Judah, means celebrated – but the meaning of this name is extensive. It is derived from the primitive word “Y-a-d,” pronounced “yawd,” a word that depicts a hand (an open one indicating power, means, direction…), which brought to mind Isaiah 50:2, “When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was My arm to short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert.”
Stop weeping: Groaning, whining, bowing down to vanity, to lust, to strong emotion, only to be made miserable, wretched, low-spirited – See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, is victorious! He has won – He has overcome and conquered! (Revelation 5:5). Hebrew 3:1 instructs those who share in the heavenly calling to fix (choose, decide, agree, resolve, attach, bend..) our thoughts on Jesus Whom we confess.
Jesus a Priest from the tribe of Judah not Levi. Jesus, raised from the dead, descended from David (2 Timothy 2:8) both men after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). Jesus. King of the Jews, in fact, for this reason Christ was born, and for this He came into the world, to testify to the Truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Him (John 18:37). All those who gather will know it is not by sword or spear the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s.
As David once said to the Philistines, “The Lord will give you all into our hands,”
1 Samuel 17:47. The meaning of Phillistine is “to roll in the dust,” and that was the end result. They rolled in the dust in their anguish and shame. In fact, so too will those who doubt and who disbelieve. They are like waves of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. They should not think about receiving anything from the Lord. Only bitterness awaits them for the Lord stands poised against them (Micah 1:12 TLB), for they are double-minded, unstable in all they think and do (James 1:5).
Yes, as Saul discovered there are consequences when the Lord’s commands are not kept, when His Word is not respected or heeded, for his kingdom did not endure (1 Samuel 13:14). God sought out a man after His own heart, a servant to the Sovereign Lord, and the house of David was established and blessed forever
(2 Samuel 7:29).
Because David was willing to repent and think differently, He came to know the Living Stone, the Sovereign Lord is God, His words are trustworthy (2 Samuel 7:28), and they helped him to find the courage to offer all of his heart to God. When we repent and choose to think differently, we also come to Him, the Living Stone, Who was rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him. And, like living stones we are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus (1 Peter 2:4). David had no idea his desire to build a house for God would become an eternal place to find rest in the Lord.
This is exactly what the meaning of the name Judah will help us to do – fix our thoughts on Jesus, so we can find rest in God’s Word for the meaning of Judah magnifies the Lord: Celebrated, open hand, to use, hold out the hand, to throw, confess, cast out, praise, shoot, give thanks, able, about, He, Himself, power, because of, beside, consecrate, order, near, pain, through, struck, debt, draw strength, with, yield, dominion
PRAISE: As Jesus rode along on that untamed donkey the people spread their garments on the road. The whole crowd of disciples began to rejoice and praise God loudly for all the mighty miracles and works of power they had witnessed.
CELEBRATED: The people were crying out, “Blessed – celebrated with praises – is the King Who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven – freedom there from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin – and glory, majesty and splendor in the highest!” Luke 19:35-18 AMP.
OPEN YOUR HAND: Lord, You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor. The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth (Psalm 145:16-18 AMP).
TO THROW: “I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One Who, after you have been killed, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!” Luke 12:5 BSB.
HIMSELF: The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, even the Lord [Himself], is in the midst of you; [and after He has come to you] you shall not fear evil anymore (Zephaniah 3:15 AMP).
CAST OUT: “All whom My Father gives and entrusts to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me],” John 6:37 AMP.
POWER: Make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Sing for the honor and glory of His name; make His praise glorious! Say to God, How awesome and fearfully glorious are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies submit themselves to You (Psalm 66:1 AMP).
SHOOT: Who has believed, trusted and clung to our Message of that which was revealed to us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been disclosed? For the Servant of God grew up before Him like a tender shoot, like a root out of dry ground (Isaiah 53:1-2 AMP).
GIVE THANKS: O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His wondrous works and devoutly praise them! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Yes, seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face, to be in His presence continually! Earnestly remember the marvelous deeds which He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He utters
(1 Chronicles 16:8-12 AMP).
ABLE: Now to Him Who, by the action of His power that is at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams (Ephesians 3:20-21 AMP).
ABOUT: Philip began with this very Scripture to tell the Good News about Jesus: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth. In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can speak of His descendants? For His life was taken from the earth?” Acts 8:32-35 NIV.
BECAUSE OF: We are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace of God He might experience death for every individual person (Hebrews 2:8 AMP).
BESIDE: Stephen filled with Holy Spirit told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and Jesus the Messiah standing beside God, at His right hand!” Acts 7:55-56 TLB.
CONSECRATE: Jesus suffered and died outside the city’s gate in order that He might purify and consecrate the people through the shedding of His own blood and set them apart as holy for God (Hebrews 13:12 AMP).
HELD OUT MY HANDS: “I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call on My name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations,” Isaiah 65:1-2 NIV.
ORDER: Unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. These will be His royal titles: “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” “The Prince of Peace.” His ever-expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will order it and rule with perfect fairness and justice from the throne of His father David. He will bring true justice and peace to all the nations of the world. This is going to happen because the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has dedicated Himself to do it! (Isaiah 9:6-7 TLB).
NEAR: “The Lord God has spoken to Me, and I have listened; I do not rebel nor turn away. I give My back to the whip, and My cheeks to those who pull out My beard. I do not hide from shame-they spit in My face. Because the Lord God helps Me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set My face like flint to do His will, and I know that I will triumph. He who gives Me justice is near,” Isaiah 50:5-8 TLB.
PAIN: Who has believed our message? To whom has the arm of the Lord been disclosed? For the Servant of God was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and pain, acquainted with grief and sickness. And like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him (Isaiah 53:1-3 AMP).
THROUGH: But the fact is, it was our pains He carried — our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought He brought it on Himself, that God was punishing Him for His own failures. But it was our sins that did that to Him, that ripped and tore and crushed Him — our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through His stripes we get healed (Isaiah 53:4-5 Message).
STRUCK; All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet, the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all. Unjustly condemned, He was led away. No one cared He died without descendants, that His life was cut short in midstream. He was struck down for the rebellion of the people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. He was buried like a criminal and put in a rich man’s grave (Isaiah 53:6,808 NLT).
WITH: But the Lord was pleased with this humble Servant Who suffered such pain. Even after giving Himself as an offering for sin, He will see His descendants and enjoy a long life. He will succeed in doing what the Lord wanted. After His suffering He will see the light of life, and He will be satisfied with what He experienced (Isaiah 53:10-11 ERV).
DEBT: We were spiritually dead because of our sins and because we were not free from the power of our sinful self. But God, He gave us new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins. Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt – a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow, But God, He forgave us that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14 ERV).
DRAW OUR STRENGTH: Let us therefore be strong in the Lord – empowered through our union with Him; let us draw our strength from Him – that strength which His boundless might provides (Ephesians 6:10 AMP).
YIELD: We are alive to God in Christ Jesus! Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so you obey its evil desires. Do not yield your bodily members as instruments of unrighteousness that lead to sin. Instead, yield yourself to God, as those who are alive from the dead, instruments of righteousness that lead to God (Romans 6:11-13 NIV) for His glory.
DOMINION: Daniel said, “In my vision there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed,” Daniel 7:13-14 NIV.
I am reminded of this vision: I saw a garden late at night softly illuminated by a Light off in the distance. A tree magnificent in size was in the midst of that garden with its drooping branches abundantly and beautifully adorned with gently stirring leaves. This tree’s trunk was immense with a huge knotted root that rose through the surface of the ground. Off to the side was a bridled horse with reins resting loosely at his side. His stance was elegant, powerful, alert, the air was clouded by each breath of his muzzle, And there in the distance the Ancient of Days, His form indiscernible, His presence undeniable.
Along with the memory of this vision these from the Word: You are a garden locked up My sister, My bride, you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain (SS 4:12) The Lord will guide you always! He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame – body, soul and spirit. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail (Isaiah 58:11).
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from prideful, sinful people, so you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2-3).
Lord, stretch out Your hand to heal, and perform miraculous signs and wonders, through the name of Your holy servant Jesus. Acts 4:29-30