Daily Word: Meditating on the Hebrew Alphabet (Alef)

Yesterday, we read that Yeshua went to the mountains alone to pray. We discussed the difference between saying ritual prayers and contemplative prayer. The latter focuses on meditating on some aspect of the Word of God. This is the opposite of Eastern religions that seek to empty oneself; instead, in this type of prayer you are filling yourself with something sacred. We are going to spend a few days considering the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. My 10 year came out of a Sunday School class and told me that speaking in tongues was Elohim's language. She knew that didn't sound right. I told her Hebrew was ADONAI's language and He created it to communicate to His chosen people. Let us get to know His alphabet.

The first letter is Alef. It has no sound. It is the breath you make when you begin to make every sound. It is the letter beginning the first of G-d's names, Elohim. It also is the beginning of a word that sets our G-d apart from others; He is One, i.e. Echad. The name of the first man begins with Aleph, i.e. Adam. It also begins the name of the first Jew, the father of our faith: Abraham. It is no accident that all these words begin with Aleph. The most basic words begin with the most elementary sound; the almost sound before you make any sound.

Today, go before Elohim and consider the words that begin with Aleph: Elohim, Echad, Adam, and Abraham. Remember that Elohim means mighty one. He is One. He is all powerful. Remember the error of Adam and commit to follow Yeshua, the second Adam, not the first. Finally, remember the faith of Abraham, who left the security of his family to follow a G-d he had just heard. As you consider these things, your prayer life will be embarking on a wonderful journey.