Belated Sentiments
There’s nothing like being a few days (or months) late and
more than a few dollars short.
At the rate I’m going, this article about the Jewish New
Year will be ready just about when our country sings Auld Lang Syne.
All kidding aside, I’m trying to finish a piece that’s been
lingering on my hard drive since September.
As I’ve noted, the Hebrew holidays have now come and gone.
But to wait another whole year to publish on the subject seems silly (not to
mention the fact that reflection and renewal are never out of season).
So, without further ado or apologies for tardiness, my take on the most sacred days of the Jewish calendar.
God’s Books
I guess what’s been on my mind most is the idea of having
one’s name inscribed in God’s book. Turns out there are two such books. Here I
would encourage my readers to buckle up because we’re not going to shy away
from talking about eternity – what God’s word says about it, as opposed to the
subjective notions many hold based on “feel good” theology and/or their own
conjurings (in this case I mean cogitations, but in a world increasingly drawn
to darkness and the occult, it seems regrettably reasonable to expand the
definition of “conjure” to include mystical arts).
Quick rationale for the ground I’m standing on with regard
to this whole topic. I’ve argued previously for the credibility of the Bible
based on the research of well reputed scholars (see section 2, “The Basis,” in Reclaiming
the Rainbow). That said, I’m linking to a few articles from Answers Magazine,
which delve into archaeological,
scientific,
and prophetic
reasons why the Scriptures can be trusted. On that solid foundation I rest
my case regarding the two books of life described in God’s word.
The idea of being inscribed in God’s book
seems to have dual meanings. Perhaps the best way to delineate the two
is that to be inscribed as it is represented in the Tanakh (Scriptures
Christians refer to as the Old Testament) means to reside among the living,
i.e., not be physically dead. In contrast, having one’s name inscribed in the
Lamb’s book of life (a New Testament concept) refers to enjoying eternal life
in heaven after physical death has occurred. The other option would be to face
God without Christ’s
sacrifice having been applied to one’s spiritual account, and
therefore, not meet the criteria for eternal life. This condition, tragically,
results in one’s soul
– a person’s spiritual essence which remains after physical death – being eternally
separated from God.
Remember, I cautioned my audience that we were going to
delve into heavy spiritual stuff.
For further information to distinguish between the two books
of life, see What
is the Book of Life? and Is there a
difference between the book of life and the Lamb’s book of life?
Biblical Inscription
Now, let’s investigate the idea of being inscribed in God’s
book.
We must first realize that “inscribe” and “engrave” are
often used interchangeably
in the Bible to express permanently writing a message. However, the two words
in English have different connotations. The former often means simply writing
words on paper, such as an author inscribing his book for a reader; the latter carries
the idea of carving with a tool, such as engraving a wedding ring. This
confused me a bit, so I wandered around on the internet and my research took me
to language scholar Skip Moen’s
website. His investigation into Isaiah
49:14-16, in which God vowed to inscribe Israel on the palms of His
hands, yielded the following heart stopping conclusion: “It is worth noting
that God’s son also had each of us inscribed on the palms of his hands when he
allowed himself to be crucified for our redemption… Our names are engraved on
his hands so that he will never forget us.”
I checked out these verses in three reliable versions of Scripture
using the Blue Letter Bible.* The King
James Version states, “Behold, I have graven
thee upon the palms of my hands.” The New King James
Version renders it thusly: “See, I have inscribed
you on the palms of My hands.” And the English Standard Version
says, “Behold, I have engraved you on the
palms of my hands.”
Bottom line: engraving seems so much more permanent than inscribing. Ink fades and washes away, but carvings tend to have much greater longevity.
Perhaps that’s why God chose to engrave his commandments on
stone tablets rather than inking them on parchment or papyrus. These statutes
were so important to our creator that he issued them twice. The first time, the
Lord etched the
laws himself; after Moses impulsively destroyed this set in response to
the Israelites’ idolatry, God commanded him to fashion new
tablets and chisel the laws onto them while God dictated.
Inscription in Daily Life
I think of my life as having many parts. These include worship
and ministry, tending to my health, nurturing family, caring for my home,
managing finances and resources, and writing. These facets all must be prioritized
and balanced, but at times one category will overtake the others in importance.
For example, if I need to purchase a vehicle or change my residence, those
pieces may dominate my life’s tapestry until I get them sorted out.
All these moving parts, though, are held together by my walk
with the Lord, which is a function of my private spiritual life and how well I maintain
it. In other words, I dare not let activities of daily living usurp the first
order of business, which is time in God’s presence. This takes the form of
private and corporate prayer and Bible study.
As I’m pondering this section of the article, I’m visualizing
some activities as etched in stone, so to speak, while others can be treated with
more flexibility. The reason people engrave/inscribe items is to showcase their
importance and lend a sense of permanence. It would be profligate and
meaningless to engrave every object one owns. What then would set apart the
cherished from the trivial?
Viewed in this light, it becomes obvious which aspects of
life should be treated with that level of respect and reverence, versus those to
be held more loosely.
So, as I conclude (finally!) my discussion of the High Holy Days,
perhaps my new year’s resolution should be to continue mining my life for the
inscribable instead of getting caught up in the perishable.
L’shanah tova!
*To compare Biblical translations, the Blue Letter Bible (https://www.blueletterbible.org/)
is an excellent resource.
