Hebrew Word Study | Skip Moen

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The Man With The Gun

Friday, September 03rd, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is in Me! Hosea 13:9

Help – One of the most important themes of Scripture is the sovereignty over the history of men. This is a significant part of the Exodus drama. The prophets consistently proclaim God’s total control of the affairs of all men, righteous or wicked. Of course, this does not mean that the Scriptures relieve men of culpability for choices. This only means that God has the last word about everything. When God declares that Israel is destroyed, He sets aside Israel’s reliance on treaties, weapons or even temple rituals. Israel’s disobedience brings destruction. The problem is not negotiated alliances. The problem is idolatry. The rot is from within. Stop looking to other nations, other alignments, other sources of strength or security. YHWH is Israel’s help.

Before we reflect on the implications of YHWH’s declaration, let’s take a look at the noun He employs. The Hebrew is ve’ezreka, from the root verb ‘azar. There is quite a bit of difficulty about how to translate this phrase. Some contend it means something like “you are helpless without Me;” some suggest “Who is there to help you?” and some (like the NASB above) see the phrase as a statement, not a question. Regardless of the syntax, the root verb is always ‘azar. Without God, Israel is defenseless. He is help (in fact, the copula “is” does not appear in the phrase).[1]

‘azar is the verb behind ‘ezer, a word that describes God’s multi-faceted relationship with Israel. What functions does God perform as the ‘ezer of Israel? Exodus 18:4 – God delivers from the hand of the oppressor. He rescues from danger. Deuteronomy 33:7 – God assists, supports and reinforces Israel against her enemies. Psalm 33:20 – God is our shield, delivering us from death and showering us with lovingkindness (hesed – a much bigger concept than this single word can convey). Psalm 70:5 – God provides in times of affliction and need. Psalm 115:9 – God is the one that Israel must trust (see also Psalm 115:11). Psalm 146:5 – When God is ‘ezer, Israel is blessed and has hope.

The various expressions from the root word include military aid, social and moral support, deliverance, salvation, enclosure (protection) and general assistance. What is most revealing is this: God is always the assumed source of true help. For this reason, the noun ‘ezer is often used to describe the character of God. He is the helper par excellence. ‘Azar means “to rescue or save or to excuse.” The general sense is military assistance. In contrast to the gods of idolatry, it is God’s nature to help. You don’t have to convince Him, appease Him, placate Him or prove your worthiness in order for Him to act on your behalf. Aside from the fact that false gods are false, the distinctive difference between YHWH and idols is this: God helps in spite of our unworthiness. God showered His love on us when we were still acting as His enemies. He helps when we least deserve it.

Israel failed to realize that YHWH offered help even when they didn’t deserve it. Consequently, by refusing the offer of grace without pre-requisites, they destroyed themselves.

Now we know how to apply this most difficult Hebrew verse. YHWH is still Israel’s help. That will never change. Those who are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel inherit the great ‘ezer. He stands ready. The only question is this: are we ready to receive His help, or do we still think we need to find other sources of rescue?

Oh, yes. “The Man With The Gun.” The pictograph of ‘azar is “to see, weapon, person.” In Hosea’s world, God arrived with a sword. In our world, God carries a very big gun. He protects His own. But maybe there’s another picture here too. If YHWH is my helper, maybe others see me walking with the man with the gun.

Topical Index: help, ‘azar, Hosea 13:9

[1] Since there is a direct link between ‘azar and God’s design of the ‘ezer (the woman), I wonder what would happen to most marriages if husbands thought of their wives in this same way. She = help.

Category: Today's Word | Tags: help, Hosea 13:9, ‘azar | Leave a Comment

Fallen Fences

Thursday, September 02nd, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is in Me! Hosea 13:9

Destroyed – How is Israel destroyed? Hosea cries out on God’s behalf. The word used is shahat. Maybe you have some battle scenes in mind. Maybe you think of collapsed buildings and sacked villages. But if you read this word in Hebrew, some other images would be present. The word shahat also means “to pervert, to corrupt and to spoil.” Now we can think of self-inflicted destruction. Perverted from the inside, corrupted by their own desires, Israel implodes. Assyria and Babylon might have been the outside destroyers, but shahat tells us that there was rot at the core long before the hoards of invaders arrived.

That’s not quite all. Shahat is the verb used in Genesis 38:9 and Malachi 2:8. In both cases, it describes disobedience. Apparently the Hebrew idea of destruction is connected to Torah disobedience. Surprised? The biblical concept of sin is the homogenous combination of the act and the consequence. Our culture separates action from punishment, but not the Hebrew culture. Sin already contains its own destructive poison. There is no action without the ensuing corruption and there is no corruption without the following destruction.

How is Israel destroyed? Well, the historians will give you an account of the movements of the great empires across the Fertile Triangle. The sociologists will speak of the influence of multi-culturalism. The political scientists can describe the failures of the monarchy. But God says that the destruction occurs because His people refuse to obey. Their disobedience results directly in their collapse. Once the seed was planted, the tree grew.

There are two important lessons here. The first is geo-political. Nations that refuse to align themselves with the God-designed fabric of the universe will fall. They plant seeds of their own destruction no matter how prosperous, noble or powerful they become. It’s only a matter of time.

The second lesson is communal and personal. What is true of nations is also true of individuals. You cannot sin and get away with it. The consequences are built right in to the action. Things rot. Corruption settles in. Perversion breeds. Life gets spoiled. Disobedience is not only about not being useful. It is also about dying. Like cancer, the corrupted cells may take awhile to begin to show, but without spiritual radiation treatment, it’s only a matter of time.

How is Israel destroyed? The same way we could be. Slowly, from the inside.

Topical Index: destroy, shahat, corrupt, spoil, pervert, Hosea 13:9

Category: Today's Word | Tags: corrupt, destroy, Hosea 13:9, pervert, shahat, spoil | 6 Comments

Back To Deuteronomy

Wednesday, September 01st, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

“I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.” John 8:26

I Heard From Him – Read the verse again. Then ask yourself, “How would I understand this verse if I were hearing it in Hebrew?” Some things immediately change. First, in Hebrew, to hear is to obey. Remember shema. So, when Yeshua says, “the things which I heard,” he also means “the things which I obeyed.” To hear without obeying is to have ears that are deaf. Yeshua is not talking about theological propositions or the mysteries of the cosmic beginnings. He is talking about hearing and doing the will of the Father. By the way, you and I can hear and do too. We also participate in shema, if we choose to do so.

This implies that it is perfectly possible to hear and do the will of the Father. It isn’t always necessary to wring our hands, cry out loud, fall to the floor and beg God to please tell me what He wants me to do. He already told us. Doing what we already know is a precursor to discovering what we do not know. It would hardly have been possible for Yeshua to claim that He heard the Father if He were not obedient to all that the Father already revealed. That would be like trying to survey a piece of property without bothering to take any mathematics courses. First things first. And first comes Deuteronomy.

Now notice something else Hebraic in this statement. Shema is connected to dabar (to speak). Hearing (obeying) and speaking go together in God’s world. Yeshua makes the connection for us. What is heard and obeyed becomes reality. God’s word manifest in us is the same as obedience to Him – and that is the proclamation of His message to the world.

Do you want to be like Yeshua? In this aspect of discipleship, you know just what to do. You start by listening and doing. You do what you are told to do. Yes, I know that sounds so authoritarian, especially to citizens of a Greek-based individual rights, “free to do what I want” kind of world. But submission comes from bending my desires to the service of another master. So, you do what you’re told. By the way, God only tells you to do things that you can do and that are in your best interests, so it’s a pretty good bargain. By doing what we are told to do, we are able to speak to the world. What we speak is life – the whole manifestation of who we are as obedient children of the Great Father. What we manifest is His will in living reality. We speak volumes, sometimes without a single word. It was not necessary for Yeshua to proclaim His authority and His divinity. His actions demonstrated both. If we want to be what God has in mind for us, we will have to start where He started, with hearing from God. Only after shema becomes our way of life will we be qualified to deliver God’s message to others.

Topical Index: I heard from Him, kago ‘a eikousa par autou, shema, dabar, John 8:26

Category: Today's Word | Tags: dabar, I heard from Him, John 8:26, kago ‘a eikousa par autou, shema | 3 Comments

A Commentary on English Bibles

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

It’s quite likely that I will step on some toes here. Actually, I don’t apologize. I am not trying to dissuade you from reading your favorite English Bible and I am not trying to convince you that you need to understand the Bible from a Hebrew worldview. I would imagine that most readers already have a favorite English translation and already know that without a Hebrew worldview much of Scripture is simply lost. What I want to do is comment on the cultural implications of today’s crop of English Bibles.

I received the latest Bible catalog in the mail. It’s always fascinating to read cultural trends into the newest marketing approaches for selling the world’s most familiar book. Today was not disappointing. We have the “Becoming” Bible – a New Testament for women. “Want a new you in the New Year?” says the hype. This Bible is tailored (a nice feminine term) for transforming truth presented as a “cutting-edge women’s magazine.” There are articles on beauty, men, health, career and relationships. Isn’t that nice? Now you can be stylishly appropriate and still carry a Bible.

Then there’s the “Hugs” Bible for women. Of course it’s for women. Can you imagine a man carry around a Bible that says “Hugs” on the cover? This Bible is designed to give you “encouragement.” All that’s needed is “pretty paper and a bow for a truly spirit-lifting surprise!” I wonder if Paul every thought of gift-wrapping his message to the Galatians. Maybe he should have called it the “Squeeze” letter. Or perhaps Hosea should have listened to the marketing guys and renamed his message “Hopeful Adultery.”

If that doesn’t appeal to you, then you’ll certainly like the “True Identity – TNIV Bible for Women.” No more confusion about those nasty tidbits in Paul’s letters. Now you will “see yourself as God sees you!” You can “connect the life-changing truth of God’s Word to your real-life issues” and “Unmask 100 common cultural myths.” Do you suppose that this Bible actually explicates the real meaning of ‘ezer kenegdo and the Hebrew architecture in the Genesis account? Do you think it reveals Paul’s rabbinic writing and the thousand-year misapplication of Greek motifs to the role of women in the Church?

Have you noticed that the marketers have discovered there is a new target audience here? These Bibles are aimed at frustrated and discouraged women. And why wouldn’t they be frustrated and discouraged? The Church has preached the heresy of a two-class gender system for nearly 2000 years. But do you think that a new cover and a few notes is going to make the Christian world suddenly comes to terms with its mistake? No, I don’t think so. Frankly, if I were a woman I would be insulted by all this pandering.

None of these marketing tactics actually concentrate on what matters – the translations of the text. This is the same NIV, NLT and NKJV versions that have carried the same message of the Roman Catholic priests, the early fathers and the Greek worldview for centuries. Until we have a serious revision of the English translation, we are not likely to make progress with “pretty paper and a bow.”

It’s worth noting that there is another Bible offered in a new guise. It is the “3:16 NCV New Testament.” “Give the gift of hope to friends, seekers, loved ones – and yourself!” Yes, with this New Testament you can connect directly to Max Lucado’s bestseller “3:16.” Wow! I wonder when the evangelical world is going to discover that those who do not embrace a commitment to follow YHWH are immune to exhortations of “3:16’? I can’t recall a single passage in the prophets, or in all the Tanakh, that suggests our objective is to reach seekers with “for God so loved the world.” John 3:16 is not an evangelistic proof text. It is most likely John’s commentary on the theological motivation of the Messiah. It is about the inevitable judgment that follows rejection. And it is not about human beings. God loved the kosmos – all of His creation. The purpose is restoration, not simply salvation. But that’s OK. I am sure they will sell thousands of copies.

You must have noticed that Bibles today are mostly about the packaging, not the content. Do we really need a Bible for every shape, color, desire and direction? Well, we do if we are going to continue to sell this book. But perhaps sales aren’t the reason we have Bibles. Maybe what we need is understanding, not packaging. Take any Bible you have now. Don’t go buy a new one. They all basically say the same thing. Then read the text and start exploring the culture, history, semantics, vocabulary and worldview. Any Bible will let you do that because none of them offer what you need to know. You need to know what God said in the language He said it to the people He spoke to. Tell the pretty paper guys to go wrap up a Lamborghini. I’ll stick with my theological dictionaries.

Category: Articles | 32 Comments

Put On The Armor

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was the chief of the thirty, and he said, . . . 1 Chronicles 12:18

Came Upon – How would you describe the Spirit of God coming over you? Would you talk about being filled? Would you use words about a deep, inner experience? Would you describe the occurrence with emotional overtones or transcendental hyperbole? You might find it startling when you discover that the Bible doesn’t use any of this sort of language in its description of the Spirit coming upon Amasai. In fact, the biblical description is a lot more like Paul’s statements in Ephesians 6:13. The Hebrew verb here is lavash. It means “to wear, to dress, to put on clothing.” When the Spirit encountered Amasai, it was like Amasai put on new clothes, a new set of armor. He was “covered” in the Spirit.

Do you find this a bit strange? Today we speak as if the Spirit is an inside experience. We talk about the “indwelling” of the Spirit. We focus on the inner manifestation and the personal experience. But in this text, the Spirit is on the outside, just like a new set of clothes. And people can see new clothes! Don’t you think that David observed the Spirit covering Amasai? At this point of confrontation, the Spirit shows us and makes it obvious to everyone that Amasai wears God on his sleeve.

What do you suppose would change in our understanding of God’s interactions with men if we thought of the manifestation of the Spirit like a new set of clothes? Do you suppose we might have a greater appreciation for Paul’s comments about putting on the new man (which is also a “getting dressed” metaphor)? If we put on new clothes, don’t you think others would notice? I can tell you this for sure: If your wife puts on a new dress, as the husband you better notice or you are likely to get some real grief. What if we paid the same attention to putting on the Spirit of God?

The short lesson here is a confrontation with the typical contemporary Western idea that our experience with the Lord is private, personal and inner. When we allow the Greek-based paradigm to dictate our view of religion, we look inside for confirmation of godly engagement. But the biblical paradigm suggests that others should be able to see the change in clothes. Our experience with God has a public, outward dimension. If there aren’t any new clothes on the man or woman, we might ask whether anything has really happened. When God dresses someone, things change, not just on the inside but outside where the world can see that change.

We all want to experience the Spirit of God over our lives. Maybe that experience is being inhibited because we still want to dress in the old way. Maybe our claim to be spiritual is hypocritical because anyone looking at us sees we still wear the same garments. Call the Salvation Army. Empty the closet. Get some new duds and let the world see that the Spirit has clothed you today.

Topic Index: lavash, clothed, Ephesians 6:18, 1 Chronicles 12:18

Category: Today's Word | Tags: 1 Chronicles 12:18, clothed, Ephesians 6:18, lavash | 14 Comments

Who’s Who

Monday, August 30th, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

There and then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they urged him to go away from their area. Matthew 8:34

Whole Town – I am sure you are familiar with the story of the demoniac and the pigs. Yeshua crosses Lake Kinneret and encounters a man (two men in Matthew) who is extremely violent, being filled with demons. Yeshua frees the man, sending the demons into a herd of pigs who promptly run into the water and drown. Then the townspeople hear about this, but rather than rejoice over the rescued man, they become very upset and demand that Yeshua leave. I am quite sure that your recollection of the story leaves you with the impression that these people had a lack of faith, that they rejected the Messiah and were spiritually darkened. But maybe Matthew’s account is far more understandable than we usually think. Let’s see.

In order to understand the reaction of the town, we need to know who these people are. They are people who live on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, near Gadara. This is the region of Decapolis, a non-Jewish occupied territory in the first century. That means these people were not looking for a Messiah. In fact, they probably didn’t have the Tanakh (the Hebrew Scriptures) and they clearly had nothing to do with Jewish Torah. The economic operation of herds of pigs tells us that much. As far as they were concerned, Jewish religion was probably something to be avoided.

Furthermore, when the demon-possessed men (plural?) are freed, these people are not particularly pleased. Why? Because the price was a very fine herd of pigs. Their pocketbooks were adversely affected by Yeshua’s compassion, and everyone knows that money trumps empathy. (Paul had a very similar experience in Ephesus.) So the townspeople urge Yeshua to leave. The last thing they want is some Jewish holy man stirring up trouble with the economy. It was nice to be able to travel past the tombs (caves) without being attacked, but it wasn’t worth the cost. Who knows what else this man might do if He sticks around?

What does this correction in the context teach us? First, it underscores the fact that Yeshua came to the Jews. They were the only people prepared to receive Him. The fact that they did not speaks only to their hardness, not to their ignorance. As we see in Acts 2, thousands responded when they finally understood. “To the Jew first” is an essential part of God’s plan. Had Yeshua come to the Gentiles, He would undoubtedly have received the same treatment as He found in this small community. Gentiles are about business, not holiness, so the priorities are very different.

Secondly, we learn that misplaced priorities often have enormous, unseen consequences. The Messiah walked right through this town. He demonstrated incredible, godly power and compassion, but they weren’t interested. Quite a different reaction occurs with the Samaritan woman, but there Yeshua doesn’t perform a miracle. He just speaks to her heart. It makes you wonder if God arrived in our communities whether we would even recognize Him or whether He would pass through while we urged Him not to bother us.

Finally, we discover that spiritual awareness is not necessarily tied to the miraculous. There are always other explanations, other motivations, other concerns. Miracles don’t have much lasting effect if the heart isn’t prepared. And maybe that’s the real lesson here. Preparation of the heart was a generations-long process among the Jews. It took thousands of years. Do you really imagine that we can get it all done in a flash?

Topical Index: town, Gadara, preparation, economics, Matthew 8:34

Today my daughter leaves for Zambia with Overland Missions. She will be there for 3 months. Thank you to all those who helped with her support. Please pray for her. The work is difficult and she is a LONG way from home.

Category: Today's Word | Tags: economics, Gadara, Matthew 8:34, preparation, town | 12 Comments

Relaxed Torah

Sunday, August 29th, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?” Matthew 12:3-4

Not Lawful – In Torah Club Volume Four there is a discussion of the claim that Yeshua broke the Sabbath legislation. The purpose of this discussion is to fortify the argument that the Sabbath remains God’s designed day of rest and that Yeshua meticulously upheld the Sabbath. But Christian theology often claims otherwise, arguing that passages like this one in Matthew demonstrate that Yeshua set aside the Sabbath requirements. However, there are some peculiarities about this event that we need to understand before we can conclude that Sabbath-keeping no longer applies. Let’s look carefully at what the verse says, and what it doesn’t say.

The context: certain religious Jews notice that Yeshua’s disciples are husking grain as they walk through a field on the Sabbath. Rolling the grain between their palms in order to remove the husk was considered work. Therefore, they conclude that Yeshua’s followers are Sabbath-breakers and they charge Him with the same sin.

There was nothing illegal about taking grain from the field. God provided specific Torah legislation that allowed the poor or needy to take what they could eat provided only that they did not reap with tools. Gathering by hand was not forbidden. The objection is to the “work” of husking the grain. But notice that Yeshua recognizes his disciples are doing what is not lawful. The Greek text reads ouk exon, literally “never to be.” Yeshua upholds the prohibition. His disciples are violating Sabbath, but notice that He does not. He goes hungry rather than husk the grain. Yeshua grants that the Pharisees are correct. Then He draws an example from Scripture.

David also broke the Sabbath when he and his men ate the bread of presence. Just like Yeshua’s disciples, they were guilty. But there is another principle at work here, a principle that both the Pharisees and Yeshua knew. The rabbinic principle is tsad heter, a principle that allows for the relaxation of the Torah instructions if there is a demonstrable precedent. Yeshua pushes the point even further by remarking on the apparent contradiction that the temple priests actually do “work” on the Sabbath when they sacrifice an animal. Yeshua demonstrates that there are conditions when Sabbath law is relaxed and no guilt is incurred. The Pharisees’ argument is defeated.

But notice that the Christian argument about Sabbath-keeping is not supported with this event. Yeshua clearly states that the Sabbath has been violated. He simply points to a higher need (hunger) and a previous example (David). He does not set aside the commandment. Furthermore, since the text specifically says that His disciples were eating, but He was not, He shows Himself to be in strict conformity with the Sabbath. The charge against Him comes as a result of the assumption that the behavior of His disciples reflected His own teaching, which He subsequently denies.

What do we learn from this story? We learn that there are times when the Sabbath has certain flexibility. But we also learn that Yeshua did not participate in that flexibility on this occasion. We see that He endorsed keeping the Sabbath. We find nothing here that implies He set it aside. So, if you’re famished on the Sabbath and you happen to be walking through a field of grain, feel free to take some kernels and eat them. You are permitted. But that’s not quite the same as driving to the store, is it?

Topical Index: Sabbath, not lawful, ouk exon, Matthew 12:3-4

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Matthew 12:3-4, not lawful, ouk exon, sabbath | 11 Comments

The Family of Man

Saturday, August 28th, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” Matthew 8:27

Man – Do you remember a few days ago I said that Yeshua almost always acts as a man but there are exceptions? Well, this seems to be one of those exceptions. Did you notice that Matthew does not record any answer for this question? I am not sure there is an answer. Perhaps it isn’t the right question, although it is certainly the kind of question that men would ask. After all, if you were on that boat in the middle of a storm and one of the men in your company got up and commanded the wind and the waves to stop – and they did! – what would you think? Twentieth-century, Hollywood sci-fi, Marvel comics people like we are would probably look for Lex Luther or the Silver Surfer or one of the X-men. We have been anesthetized to the truly miraculous. Our special-effects technology wizards make us think it is all just digital manipulation. We can’t appreciate the overwhelming impact of such an event in our digital fantasy world. But sail out on Lake Michigan or Lake Victoria and get caught in a storm. Then things will seem very, very different.

Now, what about this question? Potapos estin outos? Literally, what kind is this? The assumption that the question is about a man is implied but not explicitly stated. Maybe Matthew’s question is a bit more accurate. This isn’t a question about a kind of man. This is a question about the kind of being who commands the wind and the waves. In the world of Judaism, only one being has such control – and that being isn’t a man!

Put yourself in the boat. You’re sailing on a large lake, just as you have many, many times. A storm rises, just as storms often do. Your boat begins to sink, just as boats sometimes do. Who you gonna’ call? Not Ghostbusters, that’s for sure. But why call on the only one in the boat who has no seafaring experience? Why call on the only one who apparently doesn’t have a care in the world? Do you call him simply because he is the rabbi? What would the normal rabbi do? Probably tell you to get the boat under control and get to the shore. After all, rabbis were not sailors. So why do these experienced voyagers call on Yeshua? Could it be that they leaned on his tranquility? If he could sleep during this threat to life, maybe he knew something they didn’t. So you wake him and plead for help. What do you think he is going to do – start the outboard engine? What could a rabbi do in the middle of a storm on the lake? Pray? Well, yes, pray, or maybe be thrown overboard. Do you remember Jonah? The story is vaguely familiar, isn’t it? But Yeshua neither prays nor jumps. He commands the winds to stop and the waves to calm down. Would you have expected that? Never!

And if this one who was asleep in the back of the boat can command the wind and the waves, then is he really human? He’s not like any human being anyone has ever known. Well, maybe there’s that one case of Elijah who stopped and started the rain. But instantly? No, no one has ever done that. You thought you were in the boat with your friends and your teacher, but you discovered that something else was in the boat. Maybe the question doesn’t have an answer because it is an expression of fear.

When we really brush up close to Yeshua, we may find that He isn’t quite what we thought. When we catch a glimpse of the power of God in His words, we may be a bit more cautious around Him. He just might scare us. Maybe that’s a good thing. Yeshua is my friend. He said so. But He is also my God, and that makes me tremble and cower before Him. If I lose sight of either aspect, I am not likely to know Him at all. And when the next storm comes, maybe I’ll be the one who is almost afraid to ask, “What kind is this?”

Topical Index: man, what kind is this?, Matthew 8:27

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Man, Matthew 8:27, what kind is this? | 11 Comments

Paradigm Shift

Friday, August 27th, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

And since Jews ask for a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom I Corinthians 1:22

Sign/Wisdom – Why do Jews ask for a sign but Greeks seek wisdom? The answer is to be found in the cultural paradigms of these two groups of people. Once we uncover this difference, we can determine which paradigm fits our point of view.

“Sign” is the Greek word semeion. “Wisdom” is sophia. A “sign” has a special meaning in the Jewish culture. It is a mark, a token or a miracle by which divine power is made known. For the Jews, this means a supernatural event displaying the majesty and power of God. The Jews have a long history of signs. Crossing the Red Sea, manna in the wilderness, the capture of Jericho, Elijah and the prophets of Baal and many more manifestations of God’s covenant with Israel confirm the reality and presence of God among His people. The prophetic tradition is filled with signs, both contemporary and future. For the Jews, a sign confirms a truth already revealed. God choose Israel. His signs confirm this choice. The Jews look for a sign because they already have the relationship. Anyone or anything that claims additional revelation must meet the existing standard of God’s guarantee. Any man can claim to speak for God, but only God can confirm the voice with a supernatural sign.

The Greeks don’t look for a sign. Why? Because they do not have a history of revealed truth through the prophets. The Greeks seek (an important verb) wisdom. Because their paradigm is not based on revelation, they pursue understanding through the accumulation of information. Theirs is a completely natural theology, that is, it begins and ends with an examination of nature. And in the natural world, especially in the world limited to cause and effect, you don’t find miracles. If you’re going to find God this way, you will have to find Him through an examination of first principles like the cosmological argument. In other words, you will attempt to reason your way to the existence of God. Of course, you might end up with a God who appears to be much more like a transcendent, ineffable being than the God of the Bible, but that’s the price you pay for doing philosophy.

Does this mean that Jews don’t seek wisdom and Greeks don’t ask for miracles? No. What it means is that the general approach to religious thinking is different. The Jews know that they have a relationship to YHWH. Their concern is simple: “Who speaks for Him?” The Greeks do not have a covenantal relationship with YHWH. Their concern is different: “Is there a God?” The biblical answer to each of these questions is also very different. When the answer is applied to Yeshua, the Jews stumble. Why? Because they have always known, by direct revelation, that God is One (‘ehad). It is an enormous hurdle to all they believe to imagine that Yeshua is God. A very convincing sign would be necessary – like rising from the dead.

The Greeks find Yeshua’s claim an offense. Why? A God who dies for insignificant human beings? That is offensive. It is an affront to everything we understand about God. God does not die. He is not concerned with the petty affairs of men. To suggest otherwise is a display of intellectual foolishness.

But there it is. Yeshua does claim to be God. Now what do we do? If we are Jewish in our thinking, we will ask for a miraculous guarantee of this claim. We will want something akin to the great miracles of the past. We will want to know if it really happened. If we are Greek, we will seek to understand how this could be. We will want to know what this means for our idea of God.

Paul says both questions can be answered. Which do you find most important?

Topical Index: sign, wisdom, semeion, sophia, paradigm, 1 Corinthians 1:22

Category: Today's Word | Tags: 1 Corinthians 1:22, paradigm, semeion, sign, sophia, wisdom | 10 Comments

A Small Addition

Thursday, August 26th, 2010 | Author: Skip Moen

For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. I Corinthians 1:21

Message Preached – The Greek text in this verse does not contain the word “message.” It simply reads “through the foolishness of preaching.” Why do you suppose that the NASB changes this from an action to a thing? What’s the difference between the foolishness of preaching and the foolishness of the message preached? Could it be that Paul’s Greek emphasizes the dynamic of life in action whereas the translators have converted the meaning to a set of propositions? The Greek word is kerugma. It is a noun so there is justification for adding the English word “message.” It does mean message or proclamation. But there is an ambiguity inherent in this word. It can mean both the message (the content) and the action of proclaiming (the act). Which meaning is in view is often very difficult to determine. What is clear in this translation is that the English pushes us toward content only. Why do you think this translation ignores the alternative?

This Greek term is connected with the Hebrew qol. But the Hebrew is not principally about a message. It is about a voice or a sound. It’s used for all kinds of sounds, from God’s voice to the noise of chariots. Etymologically, this word is derived from a root meaning “to call aloud.” As you can see, it is not about the message. It is about the action.

This causes us to pause and reflect. How much of our understanding or contemporary evangelicalism is based on certain propositions? How much do we rely on the message, the content, rather than the action? If Paul is thinking like a Hebrew, is he suggesting that the foolishness God uses is what we do, not just what we say? Is God’s wisdom located in the counter-cultural living of those who follow Him? Would it make any difference to the world if our message was not accompanied by our way of living?

This separation between thought and deed comes to us through the Greek separation of mental and physical. But that dichotomy does not exist in Hebrew. What I say is what I do or else I am a liar. God is what He says. I must be the same. To proclaim the content of a message but fail to act upon it is to lie to the audience. No wonder congregations collapse when the preacher’s life is exposed as a fraud. We expect content and action to flow together. Paul would have expected the same thing. There is no message without intertwined action.

It is indeed unfortunate, perhaps tragic, that translations like this one draw lines of distinction between what we say and what we do. The world is filled to the brim with those who proclaim the message of the Christ, but who don’t live in alignment with the God of Israel, the very God the message endorses. What kind of impact does that have on the pagan world? They look. They see. They see hypocrisy. They see adherents claiming a place in heaven whose lives are filled with tidbits from hell. They see religion without relationship – not just with God but with each other. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s way past time to stop preaching a message. It’s time to live according to God’s instructions and to shut up until we do.

Topical Index: message, preaching, kerugma, qol, 1 Corinthians 1:21

Category: Today's Word | Tags: 1 Corinthians 1:21, kerugma, message, preaching, qol | 22 Comments