The Wind/Spirit and the Water, Part 3, Luke 8:22-25

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
Luke 8:22-25

Our last two blog posts have been about the Spirit/Wind and the water (or the sea). In our first post, July 2011, we suggested that Jesus’ “born again” discussion with Nicodemus was based on a reference to the Exodus event, an act of deliverance for the people of Israel from the tyranny of Pharaoh to a new relationship with God. Our August 2011 post was a study of Genesis 1:2 in which the Spirit/wind hovered over the darkened, chaotic water to bring light and order.

That brings us to our final post on “the wind/spirit and the water,” found in Luke 8:22-25 and Mark 4:35-41¹. In this event, Jesus and his disciples are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, when a sudden, violent storm blows in and the boat is in danger of capsizing². The accounts in Luke and Mark are very similar, except that Mark adds one detail: that Jesus is in the stern. The disciples are afraid as the wind and the sea suddenly rise and they accuse Jesus of not caring since he isn’t doing anything about the situation. Jesus then rebukes them for their lack of faith and calms the storm.

It would be easy to interpret the disciples’ accusation of Jesus as indicating that they already believed that He is the Son of God and therefore as Lord of nature can supernaturally calm the storm. I don’t think this is the case. It is not until after the resurrection that the disciples realize that Jesus is more than just a miracle worker, Rabbi or even human Messiah. So why do they accuse Him?

Perhaps a detail in Mark’s Gospel explains the comment. The boats in use on the Sea of Galilee in the time of Jesus were combination rowing/sail boats³. When the lake is calm, the boat functions as a row boat, with several rows of oars. Just as a rowboat does not necessarily need a rudder, when rowed, neither did these boats. When a wind blows, the sails are raised and the boat is kept in right bearing to the wind by a person at the rudder in the stern (the rear portion of the boat). The account in both gospels tells us that a sudden storm blows in, but Jesus is asleep, and according to Mark’s Gospel, he is in the stern. If Jesus is in the stern at the rudder and a sudden squall blows, then indeed the boat would be in danger of capsizing. Without anyone at the rudder, the boat would turn parallel to the waves, and the wind and the waves would throw the boat on its side.

I think the disciples’ comment, “Lord (Master) don’t you care?” can be understood in this light. They are not calling him “Lord” indicating his divine nature, but rather as their master, their leader and teacher. Yet the boat is about to capsize and since he is at the rudder he is the only one who can keep that from happening. Yet he is asleep. Get up! Take the rudder!
Instead, he rebukes the storm.

No wonder the disciples were in shock and awe—“Who is this! Even the wind and the sea obey him?”

If this interpretation is correct, then why does Jesus rebuke them for their lack of faith? They wanted Jesus to take the rudder, and I don’t think Jesus expected them to think otherwise. His rebuke is in response to their accusation, “Don’t you care?” The disciples’ comment does not reflect a lack of faith in the supernatural, but rather a lack of faith in the character of Jesus. “Don’t you care…?”

In the ancient Semitic world, the depths of the sea⁴ represented those hidden, dark things that were most feared in this created order. The ancient Semitic god yamm, was the god of the sea, a terrifying being, and the sea itself a place of chaos, turmoil and darkness. Being cast into the sea represented being given over to the thing one fears most, to the dark forces of chaos and destruction. Remember Genesis 1 from last month’s post? One of God’s most important actions is bringing order to chaos. No wonder the disciples are afraid; they too are about to be cast into chaos.

Isn’t this a picture of how we are in times of sudden trouble? All is well and then something unexpected and perhaps terrifying comes into our lives. I think that in most cases we do not doubt the Lord’s ability to take care of the situation, but I think we wonder if He really cares enough to do so. “Lord, how could you let this terrible thing come on me? Don’t you care?” It’s a totally natural response. Chaos, darkness, fear, and destruction all loom forebodingly over us, and it seems like Jesus is nowhere to be found when we most need Him.

The account in the gospels begins by Jesus telling the disciples to get into the boat to go to the other side. The Western shore of the lake, the Galilean side, is their destination. Yet, in another sense there is another destination to this journey, the “destination” of a deeper, intimate knowledge of the Lord’s ability and care toward those whom He loves. If the sole destination of the journey were the physical destination of the Western shore, then the storm was a hindrance. However, for this second destination, a spiritual destination, the storm is essential. For how else could the disciples see their teacher as the One who has mastery over the “wind and the sea?”

When we considered Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus (John chap. 3) we concluded that Jesus was making an allusion to the Exodus event, in which Israel was born anew to God through the wind and the water, according to Rabbinic tradition. Through this allusion, Jesus sought to draw Nicodemus to a deeper understanding of being born anew personally unto God through the Spirit. In Genesis 1:2, the Spirit hovers over the waters, turning chaos (tohu b’bohu⁵), darkness and destruction, into light and a renewed creation. We concluded that post with the suggestion that Genesis 1:2 reveals a pattern which we see repeated throughout the scripture, that God is a God who rescues and restores, who brings order out of chaos and light out of darkness through the working of His Spirit.

Sudden chaos and darkness, tohu b’bohu may come into our lives, or the forces of the enemy may chase us, as Pharaoh’s chariots chased the Israelites. As the Israelites were terrified, and as were the disciples, so may we be. Yet it is true that even from these dark things can come light and from the chaos, order. The account of Jesus and the disciples in the boat can serve as a great encouragement to trust even in the dark times. When sudden trouble comes one of the hardest things to do is to truly believe that He is Lord and Master over the trouble and does care for us. The disciples did not drown; they made it to the other side. Yet through the process, was a new revelation of Jesus to them. Even in troubled times, can we remember the disciples’ question and their own answer:

“Who is this?”

“He [who] commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

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¹Compare to Psalm 107:23-30.
²Although the “Sea of Galilee” is just a mid-size fresh water lake, its geographical setting makes for occasional very violent squalls.
³A 1st Century boat was found in the late 1980’s embedded in the bottom of the lake. It was excavated and is now on display at the Yigal Alon Museum at Kibbutz Gennosar in Galilee. Also, a church mosaic floor from the Byzantine period (4-7th C.) depicts these boats.
⁴מצולה in Hebrew
⁵See our post from August 2011.

© 2011 – David Miller

The Wind/Spirit and the Water, Part 2, Genesis 1:2

In our last post (July, 2011), we considered Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus (John 3:1-15). First we noted that the English words “wind” and “spirit” in this passage actually are the same word in the Greek text¹. From this point, I will refer to the word as Spirit/wind. In a case like this in which one word has two different meanings, translators choose the English word that they think best reflects the meaning of the text or makes the most sense in English. Jesus’ first words to Nicodemus are usually translated, “no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of the water and the Spirit.” We suggested, however, that perhaps the proper translation should be “. . . born of the water and the wind.” The First Century Jewish world in which Nicodemus lived viewed Israel as having been redeemed from the oppression of Pharaoh through “the water and the wind” in the Exodus event and that every individual should have a personal Exodus type experience with God. Jesus speaks with Nicodemus and interchanges the ideas “wind” and “Spirit” (same word as wind) to progressively lead him into a deeper truth about an individual new birth by the Spirit and water unto God.

This passage in John’s Gospel and the Exodus event to which it refers are not the only passages in the Bible referring to God working by Spirit/wind and water: In the very beginning of creation the Spirit/wind moves over the water:

In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:1-2, KJV

We should note here that the word for “Spirit” and “wind” are the same word in the Hebrew of the Old Testament², just as it is true for New Testament Greek.

In our consideration of John’s gospel, we suggested that the translators’ choice of words affected our understanding of the passage. Fortunately, there are few places in the Bible where a translator’s choice makes a major difference, but this passage in Genesis may be another case. The phrase translated, “without form and void” reflects the Hebrew phrase “tohu v’bohu”³ (the “b” is pronounced like a “v”). This phrase is onomatopoeia; it sounds like what it means. It doesn’t mean empty or without form; it means total chaotic devastation that results in barrenness⁴. As a picture, tohu v’bohu would look like this: imagine a group of people leaving a living room, but before they do, they smash all the furniture, shatter all the windows, empty the contents of every drawer on the floor, smash the light bulbs. Then they leave and slam the door. The result would be tohu v’bohu. Utter chaos, a complete lack of order. Perhaps a concise English translation for tohu v’bohu would be “wrecked, ruined and left empty.”

The idea that God would create something that was an utter, chaotic wreck is a problem. God is not the author of chaos (1Cor 14:33). I assume this is the reason that translators have chosen to translate the passage “without form” and “empty,” or other similar words, since the concept that God would create chaos is unthinkable. The God of the Bible however, is a God who brings order out of chaos.

When we discuss Genesis 1 our modern culture immediately thinks creation, making something from nothing. That is certainly true for the first phrase of the chapter, “In the beginning, God created …” But what is being described in verse 2? Let me suggest that in verse 2 we see God bringing order out of chaos. To use our analogy above, He restores the room. God enters, puts the furniture back in place and repairs the windows.

“In the beginning God created… and the earth was tohu v’bohu.” According to the Strong’s Concordance dictionary, the word “was” in the Hebrew text is a form of the verb “to be,” but it can also mean “to become” or “come to pass.”⁵ There are many examples from the Book of Genesis in which this same word clearly means “became” or “came to pass.” Just to mention a few examples, in Genesis 2:7 Adam “becomes” a living soul, after God breathed into him. In Genesis 2:10, the river that flows out from the Garden of Eden “becomes” four rivers. “In the course of time,” or “it came to pass that” Cain murdered his brother (Gen 4:8).

How might we understand Genesis 1:1-2 if we translate this verb as “became”:

In the beginning, God created the earth
and the earth became tohu v’bohu

Now we get a very different picture. With this translation, we understand that God is not creating chaos. Rather, we read the simple statement that God created the earth. Then, for reasons unknown, the earth becomes chaotic; it becomes tohu v’bohu. But when God’s Spirit hovers over the water, what follows are seven days of re-creative work; God restores the living room.

But God does not just create order; he restores chaotic situations to order. This restoration is an ongoing process. Let me suggest that in Genesis 1:2 and the following verses we are seeing God’s restorative work, not initial creation. Perhaps after God’s initial creative acts the earth was destroyed when Satan was cast out of heaven. We must acknowledge that in this life we only see things dimly.

Though the cause is uncertain, Genesis 1 presents a picture of God initiating a work of rescue and restoration, beginning with the Spirit/wind over the water. The seven days of re-creation are the continuing work of His restoration.

I think that this view of Genesis 1 is correct for two reasons. First, it is in keeping with what we know about the character of God from the rest of the Bible, that He is not the creator of chaos but a God who restores and rescues from chaos. Secondly, I think it reflects a pattern that repeatedly occurs throughout scripture, whereby God creates or ordains something, it falls into chaos, disorder, or sin, and God then enters to restore the situation. In the Exodus account, for example, God rescues His people from slavery to Pharaoh at the Sea of Reeds using Sprit/wind. In John’s Gospel we see Jesus leading Nicodemus to understand God’s work of rescue and restoration in the individual human soul, using the concept of Spirit/wind. After the initial waters of baptism, restoration of the waters of the human soul is accomplished by the ongoing work of the Spirit/wind. But each of these examples hearkens back to Genesis 1, where God is established as the Creator of Order. What is His primary instrument? You guessed it: Spirit/wind.

(There is another passage in scripture that refers to water and wind. Can you find it? How does it speak to God’s triumph over chaos?)

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¹pneuma
²רוח
³תוהו ובוהו
⁴tohu is used independently in few places in the Bible, for example Psalm 107:40; Isa 24:10. tohu and bohu are used together two other places in the Bible, Isa 34:11 where they are clearly a depiction of the devastation and emptiness that follows the destruction brought about by an enemy. In Jer 4:23-27 the state of the land of Israel after devastation is directly linked to the creation account.
⁵All Hebrew dictionaries note this, but the wording here is from Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

© 2011 – David Miller

The Wind/Spirit and the Water, Part 1, John 3:3-13

“I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

“I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

“You are Israel’s teacher. . . and do you not understand these things?
I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you do not accept our testimony. 1I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? (John 3:3, 5-8, 10-13, NIV)

For years I wondered why Jesus scolded Nicodemus. It almost seemed unfair. Jesus says that he is speaking of earthly things, yet he appears that he is speaking of receiving the Holy Spirit after regenerating baptism. Jesus had not yet raised and the Holy Spirit had not yet been given; how could Nicodemus know about those things? Then I learned about “the wind and the water” and understood why Jesus was surprised that Nicodemus did not understand Him.

There is a translation matter that further complicates understanding this passage. Jesus may have spoken to Nicodemus in Aramaic or Hebrew, though the text we have is in Greek. But in all three languages the following is true: the word for “spirit” and “wind” is exactly the same. So verse 5 could be translated, “no one can enter the kingdom unless he is born of the water and the wind.” No modern English translations translate the passage that way because it does not seem to make sense¹, but Nicodemus would have understood the Hebrew idiom.

According to Jewish understanding, Israel was “born anew” unto God through the Exodus event when they passed through the water of the Sea of Reeds. Although they had been God’s chosen people from the time of Abraham, it was there that God redeemed them:

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. (Exodus 6:6-7)

The teachers of the people of Israel taught that it was not sufficient to see the Exodus event as an historic event, something that only their ancestors experienced. Rather, every individual of every age needed to have a personal Exodus event. This teaching is preserved to this day in the Passover Haggadah, the liturgical reading that accompanies the Jewish Passover meal. In the Haggadah we read:

In every generation each person must see himself as one who came out of Egypt, since it is written, “And you shall tell your children in that day, ‘for this the Lord brought me out of Egypt.’” Not our ancestors alone, did the Blessed Holy One redeem, but He redeemed us along with them… (Passover Haggadah, translation mine)

This teaching, or the thinking behind it, is apparently ancient, as is much of the Haggadah. If we reconsider Jesus’ words in light of this idea, the passage becomes much more understandable. Jesus does as good teachers will do; he attempts to lead Nicodemus from what he does know to what he does not, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God except he be born anew through the water and the wind.” Remember that in the Exodus event the wind blew the water away so the Israelites could pass through. Jesus is saying to Nicodemus that he must have a personal Exodus experience, “Not your ancestors alone, Nicodemus, but you must see yourself as one who came out of Egypt — as one who passed through the water and the wind.”

Nicodemus was familiar with this concept and should have understood it, but apparently he did not. How could Jesus then speak to him about the Spirit which would be a “heavenly” (i.e. spiritual) truth when he was not even grasping the earthly truth? One of the intriguing elements of this passage is that Jesus used the same word for “wind” and for “spirit,” as we mentioned above. Jesus’ argument is as follows:

• “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the wind. (Each person’s Exodus event.)
• Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit. (You cannot physically pass through the Red Sea waters, but you can have a “personal Exodus event” by the Spirit of God.)
• You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ (This is already part of Jewish teaching.)
• The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (Perhaps with this statement Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus why he has trouble figuring Him out.)

Nicodemus asked about Jesus’ miracle working power, but Jesus’ response addresses the broader question: how can one perceive God’s kingdom, or in other words, God’s Spirit at work? Nicodemus wanted to know how he could recognize God’s kingdom when it came and Jesus gave him the answer for how to join that kingdom now. It was something Nicodemus had heard before: only through the personal Exodus experience can one move into that realm of God. When we understand the meaning of the “wind and the water” this brief passage is actually one of the clearest explanations of what happens when one first turns to the Lord by faith.

When the Israelites left Egypt and passed through the wind and the water, their journey was not over; they moved into a new realm. They now were on a new journey under the guidance of God whose destination was to be a Promised Land, the place of fulfillment of God’s divine purposes for their existence. So it was for Nicodemus, and so it is also for us. When we pass through the “spirit and water” of new birth, we, too, embark on a new journey. Our lives are to be re-oriented toward the fulfilling of God’s purposes rather than our own. Through that journey we can trust that just as God went with the Israelites into the desert, so also we are under His leading, guidance and provision, for in the wake of the Exodus we read:

The LORD went ahead of them
in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way
and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. (Exodus 13:21-22)

 

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¹Some translations of the church fathers, however, do read “the water and the wind”.

© 2011 – David Miller