Hebrew Highlights 119 – Consider

 

Shalom!  This is Yuval Shomron coming to you from Jerusalem.

 

HEB 3:1-3, “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.  He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.  For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.”

The word “consider” in this passage is interesting in both Hebrew and Greek.  We’ll take a look at the Hebrew a little later, when I return to these verses.

The Greek word behind “consider” is “katanoeo” Which basically means to take note of, or to perceive.  How often we do exactly the opposite.  We take the scriptures, and yes, even the Lord Yeshua himself for granted.  We do not always notice the deep meanings in the scriptures, or the beauty of our salvation.  All too frequently, we just do our daily reading, close the book, say a brief prayer, and go on about our daily business.

Three other verses, which contain this word, give us suggestions as to how we might more appreciate God’s world around us.  Let’s start with LUK 12:24. 

 "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; and they have no storeroom nor barn; and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!

          Driving down the highway, we see many ravens, or crows, or sparrows, or whatever.  Many times we may be worrying at that very moment about our finances, or some other worldly woe.  If we would only “take note” of those abundant flying reminders of His grace, we might let go of our fears.

          About an inch down the page, in LUK 12:27, the example is reinforced. "Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.

          Again, if we get out of the city during the springtime, blooming promises of our Heavenly Father’s provision surround us.  How obtuse we can be, when the Lord’s answers to our problems are so obvious.

          In HEB 10:24, the word in our study today is used in a different context. “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”  Now there’s an idea whose time has come!  It might be enough to stimulate ourselves to love and good deeds.  However, in this particular passage, we are to encourage each other, possibly rather that finding fault in everyone else.


Now I’d like to “reconsider” our original verses for today.  HEB 3:1-3, “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.  He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.  For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.”

          In Hebrew the word “consider” used here is “lahitbonen”, which literally means, “look upon with understanding”.  If we look at Yeshua in this way, we will draw more from Him than we do in a quick glance.  In verse 3, He is called the “builder”, or in Hebrew, “Bonei”.  This is built on exactly the same root letters as “lahitbonen”, or “consider”.  Perhaps this is because a good carpenter has to look very carefully at His plans before beginning.

          By the way, we learn in verse 1, that Yeshua was the first Apostle.  For those of you who still mistakenly think there were only 12, “consider” this verse.  God appointed Him and sent Him out to build His church, just as today, in this continuing Apostolic age, God sends out messengers, or apostles to build His church in new lands.  That paragraph was free of charge, if not free of “current”.

          I’ll mention one more verse where our Hebrew version of “consider” is used in the Old Testament.  PSA 107:43, “Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things; And consider the lovingkindnesses of the Lord.”

          I don’t know about you, but if I begin to look back on my life, and “consider” all the times God has extended His grace to me, I begin to understand the height, the width, and the depth of His lovingkindness.

          Next time you drive by a field of lilies, or see a blackbird fly overhead, or on the other hand, see a drunk lying in the gutter, “consider”, “take note”, “perceive”, and “look on with understanding”.

          Where would we be without Jesus?

 

Shalom, Shalom from Jerusalem