To Have and to Hold
“Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God;” Exodus 6:7
Take – Private ownership is one of the fundamental concepts of Western civilization and capitalism. It is so fundamental to our way of life that threats against it cause widespread panic. We can hardly imagine what life would be like if we did not possess things. This concept alters the way we look at the world. It is the basis of “that’s mine” thinking. But it is not part of the way God made the world.
Scholars have known for quite some time that the Greek word echo, a word that means “to have, to possess, to acquire”, has no Hebrew equivalent. When Hebrew expresses the Greek idea of possession, it has to use combinations of pronouns, prepositions and other circumlocutions. When the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into the Greek, there were many verses where the use of echo has no Hebrew word in the original.
This raises a very important question. If private ownership (possession) is so fundamental to our way of thinking, why is the concept missing from the Hebrew way of thinking? The answer reveals just how seduced we are by the patterns of this world. In the Hebrew culture, God owns everything. My use of His possessions is strictly temporary and completely at His discretion. The Jubilee year, instituted by God, reminds me that I am not the owner. Furthermore, in Hebrew thought community is far more important that individuality. God cares for his people (plural). He chooses them. They do not choose Him. The meaning of an individual’s life is always found within the context of the community, the tribe, the line of descent and the purpose of God. Private ownership stands in opposition to all this. The mentality of private ownership, of possessing because I can, drives me away from the kingdom and away from the community of its citizens.
In Hebrew thinking, to have something is to be loaned something in trust. I act as steward, not owner. This verse in Exodus summarizes just how differently the world appears from God’s perspective. God acquires us as His people. We do not possess Him or own Him. Such thinking moves far away from the Hebrew mind. Even the decision about who will be my God is not up to me.
Imagine how your thinking would have to change if “have” were not in your vocabulary. Could you live as you do? Would you be chasing the same dreams? Would your measures of success need to be altered?
