Foundations for a Christian Worldview: The Times (1)

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6.5

Worldview vision
We have been considering the vision leg of our vision/disciplines/outcomes worldview triangle, as that vision emerges from the five books of Moses, the Law of God. Most prominent in the worldview we encounter in this part of Scripture is the reality of God, and of creation as the work of His hands. Other unseen realities also feature large: especially sin and the human soul, and the power of God’s Word and faith. We encounter the works of God throughout the books of Moses, and here also we find the beginnings of the unfolding story of God’s people. God’s covenant with a people of His own choosing establishes the framework within which all other aspects of the narrative of Genesis-Deuteronomy unfold.

Every worldview must include in its vision of that which is ultimately good and true, some understanding of the times. Only by understanding our times – the people, cultures, events, issues, and so forth, that characterize our segment of history – can we know how best to pursue our vision of the good and true way of living. As a later generation of the descendants of Jacob would demonstrate, understanding the times is a precondition for knowing how we must live (1 Chron. 12.32). We must have a vision of the world we live in if we are to be able to make progress in our own vision of how that world ought to be.

In this final study of the worldview vision that emerges from the Law of God, we will consider the times within which the covenant people of God began to be a nation. We will see that those times have much in common with our own times. What we discover as true about the times of Noah, the patriarchs, and Moses will remain true for all times. The characters and cultures will change, as well as the issues and events, but the basic categories defining the times of Genesis through Deuteronomy hold much in common with the world as we know it today.

First in prominence among the categories of the times in which we live are the people with whom we have to do. Let’s see what we can learn about people from the five books of Moses.

Fallen and sinful
Setting aside the brief period of sinlessness of our original parents, the trait common to the people who appear throughout the books of Moses is that they are sinful. They do bad things. Plan wickedness. Do harm to others, simply to gain some advantage for themselves. Their sinfulness finds them deliberately throwing off God’s original design for people and pursuing lifestyles that are inimical to knowing Him and His blessings. Their sinfulness creates an atmosphere of suspicion, wariness, fear, and violence among the peoples we encounter in the books of Moses.

Even the best of the people – those who know the favor of God – are prone to wickedness and self-centeredness. Noah drank himself into a stupor. Jacob’s sons sold their brother into slavery. Moses killed a man early in his life, and later in life overstepped God’s command. Abraham and Isaac lied. In fact, so prone to sin of different kinds were the people of God’s choosing, that He gave them His Law to guide them in the ways of holiness, define the sinful practices they were to avoid, and issue punishments and correctives designed to keep sin in check. The people God destroyed in the flood and in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had reached a point of sinfulness where, if something drastic were not done, they would destroy themselves and everyone around them. Those who rebelled against Moses in the wilderness, and determined to take leadership from Him, were likewise consumed by God, thus sending a powerful message to the rest of Israel.

Although people are sinful, they are still human beings, made in the image of God, and, as we might expect, are thus capable of much good. The sinful people in the books of Moses created culture, built cities, frequently honored and provided for their neighbors, often tried to do what was right in serving others, and gave land and, sometimes, sound advice to God’s people on how best to carry out His will (cf. Ex. 18).

Everywhere we turn in the five books of Moses, we encounter sinful people, people who disappoint, disturb, and dismay us, but who surprise and encourage us at the same time. And this leaves us, at the end of Deuteronomy, wondering whether there is any hope for recovering that original condition of blessedness which our first parents forfeited and which God in His covenant promised to restore.

Religious and political
The people we encounter in the five books of Moses are, like people in every age, religious to the core. From the tower builders of Babel, who hoped to reach heaven by their own efforts, to the worshipers of Ashtoreth, Baal, Milcom, and other pagan deities, the people of Moses’ day were devoted to unseen realities which they invested with their strongest affections and highest hopes. Their lives revolved around their devotions in many respects, and zeal for their gods could induce them to strange and extravagant ceremonies, costly sacrifices, and campaigns of violence against those whose religion threatened their own.

Closely connected with religious practice in the times of the patriarchs and Moses were the political forms and alliances that bound peoples together as nations. Most nations were ruled by dynastic monarchies, it seems, with loyalties going all the way back to the Tower of Babel and the affinities – language and blood, primarily – which bound people to one another. Within their own political entities, the peoples we meet in the Law of God established communities, developed laws, created forms of culture, and brought forth progeny to whom they taught the language, law, and lore of their forebears. They benefited from the common grace of God in a multitude of ways, yet almost always without acknowledging Him or seeking Him according to His will.

Nations traded with one another, entered into alliances for war or mutual defense, eyed each other’s prosperity, trashed each other’s shrines and sacred places, plundered each other’s wealth, and created an overall environment of uncertainty, tension, and fear.

Into such times as these, God introduced His holy nations of priests, armed with His Law and protected within His covenant, to begin the work of restoring the world and all creation to His goodness.

For reflection
1. How did the reality of sin affect the religious and political lives of the peoples of Moses’ day?

2. How was it possible that sinful people could accomplish so much that was useful and good?

3. Why is it essential to understand the times in which we live?

Next steps – Conversation: What are some “best practices” for understanding the times in which we live? Talk about this with some Christian friends.

At The Ailbe Seminary, all our courses are designed to help you grow in your Christian worldview. Watch this brief video (click here) to get an overview of our curriculum, and to see again the place of Jesus in the Christian worldview.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.