I finished Exodus this morning. Here are a few of my thoughts.
I was struck by how much of the first part of the book has people resisting God. When Moses encounters God in chapter 3 (the burning bush and all that), he does everything he can think of to avoid going back to Egypt to deliver the Hebrews. Pharaoh, of course, is famous for resisting God. It took 10 horrendous plagues for him to let the people go, and even then he didn't exactly embrace the Lord. During the wilderness wanderings, the Hebrews resist God by resisting Moses. One wonders if that was payback for Moses resisting God in the first place.
It's also kind of surprising that these people -- Moses, Pharaoh, the Hebrews -- resist God so much. I mean, where else in the Bible are there so many astounding examples of God's power? Burning bush? Leprous hand? Ten plagues of "biblical proportions"? Parting of the sea? Water from the rock? Manna from heaven?
One also has to give some thought to how much each of us resists God, and how much of His power we ignore.
Here's another thought. In Exodus 18, Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, advises Moses' that he needs help in judging the people because he's wearing himself out. He tells Moses to identify some other leaders and teach them the decrees and laws so they, too, will be equipped to teach and judge the people. Immediately after this incident, God provides Moses and all the Hebrews with written code that details the decrees and laws. That certainly made the task of teaching and judging much easier and more uniform.
Chapters 19-31 and then chapters 33-40 go on at great length with the Ten Commandments, plus a ton of other decrees regarding worship, personal and corporate holiness, and the details of the tabernacle and its furnishings. Sandwiched in between is chapter 32, the story of the golden calf and how the Hebrews completely disregarded--and resisted--Moses and God. It's actually sort of jarring, to be reading along about God's laws and regulations, then stumble into this discouraging narrative of the people's rebellion.
And Aaron's words in 32:24 are on my list of funniest and most ludicrous things said by people in the Bible.
I always feel sympathetic for Moses, trying to lead the stiff-necked, whiny people. I can imagine how betrayed he felt, coming down from Mt. Sinai, when he'd spent 40 days talking to God and completely focused on the welfare of the people -- just to find them out of control and running wild. Who among us that has been devoted to a position of service or leadership hasn't felt this kind of bewilderment?
Along with my list of funniest sayings, I should keep a list of sayings worthy for stitching on a pillow. To this list, I'd add Moses' words to God in Exodus 33:13: "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you."
Those words, if we would say them and mean them, would go a long way to keeping us from resisting God. After all, the stories in Exodus make sure we know how powerful and loving God is, and how futile it is to resist Him.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Esther: A Story Ripe for Retelling
Every time I read Esther, I wonder why there haven't been more books and movies that retell this incredible tale. It has such great drama and colorful characters, it just screams for a more lengthy or "modernized" visualization.
There is a 2006 movie, One Night With the King. I suppose it's a pretty good rendition. All I know is that since I saw it, I can't get F. Murray Abrahamson as Mordecai out of my head. And, frankly, I liked F. Murray better as Salieri in Amadeus. I will put "write a good Esther re-telling" on my bucket list--but kind of toward the bottom.
Anyway. It's a great Bible story, short enough to read in less than an hour. It has the back story that explains the Jewish festival of Purim, which happens to be March 7-8 this year. Very few of my non-Jewish friends know about Purim. I think it sounds like a great annual celebration that we're missing out on.
As I read Esther this week, a couple of other thoughts caught my attention. First, the story is set in the citadel of Susa. Today (according to Wikipedia) it is the city of Shush, located in Iran about 150 miles or so north of the Persian Gulf, not far from Iran's western border with Iraq. Once again, it's fascinating to realize how much of ancient biblical history was set in locations that are still political "hotbeds" till this very day.
I also noticed that the conflict between Haman and Mordecai and the Jews in this story was likely a continuation of a conflict with the Amalekites. Haman, the evil adversary who tries to wipe out Mordecai and all the Jews in Persia, is called "Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite" (Est 3:1). Now, Agag was a king of the Amalekites who was killed by Samuel the prophet after Saul took him, Agag, captive in battle (1 Sam 15:8, 33). In this story, which took place in the 11th century BC, Saul got himself in trouble because God had ordered him to completely wipe out the Amalekites--men, women, children, livestock, and everything else. (Saul spared the good livestock as well as King Agag, incurring God's anger.) God had said, "I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them..." (1 Sam 15:2-3). The incident in which the Amalekites waylaid the Israelites is in Exodus 17:8-13. And, since the Amalekites descended from Esau (Gen 36:12), they probably harbored a grudge going all the way back to the time of the Patriarchs. Esther 2:5 also says that Mordecai had an ancestor named Kish and Saul's father was named Kish (1 Sam 14:31). So it seems that the progeny of King Agag and the progeny of Saul the son of Kish (who should have killed King Agag) were matched up in this conflict set in the 5th century. Fascinating, don't you think?
Another thing I noticed was that Mordecai, the righteous and wise Jewish hero of the story, never has a "fall from grace" in this story. That's a little unusual with those ancient biblical heroes. There seem to be more examples of people who ended up as victims of their character flaws--or their failure to maintain their faith in Yahweh--than there are examples of guys who stayed strong to the end.
One of the great passages from the book Esther tells of Mordecai trying to persuade young Esther to go to the king (Xerxes) and convince him to reverse the decree to kill the Jews in Persia. Mordecai's immortal words to her are, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this" (Est 5:14). Well, apparently Esther was only queen for a few years. She followed the deposed Queen Vashti, but history shows that Vashti regained power as queen mother over Xerxes' son when he reigned. In other words, Esther was perhaps destined for her important role at "such a time as this" that happened to be a very short time.
I just have to note, too, that the whole passage in Esther 2:1-18 about a beauty contest to find a suitable concubine for King Xerxes is exceedingly creepy to me.
Such a great story. Maybe I should get going on writing my screenplay. Do you think if I write it so that George Clooney makes the perfect Mordecai then I might get to meet him when he signs to take on the role in the blockbuster movie?
There is a 2006 movie, One Night With the King. I suppose it's a pretty good rendition. All I know is that since I saw it, I can't get F. Murray Abrahamson as Mordecai out of my head. And, frankly, I liked F. Murray better as Salieri in Amadeus. I will put "write a good Esther re-telling" on my bucket list--but kind of toward the bottom.
Anyway. It's a great Bible story, short enough to read in less than an hour. It has the back story that explains the Jewish festival of Purim, which happens to be March 7-8 this year. Very few of my non-Jewish friends know about Purim. I think it sounds like a great annual celebration that we're missing out on.
As I read Esther this week, a couple of other thoughts caught my attention. First, the story is set in the citadel of Susa. Today (according to Wikipedia) it is the city of Shush, located in Iran about 150 miles or so north of the Persian Gulf, not far from Iran's western border with Iraq. Once again, it's fascinating to realize how much of ancient biblical history was set in locations that are still political "hotbeds" till this very day.
I also noticed that the conflict between Haman and Mordecai and the Jews in this story was likely a continuation of a conflict with the Amalekites. Haman, the evil adversary who tries to wipe out Mordecai and all the Jews in Persia, is called "Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite" (Est 3:1). Now, Agag was a king of the Amalekites who was killed by Samuel the prophet after Saul took him, Agag, captive in battle (1 Sam 15:8, 33). In this story, which took place in the 11th century BC, Saul got himself in trouble because God had ordered him to completely wipe out the Amalekites--men, women, children, livestock, and everything else. (Saul spared the good livestock as well as King Agag, incurring God's anger.) God had said, "I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them..." (1 Sam 15:2-3). The incident in which the Amalekites waylaid the Israelites is in Exodus 17:8-13. And, since the Amalekites descended from Esau (Gen 36:12), they probably harbored a grudge going all the way back to the time of the Patriarchs. Esther 2:5 also says that Mordecai had an ancestor named Kish and Saul's father was named Kish (1 Sam 14:31). So it seems that the progeny of King Agag and the progeny of Saul the son of Kish (who should have killed King Agag) were matched up in this conflict set in the 5th century. Fascinating, don't you think?
Another thing I noticed was that Mordecai, the righteous and wise Jewish hero of the story, never has a "fall from grace" in this story. That's a little unusual with those ancient biblical heroes. There seem to be more examples of people who ended up as victims of their character flaws--or their failure to maintain their faith in Yahweh--than there are examples of guys who stayed strong to the end.
One of the great passages from the book Esther tells of Mordecai trying to persuade young Esther to go to the king (Xerxes) and convince him to reverse the decree to kill the Jews in Persia. Mordecai's immortal words to her are, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this" (Est 5:14). Well, apparently Esther was only queen for a few years. She followed the deposed Queen Vashti, but history shows that Vashti regained power as queen mother over Xerxes' son when he reigned. In other words, Esther was perhaps destined for her important role at "such a time as this" that happened to be a very short time.
I just have to note, too, that the whole passage in Esther 2:1-18 about a beauty contest to find a suitable concubine for King Xerxes is exceedingly creepy to me.
Such a great story. Maybe I should get going on writing my screenplay. Do you think if I write it so that George Clooney makes the perfect Mordecai then I might get to meet him when he signs to take on the role in the blockbuster movie?
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Ephesians: Welcome to the In Crowd!
Ah, good old Ephesians. I remember writing a major exegetical paper on the book when I was in seminary. Actually, I probably wrote several; it was part of one of our big-deal Greek classes. The indelible memory, however, was when I hurled the commentary (by dear Dr. Harold Hoehner) across the room one afternoon when I had used up all the time I'd allocated to the project, but I discovered I still had several hours of work yet to be done.
Reading the epistle this time was much less stressful.
I was struck by Paul's focus on the Gentiles in the church at Ephesus. He takes care to welcome them into the Body of Christ and make sure they understand that they are "full-fledged" members: That Christ ensured their immediate status through His salvific death and resurrection. There was no candidacy or probationary period. Once they came to believe they were saved through Christ, they were In.
What other group is like that? Don't we always make people jump through some kind of hoops before we accept them into whatever group we are in? That's the beauty of Christian faith. In fact, the definitive verse is Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."
We are "instantly" saved by our faith, and immediately transformed and reckoned righteous in status before God. However, we are still responsible for continual transformation.
This is one of those paradoxes; one of those "both-ands" that are key to understanding Christian life. Another aspect of the paradox is that we must "do" stuff to become transformed. Beginning in Ephesians 4:17, the epistle talks about how we should live holy lives as Christians--in our personal, private lives and in our relationships with the family, other believers and the world. For example, Paul writes, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children." (Eph 4:31-5:1)
I don't know about you, but living that kind of holy life is a tall order for me.
Fortunately, it's more or less a done deal: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph 2:9).
A couple of my favorite passages are in Ephesians. They are especially wonderful for new Christians, but are uplifting and encouraging for everyone. Allow me to quote them here:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:16-19)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his might power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes....Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with th breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Eph 5:10-11, 13-17).
So, as believers in Christ--regardless of our background--we are embraced in the "In Group." We even have our own uniform to wear!
Reading the epistle this time was much less stressful.
I was struck by Paul's focus on the Gentiles in the church at Ephesus. He takes care to welcome them into the Body of Christ and make sure they understand that they are "full-fledged" members: That Christ ensured their immediate status through His salvific death and resurrection. There was no candidacy or probationary period. Once they came to believe they were saved through Christ, they were In.
What other group is like that? Don't we always make people jump through some kind of hoops before we accept them into whatever group we are in? That's the beauty of Christian faith. In fact, the definitive verse is Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."
We are "instantly" saved by our faith, and immediately transformed and reckoned righteous in status before God. However, we are still responsible for continual transformation.
This is one of those paradoxes; one of those "both-ands" that are key to understanding Christian life. Another aspect of the paradox is that we must "do" stuff to become transformed. Beginning in Ephesians 4:17, the epistle talks about how we should live holy lives as Christians--in our personal, private lives and in our relationships with the family, other believers and the world. For example, Paul writes, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children." (Eph 4:31-5:1)
I don't know about you, but living that kind of holy life is a tall order for me.
Fortunately, it's more or less a done deal: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph 2:9).
A couple of my favorite passages are in Ephesians. They are especially wonderful for new Christians, but are uplifting and encouraging for everyone. Allow me to quote them here:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:16-19)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his might power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes....Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with th breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Eph 5:10-11, 13-17).
So, as believers in Christ--regardless of our background--we are embraced in the "In Group." We even have our own uniform to wear!
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