Face-falling

Gen. 17:3 Then Abram fell on his face. . . .

There’s a lot of “face falling” going on in the Bible.  Seems like just about every time God shows up, those present fall on their faces.  Now there’s a humorous side to this that I’m sure some Monte-Python-ish group will take advantage of sooner or later but until they do let’s consider why we don’t see much face-falling any more.

Now when God shows up it has to be a really big deal.  There doesn’t seem to be much warning with these visit.  Folks are just sitting around and “bazzinga” God’s right there, usually speaking to them.  That has got to be a shocker.

I’ve always wondered how they knew it was God.  In some instances there are attending circumstances that make this plain but in others it seems there’s just a voice.  How do they KNOW it’s God and not some neurological disjunction? 

I know, “what a stupid subject!” Right?   But bare with me.

Now God hasn’t “popped” in that I know of for some time.  I’m sure He could and would if He needed to but aqs far as we can be sure this hasn’t happened for a looooong time.

Does that mean face-falling is no longer needed?  Has it’s time past?  Is it passé – a thing for just “way back then?”

What changed?  Used to be the Word of God came and folks fell on their faces.  Now the Word of God comes and we check our watches, doodle on our bulletins or check our emails.  Not much face falling here.

What has changed?  Is the word of God less powerful?  Is the switch from a spoken form to the written form altered the impact and essentialness of the Word?  Do we only face-fall when we hear some disembodied voice?

Yes, this is very much tongue in cheek.  But I want to make a point.  It concerns me that I have not (as best as I can remember) ever fallen on my face when hearing the Word of God.  Does familiarity breed – if not contempt – a certain blaze attitude and reaction towards the Word?  Having a plethora or styles, types and translations of the Word have we become somewhat presumptuous in our dealing with it?

Though from my perspective a little excessive, the Jewish attitude toward their Torah scrolls still carries that “face-falling” attitude.  The production of a Torah (all of them hand-written) is arduous.  From the material it’s written on to the ink it’s written with, every aspect carries a heavy dose of awareness that one is dealing with the Word of God. 

A Torah may be read but it is never touched by hands.  If it is damaged it is retired.  If it is to be discarded it is often buried reverently.  There is, in the Jewish rabbinical tradition an imposed reverence for the actual written document.  Though it may appear to border on worship of the Torah itself the rules about the Torah scroll insure that it – and the Word it contains – will be handled reverently.

The Word comes – folks fall on their faces.  Not today.  Whether from the lips of God of the lips of man The Word is The Word.  Where else can we go for the words of eternal life?  And yet do we go?  When we do go, how do we go?  While we’re in the Word do we really appreciate where we are?

Ritual isn’t bad.  Ritual can serve to remind us of the import and meaning of what we’re about.  In the fellowship with which I worship we stand when the sermon passage is read.  Why?  Because we’re fixing to engage and be engaged by the Word of God.  This ritual marks a change in circumstance and should hail a change in attitude.  The Word of God is going to be preached – this is critical – this is important – this is (or should be) little different than hearing from Him directly. 

Face-falling reflects a very appropriate attitude towards hearing the Word of God.  It was and it a good thing.  It demonstrates humility, submission, acceptance, worship and receptivity.  It’s also what we do when we’re utterly overwhelmed.

I’m not encouraging folks to take up face-falling.  Now do I think it ought to be an imposed ritual in our worship.  But I do think we need to ask ourselves when was the last time we were tempted to do some face-falling.  When was the last time we were powerfully aware of our need for and obligation to; humility, submission, acceptance, worship and receptivity.

I’m not writing this because I think you or they need to work on your/their: humility, submission, acceptance, worship and receptivity.  Rather because I need to work on mine and maybe others do as well.  I know I haven’t even felt like doing a face-fall in some time.  Maybe I need to at least be tempted.

Gen. 17:3 Then Abram fell on his face. . . .

A fear of fanaticism.

It's hard to say hard things.

How does one cry "Fire!" effectively?

How does one yell, "Duck!" calmly?

When we see someone in what we sense is imminent danger we don't tend to communicate in calm and measured tones.  We want to convey that sense of immediacy, danger, fear, and warning.

Sadly however, it is one thing to cry "Fire!" and quite another to cry "Heresy." or "Blasphemy."  Regardless of the fact that both are intended to warn others of a dangerous circumstance and dire consequences, "Fire!" is much more preferred.  So the next time you think you might have discerned blasphemy or heresy, please, just scream, "Fire!!"

(ESV)Titus 1:9

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

 Mmmmmm.  When's the last time anyone heard anyone offer a real rebuke to any of the plethora of teachers who contradict sound doctrine?  Can one persist in contradicting sound doctrine and really claim to be a believer?  If sound doctrine is a line drawn by God what do we call those on the wrong side of that line?

 What are the things one must subscribe to in order to be considered a believer, a sound believer? 

What must one reject and rebuke?  Is the "prosperity gospel" heresy or is it not?  If it is not, what is it?  Is Judaizing right or wrong?  Is it true doctrine or false? 

Where is the line between error and heresy?  Is it only heresy when it's exposed and correction is refused?  Or, is it heresy all along?

Is the one who contradicts sound doctrine a heretic or just, "a brother in error?"  How do you tell?  Where is the line?

Did you ever stop to think that Satan and his friends probably know more scripture and more about God and Christ that we do?  Did you ever stop to wonder what the difference is between the believer's knowing God and the demons knowing God?

Find for me the designation "liberal" in reference to believers anywhere in scripture.  Is who we believe in more important that what we believe?  But if the one we believe in is the one who speaks are we not compelled by the demands of consistency to believe what He said?

As I work through the Prophets study I am heartbroken for Israel.  I see in their story the story of the Church.  I don't believe that the issue was so much that they were infected by the cultures around them but that they did not faithfully attend to the Word of God.  Had they kept their focus, had the center held, the cultures around them would have had less of an impact.

We KNOW the world is passing away.  We KNOW we are citizens of another Kingdom.  But somehow we have lost something - some sense of obligation or gratitude and we spend more time engaging the culture than engaging our Master.  Perhaps we spend too much time invading their turf than cultivating our own.  I don't know - I wish I did.

I read a lot of the old Puritan writings and I find it most painful.  I am drawn to their wholehearted commitment to the faith and yet fear that emulating their passion would make me - well - weird.  They make me uncomfortable.  I am convicted by their zeal and strength and yet I hesitate to follow their lead. 

Personal holiness, mortifying the flesh, rejecting the world and refusing to be of it to the degree I see in them is scary.  I fear being a fanatic and yet being a mere fan is somehow not enough.  I am often tempted to take a stand with them and yet the greatest fear is that I would stand alone or worse, stand rejected by the Church.

 I pray for the courage my convictions demand.  I pray for the faithfulness my fear shows to be missing.  The faith, for me, isn't about what I oppose or reject.  It is about how I am and I am not how and what I want to be.

John Newton said,

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am”

He also said:

“When I think of my heart, of the world, of the powers of darkness, what cause of continual fear: I am on an enemy's ground, and cannot move a step but some snare is spread for my feet. But, when I think of the person, grace, power, care, and faithfulness of my Savior, why may I not say, I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge? I wish to be delivered from anxious and unbelieving fear, which weakens the hands, and disquiets the heart. I wish to increase in a humble jealousy and distrust of myself, and of everything about me."

Of mice, men and hemorrhoids????

Note:  If some words run together - I have no idea why - they are not that way in the draft.  Gremlins??  Somewhere between the draft and the post this happens - makes me nutZ.

1 Sam 6 & 7 are an absolute hoot.  Really, you've got to see the humor here.  Yes, it's deadly serious but put yourself in the place of the Philistines.

Israel, depending on the power they believed was inherent in the Ark gets their clock cleaned by the Philistines. 

So the Philistines capture the Ark and set it in the temple of Dagon as a trophy.  Yeah, right.

What follows in this part of the story is, well, hilarious---yes' it's serious too.

THE lesson - false gods can't stand in the presence of the One True God.

But imagine the scene. They probably made a really big deal of this with all the attending pomp and circumstance. "Yay Us - Yay Dagon!!"

So the next day they find Dagon lying flat on his face.  Mmmmmm?  Bet the set guys got burned for that, bad workmanship surely.  So they set old Dagon back on his feet and all is well.  Except the next day not only is Dagon face down again but his head and arms are "cut" off.  Note, in that day it was common to cut off the head and hands of a defeated enemy to show utter defeat.

Now I'm wondering.  Is the English translation good here?  Were the head and arms cut or broken?  It would make a difference in the impact of the event.  Young's Literal Version says the head and the palms were cut off and only the "fishy" part was whole.  Illustrations of Dagon depict kind of a mer-dude, half man, half fish.

Oh well,  it appears they didn't get the hint anyway.  

Now they’re plagued with field mice (a common scourge), death and tunors.

“Tumors."  There is some debate about exactly what these were.  Some suppose (because of the later mention of mice) that it was the bubonic plague.  Others just assume boils.  My favorite is hemroids.  The KJV reads in 1 Sam. 6:9:

9 And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

OK, a little crude but obviously it got their attention! 

If we assume it was hemroids or perhaps boils/tumors in, "their secret places," it makes sense.  Dagon was a god of fertility -- gottcha!

Well, these guys finally get it and begin to wonder what to do with the Ark.

I love these guys - the big wigs get together in Ashdod and decide to send it to Gath.  Nice guys!  Of course the Gathites assume the Ashdotites are trying to kill them by sending the Ark there so they send it to Ekron.  No way are they gonna keep it!  So they just park it out in a field for several months.  But men are dieing and there's still the "secret parts problem." 

I don't know if God has what we'd call a sense of humor but He's got irony nailed. “Funny,” may be flippant a term for all this but I have to chuckle.  But, it gets better.

To be continued.  . . .

Note:  Even though Israel was unfaithful and even though the presentation of the Ark did not produce victory God does not forgo dealing with the Philistines for taking the Ark.  Wrong is wrong and God deals with Israel passively by not coming to their aid (as He said He wouldn't) and He deals with the Philistines actively. 

The point goes back to the covenant.  If Israel is unfaithful (as in this case they had been for a while) they are on the curses side of the valley.  This does not mean that the relationship between God and Israel has changed.  They are still "His people," they have simply moved out from under His blessings into the curses that come with unfaithfulness.

An oops and a bad reputation! -sorry, kinda out of order but here it is -

1 Sam 4 More.... more
The is a very interesting chapter.  The dynamics of the encounter with the Philistines is important because of what it shows us.

Israel have degenerated to the point where Priests were having relations with women at the door of the shrine.  This is a far cry from the fantasy picture we usually hold.  God has already passed judgment and sentence on the line of Eli.  Samuel is established as Judge and Prophet.
Note, Israel goes out to battle the Philistines.  Israel gets whipped.

Israel gets the idea of using the Ark to defeat the Philistines.  NOTE - the Irsaelites cheer and whoop so much when the Ark arrives that the Philistines are terrified.

1Sa 4:6-10
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”   ESV

OK, the Ark is on the scene and Israel is really charged up.  The Pilistines suspect, "A god has come into the camp."

Isn't it curious that even before Israel came into the land their God was known and feared but now it seems He is not.  Note that the Philistines also say, "These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness,"

Here's the deal.  Much is made of the "oral" tradition - stories passed down over the generations.  But the little picture we have here of the Exodu is - well, wrong -very wrong.  First the plagues didn't happen in the wilderness.  Well, stories do get distorted over time and maybe the Philistines have it wrong but the Israelites have it right.  That's not the killer.  Did you catch it? 
"These are the gods who struck the Egyptians.  . .  "  This is important - veri important.  The Philistines are under the impression that Israel has many gods.  Not only that but they think Israel has always had many gods - at least during and since the Exodus.  Ouch!

Wow - some witness huh?  I'm willing to say that at this point in Israel's history she was indeed polytheistic.  She acknowledged, worshipped and served several gods and was known, even by her enemies for it.  What a far cry from what we see in Joshua 2:10 ff  where Rahab makes it plain that the God of Israel and His might are known far and wide.

Though terrified, the Philistines whip Israel again and take the Ark captive.  A bad day for Israel and ultimately not so good a day for the Philistines.

ICHABOD - the glory has departed Israel.  But why?  Because as we see in 4:21 Eli and Phinehas were dead and the Ark captured?  Certainly these events are a result of the glory departing - God's glory that is.  But, had not the "glory" departed long before?  Had not Israel cut herself off from the glory of God by being unfaithful to Him?

Now here's JUST a thought.  God's "glory" is everywhere.  It can not be diminished but it can be ignored, reviled and abused.  Is it that God's glory had departed or that Israel had departed.  If God is ALWAY faithful then only we can be unfaithful.

Makes me think of what an Englishman once said about Americans and tea.  He said that Americans didn't really like tea because:  they boil water and make hot tea, then they add ice to make it cold, then they add sugar to make is sweet and lemon to make it sour.  What you end up with is a cold drink to which tea is totally unnecessary.

This is kind of what Israel had done with God.  They had taken His covenant and twisted it into something to which God was not necessary.
Here's just some of their erroneous thinking:
-  We can violate the covenant without consequences.
-  We can worship other gods just a little.
-  We can still count on God cause He has to faithful to "us."
-  Covenant curses, we don't need no stinking covenant curses.
-  We still have the magic box of God that will either give us super powers or make our enemies weak.
-  We are the people of God NA NANA Nananna ............

Oops -----  AND A BIG 'UN TOO!!!!!!!!

Go back to Deut 30 (or start with Chapt 27.vs 12&13....).  The covenant with "Israel" is not real complicated.  Obey and have blessings or disobey and suffer curses.  God does not have any place to go here.  He offers blessings and curses simultaniously and Israel gets to pick.  Blessings under the "obeying" tent and curses under the "disobeying tent."  Hmmmm guess which tent they pick most of the time!
Of course - for all you long lineaged gentile - don't get snooty - you'd have done NO different.