God’s Instructions

In Deuteronomy, YHWH establishes what can be considered boundaries that mark the proper way of living for his redeemed people. These boundaries are set by the commandments, or instructions. Similar to what Walter Brueggemann suggests, this instruction (tôrāh) given to Israel is, in essence, more prescriptive than it is set in stone (pun intended).¹ Also, Packer comments:

What the books of Scripture said to their original recipients they were thought of as continuing to say in application to each successive generation, just as unrepealed secular legislation continues to bind each generation of citizens. As applications of secular law are made by bringing its principles to bear on particular cases under the guidance of its overall purpose and are valid whether or not the terms of the law explicitly envisage the cases in point, so it was held to be with the Bible.²

The instructions YHWH gave Israel were designed with potential and the purpose to be applied differently in various contexts and yet still maintain their integrity. Surely a re-application can cross the line into disobedience. That is why YHWH repeatedly tells his people to learn his ways so as to be equipped to apply them appropriately (e.g. Deut. 6:4-9; 10:15-22; Josh 1:8).³

1 Walter Brueggemann, An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003), 93.

2 J. I. Packer, “Upholding the Unity of Scripture Today,” in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Vol. 25 (The Evangelical Theological Society, 1982; 2002), 409-410.

3 Also, as is true with any body of law, observance to a particular stipulation is always contextual. Ergo, if I’m driving on the highway, the law that says “stop at red lights” is not applicable to me. This does not mean, however, that this piece of law is not still in force and expected to be kept when I’m driving in the city. Similarly, the laws related to feminine activities never apply to males and the commands for the priests never apply to the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, Naphtali, etc.

Concealing the Obvious

When my wife and I moved into our new place last July, one of the only things that came up “missing” was a blanket that my wife had received as a gift.  It was special to her. 

I recall on several occasions over the past year contemplating where on earth that blanket could have ended up.  My wife asked her parents on a couple of occasions if they have found it laying somewhere in their house (we stored some of our belongings for a few weeks in their garage before we moved).  Nope.  It was nowhere to be found.

Today, my wife was looking for a place to relocate some of her work shirts, and as she was doing that I recommended to her that she store them somewhere that is accessible so that she can easily get one when she needs it (i.e. not on the top shelf of her closet).  As she considered where to store them, she happened to look in one of the baskets that slides into the base of our bed.  This particular basket is on my side of the bed, but one that I don’t use, nor have I ever considered what was in it.  Lo and behold!  As my wife pulled the basket out, there was the blanket!  And not only that, but she also found two pairs of shoes that she had also been looking for.  Eureka! Oh, she also found another blanket that she had been missing as well (my wife loves blankets, especially really soft ones). 

We’ve lived in our place for almost one year now, and this whole time I’ve been sleeping right on top of the blanket and never knew it! 

The revealing of the ‘mystery of the gospel’ (Eph. 3:6) worked in a similar way.  It had been written all over the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, but no one “saw” it.  Paul testifies that it had been “kept secret,” but it had now been made known to God’s apostles and prophets (cf. Rom. 16:25-26; Gal. 1:12; Eph. 3:1-6).

If this “mystery” (i.e. that Gentiles are now made a part of the commonwealth of Israel through Messiah) is not based upon the word of God, then it would indeed be of no concern to us.  But this is not the case.  God testified to this “mystery” when he made covenant with Abram: “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3; Gal. 3:8).  God declared this “mystery” in Is. 56:6-8:

And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.  The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, "I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.

For God says in another place, “For the LORD God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).  All along this plan of God was revealed to Israel, yet, at the same time it was also concealed.  It was under their nose and they didn’t even know it!

God conceals and God reveals.  Considering that God desires to reveal himself (through creation, his presence in the Tabernacle, Temple, the Incarnation, Pentecost, New Jerusalem) the question then must be, “Are we seeking?”

Pesach

According to YHWH’s calendar, the appointed time of Passover has come upon us [cf. Ex. 12; Lev. 23]. 

For centuries, Israel celebrated [or perhaps, were supposed to celebrate] this feast.  This designated time was a memorial to commemorate Israel exodus from Egypt.  YHWH redeemed the multitude of Israel in one day’s time with his outstretched arm and great acts of judgment. 

Fast forwarding roughly two thousand years, we see Jesus’ final days on earth unfold during this same appointed season.  He celebrated the memorial with his disciples a night early.  However, during this celebration Jesus made some rather bold claims.  When they had finished eating, Jesus lifted the Cup of Blessing, which the Israelites lifted each year, and said, “this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”  Prior to that, Jesus, after saying a blessing for the bread, broke it and stated: “This is my body, which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” 

According to custom, after the meal, Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn and then wandered into the garden on the Mount of Olives.  They kept vigil; well, at least Jesus did. 

It was the longest day of his life. / Up all night making ready to face his plight. / He knew what was coming but he stayed alert. / All the strength in his soul he had to exert. / So much so, blood dripped through his pours. / Here in-lied the culmination of all the wars. / He beckoned his father to re-route providence. / But he also insisted the course consisted of consistent prophetic evidence. / Hence, the cup to drink ended in death. / Separated from life, fully expended his breath. / The ones who were the closest were the ones who slept. / “Wake up”, he said, “This night a vigil’s supposed to be kept. / Just one hour is all I ask. / Soon, all that I’ve told you will come to pass.”

Jesus was betrayed, falsely accused, tried by a corrupt council, and then condemned to death.  At the same time Jesus’ blood dripped off his body while he hung on the tree, the lambs’ blood was being collected in bowls in the Temple.

Coincidence?  I think not. 

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. [1 Cor. 5:7-8; ESV] 

Let us celebrate our exodus from bondage, which was wrought by the blood of the Redeemer himself – Messiah Jesus. 

[image from Guru Films]

Habakkuk 2:4 – part 3

[click on image to enlarge]

This graphic displays what Habakkuk 2:4 is describing.  The “righteous” person “lives” the kind of life that God intended [the "abundant life"] only by behaving according to his faithfulness to his Savior.  In fact, the word “faith” in the text is the Hebrew word emunah [אֱמוּנָה], which is better translated as “faithfulness.” 

Habakkuk 2:4 – part 2

In part 1 of my observations of this passage in Habakkuk, I suggested that the common interpretation drawn from this text and the places where Paul quotes it does not bring to light what the passage is trying to communicate.  I mentioned how typical, protestant, evangelical explanations of this text have something to do with salvation, in that this passage in Habakkuk tells us “how” someone gets “saved.”  I highlighted how this passage in Habakkuk sets at odds an already righteous person – who lives by “their faith” – with the wicked person – who lives by “their net.”  As was stated previously as well, to inject the common interpretation into this passage would cause the passage to be redundant and not make any sense.  It could read, “The righteous person, who is saved by their faith, is saved by their faith.” 

The first place that we go wrong, if we interpret this passage in the typical fashion, is by erroneously pre-supposing that the verb “live”  [יִחְיֶה; yich'eyee] in this passage is referring to acquiring “salvation,” in the traditional understanding of how one initially comes to receive salvation.  To clarify, salvation from God is an act of the LORD’s grace through one’s faith/trust in him.  I am not arguing about the “means” to salvation.  What I am arguing for here is that this passage has more to do with the “means” to living the abundant life, which comes after the moment of salvation [John 10.10].  Hence, the person in this passage is already considered “righteous.”    

After someone puts their trust in the LORD and is deemed “righteous,” they will then continue living and only truly “live” by walking in [their] faith[fulness] to YHWH.  Paul says, “…for we walk by faith, not by sight” [2 Cor. 5:7].  In this context Paul is making known “the means” by which he is able to carry on and live – his faith.  He does not walk by his sight; for if he did, then he would not be able “to live” the kind of life that God called him [and us] to live. 

To make this more clear and practical for the believer, consider this example.

John is 25 and an unbeliever.  He is introduced to the Gospel of God and receives the Lord Jesus.  John is baptized shortly after that and begins attending a local church.  His life bears fruit and everyone who knew him can readily see a change in him.  No doubt, John is a Christian.  Despite all the positive, immediate changes that have occurred in John’s life there still remains remnants of the “old” John.  He still looses his temper at his wife every now and then, and some foul language slips out, too.  The temptation and habit of browsing porn on the internet did not go away.  John does not regularly feed himself God’s word, nor regularly spend time in prayer.  John finds himself spending time with his old buddies, doing the same old things.  Now, the minute John received Christ he was given two options on how to continue living – [1] according to the faith that he put in Jesus, [2] or the same way he had been living before.  If John would have let his faith dwindle by not cultivated it by doing the things necessary in order to mature in his faith, he would have not been “living” by his faith.  In other words, he would not have been experiencing the “abundant life” that Christ came to give.  If John were to continue to seek God passionately, conform his life to the instructions found in God’s word, and surround himself with fellow believers who keep him accountable and whom John can confess sin to, then he would be truly “living” by “his faith.”  John ["the righteous"] would then be experiencing the “abundant life” that one can have only by living according to their faithfulness to YHWH.  

This is the essence of the Gospel of Christ – it is the call to embrace the “life” that God intended for his creation, which was made available by Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.  This “life” is what Jesus called “abundant”; this “life” can only be experienced by our “faith[fulness]” to our Creator. 

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. [Deuteronomy 30:19-20; italics mine]

For more on “righteousness” you might want to read this and this. 

Habakkuk 2:4 – part 1

Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Whose soul is puffed up and not upright within him?  It is the man who “sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich” [Hab. 1:16]. 

Any person who does not acknowledge the Creator with thanksgiving for the sustenance that sustains them is one whose soul is puffed up and not upright [cf. Deut. 8; 1 Cor. 10:17]. 

Habakkuk cries out to the LORD for justice to be done.  He sees the wicked prosper and the righteous perish.  He declares to YHWH:

You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? [Hab. 1:13]

When you put the statement in 2:4 in its context you should get the impression that it is contrasting two types of people; the unrighteous and the righteous.  The unrighteous person is one who “sacrifices to his net” because by it he lives.  [I think it would be safe to consider the "net" here as being anything that provides the means to live.]  In contrast, the righteous person is said to live by his faith.  To put it simply, the unrighteous lives by “his net,” and the righteous lives by “his faith.”  See the difference?  One depends on himself, the other depends on YHWH. 

In light of this, consider what is commonly understood by this passage.  Typically, it is something along the lines of believing that it has to do with salvation, in the sense of us being “saved by grace, through faith” [Eph. 2.8].  We generally understand this passage, and especially Paul’s usage of it, as being a statement about how one gets “saved” – it is by faith [cf. Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3.11; Heb. 10:38].  In other words, according to this, we could translate this passage as saying something like, “…a person is considered righteous based on his faith” [cf. Gen. 15:6].  I would never disagree with this statement.  However, this is not what this passage says, nor means.  The person who lives “by [his] faith,” in this passage, is already considered righteous.

…the righteous shall live by his faith.

Therefore, living “by faith” describes the practical way that the righteous person lives on a daily basis [cf. 2 Cor. 5:7].  Moreover, if we read this passage through the lens of what is commonly understood, then this passage would be redundant and not make any sense, rendering it to mean something like – the righteous person, who is considered righteous [saved] by their faith, is saved by his faith. 

Given this observation and declaration that Habakkuk makes here, we would do well to default in our thinking that the Apostle Paul understood this statement as such when he used it in Romans and Galatians.  The author of Hebrews surely had these things in mind as well when he quotes this passage. 

So, the next question to entertain is, “What does it mean and look like to live ‘by faith’?” 

The OT [old testament]

The term Old [as in "Old Testament"] is not merely a convention or a convenient label, but a thick reference that bespeaks much of the difficulty and the wonder of the church’s relation to Judaism, a difficulty and wonder already amply attested by Paul in Romans 9-11. [[Walter Brueggemann, An Introduction to the Old Testament [Louisville; Westminster John Knox Press, 2003] pg.3]]

Perhaps we would do well to investigate this thought a bit.