Tag Archives: Old Testament

Arts, Christianity, Culture

Genesis: The roots of life, the universe and everything

OLD TESTAMENT

THE emotional health of a human being depends partly on an awareness of one’s roots. Persons who have been adopted usually want at some stage to rediscover their natural parents, just to satisfy a deep longing.

In the same way, the spiritual health of an individual, and even more of a group of people, depends partly on knowing their own story. Such knowledge puts the present into context and provides pointers for the future.

The book of Genesis provides people of all races, cultures, and generations with a set of roots. Its first ten chapters address some of the deepest questions anyone can ask. Where did the world come from? Is it planned or just an accident? Why is there so much bad in the world now? What does God think about human wickedness?

Then in chapter 11 the story focuses on the family of one man, Abraham, which is to become the nation through which God promises to reveal himself to the world. The ‘people of God’ prove to be quite ordinary and extremely fallible. The ‘Patriarchs’ are not saints.

Genesis is a preface to the story of God’s people. Christians who rank Genesis and the Old Testament below the New Testament Gospels and letters are ignoring their roots. The ‘Christ event’ springs from the opening chapters of the Bible.

All in a day’s work?

THE chief conflict between science and Christian belief has centred on the interpretation of the ‘days’ of creation. Scholars have suggested that they might be unspecified periods of time using ‘day’ poetically (as in Psalm 90:4 or Isaiah 2:11) or part of a liturgical celebration pictured as a week’s work.

If the author’s purpose was theological rather than descriptive, then the issue of creation’s mechanics must assume a secondary place. The book of Job (chs 38,39) calls for humble agnosticism in the face of processes far beyond human understanding. (This applies as much to Christians anxious to maintain biblical integrity as to scientists anxious to explain the beginning of time).

However, Christians also believe that the author chose his words carefully, and therefore ‘day’ must have some significance. For today’s readers, perhaps the compactness of the story is a welcome balance to the mind-numbing statistics of the age and expanse of the universe.

From God’s point of view, what is immense to us was really just a few days’ work for him. The universe is not then such a frighteningly big place after all. There is Someone behind it so powerful that, as Isaiah says, he can hold the oceans in the palm of his hand and count the drops.

With that in mind, Christians do not need to fall out over the precise interpretation of ‘day’. That God spoke everything into existence, when previously nothing was there, is the important truth to grasp.

– A narrative on Genesis 1

THE biblical account of creation is primarily theology. It answers the age-old questions, ‘Why is there a world?’ and ‘Why is it the way it is?’ in timeless terms from which people in every culture can gain insight.

For example, as the twenty-first century dawned people sought some unifying principle in holding together the vastly complex and apparently random systems of nature. Genesis reassured us by showing how God weaved order out of chaos as part of his creative task.

It tells us that God is the one constant of the universe. He is uncreated and the reason for all that exists.

Christians may see in the passage a hint of God as a Trinity who uses the ‘royal we’ at the creation of people (1:26). There is also a reference to the Spirit of God (v 2). God is portrayed as a personal being, not simply as a ‘force’.

We notice him to be a methodical Creator. He leaves nothing to chance but has an eye for detail. What he makes is good; it reflects his character and is pleasing to see. Built into it are the seeds of life reproducing itself at all levels. Creation is not a part of God but separate from him.

The ultimate purpose of his work is to make an environment fit for human beings. They are made in God’s image, that is, they are capable of moral choice and of a willing relationship with him. They are not trapped in a body of instincts and desires but can transcend their physical limitations in a way that no other part of the animal creation can.

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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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