All right, welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're
going deep on something, I think, pretty unique.
We're going to be looking at personal instructions,
a father's instructions to his son, and the sources
titled Tobit's Testament, instructions to his
son. Wow. So picture this, right? You have a
father, Tobit, knowing that, you know, his time
is coming to an end. He calls his son Tobiah
to his side, and he starts to share these important
pieces of wisdom, practical advice, you know,
as any father would before, unfortunately, you
know, passing. Yeah. And so these instructions
are very personal. It's a father reflecting on
his life and how to, you know, prepare his son
for the future. And so what we want to do today
is really explore these core principles and this
guidance and see if there are any insights that
we can glean from this ancient text. you know,
what stands out to you? What's thought provoking?
How can this be relevant even if it's, you know,
coming from a different time in a different context?
Yeah, I think what's so fascinating about this
particular source is that it's not some kind
of public decree. It's not a philosophical treatise.
It is a father speaking to his son. Yeah. And
so there's an intimacy here that we don't often
get to see. Yeah. And so it's just, it's Toget,
like you said, reflecting on his life. Considering
what matters, you know, and what's he gonna leave
behind for his son, right? And it's, yeah, it's
fascinating. I'm excited to dive in. So let's
dive right in. So, verses three and four, we
kind of get right into it. It's very personal,
very practical. And Tobit is asking to buy it
to make sure he has a proper burial. But even
more than that, he really emphasizes honoring
his mother and to never abandon her. He even
expresses this wish to be buried alongside her.
What do you think about this? What's significant
here in these initial requests? I think it's
fascinating that that's where he starts, you
know. Right. start off with some grand pronouncements
about God or about life or about faith it's it's
really about his parents and you know particularly
his mother and he reminds he specifically reminds
Tobiah that his mother went through many dangers
for him you know even when he was in the womb
yeah and I think that speaks to just a really
fundamental importance of family bonds yeah you
know it's really interesting how Tobit wants
to be buried next to his wife yeah it makes you
think that you know they had a very strong relationship
and one that he hopes will even transcend death.
Yeah. That's a really good point. Then as we
move into verses five and six, we start to see
kind of the introduction of these spiritual and
moral foundations. The big idea here is to keep
the Lord in mind. Then he says, to steer clear
of sin. And then he follows that with a promise.
Those who act with fidelity, he says, all who
practice righteousness will prosper in their
affairs. What do you think Tobit is envisioning
here when he talks about prosperity? Well, it's
hard to say exactly what he's envisioning, but
I'm pretty sure he's not just talking about getting
rich. I think if you think about what a good
life would have looked like back then, it's strong
community ties, a sense of purpose, maybe the
respect of his peers and following the law. You
know, I think this idea of prosperity, it could
encompass that sense of inner peace and maybe
a good reputation and, you know, the stability
that comes from living in accordance with your
beliefs. Right. Right. It's like this natural
consequence. Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Very
interesting. And, you know, I wonder, what does
prosperity mean to you today? What is a prosperous
life beyond just, you know, money and, you know,
all that? Yeah, it's a really good question.
Now, a theme that I've noticed coming up quite
a bit is the power of almsgiving, and this is
in verses 7 through 11. And Tobit is very, very
clear about the importance of giving to the poor.
One line that really stood out to me is, do not
turn your face away from any of the core so that
God's face will not be turned away from you.
And, I mean, he's really not mincing words there.
No, he's not. And, you know, it's interesting
that he doesn't present it as Optional charity,
right? This is something you have to do, right?
And I think it's interesting also the nuance
here where he says give in proportion to what
you own. Yeah So it's not about a fixed amount,
you know, it's about the act of giving but relative
to your means It's like what you're able to give
exactly So whether you have a lot or a little
you know that principle of generosity it applies
to everyone Yeah, what what stands out to you
about this emphasis on proportional giving? Well,
I mean, I think it's really practical. Yeah,
you know, I think it's equitable and I think
that's what you know makes it so powerful Yeah,
and the benefits that he mentions it's not they're
not small, you know, he talks about Storing up
treasure against adversity. He talks about deliverance
from death and darkness. He talks about you know,
being a worthy offering to God. And so these
aren't just earthly advantages that he's talking
about. No. And I think, you know, when he's talking
about storing up treasure, there's probably a
couple ways to interpret that. Yeah. I think,
you know, on a practical level, axi -generosity
can strengthen community bonds. Right. And that
can provide support during difficult times. Yeah.
But then I think there's probably also a spiritual
dimension to it. And the idea that you're accumulating
merit or divine favor, and then the idea that
deliverance from death and darkness, I mean,
what does that mean? I think maybe overcoming
despair, finding hope in bleak situations, and
even having a positive spiritual destiny. And
so it just highlights how generosity, how important
it is and how powerful it can be. Let's shift
gears a little bit and let's talk about verses
12 and 13. This is where Tobit starts to talk
about marriage and family And he really emphasizes
that his son should marry within their ancestral
family and to avoid foreign women Yeah, and he's
very specific about this and it's interesting
because the reasoning he gives for this is he's
connecting it to their lineage from prophets
Yeah, and the desire for blessed children and
inheritance of the land and You know this to
me this feels very specific to his time. Yeah,
absolutely I mean I think it's really important
to understand this and in its historical context
Okay, I mean back then in a lot of societies
marrying within the extended family marrying
within the community It was a way to you know
maintain social cohesion right it was a way to
preserve their cultural identity Okay, and even
you know continue these traditions and make sure
that inheritance line stays within the family.
Yeah, and so you know, even this reference to
prophetic lineage, it really shows how important
it was to them to maintain this heritage. Right.
So, you know, this advice might not apply directly
today, but, you know, it does raise some broader
questions about the importance of community and
shared values. Right. Right. How do we think
about family? Yeah. It's a great point. And you
think about the communities and the shared values
that you prioritize in your own life and your
own relationships. Yeah, for sure. He also warns
against arrogance towards kindred. He talks about
the importance of marrying within the community.
And then he has this, I think, pretty stark warning
about idleness. He says, in idleness, there is
loss and dire poverty. For idleness is the mother
of famine. So he's not really pulling any punches
when it comes to being unproductive No, it's
a pretty strong statement But I think again it
reflects this timeless wisdom right that purposeful
activity and contribution They're essential for
well -being for the individual and for the community.
Yeah, and I think you know He's not just saying
that oh idleness is a lack of work, right, but
that it can really Breed these negative consequences
right and so yeah, it speaks to the value of
diligence and really actively engaging with life.
It's a great point now in verses 14 through 17
Tobit gets into you know some really practical
day -to -day advice Yeah, he talks about paying
wages on time he talks about being wise in your
speech and disciplined in your actions And then
we get this kind of like the golden rule, but
it's stated negatively, he says, due to no one
what you yourself hate. And that is something
that I think we hear over and over, but it still
is relevant today. It's absolutely relevant.
And I think the idea that you're paying wages
on time, that underscores the importance of fairness
and ethical conduct and respect for other people's
labor. And then, like you said, this golden rule,
even though it's stated negatively, I think it
really captures this core human understanding
of empathy and reciprocity. Have you found that
to be helpful? Oh, absolutely. Yeah, it's definitely
something to strive for. I think, you know, he
also talks about moderation with alcohol. He
talks about giving to the hungry and clothing
the naked, which are all, I think, pretty straightforward.
But then there's this kind of interesting, maybe
a little unusual instruction. He says to pour
out your wine and your bread on the grave of
the righteous. but do not share them with sinners.
And this, to me, this really stood out. Yeah,
and it's a little bit of a headscratcher, you
know? Yeah, yeah. And I think, you know, one
way to possibly interpret this is that, you know,
back then, there were these ancient rituals to
honor the deceased, right? Right, okay. And it
was common to make offerings at gravesites. And
so this distinction between the righteous and
sinners That could just reflect showing more
reverence for those who lived a good life, according
to their faith. And maybe this was a way to seek
their blessing or just to remember their virtuous
example. It's also possible this was just a specific
custom in their community that we don't fully
understand. And so I think it highlights how
some of these practices and beliefs are really
embedded in a particular cultural and historical
context. It really does make you think about
the world that they were living in. Moving on
to verses 18 and 19 the focus I think really
shifts to seeking wisdom and relying on a higher
power Yeah, and Tobit says seek counsel from
every wise person and do not think lightly of
any useful advice And that's a that's a great.
I think Call for open -mindedness. Yeah, absolutely.
It's like don't you know be humble He'd be willing
to take advice from many different sources. And
then, you know, right after that, he talks about
blessing God and seeking guidance. And that shows,
you know, a belief in a divine presence. And
then he even says, no other nation possesses
good counsel, but he is the Lord who gives all
good things. And so that reflects a really deep
faith in a divine source of wisdom and prosperity.
Right. You know, I wonder, what are some of the
sources that you turn to for counsel and guidance
in your own life? Yeah, that's a good question.
Finally, let's get into the matter of finances.
This is in verses one to two and twenty twenty
one. Okay. And Tobit recalls, you know, of some
of silver that he deposited and he's sharing
this information with his son. He's preparing
for his passing. Yeah. But it's interesting because
it's this practical consideration alongside all
of the moral and spiritual guidance that he's
been giving. And he even says to his son, you
will have great wealth if you fear God. avoid
all sin and do what is good before the Lord your
God. And so this really brings us back to this
idea that righteous living leads to prosperity.
Yeah, it's interesting because he brings up this
silver, right? So there's an actual inheritance
there. But it's all framed within this larger
context of living a virtuous life. And so it's
not about just magically becoming rich. But it's
about building this foundation for a good life.
Yeah. Through your actions and through your belief.
So it's holistic. It's everything altogether.
Yeah. Exactly. So to bring this all together,
Tobit's instructions, I mean, they really do
touch on, I think, some of the most fundamental
aspects of life. Family, faith, the power of
generosity, you know, the value of community,
at least as he defined it, ethical conduct, seeking
wisdom, and this core belief that a righteous
life leads to a good future. It's amazing how
he kind of weaves all these threads together
in his testament. What about you? Which of these
principles stand out to you? Which ones resonate
the most in your life today? You know, wrap up,
I think a final question to leave you with is,
you know, we live in a very different world than
Tobit did. Yeah, for sure. What does it mean
for you to store up a goodly treasure for yourself
against the day of adversity. Is this just about
money? Or is it something more? Is it the strength
of your relationships, the integrity of your
character, the positive impact you have on those
around you? I think that's something really worth
thinking about. And thanks for joining us for
this deep dive.