January 4
0 comments
On the tenth day of Christmas
By Tresta Neil
Called to Learn
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . .
“ten lords a leaping” Traditionally ten was used to remind us of the Ten Commandments. While the missionaries taught a young lady in our home they shared with us an easy finger play of how to remember the Ten Commandments and their order. I recommend you ask a missionary the next time you have one over.
| God enjoys using the number ten also. There are the TEN commandments, the TEN plagues, and the TEN tribes. There are TEN generations between Adam and Noah and another TEN before Abraham. The Tabernacle and Solomon’s temple were each TEN-part structured and measured. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest of Jewish holy days marks the end of the TEN Days of Awe. The Levites received 1 /TENth of all income as their inheritance (Num. 18:22) and the Lord asked us to give tithing of 1 / TENth our income. Oh, don’t forget the TEN virgins, they are still waiting for their bridegroom. 🙂 |
The etymology of the word ‘ten’
The word “ten” is derived from the Indo-Eurpean word dekm, signifying “two hands” a reference to our ten fingers. From Sanskrit dasa, Greek deka and Latin decem. The Germanic branch changed the “d” to a “tz” in “zehn” and from this came “ten.” In Hebrew and Arabic the word for “ten” is ‘kinsman’ or ‘tribe.’ ‘Yod’ is the tenth letter and number in the Hebrew Alphabet. It is the smallest of all the letters, but the most powerful. Anciently it was written as an arm and a hand reprinting work and worship, wholeness and oneness, and the power to act. Yod’ is suspended in midair and has two right angles implying the covenants that we make with our right hand.
‘Yod’ is small and seemingly insignificant just as our hands are small, but do more work than any other member of our body. Just as one drop of oil holds the whole essence of the plant from which it comes. Our cells hold the whole essence of the entire body.
| Hands are the simplest examples that show the law of numbers. Both are alike and each is opposite from the other. Hands are the most versatile parts of our body and the only ones capable of reaching any other part. |
The number ten is unity at another level. We are back at ONE with another value, in this case a place marker, or zero. The root of TEN is ONE. TEN has all the values of ONE, unity, oneness, heaven, father, cycles, etc. Ten is ONE powered by TEN. TEN represents the Power to Act. Multiplying by ten doesn’t change the number but only act to expand its power! 50 is an expression of 5. It is expanded power.
| Our currency is a base 10 system. The coins are equal to one dollar and the bills can equal the hundred dollar bill. I remember reading a book about a man who immigrated to America. Years later he was mentoring another young man and telling him all the things he could be grateful for and one of them was our currency-based ten system. It is so easy to learn and grasp an understanding. |
| In our school, we use the AL Abacus to teach math. This is a base ten manipulative with ten beads on each wire, five of one color and five of another. This is just like our hands, five and five. It makes counting visual for children and they don’t have to count on their fingers. The picture shows 38, easily seen and understood. |
| Gemini, the twins are the tenth constellation. They are identical twins, one dressed in red and the other in white, holding a harp and a bow and arrows, holding a club. The twins represent that Christ is both the Father and the Son. We take upon us His name when we are baptized and He becomes our Father. He is the only begotten son of the Father and our brother. The twins also depict the first and second coming of Christ. |
| On the tenth day of Christmas, My Father gave to me ten commandments, nine spiritual gifts, eight new levels, seven complete cycles, six celebrations, five things of power, four family members, three great desires, two directions … |
You might also like