Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 2

Posted on December 23, 2016 by admin

Instruct these people as follows, y^ehôvâh had said to Moses: ‘You are about to cross the border of your relatives the descendants of Esau [Jacob’s brother], who inhabit Seir. They will be afraid (yârêʼ, וייראו; Septuagint: φοβηθήσονται, afraid) of you, so watch yourselves carefully.’^[1]

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint understood the last phrase, καὶ εὐλαβηθήσονται ὑμᾶς σφόδρα (“and they will be very cautious,” of you; i.e., of Israel). Either works in context. The origin of this fear was the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea: The nations will hear, Moses and the Israelites sang to y^ehôvâh. Israel by contrast overflowed with confidence (Exodus 15:13 NET):

By your loyal love you will lead the people whom you have redeemed; you will guide them by your strength to your holy dwelling place.

The Hebrew word translated By your loyal love was chêsêd (בחסדך). Below is a table of forms of chêsêd and their translations in Genesis to the giving of the law.

chêsêd	Hebrew	KJV	NET	Tanakh	Septuagint
Genesis 19:19	חסדך	mercy	kindness	mercy	δικαιοσύνην
Genesis 20:13	חסדך	kindness	loyalty	kindness	δικαιοσύνην
Genesis 21:23	כחסד	kindness	loyalty	kindness	δικαιοσύνην
Genesis 24:12	חסד	kindness	Be faithful	kindness	ἔλεος
Genesis 24:14	חסד	kindness	you have been faithful	kindness	ἔλεος
Genesis 24:27	חסדו	mercy	faithful	mercy	δικαιοσύνην
Genesis 24:49	חסד	kindly	faithful	kindly	ἔλεος^[2]
Genesis 32:10	החסדים	mercies	faithful	mercies	δικαιοσύνης
Genesis 39:21	חסד	mercy	kindness	kindness	ἔλεος
Genesis 40:14	חסד	kindness	kindness	kindness	ἔλεος
Genesis 47:29	חסד	kindly	kindness	kindly	ἐλεημοσύνην
Exodus 15:13	בחסדך	mercy	By your loyal love	in Thy love	δικαιοσύνῃ
Exodus 20:6	חסד	mercy	covenant faithfulness	mercy	ἔλεος

This equation of mercy, kindness, faithfulness, loyalty and loyal love with δικαιοσύνῃ, righteousness, is a profound lesson in itself for one who neglected what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness: the righteousness (δικαιοσύνη) of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous (δίκαιος) by faith will live.”^[3] Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4. The Tanakh reads, Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just (tsaddı̂yq, וצדיק) shall live by his faith. The Septuagint translated into English reads, “If it draws back, my soul is not pleased in it, But the just shall live by my faith.” The first part was translated, if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him^[4] in the New Testament.

NET

Parallel Greek

Septuagint

if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him.

Hebrews 10:38b

ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ

Hebrews 10:38b

ἐὰν ὑποστείληται οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ

Habakkuk 2:4a Table

The righteous by faith will live

Romans 1:17b

ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται

Romans 1:17b

ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται

Habakkuk 2:4b

The nations will hear and tremble,^[5] the song Moses and the Israelites sang continued. The Hebrew word translated tremble was râgaz (ירגזון). As Joseph sent his brothers back to Canaan to bring their father and their families to Egypt, He said to them, “As you travel don’t be overcome with fear.”^[6] The Hebrew word translated be overcome with fear was also râgaz (תרגזו) but a footnote (31) acknowledged:

The verb means “stir up.” Some understand the Hebrew verb רָגָז (ragaz, “to stir up”) as a reference to quarreling (see Prov 29:9, where it has this connotation), but in Exod 15:14 and other passages it means “to fear.” This might refer to a fear of robbers, but more likely it is an assuring word that they need not be fearful about returning to Egypt. They might have thought that once Jacob was in Egypt, Joseph would take his revenge on them.

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint did not agree. They chose ὀργίζεσθε (a form of ὀργίζω) in Genesis 45:24. Be angry (ὀργίζεσθε) and do not sin,^[7] Paul quoted the Psalm^[8] in his letter to the Ephesians.

NET

Parallel Greek

Septuagint

Be angry and do not sin…

Ephesians 4:26a

ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε

Ephesians 4:26a

ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε

Psalm 4:4a

And in Exodus 15:14 they chose ὠργίσθησαν (another form of ὀργίζω). The nations were enraged^[9] (τὰ ἔθνη ὠργίσθησαν) is nearer the rabbis’ understanding in the Septuagint ἤκουσαν ἔθνη καὶ ὠργίσθησαν.

The song continued, anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.^[10] The Hebrew word translated anguish was chı̂yl (חיל). It was translated pain (בחילה) in Job 6:10 and writhing (חיל) like a woman in childbirth in Psalm 48:6. That is what the translators of the Septuagint picked up on with ὠδῖνες (a form of ὠδίν): Now when they are saying, “There is peace and security,” Paul wrote believers in Thessalonica, then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains (ὠδὶν) on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.^[11]

Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified,^[12] Moses’ song continued. The Hebrew word translated terrified was bâhal (נבהלו). It was also translated terrified (נבהל) in 1 Samuel 28:21, but they were dumbfounded (נבהלו) in Genesis 45:3 and panicked (ויבהל) in Judges 20:41. That hasty confused state of mind seemed to be what the rabbis responded to in the Septuagint with ἔσπευσαν (a form of σπεύδω). Hurry (σπεῦσον, another form of σπεύδω), Jesus said to Saul [Paul] in a vision, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.^[13]

The song continued, trembling will seize the leaders of Moab.^[14] Here the Hebrew word translated trembling was raʽad (רעד). It was translated shake uncontrollably (רעדה) in Psalm 48:6 and panic (רעדה) in Isaiah 33:14. It was translated τρόμος in the Septuagint. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and ran from [Jesus’] tomb, for terror (τρόμος) and bewilderment had seized them.^[15]

Moses and the people sang, and the inhabitants of Canaan will shake.^[16] The Hebrew word translated will shake was mûg (נמגו). It was translated are cringing (נמגו) in Joshua 2:9 and seemed to melt (נמוג) in 1 Samuel 14:16. This was the sense the rabbis understood in the Septuagint: “all those inhabiting Canaan melted away” (ἐτάκησαν, a form of τήκω), whether by death, defection or fleeing as refugees. Peter prophesied, the heavens will be burned up and dissolve, and the celestial bodies will melt away (τήκεται, another form of τήκω) in a blaze!^[17]

Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of your arm they will be as still as stone until your people pass by, O Lord, until the people whom you have bought pass by.^[18] In the Septuagint this was understood as a request for more supernatural fear and trembling: “May fear and trembling fall upon them.”^[19] The Hebrew word translated fear (ʼêymâh, אימתה) was translated my terror in y^ehôvâh’s promise: I will send my terror (ʼêymâh, אימתי) before you, and I will destroy all the people whom you encounter.^[20] This terror was associated with an angel: For my angel will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I will destroy them completely.^[21] Fear was φόβος in the Septuagint. And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, was seized with fear (φόβος).^[22] The Hebrew word translated dread was pachad (ופחד), which was translated τρόμος in the Septuagint.

There was a lot of anger, pain, panic, trembling and defection among the people who heard about the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea. There was fear and dread of supernatural origin besides. The fear (yirʼâh, יראת; Septuagint: φόβος) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.^[23] I heard that often with no trace of irony. Apparently the NET translators heard it the same way for they went a step farther and translated yirʼâh to obey: To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living.^[24]

An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked, David penned, There is no fear (pachad, פחד; Septuagint: φόβος) of God before his eyes.^[25] I didn’t hear this simply as a factual diagnosis but as a prescription for more fear. I don’t think I’m entirely alone in this. I had a pastor once who took No Fear sportswear as a personal insult. Perhaps he was considering the quotation credited to Albert Camus: “Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.”

I didn’t find the context for this quote online so I’m just guessing, but I suppose that Camus didn’t know many French citizens who became committed NAZIs during the occupation out of fear, only resistance fighters and collaborators. We see the same phenomenon in the Old Testament if we will see it: some rebelled against God, others adopted a hypocritical religiosity. What is born of the flesh is flesh^[26] and the works of the flesh^[27] erupt eventually through the hypocritical veneer of any religion (Romans 3:10-18 NET).

“There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.”

“Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

This is the diagnosis. The prescription is given in Jesus’ summary of Israel’s history: You must all be born from above,^[28] not more fear but more God, the righteousness (δικαιοσύνη) of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe,^[29] more of our daily bread, more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and Holy Spirit control, not pumped up artificially by some virtue of mine like some little engine that could, but flowing freely and continuously from those rivers of living water,^[30] his Holy Spirit. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.^[31]

If I may assume that y^ehôvâh’s instruction, how to behave^[32] in Edom, implies y^ehôvâh’s intent that Israel pass through Edom, then the result of all of this anger, pain, panic, trembling, defection, fear and dread was exactly what one believing Jesus’ summary of Israel’s history would expect: Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border.^[33] Edom said to [Israel], “You will not pass through me, or I will come out against you with the sword.”^[34] Fear (φόβος), John explained, has to do with punishment.^[35]

Though fear did not supply Esau’s descendants with enough faith in y^ehôvâh to allow Israel to cross through their land of Edom, it kept them from attacking Israel and being destroyed by y^ehôvâh. Fear can produce collaborators. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom if the collaborators don’t settle down to live in it (1 John 4:15-19). In that case they may have been better off as resistance fighters (Revelation 3:14-22).

Back to Who Am I? Part 4

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 5

^[1] Deuteronomy 2:4 (NET)

^[2] Here ʼemeth (ואמת) was translated δικαιοσύνην.

^[3] Romans 1:17 (NET)

^[4] Hebrews 10:38b (NET)

^[5] Exodus 15:14a (NET) Also in the Tanakh, tremble

^[6] Genesis 45:24b (NET) In the Tanakh, fall not out

^[7] Ephesians 4:26a (NET)

^[8] Psalm 4:4 Also râgaz (רגזו) in Hebrew, translated Stand in awe in the Tanakh and Tremble with fear in the NET.

^[9] Revelation 11:18 (NET)

^[10] Exodus 15:14b (NET)

^[11] 1 Thessalonians 5:3 (NET)

^[12] Exodus 15:15a (NET)

^[13] Acts 22:18b (NET) Table

^[14] Exodus 15:15b (NET)

^[15] Mark 16:8a (NET)

^[16] Exodus 15:15c (NET)

^[17] 2 Peter 3:12b (NET)

^[18] Exodus 15:16 (NET)

^[19] Exodus 16:16a (NETS)

^[20] Exodus 23:27a (NET)

^[21] Exodus 23:23 (NET)

^[22] Luke 1:12 (NET)

^[23] Psalm 111:10a (NKJV)

^[24] Psalm 111.10a (NET)

^[25] Psalm 36:1 (NKJV)

^[26] John 3:6a (NET)

^[27] Galatians 5:19-21 (NET)

^[28] John 3:7b (NET)

^[29] Romans 3:22a (NET)

^[30] John 7:37-39 (NET)

^[31] Romans 8:14 (NET)

^[32] Deuteronomy 2:4-7 (NET)

^[33] Numbers 20;21a (NET)

^[34] Numbers 20:18 (NET)

^[35] 1 John 4:18b (NET)

Prayer

Posted on June 26, 2014 by admin

Twice in the New Testament Jesus told us what to say when we pray: So pray this way^[1] (οὕτως οὖν προσεύχεσθε ὑμεῖς; literally, “in this manner then pray you”) and When you pray, say^[2] (ὅταν προσεύχησθε λέγετε). I compared them this morning thinking about the rationale for removing For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen^[3] from Matthew 6:13 in the NET and other translations.

Matthew (NET)

Greek Text

Luke (NET)

Greek Text

When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard [Table]. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So pray this way:

Matthew 6:7-9a (NET)

Προσευχόμενοι δὲ μὴ βατταλογήσητε ὥσπερ οἱ ἐθνικοί, δοκοῦσιν γὰρ ὅτι ἐν τῇ πολυλογίᾳ αὐτῶν εἰσακουσθήσονται. μὴ οὖν ὁμοιωθῆτε αὐτοῖς· οἶδεν γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὧν χρείαν ἔχετε πρὸ τοῦ ὑμᾶς αἰτῆσαι αὐτόν. οὕτως οὖν προσεύχεσθε ὑμεῖς·

Matthew 6:7-9a

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” So he said to them, “When you pray, say:

Luke 11:1, 2a (NET)

Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐν τόπῳ τινὶ προσευχόμενον, ὡς ἐπαύσατο, εἶπεν τις τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτόν· κύριε, δίδαξον ἡμᾶς προσεύχεσθαι, καθὼς καὶ Ἰωάννης ἐδίδαξεν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ. εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς· ὅταν προσεύχησθε λέγετε·

Luke 11:1, 2a

The wording here (especially in Greek) persuaded me that I was dealing with two different instances of instruction, not just one teaching recalled two different ways. In the sermon on the mount recorded by Matthew Jesus, unbidden, taught his listeners how to pray in distinction to how Gentiles (ἐθνικοί, a form of ἐθνικός) prayed. On another occasion recorded by Luke a disciple asked Jesus to teach them to pray just as (καθὼς) John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray. And I assume that means John the Baptist taught his disciples how to pray, not that Jesus’ disciple wanted to learn the words that John taught his disciples to pray from Jesus.

Matthew (NET)

Greek Text

Luke (NET)

Greek Text

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored, may your kingdom come,

Matthew 6:9b, 10a (NET)

Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομα σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·

Matthew 6:9b, 10a

Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come.

Luke 11:2b (NET)

Πάτερ, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομα σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·

Luke 11:2b

May your name be honored;may your kingdom come (ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομα σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·)—is identical in both Gospel accounts in Greek. The difference is Our Father in heaven (Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς) recorded by Matthew and Father (Πάτερ) recorded by Luke. I don’t assume that Jesus told the larger congregation on the mount to pray to Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς and then turned around and informed the more intimate group of his disciples to pray each to his own biological Πάτερ. Rather, I assume that Jesus expected the intimate group of his disciples to understand Πάτερ as Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

Matthew (NET)

Greek Text

Luke (NET)

Greek Text

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10b (NET) Table

γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημα σου,ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς·

Matthew 6:10b

Here Matthew recorded something—may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven—that Luke did not. I don’t assume that Luke was so opposed to God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven that he discarded it from the text. Nor do I assume that Matthew made it up. Rather, I assume again that Jesus expected the intimate group of his disciples to understand the coming of the kingdom of God as God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew (NET)

Greek Text

Luke (NET)

Greek Text

Give us today our daily bread,

Matthew 6:11 (NET)

τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον·

Matthew 6:11

Give us each day our daily bread,

Luke 11:3 (NET)

τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δίδου ἡμῖν τὸκαθ᾿ ἡμέραν·

Luke 11:3

Here, what is being given—τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον—is identical (“our bread sufficient for the coming” in classical Greek^[4]). I assume Jesus means the bread of life,^[5] that portion of Christ who lives in me,^[6] the fruit of the Spirit,^[7] the credited righteousness of God,^[8] sufficient as far as it depends on me to do the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven to bring forth the kingdom of God to honor his name. And though I used myself as an example—“as far as it depends on me”—the prayer He taught us to pray is not for me alone, but for all who call or have called or will call on our Father in heaven.

The differences—δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον, and δίδου ἡμῖν τὸ καθ᾿ ἡμέραν—seem inconsequential. The Greek words δὸς and δίδου are different forms of δίδωμι, to give. The Greek σήμερον means today, this day; καθ᾿ (a form of κατά) is defined: “1) down from, through out 2) according to, toward, along,” and was translated each, while ἡμέραν (a form of ἡμέρα) means day. If any difference is worth mentioning it is simply that Jesus counseled the intimate group of his disciples to expect this gift of righteousness each day, every day, all day.

Matthew (NET)

Greek Text

Luke (NET)

Greek Text

and forgive us our debts,

Matthew 6:12a (NET)

καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,

Matthew 6:12a

and forgive us our sins,

Luke 11:4a (NET)

καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν,

Luke 11:4a

In Matthew’s Gospel account Jesus spoke euphemistically of ὀφειλήματα (a form of ὀφείλημα, debts), but with the more intimate group of his disciples He said ἁμαρτίας (a form of ἁμαρτία, sins). But after the prayer He taught in Matthew’s Gospel account, Jesus said, For if you forgive others their sins (παραπτώματα, a form of παράπτωμα), your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins (παραπτώματα).^[9] I’ve written elsewhere about the interchangeability of παράπτωμα with ἁμαρτία. And I think this difference becomes clearer in the comparison of the next statement.

Matthew (NET)

Greek Text

Luke (NET)

Greek Text

as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 6:12b (NET)

ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν·

Matthew 6:12b

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

Luke 11:4b (NET)

καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ ἀφίομεν παντὶ ὀφείλοντι ἡμῖν·

Luke 11:4b

Here, in Mathew’s Gospel account Jesus continued with the euphemistic ὀφειλέταις (a form of ὀφειλέτης) ἡμῶν (our debtors). Though the NET translators chose everyone who sins against us for παντὶ ὀφείλοντι ἡμῖν in Luke’s Gospel account, ὀφείλοντι is a form of ὀφείλω (to owe). We don’t actually stand in relation to others like God with a law that they might sin against; “for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us” is probably a better translation. And the more positive for we also forgive makes sense since Jesus did not go on to elaborate—For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins—when teaching the intimate group of his disciples.

Matthew (NET)

Greek Text

Luke (NET)

Greek Text

And do not lead us into temptation,

Matthew 6:13a (NET)

καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,

Matthew 6:13a

And do not lead us into temptation.”

Luke 11:4c (NET)

καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν.

Luke 11:4c

but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:13b (NET)

ἀλλὰ ρῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.

Matthew 6:13b

Here, I don’t assume that Luke was partial to evil and rejected being delivered from it. Neither do I assume that Mathew was so prone to evil he added it to Jesus’ teaching. I assume again that Jesus expected the intimate group of his disciples to understand that the leading not into temptation (KJV) is deliverance from evil. I’ve written elsewhere how I am not fond of limiting τοῦ πονηροῦ to the evil one. In this case it is because I am so prone to evil that I long to be delivered from it in all its forms.

When I come to ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοῦς αἰῶνας ἀμήν (“because yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen”) what am I to assume? The note in the NET reads:

Most mss (L W Θ 0233 Ë¹³ 33 Ï sy sa Didache) read (though some with slight variation) ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν (“for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen”) here. The reading without this sentence, though, is attested by generally better witnesses (א B D Z 0170 Ë¹ pc lat mae Or). The phrase was probably composed for the liturgy of the early church and most likely was based on 1 Chr 29:11-13; a scribe probably added the phrase at this point in the text for use in public scripture reading (see TCGNT 13-14). Both external and internal evidence argue for the shorter reading.

So, in other words some scribe got hyper-religious one day and decided to make Jesus’ words more holy by adding David’s words to them. As scenarios go, it’s a possible scenario, probably worth a footnote. But is it a good enough scenario to stand before God and say, “Oh, yeah, we threw those words right out of the Bible because of this scenario we imagined”?

Here is David’s prayer (1 Chronicles 29:10-19 NET):

David praised the Lord before the entire assembly:

“O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore! O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all. You are the source of wealth and honor; you rule over all. You possess strength and might to magnify and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your majestic name!

“But who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a position to contribute this much? Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours. For we are resident foreigners and nomads in your presence, like all our ancestors; our days are like a shadow on the earth, without security. O Lord our God, all this wealth, which we have collected to build a temple for you to honor your holy name, comes from you; it all belongs to you. I know, my God, that you examine thoughts and are pleased with integrity. With pure motives I contribute all this; and now I look with joy as your people who have gathered here contribute to you. O Lord God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, maintain the motives of your people and keep them devoted to you. Make my son Solomon willing to obey your commands, rules, and regulations, and to complete building the palace for which I have made preparations.”

No doubt at all that David’s prayer was in the same Spirit as Jesus’ teaching on prayer: For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. It is consistent with other teachings: Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.^[10] “Would any one of you say to your slave who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’? Won’t the master instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready to serve me while I eat and drink. Then you may eat and drink’? He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, will he? So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’”^[11]

The word translated undeserving of special praise is ἀχρεῖοι (a form of ἀχρεῖος). The note in the NET reads: “Some translations describe the slaves as ‘worthless’ (NRSV) or ‘unworthy’ (NASB, NIV) but that is not Jesus’ point. These disciples have not done anything deserving special commendation or praise (L&N 33.361), but only what would normally be expected of a slave in such a situation (thus the translation ‘we have only done what was our duty’).” But they did translate ἀχρεῖον (another form of ἀχρεῖος) worthless in “The Parable of the Talents.”

The worthless slave was given a talent, equivalent to 6,000 denarii according to a footnote. In Matthew 20:2 day laborers agreed to work a day in the field for a denarius. If I assume a six day work week there are 312 working days in a year, and so 6,000 divided by 312 equals 19.23 years, almost 19 years and three months of a day laborers pay.

The worthless slave did no business with his master’s money, nor did he invest it with others who might have done so. I was afraid, he said, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.^[12] So he was fired, as any of us might fire a worthless employee. But when we have done everything [we] were commanded to do, why should we still consider ourselves worthless slaves?

I think it is because everything we have done has been done in God,^[13] for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.^[14] As David prayed, who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a position to contribute this much? Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours.^[15] God has granted us our daily bread of life, because the kingdom and the power and the glory belong to Him forever. Amen.

And I will do well to be reminded of that daily, as long as it is called today.^[16]

^[1] Matthew 6:9a (NET)

^[2] Luke 11:2a (NET)

^[3] Matthew 6:13b (NET)

^[4] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=epiousion&la=greek

^[5] John 6:35, 48-51 (NET)

^[6] Galatians 2:20 (NET)

^[7] Galatians 5:16-18, 22, 23 (NET)

^[8] Romans 4 (NET)

^[9] Matthew 6:14, 15 (NET)

^[10] Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19 (NET)

^[11] Luke 17:7-10 (NET)

^[12] Matthew 25:25 (NET)

^[13] John 3:21 (NET)

^[14] Philippians 2:13 (NET)

^[15] 1 Chronicles 29:14 (NET)

^[16] Hebrews 3:13 (NET)

Fear – Exodus, Part 5

Posted on June 5, 2013 by admin

The next occurrence of yârêʼ^[1] in Exodus is found in the song Moses and the Israelites sang…to the Lord.^[2] It was a song of praise and thanksgiving, looking back to the events when the Egyptian army chased them through the sea: I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously, the horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.^[3] The chariots of Pharaoh and his army he has thrown into the sea…^[4] The depths have covered them, they went down to the bottom like a stone.^[5] Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you? – majestic in holiness, fearful (yârêʼ) in praises, working wonders?^[6]

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose θαυμαστὸς.^[7] One of the definitions of θαυμαστὸς in the NET online Bible is “1c) causing amazement joined with terror.” So the word is a legitimate choice, but something in me still wonders if “marvelous in expectation” (θαυμαστὸς ἐν δόξαις^[8]) carries any of the sense of the costliness of Israel’s salvation that I perceive in the linkage of fear (yârêʼ) and praise (t^ehillâh).^[9] I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked (râshâʽ),^[10] the Lord told Ezekiel. How much less in the death of those He had hardened and those who followed them into battle?

Though θαυμαστὸς does not appear in the New Testament in its root form, the first occurrence was Jesus’ question to the chief priests and elders. “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous (θαυμαστὴ, a form of θαυμαστός) in our eyes’”?^[11] Whatever my concern about the costliness of Israel’s salvation, as well as my own, it is harder to miss when Yahweh Himself—not Egyptian military officers and soldiers—died for us, in our place.

After writing that I walked away. It felt like I was straining at gnats and still not getting to the root of what was gnawing at me. I did other things.

When I walked to the Redbox to satisfy my daily movie fix I had already decided to rent “Killing Them Softly.” I didn’t know why. I had avoided it because I heard it was excessively violent, and because I had worked for Linara (the only woman in the cast) on another film she co-produced with her husband. Ordinarily, I would have run to see a movie with someone I knew in it. But I had overheard her talking about being topless in the scene with James Gandolfini. Between the violence and my own indecision (whether I wanted to see Linara or her breasts in action) I had put it off until that evening.

It was an underworld crime story set in the turmoil of the 2008 economic crisis and presidential election. Brad Pitt played a mob enforcer. Linara’s topless work had been cut, but she played well with the big boys, Pitt and Gandolfini. There was a heavy-handed capitalists-are-like-gangsters theme, and no real ending. It seemed primed for “Killing Them Softly 2” where the mysterious “corporate types,” who hired Brad Pitt’s character Jackie through an intermediary, would be revealed as they hired someone to kill Jackie, and possibly their intermediary. I don’t think the movie did well enough financially to warrant a sequel however. And then I went to bed. But when I awoke the next morning lines from the movie were buzzing around in my head. They actually helped me clarify what I was thinking about cultivating fear in Exodus the day before.

This is a spoiler alert for anyone who finds a movie ruined by knowing its story.

The story got started when John Amato (aka Squirrel) hired Frank and Russell to rob a mob card game run by Markie Trattman. They thought they could get away with it because Trattman had robbed his own card game years earlier. He withstood the enhanced interrogation techniques Dillion the enforcer used on him, but when the subject came up in another card game with his cronies he couldn’t stop laughing, and confessed the whole thing. Everybody liked Markie so they let it slide. Squirrel assumed that Trattman would be the primary suspect if his own card game was robbed again, that he would be killed, and then that would be the end of it. He rightly perceived that cultivating a righteousness based on fear was more important to the powers-that-be than recovering the money.

Squirrel had an insight into mob righteousness. He didn’t want Russell on the job because his attitude and manner would invite confrontation. “Then you gotta…shoot somebody,” he told Frank, “and I don’t want that. There’s no reason for that, you know? You don’t get any more money…” What he failed to realize was that Jackie (Dillion’s replacement as mob enforcer) was smart enough to know that Markie Trattman was too smart to think that he could get away with it twice. Jackie immediately suspected other culprits. And he had a firm grasp on fear based righteousness, too.

Jackie lobbied with the Counselor (the intermediary for the corporate types running things) to kill Trattman anyway and correct the real issue: “It don’t make a bit of difference if Trattman did it or someone did it to Trattman,” Jackie explained. “If people think he did it and he’s still walking around, you’re gonna have kids waiting in line to knock them…games over.”

Jackie even had a fear based redemption scheme for Frank. Frank had to confess where Squirrel would be and then witness the execution, or be executed himself. “I got to be there and everything?” Frank whined. “Frank, you made a mistake,” Jackie explained patiently. “Now you gotta show you understand you made a mistake. And you gotta make things right…”

As they waited in the car for Squirrel to arrive, Frank tried to intercede for him: “Look, Jackie, he’s not a bad guy, you know? I mean, he’s not a bad guy at all.”

“None of them are, kid. They’re all nice guys.”

Then Jackie got out of the car and shot Squirrel with a shotgun from across the parking lot, because he liked “killing them softly…from a distance, not close enough for feelings.” Of course, he did walk across the parking lot and finish the job up close. And he wasn’t that far from Frank when he shot him in the head. Ultimately, Jackie’s fear based redemption scheme didn’t fare well against the necessities of fear based righteousness.

None of this is to say that I think God is, or was, like a mob enforcer. My question is, why did One with foreknowledge put Himself in the position to be mistaken for a mob enforcer by wicked people? (Who among us hasn’t wished for God to get those guys, those evildoers, or wondered incredulously why He waits so long?) The answer that comes to me is that God risked it for my benefit, that I might know the difference between fear based righteousness and Holy Spirit based righteousness (faith is integral to both: When Israel saw the great power that the Lord had exercised over the Egyptians, they feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord…^[12]).

Israel, like Frank, was compelled to participate in and witness the destruction of the Egyptian army. Then at Sinai they experienced a non-lethal fear as they stood at the base of a mountain, described as something like a volcano in full ash eruption,^[13] and lived to tell the tale: All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking – and when the people saw it they trembled with fear (nûaʽ)^[14] and kept their distance.^[15] The word translated fear here was φοβηθέντες (a form of φοβέω)^[16] in the Septuagint. After Jesus calmed the storm with a word his disciples were afraid (φοβηθέντες) and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!”^[17]

Do not fear (yârêʼ), Moses said, for God has come to test you, that the fear (yirʼâh)^[18] of him may be before you so that you do not sin.”^[19] The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose θαρσεῖτε (a form of θαρσέω)^[20] for Do not fear. It is the same Greek word Jesus used when the disciples saw Him walking on the water and were terrified that he was a ghost: Have courage (θαρσεῖτε)! It is I.^[21] For yirʼâh, the fear of him, the rabbis chose φόβος.^[22] And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, was seized with fear (φόβος).^[23]

When I began this study I hoped to find a clear delineation between the fear that puts to flight and the reverence that binds and draws one to God. A cursory look at the concordance seemed to justify that hope in the words yârêʼ and yirʼâh. The first occurrence of yirʼâh in Abraham’s explanation to Abimelech—I thought that there would be no one here who has reverence (yirʼâh) for God^[24]—was translated θεοσέβεια^[25] in the Septuagint and I thought I was on the way. It is a compound of θεός^[26] and σέβομαι,^[27] the reverence or worship that is negated by the ἀσέβειαν (a form of ἀσέβεια)^[28] of people that brought the wrath of God in Romans 1:18.

I also expected to find that the fear of the Lord was something different, something other than a conviction to act in accordance with the word of the Lord, the functional equivalent in the Old Testament of the fruit of the Spirit,^[29] the desire and the effort brought forth by God for the sake of his good pleasure,^[30] because it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy,^[31] and the love of God^[32] that is the fulfillment of the law.^[33] That equivalence took me by surprise and has colored everything. The Good News Translation of the Bible captured the essence of fear based righteousness when the translators (paraphrasists?) skipped the middle man as it were in their paraphrase of yirʼâh. Don’t be afraid (yârêʼ); Moses said, God has only come to test you and make you keep on obeying (yirʼâh) him, so that you will not sin.^[34]

So this alchemist’s notion of deriving reverence (σέβομαι) for God from the human fear (φόβος) of death or punishment seems like a doomed enterprise from the very beginning, a folly of the religious mind. It was difficult enough to title an essay “Paul’s Religious Mind,” so I did not and will not call this “God’s Religious Mind.” But that is what I’m thinking.

Why would an Omniscient One with foreknowledge embark on such a futile course? Again, I can only assume that it was for my benefit. I am the one, after all (and probably not the only one), whose knee-jerk reaction to the way of righteousness (for other evildoers, of course) is swifter “justice,” harsher punishment and longer prison sentences. But does anyone really believe that those things produce righteousness? (Does anyone really believe that our municipal, county, state or federal governments can afford to do this anymore?)

In that light I can’t help but see the giving of the law at Sinai as a massive psychological experiment to test the power and potential of fear based righteousness. The finding of this particular experiment was forty days.^[35] After forty days the descendants of Israel returned to the worship practices^[36] they learned in Egypt.^[37] And they did this 1) after witnessing the destruction of the Egyptian army; 2) after seeing Mount Sinai…completely covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a great furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently;^[38] and 3) after agreeing to abide by a covenant^[39] that they would not sacrifice to a god other than the Lord alone [or] be utterly destroyed.^[40]