NOTE IF YOU WISH TO SHARE IN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE FROM THE ARAMAIC AND HEBREW JOIN US AT A CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 20-21 IN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA. I WILL BE SHARING FRIDAY EVENING AND SATURDAY AFTERNOON. MY MINISTRY PARTNER, LAURA, WILL BE SHARING ON DREAMS AND OILS OF THE BIBLE SATURDAY MORNING.

WORD STUDY – AND HE WAS BECOMING

Genesis 12:10 “There was famine in the land.”

Habakkah 2:4: “The just shall live by his faith.”

“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge – Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

A few weeks ago my dispatcher called me into the office where there are about five people who work in the senior service and disability department of the town. When I came in she handed me a big thick black book and said: “We don’t know what to do with this, do you have any use for it?” On the cover was one word Zohar. Some group of Jewish Kabbalist felt led to come to our office and bless them with a Zohar, written in Aramaic. No one in the office reads Aramaic and in fact never heard of the language. But my dispatcher knew I was interested in ancient languages and handed me this brand new Zohar. I tried to explain to them what it was but they were not following, but I was like a child receiving a new toy. The Zohar is a book from the Kabbalah which is considered a book of Jewish mysticism. I am not interested in Jewish mysticism, what I am interested in is how these Hebrew masters render certain words and passages in the Old Testament.

I know, I have heard it. I must be careful, these are not Christians and they don’t think the way we do. The thing about it is that these are the people of the Old Testament who grow up with the Hebrew language, live the Hebrew language and have ancestors who pass knowledge of the Hebrew language down from generation to generation. Is it possible that they might have something to share with us about how to use the Hebrew?

Let me give you an example I found in the Zohar (80a) which gives an interesting insight into Genesis 12:10. The word for there was in Hebrew is yehi. “There was famine in the land.”
Now Christian Hebrew teachers would never render it like these Jewish masters because Christian teachers think with a Western scientific, precise mathematical mindset. But the ancient rabbis don’t think that way, Semitic thought does not think that way. What they say is Genesis 12:10 should be rendered as: “and he was becoming a famine in the land.” Even if Christian teachers were incline to go this route they would quickly back off because it does not fit with the word famine. But to a Jewish Semitic mind it really does.

I often encourage my Hebrew students to be on alert for the many word plays found in the Hebrew. The Zohar teaches that this is one of them. Sure there was a literally famine, a lack of physical food in the land, but ancient Jewish rabbis believe in double meanings. Suppose we also rendered this “and He was becoming a famine in the land.“ This little play on words gives you such a double meaning. The Zohar does not overlook this play on words and comes right out and says that not only were people suffering a famine for physical food but for God as well. The Zohar gives the flip side or a spiritual rendering as “There was a lack of faith in the land.”

I, like most Americans, have never really experienced a famine. So the words in the Bible that speak of famine, have little significance for me, unless I give a verse like Genesis 12:10 it’s optional rendering. “And He was becoming a famine in the land.” Sounds strange, that God would become a famine in this land that is filled with churches, Bibles, TV, Radio ministries, books, CD, DVD’s, Christian movies, online streaming etc. Practically any church of any size will record their pastor preaching his sermon and put it up on You Tube.

Yet, as I share just the simple Word of God I find Christians with bookshelves filled with Christian Books, CD’s and DVDs lapping of every word as if they were starved. There is much teaching on how to live successfully, prosperously, etc., but so little deep study in the Word of God. Sort of makes the words of Samuel Taylor Coleridge ring true.

The word for famine is ra’av which is spelled Resh which the Kabbalah teaches means a prideful man, Ayin – greed and Beth – feelings of spiritual superiority.” You can see the very structure of the word for famine tells us what brings about a famine, spiritual pride and greed. This brings not only famine to a nation, but an individual. Maybe not a famine of food but of God. So is that so mystical that it is dangerous for a Christian? It is really dangerous for a Christian not to know to his spiritual pride and greed can bring a famine for God’s presence?

But let me not point a finger at the nation or the church, but at myself. As I read the Zohar’s rendering of Genesis 12:10 I realized there was a famine in my own life. Lately I have been wandering through a desert land in my job, relationships, hopes and dreams. Everything seemed to be coming unglued. Everywhere there was advice, words of wisdom, knowledge, but not a drop to drink. There was a famine in this old boy, or as the Zohar would render a lack of faith.

I then read in Habakkuh 2:4 that the just shall live by faith. Actually, the Zohar renders this a little differently: “The just shall live in his faith.” Do you really live in your faith or just by faith. I like the Jewish rendering better, because I often step out of my faith. I allow my pride to soar and I start trusting in my job, my relationships, but not God. I realized that if I lost my job, my relationships, I would be hopeless. So let me conclude this as a good, non mystical Christian by sharing an old hymn I used to sing in church as a child:

My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

So find fault with me if my understanding of Genesis 12:10 comes from that, oh my gosh, Jewish commentary called the Zohar. It taught me to stand on the rock of Christ for all other ground is sinking sand. Besides I am only obeying Zechariah 8:23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days [it shall come to pass], that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard [that] God [is] with you.