HEBREW WORD STUDY – SEEK HIM EARLY – MASHACHARU  משׁחרו 

Proverbs 8:17: “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” 

This is a little odd in the Hebrew.   “I love them” is in an imperfect form, hence it should correctly be rendered as I will love them.  Of course no one will translate it that way because the follow words are that love me which is in a participial form and means those who are loving me.  In other words:  I will love those who are loving me. This would suggest that until we start to love God, He will not love us.   However, when put into the context of the proceeding phrase: “those that seek me early…”  it might make more sense.

The word love here is ahav which comes from a Semitic root which has the idea of a heart that is full and satisfied.  Because of the broad range of meanings that encompass the word ahav it is very difficult to come to a definitive rendering of this phrase, I love them that love me.  The idea, however, is not that God will begin to love us, but that He will fill the hearts of those who love Him with His loving presence.  The word find is masa which comes from a Semitic root meaning to discover hidden or secret knowledge. 

Hence what Solomon is saying is that God will fill the hearts of those who love Him with His presence and if we seek Him early we will discovery His hidden secrets. 

So what does that mean to  seek Him early.  The word used for early here is shachar which literally means black as in the night, or dawn, or early morning.  This is explained in an old Rabbinic parable I found in Jewish literature.  A king summons a minyan (a quorum ten) to appear before him on a certain day and a certain place at a certain time.  While everyone is preparing one individual arrives early and alone.  The king is present and waiting.  He asks the man where the others are.  The man explains that the others are coming but he has arrived early.  Therefore the king sits down and shares with the man his thoughts and feelings in an unofficial way.   Then when the others arrive he takes on a more formal posture and conducts his business.   After a number of such meetings and the continual practice of the one to arrive early, the king recognizes the man’s early arrival as showing his eagerness to serve and his deep love for the king.  This causes (hiphil) the king to open up with this man and share with him things that he would not share with the others. 

The idea of seeking God early is not having a your quiet time early in the morning but it is making God your priority because you long to show Him your love. If you really love Him and desire to serve Him, He will be a priority over everything else you have to do and He will be the first on your agenda, hence you will arrive in His presence early, that is He will be your number one priority.  To such individuals God will entrust his secret knowledge.

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