Jewelry and History

There is a prevalent view amongst scholars that history is crucial in understanding the truths of the bible - or even what the bible is.

In the Reformed camp - this view is couched under the predestinarian cry that "God is the God of history". What is meant to follow from that is that God has used all of history to produce, shape and determine what His truth revealed (a.k.a the Bible) is!

So naturally the study of backgrounds that surround any given text are valuable, some may even argue crucial.

I reject this line of thinking. Not because it is illogical, or irreverent (at least on the surface), but because I believe it fails to see the purpose of history. This line of thinking makes all history contributive of the whole instead of complementing the main. In other words, if we were to think of human history as a diamond - the scholars view would make every contribution merely another cut on the rock to shape its beauty. In my opinion the place of human history is not the diamond itself - but rather the black cloth on which the diamond of God's revelation is set.

In my model - intertestmental unbelief is just so much more black cloth. Modern unbelief maybe crafted from different material and take different shapes, but is still, in the end black cloth. Redemptive History, both inscripturated and lived is the diamond - perfect on its own, but indeed more luster shines through it against the ever so pitch - unbelief.

If this is the case, then the study of backgrounds will tell us nothing about the revelation of God, except how much the brighter it shines in our unbelief. An example can be shown with the creation accounts. Babylonian unbelief crafts a creation myth - does this story help us understand where the bible got its figures? Certainly not! Scholars will object, citing the numerous similarities amongst accounts. If those similarities are not enough, they say, what about the Egyptian myths? How do I account for the similarities?

Simple, all human life is a reflection of the divine will and intricately tied to the spiritual realities that it is either rebelling from or conforming to. Why do the Egyptians have a creation ex nehilo? Because they hate, and are rebelling from the Triune God of Scripture that spoke all things into being. Why don't the Babylonians? Because they rebel in different ways - but in the end all attempt to overshadow the truth by spreading the black blanket of their unbelief over God's revelation.(or "suppressing the truth in unrighteousness") Unfortunately for them God's diamond like revelation cut through the cloth and shines ever so much brighter!!

Notice in this illustration that the black cloth is powerless to shape the diamond - but can be and is employed to showcase the diamond.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.

"...the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2Co 4:4-6