Hebrew Word Study – Middle – Tavek – ת֥וֹךְ Taw Vav Kap
Exodus 14:22: “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry [ground]: and the waters [were] a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”
Let me show you something I found interesting in the Talmud this morning. I was reading in Sotah 37a and found a discussion on Exodus 14:22. The word that was called into question was the word midst. In Hebrew the word is tavek. This word means midst, middle, into, through, among, in-between and even the center. We automatically assume that when the passage says they walked in the midst meant that the sea was around them while they were on dry ground.
Yet the Talmud asks the question “If they went into the sea, why did it say ‘on dry ground’; and if they went on dry ground, why does it say that they went into the ‘midst of the sea.’” You see the word tavek in the Hebrew can only mean they actually walked into the sea itself. Thus the Talmud explains that this is teaching that the sea was only divided after Israel had stepped into it and the water reached their noses – only then did it become dry ground.
Would you like Chaim Bentorah as your personal Hebrew teacher?
|
|
It seems God is teaching a lesson we are not anxious to hear and that is that sometimes our miracle does not come until we are almost at the point of drowning. Sometimes, God will wait until that eleventh hour, the movers have the furniture in the truck, ready to drive off and then the Lord will say to the driver; “Ok, you can put it back now.” Actually the Bible is full of eleventh-hour rescues. Peter in Acts 12 is put in prison. The saints were praying but had already given up hope because when Peter arrived at their door they thought he was a ghost. Abraham and Sarah had a child after passing their childbearing years. Gideon went against the Midianites outnumbered 300 to one and they were armed with only a clay pot and torch. In fact God did not assure a victory until Gideon walked right into the tavek, the midst of the Midianite camp. Jehoshaphat went up against the three kings with a choir. They all had their cliffhangers.
God seems to want us to wait until that eleventh hour, or cause us to walk right into the midst of what we fear the most before He rescues us. Why? I don’t know but I do know that in every case God is trying to strip us of all our trust in ourselves so that the world can see that our trust is in God alone.
You know what? That is really hard on your heart.
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!
Amen
Hi Chaim, I agree the Lord will wait the 11th, 12th and 13th hr. like He did with Joshua who had to go into the Jordan before it parted and Lazarus raised the 4th day in death.
But it seemed each time was for the same purpose wouldn’t you say? To show the mighty works of God with His people, and how creation obeys God at His Word.
The Lord was leading them up to the Red Sea as Pharaoh pursued, and when the Israelites provoked Him, He asked, “Why call to me to help?” Lol!
He was trying to get them to remember [all along] His mighty works among them so they could speak to the situation in faith.
The text points out how the Lord raised up a standard against the enemy and how the sea reacted to God. It stood up (the Way was presented; made) for His people.
I’ve talked with the Lord about Israel and His people. A standard has been raised against God’s enemy. “No weapon formed against us will prosper, and every tongue that rises against us in judgement we will condemn. It’s our heritage!” In the power and authority given to us in the name of Jesus.
All other references make this an act of God that we should never forget. We use our faith to talk with God and speak to creation (which already recognizes God), to make the way for us.
Exodus 14:21
“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry, and the waters were divided.”
Or the waters heaped; or congealed; stood upright; stood on its foot; was driven back; made into parts; as going through a wilderness
Exo 14:12, 16; Exo 15:8; Isaiah 63:12-13; Psa 106:9; Psa 114:3-6, Psa 136:13; Hab 3:15
On the other hand, the enemy waters flooded them and they (in the midst of waters), were like stones and sank.
Great word study!
Both devotionals of yesterday and today are tight on. During our study yesterday the topic was on the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear and those who are righteous . Describing His omnipresence and omniscience. Beautiful, beautiful and Amen
Daily I look forward to receiving your emails , and every day I discover a richness and deeper brilliant truth provided to us in Gods word.
Bless you in your devotion and work in sharing the extraordinary knowledge and truth given so generously to us by our Creator and Lord.
Thank you for this valuable lesson ! I have read things in the Talmud ,but I don’t always agree with what is said. I try to remember that these sages are human and not gods! They can and do make mistakes. Sometimes when I read from the Talmud I come away with my head spinning because one sage says one thing and another says something different. It was once described as a boxing match for sages.
Now I understand that when the Israelites stepped into the water it parted. This shows that even if we make a small effort to follow God He will respond. If God doesn’t answer our prayers right away it may be because we are trying to make things happen the way we want them to happen and it’s not the way God wants it to be. In my close to 82 years of life I have learned that to “Let Go and Let God” really works!!
So true. But not exactly what we want to hear.
The sermons on the billions that will soon appear are way more popular and therefore make it to the TV channels, Sunday after Sunday.
Thank you so much for this. I needed this encouragement about the 11th hour! I have been dealing with a custody battle that has been going on for 7 years. I have paperwork due today. I am a Christian single mother who has had to represent myself because I cannot afford an attorney. I have been to 40 lawyers and asked them to help me at a reduce rate or pro bono. They have all said no. I have not been able to find anyone who is willing to fight for a mother and her child…they only seem to be willing to fight for money. I am still praying something and someone will come through to help…even at the 11th hour.
Thank you once again for your teaching! This is worth remembering, for we are either going into a storm, in a storm or coming out of a storm. So we don’t lose heart and forget Who is Above and in Control and the storm, is training us to trust (betach) Him.
Faith is an Act. It is now, present tense. Confidence in Yahweh alone. It does not seek its own but gives all glory to the One. Until we move it will not begin. Faith without works is dead.
I don’t see that in context with the rest of the story. From the way I read it says God dried up the sea with an east wind all night long, then they crossed. It seems to apply better to the crossing of the Jordan. Just a thought.
THANK you again Bro Chaim
By The Way I loved when you adding imagen Of Word studied conataining hebrew letters Of Word , encourage you to continue in same way beloved