Posts in Category: down to earth believer
KEEPING UP APPEARANCES
DTEB, THE LIE OF “AS IF,” GENESIS 27, 12
“Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be as a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing” (Genesis 27:12 The New American Standard Bible, 1995).
Did you notice the little word “as” above? No? I admit it is a little word—indeed, it might be regarded a throwaway word, not even fit to put in a yard sale.
Years ago, I had a professor at Hebrew Union College who would often remind us that “context is everything.” He would sometimes say (or write on the board) C.I.E., for short.
So, what is the context for Genesis 27:12?
The patriarch of the family, Isaac, was old, blind. Isaac thought he was about to die soon, and was planning to give his favored son, Esau, the blessing. Rebekah heard of this, and hatched a scheme to steal the blessing for her favored son, Jacob.
The word “as” is part of the dialog between Rebekah and Jacob, as they plot to deceive Jacob (Rebekah’s husband and Jacob’s father) in order to cheat Esau (Jacob’s brother and also Rebekah’s son) out of the blessing.
Family intrigue is such a lovely thing, isn’t it? And you thought it was just a soap opera thing?
When Rebekah proposes her plan to deceive Isaac, Jacob’s only protest is that his father may realize that he is trying to deceive him. Jacob is not concerned with whether what his mom is proposing is right. Jacob is not worried about long-term results. He does not think about the effects on his own character, on his brother, on his father. He apparently does not even care about the possible effects on his mother, who offers to take his curse upon herself.
Now, let me quote verse 12 again, with one word highlighted: “Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be AS a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.”
Did you notice the word this time? Of course you did! I have made it inescapably obvious.
The Hebrew word Kî means “like, similar to, as.” Jacob is not saying that he will be a deceiver. He is only saying that he will appear to be a deceiver “in his father’s eyes.” (There may be an ironic intent here, since Isaac is blind!)
Jacob is not worried about what he is about to do, nor is he worried about what he is becoming. He is only worried about keeping up appearances.
Before I go off on Jacob (or you), I need to consider myself. How many times have I been more interested in appearances than reality? I am reminded of the saying, “All I ever wanted out of reality was . . . out!”
The tendency to be more interested in appearances than in reality is well formed in every child by age three. We laugh at the three-year-old who denies getting into the cookie jar, even though his mouth is covered with cookie crumbs.
However, even as we laugh, there is a queasy feeling that we have not entirely grown up ourselves in this regard. The vast majority of us don’t become more interested in reality as we age. We just become better at hiding the fact that we are concerned primarily or exclusively with appearances. We even learn to hide our real concerns from ourselves. We are all very good at covering our . . . I will spare you the crude pun, which involved the word “as.”
Of course, Jacob did succeed in keeping up the appearance of being someone else. Well, at least he kept up that appearance long enough to succeed in stealing the blessing.
Or did he succeed? He spent twenty years in self-imposed exile. It appears that Rebekah died while he was in exile. He arrived home just in time to bury his father. He was repeatedly deceived by his father-in-law and by his own children.
Yes, Jacob was blessed with wives, children, and material goods. And yet . . .
The more I reflect on this story, the more I feel myself being sucked into it. I identify entirely too easily with Jacob. I find that I am no longer reading the Bible. Rather, it is reading me. And, in reality, I do not like to be read. I like to hide. I don’t like reality; I like appearances.
God, help me to accept reality! I can’t do this on my own!
The solution to practicing the not-so-fine art of appearances sounds simple: We need to confess reality. Such confession my sound simple, but it feels like an amputation.
Proverbs 28:13 boils it down to a very terse maxim: “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995).
Dark secrets, like certain bacteria, tend to multiply in dark places. The bright sunlight of God’s forgiveness will kill appearances, and foster my/your/our growth in reality.
FORGIVING THE UNFORGIVABLE
FORGIVING THE UNFORGIVABLE
Will the really wicked person please stand up? What?! You’re not standing! Why not? I am!
Our pastor preached an excellent sermon based on Matthew 18:21-35. He said one thing, however, that I found hard to swallow. He said that we had all wronged God more than anyone had wronged us.
Now wait a minute, I thought to myself! What about someone who holds vindictive feelings toward someone who has murdered a person whom the vindictive person loved? Surely in that case . . .
And then I remembered two things. A third thing came later, as I reflected further on the sermon.
One of the things which immediately came to mind was one of my students whose son was murdered. The father forgave his son’s killer. Indeed, now that the man is out of prison, they get together to pray for one another.
The second thing which came to mind before I could have a mental debate with my pastor about this matter was another father-son relationship, which I had conveniently forgotten. God had a Son, and he died to pay the sin-debt of us all. Therefore, as I understand the matter, I have killed God’s Son. I am the murderer.
Suddenly, it didn’t seem so hard to forgive others. I had indeed hurt God more than anyone could ever hurt me!
And later, a third thought wormed its way into my hard heart and twisted mind: If God is the greatest lover of them all, and if he loves everyone and everything in His universe, and if every wrong that we do is a perversion of love, then God is the most intense sufferer of them all. If God forgives me, it is indeed a terribly wicked thing to refuse to forgive others.
Well, I need to bring this post to an end. I have a few people to forgive, and I need to do it now!
The God who Leans Forward to Listen
NAU Psalm 17:6 “I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.” (Psalm 17:6, The New American Standard Bible, 1995).
This is one of the most audacious ways of addressing God that anyone could possibly imagine.
It is a command to God to listen to the suffering, praying person. The verbs “incline” and “hear” are in the imperative. The psalmist is commanding the God of the universe to listen!
Does this strike anyone besides me as being strange, inappropriate—even blasphemous?
And yet, there it is: a mortal creature made of skin and bones, ultimately made from dust, and destined for dust, telling the Creator of the Universe to listen.
But perhaps genuine prayer always verges on blasphemy.
I am especially struck by the command to God to lean (“incline”) His ear to this petitioner. Is God perhaps going deaf? After all, he is called “the Ancient of Days” in Daniel 7:13! Perhaps God is too old to hear prayers unless he leans forward?
However, I suspect that there are other reasons why a person might lean forward to listen.
A person leans forward when someone is speaking in order to show the speaker that the listener is really interested and listening deeply. Just as a lover leans forward to hear something his beloved is saying, just as a good friend leans into what we are saying, so it is with God. Strange as it may sound, God actually likes to listen to us.
Perhaps a person leans forward when the speaker’s voice is faint. And let’s face it: Sometimes our voices are in fact faint. At such times, we can (and probably should), picture God leaning forward to listen to our desperate whisper.
Sometimes an adult leans forward to listen to a child. We all become little children in certain situations. When we feel that we are surrounded by enemies (Psalm 17:9), we may pray like little children, running to their momma or daddy. And like the good father that God is, He bends down to listen to us.
It is a hauntingly bold metaphor, isn’t it? A God who leans forward to listen, and a praying person who is allowed to command God to do just that! When was the last time I commanded God to lean forward? Perhaps now would be a good time.
Too Many Words
“I have often regretted speech, never my silence” (Publilius Syrus, Maxim 1070).
My wife thinks that I use too many words. She’s right.
Let me say more about that!
I have always been fascinated by words. I was that strange kid who cried in first grade when he had to give up his reading workbook at the end of the school year. (No, I am not kidding!)
That is strike one.
Also, I am blessed (??) with Attention Deficit Disorder, so I struggle to remember what I just said. (Did I mention that I have Attention Deficit Disorder?)
Steeerike 2!
Furthermore, I am profoundly mistrustful about my own communication skills. I don’t doubt that you are capable of understanding plain English—although it isn’t always so plain, is it? What I am wondering is whether or not what I just said was plain English. So, I keep trying to communicate clearly.
Strike 3! I’m out!
However, the Scripture is even more direct than my kind and patient wife is.
“Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
Jesus said, “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36).
James seems to link talking too much with anger—a linkage which makes me really angry!
“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).
So, I really need to work on improving my “T.Q” (Terse Quotient). But how to do I go about working on this?
For one thing, I can realize and confess that if the Bible teaches or commands something, it is not likely impossible. What is important to God may be difficult. In fact, it often is. However, it is rarely impossible.
Second, I can change my attitude toward words. Yes, I am fascinated by words. However, that doesn’t automatically mean that I have to use them as much as I do. What is loved can still be used sparingly. “Don’t talk so much. You keep putting your foot in your mouth. Be sensible and turn off the flow!” (Proverbs 10:19, The Living Bible).
Third, I can begin thinking a little more highly of my communication skills. I was talking on the phone this morning with a friend. We encourage and hold one another accountable. He prayed for me over the phone, and said something to the effect that I was wise in what I said, and a good listener. My friend is no fool. He is a wise speaker and a good listener as well. I need to start listening to wise friends (including my wife), and become an even better listener by turning off the flow of words.
Getting Back to the Garden
What to do when you know what to do, but don’t want to.
Many years ago, I was part of a 50-Day Spiritual Adventure which was entitled “What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do.” It was quite helpful.
However, my problem these days is even more serious. I struggle with doing what I need to do, even when I know what that looks like.
With the cross looming over him, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples (John 13:17). Washing the feet of guests was generally reserved for broken down old slaves who were not good for much else. Apparently, God is not above doing the most menial tasks.
In a sense, the washing of feet was just a practical necessity. Neither hygiene nor roads were good in those days. Before a meal, it was important that your feet be washed.
Furthermore, when people ate in those days, they were in a reclining position. This meant that one person’s nose was in the general proximity of someone else’s feet! So, Jesus was taking care of a very important olfactory matter.
In a deeper sense, Jesus was giving his disciples an example (13:15). His action was not a one-off. It was a pattern for his followers.
However, Jesus also said in verse 17, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” I really wish he hadn’t said that!
I was born outside the Garden of Eden, and have been searching for it ever since. The problem is that I am committed to searching for it only where it is not.
The Garden of Eden is not primarily a place of delight. It is primarily a place of obedience. Happiness comes only when we do what we know to do.
Anybody need their feet washed?
“Grateful for Gratitude Lists”
“GRATEFUL FOR GRATITUDE LISTS”
I need lists! My Attention Deficit Disorder(ly) mind craves lists! They are very helpful to me—provided that I don’t lose the lists, and that I actually look at the lists frequently.
However, the list I need the most (even when my mind does not crave it) is the gratitude list. Indeed, I am grateful for gratitude lists. I try to start my day with at least thirty things for which to give thanks.
It is not, of course, an original idea. Most good ideas aren’t original, and many original ideas aren’t good. Gratitude lists go back as far as some the psalms of the Bible. The Apostle Paul, along with other letter-writers of the Greco-Roman world, started almost all of his letters with gratitude. (The one exception in Paul’s writings is his letter to the Galatians. He was so upset with them that he “forgot” the thanksgiving. I’m sure that got their attention!)
Usually, I write my gratitude down. I’ve tried doing it mentally, but that isn’t as easy or as fruitful. I need a hard copy!
I am rarely grateful for big things. That’s good, because my life is not usually made up of big things. I blog, wait tables, prepare for Hebrew class, try to keep the house straightened up, since my wife works at a very stressful job. I make and take twelve-step calls and e mail reports. If I am not grateful for little things, I won’t be grateful for much of anything, since virtually everything I do seems small.
The other day, a friend of mine who is on our church softball team, gave me a very down-to-earth reason to give thanks. We were talking about our team, our attitude, and our record. It is a perfect record, including the whole of last season. (In other words, we haven’t won a game in the past year plus.)
Bob is about my age (which is not nearly as young as I used to be). He said to me, “At our age, it has been a good game if we can get off the field on our own power.”
True that!
I am not suggesting that I (or anyone) should ignore the pain of living. That isn’t healthy! I am not suggesting that life is not a difficult business. It is a difficult business.
However, if you don’t have some things to thank God or the universe for, you’re not paying sufficient attention.
The sun is coming up as I bring this entry to a close. There are a few clouds in the east. They are a color I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. In any case, I have never seen this particular sunrise. I’m sure of that.
GRATITUDE LIST:
1. This lovely sunrise.
2. . . .
Dteb
Fragments of a Song: Zephaniah 3:17
Fragments of a Song: Zephaniah 3:17
Every now and then, I catch the echoes of a song I cannot quite make out. It is a haunting melody with wonderful lyrics, like a song heard in a dream.
Sometimes, in fact, I do hear it in my dreams. More often, I hear it when I am fully awake. Unfortunately, I am rarely fully awake.
Whenever I read Zephaniah 3:17, I realize that this is the song I’m hearing, but that only deepens the mystery.
“ The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” (NIV)
The Old Testament prophet Zephaniah lived during difficult times for the tiny Kingdom of Judah. There were threats from outside, and oppression from within. He was a descendant of King Hezekiah of Judah, but he was also likely of African descent. (He is described as a “Son of Cush,” which may well mean that he was a black Jew.) The troubled times, and possibly his ethnicity as well, likely made his life difficult. Being royalty is not always good news, particularly in troubled times.
So, it is not surprising that the book of Zephaniah is full of darkness. After the introduction, comes these sweeping words:
“I will sweep everything
from the face of the earth.” (NIV)
The book gets darker and more explicit after that.
Yet the promise of a new dawn comes at the end of the book. And at that new dawn, Zephaniah hears a song, a song of great delight, a song of a mighty warrior. No! It is a song of the Mighty Warrior!
Yet, it is not a song of victory, or a song to taunt a defeated enemy. Rather, it is a love song for exiles, for the oppressed. It is a song of great joy.
Sometimes I hear this melody in a sermon, in a poem, in a song. Sometimes I hear it in an achingly beautiful morning such as this one. Sometimes I hear it when I read, when I study, when I write. Sometimes I hear it when I am trying to obey God. Sometimes I hear it when I have disobeyed, and need to know that I am loved with a “nevertheless” kind of love. I am slowly going deaf, but I still hear snatches of this song.
Every now and then, I catch the echoes of a song I cannot quite make out. It is a haunting melody with wonderful lyrics, like a song heard in a dream.
A really clever little dog
I am indebted (and so are you) to two people for posting this video: my smart and funny wife, and a reader who was hoping for a funny dog video.
I root for the underdog. Probably, most of us do at times, root for the underdog. Why? Because most of us feel like underdogs most of the time!
Here is a great video, which speaks to that matter. Go, underdogs! http://dlisted.com/2016/02/02/open-post-hosted-by-a-little-wiener-dog-showing-us-how-to-win-a-squeaky-toy-fight/.
On Being (without Being Techy)
I just had to look up the word “techy!” This is not a good omen for a first-time blogger or that blogger’s first post.
However, . . .
Perhaps a non-techy, old person can still learn a few things about “modern technology.” This might be true, even if he thinks that modern technology is a salt shaker.
So, what does it mean to be a “down-to-earth believer?” For me it means being as real as I can be at any given moment. But I have discovered that being real is hard work. Indeed, I find it impossible to be real without the empowerment of God. A friend of mine said many years ago, “The Christian life is difficult to live without God.” The obvious never suffers for being repeated.
So, this blog is by a Christian. Am I conservative or evangelical or liberal?
I do not use those terms any more. I have not changed my basic beliefs, though I have changed in my understanding of those basic beliefs. Be that as it may, the terms “conservative,” “evangelical,” and “liberal” have been used for such a wide variety of theological, social, and political positions that they don’t mean much anymore. As someone has said, “If a word means too much, it means nothing.”
So, what will this blog be about?
It will be about God, the Bible, you, me, and intensely practical things. It will contain (hopefully) helpful things for you, funny stories, sad stories, links to funny videos on You Tube (primarily starring dogs). It will, in short, be a jumbled-up closet of things which I set out for me and for you.
A few minutes ago, a guy stopped and hauled off an old grill from the end of our driveway. I hope that our junk is his treasure. I felt lighter, and I hope that he gets some use from it.
I may be setting out some really good things for you, and some of it may be junk. Hopefully, we’ll both benefit from some of the things I set out. As we say in twelve-step groups, “Take what you like, and leave the rest.”
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DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
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