If you’re ever in serious trouble you grab a phone and call 9-1-1. ☎️

When you’re in spiritual trouble, pick up your Bible and dial God’s 91:1 –

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm‬ ‭91‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We sang this as a song when I was a kid. And verse 2 functioned as the chorus. If you want your kids to learn scripture, set it to music.

I’m not a real Hebrew scholar but from what I can tell, the “shelter” in this verse isn’t merely provided by the Lord. The Lord IS the shelter. It’s the word cether (say-ther) and it means “cover,” as in “Take cover!” And the name for God here isn’t Yahweh. It’s Elyon (which my spell-check keeps trying to change to Elton. But no. God’s name is not Elton).

Elyon means “elevation, lofty, high, higher, highest, upper, uppermost, supreme.” It’s used a lot in the OT and not always as a description of God. It can be anything that’s on top. The highest.

Now pay attention class because this is profound: If something is the highest, there isn’t anything higher.

The Lord is the supreme shelter. The best. The most. The highest. You can’t get a better shelter in any situation.

And the words “dwell” and “abide” are key. You don’t just run to this shelter once the bombs start dropping, and leave when you think the coast is clear. You live there.

I’ve probably mentioned this before but I HATE storms. My dream house is basically a very nice, tornado-proof BUNKER with about 3 feet of earth on top of it. I would not visit the bunker. I would live in it.

(Ha! Take THAT storms.) 🌪️👊🏼🤨

That’s the idea here. You live in the shelter. Which is also called the “shadow” of the Almighty.

The Hebrew for “Almighty” is Shaddai.

hmmm… The Shadow of Shaddai…

That has a fabulous ring to it – like book 3 of an epic fantasy series…

Ever been out in the hot sun with a small child or a pet or just someone you care enough about that you’d gladly take the heat to provide them a bit of shade? That’s the picture here.

Let’s dig into the name Shaddai.

There are actually 3 related Hebrew words we need to look at:

1. Shood [ShD]
2. Shaddad [ShDD]
3. Shaddai [ShDY]

Disclaimer – I’m just trying to figure stuff out. Ok? I do not claim to be a Hebrew expert. Do your own study and make up your own mind.

There are only 3 Hebrew letters involved here. Shin, Dalet, and Yod. (Ancient & Paleo Hebrew are consonants only. Vowel markings were added later) Let’s look at their meanings in Paleo Hebrew cuz there seems to be something interesting happening.

Shin (sheen) is the picture of front teeth. 🦷 It means teeth and the things you do with teeth: chew/bite/destroy. It also means front or facing front or front of face because that’s where your teeth are.

Dalet (doll-et) is the picture of a door frame 🚪 and it means door/gate, entrance. And because doors swing back & forth it also means to move. And because the flap of a tent was a common door it also means low because you have to stoop down to enter.

Yod (yode) is the picture of a hand reaching out like you’re gonna shake hands. 🫱🏽 It means hand and make or do – which is what hands are for. It also means authority because the hand is a symbol of the power or ability to make or do.

Ok. So…

Shood (shode) is Shin + Dalet. 🦷🚪 The teeth (destroyer) are at the door or the destroying teeth are moving. (Nom Nom Nom) It means to ravage, or lay waste. This word appears in Psalm 91 here:

“…nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭91‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Shadad (shaw-dad) [rhymes with bod not bad]. It’s usually translated as “robber.” You can see the Hebrew letters look like front teeth and then 2 door frames. Read from right to left.

Now – when I see the word “burly,” I picture those guys from the Snuggly Duckling Tavern in the Disney movie Tangled.

Shadad is spelled Shin + Dalet + Dalet.

🦷🚪🚪So, the teeth are at the door. And then there’s another door. I mean, if a burly man showed up at my door I’d be headed for the other door too. But honestly, my best guess is that the picture is of the destroyer (teeth) at the door and the door moves. In other words – the destroyer makes the door a door. He busts it down and comes in a takes what he wants. That’s why it’s usually translated as robber or spoiler (and I don’t mean like spoiler alert).

Now it gets REALLY interesting.

Shaddai (Almighty) is Shin + Dalet + Yod.

Teeth + Door + Hand… 🦷🚪🫱🏽

Or- in Hebrew it’s right to left: 🫱🏽🚪🦷

So I’m pacing the floor. Ignoring my dirty dishes. Occasionally stopping to eat a chocolate chip cookie – because cookies always help. And I’m asking the Lord (out loud of course – cuz I’m single and that’s what I do – I walk around my house talking to the Lord out loud while eating chocolate chip cookies. I dare you to judge me.) Anyway – I’m pacing and asking the Lord, “How come the only difference between You and a robber is one door?”

This came to mind-

“So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.” John‬ ‭10‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Almighty IS the Door. And He’s not swinging open to let the teeth in.

But also…

A robber = destroying teeth at the door and then the door opens.

The Almighty = destroying teeth are at the door and then there’s a hand. 🫱🏽🚪🦷

🤔

“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.

For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬, ‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When the destroyer is at the door, there’s a hand. This hand. And it says, Nope.

Hang tight. We’re taking a corner…↩️🏎️

“Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!” Isaiah‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.” Joel‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There is a play on words in both of these passages. Destruction is shode. Almighty is Shaddai. So, the Almighty can be a destroyer too. And on the day when His destroying teeth are at the door, there will be no one to save and no way of escape. There will be no back door.

The way of escape is offered now. The Divine “teeth” are facing front at the door, but instead of forcing it open like a robber, there is a hand. Knocking.

Wait up. Look at that picture again. Do you see the shin (teeth, destroy, face front)? Do you see the dalet (door)? Do you see the yod (hand, make/do, power/authority)?

This is the picture for the word Shaddai: Almighty.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

If a person will move the dalet (door) and swing it open, the teeth will come in. And instead of crushing destruction, the teeth will eat with him instead of “eating” (crushing/destroying) him.

Shooooo! Mercy. Y’all, I had no idea about ANY of that.

🤯🤩🤯🤩🤯🤩🤯🤩🤯🤩🤯🤩🤯

Well, we’ve covered one verse. 😆

I think I’ll stop there though. That’s plenty to chew on. 😏 (see what I did there?)

If you find all the pronouns in Psalm 91 a little confusing (I, you, he, me, you, him…), I recommend giving it a reading in the New Living Translation (NLT).

If you read the whole psalm as if it is in red letters – that’s an interesting take.

Oh! One more Another thing before we move on. God doesn’t have wings or feathers. He’s not a bird. God is Spirit. And Spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones (or feathers). (See John 4:24, Luke 24:39)

This is “zoomorphic metaphor” (if you want the technical term for it). It’s using animal imagery that humans are familiar with to communicate ideas about God. In this case, it’s the picture of a mother bird protecting her little chicks. Here’s an article if you want to dig deeper.

Last thing I promise… Here is what the translators of the KJV would’ve had in mind when they chose the words “shield” and “buckler.”

Only…

Here are some pictures that fit more closely with the Hebrew words. If you like to rabbit trail on things, this would be a fun one.

The Hebrew word translated “buckler” means to surround. Kinda like this maybe.

Actually, a better image of the word is this:

If force fields aren’t your thing, you might prefer this image.

So what is our hedge of thorns and surrounding force field or castle wall?

It’s this: God’s trustworthiness. His stability. His Truth.

Now on to Joshua 1…

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JOSHUA 1

No less than 4 times in this chapter do we read “be strong and courageous!” Three of those are from the Lord Himself Who speaks to Joshua.

I wish we had more detail on that. Did Yahweh speak to Joshua from the Tabernacle? Did Joshua even go into the Tabernacle? Joshua had been on Sinai with Moses when God came down. He may not have been in the glory cloud, but he was (as we might say today) “glory-adjacent.”

The biggest thing I’d want you to know is that the name Joshua = Jesus.

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

If you go into reading the book of Joshua thinking “The book of Jesus” it may turn some lights on. 💡

This book is the story of the conquest. Joshua leads God’s people as they kick out the demonized tribes – people who have chosen to side with the rebel sons of God and their Nephilim offspring. Joshua and the army swoop in to destroy and drive them out of God’s territory as an act of God’s judgment on them for their wickedness.

If that sounds vaguely familiar it’s because the other Joshua (Jesus) is going to swoop in with an army to destroy those who have chosen to side with the rebel sons of God and their Nephilim offspring. He will drive them out of God’s territory (Earth) as an act of God’s judgment on them for their wickedness.

It’s the same story. Revelation 19 is the prophetic fulfillment of the Joshua narrative.

In case you’re wondering what’s in Revelation 19, it’s the part where Jesus (Joshua/Salvation) rides in on a white horse with fiery eyes and flaming sword and obliterates evil off the face of the earth.

Side Note…

In case you didn’t know where the anti-Israel chant (“from the river to the sea Palestine shall be free”) came from, it comes from this:

“From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.” Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

That chant is a big middle finger to what God said. It never ends well for people who defy God. Pray for Israel and for both Jews and Arabs to come to Jesus.

So Joshua assumes command after the death of Moses. The Lord has promised him “I will not leave you or forsake you.” Joshua has been guaranteed victory by Yahweh who will go with them. Joshua gives the camp of Israel a 3-day notice:

Pack up. We’re going in.