Who You Are to Me - Breath

Then Adonai, God, formed a person (Heb. Adam) from the dust of the ground (Heb. Adamah) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living being. Genesis 2:7

For several years, my family attended the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival each spring. Down one lane, there was an impressive row of blacksmiths with working forges. Smoke billowed, sparks flew, metal clanged upon metal, and it was incredible to see the knives, swords, and utensils that were produced.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Self, what on earth does any of this have to do with God breathing the breath of life into Adam?” And I would be so very glad if you did. There is an incredible thing about the Hebrew language. A single word can have multiple meanings that don’t really seem to have anything to do with one another. And when I looked at the Hebrew scriptures, I discovered this was the case with the word “breath”. Utilizing my handy, dandy Brown Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon a new treasure found its way into my life.

vb. Naphach (Naw-fakh) נפח breathe, blow, a furnace blown upon, inflame, smith, breathe, blow, blow into it, to blow fire upon it

These are just a few of the definitions associated with the word naphach. Just as the smiths would blow air across the coals to feed them and give them life, God breathed His breath into each of us, igniting that spark of life within each of us. Isaiah 54:16 says, “It is I who created the craftsman who blows on the coals and forges weapons suited to their purpose.” We each have a purpose, designed specifically for us by the Lord. A calling and a mantle. He blew the breath of life into each of us when we entered this life, but He will blow that breath into us a second time when we are born again, bringing to life the coals within us, and forge us into the instrument He has crafted us to be, suited to that purpose, that calling, that mantle. It is up to each of us to keep those fires stoked and hot by spending time in prayer and the Word, through a life of thanksgiving, praise and worship. Let us live that life so that we say like Jeremiah, “From on high, he sent down fire deep in my bones” Lamentations 1:13