HEBREW WORD STUDY – EMPTY HANDED – RAQAM  ריקם  Resh Yod Qop Mem

Isaiah 55:11: “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty handed, without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

Sometimes a verse in the Bible just flies out at you and you simply say; “Oh, how nice” and move on. For one thing if a verse does fly out at you, by that I mean it quickens something in your spirit, it is worthwhile to pause and meditate on that verse.  Perhaps God is behind that verse taking flight into your spirit. 

This verse has flown into my spirit a number of times but I was just too busy to pause and mediate on it.  So, God recently came at me with this verse indirectly.  

You see, I spend hours everyday studying God’s Word in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.  I have done this for 45 years.  I research every question that comes time my mind. I dig as deep as I possibly can through Christian writings as well as Jewish writing seeking understanding to various passages of Scripture. Even though most men my age are long retired, I still must work a full time job to make ends meet and keep this ministry going.  But that is not so bad as I drive a disability bus and I get to share my faith with many people as well as help people.  However, many times my message of faith and God’s love falls flat with a “Yes, that is nice.”  

Far too often my efforts to help people is met with scorn and anger.  I don’t blame them, most people are proud and have lived their lives without having to depend upon someone to help them up stairs or onto a bus.  I realize, of course, that their shortness with me is only because they are angry with themselves and their body that just does not work like it used to.  I get it and I don’t take their crabbiness personally and I try to go that second mile even if it not appreciated. 

But you know how life goes.  Suddenly the bank account runs dry, you break a tooth, you’re in pain and the dentist tells you that you need a root canal and you have no vacation time to take off work, so you must take an unpaid day off of work. Then you face the cost of a dental bill.  Top that off it seemed like people on my  bus were extra inconsiderate making me wait for them to do things they should have done before calling for their ride.  I could go on but you know the story,  you have been there, you have been there many times. Perhaps you are there now. 

You look up at God and ask: “Is all of this really worth it.  All this study of your Word and little appreciation. Other teachers and preachers who don’t even spend one tenth the time I do in your Word and they make a comfortable living off of it.”  They get flooded in with invites to speaking gigs as they tell old worn out stories about a frog jumping not out of hot water if you put him in cold pan of water and heat it until you boil the poor fellow. (absolutely proven false by a team of seventh graders. The old amphibian ain’t so dumb, as soon as it gets too hot he’ a jumpin).  Still people applaud these teachers for their great knowledge and wisdom.  Me, I have to constantly explain why I used an English word for a Hebrew word that so called “fact checkers” do not find in their Strong’s, no matter how many times I explain I use Jewish sources which have a deeper understanding of a Hebrew word.

Ok, enough self pity.  A rabbi once told me that self pity is like a warm wet diaper.  It is nice place to visit, cozy and comfortable but after a while it begins to stink.  So, here I am stinking to high heaven, telling God that I am tired of being the good soldier, tired of working so hard for the kingdom and tired of an unappreciative, sour, prune faced bitty of a woman nagging at me for not taking a short cut to her doctors that she and her “dearly early departed husband” use to take.  And I am tired of asking God to forgive for thinking thoughts like: “If I were married to something like that I would also take an early departure.” After I have given God a piece of my mind, God gave me a peace of His mind. (I will explain homonyms in a moment). I then read a story from Jewish literature about Isaiah 55:11.  

It seems there is this student who was complaining to his rabbi.  “Rabbi, I do mitsvahs (religious duties) every day and no one appreciates it.  I study Torah day and night and nobody cares to listen to my insights into Torah. Why should I even bother.”   His rabbi said; “I will answer your question, but first, will get me a drink from that night cool spring off there in the distance?”  The student relied: “I have no cup.”  The rabbi said: “That is ok, just cup your hands, scoop up some water and bring it to me, I only need to wet my tongue.”  The student, wanting to please his master ran to the spring, scooped up water in his hands but by the time he returned to his rabbi, the water was gone from his hands, not even enough for him to wet his tongue.  The student tried again and again and after about an hour he sat down before his rabbi and said; “See there, I can’t even give you enough water to wet your tongue, why should I even bother.”  The rabbi replied: “Look at your hands, before you left they were dirty and now they are clean.”   God said that His Word will not return empty handed.  When God speaks His word to you and you follow, you can never be sure what He plans and will accomplish.  However, one thing you will know is that your study of Torah and your mitsvahs will clean your heart of your impure motives.”

The Hebrew word devari rendered as my word speaks of the words of God’s heart. His words in Scripture, His words that He speaks to your spirit all comes from His heart. Anything that flows from His heart will not return empty handed.  The word empty handed  in Hebrew is reqam which is from the root word ravaq. Ravaq means to be empty handed, void or just empty. There are other words that could be used in Hebrew to express this thought that God’s Words are never wasted.  Reqam seems a little awkward which is a remez or hint that God intended something deeper. There is a play on word Raqam which is a homonym for racham.  A homonym is a word that sounds like another word but has a different meaning.  For example, God gave me a peace of His mind. Homonyms in English are just coincidences, but in Hebrew they often point to a deeper meaning or even a hidden message.  Racham which I explain in my new book entitled Racham is a love beyond love, it is a love only God can possess and one in which we can only obtain through God. 

Hence God is saying that Words for His heart will never return empty handed, for they are sent out with racham, perfect love.  Just carrying God’s racham love will have cleansing power and when you carry out His Words, Words from His heart, you are carrying the supreme, ultimate love known as racham.  If it doesn’t change the world or even  the person you carry it to, it cannot help but change you. 

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