Metaphysical meaning of Bebai (mbd)
Bebai, be'-bai (Heb. from Pers.)--fatherly
a A man whose descendants returned from the captivity with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:11). b The father of a man named Zechariah, who came up from the Babylonian captivity with Ezra (Ezra 8:11). c The name of a man who joined Nehemiah in sealing the covenant (Neh. 10:15).
Meta. The fatherly quality that must have its place in every true spiritual thought in us that we would not have devoid of fruitfulness. In other words, that our true impulses and convictions may really bring forth fruit, we must recognize them as being our own children, the offspring of the Spirit of truth within us; we must not hold ourselves apart from them by thinking that some one else is responsible for them. For illustration: Some persons are always quoting others, in talking about Truth; they never speak the Truth out boldly, as Jesus Christ did, knowing that the Truth that they declare is the product of their own indwelling Christ and that they have the right to proclaim, "Thus saith the Lord within me."
The qualities in us that Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah (with whom the men named Bebai were connected) represent cannot establish themselves in our consciousness very strongly or fruitfully until we recognize them as being spiritual and until we know that we, cooperating with the God within us, are the father or producer of them. Even though some teacher or healer on the outside may have spoken the quickening word for us many times and with great effect for our good, yet the good itself, the light, the healing, the help that we have received, has come always from our own indwelling Spirit of God, which responded to the spoken word, whether the word was declared by another or by us. Truth never becomes established firmly in us until we lay hold of our own divine sonship, our birthright, and take up for ourselves the responsibility and the joy of putting on Christ.
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Preceding Entry: Bear
Following Entry: Becher
