SEPTEMBER 12, 2005

IMAGINATION
by Pastor George Van Alstine

In the early chapters of Genesis we read about God’s flood of judgment on humanity. The reason for God’s action is given in these words:
“The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)

The Hebrew word translated “imagination” is yetzer. In our traditional King James Version, yetzer is translated “imagination” four other times. Each time the usage is negative. It’s pretty clear that our “imaginations” move in a negative direction.

After the flood, the Lord said,
“I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the imagination (yetzer) of the human heart is only evil from youth.” (Genesis 8:21)
This seems to mean that God recognizes evil imagination as built into human nature. To be human is to imagine evil.

Other passages where yetzer is used in this negative way are: Deuteronomy 31:21; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 29:18.

In later Hebrew writing, human choices were seen as a struggle between the yetzer hara, the impulse toward evil, and the yetzer hatob, the impulse toward good. These two sides of human nature were similar to the yin and yang in some oriental teaching. They were not so much opposed, as interacting, so that a person was neither good or bad, but an interviewing of the two impulses.

However, in the Old Testament itself, there is no mention of a yetzer hatob. The impulse coming from unredeemed human nature is, in the words of Genesis 6:5, “only evil continually.”

Why yetzer is such a problem can be seen in the original concept behind the word. Its root meaning is “to form, shape or fashion” something. It is used in the familiar creation account:
“The Lord God formed (yetzer) man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

A noun form of yetzer is the common word for a potter (Isaiah 4:25, etc.). This word is also used in reference to God as the Creator:
“Thus says the Lord, Creator of the heavens, he is God; Former (yetzer) and Maker of the earth . . . ‘I am the Lord and there is no other.’ ” (Isaiah 45:18)

And that explains why our “imaginations” are only evil continually: Our yetzers are attempts to be pseudo-creators. We are not satisfied with how God formed the universe and our place in it; we try to form in our minds (“imagine”) a better way. This yetzer automatically becomes an impulse to evil, because it is denial of the one and only Creator.

We rightly celebrate people with minds and rich imaginations. But they should exercise these gifts under the guidance and wisdom of the true Creator, Shaper, Former (yetzer). If they don’t acknowledge him, their imagination always leads to evil.