Uthai. Now there is a name for you. What mother looked into the eyes of her newborn little bundle of love and with a cooing voice said, “Your name will be Uthai.”
Pronounced in Portuguese it would ooo-tie. Using a Mid-west U.S. accent it might come out You-thigh. Whatever the pronunciation it is not among the top-ten most popular boy names. If you have read the Bible through you have read about Uthai. Unless of course you "speed-read" the genealogies.
You won’t find Uthai’s story in Flannel-graph, Bible coloring books nor in bed-time devotionals for kids. His name won’t come up in marriage counseling applications, wedding counseling presentations nor in Father’s Day messages but his is an important name. Or rather Uthai accomplishment was landmark.
Now, you might be just dying to know who Uthai is and have already gone to you smartphone Bible to do a quick search. If so fine. If not listen to what my quick search discovered about the meaning of his name. In Strong’s Concordance Uthai’s listing is H5793. There we read, “From H5790; succoring; Uthai, the name of two Israelites: - Uthai.” Hummmm, succoring, when is the last time that you used that one?
“From H5790” is a clue. Looking at that listing we read, “From H5789…” wait a minute! Is this the “free” version of the Internet genealogy program with the carrot on a string? No its Bible. H5789 means; to hasten.
So putting our clues together we have a “fast helper” or “one quick to help” if his name fits his character as Bible character’s names often do. It is where we find his name that helps us to understand his it even better.
He is listed in 1 Chronicles 9. He is first in his list. Wow, that’s a surprise if part of his name means to hasten. But look at what he was first to do. He was the first guy to settle on his own property in his own town after the seventy-year captivity. THAT is something. That is important. Seventy year is more that a lifetime for some. It is enough to wipe out a generation or two.
However, here we see Uthai settling on his “own property” in his “own town”. This would make Uthai at least seventy at this point. But if the land was his then he was more than likely in his nineties.
Doesn’t this bring a graphic picture to mind. Here we see a running ninety year old. Did he use his walker, breathing machine and Medic Alert necklace? Did he come in a wheelchair or on a gurney? “No silly Mike, they lived longer back then!” Did they? Maybe.
Uthai was not only a quick senior citizen he was a helper person. Most people in their nineties need more help than they can offer. Not Uthai. He was an up-and-at-em kind of individual. He was sort of like Caleb. Uthai had been far from home for seven decades and now it was time to reclaim the Promised Land. Can you just imagine with me his semi-wheezened voice shouting through the ages, “Let’s grab our gear dear and get a move on! There is work to do!”
I want to be like Uthai! Don’t you? Then let me give you a hand and let’s get moving
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