Hebel

When you were younger did you ever make soap bubbles while washing your hands? I remember doing this often in school when I should be in class. My friends and I discovered one day while in “class” that you could make bubbles while washing your hands, then we decided to make a game of it. Because when you boys everything, I mean everything is a competition. But we decided to see who could make the biggest bubble. the rules were: you had to have a witness (because who would believe you if you just said you made a big one), and it had to fully leave your hands.

So through this game I learned a few things. One was that it is hard to make a bubble when you don’t have enough soap, and when you make a big one others had to look quickly before it despaired. And I would cheat, I admit to you now. When my friend was about to release a bigger bubble than me. I would reach out and poke it. But as I would let go this huge bubble I would start yelling but it never seemed to fail that it would hit the wall, the mirror, or the sink and just like that wwsssh it was gone. Soap bubbles can be so captivating and fun. I saw many at Jr Camp this year that brightened up when the bubble machine came on. But what is amazing is how a little thing like a bubble can be so captivating and then in a second it’s gone.

It’s an image for the word we are going to talk about tonight. But I’m going to teach you the Hebrew word for it before the English word. The word is He-vel spelled Hebel but the B makes a V sound. There are other things that help us get the idea of this word Hebel. A silky thread of string flowing in the air, a spider's web so thin you can barely see it.

The writer of Ecclesiastes uses this word a lot. In fact he uses it some 29 time all throughout his book. Ecclesiastes is an amazing book of the Bible. He takes us on a journey around the world. He takes the reader to mountain tops, ocean depths, forest floors, he shows us smoke filled back rooms where politicians meet. He shows a fire for cooking in the corner of the kitchen crackling under a stock pot. Here, there and everywhere Solomon looks he sees Hebel.

Ecclesiastes 1:1–5 KJV 1900

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

Everything is Hebel is tells us. With so many English translations of the Bible we can see this word in many different forms. Vanity, viper, pointless, meaningless, but the basic meaning of this word is: blow breathe. Its also a name. We pronounce it Abel but it’s the same Hebrew word.

Genesis 4:1–2 KJV 1900

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Abel or Hebel was the second son born on this earth outside of the garden of Eden. He was here captivating, here for a moment, then blow gone. Murdered by his brother and taken from this world in a flash of rage.

Cain is the Hebrew word to the word acquired. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and berated God’s trust then removed from the garden. Cain was the first born soon after and Eve said with the help of the Lord have acquired a man, and soon Hebel was born. So the opening chapters of the Bible could be summarized like this: Our first parents who’s names mean human and life, had a son called acquired. Separated from God human and life brought forth acquired and what they acquired sole their breathe away and its been Hebel ever sense.

For the Hebrew speaker reading this word from these accounts were so rich with so many meaning. Which may be why it would be difficult to pick just one English word to change it to. The word bring the wonder and weariness of life.

Just look at all the things that Solomon points out in this opening chapter of Ecclesiastes. He says in verse 9, “There is no new thing under the sun.”