Shamar is used in Genesis 2:15 'to dress and to keep it'; in Genesis

3:24, 'to keep the way of the tree of life'; and in Genesis 4:9 'Am I my

brother's keeper?'  In these early references, the idea of watchful care and

guarding against possible attack is uppermost.

We also find references to waiting that imply among other things the

thought of service (Num. 3:10; 2 Chron. 5:11; Prov. 27:18).  For example:

'Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that

waiteth on his master shall be honoured' (Prov. 27:18).

Here then is a 'waiting' that serves, that watches, that guards.

Lord Himself links together 'watching', 'waiting' and 'occupying' in

connection with His coming, and the apostle exhorts Timothy,

'That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the

appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Tim. 6:14).

'Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to

wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus,

Which delivered us from the wrath to come' (1 Thess. 1:9,10).

While we seek to avoid as far as possible the controversial in this

study, it is obvious that such subjects as our 'hope' and the 'Second Coming'

cannot be dissociated from our particular calling.  Nevertheless, we may

still extract some universal lesson without binding ourselves to

undispensational views.

The Greek word anameno occurs only once in the New Testament (1 Thess.

1:10) but its constituent parts are of frequent occurrence:

Ana.  This word primarily means 'up', although it is never so rendered

in the New Testament.  In fact the word ana is used with much the same

breadth as the word 'up' in English.  There is no thought of the direction

'up' in such common phrases as 'up against', 'to be well up in', 'to slow

up'.  In combination ana is often merely emphatic.  A man who found

circumstances 'against' him, might use the phrase 'up against' for the sake

of emphasis.

Meno.  The intransitive form of this word means 'to abide', 'to

remain', 'to dwell'; the transitive form (indicated usually by the presence

of 'for') means 'to wait for', 'to expect'.  We must not, however, entirely

eliminate the primary meaning 'to remain'.  There are other words that are

better translated 'wait' or 'expect'.  This one (anameno) supposes an element

of pressure, against which the one who 'waits' is called upon to endure.  The

references to the 'wrath to come' on the one hand, and the 'turning from

idols' on the other, indicate sufficiently the particular element of pressure

here which makes this expectancy of the Lord's Return and deliverance one

that is well expressed by the word anameno.

The believer is sometimes disturbed as he reads page after page

concerning war in the Old Testament record, and there are some who, through

misunderstanding, have put the New Testament with its Gospel of peace over

against the Old Testament with its continual warfare as though the one

contradicted the other, instead of being related as promise and fulfilment.

The fact is, that ever since the temptation and fall of Adam (and much