Hebrew Word Study – Our Mission – ‘Aseh  עשה  Ayin Sine Hei

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Ecclesiastes 12:14: “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

This verse gets a little confusing.  If it is the atoning work of Jesus Christ that determines our eternal state and not our works (Ephesians 2:8-9) and then why will our works be judges?   I thought all those nasty little sins that I did not want any to know about would be buried in the deepest sea and never brought to the attention of anyone including God. I was told by preachers that (the very ones who said our ticket to heaven was not by works) that God would judge our works.  Some said this judgment was to determine whether we get a mansion or just a little cottage. Whether we get a big reward or just a back seat in the steerage section of heaven. We need to take a close look at the words work, judgment, and also what good and evil really are. Some preachers actually talk out of both sides of their mouths suggesting that this judgment will look at works to determine if we are actually saved or not.  For instance, if we do not attend church regularly and payout 10% (before taxes) tithe well, “I just don’t see how you can really be a Christian.”  Or if we get bored and anxious for the sermon to end, that is a sure sign that we do not hunger to the Word which is usually interpreted as the preacher’s words.

Now when I think of judgment, I picture a judge sitting on his bench with a gavel, looking down on me and listening to all the evidence. Then weighing the evidence to see if I paid 10% before taxes in tithe or 10% after taxes in tithe or whether I could have attended that church service with the headache I used as an excuse not to attend.   

 

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The word in Hebrew for judgement is shapat which means to judge but to judge in the sense of creating or bringing something into order and harmony.  This goes hand in hand with the following; “with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”  The word secret is ‘alam which is the word for eternity or the future.  The understanding of eternity is hidden from us. The future is hidden or concealed from us thus the primary idea of ‘alam is something that is hidden. ‘Alam is in a Niphal participle form in this verse and would therefore have the idea of a hypocrite. A hypocrite according to Webster is “a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives.” As you can see a hypocrite fits nicely into the word ‘alam. 

So that may mean that even if we go to church every Sunday, pay our tithe (10% before taxes) and listen intently to the preacher even if he goes forty-five minutes overtime, we could still be judged as evil if we have an ulterior motive of trying to impress people with our piety. 

We read that “every work will be brought into judgment.” It does not say every sin, just work.  The word work that is used here in the Hebrew is ‘aseh which is a work but more in the sense of fulfilling a work or fulfilling an assignment or mission.  In Jewish thought, everyone is sent into this world with a mission.  It is our duty to discover what that mission is and then fulfill it. When it is fulfilled God will bring us home. So literally, this could read that God will bring every assignment or mission that has been fulfilled into judgment. Maybe our mission in life is to attend church every Sunday, pay 10% (before taxes) in tithe, and hang on to every word the preacher says, but I fear that if that is my mission in life then I am a total failure and I won’t even merit a cottage in heaven and would end up in some flop house, empty apartment in the “those who make it so as by fire” section of heaven. 

Every work is going to be judged as to whether it is good or evil. Here is where this becomes a bit more understandable. The word good is tov which means to be in harmony with God and evil is ra’ which comes from the root word ra’a’ which is the opposite of good or out of harmony with God.  As I said early the word judge or shaphat means to bring something into harmony.  

One other little thing to note is the word for “even” which is the word ‘al and rarely means even. It normally means upon or according to.  The word for “whether” im is “if” but Hebrew or im has three possible forms of “if.” We can use “if” in the sense of whether it is or not. We can use “if” in the sense of maybe or maybe not or we could use the “if” as because of.  The only form of im that I feel would fit here is whether or not.  

From this I would read this verse as: “For God shall bring every mission or assignment we are given into harmony with Him, even every secret thing, whether or not it is in harmony with God (He will bring it into order with Him).”

You know sometimes in my attempt to fulfill my mission to God I make a total mess out of things. I got a little bit (sometimes a lot) of self or pride into fulfilling my mission.  But then I think of Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good (in harmony with God) to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Maybe some of my attempts to fulfill my mission are not in harmony with God, and pride, and self really slips in, but if I confess it and repent, he can take even that failure and turn it out to be in harmony with Him.  

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