So maybe this book is lost on me because I'm a man, or maybe just because I'm not an Israelite and don't understand the context. Either way, I really don't get a lot out of this book. It's a great thing to me that Ruth drops everything to stay with and support her mother-in-law, adopting her people and God as her own. However, at this point, Ruth really didn't have much anyway; her husband's dead, she has no property or children or inheritance, and if she goes back to her own people, who's to say they'd ever take her back anyway? Pastors of my past have lauded Ruth for her faith that God would take care of her, but I kind of think that may be reading into the story a little more than what's actually there, or religifying the text more than what's actually there; she really didn't have a whole lot of options.
I actually admire Boaz more in this story than Ruth. He took pity on Ruth and generously helped her and treated her with special favor, beyond what was necessary or even required by the law. He also made sure, when he was sure he wanted to marry Ruth, that he took all the proper and legal steps to make sure it would happen. He didn't just jump right into marriage and say screw it to the consequences; he made sure he did the right thing by making sure no one else had claim on Ruth or Naomi's property before he did. Honestly, this story shows me that Boaz's character was admirable and upright than that of the women of this story who seemed to just be looking out for their futures.
I also don't really understand why this story is here in the Bible in the first place (except to establish a genealogy to David). What does the story teach us except how to catch a man? I'm praying God opens my eyes to a little more incite, to read between the lines a little, but it's just not coming. Any thoughts out there?
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Ezekiel 12-48
So my overall feel about this book is that (1) God is royally pissed, (2) the Israelites really don't get it and wouldn't know a warning if it hit 'em in the face, and (3) even in the midst of total destruction and utter chaos, God still provides hope for those who actually love and serve him.
I need someone to explain to me the whole 'Son of Man' thing. I can understand why God called Ezekiel this, being a son of a man and all; but why call him this over and over again, what's the significance? Then someone has to explain to me why this phrase was suddenly associated with the messiah and why Jesus used it on himself. After reading Ezekiel I saw some references to the Christ (such as 34:11-24), but none of these references were around the 'son of man' phrase. So I just don't understand the association or significance. Someone with more knowledge, please explain!
There a lot of verses and chapters in here that remind me a lot of the language used in Revelation, specifically in chapter 37:27, chapter 30-41, and chapter 47. It makes me wonder if when the Jews heard this language again when John wrote his revelation that their minds would automatically say: 'hmm, hey, I recognize this stuff.' In Ezekiel, the prophets were telling them how glorious life would be when they finally returned out of exile (that caused by sin and idolatry), that God would make his home with them (48:35 Yahweh Shammah). In Revelation, John is telling the persecuted Christians how glorious life would be when they finally enter their true exile (that caused by sin), and that God would truly and forever make their home among them (Rev 21:3).
The whole message to Tyre in Chapter 27 & 28 actually taught me a bit of history. I understood that Tyre was destroyed by Alexandre the Great, but I hadn't know that it was attacked by the Babylonians first (which apparently they did in 586). However, the way God talks about it, it makes it seem that Tyre will be completely destroyed by the first attack, which it wasn't. In fact, God says to the King of Babylon in chapter 29:11-21 that since he didn't really actually destroy the city, He'll give the King Egpyt instead. It's funny to me because it just seems that a lot of the justice you're seeing in this book is quick, swift and brutal; yet in Tyre's case, Nebuchadnezzar didn't succeed, so God's waiting till the Persians try it out, and then finally Alexandre, then justice is finally served. Delayed punishment. I wonder if Daniel had anything to say about this?
In chapter 28, verses 11-19, God talks about the King of Tyre in a very metaphorical and poetic way. I've heard these verses used to describe the fall of Lucifer and have nothing to do with the king. I can see how that argument can be made with language like 'you were in Eden, the garden of God', 'You were the perfection of wisdom and beautify', 'anointed you as a mighty angelic guardian', 'you had access to the mountain of God'. If this language is to be taken literally as the story of Satan, we can see in the later verses why Lucifer actually fell because of his pride, greed and violence. However, what if this language actually is literally about the King of Tyre instead, then why all this figurative language? Why say that this man was in Eden? It almost sets this man up as this wonderful creation when he's just a man, another fallen creature like the rest of us. It's hard for me to just let this be about the King, but that it might have a laced double meaning. What's your thoughts?
Finally, I can't leave Ezekiel without talking about chapter 37, the valley of dry bones. This is one of the only "childhood"-ish stories I've ever heard out of the major prophets (or at least this major prophet). The whole thing is God's poetry at His finest, and the more I read of the bible, the more I realize God is an artist and poet, but since the normal person doesn't really understand art and poetry, we kinda gloss over these aspects of God's personality. I understand the point of this vision is that God can make something out of nothing, that he can take the small remnant of Israel of make it into a great nation. And in our lives, He can take our own valley of dry bones, our sin our pain our selfishness our laziness our apathy, and he can make something beautiful out of it, something huge and great. John 14:12, 'I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.'
Now, what's next?
I need someone to explain to me the whole 'Son of Man' thing. I can understand why God called Ezekiel this, being a son of a man and all; but why call him this over and over again, what's the significance? Then someone has to explain to me why this phrase was suddenly associated with the messiah and why Jesus used it on himself. After reading Ezekiel I saw some references to the Christ (such as 34:11-24), but none of these references were around the 'son of man' phrase. So I just don't understand the association or significance. Someone with more knowledge, please explain!
There a lot of verses and chapters in here that remind me a lot of the language used in Revelation, specifically in chapter 37:27, chapter 30-41, and chapter 47. It makes me wonder if when the Jews heard this language again when John wrote his revelation that their minds would automatically say: 'hmm, hey, I recognize this stuff.' In Ezekiel, the prophets were telling them how glorious life would be when they finally returned out of exile (that caused by sin and idolatry), that God would make his home with them (48:35 Yahweh Shammah). In Revelation, John is telling the persecuted Christians how glorious life would be when they finally enter their true exile (that caused by sin), and that God would truly and forever make their home among them (Rev 21:3).
The whole message to Tyre in Chapter 27 & 28 actually taught me a bit of history. I understood that Tyre was destroyed by Alexandre the Great, but I hadn't know that it was attacked by the Babylonians first (which apparently they did in 586). However, the way God talks about it, it makes it seem that Tyre will be completely destroyed by the first attack, which it wasn't. In fact, God says to the King of Babylon in chapter 29:11-21 that since he didn't really actually destroy the city, He'll give the King Egpyt instead. It's funny to me because it just seems that a lot of the justice you're seeing in this book is quick, swift and brutal; yet in Tyre's case, Nebuchadnezzar didn't succeed, so God's waiting till the Persians try it out, and then finally Alexandre, then justice is finally served. Delayed punishment. I wonder if Daniel had anything to say about this?
In chapter 28, verses 11-19, God talks about the King of Tyre in a very metaphorical and poetic way. I've heard these verses used to describe the fall of Lucifer and have nothing to do with the king. I can see how that argument can be made with language like 'you were in Eden, the garden of God', 'You were the perfection of wisdom and beautify', 'anointed you as a mighty angelic guardian', 'you had access to the mountain of God'. If this language is to be taken literally as the story of Satan, we can see in the later verses why Lucifer actually fell because of his pride, greed and violence. However, what if this language actually is literally about the King of Tyre instead, then why all this figurative language? Why say that this man was in Eden? It almost sets this man up as this wonderful creation when he's just a man, another fallen creature like the rest of us. It's hard for me to just let this be about the King, but that it might have a laced double meaning. What's your thoughts?
Finally, I can't leave Ezekiel without talking about chapter 37, the valley of dry bones. This is one of the only "childhood"-ish stories I've ever heard out of the major prophets (or at least this major prophet). The whole thing is God's poetry at His finest, and the more I read of the bible, the more I realize God is an artist and poet, but since the normal person doesn't really understand art and poetry, we kinda gloss over these aspects of God's personality. I understand the point of this vision is that God can make something out of nothing, that he can take the small remnant of Israel of make it into a great nation. And in our lives, He can take our own valley of dry bones, our sin our pain our selfishness our laziness our apathy, and he can make something beautiful out of it, something huge and great. John 14:12, 'I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.'
Now, what's next?
Ay yi yi
Finished Ezekiel today. Will post some comments soon, but wow, you really need a mature perspective about God and His character to justify or even understand a lot of His destructive actions in this text. Hopefully mine is mature enough, but probably not :)
Posts yet to come, gotta decide what to read next.
Posts yet to come, gotta decide what to read next.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Change of Tactics
Ok, I'm changing my approach to this blog, since it's taking me forever to get through just one post. Instead of writing a book per paragraph (ala NT 'Tom' Wright) we're gonna simplify as best I can! Which means people might be able to read this without hurting themselves :)
Also, since the wife and I having been reading through books of the bible and discussing them together I figured it'd be ok to count them in here as well. :D
Enjoy!
Also, since the wife and I having been reading through books of the bible and discussing them together I figured it'd be ok to count them in here as well. :D
Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)