Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Onchsheshonqy 7/14-15

Do not neglect to worship your god (P. Onch. 7/14)
 The term translated as to neglect can also mean to hesitate or to procrastinate. The term translated worship can also mean to follow or to serve.

This saying has several similarities with Alma 34:33-34. Amulek, in Alma, goes further than Onchsheshonqy in that he specifies a reason why we should not wait to serve God.

Immediately on the heels of this statement, Onchsheshonqy appends:
Do not hesitate to worship your boss (P. Onch. 7/15).
The only difference in the phrasing of these two statements is the last word. Onchsheshonqy, like most wisdom literature, is the ancient equivalent of How to Make Friends and Influence People. This sort of statement shows that.

Doubtless there are many bosses who would love to be worshiped, but not a good one, and certainly not a Christian one. (A Christian would recognize this as a form of idolatry.) A good boss appreciates candid assessments and so will not surround himself with sycophants who simply tell their boss what they think their boss wants to hear.

A Christian, therefore, would disagree with Onchsheshonqy: Worship God, not your boss.