Psalm 29:11: “The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.”
For thousands of years every Jewish child at the age of three started to study Hebrew so that they would be able to read the Holy Scriptures in it’s original language. Many orthodox Jews scoff at the idea of an English translation of the Holy Scriptures as they believe you can not really read the Word of God unless you do it in the original language. This verse would be held up as a good example.
“The Lord will give strength unto his people.” We read that and say: “How wonderful the Lord will give me strength.” But then when you stop to think about it you begin to wonder, “What does that mean anyways. Is He talking of spiritual strength, physical strength, emotional strength, etc.? How will he give that strength? Fine and dandy that He will give that strength, I sure need it now, but how in the name of Jehoshaphat do I get this strength.”
Surely the Word of God has to be more clear than this? I don’t know about you, but I sure could use some of His strength right now and just reading that He will give it is nice, but it doesn’t do me much good if I don’t know how to get it or what it is I am really looking for. Of course we have the old adage read your Bible and pray, but some preacher told me that, I want to know what the word of God has to say. Better yet, it would be nice if the very verse making this promise would tell me how to obtain this strength.
I believe that is what Deuteronomy 4:29 is trying to tell us: “But if from thence you shall seek the Lord your God, you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.”
Yes, the answer is there, in this verse, if you seek it with all your heart and all your soul. There are many ways to do this, prayer, meditation, study of God’s Word etc. One way to do this is to look at this verse in it’s original language. Now I am not trying to give a plug for my Hebrew classes (Ok, I’m giving a plug for my Hebrew classes), but there are a few things from what the Orthodox Jews call the “Authentic Hebrew” you will need to understand before doing your study in the Hebrew. That is what the Hebrew classes are all about. Still let me take you on a little journey into this verse and maybe remove one layer of skin on this proverbial onion, with many layers yet unremoved.
The word strength tells you what type of strength God is promising you. The word in Hebrew is “’oz.” Like in the “Wizard of –“ Of course we all know that Frank Baum got the idea of “Oz” from the letters on a filing cabinet and not from the Hebrew, but it is a nice co-incidence. I would almost say a “God Incidence.” Dorothy was taken to a land where she learned where her true strength lied, “No place like home.” This strength (oz) comes from a different land and a different place. It is from Father God and from heaven itself. This is a physical, natural strength, which does not come from getting enough sleep, or going to the gym. This comes when you can’t get sleep, or can’t go to the gym. Oz is a strength that you will have to defend yourself against an enemy, or against an illness, or a threat. It is a strength that becomes a shelter, a fortress against the enemy as “oz” also means a fortress or a shelter.
Now the question is, how do we obtain this “oz.” Click your heels and repeat after me:” There is no place like home.” You see the word is really spelled “ayin, zayin, zayin.” There are two zayins which is pretty good for a letter that is rarely used like our English “z.” Mystic Jews see a double zayin as a picture of involvement with God (first zayin). Note that this is different than being joined with God “cheth.” This is walking with God to complete His creation, to carry out His Divine Will. The second zayin represents the taking of a Divine Sword and with this sword you will overcome whatever enemy is coming against you. This is accomplished through the “ayin” which is inner reflection, spiritual discernment that comes through prayer, meditation, and drawing closer and closer to God.
Of course there is more but you need to take my Hebrew Class to learn how to go deeper. After all, am I not the great teacher. That is, until Toto pulls back the curtain and you find that this great wizard is nothing more than a nice old man trying to hold everything together with a lot of bluff and bluster. I can not give you deep knowledge into the Word of God anymore than the Great Wizard could give Dorothy and her friends courage, intelligence, strength, and a relationship. You have to turn to the True Master for that.
Recent Comments