“[The document was ratified and sealed with…the leaders of the people:]
…Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir…”
Nehemiah 10:20
Last time we saw some leaders whose names showed us the fruitful margins. Today we see the next three leaders of our returned exiles.
First up is Magpiash whose name only occurs in this verse. It is from nagaph (smite, strike, dash, hurt, slay) and ash (moth). So it basically means “exterminator of the moth.”
As someone who rarely thinks about moths, I looked up some information on how they are good for our ecosystem. Apparently they are not simply the small grayish insect we tend to think of. There are “11,000 moth species in the United States alone,” meaning we could confuse these guys for more colorful butterflies.
In addition, they are an important part of the food chain, particularly for bats and birds. And due to their hairy bodies, they easily pick up pollen from whatever flower they land on and distribute it in flight. (Source)
But my favorite tidbit is the following:
“Moths also play a vital role in telling us about the health of our environment, like the canary in the coalmine. Since they are so widespread and found in so many different habitats, and are so sensitive to changes, moths are particularly useful as indicator species. Monitoring their numbers and ranges can give us vital clues to changes in our own environment, such as the effects of new farming practices, pesticides, air pollution and climate change…” (Source)
If that isn’t a word for our burning planet today, I’m not sure what is.
Now that we have seen the positives of this insect, let’s dive into the fact that in the Word, moths are a reference to decay and destruction.
“When you discipline a man
with rebukes for sin,
you consume like a moth what is dear to him;
surely all mankind is a mere breath!”
Psalm 39:11
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21
So in our case today, Magpiash’s name would be “the exterminator of destruction.”
Sounds like Shalom to me.
In our war-weary world we are desperate for peace. Peace for our broken promises and broken relationships; peace for our hurting bodies and soul anxieties. We yearn for peace from selfish ambition and generations of conflict.
“Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.”
James 4:1-2 (MSG)
Thank You, Jesus, You destroyed ultimate destruction. We can be secure because of You, even in our rocky tenure on an insecure planet. And what we entrust to You is never destroyed.
Our next name listed is Meshullam which comes from shalam – allied, amends, to be complete or sound, finish, give again, make good, be safe, friendly, reciprocate, recompense, restitution, restore. We have seen this name as a priest, a local, and one standing beside Ezra reading the Word on the platform in Nehemiah 3:4, 3:30, 6:18, 8:4, 10:7.
Today’s leader is likely the man standing beside Ezra as the Law is proclaimed to the people. As I wrote on this name before:
“You may have noticed this word [shalam] looks much like shalom – completeness, soundness, welfare, peace. Shalam seems to be what we as people can do to cooperate with God as He ushers in shalom: finish arguments, make amends; restore what was broken or stolen, and make restitution for injustice done – individually and corporately. To ally ourselves with those who also seek His kingdom come, giving again if necessary. To ask Him to help us find our worth in Him so these things are possible in our naturally self-protective tendencies.”
Yes, His peace will make us one. His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Our final name listed in today’s veres is Hezir, which comes from chazir – swine, boar, enclosed as a hog. Today is one of those days when I question the families who named some of our leaders. Nevertheless, we should ask ourselves what we can learn today from such a definition: swine, boar, enclosed hog.
From what I know from Torah of pigs being unclean for the Israelites, I am quite sure this meaning would not have been popular among our returned exiles. But then again, most of the community was relearning what God’s Law even said for them as His ambassadors to a watching world.
Could the same be said for us in our generation? For those who do not claim to follow Jesus of Nazareth, would watching us give them an appropriate picture of His majesty, beauty, splendor, and worth? Further, would our lives and ultimate allegiances reflect the likes of Daniel, Paul, John or Jeremiah? Finally, would the way we live be a representation of a Kingdom which requires everything and nothing, grows to bless, welcomes with grace, and never ends?
We will never be perfect ambassadors this side of eternity. But in which direction are you headed? Are we headed?
May all see His worth in our ways.