The oasis of Elim. Wow, what a resting place! I can picture it as a scene in a movie: lush, flourishing, and with water galore. The Children of Israel must have loved it there. From their vantage point, coming as they were from enslavement, it might have felt like Heaven.
So what does Elim mean, and is there any other significance to this oasis? Let’s think about it as we consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Exodus 15:27 AFV
[27] And they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. And they camped there by the waters.
Resting Place
In reading the Bible, we can’t always be content to take words at face value. Each Hebrew word has a weight of meaning behind it, especially in place names. When numbers are included … well, the significance usually increases even more. Let’s think some more about Elim.
Self-Check
How do you read the Bible? Do you dig deeper in the hope of hearing a direct message from the words and meanings embedded in the text? Why/not?
Digging (much) Deeper
Did you think about its meaning? The word Elim does not mean ‘resting place’, or even oasis. It seems to be connected to palm trees or trees in general, as some commentators suggest that it refers to a terebinth oak. If the former, it could be a nod to the 70 palm trees that were thriving there. If the author was referring to the terebinth oak, however, there’s much to consider from that meaning.
We might recall that in Genesis 18, Abram had his divine encounter regarding the promised son Isaac. In fact, that terebinth was a place of laughter, Sarai’s laughter as she thought of conceiving a son in her last years. So much so that Isaac was named Laughter. If we stopped at the transliteration terebinth, we could say that the Children of Israel camped at Elim and experienced a divine encounter, wherein their joy in YHWH was restored.
Profound
It is important to know and recall that the Torah was most likely recorded and redacted (updated/revised) by several groups of authors. They wrote in different eras, with specific audiences in mind. Many believe that the redaction of Exodus could have occurred during the Exile when the Jews tried to determine what made sense in their faith. If that holds, one message from the visit to Elim could be for the Jews to remember that godly joy is far more effective than kicking against the bricks.
Siblings, I didn’t stop at the definition of Elim as terebinth, although I was tempted. There’s even more to be unpacked from this one place name. Terebinths belong to the pistachio family and are all-around beneficial to humans. Not only does it offer shade from the sun, but the seeds and berries are edible. The resin (turpentine) has healing properties as an antiseptic and expectorant. The fruit cures stomach aches and other mild maladies.
For me, this is important as we consider the broader context of our reading. They had possibly drunk the poisonous waters: a tree (probably terebinth) was used to heal the waters, and YHWH covenanted to safeguard their healing. What better place to stop next in their journey, than by an oasis filled with healing trees? Siblings, in the middle of the wilderness, YHWH provided.
So, where are we at this moment
– disconsolate and in need of joy? Let’s encounter YHWH at Elim.
– a bit unwell physically or mentally?
Perhaps Elim is the place to be
Today, I urge us to visit with Y’shua at Elim, and seek to point someone there. Let’s invite them simply to come: https://share.google/u313aUfMWVYH9Y1m6
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May all we seek be found in Christ
