Israel’s Foreign Policy
September 29, 2007
Γετοίδη: I’ve been thinking about foreign policy
Πάνυμενουν: foreign policy?
Γ : yeah, the foreign policy of the Israelites
Π: do you mean the ancient Israelites?
Γ: exactly
Π: why do you think modern Israelis are called Israelis and not Israelites?
Γ: I donno. Listen: first temple, is was strictly God-commanded isolationism.
Π: a constant struggle
Γ: no doubt, think of the Angel of the Lord at the Bokim, the weeping
Π: as a result of not destroying the foreign nations, but making covenants with them.
Γ: yeah, you might call it a “destructionist” turned “isolationist” or “protectionist.”
Π: I’ve been thinking about the concept of purification and genocide in Canaan. Think about the reasons God states for this: ‘otherwise you’ll turn away from me.’ God is protecting Israel.
Γ: hmm, then the protection ceases at the Bokim, and Israel is given over to Nations time and again.
Π: true, but God is surely not indifferent, don’t forget Deborah and all that.
Γ: surely, but it seems that after Solomon there is very little respite from decadence.
Π: isn’t there Jehoiakim who finds the book of the law?
Γ: hmm, I guess I’m not very well versed in the King period. But listen: if the 1st temple period was a filled with the thorns and snares of other nations, then what is the exile?
Π: God’s purification of his own; ta idia. ‘Those who are left in Tzion will be called holy.’
Γ: so then why does God send them away to a foreign nation? And he tells them to prosper there!
Π: ‘for I know the plans I have for you.’
Γ: what was once a strict “destructionist-isolationist” policy is now a “yeild to your attackers and be conquered,” and more than that, “settle down and have families.”
Π: but don’t forget Ezra, those who married strange wives.
Γ: true, but think about it: Daniel is written in Aramaic, God shows himself to Nebachudnezzar and his son, doesn’t he?
Π: don’t they speak Aramaic in Gibson’s film?
Γ: yeah
Π: hmm, Daniel, that’s interesting.
Γ: and then Alexander, the septuagint?
Π: and the New Testament
Γ: written in Greek.
Π: hmm.
Γ: could the Goyim have even heard any of it if it were in Hebrew?
Π: hmm. So you’re saying the Exile was kind of God’s interevention like the tower of Babel, making his purposes done with or without you, ‘to the ends of the Earth.’
Γ: yeah, I guess, it just seems that God makes his people become minded of the others, able to speak their language, and so the knowledge of Adonai spreads.
Π: it’s an interesting change from pre-exilic Israel to second Temple
Γ: Second temple, that’s one period I would like to learn more about.
Π: considering your whole argument is based on that
Γ: and considering that was the time when Messiah came.
["Bokim" - Judges 2,
"destructionist-isolationist" - Exodus 23:20-33 (original covenant command, esp. vv. 32, 33) Deuteronomy Ch. 7, esp. vv.3-6
"those who are left in Tzion..." Isaiah ch. 4
"strange wives" - end of Ezra.
"settle down and have families" - Jeremiah's letter to the Exiles, ch. 29.
"to the ends of the Earth." Psalm #22]
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: but as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
October 2, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Tim,
Thought provoking post. You provide some good scripture references that point to a definite shift in Israel’s understanding of what it means to be God’s covenant people.
I would be uncomfortable however calling any period in In Israel’s history a “strictly God-commanded isolationism.” If I understand the Biblical witness correctly God’s plan from the very beginning has been to bless and be in right relationship with all of his creation, including all of the peoples/nations of the earth (Goyim).
God blessed our first parents and told them to be fruitful, to multiply and fill the earth. God reiterates these same words again with Noah and his sons after the cleansing flood. In Genesis 9 one can begin to see the universal scope of God’s plan for the cosmos.
In the Calling of Abram it becomes quite clear that God is working trough a specif people – even specific persons – so that “all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” In Exodus 19 God instructs Moses to tell the people that they are to be “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation” That is Israel’s function was/is to function as a priest among all of the nations of the world – the “go to” people for all of the peoples of the earth. The call and blessing of a covenant people has never been – strictly speaking – for the benefit of those “within” but has been primarily about how they can serve those on “the outside.” The same is still true for the Church today.
I think things like the slaughtering of the Canaanites has been and is – especially in this age – a hard thing for both Jews and Christians to explain. But I think it has something to do with the very verses that you highlighted: Exodus 23:32-33 and Deuteronomy 7 suggest that it was for the protection and purity of the people and their faith in the LORD that cleansing needed to take place. I don’t know exactly what was going on in the religions of “Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites” but what ever it was it was something so detestable in the eyes of God that it need to be eliminated. I have heard suggested in old Testament studies things like infant sacrifice and what have you. Whatever the case we should keep in mind that the command “blot out” never voided the earlier promise that all the families of the earth shall be blessed through the covenant people.
I think the nature of progressive revaluation is that it takes a while for things to come into focus. But I think the “to the ends of the earth” thing is there even in Genesis. It continues after the time of the psalmist (which you pointed out) to the prophets. Jeremiah seems to understand his call as a call to the nations i.e. the Goyim/Gentiles (Jeremiah 1:5). And again Isaiah sees God’s salvation reaching “the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:1-6). It is interesting how much Paul invokes the language of the prophets when he describes his call in Galatians 1. Paul probably saw himself as further fulfilling Israels task to be “a covenant to the people, a light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6 etc.).
Seeing such a continuity in God’s plan from start to finish has been for me the single greatest aspect of studying theology in a decidedly reformed tradition. Rather than seeing several different “dispensations” or a constantly changing God in the OT I see a Holy and righteous God blessing all of the world through a specific people and culture. And I see a peoples’ struggle to realize and embrace that call.
Sorry to go on for so long on your blog. I am quite enjoying the fact that you are blogging again. More please.
Blessings,
Wayne
October 2, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Wayne:
thank you for your thoughts, they are highly valued from this end. I believe you see the very heart of scripture; the narrative line throughout the Bible of God’s heart for the whole world. I have recently been turned on to this concept, and it has radically deepened my understanding of Messiah as you see in the last post probably, just the fact of God showing himself all over the place suddenly through Jesus. This post I think came out of a realization about how the Gospel was written in a common dialect, and so it was able to be spread, and it would seem that Exile and foreign nations really made that possible.
Your thoughts are great, and I’m glad you pointed a lot of that out. It reminds me of the Torah command to give asylum to freed slaves from foreign nations. I think one of the most radical differences in pre-Messiah and post-Messiah periods is that in the former ISreal was called to “welcome” and in the latter the Church is called to “go.”
t
October 3, 2007 at 2:02 am
Tim,
In think I really like how you describe the “differences in pre-Messiah and post-Messiah periods” as a difference between a call to “welcome” and a call to “go.” I will be meditating on that for a while. Also, excellent point about the transmission Gospel in a place and time where so much of the world shared a common dialect. I believe that is probably at least in part what Paul had in mind when he said “when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son” (Galatians 4:4).
Two things I forgot to throw in earlier: (1)It is important to note that when Israel finally made it out of the wilderness and began to destroy its enemies God is willing to spare those gentiles who place their faith in Israel’s God. Not only did the gentile prostitute Rahab find favor in God’s eyes (Joshua 6:23-25) but she becomes a link in the lineage of the Messiah (Matthew 1:5 ) and she finds a place in the New Testament Litany of the heroes of faith (Hebrews 11:31).
(2) I was going to mention how the temple – especially the second temple that Jesus knew – can serve as a visual illustration of the scope of God’s plan. Yeah the gentiles could not go beyond a certain point but the gentile court was the largest court on the temple mount. It was kind of like concentric circles expanding outward in the center was God in holy of holies, then the priestly court, the covenant people and eventually the gentile court. Try reading Revelation 4 and 5 with that structure in mind. We did that out loud the other day in my theology of worship class. It literally brought tears to my eyes.
Alright I should probably do some homework. I am reading NT Wright – The Challenge of Jesus. Good stuff.
Blessings my friend.
~Wayne