elohim by louis cladder

Posted by Eli Dahan on December 20, 2009 under My God | 2 Comments to Read

Hey to all of the readers and shalom from Jerusalem!

Every month we are going to share some Thoughts about the one who unites us all- The Omnipotent, The Almighty, The Lord – in a blog that we will be written by one of you, my special friends. Today we are hosting one of my students of the biblical Hebrew, Louis Cladder from Netherland! Thank you Louis for sharing your believes with us.

Eli Dahan

elohim by louis cladder:

The word for God in the Hebrew Bible is Elohim. This is a plural form while our God is one. Some people say that it is just a “majestatis pluralis” and this could well be the case. Nevertheless, there is another explanation.

First of all I want to quote a verse from Isaiah 48:16

קִרְבוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ־זֹאת לֹא מֵרֹאשׁ בַּסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי מֵעֵת הֱיֹותָהּ שָׁם אָנִי וְעַתָּה אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה שְׁלָחַנִי וְרוּחֹו׃

“Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, with his Spirit”

God speaks in this verse and yet he tells to be send by God, with his Spirit. It seems that the God, who is one, holds more entities.

Other examples about the plural God, who is one, can be derived from the “new testament”. Of course the “new testament” is for Jews not considered “Canonical” but a big part of the text of the “new testament” holds quotes from the Torah and it completely supports the Torah. It supports the Torah also in the case that the Torah uses the word “Elohim” for God.

First of all the gospel of John starts with:

בראשית היה הדבר והדבר היה את האלהים ואלהים היה הדבר׃

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This means there are, at least two entities: The Word and God. At the other hand, the Word is completely God. So it could be shown like this:

                                       god

                    word

The other text I want to mention is from the 1^st letter of John 5:7

כי שלשה המה המעידים בשמים האב הדבר ורוח הקדש ושלשתם אחד המה׃

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (King James)

So, this gives us these three:

                                         god(the father)

                  the   word                  the ghost

Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Eli@eteachergroup.com

Praise The Lord – psalms 150

Posted by Eli Dahan on July 12, 2009 under Bible, Biblical Hebrew, My God | 2 Comments to Read

If we want to look, in The Scriptures, for a text that brings us all joy, happiness and sharing, we should go psalms 150. This psalm gives us the opportunity to try and understand how music and people allot with a great harmony in the religious world.This psalm is the last in the book of psalms, and he bring us the best end of that book, by praising the hero of The Bible-The Lord.

And now my friends, take a deep breath , close your eyes, imagine that you are in a vacation, with your friends , family, with your lover, with your children, you are all hugged, your garments are white, there is a music in the air, you can feel the ram’s horn, the harp, the violin, the drums, the pipe organ , you are dancing in a circle, all of your souls combined together , and the all feels as one- isn’t it great my friends?

Let us all share the amazing words of The Scriptures, as written:

“הַלְלוּ-יָהּ:
   הַלְלוּ-אֵל בְּקָדְשׁוֹ;    הַלְלוּהוּ, בִּרְקִיעַ עֻזּוֹ.

 הַלְלוּהוּ בִגְבוּרֹתָיו;    הַלְלוּהוּ, כְּרֹב גֻּדְלוֹ.

  הַלְלוּהוּ, בְּתֵקַע שׁוֹפָר;    הַלְלוּהוּ, בְּנֵבֶל וְכִנּוֹר.

  הַלְלוּהוּ, בְּתֹף וּמָחוֹל;    הַלְלוּהוּ, בְּמִנִּים וְעֻגָב.

  הַלְלוּהוּ בְצִלְצְלֵי-שָׁמַע;    הַלְלוּהוּ, בְּצִלְצְלֵי תְרוּעָה.

 כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה, תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ:       הַלְלוּ-יָהּ “

“Praise ye the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the firmament of His power! Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness! praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and organs! Praise Him upon the loud cymbals; praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals! Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD! Praise ye the LORD!”

Pay attention, my friends, that the poet opens this ending psalm of the book, with the same words, and end them with the same word (praise The Lord). This special circular structure just show us the we should be inside the cycle of The lord, praising him constantly!

main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Eli@eteachergroup.com

What is your God?

Posted by Eli Dahan on July 5, 2009 under My God | Be the First to Comment

Hey to all of the readers and shalom from Jerusalem!

In the beginning of every month we are going to share some Thoughts about the one who unites us all- The Omnipotent, The Almighty, The Lord – in a blog that we will be written by one of you, my special friends. Today we are hosting one of my students of the biblical Hebrew, Emmanuel Baba Lola from Ireland! Thank you Emmanuel for sharing your believes with us. I hope that you will be the first from many!

Eli Dahan

My GOD by Emmanuel Baba Lola

1. What do you believe in?

I believe in the one and only Almighty God that created the universe and who at a point in time chose the Israelites as His own people, but nonetheless loves everyone and accepts everyone that comes to Him through; His son Jesus Christ who came to redeem mankind from the power of sin.

2. How can you be sure that The Lord exists?

God is a Spirit and therefore the greatest proof of His existence lies in our personal and individual relationship to Him. Also, the Bible says that spiritual things are spiritually discerned meaning that it takes a spirit to understand a spirit (1 Corinthians 2: 14). Since He is unseen, there is no way to experience Him without faith. It is also His method to respond to what we are intrinsically (Psalms 18: 25-26). What Atheists forget today is that God has His rights to have His own principles which according to Him are different from ours (Isa. 55: 8-9). So, questions like, “If God exists why do we have the holocaust, famines, etc?” does not hold water

3. How do you serve The Lord?

I serve the Lord mainly by obeying His words. Obedience is the greatest and toughest service to God in that it involves suppressing your own views to do His. The problem is that no one can claim to understand the reasons behind many things God commands; so following God involves conflicts between the heart and the head. Meanwhile, the heart must always win.

4. In which times do you feel closer to The Lord?

I feel closest to God during prayers, meditation, and worship.

5. What are your obligations towards The Lord?

My greatest obligation towards the Lord as a Christian is to love my neighbor as myself. This is a serious challenge because human beings are selfish by nature.

6. Which commandment would you add to the ten?

My father created the “Eleventh Commandment” in our house and I wish it could be added today; it goes thus, “If you are dissatisfied with the Ten Commandments then thou shall please thyself and face the consequences”.

7. Which passage/verse/chapter/subject from the scriptures is your favorite?

My favorite verses are Deut. 29: 29 and Galatians 2: 20. My favorite Chapters are Psalm 1 & Matthew 5. My favorite topic is the grace of God ,because as a heathen that is the only way I belong to the God of Abraham.

  May The Lord bless you all!

main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Eli@eteachergroup.com