In the book of Genesis, we see God walking through the garden searching for His people. Particularly the verse reads that man and woman “heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden” (Genesis 3:8). One of the Hebrew words for garden is pardes, a word that Rabbi’s use to study the scriptures. Rabbi’s use pardes as an acronym for the four levels of understanding the meaning of every story in scripture. These four levels of comprehension are:
- P’shat – the literal or surface meaning of the story.
- Remez – The implied meaning of a passage. This word means “hint” so it goes beyond the literal meaning to the symbolic meaning of a story.
- Drash – The deeper meaning. This is how a story connects with other stories in scriptures.
- Sod – The hidden meaning or mystical meaning. This refers to the teaching that comes from a story through inspiration or revelation.
The letters PRDS create the Hebrew word “pardes”. The Rabbi’s say that studying the Bible is like being in God’s garden or paradise. As you study the Bible you are walking in the garden of God. Just like the Genesis story – God is calling you!
As we move through a radically different daily routine in this national and global quarantine, surely, we realize that we have been handed an amazing gift. The gift of a slower pace so that we can reflect upon God’s words. Is your current life pattern still helter-skelter that is filled with meaningless activity? Please understand this pandemic is a global pause and this pause has given us the gift of time for reflection and learning deeply the scriptures once again. It is a time for re-connection with family. It is time for reflecting on our life trajectory – where are we really headed? It is a time to consider God’s calling and my current life goals. It is time to walk through God’s garden – Do you hear Him calling you?
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Key Note Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
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