The Oil Press

 

The Hebrew word, Chalah means, “to grieve, to be rubbed worn, to entreat, travail, to be wounded and to be weak.” (H-2470, Strong’s) 

Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the LORD.  “Thus, says the LORD of hosts. In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”  Zechariah 8:12

There are many Hebrew words for prayer but this word implies an intense seeking of God.  In Zechariah the nations are earnestly seeking the God of Israel; there is desperation and a great need to know Him. 

There are times when we pray in desperation for God to reach into our situation and intervene.   We are rubbed worn, even grieved as we cry out to God to answer our deepest need or the deepest need of a loved one, a friend, a nation or even a stranger.  The only thing we know is God is the only one who can help.  We will pray until every bit of strength is gone.

 When I think of this intensity of prayer, I think of Yeshua/Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.  Yeshua, travailed, labored in prayer in the garden to the point of sweating blood.   He was crushed like the olives against the stone in an oil press for which this garden was named.   He sought His Father’s will and knew it would cost Him everything.   Are we willing to meet Yeshua in the garden of travail?  Are we willing to be rubbed worn for the sake of those that our LORD cries out for?   Are we willing to share in a fraction of His suffering? 

Perhaps, the deepest way we can worship our Savior is to embrace His suffering and not turn away from the pain He endured.   The disciples fell asleep in the garden.  They were not ready to accept or even understand the pain Yeshua was about to endure.  Could we have faced His agony and tears or would we have withdrawn in fear? 

When we face times of rejection, pain and suffering instead of turning away from God and asking why, we should turn to our Savior and embrace Him along with our situation.  These are times in our lives when we let the pain that Yeshua bore for us touch us. As we endure the crosses in our lives, we embrace our Savior.   This is precious worship unto Him.

Excerpt: Words of Love: The Language of Worship , June Schuldt

 

 

 

 

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