Jesus is God's Devotion

"Do not worship another God, because the Lord's name is Devoted,* for He is the God of Devotion" (Exodus 34:14 Alexander, emphasis mine).

YHWH's nature ("name") is Devoted, for He is the God of Devotion. Jesus is our example of this devotion. Victor Alexander's note on this:

"*34:14 NB! (Nota Bene - note well) Not 'jealous,' as other translators have translated this word! Who is He jealous of, his creation, the universe, man, angels? Only in the Ancient Aramaic Scriptures will you find the true readings of the critical passages."

God is not jealous. His nature ("name") is devotion. YHWH is constantly devoted to manifesting the Ineffable. There is always only one thing going on: YHWH is the Ineffable's imagination, the working of Its own consciousness, working. Because 'God' is actually a verb. This is God's working power devoted to manifesting the Ineffable. Mark called it Jesus! But I digress.

He is a God of devotion and zealousness, not jealousy and vindictiveness!! He is for our improvement and success in what really counts. THINK OF HOW HISTORY, RELIGION, THEOLOGY, OUR BEHAVIOR AND RELATIONS WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF THIS ONE, SINGLE WORD HAD NOT BEEN MISTRANSLATED!!! A whole different worldview would prevail! Merciful missions instead of crusades. Unity instead of conflict. Care instead of animosity.

Earlier in the same passage, God had passed by Moses (Moses seeing through God's eyes?) proclaiming his nature:

6. "The Lord, then, passed before him, and the Lord declared, "The Lord is Merciful, Gracious, Generous* of Spirit -- His Grace and Zeal are bountiful; 7. "Who safeguards grace for thousands of generations,* who forgives sins and obligations, but who absolutely does not sanctify* [those who sin and fail their duties;] however, He does command the love of parents upon their children and upon their children's children, to the third and fourth generations."

God does not sanctify those who fail in their devotion, but "commands the love of parents upon their children and upon their children's children, to the third and fourth generations." He demands devotion. That is his one requirement: fidelity. Again, the translators have it exactly backwards. Alexander's note: "*34:7.3 NB! All other translations have translated this passage in error, suggesting that God punishes children and grandchildren for three to four generations because their parents sinned." And people have believed this.

No, God's nature is devotion, zeal in manifesting the nature of the Ineffable. He is not a jealous God; He is a zealous God. Zealous for what he is devoted to!! THAT is why Luke 22:42-44 says:

42. "And he fetched* himself an angel from heaven to give him strength. 43. And he said, 'Father, if it was your will this cup would pass from me. However, let it not be my will, except your will.' 44. And as he was in submission (due to his devotion), he prayed sacrificially*, and his sweat poured like blood from him and he fell to the ground" (Alexander, parenthesis mine).

Jesus strengthened himself and stuck it out to go through with it, because he was DEVOTED, zealous for what God was accomplishing, convinced he was the Son of Man.

Think, please, of the lives and the fruit of those who have been devoted to Jesus and like Jesus. Bring to mind all the devoted persons you know. This would include fathers and mothers, firemen and soldiers, caregivers and pastors - saints great and small.

Think too, please, of these two impactful doctrines transmitted in error due to mistranslation IN THIS ONE CHAPTER. If you are not reading Alexander, you are not even reading the Bible.

I copied Exodus from Alexander's digital database, now down (I bought the book, too). I communicated with Vic a short time ago. He had some health issues, moved, etc., but is okay. I don't get paid a dime for promoting his translations. I do that for God. How can we correct the world if His message is not properly translated?

Exodus 33
17. The Lord said to Moses, "Then I will do exactly as you said,* because you have found mercy in my eyes and I have known you by name."*
18. Then [Moses] said to Him, "Show me your glory."
19. [The Lord] said, however, "I have performed all my grace before you and called out the name of the Lord before you; I will recognize* whom I recognize* and be merciful to whom I will be merciful.
20. "You cannot see my face, however," He said, "because no man can see my face and live."*
21. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, the land* before me stands upon sheer rock.
22. "And when my glory* passes you by, I shall consecrate you in the gorge* of the rock and I shall lower my hand over you until I pass.
23. "Then my hand shall pass you by and you shall see my back, but my face is not to be seen."

*33:1 Lit. Ar. id.: "Seed."
*33:2.1 Lit. Ar. id.: "desolate."
*33:2.2 NB! The Lord was angry with the Children of Israel for committing the murders. That is why He sent the angel before them.
*33:3.1 Lit. Ar. idiomatic expression: "Rise up between you."
*33:3.2 Lit. Ar. id.: Arrogant, will not bend their neck and lower their head.
*33:3.3 Lit. Ar. id.: "Oblivionate."
*33:4 Lit. Ar. id.: "Arrogant."
*33:5.1 Lit. Ar. idiomatic figure of speech retained. "Spend one moment with you."
*33:5.2 Lit. Ar. id.: "Oblivionate."
*33:6 Lit. Aramaic name: "Khoriv," or "destruction."
*33:7 Lit. Ar. idiomatic construction: "He distanced it from the encampment."
*33:8 Lit. Ar. id.: "Graced."
*33:11.1 Lit. Ar. id.: "Faces facing faces."
*33:11.2 Lit. Ar. id.: "Deacon," "servant," or "minister."
*33:11.3 NB! Not Eashoa Bar Nun, Hoo-sha'a (Hosea) Bar Nun, almost certainly the younger brother of Eashoa Bar Nun.
*33:12 Lit. Ar. id.: "See."
*33:13 Lit. Ar. idiom retained: "So I will recognize you."
*33:15 Lit. Ar. idiomatic expression: "Going up from here."
*33:16 Lit. Ar. idiomatic construction: "Except when you go with us."
*33:17 Lit. Ar. idiomatic expression retained: "I have designated you myself."
*33:19.1 Lit. Ar. id.: "Show."
*33:19.2 Lit. Ar. id.: "Show."
*33:20 Lit. Ar. idiomatic construction retained: "No human being can see my
face without dying."
*33:21 Lit. Ar. id.: "Country."
*33:22.1 Lit. Ar. id.: "Respect," or "dignity."
*33:22.2 Lit. Ar. id.: "Cavelette."

Exodus 34

1. Then the Lord commanded Moses, "Cut* two stone tablets like before and write upon the tablets the doctrines* that were upon the first tablets, which were broken.
2. "And be prepared* in the morning to go up to Mount Sinai, in the morning, and stand there at the top of the mountain.
3. "Neither shall a man go up there with you, nor shall any herd animals or bulls graze in front of that mountain."

4. He cut two tablets of stone like the first time; then Moses got up in the morning and climbed Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and he held the two tablets of stone in his hand.
5. And the Lord descended in a cloud and stood with him there and called the name of the Lord.*
6. The Lord, then, passed before him, and the Lord declared, "The Lord is Merciful, Gracious, Generous* of Spirit -- His Grace and Zeal are bountiful;
7. "Who safeguards grace for thousands of generations,* who forgives sins and obligations, but who absolutely does not sanctify* [those who sin and fail their duties;] however, He does command the love of parents upon their children and upon their children's children, to the third and fourth generations."
8. Moses rushed ahead and fell to the ground and worshipped,
9. And he said, "If I have found mercy in your eyes, Lord, let my Lord go among us, because this is a stiff-necked nation, so as to forgive us our dereliction of duty, our sins and our intentions."

10. Thus He said, "Behold, I shall establish a covenant in front of all your people, and differentiate them in so many ways, such as no one has ever done anything like it on earth for anyone among my nations, and the entire nation here shall see that you are the instrument, the servant of the Lord, that what I will perform through you shall be fear-inspiring.
11. "Guard* what I command you daily; behold the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hevites and Jebusites lie in ruins before you.*
12. "Beware that you do not adopt the covenant* of those who occupy* the land you go to, lest they should be an obstacle to you.
13. "Dig up their altars, break their monuments* and strike down their idols.*
14. "Do not worship another God, because the Lord's name is Devoted,* for He is the God of Devotion.

*34:1.1 Lit. Ar. id.: "Fashion."
*34:1.2 Lit. Ar. id.: "Arguments," or "explanations."
*34:5 Lit. Ar. idiomatic construction: "And called by the name: Lord." NB! This and the subsequent passage leave little doubt that it was the Triune God that was manifested through the Father (Lord,) the Son (Lord) and the Holy Spirit (symbolized by the cloud.)
*34:6 Lit. Ar. id.: "Flowing."
*34:7.1 Lit. Ar. id.: Or: "centuries."

*34:7.2 Lit. Ar. id.: "Sanctifyingly sanctify."
*34:7.3 NB! All other translations have translated this passage in error, suggesting that God punishes children and grandchildren for three to four generations because their parents sinned.
*34:11.1 Lit. Ar. idiom retained: "Observe and protect."
*34:11.2 NB! For not obeying the Lord.
*34:12.1 Lit. Ar. id.: "Stand the standing."
*34:12.2 Lit. Ar. id.: "Sit on."
*34:13.1 Lit. Ar. id.: "Covenants."
*34:13.2 Lit. Ar. id.: "Fears," or "what they fear."
*34:14 NB! Not "jealous," as other translators have translated this word! Who is He jealous of, his creation, the universe, man, angels? Only in the Ancient Aramaic Scriptures will you find the true readings of the critical passages.