The Word as Art; The Book as a Love Story

August 20, 2022August 19, 2022 / EloquentMuse / Leave a comment

I have a passion for the Bible. I’m not deluded enough to believe everyone feels the same as me. I mean, it’s an old book with old stories we can’t always relate to. It’s huge and unwieldy! It even has sections that are only full of genealogies or lists of materials for the tabernacle or numbers of people counted in a census for tribes. What about this dry, verbose material would be alluring to anyone?

Let me tell you. If you came to the Bible as if it were a piece of art or ancient literature, you would see an incomprehensibly complex masterpiece created over thousands of years. I know part of my fascination with this work is because I’m a literature major. I love books. So, the symbolism, the foreshadowing, the repeated themes to tell a story or moral are engrossing to me. Jesus must’ve loved it too, speaking in parables all the time. Add to it that it wasn’t just one author. It’s difficult enough to have one person write one work. The Bible is made of 66 books: History, laws, poetry/songs, accounts for census or accounts, genealogy records, letters, prophecies. Yet, they all come together with the same plot, the same themes, the same symbols, the same message of love.

Which brings me to this: If I could sum up the Bible, what would I say? In one word, of course it would be love. In a bit of a longer way, I would say that the Word starts with the story of humanity living in a state of absolute love and peace, getting kicked out of that utopia, and then not being able to return. However, over the course of the rest of the Bible, you’ll learn three things: Eden is not a place; it’s where ever God is. We were not kicked out of Eden; we walked ourselves out. God has been trying to convince us ever since we left to return back. I want you to reread those three things. What do I mean?

Eden is not a place. It never was. I’m not saying there wasn’t a physically separate area where Adam and Eve lived. T hat’s not the point. It wasn’t Eden because of where it was located. It was Eden because that’s where God and humanity walked together in the cool of the day.

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…
Genesis 3:8

We were not kicked out. Have you ever been told when younger that as long as you live under your parent’s roof, you live by their rules? God’s rules were simple: Don’t eat from the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Really, it wasn’t even about the fruit. It was about following God’s rules. It was a fruit of death, and God was saving us from ourselves. His rules are all about love. We didn’t want that. We decided to disobey. We decided to leave God’s presence.

He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
Genesis 3:11

God has been trying to convince us to return back to his presence since the moment we left it. What about that angel with a flaming sword, you may ask? Sweetheart, do you think if we wanted back in His love and grace and followed his rules that anything would keep us from Him? We couldn’t return to His loving presence as long as we lived in disobedience and darkness. The darkness doesn’t exist in the light. God is begging you to return to His loving arms (Lev 26: 11-12).

And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.
Ezekiel 36:35

These are the simple truths. The Bible is full of complicated truths and hard truths as well. If you read it expecting the main characters to be only perfect and holy people, you’re going to be surprised. Not a one of them were perfect until Jesus. In fact, they were all evil in varying ways and saved only by the love of God. That’s the point. If you read it expecting the “good people” in it like Moses, David, etc. to only speak to God with positivity and adoration, you’ll be surprised. Especially David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), wrote songs and poems about every emotion and situation he experienced. Sometimes, he poured out his anger to God.

O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.
Psalm 35:17-18

Sometimes, he poured out his doubts.

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?”
Psalm 13:1

God can take it. He already hears your heart’s lamentations and doubts before you open your mouth. He wants you to communicate and open up to Him in honesty and truth, even hard, painful truth.

I just wanted to speak with you today about my love for the Bible. It’s a love story about the growing, changing relationship between God and His people. I guess I could say I wanted to write a public love letter about THE public love letter known as the Word.

Leave me a message below if you have anything you love about the Bible.

God bless!

The Tapestry of the Word

July 4, 2020July 1, 2020 / EloquentMuse / Leave a comment

There are many themes, references, and symbols not readily apparent from a simple scan of the Bible. They tie the whole book together from beginning to end, which is a feat since each book of the Bible comes from different eras and cultures, especially the Old and New Testaments. The written Word is a tapestry of many threads and designs that tie together in ways we may not always realize.

The first theme we’ll discuss is that of trees just because it’s forefront in my mind from listening to Bible Project podcasts. From the moment Adam and Eve are shown the trees of both Life and knowledge of Good and Bad (the Hebrew usually translated as “evil” actually means a more genetic “bad” (Strong’s), trees entered the mind of the children of God. Time and again, trees are mentioned in ways that point back to the garden of Eden and the choice between life and death that first humanity had there. It comes to mean sacrifice (as we sacrifice our own belief of what is good and bad to obey God’s truth on good and bad). In many ways, humans are symbolized by trees, vines, and branches, fruiting when living in the way of the Holy Spirit, serving others. Finally, it springs forth again to show us Eden come again.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Revelations 2:7

Another theme is the temple, which should be looked at as our true home. The first temple was actually the garden of Eden. It was placed on a high place, with the Holy of Holies in the center (i.e. those pesky trees of Life and knowledge of Good and Bad). The entirety of the Bible is about the journey of mankind searching for the temple to return to their rightful place as priests, ambassadors between heaven and earth in the Promised Land. Noah’s ark (a symbol of salvation), trees, animals that Noah (as a type of Adam) had to rule over, are more symbols of a temple. Mountains count many times as temples, high and close to heaven as to connect man and God, Abraham and countless others perform sacrifices on altars there. Then, of course, Moses and the Israelites built a tabernacle to serve as a traveling temple in order to commune with Yahweh. Solomon and many of his descendants built or maintained actual, permanent structures used as temples where the practice of priesthood was elaborated and cemented. Once Jesus showed up on the scene, as little as they realized at the time, He spoke of another traveling temple that would last until his return: the Holy Spirit would reside in God’s children, and no longer would people have to find the temple: It would come to them. Of course, in Revelations, the final realization of the temple becomes reality, and all of earth will become a grand temple, a massive Eden, where God will walk once again everywhere and with all people.

Honey and honeycomb is a relatively obscure symbol that pops up time and again. It tends to stand for God’s wisdom and decrees. Let’s consider these verses:

The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
Psalm 19:9-10

The above is pretty obvious.

One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
Proverbs 27:7

When someone is full on their own or the world’s “wisdom,” they don’t long for God’s. However, those hungry for God will seek even His most hard to swallow words. By the way, I’m not stretching anything here. See this source that says something similar.

Someone’s it’s symbolism will help you understand other passages where honey shows up.

All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground. When the people were come to the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.But Jonathan didn’t hear when his father commanded the people with the oath: therefore he put forth the end of the rod who was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
1 Samuel 14:27

Jonathon was symbolically enlightened with God’s wisdom despite his dad’s oath, and it ended up saving his life and Israel’s in the end. During the Great Exodus when Israel comes across manna, and that’s the only food for a long while, it tastes of honey as well, for good reason. They were living off more than just bread but off of every word that came from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
Revelation 10:7-11

The truth is not always pleasant.

These are just a sample of the many threads that are woven from Genesis to Revelations. Can you find any other symbols, themes, or references that are consistently sewn into the fabric of the Bible? Does it change how you read the Word?

God bless!

Finding Eden

December 14, 2019December 12, 2019 / EloquentMuse / Leave a comment

God spoke through me this past weekend.

I’ve been listening to a Podcast (The Bible Project, if you’re interested) in which the hosts have been speaking about the Sabbath, the number 7 as reflective of the Sabbath day, and the repetition of both in the Bible. The first time the Kingdom of God was recognized was within the Garden of Eden. During this time of bliss, we were in complete harmony with each other, with nature, and ultimately with God. It was there where work never exhausted our souls, and we never depended on our blood, sweat, and tears to ensure our survival. We depended only on God and never doubted that we had enough.

The Sabbath, a day of rest, existed even then, but it appeared to be more of a reminder of God’s providence than a necessity. In a way, every day was Sabbath. The 7th day is a microcosm of the Kingdom of God, and now that we no longer live in the Garden of Eden, we need that reminder of God’s promises more than ever. Plus, we need the rest.

Over and over, God reminds us to rest. There first was the weekly Sabbath, then as festivals and holy days were added to the Hebrew calendar, there were yearly Sabbaths, and Sabbaths which came every 7 years (all slaves were freed and debts forgiven as the ideal God wanted every day). Every time the number 7 comes up in the Bible (and I dare say elsewhere in our lives), God is reminded us of this:

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Psalm 37:7

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Hebrews 4:9-10

I can’t put here all the times God told us to rest. We’ve been out of Eden so long we don’t even realize how hard we toil, but God does, and He wants you to stop, be still, rest. However, we no longer live in Eden; we no longer live in the Kingdom of God… or do we? Where is the Kingdom of God? People throughout history have searched for the elusive Eden that used to be between the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates. If we found that place, would we find the Kingdom of God? Or maybe it’s in the land of Israel, the promised land the Hebrews wondered the desert for forty years to find?

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:36-37

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

I need for you to understand this thing God has revealed to me. Eden is not here or there. Eden is wherever God is. Is it not with Him that we are provided for, in Him we rest with peace and joy, for Him that we raise one another up in love? The Kingdom of God is here, amongst us, and those who have faith and live in love live also in the Kingdom of God already. We have enough, and we are enough through God.

As you reflect on the Christmas season that’s upon us, notice the “Christmas Spirit,” as people call it. We should be living it daily. Can you imagine the dark corners of this world that would be illuminated with the light and joy we could spread? When Jesus walked on this Earth, He lived as a person already in the Kingdom of God. One day, there will be a new Heaven and Earth, and the whole of humanity will live without the storms and darkness we have now. Until then, live as if you already are in the New Heaven and Earth because the Kingdom of God resides wherever the King does, and that’s here and now.

It is by Him, not our own toils, that we live and die. So, rest.