YHWH told Israel that He would send “The Hornet” against their enemies. (Duet. 7:20) He made this promise to assure Israel that there would be nothing to fear when taking “The Land.” Hornets, of course, pack a pretty big sting. So, is Yah actually referring to a hornet that may inflect actual pain against Israel’s enemies, or is He referring to something or someone else?
I don’t know about you, but I lose all thought of direction when a hornet is after me. I get frustrated and even confused as my only thought is to free myself from the attack. This is especially scary if I am driving a car. Needless to say, I now check my car before I start it. And, if out in the wilderness on a hot summer day, I constantly check my path. In short, the attacks given to me by hornets in the past have made me more in tune with my surroundings.
Cheri Williams from the Ancient Hebrew Research Center delved into the meaning of hornet in this Deuteronomy text. She explored concepts given by Jeff Benner and, of course, Hebrew letters and their meanings. She entitles her paper “The “Hornet” of the Conquest in Deuteronomy 7:20: An Alternate Meaning.”
In her findings, the meaning of Power and Terror seem to correlate to each other through the divine feminine form of Yah, for in the Hebrew text, these descriptions spell out the workings of The Holy Spirit. In Exodus 14:23, the cloud (spiritual power) threw the Egyptian army into confusion in the Exodus, and in Exodus 23:27-28 in reference to the Conquest, the “hornet” is prophesied to cause confusion later.
“I will send my Terror (feminine) ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their back and run. I will send the hornet (feminine) ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites out of your way.”
In her closing remarks, she makes this distinction. The Power is parallel to the Terror (also feminine in the Hebrew), then the Power, also working as the Cloud, is said to have been involved in the same activity of confusing Israel’s enemies, making the Holy Spirit present. And, since the Holy Spirit (the divine feminine form of Yah) can enlighten and clarify, we should not be surprised that the “Spirit” may also perplex and bewilder.
Why is this important to us? The Holy Spirit or the Ruach is often described as fire or wind. Both of these descriptions are hard to control. Should it then be a surprise to us that “the Spirit” doesn’t just enlighten but can cause also cause bewilderment?
Over this year, we have seen major “meltdowns” from not only political leaders but from common people. We see confusion just about everywhere. Is this a sign for us? Could the Holy Spirit be doing the works of a hornet for us to enter the “New Land,” the land of the Messiah’s Kingdom? Just a thought, but I believe a worthwhile one.
If the hornet is alive and well, shouldn’t we also be taking the advice given by Moses to keep the commands of Yah and to hold onto His Covenant? It seems to be the only way to not be in a state of confusion or terror. “Hear O Israel” (Duet. 9:1) becomes an even more significant reality when Israel is told to cross over Jordan and take on the nations that are greater and mightier than they. To do this, one must believe in what he or she believes. If I know that He will never leave me nor forsake me, then my fear factor should be lessened. And, if I know He fights for me through the works of the Spirit, then I must step forward and proclaim victory. (Rom.8:31-39)
Be Blessed,
Rollyn
Interesting. Yahweh whistles for the bees, hornets, and wasps in the Word. Yes, they helped drive out the enemy. They also were around the clefts in rocks and watering holes. Deborah is an example of the anointing of the bees/hornets. Her name means bee!
Shalom