Shamar: Joyful GUARDians of the Earth
May 28, 2023 hebrewwordlessons
Shamar, verb “to guard” (Strong’s 8104); shimmur, “a watching” or “a vigil”, masculine noun (Strong’s 8107); shomrah, “guardian/guard” feminine noun (Strong’s 8108). [Note: There are two other Hebrew words that often get translated as “to guard”… sakak, which is a verb “to cover or shelter” (Strong’s 5526); and natsar, which is a keeper, observer, or watchguard (5341). Today we will be looking primarily at shamar.]
Root: שָׁמַר
Sounds like: shaw-mar
Recently the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3” came out. We have a soft spot in our family for this trilogy. My children have fond memories of their Dad taking them to the first film and I remember when they returned from the movies, bright-eyed with excitement over their newly found love for Groot, Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora and Rocket. These weren’t just heroes who protected a city, they were guardians of an entire galaxy, and they were awesome!
So where did this idea come from, that the galaxy needs guardians? Actually, to guard, is a Biblical calling! In the beginning, humans were commissioned by God to guard the planet:
Genesis 2:15
Then YHWH God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep [guard: u-l-sham’rah וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ] it.
The majority of translations use the phrase “to keep”, but that doesn’t really reflect the best connotation. In our modern understanding, to keep is to hold onto something, perhaps shove it in a drawer, but to guard means that you stand by it and protect it.
Guarding the Earth and Everything in it
In the Bible humans were commissioned to be the guardians (not just keepers) of this beautiful planet. We were to protect it, nurture it, cultivate it and encourage it to grow; we were to shelter and defend it from harm and attacks. God wanted to partner with us to guard His creation. It was meant to be a beautiful relationship of love and trust and communal partnership, with both parties encouraging this planet to flourish and grow. But something went terribly wrong.
When Eve and Adam disobeyed God in the Garden, they opened their hearts to the desires of power, autonomy and wealth… and their commission to guard the planet morphed into a desire to put themselves first at whatever cost to the earth. Instead of guarding the earth and helping it flourish and grow, they would take advantage of the planet and abuse it. It was a shift in responsibility that is very much alive today. Human’s desire for wealth and power has put the planet in grave danger.
God, seeing that Adam and Eve put Eden at risk, had to usher the humans out of the Garden and into the wilderness. Their own actions forced them to leave:
Genesis 3:24
So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard [li-sh’mohr לִשְׁמֹ֕ר] the way to the tree of life.
The Cherubim were now the Guardians of the Gateway, separating humans from God.
The wilderness was a hard place to be without YHWH’s protection. But He did not wholly abandon them. They could not come to Him in the Garden, but He could come to them in the wilderness, and He did! He built a relationship with them where they were. Their commission did not change; they were still meant to be Guardians of the planet, but as a result of their self-righteousness and greed they tended to look only after themselves and they lost their way.
When the sons of Adam and Eve gave an offering to God, they gave what they thought was right, but God questioned the sincerity and validity of Cain’s offering. Seeing that his brother’s offering was not questioned, Cain let down his guard and opened up his heart to pride, jealousy in rage. With little thought, he murdered his brother Abel. When YHWH interrogated him, Cain made it very clear that he was only guarding his own well-being and was not responsible for his brother:
Genesis 4:9-12
Then YHWH said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
And he said, “I do not know. Am I the keeper [the guradian: ha-shohmer הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר] of my brother?”
Then He [YHWH] said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth.”
Cain assumed the answer to his question, “Am I the keeper of my brother?” was “no”, but he was wrong. The original commission was for all humans to guard all of God’s creation, including every single human. The answer to Cain’s question was “Yes! You are the guardian of your brother” and you just failed in your calling… and, as we will see, there were grave consequences to that failure!
Guard the Covenant
Humanity’s original commission was to cultivate the earth and everything in it and to guard it, but after their expulsion from the God’s Garden, humans would wander through the earth like strangers in a hostile land.
And so God gave His people a new calling… they would be Guardians of the Covenant made between YHWH and humanity:
Genesis 17:9-10
God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall guard [ti-sh’mohr תִשְׁמֹ֑ר] My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall guard [ti-sh’m’ru תִּשְׁמְר֗וּ], between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.
God set up relationship covenants which included promises and boundaries for both parties. Humans broke their promises over and over. But God, on the other hand, never ever went back on His promises.
Genesis 28:15
[YHWH to Jacob:] “Behold, I am with you and will guard you [u-sh’mar’tika וּשְׁמַרְתִּ֙יךָ֙] wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”Priests: Guardians of Knowledge
The Hebrew priesthood was put in place to help the community safe-guard the Covenant between YHWH and His people:
Malachi 2:5-7
“My covenant with him [Levi] was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and was in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth and injustice was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and justice, and he turned many back from wrongdoing. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge [yi-sh’m’ru da’at יִשְׁמְרוּ־דַ֔עַת], and people should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of YHWH of armies.
In the day, a good priest was a champion of peace and justice; they were to guard the knowledge of God, give true instruction, and walk alongside those heading in the wrong direction in order to gently turn them back towards the path that led to YHWH.
Today all followers of YHWH are meant to be, essentially, priests. We are all children of true instruction, called to guard each other on the path that leads to YHWH. We are all guardians of this knowledge and guardians of the earth.
Guard Me, God!
Although there were priests who guarded the knowledge of God, they could not save the people. All humans were expected to look towards God as the One Guardian who could save them. King David was very aware of God’s covenantal promises of salvation, yet he still repeatedly prayed that God would guard him from his enemies:
Psalm 16:1-2, 5
[David to YHWH:] Guard me, God [Sham’reni El שָֽׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֝֗ל], for I take refuge in You. I said to YHWH, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides You.”…YHWH is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot (my allotted portion).
Psalm 25:16-22
[David to YHWH:] Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Look at my misery and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.
Look at my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with violent hatred.
Guard my soul [sham’rah naf’shi שָׁמְרָ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי] and deliver me; do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
Let integrity and uprightness protect me, for I wait for You. Redeem Israel, God, from all his distress.
Psalm 86:1-5
[David to YHWH:] Incline Your ear, YHWH, and answer me; for I am afflicted and needy. Guard my soul [sham’rah naf’shi שָֽׁמְרָ֣ה נַפְשִׁי֮], for I am godly; You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.Be gracious to me, Lord, for I call upon You all day long. Make the soul of Your servant joyful, for to You, Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all who call upon You.
Prayers were beautiful reminders to YHWH that David still put his trust in God’s covenants. David was not apathetic about his relationship with his Creator. He maintained a constant dialogue with his heavenly Covenant Partner. He guarded this relationship with his life. It is a good lesson for us about the purpose of prayer. If we’re going to guard our relationship with God like it’s an irreplaceable treasure, then communicating through prayer is absolutely essential.
I Have Guarded Myself against Evil
Although David had a rich prayer life, he also knew he had a responsibility outside of prayer. Yes, YHWH would guard Him, no questions asked, but David also had to guard his own actions and behaviour:
Psalm 17:3-8
[David to YHWH:] You have put my heart to the test; You have visited me by night; You have sifted me and You find nothing; my intent is that my mouth will not offend.As for the works of mankind, by the word of Your lips I have kept [I have guarded myself: shamar’ti שמרתי] from the ways of the violent. My steps have held to Your paths. My feet have not slipped.
I have called upon You, for You will answer me, God; incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. Show Your wonderful faithfulness, Saviour of those who take refuge at Your right hand from those who rise up against them.
Keep me [Guard me: Sham’reni שמרני] as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.
David guarded himself from becoming like the men of this world, violent and power hungry. And he did it by calling on God, following His path, and holding onto God’s statutes.
Psalm 18:20-31
[David:] YHWH has rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has repaid me.For I have kept [guarded: shamar’ti שמַרְתִּי] the ways of YHWH, and have not acted wickedly against my God. For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me.
I was also blameless with Him, and I kept [guarded: wa-eh-sh’tamer וָ֝אֶשְׁתַּמֵּ֗ר] myself from my wrongdoing. Therefore YHWH has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.
With the faithful You show Yourself faithful; with the blameless You prove Yourself blameless; with the pure You show Yourself pure, and with the crooked You show Yourself astute. For You save an afflicted people, but You humiliate haughty eyes.
For You light my lamp; YHWH my God illuminates my darkness. For by You I can run at a troop of warriors; and by my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is blameless; the word of YHWH is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but YHWH? And who is a rock, except our God.
Be Careful = Be on Guard
Following God’s laws wasn’t just about keeping them nearby; it was about guarding them like a treasure. And so being on guard meant being very careful (guarded) about keeping God’s commandments.
Deuteronomy 12 repeatedly used “guarding” to denote careful attention to God’s laws:
Deuteronomy 12:1 “These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully [ti-sh’m’ruhn תִּשְׁמְר֣וּן] follow in the land which YHWH, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth.”
Deuteronomy 12:13 “Be careful [Hee-shamer הִשָּׁ֣מֶר] that you do not offer your burnt offerings in any cultic place that you see.”
Deuteronomy 12:19 “Be careful [Hee-shamer הִשָּׁ֣מֶר] that you do not abandon the Levite…”
Deuteronomy 12:28 “Take care [Sh’mohr שְׁמֹ֣ר] and listen to all these words which I am commanding you….”
Deuteronomy 12:30 “…be careful [hee-shamer הִשָּׁ֣מֶר] that you are not ensnared to follow them (the nations), after they are destroyed from your presence…”
Deuteronomy 12:32 “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful [ti-sh’m’ru תִשְׁמְר֖וּ] to do; you shall not add to nor take anything away from it.”
We are to guard ourselves from evil and we are to be fully committed and on-guard for the treasure of God’s words:
Deuteronomy 26:16-19
“This day YHWH your God commands you to perform these statutes and ordinances. Therefore you shall be careful [be on guard: w-shamar’ta וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֤] to perform them with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you have declared YHWH to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep [guard: w-li-sh’mohr וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר] His statutes, His commandments, and His ordinances, and listen to His voice. And YHWH has today declared you to be His people, His treasured possession, just as He promised you, and that you are to keep [guard: w-li-sh’mohr וְלִשְׁמֹ֖ר] all His commandments; and that He will put you high above all the nations which He has made, for glory, fame, and honour; and that you shall be a consecrated people to YHWH your God, just as He has spoken.”
Humans were YHWH’s treasured possession (segullah), and humans were meant to guard the Word of God which was the treasured possession that God had gifted to humans.
But, the problem was, the people forgot all about the treasure they had been given. They were not careful and they turned to evil:
Proverbs 16:17
The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; one who watches his way guards [shomer שֹׁמֵ֥ר] his life.
When the people let their guard down and turned away from God, they felt the full weight of their choices. They turned their back on God, and God respected their decision and let the world come at them, face on. They did not guard His commandments so He would not guard them. Babylon took full advantage of this situation. They marched in, destroyed Jerusalem, took its people captive and sent them into exile:
Jeremiah 8:7
“Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons; and the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane guard [sham’ru שָׁמְר֖וּ] the time of their migration; but My people do not know the judgment of YHWH.”
Jeremiah did his best to show the people of Jerusalem just how blind and stupid their behaviour had made them. Birds guarded the changing times of their lives, but humans couldn’t recognize the changing times and opened their doors to destruction. They didn’t guard their relationship with YHWH and so Babylon forced a new relationship upon them… one of fear and dominance and servitude.
But all was not lost. Nehemiah was one of God’s chosen people in exile in Babylon. He prayed to YHWH and reminded Him of His promise to bring them back to home if they turned their hearts back to God:
Nehemiah 1:7-9
[Nehemiah to YHWH:] “We have acted very corruptly against You and have not guarded [w-lo shamar’nu וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣רְנוּ] the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, please, the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and guard [u-sh’mar’tem וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙] My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to have My name dwell.’”Babylon had destroyed them, but they had not annihilated them. YHWH gathered the remnants of His scattered people and brought them back to Israel. They rebuilt the Temple and rebuilt their relationship with their God.
YHWH will Guard the Messiah
YHWH guarded His people even when they rejected His guardianship. From the beginning He had a plan to save them. In the Covenant He made with David He promised guard His favour over David and His descendants forever:
Psalm 89:19-29
[Psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite:] Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ones, and said, “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found My servant David; with My holy oil I have anointed him, with whom My hand will be established; My arm also will strengthen him. The enemy will not deceive him, nor will the son of wickedness afflict him. But I will crush his adversaries before him, and strike those who hate him.My faithfulness and My favour will be with him, and in My name his horn will be exalted. I will also place his hand on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers. He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’ I will also make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. I will maintain [guard/preserve: eh-sh’mar אֶשְׁמָר] My favour for him forever, and My covenant shall be confirmed to him. So I will establish his descendants forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.”
God’s Covenant with David was that his line on the throne would be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13). From David’s seed would come the Messiah who would be their everlasting King. Guarding God’s commandments, guarding justice, guarding the Shabbat, and guarding themselves from doing evil… these were all the ways humans could hold themselves accountable and protect themselves as they waited for the long-awaited Anointed One to come and rescue them:
Isaiah 56:1-2
This is what YHWH says: “Guard justice [shim’ru mish’pat שִׁמְר֥וּ מִשְׁפָּ֖ט] and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come and My righteousness to be revealed.
Blessed is a man who does this, and a son of man who takes hold of it; who guards the Sabbath [shomer Shabbat שֹׁמֵ֤ר שַׁבָּת֙] from defilement, and guards his hand [w-shomer yadow וְשֹׁמֵ֥ר יָדֹ֖ו] from doing any evil.”
Guarded by His Angels
When Yeshua (Jesus) finally came onto the scene, He faced adversity head on. The chief Adversary (ha-Satan) came to Him in the wilderness and tested His resolve:
Luke 4:9-13
And he (ha-Satan) brought Him into Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written:
‘He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘on their hands they will lift You up, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone.’”
And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been stated, ‘You shall not put the LORD your God to the Test.’”
And so when the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
This was the one time that Satan quoted Hebrew scripture. It came from Psalm 91, which is interesting because this Psalm was know to be used in the exorcism practises of antiquity:
Psalm 91:9-12
For you have made YHWH, my refuge, the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will happen to you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you [guard you: li-sh’mar’ka לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗] in all your ways.
On their hands they will lift you up, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
YHWH guarded His people from the ‘evil one’ and that protection was essential to His people. But when they turned their back on Him, they opened up their arms to the Adversary. It was a dangerous game to play.
At the end of His ministry on earth, Yeshua prayed a prayer of protection for His disciples. He knew, full well, how risky it was to live in this world, constantly bombarded by evil forces and apathetic people. Yeshua prayed passionately, asking YHWH to protect those He left behind:
John 17:11-19
I am no longer going to be in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
Later, Paul the Missionary also prayed for the community of believers to be guarded from the evil one:
2 Thessalonians 3:1-3
Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it was also with you; and that we will be rescued from troublesome and evil people; for not all have the faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and guard [Greek: phylaxei] you from the evil one.
As we wander in this world, that often seems very much like wilderness, we can hold onto to comforting thought that YHWH is our loving and protective Guardian:
Psalm 146:8-10
YHWH opens the eyes of those who are blind; YHWH raises up those who are bowed down; YHWH loves the righteous.
YHWH guards [YHWH shomer יהוה שמר] strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, but He thwarts the way of the wicked.
YHWH will reign forever, Your God, Zion, to all generations. Praise YHWH!
As a widow, this passage speaks to me. Sometimes I feel very alone and it’s good to be able to trust that I am protected and safe under the watching eye of a loving Guardian God. But I also recognize that I have a job to do.
I wake up every morning, look at the empty space beside me, and make the conscious decision to do my best to be joyful. And I do that because for the past few years it has become very evident that in this world there is often more pessimism than optimism, more negativity than positivity, more complaints than encouragement.
People tell me all the time that it’s nice that I’m so happy and joyful, “considering”. And I have great empathy for their kindness. They are trying to lift my spirits with encouraging words. I, actually, appreciate that. But widowhood sometimes feels like we don’t have the right to feel joy… like it’s an insult to our spouses passing.
If anything, widowhood has taught me to hold on, stronger than ever, to my faith, and to be empathetic and forgiving, open and honest, positive and joyful.
So I beg you to be on your guard. The Adversary thrives very well on indifference. Don’t get recruited by the league of apathy that is alive and thriving on this planet. Whatever you’re going through, do your best to stand up as a Guardian of Joy, because even if it doesn’t make a difference to anyone around you, it will at least make a difference to you.
If you believe that Yeshua is your King, you should revel in JOY! You are free! You are redeemed! Whatever you’re going through, YHWH will be your Guardian. He will lift you up out of darkness and set you before Him in His Kingdom.
YHWH doesn’t watch over His people from a distance, He actively guards them. He is the true Guardian of the Galaxy. He made it, He protects it, and only He can hold it all together. The healing of the planet is in His hands. For now, all we have to do is live in it, and reflect the face of YHWH to everyone around us. In a world that aches of apathy and indifference, let us stand out as Guardians of God’s Love and Joy. Because if we don’t, who will?
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© Sarah E. Fisher and www.hebrewwordlessons.com, [2017]. The author and owner of this site is a proponent of the Open Access model of scholarly communication. However, unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Sarah E. Fisher and hebrewwordlessons.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.