Straight to the Goal

Augustine gathers up all the interpretations of Genesis 1 that were extant in his day—most of which are still around—and concludes that any meaning, if true, is acceptable: “What harm is there if a reader holds an opinion which you (God), the light of all truthful minds, show to be true, even though it is not what was intended by the author, who himself meant something true, but not exactly that” (Confesssions, XII.18.27). 

In other words, if I arrive at an interpretation of a text other than that which the author intended I have done no harm as long as the concept is true in itself, i.e., “true” to the overall teaching of scripture. 

His hermeneutic seems irregular to those of us who w ere taught to hopnor E. D. Hirsch’s rule that a text has only one meaning and the “true meaning of a text is the meaning that its author intended.” Augustine accepted the idea of authorial intent, but went beyond critical theory to state that “the author’s (ultimate) intention must be sought in love.” 

Having listened to all these divergent opinions (interpretations of Genesis 1) and weighed them, I do not wish to “bandy” words, for that serves no purpose except to ruin those who listen (2 Timothy 2:14). The law is an excellent thing for building us up provided we use it lawfully, because its object is to promote the love that springs from a pure heart, a good conscience and unfeigned faith (1 Timothy 1:4,5–8), and I know what were the twin precepts on which our Master made the whole law and the prophets depend (Matthew 22:40).

The “twin precepts” to which Augustine refers are the Great Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself.” All scripture is summed up in this tenet. 

Thus, when I approach scripture I must come with this question: “In what way does this text encourage greater love for my Lord and my neighbor?” This is the“lawful” (God-intended) use of scripture. Paul saw this clearly: “The end (“telos”—outcome) of our instruction is love…” (1 Timothy 1:5).

I may miss the precise meaning of a biblical author, but if my understanding is in accord with the overall teaching of scripture—any given text is understood in the light of all texts, what the Reformers referred to as The Analogy of Faith), and if my exegesis encourages me to love God and my neighbor, I will have achieved the ultimate intention of God’s word. Put another way, the purpose of Bible reading and study is not to perfect our understanding of the text, but to perfect our love. 

This, Paul calls, “cutting straight to the goal.” (2 Timothy 2:15).[1]

David Roper

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[1] This is the verb that the AV translates, “rightly dividing (the Word of  truth.)” The verb, orthotomeo means to “cut a straight path,” and was used in the Paul’s day, on one occasion, of laborers building a road through a forest snd “cutting straight” to their destination. 

Desire

Psalm 37

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

Desire is the mainspring of our hearts, the driving force of our lives, hidden from others, but always lingering just under the surface of our thoughts. We can’t put the feeling into words; it’s beyond us. C.S. Lewis called it sehnsucht—a bitter-sweet longing for something just out of reach.

Fame and fortune don’t assuage it; they only beget more desire. The more we get the more we want. Like a child opening a dozen Christmas gifts, we keep looking for that elusive "something more." Whatever the object of our quest, when we find it, it never contains the joy we sought.  

Disappointment, thus, is the rule, not the exception in this life. No thing, not even a very good thing, can fully satisfy us. That's why there's always a tinge of sadness in our greatest pleasures. 

On the other hand, the Psalmist writes, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires (the "askings") of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). This the secret of satisfaction and joy: Knowing that everything we ever wanted or desired is found in God’s love. There's no other way to be really, truly happy. Period!

Whom have I, Lord, but Thee,

Soul-thirst to satisfy?

Exhaustless spring! The waters free!

All other streams are dry. —Mary Bowley Peters

David Roper

“E'en Though It Be a Cross.”

Psalm 40

In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,

but you have given me an open ear.

Burnt offering and sin offering

you have not required.

Then I said, “Behold, I have come;

in the scroll of the book it is written of me:

I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is in my heart” (Psalm 40:6-8).

“You have given me an open ear…” Literally, “You dug out my ears”: a reference to the ear canal God "excavated” in both sides of my head.

To what end? That I may hear, of course, but preeminently that I may hear what God has to say and put it “in my heart.” And then, with my entire body, willingly, joyfully  comply. The author of Hebrews, quotes the Greek version of the Old Testament: “a body you have prepared for me,” substituting the whole for a part. Hearing involves putting my entire body on the line. 

The New Testament puts these words in Jesus' mouth as he assures his Father that he will do his will no matter what it will cost. (Hebrews 10:5-10). On this occasion, his Father's will was the cross.

God's will may indeed entail something akin to a cross. Can I hear it and bear it manfully, not as my duty but as my "delight" (40: 8)?

Bearing up isn’t easy, but if I make a start, grace will do the rest. "The readiness is all," Hamlet said.

David Roper

Quick–eyed Love

Psalm 33

"Behold, the Lord's eyes are on those...who abide in His love." —Psalm 33:18

I think of those portraits in which the subject’s eyes follow us around the room. So it is with God’s kindly gaze.

That’s because, by faith, we have become His beloved children and good fathers always keep an eye on their children. (They can pick them out of a crowd.)

God took a hard road to show the extent of His love. “He died for desire of us." The Cross is the show of his affection.

Such devotion would be worrying if I had to do something to earn it or keep it, but all God asks is that I bask in his love. 

Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back 

                              Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack 

                             From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,

                             If I lacked any thing.

A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:

                             Love said, You shall be he.

I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,

                             I cannot look on thee.

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

                             Who made the eyes but I?

Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame

                             Go where it doth deserve.

And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?

                             My dear, then I will serve.

You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:

                             So I did sit and eat. …

—“Love (III),” George Herbert

David Roper

In the Morning

Psalm 30

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning —Psalm 30:5b

“Life is suffering,” Buddhists say and almost everyone else who looks at life realistically. Some sorrow can be alleviated and some cannot. Some sadness may follow us to the grave. 

What can we say about wounds that do not heal? 

The "morning" that  the psalmist envisions is that “great gettin'-up  morning,” or so I believe, when Love will call us home, when sorrow and sadness will flee away. ”Weeping may tarry for the night,” but this is not forever.

That idea alone, turns my "mourning into dancing” this morning. My feet, like Snoopy’s start  tapping...

David Roper

12.19.19

Becoming a Man

Psalm 27

“Be manly. Be made strong; wait for the LORD!” —Psalm 27:14

This is a pep talk David gave to himself. (The verbs are singular.)

Paul paraphrases this text, putting a precise spin on the words: "Be manly, be made strong; Let all that you do be done in love" (1 Corinthians 16:13, 14). 

If you were to ask me why I'm a follower of Jesus I'd be hard-pressed to name all the reasons, but one resides right here: I follow Jesus because I want to become a man.

Clap me on the back and say, "Be a man," and I will square my shoulders and try to man up, for no one has to tell me what it means to be a man. Men are "trustworthy, loyal, helpful, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent," to pull up the old Boy Scout Code. They are “physically strong, mentally alert and morally straight.” 

Paul adds another trait: Men are loving, which, as it turns out, is the greatest show of strength and the most important attribute of all (Cf. 1 Corinthians 13).

I know what I ought to be and I want to do better, but I need help. That's where God comes in. “Let your heart be strengthened (passive voice); wait for the Lord.” I must ask him to make me into the man I want to be. This is my prayer, all through the day.

“Waiting,” however, implies delay. It takes time to become a man—indeed, a lifetime. I'm still waiting to get there.

David Roper

12.16.19

God, My Judge

Psalm 26

“God be my judge..."—Psalm 26:1a

When challenged, David refused to justify himself and appealed to a higher court: “God, (you) be my judge!"

This is the secret of independence from the opinions of others as Paul learned through the criticism he endured: “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God" (1Corinthians 4:3–5.).

Any assessment of ourselves is as irrelevant as that of our friends and foes. "It is the Lord that judges." Any other judgment is presumptuous (final judgment is a job for God) and premature ("before the time".) 

It's good to ask God for a check-up now and then—"Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind" (26:2)—but I must not spend time rummaging around in my soul. I must rather ask God to judge me. If I'm off course he will let me know. Satan fills us with vague thoughts of wrong-doing, and free-floating guilt; God's judgments are unequivocally clear.

In the meantime I can forget about myself and the opinions of others and get on with the business of following Jesus. 

What a relief that is! 

David Roper