Last year, I began to listen to teachings about Israel. Specifically, God’s chosen people, the Jews. I wanted to understand His relationship with them, and the meanings of His writings in the Old Testament. The OT was written in Hebrew. Attempting to learn the Hebrew words of a text opens up greater understanding beyond the English words we often read today.
Having said that, I’m not even close to understanding Hebrew.
Be that as it may, I’m trying. Proverbs 4:5 talks about getting wisdom and understanding. The NASB (1995) says it like this:
Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
There is a beautiful passage in Ephesians 1 where Paul talks about how he is praying for those who are in the church in Ephesus:
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 1:15-23 (ESV)
And so, I’m trying.
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Before Rosh Hashanah rolled around last September, I began talking with the Lord about it. The Gregorian calendar runs from January-December. Before we enter the new year, I began asking questions of and listening to the things that the Lord wants to tell me for the year ahead.
For nearly 20 years now – I think – God has been giving me a word for the year ahead. In the early stages, I’d get an English word. He would talk me through some of it, but it always was the theme for the year, in both expected and unexpected ways.
Over the years, He has given me greater insights with each word He gives me. Probably because I’m hungrier for His insights. Now, He takes me to the Bible and provides a verse that goes along with the word, in proper context.
For example, my word for 2023 is the word “testimony” (See “What’s Your Word?” – Dec. 2022). I can honestly say that I have given more of my testimony this year than any other year before. Beyond just a one-on-one testimony. I’ve actually used a microphone to do it.
And I know it’s only the beginning.
Getting back to Rosh Hashanah last year, the Lord gave me the word, “vested”. When I hear that word, I think of a 401K plan where you have to work a certain amount of time to be fully “vested”. Being fully vested means if you leave the company, you get to take all of the money that was invested in your 401K account with you.
In other words, you are “all in”.
“Vested” for the Jewish New Year 5783. For myself and others of the Rabbi, that meant it was to be a year of being all in. No more straddling the line between the world and church. No more saying ‘I believe in God, but I hate Christians.’ Or, ‘I follow God but I don’t go to church because of Christians.’
Nope. This is a time to be all in.
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Rosh Hashanah 2023 – the Jewish New Year 5784. The word I kept hearing back in July/August was the word, “transition”. 5784 is to be a year of transition.
There are some prophetic words out there saying it’s the ‘year of the open door’, based on the last number, 4. The Hebrew alphabetical equivalent to the number 4 is the letter “dalet” (daleth), the fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Dalet, in Hebrew, looks like an open door, ד.
At first, I thought the word “transition” was for 2024, not 5784. I figured all of the people saying “open door(s)” had to be right. For me – let me say that again – FOR ME, the Lord won’t let me off that easy. He wants me to go deeper (my word for 2022), and to do so, I have to pursue Him beyond what others are saying.
That’s not to say that others are wrong. I’m not. What He impressed upon me is that He has more for me, in word and deed. What He says and what He does, not what I say or do. That’s they key. He is speaking. He is doing. It’s a question of whether I have ears to hear and eyes to see.
Leading up to this past weekend, I kept hearing the word, “transition” being spoken by others. And then last week, He spoke it again. The impression was so strong that I could not shake it. I tried to ignore it as Rosh Hashanah arrived – which wasn’t that hard for most of Friday, September 15 since I had to say goodbye to my precious dog, Tate.
But, how many know that when you are following the Lord, you are FOLLOWING the Lord at all times? The Lord told me to grieve and I did. I still am today, Monday, September 18, three days after the fact. I probably will be for awhile. But, the Lord said “transition”.
And so, I decided tonight to look up what the word transition was and meant in Hebrew.
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The Hebrew word for “transition” is מַעֲבָר. Most translations that I’ve found tonight refer to the meaning as “passage”. Naturally, I started to look for it in the Bible. My limited research found the word written in English as, maʿăḇār, Strong’s 4569. There were various Scripture verses showing the usage of that word, but none were quite what I was looking for.
I thought I was looking for a literal use of the word “passage”. Nothing described the impression of “transition” that I was getting from the Lord. I’m not sure how I did it – well, Holy Spirit, of course – but I came to Deuteronomy 31.
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (ESV)
The most well-known use of transition in the Western world is a time of change. Seasons transition from one to another. We transition from one year to the next each December 31. We transition from one job to another, or one city to another. There’s all kinds of transition or change that happens in our lives.
When change comes, how many can been filled with fear, angst, anxiety or trepidation? Change is constant, but that doesn’t mean we have to like it.
No, God took me in a different direction with the word, “transition”. He took me to that passage (no pun intended) in Deuteronomy 31, “It is the Lord who goes before you.”
God’s people were in transition. There was a leadership change from Moses to Joshua. They were about to enter the Promised Land under Joshua. Moses was speaking to the people, and Joshua, ahead of their next part of the journey.
Are you catching that? Transition. Change. God said He would go before them. They didn’t have a reason to be afraid. Joshua didn’t have a reason to be afraid. He “goes before you”.
Before anyone says, “Oh that verse was Old Testament, so don’t take it out of context.” Okay. Let’s go to the Psalms.
23 The Lord makes firm the steps
Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV)
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
The Lord goes before me. As I delight in Him, He will make my steps firm. No matter what happens, as long as I am delighting in Him, He will uphold me.
2 Timothy 1:7 – New Testament- in the NKJV says,
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Change can bring fear, angst, anxiety or trepidation? If He is bringing transition, He gives me a spirit of power, a spirit of love and a spirit of a sound mind.
BUT..let’s not stop there because there is a passage that many know that covers this topic and backs up Deuteronomy 31 quite well.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
See, God has told me that this is a year of transition in 5784. But, the focus should not be on “transition”. Whatever this year is for me or anyone else, He wants me to know that He goes before me. All of my ways, submit to Him, and this path or passage of transition, He’ll make the paths straight.
“The Lord goes before you.”
Selah
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Knees Down, Prayers Up,
Sunny
Sunny Cadwallader 
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