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Wise Guys (2)

Friday, February 29th, 2008 | Author:

“you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.” Exodus 18:21

Fear – What kind of men fear God?  The answer depends entirely on the way that we understand yare, the Hebrew verb for “to fear.”  Yare has five different senses.  It can mean the emotion of fear.  In that case, I would say that God scares me to death.  The very thought of Him makes me shudder.  Why?  Probably because I know that I deserve judgment.  Jethro didn’t tell Moses to find men like this.  Men like this aren’t able to lead anyone.  They can’t even manage their own lives.

Yare can also mean the contemplation of evil without emotions.  That’s the kind of man who can think about evil deeds, probably not his own, as an interesting problem to consider.  He’s not emotionally attached.  This is just a theological or social or civil problem.  A dispassionate judge is a man who considers evil with detachment.  Why?  So that he is not influenced in his verdict.  But detachment is not the mark of a community leader.

Then there’s the usual spiritual meaning of reverence and awe.  This probably isn’t the meaning of yare in the verse, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  Proper recognition of God’s power, majesty and holiness is the kind of fear we all need.  It’s possible that Jethro had this in mind, but since this is supposed to be true of all of God’s followers, this characteristic wouldn’t set these men apart.  We will have to look deeper.

Yare can also mean formal religious worship.  When I come into the house of God, there is a certain quality of fear that I bring with me.  His house is a special place, reserved for honoring Him.  It’s not the local meeting hall or the Bingo parlor.  It’s a place of eternal encounter.  But Jethro isn’t talking about formal worship.

There is one more meaning of yare, the meaning that fits this verse.  Yare is a word for righteous behavior.  That’s what Jethro has in mind.  Men who fear God are men whose lives are committed to righteousness.  They live by the divine code.  They are guided by the Law.  These are men worthy of authority.  We shouldn’t be surprised by Jethro’s qualification.  The Hebrew worldview places far more emphasis on right action than it does on right thinking.  In the Hebrew world, I want a leader who obeys God, not a leader who has all the correct beliefs but none of the obedience.  In fact, I am better off following a follower of the Lord than I am following the world’s greatest visionary who lacks godly character.  God’s wise guys are His obedient servants.

Most of us are followers.  That’s perfectly OK.  God puts us where we are of most use to Him.  Not everyone is, or can be, a leader.  But each of us can evaluate the character of the ones placed in authority.  We know what to look for.  We want to see yare at the core of the one granted responsibility.  Anything else is like playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun.  If you’re following a man without righteous behavior, you better be prepared to be shot.

Topical Index:  Leadership

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Wise Guys (1)

Thursday, February 28th, 2008 | Author:

“you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.” Exodus 18:21

Able – So, you’ve determined that you will stand against the culture of power and give away the authority God has granted you.  You’ve decided that the leadership leprosy that so infects the hallways of government, corporations and the church will not seduce you into isolation.  You know that God alone is King and all His people are equally priests in His kingdom.  But how do you decide who shall be given the authority vested in you?

Well, Jethro has a suggestion.  The first quality of those who are recipients of distributed authority is hayil (might).  Do you remember the umbrella of this word (Today’s Word February 12)?  “Able men” are those who put all their resources in God’s hands; that means their valor, influence, wealth, virtue and strength.  But, that’s not all.  God tells us that those who are truly able men demonstrate that their ability is not by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit.  When you find people like this, invest authority in them.  Give them what you’ve got.  If you don’t, you’ll prevent God’s will from being accomplished in their lives.

This is hard work.  First, it’s hard to give up the glory and the power.  Our natural desire leans toward advantage and self-protection, but we must resist this.  Just as God said to Cain, “Sin crouches at the door, ready to attack, but you must master it.”  The first battle of distributed authority is internal.  You must get God’s point of view on the matter.

Secondly, you are required to search out those who demonstrate complete reliability on the Spirit.  These people are not always easy to find.  Why?  Because they do not take the credit.  They are not self-proclaimers of ability and fame.  They are the behind-the-scenes servers of others.  By the way, that is exactly what it means to be diakonos (Greek for servant).  Jesus had a lot to say about these people.  They model His character.  The credit goes to God.  They are but unworthy servants.  So, you’ll have to really look to find these kinds of “able” people.

Finally, when you are ready to give and you have discovered who is ready to receive, you will undoubtedly meet considerable resistance.  “How can you suggest that person?  They aren’t qualified.  Just look at the resume!”  The world does not recognize servants, only celebrities.  Be careful.  This is a dangerous step.  Distributing authority to those whom the world counts for nothing will always bring conflict.  You, not they, will be held in suspicion.  If there is ever a moment of obedience, this is it.  Remember, God grants.  All you do is distribute.

Moses, the most humble man who every lived, recognizes the godly advice of Jethro.  He submits to Jethro’s revelation – and let’s go of his authority.  If this doesn’t remind you of the words of John the Baptist, then you aren’t thinking in Hebrew.  “I must decrease so that He can increase.”  That’s the motto of God’s great leaders.  It should also be the watchword of those who receive authority through distribution.

Topical Index:  Leadership, Character

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Powerless Leadership

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 | Author:

“for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.” Exodus 18:18

Alone – Moses is acknowledged as Israel’s greatest leader, but the way that he led the people flies in the face of a lot of today’s leadership advice.  The encounter with Jethro is a prime example of powerless leadership – the only kind of leadership that God seems to endorse.

If you read the whole story here, you see that Moses takes the typical leadership posture – at the top of the hierarchy.  His motivation is good.  He wants the people to get answers to their questions.  He wants to bring them God’s decisions.  He cares for their welfare.  But he falls prey to the top-dog syndrome, even though his heart is in the right place.  As a result, everyone waits. The people spend their time uselessly because Moses is the single source of wisdom.  What Moses forgot is that God is the God of distributive community.  Only one person stands as the head of God’s entire family, and that Man doesn’t come on the scene for another five thousand years.  Even after Yeshua arrives, distributive community is still the operating procedure.  God does not endorse hierarchical organization, but He does endorse multiple assignments.  Everyone has an equally important role to play in the kingdom of priests.

Jethro confronts Moses.  “What are you doing?  This isn’t right.”  He tells Moses that God’s plan requires the delegation of authority, not the accumulation of power.  “You cannot do this le va dekha (by yourself).”  The root word badad (the b sounds like v) is used to describe isolation.  It’s applied to lepers who are to live apart from all others.  What a powerful image!  Jethro tells Moses that the top-dog syndrome is leadership leprosy.  Isolated, alone at the top of the pile, the leader clutches power in order to retain control while all the time his isolation fuels the fear that drives him toward more control.  He defeats himself.  The leprosy eats him alive.

God has another way.  God’s leaders give away their power (deliberately) by delegating authority to others.  This must be intentional because the distribution of authority cannot happen by accident.  A godly leader knows that there is no safety and no victory in power.  God is the God of weakness.  So, in order to combat the natural, human propensity for hierarchy, and honor the God of weakness, a godly leader deliberately gives up authority – and the power that goes along with it.  Why?  Because a godly leader knows that all authority is a gift, not a reward.  God grants authority.  I do not earn it.  Therefore, when I pass God’s authority on to others, I lose nothing.  It wasn’t mine in the first place.  Distributing authority glorifies the Giver by serving the community in the distribution.   The act of distributing authority honors the God Who gives liberally and abundantly to all His children in order for them to be the kingdom of priests.

Of course, there are requirements for receiving this authority.  Jethro spells out some of them, but that’s another group of words.  Today, we see that powerless leadership is God’s way.  Is that your objective?  Are you deliberately creating a kingdom without hierarchy?  Or are you infected with leadership leprosy – alone, at the top?

Topical Index:  Leadership, Authority

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Salvation!

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 | Author:

Rise Lord!  Rescue me, my God Psalm 3:8 (translation: Robert Alter)

Rescue Me – “ho.shi e.ni.” Say it again, out loud!  This one is worth remembering.  The Hebrew root is yasha, “to bring help to those in trouble.”  The pronoun “me” is attached directly to the verb.  That’s what I want – direct connection to my helper.  Save me!

Why is this word worth remembering?  Not only because it is the cry of every man and woman who suddenly faces the reality of the broken world.  Not only because it admits our own insufficiency.  The word is worth remembering in Hebrew because it is the basis of the name of the Savior.  Yes, Yeshua (the name of our Lord in His native tongue) is derived from the same root, yasha.  When I call out to God for help, He answers me with the name of His Son.  If we translated it into English, we would stop saying “Jesus.”  “Jesus” is transliteration from Hebrew to Greek to English.  But the meaning of His name is “Salvation!”  When I call out for help, I use the name of the Helper.  “Salvation, come save me!”

Life needs a lot of rescuing.  The broken world just doesn’t work.  How could it?  Sin has infected every part of our earthly existence.  That’s why Paul tells us not to be conformed to the blueprints of this world.  We need rescue from a world that is insanely headed to destruction.  But here lies an important distinction.  Hoshi eni does not mean escape out of trouble.  It means help in the midst of trouble.  In our case, rescue doesn’t mean getting out.  It means being empowered to act as redemptive agents in the mess sin left behind.  Of course, that means constantly coming into contact with the infection – without hazmat suits.  Salvation comes to my aid, giving me hope, help and heart to accomplish His will through my hands, right here, in the middle of trouble.  This is important.  In spite of the wonderful music, there is a real mistake in the idea that “this world is not my home; I’m just a’ passin’ through.”  If you understand the concept of Hebrew yasha, you would never be fooled into thinking it only means getting to heaven.  The Hebrew worldview is about here – on the earth where my Father’s will is to be done just as it is in the heavenly realm.

This is hard to take.  So much of our contemporary theological dreamware is about escape.  We long for heaven.  We fix our eyes on the other world.  We want out!  How many times have you thought, “Lord, I get it.  I accept you.  Why can’t I just leave here now?”  That’s not part of the Hebrew mindset.  Yasha is a word for this world, not the next.  Salvation is not about heaven.  It’s about help.  How can God accomplish His purposes for the restoration of your true humanity and the redemption of His creation if all we want to do is find the escape hatch?

What are you looking for – heaven, or help?

Topical Index: Salvation

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What Does God Require?

Monday, February 25th, 2008 | Author:

And when we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. Acts 21:12

Began Begging – Leadership doesn’t always mean that others will follow.  In fact, in some cases, the leader must blaze a trail alone, even when all the good advice suggests retreat.  How does the leader know when to go forward and when to listen to wise counsel?  Well, that’s a matter of character and obedience.

Paul understood only one thing:  Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Paul’s purpose was to serve his Lord, no matter what.  So, when Paul receives the message to go to Jerusalem, he determines that nothing will stop him.  In this brief report, Luke tells us that on more than one occasion, Paul’s own friends begged him to reconsider.  In fact, they came to Paul out of spiritually-motivated concern for his well-being.  Agabus, at the direction of the Holy Spirit,  provided a physical portrait of the danger.  Luke pleaded with Paul.  Everyone around him believed that they were guided by God to prevent Paul from continuing.  They were right.  God did give them the message to warn Paul.  But Paul was required to be obedient in spite of the warnings.  He told them that he was already bound to the Lord, in life and in death.  So, to Jerusalem he must go.

The Greek verb here is very strong.  It’s a verb you would recognize – parakaleo – to aid, comfort, come along side, encourage, beseech.  Can you feel its impact?  Paul, beloved friend, rabbi and messenger of God, is undoubtedly headed for terrible times, perhaps even death.  Do you remember the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ last fellowship?  Only Mary understood the significance of the moment, and she prepared her Lord for burial.  The disciples were still arguing about who would be the greatest.  They missed the kairos moment entirely.  But now things have changed.  The followers of the Way are in tune with the Spirit.  There is grave danger for one dear to them.  Can you feel their concern, their tears, their fears?  God moved them to act in this way.  Do you understand what that means?  They were genuinely moved by the Spirit to ask Paul to change course.  They were not wrong or sinful or disobedient.  But in their actions, God transported Paul to his own Garden of Gethsemane.  “If this cup can pass from me.”  That’s what his closest friends suggest.  Paul must choose the way of the cross, even when God motivates others to offer another path.

Paul knows what to do because Paul knows Jesus.  This is first a matter of character; not Paul’s character, but the character of his Lord.  Jesus did not let the cup pass.  He could have, but He chose the will of the Father instead.  From character springs obedience.  That’s the way God wants it.  God is not so much interested in compliance as He is in character.  So, God engineers our lives so that there are many moments of character development.  Once character is in place, obedience is the natural by-product.  A leader with a heart for God will obey.  It’s just who he is.

When you face real trials, remember that God may offer paraklesis through others as a kairos moment for character development.  The advice may be good.  It may be truthful.  But decisions are made on the basis of the character of our Lord.  “What would Jesus do?” is still the right direction, even if no one else will follow.

Topical Index:  Leadership, Character

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Basic Arithmetic

Sunday, February 24th, 2008 | Author:

24 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Deuteronomy 4:2

Add / Take Away – Do you think that God is serious when He says we are not to add or subtract anything from His commandments?  The Hebrew verb for “add” is yasaf.  It is used to describe increasing, repeating, continuing and enhancing actions.  So, Israel’s sins are piled one on another and her guilt is increased.  The Lord added sons to Jacob and Rachel.  Solomon increased the tax burden on the people.  It’s pretty easy to understand the meaning of yasaf.  Since that’s the case, I wonder why we don’t seem to pay any attention to it.

Do we add to God’s commandments?  Well, we might start by asking if we increase or enhance the requirements.  For example, a society that expects and awards massive punitive damages certainly adds to God’s civil justice.  We do the same thing in the church, adding tradition to church governance and requirements.  That pushes us in the direction of legalism.  Just think about all the behavioral rules that govern your life.  How many of them are really grounded in Scripture?  How many of them are extensions or additions?  Does God command you to go to church every Sunday?  Does He obligate you to give the tithe to the local church?  Does He compel you to wear specific clothing, speak with particular phrases or use certain prayers?  Does He regulate your social contacts or your choice of career?  We really need to know; but my guess is that most of us have never looked closely to see what God says and what He doesn’t say.

On the other hand, God is just as concerned about taking away from His word.  Here the Hebrew is gara, a verb that means “to diminish, to reduce, to remove and to cut short.”  We’re much better at subtraction than addition.  That’s because reducing and diminishing God’s word doesn’t require so much investigation.  All we have to do is do what we want.  For example, God commands us to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy.  Hard to get around that, isn’t it?  Pretty black and white.  When did we decide as Christians that God really didn’t mean what He says?  Do you suppose that happened when it became inconvenient?  After all, do we really think God actually cares what we do after church on Sunday?  If we don’t understand what God means, subtraction is pretty easy.  Of course, the great Christian excuse is this:  these laws were only for Jews.  We have so saturated our theology with grace and forgiveness that it has become the perfect excuse to do whatever seems morally correct.  So, in spite of the fact that God says the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be kept forever, I rather doubt that any contemporary Christian has ever participated nor even imagines he or she ever will.  There’s something wrong here.  God is not interested in moral correctness.  He is interested in obedience.

Living according to God’s Word is dangerous.  It’s dangerous because it demands a razor-sharp understanding of God’s freedom in the midst of human structure.  God is neither legalistic or antinomian.  Rules do not make a relationship with Him.  Neither does the denial of rules.  You and I have to walk on the edge of the blade if we are going to serve our Master according to His desires.  If you’re not sure about adding or subtracting, maybe you need to get back to first grade and start over.  It’s not what’s “right” that matters.  It’s what He requires.

Topical Index:  Commandments

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Elective Surgery

Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 | Author:

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Deuteronomy 5:21

Covet / Desire – Heart surgery is a really bloody operation.  No matter how well prepared we are, it’s dangerous, painful and life threatening.  God’s operation to bring about a new heart with the right attitude vocabulary is no less difficult.  The old heart has been pumping those desires into your bloodstream for a long time.  It’s addicted to the lust-rush.  Withdrawal is not easy.  But you’ll die unless you go under the knife.

If you could simply retire to a nice, quiet hospital, well-equipped with the best technology, your chances of survival would be greatly increased.  But God does His surgical heart transplants on the battlefield.  Paul describes the triage center very well.  “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).  Did you understand?  Weapons based in commonsense warfare are useless in this fight.  Self-help regimens, external restraints, venue changes and protective mantras are ineffective.  You are at war with yourself, and until the enemy is destroyed, the war will never end.  The battleground is beyond the range of any instrument of the world’s arsenal.  If God doesn’t wage war with you and in you, defeat is inevitable.

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” says Paul.  Anyone who has tried to deal with the inner monsters of desire knows how true this is.  It is by God’s grace that Paul quickly adds, “for it is God who is at work in you.”  Without Him, the battle is lost.  Fortunately, God’s armory is equipped for just such warfare.  Fortunately, Paul is not Greek, for although he implores us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, he takes a decidedly Hebrew approach to this task.

That means that actions come before words and deeds come before thoughts.  I don’t control my mind by thinking about it.  The “fight-fire-with-fire” mentality only burns everyone.  I obey the tenth commandment by acting with benevolence toward my neighbor at cost to myself.  I put into play the very opposite of what my unbridled thoughts suggest.  Do I desire to use someone for my own satisfaction?  At the moment I realize this, I begin to pray for God’s grace and well-being to flood that life.  If I can act with mercy and compassion toward that person, I do so.  Do I lust for my neighbor’s house?  I go buy him something he needs to make it more beautiful.  Do I crave his car?  I volunteer to caringly wash it for him.  Am I envious of his job?  I find some loving way to congratulate him on his success.  In other words, I act against my own grain, serving my neighbor in proportion to my coveting.  And God does the surgery.

The tenth commandment is not an exercise in mental gymnastic control.  It is a call to action.  Try it.  You might be surprised.

Topical Index: Commandments, Covet

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Attitude Vocabulary

Friday, February 22nd, 2008 | Author:

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Deuteronomy 5:21

Covet / Desire – The seat of action is the attitude of the heart.  So, it’s not surprising at all that the last of the commandments points inward.  All of those outward behavioral issues (lying, stealing, adultery, dishonoring, idolatry) begin with inner corruption.   That’s where the root problem lies and that’s where it must be confronted.  You see, God is ultimately not interested in compliance.  He is interested in commitment.  That’s why God hardly ever exercises de jure authority (the authority He has by divine right of creation – the authority of power).  God usually (thankfully) exercises de facto authority.  That’s the authority given back to Him when I recognize that it is my duty to serve Him because He is God.  This is volunteer commitment, not power-based compliance.  So, the two words here, hamad and ‘awah, focus on my attitude vocabulary, my inner motivation.  If my heart is in the right place, I will never break this commandment.  If it’s not, I will break this commandment without lifting a finger.

Does this seem like an incredibly impossible commandment?  I can control my outward actions.  I can not steal, not lie, not commit adultery, not dishonor God or my parents.  That’s a matter of discipline.  But now God is commanding me to control my thoughts!  Are you kidding?   How is that possible?  What am I supposed to do when I see an attractive person or an enticing possession?  How am I supposed to rein in my desire for success or housing or anything else that someone else has?  Does God really expect me to exercise mind-control?  The answer is “Yes.”  Do you remember that God says that His commandments are not too difficult for us to do?  So, how did we get into the place where we think that our thoughts are beyond the reach of the spiritual harness?

Perhaps it started with the separation of the mind (reason) from the body (action).  Perhaps it’s because our Greek-based rational world views emotions as wildly uncontrollable (so, we fall in love, etc.).  Perhaps it’s because in the world where reason is seen as the criterion of human being, we allow the mind to have free rein of thought as if that were a virtue in itself.  No matter where the philosophical beginnings, the result is ominous from God’s point of view.  The very fact that God gave the tenth commandment means that we are responsible for our thoughts and that they can be brought under the government of God.  What else could Paul have meant when he said to bring every thought captive?  What else could it mean for God to promise to give us the desires of our hearts?  Does that mean we get whatever our unbridled lust wishes? God forbid!  It means that as we put our will, mind, emotions and choices under His direction, He replaces those desires that break the commandment with desires that come from Him.  The tenth commandment is impossible without a heart transplant.  In God’s world, heart transplants are elective surgery.  Are you ready to go under the knife?

Topical Index:  Commandments, Covet

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The Shift

Thursday, February 21st, 2008 | Author:

Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Psalm 2:10

Discernment / Warning – The first rule of proper interpretation of Scripture is the rule of historical context.  If I don’t know what the words would have meant to the audience that first heard them, then I don’t know what they can possibly mean to me.  That means that I must do all that I can to understand the words within the context of their historical setting.  I simply cannot apply my post-modern Christianity to the text and declare its contemporary meaning as though it were written yesterday.

This might seem obvious to you.  After all, in this psalm, the historical context is from 1000 BC.  The first place I need to look to determine what the psalmist is saying is to the language and culture of 3000 years ago in Israel.  What you might not realize is that the very choice of words in translation often subtly affects how we understand the meaning.  Unless we work hard at gaining a Hebrew, 9th Century BC perspective, we will miss the whole point.

Hebrew is a language that is rooted in active obedience, not mental assent.  Greek, and the Greek-based culture we live in, focuses on rational and mental control of the world.  We are taught to understand the “facts” and draw rational conclusions as the basis of decision-making.  We believe we can think our way out of the problem.  But not the Hebrew.  The Hebrew looks first to action and obedience, not to rational explanation.  Why?  Because the Hebrew knows that man is frail and finite.  No man sees the big picture well enough to know how to solve the problems of life.  What man can do is listen to God and obey Him.  The orientation is radically different.  Rather than rely on my mind, I must rely on God’s word, even if I don’t always understand what God is doing.

Now, when we translate the Hebrew words sakhal (show discernment) and yasar (take warning), we must be sure that we remain Hebrew and not slip into Greek meanings for these words.  That’s why the King James translation, “be wise” and “be instructed” is hopelessly inadequate.  The King James implies that the words are about information and rational understanding.  The translation is Greek even though the words are Hebrew.  The New American Standard is better, but still misses some of the impact.  Yes, sakhal is about discernment, but the basic idea is to act in such a way so as to avoid evil consequences.  This is not primarily a mental choice, the way we think of discerning the right solution.  It is about my behavior, not my reasoning.  The case with yasar is even more misdirected.  Yasar is a verb about punishment for the purposes of correction, discipline and chastening.  Of course it covers warning.  But warning is verbal and rational.  Punishment is tangible and emotional.  We must move from the cerebral to the physical if we want to appreciate this psalm written in the 9th Century BC.  “Now, therefore, O kings, be prudent in your actions; discipline and punish, O judges of the earth.”  Why?  Because you are to serve the Lord with fear and trembling (the very next verse).

If you want to read the Bible for all its worth, ask the Lord to remove the post-modern blueprints in your mind, the patterns of this age.  That’s what Paul meant in Romans 12.  Time to seriously re-consider how you read.

Topical Index:  Interpretation

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Hitch-hiker

Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 | Author:

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor Deuteronomy 5:20

False – It’s court language, but it’s not limited to trials.  The word picture recalls the witness stand.  “Do you swear to tell the truth?”  The answer better be “Yes.”  In front of the judge and jury, we want true testimony.  So does God.  But His reasons for demanding the truth are not always the same as ours.

We look for justice.  We want satisfaction.  God has a much deeper concern in mind.  Lying disturbs the nature of the universe.  Why?  Because God is truth and whatever circumvents, diminishes or deflects truth attacks His very character.  The universe reflects the glory of God, says the psalmist.  Lying in any form damages that glory, and God will not put up with it.

Once we see the Hebrew word, shaw, we understand the hideous nature of lying.  The word is not just about circumventing the truth.  This is a word that also means emptiness, vanity, evil, ruin, worthlessness and uselessness.  Lying fits all of those categories.  It constructs a fictitious universe, a world where there is no reliability and no consistency.  No wonder God tells us that He hates lying (Proverbs 6:19).  Everything that results from lies stands in utter opposition to the character of God.

Take another look at the meanings of shaw.  Did you notice how many are associated with actions, not just words?  Did you see how shaw is rooted in the practical, not just the linguistic?  Worthless, useless, empty and vane – lying gets you exactly nothing.  It moves you in the opposite direction from life itself.  It sucks the blood out of relationships and drains the world of meaning.  Lying is a step toward chaos and away from the God of order.

It’s popular to suggest that life requires little white lies.  After all, just shading the truth a bit here and there seems to ease things along.  Transparency and brutal honesty are not virtues in a Greek-based world of image management.  It’s far easier to side-step the conflict with a tiny, little lie.  But now you see why even the whitest of white lies comes from the blackest pit of hell.  Every lie moves me away from the living God.  That means it removes me from my own real life.  No matter how “justifiable”, a lie attacks the glory of the Creator and the handiwork of His image in me.  Lies send me right back to the second verse of the Bible, when the world was without form and void.

The choice is yours.  Lies always stand at one-way streets waiting for a ride.  You can stop and pick them up, but you will have to travel toward the dark if you do.  Or, you can see them for what they are – and turn around.

Topical Index: Commandments, Lying

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