DEUTERONOMY 20:8

DEUTERONOMY 20:8

Thursday, November 12, 2015

  When confronted with an issue(s), to pray more intelligently I seek answer(s) in God’s Word, study what I find, and ponder its meaning and application. This exercise includes reading commentaries and recalling elder tales. I encourage others to develop this practice. (2Tim.2:2)

  Yesterday I told you of a new word (dizygotic) I learned, and how it set me to thinking about the church is made up of dissimilar individuals serving Immutable God Almighty. Today I awoke with old but now seldom used word on mind, morale, a word common to my formative years. Following habit, I sought and found Deuteronomy 20:8 and pondered it in translations held in my desktop computer:

  (ASV)  And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart melt as his heart.

  (CEV)  Finally, if any of you are afraid, you may go home. We don't want you to discourage the other soldiers.

  (ESV)  And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, 'Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.'

  (GW)  The officers should also tell the troops, "If you are afraid or have lost your courage, you may go home. Then you won't ruin the morale of the other Israelites."

  (ISV)  "Let the officials also speak to the army, 'Is there a man here who is afraid and faint-hearted? Let him go back home. Otherwise, he may demoralize his fellow soldier.'

  (KJV)  And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.

  (LITV)  And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, Who is the man who is afraid, and faint of heart? Let him go and return to his house; then the heart of his brothers will not melt like his heart.

  (MKJV)  And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, Who is the man that is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brothers' heart faint as well as his heart.

  (Webster)  And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren's heart should faint as well as his heart.

  (YLT)  `And the authorities have added to speak unto the people, and said, Who is the man that is afraid and tender of heart? --let him go and turn back to his house, and the heart of his brethren doth not melt like his heart;

  I then remembered something an old experienced southern preacher told me many decades ago: His church was suffering an olio of problems, including financial and loss of members. Morale was very low. After services families were slipping out the building’s rear door so as to avoid shaking his hand, with a number of them eventually departing permanently. He and others praying for solution were deeply saddened and discouraged by this. Much personal soul-searching was done. Years later they enjoyed a renewed local assembly and the pastor and other elders saw the exodus quite differently and thereafter referred to it as “Our back door revival.”

  People leaving, especially after enjoying most of their life in one local assembly, is a gloomy affair, but it is not necessarily the handwriting on the wall.

EBB4