Tobit 13:1-18: a reflection

1And Tobit wrote a prayer for rejoicing, and said, “Blessed is God who lives forever! Blessed is his kingdom! 2For he scourges, and shows mercy. He leads down to the grave, and brings up again. There is no one who will escape his hand. 3Give thanks to him before the Gentiles, all you children of Israel! For he has scattered us among them. 4Declare his greatness, there. Extol him before all the living, because he is our Lord, and God is our Father forever. 5He will scourge us for our iniquities, and will again show mercy, and will gather us out of all the nations among whom you are all scattered. 6If you turn to him with your whole heart and with your whole soul, to do truth before him, then he will turn to you, and won’t hide his face from you. See what he will do with you. Give him thanks with your whole mouth. Bless the Lord of righteousness. Exalt the everlasting King. I give him thanks in the land of my captivity, and show his strength and majesty to a nation of sinners. Turn, you sinners, and do righteousness before him. Who can tell if he will accept you and have mercy on you? 7I exalt my God. My soul exalts the King of heaven, and rejoices in his greatness. 8Let all men speak, and let them give him thanks in Jerusalem. 9O Jerusalem, the holy city, he will scourge you for the works of your sons, and will again have mercy on the sons of the righteous. 10Give thanks to the Lord with goodness, and bless the everlasting King, that his tabernacle may be built in you again with joy, and that he may make glad in you those who are captives, and love in you forever those who are miserable. 11Many nations will come from afar to the name of the Lord God with gifts in their hands, even gifts to the King of heaven. Generations of generations will praise you, and sing songs of rejoicing. 12All those who hate you are cursed. All those who love you forever will be blessed. 13Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for the sons of the righteous; for they will be gathered together and will bless the Lord of the righteous. 14Oh blessed are those who love you. They will rejoice for your peace. Blessed are all those who mourned for all your scourges; because they will rejoice for you when they have seen all your glory. They will be made glad forever. 15Let my soul bless God the great King. 16For Jerusalem will be built with sapphires, emeralds, and precious stones; your walls and towers and battlements with pure gold. 17The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with beryl, carbuncle, and stones of Ophir. 18All her streets will say, “Hallelujah!” and give praise, saying, “Blessed be God, who has exalted you forever!”

In his prayer of rejoicing, Tobit holds together God's discipline and God's mercy, and then gives a promise that hinges on our return: If you turn to him with your whole heart and with your whole soul, to do truth before him, then he will turn to you, and won't hide his face from you. God, who both disciplines and shows mercy, promises that if his scattered people turn to him wholeheartedly, he will turn to them. The condition is a whole-hearted turning; and the promise is that God will meet it by turning to us.

Notice the promise, and its condition: if you turn to God with your whole heart, he will turn to you. The turning God calls for is whole-hearted, with all the heart and soul, not partial or half-hearted. And to such a turning, God promises to respond: he will turn to us, and not hide his face. God does not remain distant from the one who wholeheartedly returns to him; he turns to meet them. The whole-hearted turning to God is met by God's turning to us; he responds to the one who truly returns.

That promise is worth taking to heart, for we can turn to God half-heartedly, and wonder why he seems distant. We can make a partial, divided turning to God, holding back part of our heart, and then feel that God is far off; but the promise is to those who turn with their whole heart, and to them God promises to turn in response. When you turn to God, do so with your whole heart, not partially or half-heartedly; and trust the promise that God will turn to you, and not hide his face. If God seems distant, examine whether your turning to him has been whole-hearted or divided; and turn to him fully, with all your heart, trusting that he will turn to you in response. The God who both disciplines and shows mercy promises to turn to those who turn to him with their whole heart; return to him fully, and trust him to meet you, turning to you and not hiding his face, as Tobit promised to those who turn with their whole heart and soul.

Lord, in his prayer of rejoicing, Tobit holds together your discipline and your mercy, and then gives a promise that hinges on our return: if you turn to him with your whole heart and with your whole soul, to do truth before him, then he will turn to you, and won't hide his face from you. You, who both discipline and show mercy, promise that if your scattered people turn to you wholeheartedly, you will turn to them. The condition is a whole-hearted turning; and the promise is that you will meet it by turning to us. Show me the promise, and its condition: if I turn to you with my whole heart, you will turn to me. The turning you call for is whole-hearted, not partial or half-hearted. And to such a turning, you promise to respond: you will turn to me, and not hide your face. You do not remain distant from the one who wholeheartedly returns; you turn to meet them. Take that promise to my heart, for I can turn to you half-heartedly, and wonder why you seem distant. I can make a partial, divided turning to you, holding back part of my heart, and then feel that you are far off; but the promise is to those who turn with their whole heart. When I turn to you, help me do so with my whole heart, not partially; and help me trust the promise that you will turn to me. If you seem distant, help me examine whether my turning to you has been whole-hearted or divided; and help me turn to you fully, Lord, trusting that you will turn to me and not hide your face.