As I read Genesis 14:13, it fascinated me: “Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew.” The context is Abraham being told of 5 kings who had captured his nephew, Lot. But that isn’t what intrigued me. What jumped out at me was Abram being called, for the first time, a “Hebrew.” No explanation was given, Yahweh just gave him a nickname.

I had to know!

When God started calling Abram this, there was as yet no “Hebrew” nation, nor was their language called “Hebrew.” The word, ibriy means “beyond, the other side.” It comes from abar, meaning “to cross over.” It can actually be crossing: into, out of, over, toward, or even beyond. Abraham was “the one from the other side; he who crossed over.”

When Abraham obeyed Yahweh, took the challenge, and started on a journey to “who knows where,” God was so impressed, He nicknamed him “he who crossed over.” It stuck.

At times, God places us on treasure hunts by capturing our curiosity. He knows that working for something increases its value, and He knows there is great treasure hidden in His Word. I was so intrigued by the concept of crossing over - being a Hebrew - I did an in-depth study of places in Scripture where this word is used. Often, they were generic, just people moving around; but I found much more.

God is maturing His church, His Ekklesia. It’s important that we embrace the discomfort and allow Him to teach us - grow us up - so our shoulders will be strong enough to carry His glory. Growth is a process; it involves change, even moving forward. As we do so, things can get uncomfortable. As “crossing over” people, we must maintain a crossing-over mentality.