“[From the priests]:
…Seraiah…son of Meshullam, son of Zadok…”
Nehemiah 11:11b
Last time we listed the three priests remaining in Jerusalem. Today we pick up with our third priest’s grandfather into two more generations.
We established Seraih means “Yah persists.” Seraiah’s descendants are listed down to his great-great-great grandfather. His father’s name is Hilkiah, meaning “my portion is Yah,” from Yah and cheleq – portion, territory, farm land, inheritance, legacy, property, reward, flattery, smoothness of tongue.
I love that I began Deuteronomy this morning where Moses relayed from God to all Israel, “You have stayed long enough…I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers…” (Deut. 1:6b + 8a)
There was a land to be inherited by the next generation of God’s people after the Exodus from Egypt. Those who had watched what unbelief had done to their elders and who had their marching orders. Camping out in the wilderness was over; taking possession of their portion from Yah was now.
Would they still have to go and follow and obey and fight? Yes. But in the end, it would be Yah. Yah fighting, Yah working, Yah and His ways being their ultimate treasure. Land is good and property is fine, but seeing the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living, knowing He has allowed our boundary lines to fall in pleasant places, and He alone is our portion and cup is better.
His grandfather is Meshullam which comes from shalam – make amends, to be complete or sound, make an end, finish, full, give again, to be safe, be at peace, make restitution, restore.
Do you not love that on Good Friday, our Lord suffered, bled, cried out, and announced the fulfillment of making amends? That He paid the price for our restitution, restoring us to God? And we are now safe, at peace, and completely full in Him?
Tetelestai is how “it is finished” is translated in Greek. But, as Jesus likely spoke Aramaic, I saw an interesting article on this phrase in John 19:30 in Aramaic (משׁלמ) -> {this is not from me…I don’t know how to do that.}
From Chaim and Laura:
“Finally, He said: ‘It is finished.’ This is a very curious word in the Aramaic, it is the word mashelem. It comes from the root word shelem which is the same root word that shalom or peace comes from.” (source)
Crazy, huh? We’re studying a priest’s descendant named Meshullam, and Jesus’ final words were likely “mashelem.” All with this same root word shalom.
We’ve learned together shalom does not just mean peace, but a making of all things right. Restoring things to wholeness, bringing back to Yah’s original plan for His creation. While He will one Day make all things new, in the not-yet we move that direction with Him. Making restitution, doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God. Out of the fullness we have in Him, we give and give again by His strength and in His power.
Meshullam’s father is Zadok, a name we have seen in Nehemiah chapter 3 and 10. Its root words are tsedeq meaning rightness, righteousness, accurate, just, vindication, and tsedoq – to be just, righteous, aquit, declare you right, properly restore, prove right, cleanse.
The empty tomb is all we need to know about being properly restored. If the God of the Universe is mighty, holy, perfect, and majestic, bringing us back to Him required defeat of sin and death. If it’s true the God-Man did just that, it is not a peripheral truth, but the ultimate one.
I know, based simply on yesterday alone, I am not able to stand before such a magnificent God. I need to be properly restored, and I cannot do it on my own. Thank Jesus He did it for me, for us, and “the empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.”
Happy Resurrection, friends. He is risen!