Proper Confidence by Lesslie Newbigin – Part Four
Setting the groundwork Descartes set out to prove God through philosophy, not theology. His framework is the basis of modernity. He reinforces the duality of mind from the rest of the body.
After this Newbigin uses the work of a scientific philosopher named Michael Polanyi. Polanyi thinks that the idea of pure science: being totally and logically working towards absolute truth is an illusion. Polanyi thinks that the idea that scientists are objective is impossible. Scientists are personally committed to what they do. They cannot, and perhaps should not be objective. He states in summary, “But this does not make our understanding subjective. Comprehension is neither an arbitrary act nor a passive experience, but a responsible act claiming universal validity. Such knowledge is indeed objective in the sense of establishing contact with a hidden reality, contact that is defined as the condition for anticipating an indeterminate range of as yet unknown (and perhaps yet inconceivable) true implications. It seems reasonable to describe this fusion of the personal and the objective as personal knowledge.” (Polanyi, Personal Knowledge, pp. vii-viii) So Polanyi thinks that despite the personal feelings of the scientist objective truths can be obtained.
Newbigin thinks this very relevant. He thinks our definition of certainty is flawed. (I’m not sure I totally follow him here.) Christians who have inwardly accepted the three dualisms I mentioned before (that came from this book) will have a wrong idea of what it means to be certain of one’s faith.
I admit to not quite understanding all that Newbigin is saying. I do not think I have yet really understood how much my scheme of thought is based on the Greek philosophical understandings. Newbigin wants to show us that faith and doubt are not mutually exclusive.
I like that statement by Einstein. I had never heard it before. It is worth repeating. “The statements of mathematics are only certain when they make no contact with reality.” Newtonian physics turns out to be like that. F = mv turns out only to be an approximation in the real world. It works in most situations but as you approach the speed of light things change. Also with very small particles things are different.
At that SVS conference I went to last week we had a couple of young scientists give papers, one appealing to us to accept evolution the other appealing to us to accept the theory of global warming as fact and act accordingly. Polanyi speaks of the passionate personal commitment of scientists to their work. These two young scientists were exhibits A and B. The first lady made a very telling statement during Q & A. “These experiments are my babies, I love them.” Both of these people firmly believed what they were telling us. But in the real world their “facts” can be doubted, just as the “fact” that Jesus died and rose can be doubted too.
Newbigin thinks that Polanyi’s work on knowing facts which he applies to scientists is closely analogous to what a Christian does when he works to prove his faith in Jesus. Both start with assumptions and both cannot totally be stripped of all preconceived beliefs which come from our culture.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Proper Confidence by Lesslie Newbigin - Three dualisms
Dualism
1. The thinking mind and the external world (in Latin res cogitans and res extensa) This had led to the popular idea that God who belongs to the thinking or spiritual world cannot influence the material world. The early church had to overcome this dualism when it asserted that the logos became Jesus Christ, a physical man. God is the creator of both the visible and the invisible.
2. Second closely related is the dualism of the objective and the subjective. We think that everyone can have his own truth. Yet God's view is the objective one. Is beauty or goodness only in the eye of the beholder. Or is there a truth objective goodness and/or beauty. They are not totally subjective. On the other hand the findings of science are often held out to be totally objective facts the same in any society.
3. The third duality is that between theory and practice. These words are based on two Greek words, theoria and praxis. Interestingly neither of these two words is in the Bible because their way of describing the world is foreign to the writers of the Bible. In the Bible the operative contrast is between believing and obeying on the one hand and refusal to believe and obey on the other hand (p.39). He uses the example I quoted in another post, when Jesus said to Simon "Follow me." Simon's response is one. There is no gap between mental action of believing and physical action of following. The person is not a mind connected to a body but a single being.
Newbigin states that the most important dualism to look at is the second one if we are to become confident in a certainty of our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
1. The thinking mind and the external world (in Latin res cogitans and res extensa) This had led to the popular idea that God who belongs to the thinking or spiritual world cannot influence the material world. The early church had to overcome this dualism when it asserted that the logos became Jesus Christ, a physical man. God is the creator of both the visible and the invisible.
2. Second closely related is the dualism of the objective and the subjective. We think that everyone can have his own truth. Yet God's view is the objective one. Is beauty or goodness only in the eye of the beholder. Or is there a truth objective goodness and/or beauty. They are not totally subjective. On the other hand the findings of science are often held out to be totally objective facts the same in any society.
3. The third duality is that between theory and practice. These words are based on two Greek words, theoria and praxis. Interestingly neither of these two words is in the Bible because their way of describing the world is foreign to the writers of the Bible. In the Bible the operative contrast is between believing and obeying on the one hand and refusal to believe and obey on the other hand (p.39). He uses the example I quoted in another post, when Jesus said to Simon "Follow me." Simon's response is one. There is no gap between mental action of believing and physical action of following. The person is not a mind connected to a body but a single being.
Newbigin states that the most important dualism to look at is the second one if we are to become confident in a certainty of our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Proper Confidence by Lesslie Newbigin
DG had a book he wanted me to read by Newbigin. It is called the Gospel in a Pluralistic Society Well since I am very reticent to buy another book I checked the Rice Library and the Houston Public Library and could not find it available. I do not have enough influence at Rice to get the book on an interlibrary loan. I need to check to see if I can get them to buy as one of their acquisitions.
Well anyway I decided to get another book that the Rice library did have. It was the one he wrote just before the one DG recommended. It is obviously not on a related subject at all. But it is great.
He starts off with a short history of how thought developed in Europe from the time of Christ until at least the enlightenment. I have only read snippets of Locke and Hume and Bacon. I get my understanding second hand, like in this book.
One thing that was interesting was that Thomas Aquinas wrote his works that became "Thomism" in reaction to some great Muslim theologians Avicenna (980-1032) and Averroes (1126-1198). They lived in Moorish Spain, I think. At that time Moslems were advancing civilization greatly. It was after all from them that we got our numbering system, commonly called Arabic numerals. There was actually a time when people tried to add and subtract and multiply using Roman numerals. Can you imagine? There are attempts at algorithms for doing this. The introduction of Arabic numerals greatly advanced mathematics and science, first in the Moslem world and then in Christian Europe. These Muslim philosophers were introducing rationalism. It seems their ideas were later repudiated and now seem foreign to many Muslim cultures.
Thomas worked out how to combine Western Christianity with rationalism. His greatest work was Summa contra Gentiles. That's right, Aquinas set out to prove that God existed. We can know by reason alone. He also claimed that when science and revelation clashed the revelation must be the truth. The knowledge of God (theology) was higher than philosophy.
But an unintended consequence was that what we can know is separated from what we believe on faith.
Thomas felt that God could be proved and over the centuries people did attempt to do that. But finally it was concluded that God could not be proven. That led to doubts. By the 1600's skepticism was dominant in the intellectual life of western Europe (p. 19). This is what brought Rene Decartes' thesis summarized as "I think, therefore I am." Decartes tried to empty the field start from nothing and see what was certain. Decartes is referred through often in this book.
I am covering some of what is in this book. I love his quick summarizing intellectual developments in Europe especially as he shows how one movement is a reaction to the last one.
Perhaps Newbigin's main purpose in writing this book is to show how we got to this postmodern state we are in now. I still have not read the concluding two chapters but it is clear he is not happy with this postmodern state. He has already included several critiques and I think the last two chapters will put that all together with positive suggestions.
I am trying to do his ideas justice but sometimes I am not sure I totally get his meaning.
Well anyway I decided to get another book that the Rice library did have. It was the one he wrote just before the one DG recommended. It is obviously not on a related subject at all. But it is great.
He starts off with a short history of how thought developed in Europe from the time of Christ until at least the enlightenment. I have only read snippets of Locke and Hume and Bacon. I get my understanding second hand, like in this book.
One thing that was interesting was that Thomas Aquinas wrote his works that became "Thomism" in reaction to some great Muslim theologians Avicenna (980-1032) and Averroes (1126-1198). They lived in Moorish Spain, I think. At that time Moslems were advancing civilization greatly. It was after all from them that we got our numbering system, commonly called Arabic numerals. There was actually a time when people tried to add and subtract and multiply using Roman numerals. Can you imagine? There are attempts at algorithms for doing this. The introduction of Arabic numerals greatly advanced mathematics and science, first in the Moslem world and then in Christian Europe. These Muslim philosophers were introducing rationalism. It seems their ideas were later repudiated and now seem foreign to many Muslim cultures.
Thomas worked out how to combine Western Christianity with rationalism. His greatest work was Summa contra Gentiles. That's right, Aquinas set out to prove that God existed. We can know by reason alone. He also claimed that when science and revelation clashed the revelation must be the truth. The knowledge of God (theology) was higher than philosophy.
But an unintended consequence was that what we can know is separated from what we believe on faith.
Thomas felt that God could be proved and over the centuries people did attempt to do that. But finally it was concluded that God could not be proven. That led to doubts. By the 1600's skepticism was dominant in the intellectual life of western Europe (p. 19). This is what brought Rene Decartes' thesis summarized as "I think, therefore I am." Decartes tried to empty the field start from nothing and see what was certain. Decartes is referred through often in this book.
I am covering some of what is in this book. I love his quick summarizing intellectual developments in Europe especially as he shows how one movement is a reaction to the last one.
Perhaps Newbigin's main purpose in writing this book is to show how we got to this postmodern state we are in now. I still have not read the concluding two chapters but it is clear he is not happy with this postmodern state. He has already included several critiques and I think the last two chapters will put that all together with positive suggestions.
I am trying to do his ideas justice but sometimes I am not sure I totally get his meaning.
Hebrew 3-4
When I read Hebrews 3 and 4 I am reminded why I am an Arminian. What is the word for the opposite of Armenian. Some would say "orthodoxy". Arminianism is the belief that some one might lose his salvation. Some would say this is heresy. But it is mostly mincing words.
What does one do with Hebrews 3-4? The writer of Hebrews is speaking to believers. He is concerned that they continue in the faith. They need to produce fruit. James speaks to the same thing. "How do you show your faith. I show my faith by my works." It is not enough to simply say "I believe".
How about the illustration of the Exodus which is often used as an allegory about our walk of faith? What is the equivalent to salvation? Is it the walking through the Red Sea or is it crossing the Jordan into the promised land? Is there a different in being chosen and being saved? It seems walking across the Red Sea makes them committed, no turning back to Egypt. It could be likened to a confession of faith. Yet because of disobedience all but two did not make it into the promised land. The promised land could be likened to heaven, our final reward, running the race to the end, salvation.
So did the Israelites lose their salvation by their disobedience? The certainly lost their reward of the promised land, the land of milk and honey.
I am reading Newbigin Proper Confidence He speaks of Greek dualities that we have internalized in our culture but which are totally absent from the Bible. Faith and obedience come together. We try to separate them somehow. But James and the writer of Hebrews do not understand this duality. It is foreign to them. When Jesus calls Peter to follow him Peter's faith was shown by his immediate obedience.
Now there is a lot of room for grace. But let us take our faith seriously. A faithful person will be obedient.
What does one do with Hebrews 3-4? The writer of Hebrews is speaking to believers. He is concerned that they continue in the faith. They need to produce fruit. James speaks to the same thing. "How do you show your faith. I show my faith by my works." It is not enough to simply say "I believe".
How about the illustration of the Exodus which is often used as an allegory about our walk of faith? What is the equivalent to salvation? Is it the walking through the Red Sea or is it crossing the Jordan into the promised land? Is there a different in being chosen and being saved? It seems walking across the Red Sea makes them committed, no turning back to Egypt. It could be likened to a confession of faith. Yet because of disobedience all but two did not make it into the promised land. The promised land could be likened to heaven, our final reward, running the race to the end, salvation.
So did the Israelites lose their salvation by their disobedience? The certainly lost their reward of the promised land, the land of milk and honey.
I am reading Newbigin Proper Confidence He speaks of Greek dualities that we have internalized in our culture but which are totally absent from the Bible. Faith and obedience come together. We try to separate them somehow. But James and the writer of Hebrews do not understand this duality. It is foreign to them. When Jesus calls Peter to follow him Peter's faith was shown by his immediate obedience.
Now there is a lot of room for grace. But let us take our faith seriously. A faithful person will be obedient.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Vineyard Scholars
I spent a long day listening to papers at the Vineyard Scholars in Sugar Land. I saw several old faces. I spoke to some nice people. Actually there were about 50 people there many from out of town. There were 14 20 minutes presentations.
One was on Farmville. It was funny but serious too.
Two scientists gave the cases for evolution alongside Christianity and a plea for taking global warming seriously. Both of those were hot button topics but there was not much time for discussion.
There were a lot of young post moderns who were on fire for social justice and doing good works.
I got to sit with Bill when he showed around 3 PM. He had been with MH in the hospital. I know that was important.
Harry F. was there too with his SIL.
The last session tonight was by Don Williams. Bill said he would be worth waiting for and he was. But then I took off without getting my wine and cheese. That's going to have to be for the men and women who were staying in nearby hotels. I had a long drive back.
Don Williams knows and jokes with a lot of people in the crowd. He also knew and was mentored by John Wimber. We got some good stories.
There were a lot of women here and three speakers were women too.
I got several ideas for blogs. Stay tuned.
One was on Farmville. It was funny but serious too.
Two scientists gave the cases for evolution alongside Christianity and a plea for taking global warming seriously. Both of those were hot button topics but there was not much time for discussion.
There were a lot of young post moderns who were on fire for social justice and doing good works.
I got to sit with Bill when he showed around 3 PM. He had been with MH in the hospital. I know that was important.
Harry F. was there too with his SIL.
The last session tonight was by Don Williams. Bill said he would be worth waiting for and he was. But then I took off without getting my wine and cheese. That's going to have to be for the men and women who were staying in nearby hotels. I had a long drive back.
Don Williams knows and jokes with a lot of people in the crowd. He also knew and was mentored by John Wimber. We got some good stories.
There were a lot of women here and three speakers were women too.
I got several ideas for blogs. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Hebrews 1
This book is well organized in a Greek homiletic sort of way.
The first chapter introduces his thesis which is the greatness of Jesus.
He quotes, without citing, the Old Testament extensively. The author wants us to know that Jesus is God and that the Old Testament is full of references to him. He extensively quotes Psalms. Are the quotes in the New Testament the only places where the Old Testament refers to Jesus?
If you are reading Hebrews 1 along with me here are the quotes:
Psalm 2:7 - I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (KJV)
Psalm 2:7 I will announce the LORD'S decree. He said to me: "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. (GNB)
Psalm 104:4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.
The angels are God's servants. But his Son will be different, more glorious. He is not like the angels.
Psalms 45:6-7 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; (7) you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; (ESV)
Psalms 102:25-27 In the beginning, LORD, you laid the earth's foundation and created the heavens. (26) They will all disappear and wear out like clothes. You change them, as you would a coat, but you last forever. (27) You are always the same. Years cannot change you.
This whole psalm 102 can easily be seen as a reference to Jesus. No one else could satisfy these qualifications.
Psalms 102:12-28 Our LORD, you are King forever and will always be famous. (13) You will show pity to Zion because the time has come. (14) We, your servants, love each stone in the city, and we are sad to see them lying in the dirt. (15) Our LORD, the nations will honor you, and all kings on earth will praise your glory. (16) You will rebuild the city of Zion. Your glory will be seen, (17) and the prayers of the homeless will be answered. (18) Future generations must also praise the LORD, so write this for them: (19) "From his holy temple, the LORD looked down at the earth. (20) He listened to the groans of prisoners, and he rescued everyone who was doomed to die." (21) All Jerusalem should praise you, our LORD, (22) when people from every nation meet to worship you. (23) I should still be strong, but you, LORD, have made an old person of me. (24) You will live forever! Years mean nothing to you. Don't cut my life in half! (25) In the beginning, LORD, you laid the earth's foundation and created the heavens. (26) They will all disappear and wear out like clothes. You change them, as you would a coat, but you last forever. (27) You are always the same. Years cannot change you. (28) Every generation of those who serve you will live in your presence.
Isaiah 51:6 Look closely at the sky! Stare at the earth. The sky will vanish like smoke; the earth will wear out like clothes. Everyone on this earth will die like flies. But my victory will last; my saving power never ends.
Even the earth will wear out before Jesus does. He is forever.
Psalms 110:1 The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right side, until I make your enemies into a footstool for you."
Psalm 110 is also all about Jesus. This is the psalm that refers to the priest of Melchizedek. Hebrews will refer to this extensively later.
Psalms 110:1-7 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD saith unto my lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (2) The LORD shall send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. (3) Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy power: in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth. (4) The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (5) The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. (6) He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill the places with dead bodies; he shall strike through the head in many countries. (7) He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Another parallel allusion:
Joshua 10:24 And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the chiefs of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
Jesus is referred to extensively in the OT. He is God. He is God's son. He existed from the beginning.
He will rules over the whole world.
The first chapter introduces his thesis which is the greatness of Jesus.
He quotes, without citing, the Old Testament extensively. The author wants us to know that Jesus is God and that the Old Testament is full of references to him. He extensively quotes Psalms. Are the quotes in the New Testament the only places where the Old Testament refers to Jesus?
If you are reading Hebrews 1 along with me here are the quotes:
Psalm 2:7 - I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (KJV)
Psalm 2:7 I will announce the LORD'S decree. He said to me: "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. (GNB)
Psalm 104:4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.
The angels are God's servants. But his Son will be different, more glorious. He is not like the angels.
Psalms 45:6-7 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; (7) you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; (ESV)
Psalms 102:25-27 In the beginning, LORD, you laid the earth's foundation and created the heavens. (26) They will all disappear and wear out like clothes. You change them, as you would a coat, but you last forever. (27) You are always the same. Years cannot change you.
This whole psalm 102 can easily be seen as a reference to Jesus. No one else could satisfy these qualifications.
Psalms 102:12-28 Our LORD, you are King forever and will always be famous. (13) You will show pity to Zion because the time has come. (14) We, your servants, love each stone in the city, and we are sad to see them lying in the dirt. (15) Our LORD, the nations will honor you, and all kings on earth will praise your glory. (16) You will rebuild the city of Zion. Your glory will be seen, (17) and the prayers of the homeless will be answered. (18) Future generations must also praise the LORD, so write this for them: (19) "From his holy temple, the LORD looked down at the earth. (20) He listened to the groans of prisoners, and he rescued everyone who was doomed to die." (21) All Jerusalem should praise you, our LORD, (22) when people from every nation meet to worship you. (23) I should still be strong, but you, LORD, have made an old person of me. (24) You will live forever! Years mean nothing to you. Don't cut my life in half! (25) In the beginning, LORD, you laid the earth's foundation and created the heavens. (26) They will all disappear and wear out like clothes. You change them, as you would a coat, but you last forever. (27) You are always the same. Years cannot change you. (28) Every generation of those who serve you will live in your presence.
Isaiah 51:6 Look closely at the sky! Stare at the earth. The sky will vanish like smoke; the earth will wear out like clothes. Everyone on this earth will die like flies. But my victory will last; my saving power never ends.
Even the earth will wear out before Jesus does. He is forever.
Psalms 110:1 The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right side, until I make your enemies into a footstool for you."
Psalm 110 is also all about Jesus. This is the psalm that refers to the priest of Melchizedek. Hebrews will refer to this extensively later.
Psalms 110:1-7 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD saith unto my lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (2) The LORD shall send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. (3) Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy power: in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth. (4) The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (5) The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. (6) He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill the places with dead bodies; he shall strike through the head in many countries. (7) He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Another parallel allusion:
Joshua 10:24 And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the chiefs of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
Jesus is referred to extensively in the OT. He is God. He is God's son. He existed from the beginning.
He will rules over the whole world.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Gideon - Judges 6+
I have run across Gideon twice recently and love the story. It's a great story. There is so much about human nature and God's nature in this story. I am guest speaking at an retirement home service this Sunday. I think I will speak about Gideon.
I heard this as part of the Sunday evening service Judges 6:11-24a. The reader actually read some of what came before but I do not have this on the service bulletin.
"The angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hid it from the Midianites. (Notice Gideon was wise here. Fear had nothing to do with it. He could not win this batter. Why fight a losing battle?)
The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you you mighty warrior." (You know Gideon does not deny here that he is a mighty warrior. This just starts him on a rant. Gideon is probably willing to go to war, if only he knows he can win.)
Gideon answered him, "But sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian." (The angel got him worked up. Gideon is incensed here. He is incensed at their situation. He is incensed at God. God can use this kind of passion. Be careful what cause or problem gets you incensed. God may send you to fix it.)
I did that the other night. I spoke to a person about how blessed they were. That got them going. They went on to tell me how bad things were. They were looking at all the bad but I was still right they were very blessed in other ways.
The angel does the same thing here. He knows what to say to get Gideon going. Isn't it strange that Gideon opens up like this to a perfect stranger?
Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hearby commission you." He responded, "But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manassah, and I am the least in my family." (Judging by the fact that he owns a winepress and has wheat to threash this is probably an overstatement at best. Gideon wants assurance that he will win. He is not willing to follow up on a losing cause.)
The LORD said to him, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them." (Notice we have switched from "the angel of the LORD" to simply "the LORD".) Then he said to him, "If now I have found favor with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present, and set it before you." And he said, "I will stay until you return."
(Gideon goes in and prepares a meal which becomes a sacrifice. This seems a lot like Abraham's meeting with the three men (angels) and the oak of Mamre. It's hospitality. And its a test. Gideon openly speaks of a sign here. He remembers Abraham's example, perhaps, and knows that this will get him the understanding that he wants. Is he speaking to God or not? We too should test all spirits. God is patient and waits. Cooking an animal kid this has got to take hours. Then when the angel burns up the food Gideon freaks out.)
I heard this as part of the Sunday evening service Judges 6:11-24a. The reader actually read some of what came before but I do not have this on the service bulletin.
"The angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hid it from the Midianites. (Notice Gideon was wise here. Fear had nothing to do with it. He could not win this batter. Why fight a losing battle?)
The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you you mighty warrior." (You know Gideon does not deny here that he is a mighty warrior. This just starts him on a rant. Gideon is probably willing to go to war, if only he knows he can win.)
Gideon answered him, "But sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian." (The angel got him worked up. Gideon is incensed here. He is incensed at their situation. He is incensed at God. God can use this kind of passion. Be careful what cause or problem gets you incensed. God may send you to fix it.)
I did that the other night. I spoke to a person about how blessed they were. That got them going. They went on to tell me how bad things were. They were looking at all the bad but I was still right they were very blessed in other ways.
The angel does the same thing here. He knows what to say to get Gideon going. Isn't it strange that Gideon opens up like this to a perfect stranger?
Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hearby commission you." He responded, "But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manassah, and I am the least in my family." (Judging by the fact that he owns a winepress and has wheat to threash this is probably an overstatement at best. Gideon wants assurance that he will win. He is not willing to follow up on a losing cause.)
The LORD said to him, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them." (Notice we have switched from "the angel of the LORD" to simply "the LORD".) Then he said to him, "If now I have found favor with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present, and set it before you." And he said, "I will stay until you return."
(Gideon goes in and prepares a meal which becomes a sacrifice. This seems a lot like Abraham's meeting with the three men (angels) and the oak of Mamre. It's hospitality. And its a test. Gideon openly speaks of a sign here. He remembers Abraham's example, perhaps, and knows that this will get him the understanding that he wants. Is he speaking to God or not? We too should test all spirits. God is patient and waits. Cooking an animal kid this has got to take hours. Then when the angel burns up the food Gideon freaks out.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
