WORD STUDY: TO EXIST – HAYAH
I Kings 18:1 “And it came to pass after many days that the Word of the Lord came to Elijah.”
I Kings 19:9: “And behold, the Word of the Lord came unto him”
Hayah – to be, to become, to exist.
As I continue on my journey to the heart of God, I am becoming more sensitive to Scriptures that indicate God speaking with man. When God spoke to Elijah we have the expression “The Word of the Lord came to Elijah.” In I Kings 19 we not only read the “Word of the Lord came to Elijah, but He also spoke to Elijah in a still small voice and also in just a voice. I am mystified at the shade of difference between I Kings 18:1 and I Kings 19:9.
Both passages render this as the “Word of the Lord came to…” Although this expression appears to be the same in our English text, they are quite different in the Hebrew. In Kings 18:1 the word “came” is “hayah” and in I Kings 19:9 the word “came hayah)” is not even there. In these passages “word” is “devar” in the Hebrew which represents a gateway to the heart of God. The “Word” that is being spoken comes from God’s heart.
But let’s look back to I Kings 18:1. The “hayah” can be translated as “came” but its basic meaning is “to be” or “to become” or “to exist.” Now this is important because God was telling Elijah that he had to go and present himself to Ahab. This was no easy task. Ahab had a price on Elijah’s head. Even Obadiah, the king’s servant, feared for his life just reporting that Elijah was on his way. Yet, Elijah promptly took off to the palace without as much as a bullet proof vest. He was headed for certain death. Yet, the “Word (devar) of the Lord hayah or became a part of him such that he could do nothing else but go. If you happen to come upon a drive by shooting and the Lord says to you: “Walk in front of the bullets,” I mean it will take a little more than an “inner gut feeling” that God is telling you to do this. In most our daily decisions in which we seek God’s guidance that inner feeling works fine.
“I feel like God is telling me to… (attend this meeting), (not attend this meeting), (buy this car), (not buy this car) etc.” This doesn’t carry much consequence if we happen to be wrong. But if there is a home where there is a deadly plague and God tells you to go that home and pray for the sick, you are going to want more than just an inner feeling that you should go. That is why I feel we need to use another word for hayah rather than “came.” I would render this as “The Word devar) of the Lord existed for Elijah.” Or Elijah became a part of the Word of the Lord.
Note, however, in I Kings 19:9 that we see the same expression “The Word of the Lord came to…” but the word hayah is not there. It is just “The Word of the Lord unto him,” or “for him.” I really don’t know what Elijah experienced in both these cases of hearing from God. However, it is clear that God spoke differently in both cases. In the first case the “Word (devar)” was very clear, so clear that Elijah became a part of the Word. It had to be because it was a life or death situation. In the second case the Word was just unto or for Elijah. In this case God was just giving Elijah some personal instruction and, hence, the “Word (devar)” did not carry the force of the “Word (devar)” that came to him in I Kings 18. God spoke to Elijah in different ways. In one case the word hayah and in other case it did not hayah. Then God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice and right after that in just a voice. It would appear
that God has certain levels of communications that depend on the circumstances. Elijah didn’t have to second guess God. He seemed to understand God’s voice no matter what the circumstances.
In James 5:17 we learn Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed that it would not rain and it did not rain. Could we not do the same? If God made His voice clear to Elijah, why would He not make it just as clear to us? Surely God does, but perhaps it comes in direct proportion to the need at the time. Sometimes His word must “hayah” or become a part of us so that it is perfectly clear when the consequences hang in balance.
Sometimes God must speak with a hayah like in a whirlwind or an earthquake or in fire, sometimes he wants to speak to us in a soft, gentle loving way. Like Elijah, we must be ready to respond to both.
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