Reading the Bible accurately can be challenging for us in the West, because the Bible was written by a people who lived in the East. The audience that read the scrolls, listened in the synagogues and circulated the information would have understood contextually what was being communicated by the author, from Moses in Genesis to the apostle John in Revelation.

The richness of the word of God unlocks for us when we understand the culture and context in which it was written. Out of this archeological dig in the word, we find treasures that cause us to stand in awe and wonder.

Having lived in Malaysia for 9 years, I learned the culture of the East, which has afforded me some understanding of biblical texts I did not understand prior to this opportunity. An example of what I am talking about is found in Acts 12:13-14 “And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.” (KJV)

Did you catch it. Peter did not knock on the gate with his knuckle like we knock on a door, but rather she heard his voice. He knocked on the gate by using his voice not his knuckle. This is important, because in the East, they have gates to houses and you announce your arrival with your voice not a doorbell or a knuckle knock.

Now with this said, I am reading Mark 7 this morning and the word Ephphatha sticks out to me and it means in Aramaic “Be opened”. I am staring at this word and the Lord says, “There are doors that have not opened for my people, because they are voice activated doors not knuckle knocking or doorbell ringing doors.”

I sense the Lord inviting us to declare over doors we have knocked on but have not opened yet, I sense we are to decree to that door, EPHPHATHA, be opened! I see people sitting outside closed doors and the Lord says, “Stand up and decree to the door, EPHPHATHA!” Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org