Elijah walked with the Angels.
(Genesis 5:24)
The Book of Enoch is a controversial book that almost made it in the Bible, but just narrowly missed the cut. Jude quoted directly from Enoch, Peter and Jude both referred to its contents, and Jesus may have borrowed from Enoch when he talked about angels never needing to marry - Enoch explains that the angels don't need to marry and have children because they never die. Opinions are divided over whether or not Enoch is good, bad, or whatever. Conspiracy theorists and sellers of magazines and TV programs want to turn the book into another "proof" the Church is hiding something and Fundamentalists demonize the book. I am not going to say one way or another. You can figure that one out on your own. Rather I am only going to point out how Enoch is clearly behind some of the thinking of New Testament writers - especially Peter and Jude. Because we have such limited information from the world in which Bible writers lived, we cannot piece together the entire ancient world and their ways of thinking. That limits us to only what we do have and what we know from the books and fragments we have. For those readers who are not familiar with the Book of Enoch, the book itself claims to be written by Enoch (the 7th from Adam - who was born before Noah) but in fact was written by several scribes at different times - long after Enoch lived. Writing under a famous person's name and on behalf of that person was very popular during the centuries before and after Jesus' day. In this writing I am focusing only on those parts of Enoch that were written before Jesus was born. We do know that the first 36 chapters or so were written long before the New Testament (possibly 250 years or so before), so the similarities found in the New Testament with the Book of Enoch came from the Book of Enoch and not the other way around. However, the source of any similarity Enoch has with the Old Testament came from the Old Testament itself, for it was written first. SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS 1-10 Section One Enoch prophesied that a big change was on its way. Wickedness was going to disappear while godliness was going to rise. A time of prosperity and blessing was going to come on the earth. Jude, who was the brother of Jesus, quoted from and gave credit to the Book of Enoch: And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgment upon all, And to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. 1 Enoch 1:9 | ||||
Section Two | ||||
| After informing us that a new day was coming, Enoch recounts how his world became filled with violence and chaos within the spiritual and natural realms. He explains that there is order in the created world with such things as stars, the universe, the trees, and the like; nevertheless the people and the angels of his time were not following God's decrees. They were unnatural and doing things they were not designed to do. This reminds me of Isaiah 1, where God tells his people that the ox knows its master, but His people do not know theirs. God will punish those who do not follow His commandments - they will die young. On the other hand, godly people will live long. This concept of long life for the righteous vs. life cut short for the ungodly is found in the early chapters of Proverbs. | ||||
Section Three Sex with Angels 19 angels - each over 10 other angels (190 in total) - submit themselves to Semjaza in an agreement to take wives from among humans. They do this because they lust after good looking women. | ||||
Genesis 6:2 – the Sons
of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives
of all which they chose.
| ||||
1 Corinthians 11:10 – For this cause ought the woman to have power (authority or covering) on her head because of the angels. Secrets Tools of Seduction As the serpent promised Eve knowledge that only God and the angels knew, the angels in Enoch's book shared heaven's secrets with the people before Noah's day. They taught men how to war and how to make weapons. They also told women how to make themselves attractive with make-up and how to use mirrors, sorcery, astrology, charms, enchantments, cutting roots, and knowledge of plants. 1 Peter 3:1-6 tells wives not to wear make-up, but rather focus on inward beauty, submitting to their husbands and calling them "lord." Due to the fact that Peter refers to the fallen angels of Enoch in verses following, this section about make-up could be influenced by a belief (perhaps common in some circles of Israel) that make-up was one of several tools fallen angels taught women in order to seduce men. In the early chapters of Proverbs, the writer describes a seduction that gives us insight into the ancient mind. The story is about a man and a woman having an adulterous affair. In the story, the man is seduced by a woman who has no morals. Although he could escape the affair, the power of seduction is strong and the man gives into it. Seduction was the power women had to entrap men and seduction was augmented by the gifts and tools the angels gave women. If tools for seduction, such as make-up, were considered forbidden secrets from the fallen angels, then make-up was probably considered taboo in many Hebrew circles. Is it possible that Peter felt the same? Giants The offspring of these angels and human women in Enoch turned out to be giants that ravished the land. Genesis 6:4 – There were giants (Nephalim) on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Eventually these giants consumed more than the earth could provide. They killed animals and people. Violence and death increased and the cries of the earth reached heaven itself. The Good Angels Meanwhile, in heaven Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Suryal, and Uriel heard and cries of the earth and talked to God about it wondering why God was so silent. God gave one of them a message to pass on to Noah that things are going to get wet. He gave another message for the angels that sinned - their children were going to die. It turns out that their spirits roam the earth as unclean spirits that were so commonly spoken of in the New Testament. The good angels also bound up all the bad ones and sent them into the fires under the earth (after all the earth is flat in the Book of Enoch) for 70 generations. Luke 3 records that from Enoch to Jesus there were 70 generations. Is this just coincidence or did Luke intend his readers to see that Jesus was the one who would take care of those who were bound at the end of 70 generations? It is possible 1 Peter 3:19-20 also refers to the importance of Jesus in the 70th generation: "And being made alive, he went and made proclamation to he imprisoned spirits - to those who were disobedient long age when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built." According to the Book of Enoch, the bad angels were to be cast into fire for eternity after 70 generations from Enoch himself. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment,... (2 Peter 2:4, see also Jude 1:6). |
Thursday, February 11, 2016
The Book of Enoch and the New Testament
Saturday, February 6, 2016
What the Bible Says about Accepting Refugees?
In the past few years wars and famine have brought tremendous ruin to Middle Eastern and African countries which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of people leaving their homes and looking for survival in Western countries.
Their journeys are often fought with peril and death and many are unable to leave their countries because of hardships or blocked avenues.
Several years ago, I worked with African refugees from different countries. They left starvation, death, and human corpses littering the rivers they drank from. One boy in our group was kidnapped from his village and made a slave in another part of his country. After fellow slaves tried unsuccessfully to escape, they were caught and their heels were cut so that the would never be able to walk again. The boy was smarter and waited for a better time, escaped, hugged the top of a box car of a train, and made it to freedom. Shortly after he was shipped to the U.S. as an orphan.
There were many such stories among the Africans, many of which were kept securely within the memories of those who experienced them.
Before Israel became a nation, when they were only a small group of nomads and people who lived outside of their group were not trusted. Because of this distrust, the nomads kept to themselves and usually married within the family. Both Abraham and his son Isaac were so paranoid about outsiders that they told city dwellers that their wives were sisters. They believed that outsiders would kill them for their wives, and rather than facing an imaginary death, they contrived a plan to pass their wives off as sisters. This worked very well for Abraham as he walked away with a load of money, servants, and goods, just to leave Egypt where he humiliated Pharaoh through his trickery.
Years later he duped the king of Gerar who was appalled at Abraham for being so xenophobic in assuming that because he wasn't family to Abraham he was immoral. Abraham assumed that the outsider would be evil and do evil things, but in fact, Abraham's trickery was downright wrong and the king of Gerar who had been tricked let Abraham know it.
As Israel grew into a nation they faced many new challenges with outsiders. They were first welcomed by Egypt, but as they became more numerous, they became Egyptian slaves. Nevertheless, after finding freedom, Israel got its own land and faced a new challenge with outsiders. As different countries faced famine, people came into Israel for survival. And as Israel faced famine, many Israelis left for other countries looking for food. Besides this, intermarriage with outsiders was not uncommon.
While all of this took place, many people were fearful and hateful of outsiders. Xenophobia flooded the land from time to time, and some individuals never let their prejudices go.
Before Israel had their own land, before they developed a strong identity beyond being mere slaves, Moses left them certain laws about how to deal with outsiders. While many of those laws stated that foreigners were to live under the rules of Israel, other laws demanded that the people respect, take care of, and treat foreigners as equals.
Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt (Exodus 22:21).
Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 19:10).
The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 19:34).
People don't really change. We have prejudice an hatred today and there was prejudice and hatred in the ancient world. The laws of Israel were written to address issues of xenophobia. The laws of the Bible written years ago fit for today as well.
Their journeys are often fought with peril and death and many are unable to leave their countries because of hardships or blocked avenues.
Several years ago, I worked with African refugees from different countries. They left starvation, death, and human corpses littering the rivers they drank from. One boy in our group was kidnapped from his village and made a slave in another part of his country. After fellow slaves tried unsuccessfully to escape, they were caught and their heels were cut so that the would never be able to walk again. The boy was smarter and waited for a better time, escaped, hugged the top of a box car of a train, and made it to freedom. Shortly after he was shipped to the U.S. as an orphan.
There were many such stories among the Africans, many of which were kept securely within the memories of those who experienced them.
Before Israel became a nation, when they were only a small group of nomads and people who lived outside of their group were not trusted. Because of this distrust, the nomads kept to themselves and usually married within the family. Both Abraham and his son Isaac were so paranoid about outsiders that they told city dwellers that their wives were sisters. They believed that outsiders would kill them for their wives, and rather than facing an imaginary death, they contrived a plan to pass their wives off as sisters. This worked very well for Abraham as he walked away with a load of money, servants, and goods, just to leave Egypt where he humiliated Pharaoh through his trickery.
Years later he duped the king of Gerar who was appalled at Abraham for being so xenophobic in assuming that because he wasn't family to Abraham he was immoral. Abraham assumed that the outsider would be evil and do evil things, but in fact, Abraham's trickery was downright wrong and the king of Gerar who had been tricked let Abraham know it.
As Israel grew into a nation they faced many new challenges with outsiders. They were first welcomed by Egypt, but as they became more numerous, they became Egyptian slaves. Nevertheless, after finding freedom, Israel got its own land and faced a new challenge with outsiders. As different countries faced famine, people came into Israel for survival. And as Israel faced famine, many Israelis left for other countries looking for food. Besides this, intermarriage with outsiders was not uncommon.
While all of this took place, many people were fearful and hateful of outsiders. Xenophobia flooded the land from time to time, and some individuals never let their prejudices go.
Before Israel had their own land, before they developed a strong identity beyond being mere slaves, Moses left them certain laws about how to deal with outsiders. While many of those laws stated that foreigners were to live under the rules of Israel, other laws demanded that the people respect, take care of, and treat foreigners as equals.
Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt (Exodus 22:21).
Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 19:10).
The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 19:34).
People don't really change. We have prejudice an hatred today and there was prejudice and hatred in the ancient world. The laws of Israel were written to address issues of xenophobia. The laws of the Bible written years ago fit for today as well.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Esther and the Battle with Feminism
The book of Esther tells the readers that being submissive is so powerful that it can save a nation.
THE SETTING
- The King of Persia and Media boasted about his possessions and showed them to everyone in the government for 6 months.
- The King held a week long party for his friends and servants showing off his palace wealth.
- By the King's command everyone was to drink as much as they wanted. They could vomit, pass out, piss in their clothes... as much as they wanted - it was the command.
- The King was very drunk on the seventh day of his party.
- At the height of his pride and showing people his wealth, the King ordered his wife, who was the queen, to come to the party so he could show her off because she was so good looking.
- She refused to come.
- The king got angry.
- All the rulers were afraid this would turn into kind of a woman's liberation movement throughout the kingdom, with women refusing to obey their husbands.
- The king divorced his wife and took all her property away from her.
- The king set up a law for all the land - women must obey their husbands.
Setting Summaries
- The king was a vain man.
- The King partied in extremes, gloated in extremes, showed off in extreme, and had sex in extremes.
- The King was not a good example of a leader, husband, or a man.
- The queen's refusal to submit to the most ridiculous commands was viewed as a threat, not only to the King's authority, but to the authority of men everywhere.
- Men feared losing total control of their wives.
- The best way to deal with a disobedient wife was to send her away without possessions or a home.
CALL FOR A BEAUTY CONTEST
-The King called for young girls to be brought from all over the world to compete in a contest to be queen.
- The judge of the contest was the King.
- The King took each girl into his bedroom for one night of sex.
- After the one night, most of the girls would remain in the castle, have food and a place to stay, but would never again sleep with a man for the rest of their lives. She would be one of the king's many concubines.
- If the King liked a girl, he would call her by name and have another night with her.
Contest Summaries
Names were important to the ancient world. To be given a name was equal to be given recognition and worth. These girls meant nothing until they were called a second time to have sex with the King.
ESTHER
- Esther was orphaned and in her uncle's care.
- Esther was probably very young and won everyone's hearts.
- Esther was probably very good looking.
- Esther is portrayed in the book as obedient to her uncle in all things.
- Only her uncle knew she was Jewish.
- After a night or two with Esther, the King chose her to be queen.
MORDECAI
- Mordecai was Esther's uncle and guardian.
- Mordecai worked at the palace.
- Mordecai overheard a plot to kill the king, reported it, and saved the king's life.
HAMAN
- Haman was made second most powerful man in the kingdom.
- Haman was arrogant and demanded people bow before him.
- Esther's uncle (Mordecai) did not bow before Haman because he was Jewish.
- Haman requested for and received an order from the king to kill Mordecai and the all the Jews.
- Events turned on Haman and he had to honor Mordecai.
- Haman and his friends saw the turn of events as a portent of what is to come.
IN THE PALACE
- Mordecai told Esther to talk to the king on the Jew's behalf.
- Esther was afraid her husband may kill her for entering his presence without being called, but because her uncle refused to back down, she took her life in her hands and asked to see her husband.
- The king welcomed her and she invited him and Haman to a party.
- During the party Esther told the king that she was Jewish and was ordered to die with all the Jews.
- The king had Haman hanged and put Mordecai in his place as 2nd in power.
CONCLUSIONS
The Book of Esther tells a story in extremes and stereotypes. It is anti-Gentile in that Gentile men in the story are powerful, but they are buffoons, sexually permissive, and arrogant. On the other hand the Jewish servant and his Jewish niece are leader worthy and very wise (Esther's wisdom is found in that she listens and obeys her Jewish uncle and in that she is submissive to her Gentile husband).
Gentile women as demonstrated from the first queen in the story are brash and disobedient. On the other hand, Jewish women are very attractive, subservient, and catch the attention of everyone around them.
The book of Esther poses problems in that Esther (who is a fine Jewish girl) is given by her uncle to a pig of a man. Mordecai also protects the Gentile overlord. Esther becomes the wife of a Gentile man who has many concubines and who is recently divorced. These problems troubled the Jewish rabbis who read and discussed the Book of Esther in the ancient world, but learned how to fill in the blanks of the story in order to make Esther look better to them.
Part of reading the Bible is accepting it as it is and not trying to make it fit into our own molds as the ancient rabbis tried to do and as we often do without realizing it. This story poses a lot of problems. It is not a book to celebrate women's independence and individual power, and it is not a book to use as an example in morals. Most Christians would not want their children marrying anybody like this king who was an unbeliever, abusive (Esther feared going near him without being invited), sexually permissive, a glutton, and arrogant.
On the surface this book puts down Gentiles and demeans women; but dig deeper and we find that the Book of Esther celebrates God's deliverance of His own people by using very unconventional and powerless means. It reminds us that God is not limited to independent, take charge type of people. He can use the timid to move the hands of the powerful.
THE SETTING
- The King of Persia and Media boasted about his possessions and showed them to everyone in the government for 6 months.
- The King held a week long party for his friends and servants showing off his palace wealth.
- By the King's command everyone was to drink as much as they wanted. They could vomit, pass out, piss in their clothes... as much as they wanted - it was the command.
- The King was very drunk on the seventh day of his party.
- At the height of his pride and showing people his wealth, the King ordered his wife, who was the queen, to come to the party so he could show her off because she was so good looking.
- She refused to come.
- The king got angry.
- All the rulers were afraid this would turn into kind of a woman's liberation movement throughout the kingdom, with women refusing to obey their husbands.
- The king divorced his wife and took all her property away from her.
- The king set up a law for all the land - women must obey their husbands.
Setting Summaries
- The king was a vain man.
- The King partied in extremes, gloated in extremes, showed off in extreme, and had sex in extremes.
- The King was not a good example of a leader, husband, or a man.
- The queen's refusal to submit to the most ridiculous commands was viewed as a threat, not only to the King's authority, but to the authority of men everywhere.
- Men feared losing total control of their wives.
- The best way to deal with a disobedient wife was to send her away without possessions or a home.
CALL FOR A BEAUTY CONTEST
-The King called for young girls to be brought from all over the world to compete in a contest to be queen.
- The judge of the contest was the King.
- The King took each girl into his bedroom for one night of sex.
- After the one night, most of the girls would remain in the castle, have food and a place to stay, but would never again sleep with a man for the rest of their lives. She would be one of the king's many concubines.
- If the King liked a girl, he would call her by name and have another night with her.
Contest Summaries
Names were important to the ancient world. To be given a name was equal to be given recognition and worth. These girls meant nothing until they were called a second time to have sex with the King.
ESTHER
- Esther was orphaned and in her uncle's care.
- Esther was probably very young and won everyone's hearts.
- Esther was probably very good looking.
- Esther is portrayed in the book as obedient to her uncle in all things.
- Only her uncle knew she was Jewish.
- After a night or two with Esther, the King chose her to be queen.
MORDECAI
- Mordecai was Esther's uncle and guardian.
- Mordecai worked at the palace.
- Mordecai overheard a plot to kill the king, reported it, and saved the king's life.
HAMAN
- Haman was made second most powerful man in the kingdom.
- Haman was arrogant and demanded people bow before him.
- Esther's uncle (Mordecai) did not bow before Haman because he was Jewish.
- Haman requested for and received an order from the king to kill Mordecai and the all the Jews.
- Events turned on Haman and he had to honor Mordecai.
- Haman and his friends saw the turn of events as a portent of what is to come.
IN THE PALACE
- Mordecai told Esther to talk to the king on the Jew's behalf.
- Esther was afraid her husband may kill her for entering his presence without being called, but because her uncle refused to back down, she took her life in her hands and asked to see her husband.
- The king welcomed her and she invited him and Haman to a party.
- During the party Esther told the king that she was Jewish and was ordered to die with all the Jews.
- The king had Haman hanged and put Mordecai in his place as 2nd in power.
CONCLUSIONS
The Book of Esther tells a story in extremes and stereotypes. It is anti-Gentile in that Gentile men in the story are powerful, but they are buffoons, sexually permissive, and arrogant. On the other hand the Jewish servant and his Jewish niece are leader worthy and very wise (Esther's wisdom is found in that she listens and obeys her Jewish uncle and in that she is submissive to her Gentile husband).
Gentile women as demonstrated from the first queen in the story are brash and disobedient. On the other hand, Jewish women are very attractive, subservient, and catch the attention of everyone around them.
The book of Esther poses problems in that Esther (who is a fine Jewish girl) is given by her uncle to a pig of a man. Mordecai also protects the Gentile overlord. Esther becomes the wife of a Gentile man who has many concubines and who is recently divorced. These problems troubled the Jewish rabbis who read and discussed the Book of Esther in the ancient world, but learned how to fill in the blanks of the story in order to make Esther look better to them.
Part of reading the Bible is accepting it as it is and not trying to make it fit into our own molds as the ancient rabbis tried to do and as we often do without realizing it. This story poses a lot of problems. It is not a book to celebrate women's independence and individual power, and it is not a book to use as an example in morals. Most Christians would not want their children marrying anybody like this king who was an unbeliever, abusive (Esther feared going near him without being invited), sexually permissive, a glutton, and arrogant.
On the surface this book puts down Gentiles and demeans women; but dig deeper and we find that the Book of Esther celebrates God's deliverance of His own people by using very unconventional and powerless means. It reminds us that God is not limited to independent, take charge type of people. He can use the timid to move the hands of the powerful.
Monday, December 28, 2015
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