This post is way overdue. I’ve been saying that I need to study this out, and 7 years later, it is done!
This is about meditation, and is a follow up to my post (#19!) from October 22nd, Jesus and Eastern Philosophy
This post is to explain why I use the Hebrew word pronounced “daw-baw'” when I meditate.
| Strong’s Concordance 1696dabar: to speak
Original Word: דָּבַר Part of Speech: Verb |
Strong’s Concordance 1697dabar: speech, word
Original Word: דָּבָר Part of Speech: Noun Masculine |
1696 — dabar daw-bar’ a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue:–answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.
1697 — dabar daw-baw’ from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause:–act, advice, affair, answer, X any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, + dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, + eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt, + iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, + please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that, X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings, what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.
THE Word (the person of Jesus)
1 Kings 13:34 And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
HEB: וַיְהִי֙ בַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔הלְחַטַּ֖את
NAS: This event became sin
KJV: And this thing became sin
INT: became event This sin
Isaiah 30:12 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression
HEB: יַ֥עַןמָֽאָסְכֶ֖ם בַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑הוַֽתִּבְטְחוּ֙
NAS: this word And have put your trust
KJV: Because ye despise this word, and trust
INT: Since have rejected word this put
Psalm 119:42
HEB: כִּֽי־בָ֝טַחְתִּי בִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃
NAS: me, For I trust in Your word.
KJV: me: for I trust in thy word.
INT: for trust your word
Rhema Word
In Greek, the word rhema means “an utterance.” Therefore, the rhema word in Biblical terms refers to a portion of scripture that “speaks” to a believer. In most cases, a rhema word received while reading the Bible applies to a current situation or need. In essence, the rhema word is timely and extremely valuable in a Christian’s walk with God.
Daniel 9:23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
HEB: אָ֑תָּהוּבִין֙ בַּדָּבָ֔ר וְהָבֵ֖ןבַּמַּרְאֶֽה׃
NAS: heed to the message and gain understanding
KJV: therefore understand the matter, and consider
INT: you give to the message heed of the vision
Job 26:14 These are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the word we hear of Him! Who can understand His mighty thunder?
In Genesys 22:16, the very “thing” IS the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. The act that God did not require of Abram was to be carried out by Jesus… Something to think on! Also the very “thing” that demonstrated man’s willingness to be in Christ’s image, to do the most difficult act in obedience to the Lord.
This is the Wiki definition (it’s even better!)
Dabar
The word dabar means “word” or “talk” in Hebrew.[1] [2] Dabar occurs in various contexts in the Hebrew Bible.
In the Hebrew Bible, dabar is sometimes used in reference to the “Divine Word”, and in an active sense as a “word event”, or prophetic words.[3]
In Christianity, the Old Testament concept of “word event” represented by dabar carries over to the New Testament where revelation can be seen asevents explained by words.[4] Hence in the New Testament the word dabar continues to be more than a mere sound, or a doctrine, but refers to people and actions, reaching its climax in the Incarnation of Jesus.[5]
The Septuagint, the oldest translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek uses the terms Rhema and Logos as equivalents and uses both for dabar.[6][7]
*Now don’t get freaked out by the word “mantra”. I am not starting a cult. I just believe that much truth has been stolen by the enemy. Remember that Demons had over 4000 years to set themselves up as gods, and they used many of God’s own truths to do it, and just left out that inconvenient truth about the Father and the Son! The bottom line is that focusing only on Jesus helps me get my left brain out of the way so that I can hear the voice of God—the one true God, creator of all, father of Jesus, who is THE word.
Mantra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Mantra” (/ˈmæntrə, ˈmɑːn–, ˈmʌn–/;[2] Sanskrit: मन्त्र) means a sacred utterance, numinous sound, or a syllable, word, phonemes, or group of words believed by some to have psychological and spiritual power.[3][4] A mantra may or may not have syntactic structure or literal meaning; the spiritual value of a mantra comes when it is audible, visible, or present in thought.[3][5]
The earliest mantras were composed in Vedic times by Hindus in India, and those are at least 3000 years old.[6] Mantras are now found in various schools of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainismand Sikhism.[4][7] Similar hymns, chants, compositions and concepts are found in Zoroastrianism,[8] Taoism, Christianity and elsewhere.[3]
The use, structure, function, importance and types of mantras vary according to the school and philosophy of Hinduism and of Buddhism. Mantras serve a central role in the tantric school of Hinduism.[6][9] In this school, mantras are considered equivalent to deities**, a sacred formula and deeply personal ritual, and considered to be effective only after initiation. However, in other schools of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism or Sikhism, this is not so.[8][10]
**this is precicely why I refuse to use the mantra I was given when I went to a school of philosophy and learned how to meditate.
Out of respect to my teacher’s instructions, I will not disclose the word that was given to me to be “my” mantra. I looked it up, searching on “sanskrit word pronounced [removed]”:
One who pervades and operates all:
One who roams about. In Sanskrit the word …. means ….’non-stop, moving’
Dark-coloured: In the Vedas the word …. has been used in the sense of black and not as a proper noun.
Pleasing, delighting, charming …. Because of their oriental features and the wheatish colour of their skin, the … are considered beautiful and charming.
One who pleases or delights others. Roma of Europe do please others and delight others by their exellent music and dances.
It was years ago that my spirit told me not to use the mantra I was given. Turns out, it is related to visual pleasure (in my case idolatry), restlessness, and control.
Take-away: I believe meditation is good, but be sure about what and who you are focusing on!