I recently discovered that Hebrew letters were first depicted with symbols and that each symbol represented a meaning. I found this utterly intriguing. I honestly do not know why someone did not show this to me sooner! I feel like I have years of learning that would have been filled with countless “ah-ha” moments if I had only known sooner. I love the fact that the Hebrew language started with the oral and pictorial language. I feel this supports why we prefer stories and pictures to help us engage in learning! So, I have set about on a journey taking a specific word that I would like to know more about the original meaning and action that was expected in that time for a Hebrew. I have had so much fun spending time picking a word and looking it up! I KNOW! I AM A TOTAL GEEK! This makes me want to belt out singing, “That’s okay, my God loves me anyway!” But, I digress.
So, I am to lead the section for our staff on submission based on Spiritual Disciplines by Richard Foster. I read the chapter a few weeks ago. The only thing I can pull up since is that a spiritual discipline is meant to give me freedom. But, when I think about submission and all I have been taught, told, and demanded to live by freedom is the last word I would choose to describe submission or submit. Now, do not get me wrong! I am not one of those females that is going around demanding my way. I get it! I am to die to myself as a follower of Christ (Matthew 16:24). I know this and as hard as it is at times, I seek to live by it. I know that in our marriage which I believe is a good one for the most part. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I have tried to take authority and he has totally surrendered it at times. We both have messed up. But, what I do know is that when both of us are willfully and lovingly submitting to God, we get it right and it feels so good to submit because who doesn’t want to submit to someone that is walking in righteousness (Ephesians 5:21). It is beautiful, compelling, and well quite honestly, joyful.
This morning I decided that I should go and look up submit or submission in Hebrew in the original pictograph form to see what it meant and as is the case any time I seek to learn more our GOD has a way of surprising me and blessing me. If you do a basic Google search on submit you have to work pretty hard to get past “wives submit” to try to find someone that is actually teaching from the original context. So, I just jumped to the original Greek (5293) word “Hypotasso” because this is the word that everyone quotes from Ephesians 5:22. As I was scanning a whole host of dictionaries, etc. I wrote down the word SUBMISSION. I realized SUB… MISSION. Okay, wait! How cool is that! Look there is a “sub” “mission” in submission. Hold on! You will get it in a moment. “Hypo” means to be under or to place and “tasso” means arrange. Stant Litore spelled it out so beautifully. Litore pointed out that submit is a military term and that we cannot forget the context of where this section is placed.[1] To submit to one another in Ephesians 5:21 follows the passages about waking up because the days are evil and our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (Ephesians 5:14-20). Litore then reminded the reader that it comes before we are told to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). We cannot forget that this is a military term couched in a military position in the context that Paul wrote it. Okay, wait! That does not sound very weak to me! You need to know the lioness was rising in me with great interest. In fact, you might just hear me roar! Litore pointed out that in fact if we truly are submitting to one another then we will set ourselves up to support our spouse as we fight against the enemy. Hhhhmmm. But, wait! There is more!
I kept searching because I needed to know. How is that I have been taught so much for so long about submission and no one told me that I should be in a military stance as a protector of my spouse? Y’all! That is seriously messed up! If I can protect my Greg and my children from harm I am so there! Envision yourself standing firm against the enemy or anything that should rise up against your spouse. Envision coming alongside your spouse and fighting against anything that might seek to harm them. Wait… this sure sounds like the Holy Spirit to me! A long time ago, I learned a really long word and was so profoundly impacted by it that I memorized it, internalized it, and assimiliated it into my life and teaching. The word is sunantilambanomai. It is the Greek (4878) Word for help. It is used to describe the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit comes alongside us, together with us, and with whatever is against us to assist us. As a woman being called the “helper” I owned that and made it my definition. Today, I just found it supported in the Greek for submission. BUT WAIT! There is more!
My “Sub” “Mission” in Hebrew in the pictograph even supports this! WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN TAUGHT THIS! The Hebrew spelling for submission is “Shin”, “Lamed”, “Chet”. I posted a drawing of the letters and pictograph at the very beginning of this post. So, with each pictograph letter there is a definition that is used. Shin is defined as “teeth, press/destroy, or separate.”[2] Lamed is defined as “shepherd, staff/teach, or to/from.[3] And Chet is defined as “wall, fence, or separation.”[4] I have not taken Hebrew. I have always been afraid to study it because I have it in my head that I am not good with languages, but I am beginning to think that I could learn Hebrew by using the pictographs. If I may make a stumble at a definition based on the meanings intended from those images. Submission or to submit is to press in or destroy as a shepherd or teacher the wall, fence or separation that is at work. Now, think on that for a moment. What if as a spouse I took this as my mandate? As I love and serve my Greg, I am to press in or destroy as a shepherd or teacher anything that provides a wall or separation for him. But, then I asked, “What is the wall separating him from? Is it me? Is it God?” BUT WAIT! There is more!
As I was scrolling, I noticed that there were numerous references to the word “davar” as a part of the root of submission! Holy WHAT?!!!! WOW! Oh my goodness! What for it! “davar” is the Hebrew word for “WORD!” Essentially, the implication is that if I am “DAVAR” then I am submitted to God’s plan or under God’s plan. It means that I am willing to speak, write, illustrate, or experience the WORD of GOD and do likewise with those around me. So, if I am “davar” then I am seeking to live my life in obedience to the Word of God fighting against any principality that sets itself up against God’s plan. Drop the holy mic, y’all! Seriously, I can honestly say, “I love submission!” Do you understand that to live in obedience brings blessing? Thereby, if I take the time to arrange myself for the battle to stand up against anything that will hinder my Greg’s walk with the LORD then I will be blessed. So, does that change your view of submission? It sure does for me!
All-day I have been pondering my newfound old/new truth! I realize that so many times in our marriage, I have been been the one set up against Greg as the enemy. UGH! Seriously, that is not okay! And there have been times that Greg has been set up as the enemy against me. That is messed up as well. We are married to one another to be mutually serving each other so that we can stand against the enemy of God and then in turn GOD willing do so for others as well. We actually rob ourselves of the blessing when we do not submit to one another. I want to live in blessing. I love submission. Don’t you!
