Happy Father’s Day!
Today we’re continuing our journey through Psalms but, like a river delta, we’re spreading out from there to get a fuller picture of God our Father. But considering the breadth and depth of this topic, we’re only going to be skimming over the top.
Earlier in our preparation for Communion we looked at the significance of names. One name Jesus taught us to use for God our Father is the endearment, “Daddy” or “Papa”.
But Simon has just read Psalm 2 where we find, not only a confronting contrast in image but in language as well. It uses the terms:
- Rebuke
- Anger
- Wrath
- Terrify
- Fear
- Break them with a rod
- Dash them to pieces like pottery
- Destruction.
Warrior King?
This Psalm is not presenting an isolated image of God. When we line it up with many other passages in the OT, we get an overall impression of who our God is. Starting in Genesis we see that God not only created the earth and everything in it, but He also provides for, rules over, and ministers judgement and justice for all of creation—He is The Creator God, Warrior Lord and The Great King. And he does not play favourites. If we continue to read through the OT we learn, in the time of…
- Noah, God wiped the earth clean in judgement of Humanity’s sin
- Moses, God went to war with Pharaoh for his ignorance and pride
- Kings, God dethroned Saul—his first anointed, appointed king—for disobedience
- After the kingdoms divided, God sent all of his people into exile because they lost the plot completely.
Apples and Oranges
How do we compare this image of God as father with that found in the NT, such as the parable of the Lost Son? The story of a wayward son and pushover dad.
How do we align these two images to get a clear picture of God the Father?
- Is the first the OT God but Jesus is the NT God?
- Is the OT even relevant anymore?
- Has God changed and become more chilled in his old age?
Whatever the case, we can’t just ignore passages because we don’t like them or don’t understand them. All of Scripture is God breathed and relevant, and all of it is the revealed Word of God.
So, let’s look at both images more closely—remembering this is merely a skim over the top.
The Great King
The first thing we need to remember when reading the Psalms is that they are all poems. And even though they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, they were written from within the human experience. The Word of God is both 100% God and 100% human.
Psalm 2 was written for the coronation of an over-ruling king. And, in the ANE when a new king took the top spot, subordinate kings usually took this as an opportunity to flex their muscles and talk rebellion which we read in verses 1-3.
Historians deduce Psalm 2 was written for David taking on that role of High King. And from verse 4 onwards, David is projecting God’s perspective on the matter: You can push and shove all you like, but Yahweh is the Great King enthroned in heaven. If you challenge his anointed, you challenge him. He laughs at the absurdity of their posturing. They can no more topple Yahweh’s anointed as they can topple Yahweh.
David was a descendant of Abraham and verse 8 refers to the Covenant promises that God made to the Patriarchs, as well as the specific covenant he made with David. In short:
- God is faithful,
- he will keep his promises to,
- and his presence with his chosen.
Servant and Son
But possibly one of the most interesting facts we can learn from the ANE culture in respect to the Fatherhood of God is alluded to in Psalm 2:7
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.
Psalm 2:7
Throughout the whole ANE there were Great Kings who ruled over subordinate kings. Subject kings were either selected or allowed to maintain their station when a new Overruling King came to power. The common terms used to express this relationship between the two types of kings were “Lord” and “servant”. But also, “father” and “son”. As Yahweh was the Great King enthroned in heaven and David was his subordinate king, he and all the future Davidic kings, were Yahweh’s servants and his sons.
But what makes this more astounding is David’s story of origin. For this we need to go way back to the beginning and read about Abram. If you don’t know the story, have a read through Genesis 12 onwards.
Origin Story
The prophet Ezekiel uses pretty graphic images to demonstrate the gravity of Israel’s beginnings. You can read the complete passage in Ezekiel 16:1-14 but here’s a summary.
- Your parents were foreigners. One was a Canaanite the other a wanderer.
- The moment you were born, you were abandoned in the desert,
- Your cord was not cut, you were not washed, you were naked and left to die.
- No one wanted you; you were despised. You were a worthless girl child.
- The Creator God, Great King saw you and commanded you to live.
- He nurtured, clothed and provided for you.
- He entered covenant with you and claimed you as his own.
- He gave you the very best of everything
- He raised your status from abandoned, abhorred girl-child, to his queen.
14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendour I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Weighty Gift
But with status and privilege come responsibility. Israel wasn’t adopted on a whim; they were to be God’s ambassadors. They were entrusted as representatives demonstrating the glory, grace and wisdom of the Great King’s rule. With this gift of adoption, came the identity of both servant and son. Israel was to be obedient to the will of the Great King, but also loved and heirs to his kingdom.
When we read Scripture considering historical context and cultural background, we discover within the context of fatherhood the:
- Greatness of God the Father is established.
- Grace and significance of adoption into his family is revealed.
- Responsibility and high calling of Sonship is demonstrated.
And now, because of this, the second image we looked at has greater meaning because it is built on top of this picture of The Great King, Creator God, adopting a rejected unwanted child.
The Lost Son
When reading parables, we need to remember they are fictional stories told to a contemporary audience within familiar culture to illustrate or teach a point. The Lost Son is a parable found in Luke 15:11-32 and is one of a group illustrating the Father’s heart.
Right from the start, the story of The Lost Son offended Jesus audience and got them offside. The affront continued throughout the whole story. Looking through the lens of historical and cultural context, let’s look at what was really being said and where everyone went wrong.
The Younger Son: Abhorrent
- Abhorrent – To ask for an inheritance early was like saying, “Dad, I wish were already dead.”
- Law breaker – at the very least, for this offence alone he should have been beaten, at worst put to death, but definitely disinherited.
- Receiving rightful judgement – caring for THE most unclean animal and eating their food was both horrendous and absolutely disgusting. As far as Jesus audience was concerned, a totally deserved outcome.
- Rightfully exiled – At this point in the son’s life he’d burned all his bridges. He’d sunk too low and would have been rejected by any nearby Jewish communities. No one would of helped this kid: he was lawfully beyond redemption, unwanted and despised. Sound familiar?
- Presumptuous and impudent – to turn around and go home was just another insult to his already irreversibly shamed father.
The Older Son: Stubborn sulky brat
- Lax – culturally it would have been his role to reconcile the younger son to the Father
- Obstinate – pretending not to know what the “welcome home” celebration was about. It would have been impossible not to know.
- Sulky brat – refusing to go into the house heaped more shame on the father. This offence was so bad, at this point in the story, both sons are as bad as each other.
- Disrespectful – not using the correct term to address his father when he did come out, and referring to his role in the family as “slaving”.
The Father: Worst of the lot.
- Weak willed and soft for granting his immoral younger son’s request.
- Undignified – no elderly Jewish man would run, especially considering the clothing he would have been wearing—he would have to have lifted his skirts.
- Completely shamed – accepting this abhorrent child back and reinstating him as son.
- Shameful – by leaving the house to meet with his obstinate older son.
- Once again weak willed and soft – for not punishing or at least disinheriting his older son for his slight and unacceptable behaviour
- Humiliated – surrenders the final shred of his honour to attempt reconciliation with the second son.
No one in this family is above repulsion from Jesus’ Jewish audience. But today, with the gift of insight gained by the Holy Spirit, we can see a clearer picture of this story.
No Favourites
The father—God—loves both his disobedient, imperfect sons. He doesn’t have favourites.
The first son, wanting to escape his father’s house, his father’s rule, ran off to “squander” his father’s gift in wild living—which is interpreted as sleeping with prostitutes, drinking and extravagant living. In this son, we—Gentiles and, at the time, everyday Jews—are to see ourselves. We chose to throw away relationship with the father to explore relationship with the world.
The second son was hard hearted and jealous of the Father’s love and compassion toward his younger brother. Even though his inheritance was intact, and he had lost nothing, his behaviour and disrespect should have also seen him kicked from the Father’s grace. In this son, the Pharisees were to see themselves and be confronted by their pride.
Our Father’s love is not constrained by cultural norms. He humbles himself to welcome all his errant children home not having favourites. Granting love and compassion despite the law’s demand for punishment and justice.
The Math
When we read the NT and consider the historical context and cultural background we discover in the context of fatherhood:
- Humility of God is established
- Extent of God’s love is revealed
- Wilful blindness and hypocrisy of humanity is demonstrated.
Unifier
So how do we focus this kaleidoscope of images to get one clear image of the Father. I believe we can do this by looking at another name: “Redeemer”. Translated as Yahweh or, “The LORD” – the name of the covenant God. In Exodus 6:6 we read:
6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
Exodus 6:6
In creative writing, verbs are the money words. They’re where the power is, and here it’s no different. In this verse we read God’s promises to:
- Bring you out
- Free you
- Redeem you.
These verbs stress the true significance of the name Yahweh—“The LORD”—the One who would redeem his people. And not only did Yahweh redeem his people from Egypt, later he redeemed them (regather them to their inheritance) again from exile in Babylon.
The Hebrew for the word Redeemer (goel) refers to an “obligated family protector”. So, when God claims this term for himself, he is identifying as Israel’s family protector. This is further demonstrated in Isaiah 63:16 and 64:6 where Yahweh is recognised as Israel’s father. And, in Isaiah 54:5 Israel’s husband thereby combining the two images of Israel being a Subject King and Adopted Daughter.
As Guardian-Redeemer (or family protector),
- He redeems his people’s property (for he regathers them to their),
- Guarantees their freedom,
- Avenges them against their tormentors and
- Secures their posterity for the future
So What?
Our God is a fearful, Warrior God, The Great King, Creator of the universe make no mistake. We cannot deny what we read in Scripture or chose to ignore those images that confront us. God is who he says he is.
But it is from this lofty position of glory and power, He humiliated himself to adopt a helpless, hopeless, wretched, sinful, belligerent child to make us his own. To elevate us to heirs of his kingdom.
As his children—Children of the Covenant God—Yahweh promises to gather us and bring us home to his kingdom. Guarantees our freedom by substituting our rightful, lawful punishment of death with the sacrifice of his beloved son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, transferring our wages of sin onto him. By doing so he has avenged us and been victorious over our tormentors: Satan, sin and death. And not only has he secured our future with him, he has also promised, and faithfully demonstrated, his presence with us—within us—by the gift of his Holy Spirit.
Israel’s Only Saviour
43 But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
Isaiah 43:1-4
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
The only reason our God in in a lawful position to do these things, to act on our behalf is because he is our kinsman-redeemer- Yahweh—The LORD: because he has adopted and claimed us as His children. Now, it is not only his right, but also his responsibility to fulfill these obligations because he is our father. To not fulfil these responsibilities, regardless of our action, would heap shame on Him. But he has promised and he has shown himself faithful.
