The narrative on the life and times of Noah comes closer to being literal than most other sections early in Genesis. None of the numbers are symbolic, which is the first clue. While much of the language is filled with ANE figures of speech, the story itself is rather simple.
The setting is some time long after Cain and Abel. How long is utterly immaterial, and unknowable, since the genealogies are rarely direct lineal descent, but more of a who's who in the tribal world where a man's name is all he has that matters. As we might expect, things had gone down hill. The Children of Light (Children of God) were subverted by the Children of Darkness (Children of Men). The lure was chiefly sexual in nature, and the narrative implies this baiting was intentional. Rather than Cain's direct physical attack, this was Satan working through his own to destroy the separation. It was very effective, as Satan used these foul unions to raise up very powerful men of war, men who lived to conquer and rule.
This situation was completely out of hand, and the whole of Creation was at risk of subversion to the point redemption was simply not possible. God's grace cannot allow mankind to be dragged off the Hell without some realistic chance to see God's glory. As God measured things, it was no longer reasonable. Were it not for a single man who managed to keep some measure of the truth of the Spiritual Realm, it would have been the end of the story. This fellow was to be the new starting point. All that mankind had accomplished, which was considerable, had to be wiped away. We are told by the Apostle Peter Noah had been preaching the whole 120 years it took him to build this huge ship.
In due time the Lord sent to Noah a breeding pair of enough creatures to re-populate the new face of the earth. It doesn't take much imagination to realize such a massive, deep and long-lasting flood would have shifted the entire topography of all land beneath it. Whatever it took for everyone to survive safe and sane was provided, and such obvious details are not cited. Again, this is preserved to explain things mankind cannot understand on his own. Whatever existed up to that time, with the various cities, technology, arts and culture, were lost completely except in the memories of Noah and his family.
Eventually the water receded and dry land reappeared. The boat was unloaded and eight adult humans found themselves alone on earth. Noah naturally rekindled the ancient worship practices, and God was pleased. We have already covered the Covenant of Noah, and it's easier to understand the necessity of leaving humanity with an ingrained instinct to civilize. Without that preservative habit, mankind would not be able to receive the revelation of God's redeeming grace. The horrific corruption of the pre-Flood days must not be allowed such free rein again. As a compromise over earlier curses, the Lord made growing crops somewhat more predictable, with distinct seasons and weather patterns. Apparently such did not exist before the Flood, nor did rainbows. This hints at a significant number of changes to the earth not detailed here.
The first major incident after this requires careful reading because of the euphemisms. Noah planted a vineyard, grew grapes, fermented wine and got drunk. This left him vulnerable, and his son Ham, remembering some of the "culture" before the Flood committed homosexual rape on his father, then bragged to his brothers. They refused to even look upon Noah's naked form, refused to be tempted. Once sober, Noah cursed his son, wholly legitimate in that setting. Since there were no overwhelming civil forces to exact justice, it relied on God. Given the nature of Ham's transgression, it's not likely he would rehabilitate. That the text makes so much of Ham's son Canaan is simply the portion of the story necessary to explain why God later commanded Joshua to ethnically cleanse the land during the Conquest. We can safely assume Canaan was at least as bad as his father, and what we know through secular historical sources of the Canaanites and their unspeakable sexual depravities backs this up.
The ancient Hebrews were unique in their condemnation of human sexual indulgences. While they were altogether matter-of-fact about human sexuality, they are among a few rare examples of cultures which condemned what was otherwise the universal male habit of poking any and every thing which appealed to him at the moment. No other culture in that part of the world gave it a second thought. It was taken for granted men would use whatever suited them, and those with more power would simply use a wider range of things to help mark their power. In many places it became a social obligation and even a religious ritual. This whole thing goes back literally to the first family on earth, now that of Noah starting over again. To doubt in the least God takes a dim view of sex outside the marriage bed is to ignore the obvious here. This is something written into the very nature of humanity, something which God takes quite seriously.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Lesson 15: Reading Cain and Abel
The narrative of Cain and Abel (Genesis 5) was meant to convey two essential principles. One, that the Fall left mankind completely bereft of any redeeming traits. Two, the tension between the Two Realms is unresolvable. There is no middle ground, and the Children of Darkness will be the aggressors.
As usual, the story is loaded with symbolism. For example, the difference between herding sheep and growing grain is purely symbolic. For thousands of years, men have properly given thanks to God for the increase of the ground, and some of the awfullest scoundrels have tended herd animals. However, the symbolism of the shepherd is close to the ideal lifestyle of a spiritual man. The sedentary farmer, clinging to the symbols of civilization, has little need to call on God for much of anything. Thus, while God surely has always required men to bring the firstfruits of their fields or flocks, the symbolic meaning of a blood sacrifice is recognizing the high price of sin. There is a place for every offering, but sin ultimately leads to death. Somehow assuming the principle is false if the story is not literally true is a modern Western notion, brought in from outside the Bible.
The differences between Cain and Abel symbolized the differences between spiritual men and fleshly men. Cain obeyed, but he suffered a divided loyalty, and sin ran with him like a pet wolf. At some point, it must devour him. God offered a way of escape, but Cain refused it. He chose instead to act on his envy, trying to remove his embarrassment by removing the one who adhered to the standard of holiness, making him look bad. The nature of sin is to pull the standard down to what man can perform, not drive men upward to the call of holiness. Abel, Child of Light, clung to the spiritual world.
The result was the Child of Darkness killed the Child of Light. Thus will it ever be in this world. Men who do not turn to God for mercy and grace will pervert everything they touch. Nothing they do is right, because it was never a matter of performance in the first place. Yet that is all men know outside the Light. So anything which cannot be explained on the human level must be snuffed out. Abel was hardly an existential threat to Cain, but an inconvenience, a living proof Cain could not look in the mirror of complacency and say, "I'm okay." The witness of the Light will always draw the wrath of Darkness, and Cain was the tool of Satan here.
Cain's flippant answer to God's query sums up nicely the whole effect of sin in the heart. This is God Almighty who asks. Instead of fear and trembling, he gave the equivalent of, "Why should I care what you think?" The answer God gave finds Cain whining about God's unfairness and injustice. Things haven't changed much since then. Spiritually dead people have no room for God in their equations of life. The result is Cain forced even farther from the Garden, farther from the path back to spiritual salvation. The curse on his efforts to grow food is merely an extension of the curse of the Fall. In a tribal world, as God intended mankind to live, the man without a tribe is a an outcast, usually because he did something wrong and dangerous to anyone who lets him stay around. Cain knew he could not survive that way.
The image of a marked man is also purely symbolic. Since he was rejected and ejected from the spiritual lifestyle, symbolized by tribal sheep herding, he would have to come up something to provide him with earthly security. Spiritual people don't cling to this world very tightly, but Cain had nothing else. The result was various ways of organizing a society which did not feature spiritual concerns. So we have urban concentrations, technology and wider efforts to conquer nature. Such a life seeks ever more efficient production and gathering of stuff, controlling the environment and making Creation bend to human convenience. Such a life is consumed with controlling everything tangible, because nothing else exists, and this is the mark of Children of Darkness.
The arrogance of Lamech -- demanding special treatment -- points out the vanity of those who gain the rule over others. Human government never comes without privilege, and privilege is what drives the demand for economic growth. While we gratefully enjoy the many comforts of life God grants while we are here, if we cannot carry on in our Kingdom calling without such comforts, we are too far from the Garden. Seth rose to replace his brother in leading men back to the Garden, by leading them to actively seek God's face, and His grace. The difference is as night and day.
As usual, the story is loaded with symbolism. For example, the difference between herding sheep and growing grain is purely symbolic. For thousands of years, men have properly given thanks to God for the increase of the ground, and some of the awfullest scoundrels have tended herd animals. However, the symbolism of the shepherd is close to the ideal lifestyle of a spiritual man. The sedentary farmer, clinging to the symbols of civilization, has little need to call on God for much of anything. Thus, while God surely has always required men to bring the firstfruits of their fields or flocks, the symbolic meaning of a blood sacrifice is recognizing the high price of sin. There is a place for every offering, but sin ultimately leads to death. Somehow assuming the principle is false if the story is not literally true is a modern Western notion, brought in from outside the Bible.
The differences between Cain and Abel symbolized the differences between spiritual men and fleshly men. Cain obeyed, but he suffered a divided loyalty, and sin ran with him like a pet wolf. At some point, it must devour him. God offered a way of escape, but Cain refused it. He chose instead to act on his envy, trying to remove his embarrassment by removing the one who adhered to the standard of holiness, making him look bad. The nature of sin is to pull the standard down to what man can perform, not drive men upward to the call of holiness. Abel, Child of Light, clung to the spiritual world.
The result was the Child of Darkness killed the Child of Light. Thus will it ever be in this world. Men who do not turn to God for mercy and grace will pervert everything they touch. Nothing they do is right, because it was never a matter of performance in the first place. Yet that is all men know outside the Light. So anything which cannot be explained on the human level must be snuffed out. Abel was hardly an existential threat to Cain, but an inconvenience, a living proof Cain could not look in the mirror of complacency and say, "I'm okay." The witness of the Light will always draw the wrath of Darkness, and Cain was the tool of Satan here.
Cain's flippant answer to God's query sums up nicely the whole effect of sin in the heart. This is God Almighty who asks. Instead of fear and trembling, he gave the equivalent of, "Why should I care what you think?" The answer God gave finds Cain whining about God's unfairness and injustice. Things haven't changed much since then. Spiritually dead people have no room for God in their equations of life. The result is Cain forced even farther from the Garden, farther from the path back to spiritual salvation. The curse on his efforts to grow food is merely an extension of the curse of the Fall. In a tribal world, as God intended mankind to live, the man without a tribe is a an outcast, usually because he did something wrong and dangerous to anyone who lets him stay around. Cain knew he could not survive that way.
The image of a marked man is also purely symbolic. Since he was rejected and ejected from the spiritual lifestyle, symbolized by tribal sheep herding, he would have to come up something to provide him with earthly security. Spiritual people don't cling to this world very tightly, but Cain had nothing else. The result was various ways of organizing a society which did not feature spiritual concerns. So we have urban concentrations, technology and wider efforts to conquer nature. Such a life seeks ever more efficient production and gathering of stuff, controlling the environment and making Creation bend to human convenience. Such a life is consumed with controlling everything tangible, because nothing else exists, and this is the mark of Children of Darkness.
The arrogance of Lamech -- demanding special treatment -- points out the vanity of those who gain the rule over others. Human government never comes without privilege, and privilege is what drives the demand for economic growth. While we gratefully enjoy the many comforts of life God grants while we are here, if we cannot carry on in our Kingdom calling without such comforts, we are too far from the Garden. Seth rose to replace his brother in leading men back to the Garden, by leading them to actively seek God's face, and His grace. The difference is as night and day.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Hunting for Home
We are surely aware in the Kingdom our human character changes -- must change -- over time, and what would be our signature or trademark associations, as seen by other people. What people know of us, they usually know quite well. In other words, others can often accurately cite the small part of the picture they hold of us. Some who are closer to us have an even better picture. Their own failings notwithstanding, we often recoil at first when they point out something unpleasant we do, something of which we were previously unconscious.
I try not to argue with those revelations any more. If nothing else, it tells me what the other person has seen of me, and serves to warn me I need to be at least conscious of that. One of the most accurate assessments I was handed came from a fellow supposedly suffering Asperger's Syndrome, a malady which it is claimed makes people socially inept.
Sometimes we can see things for ourselves, particularly in retrospect. During my sojourn in South Central Texas, I started out with a major depression, wearing a major suit of emotional armor to cover my wounds. Some of it was simply civility, in which we are not supposed to let it all hang out. On the other hand, I did nothing to get healed. At least, not at first. Oddly, it was my first big dive into the Internet "society" which peeled it all away for me to see. My view of myself was a long, long way from realistic, not to mention having a weak grip on reality in general.
At the time, the seeds of healing were planted and just starting to sprout. Now I look back a decade later, and I realize how much I accomplished during that time when I essentially did nothing but surf the Net most of my waking hours. It was an exposure of things I could not have gotten any other way, I'm sure. Under structured living, such as in the military, I prospered and lead the way, but on my own, I was dangerous to others by the failure to have my own internal structure. While a very good, high quality reaction it was, I was merely reactive. The Lord's grace implanted was not allowed to break out until certain parts of it were called forth by need within a safe environment.
Naturally, what came out was a narrow and select stream, for the most part. It carried hints of the radical changes coming later on, but in my 30s I was radical only in my eagerness and ability to lead conventionally. My innovations were small and generally safe, even while sometimes surprising to others. All of that was swept away when I came home disabled. In my 40s I struggled with the demons and angels fighting over the path by which I would exit that controlled world. To a great extent, I was thrown back into the questions of just who and what I was, only far worse than those years when I was a teenager. I had children myself to lead out of darkness.
During all those years, I have been a renter and guest. Sometimes I paid my way in cash, sometimes in kind. It was always with a view to being in the big middle of things, hoping to reveal the Word of God to a great many. When I stood up to teach, God worked, and people gained insights which were sometimes news to me, too. The leaders kept asking me to lead, and I kept jumping in with both feet. I don't recall anything blowing up in my face; it always worked out, and God was glorified. But it wasn't home.
My wife and I are coming up on our second full year in house church. Where we currently live seemed like paradise compared to previous residences, but it's not home. It's not the place where the house church can grow, in any sense of the word. We are marking time, at least on the surface. Recent changes in my perception of my mission means the tool which stripped away so much wrong in my life -- the Internet -- is becoming a lot less important. Our next residence likely will not feature DSL or cable. Simple dialup will probably be enough, along with the occasional hitchhike via wifi. My presence on the Net will decrease, if it could be any smaller without disappearing altogether. It's not home.
And though I dearly love reaching out to help my neighbor, I strongly believe this trailer park is not where we belong in the long term. This somewhat isolated in a semi-rural setting is not isolated enough. In other words, while the isolation of South Central Texas tore at my soul, I'm looking forward to an even more isolated existence, as it were. This is not me fleeing a call to spread the gospel message. Somebody has to craft the plow, and it requires working in a shop. This is no assembly line product; what I do is not for mass consumption. I've already seen that all too clearly. The work I do in the Word puts me in isolation because so few are ready to go where I am called to go.
That's not a criticism of the rest of my brothers and sisters in the faith. They had best do what they are called to do, and go where they are led. I'm no Rick Warren by any means, selling books and bringing myself into the spotlight. Sometimes it seems I'm not even following the road less taken, but forging a trail where there is none. It's not wide, it's not straight or well lighted, tends to follow very uneven terrain, and infested with wild creatures. It probably won't go where most people feel they want to go. That's fine. I'm content to see a very limited number of footprints behind me.
I feel certain the coming geographical relocation is more symbolic than important in itself. A part of me would love to hide out in the desert wastes. It would surely relieve me of some of my allergies, but that I find that sort of change unlikely in real terms. Nor am I seeking some last freehold to defend against the future police state we all know is coming. I suspect this is more of a withdrawal in type than in actuality.
Still, I'm inspecting the tent, tension lines and stakes. I'm keeping an eye out for some sign from God it's time to pull up those stakes and follow the cloud to another place.
I try not to argue with those revelations any more. If nothing else, it tells me what the other person has seen of me, and serves to warn me I need to be at least conscious of that. One of the most accurate assessments I was handed came from a fellow supposedly suffering Asperger's Syndrome, a malady which it is claimed makes people socially inept.
Sometimes we can see things for ourselves, particularly in retrospect. During my sojourn in South Central Texas, I started out with a major depression, wearing a major suit of emotional armor to cover my wounds. Some of it was simply civility, in which we are not supposed to let it all hang out. On the other hand, I did nothing to get healed. At least, not at first. Oddly, it was my first big dive into the Internet "society" which peeled it all away for me to see. My view of myself was a long, long way from realistic, not to mention having a weak grip on reality in general.
At the time, the seeds of healing were planted and just starting to sprout. Now I look back a decade later, and I realize how much I accomplished during that time when I essentially did nothing but surf the Net most of my waking hours. It was an exposure of things I could not have gotten any other way, I'm sure. Under structured living, such as in the military, I prospered and lead the way, but on my own, I was dangerous to others by the failure to have my own internal structure. While a very good, high quality reaction it was, I was merely reactive. The Lord's grace implanted was not allowed to break out until certain parts of it were called forth by need within a safe environment.
Naturally, what came out was a narrow and select stream, for the most part. It carried hints of the radical changes coming later on, but in my 30s I was radical only in my eagerness and ability to lead conventionally. My innovations were small and generally safe, even while sometimes surprising to others. All of that was swept away when I came home disabled. In my 40s I struggled with the demons and angels fighting over the path by which I would exit that controlled world. To a great extent, I was thrown back into the questions of just who and what I was, only far worse than those years when I was a teenager. I had children myself to lead out of darkness.
During all those years, I have been a renter and guest. Sometimes I paid my way in cash, sometimes in kind. It was always with a view to being in the big middle of things, hoping to reveal the Word of God to a great many. When I stood up to teach, God worked, and people gained insights which were sometimes news to me, too. The leaders kept asking me to lead, and I kept jumping in with both feet. I don't recall anything blowing up in my face; it always worked out, and God was glorified. But it wasn't home.
My wife and I are coming up on our second full year in house church. Where we currently live seemed like paradise compared to previous residences, but it's not home. It's not the place where the house church can grow, in any sense of the word. We are marking time, at least on the surface. Recent changes in my perception of my mission means the tool which stripped away so much wrong in my life -- the Internet -- is becoming a lot less important. Our next residence likely will not feature DSL or cable. Simple dialup will probably be enough, along with the occasional hitchhike via wifi. My presence on the Net will decrease, if it could be any smaller without disappearing altogether. It's not home.
And though I dearly love reaching out to help my neighbor, I strongly believe this trailer park is not where we belong in the long term. This somewhat isolated in a semi-rural setting is not isolated enough. In other words, while the isolation of South Central Texas tore at my soul, I'm looking forward to an even more isolated existence, as it were. This is not me fleeing a call to spread the gospel message. Somebody has to craft the plow, and it requires working in a shop. This is no assembly line product; what I do is not for mass consumption. I've already seen that all too clearly. The work I do in the Word puts me in isolation because so few are ready to go where I am called to go.
That's not a criticism of the rest of my brothers and sisters in the faith. They had best do what they are called to do, and go where they are led. I'm no Rick Warren by any means, selling books and bringing myself into the spotlight. Sometimes it seems I'm not even following the road less taken, but forging a trail where there is none. It's not wide, it's not straight or well lighted, tends to follow very uneven terrain, and infested with wild creatures. It probably won't go where most people feel they want to go. That's fine. I'm content to see a very limited number of footprints behind me.
I feel certain the coming geographical relocation is more symbolic than important in itself. A part of me would love to hide out in the desert wastes. It would surely relieve me of some of my allergies, but that I find that sort of change unlikely in real terms. Nor am I seeking some last freehold to defend against the future police state we all know is coming. I suspect this is more of a withdrawal in type than in actuality.
Still, I'm inspecting the tent, tension lines and stakes. I'm keeping an eye out for some sign from God it's time to pull up those stakes and follow the cloud to another place.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Life of Christ: John 17
As near as we can tell, the Upper Room was near the Eastern Wall of Jerusalem. The path out of the city toward the Garden of Gethsemane would almost certainly take them past the Temple plaza, probably on the northern side. It's easy to see Jesus would have seized the moment for this high priestly prayer.
It is hardly necessary now, nor would be then, for Jesus to address His Father aloud. Rather, this prayer was the one last act of instruction before the Cross. The soliloquy serves as a grand summary of all which John had explained leading up to this moment. To human ears this is almost repetitious. It seems the same words and phrases appear as in the previous chapters. Given this is largely for the sake of His disciples, at a time when they were still trapped somewhat by the limits of their human minds, it's not hard to understand why this was so important.
As always, the words themselves can be misleading. There is a certain ambiguity or fuzziness of terms, given no human language can fully convey spiritual truth. Jesus refers to both the Cross and His Ascension as His glory. Thus, this nebulous "hour" has come when Jesus knows the long and painful experience will culminate in suffering no man could describe. This was His glory, in one sense. Bearing all this, making no sense at all on a human level, was precisely the one thing which would make the Father's glory most apparent in purchasing our redemption from sin's grip. The paradox is Jesus stands now just outside the Temple grounds holding all God's authority over all Creation, particularly over all human authority. In the sense Jesus could not turn back from that path, so the work had been done. Very near was the moment Jesus would forever nail His memory on the conscience of all humanity, and through that senseless suffering and death, set before the world the glorious grace of God.
In many smaller ways, He had already set that grace before the men who were near Him at that moment. Jesus makes much of how they came to be selected -- they were gifts from the Father to the Son. They had embraced the truth He taught, knowing it came down from the Father. They hardly comprehended at that moment all it would require of them, but there remains a timeless quality to eternal things. They already had the truth, and it would not be long held back by any force on earth. Their human limits would soon be overcome. Once the work of the Cross had set them free, they would grasp the fullness of their oneness with the Father and the Son, through the Spirit. The only man lost from the group was the one lost from the beginning.
Jesus returns to the theme of joy equals love equals sacrifice equals the coming of the Holy Spirit. As soon as these men began to embrace spiritual things, they faced the hatred and rejection of their government. Their minds and spirits had begun the journey into Eternity. While leaving this world physically, as well, would be all joy for them, that was not the point of this whole exercise of discipleship. Rather, Jesus prayed they would remain out of Satan's reach. No matter what evil came upon them physically, their spirits and minds would be safe. They would leave it all soon enough. Until then, they needed increasing purity. Not some external standard of purity, this was a call for purity of commitment and loyalty to their Heavenly King.
By this loyalty they would reach many others. Jesus prayed for those who would come to Him through their lives. Oneness in the Spirit included filling up the measure of those the Father would grant to His Son. As their time on earth passes, Jesus reminds the Father He looked forward to having them come to be with Him in Heaven. Nothing would more fully reward their faithfulness than to see the unspeakable heavenly glory of Christ in Eternity. Here at this awful moment, anticipating the suffering of the hours to come, Jesus was never more conscious of whence He came. We can't imagine the frustration as a man Jesus felt in seeing so clearly the truth which His nation rejected.
Having done all any man could do to declare that truth to the Jewish leaders, He knew that declaration would continue to live a life of its own through these men. They would not carry it on alone, but would find Jesus had never really left them, only His bodily manifestation. Soon, they would be that bodily manifestation of Christ, living that divine love only the Father could grant.
It is hardly necessary now, nor would be then, for Jesus to address His Father aloud. Rather, this prayer was the one last act of instruction before the Cross. The soliloquy serves as a grand summary of all which John had explained leading up to this moment. To human ears this is almost repetitious. It seems the same words and phrases appear as in the previous chapters. Given this is largely for the sake of His disciples, at a time when they were still trapped somewhat by the limits of their human minds, it's not hard to understand why this was so important.
As always, the words themselves can be misleading. There is a certain ambiguity or fuzziness of terms, given no human language can fully convey spiritual truth. Jesus refers to both the Cross and His Ascension as His glory. Thus, this nebulous "hour" has come when Jesus knows the long and painful experience will culminate in suffering no man could describe. This was His glory, in one sense. Bearing all this, making no sense at all on a human level, was precisely the one thing which would make the Father's glory most apparent in purchasing our redemption from sin's grip. The paradox is Jesus stands now just outside the Temple grounds holding all God's authority over all Creation, particularly over all human authority. In the sense Jesus could not turn back from that path, so the work had been done. Very near was the moment Jesus would forever nail His memory on the conscience of all humanity, and through that senseless suffering and death, set before the world the glorious grace of God.
In many smaller ways, He had already set that grace before the men who were near Him at that moment. Jesus makes much of how they came to be selected -- they were gifts from the Father to the Son. They had embraced the truth He taught, knowing it came down from the Father. They hardly comprehended at that moment all it would require of them, but there remains a timeless quality to eternal things. They already had the truth, and it would not be long held back by any force on earth. Their human limits would soon be overcome. Once the work of the Cross had set them free, they would grasp the fullness of their oneness with the Father and the Son, through the Spirit. The only man lost from the group was the one lost from the beginning.
Jesus returns to the theme of joy equals love equals sacrifice equals the coming of the Holy Spirit. As soon as these men began to embrace spiritual things, they faced the hatred and rejection of their government. Their minds and spirits had begun the journey into Eternity. While leaving this world physically, as well, would be all joy for them, that was not the point of this whole exercise of discipleship. Rather, Jesus prayed they would remain out of Satan's reach. No matter what evil came upon them physically, their spirits and minds would be safe. They would leave it all soon enough. Until then, they needed increasing purity. Not some external standard of purity, this was a call for purity of commitment and loyalty to their Heavenly King.
By this loyalty they would reach many others. Jesus prayed for those who would come to Him through their lives. Oneness in the Spirit included filling up the measure of those the Father would grant to His Son. As their time on earth passes, Jesus reminds the Father He looked forward to having them come to be with Him in Heaven. Nothing would more fully reward their faithfulness than to see the unspeakable heavenly glory of Christ in Eternity. Here at this awful moment, anticipating the suffering of the hours to come, Jesus was never more conscious of whence He came. We can't imagine the frustration as a man Jesus felt in seeing so clearly the truth which His nation rejected.
Having done all any man could do to declare that truth to the Jewish leaders, He knew that declaration would continue to live a life of its own through these men. They would not carry it on alone, but would find Jesus had never really left them, only His bodily manifestation. Soon, they would be that bodily manifestation of Christ, living that divine love only the Father could grant.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Lesson 14: Reading the Fall
Any sinner can comprehend God is Creator, and give Him due credit. Only those touched by the Spirit can comprehend the Fall. The mind can grasp the fact we are fallen, but cannot fully embrace the meaning of something which is fundamentally a spiritual truth. You and I come before God utterly exposed to His wrath, with not a scintilla of merit, not a shred of extenuation. The only proper approach is on our faces in shame, not daring to look. Our spirits know this, but our minds cannot own it without the spirit. A great many people in history pass over Genesis 3 as fable, myth, mere cultural artifact.
On the surface, the narrative is easily dismissed. It falls completely outside what humans can discern for themselves intellectually. People who demand we see here snakes originally having legs and capable of speech are no wiser than that. The word "serpent" is merely a symbol for Satan. No other explanation is offered regarding his existence. However, it is noted nothing we can experience on this earth will rise to the danger in facing him. If, after that introduction, all you see are two trees and some deception, you have missed most of it. Nor can you afford to tie yourself up in the mere words of the dialog. This is an utterly spiritual event told in parabolic language.
God had provided for the needs of His people. A marvelous gift was their innocence. Satan took advantage of this innocence for reasons we are not allowed to speculate. Don't pick over whether Eve correctly states God's commands; she knew what was required of her. Satan contradicts the command, insinuating God had less than honorable motives. Notice the triad of elements in temptation: an appeal to the fleshly lusts, an appeal to human curiosity, and pride. We see these again when Satan tempts Jesus (Luke 4:1-13), and when Apostle John explains things to a bunch of Hellenists (1 John 2:15-17) who lack the rich cultural heritage tied to Scripture. All human temptation appears tied to one or more of these elements. God provides for all human need, far more than we can use or think to ask, but any attempt to step outside the bounds of His provision is sin. We aren't denied anything right or proper for our real needs, since the Creator surely knows that better than our feeble minds can discern.
Whatever literal event lies behind this narrative, it's far more important we nail down the spiritual principles. Mankind was made to commune with God. Sin prevents that. It causes man to become aware of unworthiness, causes him to hide, and all sorts of slippery excuses come pouring out. The curse on Satan is symbolic. Snakes do crawl on the ground and appear to eat dust, but what matters is Satan is doomed to do no better than devour human souls. Without giving us the background, we can easily make out Satan had previously lived a much better existence, but it is from this spiritual turning point we see he is not permitted to partake of heavenly splendor and greatness. It is implied he was an eternal being, designed for a higher purpose. That Satan stirs up evil among humans is his punishment. Eventually, he will be destroyed, having done only token damage to God's plans. Here we see the first promise of redemption.
We can't know exactly what things were like for the woman before the Fall, largely because we can't comprehend it, and dare not assume our logic alone can penetrate the mystery. However, we see the woman was genuinely deceived. She faced something for which she was not designed. A critical element in being fallen means women will suffer great sorrow from the one thing which should be most joyful, sharing and bearing in family life. God did not make her a lesser being in a patriarchal world; sin did that. Without redemption of the spirit, this is where women belong, and nothing on this fallen earth could be better for her than such a role. Only spiritual redemption can change that.
For man, we see he was not designed to perform hard manual labor to live, consuming his whole being. We safely assume he could have prevented Eve choosing to take the wrong path, but did not. It was his responsibility. Instead, he went along with it. Now all creation would resist his efforts to scrape an existence from the dirt, of which he is but a part. Only by the grace of redemption could he expect God to lighten that burden. Whatever path God offers will be the only path.
As a token of future redemption, God provided the sacrifice of blood which provided a better covering than fig leaves. They would need it in the cold cruel world outside the Garden of God's grace. Notice there is a provision for life outside, which included the ritual provisions of the sacrificial worship system. It's effects are quite limited. The curses describe a form of death, but there is room for God's love to work and bring us back. The Garden of Grace is closed off, that place of eternal Life, but it remains there within reach, beckoning. The path is through a death chosen, the flaming sword of revelation, the wrath of God. If we flee it in fear, it will eventually overtake us. If we reach out to embrace it, the Garden is on the other side. We can once again walk with God.
This is as clear a statement of separation as can be offered. Only those with spiritual perception can grasp the existence of Two Realms so clearly depicted here. There is life outside the Garden, if you can call it life. True Life is inside, where the Tree of Eternal Life grows. Symbols which communicate truth, but also block the way of return for those unable to face the Truth.
On the surface, the narrative is easily dismissed. It falls completely outside what humans can discern for themselves intellectually. People who demand we see here snakes originally having legs and capable of speech are no wiser than that. The word "serpent" is merely a symbol for Satan. No other explanation is offered regarding his existence. However, it is noted nothing we can experience on this earth will rise to the danger in facing him. If, after that introduction, all you see are two trees and some deception, you have missed most of it. Nor can you afford to tie yourself up in the mere words of the dialog. This is an utterly spiritual event told in parabolic language.
God had provided for the needs of His people. A marvelous gift was their innocence. Satan took advantage of this innocence for reasons we are not allowed to speculate. Don't pick over whether Eve correctly states God's commands; she knew what was required of her. Satan contradicts the command, insinuating God had less than honorable motives. Notice the triad of elements in temptation: an appeal to the fleshly lusts, an appeal to human curiosity, and pride. We see these again when Satan tempts Jesus (Luke 4:1-13), and when Apostle John explains things to a bunch of Hellenists (1 John 2:15-17) who lack the rich cultural heritage tied to Scripture. All human temptation appears tied to one or more of these elements. God provides for all human need, far more than we can use or think to ask, but any attempt to step outside the bounds of His provision is sin. We aren't denied anything right or proper for our real needs, since the Creator surely knows that better than our feeble minds can discern.
Whatever literal event lies behind this narrative, it's far more important we nail down the spiritual principles. Mankind was made to commune with God. Sin prevents that. It causes man to become aware of unworthiness, causes him to hide, and all sorts of slippery excuses come pouring out. The curse on Satan is symbolic. Snakes do crawl on the ground and appear to eat dust, but what matters is Satan is doomed to do no better than devour human souls. Without giving us the background, we can easily make out Satan had previously lived a much better existence, but it is from this spiritual turning point we see he is not permitted to partake of heavenly splendor and greatness. It is implied he was an eternal being, designed for a higher purpose. That Satan stirs up evil among humans is his punishment. Eventually, he will be destroyed, having done only token damage to God's plans. Here we see the first promise of redemption.
We can't know exactly what things were like for the woman before the Fall, largely because we can't comprehend it, and dare not assume our logic alone can penetrate the mystery. However, we see the woman was genuinely deceived. She faced something for which she was not designed. A critical element in being fallen means women will suffer great sorrow from the one thing which should be most joyful, sharing and bearing in family life. God did not make her a lesser being in a patriarchal world; sin did that. Without redemption of the spirit, this is where women belong, and nothing on this fallen earth could be better for her than such a role. Only spiritual redemption can change that.
For man, we see he was not designed to perform hard manual labor to live, consuming his whole being. We safely assume he could have prevented Eve choosing to take the wrong path, but did not. It was his responsibility. Instead, he went along with it. Now all creation would resist his efforts to scrape an existence from the dirt, of which he is but a part. Only by the grace of redemption could he expect God to lighten that burden. Whatever path God offers will be the only path.
As a token of future redemption, God provided the sacrifice of blood which provided a better covering than fig leaves. They would need it in the cold cruel world outside the Garden of God's grace. Notice there is a provision for life outside, which included the ritual provisions of the sacrificial worship system. It's effects are quite limited. The curses describe a form of death, but there is room for God's love to work and bring us back. The Garden of Grace is closed off, that place of eternal Life, but it remains there within reach, beckoning. The path is through a death chosen, the flaming sword of revelation, the wrath of God. If we flee it in fear, it will eventually overtake us. If we reach out to embrace it, the Garden is on the other side. We can once again walk with God.
This is as clear a statement of separation as can be offered. Only those with spiritual perception can grasp the existence of Two Realms so clearly depicted here. There is life outside the Garden, if you can call it life. True Life is inside, where the Tree of Eternal Life grows. Symbols which communicate truth, but also block the way of return for those unable to face the Truth.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Isaiah 39
Babylon for some time was a subject district under Assyria. As one of the more powerful cities, with a very ancient history of local religion and learning going back too far to trace today, by Isaiah's day the ruling class was of the same ethnic stock as the Syrians who ruled from Damascus, the Arameans. We have no idea whence they arose, but their ancient migrations and settlement policies are well established. In the broad scattering of Semitic tongues dominating that part of the world, Aramean was one of the closest to Hebrew.
Keep in mind, Hebrew was originally identical to Aramean (also known as Chaldean) as spoken by Abraham. During the following generations, both before and after the sojourn in Egypt, the Nation of Israel absorbed the Canaanite tongues, also a branch of Semitic. Thus, the Hebrew of Moses is more Canaanite than Mesopotamian. The language of Assyria and Babylon was rather like a more ancient Hebrew. During the Captivity in Babylon, the Hebrew people again absorbed the ambient tongue, and the Restoration saw them once more using Aramaic, referring to it as "Hebrew" in the time of Christ.
It is this Babylonian Captivity Isaiah seeks to explain here in this chapter. Note the narrative is virtually identical to 2 Kings 20:12-19, which tells us a lot about the sources for 1&2 Kings. This passage sets up critical elements in the story of how Judah declined until destroyed. The arrogance of Hezekiah becomes a much bigger attitude problem contributing to the ultimate failure of Judaism as a whole.
What was the mission of the Nation of Israel? God says she was to be a "kingdom of priests" (Exodus 19:5-6) -- a whole nation who bring the revelation of God to the world, for He was not merely God of Israel, but God of all humanity. This was part of the inherent promise to Abraham: "And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). They lived to present to all the earth a model of what God demanded of all nations in terms of the Covenant of Noah. They were to reach out with a message of clarity, calling all mankind to obey their Creator.
Instead, Hezekiah lived and acted as if Judah was somehow better than the rest of the world. He hoped to show this by a superior use of the world's ways, particularly in use of statecraft. Merodoch-baladan (Babylonian: Marduk apla-iddin -- "Marduk grants a son") seized power over the Babylonian province in about 722 BC, at about the time Shalamaneser V of Assyria died after a short reign. Merodoch was accepted as the new vassal of Assyria by Sargon II. He was a major leader in a wider revolt in about 713 BC, and was defeated in battle, taken prisoner, and deposed in 710. When Sargon died around 705 BC, Merodoch regained his throne in a couple of years and led a fresh revolt before finally dying in about 701 as Sennacherib was pacifying the Assyrian Empire. This makes it hard to discern just which of these two periods saw Merodoch sending envoys to Hezekiah. In the broader sense, it won't matter too much. Sennacherib's invasion was in part due to his awareness of this friendship, however shallow, between Merodoch and Hezekiah.
Merodoch had been seeking an excuse to send envoys to Judah, and Hezekiah's near-death illness made the news in Babylon. Upon this, his servants carried the pretty words of Merodoch's court and Hezekiah let it go to his head. He didn't show them Scriptures and tell them about Jehovah, who granted the royal wealth and survival of Judah against Assyria so far. Instead, he acted the fool and showed off the royal treasures as his personal pride.
Isaiah's rebuke on the surface pointed up Hezekiah's pride and joy being a primary reason Babylon would some day return to take all that stuff. However, there is something more subtle at work here. Hezekiah suffered enough from false national pride, but the later survival of the Assyrian seige only made it worse. The entire nation somehow got the false idea God would hold His City and Temple untouchable, that He would protect them unconditionally. Snug and smug in their safe nest, the national leaders refused to believe the warnings God would allow invaders to destroy His Temple, making the task of Jeremiah and other prophets of that day very hard, indeed.
Isaiah's warning about Babylon fell on deaf ears, as Hezekiah selfishly figured his own eyes would see no sorrow.
Keep in mind, Hebrew was originally identical to Aramean (also known as Chaldean) as spoken by Abraham. During the following generations, both before and after the sojourn in Egypt, the Nation of Israel absorbed the Canaanite tongues, also a branch of Semitic. Thus, the Hebrew of Moses is more Canaanite than Mesopotamian. The language of Assyria and Babylon was rather like a more ancient Hebrew. During the Captivity in Babylon, the Hebrew people again absorbed the ambient tongue, and the Restoration saw them once more using Aramaic, referring to it as "Hebrew" in the time of Christ.
It is this Babylonian Captivity Isaiah seeks to explain here in this chapter. Note the narrative is virtually identical to 2 Kings 20:12-19, which tells us a lot about the sources for 1&2 Kings. This passage sets up critical elements in the story of how Judah declined until destroyed. The arrogance of Hezekiah becomes a much bigger attitude problem contributing to the ultimate failure of Judaism as a whole.
What was the mission of the Nation of Israel? God says she was to be a "kingdom of priests" (Exodus 19:5-6) -- a whole nation who bring the revelation of God to the world, for He was not merely God of Israel, but God of all humanity. This was part of the inherent promise to Abraham: "And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). They lived to present to all the earth a model of what God demanded of all nations in terms of the Covenant of Noah. They were to reach out with a message of clarity, calling all mankind to obey their Creator.
Instead, Hezekiah lived and acted as if Judah was somehow better than the rest of the world. He hoped to show this by a superior use of the world's ways, particularly in use of statecraft. Merodoch-baladan (Babylonian: Marduk apla-iddin -- "Marduk grants a son") seized power over the Babylonian province in about 722 BC, at about the time Shalamaneser V of Assyria died after a short reign. Merodoch was accepted as the new vassal of Assyria by Sargon II. He was a major leader in a wider revolt in about 713 BC, and was defeated in battle, taken prisoner, and deposed in 710. When Sargon died around 705 BC, Merodoch regained his throne in a couple of years and led a fresh revolt before finally dying in about 701 as Sennacherib was pacifying the Assyrian Empire. This makes it hard to discern just which of these two periods saw Merodoch sending envoys to Hezekiah. In the broader sense, it won't matter too much. Sennacherib's invasion was in part due to his awareness of this friendship, however shallow, between Merodoch and Hezekiah.
Merodoch had been seeking an excuse to send envoys to Judah, and Hezekiah's near-death illness made the news in Babylon. Upon this, his servants carried the pretty words of Merodoch's court and Hezekiah let it go to his head. He didn't show them Scriptures and tell them about Jehovah, who granted the royal wealth and survival of Judah against Assyria so far. Instead, he acted the fool and showed off the royal treasures as his personal pride.
Isaiah's rebuke on the surface pointed up Hezekiah's pride and joy being a primary reason Babylon would some day return to take all that stuff. However, there is something more subtle at work here. Hezekiah suffered enough from false national pride, but the later survival of the Assyrian seige only made it worse. The entire nation somehow got the false idea God would hold His City and Temple untouchable, that He would protect them unconditionally. Snug and smug in their safe nest, the national leaders refused to believe the warnings God would allow invaders to destroy His Temple, making the task of Jeremiah and other prophets of that day very hard, indeed.
Isaiah's warning about Babylon fell on deaf ears, as Hezekiah selfishly figured his own eyes would see no sorrow.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tribulation Report #028: A Little Guesswork
We cannot prognosticate with any precision how deep, nor how long, this recession/depression will be. Those who claim to know are lying. What we can know are general human trends, provided things stay pretty much the same. God can do anything He likes to change it to suit Him, and never tell any of us in advance. Barring that, we can come up with some useful projections.
We are in transition. In particular, the home PC is dying. That is, the new generation will have little use for them. They will continue to dominate the business world, but kids today are unlikely to even want one. The coming thing is netbooks and palmtops. The iPhone will be quickly eclipsed by several tools more amenable to consumer demand. Apple is notorious for telling the customer, "We don't ask. We know what you need, and you will like it."
The economic climate will delay the wider adoption of these smaller devices. Lots of companies will die, swallow each other, and new ones rise up. More and more of these devices will be tied to one or another locked in provider. Those providers will also suffer, die, get eaten, etc. At some point, a measure of prosperity will return and these things will burst forth, leaving PCs on the trash heap of fashion. Only old people and computer hobby geeks will continue messing with computers.
The software market will shift almost entirely to the server and business work station. Schools will continue to use them and teach so-called "computer skills" long after the majority of humanity stops using them. The long drive to the commodity Linux desktop will die before it ever arrives, and will either have to adapt to the ever-narrowing netbook market or cellphone/palmtop market. That's going to be the number one growth industry in computer technology, as something like today's cellphones become faster and more powerful in terms of CPU and bus speed, making today's top-of-line gaming systems seem pitiful.
A substantial branch of computer technology will be the entertainment/game systems. The depression may kill off all but one monopoly player. Otherwise, all "computing" will be text messaging, simplified electronic documentation, and the Web will be seen almost entirely from the tiny view portal of tiny handheld devices. Old websites will have to be adapted or have a much smaller audience, those old-timely geeks who still use PCs.
Businesses will tend to shift to a place somewhere between what they do now and what they must do to keep up with trends. What matters most in the recovery coming later is getting those consumers paying captive fees over long contracts. The competition alone will demand services which are more and more international, but at a single flat rate. The only way to do that is have a single regulatory framework for the the whole market, and a single banking system to ensure payments.
In other words, globalism is built into what consumers want. While the depression could be harsh enough to radically alter culture, I rather doubt it. I suspect most folks will keep alive the current empty culture of individual isolation. That's because the very best way to gain power over anyone is to create a dependency. The public education system is designed for that very purpose, to create an unconscious expectation of dependency as the norm in life. As long as that dominates the assumptions of the majority, government wins.
A critical part of keeping that in place is letting things collapse just enough to break the current nation-state system down, but offer in its place something "bigger and better" which will promote the cellphone culture of isolation. People will withdraw into more convenient social circles because they won't be forced to deal with a wider humanity. Sure, someone on the other side of the world, but only if they are the same age and basic orientation on life. Everyone else in your vicinity will be for you mere machinery, not people. Certainly not someone on whom you can rely when emergencies arise.
This is not a call for us to start a jihad against computers and cellphones. Notice what is happening, where things are going, and take it before the Lord how you'll break that vicious cycle. Government is hostile to the Kingdom of Heaven, and increasingly "government" includes "business." Welcome to the future.
We are in transition. In particular, the home PC is dying. That is, the new generation will have little use for them. They will continue to dominate the business world, but kids today are unlikely to even want one. The coming thing is netbooks and palmtops. The iPhone will be quickly eclipsed by several tools more amenable to consumer demand. Apple is notorious for telling the customer, "We don't ask. We know what you need, and you will like it."
The economic climate will delay the wider adoption of these smaller devices. Lots of companies will die, swallow each other, and new ones rise up. More and more of these devices will be tied to one or another locked in provider. Those providers will also suffer, die, get eaten, etc. At some point, a measure of prosperity will return and these things will burst forth, leaving PCs on the trash heap of fashion. Only old people and computer hobby geeks will continue messing with computers.
The software market will shift almost entirely to the server and business work station. Schools will continue to use them and teach so-called "computer skills" long after the majority of humanity stops using them. The long drive to the commodity Linux desktop will die before it ever arrives, and will either have to adapt to the ever-narrowing netbook market or cellphone/palmtop market. That's going to be the number one growth industry in computer technology, as something like today's cellphones become faster and more powerful in terms of CPU and bus speed, making today's top-of-line gaming systems seem pitiful.
A substantial branch of computer technology will be the entertainment/game systems. The depression may kill off all but one monopoly player. Otherwise, all "computing" will be text messaging, simplified electronic documentation, and the Web will be seen almost entirely from the tiny view portal of tiny handheld devices. Old websites will have to be adapted or have a much smaller audience, those old-timely geeks who still use PCs.
Businesses will tend to shift to a place somewhere between what they do now and what they must do to keep up with trends. What matters most in the recovery coming later is getting those consumers paying captive fees over long contracts. The competition alone will demand services which are more and more international, but at a single flat rate. The only way to do that is have a single regulatory framework for the the whole market, and a single banking system to ensure payments.
In other words, globalism is built into what consumers want. While the depression could be harsh enough to radically alter culture, I rather doubt it. I suspect most folks will keep alive the current empty culture of individual isolation. That's because the very best way to gain power over anyone is to create a dependency. The public education system is designed for that very purpose, to create an unconscious expectation of dependency as the norm in life. As long as that dominates the assumptions of the majority, government wins.
A critical part of keeping that in place is letting things collapse just enough to break the current nation-state system down, but offer in its place something "bigger and better" which will promote the cellphone culture of isolation. People will withdraw into more convenient social circles because they won't be forced to deal with a wider humanity. Sure, someone on the other side of the world, but only if they are the same age and basic orientation on life. Everyone else in your vicinity will be for you mere machinery, not people. Certainly not someone on whom you can rely when emergencies arise.
This is not a call for us to start a jihad against computers and cellphones. Notice what is happening, where things are going, and take it before the Lord how you'll break that vicious cycle. Government is hostile to the Kingdom of Heaven, and increasingly "government" includes "business." Welcome to the future.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Lesson 13: Reading Creation
There is a great deal about this world you can figure out just by observing. God has granted a rational facility liberally to mankind. The Bible does not address that much, but addresses those things which are not so readily apparent. The Creation narratives are not aimed at explaining what happened, but what matters. For fallen men to find their way through this world requires they do their best to adapt to God's requirements. Those requirements are not clearly stated most of the time, but indicated in how Creation is told. The assumption in the narrative is the reader will not inductively analyze what man can know about all this, but will absorb the bigger picture. He should deduce from revelation, which supplies those things man can know only by seeking God. He should place that revelation above what he can discern with his own mind, let it rule. The resulting gestalt tells how he should proceed under varying circumstances.
It is far more than Creation as some big slot machine; you don't pull the right levers to get the stuff you want. There is a fundamental moral quality to all of it, as humans are also granted a moral faculty denied all the rest of Creation. The decision to seek God's provision in Creation is a moral decision, and that morality is fundamental to the way Creation operates -- it's built into it. Abide by the covenant requirements revealed in Creation, the story of Noah, and to the Law as applicable, and life will be as good as can be. When you have embraced the moral orientation of these things, you are in a position to look beyond them to what man lost in in the Fall, his access to the Spirit Realm. Take any other route, and you bring the wrath of God upon your head. That wrath is partially pre-positioned in Creation itself -- built into it -- but God remains personally involved.
We find, then, God doing two things at once. On the one hand, He seeks to reveal the path back to Himself. At the same time, He seeks to conform the world to His design assumptions so mankind will have a better chance of finding that path. This dual thread is woven throughout the text of the Bible. This the basic assumption you must hold as you approach the Scripture. Particularly in Genesis, you have to ask yourself, "Why is He telling me this?" If you let that question slip from the forefront of your consciousness, you will easily stumble and get lost in details which aren't themselves all that meaningful. The point in preserving the text over such a vast passage of history is to answer the questions about which this world cares little. If you want to know the facts about the origins of human life, look somewhere else. If you want to know the meaning of life, the Book has the answer, for it records what God wants mankind to know about His Creation.
There are two basic narratives regarding Creation: Genesis 1:1-2:3, and 2:4-25. The first reveals to us what God wants us to know about the pattern of Creation. The first and most obvious moral issue is the seven day rotation. It is hardly apparent to fallen man, but all Nature operates on the assumption of a seventh day of rest. The moral implications are numerous, but what matters here is absorbing that fundamental issue. Second, God says the day starts at sundown, not the human designated midnight by the clock. He also insists each form of life in Nature is bound by DNA -- and we derive the principle genetic manipulation in the laboratory is a sin, while natural cross-breeding is not. The natural rhythm of day and night, months by the moon, seasons and weather changes -- all these things are established in a pattern by God. The order of what was created on each day also establishes a pattern of moral consideration, a why, not merely a recitation of dry facts about how God went about things.
The second narrative carries an entirely different moral message. Mankind was designed to commune with God, the only part of Creation so capable. Thus, in part, a fundamental purpose behind Creation is a place to put humans. It used to be an awfully comfortable place: no weather extremes, no threats, no death, no labor, etc. Death and sorrow were not God's intention. Don't look for a place where those four rivers come together, because nowhere in this world do they; it wasn't meant to be taken literally. There is also something fundamental about human design with two sexes, and the unique union possible in marriage. There was a complete innocence which is so obviously no longer with us. Notice, too, the symbolism in calling these two by Hebrew names which mean simply, Man and Life. What you draw from these clues cannot be delineated in written terms, but provides a fundamental parable from which to build a moral response to events around you in this world.
This is the way honest hearts approach Scripture. When the Spirit of Christ invades your being, He brings with Him a commitment, a loyalty to Your King in Heaven. The commitment is a spiritual faculty, a sense of "knowing" rooted somewhere outside the intellect, but meant to direct the will, in part by informing the intellect. Scripture serves to clarify that link between mind and spirit, to peel away the layers of human conditioning by sin, so we can find the bed rock of conviction. Conviction exists only where the spirit is alive by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The mind grapples with the demands of conviction, seeking to understand how the issues of the moment stand or don't stand on the bedrock of conviction. Your convictions are your best understanding of those things your Eternal King demands of you, things you can't walk away from, things you can't escape. We come to Scripture, knowing our minds can only absorb words from the narrative. All the while, we accept by faith what cannot be perceived with the senses, how the Spirit turns that narrative into spiritual clarity, refining the shape and substance of our loyalty to Christ.
It is far more than Creation as some big slot machine; you don't pull the right levers to get the stuff you want. There is a fundamental moral quality to all of it, as humans are also granted a moral faculty denied all the rest of Creation. The decision to seek God's provision in Creation is a moral decision, and that morality is fundamental to the way Creation operates -- it's built into it. Abide by the covenant requirements revealed in Creation, the story of Noah, and to the Law as applicable, and life will be as good as can be. When you have embraced the moral orientation of these things, you are in a position to look beyond them to what man lost in in the Fall, his access to the Spirit Realm. Take any other route, and you bring the wrath of God upon your head. That wrath is partially pre-positioned in Creation itself -- built into it -- but God remains personally involved.
We find, then, God doing two things at once. On the one hand, He seeks to reveal the path back to Himself. At the same time, He seeks to conform the world to His design assumptions so mankind will have a better chance of finding that path. This dual thread is woven throughout the text of the Bible. This the basic assumption you must hold as you approach the Scripture. Particularly in Genesis, you have to ask yourself, "Why is He telling me this?" If you let that question slip from the forefront of your consciousness, you will easily stumble and get lost in details which aren't themselves all that meaningful. The point in preserving the text over such a vast passage of history is to answer the questions about which this world cares little. If you want to know the facts about the origins of human life, look somewhere else. If you want to know the meaning of life, the Book has the answer, for it records what God wants mankind to know about His Creation.
There are two basic narratives regarding Creation: Genesis 1:1-2:3, and 2:4-25. The first reveals to us what God wants us to know about the pattern of Creation. The first and most obvious moral issue is the seven day rotation. It is hardly apparent to fallen man, but all Nature operates on the assumption of a seventh day of rest. The moral implications are numerous, but what matters here is absorbing that fundamental issue. Second, God says the day starts at sundown, not the human designated midnight by the clock. He also insists each form of life in Nature is bound by DNA -- and we derive the principle genetic manipulation in the laboratory is a sin, while natural cross-breeding is not. The natural rhythm of day and night, months by the moon, seasons and weather changes -- all these things are established in a pattern by God. The order of what was created on each day also establishes a pattern of moral consideration, a why, not merely a recitation of dry facts about how God went about things.
The second narrative carries an entirely different moral message. Mankind was designed to commune with God, the only part of Creation so capable. Thus, in part, a fundamental purpose behind Creation is a place to put humans. It used to be an awfully comfortable place: no weather extremes, no threats, no death, no labor, etc. Death and sorrow were not God's intention. Don't look for a place where those four rivers come together, because nowhere in this world do they; it wasn't meant to be taken literally. There is also something fundamental about human design with two sexes, and the unique union possible in marriage. There was a complete innocence which is so obviously no longer with us. Notice, too, the symbolism in calling these two by Hebrew names which mean simply, Man and Life. What you draw from these clues cannot be delineated in written terms, but provides a fundamental parable from which to build a moral response to events around you in this world.
This is the way honest hearts approach Scripture. When the Spirit of Christ invades your being, He brings with Him a commitment, a loyalty to Your King in Heaven. The commitment is a spiritual faculty, a sense of "knowing" rooted somewhere outside the intellect, but meant to direct the will, in part by informing the intellect. Scripture serves to clarify that link between mind and spirit, to peel away the layers of human conditioning by sin, so we can find the bed rock of conviction. Conviction exists only where the spirit is alive by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The mind grapples with the demands of conviction, seeking to understand how the issues of the moment stand or don't stand on the bedrock of conviction. Your convictions are your best understanding of those things your Eternal King demands of you, things you can't walk away from, things you can't escape. We come to Scripture, knowing our minds can only absorb words from the narrative. All the while, we accept by faith what cannot be perceived with the senses, how the Spirit turns that narrative into spiritual clarity, refining the shape and substance of our loyalty to Christ.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Biblical Literacy, Part 3: Introduction (Lesson 12)
(From Darkness to Light continues)
The path from Darkness to Light requires the mind be renewed, reconditioned to accept things of the Spirit. We who grew up in Western culture are particularly far away, and have a much greater distance to travel. Our minds are fundamentally conditioned with a matrix of understanding frankly hostile to the Spirit. Our world educates us in such a way to prevent spiritual conditioning, belittling the ways of the Spirit, making anything which fallen man cannot grasp a threat. Not just the damage done by the Fall, but we suffer a subconscious rejection of the meaning of "path" as the Spirit calls us to move toward God.
Certain conventions and assumptions have to be called out, named and shamed, as hindrances to the truth. As we delve into the Scripture, we must set aside expectations which block us from receiving God's full blessing.
First, we must understand Truth is a Person, not some static entity, either personal or impersonal. God is alive even more so than you and I, and as Truth He is hardly a robot. Truth is whatever He says it is in every context, and the point is not for you to contain truth in your little mind, but to trust in Him to choose for you. The idea of a Truth which might not be logical, predictable and precise in all situations is alarming to us, and many Christians vociferously object when it is so portrayed. They are wrong, for they make God into a block of stone. It is further a false dichotomy to then insist without an "unchanging" truth, we are forced to see truth as relative. God is neither relative and shifting like the wind, nor is He dead like stone. He lives, and is the definition of truth. The issue is not truth itself but your fallen mind's inability to really know it, and your utter dependence on God to reveal only so much of it as you need to serve Him.
Not only will we each come to different conclusions at various times about a given thing, based on our experiences and the context, but no two of us will ever quite agree on the definitions of truth. We must each find room for the other to hold answers at variance to ours. The question is never, "Who is right?" God, and God alone is right. Rather, the question is whether the two can still walk side by side, serving together at the same place and time. It is altogether likely most of us are not flexible enough, yet paradoxically, at times too flexible. We hinder our fellowship, our service, and most importantly God's glory, because we have an all too rational sense of what must be, instead of a spiritual sense. Variations in viewpoint are essential to God's glory, since it shows He is powerful enough to do things we cannot.
Second, we must never assume ancient Hebrew people would write in such a way as would satisfy anyone's curiosity. Dry facts are rare; characterizations are the norm. Man is a moral creature, and all things must be viewed through the moral lens of our duty to God. If all you extract from reading is facts and chronology, you wasted your time. Chances are quite good the text will not follow chronology as we think of it. Time in Hebrew is not parceled and measured, but a constraint upon on our conscious minds as a result of the Fall. God seeks maturity and readiness, and schedules mean nothing to Him. So it is far more important we gather the impact and import of a text than any other possible analysis.
Third, the most important thing we gain from reading Scripture is not what we learn and remember, but what we absorb at a much deeper level. Scripture is for application, not interpretation. While that old saw is often spoken in churches, it is seldom actually the way things are done. Our entire focus in living is glorifying God; we have no other purpose. We come to the Book seeking how it has been done in times past by the people who knew Him best. The Book remains ink on paper. Yet we are accountable to God for what it says, for what it ought to do to us. The Book does not reveal Him; we do. That revelation is not a matter of knowing God as we think of "knowing." Rather, it is knowing God as regards our duty in desiring His pleasure. That pleasure is loving each other as Christ loved, willing to die on the Cross, but loving those who might yet come to know Him, too. These things are all tied together: His glory is His love working in us, as we live out our loyalty in His service. To stop at simply knowing what are the words of the Book is to know nothing important in the Kingdom.
We are citizens of the Kingdom, and our one duty and loyalty is His glory. Our performance is His concern, as we must typically fail in some way. Rather, it is our desire for His will we must sharpen. We will never know more of that will than we can pursue with what resources we have awakened at any time. The whole focus is that loyalty of heart -- the will -- to our Nomad Sheik, leading us across the sands of time in this fallen world.
The path from Darkness to Light requires the mind be renewed, reconditioned to accept things of the Spirit. We who grew up in Western culture are particularly far away, and have a much greater distance to travel. Our minds are fundamentally conditioned with a matrix of understanding frankly hostile to the Spirit. Our world educates us in such a way to prevent spiritual conditioning, belittling the ways of the Spirit, making anything which fallen man cannot grasp a threat. Not just the damage done by the Fall, but we suffer a subconscious rejection of the meaning of "path" as the Spirit calls us to move toward God.
Certain conventions and assumptions have to be called out, named and shamed, as hindrances to the truth. As we delve into the Scripture, we must set aside expectations which block us from receiving God's full blessing.
First, we must understand Truth is a Person, not some static entity, either personal or impersonal. God is alive even more so than you and I, and as Truth He is hardly a robot. Truth is whatever He says it is in every context, and the point is not for you to contain truth in your little mind, but to trust in Him to choose for you. The idea of a Truth which might not be logical, predictable and precise in all situations is alarming to us, and many Christians vociferously object when it is so portrayed. They are wrong, for they make God into a block of stone. It is further a false dichotomy to then insist without an "unchanging" truth, we are forced to see truth as relative. God is neither relative and shifting like the wind, nor is He dead like stone. He lives, and is the definition of truth. The issue is not truth itself but your fallen mind's inability to really know it, and your utter dependence on God to reveal only so much of it as you need to serve Him.
Not only will we each come to different conclusions at various times about a given thing, based on our experiences and the context, but no two of us will ever quite agree on the definitions of truth. We must each find room for the other to hold answers at variance to ours. The question is never, "Who is right?" God, and God alone is right. Rather, the question is whether the two can still walk side by side, serving together at the same place and time. It is altogether likely most of us are not flexible enough, yet paradoxically, at times too flexible. We hinder our fellowship, our service, and most importantly God's glory, because we have an all too rational sense of what must be, instead of a spiritual sense. Variations in viewpoint are essential to God's glory, since it shows He is powerful enough to do things we cannot.
Second, we must never assume ancient Hebrew people would write in such a way as would satisfy anyone's curiosity. Dry facts are rare; characterizations are the norm. Man is a moral creature, and all things must be viewed through the moral lens of our duty to God. If all you extract from reading is facts and chronology, you wasted your time. Chances are quite good the text will not follow chronology as we think of it. Time in Hebrew is not parceled and measured, but a constraint upon on our conscious minds as a result of the Fall. God seeks maturity and readiness, and schedules mean nothing to Him. So it is far more important we gather the impact and import of a text than any other possible analysis.
Third, the most important thing we gain from reading Scripture is not what we learn and remember, but what we absorb at a much deeper level. Scripture is for application, not interpretation. While that old saw is often spoken in churches, it is seldom actually the way things are done. Our entire focus in living is glorifying God; we have no other purpose. We come to the Book seeking how it has been done in times past by the people who knew Him best. The Book remains ink on paper. Yet we are accountable to God for what it says, for what it ought to do to us. The Book does not reveal Him; we do. That revelation is not a matter of knowing God as we think of "knowing." Rather, it is knowing God as regards our duty in desiring His pleasure. That pleasure is loving each other as Christ loved, willing to die on the Cross, but loving those who might yet come to know Him, too. These things are all tied together: His glory is His love working in us, as we live out our loyalty in His service. To stop at simply knowing what are the words of the Book is to know nothing important in the Kingdom.
We are citizens of the Kingdom, and our one duty and loyalty is His glory. Our performance is His concern, as we must typically fail in some way. Rather, it is our desire for His will we must sharpen. We will never know more of that will than we can pursue with what resources we have awakened at any time. The whole focus is that loyalty of heart -- the will -- to our Nomad Sheik, leading us across the sands of time in this fallen world.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Small Joys Are Still Blessings
Rejoice with me. It's minor, even approaching insignificant, but it's a gift of God's grace.
I knew this laptop was the way to go. I knew it was the best answer to breaking old habits no longer suitable to my calling. The tricky part was making it work the way I tend to work when the tool is a computer. I went through several different operating systems, and nothing was quite right. Now I've got something I believe I can live with, and it makes this thing useful.
By accident I discovered the Debian Linux community tries to support older releases for awhile. A previous release was by far the best thing I've ever used, called "Etch." For now, they continue to provide security updates, and I'm thrilled, because I didn't think they did. Etch is basically old enough to run quite well on this old laptop, but has lots of updates which make it fairly useful in exactly the things that matter to me.
I didn't want to have to chase a bunch of configuration secrets and struggle for days and weeks to get it all just right. I really needed it working well very soon. You would think XP would do that since that's what came with it from Dell, but it was just too slow, and at that, after I doubled the RAM. So now I'm using something much more secure, and much faster. Most of the setup and configuration was done in just an hour or so.
When God answers a need, or closes a door previously open, or allows the burden for something to die quietly in my soul, it tells me things are moving behind the scenes. As I said previously, it's the sound of heavy furniture sliding across the floor behind the curtain on the stage. I have no idea what it signals, only that it points out He is fully active in my life. I don't have to know what's next for my spirit to rejoice.
God is at work, revealing Himself in ways we have not yet seen before. We need to see Him more clearly; the whole world needs it.
I knew this laptop was the way to go. I knew it was the best answer to breaking old habits no longer suitable to my calling. The tricky part was making it work the way I tend to work when the tool is a computer. I went through several different operating systems, and nothing was quite right. Now I've got something I believe I can live with, and it makes this thing useful.
By accident I discovered the Debian Linux community tries to support older releases for awhile. A previous release was by far the best thing I've ever used, called "Etch." For now, they continue to provide security updates, and I'm thrilled, because I didn't think they did. Etch is basically old enough to run quite well on this old laptop, but has lots of updates which make it fairly useful in exactly the things that matter to me.
I didn't want to have to chase a bunch of configuration secrets and struggle for days and weeks to get it all just right. I really needed it working well very soon. You would think XP would do that since that's what came with it from Dell, but it was just too slow, and at that, after I doubled the RAM. So now I'm using something much more secure, and much faster. Most of the setup and configuration was done in just an hour or so.
When God answers a need, or closes a door previously open, or allows the burden for something to die quietly in my soul, it tells me things are moving behind the scenes. As I said previously, it's the sound of heavy furniture sliding across the floor behind the curtain on the stage. I have no idea what it signals, only that it points out He is fully active in my life. I don't have to know what's next for my spirit to rejoice.
God is at work, revealing Himself in ways we have not yet seen before. We need to see Him more clearly; the whole world needs it.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Life of Christ: John 16
As they walked through the city toward the Kidron Valley, Jesus continued with the last few items in their teaching. They were already in some sorrow and confusion, and they felt the tension of the moment without quite being sure what it was all about. It doesn't help Jesus has been using His typical parabolic speech. In this chapter, John relates how Jesus came as close to literalism as He could.
The Helper -- the Holy Spirit -- would change everything. He had been explaining to them about the upcoming sorrows and tribulations connected with His death. The point in telling them was to insure they weren't caught totally off guard when it came. Surely they would be disowned by the Jewish leaders, even threatened with death. The leadership were so certain this was all God's will because they never knew God.
During the previous months of ministry, so long as it was not His hour to die, He was able to prevent the Jewish leaders from doing more than causing a scene. It wasn't necessary to warn them, but now His time had come, and they were going to face it all. Surely their faces fell as He spoke these words, and they didn't think to ask just where it was He was going. Their sorrow was misguided. It was not just good, but utterly necessary He die, and then return to Heaven. He reminds them again He cannot send His Spirit as long as it remains in His earthly body. He had to shed that body to release His Spirit.
Once He came, everything would change. Not just their little corner of the world, but the whole Universe would be changed. However, that change would be rooted in the Spirit Realm, hardly perceptible to those in the flesh. Jesus describes three ways His Spirit would work. First, He would convict the world of sin. It mattered not a whit what a man believed, thought or did; if he didn't embrace Jesus as the Messiah, everything he did was sin. Second, He would convict the world of righteousness, redefining it as the sacrifice on the Cross. All things would be measured by that standard, and nothing less could be called "righteousness." Third, the world would be judged because it remained under the rule of Satan. Everything Satan tried to gain would evaporate, because it would be so vividly exposed, nothing could again deceive men who served God.
There were plenty of things Jesus might have added, but they were simply not in any shape the hear them. When the Spirit came, that would also change. They would be able to hear from God for themselves, able to discern with God's discernment. He would be the voice of God inside them. The Spirit would bring about all the power and enlightenment they needed to glorify Jesus. There would be no barrier at all between them and God Almighty on His throne in Heaven. That's what the Holy Spirit does.
It sounded to the disciples as if Jesus were talking in parables again when He spoke of "a little while." They were debating amongst themselves when Jesus broke in with an explanation. At first, there would be sorrow, very soon, while the Jewish leaders would be celebrating and congratulating themselves. Yet a short time later, all that would be reversed. As with a woman giving birth, it's not pleasant during the process, but what a wonder it was afterward! They would be feeling pretty much the same. Once that new life was born in them, they would no longer need to ask for explanations. Indeed, it would require only that they turn to the Father inside themselves and understanding would be supplied. This was a new turn of affairs, for they had not been able to call on the Lord via His Son. Notice this business of asking comes in the context of seeking to understand how to live this new life, not for a bunch of stuff.
In due time, all this parabolic language would become clear as glass, because communication from Jesus would be via the Spirit directly into their hearts. They would address the Father directly as His children of grace, not relying on a physical Jesus to play priest for them. By their embrace of the truth Jesus was the Son of God, they gained the Father's acceptance as His children. Since He came down from Heaven from the Father, it should be obvious why He needed to return.
Now it all made sense to them -- or so they thought. Jesus knew they still weren't there, because the Holy Spirit was not in them yet. Indeed, in just a few hours they would all run away in fear, hiding where they could. They would leave Him to stand alone in the coming trials. Yet, He was never really alone. His Father never left Him. He was telling them directly and bluntly, because in due time they would understand, experiencing it for themselves. His very real presence would become a part of their very souls, and they would be lost in His serenity, His spiritual peace. The world would remain difficult, become even more difficult. However, He had broken the power of human fears and human governments over them. He would become their true Lord and King; they would serve Him directly. His approval would be all that mattered.
The Helper -- the Holy Spirit -- would change everything. He had been explaining to them about the upcoming sorrows and tribulations connected with His death. The point in telling them was to insure they weren't caught totally off guard when it came. Surely they would be disowned by the Jewish leaders, even threatened with death. The leadership were so certain this was all God's will because they never knew God.
During the previous months of ministry, so long as it was not His hour to die, He was able to prevent the Jewish leaders from doing more than causing a scene. It wasn't necessary to warn them, but now His time had come, and they were going to face it all. Surely their faces fell as He spoke these words, and they didn't think to ask just where it was He was going. Their sorrow was misguided. It was not just good, but utterly necessary He die, and then return to Heaven. He reminds them again He cannot send His Spirit as long as it remains in His earthly body. He had to shed that body to release His Spirit.
Once He came, everything would change. Not just their little corner of the world, but the whole Universe would be changed. However, that change would be rooted in the Spirit Realm, hardly perceptible to those in the flesh. Jesus describes three ways His Spirit would work. First, He would convict the world of sin. It mattered not a whit what a man believed, thought or did; if he didn't embrace Jesus as the Messiah, everything he did was sin. Second, He would convict the world of righteousness, redefining it as the sacrifice on the Cross. All things would be measured by that standard, and nothing less could be called "righteousness." Third, the world would be judged because it remained under the rule of Satan. Everything Satan tried to gain would evaporate, because it would be so vividly exposed, nothing could again deceive men who served God.
There were plenty of things Jesus might have added, but they were simply not in any shape the hear them. When the Spirit came, that would also change. They would be able to hear from God for themselves, able to discern with God's discernment. He would be the voice of God inside them. The Spirit would bring about all the power and enlightenment they needed to glorify Jesus. There would be no barrier at all between them and God Almighty on His throne in Heaven. That's what the Holy Spirit does.
It sounded to the disciples as if Jesus were talking in parables again when He spoke of "a little while." They were debating amongst themselves when Jesus broke in with an explanation. At first, there would be sorrow, very soon, while the Jewish leaders would be celebrating and congratulating themselves. Yet a short time later, all that would be reversed. As with a woman giving birth, it's not pleasant during the process, but what a wonder it was afterward! They would be feeling pretty much the same. Once that new life was born in them, they would no longer need to ask for explanations. Indeed, it would require only that they turn to the Father inside themselves and understanding would be supplied. This was a new turn of affairs, for they had not been able to call on the Lord via His Son. Notice this business of asking comes in the context of seeking to understand how to live this new life, not for a bunch of stuff.
In due time, all this parabolic language would become clear as glass, because communication from Jesus would be via the Spirit directly into their hearts. They would address the Father directly as His children of grace, not relying on a physical Jesus to play priest for them. By their embrace of the truth Jesus was the Son of God, they gained the Father's acceptance as His children. Since He came down from Heaven from the Father, it should be obvious why He needed to return.
Now it all made sense to them -- or so they thought. Jesus knew they still weren't there, because the Holy Spirit was not in them yet. Indeed, in just a few hours they would all run away in fear, hiding where they could. They would leave Him to stand alone in the coming trials. Yet, He was never really alone. His Father never left Him. He was telling them directly and bluntly, because in due time they would understand, experiencing it for themselves. His very real presence would become a part of their very souls, and they would be lost in His serenity, His spiritual peace. The world would remain difficult, become even more difficult. However, He had broken the power of human fears and human governments over them. He would become their true Lord and King; they would serve Him directly. His approval would be all that mattered.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Tribulation Report #027: Inventory Time
As we hurtle into tribulation, it's time we take an inventory.
Bear in mind, there is precious little we can do to prepare for tribulation. You can discuss your food and weapons hoard, tactics and planning, what you would do if this or that happens. Those things might even matter. However, as we have noted repeatedly in this irregular series, what matters most is what can be found inside you already.
Have we spent enough time seeking in the Spirit to identify what the Lord says matters to Him? That is, have you made some effort to know your own path of service in the Kingdom, and chosen to spend time preparing yourself as best you know? The Lord is not seeking for those who are successful, but those who are loyal.
No living human can predict how bad it will be, how long it will last. We can offer an educated guess urban areas will be the most difficult, but that's just common sense. If you are reading this blog, chances are very high you can't afford to really do all the preparations right, so to speak. If God does not supply those resources, you take what He hands you. Then you study to understand what He expects you to do with that.
Let's use me as an example. I said I felt physical fitness would matter. Thus, I've been eating more carefully, trying to lose a few pounds, and struggling to identify what sort of work-outs my body can take. Don't take this as boasting -- I try my best to run 6 days each week. As a warm up, I do 60 or more situps. I've lately been trying to stretch out my stride and run faster. I alternate between days running the roads and days running in the woods. I study vitamins and herbs and try to buy what really does me good.
I traded my Mac for a laptop, and gave my wife the big server. I've moved myself away from computers as a hobby. That means right now I don't run Linux or Unix on anything, because it's not suitable. Much as I hate MS and what it stands for, XP is what came with this laptop, and currently what works best on the hardware. If things go crazy with Windows and various attacks, I'll re-evaluate. Meanwhile, computer nerditry is just not where I'm called. It's my best writing tool, and that's how it gets used. What little techie stuff I did was carefully evaluate and select the best tools for security and so forth, trying to make the best use of God's provision.
I've been working hard to develop a servant attitude, a servant's habits. When there is a task before me, and it gets my attention, I do my best to perform it as if it were for God Himself. That's what it means to love others. I've freed up time from my computer explorations and now try to find useful tasks around the house, or with others nearby.
Meanwhile, I remain faithful to my blind friend. That's my calling right now. The Lord won't be giving me any serious work aside from this until this man no longer needs my help. There are times I'm puzzled by the situation, but I didn't create it. The hand of the Lord put me there, and I have every intention of being faithful. Throughout my entire adult life, I've never changed jobs unless I was driven away or given a burning desire to pursue something else. Neither of those have happened yet.
Mostly I'm cultivating all the things I teach. Do you know, we who teach the Word have to teach ourselves first? Somewhere along behind comes the actual attempt to live by those words. While we can call it partly a matter of laziness, human fleshly inertia, it's also important to realize we don't always understand clearly how concepts play out in real practice. Don't buy into false guilt; you'll get when you can't avoid it. That's how grace works.
I could go on in this vein, but you get the picture. Run your own inventory. Make sure you are seeing and following your own convictions. Tribulation is upon us.
Bear in mind, there is precious little we can do to prepare for tribulation. You can discuss your food and weapons hoard, tactics and planning, what you would do if this or that happens. Those things might even matter. However, as we have noted repeatedly in this irregular series, what matters most is what can be found inside you already.
Have we spent enough time seeking in the Spirit to identify what the Lord says matters to Him? That is, have you made some effort to know your own path of service in the Kingdom, and chosen to spend time preparing yourself as best you know? The Lord is not seeking for those who are successful, but those who are loyal.
No living human can predict how bad it will be, how long it will last. We can offer an educated guess urban areas will be the most difficult, but that's just common sense. If you are reading this blog, chances are very high you can't afford to really do all the preparations right, so to speak. If God does not supply those resources, you take what He hands you. Then you study to understand what He expects you to do with that.
Let's use me as an example. I said I felt physical fitness would matter. Thus, I've been eating more carefully, trying to lose a few pounds, and struggling to identify what sort of work-outs my body can take. Don't take this as boasting -- I try my best to run 6 days each week. As a warm up, I do 60 or more situps. I've lately been trying to stretch out my stride and run faster. I alternate between days running the roads and days running in the woods. I study vitamins and herbs and try to buy what really does me good.
I traded my Mac for a laptop, and gave my wife the big server. I've moved myself away from computers as a hobby. That means right now I don't run Linux or Unix on anything, because it's not suitable. Much as I hate MS and what it stands for, XP is what came with this laptop, and currently what works best on the hardware. If things go crazy with Windows and various attacks, I'll re-evaluate. Meanwhile, computer nerditry is just not where I'm called. It's my best writing tool, and that's how it gets used. What little techie stuff I did was carefully evaluate and select the best tools for security and so forth, trying to make the best use of God's provision.
I've been working hard to develop a servant attitude, a servant's habits. When there is a task before me, and it gets my attention, I do my best to perform it as if it were for God Himself. That's what it means to love others. I've freed up time from my computer explorations and now try to find useful tasks around the house, or with others nearby.
Meanwhile, I remain faithful to my blind friend. That's my calling right now. The Lord won't be giving me any serious work aside from this until this man no longer needs my help. There are times I'm puzzled by the situation, but I didn't create it. The hand of the Lord put me there, and I have every intention of being faithful. Throughout my entire adult life, I've never changed jobs unless I was driven away or given a burning desire to pursue something else. Neither of those have happened yet.
Mostly I'm cultivating all the things I teach. Do you know, we who teach the Word have to teach ourselves first? Somewhere along behind comes the actual attempt to live by those words. While we can call it partly a matter of laziness, human fleshly inertia, it's also important to realize we don't always understand clearly how concepts play out in real practice. Don't buy into false guilt; you'll get when you can't avoid it. That's how grace works.
I could go on in this vein, but you get the picture. Run your own inventory. Make sure you are seeing and following your own convictions. Tribulation is upon us.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Isaiah 38
Isaiah was not a historian, but a prophet. He arranged his material to warn Israel, and telling the story was merely a device for that warning. Thus, the narrative material for this chapter precedes chronologically the previous two chapters. We have no way of knowing the exact time frame, but it seems safe to guess the Assyrian siege was at least ten years after this narrative.
Some physical affliction took Hezekiah, and it was apparent this would be fatal. Isaiah confirmed those fears. This was surprisingly early for a righteous king to die, and Hezekiah said so. Notice he does not claim to be perfect, but to have cared deeply what Jehovah thought about things. The most important point in that culture and time was for Hezekiah to be loyal to his Lord. This would have been his sole basis for such an appeal.
The Lord grants this request. He sends Isaiah back with the message which reminds Hezekiah the grant is tied to the king's effort to replicate the service of his ancestor, King David. That fifteen years guarantees he would see the Assyrian siege, and would see it end. This was a package deal, since saving Jerusalem did not necessarily require Hezekiah's safety.
It's a waste of time trying to analyze the sign God granted to indicate Isaiah was not speaking out of turn. We have no idea what the Sundial of Ahaz was, nor how it worked in terms of the gradations. The words are ambiguous, as is typical of Hebrew language. People living when Isaiah published this would know, but that wasn't what really mattered. Nor does it help to debate how it might have happened, whether was an atmospheric effect or the earth slipping retrograde for a period. A God who can create all things can surely do as He pleases with that creation without any disasters. All we need to know is Hezekiah and those near him at the time saw it, the intended audience.
Equally difficult is the poetic praise response of Hezekiah. He uses various images we can recognize. Sheol is not Hell, but simply Death. This is not a theological statement, but a hymn of praise. It starts out very sad: no longer seeing living men, like a piece of fabric folded or rolled up, painful as being eaten by a lion, crooning and moaning like any number of animals. He can't claim anything, but rejoices in the grace of God. All men live by that grace. Whatever sin (perhaps his alliance with Egypt) he committed was forgiven, according to the Law. He notes dead people cannot praise God on the earth, a statement which continues to have powerful meaning today, if we remember this is under the Law of Moses, not a spiritual assessment.
Finally, it would do little good to theorize how the fig poultice might indicate the nature of the illness. In this case, it was surely symbolic, since we know of no medicinal quality, even in alternative medicine, for such a thing. Rather, it is best to see this as pointing out the fruitfulness of Israel being extended just a while longer. The fig tree symbolized Israel. Since it was his son, Manasseh, who succeeded Hezekiah, and whose 55 year reign was the last straw in idolatry, this grant from God put off that evil time for a while. After Manasseh, Judah's doom was sealed, and Josiah's life cut short so the Exile could commence on schedule. It was the Exile which Isaiah sets up in this narrative, which continues in the next chapter.
Some physical affliction took Hezekiah, and it was apparent this would be fatal. Isaiah confirmed those fears. This was surprisingly early for a righteous king to die, and Hezekiah said so. Notice he does not claim to be perfect, but to have cared deeply what Jehovah thought about things. The most important point in that culture and time was for Hezekiah to be loyal to his Lord. This would have been his sole basis for such an appeal.
The Lord grants this request. He sends Isaiah back with the message which reminds Hezekiah the grant is tied to the king's effort to replicate the service of his ancestor, King David. That fifteen years guarantees he would see the Assyrian siege, and would see it end. This was a package deal, since saving Jerusalem did not necessarily require Hezekiah's safety.
It's a waste of time trying to analyze the sign God granted to indicate Isaiah was not speaking out of turn. We have no idea what the Sundial of Ahaz was, nor how it worked in terms of the gradations. The words are ambiguous, as is typical of Hebrew language. People living when Isaiah published this would know, but that wasn't what really mattered. Nor does it help to debate how it might have happened, whether was an atmospheric effect or the earth slipping retrograde for a period. A God who can create all things can surely do as He pleases with that creation without any disasters. All we need to know is Hezekiah and those near him at the time saw it, the intended audience.
Equally difficult is the poetic praise response of Hezekiah. He uses various images we can recognize. Sheol is not Hell, but simply Death. This is not a theological statement, but a hymn of praise. It starts out very sad: no longer seeing living men, like a piece of fabric folded or rolled up, painful as being eaten by a lion, crooning and moaning like any number of animals. He can't claim anything, but rejoices in the grace of God. All men live by that grace. Whatever sin (perhaps his alliance with Egypt) he committed was forgiven, according to the Law. He notes dead people cannot praise God on the earth, a statement which continues to have powerful meaning today, if we remember this is under the Law of Moses, not a spiritual assessment.
Finally, it would do little good to theorize how the fig poultice might indicate the nature of the illness. In this case, it was surely symbolic, since we know of no medicinal quality, even in alternative medicine, for such a thing. Rather, it is best to see this as pointing out the fruitfulness of Israel being extended just a while longer. The fig tree symbolized Israel. Since it was his son, Manasseh, who succeeded Hezekiah, and whose 55 year reign was the last straw in idolatry, this grant from God put off that evil time for a while. After Manasseh, Judah's doom was sealed, and Josiah's life cut short so the Exile could commence on schedule. It was the Exile which Isaiah sets up in this narrative, which continues in the next chapter.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Lesson 11: Covenant of Christ
On the path to Light, the glory of Christ shines from the lamp of the Word to show us the way. We realize there is a light for the flesh, different from the light for those of the Spirit.
The Covenant of Noah is still in effect. There remains a requirement from God for all humanity to follow. Not just having civil government, but a civilized government. It is safe to say most governments today do not fulfill this very well. This is no surprise to us, given God's chosen nation could not adhere to the standard very long. The specific obligations were assigned to that nation alone, tuned to their situation, simplified for their benefit. The Covenant of Moses was a particular implementation of the Covenant of Noah, among other things. By carefully reading that Law, we can abstract useful principles for understanding what Noah means.
Nature itself is reflects this understanding, and responds by God's command to our human obedience, by providing those things promised by the Law. However, it all points to something far higher. Even under the Law, the Covenant of Abraham was in force, as it was under Noah alone. Those who offered to Jehovah what He demanded of Abraham found themselves living by a higher Law of God. While accountable to Noah and Moses on one level, they knew on a higher level, in a living spirit, those things did not lead to God Himself. While the Law provided an indication of how one came to God, it was not itself that path. Therefore, at some point, that Law must end, reach a terminus, when the full revelation of that path would be granted. The Law would be fulfilled, it's requirements fully satisfied, its purpose ended. While continued observance may well continue triggering Nature's response, the Law itself would be dead, for Nature was not under Moses.
Moses was ended by Christ. For now, it is enough to understand the Covenant of Christ is the fulfillment and termination of Moses, and builds on top of Abraham. It adds at least one thing to Abraham, the presence of Jesus' own Spirit to empower fulfillment of His covenant. While Abraham could hear from God via ritual seeking for a word, and via angelic messengers, we have the Word Himself in us. It becomes possible to fulfill all the previous covenants via our sacrifice with Christ on the Cross. Living from the Cross is everything the Lord ever wanted from His creation.
The Covenant of Noah was written in Nature. The Covenant of Moses was written in words on scrolls, solemnified with ritual animal slaughter. The Covenant of Abraham, extended into Christ, was in the Spirit Realm, solemnified by the Blood of Jesus. We could spill ink and electrons for ages to come and not clearly state what man's mind should know of this thing. The nature of Truth is not an object, nor can it be objectified, stated in propositions, nor told in any human language. It can be merely indicated at best, for it remains something which only Spirit can communicate to spirits. Truth is a Person, not a static entity.
Biblical Literacy must build on a realization of the limits of words on paper. The Book is precious, but it is not God. It is a record of the Word, not the Word itself. We are bound, accountable to that record, but only as it comes to life by the Spirit in our spirits.
The Covenant of Noah is still in effect. There remains a requirement from God for all humanity to follow. Not just having civil government, but a civilized government. It is safe to say most governments today do not fulfill this very well. This is no surprise to us, given God's chosen nation could not adhere to the standard very long. The specific obligations were assigned to that nation alone, tuned to their situation, simplified for their benefit. The Covenant of Moses was a particular implementation of the Covenant of Noah, among other things. By carefully reading that Law, we can abstract useful principles for understanding what Noah means.
Nature itself is reflects this understanding, and responds by God's command to our human obedience, by providing those things promised by the Law. However, it all points to something far higher. Even under the Law, the Covenant of Abraham was in force, as it was under Noah alone. Those who offered to Jehovah what He demanded of Abraham found themselves living by a higher Law of God. While accountable to Noah and Moses on one level, they knew on a higher level, in a living spirit, those things did not lead to God Himself. While the Law provided an indication of how one came to God, it was not itself that path. Therefore, at some point, that Law must end, reach a terminus, when the full revelation of that path would be granted. The Law would be fulfilled, it's requirements fully satisfied, its purpose ended. While continued observance may well continue triggering Nature's response, the Law itself would be dead, for Nature was not under Moses.
Moses was ended by Christ. For now, it is enough to understand the Covenant of Christ is the fulfillment and termination of Moses, and builds on top of Abraham. It adds at least one thing to Abraham, the presence of Jesus' own Spirit to empower fulfillment of His covenant. While Abraham could hear from God via ritual seeking for a word, and via angelic messengers, we have the Word Himself in us. It becomes possible to fulfill all the previous covenants via our sacrifice with Christ on the Cross. Living from the Cross is everything the Lord ever wanted from His creation.
The Covenant of Noah was written in Nature. The Covenant of Moses was written in words on scrolls, solemnified with ritual animal slaughter. The Covenant of Abraham, extended into Christ, was in the Spirit Realm, solemnified by the Blood of Jesus. We could spill ink and electrons for ages to come and not clearly state what man's mind should know of this thing. The nature of Truth is not an object, nor can it be objectified, stated in propositions, nor told in any human language. It can be merely indicated at best, for it remains something which only Spirit can communicate to spirits. Truth is a Person, not a static entity.
Biblical Literacy must build on a realization of the limits of words on paper. The Book is precious, but it is not God. It is a record of the Word, not the Word itself. We are bound, accountable to that record, but only as it comes to life by the Spirit in our spirits.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Stop the Schlopp
It's hard to come up with a good word to describe some of the cheap junk sold at "Christian" stores like Mardel. It's a great place to pick up reference works, but I'm often inundated by popular trash and third rate theological books, along with cheesy music. Yes, I liked Petra, Bloodgood, and Edin Adahl, because they were real musicians. Stryper was almost silly, as were a few others. I don't even bother to follow most of the newest stuff these days. Bill Barnwell points out the obvious everyone in Evangelical circles would rather not think about:
I often hang my head in shame when discussion turns to the marketing of "Christian" products. It's often on the level with that junk offered by Ronco and Popiel. Jesus frisbee, anyone? No, I'd rather have the original from Hasbro, thank you. It will fly better, which makes it a lot more useful. Sometimes the content isn't the problem, but the marketing itself. At other times, there simply is no content.
My witness is not selling Jesus as an alternative. My witness is showing the difference between life and death. You live without Jesus? You are dead. How can that be changed? God, and God alone, can bring life to a dead spirit with His Spirit. All the persuasion in the world will only produce another Ronco Christian. There is no real difference between Purchase Driven and Purpose Driven. The only real change is money from one hand to another.
Let's stop embarassing God.
The problem is the product. To put it bluntly, the product, in this case Christian alternative media, is simply not that good, and where there are exceptions to this, it's really not stuff that appeals to young people.
This is why when most young Christians are given the option between "Christian music" and stuff on the secular radio stations, they go with the secular stuff. Why? Because it's better, plain and simple. By "better" I don't mean I think the message is better or the values are better. But the secular artists are more talented. The production value is supremely better than the Christian stuff. And even many believers are put off by the cheesy aura that much Christian music has to it.
I often hang my head in shame when discussion turns to the marketing of "Christian" products. It's often on the level with that junk offered by Ronco and Popiel. Jesus frisbee, anyone? No, I'd rather have the original from Hasbro, thank you. It will fly better, which makes it a lot more useful. Sometimes the content isn't the problem, but the marketing itself. At other times, there simply is no content.
My witness is not selling Jesus as an alternative. My witness is showing the difference between life and death. You live without Jesus? You are dead. How can that be changed? God, and God alone, can bring life to a dead spirit with His Spirit. All the persuasion in the world will only produce another Ronco Christian. There is no real difference between Purchase Driven and Purpose Driven. The only real change is money from one hand to another.
Let's stop embarassing God.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
United and Unique
Jesus made much of oneness in His teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven. If we embrace Him, we embrace the Father who sent Him. We then share something with everyone else who embraces Him. Yet, we are each unique, even as we are One.
It's no secret the New Testament condemns the Roman Empire. As early as Daniel's prophecies, Rome is likened to an awful beast, something hard as iron, but not the least bit precious like her predecessors. Frankly, Rome's rulers were seldom truly noble, lacking the long legacy of "noblesse oblige" which ancient rulers carried. In the New Testament, Rome is the symbol of all that's wrong with human government. Rome epitomized what was wrong with Western culture, too.
See if you can follow the logic here. Rome was the first to perfect bureaucracy, the demand for uniformity in how citizens present themselves to the government. In the Western mind, it's impossible to be "equal" without being "interchangeable." Any attempt to be unique is punished. This is completely the opposite of what Jesus taught.
We are all the same before God only in that we are all fallen sinners from birth. Every other aspect of our existence, even before redemption, is unique before the Lord. Those of us who know Him must seek to love each and every being as individuals, as uniquely important. People are not projects, not something to be converted by some standardized manipulation scheme. Each must be loved as they are, and only God can do the changing. He uses our love to make that happen. We get that love from Him.
He lives in us, and we in Him, all One, all unique. God cannot possibly deal with each of us precisely the same. We are fools to expect any sense of "equality" because we cannot be "interchangeable." We can only be each of us what He makes of us.
Any force which attempts to reduce us to anything less is evil and sinful.
It's no secret the New Testament condemns the Roman Empire. As early as Daniel's prophecies, Rome is likened to an awful beast, something hard as iron, but not the least bit precious like her predecessors. Frankly, Rome's rulers were seldom truly noble, lacking the long legacy of "noblesse oblige" which ancient rulers carried. In the New Testament, Rome is the symbol of all that's wrong with human government. Rome epitomized what was wrong with Western culture, too.
See if you can follow the logic here. Rome was the first to perfect bureaucracy, the demand for uniformity in how citizens present themselves to the government. In the Western mind, it's impossible to be "equal" without being "interchangeable." Any attempt to be unique is punished. This is completely the opposite of what Jesus taught.
We are all the same before God only in that we are all fallen sinners from birth. Every other aspect of our existence, even before redemption, is unique before the Lord. Those of us who know Him must seek to love each and every being as individuals, as uniquely important. People are not projects, not something to be converted by some standardized manipulation scheme. Each must be loved as they are, and only God can do the changing. He uses our love to make that happen. We get that love from Him.
He lives in us, and we in Him, all One, all unique. God cannot possibly deal with each of us precisely the same. We are fools to expect any sense of "equality" because we cannot be "interchangeable." We can only be each of us what He makes of us.
Any force which attempts to reduce us to anything less is evil and sinful.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Life of Christ: John 15
In vivid imagery, Isaiah had warned Israel failed in her calling (Isaiah 5) to provide the fruit God had sought. If the symbol of fruit was simply more members of the kingdom, that requirement was satisfied when Israel's population increased. However, the image is that of bringing forth God's glory, of revealing Him more fully. In this Israel failed utterly. Jesus came to fulfill this purpose. Therefore, He was the True Vine, sent to bring about the true revelation of God.
The Father is keeping an eye on things. Every member of the Kingdom of Heaven is an extension of Jesus, a branch on the Vine. If we cannot bear fruit -- if we cannot manifest His glory -- He will remove us from this life. Those of us who do bear this fruit of revelation can expect to suffer some losses. In viticulture, it is normal to clip off the excessive growth of fruitful branches, so that more nutrients are put into heavier fruit. It's not about us, but the fruit. Trimming and pruning is also called "cleansing". A great deal of this had already taken place in the disciples' lives.
During most of the year, a pruned branch abides in the vine, as the vine grows longer and stronger. During fruit season, those branches suddenly grow out and sprout fruit. Jesus warns about staying attached to the purpose of God's glory. He repeats the warning about there being no life for us if He is not living in us. However, by continuing to seek His glory, we are in a position to ask for more fruit. Only a fool sees here a blank check for their own desires. The context is clearly lifting up the name of Jesus; the fruit is His glory.
We can't imagine a Heavenly Father who did not love His only Son. Just as surely does Jesus love those called to follow Him. His glory and fruit is for us to manifest that same kind of sacrificial love. Obedience is sacrifice, dying to self, and living to the divine purpose. Love is hard to imagine without the benefit of joy. The two are inseparable, so joy is also His fruit. Indeed, all His commands could be summed up in that sacrificial love and joy. It marks us as members of His divine family. He reminds them it was not a matter of earning their place, but He chose them as the branches for the fruit of His glorious joy in love. That sort of fruit is the basis for what we know to ask, to be more like Jesus.
Our love for one another, that sacrificial love that glorifies God, will surely put as at odds with the world, the system which rules the lives of men on this earth. It's not as if all humanity hated Jesus; many would have made Him an earthly king. Rather, it's clear He is pointing to the system which rules over men with anything but love. If we obey Jesus, we must reject that system of human rule, and it will hate us. We cannot presume to be any more at peace with such a world than was Jesus, our Master. If we embrace Him, cling to Him and His ways of sacrificial love, we will not fear such a system. It will persecute us, but cannot change us. For all its pretense, no human government can ever understand God. In particular, the Jewish government of His day, even after hearing all His corrections of their false understanding of God's Word, refused to embrace any part of the truth. To hate Jesus is to hate the Father who sent Him. This simply fulfills that Word which they could not understand. They would kill Him for the very act of setting the record straight.
Jesus knew His death would be a frightening prospect for these men who followed Him. It was necessary to release the Holy Spirit, since that would be His own Spirit. As long as He had His body, the Spirit was confined to Him alone. Coming down from Heaven without a body, He would be available to His Body, His followers. Naturally, His Spirit will simply call up His teaching, and produce in His followers
The Father is keeping an eye on things. Every member of the Kingdom of Heaven is an extension of Jesus, a branch on the Vine. If we cannot bear fruit -- if we cannot manifest His glory -- He will remove us from this life. Those of us who do bear this fruit of revelation can expect to suffer some losses. In viticulture, it is normal to clip off the excessive growth of fruitful branches, so that more nutrients are put into heavier fruit. It's not about us, but the fruit. Trimming and pruning is also called "cleansing". A great deal of this had already taken place in the disciples' lives.
During most of the year, a pruned branch abides in the vine, as the vine grows longer and stronger. During fruit season, those branches suddenly grow out and sprout fruit. Jesus warns about staying attached to the purpose of God's glory. He repeats the warning about there being no life for us if He is not living in us. However, by continuing to seek His glory, we are in a position to ask for more fruit. Only a fool sees here a blank check for their own desires. The context is clearly lifting up the name of Jesus; the fruit is His glory.
We can't imagine a Heavenly Father who did not love His only Son. Just as surely does Jesus love those called to follow Him. His glory and fruit is for us to manifest that same kind of sacrificial love. Obedience is sacrifice, dying to self, and living to the divine purpose. Love is hard to imagine without the benefit of joy. The two are inseparable, so joy is also His fruit. Indeed, all His commands could be summed up in that sacrificial love and joy. It marks us as members of His divine family. He reminds them it was not a matter of earning their place, but He chose them as the branches for the fruit of His glorious joy in love. That sort of fruit is the basis for what we know to ask, to be more like Jesus.
Our love for one another, that sacrificial love that glorifies God, will surely put as at odds with the world, the system which rules the lives of men on this earth. It's not as if all humanity hated Jesus; many would have made Him an earthly king. Rather, it's clear He is pointing to the system which rules over men with anything but love. If we obey Jesus, we must reject that system of human rule, and it will hate us. We cannot presume to be any more at peace with such a world than was Jesus, our Master. If we embrace Him, cling to Him and His ways of sacrificial love, we will not fear such a system. It will persecute us, but cannot change us. For all its pretense, no human government can ever understand God. In particular, the Jewish government of His day, even after hearing all His corrections of their false understanding of God's Word, refused to embrace any part of the truth. To hate Jesus is to hate the Father who sent Him. This simply fulfills that Word which they could not understand. They would kill Him for the very act of setting the record straight.
Jesus knew His death would be a frightening prospect for these men who followed Him. It was necessary to release the Holy Spirit, since that would be His own Spirit. As long as He had His body, the Spirit was confined to Him alone. Coming down from Heaven without a body, He would be available to His Body, His followers. Naturally, His Spirit will simply call up His teaching, and produce in His followers
Friday, March 13, 2009
Isaiah 37
The narrative continues from the previous chapter. Hezekiah had sinned in making a treaty with the Egyptians. He had no expectation of God's help when he learned of the threat from Rabshakeh. However, there was the matter of blasphemy, and this was the one best reason to expect Jehovah to respond. Thus, Hezekiah not only took the appropriate symbolic measures of humility and praying in the Temple, but he sent word to Isaiah.
The same witnesses who heard the blasphemy, the same high delegation of court officials, plus all the priestly elders, were sent to God's delegate, as it were, to sue for terms of peace. They described the situation as a woman in childbirth unable to push, so that both mother and child might die. It was Hezekiah's way of declaring utter dependence on God to deliver, because he lacked any power -- standing -- to demand anything. If God could not midwife an answer, there was no answer. Instead, the king recognized it was only the glory of God's name which mattered, and asked if that was sufficient for Him to act.
As Isaiah had already prophesied, God would deliver Jerusalem for His own glory. Since Sennacherib dared to blaspheme, he would be called back to his palace and die there. To show how this came true, Isaiah recounts how Rabshakeh returned to his master to find the troops laying siege to yet another fortress, some ten miles north of where he left them. At the same time, there was a report of Egypt's army on the move. Scholars suggest this was too little too late from Egypt, because they were defeated. At any rate, Sennacherib repeated pretty much the same message to Hezekiah as before, this time in writing -- Was Jehovah any better than the deities of those already defeated by Assyria?
Having already learned God had plans to deal with Assyria, Hezekiah wasted no time in taking the letter before the Lord in the Temple. His appeal was again based on no claim of right, and certainly no means to fend off the Assyrian troops with the Judean Army. The only reason God might act was to show the world the God of Israel was not an imaginary deity as the others. This was always the issue in God's actions: His own glory, revealed to the world.
In response, the Lord sent word through Isaiah. The poetic reply was much more forceful than before. Not just defeat, but a scornful demise was about to fall on Sennacherib. Making himself out to be a demi-god, Sennacherib's pride would be his downfall. It was the God of Israel who granted him power to destroy and rule thus far. For Sennacherib to somehow decide this meant he could defy that God made him worse than an ingrate. The Lord mocked Sennacherib, promising to humiliate him the way he had done to others, by using animal prods and bridles to lead him away in front of a watching world.
The sign to Hezekiah and Judah was the promise they would be able to find sufficient food growing in fallow fields two years in a row. Most of the cities of Judah had been captured, and refugees from the whole land were crammed in the capital. The threat, if not the fact, of invasion had kept them from planting that year, so God would provide, and the next year as well. After that, there would be no threat, and they would be free to plant and re-occupy the cities already taken and destroyed by Assyria. This would take quite some time and labor, and God would keep them fed by the second year of volunteer crops.
So while Sennacherib was able to send a rather substantial advance guard with his threatening letter, enough to keep everyone hiding behind the walls of Jerusalem, it was not enough to actually begin the attack. They would hold the ground outside the city, but would never see the rest of the army come to finish the job. Instead, during the night, the surrounding troops were struck by some unnamed plague, leaving a significant portion of that army dead. With trouble brewing at home, Sennacherib withdrew from Jerusalem, the only city left in the whole region he had not yet taken, and returned back across the Euphrates to his palace at Nineveh. He was murdered by two of his sons, and succeeded by Esarhaddon.
The same witnesses who heard the blasphemy, the same high delegation of court officials, plus all the priestly elders, were sent to God's delegate, as it were, to sue for terms of peace. They described the situation as a woman in childbirth unable to push, so that both mother and child might die. It was Hezekiah's way of declaring utter dependence on God to deliver, because he lacked any power -- standing -- to demand anything. If God could not midwife an answer, there was no answer. Instead, the king recognized it was only the glory of God's name which mattered, and asked if that was sufficient for Him to act.
As Isaiah had already prophesied, God would deliver Jerusalem for His own glory. Since Sennacherib dared to blaspheme, he would be called back to his palace and die there. To show how this came true, Isaiah recounts how Rabshakeh returned to his master to find the troops laying siege to yet another fortress, some ten miles north of where he left them. At the same time, there was a report of Egypt's army on the move. Scholars suggest this was too little too late from Egypt, because they were defeated. At any rate, Sennacherib repeated pretty much the same message to Hezekiah as before, this time in writing -- Was Jehovah any better than the deities of those already defeated by Assyria?
Having already learned God had plans to deal with Assyria, Hezekiah wasted no time in taking the letter before the Lord in the Temple. His appeal was again based on no claim of right, and certainly no means to fend off the Assyrian troops with the Judean Army. The only reason God might act was to show the world the God of Israel was not an imaginary deity as the others. This was always the issue in God's actions: His own glory, revealed to the world.
In response, the Lord sent word through Isaiah. The poetic reply was much more forceful than before. Not just defeat, but a scornful demise was about to fall on Sennacherib. Making himself out to be a demi-god, Sennacherib's pride would be his downfall. It was the God of Israel who granted him power to destroy and rule thus far. For Sennacherib to somehow decide this meant he could defy that God made him worse than an ingrate. The Lord mocked Sennacherib, promising to humiliate him the way he had done to others, by using animal prods and bridles to lead him away in front of a watching world.
The sign to Hezekiah and Judah was the promise they would be able to find sufficient food growing in fallow fields two years in a row. Most of the cities of Judah had been captured, and refugees from the whole land were crammed in the capital. The threat, if not the fact, of invasion had kept them from planting that year, so God would provide, and the next year as well. After that, there would be no threat, and they would be free to plant and re-occupy the cities already taken and destroyed by Assyria. This would take quite some time and labor, and God would keep them fed by the second year of volunteer crops.
So while Sennacherib was able to send a rather substantial advance guard with his threatening letter, enough to keep everyone hiding behind the walls of Jerusalem, it was not enough to actually begin the attack. They would hold the ground outside the city, but would never see the rest of the army come to finish the job. Instead, during the night, the surrounding troops were struck by some unnamed plague, leaving a significant portion of that army dead. With trouble brewing at home, Sennacherib withdrew from Jerusalem, the only city left in the whole region he had not yet taken, and returned back across the Euphrates to his palace at Nineveh. He was murdered by two of his sons, and succeeded by Esarhaddon.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Lesson 10: Covenant of the Law
We learn more about the lamp of God's Word, shining on the path to Light.
Abraham's spiritual calling and covenant were aimed at producing a spiritual result. However, the path lay through worldly symbols of spiritual truth. This is the fundamental nature of revelation on this earth. Abraham was promised a nation would rise from his one legitimate heir, Issac. Several generations later we find them prospering in a far away land. They must be brought back to the land given to Abraham. To drive them out required a change of dynasty which would enslave them for a time. Their actual departure came after the rulers of the land are humbled, ruined and broken. The people wandered along the wilderness to regain the life of Abraham. But an entire nation could not be simply given Abraham's spirit.
In the process of their travels, they stopped at a place where God did reveal something of Himself. It would be impossible to explain all the implications of what transpired there, and what was given to them. What is important here is recognizing the Covenant of Moses, also known as the Covenant of the Law, was merely earthly. This was not a spiritual law, but a very earthly law, with very earthly promises. All of these things pointed to a spiritual reality, but did not lead directly to it.
In that sense, the Law of Moses was an extension of the Law of Noah. It was God's command for civil government, the behavior code of a people under human government. The promises are summed up in the word shalom, representing the results of having a good, solid natural order. Thus, the Law of Moses would call forth a limited response from God's Creation, because it required men to walk according to the bare essentials of Creation's fundamental nature. The promises were essentially good weather, a good harvest, protection from plagues and from external human enemies. If this new nation would walk according to the Law of Moses, they would have all the things men seek, in the sense they would have all they needed for a good life in this world. It was as close to Eden as fallen man could get. The Law of Moses exemplified the fullest implications of the Law of Noah, as implemented for this particular people, in a particular land grant, at that particular time in history.
This earthly kingdom and law would point the hearts of men to a transcendent kingdom ruled under a spiritual law. That was a part of the purpose for this covenant. The Law was entirely within human reach; it assumed most would fail in some measure, and made allowance for failure. The promises still stood and were historically granted with a high degree of indulgence from God. The only way to fail utterly was to stop trying. Thus, it pointed to a holy desire as the key to holiness, both on the worldly and spiritual level. Should anyone rise to the faith of Abraham, the purpose of the Law was fulfilled.
Clearly, it did not happen on either level. Israel as a nation drew farther and farther away from observing the Law, whether in letter or in spirit. All the various missions included in this covenant failed, particularly bringing the truth to other nations. The Law was prepared for that failure, too. Hidden in the Law was the promise of a Messiah to come, once and for all, to clarify the demands of holiness. While the Law aimed at pointing symbolically to the Spirit, the Law could not take you there. Obeying the Law could not bring you spiritual birth. All those ritual sacrifices were unable to remove the consciousness of sin burned into the soul of every human since the Fall. Only a spiritual sacrifice could do that. Someone had to fulfill all the missions the Nation of Israel, bring the Law to a close, and inaugurate the Nation of Heaven.
What the Law did manage to accomplish was provide the proper setting for this Messiah to come and reveal once and for all what it had all meant. The Law of Moses was a temporary measure, with an expiration set for the day of the Cross. That was the final Day of Atonement when all the world was welcomed into the presence of God Almighty. That welcome mat was Jesus Christ. No other route was possible. The Law had to die on the Cross, the Covenant of Moses had to end, the Law was fulfilled in its purpose and design. No longer would men care about the ephemeral blessings of this world, but would seek the eternal rewards the Law could only foreshadow. The end of the Law was an extension of the Covenant of Abraham, for in his descendants would all humanity be blessed.
To imagine somehow it was not all finished at the Cross is to insult the Blood of Jesus. Israel was disbanded by their rejection of the Messiah, rejection of including the rest of the world. The people of that earthly nation might well cling to the best they knew, but Jesus made it clear that what they had by His time was not even proper observance of the Law, never mind spiritual issues. Once He made that final sacrifice for all sin since the Fall, there was no more place for the rituals of the Law. The Temple Veil was torn open, and the rituals were finished. The only "People of God" are those who follow Christ.
Abraham's spiritual calling and covenant were aimed at producing a spiritual result. However, the path lay through worldly symbols of spiritual truth. This is the fundamental nature of revelation on this earth. Abraham was promised a nation would rise from his one legitimate heir, Issac. Several generations later we find them prospering in a far away land. They must be brought back to the land given to Abraham. To drive them out required a change of dynasty which would enslave them for a time. Their actual departure came after the rulers of the land are humbled, ruined and broken. The people wandered along the wilderness to regain the life of Abraham. But an entire nation could not be simply given Abraham's spirit.
In the process of their travels, they stopped at a place where God did reveal something of Himself. It would be impossible to explain all the implications of what transpired there, and what was given to them. What is important here is recognizing the Covenant of Moses, also known as the Covenant of the Law, was merely earthly. This was not a spiritual law, but a very earthly law, with very earthly promises. All of these things pointed to a spiritual reality, but did not lead directly to it.
In that sense, the Law of Moses was an extension of the Law of Noah. It was God's command for civil government, the behavior code of a people under human government. The promises are summed up in the word shalom, representing the results of having a good, solid natural order. Thus, the Law of Moses would call forth a limited response from God's Creation, because it required men to walk according to the bare essentials of Creation's fundamental nature. The promises were essentially good weather, a good harvest, protection from plagues and from external human enemies. If this new nation would walk according to the Law of Moses, they would have all the things men seek, in the sense they would have all they needed for a good life in this world. It was as close to Eden as fallen man could get. The Law of Moses exemplified the fullest implications of the Law of Noah, as implemented for this particular people, in a particular land grant, at that particular time in history.
This earthly kingdom and law would point the hearts of men to a transcendent kingdom ruled under a spiritual law. That was a part of the purpose for this covenant. The Law was entirely within human reach; it assumed most would fail in some measure, and made allowance for failure. The promises still stood and were historically granted with a high degree of indulgence from God. The only way to fail utterly was to stop trying. Thus, it pointed to a holy desire as the key to holiness, both on the worldly and spiritual level. Should anyone rise to the faith of Abraham, the purpose of the Law was fulfilled.
Clearly, it did not happen on either level. Israel as a nation drew farther and farther away from observing the Law, whether in letter or in spirit. All the various missions included in this covenant failed, particularly bringing the truth to other nations. The Law was prepared for that failure, too. Hidden in the Law was the promise of a Messiah to come, once and for all, to clarify the demands of holiness. While the Law aimed at pointing symbolically to the Spirit, the Law could not take you there. Obeying the Law could not bring you spiritual birth. All those ritual sacrifices were unable to remove the consciousness of sin burned into the soul of every human since the Fall. Only a spiritual sacrifice could do that. Someone had to fulfill all the missions the Nation of Israel, bring the Law to a close, and inaugurate the Nation of Heaven.
What the Law did manage to accomplish was provide the proper setting for this Messiah to come and reveal once and for all what it had all meant. The Law of Moses was a temporary measure, with an expiration set for the day of the Cross. That was the final Day of Atonement when all the world was welcomed into the presence of God Almighty. That welcome mat was Jesus Christ. No other route was possible. The Law had to die on the Cross, the Covenant of Moses had to end, the Law was fulfilled in its purpose and design. No longer would men care about the ephemeral blessings of this world, but would seek the eternal rewards the Law could only foreshadow. The end of the Law was an extension of the Covenant of Abraham, for in his descendants would all humanity be blessed.
To imagine somehow it was not all finished at the Cross is to insult the Blood of Jesus. Israel was disbanded by their rejection of the Messiah, rejection of including the rest of the world. The people of that earthly nation might well cling to the best they knew, but Jesus made it clear that what they had by His time was not even proper observance of the Law, never mind spiritual issues. Once He made that final sacrifice for all sin since the Fall, there was no more place for the rituals of the Law. The Temple Veil was torn open, and the rituals were finished. The only "People of God" are those who follow Christ.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Lesson 09: Early Covenants
On our journey from Darkness to Light, we use the Bible as a lamp to find the path. It is not the Light, but a reflection of Him. It's reflection is far brighter when we learn how to make best use of it. That use starts with a good solid framework, an outline to memorize by which we understand everything else.
The spiritual mind does not look so much for books, chapters and verses, but major turning points in the one thing which matters most to us all: the way God reveals Himself. In terms of human years, things move altogether very slowly. In terms of text covered in Scripture, the early portions are tightly compacted, with expansion coming as we draw nearer to the ultimate revelation, Jesus Christ. These break points are the various covenants God offered.
The beginning is obvious, with the first few chapters of Genesis. The highlights are Creation, the Garden Covenant, and its breaking. That brings us the Fall. It is no longer possible to return to the innocence before the Fall, so in that sense the Garden Covenant is out of reach. However, that covenant did set forth the first requirement for all Creation to acknowledge God as Creator. This is reflected in the second generation of mankind starting to worship:
The purity of knowing God from an innocent spirit was gone, and the spirit in humanity died. It required redemption to bring it back to life. Whether that spirit is alive or not, there remains to all Creation a requirement to acknowledge God, to call on His name as Creator. That portion of the Garden Covenant is still active.
The next step on the way comes after mankind not only rejected that requirement as a whole, but sought out every other path to return to the Garden privileges. So deeply had sin driven into the souls of men, they fled from the face of God in every direction possible. This would require a new covenant, but first the sin must be removed. Thus, the Flood destroyed all mankind, except for Noah and his household. While sin was not washed away, there was a chance to rebuild human society with some controls. Thus, God set forth the Covenant of Noah (Genesis 8:20-9:17). While the full implications are not spelled out, we see the Lord state the most obvious meaning:
In other words, there must be a high value placed on human life. He also referred to population growing, and we quickly get the image of people living in cities. The only way folks can exist in urban density is to adopt a set of rules, customs and expectations for each other which serve to preserve life. This means civilized behavior, for civilization is defined as the rules by which humans can live together in a city without killing each other. This, then, could also be called the Covenant of Civil Order. There has to be a civil government, which bears the sword and keeps sinners in check. That the sword is carried by other sinners goes without saying. This has nothing to do with spiritual things, but civil order among fallen men. To prevent another destruction of life like the Flood, we are obliged to maintain good government, as good as sinners can make government work. The punishment for failure to keep civil order is the loss of natural order, as God mentions seasons and predictability of natural events.
We are not aware of any further pivotal revelations from God until the life of Abraham. Here we have a different kind of thing altogether. God calls Abraham into a personal covenant, represented by the command to leave behind everything he ever knew, change to another lifestyle, and never again consider other deities. There were benefits for Abraham, but the point remains this is the first known example of personal spiritual redemption laid out in a recognizable framework. To become spiritually born, Abraham had to die to his old life and operate from a wholly different perspective. While elements of this new life were common enough in those days, God adds a whole new dimension. This calls Abraham back to the Garden Covenant, but the Covenant of Noah is assumed covered by Abraham's faithful response to God's every whim. This is where we first gain the image of God as a desert nomad sheik, for this is essentially what Abraham became, leaving behind the civilized urban life under Noah.
A significant point here is to begin seeing the symbolism not obvious to a casual reader. Abraham is no longer tied to Noah, but is tied to a promise he must accept sight unseen. He must operate on the basis of a commitment to a Divine Lord he cannot see, whose requirements seem from a human standpoint to shift like sand dunes in the wind. He is to operate as if the promises were true, even as he knows he will never see them come true with his own eyes. This is the Covenant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). While other men were surely held to such a standard, we are told of Abraham because he is critical to the central story of God's revelation.
We are allowed to see very early there are two levels of operation, the flesh and the spirit. Each has its own particular demands, but clearly those who embrace the spiritual plane are held to a higher standard, even while they are no longer bound under the lower.
The spiritual mind does not look so much for books, chapters and verses, but major turning points in the one thing which matters most to us all: the way God reveals Himself. In terms of human years, things move altogether very slowly. In terms of text covered in Scripture, the early portions are tightly compacted, with expansion coming as we draw nearer to the ultimate revelation, Jesus Christ. These break points are the various covenants God offered.
The beginning is obvious, with the first few chapters of Genesis. The highlights are Creation, the Garden Covenant, and its breaking. That brings us the Fall. It is no longer possible to return to the innocence before the Fall, so in that sense the Garden Covenant is out of reach. However, that covenant did set forth the first requirement for all Creation to acknowledge God as Creator. This is reflected in the second generation of mankind starting to worship:
And Adam had relations with his wife again. And she gave birth to a son, and called his name Seth, for she said, "God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain killed him." And there was also a son born to Seth, and he called his name Enos. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD. (Genesis 4:25-26)
The purity of knowing God from an innocent spirit was gone, and the spirit in humanity died. It required redemption to bring it back to life. Whether that spirit is alive or not, there remains to all Creation a requirement to acknowledge God, to call on His name as Creator. That portion of the Garden Covenant is still active.
The next step on the way comes after mankind not only rejected that requirement as a whole, but sought out every other path to return to the Garden privileges. So deeply had sin driven into the souls of men, they fled from the face of God in every direction possible. This would require a new covenant, but first the sin must be removed. Thus, the Flood destroyed all mankind, except for Noah and his household. While sin was not washed away, there was a chance to rebuild human society with some controls. Thus, God set forth the Covenant of Noah (Genesis 8:20-9:17). While the full implications are not spelled out, we see the Lord state the most obvious meaning:
"Whoever sheds human blood, his blood shall be shed by humans; for I made man in the image of God." (Genesis 9:6)
In other words, there must be a high value placed on human life. He also referred to population growing, and we quickly get the image of people living in cities. The only way folks can exist in urban density is to adopt a set of rules, customs and expectations for each other which serve to preserve life. This means civilized behavior, for civilization is defined as the rules by which humans can live together in a city without killing each other. This, then, could also be called the Covenant of Civil Order. There has to be a civil government, which bears the sword and keeps sinners in check. That the sword is carried by other sinners goes without saying. This has nothing to do with spiritual things, but civil order among fallen men. To prevent another destruction of life like the Flood, we are obliged to maintain good government, as good as sinners can make government work. The punishment for failure to keep civil order is the loss of natural order, as God mentions seasons and predictability of natural events.
We are not aware of any further pivotal revelations from God until the life of Abraham. Here we have a different kind of thing altogether. God calls Abraham into a personal covenant, represented by the command to leave behind everything he ever knew, change to another lifestyle, and never again consider other deities. There were benefits for Abraham, but the point remains this is the first known example of personal spiritual redemption laid out in a recognizable framework. To become spiritually born, Abraham had to die to his old life and operate from a wholly different perspective. While elements of this new life were common enough in those days, God adds a whole new dimension. This calls Abraham back to the Garden Covenant, but the Covenant of Noah is assumed covered by Abraham's faithful response to God's every whim. This is where we first gain the image of God as a desert nomad sheik, for this is essentially what Abraham became, leaving behind the civilized urban life under Noah.
A significant point here is to begin seeing the symbolism not obvious to a casual reader. Abraham is no longer tied to Noah, but is tied to a promise he must accept sight unseen. He must operate on the basis of a commitment to a Divine Lord he cannot see, whose requirements seem from a human standpoint to shift like sand dunes in the wind. He is to operate as if the promises were true, even as he knows he will never see them come true with his own eyes. This is the Covenant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). While other men were surely held to such a standard, we are told of Abraham because he is critical to the central story of God's revelation.
We are allowed to see very early there are two levels of operation, the flesh and the spirit. Each has its own particular demands, but clearly those who embrace the spiritual plane are held to a higher standard, even while they are no longer bound under the lower.
Martial Law: How the King's Children Face It
I have a small dispute with Will Grigg.
By all means, many police officers these days take themselves entirely too seriously. Gone is the noble willingness to face danger as a privilege of the job. They no longer, as a whole, merit nearly so much respect. This is the paradox: When someone demands we cower, they deserve to be forced to cower. Gone is the noble willingness to face second-guessing, because that was once part of the job. Now the political class grants blanket absolution to most extreme inhumane treatment of those who somehow didn't manage to get a badge. I say this as one who once wore that badge; as a former police patrol supervisor, I would never have tolerated my subordinates treating people that way.
No, all that is true. What I take issue with is the assumption any reasonable Christian man would demand to be treated better. You can call it what you like, but with the security of knowing our home is in Heaven, we dismiss such earthly concerns as getting respect. If the Apostle Paul was willing to throw himself face down the floor in repentance on behalf of, and in the presence of, the Corinthian church, who are we to demand a right to stand unmolested?
Rather, we expect abuse to come. It's part of going to the Cross with Jesus. It must come regardless of political fashion and social decay. Indeed, I can't think of a time when policemen didn't find support for treating people with contempt. That's why it became a major element in my leadership of other policemen. Some of my own superiors harassed me about it, saying I was shaming and weakening my patrolmen's position in the community. It's one of the reasons I quit working in that field of endeavor. Even in the best of times, government authority corrupts, and noble attitudes are a joke.
Yes, it will surely get worse as we go through the collapse of Western Civilization. Here on the threshold of a new Dark Ages, we will see horrors unimagined by the worst slash flicks. Being tasered will become the least of indignities visited upon the average citizen of the US in the very near future. There are powers far above us hoy-palloy manipulating circumstances to create this awful scenario. Those who engage in violent resistance play into their hands.
The spiritual answer is not to push back. Nor is it to cower. It is, like Christ, to face this all with regal equanimity. We know we belong to a far higher plane. We know suffering and misery is an indelible stain on this mortal plane. We do not support and encourage officials of government authority to do evil; we decry it loudly based on the ample revelation regarding civil government's responsibilities to God under the Covenant of Noah. Our standing as Children of Light is to face this abuse with courage and peace, even some good humor.
When some trembling hysterical cop demands we fall face down in the dirt under threat of violence, we let our demeanor show we do not fear the threats they offer. We do not comply from fear and cowering, but smile and do as they demand with the relaxed resignation of Jesus facing the mob in the Garden. Should it be during this moment a move of the Spirit demand we act with full divine authority in some other way, we do so with the same calm assurance He would supply 12 legions of angels to support that action. In other words, we do not obey nor resist on any grounds other than the direction of the Spirit at that moment.
Neither compliance nor resistance is a matter of principle standing free of God's personal attention moment by moment. An awareness of what ought to be is not a call from God to make it so. That is His prerogative. Our focus is manifesting His glory in a dynamic reliance on His guiding hand. You may well be called to resist, but that is not automatic, not a given. I've often said elsewhere violent resistance on behalf of child custody is generally justified, nor should we submit to sexual violence. This does not come with an attitude. It comes with peaceful assurance the results are in His hands; what we care about is obedience in making Him known.
Martial law is coming; indeed, it's here and growing. Face it like Jesus.
By all means, many police officers these days take themselves entirely too seriously. Gone is the noble willingness to face danger as a privilege of the job. They no longer, as a whole, merit nearly so much respect. This is the paradox: When someone demands we cower, they deserve to be forced to cower. Gone is the noble willingness to face second-guessing, because that was once part of the job. Now the political class grants blanket absolution to most extreme inhumane treatment of those who somehow didn't manage to get a badge. I say this as one who once wore that badge; as a former police patrol supervisor, I would never have tolerated my subordinates treating people that way.
No, all that is true. What I take issue with is the assumption any reasonable Christian man would demand to be treated better. You can call it what you like, but with the security of knowing our home is in Heaven, we dismiss such earthly concerns as getting respect. If the Apostle Paul was willing to throw himself face down the floor in repentance on behalf of, and in the presence of, the Corinthian church, who are we to demand a right to stand unmolested?
Rather, we expect abuse to come. It's part of going to the Cross with Jesus. It must come regardless of political fashion and social decay. Indeed, I can't think of a time when policemen didn't find support for treating people with contempt. That's why it became a major element in my leadership of other policemen. Some of my own superiors harassed me about it, saying I was shaming and weakening my patrolmen's position in the community. It's one of the reasons I quit working in that field of endeavor. Even in the best of times, government authority corrupts, and noble attitudes are a joke.
Yes, it will surely get worse as we go through the collapse of Western Civilization. Here on the threshold of a new Dark Ages, we will see horrors unimagined by the worst slash flicks. Being tasered will become the least of indignities visited upon the average citizen of the US in the very near future. There are powers far above us hoy-palloy manipulating circumstances to create this awful scenario. Those who engage in violent resistance play into their hands.
The spiritual answer is not to push back. Nor is it to cower. It is, like Christ, to face this all with regal equanimity. We know we belong to a far higher plane. We know suffering and misery is an indelible stain on this mortal plane. We do not support and encourage officials of government authority to do evil; we decry it loudly based on the ample revelation regarding civil government's responsibilities to God under the Covenant of Noah. Our standing as Children of Light is to face this abuse with courage and peace, even some good humor.
When some trembling hysterical cop demands we fall face down in the dirt under threat of violence, we let our demeanor show we do not fear the threats they offer. We do not comply from fear and cowering, but smile and do as they demand with the relaxed resignation of Jesus facing the mob in the Garden. Should it be during this moment a move of the Spirit demand we act with full divine authority in some other way, we do so with the same calm assurance He would supply 12 legions of angels to support that action. In other words, we do not obey nor resist on any grounds other than the direction of the Spirit at that moment.
Neither compliance nor resistance is a matter of principle standing free of God's personal attention moment by moment. An awareness of what ought to be is not a call from God to make it so. That is His prerogative. Our focus is manifesting His glory in a dynamic reliance on His guiding hand. You may well be called to resist, but that is not automatic, not a given. I've often said elsewhere violent resistance on behalf of child custody is generally justified, nor should we submit to sexual violence. This does not come with an attitude. It comes with peaceful assurance the results are in His hands; what we care about is obedience in making Him known.
Martial law is coming; indeed, it's here and growing. Face it like Jesus.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
I Pledge Allegiance
He told me in all seriousness: "When I see the flag pass by, and I salute, I still get a lump in my throat, and maybe a tear in one corner of my eye." I would say such reverence of the flag is blasphemous.
We in the US do not have a king. Unlike all the other lands in this world, we do not have a hereditary ruler whom we presume to be on the throne by God's grace and will. What we have is a flag, and we react pretty much in the same way to it as others do their monarch. They might grouse about certain actions and policies, but when it comes right down to it, they still can't get over the excitement of meeting the monarch one-on-one, with all the bowing scraping. While we get a piece of that with famous people, and maybe even a little with our presidents, we most tend to get that way about our flag. All the more so those who have sacrificed something for that symbol (or that monarch), they can't avoid loving reverence, and a measure of anger at displays of irreverence.
When Jesus refers to our loving Him, it is this same sense of reverence to which He refers. It's not simply, "Me and Jesus, we are buddies." It's far more than that. Never forget the Bible draws the image of God as our Eastern Potentate, the mighty Desert Sheik. Everything you would expect from such a ruler: the unlimited power, law personified (never objectified), the element of mysteries never quite explained, the paradox of both loving embrace and huge distance, the massive number of personally appointed servants with complicated and puzzling responsibilities, and all manner of things which defy our Western logical tastes. That's how our God portrays Himself. We are to love Him like nothing else we know.
If you can get all misty over the US flag, can you feel that same sense of powerful drawing about our God? Do you feel the same sense of pride at being a Child of God, or do you react more strongly at the mention of being an American? Would you sacrifice as much for the Kingdom of Heaven as you would for your country? Until our actual commitments match our words, we are walking in sin and idolatry.
We in the US do not have a king. Unlike all the other lands in this world, we do not have a hereditary ruler whom we presume to be on the throne by God's grace and will. What we have is a flag, and we react pretty much in the same way to it as others do their monarch. They might grouse about certain actions and policies, but when it comes right down to it, they still can't get over the excitement of meeting the monarch one-on-one, with all the bowing scraping. While we get a piece of that with famous people, and maybe even a little with our presidents, we most tend to get that way about our flag. All the more so those who have sacrificed something for that symbol (or that monarch), they can't avoid loving reverence, and a measure of anger at displays of irreverence.
When Jesus refers to our loving Him, it is this same sense of reverence to which He refers. It's not simply, "Me and Jesus, we are buddies." It's far more than that. Never forget the Bible draws the image of God as our Eastern Potentate, the mighty Desert Sheik. Everything you would expect from such a ruler: the unlimited power, law personified (never objectified), the element of mysteries never quite explained, the paradox of both loving embrace and huge distance, the massive number of personally appointed servants with complicated and puzzling responsibilities, and all manner of things which defy our Western logical tastes. That's how our God portrays Himself. We are to love Him like nothing else we know.
If you can get all misty over the US flag, can you feel that same sense of powerful drawing about our God? Do you feel the same sense of pride at being a Child of God, or do you react more strongly at the mention of being an American? Would you sacrifice as much for the Kingdom of Heaven as you would for your country? Until our actual commitments match our words, we are walking in sin and idolatry.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Life of Christ: John 14 (Updated)
Someone was going to betray Jesus to the authorities. Their senior member was going to deny the Master, who was going somewhere without them. In other words, their world was coming to an end. So much of what Jesus was saying was parabolic, spiritual speech to men still limited to their human understanding. It was surely more heartbreaking to Him as He stood there seeing it than it is for us reading about the utter confusion racing through their minds.
Turning from His crushing warning to Peter about denying Him three times before dawn, Jesus addresses him with the whole group. In the Jewish world, the heart was the seat of the will, of commitment and loyalty. Thus, He counseled them to remain faithful in the course to which they were already committed -- "Don't let your faith waver." As surely as they would never turn against their God, they should simply trust in Jesus to make it all work out. They were all members of God's royal household. It was for Jesus to go and register them there, marking out their individual offices and accommodations, which He promised would be lavish. His going away was to make this happen, and then He would return to escort them there. Their places were secure; God's favor upon them was not fickle. Surely they understood what it took to claim that privilege.
Take a moment to notice John's witness here. Jesus does not speak of some discrete historical event to fulfill the promise. He refers to a change in spiritual dynamics. His "going" -- death -- would usher in a whole new regime, a spiritual existence which pays little heed to concrete reality. He promises they already belong, but it waits a sequence of events here inside the realm of Time for them to become aware of the this spiritual shift, and to experience the manifestation of those eternal facts in this realm. While still walking on this earth, they would occupy Kingdom offices in Eternity. They would hold title to high privileges, which would easily manifest in this world, but only fully realized once they leave this world. Jesus promises they would surely leave on the same path He took.
It was Thomas who spoke the obvious from their point of view. They still didn't quite grasp "where" He was going. If they did understand, they would not have to ask the way. Jesus' answer was, again, parabolic. He was going back to the Father, and the only way they could ever get there was by Him. The "way" was to embrace Jesus and follow His teachings. To embrace Jesus, to commit to following Him, was to know and follow the Father. As much as any man can "know" the Father, it was only possible by knowing Jesus.
Here was something Philip thought he could grasp. Moses saw God, in a rather literal sense, on Mount Sinai. If Jesus could make that happen for them, surely they would need nothing else. It was common for people to swear they would not have been so unfaithful as the generation which wandered in the wilderness, if they had only seen what that generation had seen. It was not true, because seeing is not believing. All the proof in the world could not make one a servant of God. Had they spent all this time with Jesus and not understood that? The answer Jesus gave simply reasserted the only thing they really needed to "see" was with spiritual eyes. The fullness of what a man needs to know about God is available in the life and teaching of Jesus. What they knew and understood about Jesus was all they could know of the Father on this plane. The signs and miracles would help to clarify things, but it was proof only a newborn spirit could grasp.
Those same signs and wonders were well within the grasp of any man who served God the way Jesus did. Indeed, these men would go on to do an even greater number of signs. The release of such power required Jesus go to the Father. Thus, He could stand personally in the presence of the Father, as His Right Hand -- the position of Executive Officer comes close in modern times. Jesus would ensure the Father's authority was placed upon anyone who embraced Him, embraced His teaching and mission. Anything at all needed for the mission would be granted, including mighty signs and wonders.
Jesus continues speaking in terms of the Kingdom and Divine Court in Heaven. To love one's Lord was to desire whatever His whims demanded. It was the picture of the most loyal servant standing ready to run and commit any act commanded. With this commitment in His hands, Jesus could go to the Father and call for the release of the Holy Spirit in a way not previously experienced on earth. He would come to make an eternal residence inside their persons, uniting with them in their souls. The rest of the world would not be able to receive Him, because they lack the faculty to receive and understand Him. The disciples would recognize Him easily, though. That's because it would be the Spirit of Jesus Himself, who would ensure their Father never forgot them.
As adopted children of this Heavenly King, they would serve as members of the Divine Household. Such insiders always had a means of identifying each other which outsiders would miss. By the Presence of the Holy Spirit, they would have the Presence of Jesus, living above this world, yet in it all the more surely, through their bodies. They would then be able to discern the oneness with the Father. Their full faith and commitment to the business of the Kingdom, the mission of bringing God glory, would be proof of their filial piety. The ability to love and care about God's Kingdom affairs was what it meant to know Jesus, to know the Father.
The other Judas was puzzled by the idea of separation between what they would see compared to the rest of the world. What was the point of them seeing He was Messiah, if the rest of world didn't know it? Wasn't this all about bringing to Israel all the long awaited promises of world dominion in holiness? The problem was definition of terms. Only those capable of loving Jesus, and desiring what Jesus desired, would be able to obey Him in the first place. It was necessary for the Person of God to live inside them. The rest of the world could not love Him that way, so would not make a home for Him inside. But, what the rest of the world could know about Jesus and the Father would be known through those who did know Jesus. He would be manifested to the world through those who loved Him.
Jesus knew it was all puzzling, and above their level of understanding at that point. When He was gone, and returned in the form of the Holy Spirit, they would have a new life inside them. That Life would do the heavy lifting in their spirits. He would feed back to their minds what they needed to know, bringing to life all these teachings which would, until then, sleep in their spirits. Jesus was leaving them with the promised shalom of Heaven. Not the mere earthly security, prosperity and health, but that of the Spirit. They saw how Jesus faced things without getting all tied up in knots, so they could expect to have the same serenity.
So when He speaks of going away, and coming back in another form, it should be cause for rejoicing. As men committed to serving Him as their Lord and King, what makes Him happy should make them giddy. Of course, it was a little difficult for them to grasp just yet, so perhaps it would be a few days before they celebrated. He firmly promised it would all make sense soon enough. For now, the time for talking was nearly past. Jesus refers to Satan as the de facto ruler of the world, coming to kill Him. Since the Devil's authority was limited to this world, there wasn't much he could do to harm Jesus, nor them.
Still, it had to come, because the whole world deserved one chance to see what divine love means. Loving the Father means making the ultimate sacrifice, as any good royal Son would do for His Father. Welcome to the New Kingdom of Heaven.
Turning from His crushing warning to Peter about denying Him three times before dawn, Jesus addresses him with the whole group. In the Jewish world, the heart was the seat of the will, of commitment and loyalty. Thus, He counseled them to remain faithful in the course to which they were already committed -- "Don't let your faith waver." As surely as they would never turn against their God, they should simply trust in Jesus to make it all work out. They were all members of God's royal household. It was for Jesus to go and register them there, marking out their individual offices and accommodations, which He promised would be lavish. His going away was to make this happen, and then He would return to escort them there. Their places were secure; God's favor upon them was not fickle. Surely they understood what it took to claim that privilege.
Take a moment to notice John's witness here. Jesus does not speak of some discrete historical event to fulfill the promise. He refers to a change in spiritual dynamics. His "going" -- death -- would usher in a whole new regime, a spiritual existence which pays little heed to concrete reality. He promises they already belong, but it waits a sequence of events here inside the realm of Time for them to become aware of the this spiritual shift, and to experience the manifestation of those eternal facts in this realm. While still walking on this earth, they would occupy Kingdom offices in Eternity. They would hold title to high privileges, which would easily manifest in this world, but only fully realized once they leave this world. Jesus promises they would surely leave on the same path He took.
It was Thomas who spoke the obvious from their point of view. They still didn't quite grasp "where" He was going. If they did understand, they would not have to ask the way. Jesus' answer was, again, parabolic. He was going back to the Father, and the only way they could ever get there was by Him. The "way" was to embrace Jesus and follow His teachings. To embrace Jesus, to commit to following Him, was to know and follow the Father. As much as any man can "know" the Father, it was only possible by knowing Jesus.
Here was something Philip thought he could grasp. Moses saw God, in a rather literal sense, on Mount Sinai. If Jesus could make that happen for them, surely they would need nothing else. It was common for people to swear they would not have been so unfaithful as the generation which wandered in the wilderness, if they had only seen what that generation had seen. It was not true, because seeing is not believing. All the proof in the world could not make one a servant of God. Had they spent all this time with Jesus and not understood that? The answer Jesus gave simply reasserted the only thing they really needed to "see" was with spiritual eyes. The fullness of what a man needs to know about God is available in the life and teaching of Jesus. What they knew and understood about Jesus was all they could know of the Father on this plane. The signs and miracles would help to clarify things, but it was proof only a newborn spirit could grasp.
Those same signs and wonders were well within the grasp of any man who served God the way Jesus did. Indeed, these men would go on to do an even greater number of signs. The release of such power required Jesus go to the Father. Thus, He could stand personally in the presence of the Father, as His Right Hand -- the position of Executive Officer comes close in modern times. Jesus would ensure the Father's authority was placed upon anyone who embraced Him, embraced His teaching and mission. Anything at all needed for the mission would be granted, including mighty signs and wonders.
Jesus continues speaking in terms of the Kingdom and Divine Court in Heaven. To love one's Lord was to desire whatever His whims demanded. It was the picture of the most loyal servant standing ready to run and commit any act commanded. With this commitment in His hands, Jesus could go to the Father and call for the release of the Holy Spirit in a way not previously experienced on earth. He would come to make an eternal residence inside their persons, uniting with them in their souls. The rest of the world would not be able to receive Him, because they lack the faculty to receive and understand Him. The disciples would recognize Him easily, though. That's because it would be the Spirit of Jesus Himself, who would ensure their Father never forgot them.
As adopted children of this Heavenly King, they would serve as members of the Divine Household. Such insiders always had a means of identifying each other which outsiders would miss. By the Presence of the Holy Spirit, they would have the Presence of Jesus, living above this world, yet in it all the more surely, through their bodies. They would then be able to discern the oneness with the Father. Their full faith and commitment to the business of the Kingdom, the mission of bringing God glory, would be proof of their filial piety. The ability to love and care about God's Kingdom affairs was what it meant to know Jesus, to know the Father.
The other Judas was puzzled by the idea of separation between what they would see compared to the rest of the world. What was the point of them seeing He was Messiah, if the rest of world didn't know it? Wasn't this all about bringing to Israel all the long awaited promises of world dominion in holiness? The problem was definition of terms. Only those capable of loving Jesus, and desiring what Jesus desired, would be able to obey Him in the first place. It was necessary for the Person of God to live inside them. The rest of the world could not love Him that way, so would not make a home for Him inside. But, what the rest of the world could know about Jesus and the Father would be known through those who did know Jesus. He would be manifested to the world through those who loved Him.
Jesus knew it was all puzzling, and above their level of understanding at that point. When He was gone, and returned in the form of the Holy Spirit, they would have a new life inside them. That Life would do the heavy lifting in their spirits. He would feed back to their minds what they needed to know, bringing to life all these teachings which would, until then, sleep in their spirits. Jesus was leaving them with the promised shalom of Heaven. Not the mere earthly security, prosperity and health, but that of the Spirit. They saw how Jesus faced things without getting all tied up in knots, so they could expect to have the same serenity.
So when He speaks of going away, and coming back in another form, it should be cause for rejoicing. As men committed to serving Him as their Lord and King, what makes Him happy should make them giddy. Of course, it was a little difficult for them to grasp just yet, so perhaps it would be a few days before they celebrated. He firmly promised it would all make sense soon enough. For now, the time for talking was nearly past. Jesus refers to Satan as the de facto ruler of the world, coming to kill Him. Since the Devil's authority was limited to this world, there wasn't much he could do to harm Jesus, nor them.
Still, it had to come, because the whole world deserved one chance to see what divine love means. Loving the Father means making the ultimate sacrifice, as any good royal Son would do for His Father. Welcome to the New Kingdom of Heaven.
Spiritual View of Fundie Logic
For most of my adult life, I proudly wore the badge of Fundamentalist Christian. Technically, I still wear it, only because the term is narrowly defined. Along with that badge comes a host of baggage which is not part of the definition.
A part of that baggage includes a hard core rationalist mindset. Everything must be reducible to concrete terms. This is what causes the on-going debate between Calvinism and Arminianism. When the ultimate truth of reality must make sense, it requires logical gymnastics which raise false dividing lines. Do you notice how, particularly in the New Testament writers, they seem to be saying both Arminian stuff even as they clearly announce Calvinist principles? It's because they aren't holding themselves to a Western/Hellenistic logical standard, but a spiritual logic. Spiritual logic is the source of paradox, and there is no need for concrete clarity and logical exclusions. There is no need to say, "If predestination is true, then free will is reduced."
It's the Fundies who gave us the demand we must view Scripture from the same concrete exclusionary logic. In their pursuit of clarity, they have been forced to raise the text of the Book to a position of absolutes. It's not enough we are bound by the Book, but we must kneel before it. Their violent reaction to charges of "bibliolatry" are so strong only because it's accurate. They demand our consciences be bound by the words of the Book. They still argue, low these past few centuries, about the accuracy of this text or that in comparison to the originals, but it's built on guess work, seeing there are no originals. One can decided to trust this or that scholar, of groups of them, but they hardly all agree. You cannot make the testimony of one textual scholar the test of orthodoxy, since all of them are mere men.
Indeed, some of those sworn by are proven scoundrels, such as Hort and Wescott. These men were paganized Romanists, and so very many embrace them as the quintessential textual experts. Granted, a great many of the KJV scholars were easily better men; they were also deeply infected with Western rationalist assumptions. They aren't above all other men, and the KJV text is not from God's own hand. Such declarations are blasphemy.
Whether Fundies like or not, they have wedded themselves to a rational structure which raises Truth up as an objective thing on a par with God Almighty. Further, you cannot come to where they are without the unspoken assumption men can grasp that ultimate truth with their minds. They give lip-service to the Spirit, but hardly know how He works. They believe they know, but are generally mistaken. Their doctrine does not create the result they claim it does, nor can it.
Everything is within a fake little world, all nice and middle class, all Westernized and logical -- It has to work! -- and it doesn't. When I took my born-again soul outside it, I realized what a game it was in so many parts. Now I'm free to walk by the Spirit, because it doesn't have to make sense.
A part of that baggage includes a hard core rationalist mindset. Everything must be reducible to concrete terms. This is what causes the on-going debate between Calvinism and Arminianism. When the ultimate truth of reality must make sense, it requires logical gymnastics which raise false dividing lines. Do you notice how, particularly in the New Testament writers, they seem to be saying both Arminian stuff even as they clearly announce Calvinist principles? It's because they aren't holding themselves to a Western/Hellenistic logical standard, but a spiritual logic. Spiritual logic is the source of paradox, and there is no need for concrete clarity and logical exclusions. There is no need to say, "If predestination is true, then free will is reduced."
It's the Fundies who gave us the demand we must view Scripture from the same concrete exclusionary logic. In their pursuit of clarity, they have been forced to raise the text of the Book to a position of absolutes. It's not enough we are bound by the Book, but we must kneel before it. Their violent reaction to charges of "bibliolatry" are so strong only because it's accurate. They demand our consciences be bound by the words of the Book. They still argue, low these past few centuries, about the accuracy of this text or that in comparison to the originals, but it's built on guess work, seeing there are no originals. One can decided to trust this or that scholar, of groups of them, but they hardly all agree. You cannot make the testimony of one textual scholar the test of orthodoxy, since all of them are mere men.
Indeed, some of those sworn by are proven scoundrels, such as Hort and Wescott. These men were paganized Romanists, and so very many embrace them as the quintessential textual experts. Granted, a great many of the KJV scholars were easily better men; they were also deeply infected with Western rationalist assumptions. They aren't above all other men, and the KJV text is not from God's own hand. Such declarations are blasphemy.
Whether Fundies like or not, they have wedded themselves to a rational structure which raises Truth up as an objective thing on a par with God Almighty. Further, you cannot come to where they are without the unspoken assumption men can grasp that ultimate truth with their minds. They give lip-service to the Spirit, but hardly know how He works. They believe they know, but are generally mistaken. Their doctrine does not create the result they claim it does, nor can it.
Everything is within a fake little world, all nice and middle class, all Westernized and logical -- It has to work! -- and it doesn't. When I took my born-again soul outside it, I realized what a game it was in so many parts. Now I'm free to walk by the Spirit, because it doesn't have to make sense.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Part 2: Introduction (Lesson 08)
(From Darkness to Light continues; updated 07 March 2009)
We introduce now the actual overview of the Bible. It is proper and best to view the Bible as the documented process of divine revelation. We can call the Bible “The Word of God,” and say all manner of precise things, trying to tie the conscience to the demands of that revelation. There's only one problem with that: People who don't know Jesus by the Spirit won't be bound by the Book, except in externals. People who do know Jesus will be bound to Jesus, and the Book is not Him.
If we were to present to those who wrote the combined documents making up the Book the popular claims made by many American Christians today, they would laugh. So very many men in Western churches have written so very many fine things from the Western rationalist viewpoint, and most of them are missing the point in one measure or another. The cultural background of Hebrew people, and later, Christians who adopted the Hebrew outlook of this new movement, were fully aware of Western civilization and it's emphasis on what man can achieve. Man was the measure of all things, and the underlying assumptions of how a man knows anything, even when not spelled out, is that man must formulate it logically. This goes against the assumptions of the Hebrew culture, which assume the mind must receive all things from above, including the logical structure.
To say the Bible is literally inspired word-for-word is silly, when almost none of us can read the words of the languages in which it was written, nor can we hold any of the original copies. Nor does it matter. Revelation is not a matter of mere words, but uses words as a vehicle. The words in the Book really don't scare the Devil that much, because he can quote the Book at length. The words themselves do not possess any magical power, nor any miracle power. The Spirit alone has power. If He breathes through the Book into your soul, it's Him using His own Book. If He breathes not because your spirit is dead, then it's just ancient literature with a puzzling collection of assumptions.
Emotional moments of seeming enlightenment are deceptive, if those moments come via the Western rational tradition. There are no hidden secrets, no key words of deep meaning, just a story told as people watched the hand of God. Because He has ever been so utterly consistent on His own terms, the Book as a whole tells a story of how He operated in the past, and how He operates today. It's mostly pretty mundane because it is all so consistent. The dramatic miraculous moments were exactly what He said He would do, and anyone who knew Him was hardly surprised by them. That is, your human mind might be amazed, but your spirit would simply rejoice the ancient rejoicing at knowing God is yet again revealed. The revelation is the thing, not the miraculous signs, no more than it would be a claim of “miraculous words.”
Those who serve the King of Heaven are not bound to the Book, but bound by the Book to the King. It's more than just a tool, but it's not Him. We do not worship the Book, but reverence it's demands as a revelation of God. The Hebrew concept of writing a thing was not to offer a precise, clinical description, but to relate the events and facts as symbols, as parables to point out truths which cannot be stated in words. This fallen world is a lie, and its tools are broken, but by God's own power, He speaks through these things we have broken by our sin. He is the one who breaks through to the spirit, and human logic is just as fallen as the rest of our human nature. So we don't slavishly follow the propositional prescriptions discerned by mere human logic. Logic cannot arrive at obedience, because obedience is as much a miracle as spiritual birth itself. What begins with a miracle continues in miraculous power. The mind must be redeemed, too, and it does so by conforming itself to spiritual logic. We observe with our minds what the Book tells us about our King, and what He demands of those who serve Him, but it is processed in the spirit. We are accountable to the Book as the voice of our King.
All of this is weaselly logic unless you understand how the Spirit works. Those who reject the fuzzy and symbolic spiritual logic, by holding up such terms as "propositional truth," "infallible," and "verbally inspired," are demanding something Jesus Himself, as well as His disciples, did not. In Jesus' teachings and in the Apostles' writings, we see they had little trouble with pulling out meanings from previous Scripture wholly inconsistent with such terminology, to include some rather loose translations. Let the scholars dig all they like, presuming to mimic the modern Jewish obsession with word counts in the text, and other things, but we know for a fact Jewish scholars developed such nit-picking after embracing the Western rationalist views, which views Jesus rejected in His debates with the Westernized scholars of His day (Pharisees).
The Book is precious, not as books go, but for what it offers us. You do not blaspheme God if you happen to spill coffee on that expensive leather-bound volume. Nothing you can touch with human hands is holy and sacred, because mere things are only tools in the Kingdom. All of this will become clearer as we go through the Book, highlighting the central issues. In the Spirit, we rightly assume the Book is binding on us, which is why God preserved it. However, even human logic should indicate that His "failure" to preserve any originals, His "failure" to provide sufficient unquestionable clarity on the precise wording, His "failure" to answer all the issues over which Western Bible scholars haggle today, should tell us those things were probably not so important as they might seem. We have to assume what we have is sufficient to make us able to please Him.
We introduce now the actual overview of the Bible. It is proper and best to view the Bible as the documented process of divine revelation. We can call the Bible “The Word of God,” and say all manner of precise things, trying to tie the conscience to the demands of that revelation. There's only one problem with that: People who don't know Jesus by the Spirit won't be bound by the Book, except in externals. People who do know Jesus will be bound to Jesus, and the Book is not Him.
If we were to present to those who wrote the combined documents making up the Book the popular claims made by many American Christians today, they would laugh. So very many men in Western churches have written so very many fine things from the Western rationalist viewpoint, and most of them are missing the point in one measure or another. The cultural background of Hebrew people, and later, Christians who adopted the Hebrew outlook of this new movement, were fully aware of Western civilization and it's emphasis on what man can achieve. Man was the measure of all things, and the underlying assumptions of how a man knows anything, even when not spelled out, is that man must formulate it logically. This goes against the assumptions of the Hebrew culture, which assume the mind must receive all things from above, including the logical structure.
To say the Bible is literally inspired word-for-word is silly, when almost none of us can read the words of the languages in which it was written, nor can we hold any of the original copies. Nor does it matter. Revelation is not a matter of mere words, but uses words as a vehicle. The words in the Book really don't scare the Devil that much, because he can quote the Book at length. The words themselves do not possess any magical power, nor any miracle power. The Spirit alone has power. If He breathes through the Book into your soul, it's Him using His own Book. If He breathes not because your spirit is dead, then it's just ancient literature with a puzzling collection of assumptions.
Emotional moments of seeming enlightenment are deceptive, if those moments come via the Western rational tradition. There are no hidden secrets, no key words of deep meaning, just a story told as people watched the hand of God. Because He has ever been so utterly consistent on His own terms, the Book as a whole tells a story of how He operated in the past, and how He operates today. It's mostly pretty mundane because it is all so consistent. The dramatic miraculous moments were exactly what He said He would do, and anyone who knew Him was hardly surprised by them. That is, your human mind might be amazed, but your spirit would simply rejoice the ancient rejoicing at knowing God is yet again revealed. The revelation is the thing, not the miraculous signs, no more than it would be a claim of “miraculous words.”
Those who serve the King of Heaven are not bound to the Book, but bound by the Book to the King. It's more than just a tool, but it's not Him. We do not worship the Book, but reverence it's demands as a revelation of God. The Hebrew concept of writing a thing was not to offer a precise, clinical description, but to relate the events and facts as symbols, as parables to point out truths which cannot be stated in words. This fallen world is a lie, and its tools are broken, but by God's own power, He speaks through these things we have broken by our sin. He is the one who breaks through to the spirit, and human logic is just as fallen as the rest of our human nature. So we don't slavishly follow the propositional prescriptions discerned by mere human logic. Logic cannot arrive at obedience, because obedience is as much a miracle as spiritual birth itself. What begins with a miracle continues in miraculous power. The mind must be redeemed, too, and it does so by conforming itself to spiritual logic. We observe with our minds what the Book tells us about our King, and what He demands of those who serve Him, but it is processed in the spirit. We are accountable to the Book as the voice of our King.
All of this is weaselly logic unless you understand how the Spirit works. Those who reject the fuzzy and symbolic spiritual logic, by holding up such terms as "propositional truth," "infallible," and "verbally inspired," are demanding something Jesus Himself, as well as His disciples, did not. In Jesus' teachings and in the Apostles' writings, we see they had little trouble with pulling out meanings from previous Scripture wholly inconsistent with such terminology, to include some rather loose translations. Let the scholars dig all they like, presuming to mimic the modern Jewish obsession with word counts in the text, and other things, but we know for a fact Jewish scholars developed such nit-picking after embracing the Western rationalist views, which views Jesus rejected in His debates with the Westernized scholars of His day (Pharisees).
The Book is precious, not as books go, but for what it offers us. You do not blaspheme God if you happen to spill coffee on that expensive leather-bound volume. Nothing you can touch with human hands is holy and sacred, because mere things are only tools in the Kingdom. All of this will become clearer as we go through the Book, highlighting the central issues. In the Spirit, we rightly assume the Book is binding on us, which is why God preserved it. However, even human logic should indicate that His "failure" to preserve any originals, His "failure" to provide sufficient unquestionable clarity on the precise wording, His "failure" to answer all the issues over which Western Bible scholars haggle today, should tell us those things were probably not so important as they might seem. We have to assume what we have is sufficient to make us able to please Him.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Isaiah 36
The recurring theme of Isaiah thus far has been a call to trust in God, to return with full faith to the Covenant. He warned Judah would be ravaged by Assyria, but would be saved by God's intervention. To the degree Judah renewed their covenant faithfulness, they would also enjoy the fruits of that salvation. It was all part of the Covenant Blessings: prosperity, health and security from enemies. Here now begins a section where Isaiah narrates the fulfillment of God's promise to destroy Assyria's troops at the very gates of Jerusalem. Scholars note how similar this and next few chapters are to portions of 2 Kings, speculating Isaiah wrote both. This is quite reasonable, given Isaiah's status not only as court prophet but in the royal administration.
When Sennacherib came to power in about 705 BC, he spent quite some years simply squashing rebellions so common in large empires when there is a change on the throne. He regarded Judah as in rebellion to his rule. Sennacherib's troops worked their way through some 46 forts belonging to Judah, by their own reckoning. While part of the vast Assyrian army was camped around Lachish, the Judean fortress down southwest of Jerusalem, blocking passage to Egypt, the Emperor sent his Chief of Staff with some troops to the City. Sennacherib was saving the best for last, in part because it was better defended than other cities. His Chief of Staff came to warn Hezekiah: As soon as Lachish fell, the army would lay siege to Jerusalem (in 701 BC).
This official stood near the wall on an open spot, pretty much where Isaiah stood when he accused Ahaz of misleading Judah away from the Covenant some 23 years before. The protocols of the day allowed some of the Judean officials to meet Sennacherib's mouthpiece without threat to either side there before the gate. This was not really an official negotiation, but political grandstanding. The visitors spoke in the common Hebrew of the day, rather than the official diplomatic language of Aramaic. Further, Rabshakeh appeals to the opposition party at court. This is good psychological warfare, calculated to bring despair.
The Rabshakeh wonders aloud what makes Hezekiah think he can withstand the coming siege. He repeats the warnings Isaiah made about trusting Egypt to carry out their promises to war effectively against Assyria, or at least tie up her troops. The picture of Egypt as a poor, splintering reed claiming to be a strong staff is quite apt.
The great mistake Rabshakeh makes is to blaspheme Jehovah. It is not from ignorance he speaks of the reforms of Hezekiah. The scholars in Assyria had long known the details of the Mosaic Covenant, knew quite well the Canaanite variations on Baal bore only a superficial resemblance to ancient Hebrew worship of Jehovah. They knew Jehovah did not tolerate this mixing of ritual, of multiple altars all over the place, all of which had long been used for other gods. However, the Rabshakeh knew religion and politics were deeply mixed, that there was a strong party in the Judean court disaffected by Hezekiah's destruction of those scattered altars. Quite frankly, those altars were also a source of revenue, and that would obviously add to the anger of those whose favorite altar was destroyed. The Rabshakeh's choice to mock this zeal of Hezekiah is a direct insult to Jehovah, and he knew that.
Then he compares relative military might. It's no secret Assyrian troops outnumbered anything Hezekiah might have drafted from within the kingdom. There is an unsubtle reference to Egypt as a primary source for chariots and horses. Assyria had picked up where the ancient Hittites left off, raising their own stables and producing even better chariots. He finishes with reminding them of the half-truth Jehovah had sent them to conquer the land, so there was no point resisting.
Hezekiah's officials wanted to keep this a discussion among bureaucrats in the Aramaic tongue, but the Rabshakeh makes clear he came to spread fear. He shouts loudly to the guards on the wall, knowing many of their senior commanders would be there to hear. He attempted to provoke discussion of terms of surrender with them, bypassing the official delegation. He made all sorts of wild promises about a better land. He mentions all the patron deities which had failed to protect their various domains in the empire. Naturally, the guards on the wall knew better than to answer.
However, it was not the fine discipline of the Judean army which made the difference here. It was how Hezekiah responded.
When Sennacherib came to power in about 705 BC, he spent quite some years simply squashing rebellions so common in large empires when there is a change on the throne. He regarded Judah as in rebellion to his rule. Sennacherib's troops worked their way through some 46 forts belonging to Judah, by their own reckoning. While part of the vast Assyrian army was camped around Lachish, the Judean fortress down southwest of Jerusalem, blocking passage to Egypt, the Emperor sent his Chief of Staff with some troops to the City. Sennacherib was saving the best for last, in part because it was better defended than other cities. His Chief of Staff came to warn Hezekiah: As soon as Lachish fell, the army would lay siege to Jerusalem (in 701 BC).
This official stood near the wall on an open spot, pretty much where Isaiah stood when he accused Ahaz of misleading Judah away from the Covenant some 23 years before. The protocols of the day allowed some of the Judean officials to meet Sennacherib's mouthpiece without threat to either side there before the gate. This was not really an official negotiation, but political grandstanding. The visitors spoke in the common Hebrew of the day, rather than the official diplomatic language of Aramaic. Further, Rabshakeh appeals to the opposition party at court. This is good psychological warfare, calculated to bring despair.
The Rabshakeh wonders aloud what makes Hezekiah think he can withstand the coming siege. He repeats the warnings Isaiah made about trusting Egypt to carry out their promises to war effectively against Assyria, or at least tie up her troops. The picture of Egypt as a poor, splintering reed claiming to be a strong staff is quite apt.
The great mistake Rabshakeh makes is to blaspheme Jehovah. It is not from ignorance he speaks of the reforms of Hezekiah. The scholars in Assyria had long known the details of the Mosaic Covenant, knew quite well the Canaanite variations on Baal bore only a superficial resemblance to ancient Hebrew worship of Jehovah. They knew Jehovah did not tolerate this mixing of ritual, of multiple altars all over the place, all of which had long been used for other gods. However, the Rabshakeh knew religion and politics were deeply mixed, that there was a strong party in the Judean court disaffected by Hezekiah's destruction of those scattered altars. Quite frankly, those altars were also a source of revenue, and that would obviously add to the anger of those whose favorite altar was destroyed. The Rabshakeh's choice to mock this zeal of Hezekiah is a direct insult to Jehovah, and he knew that.
Then he compares relative military might. It's no secret Assyrian troops outnumbered anything Hezekiah might have drafted from within the kingdom. There is an unsubtle reference to Egypt as a primary source for chariots and horses. Assyria had picked up where the ancient Hittites left off, raising their own stables and producing even better chariots. He finishes with reminding them of the half-truth Jehovah had sent them to conquer the land, so there was no point resisting.
Hezekiah's officials wanted to keep this a discussion among bureaucrats in the Aramaic tongue, but the Rabshakeh makes clear he came to spread fear. He shouts loudly to the guards on the wall, knowing many of their senior commanders would be there to hear. He attempted to provoke discussion of terms of surrender with them, bypassing the official delegation. He made all sorts of wild promises about a better land. He mentions all the patron deities which had failed to protect their various domains in the empire. Naturally, the guards on the wall knew better than to answer.
However, it was not the fine discipline of the Judean army which made the difference here. It was how Hezekiah responded.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Running in Circles Again
My soul, what a busy day!
I was hoping to come home and put a few minor finishing touches on the laptop, but no such luck. Because I had a license of Win2K, that's what I was trying. It worked until the last two MS updates, then broke into the BSOD-reboot loop. So I'm going to try Debian Lenny. It usually works better than anything else I've run under the label "Linux."
I've been asked several times if there is something Christians with a spiritual awareness can do to prepare for the coming troubles, and at the same time perhaps prod the government into failure without violating Romans 13. Of course there is. The number one factor in breaking the power of human government is not needing it.
Let me explain. You probably understand the way Ghandi broke the British Empire off the backs of the Indians was peacefully break laws impossible to enforce by the sheer volume of disobedience. One of the main areas of restriction at the time was salt production. He went down to the sea and boiled seawater to make salt. That was technically illegal, but because literally thousands of people were suddenly doing it, the enforcement became impossible.
We aren't quite that restricted yet, and probably won't be. However, the best way to void government control in the near future would be growing your own food. Current proposals for agricultural reforms are specifically designed to destroy all the small mom-n-pop farms and roadside stands. If you and a couple thousand others simply grew your own, it would be awfully hard for them to regulate it.
You would have them running in circles trying to stop it, even pressuring local governments to make it illegal by zoning or some such. However, given the way most state governments are now pushing 10th Amendment reminders and breaking away from federal mandates, at least in theory, you can be comfortable in thinking those local enforcements are unlikely.
The same kind of thing goes for any number of new restrictions. Things like educating your kids, trading guns privately, traveling via other than motor vehicles, etc. At some point, you will have blessed the name of the Lord and broken free from a measure of oppression, but will surely help a host of others who aren't spiritual minded.
I was hoping to come home and put a few minor finishing touches on the laptop, but no such luck. Because I had a license of Win2K, that's what I was trying. It worked until the last two MS updates, then broke into the BSOD-reboot loop. So I'm going to try Debian Lenny. It usually works better than anything else I've run under the label "Linux."
I've been asked several times if there is something Christians with a spiritual awareness can do to prepare for the coming troubles, and at the same time perhaps prod the government into failure without violating Romans 13. Of course there is. The number one factor in breaking the power of human government is not needing it.
Let me explain. You probably understand the way Ghandi broke the British Empire off the backs of the Indians was peacefully break laws impossible to enforce by the sheer volume of disobedience. One of the main areas of restriction at the time was salt production. He went down to the sea and boiled seawater to make salt. That was technically illegal, but because literally thousands of people were suddenly doing it, the enforcement became impossible.
We aren't quite that restricted yet, and probably won't be. However, the best way to void government control in the near future would be growing your own food. Current proposals for agricultural reforms are specifically designed to destroy all the small mom-n-pop farms and roadside stands. If you and a couple thousand others simply grew your own, it would be awfully hard for them to regulate it.
You would have them running in circles trying to stop it, even pressuring local governments to make it illegal by zoning or some such. However, given the way most state governments are now pushing 10th Amendment reminders and breaking away from federal mandates, at least in theory, you can be comfortable in thinking those local enforcements are unlikely.
The same kind of thing goes for any number of new restrictions. Things like educating your kids, trading guns privately, traveling via other than motor vehicles, etc. At some point, you will have blessed the name of the Lord and broken free from a measure of oppression, but will surely help a host of others who aren't spiritual minded.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Answer to Prayer; More Requests
Today arrived the laptop someone is offering in trade for my eMac. I like it, and I'm already getting the Mac ready to ship. Thanks again to all who supported this prayer request.
The day was otherwise pretty rough. My wife managed to get a nail in the sidewall of a tire on our recently purchased mini-van. She happened to be at Wal-Mart, so it was something she could get fixed on site. Unfortunately, they didn't want to fix it, so she had to buy a replacement. That hurt.
It also turns out the tires we were told were new when we bought the van aren't new. Decent, but not new. At least we got all of them balanced in the bargain, because there weren't balanced when we drove away in it.
We've been trying to help my son because his previous employer ripped him off and got him to work two weeks without pay, then shut down his district. No pay is coming, apparently. So it's a pretty tight month, but I'm sure there are plenty of folks in even worse shape. We have no credit debts, at least.
Pray for us as we strive to make limited resources stretch in God's grace.
The day was otherwise pretty rough. My wife managed to get a nail in the sidewall of a tire on our recently purchased mini-van. She happened to be at Wal-Mart, so it was something she could get fixed on site. Unfortunately, they didn't want to fix it, so she had to buy a replacement. That hurt.
It also turns out the tires we were told were new when we bought the van aren't new. Decent, but not new. At least we got all of them balanced in the bargain, because there weren't balanced when we drove away in it.
We've been trying to help my son because his previous employer ripped him off and got him to work two weeks without pay, then shut down his district. No pay is coming, apparently. So it's a pretty tight month, but I'm sure there are plenty of folks in even worse shape. We have no credit debts, at least.
Pray for us as we strive to make limited resources stretch in God's grace.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Lesson 07: Kingdom Service
(From Darkness to Light continues)
As we journey to Light, we need to clarify just what "Light" is. The business of the Kingdom is Truth. There is no room in spiritual logic for conceiving of truth as a static something out there in the cosmos. Truth is a Person, God Almighty. Lesser truths are whatever God says they are. Saying any other thing is sin, is Darkness. We do not stand by some impersonal truth, but we stand by God's testimony. He made all things, and declares what they should be. In so doing, the chief aim is to reveal the One who created.
Light is the emanation of God's glory. He's glorious because He's right, defines "right." We don't reveal some impersonal truth, we reveal God, by highlighting His rightness -- righteousness. Our chief purpose for existing is glorifying Him. That's the same as revealing Him. We participate in His work of revealing Himself. We are revelation, in that sense.
We get that from following Jesus. Jesus was the singular primary revelation of God in human form. We emulate Him in revealing the glory of the Father. Jesus, at the final moment of teaching in the Upper Room, characterized that work of revelation as walking in love. He characterized that love by washing their feet, and by committing Himself to the Cross. Love is sacrifice. It is the voluntary extension of oneself on behalf of another. That extension is meant to be broken off. Jesus extended His entire sinless self in order to purchase for us the privilege of knowing and entering into that sacrificial love.
Love is choice. It arises from commitment to the King. He defines love, and we reveal Him by acting upon His love as our own love. It will inevitably engender warm feelings when it has been extended, but it hardly waits for them to form. Emotions do not vote, do not lead; they celebrate afterward. Love is a grim business, knowingly facing death. That is the Law of the Kingdom, and it trumps all other expressions of law. It is the choice and commitment we make, the purpose for which we are called into the Kingdom; we are called to lay down our lives by choice.
It is a failure of love when we do not warn those who would enter Kingdom service they are about to die. Evangelism which sells the Kingdom cheaply is a lie. Human souls are incapable of choosing death on that level, until they have been redeemed. Redemption is God's choice alone. He alone initiates the process. He must first bring life to their spirits by His Spirit, or they are unable to choose. If their spirit lives, they will be unable to resist coming into the Kingdom, for it is their new nature to do so. Once in, they are free to choose when they will submit. We make it easier for them to choose when we clarify at the earliest possible moment in their journey that love, light, truth, and self-death are all one thing.
We crucify the old self, which includes all the service to our feelings and intellect. We die to Death and Darkness, and the old kingdom loses us as citizens. We naturalize to the Kingdom of Light. In so doing, we learn the new language of the spirit, a language which is far, far above the language of analytical logic, of propositional truth, objective reason, for these cannot rise above the world. They are of this world, and confined to this world. We die to this world.
We walk in the Kingdom of Light, declare His glory, live His love in a world which cannot know Him. Our service in love does not create new life in dead souls, but is used by the King as the channel in which He alone acts to bring life. It also brings death to those who cannot receive that love. For what little we can know about this mystery, it is not in us nor in those around us, but in God alone what is the difference between those who perish in their sins, and those who rise to new life. Our commitment, our loyalty to the King, our service in the Kingdom is walking in the Light of His Love.
As we journey to Light, we need to clarify just what "Light" is. The business of the Kingdom is Truth. There is no room in spiritual logic for conceiving of truth as a static something out there in the cosmos. Truth is a Person, God Almighty. Lesser truths are whatever God says they are. Saying any other thing is sin, is Darkness. We do not stand by some impersonal truth, but we stand by God's testimony. He made all things, and declares what they should be. In so doing, the chief aim is to reveal the One who created.
Light is the emanation of God's glory. He's glorious because He's right, defines "right." We don't reveal some impersonal truth, we reveal God, by highlighting His rightness -- righteousness. Our chief purpose for existing is glorifying Him. That's the same as revealing Him. We participate in His work of revealing Himself. We are revelation, in that sense.
We get that from following Jesus. Jesus was the singular primary revelation of God in human form. We emulate Him in revealing the glory of the Father. Jesus, at the final moment of teaching in the Upper Room, characterized that work of revelation as walking in love. He characterized that love by washing their feet, and by committing Himself to the Cross. Love is sacrifice. It is the voluntary extension of oneself on behalf of another. That extension is meant to be broken off. Jesus extended His entire sinless self in order to purchase for us the privilege of knowing and entering into that sacrificial love.
Love is choice. It arises from commitment to the King. He defines love, and we reveal Him by acting upon His love as our own love. It will inevitably engender warm feelings when it has been extended, but it hardly waits for them to form. Emotions do not vote, do not lead; they celebrate afterward. Love is a grim business, knowingly facing death. That is the Law of the Kingdom, and it trumps all other expressions of law. It is the choice and commitment we make, the purpose for which we are called into the Kingdom; we are called to lay down our lives by choice.
It is a failure of love when we do not warn those who would enter Kingdom service they are about to die. Evangelism which sells the Kingdom cheaply is a lie. Human souls are incapable of choosing death on that level, until they have been redeemed. Redemption is God's choice alone. He alone initiates the process. He must first bring life to their spirits by His Spirit, or they are unable to choose. If their spirit lives, they will be unable to resist coming into the Kingdom, for it is their new nature to do so. Once in, they are free to choose when they will submit. We make it easier for them to choose when we clarify at the earliest possible moment in their journey that love, light, truth, and self-death are all one thing.
We crucify the old self, which includes all the service to our feelings and intellect. We die to Death and Darkness, and the old kingdom loses us as citizens. We naturalize to the Kingdom of Light. In so doing, we learn the new language of the spirit, a language which is far, far above the language of analytical logic, of propositional truth, objective reason, for these cannot rise above the world. They are of this world, and confined to this world. We die to this world.
We walk in the Kingdom of Light, declare His glory, live His love in a world which cannot know Him. Our service in love does not create new life in dead souls, but is used by the King as the channel in which He alone acts to bring life. It also brings death to those who cannot receive that love. For what little we can know about this mystery, it is not in us nor in those around us, but in God alone what is the difference between those who perish in their sins, and those who rise to new life. Our commitment, our loyalty to the King, our service in the Kingdom is walking in the Light of His Love.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Not Our Problem
At the Last Supper, Jesus demonstrated how the Kingdom faces her enemies. He could easily have exposed Judas. Even as soon as Judas began embezzling from the treasury shared by the group, Jesus could have acted, because He knew. He did not act.
This is more than a simple matter of particular plans for Judas. There is a general principle at work. Jesus washed the feet of Judas, too. He also honored Judas with the ritual first sop. He never exposed Judas' intent, never confronted him. He did not want the other disciples to attack him, as they surely would have if they had known. Two of them had illegal weapons already, and we can be sure they were prepared to fight in some fashion.
In the churches today, we concern ourselves too much with the organization itself. Jesus chose Judas. This is not simply allowing the spiritually dead to hang around, as He always did in His ministry. Judas was chosen as a close associate, a leader.
From what we know, Judas was politically active and experienced in human leadership. He joined Jesus' ministry because he saw a distinct opportunity to overthrow the powers that be, who were too obviously corrupt. Had Jesus done things just a little differently, He could very well led a successful reform movement, or even a successful revolt to replace the Jewish leadership. Huge crowds were ready to make Him king. Judas wanted a piece of that, probably in a sincere desire for a better world.
That's how the world operates, not the Kingdom. We are not here to correct all worldly ills. We are here to participate in God's revelation. We do that by bringing glory to His name. Jesus said the Law of the Kingdom was the divine love which drove Him to the Cross. It was the love which drove Him to wash their feet. He distinguished between the need for regeneration ("he who has bathed") and the need for daily cleansing from the world's filth splattering our lives ("needs only to have his feet washed"). We are to give ourselves to helping people clean themselves from worldly afflictions, such as the argument the the Twelve had on the way to the supper, and the hard feelings which must have made that meal dreary. The world jockeys for position that way, but the Kingdom leads by humiliation of the self. Jesus said serving is greatness.
Sinners will sin. We cannot and should not stop them. We should call sin what it is, and leave it at that. We overcome sin not by legislation and the power of the State, but by the power of love and grace. We absorb the effects of the world's sin, knowing it will eventually kill us. But our own demise is not our problem; it lies in the hand of God. Ours is to love sacrificially on the way down. That's how we rise above.
This is more than a simple matter of particular plans for Judas. There is a general principle at work. Jesus washed the feet of Judas, too. He also honored Judas with the ritual first sop. He never exposed Judas' intent, never confronted him. He did not want the other disciples to attack him, as they surely would have if they had known. Two of them had illegal weapons already, and we can be sure they were prepared to fight in some fashion.
In the churches today, we concern ourselves too much with the organization itself. Jesus chose Judas. This is not simply allowing the spiritually dead to hang around, as He always did in His ministry. Judas was chosen as a close associate, a leader.
From what we know, Judas was politically active and experienced in human leadership. He joined Jesus' ministry because he saw a distinct opportunity to overthrow the powers that be, who were too obviously corrupt. Had Jesus done things just a little differently, He could very well led a successful reform movement, or even a successful revolt to replace the Jewish leadership. Huge crowds were ready to make Him king. Judas wanted a piece of that, probably in a sincere desire for a better world.
That's how the world operates, not the Kingdom. We are not here to correct all worldly ills. We are here to participate in God's revelation. We do that by bringing glory to His name. Jesus said the Law of the Kingdom was the divine love which drove Him to the Cross. It was the love which drove Him to wash their feet. He distinguished between the need for regeneration ("he who has bathed") and the need for daily cleansing from the world's filth splattering our lives ("needs only to have his feet washed"). We are to give ourselves to helping people clean themselves from worldly afflictions, such as the argument the the Twelve had on the way to the supper, and the hard feelings which must have made that meal dreary. The world jockeys for position that way, but the Kingdom leads by humiliation of the self. Jesus said serving is greatness.
Sinners will sin. We cannot and should not stop them. We should call sin what it is, and leave it at that. We overcome sin not by legislation and the power of the State, but by the power of love and grace. We absorb the effects of the world's sin, knowing it will eventually kill us. But our own demise is not our problem; it lies in the hand of God. Ours is to love sacrificially on the way down. That's how we rise above.
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