Category Archives: Arts

Arts, Christianity, Culture

Psalms: Scaling heights and plumbing depths

OLD TESTAMENT

CRISP, graphic language – which is the common thread of all poetry – captures mood and emotion more vividly than mere prose. “My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes” is far more evocative than “everything has gone wrong at once”. We can identify with the feelings even if the circumstances are unknown.

Similarly, many spiritual experiences and theological truths cannot be captured fully in prosaic definitions or formulae. “The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders” (29:3) evokes a “picture” of God’s majesty by linking him to the awesome power of nature seen in a storm. “God is more powerful than anything else” is tame, even if true.

That is the genius of Psalms. All human experience is here, from ecstatic joy to despairing pain. And, to many modern readers’ surprise, there are complaints and even imprecations – curses – scattered among the 150 poems.

Old Testament believers knew how to bare their souls to God. They reckoned that a covenant-keeping God could cope with their exasperation, for they knew he would not allow his people to suffer oppression for ever.

Many psalms relate to specific historical events. A few can be traced, and others can be described in general terms. Frequently they concern the nation’s fortunes rather than the individual’s. Understanding them can help us enter the writer’s concerns.

Today’s readers need to approach the psalms carefully. Do not look for neat theological formulae. We are meant to feel, rather than analyse, the outpourings of praise or pain. They are to be read meditatively. Ask first, what is the writer trying to express? And then, what insight does he have into God or the human condition which we can learn from, or meditate on?

Prophetic edge gives wider meaning

– A narrative on Psalm 2

WHEN we turn to examine what the prophets of the Bible wrote (or said) we see that their words were not always understood in the way we interpret them today, nor in the way some New Testament writers quote them. Some of the psalms also have this ‘prophetic’ element which was at least partially hidden from the writers (cf. 1 Peter 1:10-12).

This is one such. Verse 7 was used at Jesus’ baptism and the letter to the Hebrews begins by quoting it (1:5). Verse 8 is echoed in Jesus’ ‘great commission’ and verse 9 is picked up in the vision of Christ’s cosmic rule (Revelation 12:5; 19:15). The first Christians saw it as clearly messianic in their prayer in Acts 4:25,26.

At one level, therefore, we can say that in hindsight the whole Bible points towards Jesus. But it would be wrong to take this psalm, and others like it, simply as poetic forecasts. It meant something to the author at the time also, which is where all biblical interpretation should start.

It rejoices in typical Middle Eastern terms at the king’s relationship to God as his son, and the king’s relationship to subservient nations as their ‘father’. When church and state are separated, as they mostly are today, it is hard to think of kings as divine appointments, but they did in Old Testament times, which is what the psalm celebrates.

Today’s readers can apply the worship and praise in two ways. We can use its prophetic imagery to reflect on the greatness of Jesus. Also, we can use it to reflect on our own relationship with God as his children, privileged to serve as his fellow workers and ambassadors in the world (1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:20).

Love and serve the LORD.

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Arts, Christianity, Culture

Book of Joel: Are natural disasters sent by God?

OLD TESTAMENT

– A narrative on Joel 1:1-2:17

SWARMS of locusts, possibly triggered by climatic changes, have regularly devastated the Near East. They consume every green shoot and leave nothing but famine. Joel says this is God’s warning to the nation that something worse is to follow (2:2). He does not blame specific sins apart from allusions to drunkenness and materialism in 1:5 and sexual licence in 1:8.

In the Old Testament natural disasters and political oppression are seen as warnings or punishments from God on an errant Israel and Judah. But they were also part of everyday life. It is the prophetic function to interpret such historical events as conveying messages from God – which is not the same notion as the caricature of God disrupting his world by raining down vengeance.

Four things need to be held in balance. First, natural disasters are a fact of life in an imperfect world. Although phenomena such as global warming contribute to destabilising the planet, natural disasters have afflicted people for centuries. Christians point additionally to “the fall” (Genesis 3) which threw the created order out of perfect alignment (cf. Romans 8:22).

Second, Jesus explicitly ruled out the view that accidents of nature are punishments of those involved (Luke 13:1-5). Thirdly, Judah and Israel had a unique relationship with God; they formed a political, cultural, and spiritual unit called to be his “chosen people”. His dealings with them cannot be transposed directly to other nations. And finally, the Bible reminds us that God is a judge. Disasters alert us to our mortality and the certainty that we shall each appear before God for personal judgment.

In 1998, a hurricane in Honduras and earthquake in Afghanistan each killed 9,000. A cyclone in India killed 10,000. In 1999 a record wind speed of over 300 mph was registered above a tornado in the United States. Our proper reaction is not to look for “reasons” but to turn to the LORD, as there could be worse in store: an eternity excluded from his presence.

OVERVIEW

THE little Book of Joel has an importance out of all proportion to its length. It takes a literal plague of locusts in Judah as a basis for prophecies about “the day of the LORD”.

Some may see the swarm as an allegory for, or a literal forewarning of, the invasion of Judah by Babylon or other aggressors. However, the simplest interpretation is that Joel takes the literal disaster as a general warning of worse to come.

The second half offers a promise or renewal and restoration after repentance and was quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) with promises of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

A key quote comes from Joel 2:13: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate.”

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Arts, Christianity, Culture

One shall tell another

NEW TESTAMENT

– A narrative on John: 1:35-51

THE “success” of evangelistic campaigns in which people are invited to a meeting to hear an address explaining how to become a Christian, depends largely on “Operation Andrew” – the personal prayer and witness of Christians before the meeting. Lasting effects generally come from this “personal evangelism on a large scale” more than from the much parodied “mass evangelism”.

Jesus’ first disciples doubled in number because Andrew and Philip told others that Jesus was worth listening to. Once in his presence, Peter and Nathanael were dealt with according to their individual personalities.

Peter received a new identity and opportunity of service, important for one who was a blunderer. (It is stressed at the end of the Gospel, too.) Nathanael was sceptical, secure in a comfortable life. (“Under the fig tree” was a common Jewish expression for well-being.) He needed to know that Jesus was a caring and secure guide. The insight confirmed that he was.

The witnesses were different from the people they brought, too. Quiet and sensitive Andrew brought the brash Peter to Jesus. Philip seems even more cautious; when some Greeks wanted to see Jesus, he asked Andrew to go with him to tell Jesus (12:20-22)! A person does not need to be “upfront” to be a useful servant of God.

Nathanael is probably to be identified with the Bartholomew of the other Gospels. Bartholomew is a patronymic (“son of . . . “) so he would have had another name. In the Synoptic Gospels, Bartholomew is always closely associated with Philip. Nothing is known of either of them after the death of Jesus.

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