Camel גָּמָל

We are in chapter eleven of Leviticus with our word for today. גָּמָל camel. It is used 54 times in the Old Testament. We find our word as part of the accounting of one’s wealth. Genesis 24:34-35 So he said, “I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, וּגְמַלִּ֖ים camels and donkeys. Did you notice that YWHW was credited as giving Abraham his wealth? This is also true later of Jacob. Genesis 30:43; 31:9, 16 Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, וּגְמַלִּ֖ים and camels and donkeys … Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me … All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children.  It is interesting that our word is used the most in Genesis chapter 24 with the account of Abraham’s servant finding a wife for Isaac. It is used an amazing 17 times. This narrative shows us that this was a common means of transportation. Genesis 24:61, 63-64 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on הַגְּמַלִּ֔ים the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way … Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were גְמַלִּ֖ים camels coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from הַגָּמָֽל the camel. 1 Samuel 30:17 David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted הַגְּמַלִּ֖ים camels and fled. We also find our word used in the list of unclean animals that are not to be eaten. Deuteronomy 14:7 Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: הַ֠גָּמָל the camel … are unclean for you. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Leviticus 11:1-4 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: הַ֠גָּמָלThe camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. What made camel’s useful for travel was they also were used to carry a lot of goods and equipment. Genesis 37:25 And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 1 Chronicles 12:40 And also their relatives, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys וּבַגְּמַלִּ֣ים and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. Isaiah 30:6 They carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of גְּמַלִּים֙ camels, to a people that cannot profit them. We also see our word used of carrying gifts to be given to others at the end of their journey. Genesis 24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master's גְמַלִּ֜ים camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. 2 Chronicles 9:1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue וּ֠גְמַלִּים and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. 2 Kings 8:9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty גָּמָ֑ל camels' loads. Isaiah 60:6 A multitude of גְּמַלִּ֜ים camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord. This scene of camel’s carrying gifts reminds us of the gifts that were brought to Jesus after his birth. Our word is not used to describe what the wise men used to transport the gifts but it was more than likely the way they did it. I’ll close with a New Testament reference that is also translated camel. As we have seen wealth is a blessing from God but it is not a guarantee of eternal life. It can become a stumbling block in our relationship with God if we begin to rely on it. The good news is that our salvation is based on what Jesus has done for us on the cross and our faith in His saving work. Luke 18:24-30 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”