By Rabbi Gary Berseford, Ohr Yeshua Messianic Synagogue
Besorah is the Hebrew word that is usually translated as good news or good tidings. It can also mean to announce, declare, to bring, and tell good tidings. This is brought out in many places in Scripture e.g., in 2 Kings 7:9 when the lepers informed the king that the Arameans had fled and abandoned all their food and belongings and in the camp.
The word euangellion is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew and is the word used to inform us of the Good News of Yeshua and that the kingdom of Heaven is with us or as it is often translated “at hand.”
The translators of the Gospels decided to use a German based word that morphed into the English, gospel,which really has nothing to do with Hebrew or Greek. This creates a mindset that the Good News only came from the Yeshua’s time on earth. However, the work of Yeshua our Messiah is above all that was done for mankind since the creation of humanity.
Good news has been with us since man was created, and G-d has revealed the blessings He has poured out on us…
· The saving of Noah and his family was certainly good news for them as it was to the creatures that were saved.
· Abraham receiving a visitation from G-d was a blessing and good news. The blessing of a son to Abraham and Sarah in their old age was good news.
· The fact that Isaac was chosen over Ishmael was good news for Isaac and the Jewish people.
· Jacob wrestling with G-d as the story seems to imply received a blessing from G-d who changed his name to Yisrael. The good disposition of Esau toward Jacob and his family on his return to the Promised Land was good news.
· Joseph being spared from being murdered by his brothers was good news. Ultimately, he was positioned to manage the grain reserves and save not only the Egyptians but Israel from calamity when severe drought swept the Middle East and North Africa. That was good news.
I could go on and on through the Scriptures, which is important for us to read and understand and gain insight into the character of the Lord, to grasp the blessings and the curses. But above all, to understand what it means to be a member of the guf HaMeshiach, the body of Messiah.
At the UMJA conference, we heard many great teachings, however, the main theme was the Gospel. Many were expecting teachings on how to bring the Good News, but. just as G-d had broken into my life and changed me, so many have had the same experience. Each experience is unique to every individual, but the result should be the same--we are changed by the Spirit of G-d.
We are the living Gospel, G-d’s Good News and we need to reveal this to all we encounter. We are different and we think differently to the world, we think along G-dly biblical lines and should not be ashamed of the Good News as Paul tells. We should be proud and not arrogant that G-d has placed His Spirit within us.
Therefore, let us not hide the light of Messiah, but let it shine forth because that is the Good News that is within and without.