Step Out

Interestingly in the twelfth chapter of Bereshit we read Gods commandment to Avraham, when you go out. The word there for go in Hebrew as it is used in this portion is Lech Lecha and is rooted in the word Halak and it means to walk, a journey or lifestyle. This lifestyle God called Avraham to walk in required him to walk out of his fathers house and out of his fathers country. Jeremiah 16:19 says the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, saying Our ancestors inherited nothing but lies, futile idols, completely useless. Historical reference gathered from the book of Yasher or Upright provides details about Avrahams father, Terah, who was the head idol-maker for Nimrod. Avraham was raised in that culture of paganism and YHVH called him to come out of that.

The Messenger
Theres another interesting note to the beginning of this journey Abram was stepping out in faith to walk. The root word of Halak, Lok, spelled with the letters
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Lamed Kaf also means message. You see it easier in a word such as Melech, which means king, but it also meansmessenger. From the outset Abba has made some poignant distinctions. Number one, He has expressly told Abraham, I am going to make you a great nation, I am going to bless you and I am going to make you a blessing. Actually thats three things, but I had to get to that last word found in Genesis 12:2, a blessing. Theres a word picture at play here that unfolds like a beautiful rose in bloom under the dew on a sun-kissed morning. I have to share it with you. If you will allow me to redirect your attention for a moment, this will dovetail nicely into our discussion about Genesis 12:2 and about the blessing. All throughout Scripture our Messiah is likened metaphorically to numerous things in an effort to convey what a life come in contact with Him does. For instance, Yeshua describes Himself as The Vine and His followers as branches, and in John chapter 15 He goes on to say that provided we remain grafted into Him, then our branches will bear fruit. Isnt that lovely? Now, most of us who are familiar with Scripture are aware of that particular passage. Among other things Messiah has also been called The Living Bread. But the one I want to turn our attention to is the one mentioned in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 17 verse 13. We read O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD. 1 Corinthians 10:4 says and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. In the meeting between the Samaritan woman and Yeshua while sitting at Jacobs well He declared that He is The Living Water. When one is born, they come forth from their Mothers womb. In the truest sense newborn babies are mikvehd, or brought forth from the water into this life. When Nicodemus traveled under the cover of night to a clandestine meeting with Messiah he learned from Yeshua that man must be born again! But Nicodemus struggled with this saying. In John chapter three he asked Messiah, how can a grown man be born again? Can he return again to the womb? But Yeshua explained that he must be born of water and of The Spirit. At the beginning of Torah, in Bereshit chapter 1 verse 2 we read that The Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water. And it was shortly after that meeting that Earth was brought forth from out of the water; another type and shadow of Messiah. Now, YHVH Elohim has called Abram. He has distinguished that through him all the nations will be blessed, that He will bless him and that He will make him a blessing. So, what is it about this blessing that is so integral to not only Abrahams story, but to all of us? If you will observe, the Hebrew word used here for blessing is berkh. Its spelled with a Beit, a Resh, a Kaf and a Heh and it means blessing, praise of God, prosperity, gift, present, or a treaty of peace. Didnt Yeshua say These things I have
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spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). A treaty is defined as an agreement or contract between two or more parties. The definition of Covenant as it occurs in Scripture is an agreement, an alliance or a treaty (Strongs #1285). If we study blessing in light of the paleo-Hebrew we discover its original three letter root word of Berak, spelled with a Beit, a Resh and a Kaf. It literally means The bending at the knee to drink from a pond or present a gift. [from: beit reshas a filling with a gift; with the letter kaph, the full meaning being to fill the palm. A place where one kneels down to drink1. So here we have this beautiful picture of a messenger (Abraham) who is called to carry the living water of covenant (the blessing) to the nations wherewith they will all be blessed! It was, it is, and it shall be. YHVH asks for His people to receive His call and to become His messenger to the world to regather them that are lost. Beautiful, but how is this accomplished?

Shine Upon One Another

What The Father has been doing throughout creation is filling it with Himself. He spoke creation into existence and His Spirit hovered over the chaotic waters of the void and He brought forth life. He breathed His breath into man into filled him with His life. YHVH instructed Moses on how to build a sanctuary that He could shakan, or dwell amidst and in His people. When they built the Holy of Holies YHVH descended into it and filled it with His glory, so much so that no man could enter. In Psalm 81:10 we read I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. Romans 15:13 reads Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. And especially we read in the letter to the Ephesians in chapter 4 verse 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things. At the end of the Haftarah reading for the Torah portion in Lech Lecha, YHVH sums it up succinctly. In Yeshayahu chapter 41 in verse 16 we read But you will rejoice in The LORD, you will glory in The Holy One of Israel. So, when we take this message out into the world, we want to know what that is supposed to look like. He says we are to glory in The LORD. First, the word as its used in this verse for glory in the Hebrew is hlal. Identified as Strongs #1984, as it is defined by Thayers dictionary means to praise or to boast, to shine or to flash forth light. Yeshua our Messiah came to do just that friend. When we read Luke chapter one we read that Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the
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Benner, Jeff Ancient Hebrew Lexicon. Number 2039 N p.309

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way of peace (Luke 1:78-79). If we were to search for this words New Testament equivalent in the Greek we would soon discover there are multiple words that carry a similar meaning. But the one I specifically would like you to key in on is Strongs #2017, the word is epipha. According to Thayers it is defined as to shine upon; Christ will pour upon you the divine truth as the sun gives light to men aroused from sleep. It is found once in the Testimony of Yeshua, one time. In Ephesians chapter 5 verse 14 we read For this reason it says, Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Since the beginning YHVHs Son Yeshua has been filling and shining upon creation. When we come into a knowledge of what He has done we can then shine back on Him adoration and praise for what Hes done. Not only that, but we in turn are to shine upon one another! When we do this, we are behaving just as our Messiah did, reflecting the shalom, and praise of The Father to awaken the world to His presence, His promise, His covenant, His Living Water! A final note; if you do a search on the Greek word epipha for its Hebrew cognate hlal comes up. But theres one morehal, which is rooted in the Hebrew word hel, which is translated into the word for the tent of Yahovah. When we glory in The LORD, regardless of time or location we then become His chosen instrument that creates a special place, a tent if you will, that people can enter into seeking refuge from the adversary. So, the question I have for you is this; are your words, your actions, your conductat home, at the job, in the assembly, in the checkout line, in public, in private, even aloneis it creating a tent of meeting where you and those around you can be brought into the transforming presence of God? This is our aim beloved, this is our goal. Go! And Shine!