Genesis 44:18: “Then Judah came near unto him, and said, ‘Oh, my Lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my Lord’s ears…’”
I read something interesting in the Talmud about this verse. The word for come near is nagash. This has the idea of drawing near or approaching with an offering, a present or a request. The sages believe that this verse is teaching the way in which we can approach God in prayer with a request.
When I first started to study the Talmud, it was with the intention of honing my skills in Aramaic, not to get any spiritual insight. After all, I was a Christian, what did Judaism, another religion have to offer me. However, I came to realize that just because the Jews had rejected Jesus as their Messiah, that did not mean they lost their anointing to be the guardians of the Holy Scriptures. I found that by removing such things as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and inserting Jesus Christ, many teachings of the sages had deep application to my own faith. This is one example.
The sages believe that Genesis 44:18 is giving three suggestions, that with any of these three we will be able to have the strength to approach God in prayer.
The first is to consider that we are sinful and we have no right to approach a Holy God. All our deeds are filled with foolishness and emptiness. Yet, we still approach God, not on our own merit, but in that of the holy ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Well, for one thing, they are not my ancestors and even if they were, they were sinners just like me. But suppose I say: “We approach God, not on our own merit, but on the merit of Jesus Christ who died for our sins.” Now that makes a whole bunche of sense for me.
The second is that God has placed within us a soul which has been designed to attach itself to it’s source, God. When we pray it also has a free will and can rebel against God. Sort of like a magnet attracts a metal object. But you need to bring that object close to the magnet and once you get close enough, its force will draw that piece of metal to it. There is another magnet on the other side, it is against God and it is also exerting a force to draw you soul to it. The Bible says: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” James 4:8. The verse clearly indicates that the first step is ours. We need to make that first move toward God and when we get close enough, like a magnet He will just draw us into Himself, dragging us away from the opposing magnetic force. An interesting thought, prayer is the instrument God uses to draw our soul to Him. Again, my Jewish teachers seem to overlook the problem of sin, which is a pretty perplexing problem for them, but not for me, as Jesus Christ solved that problem 2,000 years ago so that the sinfulness of my soul is made pure and Holy before God, so that I may use prayer to draw my soul to the God of the universe.
The third thing to consider is that God spoke through the mouth of Moses. As our soul attaches to God, God will put His words in our mouth as we pray. By His mercy, and, I would add the finished work of Jesus Christ, He will place His words, often the answer to our prayers, in our own mouth and we will pray with Him. I have heard Christians condemn Jews for just reciting prayers over and over. “Hump, we say, they think God hears prayers that are recited, how foolish, I speak my words to God, I don’t need any prayer book.” Consider what the sages are teaching. We move from praying to God to praying with God. In other words these recited prayers that the Jews speak are only used to prepare themselves for prayer. The recitation of prayers is meant to focus our body and soul on God and to help us draw near to God so that when we get close enough to God suddenly we are no longer praying to God but with God. We are drawn into Him and our prayers and His words become one. We Christians will drive to church fighting with our spouses over some matter, giving the one finger salute to some driver who cuts us off then we get to church and dive right into prayer. I think not. I believe Biblically there is a need for some cleansing time before we approach the throne, there is the need to get the body and soul in line with the program. I am not suggesting just reciting prayers, but doing something of a spiritual nature. Spend some time in the Word, sing some songs of worship or just meditate on Him, get your mind on Him before prayer.
That is why I back down when someone asks me to open in prayer or say the blessing over a meal. I am not going to jump right into the throne until I have prepared my body and soul, then I will walk boldly before the throne of grace. A husband a wife get into a little argument before bedtime and some hurtful things are said. They are not going to get intimate until they spend a little time in preparation, in seeking forgiveness and sharing their honest feelings with each other, then maybe enter into a little love talk and then they can get to the good stuff, because then the two shall be come one, just as we become one with God when we approach the throne, but not after a little bit of airing out our sins of the day and sharing a little love talk with Him. Is that asking too much? Then we will be literally conversing with God as one.
Do you ever find yourself praying for guidance from God and saying things like: “Lord, I need your help right now, come on, I have tried to do my best, and I really need you to come through for me now.” You are like Aladdin rubbing the lamp calling for his genie. God is your Father, your Lover, Your Friend. Treat Him like one, Spend a little time in preparation getting your soul and body on line. I watched a TV episode which showed a single mother taking her two children to meet her fiancé’s parents for the first time. The children were bathed, dressed in clean appropriate clothing and just before entering the home the mother made a few adjustments to one of the children’s hair and straightened the collar of the other child, then when they were ready they entered the home of their soon to be in laws. You know if you love someone you want to put your best foot forward. You are not going to greet your lover unbathed, dressed in sloppy clothes with bad breath. Yet, that is exactly what many of us spiritual do when we come before our Spiritual Lover.
When we pray and our soul is drawn to God sort of like Paul said: “Let’s this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5. If we prepare our body and soul properly then when we draw near to God He will draw us to Him and suddenly our words spoken in prayer often becomes the words of God giving us the answer to our prayer. How does God speak to us? Sometimes He speaks to us like Moses, through our own mouth. Lord I don’t know what to tell old Charlie I really need your…Uh, yeah, I know I should be honest, but I really…yeah, I need to love him as You love him… Funny how the answers just seem to flow when you enter the heart of God and you thoughts and His become one.
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