During the creation narrative of Genesis chapters one through three, it is expressed several times that God described his work as (tov) "good" (1.4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). Following the sixth day, God reflects on his creation and it was "very good" or "perfect" (1.31).
God looks down on his creation in 2.18 and notes something that is "not good." It is not good that man be alone. So God decided to create for him a helper. Perhaps there are a couple of things to reflect upon God's declaration that something is not good.
First, we see that man was in need of something to complete him and give him function. The sky had it luminaries and birds, the sea had its fish, the earth had man and the animals, even the animals had their counterparts, but man had none. God made woman as a "helper" (ezer) for man. When Samuel led Israel to return to the Lord, the people repented at Mizpah by pouring water and fasting (1 Sam. 7.4-6). During the midst of this ritual the Philistines tried to attack them but God intervened and defeated their ranks. Samuel set up a stone and named it "Ebenezer" ("stone of help") because the Lord helped us. The Lord was Israel's "helper" (ezer). God is Israel's creator and helper, woman is man's helper; made for him and from him. God helped Israel by delivering them from the Philistines whereas woman helps man by delivering him from being alone.
Second, we can clearly see the sanctity of marriage. On their own, man or woman is only half of the equation but when they intend on marriage they become one.
Finally, any union that is not man and woman is also "not good." My great uncle Ed was a plumber and philosopher at heart. He used to take two male pipe fittings and try to join them, then he would do the same with female fittings, to no avail. In all of his wisdom he would say, "If it don't work in plumbing, it sure ain't gonna work in life!" Notice that God decides what a suitable helper is (2.18, 20), not man! As creator, God knows what is perfect and what is not. When a man and woman decide to commit and consummate in a lifetime of love, there is only way one to describe it; "it is good."
Friday, June 27, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Either way God is looking
It's that time of the year when I spend several weeks at the local church camp. I am sorry for the delay in posts but here is a small morsel to satisfy the hungry soul.
Hosea is a wonderful, yet often overlooked book of the OT. The primary message is centered around the marriage metaphor and Israel's spiritual adultery against God. The book has 5 sections each beginning with a warning of judgment and each ending with a promise of salvation. I want to focus on a wordplay in 13.7 (judgment section) and 14.8 (salvation).
So now I have become like a lion to them; like a leopard I will lurk by the road (13.7)
O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me (14.8)
The bold words in each text are highlighted because they are the same Hebrew word (shur). The first is a threat to unpenitent Israel that God's judgment is like a lurking lion or leopard waiting for ambush while the second is a promise that God will take care of Israel if they repent and turn back to him. A sinful Israel will experience God as a lurking predator while a penitent Israel would experience God as a caring protector. Either way God is looking, it depends on us as to what kind of looking he does!
Hosea is a wonderful, yet often overlooked book of the OT. The primary message is centered around the marriage metaphor and Israel's spiritual adultery against God. The book has 5 sections each beginning with a warning of judgment and each ending with a promise of salvation. I want to focus on a wordplay in 13.7 (judgment section) and 14.8 (salvation).
So now I have become like a lion to them; like a leopard I will lurk by the road (13.7)
O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me (14.8)
The bold words in each text are highlighted because they are the same Hebrew word (shur). The first is a threat to unpenitent Israel that God's judgment is like a lurking lion or leopard waiting for ambush while the second is a promise that God will take care of Israel if they repent and turn back to him. A sinful Israel will experience God as a lurking predator while a penitent Israel would experience God as a caring protector. Either way God is looking, it depends on us as to what kind of looking he does!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Putting your prayer into Practice
Boaz is one example of a Biblical character who unknowingly answered his own petition. After Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem from Moab, they were in a desperate situation being poor widows. Ruth proved her devotion and love for Naomi by taking on the responsibility of gleaning in Israelite fields for grain. The author of Ruth applies a tongue-in-cheek commentary on Ruth’s territorial selection: “It just so happened that she came to the field of Boaz” (2.3), who is a relative of Elimelech (2.1). Boaz asked one of his foremen about Ruth (2.5). The foreman knows her background; she is from Moab. He knows her situation; she has returned with Naomi (2.6). He knows what she wants; she has asked to glean. He knows her dedication; she has only rested for a short while (2.7).
Boaz not only grants Ruth permission, he demands that she only glean in his fields. Ruth is overwhelmed by Boaz’s generosity and asks, why are you paying attention to me, a foreigner? He acknowledges what she has done for Naomi and offers a blessing in the form of a petition (Hebrew jussive) to the Lord: “May Adonai reward you for what you've done; may you be rewarded in full by Adonai, the God of Israel, under whose wings (kanaph) you have come for refuge." Boaz portrays the Lord as a mother hen caring and securing her young.
Naomi devises a plan by which Ruth will persuade Boaz to take on the role of kinsman redeemer and marry her. Ruth is to go to the threshing floor as Boaz is sleeping and uncover his feet. Ruth is to lay by them waiting for Boaz’s reaction. Boaz woke up and asked, “Who are you?”
Ruth insists that Boaz “Spread your cover (kanaph) over your handmaid (which also symbolized taking a wife), because you are a redeeming kinsman." This is the very same word from 2.12 where Boaz says, May Adonai reward you…under whose wings (kanaph) you have come for refuge." Ruth asks Boaz to answer his own prayer and be a wing of refuge. Boaz accepts and the rest of narrative reveals that Boaz became Ruth and Naomi’s kinsman redeemer. Boaz was a man of means. It just so happened that Ruth chose his fields to glean in. Boaz prays that Ruth will find refuge under the wings of God, but little did he know that he was the one who would spread open those wings of refuge for Ruth. Boaz is the very one who will provide care and security by marrying Ruth. Lesson: When you pray, don’t be surprised if God uses you to answer your own prayer!
Boaz not only grants Ruth permission, he demands that she only glean in his fields. Ruth is overwhelmed by Boaz’s generosity and asks, why are you paying attention to me, a foreigner? He acknowledges what she has done for Naomi and offers a blessing in the form of a petition (Hebrew jussive) to the Lord: “May Adonai reward you for what you've done; may you be rewarded in full by Adonai, the God of Israel, under whose wings (kanaph) you have come for refuge." Boaz portrays the Lord as a mother hen caring and securing her young.
Naomi devises a plan by which Ruth will persuade Boaz to take on the role of kinsman redeemer and marry her. Ruth is to go to the threshing floor as Boaz is sleeping and uncover his feet. Ruth is to lay by them waiting for Boaz’s reaction. Boaz woke up and asked, “Who are you?”
Ruth insists that Boaz “Spread your cover (kanaph) over your handmaid (which also symbolized taking a wife), because you are a redeeming kinsman." This is the very same word from 2.12 where Boaz says, May Adonai reward you…under whose wings (kanaph) you have come for refuge." Ruth asks Boaz to answer his own prayer and be a wing of refuge. Boaz accepts and the rest of narrative reveals that Boaz became Ruth and Naomi’s kinsman redeemer. Boaz was a man of means. It just so happened that Ruth chose his fields to glean in. Boaz prays that Ruth will find refuge under the wings of God, but little did he know that he was the one who would spread open those wings of refuge for Ruth. Boaz is the very one who will provide care and security by marrying Ruth. Lesson: When you pray, don’t be surprised if God uses you to answer your own prayer!
Monday, June 2, 2008
God can do great things, even with mistakes
The first chapter of Ruth is full of wonderful material. Sometime during the course of the Judges period, there was a famine in Bethlehem. This time of Israelite history was characterized by moral relativism and sin (21.25). Moses had stipulated that the Lord would respond to rebellious sin with curses (Deut. 28.15-69), one being famine. It is possible that divine sanction is behind the shortage of food. The irony is that Bethlehem means “house of bread” and there is no bread. Elimelech (“God is my king”) and his wife, Naomi (“pleasant”) decide that it would be better to live in an enemy land than a land without food, so they journey to Moab. Of all the places to travel, Moab might possibly be the worst choice for an Israelite. While there, their two sons Mahlon (“weakling”) and Chilion (“sickling”) marry Moabite women, something the Lord had spoken against (Ex. 34.16).
Sometime within the next decade, Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion all died leaving Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi as widows. Naomi hears that the Lord had provided food for Judah and she decides to “turn” home. After much discussion, Ruth is finally allowed to return with Naomi. Ruth pledges allegiance to Naomi, Israel, and YHWH (1.16).
Naomi returns to Bethlehem not under her given name (“pleasant”), she is Mara (“bitter”). She feels that the hand of the Lord has been against her and made her empty. Who is to blame for Naomi’s situation? Ruth and Naomi return during the harvest of the year. This last sentence completes an inclusio that can be seen in the original language. Elimelech and Naomi left the “house of bread” because there was no “bread” when Naomi returned to the “house of bread” there was “bread.”
There are a couple of important lessons that we can learn from this chapter. First, there was no need to leave the Promised Land, there was need to turn to the Lord. Elimelech sought blessings outside of the Promised Land and all he found was death. Rather than turning to the Lord, they wandered farther into disobedience and death. Second, God can take mistakes and do great things with them. If Elimelech and Naomi had not gone to Moab, Ruth would not have returned to Judah. If Ruth had not returned she would not have married Boaz. If she had not married Boaz, David would not have been born. Thus we learn that David’s kingship was not the result of clever political skills, fighting ability, or individual power, it was the result of the providence of God and a great-grandmother who was dedicated to God, God's people, and her family!
Sometime within the next decade, Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion all died leaving Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi as widows. Naomi hears that the Lord had provided food for Judah and she decides to “turn” home. After much discussion, Ruth is finally allowed to return with Naomi. Ruth pledges allegiance to Naomi, Israel, and YHWH (1.16).
Naomi returns to Bethlehem not under her given name (“pleasant”), she is Mara (“bitter”). She feels that the hand of the Lord has been against her and made her empty. Who is to blame for Naomi’s situation? Ruth and Naomi return during the harvest of the year. This last sentence completes an inclusio that can be seen in the original language. Elimelech and Naomi left the “house of bread” because there was no “bread” when Naomi returned to the “house of bread” there was “bread.”
There are a couple of important lessons that we can learn from this chapter. First, there was no need to leave the Promised Land, there was need to turn to the Lord. Elimelech sought blessings outside of the Promised Land and all he found was death. Rather than turning to the Lord, they wandered farther into disobedience and death. Second, God can take mistakes and do great things with them. If Elimelech and Naomi had not gone to Moab, Ruth would not have returned to Judah. If Ruth had not returned she would not have married Boaz. If she had not married Boaz, David would not have been born. Thus we learn that David’s kingship was not the result of clever political skills, fighting ability, or individual power, it was the result of the providence of God and a great-grandmother who was dedicated to God, God's people, and her family!
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