Seeing is Believing (Joshua 1:8)

SEEING EYES

WEEDS in the GARDEN

Like 'growing' weeds, it takes absolutely no effort to develop a "weed" garden, and it takes no effort to fail in life; just don't do anything productive. Weeds grow on their own, and the person tending the garden has the constant effort of removing the weeds, once they have planted the good seed, so that the weeds don't choke out what the gardener wants to grow and thrive in the garden. To continue the analogy, not only do weeds need to be exterminated from the garden, but the garden also needs correct amounts of water and sunshine, to develop strong and healthy plants. A thriving, productive garden doesn't happen by accident; it takes consistent effort, but the results are worth the energy expended to produce the desired end product.

JOSHUA 1:8

"This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success."

OBSERVE

This word in the Hebrew is (shamar), or (samar), 8104. This word is a combination of 3 Hebrew letters: SHIN, whose pictograph looks like two front teeth; MEM or MAH, which is where the letter 'M' comes from in English, and is the drawing of 3 points, instead of 2, like the modern 'm', representing waves of the ocean or sea; and RESH, which is the drawing of a head, representing authority. All of these letters can have various meanings, depending on the letters they connect with.

DEFINITION and MEANING

In this case, SHIN represents something sharp; MEM, like the unknown depths of the ocean or sea, represents the 'unknown', or 'chaos'; and RESH maintains the meaning of authority, as the 'head' over all. The original meaning of (shamar), was derived from shepherds caring for their flock, who constructed a fence, or hedge, of long Judean thorn bushes [something sharp], to keep the 'unknown' threats of wolves, or predators, away from the sheep, under the shepherd's [authority] care.

DEVELOPED MEANING

Over time, the meaning evolved to mean guarding, protecting, or watching over someone or something. In addition, in relation to Joshua 1:8, the meaning fundamentally relates to 'seeing', in the sense of the English expression, 'keeping an eye' on something or someone; to watch over. Specifically, you 'see' or understand the scripture through the constant and consistent meditation or mumbling of the scriptures.

JOSHUA 1:8 (LXX)

"...and the book of this law shall not depart out of your mouth, and you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may 'know' how to do all the things that are written in it; then shall you prosper, and make your ways prosperous, and then shall you be wise."

GREEK TRANSLATION

The Greek translation of the verse translates the word in English as "know'', which is the Greek word (suniemi), 4920, from (sún), 4862, meaning 'together' or 'together with', and (híēmi), n.f., 'to send' or 'put'. The primary meaning is 'to bring' or 'set/put together'. Basically, it is putting together the various aspects of scripture as a result of mumbling, murmuring, and going over the Word repeatedly in meditation, until you 'see', spiritually, what the Spirit of God is speaking to you.

QUOTATION

"The comprehending activity of the mind denoted by (suníēmi) entails the assembling of individual facts into an organized whole, as collecting the pieces of a puzzle and putting them together. The mind grasps concepts and sees the proper relationship between them". [Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000)].

MEDITATION = REVELATION

Extending our understanding, basically, meditation brings about, what we would commonly refer to as spiritual revelation. In fact, of the 25 times that the word occurs in the NT, the dominant meaning is spiritual discernment, comprehension, or spiritual insight. Further, Joshua 1:8 clearly implies that when we have this revelation, we will 'do' what the scriptures say—or, to say it another way, we will have the faith to 'do' the Word—and we will be successful in whatever area we have this faith or revelation. This is one of those rare times where we could define Faith, with the colloquial expression, "seeing is believing".

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