Snowflakes

God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. 
For to the snow he says, 'Fall on the earth,' likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour. 
                                                                                                     ~Job 37:5-6


Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, 
which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? 
                                                                                                       ~Job 38:22-23

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
                                                                                                     ~Psalm 51:7


He gives snow like wool; he scatters hoarfrost like ashes. 
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? 
He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. 
                                                                                                     ~Psalm 147:16-18

Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, 
fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! 
                                                                                                     ~Psalm 148:7-8

Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 
                                                                                                     ~Isaiah 1:18

Lessons from Patmos

Since returning from galavanting around Greece and Turkey, I've often been asked what my favorite part was.  It's a question that is nearly impossible to answer completely, but I find myself often mentioning the Island of Patmos as landing high on my list of favorites.  It may have been partly the fact that it was absolutely beautiful. 

It may be partly that we spent a longer time there, giving us an opportunity to explore and experience more.

 

 Ancient customs observable today didn't hurt it either.  (These men are harvesting hay with sickles.)

I think, though, that much of the reason that Patmos is a cherished memory has to do with its Biblical significance.

Patmos is actually only mentioned once in the Bible, in Revelations.  


I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."    
                                                                                                            ~Revelation 1: 9-11


That doesn't give a whole lot of information.  Church History/tradition explains a little more.


According to tradition, the book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John who also wrote the gospel of John and the three epistles of John.  All four of these books were likely written towards the end of the first century - the last of the New Testament to be completed.  If tradition records all the activities of John between the cross and his imprisonment on Patmos, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with everything.  However, it seems that at some point John went to Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) where he took a leadership role in the new churches springing up there - especially the church at Ephesus.  John was the Bishop of Ephesus, and judging from the love and compassion demonstrated in his writings, he loved the people there.  He cared for his "sheep."


Of course, at some point late in his life, the Romans, fearing and persecuting Christianity, banished him to Patmos.  Patmos is a tiny island, less than 40 miles off the coast of Turkey (and about 60 miles from Ephesus, as the crow flies).  On land, even at that time, that distance could have easily been covered in less than a week, and John could have been back with his beloved church.  But with the sea intervening...such a distance was insurmountable.  John would have seen nearby islands, maybe even the coast of Turkey, from his cave, but for him they would have been as unreachable as the moon.


As we sat on Patmos and talked about John it was easy to imagine his discouragement and despair.  He had been busy all his life, serving God, sharing the gospel, offering counsel and encouragement to fellow Christians.  And now he was separated from everyone and everything he held dear.  His ministry opportunities were reduced to almost nothing.  And, possibly worst of all, he knew he was the last apostle: the last of the generation that had actually known and walked with Christ.  He attempted to pass on some of this knowledge in his writings, but he must have wondered, when all the apostles were gone, would the baby church survive?  With persecution growing worse and no actual witnesses to the resurrection left, would it become easier and easier for believers to deny the faith when faced with death?  And, with time, would this precious church slowly cease to exist?

Traditional site of St. John's Cave

Surely such doubts assailed his mind from time to time while he was imprisoned on Patmos.  But then something miraculous occurred.  John was given just a glimpse of what the future of the Church would be.  It wasn't all good.  There was danger on every side.  Even now the church was threatened, from within and without: bad doctrine, lovelessness, immorality, and persecution all posed problems.  But far in the future a light shown brightly.  However you chose to interpret Revelations, one thing is clear: in the end, God wins.  The last enemies will be utterly defeated, and the Church will take her place as the Bride of Christ.


No wonder John's response was worship.  What a joy it would be for him to know that in spite of all the bad in the world, and in spite of his own helplessness, God's plan would prevail and all would be made right.  What joy to know that God cared enough about him to chose to send this encouraging message to him.


And I think this is an appropriate reminder as we head into the new year.  So many people I know are suffering; though their circumstances may differ from John's, some of the discouragement is certainly repeated.  But John's experience on Patmos serves as a reminder of God's love and grace in trials.  And the message that went from Patmos, first to the seven churches, and then down through the ages to us, assures us that in the end, all the wrong will be righted.  God has a plan, and He will triumph.

Sailing with Paul

Oddly enough, it turns out that life on a boat (or island) is quite distinctly different from life on the mainland.

I'm sure that will shock and amaze everyone reading this, but really, it's true.  Of course, one expects some differences (smaller beds and bathrooms, for example), but some of the differences change one's understanding of the world (and enlighten one's understanding of much of the New Testament, especially Paul) in ways this landlubber didn't expect.

Weather has a huge impact on how plans are (or aren't) realized in ocean travel.  Here in Montana, I can travel from one city to another on pretty much any given day.  I may have to wait for snowplows to clear the road, or I may be endangering my life in icy conditions, but for anyone really determined, travel is possible.  The same is not true on a boat - especially a sailboat, like the one Paul would have been on.  If the wind is against you, you might not even be able to get your boat out of port.  With the motor on the Morning Star we were able to travel and maneuver in and out of port, even in the absence of favorable winds, making our travels much easier than Paul's.  Still, weather did cause us a few delays.  It gives a whole new perspective on passages like Acts 27. 

And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. ~Acts 27:4-7

One can imagine being cold, cramped, and tired of the constant motion as the sailors labored to make headway against contrary winds.  A trip that in good weather would have taken a couple days now took several, and those ships were not built for comfort. 

Speed and, tangentially, distance also take on a whole new meaning.  You may have only 50 miles to go, and you may be able to see your destination from where you are, but if your sailboat has a top speed of 7 knots (or about 8mph), that's a long trip!  If the wind is in the right direction and nothing breaks, there's a good chance you may reach your destination that day.   

We were never out of the sight of land during our tours of the Greek Isles - but just because you can see it, doesn't mean you can reach it. 

Of course, in modern times we've found some ways to manage.  Airplanes travel between some of the Greek islands, making some speed possible.  Ferries travel between almost all the islands, some moving at an excess of 20 or 30 knots (which is still not very fast).  I just find it amusing that even with all our technology, the sea finds ways to thwart our plans and slow us down.

Another aspect that I didn't give much thought was the close proximity you have with everyone else on the boat - and you don't get to choose who you travel with.  On our boat we were blessed to at least share the same faith - though backgrounds differed wildly.  The thing is, on a boat, as in much of life, you're not together based on where you come from, but where you're going.  Sharing the same destination may not give you much in common, but it's a starting point.  One can imagine Paul beginning there as he conversed with sailors, soldiers, and other pagans on his travels.  And perhaps by the end of the boat trip, they had more in common, this time an eternal destination.  

In general, on a boat one begins to realize how very out of control we humans are.  We can make plans but they can easily be thwarted by wind, waves, mechanical problems, or even interpersonal problems.  Yet, even as our human plans fall through, we begin to realize that God has plans for us that are better and will never be thwarted. 

Samos and Patmos

The last two days have actually been spent on (and around) Greek Islands.  Not only that, but these specific Islands are actually mentioned in Acts.

Acts 20:15 mentions Paul "touching" at Samos before Miletus.  Samos is also (probably) the birth place of Pythagoras.  

On Monday we went from Turkey to Samos where we rented cars and spent the day exploring the Island.  Aside from the gorgeous views and other adventures, a highlight for me was telling a joke about Pythagoras in Pythagoria near the statue of Pythagoras.  

There are quaint Greek Orthodox churches every 10m or so.

And in general it was beautiful.  

This morning we got an early start and headed to Patmos.  We were going into the wind, and with our ship sailing wasn't possible, so we motored the whole way and made good time, arriving about 3:30. 

The trip itself was beautiful with clear blue waters, dolphins, and beautiful sailboats passing by.  

I also got to steer our ship for a while.  That was pretty cool.

At one point we were (roughly) on a collision course with another vessel (as the radar image sort of shows).  We didn't hit him, and he didn't hit us.  It was good.

Once on Patmos we climbed one of the many hills to visit the Cave of St. John.  This is supposedly where John was when he had his vision of Jesus.  It was interested to reflect on his circumstances.  He was forced to be separated from his church in Ephesus and near the end of his life.  He must have felt useless and probably wondered, as the last of the apostles, what would happen after his death?  Would the Kingdom of God prevail, or would the Kingdom of Rome swallow it up?  How encouraging to him this vision must have been.  Not only did it give him something useful to fill his days, but it reminded him that in the end God wins.

The island of Patmos is beautiful.  I think one of my favorite things, though, is the smell.  It's something of a mix between fresh mountain air and more tropical/oceanic smells.  We're spending the day here tomorrow as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.

Ephesus

Six hours is about as long as I've ever spent at any one site (at least in one day), but that's how long we were at Ephesus today.  And with good reason.  It's a huge site with lots to see, even if your group doesn't wile away time on discussions of Roman citizenship.

We left our hotel at 7:30 with three cruise ships already at the docks,

hoping to beat at least some of the crowds.  We did, but not for long.  Ephesus is the most crowded archaeological site I've ever been to.  We saw most of the usual sights:

the Library:

the Theater:

and the terrace houses:

all of which were pretty sweet.  We also saw some more unusual sights, including
Bugs:

Owls:

and the "Cave of Paul" - only recently discovered and shown only to special people.  (Our guide had a connection with the former archaeologist of Ephesus who gave us a personal tour.)  The cave dates to about the 5th century AD, but the frescos of Paul, Jesus, and others may be later.  There is evidence of a Christian presence here until the 19th century. 

Once we finished with Ephesus we visited a carpet factory.  We felt a little guilty that none of us bought anything, but it was fascinating to see the process of how carpets are made, as well as where silk comes from.  

We also visited the Ephesus Museum, St. John's Basillica:

and the Temple of Artemis:

Thought for the day:
As we were going through Ephesus I tried to read through Ephesians.  I came across this passage:

Ephesians 2:17-22
And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.   In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

We had just learned in the library how buildings were "joined together" then.  It involved making groves or drilling holes and pouring in molten lead to seal the two blocks together.  

Ephesians would have seen this done many times, probably on the numerous temples that graced the city, if not elsewhere.  The picture in their minds would have been very clear, and it would have drawn a sharp contrast between them, a living temple, and the pagan world around them that worshipped false gods in temples of stone.  

Now off to bed and on to more sites tomorrow!

Questions

This semester I've been TAing a class on Genesis where one of the major emphases has been on learning to ask good questions.  Accordingly, one of the most recent quizzes I graded required the students to ask three good questions about Genesis 26.  As I read through the questions I found that a good number of students had similar questions about verses 16-25:

And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”  Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.  And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them.  Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there.  But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him.  Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah.  And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”  Then he went up from there to Beersheba.  And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.”  So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. 


The students noticed that
1. Isaac was mightier than Abimelek and
2. The disputed wells were all on land that God had promised to give Abraham and his descendants.
Therefore, they wondered, why didn't Isaac exercise his might and right and simply fight for control of the land?

It's a valid question, though I find its implications rather disturbing.  (Before I enumerate why, allow me to say that I in no way mean to criticize the students for asking it.)

There are two implications to this question which really stand out to me:
1. Might makes right.  If we have the ability to take what we want, there is no reason we shouldn't do so.
2. Having God on your side gives you more rights than others.
Both of these have interesting religious and cultural significance which I'd like to examine further.

1. Might makes right.
a. While this (hopefully) does not reflect Christianity as much, it does seem to reflect many of the cultural values alive and well in America today.  Look out for number one.  We're often encouraged to take what we can, without regard for how our actions may affect those around us.
b. I think this, especially in the context of Genesis 26, also indicates how far our lives are removed from war here in America.  It's easy for us to say, "Why didn't Isaac fight?" when we can't picture the suffering that would have resulted from such a feud, on both sides.  Isaac may have won in the end, but at a huge cost.  Some may argue that God might have helped Isaac win without loss of life on his side, which leads well into the second point.

2. God on our side.
This is a touchier subject, especially since the context of the passage leads pretty easily to a comparison to modern Israel.  Therefore, before I start, I offer the disclaimer that I don't intend this as criticism of Israel or the Jewish people.
a. As Christians, I think it is easy for us to look at the Bible and say something like, "Oh, God says this is wrong.  Let's go stop it!  After all, God is on our side."  Generally this results in disaster.  Some examples might include prohibition, or the modern political fight against homosexuality or abortion.  While I would agree that drunkenness, homosexuality, and abortion are all wrong, I am not sure that legislation is the best way to impose our values.  And, in spite of our conviction that "God is on our side," such legislation seems to fail pretty regularly.  Sometimes this conviction comes out in other ways, like with angry people leaving rude theological comments on blog posts, so convinced that they are right and "God is on my side."  As if we have a God-given right to be rude and offend people.
b. I think this also reflects on many Christians' attitudes towards Israel and Palestine.  "The land was promised to Abraham and his descendants.  Therefore, the Palestinians have no right to be there."  Such oversimplifications are common and bother me considerably.  At the very least they forget that Abraham and his descendants were to be a blessing to those around them and that they were to take care of strangers.  More than that, though, such an attitude totally fails to take into account reality.  Do the Jews have a right to the land?  Maybe so, but that does not negate the fact that much of that land is currently occupied by a different ethnic group who have their own rights as humans.  I think that sometimes we forget that the God who gave such promises to Abraham is the same God who said, "Love your neighbor."  Living here in America, far removed from everything over there it's as easy for us to say "Isaac should have just fought Abimelek" as to say "The Jews should have all the land and push out the Palestinians" and ignore all the possible negative consequences of such actions.  Abimelek and the Palestinians may not be part of the promised people, but they are not impervious to salvation either and therefore still deserve our consideration.

To sum up, I think it is far too easy for us to simplify both Biblical and modern situations and make judgments without stopping to consider all the facts.  If I may suggest, let's try to take time and listen to both sides and consider the consequences before we jump into foolish action.

Finding Dor

It was an afternoon about two and a half weeks ago that I found myself wandering along the shore of the Mediterranean sea.  The waves were gently lapping at the shore, making tidal pools full of crabs and fish and various other curious sea creatures available to those sure of foot and curious of heart.

These were the first ruins we found, possibly part of a warehouse or dye factory.

With fields of green-gold wheat on our left and the sea on our right we wandered south, in search of ancient ruins.  The scent of the fields wafted by on the gentle breeze, overpowering any smell the sea might have been giving off.  If we had been over the first line of hills, out of sight and sound of the water, it would have been easy to think we were deep inland.

As we walked along I thought about how an ancient Israelite would have felt, similarly walking along this shore.  A waterless wilderness would have probably felt more hospitable to him than this endless, changeable expanse of water.  One day deceptively calm and inviting, but treacherous for those who couldn't swim or who took their boat out too far; the next day, hurling itself at the land as if it wished to destroy everyone and everything, chaos raging against order.  It could be a terrifying experience for one who has spent their entire life in a land where water is only found in cisterns and a few small springs.  It's a reflection of the psalmist's deep faith when he says,

"You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them." 

~Psalm 89:9 

The site we were searching for was ancient Dor.  A few bits of information about it:

1. It was mentioned in an Egyptian inscription from the time of Ramses II (often claimed to be the pharaoh of the exodus, though the evidence in inconclusive).

2. It was assigned to the tribe of Manasseh in Joshua 17:11, but Judges 1:27 tells us that the Israelites were unable to drive out the Canaanites dwelling there.  

3. It was an important sea port for a while, though never a great one, and Herod's development of Caesarea decreased its relative importance even more.  

4.  It was controlled in turn by the Ptolemies, the Seleucids, the Hasmoneans, and then liberated by Pompey.  After that it decreased in importance, but there are Byzantine and Crusader ruins also found at the site. 

Flowers bloom in profusion in front of what was probably the harbor.

It wasn't exactly a beautiful day, but it was a beautiful site, full of flowers and rocks.

After our visit to the ancient site, we visited a nearby Moshav with the remains of a Crusader fortress in the middle of it.  

Psalm 18 and Wilderness

Friday I had the opportunity to go down to the are of the Dead Sea with a few friends. After a bit of a fiasco involving faulty alarm clock and a flat tire, we headed out of Jerusalem at about 3:30am. We started hiking the snake path at Masada at 5am sharp, arriving at the top in plenty of time to watch the sun rise through the haze. From there we stopped briefly at the Dead Sea to slather ourselves liberally in the black mud found along its banks. We then raced along steep and winding paths to the source of the David Wadi, wondering at the fertility of the region in the midst of such a desolate wilderness.

Some of the scenes and experiences from the day reminded me of Psalm 18, especially since such scenes and experiences were probably fresh in David's mind when he wrote the psalm.

Verses 1-2

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

He said: I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

This is the stronghold of Masada. Today it is mostly known as a fortress built by Herod the Great and one of the last holdouts of Zealots in the rebellion against the Romans. However, as most things in this land, its history goes back much farther. While one cannot say for sure, considering its position and tactical advantages, it is as likely as any place to have been the stronghold that David was at in 1 Samuel 22:4 "And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold." At very least David is certain to have been familiar with the sight of this hill and would have recognized its defensibility. In spite of the advantages of such a spot, though, David relied on God, realizing that true safety is only found in Him.

Verse 28

For it is you who light my lamp;

the LORD my God lightens my darkness.

Here's the view as we began hiking. With the moon and stars and the sun beginning to think of making an appearance there was enough light to be able to make out the trail without the need of flashlights. If it were in the middle of the night with clouds and no moon, it would be very dark indeed.

Verses 29-36

For by you I can run against a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.
This God--his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
For who is God, but the LORD?

And who is a rock, except our God?--
the God who equipped me with strength

and made my way blameless.
He made my feet like the feet of a deer

and set me secure on the heights.

He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand supported me,

and your gentleness made me great.
You gave a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip.

In the first picture in this section one can discern a tiny path, winding its way up the mountain. While I did not personally walk on this path, on this trip I did climb on one of the more hazardous trails that I've gone on in Israel. Most of the "dangerous" paths I've been on have had railings and/or hand holds. This one did too, but not as many. In addition to being steep and winding, the rocks had been smoothed by thousands of people traversing it, making the footing treacherous. It wasn't bad, really, but it does give an idea of the danger of wandering around the wilderness wadis that David called his home when he was hiding from Saul. There are always rocks just waiting to betray your footing, and there is no stop before the bottom of the wadi. One does indeed need deer's feet. Though we didn't see any on this trip, it is usually a common sight to see ibex leaping about the hills, heedless of the danger. In contrast, the second picture has a very broad and pleasant path.

Verses 37-42

I pursued my enemies and overtook them,

and did not turn back till they were consumed.

I thrust them through,

so that they were not able to rise;

they fell under my feet.
For you equipped me with strength for the battle;

you made those who rise against me sink under me.
You made my enemies turn their backs to me,

and those who hated me I destroyed.
They cried for help,

but there was none to save;

they cried to the LORD,

but he did not answer them.
I beat them fine as dust before the wind;

I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

The wind was blowing from the east, carrying a very fine dust on it, so fine that it would not have been discerned, but for its irksome effect of obscuring vision. To make such a dust David's victory must have been complete indeed.

It's always good for me to get out into the land, to see what the Bible writers saw and walk where they walked. Things have changed much between their time and mine, but there is still enough left to begin to get a glimpse of what life was like and to start to understand their thoughts and images.

"Where's it coming from?"

Such was the response of a friend when first told the title of today's field study: Jerusalem Approaches. "And how does a city move, anyway?"

Today was my second time on this field study, examining approaches TO the city of Jerusalem. Last time I went we were interrupted by an ignorant rock, set on shattering our dreams of becoming world-famous historical geographers. It failed, instead shattering only one of our bus's windows. Still, it did cut the day's outing short. This time around we cleverly avoided flying rocks and had a wonderful day in the field.

We spent most of our time looking at the city of Jerusalem, finding where the ancient routes would have gone, and comparing the look of the land on either side of the watershed ridge.

Favorite parts of the day?

1. Just getting out, reviewing sites and routes, and enjoying the beautiful weather.

2. Getting to know some of the new students a little better.

3. Seeing some new-to-me sites

a. We got to walk through part of the cemetery on the Mt. of Olives. I'm sure that's something I could enjoy looking through for some time, but it was fun to get a little bit of a feel for it.

b. The Russian Orthodox site commemorating the Garden of Gethsemane. This church is usually close to the public, so it was fun to get a brief chance to see it. I'll have to go back someday and get pictures - it's beautiful.

c. A threshing floor just outside of Bethlehem. Too bad my Boaz wasn't there. :)

d. The grotto in the church next to the church of the Nativity - apparently where Jerome lived and worked on translating the Bible?

e. A place on the Promenade, further along that I had been, where we could see the city.

4. Listening to Dr. Wright's teaching again. On the Mt. of Olives we paused to talk about the flight and return of David with Absalom's rebellion and defeat. Think of the excitement that would have been felt by David's faithful subjects as he returned, victorious. The Bible doesn't say much about that, but it records a similar entrance to Jerusalem, about 1000 years later, as the Son of David came to his own people and kingdom, knowing that instead of welcoming him as the heir of David, they would shortly crucify him.

All in all, a very good day. Really, some of you should visit. You'd like it. :)

Memory and Scholarship

Recently, a friend and I decided that we needed to memorize scripture, so we started working on a couple passages together. The first passage that I chose to memorize was 2 Corinthians 10:3-7.

Though I memorized it in the NKJV, I'm giving the NASB translation here, as I think it connects verse 7 to the rest of the passage better:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.

I am by no means prepared to give an expository sermon on these verses, but when I read through them the other day I was struck by possible applications to the world of academics in which I currently find myself.

I will admit right now that I like logic. I like starting with reasonable premises and coming to appropriate conclusions. I think that reasoning and logic are given by God, to be used properly, to help us discern truth and understand better the world around us. On the other hand, I also think that sometimes logic can be a "weapon of the flesh." This is especially obvious in the world of academia where religion, the Bible, anything supernatural are all rejected in the name of "logic" and "critical thinking."

These verses remind me that logic will only take us so far and it can, in the end, prove to be a false mistress. As Christians in the academic world it is far to easy to trust in our own flawed reasoning and abandon the truth found in the Bible when logic offers contradictions. We must learn to value the knowledge of God above all, and bring thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ - even logical thoughts. This is my challenge, this is my goal.

A few more random thoughts

1. Junior High camp started tonight. As I type the counselors are probably busy making sure everyone is getting ready for bed, doing devotions, and trying to get everyone to quiet down and sleep. As stressful as it is, I have to say that I often miss those days. I rather like hanging out with kids of varying ages and maturities. :) Jr. High became one of my favorite week of the summer. Oh well, tonight I got to hang out with crew kids, which is almost as good. Not quite as good because I have to share them with their crew counselors, but still fun.

2. I made Challah bread again tonight, just for the staff. I know it's not Shabbat, but they really enjoyed it last time...and they get a little tired of chicken nuggets and tater tots, so I figured it would be a nice treat. It was quite tasty.

3. We went to the Big Timber Rodeo last night. It was fun. :) The Wild Cow Race was hilarious, as usual. Our teams did fairly well, both of them managing to at least get into the saddle a couple times, but were unable to place.

4. This is the first time that I've shared an actual room with people other than myself (for an extended time) in...well...years. I've shared a cabin or a 'room' but our beds have always been separated by a wall of some sort. I rather miss having a place that I can go to be alone, but only on occasion. I rather enjoy being around people. It's fun to talk and laugh and plot mischief with my roommates before we go to sleep - which is about the only time we are all in the cabin at the same time. Most of my time is spent in the dining hall...with the food...

5. I finally finished one book on my reading list: The End of Days: Fundamentalism and the Struggle for the Temple Mount. It was interesting at least. If nothing else, I have a better understanding of the recent history of Israel in general and the Temple Mount in specific. He seemed to repeat himself a good bit, and I didn't agree fully with his analysis of some of the fundamentalists, but he did make some interesting points. None of which strike me at the moment, but maybe I'll incorporate them into future postings.

6. I've now started reading The Lemon Tree. It's also about Israel and the Middle East...it was recommended by a friend, so we'll see how it goes.

7. I've recently started occasionally glancing at the blog of an orthodox priest (as another friend mentioned him in her blog). Today's post struck me as rather interesting: You Are Not A Bible Character. I will quote part of it here and then take a tangential trail off of it.

The pilgrim fathers who came to America read their situation into the Bible (or the Bible into their situation) with the result that white pilgrims were seen as fulfilling the role of the Israelites in this, the Promised Land, while native Americans were cast in the role of Canaanites. Thus generations of Joshuas arose feeling Biblically justified in the genocide of America’s native population. Some of that Biblical reading continues to echo in the popular imagination to this day. It was Bad theology in the 17th century and it is bad theology today. Stated in a fundamental way: you are not a Bible character.

Disclaimer: I know relatively little about American history, but I am fairly certain that not all "pilgrim fathers" were guilty of this incorrect application of the Bible. However, as that is not to be the object of my post, I beg that you would overlook this statement and take it up with the original poster if you feel so inclined.

To the subject at hand, when the phrase "You are not a Bible character" is used, numerous thoughts pop into my head, including "Jerusalem Syndrome." However, I think it has a broader application to how we, as "evangelical Christians" interpret the Bible. So often we are quick to read a story about a Bible character and leap to an application: "God did such-and-such for them, so surely He will do the same for me." At times that may be an application that can be legitimately made. Other times, it might be wiser to reconsider. After all, we are not Bible Characters. We do serve the same God, but He does not always work in the same ways.

On a slightly different tangent, his talk of the "pilgrim father" interpretation of the Bible reminded me of the Israeli settlers' interpretation. In their view, all Palestinians are the Canaanites to be driven out. As Bible-believing Christians, we often find it easier to support them in their efforts because they are, as far as we can tell, actual decedents of the Israelites and they are actually trying to take the historic land of Israel. But in reality, they are no more Bible characters than we are. They do not have direct revelation from God, as Joshua did; no divine commands to conquer the land. Some of you may bring up the New Testament: doesn't Romans (and other books) clearly state that God still has a plan for Israel? Couldn't these settlers be those new Bible characters? I don't want to give a categorical "No" to that question, though I am tempted. Even assuming that God does still have a plan for the literal nation of Israel (which I'm sure some of you reading this would disagree with that interpretation), defining "Israel" is still a problem. It is the secular state of Israel? It is all Jews? Is it all Messianic Jews? Is it all Zionistic Jews? None of these definitions quite fit what Israel was in Bible times, which makes it difficult to draw any further conclusions. To take it even farther, even if the settlers are included in "Biblical Israel" (whatever that is), many of their tactics and attitudes directly defy God's commandments and how He told Israel to behave to foreigners and strangers.

8. To stop you before you start thinking I'm "anti-Israel" let me just say that many of my teachers are settlers themselves, or are at least sympathetic, and that I like them all quite a lot. I also understand some of their passion and drive to create and protect a Jewish homeland. However, I am striving to see both sides fairly, which means that I see the wrong done by both sides, and settlers are not exempt. Kicking a Palestinian off his land and then waving a Bible in his face saying that it is your deed to his land is definitely an improper use of the Bible.

9. I should go to bed. I have about 220 people here and they'll all be hungry tomorrow morning.

Have you ever wondered...?

Have you ever read a Bible story and wondered what in the world was going on? The characters behaved in inexplicable ways, sometimes even seemingly ignoring common rules of morality, and yet it seem to be implied in the text that what they did was acceptable or even praise-worthy. So we sit back and scratch our heads and wonder, "What in the world just happened?"

I think that coming to Israel and studying here at JUC has helped me to understand a few of those stories a bit better. Let me give you a couple of examples from my study this semester and then you can let me know your thoughts.

Let's start with Genesis 38, Ben's favorite passage of this summer. :) For those of you who might have skipped over this passage in your yearly reading-through-the-Bible-plan, here's a brief synopsis:
1. Judah (son of Jacob) gets married and has 3 sons.
2. Judah gets a wife for his first born son, Er. Her name is Tamar.
3. Er dies before having any children.
4. Judah then marries his second son, Onan, to Tamar (practicing levirate marriage), to raise up an heir for his brother.
5. Onan refuses to give his brother an heir (possible reasons discussed below) and God kills him.
6. Judah's third son, Shelah, is too young to marry, so he sends Tamar back to her father's house to wait for Shelah to grow up.
7. For some reason, Judah never gets around to marrying Tamar to Shelah.
8. Judah's wife dies.
9. Judah goes to shear sheep and Tamar hears about it. She veils herself (like a prostitute) and sits by the road when Judah will pass.
10. Judah does pass, sees Tamar, thinks she is a prostitute, and sleeps with her. He leaves with her his "signet and cord" and staff, as promise that he will pay for the services provided. However, she never comes to claim payment, and no one knows anything of a prostitute in that area.
(If this isn't making sense, read the story in Genesis for yourself.)
11. Tamar is found to be pregnant. Judah is told and recommends that she be punished by death.
12. Tamar then brings out Judah's signet and cord and staff as evidence of the man who made her pregnant.
13. Judah sees them and says, "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son."
14. She bears twins, the first of which, Perez, apparently becomes Judah's heir.

So, we are left with the thought that a woman who seduced her father-in-law is considered righteous? That seems really bizarre.

First of all, we need to realize that culturally speaking, land and heirs were the most important things. These values are echoed throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Er, as Judah's first born would have inherited the main portion of all that was Judah's, as then his son would be next in line. Because he didn't have a son, Onan was to provide one for him. The inheritance would have then pass over Onan (as the oldest remaining son) and gone to "Er's" son (who would have been biologically the son of Tamar and Onan). Perhaps Onan wanted to insure that the inheritance came to him and his sons, thus explaining why he refused to give Tamar children. Later on, by not making Shelah provide Tamar with a son, Judah was also disregarding the importance of the line of inheritance. So Tamar took things into her own hands. She insured that the line of Judah would be properly continued. Perhaps this is the reason that Judah says she has been more righteous than he. She valued land, inheritance, and had a high respect for the way inheritance should be passed (as confirmed by God in the law later). Perhaps.


Example 2: Ruth
This one is a bit longer, so I'll assume that you know the gist of the story. I'm going to focus on chapter 3 and the happenings at the threshing floor. If you recall, Boaz is eating and drinking at the threshing floor. He goes to lie down and once he's asleep, Ruth goes and uncovers his "feet" and lays down. He wakes up later and tells her "Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter. For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich."

Have you ever wondered what was going on here? Why this sneaking about the threshing floor? And why is she blessed by Boaz for doing so? We've been reading through Ruth in Hebrew this semester, and this topic came up as some of us were studying together. Someone made an interesting point, which, if not completely correct, is at least worth consideration.

First, let's look at history a little.
Question: Where was Ruth from?
Answer: Moab! (as you all knew)
Question: Who are the Moabites? How did that people start?
Answer: Why, we are told about this in Genesis 19: 30-38, of course. Another rather disturbing story. Lot's two daughters have no prospects for getting husbands, and without a husband or a son, women in that day were pretty well destitute. Once their father died, they would have been as good as dead themselves. So instead, they make their father drunk, and in nine months, each of his daughters gives birth to a son. The son of the eldest daughter was called Moab and the Moabites are decended from him. So, to put it bluntly, Ruth is the decentant of a woman so desperate for a child that she took advantage of her drunk father.

When Ruth arrived at the threshing floor, Boaz's "heart was cheerful." In other words, he was "drunk as a skunk." And she went and uncovered his reglaim, which our Bibles translate as "feet" but which really can mean everything from the waist down. Ruth and Naomi were desperate. Without a man - a son- they were destitute. It would have been understandable if Ruth had taken advantage of Boaz's inebriated state to get a son, as her ancestor did. But she didn't. She gave him the choice: to act like a kinsman redeemer and provide that son properly, or to refuse and effectively condemn her and Naomi to death. Perhaps this is why Boaz calls her blessed. She had more faith in God than her ancestor, Lot's daughter. Perhaps even more faith than Naomi did when she gave Ruth her instructions. And Boaz rewarded her faith by marrying her, redeeming her land, and providing and heir.

Interesting, at least. I'm not convinced that I fully understand either of these stories yet, but I think understanding the culture in which they took place had helped me have at least a little bit of a better grasp on them. Feel free to let me know where you would agree or disagree or if you have a question.

Love God with your Mind!

"Sadly, perhaps no group is more gullible to these sorts of claims than evangelical Christians." ~Todd Bolen

The unfortunate thing is he could be talking about a wide variety of claims. In this specific case he is talking about the claim a new movie makes that Noah's Ark has been found on a mountain in Iran, but the fact is that Christians are often far too willing to welcome any harebrained idea with open arms, so long as it appears to be at least mildly on "their side." Poor scholarship and a lack of discernment are rampant in the church today, and at times that seems especially true in the more conservative circles. Perhaps it is because there are so few truly conservative scholars doing work today that anything published that seems to support of conservative view is hailed as "proof that the Bible is true!", before the truth of its claims are fairly evaluated. I am, perhaps, being excessively harsh. I will not deny that there are some good, Christian scholars at work and it is possible that even some of the unscholarly "proofs" have some value in them. Nevertheless, we should be able to do better. Christians should be on the leading edge of scholarship in every field, instead of lagging behind, piggy-backing on the shoulders of people who have a different set of foundational beliefs.

This, roughly, is the topic of conversation that came up the other day as my family was talking. We came up with 3 specific areas of study where not only do we rather disagree with the general direction that "secular" scholars are taking the field, but where there is a lack of good, Bible-based scholars.

1. The study of origins (Creation vs. Evolution). This is my dad's passion, and I admit, I take more than a passing interest in it. The thing is, my dad really believes that the Bible contains the answers to the debate and that in ignoring that, both secular and (often) Christian scientists have taken a wrong turn. Unfortunately, Christian scholars often also have really bad science, making them unacceptable to both sides. With "better" (though really also far from perfect) science on the side of the evolutionists, many Christians have been enticed away from faith in the Bible and even faith in God. If only we had a few good scientists who also had good theology! (Some good rhetoric and logic skills wouldn't hurt either. I've seen too many decent scientists/theologians who lose on their presentations.)

2. Counseling and the interaction between soul, brain, and body. (Psychology and Psychiatry vs. Biblical or Nouthetic Counseling) This was brought up by my brother, but is also an area in which I am interested. The problem is that, in general, Psychology and Biblical Counseling are diametrically opposed. Secular Psychology assumes that people are basically good and the Bible says that people are basically sinful. With this very basic difference in understanding of the root of people's problems, obviously the proffered solutions will differ greatly. Psychology, as I understand it, claims to deal more with the immaterial part of a person (mind, soul, emotions, etc.) The Bible was written by the One who created the immaterial part of a person, so it seems likely that, when applied properly, it would have better answers than those made up by other fallible humans. Therefore, I think Biblical Counseling has an edge over modern Psychology. However, we are not merely immaterial beings - we have a physical part, and the two interact and are inseparable. There are times when something going on in the physical body affects the "psyche" or soul. Unfortunately, there are relatively few Biblical counselors (or even Psychologists) who know much of anything about medicine or the brain. Psychiatrists try to fill this need, but there are very few Psychiatrists with a high view of scripture. I dare say there may be some, but I've never heard of any. Think of the connections that could be made and problems that could be solved by a Biblical Counselor who also happened to be a Neuropsychiatrist. Perhaps instead of recklessly trusting drugs that we don't understand to change behavior they could actually get to the root of any physical causes while still counseling godliness for any spiritual causes.

3. Archaeology (especially as it relates to the Bible). This has been my area of consideration for the past semester, and I have probably already written about it. Oh well, at the risk of repeating myself, I'll talk about it anyway. I admit it. I've been brought up to believe the Bible. So imagine my surprise when I realized that almost no one at my school (teacher-wise, at least) believed anything in the Bible. Ok, actually, I wasn't that surprised, and it wasn't quite that bad. Many of the teachers believe parts. What did surprise me, though, was the fact that some of the harshest critics of the historicity of the Bible are theologians. I was also surprised to find that the most conservative scholars in the field didn't even take the Bible seriously. Some of the conclusions they draw, while seeming to support the Bible, in my view actually rather undermine it. Let me try to give an example to explain. The Bible says that Abraham left Haran and went into Canaan (see Genesis 12). Scholars, perhaps because they don't believe the Bible to be anything more than a rough historical remembrance of events long ago, say, "Hmm...let's look for a time when people were migrating from Mesopotamia to Canaan to try to fix the time of the Patriarchs." And if they find such a time, they say, "See, the Bible is true, in that it faithfully preserved a memory of the past. Abraham himself probably didn't exist, but people like him did!" On the other hand, I, believing Abraham to be a real person, would say, "Wouldn't Abraham's migration be rather unique at the time he left? Otherwise, why would God have to give him special instructions? And if He did, why would it take any special faith on Abraham's part to follow them? If everyone else was doing it, what was the big deal? Wouldn't it seem more likely that this movement of Abraham was very unusual at this time?" I could be wrong, but looking at the Bible, I often find that I would make fundamentally different assumptions than those that most scholars make.) At any rate, the more I learn about archaeology, the more questions I have. What is presented in class really doesn't fit with what the Bible says, which brings many questions to my mind. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be many people in the field asking those same questions. There is such a need for conservative Christians in archaeology!

I'll add a couple disclaimers here. :)
1. I by no means want to set up scientific knowledge as a sort of "savior." I do think, though, that as Christians we should pursue knowledge, both scientific and other, to the glory of God, for the furtherance of the kingdom, and to help us better understand Him. As Christians who know and worship the God of truth, I also think we are best equipped to find more truth, if we apply ourselves rightly.

2. Obviously, I believe the Bible is true, and I take a fairly literal, conservative interpretation of it. This point of view is generally scorned by researchers and scientists in the above fields. Leaving aside the question of whether or not this is the correct view of scripture, I think that science is done a great diservice by people automatically rejecting anything from this view point. If nothing else, it offers a different set of base assumptions and therefore asks different questions than pretty much everyone else in the field. I would contend that if science is to progress and stay healthy, it needs to be able to answer these questions too.

And the conclusion? I still have more questions than answers, and still have only one lifetime to try to figure things out. So, if anyone reading this has interests in any of these areas (or other areas - we need Christians everywhere!) maybe let this challenge you to pursue excellence in your field, to be uniquely Biblical in your viewpoint, and to share your findings with the world.

It's Fall! It's Spring! It's...I'm so confused!

It's fall:

Friday night here on campus we celebrated Halloween. They said they wouldn't feed us if we didn't dress up....I kind a hate being forced into things like that, but I did end up being fun.

The evening started at 4:30 with a tour of our graveyard. Yes, we do have a graveyard. It's kind of a long story, but for quite some time it we the only protestant graveyard in the country. Various and sundry people are there, including some famous ones: Flinders Petrie (minus his head), the father of modern middle-eastern archaeology; Brian Starkey, the excavator of Lachish who was murdered on his way to the opening of the Rockefeller museum; and Horatio G. Spafford, author of the hymn, "It is well." To add spice to the adventure there was a low hanging 220V live wire (duck!), soft ground, and sink-holes. It wasn't dark when we started, but the twilight was rapidly deepening by the end.


As dinner approached, various odd creatures began apearing in the dining area: a couple pirates, a fairy or two, Aladdin, a gypsy, Absolom, the Rosh Pinnah Sill (a basalt plug above the Sea of Galilee), a Greek Lady, a Roman Statesmen, the two witnesses from Revelations, and much more.
I personally came as Pippi Longstockings.

We said the normal Shabbat blessings before the meal, but the meal itself was anything but normal. We got to choose 5 things for each of our 3 courses, but everything was given odd names. For my first course I got noodles, humus, a plate, dirt pie, and juice. No fork or spoon. Yeah, one of those. It made it entertaining, though.

After dinner we finished the festivites by breaking open a couple pinatas, singing some worship songs, and then watching an eppisode of "The Office" from an earlier Halloween.

And that was Fall.


It's Spring:
Today my archaeology class and our professor, Dr. Gabi Barkai, headed off to Lachish for a field study. We've gotten some good rain lately, and as we drove along I couldn't help but notice that the fields that have been lying fallow are slowly being covered by a fuzzy green carpet.
In Montana such things are always a harbinger of spring. Here, where wheat and such things are grown in the winter (the rainy season!) I don't think it means the same thing... Still, it was fun to see little green sprouts here and there where before it had been all brown.

We spent pretty much the whole day at Lachish. Dr. Barkai spent a number of years excavating there and used it to give us an idea of what to look for and technique and all those sorts of thing. Lachish (and the area around it) has evidence of inhabitance since the neolithic period. Most of what has been excavated is from the Iron Age, though, with everthing earlier still buried.

And what, you might ask, is the Biblical significance of Lachish? Well, to give you a summary, it's mentioned about 23 times in the Old Testament, it was conquered by Joshua, fortified probably by Rehoboam and/or Hezekiah, defeated by Sennacherib and the Assyrian army, and then was defeated again by Babylon before Jerusalem finally fell itself. It was then probably rebuild during the time of Nehemiah.
(Dr. Barkai pointing out some feature outside the gate area. W)

Lachish is especially interesting because of two archaeological finds. The first is called "The Lachish Letters." Those are 21 ostraca from around that time and contain the line that mentions Lachish and Azekah. There are debates over how to translate it and what it means. Dr. Barkai was of the opinion that it said something like "We are guarding Lachish whole-heartedly and we can't see Azekah" (implying that Azekah had fallen). It's likely that these were written before the Babylonian captivity.

The second interesting find was actually in the palace of Sennacherib in Ninevah. In his chamber there he had a relief done, depicting his siege and destruction of Lachish.

Both offer some evidence (circumstantial, but still) that this tel is, in fact, the ancient sight of Lachish.

It was a long trip, but interesting. So much to learn, so many questions...

(Here's some of our group examining the wall of the platform of the Judean palace.)