God tells Israel not to intermarry with the peoples that surround them, because it will cause Israel to be torn away from him. That tearing breaks his heart everytime. His people chasing after everything under the sun and in the process losing touch with him completely. I have seen it time and time again. People dedicated to God, to serving him, but then drawn into a life of things that are not necessarily "evil" but things that are not focused in him. Lives slowly drawn into mediocrity--where God "exists" but there is little committment to him. It is this very thing that God is speaking against here (7.3-9). He says "I am faithful to the covenant. That is why I saved you from Egypt. I remembered the covenant I made with your forefathers" (7.8)--"Now my question is: what does it mean for you to be faitfhul to the covenant? Sure I will bless a thousand generations (7.9) but a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands" (Dt. 7.9; see also John 15, and 1 John 5).
How do we guard against a life that simply over time loses its focus on God? That simply fizzles out over time? That stops remebering YHWH's amazing act through the Red Sea? That forgets what God has done for the world (and you and I) in Jesus of Nazareth? Part of the answer to this question is found where we (and this chapter begins)-- we must learn how to keep ourselves from idols. We are surrounded by them and they call our name at every turn: materialsim, sexual perversion, war and violence, the abuse and neglect of children, worship of capitalism as way of life, and of course all the other formal "religions" of the world-- all jockeying for our attention and don't doubt it, our allegiance as well. YHWH says If you follow that stuff the end of it is death. If you take that root YHWH will "destroy you", not to mention the fact that the idolatry in itself will begin to destroy you. Tom Wright points out that it is a basic human trait that human beings become like what they worship. If we worship sexuality, money, violence that is what we will begin to become oursleves--those things will begin to define us as human beings instead of being part of a larger whole, which is true humaness. In the end these things court death in us and we, like Sean Penn, become "Dead Men Walking."
But it breaks the heart of God to see that. That is why he reminds Israel (and us) that his chosing of the people of God was not arbitrary. It was not because they were mighty or whatever because they weren't (7.7), it was because "the Lord loved you" (7.8). Wow, what a thought-- God loved us before we ever loved him. It was his love that moved him to save us from the Egypt of our own slavery to sin and death. He was the first mover toward us and we responded. Thus we can never boast. We can only humble thank him and do our best to keep his commands...
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
Deuteronomy 6: A Reminder
This chapter is staggering in its scope. It's main theme is loving YHWH, the god who is ONE, and obeying the Law out of a respect for his covenant relationship with Israel (6.1-9). Again there is a focus on passing the Law on to ones children, which feels so right each day that I read this book to Sienna as she swings and listens and laughs (even at parts that aren't funny-- like the killing of innocent women and children). I get a sense that doing this, this relational-sharing of Scripture, is a part of what God wanted from ancient Israel and also from his people today. To breathe in Scripture, to talk about, to allow it to have a place among us as His people. This is part of how the covenant people show appreciation for YHWH, for his calling them to be his ONE people for the good of the world. One god, one people of God. Monotheism and Election tied together in this wonderful chapter by a command to love God with everything a person has to offer: all of our heart, all of our soul and all of our strength (v.5).
The warning in the chapter is not to forget (v.12). This is important, in fact some believe it is the reason the Torah (the teachings, the law, specifically the first five books of the Bible) was written---to remind. To remind Israel that she was not to forget what YHWH had done for her---under any circumstances. God was the one who provided for her and gave her life (v.11-12). Her appreciation was to express itself thorugh covenant faithfulness and a committment not to worship the idols of the pagan world around her. How important this is for us today as well? That we don't forget who gives us life and food and who asks us to be faitfhul in our worship--in our living and moving and breathing out of appreciation for His provision. Lest we forget which we often do.
The warning in the chapter is not to forget (v.12). This is important, in fact some believe it is the reason the Torah (the teachings, the law, specifically the first five books of the Bible) was written---to remind. To remind Israel that she was not to forget what YHWH had done for her---under any circumstances. God was the one who provided for her and gave her life (v.11-12). Her appreciation was to express itself thorugh covenant faithfulness and a committment not to worship the idols of the pagan world around her. How important this is for us today as well? That we don't forget who gives us life and food and who asks us to be faitfhul in our worship--in our living and moving and breathing out of appreciation for His provision. Lest we forget which we often do.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Deuteronomy 5: The Ten Commandments
God gives these commandments to Israel as instruction on how to live as his covenant people. "I saved you from slavery and desire relationship with you as my child. This, then is how you are to look in the world..." Many of these commandments are a criticism of the cultures that surrounded Israel--the worship of idols, murder in the name of religion (wow how that seems to contradict the very thing God was doing three chapters ago!), polygomy, etc.-- Israel was not only to worshp a different god than their neighbors, but were to reflect that gods image into the world. They were to look different. Look and be and feel somewhat alien in a world gone wrong.
Often times the people of God look no different than the world that surrounds them, and when they do look different it is often times in these focused ways that people have come up with-- a few theological, or political differences that always revolve around sexual morality or not supporting abortion or something-- and though these issues are surely important, the way the people of God are to look different than the world must be more than this--it must be holistic, ultimately different in every way including how we view war, the treatment of the poor, how we work against de-humanization and de-humanzing economic structures, how we view and treat the environemtn, etc.
The Ten Commandments were about the subversion of empires that surrounded Israel--YHWH wanted Israel's devotion and obedience to his character--this is what this decalogue is about. So, how do the people of God today look, act and think differently than the empires that surround us? This week Ted Haggard, a really influential evangelical leader, with five children, a phone to the white house, and a church of thousands of people in Colorado, admitted that the accusations were true: for three years he has been paying a man to have sex with him while doing crystal meth. My heart breaks as the church finds itself stuggling with the sins of the world--to look different and act different is a difficult thing? Israel found it difficult as well. Following the giving of these commandments Israel doesn't straighten out and just go on living faithfully--this list is a list of sins that Israel breaks over and over again (so much so that many people believe that Deut--2 Kings is one book, which is trying to explain why Israel went into exile into Babylon--Deut sets out the reasons God will send them into exile and the rest is the story of them, and their kings, breaking all the things He sets out for them and thus exile)--maybe. But the point of reflecting on the commandments in the context of exile and disobedience is to remind them what exactly breaks the heart of God. And at the forefront of their dosobedience is their idolatry (read Exodus 32--Moses is comig down the mountain with the law, after an extended stay and at the bottom Israel is worshipping a golden calf!)...but as we saw in Deut. 4 there is always room for restoration. For Israel, for Ted Haggard and for us as individuals (interestingly enough though the commandments are for the covenant community all the "You shall not..." statements are in the singular--this is personal as well as communal). The commandments are not constructed to bring guilt into our lives, conviction maybe, but not guilt. They are constructed to bring focus to our obedience though, and our understanding of what it means to truly be a human being. To truly be alive.
What is on offer in the shopping malls, internet, and corporate structres of our world is not life it is a cheap parlor trick to make us think that we are truly alive. But we partake and partake and partake and it makes us feel as though the life being promised must be just around the corner--in the next pair of shoes, in the next corporate take over, in the next job promotion...but sadly it comes and we still feel empty. Deut, indeed all of Scriptures, tells the story of God's offer of truly human life and the commandments are part of what that looks like. It is important to read all of Deuteronomy with the end of the book in our minds--because that is what the whole book is about:
Deut 30. 15-19: See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
Often times the people of God look no different than the world that surrounds them, and when they do look different it is often times in these focused ways that people have come up with-- a few theological, or political differences that always revolve around sexual morality or not supporting abortion or something-- and though these issues are surely important, the way the people of God are to look different than the world must be more than this--it must be holistic, ultimately different in every way including how we view war, the treatment of the poor, how we work against de-humanization and de-humanzing economic structures, how we view and treat the environemtn, etc.
The Ten Commandments were about the subversion of empires that surrounded Israel--YHWH wanted Israel's devotion and obedience to his character--this is what this decalogue is about. So, how do the people of God today look, act and think differently than the empires that surround us? This week Ted Haggard, a really influential evangelical leader, with five children, a phone to the white house, and a church of thousands of people in Colorado, admitted that the accusations were true: for three years he has been paying a man to have sex with him while doing crystal meth. My heart breaks as the church finds itself stuggling with the sins of the world--to look different and act different is a difficult thing? Israel found it difficult as well. Following the giving of these commandments Israel doesn't straighten out and just go on living faithfully--this list is a list of sins that Israel breaks over and over again (so much so that many people believe that Deut--2 Kings is one book, which is trying to explain why Israel went into exile into Babylon--Deut sets out the reasons God will send them into exile and the rest is the story of them, and their kings, breaking all the things He sets out for them and thus exile)--maybe. But the point of reflecting on the commandments in the context of exile and disobedience is to remind them what exactly breaks the heart of God. And at the forefront of their dosobedience is their idolatry (read Exodus 32--Moses is comig down the mountain with the law, after an extended stay and at the bottom Israel is worshipping a golden calf!)...but as we saw in Deut. 4 there is always room for restoration. For Israel, for Ted Haggard and for us as individuals (interestingly enough though the commandments are for the covenant community all the "You shall not..." statements are in the singular--this is personal as well as communal). The commandments are not constructed to bring guilt into our lives, conviction maybe, but not guilt. They are constructed to bring focus to our obedience though, and our understanding of what it means to truly be a human being. To truly be alive.
What is on offer in the shopping malls, internet, and corporate structres of our world is not life it is a cheap parlor trick to make us think that we are truly alive. But we partake and partake and partake and it makes us feel as though the life being promised must be just around the corner--in the next pair of shoes, in the next corporate take over, in the next job promotion...but sadly it comes and we still feel empty. Deut, indeed all of Scriptures, tells the story of God's offer of truly human life and the commandments are part of what that looks like. It is important to read all of Deuteronomy with the end of the book in our minds--because that is what the whole book is about:
Deut 30. 15-19: See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Deuteronomy 4: Exile, Restoration and Children
There is always restoration after exile. This is a point that is made again and again through God's story. If you do not obey my laws and decrees and commandments to be my representative humanity on earth, YHWH says to Israel in Deut. 4, I will send you into exile-- you will lose the land I have given you and will be scattered. This does not sound like a big deal to the Western mind-- "So i will find another place to live"--but to Israel (and the rest of the Ancient Near East) land was life. For Israel it was even more than that though land was a symbol of God's covenant with Israel. To be exiled from the land meant that God was not happy-- that Israel had broken its agreement with God. If land was life, then exile was death.
Exile would happen if Israel broke the covenant charter of YHWH, specifically here in the context of worshipping other gods (4.25)--idolatry. The reasons that such action calls for the heaviest of ramifications is because God and Israel were not just wooing eachother they were married. Thus to go after other gods was to sleep with another person--it was adultery-- Israel would be cheating on YHWH by sleeping with other gods (Deut. 4.25)-- and exile was God's divorce from her.
Within that covenant relaiionship between Israel and YHWH (and it must be said as it was said at my wedding by the preacher "A contract, a covenant is not") when marriages go sour there is one people group that suffers the most: the children. And God has their well-being in mind. Teach these laws to your children (4.9; 4.25)-- make sure the children understand my story from birth-- my committment to them, my love for them. YHWH holds the children up in Israel's face and says "Don't stray into the enticing world of idolatry with your pagan neighbors for your own sakes, but if you can't keep your hands to yourself for that reason then think of the children! They will suffer for your mistakes. They will join you in exile and it wont be pretty."
But even with the great threat of exile (which they ended up going into of course), God says something very merciful (for a god that is supposedly so mean and nasty in the Old Testament); "But if from there (the land of exile) you seek the Lord you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and soul" (4.29). God gives a second chance, a way back to the land and to relationship with him (notice the latter is whats promised; 4.30). YHWH is the god of forgiveness and restoration. This is the shape of God's story, and more importantly his heart-- on the other side of judgment there is always the promise of vindication, on the other side of exile there is always restoration, on the other side of death there is always resurrection--for those who trust him. This is why it makes sense that Jesus kingdom movement is explained by him at one point in his ministry in the story that has become known to us as the parable of the Prodigal Son. A waywayrd son (in exile) wants to come back and his father, who he had disobeyed and rejected, comes running out to him to embrace him--restore him. "But if from there you seek the Lord you will find him."
Interestingly enough the seeking in the story of restoration is a seeking with "the heart and soul" (4.29). That is the toughest seeking of all, because that is the difficult work of spiritual formation and allowing ourselves to be changed by the god we seek, at the core of our being--which means our lives begin to change...and people around us will take notice. If that happens there could be trouble, especially when it happens when we are in exile--the world around us doesn't like to be threatened by people who bear the image of God--they would rather people bear the image of money, sex, power, greed, selfishness--whatever--as long as its not a seeking after God. But God created us to bear his image in the world and that is a story above and beyond any of the other stories being offered to us by the world around us. In fact Deut itself says so. Reflecting on the creation narrative in which God puts mankind in the garden as his agents of image bearing beauty and wonder, the writer says "Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?" (4.32) the answer of course as in all rhetorical questions is No. And I Agree.
Lord shape my life to conform to yours so that i can bear your image well on earth as it is in heaven.
Exile would happen if Israel broke the covenant charter of YHWH, specifically here in the context of worshipping other gods (4.25)--idolatry. The reasons that such action calls for the heaviest of ramifications is because God and Israel were not just wooing eachother they were married. Thus to go after other gods was to sleep with another person--it was adultery-- Israel would be cheating on YHWH by sleeping with other gods (Deut. 4.25)-- and exile was God's divorce from her.
Within that covenant relaiionship between Israel and YHWH (and it must be said as it was said at my wedding by the preacher "A contract, a covenant is not") when marriages go sour there is one people group that suffers the most: the children. And God has their well-being in mind. Teach these laws to your children (4.9; 4.25)-- make sure the children understand my story from birth-- my committment to them, my love for them. YHWH holds the children up in Israel's face and says "Don't stray into the enticing world of idolatry with your pagan neighbors for your own sakes, but if you can't keep your hands to yourself for that reason then think of the children! They will suffer for your mistakes. They will join you in exile and it wont be pretty."
But even with the great threat of exile (which they ended up going into of course), God says something very merciful (for a god that is supposedly so mean and nasty in the Old Testament); "But if from there (the land of exile) you seek the Lord you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and soul" (4.29). God gives a second chance, a way back to the land and to relationship with him (notice the latter is whats promised; 4.30). YHWH is the god of forgiveness and restoration. This is the shape of God's story, and more importantly his heart-- on the other side of judgment there is always the promise of vindication, on the other side of exile there is always restoration, on the other side of death there is always resurrection--for those who trust him. This is why it makes sense that Jesus kingdom movement is explained by him at one point in his ministry in the story that has become known to us as the parable of the Prodigal Son. A waywayrd son (in exile) wants to come back and his father, who he had disobeyed and rejected, comes running out to him to embrace him--restore him. "But if from there you seek the Lord you will find him."
Interestingly enough the seeking in the story of restoration is a seeking with "the heart and soul" (4.29). That is the toughest seeking of all, because that is the difficult work of spiritual formation and allowing ourselves to be changed by the god we seek, at the core of our being--which means our lives begin to change...and people around us will take notice. If that happens there could be trouble, especially when it happens when we are in exile--the world around us doesn't like to be threatened by people who bear the image of God--they would rather people bear the image of money, sex, power, greed, selfishness--whatever--as long as its not a seeking after God. But God created us to bear his image in the world and that is a story above and beyond any of the other stories being offered to us by the world around us. In fact Deut itself says so. Reflecting on the creation narrative in which God puts mankind in the garden as his agents of image bearing beauty and wonder, the writer says "Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?" (4.32) the answer of course as in all rhetorical questions is No. And I Agree.
Lord shape my life to conform to yours so that i can bear your image well on earth as it is in heaven.
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