We live in a user-friendly age with touch screens, GPS, and internet banking. We love it when things are easy to use. In fact, when things aren't user-friendly, we stop using them! The same can be true in our interaction with God. When God doesn't make sense to us, we stop 'using' Him and look for answers in other places. But while the world today has gotten a lot more convenient, life will never be SIMPLE. Complexity, mystery, and enigma are built into the very fiber of our world. After all, it was created by a God who is ultimately beyond our grasp. And this is one of the points of the book of Ecclesiastes: You will never fully grasp the wisdom built into the fabric of God's world, so fear God and enjoy life! 'This is the whole of mankind' (Eccl. 12:13)!
HOW TO READ ECCLESIASTES
The book of Ecclesiastes is essentially the retelling by the narrator of a teacher's (heb: Qohelet's) quest for wisdom. While Qohelet has lots to say that seems good, it is important to realize that ONLY the narrator's conclusion provides the final word on all matters (12:9-14). In this regard, we can NOT immediately adopt Qohelet's perspective as representing God's truth. However, the narrator concludes in 12:9-10 by saying, "Not only was the Teacher (Qohelet) wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people...The teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true." This signals to us, the readers, that most (if not all) of Qohelet's words represented true wisdom. But wait just a minute. Qohelet teaches that life is meaningless...are we to really believe this?
IS LIFE REALLY 'MEANINGLESS'?
Unfortunately, the word 'meaningless' is understood in today's culture to mean 'purposeless'. But this is not what is meant by Qohelet. In fact, 'meaningless' is an attempt to translate a word (heb. hevel) that was meant to be understood as a word picture. The more literal translation of hevel is "vapor" or "breath" or "smoke". In other words, hevel paints the picture of someone running around on a frigid day taking deep breathes and then trying to literally catch their breath with their arms. This is impossible! One second you see your breath but then it is gone. Life is hevel. Or think about someone smoking a pipe. Imagine them exhaling the smoke and then trying to catch the smoke with their arms. This is impossible! You think you have the smoke trapped in your arms only to find out that it has alluded your grasp. Life is hevel. That is the word picture the author is trying to create. And hevel is the true nature of life and wisdom!
So what does hevel mean in more concrete terms? Well, think about it...just when we think we have life figured out (and have life 'by the horns'), God throws us a curve ball that seems to contradict everything we know or have experienced. And once again we realize that our formula for life was not completely correct; getting our arms perfectly around the mechanics of life is impossible! The narrator of Ecclesiastes wants us to know that we simply can not reduce God's world to a formula or a hard and fast principle; all formulas will ultimately breakdown. In this regard, the book of Ecclesiastes seeks to provide a counterbalance to the book of Proverbs which seemed to communicate that God's world can be reduced to a few pithy statements. And so what we learn in Ecclesiastes is that the principles laid out in the book of Proverbs are only GENERALLY true.
So try reading Ecclesiastes with the author's hevel word picture in mind. Is he communicating that life is 'beyond our grasp', or 'here one day and gone the next', or a combination of the two, or something completely different? Try to figure it out. But whatever you do, don't forget that the word hevel was meant to create a portrait in your mind. And just like wisdom, hevel has a meaning that is beyond words and beyond our grasp (12:10-12)!
DOESN'T GOD WANT US TO UNDERSTAND HIS WORLD?
So maybe you're thinking, "Are you trying to tell me that God doesn't want me to try to understand His wisdom?" NO. We should certainly pursue God's wisdom BUT we should also understand that our ability to grasp wisdom is limited. Our task on earth is not to completely figure God out.
In fact, this is one area that Qohelet initially gets wrong (as pointed out by the narrator). Notice that Qohelet says in 1:13, "I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!" However, the narrator makes it clear in 12:13 that this is not a burden God has placed on humans when he says, "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man." Qohelet eventually reaches the correct conclusion in 7:24 when he says, "I am determined to be wise but this was beyond me. Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound - who can discover it?" Our job is not to figure God out! But if figuring God out is not the duty of man then what does God desire from humans?
SHOULD WE REALLY EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY?
God wants us to enjoy His world WHILE fearing Him. How do we know this? Notice how often Qohelet instructs people to enjoy life (3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 9:7-9; 11:8)! However, Qohelet does not want us to think that life is a free for all or that we can enjoy life irresponsibly! NO. He wants us to know that we need to enjoy life within the parameters of God's creation design. We need to enjoy life while maintaining a healthy fear of God (3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12-13; 12:13-14)!
THE BOTTOM LINE
So how does the book of Ecclesiastes speak to our lives today? Even though we will never completely understand God's wisdom, we need to trust God despite the confusion. This is the reason the fear of God, once again, is the key to living a life grounded in wisdom. And just like in the book of Proverbs, the fear of God takes on a literal sense; it is associated with God's ability to reward or punish. But FEAR is not God's ultimate desire for humans (remember fear is not the END of wisdom). NO. God desires us to enjoy life. God has created an amazing world and He wants us to find happiness in it! However, enjoyment of God's world BEGINS with WISDOM and the FEAR of God. We simply can't enjoy God and His world if we refuse to embrace His wisdom.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Wisdom in the Fear of God: Proverbs
Fear is one of those emotions that has the power to control. This is why people don't rob banks with brooms in hand while wearing princess outfits. NO. They use guns (or the threat of a gun) and wear Joker masks (or sometimes masks of former U.S. Presidents). SCARY STUFF! Why? They know that creating fear will help them QUICKLY control people so that they can QUICKLY get the money and QUICKLY peel out in their Cadillac Eldorado getaway car.
Now when we think of fear, we almost always think negative thoughts...abusive homes, terrorism, or being abducted by aliens. And this taints our reading of Scripture when God tells us to "fear" Him and that the "fear of God" is the beginning of wisdom. We automatically think to ourselves, "Only an angry God who gets kicks out of bullying people and punching holes in walls would ask us to fear Him." And so we picture God as violent and abusive.
But we must not forget that fear can also be used to good ends. Take for instance the 'almighty' spanking (or in today's culture, the 'tortuous' timeout that lasts an entire minute!). We utilize these parenting 'tools' to encourage our kids not to throw a tantrum in the checkout line at Target (or in the Lego aisle or really any aisle with toys or sugar products). Fear in this context is a good thing! Why? In the context of parenting, "Fear is the beginning of obedience." And the loving parents' desire is to use fear tactics to help their kids function properly in this world (and embrace God's design for life). After all, kids do not have the ability to respond to abstract, moral pep talks about the problem of evil (and rebellious kids) in the world.
So hopefully you can see that 'fear' can be used to control people and this isn't always a bad thing. In fact, the book of Proverbs sets out to show that the 'fear of God' STARTS us on the path to true wisdom. And true wisdom will GENERALLY lead to positive outcomes. That's a good thing! So let's see how the author of Proverbs makes his point...
THE FEAR OF GOD AND ITS CONTEXT
Proverbs 1-9 lays the foundation for the rest of the book. And right out of the gate we learn that "The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge but the fools despise wisdom and instruction" (1:7). So how are we to understand this verse (and in particular "the fear of God")? The next verse (Proverbs 1:8) gives us a hint. The "fear of God" is to be understood in the context of a loving relationship between a father and a son. And so instantly, the author draws our thoughts away from "fear" in the context of abuse, terrorism, and aliens and insists that the context for "the fear of God" is LOVE!
But many people throughout history have insisted that the context for the 'fear of God' is REVERENCE. Therefore, they insist that FEAR is better understood to be REVERENCE or RESPECT. While it is true that reverence can be related to fear, the two words create two very different word pictures. REVERENCE creates the picture of a person (like Michael Jordan or Billy Graham) who you look up to and admire. On the other hand, FEAR creates the picture of a person who has the power to reward or punish you. And it seems clear to me that the author of Proverbs sees the 'fear of God' in the context of God's authority to reward or punish. This is clear in Proverb 24:21-22 when it says, "Fear God and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?" Does this sound more like reverent respect or literal fear?
This is why the fear of God is the BEGINNING of wisdom (or knowledge). Fear can control us. And God wants our fear of Him to lead us to obedience in His wisdom! But notice that the verse does not say that fear EQUALS wisdom. NO. Fear is merely the PATH TO wisdom. Also, notice that fear is only the BEGINNING of wisdom. God does not want all of our decisions to be driven by FEAR for our entire lives. However, just like a child's obedience begins with FEAR (at a young age) so too does our wisdom begin with FEAR. But the hope is that one day we are driven to follow God out of love, conviction and purpose (and not just out of FEAR). In this regard, fear is not the END of wisdom.
WHAT IS TRUE WISDOM?
But what is true wisdom? Believe it or not, true wisdom is a WOMAN (1:20)! You heard me right! In Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a faithful, virtuous woman (3:13-18; 5:15-23; 8:1-21; 9:1-11). On the other hand, folly (the opposite of wisdom) is personified as an unfaithful, adulterous woman (2:16-22; 5:1-14; 6:20-7:27; 9:13-18)! The author (who is an advocate for wisdom) tries to persuade the reader to embrace Lady Wisdom and avoid being captivated and allured by Lady Folly (5:15-20). And so the author sees true wisdom as a virtuous woman to whom we need to commit ourselves.
But why is wisdom personified as a woman in the first place? It all begins with Proverbs 1:8 which says, "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching [lit. torah]." This verse communicates that wisdom comes from the torah (see also 3:1; 4:2; 6:20; 6:23; 7:2; 13:14). The word torah is used to refer to God's law (or teaching) in the Old Testament. Also, the first five books of the Bible are referred to as the torah (and so it shouldn't be surprising that the author links wisdom to the creation of the world in 3:19-20 & 8:22-31). And so in Proverbs 1:8, the author is linking divine wisdom to the torah and communicating that true wisdom comes from God's divine law (or teaching).
So how does this relate to wisdom being personified as a woman? Well, some believe that wisdom is personified as a woman because both the words torah and wisdom are feminine nouns. And by personifying wisdom as a woman, the author is using another means to link Lady Wisdom with the feminine torah. Clearly the author wants us to know that the torah is the source of wisdom!
THE CONTEXT FOR WISDOM LITERATURE
So how might the book of Proverbs have challenged God's people in the Old Testament? Well, as we've read up to this point, Israel was constantly being allured into disobedience by Lady Folly. And so the book of Proverbs would have found constant relevance to the temptations the Israelites were facing each day. But if the book of Proverbs was primarily written to be applied to the Israelite's experience of the exile then the book would have helped to give perspective to their current circumstances. They would understand that because they didn't fear God and follow His torah, He had no choice but to put them into an extended timeout under the oppression of foreign nations. He simply loved them too much to allow them to live under the seductive spell of Lady Folly!
THE BOTTOM LINE
And how might Proverbs relate to you and me today? It reminds us that divine wisdom comes from the torah (God's teaching). In the torah we find God's design for life spelled out. This is why God wants us to fear and follow Him...He wants us to truly live because He loves us! And so we need to embrace Lady Wisdom and avoid being allured by Lady Folly. If we do this, only then will we experience the goodness and benefits of true wisdom!
Now when we think of fear, we almost always think negative thoughts...abusive homes, terrorism, or being abducted by aliens. And this taints our reading of Scripture when God tells us to "fear" Him and that the "fear of God" is the beginning of wisdom. We automatically think to ourselves, "Only an angry God who gets kicks out of bullying people and punching holes in walls would ask us to fear Him." And so we picture God as violent and abusive.
But we must not forget that fear can also be used to good ends. Take for instance the 'almighty' spanking (or in today's culture, the 'tortuous' timeout that lasts an entire minute!). We utilize these parenting 'tools' to encourage our kids not to throw a tantrum in the checkout line at Target (or in the Lego aisle or really any aisle with toys or sugar products). Fear in this context is a good thing! Why? In the context of parenting, "Fear is the beginning of obedience." And the loving parents' desire is to use fear tactics to help their kids function properly in this world (and embrace God's design for life). After all, kids do not have the ability to respond to abstract, moral pep talks about the problem of evil (and rebellious kids) in the world.
So hopefully you can see that 'fear' can be used to control people and this isn't always a bad thing. In fact, the book of Proverbs sets out to show that the 'fear of God' STARTS us on the path to true wisdom. And true wisdom will GENERALLY lead to positive outcomes. That's a good thing! So let's see how the author of Proverbs makes his point...
THE FEAR OF GOD AND ITS CONTEXT
Proverbs 1-9 lays the foundation for the rest of the book. And right out of the gate we learn that "The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge but the fools despise wisdom and instruction" (1:7). So how are we to understand this verse (and in particular "the fear of God")? The next verse (Proverbs 1:8) gives us a hint. The "fear of God" is to be understood in the context of a loving relationship between a father and a son. And so instantly, the author draws our thoughts away from "fear" in the context of abuse, terrorism, and aliens and insists that the context for "the fear of God" is LOVE!
But many people throughout history have insisted that the context for the 'fear of God' is REVERENCE. Therefore, they insist that FEAR is better understood to be REVERENCE or RESPECT. While it is true that reverence can be related to fear, the two words create two very different word pictures. REVERENCE creates the picture of a person (like Michael Jordan or Billy Graham) who you look up to and admire. On the other hand, FEAR creates the picture of a person who has the power to reward or punish you. And it seems clear to me that the author of Proverbs sees the 'fear of God' in the context of God's authority to reward or punish. This is clear in Proverb 24:21-22 when it says, "Fear God and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?" Does this sound more like reverent respect or literal fear?
This is why the fear of God is the BEGINNING of wisdom (or knowledge). Fear can control us. And God wants our fear of Him to lead us to obedience in His wisdom! But notice that the verse does not say that fear EQUALS wisdom. NO. Fear is merely the PATH TO wisdom. Also, notice that fear is only the BEGINNING of wisdom. God does not want all of our decisions to be driven by FEAR for our entire lives. However, just like a child's obedience begins with FEAR (at a young age) so too does our wisdom begin with FEAR. But the hope is that one day we are driven to follow God out of love, conviction and purpose (and not just out of FEAR). In this regard, fear is not the END of wisdom.
WHAT IS TRUE WISDOM?
But what is true wisdom? Believe it or not, true wisdom is a WOMAN (1:20)! You heard me right! In Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a faithful, virtuous woman (3:13-18; 5:15-23; 8:1-21; 9:1-11). On the other hand, folly (the opposite of wisdom) is personified as an unfaithful, adulterous woman (2:16-22; 5:1-14; 6:20-7:27; 9:13-18)! The author (who is an advocate for wisdom) tries to persuade the reader to embrace Lady Wisdom and avoid being captivated and allured by Lady Folly (5:15-20). And so the author sees true wisdom as a virtuous woman to whom we need to commit ourselves.
But why is wisdom personified as a woman in the first place? It all begins with Proverbs 1:8 which says, "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching [lit. torah]." This verse communicates that wisdom comes from the torah (see also 3:1; 4:2; 6:20; 6:23; 7:2; 13:14). The word torah is used to refer to God's law (or teaching) in the Old Testament. Also, the first five books of the Bible are referred to as the torah (and so it shouldn't be surprising that the author links wisdom to the creation of the world in 3:19-20 & 8:22-31). And so in Proverbs 1:8, the author is linking divine wisdom to the torah and communicating that true wisdom comes from God's divine law (or teaching).
So how does this relate to wisdom being personified as a woman? Well, some believe that wisdom is personified as a woman because both the words torah and wisdom are feminine nouns. And by personifying wisdom as a woman, the author is using another means to link Lady Wisdom with the feminine torah. Clearly the author wants us to know that the torah is the source of wisdom!
THE CONTEXT FOR WISDOM LITERATURE
So how might the book of Proverbs have challenged God's people in the Old Testament? Well, as we've read up to this point, Israel was constantly being allured into disobedience by Lady Folly. And so the book of Proverbs would have found constant relevance to the temptations the Israelites were facing each day. But if the book of Proverbs was primarily written to be applied to the Israelite's experience of the exile then the book would have helped to give perspective to their current circumstances. They would understand that because they didn't fear God and follow His torah, He had no choice but to put them into an extended timeout under the oppression of foreign nations. He simply loved them too much to allow them to live under the seductive spell of Lady Folly!
THE BOTTOM LINE
And how might Proverbs relate to you and me today? It reminds us that divine wisdom comes from the torah (God's teaching). In the torah we find God's design for life spelled out. This is why God wants us to fear and follow Him...He wants us to truly live because He loves us! And so we need to embrace Lady Wisdom and avoid being allured by Lady Folly. If we do this, only then will we experience the goodness and benefits of true wisdom!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Reading the Bible For All It's Worth
Having just completed another political cycle, we have become all too familiar with hearing statements out of context. That's what politicians do! Why? They want to make a point that benefits themselves and hurts their opponent. And so they take an opponent's quotes from one context and put them into another context thereby changing the author's original meaning. But here's the rub: Many people do the same thing when quoting the Bible (and not just those who oppose Christianity)! This happens when the Bible is quoted to support a position or idea or lifestyle without taking its original context or meaning into consideration.
Maybe you've heard something like these before...
"People need to wear their Sunday best to church to uphold God's holiness. After all, God says in the Bible, 'Be holy for I am holy.'" REALLY? Was Peter trying to establish a church dress code in his letter? Or was he calling people to a character code grounded in sincere love? There's a BIG difference between the two!
"Churches need to start playing music that connects better with the next generation! Paul became 'all things to all people' and we should too!" REALLY? Was Paul encouraging the Corinthian church to adopt the most current music styles into its services? Or was he instructing the people in the church to be willing to give up their rights for the sake of others and the gospel? There is a BIG difference between the two!
And so we need to be careful how we read and use the Bible. Otherwise, we risk cheapening God and His message. And in fact, if we fail to understand the Bible from the author's perspective and intended meaning then it becomes OUR word and NOT God's Word. This strips the authority of the message we receive from the Bible! So what steps can we take to make sure we are correctly understanding and applying the Bible? Here's a few pointers...
#1 Each unit of thought in the Bible has ONE MEANING.
The Bible is not a quote book (with the exception of portions of Proverbs) and so we need to realize that it will take more than one sentence for a Biblical author to develop an idea. This means that the author's intended meaning will NOT be found in a single verse but rather in a unit of thought (multiple verses). We also need to realize that the Bible is addressed to a SPECIFIC AUDIENCE for a SPECIFIC REASON to communicate a SPECIFIC MESSAGE. The only authoritative meaning of a passage is the ONE that the author intended to communicate (not the ones we wish he had communicated!).
#2 The Bible was written in a different CULTURE than our own.
Did you know that the book of Genesis is not a modern day science manual? Sure it communicates truth about creation and the universe but it was written to a pre-scientific culture that believed the gods of nature were behind the functioning of the universe. With this in mind, God revealed truth about His creation and His supreme role in the universe in a way that the original readers could grasp. And He primarily addressed the concerns of their day (which do not always align with our modern day scientific obsessions). This is how God has spoken throughout Scripture...He addressed people in various cultures throughout history in ways they could understand. And so we need to resist the temptation of reading our modern day culture into Scripture and always remember that the Bible was written for us but not directly to us.
#3 Take into account each book's literary GENRE when interpreting.
There is a fallacy that is common in today's Christian culture that the Bible is always to be taken literally (unless the text clearly states otherwise). This has been a source of confusion especially to those people who have read the Song of Solomon or Revelation. At one point, the author of Song of Solomon states "Your eyes behind your veil are doves" (4:1). Should this be taken literally or is it poetic language? Or what about "If anyone tries to harm them [the two witnesses] fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies" (Rev. 11:5)? Should we take this literally or is it a literary allusion to Jeremiah 5:14? We need to take into account the genre of the literature! Some genres (like apocalyptic literature) utilize symbols and visual language and imagery to describe the coming judgment of God. Other literature (like historical narrative) is to be understood more literally. The reader needs to determine the genre of the literature (poetry, prophecy, apocalyptic, narrative, etc.) so that she can apply the correct interpretive strategy to the text.
#4 WORDS can change MEANING over time.
When you think of the word 'martyr' what comes to mind? How about Christians being killed on account of their courageous testimony concerning Jesus? That's how most people understanding the word. And so when they find out that the word used for a 'witness' in the Greek New Testament is 'martys' they automatically think that it means 'a witness who is killed for his testimony.' But they're wrong! The meaning of the word 'martyr' added certain nuances after the Christian persecutions of the 1st century. While nuances are added to some words over time, other words lose nuance. For instance, the distinctions between the different variations of the word 'love' in Greek (philea & agape) disappeared between the time of Classical Greek and Koine Greek. Therefore, in John 21:15-25, the various Greek words used for 'love' take on a flattened, general meaning (just like the various Greek words used for 'sheep' in the same passage take on a flattened, general meaning!). The point is that words can change meaning and so we need to make sure we understand their meaning at the time the author was writing. A good lexicon or word study book (like Vine's) should get the job done.
#5 Develop a good READING STRATEGY that works for you.
While there are lots of bad ways to read the Bible, there is also not just ONE right way to read the Bible (as long as the reader is shooting to find the author's original, intended meaning). But here's a reading strategy I like to use:
GENRE: Discover the literary genre(s) and settle on a reading strategy.
GIST: Read the book and summarize its message.
GLUE: Fit the little stories or sections of the book into the big story.
GUTS: Put the little stories under the microscope and study them.
GAFFE: State the problem the author is solving or pointing out.
Once you're done, you need to make sure that the GIST of the story that you came up with corresponds well to the GAFFE you discovered after studying the book in greater depth. If not, repeat the process. If they do relate well, you've discovered the meaning of the book. But you're not done yet!
#6 Determine how the book fits into the storyline of the Bible.
Each book of the Bible helps move the story of the Bible along (even the poetic books). And so once you've determined the overall message of a book, you need to figure out how it fits into the storyline of the Bible. Here's how I summarize the Bible's storyline:
PERFECTION: God creates a good world (Genesis 1-2)
PROBLEM: Pain enters the world through sin (Genesis 3-11)
PLAN: A covenant is cut with Abraham (Genesis 12-17)
PEOPLE: Israel multiplied into a great nation (Genesis 18-Exodus. 1)
PROPERTY: Israel was given a land (Exodus-Judges)
PROMINENCE: Israel establishes a great name (Ruth-1 Chronicles)
PROPHETS: Israel defiantly breaks the covenant (1 Kings-Malachi)
PLANET: All nations blessed through Jesus (Matthew-Jude)
PERFECTION: God's good world is restored (Revelation)
#7 Define the PRINCIPLE behind the author's instruction.
You're not done studying a passage until you are able to apply it to your life. But applying the Bible to your life is more difficult than it seems because it was written to a SPECIFIC audience over a thousand years ago. So how do we apply, for instance, the Old Testament to our lives? SIMPLE. The same way you apply the New Testament to your life. You need to discover the PRINCIPLE that serves as the foundation for the author's instruction. After all, when we give people advice, we are drawing on a principle whether we know it or not. And in the case of the Bible, the authors are drawing on GOD'S PRINCIPLES. These correspond with His created design for life on this planet. Our job is to discover the principle the author is drawing upon. Then we can apply the Bible to our lives!
#8 A Bible passage can have MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS.
While each passage only has ONE intended meaning, it can have many applications. Why? Principles can be applied in many different ways. Take for instance the principle, "Do not be divisive in what you say." This principle can be applied to your speech as it regards your relationships with teachers, friends, parents and more. In other words, you can apply the principle in various contexts and in various ways. There are multiple applications!
Go take these principles for a test drive and let me know what you think!
Maybe you've heard something like these before...
"People need to wear their Sunday best to church to uphold God's holiness. After all, God says in the Bible, 'Be holy for I am holy.'" REALLY? Was Peter trying to establish a church dress code in his letter? Or was he calling people to a character code grounded in sincere love? There's a BIG difference between the two!
"Churches need to start playing music that connects better with the next generation! Paul became 'all things to all people' and we should too!" REALLY? Was Paul encouraging the Corinthian church to adopt the most current music styles into its services? Or was he instructing the people in the church to be willing to give up their rights for the sake of others and the gospel? There is a BIG difference between the two!
And so we need to be careful how we read and use the Bible. Otherwise, we risk cheapening God and His message. And in fact, if we fail to understand the Bible from the author's perspective and intended meaning then it becomes OUR word and NOT God's Word. This strips the authority of the message we receive from the Bible! So what steps can we take to make sure we are correctly understanding and applying the Bible? Here's a few pointers...
#1 Each unit of thought in the Bible has ONE MEANING.
The Bible is not a quote book (with the exception of portions of Proverbs) and so we need to realize that it will take more than one sentence for a Biblical author to develop an idea. This means that the author's intended meaning will NOT be found in a single verse but rather in a unit of thought (multiple verses). We also need to realize that the Bible is addressed to a SPECIFIC AUDIENCE for a SPECIFIC REASON to communicate a SPECIFIC MESSAGE. The only authoritative meaning of a passage is the ONE that the author intended to communicate (not the ones we wish he had communicated!).
#2 The Bible was written in a different CULTURE than our own.
Did you know that the book of Genesis is not a modern day science manual? Sure it communicates truth about creation and the universe but it was written to a pre-scientific culture that believed the gods of nature were behind the functioning of the universe. With this in mind, God revealed truth about His creation and His supreme role in the universe in a way that the original readers could grasp. And He primarily addressed the concerns of their day (which do not always align with our modern day scientific obsessions). This is how God has spoken throughout Scripture...He addressed people in various cultures throughout history in ways they could understand. And so we need to resist the temptation of reading our modern day culture into Scripture and always remember that the Bible was written for us but not directly to us.
#3 Take into account each book's literary GENRE when interpreting.
There is a fallacy that is common in today's Christian culture that the Bible is always to be taken literally (unless the text clearly states otherwise). This has been a source of confusion especially to those people who have read the Song of Solomon or Revelation. At one point, the author of Song of Solomon states "Your eyes behind your veil are doves" (4:1). Should this be taken literally or is it poetic language? Or what about "If anyone tries to harm them [the two witnesses] fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies" (Rev. 11:5)? Should we take this literally or is it a literary allusion to Jeremiah 5:14? We need to take into account the genre of the literature! Some genres (like apocalyptic literature) utilize symbols and visual language and imagery to describe the coming judgment of God. Other literature (like historical narrative) is to be understood more literally. The reader needs to determine the genre of the literature (poetry, prophecy, apocalyptic, narrative, etc.) so that she can apply the correct interpretive strategy to the text.
#4 WORDS can change MEANING over time.
When you think of the word 'martyr' what comes to mind? How about Christians being killed on account of their courageous testimony concerning Jesus? That's how most people understanding the word. And so when they find out that the word used for a 'witness' in the Greek New Testament is 'martys' they automatically think that it means 'a witness who is killed for his testimony.' But they're wrong! The meaning of the word 'martyr' added certain nuances after the Christian persecutions of the 1st century. While nuances are added to some words over time, other words lose nuance. For instance, the distinctions between the different variations of the word 'love' in Greek (philea & agape) disappeared between the time of Classical Greek and Koine Greek. Therefore, in John 21:15-25, the various Greek words used for 'love' take on a flattened, general meaning (just like the various Greek words used for 'sheep' in the same passage take on a flattened, general meaning!). The point is that words can change meaning and so we need to make sure we understand their meaning at the time the author was writing. A good lexicon or word study book (like Vine's) should get the job done.
#5 Develop a good READING STRATEGY that works for you.
While there are lots of bad ways to read the Bible, there is also not just ONE right way to read the Bible (as long as the reader is shooting to find the author's original, intended meaning). But here's a reading strategy I like to use:
GENRE: Discover the literary genre(s) and settle on a reading strategy.
GIST: Read the book and summarize its message.
GLUE: Fit the little stories or sections of the book into the big story.
GUTS: Put the little stories under the microscope and study them.
GAFFE: State the problem the author is solving or pointing out.
Once you're done, you need to make sure that the GIST of the story that you came up with corresponds well to the GAFFE you discovered after studying the book in greater depth. If not, repeat the process. If they do relate well, you've discovered the meaning of the book. But you're not done yet!
#6 Determine how the book fits into the storyline of the Bible.
Each book of the Bible helps move the story of the Bible along (even the poetic books). And so once you've determined the overall message of a book, you need to figure out how it fits into the storyline of the Bible. Here's how I summarize the Bible's storyline:
PERFECTION: God creates a good world (Genesis 1-2)
PROBLEM: Pain enters the world through sin (Genesis 3-11)
PLAN: A covenant is cut with Abraham (Genesis 12-17)
PEOPLE: Israel multiplied into a great nation (Genesis 18-Exodus. 1)
PROPERTY: Israel was given a land (Exodus-Judges)
PROMINENCE: Israel establishes a great name (Ruth-1 Chronicles)
PROPHETS: Israel defiantly breaks the covenant (1 Kings-Malachi)
PLANET: All nations blessed through Jesus (Matthew-Jude)
PERFECTION: God's good world is restored (Revelation)
#7 Define the PRINCIPLE behind the author's instruction.
You're not done studying a passage until you are able to apply it to your life. But applying the Bible to your life is more difficult than it seems because it was written to a SPECIFIC audience over a thousand years ago. So how do we apply, for instance, the Old Testament to our lives? SIMPLE. The same way you apply the New Testament to your life. You need to discover the PRINCIPLE that serves as the foundation for the author's instruction. After all, when we give people advice, we are drawing on a principle whether we know it or not. And in the case of the Bible, the authors are drawing on GOD'S PRINCIPLES. These correspond with His created design for life on this planet. Our job is to discover the principle the author is drawing upon. Then we can apply the Bible to our lives!
#8 A Bible passage can have MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS.
While each passage only has ONE intended meaning, it can have many applications. Why? Principles can be applied in many different ways. Take for instance the principle, "Do not be divisive in what you say." This principle can be applied to your speech as it regards your relationships with teachers, friends, parents and more. In other words, you can apply the principle in various contexts and in various ways. There are multiple applications!
Go take these principles for a test drive and let me know what you think!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Wisdom in Suffering: Job
If there is one thing I've learned through the years, it's that most people like ROUTINES and FORMULAS (including me!). How do I know this? Well, when people tell me 'I just had a crazy, chaotic day' I assume that they are glad the day is over and are hoping that tomorrow is more ROUTINE. Also, most people I know prefer predictability over unpredictability when it comes to life. They like to stick to schedules. For instance, most students I know don't get excited about surprise exams (they prefer the dates for exams to be spelled out on a syllabus)! One last piece of evidence...the self-help section in Barnes and Noble keeps getting bigger. People obviously like FORMULAS to help them solve their problems!
This human tendency might seem harmless BUT when it comes to our spiritual lives it can create problems. How so? Well, because of this tendency 1.) We often try to fit God into a box in which He doesn't fit 2.) We turn God into a routine even though in the Bible He presents Himself as a faith adventure 3.) God becomes a formula to be solved even though He's someone to be followed. These outworkings of this human tendency can diminish our sense of God's GREATNESS and reduce our desire for obedience especially when the formulas breakdown. But thankfully God and His wisdom transcend any human formula. And this is precisely what the author of Job is trying to communicate to us!
WHAT THE BOOK OF JOB IS NOT
Many people assume Job is a book that sets out to provide a solution to the "Problem of Suffering" (that is, why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?). However, while the book does provide some insight into this question, this is neither the primary purpose nor the main message of the book. In fact, as Job 38-41 makes clear, the book provides more questions than answers (literally!). And so just when we expect to get some answers from God about the problem of suffering, He confronts Job with a list of His own questions. God leaves both us and Job hanging and denies us a simple solution! This, however, is part of the author's literary strategy for creatively communicating God's intended message.
THE AUTHOR'S LITERARY STRATEGY
Knowing the author's literary strategy is important because you can't understand the book of Job without understanding it! In fact, the author's literary strategy actually plays a huge part in the message of the book. So what is the author's literary strategy? The author strategically let's the reader in on the behind-the-scenes perspective of Job's circumstances (Job 1). In this regard, the reader possesses God's all-knowing, omniscient point of view of the situation. And so, the reader knows that God is allowing Satan to bring pain and suffering into Job's experience and that this (and not Job's sin) is the cause of Job's suffering. In fact, we know that God views Job as a righteous man. Because we have this information, we are able to see Job's situation through the eyes of God's wisdom and therefore judge the wisdom of Job, his three friends, and Elihu. So how do each of them fair?
THE WISDOM OF JOB'S OLD FRIENDS
Each of Job's three "mature" friends draws from the same wisdom principle to provide insight into Job's circumstances. The principle goes something like this: "God rewards good people and He punishes bad people." This is often referred to as the Retribution Principle. And so their advice to Job is essentially one and the same: Bad things are happening to you (Job) because you must have offended God in some way... so REPENT and God will bring good fortune back to you! However, the author (using his literary strategy) has already told us (the omniscient reader) that God views Job as a righteous man (1:8). In fact, we learn that Job's regular custom was to offer sacrifices for each of his children just in case they might have sinned (Job 1:5). It sounds to me like Job has earned the nickname "God-fearer!" And so we know that Job's friends are WRONG! They flunk the wisdom test. And this is surprising because they are OLD men. And back in that culture it was believed, "With age comes wisdom." I guess that adage doesn't always hold true! WISDOM GRADE: C
JOB'S WISDOM
So how does Job fair? Job does curse the day he was born BUT like a person full of wisdom he never actually curses God. In this regard, Satan's assessment of Job was wrong (1:11). And so we begin to think that maybe Job didn't just live righteously for the reward of it all but rather for the principle of it. Job seems to be functioning like a wise person at an advanced stage of moral development. But that's not all. Job also refutes his friends' assessment of his situation and seems to correctly conclude that the Retribution Principle does not apply to his circumstances. So far so good! But then Job begins to put God's justice on trial. He begins to complain to God about his unfair circumstances. In doing this he says things like, "Is there any wickedness on my lips?" and "Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins." This makes the reader begin to think that maybe Job's wisdom is entrenched in the Retribution Principle. And that maybe Job does think that his circumstances stem from some hidden sin in his life! WISDOM GRADE: B+
THE WISDOM OF JOB'S YOUNG FRIEND
Now we come to the young scholar, Elihu. He immediately gets mad at Job for questioning God's justice and he thinks that Job's three friends have got it all wrong (even though they are older than him). He goes so far as to say, "It is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right" (Job 32:8-9). What does this mean? Wisdom not only comes through age but it also comes from the breath of God. And so here's Elihu's FORMULA (yikes!) for wisdom: Experience + God's Word = Wisdom. And despite his age, Elihu's response demonstrates that he truly possesses God's wisdom.
How do we know this? While Elihu does affirm some degree of truth in the Retribution Principle (Job 34), he unequivocally rejects the Retribution Principle in Job's situation (33:8-12). He simply thinks that Job lacks knowledge and insight (Job 34:35). As the omniscient reader, we know this to be true! But this is not the only reason we know that Elihu possesses God's wisdom. More importantly, Elihu's wisdom (especially in Job 37) sounds a lot like God's wisdom in chapters 38-41. Elihu essentially tells Job, "You lack enough information to understand your situation BUT God doesn't! He perfectly applies His omniscient understanding to his governance of the universe. So back off!" WISDOM GRADE: A
GOD'S WISDOM
And this is precisely the way God defends Himself to Job: He questions Job's understanding and insight. "Who is this who darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? (38:2)" "Have the gates of Hades been shown to you?" "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?" God is essentially saying, "You do not understand your situation because you lack omniscience. However, I possess perfect omniscience and therefore I can and do apply perfect wisdom to every situation. So back off!" WISDOM GRADE: A+++
THE BOTTOM LINE
Has it become apparent yet why the author wrote the book of Job using the literary strategy he did? It's actually quite simple. The author gave us (the readers) the same omniscient point of view God had into Job's situation so that we can better understand wisdom from God's perspective. Because Job lacked the same insight we (the readers) had, his response to his dire situation lacked wisdom. And in real life we aren't any different than Job. Just like him, we will NEVER have perfect insight into our circumstances (we're not God!). BUT despite our lack of omniscient insight, we need to rest in the fact that God does possess perfect knowledge and wisdom. This should help us respond with wisdom (rather than accusations toward God) in the midst of whatever life throws at us.
But what are we to make of the Retribution Principle? While it might have seemed like the author was trying to discredit the truth of this principle throughout the book, that is not the author's conclusion. How do we know this? The book of Job ends with good fortune returning to Job on account of his righteousness. By ending the book this way, the author essentially vindicates the Retribution Principle and expresses his GENERAL agreement with the principle! But even so, we must not forget that the message of the book clearly indicates that the author does not want us to turn the Retribution Principle into a hard and fast FORMULA that we apply to ALL of life's challenges.
So what is the main message of the book of Job? When it appears that God's justice has broken down, we must realize it only appears this way because we do not possess God's all-knowing, omniscient point of view. In these situations we need to continue to fear God and remain obedient to His truth. And as a result, our wisdom will grow just like Job's did!
You might be thinking, "The 'fear of God'? What does that mean?" Well, the book of Proverbs gives us that answer. And so on we go...
This human tendency might seem harmless BUT when it comes to our spiritual lives it can create problems. How so? Well, because of this tendency 1.) We often try to fit God into a box in which He doesn't fit 2.) We turn God into a routine even though in the Bible He presents Himself as a faith adventure 3.) God becomes a formula to be solved even though He's someone to be followed. These outworkings of this human tendency can diminish our sense of God's GREATNESS and reduce our desire for obedience especially when the formulas breakdown. But thankfully God and His wisdom transcend any human formula. And this is precisely what the author of Job is trying to communicate to us!
WHAT THE BOOK OF JOB IS NOT
Many people assume Job is a book that sets out to provide a solution to the "Problem of Suffering" (that is, why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?). However, while the book does provide some insight into this question, this is neither the primary purpose nor the main message of the book. In fact, as Job 38-41 makes clear, the book provides more questions than answers (literally!). And so just when we expect to get some answers from God about the problem of suffering, He confronts Job with a list of His own questions. God leaves both us and Job hanging and denies us a simple solution! This, however, is part of the author's literary strategy for creatively communicating God's intended message.
THE AUTHOR'S LITERARY STRATEGY
Knowing the author's literary strategy is important because you can't understand the book of Job without understanding it! In fact, the author's literary strategy actually plays a huge part in the message of the book. So what is the author's literary strategy? The author strategically let's the reader in on the behind-the-scenes perspective of Job's circumstances (Job 1). In this regard, the reader possesses God's all-knowing, omniscient point of view of the situation. And so, the reader knows that God is allowing Satan to bring pain and suffering into Job's experience and that this (and not Job's sin) is the cause of Job's suffering. In fact, we know that God views Job as a righteous man. Because we have this information, we are able to see Job's situation through the eyes of God's wisdom and therefore judge the wisdom of Job, his three friends, and Elihu. So how do each of them fair?
THE WISDOM OF JOB'S OLD FRIENDS
Each of Job's three "mature" friends draws from the same wisdom principle to provide insight into Job's circumstances. The principle goes something like this: "God rewards good people and He punishes bad people." This is often referred to as the Retribution Principle. And so their advice to Job is essentially one and the same: Bad things are happening to you (Job) because you must have offended God in some way... so REPENT and God will bring good fortune back to you! However, the author (using his literary strategy) has already told us (the omniscient reader) that God views Job as a righteous man (1:8). In fact, we learn that Job's regular custom was to offer sacrifices for each of his children just in case they might have sinned (Job 1:5). It sounds to me like Job has earned the nickname "God-fearer!" And so we know that Job's friends are WRONG! They flunk the wisdom test. And this is surprising because they are OLD men. And back in that culture it was believed, "With age comes wisdom." I guess that adage doesn't always hold true! WISDOM GRADE: C
JOB'S WISDOM
So how does Job fair? Job does curse the day he was born BUT like a person full of wisdom he never actually curses God. In this regard, Satan's assessment of Job was wrong (1:11). And so we begin to think that maybe Job didn't just live righteously for the reward of it all but rather for the principle of it. Job seems to be functioning like a wise person at an advanced stage of moral development. But that's not all. Job also refutes his friends' assessment of his situation and seems to correctly conclude that the Retribution Principle does not apply to his circumstances. So far so good! But then Job begins to put God's justice on trial. He begins to complain to God about his unfair circumstances. In doing this he says things like, "Is there any wickedness on my lips?" and "Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins." This makes the reader begin to think that maybe Job's wisdom is entrenched in the Retribution Principle. And that maybe Job does think that his circumstances stem from some hidden sin in his life! WISDOM GRADE: B+
THE WISDOM OF JOB'S YOUNG FRIEND
Now we come to the young scholar, Elihu. He immediately gets mad at Job for questioning God's justice and he thinks that Job's three friends have got it all wrong (even though they are older than him). He goes so far as to say, "It is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right" (Job 32:8-9). What does this mean? Wisdom not only comes through age but it also comes from the breath of God. And so here's Elihu's FORMULA (yikes!) for wisdom: Experience + God's Word = Wisdom. And despite his age, Elihu's response demonstrates that he truly possesses God's wisdom.
How do we know this? While Elihu does affirm some degree of truth in the Retribution Principle (Job 34), he unequivocally rejects the Retribution Principle in Job's situation (33:8-12). He simply thinks that Job lacks knowledge and insight (Job 34:35). As the omniscient reader, we know this to be true! But this is not the only reason we know that Elihu possesses God's wisdom. More importantly, Elihu's wisdom (especially in Job 37) sounds a lot like God's wisdom in chapters 38-41. Elihu essentially tells Job, "You lack enough information to understand your situation BUT God doesn't! He perfectly applies His omniscient understanding to his governance of the universe. So back off!" WISDOM GRADE: A
GOD'S WISDOM
And this is precisely the way God defends Himself to Job: He questions Job's understanding and insight. "Who is this who darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? (38:2)" "Have the gates of Hades been shown to you?" "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?" God is essentially saying, "You do not understand your situation because you lack omniscience. However, I possess perfect omniscience and therefore I can and do apply perfect wisdom to every situation. So back off!" WISDOM GRADE: A+++
THE BOTTOM LINE
Has it become apparent yet why the author wrote the book of Job using the literary strategy he did? It's actually quite simple. The author gave us (the readers) the same omniscient point of view God had into Job's situation so that we can better understand wisdom from God's perspective. Because Job lacked the same insight we (the readers) had, his response to his dire situation lacked wisdom. And in real life we aren't any different than Job. Just like him, we will NEVER have perfect insight into our circumstances (we're not God!). BUT despite our lack of omniscient insight, we need to rest in the fact that God does possess perfect knowledge and wisdom. This should help us respond with wisdom (rather than accusations toward God) in the midst of whatever life throws at us.
But what are we to make of the Retribution Principle? While it might have seemed like the author was trying to discredit the truth of this principle throughout the book, that is not the author's conclusion. How do we know this? The book of Job ends with good fortune returning to Job on account of his righteousness. By ending the book this way, the author essentially vindicates the Retribution Principle and expresses his GENERAL agreement with the principle! But even so, we must not forget that the message of the book clearly indicates that the author does not want us to turn the Retribution Principle into a hard and fast FORMULA that we apply to ALL of life's challenges.
So what is the main message of the book of Job? When it appears that God's justice has broken down, we must realize it only appears this way because we do not possess God's all-knowing, omniscient point of view. In these situations we need to continue to fear God and remain obedient to His truth. And as a result, our wisdom will grow just like Job's did!
You might be thinking, "The 'fear of God'? What does that mean?" Well, the book of Proverbs gives us that answer. And so on we go...
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
HIS-story: Esther
If you've ever gone through a period of misfortune where everything seems to be going wrong [death of a loved one, sickness, divorce of parents, financial stress, relationships gone bad, depression] then you can relate to Israel in the midst of its exile. And anyone who is immersed in these types of trials and tribulations always has lots of questions: What have I done to deserve this? Is God mad at me? Has God given up on His promises? Does God care for me? Does God even exist? If you've been here before then you know the importance of receiving hope-filled reassurances when your circumstances seem hopeless. This is precisely what the book of Esther sets out to do...give the community of Israel hope-filled reassurances that God has not given up on them or His promises.
IRONY #1: GOD IS PRESENT EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS HE IS ABSENT
The interesting thing about the book of Esther is that God is never actually mentioned. Why is this? Might it be that the author is trying to mirror Israel's current perceptions in the way that He tells the story? Currently, Israel must perceive that God is absent from them. After all, they are living under the oppression of a foreign nation! Would this be happening if God were with them? And so to mimic this perception, the author makes it appear as though God is absent in the story. However, through a sequence of ironic coincidences in the story, the author makes it obvious that God is present and hard at work behind the scenes. By doing this, the author is able to point out the ultimate irony of Israel's exile: God is present in the exile even though it feels like He is absent.
IRONY #2: GOD BLESSES EVEN WHEN HE IS CURSING
One of the most obvious ways that we see the God of Israel present in the story of Esther is that the blessings of the Abrahamic promise are still working themselves out in the current circumstances of the exile. How so? Even though the Jewish people are enduring the curses of the covenant that resulted from their perpetual disobedience, God is still "blessing those who bless Israel and cursing those who curse Israel." This is one of the hallmarks of the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3).
The working out of this aspect of the Abrahamic promise is most evident in the lives of King Xerxes (for better) and Haman (for worse). King Xerxes blesses Israel by appointing Esther to be his queen. As a result, an assassination plot on his life is averted (Esther 2:19-23). God blesses those who bless Israel. On the other hand, Haman plotted the annihilation of God's people and as a result his life was taken through an ironic twist of events. God curses those who curse Israel. In this, the author wants God's people to know that His blessed presence is with them even when they are experiencing His covenant curses! God remains true to His promises! God continues to protect His people!
IRONY #3: GOD IS FAITHFUL DESPITE OUR UNFAITHFULNESS
But God doesn't just want His people to know that He is present and at work in some general sense [so as to relieve their self-focused worries]. NO. God wants His people to know that His presence is still faithfully and specifically working out His plan to restore a broken world despite their unfaithfulness. By doing this, God hopes to encourage and motivate His people to live out His mission for the sake of others by reminding them that He has not given up on His plan!
Now the author is subtle in communicating the message that God is still working out His promises despite Israel's unfaithfulness. And so we need to pay close attention to the details of the story and take notice of the clues embedded in the text. CLUE #1: Notice that the author repeatedly provides us with the seemingly insignificant detail that Haman, the person who plots the annihilation of the Jews in the story, is the "son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews" (3:1; 3:10; 8:3; 8:5; 9:24). WHY DOES THE AUTHOR EMPHASIZE THIS? CLUE #2: Also notice that the author points out that Mordecai is a descendant of Saul, "the son of Kish" (2:5; see 1 Samuel 9:1). BUT WHY IS THIS SIGNIFICANT?
ANSWER: To the Jewish person, the Agagites were a constant reminder of Israel's unfaithfulness. You might recall that in 1 Samuel 15:9 Saul spared Agag and the best of his possessions even though God had commanded their total destruction. But in the story of Esther, God finishes the job that Saul failed to complete [ironically through Mordecai, one of Saul's descendants]. How do we know this? Well, after all the ironic coincidences have worked themselves out for the benefit of the Jews, we read in Esther 9:5-9 that the Jews "struck down ALL their enemies with the sword." And then the author goes out of his way to record that "the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews" were killed "but they [the Jewish people] did not lay their hands on the plunder." God has vindicated the past mistakes of Saul by killing the Agagites [that is, Haman and his descendants]. In this we learn that God's plan to restore a broken, evil world can not be stopped [even by Israel's unfaithfulness]. God is committed to His purpose even when we are not!
THE BOTTOM LINE
And so what is the author's message to us in all of this?
1.) We need to trust that God is present no matter our current circumstances.
2.) It only makes sense to abandon our selfish priorities and join God in His unstoppable mission!
May that be your heart's desire! May you desire to live a life that is focused beyond yourself!
1.) We need to trust that God is present no matter our current circumstances.
2.) It only makes sense to abandon our selfish priorities and join God in His unstoppable mission!
May that be your heart's desire! May you desire to live a life that is focused beyond yourself!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
HIS-story: Ezra-Nehemiah
As we read the story of the Bible, we all naturally think that Israel will eventually learn its lesson, get its act together, and seek God's blessing through simple obedience. After all, at this point in the story, Babylon has removed the Davidic king from the throne, destroyed Jerusalem (along with the Temple), and taken Israel into captivity where everyday they get a good, old fashioned beat down. It appears that God's promises have literally been left in shambles. And so with Israel's back against a wall we naturally think that turning back to God would be a no-brainer. But has Israel learned its lesson and will it get its act together? This is what the book of Ezra-Nehemiah sets out to answer.
JEREMIAH'S PROPHECY FULFILLED?
The story begins on a positive note; the author tells us that God's word to Jeremiah is being fulfilled and that Cyrus, the king of Persia, is allowing the people of Israel to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple on his own dime. This turn of events is quite amazing. God had told Jeremiah that Israel would be exiled from the land for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:8-14) because, among other things, it had failed to observe any of the Sabbath years (2 Chronicles 36:21). And right on schedule, God is at work to reverse the bad fortunes of Israel. But God's promise included much more than a simple return to Jerusalem. We read in Jeremiah 25:12-14 that God promised to decimate the nation of Babylon as judgment for its acts of injustice. This is precisely what has happened at the time of Ezra as we read that a Persian king sits in the seat of power. God is clearly on the move again; prophetic anticipation fills the air!
GOD'S PROMISES REINSTATED?
But what about the promise to David that one of his descendants will rule as king over an everlasting kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-14)? And what about God dwelling among His people? Will God's presence return to Jerusalem? The people certainly hope so! And so the first thing the people do is rebuild the altar and offer the 'prescribed' sacrifices to God 'in accordance with what was written in the Law of Moses the man of God' (Ezra 3:2). Clearly the people have learned from the examples of the former kings Hezekiah and Josiah that when you truly repent (that is, turn away from sin and pursue God) God responds with favor and kindness. Couple this penitent response with the return of Joshua, a priest, and Zerubbabel, a descendant of David (Matthew 1:12-13), and it appears that the stage is set for the return of God's presence and the restoration of His kingdom!
WILL GOD'S PEOPLE TRUST HIM?
But just when the stars seem to be aligning and the end of the exile seems to be just over the horizon, adversity arises. Through bribes and intimidation, a group of foreigners attempts to stop the building of the temple. AND THEY SUCCEED! So how do the people of God respond? They simply put down their shovels and go on with their lives! They don't even cry out to God for help! Where's the faith? Wasn't there a renewed passion for God in the air? If so, apparently it was short lived. Adversity can have that kind of affect on people's passion!
But then Haggai and Zechariah, true prophets of God, come on the scene and demonstrate TRUE faith...they BELIEVE that God has called His people to accomplish a specific task and so they ACT on that BELIEF! God honors their faith and the building of the temple reaches completion. And then a man named Ezra who is well versed in God's commands and decrees comes to the people. He tells stories of God's faithfulness to him on his journey to Jerusalem. But then, Ezra's faithfulness is contrasted with the people's unfaithfulness. We learn what the people had been doing while the temple stood unfinished...they had been intermarrying with the neighboring people; The very practice that had gotten them exiled in the first place! I guess old habits die hard!
THE CYCLE OF SIN TERMINATED?
It's probably pretty easy to predict where the story goes from here. We've seen this script played out before, haven't we? The people repent...God raises up a godly leader to reestablish order...the people rebel again...the people's sin gets them into trouble...they cry out to God...God rescues them...and the cycle repeats itself. This is precisely what happens in the book of Nehemiah. It is a replay of the book of Ezra (and the entire Old Testament for that matter). God calls Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem...the people experience opposition from neighboring people...God's people respond by demonstrating faithLESSness...Nehemiah's faithFULLness inspires the completion of the wall...the people recommit themselves to God...BUT that's NOT the final word! Nehemiah 13 (the final chapter!) tells of the people's return to their old habits. The people settle for the status quo. And with that, the cycle of sin lives on.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So what are we to make of all of this? In many ways, the book of Ezra mimics the account of the original building of the temple. The wood comes from Lebanon (1 Kings 5:6, 9; 2 Chronicles 2:10, 16), the temple is dedicated by making lots of sacrifices (Ezra 6:16-18; 1 Kings 8:62-64), and a great feast is held after the completion of the temple (Ezra 6:19-22; 1 Kings 8:65-68). But one important detail is missing: God's presence. Unlike the building of the first temple, God's presence is never said to enter the second temple. And so it appears that God's presence doesn't come to dwell among His people! Why? Based on what we learned above, might it be that the people don't seem to NEED or WANT God?
But don't be fooled. God's presence is not completely absent from the story. In fact, the author goes out of his way to tell us that 'the good hand of the Lord' was upon Ezra and Nehemiah and that 'the God of Israel was over' Zechariah and Haggai (Nehemiah 2:8, 18; Ezra 5:1, 5; 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31). So what does this tell us? God's presence comes to those who NEED and WANT Him. And this makes sense. After all, why do we need the comfort of God's presence if we're already living a comfortable life? COMFORT can mask our NEED for God. And so maybe COMFORT is the reason people don't feel the NEED for God's presence more often. This leaves us with the question: When our experience of God feels bland and mundane might this be the result of the fact that we are COMFORTABLE and not fully engaging in God's supernatural mission? It's worth considering.
JEREMIAH'S PROPHECY FULFILLED?
The story begins on a positive note; the author tells us that God's word to Jeremiah is being fulfilled and that Cyrus, the king of Persia, is allowing the people of Israel to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple on his own dime. This turn of events is quite amazing. God had told Jeremiah that Israel would be exiled from the land for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:8-14) because, among other things, it had failed to observe any of the Sabbath years (2 Chronicles 36:21). And right on schedule, God is at work to reverse the bad fortunes of Israel. But God's promise included much more than a simple return to Jerusalem. We read in Jeremiah 25:12-14 that God promised to decimate the nation of Babylon as judgment for its acts of injustice. This is precisely what has happened at the time of Ezra as we read that a Persian king sits in the seat of power. God is clearly on the move again; prophetic anticipation fills the air!
GOD'S PROMISES REINSTATED?
But what about the promise to David that one of his descendants will rule as king over an everlasting kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-14)? And what about God dwelling among His people? Will God's presence return to Jerusalem? The people certainly hope so! And so the first thing the people do is rebuild the altar and offer the 'prescribed' sacrifices to God 'in accordance with what was written in the Law of Moses the man of God' (Ezra 3:2). Clearly the people have learned from the examples of the former kings Hezekiah and Josiah that when you truly repent (that is, turn away from sin and pursue God) God responds with favor and kindness. Couple this penitent response with the return of Joshua, a priest, and Zerubbabel, a descendant of David (Matthew 1:12-13), and it appears that the stage is set for the return of God's presence and the restoration of His kingdom!
WILL GOD'S PEOPLE TRUST HIM?
But just when the stars seem to be aligning and the end of the exile seems to be just over the horizon, adversity arises. Through bribes and intimidation, a group of foreigners attempts to stop the building of the temple. AND THEY SUCCEED! So how do the people of God respond? They simply put down their shovels and go on with their lives! They don't even cry out to God for help! Where's the faith? Wasn't there a renewed passion for God in the air? If so, apparently it was short lived. Adversity can have that kind of affect on people's passion!
But then Haggai and Zechariah, true prophets of God, come on the scene and demonstrate TRUE faith...they BELIEVE that God has called His people to accomplish a specific task and so they ACT on that BELIEF! God honors their faith and the building of the temple reaches completion. And then a man named Ezra who is well versed in God's commands and decrees comes to the people. He tells stories of God's faithfulness to him on his journey to Jerusalem. But then, Ezra's faithfulness is contrasted with the people's unfaithfulness. We learn what the people had been doing while the temple stood unfinished...they had been intermarrying with the neighboring people; The very practice that had gotten them exiled in the first place! I guess old habits die hard!
THE CYCLE OF SIN TERMINATED?
It's probably pretty easy to predict where the story goes from here. We've seen this script played out before, haven't we? The people repent...God raises up a godly leader to reestablish order...the people rebel again...the people's sin gets them into trouble...they cry out to God...God rescues them...and the cycle repeats itself. This is precisely what happens in the book of Nehemiah. It is a replay of the book of Ezra (and the entire Old Testament for that matter). God calls Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem...the people experience opposition from neighboring people...God's people respond by demonstrating faithLESSness...Nehemiah's faithFULLness inspires the completion of the wall...the people recommit themselves to God...BUT that's NOT the final word! Nehemiah 13 (the final chapter!) tells of the people's return to their old habits. The people settle for the status quo. And with that, the cycle of sin lives on.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So what are we to make of all of this? In many ways, the book of Ezra mimics the account of the original building of the temple. The wood comes from Lebanon (1 Kings 5:6, 9; 2 Chronicles 2:10, 16), the temple is dedicated by making lots of sacrifices (Ezra 6:16-18; 1 Kings 8:62-64), and a great feast is held after the completion of the temple (Ezra 6:19-22; 1 Kings 8:65-68). But one important detail is missing: God's presence. Unlike the building of the first temple, God's presence is never said to enter the second temple. And so it appears that God's presence doesn't come to dwell among His people! Why? Based on what we learned above, might it be that the people don't seem to NEED or WANT God?
But don't be fooled. God's presence is not completely absent from the story. In fact, the author goes out of his way to tell us that 'the good hand of the Lord' was upon Ezra and Nehemiah and that 'the God of Israel was over' Zechariah and Haggai (Nehemiah 2:8, 18; Ezra 5:1, 5; 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31). So what does this tell us? God's presence comes to those who NEED and WANT Him. And this makes sense. After all, why do we need the comfort of God's presence if we're already living a comfortable life? COMFORT can mask our NEED for God. And so maybe COMFORT is the reason people don't feel the NEED for God's presence more often. This leaves us with the question: When our experience of God feels bland and mundane might this be the result of the fact that we are COMFORTABLE and not fully engaging in God's supernatural mission? It's worth considering.
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