Just when you thought you had heard it all….Pt 2

The Law Pt 2

The writer that I mentioned in the first blog, did include numerous scriptural references to bolster his argument for keeping the law, however he didn’t really expand or explore any of them so I didn’t include them in this blog.

The intent, as I understood the writer, is to “hear and obey” the law. The question that came to my mind was “hear what law, obey what law?” If the writer was suggesting believers today need to keep the laws of Moses then I would ask the writer of the email “do you keep the laws of Moses?” Are you “hearing and obeying” the laws of Moses? If I am not mistaken I believe there are over 600 of them! And though Jesus kept the law, He had to fulfill it, He broke a few in His earthly ministry too! Yes He did.

Matt 12:1-13 (YLT) “At that time did Jesus go on the sabbaths through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears, and to eat, and the Pharisees having seen, said to him, `Lo, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a sabbath.’ And he said to them, `Did ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, himself and those with him– how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone? `Or did ye not read in the Law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple do profane the sabbath, and are blameless? and I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here; and if ye had known what is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice–ye had not condemned the blameless, for the son of man is lord even of the sabbath.’ And having departed thence, he went to their synagogue, and lo, there was a man having the hand withered, and they questioned him, saying, `Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths?’ that they might accuse him.  And he said to them, `What man shall be of you, who shall have one sheep, and if this may fall on the sabbaths into a ditch, will not lay hold on it and raise it? How much better, therefore, is a man than a sheep? –so that it is lawful on the sabbaths to do good.’  Then saith he to the man, `Stretch forth thy hand,’ and he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole as the other.”

Of course the Pharisee’s immediately began to plot Jesus’ death following this encounter. They, the Pharisee’s knew the end was near if someone with authority could challenge the most fundamental law of the Sabbath!

So, let’s ask ourselves, what is going on here? The answer lies in the letter to the Galatians, written by the Apostle Paul. The opening verses give the reader a quick look into the heart of what is to follow, namely a dispute between keeping the law or following on in faith. Let’s read portions of the letter and you will see what I am referring to.

The following argument, put forth by Paul, uses the story of Abraham and his two sons to demonstrate the difference between the law and grace. Let’s read it. Gal 4:21-31 (KJV “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”

Now, that’s an interesting question Paul raises “do you not hear the law…” The “law” is, somehow, speaking to us, the reader of this letter. How is that? Well, read on and you will “hear” the law speaking by means of an allegory or comparison between two things in which one represents the other.

Let’s take a closer look at the story Paul is referring to in writing about Hagar and her son. It takes place in Genesis the 16^th chapter 1-3 “Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.  And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.  And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.”

Here is the beginning of the story. Abraham takes Hagar (Agar in the KJV) and has a child with her; Ishmael. According to Paul Hagar is a bondwoman and her son “was born after the flesh…” This is what he compares Hagar and Ishmael to; a “bondwoman” and “the flesh.” Then Paul refines the allegory, the comparison by stating that Hagar is “mount Sinai in Arabia.” This is the mount where Moses and the people received the law from God. Hagar is that mount. And her son Ishmael? He must be, using the allegorical model that Paul has introduced, the “child” of the mother, the mount, and that would be the law. Let’s continue. Clearly in Paul’s writing here the law is bondage whereas the other son, Isaac, represents the “promise” and freedom. Finally, Paul clearly equates the two sons to the two covenants “Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants…” Which two covenants? The first; the covenant struck with Abraham. The second is the covenant struck with the people of Israel. The first covenant preceded the second and therefore, Paul argues, takes precedence over the second, the law. And what does Paul conclude? “Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” That is what happened to Hagar and her son Ishamel, they are cast out from before Abraham. And this is what must happen to the law, it must be cast out. The law is not co-heir with faith. The law has no standing in comparison to the covenant made with Abraham.

Paul makes an astounding argument in the third chapter, here it is:

Gal 3:6-18 (KJV) “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.  And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.  Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.  And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

Let’s take this portion of the Word piece by piece. First we read that Abraham attains a righteous standing before God because he believed God not because he kept the law, he believed. According to Paul, this is a staggering statement in my opinion, the gospel was first preached to Abraham! And because God knew the gentiles would receive their blessing, their redemption through faith, God first gave that gospel, of faith, believing, to the man who first believed; Abraham.

Now, Paul continues to write the following: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” In another letter Paul says that the law deceived him. How could that be? The answer may not be obvious but it is simple; the law promised blessings, but these blessings could only be obtained if one kept the whole law. The deception was this; no one could keep the whole law, no one!  Here it is in Paul’s words: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith….” What a catch 22! The reality is this; the law wasn’t given as a means to obtain the full blessings of God it was given to keep mankind in check until the “seed” would come and confirm the covenant made with Abraham, a covenant of faith, faith in the Messiah Jesus Christ. Believers today are not blessed, saved by the law! We are all blessed, saved by grace, by faith in Christ!

Continuing in Paul’s letter we read:  Gal 3:13-18 (KJV) “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.  Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.  And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

What could be more obvious “Christ has redeemed us from the CURSE of the law…” Why? “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Look, Christ fulfilled the law, those laws that demanded sacrifice, rituals, etc. He became The Lamb, The Sacrifice once for all. We are not under the touch not taste not laws. We are not under any ceremonial laws. We are not under any religious laws. We are under the promise by faith in Christ.

Paul continues his argument by pointing out the priority of the covenant with Abraham. A couple of things set them apart. First the covenant with Abraham took place 430 years before the law was given. Clearly the covenant of promise, faith is first. Another thing of importance is this; when the covenant is given, or cut, with Abraham, Abraham is asleep! Heb 6:13-14 (KJV) “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,  Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” God made the covenant unilaterally, on His own. However, when the law is given it is given by means of angels and a mediator; Moses, and the people have to agree to it, accept it. Again the covenant with Abraham is the greater of the two.

Clearly there is no reason for a believer to think that he/she must keep the law, any of the laws. Our moral code derives not from a system of promised rewards and punishments but from our love of Christ. We discipline our selves, our appetites because we love God not because we fear punishment or curses. Our covenant with God is through Jesus Christ not the law.

So I ask you, what are you doing going back to the law? Or as Paul wrote it “who has bewitched you…???”

Blessings

Hal

haroldballew@yahoo.com

Just when you thought you had heard it all…..

Just when you think you have hear it all up pops something “new.”

Recently I received a call from a dear friend. He explained to me that he was being told that we, believers in Christ, are still under the law. He wanted to know what I thought. I told him that was nonsense. I also mentioned that this belief has been kicking around for some time, actually from the time of Christ, it wasn’t new and it wasn’t correct. I asked him to forward to me the email regarding this and he did. Here is an excerpt from the email (these thoughts are not my friends but from the person trying to convince him that we are all still under the “law”). “The word LAW (which means instruction or to teach) expresses the GOAL of Messiah or He is the GOAL of the LAW.” Then, the writer adds:

“Think of it this way: The Lord would come and say, "You don’t have to HEAR & OBEY anymore because of grace!? the entire book (bible) is teaching just the opposite. Yeshua was Jewish [when in the flesh] so let’s look at the Jewish thinking of the word LAW It is the way he understood his teaching, this is why the (Jews or JUDAH) crowds followed him.”

My first thought is this: those that espouse the idea that the “law” means “to teach” are stretching just a bit. The word actually doesn’t mean that at all. It is the root word, the word from which we get “torah” that means to teach, among other things. Here, look for yourself; first the word “law” from Strong’s Concordance:

Hebrew Strong’s Number: 8451

Hebrew Word: ‏תּוֹרָה‎ Transliteration: tôrâ

Transliteration: tôrâh

Root: from <H3384>

Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:

law 219
[Total Count: 219]

or torah, to-raw’; from <H3384> (yarah); a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch :- law.

Now I have added the “root word” for Torah, it is yara.

Hebrew Strong’s Number: 3384

Hebrew Word: ‏יָרָה‎ Transliteration: yārâ

Root: a primitive root

Vine’s Words: Law

Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:

teach 42
shoot 18
archers 5
cast 5
teacher 4
rain 2
laid 1
direct 1
inform 1
instructed 1
shewed 1
shooters 1
through 1
watered 1
[Total Count: 84]

or (2 Chr. 26:15) yara’, yaw-raw’; a primitive root; properly to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitive to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figurative to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach :- (+) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach (-er, -ing), through.

—Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

To see both of these words used in their proper context I would direct the reader to Ex 24:12 “And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law (Torah), and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach (Yara) them.” Here one can clearly see that these two words are used to mean two different things, else why not use the same word (Torah in this case) twice?

Now, let’s look at the writers statement “You don’t have to HEAR & OBEY anymore because of grace!?” Who believes that? Who believes that a believer in Christ doesn’t have to “hear and obey anymore because of grace?” This kind of argument is known as a “straw man.” A straw man is a position made up by the same person who is then going to argue against his own proposition. In other words the writer creates his own argument “one doesn’t have to hear and obey….” with the idea of showing how wrong the idea was in the first place. The problem with his “straw man” is simply this; no one believes it. No one really believes that God’s grace puts the believer beyond hearing His Word and obeying His word! That idea is ludicrous! The real question here is just what does God expect believers to “hear” and “obey” today? Are we, believers, to hear the laws of Moses and obey them? If this is true then how come those that espouse this position don’t keep all of the laws of Moses? I will answer that question, briefly for now, by pointing out that Israel, and that includes Judah, may be the law giver, but they don’t have a Temple, animal sacrifice or, for that matter, a Priesthood! How can they keep the very laws they were taught without these necessities? The answer? They can’t!

Let’s assume, for a moment, that one is correct in telling us that the “law”, Torah, means to teach and therefore we are still under the “law” or Torah today. At first blush this seems to be a strong argument but in fact it becomes its undoing. Stay with me on this.

Gal 3:23-25   “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

Let me restate what Paul was inspired by God to write; “we are no longer under a schoolmaster..” Now, one must ask the obvious question; what or who was the “schoolmaster?” The answer is in the Word; “wherefor the law was our schoolmaster….” Vs. 24. I believe it is correct to understand the following, the law was our schoolmaster, we are no longer under a schoolmaster therefore we are no longer under the law! But wait! There’s more! Really, there is a great deal more to this discussion. But let’s recap here. Though a believer is not under the law of Moses, the Jewish laws, every believers is obligated to learn, from the Word, what God expects of them and strive to live in a manner that pleases God. The good news is this; one doesn’t have to fulfill the law of Moses to please God. No. Instead one must have faith in Jesus Christ.

Alright, let’s move on.

What about the law of Moses? My first observation is this; keeping the law is an “all or nothing” proposition. If one fails in one point, however small, that person has failed in all the law. Let’s read it for ourselves.

Deut 28:58-68 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE Lord THY GOD; Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God. And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you. “

Well, one thing is clear, no one, no not one person (except Jesus Christ) has ever kept all the law! What a conundrum! Which way out? Christ not the law!

My second point is this; the Word clearly teaches us that the law of Moses is kaput! Gone, done with! Read it yourself:

Romans 3:20-21 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Romans 6:14-15 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Romans 7:1-4 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

It is crystal clear that we are not under the law of Moses but under the Law of the Spirit Romans 8:1-9 (YLT) There is, then, now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit; 2 for the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus did set me free from the law of the sin and of the death; 3 for what the law was not able to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, His own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn the sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh, the things of the flesh do mind; and those according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit; 6 for the mind of the flesh is death, and the mind of the Spirit–life and peace; 7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity to God, for to the law of God it doth not subject itself, 8 for neither is it able; and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God. 9 And ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God doth dwell in you; and if any one hath not the Spirit of Christ–this one is not His;”

To be sure there is more on this vital topic, much more. If you are interested in pursuing this write to me at haroldballew@yahoo.com

Blessings,

Hal

Jonah, The Real Story Pt 5

In our previous blog we opened up a quiet, almost unnoticeable, switching of words by Jonah in quoting from the book of The Exodus. He writes “repentest thee of the evil” where, in the original text, the word “truth” was. I suspect Jonah is struggling with God’s compassion on the people of Nineveh vs. justice or, to use another word, judgment. Let’s see if we can come to some agreement on these words and the concepts that they represent. After all, words are just that representative of ideas. Words are condensed ideas. As an example let’s look at truth, or justice. These two words are very similar in meaning. By them we understand that the world we live in is governed by rules, guidelines (truth). And we learn that when one violates them there are consequences, this is justice. Justice is all about cause and effect. You do this and that will happen. This very simple premise gives order and meaning to our world. Without justice our world would be random and chaotic. Our laws are based upon the idea that justice is best served when it is “blind” that is untainted or affected by emotion or hope for the future. Compassion is based upon the hope of the future, that one might change, improve become better. Compassion sees the potential that may lie in the future while Justice sees the past. Justice responds to the past, the good done or the infraction committed. This is where Jonah is. He wants a world that is orderly, clearly defined without any ambiguity, not gray, just black and white. His world is one of truth and justice. But Jonah is confronted with the world that God is involved with; a world not only of Justice but one needing compassion and mercy. These two ideals, compassion and mercy, don’t deal with the past. They don’t get caught up in what you did, were, but on what you might become, what you might do, in the future, given the chance to get to that future. Compassion is all about potential.

Justice, truth, are the meat and potatoes of Prophets. Their world is one of cause and affect, black and white. And the problem becomes compounded when we realize that the prophet is very closely associated with God. We may not hear God or see God but we do see and hear the prophets of God. One of the messages of this story, I believe, is this; no one person, be they righteous, be they prophet, can fully represent the mind and heart of the great God.

Jonah, clearly doesn’t want to live in this world, a world of compassion and mercy. This is evidenced several times in the story. He flees from God. He has himself thrown into the sea. He asked for death at the repentance of Nineveh. This is a big problem with Jonah.

The story of the gourd, if properly understood, reveals the conflict that has been hidden throughout the story; the tension between compassion and justice.  Let’s read the conclusion of the story:

Jonah 4:1-11 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.  And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.  Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?  So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.  And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.  But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.  And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.  And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.  Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:  And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

Let’s see if we have read the text correctly; Jonah preaches to Nineveh. Jonah 3:1-4  And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,  Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

Did you notice what his message was? It was simply this; in forty days Nineveh will be destroyed. Not a word about repentance. He could have said “….unless you repent..” but he doesn’t. However, they do repent! Jonah wasn’t counting on that. This is crystal clear in the text. Look: Jonah 4:1-11 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.” Why? Because Jonah expected, wanted “justice” a judgment for the wickedness of Nineveh, even though Jonah knows that God could change His mind and extend mercy to them. It is this very thing, that God may, could, change His mind and pass over justice, judgment and grant mercy and compassion, that has Jonah so angry he wants to die! Jonah is, I believe, beside himself, sitting there in disbelief, “So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.” He is still waiting to see what might happen to Nineveh!

And now the story of the gourd is upon us. At first read this story only makes sense if one thinks that Jonah is angry because God first gives him the gourd, and its shelter from the heat, then without reason, kills it. But that isn’t what this story is about. We get our final clue in the very last, almost enigmatic, sentence of the story. Here it is “And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?” God compares the people of Nineveh to people that “cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand” Or, to put it another way, these people are like newborn children, ignorant of cause and effect; justice and judgment. So God grants them mercy and is compassionate toward them. God is allowing them to become something different, to reach out toward a new potential. Of course we learn later in history that Nineveh didn’t learn and they were ultimately destroyed. But the opportunity was given to them. It was up to them to do something with it.

God confronts Jonah about his attitude toward the gourd versus his attitude toward Nineveh. God points out that Jonah didn’t plant the gourd, fertilize it, or do anything to cause it to be, to thrive. It just came up one day. I think God wants Jonah to “get it” to understand that some things in this world are the result of compassion not only, and always, justice. The gourd could not have come into existence in a world of “justice” only. Justice must have a cause. In this case that would have been the seed of the gourd. There is no seed, no cause. So one must conclude that the gourd is the result of something else; and what might that be? Compassion. It must be compassion as this is the focus of Gods remarks, question, to Jonah. God doesn’t create the gourd to shelter Jonah, else why does God kill it the very next day? Besides, Jonah already had a booth for shelter! Jonah 4:5 “So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.” What is going on here? Jonah already had shade. What Jonah doesn’t have is understanding. He is still angry and wanting to die. He doesn’t want to live in this world any more.

This then leads us to ask the question, so then why does God prepare the gourd. You thought it was to give Jonah shade? No. The text tells us what Gods purpose was: Jonah 4:6 And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief.” To deliver Jonah from his grief! What was Jonah’s grief? The hot sun? No. It was the inner turmoil he was experiencing over this topsey turvey world of compassion. The very word “grief” tells us as much. Here is the possible translation of the word: Hebrew Strong’s Number: 7451 Hebrew Word: ‏רַע‎Transliteration: ra Root: from <H7489

Vine’s Words: Sin
English Words used in KJV:

evil 442
wickedness 59
wicked 25
mischief 21
hurt 20
bad 13
trouble 10
sore 9
affliction 6
ill 5
adversity 4
favoured 3
harm 3
naught 3
noisome 2
grievous 2
sad 2
miscellaneous translations 34
[Total Count: 663] from <H7489> (ra`a`); bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) :- adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease (-ure), distress, evil ([-favouredness], man, thing), + exceedingly, × great, grief (-vous), harm, heavy, hurt (-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief (-vous), misery, naught (-ty), noisome, + not please, sad (-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked (-ly, -ness, one), worse (-st), wretchedness, wrong. [Incling feminine ra`ah; as adjective or noun.]

Do you “see” any shade from the sun here? No? Jonah was struggling, sad, angry even suicidal. The gourd is introduced not because of what it was but how it comes into existence. The gourd represents compassion. God creates the gourd as an object lesson for the prophet. Here is something that gave you shelter that came out of the world of compassion. It could not, in one day, come out of the world of justice as there was no seed. And in one day it was killed, gone. This speaks to the randomness of compassion, mercy. It also speaks to the potential of compassion. Compassion isn’t based upon merit, and certainly not based upon past deeds, but upon what may be. God’s compassion for the creation isn’t based upon the demands of the law. If that were true we would all be condemned, including Jonah.

So, what is the conclusion of the matter? I think there are several, among them are these. First, the prophet isn’t running from the “mission” to go and preach. He is running from God. One may think this is foolish but it speaks to the human propensity to do just that. Many people, inwardly and outwardly, run from God each day. Even though they know God is also in Tarshish they go “there” anyway. Surely the prophet knew he couldn’t escape the Master of the Universe. Psychologically people have discovered many ways to “run” from God, but like Jonah, it only creates greater problems for them and those on their “ship.”

The second lesson has to do with the time in the belly of the fish. Here Jonah is given another opportunity to “get it.” Here he “dies” and is “reborn” and finally spit back out into the physical world once again. And despite Jonah’s failure to repent in his desperate prayer, God reestablishes the relationship with Jonah and gives him another chance to change. God is exercising compassion with Jonah, Jonah, it turns out fails to grasp it. God delivers him to the world of the living and sends him on his mission once again. All of us will, from time to time, find ourselves in the “fish.” Overwhelmed with past, present and future problems. We will find ourselves struggling to make sense of the world we find our selves in, the one on land and the one in the fish. The one on land is the physical world we live in. The fish is the “inner” world that lives within us. Though they interact with each other they are at once enmeshed and distinct from each other. They impact each other moment to moment. The only mediator between them that offers some sense of balance and hope lies in the spiritual realm. This is clear when we realize Jonah cannot get himself out of the fish. He needs a supernatural intervention; thus he cries out to the very one he is running from. Is there a contradiction here? Only in Jonah’s world of Justice not in God’s world of compassion.

Then we have the almost nonsensical story of the gourd. It is a prop, a literary prop that God uses to illuminate both, the reader and Jonah, as to the workings of compassion versus Justice. In the world of compassion a gourd can spring up in an instance, mercy can be granted, hope can be restored, the future can be better, things can change. Compassion and mercy speak to potential. Justice, on the other hand, speaks to judgment. We learn that these are also necessary in our world. There is a place for justice and judgment. It is these that give our world balance, form, meaning. Our world relies on cause and effect. But it also needs, from time to time, compassion, mercy. Both bring the greatest balance to a world woefully out of balance as Jonah was throughout the story.

Finally it ends in a most peculiar way, here is the last sentence: “And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?” Of course the reader is left with the big question; did Jonah “get it” after all? I think the story ends this way because the reader isn’t suppose to ask if Jonah “gets it” but now the table has been turned and the reader, hopefully, will ask him/herself “do I get it? In the end it really doesn’t matter if Jonah got it, at least not to the reader. It only matters if we got it? Did you?

Blessings

Hal

Write to Hal at hal@halballewministries.com

P.S. You may have noticed that I haven’t blog much in the past months. The reason is this; I am involved in a study of the complete book of Genesis. I am developing notes on it. This undertaking has required much time and energy. I will blog as I can. Be faithful….

Jonah, The Real Story Pt 4

This is where we ended the last installment in our study of the book of Jonah.

Jonah 3:1-10 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.  So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.  For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:  But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.  Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Well, there you have it. Nineveh repents! End of story! Well, no, it isn’t the end of the story. It would have been the end of the story if the story was about Nineveh but it isn’t. Let’s recall the name of the book; it is Jonah not the book of Nineveh. In fact the very positive response on the part of the inhabitants of Nineveh provokes a deep, pessimistic, angry response from Jonah. The reader is compelled to ask; what is going on here? Let’s read the narrative, the response of Jonah, when he learns of Nineveh’s repentance.

Jonah 4:1-4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?

Now, let’s think about this for a moment. Jonah is clearly in the Prophet business. Prophets hear God. Prophets obey God. Prophets, one would like to think, rejoice when good things happen as a result of their work. Not Jonah. Instead we read that Jonah was “displeased…..exceedingly” and “he was very angry.” And now Jonah begins to unravel the mystery as to why he ran, why he tried to kill himself, why he is angry with the repentance of Nineveh. Is it because Nineveh is Israel’s enemy? Because they were wicked? I don’t think those are the reasons, though they may be true, they are not the reason for Jonah’s disobedience, depression and his attempt at suicide. Something more is in the works and the clue, again, is found right under our collective noses, it’s in the text. “Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.” This is quote from Jonah. But where does he get this from? It appears that Jonah “lifted” it from the book of The Exodus. Here is the original quote, read it, carefully and notice the very slight difference between the quote in The Exodus and here in Jonah.

Ex 34:1-6 And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.  And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.  And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.  And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.  And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

After proclaiming “The Name of the Lord..” “The Lord, The Lord God…” it continues to read; merciful, which Jonah repeats, then it reads God is gracious, Jonah also picks up on this in saying that God was “a gracious God.” Jonah even says, as does the quote from The Exodus, that God is slow to anger (longsuffering) and has “great kindness” (abundant in goodness). So, we read everything is correct, except Jonah has left something out. Yes, he leaves out the reference that states that God is the God of truth! In its place Jonah puts “repentest thee of the evil.” Or, Jonah is saying that God is a God that will change His mind, pass over on judgment, justice and, instead, forget the matter. Here is how the Bible in Basic English renders it Jonah 4:2 (BBE) And he made prayer to the Lord and said, O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still in my country? This is why I took care to go in flight to Tarshish: for I was certain that you were a loving God, full of pity, slow to be angry and great in mercy, and ready to be turned from your purpose of evil.

And this is where we begin to put this story together, to make some sense of it all. One of the keys to understanding Jonah’s very un-prophet like behavior is found in Jonah’s switching the word “truth” with “repentest thee of evil.” Let me remind the reader that Jonah is the son of Amittai, which is “truth.” Jonah, it is revealed in the very beginning of the story, is identified as the son of Amittai in the very first sentence! Coincidence? Perhaps, though I don’t believe it is. I believe it is central to unraveling, understanding some of Jonah’s behaviors. Jonah, I believe, wanted judgment, justice, not compassion, mercy. Let’s take a moment and see if we can understand what may be going on here. Let’s start with the word “truth.” Here is the Strong’s rendering:

Hebrew Strong’s Number: 571

Hebrew Word: ‏אֱמֶת‎

Transliteration: ʾemet

Root: contracted from <H539>

Vine’s Words: Believe (To)

Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:

truth 92
true 18
truly 7
right 3
faithfully 2
assured 1
assuredly 1
establishment 1
faithful 1
sure 1
verity 1
[Total Count: 127]

contraction from <H539> (‘aman); stability; figurative certainty, truth, trustworthiness :- assured (-ly), establishment, faithful, right, sure, true (-ly, -th), verity.—Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

I want to draw your attention to the root, “aman”; which Strongs tells us could be rendered “stability” or “certainty.” This is the root, no pun intended, I think of the problem between God and Jonah. Remember that Jonah doesn’t run away from the mission i.e. going to Nineveh and preaching. No. Clearly Jonah is running away from God! Jonah 1:3 “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” And again we read, Jonah 1:10 “For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them…” This should suggest, to the reader, that we need to look for something else as the reason Jonah is upset, so upset he would like to die!

I think we are getting closer to the true reason for Jonah’s behavior and with it a deep insight into the mind of God. Tomorrow we look at “truth” or justice vs. compassion and mercy. Who knows, we may actually come to some understanding of what this story is all about.

Blessings

Hal

Write to Hal at hal@halballewministries.com

Jonah, The Real Story Pt. 3

In my previous blog I mentioned the possibility that Jonah died in the belly of the fish. It is clear that he did die, at least metaphorically he dies. What may be going on is this; Jonah is being given a second opportunity to “get it” and move on. This experience, being in the belly of the fish, is mentioned in the new testament by Jesus when He speaks of His death. Matt 12:38-40 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

We all know that Jesus lay dead for those three days, that is why I tend to believe that Jonah also was dead, either literally or figuratively, for those three days. If one reads Jonah’s prayer it seems rather impossible for him to have survived.

Jonah 2:1-9 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.  For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.  When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

When Jonah prays that God heard him out of the “belly” of “hell” we find more clues as to what may be going on here. The word belly is translated, most often, as womb. The word here for hell is also most often translated as the grave. Now, lets stop here for a moment and think about this. How is it that Jonah finds himself in a womb in the grave? Is there a connection between these two? Obviously to the writer of this story there is some kind of connection. What might that be? Well, I think that one has to, at first blush, conclude that these two are polar opposites. One, the womb, nutures life, brings life to be, makes it possible for life to be “spit out on dry land.” The womb is all about safety, nurturing, and we could also add compassion to the list. As for the grave it isn’t about life at all. It is all about death, the end. Death, at first, has no connection to the womb, or does it? I would suggest that they are both linked to one another. Perhaps one can be in the “womb” of “the grave”. Perhaps in some way the grave, death, can nurture life? It would seem so in the teachings of Jesus. Clearly Jesus anticipated His death so that he could have new life. It would be good for the reader to recall the analogy that Jesus draws between His death and burial and Jonahs being in the “womb” of the “grave” here. It was the grave that gives us new life through Christ! Here is how it is expressed in the Word:

 

John 12:20-24

And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.  Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.  And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Here we learn the secret that death has concealed from us; it, death, is a “womb” that actually nurtures new life. The womb is a sacred place, physically and spiritually. It ought not be invaded by force. It is a sanctuary. Why is that? Because the womb carries within it both what will be and what may be. This is its uniqueness. First, it carries what will be. By that I mean to suggest that it is here that the physical characteristics of the unborn child are set for all time. The color of its skin, eyes, hair, size, shape, it is all fixed here in the womb. But the womb also holds something more; it holds potential, that mystical something that lies just beyond societies control but within the hands of each individual. This is an important concept to “get.” We will come back to the womb once more in our exploration of this story. What may be is very powerful. Unlike what will be, what may be is subject to many “forces” in the world. These include the persons development, his/her conscience, significant others (peer pressure), education, social standing, etc. But, in the end, each person will choose his/her destiny, what they will do with, how they will spend their potential in life. Jonah is at this point. God is desperately trying to get him to “get” something in his head, his understanding. It has to do with the potential of the people in Nineveh. Jonah, apparently doesn’t want to preach to them less they do repent! God understands human potential, what may be, and wants Nineveh to hear about forgiveness (the essential element for all of us seeking to reach our potential) and think about, perhaps stretch forth, toward a new person. This is what lies at the very core of Christ’s message; God meets us where we are, what is, and offers us a new “what may be.” God offers to assist us in the process of experiencing the new birth and pursuing a new “what may be.”

And that is exactly what God is attempting to do with Jonah; take him through a death experience with the hope of producing, in Jonah, a new understanding of “life” or new awareness of something. And so it is that Jonah, having undergone this incredible experience, is once again put back in the land of the living. The fish spits him out on dry land. This time Jonah will go, will preach. He obeys God. But that isn’t the end of the story, not yet.

Jonah 3:1-10 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.  So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.  For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:  But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.  Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Blessings

Hal

hal@halballewministries.com

Jonah, The Real Story Pt. 2

This series on Jonah is dedicated to my friend and fellow student of the Word Nick Bland.

Allow me to ask the question, again, why does Jonah run away right after God speaks to him? It may have been that Jonah feared the Ninevehites? Or, it may have been that Jonah didn’t believe his mission would accomplish anything. Or, it may have been that Jonah had something else going on. My belief, having read the entire story, is that Jonah had an issue, not with the people of Nineveh but with God, the Master of the Universe! Lets continue with the story.

We have read that Jonah immediately goes “down” to Joppa, “down” into the ship and goes to sleep. Jonah isn’t done going “down” though the next time he goes “down” it will be God calling the shots. When the storm becomes so great that it threatens the ship and all aboard it becomes apparent that Jonah is the reason. In some strange way, unknown to the men on the ship, Jonah has brought this storm upon them. So? Over he goes into the sea. Another interesting point, and I think an important one, is this; it is Jonah that asks to be thrown overboard. If you haven’t figured it out yet I will tell you; Jonah has gone from depressed to suicidal! He wants to die! The reader is forced to ask the question; why? Why, what is it that Jonah fears or dreads so much that he runs away, tries to “sleep” through it and finally seeks to die? The answer is at the heart of what this story is all about and it is very telling.

Despite Jonah’s attempt God has already prepared a welcoming party, i.e. the fish in the story. Here is where some people get sidetracked, trying to understand the fish. What kind was it? How did it show up at this very moment in the story? And if that weren’t enough, how is it that Jonah survived in its belly? Now think for a moment, if those questions were germane, important, the text would address that. The fish, the belly, the questions of how and why simply don’t affect the true point of the story, as you will see. The fish is simply there, it pops up, swallows Jonah, keeps him alive for three days, and the fish goes away. Now, there is one important part to the story of Jonah in belly of the fish; Jesus refers to it as the length of time He would be in the grave. This suggests to me one of two possibilities; first, the most popular one in which Jesus is referring to the time He will remain in the grave, three days and three nights. Of course this prophecy, if taken literally (and I do) would put His crucifixion on Wednesday instead of Friday. ( I have written an extensive paper on the timeline for Jesus’ arrest, condemnation and execution.) The other possibility is this; Jonah was dead for three days and three nights. The text suggests such a possibility when it tells the reader that Jonah is crying out of the belly of “sheol” or the grave. 

Let’s return to the narrative. Jonah 2:1-9 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly,  And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.  For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.  Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.  When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.  They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.  But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

This is a great prayer. But it lacks one thing. What is it? What’s missing in all of this? Repentance? When does Jonah get around to the apology, the “I’m sorry, I should have obeyed you and gone to Nineveh.” Not there. Oh, to be sure, Jonah is busy praying, and who wouldn’t be, stuck in the belly of some fish. Jonah is praying “by reason of mine affliction…” not by reason of his disobedience. And if that weren’t enough look at who is to blame for being tossed into the sea; God! Here is what Jonah said: “For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas…” But that isn’t what happened at all, here is what really happened Vs.11-12, “Then said they unto him, what shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.” Clearly Jonah hasn’t yet come to terms with what is really going on here and who is responsible for the situation he finds himself in. As an aside this “posture” of Jonah, in which he casts God as the one who brought him to this mess, is all too common among we humans. It is a form of blame shifting and its roots are found in the very first story in the Word; the story of the fall. When God shows up and asks for an accounting God hears this; Adam, the woman thou gave me…there it is, blaming God for the woman who gave him the forbidden “fruit.” Eve is no slacker in the blame shifting game, she immediately implicates the serpent. But who does God hold responsible? All of them, Adam, Eve and yes, the serpent too, all are responsible for the fall. But noticeably God is not in the list of those responsible.

Now, back to Jonah. Something in Jonah, something is going on so much so that it has blinded him to the reality of the situation. Jonah is responsible while God is simply trying to keep him alive and get his attention. And if it takes a large fish swallowing Jonah, fine. But a curious something arises when one reads the text in the Hebrew. I can’t read Hebrew but I can, and do, read a variety of books that translate the original language with the original intent or possible intent of the writer. Let’s follow the text and see what this curious “thing” is. There is an interesting word play that occurs in the story in reference to the fish. It is first related as a fish in the masculine voice. And then it is referred to in the feminine voice. When God prepares the fish it is in the masculine form. When Jonah is in its belly it is feminine. Finally, when Jonah is spit out the fish is once again in the masculine.

Let’s read the various scriptures with Strong’s numbers in place. Jonah 1:17 “Now the Lord <H3068> had prepared <H4487> a great <H1419> fish <H1709> to swallow up <H1104> Jonah <H3124>. And Jonah <H3124> was in the belly <H4578> of the fish <H1709>”

The word “fish” here is Strongs 1709

Hebrew Word: ‏דָּג‎ Transliteration: dāg Hebrew Word: ‏דָּאג‎

Transliteration: dâʾg Phonetic Pronunciation: dawg

Root: from <H1711>

Part of Speech: n m

Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:

fish 20
[Total Count: 20]

or (fully) da’g, dawg; (Neh. 13:16), from <H1711> (dagah); a fish (as prolific); or perhaps rather from <H1672> (da’ag) (as timid); but still better from <H1672> (da’ag) (in the sense of squirming, i.e. moving by the vibratory action of the tail); a fish (often used collectively) :- fish.

Under Part of Speech: it is identified as “m” for masculine.

Now let’s read the portion where he cries out of the “fish’s belly.” Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah <H3124> prayed <H6419> unto the Lord <H3068> his God <H430> out of the fish’s <H1710> belly <H4578>

Note that the Strongs number for “fish” has changed to 1710.

Hebrew Word: ‏דָּגָה‎ Transliteration: dāgâ

Root: from <H1709>

Part of Speech: n f

Vine’s Words: None

Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:

fish 15
[Total Count: 15]

feminine of <H1709> (dag), and meaning the same :- fish.

You will see that this is indeed a switch to the feminine. At the end of the story the “fish” that spits him out is again in the masculine. Something is going on here and deserves a closer look. And this “something” may be at the core of the story itself. Let’s follow this a bit and see where it may take us.

It may have something to do with the idea of conception, gestation and “birth.” The “conception” takes place when Jonah first is swallowed by the fish (masculine). Of course at ones conception ones future is, as yet, undetermined, unknown. Beginning some days later (after the gestation begins) the gender, color, eyes, etc. are now determined, set as it were due to the DNA imposing itself upon the newly formed fetus. But all of this isn’t as significant to the “person” as the choices the person will make during his/her lifetime (on dryland). This is where the critical decisions are to be made in “becoming” what we become. Will the child choose a moral life or an immoral life? This isn’t set in the conception or gestation period, this will play out on “dry land” or in ones lifetime. And this is where Jonah finds himself, spit out (reborn?) onto dry land. And he is immediately confronted by God and commanded, again, to go to Nineveh.

Now, there is another “clue” in the text. We find it in the word translated “belly.” This word could have been translated “womb.”

Hebrew Strong’s Number: 4578 Hebrew Word: ‏מֵעֶה‎ Transliteration: mēʿe

Root: from an unused root probably meaning to be soft

Usage Notes English Words used in KJV:

bowels 27
belly 3
heart 1
womb 1
[Total Count: 32]

from an unused root probably meaning to be soft; used only in plural the intestines, or (collective) the abdomen, figurative sympathy; by implication a vest; by extensive the stomach, the uterus (or of men, the seat of generation), the heart (figurative) :- belly, bowels, × heart, womb.

It probably wasn’t translated “womb” as it is in the masculine form, however, it could have been “the seat of generation.” Now, at this juncture it may seem nonsensical even fanciful to think this story, the fish, has anything to do with conception, gestation and birthing, but, if one applies these notions to ideas, thoughts, beliefs, as having a period of conception, gestation and birthing, one might be onto something. I believe we are, so let’s continue and see if our conclusion “fits” into our overall take on this story.

You see I think God wanted Jonah in that fish to do just that, to think! Reflect on his reaction and subsequent actions including disobedience and suicide. It was an important time for Jonah. But Jonah doesn’t seem to get “it” just yet. Tomorrow we will read on to see why I came to that conclusion.

Blessings,

Hal

email    hal@halballewministries.com

Jonah, the real story

This blog is dedicated to my friend and fellow student of the Word Nick Bland.

Let’s take another look at the book of Jonah. I purposely wrote “another” as I believe most of us have either heard the story of Jonah and the whale or read it. In either case the probability is this; you have some idea, notion or belief as to what this story is all about. So let’s try to pretend we don’t know anything about this story and this is the first time we are reading it. Okay? Good, let’s continue now. I would like to begin with the first chapter and verse. Let’s read it:

Jonah 1:1-3 (KJV)  Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai (Truth), saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

Now that’s a peculiar beginning to any story don’t you think? God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and “cry against it, for their wickedness is come up before me.” Wouldn’t one think, with these opening words, that God has simply instructed Jonah to go there and “cry against the city?” That’s what the narrative recites isn’t it? But something interesting happens. Jonah, without a word, packs his bags and heads out of town. Jonah is fleeing from “the presence of the Lord.” Now, speaking for myself, this bit of instruction from the Lord seems to be right up a prophets alley. Cry out against wickedness. So why does Jonah run away? A small clue is left here in the opening of the text; his fathers name, Amitai, the root of which is “truth.” This, I believe, will prove to be of some significance later on.

My second thought is this; how is it that Jonah thinks he can sail away from God? That strikes me as odd too. Surely a prophet of God knows that God’s presence is inescapable. Where can one go to hide from God? Apparently the prophet thinks the answer is Tarshish.

Notice, though, the “direction” of Jonah’s flight. It is “down.” Down to Joppa, down into the ship. He is truly in a “downward” spiral. But why? This question begs to be asked, “why?”

One can only conclude that Jonah knew something more than the reader is privy to at this time. If Jonah isn’t privy to something more then his behavior is perplexing, confusing. The reader has no clue as to “why” the prophet runs away so we are left to surmise what that reason may be. I think the story gives out some clues that may help us understand Jonah’s initial response. For now we will leave this question unanswered, for now. Let’s continue to read the story.

Jonah 1:4 (KJV)  But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

So much for the notion of running away from God’s presence. God knows where Jonah is and God isn’t happy with Jonah.

We should note at this juncture that everyone is affected by whatever is going on between God and Jonah. Whatever it is, is in a sense, universal in its impact. At least it is universal as involving the ship and everyone on it. There is no escape for Jonah or anyone else.

5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god (Elohim), and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them

Of course this is the time in the story where everyone gets religion. A crisis has come up and its time to call on the gods for deliverance but deliverance isn’t coming. So they try the “natural” thing, lighten the ship of its “wares.” This makes sense but it isn’t going to help because the problem isn’t a natural one it is a spiritual or supernatural problem needing a spiritual “fix.”

5b But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

Doesn’t that seem a bit odd? Jonah has, again, gone DOWN and gone to sleep. Jonah is sleeping in the midst of this violent storm? It appears that is what his doing, on the surface, but when we discover what is going on within Jonah then his behavior will make sense. Jonah, in sleeping, is simply making a further attempt to “flee” from God. Of course this too fails. He is awakened by the shipmaster and implored to call upon his God. Jonah DOESN”T. Jonah is in full flight from God, both without and within. 

6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God (Elohim), if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. 7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. 8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

A fairly good interrogation: Why is this happening to us? What do you do for a living? Where did you come from, your country of birth? What nationality are you? They are trying to find the answer, the reason behind the calamity, the crisis, but none of these questions will bring them to the right answer….they all deal with the natural world and nothing about this story is natural.

9 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord (YHVH), the God (Elohim) of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. 10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Here, again, we read that Jonah has fled from God, but we aren’t any closer to discovering the real reason behind his behavior. Let’s continue to read. 

11-12Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

Jonah KNOWS why the storm has struck them….It is of some note that Jonah doesn’t repent….instead he asks to be thrown into the storm, the raging sea. What is going on? It is becoming clearer now, Jonah is depressed, angry, about something, so much so that he wants to die. Having failed at “escaping” his problem, God, and whatever it is that God really wants him to do (we don’t know yet), through going down to Joppa, going down into the ship, going down to sleep and now going into the storm….all else having failed Jonah wants to die in the sea.

Jonah 1:13-16 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.  Wherefore they cried unto the Lord (YHVH), and said, We beseech thee, O Lord (YHVH), we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord (YHVH), hast done as it pleased thee.  So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord (YHVH) exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord (YHVH), and made vows.

Despite the strength of the storm the men try to save Jonah and their ship, but they can’t. You can’t avoid all of the storms…especially if you are the reason for the storm. AND we learn that our self generated “storms” affect others despite their relative innocence.

It is interesting to note that, after the sailors realize it is the God of Jonah who is wreaking havoc on them and their ship they begin to call on His Name. Instead of calling out to “Elohim” they are now calling on The Name. And, as is human nature, they make promises and sacrifices. BUT their fear isn’t based upon “knowing” the God of Jonah but knowing the anger and strength of Jonah’s God. It is a fear, a dread of consequences, the storm, not a reverential fear, awe, respect of his God.

Jonah 1:17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Now the Lord….prepared…..Despite the continued attempts of Jonah to escape or die, God has prepared something else for him. The FISH isn’t important, it doesn’t matter the size or kind, it matters only that God wasn’t going to let Jonah go. There must be a significant lesson hidden in this story, and there is.

Love and Fear

It takes time, a lot of time, to discover life’s secrets.  One may consider themselves fortunate if they discover one here or there in a lifetime.  It isn’t that these secrets are hidden, quite the opposite seems to be true, they are “there” waiting to be discovered.  Among them I would count the secret of gratitude.  Being appreciative, thankful, to those who have helped us along the way.  The returns on this one “secret” are both many and wonderful.  Then there is the secret of giving.  This is one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented secrets in life.  I can’t tell you the number of times I have heard someone tell me the the “secret” to getting is in the giving.  To be sure there is some truth in that but the deeper secret lies not in the getting but in the sacrificial giving without hope of getting in return.  Giving to someone that cannot give anything back.  Giving quietly, secretly.  Giving just to give without any desire to get but simply to bless someone in the giving.  This is a powerful secret in life, one that is not easily mastered but full of unexpected “returns.”

Well, by now you have probably added a few secrets of your own to this meager list, but I think you get the point.  Life has “secrets” that can benefit us all if we would only learn them.  But that’s where things get a bit sticky, learning them.  We, all of us it seems, are so very busy just getting through each day.  There are the ever present, never ending, bills, family, school, work, and you can add your personal “load” to this list, and before you know it you are “living” each day in rapid, repetitive, predictable patterns.  It just happens. 

Despite all of this we can pick up some of the secrets to life, I would bet that many of us have picked up on some.  My favorite one is this; love.  In the Word we read a curious line; “…perfect love casts out all fear…”  Of course I can’t say that I have mastered “love” in all of its perfections but I can say that life has taught me some things in this regard.  Love, loving and being loved, is the most powerful of all of the secrets.  With this one “thing” I find that I can endure reality, moment to moment or year to year, I can get through it all. 

Being honest I must tell you that I prefer being loved, that is the base human part of me, the “I” speaking.  It is a true cure all, an elixir, potion, a medicine for the soul.  Somehow it is able to overcome the “fear” that life brings to us all.  Being loved, somehow, empowers me to “see” or “go” beyond the troubles of life.  Being loved is a great treasure, one of those that cannot be bought. 

There is the “loving” part too.  I suspect that this, loving others, is where the real secret lies.  In the Word we are told that this is what motivated God in sending the Christ, His Son, to buy us back.  It is as though God was so preoccupied with the loving that He couldn’t see all of the short comings of those upon whom He would shed His love.  This is some kind of love.  God had no fear in loving us, knowing what the cost would be, didn’t deter Him from loving. 

Love, loving others, being loved, is what makes life worth while for me, not the possessions or “successes”, love. 

While I haven’t mastered this secret just yet, I can tell you that I am enjoying the pursuit immensely.

Blessings,

Hal

Three Doors

 

The very first door that appears in the Word is found in Genesis 2:7 “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. “  Here we have the conversation from God to Cain.  The “door” here could be rendered “entrance” as I doubt there was a “door” in his tent.  But the word door serves its purpose as something at the entrance to his tent is “crouching” just outside.  It “at the door.”  The “it” of course is “sin” of “offence” and it is “crouching” there.  Clearly something else is going on here.  There is no “physical” creature at his tent.  So where is this “creature” called sin?  It is within Cain, within his conscience, his soul.  And it is very clear to me that Cain has a choice in the matter.  God said “if you do well… and “if you do not well..”  Cain, apparently, could choose what he “let in” his tent, through the “door.”  He kills his brother Abel.  We don’t know if it was premeditated murder or manslaughter, but the end was the same; his brother was dead.

Cain “opened” that door to “sin”, that which was “crouching” just “outside” the realm of reality is allowed “in” and the rest is, as they say, history.

This story is connected to the very first story in history, the eating from the Tree by Eve and Adam.  In that story you also have “desire”, “choice”, a warning from God, and consequences. 

The “door” mentioned  in the story of Cain and Abel doesn’t lead into a tent, it leads into Cain, his conscience, soul. The text is clear, this “desire”  could be controlled by Cain, not circumstances, culture, situational ethics, or anything or anyone else.  And Cain is warned that something dire awaits him should he allow the “sin” IN.  All of us know experientially what took place with Cain.  Yes, we all do.  We have all  been faced with similar choices, though they may not have led to someone’s death, they had to do with a clear choice between going beyond God’s clear prohibition or saying “no” to the “sin” that is crouching just outside, just beyond reality.  If you say no it never comes into existence, reality, if you say yes, it does and with it the consequences.  There is no alternative.

God warned Cain and even told him that he had control over this “desire.”  Gen 4:6-7 “And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. “  This passage would be better understood if you first understood what took place when Eve and Adam eat of that Tree.  Clearly something did happen, there were consequences for everyone involved.  When they eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil a “new”  and different world came into existence, I call it “mans world” as it is of mans creation; specifically Adam and Eve’s making.  Having eaten of the Tree they will leave God’s world, Eden, in which there is only Truth of falsehood and descend into mans world of “good and evil.”  The difference between mans world and Gods world is quite significant.  I have taught on this extensively for more go to my podcast ( http://eaglesnest.podbean.com/) and listen to the last three messages there on the new creation.

So now the reader, having just finished reading about the fall of Adam and Eve is introduced to the first “consequences” of their choice to eat of the Tree; they are “situational ethics” and death.  Good and evil and death  are no longer an ideas or philosophical propositions, now they are real.  Welcome to mans world and the first door. 

In my blog ( http://halseaglesnest.wordpress.com/ ) I have written several blogs on the inner world of mankind.  I liken it to a room with no windows.  One cannot “see” out and no one else can “see”in.  But there one way in, there is a “door.”  This “door” is only found through ones spiritual quest.  This “room” with no windows is not neutral or without function, in fact is the very center of our lives, conscious and unconscious.  This is an important “place”  for in it lies our conscience, emotions and motivations.  It is ‘here in this room that we all transact the business of living.  And the transactions take place here, within, before they ever see the “light of day.” 

This story of the first door is very important and very instructive for all believers.  It is placed here in the Word for a reason.  Think about it.

Blessings,

Hal

The New Creation Pt. 4

 

If one were to continue reading in the book of Acts you come upon another significant scripture, significant as it relates to The Breath of God.  But for the casual reader it is not apparent.  As with many insights you have to dig a little deeper to get the intent of the writer as opposed to the intent of the translator.  This is the case here.  Let’s read the passage.  Acts 3:19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”

The key word in the text, at least for us in our present study of The New Creation, is “refreshing.”  Here is the Greek meaning;
Greek Strong’s Number: 403  Greek Word: ἀνάψυξις
Transliteration: anapsyxis
Phonetic Pronunciation:an-aps’-ook-si
Part of Speech: n f
Vine’s Words: Refresh, Refreshing

Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV:
refreshing 1
[Total Count: 1]
from <G404> (anapsucho); properly a recovery of breath, i.e. (figurative) revival :- revival.
Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

Let’s look at this word.  My first observation is this; it only appears once in the New Testament (and surprisingly only once in the Old Testament).  The next observation is the critical one for me, let me quote it, the word rendered “refreshing” is “(anapsucho); properly a recovery of breath”.  Though the translators rendered the word “refreshing”, which seems reasonable, it fails to reveal, in my opinion, the deeper import of what God may have been up to in using this particular word here.  Look at it, it means to “recover the breath…” What breath was there to recover?  Look!  The people to whom this is addressed are breathing!  They aren’t dead.  But, apparently, there was another breath to be had.

Now, let’s back up for just a moment and revisit the passage.  Notice that it reads similarly to Acts 2:38.  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

In both instances we have repentance, remitting or removal of sins, and receiving the “Breath” of God.  In this verse the word “ghost” is “pnuema” in the Greek and according to Vine’s it could be rendered ( I think it should be rendered)  Breath, Breathe, Spirit, Wind.

But notice in Acts 3:19 it talks about a recovery of The Breath, not merely breathing, but recovering.  This suggests to me that it is something was once ours and is now available to us again.  We can, through Christ, “recover” this Breath.

Look, Christ has brought to us, and us to it, the Breath, the very same Breath that gave Adam his “soul” , his life.  This is now available for all believers in Jesus Christ. 

Now, there is another instance in which the word “refreshing” is used in the Word.  It is found in Isaiah 28:12  “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. “  In this, the first instance, it does mean a “rest".  But notice that it is associated with a peculiar event that occurs, first, in Acts 2:1-4, “stammering lips and another tongue”, another tongue.  Now, historically it appears that this prophecy, this Word from Isaiah referred to a time when the people of God would be captive by another nation and fearful (stammering lips) and having to learn a new language, the language of their captors.  But in the New Testament we read of its spiritual fulfillment in Acts 2:1-4   “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  They were all filled with the Holy “Breath” and began to speak with other tongues….

This wonderful occurrence has been co opted by many believers by focusing on the gift of tongues rather than realizing that tongues is simply an (not only) evidence of having caught The Breath once again.  The New Creation has begun and the promise is to all who come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

In our next blog we will go through three doors..

Blessings

Hal