The Greek and the Hebraic thought models… A reflection from a Christian who loves Jesus and has a passion for science.
I prayed that God would help me understand the concepts of a video. I completed a lab from A Cloud Guru on Jenkins CI builds and started writing this post…
I will give you a short description of this post:
- Excerpt from my daily devotional about greek vs Hebraic thinking
- My short understanding of these thought models
- I will finalize encouraging people to live an abundant life
Block Logic
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman
05/30/2021For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land’ (Jer. 32:15).
In the scriptures we discover a difference in the way the Hebrew mind viewed things compared to the way many Westerners relate to God. Hebrews used something called Block Logic. That is, concepts were expressed in self-contained units or blocks of thought. These blocks did not necessarily fit together in any obvious rational or harmonious pattern.
Greek logic, which has influenced the Western world, was different. The Greeks often used tightly contained step logic which reason a premise to a conclusion, each step linked tightly to the next in a coherent, rational, logical fashion.
This is why some Bible stories don’t make sense to the western mind. It is particularly difficult for Westerners — those whose thought-patterns have been influenced more by the Greeks and Romans than by the Hebrews — to piece together the block logic of Scripture.
Consider Jeremiah and God’s instruction to purchase land in a seemingly inopportune time. If I asked you to purchase some land when you knew that the country you were living in was about to be invaded and you were sure to be placed under arrest, how wise do you believe such an investment would be? Do you believe God would lead you to make such an investment? That is exactly what God told Jeremiah to do. However, God had a good reason for having Jeremiah make such a purchase. It was to be a testimony and a promise that God was going to restore the Jews to their land.
Hebrews made decisions based on obedience. Greeks (and Westerners) often made decisions on logic and reason. If the early church made decisions based on a pro and con method of decision-making, there would be no miracles in the Bible. i.e., such as getting the coin from the fish’s mouth, walking around the walls of Jericho to take the city, Peter walking on water, etc.
We are not to question God’s instructions. We are simply to obey.
The quote above helped me understand why so many people struggle to reconcile faith and science. Both answer different questions, both have different methods and the only underlying similarity is that both are handled and controlled by humans alone…
I don't have a problem applying a logical method to resolve a problem at work or even formulating possible solutions for a personal project and praying every day and experiencing God. To me, God has been extremely personal.
I have experienced God through His son Jesus Christ to a personal relationship Spirit-based. Non-visible, faith-based and obedience-based.
In my professional life, I have been trying to combine these 2 systems of thinking. I am a practical man, I pray in the morning before work, I pray if a problem is too complex and I go ahead and formulate hypotheses, use software development frameworks, ask around, research, etc. Is a mix of things.
I can assure you! since I started my career in 2011, no single day has been the same. Not every day, but mostly every week I have a sense of purpose and abundance of personal satisfaction at work. I don't see my tasks as menial but full of purpose and future goals.
I hope you can think about your 09 — 17 work hours from a different perspective.
I also hope and bless you with the understanding that faith is not wrong, outdated or ancient; and science is not boring, for few or unpersonal.
Keep growing in all areas.
