I can still be surprised

Recently I read, "Reading translations are like drinking downstream of the source. You cannot be sure it is pure." I wish I had taken time to write down the authors name so she could have credit.

Picture by Leah Tetzlaff

That phrase sums up why I study Hebrew. Meaning is often lost in translation. I am convinced that translators do their work with the best of intentions, but as the translation ages, readers, even teachers and preachers add their own understanding to the translated passage. I'm sure that happens even with perfect understanding of the original language.

Trust YHVH with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

The surprise this morning is Psalm 23. That simple psalm of trusting the Almighty when life is scary. We teach it to our little ones to give them comfort from the shadows that hide in the closet or under the bed.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

The pictograph message of the Hebrew letters tells me more about "my shepherd" and "shall not want". Shepherd is ra'ah and tells of man who looks to the hand of the Almighty for his needs. But want is chacer which tells the story of being fenced in and dependent on man for my needs. Those who look to the hand of the Almighty are not wanting, Those dependent upon men suffer from want. It is rather like government health care. There are all sorts of benefits promised to citizens but we are wanting what was promised. Benefits and good health remain unattainable. We who look to the Almighty already have... what we desire.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me. Psalm 23:4

This verse might have been an even bigger surprise. The Valley of the Shadow of Death is not a dark hike through the mountains, but a trench that is dug for your dead body, a grave.

All of our lives, all that we do, how we live on this earth, lead to one unavoidable destination. A grave. I honestly thought that this passage was about the difficult times of life. It is actually about our ultimate destination on earth. Death.

Hope is found in the pronoun "Thou" from the Hebrew attah, which speaks of Y'shua-Jesus. The root word of attah is the Aleph-Tav 'ot whom Y'shua-Jesus said was him. (Revelation 1:8, 21:6 and 22:13) We get our English translations down stream of Hebrew. The phrase came to us from Greek so we say that Y'shua is the Alpha and Omega from the Greek alphabet, which has no real meaning (unless we lean on our own understanding instead of acknowledging Him). The 'ot has a hey (the 5th Hebrew letter) as a suffix. Hey pictures insight from heaven. As a suffix it makes the root word fruitful (Some say it feminises the word, assuming that Hebrew is like French or Latin). When a believer goes to the grave, Y'shua-Jesus is with them.

And God raised Him (Y'shua-Jesus) up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it is impossible for Him to be held in its power. Acts 2:24

When life ends and your remains are set in the trench, the grave, Y'shua-Jesus is with you. Since death has no power over Him, it has no power over those who are in Him. But you MUST be born again. If not... you probably know the consequences of death without the Savior. I urge you, look to the Almighty, not men. ...and dwell in the house of the LORD for all eternity Psalm 23:6b

Maranatha,
Mrs. Hagerty, March 23, 2017