How the Mezuzah Spoke to Me

The Old Testament tradition of writing scripture on the doorframes of houses has touched my heart. This commitment of placing God's revered word in the face of family and visitors is not only historical, but is beautiful. It challenges me to keep God at the highest pinnacle of my focus. It challenges me to place His word in my face and heed it.

In no way should this blog be considered authoritative or complete. I am sharing what spoke to me as a Christian and lover of the LORD.

The Hebrew word "mezuzah" literally means doorpost. Officially, the word applies to a small rolled, not folded or creased, parchment scroll (Klaff) upon which key Hebrew verses from the Torah are inscribed. Many dictionaries use the word "mezuzah" interchangeably for the container into which the scroll is placed, but that is inaccurate. The mezuzah is the scroll, and the box is just the protective covering.

On one side of the mezuzah the translated Biblical passages of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Deuteronomy 11:13-21 are inscribed. On the other side at the top, the word Shaddai (Almighty) is written.

A Translation of the Text in the Mezuzah:

"Hear O Israel, G-d our Lord is G-d the Only One. You shall love G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your power. These words which I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them to your children and you shall speak about them when you dwell in your house, when you travel on the road, when you lie down and when you arise. You shall tie them as a sign on your arm and as a head ornament between your eyes. You shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your home and your gates.

And it shall happen, if you obey my commandments which I command you today, to love G-d within all your hearts and all your souls that I will give the rains of the land in its proper time, the light rains and the heavy rains, and you will gather your grain, your wine, and your oil. I will give grass in your fields for your livestock. You will have enough to eat and you will be satisfied. Guard yourselves, lest your hearts lead you astray and you will serve other gods and you will bow to them. G-d will then become angry with you and will withhold the rain, and the land will not produce its bounty. You will quickly be lost from upon the good land that G-d has granted you. You shall place these words on your hearts and on your souls. You shall tie them as a sign on your arms and they shall be head ornaments between your eyes, and you shall teach them to your children to speak about them when you dwell in your house, when you travel on the road, when you lie down and when you arise. You shall inscribe them on the doorpost of your houses and your gates. So that you and your children may live many years on the land that G-d has promised to your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."1

A mezuzah's text must be handwritten on special handmade parchment. The parchment, prepared by specific processes, must come from a kosher animal, such as a cow or a goat. If it is written on any other surface, it is invalid.  Printing, copying, photographing or producing the text by any means other than writing makes it invalid and unusable.

The inscription must be prepared by a qualified calligraphist - a certified scribe (a sofer stam). He is a holy person - pious, trustworthy, and meticulous. He either copies the text from another manuscript or writes it from memory. If even one letter is missing, misshapen, or the ink is smudged, the mezuzah is unusable. This scribe takes his task seriously, is scrupulous, performs it with reverence, and follows the specific regulations and laws of the faith.

The mezuzah's first purpose was to remind Jews of their obligations toward Israel's God. Just recently Lisa-Jo at http://theygypsymama.com/ gave me insight into this reminder. She says, "Hebrew epistemology assigns heavy weight to knowledge, and knowledge of, requires responsibility to, and care for." Not only did they know God's word, they were obligated to follow it!

The scroll was rolled and placed in a small metal, wooden, or glass case or tube, which was attached to the doorposts of the homes of observant Jews. When the scroll was placed in the rectangular box, the word Shaddai, on the back of the parchment, was clearly visible through an opening in the container.

Wearing a mezuzah box on a chain around the neck is a relatively new practice, and is considered inappropriate in many circles. Those who do wear one around their necks often do so as an affirmation of their Jewish identity. The making of ceramic or other decorative cases has become an art form, but the case and its contents are not to be considered a magical ornament or amulet in any way.

For most now, the mezuzah is a reminder of the centrality of God, the Oneness of God, and His Word. With a special blessing ("Blessed art Thou, O L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and hast commanded us to fasten the mezuzah"), the mezuzah box was firmly affixed to the outer doorpost of the home (to the right upon entering). Affixing the mezuzah to the doorframe in Jewish homes fulfilled the "mitzah" (Biblical commandment) in Deuteronomy 6:9.

Initially, the position of the box varied from vertical to an angle, depending upon the observer's geographical location. Observant Jews touched and kissed the word Shaddai as they passed, and they recited this prayer: "May G-d keep my going out and coming in from now on and ever more."

Over the centuries, the mezuzah's regulations have been refined in some circles, and diverse traditions have arisen in others, but an observant Jew still follows strict regulations to ensure God's protection, prosperity, success, and long life.

To emphasize the momentousness of this practice, here are just a handful of the custom's restrictions:

• The mezuzah's text contained 22 lines of writing.


• A mezuzah could be anywhere from two inches square to six inches square. However, use of a two-inch square was inadvisable because they were harder to write, and were more prone to erros and spoilage.


• The ink had to be black and indelible and made according to specific requirements.


• Some even interpreted Jewish law to require a mezuzah on every doorway in the home apart from bathrooms and closets too small to qualify as rooms. Others considered it necessary only to place one in the front doorway.


• Traditionally the case was attached at an angle to the top third of the right doorpost as an individual enters, (approximately shoulder height), with the upper portion slanted inward, spaced about a handbreadth from the outer edge of the doorpost.


• If the house were sold or rented to a Jewish person, the previous occupant had to leave the mezuzah.


• In private homes, the mezuzah had to be inspected for legibility at least twice in every seven years; i.e., every three and a half years.


• Observant Jews still take this tradition seriously, to the point of only purchasing mezuzahs from Hashem-fearing Jews. The preparers are expected to believe in every single word of the Torah; otherwise the words are not considered holy. Even if they keep all of the laws properly, if the scribe does not believe in just one word, and he writes a mezuzah, his writing is considered invalid, and what he has written must be buried.

According to the Mezuzah Doctor, "Every time a person enters and leaves, he is confronted with the Unity of G-d, the name of the Almighty, and he remembers his love for Him. He awakens from his slumber and his involvement in the vanity of temporal matters and realizes that nothing has eternal existence but the knowledge of G-d. He then immediately returns to the path of righteousness. Our sages have said that he who has Tefillin on his arm and head, Tzitzit on his garment and Mezuzot on his doorway can be assured that he will not sin, because he has many reminders. These are the selfsame angels that protect him from sin as it says, 'The angels of G-d surround those who fear Him and protect him.'"2
As a Christian, I am freed from the old laws. However, beautiful and significant lessons arose as I read about the mezuzah's traditions. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 speaks of love for the One True God and of making Him THE focus when speaking to our children (and our children's children). Deuteronomy 11:13-21 teaches us the responsibility of obeying God, the results of our obedience, and the consequences of our disobedience. I especially love the reminder that we are "to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." Nothing is more important. Nothing!!
These two Deuteronomy passages challenge me to love my LORD with every fiber of my being, to make Him my first focus 24/7, to prod me to revere His Word, to remind me of His provision and protection, and to instruct me to obey Him. Although I am not affixing a mezuzah to my home, as I walk through the doorframe into my house, I will be put into remembrance of such truths. I will be reminded to obey His command, and I will love Him with all of my heart and soul!
Dear Heavenly Father,
As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, my Savior, may I purposefully and intentionally fill my home and my life with love for you, passion for your Word, and love for your people. May reading about the mezuzah motivate me and others to think about you, our Almighty God. May we be provoked to spend time in your presence. May we constantly talk of you to our children. We are so privileged to be invited and welcomed to enter your throne room. We are blessed to come into your presence with confidence and certainty that we are supposed to be there! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Amen.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV
"So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today - to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul - then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that the days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth." Deuteronomy 11:13-21 NIV
1 Mezuzah Doctor; http://www.mezuzahdoctor.com/Mezuzah/paragrph.htm
2 Mezuzah Doctor; http://www.mezuzahdoctor.com/Mezuzah/paragrph.htm

From Where Does My Help Come?

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121 NIV

I love the truths we find in Psalm 121. Our amazing LORD never slumbers, nor sleeps. No matter when we are awake, He is listening to our petitions, pains, and praises. At 3 A.M. when the world sleeps, He is wide awake!

When I battle aches and pains associated with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, and sleep eludes me, He continues to be my shade and my sustenance, every single moment of every single day. As beloved children of God, we can rest assured that He is mindful of every single hair on our heads, every single bruise and boo boo, every single hurdle, every single scheduling conflict, and every single cell in our bodies.

As I think about how "able" our amazing LORD is, Ephesians 3:14-21 comes to mind. Not only is our God "able," but He is "perfectly able"; He is "immeasurably more able" than our finite minds can even fathom.

As Christ-followers, we must continually show one another how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, even in times of discouragement. Daily we must show small samplings of this Christ-like love.

Dear Father, may I continue to pray to You who is not only 100% able, but who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine. May I ask You to heal the bodies of friends and family, so they may continue to minister powerfully and serve unhindered in Your Name. Every time I experience your "immeasurably more," may I give you honor, praise, and glory forever and ever! May I proclaim You loudly. In His Name I pray. Amen.

Panting After the Lord

You have not heard anything quite so disconcerting as an American bulldog breathing and panting after a vigorous run. The first time I heard our granddog Ellie after a workout in the yard, I feared she was in dire need of medical attention.

American bulldogs are brachycephalic, which means they are short snouted. Ellie was panting as God intended her to do. He specifically constructed her nose and face in just that way, so she could get a sufficient amount of oxygen.

In the same way American bulldogs were created to pant for more oxygen, God's children were created to pant after our awesome and amazing God!

Psalm 119:130-132 instructs us to open our mouths and pant, to long for God's commands and precepts.

The unfolding of your words gives light;

it gives understanding to the simple.

I open my mouth and pant,

longing for your commands.

Turn to me and have mercy on me,

as you always do to those who love your name.

Psalm 42:1 compares our fervor for seeking God to a parched deer panting for streams of water.

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

Then, what exactly does it mean to "pant after God"?

World English Dictionary at dictionary.com defines panting as: breathing hard and quickly after exertion; breathing with more effort than usual; convulsive breathing, as from violent exertion or excitement; a short, quick, labored effort at breathing; a gasp; to long with breathless or intense eagerness; or to yearn.

Collins English Dictionary1 adds that panting is: to have a frantic desire (for).

As I think about Ellie's convulsive, noisy breathing after her exuberant physical exertion, I must ask myself, "Can others see and hear my panting after God?"

In my quietest meditations and prayer time, "Am I intensely and breathlessly, earnestly, and frantically yearning for my LORD?"

Faith walks being with a strong desire to commune with our Creator. These Psalms incite us to search our hearts for an even more fervent yearning after our awesome God! This impassioned and breathless pursuit should be increasing as we journey onward. An ardent zeal for a close relationship with God and a burning commitment to follow His commands should be blazing within us . . . even when persecution and trials surround us.

May we emulate the psalmist at the end of Psalm 42 by placing our hope in God, and by praising Him, our Savior and our God, as we pant breathlessly in our pursuit of Him!

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food

day and night,

while men say to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

These things I remember

as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go with the multitude,

leading the procession to the house of God,

with shouts of joy and thanksgiving

among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember you

from the land of Jordan,

the heights of Hermon - from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.

By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me -

a prayer to the God of my live.

I say to God my Rock,

"Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?"

My bones suffer mortal agony

as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42

1 pant. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th

Edition. Retrieved September 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pant

Lukewarm

At the top of my "Things I Hate List" are: lukewarm showers, lukewarm soup, lukewarm handshakes, and lukewarm friends. Hurrying into a mildly warm shower on a frigidly cold winter morning is almost torture. Reaching out my hand for a firm handshake, only to touch a limp noodlish grasp, just plain irritates me. Spending time with people who claim to be friends, yet during visits, they busily text, daydream out the window, or talk about themselves constantly, forces me to place them in my "Don't bother; they are lukewarm about friendship" category. Lifting a spoonful of vegetable soup to my mouth, anticipating a hot bite of goodness, only to encounter a tepid broth makes me gag.

Imagine how Christ feels when we are lukewarm in our service for Him. Imagine how Christ feels when our affection for Him is tepid.

Revelation 3:16 could not be clearer:

"So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Strong's lexicon defines "lukewarm" as "the condition of the sould wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor and a fervour of love."

Dictionary.com (Random House Dictionary) defines "lukewarm" as "moderately warm; having or showing little ardor, zeal, or enthusiasm; indifferent."

Lukewarmness (yes, that is a word) or indifference in faith is the worst condition! Such a half-hearted attitude about Jesus is inexcusable! If we believe Christ is who He said He is, how can we be apathetic in our love for Him, wishy-washy in our devotion to Him, and chilly in our gratitude for the grace He has bestowed upon us!

This is not a place to be neutral. Christ expects us to declare ourselves in earnest - either for Him or against Him. Revelation 3:17 calls these phlegmatic, unresponsive folks "wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."

Indifference is so important to the LORD that a severe punishment is even threatened in Revelation 3:16. Just as lukewarm vegetable soup induces gagging and vomiting, lukewarm church leaders or churchgoers turn Christ's stomach. Their neutrality sickens Him, and He cannot and will not bear them for long.

When life affords us an abundance of material possessions, the devious trap of indifference is an easy position to adopt. As our needs are supplied and oversupplied, we must guard against overlooking the feeding of our souls. We must be earnest and repent of any aloofness or tepidity in our pursuit of Christ.

"The soul is a different thing from the body, and must have accommodation suitable to its nature, or else in the midst of bodily prosperity it will be wretched and miserable." Matthew Henry

Questions to Consider Spiritual Temperature:

• Do I have a passionate concern for the lost?


• Am I always prepared to give the reason for my hope?


• Do my thoughts center soley on worldly things and circumstances?


• Do my thoughts center on me?


• Do I live my life overwhelmed with anxiety and worry, or do I live in the peace only Christ can give?


• Do I love God first? Do I love others as He teaches me to do?


• How often do I make God a priority in my life? Do I talk to Him? Do I learn more about His character and what He has done for me by digging into His living word?

Revelation 3:19-22 says:

"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Dear Heavenly Father,

May I be a pleasing taste to you. May I hear your clear call to overcome. May I repent and be fervently earnest about seeking you! May I ask you daily to protect me from deceiving myself. May you guard my heart and mind, so I am not complacent. May I not become so blase, that I forget all that Christ has done. May my heart burn with a red-hot fervor and love for you, and may I never be chilly in my service to others. Amen!

Fan the Flame

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good."

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

As Christians, we cannot entirely extinguish the person of the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, but we certainly can dampen the manifestations, gifts, and revelations of the Holy Spirit, if we do not fan the flame. We can squelch or suppress our faith and the faith of others into a lukewarm mediocrity, if we are not diligent to stir up our hearts.

God tells us exactly how to accomplish this. He tells us to pray continuously, to know His precious Scriptures, to preach His word faithfully, and to proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior. We must protect our zeal for the Lord; we must increase our knowledge of God through Bible study, so we may come to know His character more completely and deeply. Indifference suppresses the work of the Holy Spirit, but our steadfastness and eagerness to listen to the guidance of the Helper we have in the Holy Spirit will move our fervor into ardent devotion.

God sent us His Holy Spirit to teach us, tell us of things to come, to abide in us, to empower us as witnesses, to heal us, and to encourage us. We can take these promises to heart, and without hesitations we can fan the flame that indwells us.

Through the Holy Spirit, our faith in that which we hope for, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our fire for our Heavenly Father may remain ever-burning and brilliant.

Dear Father,

Thank you for the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Let me never quench His fire through my negligence, indifference, or sin. Enable me to fan the flame of my Helper, so your will may be accomplished. Help me be a willing and fervent servant, ever conscious of my actions and inactions. Continue to teach me through the Holy Spirit of your character, your promises, and your precious Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ. In His Name I pray. Amen!

Conversations

When our daughter was young and at home, our house was overflowing with noises - giggling girls at slumber parties, blaring television shows, ear-splitting music, telephone yakking for hours on end, the incessant drone of a hairdryer. Did you know that a typical 1875 watt full-sized hair dryer emits up to 87 DBAs, which is actually louder than noise in a video arcade?

Is your house full of noise?

Is your house full of the noise of talking?

How would you describe your household's conversations? Do they include trivia and interesting facts? Are they about authors and best-selling novels? Are they about the latest movies or music? Are they full of gossip?

How often does your household talk about God...or to God? How long of a time passes before our precious Lord's name is mentioned? Is He mentioned at all?

The Bible is full of examples and encouragments regarding our conversations, but several verses in Deuteronomy are my favorites.

"And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, 'Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.'" Deuteronomy 4:8-10

These verses remind me not to forget the things of our Lord or let them slip from heart as long as I live. Then, more importantly, I am specifically told to teach my children and the children after them. The noise in my household should include such talking.

This decree is so important to ourselves and our families that Deuteronomy 11:16-21 not only tells us to fix His words in our hearts and minds, but goes one step further.

"Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. The the LORD's anger will burn against you, and He will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."

We are to teach them to our children, talking about them when we sit at home, when we walk along the road, when we lie down, and when we get up. That means that the talking noise in my house or in the presence of anyone who belongs to my household had better center around the Lord I claim to love!!

Corrie Ten Boom spoke of her family having scripture in their shoes as a reminder during severe persecution that they were standing on the foundation of the LORD. They knew how precious God's Word was, and since they could not speak of it aloud, they found a way to honor, remember, and respect its power and significance.

My household's conversations are not being threatened or stopped by persecutors. We have absolutely no excuse not to focus our talking and teachings where they belong.

Next time you pause to listen to the noises in your house, critique the conversations. Evaluate your own ... at home ... walking along the road ... when you lie down ... and when you get up!

Dear LORD,

Thank you for giving us your written Word to tell us what you have accomplished in the past according to your will and your purpose. Bring it to my attention all of the times that my words and conversations are not pleasing to you. If you are not the primary focus of my noisy chatter or my quiet meditations, make that abundantly clear to me. I do not want to disobey you or dishonor you. Thank you for all that you have done for my forefathers. Thank you for all that you have done for me. Thank you for all you are planning to do for me and my children and my children's children. Amen!!