Words for the Weekend

“Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, ‘Aha, Aha!’” (Psalm 40:15)

"The 'Aha!' game, also known by its modern variation of 'Gotcha!' was well known to Jesus. The Jews would catch Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath, and say 'Gotcha!' They would see Jesus’ disciples eating grain in a field on that Sabbath and would spring from behind a bush and yell 'Gotcha!' They would lay a trap with questions pitting Caesar against God and couldn’t wait to say 'Gotcha!' They would concoct improbable scenarios about seven-times married women going to heaven and meeting all her exes, and they would wear serious faces and seem to care deeply about the issue, but inside they would say 'Gotcha!'

One would think the devil would be dispirited about the 'Aha!' game by now. He said 'Aha!' when Cain killed Abel, but God just created Seth. He said 'Aha!' when Noah got laughed at for the hundred years he built a boat on a hot dry field, but God sent the rain and vindication. He said 'Aha!’ when Abraham’s and Sarah’s bodies were getting too old to produce that promised seed, but that just gave Abraham a chance to show the angels what hoping against all hope looks like. He said 'Aha!' when Moses didn’t seem to amount to much the first 80 years of his life, but that just gave God a chance to show what He can do with washed up old men. He said 'Aha!' when Samson wasted his life, but that just gave God a chance to show that He is an 11th-hour God.

In other words, the 'Ahas' of the devil are fighting words in God’s ears. If you want to fill up the Hebrews 11 chapter with tales of faith, just let God hear you say 'Aha!' To say it is to release into the situation all of God’s zeal for His name and to set yourself up for being appalled by your shame.'"

Andree Seu, World Magazine, July 8, 2010