Thanks to our daughter Hannah who read the part of Sarai and Hagar in Genesis 16, and her husband Brandon who reads the part of Bildad the Shuhite in Job 8.
Yesterday we heard the stories of Abram and Lot separating
company, and of Abram rescuing Lot in time of war. Then we
heard of the mysterious priest Melchizedek (who we will read
about in the NT in Hebrews).
Translation notes:
6And Abram [fully/0] believed the LORD, and the
LORD counted him as righteous because of his [believing
like that//faith].
This is the first time this year that you will hear me lecture on this, so I might as well make this footnote a bit long. Note how in English there is 'believed' and then 'faith'. This makes it appear that 'faith' is something different from 'belief'. This is not true. In Greek they share the identical root, faith being the noun form of believe. Here in Hebrew, a literal translation is as ESV: “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” The 'it' refers back to 'believed'. Another example comes up in today's NT reading.
https://www.bible.com/bible/116/gen.15.nlt
Job has said some very despairing and angry words, telling God
basically to go take a walk and leave him alone. Job again
wished for his own death.
https://www.bible.com/bible/116/job.8
In the first part of Mark 5, Jesus cast a host of demons out of a
man named Batalion.
Translation notes:
36 But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be
afraid. Just [keep believing in me//have faith].”
In Greek, Jesus does not use the noun form 'faith' here, but an imperative verb, “just believe.” When English speakers say “Just have faith,” it has become way too vague. It can mean anything and most of my audience in America can think of movies where Hollywood makes fun of the statement. In English the saying has become hollow. It is just like saying, “Keep up your hope.” Hope in what?! Again, in Greek, 'faith' and 'believe' are the same word.
34 And he said to her, “[0/Daughter,] your faith has made
you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
The Greek does say, ‘Daughter’. Like where Jesus calls Mary, his mother, ‘Woman’, this is very hard to translate. In the case of Jesus calling his mother ‘Woman’, in English that would be impolite, and he was not being so impolite in Greek or Aramaic. In the case of the woman healed in Mark 5, calling her ‘Daughter’ can imply that she was younger than Jesus— which is probably wrong. Or it can imply a that they were already friends. In English, I think it is probably best to leave out the word and maybe add the word ‘kindly’: he said to her kindly.
https://www.bible.com/bible/116/mrk.5
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