I love exploring the fascinating insights from Hebrew. Take for instance the Hebrew letter “mem” which is the “M” sound. In the ancient pictograms it looked like three upside down “v”s in a row. Or imagine writing a capital M but adding another peak. It looked like waves on the water.

Two insights to mem:
1) It signifies living water
2) It’s the Hebrew letter for the number 40

Isn’t it interesting that the number 40 in Hebrew signifies a time set-apart for preparation before the start of a specific event:
*Rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights after Noah built the ark and waters covered the earth.
*God took Moses into the desert for 40 years before he brought him before Pharaoh.
*The 10 spies went throughout the land for 40 days.
*God had the children of Israel wander for 40 years before bringing them into the promised land (1 year for each day the spies went out).
*Yeshua went through 40 days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness before the start of his public ministry.

Lesser known 40′s that God has instituted:
*It’s forty days from conception to the formation of a fetus
*It’s forty weeks for a full-term pregnancy. BTW: in a Hebrew lunar calendar, a pregnancy is 10 months, not nine!-10 being the number of completion and fullness. A lunar month is 28 days. There are 40 weeks or 280 days to a full-term pregnancy. 280/28 days=10 months!

Now, take all together that mem=40. Mem also equals living water and then consider the application of the statement of Jesus being the living water! And also the statement that Jesus was the spiritual rock that gave them spiritual drink in the desert.

Yeshua was not only to be a servant and savior but He was to act as our great High Priest. A priest intercedes between men and God and only the High Priest could offer the Day of Atonement sacrifice. What did the Torah dictate for the ordination of the High Priest? Well, let’s take a look….

Exo 40:12 And you are to bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and you are to wash them with water.
Exo 40:13 Then you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, and you are to anoint him and sanctify him that he may minister to me as a priest.

The anointing was done with oil. Oil we know from Hebraic typology is a type of the Holy Spirit. What happened at that baptism scene? Yeshua emerges from the water and the Holy Spirit (the real thing, not the typology) comes down onto Yeshua to anoint Him to do the Father’s will. Messiah means “Anointed One.”

Next time you read about Yeshua’s baptism and the Holy Spirit descending on Him….keep that in mind.

Let me tell you as one who has studied the Jewish roots of our faith….this in NO way reflects what the phrase “in Jesus’ name” means. In Hebrew culture, a person’s name reflected their character, family and your history. To say your name in Hebrew society basically told people who you were, who your family was, and what could be expected of you. To say you came “in the name” of someone bore the same authority as if the person was there themselves. Not merely because of the words but because of the character and reputation of the person you represented. To misrepresent the one in whose name you came could end your life.

Praying “in Jesus’ name” means that we want our prayers and requests to bear witness to who Jesus is. We are to sanctify his name and honor it. The name of God reflects His character and will. To pray in God’s name means that our petitions are to reflect God’s character and will.

So when Yeshua said: “Ask anything in my name and it will be given…” He was in effect saying: “Ask anything that reflects my character and will and it will be given to you.” Conversely, those requests which don’t reflect His character and will won’t be granted.

God is the Master of the Universe and is subject to NO man! Redeemed or un-redeemed! To use His name as some sort of incantation for our selfish purposes is a violation of Exodus 20:7

Through my many and varied experiences I’ve come to know and appreciate the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. I’ve been to Israel, am currently studying Hebrew, and have spent the last few years doing studies on all things Jewish as they pertain to the 1st century and before.  In my studies I have come to realize that many things we do as a “church” (more on why that word is in quotations in a future blog) are mere tradition and ritual. Don’t get me wrong, some traditions are benign and continuing them is harmless. Others, though, are continued and taught as though they were dogma and any attempts to revamp or remove them from church are met with such an antagonistic zeal and fervor that borders on unreasonable fanaticism. And those who attempt to revamp or remove them are, at least, labeled “dangeous rebels” or at worst, “heretics” or “apostates.” These need to be re-examined and explored.

Before you start to think that anything I am writing here is of the “Emerging Church” ilk, I assure you, it is not. My theology would be described as evangelical, fundamental. When it comes to the Triunity of God, the diety of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), His virgin birth, His sinless life and sacrificial death and atonement on the cross and His physical resurrection on the third day from the tomb….I am totally on board!

But I digress. You will find different terminology here than you might be used to in your typical “Christianese” vocabulary. So let me help you understand what you might read here by providing you with a short glossary:

Yeshua and/or Yeshua HaMashiach = Jesus and/or Jesus Christ.

Why the change? Yeshua is Jesus’ Hebrew name and it is what He would’ve been by his mother and step-father, his apostles and disciples. Jesus is the Latin rendering of the Greek rendering of His Hebrew name. Whew! Imagine what would happen to your name if it had to go through three languages to be understood! The name “Jesus Christ” has come to be confused as though “Christ” is Jesus’ last name or something. As though He could be called ”Mr. Christ”. I want people to understand that “Christ” is a title. “Christ” is the Greek rendition of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” or more accurately “Mashiach,” which means “Anointed One.”

Hebrew Scriptures or Tanakh = The Old Testament

Why the change? Honestly, I think just the name “Old Testament” is misleading. It may be an “older” testament, but “Old Testament” makes it sound as if it should be relegated to the trash bin or put it in a retirement home or something. We fail to realize that every single thing given to us in the New Testament was first instituted, prophesied, or typified for us in the Hebrew Scriptures. David H. Stern has stated: ” The New Testament without the Old is as impossible as the 2nd floor of a house without the first. The Old Testament without the New is as unfinished as a house without a roof.”

And finally, when speaking or witnessing to Jews it’s just plain more respectful to refer to it as the Hebrew Scriptures or the Tanakh (which is what they call it).

Well, that’s enough to get started and give you an idea of what you can find on here. I hope you enjoy your time here. Leave me a comment if you desire. Any and all comments that are rude, insulting or disrespect the name of God or Yeshua in any way will be deleted and not posted.