Are You a Hebrew?
Who's a Hebrew?
The word "Hebrew" is very significant both in the history of western civilization and for Jewish and Christian religions. The Jewish Encyclopedia (vol. 6, pp. 304-5) states concerning the derivation and meaning of the name "Hebrew", "‘Ibri is a gentilic noun, formed by adding the suffix "I"" to the word "eber". The latter...meaning "beyond" or "across".... This preposition...is used to designate the region across or beyond the sea or a river, but especially beyond the Jordan." (p. 305)
The Jewish Encyclopedia also notes that: "An early Israelite tradition interpreted the word "Hebrew" as meaning the people whose ancestors had dwelt in the land beyond the River Euphrates". (p. 305) The Mercer Dictionary of the Bible supports this view, stating that "It seems likely that the name [Hebrew] is derived from the root ‘avar, meaning to pass beyond, over, or through." (p.363)
The First Hebrew
In the Jewish sacred writings Abraham was the first person to be designated "a Hebrew" (Gen. 14:13). Abraham crossed over the river Euphrates to come out of the land of his birth, ancient Iraq, into the land of Canaan, present day Israel (Josh. 24:2-3). Hence, Abraham lived up to his name. He was a real "Hebrew", one who crossed the river. When Abraham crossed the river it was not just a physical crossing. He left his culture, background, religion, and traditions to enter into a new realm, a life with God and for God.
What Makes One a Hebrew?
Arabs and Jews both claim to be descendants of Abraham. Christians claim to be his spiritual descendants. But how many know what it means to be a Hebrew? You may be any one of these but not be a Hebrew. Abraham had a personal, direct experience of God. It was this experience that made him a Hebrew. It caused him to come out of his land and background to live a life that no one in his family or culture had lived before. God was real, living, and present to him.
Are You a Hebrew?
What about you? Have you ever had an experience where God was so real and living to you that He lead you out of the established pattern of your life? If you have never had such an experience then you are not a Hebrew. Personal, direct experiences with God produce real Hebrews, not race or religion.
Two thousand years ago the Lord Jesus called a number of ordinary people from Galilee. They hardly knew who He was yet they left everything to follow Him. How different they were from the vast numbers of people who just follow along with whatever they were born into or comfortable with. The first disciples became the real followers of Abraham because they had a similar life-changing experience with God and began to follow Him. Outwardly they were following the man, Jesus, but Jesus was not an ordinary man. He was a God-man. God Himself became a man to live among men, save men, and eventually to enter into men as the Spirit to make them the same as He is. Today if you want to experience God, you need to receive Jesus as your Savior and life.
Living the Life of a Hebrew
Perhaps you have already met God. If so you can rightly claim to be a Hebrew. But let me ask you, are you living the life of a Hebrew? Even as a Christian there are many things that God wants to bring us out of. The believers at the beginning of the book of Acts were experiencing and enjoying God in a wonderful way. They were really changed by God's dynamic salvation. Yet 30 years later they still had not fully come out of their background. The epistle to the Hebrews was written to encourage the wavering Hebrew believers to come out of their old religion and to cross over to the full enjoyment of Christ in the church life.
Crossing the Flood
There are four crossings at the beginning of the Bible that are very meaningful for our life today. Noah lived in a society that was full of the lusts of the flesh (Gen. 6:5, 11-12). This offended God to the point where He repented that He had made man (Gen. 6:6-7). God commanded Noah to build an ark (Gen. 6:14) and to enter into it (Gen.7:1). In that ark Noah passed through the flood and crossed over to the other side.
Entering into Christ
The ark is a picture of Christ. When we enter into Christ we are rescued out of our flesh and cross over into our spirit. Is your temper bothering you? Don't try to conquer it. Simply call to the Lord, "Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus!" You cannot remain in your flesh when you call with your heart and voice to the Lord (1 Cor. 12:3). You will cross over into the spirit.
Crossing the Euphrates
Abraham lived in a region full of idols. In their primitive superstition the people of that age thought that the idols could give them fame, fortune, pleasure, victory, protection, etc. The real idols were the things they were seeking, not the images they thought could give them what they wanted. Modern man considers their superstitions foolish even as he pursues exactly the same things. All these things are vanity. But even many believers seek after these things more than they seek God. So what happened to Abraham that he turned from all these things to God? God appeared to him (Acts 7:2; Gen. 12:7). God's appearing was a marvelous attraction to Abraham and caused him to forsake the land of his birth to follow God.
Seeking the Lord's Appearing
You shouldn't be content to know the Lord according to outward teaching and doctrine. Seek His appearing. If you seek the Lord in His Word with a pure heart then He will reveal Himself to you in spirit. The more you see the Lord the more you will be attracted by Him. This is a deeper experience than entering into the spirit to be rescued from the flesh. When God appears to you the direction of your life is changed. Other things lose their appeal when compared with the matchless beauty and worth of God in Christ.
Crossing the Red Sea
Later the children of Israel went down to Egypt and became slaves there. Eventually God came to judge Egypt. The Hebrews, however, were spared through the atonement of the blood of the Passover lamb. Then they escaped by following the pillar of cloud and fire across the Red Sea (Exo. 13:21-22). Egypt is a type of the world, the lamb a type of Christ, and the pillar a type of the Spirit. The children of Israel had a much more definite experience of the Lord's leading than Abraham. Whenever the cloud moved, they moved. Whenever the cloud remained, they rested (Num. 9:15-23).
Serving the Lord in the Wilderness
This shows that when we follow the Spirit we will cross over out of the world. If we are willing to be restricted by the Spirit He will rescue us from the world with its slavery. In such a walk the Hebrews were able to raise up the tabernacle with the ark as God's testimony. They enjoyed Christ as their spiritual food and as their spiritual drink (1 Cor. 10:1-4). God took care of their every need (Deut. 8:3-4).
Crossing the Jordan
But even a walk following the Spirit is not the fullness of the rest that God would bring us into (Heb. 3:8-11). In the wilderness the children of Israel murmured (Exo. 15:24; 16:2; Num. 14:2) and provoked the Lord (Num. 14:11). They were offended with Moses (Num. 12:1; 16:3, 41) and eventually even Moses was offended with them (Num. 20:10). The problem was that they had not come out of themselves. They needed to cross another river.
Life in the Good Land
When the Hebrews crossed the Jordan they took twelve stones and set them up in the river (Josh. 4:9) and took twelve other stones out of the river to the other side (josh4:8Josh. 4:8). This signifies that their old man, their self, was buried in the river and that a new man came out of the river. The cross to the self is the final river that we need to traverse. When we allow the Lord to crucify our self we enter into a realm where we can defeat the enemy and possess the earth for the Lord. Here Christ is not merely a miraculous gift from heaven to us, rather we labor on Christ as our good land. Through our labor and the growth which God gives (1 Cor. 3:6) we gain a rich supply for ourselves and for others. In this labor together with God (1 Cor. 3:9) both we and God are fully satisfied.
Living the Life of a Hebrew
In these stories we can see four rivers for us to cross: cross out of the flesh by entering into Christ in spirit, cross out of the region of idols by enjoying the Lord's appearing, cross out of the world by walking according to the Spirit, and cross out of the self by applying the cross of Christ to the self. These are not once for all experiences. Whenever we find ourselves in the wrong realm we need to cross over.
Thus being a Hebrew is not just a name. A Hebrew has a living in which God is so real, living, and practical. Without fresh experiences of God's salvation, appearing, leading, and dealing there is no way to live the life of a Hebrew. Many of God's seekers have lived such a life. He is calling you to seek Him also (Heb. 11:6).