Series: FruitWorks~Hospitality

In Galatians 5:22-23, we are given a list of the fruits of the Spirit. They are the guidelines to which we conduct ourselves in our daily walk. These are nine different aspects of Godliness that we must adhere to, to live to our fullest spiritual potential. They vary slightly, depending on the translation, but the foundational fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. While at first glance, these all look the same, a closer look reveals small differences in their meanings, which translates to differences in their application and implementation. This article is meant to shed light on each of these nine characteristics of holiness, to explore their nuances and minute differences. Hospitality falls under the category of kindness.

Hospitality

What is it? What does it look like? The modern definition for this word is most often linked to the services of hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts, and the like. But, what does this word really mean? How do we apply it? And, is there a Scriptural model?

The dictionary describes hospitality in the following way:  

1. the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.
2. the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

The keywords are friendly, reception, and strangers.

To operate in the action of showing friendliness,

we must not be harsh, hateful, manipulating,

spiteful, or a host of other words that could

be described as the opposite of friendly.

To be receptive, we must be able to

receive something. For a person who

is used to giving, receiving might be a

little hard for them.

And, finally, the crux of the whole verse.

Strangers. We are supposed to treat strangers

as if they were our friends, before they actually

become our friends. This is the foundation of

loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

If we are to operate in the gift of hospitality, we must have these three

ingredients for it to work. Otherwise, we are show ourselves to be insincere,

conceited, and coldhearted towards others.

Yeshua answered, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, 'Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.' Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?" He said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:30-37

The story of the “Good Samaritan” is probably the best example of hospitality in Scripture. The interesting thing about the Scriptural definition of a neighbor is that it is not limited to who lives next door. It does not mean who is geographically close to you. It is those who you let know that you care for their well-being, no matter their situation or circumstance.

Series: In the Garden/Fruits in Scripture~The Apple

The apple is the fruit most attributed to being the fruit of tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. However, Jewish tradition, as well as understanding the uses of the fruits spoken of in Scripture, and the root meanings of their names in Hebrew, says it was the pomegranate. (See the July issue for more on the pomegranate.)

By understanding the Hebrew etymology of the word apple, we see it represents mankind after the fall and, more importantly, the people that God chose to make His own.

For Yahweh's portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, in the waste howling wilderness. He surrounded him. He cared for him. He kept him as the apple of his eye. Deuteronomy 32:9-10

Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, my deadly enemies, who surround me. Psalm 17:8-9

For thus says Yahweh of Armies: 'For honor he has sent me to the nations which plundered you; for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye. Zechariah 2:8

Joel 1:12 uses the metaphor of the five fruits -the grape (vine), the fig, the date (palm), the pomegranate, and the apple- to say that the joy of the people has dried and withered like the trees that produced these fruits.

ishon: the pupil (of the eye)

Original Word: אּישׁוֹן

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

Phonetic Spelling: (ee-shone')

from the root word ish: man

Original Word: אּישׁ

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

Phonetic Spelling: (eesh)

from the root word enosh: mankind

Original Word: אֱנוֹשׁ

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

Phonetic Spelling: (en-oshe')

from the root word anash: to be weak, sick; to be mortal

Original Word: אָנַשׁ

Part of Speech: Verb

Phonetic Spelling: (aw-nash')

from a primitive root word: to be frail, feeble, melancholy; to be desperately wicked, incurable, woeful

Series: In the Garden/Fruits in Scripture~The Grape

Throughout Scripture, the grape, its juice, and the wine made from it, has an enormous amount of symbolism associated with it.

In Leviticus 26, the grape is used to signify having plenty to eat and living securely in the land. This is exemplified when the spies bring back to Moses a bunch of grapes that had to be carried on a pole between two men, In contrast, Isaiah 18 and 32 uses the lack of grapes to show God’s discontent with His children.

Wine made from grapes is mostly associated with the shed blood of Yeshua, as is the cup from which He drank. In some verses, the word cup is used, instead of the wine it held, because the cup was used only for wine, so cup is sometimes synonymous with wine.

The dregs of the wine are associated with God’s anger and fierce wrath.

For those who take a Nazarite vow, they are forbidden to consume any part of the grape, until their vow is finished.

Yeshua’s first miracle was turning the water into wine at a marriage feast, signifying the the part He will play in bring all who accept Him to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

enab: a grape

Original Word: עֲנָבִים

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

Phonetic Spelling: (ay-nawb')

from an unused root word: to bear fruit

Series: In the Garden/Fruits in Scripture~ThePomegranate

Most people who have grown up in the "Christian" church have been taught that it was an apple that Eve took the bite from. However, Jewish tradition says that it was a pomegranate. And, evidence supports that premise in how pomegranates were used in the context of Scripture. In all aspects of their use, they represent, and are associated with, wisdom. 

On the tree:

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:6

The symbolism here is “with knowledge comes responsibility” and also “responsibility is of God, blame is of the devil.” What was the first thing Adam did when God questioned them? Blame Eve. So, if a person wants knowledge without understanding, that person is on a sure road to nowhere.

On the hem of the priest’s robe:

They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe, alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the service, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. Exodus 39:25-26

The symbolism here is “listen to wisdom” and be respectful to those that have it in a Godly capacity.

On the pillars of Solomon’s temple:

And the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars. 1 Kings 7:42

The symbolism here is being under the authority and leadership of one who has wisdom will result in a blessed life.

Jewish tradition also states that there are 613 seeds in every pomegranate, corresponding to the 613 laws given in regards to God’s instruction of how to live.

rimmon: a pomegranate
Original Word: רִמּוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Phonetic Spelling: (rim-mone')

from ramam: exalt
Original Word: רָמַם
Part of Speech: Verb
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-mam')

from a primitive root word: to rise
(literally or figuratively), to lift oneself up, to exalt oneself, to mount oneself up higher than others

Series: In the Garden/Fruits in Scripture~The Date

The date - the fruit itself - is mentioned approximately 50 times in Scripture, and is almost always associated with the tree that  bears it. Some believe that the honey mentioned when referring to Canaan as the land of milk and honey, is actually referring to to the sweetness of the dates, and not the product of honey bees. And, along with raisins and figs, dates were pressed into ‘cakes’ in ancient times, and were used as food on-the-go.

A cup of dates has 93 grams of sugar, which is 80%, yet are very healthy to eat, and can be eaten by diabetics without fear of raising their blood sugar. The remainder of their nutritional value is protein and fiber, plus several trace elements. In the Sahara, dates are ground and added to to the feed of camels, horses, and dogs. And, in a non-food use, a syrup is made from them to coat leather bags and water pipes to keep them from leaking!