Beech Tree News Network

Amen is a word we hear at the close of prayer. Often, when one ends his prayer with “Amen,” we hear others echo, “Amen.” We rarely use the word today except at those times or when we agree with something someone has said during a sermon. Would it surprise you to learn that the word “Amen” is found no less than 78 times in the Bible? When we add the words “verily” or “truly” to this list, since it is the same word in the original, we find the term used hundreds of times in Scripture!

The most recent (and infamous) example of people misunderstanding what “Amen” means was on Sunday (1/3/21), when the U.S. Representative from MO, Emmanuel Cleaver, offered a prayer over the 117th Congress. He closed his prayer by saying, “Amen and awoman.” Can you imagine anything so ridiculous? He later said the way he ended his prayer was a “joke.” (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/05/a-woman-prayer-emanuel-c...) Regardless of the intentions, the Representative’s statement hit the social media circus and has become one of the most popular words on the internet. I find it interesting that I cannot write “awoman” without my computer telling me I have misspelled a word!

Whether or not we include Cleaver in the following, it is still true that there are people so sensitive to gender issues that they think the word “amen” is gender-specific since the letters “m,” “e,” and “n” are present! If that is the case, then when I go to a restaurant and get a “menu,” does that mean my wife must receive a “womenu”? I want to ask when the madness will end, but I know it will not so long as people, especially the majority of elected officials, choose to ignore the Bible! Hosea 4:6 is seen in full force these days!

The word “amen” means “let it be so.” The Lexham Bible Dictionary tells us that “amen” is a Hebrew word that carries with it the idea of something being reliable, trustworthy, or firm. To say “amen” means you are pledging a faithfulness or a trustworthiness in something. The Hebrew word “amen” is also translated as “verily” in the New Testament. It is not gender-specific!

Therefore, when offering a prayer, we often say, “in Jesus’ name, amen.” This means, “let it be so” in the name of (by the authority of) Jesus. It is interesting to note that there are times when God says “amen.” When God says, “amen,” it means “it is so”! Think of all the times Jesus said “verily.” He was declaring His teachings are true, firm, and can be trusted! Now, perhaps we can appreciate II Corinthians even more. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” We can trust God’s promises! Isaiah 65:16 emphasizes this, as well. In the original, it reads, “the God of Amen”! It should be no surprise then that in Revelation 3:14, Jesus calls Himself “amen”! Yes, God is to be trusted! He is faithful; His word is firm! 

Amen is a special word and ought to be held in awe among the people. It is packed with meaning! Even if we believe that “amen and awomen” was a “joke” from the Representative from Missouri, the term “Amen” is no joke! It is not gender-specific but is a powerful word with a powerful meaning. Oh, that all of man’s words might be “Yes and Amen.”

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