Blog 210. Pay Attention! Be Mindful!!

⦁ Isaiah 51:4 ESV

4 “Give attention to me, my people,

and give ear to me, my nation;

for a law will go out from me,

and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.

⦁ Isaiah 51:4 BHS

4 הַקְשִׁ֤יבוּ אֵלַי֙ עַמִּ֔י וּלְאוּמִּ֖י אֵלַ֣י הַאֲזִ֑ינוּ כִּ֤י תוֹרָה֙ מֵאִתִּ֣י תֵצֵ֔א וּמִשְׁפָּטִ֔י לְאֹ֥ור עַמִּ֖ים אַרְגִּֽיעַ׃

Pay attention הקשב

🤔 light
⦁ Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Above was the plural form of the Hiphil imperative…

Below, the singular…

Impression – הקשב pay attention; ישוע salvation; בחשך in darkness; יבשה dry (land) cognate permutations – (cause/respond)

❶ hearkening

⦁ Psalms 5:1-2(1-3H)

TO THE CHOIRMASTER: FOR THE FLUTES. A PSALM OF DAVID.

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD;

consider my groaning.

2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,

my King and my God,

for to you do I pray.

⦁ Exodus 7:11

11 Then Pharaoh called to the wise men and to the sorcerers (h3784. כָּשַׁף ḵâšap̱), and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts.

⦁ Exodus 7:11

11 וַיִּקְרָא֙ גַּם־פַּרְעֹ֔ה לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֨וּ גַם־הֵ֜ם חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֛יִם בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן׃

⦁ Exodus 22:18(17H)

18 “You shall not permit a sorceress (h3784. כָּשַׁף ḵâšap̱) to live.

⦁ Exodus 22:17

17 מְכַשֵּׁפָ֖ה לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּֽה׃ ס

❷ being alert

⦁ Psalms 130:1-2

A SONG OF ASCENTS.

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!

2 O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

⦁ Psalms 130:1-2

1 שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲלֹ֑ות מִמַּעֲמַקִּ֖ים קְרָאתִ֣יךָ יְהוָֽה׃

2 אֲדֹנָי֮ שִׁמְעָ֪ה בְקֹ֫ולִ֥י תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה אָ֭זְנֶיךָ קַשֻּׁבֹ֑ות לְ֝קֹ֗ול תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃

⦁ Psalms 140:3

3 They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s,

and under their lips is the venom of asps (h5919. עַכְשׁוּב ‘aḵšûḇ). Selah

⦁ Psalms 140:4

4 שָֽׁנֲנ֣וּ לְשׁוֹנָם֮ כְּֽמוֹ־נָ֫חָ֥שׁ חֲמַ֥ת עַכְשׁ֑וּב תַּ֖חַת שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹ סֶֽלָה׃

WE MUST ALWAYS CONSIDER THE SOURCE // “QUESTION EVERYTHING” //

Recall that Judaism and Christianity have been in contention for 2000 years, so everything must be very carefully handled… these “also verses” are “veiled/subtle” suggestions that Yeshua/Jesus was a sorcerer/an asp… This is an instance where it would have been simpler/more straightforward to use a form of one of the listed cognates in the EDBH entry for the “also verse” than to have looked for these nouns to plant seeds of negativity. Sadly, I have read too many words written on “both sides” denigrating the other and feeling denigrated by the other. It is truly sad when we consider that we all come from the same Father and the same roots. The consistent message in Scripture, both Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, is concisely stated in:

⦁ Micah 6:8

8 He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

⦁ Matthew 7:12

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets.”

I just have to take a moment to remind all who read here that a hope of mine all along has been to try to draw Christianity and Judaism closer together. I have been challenged on that by a Jewish teacher, because of the necessity of “being separate.” Certainly there has been a great purpose for Judaism to be separate, as Paul speaks about it in Romans 8. It was important to get across to the world that idea of “putting a fence around Torah.“ There is a teaching advantage in that. The world has gotten to a place where the worldwide web of communication has assured that all have gotten the message. It is not my place to tell others what to do, only to share ideas. Is it still necessary? Times change. Contexts change. We learned from what went before us. And we learn from what is now with us. Power corrupts. Humility heals.

I have to say the same thing about contention between male and female. Times change. Contexts change. Perhaps there was a time in the history of mankind that women needed “protectors.” That time seems to have passed in many ways. The Industrial Revolution and the Technological Revolution have made these things possible. We have not seen these “revolutions” being brought down as Towers of Babel. Perhaps it is a time and a place for divisions to break down. I have searched for years for “an answer” to the consideration of women as “secondary persons.” There are many potential reasons; I cannot at this time make a definitive statement (perhaps in the future? Lord willing, I will continue to search.) Perhaps it is time that we no longer try to “punish one another“ for past times and settings. Perhaps it is time for us to break down barriers and embrace.

Change is difficult. We like to hold onto the past. Only YHWH can really change hearts. My prayer to him is that hearts will be changed. We are all created equal, purposely not identical, but worthy, worthy to be called children of YHWH. Perhaps we could live that way. I believe this was one of the messages of Yeshua/Jesus.

⦁ Exodus 3:14

14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

There is one LORD of all who goes by many names. Of late I have been calling him/her (male and female characteristics) the Creator and Sustainer, based upon the roles we have seen and continue to see. The One who simply IS. As John Lennon and Paul McCartney said, 🎶 Let It Be 🎵.

Be mindful. Pay attention… Be a light. Being בחשך in darkness has been the cause, has led us to respond. But now there has been advancement to a point that a light has been shined. We don’t need to “over-react,” go to “excesses/extremes.” We simply need to embrace that 🎶 Ebony and Ivory 🎵 idea of Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. Live side by side. Or as Lilla Watson said, “If you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine,then let us work together.” If you truly believe The Creator and Sustainer is indeed our Sustainer (as I do), then believe that if we have gone too far, then once again YHWH would do as before:

⦁ Genesis 11:8-9

8 So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

What is the conclusion?