A Biblical Theology of Money #1: Abraham

This week I begin a new series looking at what the Bible says about money, from the perspective of how its teaching unfolds. In other words, we will trace the theme of money from the beginning to the end of Scripture.

There are a number of references to money in the Book of Genesis. The first mention of gold in the Bible is in Genesis 2. The garden of Eden was the place where the river divided into four:

The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.

(Genesis 2:11-12)

No one knows for sure where Havilah was, but the emphasis in this passage is on the perfection of the earth that God had created. Both gold and onyx were used in the construction of the tabernacle, so there might be an allusion here to the world being a holy place.

When we come to the story of Abraham, we are introduced to the concept of wealth. Abraham is a rich man, in that he has large flocks as well as servants, and this comes as a result of God's blessing:

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

(Genesis 12:2)

Yet the first time we see this promise being fulfilled it is as a result of Abraham doing the wrong thing: he goes down to Egypt and pretends that his wife Sarah is actually his sister.

And for her sake Pharaoh dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

(Genesis 12:16)

Thus, as soon as we are introduced to the concept of possessions being a blessing from God, we are warned that this does not justify the actions we take to acquire those possessions! God does not bless Abraham because of Abraham's righteousness, but in spite of Abraham's sin:

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

(Genesis 13:2)

The first reference to tithing is in Genesis 14:20. Abraham has just won a battle, and the priest-king Melchizedek comes out to bless him. It then says that Abraham “gave him a tenth of everything”. This is not a tenth of all that Abraham owns, but rather a tenth of the plunder obtained in the battle (Hebrews 7:4). However, we read later (verse 24) that Abraham didn't keep anything for himself.

The tithe here is a one-off event (as opposed to a regular contribution) made in response to the victory God has given Abraham, and in acknowledgement that Melchizedek is God's representative.

We now come to the first economic transaction described in Scripture. Sarah has just died, and Abraham is looking for a place to bury her:

Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.” Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” Ephron answered Abraham, “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.

(Genesis 23:7-16)

This is a fascinating example of Ancient Near Eastern negotiation. Abraham just wants a cave in which to bury Sarah, but Ephron forces him to buy the field as well. Abraham offers to pay full price, and Ephron is going to milk him for everything he's got. It appears that the Hittites loved indirect speech (like many non-Western cultures today), and “a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me?” really means “this is the price”. If we compare this amount with other purchases in the Old Testament, it seems exorbitant: a thousand years later, David pays fifty shekels for a threshing floor (2 Samuel 24:24).

We need to see this story in the context of God's promise to give Abraham the land. On the one hand, this is the first fulfilment of the promise – Abraham now owns some real estate in Canaan. Abraham made sure that he got a final and fully legal sale. On the other hand, he has to pay through the nose to get it, and so the promise of the land will be difficult to fulfil: if just a field and cave costs so much, how will Abraham get the whole land?

In some ways, Abraham allowed himself to get ripped off in order to do what was right. In this he is like the Hebrews commended in the New Testament:

You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

(Hebrews 10:34)

How to vote

I'm not going to talk about who to vote for in our upcoming election; rather, I'm going to discuss the principles we need to use as we come to vote. There are a number of passages we could draw on – including some important Old Testament texts – but I am going to restrict myself to two important New Testament ones. The first is from Paul's letter to the Romans:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer: Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

(Romans 13:1-7)

Principle #1: Vote humbly

This passage teaches us that governing authorities are established by God, and are God's servants. Whoever wins the updating presidential election will have been appointed by God. It's very easy to be cynical about politicians, but God has set them over us. Because of this, we owe them respect and honor. This is respect for their position, even if they are not personally respectable.

Principle #2: Vote cautiously

Romans 13 also gives us a description of what the governing authorities ought to be doing: protecting the innocent and punishing the wicked. This is a limited view of government: its role is as a protector rather than a provider. Therefore, we must not expect the government to do great things for us. On the other hand, it is fully appropriate that we prioritize abortion as a voting issue, since one of the government's main jobs is protecting the vulnerable.

Principle #3: Vote thankfully

There is, however, another way of reading this passage. We must not think of the “governing authorities” as merely the various branches of government. In a democracy, they are all accountable to us, the people. As we vote, we must remember that we are the governing authorities, answerable to God for those we elect. And let's thank God for the opportunity.

The second passage is from Paul's first letter to Timothy:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Principle #4: Vote prayerfully

Whoever wins the election will need our prayers! We are told here to pray for all who are in high positions: presidents, senators, governors, mayors. We can pray for their personal conversion, for integrity, for humility, for wisdom, for courage, for health and for strength.

Principle #5: Vote strategically

In 1 Timothy 2, however, there is a particular content and purpose to our prayers for those in authority: it is for freedom. We pray that our government will leave us alone, that we will be free to worship and evangelize and proclaim God's word. God wants people to be saved, and so we pray for the freedom and opportunity to preach the gospel. We live in a society where religious freedom is under threat, particularly in being able to clearly state what the Bible teaches: for example, that homosexuality is a sin. (Of course, we preach these things because we, like God, want to see homosexuals saved.) In this way, it is fully appropriate to prioritize religious freedom as a voting issue as well.

So when you vote, vote humbly, cautiously, thankfully, prayerfully, and strategically.

The historical background of Daniel 11

Daniel 11 is a blow-by-blow account of the history of the Middle East in the third- and second- centuries BC.

Thus, although all this was future for Daniel (Daniel 10:14), it is no longer future for us. Instead, the precise fulfilment of all these prophecies remind us that God's Word is sure.

Daniel's Seventy Weeks

This is one of the most difficult and obscure passages in the Bible. John Calvin says it has been “almost torn to pieces by the various opinions of interpreters, that it might be considered nearly useless on account of its obscurity.” In its basic thrust, it is simple: it is a prediction of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. It appears that the “seventy weeks” (or “seventy sevens” in some translations) refers to a period of 490 years, but it is not clear precisely when that period begins and ends.

Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.

(Daniel 9:24-26a)

Since this is an answer to Daniel's prayer, the most natural way of taking the “going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem” is Cyrus' decree for the Jews to return home and rebuild the temple in 538 BC, while the most natural way of taking “an anointed one shall be cut off” is the death of Jesus in 30 AD. The period between these dates, however, is 567 years, out by more than 80 years.

To get around this, some interpreters (like James Montgomery Boice) see the decree to be the one that Artaxerxes makes in Ezra 7:12. This occurred in 457 BC, so 483 years (69 sevens) take us up to 27 AD, the start of Jesus' ministry. (He is then cut off in the middle of the 70th seven, 3 ½ years later.) This emphasizes building the wall, but it doesn't answer Daniel's prayer.

Furthermore, the text seems to distinguish between a period of 7 sevens and then a further period of 62 sevens. Possibly the Messiah comes after 49 years, and then is cut off 434 years later. Some interpreters see the decree as the promise that God makes to Jeremiah, and the first anointed one to be Cyrus, but the numbers still don't work out. Sometimes the 7 sevens are seen as overlapping with the 62 sevens, while sometimes a gap between the two periods is suggested. A number of interpreters view the two “anointed ones” as different people, and a range of people have been suggested as fulfilling the prophecy, including Onias III (a Jewish high priest who was murdered), Aristobulus I (the first of the Hasmonean kings of Judaea), Antiochus IV Epiphanes (the Seleucid king of Syria who persecuted the Jews) and a future Antichrist.

In addition to this, some interpreters see the years (or some of them) as being metaphorical (particularly in seeing fulfilment in a future Antichrist), while others get around discrepancies in the numbering by positing 360-day “prophetic years”.

We are thus in a position to create a table of the suggested chronologies of the 69 weeks:

Of course, after all this we still have to work out the chronology of the 70th week!

And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.

(Daniel 9:26b-27)

The starting point of the 70th seven depends largely on when the 69 sevens are considered to have ended, but there is also significant variation regarding its length: a literal period of seven days (namely, Holy Week); the seven years centered on Jesus' death; or seventy years from Jesus' birth to the Jewish War. In each of these cases, Jesus' death is viewed as being the midpoint of the seventieth week. Dispensationalists, however, tend to see the 70th week as having been delayed on account of the Jews' rejection of Jesus and occurring at the end of history.

The “prince who is to come” is either regarded as Jesus (in which case “his people” are the Jews, who brought the destruction of the temple upon themselves), the Roman general Titus (who destroyed the temple in 70 AD) or a future Antichrist:

Although the chronologies are deeply disputed, it is clear that this passage is a prophecy of Jesus' death. It also raises the intriguing possibility of whether it would have been possible for a first-century Jew to work out what year the Messiah would die. Certainly, when Jesus was born there were at least some godly Jews who were waiting for and expecting the Messiah (Luke 2:25).

The Historical Background of Daniel 8

The interpretation of Daniel 8 is easier than that of some other chapters, since the identification of the two main animals are given explicitly:

As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. And the goat is the king of Greece.

(Daniel 8:20-21)

Thus, the chapter is only hard to understand because most people don't know this period of history very well. But we can connect most of the details to historical events.

Daniel sees the ram “charging westward and northward and southward”. This refers to Cyrus the Great's campaigns:

• West – against the Lydian empire in Turkey (the Battle of Thymbra in 547 BC)

• North – against the Massagetae in central Asia

• South – against the Babylonian empire (the Battle of Opis in 539 BC)

The horn of the goat (verse 5) is Alexander the Great, who died in 323 BC. In eight years Alexander had conquered everything between Greece and India. This speed is reflected in the fact that the goat moves “without touching the ground”.

In verse 7, the goat knocks the ram down and tramples on him. This refers to the defeat of the Persians in the Battle of Issus in 333 BC, when Alexander defeated Darius III. This is depicted in the famous “Alexander Mosaic” found in Pompeii.

After his death, Alexander's empire was divided between his four generals: Cassander (who got Macedonia), Lysimachus (Thrace), Seleucus (Syria) and Ptolemy (Egypt). These are the four horns of verse 8:

As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

(Daniel 8:22)

Verse 9 says that out of one of these horns, a little horn will arise. This is talking about Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who ruled the Seleucid Empire in Syria from 175 to 164 BC. He took the title “Theos Epiphanes”, which means “God Manifest”. Hence the comment in verse 25 that “in his own mind he shall become great”.

This little horn “grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land” (verse 9). These statements refer to Antiochus' military campaigns: against Egypt in 169 BC (further described in Daniel 11:25-30) and against Parthia in 166 BC. He also persecuted the Jews, which is the focus of Antiochus' place in the Book of Daniel.

Contrary to his predecessors' policy of tolerating Jewish worship, Anthiochus IV outlawed it. This story is told in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, in the Apocrypha. Antiochus ordered that the Jews worship Zeus, and then slaughtered them when they refused. In 168 BC, he desecrated the Temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar of incense and setting up an idol. (This is the “abomination that makes desolate” in Daniel 11:31, but not, I think, what is talked about in Daniel 9:27.) Antiochus' actions led to the Maccabean revolt, led by Judas Maccabeus, and the rededication of the temple in 165 BC. This is event commemorated in the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, which Jesus also observed in John 10:22-23 (where it is called the “Feast of Dedication”).

Antiochus IV died suddenly of disease in 164 BC, an event prophesied in verse 25: “he shall be broken—but by no human hand.”

In conclusion, this history is important for us to know as it forms a vital part of the background to understanding God's Word. It is also part of the history of God's people – we can think of the Maccabean period as a kind of “Old Testament Church History”. So even though it is rarely taught in schools, this is material that Christian parents should pass on to their children.

Daniel 6 in children's story Bibles

It can be a helpful exercise to look at how a particular passage of Scripture is dealt with in children's story Bibles. There will be some interpretation necessary as biblical scenes are depicted visually. There will also be things added, omitted, and changed. Sometimes there will be downright errors – but these mistakes can sometimes help us notice important things in the story.

This article looks at five versions of the story: one is a stand-alone book, I'll Pray Anyway (1994) from the Me Too! Series. The other four are from Bible story books: The Beginner's Bible (1997), The Beginner's Bible, revised edition (2005), The Candle Bible for Toddlers (2006), and The Jesus Storybook Bible (2007).

Daniel:

According to the biblical text, Daniel would have been an old man in his eighties at the time of this episode, but this doesn't come out in these stories. I'll Pray Anyway depicts Daniel as definitely a young man; Jesus Storybook Bible has Daniel with a beard but still youngish looking; the other books tend to portray all the men as bearded but generic-looking.

Prayer:

All five versions emphasize prayer, and include a picture of Daniel praying on his knees (which is explicitly mentioned in verse 10). They all contain some reference to Daniel as a faithful servant of the king. I'll Pray Anyway connects this to his praying (which the biblical text does not do): “He needed God's help to do a good job.” Candle Bible has Daniel praying for deliverance in the lions' den, which the biblical text does not.

Enemies:

All five versions refer to Daniel's enemies, but Candle Bible only mentions them after the decree has been made. Three of the books have the enemies looking in on Daniel's prayer, either through a window (I'll Pray Anyway and Beginner's Bible II) or through a door which is ajar (Jesus Storybook Bible). The window works much better, as it communicates the tension in the biblical text between Daniel's praying as a private as well as a public activity. When Daniel's enemies confront Darius, Beginner's Bible II adds the words “Let's throw Daniel into the lions' den”, although such a suggestion is left unsaid in the biblical text.

Darius:

Jesus Storybook Bible mentions Darius' name at the start, but then calls him “the king”; Beginner's Bible II is the only book out of the five to use his name throughout: the other three books merely call him “the king”. All the books except for Candle Bible refer to Darius' sorrow at having to punish Daniel and mention him going to the lions' den early in the morning.

Lions:

Naturally, all five stories show Daniel in the lions' den. Beginner's Bible I and Beginner's Bible II show just one picture of Daniel with friendly lions, while the other three books show ʻbeforeʼ and ʻafterʼ pictures: Daniel amid snarling lions, and then Daniel with friendly lions. I'll Pray Anyway, Jesus Storybook Bible, and Beginner's Bible II all have King Darius looking into the den; Beginner's Bible II is unique in that it depicts an angel (verse 22) with Daniel.

The aftermath:

Not surprisingly, perhaps, none of these stories depict the enemies being punished (verse 24). Most have some version of Darius' decree: “King Darius ordered everyone to honor and respect God” (Beginner's Bible II), “From now on, everyone in my kingdom will pray to Daniel's wonderful God!” (I'll Pray Anyway), “Daniel's God is the true God. The God who Rescues! Pray to him instead!” (Jesus Storybook Bible). It's interesting that the last two have Darius urging people to pray to Daniel's God: this reflects the initial decree that Darius made, but it isn't in the biblical text.

The meaning:

Jesus Storybook Bible is the only version that draws an explicit theological meaning from the story: “But God had not left his people”. In fact, it is more theological than the biblical text! It goes on to make a connection to Jesus: “And the time was coming when God would send another brave Hero, like Daniel, who would love God and do what God said – whatever it cost him, even if it meant he would die.”

Conclusion:

This brief study has demonstrated how easy it is to add details to the biblical text. It highlights how so often the Bible does not include the details we are expecting. For example, this story does not say what Daniel prayed for in verse 11. Chapter 9, however, may give us an insight into the content of his prayer. There Daniel prays for mercy on behalf of his people, and asks God to restore temple worship in Jerusalem.

Comparing Daniel and Joseph

One of the fascinating things about the Book of Daniel is how the life of Daniel mirrors that of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. There are three main parallels.

Firstly, both were exiled from home at a young age. Genesis 37 tells the story of how Joseph was sold as a slave by his brothers and taken to Egypt. He seems to have been 17 when this happened (Genesis 37:2). Likewise, it appears that Daniel was a teenager when he was taken into exile in Babylon (Daniel 1:3-6).

Secondly, they both have the ability to interpret dreams. In both cases, this comes to the fore when they are able to interpret the king's dream when the other experts fail. Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream of the fat and skinny cows (Genesis 41) when the magicians of Egypt could not:

So in the morning Pharaoh's spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

(Genesis 41:8)

This perfectly mirrors the story of Daniel 2:1-11, where the magicians of Babylon are not able to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

Both dreams contain a revelation of the future which God gives to the king. Joseph says “God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do” (Genesis 41:25), while Daniel says:

There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.

(Daniel 2:28).

In this way, both Joseph and Daniel downplay their own abilities and give God the credit.

Thirdly, both Joseph and Daniel are promoted to a position of political power. Both kings accept the respective interpretations of Joseph and Daniel and recognize that God has revealed things to the young men:

And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of the gods?”Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.

(Genesis 41:38-40)

Nebuchadnezzar responds in a similar way:

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

(Daniel 2:46-48)

Later on, in Daniel 4:8, Nebuchadnezzar also acknowledges that “the spirit of the holy gods” is in Daniel.

There are a number other parallels, but with these the order varies. Both Joseph and Daniel are given new names, but Daniel is named Belteshazzar on his arrival in Babylon (Daniel 1:7), while Joseph is named Zaphenath-paneah after his promotion (Genesis 41:45). Both Joseph and Daniel have their own dreams, but Joseph's dream of wheat sheaves and stars comes when he is still in Canaan (Genesis 37:1-11), while Daniel's dreams come when he is an old man, starting in the first year of Belshazzar (Daniel 7:1).

Finally, the Bible teaches us similar lessons in the stories of both men. Both focus on God's sovereignty in using these men to preserve his people during their time of exile. At the end of Joseph's story, he gives his brothers his view of their selling him into slavery:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

(Genesis 50:20)

This is not made as explicit in the Book of Daniel, but Daniel 1:21 says that Daniel “was there until the first year of King Cyrus” – that is, when the decree went out that the temple should be rebuilt (Ezra 1:1-3). In this way, Daniel himself ushers in the return from exile. The theme of God's care for his people comes to the fore in the second half of the Book of Daniel:

But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.

(Daniel 7:18)

Thus, there are historical parallels between the lives of Joseph and Daniel, but there are also literary parallels between the accounts: the author of the Book of Daniel is writing it in such a way as to make us think about Joseph.

What happens if God calls your name twice?

Several times in the Bible a person's name is repeated, often when God is speaking to them. Repetition is usually used for emphasis, and repeating a name implies intimacy with the person.

When Abraham is about to sacrifice his son Isaac, God stops him:

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

(Genesis 22:11-2)

God periodically revealed himself to Jacob; this is the final time he does so:

And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation...

(Genesis 46:2-3)

When God appears to Moses in the burning bush, he also repeats Moses' name:

“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

(Exodus 3:4)

Samuel's call is also given at night:

And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

(1 Samuel 3:10)

As we come to the New Testament, this repetition is mostly used by Jesus. When Martha sees that her sister Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet rather than helping her, she wants Jesus to intervene:

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things...”

(Luke 10:41)

Jesus speaks to Peter (who was originally called Simon) and predicts Peter's denial and subsequent restoration:

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

(Luke 22:31-32)

Then in the Book of Acts, Jesus speaks to Paul (originally called Saul) on the Damascus Road:

And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting...”

(Acts 9:4-5)

It's not just people who are addressed in this way; Jesus uses the double name when he weeps over Jerusalem:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

(Matthew 23:37)

And Jesus repeats God's name when he prays on the cross, quoting Psalm 22:1:

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

(Matthew 27:46)

When we look at all these occurrences, we see that in repeating people's names in particular circumstances, God shows us that he is a relational God. He speaks to get our attention, and he speaks to our hearts. He is the God who pursues intimacy with us.

Finally, some pretend to have a deep relationship with God, but they don't actually know him. This pattern helps us to better understand Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount:

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

(Matthew 7:21)

What did Jesus look like?

A few days ago, Shaun King, a former pastor who is one of the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement, wrote on Twitter: “I think the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down. They are a form of white supremacy. Always have been.”

This comment is, of course, part of a rising animosity that some people have to statues of historical figures who may have been associated with slavery and/or racism. King, however, is not suggesting that Jesus himself was a white supremacist; only that his followers have been like that.

So was Jesus “white”? It depends what we mean by that word. Are Italians “white”? Are Turkish people? Iranians? Jesus was certainly Jewish, but that is not really a racial designation. (In the Old Testament, there was always the provision for people of other nations to become Jewish.)

It is true that Jesus has often been portrayed with white (or pink) skin more often associated with people from northern Europe. A quick glance at the children's Bible story books in our house reveal a mixture: the Big Picture Story Bible (2004) and the Candle Bible (2006) have Jesus with light skin, while the Beginner's Bible (2005) and the Jesus Storybook Bible (2007) render him with light-brown skin, more like Middle Eastern people today.

There are very few physical descriptions of Jesus in the Bible. There are a few in Old Testament Messianic prophecies, but we need to be careful in the way we interpret them.

You are the most handsome of the sons of men;
grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.

(Psalm 45:2)

This verse is talking in the first instance about the king of Israel (probably Solomon) and although it is fulfilled in Jesus, this doesn't imply that Jesus was physically handsome.

In fact, the indications are just the opposite:

For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.

(Isaiah 53:2)

This passage is talking about the Messiah, and although the chapter focuses on his sufferings, this verse seems to suggest that even before his crucifixion, Jesus was not physically attractive.

As we come into the New Testament it is probably significant that the only physical description we have of Jesus is after he is ascended and glorified:

The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

(Revelation 1:14-16)

This is what Jesus looks like now. And of course, no statue, icon, painting, or illustration is able to capture this.

We can make guesses as to what Jesus looked like based on what we know of both Jewish and Graeco-Roman culture of the first century. He probably had quite short hair (see 1 Corinthians 11:14) but it is not even clear that he had a beard – the earliest depictions of Jesus from the Roman catacombs depict him without facial hair.

The fact is, we simply don't know what Jesus looked like. And this is, of course, a good reason to avoid depictions of him. Many Reformed people have viewed such depictions as going against the Second Commandment anyway. Question and Answer #109 of the Westminster Larger Catechism says,

            Q.        What sins are forbidden in the second commandment?

            A.        The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling,                                 commanding, using, and any wise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever ...

Even if we don't go as far as that, and still allow images of Jesus in our houses, we should keep on reminding ourselves (and our children) that these are not really what Jesus looks like. They are certainly not what Jesus looks like now.

The Significance of Pentecost

Today is Pentecost, which occurs on the 50th day – seven weeks – after Easter. In fact, the name comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth” (pentēkostē). The original Day of Pentecost is described in Acts 2, but it was also a Jewish feast, usually called the “Feast of Weeks” (Deuteronomy 16:9-12). There was a Jewish tradition (not in the Old Testament) that the Ten Commandments were given on this day, and that probably forms part of the background to the New Testament event. Here are some significant things about the Day of Pentecost.

The central significance of the Day of Pentecost is the giving of the Holy Spirit. Of course, the Holy Spirit was active in the Old Testament, but his particular indwelling was restricted to some people, such as judges (see Judges 3:10). In this new era, however, the Holy Spirit comes upon all of God's people. This is made clear in Peter's sermon, when he quotes the Book of Joel:

And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh...

(Acts 2:17)

The giving of the Spirit is like a recurrence of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, since the Holy Spirit is the one who enables us to keep God's law:

And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

(Ezekiel 36:27)

The emphasis in the Book of Acts is how the Holy Spirit enables the disciples to proclaim the gospel:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

(Acts 1:8)

Peter's quotation of Joel also indicates that Pentecost ushers in a new era. It marks the beginning of the last days. It is sometimes called the “birthday of the church”, though we must not forget that the church existed in the Old Testament as well. This new era extends right to the moment of Jesus' return, which is the next item on God's agenda.

Obviously, one of the things that strike us about the Day of Pentecost is the speaking in tongues. However, “tongues” is a loaded word: it would be better to translate it as speaking “foreign languages”. There is a long list of the people groups represented (verses 9 to 11), and the content of the speech is important:

We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.

(Acts 2:11)

In this way, Pentecost represents the gospel being proclaimed to all nations, and people from all ethnic groups becoming God's people. In some ways, the Day of Pentecost undoes the consequences of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11): there people were divided by language; now people are united by the gospel, in spite of cultural and language differences.

Speaking in tongues is best seen as a judgment on Jewish people:

For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people...

(Isaiah 28:11)

It therefore represents the movement from Jews to Gentiles that we see in the Book of Acts: because the Jews (generally) rejected Jesus, the offer of salvation goes to the Gentiles.

Finally, the emphasis in Peter's sermon is on the identity of Jesus. Pentecost follows the ascension: the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ poured out the Holy Spirit on his disciples:

Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

(Acts 2:33)

In this way, Pentecost was part of the vindication of Jesus: through the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of his disciples, it becomes obvious to the world that Jesus is Lord.