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Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things Phil 4:8 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Tobit Instructs His Son Tobias BibleVerse:Tobit 4:1-11 "That same day Tobit thought of the money he had left with his cousin Gabael, in Media; and he said to himself, “I have asked for death; it would be well to instruct my son Tobias before I die.” So he called Tobias to his side and told him: “My son, when I die, bury me correctly. Do not hate your mother, but rather honor her all her days. Act to please her, and do not cause her grief. Remember that she faced many dangers when you were in her womb. And when she dies, bury her beside me.” “Be mindful of the Lord your God all the days of your life. Do not sin; obey His commandments in all you do. Remain upright in your actions and never stray. For if you are steadfast in truth, your deeds will prosper, as they do to all who live justly. ” “Give alms from what you have in life. Do not turn your face from the poor, for if you do not, God will not turn His face from you. Give alms according to what you are given. If you enjoy an abundance, give abundantly; but even if you have little, do not fear to give, little though it be. For if you give of what you have, you lay up treasure for yourself in your day of distress. Giving to the poor saves you from death and will not allow you to walk in the darkness.” “A gift of alms is an act of righteousness before the Almighty, for all who give them.”" Message:
Tobit, remember, has just prayed that God would kill him. But he gets carried away in a chain of thought: Thinking he will die brings to his mind the money he still has in Media, being held by Gabael, from the days when he was able to conduct trade there. This, in turn, brings to mind his son, for if Tobit is to die, he wants Tobias to know about the money and be able to inherit it. And this, in turn, puts him in the frame of mind to give his son final advice about life.
Thus he launches into a sort of deathbed speech even though the actual death is speculative. We once again get just the slightest hint of humor — for Tobit is nowhere near to dying — to lighten a serious topic. (Does this remind anyone else of Polonius, in Hamlet, giving advice to his son Laertes? I expected Tobit to say “neither borrower nor lender be” or “to thine own self be true” at any second.)
His first item of instruction is to ensure that he will be buried — certainly just a tiny bit humorous to anyone who has read the earlier chapters. What cause Tobias might have to hate his mother is unclear, but the duty to honor one’s mother is certainly strong throughout Hebrew history, being one of the Ten Commandments. In fact, “hate” seems to be a Semitic idiom for simple disregard. (In this regard, remember Jesus' words in Luke 14:26: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother . . . he cannot be my disciple.” )
A page of Exodus, from an illuminated Tanakh.
A page of Exodus,
from an illuminated Tanakh
(Hebrew Bible).
After general instructions to follow God’s law and prosper—maxims reminiscent of Proverbs—Tobit delivers a long and powerful encomium for giving alms. The emphasis might surprise us, for we do not think of charity as a paramount value in the law of Moses. Tobit, which was written quite a bit after the Old Testament (perhaps 300-200 B.C.) is demonstrating a shifting emphasis in Hebrew ethical thought.
Both chronologically and thematically, Tobit’s stirring speech on charity connects two great forces in the Bible: Christ, and the latter prophets. Charity was a notable value of Mosaic law, but did not have the prominence it would later find in the teachings of Christ and the epistolary apostles. It begins to be emphasized in the writings of the later prophets. Amos and Zephaniah, in particular, treat failure of charity as one of the great evils underlying the coming destruction of Israel and Judah. The importance of charity appears also in Isaiah (e.g. 1:21-27) and Jeremiah (e.g. Jer. 22:13-17).
The most startling aspect of Tobit’s speech, though, is how Christian it sounds. Certainly we hear Christ Himself telling us to “lay up your treasure in heaven.” (Matt. 6:19-21) Tobit’s advice to give, even if only a little, reminds us of the poor widow, e.g Mark 12:41-44.
The use of “walking in darkness” as a metaphor for a person alienated from God is almost a hallmark of John’s first epistle; there is even an echo in the magnificent opening lines of his Gospel: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John also uses a peculiar Hebrew idiom translated into Greek, identical to one used in Tobit, for correct conduct: “Doing the truth.” In fact, the parallel to John’s epistles is so marked that we might speculate that John had read Tobit.
Meditation : Prayer : May the God of peace, who declared victory over death by the resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ, make me perfect in every thought and act through His grace, that my life might be pleasing in His sight and that I might share the perfect peace that is only possible through Him, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. |
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