ELTBefore Father אב
The Hebrew word *אב* ('ab') means "father," and it can be understood in a deeper sense when broken down into its component letters. The letter *א* ('ah') represents God speaking and creating the heavens and earth, while the letter *ב* ('b') signifies the revelation of God to man. Together, *אב* ('ab') means "father," the one who gives life, and reveals Himself after creation.
In addition to *אב* ('ab' = father), there are other words spelled with the same letters that convey the idea of life and growth. For example, *אב* can also refer to a "green shoot" or "fruit on a tree." This imagery points to the concept of life beginning with the first birth (the green shoot) and being renewed or completed through teaching and growth (the fruit).
If I see footprints in the sand that I recognize, I might point and say "father." The footprints are not the father, but evidence that he passed that way, indicating that the Father has revealed Himself through His creation and teachings.
The nature of a father is to give life, and the word itself tells us that the Father gave us our first life—our birth—and our second life, which is the fruit of teaching. The first life is the natural birth, while the second birth is the spiritual renewal that comes through teaching.
In word formations, reversing the letters often leads to a reversal of meaning. The opposite of *אב* ('ab' = father) is not what we might expect. The word *בא* ('bah') means "come." In *אב* ('ab'), God took the initiative to reveal Himself, whereas *בא* ('bah') implies an invitation, a call for God to come.
Thus, *אב בא* ('Ab Bah') in Hebrew means "Father, come," an invitation for God to reveal Himself even more fully to His creation.
