Lessons from the wilderness, Volume 50 - When Words are not Enough; I celebrate three who have gone on before...

 

Lessons from the Wilderness, Volume 50: Part Three, a Celebration for three hearts, and then comfort for all. 

©2022, David E. Robinson: At the Gates of Yerushalayim Ministries

Go to Part One

Go to Part Two

 Lessons from the Wilderness, Volume 50

When Words are not Enough  ^{[i] [ii] [iii] [iv]}

Comfort, comfort all who are my people

    

Figure 1. 1st picture: At Aster's grave, my wife holds Sandárina’s ashes.

Picture 2: My brother Homopher's wreath.

Picture 3: Sandárina and Aster spend a moment together; a picture locked in time.

Final note to my readers: This is Part Three of the tribute to my brother, Homopher Reselap. Let there be no mistake though; it is also one for all my family, we who have all suffered the great losses of sisters Aster, Sandárina, and now brother Homopher. While these words I spoke at Homopher’s home-going, they could, and do reflect how I felt for them all, and for all my family’s loss. They were more than sisters and brother; they were wives and husband, mothers and father, grandparents all. But these are and were my sisters and brother; though I joined the family through marriage, they are my family, as real to me as my own my natural family. There are not enough words: may what is here today be comfort for ALL who mourn now and always.  In the future, I will post a special tribute for all three of the special souls I still mourn, but today, let their memories remain in God's hands. Amein and Shalom.

To my family, to Hermina, to my nephews and nieces, I offer you all humble thanks for allowing me to speak today. I would like to recite a prayer, one that is over two thousand years old, and one that is on one level, an attempt by those who have suffered loss to remind God of the brokenness of the world around us, and the brokenness we all feel this day…

It is simply entitled “Kaddish”.

 Magnified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will. 

May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; 

and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.  Blessed and praised, magnified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded, be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; 

and say, Amen.

 May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us, and for all Israel; 

and say, Amen.

 He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel;

and say, Amen. [v]

 

I was asked to say words of comfort today. I wondered “What can I say that will ease the burden of this loss?” I then understood, in light of this ancient prayer, I have no words. This is one of those times when words are not enough. This prayer acknowledges for us, that there is a reality we all must face in this fallen world in which we live. We live in a world where God’s own name is diminished. For I realized this one truth: God is not yet King over all the earth. We do not all recognize that we have limited God. Until every knee bows, and every tongue confesses that “He is LORD!” our God is not fully worshipped, and His kingdom has not yet arrived.

 O how we want it to be so though. We want God to hurry, to put an end to death, to sickness, to pain, to hurt, to war; we want Him to haste the day when Messiah returns and puts His Father’s enemies under His feet. We ask in this prayer for God to take up His throne, where His Holiness is complete and, in His holiness, we fear and tremble in His presence.

We want that better world. The world in which our loved one is with us forever.  

So then, words are not enough. I look upon this sea of faces, some of you I know, so I do not. But you are all here, to honor and respect our brother Homopher, and to love on his family. Thank you. But could words help you? All share this pain differently. Words that can help one, may not do anything for another. We are all unique individuals, and as such, our pain is greater or lesser than another’s – for it all depends upon the relationship one had with Homopher.  

I want to say the right things, I want so much to do the right thing – because I see your hurt but try as I might, I do not know what to say or do. Have I let my grief get in the way of easing yours? I have heard many words spoken today – some I understand, others I cannot because I do not speak Chuukese. I hope those words comforted all who hurt, because I just do not have the words I want to say. What can I do?  

Then I remembered Elijah. He had defeated the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, but at one threat to him from the lips of Jezebel, he went into hiding. And the Lord spoke to Elijah:  

1Ki 19:9-13

He went into a cave there and spent the night. All of a sudden, the LORD spoke to him, "Why are you here, Elijah?" He answered, "I have been absolutely loyal to the LORD, the sovereign God, even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life."

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Look, the LORD is ready to pass by."

A very powerful wind went before the LORD, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

All of a sudden, a voice asked him, "Why are you here, Elijah?"  

A soft whisper. Not a powerful wind. Not in an earthquake. Not in the fire. But a whisper, and the repeat of the question:

“…Why are you here…”  

Why are we here? 

Jesus gave us the answer to this on the Sermon on the Mount: 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” 

You and I, all of us here, are the soft whisper. The death of our brother was the whirlwind, the earthquake that broke our hearts. But God was not in those. It was the fire that seared our souls and blackened the sky with ashes; but God was not there. It was a powerful wind that wanted to drive us to our knees, and again, God was not there. But here, after the storm, after the wind, after the fire came the soft whisper. God came, and He was there. The soft voice, the quiet one, is God. Today, I say we all represent His soft whisper.

When words are not enough, God speaks in and from the silence of our heart. He pours out oils of gladness from the middle of His throne; He trades for us those ashes of the fire for garments of praise. He asks us why we are here, and we all know why. In our quiet, in our silence, in a soft whisper, we tell those others who mourn with us, we are here to comfort them. Let your eyes speak to them, not your words. Look upon their pain, their sorrow, make it your own also. Let it be your hearts that collect the oil from the throne and give it to them. Words are never enough; a touch, a soft whisper is what God wants us to bring. The reason we are here, why I am here is to comfort all who mourn by being the vessel that God uses to bring His comfort to them. 

On the cross, Jesus was the soft whisper of God. Through His stripes, through His pain, He was able to defeat the powerful wind, the whirlwind, the earthquake and the fire. By His blood, he was the oil that flowed from the throne of Grace. By his cry of “It is finished!” He became the garment of praise, traded for the spirit of heaviness. In us, He comes to live, so we can be His soft whisper to those who hurt.  

I said I do not know what to say. I can barely think about what to do. Words are not enough. But all praise to God, today, for a time, we all can be the prayer to heal this broken world. We join together our broken hearts with a soft whisper that is God, that is Christ, and comfort those who mourn. 

For us, the kingdom of God is not yet realized. For Homopher, he is already there. O how we wish that he was still with us in the flesh, but to be honest, I do not know how I could ask him to trade the garments of praise that he now wears for a small time with us today. We hear a soft whisper; he hears the shouts of the Seraphim crying without ceasing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty! Glory, honor and power to His name!” 

I miss him. We all do. None more than his blessed wife and children though. So today, when words are not enough, join with me and let us write another page of his story for them, by being those who comfort they who mourn. Be the soft whisper of God; let Him flow through you and reveal His heart to them. Let the tears from your eyes be counted by God, and let their tears be wiped away by our love.  

I wish I had better words to say, but it is not my words any needs to hear.

 It is only the soft whisper that mends the broken and humble heart. 

May God help me to be that today when words are not enough. 

May the ashes of sadness be exchanged this day for the peace and comfort of God, 

Amein.

 

---

Endnotes:

[i]NOTICE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: Unless otherwise cited, all material found on this blogsite (original text, opinions, conclusions, and other material not related to cited sources remains the collected intellectual property of the author of this site, David E. Robinson, Elder, Teacher, and are owned and controlled by myself and are protected by copyright and trademark laws and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws of the United States, foreign jurisdictions, and international conventions. Any errors found within, rest solely upon me; please do not blame the Father for my mistakes. I am teachable and correctable, also fallible. 😊 

[ii] FAIR USE DISCLAIMER: This blog site may contain content that is not authorized for use by its owner. All such material will be cited back to its original source. According to Section 107 of the Copyright Act: “…the fair use of a copyrighted work […] for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright…” I have made and will continue to make every effort to stay within all ethical and moral guidelines in the use of material presented here, and the use of these materials is solely intended for educational purposes only, and all efforts to obtain or sustain fair use of non-owned material will be made. 

[iii] Author’s note: This site is for education only and is not affiliated with any institution, organization, or religious group. It is the sole production of its editor. Use of information from Jewish-themed websites (or any other source material) should not be construed as these sites endorsing or confirming any thesis introduced by the author of this epistle. I present the information from their respective sites for instructional purposes only and/or to aid in the readers understanding of the subjects discussed. 

[iv] Author’s note:  Throughout this study I may be using the NET Bible® and the NET Notes®: within the notes you will see symbols like this: (א B Ψ 892* 2427 sys). These are abbreviations used by the NET Bible® for identifying the principal manuscript evidence that they (authors and translators of the NET Bible®) used in translating the New Testament. Please go to https://bible.org/netbible/ and see their section labeled “NET Bible Principals of Translation” for a more complete explanation on these symbols and other items pertinent to the way the NET Bible uses them. 

[v] Though I have used these words in a non-Jewish setting, I mean no disrespect to the Jewish traditions. What I believe lines up with the Jewish traditions, as outlined here from Chabad.org: “…The Kaddish is a vigorous declaration of faith. It is one of the most beautiful, deeply-significant and spiritually moving prayers in the Jewish liturgy. It is an ancient Aramaic prose-poem, a litany whose word-music, strong rhythms, stirring sounds, and alternating responses of leader and congregation, cast sheer hypnotic power over the listeners. It has well been noted that the Kaddish is the echo of Job in the prayerbook : "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." It is a call to God from the depths of catastrophe, exalting His name and praising Him, despite the realization that He has just wrenched a human being from life. Like the Kol Nidre prayer of the Day of Atonement, the significance of Kaddish is usually taken for granted. It is a response from the sub-vaults of the soul almost a primitive, mesmerized response to the sacred demand to sanctify Almighty God…” from the article entitled: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/281617/jewish/The-History-Significance-and-Meaning-of-Kaddish.htm I pray I offend no one; this is not a misappropriation, but an application of Godly comfort in the light of sorrow; I can think of no greater honor than to give glory to God and the Jewish people for this prayer.

Lessons from the Wilderness Vol 49-A story Continued_My ode to Homopher and to all who mourn. Part 2

 

Lessons from the Wilderness, Volume 49: His story continues, an ode for my brother. Part 2

 ©2022, David E. Robinson: At the Gates of Yerushalayim Ministries 

Go to Part One.

Go to Part Three

 Lessons from the Wilderness, Volume 49

…He Loved His God…^{[i] [ii] [iii] [iv]}

Or

Is this the end of His Story?

 

To my readers: thank you for allowing me to share in three posts, my tribute to my brother, Homopher Reselap, who went home to be with God 5 February 2022. I miss him so much, but his life held so much meaning, that one post is not enough, because his story continues. He touched lives, and no matter how much he will be missed, I thank God for he now lives in the Kingdom and will always live in our hearts.

I want to thank today, on this solemn occasion, Homopher’s wife and children for allowing me the chance to say a few words. I am humbled by their trust; I pray that I am up to the task.

 I would like to begin with prayer:

 Oh most gracious and mighty God, may You do today as Your words say in Isaiah and Father, allow me paraphrase here:

“…The Spirit of the Yahweh Adonai is upon me… To bring good news to the afflicted… He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD… To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness…they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of Adonai, that He may be glorified…”

 In the name of our Messiah, Amen and Amen.

 Today, our hearts are heavy. Today, it is hard to see light in this darkness of loss, of sorrow. We have all experienced a wave of loss, here, in Oregon, and Hawaii. I just want to acknowledge those losses also, for all who hurt and mourn. Today, though, may we concentrate on the loss before us, my dear brother, Homopher.  

In light of all that is going on in the world, fear is gripping our hearts. There is fear of tomorrow. Fear of plague. Fear of war. And fear, is what I want to address today, and how the man of God we honor here today pushed back against fear his whole life. There is one fear, one that we all share, the sum of all our fears. What fear is that which overcomes all who live, our perhaps, greatest fear of all?

It has but one name: death.

We, as humans, are afraid to die.

We are afraid when death takes away from us one that we love,

And we are afraid of what happens next, to ourselves and to them.

This life we live, whether or not we live it for the glory of God, or for the glory of ourselves, has but one end, in that it is short and so uncertain. James the brother of Jesus wrote:

 “What is your life? You are just a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes…” [James 4:14]

Jesus Himself said something similar to us in Luke 12:22-26:

 And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. "For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!  "And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? "If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?”

 Our lives are a story, filled with many emotions, joy, anger, sorrow, pain, even fear.

But never forget, it is God who writes this story, a perfect story of our lives.

Death is not the end to our story.

Not for those who know the Lord.

 And Homopher knew his God. How do I know this? I know this because he loved his God. This is how he pushed back against the fear.

 Death does not win in the end; only love does.

The teacher in Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, wrote that:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

For us here today though, it is a time to mourn, a time to heal, a time to weep, and a time to love.

If I could only sum up Homopher’s life in one word, in my humble opinion, it would be relationships, those he made first with God, then Jesus, then his family, then his friends. In his relationships, he invested time. He invested himself. He gave his heart and soul to his God; this allowed him to give his heart to his family.

We can see this in 2 Corinthians. In the scriptures I am about to read, we can understand how there is a hope in facing death and all its dark fears, no matter what they be.  We will start in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, 16-18, and continue in chapter 5, verses 1-9:

 …2 Cor 4:7-12 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So, death is at work in us, but life in you...

2Co 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2Co 5:1-9 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So, we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

 We can see our hope rests in the resurrected Christ. If one has a relationship with God and His Messiah, if we love them and keep their words, then our story does not end – in fact, our real story is just beginning. Homopher loved -loves his God and is known by Him. What does this mean? It means simply, the blessed hope of Messiah should change the way we look at death. We have been looking wrongly, what I call the ‘17 degrees of separation’. We think we are looking at something that is true, but our perspective is skewed, we are missing the target.

 It is the same as in Moses’ day:

Exo 33:8-11

  “…And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent.  9  Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.  10  When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would fall on their faces and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.

11  Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend…”

The people, they knew of God, His presence and power. Moses though, knew God, and God knew him, as a friend, as one to speak to face to face. The power of relationship. Either you have it, or you do not. Those in the wilderness never got to enter into the Promised Land, for they knew not God. Even Moses failed to get into the Promised Land at that time; though later, God did send him and Elijah at the Messiah’s transfiguration. This relationship with the living God and His Messiah [or Christ] transcends, surpasses, goes beyond religion. It is greater than church, it is better than denominations. Those three things, religion, church, denomination, all stand between you and God. To have a relationship means there is nothing between you and the one true God and His Messiah Jesus. The Holy Spirit leads you to truth; this is the truth.

Do you, have it?

 All praise to God and Jesus, Homopher did.

 Death is not the end.  Death is not evaporation: you just do not vanish.

Death is not separation, but a continuation of your story. Death is a trade in. 

God gives us a new body for the old worn out one. This means then:

No more hatred; but while we are still on this side of eternity, remember, the world hates Christ, it will hate you; just be prepared.

Upon our own resurrection, it will be to a better world – a world of:

No more sickness. No more sadness. No more death. No more tears.  

But for us to have resurrection, we must die. So where does that leave us for now, while we still live in this fading tent? We still have fears, trials, and troubles. As we age, as we get closer to that realization that we are just one breath away from eternity, what are we to do? 

Hope. Hold on. Do not give up. Our salvation is nigh, nearer now than it was for the Apostles. Please, I am not talking this way to frighten anyone, or make it seem that our loss of a dear husband, father, grandfather, and brother, has no meaning. Our perspective, our view has to be on something greater than loss, than death.

God will not let death win.  Even in death, believers Win!

Rev 12:10-12

“…Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.  

11  "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.  

12  "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them…”  

The world will tell you to fear death. They all try hard to extend their youth, from plastic surgery, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, exercise till you drop, to God only knows what else. Diet and exercise are not bad things, as long as your motivation is not fear or shame. The world wants you to be afraid, afraid of a virus, a vaccine, or no vaccine; they want us to be afraid of something that no one alive can ever escape.  

Remember, Death is not the end of the story for those who know the Lord!  

From all the fears associated with death, one of the greatest must be that we will die alone and forgotten. The pandemic made the most vulnerable among us isolated in nursing homes, hospitals, and care facilities. Many died alone. How sad and frightening it must be to die alone. Trapped in a distant place, apart from family and friends, how much worse must it be to pass from this world with no one to comfort you, with no one near to say goodbye. How lonely it must be to take your last breath, and no one hears. No one to wipe your tears, no one to say, “I love you.” Sometimes this happens without warning, but it is not the way it should be. No one should suffer and pass alone. When I hear these stories or read about them, only one thing comes to mind, John 11:35:

“…Jesus wept…” 

May we weep also. May the Son of David be with these souls, may He have dried their tears and brought them into their rest, Amen.

 Because of the relationships he had, those he prayed for and the ones he prayed over, those for his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his brothers, and sisters, Homopher left this world blessed because he was not alone; they were by his side. When it was time, he left to be with those who passed before him, father-Otto mother-Ursila, brothers Ophin and Bernis, sisters Aster and Sandrina, and many others that he cared for, to enter into the kingdom of the God he loved. There, he stood, or more likely, he fell to his knees before the Jesus who loves him. I believe that is when he heard those words “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of the Lord”. He is now with the Lord, and that great cloud of witnesses that went before. 

One final though. If Homopher could speak to us all today, what would he say? I think, but I do not know, that he would ask us all: 

“Where do you stand today? Do you know our God, and are you known by Him? Are you ready?” 

Do we know Him my brothers and sisters? 

Homopher got to come home, to his family, so that he could go home to God and his family. God be praised, he was not alone. For that matter, neither are we, if we believe. One day, we all must face the inevitable as Paul tells us in 1^st Corinthians 15:22:

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ, all will be made alive. 

And that my brethren, is our hope, the hope of all who believe. As I wrote earlier about Homopher, I told him I would not say goodbye. I will just see him later, God willing.  

O death, where is thy victory?

O death, where is thy sting?

One day, we will see and be with those who stood and said:

“We love our God and are known by Him.”

Our stories will never end.  

May the Lord bless you and keep you all, my beloved. Amein

---

Endnotes:

[i]NOTICE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: Unless otherwise cited, all material found on this blogsite (original text, opinions, conclusions, and other material not related to cited sources remains the collected intellectual property of the author of this site, David E. Robinson, Elder, Teacher, and are owned and controlled by myself and are protected by copyright and trademark laws and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws of the United States, foreign jurisdictions, and international conventions. Any errors found within, rest solely upon me; please do not blame the Father for my mistakes. I am teachable and correctable, also fallible. 😊 

[ii] FAIR USE DISCLAIMER: This blog site may contain content that is not authorized for use by its owner. All such material will be cited back to its original source. According to Section 107 of the Copyright Act: “…the fair use of a copyrighted work […] for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright…” I have made and will continue to make every effort to stay within all ethical and moral guidelines in the use of material presented here, and the use of these materials is solely intended for educational purposes only, and all efforts to obtain or sustain fair use of non-owned material will be made. 

[iii] Author’s note: This site is for education only and is not affiliated with any institution, organization, or religious group. It is the sole production of its editor. Use of information from Jewish-themed websites (or any other source material) should not be construed as these sites endorsing or confirming any thesis introduced by the author of this epistle. I present the information from their respective sites for instructional purposes only and/or to aid in the readers understanding of the subjects discussed. 

[iv] Author’s note:  Throughout this study I may be using the NET Bible® and the NET Notes®: within the notes you will see symbols like this: (א B Ψ 892* 2427 sys). These are abbreviations used by the NET Bible® for identifying the principal manuscript evidence that they (authors and translators of the NET Bible®) used in translating the New Testament. Please go to https://bible.org/netbible/ and see their section labeled “NET Bible Principals of Translation” for a more complete explanation on these symbols and other items pertinent to the way the NET Bible uses them.

 

Lessons from the Wilderness, vol 48: The story continues as I honor my brother, gone, but never forgotten.

 

Lessons from the Wilderness, Volume 48: The Story of Blessings from my Brother 

© 02-2022, David E. Robinson: At the Gates of Yerushalayim Ministries

Go to Part Two

Go to Part Three

 Lessons from the Wilderness, Volume 48

Blessings from my Brother^{[i] [ii] [iii] [iv]}

 

Mark 3:31–35

^31 aThen, His mother and His brothers ^*came, and while standing outside they sent word to Him, calling for Him. ³² And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they ^*said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.”

³³ Answering them, He ^*said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”

³⁴ And looking around at those who were sitting around Him, He ^*said, “^aHere are My mother and My brothers! ³⁵ For whoever ^adoes the will of God, this is My brother, and sister, and mother.” ^[v]

            Pictured above is a just a part of my family. I married into it, but I do not like the words “brother-in-law” or “sister-in-law” or any other “in-law” designation. Why? Because that “in-law” creates a separation, it says that the only reason you are a part of my family is because of an action I took, not because I was “grafted into” the family. How many of us have heard the “mother or father-in-law” stories? These are usually told with a “sigh” and always are “Well my mother-in-law” did this or that, etc., etc., etc. Cold. Separate. Almost like it was forced upon one, not by choice but by design. Today, I write about my brother: he is the handsome one (no slight to my young nephew there…) playing the guitar in the first picture and is in the middle of the second. His name is Homopher, and he went to the Kingdom of God on February 5^th, 2022.

                 Jesus had a reason that He called those who were sitting around Him His brother, sister, and mother. They all shared a common purpose; they were engaged in doing the will of God. For that reason, they became part of His family, His Mishpacha. Well, those you see above are just that, my Mishpacha, my extended family that includes many, many others. I am a man blessed. Through my marriage, I inherited a family that stretches around the United States, indeed, around the globe. When he passed, it was on the same day we said goodbye to my sister, Sandárina (see https://www.asearchformessiah.net/2022/01/lessons-from-wilderness-vol-47-story-we.html).

 This was, for lack of a better analogy, a double punch to the body, a blow to our Mishpacha,’ our family’s collective soul. God rest their souls in Abraham’s bosom.

 So much sorrow, so much hurt, in such a brief time.

                 That is not what I want to talk about though. No, the hurt is real, the loss profound; there is no need to elaborate about it. I want to today, talk about the legacy my brother left behind, not only in terms of his wonderful family, but what he left with me. He was all about doing the will of the Father, and he is my brother.

Blessings from my brother.

                 The Hebrew word for brother in the word “ACH” [pronounced ah-ch]. Now, unlike in English, Hebrew words can have different meanings. The same word “ach” or brother, is also the word for “fireplace.” No, it is not because a brother can be a hot head; it is because the root word that both brother and fireplace come from means “to join.”

      Think about it. What does a fireplace do? For one thing, it is a place where people are “joined” together, as a place where they can gather. There is something very soothing about a fireplace. The warmth, the glow; relaxes one. There is just something about it. What about brothers? Are they not joined to family by the ties that bind? Do they not warm the heart through their love? I know mine was. There is more to this though. 

                Any word in Hebrew that describes a family designation, like “father, brother, uncle, cousin” or those that describe “mother, sister, aunt,” are more than just words that describe one’s place in the family; they mean kin. In the cultural context of the Israelites, kinship meant responsibility. This is not authority, though as a father, elder, and brother, Homopher had authority. Kinship involves another concept, that the kinsman. The kinsman was more than a family member: he was the go ‘el, the redeemer. It rested upon the go ‘el the responsibility to help a family member in distress, redeeming them from bondage, redeeming a poorer sibling out of the grip of bondage or slavery. 

                This is the reason Jesus is called our “go ‘el.” By His shed blood, He redeems us from the grip of the devil, from sin. But does the “kinsman redeemer” also apply to others? Let us see... 

“The kinsman-redeemer is a male relative who, according to various laws of the Torah, had the privilege or responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need. The Hebrew term (go ‘el) for kinsman-redeemer designates one who delivers or rescues (Genesis 48:16; Exodus 6:6) or redeems property or person (Leviticus 27:9–25, 25:47–55). The kinsman who redeems or vindicates a relative is illustrated most clearly in the book of Ruth, where the kinsman-redeemer is Boaz.

The story of Ruth and Boaz begins when Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, return to Bethlehem from Moab where they had been living. Naomi’s husband and both sons, one the husband of Ruth, had died, leaving the women penniless and without a male protector. Upon arriving in Bethlehem, Naomi sends Ruth to glean in the fields of Boaz, a wealthy relative of Naomi to whom they, through a series of divinely appointed circumstances, appeal as their go el. Boaz acquiesces, willingly takes Ruth as his wife, and together they bear a son named Obed who became the grandfather of David, the forefather of Jesus.

Yahweh is Israel’s Redeemer, the one who promises to defend and vindicate them. He is both Father and Deliverer (Exodus 20:2). There are numerous Old Testament appeals to God as rescuer of the weak and needy (Psalm 82:4; Daniel 6:27; Jeremiah 20:13) and preserver of the sheep of Israel (Ezekiel 34:10–12, 22).

In the New Testament, Christ is often regarded as an example of a kinsman-redeemer because, as our brother (Hebrews 2:11), He also redeems us because of our great need, one that only He can satisfy. In Ruth 3:9, we see a beautiful and poignant picture of the needy supplicant, unable to rescue herself, requesting of the kinsman-redeemer that he cover her with his protection, redeem her, and make her his wife. In the same way, the Lord Jesus Christ bought us for Himself, out of the curse, out of our destitution; made us His own beloved bride; and blessed us for all generations. He is the true kinsman-redeemer of all who call on Him in faith.”[vi]

             Did you catch that? “…The kinsman-redeemer is a male relative…” That is important, for who does God hold responsible for the family but the papa? I know the momma keeps the family together, but the papa is the one ultimately responsible. To help you understand, allow me to narrow down the definition of kin:

 “…Some say kin, others say "family" or "relatives…” …When someone refers to their kith and kin, they mean their friends (kith) and family (kin). Both words date back to Old English, with kin reaching back to the 700s. Originally referring to one’s family or race, kin eventually narrowed to refer just to one’s blood relations. Your "next of kin" is your closest family member: spouse, child, parent, or sibling…” [vii]

             So, this is what kin is. Our family. To understand the significance of Homopher’s role as a go ‘el, we have to look at a passage from the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Acts. In order that we are all on the same page, this occurred after Paul freed a slave woman from an evil spirit, and he and Silas were cast into jail:

 Acts 16:25-34

²⁵ Now about midnight ^aPaul and Silas were praying and ^bsinging hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; ²⁶ and suddenly ^athere was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately ^ball the doors were opened, and everyone’s ^cchains were unfastened. ²⁷ When ^athe jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about ^bto kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸ But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”

²⁹ And the jailer asked for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before ^aPaul and Silas; ³⁰ and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, ^awhat must I do to be saved?”

³¹ They said, “^aBelieve in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and ^byour household.”

³² And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them ^athat very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. ³⁴ And he brought them into his house and set ¹food before them, and was ²overjoyed, since he had become a believer in God together with ^ahis whole household. ^[viii]

              I showed this passage to Homopher on one of the many times we had come together in Lacey when he was ill. I told him I stood on this Scriptural promise, that if I believed in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach (Jesus the Christ), my whole family would be saved. He claimed this as his promise also. This was his heart, to see his kin saved. He understood the role God had placed him in not as a preacher or pastor, but as a father and a kinsman – if he believed, the Word of God promises his family will be saved. That is what a go ‘el does. 

This, this devotion to his kin, defined his life. Aside from God, there was no greater drive for him, no greater cause. This man, my Ach, my brother, wanted nothing more than to see those he loved to come to the saving grace of God through Jesus. He wanted his mission to be his family; and not only them, but all who had ears to hear. He knew the role of father and that of a man, and that of the kinsman redeemer also. To see to it that God would save his family, it was upon him to believe. It was his responsibility to believe. It was his greatest blessing to believe, so that through his belief, his kin will be saved. 

This love, this devotion I heard every time he preached, every time he prayed. I did not understand his words – I do not speak Chuukese [ language of the island of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia] – but then, I did not have too. From the tenor of his voice, from the passion of his heart, I knew that whatever it was that he was saying, I could say “Amen” to it… I could come into agreement with this man of God and never need to know what it was he said. I could just say “Amen.” 

Do you oh men, sons and brothers, those he loved, do you share the passion, the love he had for his kin as for your own?

Do you understand the example of the go ‘el he left for you?

Do you not know that your belief may mean the difference between life or death for your families, for your kin?

  Stand up as he did, show your devotion to God and His Messiah and be your family’s go ‘el!               

I called this message Blessings from my Brother. What were they? They are and were the time he and I spent together, speaking of holy things, talking about the Word of God. It was just in the time I spent with him period. It was in the times I got to listen to him speak, to hear him preach, to hear him pray; these were and will forever be my blessings. 

And as God is my witness, I will miss him.

I am not ashamed to cry for him,

For he IS my brother. 

I have to say these final words.  I need to tell you my last words to him. 

I looked upon him, this man who never knew what he meant to me; maybe he did, I truly hope so.

I pray I let him know – may God forgive me if I did not. 

At the end, I looked upon him, touched his handsome  face and I said:

“I will not tell you goodbye. God willing, I will see you again.”

Follow his example, follow Jesus. Be Godly men. Be the go ‘el for those you love by believing.

Do this so that they may live.

Good night my brother, I know God is richly rewarding you in His kingdom.

Amen.

---

Endnotes:

[i]NOTICE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: Unless otherwise cited, all material found on this blogsite (original text, opinions, conclusions, and other material not related to cited sources remains the collected intellectual property of the author of this site, David E. Robinson, Elder, Teacher, and are owned and controlled by myself and are protected by copyright and trademark laws and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws of the United States, foreign jurisdictions, and international conventions. Any errors found within, rest solely upon me; please do not blame the Father for my mistakes. I am teachable and correctable, also fallible. 😊 

[ii] FAIR USE DISCLAIMER: This blog site may contain content that is not authorized for use by its owner. All such material will be cited back to its original source. According to Section 107 of the Copyright Act: “…the fair use of a copyrighted work […] for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright…” I have made and will continue to make every effort to stay within all ethical and moral guidelines in the use of material presented here, and the use of these materials is solely intended for educational purposes only, and all efforts to obtain or sustain fair use of non-owned material will be made. 

[iii] Author’s note: This site is for education only and is not affiliated with any institution, organization, or religious group. It is the sole production of its editor. Use of information from Jewish-themed websites (or any other source material) should not be construed as these sites endorsing or confirming any thesis introduced by the author of this epistle. I present the information from their respective sites for instructional purposes only and/or to aid in the readers understanding of the subjects discussed. 

[iv] Author’s note:  Throughout this study I may be using the NET Bible® and the NET Notes®: within the notes you will see symbols like this: (א B Ψ 892* 2427 sys). These are abbreviations used by the NET Bible® for identifying the principal manuscript evidence that they (authors and translators of the NET Bible®) used in translating the New Testament. Please go to https://bible.org/netbible/ and see their section labeled “NET Bible Principals of Translation” for a more complete explanation on these symbols and other items pertinent to the way the NET Bible uses them. 

^a Mark 3:31–35: Matt 12:46–50; Luke 8:19–21

^* An * in the text marks verbs that are historical presents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern usage.

^* An * in the text marks verbs that are historical presents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern usage.

^* An * in the text marks verbs that are historical presents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern usage.

^* An * in the text marks verbs that are historical presents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern usage.

^a Matt 12:49

^a Eph 6:6; Heb 10:36; 1 Pet 4:2; 1 John 2:17

^[v] New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Mk 3:31–35.

[vi] https://www.gotquestions.org/kinsman-redeemer.html

[vii] https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/kin [edits mine.]

^a Acts 16:19

^b Eph 5:19

^a Acts 4:31

^b Acts 12:10

^c Acts 12:7

^a Acts 16:23, 36

^b Acts 12:19

^a Acts 16:19

^a Acts 2:37; 22:10

^a Mark 16:16

^b Acts 11:14; 16:15

^a Acts 16:25

¹ Lit a table

² Or overjoyed together with his whole household, since … God

^a Acts 11:14; 16:15

^[viii] New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Ac 16:25–34.