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Week 29 Daniel

Yesterday I saw Nebuchadnezzar’s fury when his seers didn’t come through. And I saw that Daniel faced the king’s wrath with wisdom and discernment.
Today I was thinking about Shadrach Meshech & Abednego refusing to worship the king’s idol. Just like yesterday Nebuchadnezzar’s response was rage. SM&A tried to rationally and calmly explain their position to the king but it made no difference. He was mad. SM&A had collided with power.
I was reading a book about Ecclesiastes and the writer was talking about power – the incontestable power of a person who rules. A power so powerful that no argument matters. He said:
…it is pointless for the sage to challenge the king’s decision, since the king does whatever he wants! No one can insist that the king justify his actions…(Ecclesiastes) could just as well have in mind the board of a multinational corporation, or modern administration and bureaucracy. They are just as authoritarian, arbitrary, absolute, and without explanation as dictators and kings. No point in challenging them…Power is always power; whatever its constitutional form, it always takes the form of absolute power.
So that’s what SM&A were up against. Chapter one says they were ten times better than anyone else in wisdom and balanced judgment. Didn’t matter. Wisdom can’t compete with power.
Only one thing completes with power. Power. Which – fortunately for the three young men – is what happened in this story

Note: quote from Jacques Ellul Reason for Being (Eerdman’s: Grand Rapids, 1990) 76.

Week 29 Daniel

While I was reading Proverbs last month I started listing the characteristics of Solomon’s Types of People. His uncomplicated bi-partite division was that in this world there were Wise People and there were Foolish People.
One of the differences between the two was in the area of anger-control management. Proverbs said things like:
Those who control their anger have great understanding
It is better to have self-control than conquer a city
People with good sense restrain their anger
Short-tempered people must pay their own penalty
Keep away from angry, short-tempered people
Those who are wise will calm anger.
So I remembered some of those proverbs when I read the story about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream – the one where the king couldn’t dope out his dream and so he called his soothsayers-and-magicians. But they were stumped too.
The result was that: the king was furious when he heard this, and he sent out orders to execute all the wise men of Babylon.
The other magicians were putting their affairs in order. But not Daniel: Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion.
On one side there was Nebuchadnezzar’s fury.
And on the other there was Daniel’s wisdom and discretion.
I thought back to Solomon’s two contrasting Types of People.
Nebuchadnezzar’s anger was awesome and terrifying and potentially deadly. And it also held up a big sign about where the king fit on Solomon’s Wisdom-Foolishness Scale.

Note: quotes from & Proverbs 14:29, 16:32, 19:11, 19:19, 22:24, 29:8 and Daniel 2:12, 14 (NLT).

Week 28 Ezekiel

In the last segment of his book – 47:13-48:29 – Ezekiel describes a complete redrawing of the tribal settlement boundaries of the land. Things are looking very different from the conquest distribution in Joshua’s day. For starters Israel’s national boundaries have been redrawn. The eastern border is along the Jordan River now which means that the two and a half tribes who had settled east of the Jordan are brought over to the west side along with everyone else.
Now there are only seven tribes in the north: Dan Asher Naphtali Manasseh Ephraim Reuben Judah (Judah Reuben have to move north).
The orientation of the tribal boundaries is all east-west now – like horizontal strata deposits of sediment.
Down in the south are Benjamin Simeon Issachar Zebulun Gad (it’s a change in location for most of them). Just like in the north the boundaries in the south all run east & west across the country.
Sandwiched in between are the allotments for priests and Levites, the metropolitan lands, and the crown land (48:8-22). It’s hard to say how much the northern and southern borders of the country have changed since they seemed a bit fluid before.
I finish the book not sure what to make of this new land settlement map. It’s the same not-sureness I had with the new temple.
I’ve already had to put several things in Ezekiel’s book on the back-burner and it looks like the temple and the land will go there too.

Note: see Ezekiel 48:1-7, 23-29

Week 28 Ezekiel

In chapter 47 Ezekiel’s guide takes him outside the city to a shallow trickle of water flowing out of Jerusalem’s temple toward the east. I look at a topographic map. Jerusalem is in green but going east the colours soon change: green-to-yellow-to-white – no growth. The contour lines close in heading down toward the Dead Sea. Sea-level…and then still farther down. 400 metres below sea level. Hot-dry-hypersaline.
Outside Jerusalem’s east wall Ezekiel’s river started ankle-deep but within a couple of kilometres he can’t ford it.
His river hurries down to the Dead Sea. It will eventually turn the sea into a fresh-water lake. People will catch fish from water where no fish have ever lived.
The stream is magical: everything that touches the water of this river will live.
Ezekiel looks around and sees that: suddenly, to my surprise, many trees were now growing on both sides of the river. All kinds of fruit trees…and there will always be fruit in their branches…a new crop every month…The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.
As of today Ezekiel’s temple hasn’t been built. And so far no one’s ever fished the Dead Sea. So these visions describe a couple of unusual longshots. They will either actually happen in reality some day in our future. Or they describe something unusual and unexpected that won’t happen in our future material reality – but will happen in some way or other.

Note: quotes from Ezekiel 47:9, 7 & 12 (NLT)

Week 28 Ezekiel

Reading-through means I’m pretty much committed to the Total Content Rule…which says that now that I’ve arrived at Ezekiel 40-46 I have to read it.
It describes Ezekiel’s temple vision. It’s detailed and uninteresting enough that it makes for a plodding architectural narrative. At first I’m forming a vague mental picture of a boxy geometric structure but soon I’m lost in detail – measurements gates windows pillars porches courtyards rooms – for guards-priests-singers-storage – doors stairways plazas galleries walkways and also quite a bit of decorative art.
Then right in the middle of the section the Lord tells Ezekiel to: describe to the people of Israel the Temple I have shown you. Tell them its appearance and its plan so they will be ashamed of all their sins. And if they are ashamed of what they have done, describe to them all the specifications of its construction.
So Ezekiel was supposed to give an oral presentation of his temple vision. If the people turned toward the Lord then Ezekiel could then give them the construction details. It’s hard to imagine how these architectural specifics would assist the people’s faith. But however that part worked Ezekiel’s concluding add-on was definitive: this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness!
Ezekiel’s Vision-Temple was never built (that I know about) and whether it’s a future building-project waiting-to-happen is debatable. But what seems pretty basic and lasting and necessary is the being-personally-holy part of the plan.

Note: quotes from (Ezekiel 43:10-11 & 12 (NLT)

Week 28 Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25-32 is that long section of prophecies about Israel’s international opponents. I thought that content was behind me but today I come to 38 & 39 – a 52-verse prophetic forecast about a man named Gog who is the prince of Magog.
Gog of Magog is only mentioned ten times in the bible – nine of them in Ezekiel 38-39 (once in Revelation).
I checked an encyclopedia: Gog is a leader, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal who will attack Israel and be defeated in the last days. Magog is his country – the encyclopedia confirms what I pretty much knew just reading the bible.
In chapters 25-32 Ammon Moab Edom Philistia Tyre Egypt Assyria Babylon were mentioned – names I remembered, places I could spot on a map. But Magog is an unknown country. Ezekiel’s only location-hint is that Magog is in the remote north.
I looked at a map. Not because I figured Magog would be on it but to see what’s north of Israel. Straight north is modern-day Turkey. Is that remote enough? Farther yet is the Black Sea…a couple of independent states of the old soviet empire…Russia…the Arctic Ocean.
Ezekiel’s timeline on Gog’s annihilation is set for the distant future: after many days…in the latter years…the last days. So maybe we’re still waiting. In which case Gog could be a modern guy. The main player in a 2500 year-old forecast waiting quietly to happen.

Note: quotes from Columbia Encyclopedia 5th ed. (Columbia University: NY, 1993) and Ezekiel 38:8 & 15 (NASB)

Week 28 Ezekiel

In chapter 33 the Lord gave Ezekiel a pretty clear and uncomplicated Action-Outcome Formula.
He said: the good works of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin.
He repeated it: when righteous people turn to evil they will die.
The equal &  opposite breakdown for non-righteous people is this: nor will the sins of evil people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. (Ezekiel repeated that one too: if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live.)
In the OT there’s a big divide between Insiders and Outsiders. If you were born into the Abraham Family you automatically start out as an Insider. But Insiders weren’t guaranteed permanent Insider Status. Being one and staying one were two different things.
For example I might start out as a God-fearing Ephraimite Insider but if I decide to worship Moloch then I’m deciding to move Outside. I might be thinking what-about-my-Insider-status? But it sounds like Ezekiel’s answer is that my past status is an dependent variable that’s now become irrelevant. The main question is: where am I at right now?
No one’s saying that nothing about my past matters. That would be crazy.
What’s not crazy – and what Ezekiel maps out – is that my current decisions are dynamic and weighted-down with a bunch of heavy freight. It’s what I’m currently doing that determines my status.

Note: quotes from Ezekiel 33:12, 18-19 (NLT)

Week 27 Ezekiel

Ezekiel devotes eight chapters to prophecies against nations outside of Israel’s borders. The eight chapters – from 25 to 32 – have almost 200 verses and out of those 200 Tyre is the topic of about 85. More than 40%.
From the sound of it Tyre had as globalized an economy as any nation in the ancient world. Ezekiel names Tyres’ international connections – Senir Lebanon Bashan Cyprus Egypt Elishah Sidon Arvad Gebal Persia Lydia Libya Helech Gammad Tarshish Greece Tubal Meshech Togarmah Dedan numerous-coastlands Aram Judah Israel Damacus Arabia Kedar Sheba Raamah Haran Canneh Eden Asshur Kilmad. Tyrian merchants made the rounds.
Tyre’s manufactured goods were bartered for silver iron tin lead slaves bronze horses chariots mules ivory ebony turquoise dyes embroideries linen coral rubies wheat figs honey oil balm wine wool wrought-iron cassia calamus saddle-blankets lambs rams goats spices jewels carpets gold fabric.
Tyre. What a great little island-city-state. Prosperous. Industrious. Secure. Materially wealthy. Big reputation. Great place to live. Proud of its accomplishments.
Really proud. In fact the Lord said: in your great pride you claim, “I am a god!”…With your wisdom and understanding you have amassed great wealth…Your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud.
Pride is a tricky quality. I guess a bit is okay if I’m cautious. But Tyre’s pride was over-the-top pride. Arrogant pride. Pride enough that they felt like gods.

Note: see Tyre in Ezekiel 27. Quotes from 28:2, 4-5 (NLT)

Week 27 Ezekiel

The bible I use has bolded headings along the top of each page – added subtitles that tip me off about the contents of that page. When I start on chapter 25 today I see that the header says: Prophesies against Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia. I flip forward a few pages and see more international prophecies: a long section on Tyre & Sidon and another on Egypt. I’m looking at eight chapters of judgments about other nations.
Yesterday I read a long list of forbidden-and-deadly actions that Israel was practicing so I’m kind of expecting the same with the foreign nations. But so far today no long lists. What I do see is that each state had a similar problem. They all disliked Israel.
Ammon is criticized: because you scoffed when my Temple was desecrated.
Moab is criticized because it said: Judah is just like all the other nations.
The Philistine confederation: acted against Judah out of revenge and long-standing contempt.
And Tyre was happy to see the fall of Jerusalem because it figured: I am the heir!…I will become wealthy!
I don’t have time to follow-up on this but I think it’s pretty safe to say that these states were guilty of more than just mocking out Israel and taking advantage of Jerusalem’s fall. But here Ezekiel says their unfriendliness hostility and antagonism toward Israel is a prime and common flaw.
In the bible’s solar system Israel’s the sun.

Note: quotes from Ezekiel 25:3 & 6, 8, 15, 26:2 (NLT)

Week 27 Ezekiel

I was reminded of something today.
When I think of the first Babylonian attack on Jerusalem – they sacked the city, carried off a lot of exiles and set up a puppet ruler – I tend to think that Jerusalem was left a kind of busted-up broke-down do-nothing semi-ghost town. Israel had to reap-their-whirlwind. And Babylonian blew into town and helped them do just that.
But in chapter 22 today I see Ezekiel didn’t think of those last three puppet-governors (who all came after that first attack) as just ho-hum place-holders who just twiddled-their-thumbs. I forgot that more than six weeks ago the chronicler pointed out that Jehoiakim & Jehoiachin & Zedekiah all: did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. And here & now in a long-distance prophecy from Babylon Ezekiel ticks off a list of offences that were still going on: murder idolatry contempt-for-family gouging-foreign-residents oppressing-the-weak despising-sacred-things lewd-activities illicit-sexual-practices assassination racketeering extortion conspiracy theft disregard-for-religious-laws false-prophecy injustice and like that.
Chapter 22 reminds me that things were seriously degraded in Jerusalem. Meaning that Babylon would soon be back for the third time.
The real surprise is that the Lord kept trying to help: I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. The Lord surveyed the entire city and didn’t find a single God-fearing person.
If he’d found one things could have been a lot different.

Note: quotes from 2 Chronicles 36:5, 9, 12 & Ezekiel 22:30 (NLT)