Verbs And Adjectives
They feared YHWH and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among who they had been carried away into exile. To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear YHWH, . . . 2 Kings 17:33-34
Feared – This just doesn’t make any sense. Verse 33 says they feared YHWH but served their own gods. Then verse 34 says they did not fear YHWH. What? How can people who truly fear the Lord practice the kind of fertility cult behaviors described in this section (like burning children alive)? How can the text tell us that these people “feared” YHWH and then turn right around and tell us they didn’t fear Him? The problem is the difference between adjectives and verbs.
Verse 33 reads et-YHWH hayoo yere’eem. If we carefully analyze the construction, we see that et-YHWH marks the direct object, but the verb we expect (yare’– to fear) appears as an adjective (yere’eem – plural “afraid” or “fearful”). The real verb is hayoo (“they became”). So the sense of this verse is not, “They demonstrated awe and reverence toward YHWH.” It is rather, “They became emotionally fearful of YHWH.” In other words, they were scared of what YHWH might do, but that didn’t stop them from worshipping the fertility gods. They had an emotional reaction of fear, not a reverential and obedient reaction of awe and respect. They simply accommodated YHWH into their current pagan practices as one more god to be appeased.
We see this clearly in the next verse where the Hebrew reads eynam yere’eem et-YHWH. The sense here is “not fearing YHWH.” This is behavioral, not emotionally descriptive. Here we have a statement about disobedience, expanded in the subsequent text concerning their disregard for the statutes, ordinances and commandments of Torah.
So we cleared up the confusion, right? The two verses use two different senses of yare’. We are linguistically satisfied. But this isn’t the end of the story. Now it’s time to reflect on what this text implies. A priest from exiled Israel is sent to instruct these people in the ways of God. They are in trouble. Lions are eating people. They want the danger to pass. But after the priest gives them an archery demonstration and lessons, they simply incorporate what he teaches into their current practices. They might shake a little over this new god, YHWH, but they aren’t willing to follow Him exclusively. They just add Him to the pack. As the text says, “To this day they do according to their customs.”
What about us? To this day are we still doing according to our customs? Have we merely added God’s instructions to our already pagan attachments? Is God just another deity among the ones we worship? Don’t we celebrate Eastre (or Tammuz or Astarte) on Easter and Saturn (Mithras) on Christmas? Doesn’t Christendom worship human saints and a human mother? Haven’t we changed a simple meal into a religious miracle? Haven’t we altered the Scriptures time and again to fit our theological needs?
Maybe we need some man-eating lions in our midst? On second thought, that didn’t seem to work either. As soon as the danger passed, people went right back to their old ways. Maybe what we need is a radical change of heart – and a new quiver of arrows.
Topical Index: yare’, fear, fearful, pagan, Torah, 2 Kings 17:33-34
Amen! The nature of man has not changed much. As you mentioned, it is a heart condition for those that want to continue in the way of traditions of men rather in the paths of righteousness of YHVH. A hardened heart will not be able to allow His Spirit to put His Torah on their hearts (Ezk 36:24-27) Throughout the Scripture we see how YHVH can not stand mixture especially when it comes to worshipping Him. People that say they follow the One true G-d of Israel have become so far removed from His ways and have the same attitude of those that were in Shomron (Samaria). May many in the “assembly” eyes be opened to what YHVH is restoring in these end days.
Amen on what Pam said. What you expounded on Skip totally reminds me of my experience in China this past May. One day I was teaching with a friend of mine, in a large city. I felt a strong oppressive spirit in the area and was moved to go outside the meeting place and pray. As my eyes gazed over the landscape, I noticed Buddhist temples and cemeteries strewn throughout the hills surrounding the city. Billboards of every kind littered the landscape, vying for the local Christians and peoples’ affections. Idolatry was rampant.
As I was praying over the church property, the Lord revealed to me an image of a Buddha wrapped in Yeshua’s (Jesus’) clothing. Knowing I had to share that evening, I sensed the Lord wanting me to speak the truth in love to my Chinese brothers and sisters. Interestingly, as I received this message from God, I soon discovered that my friend had experienced the same “word of knowledge” while inside teaching. She boldly asked how many still had a relationship with Buddha and ancestor worship. Amazingly, a third of the hands went up slowly. So that evening, I shared with them this message asking God for boldness and grace —
“For many of you, worshipping Buddha has been in your family for generations. But in time, you realized that Buddha couldn’t heal. You burnt incense, occasionally went to temple, wore little jade lucky charms, hung “good omen” symbols around your home all the time thinking Buddha and the spirits would be pleased. But spiritual and physical prosperity still alluded you. Life still lacked meaning, hope and joy.
Then one day, someone told you about this God who came in the flesh as Yeshua (Jesus). You heard He could heal, grant you prosperity and even raise the dead back to life. So you thought, ‘Hmm. I’ll give Him a try.’ So you stood in line to be healed. And instead of going to temple, you came to church. Instead of burning incense, you gave offerings. Instead of wearing jade trinkets, you wore a Cross around your neck. And yet the years have gone by and nothing has really changed in your life. The Lord wants to ask you, ‘Why?’
In Psalm 121, King David lifted his eyes unto the hills and saw all the idolatry that had claimed the high places around His beloved city. Despite what he saw, he proclaimed, ‘From where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, Who made Heaven and earth.’ In other words, my salvation is from the LIVING God and not from these impotent idols who have mouths that cannot speak, eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, noses that cannot smell, hands that cannot touch and feet that cannot walk…(Psalm 115:5-7). No. David’s God had eyes that COULD see his everyday comings and goings. His God had ears that COULD hear his every prayer, a nose that COULD smell his fragrant testimonies, hands that COULD heal his infirmities, feet that COULD walk alongside him and a mouth that COULD speak life into his very soul!
Chinese brothers and sisters, you now belong to the LIVING GOD who created Heaven and earth, and who created you — not a Buddha wrapped in Jesus’ clothing! Do you believe?” Slowly, they all nodded.
If anyone wants to help our ministry pray for our Chinese brothers and sisters in China, let me know!
Like you said Skip, the same kind of idolatry exists in the West but just under another type of “clothing.”
Hi Christine,
I think there are many Bhuddists who are similar to Christians, at least in so far as they believe that Bhudda was a man like Jesus who taught that God is mind, like spirit.
One of the very few things that caught my attention in high school was my sophmore English teacher’s comment that Bhuddists believe we should empty our minds of thoughts.
If we want to experience peace.
The other was his comment, when introducing The Last Days of Socrates, that Socrates thought the most important point in life was to be prepared for death.
“Socrates taught us that a life without thinking is not worth living. Now, thinking is a noble effort, but the finest thinking may end in futility. In thinking man is left to himself; he may soar into astral space and proclaim the finest thoughts, yet what will be the echo and what its meaning for he soul?
The Bible teaches us that life without commitment is not worth living; that thinking without roots will bear flowers by no fruit.” Abraham Heschel
Hi Skip,
Understand. Unfortunately, Abraham Heschel was not mentioned in my high school 🙂
Speaking of Socrates, his mentors can be traced back to his Mother and a witch from Mantinea (Diotima).
Makes me think of Marcuse’s “Eros and Civilization,” not to mention the Mem and Dalet.
That’s very funny 🙂
“Perhaps surprisingly, Socrates claims to have been deeply influenced by two women besides his mother. He says that Diotima, a witch and priestess from Mantinea, taught him all he knows about eros, or love.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates#Satirical_playwrights
“But after the priest gives them an archery demonstration and lessons, they simply incorporate what he teaches into their current practices.”
Hi Skip,
Are you speaking metaphorically, I don’t see any reference to “arrows” in 2 Kings 17; it is in 2 Kings 13:17 but I don’t think it refers to a priest.
No physical arrows, but if Torah is the practice of hitting the target, then the arrow they needed didn’t have stone tips, they were words of instruction. Hitting the mark is the objective of righteous living, the goal of Torah, as we learned yesterday (Archery Practice). The metaphor is a carry-over.
Got it. Thanks!