Job 1:9-10: “Then Satan answered the Lord and said: Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast thou made a hedge about him, and about his house and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blest the work of his hands and his substance is increased in the land.”
Another reference to the hedge is found in the
Psalms 139:5-6
You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. KJV
You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me. NASB
You have enclosed me behind and before, And [You have]
Placed Your hand upon me. Amp.
These references profoundly illustrate our Heavenly Fathers deep love and care for us. The imagery evokes feelings of safety, security, and intimate connection with Him.
In the
Berean Standard Bible Version it reads: You hem me in behind and before;
You have laid Your hand upon me.
David write that his confidence is that God “hems him in.”
This idea comes from the Hebrew word tsuwr,
which is often used of
a military siege or fortification.
It has reference commonly to the siege of a city, or to the pressing on of troops in war; and then it comes to mean: to besiege, hem in, closely surround, so that there is no way of escape.
(Qal) to form, fashion, delineate. tsuwr, tsoor; a primitive root; to cramp, i.e. confine (in many applications, literally and figuratively, formative or hostile): — adversary, assault, beset, besiege
Another use of the word is noted in Strong’s Hebrew: 6697. צוּר (tsur) — Rock, Cliff, Boulder
From the story of Job we are told that there was a fence, a wall of protection all around him. This was not a physical hedge but one of far greater effectiveness. This hedge was in the spiritual realm because the Lord God had encompassed him about with His love as with a shield, a hedge which could not be broken down by men or demonic attacks. He surrounded him with His almighty power, that no one and nothing could hurt him; He guarded him by His providence and caused his angels to encamp about him; He Himself was a wall of fire around him; the Targum interprets it like this: so thick was the hedge, so strong the fence, that Satan could not find the least gap to get in …
Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him?
This verse suggests divine protection and favor. In ancient Near Eastern culture, ahedgesymbolizedsecurity and safeguarding from harm.The imagery of a hedge indicates our Heavenly Father’s complete protection over Job, in the same way as a shepherd protects his flock. This is mirrored inPsalm 91:4,where Adonai is described as a refuge and fortress. For believers, it emphasizes the belief in our Father’s sovereignty and His ability to shield those who are faithful and their household from evil.
We have a mental picture of what a hedge is probably something like the image below.
In the Hebrew verse in Job, the Hebrew form of the word used here for hedge is sakath, which seems unusual, however there are two possible root words which mean almost the same thing. One is sakak where we get the word Succoth and the other is savak; however if we follow this further in the translation in Hebrew, it’s the word sukah which comes from the same root as sukkah, the Moed/Appointed Time of the Feast of Sukkot/Booths/Tabernacles.
Translators use the root word sakakwhich is spelled Samek, Kaph, Kaph and means a covering of protection and is also a word used for weaving or intermingling. Our Heavenly Father had so intermingled and woven His protection around and into Job, that the enemy could not touch Him without touching Adonai Himself! This meant by threatening Job, it would be the same as threatening YHVH. The scripture in John 14:20 where Messiah says: On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.. is the exact same picture, providing we are keeping His commandments and walking along the narrow way. All promises are conditional and not optional, whether we like it or not the promises are always prefaced with IF…its our choice to comply obey or not.
In a previous post we looked at the moed/feast of Sukkot Tabernacles/booths and the sukkah itself. Link below:
Phonetic Spelling: (sook-kaw’) Definition: a barb, spear
This Hebrew word sukah has other usages. It means protection and covering, but a protection and covering by intermingling and weaving throughout. It is also a word used for intercourse. There is another possible root word, sakah, which comes from the root word savak. This means the same, as far as weaving and intermingling, but this means more like a weaving and intermingling of love.
The enemy knew that he couldn’t touch Job because our Heavenly Father had so intermingled Himself in Job with His love that He couldn’t separate that love from him. However the devil also knew that Job could choose to willingly detach himself from the Father. So one way the devil could try to disentangle this sakah from Job was to attack everything that was important on this earth, which was his family, possessions and reputation. He hoped that Job would willingly /detach from our Heavenly Father’s savak or love and reject His love; however the devil’s plan didn’t work because the love of the Father meant more to Job than anything else on this earth and he held fast to that love.
The only other way was to get Job to un-mingle Himself, by willingly removing the Succoth, and that way was to get him to sin, and to separate his focus away from Adonai so the Father would not be able to keep Himself mingled or woven into Job. By getting Job to focus on things other than his Heavenly Father, such as worldly and carnal problems Job would break the intimate fellowship with Him and this weaving and intermingling that Adonai had with Job would be totally unraveled.
From the text we read that the enemy tried and it didn’t work because Job kept offering sacrifices, kept doing teshuvah, turning back to the Father and continually committing everything back into His hands. Every time the enemy attacked him, Job kept hitting the mark, the devil couldn’t get Job to sin or miss the mark. Sin in Hebrew:חַטָּאָהchaṭṭâʼâh, khat-taw-aw’; or חַטָּאת chaṭṭâʼth; from H2398. Chatah which means: unintentional mistakes or sins. The Hebrew word most often translated as sin in our English Bibles is the word chata’ah (חֲטָאָה), which means “missing the mark,” as an archer might miss his target when shooting an arrow.
The verb שׂוּךְ (sukh) is used in the context of enclosing or shutting in, often implying protection or confinement.
The Hebrew verb שׂוּךְ (sukh) is a primitive root that conveys the idea of entwining or shutting in. This term is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe actions that involve enclosing or surrounding, often with the connotation of protection or confinement. The imagery associated with שׂוּךְ can be likened to the act of weaving or interlacing, creating a barrier or enclosure.
In the Berean Standard Bible, the usage of שׂוּךְ is seen in contexts where yhvh’s protective nature is highlighted, as well as in situations where individuals or groups are enclosed or restricted. The term emphasizes the dual nature of being shut in—both as a means of safeguarding and as a form of limitation.
The concept of being “shut in” by God can be seen as a metaphor for divine protection, where the faithful are surrounded by God’s care and kept safe from harm. On the other hand, it can also imply a form of divine judgment or discipline, where individuals are confined or restricted as a consequence of their actions.
The mention of Job’s household highlights the importance of family and community in ancient times. In the patriarchal society of the Old Testament, a man’s household included not only his immediate family but also servants and extended kin. This reflects the biblical principle that the Father’s blessings often extend beyond the individual to their family and community, as seen in Genesis 12:3 with His promise to Abraham and all that he owns?
The enemy will often attack us at the closest and most precious things to us in this physical, natural earthly realm; he tries to make us voluntarily detach ourselves from this hedge or sakah. We like Job, can also cling to the savak, the love of our Heavenly Father that has intermingled itself in us, because we are in Him and He is in us. That is where the enemy has an advantage over us, because in our natural minds we have a hard time fully comprehending the depth of our Heavenly Father’s love for us.
It is critical that we must make every effort to understand the depths of His love, so when the enemy tries to attack us at our weakest moments we can say “Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him.”
Job could say this because he really knew and understood the depths of that love. When we are walking in close relationship with our Heavenly Father, there is a hedge of protection around us, He places a protective hedge around His faithful servants, indicating His care and sovereignty over their lives. Satan’s challenge about Job’s faithfulness reminds us of the spiritual battles we as believers face, where our faith is tested. We are to remember that even when our Father allows trials, His ultimate control and purpose remain intact, encouraging trust in His plans. Job’s account encourages believers to maintain integrity and faithfulness regardless of their circumstances.
He seeks to protect all our lives. There is many a hedge that we have hardly ever noticed, and certainly have never valued correctly. Our Heavenly Father has given some of us a hedge in the example and guidance through godly parents and teachers; as well as wholesome companionships. Hedges can also be in the form of the discipline we have at home, in places of education, work and in all of life. Many farmers plant thorns in their hedges and field boundaries to help keep the flocks and herds from leaving the protected areas, and we must not be surprised if Adonai does the same in the hedges He places around us.
A hedge not only shelters, it often keeps us from wandering off in the wrong direction and into danger. Sometimes we don’t like hedges; we want to see what is on the other side and wander where we want to go. Our Father’s way of hedging us in, is not always by sending us blessings which we love to receive, but it is sometimes by sending us sorrow in the form of tests and trials. These things keep us in our place, guarding us from going astray. We have a part to play in maintaining a hedge without holes, where the enemy might gain access; however our loving Heavenly Father is always watching over us to nudge us back to where we should be.
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 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.
Exodus 19:5: Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my commandments, Then, you will be a peculiar treasure unto me above all the people, for all the earth is mine.”
The Hebrew word for treasure
is segullah
Strongs #5459 segullah:
Possession, treasure, special possession
Original Word:סְגֻלָּה Transliteration:cgullah Pronunciation:seh-goo-LAH Phonetic Spelling: seg-ool-law’ Definition:Possession, treasure, special possession Meaning: wealth derived from an unused root meaning to shut up, implying a special treasure or possession.
Greek #4047 (περιποίησις, peripoiesis): Refers to obtaining or preserving, often used in the New Testament to describe believers as God’s possession (e.g., 1 Peter 2:9).
As the term segullah is used in the Hebrew Bible to denote a treasured possession or a special, valued property; it often refers to the unique relationship between our Heavenly Father and His chosen people, Israel/Yisrael, highlighting their distinct place as His cherished possession among all nations.
In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a king’s segullah, would be his personal treasure, distinct from the wealth of the kingdom. This concept is applied in the Bible to describe Yisrael/Israel’s special status as His chosen people. The idea of being a segullah, emphasizes the covenant relationship between Yhvh and Israel, where Yisrael/Israel is set apart for a unique purpose and destiny.
Yhvh’s valued property, peculiar treasure, which ׳י has chosen (בחר) and taken to himself; always of people of Yisrael/Israel, first. Exodus 19:5 (E; ᵐ5 Greek: λαὸς περιούσιος = Titus 2:14;1 Peter 2:9 λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν = περιποίησις Ephesians 1:14 compare ׳עַם ס Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 26:18; later ׳ס alone, Malachi 3:17; Psalm 135:4.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance lists it as:
jewel, peculiar treasure, proper good, special
Feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to shut up; wealth (as closely shut up) — jewel, peculiar (treasure), proper good, special.
Englishman’s Concordance
sə·ḡul·lāh — 6 Occurrences
Exodus 19:5 HEB: וִהְיִ֨יתֶם לִ֤י סְגֻלָּה֙ מִכָּל־ הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים NAS: My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among KJV: my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: INT: my covenant become possession all the peoples
Malachi 3:17 HEB: אֲנִ֖י עֹשֶׂ֣ה סְגֻלָּ֑ה וְחָמַלְתִּ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם NAS: that I prepare [My] own possession, and I will spare KJV: when I make up my jewels; and I will spare INT: I prepare possession will spare and
Malachi 3:17 “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
Psalm 135:4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob as His own, Israel as His treasured possession.
Titus 2:14 He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
It is because we are a
peculiar treasure
to Him, that our Heavenly Father hears our prayers. It is always to the Jew first- Tribes of Israel and Judah, and then to the Greek/heathen/other gentile nations/ goyim; who are grafted into Yisrael/Israel by the grace of Yahweh through the sacrificial death of Messiah Yeshua haMaschiach.
Exodus 19:5: Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my commandments, Then, you will be a peculiar treasure unto me above all the people, for all the earth is mine.”
From this verse it is clear that all we have to do is obey His voice and keep His commandments and we become His peculiar treasure. The idea of becoming Yahweh’s treasure should bring us great joy and security, however that word peculiar does sound a little strange and out of the normal descriptions with what Adonai declares to be good.
Usually when we think of treasure, we think of an old pirate’s chest filled with gold coins and fabulous diamonds and precious stones.
Even though being a peculiar treasure sounds good, what does that mean in terms of relationship? A closer look at exactly what a peculiar treasure really is, will help us to understand why our Heavenly Father is so interested in our prayers.
The first thing we need to realize is that the word
peculiar is not in the Biblical text!
This is where studying to show ourselves approved unto the Lord gives us greater insight into some of the words used by the translators. In this instance it was added and became ‘a paraphrase’, by those choosing to translate the words of the scripture for the KJV. They say the Hebrew word
segullah/segal
means a peculiar treasure.
The more correct translation of the Hebrew word in that verse is a treasured possession, and most of the modern translations will render it as such.
That Hebrew word for peculiar treasure –
segullah/segal,
really has the idea of
being a possession.
It is used for something that is highly prized, so from this we can understand that we will be a special possession to our Heavenly Father.
The Hebrew letters (no vowels), for segal are:
samek – gimmel – lamed
The letter S or samek in the word indicates that: this possession is one that is carefully protected and sheltered.
The letter G or gimmel indicates that this is a prized, beloved possession, and
the final letter L or Lamed shows that this is: a possession that He keeps developing and improving or upgrading.
As His peculiar treasure, we are under His protection,
we are beloved and prized and
He keeps developing/maturing us and improving/upgrading us.
As we have studied in previous posts, every Hebrew letter has a numerical value and the numerical value for segal is 93.
Another Hebrew word with a value of 93 is the word for inheritance or heirloom. It has the letters:
Original Word: נַחֲלָה Transliteration: nachalah Pronunciation: nah-khah-LAH Phonetic Spelling: nakh-al-aw’ Definition: Inheritance, possession, heritage, property Meaning: something inherited, occupancy, an heirloom, an estate, patrimony, portion. From nachal (in its usual sense); properly, something inherited, i.e. (abstractly) occupancy, or (concretely) an heirloom; generally an estate, patrimony or portion — heritage, to inherit, inheritance, possession
It is not unusual for us to look at our reflection in the mirror and think that what we see doesn’t look like a very valuable treasure; and in truth we, in our physical bodies, are nothing but dust, formed from the soil, the dirt of the earth. Many individuals are not wealthy or rich in terms of the worlds standards; they are just part of the common everyday people, unknown, uneducated with no recognized accomplishments. However, if anyone obeys the voice of Adonai and His commandments, to Him they are a treasured possesion/heirloom.
To everyone else we may not be worth much of anything but we are a precious possession to Him. The truth is that we are so precious to our Heavenly Father, that He came in the form of His own Son Who died on Calvary’s cross and shed His Blood for what we sometimes perceive as being worthless.
When the enemy is at work with his constant negative whisperings and accusations, we feel we are worthless and of no interest or of value to anyone. That maybe so in the eyes of the world, but our Heavenly Father promises that if we obey His Word and seek His voice; we will be more valuable to Him than any individual who is rated a talented superstar by the worlds standards. If any of the worlds celebrities and elites do not listen and pay attention to Adonai, they will be considered as simply another one of the billions of people that He created and loves, but who don’t listen to or obey His voice. It is truly praise-worthy that those of us who are unknown, and in our own eyes are not worth anything, but we have paid attention to, and listened and obeyed the voice of God; those who have understood ‘shema’, will get His full attention and become His prized, precious possession.
When He was asked what the greatest commandment of the Lord was, Yeshua/Jesus quoted the ve’ahavta portion of the Shema. (שְׁמַע) This is found in Deut. 6:5.
The opening line, “Hear, O Israel,” does not simply mean to let sound waves enter your ears. Here, the word shema means:
to allow the words to sink in, provide understanding, and generate a response — it’s about action.
In Hebrew, hearing and doing are the same thing!
What does it mean to listen/harken or obey the voice of Yahweh? The Hebrew word for voice is qol and means:
to express a thought either out loud or
in some manner to another person.
It seems that not many people hear a kol/voice or hear yahweh’s thoughts out loud these days?
On Mt. Sinai
He did speak out loud
Another instance was at Yeshua’s/Jesus immersion in Matthew 17:5, but in reality, how many of us actually hear the audible voice of Adonai? Since the outpouring of the Fathers Holy Spirit recorded in Acts we have His Spirit abiding within us, this is how we hear His voice. And He has given us His Word, the written Scriptures which also express His thoughts and remembering that Messiah is the Word made flesh. From all that the scriptures reveal to us we are shown that as well as His indwelling Spirit, we must also read His Word, which is to hear His very thoughts; we must read and study His Word to know His thoughts, and by doing that we will know what instructions we are to obey. The full meaning of shema.
For most parents there is nothing they wouldn’t do for their child. They will make sacrifices for their children and if those children listen/harken to their parents voices and godly instructions, they will learn to follow the right path; the narrow Way which leads to a full and successful godly life in Christ/Messiah. Many a mother goes without food herself to make sure her child, her segal, her peculiar treasure, has enough to eat.
Although not all parents provide what our Heavenly Father intended them to be and do and for many reasons; earthly parents are supposed to be His natural illustration of His love for us. When they do not reflect what our Heavenly Father intended it is sometimes hard for us to believe in and trust in the Lord Who we can’t see.
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29.
By faith we should try to believe the fact that He would not hesitate to sacrifice anything for us, even to giving His own Son shows how much of a treasure we are to Him.
Our Heavenly Father listens to our prayers because we are His children, His segal, His peculiar treasure.
In our modern vernacular we say peculiar when we think someone or something is weird, strange and abnormal.
Then we apply this meaning to the verses in scripture when in fact the word peculiar is not there.
This may help us when we read that word in a verse, where it says peculiar… we should remember to read it as:
special treasure, His prized, precious possession…
which we most certainly are!
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 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.
Is Israels prophetic future contained in a single word?
Hosea 1:11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great [shall be] the day of Jezreel.
Jezreel is a compound word and as noted meaning: zara’ – seed, el – God, seed of God; this is a prophecy of the future of Israel/Yisrael, when they will all be united after being scattered throughout the world. In 70 AD this scattering happened when Jerusalem fell to the Romans and it occurred about 800 years after this prophecy was given. Today we are over 2,000 years forward and counting, looking for the future reuniting of Israel, as the scripture clearly points toward.
There are some who consider 1948 as the fulfillment of this prophecy.
There are also many commentators who say that the name Jezreel is given to Israel to indicate the reuniting of the faith.
Jewish commentators however take a different view on this point, they see this idea of the seed of God – Jezreel, as being after the time of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
After that when they were scattered throughout the world, so also was the planting of the seed of knowledge of God into every nation and people.
Even a surface study searching the many religions which have emerged over the last 2,000+ years, have within their concepts, doctrines and dogmas some indications of Hebraic/Jewish teaching; including that of Native Americans who have symbols and teachings which reflect that of Judaism.
There is a famous quote from Rabbi S. Hirsch which says: “Many ideals of duty and loving kindness, the search for truth and the quest for right, and even the invocation of God, became ideals which were gleaned by other faiths from the Law of the Teachings of Judaism and spread through the nations.”We have to admit that this is very true.
Both the two major religions in the world have their roots solidly in the Hebrew faith/ Judaism. In the first century after Messiah was risen marked the start of the messianic faith in Yeshua haMashiach; first to the Israelites/Jewish believers who were first called Christians in Antioch. Acts 11:26.
The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. The Jews called them “Nazarenes” Acts 24:5, or “Galileans” Acts 2:7. They called themselves “disciples” Acts 6:1, “brethren” Acts 6:3, etc.
The term ‘Christian’ was initially used by outsiders to describe the followers of Christ, possibly as a term of derision. However, it became a badge of honor for believers, signifying their identity in Christ. This designation marked a significant moment in church history, as it distinguished the followers of Jesus/Yeshua from other Jewish sects. The use of the term in Antioch, a city known for its cultural diversity, highlights the universal nature of the Gospel message.
Later in the eighth century, Islam/Muslim was established making it only a religion approximately 600 years younger than Christianity. The fact that Messiah was prophesied to come in Genesis, makes the Hebrew roots of our belief in that very Messiah, as old as the beginning of the Hebrew Bible some 5000+ years ago.
Buddhism is about 2,500 years old, while Christianity is about 2,000 years old. Buddhism is much older than Christianity as we know it, with its origins dating back to the 6th century BC. A number of major religions seem to have all gotten their start, in different places around the globe, at roughly the same time in the 6th century BC.
As the chart indicates, among the very oldest religions are Hinduism, Judaism, and (possibly) Zoroastrianism. The roots of Hinduism stretch back at least to India’s Vedic era, and perhaps even further back, into pre-Vedic times (2000 BC, or earlier). The roots of Judaism stretch back to the time of the patriarch Abraham, traditionally dated at around 1800 BC. However we know that our Bible/Torah/TaNaKH stretches back before Abraham all the way to Adam. Which according to Hebrew calendar we are now in the year 5785.
Religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism adopted many of the teachings of Judaism into their religion.
Hosea’s prophecy has become a reality, in as much as the Jews have become Jezreel, they are the planters of the seed of knowledge of the One True God. It is a seed that is meant to grow and even if other religions have veered off on their own teachings and ideas …there is a seed back there in their beginnings.
For years, countless faithful missionaries have been watering that seed of the knowledge of the One True Living God, which the Fathers Holy Spirit can use to bring and individual to the true knowledge of Jehovah/YHVH; and His love and purpose for mankind.
1Cor. 3:6-8 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
The Israelites/Hebrew/Jewish people are called the chosen people, not because they were created special, as compared to or better than everyone else. They were chosen to keep the true knowledge of YHVH and His love, the purity of the desire and will of our Heavenly Father to share with the nations.
The Abrahamic Covenant, as mentioned earlier, is pivotal, establishing the Israelites as YHVH’s chosen people and promising land, descendants, and blessing. Genesis 15, 17.
Our expressions of the love we have for the YHVH God of Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Yeshua, John, Peter and Paul and everyone in between and since, and the love that He has for us. Plus our desire and longing for closeness with our loving Heavenly Father is the result of Jezreel, the seed of our Heavenly Father that has been planted by His chosen people. As Christians/messianic believers in Yeshua haMashich, we owe a huge debt to Jezreel and the efforts and sacrifices made by His chosen people throughout history in order to preserve this knowledge.
There are many instances of such sacrifices, one we are familiar with is that had it not been for Esther, the Jewish faith would have died out and the knowledge of YHVH/Jehovah would have been lost. Another is, if not for the Maccabees the knowledge of YHVH/Jehovah would have been lost to the world. Next time Hanukkah comes around we should remember, if not for Hanukkah there would be no ‘Christmas’.
The Israelites/Jewish people have been faithful in their calling as the chosen people to keep the knowledge of YHVH pure and alive, and today Israel stands as a guiding light to that knowledge.
Yet so much of the world seems to hate Israel, could it be that it’s because to love Israel means you love their God and what He stands for? They are still Jezreel, the seed of God and because of the planting of that seed Messianic Christianity will continue to grow.
Zechariah 8:23: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days [it shall come to pass], that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard [that] God [is] with you.”
This word, seed is familiar to us in possibly the most well known teaching by Messiah recorded in Mark 4. It is interesting to look at what, how and why seeds have periods of dormancy, which is multifaceted with many causes which differ from species to species. The oldest seed recorded was dormant for over 2,000 years.
Some seeds only come alive after fire has freed them from their outer coatings. All the seeds of the Word of God planted throughout the world via early Judaism, and later by missionaries; faced many of the same challenges as that of plant seeds.
We should not be amazed by how our Heavenly Father uses His creation in the physical world, to mirror spiritual truths, which will bring wisdom and understanding into our lives. There is no one like our Creator Father God, and if we stay alert and receptive to His teaching, He will reveal many things to us as we pay attention to the natural world around us; and by keeping our eyes in Israel.
Hosea 2:22: “And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine, and the oil and they shall hear Jezreel.” The heart of our Heavenly Father is so beautifully expressed in the book of Hosea.
The picture we are given is of Hosea who was told to marry an unfaithful woman, however he loved her and longed for her to return to him; not just to fulfill her duties as a wife and mother, but to return to a love relationship. The reason God called Hosea to marry this unfaithful woman having put a deep love in his heart for her, was so that he could prophesy of His love for us.
Sadly it is true to say that we often give our heart to the Lord and then spend our time running after other gods, such as money, careers or earthly pleasures. We become like Hosea’s wife in our relationship to our Heavenly Father. In this book we can see the deep love of God, which is expressed by the longing and desire for His people to return to Him and not just to call Him baali’ = my master, but to call Him ishi = my husband.
In the midst of this declaration of love where God speaks of betrothing us to Him again as a young love, He starts to talk of the earth hearing the corn and the wine and oil and then hearing from Jezreel.
It seems quite strange to the reader that in the midst of declaring His love He starts to talk about farming.
The word used in the Hebrew for
hear is tanah
which has the idea of:
recounting, telling again.
There is a double meaning in this as well as a wonderful poetic expression.
The first meaning is a reference to the corn, which is a symbol of prosperity.
He then speaks of the wine, which is often a symbol of joy.
When he speaks of the oil, he uses a unique Hebrew word for oil, which is yashar; meaning: a pure, shinning oil. It is an anointing oil, not the same as the olive oil used in ceremonies but a pure oil used to anoint a wound.
Here Adonai shows us that by our unfaithfulness, His heart has been deeply wounded; however, He is not only saying that He will restore us to our former position with Him, and to restore our joy and prosperity in Him, but He will also bring healing to us. Because in this relationship, we also suffer a wounded heart for our sinful ways when we stray away from our Heavenly Father; and because of Who He is, He is thinking of the hurt we feel when we have been wounded, rather than that of His own hurt, in that we have rejected Him.
By looking at Hosea we can see this picture, Hosea has been deeply hurt by his wife’s unfaithfulness, he has a broken heart and yet as he says these words to express the heart of God, he is also expressing his own heart toward his wife and is thinking only of the hurt she must have experienced and is longing to heal that hurt. Rather than the pain and heartbreak he felt himself.
Then God says that we will hear Jezreel.
Seed of YHVH/God/El
As we have seen, Jezreel in the Hebrew means God sows,
and it is related to the verb
zara’ (to scatter seed)
and the word el (God)
Related names through the word זרע (zara’):
Nazarene, Nazareth, Zerubbabel
And the name Jezreel consists of two elements,
the second one being אל (El),
אל אלה
In names אל (‘el) usually refers to אלהים (‘elohim), that is Elohim, or God, also known as אלה (‘eloah).
In English, the words ‘God’ and ‘god’ exclusively refer to the deity but in Hebrew the words אל (‘l) and אלה (‘lh) are far more common and may express
approach and negation,
acts of wailing and pointing,
and may even mean oak or terebinth.
The first part of the name is an active form of the
verb זרע (zara’) means:
to scatter seed or to sow
but may even describe merely extending one’s arm or even a leg and ultimately signify the bearing of fruit or even children, here referred to as one’s seed.
Nouns זרע (zera’) and זרוע (zerua’) mean: a sowing or that which is sown, and may refer to: seed, sperm, one child, offspring, posterity, family or a whole community.
Nouns זרע (zeroa’) and זרען (zer’on) specifically denote vegetables.
And noun מזרע(mizra’) literally means: a place or agent of sowing.
Nouns זרוע (zeroa’) or זרע (zeroa’) or אזרוע (‘ezroa’) mean: arm but are mostly used to figuratively to denote the seat of strength of a person or a nation or even of God.
זרה
Noun זרה (zara) also means: to scatter but where זרע (zara’) scatters seed to bear fruit, זרה (zara) scatters chaff and debris. It means: to winnow.
Noun מזרה (mizreh), describes place or agent of scattering, which in this case denotes a winnowing fork.
For a meaning of the name Jezreel, in the NOBSE Study Bible the name list reads: God Sows and
BDB Theological Dictionary has: God Soweth.
Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes: He Will Be Sown Of God, and explains it with: “i.e. have a numerous progeny”
There are two towns and two men named
Jezreel in the Bible.
The men named Jezreel are:
One of the “sons” of Etam of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:3).
The symbolically named son of the prophet Hosea and Gomer, although he appears to be named after Jezreel of Issachar (Hosea 1:4).
The towns named Jezreel are:
A town in a valley in the hill country of the territory originally assigned to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:56), but which later came to be situated in the territory of Ephraim (Joshua 17:16). This is possibly also the birthplace of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess (יזרעאלית), who became the wife of king David (1 Samuel 25:43) and the mother of Amnon and Tamar (2 Samuel 3:2). But she might also have come from Jezreel of Issachar. It’s unclear.
A town in the territory of Issachar, which was located in the north of Israel, close to the Sea of Galilee. (Joshua 19:18).
A town of Issachar Joshua 19:18 , where the kings of Israel often resided, 1 Kings 18:45; 21:1; 2 Kings 9:30. Here Elijah met Ahab, Jehu, and Bidkar; and here Jehu executed his dreadful commission against the house of Ahab, 2 Kings 9:14-37 ; 10:1-11. It has been identified with the modern Zerin, on the most western point of the range of Gilboa, reaching down into the great and fertile valley of Jezreel, to which it gave its name.
A town in Judah, Joshua 15:56, to the south-east of Hebron. Ahinoam, one of David’s wives, probably belonged to this place, 1 Samuel 27:3.
A symbolical name given by Hosea to his oldest son, Hosea 1:4, in token of a great slaughter predicted by him, like that which had formerly taken place in the plain of Esdraelon, Hosea 1:4, Hosea 1:5.
Where He is using an farming image to express his desire to restore us is somewhat fitting, but by using the word Jezreel, He is saying that He will be the one to give us our prosperity, joy and healing, no one else, especially not those false gods in the form of our investments, careers, or material possessions that we run after. We will find it all in Him for He will do the planting.
There is however, a secondary meaning here in the use of Jezreel.Jezreel is where Gideon defeated the Midianites, also where Saul defeated the Philistines; and it was in the city of Jezreel that Jehu ordered that Jezebel be thrown out of the window. Jezreel is a picture of victory and deliverance from our enemies, and from idolatry, when we place our hopes and trust in other things and resources. Our Heavenly Father will restore our victory over all these false gods that we chase after, and we will find our joy and complete fulfillment in Him. Note that this passage is not saying this will happen automatically, it is only expressing the heart of our Heavenly Father. When we find ourselves in a weak moment, when we give in to sin, we mess everything up and have to make our way back to Him.
We sometimes think He must really be angry with us, and we expect Him to punish us; and we probably think like that because that’s what we would do in the flesh. However if we can just see a small part of our Heavenly Fathers heart as we read in Hosea chapter 2, we will find that even after our worst mistakes and in whatever backslidden condition we fall, He wishes only to heal our wounds and forever remove those false gods from us. He is longing to restore us to His joy and abundant life in Messiah.
So yes, it would seem that Israels prophetic future and that of all grafted in believers, is contained in a single word…
Jezreel – seed of YHVH/God.
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 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.
Many times Yeshua/Jesus told His disciples/talmidim to be ready. He is saying the same today to all of us, His warning has not changed. Events around the globe are in constant flux and moving at an alarming pace, quite unprecedented in previous generations. These changes are also reflected in the physical earth and its weather phenomena and also cosmic events taking place in our solar system.
Messiah used parables like the familiar one about the 10 virgins and the wedding feast. He warned of the days of Noah being similar to the acharit ha-yamim אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים / end days. Although the parables He used may seem unfamiliar to our present generation, the ways of the world, the sin, violence, idolatry and ungodliness are blatantly obvious. These should be a resounding wake up call in our spiritual ears……that we are without a doubt in the acharith ha-yamim.
Strongs #319: אַחֲרִית acharith —
End, latter time, future, outcome, posterity.
Derived from the root אָחַר (achar), meaning:
“to be behind” or “to come after.”
Some 2000+ years on, we are most definitely closer to the summation of all things than they were then. Our redemption is closer now than when we first believed. Romans 13:11-12.
Luke 21:28 informs us that when we
see all these things happening at the same time,
as in events in quick succession,
one after another,
then look up for your redemption draws close.
So are we truly ready for His return?
Whether we are convinced that we are in the last moments of the final hour or not, are we also ready to answer Him when He calls to us?
Personally today may be our last day before we meet Him face to face!
Are we even ready to hear Him calling to us?
Do we give opportunity and time to even listen for His voice?
Our hearts and spirits should be tuned to His Spirit of Holiness at all times, so we can hear and obey.
This readiness is not just a physical posture, but a preparedness of spirit and soul and like Moses in Ex 3:4 who…
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.”
and young Samuel also replied quickly to the Lords voice.
God spoke to Samuel for the first time in 1Samuel 3:1–14:
One night, Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of the Covenant. He was woken up by a voice calling him.
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 1Sam.3:9.
Samuel’s response demonstrated humility and readiness to serve, qualities essential for a prophet. It is also noteworthy that he was sleeping near the ark of the covenant. Such a close proximity to the ark was usually forbidden to all but the High Priest when He entered the inner sanctuary holy of holies on one day a year, Yom Kippur.
Among others, these two examples are models for our own response to our Father’s call. We should be ready and willing to serve when He speaks to us. This is absolutely the readiness our Heavenly Father wants from us.
However when our Father speaks, when Messiah calls and His Spirit of Holiness prompts us; many of us are like people in a fog, and we give no answer because our spiritual senses have become dull and insensitive. Both Moses and Samuel’s reply revealed that:
they knew where they were, and, were ready.
In 2Tim 4:2The verse sayspreach the word be ready in season and out of season.
Because the season does not refer to time it refers to us, many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency to be ready only out of season.
In other words we should be ready whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do some of us would never do anything at all; and because of this there are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They have become spiritually feeble and weak and refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired.
The proof that our relationship is right with our Heavenly Father is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
One of the worst traps a believer in Messiah/christian worker or minister can fall into is, to become obsessed with their own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the spirit of God gives us a time of inspiration and insight we tend to say. ‘Now that I’ve experienced this amazing time my life will always be like this for God.’ Sadly that is not what will happen because our Heavenly Father will make sure of it. We are not able to give those times to ourselves when we choose to, as those times are entirely His gift to us and we can’t make them happen by ourselves.
If we say we’ll only be at our best as we were during those exceptional times, we actually become a kind of burden on Him; and consequently we’ll never do anything unless our Heavenly Father keeps us consciously aware of His inspiration to us at all times. If we make a god out of our best moments, we’ll find that the presence of the Lord will fade out of our lives; never to return until we are obedient in the work He has placed closest to us. We will find that this will remain so until we have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has given us in the past.
Readiness means, having a right relationship with our Heavenly Father and with Messiah; and having knowledge of where we truly are spiritually. Not where we think we are, or would like to be; or where we would like to go, be and do. It is the individual who is ready for the Lords call and the work He has for each of us, that receives the blessing when He calls.
Sometimes we are also guilty of wanting and thinking that some great opportunity will come our way, and if and when it does, then we are quick to respond saying, ‘Here I am’. We mistakenly think that some great task given by Messiah and His Father is worthy of our response; yet we are not ready for what we deem as the insignificant, menial duties of an obscure and simple task.
Our response to the Lord means that we are willing and prepared to do both the largest and the smallest things He asks of us, and to us it makes no difference which of them it is. This means ultimately we have no choice in what we want to do, but that whatever our Heavenly Father’s plans are – we are there and ready.
It’s our duty, just as it was for Yeshua/Jesus, that whenever the Lord calls, we hear His voice just as Yeshua/Jesus did, and we are ready with our total commitment because of our love for Him.
Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19.
None of this should be a hardship considering He is the only one who would die for us. Messiah expects to be able to do with us, just as His Father did with Him, whether it’s what we consider pleasant or menial tasks; because our union with His Father is the same as His union with His Father – we are one.John 17:22.
Our life is not our own
and
we should stop living like it is.
Our life has been bought with a price –
the precious Blood of Messiah.
1Cor. 6:19-20.
We should be ready for surprise visits of the Father, because a ready person never needs to get ready… they are ready…and we won’t have time to get ready after the call, or we will miss the day of our visitation.
Bedressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes;
Luke 12:35-38 & Matthew 25:1-13.
Moses turned aside from what he was doing and went towards the burning bush, and then he was enveloped with the Fathers presence. For us, it is a picture symbolizing everything that surrounds the person who is ready and willing; one who has made a choice to turn towards the Father and His Messiah, one who is on fire with the presence of the Lord God Himself. Let’s continue to encourage each other to keep watch and be ready……..
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 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.
From the text we read that the enemy tried and it didn’t work because Job kept offering sacrifices, kept doing teshuvah, turning back to the Father and continually committing everything back into His hands. Every time the enemy attacked him, Job kept hitting the mark, the devil couldn’t get Job to sin or miss the mark. Sin in Hebrew: חַטָּאָה chaṭṭâʼâh, khat-taw-aw’; or חַטָּאת chaṭṭâʼth; from H2398. Chatah which means: unintentional mistakes or sins. The Hebrew word most often translated as sin in our English Bibles is the word chata’ah (חֲטָאָה), which means “missing the mark,” as an archer might miss his target when shooting an arrow. 
Exodus 19:5: Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my commandments, Then, you will be a 
It is because we are a
Who, what or where is Jezreel/Yizreel? 
Keep watch and be ready 
and young Samuel also replied quickly to the Lords voice. 
Sometimes we are also guilty of wanting and thinking that some great opportunity will come our way, and if and when it does, then we are quick to respond saying, ‘Here I am’. We mistakenly think that some great task given by Messiah and His Father is worthy of our response; yet we are not ready for what we deem as the insignificant, menial duties of an obscure and simple task.
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