What is a Hebrew?

Abraham was labeled an Ivri, a Hebrew in Genesis 14:13.  Essentially, all the world was on one side while Abraham was on the other side.  Abraham was a Shemite, a descendant of Noah’s son Shem.  While Noah represented the whole of humanity, Shem represented the one who rose above man’s world view.  

For Shemites, knowledge of creation and the Creator were what really mattered.  They did not seek personal glory, gain, or even self-preservation.  They were stewards of creation and servants of the Creator (Psalm 24:1, Luke 22:24, Romans 8:19).  Shemites typified what was upright, righteous, brilliant, shining, splendorous, dignified, renowned, and memorable in man.  

By blood and by Spirit, both Abraham and Yeshua were born to be Shemites or Hebrews.  The Spirit germinates within Hebrews to drive them to action.  They pass over, cross over, and move over to the spiritual side, leaving worldly methods behind.  They cross over to embrace the Almighty’s perspective just as Abraham crossed the Euphrates.  He drew nearer to Adonai and crossed over to reach the Land of Promise on the other side.   

Standing on the opposite shore from man’s perspective, Hebrews or Ivri’im are different.  They have courageously left earthly culture behind to live for higher truth.  Consider the Hebrews who opposed Pharaoh and his world view in Exodus 3:18.  They were compelled to pass over from Egypt and cross the Sea to reach the Torah of liberty on the other side.  

Each of us with the gallantry and grit to uphold the word of Adonai and the resurrection of Yeshua, without worldly compromise, are Hebrews.  We are the Ivri’im, the Hebrew seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).

Published February 6, 2018

Valerie MoodyComment