Face time
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11 NASB
Grace – Day 10. We have taken time to examine ourselves. We put aside some of our theological constrictions in order to feel the heart of God. We wept the bitter tears of our self-righteous presumptions. We came face-to-face with the measuring stick. We faced the enemy culture that surrounds us and that fed us for so many years. We anticipate the final day of deliverance. With all of this in mind, now we need favor—His favor—to wash over us and make us clean. We need to know hanan.
Grace is not a theological concept in Hebrew. That might be hard to grasp. We are so used to grace as an idea that we fail to realize it is first and foremost a quality in the ancient Semitic world. In other words, grace is “a term of beauty” that describes “an aesthetically pleasing presentation of aspect of someone or something” that makes a “pleasing impression.”[1] What’s most important is this: in the Tanakh “only Yahweh is ever said to be able to give favor.”[2] Hanan, “grace” or “favor” is a divine prerogative. YHVH gives hanan. He finds something pleasing in us! This idea is radically different than the theology we grew up with, a theology that convinced us that there was nothing about us that would or could please God. We were convinced by men like Augustine and Luther than being human meant being wrong. Remember Pedro Calderon de la Barca? Why try if we are doomed to fail. Madness. But this is not the way YHVH views us. He is filled with hanan and hanan is incompatible with punishment.
“Favor cannot coexist with judgment. It is given or withdrawn according to whether one is positively disposed toward another. . . Love can coexist with judgment (Prov. 3:12) and exists at a deeper level of the inner consciousness, where conflicting emotions are allowed to coexist.”[3] But Fabry’s first point is crucial. Hanan is a function of God’s disposition toward us, not our evaluation of our worthiness before Him. He chooses to show us favor because He finds something pleasing in us, not because we find something worthy in us.
We have examined our sins and our penchant toward relinquishing control to the yetzer ha’ra. We know we deserve our fate. But our evaluation is not a factor in God’s favor. His love does bring judgment and for that we should be eternally grateful. Judgment alters the course of life. But His favor, His grace, does not depend on what we think of ourselves. And for that we must rejoice. All of the guilt we inherited from mistaking grace for love is washed away with the same cleansing that carries off our disobedience. Perhaps this is even more valuable than the declaration of acceptance. It doesn’t matter if we are convinced we are miserable failures before the Holy One of Israel. He has chosen to smile.
Topical Index: favor, grace, hanan, Psalm 84:11, Proverbs 3:12
[1] H. J. Fabry, hanan, TDOT, Vol. V, p. 22.
[2] Ibid., p. 23.
[3] Ibid., p. 24.
This idea will not go over well in the churches I came out of.
Oh, my!
The “we are doomed to fail” thinking will not allow thinking otherwise.
This abominable and dangerous thinking must not be spoken or even thought of.
” . . . no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly” is brushed aside as the “born a sinner”
charade eliminates any possibility of anyone walking uprightly, outrightly.
Coming out of entrenched paradigms is a twisty and bendy exercise. It is also liberating. The invigorating stretching that comes as one steps out of a tiny constricting box in to a world of freedom to walk in the boundaries of Torah is exhilarating.
Bravo.
Sanity prevails again.
Michael, I have been spending the morning contemplating the parsha focus on the Nazarite vows, and that at the completion of them the Nazarine was to bring a sin offering. For what? For abstaining from what G-d had blessed; namely, the fruit of the vine, among other things! I truly wonder what the mainstream would think of this – not that I have seen them ponder it!
This understanding that we are to operate out of blessing; plenty; fullness; a seratonin and endorphin (pleasure pathway) reality instead of an adrenaline one, where ALL our strength is to be found in His joy, and NONE of it is to be found in our lack (shame, fear, worry and anxiety, GUILT, et al) goes straight up against the pagan grain of noble(!) sacrifice; death; beating about the face and body; vows of chastity, poverty and general lack as a PATHWAY to ‘perfection’.
Most all living fauna, it seems, all the way down to the humble single celled bacteria, have seratonin receptors built into the surface of their cell structures. WHY? Because all creatures were created to learn through pleasure, and avoid through pain! We repeat what we found felt good last time because we were created that way! And it was pronounced good; very good! Paganism must employ force, however, (because they don’t have access to the Love Channel!). We are perverted, not because we want what feels good, but because we want it in the wrong way, at the wrong time, through the wrong channels, and also because those pathways can be subverted or hijacked. I have found that Torah, through its emphasis on bridling the entire composite organism that we are; experience of body, as well as mind and soul, is designed to keep us (or bring us!) into alignment with the correct response to pleasure, specifically. Look at the Scripture: it is full of references to our entire experience as being designed for all things marvelous, tasty, mind-blowingly glorious (but simultaneously peaceful). Hello! No pain in sight! Pain was designed to show us where NOT to be. Hmm.
Yes, Laurita, I was always in a conundrum trying to “work” out my salvation without works and magically, mysteriously and hopefully ‘in the spirit,’ never having anyone ever practically explaining what that really meant or how to do it. It was all impalpable to me practically the majority of the time even though I received healthy doses of the Baptist and Campus Crusade for Christ doctrine and theology. “Trust Jesus” was a mind thing, not an obedient thing in reality. Just get some more and of that faith stuff and all will be well. Never mind obliging torah.
Walking within the bounds of torah as I learn it is simple, easy and light. That is, right up until the time that I convince myself that this one time is inconsequential and ok! Score yetzer hara.
Resting in torah is really hard work sometimes when the ra is allowed, by me, to gain approval. Outside the gated fence seems alluring and I face the choice each time. Choosing is a daily activity but nullified by the “born sinful” stance in my understanding. Like Skip pointed out, “Why try if we are doomed to fail?” I didn’t actively think that, however, I subconsciously acted it out with the “Jesus will forgive me” conviction, so I’ll be ok. Jesus and Yeshua, the different persons represented, are polar opposites. I hate to get in to the name issues, but now, in my mind, they represent two vastly different worlds and I can’t help thinking so when I say ‘Jesus’ as opposed to ‘Yeshua.’ It is a continual clarification in my life when I utter the two names these days. And, no, it isn’t a judgement against those who call him Jesus, it’s simply a cue to me that I am living in a different paradigm now, just like observing Sabbath has become a constant reminder of wanting to walk in his ways.
Inspired. Thank you Sir.
Tears.
The Greatest Gift (Ever)
Because God “SO LOVED” the world— He gave His only begotten (totally unique) Son, [in order] that *whosoever (Praise God!) believes *in Him — shall NOT perish.. but have everlasting Life!!
But.. herein also “lies the rub..” — what (sumdumguy) inquired.. IS “everlasting life?” Is it a quantity? I’m gonna live forever? There will be “pie-in-the-sky-when-I-die-by-and-by?” Or is “everlasting life” “quality of Life?” — Answer this question and there will be “joy unspeakable and full and glory..
And oh.. btw —Are you listening? I AM come that YOU might have LIFE and(?) – have it “more abundantly” (perisson- not only to the top, – but overflowing!) – (John 10.10)
~ In Him* was [IS] life, and that Life was [IS] the light of all mankind ~ (John 1.4)
In Him? Who is it that speaks these words? Maybe John the Immerser might help us here.. What’s that you say, John? ~ “BEHOLD, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” ~ So John, you’re saying this IS the One? Are you testify this IS the Son of God? Are you presenting to us- the Passover Lamb? Are you saying He is the atoning Sacrifice for our sins and not for ours only, but for the sins of the entire world?
Rabbi Sha’ul, what sayest thou? “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..”
Isaiah, can you help us clarify this mystery?
~ But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed ~
(Isaiah 53:5)
David, have you seen this Man? Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts, ~ He is the King of glory. Selah.
The Lamb, it seems, has become the Lion.
Daniel, — have you seen this Man?
~ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed ~ Daniel 7:14
John,- what did you see?
~ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“WORTHY IS THE LAMB WHO WAS SLAIN”
[yes, worthy!]— worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” And every created thing which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,
“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”…
And all God’s people said?
AMEN!!!