Sunday
Jul122009
Sunday, July 12, 2009 « “Storms” »
Jeff Bjorgan
The Gospels record how Jesus calmed a storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee. In the midst of the storms of life, we can find great assurance in the knowledge that it is God who is in our boat.
[Mark 4:35-41]
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Reader Comments (3)
Jeff a Great Sermon on Mark 4:35-41 (Triumph over hostile powers – Calming the Storms) it goes right along with what we have been studying in Mini Church on Tuesday nights and what I do with my meditations/prayers. I may not be able to get to Church on Sunday at present but it sure is nice to be able to listen to the sermon that is given. It is like being there.
I stop and relate the sermons to my present day experiences and meditate on how I can use the WVRD that I hear and how GVD is speaking to me; from what has been spoken and written.
It is in the SheMA (hearing) that the ShLVM (Peace of GVD) is acquired and in both cases the Jewish understanding of each of these words includes the action taken. The question we need to ask is, does one act on what has been heard and does ones actions make Peace in the environment that they are living in? Are we being Peace Makers and not just peacekeepers? GVD's Peace is a continuous implementation of the GVSPL in our lives.
How this sermon speaks to me is that the boat that we are in is this body vessel and it is the mind that produces the storm, a tempest of fears that can swamp our spirits. GVD did not give us a Spirit of fear but one of Power, Love and a Sound Mind [2 Timothy 2:8]. We need to trust in the YSHVS, his Name, His WVRD and use meditation/prayer to stay these storms that rage in our psyche each day. It is the one thought that leads to a second thought, to a third and then to 10000 things that swamp our Serenity our Peace.
We need to let the breath of GVD breath in us again through prayers/meditation as a daily practice/habit after or jobs, schooling, etc. Meditation becomes the washing of regeneration by the WVRD, which comes though the HVLY SPhRYT [Titus 3:5] [John 15:3] who is our guide, counselor, and comforter. As in Romans 12:1-2 it is the renewing of the mind that we are transformed and meditation/prayers help us to accomplish this transformation.
In meditation we stand at the crossroads and ask for the ancient and good ways, and a place for the Rest of our Souls, as did Jeremiah. We are directed to take the "AMaN" [Strong’s 541] "aw-man" the right hand road, which is the Way of the Righteous [Ps 23: 3], to go the way of GVD [Ezek 21:16,21 NIV].
We need to set aside a few minutes as a tithing each dayh to let the name of YShVS say to the tempest winds and raging seas of our thoughts "Quiet, be Still" and listen to His still Quiet Voice within us. We need to reflect on the 17 things that can never separate us from the Love of GVD we have in YShVS ChRYST our LVRD. [Rom 8:35-39 KJV]
I find that I must cast out of my mind the Imaginations and Thoughts of temptations of this tempest, to bring the storm of the day into obedience of ChRYST. [2Cor 10:5 KJV]
I find in my meditations the Asherah Poles that I have erected in the high places of my heart during the day and I like Josiah cut them down and cast them into the fire [2 Kings 23: 1-25 NIV]. With me I have chosen to use the consuming fire of the HVLY SPhRYT to accomplish this task. In that way I can cast the dust and powder of them onto the four winds of the earth.
This body of mine is the Mishkan (temple) unto the HVLY SPhRYT and there is no place to but the Asherah Pole of idol worship of the self or the altar fire of Molech. I choose to be GVD sufficient and not self-sufficient. It is written to first seek the Kingdom of GVD and it is in reverent fear and meekness I do so. For it is written that the beginning of Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding is the fear of GVD not the fear of the world or of man. So it is written so it shall be done by me.
When I Trust in YShVS he will take me to the other side of the sea of life and I can rest my mind on the cushion of the Cross and be assured that the storm withinwill be brought under his control and I will be able to see clearly; abiding in the WVRD/GVSPL of ChRYST.
To Him be the GLVRY
For Now and Forever
AMaN VAMeN
HaLLV YaH
I do have a question though. I'm curious about all the different spellings of spiritual words. At first I thought it was reflective of the Jewish respect for "the Name", thus, sticking with YHWH, or even substituting the generic "God" with "G-d". But I wasn't too sure about all the V's, especially in words like "Christ" or "Hallelujah" or "Glory". I'm really quite curious -would you be able to enlighten me?
Great to hear from you and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts,
Jeff
Y Sh V S (Jesus)
It is best to explain my use of these letters to spell the Name of Jesus in context of Hebrew letters and Rabbinical thought. These letters and what they represent are points of meditation on the person of Christ working in the world and us. YShVS was called Rabbi and was First and foremost a Jew as a Man. He also taught in the style of the Rabbi’s in the synagogues and to his disciples. By spelling his name with the Hebrew letters I find I am able to obtain a deeper understanding of my Lord and Saviour.
The “Y” (Yod) is the Hebrew equivalent of the English letter “J” or “I” in Greek and Old English.
The “Sh” (Shin) is the Hebrew equivalent of the English letter “Sh” [Israel/YShRAL] or “S” in other cases.
The “V” (Vav) is the Hebrew equivalent of the English letter “V” when combined with vowel points.
The last letter “S” (Samekh) is the Hebrew equivalent of the English letter “S”.
The “Y” in Hebrew is the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has a pictorial image of an arm and hand in proto-sinaitic script. It has a symbolic relationship with the right hand of YHVH (Jehovah) or turning to the right. YShVS is seen as the right hand of God “Yamin” and sits at YHVH’s right hand. In Revelations Jesus says to John “I put my right hand on you do not be afraid. I am the Living One….behold I am alive for ever and ever….” [Revelations 1:17-18]
The right hand and turning to the right also has a direct association with YShVS being called the “Amen” in Revelations 3:14 and in Paul’s letter to the Colossians 1:15-20 where he speaks of the supremacy of ChRYST.
The Yod is the first dot that the Scribes start a letter with and it is usually the last dot used to finish the same letter. The Yod is in essence the first and the last and the beginning and the end of each letter, word, phrase, thought and the Bible when written completely in Hebrew. In Revelations YShVS is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, and the Alpha and Omega. The Yod perfectly represents this concept.
The Rabbis consider the Yod the starting point of God in all things and the spark of the Spirit in everything.
The Yod is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet and because of its size it is associated with humbleness and humility, which perfectly represents YShVS in his relationship to the will of the Father.
Because of it being the smallest letter the Yod has a serif at its end/face that points’ upward in the direction of God. This Serif may be the “tittle” that YShVS speaks of Matt 5:8 and Luke 16:17. If this serif is missing on any of the Yods in the Torah the whole Torah is considered invalid.
The word Yod itself means hand in Hebrew and the shape of the Letter Yod is said to resemble a Jewish man in prayer.
There are three parts to the letter Yod; the tag that points upward from the face and the Kotz that points down from the face. The face being the main and center part of the Yod. The Kotz and the tag form the serif. The middle part resembles a miniature Vav and it holds the two parts [heaven and earth] of the serif together.
The Yod is symbolic in the prayerful man connecting between heaven and earth through the Holy Spirit. The tag above the face is said to represent the crown given to the bent man (face) humble in submission to God.
In the case of YShVS it symbolizes the human nature of Christ and his divinity as the humble mediator for humanity before our Father God. This type of Messianic symbolism is also attributed to the First letter of the Hebrew alphabet “Aleph”.
There are three parts to this letter as there are three parts to the Trinity that Unite to form a single form. The Holy AChD of our Lord God [Deut 6:4]
The Yod also represents the number ten and is associated symbolically to the 10 commandments. There were 10 things created on the first day and 10 things created on the last day. There are 10 generations between Adam and Noah and 10 generations between Noah and Abraham. Abraham’s faith being attributed to the disciples of YShVS and having such faith we are adopted as sons into the inheritance of YHVH by abiding in ChRYST. We are also to give a 10th part to our Lord [Leviticus 27:32].
The divine name of God “YHVH” starts with a Yod as does the Jewish word for YShVS “Yeshuah” as does Israel-YShRAL, Jacob-YAKV, which are two names given to the Jewish people by God.
In symbolic and mystical terms of meditation the Yod is the sign of God that shows his Spirit, he is One and that all things are from him and the power of his Word.
The “Sh”(sheen/sin) is the twenty-first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is associated to the Holy Spirit of YHVH. Its pictorial form is that of a trident. There is a horizontal base with three upward prongs. If a dot appears above the left prong the letter is pronounced as an “S” and if the dot appears above the right prong it is pronounced as “Sh”.
Its numerical sofit value is 300 and 300 is the mathematical equivalent of the sofit value of the Hebrew Words Ruach Alohym (Spirit of God). The number 21 is also associated in Rabbinical thought to the Covenant of God, which was made with Moses. YShVS prays to the father for one like him to come and guide, counsel and comfort the believers as he did while in the flesh. The Holy Spirit is given by Father God as a gift as result of this prayer request of Christ. Symbolically it shows the Unity of the Holy Trinity.
The “V” (Vav) is the equivalent of the English letter “U” or “O” depending on the vowel points used. It is the sixth letter of the Hebrew. Its pictorial representation in the sinaitic scripts is that of a hook or nail.
It first appears as the Twenty-second letter of the opening verse of Genesis 1:1 and it links heaven and earth together. Since it links the two creations together the rabbi’s explain that the spiritual and earthly matters of heaven and earth are linked together. The twenty-second letter in the Hebrew alphabet is represented pictorially as a cross.
The Word “Vav” is used to refer to the silver hooks that fastened the curtain to posts that held the curtain that encircled the tabernacle. The letter “Vav” also starts each column of text in a Torah Scroll (248 times; representing the number of bones in the human body) which represents the Hook “Vav” that is spoken of in Gen 27:9-10.
The “Vav” is also representative of man; for man was created on the 6th day and he labours for six days.
In Numbers 25:12 “behold I am giving the Peace of My Covenant” the Hebrew letter for the Vav is broken in half in the word Shalom that is translated as Peace. In the writing of the Torah there can be no scribal errors and this is one that is done on purpose. It is done to show the brokenness of man with God (YHVH), which was healed when Phineas slew the Israelite and the Moabite woman to stop the plaque and God’s people from destruction. As ChRYST slew death with his own and saved us from the destruction of God.
On a level of meditation the Vav represents the brokenness of YShVS the Son of Man who was broken to restore the people back to the covenant of Peace with YHVH.
Another curious fact is that the Vav is missing in the phrase “these are the generations of”– toldot/generations- T?LDVT” after the fall of Man from God’s grace. In Gen 2:4 “generations TVLDVT” is spelled with two Vavs but after the disobedience of Adam and Eve the word generations is spelled defectively. The Vav is restored in Ruth 4:18 and once again the second Vav is used in the phrase “these are the generations of Perez”. The double use of the Vav in generations is only found in Gen 2:4 and Ruth 4:18 Interestingly enough the last name of Ruth is Perez and it is in direct linage to King David. The line of David and the coming Messiah YShVS restores the brokenness of human kind.
The last letter is “S” samekh (sah-mekh) and is the fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and its proto-sinaitic pictograph is symbolic of a shield.
The root meaning of the word it to lean upon or to support and is associated to the word semikhah or the laying of hands upon. It is associated to consecration of the priest hood with the laying of the hands upon the sacrificial victim (lamb, bull, etc.) [Exodus 29:10; also see Leviticus 16:21, Deut 34:9, Ezekiel 24:2]
When a Rabbi is confirmed in his position the ceremony is called a Semikhah.
In Rabbinical tradition samekh is explained as the never-ending circle of God’s divine Glory. It is interesting to note that the ordinal and sofit value of samekh is 60/15 and that there are exactly 60 letters and 15 words of the Priestly Blessing [Numbers 6:23-27] of the Torah.
The number 15 in the Hebrew numbering system is represented by “Yod – Hey” the 10th and 5th letters of the alphabet which in turn is one of the sacred Names of God (YH-Yah).
So in conclusion when I write or see Jesus spelled as YShVS I see all these attributes in the letters and the Name. To me as to the Jews I see these letters as being alive and full of the power of God. Each of these letters relates to Messianic passages and passages in scripture that relate to a shield, fortress, protection, blessing, the Holy Spirit etc.
There is the Right Hand of God, His Holy Spirit, the human and divine Son of God and Man, who is our Shield and Chief Priest who consecrated us through his blood into a Holy Priesthood in which we are justified and considered righteous by YHVH.
To me this spelling of Jesus “YShVS” more accurately describes whom he was from before time began, through the ages, as he is now and will be forever.
Aman Vmen
HaLLV YaH