TRUTH SPEAKERS FOR TRUTH SEEKERS: Behold

Before you think: what a strange title, in the end of this article, you will understand a bit more what it means and why it is such a beautiful word once you know the meaning.

Remember what I shared last week regarding the oneword365, focus on one word to always come back to as a guide of where you are going and where you want to be at the end of 2026.

The word "behold" comes from the Old English word behealdan, which means to "hold in one's sight" or "to watch". It is a compound of the prefix "be-" (meaning "thoroughly") and the verb "healdan" (meaning "to hold"). This Old English term evolved to specifically mean to look at or observe something remarkable.

Old English root: behealdan

Meaning of parts: "be-" (thoroughly) + "healdan" (to hold)

Evolution of meaning: From "to hold in view" or "to watch" to a specific command to "look at" or "observe" something, often of importance or spectacle.

The following is an excerpt from an article in lovedbibleproject.com.

In Bible terms, Behold (Hebrew: chazah, Greek: idou) means to look and see something of importance.

Behold, or a variation of this word, appears approximately 1,500 times in the Old Testament and around 200 times in the New Testament.

God has given humanity eyes and ears to enjoy the sights and sounds of this magnificent world. The sights and sounds of nature are extraordinary. Beaches, mountains, lakes, valleys, streams, wildlife, and all the rest of creation can be deeply enjoyed and point to a Creator. Proverbs 20:12 states, “the hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord made them both.” Why did He make us this way? He placed us in the midst of His creation to find enjoyment and ultimately to worship Him (Psalm 37:3, 148:5).

To behold is to look and see what God has done in the past and is doing in the present. Just as there is a physical world, there is also a spiritual world. God is continually working in both of them! Beholding God’s ongoing working is an important aspect of the Christian faith. God wants us to turn our attention from the cares and distractions of our daily lives to see how He is working. Whether big or small, God wants us to behold Him which will lead to greater peace, joy, and assurance in our lives. When we see blessings in the midst of uncertainty, God is reminding us of His presence.

Often, beholding God means we have the privilege of witnessing the new things. “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19) From His throne, Jesus said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5) We get to behold the new workings of God, because He has made His people new. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) As people of God, it is our great joy to continually look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, as we live out our days. Beholding Jesus is the grand storyline of the Bible and the key to deeper satisfaction in this life and in the one to come.” (end of excerpt)

Jesus himself used that word often to get his disciples or people’s attention, reminding them to really look!

In this present time, there is a lot to behold. What we set before our eyes and children’s eyes, is a choice we have to make daily. Can be pretty challenging.

What would be a good guide to go by? I would say the first guideline is: What I am about to “behold” and what is the source?

The more we look at things, the more we start thinking about it, desiring it and acting upon it. If we would behold the thing we are interested in, we will look intently with focused attention, observing it, meaning trying to look at it from different angles. The longer we gaze upon it, the more we start talking about it, desiring it and finally purchasing IT or get the things we desired so much. Now you know why they keep putting the same ads in front of you. It is so you start desiring it and finally buy their product, do their courses or enrol in their programme. They make you think you cannot do without it. Stay on top! YOU choose. Do not let the social media choose for you by their insistence through ads. Be smarter than them. Ask the Holy Spirit before you are caught up with watching anything.

The other invisible source- Satan- wants you to behold his stuff. Not pretty. Not wholesome, flashy, loud, repetitive , leaving you with a host of negative feelings, meanwhile letting you think, you really really need his stuff and  flashing it through your TV set and social media and your five senses. Because he screams so loud, talks so loud, and leaves no room for discussion, it is easy to fall for it.

Cure: Recognise it quickly and skip it. Be choosy! Picky with what you behold.

Why am I choosing that Word? Because I want to remind myself what I am going to behold and if it is beneficial for the goal I am working towards. That includes that it looks it could be beneficial but it is a distraction of the thing I am working on and the goal I am striving for. So if the timing is wrong, no matter how beneficial it is, skip it and just save if needed. You might not really need it that much.

The other reason is that I want to look more and more intently on the One I want to start looking like.

Like it says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 (CEV translation) - So our faces are not covered (like Moses face was after He had encountered God). They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord's Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord.

What was so glorious about Him? His innermost being. His character that was constantly shining out and demonstrated. Which was nothing less than the Spirit of God Himself. Many recognised he was not just a normal popular figure, but there was something Holy, beautiful  about Him that made Him so attractive that crowds came from far and wide just to listen to Him.

If people can see God’s shine on my face and thereby get connected with the Creator of the universe, the world will start looking more and more what God intended this World to be. A world of love, light, life and true peace.

Christmas is coming up. Good time to meditate on “why Christmas?”

Be blessed as you start beholding what will benefit your life and goals in this life.

Blessings

Akhrienuo