MPC 31st December 2006.December 31 - 1 Samuel 17 "Summer Studies 1: How the Bible (really) Works"
Phil Campbell MPC 31st December 2006.
I was listening to Andrew Denton on the radio a few weeks back; he was talking about his new movie. It's called God on My Side. And it's a documentary about American Christianity. Andrew Denton visits the convention of National Religious Broadcasters; a get-together for tele-evangelists from America's Religious Right.
I haven't seen it. But I gather from the tone of Andrew's interview1 on the radio the other day, he mercilessly pokes fun at them in his typical, quiet Andrew Denton way.
Mind you, if you remember some of the more famous American tele-evangelists, poking fun isn't all that hard to do.
Now Andrew Denton's an intelligent bloke. Moreso than most. So apart from anything else in his radio interview, here's what I found the most interesting. And slightly disturbing. Andrew Denton said in the radio interview, he said, "While I was at the convention for these Bible Believing American Christian Fundamentalists, I decided I should actually read some of the bible for myself." Which I would have thought was a fair enough thing to do.
And so then Andrew Denton went on to say he decided to dip in to the Bible in the book of Deuteronomy. And it was clear from what he went on to say… that Andrew Denton, Australia's smartest interviewer, had absolutely no idea of how to approach the task of reading the bible. Especially a part of the bible like Deuteronomy.
He said I opened it up and it's full of stuff about God punishing us. And that he's going to take away our children and crush us and make us eat the dust. He said, apparently it's written by Moses. And I reckon when he wrote that stuff Moses must have been having a very bad day.
Which made me think, Andrew, for such a smart guy, what about reading in context? Like you do for anything else? What about asking the question who is Moses talking to? Like you would when you read a novel or a newspaper? What about using some of the same rules for reading that you'd use when you pick up a magazine? Instead of randomly plucking things out of context? What about realizing that in Deuteronomy Moses is warning the Israelites that if they turn away from God, they'll be thrown out of the promised land? Which as you keep reading the story, is exactly what happens? Andrew, at that point Moses was talking to the ancient Israelites. Not to us. And on the timeline, he's talking about stuff that happened thousands of years ago. Not about now. And if you want to understand what's going on in the bible, you need to see the difference. And ask the right questions. About who. And when.
For such a smart guy, it was a dumb way to be reading the bible. But then I thought, well, maybe that's because the convention of Christian broadcasters didn't actually do any better. In fact, maybe most Christians don't. Maybe most Christians approach the Old Testament in a way that's hit and miss. Or just tries to find the moral to the story. Without ever really getting the big picture of the bible. And what each part means in its context. Just like you do when you're reading anything else.
Now I know for a lot of you, you're probably thinking, well it's a bit too late to start now. But over the next few weeks in January, we're going to give it a go. Something a little bit different. In a series we're calling Summer Studies.
What we're going to be doing, as well as looking at some particular biblical issues and some key passages, is asking the question, how do you approach the big issue of interpreting the bible in the first place? How does the Bible really work? How do you develop good skills… for reading the bible? We're going to be tinkering with the mechanics a bit - going under the bonnet. To introduce the discipline that at Bible College they call Biblical Theology.
It doesn't sound like it; but Biblical Theology is actually a specialist term that describes a particular approach. Which in a nutshell, is all about the importance of understanding every part of the bible… in the context of the whole. It's not particularly complicated. But in particular, it's a way of reading every part of the Bible, and particularly the Old Testament, with the understanding that it's a story that's heading somewhere. In particular, that it's a story heading towards Jesus Christ. And then to us. As Christians today.
If you want to do further reading, there are some great Australian authors like Graeme Goldsworthy and William J Dumbrell; I've listed some key books in the outline2. They're specialists in the area of Biblical Theology; and in what we're looking at this morning I guess draws a little bit from both of them. And some other scholars besides.
So what we're going to do today as a launch-pad for our series, is to take a few minutes to think about a very familiar Old Testament passage. And ask the fundamental question, what's it actually got to say. To people here and now. In the 21st century. And more than that, how do you work out your answer.
I want to try out two simple questions that we can bring to the text. And see if they'll help us understand it. First of all, we're going to imagine a group photo, with all the characters in the narrative.
And ask the question, where are we in this picture? Who exactly are we meant to identify with in the narrative?
And the second question, if you imagine the sweep of the bible as a timeline, the question, "when are we on the timeline?" It's the question of context. Where has the narrative come from? And where's it heading? Where are we on the Bible's big time line... as it unfolds towards Jesus?
The passage we're looking at is the one I just read. A story that if you've grown up in church circles has probably been drilled into you since Sunday School. Of David and goliath. Great fun in Sunday School actually, because when I was a kid we got to dress up. And make armour covered with tinfoil. And cardboard swords. And the biggest kid got to be Goliath.
More than that, it's a great story because it's inspiring. Weedy little David. And huge Goliath. Incredible odds.
But I wonder if you've ever stopped to ask the question, what are we meant to actually get from it? I mean, what are we meant to learn from the story of David and Goliath? What are we meant to take away from it… to help us live our lives?
As I recall it, my Sunday School lesson said David used five smooth small stones to kill the mighty enemy.
And for us, the teacher said, the enemy is sin. So make sure you've got your five smooth stones, which are faith and love and hope and purity and something else that I've forgotten. And you can use them… to kill sin.
Which made a nice story. With a moral to it. And for most of us, that's probably about as far as we ever went in thinking about David and Goliath. As a method, it's called allegorising. Make something stand for something else. And then work out the moral of the story.
But do you actually see anywhere in the passage anything that even remotely suggests the stones have got the slightest bit to do with Faith and Love and Hope and anything else?
I mean, it's not that it's wrong to have those things. They're great things to have. But is it really, is it honestly, what the passage is all about? And who says you're meant to take an account like that… and turn it into allegory in the first place?
So I want to come to the first question. Where are we in the picture? In the story of David and Goliath, who is it that's most like you and me? If you painted the scene in your mind, where are you?
I've got to confess, the first thing I do when I see a group photo is I look for me. To make sure I haven't ruined it by having my eyes closed or sneezing when the flash went off.
So I'm asking the question, if you imagine the story of David and Goliath as a group photo, where are you in the picture? Have a look.
Of course, in the example I just mentioned with the five smooth stones, you're playing the part of David. The Giant Killer. You're the hero. And you look terrific.
But I wonder if that's the point of the story? That we're meant to read it and make ourselves the hero?
Let's revisit the story. 1 Samuel 17. And ask the question, if you're looking at the group shot, where are you?
On one side, you've got the Israelite army. From the tribe of Judah. Camped on a hill. King Saul in his tent. Young David, a tiny figure of a boy. Among the Israelite soldiers.
On the other side, you've got the Philistines; gathered for battle against Judah. They've set up their camp. And because they've got a champion, a guy named Goliath, they're feeling extremely confident. So imagine it in your mind. These Philistines are camped on one hill… and the Israelites are camped on another.
And Goliath is over nine feet tall. With armour that weighs half a ton. He's gleaming in bronze. And he's calling out taunts to the Israelites across the valley. Taunting them. And their God.
And he says to them, come on, choose a man and have him come down to me. Pick a representative Israelite to do battle for you. And if he kills me, we'll become your subjects. But if I win… you serve us. He says, I defy the ranks of Israel. Give me a man. And let's fight it out.
At which King Saul, and all the ranks of Israel, are terrified. Scared out of their wits.
Except for this David. Youngest son of Jesse. Who's a shepherd, not a soldier. Delivering sandwiches to his brothers on the front line. And as he arrives with the food, he's hearing Goliath shouting out the challenge. And he's seeing the Israelites running in fear.
And David rightly says, this is a disgrace.
He says, I might just be a boy. But if none of you soldiers is up for it, I'll fight him. Which of course he does.
King Saul says to him, give it your best shot. And dresses him in armour that's way too clumsy for him to get around in. So he leaves the armour. And takes, in verse 40, his shepherd staff in one hand; and his five smooth stones. And his sling.
And he approaches the Philistine. Who curses him in the name of his Philistine gods.
And David says the words you can follow in verse 45. "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."
And he says,
This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands.
And David runs towards him and twirls round his sling, and the rest is history. The stone sinks into Goliath's forehead. And he's history.
When the Philistines see their hero is dead, they turn and run. And the Israelites chase them all the way to the gates of the city of Ekron. And the tables are turned.
So let me ask you again, who are we in a story like this? Whose shoes do you choose… to put yourself in as you imagine the scene? Because I'll bet you it's David.
Because we just love to be the hero. And all we have to do is work out how to be like him. And what are our stones. Which unfortunately, isn't the point of the passage at all.
Let's look for some other characters. You've got David's grumpy brothers.
Who don't think he's up to it. Maybe we're like him?
We've got King Saul. The timid King. Maybe we're like that?
We've already got the Israelite soldiers. Quaking with fear and ready to run. Maybe… we're like them? And that's getting closer.
Who's left?
You've got Goliath. Strong. Confident. Shaking his fist against God. And you know what? For most people, maybe that's closer still.
And then you've got the ordinary Philistine soldiers. Feeling secure behind their champion. Nothing the world can throw at them can hurt them. Because they're secure behind their Goliath. And they're thinking they can safely ignore the God of Israel. You know what? Here's the surprise. I reckon for us, of all the characters in the story of David and Goliath, that's the picture - of 21st century Australians. You and me.
Safe behind our walls of technology and science and wealth and medicine. We can do anything. Gentiles. Laughing at the God of Israel.
Where are we in the picture? Where do you imagine yourself in the story of David and Goliath? By nature, we're with the Philistines. And there's a message for people like us.
Because here's the point of the story. And it's actually a story that starts a couple of chapters earlier. And here's where we come to the second question. When are we in the timeline? And where's the story heading?
Of course, there's a much bigger story being told. That stretches all the way back to creation. And the fall. And the promises that God makes to Abraham to build a new humanity around him. That brings blessings to every nation. And the long story of how his descendants the Israelites, come into their promised land. Where they're ruled by the cowardly King Saul. And God's promises are under threat from Goliath. And the Philistines.
But you know more immediately in the timeline, an incredible thing has just happened.
Because this David… has just been picked out from among his brothers and anointed to be king of Israel. It happens just the chapter before. 1 Samuel 16. The prophet Samuel… singles him out. As God's anointed future king. In other words, quite literally, for that time and place, he's the Messiah of Israel.
He might not look impressive. He might not do things quite the way people are expecting. He might look weak and defenseless. He might be the object of ridicule from the enemies of God. But the boy who fights Goliath is God's anointed messiah. And in a most unlikely way - guess who wins?
And so the real message of the story is this. And you can see it highlighted in verse 46. When the world sees what happens, when the Philistines and anyone else who's not part of Israel sees the victory of Israel's Messiah… then they'll know that Israel's God is the real God. And they'll bow to him.
So "the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel." And the battle is the Lord's.
Which means people like the Philistines, people like us… when we see the unlikely victory of God's Messiah… we should realize our time is short. And we should bow to him. Before too late.
Follow the timeline through the bible of course and you come to another messiah. Who looked an unlikely hero as well. A Messiah nailed up on a cross. A messiah mocked by everyone around him. And to all appearances an absolute loser. Which is apparently not unusual… for God's Messiahs.
But the message is, be very careful. Because you can't keep a good Messiah down.
So listen to these words from Philippians 2. Because the message is the same. The one who humbled himself and became obedient to death on a cross… has been exalted to the highest place. And so every knee will bow to him;
8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the father.
See, the story line of God's first messiah David, leads all the way to Jesus Christ. God's anointed one who looks so puny against the powers of the world… is the one who by the power of God, all the world will bow to. The Philistines back then to David. You and me now. To Jesus. Like everyone else, we've started out on the wrong side of God. And maybe kept on that way for a lot longer than we should. And the message of this great story of the Old Testament is simple. God's Messiah mightn't look much. But he always wins. So bow to him while the going's good.
Well, there's a start. David and Goliath. According to Biblical Theology. The unfolding story of the Bible. Leading to Jesus. Making sense of the Old Testament scriptures can be hard work. And that's what we'll be working on over the next few lazy relaxing weeks of the holiday break. Learning to read the scriptures… keeping in mind that they're meant to lead us to Jesus.
I want to let the apostle Paul have the last word this morning. Because he was on to this stuff way before the guys like Graeme Goldsworthy and Bill Dumbrell wrote the textbooks. And he says even a kid can understand it. Listen again to these words you've probably heard before from 2 Timothy 3v 14 and 15.
He says to Timothy, keep going in the things you learned as a kid. The things you've learned from the scriptures from your infancy. Listen to his words: and particularly what he says about the purpose of the Old Testament scriptures.
He says, verse 14, "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have."
Know the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
It's a simple rule. And a good one to finish with. When you're reading any part of the Old Testament, you need to ask, where am I in the picture? And you'll find you usually don't get to be the hero. You need to ask, where are we in the overall story line? And then one more question. How does this part of the Old Testament scriptures make me wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus?
More in the next few weeks… as we work through a few themes that we'll see run through the Bible. A Biblical Theology of priesthood. A Biblical Theology of temple. A Biblical Theology of sacrifice. And a Biblical Theology of worship. By which time we'll all be experts. Just a shame Andrew Denton won't be able to join us.
1. A different, but much more reflective interview from Andrew Denton is available here: http://downloads.fm1032.com.au/oh/oh_andrewdenton.mp3
2. References:
Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom.
Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan.
William J Dumbrell, Covenant and Creation.
William J Dumbrell, The Faith of Israel.