Category: Bible (Page 412 of 420)

How do you approach the controversy that has sprung up this year concerning racial supremacy? As one who tries to live with the Bible as the primary guide to how to live and how to relate to others, I want to let the Scriptures inform my thoughts.

Here are two passages that have been in my mind the last few weeks:

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

This is a radial passage and was understood as such when Paul wrote it. He intended it to shock, to show his readers that all are valuable in the economy of eternity. There are no differences before God. All ethic groups, all genders, all stations of life are of equal worth to Jesus.

Revelation 7:9&10

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.

The language used here for “nation” means “ethnos.” So, literally every ethnic group in the world will stand before the throne of God and worship. The only supremacy belongs to the Lamb of God.

If this is the picture of the future the Lord has planned for us, then I can see no reason to hold to a theory of racial supremacy today. All are valued by God and all will be represented before the throne. Let us treat our fellow citizens with at least some of the respect that the Lord has endowed into each person born into this world.

Of the many intriguing people you read about in scripture, Benaiah is one of my favorites. He was a famous warrior, one of King David’s “mighty men.” He fought and defeated powerful enemies of Israel. And while there were other great warriors in that day, Benaiah performed something unique, described in 1 Chronicles 11, which fascinates me to no end.

We are told that he “climbed down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day.” Wait, what? It seems that there are three unusual aspects to this story. One, snowy days were rare in this part of the world. Two, a lion in a pit was also uncommon. And three, a guy that would choose to climb down into that pit and fight that lion was one of a kind.

Was this a trap of some kind? Was the lion defending something valuable? Or when coming upon the lion in the pit did Benaiah’s buddies say, “I bet you can’t kill that lion,” and Ben said, “watch me,” and then hopped into the pit. I suspect it’s reason #3. That’s how guys role sometimes.

I don’t know why this story is included in the Bible, except that Benaiah is so badass that the author just couldn’t leave it out. You can’t make this stuff up. Regardless of the circumstances, all I know is that if there’s one guy from the Bible I’d want on my side in a fight, it would be Benaiah.