“Saturday, 10/7/23… ‘Shabbat Shalom’ - Up at 3:00am - in lobby at 4:00.” This was the opening line of my journal entry in Israel the day that war broke out. Little did I know what the Lord would share with me that morning in my quiet time would be the very message I would need to hold onto a few short hours later.
I began to open my time as I usually do with Dear Heavenly Father…when I suddenly stopped and could go no further. Father…Father…Father…I repeated that word over and over to myself and began to ponder, “What does it truly mean to call God, Father?”
Abba or Daddy
The term Father carries a much deeper meaning than we oftentimes give it credit for. In the Greek language, the word used for Father is pater. It’s a title of honor given to a male ancestor, or progenitor, an elder, senior and is a term used in the New Testament to reference our heavenly Father. In Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, the word used for Father is abba, which is described as a term of tender endearment by a beloved child.
God’s title of “Abba, Father” is found referenced in the Bible three separate times, used only by Jesus and Paul (Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6). In each instance, abba is transliterated into Greek and accompanied by the Greek translation of “father,” ho pater.
Mark 14:36: And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
Romans 8:15: For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Galatians 4:6: And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
Since Paul uses Abba as a term of familial intimacy, most people have reduced the term to childlike (though affectionate) familiarity with a parent. In doing so many Christians refer to Father God as “Daddy,” a term that expresses that familiarity. But it wasn’t just a term used exclusively by children. It was frequently used by adults in adult discourse, capturing other nuances of the meaning of the word. By reducing Abba to only Daddy, and focusing only on the intimacy piece, we gut the word of the full acknowledgment of His majesty and honor. When we do this, familiarity trumps His holiness. This is one reason we struggle when confronted with hardships or other setbacks. How can “Daddy,” or a good God, allow bad things to happen? Like little children, we want Daddy to always meet our every need and keep us happy, and forget that He is also Father. Where the term Daddy expresses familiarity and intimacy, the term Father is formal and respectful, acknowledging His authority in our lives. He will do what He deems best for both us and the world around us - even if we don’t understand it, nor like it, at the time. So, the full counsel of God and the full picture of His nature is essential for us to grasp.
Obedience and War
Abba is a term that carries the element of endearment, intimacy, and close relationship, on the one hand. But it also carries another element on the other hand…obedience. When Jesus is alone with His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, He withdraws to be alone with God in prayer, intimacy. Then His prayer begins with Abba, Father…expressing a willingness to obey Him. To come up under His authority. To respect and honor His will in that situation. Thy will be done!
When we pray, we should do no less. God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” This shows us that it is His will that we see Him as both affectionate but also One in whose authority we come up under and respect. In other words, crying out, “Heavenly Father, I will obey You. Thy will be done not mine.”
Several pages filled my journal that morning as I moved through my prayer and thoughts on this. No sooner did I return to my hotel room close to 7:00am and open my sliding door to take in the beautiful day, when the bomb sirens began to go off. BOOM! The iron dome had taken out a rocket right above us. War began.
How do you respond in a situation like that? How do you pray as a Christian in a hotel filled with Jewish people who do not know their Messiah yet, nor trust strangers or Christians? How do you trust that whatever is happening, the King of Majesty is in control? How do you keep perfect peace? By crying out…Abba, Father, all things are possible with You. I love You. How may I serve You in this situation? How do I reach the people around me with Your truth? I trust You. I will obey You. Use me as You like. Thy will be done here…not mine.
God Bless You Today,
Carole
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