There have been many translations of Halelu-Yah as well as many translations of El Shaddai, but do we truly grasp the whole concept of the meaning of these words and their application. let's to go back to the root; back to the author’s definition of these words so that we may attain His definitions.
We will be looking at a few Hebrew pictographs which were used to write the original Scripts.
God is of course the author of the Scriptures and the reason why it is crucial for us to understand the full and true meaning of El Shaddai is because it is one of His descriptive names.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE A MOTHER?
Mother...how does one define a mother? It is pretty much universally accepted that a woman becomes a mother when she has bourn a child into this world, or when she has nurtured a child. Any mother will be able to tell you that there is far more to a mother and motherhood than merely giving birth and raising a child.
So how will one define a mother?
It was once said that the “most important thing about you is what you think about, when you think about God”.
Thus if the “most important thing about you is what you think about when you think about God” is of such vital importance then undoubtedly the only place we will find a true definition of a mother has to be in His Scriptures.
The reason why the “most important thing about you is what you think about when you think about God” is because the way you perceive Him defines ever single aspect of your life, and how you will go about living your life. Not a single thought, word, or deed happens without your perception of Him having been taking into account first, whether consciously or subconsciously.
Your perception of Him plays a part in the job you choose and how you fulfill that job, the partner you choose and how you treat that partner and expect that partner to treat you, the friends and company you keep and how you treat them and expect them to treat you, the finances you earn and how you choose to spend it, etc.
THE VERY BEGINNING
In order to understand God’s definition of what a mother is and what she is created for, we have to start at the beginning……Before the first woman became a mother....to where the first woman was created.
Genesis 1:27 says that Elohiym created mankind in his own image, in the image of Elohiym created he him; male and female created he them.
Most people have heard this thousands of time, however, most people are unaware of what is to be found in the original Hebrew language.
Thus we see that God did not create a mother and then a woman, He created a woman first and an aspect of a woman is a mother, and for this reason a mother is first and foremost a woman. Motherhood does not define a woman; motherhood is an aspect of womanhood. Therefore, we have to first look at what a woman is before we can look at what a mother is.
Genesis 2:20-25 tells the account of how Adam gave names to every living creature in the hopes to find a helper. Then it continues with the account of how woman was formed from man’s rib and then presented to him, at which sight he accepted her and marriage was instituted when he expressed that cleaving to each other creates one flesh, completely in unity.
The purpose of man and woman is to live in complete unity. Adam was explaining that as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are individuals yet form a complete unity so to man and woman must form a complete unity.
UNITY
Does God have a gender? Is God male or female?
A common misunderstanding of who God is happens when we give God a gender such as male. God is genderless and possesses both male and female attributes in their perfect form. He does not possess any gender.
One has to then ask the question, if God possesses both male and female attributes, why wasn’t a single human being created that possesses both male and female attributes, why create two genders with different attributes? The answer is simple yet astounding. UNITY. The answer is simply unity. When male and female cleave to each other they form a unity. A unity that represents who God is and when both function as He created them to, they form and represent an unbreakable image of who God is, a Unity.
IYSH AND IYSHAH
There is this little joke among bible students that says man, pronounced iysh in Hebrew, woke up after God had put him to sleep in order to form woman and saw this figure from afar off at which iysh then called out with confusion, “iysh!…!…!…!…!”. As the figure rapidly came into full view, with man still calling out iysh, man’s iysh turned to iyshAHHHHHHH. Thus woman is called iyshah and man called iysh. This of course is a joke but it is a nice way to remember the two Hebrew names.
The word iyshah is formed by adding two letters “ah” to iysh. These two letters form a single symbol in Hebrew. The beauty behind this symbol is that it defines the help Adam was searching for in Genesis1:27. The Scriptures are very specific, God does not leave us wondering when it comes to such concepts as what a man is, what a woman is, what a mother, a son, a daughter, a father is nor how humanity is to live and perceive reality. Thus for a woman to understand what her purpose is as a help she needs to understand the meaning behind the symbol translated as “ah”.
HEBREW 101
Most of the Bible was originally written in Biblical Hebrew, which in today’s world is an unspoken tongue. The Hebrew language, like any language, developed over time. In fact, Hebrew was first written with pictures. Today these pictures are known as the Hebrew pictographic script or ancient pictographic script. Each picture represented a concept. The pictograph which is an ox head.
The beauty behind Hebrew is that it is unlike most languages spoken today. In most languages an A is just an A. A possesses no meaning, it has no definition, it is merely a symbol that carries a sound.
In Hebrew a symbol such as represents strength, might, authority, power, and leader. In English these five words that describe the pictograph might seem to contain no link, yet upon careful thought and examination one will find that an ox is the strongest, mightiest, etc. of all the creatures in the Semitic cultures and thus an ox head can be defined with or represented through these five English words. Most Hebrew root words are comprised of three such symbols with each symbol containing its own meanings. Therefore definitions behind Hebrew words stem from a combination of each symbols’ individual meanings.
MAN AND WOMAN
In the pictographic script the name for man and woman are represented by the following pictographs:
Man (iysh)
Woman (iyshah)
The only pictograph added to form woman is a picture of a man with his arms raised up looking and pointing at an “amazing sight” (Benner 2007:31).
In our culture this pictograph of coarse makes absolutely no sense. If one were to say that the defining factor of a woman when compared to a man is that she points to an amazing sight, it would mean nothing to us. It gives no definition of her function as a help. The key to this word is in the Hebrew word behind praise.
PRAISE – HALAL
Behind the word praise is a Hebrew verbal root pronounced “Halal”. If this word seems familiar it is because it is commonly used in the Muslim belief, why it is found in the Muslim belief is a history lesson for another time.
The pictographs behind this word:
The first two letters is a shepherd staff which is used to move the flock toward a direction and thus has to do with the concept of direction.
The last letter is of course a picture of a man with his arms raised up looking and pointing at an amazing sight. When these letters are combined they mean to “look towards” (Benner 2007:31, 32).
The first part of Halal, Hal, originally meant “star”.
Stars are used to guide when traveling. They are shining lights that are “looked towards” to guide on the journey. The North Star is the only star that remains fixed in the sky due to its position above the North Pole. All other stars rotate around it due to the earth’s rotation (Benner 2007:31, 32).
Thus praise has to do with the concept of looking towards an amazing sight that shines like and is fixed and constant like the North Star for the purpose of direction on the journey of life.
Later we will get to what the amazing sight that is looked towards is.
MOTHER
Mother is a Hebrew word composed of two pictographs.
As mentioned before, the ox head represents strength, might, authority, power, and leader.
The first pictograph represents water.
When these two are combined they form the meaning “strong water” (Benner 2003:47).
In order to understand what “strong water” meant to the Hebrew people we turn to history.
Throughout history animal hides (animal skin) were boiled in water. As the hide boiled a thick sticky substance formed at the surface of the water which was removed and used as a glue, a binding liquid or called “strong water” (Benner 2003:47).
The mother of the family is thus the one who binds the family together; she is the glue (Benner 2003:47).
The mother’s first function is thus to keep the family together, to be the glue of the family. The husband cannot keep the family together and the children cannot keep the family together because it is not their function. A part of motherhood is to bring children into this world and nurture them, however, her first and foremost function is to be the “glue” of the family. A mother has strength, might, authority, power, and the ability to lead which should all be done within the hierarchy of function God has given to humanity.
The perfect hierarchy is God, man, woman, and then of course when there are children they fall in under father and mother. Man and woman are created equally, they both possess the same abilities within their description with the exception of woman containing and additional function. The reason for hierarchy is not to depict superiority, it is to depict function.
And example of this function can be seen in the trinity if God:
We see the hierarchy of God as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Yet this hierarchy does not depict superiority, it merely depicts function. God the Father functions as a father who is the head of the household (yet is not superior in any way to anyone else in the household), God the Son functions as a son who is completely under the authority and in complete obedience to the father of the household, and God the Holy Spirit functions as a mother who comforts, guides (halal), and teaches all that the father has taught “her”.
This in no way depicts that God is broken up into a father, a son, nor a mother. God revealed the unity of who He is to humanity in this way because it is the only way humanity could attain a glimpse of a fraction of who He is and how He functions. He is far more than any of these concepts. This can clearly be seen when one studies and understands the full meanings behind all His different names.
EL SHADDAI
Who would ever think of God as having the traits of a woman and further more of a mother?
However foreign this concept might seem to our culture, it is true nonetheless and can be clearly seen in one of God’s names, El Shaddai.
The most common translations of El Shaddai are “God my provider”, “God the All-Sufficient One”, “God Almighty”, or “God the Mighty One”. The biggest problem with these definitions is that they only tell us that God is our provider, but they do not tell us what we are to do for Him to be our provider nor how he provides. We are left to conclude in which ever manner we desire.
God’s Word is specific and leaves no room for guessing and thus a vague description such as one of these must be seen as inaccurate translations. Therefore, we turn to the two words that form El Shaddai.
El refers to God and is a combination two pictographs, the staff and the ox head.
These two combined, form the meaning “mighty guide” because He is our mighty guide throughout all phases of our lives as we travel the journey of life.
Shaddai is most commonly translated to mean “Almighty” because the literal translation of the word would not make sense to us and in most cases it would even be offensive (Benner 2003:46, 47).
However, the literal translation of Shaddai is “teat” as in the teat of a woman.
When these two are combined they form “mighty teat” and thus an aspect of God is that He is the “mighty teat”.
In today’s world this makes no sense, however, when the function behind a teat is examined, El Shaddai becomes a beautiful expression of an aspect of God’s personality.
Remember the Hebraic culture is focused upon function and not upon the description of things. Thus in the Hebraic mind, God doesn’t look like a mighty teat. He functions as a mighty teat. And therefore we have to look into the function of a teat.
A teat provides a source of nourishment necessary for growth. In the case of a baby it is literally the only source of nourishment that is able to help the baby exist.
In modern times there have been new discoveries and methods that have been able to nourish babies without mother’s milk. But it is also accepted that none of these sources are able to provide the same nourishment as a mother’s milk.
The importance of mother’s milk is supported by many different studies including one from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months” (AAP 2015).
Mother’s milk contains:
Protects against infections and reduces the rates of later health problems including diabetes, obesity, and asthma (AAP 2015).
Contains four different proteins that are far easier to absorb than in any other milk (AAP 2015). These four proteins are:
Lactoferrin – which “…inhibits the growth of iron-dependent bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.” This inhibits certain organisms, such as coliforms and yeast, that require iron (AAP 2015).
Secretory IgA – protects against viruses and bacteria, specifically those that the baby, mother, and family are exposed to (AAP 2015).
Lysozyme – “…is an enzyme that protects the infant against E. Coli and Salmonella. It also promotes the growth of healthy intestinal flora and has anti-inflammatory functions (AAP 2015).
Bifidus factor – “…supports the growth of lactobacillus. Lactobacillus is a beneficial bacteria that protects the baby against harmful bacteria by creating an acidic environment where it cannot survive” (AAP 2015).
Mother’s milk “…contains fats that are necessary for brain development, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and is a primary calorie source. Long chain fatty acids are needed for brain, retina, and nervous system development” (AAP 2015).
Mother’s milk contains vitamins, the amount of these vitamins contained in a mother’s milk is directly linked to her own intake of vitamins (AAP 2015).
Mother’s milk contains lactose. “Lactose is the primary carbohydrate found in human milk. It accounts for approximately 40% of the total calories provided by breast milk. Lactose helps to decrease the amount of unhealthy bacteria in the stomach, which improves the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. If helps to fight disease and promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the stomach” (AAP 2015).
“Leukocytes are living cells that are only found in breast milk. They help fight infection” (AAP 2015).
“It is the antibodies, living cells, enzymes, and hormones that make breast milk ideal. These cannot be added to formula” (AAP 2015).
Thus from a human perspective we understand how crucial a mother’s milk is but how does this relate to God? How is God our El Shaddai our “mighty teat”?
It means that God is the mighty One who provides every single thing in His milk that we not only require to grow, but that we require to truly exist in the manor He created us to exist in. It gives us the ability to withstand sin, like a mother’s milk gives antibodies. It gives us the ability to develop to be completely in His image.
The requirement on our part is that we be like a babe, that we are completely and utterly dependent upon Him. Not upon our job’s, not upon our spouse, not upon some earthly provider, nor upon our own talents and abilities, but that we are completely and utterly dependent upon Him for His milk, which is His Word, and as a result of that He opens the doors of provision.
Which means He gives us a calling Not a job. No true Christian should ever have a job. Christians have callings. Whether it be a plumber, an electrician, a nurse, a farmer, a pastor, a teacher, a pilot, an artist, etc. no matter the work, when God created you He created you for His calling, not for Your choice of a job. Your job will never truly satisfy! Is He your El Shaddai?
Woman was created in the image of God and thus motherhood is an aspect of God. If mothers are ever to become perfect it’ll be the day that mothers turn back to Him and learn from Him.
What do we learn about motherhood from the Perfect mother? We learn that the mother is a crucial and vital aspect of the family. She is the only one who is able to glue the family together and the only one who is able to provide her children with the necessary nutrients they require. Furthermore she is to be the guide to her children, the one who shows them the way. Who teaches their mother tongue, teaches principles, teaches right and wrong, and teaches responsibility.
HALELU-YAH
The grand finale to answer the concept of looking towards an amazing sigh that shines like and is fixed and constant like the North Star for the purpose of direction on the journey of life.
What is the amazing sigh?
Yah refers to YHWH which means “the one who exists’’ or better described as “the essence of existence” which is most commonly pronounced as Jehovah.
Halelu comes from Halal which is translated as praise and means to look towards an amazing sight that shines like and is fixed and constant like the North Star for the purpose of direction on the journey of life.
When these two are combined they form Halelu-Yah which means to look towards the amazing sight that is God who shines like and is fixed and constant for the purpose of direction on the journey of life.
One of the reasons God sent His Son was so that we could have a physical example, in the form of a man, of the fixed immovable point that we are to look towards as we live this journey of life.
No matter how all the other stars are shining, things calling for your attention in order that you may pursue them, keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.
And finally the woman’s function is to help the husband Halelu-Yah.
He is your guide if You will be a babe.
He will nourish you if you remain completely dependant upon Him.
He will teach you how to be like Christ Jesus, if you will remain focused upon Him.
Is He your El Shaddai, your “mighty teat”?
Do you truly praise, focus upon, YHWH, and YHWH alone?
And last but not least, are you ready to learn from Him how to be a perfect parent and a perfect You?
Are you chained because you have come to halal one or a few of the three root sins: addiction (lust of the flesh), riches (lust of the eye), or YOU (the pride of life) (which is described by the word YOU, because the pride of life is focused upon YOU and what YOU can do and what YOU have accomplished, and how great YOU are, etc. all about YOU) (1John 2:16).
No matter your situation and no matter your past mistakes as a woman or as a man, as a mother or as a father, or as a human being. God is in the business of turning lives around, of turning chaos into beauty. It is never too late. Repent, turn from your ways and Halelu-Yah, and focus upon Him. Then the Holy Spirit can teach you how to look towards Jesus Christ who is the fixed immovable bright shining light and He will give you the ability to overcome the three root sins.
RESOURCE LIST
- AAP. 2015. What’s in Breast Milk. (online). Available through: www.americanpregnancy.org/first-year-of-life/whats-in-breastmilk/. Accessed on: 07 May 2016.
- Benner, J.A. 2003. His Name is One. Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc.: USA.
- Benner, J.A. 2007. The Living Words Volume One.Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc.: USA.
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