{"id":7948,"date":"2017-04-16T23:21:10","date_gmt":"2017-04-16T17:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/?p=7948"},"modified":"2022-07-01T06:59:07","modified_gmt":"2022-07-01T11:59:07","slug":"fear-deuteronomy-part-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/?p=7948","title":{"rendered":"Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 7"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this essay I\u2019ll consider three occurrences of y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc<\/em> (\u05ea\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0<\/a>), the first two very briefly.\u00a0 They simply mean fear<\/em>, the fear of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do<\/em>.[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Numbers 21:33-35 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Deuteronomy 3:1-4 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Then they turned and went up by the road to Bashan. \u00a0And King Og of Bashan and all his forces marched out against them to do battle at Edrei. \u00a0And the Lord said to Moses, \u201cDo not fear (y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc<\/em>, \u05ea\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0) him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand. \u00a0You will do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.<\/td>\nNext we set out on the route to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet us in battle at Edrei.\u00a0 The Lord, however, said to me, \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid (y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc<\/em>, \u05ea\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0) of him because I have already given him, his whole army, and his land to you. \u00a0You will do to him exactly what you did to King Sihon<\/a> of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
So they defeated Og, his sons, and all his people, until there were no survivors, and they possessed his land.<\/td>\nSo the Lord our God did indeed give over to us King Og of Bashan and his whole army and we struck them down until not a single survivor was left.\u00a0 We captured all his cities at that time \u2013 there was not a town we did not take from them \u2013 sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the dominion of Og in Bashan.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\nI also commanded Joshua at the same time<\/em>, Moses continued, \u201cYou have seen everything the Lord<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4<\/a>) your God did to these two kings; he<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4) will do the same to all the kingdoms where you are going. \u00a0Do not be afraid <\/em>(y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc<\/em>, \u05ea\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0\u05d5\u05dd) of them, for the Lord<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4) your God will personally fight for you.\u201d<\/em>[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

The third occurrence of\u00a0y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc\u00a0<\/em>requires more consideration (Deuteronomy 4:10 NET):<\/p>\n

You stood before the Lord your God at Horeb and he said to me, \u201cAssemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands.\u00a0 Then they will learn to revere (<\/em>y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc, \u05dc\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0\u05d4)<\/em> me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Hebrew word was y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc<\/em>.\u00a0 The Tanakh reads: ‘Assemble Me the people, and I will make them hear My words that they may learn to fear <\/strong>Me all the days that they live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.’<\/em>[3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 The Septuagint reads: \u201cAssemble the people to me, and let them hear (\u1f00\u03ba\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03ac\u03c4\u03c9\u03c3\u03b1\u03bd, a form of \u1f00\u03ba\u03bf\u03cd\u03c9<\/a>; See Luke 16:29<\/a>) my words so that they may learn to fear <\/strong>me all the days as long as they live on the earth and may teach their sons\u2026\u201d[4]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Yet the NET translators chose revere <\/em>and I don\u2019t have any quarrel with it.\u00a0 Doing this study has helped me realize that something is happening to the fear <\/em>of ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve already heard Moses associate this fear <\/em>with faith<\/a>.\u00a0 Here, too, it is associated with something like faith.\u00a0 Moses said (Deuteronomy 4:1-4 NET):<\/p>\n

Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. \u00a0Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am delivering to you. \u00a0You have witnessed what the Lord did at Baal Peor, how he eradicated from your midst everyone who followed Baal Peor. \u00a0But you who remained faithful to the Lord your God are still alive to this very day, every one of you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Hebrew word translated remained faithful<\/em> was d\u00e2b\u00eaq<\/em> (\u05d4\u05d3\u05d1\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd<\/a>), clinging<\/em>, adhering to<\/em> in the NET dictionary.\u00a0 But ye that did cleave unto HaShem your G-d are alive every one of you this day<\/em>.[5]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 I picture a child clinging to her parent\u2019s leg for comfort and security.\u00a0 It reminded me of President Obama\u2019s gaffe on the campaign trail:[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

For a second day, Mr. Obama sought to explain his remarks at a recent San Francisco fund-raiser that small-town Pennsylvania voters, bitter over their economic circumstances, \u201ccling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren\u2019t like them\u201d as a way to explain their frustrations.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A believer looking back might easily perceive the\u00a0clinging of those who did not join themselves to Baal Peor as a kind of faith.\u00a0 In the Septuagint<\/a> it was \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03ba\u03b5\u03b9\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9 (a form of \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03ad\u03c1\u03b7\u03c3\u03b9\u03c2<\/a>; translated held fast<\/a> <\/em>in English): \u201cstrong perseverance which prevails<\/em> by interacting<\/a> <\/em>with God.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been thinking lately about the ubiquity of the hero\u2019s journey<\/a> as a function of the religious mind, the pride<\/em> (\u1f00\u03bb\u03b1\u03b6\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1, a form of \u1f00\u03bb\u03b1\u03b6\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1<\/a>) of life<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0 Looking back\u2014after the judgment and condemnation (Numbers 25:4, 5<\/a>) that distinguished those who engaged in \u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1<\/a> with the Moabite women and their gods (Numbers 25:1-3<\/a>) from those who did not\u2014the latter group may seem the more heroic whether through a \u201cstrong perseverance which prevails <\/em>by interacting <\/em>with God\u201d or having remained faithful<\/em>. \u00a0But Moses\u2019 choice of d\u00e2b\u00eaq<\/em> (\u05d4\u05d3\u05d1\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd) may reflect the actual situation when the next step on the hero\u2019s journey seemed to be a love and peace initiative with the descendants of Abraham\u2019s nephew Lot through his eldest daughter (Genesis 19:37<\/a>), while the less heroic in Israel clung to ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h\u2019s <\/em>commands regarding idolatry<\/a> and adultery<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The only other occurrence of d\u00e2b\u00eaq<\/em> (\u05d4\u05d3\u05d1\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd) in the Old Testament was in Solomon\u2019s proverb: there is a friend who sticks closer <\/em>(d\u00e2b\u00eaq<\/em>, \u05d3\u05d1\u05e7) than a brother<\/em>.[7]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 I have no idea what that meant to Solomon.\u00a0 To someone who knows the Holy Spirit it is difficult not to think of Him as that friend. \u00a0Moses continued, a significantly different attitude toward the law than Luther\/Graebner<\/a> indicated \u00a0(Deuteronomy 4:5-8 NET):<\/p>\n

Look! \u00a0I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the Lord my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in the land you are about to enter and possess. \u00a0So be sure to do them, because this will testify of your wise understanding to the people who will learn of all these statutes and say, \u201cIndeed, this great nation is a very wise people.\u201d \u00a0In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him? \u00a0And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this whole law that I am about to share with you today?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then Moses recalled the giving of the law:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Exodus 20:18-20 (NET)<\/td>\n\n

Deuteronomy 4:9, 10 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking \u2013 and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance. \u00a0They said to Moses, \u201cYou speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.\u201d \u00a0Moses said to the people, \u201cDo not fear (y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc<\/em>, \u05ea\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0\u05d5), for God has come to test you, that the fear (yir\u02bc\u00e2h<\/em>, \u05d9\u05e8\u05d0\u05ea\u05d5<\/a>) of him may be before you so that you do not sin.\u201d<\/td>\nAgain, however, pay very careful attention, lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren. \u00a0You stood before the Lord your God at Horeb<\/a> and he said to me, \u201cAssemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands. \u00a0Then they will learn to revere (y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc<\/em>, \u05dc\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0\u05d4) me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Here Moses chose y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc <\/em>for the fear <\/em>that was yir\u02bc\u00e2h<\/a> <\/em>in Exodus.\u00a0 The translation revere <\/em>seems cognizant at least of a meaning other than simple fear<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cWe want it understood that we do not reject the Law as our opponents claim,\u201d Luther\/Graebner<\/a> asserted in their \u201cCommentary on the Epistle to the Galatians<\/a>\u201d under the heading The Twofold Purpose of the Law<\/a><\/em>. \u201cOn the contrary, we uphold the Law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their twofold purpose was \u201cto check civil transgression, and to magnify spiritual transgressions.\u201d\u00a0 Paul added another purpose: through the law comes the knowledge of sin<\/em>.[8]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Luther\/Graebner\u00a0allowed:<\/p>\n

The Law is also a light like the Gospel. But instead of revealing the grace of God, righteousness, and life, the Law brings sin, death, and the wrath of God to light. This is the business of the Law, and here the business of the Law ends, and should go no further.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I would add under this rubric of light that the law like all Scripture is a way to know<\/em>\u2026the only true God, and Jesus Christ<\/em>.[9]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Luther\/Graebner recognized \u201cthree ways in which the Law may be abused\u201d[10]<\/sup><\/a> (actually, four ways):<\/p>\n

First, by the self- righteous hypocrites who fancy that they can be justified by the Law. Secondly, by those who claim that Christian liberty exempts a Christian from the observance of the Law\u2026Thirdly, the Law is abused by those who do not understand that the Law is meant to drive us to Christ. When the Law is properly used its value cannot be too highly appraised. It will take me to Christ every time.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/a>The fourth way the law may be abused is to be ignorant of it.\u00a0 Luther\/Graebner cited this as the introduction to the other three ways: \u201cThe doctrine of the Law must therefore be studied carefully lest we either reject the Law altogether, or are tempted to attribute to the Law a capacity to save.\u201d\u00a0 I was ignorant of Leviticus 5:4-6 (though I had certainly read it) while Numbers 30:1-2 stuck with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Numbers 30:1, 2 (NET)<\/td>\n\n

Leviticus 5:4-6 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Moses told the leaders of the tribes concerning the Israelites, \u201cThis is what the Lord has commanded [Table<\/a>]: If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath of binding obligation on himself, he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised [Table<\/a>].\u201d<\/td>\n\u2026when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths [Table<\/a>]\u2013 when an individual becomes guilty with regard to one of these things he must confess how he has sinned [Table<\/a>], and he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin [Table<\/a>].<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

I hope Jephthah (Judges 11:34-40<\/a>) was ignorant of Leviticus 5:4-6 (though I just stumbled across an essay<\/a> that claims Jephthah didn\u2019t sacrifice his daughter but merely consigned her to a life of celibacy [according to her own will<\/a>]).[11]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 I had thought<\/a> that Jephthah\u2019s sacrifice was necessary and in some sense \u201cgood,\u201d given my understanding of the law.\u00a0 Now I consider Jephthah\u2019s attempt to justify himself by law a failure, whether he sacrificed his daughter or consigned her to celibacy, for he did not confess his thoughtless oath.\u00a0 As James wrote (James 2:10, 11 NET Table<\/a>):<\/p>\n

For the one who obeys<\/a> the whole law but fails<\/a> in one point has become guilty of all of it. \u00a0For he who said, \u201cDo not commit adultery<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d also said, \u201cDo not murder<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d \u00a0Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This time however I see the hero\u2019s journey as an aspect of the religious mind as well.\u00a0 It seems so much more \u201cheroic\u201d (in the sense that I pay the price of obedience to God\u2019s law) to sacrifice one\u2019s daughter, whether to death or celibacy, than to confess one\u2019s sin. \u00a0To confess sin is a weakness and a disgrace by comparison to a hero\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n

In the book of Esther, Letters were sent by the runners to all the king\u2019s provinces stating that they should destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, from youth to elderly, both women and children, on a particular day, namely the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), and to loot and plunder their possessions<\/em>.[12]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Esther interceded with the king on behalf of her people: let an edict be written rescinding those recorded intentions of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote in order to destroy the Jews who are throughout all the king\u2019s provinces.<\/em>[13]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

But the king\u2019s decree could not be rescinded: Any decree that is written in the king\u2019s name and sealed with the king\u2019s signet ring cannot be rescinded<\/em>.[14]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 The only solution was to write another decree authorizing a day of civil war in the kingdom: The king thereby allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and to stand up for themselves \u2013 to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any army of whatever people or province that should become their adversaries, including their women and children, and to confiscate their property<\/em>.[15]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

When Moses interceded with ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, pleading<\/a> for the lives of the descendants of Israel (Exodus 32:9-14<\/a>), the Lord<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4), unlike the king of Persia, repented <\/em>(n\u00e2cham<\/em>, \u05d5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d7\u05dd<\/a>; Septuagint<\/a>: \u1f31\u03bb\u03ac\u03c3\u03b8\u03b7, a form<\/a> of \u1f31\u03bb\u03ac\u03c3\u03ba\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9<\/a>) of the evil which he thought to do unto his people<\/em>.[16]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Follow me<\/a><\/em>, Jesus said.\u00a0 John wrote (1 John 1:8-2:2 NET):<\/p>\n

If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. \u00a0But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. \u00a0If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. \u00a0(My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) \u00a0But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The fear <\/em>of ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h <\/em>might compel one to sacrifice his daughter, whether to death or celibacy.\u00a0 To confess one\u2019s sin and bring the appropriate sacrifice, So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin <\/em>is something else altogether.\u00a0 To revere ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h <\/em>is not an altogether unworthy attempt to encapsulate that difference in a word.<\/p>\n

\n
Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 8<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 3<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

<\/a>[1]<\/sup> Luke 12:4 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[2]<\/sup> Deuteronomy 3:21, 22 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[3]<\/sup> Deuteronomy 4:10b (Tanakh)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[4]<\/sup> Deuteronomy 4:10b (Septuagint)<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>[5]<\/sup> Deuteronomy 4:4 (Tanakh)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[6]<\/sup> New York Times, April 13, 2008, On the Defensive, Obama Calls His Words Ill-Chosen<\/a><\/em>, by KATHARINE Q. SEELYE and JEFF ZELENY<\/p>\n

<\/a>[7]<\/sup> Proverbs 18:24b (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[8]<\/sup> Romans 3:20b (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[9]<\/sup> John 17:3b (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[10]<\/sup> Commentary <\/em>on Galatians 3:23<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>[11]<\/sup> The opposing view is defended adequately in \u201cJephthah\u2019s Vow<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>[12]<\/sup> Esther 3:13 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[13]<\/sup> Esther 8:5b (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[14]<\/sup> Esther 8:8b (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[15]<\/sup> Esther 8:11 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[16]<\/sup> Exodus 32:14 (KJV)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this essay I\u2019ll consider three occurrences of y\u00e2r\u00ea\u02bc (\u05ea\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0), the first two very briefly.\u00a0 They simply mean fear, the fear of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do.[1] Numbers 21:33-35 (NET) Deuteronomy … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3604,2719,1240],"tags":[1716,3801,3802,3804,3803,3805,3807,3809,3811,3814,3816,3813,3808,1824,3810,222,256,3815,3800,252,3806,83],"class_list":["post-7948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deuteronomy-the-fear-of-the-lord","category-section-three","category-the-fear-of-the-lord","tag-1-john-18-22","tag-deuteronomy-31-4","tag-deuteronomy-321-22","tag-deuteronomy-41-4","tag-deuteronomy-410","tag-deuteronomy-44","tag-deuteronomy-45-8","tag-deuteronomy-49-10","tag-esther-313","tag-esther-811","tag-esther-85","tag-esther-88","tag-exodus-2018-20","tag-exodus-3214","tag-james-210-11","tag-john-173","tag-leviticus-54-6","tag-luke-124","tag-numbers-2133-35","tag-numbers-301-2","tag-proverbs-1824","tag-romans-320"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7948"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19148,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7948\/revisions\/19148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}