Poetry is the Language of God
Israel’s writing prophets were all poets. The parallel lines of poetic speech permeate the writings of the prophets. God speeches throughout the Torah, the Prophets and the Ketuvim are written in poetic lines. The God speech in Exodus 34:5-7 (God’s self-revelation) is repeated and alluded to throughout the OT and dominates as an (if you will) canon within the canon. After the introductory speech formulas in verse 5 and 6a the entire speech is a poem.
Poetry is spirit unleashed upon words, words written to ignite the imagination and lift the soul. Poetry is God’s purest form of communication; because of this truth, God’s writing prophets were poets. A love for the poetic is indicative of a soul leaning towards God. Theological poetry is both wonder and a call to merciful justice.
Poetry (like reading) ignites the imagination creating new thoughts. This is the intent of scripture in poetic form, that we might continually re-imagine the meaning of a poetic piece on our journey as we grow in wisdom and understanding. Israel’s use of Exodus 34 reflects this truth for on occasion the writers of scripture in the various genres of their literary output subjected Ex.34 to their purposes, not yet fully grasping the God of Ex.34.
Language is always in color, attempts to turn language into black and white is reflected in the language of courts of law. However, even the court must color the effort with a jury of peers when in pursuit of truth and justice.
Our efforts to communicate is always dependent upon the nuances of speech that determine how a word is used. Context and nuance have more control over the meaning of a word than a dictionary. Languages are living; meaning forms of speech and meaning of words change over time as people engage one another in daily speech.
English is the dominate language in our world, yet it no longer belongs to the western world. In other nations where English is spoken as a second language it serves as a bridge for communicating. In the Philippines where there is 187 languages, English is often the common language (competing with the national language of Tagalog). Filipino English adapts to Filipino culture and through international mediums of travel and communication even changes how Americans use English. For example, as early as the Philippine American War the influence of Philippine language reached America. The word Boondocks (Bundok in Tagalog; meaning mountain or remote place) was brought to the U.S. by returning soldiers. Boondocks is now an English word born from the living reality of language growing and changing.
When we use language in speech, hearing is more important than word meaning. Nuance is more important than dictionary definitions, and poetry is closer to spirit than perfect grammar. We Americans need to learn to dance more, to laugh more at hardship, to listen to the wind that blows and depend on one another more, to calm our individualism with the peace brought by learning to live together. We are a part of God’s human family and not the head, only Christ Jesus is the head and Jesus is not an American.
Scripture's use of Exodus 34:5-7
Exodus 34:5-7, Exodus 20:5-7, Exodus 33:19, Numbers 14:18, Deuteronomy 5:9-11, Deuteronomy 7:9-10, Isaiah 63:7, Jeremiah 32:18, Hosea 2:19-20, Joel 2:12-14, Jonah 4:1-3, Micah 7:18-20, Nahum 1:2-3, Psalm 86:4-5, 15, Psalm 99:8, Psalm 103:7-13, Psalm 111:4, Psalm 145, Nehemiah 9:16-17, 30-32
The following verses reflect allusions and awareness of Ex. 34:5-7
Deuteronomy 4:31, 5:9-10, 7:9-10, Jeremiah 15:15, 30:11, Psalm 25:6, 69:16, 77:7-9, 78:38, 85:10-11, 86:4-5, 99:8, 103:7-13, 106:7, 45, 111:4, 112:4, 116:5, 145:8, 13, Isaiah 54:7-8, 63:7, Lamentations 3:22-23, 31-33, Daniel 9:4, 9, Nehemiah 1:5, 1 Kings 8:23, 2 Kings 13:23, 2 Chronicles 6:14, 30:9. Cf. also Sirach 2:11, 2 Esdras 7:132-140, Damascus Document 2:2-13, Luke 1:50, 58, 72, 78, 10:37, John 1:14, 17, Ephesians 2:4, Romans 2:4, 9:15-16, James 5:11, 2 Chronicles 30:9, Jeremiah 32:18ff
