No Confusion
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. Psalm 103:8 NASB
Lord is – David read Moses. He must have since this verse is a direct quote from Exodus 34:6. In order to support his previous claim that the revelation of Moses disclosed the standards of God’s ways, David cites a crucial text from Moses. The text deserves careful analysis because it paints a picture of YHVH that we might find unusual. We have spent a lot of time with this text and the following verse. It is given exhaustive treatment in my lecture on “Being Human.” There isn’t really much more to say.
Except—these verses paint a picture of YHVH that is radically different than our usual theological ideas. In these verses, YHVH is portrayed as a caring Mother pregnant with the soon-to-be-born child Israel, ready and willing to pour herself out for the needs of this child, restraining and curtailing any disruption in the birth process that might occur due to the child’s disobedience, filled with overwhelming desire to meet the needs of the child, so much so that an eternal familial covenant is established with mutual obligations by both the Mother and the child, obligations that will result in constant care and correction by the Mother, including perfect justice and oversight for generations to come.
There is no mention of power. No mention of glory. No mention of the all-knowing, all-present, eternal, immutable, perfect, first mover of the universe. There is nothing here that reminds us of the usual theological textbook chapters on the nature of God. This God, YHVH, the God of Israel, the new suzerain lord of the Kingdom, is much more like a near-term loving Mother than a disciplinarian, distant Father. The difference is crucial, and David knows it. David could have cited any number of passages that portray YHVH as El Shaddai, ram v’nisa, ehyeh asher ehyeh, l’kol l’resh, Melek ha’melek or Adon kol ha’arets. But he doesn’t. Instead he chooses a verse that describes the tender care of a mother, the touch of gentle, loving caress on a newborn’s skin. He uses pictures of intimacy, not authority. In fact, he does not cite the next verse which describes YHVH in His capacity as judge. The Hebrew text literally reads “merciful and gracious YHVH.” The descriptions come before the name because they are most important to David, and since this verse is YHVH Himself speaking, they must also be most important to Him.
It is undoubtedly worthwhile to study Exodus 34:6-7 in detail. But it is also worthwhile to remember that David, the man whose sins might indeed have impact for the third and fourth generations to come, does not include that idea in his appeal. David is not confused about who YHVH is and I suspect he is eternally grateful that it is the Mother who shows up first. Certainly I would be.
Topical Index: Exodus 34:6-7, YHVH, Psalm 103:8
I have noticed that fathers seem to be more concerned about justice for the community on behalf of the child; fathers can be concerned about righteousness for others being done by the child, but mothers are about justice and fairness being provided by the world TO the child. Mothers are about not only leveling the playing field; they are looking to load the deck!
Not a whole lot of time gets spent, I don’t think, by anybody reflecting on what exactly it takes to continually create that level playing field for us. We talk a lot about the overwhelming forces of evil on one hand, but on the other we go blithely on our way, not even considering what it may actually cost to beat back such a malevolent and unjust force, bent on destruction, just so we can have one more moment in which we are ‘free’ to choose. We seem to think that there is an inherent power in choice; that choice itself provides its own runway; and certainly that choice makes us some sort of god over our realities – our choices are sovereign BECAUSE they exist. Really?
There is a war going on in the universe; a war that existed before we were created, and it did not end when a third of the stars of heaven got kicked out: it just transferred to another field. That field is us, and we are the prizes that are being fought over, too. We talk about fighting evil, but, really? We can’t even fight ourselves! Then we swagger around, flaunting our so-called power of choice like it was some mighty nuclear force – everybody stand back; I might activate my Power Of Choice, and then, boom! Really? Each and every wrong choice I make is a choice that limits all further possibility of choice in that direction; I am my own worst enemy through my choices the majority of the time.
No, what makes the world go ’round does not come from me. I do not get up and beat back the forces of evil before breakfast; neither do I rule the universe with my sovereignty called freedom of choice. Rather, it is more like my Mom keeps picking up the toys after I go to bed so I can play with them again tomorrow, and packs me into my crib with nice high sides so I don’t fall out in the night, and locks the bedroom door and then sings me bedtime songs about how Baby rules the world. Her world. And Baby believes it!
I think what makes my world go ’round is really mercy and grace; not my choices. In fact, that mercy and grace is required on a continual basis BECAUSE of my choices that keep choosing the Death and Destruction playing card. Someone keeps loading the deck and deferring that D&D card, and it isn’t me! We are told that angels are assigned to us; not only as messengers but as body guards. Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened so that he could see who was really going to be doing the fighting, and I don’t think the walls of Jericho fell down because of a loud noise, either! I think you fight fire with fire, and angels with angels, and that my part of that fight is to choose who wins each round; who gets to claim the booby prize, which is me. That’s about as far as my so-called “power’ of choice goes. Forget fighting evil! In fact, the way I read the Scripture, I am expressly forbidden to directly engage in the fight, and that engagement is called witchcraft. I practiced witchcraft for many years in the name of religion; I took on the forces of evil directly, and I have only scars and defeats to show for it, too. I wonder WHO KEPT ME ALIVE IN THOSE SKIRMISHES, TOO? THANKS, MOM!
Like Father – Like Son
~ The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness ~ (Psalm 103:8)
~ Let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus ~ (Philippians 2.5)
~ And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God ~ (Ephesians 5.2)
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, LORD, to Thee.
*Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.
Let them flow in endless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my LORD, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Ever, only, all for Thee.
(Frances R. Havergal, 1874)
“…And Baby believes it!” Miles of smiles:-) 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 …Thanks Laurita ( and Skip!) for putting things into perspective. Thank you Momma YAH. You are tender, to be sure. I remember once when I was a child I cut my knee open while sledding, turning the white snow red with MY precious transmission fluid. I limped home crying all the way knowing that my Mom would make it right somehow, but she wasn’t home and I was cast upon the care of my Father who yelled at me for being stupid enough to hurt myself so badly as to require stitches. Yikes. Talk about adding insult to injury. I learned from that single episode the difference between a mother who protects and a father who rejects and things about what it meant to be a man and a father that I rejected and am still trying to sort out to this day, but this will help. Compassion and grace are from Him and He is no respecter of gender.
Thanks too for your insights on choice. Plenty to chew on today….if I so choose!
Can you translate El Shaddai, Ram V’nisa, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, L’kol L’resh Melek Ha’Melek? I follow you daily and am learning more about my Hebrew heritage. The Lord has Blessed me with the responsibility to lead a more in depth study of the Bible. I share most of your dailies and I’d like to share this one, but I will have some in the class want to know what the translation is of the Hebrew. Thanks
I am traveling in Italy. Please give me some time. Back home in a week.