Hebrew Word Study – Change – Shanah שנה Shin Nun Hei
Malachi 3:6: “For I am the Lord, I change not.”
It seemed like a couple of years ago I was on a roll. God seemed to be answering practically every prayer I prayed. I even joked to some people that I seemed to have hit a vein of gold and to give me your prayer request because I’m batting a thousand.
Now it seems the well has run dry, I pray over and over and there is no response. I follow all the Scriptural rules. I pray without ceasing, I enter boldly before the throne, I pray in Jesus’ name, I am specific in my prayers, and I pray in faith. Yet, I ask and don’t receive, I seek and do not find. I even do extra-biblical things, like beg, plead, and try to bribe God with promises of faithful tithes and church attendance.
It’s one of those times I feel almost like I am abandoned by God. This passage of Scripture makes quite a statement. God declares that he does not change. Considering the fact that there appears to be a change going on in how God deals with me and my prayers, I think I need to study out this word change.
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The word change here is shaniti which comes from the root word shanah. This is where we get the word for the year. It basically means to repeat over and over again. It also means to change and to alter. There is a time element involved. We say everything changes over time. In God’s case, He lives outside of time, there is no opportunity for change. By his very nature as infinite, he cannot change. Ok, change most likely be the best English word to apply here, but specifically, what does that involve? Can shanah explain to me why God has not answered my prayers? Is it because He is angry with me over some sin I committed? Is He, for whatever reason, just turning cold to me, bored with me and our relationship has cooled off. Or could it be that He is no longer listening to me, has turned a deaf ear, and is indifferent to me?
I give a call to my Hebrew letter friends Shin, Nun, and Hei – Shanah and ask if they would step out of my Hebrew Bible for a moment as I have a question to ask. Shin, Nun, and Hei came walking out onto my desk and find a comfortable place to sit down. “Ok,” I say: “You are what God is not. I want to know right now, if God is not changing, then why has He not answered my prayer? Shin, you first, speak up, what is your meaning, why are you placed first in this word. What is about you that God is not?”
The shin suddenly ignites into a flame, jumps up from his chair, points his finger at me, and says: “How dare you speak to me in that tone of voice. I will answer you when I am good and ready. Right now I am burning with anger over your attitude and suggesting that God has changed. Who are you, you, you worm you?” With that Shin then ignites into a consuming flame and hops around my desk until he jumps into my glass of water where I see smoke, hear a sizzle, and then an “ahhh.” Well, I read in Jewish literature that the shin can become a consuming flame and burn out of control. If God is changing, then, that is not God. His anger does not burn out of control. If he does not change, then He is just as patient with my imperfections as He has always been. He is not refusing to answer my prayers because He is sick and tired of my imperfections.
So now I turn to Nun. Nun, I ask, “Can you tell me why God has changed from answering my prayers to not answering them?” Nun responds by folding his arms and turning away from me saying: “Humph, why should I tell you, you, you worm you.” With that Nun turned into a block of ice. I could not help but think of ancient tradition which says that the shadow of Nun can be cool and aloofness. I motion to Shin that his buddy has frozen and perhaps the fire of shin could melt the coldness. Shin only waves me off, while doing a backstroke in my glass of water. Shin is just enjoying himself too much to be bothered. Obvious this Shin and Nun’s shadow do not get along.
I turn to Hei, the broken letter. Hei, is so busy trying to put himself together that he barely hears my question. He just turns his back on me and says; “Whatever, you worm’ and walks away. I half expected that much from Hei as that was his shadow. In its shadow, it shows indifference, lack of concern, and caring.
Well, that explains why change is important. When there is a fire of passion that burns out of control or coldness and aloofness set in or indifference and there is a lack of concern, then change becomes necessary. Perhaps that is why God never changes. He is always in control, never cool or aloof, and never unconcerned. I look at Shin swimming in my glass of water and cooling down, and think, well that is not God, he is not burned up over my sins and refusing to answer prayers. I see Nun a frozen block of ice and totally unresponsive. That is not God either and not having my prayer answered does not mean God is unresponsive. I then look off and saw Hei sitting off alone in a corner trying to piece himself back together. If God is not like Hei off in a corner brooding and uncaring, then it isn’t out of a lack of concern that He does not answer my prayer.
“Can’t any of you tell me why God is not answering my prayers if He is not related to any of you that make of Shanah (change)?” “Shut up worm” they all shout.” “So, what is all this worm business anyways?” I demand. Then Shin, Nun, and Hei come together looking like three grinning seminarians they begin singing:
Alas and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I
At the cross at the cross
Where I first saw the light
And the burden of my heart rolled away
It was there by faith I received my sight
And now I am happy all the day.When Isaac Watts wrote these words people complained about his use of the word worm. Isaac Watts simply replied: “Is not a caterpillar a worm?”
Gradually I saw the shadows of Shin, Nun, and Hei lift as they morphed into the word shanah. It was then I realized another meaning for shanah – change. It is the word metamorphous. It is not God changing, it is God changing me. I am and this worm caterpillar that God is shanah (metamorphous) into a beautiful butterfly.
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By the flame of His Spirit
His life giving Spirit, Love is changing me!
Wonderful promise and truth.
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Hi, This was great. I just read your book ‘The Strangest Things happen On the Way To Revival. It had some great stories. I did have one hardship reading it though. I think you need to talk to your publisher because they didn’t proof read the book! There were so many words left out and punctuation issues. I found it really distracting even though I loved the book. Just an FYI. I ordered Intimacy With God and am looking forward to reading it. Thank you!
Hi Leslie
Yes, you’re right that it’s actually the Publisher who needs to know. People often mistakenly write to us when it is actually out of our hands. Please write to them. Blessings, Laura
I recently was privileged to give a devotion at a woman’s breakfast on “Metamorphosis “.
This lesson on Change makes me smile.
Thank you so much for adding to my understanding of this scripture.
Vickie P
I esp appreciate your honesty!! You are a very educated man but so relatable!! If God had made you a well known (and well paired) author and speaker you wld have a facade to maintain. I am 70 also and striving to finish well. You are a spiritual breath of fresh air!! Thank you!!
Such a clever little story! Very enjoyable, thank you. I find it strange but so interesting that letters mean certain things but together in a word they are entirely different.
Thank You for this comforting lesson.
Shane
Thank you for your faithfulness in helping those you may never meet to understand each and every word of the Bible has life giving significance. Blessed to your ministry.
I once heard a movie line that went, I like change as long as I don’t have to be there. That’s about how I feel. This life is a school for us. Problem is, I never liked school. So I have a dilemma; I hate school and change, yet I must go through both. Loved this writing and it tells me what I need to hear but don’t really want to. Hah! I very much relate to the unanswered prayers (seemingly so).
Thanks for this. It is very informative to us who are gentiles and are now curious having been saved, about understanding the Bible in Hebrew.
Hello Ann
I think you would really enjoy the All Access Learning Channel where we really dig into Biblical Hebrew and N.T. Aramaic. We’d love to have you and here’s the link incase you’re interestedhttps://www.hebrewwordstudy.com
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Thank you for asking. We very much appreciate donations and we have a Paypal button on the lower right-hand side of our Homepage. It’s small and yellow. Here’s the link to our homepage of the website: https://www.chaimbentorah.com
Whoa, this is a really good one. Humor and wisdom and humility. Thank you so much for sharing, Chaim! Love and blessings :)
I think that’s a very valid point. We can get scared when the metamorphosis hits home, and feel like we’re losing our grip, our security. But perhaps God is even cajoling us into really letting go, even if it all goes wrong, that we really learn to believe, God you’re in charge. Thanks Chaim
It is simply amazing how God leads me to confirmations. Mid June I got notice from my landlord she plans to renovate the house to rent it out entirely. The lower level basement of the house has a storage room they want to reno.
The notice came 70 days and I move Sept 1st
The story of how God provided a new place to live only 15 min from my church is a story in itself.
As I was visiting and getting to know my new landlord who lives in the large 6,000 square foot estate on 3 acres of land in the country, I sat by a pool and a lady but slighted on my leg. That is a symbol I share with God and that he lives me and I am on the right path.
Shortly after, a blue and black butterfly free past. I could however from my angle only see the black underside. What could it mean?
The Lord shared with me the last 18 months and 16 days until July 1, when the landlord interviewed me that the basement apartment I have been living in was the facing of my transformation. After getting the Delta variant last October, and the Lord saving my life by miraculously getting me Ivermectin, I became to totally change my eating pattern and have lost 35 lbs and gone from size 16 to 10!
I also got braces to correct my lower teeth, that come off next month. So it has only been recently that I fully understood what a caterpillar I was and soon I will fly to this amazing new home that is beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
It will be near a winery where I hope to get a job, and in a peaceful place with a view where I can finally start to write a book the Lord has put on my heart.