It is easy to imagine various reasons why the type of literary historical reading might be rejected out of hand by many biblical scholars. Some might argue, perhaps under the influence of the Copenhagen school, that there really is very little agreement about the “real” history of Israel, making this type of contextualized literary study impossible.(1) I disagree. More likely, sustained work will show that the Copenhagen school is using unrealistically stringent standards for reconstructing the history of antiquity.(2) Others might believe that reading is a fundamentally subjective venture. They might even point to the seemingly intractable debate between Meir Sternberg, and David Gunn and Dana Nolan Fewell on how a seemingly straightforward story, Genesis 34, should be read.(3) However, all is not in the eye of the beholder, or reader. I am not alone here; Paul Noble in his analysis of this debate concerning the interpretation of Genesis 34 notes: “by careful attention to the linguistic details one can move toward an objective, reader-independent understanding of the text.”(4) I concur. Methods which have competed in the past must now be used side-by-side, since “the Old Testament contains some very strange literature; perhaps it would not be surprising if it takes more than one kind of sensibility to understand it.” The utility of this eclectic method may be evaluated by others using at least two different criteria: Are the assumptions made about these texts reasonable? Are the readings that result from these assumptions at least as compelling as the alternative interpretations of other scholars?
-----------------------
(1)Marc Zvi Brettler, The Book of Judges, (London and New York: Routledge, 2002), 20.
(2)Ibid.
(3)Ibid.
(4)Ibid.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Mothers in the Old Testament
In the male dominated Old Testament period, it is not surprising that there are a few passages that focus on women as mothers. However, through Kings to Chronicles, especially the long genealogies in the beginning of the 1 Chronicles, it is amazing to find there are almost 30 times of the repeated phrase of “mother” or “the mother of”. It is also striking to learn how much negative impact, as well as positive influence, a mother can have on her children after learning the story of Jezebel and Athaliah. Thus, it can be helpful to study some of the significant mothers in the Old Testament.
The first mother of all people, Eve, not only failed as a wife, but also failed as a mother. She was assigned by God to Adam as his helper. Though she was made in God’s image and was good in God’s eyes, she was not able to overcome Satan’s temptation. Furthermore, she dragged Adam into sin and she also failed to pass down the great lesson she learned, that is when one sins against God, He knows, to her next generation before her son, Cain, killed his brother Abel. The tragedy of Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau might not have happened without Sarah’s despise of Hagar and Rebekah’s favoritism toward Jacob. Solomon's sin of indulgence may not only come from his father David, but also from his mother Bathsheba; though she managed to build up him to be the successor of the kingdom.
Jochebed, the mother of Moses, set up a significant model of a serving mother. Perhaps she is the mother under most pressure. In such a dangerous age she kept her little baby for three months with anxiety while secretly weaving the basket that would hold him. In Pharaoh's house she must have undergone great stress and a lot of self control not showing too much intimacy towards her little boy. It is beyond one’s imagine how much she influenced Moses' character to be a leader and to have a deep love towards his people. Another positive mother figure is Hannah. Instead of writing a 50 page instructions on how to pray and keep the vow, she modeled it. She set up a good example of prayer, which means talking to God heart to heart. Young Samuel might have learned the importance to keep one’s vow to God by experiencing his mother obedience by bringing him to Shiloh. He might have heard the story of his mother praying for him from Eli. It is impossible for Samuel not to recognize his mother’s deep love for him after receiving the little robes weaved by her hands year after year. And Hannah’s appreciation to God was obvious by the way she named her precious son—Samuel, “asked of the Lord” (I Samuel 1:28). All these experiences could be some of the explanation of how the little Samuel became a prayer warrior in the temple, while Eli’s sons became wicked men.
Indeed, mothers have a lot of influence on their children. However, it is not to say they are accountable no matter what their children turn out to be. Each of pair, Cain and Abel, Moses, Aaron and Miriam, and Esau and Jacob, had the same mother, but each child turned out totally different. It is a mothers’ responsibility to nurture, to train, and to model for her children, but God also gives the children free will to choose. Each choice leads to a consequence and the person has to receive that consequence. God has His purpose and His path for each child, and every mother is not alone in bringing up her child, for God is always there supporting her and teaching her if she is willing to learn. God shows His guidance to the earthly mothers and He uses these stories to remind them what a biblical mother should do.
The first mother of all people, Eve, not only failed as a wife, but also failed as a mother. She was assigned by God to Adam as his helper. Though she was made in God’s image and was good in God’s eyes, she was not able to overcome Satan’s temptation. Furthermore, she dragged Adam into sin and she also failed to pass down the great lesson she learned, that is when one sins against God, He knows, to her next generation before her son, Cain, killed his brother Abel. The tragedy of Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau might not have happened without Sarah’s despise of Hagar and Rebekah’s favoritism toward Jacob. Solomon's sin of indulgence may not only come from his father David, but also from his mother Bathsheba; though she managed to build up him to be the successor of the kingdom.
Jochebed, the mother of Moses, set up a significant model of a serving mother. Perhaps she is the mother under most pressure. In such a dangerous age she kept her little baby for three months with anxiety while secretly weaving the basket that would hold him. In Pharaoh's house she must have undergone great stress and a lot of self control not showing too much intimacy towards her little boy. It is beyond one’s imagine how much she influenced Moses' character to be a leader and to have a deep love towards his people. Another positive mother figure is Hannah. Instead of writing a 50 page instructions on how to pray and keep the vow, she modeled it. She set up a good example of prayer, which means talking to God heart to heart. Young Samuel might have learned the importance to keep one’s vow to God by experiencing his mother obedience by bringing him to Shiloh. He might have heard the story of his mother praying for him from Eli. It is impossible for Samuel not to recognize his mother’s deep love for him after receiving the little robes weaved by her hands year after year. And Hannah’s appreciation to God was obvious by the way she named her precious son—Samuel, “asked of the Lord” (I Samuel 1:28). All these experiences could be some of the explanation of how the little Samuel became a prayer warrior in the temple, while Eli’s sons became wicked men.
Indeed, mothers have a lot of influence on their children. However, it is not to say they are accountable no matter what their children turn out to be. Each of pair, Cain and Abel, Moses, Aaron and Miriam, and Esau and Jacob, had the same mother, but each child turned out totally different. It is a mothers’ responsibility to nurture, to train, and to model for her children, but God also gives the children free will to choose. Each choice leads to a consequence and the person has to receive that consequence. God has His purpose and His path for each child, and every mother is not alone in bringing up her child, for God is always there supporting her and teaching her if she is willing to learn. God shows His guidance to the earthly mothers and He uses these stories to remind them what a biblical mother should do.
Short Cut
Facing crossroads: One way is straight, and the other is winding, most people should know which way takes shorter time if both of them lead to the same destination. However, that does not mean they will wisely choose the right short cut. Among the twelve spies sent by Moses, only two were courageous enough to encourage the people to “go up and take possession of the land” (Numbers 13:30), while all the others refused to go because they were driven by fear. Surely, they would not know that the winding road they chose would take them 40 years to get to their destination. If they had ever known, they would have gone “up to the place the Lord promised” (Numbers 14:40). If this 40-year-long journey is not frustrating enough for this group of nomadic people, then how hopeless must it be for them to travel knowing for certain that they will not be able to enter the land even if they get there one day.
Nowadays, when one looks at the map as an outsider it is not difficult to find out how much easier it would have been for the Israel to travel the straight road from Egypt to Jericho, instead of going the roundabout way of Rameses, Mount Sinai, Ezion Geber, Kadesh, to Jericho. However, while it is easy to criticize how stubborn the Israelites had been, people nowadays are not any better than them. The similar tricks and failures are still playing in our life. Everyone who has the experience of circling around the big parking lot on North Campus to find a good spot on Tuesday morning will easily understand the following illustration. It is so easy for the one who stands in the hallway on the second floor and looks through the window to tell the people to turn left and turn right to get the spot. Many times in life, people are driving their own cars trying to find a spot in the best area according to their standard, but they circle around and around without finding any place. God, who is standing on the second floor, whispers, shouts and waves to get their attention: “Stop circling; there is no parking space here for you.” However, they refuse to go anywhere else because they think their way is the short cut for them to get to their destination. There are also so many times people give a glance at the seemingly full parking lot and turn away without going into it, and so they ignore the heavenly Father’s voice again: “There is a man trying to leave. Come and get his spot.”
The Old Testament, from Moses’ time to Judges, to the period after Kings, is a history of wandering and being rebellious. Israel was wandering again and again without finding a right entrance. The people did not know what was best for them. And after the Southern kingdom and the Northern kingdom were ruined, the people ended up in the wilderness again. Though God was their royal and loyal commander from the beginning to the end, the Israel people just wanted to choose their own commander. They abandoned their God so many times and deceived themselves by their so called "gods", as well as the human leaders chosen among them. During the time His children were wandering, God was so patient to call them, wait for them and guide them back to His designed short cut. This loyalty that God showed toward His people makes Christianity so much different from other religion. Instead of the one way communication, in which people unilaterally butter up some fake gods who desire no mutual intimacy with their people, Christianity is about a perfect God who is so compassionate to seek his people and to bring his people back to Him. Since it is the way He designed, He and Him only knows where the short cut is, and the only thing His people need to do is to humbly follow Him and courageously take a first step towards it.
Nowadays, when one looks at the map as an outsider it is not difficult to find out how much easier it would have been for the Israel to travel the straight road from Egypt to Jericho, instead of going the roundabout way of Rameses, Mount Sinai, Ezion Geber, Kadesh, to Jericho. However, while it is easy to criticize how stubborn the Israelites had been, people nowadays are not any better than them. The similar tricks and failures are still playing in our life. Everyone who has the experience of circling around the big parking lot on North Campus to find a good spot on Tuesday morning will easily understand the following illustration. It is so easy for the one who stands in the hallway on the second floor and looks through the window to tell the people to turn left and turn right to get the spot. Many times in life, people are driving their own cars trying to find a spot in the best area according to their standard, but they circle around and around without finding any place. God, who is standing on the second floor, whispers, shouts and waves to get their attention: “Stop circling; there is no parking space here for you.” However, they refuse to go anywhere else because they think their way is the short cut for them to get to their destination. There are also so many times people give a glance at the seemingly full parking lot and turn away without going into it, and so they ignore the heavenly Father’s voice again: “There is a man trying to leave. Come and get his spot.”
The Old Testament, from Moses’ time to Judges, to the period after Kings, is a history of wandering and being rebellious. Israel was wandering again and again without finding a right entrance. The people did not know what was best for them. And after the Southern kingdom and the Northern kingdom were ruined, the people ended up in the wilderness again. Though God was their royal and loyal commander from the beginning to the end, the Israel people just wanted to choose their own commander. They abandoned their God so many times and deceived themselves by their so called "gods", as well as the human leaders chosen among them. During the time His children were wandering, God was so patient to call them, wait for them and guide them back to His designed short cut. This loyalty that God showed toward His people makes Christianity so much different from other religion. Instead of the one way communication, in which people unilaterally butter up some fake gods who desire no mutual intimacy with their people, Christianity is about a perfect God who is so compassionate to seek his people and to bring his people back to Him. Since it is the way He designed, He and Him only knows where the short cut is, and the only thing His people need to do is to humbly follow Him and courageously take a first step towards it.
God’s Forbearance in the Old Testament
A casual reading of the OT can give us the picture of a God who is quick to mete both judgment and reward. Examples of quick judgment would include Miriam’s bout of leprosy after complaining against Moses in the wilderness; the earth swallowing Korah and his followers who rebelled against Moses; God’s quick temper against the Israelites when they grumbled (Moses reminded God of his promise to them and He decided not to destroy them); Uzzah, who touched the Ark of the Covenant to steady it and was immediately struck down; the death of David & Bathsheba’s first son; and the pestilence that came upon Israel as punishment for the census David took near the end of his reign. A few and examples of quick reward would include Hannah conceiving Samuel shortly after Eli’s blessing in the Tabernacle; the victory at the battle of Jericho; and Jonathan’s victory over the Philistine garrison.
But a casual reading also reveals a God who delays gratification and judgment as well. We all know the story of how Abraham waited for years before Sarah gave birth to Isaac, but he was born! Israel was in bondage to Egypt for hundreds of years before the Lord raised up Moses to deliver them. And while David was punished with the death of his son, there was more punishment to come (Ammon and Tamar, Absalom). And perhaps most notable of all is the fulfillment of exile on the people of Israel and Judah for their idolatry. While we do see in Judges the cycle of sin and judgment, there is always swift deliverance when the people repented. But the exile seems to be postponed, sometimes due to the prayers and actions of a single man; some of us cannot help but ask a few questions. Are the seeming delays in keeping with the character of God (specifically his justice and keeping his word)? Is God fickle in how he chooses to mete out punishment and mercy? Can we really lay all of those issues down at the feet of sovereignty and walk away?
Many of these questions also go back to the other post I wrote about prayer. Hannah asked God for a son and received one; Moses reminded God of his promise to Israel and He didn’t destroy them; Israel cried out for centuries to be freed from Egypt and God raised up Moses; Hezekiah prayed and the angel of the Lord destroyed the Assyrian armies so that Judah would not be carried off. Hannah was barren; God was angry; Israel was oppressed, and Hezekiah was surrounded by the army of a king who sent him death threats- and prayers changed the outcome of the situation. So is God’s forbearance directly tied to prayer? Did he delay punishing Israel and Judah time and time again because of the prayers of the occasional righteous man? Did he stave off exile for another two hundred years because of Josiah’s godliness, and annihilate the Assyrian army because of Hezekiah’s desperate plea for God to do something? Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah, and God still leveled those cities; although he did spare Abraham’s nephew Lot. Would Lot have been spared if Abraham had not interceded for him? The salvation of Lot eventually led to the birth of the Moabites and the Ammonites, people who would later bring trouble and false gods to Israel- so did the fact that God answered Abraham’s prayer contribute to the corruption of his people? Or did God in his sovereignty allow the origin of those peoples knowing the part they would play, both is corrupting Israel and in judging her?
The fact is, none of these situations surprised God in the least. He already had a plan to fulfill his promises to Abraham, rescue Israel from slavery, to show both mercy and judgment to his people- prayer added a human element. While in some instances prayer did not remove or stay consequences (David’s sincere repentance did not prohibit the death of his son, or his other family problems), prayer does allow people to be involved in the process and to interact directly with God. And I would still come to the same conclusion that while our prayers don’t actually change God’s mind in the larger scheme- his plans WILL be accomplished on HIS timetable- prayer does give us an active voice and a participation in what those plans look like in the flesh. God’s forbearance is influenced by our prayers to the degree that our requests coincide with his will.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Give us a King
Give us a King Steven Keith
Samuel was the last judge that judged Israel well. Samuel helped save the Israelites from
the Philistines and he helped lead the people back to God. Samuel was getting old so he
appointed his two sons Joel and Abijah as judges of Israel. However, I Samuel 8:3 says “But his
sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and
perverted justice.” The elders come to Samuel and say “your sons are bad, so appoint us a king
like all the other nations have.” Samuel was displeased, so he prayed to God and God told him
they are not rejecting you, but they are rejecting me as their king. God says in I Samuel 8:9
“Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign
over them will do.” Samuel tells them all the things a king will do them, but the people still
want a King. I wonder if Samuel’s sons were good, if the people would still want a king.
I Samuel 8:20 says “Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go
out before us and fight our battles.” Then God grants the people there wish and tells Samuel
to grant them their wish and to give them a king. Samuel goes on later to anoint Saul as the
first king of Israel. The story could have been a whole lot different if Joel and Abijah would have followed their father’s footsteps.
Samuel was the last judge that judged Israel well. Samuel helped save the Israelites from
the Philistines and he helped lead the people back to God. Samuel was getting old so he
appointed his two sons Joel and Abijah as judges of Israel. However, I Samuel 8:3 says “But his
sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and
perverted justice.” The elders come to Samuel and say “your sons are bad, so appoint us a king
like all the other nations have.” Samuel was displeased, so he prayed to God and God told him
they are not rejecting you, but they are rejecting me as their king. God says in I Samuel 8:9
“Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign
over them will do.” Samuel tells them all the things a king will do them, but the people still
want a King. I wonder if Samuel’s sons were good, if the people would still want a king.
I Samuel 8:20 says “Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go
out before us and fight our battles.” Then God grants the people there wish and tells Samuel
to grant them their wish and to give them a king. Samuel goes on later to anoint Saul as the
first king of Israel. The story could have been a whole lot different if Joel and Abijah would have followed their father’s footsteps.
Samson
Samson Steven Keith
From Judges 13-16 we learn about the life of a man named Samson. Samson is one of
my favorite Old Testament characters because he is a man of great strength. However, Samson
did not really accomplish anything for the people Israel. Some positive aspects about Samson’s
life are that he was a Nazirite from birth, which meant he was to have no razor set upon his head
and that he was specially set apart to God and for his service. Samson made a lot of mistakes.
However, at the end of his life God used him to begin to rescue the nation of Israel from the hand
of the Philistines. Samson was given super human power and he failed to use his power in
proper ways. Samson was in a way very cocky and he thought he could do whatever he wanted
because he was so strong. Killing a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey and carrying the
city gates away are amazing feats that not even the World’s Strongest men of today could even
dream of doing. Samson was in his mind, the ultimate man of strength. Samson’s weakness of
women in the end cost him his life. Samson for the most part was careless and pretty much
didn’t care what others thought or what God thought. Samson simply did as he pleased and in
the end suffered for it. God in his ultimate power used Samson to accomplish his purposes
despite the failures and mistakes made in Samson’s life. As Christians we can learn that men
of great strength also have areas of weakness. Thus, Samson was a man of great strength, but
he was also a man of great weakness.
From Judges 13-16 we learn about the life of a man named Samson. Samson is one of
my favorite Old Testament characters because he is a man of great strength. However, Samson
did not really accomplish anything for the people Israel. Some positive aspects about Samson’s
life are that he was a Nazirite from birth, which meant he was to have no razor set upon his head
and that he was specially set apart to God and for his service. Samson made a lot of mistakes.
However, at the end of his life God used him to begin to rescue the nation of Israel from the hand
of the Philistines. Samson was given super human power and he failed to use his power in
proper ways. Samson was in a way very cocky and he thought he could do whatever he wanted
because he was so strong. Killing a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey and carrying the
city gates away are amazing feats that not even the World’s Strongest men of today could even
dream of doing. Samson was in his mind, the ultimate man of strength. Samson’s weakness of
women in the end cost him his life. Samson for the most part was careless and pretty much
didn’t care what others thought or what God thought. Samson simply did as he pleased and in
the end suffered for it. God in his ultimate power used Samson to accomplish his purposes
despite the failures and mistakes made in Samson’s life. As Christians we can learn that men
of great strength also have areas of weakness. Thus, Samson was a man of great strength, but
he was also a man of great weakness.
God Desires Humbleness
If we do a character study of successful leaders in the Bible, a few common threads are found; one of which is humbleness. Throughout the Bible we find that the Lord seeks the lowly, those who in human eyes would seem disqualified for serving the King of Kings, and those who simply find themselves unworthy of such honor. In God's eyes, humbleness is a key "ingredient" for faithfulness, obedience and leadership.
Let us look at the books of Samuel, particularly the stories of Samuel and David. In the beginning of this book we see that God seeks and raises people of humility and obedience. We learn of Hannah's faithfulness and God's blessing of Samuel; she dedicates him to the Lord as gift of thankfulness to Him. In contrast, we learn of Eli's (a priest and spiritual leader) lack of discipline of his sons who were wicked in the things they did. God chooses Samuel over the house of Eli and we learn of Samuel's faithfulness in ministry (1 Sam. 2:11), his eagerness to serve (1 Sam. 3:3-4:10) and his reluctance to replace Eli in ministry (1 Sam. 3:15-21).
The same happens to David and Saul. David began as a lowly shepherd boy, humble beginnings, he became "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14). 1 Samuel 8-31 we see how God chooses the house of David to rule over the house of Saul because Saul failed in keeping God's commandments. In 2 Samuel 1-24 God honors David's obedience with the promise of a dynasty. In 2 Samuel 23 we see that God chose to bless David even though he made horrendous mistakes, one after the other! However, David exhibited true repentance in his heart, he was quick to acknowledge his mistakes and God honored him for his humbleness and obedience. His humbleness is evident in 1 Chronicles 29:11-14 as he gives credit to God for all that he is and has:
¹¹Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹²Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, an in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. ¹⁴But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. (ESV)
What a lesson of repentance, forgiveness and humbles we find in David. O that we strive like David and seek to empty ourselves of "us" to fill it with Christ.
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