Thoughts on the poor

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“So what is the difference between someone who willfully indulges in sexual pleasures while ignoring the Bible on moral purity and someone who willfully indulges in the selfish pursuit of more and more material possessions while ignoring the Bible on caring for the poor? The difference is that one involves a social taboo in the church and the other involves the social norm in the church.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 111

and

“Regardless of what we say or sing or study on Sunday morning, rich people who neglect the poor are not the people of God.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 115

<idle musing>
Harsh words, but very true. I sometimes think that people took Luther too literally and have knocked the book of James out of their Bibles:

Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”a you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.—James 2:6-9 TNIV

But, that still doesn't explain why they ignore Paul's warnings. Maybe it is just selfishness and an unwillingness to die to it? Nah, can't be that! That sounds too, well, biblical!
</idle musing>

Thought for the day

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

   The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.—Habakkuk 3:17-19 TNIV

<idle musing>
This has probably got to be one of my favorite set of verses in the Bible. Habakkuk has argued with God and then seen a theophany of judgment. What other response can you have? He's seen the end—God wins; nothing else matters. All the stuff in between is just a distraction. Not really, but you get my drift.
</idle musing>

Empty stomachs

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“Anyone wanting to proclaim the glory of Christ to the ends of the earth must consider not only how to declare the gospel verbally but also how to demonstrate the gospel visibly in a world where so many are urgently hungry. If I am going to address urgent spiritual need by sharing the gospel of Christ or building up the body of Christ around the world, then I cannot overlook dire physical need in the process.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 109

<idle musing>
I think you could easily find more than a few Bible verses that agree with him—James comes to mind, as does Habakkuk, and Amos, and...just about all the prophets. The unthinking alignment in the United States between capitalism and christianity is definitely unbiblical. But, as I was once told, does a fish know it is wet?
</idle musing>

Thought for today

“Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain,
setting his nest on high
to escape the clutches of ruin!
You have plotted the ruin of many peoples,
shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.
The stones of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

   “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and establishes a town by injustice!
Has not the LORD Almighty determined
that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea." — Habakkuk 2:9-14 TNIV

Safe!

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“In our Christian version of the American dream, our plan ends up disinfecting Christians from the world more than discipling Christians in the world. Let me explain the difference.

“Disinfecting Christians from the world involves isolating followers of Christ in a spiritual safe-deposit box called the church building and teaching them to be good. In this strategy, success in the church is defined by how big a building you have to house all the Christians, and the goal is to gather as many people as possible for a couple of hours each week in that place where we are isolated and insulated from the realities of the world around us.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, pages 104-105

<idle musing>
One of my pet peeves about American christianity has always been the emphasis on "safe." I don't see that anywhere in the Bible or Christian history; serving Jesus is anything but safe!
</idle musing>

First Frost!

On Saturday night we had our first frost—2 weeks early! I wasn't ready, but it wasn't a heavy frost, so almost everything came through. I did cover the raspberries, peppers and green beans; they're a bit touchier than the others.

Needless to say, I spent most of Sunday getting the garden ready for fall. I cleaned up the watermelon, the cucumbers, and the earlier plantings of beans (I succession plant my beans&mash;a new crop every 2-3 weeks). I also pulled the last of the San Marzano Roma-style tomatoes. They did really well this year.

So, how what worked and what didn't? This year we tried containerized gardening on some corn. It grew really well, but I should have side-dressed it with nitrogen earlier than I did. Also, we didn't get to eat any because the raccoons got it. The day before I was going to pick it, they climbed the fence, then the corn stalks and got all the corn. Bummer!

The watermelon were very good this year, but there weren't very many. Maybe that's why they were good? Anyway, I need to get access to some high quality manure to have good flavor and quantity. I probably won't do them again, although I might try cantaloupe there next year.

The turnips didn't germinate, nor did the rutabaga. That's ok; I prefer kohlrabi anyway. I can't get beets to grow very large in this garden. I'm pretty sure it's a mineral balance thing. Next year I think I'll add some boron.

The cabbage needed to stay under row cover—the cabbage butterfly caterpillars got to them. Same for the late broccoli and the Brussels Sprouts—although they recovered and I will get some. I need to plant more cucumber plants for the first planting and forget about a second planting.

On the whole, the garden was a success. I like planting earlier under row cover and in the hoop house. The plants get a head start and are pretty much done by the time the bugs catch up. I used to can more in August/September than any other month. This year, because of the row cover and hoop house, I canned more in July/August. That was nice; it left September freer for apples :)

Speaking of apples, I canned 23 pints of apple sauce over the weekend and we have dried about 2 bushels. I also canned 6 more quarts of rhubarb sauce. We're about out of jars now. I'm going to need to buy another dozen wide mouth quarts for the remaining dried apples.

So, how did your garden do this year?

Thought for the day

“Woe to those who plan iniquity,
to those who plot evil on their beds!
At morning’s light they carry it out
because it is in their power to do it.

They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them.
They defraud people of their homes,
they rob them of their inheritance.

Therefore, the LORD says:

'I am planning disaster against this people,
from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,
for it will be a time of calamity.'”—Micah 2:1-3 TNIV

People, please

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“One of the unintended consequences of contemporary church strategies that revolve around performances, places, programs, and professionals is that somewhere along the way people get left out of the picture. But according to Jesus, people are God's method for winning the world to himself. People who have been radically transformed by Jesus.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 90.

Let's state the obvious

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“We are not the end of the gospel; God is.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 71

Only God can do it

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“It is the way of Christ. Instead of asserting ourselves, we crucify ourselves. Instead of imagining all the things we can accomplish, we ask God to do what only he can accomplish. Yes, we work, we plan, we organize, and we create, but we do it all while we fast, while we pray, and while we constantly confess our need for the provision of God. Instead of dependence on ourselves, we express radical desperation for the power of his Spirit, and we trust that Jesus stands ready to give us everything we ask for so that he might make much of our Father in the world.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 60

Blind spots

I just ran across an interesting post here about home schooling blind spots, but I think you could just as easily say parenting blind spots (via Joel Watts). Here's a particularly good snippet:

As I was looking back on this experience [of his son's first job] several years later, something my son said shortly after he started his job kept coming back to me. When I picked him up the second night of work, he got in the car with a big smile on his face and said "They like me!" As I dwelt on that comment, it suddenly came clear to me - my son had finally met someone who liked him for who he was. Few others in his entire life had shown him much acceptance, especially not his mother and I. It is no exaggeration - in our efforts to shape and improve him, all we did was find fault with everything he did . We loved him dearly, but he constantly heard from us that what he did (who he was) wasn't good enough. He craved our approval, but we couldn't be pleased. Years later, I realized he had given up trying to please us when he was 14, and from then on he was just patronizing us. [italics original]

The reason our son wanted to adorn himself like his work associates, was because they accepted him for who he was. He wanted to fit in with those who made him feel significant. He wanted to be like those who gave him a sense of identity. The problem wasn't one that could be solved by extended sheltering - he could have been sheltered until he was 30 and he still would have been vulnerable. The problem was that we had sent our son into the world insecure in who he was. He went into the world with a hole in his heart that God had wanted to fill through his parents.

<idle musing>
Do yourself and your kids a favor, love them—and tell them repeatedly that you love them. And assure them that your love is unconditional; that you will always love them. God's business is changing them and molding them.

Now, don't think I'm saying not to discipline them, because I'm not. You can end up with just as big a mess that way :( But, for better or worse, most of the time we don't tell our kids we love them enough. Or, we say it but don't show it.

The results can affect them for years afterward. Please, tell them you love them—and show it.
</idle musing>

It creeps in and consumes you

Have I started writing horror? No, but that is exactly what technology can do. Check out this post by Andy Le Peau from IVP:

I was at a conference recently where often, when there was a break, the participants tended not to get up, stretch, get a cup of coffee, chat with those nearby or even go to the bathroom. Instead they sat there. They were not mesmerized by the presentation they had just heard. They were mesmerized by their screens—handheld or laptop—checking email, tweets, Facebook, news feeds and more.

<idle musing>
I've seen the same thing. In fact, I've seen people walking in the woods with their faces buried in a smartphone. What's the point of walking in the woods?

I'm no stranger to technology—in fact, I ran the IT department at a previous job—but, I have chosen to limit my technology. We don't have a TV set, nor a computer at home. I don't have a smart phone and only got a cell phone because of business needs. It's a choice. Debbie and I have chosen to spend our time in different ways that we believe are more productive. You should try it, you might find out that it is a worthwhile change :)

Just an
</idle musing>

What Holy Spirit?

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“I am a part of a system that has created a whole host of means and methods, plans and strategies for doing church that require little if any power from God. And it's not just pastors who are involved in this charade. I am concerned that all of us—pastors and church members in our culture—have blindly embraced an American dream mentality that emphasizes our abilities and exalts our names in the ways we do church.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, Pages 48-49

<idle musing>
Yep. Generally speaking, if the Holy Spirit failed to show up in our life today, we wouldn't even notice—practicing atheists.
</idle musing>

The american dream and the gospel

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability. The American dream prizes what people can accomplish when they believe in themselves and trust in themselves, and we are drawn toward such thinking. But the gospel has different priorities. The gospel beckons us to die to ourselves and to believe in God and to trust in his power. In the gospel, God confronts us with our utter inability to accomplish anything of value apart from him. This is what Jesus meant when he said, 'I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.'”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 46

<idle musing>
Amen! I think he's at his best when he is critiquing how culture has infiltrated the church.
</idle musing>

A new creation

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“We are saved from our sins by a free gift of grace, something that only God can do in us and that we cannot manufacture ourselves.

“But that gift of grace involves the gift of a new heart. New desires. New longings. For the first time, we want God. We see our need for him, and we love him. We seek after him, and we find him, and we discover that he is indeed the great reward of our salvation. We realize that we are saved not just to be forgiven of our sins or to be assured of our eternity in heaven but we are saved to know God. So we yearn for him. We want him so much that we abandon everything else to experience him. This is the only proper response to the revelation of God in the gospel.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 39

<idle musing>
Amen! That we are new in Christ is the good news. Everything else he mentions is the fruit of being new and being in Christ.
</idle musing>

Sinking sand

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“We have been told all that is required is a one-time decision, maybe even mere intellectual assent to Jesus, but after that we need not worry about his commands, his standards, or his glory. We have a ticket to heaven, and we can live however we want on earth. Our sin will be tolerated along the way. Much of modern evangelism today is built on leading people down this road, and crowds flock to it, but in the end it is a road built on sinking sand...”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 38

<idle musing>
And we all know what happens to roads (or buildings) built on sinking sand...
</idle musing>

Argh!

My computer died today. All the posts were on it...at first they thought it was the video card, which was under warranty. It's not :( It's the logic board...bummer. Ah well, in and for everything give thanks!

I'm a good person

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“My life is not going right, but God loves me and has a plan to fix my life. I simply need to follow certain steps, think certain things, and check off certain boxes, and then I am good.

“Both our diagnosis of the situation and our conclusion regarding the solution fit nicely in a culture that exalts self-sufficiency, self-esteem, and self-confidence. We already have a fairly high view of our morality, so when we add a superstitious prayer, a subsequent dose of church attendance, and obedience to some of the Bible, we feel pretty sure that we will be all right in the end.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 32

<idle musing>
Self-this and self-that...Jesus says death to self, so we just ignore him or redefine what he meant. The latest Barna poll (sorry, can't remember the link) showed that while religious belief was decreasing over the last 15 years, certainty of heaven was increasing. Explain that!? Obviously it ain't coming from the biblical text...
</idle musing>

Stop and look

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“The gospel reveals eternal realities about God that we would sometimes rather not face. We prefer to sit back, enjoy our clichés, and picture God as a Father who might help us, all the while ignoring God as Judge who might damn us. Maybe this is why we fill our lives with the constant drivel of entertainment in our culture—and in the church. We are afraid that if we stop and really took at God in his Word, we might discover that he evokes greater awe and demand deeper worship than we are ready to give him.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 29

<idle musing>
"the constant drivel of entertainment..." I quoted that to Debbie last night. I think it describes our culture too perfectly. As a society, we're afraid of silence, of being face-to-face with ourselves.
</idle musing>

The American Gospel

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“Fundamentally, the gospel is the revelation of who God is, who we are, and how we can be reconciled to him. Yet in the American dream, where self reigns as king (or queen), we have a dangerous tendency to misunderstand, minimize, and even manipulate the gospel in order to accommodate our assumptions and our desires. As a result, we desperately need to explore how much of our understanding of the gospel is American and how much is biblical.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 28

<idle musing>
Amen! Good preaching!
</idle musing>

Poor Guy

I feel sorry for Guy. He's back in the US and is being subjected to the standard way of doing "church" in the US. Read his observations and see if you don't think they make more sense than the current way of doing things. To whet your appetite, here's one:

Prayer. Probably the most striking thing I have noticed after years of being away from legacy churches is the almost non-existent place of prayer in the gatherings of believers. Prayer is used more as a way to begin and close meetings, but I have seen little real praying when believers gather. Singing praise and worship songs is certainly a way of addressing our Lord, but there are so many other aspects of our communion with God that are going unaddressed in our gatherings: prayers of repentance/confession, prayers of united intercession and supplication, prayers for laborers (Lk. 10:2), prayers for wisdom/guidance/discernment, spiritual warfare, prayers for healing and for the sick, prayers for those who do not know the Lord, etc.

I suspect the reason prayer is downplayed is that prayer takes time. Maybe the problem is we have to cram everything in between 11am-12noon. There simply isn't time for prayer if we are going to sing for 20-minutes and listen to a 30-minute message. But then, is it any wonder we have such little spiritual power in our midst?

<idle musing>
Read them all and consider how much more scriptural they are...and then head on over and read this
</idle musing>

Which Jesus do you want?

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“...we are starting to redefine Christianity. We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible and twist him into a version of Jesus we are more comfortable with.

“A nice, middle-class, American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who would not expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that he receives all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all he loves us just the way we are. A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter wants us to avoid danger altogether. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 13

<idle musing>
That's a version of christianity I've seen far too often...
</idle musing>

Telling it like it is

For my disclaimer on this series, see here.

“I am convinced that we as Christ followers in American churches have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe. And I am convinced we have a choice.”— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 3

<idle musing>
Well, he certainly doesn't waste any time beating around the bush, does he? I think he is right, and he will defend that claim for a good part of the rest of the book. Stay tuned :)
</idle musing>

Advice from a teacher

Somebody posted this link on Facebook, I think, but it bears reposting. As someone who taught High School Latin, I can agree with him. The whole thing bears reading, but here's a short little snippet about grades:

This one may be hard to accept, but you shouldn't assume that because your child makes straight A's that he/she is getting a good education. The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone. Parents will say, "My child has a great teacher! He made all A's this year!"

Wow. Come on now. In all honesty, it's usually the best teachers who are giving the lowest grades, because they are raising expectations. Yet, when your children receive low scores you want to complain and head to the principal's office.

Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has "given" your child, you might need to realize your child "earned" those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education.

<idle musing>
When I was in college (once I got serious), I would seek out the teachers who had the reputation of being the hardest; I knew I would learn!
</idle musing>

Popularity

For my disclaimer on this series, see here

“Jesus apparently wasn't interested in marketing himself to the masses. His invitations to potential followers were clearly more costly than the crowds were ready to accept, and he seemed to be okay with that. He focused instead on the few who believed him when he said radical things. And through their radical obedience to him, he turned the course of history in a new direction.— Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, page 2

<idle musing>
He sounds like Bonhoeffer here—not for the last time, either.
</idle musing>

A different book

Late spring or early summer—I can't remember which—while we were returning the grandkids, someone or two suggested a book to me that looked interesting. So, I read the first 60 pages. It was fascinating and deadly accurate, so I asked if I could borrow it. They let me, and I set it on my desk at home.

Six weeks passed before I got back to it. By that time, I had forgotten the first 60 pages, so I started over again. I still found it fascinating and deadly accurate. The author hit the nail on the head, time after time. He was diagnosing what was wrong with the church in America—and he isn't a far-out on the limb house church or Emergent author either! In fact, he is a mega-church pastor.

I found myself devouring the book, hoping he would offer the cure to all the ills he was highlighting. When he got to the prescription, I found that his cure was as bad as the disease. Where was the power of the Holy Spirit? Where was the presence of God in your moment-by-moment life? Where was the vibrant life of the book of Acts? He recommended reading the Bible through in a year, making a financial sacrifice, going on a mission trip, and getting involved in a meaningful church relationship. Same old same old, just a different package :( Not that there is anything wrong with any of them, in and of themselves. But, when you remove the emphasis on the Holy Spirit as the motivating, living factor in your life, you end up with another program.

What was/is the book? Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. Not that the book is all bad; as I said, his diagnosis is spot-on. So, I have decided I will extract the stuff that I found good from the book over the next so many days, but always link back to this caveat.

Feel free to show me where I misread him or where I am wrong; that's what the comments are for.

In the Assyrian chariotry...

“It is remarkable that, after the fall of Samaria, the Assyrians redeployed a large Israelite chariot force to fight as a unit of the royal army on its northern borders. It is also significant that the king of Assyria selected an Israelite equestrian to train the crown princes and designated many Samaritan charioteers as officers in the Assyrian army. This speaks volumes about the level of equestrian expertise in Israel.”—The Horsemen of Israel, page 143

Apples!

This Saturday, I picked a bushel of Gala apples. We've been drying them ever since; we should be done by Saturday, just in time to pick some more :) Last year we dried 2 bushels and made apple sauce out of a couple bushels. This year we plan to dry 3 bushels—1 Gala and 2 Jonathan. That should give us enough to eat and give away.

In other gardening goodness, I canned 8 pints of pickle relish and 4 pints of beet pickles. My second planting of cucumbers is full of blossoms; I just hope this cold weather (high of 65º yesterday and 60º so far today) doesn't keep them from producing. I still would like to can another 10-15 quarts of bread & butter pickles.

I should take a picture of the canning shelf in the basement to match last year's. I don't know why, but it seems to be fuller this year than last. There's room for the dried apples, but the space for the apple sauce is full of other things. Not sure what I did differently...

In the "this didn't work so well" department: The cabbage butterfly caterpillars are devouring my cabbage. I should have left the row cover on them :( They also are enjoying the Brussel sprouts and kohlrabi, but the cabbage is the big sufferer. I might not get any to speak of. Oh well, next year.

We dug our first potatoes last week. I did straw potatoes again this year; low maintenance, high productivity :) They sure beat store bought potatoes—even organic ones.

High-tech in the Iron Age

“In our nuclear age of sophisticated electronics and high-tech weaponry, it is easy to lose the sense of the astounding power of the horse that people in the ancient world witnessed routinely. Unfortunately in modern times, false notions about the horse and riding have infiltrated historical analysis—for example, that the lack of stirrups and saddles prevented superior horsemanship in battle, or that horses required stables to survive and were prohibitively expensive to maintain, or that Israel was unsuited for raising and training horses. In fact, the archaeological and epigraphical evidence as well as basic equestrian knowledge prove the contrary. The horse was key to the survival of nations, and every country, including Israel and Judah, did whatever was necessary to support and train its war-horses and equestrian warriors.”—The Horsemen of Israel, page 142

Chariots

“Iron Age Israel and Judah were far better suited to accommodate a large chariotry than their surrounding neighbors. They had a varied but compact terrain with open plains for chariot training, rich valleys of pastureland, more than adequate barley and oat production, and hilly areas appropriate for breeding and rearing foals. More importantly, both Israel and Judah were geographically small with short distances between cities, forts, and battlefields. Horses could be moved from one area to another in a matter of hours, rather than the weeks required to cross a much larger country such as Assyria or Egypt.”—Contrell, page 63

<idle musing>
This is from a professional equestrian, so it would be a good idea to listen...
</idle musing>

Final post from Severe Mercy

“This journey through the Old Testament has consistently revealed the importance of the character of God for remedying sin, and it is this character that makes sense of the variety of remedies. God’s character is consistently emphasized, especially focusing on the recitation of elements from the character creed found in Exod 34:6–7. There, God’s character is identified as both gracious and just; God forgives and yet punishes, that is, he displays a severe mercy. This character has been consistent throughout the Old Testament. Yahweh is a God who takes sin very seriously and does not leave the guilty unpunished, and yet he is a God filled with grace and mercy expressed through his patience and forgiveness. It is his justice that explains his regular discipline of sin but his grace that offers hope to a disciplined people. His justice has gracious intent, as he seeks to eliminate the sin that threatens human existence and severs relationship with him. His grace is seen in his constant mitigation of punishment and expressed in his reticence to discipline. This severe mercy, however, cannot be controlled even by the character creed, which is carefully qualified by Yahweh himself as being always under the control of his sovereign will (Exod 33:19).”—A Severe Mercy, pages 522-523

<idle musing>
That's the final bit from A Severe Mercy. I put off starting the book for nearly two years because it was so monstrous in size, but once I started it, it was well worth my time. I hope you've enjoyed the snippets—maybe even enough to buy/borrow the book. I know some of you have, because you told me. I know others looked at the shear size of the book and got scared—just like I did initially. Don't let the size overwhelm you, it is worth the read.

If you don't know Hebrew, some of it will go over your head, but it will still repay your time reading it. Next up will be some snippets from The Horsemen of Israel. The book doesn't lend itself well to excerpts, but it certainly reads well (and quickly at 160 or so pages). I've learned a lot about horses and chariots and ancient warfare. After that, I'm not sure what; I've got 2-3 books going right now.
</idle musing>

No formula here!

“...one cannot reduce divine-human interaction to a single model (the problem of Job!), especially because of the dynamic of divine and human sovereignty. The Old Testament is witness to the consistent recalcitrance of humanity but also recognizes the mysterious sovereignty of God. Before renewing covenant with rebellious Israel in Exodus 34, a renewal based on Yahweh’s gracious and just character showcased in 34:6–7, Yahweh declares in Exod 33:19: 'I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.' This divine freedom is recognized regularly throughout the Old Testament in phrases such as 'who knows' and 'perhaps,' which precede hopes for God’s grace in reply to human response (2 Sam 12:22; Joel 2:14; Amos 5:15; Jonah 1:6, 3:9; Zeph 3:3). It is expressed by the people in Lamentations 3, who claim that God refuses to listen to their penitential cries, and those in Isaiah 64, who claim that God has hardened their hearts. This divine freedom most often benefits humanity. For instance, Cain deserves no grace, but instead Yahweh mitigates his punishment. The nation of Israel is deserving of annihilation in Exodus 32–34 and Numbers 13–14 but instead is preserved by God. The dominant pattern of human sin–divine discipline–human response–divine grace in all of its forms cannot be reduced to an impersonal retribution principle separated from the dynamic relationship between Yahweh and his people.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 521

<idle musing>
And we can all thank God that the divine freedom usually benefits us and can't be reduce to an impersonal principle. I much prefer the divine-human relationship.
</idle musing>

Stubbornness

“Because of the stubbornness of humans, divine discipline or threat of discipline does not always lead to a normative human response. In some cases, when this happens God responds with further discipline (Ezekiel 20), sometimes with a mixture of discipline and grace (Psalm 78, 106; Ezekiel 20), and at other times with grace alone (Nehemiah 9, Ezekiel 20, Hosea 11). In some cases, what appears to be a proper human response does not always elicit a divine response of grace from God. This may be due to the fact that God’s patience has run out for the people who have been given enough chances (Jer 14:1–15:4), that divine discipline is not yet complete (Lamentations 3?), or that the people lack true penitential response (Jer 4:1–4).”—A Severe Mercy, pages 521

<idle musing>
In other words, don't put God in a box! And, don't think you can trick God into doing what you want him to do...
</idle musing>

Divine discipline

“At the head of the pattern [of dealing with sin] is divine discipline. Divine discipline for human sin is often presented simply as punishment for violation without being part of a larger pattern that sees it prompting a human response. This is displayed most vividly in the Torah, especially in the early stories of Genesis and in the penalties associated with the legal codes. Punishments of this sort are designed to remove serious violators from the camp or to discourage the violator or others from repeating the violation. However, even in these cases divine discipline refines the community by removing the rebellious and warning the rest of the community. As part of the larger pattern, divine discipline prompts repentance from the willing. The fact that full punishment is rarely exacted but rather more often a punishment is mitigated reveals its disciplinary design.”—A Severe Mercy, page 520

Thought for the day

In their arrogance the wicked hunt down the weak,
catching them in the schemes they devise.
They boast about the cravings of their hearts;
they bless the greedy and revile the LORD.
In their pride the wicked do not seek him;
in all their thoughts there is no room for God.
Their ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected byb them;
they sneer at all their enemies.
They say to themselves, “Nothing will ever shake us.”
They swear, “No one will ever do us harm.”

   Their mouths are full of lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under their tongues.
They lie in wait near the villages;
from ambush they murder the innocent.
Their eyes watch in secret for their victims;
like a lion in cover they lie in wait.
They lie in wait to catch the helpless;
they catch the helpless and drag them off in their nets.
˻The innocent˼ are crushed, they collapse;
they fall victim to superior strength.
The wicked say to themselves, “God will never notice;
he covers his face and never sees.”

Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
Why do the wicked revile God?
Why do they say to themselves,
“He won’t call us to account”?
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arms of the wicked and the evildoers;
call them to account for their wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.

The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.—Psalm 10:2-18

The progession of hope

“It is in the midst of Israel’s struggle with sin that the way forward is revealed. Expanding the insight first voiced in Deut 30:6, the prophets ultimately look beyond Israel’s ability to a new day in which Yahweh will enable them to remain faithful and avoid sin. What was only a passing comment in the Torah expands and dominates hope, especially in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Initial signs of fulfillment of this promise can be discerned in Hag 1:12–15 as God stirs up the spirits of the faithful remnant. Only through a divine transformation such as this will Israel be able to fully realize its destiny as the conduit of divine presence and blessing to the nations.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 515

<idle musing>
What was true for Israel is even more true for the church. No divine transformation means no power, no witness, no good news. Christianity is more than a mental assent to a set of doctrines...
</idle musing>

Sheep!

“‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.”—Ezekiel 34:17-22 TNIV

Transformation in the Psalms

“...the confession of culpability reveals a theological conviction that the remedy for sin is not just divine discipline but rather grace obtained through prayerful admission of sin. This forgiveness, however, is not the final remedy, because the psalmists also look for a righteousness that arises from the heart and that is enabled by Yahweh, who teaches as well as transforms the heart.”—A Severe Mercy, page 508

Bad shepherds

“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.”—Ezekiel 34:10 TNIV

<idle musing>
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
</idle musing>

Job and repentance

“Divine discipline is indeed the dominant remedy for sin. Job’s friends and Elihu echo this principle of divine discipline and stress as well the importance of prayer and repentance as a remedy for sin in response to discipline. Job’s problem is not with these remedies for sin but rather with the absolutizing of the world view that assumes all suffering is directly related to sin and thus demands repentance. It is interesting, however, that in the end Job does repent, not of sin, but rather of his expectation that Yahweh is accountable to him for his administration of his retribution principles.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 507-508

Thought for today

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.”—Ezekiel 34:2-4 TNIV

<idle musing>
What do you think Ezekiel would say to our politicians and big business executives today? Do you think he would tone it down? Me neither...
</idle musing>

Redemptive purposes

“...one can discern a pattern that sin is first met with prophecy, and only after repeated warnings (expressions of God’s grace) does God act in judgment. Even this judgment has redemptive purposes because it has as its goal the rest of the land and the return of the people.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 503

Itching ears

“As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.’ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.”—Ezekiel 33:30-32 TNIV

<idle musing>
Not a whole lot has changed in 2500 years, has it?
</idle musing>

Weekend

The weather here has moderated and the green beans have started producing. They pretty much shutdown when it got so hot, but now I'm getting enough to freeze.

I tried some great northern beans this year, too. They are a dried bean—great for baked beans. I picked some Saturday that I was afraid would fall off the vine. I figured I might get a cup, but once I shelled them, I ended up with almost 6 cups. They've started producing again, too. Makes me hungry for baked beans :)

The cucumbers haven't been producing as much as I wish, but I still managed to can 4 1/2 quarts of bread and butter pickles. I hope the second planting does well.

Last week, I planted more beans, peas, and carrots. Something is eating the pea seeds from underneath. Only about 30-50% are left. Anybody know what might be eating them? I didn't think moles would eat them.

Sunday saw me get two flat tires—both of them the front tire. One of the roads that desperately needed resurfacing was sealed instead. All that managed to do was disguise the holes and add pea gravel. One of the pieces of pea gravel was shaped like a tiny arrow head, just perfect to cause a flat. I was only about 5 miles into a 45 mile ride. No problem; I always carry an extra tube. Finished the ride in good shape. Later that evening, Debbie and I were going to take a 20 mile ride, so I pumped up her tires and added air to my front tire (the little hand pump on my bike only got it to about 50 lbs.). I got about 3 miles into the ride and the tire started going flat again. Apparently, I missed a stone and the 90 lbs. of pressure was enough to flat it...no extra tube, either. End of ride at 5.5 miles because I was out of patches! So, today is a trip to the bike shop for more patches. The tubes are still good, only about 3 or so patches on them.

Why?

“[2 Chronicles 7] Verses 14 and 16 provide two reasons why human responses to God of this sort make forgiveness possible. First of all, it is because the supplicants are “my people who are called by my name” (v. 14). Here one finds the covenantal language of “my people,” seen regularly in the covenantal formula: “I will be your God and you will be my people” (Exod 6:7, Lev 26:12, Deut 29:12, Jer 31:33). Further, these people are called by Yahweh’s name in an ancient context in which “name” is intimately associated with the very essence of the one who bears it. Thus, “to be called by my name” is to be intricately associated with this deity, that is, to be the people of Yahweh in covenant relationship. Covenantal language of this sort thus assumes the entire foundation of grace that undergirds this relationship. Divine grace thus propels the people of God to respond when he enacts the kind of discipline rehearsed in v. 13. The second reason that the process described in vv. 13–14 is possible is given in v. 16. God’s attentiveness to his people is linked to his election of and passion for the temple.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 496

Humility and repentance

“Humility (כנע [kn`]) points to the inner disposition that is the essential starting point for all repentance. The call to prayer (פלל Hithpael [pll]) shifts the focus to an external expression, in this case the verbal dimension of repentance, depicted most vividly in the threefold confession already provided in 2 Chr 6:37. Like humility, seeking God’s face highlights a key inner disposition, as the people are invited to a passionate pursuit of God. To seek after the “face of God” is a radical statement in light of God’s prohibition of this in Exod 33:23. Finally, turning from their wicked ways shifts the focus again to an external expression, in this case the active dimension of repentance, that is, the practical change of behavior. Throughout Chronicles, exemplary characters are not those who attain perfection but rather who exemplify these characteristics.”—A Severe Mercy pages 495-496

<idle musing>
We could use more "practical change of behavior" in Christianity—cheap grace is far too common. And, lest you misunderstand, it is all by the power of the Holy Spirit living within us—works is not the cure for cheap grace!
</idle musing>

Fun game

We hear a lot about the "liberal mainstream media," but did you know how much media clout the hyper-conservative Murdoch owns? You can find out by playing this fun little game:



What's left? :(

Immediate retribution or cumulative guilt?

“Throughout the rehearsal of this story, the Chronicler depicts the failures and successes of the kings through a theological paradigm often described as 'immediate retribution,' that is, the belief that 'God’s rule of his people is expressed by his constant, direct and immediate intervention in their history' (Japhet 1993: 44) or that 'reward and punishment are not deferred, but rather follow immediately on the heels of the precipitatin events' (Dillard 1987: 76). Although this theological viewpoint is not absent from the Chronicler’s source in Samuel–Kings, the author(s) of Samuel–Kings emphasized another theological paradigm often referred to as “cumulative guilt” (see pp. 165–189 above on Kings).”—A Severe Mercy, page 490

<idle musing>
You can use either paradigm; the end result is the same: guilty! Of course, we are no more innocent than the Israelites were...
</idle musing>

Nehemiah's covenant renewal

“This covenant agreement in Nehemiah 9–10 is based firmly on the belief that God does punish sin but also that he forgives because of his mercy and grace when his people cry to him in contrition.”—A Severe Mercy page 488

<idle musing>
I, for one, am glad that he does forgive when we cry to him!
</idle musing>

Quick fulfillment?

I was checking the status of a book we distribute today and ran across this:



801-802 months? That's 66.75 years! Of course, you could pay $222.61 (plus shipping). Or, you could order it from us:

Social Injustice in the Bible

“Sin in Nehemiah 5 is defined as social injustice. The process for remedying sin here shares some elements in common with the “covenant” enacted in Ezra 9. Confrontation through accusation is essential to the process as is the call to behavioral change. The people publicly accept this call through an act of praise and are put under oath.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 481

<idle musing>
Better start getting out the scissors; there's just too many places in the Bible that demand social justice. We can't have that! Better use the mental scissors to eliminate them, that way you can continue to think salvation is just about a mental assent and no life change...
</idle musing>

Sodom

"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen."—Ezekiel 16:48-50

<idle musing>
Interesting, isn't it? Those who are saying that the US is turning into Sodom probably don't have this angle in mind when they are saying it! But, YHWH and the Bible put social concerns on a much higher plane than most capitalists do... OK, fire away!

Btw, I believe that one of the sins of Sodom was homosexuality, so don't say I am ignoring it. I'm just saying that the biblical text doesn't focus only on the sexual sins of Sodom—unlike some commentators in the U.S. today. For further fun, see this.
</idle musing>

Separation has a purpose

Concerning the uncleanness and separation from foreigners in Ezra 1-6, Boda says, “It also reveals that separation such as this is not just from but is also to something, that is, to the returned community in order to seek (דרש [drsh]) Yahweh.”(emphasis his)—A Severe Mercy, pages 475.

<idle musing>
That is very important to remember. You don't separate to be separate; you separate to draw near to YHWH. And then he usually sends you back as a witness :)
</idle musing>

Pile the words higher

“It is clear that the source of hope for the 'man' in [Lamentations 2] vv. 1–20 comes from his reflection on the gracious character of Yahweh in vv. 21–33.12 Throughout this section of the poem, the composer nearly exhausts the lexical stock for grace in the Old Testament: covenant loyalty (חסד; 3:22, 32 [hesed]), compassions (רחמים; 3:22, 32 [rahamim]), faithfulness (אמונה; 3:23 ['amunah]), goodness (טוב; 3:25, 26, 27 [tov]), and salvation (תשועה; 3:26 [tshu`ah]).”—A Severe Mercy, page 455

<idle musing>
Sometimes I feel like that; pile the words on in hopes that it works...but is that what he is doing? Or, is he reminding himself instead of God? Just an
</idle musing>

The goal of confession

“The admission of sin highlighted above reveals that this mercy and grace does come to the guilty, but only when they confess their culpability. This confession, however, is not merely an external verbal articulation but involves a real change in disposition and behavior. This is suggested by the way in which Ps 103:11, 13, and 17 play on the character creed in Exod 34:6–7, noting that God’s mercy is afforded to those who fear him. It is made explicit in the way in which these psalms accentuate the fact that forgiveness is not the ultimate goal of God’s mercy but rather the transformation of one’s inner disposition and a fundamental change in behavior. According to Ps 130:4, there is forgiveness so that Yahweh may be feared. In Psalm 32, forgiveness is what leads to a new lifestyle (vv. 6–11). Psalm 51 places the priority on a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. Transformation of this sort is not left to humans. Rather, the psalmists regularly cry for God to do a work within them, asking him to reveal, teach, and lead them in his ways (Psalm 25), to create in them a clean heart, renew a steadfast spirit, and sustain a willing spirit (Psalm 51).”—A Severe Mercy, pages 446-447

<idle musing>
Crash goes the self-improvement theology of so many! It has to be God doing it, or it won't work! They knew it in the Psalms; they knew it in the New Testament and early church. Why do we get it wrong here in the good ole US of A?!
</idle musing>

Psalms and formulae

“What these scenarios show is the twofold riddle of the relationship between God and Israel. On the one side, whether God shows mercy or discipline, Israel does not obey, and even what looks like repentance ends up being a lie. Certainly, the psalmist highlights the guilt and despair of humanity. On the other side, there is no established pattern with God. When one expects the full venting of his wrath, he responds with mercy and forgives his people, realizing their frailty. Though in this lies the only hope for a human race unable to respond appropriately to God’s grace or discipline, it does resist any neat schematization.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 433-434

<idle musing>
Amen to that! Praise God for the hope and a double Praise God! that we can't reduce it to a formula; he isn't a tame lion...
</idle musing>

Weekend

Let's see. Thursday night: 18 pints of tomato soup. Friday night: 7 quarts of bread & butter pickles. Saturday: freeze 5 dozen ears of corn, can 14 jars of tomato sauce. Sunday: rest! Ride 60 miles on bicycle...that's rest? :)

We picked the first broccoli off the second planting. Delicious and big heads! If you recall, my first planting gave me tiny little heads, so this second planting is most welcome. I have a third planting in the basement under lights, almost ready to transplant. That one will go in the hoop house for late fall harvest.

Psalm 51

“Verses 12–14[10–12] [of Psalm 51] take the psalmist’s request to a new level. Having asked for the mercy of God, the psalmist implores God for nothing short of an inner renewal of the affections so as to avoid replicating the sinful patterns of the past. In addition, the psalmist emphasizes that the goal of mercy and transformation is ultimately relationship with God, whose presence the psalmist craves and before whom the psalmist longs to rejoice with thanksgiving.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 429

<idle musing>
I'll take it!
</idle musing>

A cat conspiracy

I know certain bloggers are convinced that cats are evil and about to take over the world. I didn't believe it until this week. Here's proof!

We ordered a book about Paul (you know, the apostle), and here's what we got instead:



Dastardly! They really are trying to take over the world!

Hide that sin

“Psalm 32 thus accentuates the importance of confession for finding forgiveness with Yahweh. For the psalmist, failure to confess is more of a concern than even the sin that needs to be confessed. In this, one can discern a heightening of transparency with Yahweh that is necessary to realize the ultimate vision of the wisdom teacher in Psalm 32, that is, the willing and trusting submission of the disciple to the mentorship of Yahweh.

“The second half of the Psalm reminds the audience that the ultimate goal of Yahweh’s mercy is not forgiveness but rather a transformation of one’s inner disposition ('spirit,' v. 2; 'understanding,' v. 9) and a fundamental change in behavior ('way,' v. 8). God’s merciful forgiveness is an invitation to submit to his loving mentorship, to avoid the 'sorrows of the wicked,' and to enjoy the protection and status of the 'righteous' and 'upright in heart.' Psalm 32 reveals that there is indeed a path from the status of wicked to the status of righteous and that this path is through the forgiveness that comes in response to confession of sin and the mentorship that comes through seeking, trusting, and following God.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 422-423

<idle musing>
That first phrase, "failure to confess is more of a concern than even the sin that needs to be confessed" is powerful. Many revivals have started simply through confession of sin. But, we hesitate to confess; we try to hide our sin—as if we can hide from the all-seeing eyes of God! But, ever since the garden, that has been our gut response. God's way is different, though, and more freeing, too.
</idle musing>

No cheap grace

“Psalm 25 highlights the role that sin and its remedy play in the prayer tradition of Israel. Here we see a confession of sin with the verbalization in v. 7 of 'the sins of my youth or my transgressions' and in v. 11 of 'my iniquity,' which is admittedly 'great.' There is a request for God to forget (v. 7) as well as to forgive sin (v. 11), and this request is carefully and relentlessly linked to the merciful character of Yahweh. But this is not cheap grace. Surrounding these requests is the expectation that this kind of forgiveness comes to those who have placed themselves under the loving and demanding mentorship of Yahweh. Psalm 1 at the outset of the Psalter 'directs the wise to the choice of the right road; Psalm 25 is a companion for use along the way' (Craigie 1983: 222). In this way, there is an admission of the challenge of remaining on the path laid out in Psalm 1: 'The essence of the road of the righteous is this: it is a road too difficult to walk without the companionship and friendship of God' (Craigie 1983: 222).”—A Severe Mercy, pages 417-418

<idle musing>
Amen! Good preaching! That is just as true now as it was in the days of the Psalmist.
</idle musing>

26 and a half quarts

We bought peaches yesterday afternoon. We canned peaches yesterday evening...and night...and beyond. We bought a bushel of very ripe peaches (the price was right!) and they needed to be processed immediately. So, we did. Note to self: next year only buy a half bushel at a time!

Since last Saturday, we have canned 12 pints of tomato soup, 6 quarts of bread & butter pickles, and now 26.5 quarts of peaches. Not a bad start. I still need to can about 30 more quarts of pickles, 12 pints of soup, and about 10 jars of tomato sauce. And then there is the freezing...

Beyond forgiveness

“The psalmists in Psalms 19 and 119 highlight the key role that the Law plays in this teaching, revealing sin and guiding the righteous in godly patterns; however, they move beyond this, crying out to God to do a work within them, imploring him to keep them back from willful sins and not to let sin rule over them (Psalm 19) and to teach, give understanding, cause to walk, incline the heart to the law, turn away eyes from vanity, and revive them in God’s ways (Psalm 119). These psalmists are aware of something beyond forgiveness, a righteousness that arises from the heart and that is enabled by Yahweh, who both teaches and transforms the heart.”—A Severe Mercy, page 414

<idle musing>
A wonderful awareness! May we all walk not only in the awareness that it exists, but in the reality of it in our own lives. Then, and only then, revival will happen.
</idle musing>

Loeb digital

Just saw this on the Classics list:

Along with the Harvard University Press, which publishes Loeb's compact, colorful print volumes, the Loeb trustees recently announced that they are preparing to convert the Loeb series to a digital format that would allow any authorized user to search the English translations of the Loeb works for specific words, ideas, and phrases. Libraries would buy licenses to provide students and other authorized users access to the digital Loeb, which is expected to go live in 2013.

<idle musing>
Nice, but it will be behind a pay wall...guess I had better stick to Perseus. Besides, it sounds like it is an English only search...
</idle musing>

Psalm 119

“Psalm 119 reveals a psalmist who, though protesting that he is innocent before the accusations of enemies, is well aware of past sinfulness and admits this before God. Sin is dealt with by closer attention to the Torah, placing it within one’s heart and experiencing it within one’s life. This is only possible through the direct intervention of Yahweh.”—A Severe Mercy, page 407

Righteousness in the Psalms

“The premium placed on righteousness rather than wickedness and the consequences of choosing one over the other is a clear sign that sin is taken very seriously in the Psalter. The discipline of God is regularly associated with the wicked and the blessing of God with the righteous. The Psalter expresses the theology that sin will be discouraged through punishment, and righteousness will be encouraged through blessing. Implicit in the pervasive appeals to these two categories is the call to penitence, that is, for those tempted to pursue sin to choose the way of the righteous with its benefits and to eschew the way of wickedness with its consequences.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 402-403

On the importance of grammar

I just about died laughing at this:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that it is only a short road that leads from grammatical laxity to cannibalism.

<idle musing>
Now, I'm not afraid to correct someone's grammar, but that is a bit too extreme even for me! Everyone knows it only leads to the collapse of civilization and the end of life as we know it! Cannibalism? Not that far...
</idle musing>

HT: Chris Spinks

Just a few numbers

Yesterday, July 27, our daughter turned 30; on Saturday, the 30, our son turns 27. I don't know, just struck me as funny.

Hey Renee! Congratulations on surviving the first third of your life :)

Greater than the sum of its parts

“In many ways, studying the theology of the Psalter parallels the study of the theology of the Old Testament. The psalms reflect diversity as independent literary units that originated and were used in a variety of historical contexts and yet that have been drawn together into a canonical unity to provide a theological perspective that transcends the sum of its parts.”—A Severe Mercy, page 396

Sad news

I heard via Katya Covrett that John Stott died. She also posted a link to an obituary. Updated link, thanks to Esteban.

He will be missed.

Job and mercy

“The wager by Satan appears to be an extraordinary incident at the outset of the book [of Job], suggesting that God’s dominant mode is to bless faithfulness and curse wickedness. However, God retains the right to grant his grace and even his discipline according to his sovereignty. It is this truth that should have been comforting for Israel, because, if Yahweh were to follow a strict retribution model, they would never have survived. It was his extraordinary displays of mercy in the face of their wicked rebellion that ensured their continued existence.”—A Severe Mercy, page 394 (emphasis his)

<idle musing>
I love the "however!" It definitely explains God's mercy through Jesus!
</idle musing>

The harvest continues

Over the weekend, I managed to can 11 jars of tomato sauce and 6 quarts of bread and butter pickles. From the looks of things, I will be canning another 20 or so jars of tomato sauce tonight. And, if the cucumbers keep coming as they are, another 6 quarts of pickles on Wednesday night.

I planted San Marzano tomatoes this year. They are a Roma style tomato. I can't believe how many tomatoes there are on the vines! If they all ripen, I'll have enough for two years of soup and sauce—plus plenty to give away. The best part is that they have a good flavor. The other tomatoes (Beefsteak, Early Girl, and cherry) are doing OK, but not as great as the San Marzano.

I started the fall broccoli the other day. The seeds sprouted in 3 days. Wow. I wonder if the rate of growth will keep pace. If it does, we'll be eating broccoli from them in August instead of September/October. They will go in the hoop house once it gets cool; I'm hoping they keep producing side sprouts until late October. We'll see...

I also planted a late planting of cucumbers; they sprouted in two days! This heat is good for something, anyway. I have been watering the garden twice a week; the heat and lack of rain definitely sucks the moisture out of the soil. I hope to get eating cucumbers off this planting; I'm not sure they will get a chance to produce enough to pickle.

Woman Folly has the advantage

“It appears that the sages are well aware that Woman Folly has an advantage. Not only are the potential feasters described in ways that suggest the potential for folly rather than wisdom (naive, those who lack understanding), but Woman Folly’s invitation is merely to 'let him turn in here' (9:16), whereas Lady Wisdom’s is to 'forsake your folly and live, and proceed in the way of understanding' (9:6). Here, then, Lady Wisdom calls the simple to repentance, motivating them by the promise of life and insight but calling them to abandon their present patterns of life. In contrast, Woman Folly demands nothing but that one enter.”—A Severe Mercy, page 373

<idle musing>
Indeed, the perfect prophet for our way of life, no? We don't need to change, repent, or anything; we just need to continue consuming and consuming and consuming...until the end. Problem is that the end is destruction. Nothing has changed in 2500 years; we still reap what we sow.
</idle musing>

A refreshing thought

From the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) blog today:

I can no longer in good conscience continue to write about the stuff of this world and how it will make our businesses better without first writing about the things of Heaven and how desperately we need to return to being about these things and not that stuff.

<idle musing>
That, my friends, is one of the most refreshing things I have heard in a long time. Too often the CBA talks about how to make more money and sell "Jesus junk" instead of talking about the important stuff.
</idle musing>

Wisdom and knowledge

“One must be careful not to associate Old Testament wisdom with modern quests for knowledge and understanding, especially in their secularity. For Old Testament sages, Yahweh was intimately involved in the task of wisdom. This is evident from the recurring appearance of the phrase “the fear of the Lord” throughout Proverbs 1–9. The fear of the Lord is considered the beginning and end of the pursuit of knowledge/wisdom (1:7, 2:5, 9:10). Wisdom itself is associated with knowledge of God/the Holy One (2:5, 9:10). Wisdom claims to be Yahweh’s first creation and faithful companion in the activity of creation (8:22–31). Yahweh is the source of all wisdom (2:6) and the guarantor of its blessings (2:7, 8; 3:5; 8:35). It is trust in Yahweh that contrasts trusting one’s own understanding (3:5), and it is Yahweh who guards and protects the just and faithful (2:8).”—A Severe Mercy, page 366

<idle musing>
As the title of this post shows, I suspect we confuse knowledge with wisdom. Wisdom is far more than that, as Boda points out here.
</idle musing>

Wisdom as life

As is evident from these lists, wisdom is a lifestyle to be lived rather than merely content to be mastered. This “skilled” living encompasses both one’s actions and one’s speech, so that wisdom is demonstrated in how one acts and what one says. However, wisdom is more than only pragmatic in character, although practice is the evidence of wisdom’s influence in one’s life. Rather than merely an external pattern to be emulated, wisdom is a principle permeating one’s inner life, and through this is designed to influence all of one’s outer life. It is for this reason that the sage throughout Proverbs 1–9 consistently reminds the audience that wisdom is a matter of the heart. It is the heart that the sage says (“with all diligence”) must be guarded “for from it flow the springs of life” (4:23). Wisdom must then “enter your heart” and knowledge must be “pleasant to your soul” (2:10). It is in the heart that commands must be kept and stored (3:1, 4:21; cf. 2:1; 7:1), with the heart that one trusts in Yahweh (3:5–6) and takes hold of wise words (4:4), and on the heart that commands and teachings as well as love and faithfulness are written and bound (3:3, 6:21, 7:3). Wisdom demands that people set their hearts on prudence (8:5) and apply their hearts to understanding (2:2).—A Severe Mercy, pages 365

A berry good time was had

Debbie and I went blueberry picking on Tuesday evening and managed to get about 13 pounds of blueberries. We froze them all—except for what we ate fresh :)

It was hot, but bearable and there were quite a few other people picking. The original idea was that I would come back on Saturday and pick the rest of what we needed. When we were paying for them, we asked the girl how much longer she expected the berries to last. She answered that with the temperature and dryness, only until Thursday or Friday. Well, that changed our plans!

So, yesterday, with a temperature of 97ºF and a heat index of 107ºF, I made my way out there again. There was no one in the stand, just a sign saying how to pay. There were only two other vehicles there and they left about 1/2 hour after I got there. But, the berries! Because no one had been picking they were quite thick and large. I picked about 13 pounds in about 2 1/2 hours—and ate at least a pound :) Once I got home, I made 13 pints of jam and froze the rest.

I think we are done with jam and berries this year—except for the raspberries in the garden. Those will be for fresh eating, not freezing.

The fear of the Lord

“As is evident from this quotation [Deut 10:12-13, 20], fear is included among a complex of words used to describe (along with “walking . . . loving . . . serving . . . clinging to God”) submissive and faithful worship. Similarly, Deut 6:1–5 reveals that to love the Lord their God with all the heart, soul, and mind is the same as the fear of the Lord. Thus, the “fear of the Lord” is a relational term that signifies Israel’s reverential response to God’s gracious salvation.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 361

Knowing God

“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,
his upper rooms by injustice,
making his subjects work for nothing,
not paying them for their labor.
He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace
with spacious upper rooms.’
So he makes large windows in it,
panels it with cedar
and decorates it in red.
“Does it make you a king
to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him.
He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?”
declares the LORD.
“But your eyes and your heart
are set only on dishonest gain,
on shedding innocent blood
and on oppression and extortion.””—Jeremiah 22:13-17 TNIV

<idle musing>
Compare what Jeremiah says about what it means to "know God" with some of the rhetoric going on in the U.S. today. Hmmm...wonder which one is right? I wouldn't bet my life on the current interpretation if I were you...Jeremiah's credentials are a bit better than theirs.
</idle musing>

And so it begins

The canning, that is. Last night I canned 3 pints of beet pickles, 6 quarts of dill pickles, and 4 quarts of rhubarb sauce. The Roma style tomatoes are starting to ripen in large quantities, so tomato paste and tomato sauce won't be far behind.

We ate our first fresh onions, pepper, and tomatoes pizza Sunday night. Delicious. And, I planted another round of cucumbers last night. I hope they grow fast enough to produce before frost.

I'm going to harvest most of the onions this week; the tops have fallen over and are getting dry. I had to pull the peas this weekend; the heat did them in. Heat is an understatement! It has been 90º+ degrees F for the last several days. The heat index has been around 100º F.

Sunday afternoon we went for a hike in the Lost Bridge Recreational Area, East side. The trail we took was in the woods, thankfully. It was just too hot to bike, and even walking in the woods had us sweating like a faucet. My shirt was drenched after the 2.5 hours of hiking. We were hoping to cover most of the 10-mile trail, but it was too hot!

And the initiative belongs to...

“In each prophetic collection the ultimate hope is shifted from human response to a divine gracious and transformative initiative. It is Ephraim in Jer 31:18–19 who voices this in his cry for God to cause him to return. The prophet shows how God will do this in the latter part of Jeremiah as he speaks of the unilateral gracious initiative of Yahweh to forgive his people (24:6; 31:34; 32:37–38, 41–44) and give them a new heart on which will be written the law (24:7, 31:33, 32:39–40). Whereas Ezekiel talked about repentance in 18:30–32 as making for oneself a new heart and spirit, Ezek 11:19, 36:26–27, 37:14, and 39:26 make clear God’s promise that he would forgive them and give them a new heart and new spirit. While this shift is most evident in Jeremiah and Ezekiel it can also be discerned in the other collections.”—A Severe Mercy, page 355

<idle musing>
Amazing, isn't it? It makes one want to fall down and worship God for his amazing love, grace, and mercy toward us.
</idle musing>

A good bit of advice

“This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hands of their oppressors those who have been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”—Jeremiah 22:3 TNIV

<idle musing>
Pretty good bit of advice, wouldn't you say? Not content to tell you to do what is just and right, Jeremiah spells it out...as a society we aren't doing so well : (
</idle musing>

The rhythm of the prophets

“The prophetic books describe a God who remains free in relation to this process. Yahweh sovereignly responds as he chooses within this rhythm [acts of discipline (judgment) or threats of discipline (prophecy)]. Although the normative pattern is for him to respond to the penitent, at times he may reject what appears to be a penitent cry and at others respond with grace where there is no penitence. This explains the 'who knows' or 'perhaps' that is expressed by David in 2 Samuel 24, the sailors and Ninevites in Jonah, and the prophet in Joel 2:14, Amos 5:15, and Zeph 3:3.5 This is not then an impersonal retribution principle and procedure but rather a rhythm based on covenantal relationship between Yahweh and Israel.

“While God retains his sovereignty, it is apparent throughout the prophetic process that humans exercise their God-given freedom by consistently rejecting divine discipline. It is this freedom that ultimately threatens the basic rhythm itself. Rather than being hidden, this threat is readily admitted within the prophetic corpus and lays the foundation for the revelation of a radically new remedy for sin. The Former Prophets make it clear in the key retrospect in 2 Kings 17 that the prophetic process was unsuccessful because of the people’s rejection of the prophets’ message. Isaiah’s call burdens the prophet with the task of shutting down the prophetic process that was designed to bring response. After early calls to repentance are met with indifference, Jeremiah shows how the prophetic process is ultimately denied by Yahweh as judgment becomes inevitable. So also Ezekiel, who is forbidden from the outset to intercede for a Jerusalem whose fate is sealed, experiences the frustration of preaching repentance to a stubborn remnant. Although there are positive examples of the basic rhythm working in the Twelve, it is clear from Hosea, Amos, and Micah that the process is frustrated by an intractable people.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 354-355

<idle musing>
So much for "name it; claim it; stomp on it and frame it" theology. God is free to respond as he desires, not how we wish he would. No manipulation allowed.

I must say, I prefer it that way.
</idle musing>

The promises are conditional

But, we like to ignore the conditions, don't we? Jeremiah for the day:

“If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.”—Jeremiah 18:7-10 TNIV

Garden goodies

We ate our first tomato yesterday! And, our second cucumber. The first planting of beans is about done, and the second one is just starting to produce. We've been enjoying kohlrabi and carrots from the garden for over a month now. The carrots were from the January planting; the March carrot planting is about to begin producing.

I planted a package of turnips, but only about 10 came up. I ate two of them the other day. I've decided I'm not a turnip fan... The peas are done; I'll be planting more cucumbers there. And, the last of the Romaine lettuce had to be pulled; it had bolted (gone to seed) and was bitter. I'll put carrots there for a fall crop.

The onions that I have scattered in three different places are a mixed lot. The two in established beds are doing great. In fact, they are about ready to harvest. The planting in the new bed, with little compost, is doing very poorly. Not surprising; the first year we had a garden here, the results were dismal. Very sandy/gravelly soil that needs a lot of compost to do well.

The pepper plants are doing well. We have small peppers on them. The watermelon has small little fruit on it, too. They are cute at that stage, only a few inches in diameter. Won't be long now and they will be huge. I harvested the garlic. Some of it did very well, with large clusters. Some of them weren't so large :) That's ok, I have enough to last the year and some seed for next.

The birds decided that they needed our blueberries more than we did but that's OK. We hadn't expected to get anything off them this year anyway; they are only two years old. Note to self: cover them next year!

The early raspberries are starting to produce; we have everbearing, so the late crop will be fuller and better. But, it does give one a taste of what is coming.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some stuff, but you get the idea...Oh yeah, I made beet pickles last weekend and probably will this weekend as well. Yum!

Future hope

“The Torah ended with Moses’ invitation to an Israel poised for conquest, and the Prophets have echoed this invitation to Israel throughout its history. The pessimism expressed in the closing chapters of the Torah has now been demonstrated from the story and prophecies of Israel, but alongside this is the hope expressed at the end of the Torah for a new day of restoration accompanied by a divine transformation of the heart. With this hopeful vision, the prophets hold to the expectation that Israel will fully realize its destiny as Yahweh’s 'kingdom of priests' and 'holy nation' that will serve as a conduit of his presence and blessing to the nations.”—A Severe Mercy, page 352

The discipline of the LORD

“It is this other way [YHWH appearing in discipline] that can be regularly discerned within the Twelve. In contrast to Joel and Jonah, the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Micah receive little response to their calls to repentance, and Amos 4 shows that the people have not even responded to the divine discipline they have experienced so far. This lack of response leads to his call for them to prepare to meet their God, a call with double entendre, suggesting a final hope for repentance along with an expectation of climactic divine discipline. Thus, while holding out hope for repentance alongside the announcement of judgment, Hosea, Amos, and Micah all look to a severe divine discipline from which will emerge a penitent and faithful community, often associated with the Day of the Lord. Though Joel and Jonah have provided some hope for the validity of human response in the first half of the Twelve based on the gracious character of Yahweh, it is ironically the recitation of the character creed of Exodus in the seventh book (Nahum) that signals a shift in the Twelve away from human penitence and to divine discipline.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 348

<idle musing>
The shift in emphasis is interesting, as is the multiple uses of the Exodus character creed (I am slow to anger...). It is indeed a promise and a threat—reminds me of Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16:

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.

</idle musing>

New 10-day sale at Eisenbrauns

I just posted a new 10-day sale: 20-50% off selected Egyptology titles. You can see it here.

Timber-r-r

On Monday morning, we had a very severe thunderstorm here in northern Indiana. Someone told me the winds were clocked at over 70 miles per hour. I'm not sure how strong they were, but they were strong enough to topple a 60 foot spruce tree in our yard.

It fell across the road, blocking it, but missed the power lines. If the wind had been from the west instead of the northwest, it could have gotten ugly. Instead, the county pushed it back into our yard, breaking it in half. It looked quite interesting in the front yard (no, I didn't get a picture of it). I was hoping that it would be their responsibility to clean up—it is within the right-of-way—but a call on Tuesday gave me the news that it was mine.

So, last night, Cliff (our neighbor) and I began the task of cutting it up. We got the limbs done and most of the trunk before dark and a burned out chain stopped us. Tonight will probably see us finishing it up. But, now I have a very large hole in the front yard and a much increased brush pile in the back yard...

Sales tax and California

Ran across this today about Amazon's behavior:

In other words, this isn't an argument between two equally reasonable positions. It's an argument between reason and emotion, between your brain and your gut. Amazon has no intellectually sound arguments against collecting taxes from residents—by all ethical and civic standards, its position is unsound. Instead, Amazon is counting on our emotions prevailing—on loyal, tax-savvy customers like me lashing out at our price-hiking legislators. I worry that there's a good chance Amazon—and people like me—will prevail.
...
That's why Amazon is launching a second front in the battle against sales tax. On Monday, it announced that it would support a ballot initiative to overturn California's law. Amazon's vice president of public policy, Paul Misener (aptronym alert!), put out a statement that borrows from the rhetoric of the Tea Party. The ballot initiative is "a referendum on jobs and investment in California," he said, and "with unemployment at well over 11 percent, Californians deserve a voice and a choice about jobs, investment, and the state's economic future." If Amazon spends substantial sums to push such a ballot measure next fall, it's hard to see how it could lose. The ads write themselves: Don't let greedy lawmakers tax your Internet purchases!

Though I doubt most voters would care to pick apart such a populist message, such a sound bite falls apart under scrutiny. For example, the idea that Amazon is an "out-of-state" retailer in California is a complete fiction. Amazon owns several subsidiaries whose primary offices are located in the state. Within a 30-minute drive from my home, I can visit some of Amazon's most important divisions—A9, which builds its product search engine, is located in Palo Alto, while Lab 126, the Amazon office that designs the Kindle, is in Cupertino. Amazon has also repeatedly claimed that the California law is unconstitutional, but it has not (yet) filed suit against the measure. I suspect it's afraid it might lose on the merits—that any judge who hears that Amazon builds its most successful product in the state will declare the company to be as Californian as Apple Inc.

<idle musing>
Be sure to read the whole thing. The bottom line is we, as a nation, need to decide whether we are in favor of the common good, or are we in favor of our own little slice of whatever. Of course, if we decide on the slice, it will disappear; look up "tragedy of the commons" on a search engine...total depravity is real.
</idle musing>

The call to repentance

“It is clear throughout the Twelve that human penitential response is the preferred remedy for sin. All of the 8th-century prophets call the people to repentance even as they announce God’s judgment. Whereas these three books (Hosea, Amos, Micah) reveal a negative response to calls of this sort, mixed among them are two books, Joel and Jonah, that showcase positive responses. Connections between these two books and their vision for repentance are evident in the striking similarities between the rituals associated with the people’s repentance (fasting, sackcloth; cf. Joel 1:13–14, 2:15–16; Jonah 3:5–8).”—A Severe Mercy, page 347

Jeremiah for the day

"You are always righteous, LORD,
when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice:
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the faithless live at ease?
   You have planted them, and they have taken root;
they grow and bear fruit.
You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts."—Jeremiah 12:1-2 TNIV

Your dose of Jeremiah for the day

"If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place..."—Jeremiah 7:5-7a TNIV, emphasis added

<idle musing>
I'm finding my stroll through Jeremiah very interesting...
</idle musing>

Malachi and sin

“At two points, the book [of Malachi] confronts inappropriate moral patterns, the first among the priests who are showing partiality by favoring the powerful in their torah rulings at the temple (2:1–9) and the second among the people who are divorcing their wives for foreign women (2:10–16). By relaxing the strict torah rules over appropriate animals for sacrifice and by divorcing Jewish wives in favor of women from the foreign elite, priests and people alike were compromising principles of the Law for the purpose of gaining social status.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 342

<idle musing>
Looks like he's gone from preachin' to meddlin'... "compromising principles of the Law for the purpose of gaining social status." That could easily describe much/most of the church in the US today...
</idle musing>

The book of Joel and the prophetic process

“Though divine discipline and human repentance are key to Joel’s vision of remedying sin, it is ultimately an appeal to God’s favor that encourages the people to repent. It is this appeal to God’s character that shows that the call to repentance is distinct from the call to communal lamentation: “It is motivated not by a reference to the calamity, but first by a reference to Yahweh’s character and will (v 13b), and second by the prospect of his future action (v 14)” (Wolff 1977: 40). God’s response is true to form as his zeal is aroused to spare his people from their present predicament and proclaim his plan to pour forth his Spirit on his people and bring judgment on the nations. Joel presents the proper function of the prophetic process.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 309

Thought for the day

“Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit;
they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit
Should I not punish them for this?” declares the LORD; they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor.
“Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?”—Jeremiah 5:27-29

Grace only, grace always

“The consistent lack of response from the people in this book [Hosea], however, creates the expectation that the obedience of the people would be ultimately possible only through the initiative (2:24–23, 3:1–5, 11:8–11) and transforming work (14:4) of Yahweh. Hosea, therefore, envisions a role for the prophetic call to repentance as well as the discipline of God to deal with sin, but in the end the greatest hope for remedying sin is placed on the passionate grace, unilateral initiative, and transforming work of Yahweh to create penitence that is both authentic and enduring.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 304

<idle musing>
Again, grace—unilateral grace. Only that can create a true and lasting repentance (and remember repentance in Hebrew means to turn and move away from something).
</idle musing>