HIS-story: Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings (Part 2)

KINGS: THE CYCLE OF SIN LIVES ON
David failed to live up to the kingly ideal of Deuteronomy 17 and so the cycle of sin that began with Adam and Eve continued to live on. But might David's son Solomon be the one to bring the Abrahamic covenant to fulfillment and restore shalom (peace) back to God's broken world? The meaning of Solomon's name certainly would suggest so ("he has made peace"). All he has to do is remain obedient to the gracious God who wants to bless him (1 Kings 2:2-4). How hard can that be?

Right off the bat, expectations surge as Solomon proves himself to be a god-fearing king. He asks for wisdom instead of power or riches and he demonstrates obedience by building God's temple. And this pays off. 1 Kings 4:20 mentions that "Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea." This is a clear allusion to the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 22:17). The passage then goes on to say that "Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt." Solomon had procured the full extent of the land promised to Abraham (Gen. 15:18-20).

But that's not all. God had used Solomon's wisdom to make his name great (1 Kings 8:41-43). We see this in particular when the Queen of Sheba visits Solomon and attests to his great counsel. Her visit also points to the fact that God is beginning to bless other nations through Israel (Deut. 4:5-8). The Abrahamic covenant is coming to fulfillment before our very eyes! God has made Solomon into a great nation (people), given him a protected land (property), and made his name great (prominence). Surely the end of humanity's cycle of sin is just around the corner.

But just when our hopes are high, the seemingly harmless details of Solomon's life given early in the story pave the way for Solomon's ultimate demise. We learn early on that Solomon has a weakness for women when he marries the Pharaoh's daughter and builds her a house (1 Kings 7:8). This weakness only gets worse throughout his life as he ultimately marries 700 wives and has 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). So much for his wisdom!

We also learn early on that Solomon has a weakness for power and possessions when he spends 13 years building his palace compared to the 7 years he spent building God's temple (1 Kings 6:38-7:1). This weakness continues to manifest itself as Solomon accumulates 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses from Egypt (1 Kings 10:26). Both of Solomon's weaknesses are direct violations of Deuteronomy 17:16-17. And so Solomon shows himself to be anything but the ideal king. And just as with David, Solomon's sin brings God's curses upon the house of David. And so, the cycle of sin continues on.

ELIJAH: THE MOSES-LIKE PROPHET
After Israel splits into two kingdoms (Judah and Israel), a downward spiral ensues as indicated by the constant refrain "He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." It all begins when King Jeroboam builds worship centers ('high places') in Bethel and Dan. These 'high places' ultimately become centers for pagan worship and pollute the purity of Israel's worship.

Eventually, the depravity of Israel hits rock bottom when Ahab becomes king. The text says that "he did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him." In fact, Ahab's wife, Jezebel, assassinates the prophets of the Lord in order to bring the worship of Yahweh to an end. At this low point, Elijah, a Moses-like figure, emerges on the scene to confront the evil of Ahab and Jezebel and restore Israel's worship (just like Moses did!). And so a battle ensues between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (the story reads much like Moses' battle against the Pharaoh's magicians!). Not surprising, Elijah wins and restores worship by slaughtering the prophets of Baal.

While the account of Elijah sounds pretty straightforward, the author covertly goes out of his way to parallel the life of Elijah with that of Moses. How so?

1.) Just as Moses went before the Pharaoh to announce the plagues so too does Elijah go before Ahab to announce that "neither dew nor rain would fall except by his word" (1 Kings 17:1).
2.) Just as Moses battled the Pharaoh's magicians so too does Elijah battle the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40).
3.) Just as Pharaoh pursued the Israelites so too does Jezebel pursue Elijah after he defeats the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19:2-3).
4.) Just as Moses and the Israelites were kept in the desert by a daily supply of manna from heaven so too is Elijah provided water and cake by an angel of the Lord while in the wilderness (1 Kings 19:4-8).
5.) Just as the word of the Lord came to Moses while he was on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights, so too does the word of the Lord come to Elijah while he is on Mount Horeb (aka Mount Sinai) for "forty days and forty nights."
6.) Just as Moses stood in a cleft of the rock and watched God's glory pass by on Mount Sinai, so too does Elijah see God's glory pass by when sleeping in a cave on Mount Sinai (1 Kings 19:9, 11-13)

Why is this significant? Well in Deuteronomy 18:14-22, Moses had promised that an ideal prophet (much like himself) would one day emerge. Might Elijah be this prophet? Might Elijah be the one who can bring an end to the never ending cycle of sin? NO. This unfortunate answer is given in 2 Kings 2 when Elijah is taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. But Elijah's life as characterized by the author of Kings rekindles the expectation that one day an ideal, Moses-like prophet will emerge who will bring the cycle of sin to an end. Could this prophet be Jesus, the one who had a conversation with Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration? Might Elijah's mode of leaving this earth be at the forefront of people's minds as Jesus was ascending into heaven?

THE BOTTOM LINE
Ultimately both Israel and Judah are conquered and brought into exile. At this point, it becomes clear that the book of Kings aims to explain why this unfortunate outcome has come to pass (and encourage Israel and Judah to change course). However, there can also be no doubt that one of the other aims of the author in the book of Kings is to create anticipation for the arrival of God's restored kingdom. This fact is confirmed not only by the way the author tells the story of Elijah but also by the way the book ends. In 2 Kings 25:27-30, we learn that Jehoiachin, David's descendant, is still alive and has found favorable treatment with the king of Babylon. And so the line of David is still alive even despite the reality of the exile. But unfortunately so too is the cycle of sin. The author hints at this fact by pointing out that Jehoiachin shared table fellowship with the king (at a table that no doubt served unclean foods!). And so we are left awaiting the emergence of the ideal king. Until then, the saga continues...

HIS-story: Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings (Part 1)

When many of us think of history, we think of dates and facts but not much else. And this influences how we read Biblical history. But Biblical history doesn't just record facts, it's a TRUE STORY that records PURPOSE and DIRECTION. What does this mean? Well, the Bible records specific events that take history in a specific direction to fulfill a specific purpose...God's purpose. This is why it is called HIS-story. So what is this purpose? And how do the historical books of Judges, Ruth, Samuel, and Kings direct us toward this purpose? Let's take a look.

JUDGES: THE SIN CYCLE & THE BAD TRIBE OF BENJAMIN
The author of the book of Judges clearly sets out to demonstrate a cyclical pattern that taints the entire history of Israel. The pattern is simple...Israel defiantly sins, God allows foreign nations to oppress Israel, Israel repents, God delivers Israel from the oppressors, peace is restored...(and the pattern repeats itself). The skeleton of this cyclical pattern is introduced in Judges 2 and then reinforced throughout the rest of the book with the refrain "Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord" (2:11; 3:7; 3:12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1; 17:6; 21:25).

But that's not all...This cyclical pattern of sin also intensifies throughout the book with each new judge. The first three judges (Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah) are depicted positively by the author AND yet given very little narrative space. And then after the song of Deborah in Judges 5, three judges emerge (Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson) who are depicted very negatively BUT yet given much more narrative space. The large amount of ink given to these BAD judges helps to reinforce the author's point of the book: Israel was on a downward spiral AWAY from God.

The book of Judges ends with a sequence of stories that paints the tribe of Benjamin in a VERY negative light (Judges 19-21). It is from these negative stories that the refrain emerges "in those days Israel had no king" (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). And so the book of Judges ends with the author's PLEA for a king who will one day end this CYCLE OF SIN.

RUTH: THE GOOD LINEAGE OF RUTH
The book of Ruth brings HOPE to this PLEA. The story portrays a woman, Ruth, who is committed and faithful even though she is a Moabite. In fact, many believe the book of Ruth is placed after the book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible because Ruth embodies the wisdom of Proverbs 31. This wise woman, Ruth, then marries someone who is equally faithful to the Torah (God's Law) as demonstrated by the fact that he fulfills his obligations as a kinsman-redeemer by recovering Ruth's lost property and marrying her so that she is provided for. It is from this GOOD lineage that David, the future King of Israel, will emerge (Ruth 4:18-22).

SAMUEL: BAD KING, GOOD KING
But the first king of Israel does not come from the GOOD lineage of Ruth. NO. The first king, Saul, comes from the BAD tribe of Benjamin...the very tribe that was depicted so negatively at the end of the book of Judges. And true to his heritage, King Saul perpetuates the cycle of sin that began in the book of Judges. How? Saul fails to embrace the qualifications required to lead God's kingdom (Deut. 17:14-20). In fact, Saul goes rogue by not consulting God (through the prophet Samuel). By doing this, Saul in essence dethrones God and misrepresents God's kingdom to others. But God will have none of this.

And so God rejects Saul and selects David to be king. David is true to his GOOD heritage...he consults God, he refuses to act without God's stamp of approval, he doesn't seek revenge on his personal enemies. In short, David proves himself to be the antithesis of Saul. In fact, he demonstrates the same type of deep faith in God as that of Abraham. And just like with Abraham (Gen. 17-18), God reinforces His covenant promises to David by promising him an everlasting dynasty and a great name (2 Sam. 7). In this way, the Abrahamic covenant has been brought back onto the scene and with it an elevated sense of anticipation: Has God answered the PLEA of the author of Judges? Will David bring the cycle of sin to an end? Will the Abrahamic covenant finally be fulfilled? Will God's broken world be fully restored?

2 Samuel 11 quickly answers these questions with an emphatic NO. David sins and this unleashes a sequence of CURSES...pain, death, family tension. Does this sound familiar? If not, the author makes his allusion to Genesis obvious in 2 Samuel 13-14. A crafty friend tempts Amnon to take advantage of his sister Tamar (13:3). When Tamar brings food into the chamber, Amnon ate from her hand (13:10). Amnon's sin creates shame (13:13) and brings separation to the relationship (13:15). And just like Cain killed Abel in a field as a result of Adam and Eve's sin, so too does Absalom kill Amnon in a field (14:6). Likewise, Absalom fears being killed from retaliation and revenge (14:11) just like Cain (Gen. 4:13-14). But both men are given reassurances that they will receive divine protection (14:11b; Gen. 4:15). In all of this, the author wants us to know that the curses of Genesis have tainted David's dynasty and so the CYCLE OF SIN will live on.

THE TELIOS OF BIBLICAL HISTORY
I hope it has become obvious by now that Biblical history is essentially telling the same story over and over again. God creates ORDER and REST while human rebellion creates DISORDER and UNREST. Humans simply refuse to embrace GOD'S WAY because they want to live life THEIR OWN WAY. This was true of Adam and Eve, Seth's descendants, Noah and his descendants, Jacob and his descendants, Israel in the wilderness, the period of the Judges, and now the period of the Kings. In short, the PLEA for an ideal king who will end the CYCLE OF SIN is left unfulfilled. But will that ideal king be Solomon (a name which means, "he has made peace")? The saga continues...

1 Kings: Are God's Covenants Unconditional?

Sky had decided to give church a try after her interesting conversation with Parker and Julie. However, the sermon left her with lots of questions that she wanted to discuss with Julie and Parker at 4th period lunch.

"So I braved it this weekend and went to church for the first time. But it left me with lots of questions." said Sky to both Parker and Julie.

"Very cool. I'd love to hear about your experience," replied Parker.

"Well, the pastor was teaching through the covenants of the Bible which he told us were simply agreements that help define and set expectations for our relationship with God. And I'm glad he defined that word because otherwise I would have been clueless the entire time."

"I've experienced the same thing before. Some of the words Christians use can make them sound like martians to normal people," said Julie.

"Well I'm glad he spoke to me like a normal person. But the thing that confused me was when he said that all of the covenants in the Bible are 'unconditional' with the exception of the covenant with Moses. He went on to say that God is all about grace and so our relationship with Him is not dependent on our works or what we do or don't do. This is how he defined the 'unconditionalness' of God's covenants. Doesn't that sound like a relationship destined for failure...all the expectations are placed on God and none on people?" said Sky.

"That's the amazing thing about grace! You can come to God and he'll accept you as you are!" said Parker.

"But then why does the Old Testament make it feel like expectations are placed on people? I mean it seems like the people didn't live up to God's expectations and so God allowed other nations to defeat them and shipped them away into a life of slavery" Sky responded.

"Well, the people in the Old Testament were living under the Mosaic covenant which wasn't unconditional. Therefore, if they didn't live up to the expectations of the covenant, curses would result. And unfortunately this is exactly what happened." said Parker.

"But it seems like in 1 Kings that the covenant God made with David did have conditions (1 Kings 8:25)," rebutted Sky.

"The most important thing is that Jesus fulfilled and satisfied the Law and its requirements so that now the Mosaic covenant and the Old Testament Law are no longer in effect to Christians (Matt. 5:17). As the Bible puts it, they are 'obsolete' (Heb. 8:13). In fact, many people in my church believe that most of the promises made in the Old Testament were only given to the Jewish people and therefore don't even apply to us," replied Parker.

"So basically you're telling me that most of the Old Testament doesn't apply to me because I am not Jewish and Christians can live however they want?" said Sky wanting more clarification.

How would you contribute to this conversation?
            ____________________________________________________

Julie interjected, "Someone told me that labeling the covenants as conditional or unconditional is unhelpful because it leads to this type of confusion. I mean, it just seems obvious that God placed obligations on Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3; 17:1), Moses (Exod. 19:5-6), David (1 Kings 2:1-4), and even places obligations on Christians in the New Testament (Matt. 5:17-20). But what's less obvious in my opinion is why God refuses to give up on his plan and promise to restore this broken world despite humanity's constant and blatant rebellion. I would have given up on them a long time ago. And so I guess I would say that God's covenants are permanent but not necessarily unconditional."

"I think you're on to something Julie. I do recall being taught at one time that the obligations for the Abrahamic covenant given in Genesis 17:1 parallel Genesis 12:1-3. One says 'WALK before me and BE blameless' and the other says 'Go (or more literally WALK) from your land and BE a blessing.' Both sound very similar and both place obligations on Abraham. So I can see why people have trouble when this covenant is labeled 'unconditional'. That label seems inconsistent with how the story goes." said Parker.

"But I thought God's love was unconditional. Didn't you just tell me that this whole unconditional business is what makes God's GRACE so amazing?" questioned Sky.

"Personally, I think we've done the same thing to God's love that we've done to His covenants...we've tried to fit everything into one, single category. I understand that people like their simple boxes but John 3:16 isn't the only verse in the Bible. God's 'love' as described in the Old Testament seems more complicated and multi-dimensional. In one sense God loves the world unconditionally. There's no denying this. He sends rain to both evil people and nice people. And he sent Jesus to die for the entire world. But then again Jude 21 (in the New Testament) tells us to 'keep ourselves in God's love'. That sounds pretty conditional to me. In fact, that sounds a lot like God's love from the Old Testament," said Julie.

"So what you're saying is that people are saved by what they do and not by God's free grace," said Sky confused all over again.

"Well, yes and no. I guess it depends on how you define salvation. I know I sound like a broken record but we've even oversimplified the Bible's explanation of salvation. Most people define it as a get out of hell FREE card that you can get from your local insurance salesman by 'praying a prayer'. While there is some truth to this, that's not the entire story. Certainly God wants to stop people's lives from going in reverse and get them to THE heavenly destination. But He doesn't just want to put our lives into neutral NOW (while we wait for heaven)...He wants to help us move forward and overcome our hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Church people would put it this way, 'Salvation equals justification plus sanctification.' In other words, God doesn't just want to forgive people, he wants to restore them too!" said Julie tapping into some of her confirmation training.

"Now that version of Christianity is actually worth believing in compared to some of the other versions I've heard before. But you're still making it sound like people have to earn their salvation. Where's the grace?," said Sky.

"Well if you leave out the Holy Spirit then you're right, it seems like there is no grace in salvation. But Jesus' death on the cross wasn't His only act of grace. Jesus also sent His divine presence to empower people to overcome their hurts, habits, and hang-ups. People forget that the sending of the Spirit is also an act of God's grace. In fact, did you know that the Bible has another name for what we've labeled 'spiritual gifts'? The Bible calls them 'grace-gifts' (charismata). And so while Jesus' death is an act of grace because it brings forgiveness, Jesus' Spirit is also an act of grace because it empowers us. This means that the obedient life that God calls us to live is accomplished not by our effort but by the power of the Spirit. In other words, we're not saved by works but by God working through us...we're saved by God's grace. Does that make sense?" said Julie.

"I've never heard it explained that way before. I think that makes sense."

1 Samuel 16 & 31: Is the Bible Accurate Historically?

Parker and Julie were sitting together at lunch when Parker asked Julie, "So what did you think of last Sunday's sermon on 1 Samuel 16?"

"Boring as usual. If the Pastor would talk about the book of Revelation and all its hidden references to nuclear bombs he might get my attention. The book of 1 Samuel just isn't doing it for me," said Julie.

"But didn't you find it weird that an evil spirit from the Lord was tormenting Saul? I thought God was holy. So how can He send an evil spirit on somebody?" Parker said trying to get a conversation rolling.

"Well maybe God sent one of Satan's demons to possess Saul. I don't know," Julie remarked unenthusiastically.

Parker gave the conversation one more try by rebutting, "But the evil spirit is from the Lord. Are God and demons hanging out together now?"

Sky a classmate who had been listening in on the conversation decided to make an unsolicited comment, "In my opinion, God gives Saul an evil spirit because it makes for good fiction. I just think the whole Bible thing is a hoax. It has so many historical discrepancies. Why would anyone trust it?"

"Are there any discrepancies in particular you're thinking of?" Asked Parker refusing to let Sky win at her game of skeptic.

"Well, since we're talking about the book of Samuel haven't you noticed that in 1 Samuel 31 Saul dies by falling on his sword but in 2 Samuel 1 Saul dies at the hands of a foreigner? Is that a good enough example for you? This is why I don't take the Bible very seriously."

How would you contribute to this conversation?
                 _______________________________________________

"I understand where you're coming from Sky. Our pastor told us this past week that reading narrative history in general can be tricky. You can't always take people in the story at their word. The only person you can really trust is the person telling the story (the narrator). He is kind of like the gatekeeper of THE objective point of view. And so the reader really needs to be dialed in to his point of view to get the point of the story," said Parker.

"Are you just trying to confuse me? How does this change anything about the Bible's contradictions?" Sky seemed confused.

"Take the book of Job for instance. We learn at the beginning of the story that God views Job as a righteous man. This is what the narrator tells us. But then when bad things start happening to Job, his older, 'wiser' friends tell him that these unfortunate things must be happening to him because he has somehow sinned against God. These guys are simply regurgitating the conventional wisdom at that time. But the reader knows from the narrator that these guys are totally on the wrong track in their analysis. Their version of wisdom is not to be trusted even though they are older and supposedly wiser."

"Okay...So how does this relate to the contradictory accounts of Saul's death?" Sky asked.

"Well, in 1 Samuel 31 the narrator (the objective gatekeeper) provides the TRUE account of Saul's death. But in 2 Samuel 1 some random Amalekite is spinning a tale about how he courageously killed Saul. I wonder why? Might he have wanted to impress the king to get some favorable treatment? But the joke was on him," Said Parker.

"That's right...off with his head." Julie chimed in.

"That makes some sense...but the narrator does tell us that an evil spirit from the Lord tormented Saul. I still don't get that," said Sky.

Parker was glad this question resurfaced, "I actually asked my pastor about this after his sermon. That's why I brought it up originally. He said that the Hebrew word for 'evil' (ra) is a very generic word. It can mean 'bad', 'unpleasant', 'uncomfortable'...you get the point. And like any word, it gains its meaning from the context in which it is being used. This is why many people prefer to call 'The Tree of the Knowledge of good and EVIL' 'The Tree of the Knowledge of good and BAD.' The story tells us that the 'ra' that came from the tree was PAIN. And childbirth pain is hardly morally evil. It's just outright BAD."

"Brevity is not your strong suit Parker. So let me help you. What you mean is that God sent some type of unpleasant spirit to Saul NOT an evil, demonic spirit?" said Sky.

"Correct. This is why some versions of the Bible call it a 'tormenting' or 'harmful' spirit."

"I feel like I'm in English class. Are we going to have a quiz on this?" said Julie jokingly.

Judges 11: Does God's Spirit Promote Child Sacrifice?

Parker, Julie, and Perry had just finished school and decided to do some studying at the local coffeeshop when Parker got to talking.

"So I need your help. I was reading this weird passage in Judges 11 where this guy named Jephthah sacrificed his daughter as an offering to God. This wouldn't be such a big deal but the story tells us that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. Does God's Spirit cause people to do stuff like this? I thought that the Spirit was supposed to help people become more loving, gentle, patient and that kind of stuff. But that's not happening in this passage. It's messed up in my opinion."

Julie quickly spoke up, "This is probably where those Christian lunes get the idea to murder abortion doctors and then claim God told them to do it. This is why I am so suspicious of the Bible. It can brainwash people to do some pretty outrageous things."

Perry didn't like where this conversation was going so he interjected, "But in this story the daughter requests that the father stay true to his promise and sacrifice her. There's a difference between this and someone going out and killing abortion doctors against their will."

Parker responded, "So what you're telling me is that just because the girl wanted to die it was okay? So now the Bible teaches that assisted suicide is acceptable? If it's not one thing then it's another."

With a look of agreement Julie gave her two cents, "Either way it doesn't seem right. I would think that God would be against both child sacrifice and assisted suicide. But if God is against these things then why didn't He put Jephthah to death? I thought God was all about an eye for an eye. And last time we talked, people were put to death simply for stealing. This seems to be on the same level as an honor killing. Don't you think death is in order?"

How would you contribute to this conversation?
              ______________________________________________

Cole, a local pastor, sitting at the table next to the three turned to them and asked, "Do you mind if I invade your conversation? It's pretty interesting."

"Sure. It appears we've reached a dead end. We could use a little help," said Julie.

"No doubt Judges 11 is a tough passage. But it's a lot easier to understand if you read it in light of the entire book of Judges. To be honest this is the biggest error I see people make when they read the Bible. They read it like a quote book and not like a story. If you read Judges like a story you'll notice that there's a chorus repeated throughout the book."

"I think I remember what it is! Something like 'They did evil in the eyes of the Lord,'" Perry proudly contributed.

"That's right. Toward the end of the book the author also let's us know that there was no king at this time. What this tells us is that the book was not written to brag about how amazing the Jewish people were. And the fact that the author let's us know that there was no king at this time tells us that he's not trying to paint the judges out to be very impressive people either. And so do you think that we should assume Jephthah was being painted as a role model?"

Parker quickly answered, "Well no BUT the Spirit of the Lord was upon him."

"That's right but notice that God never endorses Jephthah's vow. He's completely silent. Also, the story never tells us that Jephthah made his vow because of the Spirit's influence. In fact, every other time in the book when the Spirit comes upon a judge it is to give them power to lead in battle. It seems that Jephthah receives the Spirit here because he is about to go to battle."

"But God's Spirit could have stopped Jephthah from making a HUGE mistake. But He didn't," said Julie.

"True. But the purpose of God's Spirit is to empower us NOT to turn us into robots. We still have to make choices. But what we see in this passage is that Jephthah is making choices based on his anti-Jewish, pagan background (even though he's a Jew!). This shows the type of person he is. He would rather try to gain the favor of a pagan war god that doesn't exist than simply trust in Yahweh. He should know that God despises and forbids human sacrifice. I guess Jephthah fails to realize that God doesn't operate like a pagan god. This makes it hard to believe that this guy is a leader over the Jewish people. This shows how corrupt the nation had become."

"But wait a minute. God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. How can you say He forbids human sacrifice?" asked Perry.

"Well, obviously Abraham knew God better than Jephthah did. Abraham seemed to know from the beginning that God would not allow Isaac to be sacrificed. And in fact, the story of Abraham provides a contrast with Jephthah. The fact that Jephthah and Abraham each have ONLY one child (Yehida in hebrew) that are both obedient connects the two stories. But that's where the similarities end. God speaks to Abraham whereas Jephthah speaks to God. God tests Abraham, Jephthah tests God. Abraham is the father of the promise called out of his home, Jephthah is the son of a prostitute cast out of his home. Abraham follows God's instruction, Jephthah follows pagan instruction. Abraham's sacrifice confirms his faithfulness, Jephthah's sacrifice confirms his faithlessness. The two men couldn't be more different!

"This is great because it also explains some of the craziness with Samson. As a kid I was taught he was a Biblical superhero who showed great faith. My teachers must have skirted over his weaknesses," Parker said.

"This goes to show that if you don't understand the BIGGER story you won't understand its SMALLER parts. And in Judges, the first three judges Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah are presented very briefly but also very positively. But then the last three judges Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson are given long and unfavorable treatments. The author organizes the book this way to make his point: Israel as a nation is on an ever-worsening downward spiral away from God."

Cole looked at his phone and noticed how late it was, "Well I hope this helps. I gotta run but thanks for letting me invade your conversation."

Joshua 7: Is God Fair?

"I don't understand why people would want to follow and embrace a God like the one portrayed in the Old Testament," said Julie to Parker. "He's more of an embarrassment than anything. I mean if God were running for political office, what He did to Achan's family in Joshua 7 would certainly ruin His chances! I mean how can God claim to stand for justice and fairness when the deaths of innocent children for their father's mistakes seem to bring a smile to His face? If that's God's idea of fairness then I don't want any part of Him. This is probably why Christians don't talk much about the Old Testament."

Parker replied, "I know this is hard to understand Julie. I've struggled with this same issue as well. My hangup has always been that God says that children are not to be put to death for their parents' sin in Deuteronomy 24:16. But then God seems to break His own rule in Joshua 7. When I asked my parents about this they said, 'The Bible says time and again that we can not fathom the secrets of God's wisdom. And that when Job was complaining to God about the unjust deaths of His children this is the trump card He used to explain away His actions (Job 11:7-12).' I guess He can do this. After all He's God and I don't even have my driver's license yet."

Julie chimed in, "I don't have my driver's license either but that reasoning still sounds pretty stupid and naive to me. No offense Parker."

How would you contribute to this conversation?
      _____________________________________________

Parker replied, "I didn't think that my parents' explanation made much sense either. I mean Job's friends are the ones who gave that quote and I don't think they were painted in a very positive light in the book of Job. So I don't really think that we can assume their version of wisdom should be held up as the golden standard. So I guess the story still kind of confuses me. Do you have any thoughts Perry?"

"Well, if I'm not mistaken the story tells us that Achan hid the stash of loot in his tent. And unless he only stole a couple Rolex wristwatches or some diamond earrings (which he didn't), it's hard to believe that his family would not have been in the know. And so in my opinion either they didn't report him or they were in on the heist. This means that the family was just as guilty as Achan."

Julie butted in, "But it still seems outrageous for God to put someone to death for theft!"

Perry thought for a second and then responded, "Hey, I totally understand. But just remember that Adam and Eve were dished out death for simply eating a piece of fruit. This might sound like a small thing but this act brought pain and suffering to humanity and put the entire world into a crazy tailspin! And in fact, my friend told me that Joshua 7 parallels the story of Adam and Eve. Look at verse 21. Achan SAW a GOOD robe and TOOK it. This is exactly what Adam and Eve did. Eve SAW that the fruit was GOOD and TOOK it."

"Perry don't get all theological on us. That still doesn't answer the question," said Parker.

"Well actually it does. God legislates greater punishments for things that will do greater harm to His perfect creation order. He does this so that people will think twice before committing a heinous sin. And so I guess you could say that death is a kind of sin deterrent. This is why the punishments for adultery, ultra rebellious kids, kidnapping, murder, and idolatry are so strict. Just like Adam and Eve's sin, they harm the very foundations of God's world."

"But how does that relate to the story of Achan? If I'm not mistaken, the penalty for stealing is not death." asked Julie.

"You're right. But Achan didn't just steal, he was told by God to destroy everything in Jericho but didn't. Why is this a big deal? Well God's order to totally destroy everything was His way of distributing justice to the evil people of Jericho and cleansing the land (where He would dwell) of evil influences. Being that Jericho was the first military operation in the land, God wanted to use Achan to make a strong statement so that people would follow His orders going forward. After all, if every Israelite decided to play by their own rules then God's land would never be cleansed of evil. And so God totally destroyed Achan and all of his things because he had failed to do this in Jericho. I guess this was God's way of applying "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." But unfortunately God's strong statement wasn't strong enough! In the rest of Joshua and Judges we see that the people didn't do what they were told and so perfect rest was never achieved in the land. Make sense?"

"That makes some sense but it still doesn't make it easy to accept," said Parker.

"I don't think God enjoys it either. After all, He's the one who created a happy world to begin with."

Deut. 14: Do God's laws change?

"Why do Christians make such a big fuss about same-sex marriage and sex before marriage? I mean it's clear in the Bible that God's laws have changed with the culture," said Julie to Parker.

"I don't agree. Where does the Bible teach that God's laws change with the culture?" replied Parker.

Julie responded, "If I'm not mistaken, God's law at one time forbid people from wearing polyester and cotton blended shirts. The same is true with eating pork, tinkering with genetics, getting tattoos, and cutting sideburns. As far as I'm aware, Christians don't follow these laws anymore. Isn't this because they believe these laws are culturally bound? So why should I think that sex before marriage and same-sex marriage are wrong in today's progressive culture? Times have changed Parker! We're not living in the 1950's anymore."

How would you respond to Julie? Comment below. 

             ___________________________________________________

Parker replied, "I totally understand where you're coming from Julie. The Old Testament laws can be really confusing. And I don't deny that God's laws are applied differently in different cultures. However, I believe that the principles behind God's laws never change. Why? These principles reflect God's original design for this world. And as much as I think I may know, I still think God knows best how His world is supposed to function. After all, He created it!"

"So what principle stands behind God's prohibition of sex before marriage and same-sex marriage?" asked Julie.

"God originally told Adam and Eve that His world functions best when it is filled with communities of people. After all, God loves genuine community and hates it when people are lonely. But community requires people. This is why God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. But how could God's good design have been achieved if everyone wanted to be in a same-sex marriage? Wouldn't that be tough? And so God uniquely created man and women with the ability to multiply communities throughout His world. Does that make sense?"

"I guess. But what about sex before marriage?"

"Well, certainly there are lots of reasons I can think of for waiting until marriage to have sex. I mean it's not difficult to find somebody who was hurt because an intimate relationship that they were emotionally vested in ended abruptly against their heart's desire. Sex without a lifetime commitment can lead to a world of hurt.

But God seems to emphasize the important relationship between family and sex in the Bible. Why is this? God originally designed the family to serve as a safe and stable environment for children to be raised. Can you imagine if God never created the family unit? What would our world be like? It would be complete chaos. Would children know who their dads were (pre-DNA testing)? Would they feel reassured that they would be cared for and not abandoned? I just think that without God's design for family, children would get hurt and confused in this chaos. And in fact, I see this type of chaos happening in our world today and I chalk it up to the fact that many people are disregarding God's design for sex. Does that make sense?"

"Well you still haven't explained those crazy laws in Leviticus? Those don't seem to have any rationale behind them. So why should I believe that those are not culturally bound? Isn't there still a possibility that some of God's laws apply only to certain cultures?"

"Julie you need to check out two blog posts I made awhile back. Check them out and let me know what you think."

"Where are they at Parker?"

Leviticus 11-15 Blog Post
Leviticus 19 Blog Post

Deuteronomy 20

The book of Deuteronomy is notorious for this troubling passage: "In the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them - the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites - as the Lord commanded you (20:16-17)." Can you imagine God giving you these instructions? Wouldn't the thought cross your mind, "Why would a loving God tell me to do this?"

And it doesn't stop there! Ten times the refrain "You must purge the evil from among you" is used (13:5; 17:7, 12; 19:13, 19; 21:9, 21; 22:21, 24; 24:7). How do you purge evil? SIMPLE. You put evil people to death! So what are these evil people doing? Well, in Deuteronomy 19:18-19 a person was "purged" for simply LYING! Ouch! Does lying really necessitate the death penalty?

This harsh depiction has created a public relations mess for God and has made Him very unappealing to many people. After all, where's the love in this "purging"? And where's the justice in killing innocent babies [on account of their parent's evil behavior]? Nobody wants to hang out with a God who seems to have anger management problems. And truth be told, these depictions of God have infected many people with a crisis of faith. But there is a remedy. And I believe the remedy is found in forming an accurate understanding of the entire book of Deuteronomy. In other words, we need to see God's harsh instructions in full context. When we do this, I believe much of this PR mess will be cleaned up. So let's get to it and find some answers together!

THE STRUCTURE
The first step in cleaning up this PR mess is understanding the main point of the book of Deuteronomy. The chiastic structure of the book helps us with this. A chiastic structure is simply a writing style that helps to emphasize certain portions of a text through the way the text is organized. And so in Deuteronomy, the text is organized as follows:

     A 1-3: A Look Backward                                          
             B 4-11: A FIRST Call to Covenant Obedience [Blessings]
                    C 12-26: Covenant Obligations     
             B' 27-30: A SECOND Call to Covenant Obedience [Curses]
     A' 31-34: A Look Forward

C is the INNER CORE of the book and is where the author places the main emphasis. The outer portions (A, A' and B, B') provide background and nuanced meaning to the INNER CORE (C). Additionally, in Deuteronomy A and A' parallel each other and read like a seamless and continuous story [Read 1-3 and 31-34 together and you'll see what I mean]. The same is true with B and B'.   

So what does this tell us? The INNER CORE (C) makes it clear that the main point of Deuteronomy is to clarify the people's covenant obligations and to call them to obedience. To do this, in chapters 12-26 the author elaborates in general on the Ten Commandments. Here's what appears to be his outline:

Deut. 12-16 'Love God' teachings [commandments 1-4]
Deut. 17-18 Enforcers of the teachings [prophet, priest, king]
Deut. 19-26 'Love Others' teachings [commandments 5-10]

So then how do A, A' and B, B' nuance the meaning of the Ten Commandments? First, A and A' forewarn God's people about the challenges they will face in trying to faithfully live out God's instructions. Second, B and B' provide the motivation for following God's teaching: "that it may go well with you." Put these together and you get a portrait of the main point of the entire book of Deuteronomy.

THE 'GOOD' LAND
The second step in cleaning up this PR mess is understanding the main purpose of the book of Deuteronomy. The main purpose is given in the phrase "that it may go well with you" (Deut. 4:40; 5:16, 29; 6:3, 18; 8:16; 12:25, 28; 19:13; 22:7). The Hebrew verb (yi-tove) translated here as "go well" is derived from the Hebrew word (tove) which means "good." What does this tell us? God wants things to be "good" again. This fact is reinforced through the author's constant references to the "good land" (Deut. 1:25, 35; 3:25; 4:21, 22; 6:18; 8:7, 10; 9:6; 11:17). Simply put, God desires to give His people a good land that will bring goodness back to their lives.

Where have we heard this before? Does Genesis 1 ring a bell? And so the author is communicating in Deuteronomy that God wants His people to return to an Eden-like existence! This is why the author's descriptions of the land are reminiscent of descriptions of Eden. For instance, in the garden, God did most of the work (Genesis 2:4-9). He planted the trees. He watered the trees. And He made the trees grow. Similarly, in the land, God will do most of the work (Deut. 6:10-11; 7:12-15; 8:6-9; 11:13-15, 22-25). Deuteronomy 6:10-11 makes this clear:

"When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - be careful that you do not forget the Lord." 

THE PURGING OF EVIL
But how can this goodness exist when God's people are surrounded by evil? This is where God's instructions to completely destroy the evil nations within the Promise Land and to "purge the evil from among you" come into the picture. You see, the only way that good can be completely restored is if evil is completely removed. In other words, justice needs to be reestablished and maintained on the earth if an Eden-like existence is to be recreated. And so God uses His people to distribute justice and maintain His perfect creation order so that "it may go well with them."

But where's the love in this? Well, God wants to show love to the victims of evil by protecting and vindicating them. I mean, would it be loving for God to turn a blind eye to the victims of the Holocaust by not punishing Hitler? I don't think so. And so you see, by bringing evil to justice, God is showing love to the victims of evil.

But how is it fair that God allows innocent babies to be destroyed because of the evil deeds of their parents? The first thing to understand is that blessing was made available and offered to ALL nations since the time when God made His covenant with Abraham. You might remember that God promised to bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who curse Abraham. And God gave the nations plenty of time to take up His offer of blessing (four generations to be exact). He didn't bring curse in Abraham's time because He was waited until "the sin of the Amorites reached its full measure"(Genesis 15:16). However, after four generations, things didn't get any better. The Amorites (and all the people in the land) were still as evil as ever!

The fact that nothing changed even after four generations shows that future generations would continue to perpetuate evil in God's world. And because of this, God gave the instructions to completely destroy the evil people in the Promise Land (including next generation babies). In all of this, God knew that to completely restore good back to His world, evil would need to be completely removed.

THE BOTTOM LINE
So how does this speak to our lives? Let me first make it clear that God is not telling you to become militant and start a crusade to rid the world of evil people. However, God is instructing us to fight against the evil forces and influences that are ruining God's good world. We do this by overcoming hatred with LOVE, replacing TRUTH with lies, and speaking ENCOURAGEMENT instead of slander. This is why Jesus has called His people to be 'salt' in this corrupting world (Matthew 5:13). We are to function as preservatives for good in God's world. And in fact, this hasn't changed from the time of Deuteronomy 4:5-8. Listen to this,

"See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?" 

Now may you be salt to the world around you! May you live such an attractive life that people are drawn back to God's goodness!

Numbers 1-25

The book of Numbers has developed a bad reputation over the years (second only to Leviticus) as being comprised of pure boredom (and affectionately called "The Sleep Aid") but it's actually a very interesting book once you get below the surface. And so I really hope that this book comes alive to you (It has for me!). In my efforts to revive your appreciation for Numbers, let me take you on a journey to the depths of the book.

At its most basic level, the book of Numbers provides a prequel to the military blitz in the book of Joshua that ultimately secures the promised land for Israel. But there's more to the book than this. Think about this. Why is this book even needed? Why not just get to the action? SIMPLE. The people needed modern day reassurances that God would NOT leave them (even despite their proclivity toward rebellion). They simply needed to be reminded that the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3) were still in effect for them and that God would battle on their behalf. So how does the author accomplish this? He patterns His book after the book of Genesis to communicate, "If God did not abandon His promises back THEN, He will not abandon His promises NOW." And so the depths of Numbers are found in the structural relationship it has with the book of Genesis.

THE THREE CYCLES OF REBELLION
With this in mind, the structure of the book of Numbers is the key to properly understanding its message. So how is the book structured? While there has been lots of disagreement, the presence of two censuses (Numbers 1 & 26) makes it fairly obvious that the book of Numbers divides into at least two parts. Most scholars agree that the first half of the book (chapters 1-21) alternates between the giving of laws (which help create and maintain God's order) and the telling of Israel's rebellious behavior. This happens in three cycles making the pattern of chapters 1-21 look like this:

          1-10     Laws of order ("they did as the Lord commanded Moses")
          11-14   Stories of rebellion (complaining; questioning; lack of faith)
       
          15        Laws of order (instructions for various sacrifice)
          16-17   Stories of rebellion (questioning of Aaron's priesthood)
       
          18-19   Laws of order (duties of priests and levites; purification water)
          20-21   Stories of rebellion (lack of faith; complaining)

But where's the excitement in this? Well, this pattern matches the structure of Genesis 1-11. How do I know this? Just like Numbers 1-21, Genesis 1-11 consists of three cycles of rebellion. In Genesis 1-2, God creates a harmonious world but then Genesis 3-4 records how humanity's rebellion brings chaos to God's creation order (CYCLE 1). God then reestablishes order by replacing Abel (who had died at the hands of his brother Cain) with the godly line of Seth (Genesis 5). However, we see in Genesis 6-8 that even Seth's line spirals out of control through its rebellious behavior (CYCLE 2). In Genesis 9, God steps in once again to restore order by sending a flood that wipes out all of humanity (with the exception of Noah and his family). But right on cue, Genesis 10-11 shows that Noah and his descendants are no different than anybody else from the past (CYCLE 3).

STRUCTURAL PARALLELS
With Leviticus
So what does all of this tells us? God has always given Israel laws with the purpose to create and maintain order (He didn't just pull the laws out of a hat!) BUT humans have an instinct to rebel against God's harmonious order. And so, when Israel rebels, God is forced to give further laws to reestablish order so that humanity's relationship with Him can continue. We have already seen the law play this type of role before in the book of Leviticus when God gave the ceremonial laws (for the sacrificial system). And in fact, the book of Numbers is in many ways the rewriting of Leviticus but in story form. Check out these comparisons:

          Numbers 15 & Leviticus 1-7 (sacrifices)
          Numbers 18 & Leviticus 8-9 (the priests)
          Numbers 19 & Leviticus 10-16 (purity laws)
          Numbers 28-29 & Leviticus 23 (festivals)
          Numbers 30 & Leviticus 27 (vows)

With the Flood
Even despite these parallels, the book of Numbers still shows a closer relationship with the book of Genesis than with Leviticus. In fact, the three cycles of rebellion are not all that the books of Numbers and Genesis have in common. Just like in Genesis 9 when God cleansed the earth of evil by sending a flood, in Numbers 14 we see that God plans to cleanse His people by killing off the current, corrupt generation through wars and plagues before He lets Israel enter the promised land. In Genesis, the flood lasted 40 days and in Numbers, the process of killing off the older generation lasted 40 years. It is the census taken in Numbers 26 which confirms the completion of the cleansing process.

With the Abrahamic Covenant
But one other parallel between the books of Genesis and Numbers needs to be noted. The story about Balaam (Numbers 22-25) stands directly in-between the two censuses and therefore many agree that this narrative serves as the CENTERPIECE of the entire book of Numbers. It is also commonly recognized that this narrative brings to mind the covenant made with Abraham in Genesis 12-17 (which also serves as the CENTERPIECE of Genesis). Why is this? Well, the major feature of the Abrahamic covenant is that "God will bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who curse Abraham." This also seems to be the central feature of the story of Balaam in that Balak is making a request (to curse God's people) that would violate the Abrahamic Covenant. And as we see, Balaam is unable to honor such a request because God will not breach His promise with Abraham.

Now if the Balaam story parallels the Abraham narratives (Genesis 12-17) as suggested this further elucidates the similarities between the books of Numbers and Genesis in that not only do both books begin with three cycles of rebellion but they both resolve these cycles with reaffirmations regarding God's commitment to His people and creation (the Abrahamic covenant on the one hand and the Balaam story on the other). This is not by accident. God wants us to know that He will always stand true to His promises.

THE BOTTOM LINE
This is precisely where the book of Numbers intersects with our lives. God stays true to His words. He has promised to completely restore His creation and He will not abandon His plan. BUT we can choose to either join Him in His plan or rebel against His plan. As we see in the book of Numbers, those who rebel against God do not experience the benefits of His promises. This is true of us as well. If we choose to live in rebellion then we should expect to experience God's discipline NOT His promises. So may you live faithfully for God and join Him in the goodness of His plan and promises.

Leviticus 19

I love reading Leviticus 19. Why? It cracks me up! In one breath you're totally tracking with the author. "Do not steal." AMEN. "Do not lie." PREACH IT! "Do not deceive one another." CAN I GET A WITNESS? "Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of fabric." SAY WHAT? DID I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY? This last 'breath' was probably pretty confusing to you. Am I correct?

So how do we address this craziness? One of the solutions is to divide the law into three categories: CIVIL (laws that govern disputes between individuals), CEREMONIAL (laws pertaining to religious rituals), and MORAL (laws pertaining to ethical behavior). What conclusion has been reached from these categories? SIMPLE. The moral laws still apply to us today (because they're easy to apply) but the ceremonial and civil laws are obsolete (because they are foreign to us).

While there is some truth to this, the Bible doesn't make these distinctions! And in fact, there is overlap between civil laws and moral laws (For instance, "Do not steal" is both civil and moral). On top of this, it would be difficult to determine into which category the prohibition against blending fabrics should be placed. So this leaves us with unanswered questions. Are people today sinning if they wear a cotton/polyester blend t-shirt? And why on earth would God give such a strange law in the first place? Let's find out!

LEVITICUS 18
People's confusion with God's laws in Leviticus 17-26 (the Holiness Code) often begins with a misunderstanding of Leviticus 18. Most people think that chapter 18 exists to prohibit incestual relationships (that is, relationships between blood relatives) for genetic and scientific reasons. While there is truth in this, this rationale does not explain why this passage also prohibits intimate relationships between in-laws (people who are not genetically related). So then why would God give these laws? The best reason (in my opinion) is that intimacy between family members (including in-laws) pollutes God's creation design by threatening the sanctity of the family structure and confusing the inheritance process. In short, it perverts God's order in creation (by mixing what God did not intend to mix).

LEVITICUS 19
This understanding of Leviticus 18 sheds light on Leviticus 19. But how? The chapter begins with very understandable laws that provide specific ways we can love and honor both God and others. But then things get interesting in verse 19. "Do not mate different kinds of animals." "Do not plant your fields with two kinds of seed." "Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material." What's wrong with mixing these things? Well, I guess if God had wanted these types of mixtures He could have created them that way in the first place. Isn't that a possibility? If so then the author's point is simple: "Don't mess with God's creation order." Or more specifically, "Keep separate what God originally separated."

Now something interesting seems to be going on here. Think about this. From where do these laws seem to originate? How about the creation account in GENESIS 1-3? In Genesis 1, God brought order on the earth by SEPARATING things (light/darkness, water above/water below, land/sea). But then in Genesis 3 Adam and Eve contaminated God's 'good' creation by MIXING bad/evil with God's good creation when they ate from the forbidden tree. Now, it appears that God wants to remind us not to make the same mistake.

But blends were not completely banned by God. Interestingly, the curtains in the tabernacle were made of blended fabrics (Exodus 26:1). So is this a double standard by God? NOPE. Rather it provides further clarity behind the rationale for the 'mixing' laws. How so? In the sacred domain, mixtures and blends are allowed BUT in the secular (human) domain, mixtures and blends are prohibited. This signals that these laws have more of a symbolic significance and serve to remind people to live holy (distinct) lives. God wants His people to distinguish between the sacred and the secular as they go about their everyday lives. When knitting a shirt...Remember you are called to be holy. When seeding a field...Remember you are called to be holy. When mating animals...Remember you are called to be holy.

This reminder was important because God's people would be confronted time and time again with other worldviews on their journey to the promised land (and even in the promised land). In fact, verses 26-31 instruct God's people to avoid the pagan religious practices of other people groups (Lev. 18:3). No seeking out spiritists (vs. 31). No participating in pagan death rituals (vs. 26-28). No participating in pagan fertility rituals (vs. 29).

In fact, these practices had desecrated (made impure) the promised land during its occupancy by the pagan nations (Lev. 18:24-25). This probably explains why eating fruit from any kind of fruit tree was forbidden (lit. uncircumcised) for three years after entering the land (Lev. 19:23-25). In the fourth year, the fruit was dedicated to God and considered holy. And then in the fifth year, the fruit could be eaten. But why was the fruit forbidden (uncircumcised) for three years (and not for two or four or seven years)? One interesting possibility draws from the original creation of fruit-bearing trees on day three in Genesis 1. After God created them, these trees remained untouched for three days and then on the fourth day (after the trees were created) God rested and declared that day 'holy'. This creation pattern fits the pattern in Leviticus 19 (3 years = forbidden fruit; 4th year = holy fruit).

So what's the point? The promised land was to be a holy (distinct) place governed by God's original creation design and completely free from any pagan influences and contamination. In other words, God wanted His land and people to be PURE and attractive for the success of His rescue mission.

THE BOTTOM LINE
So what is the takeaway for us? God's laws reflect His design for a harmonious world. What does this type of world look like? Respect your parents. Help those in need. Do not lie. Do not steal. Do not pervert justice. Do not seek revenge. Do not spread slander. All of these laws provide for a well functioning world. But God doesn't want us to make the same mistake as Adam and Eve and contaminate His PURE world by MIXING good with bad. And so God placed these 'mixing' laws into the lives of His people to remind them to live holy (distinct) lives.

So how can we live UNMIXED lives? SIMPLE. Don't taint love by mixing it with actions and attitudes such as slander, arrogance, greed, drunkenness, violence, and sexual promiscuity. A lifestyle of PURE love is how God desires us to distinguish between the secular and sacred in our everyday lives. This is how God defines a PURE life. And so may this be true of your life!

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
How does Leviticus 19 relate to James 3:6-12 and James 4:8?

Are you ever tempted to be double-minded (that is, have mixed loyalties)?

How are you doing at taming your tongue?

Would you consider yourself to be more of an encourager or a discourager?

What changes do you need to make to avoid IMPURE speech in your life?

Leviticus 11-15

Did you know that in the Old Testament women were considered UNCLEAN after they had a baby? What's up with that? Was giving birth a sin in the Old Testament? Or what about this? Why were water creatures without fins and scales (such as seafood) DETESTABLE and unfit to eat but locusts and grasshoppers CLEAN and edible? I mean which would you rather eat? But God seems to want us to have an appetite for locusts and NOT seafood. Strange huh? But this is God's Law. I'm not making this stuff up!

So this begs the question, did God thoughtlessly conjure up these laws so He could have a good laugh or is there a rationale behind them? And can these laws (in any way) benefit God's people today? Many believe these laws are completely outdated and obsolete but I actually think they speak an important message to our lives today. I believe this because a very specific principle seems to stand at the CORE of these laws. Let me explain.

THE RATIONALE
If you look closely at Leviticus 11 you quickly notice that the passage is structured using the same categories of animals (but in reverse order) as Genesis 1 (sea animals, flying creatures, land animals, and "creatures that move along the ground"). This is a clue that Genesis might hold the key to unlocking the rationale behind these strange purity laws. And in fact, observations have been presented by scholars that support this.

For instance, the types and categories of uncleanness in Leviticus 11-15 seem to correspond to the storyline of Genesis 3. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve EAT what is forbidden (Lev. 11: FOOD Laws; Gen. 3:6), the woman is cursed with pain in CHILDBEARING (Lev. 12: CHILDBIRTH Laws; Gen. 3:16), nakedness becomes a source of shame for the man and woman which God covers with a GARMENT of SKIN (Lev. 13-14: SKIN and CLOTHING Laws; Gen. 3:7, 10, 21, 23), and tension is infused into the relationship between the man and woman which interferes with their INTIMACY (Lev. 15: BED Laws; Gen. 3:16). So then, what does this rationale tell us about the purpose behind these purity laws?

THE PURITY PRINCIPLE
The purity laws served a symbolic function as daily reminders to God's people about the FALL and the fact that they were living in an IMPURE and DYING world in need of major renewal. Likewise, the purity laws reminded God's people of their LIFE-GIVING mission and the importance of living as a HOLY (distinct) people under God's rule to accomplish this mission. In this way, IMPURITY and DEATH, on the one hand, and HOLINESS and LIFE, on the other, stand at the center of these laws. This is confirmed in Leviticus 11:43-47. And so the general principle is that anything that defies God's HOLY design for life symbolizes DEATH and is therefore UNCLEAN while anything that conforms to God's HOLY design symbolizes LIFE and is CLEAN. So how does this work itself out in the specific purity laws in Leviticus 11-15? Let me show you.

THE DIRTY DETAILS (pardon the pun!)
Food Laws
Notice in the food laws (Lev. 11) that CLEAN animals BOTH chewed the cud and had a split hoof. On the surface this sounds both strange and random. But animals that chew the cud are by definition VEGETARIAN (they do not eat meat). And so this tells us that God's people were only allowed to eat animals NOT associated with DEATH. This is to say, animals that killed other animals for food were UNCLEAN (this includes the pig). This was also true for the birds of prey listed in Leviticus 11:13-19. So what practical purpose did this serve? This law reminded God's people every time they ate that God's original creation design did not include DEATH!

So then what was so special about animals with a split hoof? For starters, split hooves allow greater cushion for animals that graze in the field, such as cattle (no need for orthopedic shoes!). Also, animals with split hooves have an important distinction from animals with claws. Clawed animals are meat-eaters while split-hoofed animals graze and therefore don't eat meat. Additionally, the author helps us here by giving us three animals (that do not have a split hoof but chew the cud) as examples to draw out the rationale for this criterion: the camel, rabbit, and cony (rock badger). Let's begin with the camel. What function did the camel serve? Transportation. Right? The same holds true for the horse and donkey which also DO NOT have a split hoof (but DO chew the cud). And so eating a donkey, horse or a camel would defy God's original creation design for these animals. They were not created to be eaten! And doing so would symbolically bring DEATH to God's creation order.

Now personally I would love to see someone ride a rabbit but it hasn't happened yet in my lifetime. And so if not for functional reasons, why are non-split hoofed rabbits and rock badgers (cony) off limits for eating? Regarding rabbits, you're probably thinking, "They have the 'cute factor' going for them." But not so with the rock badger! Believe it or not, the rabbit and the rock badger (cony) were most likely considered UNCLEAN because they were often confused as being rodents (which are classified as UNCLEAN for reasons we'll later discuss). And so vegetarian animals that can easily be confused with UNCLEAN animals are UNCLEAN (Remember...back then they didn't have Siri to verify information). But the confusion doesn't end here.

Why were sea creatures without fins or scales such as lobsters and crabs considered UNCLEAN? The likely explanation is that these creatures were BOTH land and sea creatures and did not fit neatly into ONE of God's original creation categories (land, sea, or sky). In this way, these animals defy God's original creation design and remind us that in Genesis 3 disorder and DEATH were brought into the world.

Finally, why are insects and animals that "move about on the ground" UNCLEAN? This criterion points us back to Genesis 3 when the serpent was sentenced to "crawl on his belly and eat dust." As a result, since the time of Genesis 3 anything associated with the ground is considered UNCLEAN. This includes insects and rodents that move by hovering over the ground whether on their bellies or on four legs. Conversely, insects like grasshoppers and locusts that moved by hopping over the ground were considered CLEAN because they didn't bring to mind the serpent (and the DEATH he introduced to God's creation order).

Other Purity Laws
Regarding the other purity laws (Lev. 12-15), they were linked with everyday occurrences that brought to mind Genesis 3 and the DEATH that resulted from Adam and Eve's sin. For instance, childbirth brought to mind the curse of PAIN. Also, many believe childbirth was associated with DEATH because of the loss of blood during delivery (and the risk of death that this presented). Likewise, skin diseases and molds were associated with SHAME and the process of DEATH which weren't a part of God's original creation order.

THE BOTTOM LINE
So what message do these purity laws have for us today? Notice that God used these laws to plant symbols into the everyday lives of His people to remind them of their life-giving mission. And so when people ate a meal, welcomed a new child into the world, or contracted an illness, they were reminded that they live in an impure and dying world and that God has called them to be a life-giving force through the way they represent Him to the world. We are called to do the same. Our actions are to reflect God to the world. May you bring God into your everyday life and be a life-giving force for the honor of God and for the sake of others.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
When do you think about God the most? Why then?

What steps can you take to make God more a part of your everyday life?

Leviticus 1-7 (part 2)

REVIEW
Last time we learned that the sin and guilt offerings served as a type of checkpoint to make certain that the tabernacle and the people were ready and prepared for worship. Contamination was removed from the tabernacle by sprinkling the blood of the SIN offering on the furniture of the tabernacle. Likewise the SIN offering removed uncleanness from the people (although blood was not sprinkled on them BUT see Numbers 19 and the instructions for creating the water of purification). The GUILT offering on the other hand assured that people were truly repentant and desired to turn away from their sin. This was accomplished not only through the offering itself but also through the requirement that restitution be made (that is, damages be paid) for the harm caused to a person. Once everything was cleansed and true repentance was demonstrated, the worshipper was reconsecrated (that is, set apart for God's use) and allowed access to the three CORE sacrifices: the  burnt, grain, and sin offerings.

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Try to picture in your mind what a dysfunctional relationship might look like. Got it in your head? Personally, I picture a couple that is always screaming at each other in public because neither of them thinks they are ever wrong. I think of a guy who starts obsessively dating a girl and then puts his other friends on hold and doesn't make any time for them. Or a friend who will only hang out with you when he doesn't have anything better to do. To me these are relationships on a crash course to destruction. But this is not the type of relationship God wants to have with us. In fact, He shows us what a healthy and vibrant relationship with Him looks like through the three CORE sacrifices in Leviticus 1-7.

Before we go any further, though, we need to ask ourselves this question: Why were animals even sacrificed in the Old Testament? After all, at face value it seems like a sick and twisted practice. But if we understand how covenants were made in the Old Testament, we might not be so judgmental. First, we need to understand that a covenant is a formal relationship between two people that is held together by promises and obligations. And so, for instance, a covenant might exist between a farmer and a landowner. The farmer promises to pay for the land and the landowner promises the farmer use of the land. It's that simple!

But in the ancient world, people took covenants very seriously. We see this in the way they were formalized. No simple handshakes or signatures on the dotted line. NOPE. Instead, the two parties would slice animals down the middle, place each part across from each other, and then walk between the two halves (Jeremiah 34:18). This communicated to each party that if they failed to keep the promises and obligations of the covenant they would face the same fate as the dead animals. And so people didn't "make" covenants, they literally "cut" (hb. karat) them. After the covenant was "cut", the two parties would usually share a meal together to celebrate the formation of their relationship.

So how does this apply to our covenant relationship with God? Well, God created us and therefore expects us to function by His design (Genesis 1-2). In this way, we have made an implicit covenant with God. But when we rebel against God's creation design, we break our covenant relationship with Him and the consequence is...death (Genesis 3). But God deeply desires a relationship with us. This is why He setup the sacrificial system in Leviticus 1-7. The sacrificial system allows an animal to die in our place and (vicariously) pay for our death penalty. Theologians call this a substitutionary atonement. I hope in all of this that you can see that 'relationship' stands at the center of animal sacrifice.

THE CORE SACRIFICES (RELATIONSHIP OFFERINGS)
In fact, the three CORE offerings of Leviticus 1-7 paint the picture of a covenant meal being prepared so that friends can hangout and spend some quality time together (Exodus 29:38-41; 32:6). In this way, the three CORE sacrifices show us the kind of relationship God desires to have with us. God wants to nurture a healthy, life-giving relationship with us. Here's how...

The Burnt Offering (Remission)
One key ingredient to any healthy relationship is forgiveness. When people refuse to forgive someone, they are in essence closing the door to that relationship. The burnt offering was God's way of saying, "I want to forgive you because I don't want the door to our friendship to be closed."

To make a burnt offering, a person would bring the prescribed animal to the alter based on what he or she could afford (a bull, sheep, goat, dove, or pigeon). Now this animal had to be of utmost value to the person offering the sacrifice. This is why the animal had to be from the herd or flock (It had to come from a person's own possessions), it had to be without blemish (You couldn't sacrifice something you were looking to get rid of anyway), and it had to be a male (A male was simply more expensive than a female.) The worshipper would then lay his hand on the head of the animal (to identify himself with the animal) and then kill the animal. Finally, the priest would burn the entire animal on the alter (except for the animal's skin). In this way, the burnt offering pleased God (Lev. 1:13, 17).

Neither the priest nor the worshipper were allowed to eat any of the meat from the sacrifice because the burnt offering provided God's portion of meat for the covenant meal. Also, because the primary significance of the burnt offering was that the animal was paying the death penalty on behalf of the worshipper who had broken his or her covenant relationship with God, the worshipper was not allowed to benefit from his own sin by eating the sacrifice.

The Grain Offering (Recommitment)
A second key ingredient to a healthy relationship is commitment. After all, commitment breeds both trust and longevity. And so the grain offering was God's way of saying, "I don't want one of those one-sided, flimsy relationships with you. I want a relationship that will last where we both bring solid commitment to the table."

At the most basic level, the grain offering provided the bread for the covenant meal. But that's not all. Notice that salt was an important element added to the grain offering (Lev. 2:13). Salt was used as a preservative for meat in the ancient world (because refrigerators didn't exist). And so salt was often included in a covenant meal to symbolically indicate the steadfast commitment of a relationship. This is why Leviticus calls the salt that is added to the grain offering, "the salt of the covenant." And so, the grain offering symbolically demonstrated the commitment of both parties to the covenant relationship. And if a person had broken her covenant with God, the grain offering was the way to recommit herself to God after she had offered the burnt offering.

The Fellowship Offering (Relational Time)
A third key ingredient to a healthy relationship is spending quality time together. If you don't spend any time together with a friend then technically you don't have a relationship. The fellowship (or the peace) offering was God's way of saying, "Now that we've restored our relationship with each other I want to spend some quality time with you and create some lasting memories."

The fellowship offering provided the worshipper's portion of meat for the covenant meal. This is the only offering where the worshipper was allowed to eat the meat of the sacrifice (Lev. 7:15). The reason for this is simple. The worshipper had restored his relationship with God and now he was allowed to eat with God and celebrate this relationship.

To capture the entire significance of this offering, it is vital to understand the importance of table fellowship (that is, sharing a meal with someone) in the ancient world. Sharing a meal with another person made a social statement that directly impacted the reputations of both parties. As some have put it, "To share a meal was to share a life." And so you only ate with people with whom you wanted to be identified. By allowing the worshipper to eat with Him, God is expressing His desire to be identified with the worshipper (and vice versa). But table fellowship can only happen if the relationship has been restored. This is why the fellowship offering is always offered after the burnt and grain offerings (at least, on occasions when the burnt and grain offerings are required because of covenant failure).

THE BOTTOM LINE
Many people think that God is all rules and no grace in the Old Testament. But as we can see in Leviticus 1-7, while God desires for us to live by His rules, He setup a system where the Israelites could experience His forgiveness and grace when they made mistakes. The sacrificial system demonstrates to us that God truly desires to have a healthy relationship with us that is grounded in forgiveness, commitment, and time spent together. May these define your relationship with God!

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Think about your relationship with God. Are there sins in your life that are hurting your connection to God?

What words would you use to describe your commitment to God?

Based on how God has wired you, what might spending time with God look like for you?

Leviticus 1-7 (part 1)

GUILT. I'm sure you've felt it before. It seems to surface when we've failed to meet an expectation usually because of a mistake we made. Like forgetting someone's birthday. Not getting a school assignment done on time. Oversleeping. We all make mistakes and so we all have experienced GUILT.

Now some people are really good at reminding us of our past mistakes. And these reminders can cause us to live in the constant reality of our GUILT. And living in the shadow of our failures is no fun. But a life overshadowed with GUILT is not God's desire for humanity (despite what some might think). Sure God has high standards (He's perfect after all) but He wants to FREE people from the HURT and FAILURES of the past (not use them as ammunition to keep us down). How do I know this? Leviticus 1-7!

After the Law was given in Exodus and the people proved they could not meet God's expectations (Exodus 32-34), in Leviticus 1-7 God provides the people with a pathway to restore their relationship with Him when they make mistakes. Why? Not only does God NOT want our mistakes to keep us from a relationship with Him, He also doesn't want us to be held hostage by our past failures. And so Leviticus 1-7 describes five sacrifices that together pave the way back to God's presence.

PREPARATION OFFERINGS
The first two sacrifices (the sin and guilt offerings) served as a type of checkpoint to make certain that the tabernacle and the people were ready and prepared for worship. Once a person made it past this checkpoint, access to the other three sacrifices (the CORE sacrifices: burnt, grain, and fellowship) was allowed. Let me explain. Physical purity was very important to the tabernacle because this is where God physically dwelt. And just like a doctor would never enter an operating room without washing his hands after eating a bag of Doritos, so also people were expected to cleanse themselves of any contamination (or uncleanness) before entering God's perfectly pure presence.

The Sin Offering
Leviticus 11-15 provides a list of ways a person could become contaminated (that is, unclean and impure). It is important to realize that impurity did not always stem from moral or ethical sins. More generally, impurity stemmed from contact with anything associated with death (skin diseases, molds, the loss of blood in childbirth, eating foods associated with death etc.). When a person did become unclean, the SIN offering (also called the PURIFICATION offering) would purify them (Lev. 12:6-7; 14:19-20; see also Numbers 19 and instructions for creating the water of purification).

Now imagine that an unclean person accidentally entered the tabernacle. How do you get rid of the contamination? ANSWER: You decontaminate the furniture of the tabernacle with blood from the SIN offering. I know this sounds strange but here's the logic. In essence, this unclean person has brought "death" into the tabernacle and so blood from the SIN offering was applied to purge ("atone") the furniture and bring "life" back to the tabernacle (Lev. 8:15; 16:15-19). Pretty crazy eh?

The Guilt Offering
But physical purity wasn't the only requirement before a person could access the three CORE sacrifices of the tabernacle. True repentance (that is, turning away from sin) was also required. A person demonstrated true repentance through the giving of a guilt offering (also called the REPARATION offering). This offering was required when a person desecrated themselves by misusing any of God's holy things. The misuse of God's holy name in an oath was the most common violation that demanded this offering. So for instance, if someone claimed they didn't steal their neighbors donkey even though they actually had and made reassurances of their innocence by swearing an oath using God's name, they would need to return the donkey plus 20 percent of its value in addition to making the guilt offering (Leviticus 6:1-7).

The guilt offering demonstrates that people had to make right their wrongs before they could benefit from the tabernacle. They had to truly repent and turn away from their sin by reconciling with those they had harmed. They couldn't just go through the motions. This shows that the sacrificial system was neither heartless nor mechanical as some have claimed (although the Israelites corrupted the heart of the system by the time the book of Malachi was written). In fact, only unintentional sins were able to be dealt with in the tabernacle.

But what is an unintentional sin? The Hebrew word simply means "to commit an error or to go astray" and does not necessarily imply committing a sin without knowing (although the word certainly covers sins of ignorance). The meaning of the word is clearest in Numbers 15:22-30 where an unintentional sin is contrasted with an intentional sin. In vs. 30 it becomes clear that an intentional sin is one where a person is defiant and demonstrates a refusal to stop his or her rebellion.

And so defiant sinners were not able to access forgiveness through the tabernacle (unless they first repented). However, once a person expressed true repentance, they were reconsecrated (that is, set apart for God's use) through the guilt offering (and allowed access to the tabernacle). In extreme cases of uncleanness where people had been banished outside the camp, reconsecration was accomplished by having the blood of the guilt offering applied to the lobe of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot of the unclean person (Lev. 14:14).

THE BOTTOM LINE
So what does all of this craziness have to do with us today? Matthew 5:23-24 provides some clues. It says,

"If you are offering your gift at the alter and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the alter. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift."

The sin and guilt offerings remind us that there are standards (and prerequisites) that must be met before we can truly worship God. True worship is not possible if we have not reconciled with those we have harmed! In fact, the tabernacle is off limits to us if we demonstrate this kind of defiance. Why? Authentic worship requires authentic repentance. This is further emphasized in James 4:7-11,

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded...Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brother and sisters, do not slander one another."

God requires pure hearts from His people. Now because we are so prone to sin, this can be a constant source of discouragement if we're not careful. But God wants us to know that when we make mistakes we DO NOT have to live in the shadow of GUILT because as 1 John 1:9 explains,

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  

God desires to have a relationship with us. We know this because He has given us a way to be purified from our sin so that we can live in the goodness of His presence. My prayer is that you choose to live in the reality of God's presence and not in the shadow of your GUILT. And please remember life in God's presence is ALWAYS available to you (and everyone for that matter!).

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Why is it so difficult to confess our sins to others? What are some practical ways you can become a better "confesser"?

What does true repentance look like? What does a life of defiance and rebellion look like?

Where would you place your life on the spectrum of repentance versus defiance/rebellion?

Exodus 25-40

If someone offered you straight 'A' grades without having to study is that something you would want? What about a fit body without exercise or without having to carve fast food out of your diet? Does becoming wealthy without having to work appeal to you? I bet I would have a 100% acceptance rate if I made an infomercial and offered these FREE to people (with maybe the exception of the Capital One baby). Why? We live in a world where people want blessing without sacrifice (This is what keeps the Wisconsin lottery and casinos going!). People appreciate final outcomes more than the journey itself. And this is nothing new. This is part of the human condition.

But if not treated this can be a disease that infects (and ultimately kills) our relationship with God. Why? Well, many people want God's presence in their lives without offering much commitment. They want blessing without sacrifice. And so for many, if they don't get God's blessing on their own timetable and with the level of commitment they are willing to bring to the table then they quickly look elsewhere for satisfaction (and abandon God). This is true of us and it was true of the Israelites in the book of Exodus.

THE TABERNACLE AND CREATION (EXODUS 25-34)
In Exodus 32, while Moses is up on the mountain receiving God's instruction, the people grow increasingly impatient due to his prolonged absence (32:1). This delay is a big deal because Moses is their only connection to God and His blessings. And his unknown whereabouts has gotten them thinking that maybe Moses is actually dead. As a result, the people pool together a bunch of their gold earrings to fashion an image of Yahweh (God) in the form of a golden calf 'who brought them up out of Egypt' (32:4) and who would 'go before them' (32:1). You see, without Moses the people need a new way to connect with God and tap into His power and blessings. The golden calf is the convenient solution (after all, a statue is much easier to control than Moses!). But by doing this, the people break the agreement they had just made with God in Exodus 20-24. Obviously the people want God's blessing without much obedience or commitment.

But this is not all Exodus is teaching us here. Just prior to this golden calf fiasco, Moses receives a description of the tabernacle. One thing that is immediately noticeable (if you're paying attention to detail) is the parallels between the tabernacle and the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1-3. For instance, both contain pure gold (Gen. 2:12; Exod. 25:3) and the same precious onyx jewels (Gen. 2:12; Exod. 25:7). The description of the lampstand in Exodus 25:31-36 as a small flowering tree brings to mind the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9). Images of the cherubim (angels) are woven into the curtains between the various divisions of the tabernacle (Exod. 26:1-6, 31-35) recalling the fact that after the Fall two cherubim were positioned to guard the entrance to the garden (Gen. 3:24). Simply put, the tabernacle is portrayed as God's reconstructed creation. This communicates God's intention and desire to restore His complete presence among His creation (and with this His complete blessing).

This is further reinforced through the unique structure of Exodus 25-32. Let me explain. Beginning in Exodus 25, God gives Moses instructions for CREATING a tabernacle so that He can dwell among His people. Between Exodus 25 & 31, seven creative acts (pertaining to the construction of the tabernacle) are given as signaled by the phrase "Then the Lord SAID to Moses" (25:1; 30:11, 17, 22, 34; 31:1, 12). The fact that there are seven creative acts brings to mind God's original creation in Genesis 1-2 (When "God SAID"). And just like God rested on the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:2-3), the seventh creative act provides God's instruction to the Israelites to rest on the sabbath (Exod. 31:12). And then right on cue immediately after the instructions are given for the creation of the tabernacle, we find the people rebelling against God's commands given earlier in Exodus 20-24. Guess what? We have Genesis 3 all over again! I don't know what you think but it certainly seems to me like we have an allusion to Genesis 1-3 here.

So what's the point of all of this? Simple. The people want God but they want Him on their own terms. They want His blessings without much commitment. But God will have none of this! Why? God created a design for life that will bring blessing to all of humanity. But to experience and spread this blessing, we need to be committed to living within and maintaining God's creation design! Put simply, if we live on God's terms then His presence will be with us. If we don't then we're on our own.

This is made clear in Exodus 35-40. This passage is essentially a restatement of Exodus 25-31 and so many people wonder why its even here? But this passage makes a very important point. What is it? When the people build the tabernacle, they follow God's instructions down to the 't.' This is reinforced in Exodus 39:42-43 when Moses inspects the work. And because the people built the tabernacle "just as the Lord had commanded," God comes to dwell among them in Exodus 40:34-38.

THE BOTTOM LINE
If we want God's presence in our lives, we've got to live HIS way! God's blessing isn't available to us without commitment. The author of Exodus has created a literary portrait to make this point. But does this mean that we need to be perfect? NO. Jesus died to account for our imperfections! But does this mean that we need to turn back to God (and repent) when we realize we are not doing life God's way? YES. And we should want to come back to God. He didn't just randomly come up with a design for life. He knows what will TRULY bring you LIFE. And so He wants YOU to do life HIS WAY! The choice is yours though.

BIG IDEA
If we want to experience God's complete presence then we need to give Him our complete commitment.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Many people think that God's way isn't the best way to do life. Why do you think this is?

Why do you think people desire to do life their own way?

God's blessing doesn't always mean comfort and success. So what are God's blessings? Why would doing life God's way lead to blessing?

What are your greatest fears and doubts about doing life God's way? How can you overcome these?

Exodus 19

What do you think of when you hear the words 'replacement refs'? NFL. Monday Night Football. Seattle Seahawks. Green Bay Packers. 'Touchception'. Facebook Anger Therapy. You see, the 'replacement refs' will be forever identified with THE call they made at the end of the Seahawks-Packers game. That call has forever defined them. That call has become their IDENTITY.

Simply put, your IDENTITY is determined by with what or with whom people identify or associate you. Some people are identified by a band they like or a brand of clothing or an economic class. Others are identified by a personality quality - funny, friendly, encouraging, lazy, back-stabber, bragger, complainer, mean, etc. Still others are identified by a group of people - prep, goth, jock, emo, cheerleader, artsy, druggy, etc. You see, our identity depends on what and with whom we associate ourselves.

So then, what does a person need to do if they want God to become their IDENTITY? Listen to certain music? Attend church? Do daily spiritual rituals? Wear Christian t-shirts? Avoid bad people? This was precisely the question the Israelites were asking in the book of Exodus after they were freed from slavery and expected TO BE God's people. And God does not leave their question unanswered.

In Exodus 19:5-6 God tells His people:

“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

This is God's IDENTITY for His people: a treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.

TREASURED POSSESSION
'Treasured possession' [Hb: segullah] is God's term of endearment for His people to remind them of where they came from and to where God has brought them. When referring to things, the term references the valued riches of a king (1 Chron. 29:3). But when referring to people, the term refers to a servant who is deeply valued [as reflected in many Ancient Near Eastern texts]. And so this term would be a constant reminder to God's people that they were once an oppressed servant of the King of Egypt but now are a valued servant of the King of the Universe.

But how was this term supposed to shape their identity? Well, think about it this way. This term reminded God's people that they were to view themselves as a rescued people. So what is the mindset of a rescued person? People who are rescued are thankful, compassionate and empathetic. People who are rescued have a PAY-IT-FORWARD mindset. They want to bless others because they were blessed!

This expectation is reflected in the laws that God gives His people. For instance, the Ten Commandments begin with, "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery" (Exodus 20:2). Many other verses reflect this same expectation (Exodus 22:21; 23:9; 23:15). God wants us to live like people who have been rescued...with compassion, thankfulness, and empathy.

KINGDOM OF PRIESTS
God also wants us to live as a kingdom of priests. What does this mean? It's simple. We are TO BE a community with a priestly function. But what is the role of a priest? Well, believe it or not, the very garments that priests wore in the Old Testament explain their role. The priestly garment contained 12 onyx stones that symbolized the tribes of Israel (Exodus 28:9). These stones were to serve as a memorial or remembrance of the people before the Lord (Exodus 28:12). This tells us that one of the roles of the priest was to bring the people to God.

That's not all! Take a look...

“These are the garments they are to make [for the high priest]: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and sash...Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of a skilled craftsman.” Exodus 28:4, 6 

Compare this passage to the materials used for the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place where God's presence dwells.

“Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman.” Exodus 26:31

What does this tell us about our identity as a kingdom of priests? Not only do priests bring people to God, priests also represent God to the people and by doing so bring God to others. Put all this together and it becomes apparent that the role of the priest was to serve as a BRIDGE between people and God.

HOLY NATION
But how do we know whether or not we are accurately representing God to people as His priests? Well, God wants us to be a holy nation. This simply means that we are to be a distinct community. Many people throughout history have put their own spin on what is supposed to define a holy community. But God does not leave this up to us. NO. He provides us with His distinct law that defines His holy character and provides principles to be used to define His people. God wants us to find our identity in HIS law (not our own)!

This might scare some people because they have a disdain for the Old Testament laws. But rest assured God was not playing a practical joke on humanity when he made His laws. NO. They flow out of His character and the way He desires the world to function. And so, the Ten Words (Commandments) in Exodus 20 provide overarching principles that serve as the basis for all the other laws. But even these ten laws can be whittled down to what Jesus claimed were the two greatest laws..."Love God and Love others" (Matthew 22:34-40). These two laws serve as the basis for God's holiness, for defining God's people, and for defining how God wants His world to function.

Here's how. Maintaining one's distance in relation to other worldviews and religions flows out of the law to love God. God desires His people to depend on Him and live for Him alone. In this way, we are to take a DEFENSIVE posture in relation to the world. However, God also wants us to take an OFFENSIVE posture. We do this by loving others extravagantly. By doing this, God wants His people to overcome evil with good in the world to help restore His original creation design.

THE BOTTOM LINE
We need to keep tabs on where our identity lies (because in our world it's easy to wander with the current fads). We can do this by everyday asking ourselves: With what or whom do people identify me? If they wouldn't identify you with God then you need to take a look at your character (Am I reflecting God's LOVE?), your mission (Am I taking the initiative to be a BRIDGE between God and my friends?), and your mentality (Am I living like a rescued person?). That's how God wants you to find your identify. PERIOD.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Do you view yourself as a rescued person? Would people describe you as thankful, compassionate, and empathetic?

What practical things do you need to do to be a bridge between your friends and God?

Does your life reflect both a healthy offense and defense? Are you loving others extravagantly or more concerned about your rights?