The King's Daughter—Part Three—Attention Please

In Part I of this series we learned that God's original purpose and intent for us as women have not changed since the Garden of Paradise. He still wills for us to be powerful and persuasive under His authority as it was in the beginning.

Part II of this series revealed God's view of us as precious valuable creatures.

Part III involves our part and will detail our obligation to listen to Him and value what He says. This is the true heart of worship.

Verse 10 begins with a heartfelt plea and invitation to "Listen".

In Hebrew, there is a portion of scripture called the "Shema" Shema is the Hebrew word for listening or hearing. The "Shema" is this:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one"

— Deuteronomy 6:4

If we could personalize this for a moment we may interpret that God is requesting our sole, undivided, attention. He is calling us to listen to Him and no other.

Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. ~ Deuteronomy 4:39

Another worthy note on the word "shema" is that it comes with the implication of obedience. It is not passive listening. It requires involvement on our part with the assumption that something valuable, important, and relevant is about to be said.

The next word "consider" in Hebrew is actually the word most translated as "see" and means to look at, view, and behold, It implies to enjoy it and live it.

The literal translation of the word "consider" in this verse is return or restore. We need to restore to our hearts that no one has a voice in our value more weighty than God's. This is in keeping with our return to paradise we discussed in Hub 1 of this series. We must return in our hearts to the reality of God's voice is the only voice that matters just like it was before Eve hearkened to another voice. Could we say we worship who we listen to? And could we further say we receive the fruits of the God or god we worship for good or for bad? More on this in a later hub.

Not only is God asking us to come and hear Him but He also wants us to turn our faces toward Him and look at Him and see ourselves as reflected in His eyes. We are the apple of His eye. Does He have a place in our field of vision? He invites us to come and take a look.

It also means to perceive and understand, learn and know. When our perceptions have been trained otherwise through experience and circumstance. His love is something we must learn.

This word can imply as well to enjoy and live in what is seen. The evidence of what we are looking at is played out in the field of our lives. Do our lives reflect those of "dearly loved children" (Eph 5:1)

Gesenius' lexicon mentions to be pleased with what you see and to have regard and respect for it and to choose it for yourself. His truth about us must be chosen. I think many times we are waiting for something to just fall on us or for it to just happen. Here He tells us we must choose it.

Brown Driver Briggs Lexicon also implies the idea of expecting.

The Hebrew word picture for see is descriptive of these principles:

The first letter resh used in this word is a picture of a person's head and can imply what is first and priority. What we see takes priority. To look at Him makes Him a priority. It indicates what our intentions are placed upon.

‘You shall have no other gods before Me.

— Deuteronomy 5:7

In order to "see" Him, He must be the only one we see.

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple ~ Luke 14:26

I honestly believe this verse is about priority. God is important to us more than any other relationship we have. And God's perspective is the one that matters most.

The second letter "aleph" is a picture of an ox an indicates something that is strong and leading. We are strongly led by what we see or perceive. I can't help but think of the explanation of how Eve succumbed to the temptation in the garden.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

— Genesis 3:6

She was led by what she fixed her eyes upon.

Visuals are a powerful influence. What we see has a profound effect on what we do, how we feel, and who we are. Dr. Lynell Burmark, a Ph.D. Associate at the Thornburg Center for Professional Development and writer of several books and papers on visual literacy, said, "...unless our words, concepts, ideas are hooked onto an image, they will go in one ear, sail through the brain, and go out the other ear. ¹

Seeing really is believing. God is asking us to really see what it is He is saying about and to us.

"Aleph" also represents the "will" again we see here that we choose what and how we see.

"Hey" is the final letter of this word and it is a picture of a window symbolizing to reveal or open something.

it also makes the word female because it is at the end of the word it indicates what comes from. Our perceptions come from how we "see" things. I believe He desires and invites us to come that he might reveal to us a more accurate and correct perspective.

After the fall the image of God in them was hidden. Through the forgiveness of sin in relationship to Jesus Christ what was hidden can now be revealed. We are no longer subject nor victim to circumstance, experience, or the opinions of others.

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

— I Corinthians 2:9-11

The whole idea of being restored to our positions in paradise involves uncovering what has been hidden and that is us created in the image of Him.

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.

— Proverbs 29:18

We looked a bit at this verse in "God's plan and purpose for us part one" and how when we can't see the value or the purpose we become aimless and thoughtless towards life, relationships, and self.

His final plea is to incline our ear. To incline our ear is to stretch it out and extend it to Him. To turn our ear towards Him. It implies that we are reaching for what is being said. When I am listening to something I desperately want to hear whether it is music, a message or a loved one's voice I turn my ear towards them that I might catch everything. I don't want to miss a thing.

Hearing and seeing are vital to our comprehension. studies suggest that people retain 10% of what they heard from an oral presentation, 35% from a visual presentation, and 65% from a visual and oral presentation.²

Isn't it significant that He implores us to do both hear and see? He is interested in our comprehension of His love for us.

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

— Ephesians 3:17-19

Part Four we will tackle those spheres of influence "our Father's house and our own people" that have prevented us from seeing the truth.

(1) michaelsearles.blogspot.com/2010/10/3-steps-to-billion-dollar-business.html

(2) osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/traintec.html