theo #3 - July-August 2021 by TheoMagazine

#3 | JULY-AUGUST 2021

SCHOOL’S OUT Warnings from teacher

SNAKES & LADDERS When God’s gifts come in disguise

JESUS’ JOKES God’s humor in the Bible

THREE KINGS Handle abuse like David did

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SNAKES AND LADDERS When God’s gifts come in disguise

JESUS’ JOKES God’s humor in the Bible

SCHOOL’S OUT Warnings from teacher

Big ideas without the big words.

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THREE KINGS Handle abuse like David did

TREES OF KNOWLEDGE Theology Accelerator

OMG Counselor to the King

What kind of father gives his son a stone when he asks for bread, or a serpent when he asks for a ﬁsh? The answer is, the Heavenly Father!

esus rarely stated the obvious, and this particular question in His Sermon on the Mount concerning the fatherhood of God is a prime example (Matthew 7:9-11). The obvious answer is that no father would admit to treating his child so despicably. But if we think this is the limit of what Jesus had in mind, we not only do Him a disservice, we also miss out on the spiritual benefit of what He intended us to grasp. When Jesus turned the definition of “blessed” inside out at the

MICHAEL BULL

FAITH

SNAKES & LADDERS beginning of the sermon, His hearers understood this in the context of the Old Covenant. If they were distressed by the Law, they were blessed because this would bring them to Christ. When Jesus spoke of stones and serpents, He was once again turning things inside out, calling His hearers to look beyond the appearance of things to their spiritual purpose. God’s best gifts are diamonds wrapped in midnight velvet, light smuggled to us in thick darkness. Those who received bad things from God were to trust in His good character, just as Isaac trusted Abraham, realizing that these apparent curses must be

In God’s world, the snakes often look like ladders. great blessings in disguise. If you’ve ever played the game Snakes and Ladders, you know all about blessings and curses. If you land on a ladder, you jump ahead in the game. If you land on a snake, you slide backwards. The book of Genesis is a very long game of Snakes and Ladders.

CONTRIBUTORS Michael Bull, Matthew Corey, David Deutsch, Mark Tubbs, Richard Bledsoe EDITORS Michael Bull, Jared Leonard | DESIGN Michael Bull | ART 6 Artist unknown, The Court Jester (detail) | 11 Paul Alexander Leroy, Haman and Mordecai | 14 Károly Ferenczy, Sermon on the Mountain | 25 Ernst Josephson, David and Saul | 30 Wolfgang Beyer, The Mandelbrot Set: step 4 of a zoom sequence CONTACT editorial@theo-magazine.com All material is copyright of its respective authors and cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

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The most obvious examples are the serpent in the Garden and the stairway God showed to Jacob in a dream. But in God’s world, the snakes often look like ladders, and the ladders often look like snakes. The only way to discern which is which is by referring to what God has previously said to us. This is because, in the words of the Apostle Paul, “the Adversary himself masquerades as a messenger of enlightenment” (2 Corinthians 11:14). So when the devil turns up with an opportunity for exaltation— like the offer he made to Adam in the Garden, and the offers he made to Jesus in the wilderness —he was a snake pretending to be a ladder. The catch was that he offered things that God Himself had promised, but right now instead of in God’s good time. Adam took the kingdom that God intended for him by bowing the knee to the devil. What would have been a blessing later became a curse now. His eyes were opened to see as God sees, but he was not yet ready to bear the weight of ruling as a king. Jesus refused to bow the knee, obeyed God by voluntarily submitting to death, and through suffering was prepared to receive and bear all authority in heaven and earth (Hebrews 2:10). In that sense, Jesus turned the 4

snake into a ladder. And that is precisely what He meant when He spoke of stones and serpents. God gave Abraham a barren land and a barren womb, and these were to be transformed and made fertile by patient faith. When God carried Israel into the wilderness, the people were to take the stones of the Law and the serpents of temptation and turn them into “bread and fish,” that is, spiritual dominion over the Land (Canaan) and the Sea (the surrounding nations). In Luke’s Gospel (Luke 11:12), stone-and-bread is replaced with scorpion-and-egg, which is yet another way of contrasting the barren wilderness (the sting of death) and the fertility of the Land (the promise of life). God’s best gifts come to us incognito because this “opens our eyes,” training us to see what is invisible behind what is visible. Abraham and Jacob outsmarted numerous serpents in their lives (including Pharaoh, Esau, and Laban), but Genesis ends as it began, with a young man whom God put in charge of the food. Although faithful, Joseph suffered a series of terrible setbacks. He slid down a snake (his own brothers) into a pit, and then into slavery. Through faith, he turned slavery into a ladder. But as the chief steward in his master’s house, he encountered

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another snake (Potiphar’s wife) and slid into prison. That, too, he turned into a ladder. But after his betrayal by Pharaoh’s cupbearer, even that snake became a ladder. Joseph was exalted to the “top rung” of Egypt! His brothers encountered him as a snake who tested their hearts, but because he recognized God’s hand in every event of his life, Joseph became a ladder for those who betrayed him (Genesis 50:20). Learn to see every snake— whether sickness, misfortune, bereavement, or even betrayal— as a potential ladder. We can do this because we know that God is good. Nothing comes to a saint that has not passed through God’s hand first. If we humble ourselves under His hand, He will exalt us in due time (1 Peter 5:6).

What’s inside… Be shocked by how clever the humor in the Bible really is, then get some great advice from some wise teachers on education for all ages. Take a look at how David handled abuse—from his superiors and his inferiors— then discover the crystalline pattern that structures God’s Word. Finally, hear how the pastor of a small church became the unofficial chaplain of a whole city. n

“ADAM AND EVE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PATIENT. THEY WERE TO FEED ON THE TREE OF LIFE, AND BECOME GRADUALLY BUILT UP IN WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING. THEN, WHEN THEY WERE STRONG ENOUGH AND WISE ENOUGH, GOD WOULD LET THEM EAT OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE.” — JAMES B. JORDAN

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BIBLE TOOLS

JESUS’ JOKES GOD’S HUMOR IN THE BIBLE

Man was made in God’s image, so we should not be surprised to learn that our Creator Himself has a sense of humor.

ending instead of a tragic one was defined as a comedy.

The power of comedy

ll of history— despite the joys of human life and the remarkable accomplishments of the human race—is one long story of death and destruction. So the claim that the Bible is in any sense a comedy sounds like a joke.

The victory of Christ described at the end of the Bible reveals that history is indeed a comedy, at least in that ancient sense. God has told us that those who believe—regardless of how dull, tragic, or short our lives might be—will all be resurrected to enjoy a restored and glorified world, a happy ending only made possible by the work of Jesus.

But in the Greco-Roman world, any story that had a happy

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However, there is also a great | theo JULY-AUGUST

deal of comedy in the Bible, the sort of comedy that we encounter in everyday life. Sadly, because we have not been trained to expect any jokes in the Bible, our God’s brilliant humor goes right over our heads. Even worse, we often misunderstand the text because we take seriously what was intended to be a joke. Now, don’t get me wrong, either. This does not mean that we shouldn’t take the Bible seriously. In most cases, the jokes are deadly serious because they are takedowns of wicked people— tyrants who take themselves very seriously but treat God as a joke. Because they do not trust God’s promises, they betray and sacrifice other people to bring about their own utopia on earth. In response, God rightly sees them and their plans as a joke. Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. (Psalm 2:1-4) The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. (Psalm 37:12-13)

God is merciful, and He gives people a chance to turn from sin—especially those who have power. This is because their repentance, or their destruction, will serve as a warning or an encouragement to many others. The chances that God gives the wicked come through legal mediators, which is the biblical definition of a prophet. Since repentance requires leaders to turn from their pride and humble themselves before God, these men often resort to holy mockery of the highest order. It must be observed that these jokes were never made at the expense of the humble or the holy, but always aimed at those who considered themselves to be wiser than their Creator. Neither was this tactic of ridicule used against those who had been led astray by their leaders. Instead, it was reserved for those who knew better, yet continued regardless, in high-handed sin (see Numbers 15:22-31). When it came to the people of Israel, sin was high-handed when it was blatant disobedience of the Word in which they had been trained since childhood. A joke is funny because it relies upon something that the audience already knows but is not actually stated. So the warnings proclaimed by God’s prophets were composed for

We struggle with the prophets because we don’t get the jokes. those who had a knowledge of the Bible. If we take this strategy into account, suddenly the wit of the biblical prophets makes sense. If we don’t, the sharp humor in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, the Twelve, the Gospels, Letters, and even Revelation, falls flat. The fault is not with the comedy, but with the audience. Even today, Bible scholars struggle to understand the meaning of much of what the prophets wrote. Put simply, they don’t get the jokes! Reading the Bible is much more enjoyable if we have a handle on how it uses humor. Even better, once we understand how Bible prophecy works, we will discover how wonderfully rich, clever, subtle, enlightening, and amusing these supposedly “impenetrable” texts really are.

When truth comes wrapped in a riddle Court jesters throughout history were employed to amuse, but even in Roman times this royal theo JULY-AUGUST 2021

entertainment very often had a serrated edge. A jester’s costumes and flamboyant mannerisms communicated that he himself was a joke. But this was a clever deflection that only made him more powerful. To react to his taunts or retaliate in any way would only backfire. Defending yourself, even as a king, would only expose your thin skin to your friends and foes, and also provide the wisecracking “Fool” with even more ammunition. So, as human jokes, jesters could use hyperbole, sarcasm, and even bawdy ridicule, and get away with it. Umberto Eco writes: The court jester had the right to say the most outrageous things to the king. Everything was permitted during carnival, even the songs that the Roman legionnaires would sing, calling Julius Caesar “queen,” alluding, in a very transparent way, to his real, or presumed, homosexual escapades.

The prophets of God were not court jesters but serious men. And they were not on the king’s payroll, which made them all the more dangerous. However, they were often treated like fools, mostly because they predicted judgments that were yet beyond the horizon, such as the Great Flood. They also used similar shock tactics as a strategy to grab the attention, break the constraints of accepted norms, 8

The truth will not change us until we actually feel it. and stride over social boundaries in order to speak truth to power. Richard Baxter famously advised Christians to screw the truth into the minds of the hearers. This phrase is itself a perfect example of the use of such a strategy. Who can hear these words and not be struck by the image of a saint twisting a screwdriver in close proximity to somebody’s brain? His use of the word “screw” communicates not only that effectively imparting truth is a process, but also that it is painful. The truth will not change us until we actually feel it. Delivering truth most often meets with some resistance, and Baxter’s image also suggests that the darkened minds of human beings are as dense, stubborn, and unresponsive as blocks of unseasoned wood.

language, symbols, parables, and even architecture, we are forced to think about what He has said. In some cases, the meaning of certain Scriptures is still being debated after many centuries. But what we must realize is that this was always God’s plan. An enigma is another effective method of delivery because it bypasses the gatekeepers of the mind. The truth wrapped in a riddle or a joke is irresistible. And what appears to be a jester’s skylarking is sometimes the fowler’s snare—a trap. Like those puzzling laws in Leviticus, the very first law given to humanity was designed by God to provoke meditation and bring forth the fruit of wisdom. Our desire to speak the truth plainly is part of the reason why modern preaching mostly fails to engage its hearers. Even the preaching of Jesus, the Man who declared Himself to be the light of the world, wasn’t a “simple” delivery of the truth. His light came wrapped in clouds.

To change us, a truth must engage us, and this is why the Lord and His prophets used such mindscrewing words and images.

God’s process is always “wordand-response,” so His prophets provoke. Jesus Himself was at the pointy end of a long line of such agitators. These troublemakers trafficked in barbs, riddles, and shocking object lessons. Instead of doling out rose water they went straight for the gasoline.

When God speaks to us in veiled

Those who indulge in murder

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and adultery are often the first to insist upon table manners, which is why God sends a Jeremiah to smash some pottery or an Isaiah to preach naked in the street. Wise King Solomon might tell us that there is a time to be polite and a time to give some obstinate official a poke in the eye. Douglas Wilson writes: In a sinful world, giving offense is one of the central tasks of preaching. When the offending word is brought to bear against those who have shown themselves to be unteachable, they are written off by that offending word. When this happens, or there is a threat of it happening, the natural temptation is to blame the word instead of taking responsibility for the sin that brought the rebuking and satiric word. Employing a scriptural satiric bite is therefore not “rejoicing in iniquity” but rather testifying against hardness of heart.1

So, a comedic delivery is a device designed to bring both pain and pleasure. The jokes and riddles of the prophets should make us laugh but also shock us into repentance. They were given to engage us as an audience, but also to humble us before God.

Divine deadpan How are we supposed to know when God is joking? That is exactly the point. How we respond will reveal what sort of God we consider Him to be.

roast, and He is literally “on fire.”

How are we supposed to know when God is joking?

Sarcasm from the heavenly court can hardly be the lowest form of wit, especially since “sarcasm” comes from a Greek word which means to tear flesh.

In Scripture, God always delivers His witticisms deadpan, or “poker-faced,” because that is the easiest way to separate the sheep from the goats in the audience. Like a lot of the human dialogue, the humor is delivered without any explanation. This forces the reader to interpret the words of the speaker, to discern his or her true motives, and to judge their actions in the light of the Law. In the case of caustic words from the Lord’s own mouth, the saints know that however harsh He might be, God’s motive is always love. In contrast, the wicked assume the worst about God’s true character because, like Adam, they have listened to satanic slander. God is not “nice,” but God is indeed good, and that goodness gives Him the freedom to be hysterically funny. The believer learns that the only thing “wicked” about God is His sense of humor. Whenever Yahweh appears on the stage of history to do some stand-up, it is a comedy

God is a comic because history is never ultimately tragic. In contrast to the self-serious warlords and their joyless blood gods, His cutting humor is always at somebody’s expense, always “sacrificial.” Killing an animal to clothe Adam and Eve was no laughing matter, but dressing them as brute beasts began a “meme” that defined Man’s beastly desire for kingdom from Genesis to Revelation. Israelites who refused to eat the sinew of the joint in honor of Jacob “got the joke” concerning the innocent victim. Whereas other nations were founded by the ones who chose the scapegoat and led it to slaughter, Israel was the nation founded by the scapegoat itself. As the sons of Isaac, they were continually “under the knife.” But the faithful saw the twinkle in the Father’s eye in every bizarre stipulation of the Law, and they knew that twinkle was an Abrahamic star that would lead to the birth of the Messiah. Jesus turned the world “upside down” through His own sermons and the testimony of His apostles

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(Acts 17:6-7). The humble would be exalted but the proud would be abased, and defrocking the pompous is a deep well to draw from for a stand-up gig. While the deadpan delivery often makes the Bible’s jaw-dropping humor tricky to identify, it also makes the jokes much funnier once we do finally get them.

Defying expectations Another reason we don’t get the jokes in the Bible is because we are not reading “cumulatively,” that is, keeping everything in mind as we go along. We already have this skill because we use it when we read any other book, or watch a long-running TV show. As mentioned, the reliance upon inside information is part of what makes a joke funny. The comedian tells a story and leaves something unsaid. The humor springs from the fact that you yourself had to fill in the gap based on what you know. If you don’t have that information, you won’t get the joke. Sometimes the joke is funny because it inverts what you know or defies your expectations in some way. The son born to Abraham by Sarah was named “laughter” for precisely this reason! The miraculous promise of God sounded like a joke. Or sometimes you are told a familiar story only to have your 10

Jesus’ inversions of the Old Testament were shocking. expectations confounded at a certain point because the events have been switched or turned upside down. Jesus’ inversions and escalations of familiar Old Testament precepts and stories were shocking. Yet this use of the holy texts was not an abuse of them. Instead, it demonstrated His astounding grasp of them. This mature understanding of the Scriptures not only allowed Jesus to be offensive and compelling, but also edifying. And in this way He ran rings around the uninspired and unengaging teachings of the scribes and the Pharisees. And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:29) The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:45-46)

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When His authority was publicly challenged, Jesus challenged the authority of His challengers! No wonder the people held Him in awe. He was as harmless as a dove but as cunning as a serpent. Each of these devices engages the hearer, and the authors of the Bible used them all the time. But since modern academics have desensitized readers to image and repetition in the Bible, we have no expectations to defy.

A divine comedy God’s comedic timing, like everything in His Word, is flawless. But when we fail to make the intended connections we are a disappointing “house.” So, to illustrate not only how common and cumulative the humor is, here is some Divine comedy from the book of Esther. Since the jokes in this deliciously pointy little drama rely upon things that the original audience already knew—things that should hit even harder now that we have the New Testament—some “whole Bible” background is in order. We see a number of events in the Bible where a young man is called to speak for God in a courtroom situation. If he humbles himself, he will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). But if he exalts himself “against the knowledge of God” he will be humbled (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The book of Esther takes this concept and turns it inside out, but to “get the jokes” we need to keep history’s first royal court, the Garden of God, in mind. Adam The serpent challenged God’s authority. Adam’s job was to speak as a prophet and challenge the serpent’s authority. In this way, he would not only rescue Eve, but also vindicate God. After his failure to speak as a legal witness, the serpent was humbled but the angel that spoke through it was exalted, given a legal role in the real courtroom of God, the one in heaven. The

devil was lifted up to stand at God’s right hand as Man’s “satan,” that is, his legal adversary, accuser, or prosecuting attorney. We see the devil in this office in Job 1 and Zechariah 3, and he held it until he was cast out of heaven at the ascension of Christ. But Adam had first exalted himself, so when the Lord came to inspect him for spiritual fruit, Adam was humiliated. As a result, the abundant life promised to Adam remained a “closed scroll.” God’s full intentions for his sons would remain a mystery for four thousand years. However, He did give us a few hints along the way.

Joseph Unlike Adam, Joseph was faithful to God. He believed the promises but refused to fulfill them by his own hand. He also openly confessed his faith in God, which could have cost him his life. In order that his own dreams might be fulfilled, Joseph would first have to open a “mystery scroll” that God had sent to Pharaoh—a twofold dream that served as “two witnesses,” a corroborated legal testimony of what God was about to do. Once he was vindicated as faithful and wise, a man who had the Spirit of God, Joseph became Pharaoh’s “living word.”

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Daniel Daniel was another young man who ended up in a Gentile court. He, too, humbled himself, and did not seek to mask either his Jewish identity or his personal allegiance to God. Again, this could have cost him his life, but like Joseph, he was vindicated. The “mystery scroll” that Daniel opened was the fourfold witness that God had sent to the Gentile emperor in a dream. Daniel, too, became the chief wise man in the royal court. As God’s man, he was very likely Nebuchadnezzar’s leading advisor when the Babylonian armies razed the rebellious city of Jerusalem Jesus Whereas Adam’s failure injured the entire human race, Joseph and Daniel were historical “reprises” of the testing of Adam but with positive outcomes. In each of these cases, the trial sent by God was for the purpose of qualifying His right hand Man. This was so that a much greater office could be conferred upon him. But it was never just about one man. This increased authority would allow God to pour out a much greater blessing upon many people through him. The man who is “worthy to open the scroll” becomes a channel for worldwide blessing. The successes of Joseph and Daniel not only brought about the 12

A Bible history meme says, “And look how that turned out!” conversions of their respective Gentile kings, but also led to great blessings for Israel and the surrounding nations. This story, in all of these men throughout the ages, pointed to Christ’s faithfulness, and to His enthronement at the right hand of God. Through His complete obedience, He finally usurped the accuser, and was exalted in heaven as the only man worthy to “open the scroll” of the New Covenant (Revelation 5:1-14). This would fulfill God’s promise to Abram, making him a blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:3). All of this is background to the book of Esther. The story is already amusing in a “black comedy” kind of way, but its true brilliance is only apparent when we identify the ways in which it turns this pattern on its head. Haman and Mordecai Like Joseph and Daniel, Mordecai was a Jew living in a Gentile city. Instead of submitting to authority like

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Joseph, he refused to bow. (Bowing to a Gentile ruler, or any other human being, was not sinful for a Jew. Only bowing to idols is sinful because they are not true images of God.) Mordecai also advised Esther to hide her Jewish identity. This was the opposite of the testimony that the Jews were supposed to maintain among the nations. As a result, Haman usurped the courtly role that should have been given to Mordecai. So Mordecai was the “Adam,” and Haman became the “satan.” This first “inversion” is of the kind that occurred in Eden. It is only after Mordecai thwarts an assassination attempt on the king (an act of submission that allows God to use Mordecai as a blessing) that the real comedy begins. Instead of Ahasuerus receiving dreams from the Most High, he can’t sleep! The king calls for the royal records to be read to him and hears of Mordecai’s act of allegiance. He summons selfrighteous Haman and asks his advice on what to do to glorify, that is, exalt, a faithful man. At this point in the pattern, Joseph or Daniel would “open the scroll” by interpreting the dream. Of course, Haman famously misinterprets the king’s intentions, which is hilarious even without its reference to the other events. But the background

of those events reveals the full meaning of the story. In his desire to become an independent authority, Haman has become a human serpent. But this serpent is not as wise or cunning as he thinks he is. His wisdom is not the wisdom of God but the shortsighted wisdom of this world. Haman exalted himself, and, like Lamech, his decree of vengeance unleashed a “dragon” in the kingdom that would devour the flesh of God’s people. Haman desired to be “lifted up” before the people, so God gave him what he desired. His and his ten sons, his entire dynasty, were impaled in the Persian manner, “lifted up” like Moses’ bronze serpent on Haman’s own pole. Mordecai finally received the office intended for him, after which all nations from India to Ethiopia held him in awe. But the real glory is that of Esther as an image of the true Eve. She pictured the fearless testimony and enthronement of the Church in Revelation. Gog and Magog The defeat of Haman brings us to the Bible’s use of what we now refer to as “meme warfare.” Totalitarianism is fragile because it is never based on reality. Like The Emperor’s New Clothes, the official narrative is as vulnerable

to a single voice as a balloon to a tiny pin. This is why internet memes have become an effective means of using jokes to bypass the gatekeepers of those in power. Like internet memes, the Bible repurposes images for new situations. But understanding each reprise requires a familiarity with the source material. This is exactly how the prophets worked. By employing Bible “memes,” their jibes not only stuck in people’s minds, they also brought previous history to bear upon the crimes of the day. A Bible history meme says, “And look how that turned out!” The most concentrated example of prophetic “meme warfare” is the book of Revelation. All of the images have a long history. Every single detail is a reference to previous Scriptures and thus, in some sense, a joke. For instance, the false prophet, the harlot, and the beast were simply first-century “state” versions of Adam, Eve, and the serpent. All sin is, in some way, an embellishment of the Adamic original, and thus a “meme.” With this in mind, we can observe an ironic “nod” to Haman that deals a deathblow to the pretenses of the devil. It is so subtle that we miss it entirely. The offhanded mention of Gog and Magog in Revelation 20:8

refers to the prophecy of the defeat of Haman the Agagite in Ezekiel 38-39. Here, “Agag” is rendered as “Gog” (Hebrew has no vowels). “Agag” is itself a reference to the ruler that King Saul failed to execute (1 Samuel 15). Since Mordecai was a son of Kish, Saul’s father (1 Samuel 15:1-2), in some sense, the conflict in Esther was a rematch between Saul and Agag. Agag was an Amalekite, and Amalek was the grandson of Esau, Jacob’s brother. Moses said that there would be “war with Amalek forever.” This ongoing war included the rivalry between Jesus and the Herods (who were Edomites, from Esau) over who was the true king of Israel. Revelation 20 shows us that the final battle will be like the one in Esther, where a single decree put God’s people in jeopardy in order to use them as bait. All of God’s enemies will come out of hiding for the kill, but this will be a trap. The end of the devil himself will be like the defeat of Haman, who was destroyed along with all of his seed in a snare of his own making. And that takedown will be the comedy roast that brings down the red curtain on history, to rounds of raucous applause. n

1 Douglas Wilson, A Serrated Edge: A Brief Defense of Biblical Satire and Trinitarian Skylarking, 102.

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Education plays a large part in spiritual formation. As parents, we are responsible before God not only to inform our children about God, His Word, and the nature of His creation, but also to bring them to the point where all three are passionately loved.

EDUCATION

SCHOOL’S OUT WARNINGS FROM TEACHER

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Vipers in diapers MICHAEL BULL

some sense, a big red button just waiting to be pushed.

However, putting everything under a single “control panel” makes the entire system more vulnerable to abuse.

It was the same with the Temple in Jerusalem. Centralized power always attracts the wrong sort of people—foxes like Herod and snakes like the Pharisees. Once they take over, the entire system becomes venomous, which is why Revelation describes their teachings as bitter Wormwood in the “Edenic” springs of water.

Why did the serpent come to the Garden of Eden? Because the state of the entire human race was centered on the obedience of one person. Adam was, in

This is also why Revelation calls Jerusalem a spiritual “Babel,” an ungodly gathering like the original tower. But the gathering of obedient saints in one home

n theory, centralizing the administration of anything, whether it be church or state, removes duplication and saves time and money.

became the first of millions of decentralized congregations that are governed from heaven. This must be our strategy with education. There is nothing wrong with a system run by the state—until it is hijacked by the devil who understands it to be a means of stealing the next generation. Since his attack upon Eve, he has always been about raising up his own “seed.” Public education in the West has been slowly hijacked over the decades under the pretense of offering a “neutral” education. The problem is that merely

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sharing “knowledge” is not enough. Facts have to be interpreted based on one’s understanding of the world. As a result, things are now run by “experts” who have all of the data but none of the discernment. As God warned us, the wise become fools and the wicked are ensnared in their own conceits. State education is now a ravenous Leviathan helmed by God’s enemies. If children are “arrows” in our quivers (Psalm 127:3-5) why on earth would we hand them over to the devil for training? Thankfully, private Christian education has come of age, and continues to grow. Some Christians use the phrase “vipers in diapers” to describe the natural state of all children born into this sinful world. But God never directly condemns children. This is because parents are the “mediators” of God’s discipline. Children are not directly accountable to God, but answer to Him via their parents. So whether our children turn out to be the spiritual seed of the serpent or of God rests upon our shoulders. That is why the heart of education is at home—safely decentralized as God planned. Here, three Christian fathers take us through the three stages of education—obedience, wisdom, and intuition—all of which are required for Christian maturity. 16

is also paying attention. This link between hearing and obeying first shows up after Abraham demonstrates His complete obedience to God by his willingness to sacrifice his son. Through His angel, God says:

Start small MATTHEW COREY

hat question did Abraham never ever ask his son Isaac? “I know you heard me, but were you listening?” If you “heard” as a Hebrew child, it meant you obeyed. The Hebrew word we translate as “hear” is “shema” but it has a double-edged meaning: it combines hearing with obeying. This word is the command at the start of the Old Testament equivalent of the Lord’s prayer, and gives it its title, the Shema. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

So this command was not just to hear but also to do. A different Hebrew word is translated as “listening,” but even that word is not entirely passive. Its meaning is to “attend with the ear,” so it implies that the listener

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“By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:15-18)

In contrast, “shema” is translated as “hear” in Psalm 61:1 when David cries out to God: “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer…” This request to “shema” implies that God will not only hear David but also do something in response. Hearing and obeying undergirds the whole construct of faith. Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ,” but this statement is in the middle of a condemnation of those who heard but did not obey the Gospel. A Christian is a person who hears God’s Word and does it

without question. We receive God’s word in obedience. This is not to say that doing what the Bible says makes somebody a Christian, any more than Isaac’s obedience is what made him Abraham’s son. It means that if God’s Word has given you faith, then you will obey His Word. The faithful hear and obey, which is why James 2:14-26 tells us that faith without works is dead. This is how all of creation works. God said, “Let there be light.” The light was an obedient response. So was every other step in the creation of the world. And the submission to God resulted in beauty and abundance. Since “hear and obey” is the basis of our Father’s world, then Christian parents have a solid foundation for the God-given task of child rearing. What is the ultimate goal of parenting, particularly for the Christian? To raise a faithful worshiper. And what is worship? James B. Jordan tells us that all worship is essentially prayer,1 because it is a response to the commands and promises of God. The foundational Christian prayer is the one that Jesus gave us (the Lord’s prayer). Before it gets to the “asking” part, it establishes God’s authority. Jesus also told His disciples to ask according to God’s will, and that means it is a response to

what He reveals in His Word. Since the goal of Christian parenting is raising apprentice worshipers, training our children in the Word of God is an integral part of that process. After the command to “shema,” Deuteronomy 6 continues: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your

If you “heard” as a Hebrew child, it meant you obeyed. children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

The Word of God is to shape the entire relationship between parent and child. The primary avenue for this is the ear canal. And our children need to understand that the authority of their parents is delegated authority—that the role of a parent was given by God. When

children obey dad and mom, they are also obeying God (Ephesians 6:1). Other foundational texts for parents are the commands to honor one’s parents (Exodus 20:12), to raise our children in the way they ought to go so they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6), to not spare the rod of discipline (Proverbs 13:24). But the key to connecting hearing and obeying is winning the ear of the child. The best way to do this is to gradually bring the child into the process. This is why God asked Adam to confess what he had done (Genesis 3:9-12). If a child understands that discipline is a blessing in disguise, and that its motivation is love, then that child can look at his or her own disobedience from the perspective of God. This is how obedience becomes an act of self-discipline. This is also why Proverbs 19:20 informs the son that listening to instruction and receiving discipline will give him wisdom all his days. If the child sees the goal on the horizon, the process of getting there seems less severe. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)

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In other words, winning the ear of the child is actually winning the heart of the child. Like an athlete who learns through a process of coaching and training to do what is required to win, the child will come to not only obey the standard but to love the standard. But unlike the athlete, obedience also becomes a way of demonstrating love in return. God not only tells us His plan… For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. (Hebrews 12:6)

but also how our response must be from the heart… If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

The Bible shows us how thick the ties are between the ear and the heart when Acts 2 tells us that the preaching of the Gospel cut the “hearers” to the heart. As new parents, we must “start small,” but even then, the target is the heart. Douglas Wilson (a man who has raised a tribe of faithful kids and grandkids) advises us to only spank our kids for sins, not for behaviors. He says that we can accomplish this by narrowing the rules to three: 1) no disobedience; 2) no disrespecting your mother; 3) no lying. 18

When you have little ones that are just developing language, the first two rules will suffice. The aim is to have punishment for the child be in line with the things God condemns, not your own peccadilloes. It is God who says, “Obey your parents.” It is God who says, “Honor your father and mother.” It is God who says, “Do not bear false witness.” In this way, the child understands that the sting on the bottom is not the result of irritation or anger. It is not retaliation. It is a “word” from God, and it says that heeding the word of one’s parents is a joy, and disobeying the word of one’s parents is a type of death. Each spank is a shepherd’s crook that grabs the child’s attention so that he or she may learn to shema. The sound of the parent’s voice ought to grab the attention of the child, and spur them to action. The rod merely trains the child to hear the word. Most importantly, the more it is used, the less it becomes necessary. The word itself becomes the staff. Of course, spanking on its own will only teach the child Law and punishment. But God is not a policeman; He is our Father. His Law is given to bring us to the Gospel. All discipline must be accompanied by the kind of forgiveness that God offers in Christ. Discipline is not the

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breaking of the fellowship between parent and child but the means of its restoration. The younger they are, the swifter discipline must come. We see the same pattern in God’s immediate discipline of Israel in the wilderness. This changed in the time of the kings, when the rulers and the people were permitted to learn from the longterm consequences of their sins. But, as it is with God, the forgiveness must always come swiftly. Teach them to say “forgive me for [specific sin]”, and you say “I forgive you.” Teach them to ask God, “forgive me for [specific sin], Jesus, help me to be [specific obedience]”, then offer them assurance that Jesus forgives them. This is a simple pattern, but it will train the child to remember that God is the giver of an ear to hear, and that hearing God liberates us from our slavery to sin. This model also shifts the focus beyond immediate behavior management to habitual faithfulness that springs from a love for God. One of the reasons that God gave us children is that we might understand our own relationship to Him as our Father. Disciplining our children reminds us of our own need to hear and obey God. It shows us not only how often we disobey

God in the same ways, but also how God sees our disobedience. If we want our words to be respected by our children, we ourselves must give God more than lip service. “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Matthew 15:8)

Our first task as parents is to be obedient sons and daughters.

Go with the grain DAVID DEUTSCH

ore and more Christians are going “old school” when it comes to educating their children. The name of this approach is Classical Christian Education, and this little essay is just an appetizer. Here in sunny Ventura County, California where the mountains kiss the Pacific Ocean, we might say it’s the chips and salsa, not the enchilada. But I hope this whets your appetite for more. So, what is Classical Christian

Education? Its goal is summed up in the title of a book on the subject by Robert Littlejohn and Charles T. Evans: Wisdom and Eloquence. The method aims to bring a student to a state of maturity in godly understanding (wisdom), as well as instilling the skills required to effectively share that understanding with the world (eloquence). So it covers the method of the input as well as preparation for future output.

on whether we turn out to be the wheat or the weeds in the field.

The unifying center of this “wisdom and eloquence” is the living Word, Jesus Christ. We pray for and nurture our students in the fear of the Lord, the Word of the Lord, and the wonder of the Lord. To borrow from Saint Patrick, Christ is with, within, before, beside, beneath, and above all we say and do.

So, what is “classical” about this method of education? It refers to how education is carried out, and not simply what is taught.

But this unity also creates a division. Classical Christian Education takes seriously the separation that was established by God in Genesis 3:15, and made very plain by Jesus. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. (Matthew 12:30)

Each of us is either for Christ or against Christ. We are either learning in submission to Christ or we are learning in rebellion against Christ. We are all growing to maturity, but our education has a lot of influence

Because there is no neutrality in Christ’s world, there is no such thing as a neutral education. This is why Classical Christian Education begins selfconsciously on its knees before God and ends with its hands raised in praise to Him. Like everything else in God’s world, it begins with light and culminates in a giving of glory to God.

This approach goes with the grain of how God has created us to mature. In that way, it is like training a vine. It takes the good that God has given (nature) and makes it great (culture). After all, this was the job of Adam in the Garden of Eden. This “classical” practice is known as the Trivium, which simply refers to the three stages of growth to maturity that God has already built in. The first is called the Grammar Stage and is roughly K-5. At this stage students love repetition, story, language, singing, and did I say repetition? In the Grammar Stage our children learn the grammar/language/words of God’s Word and His world. They learn the grammar of the Bible, math, science, history, reading,

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“WHEN GOD GETS US ALONE THROUGH SUFFERING, HEARTBREAK, TEMPTATION, DISAPPOINTMENT, SICKNESS, OR BY THWARTED FRIENDSHIP – WHEN HE GETS US ABSOLUTELY ALONE, AND WE ARE TOTALLY SPEECHLESS, UNABLE TO ASK EVEN ONE QUESTION, THEN HE BEGINS TO TEACH US.” — OSWALD CHAMBERS

writing, literature, poetry, and so on. This is a delightful and challenging season of immersion in the language of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. The Grammar Stage is the “what” season of life, a time of discovery and playful wonder. As in Eden, it is all about the names and places of things in God’s world. For this reason, we also begin to teach Latin during this stage. Yes, that is right, Latin. (For a robust defense of this practice, see the recommended books.) As the students mature, the “what” becomes “why.” They begin to question the reason behind the Grammar they have been immersed in. This is called the Logic Stage, and it is roughly the time from grades 6-9. God created us for wisdom and one of the gifts needed most in a life is wise discernment. It is here that we nurture in our students a proper and humble critical thinking, questioning, pursuing truth, discerning beauty, and loving goodness. We know that not all curiosity and questioning is helpful and healthy because God has given us absolute truths. For this reason, Classical Christian Education nurtures critical thinking by teaching Formal Logic along with saturation in the wisdom literature of the Scriptures. Additionally, the learning of

appropriate manners and protocols enables students to present what they know and think in a powerful, persuasive, and appealing way. This brings us to the Rhetoric Stage, and it is the focus of grades 9-12. Rhetorical skills are as vital as ever. In an age of lies, vulgarity, foolishness, and futility, all delivered by a carnival of empty, rotating talking heads, learning to speak and write in order to effectively persuade others of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness is

The Trivium is priestly, kingly and prophetic, just like the Bible. one of the greatest challenges of our day. To this end, students are immersed in the Great Books, epic poetry, ancient and biblical rhetoric, and apprenticed in the practice of producing life-giving words that change people’s hearts. The way that Classical Christian Education moves through the stages of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric to maturity, is a replica of the three offices given to us in the history of Israel. So the

Trivium is priestly, kingly and prophetic, just like the Bible. In its priestly stage, Israel was to simply hear and believe. This was the time of the books of Moses, an era of learning God’s Laws and God’s ways. In its kingly stage, Israel was to consider the Law and meditate upon it, not only hearing what God said but learning why He said it. This era of growing discernment gave us the wisdom literature, including the psalms and the proverbs. In the prophets, rhetoric comes to the fore. These men not only heard what God said and considered why, but called Israel to account with a level of rhetorical skill that still boggles the minds of academics today. This three stage pathway— hearing, considering, and speaking—is also found in every human life, so modeling education after the pattern “goes with the grain” of humanity. If you enjoyed this appetizer, look into the subject further. I highly recommend these three books: The Case for Classical Christian Education by Douglas Wilson, Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning by Robert Littlejohn & Charles T. Evans, and From Bread to Wine: Creation, Worship, and Christian Maturity by James B. Jordan.

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lifelong churchgoers, and between “unschoolers” to those who have college degrees.

When caught is better than taught MARK TUBBS

ducation by itself is not sufficient for faithful Christian formation. This is because there is a level of knowledge that only God can give us. As in Genesis 1, and in the creation of Adam, forming is only the beginning. If it is not followed by a God-given filling it can create a spiritual vacuum that will be filled by something other than God and His wisdom. I am privileged to serve as a librarian and an instructor at Metro Vancouver’s only Bible College, in Surrey BC. We have students from a cross-section of backgrounds, from Christian Reformed to Salvation Army, from Anglican Network to Foursquare Gospel, our founding denomination. Our recent students have varied from ages 17 through 70, and come from every continent except Antarctica. They also vary between brand new converts to 22

So, when I was tasked with teaching a section of the college’s Biblical Interpretation class, it had to be suitable to anyone and everyone, providing that the student speaks and understands English language and literature at an intermediate level or above. I had previously taught a course in Theological Method, which was designed to fill in some obvious gaps in our students’ education, but feedback from students over the years indicated that many found it too academic. Instead of helping them to interpret God’s Word, they were paralyzed by the conclusion that they could not interpret the Bible without a shelf full of commentaries and Bible helps. This showed that the accepted approach to teaching interpretation in evangelical Bible colleges—through no fault of the instructors—is not as effective or useful as it could be. Although there were some success stories, it was clear that the course tried to accomplish too much and only appealed to a certain type of student. So, my job in this new course was to deliver less content while teaching more skill, and to reach and benefit all types of students as much as possible. Was I

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successful? Read on and decide. My marching orders were taken from an old course description and a set of learning outcomes, and I realized that these themselves were part of the problem. They are reproduced here only to demonstrate what has been expected from first-year students fresh out of secondary school with only Old and New Testament Survey courses to prepare them. Don’t worry about looking up the big words. This course introduces the tools and methods for Bible research, teaching students to draw from Scripture in order to minister to others. The student will gain specific principles, methodical guidelines, and skills training for in-depth study and interpretation of the Bible. Upon completing this course, the student should be able to: 1 Understand and begin to implement the historical-cultural and grammatical interpretive process for studying any passage of Scripture in a way that is faithful to the original intended meaning and appropriate for the modern context. 2 Understand the role of context and historical cultural background in determining the meaning of a passage. 3 Recognize literary structural elements in the text and understand the role of the literary context in determining the meaning of a passage.

4 Be able to carefully observe any passage in order to grasp the author’s intended meaning and personally respond in a manner appropriate to the passage. 5 Understand and explain the nature of God’s communication through Scripture and how the historical-cultural and grammatical interpretive process rightly conforms to the nature of Scriptural revelation. 6 Understand and use a variety of tools and resources (print and/or electronic) for more profitable Bible study. 7 Understand the “reader response” and “authorial intent” approaches to biblical interpretation and the concept of different levels of meaning. 8 Be able to explain the role of the Holy Spirit in Biblical Interpretation. 9 Understand the history of our English Bible and be able to explain the differences in modern translations. 10 Be able to research and write an exegetical [interpretive] paper. 11 Learn to enjoy personal Bible Study and to grow in your personal appreciation, love and use of Scripture.

Many of these outcomes overlap and some of them are completely unnecessary, but condensing them is a job for a college committee, not me. However, since they were what I had to work with at the time, I decided to turn this list on its

head and start at the end. Surely, if students were learning to enjoy personal Bible study and to grow in their love for the Bible, numbers 1 to 10 would take care of themselves in due course? Or, to put it another way, we would learn to drive by actually driving the car instead of poring over a manual designed for mechanics and technicians. Taking number 11 as my point of departure, I committed to engaging the imaginations of the students. My mind turned

habit of getting into the “deep weird” (his own term for the parts of the Bible that seem bizarre to modern readers), as well as his “interpretive maximalism” (a term given to his practice of drawing as much out of a Bible text as possible). In the first hour of every class (which I referred to as “Biblical Worldview Academy”), I asked the same two questions: “What threw you?” and “What grew you?” In other words, what was strange and what was helpful? I filled up both sides of the whiteboard with students’ reactions and took a photo of it at the end of the hour.

We would learn to drive by actually driving the car. immediately to James B. Jordan’s book, Through New Eyes: Developing a Biblical View of the World. This book has provided me and many others with a solid foundation for interpreting the Bible on its own terms. For those who are not familiar with Jordan’s approach, it really is like putting on a new pair of spectacles and seeing things you have never seen before. To minimize the shock, I did prepare the students for Jordan’s

Interestingly, the score in the first few classes was equal parts “threw” and “grew.” But as the weeks passed the “grew” side grew, tending to be more occupied than the “threw” side. Many students began to notice that what first “threw” them soon “grew” them once they devoted some additional time and effort to reflect on what they were reading. They were learning to read with new eyes: learning to read the Bible on its own terms. Of course, I still had to meet the learning outcomes that I had inherited from the previous instructors, so in the first year I taught this course we also used the previous textbook, the third edition of the very helpful

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Grasping God’s Word by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays. Because the book lacks an answer key, and the fourth edition was not yet published, for the second year of teaching this course I chose a different supplemental textbook: Randy Tate’s Biblical Interpretation. While it was helpful to some in explaining many areas of interpretive theory, it overshot the mark for most young college students. I am still considering which book we should use as our supplementary text next year. The course ended with an exam the first time I taught it. But the assessment was more creative the second time—I gave the students a practical assignment instead. They had two choices: reading one chapter of Deep Exegesis: The Mystery of Reading Scripture by Peter Leithart and applying his method in that chapter to one of a selection of Bible passages, or reading the entirety of Michael Bull’s Reading the Bible in 3D and applying it to the same passages. Interestingly, half the class took on a Leithart chapter and the other half took on the Reading the Bible in 3D approach, which made for interesting grading! Before I teach the course again, I need to settle on a secondary text and create a dictionary of terms. But over these two years, I have become certain of one thing: 24

once the imagination is engaged, biblical interpretation is intuitive. It is caught rather than taught.

long as humans interact with one another, with or without a formalized educational system.

This means that instead of teaching poetic terminology, we should show how the language engages our emotions. And instead of explaining what the reader’s assumptions and expectations are, we should challenge the assumptions and expectations of our own students.

While the school setting is necessary, forming takes place everywhere and anywhere that we open ourselves to the influence of another, whether that be family, friends, school, church, or elsewhere. But godly forming only comes from instruction by mature Christians.

If interpreting the Bible is to become intuitive, our instruction must be active rather than passive. In other words, rather than distancing the students from the text by analyzing it like a scientist in a lab, we throw them right into it. Experiencing it is the best way to learn how to understand it. After all, that is what the authors intended.

The young Christian can enroll in a biblical interpretation course at a higher education institution, but they should never expect that an educational setting is the beall-and-end-all of education.

The increase in the level of engagement with the Bible became obvious when the course material provoked discussion that often spilled over into break times and conversations outside of college. Even where students disagreed with details in Jordan’s book, they could appreciate his principles, how he applied them, and his willingness to theorize on what is unsaid based on what the Bible explicitly states. So, how does all of this relate to Christian education as a process of forming and filling? Education will always happen as

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This is because filling is the shift from a simplistic cause-andeffect understanding of the world (such as we find in the book of Proverbs) to a more spiritual comprehension of the world, one that understands that things are not always what they seem (such as we find in Ecclesiastes). Filling is not taught but caught. It is something that only God can do as we yield to Him and throw ourselves into His Word. Filling is the guidance of the Spirit in that realm of intuitive knowledge which the world cannot give. The fear of the Lord is only the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). He wants to fill us with this wisdom, if only we would look to Him for it, as Solomon did at the beginning of his reign. n

BOOKS

THREE KINGS HANDLE ABUSE LIKE DAVID DID “Saul is in your bloodstream, in the marrow of your bones. He makes up the very ﬂesh and muscle of your heart. He is mixed into your soul. He inhabits the nuclei of your atoms.”

hat do you do when someone throws a spear at you?

This is the question asked of us by Gene Edwards in his take on the story of Saul, David, and Absalom, A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness. Edwards claims to offer comfort, healing, and hope to “Christians who have experienced pain, loss, and heartache at the hands of other believers.”

MICHAEL BULL But not everyone agrees with his advice. Some readers loved the book so much that they turned it into a play. But others see it as a misreading of the text that might put vulnerable people in danger. The challenge with writing any fiction based on biblical stories is that we really need to understand them first. Otherwise, as we fill in the gaps in the narrative, put words in people’s mouths and

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thoughts in their heads, we risk doing what the serpent did: misrepresenting God. In that sense, since a lot of the Bible was deliberately written to be at least a little perplexing, the work of writing such fiction is a lot like writing a sermon. Edwards’ interpretation of the story shows a great deal of wise discernment, and is well worth considering. But the reason why his application of it is a bit clumsy is also enlightening. The Almighty had found that this leather-lunged troubadour loved his Lord with a purer heart than anyone else on all the sacred soil of Israel. “Kneel”, said the bearded one with the long, grey hair, and David felt oil pouring down upon his head. “Behold the Lord’s anointed.” The Hebrew words were quite unmistakable. Even children knew them. Quite a day for this young man, wouldn’t you say? Then do you find it strange that this most remarkable event led the young man, not to the throne, but to a decade of hellish agony and suffering? On that day, David was enrolled, not into the lineage of royalty, but into the school of brokenness. Eventually he found himself in the castle of a mad king. And in circumstances that were as insane as the king, the young man was to learn many indispensable things.

It is wise to tell young Christians, especially those who are serving in some sort of ministry, that things will rarely go according to 26

David enjoyed a certainty that most saints do not. plan. As Peter wrote, we should not be surprised when fiery trials test us (1 Peter 4:12-14). But what made David’s situation different from just about anybody else’s is that God had actually promised him Saul’s job. So David enjoyed a certainty that most saints do not. Of course, this does not detract from his patient faith under severe trial. The mad king saw David as a threat to the king’s kingdom. He did not understand, it seems, that God should be left to decide what kingdoms survive which threats. So Saul threw spears at David. Is it possible that this mad king was the true king, even the Lord’s anointed? What about your king? Is he the Lord’s anointed? Maybe he is. Maybe he isn’t. No one can ever really know for sure. Men say they are sure. Even certain. But they are not. They do not know. God knows, but He will not tell. God has a university. It’s a small school. Few enroll, even fewer graduate. Very, very few indeed. He has this school because He does not have broken men. Instead, He has men who claim to be God’s authority and

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aren’t. And men who are God’s authority, but who are mad and unbroken. And He has, regretfully, a mixture of everything in between.

It is important to understand that God often uses a Saul to train a David for rule. Beginning with the serpent in Eden, tyrants teach God’s Sons to trust Him, which in turn makes them trustworthy rulers. It is also important to realize that we aren’t always the best judges of who the tyrants are. Learning to discern between good and evil is, of course, part of the process. What do you do when someone throws a spear at you? Does it seem odd to you that David did not know the answer? After all, everyone else in the world knows what to do... you wrench the spear out of the wall and throw it right back! And in doing this, you will prove many things: You are courageous. You will not stand for injustice and unfair treatment. You are the defender of the faith, keeper of the flame, detector of all heresy. All of these attributes then combine to prove that you are also, obviously, a candidate for kingship. Yes, perhaps you are the Lord’s anointed... after the order of King Saul. There is also a possibility that some twenty years after your coronation, you will be the most incredibly skilled spear thrower in the realm. And, most assuredly, by then, quite mad.

As long as you look at your king, you will blame him, and him alone, for your suffering. Be careful, for God has

His eyes fastened sharply on another King Saul, one just as bad—or worse. God is looking at the King Saul in you. He breathes in the lungs and beats in the breast of all of us. You may not particularly find this to be a compliment, but at least now you know why God put you under someone who just might be King Saul. David the sheepherder would have grown up to become King Saul II, except that God cut away the Saul inside David’s heart.

This is a crucial warning for all who suffer at the hands of those in authority. However, Edwards’ critics are correct in saying that calling for the saints to model their response to abuse by church leaders after that of David can be used as a strategy by the abusers. Many Christians are told to put up with church or domestic abuse because “that is what good Christians do.” At this point we must note that David’s situation concerned the throne of Israel. This test was about whether or not he would seize what God promised (as Adam did), or wait until God’s time (as Jesus did). This highlights a major flaw in the way we read the Bible. While we must draw moral implications from its stories, they were not given to us as morality tales. The way that David handled Saul’s abuse was not meant to be an example for everyone suffering under an abusive authority.

Bible stories were not given to us as morality tales. How does a man know when it is finally time to leave the Lord’s anointed—especially the Lord’s anointed after the order of King Saul? David never made that decision. Saul made it for him by his own decree: “Hunt him down, kill him like a dog!” Only then did David leave. No, he fled. Even then, he never spoke a word or lifted a hand against Saul. Please note also this: David did not split the kingdom when he made his departure. He did not take part of the population with him. He left alone. All alone. King Saul II never does that. He always takes those who “insist on coming along,” those who are willing to help you found the kingdom of King Saul II. Such men never dare leave alone. But David left alone. You see, the Lord’s true anointed can leave alone. There’s only one way to leave a kingdom: alone.

In Jerusalem, when men taught of being submissive to kings and honoring to the Lord’s anointed, David was the parable. “See, this is what God does to rebellious men.” The young listeners shuddered at the thought and somberly resolved never to have anything to do with rebellion.

These were David’s darkest hours. You know them as his pre-king days, but he didn’t. He assumed this was his lot forever. Suffering was giving birth. Humility was being born. By earthly measures he was a shattered man; by heaven’s measure, a broken one. Others had to flee as the king’s madness grew. After long searching, some of these fugitives made contact with David. But he had changed. He talked less. He loved God more. He sang differently. They had never heard these songs before. Some were lovely beyond words, but some could freeze the blood in your veins. These fugitives were a sorry, worthless lot of thieves, liars, faultfinders: rebellious men with rebellious hearts. They were blind with hate for the king and, therefore, all authority figures. David did not lead them or share their attitudes. Yet, unsolicited, they began to follow him. He never spoke of submission to authority; but, to a man, they submitted. Legalism is not a word found in the vocabulary of fugitives. Nonetheless, they cleaned up their outward lives as David modeled for them submission, instead of authority. And so, for the first of two times, true kingship had its nativity.

Here, Edwards brilliantly highlights submission as the source of true leadership—not to men, even godly men, nor even to God’s Law, but to God. The Law is good but it is merely a safety rail, and powerless to affect real change. However, many think that “relationship” is the key to winning hearts as a leader.

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A leader must not be aloof, but today’s leaders often fail because they do not set themselves apart from those whom they lead. This renders them unable to make decisions from the “outside” of the problems they need to solve. The true leader is set apart from men by being set apart to God. Jesus did send us His Spirit to make relational what was legal. That was the difference between the first Pentecost at Sinai and the last one in Jerusalem. But how, then, do we explain the number of Christian leaders with good intentions who become bullies and abusers? It is the fact that relational isn’t enough. Spiritual leadership is irresistible. To be irresistible, leadership must be self-sacrificial. Jesus’ life was the Law lived out. Although there were times when discipline was required, the disciples wanted to follow Jesus. They knew He loved them and would die for them. As Paul puts it, His love constrained them (2 Corinthians 5:14). He could make demands of them because these were withdrawals from “bank accounts” of grace which He had already filled. But when “tough love” turns to threats and manipulation, an impatience with people betrays an impatience with God. If a leader has to tell you he is the leader, he is not leading by the Spirit. A leader might begin in 28

Spiritual leadership is not charismatic but magnetic. grace and humility, as Saul did, but success can lead to selfexaltion instead of self-sacrifice. A famous pastor who became famously abusive is despised by many. However, they forget that his initial success was sourced in his willingness to put everything on the altar at every point in his ministry for the sake of further growth—like God does. But when the ministry outgrew him and it came time to put himself on that altar, like Jesus did, he refused. That was his downfall. However, “irresistible” leadership is not charismatic but magnetic. That is why David attracted rebels and Jesus still attracts the worst of sinners. They refused human kingdoms, but God’s kingdom was attracted to them. “Why, David, why?” The place was another nameless cave. The men stirred about restlessly. All were as confused as Joab, who had finally voiced their questions. “Many times he almost speared you to death in his castle. I’ve seen that in your own eyes. Finally, you ran away. Now for years

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you have been nothing but a rabbit for him to chase. Furthermore, the whole world believes the lies he tells about you. The King himself has even come hunting every cave, pit and hole on earth to find you and kill you like a dog. But tonight, you had him at the end of his own spear and you did nothing! Look at us, we’re animals again. Less than an hour ago you could have freed us! And Israel too!” There was a long silence. Men shifted again, uneasily. They were not accustomed to seeing David rebuked. “Because, long ago, he was not mad. He was young. He was great. Great in the eyes of God and men. And it was God who made him king—not men.” “But now he is mad!” Joab blazed. “Better he kill me than I learn his ways, the ways that cause kings to go mad. I will not throw spears, nor will I allow hatred to grow in my heart. I will not avenge. Not now. Not ever!”

Edwards notes that even those who seek God’s power can become tyrants because “prayer for power is the shortcut that circumnavigates internal growth… What does this world need: gifted men, outwardly empowered? Or broken men, inwardly transformed?” Having done with Saul, Edwards cunningly shifts his crosshairs from the abuser to the abused. Your leader may be a David. It is not given to us to know. And remember, even Sauls are often the Lord’s anointed. Men who go after the Sauls among us often crucify the Davids among us. However, the passing of

time will reveal a great deal about your leader. And the way you react to that leader—be he David or Saul—will reveal a great deal about you. What’s that? You are now certain that the man of God you are under is not truly from God, or at best he is only a Saul! My, how certain we mortals can be of things even angels do not know. What do you plan to do with this newly acquired discovery, you yourself being neither a Saul nor a David but only a peasant of the realm? Share it with a few friends? Perhaps I should warn you that with this heady new knowledge of yours there is an inherent danger. A strange mutation can take place within your own heart. You see, it is possible, but wait! What is it I see over there, in that distant mist behind you? Who is that figure making his way through the fog? He is now putting on a cape, and a coat of arms from some ancient, long forgotten order. Who is this man? That bearing. The stance. The carriage. I’ve seen it before, I’m sure. Why, it’s YOU! You, who can so wisely discern the presence of an unworthy Saul! Look, too, at the name upon that coat of arms. Behold: ABSALOM II!

Some rebellions have been of benefit, throwing out brutes and despots, but this particular kingdom is different from all others. It is composed of God’s people. It is a spiritual kingdom. No rebellion in the kingdom of God is proper, nor can it ever be fully blessed. A man who will lead a rebellion has already proven, no matter how grandiose his words or angelic his ways, that he has a critical nature, an unprincipled character, and hidden motives in his heart. Frankly, he is a thief. He creates dissatisfaction and

tension within the realm, and then either seizes power or siphons off followers. The followers he gets, he uses to found his own dominion. Such a sorry beginning, built on the foundation of insurrection. No, God never honors division in His realm. Is it not curious that men who feel qualified to split God’s kingdom do not feel capable of going somewhere else, to another land, to raise up a completely new kingdom? Beginning empty-handed and alone frightens the best of men. It also speaks volumes of just how sure they are that God is with them. Men who lead rebellions in the spiritual world are unworthy men.

Once again, Edwards’ take hits the mark but is a little simplistic. Sometimes God uses a split as a means of purifying the church. The first-century Christians met in the Temple until they could not. Likewise, the Reformers did not want to leave Rome. They stayed until they could not. But Edwards is right that a rebel’s ambition, even with some good intentions, will establish any new order upon a poisonous soil. The old leaven and its bitter herbs must be cut off completely. If not, as Edwards observes, and history shows, a revolutionary can be ten times the tyrant his master was. David refused to lift his hand against Absalom. Some see this as evidence of cowardice. But Edwards’ reading is correct because it is consistent with the ongoing biblical theme of

humility and exaltation. David would only ever receive—and thus only ever regain—his throne from the hand of God. “You underestimate your adversary,” retorted Abishai. “You underestimate my God,” replied David, serenely. “It is better to be defeated, even killed, than to learn the ways of a Saul, or the ways of an Absalom. The kingdom is not that valuable. Let him have it, if that be the Lord’s will. Shall I throw spears, and plot, and divide... and kill men’s spirits if not their bodies... to protect my empire? I did not lift a finger to be made king. It may be His will for these things to take place. After all, it is His kingdom. It may be that in God’s eyes I am no longer worthy to rule. Any young rebel who raises a hand against one whom he believes to be a Saul; any old king who raises a hand against one whom he believes to be an Absalom, may—in truth—be raising his hand against the will of God. I seek God’s will, not His power. The Sauls of this world can never see a David, only an Absalom. And the Absaloms of this world can never see a David, only a Saul.”

We must not always be silent in the face of abuse. But we can still handle abuse the way David did: he avoided selfish ambition and bitterness, humbly trusted his God for the outcome, and perceived that suffering prepares us to be a greater blessing. n

Quotations from the book by Gene Edwards have been adapted.

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THEOLOGY ACCELERATOR

TREES OF KNOWLEDGE The difference between knowing about something and actually understanding it is the difference between shallow knowledge and deep knowledge.

MICHAEL BULL Shaping the reader 30

heoretical physicist Richard Feynman shared a piece of wisdom that his father once told him: Even if you know the name of a bird in every language, you still know absolutely nothing about the bird.

what holds them all together.

So, how do we shift from a shallow knowledge of the Bible to a deep understanding of it? We do this by changing the way we learn. We move from memorizing facts to figuring out

The human body is the same: the skeleton is the thing that makes sense of all the other bits and pieces. It holds them together and provides the context and purpose of each element.

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Genesis 1 describes the Creation as a process of forming and filling. In this regard, the world is like a house. The necessary framework comes first, and everything else rests or hangs upon that.

According to entrepreneur, industrial designer and engineer, Elon Musk, most people can learn more than they already know. But they don’t break through their current perceived capacity because they don’t know how to outline their information in a way that leads to further revelation. He says, It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree—make sure you understand the fundamental principles, i.e., the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details, or there is nothing for them to hang onto.

In other words, to accelerate your understanding of any field of knowledge you must focus on the core. Instead of attempting to interpret each bit of information separately, you ascertain its significance quickly by viewing it as a part of the whole. When it comes to learning the Bible, we get bogged down in the particulars, collecting mountains of dislocated facts without understanding how or why they are connected to, and flow from, the vital truth that governs and drives the subject. We are so lost in the “leaves” that we see neither the forest nor the trees. This lack of integration in our knowledge leads to a systemic weakness in our understanding. Richard Feynman expressed a similar frustration with many in

his field of theoretical physics: I don’t know what’s the matter with people: they don’t learn by understanding, they learn by some other way—by rote or something. Their knowledge is so fragile!

The reason the faith of many seems so vulnerable is that our understanding of the Bible is so fractured. Even if we have all the pieces, we are not aware of the “organic” network that holds all those dislocated facts together.

In organic terms, the Bible is structured like a tree.

Since the Word of God is itself structured like a tree, a solid grip on the “system” that shapes the Bible and what happens in it will increase your understanding organically rather than artificially. Instead of a random, haphazard pile of lifeless sticks, your knowledge will become a spring of deep, integrated wisdom, and a living, growing source of vital fruit for the Church and the world. Everything in the created order functions within relationships.

To really understand something, we need to watch how it relates to other things. For instance, why does that species of bird like that particular species of tree? What does this tell us about those birds, and what does this tell us about those trees? The same goes for biblical symbols because they are images that describe relationships between things. The added bonus for biblical theology is that the links also make it easier to remember the things that are connected because the resulting structure serves as a virtual map. What sets Elon Musk apart from other entrepreneurs is his ability not only to understand the core principles, or “trunks,” of various spheres of knowledge but to then also make connections between them. This is how he expanded his interests across numerous sectors. He can trace similar concepts through all of his “trees” like a live cable that runs through a series of power poles. His learning process has resulted in an electronic “ecosystem” in which every subject is interconnected. A deep understanding of the Bible is gained from mastering its structure as the result of a core principle, and the first instance of that is the pattern of Genesis 1. This means that learning the single most

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fundamental pattern found in all Scripture allows us to make connections between all of the different parts at lightning speed. The invisible “power lines” are suddenly made visible. While it takes time to build a foundation upon core principles, the practice of making connections eventually leads to exponential growth. That foundation becomes a launchpad, and the process of learning becomes multiplication

instead of mere addition. Following the Bible’s “trunk” as we build our “tree of knowledge” is actually not as tricky as we might expect. In organic terms, the Bible is structured like a tree. But the mathematical term for this patterning is “fractal.”

of “white noise” interference that the same pattern was appearing at multiple levels simultaneously. Mandelbrot made the connection between this phenomenon and the obscure but fascinating theories of “mathematical iteration” by a pair of French mathematicians, which revolved around the simplest of equations. Basically, the equation’s first output becomes its next input. If you imagine the equation as a

machine, it means that you put something in at the front, it comes out “modified” at the back, and you put it in the front again. And keep doing it.

Russian Dolls

Each result is a recognizable version of the original, but this cyclic process generates an amazing amount of variation, just like a family tree.

The word “fractal” was invented in 1975 by Benoît Mandelbrot, a Polish-born mathematician who worked for IBM. He noticed as he zoomed in and out on waves

So what does a fractal look like? It is a shape made up of smaller versions of itself. Not only are they contained within each other like a set of Russian dolls, but

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each layer is actually made of the smaller layers. This means that if you zoom in on each part, you can see that it is a smaller replica of the entire object. Fractal geometry governs the relationship between the trees in a forest, the branches on the trees, the twigs on the branches, and the patterns in the leaves. You can see the same order in the relationship between the arteries, blood vessels and capillaries in

the human vascular system. Fractals are apparent in animal coloration patterns, ocean waves, river networks, lightning bolts, DNA, earthquakes, snowflakes, crystals, and very obviously in Romanesco broccoli. Fractal geometry has been applied not only to biology, healthcare, and technology, but also provided statistical analyses of the formation of galaxies, the behavior of the weather and the stock market, and it has even been used to quantify the carbon

dioxide output of a forest. In nature, this pattern of “selfsimilarity” continues through many layers as you keep zooming in. But in mathematics, the development of computers enabled us to generate an infinite zoom of endless layers. The most famous of these is known as the Mandelbrot Set. Once you know what fractals are, you will notice them everywhere. But the takeaway here is simply to recognize that amazing variation and complexity can result from a single, simple pattern. This helps us not only to understand the nature of the literature that God has given to us in His Word, but also to interpret it as He intended.

Fractals in the Bible There is no hiding the fact that the Bible is an eccentric book. Not only does it communicate in the language of symbols, but the narrative also takes many unexpected twists and sudden turns. You think you know where a story is going but then it abruptly changes direction, or lists a boring genealogy, or ruins the narrative flow with a long list of architectural instructions, or it repeats information (with minor variations) multiple times. As a result, many have assumed that the Bible is a haphazard collection of documents that

should have been arranged with a lot more care! But the ancients were not stupid. There was a method to the apparent madness, and that method is the core principle that governs the composition of all of the Scriptures—the same pattern working at multiple levels simultaneously. As with fractals in nature and technology, all of the complexity of the Bible is the result of a single “formula.”

God making Man in His image was the supreme act of “self similarity.” A book or a movie or a TV show builds its own “world,” and as we progress through it, the internal logic of this world is slowly revealed. In this way, the Bible is like every other book or movie or video game. But what makes the internal logic of the Bible different is that it happens to be “fractal” in nature. This means that the best way to get a big handle on the way the Bible is built, how the text must be understood, and how it reveals the way in which God

works in history, is to plug in the fundamental concept behind fractal geometry. If fractals are foundational to efficiency and beauty in both the created world and the modern technological marvels of Man, is it beyond reason to discover them in the Word of God? After all, God making Man in His image was the supreme act of “self similarity.” Like every species or category in the created order, all parts of the Bible bear the same image, yet no two are completely identical. The Bible’s fractal algorithm allows for unlimited variations within a limited literary “kind,” but all are recognizable as members of the same literary “family.” To the untrained eye, the Bible is random and chaotic, with a lot of rough edges. But to the trained eye, what was perceived as chaos is understood and appreciated as a wonderful “crystalline” method of ordering information. The Bible is as breathtaking as a great tree, the clouds of heaven, or the breakers of the sea. Next time we will cover the three basic forms of this pattern— Covenant, Creation, and Conquest. If we master these, what was once complicated not only makes perfect sense, but it also becomes a house—a Temple in which we can live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). n

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MISSION

COUNSELOR TO THE KING We must reintroduce truth to the public square. There is a new kind of bishop and counselor who represents the Church as a whole who can do this. RICHARD BLEDSOE

he role of counselor and advisor in the name of Jesus Christ to those in authority is a living possibility. I know. I have been a part of this in my own city, and I have done it. In 1990, I was invited by a friend who pastored another local church to attend a small prayer meeting in his office with a few other pastors. The intention was simply to pray for our city. Our city is widely known as a hard mission field. Conservative Christianity is the one option

regarded with a special and peculiar disdain (one is that is regarded as “religious” and “institutional” instead of being fashionably “spiritual”). Our little gathering grew, and we began a monthly luncheon to which we would regularly invite some city, county, or university official. At these meetings, we began asking these officials to describe their responsibilities and the needs that were “too big for any man or woman to help you with.” We would then pray for these officials.

To our amazement, almost all of these officials, liberal and secular in outlook, were very open to us praying for what were very difficult and even impossible situations. Even more to our amazement was the fact that we began to see answers to our prayers, sometimes very direct and concrete. Let me give a couple of examples. We came to know several of the heads of the law enforcement agencies very well. In fact, one of the things we quickly learned was how much pastors and law enforcement officers have in common. Both are in contact with people in what are sometimes situations of desperation, and both deal with people at the most extreme level of need. One police officer said to me, “We both deal with human depravity all the time— just from different angles.” The first time one of the heads of one of these agencies came to speak to us, we asked him at the end of his presentation how we could pray for him. “If we could pray for something that is too big for any man or woman to help you with, what would that be?” He thought for a few moments and then said that a university football game was coming up that was between the two great conference rivals, and things

often got out of hand. There were always fights, and even riots. “I would like you to pray for peace on that night and over the weekend.” So we did, right there, and promised to keep praying. We then told him we would check in with him after that weekend and get a report. The weekend came and went, and somebody saw him and asked what happened. “It was damn boring,” he said. “Somebody pushed somebody in

I learned how lonely and isolated many public officials really are.

OMG REDEEMING THE CULTURE

help you with, and we will pray for it.” When she came, we had our lunch, introduced her as our guest and speaker, and she spoke about her responsibilities and what her office did. At the end, I asked her about something for us to pray for. She had not only thought about it, she had brought a whole list with her, so I wrote it out on a white board. And then, we sat her in a chair, surrounded her, laid hands on her, and proceeded to pray for all of those items. She wanted to see us again, and she returned in a few months. Every one of the requests had been answered.

one of the taverns, and that was all that happened all weekend.” What happened was out of the realm of the ordinary. It opened the door a little more and created more trust. So God really did seem to answer our prayer. On another occasion, we invited a newly elected county official to speak to us. I was the person who issued the invitation and I talked to her personally. “When you come, think about something related to your office that is too big for any man or woman to

I no longer remember what any of them were except for the last one, which was a request for someone who was “tall, dark, and handsome.” She wanted to marry again. Indeed, he came along, and they were married in a church wedding. They returned to the church of her childhood, and became weekly dinner guests of the priest who married them. I began to take on the role of following up with these officials. A number of them became my friends, and for some I became a pastor. Some became Christians, and many of them had a new

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openness to Christianity and Jesus Christ. In many cases (maybe most), they had virtually no nonpoliticized relationships that were “safe” where they could discuss various difficulties and responsibilities associated with their office, so I became that one “safe person” they knew. Although, as a Christian, I might have seemed very “unsafe” in spiritual ways! One of the relevant factors in my ministry to public officials was that I was the pastor of a small church. It is commonly assumed that the pastors of large, wealthy churches have influence and know how to get things done. But what became clear was that pastors of large churches don’t impress civic leaders. Instead, because they are in charge of large bodies of people who constitute voting blocks and pressure groups, they are often viewed as competition. So there is in this sort of ministry a real opportunity for leaders of a different kind than we are accustomed to.

Much of this is a ministry of one-on-one friendship. One official told me that he found my visits “very therapeutic” and that outside of his brotherin-law he had no one else he could discuss most of the problems he revealed to me. And, even with his brother-inlaw, he had to be careful. I learned how lonely and isolated many public officials really are. For many or even most of them, the only reason they are approached is because people are angry with them or because they want something from them. Hardly anyone thinks of them as human beings who have very limited resources and real needs.

gather around him, lay hands on him, pray for him, and bless him. The remarkable thing is that almost all of these officials want to come and see us again. n Adapted from Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being the Counselor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire.

contributors this issue Michael Bull is a graphic designer and author who lives in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia. His passion is understanding and teaching the Bible.

One of the men in our meetings, a chief among the city’s pastors, once commented, “Sometimes, after one of these meetings, I feel like I’m on Mars or Venus, and not in our city.”

Matthew Corey and his wife are raising three children. He is a pastor in the CREC. He also teaches at a Classical Christian school and when time allows is a writer and musician.

We had just met with an official from our very liberal and progressive city. This official had just left, but not before we sat him in a chair and had the pastors of the city

Mark C. Tubbs is a librarian, Bible college instructor, pastor-priest, and chaplain who hails from Metro Vancouver, British Columbia.

David Deutsch is Head of Spiritual Life/ Teacher of Bible, Ancient Literature, And Rhetoric at Beacon Hill Classical Academy in Camarillo, California.

Richard Bledsoe planted Tree of Life Presbyterian Church in Boulder, Colorado where he pastored for 21 years until 2005. Since then, he has served as a Bible teacher, hospital chaplain, and counselor.

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