Does the Bible Wrongly Call the Bat a Bird?
James Patrick Holding
Lev. 11:13, 19 And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls...And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. (See also Deut. 14:11, 18)
A biological boo-boo here? Plenty of critics think so, including one in particular who prompted my wife and I to write a letter to the editor of our local paper.
Let's start with the simple answer. Obviously, Linnean classification was not available in the time of the writing of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and the scientific definition of what a "bird" was did not exist either. Classification of animals and things was made by different means: function or form. In this case, the word we render birds means simply "owner of a wing", the word being 'owph, which comes from a root word which means to cover or to fly.
The category of 'owph includes birds, bats, and certain insects. It would also have included pterosaurs, if they had been around. Even modern ecologists classify water-dwelling life in a very similar way according to their mode of living: plankton (floaters/drifters), nekton (swimmers) and benthos (bottom-dwellers). It's similar to refuting geocentrism charges against the Bible by showing that even modern astronomers use terms like "sunset" and "sunrise" without being accused of being geocentrists, so why shouldn't we make the same allowance for the Bible writers.
"Yeah, right, Holding! So are you more of an expert in Hebrew than all those Bible scholars like Strong who decided that 'bird' was the best word to use here? Get real!!!"
More of an expert in Hebrew, no -- the problem is that those Hebrew experts aren't experts in animal biology. The KJV chose "bird" and apparently no one sees a need to change it -- though they ought to. I am wondering if skeptics who make this objection are seriously proposing that when the Hebrews used this word, they actually had in mind the modern classification scheme which defines "bird" as a warm-blooded creature of a certain class who had feathers.
"Well, it is the Word of God, isn't it? It should be perfect at all times and in all circumstances!"
If this is how "perfection" is to be understood -- if the Bible is supposed to be prepared for our every change in natural understanding of unalterable data -- then all we'd have to do to make the Bible "wrong" is change our terminology on things. If the Bible says, "the sky is blue," we can change our definition of what is "blue" and then say that the Bible is wrong. So would skeptics seriously suggest that the Bible might have to say, for example:
This is what the Lord says: "The sky is blue -- although Joe Padooski, living in 1874 AD, will define this as others would define 'green' and he will call the color in question 'Fred'."
Skeptics who make this sort of complaint don't want answers. The objection has no legitimacy.
"You liar! You left out Deut. 14:11 purposely. It uses a different word - tsippowr. Obviously you're hiding the fact that this meant the same as the modern class Aves, ha ha!"
Actually, anyone who takes a close look at the word in question knows that tsippowr isn't even related to the list that follows it, except in the most general sense. The word comes from tsaphar, a word that means to skip about or even to depart early (cf. Judges 7:3). The reference is obviously to the sort of bird that skips around on the ground and would be easy pickin's for the peasant diet (Strong's lists the sparrow in its definition). Such would not describe ANY of the animals in the list afterwards (hence the adversarial "but" in 14:12) and the return in 14:20 is to the more general category of 'owph (owner of a wing) of which both the listed members AND the tsippwor would be part. (Note that the two words are reflective of different categories in Gen. 7:14, in the same way that "cattle" are from "beasts".)
http://www.tektonics.org/af/batbird.html
8.26.2007
8.21.2007
Check out Blake's Band
On August 12 I finally saw Blake's band "Colossus" play at Lakeland Community Church. It was Awesome. (to overuse Christianese) I can't understand the lyrics but they glorified God with low growls and high growls. And look at those fingers move. It reminded me of "Through the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce. Can't wait to hear more........Yeah I chickened out and didn't get the sweetest t-shirt "Demon Slaughter", I got the yellow one instead. Check out their myspace page http://www.myspace.com/colossuslife
8.13.2007
The Narrow Mind
Well, to follow up concretely on the decidedly artistically obtuse little poem I wrote a while ago, I'm finally inspired to sum up what it was about-
That all human philosiphies, religions, and artistic prisuits, while they can be deep, enjoyable, and aesthetically pleasing, ultimately fail at achieving any higher goal that might be lurking in the mind of the philosipher or artist. The reason, simply put, is that our fallen, sinful human nature prevents us from pulling ourselves out of this sinking mudhole that we are in due to our own inadequacy. Basically, the the idea that any philosiphy, religion, or art can truly achieve a kind of spiritual transcendance for us = us fooling ourselves into believing in a dressed-up form of sorcery. Allow me to support my claim by providing reliable evidence- God's Word:
"as it is written,
'there is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does Good,
There is not even one.
Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep decieving,
The poisin of asps is under their lips;
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
Their feet are swift to shed blood,
Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And the path of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.'"
Romans 3:10-18
"The heart is more decietful than all else and is desparetly sick; who can understand it?"
Jeremiah 17:10
The conclusion- if philoshiphy and art is to matter, it must be submitted by its creator under a higher purpose that is real. And if it is not, it amounts to the equivelant of being a foolish idol. It is a rotten shame that most people spend their entire lives doing what Solomon did- indulging in vanity and chasing after the wind. They're walking through their lives stumbleing all over the place because they've got their eyes closed to the truth, convinced that somehow, somewhere, their personally derrived, decadently created lifelong gospel of foolishness that truly amounts to nothing but dressed up sorcery is completely true. I know, because I used to be one of those people, hopelessly lost! But don't take my word for it- God's Word also has something to say about this-
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who supress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or vive thanks, but they became futil in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them."
Romans 1:18-23
In fact, God even goes so far as to say that His Word, specifically, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is the only thing that has the power to transform human beings and to link him with God-
"But a natural man does nto accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appriased."
1 Corinthians 2:14
And finally, here is the apex of this entire blog:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:16
God's Word also says that, therefore, our faith in Him is a gift, given independently to spiritually dead human beings like I was before He saved me, and like billions of people everywhere-
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10
Therefore, what can we say about philosiphies, religion and art? What place do they have in determining our ultimate destiny? What on earth can save us?
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
2 Cortinthians 5:21
"For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace throug the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven."
Colossians 1:19-20
Therefore, when I talk about God, I shouldn't try to justify myself on the terms of the world that doesn't know God, by appealing to extra-biblical models of truth or earthly evidences that are, simply put, inadequate, but I should speak on His terms, because it is His gospel that has the power to save, and nothing else. After all, "the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18). Furthermore, I'm happy to live in peace on this earth while I remain here. After all, "blessed are the peacemakers," (Matt 5:9) and "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
And when I write music or do something else creative, I have to do it with the knowledge that, just like everything else, the things I make on this earth are only temporary, and will one day be burned up with the rest of the entire earth (2 Peter 3:10). Because the real point of life is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2). And finally, I am full of thankfullness and joy that my silly earthly rantings and ravings are not the ultimate purpose of my existence!
For further discourse about the superiority of Jesus Christ and His Word, check out the Jesus Quiz on my page or the radio program available in a free podcast at http://thenarrowmind.com/ - it's real Christianity for the real world.But of course, the best place is directly at the source- the Bible, baby!
That all human philosiphies, religions, and artistic prisuits, while they can be deep, enjoyable, and aesthetically pleasing, ultimately fail at achieving any higher goal that might be lurking in the mind of the philosipher or artist. The reason, simply put, is that our fallen, sinful human nature prevents us from pulling ourselves out of this sinking mudhole that we are in due to our own inadequacy. Basically, the the idea that any philosiphy, religion, or art can truly achieve a kind of spiritual transcendance for us = us fooling ourselves into believing in a dressed-up form of sorcery. Allow me to support my claim by providing reliable evidence- God's Word:
"as it is written,
'there is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does Good,
There is not even one.
Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep decieving,
The poisin of asps is under their lips;
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
Their feet are swift to shed blood,
Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And the path of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.'"
Romans 3:10-18
"The heart is more decietful than all else and is desparetly sick; who can understand it?"
Jeremiah 17:10
The conclusion- if philoshiphy and art is to matter, it must be submitted by its creator under a higher purpose that is real. And if it is not, it amounts to the equivelant of being a foolish idol. It is a rotten shame that most people spend their entire lives doing what Solomon did- indulging in vanity and chasing after the wind. They're walking through their lives stumbleing all over the place because they've got their eyes closed to the truth, convinced that somehow, somewhere, their personally derrived, decadently created lifelong gospel of foolishness that truly amounts to nothing but dressed up sorcery is completely true. I know, because I used to be one of those people, hopelessly lost! But don't take my word for it- God's Word also has something to say about this-
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who supress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or vive thanks, but they became futil in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them."
Romans 1:18-23
In fact, God even goes so far as to say that His Word, specifically, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is the only thing that has the power to transform human beings and to link him with God-
"But a natural man does nto accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appriased."
1 Corinthians 2:14
And finally, here is the apex of this entire blog:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:16
God's Word also says that, therefore, our faith in Him is a gift, given independently to spiritually dead human beings like I was before He saved me, and like billions of people everywhere-
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10
Therefore, what can we say about philosiphies, religion and art? What place do they have in determining our ultimate destiny? What on earth can save us?
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
2 Cortinthians 5:21
"For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace throug the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven."
Colossians 1:19-20
Therefore, when I talk about God, I shouldn't try to justify myself on the terms of the world that doesn't know God, by appealing to extra-biblical models of truth or earthly evidences that are, simply put, inadequate, but I should speak on His terms, because it is His gospel that has the power to save, and nothing else. After all, "the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18). Furthermore, I'm happy to live in peace on this earth while I remain here. After all, "blessed are the peacemakers," (Matt 5:9) and "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
And when I write music or do something else creative, I have to do it with the knowledge that, just like everything else, the things I make on this earth are only temporary, and will one day be burned up with the rest of the entire earth (2 Peter 3:10). Because the real point of life is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2). And finally, I am full of thankfullness and joy that my silly earthly rantings and ravings are not the ultimate purpose of my existence!
For further discourse about the superiority of Jesus Christ and His Word, check out the Jesus Quiz on my page or the radio program available in a free podcast at http://thenarrowmind.com/ - it's real Christianity for the real world.But of course, the best place is directly at the source- the Bible, baby!
Polishing the Turd of Life; or, the New Old Keith of Keith Day
As is the norm in the lives of most composers, I was recently the recipient of sweet release of responsibility and toil regarding a piece that I was writing. It's really kind of ironic that in these situations I never seem to learn when it is appropriate to abandon a piece music that I am writing when it's clearly not worth it to keep going. Not that I think all my music is worthless; however, despite all my extreme endeavors, this particular piece, Scerzo, really amounted to nothing more than, as they say, a polished turd.
Was it pride that kept me workin' on it, hoping that I could crank out one more piece before I finished up my last projects for the semester?
Or perhaps the heavy weight of artistic ambition, which is as much of a burden as it is a blessing?
Or...are they one in the same?...
Whatever it was, I somehow managed to fool myself into thinking that this particular turd, the Scerzo, was not a turd but a miraculous work of human achievement that deserved my close attention, copious amounts of mental effort, and the right to be presented to a room full of fabulous musicians who, since they were not blinded by personal attachment to the piece, saw right through the sandpapered outside to the crumbly, squishy, stinky substance that was at its core.
I suppose that in the end, the problem, of course, was not my sincerity, which abounded even too much in this case, but it was the object of my sincerity. The piece, while it had its moments and its good ideas, was just plain old fundamentally flawed. Much like the band Creed's history of music making, it had started out good and well-intentioned, but had wound up a muddled collage of self-serving mantras and ambiguous artistic impetuses. However, in this case, the worm at the core of the apple wasn't Scott Stapp (I don't think I'd be able to be around that man and his leather pants for too long), but it was that old devil of composition, the form. (The overall scheme of the order and developments of musical events in a piece).
Not that I haven't learned a lot (musically) from this mistake. I am constantly amazed at how important the consideration of form is in a piece of music. In the past few years I've gone from not regarding the form of a piece as important at all to lifting it up as the highest, deepest, and most vital of all aspects in a piece of music. Conversely, my position regarding the surface aesthetics of a piece, such as the style, the basic "sound," the instrumentation, and the genre, has gone from being one of awe to one of subordination under the overall coherence and goal of the music.
But, as I was finally surrendering to this fact, it occurred to me just how many things in life parallel this little experience. And, more importantly, in my opinion, how life itself is like the Scerzo. First of all, if a piece is called Scerzo, it means that it is a light, fast, movement, that usually has some element of irony or humor in it. Analogously, life is light, fast, and almost always has irony in it. The Scerzo had no value in itself, and, truly, neither does life.
But don't take my word for it, take it from King Solomon, who tried to polish his own life-turd for the better part of his earthly existence. He was the richest man in the whole world at that time, and day after day, year after year, occupied himself with buffing, filing, sculpting, sanding, and caressing a giant pile of existential dung:
"'Vanity of vanities,' says the preacher; 'vanity of vanities, all is vanity.' What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose….That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun….I said in my heart, 'Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure,' but surely, this also was for vanity. I said of laughter- 'madness!' and of mirth, 'what does it accomplish?'…This also is vanity and grasping for the wind."
Ecclesiastes 1:2-5…9…2:1-2a…26b
And, in my opinion, one of the most poignant passages of all of Solomon's sermon is this:
"It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise that for a man to hear the song of fools. For like the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool. This also is vanity."
Ecclesiastes 7:5-6
Not only is the laughter of someone who, according to Psalm 53, has not been cleansed by God and therefore does not acknowledge Him, already compared to a thorn bush, but this passage says that it is worth nothing more than to be consumed for the purposes of producing sustenance. Furthermore, like a thorn bush that is burning up, it is here and then gone in a flash.
(Side note- Ironically, as I am writing this paragraph, and listening to Creed's first album (THEIR FIRST ONE IS GOOD, OK??? IT WAS BEFORE THEY WERE STUPID!!! And I only listen to it like once every four months.), the song "What's this life for?" came on. So who can argue that life isn't a Scerzo?)
But you see, to me, just like it was a relief to finally take the burden of that crappy (pun intended) Scerzo off my back, these words are a relief to me. Because, of course, the irony of the polishing a turd joke is that you can't even really polish a turd- no matter what you do, it still is just a turd, with the texture of a turd, and the only thing that changes is that you get stinky poo all over yourself trying to make this turd into something that it can never be. And just as the only good in the Scerzo was that I could learn from it not to polish any more turds in the future, the only good thing about life is that in it there is a way out of its repetitively decaying cycle of self-pursuits.
As Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other."
Matthew 6:24a
And: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man do in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:24-26
And God Himself even goes as far as to say that our works are like filthy (warning- this is kind of shocking) menstrual rags, which are used to soak up and conceal our own uncleanness, and then are discarded. (Isaiah 64:6)
And I, for one, am tired of serving myself. Because, since compared to God, I and every single other human being are turds (see one blog previous for proof) I am tired of not conforming with reality and thinking that I am something that I am not.
Now, I need to interrupt this train of thought for a moment to explain something to you called Keith Day. Trust me, it ties in. Keith Day is an artificial holiday created by an unofficial semi-Christian fraternity known as the Mountain Dewdes at KU. And, for some reason connected to the fact that they felt like they didn't know one of their members (named Keith) well enough, they decided to make a day that was all revolving around this semi-quiet, unassuming, and kind of funny dude named Keith. Keith Day culminates in a massive party that involves many Keith-Themed activities such as bobbing for Keith-apples, hitting a piñata that looks like a fire truck (well, I guess that one was a stretch…), watching a video about Keith, and listening to a speech that Keith himself makes. There are Keith stencils on the windows, big giant posters of Keith's face, and chants during the apple-bobbing activity that go: "ONE KEITH DAY!…TWO KEITH DAY!…THREE KEITH DAY!…" etc. They even have Keith-Themed T-shirts. Oh, and I also crimped my hair, because there were a lot of people doing that because supposedly Keith supposedly thinks that it is cool. OK, OK, it was mostly girls, but it looked sweet on me too! Anyway, all in all, it is ridiculous and awesome wrapped up in one big ball, which is just the way that I personally prefer things to be.Of course, I'm not telling you this just because I went last night to Keith Day and it was awesome, but, as is hopefully, obvious, Keith Day is full of turd-impetus. In fact, Keith day is so easily a giant metaphor for the silliness and vanity of life that I'm almost not sure what to do with myself. And that would be the end of the story, if it weren't for one little but not-so-stinky thing- Keith is a believer in Jesus Christ.
Actually, I know Keith- he's a good friend of mine who I met in Kansas City, at Providence Community church. And I don't know if I can put my conclusion any better than my friend Keith did last night: "Dude, the gospel is good. I'm sorry, but no matter who you are or where you are, and whether you know it or not, it is always good news."
He said this in the car yesterday on the way to Keith Day, extremely nervous because instead of just soaking up the Keith Day atmosphere and having a good time, he was about to go against his anxieties and inhibitions, and share the fact that his life had been changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ less than a year ago with about 100 people at once.
He's right. The Gospel- the good news of faith in the power of Jesus' sacrifice for our turdliness, incompetence, and Godlessness, and joyful repentance from dead works of our own "righteousness," IS the power of salvation from the wrath of God for everyone who believes, no matter who they are and what they have done (Romans 1:16), and it is the only thing that can release a man from being chained to his own turd. It is refreshing, liberating, and incredible, because it shares the awesome truth that our waking lives are not not all there is! And, in the same way that the surface values of a piece, such as the basic "sound," instrumentation, etc, must be subordinate to the form of a piece, the things in our life such as self-achievement and vain pursuits can finally be taken off the shelf of household idols and be put in the subordinate position to God's good news, where they must be put.
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is a man's all. For God will bring every work to judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil."
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Was it pride that kept me workin' on it, hoping that I could crank out one more piece before I finished up my last projects for the semester?
Or perhaps the heavy weight of artistic ambition, which is as much of a burden as it is a blessing?
Or...are they one in the same?...
Whatever it was, I somehow managed to fool myself into thinking that this particular turd, the Scerzo, was not a turd but a miraculous work of human achievement that deserved my close attention, copious amounts of mental effort, and the right to be presented to a room full of fabulous musicians who, since they were not blinded by personal attachment to the piece, saw right through the sandpapered outside to the crumbly, squishy, stinky substance that was at its core.
I suppose that in the end, the problem, of course, was not my sincerity, which abounded even too much in this case, but it was the object of my sincerity. The piece, while it had its moments and its good ideas, was just plain old fundamentally flawed. Much like the band Creed's history of music making, it had started out good and well-intentioned, but had wound up a muddled collage of self-serving mantras and ambiguous artistic impetuses. However, in this case, the worm at the core of the apple wasn't Scott Stapp (I don't think I'd be able to be around that man and his leather pants for too long), but it was that old devil of composition, the form. (The overall scheme of the order and developments of musical events in a piece).
Not that I haven't learned a lot (musically) from this mistake. I am constantly amazed at how important the consideration of form is in a piece of music. In the past few years I've gone from not regarding the form of a piece as important at all to lifting it up as the highest, deepest, and most vital of all aspects in a piece of music. Conversely, my position regarding the surface aesthetics of a piece, such as the style, the basic "sound," the instrumentation, and the genre, has gone from being one of awe to one of subordination under the overall coherence and goal of the music.
But, as I was finally surrendering to this fact, it occurred to me just how many things in life parallel this little experience. And, more importantly, in my opinion, how life itself is like the Scerzo. First of all, if a piece is called Scerzo, it means that it is a light, fast, movement, that usually has some element of irony or humor in it. Analogously, life is light, fast, and almost always has irony in it. The Scerzo had no value in itself, and, truly, neither does life.
But don't take my word for it, take it from King Solomon, who tried to polish his own life-turd for the better part of his earthly existence. He was the richest man in the whole world at that time, and day after day, year after year, occupied himself with buffing, filing, sculpting, sanding, and caressing a giant pile of existential dung:
"'Vanity of vanities,' says the preacher; 'vanity of vanities, all is vanity.' What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose….That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun….I said in my heart, 'Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure,' but surely, this also was for vanity. I said of laughter- 'madness!' and of mirth, 'what does it accomplish?'…This also is vanity and grasping for the wind."
Ecclesiastes 1:2-5…9…2:1-2a…26b
And, in my opinion, one of the most poignant passages of all of Solomon's sermon is this:
"It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise that for a man to hear the song of fools. For like the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool. This also is vanity."
Ecclesiastes 7:5-6
Not only is the laughter of someone who, according to Psalm 53, has not been cleansed by God and therefore does not acknowledge Him, already compared to a thorn bush, but this passage says that it is worth nothing more than to be consumed for the purposes of producing sustenance. Furthermore, like a thorn bush that is burning up, it is here and then gone in a flash.
(Side note- Ironically, as I am writing this paragraph, and listening to Creed's first album (THEIR FIRST ONE IS GOOD, OK??? IT WAS BEFORE THEY WERE STUPID!!! And I only listen to it like once every four months.), the song "What's this life for?" came on. So who can argue that life isn't a Scerzo?)
But you see, to me, just like it was a relief to finally take the burden of that crappy (pun intended) Scerzo off my back, these words are a relief to me. Because, of course, the irony of the polishing a turd joke is that you can't even really polish a turd- no matter what you do, it still is just a turd, with the texture of a turd, and the only thing that changes is that you get stinky poo all over yourself trying to make this turd into something that it can never be. And just as the only good in the Scerzo was that I could learn from it not to polish any more turds in the future, the only good thing about life is that in it there is a way out of its repetitively decaying cycle of self-pursuits.
As Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other."
Matthew 6:24a
And: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man do in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:24-26
And God Himself even goes as far as to say that our works are like filthy (warning- this is kind of shocking) menstrual rags, which are used to soak up and conceal our own uncleanness, and then are discarded. (Isaiah 64:6)
And I, for one, am tired of serving myself. Because, since compared to God, I and every single other human being are turds (see one blog previous for proof) I am tired of not conforming with reality and thinking that I am something that I am not.
Now, I need to interrupt this train of thought for a moment to explain something to you called Keith Day. Trust me, it ties in. Keith Day is an artificial holiday created by an unofficial semi-Christian fraternity known as the Mountain Dewdes at KU. And, for some reason connected to the fact that they felt like they didn't know one of their members (named Keith) well enough, they decided to make a day that was all revolving around this semi-quiet, unassuming, and kind of funny dude named Keith. Keith Day culminates in a massive party that involves many Keith-Themed activities such as bobbing for Keith-apples, hitting a piñata that looks like a fire truck (well, I guess that one was a stretch…), watching a video about Keith, and listening to a speech that Keith himself makes. There are Keith stencils on the windows, big giant posters of Keith's face, and chants during the apple-bobbing activity that go: "ONE KEITH DAY!…TWO KEITH DAY!…THREE KEITH DAY!…" etc. They even have Keith-Themed T-shirts. Oh, and I also crimped my hair, because there were a lot of people doing that because supposedly Keith supposedly thinks that it is cool. OK, OK, it was mostly girls, but it looked sweet on me too! Anyway, all in all, it is ridiculous and awesome wrapped up in one big ball, which is just the way that I personally prefer things to be.Of course, I'm not telling you this just because I went last night to Keith Day and it was awesome, but, as is hopefully, obvious, Keith Day is full of turd-impetus. In fact, Keith day is so easily a giant metaphor for the silliness and vanity of life that I'm almost not sure what to do with myself. And that would be the end of the story, if it weren't for one little but not-so-stinky thing- Keith is a believer in Jesus Christ.
Actually, I know Keith- he's a good friend of mine who I met in Kansas City, at Providence Community church. And I don't know if I can put my conclusion any better than my friend Keith did last night: "Dude, the gospel is good. I'm sorry, but no matter who you are or where you are, and whether you know it or not, it is always good news."
He said this in the car yesterday on the way to Keith Day, extremely nervous because instead of just soaking up the Keith Day atmosphere and having a good time, he was about to go against his anxieties and inhibitions, and share the fact that his life had been changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ less than a year ago with about 100 people at once.
He's right. The Gospel- the good news of faith in the power of Jesus' sacrifice for our turdliness, incompetence, and Godlessness, and joyful repentance from dead works of our own "righteousness," IS the power of salvation from the wrath of God for everyone who believes, no matter who they are and what they have done (Romans 1:16), and it is the only thing that can release a man from being chained to his own turd. It is refreshing, liberating, and incredible, because it shares the awesome truth that our waking lives are not not all there is! And, in the same way that the surface values of a piece, such as the basic "sound," instrumentation, etc, must be subordinate to the form of a piece, the things in our life such as self-achievement and vain pursuits can finally be taken off the shelf of household idols and be put in the subordinate position to God's good news, where they must be put.
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is a man's all. For God will bring every work to judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil."
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Why do Christians Pray?
Why do Christians Pray?
A recent blog posted by my friend and brother in Christ Andrew reads the following:..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
"I am going to try something totally different with this blog thing tonight, and ask a question rather than make a statement. I am asking YOU, the reader, this question, because I don't really know the answer, and the answer is something that I must have. So please, tell me what you think, whether you normally agree with most of the things I usually say or even if you normally disagree. Here is the question:Why should I pray to God? Shocking, I know.I await your responses with much anticipation. Valete..."
Ironically, my mind was fresh on this particular topic, as I had just discussed it at some length with another friend of mine and brother in Christ, Keith. So, here is my response. Unlike most of my blogs, this is a letter is more specifically directed at a Christian audience, so I am not going to be coming at the following concepts from an entirely outside perspective. Even so, I invite everyone who might happen to read this to check it out anyway, to get a fresh angle into a mind that believes in the existence of a knowable absolute!
Here it goes:
No doubt about it, anyone who asks this question has been thinking, which is a very good sign. Anyone who turns even a little to face the inevitable fact of God's absolute sovereignty (complete independence from and infinite control over all the universe and everything in it (including our souls)) is going to have some questions.
And they should. Because, after all, if something like the sovereignty of God, which is written about so extensively in God's Word, and is tied so intimately with so many aspects of the Christian walk, is so darn important to God, then it should be important to us as well. Certainly, it is not something to be taken lightly, but this complex idea is something to be carefully examined for the purposes of its correct application. And the case of prayer is no exception.
A Christian apologist once said that the closer we come to absolute truth, the more that paradoxes (apparent, not actual contradictions) begin to manifest themselves. If this is true (and I believe that it is, given the Trinity, Jesus being God and man simultaneously, etc.), then we are definitely on the right track when we ask this question. After all, the Bible clearly states that on the one hand, God is completely in control of our lives:
"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."
-Proverbs 16:1
"In Him we have obtained and inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the council of His will."
-Ephesians 1:11 (Although this verse is specifically in reference of salvation, in nonetheless demonstrates God's sovereignty in all things as well.)
On the other hand, no one can deny the overwhelming presence of the command for the believer to integrate prayer into his or her lifestyle:
"Pray, then, like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed by your name…"
-Matthew 6:9-10
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Now, who can deny that there is certainly an element of mystery here? Certainly, the urgency of prayer to a God who has already decided the fate of every atom in the universe can seem strange at first.
But, like I said before, a Christian should be at home in the midst of paradoxes.
In my opinion, one of the biggest keys to understanding prayer is the realization that it's not man-centered. It's God-centered. While prayer on the surface seems like a simple mechanism that we can use to influence God's decisions and thus change the course of history, it is actually a dialogue with God about His will and His plan. This plays itself out in three ways:
1: It edifies God.
A large portion of all recorded prayer in the Bible is a veneration or affirmation of His attributes. God desires for us to display His glory. This means that in addition to glorifying Him in a fallen world through our actions and through sharing His Word with others, we should praise Him in private and corporate prayer. He wants us to speak with Him about Himself, because when we do so we are drawing into fellowship with God around the greatest thing ever to have existed, ever- Himself. Furthermore, when we ask God for something, whether it's a loaf of bread or the salvation of a loved one, we are acknowledging that He is the one who controls the destiny of everyone. And often in His providence, He weaves the circumstances in our lives in and around our prayers. To pray to God is to honor Him, interact with Him, and to acknowledge His supreme power over all aspects of our lives.
2: It edifies believers.
Not only does prayer put God in His place, but it puts us in our place. Just look at these few passages from the "our Father":
"Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily brad
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us."
Here is an acknowledgement of our dependency on Him, for physical sustenance, and for reconciliation from our daily sins. Only through prayer can these things be achieved. Prayer is a way for us to share our intimate thoughts with God, and to come before Jesus and lay our worldly burdens down (Matthew 11:28).
God desires companionship as a part of devotion (John 15:11-17). How can any two people stay good friends without regular communication? Also, prayer is a wonderful way for groups of believers to come together and bring things before God. It unites them in a common worship and devotion in communication before God.
3: The kicker- it gives us a chance to participate in God's kingdom work!
This is actually the same thing that I tell people when they ask me why I should evangelize if we are really all predestined to salvation (and they should probably take it up with Paul and Jesus as well). My answer goes a little something like this:
Let's say that I go out and apply for a job at a specific company. Let's say that it's a large and successful company. I apply there because I love the work and the product that the company produces. One day, lo and behold! I get hired. So one day I'm there and the boss comes up to me and specifically addresses me. He gives me a job to do and tells me that it's very important that I get the job done. Now, at this point, I of course have one of two options: I could either be lazy and choose not to do the job, or I could go and do it. Now, of course, if I didn't choose to do this particular task, it is ludicrous to think that my actions could stop the company from working. And also, of course, if I chose not to do a particular task for whatever reason, it will eventually be done by someone, even if it has to be the boss himself. So then, why would I choose to do something like this task?
Because I went out and specifically applied to that company, with the intention of getting involved in the work, because I liked the work and thought it was a worthwhile cause. Why would I sign up for something without the intention of participating in it? It defeats the purpose. I might as well just get a job doing yard work or flipping burgers or something else if I'm just interested in doing the bare minimum.
There are paths in life that are available that avoid the trouble of getting involved in God's kingdom work. But when someone becomes a Christian, they become one not only out of fear (in this case, fear being healthy respect) for God, but also out of a newfound, God-given love for Him. The command to pray, then, is an act of extreme kindness on God's part that gives us a chance to participate in building His kingdom, by bringing requests, concerns, etc, before Him. Ultimately, logic tells us that if God wanted to, then of course He could do the whole thing Himself. But how awesome is it that he has chosen tasks here and there to give to us that we can have the opportunity to do? Consider Ephesians 2:8-10:"For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not a result of works, lest anyone should boast; for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for Good works, which God prepared beforehand that we might walk in them."
And I think I'll let our friend Paul conclude, since he does a much better job than me, in Romans 6:15-18:
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
So, ultimately, if I am praying for someone or something, it means that I want to be able to say someday, "It was completely by God's power and grace, but in some small way, being God's slave, I got to be a part of building God's kingdom right there."
If anyone happens to get through this whole blog, I invite their comments, especially those who aren't Christians. I'm very curious to hear what you think about this!
A recent blog posted by my friend and brother in Christ Andrew reads the following:..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
"I am going to try something totally different with this blog thing tonight, and ask a question rather than make a statement. I am asking YOU, the reader, this question, because I don't really know the answer, and the answer is something that I must have. So please, tell me what you think, whether you normally agree with most of the things I usually say or even if you normally disagree. Here is the question:Why should I pray to God? Shocking, I know.I await your responses with much anticipation. Valete..."
Ironically, my mind was fresh on this particular topic, as I had just discussed it at some length with another friend of mine and brother in Christ, Keith. So, here is my response. Unlike most of my blogs, this is a letter is more specifically directed at a Christian audience, so I am not going to be coming at the following concepts from an entirely outside perspective. Even so, I invite everyone who might happen to read this to check it out anyway, to get a fresh angle into a mind that believes in the existence of a knowable absolute!
Here it goes:
No doubt about it, anyone who asks this question has been thinking, which is a very good sign. Anyone who turns even a little to face the inevitable fact of God's absolute sovereignty (complete independence from and infinite control over all the universe and everything in it (including our souls)) is going to have some questions.
And they should. Because, after all, if something like the sovereignty of God, which is written about so extensively in God's Word, and is tied so intimately with so many aspects of the Christian walk, is so darn important to God, then it should be important to us as well. Certainly, it is not something to be taken lightly, but this complex idea is something to be carefully examined for the purposes of its correct application. And the case of prayer is no exception.
A Christian apologist once said that the closer we come to absolute truth, the more that paradoxes (apparent, not actual contradictions) begin to manifest themselves. If this is true (and I believe that it is, given the Trinity, Jesus being God and man simultaneously, etc.), then we are definitely on the right track when we ask this question. After all, the Bible clearly states that on the one hand, God is completely in control of our lives:
"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."
-Proverbs 16:1
"In Him we have obtained and inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the council of His will."
-Ephesians 1:11 (Although this verse is specifically in reference of salvation, in nonetheless demonstrates God's sovereignty in all things as well.)
On the other hand, no one can deny the overwhelming presence of the command for the believer to integrate prayer into his or her lifestyle:
"Pray, then, like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed by your name…"
-Matthew 6:9-10
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Now, who can deny that there is certainly an element of mystery here? Certainly, the urgency of prayer to a God who has already decided the fate of every atom in the universe can seem strange at first.
But, like I said before, a Christian should be at home in the midst of paradoxes.
In my opinion, one of the biggest keys to understanding prayer is the realization that it's not man-centered. It's God-centered. While prayer on the surface seems like a simple mechanism that we can use to influence God's decisions and thus change the course of history, it is actually a dialogue with God about His will and His plan. This plays itself out in three ways:
1: It edifies God.
A large portion of all recorded prayer in the Bible is a veneration or affirmation of His attributes. God desires for us to display His glory. This means that in addition to glorifying Him in a fallen world through our actions and through sharing His Word with others, we should praise Him in private and corporate prayer. He wants us to speak with Him about Himself, because when we do so we are drawing into fellowship with God around the greatest thing ever to have existed, ever- Himself. Furthermore, when we ask God for something, whether it's a loaf of bread or the salvation of a loved one, we are acknowledging that He is the one who controls the destiny of everyone. And often in His providence, He weaves the circumstances in our lives in and around our prayers. To pray to God is to honor Him, interact with Him, and to acknowledge His supreme power over all aspects of our lives.
2: It edifies believers.
Not only does prayer put God in His place, but it puts us in our place. Just look at these few passages from the "our Father":
"Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily brad
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us."
Here is an acknowledgement of our dependency on Him, for physical sustenance, and for reconciliation from our daily sins. Only through prayer can these things be achieved. Prayer is a way for us to share our intimate thoughts with God, and to come before Jesus and lay our worldly burdens down (Matthew 11:28).
God desires companionship as a part of devotion (John 15:11-17). How can any two people stay good friends without regular communication? Also, prayer is a wonderful way for groups of believers to come together and bring things before God. It unites them in a common worship and devotion in communication before God.
3: The kicker- it gives us a chance to participate in God's kingdom work!
This is actually the same thing that I tell people when they ask me why I should evangelize if we are really all predestined to salvation (and they should probably take it up with Paul and Jesus as well). My answer goes a little something like this:
Let's say that I go out and apply for a job at a specific company. Let's say that it's a large and successful company. I apply there because I love the work and the product that the company produces. One day, lo and behold! I get hired. So one day I'm there and the boss comes up to me and specifically addresses me. He gives me a job to do and tells me that it's very important that I get the job done. Now, at this point, I of course have one of two options: I could either be lazy and choose not to do the job, or I could go and do it. Now, of course, if I didn't choose to do this particular task, it is ludicrous to think that my actions could stop the company from working. And also, of course, if I chose not to do a particular task for whatever reason, it will eventually be done by someone, even if it has to be the boss himself. So then, why would I choose to do something like this task?
Because I went out and specifically applied to that company, with the intention of getting involved in the work, because I liked the work and thought it was a worthwhile cause. Why would I sign up for something without the intention of participating in it? It defeats the purpose. I might as well just get a job doing yard work or flipping burgers or something else if I'm just interested in doing the bare minimum.
There are paths in life that are available that avoid the trouble of getting involved in God's kingdom work. But when someone becomes a Christian, they become one not only out of fear (in this case, fear being healthy respect) for God, but also out of a newfound, God-given love for Him. The command to pray, then, is an act of extreme kindness on God's part that gives us a chance to participate in building His kingdom, by bringing requests, concerns, etc, before Him. Ultimately, logic tells us that if God wanted to, then of course He could do the whole thing Himself. But how awesome is it that he has chosen tasks here and there to give to us that we can have the opportunity to do? Consider Ephesians 2:8-10:"For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not a result of works, lest anyone should boast; for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for Good works, which God prepared beforehand that we might walk in them."
And I think I'll let our friend Paul conclude, since he does a much better job than me, in Romans 6:15-18:
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
So, ultimately, if I am praying for someone or something, it means that I want to be able to say someday, "It was completely by God's power and grace, but in some small way, being God's slave, I got to be a part of building God's kingdom right there."
If anyone happens to get through this whole blog, I invite their comments, especially those who aren't Christians. I'm very curious to hear what you think about this!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
