Speak to the rock

When our two older children were of the age of restlessness and endless energy  we would, in an effort to exhaust them before bedtime, make regular visits to the Ulster Museum in the grounds of Botanic Gardens in South Belfast each Sunday for an afternoon’s outing. There was at that time a permanent geological display which seemed to be as much visited as the exhibition of modern art on the top floor. I guess most people still prefer dinosaurs to rocks and art any day don’t they?

In the course of time and in an attempt to increase the rock ratings the museum management devised what they assumed would be an instant crowd puller. It amounted in fact to nothing more however  than a small dimly lit room with some display cabinets exhibiting a few glowing rocks which, upon entry into the room, one would be greeted with the gentle tones of a man’s voice cautioning us about the dangers of the radiation we had unwittingly been exposed to.

That was 20 years ago, and thankfully the exposure was minimal and has left no permanent damage. For all I know the display may still be there, but in any event that that room became affectionately known by our children as the place of the ‘talking stones’

Talking stones and talking to stones is however not new  and I am not just referring to the realm of geological academia. I have been reading through Luke’s gospel of late and came across the following  text. It describes the temptation of Jesus just after His baptism.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”(Luke 4.3)

Earlier in ‘s gospel we read that at His baptism the Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily form like a dove and the words came from heaven:

“You are my son, the beloved in whom I am well pleased” (Luke 3.22)  

At other occasions during the ministry of Jesus voices did come from heaven and on those occasions He himself remarked that they came for the benefit of the people who were with Him at the time. But on this particular occasion the fact that God was addressing Jesus Himself confirms that the voice was indeed for His benefit. At the start of His ministry comes confirmation from the throne of heaven that He is God’s son, the beloved one, the chosen saviour of His people.

It is hardly surprising then that when the devil first arrives on the scene to tempt Him his opening remarks are ‘If you are the son of God’.  The similarities with his temptation of Adam and Eve in the Paradise of Eden are obvious, with the objective to cast doubt on the word of God.  Jesus had been in the desert for 40 days and was by now hungry so the devil continues ‘talk to this stone and tell it to become bread’

When I read this I am reminded of another occasion when someone else was instructed to ‘talk to the rock’. On that occasion it was Moses in the desert when God told him to ‘speak to the rock’ that it bring forth water for the children of Israel who after wandering for 40 years in the desert were naturally complaining of thirst .

  “Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water (Num 20:8)

Moses names the place where this incident occurred ‘Massah’ which means ‘testing’  and ‘Meribah’ meaning ‘quarrelling’.  For him this test was the turning point in his career that would in fact prematurely terminate his ministry just at the time the Israelites were poised to enter  the promised land of milk and honey.

When Moses spoke to the rock it is recorded that he did not glorify God but took the glory for himself. As a consequence of his action God told him that he would not lead the congregation of Israel into the Promised Land, for that privilege would go to another.

Moses pleaded with God to reconsider, presumably on numerous occasions for we read in Deut 3:26 God says ‘Don’t talk to me anymore about this, my decision is final’

What is even more intriguing is that the rock that Moses addressed and that followed the children of Israelite in the desert was none other than Christ Himself.

“and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:4)

Where Moses failed and was rejected by God to complete the deliverance of His people, Jesus faithfully succeeded. What if He had turned the stone to bread? He would have failed God in the time of temptation and disqualified Himself from being Israel’s deliverer. But He resisted the temptation, giving God honour and glory.

As for Moses, well, the irony is that in the end he did enter the promised land, albeit some 1300 years later.  It’s recorded in the gospels that when Jesus was transfigured Moses was brought to Him along with Elijah.

“Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:30)

The irony here, lost in the translation into English, is that the word ‘departure’ is in fact in the Greek text  none other than the word  ‘exodus’. How appropriate!

In the account of the transfiguration the face of the Lord far outshone that of Moses in his day, no veil being needed  and the voice from the cloud this time affirms ‘This is my Son whom I have chosen, listen to Him’.

Truly one greater even than Moses had arrived.

The Scribbling Scribe

19th Sept 2009

An Agonizing Fit

If someone were to ask what guidelines should be given to someone who has just come to faith in Christ to enable them to grow and deepen in faith what should we advise? The standard ‘out of the box’ answer might include prayer, reading the bible, sharing faith with others and joining a vibrant church that seeks to keep Christ in the center of Christianity. All very true of course but I often wonder if such an approach is somewhat naive? Are we perhaps missing something else equally important here? Do we do all the teaching of Jesus justice and indeed perhaps even belie our own experience also if we are honest?
I have been reading through the gospel of Luke recently and came across these words spoken by Jesus in chap 13:24 when He was asked by someone “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

Jesus response was “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to”. In the Greek the first part of the sentence reads as follows:

Ἀγωνίζεσθε εἰσελθεῖν διὰ τῆς στενῆς θύρας

Strive           to enter        through the narrow door

Some manuscripts read ‘gate’ in place of ‘door’. The adjective used to describe the gate is στενῆς (here pronounced ste-nes) and is translated as ‘narrow’ in the NIV. The word is not found elsewhere in the New Testament apart from the same passage in Matthew 7:13. However it does occur a few times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. In 1 Sam 23:19, 24:1 we read that “David dwelt in the narrow passes of Engedi”. In 2 Kings 6:1 the prophets complained that the place they met with Elisha was too cramped for them. In Isaiah 49:20 Zion’s children call out ‘this place is too small for us, give us more space to live in”.

 
The general idea is one of being tight, pressed, crowded and uncomfortable. There is another passage where it is used that may also throw some light on the passage already referred to in Luke’s gospel and it can be found in Numbers 22:26. This is the account of Balaam who is hired by Balak to curse the children of Israel.

There it states that ‘Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left’. This becomes more interesting when we read v 22 in the original Hebrew language:

 מַלְאַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ לְשָׂטָ֣ן ל֑וֹ

” The messenger of the LORD in the road to oppose him ”
The verb ‘oppose’ in Hebrew is  לְשָׂטָ֣ן (here in the infinitive construct state, pronounced “sa-tan”). The Greek word used to translate ‘satan’ is ἐνδιαβάλλειν (pronounced en-dia-ba-lein). The Greek noun διαβολος (pronounced dia-ba-los) is related to this verb and, having a general meaning of opposer or slanderer, in the course of time became the Greek name for the one whom we now know as the devil.

Coming back to Luke 13:24 however what struck me this time round was that Jesus commands us to strive to enter in through this narrow gate. Most striking is the verb Ἀγωνίζεσθε (pronounced ag-on-id-zesthe). In the NIV it is translated as ‘make every effort’, other versions use ‘strive’ Our English word ‘agonize’ comes from it. It is used on a number of occasions in the New Testament, a few examples (NIV):

John 18:36 ‘If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight ’
1 Cor 9:25 ‘Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training’
1 Tim 6:12 ‘Fight the good fight’
2 Tim 4:7 ‘I have fought the good fight’

Back then to the original question as to what we should advise the newcomer to the faith, should we not also point him or her to the injunction of Jesus to ‘agonize to enter by the narrow gate’? Be sure it’s not going to be a leisurely stroll in the park. We do the new believer no favors if we do not point out clearly that instead of ‘having arrived’ they have only ‘just begun’ and have entered a spiritual struggle that will endure for the rest of their lives on this earth.

What is the narrow gate and just how narrow is it? Well we get some insight in the following chapters of Luke.
14:27 It is narrow but here is a paradox, it will easily accommodate your cross!

18: 17 The humble who bow the knee will easily pass through. The proud will not fit.

18:24 The gate is narrow so that the rich young man with all his possessions will not fit.

When I visualize this parable in my mind I see a small narrow gate that I must strive to enter through. It is a crowded, tight, uncomfortable place with many people and all their material and spiritual paraphernalia seeking to press through and an opposer in the way seeking at all costs to hinder our progress and stop us from entering the beautiful Kingdom of God that lies at the other side.

LORD, grant us grace, favor and share in Your victory that, with childlike trust, we may, forsaking all things for the true riches of knowing and loving You, taking our cross on our shoulders attain to and be found worthy of Your glorious kingdom. For the sake of Your Beloved Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

The Scribbling Scribe
18th September 2009

Please Wait – Computer starting up

When I arrive in work in the morning the first thing I do is start up the computer. The second thing on the list is to make a cup of tea which is much appreciated after my 20km cycle in the pitch dark and pouring rain. There is logic behind this programmed sequence of early morning events, namely, by the time I am sitting down to a brew of Earl Grey blend the computer is finally ready to go.

When I left the screen some 10 minutes earlier it was displaying a message ‘Please wait – Computer applying settings’. I would often stare into the cyberspace portal and wonder what exactly is it applying and where and why? If someone were to ask for an explanation of the process of starting a computer the best answer one with limited knowledge of the black box could possibly give would simply be that which is displayed on the screen ‘Please wait’ and hope that in the end it works.

However dig a little deeper and learn about system registries, autoexec.bat and other startup configurations and you can give a more informed explanation of what is going on behind the scenes.  Still further and you are soon unraveling the world of Ram and Rom and their Mother Board. The point is simple. The message ‘computer applying settings’ can be understood at many different levels.

We can draw a parallel here with our approach of the study of the Word of God.  The deeper our understanding the greater the appreciation of what God has done for us and the better equipped and prepared we are for the times of testing in our lives.

I have mentioned elsewhere that the study of the scriptures in their original languages greatly enhances our understanding of God. Be wary however of those people who appeal to scripture in the original tongues as an authoritative basis for a particular doctrine or teaching. It doesn’t work like that. It will not solve every theological dilemma and, as with acquiring knowledge in any domain, for every question you receive an answer to ten more are raised that you had never even thought about before.

So iIf you have already been giving it some though then why not consider adding a knowledge of either Greek or Hebrew grammer as tools to enhance your study of the Bible?.

‘A little effort can yield a large reward’

The Scribbling Scribe, 15^th September 2009

Lost in Translation – Part I An example of verb tense

In my last blog “Why Study Hebrew and Greek anyway?” I mentioned I would come back with some concrete examples of how the study of the scriptures in the original languages can greatly illuminate the sacred text and enhance our understanding of God and His Son Jesus Christ.

The following is an example of where differences in the meaning of verb tenses between English and, in this instance, NT Greek make it difficult for Bible translators to render the full meaning encapsulated in a phrase without resort to ‘over-translation’ techniques (think Amplified Bible). In our modern day western society we are pre-occupied with time and this reflects in the way we use language to communicate with one another. When we employ a verb in a sentence (a ‘doing’ or action word) our primary focus is on when the action took place. Did it happen in the past, will it take place in the future or is in happening now? NT Greek verb tenses however, and Hebrew also for that matter, indicate not only time but more especially the kind of action involved. To illustrate this let’s look at a phrase in Mark 11:24 in the passage where Jesus tells us how, if we have faith, we can move mountains!

 
In the original Greek it v24 reads as follows:
διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, πάντα ὅσα προσεύχεσθε καὶ αἰτεῖσθε, πιστεύετε ὅτι ἐλάβετε, καὶ ἔσται ὑμῖν.

The phrase in bold (pronounced ‘pi-stu-ete ho-tee e-la-bete kai es-tai hu-min’) is translated in the NIV as:
“believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”
In this phrase there are 3 verbs employed, the verbs ‘to believe’, ‘to receive’ and ‘to be’ in that order. Each verb in the original text is in the form of a different Greek tense, a present tense, a future tense and something we don’t find in the English language, an aorist tense.

The verb ‘to believe’ is in the present tense and it’s also in the imperative mode, that is to say, in the form of a command to us ‘Believe’. The Greek present tense indicates a continued or repeated action with the meaning, ‘Keep on believing or continue to believe’.

The verb ‘to receive’ is in an unfamiliar tense to us, the aorist tense (from the Greek word ‘oristos’ with the meaning ‘indeterminate’ or ‘indefinite’). The meaning of the tense is actually well demonstrated by this example of the verb to receive. Imagine the act of receiving as a form of transaction. There is a giver and there is a receiver and there is the act of giving in between. The giver holds the object of the transaction (here the thing we request in prayer) in his hand. The receiver extends his or her hand and takes the object from the hand of the giver. In this instance the transaction would take only a few moments, but of course the giver and receiver may be far apart and the former mails the object to the receiver who obtains it some days later. Or perhaps the giver leaves the object in a location where he knows the receiver will be in a few years time where they will be able to pick it up. What is important here is that the Greek Aorist tense does give any indication of the duration of the action, it could be short or long, it could even be a repeated action during the course of time, nor does the tense indicate anything about when the action actually occurred, it could have been in the past or be in the present or yet to happen or indeed a combination of these. What the tense however does indicate is that the transaction is being viewed in its entirety and as a completed, finished action, from the moment it leaves the giver to the moment it arrives in the receiver’s hand.

Lastly there is the verb ‘to be’ in the future tense. The phrase in the verse literally translates as ‘it will be to you (plural)’ i.e. it will be yours!
Putting these different shades of meaning together then Jesus is saying to us – “Therefore I say to you whatsoever things you pray and request for yourselves, keep on or continue to believe  that you have received (the prayer transaction is completed), and it shall be yours.

Of course faith is the evidence of things hoped for so once we have the request in our possession we no longer need to continue believing for it!

Al, the scribbling scribe dated 11-09-2009

Why study Hebrew and Greek anyway?

I am often greeted with a certain amount of surprise when I mention during the course of a conversation that I am still studying Hebrew and Greek.  This  borders on near astonishment when the listener then learns that I do it just for pleasure! Perhaps if I was studying for an academic qualification it might make some sense they conjecture and then toss in comments like “Well, these are dead languages anyway, are they not?”

The motivation however is really quite simple, a love of God’s Word and a desire to understand Him better. Surely enough motivation for a believer to dig that little bit deeper into the scriptures! Speaking of digging I would compare the study of the scripture in the original languages to prospecting for gold. In the early days of the gold rush people just turned up, strolled around the hills in the cool of the evening  picking up the nuggets as they went along. Nuggets, of course, only last for a while and as the fever intensified and more people wanted a share of the action the methods of searching intensified, tunneling mineshafts deep into the earth’s core and diverting the course of rivers with elaborate devices to sift out that elusive and precious yellow dust.  As time elapsed the effort required to obtain the same returns as in the early days dramatically increased. Eventually the rush was over but even today the gold is still out there and can be found if you are dedicated and patient.

It’s a bit like that with the study of the scripture in the original languages. In the early days scholars pocketed all the nuggets. Today for the most part it is hard labour panning for that elusive truth. Still, from generation to generation a few nuggets previously hidden just below the ground do surface, exposed by the latest developments in linguistic studies.

Some might argue “Why should I bother with learning the languages. I just need to read the right books” Well it is true that there are a few books out there if you can still find them (see note below), and there are still some teachers of the Word around who faithfully mine the scriptures in the original languages but such an approach does rely heavily on these good scribes making their finds accessible to those individuals who have neither the time nor inclination nor ability (or so they claim) to look for themselves. There is however much to be said for the excitement and pleasure one receives on finding, after a long day’s study, those few glistening specs of gold dust at the bottom of the pan that others before have overlooked, and by sharing them with others we can contribute to the sum of all our knowledge of God and His Wisdom over the ages.

At the moment I am working on a blog called ‘Lost in translation’ in which I will look at the benefits of this type of study in greater detail and how study of the original text can put back some of those things that have got lost, even in the best of Bible translations.

 

Note - a couple of the classics:

 Synonyms of New Testament Green – Archbishop Trench  (Republished as Synonyms of the New Testament (With Some Etymological Notes by A L Mayhew M.A.))

Word Studies in New Testament Greek  - Kenneth Wust

The Scribbling Scribe

9th Sept 2009