Shabbat Schmooze Devotional: Nechama

Hebrew word of the week: נֶחָמָה (Nechama)

The Hebrew word Nechama means comfort or consolation. There are two books in the Old Testament with this root word in their name- Nehemiah and Nahum.  The ancient settlement of Kafar Nahum (village of comfort) or commonly known as Capernaum is situated by the Sea of Galilee and also gets its name from this word. The town was at the center of Jesus’s ministry, and he did many miracles there.

Nechama is used as a verb in Isaiah 40:1-2  

“Comfort, comfort my people!
    says your God.
 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
    that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.”

Those words spoken by the prophet were fulfilled through the finished work of Yeshua (Jesus) on the execution stake.

Can you hear God’s heart for his people through these words? Can you feel the depth of his tender love?

God wants Israel and the Jewish people to know his rest and comfort through the love of Yeshua. The people he chose for himself and made a covenant with couldn’t fulfill their part of that covenant, no matter how hard they tried. Still, they did point the world to the God who can and does keep his promises. Through Yeshua, God himself took their burden and provided a way, like a mother who longs for her child to be comforted in their distress. Their sin, your sin and my sin were paid for in full. That’s good news!

Mothers represent a beautiful picture of God’s love as they sacrificially lay down their lives for their children in so many ways. A mother’s comfort can make all the difference, and sometimes- in fact many times, mothers and fathers for that matter, are in need of comfort too! We don’t have to do this thing called motherhood or life alone because God’s comfort is with us. All we have to do is receive it!

This week, take some time to remember his promises and be comforted in his love!

“As a mother comforts her child,
    so will I comfort you.” Isaiah 66:13

“May your unfailing love be my comfort according to your promise to your servant.” Psalm 119:76