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."
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
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."
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."
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
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
"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
Sunday, November 4, 2012
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:
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:
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,
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]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.
Deut. 17-18 Enforcers of the teachings [prophet, priest, king]
Deut. 19-26 'Love Others' teachings [commandments 5-10]
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!
Saturday, October 27, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, October 22, 2012
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?
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?
Thursday, October 18, 2012
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?
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?
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