Shamar is a Hebrew word found hundreds of times in the Old Testament. When I started biology at college recently, the word Shamar immediately stood out to me for some unknown reason! When talking to my biology professor recently, all of the things I had been learning and individually applying finally came together and showed me such profound meaning! So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy my shared thoughts on how amazing is the simple word Shamar!
In Deuteronomy 4:9, we are told to “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves…” The Hebrew word for “watch” is Shamar - which means to Keep, watch, preserve. This is the same command we are given in Genesis 2:15 to “dress and keep creation”(Shamar!). AND in Number 3:7-8. Here the priests were instructed to keep and serve, which, not surprisingly, is the word Shamar! God’s original intention was for us to be a people of priests. However, the Israelites rebelled and more stipulations to the covenant were made, so the Israelites became a people with priests. But, in the New Testament, the covenant is made new in the death of Jesus. Thus, we have once again become priests (the priesthood of the believer) and we do not require priests to be an intermediary between us and christ. Thus - we are priests! The priests were told to Shamar- which is the same word that Adam was told in the garden - to keep and serve creation. SO, we are priests of creation!! But so what? As priests of creation, we are to KEEP AND SERVE creation itself!! To promote life always!! To enhance its beauty!! To strive to always reveal Gods hidden glory in that creation!! To further and further reveal His glory that He is only waiting for us to discover! Follow with me here a bit more. In Matthew 22:39, Jesus tells us the second greatest commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” How do we love ourselves? Well with the first thought it may just be, humans tend to glorify and esteem themselves, so we should do that for others? But NO!! It's so much more!! We are supposed to Shamar OURSELVES! In Jeremiah 17:21 we are told, “watch yourselves;” watch also being the word for Shamar!! So, if we are to watch and keep and serve (Shamar) ourselves, THAT is what we must also do for others! Thats why self care is important also! Not so that we esteem ourselves above others, but so we can better care for others! How can we do as we’re commanded and love others unless we also love ourselves?! We must love ourselves to love others. Thats also why we have to set boundaries for ourselves. If we are to watch ourselves, we know that our tendencies might be to put ourselves higher than others. (Some of my tendencies include taking on others hurt and emotions as my own, which can be a blessing and a curse! But Jesus told us His yoke is easy and the burden He gives us is light... If the creator’s burden that He gives us is light, why are we getting more burdened by things that are not of Him? While of course still having compassion!) We have to set up boundaries for ourselves in order to “watch ourselves.” Boundaries are out of protection. And this even further impacts our thoughts about love! What does love do? It gives and protects. THAT is the epitome of the tree in the garden!!! (Wow God you’re good!). The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was put there OUT OF LOVE!!! Why you may say, why did God put the temptation in there when He knew they would eat it?? Because He loves us beyond comprehension. Can I say I love my friends if I've been literally forced to?? Can I say I love anyone if I had no other option but to love them? No! Likewise, we wouldn’t actually have the opportunity to Love God if the tree wasn’t in the garden! He gave us a choice to love Him, one we could either follow or go against. But God didn’t just put a tree in the garden that Adam and Eve automatically knew they shouldn’t eat from. God told them to not eat of it. Why? Again, HE LOVES US!! Love does what?? It PROTECTS? Why?? Because Love always has the best interest in mind of the other person!! Love gives. God GAVE the commandment to not eat the fruit of the tree because He wanted to PROTECT us from the consequences! But we still had a choice, and sadly, humanity doesn’t normally pick the best option. Isnt that profound?! SHAMAR!! Watch, keep, preserve. Shamar creation! Shamar ourselves! And Shamar others! Love God, love ourselves, love others. Give to others. Protect others. Protect creation. Keep creation. Promote life. They all tie together. If they didn't, a different word would have been used. As humans we are instructed to have dominion over the earth. Just like the priests were commanded to serve Christ and others in the temple, so we are to do on this earth because we are each priests. We are also commanded to love others as ourselves, and we can only fully obey that if we know how to love ourselves and others. Which is by keeping and serving. Since love protects, we must set up boundaries for ourselves and out of protection of others, always having their best interest in mind. Keep and serve. Keep and serve all of God's creation - the earth, the animals, the people. Always strive to Shamar! Wow. What Goodness. What a good good God we serve.
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