The odd testimony of Israel puts forth a theological claim that is profoundly subversive of the present. Israel has known, ever since the barrenness of Sarah, that there is a deep incongruity between the intention of Yahweh and the circumstance of lived experience. Israel, in the face of that incongruity, did not have many alternatives. It could accept the circumstance of its life as the true state of reality-thus, for example, Sarah is barren and then the promise is voided within one generation. The alternative, Israel's chosen one is most seasons, is to rely on Yahweh's oath as a resolve to override circumstance, so that it is the oath and not the circumstance that tells the truth about reality. In this theological intentionality, Israel embraces this uttered testimony as the true version of its life.
--Walter Bruggeman, Old Testament Theology
3 comments:
It's the "vocative vov." To a hebrew, if God said He was going to, it was already past tense. All those "I am about to" type statements made by God weren't just interpreted as but meant "I already have." God was bigger than time.
Man, Bruggeman is always a good read. Thanks for posting this. Really strong stuff. God's promises determine reality, not our circumstances. Wow.
I embrace the promise that you will post something new.
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