The vision of Israel presented in the OT has its hedonistic side. 'ha-eretz' (‘the land’) in Deuteronomy is characterized by its fruitfulness and by the enjoyment of its good pleasures (e.g. 7:12-18). The land is set aside, as Eden had been, for the activity and delight of the people of God. The warning that comes insistently and repeatedly to the people in Moses’ exposition of the law is not to forget the giver of the gifts in the midst of such luxury (e.g. 8:11ff).
The peril of the easeful life is that of distraction from worship of Yhwh. The Sabbath was given prominence in the law as a means by which to avert the forgetfulness of the people. It was a celebration of both creation (Ex 20:11-12) and redemption (Dt 5:12-15) and consecrated to Yhwh as its originator. In the Deuteronomic version of the commandment, the memory of ceaseless slave-labour under Pharoah is invoked.
By contrast, life for all in the land - including even livestock – is to be regulated by the divine rest. Here a rhythm of work and ease is built into the community’s life together as a signal of their identity. Rest is blessed as an activity that Yhwh himself enjoys; and it is also construed as an act of worship so that the delight in the pleasures of the created order and the benefits of redemption at Yhwh’s hand might not descend into mere hedonism and a neglect of the needs of the more vulnerable members of the community. The Sabbath is to be ‘an enactment of peaceableness that bespeaks the settled rule of Yahweh’.[1]
[1] Walter Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1997), p. 185
4 comments:
Interesting topic Michael. I know this is probably a bit of a tangent but I was just wandering what your thoughts are about Israel and the restoration in the last days. In the country where I live, these ideas are very popular among Christians and I believe they shape the foreign policy towards the Middle East in the US. The AB of Sydney briefly outlined the position of dispensationalists in the Boyer lectures and stated that he disagreed with this understanding. I’ve also read a truck load of literature about the theology of the land. I guess from a biblical theological point of view, the reestablishment of the Israel is inconceivable. Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God in this world, he’s the high priest, he is the King that sits on the thrown of David forever, he’s the sacrificial lamb, he’s the temple, the OT is incomprehensible but through him and Hebrews 8 states that the Old covenant is obsolete. Perhaps there is evidence to point to some sort of revival amongst the blood descendents of Abraham (Hosea 3:4, romans 10). I suppose I’m interested in whether you would take this same approach in dealing with the arguments put forward by what often are highly intelligent and trained academics who believe God is working through present day Israel. I’d be also interested in knowing how the idea of Rest applies to this debate. Thanks.
Paul
Yeah, I would too!
I guess the trouble is that Israel (God's covenant people) and Israel (the current state) are overlapping but not identical entities...
mmm.
OK! If a PhD student in theology isn't sure, I guess I understand why I struggle to get my head around the topic! You haven't really thought about it in that case?
Any plans to write anything on Hosea 3 in your next blog post? :-) Or would you be able to suggest any good references on the passage?
It appears to be written in the same style as Mark 13 i.e. two events with parallels are being discussed. I would say the two events in the case of Hosea 3:4-5 are the returning of God's covenant people to David their king and the sacrificial system, and returning of God's covenant people to God their king in the last days. Proponents of Dispensationalism would say it’s a prophesy fulfilled in present day Israel and that temple and sacrificial system would also be reestablished in the last days, something I find hard to believe.
Anyway, thanks and sorry for hijacking your blog! I look forward to the rest of the discussion about "Rest".
Paul
Yes, looking at the text i find the dispensationalist version very hard to believe...isn't 'David' Christ?
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