The word Shaliach,
, has several meanings in modern Hebrew: apostle, public servant, anyone with a sense of divine mission or purpose, and even … a delivery man.
The two of us were sitting in Asher’s home recently talking about some of the controversy concerning the renewal of apostolic and prophetic ministry in Israel today when Ron received a phone call from someone trying to make a delivery to his home. The delivery man was speaking so loudly that Asher could hear the whole conversation.
Ron had ordered a new blender for his kitchen. The delivery man showed up at his home, but of course Ron wasn’t there. So he called to make arrangements and asked if he could leave it with a neighbor. Ron agreed.
While still on the line, the delivery man knocked on the door, and Ron’s neighbor called out through the closed door, “Who is it?” The delivery man answered loudly, “Shaliach, shaliach.”
We looked at each other and broke out laughing. For us as Israelis, it seemed like a divine joke with a potent and humbling message: if the guy delivering a blender can scream that he is a “shaliach”, then maybe we shouldn’t be “screaming” so loud about apostles and prophets in the church today—the potential for pride is just too great.
Let’s take the whole issue down a few levels of humility. At the end of the day (at least in Israel), even a delivery man can be an “apostle”, and a true apostle is nothing more than God’s errand boy.
