Original Word: יָשַׁב Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: yashab Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-shab’) Definition: to sit, remain, dwell
Aramaic: מַרְתָּא – Martâ – Martha of Bethany.
In the Gospels of Luke and John, Martha,
(Aramaic: מַרְתָּא Martâ),
is described as living together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem; in Iudaea Province (modern-day Israel or West Bank).
Jesus/Yeshua answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
Vayaan Yeshua vayomer eleha Marta Marta ayefa vigeah at me eenyanim rabim.
42 but ONE THING is needed/necessary.
and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
The name Martha comes from the verb: מרר ( marar ), meaning to be bitter.
The verb מרר ( marar) means to be strong or bitter and can be used to describe tastes and smells, and hard or difficult situations.
Adjectives מר ( mar) and מרירי ( meriri) mean bitter.
The name Martha is also translated, in Hebrew, as mistress or myrrh, again coming from the verb מרר (marar), to be bitter or strong.
Martha also means “Lady Boss”, “Mistress”, or “Land Lady”.
From Aramaic מַרְתָּא (marta’) meaning “the lady, the mistress”, being a transliteration of the feminine form of מַר (mar) meaning master or Lord.
A royal lady; mistress; a name from the Bible Hebrew meaning: Bitter disappointment
Arabic meaning: Lady
American meaning: Sorrow
From the fact that the house into which Yeshua/Jesus was received belonged to Martha, and that she generally took the lead in action, it is inferred that she was older sibling.
There is a tendency to be a Marta in each of us….
When Jesus/Yeshua, repeated her name in this instance, in Hebrew/Aramaic it is a stern rebuke! Because she was anxious and troubled concerning many things…
Greek: Marian – translated Mary, also Miriam. Hebrew Marta, is translated into English as Martha.
מִרְיָם Miriam/Mary seated herself
at the feet of the Lord
she was listening to His teaching.
Mary is the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek name Μαρία ( María ), found in the New Testament. Both variants reflect Syro-Aramaic Maryam, itself a variant of the Hebrew name מִרְיָם or Miryam.
Marta was overburdened about so much serving, clearly at that moment, the Lord was more concerned about teaching than eating or drinking and it reminds us of His words in
John 4:32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
AND in
Matt 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
We are to be meat and drink to (someone)… meaning to be appealing and/or enjoyable to someone, meeting both spiritual and physical needs.
He was not against food or eating, He got hungry too and was concerned for the multitudes who followed Him being hungry. We read on several occasions He fed them by means of supernatural provision.
We are not just physical bodies, we are spirit beings. Spirit beings have life and that life needs to be sustained. It needs to grow and the Word of God is our food.
In those verses, Yeshua/Jesus uses a metaphor, or an analogy. He says in so many words: I’ve got something else here to eat, I don’t need that physical food at the moment.
The disciples don’t understand. Yeshua/Jesus continues, and now He says unto them in verse 35, talking about this work:
I’ve got to finish this work. Say not ye there are yet four months and then cometh harvest…?”
Again another analogy, He is not talking about harvesting wheat or grain,
you say there’s four months and then comes harvest.…behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
These are those for whom He was going to die and He says the same to us today:
Look all around you, where ever the Lord brings and leads us. The fields are white to harvest.
There are people that the Spirit of God/Ruach Hakodesh has been working on and God will bring them across our path so that we can share the gospel with them.
Look on the fields, they are white already to harvest.
There are a lot of people out there that are hungering and thirsting
and we remember in chapter 7 that Yeshua/Jesus said:
“If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink.”
Once more, He’s not talking about water. He said,
“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together” John:3:36 We recall that Paul said, “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (I Corinthians 3:6).
This is what Messiah is talking about. Galatians:5:22-23 reminds us that there is fruit in our own lives which needs to grow.
The fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, temperance, meekness.
It is so that our joy may be full: could this be the joy we will experience in heaven when someone approaches us and says:
I’m here because you gave me the gospel? You went out of your way, or you did this or you did that which brought me to salvation in Jesus/Yeshua. What you said and did opened my heart and my eyes; your example showed me the reality of Messiah living in you and that caused me to want what you had, it was a seed that was planted and later someone explained it further.
This is more likely what Messiah meant.
Returning to Marta:
Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked,
“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
In life indeed, we are so much preoccupied with a lot of activities that could sustain our lives and improve our living standards. We are so much concerned about what to eat, what to wear, what to buy what to own and the means to satisfy all these unlimited human wants.
Sitting at Jesus/Yeshua’s feet, signifies a readiness to receive His word, and our submission to the guidance and direction of that Word.
It was the hearing of the word,
the Gospel of Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach,
which Mary was occupied with; and which, ordinarily speaking, is necessary to knowing Jesus/Yeshua, and according to Rom. 10:14,17, salvation by Him, and to having faith in Him.
This is not the only needful thing;
nor does He say there is but one thing needful,
instead He says that there is one thing needful;
for there are other things that are also needful, and useful, such as meditation and prayer, and the Lord’s supper, and keeping all the Mitzvot/Commandments.
Here His meaning seems to be, that Mary
hearing the Word from His mouth,
and at His feet,
was the one necessary thing,
compared and in opposition to Martha’s many unnecessary things, about which she was cumbered:
and Mary hath chosen that good part; or the good part, or portion;
Messiah who was, and is, the sum and substance of the Word
the good part, or portion;
She heard, and eternal life and salvation by Him,
His Way, Truth and LIfe.
In the Septuagint the same word used as here Ps.73:26 and Lam.3:24 where God Himself is said to be the portion of His people, and this is the portion that lasts for ever; and so also Jesus/Yeshua is our heavenly inheritance, eternal glory and true happiness, it is the saints’ portion so called in Col 1:12 the part, or portion of the inheritance with the saints in light.
The word answers to the Hebrew word, ; as it is said by the Rabbis,
“all Israel have, , “a part“, or “portion” in the world to come.”
In this scripture about Mary, all the middle eastern versions add the words,
for herself.
This choice she made, was not from the natural power of her own freewill, but as directed, influenced, and assisted by the Spirit and grace of God, and in consequence of God’s eternal choice of her unto salvation by Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach.
The part she chose is, that
which shall not be taken away from her; This means it cannot be taken from her by men or any demonic means: faith which comes by hearing of the Word, and so with every other grace of the Spirit, is what can never be lost.
It is to be of great encouragement to us that as we continue steadfastly along the Way, our covenant with God, our belief in Yeshua/Jesus as our Savior, our readiness for eternal life through a repentant attitude of heart, cannot be taken away, nor can the believer ever be deprived of what was won at Calvary for us.
As we sit at His feet, we are to emulate the first half of
Psalms 46:10,
Be still and know that I am God!
It is a well known and often quoted verse used to encourage believers to be still and silent before the Lord.
While this interpretation promotes a healthy rest in His presence, it should also be understood as a command to wake up, and to stop striving, for we are to acknowledge our Heavenly Father
for who He is,
and allow Him to do what only He can do, in and through our lives.
As God was addressing Israel in this Psalm, most likely during a time of war, He was not just telling them to be still or rest He was commanding them to stop fighting and open their eyes to who He is.
It is translated as, cease striving, in some translations.
It’s easy to be fearful when things aren’t going well or when we are faced with challenges and conflict in our lives. In the midst of their struggle, however, God tells His people to wake up and recognize who’s on their side.
In that light, the tone of this verse can be read:
stop striving, stop fighting,
and stop trying to do things on your own.
Stop stressing about the battle ahead and trust me.
Wake up! I am the Lord.
I AM
I AM
your refuge and your strength.
You have nothing to fear or worry about when
I AM
with you.
I will fight your battles and deal with your enemies.
So get out of my way.
Step back,
open your eyes,
and acknowledge who
I AM
and what I can do.
Let me be God.
Don’t try and do My job for Me.
Be patient, be still, and let Me go to work.
In the midst of conflict and lifes turmoil, sometimes we just need to open our eyes, step back, stop what we’re doing, and acknowledge who God is and what He can do. Doing so provides comfort in the chaos; and peace in the midst of struggle.
This is where we need to be like Mary and tell the Martha in us to
SIT DOWN and BE STILL!
Yashab Marta!
מַרְתָּא לשבת
We all have opportunities daily to be anxious and worried especially these days, we can feel overburdened, overwhelmed by situations and circumstances that cause stress and try to rob us of our faith and in so doing, steal our joy and in that, weaken us by wearing away at our strength.
Neh. 8:10
the enemy who is also …
He desires that our joy may be full that our strength may be full…
that is the enemy’s goal:
to wear out the saints. Daniel 7:25
From minor irritations, to full blown crises…things will constantly pull on our emotions, our flesh life, and try to steal our shalom, that peace that passes all understanding!
Sometimes, it’s hard to grab hold of the reality that all we see is temporary and will pass away.
Especially when there’s a situation that requires not only our full undivided attention but has to be fixed and solved immediately.
Yes we are to be doers of the Word, of course, however, there is also a time to come ye apart and rest awhile.
“And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” – Mark 6:31
Ecc. 3:1-11 tells us there’s a time for all things –
the wisdom is discerning the when and how of a matter.
Putting His Word 1st place..
sitting at the feet of Jesus/Yeshua.
Listening, learning, becoming His disciple
is not only paramount, it is critical to being His child, and becoming all that He has called us to be.
Let us not be so busy that we too get a stern rebuke like Martha! because she was not only anxious and overburdened but maybe seemingly a little resentful?
Choosing the better part so it would not be taken away from us is exactly what we need to do…
and this is how we are blessed..we saw last post, Luke 11:28blessed are they who hear and observe to do the word of God.
The Greek word Fulasso means:
to guard, protect, and take care not violate.
A similar instruction was given in Gan Eden!
It is indicative of how we should treat His Word and Jesus/Yeshua is the Word made flesh, so we must listen to His words and keep His commands that’s how we show that we love Him.
Verse 42 ONE is a necessity – meaning:
one thing that has NO option.
Choice.
Although we have a choice its not really a choice at all.
Just as choose this day and choose life –
we have free will and must make that choice and He tells us which good part will not be taken from us.
Deuteronomy 30:9
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
SIT DOWN –
take the time to sit at His feet..
if we don’t have time
…then we are too busy.
And we are actually choosing to be overburdened with the cares of this life. (Mark 4)
BE STILL and know that I AM
Be still my soul
Be calm
Be at peace
Let His Shalom rule and reign in our hearts.
These storms that are raging, those waves that are washing over us – looking like we are about to be swamped and drown like the disciples felt in the boat… are not too big for Him to calm.
When Yeshua/Jesus speaks to calm the storm, in4:39 Mark indicates that In response to the cry of his disciples, He addresses more than a meteorological force but a being/a spiritual entity behind it.
From phimos (a muzzle)
Definition: to muzzle, to put to silence.
Strongs #5392 phimoó: to muzzle, to put to silence
Original Word: φιμόω Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: phimoó Phonetic Spelling: (fee-mo’-o) Definition: to muzzle, to put to silence Usage: I muzzle, silence.
When He commands the sea,
Peace, be still!
the Greek phrase means:
be muzzled or gagged,
as though the storm were a maniac that had to be bound and restrained!?
We read that instantly:
“the wind died down and it was completely calm.”!!
Be muzzled!
He said
Be still!
We must invite Messiah into the midst of our storm,
into our boat, and see Him muzzle the root of that tempest and He may have us speak to it in His Name.
…in the scripture it is recorded that instantly they were at the other side, arriving supernaturally at their destination.
Safe on the shore of the lake.
He will take us to the other side of the storm
if
we will simply sit at His feet –
if
we will just invite Him into the situation –
It is all conditional according to His Word!
Be not faithless but believing…
All things are possible to those who believe..
why ?
because we are blessed.
Blessed is the one who has not seen yet believes…
that IS faith!
Be still and know that He is God..
and having filled up with His word,
be led forth with His peace.
Decide today – right now that..
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family and cheverim/friends!
Don’t leave this page…until you
Are sitting down
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the posts. If they have been a blessing and if you haven’t already, please sign up for free email notification, like, share and subscribe, it all helps to freely spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and reaches others with His Truths.
Meanwhile let’s remember to stay alert and ready, be in prayer and in His Word for in an hour we think not He is coming… and…
it’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen
Again we need to remember that the New Testament, as we know it, has been translated from Hebrew/Aramaic/Latin/Greek and finally into the English language; and not discounting all the additional translations into every known language of the nations.
For the purpose of this post, we are looking at the most ancient meanings, not what we think or perceive it to mean.
In the New Testament, there are two primary Greek words translated as blessing and they shed some light on the Scriptural meaning.
The first is Makarios,which carries the same meaning as the Hebrew word esher.
The other is Eulogeo,which is used:
to give a good report or
say a good word;
it is more similar to the meaning ofbarak.
We bless God for all the blessings He gives us in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), and we are to bless those who mistreat us, because we were called to receive a blessing from God (1 Peter 3:9).
In the Greek translation where the word is
Makarios
Strong’s Greek: 3107:
μακάριος (makarios) — blessed, happy
According to the Key-Word Study Bible:
The Greek word translated blessed in these passages is makarioi
which means: to be fully satisfied.
It refers to those receiving God’s favor, regardless of the circumstances.
makarios: blessed, happy
3107 Strongs – Greek
Original Word: μακάριος, α, ον Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: makarios Phonetic Spelling:(mak-ar’-ee-os) Definition:blessed, happy Usage: happy, blessed, to be envied.
describes a believer in: enviable fortunate position from receiving God’s provisions (favor) – which (literally) extend (make long, large) His grace (benefits).
This happens with receiving (obeying) the Lord’s directions and commandments in birthings of faith.
This word has been used, mostly taken from the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.
In ancient Greek times, makarios referred to the gods. The blessed ones were the gods.
Makarios carries the meaning of happiness that we just looked at.
The Beatitudes of Matthew 5 and Luke 6 describe: the happy state of those who find their purpose and fulfillment in God.
In the Psalms, the best life is available for those who love and fear God and order their lives according to His Word.
Romans 4:6-8 ties this happy blessing to those whose sins are forgiven, for they know the relationship to God has been restored.
Strictly speaking, there is no Greek meaning of the word blessed.
The word blessed comes from a German word ‘bletsian’ meaning ‘blood’! –
the reference being back to Old Testament sacrifices….
The English-speaking church chose to use the word bless as a translation for the Greek eulogeitos; this Greek word actually gives us the English word ‘eulogy‘. ‘eu‘ means ‘good‘ and ‘logy‘ means word – hence the meaning of eulogy is literally ‘a good word‘.
This Greek word eulogeitos was chosen by the New Testament writers as the nearest equivalent word they had for the contextual meaning for the Old Testament Hebrew word barak, which as already mentioned in Part 1/last post; literally means to kneel.
eujlogevw – Eulogeo – (yoo-log-eh’-o);
Word Origin: Greek, Verb, Strongs #: 2127
to praise,
celebrate with praises
to invoke blessings
to consecrate a thing with solemn prayers
to ask God’s blessing on a thing
pray God to bless it to one’s use
pronounce a consecratory blessing on
of God to cause to prosper,
to make happy,
to bestow blessings on,
favored of God, blessed.
KJV Word Usage and Count bless 43x
praise
makavrioß
Makarios – (mak-ar’-ee-os);
Adjective, Strong #: 3107
blessed, happy
KJV Word Usage and Count:
blessed 44x – happy 5 happier
makavrioß – Makarios – (mak-ar’-ee-os);
Adjective, Strongs #: 3107
Eulogeo focuses more on good words or the good report that others give of someone and also describes the blessing that we say over our food.
(Matthew 26:26).
This word is where we get our English word eulogy, in which we speak well of one who has passed away.
Having looked it up in Strongs and Lexicon this is what they all said:
ευλογημένος – Evlogimenos means blessed. Makarios does too.
The correct translation is ευλογημένος (evlogimenos).
Makarios is sometimes used but it means more that that…as in
happy, having a peaceful soul
rather than simply blessed.
In the Vulgate, each of these blessings begins with the word beati, which translates to happy, rich, or blessed (plural adjective).
The corresponding word in the original Greek is μακάριοι (makarioi), with the same meanings.
Thus Blessed are the poor in spirit
appears in Latin as:
beati pauperes spiritu.
The word blessed that was used by Jesus/Yeshua in the Sermon on the Mount also called, the Beatitudes, with which we are probably most familiar.
Here the word is derived from the Greek word makarios which translates into happy or blissful. There are around 5 Hebrew and 2 Greek words that are interpreted as happy in the Bible.
The word happy in the English language is often thought of as Fortunate or lucky, cheerful, contented, characterized by or indicative of pleasure. (Random House College Dictionary).
The way happy is portrayed in the Bible is much more meaningful.
As an example, the Bible doesn’t just present happiness to be an event or occurrence that results from luck or a brief feeling of elation. (There is no such thing as luck, coincidence or chance, in Hebrew thought, as everything is planned by God’s providence.)
The Bible states that happiness can be there, despite experiencing a correction from God or enduring hardships while on the path to virtue. (Job 5:17; I Pet. 3:14, 4:14)
We should think more in terms of JOY as in the Joy of the Lord.
The joy of the Lord is your strength
(Nehemiah 8:10)
The first Lord means my lord of men or of God; a title spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence. LORD, in all caps later in the verse, refers to the root of our joy, which strengthens us. It is the Hebrew word Yehovah (YHWH).
This Joy, is a spiritual force because, God’s Strength and Joy are in Heaven.
David writes,
Strength and joy are in his place (1Chr. 16:27)
When David said that, he was probably thinking about the tabernacle – due to the fact that the ark of the covenant had been stolen, and David brought it back to Jerusalem.
The joy of the Lord is our strength, and is brought to fullness when we accept His provision of righteousness by grace that reunites us so we can enjoy His presence.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Rom. 14:17).
One Hebrew phrase is: to be at rest, safe.
(Matt 11:28-30). 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
If we read carefully Jesus/Yeshua was
only talking with His disciples,
NOT
the multitudes or the huge crowds following Him.
We may not have realized that He was quoting the Bible/Old Testament scriptures (Tenach/Torah/Prophets etc.) These verses read like a spiritual checklist…. References added..
See verse 1: His DISCIPLES came to Him
2. and He opened his mouth and taught THEM saying
BLESSED
are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
(Here poor in spirit is a Hebrew idiom for Repentant) Is.61:1
BLESSED
are they that mourn for they shall be comforted
(mourn can be interpreted as prayer/intercession)
Is.61:2,3
BLESSED
are the meek for they shall inherit the earth
(meek, also translated humble. Heb:ANAV.) Ps.37:11; when used collectively, it refers to a faithful minority/ a group remaining godly through all their trials, not giving in to the temptations of the world. 1Kings19:18 remnant referred to by God.
Around 24 verses refer to the remnant but are not so obvious because the Hebrew word ANAV has been translated into different words such as POOR/MEEK & LOWLY as well as HUMBLE. e.g.’s. Is 29:19, 61:1; Zeph. 2:3; Ps. 25:9, 37:11, 76:10; Prov. 3:34.
Humble and Meek used to mean the same but todays modern understanding of humble denotes a lack of pride but not a lack of confidence; while meek means low self esteem and lacking confidence.
BLESSED
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness
Righteousness is ACTION it’s DOING!
Hosea 10:12; Matt.6:33; John 6:53.
Being not just a hearer but a doer – the perfect will of God – This is hungering to DO His perfect will. We are made righteous by faith and grace but as righteousness is action, we don’t just sit by and wait for our redemption, we work out our salvation by following Jesus/Yeshua and doingwhat He did and what He told us todo.
Hebrew root is Ts D K – Tsadik; and the Gk. verb is Dikaio: both mean to do right, to be just. They are verbs that require actionby the subject of the verb. When we are made righteous by our faith, our behavior and lifestyle has to change. If it doesn’t 1John 2:3 applies. Righteousness and holiness are the foundation of relationships for all of humanity. Each of us has a relationship with God, with other people, even with animals who have souls. We areto do right,to be just in every endeavor, and we are to keep ourselves pure; this is our minimum standard! To go beyond that is Ts dakah – Hebrew translates as acts of loving kindness and doing unto others as we would have them do unto us – often called the golden rule.
No one can be perfect while in this earthly body but we can daily work towards being more like Jesus/Yeshua wants us to be. God knows our hearts and sees our faith and the Blood of the Lamb.
BLESSED
are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.
Also meaning those who forgive – literally this says to be merciful – which is a Hebrew idiom meaning to be forgiving – 2Sam.22:26; Matt.6:12-15; Mark 11:25.Also to be forgiving of self and walking in repentance – having all sins forgiven.
Those who are forgiving will be forgiven – this action is repeated in the ‘Lords Prayer’.
BLESSED
are the pure in heart
for they shall see God.
2 Sam.22:27; Ps.24:3,4
BLESSED
are the peacemakers
for they shall be called the children of God
Ps.37:37; Is 32:17
BLESSED
are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are those who press on for the sake of righteousness – this means to walk in all the promises of God.
Prov. 21:21; Matt 11:12.
BLESSED
are you when men revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of things against you falsely for my sake
Rather than a fleeting happiness dependent on current circumstances, the blessedness that Yeshua/Jesus spoke of is: deep, abiding, unshakable joy –
rooted in the assurance of God’s blessing,
both in the present and in the future.
The book of Matthew was written in Hebrew, so we can refer to the places where Blessing – Blessed – Bless is recorded.
Matt. 5:3-11
In the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12,
is where Jesus/Yeshua lists
what itmeans to be blessed..
However this list is certainly not the first thing that comes to mind when we think of being blessed, or when we pray for others to be blessed.
Remember all those childhood prayers, God Bless Mother, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, etc., we had no idea what we were saying!
Because we were actually saying,
Let them be
poor in spirit,
mourning,
meek,
hungering and thirsting for righteousness,
merciful,
pure,
peacemakers,
and persecuted! etc …
So how could such things lead to happiness?
It seems like they lead more to the opposite of happiness??
However, the Beatitudes tell us one thing clearly… and that is, we can never be happy when we live self-centered lives. We may be fooled into thinking we’re happy for a while, but eventually it will fold in on us because true happiness can be found only in a relationship with our Creator.
Only the One who made us, knows what will truly make us happy and give us satisfaction in life.
We have to get to the end of ourselves and to the beginning of God, if we are to gain any lasting contentment in life, and that can happen only through divine revelation and transformation through God’s Word and His Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
This is the
pearl of great value
(Matthew 13:46),
worth selling everything to gain it,
and ultimately, it’s the secret to true satisfaction.
What was Yeshua/Jesus’ purpose in saying such things?
Did He want to make sure we were miserable while here on Earth so we would long for heaven, or was it because He knew what would really make us happy?
This of course is in spiritual terms and not just for here and now but for our eternal home.
While trials are not blessings in themselves, they are channels for them and what if the trials of this life, the rain, the storms, the hardest times the loneliest nights, are our mercies in disguise? What if our blessings come through rain drops?
There shall be showers of blessing, this is the promise of love sent from the Savior above and this idea of blessing is also firmly established in Scripture.
One translation of the New Testament (ESV) has 112 references with the words bless, blessing, or blessed, none of which connects blessing to material prosperity.
Sometimes saying we’re blessed can be a subtle way of boasting while trying to sound humble. We sometimes attribute it to such circumstances as e.g:
College scholarship? Blessed.
Unexpected raise? Blessed.
Wonderful family? Blessed.
As Christians/Believers in Jesus/Yeshua, we use that term too, of course. We pray God will bless our family. We attribute our undeserved gifts to God’s blessings. We talk about ministries being blessed, etc., etc.
For believers, is the blessed life synonymous with the successful life? Is it really the Christian version of the good life? A loving marriage, obedient children, a vibrant ministry, a healthy body, a successful career, trusted friends, financial abundance — if these are the characteristics of a blessed life, then having all of them should translate into an extraordinarily blessed life.
But does it? If someone had all those things, would they be extraordinarily blessed? Maybe by the worlds standards.
Rather than turning to God, they might feel self-sufficient and proud, perhaps a bit smug and self-righteous. After all, their hard work would be yielding good fruit.
Moreover, they wouldn’t need to cry out to God for deliverance; everything would already be perfect. They wouldn’t need to trust God; they could trust in themselves. They wouldn’t need God to fill them; they would already be satisfied?
What is blessing, then?
Scripture shows that blessing is:
anything God gives that makes us fully satisfied in Him.
Blessing is:
anything that draws us closer to Jesus/Yeshua.
Blessing is:
anything that helps us relinquish the temporal and hold on more tightly to the eternal; and often it is the struggles and trials, the aching disappointments and the unfulfilled longings that best enable us to do that.
Pain and loss transform us.
While they sometimes unravel us, they can also push us to a deeper life with God than we ever thought possible and they make us rest in Him alone.
It is Not what we can do or achieve for Him, nor is it what He can do or achieve for us.
During times of pain and loss, we long for His Presence; they are the important and often critical times when we long to know that God is for us, and with us, and in us. Good health, great families, financial wealth, are all wonderful gifts we can thank God for, however, they are not His greatest blessings.
Why?
because they may make us delight in His gifts
but not
in Him for Himself.
God’s greatest blessing always rests in God Himself.
When we have that, we are truly blessed.
He, Himself, IS the blessing.
As noted earlier there are other Hebrew words for blessing are:ashrei/asre and esher, which is also translated ashappiness.
Here we see the Hebrew word translated as ASHREY
ASHREY is a Sanskrit word which means:
a shelter.
In Hebrew it’s a prayer which translates into ~
Happy are they who dwell in Your house, they will praise You always..
and so we make a shelter out of love for everyone who believes in consciously living the WAY Father intended us to.
Some commentators note that ashrei/ashrey is a pun on ashur, meaning to strive forward… Ha’ish (the man) represents the ideal man of God who is not ensnared by the ways of the wickedness that surrounds him. The WAY forward is the Torah-perspective.
Happy is the people for whom it is so, happy is the people for whom Adonai is their God תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד
Strong’s Hebrew: 835.
אַשְׁרֵי (esher) —
happiness, blessedness.
Original Word: אֶשֶׁר.
Transliteration: esher.
Ashrei (Hebrew : אַשְׁרֵי)
is a prayer that is recited at least three times daily in Jewish prayers, twice during Shacharit (morning service) and once during Mincha (afternoon service).
Ashrei yoshvei veitekha, ode yehalelukha selah.
Happy are those who dwell in Your house, may they always praise You, selah!
It is composed of different passages from the Book of Psalms, primarily psalm 145.
The prayer, praises God for being both mighty and a protector who takes care of the righteous.
Strong’s Hebrew: 833.
אָשַׁר (ashar) —
to go straight, go on.
Ashar meaning: to go straight on, advance. to lead on (causative) to set right, righten, to pronounce happy, call blessed. (Pual) to be advanced, be led on. to be made happy, be blessed.
In the paleo pictographs the letters can also mean:
fire on the head or the chief fire:
Alef – shin = fire
Alef – an ox, strength, leader, first.
Shin/sheen – a tooth, to consume, to destroy.
Resh/Reysh – the head person, the highest.
alef sheen resh
alef shin = fire ish
Reysh = head highest chief
This may seem confusing however in light of
Proverbs 25:21-22 (NKJV)
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the Lord will reward you.
Romans 12:20-21 (NKJV)
Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
To us, this doesn’t sound like forgiveness, but like taking vengeance and we have interpreted it as heaping fires of justice or judgment or condemnation or vengeance on the heads of our enemies.
This is primarily because our generations are so far removed from the lives and the lifestyle of those generations these words were speaking to. In the Bible lands almost everything is carried on the head—water jugs, baskets of fruit, vegetables, fish or any other article. Those carrying the burden rarely touch it with the hands, and they walk through crowded streets and lanes with perfect ease.
In many homes the only fire they have is kept in a brazier which they use for simple cooking as well as for warmth.
They plan to always keep it burning. If it should go out, some member of the family will take the brazier to a neighbor’s house to borrow fire. Then she will lift that brazier to her head and start for home. If her neighbor is a generous woman, she will heap the brazier full of coals.
To feed an enemy and give him drink was like heaping the empty brazier with live coals, — which meant food, warmth, and almost life itself to the person or home needing it and was a symbol of finest generosity.
Giving a person coals in a pan to carry home on his head was a neighborly, kind act; it made friends, not enemies. Proverbs 25:22 instructs us to give our enemy so many burning coals they have to carry them the way burdens are carried in the Middle East: in a container on the head.
If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Aramaic Bible in Plain English “And if your enemy hungers, feed him, and if he thirsts, give him a drink, and if you do these things to him you will heap coals of fire on his skull.”
So the act of heaping coals of fire to an enemy was to show a love that is usually reserved to those who are our neighbors or kindred. It is a way to show a kindness reserved for those you love and trust, even when not deserving of it.
Blessed, happy, content, full of His joy.
Here are some of those who are blessed:
Matt 5 & 6, 13:16, 20:29, 24:46
Matt. 11:6 Blessed is whoever would not be caused to fall away because of Me.
Luke 11:28, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” 14:14, 42:43 Gk. Fulasso: means to guard, protect and to take care not to violate!
Luke 12:37, 38, 43 Blessed are those servants the Lord finds ALERT!
John 13:17
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven Rom.4:7
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial Jam.1:12
1Pet 4:14
Rev. 14:13, 16:15,19;9, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. . . . Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb also 20:6, 22:6-7, 22:14
Blessed are…
Those who watch!
There is no hint of material prosperity or perfect circumstances in any New Testament reference.
On the contrary, blessing is typically connected with either those who are dead, in poverty and trial or the spiritual benefits of being joined by faith to Jesus/Yeshua.
Ephesians 1:3 blesses God for all the blessings that He gives us in Christ, and 1 Peter 3:9 instructs us to bless those who mistreat us, because we were called to receive a blessing from God.
Bringing these threads together, we see that:
a blessing is a statement of good will and happiness that is said about another, as well as the condition that fulfills those good words.
God’s original design in creation was for His creatures, including mankind, to experience spiritual prosperity, peace, and fulfillment, but that design was destroyed when sin entered the world.
Statements of blessing are a wish for God to restore His favor on others or a declaration of His inherent goodness.
The ultimate blessing that God has given is the new life and forgiveness that comes through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach.
The material blessings we enjoy from day to day are temporary, but the spiritual blessings available to us in Messiah transcend both here in time and eternity, as well as both material and immaterial things.
As the Psalmist said, “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God” (Psalm 146:5).
A final thought
Those who receive a
blesSING – SING
of them in praise to the Lord who gave them!
We are blessed, We are blessed, every day of our lives we are blessed. When we wake up in the morning, when we lay our heads to rest; we are blessed, we are blessed!
Let us rejoice and be glad and declare…
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… (Ephesians 1:3)
No matter what we do or don’t receive in this temporal form, we have been given every blessing through the complete work of Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach – His righteousness, resources and privilege.
In ourselves we are too small to bless the Lord!
However, we can think of how great He is;
and how wonderful the God of the universe is;
and tell Him while
humbling ourselves in a kneeling position of surrender!!
Baruk atta adonai eloheinu melehck haolam..
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe!
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family and cheverim/friends!
Don’t leave this page…until you are BLESSED!
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily and
that coals of fire are heaped on your heads!!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the posts. If they have been a blessing and if you haven’t already, please sign up for free email notification, like, share and subscribe, it all helps to freely spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and reaches others with His Truths.
Meanwhile let’s remember to stay alert and ready, be in prayer and in His Word for in an hour we think not He is coming… and…
it’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen
God’s meaning of Blessing compared to our concept.
Baruch Haba B’Shem Adonai
ברוך הבא בשם יהוה
Barukh atah Adonai
bah-ROOKH at-TAH ah-doh-NIGH
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה
Words that begin Hebrew blessings, are commonly rendered in English as:
Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe.
This phrase is sometimes called the
Shem umalkhut;
it includes the name and the sovereignty, affirming that God is King over the entire universe.
Messianic blessings are recited in Hebrew with the intent of remaining true to the Jewish identity of Yeshua as the Mashiach/Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world.
God Bless You, Bless You and Blessings to you; are probably some of the most familiar sayings yet, what are we really saying?
The scripture says:
Blessings like showers in
Jeremiah 3:3 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing.
This word shower in the Hebrew isgeshem, which means: to rain violently, pour down in heavy shower, according to Strong’s Concordance.
There are two main Ancient Hebrew words for rain used in the Hebrew Bible:
גשם geshem and מטר matar;
they are used for different types of rain.
Geshem: rain, shower, גשם, in the Bible is usually associated with a heavy rain.
Strongs#1653. גֶּ֫שֶׁם (geshem)
— rain, shower.
geshem -gheh’-shem; a shower: rain, shower
geshem, used of gentle rain in Job 37:6:
shower of rain, KJV small rain; and
used of the flood in Genesis 7:12.
Figuratively of blessing: showers of blessing (Ezekiel 34:26 );
Figuratively of destruction:
There shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it. (Ezekiel 13:13).
Ezekiel 34:25-26 (NIV)says, “I will make a covenant of peace with them and…I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.”
This word shower in the Hebrew is geshem.
Transliteration: geshem
Phonetic Spelling: (gheh’-shem):
which means to:
rain violently, pour down in a heavy shower,
as showers from heaven cause the earth to become fruitful and produce abundantly.
Deuteronomy 32:2. Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
The best place to live is with the blessing of the Lord, and the Lord has already poured out the shower of blessing in Messiah. Eph. 1:3!
Deuteronomy 28:2 (AMP) says, “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.”
We know what we mean, when we speak it out to an individual, or over a nation or even when we say, Bless God, or, We Bless You Lord.
It’s probably one of the more common words in the scriptures in the English translations
but what does it really mean?
A blessing, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, is:
the act or words of one that blesses, or
a thing conducive to happiness or welfare.
What was the original meaning according to the scriptures?
In the Bible, there are several words that are usually translated as blessing or bless. The Hebrew word most often translated bless is barak, which can mean to praise, congratulate, or salute, and is even used to mean a curse.
Genesis 1:22 is the first occurrence, when God blessed the sea creatures and birds, telling them to be fruitful and multiply in the earth.
Likewise, in verse 28, God gave the similar blessing to Adam and Eve, adding that they were to exercise dominion over creation.
The Hebrew Word for blessed in the paleo Hebrew script:
The word is translated as bless krb.
בָרַךְ
and blessed looks like this:
Strongs #1288 to kneel, bless
When this Hebrew script is directly translated into English, we get the spelling of Barak.
Barak (pronounced Baw-rahk) is the Hebrew pronunciation for the verb bless and the past tense word blessed.
When written in this form it means to show respect (usually translated as bless) as seen in Genesis 12:2.
A related Hebrew word is berakhah meaning a gift or present. This shows that behind the paleo form of the verb barak there is a concrete meaning.
That is: to bring a gift to another while kneeling out of respect.
(Think Magi as they found Jesus/Yeshua after following His star!)
Barak ברך Bet/beyt/beit – resh/reysh – Kaf
It could also be interpreted as the son of tenderness –
to treat as a mature son, with tenderness.
ר ב – ב Bet/beyt/beit – ר resh/reysh – son
רך – ך Kaf – ר reysh /resh – Bless/Tenderness
So what are we saying when we say, God bless you?
Strangely ..it would seem we are saying, God kneel to you!
It’s interesting that the saying, take a knee has become more popular! Is that taking a blessing? Well.. it depends on who or what you are kneeling to!
When the scripture speaks of blessings and curses, in the literal translation it’s saying:
God will bless/kneel to those who are obedient and will give His lightnings to those who are not!
The Lord responds in mighty power, riding upon the Cherubim as He comes to help David.
In Psalm 18:14 David declares The Lord sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, lightnings in abundance.
In Psalm 144 David again speaks of warring against his enemies and states in verse 6 that he is liberated when the Lord’s lightnings come. We do know that lightnings and thunderings proceed from the throne of God.
Also in Exodus 19:16 when the Torah was first given to Israel during Shavuot/Pentecost:
On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud shofar blast (קל שׁפָר חָזָק מְאד),
We should not take lightly the curses for disobedience!
Looking at the ancient Hebrew pictographs that make up the word bless, more specifically to bless.
The word bless in Hebrew is barak, and is comprised of the Hebrew letters
Bet– Kaf – Reysh
Barak ברך
Bet – reysh son
kaf – reysh tenderness
bet – a house household BET (the equivalent of our letter “B”, and represented in the ancient Hebrew pictographs as a house or tent, meaning house, as in lineage – e.g. the house of David).
kaf – open hand a palm to open allow cover KAPH (K) (pictured as the palm of a hand, meaning to bow or bless).
reysh – the head person the highest. RESH (R)(pictured as the head of a man, and meaning the first or highest person).
House – head of person – palm of hand
could be understood as:
the house inheritance is being given to the person whose head I place the palm of my hand on.
Genesis 48:13, 14 – 22
From earlier posts remember that the Hebrew/Aramaic word for son is bar (BET RESH).
Therefore the ancient Hebrew pictographs show that to bless is for the SON (Jesus/Yeshua) to extend the PALM OF THE HAND to, or to lay his hand on, you.
TO BLESS you!
Above shows the paleo word with a Vav added to the spelling, and its possible meaning.
Dabar means WORD:Messiah was and is the WORD made flesh.
Qodeshmeans Holy/Set apart.
Gen. 1:28: God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.
The Hebrew word translated blessed is v’ibarak, which is more appropriately translated
He will bless or He is blessing,
suggests an ongoing and future blessing, rather than a past blessing.
To form v’ibarak, two letters are added to the word barak shown below,
the letter VAV (similar to our letters V or W)(pictured as a tent peg or nail, and meaning a nail or hook),
and YOD (Y)(pictured as the arm from the fist to the elbow, meaning my hand or my works)….
therefore, v’ibarak, or
God’s first blessing to humanity
is prophetic of
God’s ultimate blessing to humanity:
the NAIL in the HAND of the SON is God’s BLESSING.
Most Hebrew roots consist of three letters and can be written as a noun or a verb, but both are related in meaning.
A good example is the root ברך which can be used as a noun, ברךberek[H:1290], meaning knee
Both the noun and verb form can be seen in the following passage.
and kneeled (barak) down upon his knees (berek) before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven 2 Chronicles 6:13 (KJV)
Additional nouns are developed out of the root by adding specific letters to the root, the most common being the addition of the letter ה to the end of the root, such as in the word:
ברכה berakah [H:1293]
(The כ and ך are both the same letter kaph.
The form ך is used when it comes at the end of a word.).
This word is a gift or present and is related to the root through the idea of: bending down to the knee and presenting a gift to another.
Each verb also has the ability to slightly change in meaning by changing the form of the verb.
The parts of speech can be confusing so, simply explained is that what is termed the Piel form is a stem formation in Biblical Hebrew from the verb, usually indicated by a speech mark called a daghesh.
The Piel stem is the most flexible in its use of all the various stem formations; it can express simple action, intensive action, resulting action, causative action, or other kinds of action (all in active voice) depending on the context and the specific verb.
This is why the piel form of the verb ברך barak [H:1288] literally means to bend the knee to present a gift.
These definitions are the original concrete meanings of these words, but we will recognize them more easily by the abstract words the translators usually use to translate them.
And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing (berakah), my father? bless (barak) me, even me also… Genesis 27:38 (KJV)
A more literal translation of this verse would read as;
And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one gift (berakah), my father? Kneel down and present me a gift (barak), even me also…
The Hebrew language is filled with abstract thought, but the difference between Hebrew and Greek abstracts is that Hebrew abstracts are related to something concrete, while Greek abstracts are not.
A blessing from Greek thought is a pure abstract one, with no foundation in the concrete, but from a Hebraic perspective a blessing is any action or object that is presented out of respect to another.
Just as artwork may be created in the concrete or the abstract, words can also be created in the concrete or the abstract. A concrete word, idea or concept is something that can be perceived by the five senses. It can be seen, heard, smelled, tasted or touched. An abstract is something that cannot be perceived by the five senses.
As the Bible was written from an Eastern philosophical perspective, it is important that we recognize that we cannot interpret it through our own Western philosophy. To do so, would place a meaning and interpretation that may not be that of the original authors.
The Aaronic Blessing given by the Priests is another familiar berakah:
Other Hebrew words for blessing are: ashrei/asre and esher, which are also translated ashappiness.
It is said that David opened and closed his favorite Psalms with the word ashrei/asre.
This word has been translated as the praises, praiseworthy, or as happy, blessed, and fortunate. It can also mean enriched.
Psalm 1 begins with ashrei – ha’ish and
Psalm 2 ends with ashrei kol choso vo.
Job 5:17 declares “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.”
This blessing is connected to the knowledge that God is at work to direct us in the right path.
God’s chastisement is actually a display of His love for us, like a parent who disciplines a child about to do something that would be dangerous.
Psalm 1:1-3 carries that theme further when it states,
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
The book of Psalms is full of references to this kind of happy blessing for those who love and fear the Lord God.
so it is not too long!…
Blessings will be concluded next post in PART 2.
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the posts. If they have been a blessing and if you haven’t already, please sign up for free email notification, like, share and subscribe, it all helps to freely spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and reaches others with His Truths.
Meanwhile let’s remember to stay alert and ready, be in prayer and in His Word for in an hour we think not He is coming… and…
it’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
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