Then, they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day." When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. Then, the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, "Remember, You Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians, no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed." So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" Daniel 6:13-16 NIV )   The story of has been a long-standing favored story that not only intrigues the minds of children, but adults as well.  The story is set in the Middle East, about 600 – 650 BC, at a time when the Babylonians had conquered Israel, taking into captivity many of Israel’s promising young men, among them was a man named, Daniel.     Ironically, when king Darius decreed that Daniel must be thrown into the lion’s den, Daniel was not young, but a man about 80 years old.  Through the many years of captivity, Daniel had developed a reputation for being a very hard worker and extremely honest; as well as being devout and obedient to his God, Yahweh Jehovah, the God of Israel.  Daniel had managed to rise up in this pagan kingdom to achieve the position of administrator among the political ranks; and thereby, he had made many government officials angry with him and in their jealousy, they set out to find a way to remove him from his office of prominent authority. The decree was that if anyone were caught praying to another god, or man, besides the king, during a specific thirty-day period, that person would be thrown into the lion’s den.     Needless to say, a very dangerous place for any human being and obviously pending a “not so good out come”! Yet, Daniel was persistent and continued with his faithfulness to his God, the God of Israel. Knowing how much King Darius loved and favored Daniel, the wicked government officials believed they would be able to force the king in keeping his own decree against Daniel, so they brought Daniel before the king and declared the wrong deed, which Daniel was guilty of committing.     Even though King Darius wanted to rescue Daniel, and try as he did, still, at sundown, the king was compelled to keep his decree; and Daniel was ordered into the lion’s den to face sure and certain death. As the story goes, King Darius just knew that Daniel would not survive the lion’s den and the king struggled to eat or sleep.  However, the next morning, the king was delighted to learn that Daniel was still alive and asked Daniel if his God and protected him? Daniel answered,  My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." (Daniel 6:22 NIV)   As the scripture states about this story, King Darius was overjoyed to learn that Daniel has survived the lion’s den, because   he had trusted his god ( Daniel 6:23 NIV ) and as a result, King Darius ordered the jealous officials, who had brought their allegations against Daniel, arrested and along with their wives and children, they were ordered to be thrown into the lion’s den. Next, King Darius issued another decree ordering that all the people would fear and pay reverence to Daniel’s God, the God of Israel.  Daniel continued a prosperous life under King Darius and his successor, King Cyrus, the Persian.   What is interesting to note about King Darius (558 – 485 BC) is that even though he found favor with Daniel and admired his good deeds, Daniel’s diligent work habits and  his honesty, plus his loyalty and faithfulness to God, King Darius was recognized as a great king and empire builder, for making laws, and achieving many good deeds such as completing a canal from the Nile River to the Red Sea, irrigation projects, and a coinage system, but also, he was known for being a king, who could very violent against his enemies.   This world is not an easy world in which to live and it is filled with many people, who love others and in their loyalty to them, they will do many good things for them.  Yet, there are those, who are not loving and kind, who will become jealous of those, who strive to do good, to be loving, and kind; and they will set out to compete with them, try to get them in trouble, even lie against them, and sometimes, they will try to hurt that good person in some way.  Children are not in this world very long before they discover how bad and dangerous this world can, just like adults have to contend with this world.   This is why the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den is so appealing to everyone, especially children, and even adults at any age. Daniel was completely aware of his situation and knew full-well that he could have died that night in the lion’s den, but Daniel believed his God, and trusted him at all times for all circumstances; and even though he might die, still, he was willing to trust God.  Daniel believed that God knew him, that he would keep his word to watch over him and protect him, and that God knew where Daniel was at all times and God was fully aware of what Daniel was doing and what was about to happen to him.  Daniel knew that his obedience to God would be honored even when he obeyed the king, who loved Daniel, but whose law could also make sure that Daniel would be killed.  God honored Daniel’s obedience first to him, then to the king. God made sure that Daniel lived.  The king admired Daniel’s loyalty and faithfulness to God so much that he made a new decree that Daniel’s God would be honored and revered.   Life can be fun, filled with many happy events and it can be peaceful many times, but also, it is filled with challenges that cause people to struggle; and there are many sad times that people experience in life. Quite often, it is easy to feel that one is experiencing or enduring their own personal “lion’s den” and it will never end. Children have life situations and circumstances that cause them to feel that way, too. The key is to learn not to focus on one’s own situation and how it is, or could become, but to focus on God, just like Daniel did, and be willing to believe God is all-powerful, he knows every situation that everyone endures, and he knows exactly where everyone is and what is happening to them at all times. Be willing to place complete faith in God and trust God will be there, that he honors faithfulness and he will rescue those, who obey and trust him.   “Your effectiveness and personal victory in Christ are linked to the time you spend with the Lord in prayer.”  Dr. Charles Stanley,   Suggested References:    Fairchild, Mary. “Obedience to God:  What Does the Bible Say About Obedience?” Christianity.com(2005-2014). 01/17/2014.   Gill, N. S. “King Darius the Great” Ancient Classical History.com (2014) 01/27/2014.   Hopler, Whitney. “Bible Angels:  An Angel Rescues Daniel From a Den of Lions” Christianity.com (2005-2014) 01/27/2014.   Stanley, Ph.D. Charles. “The Battle Of Prayer” Atlanta, Georgia: October, 2013. 01/27/2014.   Zavada, Jack. “Bible Story Summary:  God Protected and Delivered Daniel from the Den of Lions.” Christianity.com (2005-2014) 01/27/2014.Dsm

The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to become just like Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). John the Apostle referred to those who had become like Christ as spiritual fathers. As we grow in our faith from spiritual infancy to adulthood, we should be developing characteristics like Jesus Christ. In addition to his ethical character traits, there are characteristics of attitude and action that we should also adopt. Look at these examples: Jesus forgave sin (an attitude and an action). Jesus extended mercy (an attitude and an action). Jesus encouraged others (an attitude and an action). Jesus also spent time helping others grow to become like Him—He spent three years teaching His disciples. Becoming a spiritual father means developing the ethical characteristics of Jesus Christ, becoming like Him in attitude and actions, and finally, helping others becoming like Him. Let’s look at the characteristics of spiritual fathers. SPIRITUAL INTIMACY Spiritual fathers and mothers are personally intimate with the person, Jesus Christ. Read: I John 2:13-14, Philippians 3:8 Spiritual fathers have known God for a long time, and are intimate with His Word. Some people are considered wise or mature beyond their years. Others never grow to spiritual maturity. In the process of spiritual growth, nothing can take the place of time. Getting to know God and His Word better over many years is a critical part of becoming like Jesus. Intimacy in anything requires time, attention, and application. How can you become more intimate with God’s Word and Jesus? Spiritual fathers have known God for a long time, through experience. The experience of knowing God requires not only time, but application of our knowledge about Him and the Bible through life. We will make many mistakes, and through a process of trial and error, endurance and ease, we will experience God’s love and characteristics in many ways. Name some ways you have experienced God’s love and characteristics recently. Spiritual fathers have all the characteristics of Spiritual Young Men, but to a greater degree, seasoned by personal intimacy with God’s Word, and the wisdom of experience. (I John 2:12-14) Spiritual young men are strong (in character), they abide in the Word of God, and they have overcome the Evil One. One grows to further maturity by continuing the practice of these things through many years, in many different experiences. What experiences do you have that you have not yet discovered Biblical principles to guide you? How can you begin applying the Bible to those areas? SPIRITUAL REPRODUCTION Spiritual fathers and mothers reproduce themselves in others. Read: I Corinthians 4:15-16, Philippians 3:17, 4:9 Spiritual fathers tell others about Jesus Christ and His Word. Telling others about Jesus Christ, His identity, what He did for us, why He did it, and how we can know Him personally, is the responsibility of all Christians (Matthew 28:18-20). Those with the attitude of a Spiritual Father want to naturally do what a father does—reproduce. Telling others is the first step. Spiritual fathers teach others about Jesus Christ and His Word. Just as Jesus commanded us to tell others about Him, He also commanded that we “make disciples.” This means that we must teach others His Word, and how to know Him; just as we were taught. Spiritual fathers use God’s word and the wisdom of their experiences with Jesus Christ to reproduce themselves spiritually. Jesus did two things in training His disciples. He spoke God’s Word, and He modeled His relationship with God to others The Apostle Paul used the same method to reproduce others: He spoke God’s Word, and He related and modeled His experiences with God (testimony) to build up others It has been said that an expert is someone who knows more than you do. What do you know about God and His word that you can share with someone else? Also, what experience have you had in applying God’s Word in your life that might be helpful to others? NOURISHING, PROTECTING, UPHOLDING Spiritual fathers and mothers nourish, protect, and uphold others in their faith. Read: I Corinthians 4:14-17, 10:33-11:1 Spiritual fathers train others to know God’s Word. Training requires that we show others how to walk with God, and help them model that behavior. This is similar to someone who trains an apprentice for a career, but in this case, we train others to become intimate with God and His Word. Has anyone mentored you in your walk with God? Do you know someone who can help you? Spiritual fathers invest their spiritual experience into others so they can also become personally intimate with the person, Jesus Christ. Investing your spiritual experience means that you have shared common spiritual experiences with those whom you are raising in the faith. This includes experiences in studying God’s Word, and applying it in real life. Have you had shared spiritual experiences with others that you can build upon for your own growth, and theirs? Spiritual fathers are primarily concerned with the person of Jesus Christ and the spiritual welfare of others. Spiritual fathers have left behind the concerns for most of their own lives. They look to the future and adopt God’s concerns and passions for their own. God’s concern is always for others. Can you think of others around you who might need your spiritual attention more than you might need to take care of your own needs? Application: Review the five studies in this series of the Stages of Spiritual Growth. Evaluate yourself. Are you a spiritual infant, child, young man, or father? What steps can you take to ensure your spiritual growth continues to the next stage?

Electric vehicles have become more popular in recent years. There are many kinds of electric cars, but only three major types: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric. Plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles have batteries that must be charged by plugging into a main electric power source. These cars cannot run or reach their maximum fuel economy potential without being plugged in to charge. In the same way, believers can only achieve their God-given calling if they are plugged into the Holy Spirit. He is the agent and the power source that brings Kingdom reality into the life of believers. As the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit bears all the attributes of God. He is a divine person. Like electricity, He provides the power we, as believers, need. The Holy Spirit is also a relational person. We can relate to Him and call on Him personally. Therefore, He is not merely a power to be used but a person to be known. The more we interact with Him, the more His Kingdom power can be manifested through us. The Kingdom of God means that God will rule. God wants to demonstrate His rule through the Holy Spirit working through us, His Kingdom people. The Holy Spirit empowers us to witness about Christ, share our testimony and proclaim the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit also enables us to do the works of Christ, and without Him, we can do nothing. When we testify about Christ, we connect to the Kingdom. But if we abandon the truth of God’s Word, we cancel the Holy Spirit’s work and power in our lives. We can either align our will with God’s or pursue our desires. We can either do things in our own power or connect to the power of the Holy Spirit. If we want to experience God’s Kingdom power in our lives, we must seek to know the Holy Spirit and allow Him to be our source of strength. GETTING STARTED What are some things that do not work unless they are plugged into a power source? What drains your power and energy? How do you get refreshed and reenergized? LET’S GET PERSONAL How have you relied on your own power rather than the power of the Holy Spirit? How has that impacted your life and your relationship with God? How often do you share your testimony and proclaim Christ to others? What prevents you from sharing? Where have you abandoned the truth of God’s Word and canceled the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? Where have you been aligned with God’s will? TAKE THE NEXT STEP How can you spend more time each day with God? How will seeing the Holy Spirit as a relational person change your daily life? How can you develop your testimony so that you will be prepared to proclaim Christ at any given moment? Want to go deeper? Take time to look at the following passages:  Acts 1:1-8 ;  Luke 11:13 ;  John 16:12-15 ;  Luke 24:49 ;  Romans 14:17 ;  Ephesians 5:18 ;  Acts 28:30-31 ;  John 7:37-39 ;  2 Corinthians 3:17-18 ;  Acts 2:1-4 ;  Ezekiel 37:1-14 ;  Galatians 5:13-26 ;  1 John 2:20-27 ;  Romans 8:18-29 ;  Acts 8:12 ;  Acts 19:8 ;  Acts 20:25 ;  Acts 28:23 . “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’” Acts 1:8

G odless leadership leads to godlessness in society that invites the discipline of God. Othniel is the perfect model of a judge; Ehud is deceptive; Barak is fearful; Gideon is skeptical and hubristic (and Abimelech is a bloodthirsty butcher—not a judge figure); Jephthah is a manipulator and a child-sacrificer; Samson cannot control his fleshly passions and defects from his calling. It is no wonder, then, that at the end the book of Judges, in the Epilogues (17:1–21:25), the nation collapses into gross idolatry and civil war—the consequences of the deterioration that had begun in the days of the judges: the Canaanization of Israel. So much so, in every one of the bizarre episodes that comprise the Epilogues, there is an echo of a specific event that occurred in the life of a major judge in 3:7–16:31. As go the leaders, so go the people! Scattered throughout 17:1–18:31 are terms with unambiguously negative connotations: “idol” (17:3, 4; 18:14, 17, 18, 20, 30, 31), “molten image” (17:3, 4; 18:14, 17, 18), “ephod” (17:5; 18:14, 17, 18, 20), “teraphim” (17:5; 18:14, 17, 18, 20), “my gods which I made” (18:24), and “what Micah had made” (18:27). Confusion not only reigns, it pours! Micah (whose name, ironically, means “Who is like Yahweh?”) violates two of the commands in the Decalogue right away: he steals, and he dishonors his parent (Exod 20:12, 15; Deut 5:16, 19). His seeming repentance is only a fear of his mother’s curse (Jdg 17:2), not an act of remorse. Micah’s mother is no better: she curses one day and she blesses the next (17:2). She is thankful enough that she dedicates the silver to Yahweh, but she does so by making an idol and a molten image out of the metal (17:3)! Besides, after her declaration that she would “solemnly/wholly dedicate” the silver for this purpose, she seems to have kept back the bulk of the money and used only two hundred pieces for her idolatrous fancies. Her son, a chip off the old weird block, continues his mother’s anti-Yahwistic endeavors by building a shrine (“house of God,” 17:5; see Deut 12:4–27) to house an ephod and teraphim, and by consecrating one of his sons as a priest—an illegitimate appointment. Later, Mr. “Who-Is-Like-Yahweh” expands his aberrant cultic endeavors as he corrals a stray Levite (17:7–9), and sponsors him as his own priest in his household shrine, for a monthly wage (17:10; 18:4). Micah then consecrates the Levite (17:8–12), with the ambitious certitude that Yahweh will prosper him, now that he had a Levite as a priest (17:13), as if all that was needed was a combination of mechanically performed acts, however improper, that would automatically trigger blessings from deity like a good-luck charm. In the next section of this passage, Micah’s gods and his priest are appropriated by the marauding Danites (who are no better than the individuals we’ve already seen: cruel, vicious, and anti-Yahweh), leaving Micah bereft of his rabbit’s foot, his four-leaved clover, and his horseshoes. And everyone suffers the consequences (I’ll let you read all about it.) All of this is a stark depiction of the sort of evil that had permeated generations of Israelite society under the judges. At the beginning of the book, the nation struggled with the temptation to consort with foreign gods (2:6–3:6). There is no such struggle now, at the end of the book: Israelites are cheerfully manufacturing their own gods and blurring the lines of division between false deities and the true God, Yahweh. The deterioration of moral values is worsening and is being passed on to every new generation. Israel’s Canaanization is pretty much complete. Now all that remains is for the nation to fall apart, and fall apart it does, in the next section that close this dark book of Judges.

Rebellious disdain of one’s divine calling, expressed in uncontrolled lusts and vengeful actions, can lead to destruction. At some unspecified time in the recent past, Samson, in a rage, had abandoned his wife (14:20). Now he wants sex—“I will go in to my wife”—and so he decides to make amends. Bearing a goat’s kid (like a box of chocolates, I suppose?), Samson proceeds to his wife’s house (15:2) where he is told that she has been given away to one of his companions (14:20; 15:2, 6). Unrequited desire now becomes inflammatory fury. Samson turns violent: capturing three hundred foxes, preparing a hundred and fifty torches, uniting the feisty animals tail to tail with appropriately placed torches, he releases the foxes (truly weapons of mass destruction!)—and all of this without any help whatsoever. He wreaks incendiary havoc on the Philistines’ agroeconomy and their inventory of staples: grain, grapes, and olives (15:4–5). The collateral damage of Samson’s blitzkrieg is that the Philistines blame his wife and father-in-law for the fiasco and burn both of them alive (15:6). Of course, Samson is not going to let  that  go by without reacting. His intent to avenge himself (15:7) tells the reader about his total lack of understanding of the consequences of tit-for-tat operations. A personal vendetta waged over a woman has now exploded into an international conflagration (15:10–11). And so the vicious cycle continues to spiral out of control. Somewhere along the way, he also slaughters a thousand Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone (15:15–16). What an appetite for violence and revenge, and sex. Talking of which …. He engages a Philistine prostitute in a one-night stand (16:1–3) in a Philistine city, Gaza. All his trysts with women have only brought Samson peril thus far. Had he not learned that he was weak without Yahweh’s help and strength (15:18–19), and had he not perceived that his thirsts could only be quenched by trusting Yahweh, not by haunting brothels? Like Israel, hardhearted and stubborn, Samson, too, had forgotten his calling, and had lapsed into an anti-Yahwistic pattern of life. But we’ll cut to the chase. He falls in love with another woman, Delilah (16:4). And this special, fourth lady’s name? “Delilah.” In Hebrew,  layla  means night. So “Delilah” is the Night Woman. Our man, Sunny Boy, and the Night Woman. For some reason, I’m not getting a good feeling about this. Well, Philistine rulers bribe Delilah to discover the secret of Samson’s strength. Three times she tries; three times he bluffs her. Finally the fourth time, he caves in, tells the truth and gets his haircut—the last of his Nazirite commitments. Hey, why not? I’ve already consumed alcohol, contacted unclean things, and touched corpses? Why not get a haircut, too? Who cares for God? He didn’t want to be special. He didn’t want to have anything to do with Israel. He didn’t want to be a Nazirite. He didn’t want to be a judge. He didn’t want any truck with God. A renunciation of his calling. A repudiation of his dedication. Defection! The rest is history. He is captured. His eyes are gouged out. He who wanted whatever he saw was good in his eyes, now loses the very organs of his downfall. Samson is left without strength, without sight, without freedom, without dignity, and—worst of all—without God (16:20)! Later as the Philistines parade him at a festival, he manages to—literally!—bring the house down, killing himself and a whole bunch of enemies (16:25–30). The first judge of the book to die in an enemy encounter. Sunny Boy’s sun had set. And Israel was now in darkness, and there is no rest for the land. All that remains in the book is gross idolatry and a violent civil war.

T he illicit thirst for power, destructive in its ramifications, brings about fitting retribution from God. Of all the narratives in the book of Judges, Yahweh’s presence is felt the least in this account of Abimelech. Deity is present, but almost always as  ’elohim,  “God,” not “Yahweh” (8:34; 9:7, 9, 13, 23, 56, 57). And in every instance, this occurs as part of a pejorative statement by the narrator or a character. There is no direct link between Abimelech and God at all! There is much in this story that appears to be a Yahweh vs. Baal contest. For one, Gideon shows up in Judges 9 only as “Jerub baal ”: 9:1, 2, 5 (×2), 16, 19, 24, 28, 57. Though Abimelech is the son of Jerub baal  (9:1), he allies himself with the Shechemites, and the “ ba‘als ” of Shechem (i.e., leaders, 9:2, 3, 6, 7, 18, 20 <×2>, 23 <×2>, 24, 25, 26, 39, 46, 47, 51) acknowledge him as “our brother” (9:3). The son of Jerub baal  has now become the brother of the  baals  of Shechem. Together, Jerub baal  and the  baals  of Shechem echo  ba‘al , for a total of twenty-five instances in fifty-seven verses—in almost every other verse of Judges 9! Baal has won against Yahweh! Abimelech speaks only thrice in the entirety of his narrative. All his utterances are self-focused and egoistic: he wants to rule (9:2), he wants to be followed in his ferocity (9:48), and he wants to escape the ignominy of dying at the hand of a woman (9:54). Right at the start, he displays his craving for status, honor, and position, for which he is willing to do  anything,  even perpetrate a horrific series of homicides. Abimelech kills his “brothers,” Gideon’s sons, “on one stone” (9:3–5)—sacrificial victims to Baal perhaps—a gruesome undertaking that Abimelech accomplished after the  ba‘als  of the city financed his operation from the temple of  Baal -berith (9:3). So the takeover by Abimelech, son of Jerubbaal is supported both by  Baal  and his  ba‘als —a Canaanite undertaking, through and through, and Abimelech becomes the official representative of Baalism. The subsequent narratives of 9:7–57 are quite dense and obscure. In any case, the maniac rules for three years (9:22). He does not go unpunished. Yahweh’s retribution commences with the very unusual situation of 9:23—God sends an evil spirit to operate in the murky relationship between Abimelech and the  ba‘als  of Shechem. This sending initiates a sequence of events that turns king against sponsors, and converts sponsors to antagonists, resulting in the downfall of all those doers of evil. Abimelech wins against his opponents, but he has to overreact: he kills all the people in the city (including his relatives?) and razes it (9:42–45). He then proceeds to burn alive all who had taken refuge in the temple of El-berith, about a thousand people, including the  ba‘als  of Shechem, his erstwhile patrons (9:46–49). The wanton ruthlessness exhibited on the mere whim of revenge is horrific. Anyone that went against Abimelech was in danger of being consumed by this man’s demented extermination of real and perceived enemies. After Shechem, one would have thought Abimelech would have had enough carnage for a season. But, no, he decides to go against Thebez, too, and destroy its tower and people with the same means he used for the tower of Shechem: fire (9:50–52). We are given no reason for this insatiable appetite for violence or for the choice of that town. But here he is undone with a random woman dropping a random millstone on his head (9:53). We are told it was “one” woman. So the man who killed his siblings on “one” stone (9:5, 18), when he, the “one” man (9:2), sought to rule Shechem is now killed with a millstone (different word, but still poetic justice). Surprisingly, almost at the instant Abimelech dies, the “men of Israel” decide enough is enough, quit the battle, and each departs “to his place/home” (9:55). But never again in Judges will the people of Israel have rest; the enemy that is internal, and the foes they have become to themselves, will preclude any rest for the nation.

Introduction Believers should seek to get spiritual clarity through prayer as they listen for God to speak to them. Because of spiritual warfare, we should prioritize our need to hear God’s voice. In doing this, we can receive spiritual guidance and clarity regarding His direction for our lives. It can be easy for an individual to be stuck or static because of the difficulty we often face as we fight spiritual battles and face the opposition of the enemy. God wants to guide us through His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. We are spiritual creatures; however, we operate in the natural realm. We have limited information without the impact of God’s view and His thoughts about the earthly decisions we must make. We have to stay in communication with God because it’s possible His specific instructions to us may change from situation to situation. His Word doesn’t change, but the application of His Word in our lives in various seasons very well could change. Ongoing communication with God over time, and throughout different seasons, is important. How God worked in our lives yesterday may not be the same as how He wants to work in our lives today. In order to hear God’s voice, there is a requirement: we have to have open lines of communication. Prayer is the point of contact between the physical and the spiritual, and it helps us to seek fulfillment of our requests within the will of God. Our diligence in prayer results in the opportunity to receive anointed and divinely inspired illumination. Our goal in prayer is to align our desires to God’s will. In giving God our attention, He can speak to our minds and hearts, giving us direction for our unique circumstances. When we position ourselves through prayer to hear God’s voice, He gives us spiritual direction in our thinking, spiritual power in our obedience, and spiritual victory in our battles. Getting Started 1. Many people talk about hearing from God, but mean different things in terms of how they hear from God. Whether you think you hear from God or not, what do you think it looks like to hear from God? How do you think someone knows when they have heard from God? 2. Even among believers, people who want to hear from God say they struggle to do so. Why do you this is? Let’s Get Personal 1. Have you experienced receiving God’s guidance as you’ve prayed? Share that experience with your group. 2. Is prayer a priority in your life? What does prioritized prayer look like in practical terms as you incorporate it in your life? 3. Many people feel stuck in their lives because of the battle that they are facing or the crisis in front of them is bigger than what they feel they can handle. Have you ever felt this way? If prayer is an option, have you used this tool for fighting spiritual battles? Why or why not? Take the Next Step 1. Ongoing communication with God requires intentionality. We lead busy lives with interruption and distraction. What distraction can you move to hear God’s voice more clearly? 2. How will your prayer life change in light of this message? How did the message convict you and how will you incorporate a new priority of prayer in your life? 3. Want to go deeper? Take a look at the following passages: 2 Kings 6:14-17; Psalm 34:4-7; John 14:26; 16:13; Acts 13:22; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; 1 John 2:20 Renew Your Mind “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4

Today, we will speak about one of the most overlooked chapters in the book of Genesis – Chapter 16. This is the chapter when Sarah’s Egyptian slave Hagar became pregnant with Abraham’s child; Sarah started to “afflict” her and Hagar decided to flee from her mistress. She fled to the wilderness. At first, she was completely alone, then suddenly somebody was walking and talking with her. Meeting someone in the desert was unusual enough, but the stranger’s very first words proved that this wasn’t an occasional meeting, and the speaker was not a random sojourner. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” <1> When we read the Bible in English translation, the capital letters make it very easy; they show clearly when and where the Lord speaks. There are no capital letters in Hebrew, so we need to recognize and distinguish God’s voice by what He is saying, not by capital letters. Our actual lives are much closer to the Hebrew text: There are no capital letters here; we need to recognize God’s voice or God’s actions without additional hints and tips. Hagar  did  recognize the speaker and therefore she told Him the plain truth:  “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” <2> Unexpected Response The Angel of the Lord said to her, “return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hand.” <3>  There is some amazing wordplay here that is completely lost in translation. In Hebrew, the verb translated “submit” comes from the same root as the word “afflicted” in verse 6:  Sarai afflicted her.  In English, it is impossible to form both of these words from one root, but in Hebrew, it is the same root, though in different forms: active and passive. This makes the original meaning even stronger, as if the Lord is saying to Hagar: “Return to your mistress and be afflicted.” Please take a moment to think of this response. Imagine yourself in the midst of very trying circumstances and then all of a sudden, you receive an epiphany: You meet the One who can actually do anything, can change everything. Wouldn’t you expect Him to help you to  change  your circumstances? Hagar didn’t ask for this meeting and didn’t seek it; since it did happen, however, couldn’t He at least have helped her a bit? Why does He send her back to the very affliction she is fleeing from? He didn’t promise any good changes; He didn’t say that Sarah would be more merciful and compassionate, or that Hagar’s life would become much easier. He didn’t say any of that. He just said:  “Return to your mistress and  submit  yourself under her hand.” When we study this Hebrew root (‘ anah – ענה  ) in Scripture, the first impression is that the word is always used in a negative sense, designating only bad actions: And when Shechem the son of Hamor . . . saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and  defiled  her. <4> Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to  afflict  them. <5> Ye shall not  afflict  any widow, or fatherless child. <6> And yet, it goes without saying that if the Angel of the Lord used this very word in His command to Hagar, it cannot always be negative. Indeed, we find very different occurrences of the same word referring to God’s deeds: “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness , to humble you and test you,  to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He  humbled  you…   that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” <7> From this Scripture we see that if and when God is the One who is causing the affliction, the purpose of His action is “ to humble and test “ .   Thus, it was not about Hagar and Sarah, or what Sarah was doing to Hagar—it was about God and Hagar and what God was doing within Hagar through Sarah. God commanded Hagar to return to her mistress and submit under her hand because He wanted to humble and test her! Thanks to this Hebrew word, we now understand that the Lord Himself is dealing with Hagar’s heart, and it is not under Sarah’s hand that she must submit – it is under the Lord’s hand! You might remember that later on, Hagar had the second epiphany. The Angel of God spoke to her in the wilderness for a second time when she was with Ishmael.  And while we learn much about her when comparing those two scenes, the greatest blessing for me personally comes in seeing how God touched and changed her life in two completely different ways. He knew that the girl in Genesis 16, more than anything else, needed a change of heart. Certainly, she thought her circumstances were very difficult, and they were. Certainly, she thought she was going through terrible hardship, and she was. However, more than anything else she needed to be changed from within, and God knew it! The storms and endless torment of her soul, the love and the hatred, the accusations and the guilt, the bitterness and the pity, all intertwined and twisted, caused her constant pain, so more than anything else she needed peace in her heart! Therefore, when the Angel appeared before Hagar in Genesis 16, God gave her this peace. He changed her heart, but He didn’t change her circumstances. Moreover, He sent her back to her “cruel and unjust” mistress (or so Sarah seemed to her at the time!) and to the very same circumstances, knowing that her transformed heart would allow her to endure peacefully the same affliction that she had run from. He didn’t change her circumstances – but He changed her heart! Back or After? Hagar returns, however, before she turns back she does something absolutely unique, something no-one else in the Bible does—she gives the Lord a name! We do have several examples in Scripture where a place was named according to what God  did  there: So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.  And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide. <8> And Moses built an altar and  called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner. <9> Hagar, however, doesn’t just name a place. She does something altogether different from what Abraham or Moses did: She gives the name not only to the place (the place gets the name as well:  Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi),  but to the Lord Himself, and this is absolutely unique in all Scripture: Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” <10> English translations attempt to present as comprehensible the original Hebrew sentence, which is highly enigmatic and incomprehensible. If we translate it literally, Hagar is asking: “Here (or until here) have I also seen the back of the One who sees me?” This strange original expression would literally mean: ‘I saw  after  the one who sees me,’ or ‘I saw  the back  of the one who sees me’. This “after” or “back” part is omitted altogether in most English translations and that is completely understandable, since the exact meaning of this word is not clear. And even though it may seem to you of little significance exactly what Hagar says here in Hebrew – surprisingly, it might shed light on another Biblical story that you would all know quite well! In a very famous scene from Exodus 33, when Moses asks God to show him His glory, God answers: But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see  My back ; but My face shall not be seen.” <11> Translated, these texts sound very different, and a reader would not see any connection. But in the Hebrew text we discover that amazingly, God says the same word that Hagar said in Genesis 16!  Yes, the Hebrew here uses the same word that Hagar used. True, when we are reading it in our modern  Tanach , even in Hebrew, the accents (vowels) are inserted and they make two different words from the same Hebrew letters: the same consonants are read as “my back” in Moses’ case and as “after” in the case of Hagar. However, the original text contained no vowels, so I do believe that Hagar is trying to express the same experience that Moses later had! We have to admit that we don’t know what God meant by saying: “You shall see My back.” We have no idea whatsoever what God’s back might be However, if it is the same word that Hagar used, maybe God’s words to Moses also should be understood as: “you shall see  after  me”. And the meaning, in this case, would be much clearer: even though no-one can adequately describe what is happening in a heart during an encounter with God, because God alone knows the deepest secrets and wounds of the heart – yet we all know how everything is changed in one’s heart and life after an encounter with God! In both cases, with Moses and Hagar, things changed dramatically  after  the epiphany – and maybe, that is what God is saying to Moses: “It’s not the Divine Encounter that reveals My glory – because a man doesn’t get to see My glory here on earth – but the consequences of My intervention, the transformation  after  the Encounter, will reveal My glory!”  Much, much more can be said about Hagar, as well as about Abraham and Sarah in this complex story, but due to the limitations of the current format (blog post), I have to omit here many fascinating details and Hebrew insights. If you are interested to learn more, I invite you to read my book “Abraham had two sons”, you can get the book  here. The insights you read on these pages, are typical of what we share with our students during DHB (Discovering the Hebrew Bible) or WTP (Weekly Torah Portion)  classes. If these articles whet your appetite for discovering the hidden treasures of the Hebrew Bible, or studying  in depth Parashat Shavua, along with New Testament insights ,  I would be happy to provide more information (and also a teacher’s discount for new students) regarding eTeacher courses  ( juliab@eteachergroup.com ) . <1> Genesis 16:8 <2>  Ibid. <3> Genesis 16:9 <4> Genesis 34:2 <5> Exodus 1:11 <6> Exodus 22:22 <7> Deuteronomy 8:2 , 3 <8> Genesis 22:14 <9> Exodus 17:15 <10> Genesis 16:13 <11> Exodus 33:20-23

How do you handle criticism? How does one protect himself from the "scourge of the tongue" (Job 5:21)? If you are going to be successful in the Lord's work, you must find God's hiding place from one of the most painful weapons in Satan's arsenal: the critical tongue. The fact is, for better or for worse, people are going to talk about you. You cannot do the will of God without causing changes, and changes will always cause some to stumble. In fact, Jesus said we were to beware when all men speak well of us. He said we cannot serve two masters; if we are to truly please Him, we cannot be distracted by trying to please everyone else. At the same time, there is a demonic strategy that is set against those who teach God's Word and minister to His people. The enemy's campaign is not only aimed at destroying the shepherd; he also seeks to scatter the sheep. If Satan's attack is successful, everyone involved will come out of the battle with less love and a hardened heart. I find it amazing that individuals can react so differently to the same teaching. One will be uplifted and encouraged while another may not only miss the Lord's blessing, but also actually be offended by an isolated statement. It seems that for every person who takes the hammer and chisel to make an idol of a preacher, there is someone else with a hammer and spikes ready to crucify him. Unless that man is sustained by the Lord, the pressures against him can be overwhelming. Most people fail to remember that a minister is just like any other Christian. He or she is not Superman; bullets (and words) do not bounce off his chest. He is not invulnerable to cruel and malicious talk. He is an imperfect person called to serve the living God in the body of Christ; but he is nonetheless just a person. For most, church is a place where people go to express their worship of God, to be taught, and to have fellowship. But to the man or woman of God, the church is God's garden. Most of the real work a pastor does is not in the pulpit but in the unheralded service of cultivating love and trust in personal relationships. In God's eyes, the church is much more than a meeting place of casual acquaintances or doctrinally united believers. To the Father, the church is a living temple, a human house for the Spirit of His Son. The Bible says that when He placed us in our particular church it actually gave Him pleasure (1 Cor. 12:18). Together with the Holy Spirit, the pastor and elders work to bring the church into a right relationship with God's love and then to spread that love throughout the entire citywide church. God has provided honorable ways for people to transfer from one church to another. If someone wants to leave a church to start their own, there are proper ways to receive God's anointing and be sent. (See Acts 13:1-3.) It is not necessary to find fault and cause a church split. When things are done correctly and in order, people are edified. But when relationships are severed and destroyed through malicious gossip, or when a developing trust is turned into mistrust through backbiting and criticism, God Himself is angered (Prov. 6:16-19). And if God is offended, how much more difficult is it for His servants to remain aloof from the conflict that sin causes. The Answer So how does a man or woman of God find the balance between his basic need to survive and his responsibility to please God? The answer is to put on Christ's love. A number of years ago I went through a difficult time during which a handful of people made me the target of ongoing criticism. There is a type of constructive criticism coming through people who love you that teaches and helps you to prosper, and there is a different type of criticism that comes through an embittered spirit that is not meant to correct you but to destroy you. It was the latter relationship that I had with these people. To be honest, I am sure that there were areas in my life that were out of balance; some of their complaints were justified. Much of what they had to say, however, was said to others behind my back. Our congregation was being destabilized by these individuals. Try as I did, nothing I could say or repent of would silence them. For three years I sought the Lord, yet He would not vindicate me of their accusations. Instead, He dealt with me. He reached deep into the very substructure of my soul and began to touch hidden areas of my life. At issue with the Lord was not my sin, but my "self." The Bible says our sins are ever before us (Ps. 51:3); these I could see. But I had no perspective on my own soul. The Lord allowed this criticism to continue until it unearthed something deeper and more fundamentally wrong than any of my doctrinal interpretations or sins. It unearthed me. The Holy Spirit began to show me how easily I was manipulated by people's criticisms, and especially how much my sense of peace was governed by the acceptance or rejection of man. As much as I prayed, God would not deliver me from my enemy. He saved me by killing that part of me that was vulnerable to the devil, and He did it with the accusations themselves. I will never forget the day it dawned on me that both God and the devil wanted me to die, but for different reasons. Satan wanted to destroy me through slander and then drain me with the unceasing activity of explaining "my side" to people. At the same time, God wanted to crucify that part of my soul that was so easily exploited by the devil in the first place! It was a pivotal day when I realized that this battle was not going to be over until I died to what people said about me. It was probably at this point that I finally and truly became a servant of God. Today I stand in awe of what the Lord did during those terrible yet wonderful months. He knew a time would come when the things I wrote would touch the lives of millions of people. To inoculate me from the praise of man, He baptized me in the criticism of man until I died to the control of man. Do not misunderstand me: I still honestly pray about things submitted to me by others, and I am accountable to other leaders. I even have staff people whose assignment is to give me a critical analysis of my life and work. But I am no longer ruled by man. I live for God's pleasure, and if I happen to please man, that is His business, not mine. Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

The ancient city of Jericho was a hotbed of wicked Amorite culture. It was heavily fortified with imposing walls. It was also Israel’s entry point into the Promised Land. Conquest of Jericho was the necessary first phase of Israel’s military campaign to claim the land God had promised to Abraham centuries earlier ( Genesis 15:7–16 ). Joshua, Israel’s general, sent spies to carry out a dangerous reconnaissance mission to study Jericho’s defenses. Fear Motivates Faith That the spies would find refuge and protection within the city walls in the home of a prostitute named Rahab was an unexpected twist in God’s providential design. She was even willing to hide the spies from city officials seeking their arrest. Rahab gave the spies an explicit testimony of the faith that motivated her: I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. ( Joshua 2:9–11 ) Rahab’s faith was accompanied by  fear and there is nothing wrong with that—“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” ( Psalm 111:10 ). In Rahab’s case, fear motivated her faith. She had heard powerful evidence of the Lord’s supremacy over Egypt. She understood that it was the Lord’s might—not sheer military skill—that triumphed over fearsome Amorite kings across the river. Hers was a healthy kind of fear. It convinced her that Israel’s God was indeed the one true God. The psalmist wrote, “Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness” ( Psalm 145:6 ). That is precisely the kind of testimony that brought Rahab to faith. Faith Saves The spies swore an oath to deal kindly with her when they conquered her city ( Joshua 2:14 ). But they gave her one condition. She was to hang a scarlet thread from the window where she let them down. This would mark her house in the sight of all Israel, and anyone inside the house would be spared when the city was overthrown ( Joshua 2:17–21 ). The Hebrew word for “thread” in verse 18 is different from the word for “rope” in verse 15. This thread would have been a brightly colored band of woven material, used for decorative purposes. The color would make it easily visible from beneath the wall. Both its appearance and its function were reminiscent of the crimson sign of the blood sprinkled on the doorposts at the first Passover. Many commentators believe the scarlet color is also a deliberate typological symbol for the blood of the true Passover Lamb. Perhaps it is. It certainly stands as a fitting symbol of Christ’s blood, which turns away the wrath of God. From Rahab’s perspective, however, the significance of the scarlet thread was nothing arcane or mystical. It was a simple, expedient emblem suited to mark her window discreetly so that her house would be easily distinguishable from the rest of the houses in Jericho. When the spies returned to Israel’s camp, their report was just what Joshua hoped to hear: “Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away because of us” ( Joshua 2:24 ). Israel’s miraculous victory over Jericho is a familiar account to most people. God purposefully intervened in a way that made clear to everyone in Canaan that He was fighting for Israel. He demolished the massive walls of Jericho without any military means whatsoever ( Joshua 6:20 ). That is, all of the walls except for one part—Rahab and her house were spared. The “young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all she had” ( Joshua 6:23 NKJV ). A Trophy of Grace Rahab is a beautiful example of the transforming power of faith. Although she had little knowledge of the truth, her heart was drawn to the God of Israel. She risked her life, abandoned her pagan culture, and brought her closest family members with her into the community of God’s people. Joshua would write, many years after the event, that “she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day” ( Joshua 6:25 ). After the account of Jericho’s destruction in Joshua 6, Rahab’s name is never again mentioned in the Old Testament. When we  do  meet Rahab again in Scripture, it is in the New Testament. Her name is mentioned there three times.  James 2:25  holds her up as an example of great faith demonstrated by action. She also holds a place of honor among those in Scripture’s great hall of faith ( Hebrews 11:31 ). But the most amazing occurrence of her name in the New Testament is the very first time it appears, on the very first page, in the very first paragraph of the very first gospel. Matthew began his account of Christ’s life with a lengthy genealogy tracing the entire lineage of Jesus from the time of Abraham. Matthew’s goal, of course, was to prove by Jesus’ pedigree that He qualified to be the promised Seed of Abraham, and that He is also rightful heir to the Davidic throne. There, in the list of Jesus’ ancestors, we unexpectedly find Rahab’s name: “Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king” ( Matthew 1:5–6 ). It is there that Rahab takes her place in the scarlet thread of redemption that runs throughout the Old Testament and leads to the Messiah. It is highly unusual for women to be named in Hebrew genealogies at all. And Rahab’s inclusion underscores how scandal colored so much of the messianic line. The scandal motif in Christ’s lineage was no accident. In His incarnation, Christ willingly “emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave” ( Philippians 2:7 HCSB ). He  became  an outcast and a public disgrace, being made a curse on our behalf ( Galatians 3:13 ). He remains even now “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” ( 1 Peter 2:8 ). Furthermore, the gospel message is a public scandal—mere foolishness and shame as far as those who perish are concerned. But to those who are saved, it is the power of God ( 1 Corinthians 1:18 ). God placed the prostitute Rahab in His plan to bring His Son into the world. Rahab is extraordinary because she received extraordinary grace. There’s no need to reinvent her past to try to make her seem less of a sinner. The disturbing fact about what she once  was simply magnifies the glory of divine grace, which is what made her the extraordinary woman she  became . That, after all, is the whole lesson of her life. gty.org

The High Holidays are upon us, and my upcoming posts will be dedicated to the Fall Feasts. This month, however, I can still indulge myself with my favourite topic: showing my readers the hidden gems of the Hebrew Scriptures, the amazing things that are lost in translation. Last time we spoke about Jacob; and I was planning to write about Joseph this time, but Joseph’s saga requires at least two posts, so I will leave that until after the Holidays. Today, we will speak about one of the most overlooked chapters in the book of Genesis – Chapter 16. This is the chapter when Sarah’s Egyptian slave Hagar became pregnant with Abraham’s child; Sarah started to “afflict” her and Hagar decided to flee from her mistress. She fled to the wilderness. At first, she was completely alone, then suddenly somebody was walking and talking with her. Meeting someone in the desert was unusual enough, but the stranger’s very first words proved that this wasn’t an occasional meeting, and the speaker was not a random sojourner. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” <1> When we read the Bible in English translation, the capital letters make it very easy; they show clearly when and where the Lord speaks. There are no capital letters in Hebrew, so we need to recognize and distinguish God’s voice by what He is saying, not by capital letters. Our actual lives are much closer to the Hebrew text: There are no capital letters here; we need to recognize God’s voice or God’s actions without additional hints and tips. Hagar  did  recognize the speaker and therefore she told Him the plain truth:  “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” <2> Unexpected Response The Angel of the Lord said to her, “return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hand.” <3>  There is some amazing wordplay here that is completely lost in translation. In Hebrew, the verb translated “submit” comes from the same root as the word “afflicted” in verse 6:  Sarai afflicted her.  In English, it is impossible to form both of these words from one root, but in Hebrew, it is the same root, though in different forms: active and passive. This makes the original meaning even stronger, as if the Lord is saying to Hagar: “Return to your mistress and be afflicted.” Please take a moment to think of this response. Imagine yourself in the midst of very trying circumstances and then all of a sudden, you receive an epiphany: You meet the One who can actually do anything, can change everything. Wouldn’t you expect Him to help you to  change  your circumstances? Hagar didn’t ask for this meeting and didn’t seek it; since it did happen, however, couldn’t He at least have helped her a bit? Why does He send her back to the very affliction she is fleeing from? He didn’t promise any good changes; He didn’t say that Sarah would be more merciful and compassionate, or that Hagar’s life would become much easier. He didn’t say any of that. He just said:  “Return to your mistress and  submit  yourself under her hand.” When we study this Hebrew root (‘ anah – ענה  ) in Scripture, the first impression is that the word is always used in a negative sense, designating only bad actions: And when Shechem the son of Hamor . . . saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and  defiled  her. <4> Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to  afflict  them. <5> Ye shall not  afflict  any widow, or fatherless child. <6> And yet, it goes without saying that if the Angel of the Lord used this very word in His command to Hagar, it cannot always be negative. Indeed, we find very different occurrences of the same word referring to God’s deeds: “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness , to humble you and test you,  to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He  humbled  you…   that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” <7> From this Scripture we see that if and when God is the One who is causing the affliction, the purpose of His action is “ to humble and test “ .   Thus, it was not about Hagar and Sarah, or what Sarah was doing to Hagar—it was about God and Hagar and what God was doing within Hagar through Sarah. God commanded Hagar to return to her mistress and submit under her hand because He wanted to humble and test her! Thanks to this Hebrew word, we now understand that the Lord Himself is dealing with Hagar’s heart, and it is not under Sarah’s hand that she must submit – it is under the Lord’s hand! You might remember that later on, Hagar had the second epiphany. The Angel of God spoke to her in the wilderness for a second time when she was with Ishmael.  And while we learn much about her when comparing those two scenes, the greatest blessing for me personally comes in seeing how God touched and changed her life in two completely different ways. He knew that the girl in Genesis 16, more than anything else, needed a change of heart. Certainly, she thought her circumstances were very difficult, and they were. Certainly, she thought she was going through terrible hardship, and she was. However, more than anything else she needed to be changed from within, and God knew it! The storms and endless torment of her soul, the love and the hatred, the accusations and the guilt, the bitterness and the pity, all intertwined and twisted, caused her constant pain, so more than anything else she needed peace in her heart! Therefore, when the Angel appeared before Hagar in Genesis 16, God gave her this peace. He changed her heart, but He didn’t change her circumstances. Moreover, He sent her back to her “cruel and unjust” mistress (or so Sarah seemed to her at the time!) and to the very same circumstances, knowing that her transformed heart would allow her to endure peacefully the same affliction that she had run from. He didn’t change her circumstances – but He changed her heart! Back or After? Hagar returns, however, before she turns back she does something absolutely unique, something no-one else in the Bible does—she gives the Lord a name! We do have several examples in Scripture where a place was named according to what God  did  there: So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.  And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide. <8> And Moses built an altar and  called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner. <9> Hagar, however, doesn’t just name a place. She does something altogether different from what Abraham or Moses did: She gives the name not only to the place (the place gets the name as well:  Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi),  but to the Lord Himself, and this is absolutely unique in all Scripture: Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” <10> English translations attempt to present as comprehensible the original Hebrew sentence, which is highly enigmatic and incomprehensible. If we translate it literally, Hagar is asking: “Here (or until here) have I also seen the back of the One who sees me?” This strange original expression would literally mean: ‘I saw  after  the one who sees me,’ or ‘I saw  the back  of the one who sees me’. This “after” or “back” part is omitted altogether in most English translations and that is completely understandable, since the exact meaning of this word is not clear. And even though it may seem to you of little significance exactly what Hagar says here in Hebrew – surprisingly, it might shed light on another Biblical story that you would all know quite well! In a very famous scene from Exodus 33, when Moses asks God to show him His glory, God answers: But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see  My back ; but My face shall not be seen.” <11> Translated, these texts sound very different, and a reader would not see any connection. But in the Hebrew text we discover that amazingly, God says the same word that Hagar said in Genesis 16!  Yes, the Hebrew here uses the same word that Hagar used. True, when we are reading it in our modern  Tanach , even in Hebrew, the accents (vowels) are inserted and they make two different words from the same Hebrew letters: the same consonants are read as “my back” in Moses’ case and as “after” in the case of Hagar. However, the original text contained no vowels, so I do believe that Hagar is trying to express the same experience that Moses later had! We have to admit that we don’t know what God meant by saying: “You shall see My back.” We have no idea whatsoever what God’s back might be However, if it is the same word that Hagar used, maybe God’s words to Moses also should be understood as: “you shall see  after  me”. And the meaning, in this case, would be much clearer: even though no-one can adequately describe what is happening in a heart during an encounter with God, because God alone knows the deepest secrets and wounds of the heart – yet we all know how everything is changed in one’s heart and life after an encounter with God! In both cases, with Moses and Hagar, things changed dramatically  after  the epiphany – and maybe, that is what God is saying to Moses: “It’s not the Divine Encounter that reveals My glory – because a man doesn’t get to see My glory here on earth – but the consequences of My intervention, the transformation  after  the Encounter, will reveal My glory!”  Much, much more can be said about Hagar, as well as about Abraham and Sarah in this complex story, but due to the limitations of the current format (blog post), I have to omit here many fascinating details and Hebrew insights. If you are interested to learn more, I invite you to read my book “Abraham had two sons”, you can get the book  here. The insights you read on these pages, are typical of what we share with our students during DHB (Discovering the Hebrew Bible) or WTP (Weekly Torah Portion)  classes. If these articles whet your appetite for discovering the hidden treasures of the Hebrew Bible, or studying  in depth Parashat Shavua, along with New Testament insights ,  I would be happy to provide more information (and also a teacher’s discount for new students) regarding eTeacher courses  ( juliab@eteachergroup.com ) . <1> Genesis 16:8 <2>  Ibid. <3> Genesis 16:9 <4> Genesis 34:2 <5> Exodus 1:11 <6> Exodus 22:22 <7> Deuteronomy 8:2 , 3 <8> Genesis 22:14 <9> Exodus 17:15 <10> Genesis 16:13 <11> Exodus 33:20-23

Fear has its  cause . It also has its  consequences . If we left fear there, we’d be with little hope. Praise God, we don’t have to! The Christian has hope amidst fear. The Christian has faith that defies pragmatism. The Christian has love that resists emotionalism. The Christian, above all people, may enter each new day settled and secure in life’s circumstances because of the anchor of his soul ( Heb 6:19 ). Possible Solutions to Fear We must explore several intriguing yet inadequate solutions before examining the ultimate and lasting solution to fear. People . Is it possible that when we’re in a situation that invokes anxiety or fear, we look to a person or people to ultimately bring resolution? Consider being a new kid in school or a new person at work. Is there not a temptation to quickly join and find a reprieve from being accepted by a group or a person? Consider marriage. Is it possible to find inordinate solace in your spouse, leading to walking on eggshells to avoid conflict ending in resentfulness? While community and relationships are part of God’s salve in our fearful situations, they are not ultimate or lasting. People move. People change. Thus, human relationships are insufficient to meet our more profound need for abiding peace amidst the storm. We need something more. Philosophy . Are there times when a theory or philosophy is presented that seems to tackle our fears once and for all? Whether it’s  Maslow’s hierarchy of needs  revealing the preferred aspirations innate within humanity or  Dewey’s pragmatism  arguing for uncovering the practical benefits of doing what works through experiential analysis, we are bombarded and, at times, compelled to adopt philosophical jargon and practice. While these and other theories are persuasive and sometimes beneficial, are they ultimate? The problem with philosophy as a stand-alone solution is that it removes the need for God and His working through the mystery of His Spirit. Thus, philosophy is limited and does not ultimately meet our needs amidst fear. We need something more. Process . Is it also possible for us to rely on a daily routine, habits, or step-by-step solutions to resolve fear(s)? Take ten deep breaths…get oxygen to the brain…, and reduce the flight or fight response to scary situations. How about this…try this or that habit for sixty days to help offset the trigger reactions to anxiety-causing activities or circumstances. Implementing specific processes to help us cope with fear and anxiety may be helpful, but it isn’t sustainable. While routines and habits are part of learning and growing, even woven into the fabric of creation ( Gen 8:22 ), they are not fool-proof, and we all wane at some point in our self-discipline and often choose comfort over pain. Therefore, implementing a process to finally remove our fears tries but comes up wanting. We need something more. Fear’s Only Lasting Solution Christ, the God-man :  fulfills God’s promises and thus (1) qualifies Christ as the essential  object  of our faith and (2) vindicates Christ as the irrevocable  fulfiller  of our faith. The apostle Paul describes Christ as the Seed of Abraham, born of a woman, and in the fullness of times to redeem those under the Law ( Gal 3:19 , 4:4 ). What is the significance of Christ being the Seed, born of a woman, and born under the Law? There are many reasons, but I’ll highlight three here: Christ fulfills God’s promise of a seed to Abraham ( Gen 12:1-3 ). Christ fulfills God’s promise to mankind to deal with sin once and for all ( Gen 3:15 ). Christ fulfills God’s requirements of the Law and God’s promise of blessing according to obedience to the Law ( Deut 6:4-6 , 28 ). Therefore, Christ is the only One suitable to offer Himself as a reconciling substitute for a sinful humanity. The question is, “Will Christ do it? Will he offer Himself for us to be reconciled to God? Luke 23:34 gives insight into Christ’s heart. Notice what He says,  “But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.'”  In effect, Jesus’ love for mankind was an extension of God’s love for mankind ( John 3:16 ), and He fulfilled His purpose as the ultimate and only Sacrifice acceptable to God to propitiate (satisfy) God’s wrath stored up as a result of mankind’s sin ( Heb 2:17 ; 1 John 2:2 ). There are at least two implications: Christ did choose to offer Himself as a ransom payment for mankind ( Mark 10:45 ). Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient to restore mankind to relationship and fellowship with God ( Col 1:19-20 ). How Does This Apply To Us Today? Fear is appropriated . The word appropriate makes sense to us experientially and logically. When we act appropriately, we conduct ourselves in a way that fits the context. For example, I will appropriate my actions differently as I watch an Aggie football game and attend a wedding. When fear is appropriated, it is placed appropriately within a specific context. For instance, my fear of a wasp flying at my head differs from that of my child growing up too quickly; thus, I respond to the wasp one way and to the nostalgia another way. This simple example intuitively makes sense, but we often misappropriate fear. Take texting as an example. Have you ever heard of texting interrupting a person’s otherwise healthy emotional balance? A text is sent, and the response doesn’t return a smiley face, exclamation point, or even a heart tap back. What if the person never responds? How does that make some people feel? They fear the other person is upset. Silly example, but helpful. In this case, fear is misappropriated. How do we appropriate fear? Wisdom and the fear of God. As our fear of God grows, all other fears are set in order. What is your view of God?  In his book,  When People Are Big, and God is Small , Ed Welch encouraged,  “We must learn to know that our God is more loving and more powerful than we ever imagined ” (Welch, 113). Our view of God dictates our fear of Him. How big is God to you? A Right View of God . Notice how James invites us into God by revealing aspects of His character in James 1:5 ,  “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." In other words, we seek wisdom from God because we  trust He is generous and does not scold us for doing so. Thus, by faith, we embark on a journey of seeking wisdom from God, which implies the fear of God. Do you trust God in everything? Wisdom is Found in the Fear of God.  To gain wisdom and, therefore, the ability to appropriate fear, we don’t try harder or hope the fear(s) will disappear. Instead, there must be a fear that surpasses all other fears—the fear of the Lord. Jesus is the Wisdom and Power of God . Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, describes Christ as  “the power of God and the wisdom of God  ” ( 1 Cor 1:24 ). Through faith in Christ, the Christian not only has a right standing with God but has access to the wisdom of God. Rightly does one of the authors of the Proverbs says,  “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord”  ( Prov 9:10 ). It follows that since Christ is the wisdom of God and The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord We learn the fear of the Lord by knowing Christ. What is the answer to fear? Knowing Christ.  “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ”  ( Phil 3:8 ). How do we know Christ? Walk in His commands.   “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” ( John 14:21 ). Walk in holiness.   “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” ( 2 Cor 7:1 ). Take every thought captive.  “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” ( 2 Cor 10:5 ). Confess when we don’t.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” ( 1 John 1:9 ). How do we stay at it–knowing Christ? In God’s power. “ For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”  ( Phil 2:13 ). God help us to fear appropriately! Amen and Amen!