Deuteronomy 7:17-18: If thou shalt say in thine heart, “These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?” Thou shalt not be afraid of them but shall remember what the Lord did unto Pharaoh and all of Egypt.
When the twelve spies confronted giants in the Promised Land only two remembered the words of God in Genesis 7:18 and recalled how God brought Pharaoh and Egypt down to size. When Israel faced one of the descendants of these giants hundreds of years later they ran in fear. Only one little shepherd boy recalled the command of Genesis 7:18. Three thousand years later when some Hebrew teacher confronted a couple giants (metaphorically speaking) he did not follow the way of the Joshua and Caleb but like the ten other spies completely forgot Genesis 7:18.
So here I sit at my desk dozing off due to lack of sleep more concerned about these two giants than I am about doing a study. I look at this word afraid in Hebrew which is yare’. As I stare at this word I realize I am afraid even thou my Bible says: “Thou shalt not be yare’.” As I contemplate these two giants blocking my way to the Promises Land I start to doze off when suddenly I hear a scream.
Yare’ (afraid) jumps out of my Hebrew Bible screaming in terror and runs to a corner. I run up to Yare’ and ask: “Yare’ old boy you ok is everything alright is something wrong?” His eyes wide with terror and a voice strained with fear he replies: “Nope! Ahhhh look out!!!!” and runs for my Looking Glass. Hoo boy, the last thing I wanted to do tonight was go through my Looking Glass into Hebrew Esoteric Land. But I just could not leave poor Yare’ (afraid) alone. The poor guy really needs some help. So I grab my back pack that I always keep handy should I have an unexpected trip behind my Looking Glass and I take off through my Looking Glass right behind Yare’. I stop suddenly because I find myself with Yare’ on a very very narrow bridge with no hand rails and a deep canyon below not unlike our Grand Canyon. It is dark except for shadows on both ends of the bridge. Yare’ and I are in the middle of this pitiful excuse for a bridge. I start to call out to the shadows for help but I freeze. The shadows are the shadows of the letter Chet (sin). Standing in front of us and behind us on the bridge are two giants known as Chatah (sin – Chet, Teth, Hei). I look at all the Chets surrounding us and they are whispering to Yare’ and I words like: “Doubt, worry, fretting, unknown, heaviness, oppression, and uncertainty.”
I look at Yare’ (Yod, Resh, Aleph) and I see the Resh fixated on Chatah (sin), white with terror. “Oh my gosh” I whisper to Yare’, the shadow of Resh has stepped right between your Yod and Aleph, oh do be careful. The ancient sages used to say that the shadow of the Resh fixates on Chatah (sin). I then look at Yod, the first letter in Yare’ and Yod is floating in the air. I recall how the ancients would say that the Yod is the only letter that does not touch the ground, it floats in the air. But what I am looking at is the sinister shadow of the Yod which represents having no foundation. Then I look at the last letter in Yara’, the Aleph and he too has been taken over by his shadow and is whispering it’s shadow meaning of nothingness, no hope, no sense in trying, and no rescue give up, just jump off the bridge and end all this misery. Chatah reaches out and touches Yare’ and I and we become paralyzed with fear.
Suddenly I find myself yelling the words of the shadow of Aleph in Yare’:“There is no hope, it is useless to go on. I just want to give up, I can’t take this any longer” Suddenly I feel something moving in my back pack. I remove my pack and look inside and there is the word Zacar grinning at me. He put a finger to his lips and said: “Shhhh!” “What you doing here?” I whispered. Zacar quietly responds: “Don’t you know by now that whenever you go behind the Looking Glass I follow you? I always have your back man. I am always here when you need me. After all I am also Yare’s protector.” I think for a moment and then I recall. “Yes, I remember you.” You were also in that same verse, you are the word remember.” “The Zayin in Zacar answers: “Yes and I am the first letter of that word and I am here to protect you.” I looked at Zayin and said “But you are such a little letter and the least used letter in the Hebrew Alphabet.” But then I recalled how the sages taught that Zayin was shaped like a sword, ready to do battle.
Zacar said, “Are you ready to do battle? Are you ready to fight these shadows with remembrance and I here to remind you of I John 4:18 “Perfect love cast out all fear.” Through the blood of Jesus you have access to the Perfect Love which will cast out all fear. Now remember that giant you had in the past called unemployment? God really came through on that one didn’t He, huh, huh?” That He did and I was even glad for the unemployment later. Zacar continued; “Remember when you faced that giant of death in the hospital, God said it wasn’t your time and if it is not your time you are going nowhere my friend and these shadows are just a bunch of liars.” I look at those Shadows and thanks to my protector Zacar, I recalled God’s past deliverance and I knew no harm would come to me unless it was allowed by God. My faith really began to increase and as it did Zayin leaped from my back pack and grow four feet into a powerful and deadly looking sword. Zayin yelled, “Forward Chaim and slay that malefactor Chatah (sin).” I told Zayin, but I am all used up I have no strength left.” Zayin simply said: “Hey I got two more letters behind to form Zacar (remembrance) remember?” That I did and that second letter was a Kap standing right by my ear. Kap is a container that is filled and what it is filled with are memories of God’s faithfulness in the past.” Still I said to Zayin “That is not enough, I need something else.” “Well” declares Zayin, “You are forgetting my last letter the Resh and it is not a shadow. Indeed it was not a shadow and in fact was over by its shadow in the word Yare’ afraid right at that moment. He gave his shadow a right hook and sent him sailing down into the canyon letting out a scream of terror. I looked down as the Shadow of Resh as he was falling into the canyon and shouted: “Now it is your turn to scream in terror, how do like that? Huh, Huh, so you’re not answering?” I looked up at Resh standing between the Yod and Aleph in the word Yare’ and when he took their hands I saw rest and peace come over them for that is what else the Resh represents is rest and peace. Then Zacar touched me and I felt that rest and peace in the knowledge of memories past when God delivered me.
Suddenly Resh was on my shoulder but this time he said: “You know I also represent repentance, you must repent for yielding to Yare’ (fear) if you want to get out of this mess.” I did repent and suddenly Resh turned into a bright light. I remember reading where Resh not only represents repentance, but the Holy Spirit as well. Now I can put power behind the Zayin (sword) and with that power I ran to those shadows of Chet and sent them all into that canyon. I looked over at Yare’ (afraid) and I saw that he suddenly turned into a bright light and the Yod’s shadow disappears and becomes Spirituality and the shadow of the Aleph fled as it becomes its original representation, that of God, The Divine Light. Yare‘ (fear) now took on its true meaning which is reverence for God. With Yare’ (changed now to reverence for God) and Zacar (remembrance) I recalled all the giants I had faced in the past and how God delivered me from those giants. With my memory of God’s past faithfulness I picked up my Zacar and said: “Come on, you and I have some unfinished business on the other side of my Looking Glass. I have a couple giants to take down are you with me?” “Let’s go get em’” said Zacar rubbing his hands together. Zacar loves a good fight especially when he knows he will win.
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