Metaphysical meaning of Etham (mbd)
Etham, e'-tham (Heb. fr. Egypt.)--border of the sea; seabound; extremes of habitation; desolation; sign of them; their universal symbol.
A place at the edge of the wilderness, where the Israelites camped after leaving Succoth and before crossing the Red Sea (Exod. 13:20).
Meta. An apparently negative phase of consciousness (desolation). When our highest, truest conscious ideals (Israelites) go beyond the old environment of race thought and understanding and lead us into new, untried experiences, we should keep our attention fixed on God, Spirit. If we allow ourselves to meditate on the "unknown future" from a sense point of view, we are likely to become fearful and negative; a state of mind that is akin to loneliness and gloom is apt to take hold of us. But there is always the sign of them: "Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; that they might go by day and by night: the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, departed not from before the people" (Ex. 13:21, 22). Thus God, Truth, is always with us to show us the way to go and to meet our every need, if we will but look to Him and not to seeming limitations.
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Preceding Entry: Etam
Following Entry: Ethan
