A Simple Observation/Comparison

In this read-through I found something particularly intriguing to me as I compare David and Saul. Has anyone else noticed that Saul does the same thing to David that David does to Uriah the Hittite?

While devising how to dispose of David, Saul instructs him to procure 100 Philistine foreskins as a bride price (1 Samuel 18). Likewise, while devising how to dispose of Uriah, David instructs Joab to put Uriah in the place of the worst fighting (2 Samuel 11).

What are your thoughts on this? Why is David exonerated, while Saul is condemned?

Samuel Worksheet

I apologize for the lack of a full post. I have been busy traveling and being sick.

Oh, the joys of life...

Here is the worksheet for 1 and 2 Samuel.

I will have a full post soon.

Derek

Late Post

I know that I am late in posting the Samuel worksheet. I will have it up tomorrow. I am traveling the rest of the day. 

Derek

Notes on Judges 1:21-36

I approached this text with one objective: I wanted to remember the tribes involved. Simeon and Judah function as the heroes in 1:1-20. Here we are left with some failures. Seven tribes are involved. I decided to group them as follows: 1) Benjamin the loner; 2) Ephraim/Manasseh as Siamese Twin Joseph; 3) Naphtali, Dan, Asher, and Zebulun as the TMNT. Further, I wanted to circle them around the main idea of the text, namely that nations remained as thorns in their sides (hence the porcupine-ish creature).

Also, there are clouds and pomegranates.

Question regarding spokes remains unanswered.

Judges in Stream-of-Consciousness Drawings

Judges has no shortage of memorable scenes. Judges 1:1-20 is tricky though. How do you capture the many nuances present? Here is my attempt.

Making Some Memories

Joshua: what a book, right?

Confession 1: I struggled with my time in Joshua this go-around.

I am also assuming for those of you participating that you have struggled through at least one of the two readings thus far. So, I thought I would take this blog to share my quick fix when I find that I am grasping at straws in a book of the Bible.

What is the magic elixir, you ask? Drawings!

Confession 2: I am a terrible artist.

Above is my graphic representation of Joshua, Act 1, Scene 1. Crude, but effective. I made it using the section titles from the worksheet. I plan to make one for each subsection. 

So, if you feel like you are not learning anything take a few minutes and draw a few pictures. Trust me: it will create stronger connections in the text for you.

Enjoy Judges with this fine worksheet. Each day in this reading of Judges, I will post a drawing of one of the subsections. Be ye warned.

From Joshua to Zedekiah

Think about where we have come since the beginning of July. From Joshua to Zedekiah: we have seen the hope of crossing the Jordan as well as the failure resulting in the exile of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms by Assyria and Babylon respectively.

The cycle that we see is frustratingly consistent. Several times throughout the reading I felt the despair and agony of the seemingly fruitless project that is Israel (indeed, us as well). However, I ask, as a final favor, that you read Leviticus 26 after you have finished 2 Kings. Notice the consistency with which God treats the people of Israel. Also pay attention to what God promises after exile, “Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt lin the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 26:44-45).

The key to understanding the early prophetic writings is the faithfulness of God in the midst of human unfaithfulness.

On Monday, we will begin our second read-through. Here is the worksheet.

Check-in and Reflection

At this point we are through 2 Samuel, moving onward through the final stretch of the early prophetic writings. Rather than writing a blog about some aspect of 2 Samuel, I wanted to take a moment to check-in with everyone. I have found that this section of Scripture is particularly difficult to get through without constantly being reminded of the purpose for reading it.

For those of you who are participating in this read-through, would you be willing to share the following in the comment section:

1.     What is your purpose for engaging in this reading plan?

2.     What has been your favorite section to read so far? What title did you give to it?

3.     Have you had any insights along the way?

4.     What is the most memorable scene so far?

I will go first:

1.     My purpose for engaging in this reading plan is: 1) to grow in my knowledge of the God of Israel; 2) to learn to wisely bear witness to the acts of God in difficult passages of Scripture; and 3) to worship the God who has verified this testimony as a faithful witness.

2.     My favorite section so far has been Judges 3:7-8:35. The Saturday-morning-cartoonish quality of the stories always captures my attention. The title I gave it is: “Joshua-ing Israel after Joshua”. (Joshua means something close to “save” or “Savior”, so this is my way of remembering what precedes the section as well as what is coming up next. God is attempting to save Israel from conforming to the nations surrounding it.)

3.     I find it wonderfully ironic that God appoints the first king of Israel (Saul) from Gibeah of Benjamin (1 Samuel 9-10), a city that was infamous for instigating the first major civil war that almost wiped Benjamin out (Judges 19-21).

4.     The most memorable scene for me, by far, is Ehud’s “house call” to Eglon, the King of Moab. Moral of the story: when you are patting someone down to check for weapons, assume that they might draw from the right or the left. Now that is some good ol’ biblical wisdom for you.

Here is the worksheet for 1 and 2 Kings. Since they are so closely bound together, I just made one sheet.

Judge and King: Is There a Difference?

How often do we trade in one vice for another? I am reminded of a relative of mine who came to visit, boasting that he had finally quite smoking. We were all impressed and proud. Such a habit is hard to break. Fifteen minutes into his visit, he interrupted the conversation to retrieve a small plastic cup from his bag. We were all slightly confused. He then proceeded to pack a wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth. It is hard not to see the irony in the situation.

I cannot help but wonder if the Israelites were confronting and advising Samuel in a similar way. At the beginning of chapter 8, we are told of Samuel’s sons, Joel and Abijah. The brief summary of their behavior reminded me of a few characters that held the same positions as these two sons of Samuel earlier in the book, the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas. Perhaps the Israelites looked at Joel and Abijah and wondered, “I wonder if this great prophet, Samuel, will end up a fat, blind, old man who falls and breaks his neck when he finds out that Israel has been humiliated by the Philistines again.” (Heck, maybe he will even have a grandson named Ichabod…)

With that said, I have to admit that I do not blame the Israelites for suggesting a change in the current method of succession. Eli was a good judge, but his sons were a menace; likewise with Samuel and his sons. And let us not forget Gideon and his son Abimelech!

But if this is true, then why does God tell Samuel that they have not rejected Samuel, but God when they demand a king? God’s statement in this regard makes an important point as to the reality of the situation: a king will only function to make this observed problem worse. The fact is that Saul’s behavior is ultimately no different from that of Joel and Abijah. But here is the key problem, when you have a judge, his/her children are not guaranteed heirs to the throne, with kings, they are. Is this why God preferred judges rather than kings? Is it because the children of judges were not viewed as heirs to a position?

So, perhaps the change from judge to king is less of a change of what kind of ruler the Israelites have and more an issue of who gets to choose the ruler for each generation. I believe this is what the Israelites mean when they say, “Give us a king to judge us.” What a fresh stinking batch of irony that statement is. In effect their solution to the problem is to guarantee that sons like Abimelech, Hophni, Phineas, Joel, and Abijah are shoe-ins. They did not want the type of governance to change, but the method of choosing a successor.

All of this is to say that I do not blame the Israelites for seeing the problem. But perhaps they should be questioned when it comes to their proposed solution.

Peace my friends. I hope this reading is fruitful for you. Here is the 2 Samuel Worksheet.

What Is a Judge?

Until recently, I was the full-time Director of Financial Aid for Nazarene Theological Seminary. If someone asked what I did, I said, “I am a Financial Aid Director.” This was usually met with a nod of understanding.

Since I have taken on the role of Associate Pastor at Discovery Church of the Nazarene in Livermore, California, several people have asked me about my work. I tell them, “ I am an Associate Pastor.” The response is as follows: 1) pursed lips; 2) lowered eyebrows; and 3) awkward silence. Then they ask, “So what do you do?”

I have noticed that my explanation of what I “do” is less about what my tasks are from day to day and more about what my responsibilities are overall, as well as my goals for myself and the congregation. Yet, it is also about the daily tasks I perform to accomplish these goals. A job that involves leading people and helping them grow into mature people of faith must be viewed in light of its overall goals and the daily tasks necessitated by these goals.

So what is a Judge? It seems that the best place to go for answer to this question is Judges 2:11-23. This section functions as the general explanation of and introduction to chapters 3-16. According to 2:16 and 18, the Judges had one goal: to save Israel from its enemies. (PUN ALERT: It should be noted that the word “to save” in Hebrew is the same root word used to construct the name Joshua. So, as Joshua makes his exit in 2:1-10, God appoints Judges to “Joshua” Israel from its enemies.) In fact, it largely goes unnoticed that “Deliverer/Savior” is used almost as often as “Judge” to describe the “Judges” (most likely because the word “save” is translated in various ways as save, savior, deliverer, deliver, etc.)  

Another important aspect of a Judge described in 2:11-23 is this: as the Judge goes, so goes Israel. In other words, as long as the Judge is alive, Israel is “saved;” as soon as the Judge dies, the people revert back to their previous state of idolatry—a constant refrain throughout Judges-2 Kings (minus Ruth).

So what do Judges do? The most common task of a Judge is military conquest. The Moabites, Midianites, Ammonites, and Philistines were constantly pressing in on the Israelites and, just as the God of Israel responded to their cries in Egypt, God responds once again. However, the response comes not through plagues, but through individuals (who have been known to wield a donkey's jawbone or foxes with torches tied to their tails) filled by God’s Spirit. Secondly, a Judge leads by example. The faithfulness of the Judge becomes the faithfulness of the people. These actions (military conquest and leading by faithfulness) are oriented toward one goal. Judges are the agents of God sent to deliver/save Israel from its oppressors, creating an ordered space in the midst of the chaotic land of Canaan.

FREE PARTY TRIVIA: Samson’s name is actually not Samson. It should be pronounced Shimshon. When you are at your next social gathering and someone brings up Samson (or Sampson...whoever that is), feel free to correct that person…politely.

Also, here is your outline for 1 Samuel. I hope these readings are proving fruitful for you, even if that fruit is currently confusing and disorienting.

Devoted to Destruction

Devoted to Destruction

Without a doubt, the issue that causes the most consternation among Christians and non-Christians alike is the genocide ordered by the God of Israel on the Canaanites. This issue finds its locus in Joshua as the Israelites carry out this command with some (though not complete) efficiency. The statement I most often hear is, “It just doesn’t seem consistent with Jesus.” I hope to address this concern in a preliminary fashion here. Below, I will introduce you to the Hebrew word, herem (“devoted to destruction”) and its meanings in Torah. Then, I will address the basic concern of the Jesus/God of Israel divide. Keep in mind that while this post will not—and cannot—address this issue in full, it will attempt to add some data to the equation that will help us consider what it meant to “devote” something or someone “to destruction” and its consistency with the character of God.

The Hebrew word we are dealing with here is herem (the first letter is a guttural, so have some fun while pronouncing it). What is not commonly known about this word is, depending on the context, it is either “devoted” (see Numbers 18:14) or “devoted to destruction” (see Deuteronomy 7:2). However, it has the more general connotation of “prohibit from common use, forbid, or pronounce sacred.”^[1] In Numbers 18, the word is used of things that are given to the Levites for use, clearly conveying that it is not an entirely negative term. Yet, we cannot ignore that it is most commonly used to convey something that is to be utterly destroyed a la Deuteronomy and Joshua.

Leviticus 27 uses the term 6 times in its description of redemption. Of particular importance is 27:28-29, “But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD. No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.” The phrase that is most peculiar is “every devoted things is most holy to the LORD.” So, perhaps something being herem is not quite as negative as we might initially think.

Consider Rahab. In the city of Jericho, which was devoted to destruction, Rahab is given reprieve because of her action and confession of the power of the God of Israel. What I want to suggest is that, she remained herem, a person most holy to the Lord while her “co-Jerichoians” were also herem—devoted to destruction.

So, with all of this in tow, it is good get a wider context for this genocidal command and how it fits into the biblical narrative from a theological perspective. We would be hard pressed to consider this command to be inconsistent with the behavior of the God of Israel—unless we are ready to reject the flood narrative. God decided to eradicate all of humanity save one family (Genesis 6-9), a story that I have rarely heard much consternation about among Christians. Here in Joshua, we see God acting in a very similar way. God has chosen, set apart, and sanctified Israel, like Noah, to flourish. Just as the eradication of humanity in the flood was a result of judgment, likewise, the eradication of the Canaanites was a result of judgment. And, just as God saved Noah’s family, God also saved Rahab’s family.

We must realize how problematic it becomes to disassociate this action of God from Jesus. The reason is fairly simple: it destroys the Trinitarian confession. The God of Israel in the book of Joshua is consistent with Jesus because Jesus IS the God of Israel. Thus, this is less an issue of consistency and more an issue of refusal to take the God of Israel as a package that includes both the book of Joshua and the Gospels. Let me put it this way: If you are uncomfortable with the God of Israel, you are uncomfortable with Jesus.

IF YOU DO NOT READ ANYTHING ELSE, READ THIS: Herem is a harsh, yet ambiguous, concept that can imply both a blessing and a curse. This is seen in the flood narrative where everything is destroyed, save Noah’s family. Likewise it is seen in the Jericho story, where everything is herem-ed, but in two different ways: Rahab’s family to life and the rest of Jericho to destruction. We must take a look at the larger picture to see the consistency of the testimony and behavior of the God of Israel and Jesus, who is the God of Israel in the flesh. Let us not be quick to dismiss this faithful testimony found in Joshua due to rash dismissal and a poor understanding of herem.

Also, without further ado, here is the Judges Worksheet.

Happy Reading!

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^[1] Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (2000). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems.

Distributing the Land

This will not be a full post, but it is still important. Please use this map while you read Joshua 13-21. (The site where this map is located is http://www.searchingthescriptures.net/main_pages/free_bible_land_maps.htm, which is an excellent resource.) Also, do not get absorbed in each city or region that is mentioned. Rather, attempt to focus on these two important things:

1) The order in which the land is distributed: Try to remember the order of the tribes. This will help you organize the material in your brain more readily.

2) Look for a structure to the distribution for each tribe.

Once again, it is important not to get bogged down in the details. Read for the overall structure of the section. I hope this helps.

Let Us Commence Preparations for Reading

The first week of this cycle of reading will be spent in the book of Joshua. We are going to take a different approach to our reading for this section of the Bible. Here is a worksheet that you should print. Use it as you work your way through the book. NOTE: This exercise will be most fruitful if you have a partner. You can hold each other accountable to the schedule and share the work you have done. (If you need someone to share your answers with and keep you accountable, email your contact information to strategicbible@gmail.com and we can talk over the phone or through email.) The goal of this first read-through is to familiarize ourselves with the content so that we can engage with it in a more meaningful way the second and third times that we read it.

The first section of the worksheet is an outline. The book is divided into four sections. What I would like you all to do as you read is name each of these sections. Then write down one event in that section (or more if you are feeling ambitious) that stood out to you.

The second section on the worksheet is a section called “Words and Phrases”. As you come across these words and phrases in the book, write down the reference in the section provided. After you have finished reading the book, go back and see if you can give a good definition(s) of the word or phrase based on the content of the book.

Finally, there is a section in which you can write questions in preparation for your next read-through. Maybe something caught your attention halfway through the book and you did not have time to go back and look. Maybe you have an idea that you need to research further. Write it down and look for more evidence in the second read-through.

I hope this worksheet will help to facilitate a more focused and fruitful reading for you all.

Crossing over the Jordan: A Primer for Reading the Early Prophetic Writings

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Quick Note

I just wanted to say, "thank you," to all who have joined with me in this endeavor. I look forward to reading and conversing with you over the next six months as we tackle a new challenge. Let me just lead off by saying that we will only be reading the selections through three times in this section, so it should give you all ample time to read and reflect on the material. There will also be more substantial information provided here on the blog. As a starter, here is the schedule of readings.

There will be much more to follow on Sunday.

Recap: Our Adventure Thus Far

If you have been reading along with us since the beginning, then you have read through the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) and the story of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Revelation). Having read through these a number of times, you probably have a good idea of the foundation of the Christian faith. You likely also have a lot of questions about it. That is good; it will make you read it all again some day.

Moving Forward: The Early Prophetic Writings

Now it is time to delve back into the First Testament. We are going to pick up where we left off, reading through Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings. I have titled this the Early Prophetic Writings because that is how these texts are understood in Judaism. They are not “historical books;” they are part of what makes up the “Prophets” section of the Hebrew Bible (joined by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Book of the Twelve).

This categorization should color the way we read these texts. It is central to the confession of the Christian faith and the Jewish faith that these texts are inspired, prophetic texts. These texts are inspired because they are interpretations of events that have been authorized by the God of Israel. These texts are prophetic because they are produced by the community of Israel, God’s agent of revelation in the world (for more on this, listen to this sermon). In other words, prophecy is not simply future casting. Prophecy is what issues from the mouth or “pen” of the appointed agents of God, whether it interprets the past, present, or future.

With that said, these books are filled with confusing and sometimes conflicting information. For instance, did Joshua leave Israel with “rest…from all their surrounding enemies” (Joshua 23:1)? Or were they constantly fighting and compromising with the Canaanites after his death (Judges 1-3)? And does anyone really know what is going on with Jehoram of Israel, Joram of Israel, and Jehoram of Judah at the beginning of 2 Kings? (I know I do not have a clue.)

We may not clarify all of these issues 100%. But, I think we will be able to discern the strand of consistent witness within these six books. These books convey the ebbs and flows of the nation to which God has bound himself inextricably. Further, they display a God slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, contrasted with a people that are quick to take advantage of God’s reluctance to exact his covenant curse for the sake of self-service and greed. It is also filled with  strands of the gritty faithfulness of individuals who provide hope for Israel's future. In short, these texts tell us something important about what we are as human beings. Their stories give us tangible witness to our past and help us interpret our present so that we can become something different in the future. This is the true mark of prophecy.

How Little I Know

I am finally on the other side of my teaching responsibilities and my move from Kansas City to California. So, though it is late in the game, I thought I would give you a few thoughts on the fine and frustrating piece of literature that is the book of Revelation, or, the Apocalypse of John.

Negatively, Revelation has been accused of excessive obscurity, leading to confusion and misinterpretation. This is often a result of inexperienced interprets taking a run at it. (Note the above artistic rendition of "Caucasian John" writing in a book--can anybody say, "racially ignorant anachronism?") As a result, many pastors and theologians have refrained from offering interpretation (most notably, John Calvin).

Positively, Revelation is a crucible to test our ability to understand the narrative world of the Bible. Nearly every sentence contains a reference to the First Testament, of which the author assumed his audience was aware. For instance, in chapter 11:1-2, John is given a measuring tool to determine size of the Temple just as Ezekiel was in Ezekiel 40:3. The horses mentioned in Revelation 6 are a reference to the horses of Zechariah’s vision. The examples could fill a thousand pages of analysis. Suffice it to say that a significant, working understanding of the First Testament is required to set the stage for a proper reading of Revelation. In other words, it is helpful to know and understanding how to interpret what John is referencing before interpreting John’s use of the example.

I often feel inadequate as I read. This inadequacy causes me to reflect on the fact that I still do not quite understand the world of the Bible as well as I would hope. These metaphors and descriptions should form, and in many ways do form, the way I view our world. When John uses them to compose a message it is an opportune time to take inventory to see if I am really invested in the world as depicted in Scripture.

In short, an encounter with the book of Revelation reminds me how little I know. We must constantly take inventory regarding our understanding of this biblical world. Do we think in the metaphors of the biblical world? Do we speak in them? Do we meditate on them day and night? Do we teach them diligently to our children? Are they fronlets between our eyes and bindings on our hands?

So here is a question: How often does the worldview narrated in Scripture invade and transform your understanding of the world you experience? Until our world is invaded by the prophetic imagery of the First Testament we will be doomed to misappropriate this important text.

Follow-up question: What images and passages are most confusing to you as you read through Revelation?

The New Schedule

Readers,

I hope the Torah study was helpful and informative for you. I was not able to write as much as I had hoped through the last two reading cycles. My teaching responsibilities and some other work related obligations prevented me. Alas...

I am afraid that this semester will be even more demanding. I will be teaching three courses at Nazarene Theological Seminary: Reading the Biblical Story, Intermediate Greek, and Intermediate Hebrew. As a result, I cannot do quite as much with the blog as I had hoped. However, I am posting my new reading project for the next six months, which follows the basic idea of the Torah reading. Though I may post the occasional insight, you may have only the solidarity of a reading partner on which to rely.

The new reading cycle is called The Story of the New Testament and will involve reading through Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Revelation five times.

You can access the schedule here.

I hope you enjoy it!