Day 18

January 25, 2024

Day 18 – Rally

Etymology – (“bring together or into order again by urgent effort,” c. 1600, from French rallier, from Old French ralier “reassemble, unite again,” from re- “again” (see re-) + alier “unite” (see ally (v.)).

In Old French (and Italian), re- often appeared as ra- by confusion with the true ra- (from Latin re- + ad-), and the following consonant often was doubled; compare rabbet (a doublet of rebate), rappel (a doublet of repeal). But as ra- was not recognized in English as a prefix, words with ra- in Old French usually returned to re- in English; Rally and rabbet never were because the accent had receded. In later borrowings (rappel, rapprochement, etc.) the words tend to keep their French forms. 

Intransitive meaning “pull together hastily, recover order, revive, rouse” is from 1660s. Related: Rallied; rallying. Rallying-point “place at or about which persons come together for action” is by 1798. Rally round the flag (1862) is a line from popular American Civil War song “Battle Cry of Freedom.”)

Nehemiah 4:6

6 So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Selah – Consider the strength found when rallying together on purpose happens and things that were out of order, begin to be put back in order.  Rallying is part of a strategy to bring things back together and that also includes people that need to come back together in Christ.  “So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”
Wisdom Nugget – The collective minds and efforts to work together are mighty and powerful when rallying towards a common goal and the Kingdom of Heaven is no exception from this type of coming together.