I’m sure everyone has had time to think about the question that I asked in class today. So, to complete our conversation … Please read the following and we will continue the discussion next week!
God Bless,
ZAKAR means to remember, or to bring something back to remembrance.
Lets take a look at the first 5 times we find the use of the Word Dakar in scripture, expressing the meaning/concept of “to remember.”
“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;” Genesis 8:1
“And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” Genesis 9:15
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” Genesis 9:16
“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.” Genesis 19:29
“And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.” Genesis 30:22
We could go further however, by just looking at the first five appearances of Dakar in scripture, you can easily identify a pattern.
Forever vigilant, GOD keeps Himself in Remembrance of His Covenant with man.
Leviticus 26:42, 5th to the last time GOD uses Dakar in scripture, He says, “Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.”
Emphasis remains on the covenant , GOD’s covenant with man, man’s covenant with GOD, GOD’s covenant with the land, etc….
Clearly, The LORD is Covenant-Minded.
GOD’s Covenant with YOU is important to GOD.
In Genesis 40:14 Joseph ask the Cupbearer to “remember him” to Pharaoh. He says he will consider this an act of kindness an by doing so it will be well with the Cupbearer. Of course, we remember, that the Cupbearer did not remember Joseph to Pharaoh. But today, we have another focus….
Let’s look at a few other occurrences and sequences in the use of zakar.
- Genesis 41:9 – The Chief Butler remembers…
- Genesis 42:9 – Joseph remembers…
- Exodus13:3, GOD commands the people to remember
- Exodus20:8, “Remember the Sabbath…”
- Exodus 20:24, I cause my Name to be Remembered…
- Exodus 32:13, Moses asks GOD to remember…
…and on and on, GOD ask us to remember Him, the covenant, the land, His People. We expect GOD to remember us, His Covenant, the land and His People.
Now let’s look at the 1st time zakar is used in reference to man…
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male (zakar) and female (nuh-kay-vah) created he them. Genesis 1:27
Important Observation: GOD does not call man eesh or ah-dahm. He also doesn’t call woman, eesh-shah. In this verse, both male and female are being addressed in a totally different manner for the 1st time!
The male is being called to remember. Before the sin of the Garden, before disobedience, before being barred from the Garden, before He is ever created… while man is only a thought away from creation, GOD speaks into his pre-existent state, before he is blessed and given dominion over all the earth… GOD calls him to remember.
GOD is calling those things that be not (male and female), as though they were. The spirit of man is spoken into existence before the body is ever formed.
He calls man zakar.
Did you notice the vowel change?
At one time, the vowels patch and gamut had different sounds. The gamatz is considered a Long vowel and gamut is considered a short vowel. However, they still sound the same. The both represent the “ah” sound in Hebrew.
What this shows us is that there is no distinguishable difference in the sound of the word. To the ear, they are the same.
To be “male” is to remember.
Man is made to remember GOD.
So God created (the) man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male (zakar) and female (nuh-kay-vah) created he them. Genesis 1:27
Also, just know, there’s a letter hei before ah-dahm. Remember, the hei is the direct article in Hebrew, which identifies specificity.
SIDE NOTE: GOD is creating “ha’ ah-dahm” for a specific purpose. He is not just “a” man, OR any man. HUMAN BEINGS are being created with destiny in mind, with purpose in mind, “…created He them… zakar and nuh-kay-vah.”
The Book of Deuteronomy is equivalent to the War Scroll in the Torah. This is the Book that teaches you how to wage war with the enemy. Before Moses is caught up to be with the LORD, he takes the time to “remind” all the Children of Israel how to wage war with the enemy. In Chapter 8, this is what he says….
When Yeshua took His Ministry, He wage war with ha’satan in the moutain tops with the Word from the Book of Deuteronomy. Before Joshua was commissioned to succeed Moses, Moses focus Joshua and all the tribes with the messages in the Book of Deuteronomy.
If I had more time, I would saturate this message board with scriptures connecting the dots between remembering GOD and being victorious in all your endeavors. But, you are well able to make these connections for yourselves, right?
Observation: King David is still lifting up the Name of the LORD, thousands of years AFTER his death. David kept his word to GOD to proclaim GODs Name throughout the generations. Amen.
The disciples took this Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth because they met the call to remember, and they moved out in power above all the power……
…and the Word that they preached is still speaking in the atmosphere through His Disicples today. Amen.
Man was CREATED to Remember GOD…
…and to bring Him back to the remembrance of mankind. Amen.
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