Bad Theology
Text for today: I Samuel 2 xxv, 4 x-xviii, 6 i-v
The priest Eli has two corrupt sons. He remonstrates with them, but they refuse to listen because God wants to kill them. In order to accomplish this, God empowers the Philistines to kill thirty thousand Israelite soldiers in battle and to capture the ark of the Covenant. Eli's sons are among the casualties, and when the old priest hears the news he falls over in a faint and breaks his neck.
As with God's deliberate hardening of Pharaoh's heart in order to justify His murderous collective punishment of the Egyptian people, all possibility of repentance and mercy is denied; not by the thoughts or actions of men, but by God's will alone. In this case, God turns the screw still further by afflicting not an enemy of the Israelites but a priestly family. Eli has served God for forty years and has taught the young Samuel, who will become one of the greatest prophets. Having first carefully ensured that Eli's sons have no chance at redeeming themselves. God rewards him by causing the deaths of all three men, cursing their family and ensuring the bloody humiliation of the entire Israelite people. Rather than kill the powerless old man Himself, God courageously has the fatal news brought to him by a soldier of the defeated army, who has presumably been spared for that righteous purpose.
Having caused the Philistines to capture the ark of the Covenant, God punishes them in turn for being effective instruments of His will. Such is His mercy and justice that He afflicts them with tumors for seven months until the ark is returned to the master race.
The priest Eli has two corrupt sons. He remonstrates with them, but they refuse to listen because God wants to kill them. In order to accomplish this, God empowers the Philistines to kill thirty thousand Israelite soldiers in battle and to capture the ark of the Covenant. Eli's sons are among the casualties, and when the old priest hears the news he falls over in a faint and breaks his neck.
As with God's deliberate hardening of Pharaoh's heart in order to justify His murderous collective punishment of the Egyptian people, all possibility of repentance and mercy is denied; not by the thoughts or actions of men, but by God's will alone. In this case, God turns the screw still further by afflicting not an enemy of the Israelites but a priestly family. Eli has served God for forty years and has taught the young Samuel, who will become one of the greatest prophets. Having first carefully ensured that Eli's sons have no chance at redeeming themselves. God rewards him by causing the deaths of all three men, cursing their family and ensuring the bloody humiliation of the entire Israelite people. Rather than kill the powerless old man Himself, God courageously has the fatal news brought to him by a soldier of the defeated army, who has presumably been spared for that righteous purpose.
Having caused the Philistines to capture the ark of the Covenant, God punishes them in turn for being effective instruments of His will. Such is His mercy and justice that He afflicts them with tumors for seven months until the ark is returned to the master race.
2 Comments:
At 3:34 pm ,
Brian M said...
Of course, the real issue is that there was NEVER a glorious Kingdom of Israel that could have fielded an army of 30,000 in those days. Merely Canaanite tribe squabbling with others. The glorious history of Israel was invented to justify the return of parasitical tax farmers to collect money for the Persian king from the native peasants and herders.
At 11:06 pm ,
Philip said...
While a literalistic concern with "what actually happened" may suffice to satisfy the boorish materialist, it is not enough for the elect. Hence the emphasis on spiritual and moral concerns in these brief and humble offerings.
Much if not all of the Old Testament relates more to the times when it was compiled, rather than to anything that occurred during those it purportedly records. In this respect ancient Hebrew nostalgia is superior to the modern British variety, which relates to times that did not happen, are not happening and will never happen.
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