“[the heads of the priestly families]:
…of Joiarib’s, Mattenai;
of Jedaiah’s, Uzzi;
of Sallu’s, Kallai;
of Amok’s, Eber;
of Hilkiah’s, Hashabiah;
of Jedaiah’s, Nethanel.”
Nehemiah 12:19-21
Last time we continued on with the priestly family heads, thankful His right hand is powerful, Yah is our Father, and we get to help each other remember. Today we finish up these priestly names.
Up first is Joiarib, whose name means “The LORD contends” from Yah and rib – to strive, contend, argue, complain, find fault, judge, plead your case, quarrel, reprimanded, adversary, chide, debate, ever, lay wait, plea, grapple, wrangle.
Speaking of judging and pleading a case, we’ve been talking about the difference between equality, equity, and justice in school this week and last. You may have seen this image?
It’s been interesting talking with 3rd graders about these ideas. Most of us adults are still wrestling (grappling, wrangling) with such things. But even young minds can grasp these concepts. I desperately want my classroom to be a place where students are given what they need to be successful (equity) and where justice is done (things hindering their growth and learning are removed). But like most things, I cannot do it all by myself. I rely on incredible people to fill in where I lack. Maybe you do, too?
In this case, the One judging, contending, laying in wait is Yahweh Himself. And with perfect character, it is never in a fault-finding, argumentative way – simply an offer of liberation and living as we’re meant to: selflessly yet joyously.
The only One Whom we will stand before when all is said and done cries:
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Amos 5:24
May we as His Body ensure we are not striving or contending against such a powerful God.
Mattenai is next, a name from mattan – liberal, a gift, reward (from nathan like last time: give, to commit, entrust, set, wholly, yield). With words like liberal and conservative part of regular civil discourse these days, it’s interesting to see someone whose name means “liberal.”
But that’s one of my favorite parts of our Savior. He doesn’t just love a cheerful giver, He is one! He is liberal in His gifts, wholeheartedly showering us with more than we can ask or imagine. We get to reflect such a generous, open-handed love.
Jedaiah is next, which means “Yah has known” from Yah and yada – personal knowledge, know intimately, know for certain, well aware, clearly understand, experience, surely teach, bring forth, chosen.
As believers, we often talk of wanting to know God intimately, know for certain His will, clearly understand and experience Him and His Word. How delightful He is the One Who knows! So intimately, so certain, does He know everything: from the outcome of the international conflicts, the impacts of policy, and every word before you personally speak it.
Indeed, He is well aware, friends. May that make us the opposite of apathetic or lazy. In fact, let’s allow our next priestly head help us out here: it is Uzzi, which means “forceful” from azaz – to be strong, brazen, bold, mighty, prevail, show self strong, stout.
Brazen is the only synonym here that seems to have a negative connotation in my mind. Which makes sense, as it refers to a harsh or loud sound, relating to something made of brass.
I have seen much on social media and the news about Zelensky’s leadership right now. I don’t know enough about him or Ukraine to speak with much historical insight, but it does indeed seem he is exhibiting bold and strong leadership sans posturing machismo. That appears to be the difference between brazen and bold, acting mighty versus showing actual strength, willing to resist.
How about us? How do we live out forceful in the Spirit of the One Who embodied power restrained? Yet Who fights on behalf of those being trampled upon? Speaking of which…
Sallu is the next family listed, a name which comes from calah – to reject, make light of, toss aside, tread under foot, to hang up/weigh. Don’t you find the weighing part interesting? I picture old school grocery store scales, or larger ones at a butcher’s.
What do we think weighing has to do with treading under foot? Perhaps not much if the item weighed is already deemed valuable. But if weighed then tossed aside and rejected, that’s another story.
How do we do this in our society? Whose experiences are rejected, pleas for help made light of? If there was anything Old Testament prophets had a beef with in their nation’s social structure, it was taking advantage of others, especially the poor and vulnerable, in things like unjust scales in the market.
May we shudder to think of tossing aside any person or group of people for Whom Jesus died and Yahweh will take up for.
Kallai is Sallu’s family head, a name which comes from qalal – to be slight, swift, trifling, abate, make bright, bring into contempt, accurse, despise, be easy. This one, especially slight and swift, seem like the opposite of Uzzi’s name, forceful and stout. And what of contempt and accurse? And abate, make bright, trifling, be easy?
I’m picturing those two sets of synonyms together: the way something meant to bring destruction instead suddenly abated, made easy. Like a threatening storm making way to the brightness of sun.
Prayers that such things the world over would come to pass.
Amok is the next family name, which means “deep” from amoq – have or make depth, seek deeply, be profound.
I often think of deep understanding in teaching school. It is one thing for a student to know how to answer a specific question, another to apply the concept to a variety of situations. One is to know, the other to know deeply.
I have long loved the verse “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls…” Sometimes the only thing to get us from a surface level of knowing to deeply understanding is suffering. Taking our suddenly undeniable need for God to Him and seeing Him come through. Though we’d be psychologically unhealthy to wish for suffering, we can press in when it undoubtedly comes, knowing the depth of love into which He can plunge us is worth it.
And it might make you smile that I read this in Psalms this morning:
O Lord, what great works you do!
And how deep are your thoughts.
Psalm 92:5 NLT
He is the ultimate in profundity.
Amok’s family head is Eber, which means “region beyond” and is the same as eber – region across, beyond, beside, straight, against, from, passage, quarter, other. Also from abar – alienate, pass on, pass by, alter, bring over, through, carry over, meddle, overrun, make partition, proclaim, perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, raiser of taxes, remove, send over, sweet smelling, translate, turn away, (way-)faring man, be wrath.
That’s a lot of synonyms. They all seem to point toward the “other” to me. How about you? Those in the region over there, beyond, across. In a way that is either negative (alienate, meddle, overrun, perish, provoke to anger, and raiser of taxes – which made me smile) or kind of a nuisance (passage, carry over, send over, turn away, put away.)
Can’t help but think of refugees in this definition, particularly with those fleeing right now. But, as others have been pointing out, it would be hard to be a nation which do not get as much press as a European country might, but have just as great a need.
No matter our personal perspective and geographical location, there is no other to God. His entire creation, made specifically to worship before His throne in every tribe and tongue’s unique way, is made with dignity in His image.
Hilkiah is the next family name, meaning “My portion is Yah.” And the family head listed is Hashabiah, a name we’ve seen in Nehemiah 3, 11, 12. It means “Yah has taken account” from Yah and chashab – intelligent, to think, account, calculate, consider, determine, devise, esteem, intend, meant, mindful, planned, plot, regard, scheme, skillful, think, cunning, fabricate, contrive in malicious sense.
To skillfully plot brings to mind advanced math, determining trajectories and calculating figures. And yet Yah already knows it all. No need for cunning, fabricating, or contriving. He simply is mindful of every last detail, esteeming those He created, and taking it all into account in perfect immediacy.
Jedaiah is our final family name, which we saw earlier in our verses. So we will end with our family head, Nethanel, which means “given of God” from el and nathan (from last time) – give, to commit, entrust, set, wholly, yield.
The el here is a different title for God than Yahweh. It refers to strength, the Almighty One, rather than Covenant-Maker, Covenant-Keeper. And this Most High has wholly entrusted, yielded His very self, even to those who have never heard of Him.
The Gospel is so precious because of its vulnerability. While Jesus was no fool and didn’t entrust Himself to those untrustworthy, His death was for every single soul. We don’t get to point out an other or look down at anyone when the God-Man is bleeding from a cross because of what we all did and will do – collectively and individually. This precious gift is offered to us, set before us as an invitation and an opportunity to die as well.
May we honor He Who was given of God.
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