Sleep safe, Sisera... Psyche!

Part of the way that the graphic violence in Judges lends versimilitude is that it violates your expectations for a story - just like real life does.  For instance, When reading Stephen King or H.P. Lovecraft, you can tell it's not real because it is one horrific thing after another, escalating to a climax. But in judges, the gruesome, detailed, violent story of Ehud and Eglon is followed by this:

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel. (Judges 3:31; ESV)

Killed 600 men with an oxgoad!?!?!?! That is a story worth telling (and worth some gruesome detail), but they gloss over it when the temptation would be to embellish where no details exist. Ehud gets a couple of pages for killing one man and Shamgar gets a footnote for killing 600 - just like real world history! Then we are back to the graphic violence...

...all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left. But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid." So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. And he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. And he said to her, "Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say, 'No.'" But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple. (Judges 4:16-22; ESV)

She hid him in comfort, tranquilized him with warm milk, then knocked a tent peg through his head while he slept!

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282

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Surprisingly violent women in Judges

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Judges is also surprising in how it describes great deeds done by women.  Typically, we think of women as second-class citizens in the ancient middle-east (and in much of the modern mid-east).  Doesn't seem like a plain-old history written by mysogynistic patriarchs would have lionized females, but sure enough...

• Judges 9:53 - An anonymous woman saved her people by throwing a millstone down on Abimalech's head.
• Judges 4 - Deborah, a prophetess, was calling the shots as her right-hand man (Barak) was chasing Sisera when...
• Judges 4:9 - Jael (wife of Heber) brought swift, violent justice to Sisera with a tent-peg through the head

These are reminiscent of the Apocryphal story of Judith and Holofernes

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282

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Hey Eglon, Surprise!

More surprises in Judges - This is surprising to me because of the graphically violent nature of it.  Makes it apparent that the human authors of the bible did not pull any punches or censor the message...

...the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And he commanded, "Silence." And all his attendants went out from his presence. And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And he arose from his seat. And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them. When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, "Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber." And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor. Ehud escaped while they delayed... (Judges 3:15-26; ESV)

Did you get that, or did you self-censor it as you read it.  The LORD raised up a deliverer in the form of an assassin, who knifed the king with an 18 inch dagger.  The king soiled himself as he died and his servants, smelling it, thought he was toileting, so they left him alone, allowing Ehud to escape.

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The details, though gruesome, give versimilitude to the story and credibility to the scripture.

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282

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Surprises in Judges

Photo courtesy of FranUlloa

I've been reading the Book of Judges, which can be pretty dry reading if you just skim over it, but parts of it can be surprising if you delve into it a bit.  For instance,

Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, "I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.' But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you." As soon as the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. (Judges 2:1-4; ESV)

My initial impulse, upon reading this is to say, "You absolute idiots!  What knuckleheads these people were to have seen what God had done for them but to still have disobeyed.  But then again, It sounds totally like me (and you too, Dear Reader).  How wayward and wilfully disobedient we are!  What knuckleheads we are!  What absolute idiots!  Thank God that He never breaks his covenants with us.

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Think about that and stay tuned for more surprises in Judges!

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282

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Be still ... I will

Today they were talking about this Psalm on Midday Connection on the radio. Impressive imagery, and a very precious promise (as per Peter). Also a martial arts connection, as the literal meaning of the pictogram for budo implies "stopping spears and weapons."

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah (Psalm 46:9-11)

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still

Be still and know

Know that I am!

I will be exalted!

I will!

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What does it mean to be still? From Albert Barnes' Notes:

The word used here - from רפה râphâh - means properly to cast down; to let fall; to let hang down; then, to be relaxed, slackened, especially the hands: It is also employed in the sense of not making an effort; not putting forth exertion; and then would express the idea of leaving matters with God, or of being without anxiety about the issue. Compare Exodus 14:13, “Stand still, and see the salvation of God.” In this place the word seems to be used as meaning that there was to be no anxiety; that there was to be a calm, confiding, trustful state of mind in view of the displays of the divine presence and power. The mind was to be calm, in view of the fact that God had interposed, and had shown that he was able to defend his people...

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282

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Galba was old and ill_

Every so often my wife or I come across a writer whose style and sense of language is amazing.  I mentioned Tacitus the other day, and the following is an example:

Galba was old and ill. Of his two lieutenants Titus Vinius was the vilest of men and Cornelius Laco the laziest. Hated as he was for Vinius' crimes and despised for Laco's inefficiency, between them Galba soon came to ruin.

What outstanding use of language!  I am simply loving this history book!  I could just roll around in passages like this!

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282
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A parallel between Job and Psalms

This week I am studying and meditating on Psalms 4&5 - the Evening prayer and the Morning Prayer...

Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent...There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!" You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:4f; ESV)

This last line is usually taken to mean something like, you might as well rest secure, because God is responsible for your safety - that is, don't worry because you're in God's hands. But taken in the context of the preceeding lines, it seems to me that David is saying, "Sure, bad things happen to me that I don't like, but I'm not going to gripe at God about it (as if I could stand toe-to-toe with Him and demand justice). I am going to keep my peace, be silent, and get some sleep, because I am God's creature." A similar concept to the following passage from Job...

So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:7f; ESV)

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282
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I can hardly wait to read Tacitus

Wow! What an amazing, tantilizing preface to a history book. Following is an excerpt from the Preface to Book I of Tacitus' Histories. Sounds to me like the first page of one of the Series of Unfortunate Events books by Lemony Snicket!

The story I now commence is rich in vicissitudes, grim with warfare, torn by civil strife, a tale of horror even during times of peace. It tells of four emperors slain by the sword, three several civil wars, an even larger number of foreign wars and some that were both at once: successes in the East, disaster in the West, disturbance in Illyricum, disaffection in the provinces of Gaul, the conquest of Britain and its immediate loss, the rising of the Sarmatian and Suebic tribes. It tells how Dacia had the privilege of exchanging blows with Rome, and how a pretender claiming to be Nero almost deluded the Parthians into declaring war.

Now too Italy was smitten with new disasters, or disasters it had not witnessed for a long period of years. Towns along the rich coast of Campania were submerged or buried. The city was devastated by fires, ancient temples were destroyed, and the Capitol itself was fired by Roman hands. Sacred rites were grossly profaned, and there were scandals in high places.

The sea swarmed with exiles and the island cliffs were red with blood. Worse horrors reigned in the city. To be rich or well-born was a crime: men were prosecuted for holding or for refusing office: merit of any kind meant certain ruin. Nor were the Informers more hated for their crimes than for their prizes: some carried off a priesthood or the consulship as their spoil, others won offices and influence in the imperial household: the hatred and fear they inspired worked universal havoc. Slaves were bribed against their masters, freedmen against their patrons, and, if a man had no enemies, he was ruined by his friends.

However, the period was not so utterly barren as to yield no examples of heroism. There were mothers who followed their sons, and wives their husbands into exile: one saw here a kinsman's courage and there a son-in-law's devotion: slaves obstinately faithful even on the rack: distinguished men bravely facing the utmost straits and matching in their end the famous deaths of older times. Besides these manifold disasters to mankind there were portents in the sky and on the earth, thunderbolts and other premonitions of good and of evil, some doubtful, some obvious. Indeed never has it been proved by such terrible disasters to Rome or by such clear evidence that Providence is concerned not with our peace of mind but rather with vengeance for our sin.

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282
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Hesiod's Works and Days

Everyone has heard of Homer, The blind bard that gave us the Iliad and the Odyssey, But did you know that there was a poet, roughly comtemporary with Homer, whose works represent the other part of just about everything we know about ancient Greek poetry and mythology. His name was Hesiod. Following is a cool excerpt from Hesiod's "Works and Days."

To you, foolish Perses, I will speak good sense. Badness can be got easily and in shoals: the road to her is smooth, and she lives very near us. But between us and Goodness the gods have placed the sweat of our brows: long and steep is the path that leads to her, and it is rough at the first; but when a man has reached the top, then is she easy to reach, though before that she was hard.

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282

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Kingdom of God

This morning I was surprised at Sunday School by one of those "slap yo' forehead and say 'duh!'" moments.  We're starting a series on the "Kingdom of God," and the leader quotes some scholar as saying that the Kingdom of God" was the central theme of Jesus' ministry.  How'd I miss that one?  For instance,

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:1-2; ESV)

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:14-15; ESV)

As an exercise, do a New Testament search on e-sword or Bible Gateway for the phrases, "Kingdom of God", "Kingdom of Heaven", and "kingdom." It seems that it's not unreasonable to say that this concept is central to the message. Following is an excerpt from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia...

The “kingdom of God” is one of the most remarkable ideas and phrases of all time, having begun to be used very near the beginnings of history and continuing in force down to the present day...Its use by Jesus is by far its most interesting aspect; for, in the Synoptists, at least, it is His watchword, or a comprehensive term for the whole of His teaching. Of this the ordinary reader of Scripture may hardly be aware, but it becomes evident and significant to the student.

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282
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What am I doing here?

For several years I have had three blogs - Mokuren Dojo (my martial arts blog), Self-Education of Pat (my book blog), and Presbyterian in McComb (my religion blog). The first one has been hugely successful, but my book blog and my religion blog have had mediocre reception in the blogosphere. Much of that is my fault for sporadic posting on both of those blogs.

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I started all three because I wanted to keep my martial arts blog tightly-focussed and on-topic, but also because I didn't want to subject the martial arts world to my religious beliefs. I have long felt uncomfortable with that division of my mind and my self. Splitting my effort and my soul across three blogs resulted in too little material for consistent posting, and I have spent long periods of time demotivated about posting on those two blogs.

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So, I am combining my Self-Education blog and my religion blog and I am broadening and tweaking the focus a bit. This will be a blog on my reading and self-education,as well as our family's classical model homeschooling of our children. Religion and theology, as the mother of all of academia, is a fitting part of this blog niche - but you will also see posts and reviews on a broader selection of things that I'm reading.

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I will be leaving the Presbyterian in McComb blog active as a resource page and for occasional tightly-focussed posts that may not fit here, but (nearly) all of its' older content will be moved here. Please, if you are subscribed to Presby in McComb, direct your feed reader here. to stay up to date.

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? ... (Isaiah 43:18-19; ESV)

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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282

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