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| Chapter 8: Battlefield No.2: Identity Part A: a Biblical Perspective
Introducing this Subject: My original intention with all of these ‘Papers' was to blend Biblical content with overall discussion but the more I have gone on with this subject the more I have concluded that I will produce it in the form of two distinct papers: Chapter 8 – a Biblical Perspective Chapter 9 – the wider modern picture This is the first of those two papers.
CONTENTS:
PART 8.1: An Introduction to Old Testament Identity God's holiness Contrasting the human need The Significance of Israel
PART 8.2: A Brief Look at New Testament Identity The Unique Christian
PART 8.3: Specific Cases of the Significance of Identity in the Old Testament The Lessons of the Family Tree The modern demolished foundation Significance & Family Identity in the Bible God's Foreknowledge in the Identity Equation
PART 8.4: The Biblical Case for family harmony A Sense of Continuity Religion denied A starting point? Focus on the husband And children?
Preliminary: Identity has become a contentious feature of the modern culture wars, and has been used to cause dissent and division, confusion and chaos, in the realms of sexuality, gender and race and so these next two chapters provide material to focus our minds on identity and its significance, first in a biblical context and then more generally.
PART 8.1: An Introduction to Old Testament Identity
God's Holiness: If we follow on with some biblical reflections on ‘identity', we need to start in the Old Testament and then later touch on the New Testament and then conclude with some more examples from the Old Testament. For the moment we focus on God's holiness.
Holiness is at the heart of identity in the Old Testament. First and foremost God is holy. “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy , because I am holy.” (Lev 11:44,45) Now ‘holy' simply means to be utterly distinct, different, and because it emanates from God, that difference means perfect (impossible to be improved upon), total ‘goodness', utterly pure. When God, by His presence or His touch, comes to a person or thing, that person or thing becomes holy, separated to Him.
Now a key issue in respect of God and His holiness, His distinctiveness, His uniqueness, is His self-sufficiency. Because He is perfect and unique in that perfection, He has no need of anything from anyone or anything else. He is perfect in His character and perfect in His abilities; as we said, He cannot be improved upon. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise, and so nothing is beyond Him. Because He communicates within Himself as the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, He has no need of anyone else; He is utterly at peace within Himself, within who He is. Yet, because another attribute of His is love, He looks to express that love towards His Creation. It is not a necessity but a choice.
Contrasting the human need: It is all the combined descriptions of Him being Holy that provide His identity and so He has nothing to prove, either to Himself or to others. It is this attribute that separates Him out and makes Him utterly different from every single human being. We ARE limited in every aspect of being human and the fact that we have submitted ourselves to the wrong use of our free-will (Sin) means we are constantly struggling in respect of our identity, in respect of
When we fail to relate properly to God Himself, there is always a tension within us, for we are ‘out of kilter' with the very foundation of life. Because we are unsure of ourselves we are constantly trying to make sense of who we are, especially in relation to one another. So we vie or compete with one another in our attempts to boost our self-image, failing to realise THE most important image that is ours – made in the image of God (Gen 1:26,27). Being out of relationship with God means we struggle for identity by measuring ourselves alongside others, which is a slippery slope that leads down to a jungle of reinventing ‘my image' in a variety of ways.
The Significance of Israel: For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. (Deut 7:6) Identity has always been a crucial issue throughout history and some have suggested that the constant presence of wars on the earth are symptoms of identity crises within nations or by leaders of nations.
We see it exemplified in the Bible in the case of Israel who, from the outset, became a distinct family that turned into a distinct nation, and which were given an additional distinctiveness of being called by God to be His special people in order to reveal Him to the rest of the world – “a light to the Gentiles” (Isa 42:6 but see also Gen 12:2,3, 17:3-7, 26:2-4, 28:13,14, Ex 15:14-16, Num 14:13-17, Deut 2:24,25, 28:8-10 etc.)
The point of all of the Laws of Moses were to enable this people to live out this distinctiveness, a people redeemed from this fallen world, to live harmoniously in relationship with God. Comments about wars in the paragraph above, are clearly seen in Israel's history which is full of conflicts with neighbours or empires that were stretching their boundaries.
Absence of identity or confusion of identity is so often, it appears in the Bible, to be linked with absence of God in a life, or confusion about God in our lives. Two men in the Old Testament can demonstrate this for us:
Saul was a tall, handsome young man who came across Samuel the prophet. God had told Samuel He was sending him this young man (1 Sam 9:16) and when they meet Samuel hints at a great future for Saul (v.20) but Saul struggles to accept this: “am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?” (v.21) He considered his background, coming from a minor clan of a minor tribe, ruled him out from greatness. God had other ideas.
Gideon is the other man who struggled with identity. He's part of the nation of Israel oppressed by the Midianites and he's hiding away doing his work (Jud 6:11) when God sends an angel to him and who greets him, “‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” (v.12). Older versions call him a ‘mighty man of valour'. Gideon disagrees with this on two counts; first, where are the signs of God with us and, second, who am I? Again the same sort of language: “My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. ” (v.15) i.e. I'm a nobody, so how can God use me?
The point is that Saul is the future king; he just doesn't know it yet. Gideon is Israel's future deliverer; he just doesn't know it yet! Very often, when it comes to identity, we just don't know what we can become. We will consider further examples from the Old Testament in the concluding Part.
PART 8.2: A Brief Look at New Testament Identity
1 Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 2 Cor 5:17 if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
The Unique Christian: The Christian has a unique place in life as the two above verses remind us. The Christian is called to be special, called to stand out, a new person set free from old ways, as meaning becomes focused on God, on learning to relate all things to Him. Why? Well, consider the teaching: “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10) When we come to Christ, we find that God has better plans for our lives than we had before we met Him. Add to the fact that we are now called, “children of God” (Jn 1:12,13, 1 Jn 3:1) and we find that we have a new sense of belonging, purpose and meaning. Is it surprising that the godless, unbelieving world around us that has none of this, is displaying all the signs of being lost, fragmented, fractured, dysfunctional, and anguishing in conflict?
PART 8.3: Specific Cases of the Significance of Identity in the Old Testament
Ruth 4:21,22 “Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.
The Lessons of the Family Tree: I suspect we mostly take for granted the many ‘family-tree' references that are found in the Bible. I choose the one above as it is particularly significant and from it come a number of lessons. 1. The first and most obvious thing is that such a family tree puts the individual in an historical context, putting meaning into the past and the future. 2. The second point is that such family trees bring, therefore, context from the past. Take, for example, Obed, the son of Boaz. Boaz is significant because he was married to a faith-filled foreigner, Ruth. Foreign women feature big in such trees! God loves them. 3. Third, such family trees link to the future. Obed also becomes grandfather to David, one of the most significant men in the Old Testament.
The modern demolished foundation: Ask many a young person how they might relate to the above three points and, I believe sadly, they would look blank. So fractured has modern life become that so often there is no looking back proudly to the family tree and what people on it have achieved. When modern families happen ‘by accident' today, or the male partner disappears off to live out a life with no responsibilities and leaving a trail of hurt behind him, it is no surprise that the young people who grow up without a father, so often turn to blame the mother or the departed father and, in respect of the boys at least, we find a new hurt and damaged group, ‘Incels', ‘involuntary celibates' who hate women, especially their mothers, that have become one of the more recent manifestations of such hurt, as we saw in Chapter 4.
Why are we taking the trouble to cover the Old Testament? Because it shows us the importance of family, family history and family destiny, and it seems that today so much of family dysfunctionality, gender dysfunctionality, and general sexual dysfunctionality, all stem from the undermining and destruction of the nuclear family, the family unit.
Significance & Family Identity in the Bible: Family identity within the Bible is something we've briefly touched upon but the importance of it can only be seen if we dig into some of the murky areas of the Bible. Continuation of the family name is seen in the dubious story of Judah and his daughter in law, Tamar (Gen 38). When Judah's son, her husband, dies, he instructs the next son: “Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother's wife and fulfil your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.” When he refuses, he also dies. The last brother is too young, and it remains an unresolved situation until Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute and gets pregnant by Judah. A seriously dubious bit of history? Not so much. In the Messianic family tree in Matthew 1 we find, “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar.” What???? She is honoured by God by being named in this so-important family tree! That is how important it was.
But perhaps the pattern was set by Abraham who, having been called by God to this Land with promises of a big family, learnt how important that family was, which we see in the story of how he sent his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac: “I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” (Gen 24:3,4)
God's Foreknowledge in the Identity Equation: The big lesson here is that these people saw their family in the context of the work of God on the earth. Maybe they didn't see it so clearly, but this was God seeking to redeem mankind, using this family as both an example and a pointer towards what He wants for all of us: family, life and knowing who you. If there is any doubt about this, we only have to look at the story of Esau and Jacob. In the book of Malachi, we find these strange words from God: “I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.” (Mal 1:2,3) The Lord had spoken to their mother when she was carrying them and said, “the older will serve the younger.” (Gen 25:23) Esau was born just before Jacob but the truth was that God knew what these two boys would be like. He knew that Jacob would prize the headship of the family and that Esau would despise his inheritance and not care about it at all. (See it in Gen 25:31,32,34c, 36:34, 27:10,35,36). Esau cared nothing for God or his family or his future. Jacob would prove to be a man of God, a great Patriarch who God would bless abundantly.
David, a Beautiful Example: For young people, young men especially, the story of David comes not so much as an example but as a strong challenge. David is the eighth, the youngest son of Jesse (1 Sam 16:10,11).
The Negatives: He is the ‘Cinderella' who gets left behind to care for the sheep while everyone else goes off to a feast with the visiting prophet. It is clear that his brothers didn't think much of him (1 Sam 17:28). So, naturally speaking, he hasn't got much going for him. While the eldest three go off to fight for Saul, he's left at home looking after the sheep and running errands. He's clearly not considered a warrior who could fight for Saul, which is interesting because he's already had opportunities to fight off lions and bears (1 Sam 17:34-36) but presumably hasn't told the others about this. A suggestion of humility, possibly being imposed by being the youngest.
The Positives: But David has got something going for him – his faith. Intriguingly the only mention of his mother comes in Psa 86:16 written by David, “I serve you just as my mother did.” Nothing is said about his father but his mother had obviously provided an example for him to follow. Without question he is an out and out believer which becomes clear with his testimony to Saul (1 Sam 17:37). He goes on to become a great king.
PART 8.4: The Biblical Case for family harmony
2 Tim 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
A Sense of Continuity: In the previous Part we touched on the significance of the family tree. So, within the Bible we can see this sense of continuity in the many family trees that are given, and many Christians scan over such trees wondering why they are there. Answer: because each person is important to God and continuity reveals purpose. There is that same sense of continuity in that simple but delightful verse above, where Paul reveals his knowledge of Timothy's family, a family of faith that went back to his grandmother. (We also noted previously, the reference to David's mother as a positive influence on David's faith.) My wife's family has a family tree where numerous figures on the tree were very clear believers. It is a delightful history to listen to when the more recent members reflect back. Sadly my own family tree doesn't have that, but observing the tree filled with faith, I have seen also that it was a tree full of blessing.
Religion denied: Reading some of the modern writers on Culture Wars, I note religion is often disparaged which suggests that we, the church, have failed to demonstrate the wonder of the New Testament teaching in respect of family life. Let's accept from the start that we all fall short but, for the moment at least, let's put aside our shortcomings and focus on the goal of what the New Testament teaches about husbands and wives who are the foundation stones to create a family that can become the secondary source (God being the primary source) of security for growing children.
A Starting Point? Before we consider the apostle Paul, perhaps we should go to the beginning of the Bible: “a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Gen 2:24) A few versions put “become one body” but the NLT says, “the two are united into one” which has a wider feel to it. The goal is not merely physical unity, as wonderful as that can be, but there can come a oneness in thinking, in outlook, in care and concern, and in goals, that is part of commitment to one another. The biblical inference is that this is how the human race continues; that is the primary goal, although the process involves so much more. Sadly, as we'll see later, this wider unity is missing from relationships of modern young people, which is probably a contributing factor to the rate of marriage breakdowns today.
The apostle Paul is often thought of (wrongly) badly, and young people today rarely seem to be taught, “Don't become partners with those who reject God,” (2 Cor 6:14 Msg) and the glaringly obvious, but so often ignored truth, is that it is impossible to become completely one with someone who has a totally different foundation to their life. With more space I could give a beautiful testimony of a girl we knew who backed away from a relationship (verging on engagement) when she came to Christ, and her boyfriend was so moved by her commitment, he sought God and wonderfully came to Christ, and they have had a glorious life of oneness.
There can be many such stories, but sadly there are also those who ignored the teaching and who feel, as one dear lady shared with me, “A day doesn't go by that I regret not listening to the warning of my father not to ‘unequally yoked'”. The good news is that our God is a God of redemption and, although there may be struggles for years, His desire is always to be there, working in the background to bring the unbelieving partner to Himself. The teaching of the apostle Peter (1 Pet 3:1-6) is not only a strategy for believing wives with unsaved partners, but also an indicator or God's desire for such partnerships. A caring church will do it all can through prayer, counsel, and practical activities to support the saved partner and open the door to salvation for the unsaved partner.
Focus on the Husband: But let's look at God's super-plan for families which starts with husbands. I can't remember the last time I heard Paul's teaching to Christian husbands, so listen to this revolutionary teaching: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Eph 5:25) i.e., the love the husband has for his wife has to demonstrate – as a reflection of what we know of Christ – total commitment to her, compassion and care and consideration that sometimes will mean he lays down his own ‘self' for her blessing.
Meditate, Christian men, some more on the nature of Christ and both his attitude towards us and his actions for us. THAT is what we should be teaching and SEEING in the Christian community of husbands. Then, and perhaps only then, I suggest, the other bit of Paul's teaching, “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord,” starts to make sense. In no servile or subservient way, how easily the conversation can flow: “What do you think about this….?” He expresses a different viewpoint. They talk and share and reach a conclusion or agree to leave it for the moment.
When it's working, his committed, sacrificial concern for his wife will mean he never imposes anything on her. Indeed, her wisdom will often lead the way that will bring truth and light to bear. As a husband I never talk about my wife submitting but I will constantly seek to bless her in all our interactions, however that may be in the circumstances. We'll come on to the subject of feminism in a different Chapter, but if Christian men had taken the lead in the past as the world changed, we might have saved those valiant women a lot of effort – but we didn't!
And Children? Elsewhere I have quoted Jonathan Sacks in a quote that started, “There is overwhelming social scientific evidence that children benefit from being brought up in a stable marriage by two parents.” He was not referring to one bit of a random survey. For the last decade the world has been testifying to itself (and perhaps we haven't been listening to it!) again and again that the godless way it has chosen, isn't working! The various writers I refer to are all saying the same thing: it's gone wrong, harm has been done to our young people. We, the church, have the opportunity of shining like lights in the darkness if only we will come with openness, care and compassion and an availability to God to use us. Our world desperately needs healing and Jesus came to bring that through his body, the church.
The Bible shows picture after picture of family continuity which, we said earlier, brings a context in which children may grow and thrive with a sense of meaning and security. The ails we consider in other Papers, all flow out of this tragic breakdown of family life within modern Western societies, societies adrift with no foundation.
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