Dec 8

Reference links:

Hosea 10:1-14:9 Jude 1:1-25 Psalm 127:1-5 Proverbs 29:15-17

Overview of the Book of Hosea Overview of the Epistle of Jude Overview of the Psalms Overview of the book of Proverbs

Old Testament

We finish Hosea today. Tomorrow, we'll start zooming through the rest of the minor prophets.

The bulk of today's reading rehashes the sin of Israel and the punishment that they will receive. If you ever need to show someone an example of an undeniably straightforward example of God's violent tendencies, moodiness, and hatred, I recommend Hosea. Hosea's God is quite adamant about making sure that the reader knows that it is God who is destroying his chosen people for their sins.  A choice example from today's reading is:

Like a bear whose cubs have been taken away,
I will tear out your heart.
I will devour you like a hungry lioness
and mangle you like a wild animal.

Shortly after the above verses, violent death is linked with difficult birth. Although this relatively positive image of birth is swiftly followed by further declarations of death and violence, it ties into the following stanzas on Israel's repentance and redemption. The book ends on that positive note.

New Testament

We have reached our last epistle, Jude. According to Understanding The Bible

Defending orthodoxy, Jude warns of impending judgment on false teachers.

The brevity is fitting for a book that's only 25 verses long. Further description gives these additional details:

Although the author identifies himself as Jude (Judas), "servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James" --- and presumably also a kinsman of Jesus --- the text implies that the time of the apostles is long past and that their predictions are now coming true. Scholars generally agree that Jude is a pseudonymous work composed about 125 CE, perhaps in Rome.

We also get this bit of description which makes me think I am not going to be particularly fond of this letter,

In literary style, Jude represents a kind of rhetoric known as invective -- an argument characterized by verbal abuse and insult. Rather than specify his opponents' doctrinal errors or logically refute their arguments, the author merely calls them names.

There's a way to convince people you are right: ignore their arguments and insult them! As should be obvious, invective has not lost its popularity. Jude also cites a number of Biblical sources along with scripture, leading to the implication that the author took them as authoritative.

The letter starts by warning the recipients against the ungodly people who have snuck into their churches. These people teach things the author believes to be false.

The author then goes on to "remind" people that Jesus rescued the Jews from Jesus. Thus, 5 verses in, the author of this epistle manages to show a tendency I find terribly annoying and more than a little bit insulting to Jewish believers: he equates God with Jesus in the context of the Old Testament. Such an approach ignores the original intention of the text as well as the rich history of the Jewish people. At least the author of Jude didn't say that the Jews who were saved were those who believed in Jesus (as was said in one sermon that I was unfortunate enough to attend).

We then hear, for the first time that I can remember, that God has chained up the angels who defied him in prisons of darkness. That is followed by the more familiar example of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The author then goes on to declare that those who are spreading heretical teachings live immoral lives. In the midst of this attack we see an odd story about Michael and the devil arguing about Moses' body. That's another thing that doesn't quite seem canon. In any case, as was promised by the introduction, the author of Jude skips engaging with the beliefs of the heretics and just attacks them as bad people. It reminds me of the attacks modern day Christians often make against their own unrealistic stereotype of atheists.

That rant takes up a good portion of this short epistle. It is followed by a reminder that these believers of ~1900 years ago were living in the last times. The believers must build each other up and show mercy to others. This is followed by a short prayer, and then we are done.

The best I can say about that letter is that at least it was short.

Psalms and Proverbs

Two proverbs praising the disciplining of children and yet another proverb pointing out the problematic nature of wicked leaders.

Dec 7

Reference links:

Hosea 6:1-9:17 3 John 1:1-15 Psalm 126:1-6 Proverbs 29:12-14

Overview of the Book of Hosea Overview of the Third Epistle of John Overview of the Psalms Overview of the book of Proverbs

Old Testament

Today's reading contains a sentiment that I think would surprise some (but not all) modern day Christians. It is not a sentiment that is new to Hosea, but Hosea provides a good example.

Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces;
now he will heal us.
He has injured us;
now he will bandage our wounds.

Hosea's God is not a good God, in any sense that we humans would recognize. He is a God who is responsible for both the good and the bad. He is a God of justice, but his justice is a particularly violent kind. Destructive not only of other people but of his own people.

This theme continues throughout this long poem of Israel's sin and upcoming punishment. This God wants to love his people:

I want you to show love,
not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me
more than I want burnt offerings.

But his love is highly conditional and has, because of Israel's sins, turned to hate:

All their wickedness began at Gilgal;
there I began to hate them.
I will drive them from my land
because of their evil actions.
I will love them no more
because all their leaders are rebels.

Can justice really be given by a judge who hates the judged? Or will justice turn into a justification for an unjust degree of cruelty in the punishment?

New Testament

Another one day book. According to Harris, 3 John, is

an appeal to show hospitality to an itinerant Johannine teacher.

Like 1 and 2 John, it was written by John the Elder who is believed to be a member of a community who based their beliefs on the teachings of the apostle John. This letter is considered to be a private note to the author's friend.

The recipient, Gaius, is praised for taking care of travelling teachers. Gaius is then contrasted with an opposing leader, Diotrephes. Diotrephes refuses to take care of the travelling teachers and tells others not to take care of them. Gaius is warned not to be like Diotrephes.

The author then iterates his characteristic belief that external actions can be used to determine those who are God's children:

Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.

The letter closes with the author's hope that he will see Gaius soon.

Tomorrow we have our last one day epistle (Jude), and then we are onto Revelations for the rest of the year.

Psalms and Proverbs

A miscellany of proverbs. One advises rulers against listening to liars. The third praises fair judgment of the poor. Those two are straight forward. The second one is a bit more complex:

The poor and the oppressor have this in common—
the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

Given the oft stated calls for justice for the poor, I am guessing this is advising people not to ignore the views and insights of the poor just because they have a lower station. 

Dec 6

Reference links:

Hosea 4:1-5:15 2 John 1:1-13 Pslam 125:1-5 Proverbs 29:9-11

Overview of the Book of Hosea Overview of the Second Epistle of John Overview of the Psalms Overview of the book of Proverbs

Old Testament

Ack! I let my Kindle battery go dead, so I am reading this tethered to my desk.

Today's reading consists of a poetic description of Israel's sins. The priests and leaders get a large share of the blame, but all the people are implicated. As one would expect after yesterday's reading, the main cause of the Lord's displeasure is the adultery Israel has committed by worshiping idols instead of him. Corruption among the priests and leaders was also strongly implied. Because of this sin, God will tear Israel and Judah apart and wait for them to come crying back to him in a time of need.

New Testament

Another new book. This letter is only 13 verses long and is thought to be by the same author as 1 John. It is a warning against those who have broken away from the community. Thus, it seems, this will continue the dilution of Jesus' command to love one another into a command to love those who agree with you.

After a short greeting, the author reminds the recipients to love one another. The believers are then warned against those who deny that Jesus came in a physical body. Those people, according to the author, have no relationship with God. Because, as we have already established, disagreeing with the Johannine community is the ultimate sin in the eyes of John the Elder.

After that, the short letter is closed.

In the New Living Translation, the authors made an interesting translation choice. Consider these three verses with alternate translations. The main translation is always first and the footnote alternate second.

Verse 1:1,

"I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children" OR "I am writing to the church God has chosen and its members"

Verse 1:5,

"I am writing to remind you, dear friends" OR "I urge you, lady"

Verse 1:13,

"Greetings from the children of your sister" OR "Greetings from the members of your sister church"

Clearly, this can be translated as a personal letter written to a woman or to a church community where the church is being referred to in feminine terms. What I find odd is the choice to choose the address an individual in the first and last verse and the community in the second. I suppose the chosen translation for the second verse works either way, but it does seem like the second is a more consistent choice.

In any case, that was 2 John. Doesn't really add much to 1 John, in my opinion.

Psalms and Proverbs

This reminds me of those TV courts:

If a wise person takes a fool to court,
there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.

And this is a good proverb:

Fools vent their anger,
but the wise quietly hold it back.

Dec 5

Reference links:

Hosea 1:1-3:5 1 John 5:1-21 Psalm 124:1-8 Proverbs 29:5-8

Overview of the Book of Hosea Overview of the First Epistle of John Overview of the Psalms Overview of the book of Proverbs

Old Testament

It's time to jump back in time as we start the minor prophets. Today we start with Hosea.

Background info, from our usual source,

Active during the last turbulent years of the northern kingdom, Hosea is the only native prophet of Israel whose oracles have been preserved in book form. Providing a unique view of late Israelite society and religion, Hosea uses the metaphor of an unhappy marriage to illustrate Yahweh's relationship with Israel. Comparing his people to an unfaithful mate, the prophet urges a national return to Yahweh's loving embrace, a reaffirmation of the bond that alone can save Israel from disaster. The first part describes Hosea's marriage; the second enumerate Israel's crimes and punishments; and the third gives a brief epilogue promising future repentance and reconciliation.

Wikipedia adds the following bit of temporal context:

Hosea prophesied during a dark and melancholic era of Israel's history, the period of the Northern Kingdom's decline and fall in the 8th century BC.

In today's reading, Hosea receives a message telling him to marry a prostitute. This marriage will  illustrate how Israel has turned to other gods. He marries Gomer, a prostitute, and the children she bears are given names that are also symbolic of Israel's relationship with God.

• Jezreel is named after the valley where King Jehu committed murders. This child symbolizes the ending of Israel's independence.
• Lo-ruhamah means "not loved", and that little girl represents God's lack of love for the people of Israel.
• Lo-ammi means "not my people". This little boy represents how the people of Israel are no longer God's people.

These images of ruin and sadness are contrasted with a future period of redemption when Israel and Judah are unified once again.

The analogy is interesting, but what I find more interesting is Hosea's terrible treatment of his family. If some prophet actually behaved this way, he is a despicable person. He is manipulating lives to make a point. The words of the reading give us little reason to suppose that he perceives his wife and children as more than tools.

Continuing on, the birth of the children is followed by a poem which describes God's divorce from Israel and eventual redemption. After that, Hosea redeems his own wife. He buys her back and has her abstain from sexual relations to symbolize that Israel will go a long time without a king. 

I wonder how Gomer, the wife, felt about all this. I wonder if Hosea actually cared about her. Even if he did, no one deserves to have their life and children treated as an extended metaphor. I suppose we are supposed to conclude from the fact that God loved Israel that Hosea also loved Gomer, but it sure does not seem like it from the Biblical description of their relationship.

New Testament

In today's reading, the author tells us that the children of God are those who accept that Jesus was the messiah. Only these people can win the battle against the world.

The author of John then describes the basis on which he believes:

And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God.

The argument from internal testimony is problematic.

First, there is no way to verify that the testimony comes from God. A key factor in determining the reliability of a human testimony is being able to identify the source of the testimony. If the validity of a testimony depends on someone being who they say they are, then the fact that they claim to be that person will not, on its own, be sufficient to support that testimony.

It's also worth nothing that human testimonies, even from verified sources, are not generally accepted in isolation. They must be corroborated by external evidence or independent testimonies. A testimony without corroborating evidence is generally considered lower quality or even unreliable.

The author implies that strong feeling can be used to determine truth:

All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.

However, strong feeling can only be used to determine subjective truths (opinions of beauty or taste or internal emotional state). Strong feeling has a terrible track record of distinguishing objective truths. To stick within the realm of religion, Muslims have strong emotional verification that the Quran is the true holy book. Christians have the same feeling about the OT and NT scriptures. Both of them cannot be right. Feelings, no matter how strong, cannot provide adequate justification for belief.

For more on the inadequacy of feelings for determining objective truths see this post introducing a series on logic and the many good books on the working of the brain such as Jonah Lehrer's How We Decide.

Psalms and Proverbs

A medley of proverbs against flattery and sin and for caring for the poor and wisdom.