Why I Took the Moabites Shelter

Mike Leake

Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah;
I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh;
for over your summer fruit and your harvest the shout has ceased.
-Isaiah 16:9

I can’t wrap my mind around this passage. Or better yet my theology. The “I” in those sentences is the Lord. He is weeping over the destruction of these cities. That is what has me baffled at the complex emotions of the Lord.

Some would have no problem with this passage. “Of course God is weeping over these cities. He loves all people and when the devil destroys them, or the consequence of their sin catches up with them, the Lord cannot help but weep over them”. Isaiah 16:9 fits easily into this theology. One problem though…

Isaiah 16:10. “ have put an end to the shouting…”

The same “I” that is weeping is the same “I” that put an end to the shouting. Verse 10 does not cause me to scratch my head either. The sovereign Lord of the universe has every right to put an end to their shouting. They are prideful. He is–as verse 6 shows–insolent, arrogant, and engaging in idle boasting. I do not have a problem with the Lord judging Moab, and even doing so with at least some pleasure (like that of a mother watching the execution of the man that brutally raped and murdered her daughter).

What baffles me is the combination of these verses. It is even more prominent in the shift from verse 10 to verse 11. “I have put an end to the shouting. Therefore…” What would you expect here? The Lord has judged their pride and has put an end to their wrong-headed and ill-hearted mirth. I would expect something other than this: “Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab…”

As I reflect on Isaiah 16 I find myself trying to unite these verses. I want to make sense of them and put them in a nice little box. It’s as if Isaiah 16 has given me a Scooby Doo mystery that inspires me to eat a massive sub sandwich and solve the riddle of the God who mourns over those He smites.

Then I realize that this is not a mystery to be unraveled. This is a God to be worshipped. He is just. He is loving. He is gracious. He provides shelter to those under His wrath (Isaiah 16:3-5), saying “come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Yet, in their pride they never come. And He mourns as their shouts of joy cease because of His hand.

Not All There Is to Say

This would be my story if it were not for the “But God” in Ephesians 2. I responded and took the shelter that the prideful Moabites did not. Yet, I was just as prideful as they, if not more so! The only thing that drew me into the shelter house of grace was the Father’s election, which motivated the Spirit’s wooing, which drew me into the Son’s covering.

Isaiah 16 isn’t my story because sovereign grace is. I do not understand why the Lord does what He does. Nor do I pretend to even understand the complexities of a God that mourns the judgment that His hand doles out. But what I do know is that grace has captured me. And for that I am grateful.

Review of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by Richards and O’Brien

Mike Leake

Awhile back a fake news story made the rounds that went something like this:

A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen, shaking frantically with what looked like a wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current she whacked him with a handy plank of wood by the back door, breaking his arm in two places. Until that moment he had been happily listening to his iPod.

Stories like this are believable because we have all had the experience of things turning out quite differently than how we first perceived them. According to E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien that same phenomena often plagues our bible study. They believe that “some of the habits that Western readers bring to the Bible can blind us to interpretations that the original audience and readers in other cultures see quite naturally”. (15)

This claim is not novel. Every book on biblical interpretation, worth any mention at all, will tell you that we must always be aware of our presuppositions. Richards and O’Brien have written a book, Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes, to expand upon this thought and to “offer readers an opportunity to identify and address our cultural blinders”. (15)

The book is divided into three sections. In the first section the authors look at three cultural issues that are obvious and above the surface: mores, race and ethnicity, and language. The next section looks just below the surface at the not so obvious western presuppositions: individualism and collectivism, honor/shame and right/wrong, and time. In the final section the authors probe the depths and look deep below the surface at presuppositions that most Westerners will not even recognize: rules and relationships, virtue and vice, and finding the center of God’s will.

O’Brien and Richards both have experience in cross-cultural missions. Their experience helped them to see the Bible with a new set of eyes. Each chapter ends with a few pointers from the authors on how to cultivate more cultural sensitivity in our Bible reading. Their goal is not to give a methodology or to give us the right process for reading the Bible; as “methodologies are the products of culture” as well. Their goal is to offer advice instead of a checklist.

My Take with a Concern

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Even though I disagree with a few of their suggested interpretations I now find myself reading Scripture with more informed eyes. If nothing else this book has served to raise a red flag in my mind every time I think I have Scripture mastered. It reminds me to pause and consider whether my interpretation might be solely cultural.

Another thing that I appreciate about this book is that the authors are evangelicals. I have read books like this in the past that exalted presuppositions to such a spot that the reader was wondering if there was even such a thing as truth left. Truth is knowable. I further appreciate that the authors acknowledge that a Western reading of a text may not be wrong simply because it is Western, nor is one correct because it is Eastern.

There are a few statements in the book that left me scratching my head. In particular I had a difficult time with their chapter on honor/shame and their chapter on rules and relationships. I agree with their overarching point; that the world of the Bible is more concerned with honor/shame than right/wrong. But after reading that chapter I couldn’t help but think that perhaps this “new set of eyes” has caused them to make the pendulum swing too far the other way.

In the chapter on rules and relationships the authors seem to take a subtle shot at forensic justification. They acknowledge that “there is nothing wrong with the doctrine” but fear that it “casts our connection to God in terms of rules, not relationship”. (173) They go on to give the example of Paul who “doesn’t seem to address the theology” of the Corinthians but instead the “status of their relationship”. In my opinion they are creating a false dichotomy here.

I disagree that Paul does not “seem to address [the Corinthian] theology”.

That seems to be precisely the point that he is making. Their relational issues are theological problems. Yes, Paul makes relational appeals. But he does so while teaching a robust theology centered on the foolish gospel. Richards and O’Brien ask “does relationship ever trump theology” (173). The answer to that question seems to be “what theology” are we talking about? It was “theology” that caused John to say, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [theology], do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting”. Rules and relationships aren’t contrary enemies. They are friends reconciled on the cross of Christ. Let’s not separate what God has joined together.

Having said that, this book will undoubtedly be one of my top 12 books of 2012. It has been a refreshing read. Apart from a few caveats I would recommend this book to anyone. I think it would strengthen their Bible reading. Some books like this could foster doubt in the novice Bible reader. Richards and O’Brien, thankfully, write in such a way to actually add confidence to the Word of God.

Should You Buy It?

I recommend it. Every serious Bible student would benefit from reading this book. Pastors ought to consider it’s claims as well. I believe such a book would greatly aid in sermon preparation. If nothing else perhaps it will humble us. There are questions to ponder at the end of each chapter which would make this an interesting book to read in a community of believers, perhaps while reading through a book of Scripture.

You can purchase it at Amazon for under $10.

Today in Blogworld 12.04.12

Mike Leake

Bringing Marriage Back to Earth

This is an interesting piece by Brian Tallman. He wonders if we have over-spiritualized marriage. Give it a read. (HT: Challies)

18 Facts About China That Will Blow Your Mind

I know very little about China, so it isn’t hard to blow my mind. But these 18 facts surely did. That’s a lot of pigs… (HT: David)

Interview with Carl Trueman

Joey Cochran has interviewed Carl Trueman on his book The Creedal Imperative. I have to be honest and say that the title sounds boring and like a book that I wouldn’t want to read. But after reading Joey’s interview I think it may be worth reading.

How the Incarnation Humbles Me

Tim Challies reflects on the incarnation and the humility that it invokes.

This is a pretty sad video:

Five Dangers of Poor Eschatology

Mike Leake

Today is December 04, 2012. If the Mayans have anything to say about it, we only have about 17 days left on earth. The verdict is still out on how exactly it’s going to go down. Personally, I think when all is said and done Richard Simmons will somehow be to blame. But just in case this prediction is wrong—as it likely will be—I thought perhaps I should explain why poor eschatology is dangerous.

First, I need to tell you what I mean by poor eschatology. I don’t mean that you have to have your millenial position nailed down. Nor do I mean that you have poor eschatology just because you believe in a rapture (which I do not). What I consider poor eschatology is that which is held too highly, too certainly, and too sweepingly.

Certainly it is not wrong to have confidence in your view of the end times. But at the end of the day, apart from a confession that Christ will return, the specifics of eschatology is a third tier issue. To make it more is to hold it too highly, too certainly, or too sweepingly. Doing such has caused problems in the church since the first century. Here are 5 dangers of poor eschatology:

  1. Passivity—This is what happened to the church at Thessalonica. They became so certain in their eschatology that it lead to inactivity. The same thing happens in our day. Some people respond to the problems in our culture by holing up in their bomb shelter instead of continuing to spread the kingdom of Christ.
  2. Misplaced Focus—I’ve been here before. You get so excited about rapture charts and other end times material that it becomes your entire relationship with Jesus. You begin to judge people’s relationship with Christ based on their view of the rapture. Your focus has become centered on the return of Christ instead of the Christ that is returning.
  3. Misreading—Not only the Scriptures but also the newspaper. You read everything through the lens of your eschatological views. Earthquakes aren’t meant to provide strength to our eschatological views. Earthquakes are meant to provide opportunities for love and mission. 
  4. Misapplication—You not only misread Scripture but you also misapply it. You apply things to the realm of the end times that are not meant to be applied that way. Passages that ought to call us to repentance are used to show how messed up the world is and how it will be judged.
  5. Misrepresentation—With every false prediction the credibility of believers and the claims of Christ become a little less serious. Christians are mocked for our silly end times hysteria and the cause of Christ is harmed. The gospel is misrepresented when it becomes a ticket to end times security instead of union with Christ.

These are five dangers, I could list more. I also suppose that someone could write an article about 5 dangers of neglecting eschatology. It is an important doctrine but it needs to be held appropriately.