Mishna
Serving God Out of Love or Awe?
11/16/2006 16:30 Filed in: Faith & Reason
Sometime back, I signed up online for Zondervan's daily "To the Point" email. Some days I have time to read it, and on other days I don't. This morning was one of those days where I quickly glanced at the daily quote at the top of the page. It said, "Eventually, God asks us to discard our infatuation with him and move on to a mature friendship with him" (Gary Thomas, Authentic Faith). Although I didn't have time to read the whole email today, I did read Thomas' statement twice and tried to let it sink in.
Although I hurriedly read those words, they've stayed with me throughout the day and I've been reflecting on them on and off all day as they've come to mind.
Then this afternoon, while working on my dissertation, I came across this little debate (not related to my dissertation, but reminding me of Thomas' statement) in the Mishna:
On that day did R. Joshua b. Hurqanos expound as follows: “Job served the Holy One, blessed be He, only out of love,
"since it is said, Though he slay me, yet will I wait for him (Job 13:15).
“But still the matter is in doubt [as to whether it means], ‘I will wait for him,’ or ‘I will not wait for him.’
“Scripture states, Until I die I will not put away mine integrity from me (Job. 27:5).
“This teaches that he did what he did out of love.”
Said R. Joshua, “Who will remove the dirt from your eyes, Rabban Yohanan b. Zakkai? For you used to expound for your entire life that Job served the Omnipresent only out of awe,
“since it is said, The man was perfect and upright and one who feared God and avoided evil (Job. 1:8).
“And now has not Joshua, the disciple of your disciple, taught that he did what he did out of love.”
Although I hurriedly read those words, they've stayed with me throughout the day and I've been reflecting on them on and off all day as they've come to mind.
Then this afternoon, while working on my dissertation, I came across this little debate (not related to my dissertation, but reminding me of Thomas' statement) in the Mishna:
On that day did R. Joshua b. Hurqanos expound as follows: “Job served the Holy One, blessed be He, only out of love,
"since it is said, Though he slay me, yet will I wait for him (Job 13:15).
“But still the matter is in doubt [as to whether it means], ‘I will wait for him,’ or ‘I will not wait for him.’
“Scripture states, Until I die I will not put away mine integrity from me (Job. 27:5).
“This teaches that he did what he did out of love.”
Said R. Joshua, “Who will remove the dirt from your eyes, Rabban Yohanan b. Zakkai? For you used to expound for your entire life that Job served the Omnipresent only out of awe,
“since it is said, The man was perfect and upright and one who feared God and avoided evil (Job. 1:8).
“And now has not Joshua, the disciple of your disciple, taught that he did what he did out of love.”
(Sotah 5:5, Mishna/Neusner translation)
What about you? Do you serve God out of love or awe? Both?
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