Who Is Our Heavenly Father’s Friend?

We are familiar with Abraham being called

the father of faith and the

friend of our Heavenly Father.

The first mention of Abraham as

the friend of God 

is recorded in 2 Chronicles 20:7.

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

The visible and authentic trust that Abraham showed in the Lord by his actions, was rewarded by him becoming the friend of God. 2 Chronicles 2:7.

There is another reference in Isaiah 41:8.

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

Literally Isaiah 41:8 could be translated as 

Abraham, who loved Me.

Abraham showed his love for Adonai through his faith accompanied by obedience as seen in Genesis 12:1, 4; 15:6. 

In the New testament, James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God

James confirmed that Abraham was truly

the

It was Abraham’s faith that entitled him to be called

the

Moses was also called the friend of our Heavenly Father.

There was no one who had the same level of face to face intimacy with the Lord God that Moses had.

Exodus 33:11 So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 

Exodus 33:11 
HEB: אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־ רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְשָׁב֙ אֶל־
NAS: speaks to his friend. When Moses returned
KJV: speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again
INT: A man to his friend returned to

רֵעֵ֑הוּ
rê-‘ê-hū;

7453 rea: friend, companion, fellow

Original Word: רֵעַ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: rea
Phonetic Spelling: (ray’-ah)
Definition: friend, companion, fellow

There are several Hebrew words for friend.

Were Abraham and Moses the only two given that privileged relationship, or are there others?

We crave that type of intimacy in human companionship, longing to be cherished and treasured; but sometimes there is distance or disappointment that make human relationships less than that which our Father desires for us.

However, in His plan of the ages our Heavenly Father knows our needs and when He sent His Son to walk and live among us, it was not only to restore covenant relationship through His sacrificial death; but also to form a close and lasting friendship with us, one that will endure not only through this life but throughout eternity. By His life, death and resurrection, He enabled us to call Him Messiah, Savior, Deliverer, Redeemer and amongst many others, also His friend.

How do we know this?

Because in Messiahs own words in John 15:14 and 15

14You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.…

Amplified Bible
I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.

He calls us friends if we are obedient!

You are my friends if you keep on doing what I command you.and he has told us everything He learned from His Father

and then says

16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. Meaning we were created to be His friends!

5384 philos: beloved, dear, friendly

Original Word: φίλος, η, ον
Part of Speech: Adjective; Indeclinable Numeral (Adjective)
Transliteration: philos
Phonetic Spelling: (fee’-los)
Definition: beloved, dear, friendly
Usage: friendly; subst: a friend, an associate.

John 15:14 Adj-NMP
GRK: ὑμεῖς φίλοι μού ἐστε
NAS:  You are My friends if you do
KJV: are my friends, if ye do
INT: You friends of me are

John 15:15 Adj-AMP
GRK: δὲ εἴρηκα φίλους ὅτι πάντα
NAS: but I have called you friends, for all things
KJV: you friends; for
INT: however I have called friends for all things

 In Hebrew, a friend is a male or female person. In the Bible, a male is referred to as a chaver, while a female is called a chaverah. Chevarim being the plural for friends.

חבר

We are familiar with calling Yeshua/Jesus our savior Messiah Lord Master King but can we say He is also our friend?

How do we see or consider Him?

How do we appear to other people in our relationship with Yeshua/Jesus?

Is He just a task master and we the obedient servant; or is the relationship something deeper?

Are there examples of this kind of loving friendship in His Word?

The book Song of Solomon is a representation of our relationship with the Father and even more it’s a picture of His heart and it is very important that we come to understand and know what His heart is towards us.

The picture expresses the kind of love that is not only overflowing, passionate and bubbling over, but also as being active. It’s a love that’s always doing something, and always looking for a way in which to express its depth and commitment.

In Song of Solomon 2:10 the shulamite calls Solomon

her dodi

she is saying that she is

completing him in love.

Here we must understand the Hebraic thought, which is, that love is not complete until it is shared… and this is a direct reference from Messiah Yeshua when He said

they will know that you are my disciples because of the love one to another.

Shared love is this way too and necessary if we are to enter the heart of God.

We are to say to Him that He is our beloved. There is no one else but you. Not parents, siblings, children, grand or great grand, etc. Yeshua/Jesus said

these are my family those who do the will of my father.. Matthew 12:50.

Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive one hundred times, and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29

Nothing and no one is to come between Him and ourselves…

Beloved is also transalated as dodi.

Dodi comes from a semitic root that means to boil and its also a word used for love; but not feelings, or a surface love ..it is the real unconditional love.

Unless we can call Him beloved/dodi do we have any right to enter in to His heart, to that deep and intimate relationship?

yadid: beloved 3039

Original Word: יְדִיד
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: yadid
Phonetic Spelling: (yed-eed’)
Definition: beloved

Psalm 127:2 
HEB: כֵּ֤ן יִתֵּ֖ן לִֽידִיד֣וֹ שֵׁנָֽא׃
NAS: For He gives to His beloved [even in his] sleep.
KJV: [for] so he giveth his beloved sleep.
INT: after that gives to his beloved sleep

Song of Solomon 2:10

The word yadiyad is made up from the word yad which is hand in Hebrew; and it’s repeated, making it to say or read

yadiyad or hand in hand.

Parents, mothers and children, siblings, friends and couples often

walk hand in hand.

It declares to whoever sees them that they share a special relationship.

Is this what people see of our relationship with Our Heavenly Father/Messiah, one of beloved friends walking hand in hand, side by side?   Sometimes one in the lead pulling the other along and sometimes in the rear holding the other back?

There is an ancient belief in Hebrew culture that the heart was in the palm of the right hand and that when two people joined their right hands it was symbolic of sharing each others hearts.

It was the part of the body that does the most important functions for other people, and why we say, can I lend you or give you a hand?

Rather than a foot which hasn’t the same ability to assist someone!

We offer a helping hand or arms and hand to support another; and the ancient belief was maybe more of an indication that they realized a persons hand was the most usual outward expression of their heart, love and compassion.

It may bear a reference to the scripture God writing us on the palm of His hand, as they would have understood the deeper meaning with the ancient thinking of heart in hand names are written in His heart!? Isaiah 49:16

The modern Hebrew expression meaning

friend is yadiyad

literally hand in hand

Here in Genesis 28:16

Yod Daleth Vav Yod Daleth

yad i yad / yad v yad

with a v not an is the same in Hebrew.

The word for knew here is yada and means more than just knowing. It’s a reference to the intimacy of a married couples relationship. As in Adam knew his wife and she conceived.

Yada is also constructed from the word Yad/hand and the same word from which the name David comes, as well as the word yadiyad.

People used to shake hands and it would be a mutual agreement or form of contract between them, saying lets shake on it. It’s obvious that a handshake held much more significance than it does today. Another reason the right hand was offered as a greeting, was to show the other party you did not have a weapon in your right hand.

It is a common custom now to offer our hand when we are introduced to someone for the first time; and it can indicate that in meeting them, there’s an initial action to sharing a future relationship either business, casual or friendship.

In days past the handshake had more meaning than a casual relationship; they believed that:

by taking someones hand and particularly the right hand, you were sharing each others heart.

This action has a much greater meaning, more than just help me out of this situation I’m in but – take my heart and let me take yours.

The ancient thought behind it is that of:

sitting at the right hand of our Heavenly Father.

It was a metaphor, an idiom, meaning:

sharing the Father’s heart.

yad: hand

Original Word: יָד
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: yad
Phonetic Spelling: (yawd)
Definition: hand

Recall Hebrew letters also have a numerical value:

יד

Yod Daleth

The letters in the word Hand YD,

without the vowel letter a:

yod = 10 dalet = 4 = 14

2 hands joined =28

There is another word in Hebrew with the value of 28 which is: kocha

which means: great strength

כֹּחַ and Daniel 11:6

כּחַ  noun masculine

Deut. 4:37 strength, power (Late Hebrew id.);

The rabbis/teachers, say that when 2 words have equal numerical value, there is a connection that we should take note of. In this instance the two words with the value 28 could refer to:

two hands joined together is great strength!

Or in other words:

A friendship from which one can draw great strength.

This is what Messiah Yeshua/Jesus wants for us,

we are to draw great strength from

our yadiyad with Him

when He said:

I no longer call you servants but friends.

How is our relationship with Yeshua/Jesus?

Is He our yadiyad, our beloved friend?

Are we truly walking with Him hand in hand/ heart in heart..?

In the following verse He is calling us to come:

In the phrase in Song of Solomon:

come away with me

in the Hebrew text there is a lamed (a letter L), before the pronoun Me.

In the Hebrew language, when used as a preposition as it is here, the lamed is usually translated as TO or UNTO so it would read God is simply saying

Come to Me

He is calling us today…

come to me.

And just as the Father in the parable of the prodigal son, who ran to meet him. As we turn/teshuvah, and come to our Heavenly Father through Jesus/Yeshua, He will meet us, coming towards us… then we can become His friend.

Yes, we can be His servant, we can be present at all the meetings and be on time, and we can listen closely to His instructions and obey them. We can be loved by our Heavenly Father, but do we want to be yadiyad, hand in hand with Him?

We can be serving the Lord so much that we fail to realize that He is reaching His hand/His yad out to us. With the concept we just looked at, He needs another hand to complete the word Yadiyad – to be hand in hand.

He may be our Master, our King, our Savior but He wants to be more than that. He wants to be our  friend, our Yadiyad, His hand in ours, His heart joined with our hearts and always to be and remain our Yadiyad: beloved friend.

Even more special is the fact that the relationship with our Heavenly Father can always be that of “beloved friendbecause He always keeps His promises and longs to establish the relationship Yeshua/Jesus died for us to have.

We were made for God.

Song of Solomon 7:11

In the original Hebrew, the Shulamite woman is saying she is

for or to her beloved; 

and if it follows that this is a picture of our relationship with God, then we were made for God.  

God created us for Himself.  

He created us just for Himself, for His pleasure.  

The first purpose for our existence is that we were created to bring pleasure to our Heavenly Father. 

Revelation 4:11 KJVS Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. He made you so that He COULD ENJOY YOU, both in this world and eternally in heaven

 Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Sometimes we get so focused on fulfilling our own pleasure, we never stop to think that our main purpose and function in life is to bring pleasure to the Lord. 

We are created to bring glory to Him, to honor Him, to praise His glorious name, to thank Him for His abundance in our life and to praise Him for His abundant grace,

“everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for my glory, whom I formed and made. Isaiah 43:7

This is the very purpose of man – to glorify God in every way.

Ps100:3 says “Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his;”

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear, reverently respect God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Eccles. 12:13

 He is really the only one we need to please, and He is the easiest person to please; because He designed created and equipped us to bring pleasure to Him.  

Maybe some of us are not good looking or talented, but if He created us that way, then whatever we look like or are able to do, when we do our best it will always bring Him pleasure.  We may feel we have no talent, but there is something about us that our father designed to bring pleasure to Him ,and if we ask Him He will show us what that is.

He is our beloved 

and 

His desire is toward us.  

The most usual way to make contact with someone or something, is to reach out and touch with your hand. A touch of the hand is a universally understood sign of affection; however it can also be done in an aggressive move. In legal terms it’s the difference between assault and showing affection. It is also a way to express your desire for a deeper relationship.    

We are His beloved and He is our beloved. 

Are we ready to be His friend?

Are we ready to reach out and take the hand being offered to us?

Yes, there are more than just Abraham and Moses who are friends of our Heavenly Fathe; all HIs disciples were and as such then so are we.

Decide today to be yadiyad – hand in hand, heart in heart with Him, our beloved friend!

 Proverbs 18:24

A man who has friends [ a]must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

He is our Yadiyad, let’s always walk side by side and hand in hand with Him.

 

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.

 

A Secret Hidden in a Kings’ Song /Shir HaMelech

“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,” –

Song of Songs /Shir HaShirim, 6:3.

Many phrases from The Song of Songs written by King Solomon, have been used in weddings for centuries.

What does it truly mean and why is this particular verse so popular when it comes to weddings?

While reading this think in terms not of an earthly wedding and marriage covenant but of the marriage covenant of the Lamb and wedding feast of the Coming King of Kings.

Solomons Song is a type and shadow of our future when we are finally together with the one whom our soul loves. He gave His life for His bride – US.

It’s a song of redemption, of selfless love that we are learning from Him as we walk along the WAY and we are no longer our own, we are His forever.

Ani Lo & Dodi Li  

I am His & My Beloved is mine

Dodi Li V’Ani Lo – My beloved is mine and I am His

Ani Lo – I am His – it is the summary of all that is required of us.

1Cor.6:19-20 You are not your own; you were bought at a price. 

No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus Christ. We are not sanctified for ourselves. We are called into intimacy with the gospel, and things happen that appear to have nothing to do with us. But God is getting us into fellowship with Himself. Let Him have His way. If you refuse, you will be of no value to God in His redemptive work in the world, but will be a hindrance and a stumbling block.

The first thing God does is get us grounded on strong reality and truth. He does this until our cares for ourselves individually have been brought into submission to His way for the purpose of His redemption. O. Chambers.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

 

However the secret to fulfilling that, is, Dodi Li – that our beloved is truly ours.

In the Hebrew tradition of Israel during the wedding ceremony, the Bride must say Dodi Lo, prior to saying, Ani Lo.

This is because she must first have the apocalypse/revelation that her beloved belongs to her, then the easier it will be and the more she will be able to and want to give herself to her beloved and visa versa.

Here-in is the secret to living our life in Yeshua Messiah, our bridegroom. If we receive His love for us we will easily give our love to Him. The more understanding we gain of Dodi Lo, that He is ours, the more our lives will become, Ani Lo/His. The deeper the personal apocalypse/revealing, the easier it will be for us to yield our lives to Him completely. This in turn will bring spiritual intimacy to our relationship, changing our perspective and causing the desire to surrender to His Will, Plan and Purpose for our lives and not live for ourselves and our own future goals. 

If he is hers, she will be his and if she is his, he will be hers. It’s reciprocal and complimentary at the same time.

Likewise, if He is ours we will be His and if we are His then He will be ours.

Many have pointed out that the initials of the words in this phrase spell out “Elul”…

Any new Jewish month (a lunar month) has special prayers such as Hallel, especially for weddings. Traditionally a bride and groom are to fast on their wedding day. However, there is an exception: Rosh Chodesh.

And this month’s new month of Elul, has a lot of meaningful significance in Judaism.

If it’s on Rosh Chodesh Elul, it means the bride and groom wouldn’t have to fast, as some couples customarily do.

So as already mentioned, many say that Elul אלול stands for “Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li” ״אני לדודי ודודי לי״ which means “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.

This phrase is very popular within both Jewish and non-Jewish weddings.

When reading the entire poem, it is a beautiful love story between a man and a woman. Relationships are always based on give and take, and one of equality between both partners – a balance. So too, a husband and wife should always give and receive love and support.

Often this is read as a metaphor of the love between the Jewish people/grafted in believers and God. 

There’s a Hebrew word that means soul mate.

also meaning – Meant to be.

Natural soul mates are only temporary on earth, God is our basheret, our true soul mate, He is the real lover of our souls.

In Messiah, our Dodi Li will manifest our Ani Lo. He belongs to us and the more we receive His love for us the more we will give of ourselves to Him.

As we open our hearts to fully understand Dodi Lo, our lives will become the reflection of Ani Lo, belonging completely to Him. Then, how we live and what we do, will no longer be a fleshly struggle of the soul; it will be easy, for it will flow out from His love.

An Ani Lo life, is the result of a Dodi Li heart, for the knowledge that He is ours creates that life of divine love.

As the bride of Yeshua we are to say and know, that as we fill our hearts with this Dodi Li understanding – our lives will soon become Ani Lo.

My beloved is to me and I am to Him –

My Beloved is Mine and I am His –

Simply Dodi Li V’Ani Lo

This is in a nutshell everything required of us in God.

It’s the foundation of everything we are to be and do in Him.

It encompasses our calling, consecration, dedication, works, sacrifices, ministry. As we are in covenant with Him we have to honor that covenant form our side too.

Just as when God called to Moses,

Moses reply was the correct covenant response. It was immediate and he did not hesitate. We are to be as quick to respond when He speaks to us – no hesitation – just simple obedience. He will never ask us to do anything that He has not equipped us to do.

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Heb.13:21 & Eph.4:22

Hineni expresses readiness to give ourselves in total availability. This answer will mark a turning point in the lives of those of us who respond to The Father with this word.

Moses wasn’t the only one to say Hineni:

Samuel said Hineni – I’m listening.

Isaiah said Hineni – Send me.

Hineni is the right WAY to respond to our Heavenly Father whenever He calls, it should always be our desire to fulfill His Commands in directing the path for our lives.

All that remains is for us to surrender all to our beloved and cry…

It is Complete Surrender – The Covenant Call to Action.

Here Am I

Your will be done in our lives.

I will go where you go lead me because

And I have Found The Secret Hidden in a Kings Song /Shir HaMelech it’s…

Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li.

Please don’t leave this page without knowing Messiah is not only your Savior, Lord and soon returning King but He is also your beloved and His desire is for us to be His Beloved.. to have a personal relationship with Him.

Maybe it’s time to re-dedicate and re-ignite passion for our Bridegroom.

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.