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Showing posts with the label providence

Word for Word: Episode 46

יְבָ֧רֶךְ אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים God blessed them With millions of sentient creatures scattered from the deepest sea to above the clouds, their creator assured their continuance by granting them what they collectively needed. The word בָּרַךְ is a root word which means "to kneel", as a subject to a ruler to request a favor. When used in the intensive form as here, it becomes the granting of that favor. That is to say, "to bless". When the self-sufficient Creator deems it proper to cause good things to happen to please his creatures, it shows a personal interest in the affairs of this world. In blessing the lives of even the wiggling sea urchins, God demonstrates his benevolent providence. He is always there, doing the right thing.

Word for Word: Episode 39

הַמָּאֹ֤ור הַקָּטֹן֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַלַּ֔יְלָה The Lesser Light to rule the night Though the moon is a lesser (Hebrew: קָטָן qatan ; small, insignificant) light even when full, it has a significant role in its own domain.  Regardless of its phase, the daily influence of the moon bends the surface of the earth, especially the less dense seas. The gentle pull of its gravity  offers assurance that God is still in control of the darkened world.

Word for Word: Episode 3

אֵ֥ת Action!! Throughout the Old Testament an untranslated word stands as a messenger and a mediator between the verb and and the direct object. This word is oddly spelled with the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It is transliterated "AT", reminding the reader that it is pointing at something. In creation, God is not passive. In fact the natural laws have no creative ability whatsoever. The universe would not exist without the work of the one who is the first and the last, the author and finisher of the faith. The aleph-tau is the equivalent of alpha-omega in the Greek alphabet. It is another way to say our creator is in control.