Jude’s Psalm
O YHWH, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep! A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand this. Psalm 92:5-6
Senseless Man – Perhaps Christmas day should be a day of serious reflection, not on the birth of the Messiah but on the foolishness of Man. How far we have wandered from God’s revealed truth! How much of our “faith” remains unexamined, the inheritance of a tradition of syncretism rather than attentive listening to the voice of our God! We have not meditated on the majesty of God nor have we stood in awe before His hidden plan. We think we know Him. Our arrogance and hubris are beyond comprehension. We don’t even follow Him in the details He does provide yet we have the audacity to suppose we understand what He is doing. We are senseless men.
The Hebrew phrase ish-ba’ar combines “man” and an adjective from the root ba’ar. Ba’ar has three semantic realms. The first is, “to burn, to consume.” The second is, “to remove, to graze or to ruin.” It associates the idea of cattle removing the grass with an enemy ruining the landscape. The third use is, “to be stupid or brutish.” Let’s think about how these three meanings might be connected. In each case, something is destroyed. Fire consumes, cattle eat, enemies pillage and those who act like brutes destroy the image of God. An ish ba’ar is not simply stupid. His behavior reveals an inner destruction. He is burning away, ruining God’s image in him. In other words, he is becoming an animal.
Now, animals aren’t senseless. They aren’t unintelligent, animated robots. What they lack is moral awareness. They cannot be commanded not to eat of the Tree because the command itself has no meaning to an animal. An animal operates according to instinct, not moral instruction. So, the psalmist is not saying that those who fail to recognize God’s majesty and glory are unintelligent. He is saying that they are like animals. They have stopped becoming human. They are deteriorating into creatures who appear to be men but who no longer reflect what makes a man human – God’s image.
Perhaps Jude recognized the truth of this claim in Psalms when he said, “But these men revile the thing which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed” (Jude 10). If you realize that ish ba’ar summarizes men who, like animals, do not understand and are being destroyed, you can see just how Hebraic Jude’s thought really is. It’s simply a commentary on Psalm 92. It reiterates once again that the biblical idea of senselessness is about moral decline, not intellectual incapacity. Ignorance of awe is a sign of deterioration. Rejection of God’s majesty is a step toward animal existence.
Here’s the punch line: On this day, when Christendom celebrates the birth of the Messiah with a pagan festival, do we stand before the Lord of hosts with humble confession that we do not understand Him? Can we say, “Lord, I can’t even imagine why you love me?” Are we numbed with the thought that He is working a reality we only most dimly comprehend? Can we be satisfied to trust His plan even when it is hidden in the dark mystery of existence?
Or will we insist that we know what God is doing?
Topical Index: ish ba’ar, senseless, animal, Jude 10, Psalm 92:5-6
-Perhaps Christmas day should be a day of serious reflection, not on the birth of the Messiah but on the foolishness of Man-
Yes, Perhaps. Then again- perhaps not. Why? “Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.” We could fill a book with the stupidity of man. Volumes. But why such a waste of time- studying stupidity? Now there’s an interesting class- “Stupidity 101”. All you need do in order to receive a passing grade is.. -(Oh, nevermind..)
Meanwhile.. (back on the farm), Philippians 4.8 states: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
This rather limits your parameters doesn’t it? Hey, I know.. let’s all talk about “stupid stuff!”. Er.. uh.. ok.
I like your closing statement today also brother Skip.. “will we insist that we know what God is doing?” That’s a hoot! Kind of like someone with a brain of ladybug in charge of the library. It just ain’t gonna work.
I have seen what happens when man becomes “willingly ignorant”, and G-d is removed (sometimes forcefully) from the scene. Take away the light and darkness will occur. Take away the life- and death and decay will set in. Remove the salt- and rot happens. We all have seen it with our very eyes. People need the LORD. People need the Word, both written and living. We need Him more than we know.
I am forever grateful for the gift G-d gave to this planet some 2,000 years ago. Messiah, manifest in a manger. That is a fact. The exact time and date? Who cares? Why do we insist on knowing? So we can pick a particular day and call it special or holy? G-d knows how we are. Brutish.. “stupid.”
But isn’t it a wonder our Creator manifested Himself to us as a man! The Logos became carne- and then lived among us to show us the way! He ate our food and walked on the very ground He spoke into existence. Ah.. but because we do not know precisely the details of this event, these things must not be spoken of. Keep all this in a tightly capped bottle. Maybe look at it from time to time.. to “properly” inspect the contents contained therein.. but then return it back to the shelf.. “careful now.”
Now let us be “sensitive” to other cultures and religions and not offend anyone by mentioning “Christ” or “Christmas”. How about “X-mas?” Is that better? Or maybe a nice generic,politically correct “Happy Holidays!” Or maybe we could just wake up this morning and say- “ho-hum, another beautiful day..”
Today, (and yes, everyday) I will praise Him for His incarnation. G-d did become a man and walk this planet wearing sandals. He worked in a carpenter shop for a limited number of years. Quietly. That’s how he was born also.. “quietly.”
We desperately need to pray our Abba would “sensitize” us. We are “brutish” and in need of instruction. Now, if only G-d had given unto us a book of instruction- a “users manual.” Where could I find such a book? Hey!- a perfect gift for Christmas.. don’t you think? lol! “Merry Christmas” all!
We thank you our Abba for the gift of your Presence with us today. We rejoice today in both the gifts and the Giver of every perfect gift. Help us to know You, and to “show You”, to our family and friends this very day and every day. This I ask in the name of Jesus Yahshua Ha Mashiach. Amen.
I remember a conversation I once had with our Father about the wisdom of man and stupid people. He asked me “who was the wisest man who ever lived?”
I answered Jesus, and He said “other than Me” and I thought for a moment, and said Solomon.
He said “correct, he asked for my wisdom to govern my people, which I granted to him, but what great error did this wisest of men commit?”
I answered, I don’t know. God said “he allowed the women of his life to lead him away from me.”
I said Lord, if that was the wisest man who ever lived, what hope can the rest of us have?”
His answer was “with man, it is impossible, but with Me (God) ALL things are possible.”
So I trust in God alone, and the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and in His blood. For the wisdom of man is foolishness before God. It is ONLY by Godly revelation given either directly to an individual or through a Godly vessel to us indirectly, that we can weigh our steps and seek the true path of righteousness that will bring us home.
The Word of God is the instruction manuel that will give us all we need. As it is written:
Ecc 7:5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Shalom Ron.. I just clicked on the link (from your name) and (visited briefly) an awesome website. This looks like a “late in the day Christmas gift” from above!
The mother of Yeshua said unto the servants at the wedding- “whatever He say unto you.. do it.” This (to me) is the best definition of wisdom I know of. The wisest thing we can do is obey G-d and do what He says. The opposite of this is also true. Disobedience (sin) is destructive.
What if (like Solomon) I could choose a gift from the hand of G-d. What would I choose? I can think of several “gifts” I would ask for, but to narrow it down to one choice would be very difficult. A repentant heart would be close to number one. Close behind this would be “lashon limudim”- the tongue of a disciple. Eyes to see, hears to hear and a heart swift to obey would make some good choices to receive as well.
The quality of my life is dependent upon the quality of my hearing. “Shema, O Israel!” needs to ring in my ears. Faith is what pleases YHWH and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of G-d.
Solomon started well enough, but fizzled at the finish. He was, -shall we say.. somewhat distracted.
The Hebrew concept of “kavannah” is another gift to be received from the benevolent hand of the Giver.
I see Solomon’s mistake was pretty much the same as Adam’s. They both failed to “remember” the instructions G-d had given them and as a result of this failure to remember G-d’s words, both men suffered. Sin (disobediece) leads to separation, sorrow and suffering.
At the close of this Christmas day, I would like to add my voice to those who have spoken today, to say a big “thank you” to you brother Skip for your labors in G-d’s word. You are another of our Abba’s many gifts to His children. Mega-blessings to the Moen household as we enter together into the new year. “in Him”… carl
Hi Carl,
Love your analysis of gifts. Interestingly, each one can be obtained by what we do, not what we are given. A repentant heart comes from acting with repentance. A disciple’s tongue comes from speaking the truth. Hearing (shema) is doing! Faith is being faithful. Kavannah is the result of deliberate focus of attention.
Amazing, isn’t it? Everything we need is up to us. This is what it means to have free choice. God withholds nothing from the man who seeks Him.