HEBREW WORD STUDY – IT EXISTS – HAYAH  היה Hei Yod He

I Kings 18:1 “And it came to pass after many days that the Word of the Lord came to Elijah.”

I Kings 19:9: “And behold, the Word of the Lord came unto him”

t existsAs I continue on my journey to the heart of God, I am becoming more sensitive to Scriptures that indicate God speaking with man.   When God spoke to Elijah we have the expression “The Word of the Lord came to Elijah.”    In I Kings 19 we not only read the “Word of the Lord came to Elijah, but He also spoke to Elijah in a still small voice and also in just a voice.  I was mystified at the shade of difference between I Kings 18:1 and I Kings 19:9.  One glaring difference is that in I Kings 18:1 the Word of the Lord did not come until after many days. Sometimes God will make you wait for that word that you so desperately need. 

Yet, both passages render this as the “Word of the Lord came to…”   Although this expression appears to be the same in our English text, they are quite different in the Hebrew.   In Kings 18:1 the word “came” is “hayah” and in I Kings 19:9 the word “came” is not even there.  In these passages “word” is the Hebrew word devar which are words spoken from the heart.

But let’s look back to I Kings 18:1.  The hayah can be translated as came but it’s basic meaning is “to be” or “to become” or “to exist.”  Now this is important because God was telling Elijah that he had to go and present himself to Ahab.  This was no easy task.  Ahab had a price on Elijah’s head.  Even Obadiah, the kings servant, feared for his own life by just reporting that Elijah was on his way. Yet, Elijah promptly took off the palace without so much as a bullet proof vest.  He was headed for certain death.  Yet, the Word of the Lord had become such a part of him that he could not do anything else but go.  If you happen to come upon a drive by shooting and the Lord says to you: “Walk in front of the bullets,” I mean it will take a little more than an “inner feeling” that God is telling you to do this.   In most our daily decisions in which we seek God’s guidance, that inner feeling works fine.   “I feel like God is telling me to…(attend this meeting), (not attend this meeting), (buy this car), (not buy this car) etc.”  This doesn’t carry much consequence if we happen to be wrong.   But if there is a home where there is a deadly plague and God tells you to go into that home and pray for the sick, you are going to want more than just an inner feeling that you should go.   That is why I feel we need to use another word for hayah rather than came.  I would render this as “The Word of the Lord existed for Elijah.”   Or Elijah became a part of the Word of the Lord.   

Note, however, in I Kings 19:9 that we see the same expression “The Word of the Lord came to…”  but the word hayah is not there.  It is just “The Word of the Lord unto him.”  Or “for him.” I really don’t know what Elijah experienced in both these cases of hearing from God.  However, it is clear that God spoke differently in both cases.  In the first case the “Word” was very clear, so clear that Elijah became a part of the Word.  It had to be because it was a life or death situation.  In the second case the Word was just “unto” or “for” Elijah.  In this case God was just giving Elijah some personal instruction and, hence, the “Word” did not carry the force of the Word that came to him in I Kings 18.  God spoke to Elijah in different ways.  In one case the word hayah and in other case it did not hayah.  Then God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice and right after that in just a voice. It would appear that God has certain levels of communications that depend on the circumstances. Elijah didn’t have to second guess God.  He seemed to understand God’s voice no matter what the circumstances. 

In James 5:17 we learn Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed that it would not rain and it did not rain. That’s cool, could we not do the same? If  God made His voice clear to Elijah, why would not make it just as clear to us?  Surely God does, but perhaps it comes in direct proportion to the need at the time.  Sometimes His word must hayah or become a part of us so that it is perfectly clear when the consequences hang in balance.  Then sometimes it is a still small voice when He wants to share an intimacy with us. A husband and wife may be driving in a car and the wife may scream: “Look out!!”  Later that evening in a very tender moment she may say “Look out!” as she plants a kiss on her husband. The first is devar hayah and the second is that still small voice. 

Sometimes God does not speak in a whirlwind, or an earthquake or in fire, sometimes he just wants to speak to us in a soft, gentle loving way and we must be ready to respond appropriately.