Stroking Yehovah’s Faces
‘Childisms’ in the Bible
Yehovah designed The Torah, the first six books of the Bible, for children. Yet many adults have found some of these books difficult. I propose to do a series of articles on the ‘childisms’ of the Torah and Tenach (‘Old Testament’). You may desire to collect these articles, since they will define and describe some very important Hebrew words and expressions.
Beseeching God
What does beseech or entreat (intreat) mean in the Scriptures? Several words are translated beseech or entreat, but one with Strong’s Concordance number 2470 will be considered here. This word means to stroke, to make smooth, and is often combined with faces, making the phrase to stroke the face of. This pictures a child in a parent’s lap making a request while stroking the parent’s face. This childism describes an intimate, special, emotional and close relationship with Yehovah the parent Who is King of the Universe. Consider a few texts in which this flavorful definition is employed:
Exodus 32:11 And Moshe stroked the faces of Yehovah his God, and said, “Yehovah, why does Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people that thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?”
1 Kings 13:6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, “Stroke now the faces of Yehovah thy God and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again.” And the man of God stroked the faces of Yehovah. And the hand of the king returned unto him again, and became as before.
2 Kings 13:4 And Jehoahaz stroked the faces of Yehovah, and Yehovah hearkened unto him. For he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. 5And Yehovah gave Israel a saviour so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians. And the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime. 6And they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam who made Israel sin, but walked therein. And there remained the grove also in Samaria.
In the last case, a non-fearer of Yehovah stroked Yehovah’s faces. One person may use this word toward another person also:
Proverbs 19:6 Many will stroke the faces of the prince. And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
One must humble himself before Yehovah, as a child would:
Matthew 18:2 And Yeshua called a little child unto Him and set him in the midst of them. 3And He said, “Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
The little child that Yeshua called was Jewish, since Yeshua’s ministry was to the Jews:
Matthew 15:24 But He answered and said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
How strange it is that nearly all churches with claims of representing the Bible ignore Israel! One mark of a ‘liberal’ (not fundamentally sound) church is its ignoring Israel and centering on itself. Listen carefully to sermons to see how often Israel is mentioned as central to the plan of God. The Bible mentions it all the time. Any pastor who doesn’t have the central goal of the Salvation of the Jews either hasn’t read the Bible or doesn’t believe it.
Stroking Yehovah’s face is a very wise way to entreat Him and to obtain a benefit or necessity.