In my preparation for a recent Encounter meeting I was researching into the Hebrew meanings of the words in the verse, using some of the original pictographs courtesy of Jeff Benner’s work. The same morning, I had a dream which, contained within it images which related to the study!
Taking the first word joy, I looked it up and saw that the pictograph for this was two teeth side by side, showing the whiteness of the teeth. This is an example of how we can lose meaning in translation. I like this image it makes me think of when you smile you show your teeth and they reveal their whiteness or brightness! In my dream I was at the dentist!
There is a further meaning to the word joy from the Hebrew. This is where you could figuratively say I fell off my chair! I was looking through the list of words that related to joy. The list included swallow, moth and a twisting around in flight. There was even mention of a horse as it twists and gallops! What amazed me the most was the word crane. A stork is a large long-legged bird which in our culture often relates to delivering babies! I was astounded because in my dream I had startled a crane, a white crane, with a crested-crown! And within the dream I had simultaneously seen a stork. Both represent timeliness!
Frank’s Isaiah 1 message on 14th January and the readings of the same day were about the type of worship God was displeased with. When I looked up crane in a bible search I came upon the following scripture which relates to this message and this was before I heard Frank speak:
Even the stork knows when it is time to move on. The turtledove, swallow, and crane recognize the normal times for their migration. But my people pay no attention to what I, the Lord, require of them. Jeremiah 8:7 NET
The next section of the Isaiah verse is about drawing water. This has a connection to a snake drawing in prey in the Hebrew pictographs. A well is literally or figuratively an eye of the ground and again can be translated as a spring, source or fountain. The eye reveals the heart of a person. This makes further sense as we look at that which is drawn out of the well of salvation, living water that quenches our thirst.
The keyword though for me was the word that is used for salvation which can also be translated: welfare, prosperity, deliverance and victory. This word is very striking especially if you know the Hebrew name for Jesus, it’s the same – Yeshua!
The word for Yeshua has its root in yâsha‘, meaning to be open, wide or free by implication to be safe. Again, the Hebrew pictographs are of teeth which are used for devouring or destruction and the eye which combine to mean Destroyer watches.
“When one of the flock is in trouble the shepherd rescues it. The shepherd carefully watches over the flock and the surrounding area always on the look-out for danger. When a predator comes to attack the shepherd destroys the enemy!” Hopefully the image of a shepherd here is not lost on you, it relates to The Good Shepherd!
Whatever situation you or I face we are urged to be joyful we need to stir it up as it were and drink. Jesus wants us to be free from restrictions inside our hearts. He wants us to live joyfully even amidst trials. He is the source, he is our joy, bale, well, water and salvation. They all inter-relate. These images are meant to lead us deeper into God’s presence to experience him! Wow!