Seek me and Live

4 For thus says Adonai to the house of Israel: Seek me and live;
5 but don't seek Bethel,and don't enter Gilgal nor cross to Beersheba; for Gilgal will surely be exiled,and Bethel will become idolatry. 6 Seek Adonai and live: lest he hurry like fire. House of Joseph. And it consumes, with no one to put it out for Bethel

In the middle part of the book of Amos, written the most basic divine advice to sinful Israel. "Seek me and live." Israel commanded to seek. This command has a deep meaning.

As we all know, at that time Israel live in peace-like situation, rich for some groups of people, and in fake religiosity. It is due to the absence of one supreme power at the specific region. The well being brought not obedience, on the contrary it brought disobedience.

Israel still worshiped God, they still went to Bethel, Gilgal and Beerrsheba. But it was all fake. While worshiping the one and holy God, the oppressed the poor. They only focus was how to have more for themselves. They didn't care for others, how they can survive and stay alive.

Israel still worshiped God, but they only repeat what their ancestors did. Jacob went to Bethel and met God. Beerrsheba was the place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Gilgal was the place of the first departure to the promised land lead by Joshua.

Each place has spiritual significances. But being in the same place didn't guarantee the same presence. At that three specific place all three ancestor was living in obedience. But now, Israel was in the same place but without obedience.

things that really matter for Israel was the obedience. It can be seen from their conducts to others. True spirituality will bring forth true attitude. There will always a balance between the two.

Remember the Ten Commandments, it talks about God-human relationship and human-human relationship. Here in Amos era, Israel not only failed in human-human relationship, but they also failed in God-human relationship.

First thing first. what is the first thing to fix in this case. The first thing is seek God. True attitude not always comes out of true spirituality. It can comes out of hypocrite heart. But true spirituality will always bring forth true attitude.

Seek God and you will Live.

FAMILY AND PARENTING II

Ideal Family

The conception of family has changed. Ideally a family consist of parents (father and mother) and children. But there are many variation now. Lets take a quick look of that variation. First, what we've already known, single parents. Wikipedia give a good definition.

single parent (also lone parent and sole parent) is a parent who cares for one or more children without the assistance of another parent in the home. The legal definition of "single parenthood" may vary according to the local laws of different nations or regions.

Single parenthood may occur for a variety of reasons. It could be opted for by the parent (as in divorce, adoption, artificial insemination, surrogate motherhood, or extramarital pregnancy), or be the result of an unforeseeable occurrence (such as death or abandonment by one parent).

The living and parenting arrangements of single parents are diverse. A number live in households with family or other adults. When parents separate, one party usually parents for the majority of the time but most continue to share parenting to some extent with the other parent

Single parenthood is a stage of life rather than a lifelong family form. Many re-partner and form a stepfamily.

You can also look at the single parents demographic that are also explain there.

Most single parents are female. In the past few years there are more men heading single parent families.

In 2003, 14% of all Australian households were single-parent families. Since 2001, 31% of babies born in Australia were born to unmarried mothers. (Many of these mothers may not be single parents, as they may simply live with their supportive partners without getting formally married.)

In the United Kingdom, there are 1.9 million single parents as of 2005, with 3.1 million children. About 1 out of 4 families with dependent children are single-parent families. According to a survey done by the United Kingdom, 9% of single parents in the UK are fathers, and 86% of single parents are white. UK poverty figures show that 47% of single parent families are below the Government-defined poverty line (after housing costs).

Other variation which I haven't find the statistic yet are guy and lesbi parenting. I heard about it in the seminar I attended a week ago.

This variation off course doesn't fit with biblical teaching. If a cause of single
parent parenting is death of mother or father, than one of them decide to be a single parent, than it is right. But, if it is because divorce than it is not right. (I believe that Bible doesn't allow divorce, it is another topic that also will be discuses in different post/article.

In the case of guy or lesbi parenting, I can make a strong statement that it is absolutely wrong. Bible teaches us that God intended couple is man and women not men with men or women with women. Thus the ideal family must be a man with a women with their children.

First Marriage

It is interesting to learn that marriage was initiated by God Himself. Even though there is no strong statement in the Bible that God blessed the first man and woman. But we can refer to the word - choice that is used in Genesis to call Eve before the fall. Eve is called 'his wife.' It suggests that God already blessed them as husband and wife. There was marriage in the Garden of Eden. The very first family was there. The institution of family was started in the very beginning of the world and human race.

Sexuality in Genesis

If there was marriage in the Garden of Eden, than Adam and Eve must had a good consciousness about their sex. They must realized that they had different sex. But if we read the Bible we will find that they felt ashame after the fall. It means before the fall they didn't have the felling. Thus what kind of marriage was that before the fall?

Stephen Sapp quoted by Richard M. Davidson in his article The Theology of Sexuality in the Beginning writes

"if consciousness of sex is a result of the fall that such a position assumes that sexuality itself occasions shame by its very nature, and thus suggest that sexuality was not part of God's intention for human creation." David Continues, The idea that a consciousness of sex came only after the Fall seems to be largely based on a misunderstanding of the meaning of Gen 3:7 and its relationship to Gen 2:25. It has been argued that since, according to Gen 3:7, Adam and Eve knew that they were naked only after the Fall, then Gen 2:25 must mean that they were not aware of their nakedness (or sexuality) in the beginning.

In Gen 2:25 the word for "naked" is `arum, which elsewhere in Scripture frequently refers to someone not fully clothed or not clothed in the normal manner. Gen 2:25 does not explicitly indicate in what way Adam and Eve were without clothes in the normal sense ("normal" from the post-Fall perspective), but the
semantic range of `arum is consonant with the conclusion toward which parallel creation/Paradise passages point, namely, that Adam and Eve were originally "clothed" with "garments" of light and glory.

If such is the case in Gen 2:25, then the contrast with Gen 3 becomes clear. In Gen 3:7, 10, 11, the Hebrew word for "naked" is `erom, which elsewhere in Scripture always appears in a context of total (and usually shameful) exposure, describing someone "utterly naked" or "bare." As a result of sin, the human pair find themselves "utterly naked," bereft of the garments of light and glory, and they seek to clothe themselves with fig leaves. Even this post-Fall "nakedness" should not, however, be interpreted as causing Adam and Eve to be ashamed of their own bodies before each other. There is no mention of mutual embarrassment
or shame before each other. The context is rather one of fear and dread before God. Adam says to God (3:10), "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid
myself."

Now I can conclude that, again, since the very beginning of the human race God already design a family which is started by godly marriage in a holy place made by God alone, Garden of Eden.

FAMILY AND PARENTING I

The Importance of Being Refreshed

Three days ago I attended seminar on family and parenting. I can guest the content of the seminar at once when the invitation given to me. But even all the materials are the same with what I have known the seminar still useful for me. What we have known doesn't automatically make us expert on it, especially on family. For example, a ready to marriage young man may have known about being a husband. He may have read many books on how to be a good husband. Or he already collected all the memories he had in all his life about the way his father became a father to him. All of it and many more will only build self-confidence for him to enter marriage. Every thing will be different when, he enters marriage life. He will learn from the beginning, as if all the knowledge is not in his head.

A married couple that already married for years also face that problem even is not exactly the same. All the experiences they've been through will not make them free from marriage problems. Nowadays in almost every country and almost in every big city there are counselors on marriage. But you will agree with me if I say that they still have problems with his/her spouse.

Both explanations above prove that we, human, need to refresh our self, so that what we have known will appear as something new, something interesting. We also need to refresh our self so that we will stay on guard toward all the consequences if we fail in specific areas of our life. If we have children, refreshment may help us dealing with present problems or threats that are ready to happen.

I have a student that always says that he will be able to win in every struggle, because God has given him the guidance and 'manual' of life. But please read stories in Old Testament. Israel received revelation from God. They saw many wonders, experienced many divine helps and treated as a special nation at that time. But they still runaway from God, committed to other gods and sin.

From the theocratic era until exile, we can find many refreshments initiated by God Himself to remind Israel about his responsibility as covenant bearer. But all the refreshment didn't work well. In Judges era, the refreshment only last for 30-60 years. After that Israel sin again.

If Israel, who received refreshment from God still fail, what about us? Are we ever received revelation from God like the Israelites received? If yes, sometimes we will still fail. If not… . That is why now I am going to say that refreshment is really important.

Few weeks ago I read some commentary on Amos. In that reading, I find a statement from one book that I read: "...the condition in Amos era is clear, the social class can be strictly divide into two classes that are the haves and the havenots." there no other social class. Israel spiritual life, the behavior of the priests, and the nobleman also their wives were so corrupt. Ironically, they still bring offerings and sacrifices. But God refused all of it.

Once I also read an article about Amos and there is one statement quoted there, may be from Wellhausen. He said that one of the theme in Amos is ethical monotheism. That article also explains that this term is technical one.

But here I don't want to make it difficult. I just want to make it simple by dividing the phrase: monotheism and ethic. In Amos era the haves and the priests were all acknowledging the only one God. But their behavior was really different. They became oppressor to the poor.

In short I want to say that their sacrifices were useless. Amos also rebuke it. It doesn't mean that good deed determine the quality of spiritual life. but, if they have real relationship to God, thus good deed will flow up from their life. this monotheism and ethic ideas in Amos is just the same with the structure of the Ten Commandments: The first four are about God and human relationship, the rest are about the relationship of human and their fellow human.

See how simple it is. Our religious life can be determined by our good deed.

Indonesia Needs Prophet??

I am confused, when I have to write the title of this post. Actually it only an idea that come into my mind after watching news on Indonesian TVs. There is almost no good news at all. Every morning after morning prayer, I often turn on my television to see sport news and national news. The news are always bad. Corrupt government, crime, increasing living cost, poverty and many other bad news. It just the same with the list of curses in Deuteronomy.

Then one time I attended pastor meeting. there I didn't hear anything about evangelism effort, stories of repentances, God's miracle. What I heard was tithing problem, a cheating pastor (I don't know the good word for it in English). Again, it just the same with the condition in pre-exile' prophet era.

When Israel experienced hard time like that God acted in powerful ways. He showed His will through prophets. He Judged, helped, comforted, punished. God hands could be seen.

My question may be sound ridiculous for some of you. But when I read the article entitled How Does God Work - How Does God Lead at glance it seems this is what Indonesia needs. I am not talking about a prophet like OT prophet. I am talking about person, organization or others that used by God with power, authority, integrity, passion and love from God.

Indonesia need your prayer. I know many mission activities done/still in progress/will be done here. I am really convinced that God is doing something in Indonesia. Pray for Indonesia.

Brief Summary of Psalm 15

1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?

2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

Gunkel categorized this Psalm into entrance liturgy with division as follows:

1. The worshippers inquire the qualifications for admission to the holy place
2. Specific requirements uttered
3. Conclusion

This categorization will lead to specific interpretation. That is, it should be understood in the context of Israel’s formal worship.

But if we look at the book written by Tremper Longman III about Psalm, Psalm 15 can also be categorized into wisdom psalm. It contains words of wisdom like proverb which tells what God desire to see in human life.

Both can be correct. But there is an alternative view Craigie, Peter, C. He suggests that Ps 15 is a wisdom poem, based perhaps upon the form of the entrance liturgy. So if we want to understand this psalm, we have to see it first from wisdom perspective without leaving Israel’s formal worship context.

This Psalm begins with two questions asking the same thing: what is the qualification of people who wants to enter God’s sanctuary. The word sanctuary (tent) can suggest formal worship and also intimate relationship. The phrase holy hill suggests the place of sacrifice. Thus this verse asks this question: what kind of people that are permitted to have an intimate worship and offer a sacrifice to the Lord.

Verse 2 – 5a list the qualification. It presented in positive and negative way. Craigie says that the first emphasizes of the act of doing right things. The second emphasizes the blameless side of life the state of free from evil.

Derek Kinder summarizes these verses and say that the person should have true character, should restrain their words, loyal and their dealings are honorable

A Young Pentecostal Theologian from Indonesia

This friend of mine is really an outstanding Indonesian young pentecostal theologian. Have just graduated from APTS, and now teaching in a Leading AG Theological School in Indonesia. He also pour out his fresh ideas and opinions on his blog. I think AG in Indonesia should be proud of having a young theologian like him.