Houses of God
and you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates Deuteronomy 6:9
Doorposts – Come with me to Haiti and you will see something puzzling on some houses. Painted on the mud walls are strange symbols and designs (You can see a photo in my Haiti collection here). These are not mural artist’s decorations. They are signs to ward off evil spirits. They are markings that indicate which god the owner of the house serves. The same thing happened centuries ago in Egypt. In order to have the protection of a god, the householder marked his residence with the god’s sign. So, when Israel became a nation wholly devoted to the Lord, He instructed them to do something they would find very familiar. Mark your house with the name of the Lord. All who reside in the house belong to Him. The Hebrew word mezuzah became so important to the children of Israel that to this day an orthodox family marks the house with God’s sign. In order to understand the full impact of this symbolic depiction, all you have to do is read this ancient inscription concerning evil spirits: “No door can shut them out, no bolt can turn them back, through the door like a snake they slide, through the hinge like a wind they blow.” God has just defeated all the false gods and spirits of Egypt. Now He tells Israel to put His mark of protection and ownership over their homes. They knew exactly what that meant!
Of course, there is more than protection involved in the mezuzah. One rabbi said this when the Romans came to arrest him: “In the case of the Holy One, his servants dwell within, while He stands guard over them from without.” The mezuzah is a symbol of protection and ownership.
We have something to learn from this ancient commandment. Did you notice that it is a commandment? For God’s children, designating ownership is not optional. Of course, we no longer live in cultures where we ward off evil spirits with human markings (unless, of course, you venture into many foreign countries like Haiti and China). We think we are beyond all that tribal religion. We’re more sophisticated. I wonder if God views us in the same way. It seems to me that the issue of ownership is at the very core of our “sophisticated” worldview. It seems to me that a visible reminder of God’s sovereignty over me and all that I have becomes more and more important in a world that asserts I have a right to do as I please with my possessions. A worldview built on entitlement is on the verge of serious collapse. What did Paul say? “They did not honor Him as God, or give thanks.” Perhaps we need the mezuzah to remind us that all that we have is a gift from above. Perhaps we would see a change in attitude if we acknowledged the truth on the doorpost every time we went in and out of the house.
The mezuzah provides one other important piece of information. It tells the visitor where I stand. It is an observable mark of my relationship to God. That matters. In a world where religious conviction is pushed into the recesses of private, inner experience, perhaps we need to make an observable statement to the community. Do you think your attitude and expectations would be different if you visited a home with a mezuzah at the door? Wouldn’t you know instantly that this home honors the Torah, that these people serve the living God and that they aren’t afraid to demonstrate their obedience? When someone visits your home today, how do they know which god you serve?
Topical Index: Commandments, Doorposts
