Lost in Translation: Introducing Al [Understanding God (Part 3)] (Exodus 32:1-8; 1 Kings 12:25-33; Isaiah 9:4; Matthew 11:28-30)

GOD

The Hebrew word transliterated as (El) [El Shaddai; El Elyon], is generally translated as "power"; "might"; or "strength", and also has the meaning of "one who holds authority over others". The word comes from two pictographic letters, the one being the picture of the head of an ox or bull, and the other being the picture of a shepherds staff, with the hook at the end. The word is commonly used in the scriptures, for God, or any god.

AL

The ox represents strength, being the strongest of all the agricultural animals and the means of livelihood for the Ancient Near Eastern people, as the ox was used to plow up the ground to make planting possible for these agricultural societies. The pictograph of the ox head, though originally silent in Hebrew, developed the "a" sound. In fact, the Hebrew letter became the modern aleph, or the Greek alpha.

OX [BULL] HEAD

The picture of the ox head alone, represented "God" or "gods" as one of power and strength, who ruled over others. Almost without exception the Ancient Near Eastern cultures recognized the picture of the ox, or the symbol of the bull, as THE God, over all other gods. The Egyptians called Him "Apis"; to the Sumerians He was "Adad"; and to the Canaanites, as with the Hebrews, He was "Al", commonly pronounced as "El". The Hebraic meaning of "Al", was "powerful leader", or, "the Mighty One".

Though not as common as the depiction of God, anything representing power or strength, was referred to as "El":

"...I [Laban] have the power to harm you..." (Gen.31:29)

"...when he rises up, the mighty are terrified..." (Job 41:25)

"...the mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches..." (Ps.80:10)

"...Your righteousness in like the mighty mountains..." (Ps.36:6)

BULL GOD

 The historical landscape is strewn with imagery of the "bull" God, in carvings and statues. When Israel, in rebellion against God, in waiting for Moses to come down off the mountain, chose a depiction of the God who brought them up out of Egypt, it was a golden calf, or bull that they fashioned (Ex.32:1-8); and Jeroboam, in his apostate condition, again fashioned a familiar symbol in the form of two calves to worship, instead of the one true God (1 Kgs.12:25-33).

RULER / LEADER

The ox, or bull, as the strongest of the agricultural animals, was the symbol of the ruler, or leader over all. The picture of the ox head, diagramed, eventually developed into the symbol best represented by the English upper case "V", with a horizontal line across the "V", 3/4 of the way up the symbol. This depiction was later inverted and adopted by the Greeks and Romans, and eventually came into the English alphabet as the upper case "A". When the capital "A" is written, it is literally, the depiction of the bull or ox pictograph, inverted, that has survived in our modern language, from its historic roots. The pronunciation of "Al", is the origin of our English word "All", meaning that God is "All", He is everything. Similarly, the Hebrew letter, over time, became the origin of our number "1", the faint stem at the top being a faded remembrance of the "ox" depiction, recessed and forgotten from its origins, but as with our English word representing Him as "All", so the numerical value represents Him as the beginning; the first in pre-eminence; the origin; the source; the author and starting of all things.

LAM (SHEPHERD'S STAFF)

Even though the first pictographic letter represents "God", there is a second pictograph that forms the Hebrew word, and which is not at all represented in the English translation. The second letter is Lam, drawn as the shepherds staff, with the hook at the end, but inverted, so that the "hook" is at the bottom of the staff. This letter, over time, was reversed, and is the origin of our modern letter "L". [The modern Hebrew word "lamed", means staff]. The shepherds staff was used to direct the sheep, by pushing or pulling them, but it was also used as a weapon against predators. The Hebrew letter also means "toward", as in pulling the sheep "toward" a specific direction.

ALL AUTHORITY

 While the ox represented 'power' or 'might', the staff is representative of 'authority', or 'right to rule'. In fact, a very literal translation of the Hebrew word, is not "God", but "strong authority"; "powerful authority"; or, "the Mighty One, Strong One, of authority", specifically representing "God", as the One of all power and all authority. [The symbols of the ox and shepherds staff, were common representations, in ancient culture, of strength; leadership; and authority].

COVENANT

 Not only is the staff a symbol of authority, as well as the shepherd imagery of guidance; protection; and security, but the staff is also representative of the yoke, as depicted in Isaiah 9:4: "...You have broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder...". The "yoke" is understood as a "staff on the shoulders", to harness the power of the ox for pulling heavy loads, such as the wagon or plow. In this imagery, also comes the meaning of "tie"; to "bind"; or "to be bound to" something, or someone as in a covenant. [A treaty, or a covenant, is the yoking together of two parties through an oath; and, in the Ancient Near East, through the shedding of blood, in a covenant sacrifice. The oath included blessings for keeping the covenant, and curses for breaking the covenant (Deut.28)].

OX in the YOKE

God is seen as the older ox, who is yoked to His people in a covenant relationship.

The symbolism of the two pictographic letters are joined together, so that the representation is that of "the ox in the yoke". In the agricultural society, a more mature, experienced ox, would be yoked, together with a younger; immature; less experienced ox, to teach the younger how to plow; to pull; to bear the burden; and to be productive; to be useful; and to pull, or move in the right direction. The older, more experienced ox, is the chief, the leader, the "strong authority", who, through the yoke, teaches, or leads, the younger, in the right direction. [Within a clan or tribe, the father, or elder, was seen as the leader or teacher, "yoked" with his people.].

COVENANT with GOD

 This is the imagery of Matthew 11:28 - 30, where Jesus encourages us to let Him carry the brunt of the labor and heavy burden, as we are yoked up with Him, and we will find rest, as He does the pulling, because when we are yoked with Him, it will be easy, and the burden light. This strong imagery is not just that of being yoked with God, but very emphatically, what is meant is to be in covenant with God, so that, the all powerful One, possessing all power, and all authority, is our committed partner, giving us access to all power, and all authority, as we move in the direction that He leads us, or pulls us toward, as the stronger, more mature "ox", that we are yoked up with. [It is truly amazing that such a significant aspect of the Hebrew word is totally lost in translation, and we end up with the feeble, generic rendering of "God", instead of the potent, powerful, pregnant, and multifaceted, visual rendering of the original text].

ANCIENT SOCIETY

In many ancient and historical societies, the leaders would wear the horns of a bull on their head, a visual representation of their power, and they would carry a staff, a symbol of their authority, and right to rule. This imagery and symbolism has been sustained in many countries that have a monarch, where the crown [representing the tips of the horns of the ox, the ancient sign depicting power, and strength] and the scepter [representative of the shepherd's staff, the ancient sign of authority, or, right to rule], are still seen today. In fact, the English word "crown", is derived from the Hebrew word (qeren), meaning "horn".

COVENANT RELATIONSHIP

If we can understand this depiction, then we can begin to grasp the significance and implication of the Hebrew word [Al Lam (the first "L" being silent in Al, and the "am" being silent in Lam, to form "AL")], translated into the English as "God". Whenever we are referring to the Lord being our "God", as Jacob did (Gen.28:20-22), we are speaking of the One that we are yoked up with; in covenant with.....having all power (AL), and all authority (Lam) [the right to rule]...who, because we are yoked with Him, we have access to, and are given, all power, and all authority, the right to rule, with unlimited access to all that He is, and all that He has, as long as we stay in our covenant relationship with Him, moving in the direction that He is pulling us toward.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours