Am Yisrael Chai

17 May 2008

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

For the past several days I have been meditating upon the words "Am Yisrael Chai" (the people of Yisrael live). I heard those words in a song and I could not get them out of my mind. Then Abba asked me to meditate upon Tehillim 133.

Tehillim (Psalm) 133:
1 See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity – 2 Like the precious oil on the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aharon, Running down on the collar of his robes – 3 Like the dew of Hermon, That comes down on the mountains of Tsiyon. For there YHWH commanded the blessing, Life forever!

I have been asking Abba to give me understanding. That He would show me His Truth in this short passage. Honestly I was responding a little like one of our Patriarchs who would not let go until he was blessed! I have wrestled with Abba on these few verses and I hope you will be blessed as I have been.

First, Melech (King) David is making a statement that is the basis for the whole passage. Verse 2 is an analogy to that statement, followed by another analogy and ending with a definitive statement.

The end of this Tehillim brings all the other verses together, "YHWH commanded the blessing, Life forever!" Blessing is brought forth when brothers dwell together in unity. In fact, this unity means our very life! However, we will never get there by man-made creeds, dogmas, nor human agendas. We will get there by the flow of the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit). We will get there as we allow the Ruach to purify our minds. Thus, it must first flow down upon our heads.

Then it flows down the beard. Now a full beard was a man's dignity in ancient times. We read about David's mighty men being humiliated and sent back to their commander with half a beard (2 Sam. 10). Because of their great shame, David sent them away to Yericho only to return once their full beards had grown back. Webster's dictionary defines dignity as "ones true worth or excellence". In Bereshit (Genesis) we read that YHWH breathed His Ruach into Adam and He became a living nefesh (soul). Is not our true worth and excellence in the very One who gives us life?

Is the Ruach flowing down upon our very being? Are we robed in the Ruach Ha Kodesh or are we hiding behind other clothes? What have we dressed ourselves in? In Bereshit 35 Yaacov said to his household, "Put away the strange elohim that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments." And Yeshayahu 61:10 ...."For He has put garments of deliverance on me, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness."

Streams of living water flow as dew from the mountains of Tziyon. Water from the very One who saved us flowed from a mountain of Tziyon to give us life.

Religion won't bring us unity, but as we embrace the Breath of Life who does, then we all can truly say, "Hinei ma tov uma nayim shevet achim gam yachad. (see footnote) Am Yisrael Chai!"

footnote: (Hebrew from Tehillim 133, verse 1)

Shavua tov,
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and
let us strengthen (encourage) one another!