Ekklesia Project - Day Two (Sylvia)

Tonight we heard from our second Biblical scholar, Sylvia Keesmaat, author of the new commentary titled Colossians Remixed. While AKMA took us through the first three commandments, Syliva took us through the entire biblical narrative stopping to look at a few stories where scripture speaks to Empire. She traces the theme of power and violence through the bible.

She begins with Exodus 1, where Israel is in the heart of Egypt. The empire seeks control and oppresses by killing babies. But there is a small movement of resistance by four women, Moses' mother, sister and two midwives. It is God who defeats the empire. This sets the stage for understanding God as King.

Before the Israelites deny God as king and demand a king like the other nations have come the books of Judges and Ruth. In Judges a woman is gang-raped by raiders, she is chopped up into 12 pieces by her lord and sent out to Israel as he protests this affront to his property. The story ends in 600 12-year old girls being stolen to provide wives for the Benjaminites. The story ends in a plea for Monarcy, as if having a king would solve all these problems. BUT, Sylvia points out before Samuel comes the book of Ruth. Boaz protects Ruth, and when she comes to him in the night ready to sleep with him, he instead of taking advantage of her, follows Torah and goes before the elders to wed her. Sylvia gives this example of Boaz as someone who acts honorably according to Torah (even without a king). Then comes Samuel, and Sylvia points out that now that we have a king, the king himself rapes a woman then murders her husband. Later when David's firstborn rapes Tamar (2 Sam:13) he refuses to do anything about it. The sexual and military violence has become a part of the heart of the monarcy.

She moves on to Daniel, to give an example of how a follower of God can remin faithful empire. Syliva points out that Joseph is not the example, since he drew his people into slavery by driving such hard bargins over food. Daniel however resists empire in small ways that make a difference. They start eating their own food (rather than the imperial food) and eventually Daniel resists in even more overt ways by refusing to stop praying.

Sylvia ends with Luke (and since my battery ran out this is where my audio and notes end as well. I'll update this later when I get the full audio from the EP site.

The Bible and the Empire.mp3 (33 min - 15 MB)

Labels: Life, Theology