Polar Opposites (3)
we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NASB
Not forsaken – In order to understand ouk enkataleipomenoi, we probably first need to look at diokomenoi. Translated “persecuted,” the root is dioko. This word is about setting something in motion, accusing, expelling or chasing. It’s used in Philippians 3:12 for moving toward a goal. It also has the sense of “following zealously.” Clearly the verb can be either good or bad depending on the circumstances. Actually, that’s a fair description of the experience of persecution. What looks like persecution to one may be seen as merely a test by another. Persecution comes in personal flavors. Most of mine seem to be moving targets.
There is a particularly interesting Hebraic nuance here. Remember the Beatitude of Matthew 5:10? The Greek verb is the same. “Blessed are those persecuted.” But my study of these verses reveals that the Greek really translates the Hebrew radaph, a verb that means, “to pursue with intent to harm.” Paul’s Hebraic idea of persecution is tied to the intention to injure. It’s not limited to physical conditions. Paul is a personal injury attorney in this verse. Someone is trying to hurt you.[1]
If “persecution” is a matter of personal interpretation, experiencing its opposite also seems quite personal. The Greek enkataleipomenoi combines en (positional prefix) + kata (denoting opposition, distribution or intensity) + leipo (to fail, be absent, be destitute). Perhaps it is something like, “Left without – with great intensity!” Then Paul adds the negative, ouk. This is as strong a claim as one could have. “You will never under any circumstances be completely left without! Period!” Yes, very personal.
Now some personal reflection is needed. When someone wishes you ill-will, when circumstances conspire to harm you, when you are threatened in any way, do you feel as if you could not possibly be left without? Do you feel as if there isn’t a shadow of doubt that your protector is right there? Do you have utter confidence that you are not on your own? I dare say that most of us would have a hard time answering, “Absolutely yes; no question about it!” We know (cognitively) that God is present but we often feel as if He is absent. Our experience of ouk enkataleipo isn’t as vibrant as the words imply. That’s why we need to lodge Paul’s expression deeply in our memories. Life will certainly present opportunities to feel as if there is no one to help, but Paul reminds us that even in our darkest hour, God will not abandon us – ever! We need spiritual confidence based solely on His character because sometimes we just can’t see His handiwork. Let the storms come – then convert them to expressions of trust and see what happens.
Topical Index: not forsaken, ouk enkataleipo, 2 Corinthians 4:9, harm
[1] If you don’t have my study of the Beatitudes, The Lucky Life, you might want to get it now. Go to https://skipmoen.com/products/beatitudes-book/ to order it.
I love yout teaching but it realy hurts me not to be able to pronounce the Hebrew words.
I know it must cost a lot of money to do so but is there someway that we could here the pronunciation of the Hewbrew words?
Max, I’ll have to look into this. I believe that the Hebrew words, when written in English, are spelled phonetically. So you’re already more than halfway there. 🙂
Hi Max,
There is a lot of FREE elementary Hebrew audio lessons on” UTube” that you may find helpful to get you started on learning the pronunciation of most Hebrew words. You can of course, plug “learn to speak Hebrew” into Google search and lots of stuff, both free and low cost will come up.
By studying for a few weeks, you will get a good idea how to pronounce most Hebrew words fairly accurately
Shalom.
Feelings are not to be trusted as truth. Facts often do not feel correct. Right on Skip. All have the need for trusting the facts of God being with us. It can carry us through the feeling of being alone. Romans 8:38-39 are a reflection of this conviction.
Blah-Blah Black Sheep
~ I will never leave you, nor forsake you.. ~ (Deuteronomy 31.6)
~ How blessed are you whenever people insult you, persecute you, and say all sorts of evil things against you falsely because of me! ~ (Matthew 5.11)
Hey!, “Goody-two-shoes,” you ever been a “victim” of malicious slander or gossip? Or have you ever been “falsely” accused? Say, aren’t you one of those “so-called” Christians? Hah! A fine example you are! If that is what it means to “follow Christ”- if I have to be so “straight-laced” (or even sober!), then forget it! Blah, blah, blah-blah! (Blah-blah, black sheep!, lol!)
Hello “Exhibit A!” Are you a Christian? (a “little” Christ!) Are YOU a “follower of the Way?” Say.. Peter, aren’t YOU one of His disciples? Remember this question? – And it was asked of him by a fearful (?) little girl.. Oooh! Such a “threat!” Peter (of course) denied Him. Not just once! Not twice! But three times! And then Peter did what? He remembered. Not only did he “remember,” but he “painfully” remembered.. He remembered the words of His LORD and Master: ~ before the dawning of the day, before the “rooster crows,” – you, Peter, will deny Me three times. Poor Peter!! So.. what happened? – The words of our Master (Truth Incarnate) were true.. (Hello?)- and..? … And “it came to pass..” – just as the Prophet (and the Priest and the KIng) said it would. Oh Peter, – how could you? (we ask). But wait!- there’s more…
And then? (remember?) ~ then ALL (yes, ALL) the disciples forsook Him and fled… ~ (Mark 14.50)
Peter, have you never read in the Hebrew hymnal, ~ Let the redeemed of the LORD- say so? ~ (Psalm 107.2) The sin of our silence! Adam, “remember,” and then speak His words! Yes!! Yes!! God did say, “don’t eat the fruit!!” Those WERE the instructions of our Creator! I too, now “painfully” remember..
Here is a “name” we dare not forget.. (alethia- “not forget”- remember?) and just who is: “The Accuser of the Brethren?” Do we know this name? Who “accuses” us (night and day!) before God?
Ahh.. ~ but what (praise God!) do the scriptures say? Oh dear friend! Listen! Listen intently to these comforting, strengthening, life-imparting words:
~ There is therefore NOW (now, today!) NO condemnation to those who are (what?) *in Christ jesus!!* For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.. ~
(Romans 8.1,2)
And what is the “law of sin and death?” “The soul that sins shall die.” This is the bad news, because “ALL have sinned..” We then, are ALL destined for death. Death, (simply stated), is separation. Separation, isolation and desolation!
Where is the “good news?” in all of this? Where then, is the gospel of Christ?
~ God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that *in Him* we might become the righteousness of God! ~ (2 Corinthians 5.21) Relationship restored!!~
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves FULL ACCEPTANCE: (by both Jew and Gentile, -sinners all!) Christ Jesus (Yeshua HaMaschiach) came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.”
(1 Timothy 1.15)
Let us not forget (alethia) Peter! And please, let us not “overlook” the restoration of relationship that our forgiving Savior so tenderly presented to this devastated disciple!
~ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Adonai,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him again, a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Master; you have known that I dearly love you; He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, do you dearly love Me?’ Peter was grieved that he said to him the third time, ‘Do you dearly love me?’ and he said to Him, ‘Rabboni-Master-LORD, You have known all things; you do know that I dearly love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep..” ~
Peter, (new and improved!) now knows more intimately, immensely and intensely than ever before:
~ He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake ~Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.…~
Carl,
I love your piece today!
God’s Game is all about Restoration of All things – especially as you said, the restoration of relationships to God thanks to the restorative work of Yahshua! All of humanity will be indebted to the Son of Man for time without end for the Sacrifice He Made.
As many of you all know, I am in the camp that holds the notion that ultimately God will forsake NOBODY. To me, Isaiah 45 is a home run scripture on this notion. There we find God SWEARING BY HIMSELF (in essence swearing unconditionally that He will do something). This is a beautiful piece of the Word for your Shabbat meditation:
“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!
For I am God and there is no other.
By myself, I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return:
“To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear”
Only in YHVH it shall be said of Me, are righteousness and strength;
to Him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against Him. ” (Isaiah 45:22-24)
Hallelujah!
The etymology dictionary has crucible originating from crucibulum- a melting pot for metals. the first part of the word comes from either the german kruse (earthen pot) or the latin crux (cross). The bible describes our bodies as earthen vessels. It is where our spirit and christs spirit are made one through affliction. We suffer together that we may also be glorified together. And our sufferings cannot be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. This is the purpose of covenant relationship as described in Psalm 139. It is perfect knowledge through common experience, especially painful experience. Whether we ascend into heaven or make our bed in hell, behold-God is with us. In his book “The Secret of Christian Living”, Watchman Nee describes this process in which we actually become the word and seed of God as follows. “Are we aware of whether the word we preach is like things in a far country to us or is it something out of our personal experience? Do we merely search out a bible passage and speak on it or do we quote that passage because we have touched spiritual reality before God? The difference between them is vast. Many words are but an engaging in a discussion; but words spoken out of knowing God is seed: It is not something coming out of our cleverness by our gathering various doctrines and then passing them on to others. On the contrary, it is knowing such things before God and, having seen them, words are selected and used to plant in men’s hearts. When we preach God’s word, it depends not on human eloquence but on how much of God’s word has been organized into our own life. The difference is between whether we preach objective truth or we have already had a subjective experience. What many preach is only objective truth, yes this will not affect the hearers. People will only be helped if you are that very word that you preach. For the word of God is not merely something to be understood by the mind. Should it be the latter, the clever will be privileged but all the foolish cannot even be good christians. When God’s word comes to us, it will be tested. It can be likened to a potter who draws something on a clay vessel. If that clay vessel with the drawing does not go through the fire, the drawing will become blurred at the touch of the hand. But God in his grace works and burns. He uses environment and revelation to burn us unto preservation. He works once, ten times, even tens or hundreds of times until one day that word is a burnt word; it has been burned into your life- until one day, you the person are that word. Through the discipline of the Holy Spirit and the revelation of the Holy Spirit, He burns a teaching into a person til that man becomes that very teaching. If anyone meets that person, you will not say he is a man who is able to speak; instead, you will say he is that word. Not til then will he as a person have become the seed of God. But when such happens, God will have found His way to spread that word. Otherwise, it is merely passing some word from one brain to another brain; with the result that the church will be more superficial, more lifeless, and less spiritual. By way of conclusion, the problem is whether you are able to be God’s seed, whether there is a part of your life that can be reckoned as God’s seed. Should God sow you, what will grow up afterwards? What a man sows, that he will reap. There is no exception to this principle. How pitiful if our fruits are but causing others to understand some teachings without touching life.” Amen!
Thanks Brett – nice piece!
Our brothers, Roy, Carl and Brett have each spoken the truth.
And mightily so.
How might they have come to KNOW?
Dare I say they’ve no doubt followed the same path Jesus did.
“though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by things
which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became
the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…” Heb 5:8-9
I’ve heard it said that God’s revealed truths open to us through
our obedience. And I, for one, believe it!
“Persecution comes in personal flavors.” Amen!
Please bear with me as I try to tell this story as briefly as I can.
Our son, who is a wonderful, God-worshiping 28 yoa husband and father of 3 (one “in the oven” right now), was trying to explain his own personal experience with persecution. He is my biological son, conceived intentionally out of wedlock. (Can you say “backslidden?”) His birth father abandoned us when I was 2 months pg with bleeding, contractions and forced to give up my job and go on strict bedrest to save the child’s life (a single mom of 2 other children and no family help at all!)
My son has suffered immensely with ABANDONMENT and IDENTITY issues… all because of a guy who impregnated me and then left. My son had never met him or had contact with him until he was 15 yoa; yet, my son was “lost.” (My girls’ father was a decent dad to them but, being the arrogant, selfish BUTT that he is, rejected my son. Couldn’t even play “catch” with him or anything… I think he was afraid he’d immediately fall in love with him! He would have… but what would have been the loss in that?)
“Our” son (Ric is the only DAD the boy has ever had and has always loved him as his own) ran away to his (wild, rebellious college-age) sisters when he was 14. It was a slippery slope into hell on earth from there for him as well as for us. We retrieved him from TWO STATES AWAY, but he was so rebellious. He just kept telling us that he NEEDED to know his birth father, so he began to write letters to the worthless bum… no response x 1 year (of course.) I finally intervened and made contact after almost 16 years (through Child Support Enforcement…) the boy went to live with him… and that was the “struck down but not destroyed” point of our son’s life.
Within 10 months (we got him home then), I could no longer recognize my beautiful child. He was a frail, pale “gangsta-type” h.s. dropout, an alcoholic and had been on all sorts of drugs. This progressed to his becoming a meth addict/seller for YEARS (of course, leaving home… we would NEVER tolerate anything close to that garbage in our home.) At age 21, he came home… begging to get him out of the hell he was in… he was ready for a change. He did a fabulous job… on his own…”pulled himself up by his own ragged bootstraps” you might say; Yet, God was so very merciful, even in the young man’s continual rebellion toward Him. The kid went on to marry and have children, still only giving lip service to God.
THROUGH YHVH’S PERFECT LOVE, just a bit over one year ago today, the boy-man collapsed in the Perfect Arms of YHVH (in a residential program) and he has truly been redeemed. His life is LIFE today!
Here’s where I’m getting at: in our deep discussions, he talks of “not having any foundation growing up”… which, of course, through us for a loop! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE TALKING ABOUT? He’s talking about this: 1) abandonment from a man who helped make him 2) raised by a busy single parent of 3 with one older sibling who was pretty hostile toward him 3) injected into an INSANE ASYLUM called a “blended family” where his mother developed PTSD because the situation was so tragic [more abandonment] 4) raised in “church” but didn’t see what he thought Christ should look like in a home 5) LEFT HOME at age 14 WHICH IS MOSTLY WHERE HE CONSIDERS HIS LIFE BEGAN!
Perception is EVERYTHING.
There are two qualities needed for unconditional love. Humility to give it and gratitude to receive it. these are the two qualities we are being perfected in. Rock bottom is the place we learn humility, and losing everything is the way to perfect gratitude. God redeems and restores. Thanks for your story.
Daria,
This life story affects so many through its many aspects. You know and your word is LIFE. The sisters Know. The loving step-father Knows. Your son’s wife and children will Know. The neglectful biological father will be perplexed and astonished. Friends and strangers will be touched and amazed by such a radical story. HaShem uses every part of a person’s life. No aspect of pain and tragedy in a life are wasted — all is REDEEMED! And the glorious part of the story is your SON. He will spread seed, light, life, truth, salt and wisdom affecting who knows how many! And G-d is glorified. Peace and Blessings on all your family.
Amen! Our son who is now God’s son has a voice and a living witness as to the miracles in his life. He shy-s away from no one in making his TRUE identity in Christ known to all. (He and his best friend sometimes go down to the boardwalk and just sing praises and talk to strangers about THEIR STORY in God’s Hands.)
His cold-hearted sisters, of course, are appalled. He understands the WORD and he expected either that or a transformation in THEIR LIVES when he set the FIRM boundaries with them. (As long as the heart still beats, there is hope. Please pray for my girls.)
Son is a very talented guy (I’m not just saying that because I’m the momma… GOD has touched him tremendously throughout life from conception on. I ALWAYS knew that the LORD had very specific plans for this man, should he choose the right path! One of his many gifts is music (voice, guitar, drums and writing music.) His best friend, also a man whose DEATH TO LIFE transformation is obvious to all who meet him (they met at the Mission House [the residential, Christ-based program], is getting married this weekend to a young woman who also came out of the SAME sort of program only for women (obviously, this couple now IN LOVE WITH THEIR SAVIOR, needs tons of prayer shielding. They bring lots of “UGLY history” into this marriage at ages 38 and 32… One huge huge miracle is that SHE IS A VIRGIN!!! HOW COOL IS THAT???!!!) Our son has been asked to sing/play at the reception but, as our new man says, “As long as anybody will listen to me, I’ll speak to the POWER OF CHRIST in transforming obedient lives.” The groom’s family will be there and they don’t know Christ from heist.
Please pray that souls are pricked for Messiah’s Ways this weekend!
BTW, Satan works harder than ever to steal away those who love the LORD God Almighty and he will use ANYTHING and ANYBODY as bait; My 2nd daughter had that same passion for God since she was way small; she was WITNESSING to her heathen father and ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS when she was so young she was still rolling her “r’s.” !!! She was, in fact, the strongest Christian I had ever known.
She was headed to the mission field in Africa [had already spent a 6-week stent in the bush… ON HER OWN… was not represented by any group or church or etc… when she “fell off the deep end” trying to save her sister from her own rebellious self.