Fear Not

The Colors of Understanding

Chapter 22

November 28

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

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Preface

Much of the intended meaning we glean from the words we read in the Old Testament gets lost when translated from Hebrew to English. This can limit our understanding. By acquiring the expanded meaning essentially hidden in each word provides an expansion of insight. From this our connection to God, and His ability to live in, through and for us, strengthens, deepening more profoundly than we may otherwise imagine.

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When we have a mix of two different colors, e.g. Blue-Green, the  primary color is always listed first. The color listed secondly represents a hint of the specific color that's been mixed in with the primary. Regarding our example, this means it's primarily Blue with a little Green mixed in.

Words in Hebrew work similarly. One word has its primitive root (the primary color). But it can have other secondary, tertiary, even quaternary (and beyond) colors (words/meanings) subtly mixed in. Only when we're able to hold the principle term in our mind with all its subtle meanings do we get closer to understanding the complete message being communicated.

For example, in the above verse from Deuteronomy, "strong," in Hebrew, is 'hazaq.' Its primitive-root, i.e. its primary color, is to 'fasten upon.' The secondary color mixed in is: to 'seize.' But in this one word, "hazaq," there are many hints of other colors mixed in. Figuratively 'hazaq' means 'courageous.' But causatively, within and for us, it stands for 'strengthen,' 'cure,' 'help,' 'repair,' and 'fortify.'

If a word can be a crayon, then 'hazaq' is veritably a deluxe box, though with many colors mixed into one. Up to this point we've only just begun to unpack them all. If all the colors of this one word were organized into related or similar groups on a palette, it would look something like this:

I.

repair

mend

be recovered

calker (one who stops up or makes tight against leakage)

strengthen

fortify

amend (change for the better; improve)

strengthen self

II.

obstinate

be constant

continue

be established

harden

maintain

withstand

III.

take

retain

fasten

seize

bind

restrain

catch

cleave

constrain

take hold

hold fast

IV.