Happy Passover! Tonight, at sundown begins this incredible festival, one of God’s appointed times. Even more amazing is the significance of writing about this name in Adam’s genealogy, that of his grandson, Enosh at the time of this festival.
On the surface, when you look at the meaning of the name Enosh, it seems pretty straight forward as it means “man, mankind, mortal”. Yeshua came to earth and took on human flesh, became a man and died for our sins. But when you take a deeper look, it opens up something greater. The beauty of the scriptures that speak of Yeshua becoming a man is humbling. To realize that because of our sin and unrighteousness we can never make it to Him on our own, so He came down to us so that we could be reunited with the Father.
“The Word became a human being and lived with us, and we saw his Sh’khina, the Sh’khinah of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
I often wonder what it must have been like to have lived in first century Israel and walked with Yeshua. To be in His presence here on earth, seeing Him open the eyes of the blind, to set free the demoniac, to cleanse the lepers, but more than anything to hear His words as he taught, the Living Word, the Living Water.
In his letters to the Romans and the congregation at Philippi, Paul speaks of Yeshua stepping into mortality and reminds us that there is no other name greater than the name of Yeshua.
“Therefore, there is no longer any condemnation awaiting those who are in union with the Messiah Yeshua. Why? Because the Torah of the Spirit, which produces this life to union with Messiah Yeshua, has set me free from the “torah” of sin and death. For what the Torah could not do by itself, because it lacked the power to make the old nature cooperate, God did by sending his own Son as a human being with a nature like our own sinful one [but without sin]. God did this in order to deal with sin, and in doing so he executed the punishment against sin in human nature, so that the just requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us who do not run our lives according to what our old nature wants but according to what the Spirit wants.” Romans 8:1-4
Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force. On the contrary, he emptied himself, in that he took the form of a slave by becoming like human beings are. And when he appeared as a human being, he humbled himself still more by becoming obedient even to death – death on a stake as a criminal! Therefore God raised him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name; that in honor of the name given Yeshua, every knee will bow – in heaven, on earth, and under the earth – and every tongue will acknowledge that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai – to the glory of the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11
Enosh has two additional meanings, the first is “my friend”. I am sure that like me, you instantly thought of John 15:12-13 “This is my command: that you keep on loving each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends.” What a friend we have in Him, indeed! The last meaning is quite remarkable as it means, “man of my peace” and again, I have no doubt that your mind immediately went to Isaiah chapter 9. “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; dominion will rest on his shoulders, and he will be given the name Pele-Yo’etz El Gibbor Avi-‘Ad Sar-Shalom (Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace), in order to extend the dominion and perpetuate the peace of the throne and kingdom of David, to secure it and sustain it through justice and righteousness henceforth and forever. The zeal of Adonai-Tzva’ot will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:5(6)-6(7)
Now, if this were not enough of a beautiful connection between the name Enosh and seeing Yeshua in his name, we can actually go even deeper. As Hebrew is alpha-numeric, I wanted to see what Enosh was numerically and it has the value of 357. It was when I looked at other words with this value that my mind was blown. The word boshnah (bosh-naw) in Hebrew means “shame” and has the same value, 357. Yeshua became a man (357) and bore our shame (357). “He will swallow up death forever. My Lord Adonai will wipe away tears from every face. He will remove His people’s reproach (shame) from all the earth. For Adonai has spoken. It will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God, we waited for Him – He will save us. This is Adonai – We waited for Him. We will rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:8-9
As I think of the importance of this week, Holy Week, and what Yeshua did for us and the gravity of it, it makes me love Him all the more. It makes me want to press into Him more every single day. It makes me thankful for the richness of His Word, the wonder of His might, the beauty of His mercy and humbly thankful for my salvation. May you rejoice and be glad in His salvation this Passover!
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