WHAT'S IN A NAME?

What’s in a Name?

Karl Marx wrote: ‘A people without a heritage are easily persuaded.’ An example of the truth of this is that due to the Anglicization of Scotland many of her residents are now completely unaware of the linguistic richness of the original Gaelic place names. Thus the poetic names of her mountains, lakes, streams, rivers, flowers, fauna, towns and cities has become as sounding brass to those dispossessed of their mother tongue. People’s names become mere noises, when emptied of their original meaning. My home town Balloch kisses the mouth of Loch Lomond, deriving from Bealach, a pass, and no doubt beul which means ‘mouth.’

In Australia aboriginal languages are fast disappearing. As in Scotland, many place names survive, but in their Anglicized forms. It’s always beautiful to see the swag of names rolled out and their meanings unpacked. When I first arrived in Australia from Winnipeg (a Cree word meaning ‘muddy water’), Manitoba (‘great spirit’), I lived in Toowong (place of doves) near Mount Coot-tha (almost looks like Gaelic!), but is an Aboriginal word for ‘honey’ ku-ta, even dark honey from the native Australian bee). A name frames a picture. It is a container into which meaning is poured. Adam was corralling every living creature by naming them.

The Bible is written in Hebrew and Greek with a little Aramaic (a language very similar to Hebrew). We are thankful that the original languages have been translated for us, and that there is a plethora of lexicons to assist us in our etymological study. No book more than the Bible reveals to us the great importance of understanding the meaning of words. For example, the Koine Greek words, dikaio (justify) and logizomai (impute) impact greatly on our understanding of the way of salvation.

In the Old Testament Hebrew all the names for God are revelation of who God is. Generally speaking, e.g., El is ‘God’; El elyon is ‘the Most High God’; Elohim is ‘the Triune God’, (i.e., God, the plurality of at least three Persons); Eloah is God (in the singular); YHWH or Jehovah, usually rendered LORD, is the personal or covenant name of the Eternal God, the ‘I AM’; and Jehovah Elohim (usually rendered LORD God) is ‘I AM the Triune God.’ These names have been designed by God to reveal to us something of who He is. In the New Testament Greek God reveals His name (singular) as ‘Father and Son and Holy Spirit.’ To be baptized into the Triune name of God is to have meaning and purpose affixed to you. By having His and your names locked together in the baptismal ceremony, you are sealed, for you have now entered into God’s frame of reference and He into yours. You now wear His holy name.

The Old Testament word for ‘word’ is debar and means ‘word, speech, matter, thing, history, promise, reason and other nuances. The New Testament Greek equivalent for this is logos, from whence we get the word ‘logic.’ Jesus Christ is the logic of God. He is the eternal Word who became also flesh. Thus Christ-ians are logic-ians. Therefore, of all people, Christians ought to be the most reasonable and logical!

Christ is also called ‘the Alpha and the Omega,’ and as the Word, includes the whole alphabet, A-Z. It is by Him that all words we speak are measured, ‘But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it on the day of judgment: For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned’ Matthew 12:36-37. The good news is that ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ Romans 10:13. ‘His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed.’ Psalm 72:17.

God is summed up in Jesus Christ. He is the frame, the container, the embodiment of the eternal truth of God. It’s as the Truth incarnate that Jesus says, ‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ John 8:32. Therefore to know Jesus as your Saviour is to be free indeed. He is the history of God. He is God’s final word to mankind. ‘Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ Acts 4:12.

The Gospel promise was given by God to man right after the Fall of man. In due time the serpent’s (ie, Satan’s) skull was to be crushed. This took place at Calvary when Christ was crucified and then resurrected. Calvary is Latin for skull. It is found in Luke 23:33, ‘And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him.’ The actual Greek word there is kranion, (a skull) from which we get ‘cranium’. Golgotha means the same thing, a skull. For His feat of skull-crushing God has given Jesus the name which is above every name, to which all must bow the knee.

CAN BONES LIVE?

Can Bones Live?

The Spirit of the LORD set Ezekiel in a valley of dry bones and asked him, ‘Can these bones live?’ (Ezek. 37:3) What are bones anyway? I suppose that they are the internal scaffolding that supports the body. Why would Joseph wish to have his bones carried out of Egypt when God rescued Israel from slavery? (Gen. 50:25) Why would Moses take the bones of Joseph with him? (Ex. 13:19) Are we done with our bones when we die? Towards his latter years my father would often say that he was ready for the ‘bone-yard.’ Can bones live?

In the Bible it is considered a thing to be dreaded to have your bones left as food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field (Ezek. 29:5). Abraham made such a big deal out of buying a burial plot for Sarah and himself (Gen. 23; 25:10). Isaac and Rebekah his wife were subsequently buried in the same cave. As was Jacob’s wife Leah. Then Joseph and his brothers buried his father Jacob in the same plot, just as Jacob had commanded them, ‘For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place’ Genesis 50:13; John 4:5. The LORD Himself buried the bones of Moses. No one knows exactly where (Deut. 34:6). None less than the Devil disputed about the body of Moses (Jude 9). Can bones live?

Some believe in cryonics, having their dead bodies frozen and stored in safety, hoping science will advance enough to be able to resuscitate them. I suppose the opposite to this might be cremation, which to most reasonable minds, would place the dead person well beyond the reach of resuscitation. For, who would expect human dust in an urn sitting on some mantelpiece ever to spring back to life? Can bones live?

As we have seen in the few pages of the Bible mentioned above, believers did not wish that their bodies be thrown on the scrap heap after death. Rather, they wanted to have their bones stored in a safe place. When Jesus was taken down from the cross His dead body was not thrown in the village dump as so much refuse. Rather, His body was carefully washed, wrapped in strips of linen with spices mingled through them. Why all this special care for bodies even after death? The answer is stated in the Apostles’ Creed so-called where therein is written: ‘I believe in the resurrection of the body … and the life everlasting.’ This is why we keep our graveyards neat and tidy! Bones can live!

In the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which has been taught to many young Christians since it was written in 1647, we read the following: ‘What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.’ Notice that Christians believe that their bodies remain united to Christ – even in the grave! He has indeed promised never to leave nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). Yes, I am more than mere flesh and bone. However, I am not less than flesh and bone either! I am body, soul, spirit. As the Apostle under inspiration of the Holy Spirit says, ‘Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’ 1 Thessalonians 5:23. Thus we are soul-spirits with bodies. Jesus saves the whole man – including our bones! Bones can live!

The resurrected Jesus made sure that Thomas and the rest of the disciples knew that He was resurrected with the self-same body that was nailed to the tree. ‘“Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marvelled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of fish and some honeycomb. He took it and ate it in their presence’ Luke 24:39-43. Bones can live!

Meanwhile back in the Valley of Dry Bones with Ezekiel: ‘So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. And He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain that they may live.’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army’ Ezekiel 37:7-10. Bones can live!

The Evolutionary Psychology of Politics (Book Review)

The Evolutionary Psychology Behind Politics: 

How Conservatism and Liberalism Evolved Within Humans (Third Edition)

Anonymous Conservative, 

Federalist Publications, Macclenny, Florida, 246 pages, May 2017

Introduction

Anonymous Conservative takes the two wings of American politics on a soaring flight of fancy. By taking off from a (what I believe is a very wobbly presuppositional) platform (derived from something he names as “r/K Selection Theory”), Anonymous Conservative supplies and applies a bird’s eye “goo to you” view of Natural Selection to the landscape of current American politics. Republicans are wolves, i.e., “K Selection” and the “r Selection” are akin to rabbits a.k.a. as the Democrats. Apparently the psychology of these two named animals manifests itself in the predictable behaviour of the Conservative GOP and the Liberal Dems.

Thesis

The thesis of the book is: “No individual can truly understand the intellectual battles that occur between ideologies without understanding the study of r/K Selection Theory within Evolutionary Biology.” (p. 19). Therefore, according to Anonymous Conservative one must presuppose Evolutionary Biology. However, the trouble with “goo to you”[1] or “molecules to man” Darwinianism is that it is so hard to prove and must therefore be accepted by faith. Thus Anonymous Conservative presupposes that the book’s audience will share with him the same set of Evolutionary presuppositions. Otherwise they will not “truly understand the intellectual battles” between the Left and the Right. “Put most simply, our two main political ideologies are merely intellectual outgrowths of the two main reproductive strategies that have been described in the field of Evolutionary Biology for decades.” (p.2)

So there you have it, all the bickering between the Blues and the Reds is over reproduction. Understand the “birds and the bees” or in this case the “wolves and rabbits” and you will have figured out how an individual can vote Republican or Democrat!

As a stopped clock tells the correct time twice a day there is no doubt that certain human traits may be analogous to those observed in the animal kingdom. However, we can thank God that the American Founders were not Evolutionists, but were for the most part Trinitarian. Otherwise we would have had a completely differently worded Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. Indeed, there probably would have been no American Revolution!

Being Trinitarian the Founders therefore believed that humanity was created by and in the image of the Triune God on the sixth day of Creation when He formed Adam from the dust of the earth and then his wife, Eve, from one of his ribs. Therefore, though now fallen, each individual human being is the image and likeness of the God who made us. We are not animals. The Founders believed that we, though fallen, still are the image of God and therefore are morally responsible human beings (free moral agents) which, unlike animals, will be judged as individuals by God on Judgment Day. Any likeness we share with any animals is due to the fact that the Lord God made us all.

It may appeal to Evolutionists, but this (ex-Marxist[2] but now) Conservative reviewer doesn’t recommend this book. It’s too much like Jonah swallowing a whale! However, having said that, I did find some of the material contained therein fascinating. Who knew there was such a thing as a cross-dressing cuttlefish!

A Better Way

Anyway, for the record I believe that Anonymous Conservative is simply dealing with the reflection of the Trinity as it applies to American Politics. Here’s a very brief take on the Christian position:

God is Three in One. He is the original One and Many, Unity in Diversity. Whereas the Republican focusses on the one, i.e., the rights of the individual, the Democrat seeks the wellbeing of the many, the collective. (The secret is to hold both in balanced tension.)

The Founders, influenced by the teachings of the Bible in general, but in particular by Israel as a republic (whose Ruler was God, i.e., before Israel rebelled and wanted a king to rule over them), sought to keep the one and the many aspect of America in equal tension by viewing the one and the many “problem” as that of the somewhat paradoxical idea of equal ultimacy, wherein the one does not lord it over the many or the many over the one.

The E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one) and the “One nation under God” motifs summarize the Founders’ intent. The rights of the individual are always viewed in the context of the rights of the many and vice versa. Whenever this balance is lost political polarization will occur.

John Adams, the second President of the United States, wanted to maintain political balance. Referring to that which constitutes the United States as a nation (and not the 1787 Constitution itself), says Adams, “There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.” – John Adams, Letter to Jonathan Jackson (2 October 1780), "The Works of John Adams", vol 9, p.511.

Thomas Jefferson, however, believed that a two-party system would be healthy. Jefferson wrote, “In every free and deliberating society, there must, from the nature of man, be opposite parties, and violent dissensions and discords; and one of these, for the most part, must prevail over the other for a longer or shorter time.” – Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor, 1798. ME 10:45.

Jefferson, at a later time, did go on to say, “Both of our political parties, at least the honest portion of them, agree conscientiously in the same object: the public good; but they differ essentially in what they deem the means of promoting that good. One side believes it best done by one composition of the governing powers, the other by a different one. One fears most the ignorance of the people; the other the selfishness of rulers independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove. We think that one side of this experiment has been long enough tried and proved not to promote the good of the many, and that the other has not been fairly and sufficiently tried. Our opponents think the reverse. With whichever opinion the body of the nation concurs, that must prevail.” – Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 1804. ME 11:52.

Conclusion

We must deal with what we have today – political polarization. The solution is not in understanding Darwin’s Theory of Evolution or Neo-Darwinianism. The answer is in getting back to the original intent of America’s Founders, which is a Democratic Republic based on the clear teachings of the Bible. This would be to honour God and His Gospel.

Let’s allow Anonymous Conservative the final word to illustrate political tension: “Up until now, it has been assumed that most humans are exactly the same. As a result, the political argument was based on logic and reason. Conservatives believed that all men wished to be free to plot their own destiny, while liberals believed that all men wished to be protected from the dangers of other free men. One believed everyone wanted to be protected from government, the other that all people sought to be protected by government. If this theory is correct (and it almost certainly is, given the scale of the evidence), then some element of our society is always going to be unhappy with how their government is structured. Bipartisanship is a myth.” (p. 242)

The equal ultimacy of the Trinity, i.e., the God of the Bible, revealed as the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God but three Persons, needs to be deeply studied. For therein lies the answer to politics. Find rest, peace in Him.

---

[1] See eg, p. 195, “All God would see … would be more rapidly expanding blobs of goo, each unit of goo competing fiercely with others, to see which can spend less energy on greatness and complexity, to focus on reproducing more of an ever less-evolved goo.”

[2] “Karl Marx was obsessed with Darwin’s study of natural selection.” P. 226.

THE BREATH OF GOD

The Breath of God

Remembering that we are dust, when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son (Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Psa. 103:14; Gal. 4:4). Thus eternity entered the hourglass to be united with the dust of time. Then the Living Stone, the foundation and cornerstone of the new and everlasting world order, was laid on earth: Jesus was born (Pas. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; 1 Pet. 2:6-8). The hands of time clapped with grateful applause as the earth welcomed its Maker while heaven’s heart beat in time to the angel song, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’ (Luke 2:14). Pre-briefed by the angel Gabriel, the virgin was subsequently overcome by the Holy Spirit, and overshadowed by the power of the Highest. Thus the Son of Man was conceived in her womb (Luke 1:35).

As oil floats on water, so the Son of God as God remains above and distinct from His humanity. Yet humanity and deity are one in Christ, the Holy One. Divine. All creation marches to the beat of His drum, the sound of which keeps on echoing out into infinity! Tick-tock, rat-a-tat, time goes marching on till He orders it to pause for the grand transformation of the heavens and the earth.

‘Made of a woman, made under the Law;’ from the day He opened the womb, from the first moment the Royal lungs sucked in air, He breathed the same air His mother breathed – as you and I breathe. Eve, at the birth of her first son, said, ‘I have acquired a man from the LORD.’ Genesis 4:1. Her son turned out to be a destroyer of men. Mary’s Son is completely different. He is our Saviour.

Knowing the promises of the older covenant, before His birth Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour’ Luke 1:46-47. Mary’s cousin Elizabeth said upon Mary’s visit, ‘Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:43. Mary is the mother of the Lord! God is His Father. There is only one Lord, the Godman, the Divine Jesus Christ.

The eternal Father breathed out at the beginning and creation came into being by the power of the eternal Holy Spirit with the eternal Word (Psa. 33:6). Creation is held together by and in and for the eternal Word (Col. 1:16-17). The eternal Word breathed in when He entered creation as a human being by the power of the eternal Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; John 1:1-3,14). Thus the Father and the Son share the same breath; that breath is the Holy Spirit – who eternally spirates from both the Father and the Son. Since the beginning of time the Holy Spirit has been creation’s ‘iron lung,’ as it were working the bellows: inhalation, exhalation, inspiration, expiration. Without the Spirit’s regeneration there is only expiration.

Like one struggling to recover from a punch to the solar plexus, mankind has been unable to catch its collective breath. We became spiritually dead when our covenant or federal head, Adam, struck our first blow against God in whose image we are made. Ricochet. In the Garden and in the sweat of his face Adam beat his ploughshare into a sword and his pruning hook into a spear. We physically perspire and subsequently expire because, like our father Adam, we are sinners. We are conceived and born into the rebellious mass of humanity. We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). Thus we will remain in the torments of corruption and subsequent everlasting death – if we are not regenerated by the Holy Spirit before we die physically.

The Lord drew His first breath as a human being (probably) in a stable. He grew in wisdom and stature. As an adult He marched up Calvary’s hill. Nailed to a tree He breathed His last – until He rose again on the third day. After He was raised from the dead He breathed on His disciples, saying, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ John 20:22. “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting’ Acts 2:1-2.

The Lord holds our breath in His hand, and, as the Psalmist says of God regarding animals, ‘What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.’ Psalm 104:28-30. As Elihu says of God, ‘If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to the dust.’ Job 34:14-15. As the Psalmist says to God, ‘Do not take Your Spirit from me.’ Psalm 51:11b.

You may hold your breath until you are blue in the face, but dear reader, you and I are dust falling through the hourglass. Breathe in the breath of God while there is still time. Repent and believe in the Gospel.

THE CROWN OF OLD MEN

The Crown of Old Men

As I held my newborn grandson in my arms for the first time, with tears in my eyes, I thanked God in my heart and meditated upon the following verse: ‘Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.’ Proverbs 17:6. With a sense of ‘mission accomplished’ I searched his little face for family resemblance, thanking God that He had spared me long enough to see my first grandchild. Truly a blessing! I wear my crown and glory with humble pride. May my daughter and son-in-law have additional ‘olive shoots’ to sit around their table, for ‘Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.’ Psalm 127:3.

Upon creating mankind God said to us, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.’ Genesis 1:28a. Our heart goes out to those lawfully married couples that cannot physically have any children, yet there are many couples that seem content to have only one or two. When I was growing up in Scotland in those couple of decades following the war it was not unusual for families to include a dozen or more children. I’m sure Australia would have been the same. Nowadays 2.3 children is more the norm! And who appreciates being .3?

Abraham and Sarah had to wait many long years before producing a son of their own. Isaac was a child of promise to Abraham when he was an old man. Scripture says, ‘Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.’ Galatians 4:28. Therefore all who belong to Christ are the descendants of Abraham, father of the faithful. Before the birth of Isaac Abraham said, ‘LORD God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless? He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”’ Genesis 15:2,5.

Apparently 2.1 billion people, over a third of earth’s population living today, claim Christ as Saviour. Perhaps there are more, perhaps there are less, for only God truly knows the heart. However, all true believers living, have lived, and will live are Abraham’s children. As I looked at my grandson and rejoiced and thought ‘mission accomplished,’ so did Abraham long ago when he saw Christ through the eyes of faith. As Jesus says, ‘Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ John 8:56. As to His humanity Jesus is directly descended from Abraham (Mat. 1:1; Gal. 3:16). With father Abraham and the birth of Jesus in mind meditate again on Proverbs 17:6: ‘Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.’

Before he died God blessed Abraham by allowing him to see the Son of Man, albeit through the eyes of faith. So Simeon: ‘And it had been revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”’ Luke 2:26-32.

Would that we would all see Christ through the eyes of faith before we die! Indeed, the Son of Man is our crown, for we put on Jesus. He anoints our heads with oil, with the Holy Spirit. In Him our cup runs over as we are filled with His Spirit, even the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4). Thus all God’s children somehow see Christ before they go to await their resurrection.

After His physical resurrection, the Son of Man bodily ascended to the Ancient of Days to receive His crown (Dan. 7:13). The writer to the Hebrews says, ‘But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone… For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying… “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”’ Hebrews 2:9,11,13b. The Ancient of Days has wrought a crown of His children!

As Abraham believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness, so by grace through faith we become God’s and Abraham’s children (Eph. 2:8). To receive your crown, look at Jesus before you see death.