TSUR (TZUR)

Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.

He only is my rock (tsur/tzur) and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.

Psalm 62: 1-2 (KJV)

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INTRODUCTION

In the ancient Hebrew culture names given had a special meaning. They were full expressions and were connected with the purpose of the recipient. Similarly, my name, Petra, also has a special meaning in Greek. It means rock, a mountain of rock. And that is what Yeshua is for us. He is our rock, Petra in Greek, and TSUR/TZUR in Hebrew.

BEHIND EACH NAME

Words are so powerful. In the tongue, we hold life and death. Or so sister Mary said at Sunday school to a group of young devout followers. Among them happened to be Hope. The 12-year-old girl was sporting a grin as wide as the Mississippi River. Today she received news about her admission into the church choir. As a girl who loves to dance and sing, it has been one of her dreams. Speaking of dreams, now she was off to her ballet audition. Hoping to fulfill her next dream of dancing in this year's school ballet dance.

Hope was looking forward to this day. She worked hard on her routine and was confident she is prepared to bring out her best and leave to God the rest as her Mama liked to say. Her excitement did not diminish even upon arriving at the studio. She remained in high spirits all throughout her rehearsing and audition. While cooling down afterward she was contemplating her performance feeling extremely proud of herself. Her spirit was still high until a certain girl whispered something to another behind Hope's back. A burst of laughter filled the studio. A burst of laughter that Hope perceived was aimed at her. She was proven right soon after when the same girl called her "Noodle legs" and wished her a "weel done" for her performance.

The words pierced Hope like razor-sharp blades. "Noodle legs" was something she struggled with. For the last year, she has been working very hard on it daily. Per her coaches and parents, she improved tremendously. The words instantly filled her with nervous thoughts and questions. 'Did I perform badly? Did the noodle legs come out?' Her high spirits were dragged down by worry and anxiety. When before she was certain she stood a chance at getting selected, now she was questioning herself. A feeling that gradually got worse every time Hope got reminded of ballet.

When Hope got no answer after about a week, her hope started to dwindle. She was getting more and more concerned she didn't do that well. Those words kept haunting her. In her mind she kept rehearsing her performance over and over again, trying to remember if it truly was as bad as they made it sound. When she practiced ballet that is what she saw when she looked at herself in the mirror. She saw "Noodle legs".

At Sunday school her teacher stopped her after class. Hope was always so bubbly. Seeing her down like this was not sitting well with Ms. Stark. Hope revealed what had happened. With a deep sigh and great compassion, Ms. Stark asked Hope if she remembered her teaching about the power of words. Thinking upon it, Hope suddenly realized the true depth of the teaching. Ms. Stark continued onwards after seeing the realization in Hope's eyes. "Words can hold great power if we let them. What did you think about your performance before you were called that awful name?" she asked her. "I thought I did really well. I was proud of myself." Hope said starting to feel a bit better. "Could it be you did better than you were led to believe by that girl?" "Yes.... But, they haven't contacted me yet." she objected slightly. "And their tardiness is making you lose hope, right?" her teacher asked. "Yes." was Hope's timid response.

"Who are you?" Ms. Stark asked Hope. Seeing the confused expression she added, "What is your name?" Still a bit weirded out she answered, "Hope." "Yes. You are Hope. You're parents named you well. Hope means to have confidence or trust, to cherish a desire with anticipation and it describes the virtue of Hope. You are such a joyful and bubbly kid. Always up for the challenge ahead of you. You were named Hope for a reason. And you will never run out of it." Hope's eyes filled with tears. So moved was she by her teacher's words. These words filled her with hope for many years to come and held her faith up until she received positive news from the Ballet school. She was accepted, they had rarely seen such impeccable form at such a young age and would love to work with her. A praise Hope did not expect, yet greatly appreciated.

Each one of us can hold a story worthy of sharing. A story, hidden in life circumstances, a story sometimes even hidden in our names, nicknames, or labels people labeled us with. Abraham, Isaac, David, and Samuel were such people. All great mean in their means whose names you surely must have at least once heard. Names of men of renown, men of great faith. But as these men represented an important part of mankind's history, their names also held and still hold great meaning. 

Ancient Hebrew names were usually full expressions depicting the purpose, assignment, and message of the person they were given to. For instance, Daniel means “God is my Judge.” Samuel means “God has heard.”

Similarly my name, Petra, also has a special meaning. In Greek, it means rock, a mountain of rock to be more specific. In a Ticket to Freedom event, I was given an even more personal look into what my name meant: strong, everlasting, and powerful faith. 

Just like Hope in the fiction story above I too needed to hear those words and still do even nowadays. Behind each name, there can be a hidden message. Even the names you choose for your children can hold great influence over their lives. I advise seeking God’s face before you choose a name for them. 

MY ROCK, MY TSUR, MY SALVATION

Why am I talking about names and mine, in particular, you wonder? I want to mention another name God goes by. Yeshua is our strength, He is our rock. He is our Tsur/Tzur. 

Tsur/Tzur is a Hebrew word for rock or cliff. A solid foundation upon which we can build and also lean on. That is who Yeshua is for us - a foundation upon which we can lean to receive rest and respite from all the striving. He is also that foundation on which we are to build our faith, our house, and our legacy. 

No matter how long we are to wait, if we build upon Yeshua as our foundation, we shall endure. Endure the test of time, endure the storms, and come out victorious as predestined before the foundation of the world was put in place. 

CONCLUSION

Yeshua is our rock, our strength, and our salvation. He is our tsur/tzur. A foundation upon which we can lean on and should build upon. When we build upon Him, we can rest asure that we shall endure the test of time and any storm. 

Application

Take a look at what your name might mean this week. Ask the Lord if this is the name He intended for you to have.

SOURCES

1. Image created via canva.com.