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 1:7 – A Story

Fear of Yahweh // Top of knowledge (daat H1847)
Wisdom (chokmah H2451) and discipline (musar H4148) // Fools despise

The parallel concepts are synonymous rather than antithetical. On the other hand, the first is positive, and the second is negative. In a chiastic structure, knowledge is compared synonymously with wisdom and discipline, where fools are antithetical to fear of Yahweh. That’s one way to see it anyway.

---

Greg leaned back, pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. His face, lit by the light of his laptop, was covered in stubble in the patches left by his unruly beard. He sighed deeply and let his hands fall to his sides, one still holding his glasses. He stared at the ceiling.

He closed his eyes and rolled his head around, stretching his neck, pausing at one point to pull tight muscles. Facing the screen again, he replaced his glasses, and his long slender fingers went to the keyboard once more.

The sound of feet sliding along carpet behind him announced the arrival of his sleepy roommate, Frank. Greg didn’t look up as Frank shuffled by in a stupor.

“I can’t believe you’re still up working on that stupid paper,” Frank said as he opened the fridge.

“I’m almost done.”

Glass bottles clinked in the fridge as Frank shut the door. He reached into the sink and pulled out a glass tumbler. After a bleary inspection, he poured the milk into it.

“Well, you missed a great party last night.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” Greg glanced over at Frank. “You hung over?”

“Duh, I said it was a fun party.”

“So, is your paper done?”

“No.”

“When are you planning on doing it?”

The silence was broken only by Frank slurping and gulping his milk. He wiped his mouth, and looked at Greg, blinking.

“When’s it due?”

Greg looked at Frank with wide eyes.

“Seriously? It’s due today, bone head.”

“I’ll do it,” Frank said rubbing his eyes. “After breakfast.” He looked at Greg and smiled. “In the library, with the candlestick.”

Greg sighed and looked back at his screen.

“Yeah, you do that.”

“What’s it supposed to be on again?”

Greg was silent for moment as his shoulders tightened in a shrug, and he frowned deeply.

“It’s on a parable of Jesus that does not refer to the Kingdom of God.”

“Easy peasy.” Frank flopped on the couch behind Greg. “I’ll do it on the one about the Sower.”

“That’s about the kingdom of God, you dope.”

“Oh, right.” Frank scratched his head. “How about the one about the pearl of something or another?”

“Still the Kingdom of God.”

“Coins?”

“Have you even taken notes in class?”

Frank was silent. He sat up and sniffed. His hair stuck up in several, incoherent directions. He frowned.

“Does that help?”

Greg shook his head.

“You’re doomed.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine.” Frank shrugged. “I mean, what can they do to me?”

“Flunk you?”

“Nope, I paid good money for this course.”

Greg twisted around in his chair and stared at his disheveled roommate.

“Wow. I mean, first, you didn’t pay anything, your parents did.” Greg held up a finger. “And second, that only pays for access to the learning, not to pass.” He held up his second finger. “It’s up to you to actually learn anything.”

Greg turned back to his laptop and continued typing. He shook his head and sighed.

“You sound like my dad,” Frank said. “He says he’s not paying for another semester if I don’t pass this one.”

“I wouldn’t either.”

“Yeah, that’s what I mean,” Frank mumbled as he rubbed his face. “You sound like my dad.”

There was silence as Greg typed and Frank pondered the carpet between his slippers.

“What parable are you doing?” Frank asked finally.

“The parable of the unjust judge.”

“How is that not about the Kingdom of God?” Frank asked staring at the back of Greg’s head.

“It’s about prayer.”

“Like nobody prays in the kingdom of God.”

Greg twisted around to stare at Frank in silence. Frank continued to stare at the floor.

“You really didn’t pay attention, did you?”

Frank didn’t respond.

“We’re supposed to write about a parable that does not begin with, ‘The Kingdom of God is like…’,” Greg said, slowly.

“What do you think of Emily?” Frank asked suddenly. He looked up at Greg.

Greg blinked silently.

“I met her at the party you skipped last night.” Frank ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think she goes here, I think Brian picked her up at a bar.”

Greg blinked again, chewed his bottom lip for a second, and turned back around. He continued typing.

“I think I’m going to ask her to marry me.” Frank stood up. “She’s cool.” He stretched his hands toward the ceiling. “My mom would hate her.” He chuckled as he bent over and tried to reach the floor, but barely reached above his ankles.

Greg cringed in his seat and continued to type.

“Well, you have fun,” Frank said. “I’m going back to bed.”

Greg looked at Franks back as he shuffled back to his room.

“And I’ve decided to go into real estate!”

Greg rolled his eyes and turned back to his laptop screen.

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!

A Whirlwind Relationship

One of the interesting “appearances” of our Creator in the Hebrew Scriptures is as a “whirlwind”. There is a term that is commonly thought of in this way, the Hebrew word, “sa’arah”. It’s used when Elijah is taken up by Yahweh (2 Kings 2:11), and this is the word for the whirlwind out of which Yahweh speaks to Job (Job 38:1). It isn’t always the appearance of Yahweh, sometimes it is an actual storm.

Having said that, it is used in Ezekiel for the appearance of Yahweh to Ezekiel at the River Chebar:

As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire.
Ezekiel 1:4 NASB

Ezekiel goes on to describe an inexplicable sight of the creatures about the throne of Yahweh. Still, all of that happens within this cloud or fiery whirlwind. Which reminded me of the appearance of Yahweh on  Mount Sinai in Exodus:

So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Exodus 19:16-20

The same word, sa’arah, is not used in Exodus, but the imagery sure sounds similar. There are other visions of Yahweh which don’t involve the whirlwind, so why do some? I’m not sure, and conjecture at this point is probably not helpful. It most likely has to do with the particular people at that particular point in human history, and I don’t know enough detail about either.

Yet, I learn something of my Savior from these appearances. I learn things like these:

1. He is willing to come to His people and be seen by them
2. He is powerful, frighteningly so, possibly terrifyingly (yet, see Judges 13:21-23)
3. He reveals Himself to His people in ways that communicate a message we need, at that point in time.

I could go on, but you probably get the idea. The vision of Elisha of the chariots of fire and horses of fire as Elijah is taken by the whirlwind, combined with the vision of Ezekiel of the creatures within the storming whirlwind makes me wonder. What would it be like to see that? What would such an appearance of my Creator be like to experience? Would I, like Ezekiel, be silenced for a week? Would I, like Isaiah, have the presence of mind to volunteer for my Savior’s purpose? Or would I blather on like Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration? I suspect I’d blather.

My Creator has not shown up to speak with me like that. I haven’t seen Him enthroned with the four creatures around Him. I haven’t heard the loud thundering trumpet of His voice. I believe Hollywood cannot reproduce, or even come close, to what Elisha or Ezekiel saw, nor adequately depict the glory of my Creator showing up on Mount Sinai. I want to see it. I want to be so awed I collapse in a quivering heap on the ground, babbling in a fetal position for a week. Bring it on! Sigh, alas, it is not to be. And that’s okay, honestly.

The thing is, I can get so caught up in the physical sight that I miss the fact that I have Him with me all the time. It would be cool to see the whirlwind, don’t get me wrong. And I would be ecstatic to experience that (and, yes, terrified). Yet, my Savior dwells within me at every moment.

Therefore, when I am behaving, He is with me. And when I am misbehaving, He is with me. He is with me when I travel, when I am at home, and when I am somewhere else. If I would live that way all the time, I would be different. I would treat others differently, I would see this world differently, I would think differently. And, perhaps, living that way might make it more likely that I will see such a sight. Yet, even if it doesn’t, and I don’t, I will in heaven. Eventually, we will all of us see Him, in all His glory, and every knee will bow, and every will tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It will happen, eventually. So, in the meantime, how will I live today?

Wrath, Grace, and Justice

I get why a lot of people referring to themselves as “Christ-followers” don’t particularly like the Hebrew Scriptures. I have changed my term to disciple of Jesus. Not that I am particularly disciplined, or not as much as I should be. I choose it because it is more subordinate in my mind. I need something more intentional and committed, because I don’t particularly like what I find in the Hebrew Scriptures either. Yet it’s still true about my Creator and Savior.

For instance, when David sins by counting the people, Yahweh is very displeased. After David repents (at least in the order things are recorded), Yahweh gives David a choice of three punishments: 1) Three years of famine, 2) Three months of battle loss, or 3) Three days of pestilence. Pestilence doesn’t sound so bad, but here’s how Yahweh describes it to Gad, David’s seer:

So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Take for yourself either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”
(1 Chronicles 21:11-12 NASB)

David’s response is that he would rather fall into the hands of Yahweh than the hands of men, so he chooses three days. The angel of Yahweh goes through the land and 70,000 die from north to south in the land. And then there’s this dramatic scene:

And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces. David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

(1 Chronicles 21:15-17 NASB)

This is a difficult account of our Savior punishing sin among His people. It’s a window into His relationship with David, with Israel, with His human creatures, and, potentially, with us. We don’t like it when our Savior get’s angry, we’re uncomfortable, and squirm in our seats. This is how He dealt with His people, not gentiles, not pagans worshipping other gods, His chosen ones. How, then, will we escape when our Father in Heaven seems so severe?

Our hope is in His grace. Our Savior is just. And, because of His just nature, there is wrath. Yet, there is also grace. Yahweh saw what His angel was about to do to Jerusalem, and “relented” or “was sorry”. Our Creator changed His mind. Isn’t that what we want from a just God? Do we really want justice? Wouldn’t that wipe us out, utterly destroy us? Isn’t that a global flood, thorough destruction, maybe with only a single family left?

I want grace. I want my Savior to change His mind about me. I want something to appease my Creator. Eventually, my Creator provided Himself as my Savior. He took away the wrath by taking it on Himself. He appeased Himself, His just nature was settled through Jesus on a cross. And so, grace reigned over my sin, my failure, as David experienced. David saw the angel of Yahweh standing over Jerusalem with sword drawn, ready to destroy there too. And David saw it all stop, in grace. Yahweh changed His mind, relented of the evil about to happen, was sorry for the people of Jerusalem, and stopped it. 

Read the Hebrew Scriptures and discover the grace of our Creator in fresh ways. The accounts of our Creator demonstrating grace among these accounts helps us better appreciate Jesus, and ourselves before His presence. On the threshing floor of Ornan (Arunah in 2 Samuel 24), David makes an altar, and offers an offering to Yahweh. According to tradition, eventually, on that site, David’s son, Solomon will build the temple. And, eventually, the Savior will teach in the courts there, teach of the grace of Yahweh.

Struggling With The Sins of Others

I am absolutely not a fan of “pride month” being June. It’s the month I was born. Now, instead of being able to do fun things to celebrate me, I find my plans blocked by parades and celebrations I find extremely “uncomfortable”. Okay, I don’t actually plan to go anywhere for my birthday that this will be a problem (except for this year, and we’re going anyway). Honestly, it’s this month-long celebration of a behavior that is so clearly a violation of my religious beliefs. It’s as if that’s the point, to offend.

Scripture isn’t “obscure” on the topic of gender-identity. It isn’t one of those “grey areas”. Paul begins his letter to Rome with these very clear statements:

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
(Romans 1:26-27 NASB)

Now, to be clear, this is a translation of an ancient version of Greek, no longer in use. So, English translators do their best to render the original meaning into English. It’s tough, though, to really get the descriptors Paul uses here to work well in English. Most of the translations I’ve looked at (here it’s the New American Standard) agree on the gist of Paul’s point. It’s wrong, people know it, and our Creator has stopped trying to stop them from harming themselves.

So, am I right in being bothered by a month of “pride” in what my Savior calls “degrading passions”? Well, maybe. Although, the chapter of Romans doesn’t end there. 

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
(Romans 1:28-32 NASB)

You see, the list isn’t restricted to LGBTQEtc-type sins. There’s actually a long list of behaviors that “miss the mark” of righteousness with our Creator. The key is how this paragraph begins, “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer,…”. It is this statement that forms the basis on our Creator’s “handing over” of these people. It’s not that they are LGBTQ-whatever. Look at the rest of the paragraph’s behavior list. How many of those are mine? Way too many, honestly.

I’m not going to go through the list with a “done that” “not done that” marker. You get the point, and you could do that yourself. The point is that Paul is making it clear the problem is actually wide-spread. The Jewish readers would have been horrified and appalled at the sexual sins listed, but then they would find themselves on the list at the end. The point isn’t whether you find yourself on the list, the point is “acknowledging God”.

Look at how Paul leads into this discussion:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
(Romans 1:18-20 NASB)

Our Creator is known. He has revealed Himself through what He has created. So, people, also His creations, are without excuse regarding acknowledging their Creator. But it goes on:

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
(Romans 1:21-25 NASB)

Did you notice the pointed accusation in verse 25, “…and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…”? Do you catch the point? I know that I struggle with that. When I think of what people think of me more than what my Creator thinks of me, I fail precisely at this point. Then I gossip, I slander, am arrogant, boastful, insolent; am basically selfish, self-centered, and fear the creatures rather than the Creator.

So, yes, a month dedicated to celebrating any one of these failures of humanity is frustrating and confusing. But what should I expect from such a world as Paul describes? Isn’t every day some sort of celebration of these things? Don’t our entertainment choices celebrate the list of sins?

I still don’t like it, I feel uncomfortable with the topic, and I don’t want the topic of “gender identity” pushed in my face. And yet, I am right there with them with my own vices on this list. The sad reality is that I am not going to be pleased with the reading of the “books” in Revelation listing everything we’ve ever done, both good and bad. I’m going to have a lot more bad than good, that’s just the truth about me.

On the other hand, I believe my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. At the end of the process, it’s not what’s written in the books, but rather my name being in the Book of Life that matters. What’s in the books may be embarrassing, but that will be overwhelmed by the joy of my name being in the Lamb’s book of life. 

My Creator is my Savior, and not because of something I’ve done. He is my Savior because of what He has done. He loves me. My actions on that list have not voided His love for me. So, I can only assume that this is true of anyone who’s behavior is on that list. The key is whether we acknowledge our Creator. 

So, at the end of my line of thinking, I’m still uncomfortable and frustrated. I am also more mindful of the wide arms of my Savior. If He accepts me, He will accept anyone who acknowledges Him, anyone who believes that He exists and is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Will the behavior change? Mine has. On the other hand, some hasn’t. But how I view my behavior has completely changed. I accept my Savior’s view of my behavior, His definition of good and evil, His desire for my actions toward others. Perhaps that’s the litmus test of acknowledging our Creator as our Savior.

What do you think? Or is that a dangerous question?