Ecclesiastes 4:12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Our relationship with the Lord is repeatedly expressed as a marriage. And human marriage has been expressed as a type of the Divine union of Messiah and His Bride. When a man and a woman are joined together in a marital union, the two together acquire a new level of strength according to this word. In that context, here in Israel and elsewhere, it is also said that, “A threefold cord is not easily broken.” But where is the third cord?
An answer may be derived from the Hebrew words for “man”, (eesh איש), “woman”, (eesha אשה), (because she was taken out of man), and “fire”(esh אש). The root letters for both “man” and “woman” are the same letters in the Hebrew word for “fire”.
We also notice that the “yod” (י) in the Hebrew word for “man”, and the “hey” (ה) at the end of the Hebrew word for “woman”, together form the word “Yah” (יה), a shortened version of YHVH, God’s Name given to Moses. Thus, implicit in the Hebrew spelling of the two genders, when joined together, we find the “third cord”, the Name of God, who identifies Himself as a “refiner’s fire”.
Take God (יה Yah) out of the marital relationship, and you are left with (אש, “fire”), human passion, often a fire of lust, which more than ever now is totally unable to sustain marriages, when the human “fire” dies out, and they burn and collapse. But keep Yah (יה) in the marriage, and this “third strand”, binding the couple together to withstand the fires of life, will strengthen the unity exponentially!
Marriage is under attack. We have all seen it and many have experienced it up close. Few have been spared the devastation caused by divorce somewhere in their circle of friends and family, and sadly many of those who divorce call themselves “Christians”. Yet, believers, betrothed to be the Bride of Christ, and sealed unto Him by His Holy Spirit, married or not, are being refined to be without spot or wrinkle for a Divine nuptial. And human marriage is almost invariably a vessel of that refining process for those who are joined as “one flesh”. If you’re in a marriage like that, please stick it out, persevere, by weaving in that “third strand”. Yah, with His Holy fire in your crucible marriage is burning the impurities out of you, both for the sake of your earthly union, but even much more, for your impending marriage to His Son.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Last night marked the beginning of Shavuot–a feast that many Christians recognize as Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit was poured out in Acts 2. But the roots of Shavuot stretch back much further. Long before that upper room encounter–about 1,500 years earlier–Shavuot was the day God gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai, writing His commandments on tablets of stone.
In a world trembling with uncertainty–political unrest, economic turmoil, natural disasters–God is speaking again. Not in whispers, but with the shaking that reorders lives, redefines kingdoms, and removes everything that cannot stand in the presence of His glory. He is preparing us for a kingdom that cannot be moved. But in the midst of the shaking, there is rest — a deep, unshakable rest reserved for the people of God. Not rest as the world gives — temporary relief or distraction — but the kind that anchors the soul in the storm, the kind that is rooted in Yeshua (Jesus), our rest.
Just as a bird needs both wings to fly, a victorious life requires both faith and obedience. In Joshua, God calls Joshua to lead Israel into the Promised Land, not just with bold confidence but with complete dependence on His Word. Faith believes what God says; obedience acts upon it. One without the other stalls the journey. This moment wasn’t just about crossing into the promise land — it was about stepping into covenant reality, where trust in God’s promise was matched by surrender to God’s command.
The Book of Joshua offers more than a military history; it reveals the spiritual dynamics behind every victory and defeat in the life of a believer.
After Moses’ death, God commissioned Joshua to lead Israel into Canaan—a real place that carried profound spiritual meaning. Canaan was not a picture of heaven, for it was filled with enemies, obstacles, and the ongoing need for faith and obedience. Instead, it symbolized the believer’s journey: a life marked by conflict and conquest, failure and faithfulness, struggle and surrender. Just as Joshua was told to rise and cross the Jordan, every follower of Christ is called to move beyond mere spiritual survival into a victorious, Spirit-empowered walk—a life that embraces the fullness of God’s promises with courage, rest, and purpose.
When we hear the word Hineini—”Here I am,” many of us immediately think of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 6, standing before the throne of God, overwhelmed by His holiness. After being cleansed by the burning coal, Isaiah hears the Lord ask, “Whom shall I send?” and responds with the now-famous phrase: “Hineini—Here am I. Send me.”
Following Yeshua (Jesus) isn’t just about believing the right things or checking boxes. It’s about wanting to truly know God — to experience Him personally. And here’s the amazing part: even that desire starts with Him. God is the one who stirs our hearts and awakens our longing. If you find yourself hungry for more of Him, it’s because He’s already working in you.