The Life You've Always Wanted: Part 8
March 26, 2023Pastor Patrick presented "Gentleness" as the next Fruit of the Spirit in our current series, "The Life You've Always Wanted." A video of the message is here. Our Conversation Starter for this week is here.
There's another Greek word that gets translated as gentleness, epieikes. It refers more to "that which is fitting, right, and equitable. This word is used in Paul's letters, James, and 1 Peter. It's more "opposite of violence." Someone with this gentleness is pleasurable to be around.
In Hebrew texts, gentle or gentleness is usually used to describe God or describe how God acts, as in "slow to anger." Psalm 18:35 is probably the most often referenced: "You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great." God's gentleness encourages us to be better and to bring others to Him.
Here's another: Isaiah 40:11, "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."
Another popular Old Testament image is "God is in the gentle whisper." 1 Kings 19:12, "After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." The typical words for gentle(ness) are not here, but is often translated like this. Technically, the words are "whisper voice." It's similar in image to "still, small voice of God." It's the story of God reversing Elijah's burnout by meeting his basic needs (1 Kings 19:1-18).
Judaism looks upon Moses as the most gentle prophet, leading the people, delivering God's messages, and correcting the Israelites when astray with gentleness. His gentleness was from having the people's best interests at heart. Humility was a key attribute as well. When I first read this, I was a bit taken aback. There were times when Moses acted in ways I would not describe as gentle. But then, what human doesn't have his moments.
Two other Biblical Hebrew words are translated as "gentle" in Moses descriptions of curses (following blessings) when one does not obey God. Deuteronomy 28:54, "Even the most kind and gentle man among you will become cruel..." And Deuteronomy 28:56, "Even the most kind and gentle woman among you will become cruel..."
One last one... In Job 15:11, "Are God's consolations not enough for you, words spoken gently to you?." Here yet another word for gentleness is used, at, which can also mean despondently or leisurely.
Bonus
Passover
With Passover and the Passover Seder coming up, I thought I'd simply share the Torah verses where celebration of the Passover is prescribed. This is all that is required by the Torah:
The event is described in Exodus 12. The who, what, when, where, and how is layed out including both the event itself (the passing over of the Israelite households) as well as how to remember the event (what to eat, how to prepare the food, tell your children, etc.).
When and how... Deuteronomy 16:1-8, "Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name. Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning. You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary[a] of your departure from Egypt. Roast it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the Lord your God and do no work."
Leviticus 23:4-8, "These are the Lord's appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The Lord's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord's Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. For seven days present a food offering to the Lord. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work."
That's it. Everything else about how to celebrate Passover including the Seder "script" (Haggadah) was added later.