In a word

Expressing one’s self in today’s busy world can be a real challenge. Finding just the right word for that perfect moment can be a real challenge. For instance, if I was to ask “How are you doing” you might reply with “I’m Fine, OK, alright, I’m well or things couldn’t be better!” all of which may or may not convey with much accuracy how you are really “doing”. The English language many times comes up a bit short when trying to add meaning to an idea you are trying to communicate.

Ancient Hebrew, on the other hand, was constructed using 22 letters or characters that can stand alone, or express a variety of meanings with very little being lost in translation. Early Hebrew was constructed as a pictographic language with the characters resembling things like an ox head, a house or wind. These Hebrew letters also have a numeric value, can convey complete thoughts, and tell a story using only these word pictures. They also can be grouped into three letter root words that when combined with other roots form complete ideas and thoughts. Some form of ancient Hebrew was most likely the language Noah spoke when he exited the ark and, some scholars believe it to be the language we will speak in the Kingdom of God.

The bible is a message from God sent by inspiration through the Holy Spirit to human writers. The entire collection of 66 books is a love letter from outside the physical limits of time and space. Interestingly, when the bible is studied in its original language it becomes illuminated in much the same way a laser light illuminates holographic film. You have all seen holograms where you are able to “see around” objects located in the foreground of the hologram.

In ancient times, when copying the scriptures, Jewish Scribes labored in their efforts to be absolutely accurate with every word, letter and space. But what about when Hebrew gets translated into another language like English? 

 If you look at the psalm 119, which happens to be the longest chapter in the bible; you will discover something inherent to language translation. Psalm 119 was originally designed as an alphabet acrostic.  It is divided into 22 sections where each section begins with the next corresponding Hebrew letter. The first section begins with the first letter of the Hebrew language; the “Aleph” and each subsequent section use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in each of its stanzas. Each of the eight verses in the first section begins with an “Aleph” then each verse in the second section begins with “Beth” and so on all through the 22 letters of the Hebrew Aleph-Beth.

Open your bible to psalm 119 and you will discover from the text in English that this unique language construction was unfortunately lost in translation. I point this out not to discredit or cast doubt on the validity of our English translation but instead to illuminate a very interesting treasure found in the original Hebrew roots imbedded in each of the proper names recorded in the genealogy found in chapter 5 of the book of Genesis. 

In chapter 5 we have recorded the very beginning family tree of our Savior Jesus of Nazareth. The names are recorded in the birth order starting with Adam who begot Seth, who begot Enosh, who begot Kenan, who begot Mahalalel, who begot Jared, who begot Enoch, who begot Methuselah, who begot Lamech, who begot Noah.

Taking the Hebrew roots that make up these proper names we are able to construct the following: Adam = man, Seth = appointed, Enosh = mortal, Kenan = sorrow, Mahalalel = The Blessed God, Jared = shall come down, Enoch = teaching, Methuselah = his death shall bring, Lamech = the despairing, Noah = comfort, rest.

When you string the meanings of these proper names together in the correct birth order that is recorded in Genesis chapter 5 you discover the following: Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow (but) The Blessed God shall come down teaching His death shall bring the despairing comfort (and) rest.

So here you have the gospel or good news of God’s provision for our salvation written in the book of Genesis. The first five books of the bible including Genesis were written by Moses 1500 years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. There is a saying among many Jewish Rabbis that suggests “coincidence” is not a kosher word. 

God’s word is indeed living, active and sharper than a double edged sword. His word pierces our soul and is able to divide the bones from the marrow. Jesus said to Satan when He was being tempted “It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” Selah