Tag: Asaph

Chaos

The argument is often made that biblical writers ripped off much older myths and adapted them for a monotheistic faith. The problem with this is that, while creation order and chaos are indeed reflected in many of these legends, that’s basically where the similarities end.

Gary Pollard

“Chaoskampf” is a prominent theme in the myths of Babylon, Egypt, Canaan, Greece, and even the Norse sagas. It’s also in our Bible, but with obvious differences. In the Babylonian tablets collectively called the Enuma Elish, creation begins with a great battle. Marduk defeats Tiamat, a sea goddess who represents chaos. He fashions the heavens and the earth from her remains after defeating her in battle. In Canaanite myth, Baal battles Yam, the sea god, also a symbol of chaos. In Egyptian stories, Ra must overcome the serpent Apep every night—a coiling monster of darkness and disorder (and don’t forget Osiris/Seth). In Norse mythology, at the edge of the world lies Jörmungandr, the world serpent, who they said will one day rise in Ragnarök, the day of final chaos. In Greek mythology, the Titans battle the Olympians and the victors reorder the destroyed world. 

The pattern is the same: a divine being, representing order and stability, faces the chaos of the sea, often personified as a serpent. Genesis 1 is greatly simplified and much cleaner — “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” The great patriarchs were raised in these traditions: Abraham was from Ur of Babylonia, and Moses was raised and educated in Egypt. Asaph wrote, “With your great power you split open the sea and broke the heads of the sea monster. Yes, you smashed the heads of Leviathan and left his body for the animals to eat. You make the springs and rivers flow, you make the rivers dry up. You control day and night. You made the sun and moon. You set limits for everything on earth, and you created summer and winter” (Ps 74). 

The argument is often made that biblical writers ripped off much older myths and adapted them for a monotheistic faith. The problem with this is that, while creation order and chaos are indeed reflected in many of these legends, that’s basically where the similarities end. Unlike other cultures, whose myths are all about cosmic battles between gods, Moses and Asaph speak of the unchallenged power of the God who tamed the seas and chaos with just his words. 

Revelation ties this theme up nicely. John says, “Then I saw a new sky and a new earth. The first sky and first earth had disappeared. Now there was no sea. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God, down from the sky.” The detail about the sea might seem out of place, but it’s not. “Sea” was often synonymous with chaos, violence, death, and fear. It was personified as a great enemy that had to be defeated. On New Earth, tehom — chaos, the abyss, Tiamat, Leviathan, the sea — is finally gone forever.

Three quick things: 

  1. Chaos is nothing to panic over. We serve the God who calmed the seas with a word (Mk 4). 
  2. God can and does bring order from chaos. Our life might feel “formless and void” but God will ultimately bring order and beauty (Rom 8). 
  3. God has already won — the sea is on borrowed time, Leviathan has lost. 

“You Thought That I Was One Like Yourself”

Neal Pollard

Asaph was a spiritual Renaissance man, a musician (1 Chron. 15:17-19), a worship leader (1 Chron. 16:4-15), a prophet (2 Chron. 29:30), and a poet, whose inspired work is found in twelve of the psalms in the book of Psalms. In numerical order, Psalm 50 comes first. In that psalm, he addresses the whole earth (1-6), His people (7-15), and the wicked (16-23). He establishes His right and power to judge “His people” (4)…”for God Himself is judge” (6). He tells His people that He wants their true worship (7-13), and by giving it they would find a responsive, protecting God (14-15).

How He ends the chapter is jarring! He addresses “the wicked” presumably from among His people. They tell of His statutes and His covenant is in their mouths (16), but they are worldly to the core. They hate His teaching and His Words (17). They love to hang out with dishonest, dishonorable people (18). Their tongue is an unruly evil (19-20). This is a comprehensive and graphic picture of the hypocrite. What emboldened them to live in such an audacious way? God’s silence (21). They thought they were getting away with it because God did not respond to this as He did with Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1-3), Korah and his clan (Num. 16), and Uzzah (2 Sam. 6:7). He says, “These things have you done and I kept silence….” (21a). God explains how one can perceive the lack of immediate punishment as an endorsement of a lifestyle or a mindset, saying, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil” (Ecc. 8:11).

This can cause us to bring God down to our level, to think that He thinks like we think and that He feels like we feel. “You thought I was just like you” (21b). If one is tolerant of sin and permissive of a sinful situation, he or she may naturally think God will overlook it. If one is willing to accept in fellowship a person who is living in rebellion against God’s will, he or she may conclude that God does too. This leads to rationalizing and embracing things God, in His Word, has already declared His thoughts and feelings about. That is why He says, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:7). Like in Psalm 50:21, Isaiah reminds us God’s thoughts and ways are not ours (Isa. 55:8-9).

God longs for a relationship with His people (22-23), but it will be on His terms. If we forget God, the result is frightening (22), but if we honor Him with righteous living He shall “show the salvation of God” (23). For this to occur, we cannot bring God down to our level and think that because we want to endorse willful sin He does, too. There is an enormous difference between wrestling with sin and wallowing in it. The one He sees with compassion, the other He sees with condemnation.

What Is The Bread of Angels? 

Friday’s Column: Brent’s Bent

Brent Pollard

“Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance” (Psalm 78.25 NASB1995).  

The Bible is a book whose depths we cannot comprehend. As a result, we discover something new every time we read the Scriptures. Recently, as our devotional Bible reading turned to Psalm 78, I had one of those moments. In verse 25, Asaph refers to manna and says God gave the Israelites “bread of angels.” I couldn’t recall hearing that addressed by any preacher I’d heard, nor had I previously read any commentaries on the verse. So I put on my “scuba gear” and went for a dive. 

We must establish the context first. The main goals of Psalm 78 are that Israel should not repeat their unruly past and properly instruct future generations about God’s Law. Asaph recalls God’s miracles in Israel’s history, but Israel still rebelled. Asaph mentions one of these wonders: God feeding the people with manna from heaven. And God did this, although the Israelites had repeatedly enraged Him. According to Asaph, they put God to the test in their hearts (78.18). 

As a result, our “bread of angels” was a providential answer to a need. The people were hungry, and God satisfied their hunger and provided more than they required. However, Asaph recalls that the people believed God should cater to their food preferences (78.18). So, God punished them again because they complained after He sent the manna (78.31-33). Asaph’s point was that they were unappreciative of a lavish gift. 

Following the context, we will move on to the Hebrew language. Lechem abbirim is Hebrew for “bread of the mighty ones.” The word “abbir” appears 47 times in the Old Testament, referring to everything from animals to strong or stubborn men. However, only twice in some of our English translations is this word rendered as angels (Psalm 78.25,cf. Psalm 103.20). Why is this the case? The Septuagint is most likely the answer because the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures uses the word “angels” here. We should also mention that the Latin Vulgate uses the phrase “panem angelorum” (bread of angels). And the translators of the King James Version were heavily influenced by the Latin Vulgate. But there could be more to it than that. 

Another hint comes from a non-canonical book written by a Jew living in Alexandria during the first century BC who pretended to be Solomon. People refer to this as the Book of Wisdom. “In contrast, you fed your people with the food from angels,” Wisdom 16.20 says. Again and again, you provided your people with a bread that had been prepared in heaven. It was a bread that was able to satisfy anyone’s longing and please anyone’s taste.” (Common English Bible) Even though it lacks the weight of what God-breathed (cf. 2 Timothy 3.16), it still provides valuable commentary for understanding Jewish thought before Christ’s birth. 

As a result, Asaph may have referred to angels—mighty ones—as ministering spirits (cf. Psalm 103.20-22; Hebrews 1.14). In other words, God prepared and sent the manna from heaven via the angels. If true, it would not be the first time the Bible mentions angels in passing. For example, Stephen stated that an angel was present in the burning bush (Acts 7.35). Otherwise, all we know about manna is that it came with the dew (Numbers 11.9). As a result, it descended from heaven. 

Finally, most commentators agree that the bread of angels refers to food fit for angelic consumption or the king’s table (cf. Daniel 1.8). Manna, in other words, was a dish fit for heaven. Nonetheless, God gave it to men who did not value it. We might find a modern parallel in being given a free meal at a three-star Michelin restaurant but complaining that we would rather have eaten at McDonald’s. (With no offense to McDonald’s.) 

Fortunately, this is not a matter of salvation, and there is room for debate. I agree with most commentators that the phrase refers to the quality of the food rather than the consumers’ identity. However, it is intriguing to speculate that angels may have been responsible for distributing it to the people. After all, people did not always see the angels who were present. The Arameans, for example, once pursued Elisha to his home in Dothan. The servant of Elisha was terrified, but Elisha prayed to God to open his eyes. God complied, and the servant saw the heavenly host encircling Dothan, protecting Elisha (2 Kings 6.15-17). So, even if manna arrived with the dew, it could still have been brought down from heaven by angels. 

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[No, I haven’t given up on the book of Proverbs. Chapter 8 will pick up where the previous installments left off. I believe that my articles on Proverbs have become white noise for some of my readers. And they’ve lost interest. I appreciate the kind words of individuals who have read and valued those posts. Your kind words always make their way to me. Before tackling another block of Proverbs for a month or two, I’ll present a few weeks of non-Proverbs-related content. And God willing, I shall eventually conclude my study of Proverbs. Even once I resume the series, I anticipate taking a few more breaks, so please be patient with me until we finish the book of Proverbs. Thanks, Brent]