Saturday January 28, 2023

It's been a few days since my last entry. I've been quite busy with school. Today I will continue to look at the topic of hermeneutics. If you have not read my last entry, I would encourage you to do so, as this one builds on that. Let's look (once again) at our steps of interpretation.
1. What did the text mean to the original audience?
2. What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?
3. What is the theological principle in this text?
4. How does our theological principle fit with the rest of scripture?
5. How should individual Christians today live out the theological principle? 

Let's take a look at the text we are studying:
Joshua 1: 1-9
1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous; [b]be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may [c]have success wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may [d]be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will [e]have success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
In our last entry we looked at the question: 
1. What did the text mean to the original audience?
Today, let's answer the second question: 
2. What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?
​There are a vast amount of differences between the biblical audience and a modern day audience. To name a couple, the typical American was brought up in a secure environment, with very little political instability (compared to the rest of the world). As believers in Christ, we are no longer bound by the Mosaic laws. Also, the way N.T. Christianity works is that we do not have one human leader at the very top that answers directly to God (despite what my Catholic brothers and sisters may think). Also, as a group of believers, we have not been wondering the desert or wilderness for the last 40 years, waiting to take the promised land. 
These are some big differences. I would say the main one, and the one that has the most impact,  is the fact that we are no longer under the "law of Moses." 
In my next entry, we will look at question 3
3. What is the theological principle in this text?