Finding Jesus
Make sure to read all the way to the bottom. I have a special bonus for you this week .
The Heart Of The Alphabet
The lamed ל, the heart of the alphabet, is one of the first letters I wrote about when I began this journey. It is still one of my favorite posts so I thought about not writing on it again and just having you reread that post. I started studying this letter even more to see where the Lord would lead. In my search, I found Jesus right at the center of this ancient text and knew I needed to share more.
If you have not read “Hallelujah” please do so. The lamed ל shows us how to worship and if you don’t study that aspect of this letter you will miss out on so much. What I learned in writing that post transformed my heart in the way I worship. Take the extra time to read it and let it resonate with you.
Just when I thought it could not get better, God revealed more. In the “Hallelujah” post, I shared that the lamed ל represents a heart because of its shape, but it is also known as a heart for its placement in the center of the alef-beit, the heart of the alphabet.
Let’s dig a little deeper. Look at the two letters on each side of the lamed ל. You will find the mem מ, which we will look at next, and the kaph ך, that we studied in the last post. If you put these three together, you have the Hebrew word melek מלך, which means king. Can you guess where we are going?
King Of Glory
In Psalm 24:8, we read a prophecy of our King of glory. He is the center of the alphabet, but more importantly, the center of everything. From the foundation of time, Jesus was the plan of salvation and here we see Him shining in the middle of an ancient text.
Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle.
~Psalm 24:8 NLT
Hope Of Salvation
Do you recognize the beauty in this? I have heard many try to argue that Jesus was God’s Plan B. When humans messed up so much; He had to find another way to save us. It is quite the opposite. God planned for Jesus to be the hope of salvation from the beginning. He is the central figure throughout scripture.
Genesis 1:26 NIV says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image.’” The form of God here (Elohim) is plural in Hebrew. I understand this as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit from the very beginning. We continue to find Jesus throughout the old testament in physical embodiment, like in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and then in over three hundred prophecies that He later fulfilled.
I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they are not hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Daniel 3:25 NKJV #Jesus has been part of the plan since the beginning of time. Share on XWant to go even deeper? The lamed ל is the 12th letter and has the value of 30. How old was Jesus when He began teaching? Luke 3:23 says he was about the age of 30. The lamed ל, which tells us to learn, points us to Jesus’ teaching.
Scholars also suggest that the Lamed ל looks like a staff or a cattle prod. They say that this represents how God guides us throughout life. We are to study and build a firm foundation from what Jesus teaches throughout scripture. We then take what we read and allow God to guide us through His word, when He speaks to us in prayer, and/or in our times of worship. When we open ourselves to the Lord in how I mention in “Hallelujah” we enable Him to give guidance over our lives.
God’s Plan Revealed Through Scripture
Each time we have moved, God has given me a scripture for that place. For some places, I received a new scripture and knew we would move before the call ever came. Before we came to Montana, we had a nine-month hiatus before the Lord showed us where to go. For the longest time I had no new scripture, and I started doubting if He had a next step for us.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
~Matthew 28:19 NLT
On our way to visit a church in California, I was reading a book and the scripture Matthew 19:28 jumped off the page at me. Instantly, I knew this was our next scripture. I turned to Sam sitting next to me on the plane and I excitedly told him the next place we were to serve would have Matthew 28:19 by the door. It was strange because I did not know why I said that, other than it was the Holy Spirit speaking through me.
We visited the church in California. We did not see the scripture anywhere, and the Lord was clear in other ways that we were not to go there. However, a short time after we returned, Sam received a call asking us to visit Montana. We walked in the sanctuary of the old country church and there left of the door was a banner with Matthew 28:19. The even crazier part was I picked that book back up that I had read on the plane, and Matthew 28:19 is nowhere in it. Isn’t God good?
Just as God guided our family to know where to go, He wants to do the same for each of you. Be receptive to what He is laying on your heart to do for Him.
Connecting The Letters
Now lets connect this to the past few letters. We experience the Teth ט, through the examining of our hearts. In this examination process, we allow God to purify us from the sin that is within us. The refining continues with the Yod י that reveals what He sees in you. You are never too small or too far away to be used by Him. The kaph כ teaches us to fill our heart back up, but only with the things of Heaven.
In this state of righteousness, meaning we are right with God, we have cleared our hearts and minds of the things that would inhibit our learning. The lamed ל teaches us to learn from Jesus in a way that aligns with the desires God has for us. He leads us into a place of wisdom, which we will learn about next time.
Please share your comments below. I would love to hear your experiences of how God has guided you through scripture.
Bonus
I created a worksheet to help you dig deeper into the word this week. In this bonus, you will receive scriptures that include different names of Jesus and and few questions and journaling activities. I would love to hear from you if you find this helpful and would like more with upcoming posts.
Jennifer, I love how the Hebrew alphabet speaks in words and symbols. How relevant that lamed looks like a heart and also a staff to show us the heart of our Savior Shepherd. Thanks for sharing!
It’s amazing. I am blown away by each letter I study. Thank you.
Thank you for this post. I love this… “Just as God guided our family to know where to go, He wants to do the same for each of you. Be receptive to what He is laying on your heart to do for Him.” Such wonderful encouragement!
Dawn, I am so glad it encouraged you. Waiting for His timing and guidance can be hard, but to follow His plan is always so much better.
Your posts are so interesting and informative and they get right to the heart of our relationship with Jesus. Loved your story about your family’s call to Montana. I appreciate the reminder to “be receptive.” I admit to struggling with that. Wishing you continued blessings in your ministry.
Thank you so much Katherine. Being receptive is hard and not always the first thing that comes to mind. I know my first thoughts are what I want to do and then He reins me back in.