Shownotes
Welcome to Day 2446 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – Sanctified Dirt – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible
Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2446 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2446 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the eighteenth lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God’s redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it’s also a book that seems strange to us. While God’s Word was written for us, it wasn’t written to us. Today, our lesson is, Sanctified Dirt. Elisha’s healing of Naaman, the leper, commander of the army of the king of Syria, is a familiar story to many (2 Kgs 5:1-27). Naaman hears that Elisha, the prophet of Israel, can heal him, so he makes the trip. When the two meet, Elisha tells him rather dismissively that he needs to take a bath in the Jordan River. Naaman doesn’t take this well and prepares to go home. At the behest of some servants, he consents to dip himself in the Jordan. The simple act miraculously heals him. The display of power, so transparently without sacrifice or incantation, awakens Naaman to the fact that Yahweh of Israel is the true God. Here’s where the story usually ends in our telling, but that would result in the omission of one very odd detail—what Naaman asks to take back home. In 2 Kings 5:15-19, the elated Naaman returns to Elisha and begs him to take payment for healing him. Elisha repeatedly refuses. Finally, before embarking on a trip to Syria, Naaman makes a strange request: to load two mules with dirt to take back with him. Dirt? I can think of a few favors I would ask of a prophet in a receptive mood, but dirt certainly isn’t one of them. The request is so odd that it’s hard to avoid wondering if Naaman needed some other kind of therapy. Why would he ask for dirt? But Naaman was completely in his right mind. In 2 Kings 5:17, Naaman follows the request with an explanation: “From now on, I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the Lord.” The dirt and Naaman’s new allegiance to the God of Israel are related. Naaman was a man who had significant duties in his home country. He couldn’t stay in Israel, but he could take Israel with him. Why would he want to? Naaman’s unusual request stems from the ancient—and biblical— conception that the earth is the locale for a cosmic turf war. Naaman wanted dirt from Israel because Israel was Yahweh’s territory. The dirt, which is Yahweh’s domain, is holy ground. The idea of “holy ground” is an essential element of Israelite theology. This phrase is used when Moses is in the presence of the Angel of the Lord and the God of Israel at the burning bush (Exod 3:1-5) and when Joshua meets the Angel of the Lord (Josh 5:15).- More broadly, the idea derives from Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (compare Deut 4:19-20), where we learn that when God divided up the nations at the Tower of Babel, they were allotted to “the sons of God.”- The nations of the world were, in effect, disinherited by Yahweh as His own earthly family. Immediately after Babel, Yahweh called Abraham, and the nation of Israel was created. Israel was, therefore, “Yahweh’s portion” (Deut 32:9), whereas all the other nations belong to the sons of God whom Israel was forbidden to worship. As a result, Israel was holy ground; the territory of every other nation was not. The rest of the Old Testament is the story of God’s intention to reclaim every nation on earth. Elisha understood Naaman’s request and granted it without hesitation. He knew the request came from a sincere theological change of heart. Naaman believed, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” (2 Kgs 5:15). Naaman wanted to return to his homeland with holy ground. Even though he would still have to help his aged king bow before Rimmon, Naaman wanted Elisha to know his heart belonged only to the God of Elisha. The lessons that make up Theology Thursday on the Wisdom-Trek Podcast for the next couple of years will satisfy the statement, “I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.” I trust you’ll enjoy them—and, of course, not be bored. Reflect… If you found this podcast insightful, subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this Trek together, let us always:- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
Transcripts
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – Sanctified Dirt – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible
dom-Trek Podcast Script - Day: hamberlain, and we are on Day:Today is the eighteenth lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church.
The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God’s redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it’s also a book that seems strange to us. While God’s Word was written for us, it wasn’t written to us. Today, our lesson is, Sanctified Dirt.
Elisha’s healing of Naaman, the leper, commander of the army of the king of Syria, is a familiar story to many (2 Kgs 5:1-27). Naaman hears that Elisha, the prophet of Israel, can heal him, so he makes the trip. When the two meet, Elisha tells him rather dismissively that he needs to take a bath in the Jordan River. Naaman doesn’t take this well and prepares to go home. At the behest of some servants, he consents to dip himself in the Jordan. The simple act miraculously heals him. The display of power, so transparently without sacrifice or incantation, awakens Naaman to the fact that Yahweh of Israel is the true God. Here’s where the story usually ends in our telling, but that would result in the omission of one very odd detail—what Naaman asks to take back home.
In 2 Kings 5:15-19, the elated Naaman returns to Elisha and begs him to take payment for healing him. Elisha repeatedly refuses. Finally, before embarking on a trip to Syria, Naaman makes a strange request: to load two mules with dirt to take back with him.
Dirt? I can think of a few favors I would ask of a prophet in a receptive mood, but dirt certainly isn’t one of them. The request is so odd that it’s hard to avoid wondering if Naaman needed some other kind of therapy. Why would he ask for dirt?
But Naaman was completely in his right mind. In 2 Kings 5:17, Naaman follows the request with an explanation: “From now on, I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the Lord.” The dirt and Naaman’s new allegiance to the God of Israel are related. Naaman was a man who had significant duties in his home country. He couldn’t stay in Israel, but he could take Israel with him. Why would he want to?
Naaman’s unusual request stems from the ancient—and biblical— conception that the earth is the locale for a cosmic turf war. Naaman wanted dirt from Israel because Israel was Yahweh’s territory. The dirt, which is Yahweh’s domain, is holy ground.
The idea of “holy ground” is an essential element of Israelite theology. This phrase is used when Moses is in the presence of the Angel of the Lord and the God of Israel at the burning bush (Exod 3:1-5) and when Joshua meets the Angel of the Lord (Josh 5:15).- More broadly, the idea derives from Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (compare Deut 4:19-20), where we learn that when God divided up the nations at the Tower of Babel, they were allotted to “the sons of God.”- The nations of the world were, in effect, disinherited by Yahweh as His own earthly family. Immediately after Babel, Yahweh called Abraham, and the nation of Israel was created. Israel was, therefore, “Yahweh’s portion” (Deut 32:9), whereas all the other nations belong to the sons of God whom Israel was forbidden to worship. As a result, Israel was holy ground; the territory of every other nation was not. The rest of the Old Testament is the story of God’s intention to reclaim every nation on earth.
Elisha understood Naaman’s request and granted it without hesitation. He knew the request came from a sincere theological change of heart. Naaman believed, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” (2 Kgs 5:15). Naaman wanted to return to his homeland with holy ground. Even though he would still have to help his aged king bow before Rimmon, Naaman wanted Elisha to know his heart belonged only to the God of Elisha.
The lessons that make up Theology Thursday on the Wisdom-Trek Podcast for the next couple of years will satisfy the statement, “I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.” I trust you’ll enjoy them—and, of course, not be bored.
Reflect…
If you found this podcast insightful, subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’.
Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this Trek together, let us always:
Live Abundantly (Fully)
Love Unconditionally
Listen Intentionally
Learn Continuously
Lend to others Generously
Lead with Integrity
Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to’ Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday! See you next time for more daily wisdom!