People say a lot of things thinking they are quoting scripture. For example, cleanliness is next to Godliness. What does that even mean? Or how about, God helps those who help themselves. I could preach an entire sermon on why God doesn't need my help, as I have learned from experience, I tend to get in His way.
But the one that has always bothered me is, The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. You've heard it a hundred times at funerals. It must come from the Bible, right? I mean it sounds spiritual and the Lords actions even end with the holy "eth", but I cant find it anywhere. Ive looked in my concordance and searched Bible Gateway and found nothing even close. If you are reading this and you know where in scripture it can be found, please leave a comment. I would like to know.
The reason I started looking was, it's not comforting. I don't know what it is supposed to mean, but it is always quoted in times of loss. I thought maybe it was taken out of context. God has given me so much in my life, I would never accuse him of taking away anyone I loved and needed.
A few years ago, there was an elderly woman in my church, who my kids referred to as "the smiley lady". She was a very small framed lady who always wore a hat and gloves and homemade dresses. I am almost certain she lived with a cat named Sylvester and a bird called Tweety. She smiled all the time, that's why my kids called her the smiley lady, and always had something the Lord had told her to say. After my daughter, Lauren died, she told me about loosing her son in the Vietnam war. With the smile never leaving her face, she said, " The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, He gives us joy and takes away our sorrows". Now that made sense. He gives us peace and takes away our fear. He gives us health and takes away our sickness and He gives us life and takes away death.
It is from the Bible...it's from Job 1:21 (thanks, google!) The King James Version says..."2And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
ReplyDeleteI don't know where all the "eth"s came from. I guess they've been added for dramatic effect.
The story behind that verse is that Job has just been informed that all of his animals and most of his servants have been killed, as well as all of his children. This is right after Satan challenges God by telling him that Job will turn against Him if all of his blessings are taken from him. God tells Satan to go ahead...test Job and see if he does turn.
The New Living Translation says it this way...
"20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said,
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God."
I don't think it's necessarily been taken out of context at funerals...but I think it's been stripped of some of the encouragement the statement brings. (However, I personally don't like it being used at funerals...just because we lost someone we love doesn't mean that we're being tested...it's just a part of the broken world we live in. I want more comforting words spoken...not a message of "well, that's life but praise God anyway" I mean...I know we should praise God anyway when life happens...but there's a time and a place to discuss that and a funeral is not it. I do like the smiley lady's explanation of it, though.)
I think Crystal's message yesterday goes hand in hand with this story...don't find peace in your circumstances, but in God...then when your circumstances fall apart you still have peace.
Of course it was Job! I can't understand why I couldnt find it in any of the sights I searched. Even Mr. Bible Scholar (my husband) didnt know. But Job makes sense.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, thanks Google! I googled that phrase and it brought up some sites that discussed how that is not the exact quote from KJV...there isn't an "eth" in that version...but how the saying was a take on that verse. I looked it up on the online Bible site to be sure. Otherwise...I wouldn't have known where to look.
ReplyDelete