A Question of Race, Part II

In my previous post, A Question of Race, Part I, I concluded that there is but one race; the human race. Now we must ask, "Why, if there is only one race, then what is all the fuss in Scripture between the Jews and the Gentiles?" If we look closely at the Scriptures, we can see that God created four classes of intelligent beings in His universe which include angels, Gentiles, Jews and Christians. I want to be careful to make the distinction between class and race. Obviously angels are a different species than mankind, but they are here classified along with the "intelligent beings." In the history of mankind, from Adam to Abraham there was only one class of people. However, with the call of Abraham, there became a second class of people, the Jews. Then, following the first advent of Christ, a third class, that of Christian came into being. Interestingly, each of the first three classes of beings continue to be both the class and species as they were created, excepting that by the grace of God, individual Jews and Gentiles both may become Christians by faith in Christ. One may argue here that Paul objects to the idea that one remains a Jew or Gentile when he receives Christ by faith on the basis of Galatians 3:28 which reads, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

But if one doesn't remain a Jew or Gentile (Greek) when he becomes a Christian, then in this sentence of Paul's, one would also lose his or her gender ("neither male nor female"), or his condition as a freedman or slave (but see Ephesians 6:5, Colossians 3:22, Colossians 4:1, 1 Timothy 6:1, and Titus 2:9). But Paul doesn't proclaim freedom to the captives, that is the purview of Christ. Paul exhorts slaves to obey "with a sincere heart" and masters to treat their slaves with justice and fairness. Therefore, I conclude that just because one becomes a Christian, he does not leave the class he was in before his conversion. Thus there may be Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles, although the latter is implied by the term Christian.

Jews

Jews are all the people who are descendants of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Noting that he was the father of Ishmael and six other sons in addition to Isaac (Genesis 25:1-2), it is not sufficient simply to be a descendant of Abraham to be counted a Jew. Neither is being a descendant of Isaac what defines one as a Jew because his son Esau became the patriarch of the Edomites. One must be a descendant of Jacob, the third man after Abraham and Isaac, who received the confirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant.

The Jews are a people set aside by God as a special people. According to Paul, it is to the Jews that:

. . . belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 9:4-5)

The Jews were chosen by God to be a people set apart and to them was given the covenant of circumcision, the Law, and the priesthood. It is these distinctions that must be made in order to fully appreciate the seed, land and blessing aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant, and that these promises are made to a specific people; a specific family. (The word translated as race in the ESV is actually the Greek word os, which is a relative pronoun meaning "which" or "who.")

According to the Scriptures, the Jewishness of an individual is based on his ancestry through his father. Thus, we see that all the genealogies in the Old Testament, and those of Jesus in the New Testament, are given through the men rather than the women. Otherwise, David would not have been a Jew because of both Rahab and Ruth in his ancestral line.

The word Jew is a derivative of the Hebrew word yehudi which may be translated as "belonging to Judah," "Judahite," or "Jewish."

Gentiles

Gentiles had their origin with Adam and participated with him in the fall. Paul tells us that before Christ, Gentiles were:

. . . separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12)

Throughout Scripture, God has revealed that this class of men is separate from other classes, not participating with the covenants and promises to Israel, nor participating in the heavenly blessing promised to believers in Christ. The door, however, has been opened to Gentiles (designated as "the nations" throughout much of Scripture) as well as Jews who believe so that they may become partakers in Christ and out of "the nations" God is calling His elect, the church. Yet these people are still Gentiles. There is nothing a Gentile can do to change that. He may convert to the religion of the Jews but he can never become a Jew since he is not descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Christians

As a title for those who are saved. the word "Christian" appears only three times in the Bible; in Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28 and in 1 Peter 4:16. This term was apparently coined by Gentiles since "Christ" suggests the recognition that Jesus was the anointed Messiah of God (Both the Hebrew word mashiach and the Greek word christos mean "anointed"). In fact, the terms brethren, saints, disciples and believers hold precedence among the writers of the New Testament for the same class of people. Similarly, the Jews referred to Christians in derogatory terms as Nazarines, in reference to Jesus of Nazareth (cf. John 1:46, Acts 24:5).

Yet it is not the title which makes one a Christian. Often the fact that one is a citizen of a so-called Christian country is sufficient to give him the title of Christian in today's world. This may be seen in the Holy Land itself, where people seem to be classified as Jews, Arabs and Christians. In this context, one that is neither Jew or Arab (Arabs, by the way are Gentiles) is considered to be a Christian. However, the reality is that only a saving faith in Jesus Christ can transform a Gentile or Jew into a Christian.

Paul tells us in Ephesians that:

. . . by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In the New Testament, the words "believe" and "faith" are used synonymously. The writer of Hebrews tells us that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). By this he means that faith includes the conviction that God is trustworthy and that He will complete that work that He has started, and that faith is the blessed hope of all who believe the promises of God. Religious faith may be defined as "belief of the truth on the testimony of God. It includes, (1) knowledge; (2) assent; (3) trust." This three-part definition captures the essence of belief. We must not only know, but must assent to the truth and trust the One who is ever faithful.

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2:19)

To be a saving faith all three elements must be present; knowledge, assent, and trust. Look to the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans:

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

and

. . . if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

In these two passages we see all three elements of faith: knowledge, or the consciousness of sin; assent that Jesus died and was raised from the dead; and trust in the confession or acknowledgement that Jesus is the Savior.

Conclusion

There are very specific elements to Christian faith as just discussed. However, not one of these elements implies that one gives up the particular traits that make him a Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free. These remain as before, but there is within a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Thus, although there is only the human race, there remain three classes of people in the world: Jew, Gentile and Christian.

Internet-Based Bible Search Tools

As I published my last post, A Question of Race, Part I, I realized that the references that I make to the different versions of the Bible and the number of occurrences of any given word in any given version may intimidate some of my readers or cause you to ask, "How does he do that?" However, many of the tools I use are available to you. For instance, there are two links at the very bottom of this page that allow you to type in a word or phrase and get the same result.

BibleGateway.com

The top link is to BibleGateway.com, which, in their own words:

The Bible Gateway is a tool for reading and researching scripture online -- all in the language or translation of your choice! It provides advanced searching capabilities, which allow readers to find and compare particular passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.

To use the Bible Gateway link at the bottom of this page just follow these simple instructions:

1. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
2. Click in the search box and type the word you are looking for. Your screen should look like this:


3. Click the "Search BibleGateway.com" button.

Your browser will then connect to BibleGateway.com with your search results and will look something like this:


On this page you may then change the Bible version you want to search by clicking in the "your default version:" box and scrolling to select the version you want. Now click on the "change" button.



SearchGodsWord.org

A similar tool is available at another web site, SearchGodsWord.org. Their mission in their words:

SearchGodsWord.org has been built to be a simple but powerful study site. However, there is still a need for help. Contained here is information on various resources and how to derive the greatest benefit from their use.

This link is also found at the bottom of the page and is very similar in execution.

1. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
2. Click in the search box and type the word you are looking for. Your screen should look like this:


3. You may select a search of the whole Bible or some smaller section of the Scriptures like Paul's Letters (Pauline Epistles) in the second box.
4. SearchGodsWord.org gives you the ability to select a version here before you search. This screen looks like this:


5. Click the "Search" button.

Your browser will then connect to SearchGodsWord.org with your search results and will look something like this:


Just like on the BibleGateway.com page, you may then change the Bible version you want to search by clicking in the "using:" box and scrolling to select the version you want. Now click on the "search" button.

For strictly Bible word searches, the BibleGateway.com page includes a number of Bible versions not found at SearchGodsWord.org; however, SearchGodsWord.org has some great tools not found at BibleGateway.com. You'll find that there is no one tool that will benefit every aspect of your Bible study, but there are a lot of free internet tools available to help you along. Give it a try for yourself. I think you'll find it to be quick and easy.

A Question of Race, Part I

Today there was a question in regard to race. The question is, "How many races are there?" In my search I find the word race in the ESV only ten times. In six of those, the reference is to speed or a contest of speed and are irrelevant to the question:

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5)

The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches; they dart like lightning. (Nahum 2:4)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. (1 Corinthians 9:24)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. . . (Hebrews 12:1)

But in four instances, the term is used of the Jewish people:

For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost. (Ezra 9:2)

He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. (Acts 7:19)

To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 9:5)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)

Some may argue that this last reference is in regard to the Church, but a plain reading of the salutation of Peter's letter suggests otherwise. Peter writes, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you" (1 Peter 1:1-2). This phrase, "exiles of the dispersion" is clearly in reference to the diaspora, or the Jews scattered throughout Asia Minor. So then, based on the ESV, every reference to race as a people in the Bible is in reference to the Jews.

For the sake of completeness, I should note that the KJV uses race only four times and only in reference to a contest; the NIV eleven times, two of which are in reference to a group of people (Ezra 9:2, Romans 9:3); the NASB eleven times, six of which are in reference to a group of people and include the Jews (Ezra 9:2, Acts 7:19, 1 Peter 2:9), the Philistines (Zechariah 9:6), the Syrophoenician (Mark 7:26) and all humanity (James 3:7); and the HCSB twenty-nine times, most of which are in reference to the "human race" except Acts 7:19, Acts 13:26 and 1 Peter 2:9.

Is there a way to determine how the Bible intends for us to understand race?

The Hebrew word translated as race in Ezra 9:2 is zera`, a singular noun used 230 times in the Old Testament. Zera` is variously translated as seed, offspring, descendants, posterity and just this once as race. The corresponding Greek word from the Septuagint (LXX) is sperma, which carries a collective meaning similar to zera`. In two of the three New Testament references, race is used to translate the Greek word genos which according to the Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament means "of common ancestry, posterity, descendant, family." Thus all these words, the Hebrew zera` and the Greek sperma and genos all relate to a common ancestry (or posterity, depending on which way you are looking).

So then, is the Bible completely blind to race?

In short, this looks to be the case. It is clear that we are all descendants of Adam, and in Adam we find our sinful nature; but we also are all descendants of Noah. All of one seed who separated into the various nations and populated the continents in Genesis 10:1-32. Paul claimed a common ancestry of all mankind when he said to the men of the Aeropagus:

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "In him we live and move and have our being;" as even some of your own poets have said, "For we are indeed his offspring (genos)." (Acts 17:24-28)

My conclusion? There's only one race and that's the human race.

This discussion continues in the post, A Question of Race, Part II.

Hosea and His Unfaithful Wife

In the opening verses of the prophecy of Hosea, he is instructed by God to "take to yourself a wife of whoredom" (Hosea 1:2, ESV). As a result, Hosea marries Gomer. One of the questions that came up in regard to this passage was whether Gomer was actually a prostitute or whether she was simply unfaithful.

The word translated as "whoredom" in the ESV (also KJV) is variously translated as "harlotry" (NASB, NKJV), "adulterous" (NIV), "prostitute" (NET, NLT), and "promiscuous" (HCSB). The Hebrew word is based on the noun zona which according to Holladay's A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament means "someone practicing prostitution either occasionally or professionally." Not all lexicographers, however, agree that the word is necessarily intended to mean "prostitution." Gesenius' Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures (c. 1812) suggests that the word may be taken as "fornication" or "adultery" although the Hebrew word na'ap is used of adultery in the seventh of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:14). The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament suggests that na'ap is never used of the professional prostitute, but is used of an adulterous married woman (Leviticus 20:10, Ezekiel 16:32-36, Hosea 3:1, Hosea 3:3). In the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar (Genesis 38:6-26), it is clear that she poses as a prostitute, exchanging sexual favors for a fee, and the Hebrew word used there is zona.

The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament, is not much help here. It uses the word porneias (think "pornography") which the Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament notes may be interpreted as "every kind of extramarital, unlawful, or unnatural sexual intercourse; fornication, sexual immorality, prostitution." The New Testament never uses porneias of adultery, but of fornication, immorality and other sexual sin; even in cases where there is a direct quote of the Old Testament such as Mark 10:19, Romans 13:9 or James 2:11.

So, although there is no clear consensus as to whether Gomer was a prostitute or not it seems reasonable to me that she was. Had she simply been an adulterous married woman, it would have been impossible for Hosea to marry her without her first getting a divorce. But Mosaic Law would have demanded that she and her lover be stoned (Leviticus 20:10) rather than allowed to divorce and remarry.

Introduction to Hosea

Hosea (which means salvation) was a prophet of the Kingdom of Judah who God used to teach the nation about the consequences of unfaithfulness. He was instructed by God to marry a prostitute as an example of the relationship between Israel and Yahweh. Like the major prophets, Hosea introduces his prophetic statements with the phrase "the word of the Lord came," "the Lord said," or "listen to the word of the Lord." The final verse reads:

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them. (Hosea 14:9)

Author

Hosea was a prophet of Israel who tells us in the very first verse both his father and those kings who were contemporary with his message:

The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. (Hosea 1:1)

Although we know little of Hosea's life prior to his writing, one could conclude that his family was agricultural because of the settings he used in his illustrations.

Date

In the opening verse Hosea tells us of the time of his message, listing the kings who reigned over both Judah and Israel during his ministry:

The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. (Hosea 1:1)

Based on this, the messages of the book of Hosea must have been delivered from approximately 755 - 712 BC, and were likely compiled into a single volume near the end of his ministry. It has been suggested that the book was compiled prior to the Assyrian Captivity of 722 BC since there is no mention of that judgment having come to pass. Gleason Archer suggests a date of 722 BC.

Language Style

Hosea is a prose narrative book which begins as a biographical record of Hosea and his unfaithful wife. This information serves as an introduction to, and a symbol of the prophecies in the later chapters of the book.

Place in the Canon

Hosea, like all the "minor prophets" of the Christian canon, has been retained as Scripture through the Church age. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Hosea is located in the "Book of the Twelve" as a single scroll which includes all twelve of these, the final books of the Old Testament. Within the Hebrew canon, the Book of the Twelve is located in the second division known as "The Prophets" and follows immediately behind Ezekiel. The Christian canon maintained the minor prophets in the same order as found in the Hebrew Bible; namely Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

Theme

The theme of the book of Hosea is the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel. In order to make the clearest presentation to the people, God had Hosea marry a prostitute and used this relationship as a figure of the relationship between Israel and God.

When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” (Hosea 1:2)

This is shown as related to Israel in Chapter 4:

Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. (Hosea 4:1-2)

Yet God promises restoration; again demonstrated in the lives of Hosea and Gomer:

And the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” (Hosea 3:1)

This is applied to Israel later:

Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. . . . I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. (Hosea 14:1-2; 4-6)

Critical Issues

The primary complaint against Hosea is God's command to the prophet to marry an adulterous woman. Because of the prevailing opinion that God would not have a holy man marry a woman like Gomer, many have attempted to allegorize the first part of the book. Others, however, tend to the declaration that Gomer was not immoral prior to her marriage, but became so afterward. Leon Wood, as pointed out by Gleason Archer notes that the phrase "wife of harlotry" would mean "a woman of adulterous character" rather than a prostitute which would be rendered by the word, zona. Wood notes that in order to well represent the character of Israel, Gomer would not have been an adulterous woman at the time of her wedding, just as at the time of the exodus, Israel was in a meaningful covenant relationship with God. It is also noted that Gomer's first child, Jezreel, is explicitly stated as being fathered by Hosea, whereas Lo-Ruhamah and Lo-Ammi have no such statement. Thus the second and third children may be the result of Gomer's adultery.

Thus, the argument is that since the book is given in a direct autobiographical narrative, without even a hint at being a parable or allegory; the direct statements in regard to the children of Gomer; the fact of God's command to Hosea; and the mirror image of Hosea's marriage seen in the character of Israel, one must consider the book as divinely inspired.

Background Reading

2 Kings 15:1 – 2 Kings 20:21
2 Chronicles 26:1 – 32:33
Isaiah 36:1 – 39:8

Outline of Hosea

A. Unfaithful Wife, Faithful Husband – Hosea 1:1 – 3:5
1. Take an Adulterous Wife – Hosea 1:1 – 2:1
2. The Punishment and Restoration of Gomer (Israel) – Hosea 2:2 – 2:23
3. Hosea's Reconciliation with Gomer – Hosea 3:1 – 3:5

B. Unfaithful Nation, Faithful God – Hosea 4:1 – 14:9
1. The Unfaithfulness of Israel – Hosea 4:1 – 4:19
2. The Judgment of Israel – Hosea 5:1 – 5:15
3. Israel Does Not Turn – Hosea 6:1 – 7:16
4. Israel Will Receive Her Reward – Hosea 8:1 – 8:14
5. Israel's Punishment – Hosea 9:1 – 10:15
6. God Remains Faithful – Hosea 11:1 – 11:11
7. Israel's Sin – Hosea 11:12 – 12:14
8. God's Anger Against Israel – Hosea 13:1 – 13:16
9. Repentance Will Bring Blessing – Hosea 14:1 – 14:9

Jehoshaphat Makes Peace With Ahab

From the time of the rebellion of the Northern Tribes, the divided kingdom had been at war. But in the book of 2 Chronicles, we see that by the third year of Jehoshaphat's reign (c. 869 BC) Judah was at peace with all her neighbors (2 Chronicles 17:10). It is implied in the book of 1 Kings that this period of peace extended to the Northern Kingdom because it was during the reigns of Ahab, King of Israel and Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, that a bit of an alliance was made. 1 Kings 22:1-12 provides the account of the two nations allying against Syria, presumably through the marriage of Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram to Ahab's daughter Athaliah (2 Chronicles 18:1, cf. 2 Kings 8:25-26).

The following chart depicts the result of the marriage of the godly family of Jehoshaphat to the unrighteous family of Ahab:


The following references may be helpful in reconstructing this family tree:

1. Jehoshaphat made an alliance of marriage with Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:1)
2. Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat (2 Kings 8:24)
3. Jehoram murdered his six brothers (2 Chronicles 21:4)
4. Athaliah is the granddaughter of Omri (2 Kings 8:26)
5. Athaliah was married to Jehoram (2 Kings 8:25-26; 2 Kings 11:3)
6. Ahaziah was the son of Jehoram (2 Chronicles 22:1)
7. Ahaziah was the grandson of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 22:9)
8. Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah (2 Kings 11:1; 2 Chronicles 22:2)
9. Upon Ahaziah's death, Athaliah attempted to murder all her grandchildren (2 Kings 11:1)
10. Upon Ahaziah's death, Athaliah claimed the throne of Judah (2 Kings 11:3; 2 Chronicles 22:12)
11. Joash was rescued by his aunt and thus saved the royal line of David (2 Kings 11:2)
12. Athaliah was deposed when Joash was seven years old (2 Chronicles 23:1 - 2 Chronicles 24:1)