Co-Suffer

“[The document was ratified and sealed with…the leaders of the people:]

…Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah…”

Nehemiah 10:25

Last time we allowed three leaders’ names to remind of us His enchantment, what He calls us to let go of individually and corporately, and the breaking forth of fresh growth when we do. Today we see our next three names.

Rehum is the first, whose name we saw in Nehemiah 3:17. It means “compassion” from rachum (compassionate, merciful) and racham (to love, have compassion, have mercy, have pity).

Since I’ve been looking up words in Hebrew, it occurred to me to see the etymology of the English word compassion this time. It comes from the Latin pati “to suffer” and the prefix com “with, together.” To suffer with another.

Then it made me smile, when looking up images for compassion, how so many pictures of compasses appeared. I had not thought of how compass is in the word itself. But it gives you something to think about, huh?

What if our compass was entering into the sufferings of others? If, when looking whether to go one direction or another, we consulted our map, deciding between self focus and others-focused? What would change on the daily if that one factor was considered?

I don’t like it either, by the way. It is so much easier to write off those who would require me to suffer, especially if I have determined in my limited judgement they deserve whatever is going on.

Except. Every time I have hit bottom, due to my own decisions or outside circumstances, God has put people in my life willing to co-suffer with me. To have mercy and love precisely when I need it most. Often when I deserve it least. How could I deny that to another?

No, we don’t need to be foolish, nor is God asking us to enter into everyone’s suffering – we are not omniscient. But we are called to love our neighbor as much as we love our own comfort. May we follow the meaning of Rehum’s name and let compassion be our compass.

Next we have Hashabnah whose name only occurs in this verse. It means inventiveness, the feminine of cheshbon – account, explanation, reason, properly, intelligence.

So interesting the feminine rendering of Hebrew words in this study lately. While my understanding of Hebrew grammar is just enough to be dangerous, I appreciate taking what I have learned and coupling it with what I know from the rest of Holy Writ.

And what do we make of inventiveness, intelligence, and accounting when applied to women and the Word? I see it everywhere in the pages – from Tamar outwitting selfish men to Rahab leading her family to safety by her faith in the Most High God.

I see it in Hagar, forced by slavery to serve selfish whims yet seen and protected by God. In businesswoman Lydia, knowing the best offer when presented and the Proverbs 31 woman, earning an income, considering a field and buying it, working with her hands.

I see it in the prophetess Anna, her earthly husband taken away, then reasoned staying in Temple with her heavenly Husband her future. And in Pilate’s wife, listening to her instincts and obeying the mercy given in a dream, to leave that holy Man alone.

Yes, because God gives women intelligence and inventiveness, He uses it for His glory and made sure to set the precedent in Scripture. Let’s join the freedom of the Spirit and follow suit.

And finally we have Maaseiah, whose name we have seen in Nehemiah 3:23 and 8:7. It means “work of Yah” from Yah and maaseh – accomplishment, occupation, vocation, workmanship, art, task, sculptured.

Such a fitting finale to the ideas of compassion and feminine ingenuity. God is on the move among us all, highlighting those whose voices have not been historically elevated. It is my privilege, as one who has been privileged, to see God’s glory in the sheer genius of work and art, words and film being accomplished in our day.