Our Father’s Identity

About the Book

Many people are accustomed to saying “Our Father” but they know little about who Our Father is, his identity. We are all most likely to be familiar with the term, “in someone’s name.” We use the term to mean we are acting as agent for another person, with their complete authority and approval. Unfortunately, our modern cultures seldom represent the full meaning of “name,” as was the case in the Hebrew and Greek texts. There, what is translated as “name,” in most translations, would be better described as “identity,” today. Let me illustrate with an all-too-frequent criminal event, “identity theft.” When someone steals another’s identity, they are doing much more that using one’s name. They are: 1. In fact, using one’s name or appellation (what a person is called or called by). 2. But also, impersonating that person’s character, for purposes of deceiving or defrauding. 3. Exercising that person’s authority to take action or cause action. 4. Taking or filling that person’s role or responsibility. All four of these attributes represent what the Hebrew or Greek mean by what is translated as “name.” Therefore, in The Meaning Bible, and in this Learning Module, we use the term “identity” to indicate that we mean all four attributes, not just name or appellation. We want to learn Our Father’s Identity.

About the Author

I was born at the height of World War 2, to a sharecropper who was totally in bondage to his landowner masters. I spent most of my pre-adult life in extreme poverty, partially due to the size of the brood, twelve siblings, and partially due to the greedy and manipulative overlords. Often, I was forced to go shoeless, in hand-me-downs, doing the chores of feeding pigs and chickens, and milking cows by hand, on the clay-nob farms of my childhood. I suffered malnutrition to the point that my belly was bloated and distended, looking more like a starving urchin in a war-torn land. Where was Almighty in this? I had no clue, other than that he seemed to have saved my life from utter destruction a number of times. I was the runt of the litter in physical dimensions. Therefore, I was continually picked on, pummeled, and harassed by siblings and schoolmates. I learned protective defense mechanisms early on, like isolation and avoidance. I took to manipulating teachers who felt sorry for me, facetiously submitting to them for errands during recess, as the teacher’s pet, in order to avoid time on the playground. I soon calculated that this submissive demeanor had long-term benefits, like drawing favors and attention during class, and receiving elevated grades in the process. This provoked a cycle of increased jealousy and hatred from classmates, but increased attention and protection from under-appreciated tutors, who relished my willingness to heel to my masters. Where was Almighty in this? I suspected that he was just another authority figure to manipulate. I wept to somehow get to know him. This obeisance to authority figures worked admirably throughout home life and primary and secondary schools. It failed miserably in the larger world of higher education and corporate wrestling for promotion. There were far too many unscrupulous competitors, with better looks, better talents, and familial resources to charm the ever-so-hungry academics and bosses. A new strategy was needed. That strategy was perfectionism. It first showed up in rote memory of all the professor’s enunciated whims; then, in attention to every nuanced detail of the desires of the superior. Unfortunately, this backfired when the superiors took all the credit for comprehensive research and profitable innovation. A crisis of resentment against authority and self-loathing followed. I had taught them to take full advantage of me. I felt abandoned by Almighty, another disappointed and disappointing superior. The mismatch between striving for gains, and watching them being snatched away, prompted a new, entrepreneurial spirit. I was able, as an independent contractor, to truly develop better mousetraps. There was a marketplace for these in the form of creative solutions and efficient processes which satisfied the needs of management — who saw the needs (in many cases it was obvious) but did not have either the will or ability to take on the challenges themselves. As a consultant and contractor, I was able to travel to sites where management needed results, quickly; and were not so concerned with academic prowess. Word-of-mouth was the only marketing tool. Finding and filling this expanding pool of deficiencies became an exhaustive job of travel and work that soon consumed an average of 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. It could not continue. After nearly 25 years, the rat race came to a shattering end. I had exhausted my energy and my pride. I realized that my works did not make a lasting impression on my clients, nor a worthwhile impression on the Supreme Authority of all. I spent several years with fill-in assignments and part-time agreements. However, in the spare time that these temporary distractions afforded, I was able to begin the search for wisdom. I began to find it concealed, where it was supposed to be, hidden in the word of Almighty. Applying the lessons of analysis and measurement I had learned over the years; I started to piece together the secrets of life. It seems Almighty had always had a plan and He, the real Supreme Authority, was more than willing, by his grace, to share this plan freely with anyone who would attentively hearken. Digging out, piling up, and organizing these pearls of great value has resulted in The Meaning Bible (TMB) and these Learning Modules that you see. It is with great joy that I offer them to you. I hope you learn from them; and give him all the glory. Your humble servant, Freedman Thune.