Wisdom

Crystal Garden by Orbital Joe

Not to be confused with the rolling kind, living stones might be more like the dancing kind. Peter speaks of Jesus as the Living Stone, and the family of God as living stones. But before I think about these living stones that take part on a cosmic dance, I might back up to think of the colored, shiny kind. This morning as I read about the breastplate of Aaron, two things jumped out at me:

1. The gemstones are engraved with the names of the sons of Israel. (Exodus 28:9Exodus 28:9
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:  

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2. The gemstones serve as “stones of remembrance” for the sons of Israel. (Exodus 29:12Exodus 29:12
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12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.  

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This caught my attention because stones as memorials show up again and again in Scripture. After crossing the Jordan, Joshua builds a stone memorial to the event. Stones are used throughout Scripture to mark boundaries, remember key events and record important information (like the 10 Commandments). In other words, stones serve as testimonies. They last from generation to generation and they continually testify to past events, laws, covenants, or people.

Think of stone: precious or otherwise. It is hard. Rain, snow, storm will probably not sweep it away (unless we’re thinking of sandstone or some other soft stone). It is durable. Then at we think about crystal formations within stones, we encounter stones that can refract and reflect light. We engrave everything from life-death notices (gravestones) to laws to images in stone. If something is “written in stone,” we take that to mean it is permanent.

The idea of stones continues to play a role in the New Testament. Jesus tells his hearers that the stones can “cry out,” bearing testimony to his glory. Paul suggests that our life’s work is either made of wood, hay and stubble, or gold, silver and precious stones. Only that which is done in love will endure the fire. The enduring quality as well as the beauty and rarity of stones, silver and gold make them precious. Of course, Peter suggests that one thing is far more precious even than gold–blood.

According to Peter, there is a fire that even gold will not withstand, but the blood of Jesus and our faith in that blood are more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7, 18-191 Peter 1:7, 18-19
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7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ¹⁸ Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; ¹⁹ But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  

WP-Bible plugin). This precious life of God in Christ transforms us into “living stones” built into the Living Stone of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-51 Peter 2:4-5
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4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ⁵ Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. are: or, be ye  

WP-Bible plugin). he links this to our role in the holy priesthood to which we’ve been called. This image of us as living stones in a holy temple of holy priests can then be viewed against another image of the stones: the law. The law written in stone is now written in hearts (living stones).

We bear witness. The testimony of Christ is being revealed in us, and it is to us–not impersonal stones–that God points when he wants to show the “powers” his glory (Ephesians 3:10Ephesians 3:10
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10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,  

WP-Bible plugin). We are living testimonies, bearing witness to the faithfulness of God. In our brokeness, in our frailty, in our weakness, we are being shaped, formed, perfected into a living, precious stones that will reflect the glorious light of Christ throughout the city of God, the New Jerusalem.

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Photography from flickr by emdot

2:1 “Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea, as the Lord told me. And for many days we traveled around Mount Seir. 2 Then the Lord said to me, 3 ‘You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough. Turn northward 4 and command the people, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. 5 Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 You shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water of them for money, that you may drink. 7 For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”’ 8 So we went on, away from our brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road from Elath and Ezion-geber. (Deuteronomy; ESV)

I’m slowly meandering through Deuteronomy with the Brazos Commentary by Telford Work in hand. I enjoy Work’s midrashic approach and find it deeply devotional. In the passage above, Work writes that Israel “must learn that confessional practices include business practices.” Reflecting on this remembrance, I see how Moses’ narrative provides application for several commandments including the commands not to covet, the command not to steal and possibly the command not to bear false witness.

The Lord sustained the Children of Israel through manna from the heavens, water from the earth and birds from the air. He has provided for their needs and they must not take from the descendants of Esau but pay them for provisions. First, I see the idea of “not coveting” because the Lord is their provider. Thus they are free to pass through the region without desiring the land or materials of the people.

Secondly, the supplies they do need must be bought. So instead of stealing, they purchase materials at a fair price. The commandment not to steal reminds us to be fair and honest in all our business as well as generous in our treatment of those around us.

Thirdly, they are to honor the ancient covenant. (This idea shows up in other places as honoring the ancient landmarks.) I see a connection hear with bearing witness. They honor the witness of past covenants in their current transactions. To violate those covenants might be a form of bearing false witness since the covenant “bears witness” to a relationship between persons.

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Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Ex 20:8-11Ex 20:8-11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁰ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.  

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Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deut 5:12-15Deut 5:12-15
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12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. ¹³ Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁴ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. ¹⁵ And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.  

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All glory and honor and praise unto the LORD our God, Creator of heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them. All power above the earth, in the earth and beneath the earth is yours alone. You called all things into being, You spoke and the heavens and earth were formed. You spoke and there was light. You spoke and the day and night were formed. You spoke and stars, sun, moon, seas, ground, plants and animals were formed. You spoke, you shaped, you breathed humans in your image and likeness. All things were created in and through your Word by the power of your hovering Spirit.

We rejoice dear Lord and Provider that you alone satisfy the desires and needs of every living thing. You alone create, sustain, and fill your creation with glory. You alone are worthy of praise. You alone give hope. You alone fill us with joy. You alone leads us in the way of everlasting life.

We rejoice that when we were still enslaved and powerless to help ourselves, you stretched out your mighty hand and delivered us from the cruel Pharoah, the harsh slavemaster, the destroyer of our souls. You called us by name, you set us in family, you redeemed us, healed us and restored us into the light of your love.

Lord Jesus we rejoice that the Father sent you and revealed you to us as Word Made Flesh. We rejoice in this world of time and space where all things are united in you alone.

You call us into life.
You call us into fullness.
You call us into the riches of grace upon grace upon grace.

We rest in you alone.
We rest in you alone.
We rest in you.

We forsake the bread of anxious toil and feast on the abundance of your blessings.
We rejoice that even as we live and breathe and move in this world of time and space, we live and breathe and move in you.

We are not abandoned or forsaken. We do not stumble in darkness but rest in the light of you countenance.

Even as we work to eat and provide for our families, we rejoice that our time is rooted and founded in Jesus Christ.
So we rest.
We rest.
We rest
in the Vine that is always fruitful,
in the Vine that is always life-giving,
in the Vine that sustains us,
in the Vine that renews us,
in the Vine that makes us fruitful in word and deed.

Even as we plant and build and live in the land, we rejoice that our space is footed and founded in Jesus Christ. There is
no place,
no place,
no place beyond
His grasp,
His eye,
His love.

In the midst of our working,
in the midst of our dreaming,
in the midst of our struggling,
in the midst of our suffering,
in the midst of learning,
in the midst of striving,
in the midst of our yearning,
in the midst of our making,
in the midst of our buying,
in the midst of our selling,
in the midst of our churching,
we stop.

we breathe.

we rest.

we remember.

we behold,

we bow

before

the Lord of the Sabbath.

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In Deuteronomy, Moses is recounting, rehearsing, remembering the Word of God in the midst of the people. He reminds them again and again that YHWH spoke directly to them out from the mountain, out of the midst of the fire.

“[Y]ou stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, ​so that they may learn to fear lme all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’ 11 And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. 12 Then o​the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, ​but saw no form; ​there was only a voice. 13 And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, ​the Ten Commandments.” (Deut 4:10-13Deut 4:10-13
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. ¹¹ And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. midst: Heb. heart ¹² And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. only...: Heb. save a voice ¹³ And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.  

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…you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire… (vs 15)

Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? (vs 33)

Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. (vs 36)

The Lord spoke with you z​face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 a​while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For ​you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. (Deut 5:4-5Deut 5:4-5
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4 The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, ⁵ saying,  

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In the Gospels, we encounter God speaking out from the person of Jesus. The mountain, the fire, the Holy Place comes down in the midst of the people. Jesus is this Word of God that speaks out of the midst of the fire. He is not any less holy, any less terrifying, any less fiery and all-consuming. He is the revelation of God in flesh-the complete revelation. He comes to bring judgment for sin, He comes to bear judgment for sin. In the mystery of His grace we are brought into Him by His Spirit. In other words, we are brought into the fire or baptized in the fire as John the Baptist says. The holy mountain is not an external location in the Middle East, it is in His people. Those same commands that are rooted in love still speak in our heart by the Spirit leading us into the fullness of His love, the fire of His holiness.

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The Good Shepherd (Ravenna)

If you haven’t guessed, I’m working my way through each of the 10 Commandments and meditating upon the glory that I believe is revealed and guarded in the command. This is not comprehensive but thoughts that come to mind after spending the last 18 months reflecting on these grand and wondrous Words.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. (Deut. 5:11Deut. 5:11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  

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Blessed be the our Lord Creator and Ruler of all times, all places, and all peoples. We bow our knees and confess, “Jesus is Lord, Jesus is King, Jesus is Savior.” We confess Jesus as the name above every name. We lift our voices to the Lamb of God who is worthy of all praise and honor and glory and power and wisdom.

We rejoice that the Father in heaven has adopted into the family of God through our Lord Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for sealing us with the Spirit of Truth, who teaches us to say, “Jesus is Lord.” Not simply with our mouths but with our lives. The word of truth articulated and translated in our tongues, in our hearts, in our hands and in our feet.

We rejoice King Jesus in your righteous rule. We didn’t know what greatness was, we didn’t know what glory was, we didn’t know what beauty was, until you came. You revealed the rule of the Father in the heart of a servant. Clothed in glory and dwelling in unapproachable light, you precede all things, all thoughts, all referents. No idea, no concept, no word can contain you, the Lord of Glory.

And yet.

Instead of grasping for glory and power and honor (which are all yours), you let go and humiliated Yourself before all creation and entered into creation as Word made Flesh; as servant; as criminal; as the cursed scapegoat of all our violence, all our cruelty, all our pain, all our brokenness, all our sin. You carried all of the darkness and pain and evil of the world upon yourself.

In dying, you poured out your body, your love, your life into the Father’s hand who raised you up by His Spirit and exalted you above every name. We glorify this name. We honor this name. We bow before this name. We swear fealty to this name.

We confess this name by Your Holy Spirit.

By the great and wondrous Grace of Your Spirit, we’ve been caught up in your Righteous Rule and we rejoice. We’ve been taken up to the throne. We’ve been set in a family: the family of God. We’ve been made kings and priests of our Lord Jesus, the King of all Kings.

May our words and our hands and our feet and our hearts become an anthem of praise and glory and honor unto the true King, the Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Deut 5:8-10Deut 5:8-10
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8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: ⁹ Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, ¹⁰ And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.  

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We sing your praise most glorious Lord and Creator of all things in heaven above, on earth beneath and in the water beneath the earth. By your great and gracious word, you’ve taught us that all things were created in and through the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice Father that you created all things in and through Your Son Jesus by the power of your Spirit.

And even as we are in awe of the wonders of this world, we know and reaffirm that all things that exists exist because they were created in and through Jesus. So in and through all things do we lift up holy praise to the Lord Jesus Christ who chose to enter into His Creation, and fully reveal the Father. And we realize that no image in creation can be worship and glorified outside of you. For you alone are worthy all praise and honor and glory and wisdom.

Jesus, the true image, the express image, the icon of God. For in Jesus, we behold the Father by the Spirit. And we are changed. The glory of the Son changes us into His Image that we might become the image of God for which we were created.

We rejoice in this world of splendor. We rejoice in the stars and sun and moon. We rejoice in the lush world of plants and trees and rocks and hills. We rejoice in the birds in the air, the squirrels and rabbits and every living thing. We stand in awe of the majesty of the soaring eagle and the boundless energy of the newborn puppy. We rejoice in the streams and rivers and ocean. In the fish of the deep sea and the myriad of other living things that teem beneath the surface.

You created us with five senses to experience and enjoy the heavens above, the earth below and the sea beneath the earth. We rejoice in the soft scent of mountain laurel and in the drunken winds that carry the aroma of honeysuckle. We delight in the pungent taste fresh tomatoes, the fiery flavor of salsa and the sweet intoxication of chocolate cake.

Thank for the gift of music that washes over our ears with joyous melodies and the bittersweet songs of love and life. To behold the brilliant colors of flowers and fish and birds, fills us with joy and awe. And gazing upon the streams of gold and pink and blue and yellow in the setting sun bring rapturous delight.

We are grateful for soothing feel of warm water and the cool breeze across our skin. What a gift is the embrace of friends and lovers and the healing touch of one person to another.

Thank you Lord for this world of physical experiences, this world of beauty, this world of breathtaking sights and heart-shaking sounds.

In all these wonders, glory: the glory of the Lord shining out from the vast and bountiful world. Everywhere we turn, we are overawed by you Oh Lord and the glory of Your creation.

And the greatest glory of this earth is the man and woman created to bear and reveal your image and glory. In every relation Lord, we rejoice in you.

In watching the father instructing his children or the mother caring for their needs, we rejoice in your constant and unfailing care. We rejoice in Your Spirit that teaches and guides us in the way of truth. In beholding the loving bond of brothers and sisters, we rejoice in you Lord Jesus who is the friend that sticks closer than a brother.

In the love of a man and a women, we rejoice Lord Jesus in your love for your people and by Your Spirit, raising us up together with you and the Father in a communion of love. You have loved and have loved and have loved your people. And you great and wondrous love extends from to generation to generation to generation. We rest in your faithful love, and we rejoice in this world of wonder you’ve given us as home.

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I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. Deut 4:6-7Deut 4:6-7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. ⁷ For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?  

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Thank you Father for rescuing us from the house of slavery. In your great and wondrous grace, you’ve adopted us into your family. You’ve rescued us from the folly of our own foolishness. We were taken captive by our own lusts and desires. We not only turned away from you but we turned away from one another. Our selfish desires led us astray and we fell captive to unforgiveness, self-pity, inglorious imagination. Seeking to be wise we became fools and worship created things and people instead of worshipping you, the Creator of all things.

In our despair and confusion, you remembered us. In our state of war against you and your kingdom, you loved us. Like the only true Father, you came to us in our confusion and rebellion, and you rescued us.

You’ve led us forward into the wideness of your grace, and we are overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by your unstoppable love. Overwhelmed by your songs of deliverance. Overwhelmed by the joy of your salvation.

You’ve freed us from the tents of wickedness and welcomed us into the house of the righteous where we feast upon you and your goodness. As the only good and gracious Father, you shower us with ever good thing and all we can do is rejoice. Thank you oh great and gracious Father. May your Spirit teach us to sing anthems of praise to your name. Blessed the Lord, God Almighty, Our Father and Protector and Provider and Royal King both now and forever. We rest in Your embrace.

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Lately when I teach, I’ve noticed that I’ve been speaking of the Bible as wisdom. Actually I didn’t notice but my friend Linda did. She asked me what I meant by “a wisdom interpretation of the Bible.” Good question. What do I mean by that?

Questions that ask for definition of terms can be challenging for a blurry person like me. As the question stares me down, I realize that I must attempt to articulate an answer with some degree of clarity. Since I am preparing for a retreat on relationships where I may once again speak a “wisdom interpretation of the Bible,” maybe it would be helpful if I pause to define this phrase.

By using the phrase “a wisdom interpretation of the Bible,” I am suggesting that the Scripture offers a way of thinking and acting in every sphere of our lives. This “way” acknowledges God’s involvement with His creation, and our responsibility to serve faithfully in family, civic life and church life.

This “way of wisdom” is a skill that is developed rather than a set of given answers for every situation. This skill combines thought and action in difficult and challenging situations. Consider one of the great examples of wisdom in Scripture. King Solomon is presented with a dilemma. Two women stand before him and lay claim to the same baby. There are no witnesses to assist in his decision. What can he say or do that will shine light on the true mother?

King Solomon proposes to the split the baby in half, whereupon the true mother yields by giving away the baby to the false mom. Solomon’s word-act of wisdom exposes the lies of the false mom. In this demonstration of the skill of wisdom, Solomon reveals an insight into the particular circumstance at hand. He applies a life of training to a specific situation.

Wisdom is the skill that learns how to apply Biblical norms such as the Ten Commandments in specific situations where the decision may not be obvious. This skill can only be developed by knowledge (studying the Biblical norms) and understanding (the practice of applying these commands in specific situations). Knowledge and understanding are developedin the “fear of the Lord.” The skill is developed before the Lord and with trust in the Lord’s guidance.

With that initial definition, I would suggest that the whole Bible can be read as a book that teaches behavioral norms and models successes and failures in applying wisdom to decisions in family, civic and temple/church life.

How is the skill of wisdom developed? I would suggest three specific sources for developing wisdom: revelation of God; human advice and action; and observation of the natural world.

Proverbs 1:7Proverbs 1:7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. the beginning: or, the principal part  

WP-Bible plugin says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” James tells us that if anyone “lacks wisdom let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5James 1:5
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5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  

WP-Bible plugin). Thus the Bible tells us that wisdom starts with God.

Wisdom does not start in the intellect, but in the person’s relationship with God. As a Christian, I understand this to mean that wisdom starts with faith in Jesus Christ. It begins with a trust in His provision and grace. So wisdom begins in relationship. We learn wisdom in a person-to-person relationship with Jesus Christ.

He gives us his Spirit to teach and guide and lead us. This relationship with Jesus is mediated by the Holy Spirit and is rooted in the Word of God. The Bible is our source document where we believe the Holy Spirit is teaching and revealing Jesus. So when I come to the Bible, I am coming to encounter Jesus.

I read the law, the histories, the psalms and prophecies as well as the gospels and letters of the apostles, trusting that the Spirit is guiding, revealing and opening my eyes to Jesus. In and through this encounter, I begin to learn the norms of God in a person-to-person relationship. Some texts are more overtly revealing ethical norms such as the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. John Frame explains that law does not justify me or free me from sin but it does reveal God’s commands and expectations as well as my own deficiencies.

Frame also explains that “the law is both a part Scripture and a way of looking at Scripture as a whole” (The Doctrine of the Christian Life, 200). The law tells us what to do, but it also tells us how to think. The law provides a lens for reading all of Scripture. For example, I can read about David and King Saul’s relationship in light of the command to honor your father and mother.

King Saul is a father figure to David. Even though David is being attacked by Saul, he is still seeking to obey this command. Studying David’s life in light of this command may shine interesting insight about how do you live under unjust authority and resist in authentic and effective ways that do not violate the command.

All of Scripture can be studied in this light, yielding insight about how God’s wisdom works in the messiness of this world. One thing we discover rather quickly is that God’s ways are not man’s ways” and the “wisdom of God is foolishness to man.”

As we trust in the Lord and His Spirit to lead and guide us through the light of His word, we can apply this light to the ways of man and the mysteries of the natural world. This wisdom model does not discount man’s world of ideas and communities and culture but it does provide us light to distinguish wisdom from foolishness. It also gives us light to think about and about is wise ways toward other humans as well as all of the created world.

Thus a wisdom approach to Scripture can shine light upon family relationships, local community affairs, federal and foreign affairs, art, science and more. Because I am suggesting that wisdom is a skill we develop, I am also suggesting that application requires humility and acknowledgement of others who may see things differently.

In humility, I seek to apply a wisdom way of thinking and listening to the church tradition, to other cultures, and to non-believers who reject my basic presuppositions. The Spirit guides me in and through the revealed Word to think about human culture and the natural world. Through this Holy Spirit developed skill, I am learning both how to see wisdom in the human and natural world as well as how to apply wise word-acts in specific situations.

I’ll stop here. If I come back to this, I’ll try to offer some insights from authors like David Ford who have thought deeply about the Christian wisdom tradition. And once again, I would suggest reading my friend Charles Strohmer who (along with John Peck) has written an in-depth study on Uncommon Sense and is currently writing about wisdom in relation to foreign policy.

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The 10 Words are embedded within the stories of the Lord delivering the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and leading them into a land of promise. If we don’t read the commands within the story we may miss the rhythm. Within the actual commands, the Sabbath stands out as a command that has a story or two stories embedded within it. The Exodus 20:8-11Exodus 20:8-11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁰ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.  

WP-Bible plugin version of the command alludes to the creation story: God creates for six days; at the end of the six days, He says, “Very Good!”; and then He sets aside the seventh day as a day of rest.

The Deuteronomy 5:12-15Deuteronomy 5:12-15
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. ¹³ Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁴ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. ¹⁵ And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.  

WP-Bible plugin version of the command references the story of Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Some call this story the redemption story. I tend to think to think of it as the re-creation story. Slavery strips a human of personal status: no name, no status, no self control. These non-persons are called out of the grave and into new life. They receive a name, a commission (the Torah), and a promise: the people who are not a people become a people, a new creation or a re-creation.

I’ve already teased out a few ideas related to Sabbath Recreation. So now I want to explore another nuance: the aspect of storying. For six days, Israel works hard for survival. While travelling across the wilderness and settling the land, their days are filled with all the typical chores of nomadic cultures and then agrarian cultures. In other words, their busy surviving. Bot one day they pause. They rest. They thank God for His faithfulness. They remember.

They remember the story of creation. They remember the story of re-creation. They remember their own history. They retell the story. This regular habit of pausing and retelling their story in Sabbath thanksgiving and in festival celebration, reveals an essential element of identity formation in everything from personhood to tribal or ethnic identity to brand management. Telling our story again and again and again imprints our identity on our minds, in our bodies and ultimately in our actions.

Many companies spend thousands of dollars to develop a brand identity program, focusing their energy on design. Design is important but pales in comparison to telling and retelling and retelling the story. Companies need to tell their story. But first they need to learn their stories. Many people participate in a companies’ stories, including their customers. If they don’t learn to listen to their stories as well, they may discover the customer stories may turn against the company story, and then they’ll spend lots of PR cash trying to regain their voice.

But let me think about storying on a personal level. If there is a story to tell, I would suggest there is a story to hear. Many conference speakers are master storytellers. Many great filmmakers are also amazing story tellers. But I would also suggest we need to cultivate the gift of storycollecting.

I come from a family of storytellers, but I sometimes think my greater gift is storycollecting. People need to tell their story and someone needs to listen. I suggesting storycollecting or story listening is a part of Sabbath Hospitality.

Today while I was drinking coffee and reflecting on the 10 Words, a man walked up and immediately started telling me his story. I stopped and listened. Obviously that what was the rhythm I needed to pay attention to.

He was wearing a cross and two chains. I asked about the chains. He explained that they were cheap fan chains (for ceiling fans). He wore these chains with the cross as a sign of devotion without being ostentatious. Then he proceeded to tell me stories of St. Francis and his vow of poverty and service. In a matter of minutes, I traveled all through church history listening to tidbits about the lives and saints and lives devoted to service and obedience to the call and pattern of Jesus. As he was leaving the man handed me a gift. A book on the “Rule of St. Benedict.”

Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by people with stories to tell. If we are willing to listen, people will tell us their stories. We give them a gift in listening, and they give us a gift in telling them. In Orson Scott Card’s Alvin Maker stories, there is a character named Taleswapper. He collects stories and then redistributes them. I think this is an interesting way of thinking about stories. We listen and trade. As we listen, we may learn the hidden wisdom of Hebrew storytelling.

Their story is told from varying perspective based on the current circumstance. By telling their story in new ways or through new angles, they speak wisdom to the current crisis, challenge or opportunity. If we learn to listen rightly, we may learn the rhythm of knowing when to tell a story and what story needs to be told. I would suggest that a world of storytellers may bring more peace and healing than a culture of would-be messiahs pointing fingers at all the devils around them.

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Originally uploaded by Walt Jabsco

12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

The Sabbath command to rest and remember extends to children, servants, animals and strangers within our gates. I would call this “Sabbath hospitality.” The children of Israel had been slaves. Now they enjoyed freedom. They are told to enjoy the freedom. Set aside a day of thanksgiving, of rejoicing, of feasting.

Then they are told to extend this celebration to everyone and everything within their sphere of influence. My blessing becomes the blessing of the community around me.

This seems opposite to the way of business and much of life in a supposed “dog-eat-dog” world. And yet, if I follow the rhythm of Sabbath, I will look for ways to extend the blessings of peace and freedom and life to those around me. How might this be worked out? It seems to me that is has implications for the way I treat family, animals and creation by extension, those who serve me (like the waiter in the restaurant, the sales clerk, the postal person, and a never-ending network of people who bless me from farmers to factory workers), and finally I am extending this grace to those with whom I seem to have no connection. They enter my gates. This may have referred to strangers who asked for hospitality and shelter but might I also apply to those who cross my path?

As I think about Sabbath hospitality, I think about a call to let the joy and blessings I have known to continue flowing through me. In the web 2.0 world, some people like Doc Searls highlighted forming a “culture of generosity.” I think Sabbath wisdom challenges me in this area. For the truly joyful ones are not those who hoard and hide away their treasures. But those who open their arms to welcome and bless the people and creatures around them.

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