{"id":16551,"date":"2023-11-10T07:35:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T14:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bibleinteract.com\/?p=16551"},"modified":"2023-11-13T11:54:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T18:54:25","slug":"%f0%9f%93%84-words-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bibleinteract.com\/?p=16551","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udcc4 Words Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Kaaren Craig<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words have meanings, and translating from one language to another and from one culture to another is difficult, let alone translating eras between centuries. Any translation from one language to another, or from one era of history, is difficult, and translators do their best.\u00a0 This blog will hopefully challenge us to review our 21st-century perspective on the keyword, Torah, which is translated in English as \u201cLaw.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some examples of these translations where the word Torah is translated as Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psm. 1: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the<\/em> law<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0of the\u00a0LORD, and on his <\/em>law<\/em><\/strong> he meditates day and night.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psm 19:7 The <\/em>law<\/em><\/strong> of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0is perfect, reviving the soul.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psm. 119:1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the <\/em>law <\/em><\/strong>of Adonai.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Webster\u2019s definition of Law: that which is laid out, set or fixed, imperative, mandatory, revealing rules of conduct, and unchangeable (for example, the laws of nature or physics).\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ten commandments in Exodus 20 are Law: fixed and commanded. In Hebrew, the ten commandments are called the \u201cten words\u201d to convey their importance. <\/em>God\u2019s Word definitely is Law, and it demonstrates the permanence and importance of knowing and obeying God\u2019s laws. His laws are fixed and won\u2019t change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Torah, on the other hand, has a much broader definition according to Strong’s Concordance. Torah:<\/strong> direction, instruction, law. Original word:\u00a0\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4\u00a0 Part of Speech: Noun Feminine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be surprised that the word \u201ctorah\u201d comes from the root word ya-rah<\/em>, which means to throw, point the way, or shoot an arrow.\u00a0 Proverbs 1:8 tells us not to forsake the Torah (teaching, direction) of our mother.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frank Seekins, in Hebrew Word Pictures, further expands our understanding of the word torah. When Hebrew was first written, each letter represented both a sound and a picture. These pictographs slowly evolved into today\u2019s letter shapes.\u00a0 As the word Torah is viewed from a paleo\/picture perspective, a picture emerges from the letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tav \u2013 the shape of a cross<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vav \u2013 a nail connects two things<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resch \u2013 head or leader<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hay \u2013 look; behold; this is what happened<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what does that give us? \u201cThe man who was nailed to the cross is now the head and leader of God\u2019s people!\u201d Thus, because the word \u201claw\u201d rightly infers judgment or standing before a judge in a formal, unchangeable procedure, we see that the man on the cross paid the penalties incurred by breaking the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now let\u2019s look at the differences in the eras. In our 21st<\/sup> C. with Western, Greek mindsets, we want to know what and how. We want a proof text, proof of the existence of something, and static and unchanging sets of rules or laws. That has its place, or we would not have the technological or medical advances we all enjoy. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, from the Ancient Near Eastern mindset that permeates the Scriptures, God\u2019s existence is assumed. He is the great storyteller; He loves relationship over knowledge, and He wants us to know Him.\u00a0 For that reason, He always has words of instruction for us.\u00a0 He is a relationship-focused God. \u201cBe still and know that I AM God.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 That gives Him time to teach us from His Word and to expand on what we have already learned from His Word. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus told us that He puts new wine into new wineskins, suggesting that His information for us is new and startling, and we must open our minds to receive it without relying on comfortable tradition. There is so much we don\u2019t know, but we do know Him. When I consider the word torah as instruction, that perspective is ongoing and relational.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can open the Word with expectation: \u201cWhat will the God of relationship teach or instruct me today?\u201d\u00a0 With this perspective in mind, go back and read the above verses and insert the word \u201cinstruction\u201d rather than \u201claw.\u201d\u00a0Torah is like the instructions and teachings of a mother, which is relational and life-giving.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now write down what new instructions or insights you received from our ever-present, ever-relational God.  How will that change your day today? What new counsel did you receive? How has your understanding of the Torah changed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be surprised that the word \u201ctorah\u201d comes from the root word ya-rah<\/em>, which means to throw, point the way, or shoot an arrow.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Please give us your thoughts on this article!<\/p>\n\n\n\n