The Wizard

entonio at gmail.com · 11 Mar 2012, 17:42 · from 2012-March.txt.gz

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From: entonio at gmail.com (entonio at gmail.com)
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:42:48 +0000
Subject: (urth) The Wizard
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No dia 11/03/2012, ?s 01:55, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> escreveu:

> 'Those of us who stand by the whole canon should be ready to defend it with more than just saying the people who wrote it were savages.'
> 
> I tried to take a tentative stab at that in my earlier comments.

Yes. 

>  'no amount of descriptions of ????? as merciful can make up for actions by him which seem to contradict it. Other things may, but not simple adjectives. '
> 
> I believe I said God's mercy in the OT was emphasised continually by both ascription and actions.  And, frankly, the ascriptions DO matter very much in the way the Bible works, I think.  But yes, they are always accompanied by their embodiment in divine action.  I would begin by pointing to the mercifully active CONTEXT that surrounds the Canaanite massacre and so on.  That is, the grace of CREATION itself (and again I emphasise that the opening chapters of Genesis portray a mighty AND amazingly near, gracious, gentle, patient Creator - and just the sheer joy and goodness in the very creation itself reflecting God's worthiness to be praised and trusted.  

Indeed. Gensos starts off tenderly. 

> But also the divine compassion toward and rescue of the Israelites (which I already pointed to).  Furthermore, there is the plan for redemption of all humanity that unfolds from the earliest moments and then right through.

Though I think a Christian should be able to defend the OT *also* in strictly Jewish terms. 

>  These strike me as FAR more fundamental to a good reading of the Bible's own doctrine of God than incidences of 'genocide'

What's in the injunction to spare no breathing Canaanite that warrants those quotes?

> and so on (which I certainly never said needed to be glossed over - indeed, I tried briefly to take a direct look at them and reason from my premises of God's goodness as to how to understand them in that framework).

I think context is very important when reading the OT, and by that I mean not simply the explicit context but everything that isn't said. When we read Wolfe we are aware of an immense untold backstory, and it isn't different with the OT. Those books build on a lot that we have no direct access to. And our assumptions may lead us astray. For instance, I'm convinced Jephthah's daughter lived a long life, but most commentators have historically assumed otherwise - all because the story is laconic and suggestion goes a long way.

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