Unsettled Christianity

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April 16th, 2010

Sirach 2:7-18 – Reward and Woe

The reward of those who fear the Lord

(7) You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; and turn not away, lest you fall.

φοβούμενοι, translated as fear, occurs four times in the New Testament in relation to God. (Acts 13.16, 26; Colossians 3.22; and Revelation 19.5) The Greek root word gives us our ‘phobia’. It is of note that the uses in Acts sees a separation from those that are following God and those that ‘fear’ God, evidently referring to the Gentiles who dwelt among the Jews.

(8) You who fear the Lord, trust in him, and your wage will not be forfeited;
(9) You who fear the Lord, hope for good things, for everlasting joy and mercy.

It would be faulty to see here a promise in Sirach’s mind of Eternal Life, however, to idea of the promise in his words provides great comfort, and it might be said, that along with the prophets and writers of the Old Testament, Sirach’s words were not fully understood by the author, or forgoing the idea of the unknown prophecy by an author, these words of Sirach could have later been used by the same community to argue for eternal life, which was a notion still in genesis at this time.

(9a) Because his repayment is an everlasting gift with joy

Paul, perhaps, plays on this concept here in Romans 6,

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6.23 NASB)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6.23 NLT)

Sirach, and then later Paul, was casting the life of the God-fearer as a system of merit(less). For Paul, echoing Sirach, our wages are to be compared to the gift from God. Sirach, while not speaking about wages of sin, instead uses wage to mean that which we do for God. The textual variant completes the thought well within a sect which Paul would have known – that God gives. Granted, for Sirach, that gift is earned, while for Paul, that gift cannot be earned (although must be worked to keep).

(10) Consider the ancient generations and see: who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or who ever stood fast in the fear of the Lord and was forsaken? Or who ever called upon him and was despised?
(11) For the Lord is compassionate and merciful; he forgives sins and saves in time of affliction.

Again, Paul echoes,

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5.5 NASB)

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5.5 NLT)

And the author of Hebrews who wrote,

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2 NASB)

One of the common themes of this book is that Sirach calls on us to remember those that have gone on before, upon whose shoulders we now stand. In later chapters, much like Hebrews and Wisdom, he gives a list of examples of the faithful who have gone before.

The threefold woe against the unfaithful

(12) Woe to cowardly hearts and to slack hands, and to the sinner who treads on two paths!

Chrysostom, in his Homily on Hebrews, says,

What is “let us draw near with a true heart”? That is, without hypocrisy; for “woe be to a fearful heart, and faint hands”: let there be (he means) no falsehood among us; let us not say one thing and think another; for this is falsehood; neither let us be fainthearted, for this is not [a mark] of a “true heart.” Faintheartedness comes from not believing. But how shall this be? If we fully assure ourselves through faith.

We turn to James,

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8 NASB)

This subsection gives us three woes to those that trust not in the Lord, and the woes are directed against the heart that has abandoned God, perhaps as a warning to those Jews who were forsaking Israel for Greece (as was would find in the first chapter of 1st Maccabees)

(13) Woe to the faint heart, for it has no trust! Therefore it will not be sheltered.
(14) Woe to you who have lost your patient endurance! What will you do when the Lord makes his reckoning?

The writer of Hebrews echoes Sirach here,

For you have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God, you might receive his promise. (Hebrews 10:36 CTV)

And from Paul,

But if we expect without doubt that which we do not see, then we with patient endurance eagerly wait for it. (Romans 8:25 CTV)

Instruction on fearing the Lord

(15) Those who fear the Lord will not disobey his words, and those who love him will keep his ways.
(16) Those who fear the Lord will seek his good pleasure, and those who love him will be filled with the law.

‘Good pleasure’ in the Greek is εὐδοκίαν. It is used four times in the New Testament (Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 1:9, Philippians 2:13, 2nd Thessalonians 1:11) always in reference to the well purposed love that God has for His people. It is found only in the Septuagint and the New Testament. Vincent says,

Ἑυδοκία good pleasure, delight, is a purely Biblical word. As related to one’s self, it means contentment, satisfaction: see Sirach 29:23; Psalms of Solomon 3:4; 16:12.

We do not seek anything else in the grace of God but the pleasure of the Father.

(17) Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and will humble themselves before him.
(18) Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, but not into the hands of men; for as his majesty is, so also is his mercy.

Sirach simply says that the punishment of the Lord (which could bring mercy) is better than the punishment of men.

Tags: fear of the Lord, mercy, reward, woe
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April 14th, 2010

Sirach 1.9-18 – The Fear of the Lord

Sirach 1:9-18

(9) The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation, and gladness and a crown of rejoicing.
(10) The fear of the Lord delights the heart, and gives gladness and joy and long life.

As often is the case with Sirach, we find this author perhaps offering a Midrash upon an earlier author,

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27 NASB

Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27 NLT

From the very beginning of this passage, Sirach sets out to tell us of the joys of Fear, as we might except from a pre-Pharisaic community. He speaks not of fright or worry, but of a reverence for God and the things of God. Tyndale, in his translation, often used the word Reverence instead of fear, as that word brings to mind not of an angry God, but one that is to be respected and loved. It is hardly the fear of an abusive parent or an overpowering personality which Sirach is expecting his readers to develop, but one which is completely reverent of God. This passage does not speak of our understanding of fear, but instead relates the reverence of love (10a), blessings (happiness – v9 and 11), a long life (v10), basing the reverence upon receiving Wisdom.

(10a) Fear of the Lord is a gift from the Lord, for he also establishes paths for love.

(11) With him who fears the Lord it will go well at the end; on the day of his death he will be blessed.

We can find in Proverbs a parallel of thought for this section of Sirach.

The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. (Proverbs 10:27 NKJV)

It is very possible that Sirach is offering nothing but a midrash upon selections from Proverbs, as it is speculated that the author of Wisdom used the Suffering Servant’s song as well as Exodus to offer a statement about the unseen Wisdom.

(12) Wisdom’s beginning is to fear the Lord, and she is joined to the faithful in the womb.

Sirach echoes the Psalmist in 111.10, which reads,

NASB Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.

NLT Psalm 111:10 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!

The author of Proverbs tells us,

NASB Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

NLT Proverbs 1:7 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

And

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Pro 9:10 NASB)

Returning to Sirach, we read,

(13) She made among men an eternal foundation, and among their descendants she will be trusted.

In 12b-13 we find a distinct but not developed notion of predestination, in which Wisdom is said to be joined to the faithful in the womb and passed from generation to generation. It would be impossible to draw from this passage an Augustinian notion, but this may well be a seed which is later used by later theologians.

This eternal foundation is the Church

(14) To fear the Lord is wisdom’s full measure; she satisfies men with her fruits;
(15) she fills their whole house with desirable goods, and their storehouses with her produce.
(16) The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish.

(16a) And both are gifts of God for peace, and boasting creates space for those that love him.

(17) He saw her and apportioned her; he rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension, and he exalted the glory of those who held her fast.

Unlike 12b-13, now it is up to the individual to hold to Wisdom, which then brings the glory of God.

The Italicized words above are given in several Greek recensions. With the use of this Greek text, it changes the pronouns, and thus the meaning of the verse. He, of course, if the Lord God (see 16a) who gives Wisdom to those that would hold fast to it. Without the addition of the first clause of v17, we would have Wisdom who does these things, and perhaps, then, more than an emanation from the Father. As an attribute of God, Wisdom is able to be seen and used of humanity, representing God but still unable to be fully God.

(18) To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom, and her branches are long life.

(18a) The fear of the Lord repels sins, and when it endures, it will turn away all wrath.

Tags: fear of the Lord, reverence
Posted in Sirach | 12 Comments »

September 9th, 2008

From the Bible that is rarely read: Sirach 10.1-25

I have grown to enjoy these posts a great deal. (Here, here, here, and here) It is my blog, after all, and it has allowed me to discover the style and manner of writing and investigation into scripture that I like, and this seems to be one of them. Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus to the Protestants out there, was written well before Christ and was wrestled over until after Christ by the Jews.

I endeavored to read this book one a while ago, but go no further than the 10th chapter when i realized that at that time it was futile to investigate this book if the results would do no one any good. Now, I focus on my own edification and hope that others will be built up as well. I don’t mean to be selfish here, but there are times that we have to strengthen ourselves (1st Samuel 30.6) in the LORD our Great God. I have found encouragement in the pages of Sirach and hope to continue to do so.

We can approach this passage from Sirach in one of two ways:

First, we can see it in the socio-political light that most likely it was written in. Here in the States, we are embroiled in a political election for the President of these united States. It will get ugly and bitter and cause much strife even among those that call each other brother. If we should choose to do this, then we cause a division in the universal body of Christ, be it British or American, Chinese, or Indian. Further, we fail to show our separation from this world that is so well illustrated in Diognetus chapter 5.
Second, we can understand that with Christ, rather since Christ, and His Church, those things that once applied nationally to Israel now apply to the Church. In doing this, we understand that the leaders and magistrates of Sirach are the pastors and ministers of the Body of Christ. If we take this second route in understanding, we pay heed to Christ’s command to render to Caesar and to the understanding that the Kingdom of God is not a physically attainable goal, but the Church which is both visible and invisible.

I will approach it primarily, if not in totality, from the second stance.

Sirach 10:1-25 from the Revised Standard Version-Modified

(1) A wise leader will educate his people, and the rule of an understanding man will be well ordered.
(2) As the leader of a people, so are his officials; and the inhabitants of the city will reflect the ruler.
(3) An undisciplined king will ruin his people, but a city will grow through the understanding of its rulers.
(4) The authority of the earth is in the hands of the Lord, and over it he will raise up the right man for the appointed time.
(5) The success of a man is in the hand of the Lord, and he confers his honor upon the person of the scribe.
(6) Do not cherish anger with your neighbor for any injury, and do nothing by acts of insolence.

We are talking about these wise leaders, or magistrates as older translations have them (judge in the NETS) – who are prevalent among the people of God. In Sirach’s time, most likely these were perhaps the Hasmonean Kings, or even the generation earlier, both in which the temple priesthood was being used by those in power. We know from history that Judas Maccabeus saw the near complete degradation of the Jewish elite as they gave away to paganism and encourage the people to do so.

We have pastors and ministers, or those that say that they are such, that are neither wise nor well-ordered. I speak, of course, from experience. Now, I am not speaking about the wisdom of books or man’s words, but the beginning of all wisdom – the fear of the LORD (Psalms 111.10). They are filled with arrogance and this pride will cause not only them to fall, but the congregation as well. It by the leader that the city will either grow into glory or fall into perdition.

Have you every seen a congregation bitter and destroy by gossip or sin or by apathy for the things of God. I am not speaking about one or two, but the entire congregation. (There will always be those that choose not to live up to the examples set by the pastor or ministers and called for by the Scriptures). Look at the pastor of that congregation. What example is he setting? Does he gossip? What about his fear of God? The reverence paid to the things of the Lord? What of his love of the the Spirit? Are they themselves disciplined? Do they in a godly reverence watch over your souls so that when the accounting is called, they may give a good one?

Remember King Saul who, when had disobeyed God, had his kingdom taken from him. God alone is the giver of liberty and sovereignty. Too many people desire to be a pastor or a minister and for what? For what glory, rather, for whose glory? For God? More than likely it is for themselves. We see numerous pastors and so-called evangelists stand in the spot light but give no room for God. Even in the local congregations, how many desire the holy titles of Bishop, or Pastor, Elder, minister, deacon? Who many would choose them if they were all called servant and called no vestments of authority?

Verse 4 connects well to Wisdom 6.3

For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.

Yes, there are times I believe that God will set us up to fail, so that we may be useful to Him when we remove ourselves.

Sirach, as you know, is a translation into Greek of the Hebrew original. In the Hebrew original, ‘scribe’ is ‘statute-maker’, or perhaps it is better to say ‘law-maker’. The authority that God gives His judges and leaders is an awesome power, and one which God will grant success if you abide in His fear.

(7) Arrogance is hateful before God and all of humanity, and injustice is outrageous to both.
(8) Sovereignty is transferred from nation to nation on account of injustice and insolence and wealth.
(9) How can he who is dust and ashes be proud? for even as he lives, he insides are decaying.
(10) The physician scoffs are a long illness, but the king of today will be dead tomorrow.
(11) For when a man is dead he will inherit reptiles, and wild animals, and worms.
(12) The beginning of man’s arrogance is to depart from the Lord, for his heart has forsaken his Maker.
(13) For the beginning of arrogance is sin, and the man who clings to it will pour out an abomination. Therefore the Lord will bring upon them extraordinary afflictions, and completely destroyed them.
(14) The Lord has pulls down the thrones of rulers, and seats the gentle in their place.
(15) The Lord plucks up the roots of the nations, and plants the humble in their place.
(16) The Lord overthrows the lands of the nations, and destroys them to the foundations of the earth.
(17) He has removes some of them and destroys them, and puts an end to the memory of them on the earth.
(18) Arrogance was not created by humanity, nor fierce anger by the offspring of women.

The original Hebrew serves as an interesting backdrop to the Greek here. As this is not a pure commentary, I will not go into detail here, but only provide a few points.

In this section, we find the beginning of arrogance, or pride, and in some ways, the end result of pride. We find that pride is hateful before a holy God and even before all of humanity. Both must consider pride as an injustice.

In 8b the Hebrew reads (replace on account of…) ‘because of violence of pride). Because of the violence that pride causes, or perhaps pride itself is a violence before God and Man, the sovereignty of a nation (or the ministry of a man) is removed and bestowed upon another. We know of all manners of violence – abuse, rape, libel, slander, physical, emotional – but pride? Is pride really a type of violence? Think of it this way: Pride causes a sin; sin is a rebellion against God; rebellion is violence; thus pride is violence.

Verse 9 is made the more poignant in the Hebrew which reads, ‘Why should dust and ashes be proud when his entrails are decaying even as he lives?”

In verse 12 the Hebrew reads ‘The beginning of arrogance is when a man becomes shameless’. The Hebrew and the Greek both offer the truth. When a man forgets his Maker, Saviour, Redeemer, and becomes his own ruler, judge, god and lord, he is without shame and has departed from the Lord, the only God.

(19) What race is worthy of honor? The human race. What race is worthy of honor? Those who fear the Lord. What race is unworthy of honor? The human race. What race is unworthy of honor? Those who transgress the commandments.
(20) Among brothers their leader is worthy of honor, and those who fear the Lord are worthy of honor in his eyes.
(21) The fear of the Lord goes before the gain of authority: but in roughness and pride one will loose it.
(22) The rich, and the eminent, and the poor – they glory in the fear of the Lord.
(23) It is not right to despise an intelligent poor man, nor is it proper to honor a sinful man.
(24) The nobleman, and the judge, and the ruler will be honored, but none of them is greater than the man who fears the Lord.
(25) Free men will be at the service of a wise servant, and a man of understanding will not grumble.

Sirach closes this section with the passage that has stuck with me for the past 5 years, so I will start there. A bishop has a great job indeed, as does the pastor and the evangelist. The music director is talented. The youth leader is great with children. The grounds committee has the best looking campus in town. The bulletin and newsletters are done with professionalism. The well-off fund every project needed. The pastor has well-prepared sermons. The evangelists are leaders revivals all over the world. Yet, the man who fears God is greater than all of these.

What? Do I think that these wonderful things can be done with the fear of God? Yes. It is well written and documented that God is not always behind the scenes in the things that ‘give Him glory’. Yet the poor wise men and women who glory in the the fear of the Lord, in whose fear the authority is gained, and who is honoured among the brothers and sisters, in these men and women, often nameless, is the greatest work of the Lord.

Finally, let us say that in wisdom do we fear the Lord and it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom. Let us support our clergy and pray that God strengthens them. Let us pray that we no more than the wise servant, no more than one who fears the Lord. Let us ora et labora that our city will not see ruin, but grow and prosper for the Kingdom of God