The passage in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 is a very familiar one:
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
It is one of the 2 or 3 passages commonly read before the Holy Communion, to remind us of the true meaning of the Holy Sacrament. The congregation is often told to pray and examine ourselves for any unconfessed sins. "Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves." (verses 28-29) What I learned today was that when I examine myself, it isn't so much about my personal unconfessed sins, but it is about how I behave in the body of Christ, i.e. the other believers in the church! I am to "discern" the body of Christ.
Looking at the context of this passage, the church in Corinth had a problem which manifested itself during the Lord's Supper:
In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! (verses 17-22)
The problem seemed to be that there were divisions among the believers. When they came together for this special remembrance meal, they didn't come with the unity of their hearts to remember what Christ did on the Cross. Some came to eat their "private" meals (i.e. they were not sharing their bread and their wine). As a result, some were hungry (not getting any of the bread) and some had excess - to the point of getting drunk from the wine.
So next time before the communion, I should examine myself in perhaps a slightly different way. I should look around my brothers and sisters in Christ. Is anyone in need? How can I share with them the richness that I have in Christ? Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper not only to remind us of his supreme sacrifice, but also to demonstrate to us that we should give to our brothers and sisters sacrificially. It's not going to be easy. That's why we celebrate the Lord's supper regularly (some churches more frequently than others - see this commentary on how frequent we should celebrate the Lord's Supper).
Saturday 31 August 2013
Friday 30 August 2013
Was Paul a sexist pig?
Today's scripture reading on 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 brings up many questions for me:
I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
I know the passage probably was about "dress code" in the early church, especially for women. Paul called it "the tradition" he passed on to them (verse 2). But then he went on rambling about who was the head of whom and who had authority over whom. I found this reference helpful to understand the context of this passage and I have borrowed the subject heading for this provocative blog! The author James Rochford first presented the historical, general negative view toward women by all major religions. He then gave a list of "It does not mean..." from the apostle Paul's writing explaining what "biblical authority" is:
1. It does not mean inequality. A man is no more superior to his wife, than the Father is superior to Christ (1 Cor 11:3, 11). “There is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28; c.f. Gen. 1:27).
2. It does not mean that a woman should follow the leadership of any man –just her husband. “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22).
3. It does not mean patriarchy –but responsibility. Husbands should love their wives “just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25). This is the model against which we should compare servant leadership in marriage. Under this definition, servant leadership is not authoritarian –but sacrificial. In fact, servant love is the antithesis of patriarchy.
4. It does not mean cruel or worldly leadership. Jesus said, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:42-45). Jesus redefines what leadership truly means: humility, compassion, and sacrificial love.
5. It does not mean unqualified leadership. “Christ is the head of the man.” In the biblical view of marriage, both spouses submit to God and his Word. The husband could not command or force his wife to do anything that is outside of the bounds of Scripture. Marriage should be presupposed by being “subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Eph. 5:21).
James Rochford then concluded:
Christians cannot agree with a feminist understanding of leadership, because we are operating out of different definitions of what leadership even is. Feminism assumes that leadership refers to power and authority. However, under the biblical definition, leadership means sacrificial love and service. Based on this view, the husband is responsible to initiate love, serve, apologize, and be responsible for leading the marriage on grey issues, which aren’t clearly defined in Scripture. When we properly understand the biblical view of leadership in marriage, frankly, we find that this isn’t a privilege for the husband. Instead, it is a serious burden and responsibility!
Now regarding the "head coverings" tradition, this is a thoughtful but very lengthy commentary which may serve later as a great reference if I have to share on the subject:
http://www.ovc.edu/terry/articles/headcovr.htm
I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
I know the passage probably was about "dress code" in the early church, especially for women. Paul called it "the tradition" he passed on to them (verse 2). But then he went on rambling about who was the head of whom and who had authority over whom. I found this reference helpful to understand the context of this passage and I have borrowed the subject heading for this provocative blog! The author James Rochford first presented the historical, general negative view toward women by all major religions. He then gave a list of "It does not mean..." from the apostle Paul's writing explaining what "biblical authority" is:
1. It does not mean inequality. A man is no more superior to his wife, than the Father is superior to Christ (1 Cor 11:3, 11). “There is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28; c.f. Gen. 1:27).
2. It does not mean that a woman should follow the leadership of any man –just her husband. “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22).
3. It does not mean patriarchy –but responsibility. Husbands should love their wives “just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25). This is the model against which we should compare servant leadership in marriage. Under this definition, servant leadership is not authoritarian –but sacrificial. In fact, servant love is the antithesis of patriarchy.
4. It does not mean cruel or worldly leadership. Jesus said, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:42-45). Jesus redefines what leadership truly means: humility, compassion, and sacrificial love.
5. It does not mean unqualified leadership. “Christ is the head of the man.” In the biblical view of marriage, both spouses submit to God and his Word. The husband could not command or force his wife to do anything that is outside of the bounds of Scripture. Marriage should be presupposed by being “subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Eph. 5:21).
James Rochford then concluded:
Christians cannot agree with a feminist understanding of leadership, because we are operating out of different definitions of what leadership even is. Feminism assumes that leadership refers to power and authority. However, under the biblical definition, leadership means sacrificial love and service. Based on this view, the husband is responsible to initiate love, serve, apologize, and be responsible for leading the marriage on grey issues, which aren’t clearly defined in Scripture. When we properly understand the biblical view of leadership in marriage, frankly, we find that this isn’t a privilege for the husband. Instead, it is a serious burden and responsibility!
Now regarding the "head coverings" tradition, this is a thoughtful but very lengthy commentary which may serve later as a great reference if I have to share on the subject:
http://www.ovc.edu/terry/articles/headcovr.htm
Tuesday 27 August 2013
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
This psalm I read today brought back great memories. Of the many places I have travelled, the best mountains I know are in British Columbia. I am sure some may find other great mountains better but the mountains in BC are more than aesthetic beauty. There were memories of meeting God in a special way. One memory stood out - I was staying with a Christian friend and his family in Chilliwack, BC. His home was in the middle of God's wonderful creation. We had a very special time together, sharing about painful things that had happened in our lives as well as God's helping hand through it all. Yes, God was watching over us. Those mountains reminded us of his greatness and his faithfulness to his promises.
I had partially committed this psalm to memory before. I will try my best to commit the entire psalm to memory this week. And if I find myself in trouble, I will look up. I will lift my eyes to the mountains! I live on "the mountain" of Hamilton. It really is just the Niagara escarpment - really not much of a mountain. I will have to lift my eyes to some imaginary mountain!!
The Mountain of Zion is also mentioned in a special way in the bible. Mount Zion is known not so much for its physical characteristic (see wikipedia's description of it), but as a symbol of God's covenantal love and protection. Gotquestion.org has a brief commentary on this. The best reference in scripture for the mountains of Zion is in Isaiah 52:7:
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
This psalm I read today brought back great memories. Of the many places I have travelled, the best mountains I know are in British Columbia. I am sure some may find other great mountains better but the mountains in BC are more than aesthetic beauty. There were memories of meeting God in a special way. One memory stood out - I was staying with a Christian friend and his family in Chilliwack, BC. His home was in the middle of God's wonderful creation. We had a very special time together, sharing about painful things that had happened in our lives as well as God's helping hand through it all. Yes, God was watching over us. Those mountains reminded us of his greatness and his faithfulness to his promises.
I had partially committed this psalm to memory before. I will try my best to commit the entire psalm to memory this week. And if I find myself in trouble, I will look up. I will lift my eyes to the mountains! I live on "the mountain" of Hamilton. It really is just the Niagara escarpment - really not much of a mountain. I will have to lift my eyes to some imaginary mountain!!
The Mountain of Zion is also mentioned in a special way in the bible. Mount Zion is known not so much for its physical characteristic (see wikipedia's description of it), but as a symbol of God's covenantal love and protection. Gotquestion.org has a brief commentary on this. The best reference in scripture for the mountains of Zion is in Isaiah 52:7:
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
Friday 23 August 2013
Lawsuits among believers
I remember a few times when brothers and sisters from church, whom I knew well, were going through the painful process of separation and divorce. Invariably they wound up seeking the help of lawyers on matters of custody and financial support of their children. The commonest reason for their divorce was marital infidelity. Despite a real desire of forgiving the offending person, all but one couple resulted in divorce and child custody and ongoing support became the bitter battle ground for these couples, which sometimes dragged on for years.
In today's scripture reading, the apostle Paul seemed to suggest that the church, and not the legal system, should take care of disputes among believers:
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!
(1 Corinthians 6:1-6 New International Version)
I like The Message translation of these same verses:
And how dare you take each other to court! When you think you have been wronged, does it make any sense to go before a court that knows nothing of God’s ways instead of a family of Christians? The day is coming when the world is going to stand before a jury made up of followers of Jesus. If someday you are going to rule on the world’s fate, wouldn’t it be a good idea to practice on some of these smaller cases? Why, we’re even going to judge angels! So why not these everyday affairs? As these disagreements and wrongs surface, why would you ever entrust them to the judgment of people you don’t trust in any other way?
I say this as bluntly as I can to wake you up to the stupidity of what you’re doing. Is it possible that there isn’t one levelheaded person among you who can make fair decisions when disagreements and disputes come up? I don’t believe it. And here you are taking each other to court before people who don’t even believe in God! How can they render justice if they don’t believe in the God of justice?
My interpretation is that Paul was not suggesting that we should never use the legal system ever. After all, he admonished us to submit to the governing authorities in Romans 13:1-7. The context is important here:
1. What was the legal system like in Corinth at the time? Was it known to be a fair and just system?
2. What was the church like in Corinth? Was it a mature church?
3. What was the particular dispute that Paul was addressing among these believers? Was there any legal responsibility to report (e.g. child abuse)?
I do think that the church should play a role in settling some disputes arising within the church. Mary Fairchild wrote a nice commentary on this subject in christianity.about.com:
Paul implies the following reasons why Christians should settle arguments within the church and not resort to secular lawsuits:
As believers, our testimony to the unbelieving world should be a demonstration of love and forgiveness and, therefore, members of the body of Christ ought to be able to settle arguments and disputes without going to court. We are called to live in unity with humility toward one another. Even more than the secular courts, the body of Christ ought to have wise and godly leaders gifted in handling matters involving conflict resolution. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Christians submitted to the proper authority should be able to rightly resolve their legal arguments while maintaining a positive witness.
Matthew 18:15-17 provides the biblical pattern for settling conflicts within the church:
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
I guess if the matter is still not settled after following these steps, the offenders are to be treated as unbelievers and the matter will then have to be settled in court.
In today's scripture reading, the apostle Paul seemed to suggest that the church, and not the legal system, should take care of disputes among believers:
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!
(1 Corinthians 6:1-6 New International Version)
I like The Message translation of these same verses:
And how dare you take each other to court! When you think you have been wronged, does it make any sense to go before a court that knows nothing of God’s ways instead of a family of Christians? The day is coming when the world is going to stand before a jury made up of followers of Jesus. If someday you are going to rule on the world’s fate, wouldn’t it be a good idea to practice on some of these smaller cases? Why, we’re even going to judge angels! So why not these everyday affairs? As these disagreements and wrongs surface, why would you ever entrust them to the judgment of people you don’t trust in any other way?
I say this as bluntly as I can to wake you up to the stupidity of what you’re doing. Is it possible that there isn’t one levelheaded person among you who can make fair decisions when disagreements and disputes come up? I don’t believe it. And here you are taking each other to court before people who don’t even believe in God! How can they render justice if they don’t believe in the God of justice?
My interpretation is that Paul was not suggesting that we should never use the legal system ever. After all, he admonished us to submit to the governing authorities in Romans 13:1-7. The context is important here:
1. What was the legal system like in Corinth at the time? Was it known to be a fair and just system?
2. What was the church like in Corinth? Was it a mature church?
3. What was the particular dispute that Paul was addressing among these believers? Was there any legal responsibility to report (e.g. child abuse)?
I do think that the church should play a role in settling some disputes arising within the church. Mary Fairchild wrote a nice commentary on this subject in christianity.about.com:
Paul implies the following reasons why Christians should settle arguments within the church and not resort to secular lawsuits:
- Secular judges are not able to judge by biblical standards and Christian values.
- Christians go to court with the wrong motives.
- Lawsuits among Christians reflect negatively on the church.
As believers, our testimony to the unbelieving world should be a demonstration of love and forgiveness and, therefore, members of the body of Christ ought to be able to settle arguments and disputes without going to court. We are called to live in unity with humility toward one another. Even more than the secular courts, the body of Christ ought to have wise and godly leaders gifted in handling matters involving conflict resolution. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Christians submitted to the proper authority should be able to rightly resolve their legal arguments while maintaining a positive witness.
Matthew 18:15-17 provides the biblical pattern for settling conflicts within the church:
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
I guess if the matter is still not settled after following these steps, the offenders are to be treated as unbelievers and the matter will then have to be settled in court.
Monday 19 August 2013
The Message of the Cross - foolishness or power?
In today's scripture reading I came upon the verse I had committed to memory for quite some time and which has offered me lots of insight and strength in my faith journey.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
My wife and I have recently been listening to "Unbelievable" - a British podcast with the apologetics theme:
Each Saturday, in the award-winning programme Unbelievable, Justin Brierley asks questions like: Can Christianity live up to the claims it makes? Can we trust the Bible? Why should I believe in Jesus over anything else? Justin tackles these and other issues, on a show that gets Christians and non-believers talking to each other.
It has been very helpful to hear thoughtful and intellectual debates between Christians and non-Christians, moderated by a very mild manner British moderator. Jane and I have learned a lot not only why non-Christians don't believe, but more importantly why we believe. It helps me not only to know what I believe, but also how to engage in a respectful dialog with my non-believing friends.
To get back to Paul's message to the Corinthians (here is a very good background information about Paul's trips to Corinth), here he was dealing with internal division within the Corinthians church. Paul was trying to point them to the central message of their faith, which was what Jesus did on the cross.
It is important to know that as much as our faith is grounded in historical facts and is based on intellectually sound propositions, ultimately whether one would commit his life to this faith journey will be the work of the Holy Spirit. If it is left to human being to design a salvation message, it would surely not to hang God on a cross! Yet this simple (and apparently foolish) message has turned the lives of many around. This is definitely true for me:
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 1: 26-31)
Friday 9 August 2013
Who were the sons of Korah?
It began with the general question "Who were the writers of the Book of Psalms?". I was reading Psalms 77 & 78 this morning and the author of both of these psalms was Asaph. I then remembered some were written by the Sons of Korah and the name Korah reminded me of someone in a famous story in the Old Testament. So I decided to look things up. From wiki.answers.com the best concise answer to the author question was:
Many psalms are signed by their author but others are not. Seventy-three bear David's name . Asaph is listed on twelve. Some are attributed to Solomon. Moses Ethan and Heman are thought to have written one each. The remainder are unknown in authorship. The Davidic psalms bear other hallmarks of David. He was known as a master musician throughout the Old Testament period and these psalms bear testimony to this. Many are reflections of events in his life. The New Testament writers also referred to David as being the author of specific psalms. The Sons of Korah wrote 11.
Who was Korah and who were his sons? There were 44 references in the Bible on Korah or Korahites (i.e. descendants of Korah) of which 11 were on the Sons on Korah who wrote the 11 psalms in the Bible. They are some of the most beautiful psalms and they can be easily mistaken to be psalms of David. Here are some of my favourites:
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God. (Psalm 42:1, listen to the hymn)
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42: 5 & repeated in 11)
It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face, for you loved them. (Psalm 44:3)
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear (2x), ...
The Lord Almighty (of host) is with us (2x);
the God of Jacob is our fortress (refuge). (Psalm 46:1...7, 11 - one of my favourite hymns)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in (all) the earth.” (Psalm 46:10 - listen to the hymn)
Clap your hands, all you nations (people);
shout to God with cries of (triumph) joy. (Psalm 47:1 - another favourite hymn)
Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain. (Psalm 48:1 - another favourite hymn)
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked. (Psalm 84:1-2 & 10 - two of my favourite hymns)
The fact is the Sons of Korah had a very humble beginning. Korah was a descendant of Levi, who had been set aside by God to be priests for the people of Israel. They would not have inheritance of their own for their inheritance is the Lord himself (Deuteronomy 10:9). Instead of being content with the privilege of serving in God's temple, Korah aligned himself with 250 rebels to challenge Moses and Aaron's leadership (Numbers 16). Korah, along with some of the ring leaders and their families, were swallowed up by the earth when the ground opened up beneath them. The rest of the 250 rebels were consumed by fire from the Lord as a penalty because they treated the Lord with contempt. Obviously some of Korah's descendants survived. After seven successive generations, the prophet Samuel arose from the line of Korah, the genealogy of which is recorded in 1 Chronicles 6:31-38, and Heman and his sons became temple musicians. So Heman was a Korahite. Of interest, Asaph was a Gershonite, also a direct descendant of Levi.
Gotquestions.org has a beautiful writeup on the Sons of Korah. Here is a reflection (and my take home message) of what I can learn from the Sons of Korah:
One wonders if the poet who penned these lyrics was remembering his ignoble beginnings, his distant ancestor who perished in an earthquake for his pride and rebellion. Perhaps it was that reflection that prompted the following words of the Psalms: “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’” (Psalm 46:10). For each of us, our own songs of renewed purpose and redemption should flow out of a heart of humility as we remember the fallen state from which He raised us and the redemption that we experience through His grace. This was certainly the case for the sons of Korah.
Many psalms are signed by their author but others are not. Seventy-three bear David's name . Asaph is listed on twelve. Some are attributed to Solomon. Moses Ethan and Heman are thought to have written one each. The remainder are unknown in authorship. The Davidic psalms bear other hallmarks of David. He was known as a master musician throughout the Old Testament period and these psalms bear testimony to this. Many are reflections of events in his life. The New Testament writers also referred to David as being the author of specific psalms. The Sons of Korah wrote 11.
Who was Korah and who were his sons? There were 44 references in the Bible on Korah or Korahites (i.e. descendants of Korah) of which 11 were on the Sons on Korah who wrote the 11 psalms in the Bible. They are some of the most beautiful psalms and they can be easily mistaken to be psalms of David. Here are some of my favourites:
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God. (Psalm 42:1, listen to the hymn)
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42: 5 & repeated in 11)
It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face, for you loved them. (Psalm 44:3)
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear (2x), ...
The Lord Almighty (of host) is with us (2x);
the God of Jacob is our fortress (refuge). (Psalm 46:1...7, 11 - one of my favourite hymns)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in (all) the earth.” (Psalm 46:10 - listen to the hymn)
Clap your hands, all you nations (people);
shout to God with cries of (triumph) joy. (Psalm 47:1 - another favourite hymn)
Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain. (Psalm 48:1 - another favourite hymn)
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked. (Psalm 84:1-2 & 10 - two of my favourite hymns)
The fact is the Sons of Korah had a very humble beginning. Korah was a descendant of Levi, who had been set aside by God to be priests for the people of Israel. They would not have inheritance of their own for their inheritance is the Lord himself (Deuteronomy 10:9). Instead of being content with the privilege of serving in God's temple, Korah aligned himself with 250 rebels to challenge Moses and Aaron's leadership (Numbers 16). Korah, along with some of the ring leaders and their families, were swallowed up by the earth when the ground opened up beneath them. The rest of the 250 rebels were consumed by fire from the Lord as a penalty because they treated the Lord with contempt. Obviously some of Korah's descendants survived. After seven successive generations, the prophet Samuel arose from the line of Korah, the genealogy of which is recorded in 1 Chronicles 6:31-38, and Heman and his sons became temple musicians. So Heman was a Korahite. Of interest, Asaph was a Gershonite, also a direct descendant of Levi.
Gotquestions.org has a beautiful writeup on the Sons of Korah. Here is a reflection (and my take home message) of what I can learn from the Sons of Korah:
One wonders if the poet who penned these lyrics was remembering his ignoble beginnings, his distant ancestor who perished in an earthquake for his pride and rebellion. Perhaps it was that reflection that prompted the following words of the Psalms: “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’” (Psalm 46:10). For each of us, our own songs of renewed purpose and redemption should flow out of a heart of humility as we remember the fallen state from which He raised us and the redemption that we experience through His grace. This was certainly the case for the sons of Korah.
Friday 2 August 2013
Psalms to read in times of war
In the past week I read a number of Psalms that were written during times of war. And top in the news this week was a young man gunned down by Toronto police on a street car. Since I am now attending a church that preaches peace over violence, I thought I would dig a little deeper what King David has to say (or sing) during times of war.
I found another helpful site called EasyEnglish Bible that not only translates the bible into easy to read English, but also provides helpful commentaries. This is particularly helpful for Old Testament passages. In today's reading on Psalm 60, this is what Gordon Churchyard has to say:
The Story of Psalm 60
Psalm 60 is a *miktam. A *miktam is either something made of gold, or special teaching or something hidden. Bible students think that there is a story hidden in Psalm 60.
David was at *war. He was a long way from home, near the River Euphrates. That means that he was in Babylon. The old name was Mesopotamia and the modern name is Iraq. 2 Samuel 8:3 tells us where he was. On the way home he fought the Syrians. While this was happening an old enemy of Israel called Edom attacked Jerusalem. David sent one of his soldiers with part of the army to fight the Edomites. They beat them and killed 12 000 of them. This happened in the Valley of Salt, near the Dead Sea.
David wrote the psalm because he thought that God had left him and his people. That is what David thought that the attack by Edom meant. The Edomites must have broken the walls of some of the towns in Israel. But something else must have happened as well. Verse 2 sounds *like an earthquake. This is when the ground moves, and trees and buildings fall over. There are holes in the ground, and animals and people fall into them. All this was hard for David and his people to understand. Why did God let it happen? They felt as if they were drunk after drinking wine! Wine is a drink with alcohol in it. We still have earthquakes today.
We still do not know why this happened. The psalm does not tell us. But it does tell us that God did answer David and his people and he did give them help.
And what was "the *Lily of the Covenant"? A lily is a very pretty flower. A *covenant is what people have when they agree together. Bible students explain "the *Lily of the Covenant" in two ways. Either it is the name of a piece of music that they could sing the words to. Or it is the name of a *musical instrument that they could use to make music while they sang.
The word *SELAH is another problem. It probably means a place for thinking about the words, or praying, or listening to music. When we say or sing the psalms today we do not stop at *SELAH: maybe we ought to! But when we study the psalms, we must think about the words, and pray about them. Even when we do not understand them well, God can and does still speak to us through them. If he does, then the psalm will be as gold to us, because God’s words are still of very great value.
Now that's a lot of good stuff in there. But what does that say to me about my attitude towards my enemies or when I am in the midst of conflict? I think deep down I still subscribe to the "just war" teaching. But I am willing to learn. I have not been in situation where I had to "strike back". I am not sure how I would react then. The Mennonites, who are considered Anabaptists, helped me to worship with the Psalms in Time of War. This is an extract (I put emphasis on the take home points):
We offer the following psalm groupings and their order as a guide for constructing worship services in time of war.
We begin with empathy for the suffering, those who have lost friends and property at the hands of their enemies. These psalms of imprecation allow us to hear the cries of those who are powerless and who suffer in the face of war and unjust suffering. These psalms ground our worship in reality, in the harsh realities our times. They are the voices of those we bomb.
We follow the cries of the victims of war with psalms of lament, psalms that cry out to God in the face of enemies, in the reality of their success and prosperity. They remind us that people make war, it is people that kill. Laments give voice to our feelings of helplessness and to our hope in God, the judge of the universe. We pray that God will thwart their power and bring justice and righteousness to this earth.
Having explored the feelings and expressions of those who are suffering and those who feel powerless in the face of war making, we need to express our confidence in God. The hymns, the psalms of God's sovereignty claim that God is in control, the foundations have been established, and the waters of disorder and injustice will not prevail against our God. We need to be an affirming and confessing community. We need to believe that God is not with the forces of invasion, but is opposed to them.
Finally, we end with psalms of praise, psalms of hope and celebration. Surely, God is to be praised even in our times. Surely, God's praise can be voiced even in a time of war when the current stage seems so bleak and mindless. Praise is an act of hope and of faith. Hope for the future and faith in our God who has the interests of the suffering at heart.
I found another helpful site called EasyEnglish Bible that not only translates the bible into easy to read English, but also provides helpful commentaries. This is particularly helpful for Old Testament passages. In today's reading on Psalm 60, this is what Gordon Churchyard has to say:
The Story of Psalm 60
Psalm 60 is a *miktam. A *miktam is either something made of gold, or special teaching or something hidden. Bible students think that there is a story hidden in Psalm 60.
David was at *war. He was a long way from home, near the River Euphrates. That means that he was in Babylon. The old name was Mesopotamia and the modern name is Iraq. 2 Samuel 8:3 tells us where he was. On the way home he fought the Syrians. While this was happening an old enemy of Israel called Edom attacked Jerusalem. David sent one of his soldiers with part of the army to fight the Edomites. They beat them and killed 12 000 of them. This happened in the Valley of Salt, near the Dead Sea.
David wrote the psalm because he thought that God had left him and his people. That is what David thought that the attack by Edom meant. The Edomites must have broken the walls of some of the towns in Israel. But something else must have happened as well. Verse 2 sounds *like an earthquake. This is when the ground moves, and trees and buildings fall over. There are holes in the ground, and animals and people fall into them. All this was hard for David and his people to understand. Why did God let it happen? They felt as if they were drunk after drinking wine! Wine is a drink with alcohol in it. We still have earthquakes today.
We still do not know why this happened. The psalm does not tell us. But it does tell us that God did answer David and his people and he did give them help.
And what was "the *Lily of the Covenant"? A lily is a very pretty flower. A *covenant is what people have when they agree together. Bible students explain "the *Lily of the Covenant" in two ways. Either it is the name of a piece of music that they could sing the words to. Or it is the name of a *musical instrument that they could use to make music while they sang.
The word *SELAH is another problem. It probably means a place for thinking about the words, or praying, or listening to music. When we say or sing the psalms today we do not stop at *SELAH: maybe we ought to! But when we study the psalms, we must think about the words, and pray about them. Even when we do not understand them well, God can and does still speak to us through them. If he does, then the psalm will be as gold to us, because God’s words are still of very great value.
Now that's a lot of good stuff in there. But what does that say to me about my attitude towards my enemies or when I am in the midst of conflict? I think deep down I still subscribe to the "just war" teaching. But I am willing to learn. I have not been in situation where I had to "strike back". I am not sure how I would react then. The Mennonites, who are considered Anabaptists, helped me to worship with the Psalms in Time of War. This is an extract (I put emphasis on the take home points):
We offer the following psalm groupings and their order as a guide for constructing worship services in time of war.
We begin with empathy for the suffering, those who have lost friends and property at the hands of their enemies. These psalms of imprecation allow us to hear the cries of those who are powerless and who suffer in the face of war and unjust suffering. These psalms ground our worship in reality, in the harsh realities our times. They are the voices of those we bomb.
We follow the cries of the victims of war with psalms of lament, psalms that cry out to God in the face of enemies, in the reality of their success and prosperity. They remind us that people make war, it is people that kill. Laments give voice to our feelings of helplessness and to our hope in God, the judge of the universe. We pray that God will thwart their power and bring justice and righteousness to this earth.
Having explored the feelings and expressions of those who are suffering and those who feel powerless in the face of war making, we need to express our confidence in God. The hymns, the psalms of God's sovereignty claim that God is in control, the foundations have been established, and the waters of disorder and injustice will not prevail against our God. We need to be an affirming and confessing community. We need to believe that God is not with the forces of invasion, but is opposed to them.
Finally, we end with psalms of praise, psalms of hope and celebration. Surely, God is to be praised even in our times. Surely, God's praise can be voiced even in a time of war when the current stage seems so bleak and mindless. Praise is an act of hope and of faith. Hope for the future and faith in our God who has the interests of the suffering at heart.
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