Sermon Tone Analysis

ABCs of Praise Part 5: The Final Word

In Numbers 6:24-26, we see the Priestly Blessing.

In ancient times, the priests recited the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohahim) twice each day while standing on a special platform known as a duchan.

In some synagogues today, the recitation of the blessing is informally known as “duchaning.”

It is also referred to as the Aaronic Blessing referring to Aaron, the first Levitical Priest appointed by Adonai.

When giving this blessing from God, the Priest (Kohen כֹהֶן), with each hand, would form a shin שׁ, the twenty first letter of the Hebrew Alef-Bet.

It has a numerical value of three hundred.

Although its gematria is unclear in Scripture, it is connected to some significant hero’s of the faith and acts of God in their lives.

One is found in Judges 15:1-5, where Samson uses three hundred foxes to destroy the Philistine harvest.

Enoch, representing the seventh generation of patriarchs, was 65 years old at the birth of his firstborn son Methuselah (Genesis 5:21).

Scripture states he walked with God another three hundred years after this event until he was taken.

In Genesis, and the story of Joseph, we see his brother Benjamin is given three hundred pieces of silver.

Of course, there are the three hundred men of Gideon who conquer the Midianites.

And in Mark 14:3-7 the disciples complain that the desperate woman’s ointment poured out on Jesus’ feet could have instead been sold for over three hundred silver coins.

The shin is the first letter of the word “peace” (shalom שָׁלוֹם) and the word Shaddai שַׁדַּי meaning My God, the Almighty; there is no one or no thing mightier than He.

So, what does this reveal to us about this twenty-first letter strategically placed in Psalms 119:161-168?

The Psalmist exclaims, that even in persecution his heart is in awe and overwhelmed by God.

Rejoicing in the words of God he finds great victory and abundance.

It causes him to hate what God hates; that which is contrary to God’s truth, but to love God’s Law (Torah).

Seven times a day, or continuously with his life will he praise the Lord.

God’s righteousness rules over him.

Great peace does he find in the ways of the Lord and nothing is impossible for God! God’s way is his sure foundation.

God is his peace, his strength, his hope and my salvation.

When you raise your hands in worship you form a shin.

There are three shins in a menorah or the lampstand that stood in the Holy Place giving light of the communion and mercies of God.

The letter shin ש follows Qof ק and Resh ר.

But if it’s order is reversed, or out of order, it spells sheker שֶׁקֶר meaning a lie or falsehood.

When we depart from the natural order of God’s supernatural authority we follow a crooked path.

“Opposite the word שֶׁקֶר (sheker) “falsehood” is the word אֱמֶת (emet) “truth”.

The letters א-מ-ת (Aleph-Mem-Tav) are completely separate from each other; in fact they are the beginning, middle, and end of the Alef-Bet” (The Letter Shin (ש) - Hebrew Today; https://hebrewtoday.com/alphabet/the-letter-shin-%D7%A9/; Found 2022).

Which brings us back to Jesus.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life”.

He said, “I am the Alef א and the Tav ח, the beginning and end, the first and the last.”

He is the אח ‘et, as found in the beginning, Genesis 1:1, that which points us to the Father.

“This twenty-first letter takes two forms with differing pronunciation.

It will have a dot on the top right or left.

When the dot is on the right, the shin emphasizes Chessed, the concept of God’s loving-kindness.

When the dot is on the left, the shin (pronounced “sin”) emphasizes the aspect of judgment or severity.

These two forms are illustrated by the words shaar and sei’ar.

The shin of the word shaar (gate) has its point on the right, שׁער,as a gate allows people to pass in and out, an aspect of openness or chessed” (Shin (Sin) - The twenty-first letter of the Hebrew alphabet - Essentials (chabad.org).

Jesus said these words:

The shin ש speaks of the fullness of the Godhead.

The Power of God over all things to include what seemed the most impossible to overcome, and that was the power of sin.

It speaks of the peace of God when we trust Him wholly.

The strength of God’s love for us and the love we are to show one another.

Which bring us to the final letter Tav ח in Psalms 119:169-176.

These verses are drenched with the life and word of Jesus Christ and the power of the cross and His blood shed for you.

No excuse for a life un-surrendered can stand against the backdrop of a crucified Christ.

Un-forgiveness loses it’s reason in the eyes of a crucified redeemer starring into the soul of a sinner.

This ancient form of this letter was a cross used to mark ownership of one’s property.

It was used by the Assyrians and Romans as a mockery to remind Jews they were slaves.

Jesus calls us to be crucified or marked by His blood, His redeeming work and lay our lives down in surrender to His and be no longer slaves to sin.

He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, bear His mark, and follow Him.

Tav is the final letter, as Christ was the final and full sacrifice for our atonement.

He is the last Adam, born, living, dying the sinless life and obedient unto death.

Thus, taking the sting of the grave and robbing death of it’s power to keep us eternally separated from God.

The letter Tav represents תְשׁוּבָה (teshuva) “answer” follows shin ש expressing  שְׁאֵלָה (she’ela) “question”.

The answer always follows a question.

Jesus is your תְּשׁוּעָה (tĕšhûʿâ) salvation, deliverance.

And when you accept Jesus as the answer to all of your questions, the impossible becomes possible.

This is the definition of true faith.

Oh, how we love to have the final word in a conflict or in our negative opinions about the potential of others.

But Jesus is the Tav.

He has the final say of any matter.

When we speak of the impossible we speak a fallacy.

On one hand we put ourselves in the position as the one with the final say.

On the other hand, we reveal our inability to change that which we see as impossible.

But God is both the one who has the final say and the one who is mightier than that which is impossible for us.

God does not transgress natural law because He is not a transgressor.

God does not have to manipulate natural law because He is not a manipulator.

But God has full control over natural law because He is the authority above all.

Genesis 18:14 asks, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”