Opus 2025-267: Temple Talk

Some of my fellow believers are big fans of the end times.  They have it mapped out and will show you the charts and graphs to prove it.  The reason I don’t take them too seriously is that each of their charts are unique to their own scenario.  

I am sure I will have more to say in the future but a certain verse set off my radar,

(Psa 18:6 KJV)  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

It you look at the beginning of the chapter you see that this is one of David’s Psalms.  There was no temple when David was king so how could God hear David’s voice out of the temple?  It is little difficulties like this that I find interesting.  Both the KJV and the NASB have this problem.

Some other translations offer the solution.

(Psa 18:6 CEV) I was in terrible trouble when I called out to you, but from your temple you heard me and answered my prayer.

There is no temple in Israel so it must refer to one in the heavens.  God is listening from heaven.  The only key point to take from this is that God hears us.  Return the favor.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-114: Poetry and Prophecy

There are two areas of biblical literature that make me want to do somersaults and scream, “No!”  They would be poetry and prophecy.

Poetry whether it is biblical or not always gives me fits.  I do not enjoy poetry as poetry.  When I’m reading a book and the author includes poetry I tend to just skip over it.  This can be in some kind of science fiction or a work of history, it doesn’t matter.  Somehow when things are written in verse my brain shuts down.  So far I don’t think it’s causing me any great misunderstanding of what the author was trying to say.

Prophecy also tends to make my brain shut down.  I am talking here about the kind of prophecy that would be categorized as foretelling rather than forth telling. Forth telling is just good preaching, and I need to learn to listen to that.  Foretelling is different.  It has to do with commenting on future events.  The problem for me is that I have this belief that this kind of prophecy was not written to be understood.  We might understand it, but it will be too late to change anything.

What happens in both of these types of literature is that the mind of the author goes off the deep end as they try to describe the undescribable.  In poetry the creative muse is leading them down paths in their mind that are almost impossible to explain to someone who’s outside their mind.  They use every different type of literary device to try and transfer the emotions and conceptual stews that are raging inside them. The same type of problem comes with divine messages.  In one place Paul specifically calls our attention to this.

2 Corinthians 12:3-4 (KJV) 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

I ran into this recently in the poetry of David,

Psalms 18:8-10 (KJV) 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness [was] under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

If you ever had an intimate time of worship with the Lord, do you know how hard it is to describe to someone what you’re experiencing.  David had that problem regularly.

When you go to prophecies, such as Daniel and Ezekiel and Revelation, you encounter the same issue.  How much is to be taking literally?  How much is figurative?  And how much doesn’t fit into either category?

When people tell me that some famous person is a world-class poet, I just kind of nod my head and don’t argue.  When someone tells me that they understand what the book of Revelation is talking about and have it all planned out what God is going to do in the end times I have a similar reaction but it tends more to laughing out loud.

And then I get on with my day, knowing that there are many things that I can grapple with and actually make progress.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-328: Gestalt Theology

I believe in Gestalt interpretation of the Bible:  You must take it all into consideration.  What we disparagingly call proof-texts have a place but that place is fragile when the verse stands alone.  If it is supported by other verses, it has power.  If you have two ideas that seem to be at odds then it is important to dig deeper to find the common ground, Gestalt.

One contrast that has been on my mind a lot is the Biblical expectation that we live righteously.  At least I think it is a Biblical expectation.  Many would say that it is impossible to live an upright life.  They have a problem if they gestalt the whole Bible.  Consider,

(1Pe 1:13-16 NAS77) Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

I keep coming across passages that fit in with this.  Psalm 18 specifically says that David kept the law and was righteous.  

(Psa 18:20 KJV)  The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

Psalms and Proverbs are full of this kind of statement.  

James, although he declares that works are necessary, seems to imply that we cannot keep the law.

(Jas 2:10 KJV)  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

He does not come right out and say you can’t keep it, but the point is there.  On the other hand he does imply that you can keep most of the law.

Both must be combined for the final understanding.  

James is talking about original sin and being born in sin.  Paul would say, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

David is pointing out that it is possible to live a righteous life.  This point is supported by Zachariah and Elizabeth and other examples.

Don’t confuse the two or ignore one point.  Walk straight.  Live upright.  God gives the power, you supply the will.

homo unius libri