Category Archives: Prayer

And God Remembered Noah

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I am sure most of you are familiar with the story of Noah. In Genesis 6, the Bible says that mankind was so wicked that God was grieved that He had created man and found it necessary to destroy the world (Gen. 6:5-7). Noah was a righteous man and walked with God, so God commissioned him to build an ark to save him and his family along with representatives of every kind of animal (Gen. 6:8-22).

In Genesis 7, we read that after Noah, his family, and all the animals entered the ark, God shut the door. It then rained for forty days and forty nights, the waters of the deep burst from the ground, and the heavens opened up a deluge (Gen. 7:11-12). The flood waters covered the entire earth and rose above the highest mountains. Every living thing, both man and beast, on the earth perished in the flood and all the dry ground was covered (Gen. 7:17-23). The only ones left were those on the ark, and all they could see was water.

Imagine being on the ark and experiencing the horrendous torrent of rain and the dramatic upheaval of the earth bringing a flood that destroyed all of life on the earth. Then, picture yourself living through the next 150 days of seeing nothing but water. How would you feel? Would you feel abandoned? Lost? Without hope? Would you wonder, “Where is God?”

Then we come to Genesis 8:1 which reads, “But God remembered Noah…”. At first glance, this almost sounds as if God woke up one day and, slapping His forehead, said, “Oh my, I forgot I left Noah, his family, and the animals bobbing around in the water on that ark!” However, that is not what this phrase means. It is important for us to realize that Hebrew words have a much fuller meaning than most of our English words do. Lois Tverberg explains it as follows:

In English, our definition of the word remember focuses entirely on the idea of recalling memories and bringing ideas into our thoughts. To forget is to fail to bring a certain memory to mind. Both words are concerned entirely with mental activity—whether or not information is present. But the Hebrew verb zakhar has a much wider definition than just “remember.” It includes both remembering and the actions that are taken because of remembering. It often implies that a person did a favor for someone, helped them, or was faithful to a promise or covenant.a

In other words, with the Hebrew words, the emphasis is on action and not on mental activity. When the Bible says that God remembered Noah, it does not mean that He was recalling lost information. Instead, it means that He was acting upon a promise He had given earlier. It was now the right time to keep His promise to Noah, and to intervene and fulfill His purpose.

We see another example of this in the New Testament in Mark 6:45-51. In this passage, Jesus, after feeding the 5,000, sends His disciples in a boat to cross the sea to the other side while He goes up the mountain to pray. A storm came during the night and the disciples struggled to make any progress. I’m sure they were fatigued and fearful that they might not survive the storm. I also believe they may have wondered where Jesus was and why He wasn’t helping them as He had done before when they were caught in a storm (Mark 4:35-41).  Jesus, however, had not abandoned them. He was on the mountain watching everything that was happening (Mark 6:48), and at the right moment, He went out to them walking on the water, and rescued them.

I believe that everything Jesus did with His disciples was done for a reason. I believe sending the disciples into the storm was a test of their faith. It was an opportunity for them to learn to trust Him, and to know that no matter how difficult the storm, He is always watching them, and He will come at just the right time to help them: He will remember them.

What storm are you going through now? Do you feel lost, helpless, and without hope? Do you feel as if God has abandoned you? I want to encourage you to remember Noah and the disciples. Even though you may not feel God’s Presence in your current situation, He has not forgotten you. He sees you and knows what you are going through. And, at the right moment, God will remember you and will intervene to keep His promise and fulfill His purpose for your life.

aTverberg, Lois. Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Location 918

The Shadow of His Wings

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In the last post, I discussed the story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was instantly healed after hemorrhaging for twelve years (Matt. 9:19-21; Mark 5:24-34; Luke 8:40-48).

I mentioned that she didn’t just touch any part of the garment, but she touched the hem of his garment. The significance of the hem brings us back to the Old Testament where, according to Numbers 15:37-41, the men of Israel were required to put tassels on the corners of their garments. These tassels represented the commandments of God and were to be visible to remind them to obey all the commandments and be holy.

I also discussed that the Hebrew word for corner in Numbers 15:38 is kanaph which means edge or wing. It is the same word used in Malachi 4:2, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings”. It is possible that this woman, who had been suffering these twelve years, knew these passages and understood them to mean that when the Messiah comes, He will come with healing in His wings—corners or edges of His garments. She may have felt that if she could reach out and touch the tassels (lay hold of God’s Word) that were tied to the hem (wings) of His garment she could receive the promised healing (Mark 5:28).

Since doing this study, I have done more research on how the Hebrew word kanaph was used in connection with wings. In Exodus 19:4, God mentioned that He carried Israel out of Egypt on eagles’ wings and brought them to Himself. Deuteronomy 32:11 says that God, like an eagle, spread His wings to catch Israel and carry them. The context refers to God guiding, instructing, and guarding Israel through the wilderness. There are also several Psalms that talk about hiding or seeking refuge in the shadow of His wings (Ps. 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; and 61:4). Then, Psalm 63:7 says that, because God is our help, we can sing for joy in the shadow of His wings.

Therefore, since the word translated wing in these verses can also mean corner, is it not possible that God’s wings are a metaphor for the corner of His garment upon which the tassels (His Word) are connected? If so, then could we not legitimately insert God’s Word for the word wing in these verses as we apply it to our lives? It is through God’s Word that we are delivered from bondage and brought to a knowledge of Him. God’s Word guides, instructs, and guards us from our enemies when we travel through “desert places”. And it is only as we submit to and take hold of His Word can we find refuge and experience joy when we face hardship and danger. To seek refuge in the shadow of His wings simply means that we are coming under the covering of the Word of God.

Not long ago, I received a beautiful prayer shawl for Christmas. On the four corners of that shawl are long tassels which, as we know through our study, represent the Word of God. I often use that prayer shawl during my private times of prayer as a physical reminder of what I am doing spiritually. When I am ready to go to prayer, I place the shawl over my shoulders and then lift it over my head so that I am covered. I will then take hold of the tassels on the corners of the shawl. Doing this is a symbolic act of submitting myself to the Word of God. I am seeking refuge under the shadow of His wings and committing my life and my prayers to line up with His Word.

You do not need to have a prayer shawl when you pray, but I would encourage you to find some way to remind yourself to daily submit your life to God’s Word. This is so important because we can only experience a deeper knowledge of God, deliverance, instruction, healing, or joy when we are covered by the Word of God: when we find refuge under the shadow of His wings.

Healing in His Wings

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The picture at the top of the page is one I took on our trip to Israel. It is a large painting that decorates a wall in the lower chapel of a church near Magdala. Of course, it portrays the story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was instantly healed after hemorrhaging for twelve years (Matt. 9:19-21; Mark 5:24-34; Luke 8:40-48).

On the surface, it appears as a simple story of a woman who reached out in faith to touch Jesus’ garment and was healed. However, there is much more to it when one understands the part of the garment she touched. She didn’t just touch any part of the garment, but the passages in the various gospels specifically point out that she touched the edge, hem, or fringe of his garments. To understand the significance of this, we must go back to the Old Testament.

According to Numbers 15:37-41, the men of Israel were required to put tassels on the corners of their garments. These tassels represented the commandments of God and they were to be visible to remind them to obey all the commandments and be holy. Today we still see Orthodox Jewish men wearing a garment that has tassels that can be seen under their coats, and the Jewish prayer shawls give us a picture of the tassels adorning the edge of a garment. You can also note in the picture that the woman is reaching her finger directly toward the tassels hanging on one of the garments Jesus is wearing.

Another interesting fact is that the Hebrew word for corner in Numbers 15:38 is kanaph which also means edge or wing. It is the same word used in Malachi 4:2, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings”. The early church fathers and commentators understood the sun of righteousness to be a reference to Christ, the Messiah. Is it also possible, then, that this woman, who had been suffering these twelve years, knew these passages and understood them to mean that when the Messiah comes, He will come with healing in His wings—corners, edges of His garments?

One could surmise, then, that maybe she felt that if she could reach out and touch the tassels (lay hold of God’s Word), that she could receive the promised healing (Mark 5:28). And she is not the only one who held such beliefs. In Matthew 14:34-36 we read that when Jesus and the disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee the people of Gennesaret brought all the sick from the area to Jesus begging Him to let them touch the hem of His garment.

One more point to make about the woman is that, since she had been hemorrhaging, she was considered unclean according to Jewish law. Therefore, she should have been isolated and not allowed in public gatherings, especially not in a crowd this large. She was taking a large risk pushing her way through the crowd for everyone she touched would also have been made unclean by her. Yet, she was desperate and determined to not let anything, or anyone, keep her from receiving her healing.

Too often, when we pray, we give up before we receive an answer. For whatever reason, we allow distractions, discouragement, or disappointment to keep us from “pressing through” until an answer comes. Yet, here was a woman who put her trust in who Jesus was (the Messiah) and, with dogged determination, pushed through all obstacles to take hold of God’s Word (tassels) to receive His promise (healing in his wings). It was this faith (and determination) that Jesus said brought her healing (Luke 8:48).

Whatever you are facing today, I would encourage you to follow the example of the women in this story. Recognize who Jesus is and put your complete trust in Him, grab hold of God’s Word for your situation, and persistently and continuously press in with prayer, not allowing anything to hinder you, until you receive an answer. Push through the crowd and touch the tassels on the corner of His garment!