GOD AGAINST THE GODS
The business of the biblical witness is not to tell us
about the historical, cultural, religious, political or literary climate
of the day though in the process of doing what it does it reveals a lot
of that.
For example, Genesis 1 & 2 sets itself against its environment in
which the gods of the nations whose stories are told in the Enuma Elish
or the Baal Cycle or the many myths of Sumeria and Egypt. In the Bible
God as God has no mythology—he isn’t created, he doesn’t war against
other gods to become the chief god nor does he die or be killed and
somehow come to life again. Stories like that occur in the mythology of
the polytheistic world to explain their experience with nature.
[How to you explain wilderness sitting next to fertile land—as in
Egypt? You invent warring gods—the multi-tasking Sekhmet [fierce godess
whose breath created the desert] over against Osiris [god of the Nile
who makes Egypt fruitful]. How do you explain floods that destroy and
rains that bring prosperity—as in Babylonia or Sumeria? You invent gods
who oppose one another—Marduk and Tiamat. How do you explain the winter
fruitlessness and the summer harvests—as in Canaan? You tell stories
about Baal’s death and being brought to life again. How do explain
storms in Canaan? You tell stories of Baal when he is greatly angered
[but see Psalm 29 that defies Babylonian and Canaanite flood and storm
explanations and see Psalm 82 where God scornfully dismisses the gods of
the nations who are the inventions of the “wise” humans who yield the
power over people].
Because they couldn’t control or bribe nature they personified the
forces of nature and made offerings to them to appease their anger or
gain and keep their good will and blessing. When foreign armies
threatened them they called on their gods to protect them and when they
were defeated they would confess the limits of the gods they worshiped.
This distorted thinking showed itself in Israel from time to time. See 2
Chronicles 28:23-26; 1 Kings 20:23-28; 2 Kings 16:7-16.
Genesis 1 & 2 says all that is nonsense and it is the one true
God, who is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who walked into Egypt
and publicly exposed that entire pagan theology. “I alone am God, I
created and shaped the world in harmony and fruitfulness; I created the
human family and redemptively cursed my creation to ultimately bless it.
The gods aren’t to be feared or worshiped.”
Multiplied millions now and in ages past have not heard these truths;
they’ve been heard by multiplied millions without being “heard” but
Christians have been blessed to hear them. These are the envy of the
ages, said Jesus in Luke 10:21-24! [And with that profound privilege
comes the mission to speak the truth they been blessed with to a
harassed and burdened human family—enslaved by gods ancient and modern,
with and without idols.
Whatever else the Exodus events tell us [and they tell us many
profound truths] they tell us that God is opposed to cruelty and all
forms of oppression. God has created humans to love and be loved, to
rejoice and love righteousness and in our living to reflect him as his
image. He has made it clear to us that we can’t live fully without
him—we were made for him and for one another and while we may be content
with a relatively trouble-free life we were made for more than that.
Some of us have come to know this and while we rejoice in the pleasures
of life and thank God for them there’s that in us that can’t be content
with these. There’s a hunger in us that can’t be filled even in a lovely
life in a world such as ours now is. Click here.
The truth God revealed about himself and gave to Israel and then to
the NT People of God has suffered greatly at the hands of those to whom
it has been given. The distortion of this “gospel” of God has led to
cruelty and apathy that defies description and can only be acknowledged
with profound sadness, embarrassment and shame. The task God entrusted
to believers remains the same—get to know Him; get to know his creation
purpose to bless humanity and bring it to a glorious climax in and under
the Lordship of Jesus Christ at his final coming and ceaselessly to
tell those truths now, in speech, in liturgy and sacraments and daily
life.
“Look unto me and be saved all you ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other!” Isaiah 45:22