And He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to the nations, the rebelling ones who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this day.” Ezekiel 2:3

Transgressed – What is the picture of transgression?  Do you see a picture of someone violating a rule?  Do you think of someone committing an immoral act?  Do you think of a debtor?  If you looked at the Hebrew word here, you might discover a different image than we usually consider.  The Hebrew root is pasha’.  It is a word that is often translated “to rebel, to revolt or to sin.”  The pictograph demonstrates what the word reveals.  The picture is a mouth full of teeth.  Anger!  Defiance!  Teeth set on edge!  Rebellion!  What does it mean to transgress?  It means to set your teeth against God.  It means to have a face of active resistance.

In Hebrew, most description of attitudes are revealed in bodily images.  The face, the hands, the feet, the head all play crucial roles in revealing the inner attitudes and feelings of men.  Since Hebrew pays close attention to observable reality, it reads the character of a man from his expressions and actions.   Rebellion against God is seen in the face.  So are all the other conditions of spiritual/physical life.

Today is a good day for a serious dental exam.  But this exam doesn’t require you to make an appointment at the clinic.  All you have to do is look in the mirror.  Make a careful examination of your face.  Look at the lines.  Are they signs of worry, anxiety or stress?  Are they the tracks of toil?  Or are they God’s signature of life spent in His service?  You will know.

Look at those eyes.  Are they joyful?  Are they discouraged?  Are they clear, comforting, compassionate?  Or are they frightened, furtive or furious?  What do you see when you really look?

Open your mouth.  Show those teeth.  Exuberant or defiant?  Welcoming or rejecting?  Angry or passive?

“His life is written on his face.”  Yes, we know this is true in spite of all we do to hide that reality.  We pretend with plastic perfection.  Better to take a hard look than continue the spiritual make-up routine.

Excuse me while I find a mirror.

Topical Index:  transgress, pasha’, teeth, Ezekiel 2:3

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