HEBREW WORD STUDY – WEARINESS – YAGAR יגר Yod Gimmel Resh

Isaiah 43:22 “Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become weary of Me, O Israel.”

The Jews are known in the Old Testament as the children of Israel and the House of Jacob. Why two different names? As you may recall the name Jacob and Israel apply to the second son of Isaac, the twin brother of Esau. Like Jacob, he cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright. When Jacob and Esau were born Esau came out of the womb first but his twin brother Jacob grabbed his brothers heel so technically there was no elder, both should have been considering the eldest and both should have received the inheritance which was to go to the eldest. Isaac, their old man, however, decided it would be Esau who should get the birthright. Yet, it was God’s plan that Jacob gets the birthright. However, Jacob took it upon himself to get the birthright and not wait for God to intervene. He figured he could get the birthright without God. Hence the name Jacob stuck as will be explained in this study.

In Isaiah God is calling his chosen people who have not called on Him – Jacob. Then he states that they have become weary of Him. Here He calls them Israel. The name Jacob means heel which represents the physical part of God’s people who are in a constant struggle with priorities. The physical desires versus the spiritual desires and the tendency to not wait for God’s perfect timing. Jacob represents the physical struggles, hardships, and pleasure. Jacob also means to trick or be clever. To think you can use your own strength and ingenuity to accomplish God’s purpose.

Israel was the name given to Jacob when he wrestled with the angel all night and the angel could not pin the old boy. So Jacob was given the name of Israel. Etymologists, commentators, and Bible scholars have many differing views on what Israel means. Literally it appears to be a compound word el for god and yahar for righteous, following a straight path. Many disagree. Others say it means one who struggles with God or strives with God. It is also suggested that it means the prince of God. I am sure you will find many other meanings for the word. However, metaphorically it represents the spiritual struggle of God’s people. As the prince of God, they are not perfect and they struggle with their relationship with God. We can see that among royalty today and the struggle a prince has with his royal heritage. The Jews too have a royal heritage that they struggle with.

Thus, when God calls His people Jacob he refers to the physical struggle in this world, and when He calls them Israel he refers to their spiritual struggle. We will find times that when God is disappointed with His people he may refer to them as Jacob and when he is affectionate with His people he will call them by a more affectionate name of Israel. In Exodus 19:33 God tells Moses to speak – amar to Jacob but to tell – nagad Israel. “Amar is just general conversation but nagad is a more sensitive and intimate speaking. The Talmud teaches that God told Moses to only speak to Jacob which represents the men because they will spend more time studying the Torah but to Israel which the Talmud says represents the women God wishes the words of the Torah to be more intimate with women because they will not have the time to study Torah like the men as they will be spending much of their time raising their children and instructing them in the laws of God. Therefore, women are given a deeper understanding and are more sensitive to the spirit of God than men. Actually, in its Semitic root, nagad means to sensitize.

The Jews during the time of Isaiah have turned their hearts away from God. The men or Jacob who represented the physical part of the nation would not call upon God. They were going to defend their nation with their physical strength and intellect and did not bother with God. The women – Israel representing the spiritual part of the nation grew weary of God.

I read where the majority of people who attend church are women. The majority of people who read Christian books are women. Women have a greater sense of spirituality. They are God’s last resort to turn His people back to them. If they grow weary of God, all is lost. The word weary is yagata which is in a perfect form which means it is a completed action that is continuing. It is also in a Qal form, a simple verbal form. The root word is yaga’ which is a later Hebrew word coming from the Assyrian word egu which means to worry and grieve. In a Qal form, it is more like depression or loss of hope. In Hebrew it evolved to mean a weariness, growing tired of the worries, fear, and grief. The men gave up on God. They felt that God was not responding to their cries so they stopped calling upon God. The women, however, saw the dangers around them, the threats of the foreign nations, the fear of famine, plague, and oppression. They did not stop calling on God but they just lost hope and succumbed to their fears and worries. They no longer had any faith in God.

Does that sound a little like you? The world has changed in the past few months. I have felt this change immensely as I suppose many of you. I find I am not calling on God so much, I’m working harder to prepare for what I feel in my spirit is about to fall upon us. God led me to this verse to wake me up to the fact that preparation is good, but I cannot stop calling on God either. I must continually reaffirm my faith in God, day by day I must reaffirm my faith in Him and talk with him. I find many Christians are the Israel part of the paradigm, they are growing weary of the struggle, tired of being the good soldier, tired of trusting in God, and are losing hope. Things seem to be getting worse and worse and yet, this is the time to rise up and take our stand for God and His Gospel, rather than just collapse in weariness as we listen to the news and media where it seems like things are hopeless and we are losing.

Note what God says two verses later in 43:24 “Rather you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.” We are not hearing from God because He is being yaga, grieving over our sins, and iniquities. He wants to deliver us, He wants to bring revival, but revival starts with His people who are called by His name who will humble themselves, seek His face, and then we will hear from heaven and He heal our land. Isaiah 7:14.

Hi there! Thank you for reading this Daily Word Study. Can I ask a favor? Share this Daily Word Study with your friends on Facebook and Twitter by clicking one of the icons below.

Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!