BEYOND THE DALETH – STEADFAST – כונ
Ezra 7:10: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”
When you read about Ezra and the word that comes to mind is “fanatic.” This old boy devoted himself to the Word of God. Jewish tradition teaches that Ezra’s knowledge of the Torah was equal to that of Moses. Not only that he was determined to make sure he obeyed every letter of the law and not only that but to make sure others followed the law as well. He was responsible for restoring the Jewish identity problem developed during the captivity when Hebrew men married non-Hebrew women. He ordered the men to divorce these wives.
He was such a fanatic that he insisted on leading 5,000 Israelites back to their homeland with gifts and treasures of the King without a military to protect them. He insisted that their only protection should come from God.
Yet, it was this fanatic who helped usher in one of the greatest revivals in Jewish history. My recent book entitle: Is This Really Revival reveals some real fanatics who ushered in a revival (your’s truly included). But what really made this scribe so great was not his fanaticism but what is found in Ezra 7:10, he prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and teach it. Now think on that a moment. He prepared his heart to seek the law.” This is where it all started, seeking the Word of God. I will be speaking at a conference in Evansville, Indiana this weekend and as I was preparing I discovered, I just could not prepare. Finally, God led me to this passage in Ezra and I realized I was preparing intellectually to share the Word of God but I was not preparing my heart. So I am doing something many people will think is foolish, but rather than map out what I will be sharing this weekend in three one hour long sessions. It is very possible I will approach each session without any notes, just a simple outline and begin talking.
I am basically talking about the Hebrew language and how it is so different that any other language and that in translation the Bible we must not approach it like we would if we were translating the works of Plato or Homer from the Greek. One major difference is that in translation Homer or Plato we must debate, use linguistic methods to try and determine what was in Homer’s and Plato’s mind and then find an English word that fits that. It would be very easy if Homer and Plato were alive and we could ask them but they are not, they are long dead. However, with the Bible the author of that book is very much alive and not only that He lives in each one of us. We can consult the author. On top of that, as one Rabbi told me, every Hebrew word can have up to 35 different English words apply to it. The author of the Bible may just tell you to apply a certain word and me to apply a different English word as He may want to speak to us personally and our own personal need.
If I am speaking about God to the people at this conference, does it not stand to reason I should consult the very person I am talking about and why should I spend hours research what others say about this author when I can go right to the source. Crazy, no? Maybe no more crazy than some of the shenanigans Ezra pulled, I mean traveling to Palestine without a guard? Foolish, foolish, foolish.
As I listen to guest speakers and even pastors I find they are just repeaters, repeating something they heard some other teach preach that sounded good to them. How about this one? “Now everyone turn to their neighbor and say…” Then the speaker acts like invented this cute little attention getting. Of you have the show boaters: “Now when I clap my hands you will feel the presence of God fall on you.” It is almost like the nation of Israel at the time of Ezra. People were seeking out the latest fads in how God works. There was only a superficial knowledge of the Word of God. Teachers were teaching what other teachers were teaching. Very few teachers really did any independent study of the Word of God. Yet, there was a raging hunger to really know the Word of God and when one little Scribe arose and said he would prepare his heart to seek the Word of God, a mighty revival broke out.
I have no desire to lead a revival or to be another Ezra, but I do desire to do what Ezra did, ie.-, prepare my heart to seek the Word of God. My desire is to know the heart of God and the secrets to His heart that are found in the Word of God. So I need to examine this idea of preparing my heart. The word in Hebrew for prepared is kun which is found in a Hiphal form. So Ezra was highly motivated to prepare his heart. Y are many, many usages for the word kun.. It could be steadfast, firm, fixed, fashioned….
“None of the above”
“Now who said that? What the…Kun (prepare) is missing from my Hebrew Bible, where did that rescal go?” I looked down at my Hebrew Bible and saw “kun” (prepared) missing. I looked over to my Looking Glass hanging from my Daleth and there stood Kap, Vav and Nun (kun) standing there waving me over. I step through the Looking Glass with Kap Vav and Nun and suddenly find myself on a balcony overlooking a great crowd of English Words. When Kap, Vav and Nun looked out over the rail of the balcony a loud cheer went up among the throng of English words. Kap Vav and Nun waved and threw kisses and then stepped off the balcony back into the room connected to the balcony. “Who are they?” I asked. Kap said they were all the English Words that at one time or another were rendered from, KUN. I peeked out the window and I saw words like “confirm, fixed, solid, approach, prepared, ready, stand, firm, steadfast, established, direct, found, ordered, ordained, placed, secured, unmoving, immobile, and many many others, all with the dream of one day being “KUN.”
“Wow,” I said, ‘How can I know which one fits Ezra 7:10.” “That’s why we brought you here so you can see our latest movie.” said Vav. “Movie? You guys are movie stars?” “Sure nuf,” said Nun. “Come with us to the premier.” So we stepped out of the motel into a black limo and took off for the theater. We were greeted at the theater by even more English words all cheering and many wanting to just touch the master Hebrew word. “I don’t get it,” I said, “Why are you so popular among English words?” “We are popular,” replied Kap, “because we form a picture that every one of those many, many words out there can relate to.”
With that I looked up at a poster and there I saw the name of the movie “Jonah” and the lists of the stars. The first star is Kap ( a vessel that needs to be filled) who plays the role of the fishes belly and is filled with the second star of the movie Vav which represents man and is pictured as a hook and plays the role of Jonah being hooked by God and brought into the whale’s belly. The Nun is the Hebrew word for fish so of course the Nun stars in the role of the fish. “You see,” said Kap, thinking my thoughts. “There is no one English word that fits Ezra 7:10 which is usually rendered in English as Prepare. KUN further explains that what you must do with your heart to seek the Word of God can only be seen in a picture, the movie Jonah starring “ Kap, Vav, Nun as the word KUN.
After the movie was over Kap Vav Nun, Kun (prepare), and I returned through my Looking Glass. Daleth and Kap Vav Nun, Kun (prepare), slipped back into my Hebrew Bible, but before they did Kap, Vav, Nun asked if I understood what it means to KUN your heart to seek God. I thought of the story of Jonah who ran from the presence of God because he did not want to hear God’s heart. He refused to go to Ninevah because he did not want God’s heart desire for Ninevah, that they repent. But it was KUN’s starring role that reveals KUN’s true nature. It was in the fishes belly that Jonah learned God’s heart.
Ezra prepared (Kun) to seek the Word of God, by confirming, being steadfast in his determination and hunger to know God’s heart. Once Ezra learned God’s heart through the study of His Word, he presented it to the people of Israel and a great revival broke out.
So I have made a promise to God that before this Friday and Saturday arrive I will Kun my heart and I will not speak one word that my heart, prepared by God, has not first spoken.
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