"Offering Sacrifices in the Shade?"

I have recently been studying through the book of Hosea.  It is a STARK contrast to my usual studies but I am gleaning MUCH from this 7th century prophet who the Lord sent to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of great prosperity but spiritual poverty.

Stuart thinks that the entirety of chapter four can be seen as a "courtroom drama" where YHWH acts as prosecutor, jury, and judge.  In particular verses 11-14 are accusations against Israel for their false cultic worship and "prostituting" themselves with the gods of the Canaanites (Baal and Asteroth).

While studying verse thirteen something struck me...I had to read it over and over again:

"They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant."

Okay...maybe I'm just dumb...but did you get it?  They sacrificed on mountaintops and offered burnt offerings on the hills...which is where the shrines and altars of both YHWH and Baal would have been (so their worship was syncretistic at BEST) BUT here is what struck me...they sat under the trees in the shade while the sacrifices were made and then enjoyed a picnic with what they were allowed to partake of...in other words...they made themselves as COMFORTABLE as possible while they "worshipped." It seems to me that God is condemning those worshippers who not only worship false gods but also who seek their own comfort while doing so!!


This REALLY hit home (theologically) with me...please don't misunderstand I LIKE to be in a warm place in the winter and a cool place in the summer when I worship...but I think that there is a spiritual precedent here that has NOTHING to do with temperature!!


When we come to worship, Paul says in Romans 12, we should "offer (present) ourselves as living sacrifices"  which I always believed meant that we should offer something costly to God...ourselves.  Offerings and sacrifices have caused more trouble in Scripture...they were the issue with Cain and Abel; Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, they were at the core if Israel's issue with the golden calf, and Jesus had more than a few words with the Pharisees and Saducees about such practices.  


The original ideal in the sacrificial system was to bring the best that you could afford (that is why God sent Jesus...he was the BEST!). We are asked to do this as a reminder that God is our provider and as such we need to make him first in our lives...therefore our sacrifice should be costly...we might even say that it should cost us our lives (to give it to God)...but I am afraid that we, the Church of 2012, have fallen into the same trap as Israel...God has blessed us so we have become "comfortable" (to use Hosea's words) while making our sacrifices in the shade...HEAVEN forbid that we would be uncomfortable while doing our spiritual thing!


It is a vivid picture...can't you imagine them in their finest frockery, constantly moving their lawn chairs around to avoid the sun, fanning themselves, sitting in the shade with a tall glass of whatever they drank that was cool, discussing everything they could imagine...never once stopping to consider what was going on around them or what they were REALLY there for...atonement (the forgiveness of sin).


Too often I am afraid that this is what God sees when He looks at His Church today..."fiddling while Rome burns"...paying attention to everything except what they should be, and offering worship that only costs us an hour a week. God help me NEVER to be comfortable while people are lost and dying.


I believe...help my unbelief.

The Jesus I Could Do Without Pt. 1

The "Friendship" Jesus

This stereotypical Jesus has appeared in modern and postmodern literature and music within the Church since the "Jesus Movement" of the late 60's and early 70's (though there are earlier references to be sure...such as the hymn "Jesus is All the World to Me...He's my friend.").  In the movie Dogma this Jesus is referred to as the "Buddy Jesus" (see picture below). This Jesus is a TRUE friend who will never let you down and is always there when you have some narcissistic felt need that must be met.  He is completely compassionate and understands like no other will, in fact He will tell you EXACTLY what you want to hear to make you feel better.  He is AWESOME to "hang with" and is just fine being your "bro!"   And last but not least...He makes life "happy"...and who doesn't want that?

To be sure the bible does speak about friendship, Jesus will NEVER leave us orphaned or abandoned, He is compassion incarnate, and He IS the giver of peace...BUT...

K.H. Rengstorf in an article in Kittle's theological dictionary on the Greek term for "friend" (hetairos) states it like this:

The term is used for--companion, fellow soldier, member of the same party or religious society, a pupil, a friend or a colleague...the ONLY NT use is in Matthew (20:3; 22:12; 26:50)...the meaning is "friend" but in each case with the implication of a distinct relationship in which there is generosity on the one part and abuse of it on the other...

THE ABSENCE OF THE WORD ELSEWHERE IN THE NT SHOWS THAT IT IS NOT THOUGHT TO BE APPROPRIATE TO CHRISTIANS, FOR IN RELATION TO CHRIST "DOULOS" (SLAVE) IS THE PROPER TERM FOR BELIEVERS, AND IN RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER "ADELPHOI" (BROTHER). (p. 265)

In other words, Jesus has no interest in being our "bud!" Jesus' primary interest in us is theological (soteriological) and pedagogical...in our earthly lives friendship is not usually costly (though it probably should be, in reality it is not)...DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND...relationship with Christ IS THE KEY...but our relationship to Christ is bilaterally costly...it cost God His Son, Jesus his life, and they demand our life in return. I HATE taking up my cross daily...having Jesus be my best friend is easier and therapeutic...but to borrow a term from Bonhoeffer "cheap grace" is no grace at all. I think I can live without Jesus being my friend...but I cannot live without Him being my Savior.  I believe...help me in my unbelief.