Simon Says Christians Don't Actually Read Leviticus: A Survey of the Book of Leviticus

The book of Leviticus is an explanation of the priestly laws for the people of Israel. Today, there are people who think the Leviticus text has little to no relevance for the Christian faith life (after all, it’s a Hebrew text written for a specific people, and a specific occasion). However, taking such logic to its natural conclusion would lead most if not all scripture to be irrelevant (which ought to be a concern for people of faith).

The contexts of the Levitical Laws are not as irrelevant as some might think (myself included, at one point in time). The Levite priests held authority over the people of Israel religiously, medically, and judicially. They were the governing tribe of Israel before the time of the Judges. What makes this relevant to a modern culture? If your priest was your doctor, your lawyer, your judge, your educator, and your religious authority, wouldn’t you pay attention to what they were communicating to you?

The point is there’s more to the book of Leviticus than most people know about and it’s all right there in the text. Perhaps, my background in biblical scholarship allows me to catch things most readers don’t (but I think there’s more to it than that). Context is everything. The book of Leviticus is known for prohibiting same sex relations (18:22; 20:13) but contextually it’s not talking about “homosexuality.” Those famously prooftexted (pulled out of context, misused, eisegetical) verses are talking about things done in the practice of idol worship to other gods. The law of the Lord was for the people of Israel to be set apart from other nations and devoted to their God.

Idolatry was the crux of Original Sin – it’s what makes us sinners – it’s the most alienating and relevant aspect of human nature. No matter what we keep or trim out (all Christians do this with one biblical text or another) the book of Leviticus is super relevant. In it we are told to love our neighbor (19:18), to respect the authority of the Lord (18:30), not to oppress immigrants (19:33-34), to engage in religious celebrations and services (23:4-8), to share our provisions with the poor (23:22), and to remember what the Lord has done for the people of God (20:23-24).

Remembering the work of God is central to the Pentateuch (Torah) and to the Leviticus text, as the text indicates how exile in Babylon 586 BC/BCE affected the people’s appreciation for the work of God (26:34). It’s also a great reminder that whether it’s Jesus in the New Testament or the priests in the Old Testament someone is reconciling the people to God because we are unable to redeem ourselves (Lv. 15:30).          

Humans Bent on Evil while God is Mysterious in Mercy: A Survey of the Book of Exodus

After my survey on the book of Genesis, I decided to read through the book of Exodus and write another survey. A survey of a biblical text is one of the first steps in exegetical practice and biblical scholarship. In the survey process one reads the text and records initial thoughts, reactions, and questions. Now, I shall do so for the book of Exodus.

The Exodus narrative begins the story of Moses and tells the events of how the people of Israel were delivered form the land of Egypt. Unlike the book of Genesis, the book of Exodus focuses primarily on one central figure (Moses) and how he interacts with God, the Israelites, the Egyptians, and the Pharaoh.

The story of Exodus is a battle for the first born son (whether that be Egypt or Israel). One thing is very evident in this text the LORD (the “I AM THAT I AM”) is in control. God has a plan and Moses, a simple man, was chosen to be the face of this plan to the people of Israel. In this narrative, God is seen as so powerful that no one can see the divine face and live. Usually God is veiled behind a cloud when communicating with Moses.

As literature, I found the Genesis story more engaging than the Exodus story, but this might be due to the fact I can’t help but see images of Charlton Heston whenever I read the book of Exodus. However, some very interesting things develop in the book of Exodus. The Israelites wander in the wilderness of Sin (which I suspect has influence on the origins of how we use the word “sin” today, but it had a specific significance to its context). Another striking observation, I saw in this most recent reading of Exodus, was the fact that Moses instructed the people not to offend the Egyptians with their sacrifices to the LORD (8:26).

The book of Exodus (while not my favorite biblical text) establishes at least two major elements of the faith, the Law and tradition (namely Passover). On one hand we have the Law (in the form of the Ten Commandments and their explanations) which illuminates the brokenness of humanity and on the other hand we have the Passover, which celebrates the deliverance of God’s people by the work of the Lord.

R-Rated Beginnings: A Survey of the Book of Genesis

The book of Genesis is like, dysfunctional family story hour. The text is not lacking any form of malice, deceit, debauchery, or violence. I say family dysfunction because the Genesis story is one tale of a broken home after another. It’s fratricide, upon deception, upon some funky familial relations.

When it comes to the Genesis text, I tend to side with scholars who segment it into two forms: metanarrative and historical narrative. Usually, I place the metanarrative around Creation and Fall, but a recent reading of the text has me leaning towards a larger segmentation (Ch. 1-11). This leaves the historical narratives consisting of the Patriarchs and their Jerry Springer like, family stories.

The myth (tradition/legend) of the giants and sons of gods consorting with female humans (Ch. 6) contributes to the metanarrative, which explains the fallen nature of humankind, as does the Flood, as does, Cain and Able. In this metanarrative, we have the makings of two crucial covenants (Noaic and Abrahamic) One where the Lord promises not to destroy people and the other where the Lord promises the growth of a people. In short, through legend and history, the book of Genesis depicts the bonded will of humanity.

The basic gist of the book of Genesis, humans are inclined to do messed up things. There’s everyone’s favorite Sodom and Gomorrah, where the townsmen want to “get to know” the angels a bit. There’s the split of Jacob and Esau (Israel and Edom) who were at odds throughout the Primary History (Genesis-Kings). Not to mention, Lot’s daughters (Ch. 19).

Frankly, the book of Genesis is R-rated for violence and disturbing sexual content. Lot’s daughters and their freaky relations may be the most unsettling to modern readers. But, Abraham (you know, the father of many nations) married his half-sister Sarah (20:12).

As I reread Genesis today, the text brought out some interesting questions. I wondered how any Christian could believe in Free Will (if they’ve read Genesis in its entirety). I wondered how we’ve managed to convey many of the stories as fantastical children’s tales. I wondered how anyone could find it boring (whether they treat it as sacred or not). If you haven’t read the book of Genesis, I encourage you to read it, not so the Lord convicts you (or whatever spiritual motive you may favor), and not in order to disprove its legitimacy. Read it for the story, where copious amounts of human brokenness are met by a divine covenant of grace.

(I listened to this on vinyl today)

Radical Transparency and the Colapse of Piety

Greetings Readers, it’s been a minute since The Dialect of Praxis had a post. It’s been an exciting time in my life and new adventures have kept me engaged in conversation elsewhere. I hope you all are well!

Radical Transparency is a term I’ve borrowed from David Kinnaman’s well-selling title UnChristian. The phrase is an ideal set by the Buster and Mosaic generations (specifically those ages 16-29) who have grown skeptical and/or cynical about the portrayal of Christianity and the mass-marketed consumerist society surrounding young people today. Radical Transparency is a mindset aimed at deconstructing image-centered hyper-individualism and being “real” with people.

Kinnaman’s book, boasting copious amounts of research and data analysis on Western culture’s negative perception of Christianity and its people, declares, only 1 in 22 Christians (in the 16-29 age bracket) have a deep connection to the Christian faith (UnChristian). This phenomenon is what authors such as Kenda Dean and others have come to call Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.

In the spirit of Radical Transparency, I have to say I’m not alarmed by any of the statistics, negative views, erosion, or declining numbers of the Christian faith. I’m at the tail end of the Buster demographic and have personally experienced the skepticism, cynicism, and need for authenticity in the Christian world. But, the skepticism and cynicism (which I have no doubt worn as a coat of armor) is as concerning as the façade of moralistic perfectionist Christianity.

Pious behavior (personal devotional reading of scripture, doing everything right, praying enough, and the like) doesn’t save us and this is a fair criticism from non-Christians and skeptical believers, towards the typically Conservative portion of the Christian community. However, I’m not looking to tear down Evangelicals today. Instead, I ask, could a delicate balance of piety be a bad thing?

Honestly, I’m not hugely pious (or remotely pious compared to my days as an Evangelical Christian) but I like to study the scriptures. As is evident by the statistics in UnChristian, most people identify the importance of Christianity in lifestyle before anything to do with the Gospel message. And, experience has shown me that many young people in the Church today don’t have a basic understanding of the Gospel (or scripture in general). Maybe non-Christians don’t want to know who Jesus is because most Christians don’t know who Jesus is anymore. Christianity is not a set of lifestyle principals; it is faith in the living God and redemptive work of the cross.   

Lenten Devotional 09: Eating Straw; Exegeting a Difficult Word

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Scripture reading: The Epistle of James 1:12-18

What is there to say about the Epistle of James? It’s canonized scripture written as New Testament Wisdom Literature and, like most Lutherans, I don’t care for it. Once upon a time ago, I considered it the magnum opus of the New Testament; so, why the change of mind? The Doctrine of Grace and Sola fide (by faith alone) challenge this text.

Arguably, there may be redeeming qualities in this work that Luther called, “an epistle of straw.” According to Luther, “St. James’ epistle is really an epistle of straw…for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it.” The fact that the author of the book of James says we are not justified (Gk: dikaioō) by faith alone is disputable (the epistle is Antilegomena). Disputation aside, I read with you, and exegesis has pulled redemption from this text.

“Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (1:17). The author’s attribution of God being the giver of all things is sound. Our pericope encourages perseverance amidst trials (1:12). It’s a proclamation of hope (albeit, a weird one, with that crown of life business). God is not tempting us that is the sinful nature, which has bonded the human will (vv. 13-16). Grace is the work of God (v. 17). Our justification was his purpose (v.18).

Unlike this epistle, the Gospel of Jesus Christ points to the work of God through the grace of the cross. In faith alone believe that we are justified (saved) by grace alone, through the work of Christ alone, and that glory is to God alone; according to scripture alone (adaptation of the Five Solas). James (whichever one he may be) composed a disputable epistle, but it’s not always easy to reconcile with the word of God (biblical text). May the Lord be gracious to us as we debate the difficult parts of the word.

Holy and Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; for those who love the work of James, may you bless them through it and for others, like me, who refute the words of James, reveal their redemptive purpose, and be gracious to us. Sometimes, the words of your scriptures can be difficult, when that occurs, give us discernment, wisdom, and humility. May we reside in the grace of your cross and know that you are the Lord, our God. You are revealed in Christ and, yet, you are mysterious. We are humbled at the foot of your cross. Amen.

Lenten Devotional 05: Life Happens

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Scripture reading: Ecclesiastes 2:24-3:15

Qoheleth (the Teacher) drops somewhat of a bomb on the wisdom texts of the Old Testament, by delivering an alternate form of wisdom literature. The poetry of our text today is a popular pericope within scripture (due in part to the song “There is a season; Turn, Turn, Turn,” by The Byrds). For our reading I have included the blocks of text before and after the poem.

The Teacher isn’t delivering the practical wisdom of Proverbs (cause and effect). Instead, Ecclesiastes tells the reader that “life happens.” There is no avoiding the seasons of life, this is, “chasing after wind.” For Qoheleth, life is cause and effect and wisdom is balance: “There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil” (2:26, NRSV).

In every step we take and every move we make, there is a season. Some days, life will feel meaningless and vain (1:2). In life, remember your joy and remember the Lord; remember to hope in the Lord and know that the Lord is with you in all seasons. Eccl. 2:24-3:15 has a message for all people: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” (3:1) or as I like to put it, “life happens.” In response to the seasons of life, “…it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in their toil” (3:13).

The work of the Lord contains mystery for us because it is God alone who does the work (3:11, 14-15). Sometimes it’s hard not to have answers (I’d be the pot calling the kettle black if I said otherwise). Sometimes doubts arise, sometimes they fade, sometimes life doesn’t seem fair, sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, sometimes we don’t meet people well in their respective seasons, sometimes we fail, sometimes we succeed, sometimes we love, sometimes we find it hard to love, and when “life happens” we must live it.

Remember, the Lord alone is our God. Seasons come and go; we live and die, all in the work of God alone.

Lord, God, it is your grace that saves us; in your grace there is no vanity. You did the work through the cross. You cover us in grace and that alone is enough. Your work of grace has justified us and continues to sanctify us, pointing our eyes to you, as we kneel at the foot of your cross – in awe of the work you have done and in reverence of the God that you are – thanks to you Lord. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.      

Lenten Devotional Introduction

Last year, Lent brought the inception of The Dialect of Praxis; this year, the blog will host a Lenten Devotional series, beginning Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2012) and ending Easter Sunday (April 8, 2012). Posts will occur daily by 10AM EST. There are two ways to follow the series: “Join the conversation by email” (on the right side of the blog) or access it via the link to this introduction found on Facebook, which will contain a link to each daily post (email subscriptions will be easier).

Grace and peace to you from the Triune God.

Click for daily devotional posts. 
01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11,12, 13,14, 15, 

When Life Defecates, Get Wisdom; Proverbs, Prudence, and Prostrating

Proverbs is not the book for me – I’m a rock-star-rated-R-silver-tongued-servant-of-the-pulpit – and this book takes me to church. Rather, to the cross. One of the challenges of teaching people about the scriptures, is that one tends to be taught – though, not so willingly – along the way. If I’ve learned anything from the deep study and lessons I’ve taught on this book of compiled wisdom sayings (one of few compilations in scripture) it’s that wisdom begins and ends with the fear (meaning reverence) of the Lord.

In order to possess wisdom, one has to have virtue, prudence, reservation, and humility (among other things). Easier said than done, I’m sure. Hence why I said the book of Proverbs takes me to church. But, this isn’t about getting religion, winning metals for moralism, or becoming a better Christian. It’s about gaining practical wisdom. Unfortunately, practical wisdom doesn’t come easy.

However, practical wisdom puts scholars, like me, in our place. Nine times out of ten, the wisest person in the room is the only one not talking or waiting to be heard. Wisdom is the authenticity I promote, but mockery falls through my lips like a thief. Knowledge is the prudence of a good friend; recklessness is its ruin. Reservation is one’s investment; saying all there is to say leads to sorrow. The humble seek wisdom, but the proud are fools. In other words, don’t be a jerk.

One could ask, what do we do when practical wisdom doesn’t follow through, the “bad guys” win, and life goes to excremental proportions? Start over. For, wisdom begins with our reverence (respect, worship, or admiration) for God. In juxtaposition, wisdom is from God.

“The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NRSV).

“The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is the Lord’s alone” (Proverbs 16:33, NRSV).

The Lord’s wisdom can be frustrating at times and we can glean from it other times. On one hand, practical wisdom from the Proverbs can be quite useful in daily life. On the other hand, practical wisdom doesn’t stop life from defecating on us. In turn, it’s God we seek to understand wisdom. By the grace of God, both the wise and the foolish will meet at the foot of the cross with our humble questions.