But a Breath....

For those who are patiently waiting, or might have given up... Here's my next installment.

Our Bible study group is currently following the pastor's pulpit schedule . That means we're tracking through the Psalms. As I was preparing for our group session on Psalm 62, I came across an interesting rabbit trail.

It starts in verse 9...

"Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity." (KJV)

"Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath." (ESV)

Now you may be wondering where's the rabbit trail? Look closely. The word used by the psalmist for "Breath" and for "Vanity" come from the same root word, "Habel". Which is the same word Eve used to name her second son, Abel.

Now, often in the culture of the Old Testament, parents would wait to give their child a formal name that would suit them and help describe something of their character. We who live in the western world who are used to naming our children right after birth sometimes miss this important nuance.

This discovery lead me to Genesis 4. In the beginning of that chapter we find the account of the birth of Cain and the birth of Abel. Presumably, when the two have reached adulthood, they bring their sacrifices before the Lord and we find that the Lord looks upon Abel's with acceptance and upon Cain's with disapproval. The result? Anger on Cain's part. His younger brother beat him out. Then comes a short verse that peaked my interest.

"Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him."

And herein lies the crux of the rabbit trail. What did those two talk about? Did Eve, waiting to name her son until later in his life (yet it happened before this event), sense some propensity within Abel to be somewhat boastful? Or did she name her son with the thought in mind that their lives were but a breath compared to the life that they forsook in the Garden? We're not sure. In fact, the Bible doesn't tell us. But let's pretend that Abel was given his name deliberately. Further, let's consider that Cain was talking to Abel about the Lord's disapproval ofhis offering. Then in a fashion that would fit the name, Abel began to boast about his seemingly victory over Cain. That somehow the Lord loved Abel more than Cain. You know about sibling rivalry? Mom loves me more than you! Could it be that at that moment, when Abel was telling Cain how much the Lord loved Abel and how the Lord refused Cain's sacrifice, and all the emotional issues that surround our need for acceptance and our value in the eyes of others; could it be at that moment Cain's anger arose with a vengeance that would not be satisfied until Abel's very blood soaked the ground?

"rose up against him...and killed him"


Nice. But what about the end of the trail? Does it leave us here? Maybe. Read on.
Do we have a propensity for looking upon our lives and comparing it to others less fortunate? What about when we look upon those who are "richer" than us? Do we think that God loves someone more than ourselves? Are we envious to the point of anger?

Maybe this trail ends with nothing other to say than Abel, vanity and breath share the same word. Fine. But at the risk of developing something that's not there in the text, let's continue.

Maybe this rabbit trail has a lot to say about how we view ourselves, the poor and the rich. Maybe it's a reminder that when all our lives are placed in the balance they are but a vapor. Maybe it's a reminder that in light of eternity, our place in this world means less than our place before a Holy God. A God that is described in Psalm 62 as the One who is a rock, a fortress, a refuge and the only salvation for our souls.

You tell me.

Deo soli gloria