400 years of silence

No, I am not arguing there were 400 years between the time Adam was created and Eve appeared on the scene. That would make me a sexist and unPC. But consider that from 400 BC to the birth of Christ, we have no record of God speaking to His people. Have you wondered, "why not?" I suppose some have speculated on this, but His silence is rarely mentioned or discussed that I know of. Was He just tired of dealing with rebellion or was there something going on during that time that set the stage for His next act.

In spending some time recently revisiting history, my curiosity has been awaken to some thoughts I'd like to share. You may find them irrelevant, or maybe interesting, or possibly even profound. I have become much more aware of the amazing sense of God's timing and message in scripture, so for me - PROFOUND.

Let's go back in time and quickly see the progression of human thought. For centuries mankind sought counsel mainly by "sitting next to the wise," such as prophets and sages, and probing explanations of life through mythology that developed in both eastern and western civilizations. Throughout this time there was an innate recognition of the power of life that is fundamentally identical in the individual person and the cosmos. There was a progressive focus on earth, the problems of earth, the beginning, middle and end of human life, the unpredictability of it all, and the realization we are part rational and part passionate beings. Prior to 600 BC there were deep insights into the human condition, but little critical reflection.

From 600-400 BC there was the emergence and flourishing of the Greek philosophers. Philosophy sought to deal with issues of knowledge, conduct and governance. Unlike the cumulative progress of science, abstract ideas only progress in clarity. Ignorance is not overcome, only exposed. The bottom line of philosophy is to test our most fundamental beliefs in order to get them right, recognizing that the questions necessary to "getting it right" are essentially unanswerable.

From 400 BC til Jesus, philosophy matured ushering in three prevailing themes defining thought and belief in all of the known world:
1.   nature or the natural order of the cosmos is our guide to truth
2.   how can we be sure of anything?
3.   the verdict depends on the evidence (driven by perception)

Within this context Jesus arrives. God no longer is silent. Maybe He was waiting for philosophy to fully define the Pharisees' thinking? Was Jesus teaching into a theological vacuum? Did the context of His time (which, btw, is still the context of the world) matter to what He needed to say? He says first and foremost, "repent and believe." In other words His initial position into this well established world of philosophy was, "you gotta think completely differently and trust this new pattern of thought." Jesus goes on to explain these new ideas by contrasting "nature as our guide" to the Kingdom of heaven as our guide. Further, the evidence for assurance is not how our physical senses inform us, but in trusting a faith (unseen evidence) in Jesus as the Son of God, come to earth to make us 'right' and reconcile us back to Him.

Jesus seminal teaching is often considered to be what is called the Sermon on the Mount. Here He addresses the error in four specific tenets of philosophy that dominated all human thought.

First, He reminds us of how fortunate we are as Kingdom dwellers. Contrary to Aristotle's view of human's obsession with happiness ('eudemonia') that is found in our actions and circumstances, our fortune ('makarios') is sourced in the heavenlies. We can rest in the assurance that we are absolutely destitute to provide even one breath on our own. Having our identity in Jesus rather than the prevailing norms of the cosmos relieves us of the responsibility to sustain life though our own efforts. How fortunate we are.

Second, the abundant and virtuous life is not insight but light. Life is not fulfilled through the wisdom we seek for ourselves by gaining knowledge, but that our lives themselves reflect the "light of the world" to the world.

Third, solving the chaos and destruction witnessed across history is not a human endeavor. Evil will not be abated by being smarter and answering the endless questions of philosophy, but by the preserving and flavoring nature of God's people providing salt to a fallen world.

Fourth, depending on law ('nomos') to make us right is futile. The very claims of philosophy that pursuits of nature as the guide to justice also admit this is endless. Philosophers believe that if we are making progress toward 'right', then we are OK. But they cannot be sure. Jesus reminds us that less than 100% right is the same as 'not right.' His claim is that He fully completes the law in His very person. So why not pursue Him in faith instead of principles we can glean from rational pursuit of natural order in the cosmos based on our senses?

Reading scripture in light of what happened in the 400 years of God's silence is different. New ideas about what God is saying appear. Picturing Aristotle and all his minions working diligently to orient thinking in a way that is counter to the Gospel makes the Scriptures even that much more powerful to me.

REPENT means 100% change of thinking, but
if we don't know what defines the starting point, its difficult to realize  and appreciate any change.
Where has your nature guided you? What assumptions determine how you think, feel and act? Has God been silent in your life? You may be surprised.

Pondering fodder ....