Perhaps we can gain further understanding of Jesus’ baptism by looking to the first Old Testament kings. The title “Messiah” or “anointed one” gained significance during the time of Samuel. God's first "anointed ones" were kings. Israel asked for a king like the other nations (1 Sam. 8.5). God was disappointed that the people had rejected him, but granted them Saul. Saul's failure led to the anointing of a true king, one who sought after God's own heart (16.1). If we examine how one came to be God's "anointed one" it could give us further insight into God’s ultimate “anointed one.” There seems to be four common characteristics that were foundational to the kingship of Saul and David. Both were divinely selected (9.17; 16.1, 12), both were anointed by a prophet (10.1; 16.13), both kings received God’s spirit (10.6-13; 16.13), and both kings were publicly acknowledged as being chosen of God (11.15; 2 Sam. 4.2).
Matthew’s account of Jesus’ immersion has four similar characteristics to the anointing of Saul and David. John was preaching in the wilderness of Judea preparing the people for the one whom God had selected. Jesus appeared and was immersed by the prophet John (3.13-16). The spirit of God descended on him in the form of a dove (3.16). God publicly acknowledged him (3.17). Immediately after his immersion, Jesus proved to be the true king and spiritual leader by overcoming a period of temptation in the wilderness, something ancient Israel was unable to do. Perhaps we can view Jesus’ immersion as his anointing as God’s true king.
There is a great lesson to learn from this. God can take our mistakes and do great things with them. Israel’s request for a king was a rejection of God. But God does not allow man to frustrate his will. Rather than trust in God’s promises, Israel wanted to trust in a human king. God molded the idea of a king into his will for man. God would bring salvation to mankind through a king (Matt. 27.11; John 1.49). Who else, but God, could take a means of rejection and turn it into a means of salvation?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
YHWH immo
Shortly after the anointing of David, the author of 1 Samuel switches the narrative to Saul. It is easy to understand why. David has received the spirit of the Lord as it has departed from Saul (1 Sam. 16.13-14). The text tells us that Saul is tormented by a bad spirit from God. One of his courtiers recommends music to soothe his condition. Saul asks for recommendations and the servant refers David, the son of Jesse. The servant’s description of David would make a wonderful resume (1 Samuel 16.18). His first hand knowledge of David demands that he has some kind of relationship to Jesse’s family. David is a skilled musician. He is a brave man, able to fight. He chooses his words wisely and is good looking. These are fine attributes but perhaps the last one is the most impressive: “YHWH immo.” The LORD is with him!
The servant does not use the Hebrew title “El” (God), but the personal name of Israel’s God, YHWH. This is the same God who created the heavens and the earth. Who was with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is the God who took care of Joseph. The God who summoned Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt with the mighty help of plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. The God who made a covenant with Israel and kept it even though Israel sinned (Ex. 34.6). The God who defeated Dagon. Now the same God is with David.
Could there be a greater characteristic in one’s life than this? I can’t speak for you but perhaps there is no greater epitaph for a person than to say, “The Lord was with him.” When I die, I hope I have lived in a way that someone will say, “The Lord was with him and now he is with the Lord.”
The servant does not use the Hebrew title “El” (God), but the personal name of Israel’s God, YHWH. This is the same God who created the heavens and the earth. Who was with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is the God who took care of Joseph. The God who summoned Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt with the mighty help of plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. The God who made a covenant with Israel and kept it even though Israel sinned (Ex. 34.6). The God who defeated Dagon. Now the same God is with David.
Could there be a greater characteristic in one’s life than this? I can’t speak for you but perhaps there is no greater epitaph for a person than to say, “The Lord was with him.” When I die, I hope I have lived in a way that someone will say, “The Lord was with him and now he is with the Lord.”
Friday, April 11, 2008
Dancing Between Opinions
Before the great contest on Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah rebuked Israel with a question: “how long will you limp along on two opinions?” (1 Kgs. 18.21). Israel was trying to worship both God and the Canaanite god Baal. Ahab married the Sidonian princess Jezebel and had sanctioned her god Baal to be worshipped. The purpose of his question was to force a decision among the people who refused to decide. “Limping” was evidently a cultic dance in celebration of Baal. When the contest of Mount Carmel began, the prophets of Baal began to “limp/dance” around the altar (18.26). Elijah asks the people are you going to dance YHWH’s dance or Baal’s? The response of the people was silence (18.21). The last thing these people want to do is decide. The contest will have to answer Elijah’s question.
As the prophets of Baal have prepared the sacrifice, altar, and have begun their ritual dance, there is no voice, no answer (18.26). With sarcasm, Elijah responds “Shout louder! After all, he's a god, isn't he? Maybe he's daydreaming, or he's on the potty, or he's away on a trip. Maybe he's asleep, and you have to wake him up (CJB).” Since Baal was the god of rain and storms (fertility), the ANE peoples believed that Baal had been killed by the death god Mot whenever there was a drought. The people would cut themselves hoping that their spilt blood would encourage Mot to release Baal. The prophets began slashing themselves hoping that Baal would answer them, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response (18.29).
When it was Elijah’s turn, he prepared the altar, prayed to God, and doused the altar with water. Fire from heaven came down and devoured the offering and even the water. The people came to the conclusion that YHWH is God, YHWH is God (18.39). No longer are there “two opinions.” Not only did God win that day, but the people won as God sent rain to bless the land.
Perhaps there are a couple of lessons that we can learn. God is mutually exclusive. You cannot be whole heartedly devoted to two things (Rev. 3.16). Next, God helped the people believe. From Abraham, to Jacob, to king Ahaz, God often went out of his way to help people believe in him. Finally, life comes from having God as our one opinion. The followers of Baal got death (18.40). In this narrative, one’s opinion really did matter!
As the prophets of Baal have prepared the sacrifice, altar, and have begun their ritual dance, there is no voice, no answer (18.26). With sarcasm, Elijah responds “Shout louder! After all, he's a god, isn't he? Maybe he's daydreaming, or he's on the potty, or he's away on a trip. Maybe he's asleep, and you have to wake him up (CJB).” Since Baal was the god of rain and storms (fertility), the ANE peoples believed that Baal had been killed by the death god Mot whenever there was a drought. The people would cut themselves hoping that their spilt blood would encourage Mot to release Baal. The prophets began slashing themselves hoping that Baal would answer them, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response (18.29).
When it was Elijah’s turn, he prepared the altar, prayed to God, and doused the altar with water. Fire from heaven came down and devoured the offering and even the water. The people came to the conclusion that YHWH is God, YHWH is God (18.39). No longer are there “two opinions.” Not only did God win that day, but the people won as God sent rain to bless the land.
Perhaps there are a couple of lessons that we can learn. God is mutually exclusive. You cannot be whole heartedly devoted to two things (Rev. 3.16). Next, God helped the people believe. From Abraham, to Jacob, to king Ahaz, God often went out of his way to help people believe in him. Finally, life comes from having God as our one opinion. The followers of Baal got death (18.40). In this narrative, one’s opinion really did matter!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
My God has Hands
One of the dark periods of pre-monarch Israel was the spiritual leadership of Hophni and Phinehas. After suffering a miserable defeat at the hands of the Philistines, the elders of Israel came to the conclusion that they had lost because they had not carried the ark into battle with them. They quickly disbursed to Shiloh and carried the ark to their next battle; with the accompaniment of Hophni and Phinehas (1 Samuel 4). The Hebrews foolishly believed that YHWH would have to fight for them if they carried the ark. God let them suffer a terrible defeat. Not only were many Israelites killed (Hophni and Phinehas), but the ark was taken captive. The news of the disaster led to the death of Eli and the premature labor of Phinehas’ wife. She gave birth to a son and in her dying words she named him “Ichabod” (without glory).
Perhaps the most intriguing part of this narrative lies in the events following the capture of the ark. In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines take the ark to the Temple of Dagon and set it before the statue of Dagon (a position of submission). The Philistines believed their god had defeated Israel’s God. The next morning the statue of Dagon was found lying on its face. So they set Dagon back up. The next morning the temple priests were alarmed to find the torso of Dagon lying across the threshold. His hands and head had been “cut off.” With a touch of humor, the author of 1 Samuel tells us that the “hand of the Lord” was heavy upon the residents of Ashdod; opposed to Dagon who has no hands.
There are two lessons worth noting. First, rather than performing an internal check, Israel thought holy war ritual would encourage God to deliver them. Second, it is stunning that the Philistines continue to believe in a god that does not exist. Even when their god is proven to be powerless, they continue to put him on a pedestal and act as if nothing happened. Unbelievably, the Philistines seek to be controlled by a god that doesn’t exist, while Israel tries to control the God that does. The Philistines had the right attitude but the wrong god. The Israelites have the right God but the wrong attitude!
Perhaps the most intriguing part of this narrative lies in the events following the capture of the ark. In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines take the ark to the Temple of Dagon and set it before the statue of Dagon (a position of submission). The Philistines believed their god had defeated Israel’s God. The next morning the statue of Dagon was found lying on its face. So they set Dagon back up. The next morning the temple priests were alarmed to find the torso of Dagon lying across the threshold. His hands and head had been “cut off.” With a touch of humor, the author of 1 Samuel tells us that the “hand of the Lord” was heavy upon the residents of Ashdod; opposed to Dagon who has no hands.
There are two lessons worth noting. First, rather than performing an internal check, Israel thought holy war ritual would encourage God to deliver them. Second, it is stunning that the Philistines continue to believe in a god that does not exist. Even when their god is proven to be powerless, they continue to put him on a pedestal and act as if nothing happened. Unbelievably, the Philistines seek to be controlled by a god that doesn’t exist, while Israel tries to control the God that does. The Philistines had the right attitude but the wrong god. The Israelites have the right God but the wrong attitude!
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