too common in the present season all over the world. The vaccinated vs unvaccinated, the maskers vs unmasked, social distancers vs huggers, Trumpers vs Anti-Trumpers, Conspiracy theorists vs Fake News/Real news- who knows how many more things have divided our nation, our churches and our families pitting one against the other. Behind this division is a demonic host tempting us to take offense at the slightest provocation and become irritated at anyone who is speaking something that denies the narrative that makes you feel most comfortable. What is God's answer- "listen to His voice and get His plan to build bridges to estranged family members. God knows what they need to see and hear from you. It starts the same way Jacob prayed:
Listening to portions of the news last night was troubling and sounded like we are on the verge of WW 3. Turning to Telegram for news I got a very different scenario. Where do I go next? "Lord teach me how to pray in these uncertain times" has been my frequent prayer especially since troops were amassing on Ukraine's borders. Sometimes in the midst of very serious things going on in our world the Lord uses a little levity with me. In my minds eye a few weeks ago when I had to go into a very uncomfortable situation. I saw me as a little girl dancing on the feet of God the Father and I hear Him say, "Get up on my feet, I will teach you how to dance thru these times without missing a step." A few days later, when I began beating myself up mentally over declining mental capacity during a Pinochle game, I hear Him say, "get back on my feet." My disposition of trust returns. I hear about emminent war and ask, "How do I pray?" It took a few days to get the answer. "This is a distraction, don't get distracted." A few days later I hear a prophet, Julie Green, get a message from the Lord, "Smoke and mirrors." I think, "Okay I did hear from You Lord." Then Ukraine does get invaded. "Lord you confirmed this was smoke and mirrors but now something is happening that could harm a lot of people." Later the next day, I read about 11 US-owned biolabs that Putin destroyed. They were all on army bases. I learn that China and Russia had reported awhile back to the UN that the US has biochemical labs on their borders that are a threat tot he whole world with evidence that the US unleashed the Corona virus from the Wuhan lab on purpose. Yet Russia has a reputation of aggression. Will he take this opportunity to imprison them in communism. I know the story of the Wumbrandts. I hear that Ukraine is the center of human trafficking. I am back to "Teach me to pray Lord." I get back, "Be careful how you pray. You have my authority to open doors that won't close and close doors that won't open. Be sure you open the right doors and close the right ones." I hear there are another 11 US labs in Tiawan. I go to their website. I think, "They and Russia have a reason to invade us Lord? How do I pray now?" "You remember hearing what to do. All these open borders means the world is coming to you to hear the gospel." In the midst of all this I get reminded of a message I gave at a Women's Retreat pre-covid. and Yikes now I feel like I am sweating bullets (figuratively that is). "Riding on the Promises of God," was the title. On the front of the brochure was a surfer, handling stormy waves with a smile. The theme of the first message was getting on the surfboard with Jesus since all God's promises are "yes" and "amen" in Jesus. This time the picture is a little hlilarious. I am dancing on the surfboard with Jesus, yet I heard God the Father say, "Get up on my feet, you won't miss a step." Then I see Holy Spirit swirling around us. Below us was a torrent of storm-tossed waters and waves that looked forboding. I heard Jesus say, "Laugh at those waves." So I did. This morning I heard, "Every time you glance at the waves, remember your position-on the surfboard. This time Jesus is dancing wildly with me, tossing me in the air and i hear Him say, "I will always catch you." Meanwhile I hear God the Father telling me to get up on His feet he will teach me the steps. Holy Spirit was whirling around us this morning. What a beautiful picture of the trinity, yet also quite silly. When I glance at the waves i hear laughter all around me echoing in my ears. I get the impression: That every time I glance at the storm I am to laugh at the enemy's plan to disturb our peaceful trust in God's plan of redemption amidst the rumors of war. I feel when I hear two very conflicted reports, I am laughing with God at the foolish and evil plans of the enemy who is trying to confuse the church into praying according to the devil's plans instead of Gods. Satan WILL NOT win against God's plan. Laughter at the enemy has become God's way of teaching me lately. A few months ago I saw a flash of a lion that looked like pink panther, weak, starving, staggering. When I woke up I heard Holy Spirit say, "This is how weak your enemy is because of your prayers." A few days later I had another weird picture of this sickly lion. This time he was trying to get his boxers on but was too weak to get his leg in the pants hole. Then I woke up. I said, "Now that was just weird Lord, that wasn't from you was it?" I heard Holy Spirit say, "The enemy has been de-pantsed." (Yeah-I have no idea how to spell that! Basicly the devil has been caught with his drawers down and can't get them back up). I couldn't stop laughing for awhile on that one. Yet it took no time to get back to taking myself and my world way too seriously. Later this morning, I dozed up and work again. I had Ukraine as the first thing on my mind. "Lord show me how to pray for Ukraine." I heard, "Pray for the innocent to be protected and those planning harm against the innocent to have their plans bommerang on them. Revival fires are coming to Ukraine and NOTHING can stop them!" NOW I know what doors to open and close in prayer through the powerful name of Jesus. Thank you Jesus!
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