joyancejames

Tag: #legacy

  • Mysteries of the Hebrew Names in Torah

    Far too many Hebrew names lose their meaning and intention when translated into English.
    The names of the books of Torah (First five books of the Bible) in English and their Hebrew equivalents are given below.

    Genesis –  ברשית – Bereshit
    Exodus –  שמות  – Shemot
    Leviticus – ויקרא –  Vayikra
    Numbers – במדבר – Bamidbar
    Deuteronomy – דברים – Davarim

    The meanings of the Hebrew names are very different from the English ones because all the Hebrew names come from the first word of the respective book. 

    1. Genesis 1:1 is, “In the beginning…”; the Hebrew word is ‘Bereshit‘

    2. Exodus 1:1 starts with “names”, hence the word ‘Shemot‘ in Hebrew

    3. Leviticus 1:1 starts with Yahweh calling out Moses, hence , ‘Vayikra‘ which means “He called” in Hebrew. 

    4. Numbers 1:1, starts with, “in the wilderness”, hence the word ‘Bamidbar‘ in Hebrew. 

    5. Deuteronomy 1:1, starts with “words” of Moses, hence the Hebrew name ‘Davarim‘. 

    In the beginning, after creation, God chose Abraham to make His covenant and then many generations later comes Moses. 

    Shemot (Exodus) is essentially important because that’s where God first reveals His name as יהוה (YHWH), most commonly transliterated as YaHWeH. He tells Moses at the burning bush that this will be His name for all generations. 

    This is followed by the ‘call of Moses’ to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. In Vayikra (Leviticus) we see the call (purpose) of God for Israel, particularly the children of Aaron to serve as priests. Following the call is the wilderness wanderings described in Bamidbar (Numbers). Finally, at the edge of the promise land it ends with the speech, words of Moses as he reiterates the law and calls to remembrance the goodness of God, which we see in Davarim (Deuteronomy).

    To see and listen to this, check out this video.

    Although Moses was called to lead Israel into the promised land, he never enters it, but his words in Deuteronomy, become his everlasting legacy in shaping the future nation of Israel. Deuteronomy is the most quoted book of the Torah in the New Testament. Even Jesus quoted Deuteronomy multiple times, for example the three times He was tested by Satan when He fasted. 

    Moses’ legacy was not the promised land but the collective experiences starting from the revelation in the burning bush, through the call and wilderness to culminate in the repetition of the Law (Deuteronomy). 

    God bless! 

  • The Fear of Offence

    One famous quote attributed to Napoleon says, “The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.”

    The silence of good people in our generation can partially be attributed to the widespread epidemic of cancel culture. The flip side of this has been the raging  intolerance towards difference of opinion. While the woke culture constantly erodes the biblical foundations, every truthful opposition is hushed with an anaphylactic counter response! In the post-truth culture, truth has become relative and inclusive. If an all-affirming view is not endorsed then we are labelled radicals and bigots.

    The fear of offending someone is so crippling that it prevents so many of us from speaking or doing what is right. The Bible is unequivocally pro-life, pro-Israel & pro-family, still most of our gatherings and conversations actively bypass these issues!

    Is it humanly possible to please everyone, all the time? Even Jesus couldn’t care less about public opinion, as His followers can we speak up enough to become outspoken? Will we be remembered as the generation which cared more about pleasing men rather than God?

    John 1:4-5 NLT
    [4] The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
    The candle need not worry about offending the darkness, it must do what it was created for. Wether your light is a candle, a flashlight or a flood light we must do what we were meant to do.

    Keep shining your light 🕯️.

    God bless you!

  • Legacy > Inheritance

    The words “inheritance” and “legacy” are synonymous and are used interchangeably yet they are poles apart in terms of their impact.

    Good inheritance equates to a comfortable life for the next generation.
    Legacy relates to the impact the next generation will have on the world around them.
    Inheritance is usually material.
    Legacy transcends the tangible.

    Inheritance impacts the family and children.
    Legacy outlasts familial boundaries.
    Inheritance is proportional to the vocation and hard work.
    Legacy is impacted by the life lived not just the work done.
    Time spent away from the family contributes to the inheritance.
    Precious time with the family and children shapes the legacy.

    The race to work the fingers to the bone and hustle culture will probably translate to an eventual huge inheritance (economically) .
    Memories and moments around the dinner-table, bed-time stories and family time and activities influence the legacy left.

    The castle constructed and bequeathed is the inheritance but if it’s not equally matched with an impactful life and legacy then the castle is just another decoration on the landscape.
    May our children be always assured that their applause matters more to us than the accolades that adorn our walls.
    May our legacy outlasts generations.

    ‭Matthew 6:19-21 NLT‬
    [19]  “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. [21] Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

    God bless you!