No Friendly Passing: Deuteronomy 2

In Summary: I’m back to the Old Testament. It’s just a brain shift that’s not been easy in recent weeks with all the travel and such. Soon enough, I’ll get back to the Proverbs Blog as well.

Deuteronomy is, as I’ve said, the second telling of the story of the Exodus and the Law of God. Some events are summarized, some glossed over, and a few are skipped. That’s not a fault in the story, as some things are worth going over a second time. Deuteronomy 2 gives us more of the basic travelogue from Egypt to the Promised Land. There are two major interactions with other nations here, and these are worth our focus time. The rest of the chapter gives a fairly simple “We went here, we went there,” type of approach.

Going from that, though, is the interaction first with the Edomites. Looking back at Genesis, the Edomites are the descendants of Esau, and they generally lived where the modern nation of Jordan is now. They also are the forerunners of the Idumeans, from whom Herod the Great comes in 1500 more years.

Esau, you might recall, was the brother of Jacob. Jacob, the one God renamed Israel, fathered twelve sons. He and his sons went down to Egypt during a famine some 430 years or so before Deuteronomy 2. The Edomites are family. Distant family, true, but family. Because of the relationship, God commands that Israel not conquer or plunder the Edomites. They are to pay for what they need, pass through on the road, and not cause trouble. Even though there is no strong relationship here, the Israelites are to give Mount Seir a wide berth.

There are similar instructions given for the descendants of Lot, though these peoples, the Moabites and the Ammonites, will eventually trouble the people. Further, it’s worth noting that the God does not commend unifying with any of these groups, even given the relationships of the past. Instead, the Israelites are to move on toward the Promised Land and leave these behind.

Edom, Ammon, and Moab all allow the peaceful passing of Israel. Perhaps due to the old relationships. Perhaps due to the monetary gain of the Israelites’ paying their own way.

In Focus: This contrasts with the interaction with Sihon (and Og in Deuteronomy 3). Sihon refuses to allow the peaceful passage of the people of God. He comes out for war.

And God empowers the people to defeat him, utterly. They destroy Sihon and Og, and then two and a half tribes settle their land.

The issue was this, though: these kings couldn’t stomach the idea of allowing God’s people to pass by peacefully. It was not enough to be left alone, Sihon and Og wanted to destroy and dominate.

In Practice: What hath this to do with today?

Here are some thoughts:

1. As far as it is possible, don’t pick fights with the people around you. It did not destroy the identity of Israel to simply pass by the other nations. Those nations could see how God had blessed Israel and even come to Israel’s God. Conflict was not necessary—only a demonstration of life in community in the presence of God.

2. Live life in community in the presence of God. This remains a valid action for the people of God: live life together in His presence. That may or may not be what the world thinks it’s looking for. But it truly is.

3. Do not shrink back if the Lord God puts you into battle. Whether that’s a battle in ballots or words, swords or tactics, stand forward into what God has called you to do. While Christians are not to conquer physically in the name of Christ (we’ve made that mistake, but generally understand that it’s bad), we are to hold the ground intellectually that we have. And it is valid to fight, physically, for the freedom that God has provided for all.

In practice, do not falter back from asserting the truth of God, even in the face of overwhelming odds. It is yours to stand, and God’s to strengthen.

In Nerdiness: Did you catch the back-references to the Anakim? These are the giants, the mighty men of old. The idea here is that Israel was not passing through weak lands.

Of course, we know that Anakim comes forward into modern culture. Anakin becomes the name for a force of evil in a galaxy far, far away—Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader.

Pop culture leans on Scripture in many places, some of which are unexpected.

Book: Escape from Plauen

This was an intriguing read. It’s the first hand account of surviving World War II as a child in Germany. I have truly never read anything quite like it.

The author, Renate Stoever, has a remarkable memory of the images and events that surrounded her during the war. It’s a life that was not easy and she certainly felt the impact after the war. Her artistry with words demonstrates a passion for helping the reader understand.

Who should read this book, Escape from Plauen? I’d suggest upper high school students through adults. And I’d certainly suggest that anyone who thinks war only affects those on the front lines.

Why? In this work, we see examined the force brought to bear on a civilian population. The idea was, of course, that if life was miserable in Germany, then the Germans would kick out the leadership that brought them to that misery. It’s the same tactic that the London Blitz was intended to bring in England, and it proved just as unsuccessful. England never surrendered, and Germany had to be completely conquered and occupied to end the European War. Massive civilian destruction only worked in Japan—and that cost deserves another discussion another day.

Does Stoever tell the story like a professional writer? No, she does not. These are not the words and writings of a professional writer, nor of an historian. They are not even first person thoughts captured by the professional.

Instead, this is the personal reflections of someone looking back at a childhood lost. A childhood stolen by the Nazis, destroyed by the Allies, and the life she had to build to recover from that. It’s an amazing story, and gains more from the style of its telling than it loses in its informality. I loved reading this, while hating the reality that brought it into existence.

It goes on the shelf of senior high must-reads for my children.

Third-degree burns?

The most common question asked of graduates is “What are your plans now?” We ask that of high school grads, college grads, and graduate school grads. Since seminary is a specialized form of graduate school (technically, it’s a professional school in the historic vein of medical schools and law schools), I’ve gotten that question a good bit lately.

There’s a few reasons for that. First is the natural curiosity. After all, I’ve been telling people I’m in school, so now that I’m done, they want to know.

The second is that, unfortunately, we Baptists tend to class our churches as places you go before seminary, during seminary, or after seminary. There’s an unfortunate tendency to think that now that one has a new degree, one needs a new ministry position.

Third is that, well, there is one more degree to pursue after the Master of Divinity. Actually, there’s two possibilities. One is the Doctor of Philosophy, a research/study degree. The other is the Doctor of Ministry, a practical/experiential degree. The former means more books, languages, and a lot of writing. The latter means more books, developing a practical project, trying it, and a lot of writing. Many pastors chase and obtain the D.Min., as it has more of a “doing the work” feel to it. Academics, nerds, and people who can’t face reality chase the Ph.D., because it’s about research and writing, preparation to teach and expanding knowledge into unknown areas.

For example, the D.Min. would be pursued by developing a plan to build disciples in the local church by teaching church history. The Ph.D. would research examples of how that was done in the past, prove that it’s a good idea, and theorize about the reasons. Ph.D. candidates would examine across cultures and languages, as well as timelines, while the D.Min. would seek information about how to learn from (and replicate) any time it’s been successful.

That’s oversimplified, but you get the idea.

So, what am I going to do?

I’ll give the same answer I used in high school and college.

I have no idea. I will do what I think is what God has directed me to do.

In that light, I am pursuing a bit of language study that will enable me to do more academics if the opportunity is there. I would like to do so, but there’s a lot of investment for that.

I will continue to serve the church I serve until the work I’m here to do is done. Yes, that’s nebulous. It’s business meeting night here in Almyra, I could be done in 2 hours if the body here decides that I am. The Lord could leave me here for years, even as things change and times shift. I have plans to preach Sunday, and serve indefinitely. I think that’s the way most of us who are pastors should approach it.

I do have other long-term type plans, such as getting around to writing the stuff I’ve been putting off. Doing a better job of pastoring and not just filling a space. Serving and helping other churches as well.

Will I go for the third degree? I think that’s a necessity one of these days—I can feel my neck burning to have the hood I saw the doctoral graduates get. I want that third degree. Of course, they may not take me, too, so that’s another matter.

It’s just a matter of making life about more than putting another piece of paper in the file.

So, what am I going to do?

This week, I’ll preach, teach, write, father, husband, and pastor, just like I did before graduation. After all, the degree was a marker of working through a process of becoming—it’s not a magical grant that I am now complete. Just that I have passed a mile stone.

Book: Know the Heretics

A week ago, we looked Know the Creeds and Councils by Justin Holcomb. Released at the same time, Know the Heretics is the obvious companion volume to that first work.

Historically speaking, one finds that the creeds were often formulated by the councils in response to the heretics, after all. You can’t study them independently and get the full picture.

Holcomb’s Know the Heretics is focused on the troubles of the initial centuries of Christianity, though he pulls one heretic from the late Middle Ages. In doing so, he is cautiously avoiding labeling any major modern Christian group as heretical. There are, after all, some who would lob that title about over something as trivial as whether or not the church takes an offering. Just check the blog-argument-zone for that behavior.

By focusing on these early heretics, Holcomb aids the reader in seeing how the church responded to the various pressures. The greatest threats were not the outside, but misunderstandings within, and often these were ideas that were *almost* right.

Certainly the most helpful segment of Holcomb’s work here is the chapter defining what heresy is and isn’t. This serves as a valuable corrective to today’s rapid tossing about of the term “heresy” for any old error. I find his view in line with mine expressed here.

There is a typo/editing error on page 24, but the context makes clear what Holcomb intended. The bigger problem with the text is this: ENDNOTES. Please, Zondervan, make it stop. You’ve got a lovely explanatory note for page 96 on page 171. I’m reading to learn, not to have perfectly clean lines. And you’re laying it out on a screen, not a printing press.

All-in-all, I wouldn’t recommend this for stand alone study like I would the co-volume of Know the Creeds and Councils. Rather, I would suggest this as supplemental material as you study church history and the early church. Why? Focusing on the errors, even with providing who the primary defenders of orthodoxy were and the right answers just feels a bit off for a specific study. Instead, this makes a great reference work.

And I look forward to the deluxe hardcover edition of Know the Creeds, Councils, and Heretics that combines all this information. Especially if they let it come forth with footnotes.

Free book from Zondervan, which saved me the purchase of a book I wanted. No requirements were made on the content of the review beyond word count.

Unity, Not Stupidity: Ephesians 4

In Summary: Paul turns here, as he usually does halfway through an epistle, from the more conceptual ideas to the more practical ones. There is no great gulf fixed between these sections, as practical ideas readily work through the opening half and new concepts rise up in the second halves of his letters.

Typically, though, there is something of a mood shift when you hit the “therefore” that marks this turning. It’s also followed by an imperative, as we find here. Paul says to do this: walk worthy of the calling. The furtherance of the chapter develops this theme. That is, of course, not too narrow of a topic and much of Paul’s instruction to the church falls into that category.

Ephesians 4:17-18 then comes back to the point of walking, and this time presents a negative statement. Paul says not to walk as the Gentiles walked, evoking the image not of reasonable Gentiles but of lost Gentiles. The implication is that worshiping darkness, even by default or omission, is to be avoided.

In Focus: Yet another portion of Paul’s view here is that walking worthy of the calling involves walking in unity. Note how Ephesians 4:3-6 put a major emphasis on how the church is not made up of different ideas, but of the unity of the body and the Lord who is the head of the Church.

This is reinforced with the images of Jesus in His victory triumph in Ephesians 4:8 and the whole body knitted together in 4:16. Unity matters.

So, though, does truth. Note Ephesians 4:13-15 and the references to growing up, maturing, and not being tossed about by waves and wind. He commands that the Ephesians speak the truth, lay aside falsehood, and only seek the good of their brethren in Christ.

In short, he wants unity but not at the cost of stupidity.

In Practice: Where is this going? Three places. Ready?

First, we should pursue unity in the Lord. We. Believers, followers of Christ, we need to seek this unity. It falls to us to put forth effort to attain unity. It is not natural to be unified with others, because we tend towards a bit of self-centered behavior in life. This is not something to be forced from shortly above (anyone less than Jesus) nor is it something some of us luff about and wait for another to do. We have responsibilities to hold together here.

Second, we should pursue unity in the Lord. Unity. Togetherness in walking with Jesus. A willingness to go with all who are bought by the Blood of the Lamb. We so often let unity be about preferences or styles, when it’s about whether or not we are redeemed sinners. There is a difference. My fellow believers, we are not welcoming others into our group by pursuing unity. We are all celebrating that Jesus paid the price for us to be in His group.

Third, we should pursue unity in the Lord. In the Lord. The same One who calls Himself “The Truth.” That Lord. There is no unity bought by stupidity or ignoring the truth. Unity comes from the Lord Himself, that He died for us, rose again, and sits at the right hand of God. When we can keep this straight, we will not ignore real problems in the name of unity. Real problems, mind you, not fluffy ones like “I don’t like the paint.”

Real problems should be addressed, for the Lord Himself was often more direct in correcting religious arrogance than with broken sinners. Always being redemptive, for unlike Jesus we do not deal with sinners in the Body from a place of perfection, we still address untruth and sinful actions. We ought never let a veneer of unity cover our love for the truth. It is from our love of the Truth Himself that we are empowered to love others, not from a desire for unity.

Remember, unity, not stupidity. Stupid, foolish ignorance of the Word of God in the name of unity is not maturity. Neither is failing to act on the Word to fake that unity.

In Nerdiness: Ephesians 4:8 quotes Psalm 68:18, yet it invokes the image of a Roman Victory Triumph as well. This was the parade given a victorious general to celebrate his accomplishments. In that parade, the victor displayed evidence of what he had conquered, and then provided something akin to party favors.

This is a frequent tradition in the ancient world, and we still observe part of it in granting parades to returning victorious military. They just do not parade the captured plunder and enemies alongside them. This is part of understanding the history that Paul simply assumes his readers know, because they are familiar with the concept.

An additional interesting rabbit is to chase Ephesians 4:9. Does “he descended” mean Jesus went to Hell, or simply that He came to earth? Consult 3 theologians and you’ll get at least 3 answers. What do you think?

Book: Out of the Depths

The USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in July of 1945, having delivered the major components of the weapons that ended World War II. And, if you have seen the movie Jaws, you are well aware that many of the men aboard ship survived the sinking, only to die in the water from the elements and the sharks.

Out of the Depths by Edgar Harrell, a Marine aboard the Indianapolis on that day, retells not only the story of the sinking, but the aftermath. Harrell provides many more details than Quint brought up on the Orca.

The primary emphasis here, though, is not on the sinking of the ship. While Harrell explains what happened, and he consistently speaks highly of his shipmates. The experience that Harrell and his fellow Marines and sailors endured is beyond understanding. That any of them survived is a marvel.

Naturally, though, there were aftershocks that we have rarely considered. As the last major vessel lost by the US Navy in World War II, there were more consequences and concerns afterward than any other sinking. In fact, Captain McVay was one of the only (if not the only) Captain court-martialed for the sinking of his ship. (Side note: it was formerly, 17th-18th century, the practice of the British Navy to automatically court-martial a captain who lost his ship, to ascertain facts of the event. )

Harrell goes to great lengths to explain how he and many of the survivors he knew felt Captain McVay was treated unfairly. He felt that the captain was scapegoated, and that the overall failure was systemic.

Overall, though, this is a story of faith in the midst of trials. Harrell clung strongly to his faith in God throughout his ordeal, and further used that faith to provide comfort to his fellow survivors. He also sees the events as important to understanding justice and the pursuit of truth, noting how Captain McVay was finally exonerated some 30 years after his death.

This is not an easy book to read, as it details the struggles against the elements and the attacks of the sharks. Every moment is not detailed, but the ones that are can be cringe worthy. These were truly men who faced a string of challenges and pulled through.

I can heartily recommend this as a look at one of the most-known-on-the-surface events of World War II. Many of us know it happened, but few know what occurred.

Free book from the publisher in exchange for the review.

Sermon Recap: June 1

Yikes. It’s already June.

Morning Sermon: Proverbs 27

Audio Link (direct download)

June 1 AM: Tomorrow is NOT another god: Proverbs 27:1 from Doug Hibbard on Vimeo.

Evening Sermon: Proverbs 1

Audio Link (direct download)

The Need for Proverbs: Proverbs 1 from Doug Hibbard on Vimeo.

Concluding Notes:

1. I do have the rough audio of Sunday Night’s Q&A session, but I’m not sure yet that it’s useful for posting.

2. I am not sure how to improve video quality with the current equipment.

3. If you want to subscribe, here’s a list:

A. iTunes for audio subscription link is here.

B. General Audio RSS feed for other programs is here.

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4. Yes, I think I’m not getting a lot of plays on each service or hits on each blog, but in total it’s a decent reach. A social media expert might suggest changes, but this is free-to-cheap, where I have to live right now.

5. Each blog has a “Follow” button and a “Subscribe via Email” option

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