Blessed and Holy: Understanding Them Better Through (Translation - Part 1 of 5)

PREFACE

I know that people largely come to this site to find a definition of holy (blessed and holy are inseparable, if you want a good definition for either).  So I do not want to let you or them down.  First, my usual pattern will be dealing with a text of Scripture through a 5 step process or 5 day process from Monday through Saturday (skipping one day). I want the argument for the meaning of holy to be biblical above all else. I will occasionally also drop into this sequence shorter pieces.  Second, in each blog post, I am going to start indicating levels of difficulty for understanding.  I am going to answer in advance the question, "Is this written on a level that I can understand (and appreciate!)?"  This way a reader can either decide to read the sections all the way up to their highest level or skip over levels to get to their own higher levels.

Indicating the steps of  1) translation, 2) transfer, 3) total, 4) train, and 5) teach over 5 days is one thing. That is not that difficult and I have explained these previously.  But in order to label difficulty level, it is important to understand how those levels will be indicated and what is my basis for those levels.  I am going to use two sources for this.  One is the biblical basis of Exodus 18.  This will provide the labels for each level and the biblical foundation for my viewpoint.  The other source is mainly for application to today.  It is the traditional bell curve for intelligence (IQ) rankings that will help me make Jethro's advice to Moses in Exodus 18 more specific to our understanding today.  (I will mention that I will not go into the different kinds of intelligence, because that is another bunny trail.)

DEFINITION OF HOLY

Some readers simply want a quick definition, so before going into the difficulty levels, let me provide a short definition of holy as I have found in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek.  It's meaning (3 kinds) is:

1) by definition, moral wholeness (the parts are - just, humble, perfect, and great)
2) by implication, pure (because it is what it is and nothing else beyond what it is)
3) by significance, set apart (because there are many moral codes that are not morally whole, but only rise to the level of part of the Jewish and Christian moral code - justice only as one example).

In most cases that you look up the definition of holy, you will be given only one of these three as a definition of holy.  I present instead the idea that meaning can actually bring all three of the greatest supposed definitions offered for biblical holiness into complete harmony.  They do not have to be fully exclusive.  Once the definition of holy as moral wholeness falls into place, the other two fall into their place without combating the first.  That is all I can say quickly.  I say this at much greater length in other posts.

DIFFICULTY LEVELS

My goal is to break things out as to difficulty level, so I think it is important to talk about intelligence levels and leadership levels.  This is because many people both under-sell or over-sell themselves on the learning levels or on their leadership levels.

First, I point out something that used to caused me to stumble when it came to learning and leading.  I used to think they were rather exclusive of one another.  Now I realize that learning enhances leading and that it is one of four key components that results in: 1) bigger, 2) faster, 3) stronger, and 4) smarter leaders and organizations.

[insert leader learner photo here]

Exodus 18

rulers of 1s (priesthood of all believers easy cases only)
rulers of 10s
rulers of 50s
rulers of 100s
rulers of 1000s
rulers of 10,000s (Moses's role of difficult cases only)


leaders based on difficulty of law and statute levels  - their intelligence level (among others traits they should possess as leaders



5 levels of leadership - Moses plus 4 levels of leaders (plus Luther's self-leadership)



general intelligence

    general language studies

specialized intelligence

     Hebrew language studies

I imagine at this point something like this:





Level 1) The Common Sense Level (like the Golden Rule)
          "The Filter for Everything"

Level 2) The Greater Majority Level (like the Greatest Commandment)
          "The Filter for Most Things"

Level 3) The Smaller Majority Level (like the Ten Commandments)
          "The Filter for Some Things"

Level 4) The Specialized Level (all the other specific commandments)
          "The Filter for Very Few Things"



[ save the following material for another post]

We live in a time when the loopholes that people find to make excuses seems to be expanding.  There is a great way to minimize those objections: a return to the basics.  Vince Lombardi, on one such occasion, had this to say the following week to his championship team; who had just lost to the college all-stars team: "Gentlemen, this is a football".   To which Max McGee (always the joker) replied: "Slow down coach, you're going too fast".   The problem right now is that schooling or education is going too fast.  It is pursuing the far fringes of what we know and is by-passing the obvious.  Common sense gets the short end of the stick. Specialized sense gets the long end of the stick.



[You can obviously see this post is still under construction.  So are some of my others.  Things are happening behind the scenes that will eventually make it possible for me to complete posts more regularly.  Momentum is building, so please be patient.  Thank you.]


In Christ,

Jon