TINK (Things I Never Knew)
AKA The Vulcan Greeting from Star Trek
(This is a quick recap of the points laid out in Raymond Woodward’s sermon series on the Name of God)
The Hebrew letter Shin is the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is not just any letter.
The Shin is shaped like an English W. Ironically, it also has the shape of a human heart. The lower, larger left ventricle (which supplies the full body) and the smaller right ventricle (which supplies the lungs) are positioned like the lines of the letter Shin. This is said to remind us that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart….
In Hebrew, this letter stands for one of the names of God. El Shadaii. The Almighty. It also stands for Shalom, the common Jewish greeting which means “perfect peace.” It is also the first letter in the Shekinah which was the Spirit of God that descended upon the earthly tabernacle of the Israelites, the Ruach Ha Kodesh, the consuming fire, and amazingly enough the letter also looks like a fire.
The Shin is also the letter printed on Mezuzah, that graces the doorposts of every Jewish home. The Jews literally obey the command of God to bind the law of God onto their doorposts. In every Jewish home there is a Mezuzah beside the doorway. When they leave their home they touch this Mezuzah and kiss their fingertips. Why? On the Mezuzah is the letter Shin to represent the name of God and inside the Mezuzhah is a tiny scroll on which is written, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord……” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 When they leave their home they touch that letter that represents the name of God, and kiss their fingertips as a sign of reverence to God and His word.
The Shin is also represented by a hand sign. This hand sign is held up at certain times during Jewish synagogue services by the priests and Rabbi. Most of you will recognize this handsign as made famous by Spock from Star Trek, of course. The directors told him to come up with some type of hand sign to use in the movie. Being Jewish, this was the first thing Spock thought of, and they just went with it. When you have a chance, please watch this fascinating interview with Leonard Nimoy.
Consider our common worship stance in many American churches? Both hands raised beside our head. We modern Christians didn’t make that up. That’s the way a person would posture themselves in order to recognize their God, the all sufficient one, the El Shadaii, the Shin…..because a person with hands raised once again creates that symbol of the Shin letter. Try it right now. (See pic 5) Next time you raise your hands to worship remember this has so much more meaning than we attribute to it.
How about when Moses was up on the mountain during the battle with the Amalekites? (Exodus 17:11-12) As long as his hands were raised, (in the shape of the Shin) the Israelites were winning, BUT every time he put his hands down they started to lose. Remember, Moses became so tired that Aaron and Hur held up his arms for him. In that late setting sun, Moses’ stance would have cast the shadow of the Shin over the valley of battle. Under the shadow of the El Shadai, they were victorious.
Last, but in no way least, there is a place in Israel where God intends to return to one day. Zechariah 14:4 says that God will set his foot down on the Mount of Olives. “On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west” He ascended from the Mount of Olives after His resurrection and told His disciples that He would return in like manner. It is said in His Word that Jerusalem is the place that God chose to put His name. A few of the many verses…..
2 Chronicles 6:6 “But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there;”
2 Kings 21:4 “And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.”
1 Kings 14:21 “Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there.”
In Jerusalem, you have Mount Zion, Mount Moriah, and the Mount of Olives. In between you have the Valley of Hinnom, the Tryopoeon Valley, and the Kidron Valley. Guess what an aerial view of Jerusalem looks like? It looks like the letter Shin, the symbol of The Almighty! Are you serious right now? Are you seeing what I’m seeing?
Selah!! (pause and think of that!)
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