August 22, 2024 | By Magdalena Daley | In Confidence
In our digital culture the beauty standards our generation is bombarded with daily are almost unattainable since they’re not real. Eating disorders, identity confusion and self harming run rampant among our youth. It’s a silent – yet loud – cry of despair.
I believe that we as human beings have a God given longing for beauty and glory. It’s really a longing for God, who is perfection and holiness personified. But the enemy, the spirit of this time, has twisted and perverted this longing with lies like: “you’re never good enough”, “there’s something wrong with you”, “you need to be better, look better, do better” and we are caught in the hamster’s wheel of constantly striving to be acceptable.
When I was looking up the word for “beauty” in Hebrew I came across the word shaphar. It means “be beautiful” and “fair, bright and glistening” but it also has to do with being sufficient and plentiful, having no loss or damage. This word occurs in Psalms 16:6 “I have a beautiful, pleasant, comely, goodly, delightful (shaphar) inheritance”.
A word related to shaphar is the word shofar, the ram’s-horn trumpet used by ancient Jews in religious ceremonies and as a battle signal. The shofar was historically mostly used in war and later chiefly as a sacred instrument. The literal translation of shofar is: giving a clear sound. If the shofar has cracks or holes, these will affect its sound, rendering it unfit or unsuitable for ceremonial use. Here we see the connection with shaphar = being fit for, sufficient, beautiful, appropriate.
Along with the harp, the shofar is the most spoken of musical instruments in the Bible, mentioned 72 times. While the harp is used to calm and soothe the spirit and soul, the shofar is constantly used to grab hold of the attention and spirit of the people. The harp is a consoler while the shofar is a preparer. The sound of the shofar signifies a cutting or burning into the soul and heart of the people. The bending symbolizes the human heart, which should be bent before the Lord.
Another word related to shaphar is sapphire = saphar in Hebrew. This word means to count, declare, score a record, take account, number, measure, proclaim, carefully observe and consider. The gemstone sapphire is of a blue color which speaks of the faithfulness of God. The Bible describes God as standing on a stone or pavement of sapphire. His faithfulness is the foundation under His feet (Ex 24:10). The heavens are blue thus declaring the goodness and faithfulness of our God every day. The heavens declare His Glory. Just as the shofar declares the word and voice of God, the heavens declare His goodness and faithfulness.
There were 12 stones on the high priest’s breastplate. The first stone was the red gem ruby (sometimes translated odem, sardius or carnelian). The ruby represented the tribe of Rueben, the firstborn. The first and foremost thing about humanity is that we are flesh (Adam, from the red dirt) but redeemed by the life-giving atoning blood of Christ. The fifth stone in the breastplate was the sapphire. That places the sapphire smack in the middle of the breastplate and it symbolizes not only God’s faithfulness but also our truthfulness, honesty and repentance. Five is the number for grace. The sapphire represented the tribe of Issachar, the tribe who are mentioned in the Bible as “understanding the times and the seasons”. (1 Chron 12:32)
There is a war going on in our time. A war over the identity of our young people especially. The enemy is spreading lies and confusion like never before. I believe he is desperate because he knows this generation is about to rise up in their true identity as sons and daughters, in the beauty and the glory of the Lord. Let’s blow the shofar and declare God’s goodness, faithfulness and beauty in this time. Let’s raise a hallelujah.
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge and the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Habakkuk 2:14