Syria and Aramiac

When we were in Jordan, we had a friend who frequently went to Damascus, Syria for business reasons. He volunteered to take us with him during one of his trips. Even then, it was not advisable for Americans to tour in Syria, and we did not have much of a reason to go there anyway, so we never crossed over. The closest we got was viewing it from the northern area of Jordan, where we went once a week to give home Bible studies to Arab Christians. In the above picture, the purple mountains beyond the olive trees are Syrian land.



In Syria is a small village named Maaloula. It is one of the few places in the world where you can hear people speaking Aramaic. This is the language Jesus spoke, and it is considered an endangered language since so few people still speak it. Since languages evolve, I don't suppose it would sound exactly like the Aramaic spoken in Jesus' time, but I wanted to hear it anyway.

As I studied about the Middle East, I learned about a lady who works at St. Mark's Church in Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter of the Old City. (St. Mark's Syrian Orthodox church is one of two proposed locations of the Upper Room, where the events of Acts 2 occured). This lady, whose name can be spelled either Jostina or Yostina, speaks Aramaic.

During our stay in Jerusalem, we met her at St. Mark's Church. A former 12th grade mathematics teacher, she speaks English and Arabic in addition to Aramaic. She has been living in Jerusalem for 11 years, serving as tour guide and caretaker. She told us that as she cleans the church she prays, "As I clean your church, clean my heart. Please my Lord."



Aram was one of Shem's sons (Genesis 10:21-23). Modern Syria includes what was once called the region of Aram and historians seem to agree that it gleaned that name because it was settled by Aram. Aramiac originated in this area. Syriac is a form of Aramaic.

Jostina sang the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic for us. It was a little blessing from the Lord to hear Aramaic spoken...and we did not have to travel to Syria!

Proceed with Caution

 
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The picture on the left was taken as we walked down the Mount of Olives. We took the one on the right as we were walking through the Christian Quarter on top of the Old City Walls.
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What you are looking at is security. People build high walls around their homes and imbed broken glass into the top of the walls. Apparently, this serves as a good theft deterrent.
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I have heard Pastor Urshan define the word "circumspect." He uses the illustration of a cat navigating the top of a wall, as the cat exercises utmost care to avoid cutting his tender paws on shards of glass. When we went to the Middle East, I understood more clearly what Pastor Urshan means. We saw many such walls. A cat would take a cautious step only after exercising conscious and deliberate forethought.
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Ephesians 5:15 admonishes us to "...walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." The word "circumspectly" translates from the Greek language to mean "exact, diligent, and perfect." In other words, as we navigate life's path, we must employ utmost caution. Before we take a step, we must carefully consider the far-reaching consequences of our choices. Because of the repercussion that poor choices yield, there is little margin of error. Sometimes, once a wrong choice is made and the damage has been done, there is little remedy. Even if the damage is repairable, recovery time will be required, our work for the Lord will be hampered, and our good name might suffer.
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What am I talking about? Here are some examples:
Choosing to fudge numbers when filing taxes, only to reap an IRS audit, embarrassment, and the reputation of a cheater.
Binge shopping sprees - which you indulge in to distract you from life's cares - that ruin your credit and create problems between you and your spouse.
Cruel and harsh statements, spoken in anger, that damage a young child's tender spirit.
Repetitive negativity and faithlessness, which discourages those around you and keeps you focused on the bad things in your life, instead of believing in God and exalting His ability.
A few moments of sexual indiscretion that forever changes your life and the lives of your spouse and children.
Refusing to admit and overcome a bad trait - such as procrastination, lying, or laziness - which all produce varying degrees of fallout in our lives.
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We cannot redo our actions and retract the words we say. It pays to walk circumspectly, to consider beforehand if we are willing to pay the price for our actions.
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When the Lord issued commandments to His people, He told them, "In all things that I have said unto you be circumspect" (Exodus 23:13). The Hebrew word used here (shamar) means "to hedge about (as with thorns)." The many implications of the word "shamar" include "to guard, to protect, to beware, to take heed, to preserve, to observe, to watch...to save yourself."
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On a normal day, cats are finicky. Put them on the top of a wall with protruding glass and they will exercise extraordinary conscientiousness. They will walk slowly and gingerly to avoid anything that has the potential to hurt them.
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As we walk this path of life, we will encounter many things that have the potential to cripple our spirituality. It is the work of our flesh and the devil to derail us from living for God the way we should. Yet, if we will rely on the strength of the Lord, He will help us make choices that will protect us.
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I find it interesting that the Hebrew word "shamar" means "to hedge about (as with thorns)." The implication is that, as we "walk circumspectly," our cautiousness will create for us a protective wall, ensuring our security as we live within the confines of the Word of God.