NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Observe The Handiwork Believe In The Hands

by 3 Comments

On a recent flight from London to New York – 7 1/2 hours – I saw something that made me think of God’s relationship to the universe.

A lady sitting one row in front of me and one seat to the right was knitting.  I could see her hands through the space between the seats and to keep my mind off flying I watched the needles and tried to figure out exactly what she was doing.

No luck.  She went so fast and the patterns changed so frequently I could never quite get the movements right.

But, the outcome was amazing.  At the end of the flight – she knitted for seven hours straight – the finished product was beautiful yet complex. I couldn’t understand the finished product either – it would take a lot of time and investigation to figure it out – but I couldn’t deny the intelligence and precision that went into producing it.

I never really understood what she was doing with her hands and a brief look at the knitted results couldn’t help me understand how the strands were woven together but it really made me think. [Read more…] about Observe The Handiwork Believe In The Hands

Evangelism – Nation to Nation

by 11 Comments

Answering An Atheist

Original arguments are found in the post “Top Ten Worst Bible Stories”
On the web site “Not A Potted Plant” (NAPP)
Author – Transplanted Lawyer (TL)

This post is number four in a continuing discussion on the conflict between Israel and Moab/Midian as recorded in the Book of Numbers, chapters 22-25 and 31. The original observations – complaints – regarding this event are made by TL which can be read here (number one on his list of ten). My first response is here and his first counter is here.

Because TL is widely read and has an exceptionally quick mind I consider it a privilege to have him as a sparring partner. No doubt his abilities will suit him well for the bench should his aspirations in that regard be realized. His quick thinking has made me sharpen my game.

The discussion with him is incisive without insult and firm but in a respectful way. I know you will enjoy the read also.

Suffice it to say that the event under discussion seems particularly gruesome. It was war and war is never nice even under the best of circumstances. As TL and countless others have pointed out, a certain number of deaths are expected but in the case of Midian it seems a bit extreme. The entire community was destroyed, even young boys, with the exception of virgin girls. I can’t imagine anyone not being disturbed by it.

Obviously, because God was involved in this situation – He ordered the counter attack in the first place – it is easy to assume that everything Moses ordered was exactly God’s plan. I don’t presume to understand everything God does but I do believe there are reasons He should not be implicated every time difficulties arise. He is a third party, sometimes silently so, and we must at least try to see where the fault lines lay before assuming His guilt. Previously I have suggested that Moses acted in the extreme and went beyond God’s original intent.

My primary arguments are:

  • Israel was not the aggressor.
  • The intentions of Moab/Midian were clearly violent but their strategy was cleverly deceptive. They tried to divine a curse on Israel and when that failed they used wile, enticing them with their sexually oriented religion, to demoralize them. The second plan worked but not sufficiently enough to destroy Israel’s or God’s resolve.
  • God ordered the attack on Midian but did not specify the extent to which it should be executed.
  • The women who were destroyed were frontline soldiers or spies, not collateral damage or the subjects of a genocidal frenzy. Without them the ruse would not have been effective. His order to execute them, therefore, is not completely without justification.
  • I have argued that the order to destroy every male came from Moses not God. This is the real issue.

Everyone is very quick to take the Midianite side and speak of their anguish but not fair minded enough to spread that love around, ascribing to Israel (and God) a venomous nature. The truth is, Israelites were just as human as any and “rising above” was sometimes out of reach for them as well. Israel had very good reason to be hurting from this event and it doesn’t take a degree in psychology to figure it out.

It was only because Midianites were distant relatives of Moses and because Israel’s first encounter with a Midianite (Jethro – Moses’ father-in-law) was positive that the ruse was as effective as it was.

It is not unreasonable to see this was personal for Moses and it isn’t strange that his response would be so vengeful.

As mentioned previously, his worst characteristic was his anger and it had gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. He also had a tendency to take action impulsively and God pronounced a final judgment on Moses as recent as Numbers 20. He was to die before entering the promised land and Joshua would take his place.

Even as God gave the order to counter Midian aggression He reminded Moses that he would be removed from the scene following the battle. I’m sure that reminder laid heavily on his mind. It doesn’t justify his actions but it does explain it.

In his rebuttal TL makes additional suggestions which I would like to answer here: [Read more…] about Evangelism – Nation to Nation

What Is The Purpose of Bible Study?

by Leave a Comment

Bible study is one of the cardinal practices of today’s churches.  It happens at least once and often multiple times weekly in most Bible believing churches.  It is so heavily featured that most pastors aspire to be great teachers of the Bible and work hard at honing their teaching skills as if there are no other significant activities to ministry.  To be recognized as “knowledgeable” or “clever” is considered a great honor.  Unfortunately, style and originality don’t vary that much between churches.  If you’ve heard one you’ve heard most of the others as well.

And for the church member, attending these studies in addition to regular Sunday services is the gauge of their spiritual vibrancy.  When they miss too many they are treated condescendingly at arms length as if they have contracted a communicable disease.  Having this rule in place, of course, keeps people coming back even when the teaching is less than compelling.  In many cases it is far less. [Read more…] about What Is The Purpose of Bible Study?

Church: Building, Crowd or Team?

by 1 Comment

“Church” as defined in the Bible is not a complex organization. The leadership are few (elders and deacons), its purposes are defined very broadly (preach the gospel, disciple believers, minister to the poor) and the executive processes are abbreviated (whatever you agree to on earth, God agrees to in heaven).

Under these general guidelines many different “versions” of church have developed none of which represent the New Testament pattern exactly. I wouldn’t accuse any particular “church” of being completely wrong but it might be fair to suggest that we have all missed the point to some degree.

If we are going to get “church” right we must consider carefully the words and actions of Jesus. He introduced the idea so He sets all the precedents. Understanding “church” from His perspective should be our primary objective. So, the question is, what did Jesus say and do? [Read more…] about Church: Building, Crowd or Team?

What is Grace Giving?

by 12 Comments

If not tithing, then what?

“Grace” Is Not
The Synonym
For Mindless Enthusiasm

I began a series of posts on Tithing in July 2009 that immediately attracted a lot of negative attention. 

Every comment came from people who reject tithing, believe it was eliminated at the cross and feel quite free to abuse anyone who thinks otherwise.

  • They refer to those who teach tithing variously as false prophets, liars and thieves.
  • Those who practice tithing, they say, are duped.
  • Anyone who doesn’t see their point immediately or questions them with rational arguments are accused of being gripped with a cultic mindset.

In other words, anyone who disagrees is either a false prophet, a dupe or psychologically damaged.  That makes it easy for them.  Tithers need help not answers.

Well, ever the curious antagonist, I engaged the discussion looking for two specific bits of information.

Firstly, I wanted to know if these detractors could actually prove that tithing can be understood differently to the historical traditional sense.  Was it really never what we thought it was?  Did Abraham and Jacob really not tithe in the traditionally understood manner?  Was their tithing not the same as that incorporated in the law?  Did Jesus’ sparsity of comments on tithing mean it was mysteriously and without notice eliminated?

I dedicated several posts to these very questions.  The responses could be described as misdirecting, smoke screening and/or dismissive.  You can peruse the comments on the various posts to see what I mean.

[Read more…] about What is Grace Giving?