Saturday, October 11, 2003

Worship and the Exclamation Mark!


(Primeval Saints by Jordan)
In Genesis, alters were not just places to offer personal worship, they were “worship centers for all the faithful in the area” (Jordan, pg. 64). In Jordan’s chapter on Abraham, he says that because Abraham understood the meaning of alter-building he was thus on an evangelist every time he paid homage and gave glory to God. “Jordan goes on to say that Abraham knew that “all cultural benefits flow from worship”. This idea is reiterated in the New Testament when believers are told to live honorably so that unbelievers may see (I Peter 2:12), when our conduct is compared to a city on a hill (Matthew 5:16), and again when we are instructed to live openly a life of worship through service and thankfulness (II Corinthians 9).

I got to wondering what role the exclamation mark plays in Scripture. I know that in neither Hebrew nor Greek there is any such literary symbol, so what were the guidelines, if any, for the translators use. I looked through Genesis, dabbled in Exodus, skimmed Leviticus, skipped to Ruth, and immersed myself in Psalm. I flipped through Matthew, dipped into Mark, scanned Luke, skipped to I Peter, and submerged myself in Revelation......

*Melchizedec’s blessing—Genesis 14:19-20
*Sarai to Abram—Genesis 16:5
*Abraham to God—Genesis 17:18 “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
*Abraham to Sarah—Genesis 18:6 “Quick…!” meal for angels

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