It's all about perspective
Sometimes I have a hard time thinking about the Old Testament. I read about King David and the great triumphs of his day, about his mighty military strength and all that. To read the Old Testament you get the impression that Israel was the center of the civilized world.
I have a hard time because then I remember learning in ancient world history that Israel, from a historical perspective, was a backwards little country that actually never amounted to much of anything. There are references to it in other ancient cultures, but usually they are about how they conquered the Hebrews or captured them. It's like Israel was the whipping boy for the rest of the world. Even in the Old Testament, ever tried to count how many times they were defeated in battle or captured or carried away as slaves?
The only notable exception was during the reign of David, but even then it seems that the rest of the known world seemed to be in something of a state of chaos and weakness. Even Israels greatest days seemed to come from the rest of the world's weakness. From a purely historical perspective, it seems that God's people were not people of great influence in the world, and the rest of the world barely took notice of them.
Maybe it is because I read it from an American perspective, and I can't imagine growing up in a country that is not a "superpower." Whatever the reason, that's a kind of discouraging perspective. Not only because reading the Old Testament we are cheering for the heroes we find there, but also because God's people were supposed to be a light to the entire world. How is it that the rest of the world could walk around in darkness without even noticing that light? Sometimes I have a hard time reading the psalms because I think of the larger perspective of the ancient world.
But then I forget that there is an even larger perspective to keep in mind, and for some reason this is the one that keeps slipping my mind. Psalm 49 is a great reminder of this. Verse 10, "For all can see that wise men die, the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves."
Geographical boundaries and names of countries. What does it all really matter anyway? If one country was strong and another was weak, don't they both end up in the same place? Even if America is one of the greatest countries in the world, that only lasts for so long. And what ever became of the founders of this great country? Well, we read about them in history books, they get their likenesses all over our money. But that's about it.
There is always a larger perspective of eternity that has to be accounted for. Naming a land after yourself is one thing, naming a hospital or building after yourself leaves a legacy for a finite number of years. But then what?
With that larger perspective in mind, we can see what God was doing in a backwards little country called Israel. Their socioeconomic impact might have been small in their day, but look what has happened since then. Not only that, but what will continue to happen in our lives for eternity.
I have a hard time because then I remember learning in ancient world history that Israel, from a historical perspective, was a backwards little country that actually never amounted to much of anything. There are references to it in other ancient cultures, but usually they are about how they conquered the Hebrews or captured them. It's like Israel was the whipping boy for the rest of the world. Even in the Old Testament, ever tried to count how many times they were defeated in battle or captured or carried away as slaves?
The only notable exception was during the reign of David, but even then it seems that the rest of the known world seemed to be in something of a state of chaos and weakness. Even Israels greatest days seemed to come from the rest of the world's weakness. From a purely historical perspective, it seems that God's people were not people of great influence in the world, and the rest of the world barely took notice of them.
Maybe it is because I read it from an American perspective, and I can't imagine growing up in a country that is not a "superpower." Whatever the reason, that's a kind of discouraging perspective. Not only because reading the Old Testament we are cheering for the heroes we find there, but also because God's people were supposed to be a light to the entire world. How is it that the rest of the world could walk around in darkness without even noticing that light? Sometimes I have a hard time reading the psalms because I think of the larger perspective of the ancient world.
But then I forget that there is an even larger perspective to keep in mind, and for some reason this is the one that keeps slipping my mind. Psalm 49 is a great reminder of this. Verse 10, "For all can see that wise men die, the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves."
Geographical boundaries and names of countries. What does it all really matter anyway? If one country was strong and another was weak, don't they both end up in the same place? Even if America is one of the greatest countries in the world, that only lasts for so long. And what ever became of the founders of this great country? Well, we read about them in history books, they get their likenesses all over our money. But that's about it.
There is always a larger perspective of eternity that has to be accounted for. Naming a land after yourself is one thing, naming a hospital or building after yourself leaves a legacy for a finite number of years. But then what?
With that larger perspective in mind, we can see what God was doing in a backwards little country called Israel. Their socioeconomic impact might have been small in their day, but look what has happened since then. Not only that, but what will continue to happen in our lives for eternity.
posted by Jeff at 9:24 AM
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