Back to the Beginning...B'reishit, Also Known as Genesis

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“B'reishit bara Elohim et Hashamayim v’et ha’aretz...” 

In the beginning God created the Heavens (the waters above) and the earth (the land)…

 A majestic summary of the story of Creation: God is the beginning, nay, the Cause of all things.

“Created,” Hebrew, bara–this term is used uniquely for the Divine. God alone can CREATE something from nothing. Man makes or forms from substance already in existence. To God alone is ascribed the ability to “bara” –to create substance.

“Let there be light.” A sublimely simple phrase to express a sublime fact. THIS LIGHT IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT RADIATED LATER FROM THE SUN, FOR IT DISPERSES THE DARKNESS THAT ENSHROUDED THE DEEP. The old question, where did the light issue before the sun was made, is answered by the nebular theory! The great astronomer Halley wrote: “These nebulae reply fully to the difficulty which has been raised against the Mosaic description of creation, in asserting that light could not be generated without the sun.”

“…that it was good.” In the very beginning we find the Creator’s definition of what “good” is: IT FULFILLS THE WILL OF THE CREATOR. Simple? “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was GOOD…” –Gen. 1:3-4

“And God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fruitful and multiply…’” –Gen. 1:22
“And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image…and let them have dominion over…all the earth, and over every creeping thing.’ And God created man in His own image…male and female created He them. And God blessed them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply…and subdue the earth and have dominion over it…’” –Gen. 1:26-28

No blessing was bestowed upon vegetation or land, only upon living things. The living creatures were blessed, as were man who were made in God’s own image and given dominion over all. (The subservience of man to the [mother] earth and the “green” movement is little more than rebellion to God’s crowning glory of creation and express order of dominion.

“And on the seventh day God finished His work…and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it…” –Gen. 2:2

The Hebrew word here literally translates to DESISTED from creating rather than rested from creating. God deliberately stopped His own labors…and then blessed this island of deliberate ceasing from labors for US, who are made in His image!

Note: Many references/commentary from the Soncino Press Pentateuch and Haftarahs, Dr. J.H. Hertz, 1938

To Take the LORD's Name in Vain

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"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” —Exodus 20:7

Often, until we examine Scripture in the light of the original Hebrew, we miss the richness and full meaning of the text.

Even the non-religious are familiar with the Ten Commandments and can likely quote the above reference from Exodus by heart. Most of us have a general idea as to the meaning of the commandment. Many would say it refers to swearing or profanity using “God” or “Jesus” in the epithet. Others may postulate a deeper application—not even speaking of the Divine or handling written materials containing the sacred Name casually.

While these may ultimately be embodied in the commandment, the original Hebrew reveals a more sublime inference.

The Hebrew word translated as “take” in this portion of text is “nasa.” Strong’s Concordance H5375 primarily defines nasa to mean: to lift, bear up, carry, and finally take. However, the preponderance of usage of nasa shows it to be used primarily as “lift up,” and sometimes “carry,” and then to “bear.” Some examples follow below.

In this context, we find the commandment instructing us not to LIFT UP the name of the LORD in vain. What does “vain” mean? Strong’s H7723 reveals the Hebrew word for vain is “shav,” meaning: emptiness, vanity, falsehood, emptiness of speech, lying, worthlessness (of conduct).

Therefore, we now understand through the Hebrew that we are not to lift up or carry the Name of the LORD falsely, in improper manner, or with empty/lying speech. We who bear His Name, must be circumspect as we carry the sacred Name before all men—do we bring reproach or praise to Him?

TAKE Strong’s H5375 Hebrew: nasa' נשא
1) to lift, bear up, carry, take

Gen 21:18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand

Gen 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw

Gen 22:13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked

Gen 24:64 Then Rebekah lifted her eyes

Gen 29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.

Gen 31:12 And He said, 'Lift your eyes now and see

Psa 10:12 Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand!

Psa 24:7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.

Psa 119:48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Isa 40:11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry [them] in His bosom, [And] gently lead those who are with young.

Isa 41:16 You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away

Isa 46:7 They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it And set it in its place,

Isa 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs

Hebrew is a Sign of Prophecy

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Hebrew is a Modern Day Miracle!

With the amazing REBIRTH of the STATE of ISRAEL, the divine time-clock of Prophecy sprang to life, and with each decade moves ever closer to the fulfillment of God’s redemptive process for mankind. “Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”
—Isaiah 66:8

The Language of the Kingdom—A Pure Language
One of the miracles of restoration was the REBIRTH of the DEAD LANGUAGE of HEBREW, foretold by a Prophet, and spearheaded by a visionary (Eliezer ben-Yehudah), it served to unify the return of the exiles, restoring their pure, God-given language—the language of the Scriptures.

“For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent." —Zephaniah 3:9