Skibidi Ohio and Doo Wop

 I once heard a story of Oprah that said she quit following the Christian faith when she read scripture that said God is a jealous God. She said that she couldn’t follow anyone who said they were jealous. I have no idea if this story is true but I get it. No one would want to follow a God that was jealous in the sense of the word that we currently understand. But if this story is true, what she didn’t consider was the meaning behind the interpreted word, jealous.

Much like the title of this blog, jealous is an easily misunderstood stump-the-band kind of word. And to make it more difficult, this same English word bears different meanings in different parts of the Bible. Its use in describing God in Exodus and Zechariah is very different from its use in 1 Corinthians that tells us love is not jealous.

Our present day understanding of jealousness bears the following synonyms.

envious, covetous, resentful, begrudging, bitter, malicious, spiteful, greedy, selfish

This is not my understanding of God! After a bit of searching, I found the biblical meaning in a footnote in the Amplified version of the Bible.

“There is no implication of envy in the ‘jealousy’ of God, but rather the boundless enthusiasm of the Lord which loves holiness, hates sin, brings judgment upon sinners, and intervenes on behalf of His godly ones.” ~Charles Feinberg, God Remembers.

Am I adept in ancient Hebrew? Do I have a degree in theology? No and no. I simply listened to the Voice that told me my current-day understanding was wrong and investigated using tools that anyone can access today. I stopped reading and searched these tools. I didn’t leave this passage until I found the answer from a trusted source that was in line with the God that I know. 

As I understand it, interpreting ancient texts is nothing like translating from one language to another present day language. When my understanding of new Gen Z terms like “skibidi Ohio” is sketchy, how can text from over 3000 years ago be easy to decipher? Imagine how someone 2000 years from now would understand the title of this article.

I must rely on people who study this ancient language for a living. One theologian (I can’t remember who), said that the Bible was a collection of works by inspired authors about their view of God from their place in history, each like a facet of a gemstone. So to understand scripture I must immerse myself in the culture of the author and read it from that perspective. 

Reading the Bible is not like reading a novel, although some parts like Esther are more readable than others. It is rather, a seeking-type reading. I must be careful not to pluck scripture out of context of the culture in which it was written and apply it to support my opinion. I am sure I have done this in my lifetime and I believe that those who do this publicly on social media will be held accountable for this someday, even if it is a click-of-the-button repost. 

I have an understanding of the character of God that came about over 65 years of sermons, prayers, Bible lessons and experiences. But I still need to slow down when I read the Bible. I still need to seek out meaning and not take everything at face value. I still need to listen to scholars who study the ancient text. But most of all, I need to listen to the Voice that tells me when I am getting it wrong and approach the Bible with an open heart and prayer.

Stranger Than Fiction

 Just because you have seen the movie doesn’t mean you can’t read the book. Because as we all know, nine times out of ten, the book is better than the movie. I say that to preface what I’m about to tell you.

If you asked me what book other than the Bible, brought me closer to God than any other, you would be shocked at my answer. Although I have read and loved books by C.S. Lewis, Henry Drummond, Watchman Nee, Timothy Keller, James Bryan Smith, Corrie ten Boom, Priscilla Shirer and many other inspired authors, they did not change my life as much as The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Yes, I am talking about that non-Christian genre, fiction book that was published in 2009 and later became a movie.

Before I explain this, first of all let me tell you that I believe we often underestimate the influence of fiction books. Fiction is able to slip up on you and convince you to try things that no frontal attack can.(Especially if you are as stubborn as me). So how did a silly fiction book, make an impact on my life? In the book, the main character had a habit of writing her prayers down so she would be able to look back and see how God answered them and not forget. This was the idea that I took to heart. It rang true because I often forgot what I asked of God and failed to thank Him for his answers. Gratitude matters.

At that point, I began writing down my prayers so I could look back and see God’s blessings in my life. And fifteen years later, you wouldn’t believe the blessings that I have been able to witness! They were blessings that I would have forgotten or overlooked had I not recorded them. And on a side note, it also got me started writing. Once I began writing regularly, it became easier to put my thoughts on the page. This is where the blogging thing originated. It all started with a fiction book.