“The Cry Against The Evil Eye” Deut. 15:9

“Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart saying; The seventh year, the year of release is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou give him nothing; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be a sin unto thee.” Dt. 15:9

The ‘evil eye;‘ We hear a lot about that today and yesterday but usually in the wrong context. If you are Jewish or a Christian than of course you want to understand it’s meaning in the Biblical context. The first time you have this phrase used in the Bible is here in Deuteronomy as the Jewish Nation is about to enter the ‘Promised Land.’  It is used eight times in the Scriptures; four times in the Older Testament and four times in the Newer Testament.   The first time it is used is here in Deut. 15:9, so we have what is called, “The Law of first Mention” or for you science buffs we’ll refer to it as “The Science of Etymology.”  You find where something is said or used for the first time in a certain piece of literature and you study it out, search it out in that piece of literature to ascertain it’s true meaning throughout.

Here Moses is setting up the “Sabbatical Year.”  He gives them instructions from the LORD how it is to work, at the end of every seven years they are to release their debtors or creditors.  In Deut. 15:2 he says, “Every creditor who lends anything unto his neighbor shall release it, he shall  not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother, because it is called the LORD’s release.”  Interesting in v. 6 the LORD says of Israel, “Thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow, and thou shalt reign over many nations but they shall not reign over you.”  That was America until the 1980’s, we were the lenders, now we are the borrowers and 20 Trillion in debt; actually a lot more than that if you check the debt clock.

However, v. 9 says, “If your poor brother cries unto the LORD against thee, because you have an ‘evil eye’ – stingy eye – greedy eye – enough is not enough.  I can’t help but think of Rockefeller when asked, “what would make  him happy?”  And he replied, “Just a little bit more!”  So this has nothing to do with a demonic eye or the devil’s eye, just a stingy person, who holds their purse strings tight and won’t share with the poor and needy, especially those of his own clan.

This same word ‘Cry’ is found in Ex. 22:23 speaking of widows and orphans who ‘cry’ unto the LORD and He will send a sword and kill you and make your wives widows and your children orphans.  So, I take it when this poor man cries because you have withheld his wages or his reward or stipend, you are dead meat, to put it bluntly. James 5:4 comes in here and those laborers have cried unto the LORD and the land owners or business owners are in big trouble.  So, if you are being cheated at work, I guess your union representative should not be your first line of defense should it?

Moses illustrates this thought again in Deut. 28:54 & 56.  Chapter 28 is his third discourse and he is explaining blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, and in v. 49-62 he speaks of a nation from afar, from the end of the earth who will destroy them and eat all their produce and cattle and they will have to eat their own children to survive, vv. 53-58.  There he says a man who is tender among you and delicate v. 54, his eye will be evil toward his brother, his wife and his children, because he won’t share the flesh of his remaining children to eat.  The same is true of a tender, delicate woman who will  have an evil eye as she eats her children and won’t share the flesh with her neighbors, her husband or her other children.  It’s not that she is evil herself, she is just stingy!  The fact is, that she will not share her children with her starving neighbors for dinner.  What a horrible dilemma to be in regardless, Amen?

In Prov. 23:6, Solomon is referring to the same concept as he talks of sitting and eating with a ruler.  Don’t be desirous of his dainties (matam) tasty, savory food, delectable food, while those around him go hungry.  In fact he says in v. 2, “Put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.”  “And not to be desirous of his dainties, for they are deceitful food.”  Then in v. 6 he says, “Eat not the bread of him who has an (ayin rah) evil eye;”  This man is laboring to be rich, to get more and more and more.  He is never content with what God has given him like Paul said and therefore always held the poor, the widow, the orphan in contempt.  “Riches certainly make themselves wings, they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”  As the old saying goes, “Easy come, easy go!”  As you examine this context you will see the rich gold digger many times is a crooked man, moving landmarks, stealing from widows and orphans and even their parents.  In Prov. 28:22, Solomon says, “he that hastens to be rich has an (ayin rah) evil eye and considers not that poverty shall come upon him.”  Quick riches most of the time leads to quick poverty or quick destruction.  In I Tim. 6:10, Paul says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil; “not money itself, but the love of it (fe-lar-gu-re-a) avarice, greed for riches, great desire to be rich.  As Paul says it’s the root (rhe-za) the offspring, the progeny, the sprout or shoot – of all evil (kakos) bad, wicked, wrong, destructive, depraved, worthless, harmful lifestyle.  Remember, it’s not the money, it’s the love of it, the avarice, the (fe-lar-gu-re-a).

In Matt. 6:23 Jesus said, “If thine eye be evil,” – eye (of-thal-mos), that’s where we get ophthalmology; evil (po-na-ros) physical; bad, disease, blind,) Ethical; wicked, bad.  However, the context is ‘Treasure in Heaven,” vv. 9-24.  In fact v. 24 tells us that we can’t serve God and ‘Mamonas,’ mammon/money.  Here it is personified and opposed to God.  Here again God is talking about a stingy giver when it comes to God and His ministries.  Can you out give God? Never!  But if you are not careful v. 24, you will become a servant to your 401-K and not your 401-Kingdom.  10% is just the starting point, not the end result; God gave His all, should you do less?

Jesus uses this phrase ‘evil eye‘ again in Matt. 20:15 when He is dealing with the Parable of the laborers and their pay-checks and some think they should be paid more because they worked longer, but they were all given what was agreed upon and He said in v. 15 “Is it not lawful for Me to do what I will with mine own?  Is thine eye evil, because I am good?”  Again this phrase is used in the context of money and finances and wages, and stingy attitudes.

In Mark chapter seven Jesus is dealing with a diagnosis of the heart, however money is involved in v. 9-13, where Moses gave them the 5th Commandment to honor your father and mother.  However, the Pharisees said if you pledged your wealth to God, “Korban” v. 11, a sacred treasury, you were free from caring for your parents, making the word of God of no effect, v. 13.  Then He presents in logical order the three forms in which sin appears; in vv. 21-23; In human nature, “out of the heart;”  In the human mind, “evil thoughts;”  Then in human action, “adultery, fornication, murder, theft, evil eye, etc.”  There it is again, along with covetousness, and lasciviousness, theft, and pride, right in the middle of wealth.  An “Evil Eye” is a stingy, greedy, eye.  One that darkens your whole body so that no light can shine in you or out of you.  In fact you would make Scrooge look like an angel lighting up a Christmas tree.  Till next time, I’ll see you, “…..Between the Lines…..”

“The Cry Against The Evil Eye” Deut. 15:9  1/24/18