...And Thy House…
Acts 16:25-33 (KJV) 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. [1]
“…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house…”
These words, this blessed promise made to a jailer almost two thousand years ago leap off the pages of Scripture and burn within my heart today. For it is here in this promise that all my past sins melt away – it is here that no matter the hurt, no matter the guilt or the shame, no matter what I was or did before – here in this promise life and liberty await. When I was deep in the depth of my sin, when in deepest despair and little hope of reconciliation to my loved ones and my God, when all I could see was the bitterness of loneliness and the darkness of shame – YHVH Elohim spoke to me, just one word:
“…Believe…”
That word, that first word… “…Believe…” What did this mean? Slowly, the realization began to dawn within my fevered soul: it was more than trust, more than faith… It was more than an abstract idea – this was a command sent from the Throne Room of Heaven: a call to obedience. But obedience to whom, or to what?
The answer was to be found in the words of the promise. “Look” came the call… What words came next? “…on the Lord…” The word “Lord” here or in some manuscripts “Adonai” is truthfully a weak translation (or “transliteration”). The Greek word is κύριος [See Stg: <G2962>] kúrios[2], and is defined as: “…gen. kuríou, masc. noun from kúros (n.f.), might, power. Lord, master, owner. Also the NT Gr. equivalent for the OT Hebr. Jehovah. See kuróō <G2964>, to give authority, confirm, which is also from kúros (n.f.).
(I) Generally:
(A) As the possessor, owner, master, e.g., of property (Matt. 20:8; 21:40; Gal. 4:1; Sept.: Ex. 21:28, 29, 34); master or head of a house (Matt. 15:27; Mark 13:35; Sept.: Ex. 22:8); of persons, servants, slaves (Matt. 10:24; 24:45, 46, 48, 50; Acts 16:16, 19; Rom. 14:4; Eph. 6:5, 9; Col. 3:22; 4:1; Sept.: Gen. 24:9f.; Judg. 19:11). Spoken of a husband (1 Pet. 3:6; Sept.: Gen. 18:12). Followed by the gen. of thing and without the art., lord, master of something and having absolute authority over it, e.g., master of the harvest (Matt. 9:38; Luke 10:2); master of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8; Mark 2:28)…”[3]
Notice what I highlighted; In our English Bibles, we have taken liberties with the word of God and substituted “lesser” words where the All Mighty, All Powerful Holy Name of the Living God should be… Another form of this verse reads: “…31 And they said, “Believe on the Master יהושע [author’s note: Hebrew for Yeshua] Messiah, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” John 3:16; John 3:36; John 6:47; 1John 5:10…”[4] So understand what is being said: if we see “Lord”, or “LORD” or “Adonai”, substitute back in what is really being spoken, “Yahoveh”, “Elohim”, “Almighty GOD”, “Master”…. Savior.
“…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”
can also be read now as:
“…Trust and Obey on Yahoveh, Master…”
..Jesus Christ...
..יהושע [ Y’shua] Messiah..
..Yeshua Ha’Machiach...
or
“Obey on Yahoveh, All Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
King of kings, Adonai of lords,
Holy One of Isra’el…
Yeshua Ha’Machiach;
ιησουνG2424 N-ASM χριστονG5547 N-ASM
ιησουν [Iēsous ee-ay-sooce'] χριστον [Christos khris-tos'][5]
Jesus the Anointed
Yeshua the Messiah”
Here in one promise, is the Who, The Why, the Way...
The Who: The One who was slain before the foundation of the world; the One who laid His life down; the One who took away the sins of the world – mine and yours…
The Why: YHVH Tzva’ot [YHVH, God of Hosts]; YHVH Yirah [YHVH our Provider]; YHVH Shalom [YHVH our Peace]; YHVH Tz’kenu [YHVH our Righteousness]; YHVH Ro’i [YHVH my Shepherd]; YHVH Raptha [YHVH that healeth]; YHVH Niss’i [YHVH our Banner]; Yahvey Shammah [Yahoveh is Present];
Tzur Isra’el—"Rock of Isra’el"[6]
He is YHVH Elohim
The self-creating Eternal God
He is the “Why” we are saved…
He is also the Way. He is Machiach, the Messiah.
He is: Beginning of the Creation of God; Good Master; King of Peace; Our Banner; God Manifest in the Flesh; Lion of the Tribe of Judah; Mighty to Save; Savior of the World; Holy One of God; Horn of Salvation; The Man Messiah Yeshua; Messenger of the Covenant; Jesus Christ; Surety of a Better Testament; Yeshua the Righteous; First Fruits; the Righteous Judge;[7]
I AM
Call Him:
Emmanuel
Salvation
Our Righteousness
Our Peace
Our Chastisement
Our Everlasting Father
Wonderful
Counselor
El Gibbor
Call Him:
Yah’ho’shua
Y’shua
Iesous
Jesus
God
Son of God
Son of Man
Lamb of God
But just call Him.
“…Obey (or because He is) Yahvey, Yeshua Ha’Machiach…”
Stop. Ponder this word. Think on it (they are not the same, ponder and think…)
Stop. “thou” …. O bow your head O man, O Woman; O bow your knees…
Stop what you are doing, and give a shout to the heavens for the mercy that is found in that one word:
“…thou…”
You.
“…shall be saved…”
Saved from what though?
Death. Either it would have been by mine/our own hand(s), or by the sin of the world, no matter, it would still be death… It would be separation, darkness, loneliness, guilt, shame, rejection, horror! It would encompass eternal suffering, deep pitiless anguish, tribulation, hopelessness, regret, anger; there would be weeping and wailing, the gnashing of teeth; fire, damnation, and tears! O what fear there would be for all eternity! No God, no Yeshua, No Holy Spirit, no life, save the life of the condemned, reeking in the smell of the death of one's soul and the pain that exists in it.
That’s what we are saved from.
But the question is asked, and then saved to what?
Light, liberty, honor, worship, and praise. Salvation, sanctification, justification, joy. O no more tears or fears, no more suffering or pain, just peace and rest for our souls…
An eternity with God
An eternity with our Messiah
An eternity with the Ruach HaKodesh
Still waters, green pastures
Rest.
“Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I’ll give you rest…”
Another promise from the Eternal One.
Is there more? Yes, for next was spoken the words that my heart steeped in despair needed to hear: “…and thy house…” O how I broke, o how the sobs wrenched from a soul so beset by sin... “thy house”; sons I had abandoned, a wife I had betrayed; a family I had neglected, a mess I had made…
Here, here in this one promise, o forgiven, Precious Savior: You have forgiven me. And with Thy forgiveness a promise if only I would obey and believe – my house would be saved. In your time sweet Savior, in the right season, they will be saved.
...All I love...
Saved.
In the darkest night, there is always hope...
In the blackest shadow, there is a way to escape...
Amid pain and fear, Glory shines through!
In the depths of bitterness, comes the sweet taste of salvation...
In the trouble of the day, there is peace.
O is still my soul, rest in the One who loves you.
O be still my mind, rest in the Goodness of His mercy.
O be glad my heart for the rejoicing in heaven for a sinner redeemed!
For in this promise He has said “O rests my weary children, let Me dry your tears...”
O that which awaits my wife, my children if I but just obey; O what there is that awaits your family if you hear also…
Salvation rests not in ourselves, nor in the actions we take. We strive hard against this life, pushed, and shoved from all sides, from a culture of greed and vice that threatens to suck the very fiber from our souls. We rail against the tide that forever swells, then recedes, only to come roaring back again, crashing against the walls we’ve tried in vain to build to stem its flow. Governments take and take, nations wield a sword against their neighbors, children die before they even become exposed to the day, and no answer seems to be in sight… Hunger and homelessness abound in a nation of plenty; old folks are shunted off to fade away in living graveyards, and the merchants of death laugh all the way to the bank... Just when all seems lost, as the family is torn apart by those who desire to redefine the natural order, fourteen words change everything:
“…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house…”
He has given a promise, and He never lies.
He never abandons
He never hurts you
He will never forsake you
He will always love you
He will always be there
He will heal the broken heart
For my children, and yours, He will be the Father none of us ever could be:
To the lonely, the Friend closer than a brother
To the lost, the way home.
“…Thou…”
“…And Thy House…”
But if we believe, then at the end of it all, you and I brethren, and our house, will stand together on the shore of the Crystal Sea, worshipping our God together,
And there will be rest for our weary souls.
May God richly bless you this day
Amein…
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
[3] Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
[4] "Scripture taken from The Scriptures, © by Institute for Scripture Research. Used by permission".
[5] Scriveners Textus Receptus (1894) (basis of KJV or AV); e-Sword® electronic edition, ver. 9.9.1, ©2000-2011 Rick Meyers
[6] Author’s Adaptations of names found in the article @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Judaism : Text made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
[7] Adapted from http://www.tentmaker.org/lists/names-titles-of-jesus-christ.html
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