.png)
CHAYIM - LIFE
- Petra Hadžidaova
- Jun 21
- 3 min read
The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life (chayim) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2: 9 (NIV)
(1)
INTRODUCTION
Life. This form of existence we all strive to protect, keep, preserve, and prolong. It is a central value in the majority of cultures and the very pillar upon which human civilisations stand. It all began with the famous words “Let there be light…”. The Hebrew word for life is chayim. It comes from the Hebrew word “chai,” meaning “alive”. It is written in the plural form. The reason? It is believed that live can not be lived alone.
IN THE BEGINNING
From the Source of all, life first began. Earth was empty, and there was darkness. As the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters, God said, “Let there be light,...” So the great process of creating life as we know it started.
First came light, then sky. Then water was gathered together, and land appeared. Land produced vegetation, and afterwards God created lights. After the lights, all manner of creatures were created, and in the end, men.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam was placed. A garden full of fruit-bearing trees. Amidst these trees was the most important tree of all: the tree of life.
The tree of life was able to grant whoever ate its fruit eternal life. In the Biblical context, it is also linked to wisdom, divine provision of God, and restoration of eternal life.
CHAYIM - HEBREW WORD FOR LIFE
The Hebrew word for life is chayim. It comes from the Hebrew word “chai,” meaning “alive”. It is prevalent in Jewish custom. Its two Hebrew letters, chet and yud, had become a Jewish symbol, appearing primarily in pendants and other Jewish jewelry. (2)
It is written in the plural form. The reason? It is believed that life can not be lived alone. Our lives separated from God are meaningless. (2)
LIFE OR DEATH - SPIRIT OR FLESH
Walking through this epic journey called life is full of valleys and mountains. At each junction, we need to make a decision: will we turn left or right? God, in a very similar way, always gives us two options to choose from.
Whenever we are tempted to sin, there are two doors we can choose to walk through, says my pastor Craig Hill. At one stands the spirit, at the other our flesh. The first leads to life, the other to destruction and death.
Our spirit yearns to be obedient to God; our flesh, on the other hand, is in enmity to God. All it takes is choosing the door of the spirit, and the other door closes automatically.
YESHUA AND CHAYIM
Yeshua is the revelation of our Elohim Chai, the Living God. He is the very Source from which all life flows, life itself. And as He has given life initially, so He can restore and resurrect it in the Kingdom to come. He was the perfect reflection of our God in Heaven and empowers us to become more like Him each day.
CONCLUSION
Life first began from the Source of all - Elohim Chai, Yeshua, the Living God. “Let there be light…” was first said, and so began the process of creating the world as we know it. The Hebrew word for life is chayim. It derives from the Hebrew word “chai,” meaning “alive”. It is written in the plural form. The reason? It is believed that live can not be lived alone. Our lives separated from God are meaningless.
Application
Throughout the week, record at least one instance where you had to pick between the door that leads to the spirit and the door that leads to flesh. What door did you choose?
SOURCES
Image was created via canva.com
Christa. A Hebrew Word Study Of ‘Chayim’ Which Means Life. February 4, 2022. Available at https://www.christianlearning.com/hebrew-word-study-of-chayim/
Comments