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Yes, ‘am-ha’aretz is my word for the day. I imagine your inquisitive facial expression and that you are now reaching for your mobile device to access Google. I’ll save you the trouble and time. In the Complete Jewish Study Bible you will find this Hebrew word; ‘am-ha’aretz, which is taken from John 7: 30 – 53; actually it is referenced in verse 49. Background story: The chief priests and Pharisees rebuke the temple guards for not bringing Jesus back to them for questioning. The guards are amazed by Jesus wisdom and power in His words. The Pharisees; however, are not impressed and chastise the guards, “You mean He has deceived you also?” (verse 47, NIV) The rulers and Pharisees continue (verse 48, NIV), “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in Him?” Please feel free to continue reading verse 49 in the NIV if you wish, but it is in the Complete Jewish Study Bible that you will find my word for the day – ‘am-ha’aretz. And it was in reading this section of scripture yesterday that I so connected with Jesus followers; well, literally, back in His day. The Pharisees continue: “True, these ‘am-ha’aretz do (trust in Jesus as the Messiah), but they know nothing about the Torah. They are under a curse.”(verse 49, CJS) Is it a curse to be ‘am-ha’aretz? ‘Am-ha’aretz literally means people of the land, ordinary, unlearned people. Hmmm, let us look at this concept. I have shared throughout this site that I was born to parents of German descent and raised on a farm during many of my formidable years. They spoke two languages fluently and could read Latin and had graduated from the 12th grade. My Mennonite mother was an accomplished musician. She loved to play the piano, sing, and ‘unofficially’ dance. As a child I was taught to appreciate theatre, and to read poetry and the classics. My father was an equally learned man, except he could not sing well nor play an instrument and certainly did not dance. Yet they were learned parents and wise. According to the Pharisees, though, my family was ‘am-ha’aretz. I loved this story. I love the application. I fell in love with the word ‘am-ha’aretz. In love with a word? Peculiar, absurd. Yet, Louisa May Alcott stated that ‘Love is a great beautifier’. Yes, I love the word. And to me, ‘am-ha’aretz may label me, but the person identifying me as ‘am-ha’aretz does not limit me nor my experiences nor my beliefs. Education is a beautiful process which may be discovered in schools, in universities, in degrees representing our completion of studies; but wisdom is not limited to academic education, to knowledge espoused from our universities, and certainly not to our degrees; BA, MA, or PhD. My prayer for you today is that you may open yourself up to the still small voice that calls to you. You are beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139: 14, NIV). Your origins may be ‘am-ha’aretz, but that is just a label intended to minimize you. Jesus never did that. I challenge you to continue on wisdom’s journey with me for inspiration and instruction. May you never allow defeat to overtake you because you are ‘am-ha’aretz. May you allow yourself to be immersed in His words and just as the temple guards stated, “No one ever spoke the way this man does.” (John 7:46, NIV). May you find the Truth as you search for Wisdom.
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What’s in a name? You have heard this cliche before, haven’t you? Hundreds of years ago Shakespeare wrote “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet…”(Romeo and Juliet). There is merit to his wisdom. The quality, the substance, the essence of a rose, or person for that matter, exists far beyond the name of that object or that person. Or maybe not…
My mother believed what you name a baby is the true christening for the child’s life. My name’s meaning: Renee – Reborn, and Beth – House of God, oops! I stand corrected. I met Jonathan Cahn at a Road to Jerusalem conference a few years ago. He was a conference presenter and also was autographing his new book, The Harbinger II. We struck up a conversation and as I introduced myself, Jonathan asked me if I knew what my name meant. I proudly stated, “Of course, Renee means reborn, and Beth means house of God.” I smiled. Jonathan shook his head, “ No, Beth does not mean House of God. My wife’s name is Elizabeth and Beth is derived from Elizabeth. Elizabeth means House for God.” His words caught me off guard as I meditated on what he had just said. Reborn House for God… His correction of my name’s meaning - out with the of and in with the for had a profound impact. A house of God indicates possession, whereas a house for God implies a purpose. That three letter preposition for has changed my view of life. I am not a House of God; I have been chosen to be a House for God’s purpose. I received Jonathan’s correction and much like the line from Frost’s poem “The Road not Taken”, ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference’. So, what’s in your name? Have you ever been displeased with a gift you received? The magnificent gold foil wrapping paper was emphasized by an enormous bow. The wrappings masked the promising gift. However, once you unwrapped it; well, the gift did not meet your excited expectations. The jewelry, perfume, fur coat, or set of china - whether expensive or a cheap knock off – when it was unwrapped, well, the present was simply, a disappointment. Have you experienced this?
Sometimes life offers a paradoxical event of pleasure and pain. Recently, for me, it began with my husband’s decision to build our new home. We had agreed on the lot, a 1.06 acre lot which was bordered on the one side by the subdivision’s nature and boating park. Because of the scenery, the home’s potential, and the amazingly affordable price, we decided to purchase the lot that day. My husband, along with a prospective builder, was admiring the lot’s potential. Once he and the builder began discussing the home’s design, and the images they both portrayed, I was captivated. This had to be a providentially ordained purchase, surely it was from God. Over the next three years, my husband designed our home, and he also became the primary contract builder. We both were stressed making decisions regarding the basic layout design and acquiring the materials for the home. Added to developing the house plans were the challenges of hiring sub-contractors, abiding by the county’s inspections and regulations, as well as our new community’s HOA regulations. For me, this undertaking seemed formidable. My husband and I both held full time jobs during the house build. Stress continued to plague us as we navigated through the murky red tape of the county and the HOA, and the management of the sub-contractors, and building supply deliveries. Upon the home’s completion, of course family and friends came to visit us. I enjoyed their fellowship, but thought constantly of the length of time it had taken to build the house. For three years every vacation day, every waking weekend was given over to the building of our home. In addition, there were more personal sacrifices than just our personal time together. In order to subsidize the increasing expense to build our home, I deleted a large portion of my retirement and all of a savings account I had spent years accumulating. I grew to resent the increasing toll of our beautiful home. Throughout the three years as we were developing the plans, building the structure, and then moving into our new home, my husband would tell people, “I am building my queen her castle.” Friends and family understood how sincere my husband was when he made this statement. He meant every word – every word. One only need to see him look at me to know how much he adored me. But for me, I resented the extravagance and expense of our home. When we had first met and decided to marry, we could not afford a wedding and were married in Las Vegas. So, we began our marriage in an apartment with my mother’s discarded furniture and other people’s second hand donations. Our car with over 200,000 miles on the odometer was his parent’s contribution to our marriage. We had nothing materially, but everything we needed and desired – each other. I was blissfully happy. As I write this blog, due to recent family situations, we have listed my husband’s gift to me with a local realtor. It was during the initial listing and staging of the house, that a realization swept over me. My home is gorgeous. It was designed with me in mind: from the open kitchen/living room concept with fireplace and coffered ceiling to the expansive master bedroom and en-suite with 14 foot his and her closets. Every detail, every upgrade, every thought was placed in gifting me a home. Where did I miss the mark? How could I argue with him that I did not want this home? Where was my love in accepting his gift? I felt ashamed. I wanted to avoid my reality of three long bitter years…. What could I do to make up for this ungratefulness? There was only one thing I could do…. I repented and asked my husband to forgive me. He is so loving that he immediately held me in his arms and said he was sorry for any unhappiness I had experienced. He said he forgave me, and reassured me through all three years, I was precious to him. But you see, I knew when I had rejected the incredible design and details he had built just for me, and his request for special moments enjoying our home, I had chosen to reject his love. I wanted to justify my behavior; but honestly, it was selfishness and selfish desires that were at the root of my unhappiness. And that caused me to remember that in a way that is just how I had rejected Jesus. He offered me the greatest gift – His ultimate gift – and I had rejected it, too, for a while. Until I repented of my selfish desires of not accepting the gift He offered me, and until I asked for His forgiveness; I would miss out on receiving His ultimate gift. Have you ever experienced this? |
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)