Showing posts with label Michael S. Heiser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael S. Heiser. Show all posts

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Even the Bible needed updating and upgrading

Throughout the centuries people their language changed and their use of names changed.

Dr. Michael S. Heiser is a scholar-in-residence for Faithlife, writes

Believe it or not, there is evidence that the Bible was updated. That may sound strange, but if you read closely, it’s undeniable. Take Genesis 14:14 as an illustration:
When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men . . . and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
Did you notice the problem? This is the time of Abram, a time before Moses and Joshua — before there was a promised land divided among the tribes of Israel. There wasn’t even an Israel yet. So what’s up with the reference to the land that belonged to the tribe of Dan?

If we plotted out the battle between Abram described in this verse on a map, with place names appropriate for Abram’s day, we’d see that the writer really meant that the enemy was pursued all the way to a place called Laish, not Dan.

Many Bible critics would call this an error, but it isn’t. 

Much later, in the days of Israel’s judges, Laish was renamed as Dan:
 “And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first” (Judg 18:29). 
Evidently, an unnamed editor updated the text of Genesis 14:14 after the name change took place. The editor likely did this to make sure readers of his own day would understand the geography.

In other instances, an editor repurposed something already written in the Bible to make it preach to their community.

Psalm 51 is well known as a record of David’s repentance after his sin with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah. The psalm, though, ends by asking God to “do good to Zion” and with the command, “build up the walls of Jerusalem” (Psa 51:18–19). The walls of Jerusalem were not in need of repair until after God’s people were exiled, centuries after David lived. The editorial addition is a masterful literary stroke. Just as King David repented centuries before, an editor sought to move the exiles to national repentance. It was just the kind of example they needed.

Though it seems strange, the updating of Psalm 51:18–19 and Genesis 14:14 gives us an insight into the process of inspiration — a process that included providential editorial work.

Thursday 17 September 2015

The Unseen Realm reviewed

The Unseen Realm talks about not an easy topic to wrap your mind around, especially if you’re being asked to remove 2,000 years of filters off your interpretive lenses.  The Unseen Realm was written for an academic audience, but many reviewers have commented on the clear and full treatment of the topic, making this title approachable for anyone.unseen realm

Many of the early reviews praise Dr. Heiser’s ability to challenge the modern worldview by engaging with the perspective of the ancient Hebrew.

On Redeeming God, Jeremy Myers discusses the refreshing perspective Dr. Heiser brings to the table:
If you are like me, you might be a little tired of hearing about the supernatural realm, but this book was insightful and creative and helped me think through a few issues I have been wanting to study further for quite some time. For example, I think Heiser is exactly right about what it means for humans to be made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), and I really liked his discussion of the Nephilim in Genesis 6:1-4.
Tim Chaffey picks up where Myers left off by praising Heiser’s willingness to engage with the ancient perspective of the Hebrews:
The book also does a good job of helping readers learn about the ways the Israelites interacted with the people around them. Even those who penned Scripture were not afraid to use concepts and even the terminology from the surrounding pagan nations, although they often needed to redefine or refine the concepts to fit within Hebrew theology. Too many Western Christians, particularly from conservative backgrounds, avoid any possible linkage of the Scriptures with ancient Near Eastern writings. This is probably due to the abuse of this concept by the liberals who act as if the Hebrews borrowed everything from these cultures. I believe Heiser strikes a nice balance in this book.

Matt Dabbs loves the way Dr. Heiser connects the concepts in the book throughout the entire Bible:
This book is about the spiritual realm in the Bible and how various threads run from cover to cover connecting all sorts of things that I had no idea were connected. I was probably aware of about a quarter of the content of the book as far as exegesis goes…leaving me mostly unaware of his brilliant interpretation. But what was even more fantastic than all of the information that I was simply unaware of was the way he connected the concepts throughout the entire Bible.
Perhaps Justin Daniel said it best when he wrote, “This was the most thought provoking, thrilling, insightful book I have read all year.” He, too, was impressed with the accessibility of the book:
He systematically works through the Bible and each individual issue with such clarity that it appeals to both the layman and the seminarian as well as the pastor. The things that lie in this book will challenge you and for that I am grateful for reading it.
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