The foregoing pages have described two forms of divine salvation. God fought for Israel and delivered her in a crisis from external bondage; God prescribed a ritual in conjunction with which Israel was blessed with for- giveness and continuing intimacy with her God. The description of these models of salvation is important, but if they are to become more than merely interesting antiquities we must establish their relevance to a modern world.
The answer to the question ‘What do these models of redemption signify for us today?’ is an involved one and would, ideally lead to an examination of the New Testament. The application of these models of deliverance for today’s believer can, however, be sketched in outline.
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a. Theological reflections about war as a model of deliverance Both the exodus pattern of deliverance and the Yahweh war pattern have in recent times been given interpretations that need careful review. The Exodus account has been a convenient point of departure for liberation theologians. Moreover, appeal has been made to the wars in the Old Testa- ment as a justification for war and violence today. Are these valid conclu- sions to derive from the study of Exodus and the military aspects of the Old Testament?
The twentieth century has witnessed liberation of oppressed peoples. At the same time oppression in its various forms-physical, economic, psychic-has continued. Theologians in Third World countries, along with some in the Christian countries, have stressed the importance of reading the Bible through the eyes, not of an affluent propertied middle class, but of the victimized and oppressed. In part this way of reading the Bible has evolved from current situations of political dictatorships, economic exploitation, self-benefiting manipulations, all of which, because of the media, are no longer remote and secretive. Christian leaders in situations characterized by exploitation have identified their cause with the Israelites in bondage and have advocated bold action. In part, the general Old Testament concern for social justice has inspired participation by Christians in liberation move- ments.
In addition to the realities of oppression and the biblical call for justice, another stream that has fed the waters of liberation theology is a sympath- etic reading of Karl Marx. Since Marx was exercised about throwing off the chains that held the working class captive, he is viewed as a fighter for freedom. While some Christian scholars are critical of the capitalist system, others are not; but the theoretical exposition by Marx of the human predica- ment is placed in a biblical frame, especially in the frame of the exodus story, and the call to liberation in the Scripture is reinforced by the call to freedom in Marx. In a book entitled Marx and the Bible the author says, ‘In the view of the Bible Yahweh is the God who breaks into history to liberate the oppressed.’ Elsewhere he applies this conclusion as follows: ‘Yahweh’s intervention in our history has only one purpose. Here it is explicit: “to serve the cause of justice”.’ ‘He who reveals himself by intervening in our history is always Yahweh as savior of the oppressed and punisher of the oppressors.“()
So large a literature has developed and so extended is the argumentation that more space than is here available is needed for a full exposition and reply. ” One must agree that the biblical concern for justice, evident
“‘Jos6 I’. Miranda, MCVX ‘old t/w RIO/~ (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Hooks, 1974; London: SCM, lY77), pp. 78, 81.
1’0~ rx.lrnple ot wv~~r.~l I\ 1. t 1. Yodcr, 1%~~ I’olrtrcs ~//esus (Gr,~nd Klplds: Eerdmans, 1 9 7 2 ) .
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God’s design: salvation(
throughout, has been a neglected theme. There is need to read the New Testament in the light of such Old Testament emphasis and to ask, what has it to say about political and social aspects of life? World systems such as capitalism need to be examined and not blindly defended. The biblical message about the unacceptability of injustice must be heard. The exodus is related to social justice (Ex. 23:9; Lv. 25:36-39; Dt. 15:12). Action, even political action, may be necessary. But the aggressive stance of liberation- ists, even of evangelical scholars, needs modification in the light of several considerations. The exodus event was a political event since it involved the escape of a people from Pharaoh, a political power. But the liberation pointed forward to 3 life with Yahweh, to a covenant community, to a life enriched by Yahweh. This goal of a religious and spiritual nature is crucial.Freedom in the exodus story points to life under the lordship of Yahweh.
Elimination of social injustice is important, but the liberation movement, if it is to be theologically underpinned, must ask, freedom for what? If libera- tionists will appeal to the exodus event for justification of social and politi- cal action, then the whole of the exodus must be kept in mind. Yoder puts it well: ‘Exodus is not a paradigm for how all kinds of people with all kinds of values can attain all kinds of salvation.“’
Yoder also notes that for Israel the exodus meant moving not into secur- ity, but into insecurity. While the exodus event is not to be ruled out as a model for dealing with oppression, the Bible also presents other models for dealing with oppression. Joseph suffered innocently in prison. The exiles were instructed by Jeremiah to make their living within the circumstances (Je. 29). There is reason to believe that some in that situation favoured insur- rection. And so, granted that social injustice is not to be accepted without I
protest, the exodus event is hardly intended to be the model by which all social evil is redressed.
As with the exodus, the war pattern can be used to support a position that upon investigation is vulnerable. To advocate warfare today on the basis of wars commanded by Yahweh in the Old Testament is problematic, in part for cultural reasons. We need to consider the mentality of Middle East peoples in the second millennium B C. It is clear from Egyptian and Assyrian annals that to be able to distinguish oneself in military campaigns was a high, much lauded achievement. In a culture which glorified war and set the military conqueror superior to all others, the revelation of Yahweh was most understandably and forcefully made in a military context. More im- portant is the consideration that the thrust of these Yahweh wars was the faith requirement of the people. The initiative and leadership for the battle lay in Yahweh. For Israel, faith was not some abstract notion, but a life and death matter-a risk of one’s safety on the promise that Yahweh would
“J. H. Yoder, ‘Probing the Meaning of Liberation’, Sopurners 5 (September 1976), p. 28.
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God’s design implemented: the pre-monarchy era
come through as victor. It is this fact-the just shall live by faith-that is basic to Yahweh wars; these wars were not recorded so that warring, perse, should become a behaviour model for Christians today. Furthermore, the enemy is not simply anyone who stands in the way of Israel’s advance, but peoples designated by God as those whose cup of iniquity is full.
Close attention must be given to the designation ‘wars of Yahweh’.
Scripture even refers to a source, ‘The Book of the Wars of Yahweh’ (Nu.
21: 14). As we have seen, these wars were of such nature that only by stretch- ing the word ‘war’ can modern warfare be described by the same word. It would be a misnomer to call World War 2 a Yahweh War. The elements of directive from Yahweh, the meagre attention to equipment, reliance on Yahweh, were surely not characteristic of that event. In the twentieth century, as in secular wars generally, the escalation of military might has been all-important. Yahweh and faith are not in the arsenal in any signifi- cant way, nor even in the vocabulary. To the proponents of war, moreover, whether wearing the Christian label or not, one must point to the Old Testa- ment theology of war and its ideals of peace.
The warrior model is strange-sounding to modern Christians. Yet it must not be minimized, for not only is it a datum of Scripture, but it represents a message of hope. The struggle with evil, then as now, is no myth. There is Someone, Yahweh the warrior, who is set as a force against evil. The shape of evil may change, but the combat between God and powers of evil con- tinues, and will climax ultimately, as in Israel’s situation, with God as victor. Statements by the prophets about such eschatological matters as the day of the Yahweh, if not based on the Yahweh war, were certainly enriched by this imagery.
The event of deliverance with its motif of Yahweh the warrior and the Yahweh war dominate much of the Old Testament and even the New Testa- ment. In Samuel’s farewell speech and in other historical r&urn&, the exodus event is foundational (cfi 1 Sa. 12:6; Ezk. 20:6-10). Hymns cele- brate God’s intervention (Pss. 78; 136; 77:11-20). Prophets refer to the exodus in the past (Ho. 13:4; Je. 2:2-6) but also use it as a paradigm for the future new act of God (Je. 23:7-8; Is. 51:9-11). And the New Testament writings too speak in reference to exodus as a fitting way of speaking of the new act of salvation in Jesus (Col. 1:13-14; 1 Pet. l:l, 13-18; 2:9; Rev.
15:3).
The war motif makes use of political language. People in societies experi- ence a political dimension in life. Redemption is not to be conceived as only individually oriented. There is a social, even political dimension in redemp- tion. Christ’s work includes the defeat of powers, and the church likewise is confronted with and must deal with powers. The way in which God’s people understand and live out that phase is variously understood, but at a
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God’s design: salvation minimum, the Yahweh war with its divine warrior puts the political aspect of man’s experience into the limelight.‘”
To summarize: Yahweh’s deliverance can be understood in the context of two patterns: the exodus event and the Yahweh war. While we have separ- ated them in our discussion in order to call attention to the exodus, to which more than any other event Israel returns for its foundation, it is true that the exodus itself is an illustration of Yahweh the warrior at work. There, as in Yahweh war, Yahweh intervenes with power to redeem his people.
6. Theological reflection about sacrifice models
The two models of,salvation-Yahweh war and cultic sacrifices-are of current significance in the life of the church, not least of all in its missionary assignment. One easily conceives of redemption and deliverance in cate- gories that are too limiting. In the western world there is an understanding of guilt. Failure to meet expectations, whether those set by God, society or oneself, generates feelings of guilt. Psychologists and social scientists have helped us understand that the guilt may be pseudo-guilt or it may be real guilt. Theologians have understood the word of the gospel to be the good news of forgiveness, the removal of guilt. The sacrifice model used through- out the Bible is a helpful way of visualizing the forgiveness process. Jesus Christ, so evangelists and Bible teachers explain, came to deal with the root cause of the human predicament, sin, and its manifestation of guilt. The teaching about sacrifice then becomes an important way of explaining sal- vation.
Now while it is true that Christ came into the world to deal decisively with the human predicament, and while it is true that the root of the predicament is sin, it does not necessarily follow that the manifestation of that predica- ment in every culture will be guilt. In certain African cultures, for example, the problem is not so much guilt as it is fear. In a culture where spirits are per- ceived as active in the world of everyday experience, there is fear because of the power which these spirits can exert. Evil spirits can be destructive of health or of property or can be responsible for other kinds of calamity. In such cultures, individuals live out of fear. They dread these forces over which they have little if any control, but at whose mercy they are. If in those cultures one proclaims the gospel and defines it as deliverance from guilt, it will be understood, perhaps, but not fully appreciated.
If, however, the gospel is explained as the deliverance made possible by a Saviour who is stronger than any opposmg force, be it Pharaoh or a demon.
“For a discussion of war from a Christian pacifist approach see I. J. Enz, ‘I%F Christran ullti W&ure (Scott- dale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1972); Waldemar Janzen, ‘War in the Old Testament’, Mrnnonite Quarkrly Ret/few46 (April lY72), pp. 155-l 66, and Millard Lind, Yahweh isa Warrror (Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press,
1980).
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