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Hebrews: God has Spoken by his Son Whose Work is Finished

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Hebrews appears to have been a sermon that was transcribed and then circulated in letter form. This theory explains not only the strange opening—with no greeting or identification of the sender—but also the regular alternation between exposition and application, and the label “word of exhortation” used in the appended postscript (Heb 13:22, phrase also occurs in Acts 13:15). Depending on your pace, you can read the whole book out loud in 45 to 60 minutes, which is a reasonable duration for a sermon. Reading the book with a view toward its live, public delivery helps us to grasp its organization and intentions.

Photo by Kristina Paparo on Unsplash

Literary Markers

While it’s not difficult to recognize large cohesive blocks within Hebrews, it is notoriously difficult to nail down the precise beginnings and endings of the sections. I believe this is because of the nature of spoken communication. When a discourse is meant more for the ear than the eye, the transitions will naturally be more audible than visible. They won’t appear in sharp pronouncements, but will normally sound quite transitional. That makes it difficult to know whether those transitional statements belong with the previous section or the following section, as they serve as bridges between both.*

To give a few examples:

  • Heb 1:4 transitions from the prologue by introducing the first topic of Jesus’ more excellent name making him superior to angels. But it is only the final clause in the run-on sentence that begins at Heb 1:1, so Heb 1:1-4 naturally gets put together when we outline the book.
  • Heb 2:17-18 both concludes the previous section (“therefore”) and introduces the idea the Jesus has become a merciful and faithful high priest, which becomes the topic of the next section.
  • Heb 5:9-10 again concludes the previous section, while simultaneously introducing the next topic, broken into three parts: Jesus is perfect, the source of eternal salvation, and a Melchizedekan high priest.

I’ll explain the sermon’s flow of thought further in the walkthrough below, but the remaining transitional statements are found in Heb 10:36-39 and Heb 12:12-13. When the book is read out loud, it is easier to hear how those transitional statements are woven right into the conclusion of the previous section, while also introducing new ideas that get explained further in the following section.

Heb 13:20-21 then concludes the sermon, and Heb 13:22-25 serves as a written note to accompany the transcription.

Thesis

Like any good public lecture, the main thesis comes right at the beginning (Heb 1:1-4). Stripping all the dependent clauses away yields the following as the sentence’s essential grammar: “…God has spoken to us by his Son…who…sat down.” There have been many ways God has spoken before now. But now he has spoken by his radiant, appointed, powerful, and purifying Son. And that Son has now sat down at God’s right hand to rule, as the rest of his work is done. God has spoken. Through this Son. Whose first phase of work is now complete.

That is the big idea of this sermon. There are many reasons to listen to this Son. There are many competing voices that may tempt you to listen to them. But his work is finished in a way that the work of the other voices can never be. Implicitly: Do not reject him who is speaking to you.

Walkthrough

The argument of this sermon is both extraordinary and extraordinarily complex, so I wish to do it justice but will only have the space to use the broadest of strokes. The main thing we ought to see (or hear, if you can read it aloud) is how the transitional statements introduce the main topics. The following exposition then takes up those topics, nearly every time, in reverse order.

Having stated the thesis (that God has spoken to us by his Son who sat down), the preacher’s first explanatory point is that Jesus has become superior to the angels because he’s inherited a more excellent name. In this first point, he does us the kindness of taking his two matters in order. First, Jesus is superior to the angels (Heb 1:5-14). Second, his name is more excellent than theirs (Heb 2:5-18). Between those two expositions is the first point of application: Pay closer attention (Heb 2:1-4)!

The next transitional statement (Heb 2:17-18) takes things in a new direction: Jesus had to become a merciful and faithful high priest. Now the preacher begins his pattern of addressing the subpoints in reverse order. First, Jesus is a faithful high priest, greater than Moses and Joshua (Heb 3:1-4:14). Second, Jesus is a merciful high priest, very much like the Aaronic high priests (Heb 4:15-5:10).

Next transition (Heb 5:9-10): Being made perfect, he became a source of eternal salvation, being designated a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Before he can really tackle this material, though, he must offer the second application: You have stopped hearing and doing (Heb 5:11-6:20). But then he explains his ideas in reverse order. First, Jesus’ priesthood is in the order of Melchizedek (Heb 7:1-28); he is a better priest. Second, Jesus’ priesthood brings eternal savation (Heb 8:1-9:28); he offers a better covenant in a better tabernacle. Third, Jesus’ priesthood is perfect (Heb 10:1-18); he offers a better sacrifice. This section closes with the third application: Keep helping one another to both hear and do (Heb 10:19-39, this application was previewed in Heb 3:12-13).

Next transition (Heb 10:36-39): You have need of endurance, and we are of those who have faith. He now goes into great detail showing us what faith looks like (Heb 11:1-40) and calling us to run with endurance as we consider the one who endured on our behalf (Heb 12:1-13).

Transition to sermon’s last main section (Heb 12:12-13), which is all application: Straighten that which has grown crooked or lame. Do this first in your walk with God (Heb 12:14-29). Understand how your vertical perspective affects your horizontal relationships (Heb 13:1-6). Then you can straighten out your walk with other people (Heb 13:7-19).

In the sermon’s conclusion (Heb 13:20-21), the preacher return’s to his opening thesis to drive it home. God has spoken in his Son by raising him from the dead. Because the first phase of his work is finished, he may now equip you with everything good that you may do his will. Those who listen to him will be pleasing in God’s sight.

Finally, a personal note has been appended to the sermon, giving a brief update on Timothy’s status and sending greetings from and for the brethren.

Conclusion

Though the argument of Hebrews may appear to meander at times according to the preacher’s stream of consciousness, the transitional statements, and the repetition of key words from those statements in the following section, do illuminate the path he wishes us to follow. Amid the exquisite detail and theology of this masterpiece, let us pay much closer attention to the one who is speaking, that we might keep helping one another to believe and do his word. For the long haul. Forever.

Interpretive Outline

Thesis: God spoke in a Son who sat down – Heb 1:1-4

  1. The Son is superior to angels on account of his more excellent name – Heb 1:4-2:18
    • Transition – Heb 1:4
    • Superior to angels – Heb 1:5-14
      • Application: Pay closer attention! – Heb 2:1-4
    • More excellent name – Heb 2:5-18
  2. The Son is a merciful and faithful high priest – Heb 2:17-5:10
    • Transition – Heb 2:17-18
    • Faithful high priest – Heb 3:1-4:14
    • Merciful high priest – Heb 4:15-5:10
  3. The perfect, Melchizedekan Son brings eternal salvation – Heb 5:9-10:39
    • Transition – Heb 5:9-10
    • Application: You have stopped hearing and doing – Heb 5:11-6:20
      • Melchizedekan priesthood – Heb 7:1-28
      • Eternal salvation – Heb 8:1-9:28
      • Perfection – Heb 10:1-18
    • Application: Keep helping one another to hear and do – Heb 10:19-39
  4. The Son calls us to endurance and faith – Heb 10:36-12:13
    • Transition – Heb 10:36-39
    • Faith – Heb 11:1-40
    • Endurance – Heb 12:1-13
  5. Application: Straighten your walks with God and with people – Heb 12:12-13:19
    1. Transition – Heb 12:12-13
    2. Walk with God – Heb 12:14-29
    3. Connection between walks with God and with people – Heb 13:1-6
    4. Walk with people – Heb 13:7-19

Conclusion: May the one who spoke through his Son now equip you to please him – Heb 13:20-21

Postscript: Bear with this word of exhortation! – Heb 13:22-25

*This insight, and therefore much of my outline of Hebrews, is indebted to the keen observations of Albert Vanhoye in his Structure and Message of the Epistle to the Hebrews (affiliate link).

This post is part of a series of interpretive overviews of the books of the Bible.

Review: The Visual Word

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The Visual Word is an unconventional project. The book is the work of author Patrick Schreiner and illustrator Anthony Benedetto, and it attempts to add a visual element to written overviews of the books of the New Testament.

You may wonder how a visual component would be helpful in such a situation—this was exactly my question! Schreiner is professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he describes himself as a visual learner. “I find that I can grasp things and remember them better if I can see them. If they are arranged spatially. Students have had similar experiences in my classes” (page 10). When teaching, he found that his whiteboard sketches during class helped his students. This book is an attempt to reproduce, in part, a version of that classroom experience.

The Physical Object

The book itself is beautiful. (Moody Publishers kindly sent me the hardcover version in exchange for an honest review.) At 8.5×11 inches, it is larger than most books. I gather this was necessary to fit all the designs and illustrations on the page.

The pages themselves are also striking. Navy blue and gold are used throughout the book, and the book designers did an excellent job coordinating Bible themes and genres with colors.

Without being any sort of artist myself, I can see the highly skilled hand that produced the illustrations. Each drawing itself is more the size of an internet avatar or an icon—a small circle with a picture inside. The illustrations are the result of arranging many such drawings on a page along with brief words and phrases, connecting them with lines, and producing a visual aid to understanding each book.

I’m not sure how well I described this; to get a clearer picture, take a look at the sample pages the publisher has made available.

The Writing

Schreiner’s aim in his writing is something we at Knowable Word certainly appreciate.

First, I believe one of the most important things to do when reading the Bible is to read it contextually. For most, this means historical context. This is vitally important, but this book focuses on the literary context.[…]To read well, readers must follow the flow of an author’s argument. (The Visual Word, page 10)

For the most part, the book hits its mark. For example, the way Schreiner wrote about the book of 1 Peter gave me a clear, bird’s eye view of Peter’s purpose in writing and the flow of his argument through the book. This is exactly what I’d want from a resource like this.

There was at least one curious decision in these outlines. Schreiner takes all of John’s epistles (1, 2, and 3 John) together. After expressing in the introduction a desire to highlight the literary context of each New Testament book, it puzzled me to see topics from 2 John and 3 John simply attached to similar sections in 1 John.

The Illustrations

While Benedetto is obviously adept as an illustrator, I must confess that I didn’t get as much out of the spatial representation of the outlines as some of Schreiner’s students did. I acknowledge that this may just be me and the way my brain processes and absorbs information, indicating no weakness with the book at all.

Most of the illustrations seemed like standard, top-level outlines of Bible books, written perhaps in rows or columns instead of in standard outline format, with some accompanying icons. Some of the arrangements of the words and pictures were hard for me to follow. With a few exceptions, the illustrations did not add a lot of value to the book overviews for me.

A Valuable Resource

Despite my hesitance in the previous section, I found this book to be a helpful resource. Along with videos from The Bible Project (from which Schreiner admits to takings some cues), I envision using this volume to remind me of the big-picture structure and argument of New Testament books.

You can buy this book at Amazon or directly from Moody Publishers.

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3 John: Speaking the Truth in Love to Challenging Leadership Situations

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The Bible’s shortest book is easy to neglect but rewards a close look. This brief communication from “the elder” to “the beloved Gaius” (3 John 1) models for us both the heart and the practice of sincere ministry in a fallen world. Verse 1 introduces the twin themes of love and truth, which permeate the letter.

Regarding love: John loves Gaius (3 John 1), and Gaius loves the stranger-brothers (3 John 5-6), fellow Christians who are outsiders to his church community. Regarding truth: Gaius walks in it (3 John 3-4), we may become fellow workers for it (3 John 8), and one’s goodness may be commended by it (3 John 12).

Putting the two themes together, we see that Christian brothers have testified to both Gaius’s truth (3 John 3) and his love (3 John 6). It would appear that his love for the stranger-brothers was expressed—or could be further expressed—by planting himself firmly in the truth (i.e. walking in it), stroking in the same direction as the truth (i.e. becoming a fellow worker for it), and heeding its commendations (i.e. receiving its testimony). By contrast, therefore, he could fail to love others by departing from the truth, working against it, or being condemned by it.

This is all quite abstract, though, is it not? A survey of the themes will take us only so far. We’ll profit even further by following the letter’s train of thought from beginning to end.

Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay

Literary Markers

Once “the elder” identifies his recipient as “the beloved” Gaius, he then directly addresses this “beloved” three more times: 3 John 2, 5, 11. Those three addresses (“Beloved”) mark three sections for the letter’s body. We could potentially also peel off 3 John 13-15 as the letter’s closing. So we can observe the following structure:

  • Greeting – 1
  • Body – 2-12
    • Beloved, part 1 – 2-4
    • Beloved, part 2 – 5-10
    • Beloved, part 3 – 11-12
  • Closing – 13-15

I’ve already shown how verse 1 introduces the letter’s themes, so let’s now walk through the letter’s body and closing.

Gaius’s Health – 2-4

The elder has heard reports that things are well with Gaius’s soul, as demonstrated by the fact that he continues walking in the truth (3 John 2b-3). And just as things are already going well with Gaius’s soul, the elder now prays as well that all may go well with him, and especially that he may be in good health (3 John 2). We could paraphrase these verses as follows:

As I have heard from those who have seen you in action, your soul is clearly doing well. I’ll ask God to make it continue to be so, and for that health to overflow to your body and life circumstances.

Now why is the elder singling out Gaius to receive this letter in the first place? The elder has heard reports referring specifically to Gaius’s attachment to the truth, so Gaius must be some sort of leader or public figure in the church. He is not unknown or unseen. Perhaps he’s a fellow elder in this congregation, responsible to help shepherd the flock. And the elder is praying diligently for the health of not only Gaius’s body but also his situation (“that all may go well with you”).

Gaius’s Church – 5-10

The elder now turns to describe what is going down in Gaius’s church. He begins by celebrating what is good (3 John 5-8) before frankly evaluating what is not good (3 John 9-10).

The good: Gaius is acting faithfully and with love, by sending out these itinerant, stranger-brothers in a manner worthy of God (3 John 5-6). He has entertained angels, and he’s treated them as he would treat the Lord himself, were he physically present. And Gaius hasn’t slowed down the mission in any way: He will “send them on their journey.” He’s making their mission more effective and less burdensome. Because they bear the name of Christ and have left so much behind (3 John 7), we ought to support people like this. This makes us fellow workers for the truth. There is much good to celebrate in this church and in Gaius’s leadership.

The bad: The elder has previously written to the entire church (though many commentators will disagree with me, I don’t see any compelling reason why he couldn’t be referring to 2 John here), but a man named Diotrephes won’t acknowledge his authority to proclaim truth or command obedience (3 John 9). Diotrephes not only talks wicked nonsense against the elder, but he also refuses to welcome the stranger-brothers and puts those who welcome them out of the church (3 John 10). So Diotrephes must be a leader within the church, exercising church discipline against those who accept the elder’s authority and obey his commands regarding what sort of missionaries they ought to support.

So although there is much to celebrate in the perspective and behavior of one of the church’s leaders (Gaius), there is just as much to condemn in the perspective and behavior of another one of the church’s leaders (Diotrephes). There is something deeply flawed here within the structure of the church that would permit Diotrephes to act unilaterally against the apostle’s instructions. This leaves the itinerant missionaries’ health in danger, at least in part because the entire church’s health is in question.

And this leads the elder to propose a way forward.

Gaius’s Assistant – 11-12

With the third and final address to Gaius as “beloved,” the elder commands him to imitate good and make sure not to imitate evil (3 John 11). What is this all about? How does the context shape the way we should understand this instruction?

Remember that Diotrephes is talking “wicked nonsense” (3 John 10). The elder now cautions Gaius not to be snookered by him. Don’t imitate him or his behavior. The elder goes as far as to suggest that Diotrephes has not even seen God (3 John 11). But Gaius—you who do good (3 John 3)—you are from God. You don’t need to get caught up in Diotrephes’s charismatic personality, his demands for loyalty, or his veneer of spirituality. And by all means, do not support his domineering approach to leadership.

The elder doesn’t leave Gaius with only the problem on his hands. Before he goes, he proposes a way forward to help Gaius make it right. This ugliness must be rectified before too long.

In 3 John 12, the elder commends another man, named Demetrius, who has received a good testimony from everyone and from the truth itself. The elder throws in his own testimony and that of his associates as well!

There’s much that’s not said here, so we don’t know precisely who Demetrius is. But there’s got to be a reason why the elder brings him up. The most credible options I’ve come across are that Demetrius was either the messenger who delivered the elder’s letter to Gaius, or another member of Gaius’s church—perhaps someone who had been overlooked for leadership because Diotrephes had seized the reins. But either way, the letter’s train of thought suggests that the elder is commending Demetrius to help Gaius lead the church in the truth, and to deal with the problem of Diotrephes. The elder wants Gaius to know that Demetrius would make a good fellow worker in the truth. A partner in the fight. A support in the mission of loving the stranger-brothers in truth.

In other words, Gaius does not have to stand alone in resisting the abusive leadership of Diotrephes.

Closing – 13-15

Now this is more than a little ugly. The elder has called out this guy (Diotrephes) by name, but in a way that remains surprisingly respectful and circumspect. He now concludes on an ominous note, however. There’s a lot more to say about this, but I’m not going to commit it to writing (3 John 13). Let’s do this face to face (3 John 14). These words have a more sinister tone than those that close 2 John, despite their similarity. There is no suggestion here that face time will have the result that “our joy may be complete” (2 John 12). Instead the final greetings are accompanied by a wish for “peace” (3 John 15).

Conclusion

Body and soul are intertwined. Though Gaius’s own soul is doing well, that health must seep out into his own body, and into the body of Christ of which he is a part. And since our greatest, healthiest joy derives from seeing one another walk in the truth (3 John 4), we must celebrate the good, identify the bad, and rectify the ugly. The good news of 3 John is that we don’t have to face such things alone.

Interpretive Outline

  • Speaking the truth in love – 3 John 1
  • Three wishes for the beloved church leader:
    1. Prayer for the health of the whole person and community – 2-4
    2. Celebration/confrontation of the brutal facts – 5-10
    3. Assistance in the trenches – 11-12
  • More truth remains to be spoken in love – 13-15

This post is part of a series of interpretive overviews of the books of the Bible.

Job: How to Fear the Lord When Everything Falls Apart

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The book of Job is difficult, like Shakespeare is difficult: It’s old, it’s a play, and it’s poetry. But drink deeply from its fountain, and the refreshment will astonish you.

Literary Markers

There is a clear shift from narrative (chapters 1-2) to poetry (chapters 3-41) and back again (chapter 42). Therefore the lengthy poetic speeches serve as the book’s body, with the narratives playing the role of prologue and epilogue.

The poetic units of thought are clearly marked by narrative statements regarding who is speaking. Make a simple list of the order of speeches, and a shape will emerge:

  • Narrative prologue: Job 1:1-2:13
  • Job – Job 3:1
  • Eliphaz – Job 4:1
  • Job – Job 6:1
  • Bildad – Job 8:1
  • Job – Job 9:1
  • Zophar – Job 11:1
  • Job – Job 12:1
  • Eliphaz – Job 15:1
  • Job – Job 16:1
  • Bildad – Job 18:1
  • Job – Job 19:1
  • Zophar – Job 20:1
  • Job – Job 21:1
  • Eliphaz – Job 22:1
  • Job – Job 23:1
  • Bildad – Job 25:1
  • Job – Job 26:1
  • Job – Job 27:1
  • Job – Job 29:1
  • Elihu – Job 32:6
  • Elihu – Job 34:1
  • Elihu – Job 35:1
  • Elihu – Job 36:1
  • Yahweh – Job 38:1
  • Yahweh – Job 40:1
  • Job – Job 40:3
  • Yahweh – Job 40:6
  • Job – Job 42:1
  • Narrative epilogue – Job 42:7-17

So a cursory glance at the list shows us that Job interacts with three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Then Job monologues on his own. Then a fourth friend, Elihu, monologues. Then Yahweh interacts with Job.

Let’s walk through these sections.

The Setup

The thing that gets Job into this mess is that he fears God and turns away from evil (Job 1:1). For that reason, when Satan goes looking for trouble in all the wrong places, God draws a bull’s-eye on his main man (Job 1:7-8, 2:2-3). Make no mistake: God draws Satan’s attention to Job, because Job fears God. If that fact doesn’t terrify you, I don’t know what will.

Consider what’s at stake here. Both the narrator (once) and God (twice) unequivocally assert Job’s fear of God (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). And this fear is the very thing Satan calls into question: “Does Job fear God for no reason?” (Job 1:9). Satan places his bet: “Job doesn’t really fear God; he just loves the nice things God gives him. Take those things away, and his ‘fear of God’ will melt into face-to-face cursing of God” (paraphrase of Job 1:10-11, 2:4-5). God goes all in: “Game on” (Job 1:12, 2:6).

The narrator’s key question is this: Will Job still fear God when he loses everything he loves?

Job’s Fear

Job takes up his lament in chapter 3 with his own key question: Why is this happening to me? He knows nothing of God’s bet with Satan. He has no explanation for his loss, his bereavement, or his pain. He curses the day of his birth and the night of his conception (Job 3:1-7). He even asks others to join him in cursing that day and that night (Job 3:8).

But when he turns to consider God, he has no curse. He has only questions filled with dread (Job 3:20-26).

Dialogue with Three Friends

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar then speak in turn, for three cycles, and Job responds to every one of their speeches. Eliphaz and Bildad both speak three times, but Zophar does not speak in the third cycle and so gives only two speeches.

It is clear that the three friends believe Job to be suffering because he must have some secret sin of which he has not yet repented (Job 4:7, 8:3-7, 11:4-6, etc.). It is likewise clear that Job believes himself to be innocent of sin (Job 6:10, 9:21-22, 13:18, etc.).

But whether Job sinned or not is only on the surface of the debate. The subsurface debate—and the reason for so many speeches—is the question of how to respond to suffering. In particular: What does it mean to fear the Lord in your suffering? The three friends believe that if Job really feared God, he would confess his secret sins (Job 4:6-7, 15:4, etc.). And Job believes that if they really feared God, they wouldn’t say such stupid things (Job 6:14, 12:2-6, etc.). Job argues time and again that fearing God means holding fast to him even when it looks and feels as though he has turned against you (Job 13:15-16).

We should also see that Job’s thinking changes, while the friends’ thinking doesn’t. Compare the friends’ first speech (Job 4:17) with their last speech (Job 25:4), and you’ll hear the wheels spinning and the broken record player turning and turning and turning and turning. Yet Job begins in league with them (Job 4:2-5), moves to a dark place (Job 7:7-8), and ends in a very different, yet still dark, place, knowing full well that his God will still see him when he dies (Job 26:5-6).

How does Job get from point A (God won’t see me) to point B (God will see me)? In chapter 14, Job realizes that his suffering would have a purpose if he could be resurrected; but he quickly discards that hope. In chapter 16, he discovers that his suffering would have a purpose if he had a mediator; but he quickly discards that hope as well. Then in chapter 19, he puts the two hopes together—envisioning a resurrected mediator—and he absolutely freaks out. In the next few speeches he discards even that hope as being too good to be true, yet the possibility of it changes him forever.

Job’s Closing Arguments

Job completes his dialogue with these friends in chapter 27, where he draws three conclusions:

  1. I have not sinned – Job 27:2-6
  2. My friends have become my enemies – Job 27:7-12
  3. Wicked men (like my enemies) deserve God’s devastating judgment – Job 27:13-23

Chapter 28 stands apart, with a very different tone and style than any other speech in the book. This poem’s “voice” is more like that of the playwright than that of any characters in the play. This chapter celebrates the fact that humanity will never find God’s wisdom through their own devices. Only by fearing the Lord can any person be able to find wisdom.

Job’s last major speech is directed at God, not the three friends, and makes three arguments:

  1. My best days are lost and gone – Job 29
  2. My worst days have come upon me – Job 30
  3. I dare God to speak up and challenge my innocence – Job 31

One More Friend

A new character named Elihu shows up quite suddenly in Job 32:2, and interpreters have widely diverging opinions on whether we ought to affirm Elihu’s speeches (like God’s) or reject them (like the other three friends). The most viewed post in the history of this blog takes up this matter, so I direct your attention there for a deeper dive. But here is a summary of the evidence:

  • Elihu’s argument is different. Where they argued, “Before Job began suffering, he must have sinned,” Elihu argues, “Since Job began suffering, he has sinned.” He doesn’t focus on the cause of Job’s suffering, but the response to it.
  • Elihu brings not platitudes, but concrete evidence of sin on Job’s part (Job 33:8-11, 33:13, 34:5-6, 35:2-3, 36:23).
  • Elihu speaks more times (4) than any of the other friends. Job never issues a rebuttal, despite Elihu inviting him to do so (Job 33:32-33).
  • Elihu distances himself and his arguments from the other three (Job 32:3, 11-18). He clearly believes he is in a different category than they are.

Elihu’s four speeches ring with incredible truth desperately needed by any innocent sufferer:

  • God has not been silent; he speaks through your pain (Job 32-33).
  • God is not unjust; he will eventually strike the wicked (Job 34).
  • Righteous living is not pointless, though we are insignificant next to God (Job 35).
  • You’re in no place to criticize God; remember to fear him (Job 36-37).

The Whirlwind

Just as Elihu completes his arguments, Yahweh shows up in a whirlwind to affirm them.

In his first speech (and the tag to it in Job 40:1), Yahweh employs the natural creation to show how Job has acted as a faultfinder. In his second speech, Yahweh employs the supernatural creation to show how Job has misplaced his fear and ought to recenter it on his God.

Narrative Epilogue

In the closing narrative, Yahweh sets things straight between Job and the first three friends. Though he called Job to repent of his arrogance (Job 42:6), he simultaneously commends Job’s faith in holding fast to Yahweh and his righteousness in judgment (Job 42:7).

And then Yahweh does something no other god of any other nation would ever do: He puts himself in the place of a thief, and he returns twofold restitution to Job for all he lost. A God of such grace cannot ever be manipulated or controlled. May we all learn to fear the one who sent his own son to die like a criminal, then resurrected him as mediator of a new covenant, for the salvation of the world.

If this God would allow the innocent Job (and Jesus) to be treated as though he were guilty, perhaps he can also make it so the guilty (like us) could be treated as though we were innocent (2 Cor 5:21).

Conclusion

This book’s main idea is not so much about suffering in itself, but about how to respond to suffering in the fear of the Lord.

Interpretive Outline

  • Narrative Prologue: One who fears God chosen to suffer – Job 1-2
    • Act I: Cursing one’s life while still fearing God – Job 3
      • Act II: Why we must respond to suffering in fear of God – Job 4-26
        • Act III: Informed judgment of those who refuse to fear God — Job 27
          • Act IV: The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God – Job 28
        • Act V: Uninformed judgment of him who needs to deepen in the fear of God – Job 29-31
      • Act VI: How to respond to suffering in fear of God – Job 32-37
    • Act VII: Reaching new heights in the fear of God – Job 38:1-42:6
  • Narrative Epilogue: Our dangerous Deity puts the fear of God in people, in part by taking the blame for their suffering – Job 42:7-17

For more interpretive walkthroughs of books of the Bible, click here.

Reflections on a Repeated Reading of 1-2 Samuel

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For a number of years, I have been following Joe Carter’s excellent Bible reading plan: Read an entire book of the Bible 20 times. Pick another; read it 20 times. Repeat. I’m currently working through 1 & 2 Samuel (since it’s really one long book). Here are some unorganized reflections upon completing my tenth readthrough.

Image by ian kelsall from Pixabay
  • Upon reading the entire book rapidly (about 8-9 days for each time through), the large characters arcs are clear. There is a Samuel arc, followed by a Saul arc, and then a David arc. There is much overlap between them, but the Bible Project videos get these arcs just right.
  • It seems the summary statements of the king’s “cabinet” may serve a major structuring role. I haven’t pinpointed them all yet, but a few are found in 1 Sam 14:49-52 and 2 Sam 20:23-26. In each case, there is a tangible sense of narrative resolution and conclusion. I wonder if these statements mark the ends of the book’s main divisions, but more reading and testing is required to see if this is so.
  • The beginning is quite dark, with a barren woman, a high priest who cannot recognize either a praying woman (1 Sam 1) or the voice of God (1 Sam 3), and the ark of the covenant being forever separated from the tabernacle of Moses (1 Sam 4).
  • The end is a mosaic of David’s legacy: making restitution for Saul’s mistakes (2 Sam 21), celebrating the God who rescues (2 Sam 22), recounting mighty men’s exploits (2 Sam 23), and one last, glorious failure—which God uses for good, to clear the ground on which the temple will be built (2 Sam 24).
  • The lengthiest poetry occurs in 1 Sam 2 (Hannah’s prayer) and 2 Sam 22 (David’s song; copy of Psalm 18). This must be on purpose at beginning and end, as the two poems have so much in common. Both are celebrating the “Messiah,” the anointed king:
    • “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed” (1 Sam 2:10b).
    • “Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever” (2 Sam 22:51).
      • The other sizable poem (2 Sam 1) laments the untimely slaying of the Lord’s anointed (messiah), Saul, and his son Jonathan (see 2 Sam 1:14-16).
  • The “exile” of the ark to Philistia (1 Sam 4-6) parallels David’s own exile out of the land (1 Sam 21:10-15, 27:1-28:2. The ark’s return to Beth-Shemesh, and then Kiriath-Jearim (1 Sam 6:12, 7:1-2) parallels David’s return from Ziklag to Hebron (2 Sam 2:1-4). After David takes control of Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:6-10), he knows it is time to bring the ark there as well (2 Sam 6). It requires two tries to get it right (transporting it the way God commanded and not the way they thought most expedient), but once he does, God’s covenant is quick to follow (2 Sam 7). God is present with this king and his dynasty forever.
  • After the stress of being on the run from Saul (1 Sam 18-31), much tension is relieved as David comes into his kingship (2 Sam 1-10). But it gets really tense once again, beginning with his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11-12) and continuing in the resulting family fallout (2 Sam 13-20).
  • Even Absalom’s rebellion spends more time describing David’s exile from Jerusalem (2 Sam 15:13-17:29) and return (2 Sam 19) than it spends describing the rebellion (2 Sam 15:1-12) and civil war (2 Sam 18) itself.
  • The faithfulness of God, the presence of God, exile and return, and the anointed of God are all major themes that point us ahead to the Lord Jesus.

I’m only halfway through my time in this book. I’m eager to see what the Lord does with my next ten times through it. But these reflections may shape up into something more organized and useful in the next few months.

Habakkuk: The One Thing that Must Change

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Though we can’t pinpoint the precise year or month of Habakkuk’s writing, we know he delivered his brief book of prophecy near the end of the southern kingdom of Judah, probably before (or some of it very shortly after) Nebuchadnezzar’s first assault in 605 BC. Habakkuk’s book is unique among the prophets in that it doesn’t present a series of speeches for the general public. Instead, it records Habakkuk’s own wrestling in dialogue with the God of Israel.

Photo by Francesco Tommasini on Unsplash

Literary Markers

The book has two explicit headings, marking two main sections:

  1. The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw (Hab 1:1)
  2. A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth (Hab 3:1)

In the first main section, we can follow the subsections by observing the pronouns and direction of the dialogue:

  • Habakkuk’s first question – Hab 1:2-4
    • God’s answer – Hab 1:5-11
  • Habakkuk’s second question – Hab 1:12-2:1
    • God’s answer – Hab 2:2-20

In the second main section, we can distinguish stanzas based on the shifts between first person (I, me) and second/third person (you, God) pronouns:

  • Habakkuk’s faith-filled request – Hab 3:2
    • God’s mighty character – Hab 3:3-15
  • Habakkuk’s fear-enduring faith – Hab 3:16-19

Part 1 Walkthrough

Habakkuk’s first question (Hab 1:2-4) could be paraphrased as either “When will they change?”—referring to the people of God behaving wickedly—or “When will you change, God?”—so as to not allow your people to continue in evil. In either case, Habakkuk sees destruction and violence, where he expects to see God’s law and justice. The result is an unacceptable perversion.

Yahweh’s answer (Hab 1:5-11) is so utterly unbelievable, that he expects Habakkuk to be astounded by it (Hab 1:5). He will, in fact deal with his people’s violence. And he will do it by bringing an even more violent and godless nation against them. In other words, the answer is neither that God’s people will change nor that God himself will change. The answer is that Habakkuk’s situation will change, and much for the worse.

This provokes Habakkuk’s second question (Hab 1:12-2:1), which is more of a protest. Habakkuk appeals to God’s eternity (“Are you not from everlasting?”), holiness (“my Holy One”), and covenant promises (“We shall not die”)—all in his opening verse (Hab 1:12). He trusts that God is in control by the word of his power (“you have ordained them…established them”). He appeals also to God’s righteous purity (Hab 1:13) and jealousy to be worshiped (Hab 1:16). So Habakkuk believes that God would not be true to his nature if he simply lets the Chaldeans have their way. Surely this cannot be a permanent state of affairs (Hab 1:17). Habakkuk stands in confidence to see how God will receive his protest (Hab 2:1).

Yahweh’s second answer covers quite a lot of ground. He assures Habakkuk that things will certainly change—but not until well into the future (Hab 2:2-3). He calls the righteous—in this case, Habakkuk—to trust his promise, even when everything looks and feels awful (Hab 2:4-5). Then he speaks of a time when all evildoers, everywhere, will be upended. He does this by pronouncing five curses on the wicked (Hab 2:6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-20) and highlighting two stark conclusions:

  1. God’s judgment and knowledge of him will fall not only on the people of Judah but on all people everywhere – Hab 2:14
  2. All will see his holiness made evident through how he deals with the problem of sin – Hab 2:20

The larger point of God’s responses to Habakkuk is that neither God himself nor the people around Habakkuk are the ones who must change. The one thing that must change is Habakkuk himself. The book’s chief question is: Will Habakkuk respond to God’s word with a heart of trust, even if it means things will get terrifyingly disastrous in the process?

Part 2 Walkthrough

Habakkuk 3 provides the answer to the book’s main question: Yes! Yes, he will. And in so doing, he shows all who come after him what it looks like to have faith in God’s righteous and holy promises.

In the first stanza (Hab 3:2), Habakkuk confesses that there is something even more fearful than an attacking Babylonian horde; it is the work of God to rectify all that is wrong. Habakkuk’s hope is no longer that wrath will not befall the people of the land, but that in the midst of such wrath Yahweh will not forget to show mercy. Habakkuk clings to God’s promise to make everything right once again, though it may yet be long in the future.

The second stanza (Hab 3:3-15) could easily be further subdivided into a third-person stanza (Hab 3:3-7 – he/his) and a second-person stanza (Hab 3:8-15 – you/your). But for the sake of this book overview, they stand together as a lengthy reflection on the splendor and power of Yahweh to do what he says he will do. He is not only able, but also willing, to do whatever he must to both save his people and crush his enemies (Hab 3:13).

In the third stanza (Hab 3:16-19), Habakkuk confesses how terrifying it is to live between promise and reality, to live by faith (Hab 3:16). Yet he chooses to stand fast in faith, finding joy in God’s salvation and strength in God alone. No matter how much everything around him falls to pieces (Hab 3:17-19).

Conclusion

When the Apostle Paul was looking for a banner to wave, a motto to rally under, for introducing the glorious good news of Christ’s righteousness available through faith, he could find nothing more suitable than Habakkuk 2:4: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17). That’s not because he needed a tweetable phrase from a random Old Testament text. It’s because that phrase captures the entire thrust of Habakkuk’s book of prophecy.

This is what it means to live by faith: We cannot change our circumstances. We cannot change the people around us. And we cannot coerce change from God. But, especially when our knees knock and our lips quiver, the one thing that must change is us. We can bank everything on the God who is both willing and able to do all he has said he will do. So in faith we look back on the death and resurrection of his Son (Rom 1:16-17). And in faith we also look forward, through whatever suffering and trial we now face, to see faith’s founder and perfecter (Heb 10:36-39, 12:1-3).

Interpretive Outline

  1. The process of faith – Hab 1-2
    1. Please change everyone else – Hab 1:1-4
    2. It’s going to get worse before it gets better – Hab 1:5-11
    3. Please change your mind! – Hab 1:12-2:1
    4. Someday I’ll make everything right again, but you need to trust me – Hab 2:2-20
  2. The prayer of faith – Hab 3
    1. Your work is terrifying – Hab 3:1-2
    2. Your strength is sure – Hab 3:3-15
    3. Your people stand ready – Hab 3:16-19

This post is part of a series of interpretive overviews of the books of the Bible.

Acts: The World’s Salvation Cannot be Stopped

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Luke’s first volume to the Roman official Theophilus was all about how the world’s salvation, hoped for by generations of Israelites, had arrived in Jesus. Luke’s second volume continues the narrative, describing the many things Jesus continued to do and teach (Acts 1:1). This book especially highlights the many things that should have brought an end to the Jesus movement, were it not from God (Acts 5:38-39), not the least of which is the list of charges being brought by the Jewish leadership against the Apostle Paul (Acts 24:5-6).

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Literary Markers

Many have observed the structure of Acts to be based largely on geography, with Acts 1:8 delineating the sections: “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

So the book roughly gets divided accordingly (here is an example):

  • Jerusalem – Acts 1:1-8:3
  • Judea and Samaria – Acts 8:4-12:25
  • Ends of the earth – Acts 13-28
    • Paul’s first missionary journey – Acts 13:1-15:35
    • Pauls’ second missionary journey – Acts 15:36-18:22
    • Paul’s third missionary journey – Acts 18:23-21:17
    • Paul’s voyage to Rome – Acts 21:18-28:31

This geographical breakdown makes a lot of sense, and can certainly be helpful for visualizing the narrative. My chief concern with it is that it doesn’t follow closely on the literary markers. To give one clear example: The end of Paul’s second “journey” (Acts 18:22) and beginning of his third (Acts 18:23) has no literary fanfare whatsoever. No closure. No sense of climax and resolution. Nothing to signal the end of one unit of thought and the beginning of another. It’s as though Luke didn’t intend a break there, or a new section to begin at Acts 18:23.

I’ve been helped by the observation numerous other commentators (John Stott, William Taylor, etc.) have made, that the chief literary markers in the book of Acts are the narrative statements summarizing the Christian movement’s growth. There are seven such statements scattered through the book (Acts 2:47, 6:7, 9:31, 12:24, 16:5, 19:20, 28:30-31), and every one is accompanied by a tangible sense of narrative resolution, giving us good reason to see them as marking Luke’s main units of thought. (Here are two posts to help you identify units of thought in biblical literature.) Acts 5:14 appears at first to be another example of a narrative summary of growth, but it clearly falls within a narrative episode and isn’t accompanied by a clear narrative resolution.

These seven markers, summaries at the end of their units, divide the book into seven sections. (Daniel Wallace does a great job highlighting the value of both ways of structuring Acts—geographical divisions and narrative summary divisions—in this analysis.)

Walkthrough

Each of the book’s seven sections highlights a particular obstacle or state of affairs that threatens the fledgling Jesus movement. And the dramatic tension and climax of each section shows the movement overcoming the obstacle in such a way as to precipitate even further growth. This movement simply cannot be stopped.

The first section (Acts 1:1-2:47) highlights the absence of Jesus. Though he departs and ascends to heaven, he leaves them with the promises of a kingdom and his Spirit (Acts 1:3-5). They know they’ll need to refill their “twelveness” in order to live out their identity as a new kingdom, a new Israel (Acts 1:15-26). They then receive the Spirit and begin to proclaim the kingdom (Acts 2). Despite the absence of Jesus, God adds to their number daily (Acts 2:47).

The second section (Acts 3:1-6:7) highlights the pressure of pain, both internal and external. The external pain of persecution (Acts 3:1-4:31) yields to the internal pain of deceit and treachery (Acts 4:32-5:11). More external pain from persecution (Acts 5:12-42) leads into further internal pain of having to manage affairs within such a rapidly growing community (Acts 6:1-7). Despite the pain, both external and internal, the Word of God increases, and even priests obey the faith (Acts 6:7).

The third section (Acts 6:8-9:31) highlights the inconsistency of results. How might Luke speak into our preoccupation with ministry results in our day? Sometimes you face unjust martyrdom at the hands of stiff-necked religious resistance (Acts 6:8-8:3). And sometimes you’ll find unpredictable acclaim with true religious seekers (Acts 8:4-40). And yet other times, you’ll witness the most unlikely of conversions that show off the riches of grace and the perfection of Christ’s patience (Acts 9:1-31). Yet despite the inconsistency of results, peace and edification are available to those who fear the Lord and receive the Spirit’s comfort (Acts 9:31).

The fourth section (Acts 9:32-12:24) highlights the ubiquity of prejudice. Even the most effective Christ-imitating leaders (Acts 9:32-43) must root out their own prejudices (Acts 10:1-48) and help others do the same (Acts 11:1-18). Those who do, in fact, root it out experience uncanny unity and remarkable reputation (Acts 11:19-30). Those who do not join the fellowship of worms (Acts 12:1-24). Despite the ubiquity of prejudice, the word of God still increases and multiplies (Acts 12:24).

The fifth section (Acts 12:25-16:5) highlights the weakness of leadership. The Spirit of God appoints and commissions those whom he wills to further his mission (Acts 12:25-13:4). They proclaim the word, not as innovators, but as simply building on those who came before (Acts 13:5-52, compare with Peter’s sermon in Acts 2). They learn boldness, but are continuously beat down through much tribulation (Acts 14:1-28). They don’t have all the answers, but often disagree and have to work with others to solve thorny issues (Acts 15:1-35). And sometimes they can’t even work out their problems and must separate (Acts 15:36-16:5). Yet it’s uncanny: Despite the extensive and visible weakness of our leaders, the churches are strengthened in faith and increase in numbers daily (Acts 16:5).

The sixth section (Acts 16:6-19:20) highlights the opposition of the world (perhaps the rise of cancel culture?). We’ve already seen opposition in this book (especially in sections two and five), but here it takes center stage. Though God is preparing people who want the help of the gospel (Acts 16:6-10), many more will still feel threatened by it, whether on account of the cost (Acts 16:16-24), the embarrassment (Acts 16:35-40), the jealousy (Acts 17:1-15), the perceived lack of intellectual sophistication (Acts 17:16-34), the violation of sacred tradition (Acts 18:1-17), the stubbornness of unbelief (Acts 19:8-10), or the seduction of counterfeits (Acts 19:11-20). Yet despite the world’s onslaught of opposition, there remain many who receive the word, which prevails mightily (Acts 19:20).

The seventh section (Acts 19:21-28:31) is the lengthiest, perhaps because Luke really homes in on Paul’s innocence and defense in these chapters. This section highlights the utter failure of politics and politicians, including religious politicians. Paul resolves to go to Rome (Acts 19:21), though he knows not yet what it will cost him. The Ephesian town clerks fail to prevent a riot or vindicate Paul’s innocence in the matter (Acts 19:23-41). Paul makes preparations for leaders to lead in his absence (Acts 20:17-38). His friends along the way to Jerusalem cannot understand his mission or calling to Rome (Acts 21:1-16). The plan of the Jerusalem elders backfires (Acts 21:17-36). Paul makes five defenses—before the Jerusalem crowd (Acts 22), the Sanhedrin (Acts 23), Governor Felix (Acts 24), Governor Festus (Acts 25), and King Herod Agrippa (Acts 26). Though Paul is clearly innocent of the charges (Acts 24:5-6), and the leaders repeatedly declare him to be so, not one of them has the courage, will, or cunning to actually release him. Yet despite the ineptitude and failure of politics and politicians, the kingdom of God continues to be preached with all boldness and without hindrance (Acts 28:31).

Conclusion

The book of Acts is a masterpiece. Luke’s probable goal of exonerating Paul does not preclude an alternative purpose of winning readers to Christ. If this was on Paul’s mind, even while having to defend himself legally (Acts 26:29), why couldn’t it also be on Luke’s? At the same time, this book serves as a tremendous encouragement to all who have cast their lot with this Jesus movement. The challenges of today are not all that different from the challenges our brothers and sisters of old had to face. And if the world’s salvation delivered through the gospel of Christ’s kingdom could not be stopped then…

Interpretive Outline

The world’s salvation (available in the kingdom of Jesus) cannot be stopped by:

  1. The absence of Jesus – Acts 1:1-2:47
  2. The pressure of pain, whether external or internal – Acts 3:1-6:7
  3. The inconsistency of results – Acts 6:8-9:31
  4. The ubiquity of prejudice – Acts 9:32-12:24
  5. The weakness of leadership – Acts 12:25-16:5
  6. The opposition of the world – Acts 16:6-19:20
  7. The failure of politics and politicians – Acts 19:21-28:31

This post is part of a series of interpretive overviews of the books of the Bible.

Luke: The World’s Salvation Has Arrived

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Luke writes to a Roman official to corroborate the facts of the early Christian movement. “It seemed good to me … to write an orderly account … that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:3-4). And in particular, the things being corroborated in this “first book” are “all that Jesus began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1).

I have written quite a few posts on Luke’s gospel, by way of overview, including:

This post now summarizes most of the work done in those other places, to provide a single interpretive walkthrough of the book.

Literary Markers

Luke’s chief markers are geographical statements. He begins in Judea in the days of King Herod (Luke 1:5), shifting the setting from Judea to Galilee and back again a few times in the opening chapters. Then Luke 4:14 returns to Galilee, remaining there until Luke 9:50. From Luke 9:51, Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem. And from Luke 19:28, Jesus remains in Jerusalem (with the exception of a 7-mile hike to the suburbs in Luke 24:13).

These markers suggest four main divisions to the narrative, plus a brief preface in Luke 1:1-4. See this post for a detailed analysis of how each section subdivides further.

Part 1 Walkthrough

The early chapters go out of their way to link Jesus with his cousin John. The angel Gabriel predicts John’s birth, and then Jesus’ birth. Mary and Elizabeth celebrate the two coming children, sent from God the Savior (Luke 1:47). Then John is born, Jesus is born, and a multitude of angels celebrate the coming of the Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). Zechariah confesses his son’s role to give knowledge of salvation (Luke 1:77), and Simeon’s eyes get to see for themselves God’s salvation embodied in the baby Jesus (Luke 2:30).

In the second subdivision, we see John’s and Jesus’ credentials for the ministries to which they’ve been called. John’s purpose is to prepare the world to “see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6). And that salvation shows up in the man whom God declares to be his Son (Luke 3:22), a wildly contested claim (Luke 4:3, 9).

Salvation has arrived. Will we see it?

Image by Lars_Nissen from Pixabay

Part 2 Walkthrough

Jesus’ Galilean ministry begins by focusing on all that Jesus began to do and teach. And the doing and the teaching are nearly always linked.

He declares himself to be the Spirit-filled servant of the Lord Isaiah foretold (Luke 4:16-30); then he demonstrates the fact by giving liberty, sight, and favor to many (Luke 4:31-6:11). He proclaims a new covenant morality to his covenant people (Luke 6:12-49). Then he demonstrates and explains how salvation is received by faith (Luke 7-8), before dedicating attention to shaping his followers (Luke 9:1-50).

Part 3 Walkthrough

Luke slows time to a crawl, narrating almost no significant plot points, but having Jesus draw out in great detail the nature of his kingdom over the course of the next 10 chapters. Luke subdivides this part by means of periodic reminders that Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51, 10:38, 13:22, 17:11), and the topic of each subdivision launches when a character asks Jesus a weighty question (Luke 9:54, 10:40, 13:23, 17:20).

First, he does not want his disciples to call down fiery judgment but to proclaim the kingdom. Second, he shows that, of course, he cares about what he is asking of his followers, and he is deeply concerned with their growth in his kingdom. Third, he acknowledges that those who are saved will be few—and not at all those whom you would most expect. Fourth, he declares that the kingdom of God has, in fact, come; it is in their midst, and a reckoning is now demanded.

Part 4 Walkthrough

Jesus finally arrives in Jerusalem, and the situation is not pretty. Bracketed by references to “the mount that is called Olivet” (Luke 19:29, 21:37), the first section narrates what Jesus did and taught to convince his generation that Israel was guilty. From weeping at sight of the city, to exposing the hypocrisy of the leadership, to prophesying the coming doom at the hand of Roman armies, Jesus pled with them time and again to recognize the visitation of their God and repent.

Bracketed by references to the holy days during which the Jews plotted to kill Jesus (Luke 22:1-2, 23:56), the second section declares time and again that Jesus was innocent. The trials of Jesus highlight his innocence before the judges of the earth. And at the cross, while Matthew’s and Mark’s version of the centurion declares Jesus to be Son of God (Matt 27:54, Mark 15:39), Luke’s narration has the centurion simply declaring Jesus innocent (Luke 23:47). Perhaps Luke is here foreshadowing the verdict he wishes Theophilus to win for Paul.

The third section of part 4, and the final section of the book, shows us the fallout of resurrection. The fruits of salvation. The narratives here are largely about how people will recognize salvation when they see it. Whether they can identify salvation’s embodiment when he stands resurrected before them.

Conclusion

The world’s salvation has arrived. His name is Jesus, and you can have him if you will only see him and believe.

Interpretive Outline

  1. Christianity is on trial, and this orderly account will help you to be certain regarding what you’ve heard about the movement – Luke 1:1-4
  2. The Defendant’s Credentials – 1:5-4:13
    1. The Salvation of God – 1-2
    2. The Son of God – 3:1-4:13
  3. The Defendant’s Fundamentals – 4:14-9:50
    1. His Teaching – 4:14-6:49
    2. His Offer of Salvation Through Faith – 7:1-8:56
    3. His Followers – 9:1-50
  4. The Defendant’s Goals – 9:51-19:27
    1. Proclaiming His Kingdom – 9:51-10:37
    2. Growing His Kingdom – 10:38-13:21
    3. Numbering His Citizens – 13:22-17:10
    4. Timing His Kingdom – 17:11-19:27
  5. The Defendant’s Vindication – 19:28-24:53
    1. Judaism is Guilty – 19:28-21:38
    2. Jesus is Innocent – 22:1-23:56
    3. Israel’s Salvation has Arrived – 24:1-53

This post is part of a series of interpretive overviews of the books of the Bible.

Daniel: The Most High Rules the Kingdoms of Men

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The book of Daniel contains many mysteries that have baffled interpreters for generations. And sadly, some readers get so distracted by the mysteries that they miss or ignore the book’s plain message, which couldn’t be any clearer.

A brief list of the book’s most repeated words is highly suggestive (this list excludes names, such as Daniel, or common grammatical words such as “then” or “not”):

  • king (189 times in ESV)
  • all (60 times)
  • kingdom (57 times)
  • great/greatness (54 times)
  • time (49 times)

Not only is “king” the most repeated word, but “kingdom” is repeated far more frequently in Daniel than any other book of the Bible.

Number of times “kingdom” appears per 1,000 words, in each book of the ESV Bible. The tall bar near the middle represents the book of Daniel.

The vocabulary leads us to expect Daniel to be a book about kings and their kingdoms. It is about times of greatness, and who will rule “all.” But how does the book go about making its argument?

Literary Markers

Daniel divides evenly according to genre. Chapters 1-6 consist of deliverance narratives, and chapters 7-12 consist of visions and their explanation. Most commentaries will point out, additionally, that in Daniel 2:7, the language of the original text shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic. It then shifts back to Hebrew in Daniel 8:1, and remains Hebrew until the book’s end.

So we could divide the book by genre:

  • Six narratives – Daniel 1-6
  • Four visions – Daniel 7-12

Or we could divide it by language

  • Hebrew introduction – Daniel 1
  • Aramaic body – Daniel 2-7
  • Hebrew conclusion – Daniel 8-12

Due to the structural clues that unite Daniel 2-7 (see below), I will follow the second paradigm in the walkthrough.

Part 1 Walkthrough

The opening verses of the book set up the main idea that will be developed throughout:

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.

Daniel 1:1-2 (ESV)

Although the narrator tells us that Nebuchadnezzar comes to Jerusalem and besieges it, notice who is the subject of the second sentence. The narrator clearly identifies the chief actor behind all that transpires in this siege and deportation: The Lord gave.

Compare this with the parallel account of the same events in 2 Chronicles:

6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon.

2 Chronicles 36:6-7

The contrast shows us that Daniel wants us to know who is really in charge of the movements and battles of human kings. There is a king in heaven who watches and determines who will reign and who will fall.

In the rest of Daniel 1, we become acquainted with three young men who understand this fact very well. They remain unfazed by what is happening around them, because they aim to serve their King of Heaven, who can give or take away their health and muscles, wisdom and insight, power and position, whenever he pleases. Such faith causes them to stand out from the best Babylon has to offer. They are better than any in this world’s kingdom (Dan 1:20). And Daniel will last not only through the current king’s reign, but even through the current empire’s existence and into the next (Dan 1:21).

Part 2 Walkthrough

The next 6 chapters tell a masterful story about the world’s kingdoms, both present and future:

  • Interpreting a dream about four kingdoms – Dan 2
    • Rescuing the faithful from martyrdom – Dan 3
      • Interpreting the king’s dream, resulting in repentance – Dan 4
      • Interpreting the king’s vision, with no repentance – Dan 5
    • Rescuing the faithful from martyrdom – Dan 6
  • Interpreting a dream about four kingdoms – Dan 7
Image by anielbaez0 from Pixabay

God wants Daniel’s audience to know that they will have to endure great persecution under four human kingdoms (Dan 2, 7). But they must know that the King of Heaven rules over all. He will undermine the four human kingdoms when he establishes his eternal kingdom. And he will establish that kingdom by establishing his own people, as represented by one like a son of man (Dan 7:13-14, 27).

Those who believe these things and trust the King of Heaven set themselves up for all sorts of jealous outrage from those who refuse to believe (Dan 3, 6). But trusting in the King of Heaven means that fire and lions are no real threats. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego understand this whil they are young. Daniel perseveres in such faith, even when he is old—old enough to pick a fight over it with his younger opponents (Dan 6:10).

And this powerful, persevering faith in the King of Heaven makes God’s people tremendously valuable to the kings of the earth (Dan 4, 5). They can be trusted to know the truth and speak the truth. They care not for reputation or fickle standards of propriety. They can speak with clarity and boldness, seeking the human king’s repentance and trust in the divine King. Chapter 4 especially beats the drum of this theme (there is a king in heaven who rules over earthly kings) over and over and over again (Dan 4:3, 17, 25, 32, 34-35; also Dan 5:21). This is the main point at the center of this section of Aramaic chapters.

Part 3 Walkthrough

The remaining visions are quite dramatic and would make for terrific cinema. As long as we pay attention to the meaning given to them in the text.

The vision of Daniel 8 takes place by a canal, revealing the coming kingdoms of Media/Persia (Dan 8:20) and Greece (Dan 8:21). It goes on to describe the four-way split of Greece’s fallen kingdom, and the king who will arise to rule one of the pieces and persecute God’s people. History would come to know these events through Alexander the Great and Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

The vision of Daniel 9 takes place right after Daniel’s lengthy prayer of repentance. He knows the Scriptures, and that the time of Babylonian exile has come to an end. So he begs God to forgive his people and return them to their land. (Daniel 1:21 and Daniel 6 tell us that Daniel was present as a trusted advisor at Cyrus’s right hand. He would have advised the king to issue his decree to let the Jews return and rebuild—Ezra 1:1-4.) And right when Daniel wants to believe that this is the end of waiting and suffering for God’s people, the angel Gabriel shows up to tell him that there is still a long way to go. The exile was not simply about 70 years in Babylon; it is now going to last for seventy “sevens” until the Messiah comes (Dan 9:24-27). They will need to watch and wait for him patiently.

While the vision of Daniel 8 went into more detail on the kingdoms of Persia and Greece, the vision of Daniel 10-12 (by a river) now goes into tremendous detail on the fallout of Greece’s demise, and how the warring factions surrounding Israel (“the Beautiful Land”) will import political turmoil and military conflict to God’s chosen nation. This vision details how they’ll know when the prophecies of this book finally reach fulfillment. If they track each alliance, betrayal, battle, and succession, they will recognize the end of their seventy “sevens” of exile. I suspect that the fulfillment of the many political details of Daniel 11 is partially what led the “magi from the east” to begin looking for portents in the heavens to signal the birth of the divine king of kings (the “one born king of the Jews”), about whom Daniel had spoken (Matt 2:1-2).

The vision closes (Dan 12) with a breathtaking word picture of the resurrection of God’s people after generations of agony (Dan 12:1-4) and the certification of the promises spoken to them (Dan 12:5-13). Such hopes inspire God’s people to remain faithful at any cost—but only when they know their King sits far above those puny human kings who run around pretending to be in charge.

Conclusion

We haven’t solved every mystery in this magnificent book of narrative and prophecy. But of one thing we can be certain: His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. And, of course, that he has given everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, to the Son of Man who has ascended to his right hand.

Interpretive Outline

  1. God’s faithful people in exile learn to trust the King above who rules over kings below – Daniel 1
  2. Narratives and prophecies to inspire faith in God as king here and now – Daniel 2-7
    • Four kingdoms coming before God establishes everlasting kingdom – Dan 2
      • Deliverance available; God can change king’s heart – Dan 3
        • God judges the king through conversion – Dan 4
        • God judges the king through destruction – Dan 5
      • Deliverance available; God can prepare king’s heart – Dan 6
    • Four kingdoms coming before God establishes everlasting kingdom – Dan 7
  3. Visions to inspire faith in God as king in the days to come – Daniel 8-12
    • Canal vision about coming events – Dan 8
      • Expectations for the end of exile – Dan 9
    • River vision about coming events – Dan 10-12

This post is part of a series of interpretive overviews of the books of the Bible.

Isaiah: Judgment and Deliverance

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It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the book of Isaiah on the formation of Christian doctrine. Isaiah is the book quoted second-most often by the New Testament authors (only the Psalms are quoted more often), but I wouldn’t be surprised if Isaiah surpassed the Psalms in the sheer number of off-hand allusions.

Just think: Without Isaiah, we wouldn’t have Immanuel, a voice crying in the wilderness, the sting of death, the root of Jesse, proclamation of good news to the poor, a bruised reed he will not break, light for the Gentiles, every knee shall bow, how beautiful are the feet that bring good news, go out from their midst, a house of prayer, or the earth is my footstool. Without Isaiah, we wouldn’t have a breastplate of righteousness, helmet of salvation, new heavens and new earth, he gave himself for our sins, by his wounds you are healed, the suffering servant, a ransom for many, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, the many will be made righteous, unquenchable fire, being taught of God, blessings of David, a remnant shall be saved, found by those who didn’t seek me, a spirit of stupor, the wisdom of the wise, eye has not seen, ear has not heard, speak in strange tongues, the breath of his mouth, feeble hands and weak knees, feet swift to shed blood, clay in the hands of a potter, lest tomorrow we die, the acceptable time, the day of salvation, God supplies rain and seed, a precious cornerstone, owning a vineyard and expecting it bear fruit, you are my witnesses, I am the first and the last, the skies roll up like a scroll, robe stained in blood, no hunger or thirst, wipe away every tear, the children God has given me, or behold your God!

Isaiah is central to the Christian faith. It is worth your time to grasp its message.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Literary Markers

The clearest literary shift in this lengthy book is the switch from poetry (Isaiah 1-35) to narrative (Isaiah 36-39) and back to poetry (Isaiah 40-66). Brief narrative portions occurs elsewhere (chapters 6-7, 20, etc.), but not nearly on the same scale as the large block of chapters 36-39.

Within the first division (chapters 1-35), Isaiah marks the opening prophecies with headings (Isaiah 1:1, 2:1). But we don’t get any other headings until Isaiah 13:1, 14:28, 15:1, etc., where they are concentrated until Is 26:1. Then we don’t see such headings for the remainder of the book. This shows that chapters 13-27 are arranged together as a collection (of judgments on the nations of the world). Therefore, the opening division has three main sections: Isaiah 1-12, 13-27, and 28-35. The people are living under the kings of Judah, surrounded by enemies such as Assyria, and the narratives of Is 36-39 fit within this setting.

However, beginning at chapter 40, the audience appears to be exiles awaiting restoration (e.g. Is 40:1-3). And beginning at chapter 56, the audience appears to be back in the land with a temple (e.g. Is 56:5-7). This leads many academics to theorize three authors for the book, from three time periods (kingdom, exile, restoration), but such a conclusion is necessary only if you reject out of hand the possibility that God’s prophets are able to speak, well, prophetically. We are justified, however, in treating Is 40-55 and Is 56-66 as discrete sections of the book.

Within the first of those sections, Is 40 introduces two issues (Israel’s warfare with Babylon and her sin against God). The following chapters resolve the warfare with Babylon in Is 40-48 and the sin against God in Is 49-55.

This analysis yields the following rough outline of sections:

  • Isaiah 1-35
    • 1-12
    • 13-27
    • 28-35
    • 36-39
  • Isaiah 40-55
    • 40-48
    • 49-55
  • Isaiah 56-66

Let’s walk through the argument of each part.

Walkthrough Part 1

Chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book. Yahweh makes a case against his people (Is 1:1-15): His children have rebelled against them. Then he makes them an offer (Is 1:16-31): Trust him and be cleansed, or trust in false gods and become tinder for the fire. The rest of the book will unpack these fundamental ideas: How have God’s children turned away from him? How could he make cleansing possible for them? What happens to those who hold fast to the wrong gods?

Chapters 2-5 alternate between visions of a glorious future for the faithful and evidence of condemnation for the unfaithful. This culminates in Isaiah’s cleansing and commission (chapter 6) to preach to those who will become as senseless as their deaf and blind idols. Is 7:1-9:7 reveals that the way God will be able to be with his people is through an appointed king who will establish David’s throne in justice and righteousness. In Is 9:8-11:16, Yahweh pleads with his people to turn from their ways and set their hope in this coming king, the root of Jesse, upon whom will rest Yahweh’s own Spirit. Chapter 12 caps off this section with a celebration of God’s glorious provision of salvation.

Chapters 13-27 recount God’s attitude of judgment on the nations. Isaiah presents the oracles in three cycles of five judgments each.

  • Cycle 1: Babylon, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Egypt (Is 13-20)
  • Cycle 2: Wilderness of the sea, Dumah, Arabia, Valley of vision, Tyre (Is 21-23)
  • Cycle 3: The wasted city, the host of heaven, the mountain of Yahweh, the strong city, Leviathan and the fortified city (Is 24-27)

As you can see, each cycle gets increasingly abstract and apocalyptic (symbolic) in its language. But Judah herself is not exempt from judgment, even when she is the location of glorious salvation (chapters 22, 25, 27).

Chapters 28-35 highlight the failure of all earthly powers to either save or judge in truth. This section is structured by six “woes” (“ah” and “woe” in the ESV translate the same Hebrew word – Is 28:1, 29:1, 29:15, 30:1, 31:1, 33:1). The first three woes explain the principles: False gods will fail; nothing can deliver those who reject Yahweh and his word; nothing can compare in power to Yahweh. The second three woes apply those principles in Judah’s historical moment: Egypt will fail; neither Egypt nor Assyria can deliver those who reject Yahweh and his word; neither Egypt nor Assyria can compare in power to Yahweh.

Everything Isaiah has spoken to this point finds its climax in the narratives of chapters 36-39, where we see a great king of Judah (Is 36:1) being challenged by a great king of Assyria (Is 36:4), yet Judah’s king will not relinquish his hold on an even higher king to deliver him (Is 37:16-17). He recognizes that false gods will fail (Is 37:18-20). Even on his sickbed, he continues trusting Yahweh (Is 38:20). That is, until the Assyrian threat passes and Babylon comes on the scene … (Is 39:1-2, 6). This narrative thus transitions us into the new need of a new generation: Rescue from exile in Babylon.

In short, the message of Part 1 (1-39) of Isaiah is: It is Yahweh alone who judges and delivers, and he does so through his appointed King.

Walkthrough Part 2

Part 2 open with words of comfort to the exiles (Is 40:1). Yet this comfort runs far deeper than they might expect. Not only will their warfare with Babylon come to an end. Their iniquity before God also must find pardon.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from Yahweh’s hand
double for all her sins

Isaiah 40:1-2

Part 2 takes up these matters, showing in great detail just how they could come to pass.

First, Isaiah addresses the end of warfare with Babylon (the end of exile). In chapter 40, he describes Yahweh as both able and willing to make these things happen. In chapter 41, he enumerates the ramifications of this rescue on the coastlands and nations of the world. In chapter 42, he leaks God’s plan to send a servant to bring forth justice. In chapters 43-44, he ties the exile closely to the people’s rank idolatry, such that rescue from the first must simultaneously involve rescue from the latter. Chapters 45-48 then show how God will raise Cyrus as his anointed, to defeat Babylon and trample on Babylon’s impotent gods. The section culminates in demonstration of God’s loving justice (Isaiah 47) and his just love (Isaiah 48). There is no other god like this God.

Second, Isaiah must deal with the deeper, inward issue of their sin against God. Through his literary masterpiece, he weaves together a number of threads, including the coming servant, songs of deliverance, irrational hope, and the God who covenants to make it all possible. The tension builds through a crescendo of double repetition—”awake, awake” (Is 51:9), “I, I” (Is 51:12), “wake yourself, wake yourself” (Is 51:17), “awake, awake” (Is 52:1), “depart, depart” (Is 52:11)—before it explodes into the magnificent hymn of praise to the coming, tragic servant (Is 52:13-53:12). This leads the people to burst out in song and to expect the impossible from here on out (Is 54-55).

In short, we see in Part 2 that Yahweh is both willing and able to judge and deliver through his Servant.

Walkthrough Part 3

Part 3 of Isaiah presents itself as a single unit with a coherent structure:

  • Outcasts are gathered – Is 56:1-8
    • God’s people still need a lot of work – Is 56:90-59:8
      • Prayer of repentance – Is 59:9-13
        • Yahweh himself suits up to do for them what they can’t do for themselves – Is 59:14-21
          • The vision of all that Israel and Jerusalem could become – Is 60-62
        • Yahweh himself crushes all opponents to this vision – Is 63:1-6
      • Prayer of repentance – Is 63:7-64:12
    • God’s people still need a lot of work – Is 65:1-66:17
  • Many gathered in, and some cast out – Is 66:18-24

In short, Yahweh’s deliverance brings a new world through his Conqueror.

No Hope But Jesus

No wonder Jesus could read Isaiah 61 in the Galilean synagogue and tell them these words were fulfilled that very day (Luke 4:16-21). No wonder the Scripture of Isaiah 53 must be fulfilled in him (Luke 22:37). Jesus alone is the true King, Servant, and Conqueror Isaiah said we would need. Through him, deliverance is possible, from both sin and warfare. And judgment is certain for those who resist him (2 Thess 1:5-10).

Interpretive Outline

  1. It is Yahweh alone who judges and delivers through his King – Is 1-39
    1. Charge of rebellion, offer of cleansing – Is 1-12
    2. Judgment on all nations – Is 13-27
    3. Failure of earthly powers – Is 28-35
    4. In whom will you trust? – Is 36-39
  2. Yahweh is willing and able to judge and deliver through his Servant – Is 40-55
    1. End of warfare with Babylon and her idols – Is 40-48
    2. End of sin through the Servant’s sacrifice – Is 49-55
  3. Yahweh’s deliverance brings a new world through his Conqueror – Is 56-66

I have benefitted much from commentaries on Isaiah by Alec Motyer and Andrew Abernethy (affiliate links). My work above is deeply influenced by their insights.

For more interpretive walkthroughs of books of the Bible, click here.