This Book.

vam paq vo' the chut DIchDaq ghobe' mej pa' vo' lIj nujDu'

"don't for a minute let this book of the Revelation be out of mind" Joshua 1:8 Message

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At this moment I'm getting ready to blast off. I'm heading out into the blue to a conference in Las Vegas. It won't be a long trip, and getting ready to go brought my mind to matters of packing, and unpacking - traveling light. This called this verse to mind from Joshua. At the end of the long journey, the Israelites are ready to unpack - settle in after decades travelling away from slavery in Egypt. They are going to have homes again - they'll no longer need to - as travelers must - carry everything with them.

Except. Joshua is given this command from God, essentially what NOT to unpack:

This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate thereon day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.

I was drawn to this verse over 30 years ago when a group called the Navigators introduced me to Bible memorization - the systematic effort to follow these words, to as the Message translation puts it:

"don't for a minute let this book of the Revelation be out of mind"

I like that term "book of the Revelation," because it encompasses the whole of Scripture. "Book of the law" or "paq vo' the chut" implies a narrower focus - as if we are being reminded to know statutes and legislations.

Rather this law, or torah in Hebrew is the TEACHING, including laws, but including the whole direction of Scripture. The root is yarah, a word meaning to throw, or point - give DIRECTION. There is a way that God intends to lead us - his torah is in the whole of scriptures that Paul reminds us

is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16

Good things to hang onto!

Lately I've been learning about the another alien culture. Certainly as fierce an opponent as Klingons (if not more so) they are the Mando'a or the Mandalorians. The most famous of them are Boba Fett and his father Jango. Like the Israelites of Moses's day, they are a nomadic people. While a much more martial people than the Israelites, they too are noted for keeping their words, their stories and traditions alive - keeping them in their mind at all times. You can find links to their language and my rough "translation" of a Mando'a Bible at MNDBible.MrKlingon.org. This translation, like the KLV, is a simple word replacement effort - these words from Joshua come out as:

ibic book be te law shall not ba'slanar out be gar mouth, a' gar shall meditate bat bic tuur bal ca, ibac gar may ja'hailir at narir according at an ibac is written therein: par then gar shall gotal'ur gar way prosperous, bal then gar shall ganar jate success

"don't for a minute let this book of the Revelation be out of mind" Joshua 1:8 Message

What words can't you forget? That you are TRYING to remember -- for some of us there is a struggle to remember the passwords and PIN numbers that modern life requires us to keep, for others it is schoolwork and things we are trying to learn. It always seems like SOMETHING needs to be kept in the memory bank.

But if we draw into our hearts the words of God and make them part of our everyday kit - then we'll be equipped and well armed for the day.

Then, as Paul puts it, we'll be "complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."