WORD STUDY – PROTECTION DURING CHANGES –  GAM ZAH YAVUR – גזי Gimmel Zayin Yod

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Daniel 2:21 “And he changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings: he gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.”

“This too shall pass.”  Attar of Nishapur

Attar of Nishapur, a Persian Sufi Poet, told the story of a great and powerful king who assembled all his wise man and demanded that they create a ring with an inscription that would make him happy when he is sad and sad when he is happy.  After some deliberation the sages handed the king a ring with the inscription: “This too shall pass.”  Actually Jewish folklore ascribes the origin of this story as a response from Daniel to the King of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar.  

Jewish folklore also tells that Solomon was humbled when this phrase was passed to him.  Throughout Jewish history as the people of God went through captivity, persecution and the holocaust, the Hebrew phrase  Gam Zah Yavur  this too shall pass has been spoken and often inscripted with just the first letter of each word Gimmel, Zayin, Yod.  In this inscription the rabbis expanded on this proverb with the hidden meaning behind each letter.  The Gimmel represented the lovingkindness of God, the Zayin, represented the protection of God and the Yod pictures that radical change is beginning to take place. In other words when a radical change comes into your life, God’s lovingkindness will be your protection.

Daniel was a prince, a noble in Israel a member of the royal family, yet he was living in captivity in Babylon. The Babylonian kings would take the young nobility of a land that they conquered and brainwash them so to speak in the ways of the Babylonian empire and culture.  He would then return these princes to their land to rule as a sort of puppet government to the Babylonians.  Daniel was carried off into another land, removed from his family, his position and worst of all the beloved temple where he would go to worship God.  He was forced to serve and train in the court of a pagan king to eventually return to his homeland to lead his people as servants to King Nebuchadnezzar, to do his bidding and turn the Hebrew culture into a Babylonian culture.  Yet, King Nebuchadnezzar failed to strip the Hebrew people of their identity as many other governments throughout history failed to make the Jews assimilate into their culture.  The Jews did and still cling to their faith in God Jehovah to become one of the oldest surviving religions in the world. Not only that but a family based religion, the chosen people of God. Throughout history the Jews have paid a horrible price to cling to their faith and identity.  As they passed through generations after generations of persecution Gam Zah Yavur  this too shall pass became one of their most famous watch words.

We read in the book of Daniel that King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that no one could interpret and so the order was given to kill all the wise men which included Daniel and his friends.   Daniel and his friends fasted and prayed and God not only revealed the dream to Daniel but also its interpretation.   What Daniel saw and what he related to King Nebuchadnezzar can be summed up in “Gam  Zah Yavur (this too shall pass).”  God was planning great changes to take place and no matter how powerful a king might be, they would be unable to prevent it.  He saw the rise of the Persian Empire which would bring an end to the Babylonian empire; he saw the rise of the Greek empire which would bring an end to the Persian Empire and the rise of the Roman Empire which would bring an end to the Greek empire.  He also saw the decline of the Roman Empire which would be brought down by God Himself.   Technically, the Roman Empire never really fell.  Even today the most powerful nation on Earth, the United States is based upon the governmental system of the Roman Empire.   It wasn’t so much the empires themselves that were being brought down, but the governmental systems that man created to rule and control.  We all know that our system of government is not perfect but it is the best the world has to offer, yet no matter who is elected president of this country, there will still be a certain amount of corruption and scandals. It is still a system run by man.  One day God will destroy all the governmental systems in this world and He will set up the perfect government that He alone will rule. 

I am troubled by the reaction of Christians over the last presidential election.  There have been people who they recognized as prophets that predicted their candidate would win.  When their candidate lost they literally turned against these men of God with hate filled language and even death threats, particularly to those prophets who apologize and admitted they were operating in the flesh with their predictions. It doesn’t make them false prophets just prophets who made a mistake like the prophetess Miriam and the New Testament prophet Agabus.  It is shocking to hear these members of the family of God act like unbelievers. More than that, they honestly believe this nation is doomed because the wrong candidate won. 

To those who are horrified and feel hopeless after this last election I have the words of God’s chosen people who have had their share of disappointments in government. Gam Zah Yavur – this too will pass.  

Look at Daniel 2:21: “And he changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings: he gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.” God is the one who brings about changes, He is the one who sets up kings and President and removes them.  If we are to believe the Word of God then after all the prayer and fasting of the evangelicals and then to have their favorite candidate still did not win, maybe it is time to stop the blame game and recognize that  God has His reasons.  He dearly loves both men who sought the Presidency just as he loved King Nebuchadnezzar. He removed King Nebuchadnezzar for seven years so he could get his life straightened out. God cares more for the person than he does for world events.  He can control world events, but the individual who has a free will, well that God can’t control.  He has to cause events to motivate that person to return to Him.

Your prayers for this country have been heard, maybe God  just had other plans that we cannot comprehend.  Our best approach is not to attack other believers for no supporting your candidate or apologizing for making a mistake in their prophecies but to simply follow the example of our Jewish brothers and sisters and say Gam Zah Yavur – this too will pass and them just keep praying in anticipation of the amazing things God will accomplish with the changes He has brought about. 

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