As always, it seems, I have many different threads, research projects, ongoing at once. I have explained to you before that what I discern in life comes from a combination of God’s written Word and witnesses all around me in life. I am in the midst of a very large project, not yet ready for a “revealing,” but a few witnesses came together to suggest to me that I share this “niblet” with you now. Hopefully there will be future opportunities to expand upon it.
First, I will tell you that there have been some recent personal life events that have had this topic at the forefront of my sensibilities. We need not go into my own experiences, only to say they have brought a heightened awareness, like the burning bush.
The precipitating event that led me to share was a message I got on Facebook (no, I’m not a “regular,” but I look when someone sends me something). I apologize to the author shown, who I do not know – I have received this several-times-removed and do not know her personally. The writing and image came together. The website shown with the image could be the writer’s source. The comment comes exactly reflecting some of my work, a “convenient confluence of witnesses.” I applaud the author’s insight, though I do not know her precipitating life events that led her to write.
There are a few different pieces to connect here. First, the early Exodus verse referred to, with some of our typical ways of approaching it. This is obviously the story of Moses.
Exodus 2:3 NKJV
3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid (it) in the reeds by the river’s bank.
- I have been working on understanding better “honoring” and “judging,” from the Biblical perspective. I have shown below a more literal translation of Exodus 2:3, with three different explorations/dissections: כבד for “honor,” and two common words for “judge,” שפט and דון, that come from somewhat different perspectives on judging. You will see these roots also in some other related verses below, which I hope will tie together by the end of this entry. I simply encourage you to look at the root definitions here.
Below is a “converted” translation, taking some of the names of things and, using the root definitions, noted in the list above, getting a glimpse at some underlying meanings:
Hopefully by now you have gotten used to the more awkward reading in the more literal translations.
There is much, much, much here that is reflected in the shared Facebook story above.
See, both from the three highlighted explorations and the “converted” translation, that there is a message about parenting, the message that is seen in the Facebook story. It is a message about the difficulty of parenting, about judgments that have to be made in determining when and how to let one’s child fall into the hand of the “consequences” of life, the nature of the Living God. It is that same nurturing/breastfeeding vs. weaning picture all over again.
And before we move to the next investigation, I just want to make certain the reader really grasps the “heaviness” כבד of the “judgments” שפט/דון that parents are required to make in the lives of their seed. The understanding is necessary as a prelude to the commandment in Torah to honor כבד parents. Parents are definitely not perfect. They definitely make errors along the way in the judgments they are required to make. The decisions weigh heavily upon them. Look up Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16 in your own Bible.
I just want to point out what Paul says in Ephesians, harkening back to the Exodus and Deuteronomy presentations in the Ten Commandments, so you, the reader, are aware what he is speaking about. Keep in mind the point above, the judgments and sacrifices that parents make in order to bring you to where you are today. Then, the wording of “a promise” indicates this is a covenantal relationship between God and mankind. Such relationships are ones that require judgment on mankind’s part. It is a situation where we are allowed to exercise our “free will.” The choice of כדד-ing father and mother in the Exodus version brings long life. The כדד-ing father and mother in Deuteronomy brings “going well.”
The message is pretty clear, but that we must understand what the word כבד really means. You have the root definition above,
- כבד p.114 weigh; be important;; be open and receptive (C17)
Our parents are to carry weight with us; they are to be important to us; we are to be open and receptive to what their life experiences have brought them, and they have been led to share with us.
כבד is translated into many English words in our Bibles, which are good to ponder: heavy, weigh, honor, respect, glorify, great. The very interesting aspect is that parents do fail. They are not always “worthy” in our eyes to be “honored.” But the judgment we are asked to make is not whether they are worthy. The judgment, the decision that we must make, is to honor in spite of lack of “worthiness.” It is that type of judgment, the decision within ourselves to submit to the commandment of God to honor parents, that indicates to God our “circumcised heart.” (My parents have long-since passed-over, one having a full life and one having died relatively young. As my own life has unfolded, I have come to honor my parents more and more. And I regret that such was not always the case. Children fail, also. And the LORD has a way of bringing things full circle.)
The decision we make to honor our parents is like-unto that decision in Gan Eden, to honor the instruction of God re: the Tree of Knowledge. Paul’s pointing out “the first commandment with a promise” is a highlight.
I did the full כבד cognate permutations study to see if it would give more insight. Again, feel free to challenge the impression I came up with.
Impression כבד cognate permutations (allow/embrace God’s consequences)
The design of the Creation of the LORD (יהוה) is one of action/reaction, “consequences;” see Post 14. Synthetic Grasp of Life. As is seen in the basket message above, we must learn to allow/embrace God’s consequences. As parents, one of the tougher “judgments” we must make is in timing. But as Yokebed/Jochebed יוכבד, the mother of Moses, was aware, the timing is not really up to us••• it is a matter of trust in the midst of confusion. Life does not come to us neatly packaged. We are to be preparing, “covering with rock material,” “bringing together” life lessons for their preparation for God’s journey for them. But comes a point in the great Father’s plan that we must say we have done what we can do. We must let go.
Oh, and did you notice כבד in Yokebed’s name? Strongs lists the meaning as “Jehovah is glory.” We might also say she “honored the consequences of the LORD.” (For those not having been following here for a long time, יו is a cognate permutation of קב, which means “consequence.”) There is a great deal of life investment into children. Only God our Heavenly Father knows the appropriate consequences and the appropriate timing for the “letting go.” Pay attention.
We are to read the signs around us, the witnesses, and see when the bush is burning but not consumed. We have to trust God not only in our judgments but in our timing. Letting go is not always easy. Indeed, it is כבד. I thank you, LORD, for your answers, and the timing of your answers, when I am only patient enough to await them. Your timing is always perfect. Mine is most often not.
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