Proverb 10:20 – The Value of Words and Goals

Silver having been chosen the tongue of the righteous
The heart of wicked ones as little

The word used to describe the silver is a Hebrew participle in the Niphal stem (like the English passive mode), bachar (Strong’s H0977), meaning to choose. The participle modifies the noun, silver. The righteous is singular, and the wicked plural. The participle is the only verb and doesn’t function like one. The only preposition is “as” which, in Hebrew, is a prefix on the adjective “little”. In English the word count of the two lines is way off. In Hebrew it is nearly equal, with a prepositional prefix on little balancing the participle. Enough of the boring stuff. Wake up, take another sip of coffee, and keep going.

The challenge is to understand how the tongue relates to the heart, and what this relationship reveals about the righteous and the wicked.

1. How does selection help us understand the value of the tongue of the righteous?
   • The silver was selected silver, not just the metal in coin. There was a form or quality that increased the value.
   • The tongue, here as in James, likely refers to what is said.
   • In that case the words of righteous people have a quality preferred by others.
   • It could also inspire people to righteousness so they will have something valued by others.
2. How does the heart loose value and be of little value?
   • The heart is less emotional and more the ability to be intentional and show determination.
   • This is neither positive or negative and can refer to what we might focus on, or even obsess over.
   • Therefore, whatever a wicked one sets their intent on and strives for is as little.
   • Wicked people work toward things of little value, whether to themselves or others.

The lesson for me is that what I focus on will, eventually be heard in what I say. If my intent and focus is on things of little value (like resentment or bitterness, for instance), then I will have nothing of value to share with others.

My hope is that righteousness is partly defined as my heart set on the right things, like my Savior, His grace and mercy, and His death, burial, and resurrection as the foundation of my life. With that focus, my words will be valuable to others, and I will have something of value to contribute to others.

There are a lot of other ways to apply this to our lives. It’s wisdom, and wide enough to encompass several situations. Think through how it might apply to you? What will you focus on to increase the value of your words? How can you be intentional about your walk with our Savior?

I can tell you, don’t worry about the resulting increase in value. If your focus is right, the value will emerge. That much I know.

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Proverb 10:17 – It’s About the Destination

A path to life one guarding correction (musar H4148),
  And one abandoning reprimand (tokachath H8433) one wandering

The word “path” above is the Hebrew word, aorah (H0734), which is a noun derived from the verb, to wander or journey. It can refer to the route of the journey or companions on the journey and is usually combined with some term for the destination, often “life” or “death”.

Rather than being in construct (using of), the preposition, to or toward, is used to show the eventual destination. In a sense, the signpost indicating the destination of life is the “guarding correction” reference. Ignoring or abandoning the signpost means the person is lost, and the signposts cease their regular cadence. Instead, they appear seemingly at random to offer a course correction to life.

So, one question you could be asking yourself is, “What’s that signpost up ahead? Have I entered the twilight zone?” There’s hope if you abandoned the previous signposts to Life. Consider this one of those random opportunities to correct your course.

The other question you might ask is, “How do I take inventory of my Master’s correction in my life? How do I guard them, ensuring I don’t forget the way?” This is the only way in which our walk before our Savior is “about the journey”, and even here it is ultimately about the destination.

Jesus tells us that this path of correction is a narrow path, and few find it. Let’s be those weirdos and oddities who find and follow that difficult and narrow path. That’s sort of my working definition of holy right now.

Recording The Glory

I have been struggling with astro photography for some time now. Last night was no different struggling to get my setup to “plate solve”.

Throughout the struggle, my motivation has been the same: To glorify my Creator. I have always been amazed by the heavens, and I wanted to capture some of that amazement. David captured it and summarized it this way:

The heavens recount the glory of El
The work of His hands is announced by the expanse

Psalm 19:1 (my own translation)

I finally gave up plate solving, and without further adjustment to my scope or camera, I caught the following shots of the Orian Nebula (M42), one of my very favorite things in the sky. They are 20-second, 30-second, and 40-second exposures at ISO 6400, and I took out a “green” hue in Adobe Photoshop Express.

I hope they bless you with the sense and scope of the One to Whom we pray. If this is His artwork, think of what He can do in your life. There’s more color in a 30-second picture than you see with your eye through a telescope. There’s a lesson in that too. Sometimes the “glory” and “work of His hands” are only visible later or over time.

Have a blessed day.

Proverbs 10:13 and 12:11

In lips of one being perceptive (bin) is found skill,
And a rod to the back of one who lacks heart.

 One serving his ground bread satisfies,
And one hunting empties lacks heart.

These two proverbs are only linked in the use of the phrase, “lacks heart”. It’s a phrase that occurs in Proverbs eight times in the Hebrew (chaser-leb), a combination of Strong’s H2638 and H3820. This phrase serves as part of the definition of “heart” in Proverbs. People who behave or think in certain ways don’t have heart.

Heart, in this sense, can’t be the seat of the emotions, as is commonly used in English. It is more consistent with Scripture to consider it the “core” of a person, or their ability to continue in the face of adversity. This is brought out through these two Proverbs.

In the first one, Proverbs 10:13, one lacking heart is contrasted with one who is very perceptive in what they say (lips). The perception might be one who understands how words affect others, and they use that as a “skill” (chokmah). This positive statement would imply a positive use of words, not for manipulation. So, this person understands the power of words, and uses them to “heal”, or at least for good moral purposes.

The second Proverb, 12:11 contrasts two people pursuing different goals. The first serves his ground. This is one who sees himself as the servant, not master, so there’s an attitude difference. It does not require the resentment that a person from our culture would naturally feel. It doesn’t exclude it either. This person serves his ground, which is different than serving another person. In this instance, the service directly benefits the servant (which is kind of the point).

The benefit is that this person is satisfied with bread, a common Hebrew euphemism for food in general. The work serving the ground reaps the benefit of being fed. The obvious direct correlation between work and provision is what is contrasted with the next line, one “hunting empties”.

The problem with the person described in the second line is in what they pursue or hunt. The focus of their effort is “empties”, a plural Hebrew word (H2638) referring to empty holes or lives, literally or figuratively. What they are actively trying to achieve is without value. Perhaps this can be seen in one who collects things no one else wants and are therefore without value. They end their lives with junk. The “evil” in this has more to do with the opportunity-costs involved. In this contrast, they didn’t choose to pursue service to their ground. There can be other options which would better serve their Creator. Whatever they chose ended up being without value.

The result of this pursuit is an empty heart, in a sense. More accurately, they lacked heart altogether. If the sense of heart here is the ability to persevere, then the pursuit of empties robbed them of the desire to continue. They didn’t do anything because they couldn’t gain satisfaction with what they had pursued. They truly failed to realize that the problem was their choice of what to pursue. The result of such an end is a rod for their back. They are prodded, violently, into action, which they don’t “feel” like doing. Their heart isn’t in it. They don’t “feel it”. Which, in biblical perspective, gains them beatings.

So, the difference between the person of discerning speech and those lacking heart is the choice of goals. Once chooses to pursue work resulting in bread, and the other chooses effort resulting in…well, nothing. Perhaps the rod will inspire a different choice of goal. More likely it will result in resentment of activity. They will do the least in bitterness, receive the least in bitterness, and justify their bitterness without regard to the attitude difference.

These two proverbs serve as a challenge to me, because, left to my own desires and devices, I will tend toward the pursuit of things that do not result in food on the table. I want to fill my time with things that no one would pay me for or to do. They’re “hobbies”. But hobbies are not supposed to be the focus of a life. Whatever their importance, the focus of a life is for the One having given that life to begin with. What purpose our Creator has given us includes our “occupation”.

What empties have you pursued? How are you “serving your ground” these days? How can we encourage each other to greater pursuits?

Proverbs 10:6, 11 A Longer Story

Blessings to a righteous head,
  And a mouth of guilty ones covers violence.

Fountain of life mouth of righteous,
  And mouth of guilty ones covers violence.

These two proverbs are only linked in that their last line is exactly the same. So, they provide an opportunity to examine the similarities of the first line, and a deeper examination of the second.

How are “blessings to a righteous head” like (or dislike) “A fountain of life mouth of righteous”? So, first, they are very different assertions. The first is one that blessings are “to” a righteous head, whatever that means, however precisely. The second is that the mouth of a righteous person = a fountain of life, which likely refers to what is spoken by a righteous person gives life to others, perhaps. The first assertion is toward the righteous (what they gain by it), and the second is away from the righteous person (what they give by it). The first is about what righteousness profits the person, and the second is about what it profits others around the person. Essentially, righteousness profits both the person and those around the person, perhaps due to harmony created by such a life, or perhaps because Yahweh wills it so.

The second line in each is the same, exactly the same. A mouth, singular, of guilty ones, plural, covers, singular again (so mouth is the antecedent), violence. This appears deceptively simple. For instance, in English, we require the various pieces to agree in number. The typical assumption here is that Hebrew is not being as precise. But what if it was, and what if the number in English were different? What would that mean? Or what could that mean? Does someone who speaks for guilty people cover violence? Does that person “conceal” the violence or merely cover it over? In our century we may mean to pay the charge on someone else’s behalf. And “guilty” is plural, there is no “ones” in Hebrew. How does it change the meaning if “guilties” is a reference to one person’s many sins? What violence is covered in that case? Is anyone else thinking of a “defense attorney”?

---

Arthur Inser, esquire, sat back in his dark, overstuffed leather desk chair and rubbed his stubbly chin. His tie hung on an ornate oaken coat rack with his suit coat and hat. He looked tired, his dress shirt with sleeves rolled up, top button undone, and previously coiffed hair slightly mussed. The papers spread across his desk detailed his next case, another murder. The DA had a tight case, witnesses, physical evidence, solid investigation. But there was always a weakness. Always.

Reaching into the bottom drawer of his desk, Arthur drew out a tall bottle half full of brown liquid. He poured a scant amount in a low highball on his desk and returned the bottle to the bottom drawer. Picking up his pen, he leaned forward over the papers.

Where is it? Where’s the chink in the armor?

He continued working for some time, when his desk phone rang softly. He glanced over to see it was his secretary, so he picked it up.

“Yeah, Bea, what is it?” He listened for a few seconds.

“Okay, send him in.”

Arthur gathered up the papers, slid them neatly, and in order, into a folder, and put the folder in the file drawer of his desk, all before the office door opened. He looked up to see a strange person walk through the door.

Gangsters weren’t what they used to be. In many ways they were less sophisticated now, in some ways, more. This person was without a shred of sophistication anywhere about him. His suit was plain brown, plaid, of loosely knit wool. His shoes were brown leather ankle-length and lacked the shine of the prepared. Arthur smiled.

This should be easy.

“What can I do for you…” Arthur said, rising to shake the man’s hand over the desk.

“Isaac. Isaac McMurtry,” Isaac said, reaching across and shaking Arthur’s hand.

Arthur drew his hand back quickly as if the touch caused him pain and looked at Isaac in some alarm and confusion.

“Sorry,” Isaac said, with a shrug. “I run hot.”

“I’ll say,” Arthur said as he took his seat. He motioned Isaac to a leather chair in front of his desk. Isaac sat, crossed his legs, and folded his hands on his knees.

“So, what is it I can do for you, Mr. McMurtry?”

“Actually, I’m here to help you. I represent the family of Alisa Salizar.”

Arthur looked at Isaac with wide eyes for a brief second, then his face settled back into a sly smile and narrowed eyes.

“And what do you imagine you can do for me?”

“Talk you out of taking the case.”

“Because I’m going to lose anyway?”

“We both know that’s not true.” Isaac shrugged. “Not necessarily, anyway.”

“Then what? What is it that you believe you can help me with, which I cannot accomplish on my own?” Arthur shifted in his chair, leaning forward, he put his elbows on his desktop, and rested his face in his hands, staring at Isaac. “Do tell.”

Isaac smirked and looked down at his hands for a second. His head lilted to one side then the other, and he finally straightened up and stared directly into Arthur’s eyes.

“I can help you discover the error of your ways, Mr. Inser,” Isaac said, and leaned forward as well. “I can help you discover that the path you are on will only lead to your own disaster.”

Arthur remained silent. He blinked a couple of times, and his smile deepened to a full grin. He raised his eyebrows, and blinked again.

“That’s it? You will help me see further down my path to where it ends in my own disaster?”

“Isn’t that enough?” Isaac sat back and fidgeted with his fingernails, still holding Arthur’s gaze.

Arthur sat back and shook his head, crossing his arms, he gave Isaac his best lopsided sneer of incredulity combined with his half-lidded look of contempt. It was a killer combination in court with juries, men and women.

“It’s nothing. It would require that I trust you to know something you could not possibly know.” The sneer turned to a grin again. “And you know that.” He shrugged and sat up putting his hands back on the desk. “So, why do it? You had to know I would know you couldn’t make good on your claim. So, why come here and try to deceive me anyway?”

Isaac chuckled and shook his head. He looked back at Arthur with a big grin.

“Does that actually work in court?” He laughed. “You just assert something, about which you know nothing, as unknowable, and everyone just goes along?” Isaac shook his head. “Didn’t you learn anything in law school?”

Arthur’s face clouded, his eyebrows became a pronounced “V”, and his eyes narrowed to slit. His mouth was a thin, tight line.

“Sorry, that was uncalled for,” Isaac said. “Your response just caught me off guard. I’m sorry to have been so insulting, and that last question was thoughtless and disrespectful.” He held up both hands, palms out. His face was no longer smiling but it didn’t show fear either, just plain honesty, if that were possible.

Arthur’s face softened. He looked in confusion at the frumpy person in his office. This was not how his interviews normally went.

“I believe you are here to deceive me into dropping the Gronski Murder Case,” Arthur said at last. “Say what you will, I do not believe you can tell anything about my future.”

“Thank you, that is more the approach I expected from an attorney of your experience and wisdom,” Isaac said. “And I agree, there’s no reason you should.” He shrugged. “So, now allow me to demonstrate.”

“This should be good,” Arthur said, looking at his visitor. He sat back and folded his arms.

“You have had doubts about those you represent, and they scare you. You know things, dark things, they know it, and you know that, once they perceive your usefulness has waned, they will dispose of you.” Isaac’s face became hard. “Permanently, perhaps ambiguously, where your body may never be found.”

Arthur’s face drained as Isaac spoke. He unfolded his arms, and his eyes widened. He stared for a moment, his face flushed again, and he smirked.

“I’m sorry, is this how you usually persuade your clients to follow your suggestions? Point out how, if they do, they will probably die?”

Isaac smiled again and sat back.

“I’m not a lawyer, Arthur. I said I represent the family of Alisa Salizar, but not in what capacity.” He shrugged. “It isn’t as their lawyer.”

“A shame,” Arthur said. “I was hoping you would end up suing me.” He shrugged. “It would be an easy day in court for me.”

“Definitely.” Isaac sighed. “Instead, I’m here to persuade you drop a case. Not ‘lawyer-to-lawyer’, but in another capacity.”

Arthur looked suddenly at Isaac in some alarm.

“Surely you’re not going to threaten me?”

“No.”

“Because I assure you, that will have no effect, or possibly the opposite effect.”

“No, no threats.” Isaac frowned at Arthur. “There’s no point.”

“Good,” Arthur said, and leaned forward to stand up.

“Others will do to you far more than I ever could.” Isaac looked at Arthur frozen in mid-rise. “You know that already.”

Arthur sat back down and frowned at Isaac in turn.

“So you said.”

“What I have for you is an exit strategy,” Isaac said. “I have a way you can leave this practice. And live.”

“You have a way for me to stop representing dangerous clients, and live to tell about it?” Arthur shook his head. “This is the sort of thing that undermines your credibility with me.”

Isaac held up a hand as he opened his mouth, but Arthur cut him off.

“Besides, I have my own exit strategy,” Arthur said.

Isaac sat back and looked at Arthur with doubt clear in his eyes and crossed arms.

“Arthur, betting on the next gang that takes down your current client isn’t what I’d call an ‘exit strategy’.”

Arthur sat up in alarm.

“That’s more of a ‘continuation strategy’, or at most, a ‘survival strategy’. Either way it keeps you trapped representing the guilty.”

“Not until proven so in a court of law.”

“That’s not true, and you and I both know it. So you can drop the legal platitudes.” Isaac pointed at Arthur. “No one hires you if they’re innocent.”

Arthur furrowed his brow and frowned at Isaac with crossed arms.

“Doesn’t that bother you, Arthur?”

“Now who’s making assertions he expects everyone to believe?”

“Good point,” Isaac said and nodded. “Okay, name one client you believe, really believe, was innocent of all charges.”

“You know I can’t name clients.”

“Okay, count them on one hand.” Isaac stared at Arthur for a second. “One finger.”

“So, there’s no law that says I cannot defend those I believe may not be innocent.”

“Wow, Arthur. That was well worded.” Isaac waved a dismissive hand at him. “Just like a lawyer.”

Arthur glared silently at Isaac.

“Doesn’t that bother you? Arthur, think about what you’re doing when you defend those who commit murder and get them acquitted.”

Arthur didn’t answer and he and Isaac glared back and forth in silence.

“Aren’t you even a little curious about my exit strategy?” Isaac asked.

“Fine, what’s your brilliant idea, Isaac?”

“Leave your practice, this city, all your friends, detach yourself from all the poisonous relationships, people, and lifestyle.”

Arthur laughed out loud.

“Leave it all, go to a nice small town, and be the general counsel for small businesses, help people with trusts, and wills.” Isaac stared at Arthur with a slight smile.

“Just walk? That’s your idea?”

Isaac nodded.

“Brilliant, Isaac, you’re a genius! Why didn’t I think of it before, just leave!” Arthur had stood and was waving his hands above his head. He stopped and rounded on Isaac. “Why? Why would I leave all this success? All the money, and influence, and the money?”

“You already said money.”

“Because there’s a lot of it, Isaac!”

“You’d still have the money, Arthur. You’d just be spending it a lot slower.”

Arthur put his hands on his hips and looked at Isaac with his head slanted, confused.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Isaac…”

“No, I mean who are you? Who is Isaac McMurtry anyway?” Arthur waved a dismissive hand at Isaac. “I mean, who are you to come in here and tell me to leave town, start over. Why would I do that, Isaac? What possible reason could I have to do that?”

“Because you would find another reason for living, a reason apart from the money, the success, the influence, and the money.”

“You’re not funny.”

“I am sort of funny,” Isaac said. “More importantly, I’m right. Do this and you will live.”

“Really?” Arthur asked, dripping with sarcasm.

“Really, really,” Isaac said evenly. “The key is the other reason for living.”

“Oh, I did notice you slid that in there,” Arthur said. “So, what is it? This new meaning for living?” He made air quotes around ‘new meaning’.

“You’d finally know your Creator as your Savior.”

Arthur’s face traveled through several expressions as he processed Isaac’s words. Finally, he shook his head, walked around his desk and sat down. Picking up his pen he glanced up at Isaac.

“We’re done here.”

“Arthur…”

“This was about religion? Seriously? That’s why you’re here? To convert me, make me see the error of my ways, and get me to drop the case?”

“No, you…

“You hypocrite!” Arthur yelled. “Don’t you get it? Salizar is using you to get revenge on Gronski for murdering his daughter. I drop the case, and Gronski goes to prison or the chair.” Arthur pulled out the folder but didn’t open it. He stared at it in silence. “You religious people don’t even see how deluded you are, helping evil people of your choice.”

“Arthur, Salizar is not looking for revenge.”

Arthur looked up with narrowed eyes.

“Arthur, if you didn’t represent Gronski, someone else would. And that someone would probably get him off as well.” Isaac shrugged. “Mr. Salizar told me that himself.”

Arthur dropped his pen and leaned back.

“You see, Mr. Salizar knows you.”

Arthur stared at his desk and his face went blank.

“He remembers you getting him off some pretty serious charges.”

Arthur looked back up at Isaac who looked back at him with a concerned expression.

“Arthur, Mr. Salizar believes his daughter’s death is his fault, that Gronski was taking revenge for Salizar’s days doing the same thing.”

“He told you this?”

“He did. And he told me more.” Isaac put a hand on Arthur’s desk. “He told me he is concerned for you. That you are headed into the hell he was destined for.”

Arthur crossed his arms and stared at the folder on his desk with a frown.

“Arthur, Mr. Salizar discovered this new reason for living, and wants it for you as well.”

Arthur looked up sharply at Isaac.

“Oh he did? And you believe him?”

“I do.”

Arthur opened his mouth, but Isaac jumped in before him.

“I have seen the change in him, in his family, his wife, his kids.” Isaac shrugged. “Arthur, he lives without fear now. He walks differently, talks differently, and treats people with respect and concern.”

Arthur sat silent for a moment, arms still crossed, still glaring at Isaac. His face became thoughtful for a moment.

“So, Salizar would set me up in another town, pay for me to get out of here, and start somewhere new?”

Isaac shook his head with a slight smile.

“No, Arthur. Mr. Salizar isn’t paying you off, he isn’t buying your services or bribing you to drop the case.”

“Well, thank you, no,” Arthur said, and looked down at his desk then at Isaac. “I’m happy for Mr. Salizar, but I am not changing my mind or dropping this case.”

Isaac stood up and paused.

“Well, perhaps after the case is over.”

Isaac took out a business card and laid it on Arthur’s desk. Arthur glanced at it but didn’t take it. He looked up at Isaac and stood, offering his hand. Isaac took it and they shook.

“Thank you, Mr. McMurtry, and I bid you good day.”

“And you, Mr. Inser.” Isaac turned and headed for the door. He opened it and went out without a backward glance.

Arthur reached over and picked up the card.

Cattle of a Thousand Hills Savings Bank, Isaac McMurtry, Investment Banker

Arthur turned it over, and a phone number was written there in blue ink.

Who would trust a banker in a cheap suit with their money?

Arthur flipped the card to the edge of his desk, but no further. He opened the file and picked up his pen.

Proverbs 10:2 – A Story

They do not benefit, storehouses of wickedness;
And righteousness saves from death.

The Hebrew word for “wickedness”, resa (H7562), is the normal contrast to righteous/righteousness, tsedeq (H6664), in Hebrew wisdom literature.

The word for “benefit”, yaal (H3276), is almost always negative. It basically refers to any sort of benefit, legal or mercantile. It is typically translated as “profit”, but “benefit” lends itself to both types.

---

He had lied. He had lied a lot. In fact, he could no longer remember when the last time he had told the whole truth. The weight was heavy on him, and he took some comfort in that, but not much.

Eric rubbed his temples, elbows on his desk, eyes squeezed shut. A tear seeped out from the corner of his eye and traced a faint line down his cheek. It ran to the tip of his nose pausing just before dropping to the glass covering the walnut desktop.

On a black terry-cloth towel just to his right lay his .45 automatic pistol. It was cleaned and oiled, loaded and charged, ready. Watermarked cotton-fiber paper lay before him, a Mont Blanc pen laying askew where the writing had stopped. It hadn’t ended, he wasn’t done writing, he just wasn’t sure he could go on.

Eric sighed deeply, sat up, and picked up the pen. He blinked at the page briefly, and once more put the tip to the paper. The meaningless wealth, the empty luxury, the hollow relationships, all flowed through him and on to the paper. His pain erupted from him, and the page filled with words.

He flipped the page over and continued. Shifting his position at the desk, he bore down on the page, the pen making deep marks with each stroke of a letter. His face drew up into a scowl, and his brow furrowed deeply. Then, with a light sigh, the scowl softened to a frown, and his brow relaxed. The page continued to fill with words.

Eric sat back, looking at the page, flipping it back and forth, twiddling the pen between the fingers of his right hand. He re-read the words, the sentences, the paragraphs, and the pages. He wiped the tears with the back of his hand, and set down the page, staring across his desk at the ornate office door.

The time of decision he had been avoiding had arrived. The page was supposed to help him decide, or at least help him follow through on his decision. He read the first paragraph again. It made sense to proceed. He continued to the second page. It started to make more sense not to proceed.

Other people were the problem. As long as he didn’t think of them, he could proceed. As soon as he considered them, it made less sense. He fidgeted with the paper, flicking the edge with his ring finger.

Proceeding was more like who he had become. It was consistent. Yet, he now saw he could become someone else.  There was an alternative he had not considered until he poured his pain out on to the page. He could feel his heart race at the thought of such a change.

Come clean, and live with the consequences. He shrugged. Or die from them, just not by his own hand.

It was a fight to get here. Eric drummed his fingers on the glass of his desk and chewed his lip. It will be a fight to get out. If it’s even possible, alive anyway.

Eric stood and pulled his suit jacket from the back of his leather desk chair. He slipped into the jacket and adjusted his tie. He opened the drawer with his holster, put the pistol in it, and slid it shut slowly, staring at the weapon as it disappeared. The decision had been made.

He came around from behind the desk, looked at his reflection in the glass of a framed black and white photo of the Yosemite Mountains. He flicked a hair back into place, sighed deeply, and walked to the door. Without a pause, Eric left the office, and went to tell his wife the whole truth. He would start there.

We’re In This One?

In Men in Black 3, the character, Griffin the Archanan, sees time as a “fifth dimensional being”, meaning he experiences all options of time simultaneously, but also as they coalesce into a single history. So, he’s constantly looking around and saying, “Oh no, we’re in this one?” as something random happens.

To an extent, we sort of do that as we experience our days, weeks, months, and years. Last year, we hoped the COVID-19 pandemic was ending. It didn’t. Instead we entered the variant stage with Delta and Omicron. Things improved, but remained unstable. 

Welcome to 2022. We’re in this one now. There is little rational support for approaching this year with a sense of peace. Little lends itself to a sense of hope. The circumstances of the humans on this planet seem kind of grim on all sorts of levels, from economic to health to social. What seems to be true is that rough times have come to all, regardless of social or economic standing. And, again, the virus has demonstrated the interconnectedness and interdependence of all humans on this planet.

So, while we’re in this one, here’s a suggestion: cling to Jesus. Wow, who would have thought, right? Forehead slap or slap on the back of the head? You probably want to slap the back of my head. Pretend you did.

I’ve been digging around in Proverbs lately, seeking to ponder riddles and difficult sayings. I ran across these two:

Came pride, and came humiliation; And with humble ones, wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)

Righteousness of upright ones saves them; And in a desire of ones acting faithless they will be caught. (Proverbs 11:6)

Those are my translations, and I chose to do it that way because I’m looking for what an ancient Hebrew person would have read and what they would have thought. On that track, they break down this way (at least to me):

Pride comes, in the form of the attitude to the reader, or a prideful person they know coming to visit. With the arrival of the pride (or prideful person) comes humiliation. Whether it’s entertaining the prideful person or being prideful, humiliation still comes along for the ride. The lesson I learn is to neither entertain prideful people, nor to entertain pride in myself. But there’s more!

When humility (or humble visitors) come, then we don’t gain exaltation or praise, we gain wisdom. Perhaps the reverse can be said, that if we seek wisdom we discover humility. Either way, entertaining humility (and humble visitors) brings wisdom to you as well.

This is all well and good, but what about the bleak outlook of 2022? How does that lesson help us face the new year? I would be very careful to avoid being prideful in your outlook, or entertaining those who are. The difference between pride and hope/faith can be seen in why someone is hopeful and what they have faith in. Which leads us to the second proverb.

Notice that both upright ones and faithless ones need saving. That pretty much sums up the bleak outlook of 2022. Notice that no skill, ability, knowledge, or possession saves either one. Instead, it’s about priorities. In their desire faithless people are caught. Both are pursued, but there is a desire that causes the faithless one to be caught.

The righteousness of the upright one saves. Well, we, as disciples of Jesus, know that our only claim to righteousness is Jesus, and His death, burial, and resurrection. Nothing else imparts righteousness than Him, His actions on our behalf, and His loving grace. Therefore, the only thing which will save those considered upright (“meeting the standard of Yahweh set through Scriptures”), is Jesus.

So, we can stop working so diligently at pretending everything is good. It’s not. On the other hand, Jesus makes our standing before Jesus firm and secure. If that’s our priority, then the important things are good.

Conversely, when our priorities are not on our Savior, when we desire something less than a right standing before our Creator, then that desire will cause us to be caught in the deluge of the world’s problems.

Like driving, you keep an eye on your speed, the temp, the battery, fuel, while you focus on the road. When you focus on the gauges and keep an eye on the road you will eventually crash into something.

Focus on Jesus, and keep an eye on what’s going on around you. You will discover wisdom, humility, and be saved from common failures.

You may notice those focused on desires so much they compromise faith and honesty, and fail, wallowing in selfish self-pity. Watch them from afar, setting firm boundaries with them. Perhaps they will watch you and change their focus.

May you and yours have a very blessed 2022!

When You Don’t Know Where To Go

Uncertainties abound for me right now. I’m not even sure what to write. Usually, I write from what my Master is doing in my heart. I don’t think that’s such a good idea right now. Right now my hope is that my Creator is greater than my heart (1 John 3:20). I’m not sure what that means, though.

What I do know is that Jesus is King of kings, and Lord over all other lords. I know that Jesus’ arrival within human history is the most historic event of that history. And I know that His death, burial, and resurrection is more than sufficient for any action on my part to separate me from my Creator. That much I know, and with that I can worship, I can celebrate this season, and I can praise my Creator.

If you know that, then you can worship, celebrate and praise as well. When we do those things together, we approximate the experience which will be ours eternally in heaven. I know that too. Because my Creator is precisely who He says He is through Scripture. And Scripture confirms these things.

Those things I know are the encouraging things for us, for you, for this season, They are the things that transcend trees, wrapping paper, and stockings. The things that are sure about the Savior are those things that begin in a stable and continue through a cross and empty tomb to the throne of our Creator. Truly, they begin with the words, “In the beginning…” and continue through “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!”

Celebrate, sing, pray, weep, laugh, and enjoy a glass of cheer. Eat, and share with those who have less. Drink, and bless those near and far. Forgive, and release those indebted to you.

Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!

Now What?

Uncertainty is a great description for life. Whatever is alive has both potential and realization. All sorts of opportunities lay before anything alive, plants, animals, people, whatever. Regardless of the range of choice, opportunity, or possibility is always part of what lies ahead.

Sometimes, possibilities and opportunities that we see aren’t what is realized. Often, as disciples especially, our Savior does the unforeseen. He makes the opportunity we did not see the next event. He can take what we thought impossible and make that happen. 

But we do have choice within all this. Often, it’s a choice to either roll with it or fight it. Sometimes it’s a choice to keep or give up. With our Savior, He usually wants us to give up, and the unforeseen event drives directly at that choice. What do I mean? Well consider a group of 120 people who, in the space of a few hours, grew to a group of about 3,000.

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:37-42 NASB

How many seats were there in the upper room anyway? They were probably cramped at 120, to be honest. Who has a house that can hold 120 people? That’s not a house, it’s a mansion. Now they have 3,120 (about). How do you speak to such a group without a sound system, mics, speakers, amplifiers, and so on?

What will these 3,000 do for work, now that they are staying in Jerusalem. Where will they live? They were “continually” breaking bread. That’s a lot of bread. Where were they going to get that? Jesus fed 5,000 men, and then 4,000 men, but not daily. What has to happen here?

The ingathering of 3,000 souls is a lot of change to manage in a single day. I mean, it’s great. But it’s also overwhelming. There’s certainly no going back to the old ways of doing…well, pretty much anything. Gone is the cozy upper room where everyone was feeling a sense of awe. Now it’s feelings of overwhelm because not even 10% of the people fit in the upper room.

Luke doesn’t record many of the problems, but he does record a solution they came up with for one of the problems in Chapter 7. The deacons were chosen because Jewish widows from outside Judea were being overlooked in the daily food distribution. So, they weren’t solving these logistical issues perfectly, not at first. There was learning, growing, and adaptation that had to happen.

I think that’s our challenge today. I post these things at work as well, but I’m not sure where to post this entry at work anymore. They are retiring the one, and the new doesn’t seem to allow religious expression. We’re not sure our group will exist in the new company social network. How will we adapt to the new environment? We don’t know. So, what attitude should we have as we explore the way ahead?

Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:43-47 NASB

Our Savior doesn’t stop being amazing. He doesn’t stop being sufficient, sovereign, or powerful. We, His disciples, can remain in awe of Him, we can remain together, contribute commonly, focused on the needs of each other, being of one mind (the mind of Jesus Phil. 2:5), and continue worshipping Him.

There’s a way ahead, we just need to adapt to this new environment, and press on. Consider the creativity of the Creator of this universe, lying in an animal feed trough in a stable. The way ahead may be unexpected. Let’s roll with it.

Flaming Puns of Fire

How would you describe the indescribable, and please be descriptive? Doesn’t that sound like one of the modern tests our kids are facing these days? I don’t miss taking the college placement exams, not at all. I’m pretty sure, though, that first sentence was the challenge faced by the writers of Scripture. In whatever way they were influenced by the Holy Spirit, every writer’s challenge was to make what cannot be described in human language understandable to human creatures.

And so we have translations in English attempting to render in yet another language what had to be difficult to render in Greek when first written. Check this out:

And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:2-4 NASB

Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech. Acts 2:2-4 HCSB

And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:2-4 ESV

Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:2-4 NET

They’re not that different, and each of these translations worked very hard at being as literal yet understandable as possible. Even so, you can discern word choices among them. Even though the same word is used in Greek for the “tongues of fire” and “other tongues” of speech, notice how some are “languages” and some are “tongues”. Was it a sound or a noise? What’s the difference? 

But notice the similarities. It wasn’t a rushing wind. It was a sound like a rushing wind. The tongues weren’t fire, they were as fire. Luke is struggling to describe the indescribable using simile. Does the description of what they saw suggest itself because of the similarity between “tongue of fire” and “tongue of mouth”? Why the sound like but not of a rushing wind? Was nothing blowing around? 

You can sort of get a sense of what happened, but not entirely. We’re still left grasping at tendrils of understanding, our imaginations struggling to fill in blanks. What would it have been like to experience the sound like that but see nothing blowing around except distributed “tongues of fire” that didn’t burn. Think of it. Where else did someone experience fire that didn’t burn? Perhaps a bush in the desert?

Wind that doesn’t blow, fire that doesn’t burn, and languages they couldn’t possibly know. Regardless of the differences in modern translations, the similarities are striking, and challenging.

Putting ourselves in that room, trying to imagine the sight and sound, and trying to wrap our heads around what was and wasn’t happening, that’s where our differences evaporate. This passage isn’t divisive, it’s inclusive. It wasn’t about excluding anyone of differing views, it was about unifying people from every language under heaven. 

The point was to bring everyone together to hear of Jesus’ redemption offer. The child we celebrate this season brings together all peoples and offers to reconnect us to our Creator. We are called to gather around a manger and worship our Creator. And while we may all be different, mostly by design, we are also all redeemed, also by design. As with any gift, we are free to accept it or reject it.