Progressives vs Conservatism

I tweeted this yesterday (1/24/2018):



Someone reasonably asked why I thought that conservatives are any better than leftists. (I should have said "progressives", as it's a more accurate and descriptive term.)

Progressivism assumes several things that are diametrically opposed to Torah:
1) Humanity can be forced to change its fundamental nature through pressure applied by a wiser elite.
2) It denies what the Bible says about human nature and the sovereignty of God.
3) It relies on mass violence, theft, and the manipulation of people's basest instincts of greed to accomplish its ends.
4) It denies the right of people to continually reap the material benefit of their own labor and--possibly even more importantly--the costs of poor judgment and refusal to labor.

Whether by re-education, bullets, or eugenics, progressivism seeks to replace God. It repeats the lie of the serpent in the Garden that man can become his own god.

Conservatism has its flaws because it is usually unaware of what it is attempting to conserve. Some of the values our culture once held are clearly terrible and ought to be forgotten. We still have a long way to go. However, conservatism's primary goals aren't to remake human nature or to steal from one person or group to give to another. Its primary goals lie in maintaining an outwardly just society through the rule of law, in maintaining the foundations of a peaceful and orderly society: family, faith, respect for authority, etc.

I say "outwardly just" because conservatism does nothing in itself to address the inward state of anyone. It does, however, create an environment where more people will hear the Bible taught and see it lived than progressivism ever can.

Rank and file leftists frequently have some good intentions: equity of justice, mutual respect, etc., but the philosophy as a whole assumes the supremacy of man and the ultimate inconsequentiality of God. The nominally good motives of many leftists are necessarily applied in a manner that elevates man above God, and it reveals them to be either wicked at heart or hopelessly deluded.

Stand by the ways. Search and ask for the ancient paths." -Jeremiah 6:16

Progressivism is diseased in its very foundation and it only leads to death, while conservatism is only infected with residual corruption that isn't necessarily inherent in its nature. Some things really are worth conserving, and I'll take imperfect over degenerate every time.

The Symbolism of Rings in Scripture

Throughout history rings have been used to symbolize affinity, devotion, and authority, as well as stores of value. Hebrews gave earrings, nose rings, and bracelets as signs of betrothal. Egyptians and Canaanites both wore earrings and nose rings to symbolize devotion to their deities. Lifelong slaves wore earrings as symbols of their master’s authority. Tribes wore rings of various kinds to advertise their belonging. Rulers wore signet rings, crowns, and torques as statements of wealth and authority.

In the Bible, a nezem (earring or nose ring) can be functional as a store of value, ornamental, or symbolic. Some examples of symbolic uses of rings:

• Genesis 24:22 Eliezer gave Rebekah an earring and two bracelets as a sign of betrothal to Isaac.
• Exodus 32:2-3 Aaron told the Israelite men to surrender the earrings of their wives and children for use in the golden calf. He did not ask for idols, amulets, necklaces, or other jewelry which would have contained a much greater amount of gold.
• Judges 8:24-26 Gideon asked for the earrings of the slain Ishmaelites and used them to make an idol.
• Ezekiel 16:11-12 God gave bracelets, a nose ring, earrings, and a crown to his bride.
• Hosea 2:13 God used earrings in a double entendre to refer to the ornamentation of a harlot and the symbols of idolatry.
• Job 42:11 According to the Septuagint, each of Job’s friends gave him an “unstamped” gold earring. Most translations only say “earring.” I suspect the ancient translators of the Septuagint meant to emphasize that these were not religious tokens. The need for such an emphasis would be significant in itself.
• Proverbs 25:12 A wise authority figure is a carved earring in an obedient ear.

Moses Never Forgot He Was A Hebrew

This chiasm in Exodus 2:11 shows that Moses never forgot he was a Hebrew, and it was inevitable that he would eventually rebel against Pharaoh's rule.

...and for the search engines:

• He went out to his people
• Looked on their burdens
• Witnessed their abuse
• A Hebrew, one of his people

The Structure of Jacob's House

These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah... (Genesis 46:18)

The house of a nomadic patriarch included his wives, his children, his servants, and their children. If he had multiple wives, each of them had her own sub-house made up of her own children, her personal servants, her handmaids, and her handmaids’ children, especially if they were also the patriarch’s concubines. If an infertile (or under-fertile) woman gave her servant girl to her husband as a concubine, the servant’s children were born free and belonged to the free woman as if they were her own. Inheritance in such situations was undoubtedly complicated, especially if the free wife had natural children of her own later. The conflict between Ishmael and Isaac is a good illustration.

In this passage, the children of Jacob’s four wives are listed first according to their mothers and then by their birth order. Leah’s children are given first and listed in age order, followed by Zilpah’s, Rachel’s, and finally Bilhah’s. This illustrates the internal structure of Jacob’s house according to his wives. Zilpah and her children were a subdivision within Leah’s house, because Zilpah was always Leah’s servant even while a concubine to Jacob. The same is true of Rachel and Bilhah.

On another level, this organization illustrates another structure within the nation of Israel. When the Hebrews left Egypt, they brought with them a mixed multitude of gentiles who came to be associated with one tribe or another, eventually becoming indistinguishable in every way. They were attached to Israel by faith in God’s promises and by their presence at Sinai. How tribal identities were determined or assigned I have no idea, but that they were, I have no doubt. By the time Israel entered the promised land, there was no more mixed multitude, but only the twelve tribes plus Levi.

Chiasm around the Covenant of Jonathan and David

A chiasm in 1 Samuel 17:58-18:1 surrounding the covenant of Jonathan and David, the adoption of David into Saul's house, and Jonathan's recognition of the transfer of power to David.

• 17:58 – David the son of Jesse
• 18:1 – David spoke to Saul
• Jonathan and David’s souls bound up together because Jonathan loved David as himself
• 18:2 – Saul took David that day (adopted) and wouldn’t let David go back to his father’s house
• 18:3 – Jonathan and David cut a covenant, because Jonathan loved David as himself
• 18:4 – Jonathan gave David his robe, clothes, sword, and bow
• 18:5 – David acts as the son of Saul

A Chiasm in Psalm 81 - God Is Waiting

All of Psalm 81 has some really cool and subtle references to God's grand redemption plan using Yoseph as a prefiguring of Yeshua, the "Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world." I'm pretty sure that Asaph, the author, is also overlaying the Fall and Spring feasts in order to reinforce the same message: Israel's release from bondage in Egypt was decreed even while they were at the heights of power, just as mankind's release from bondage to sin was decreed before Adam was even formed, let alone sinned.

Maybe I'll write more about that later.

In this chiasm, Israel's betrayal is framed by God's redemption, including a promise to forgive them when they repent. There's also an implication of Israel's role as a nation of prophets and priests to the whole world. God wanted to open their mouths and fill it with his voice. He wanted (wants!) them to be a conduit for his message to the world, but they were unwilling to hear it.

They will not always be unwilling. Joseph's brothers didn't immediately recognize him or understand the language he spoke, but he revealed himself to them when he was ready. So too will Yeshua reveal himself to his brothers, most of whom are as yet unable to recognize him.

• V6 – Relief from burdens
• V7 – God’s response to Israel’s call of distress in Egypt
• V8 – God calls Israel to hear him
• V9 – Don’t serve false gods
• V10a – I am your God and rescuer
• V10b – Open your mouth & I will fill it
• V11a – But you didn’t listen to my voice
• V11b – You would not submit to me
• V12 – God let Israel serve themselves
• V13 – God calls Israel to hear him
• V14 – God’s response to Israel’s repentance and call of distress in the world
• V16 – Rewards from God

Jacob's Concubines and Wives

...He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives... (Genesis 37:2)

Jacob's concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, were concubines, but also fully his wives. The Hebrew word used here literally just means "woman," so translating it as some other word in English is a judgment call requiring the translator to make some assumptions about the original intent. Moses might have been just calling Bilhah and Zilpah Jacob's women, but it is the same word used in other passages to refer to Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Keturah, Rachel, Leah, and all of the other wives of the Bible, so the word "wives" is perfectly justified in this verse.

A concubine was not just a spare sex partner, but had rights and responsibilities in her husband's house. The primary difference between a concubine and any other wife in the Bible is that a concubine is also a slave. Keeping in mind that Biblically a slave has more rights than free men in most other ancient cultures, it certainly isn't an ideal relationship, but it's not the horrifying lot anti-patriarchs make it out to be either.