[14] Then, in the middle of the assembly, the Spirit of Adonai came upon Yachzi’el the son of A’kharyahu, the son of B’nayah, the son of Ye’I’el, the son of Matanyah the Levi, from the descendants of Asaf. [15] He said, “Listen, all Y’hudah, you who live in Yerushalayim and King Y’hoshafat: here is what Adonai is saying to you: ‘Don’t be afraid or distressed by this great horde; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. [16] Tomorrow, go down against them. They will be coming up by the ascent of Tzitz, and you will find them at the end of the Vadi, before the Yeru’el Desert. [17] You won’t even need to fight this battle! Just take your positions, Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, stand still, and watch how Adonai will deliver you! Don’t be afraid or distressed; tomorrow, go out against them; for Adonai is with you.’” [18] Y’hoshafat bowed his head with his face to the ground; while all Y’hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalaym fell down before Adonai, worshipping Adonai; [19] and the L’vi’im from the descendants of the K’hati and the descendants of the Korchi, stood up and praised Adonai the God of Isra’el at the top of their voices. 2 Chronicles 20:14-19
As I read verses 14-17, seven points stood out to me.
1. Listen (v15)
2. Do not be afraid (v15)
3. Go down against them (v16)
4. Just take your positions (v17)
5. Stand still and watch (v17)
6. Don’t be afraid or distressed (v17)
7. Go out against them (v17)
I also found it interesting that “do not be afraid” and “Go out against them” were both mentioned twice, and in both times, they are mentioned in the same order, back-to-back. I have heard it said by more than one Messianic Rabbi that if something is repeated in the Word, that one should take notice and pay attention.
This post will look at these points, as well as the word for praise that this study is ultimately about, halal.
Listen
Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. ~ Stephen R. Covey
As I began to study the word “listen” in Hebrew, I discovered something rather interesting. According to Hebrew Word Pictures by Dr. Frank T. Seekins, the word “listen” or Qe-shev means after you return, repent. If we were to place that meaning into the verse itself, it would read, “After you return repent, all Y’hudah, you who live in Yerushalayim and King Y’hoshafat: here is what Adonai is saying to you.” When we come before Adonai with a heart of repentance, we are able to incline, attend, and give attention to what He is actually saying to us. This definition is also seen by the meanings behind each individual letter that makes up the word Qe-shev. Qop (ק), Shin (ש), and Bet (ב). Qop can mean God’s Holiness or sacrifice, Shin can mean God is waiting for our return to Him and Bet means home or a place filled with God’s presence. With the perfect sacrifice of Yeshua, we are able to return to our Creator and He is waiting for each of us to do so, and we then find a home in His presence as He tabernacles and dwells with us. This comes about from us listening with our heart, not our ears. The numeric value of listen is 402, and other phrases with this value tie closely to this idea of listen. To search for, to seek after, wish for, or choose, and to come, to bring, to be brought. Just as we will find Him when we seek Him, we will hear Him when we truly listen.
Do Not Be Afraid/Don’t Be Afraid Or Distressed
Here is the first phrase that is repeated, and it is a theme that is found throughout the pages of the Word. We are reminded over and over that we are not to fear or be afraid, and that we haven’t been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) I recently went through learning this and knowing that we really do not have to fear or be afraid in such a powerful way that I can testify to the power of Adonai over the spirit of fear. Fear and distress are suffocating and will overpower you faster than you realize it is happening. But when we stand in that hope of “fear not” and let the love and power of Adonai wash over us, that fear has to flee. I looked at the words distressed and dismayed as one is used in the KJV and other in the CJSB, and are different Hebrew words, but both are relevant to these verses.
Dismayed is the word in the KJV in verse 17. When I went to the Brown Driver Biggs Lexicon, the word chat-hath (khaw-thath) not only means dismayed, it also means shattered, broken, and abolished. Chat-hath is made up of the letters Chet (ח), Tav (ת), Tav (ת). In studying the meanings and shadow meanings of each Hebrew letter, it is the shadow meanings that are reflected in chat-hath. One of the shadow meanings of the letter Chet is paralyzing fear. This is no doubt the type of fear that Jehoshaphat was experiencing at this time. The shadow meaning of Tav is clinging to a relationship that is hindering one’s relationship with God. Paralyzing fear hinders your relationship with God. I say that from personal experience. I shared in the post Even If about how the paralyzing fear I was overcome with concerning my mother, hindered my ability to pray. It hindered my ability to even read scripture, and that it wasn’t until my aunt shared a verse with me from Isaiah that started out “Fear not”, and my reciting it over and over did that hindrance subside. It was that momentary relationship with that spirit of fear that hindered my relationship with the one who was fighting my battle. (Shadow meanings from Learning God’s Love Language Workbook by Chaim Bentorah)
Distressed is the word used in the CJSB and is the Hebrew word tsarar (tsaw-rar) and is spelled with the letters Tsade (צ), Reysh (ר), Reysh (ר). From BDB, it is defined as to be in distress, to bind, be narrow, be bound. When you are in distress you feel bound up and you have a narrow field of vision. Hebrew Word Pictures defines distress from its letters as “a hooked man”. This is such a vivid picture as when we are in distress, we have that feeling of being hooked as well as bound. The wonderful thing, however, is we have that promise of who the Son sets free, is free indeed! (John 8:36) We do not have to be afraid or distressed, be bound in fear, or hooked by the enemy. WE ARE FREE!
Go Down/Out Against Then
As I thought about this phrase, again listed twice in these verses, it made me think of scripture from the book of James. [14] What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but has no actions to prove it? Is such “faith” able to save him? [15] Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, [16] and someone says to him, “Shalom! Keep warm and eat hearty!” without giving him what he needs, what good does it do? [17] Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead. James 2:14-17 Going out against a massive army that was no doubt larger than his own, for Jehoshaphat to do so was without a doubt an act of faith. In Hebrew the words emun and emuna (faith) are derived from the root word amen, which means faithful or so be it. Amen is spelled with the letters Aleph (א), Mem (מ), and Nun (ן) in its final form. Upon looking at the meanings behind the letters we find unity with God, the revealed knowledge of God, and endurance, faith/faithfulness, and breaking down walls of separation. When we pray, we end our prayers with amen, or so be it, trusting and believing for God’s will to be done in our situation. Jehoshaphat’s act of faith of going out against that hoard, was an exclamation of SO BE IT!, knowing Adonai would be faithful to His word.
Just Take Your Positions/Stand Still And Watch
As I looked at this phrase this morning, the phrase that came to my mind was, “What is your position in the body of Christ?” 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 discusses how we are members of the same body, and that not all of us are called to the same position. The KJV of this verse in Chronicles reads, “set yourselves, stand ye still”. In Hebrew, the word yatsab (yaw-tsab) means to place, set, stand, set or station oneself, present oneself. Specifically for this verse, according to the BDB Lexicon, set yourselves has a more precise meaning of standing quiet and passive to see the mighty deliverance of God. One of our English definitions for the word passive is, accepting or submitting without objection or resistance.
There are two different words for submit in Hebrew, one being raphac (raw-fas) to stamp oneself down or humble oneself. Spelled, Resh (ר) with a meaning of leadership, Pei (פ) which one of its meanings include keeping silent, and Shin (ש) with one of its meanings being wholeness or completeness. Taking the meanings of these individual letters, the word submit could take on when we allow Adonai’s leadership in our lives and keep silent, He will bring about our wholeness and completeness. We will discover our position in His body, and we are able to stand in His will and see His salvation and deliverance in our lives. How many times do we find ourselves in turmoil because we are not taking our own position, but a different one that we have not been called to? When we go into our prayer closet and wait on the Lord and allow Him to lead us, we will find when we seek, and he will show us and reveal to us where we are called to be within the Body of Christ. Sometimes the hardest part of prayer is being silent and letting Him reveal the things He has for us. Take your position, set yourself, stand still and know that He is God.
At the conclusion of this powerful word, we see two contrasting images. The king and the people bowed down before Adonai in worship. Imagine the sight of such a multitude humbled and bowed down before the Creator of the universe in unity. However, the Levites stood and praised Adonai at the top of their voices. This connotation of praise in the Hebrew is halal (haw-lal) and has a plethora of definitions, including 1. To shine, flash forth light. 2. To praise, boast, be boastful. 3. To make a fool of, make into a fool, act madly, act like a madman. Halal is the root from which the word hallelujah or praise you the Lord comes from. When you look at halal written in the Hebrew, הלל (Hebrew is read right to left), the double Lamed almost looks like two hands bring raised to heaven.
The Levites abandoned themselves to boastful, joyous praise after hearing Adonai declare that He would fight for them, and they would be victorious. David was accused by his wife Mikhal, the daughter of Sha’ul, of acting like a madman and below his station when he brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. His response, “I will celebrate in the presence of Adonai! I will make myself still more contemptible than that”. (2 Samuel 6:20-22) Have you ever found yourself lost in such praise, where it doesn’t matter who is around you that you are going to boast and shine forth in Him? Do we only lift our hands and sing forth our praise from the pew or are we so connected to Him that it doesn’t’ matter where we are that we give Him glory? I am by no means saying that if you don’t show outward praise in public that “you’re doing it wrong” as Adonai looks at our hearts and wants our honesty and loving praise regardless of where it is at. There are just times, if you are like me, that you can not help but boast in Him around others in your everyday life. Luke 6:45 tells us that our mouth speaks what overflows from our hearts and if our heart is full of praise, it is going to overflow no matter where we are.
The past month has been a lesson in trust and praise for me. I have had to let go, stand still, and truly trust the God that I have so boldly said I serve. I have prayed and praised in front of complete strangers with no thought of what they thought about me. I have witnessed miracles that have made me pour my heart out greater than I ever have in my life. I have lifted my hands towards heaven in thanksgiving and love and have wept more tears than I ever thought possible. The greatest thing that I have had revelation of, is that it really is not about us and all about Yeshua. Whatever we go through in this life, good or bad, is not about us, but about Him. If He answers my prayers in the way I think He should, or if He doesn’t, it is all about Him and to bring glory to Him, not to me. I have learned that I need to spend more time being still and letting Him do things His way, rather than trying to fix it all myself. (Like Simon in The Chosen) I have learned that even when it doesn’t seem He is there or even listening to me, that He has and never will leave me and will reveal things in His timing. (Much like when Daniel prayed and was told by Gabriel why the answer was delayed). There are times He has protected me by what seemed to be deterrents in my path. (Like Balaam and his donkey). But not matter what, I will halal Him. I will praise Him. I will boast in Him because He is worthy of all praise.
Comments