KINGS: THE CYCLE OF SIN LIVES ON
David failed to live up to the kingly ideal of Deuteronomy 17 and so the cycle of sin that began with Adam and Eve continued to live on. But might David's son Solomon be the one to bring the Abrahamic covenant to fulfillment and restore shalom (peace) back to God's broken world? The meaning of Solomon's name certainly would suggest so ("he has made peace"). All he has to do is remain obedient to the gracious God who wants to bless him (1 Kings 2:2-4). How hard can that be?
Right off the bat, expectations surge as Solomon proves himself to be a god-fearing king. He asks for wisdom instead of power or riches and he demonstrates obedience by building God's temple. And this pays off. 1 Kings 4:20 mentions that "Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea." This is a clear allusion to the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 22:17). The passage then goes on to say that "Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt." Solomon had procured the full extent of the land promised to Abraham (Gen. 15:18-20).
But that's not all. God had used Solomon's wisdom to make his name great (1 Kings 8:41-43). We see this in particular when the Queen of Sheba visits Solomon and attests to his great counsel. Her visit also points to the fact that God is beginning to bless other nations through Israel (Deut. 4:5-8). The Abrahamic covenant is coming to fulfillment before our very eyes! God has made Solomon into a great nation (people), given him a protected land (property), and made his name great (prominence). Surely the end of humanity's cycle of sin is just around the corner.
But just when our hopes are high, the seemingly harmless details of Solomon's life given early in the story pave the way for Solomon's ultimate demise. We learn early on that Solomon has a weakness for women when he marries the Pharaoh's daughter and builds her a house (1 Kings 7:8). This weakness only gets worse throughout his life as he ultimately marries 700 wives and has 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). So much for his wisdom!
We also learn early on that Solomon has a weakness for power and possessions when he spends 13 years building his palace compared to the 7 years he spent building God's temple (1 Kings 6:38-7:1). This weakness continues to manifest itself as Solomon accumulates 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses from Egypt (1 Kings 10:26). Both of Solomon's weaknesses are direct violations of Deuteronomy 17:16-17. And so Solomon shows himself to be anything but the ideal king. And just as with David, Solomon's sin brings God's curses upon the house of David. And so, the cycle of sin continues on.
ELIJAH: THE MOSES-LIKE PROPHET
After Israel splits into two kingdoms (Judah and Israel), a downward spiral ensues as indicated by the constant refrain "He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." It all begins when King Jeroboam builds worship centers ('high places') in Bethel and Dan. These 'high places' ultimately become centers for pagan worship and pollute the purity of Israel's worship.
Eventually, the depravity of Israel hits rock bottom when Ahab becomes king. The text says that "he did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him." In fact, Ahab's wife, Jezebel, assassinates the prophets of the Lord in order to bring the worship of Yahweh to an end. At this low point, Elijah, a Moses-like figure, emerges on the scene to confront the evil of Ahab and Jezebel and restore Israel's worship (just like Moses did!). And so a battle ensues between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (the story reads much like Moses' battle against the Pharaoh's magicians!). Not surprising, Elijah wins and restores worship by slaughtering the prophets of Baal.
While the account of Elijah sounds pretty straightforward, the author covertly goes out of his way to parallel the life of Elijah with that of Moses. How so?
1.) Just as Moses went before the Pharaoh to announce the plagues so too does Elijah go before Ahab to announce that "neither dew nor rain would fall except by his word" (1 Kings 17:1).
2.) Just as Moses battled the Pharaoh's magicians so too does Elijah battle the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40).
3.) Just as Pharaoh pursued the Israelites so too does Jezebel pursue Elijah after he defeats the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19:2-3).
4.) Just as Moses and the Israelites were kept in the desert by a daily supply of manna from heaven so too is Elijah provided water and cake by an angel of the Lord while in the wilderness (1 Kings 19:4-8).
5.) Just as the word of the Lord came to Moses while he was on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights, so too does the word of the Lord come to Elijah while he is on Mount Horeb (aka Mount Sinai) for "forty days and forty nights."
6.) Just as Moses stood in a cleft of the rock and watched God's glory pass by on Mount Sinai, so too does Elijah see God's glory pass by when sleeping in a cave on Mount Sinai (1 Kings 19:9, 11-13)
Why is this significant? Well in Deuteronomy 18:14-22, Moses had promised that an ideal prophet (much like himself) would one day emerge. Might Elijah be this prophet? Might Elijah be the one who can bring an end to the never ending cycle of sin? NO. This unfortunate answer is given in 2 Kings 2 when Elijah is taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. But Elijah's life as characterized by the author of Kings rekindles the expectation that one day an ideal, Moses-like prophet will emerge who will bring the cycle of sin to an end. Could this prophet be Jesus, the one who had a conversation with Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration? Might Elijah's mode of leaving this earth be at the forefront of people's minds as Jesus was ascending into heaven?
THE BOTTOM LINE
Ultimately both Israel and Judah are conquered and brought into exile. At this point, it becomes clear that the book of Kings aims to explain why this unfortunate outcome has come to pass (and encourage Israel and Judah to change course). However, there can also be no doubt that one of the other aims of the author in the book of Kings is to create anticipation for the arrival of God's restored kingdom. This fact is confirmed not only by the way the author tells the story of Elijah but also by the way the book ends. In 2 Kings 25:27-30, we learn that Jehoiachin, David's descendant, is still alive and has found favorable treatment with the king of Babylon. And so the line of David is still alive even despite the reality of the exile. But unfortunately so too is the cycle of sin. The author hints at this fact by pointing out that Jehoiachin shared table fellowship with the king (at a table that no doubt served unclean foods!). And so we are left awaiting the emergence of the ideal king. Until then, the saga continues...
Monday, July 21, 2014
THE PROMINENCE: Living to Make God Prominent (Part 1)
When many of us think of history, we think of dates and facts but not much else. And this influences how we read Biblical history. But Biblical history doesn't just record facts, it's a TRUE STORY that records PURPOSE and DIRECTION. What does this mean? Well, the Bible records specific events that take history in a specific direction to fulfill a specific purpose...God's purpose. This is why it is called HIS-story. So what is this purpose? And how do the historical books of Judges, Ruth, Samuel, and Kings direct us toward this purpose? Let's take a look.
JUDGES: THE SIN CYCLE & THE BAD TRIBE OF BENJAMIN
The author of the book of Judges clearly sets out to demonstrate a cyclical pattern that taints the entire history of Israel. The pattern is simple...Israel defiantly sins, God allows foreign nations to oppress Israel, Israel repents, God delivers Israel from the oppressors, peace is restored...(and the pattern repeats itself). The skeleton of this cyclical pattern is introduced in Judges 2 and then reinforced throughout the rest of the book with the refrain "Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord" (2:11; 3:7; 3:12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1; 17:6; 21:25).
But that's not all...This cyclical pattern of sin also intensifies throughout the book with each new judge. The first three judges (Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah) are depicted positively by the author AND yet given very little narrative space. And then after the song of Deborah in Judges 5, three judges emerge (Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson) who are depicted very negatively BUT yet given much more narrative space. The large amount of ink given to these BAD judges helps to reinforce the author's point of the book: Israel was on a downward spiral AWAY from God.
The book of Judges ends with a sequence of stories that paints the tribe of Benjamin in a VERY negative light (Judges 19-21). It is from these negative stories that the refrain emerges "in those days Israel had no king" (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). And so the book of Judges ends with the author's PLEA for a king who will one day end this CYCLE OF SIN.
RUTH: THE GOOD LINEAGE OF RUTH
The book of Ruth brings HOPE to this PLEA. The story portrays a woman, Ruth, who is committed and faithful even though she is a Moabite. In fact, many believe the book of Ruth is placed after the book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible because Ruth embodies the wisdom of Proverbs 31. This wise woman, Ruth, then marries someone who is equally faithful to the Torah (God's Law) as demonstrated by the fact that he fulfills his obligations as a kinsman-redeemer by recovering Ruth's lost property and marrying her so that she is provided for. It is from this GOOD lineage that David, the future King of Israel, will emerge (Ruth 4:18-22).
SAMUEL: BAD KING, GOOD KING
But the first king of Israel does not come from the GOOD lineage of Ruth. NO. The first king, Saul, comes from the BAD tribe of Benjamin...the very tribe that was depicted so negatively at the end of the book of Judges. And true to his heritage, King Saul perpetuates the cycle of sin that began in the book of Judges. How? Saul fails to embrace the qualifications required to lead God's kingdom (Deut. 17:14-20). In fact, Saul goes rogue by not consulting God (through the prophet Samuel). By doing this, Saul in essence dethrones God and misrepresents God's kingdom to others. But God will have none of this.
And so God rejects Saul and selects David to be king. David is true to his GOOD heritage...he consults God, he refuses to act without God's stamp of approval, he doesn't seek revenge on his personal enemies. In short, David proves himself to be the antithesis of Saul. In fact, he demonstrates the same type of deep faith in God as that of Abraham. And just like with Abraham (Gen. 17-18), God reinforces His covenant promises to David by promising him an everlasting dynasty and a great name (2 Sam. 7). In this way, the Abrahamic covenant has been brought back onto the scene and with it an elevated sense of anticipation: Has God answered the PLEA of the author of Judges? Will David bring the cycle of sin to an end? Will the Abrahamic covenant finally be fulfilled? Will God's broken world be fully restored?
2 Samuel 11 quickly answers these questions with an emphatic NO. David sins and this unleashes a sequence of CURSES...pain, death, family tension. Does this sound familiar? If not, the author makes his allusion to Genesis obvious in 2 Samuel 13-14. A crafty friend tempts Amnon to take advantage of his sister Tamar (13:3). When Tamar brings food into the chamber, Amnon ate from her hand (13:10). Amnon's sin creates shame (13:13) and brings separation to the relationship (13:15). And just like Cain killed Abel in a field as a result of Adam and Eve's sin, so too does Absalom kill Amnon in a field (14:6). Likewise, Absalom fears being killed from retaliation and revenge (14:11) just like Cain (Gen. 4:13-14). But both men are given reassurances that they will receive divine protection (14:11b; Gen. 4:15). In all of this, the author wants us to know that the curses of Genesis have tainted David's dynasty and so the CYCLE OF SIN will live on.
THE TELIOS OF BIBLICAL HISTORY
I hope it has become obvious by now that Biblical history is essentially telling the same story over and over again. God creates ORDER and REST while human rebellion creates DISORDER and UNREST. Humans simply refuse to embrace GOD'S WAY because they want to live life THEIR OWN WAY. This was true of Adam and Eve, Seth's descendants, Noah and his descendants, Jacob and his descendants, Israel in the wilderness, the period of the Judges, and now the period of the Kings. In short, the PLEA for an ideal king who will end the CYCLE OF SIN is left unfulfilled. But will that ideal king be Solomon (a name which means, "he has made peace")? The saga continues...
JUDGES: THE SIN CYCLE & THE BAD TRIBE OF BENJAMIN
The author of the book of Judges clearly sets out to demonstrate a cyclical pattern that taints the entire history of Israel. The pattern is simple...Israel defiantly sins, God allows foreign nations to oppress Israel, Israel repents, God delivers Israel from the oppressors, peace is restored...(and the pattern repeats itself). The skeleton of this cyclical pattern is introduced in Judges 2 and then reinforced throughout the rest of the book with the refrain "Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord" (2:11; 3:7; 3:12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1; 17:6; 21:25).
But that's not all...This cyclical pattern of sin also intensifies throughout the book with each new judge. The first three judges (Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah) are depicted positively by the author AND yet given very little narrative space. And then after the song of Deborah in Judges 5, three judges emerge (Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson) who are depicted very negatively BUT yet given much more narrative space. The large amount of ink given to these BAD judges helps to reinforce the author's point of the book: Israel was on a downward spiral AWAY from God.
The book of Judges ends with a sequence of stories that paints the tribe of Benjamin in a VERY negative light (Judges 19-21). It is from these negative stories that the refrain emerges "in those days Israel had no king" (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). And so the book of Judges ends with the author's PLEA for a king who will one day end this CYCLE OF SIN.
RUTH: THE GOOD LINEAGE OF RUTH
The book of Ruth brings HOPE to this PLEA. The story portrays a woman, Ruth, who is committed and faithful even though she is a Moabite. In fact, many believe the book of Ruth is placed after the book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible because Ruth embodies the wisdom of Proverbs 31. This wise woman, Ruth, then marries someone who is equally faithful to the Torah (God's Law) as demonstrated by the fact that he fulfills his obligations as a kinsman-redeemer by recovering Ruth's lost property and marrying her so that she is provided for. It is from this GOOD lineage that David, the future King of Israel, will emerge (Ruth 4:18-22).
SAMUEL: BAD KING, GOOD KING
But the first king of Israel does not come from the GOOD lineage of Ruth. NO. The first king, Saul, comes from the BAD tribe of Benjamin...the very tribe that was depicted so negatively at the end of the book of Judges. And true to his heritage, King Saul perpetuates the cycle of sin that began in the book of Judges. How? Saul fails to embrace the qualifications required to lead God's kingdom (Deut. 17:14-20). In fact, Saul goes rogue by not consulting God (through the prophet Samuel). By doing this, Saul in essence dethrones God and misrepresents God's kingdom to others. But God will have none of this.
And so God rejects Saul and selects David to be king. David is true to his GOOD heritage...he consults God, he refuses to act without God's stamp of approval, he doesn't seek revenge on his personal enemies. In short, David proves himself to be the antithesis of Saul. In fact, he demonstrates the same type of deep faith in God as that of Abraham. And just like with Abraham (Gen. 17-18), God reinforces His covenant promises to David by promising him an everlasting dynasty and a great name (2 Sam. 7). In this way, the Abrahamic covenant has been brought back onto the scene and with it an elevated sense of anticipation: Has God answered the PLEA of the author of Judges? Will David bring the cycle of sin to an end? Will the Abrahamic covenant finally be fulfilled? Will God's broken world be fully restored?
2 Samuel 11 quickly answers these questions with an emphatic NO. David sins and this unleashes a sequence of CURSES...pain, death, family tension. Does this sound familiar? If not, the author makes his allusion to Genesis obvious in 2 Samuel 13-14. A crafty friend tempts Amnon to take advantage of his sister Tamar (13:3). When Tamar brings food into the chamber, Amnon ate from her hand (13:10). Amnon's sin creates shame (13:13) and brings separation to the relationship (13:15). And just like Cain killed Abel in a field as a result of Adam and Eve's sin, so too does Absalom kill Amnon in a field (14:6). Likewise, Absalom fears being killed from retaliation and revenge (14:11) just like Cain (Gen. 4:13-14). But both men are given reassurances that they will receive divine protection (14:11b; Gen. 4:15). In all of this, the author wants us to know that the curses of Genesis have tainted David's dynasty and so the CYCLE OF SIN will live on.
THE TELIOS OF BIBLICAL HISTORY
I hope it has become obvious by now that Biblical history is essentially telling the same story over and over again. God creates ORDER and REST while human rebellion creates DISORDER and UNREST. Humans simply refuse to embrace GOD'S WAY because they want to live life THEIR OWN WAY. This was true of Adam and Eve, Seth's descendants, Noah and his descendants, Jacob and his descendants, Israel in the wilderness, the period of the Judges, and now the period of the Kings. In short, the PLEA for an ideal king who will end the CYCLE OF SIN is left unfulfilled. But will that ideal king be Solomon (a name which means, "he has made peace")? The saga continues...
Monday, July 14, 2014
THE PROPERTY: Living in God's Property (Part 2)
Did you know that in the Old Testament women were considered UNCLEAN after they had a baby? What's up with that? Was giving birth a sin in the Old Testament? Or what about this? Why were water creatures without fins and scales (such as seafood) DETESTABLE and unfit to eat but locusts and grasshoppers CLEAN and edible? I mean which would you rather eat? But God seems to want us to have an appetite for locusts and NOT seafood. Strange huh? But this is God's Law. I'm not making this stuff up!
So this begs the question, did God thoughtlessly conjure up these laws so He could have a good laugh or is there a rationale behind them? And can these laws (in any way) benefit God's people today? Many believe these laws are completely outdated and obsolete but I actually think they speak an important message to our lives today. I believe this because a very specific principle seems to stand at the CORE of these laws. Let me explain.
THE RATIONALE
If you look closely at Leviticus 11 you quickly notice that the passage is structured using the same categories of animals (but in reverse order) as Genesis 1 (sea animals, flying creatures, land animals, and "creatures that move along the ground"). This is a clue that Genesis might hold the key to unlocking the rationale behind these strange purity laws. And in fact, observations have been presented by scholars that support this.
For instance, the types and categories of uncleanness in Leviticus 11-15 seem to correspond to the storyline of Genesis 3. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve EAT what is forbidden (Lev. 11: FOOD Laws; Gen. 3:6), the woman is cursed with pain in CHILDBEARING (Lev. 12: CHILDBIRTH Laws; Gen. 3:16), nakedness becomes a source of shame for the man and woman which God covers with a GARMENT of SKIN (Lev. 13-14: SKIN and CLOTHING Laws; Gen. 3:7, 10, 21, 23), and tension is infused into the relationship between the man and woman which interferes with their INTIMACY (Lev. 15: BED Laws; Gen. 3:16). So then, what does this rationale tell us about the purpose behind these purity laws?
THE PURITY PRINCIPLE
The purity laws served a symbolic function as daily reminders to God's people about the FALL and the fact that they were living in an IMPURE and DYING world in need of major renewal. Likewise, the purity laws reminded God's people of their LIFE-GIVING mission and the importance of living as a HOLY (distinct) people under God's rule to accomplish this mission. In this way, IMPURITY and DEATH, on the one hand, and HOLINESS and LIFE, on the other, stand at the center of these laws. This is confirmed in Leviticus 11:43-47. And so the general principle is that anything that defies God's HOLY design for life symbolizes DEATH and is therefore UNCLEAN while anything that conforms to God's HOLY design symbolizes LIFE and is CLEAN. So how does this work itself out in the specific purity laws in Leviticus 11-15? Let me show you.
THE DIRTY DETAILS (pardon the pun!)
Food Laws
Notice in the food laws (Lev. 11) that CLEAN animals BOTH chewed the cud and had a split hoof. On the surface this sounds both strange and random. But animals that chew the cud are by definition VEGETARIAN (they do not eat meat). And so this tells us that God's people were only allowed to eat animals NOT associated with DEATH. This is to say, animals that killed other animals for food were UNCLEAN (this includes the pig). This was also true for the birds of prey listed in Leviticus 11:13-19. So what practical purpose did this serve? This law reminded God's people every time they ate that God's original creation design did not include DEATH!
So then what was so special about animals with a split hoof? The author helps us here by giving us three animals (that do not have a split hoof) as examples to draw out the rationale for this criterion: the camel, rabbit, and cony (rock badger). Let's begin with the camel. What function did the camel serve? Transportation. Right? The same holds true for the horse and donkey which also DO NOT have a split hoof (but DO chew the cud). And so eating a donkey, horse or a camel would defy God's original creation design for these animals. They were not created to be eaten! And doing so would symbolically bring DEATH to God's creation order.
Now personally I would love to see someone ride a rabbit but it hasn't happened yet in my lifetime. And so if not for functional reasons, why are non-split hoofed rabbits and rock badgers (cony) off limits for eating? Regarding rabbits, you're probably thinking, "They have the 'cute factor' going for them." But not so with the rock badger! Believe it or not, the rabbit and the rock badger (cony) were most likely considered UNCLEAN because they were often confused as being rodents (which are classified as UNCLEAN for reasons we'll later discuss). And so vegetarian animals that can easily be confused with UNCLEAN animals are UNCLEAN (Remember...back then they didn't have Siri to verify information). But the confusion doesn't end here.
Why were sea creatures without fins or scales such as lobsters and crabs considered UNCLEAN? The likely explanation is that these creatures were BOTH land and sea creatures and did not fit neatly into ONE of God's original creation categories (land, sea, or sky). In this way, these animals defy God's original creation design and remind us that in Genesis 3 disorder and DEATH were brought into the world.
Finally, why are insects and animals that "move about on the ground" UNCLEAN? This criterion points us back to Genesis 3 when the serpent was sentenced to "crawl on his belly and eat dust." As a result, since the time of Genesis 3 anything associated with the ground is considered UNCLEAN. This includes insects and rodents that move by hovering over the ground whether on their bellies or on four legs. Conversely, insects like grasshoppers and locusts that moved by hopping over the ground were considered CLEAN because they didn't bring to mind the serpent (and the DEATH he introduced to God's creation order).
Other Purity Laws
Regarding the other purity laws (Lev. 12-15), they were linked with everyday occurrences that brought to mind Genesis 3 and the DEATH that resulted from Adam and Eve's sin. For instance, childbirth brought to mind the curse of PAIN. Also, many believe childbirth was associated with DEATH because of the loss of blood during delivery (and the risk of death that this presented). Likewise, skin diseases and molds were associated with SHAME and the process of DEATH which weren't a part of God's original creation order.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So what message do these purity laws have for us today? Notice that God used these laws to plant symbols into the everyday lives of His people to remind them of their life-giving mission. And so when people ate a meal, welcomed a new child into the world, or contracted an illness, they were reminded that they live in an impure and dying world and that God has called them to be a life-giving force through the way they represent Him to the world. We are called to do the same. Our actions are to reflect God to the world. May you bring God into your everyday life and be a life-giving force for the honor of God and for the sake of others.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
When do you think about God the most? Why then?
What steps can you take to make God more a part of your everyday life?
THE RATIONALE
If you look closely at Leviticus 11 you quickly notice that the passage is structured using the same categories of animals (but in reverse order) as Genesis 1 (sea animals, flying creatures, land animals, and "creatures that move along the ground"). This is a clue that Genesis might hold the key to unlocking the rationale behind these strange purity laws. And in fact, observations have been presented by scholars that support this.
For instance, the types and categories of uncleanness in Leviticus 11-15 seem to correspond to the storyline of Genesis 3. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve EAT what is forbidden (Lev. 11: FOOD Laws; Gen. 3:6), the woman is cursed with pain in CHILDBEARING (Lev. 12: CHILDBIRTH Laws; Gen. 3:16), nakedness becomes a source of shame for the man and woman which God covers with a GARMENT of SKIN (Lev. 13-14: SKIN and CLOTHING Laws; Gen. 3:7, 10, 21, 23), and tension is infused into the relationship between the man and woman which interferes with their INTIMACY (Lev. 15: BED Laws; Gen. 3:16). So then, what does this rationale tell us about the purpose behind these purity laws?
THE PURITY PRINCIPLE
The purity laws served a symbolic function as daily reminders to God's people about the FALL and the fact that they were living in an IMPURE and DYING world in need of major renewal. Likewise, the purity laws reminded God's people of their LIFE-GIVING mission and the importance of living as a HOLY (distinct) people under God's rule to accomplish this mission. In this way, IMPURITY and DEATH, on the one hand, and HOLINESS and LIFE, on the other, stand at the center of these laws. This is confirmed in Leviticus 11:43-47. And so the general principle is that anything that defies God's HOLY design for life symbolizes DEATH and is therefore UNCLEAN while anything that conforms to God's HOLY design symbolizes LIFE and is CLEAN. So how does this work itself out in the specific purity laws in Leviticus 11-15? Let me show you.
THE DIRTY DETAILS (pardon the pun!)
Food Laws
Notice in the food laws (Lev. 11) that CLEAN animals BOTH chewed the cud and had a split hoof. On the surface this sounds both strange and random. But animals that chew the cud are by definition VEGETARIAN (they do not eat meat). And so this tells us that God's people were only allowed to eat animals NOT associated with DEATH. This is to say, animals that killed other animals for food were UNCLEAN (this includes the pig). This was also true for the birds of prey listed in Leviticus 11:13-19. So what practical purpose did this serve? This law reminded God's people every time they ate that God's original creation design did not include DEATH!
So then what was so special about animals with a split hoof? The author helps us here by giving us three animals (that do not have a split hoof) as examples to draw out the rationale for this criterion: the camel, rabbit, and cony (rock badger). Let's begin with the camel. What function did the camel serve? Transportation. Right? The same holds true for the horse and donkey which also DO NOT have a split hoof (but DO chew the cud). And so eating a donkey, horse or a camel would defy God's original creation design for these animals. They were not created to be eaten! And doing so would symbolically bring DEATH to God's creation order.
Now personally I would love to see someone ride a rabbit but it hasn't happened yet in my lifetime. And so if not for functional reasons, why are non-split hoofed rabbits and rock badgers (cony) off limits for eating? Regarding rabbits, you're probably thinking, "They have the 'cute factor' going for them." But not so with the rock badger! Believe it or not, the rabbit and the rock badger (cony) were most likely considered UNCLEAN because they were often confused as being rodents (which are classified as UNCLEAN for reasons we'll later discuss). And so vegetarian animals that can easily be confused with UNCLEAN animals are UNCLEAN (Remember...back then they didn't have Siri to verify information). But the confusion doesn't end here.
Why were sea creatures without fins or scales such as lobsters and crabs considered UNCLEAN? The likely explanation is that these creatures were BOTH land and sea creatures and did not fit neatly into ONE of God's original creation categories (land, sea, or sky). In this way, these animals defy God's original creation design and remind us that in Genesis 3 disorder and DEATH were brought into the world.
Finally, why are insects and animals that "move about on the ground" UNCLEAN? This criterion points us back to Genesis 3 when the serpent was sentenced to "crawl on his belly and eat dust." As a result, since the time of Genesis 3 anything associated with the ground is considered UNCLEAN. This includes insects and rodents that move by hovering over the ground whether on their bellies or on four legs. Conversely, insects like grasshoppers and locusts that moved by hopping over the ground were considered CLEAN because they didn't bring to mind the serpent (and the DEATH he introduced to God's creation order).
Other Purity Laws
Regarding the other purity laws (Lev. 12-15), they were linked with everyday occurrences that brought to mind Genesis 3 and the DEATH that resulted from Adam and Eve's sin. For instance, childbirth brought to mind the curse of PAIN. Also, many believe childbirth was associated with DEATH because of the loss of blood during delivery (and the risk of death that this presented). Likewise, skin diseases and molds were associated with SHAME and the process of DEATH which weren't a part of God's original creation order.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So what message do these purity laws have for us today? Notice that God used these laws to plant symbols into the everyday lives of His people to remind them of their life-giving mission. And so when people ate a meal, welcomed a new child into the world, or contracted an illness, they were reminded that they live in an impure and dying world and that God has called them to be a life-giving force through the way they represent Him to the world. We are called to do the same. Our actions are to reflect God to the world. May you bring God into your everyday life and be a life-giving force for the honor of God and for the sake of others.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
When do you think about God the most? Why then?
What steps can you take to make God more a part of your everyday life?
Sunday, July 13, 2014
THE PROPERTY: Living in God's Property (Part 1)
The book of Deuteronomy is notorious for this troubling passage: "In the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them - the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites - as the Lord commanded you (20:16-17)." Can you imagine God giving you these instructions? Wouldn't the thought cross your mind, "Why would a loving God tell me to do this?"
And it doesn't stop there! Ten times the refrain "You must purge the evil from among you" is used (13:5; 17:7, 12; 19:13, 19; 21:9, 21; 22:21, 24; 24:7). How do you purge evil? SIMPLE. You put evil people to death! So what are these evil people doing? Well, in Deuteronomy 19:18-19 a person was "purged" for simply LYING! Ouch! Does lying really necessitate the death penalty?
This harsh depiction has created a public relations mess for God and has made Him very unappealing to many people. After all, where's the love in this "purging"? And where's the justice in killing innocent babies [on account of their parent's evil behavior]? Nobody wants to hang out with a God who seems to have anger management problems. And truth be told, these depictions of God have infected many people with a crisis of faith. But there is a remedy. And I believe the remedy is found in forming an accurate understanding of the entire book of Deuteronomy. In other words, we need to see God's harsh instructions in full context. When we do this, I believe much of this PR mess will be cleaned up. So let's get to it and find some answers together!
THE STRUCTURE
The first step in cleaning up this PR mess is understanding the main point of the book of Deuteronomy. The chiastic structure of the book helps us with this. A chiastic structure is simply a writing style that helps to emphasize certain portions of a text through the way the text is organized. And so in Deuteronomy, the text is organized as follows:
A 1-3: A Look Backward
B 4-11: A FIRST Call to Covenant Obedience [Blessings]
C 12-26: Covenant Obligations
B' 27-30: A SECOND Call to Covenant Obedience [Curses]
A' 31-34: A Look Forward
C is the INNER CORE of the book and is where the author places the main emphasis. The outer portions (A, A' and B, B') provide background and nuanced meaning to the INNER CORE (C). Additionally, in Deuteronomy A and A' parallel each other and read like a seamless and continuous story [Read 1-3 and 31-34 together and you'll see what I mean]. The same is true with B and B'.
So what does this tell us? The INNER CORE (C) makes it clear that the main point of Deuteronomy is to clarify the people's covenant obligations and to call them to obedience. To do this, in chapters 12-26 the author elaborates in general on the Ten Commandments. Here's what appears to be his outline:
THE 'GOOD' LAND
The second step in cleaning up this PR mess is understanding the main purpose of the book of Deuteronomy. The main purpose is given in the phrase "that it may go well with you" (Deut. 4:40; 5:16, 29; 6:3, 18; 8:16; 12:25, 28; 19:13; 22:7). The Hebrew verb (yi-tove) translated here as "go well" is derived from the Hebrew word (tove) which means "good." What does this tell us? God wants things to be "good" again. This fact is reinforced through the author's constant references to the "good land" (Deut. 1:25, 35; 3:25; 4:21, 22; 6:18; 8:7, 10; 9:6; 11:17). Simply put, God desires to give His people a good land that will bring goodness back to their lives.
Where have we heard this before? Does Genesis 1 ring a bell? And so the author is communicating in Deuteronomy that God wants His people to return to an Eden-like existence! This is why the author's descriptions of the land are reminiscent of descriptions of Eden. For instance, in the garden, God did most of the work (Genesis 2:4-9). He planted the trees. He watered the trees. And He made the trees grow. Similarly, in the land, God will do most of the work (Deut. 6:10-11; 7:12-15; 8:6-9; 11:13-15, 22-25). Deuteronomy 6:10-11 makes this clear:
But how can this goodness exist when God's people are surrounded by evil? This is where God's instructions to completely destroy the evil nations within the Promise Land and to "purge the evil from among you" come into the picture. You see, the only way that good can be completely restored is if evil is completely removed. In other words, justice needs to be reestablished and maintained on the earth if an Eden-like existence is to be recreated. And so God uses His people to distribute justice and maintain His perfect creation order so that "it may go well with them."
But where's the love in this? Well, God wants to show love to the victims of evil by protecting and vindicating them. I mean, would it be loving for God to turn a blind eye to the victims of the Holocaust by not punishing Hitler? I don't think so. And so you see, by bringing evil to justice, God is showing love to the victims of evil.
But how is it fair that God allows innocent babies to be destroyed because of the evil deeds of their parents? The first thing to understand is that blessing was made available and offered to ALL nations since the time when God made His covenant with Abraham. You might remember that God promised to bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who curse Abraham. And God gave the nations plenty of time to take up His offer of blessing (four generations to be exact). He didn't bring curse in Abraham's time because He was waited until "the sin of the Amorites reached its full measure"(Genesis 15:16). However, after four generations, things didn't get any better. The Amorites (and all the people in the land) were still as evil as ever!
The fact that nothing changed even after four generations shows that future generations would continue to perpetuate evil in God's world. And because of this, God gave the instructions to completely destroy the evil people in the Promise Land (including next generation babies). In all of this, God knew that to completely restore good back to His world, evil would need to be completely removed.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So how does this speak to our lives? Let me first make it clear that God is not telling you to become militant and start a crusade to rid the world of evil people. However, God is instructing us to fight against the evil forces and influences that are ruining God's good world. We do this by overcoming hatred with LOVE, replacing TRUTH with lies, and speaking ENCOURAGEMENT instead of slander. This is why Jesus has called His people to be 'salt' in this corrupting world (Matthew 5:13). We are to function as preservatives for good in God's world. And in fact, this hasn't changed from the time of Deuteronomy 4:5-8. Listen to this,
And it doesn't stop there! Ten times the refrain "You must purge the evil from among you" is used (13:5; 17:7, 12; 19:13, 19; 21:9, 21; 22:21, 24; 24:7). How do you purge evil? SIMPLE. You put evil people to death! So what are these evil people doing? Well, in Deuteronomy 19:18-19 a person was "purged" for simply LYING! Ouch! Does lying really necessitate the death penalty?
This harsh depiction has created a public relations mess for God and has made Him very unappealing to many people. After all, where's the love in this "purging"? And where's the justice in killing innocent babies [on account of their parent's evil behavior]? Nobody wants to hang out with a God who seems to have anger management problems. And truth be told, these depictions of God have infected many people with a crisis of faith. But there is a remedy. And I believe the remedy is found in forming an accurate understanding of the entire book of Deuteronomy. In other words, we need to see God's harsh instructions in full context. When we do this, I believe much of this PR mess will be cleaned up. So let's get to it and find some answers together!
THE STRUCTURE
The first step in cleaning up this PR mess is understanding the main point of the book of Deuteronomy. The chiastic structure of the book helps us with this. A chiastic structure is simply a writing style that helps to emphasize certain portions of a text through the way the text is organized. And so in Deuteronomy, the text is organized as follows:
A 1-3: A Look Backward
B 4-11: A FIRST Call to Covenant Obedience [Blessings]
C 12-26: Covenant Obligations
B' 27-30: A SECOND Call to Covenant Obedience [Curses]
A' 31-34: A Look Forward
C is the INNER CORE of the book and is where the author places the main emphasis. The outer portions (A, A' and B, B') provide background and nuanced meaning to the INNER CORE (C). Additionally, in Deuteronomy A and A' parallel each other and read like a seamless and continuous story [Read 1-3 and 31-34 together and you'll see what I mean]. The same is true with B and B'.
So what does this tell us? The INNER CORE (C) makes it clear that the main point of Deuteronomy is to clarify the people's covenant obligations and to call them to obedience. To do this, in chapters 12-26 the author elaborates in general on the Ten Commandments. Here's what appears to be his outline:
Deut. 12-16 'Love God' teachings [commandments 1-4]So then how do A, A' and B, B' nuance the meaning of the Ten Commandments? First, A and A' forewarn God's people about the challenges they will face in trying to faithfully live out God's instructions. Second, B and B' provide the motivation for following God's teaching: "that it may go well with you." Put these together and you get a portrait of the main point of the entire book of Deuteronomy.
Deut. 17-18 Enforcers of the teachings [prophet, priest, king]
Deut. 19-26 'Love Others' teachings [commandments 5-10]
THE 'GOOD' LAND
The second step in cleaning up this PR mess is understanding the main purpose of the book of Deuteronomy. The main purpose is given in the phrase "that it may go well with you" (Deut. 4:40; 5:16, 29; 6:3, 18; 8:16; 12:25, 28; 19:13; 22:7). The Hebrew verb (yi-tove) translated here as "go well" is derived from the Hebrew word (tove) which means "good." What does this tell us? God wants things to be "good" again. This fact is reinforced through the author's constant references to the "good land" (Deut. 1:25, 35; 3:25; 4:21, 22; 6:18; 8:7, 10; 9:6; 11:17). Simply put, God desires to give His people a good land that will bring goodness back to their lives.
Where have we heard this before? Does Genesis 1 ring a bell? And so the author is communicating in Deuteronomy that God wants His people to return to an Eden-like existence! This is why the author's descriptions of the land are reminiscent of descriptions of Eden. For instance, in the garden, God did most of the work (Genesis 2:4-9). He planted the trees. He watered the trees. And He made the trees grow. Similarly, in the land, God will do most of the work (Deut. 6:10-11; 7:12-15; 8:6-9; 11:13-15, 22-25). Deuteronomy 6:10-11 makes this clear:
"When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - be careful that you do not forget the Lord."THE PURGING OF EVIL
But how can this goodness exist when God's people are surrounded by evil? This is where God's instructions to completely destroy the evil nations within the Promise Land and to "purge the evil from among you" come into the picture. You see, the only way that good can be completely restored is if evil is completely removed. In other words, justice needs to be reestablished and maintained on the earth if an Eden-like existence is to be recreated. And so God uses His people to distribute justice and maintain His perfect creation order so that "it may go well with them."
But where's the love in this? Well, God wants to show love to the victims of evil by protecting and vindicating them. I mean, would it be loving for God to turn a blind eye to the victims of the Holocaust by not punishing Hitler? I don't think so. And so you see, by bringing evil to justice, God is showing love to the victims of evil.
But how is it fair that God allows innocent babies to be destroyed because of the evil deeds of their parents? The first thing to understand is that blessing was made available and offered to ALL nations since the time when God made His covenant with Abraham. You might remember that God promised to bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who curse Abraham. And God gave the nations plenty of time to take up His offer of blessing (four generations to be exact). He didn't bring curse in Abraham's time because He was waited until "the sin of the Amorites reached its full measure"(Genesis 15:16). However, after four generations, things didn't get any better. The Amorites (and all the people in the land) were still as evil as ever!
The fact that nothing changed even after four generations shows that future generations would continue to perpetuate evil in God's world. And because of this, God gave the instructions to completely destroy the evil people in the Promise Land (including next generation babies). In all of this, God knew that to completely restore good back to His world, evil would need to be completely removed.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So how does this speak to our lives? Let me first make it clear that God is not telling you to become militant and start a crusade to rid the world of evil people. However, God is instructing us to fight against the evil forces and influences that are ruining God's good world. We do this by overcoming hatred with LOVE, replacing TRUTH with lies, and speaking ENCOURAGEMENT instead of slander. This is why Jesus has called His people to be 'salt' in this corrupting world (Matthew 5:13). We are to function as preservatives for good in God's world. And in fact, this hasn't changed from the time of Deuteronomy 4:5-8. Listen to this,
"See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?"Now may you be salt to the world around you! May you live such an attractive life that people are drawn back to God's goodness!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
THE PEOPLE: Becoming a Person of God
Have you ever had a pick up line used on you? If so, it was probably a cheesy line like, "Will you be my Wonder Woman and weaken me with your kryptonite?" The answer to this question is always going to be "NO." It's a lousy pick up line. Why? An effective pick up line can't be 'canned'. It needs to be genuine. And this is why people are so nervously thoughtful when they strike up a conversation with someone for the first time.
But when people get married it seems that little by little they throw thoughtfulness out the window. "Let me tell you how my mom used to do that." "You should talk to my ex-boyfriend because he was really good at coming up with fun date ideas." "Do you want to join a gym with me?" When we lose our thoughtfulness, we risk becoming blind to the harmful impact of our statements.
The same is true in our spiritual lives. When we lose our thoughtfulness, we risk becoming blind to the harmful impact of our sin on others. When we first start walking with God, we keep tabs on our sin (we are hyper-sensitive). But over time we lose sensitivity and become blind to our sin. As a result, we leave destruction in our path. And this reality presents a problem for God when it comes to accomplishing his PLAN. How so? Well, our loss of sensitivity allows sin to fester and prevents us from being a BLESSING to others. This is a problem. Why?
If you remember from the last blog, BEING a BLESSING is foundational to God's PLAN to reverse the CURSE. As we saw, God's PLAN in Genesis 12:1-3 involved making Abram into a large community of PEOPLE ["great nation"], planting these people on a specific piece of PROPERTY ["the land"], making these people PROMINENT as they live out God's creation design ["great name"], so that the entire PLANET will be blessed through the prominence of these God-centered people ["all people's on earth"]. But if God's people fail to BE a BLESSING, how can they possibly BLESS the entire PLANET and counteract the CURSE? They can't! And so BEING a BLESSING is a vital part of God's PLAN.
So this begs the question: How does God go about TRANSFORMING a sin-proned people so that they can BE a BLESSING? The stories in Genesis 25-33 reveal to us the secret:
[TASTE + TRUST triggers TRANSFORMATION]
Let me explain...
GOD FORCES US TO TASTE OUR SIN
God wants us to understand how our sin HURTS other people and so sometimes He forces us to TASTE our own sin. The hope in doing this is that it will produce in us an urgent desire to remove this sin pattern from our life. This is precisely what happened in Jacob's life...
True to his name which means "deceiver," Jacob takes advantage of his brother, Esau, when he is in great need by purchasing Esau's birthright in exchange for some stew and bread (25:27-34). Jacob then deceives his father, Isaac, into giving him Esau's blessing (ch. 27). It is clear that Jacob is concerned only about one person... HIMSELF. So how can a ME-focused person like Jacob BE a BLESSING to the entire world? Answer: It's not possible. And so God knows that if He doesn't do something, His restoration PLAN might be derailed.
And so God sends Jacob to his uncle Laban for a little training seminar. On his journey to Laban, Jacob gets reassurances from God through a vision at Bethel that God will be with him and come through on His promises (This vision at Bethel is eerily similar to Abraham's vision in Genesis 15). But in this vision God doesn't tell Jacob that He has signed him up for a seminar being taught by his Uncle Laban called: "What It Feels Like to Be Deceived." As it turns out, Laban is quite the teacher and he gives Jacob a strong dose of his own medicine. Laban deceives Jacob into serving him just like Jacob deceived Esau into serving him. Similarly, Laban upholds the very birth-order customs that Jacob ignored. You can read all about these ironic twists and turns in Genesis 29.
Jacob eventually gets fed up with Laban's deception and so he makes a run for it with his family and possessions. By fleeing from Laban and back to Canaan, the author wants the reader to understand that Jacob is also fleeing away from his old, deceptive ways and back to God. Jacob is a new man. The author reinforces this in chapters 31-32 through the retelling of Jacob's several encounters with God's angels. In one of these encounters, Jacob wrestles with a man (whom Jacob presumably understands to be an angel) until he receives God's blessing and favor. At this encounter, Jacob's name is changed to Israel which means "struggle with God." This experience was meant to commemorate Jacob's transformation and his desire to struggle for God's favor and blessing (no matter the personal cost). The story of Jacob ends in chapter 35 when Jacob returns to Bethel and recommits himself to God.
GOD HELPS US TRUST HIM
God knows that TASTING the affects of our sin alone won't trigger our TRANSFORMATION. Why? At the core of our desire to sin stands a lack of TRUST in God. When things aren't going our way, we feel like we need to take matters into our own hands. This self-reliance breeds things like dishonesty and self-focus (things opposed to the BLESSING of God's original creation design but that get us the results we want).
We see this play itself out in the Genesis narratives. Time and time again, God's people resorted to deception or cultural custom to hijack control of God's PLAN. Twice Abraham deceived kings by telling them that Sarah was His sister because He didn't trust in God's PROTECTION. Abraham also resorted to CULTURAL CUSTOM when he utilized his servant Hagar to produce a male offspring to carry on his lineage. Abraham resorted to this CULTURAL CUSTOM because he did not TRUST in God's PROVISION of a son through his wife Sarah.
What do these narratives tell us? God needs to build a foundation of TRUST with us so that we will stick to His PLAN. The more we TRUST God, the more we will TRUST in His guidance. So how can we go about building TRUST in God? SIMPLE. Through EXPERIENCE! In Genesis, when the people would follow God's PLAN and GO, God would meet their needs. He provided offspring to barren women and he provided food in times of drought. As a result, God's people began to TRUST Him. Likewise, when we embrace God's PLAN and GO, God will meet our needs. And as we experience God's faithfulness, our TRUST in God will grow.
THE BOTTOM LINE
God created you and me to restore a broken world. But to join God in his plan, we need to accurately reflect God to the world around us by loving others well and by investing our lives for the sake of others. As we see in the Jacob narratives, God is also in the business of transforming us into the types of people he can use for His purposes. This should be a source of hope for all of us. Because no matter where you are at on your spiritual journey, God can use you! But first, you have to want to be TRANSFORMED. So let me ask you: Do you want to be TRANSFORMED by God?
But when people get married it seems that little by little they throw thoughtfulness out the window. "Let me tell you how my mom used to do that." "You should talk to my ex-boyfriend because he was really good at coming up with fun date ideas." "Do you want to join a gym with me?" When we lose our thoughtfulness, we risk becoming blind to the harmful impact of our statements.
The same is true in our spiritual lives. When we lose our thoughtfulness, we risk becoming blind to the harmful impact of our sin on others. When we first start walking with God, we keep tabs on our sin (we are hyper-sensitive). But over time we lose sensitivity and become blind to our sin. As a result, we leave destruction in our path. And this reality presents a problem for God when it comes to accomplishing his PLAN. How so? Well, our loss of sensitivity allows sin to fester and prevents us from being a BLESSING to others. This is a problem. Why?
If you remember from the last blog, BEING a BLESSING is foundational to God's PLAN to reverse the CURSE. As we saw, God's PLAN in Genesis 12:1-3 involved making Abram into a large community of PEOPLE ["great nation"], planting these people on a specific piece of PROPERTY ["the land"], making these people PROMINENT as they live out God's creation design ["great name"], so that the entire PLANET will be blessed through the prominence of these God-centered people ["all people's on earth"]. But if God's people fail to BE a BLESSING, how can they possibly BLESS the entire PLANET and counteract the CURSE? They can't! And so BEING a BLESSING is a vital part of God's PLAN.
So this begs the question: How does God go about TRANSFORMING a sin-proned people so that they can BE a BLESSING? The stories in Genesis 25-33 reveal to us the secret:
[TASTE + TRUST triggers TRANSFORMATION]
Let me explain...
GOD FORCES US TO TASTE OUR SIN
God wants us to understand how our sin HURTS other people and so sometimes He forces us to TASTE our own sin. The hope in doing this is that it will produce in us an urgent desire to remove this sin pattern from our life. This is precisely what happened in Jacob's life...
True to his name which means "deceiver," Jacob takes advantage of his brother, Esau, when he is in great need by purchasing Esau's birthright in exchange for some stew and bread (25:27-34). Jacob then deceives his father, Isaac, into giving him Esau's blessing (ch. 27). It is clear that Jacob is concerned only about one person... HIMSELF. So how can a ME-focused person like Jacob BE a BLESSING to the entire world? Answer: It's not possible. And so God knows that if He doesn't do something, His restoration PLAN might be derailed.
And so God sends Jacob to his uncle Laban for a little training seminar. On his journey to Laban, Jacob gets reassurances from God through a vision at Bethel that God will be with him and come through on His promises (This vision at Bethel is eerily similar to Abraham's vision in Genesis 15). But in this vision God doesn't tell Jacob that He has signed him up for a seminar being taught by his Uncle Laban called: "What It Feels Like to Be Deceived." As it turns out, Laban is quite the teacher and he gives Jacob a strong dose of his own medicine. Laban deceives Jacob into serving him just like Jacob deceived Esau into serving him. Similarly, Laban upholds the very birth-order customs that Jacob ignored. You can read all about these ironic twists and turns in Genesis 29.
Jacob eventually gets fed up with Laban's deception and so he makes a run for it with his family and possessions. By fleeing from Laban and back to Canaan, the author wants the reader to understand that Jacob is also fleeing away from his old, deceptive ways and back to God. Jacob is a new man. The author reinforces this in chapters 31-32 through the retelling of Jacob's several encounters with God's angels. In one of these encounters, Jacob wrestles with a man (whom Jacob presumably understands to be an angel) until he receives God's blessing and favor. At this encounter, Jacob's name is changed to Israel which means "struggle with God." This experience was meant to commemorate Jacob's transformation and his desire to struggle for God's favor and blessing (no matter the personal cost). The story of Jacob ends in chapter 35 when Jacob returns to Bethel and recommits himself to God.
GOD HELPS US TRUST HIM
God knows that TASTING the affects of our sin alone won't trigger our TRANSFORMATION. Why? At the core of our desire to sin stands a lack of TRUST in God. When things aren't going our way, we feel like we need to take matters into our own hands. This self-reliance breeds things like dishonesty and self-focus (things opposed to the BLESSING of God's original creation design but that get us the results we want).
We see this play itself out in the Genesis narratives. Time and time again, God's people resorted to deception or cultural custom to hijack control of God's PLAN. Twice Abraham deceived kings by telling them that Sarah was His sister because He didn't trust in God's PROTECTION. Abraham also resorted to CULTURAL CUSTOM when he utilized his servant Hagar to produce a male offspring to carry on his lineage. Abraham resorted to this CULTURAL CUSTOM because he did not TRUST in God's PROVISION of a son through his wife Sarah.
What do these narratives tell us? God needs to build a foundation of TRUST with us so that we will stick to His PLAN. The more we TRUST God, the more we will TRUST in His guidance. So how can we go about building TRUST in God? SIMPLE. Through EXPERIENCE! In Genesis, when the people would follow God's PLAN and GO, God would meet their needs. He provided offspring to barren women and he provided food in times of drought. As a result, God's people began to TRUST Him. Likewise, when we embrace God's PLAN and GO, God will meet our needs. And as we experience God's faithfulness, our TRUST in God will grow.
THE BOTTOM LINE
God created you and me to restore a broken world. But to join God in his plan, we need to accurately reflect God to the world around us by loving others well and by investing our lives for the sake of others. As we see in the Jacob narratives, God is also in the business of transforming us into the types of people he can use for His purposes. This should be a source of hope for all of us. Because no matter where you are at on your spiritual journey, God can use you! But first, you have to want to be TRANSFORMED. So let me ask you: Do you want to be TRANSFORMED by God?
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