Isaiah and Nietzsche

‘Benefiting and hurting others are ways of exercising one’s power upon others; that is all one desires in such cases. One hurts those whom one wants to feel one’s power, for pain is a much more efficient means to that end than pleasure; pain always raises the question about its origin while pleasure is inclined to stop with itself without looking back. We benefit and show benevolence to those who are already dependent on us in some way (which means that they are used to thinking of us as causes); we want to increase their power because in that way we increase ours, or we want to show them how advantageous it is to be in our power; that way they will become more satisfied with their condition and more hostile to and willing to fight against the enemies of our power.’

- F. Nietzsche

‘Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.  For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness. No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. They hatch adders’ eggs; they weave the spider’s web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched. Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands.  Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men. We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.  For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:  transgressing, and denying the Lord, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.’

- Isaiah

One has to wonder who takes the dimmer view of humanity – Isaiah or Nietzche.

The Book of Job

Of all the books in the Bible, Job is the most unique. Its poetry surpasses any other poetry in the Bible, even David’s masterful lyricism in the book of Psalms; its philosophy is deep enough to make Plato blush and its subject matter of the utmost importance, even to this day.

There are a few things to note before delving into Job, though. It is most likely not a Hebrew work, as there is no mention of any of the staples of Hebrew literature: Abraham, Moses, the Exodus, or Yahweh; indeed, while all the characters in the cast of Job are monotheists, the monotheistic religion present is likely just a literary device, since the portrayal of God here differs from the majority of Hebrew scriptures.

Various other factors point to the non-Hebrew origin of Job. The numerous references to nature the various allusions to mythological creatures as well as allusions to various creation-myths all point to someone who was quite familiar with other cultures view of mythology and religion.

The dialogue between the characters of Eliphaz, Bildad, Zohar, Elihu and Job is an almost Greek-styled dialogue, but still brimming with metaphor, poetry and dialectical fire.

But there is an important point to make her about the genre of Job, one that is perhaps the most important note one could make of the book. Job is not intended as a theological treatise; it is wisdom literature, and not intended to be taken absolutely literally. Wisdom literature relies on metaphors, poetry and other devices to get a point across, and not to demonstrate the literal goings-on of whatever is in question. Other examples of Wisdom Literature include Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, as well as ancient non-biblical sources such as Aesop’s Fables. They all consistently seek to convey an idea for understanding, not necessarily a literal fact for academic dissection. To read Job as a literal theological study of a dialogue between Satan and God or how God punishes or rewards people is not the intent here. Faithfulness is the subject here; the absolute faithfulness of Job, and the absolute faithfulness of God.

Having contextualized the book somewhat, we can now begin to delve into the meat of the story. The overall story is well enough known; Job is a righteous man who is the victim of Satan, acting with God’s permission because God knows that Job is a completely upright man. Disaster after disaster is heaped on Job, his unhelpful friends try and convince him that his problems are the result of a hidden sin, and in the climax of the story, God speaks from a whirlwind and sets Job straight. It is God’s speech to Job that I wish to focus on here.

Robert Alter, translator and biblical scholar, makes this point about Job:

“The third – and, ultimately, decisive—level of poetry in the book is manifested when the LORD addresses Job out of the whirlwind. Here, too, the Job poet’s keen interest in nature is evident, but in an altogether spectacular way that, one might say, trumps Job in the game of vision. The poet, having given Job such vividly powerful language for the articulation of his outrage and anguish, now fashions still greater poetry for God.” (“The Wisdom Books,” 2010, W.W. Norton and Company)

Even as a non-Hebrew, the Job poet still is aware and reverent to the idea of an almighty being, so much so that his greatest poetry is reserved for this being. It is the content of the speech to Job, however, that have caused much discussion over the centuries. After two chapters of majestic, breathtaking imagery and poetry, God says to Job;

“And the Lord said to Job:² “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” (Job 40: 1-2)

To which Job withers and gives an appropriately self-demeaning reply; however, there is no real answer to Job’s problem given, and it is this fact that has sparked controversy for hundreds if not thousands of years. Again though, Alter answers:

“Many readers over the centuries have felt that God’s speech to job is no real answer to the problem of undeserved suffering, and some have complained that it amounts to cosmic bullying of puny man by an overpowering deity. One must concede that it is not exactly an answer to the problem because for those who believe life should not be arbitrary there can be no real newer concerning the good person who loses a child (not to speak of ten children)   or the blameless dear one who dies in an accident or is stricken with a terrible wasting disease. But God’s thundering challenge to Job is not bullying. Rather it rousingly introduces a comprehensive overview of the nature of reality that exposes the limits of Job’s human perspective, anchored as it is in the restricted compass of human knowledge and the inevitable egoism of suffering.”

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Sources:

Quest Study Bible. NIV.Michigan. Zondervan. 2003. Print.

Alter, Robert. The Wisdom Books. New York.  W.W. Norton & Company. 2010. Print.

The Torah in Ancient Judaism

The Torah in Judaism is often thought to be strictly the Law, or a set of legal codes given to the Hebrew people by God to Moses shortly after the Exodus fromEgypt.  Such an understanding is severely handicapped, as the Torah in Judaism is much more than a set of laws.

“It must first be stated that the term Law or Nomos is not a correct rendering of the Hebrew word Torah. The legalistic element, which might rightly be called the Law, represents only one side of the Torah. To the Jew the word Torah means a teaching or an instruction of any kind. It may be either a general principle or a specific injunction, whether it be found in the Pentateuch or in other parts of the Scriptures, or even outside of the canon. The juxtaposition in which Torah and Mizwoth, Teaching and Commandments, are to be found in the Rabbinic literature, implies already that the former means something more than merely the Law (e.g b. Ber 31a; b. Makk 23a; m. Abot 3.11). Torah and Mitzvoth are a complement to each other, or, as a Rabbi expressed it, “they borrow from each other, as wisdom and understanding – charity and lovingkindness–the moon and the stars,” but they are not identical. To use the modern phraseology, to the Rabbinic Jew, Torah was both an institution and a faith.  (Solomon Schecter in [ART, p.117f])

We can therefore see that the Torah, far from being a simple set of legislation becomes the revelation of God to the people ofIsrael. It included but was not limited to the Law that is so commonly thought to be the whole of the Torah.

This is not to negate the legal aspect of the Torah, however, because the laws governing various aspects of Hebrew life were numerous and detailed, as can be seen by simply glancing through either the books of Exodus, Leviticus or Deuteronomy, where over 600 laws are set down for everything from dietary habits, war, criminal prosecution, land disputes and monetary issues. These of course would later be used by the Pharisees and Sadducees to gain greater political clout inJerusalem; thousands of extra laws dictating every possible action would be set down by these two groups and would be one of the main contention points for Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul after the birth of Christianity.

It is clear to see that the Torah represented not just legalities but the entire Judaist faith, and its significance cannot be underestimated; the prosperity of ancient Israel seems to wax and wane with how high regard the Torah was held. Jehoshaphat’s plan of restoringIsraelafter Asa’s failing reign was to instructIsraelin these matters:

 

2^nd Chronicles 17:7-9

“7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns ofJudah. 8 With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 They taught throughoutJudah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns ofJudahand taught the people.”

The recovery of the Book of the Law of Moses during the reign of Josiah sparked a series of reforms that lasted through the rest of his reign:

2^nd Chronicles 34:21“21 “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant inIsrael andJudah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.”

2^nd Chronicles 34:10, 33

“10 He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD… 33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present inIsraelserve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors.”

It can be seen then that not only was the Torah the foundation of the faith of Israel but it was literally the soul of the nation, and it was on the basis of Israel’s devotion to the Torah that Israel’s prosperity was built. It was an essential part of the fiber of the being of the Hebrew people, moreso than the Constitution is the America or any other founding document to any other nation; it is unique in the aspect that it is not the product of long philosophical thought or logical means to an end or the result of poetic mythologies to explain natural phenomenon, but rather the direct revelation of God to His chosen people.  With that in mind it is easy to see why the Torah holds such an important place in the minds of the ancient Hebrews as well as in modern times.

 

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SOURCES

Schechter, Solomon. Aspects of Rabbinic Theology. Jewish Lights 1909/1993. Print.

 

Apologetics Study Bible. HCSB.Nashville, Tenessee.  Holman Bible Publishing.  2003. Print.

 

 

 

Abraham and Isaac

Abraham and Isaac – Taken from Genesis 22.

1. Abraham is commanded by God, with whom he had a personal and deep relationship, to do something shocking, sacrifice His son, Isaac.

2. This has never been commanded by God (human sacrifice) and is strictly forbidden in Hebrew culture; this is NOT setting a precedent for child or human sacrifice.

3. Abraham has two options:

• Trust his theology, which says that God would never ask him to do something like this and that he shouldn’t have to do this, or…
• Trust God, whom he has absolute faith in by a lifetime of experience, that even though this is abnormal, shocking, heartbreaking and even wrong, God will remain faithful to him if he remains faithful to God.

4. Abraham elects to completely trust God, even going against his own reasoning, because God has been faithful to him to the extent that Abraham knows He can be totally trusted.

5. He prepares to carry out the act but is stopped; God was not going to allow Isaac to be harmed because it is against His nature, and hence there was never an instance where Isaac was going to actually perish. God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice and  establishes a covenant with Abraham through whom He brings about the Hebrew nation (He promises to make his people a people that will never die out and will flourish for all time) and eventually Christ as the Redeemer for all mankind

6. Abrahams absolute faith and trust is credited to him as righteousness and lays the foundation of the Gospel; that we are made righteous before God by faith.

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes -

                        Main Points:

• (a)Futility of life without God.
• (b)Philosophical/existential/nihilistic struggles/questions with life.
• (c)Fullness of life with God.

                                                         

 

 

(a), (b) We can see that the Teacher (traditionally Solomon) has had a life of extreme pleasure that ultimately lead to emptiness:

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

“I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I  searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I  built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the children of man.9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”

 

After the Teacher realizes how worthless temporary pleasures are, he turns to the study of wisdom, only to come to the same nihilistic conclusion:

Ecc. 2: 16-17

16 “For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.”

 

He quickly comes to the same conclusion about toil:

Ecc. 2:18-20

18 “I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun…”

Obviously the questions asked here are the same asked today; “Why do anything? Does anything matter? I’m going to die anyways, so who cares?” These are real questions, and the beauty of Ecclesiastes is the unashamed tone used to ask them. The Teacher is not interested in feel-good philosophy; this man wants answers, and he can’t find them by his own reasoning.

It is only after 2 more chapters of nihilistic philosophizing over all aspects of life that the theme of the book changes and becomes a call to stand in awe of God, though the somber tone of the book still hasn’t changed.  It isn’t until chapter 7 that the book takes on the proverbial style Solomon was known for, which is followed by another command to obey the king or authority of the land.  Then, almost as if in a flash of insight, there is this note:

Ecc. 8:16-17

16”When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.”

It is after this insight, that man cannot ever fully comprehend what God does or thinks, that the tone of the book changes. Suddenly, the Teacher realizes that God is in complete control, and begins to exhort his son to remember the Creator as well as expounding on the greatness of wisdom when a few chapters book, wisdom was just as meaningless as folly. Also interesting to note is the command to respect earthly authority directly after this revelation; the Teacher really had a full 180 degree turn in his thinking here.

(c) – Fullness of Life with God.

 

The conclusion the teacher reaches, though not at first blush, is that without a right relationship with God, everything is literally folly, worthless and ultimately meaningless. Pleasure, toil, wisdom all amount to nothing more than a waste of time without God; however, when the relationship with God is right and when it’s seen that God is ultimately in control, the world is seen completely differently as evidenced by the teachers remarkable insight at the end of chapter 8.