Christians sometimes have a problem with the OT's record of the conquest of the land of Canaan (cf. Book of Joshua). I was just reading a review of a book on Muslim-Christian relations, which apparently attempted to establish a similarity between the conquest and the Jihad. The reviewer--in denying this absurd claim--made the following helpful assertions on how markedly different the OT conquest was:

1. It is limited to one time, not all times.
2. It is limited to one land, not all lands. It judges sin to fulfill prophecy, not to adhere to a religion.
3. It shows God’s holiness, not his power. Its goal is to bless the whole earth, not subdue it. It is God fighting for his people, not the people fighting for God.
4. It is according to God’s trustworthy nature, not according to a capricious nature.
5. It prefigures God finally absorbing the deserved judgment and wrath on all nations in Christ’s death on the cross. Judgment deserved became judgment absorbed.

Imad Shehadeh, "Review: Allah: A Christian Response", Themelios 36-2.

Let us read the Conquest and tremble at the amazing holiness of God and the judgement we all should receive--without the 400+ year waiting period he gave them (Gen 15:13, 16). Let us rejoice that God clearly revealed this judgment so that we could understand more clearly what we deserved, and what Christ endured and exhausted for us.

Three quotes to think about:

The Second Helvetic Confession

The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God.

John Calvin, Institutes, IV.i.5

It is a singular privilege that He deigns to consecrate to Himself the mouths and tongues of men in order that His voice may resound in them.

Al Mohler, He Is Not Silent, p. 57

I fear that there are many evangelicals today who believe that God spoke but doubt whether he speaks. . . . But if you call yourself a preacher of God's Word, and you think that all of God's speaking was in the past, then resign. I say that with deadly seriousness. . . . If you are not confident that God speaks as you rightly read and explain the Word of God, then you should quit.

Discuss.

I am greatly encouraged to see Tim Keller's humble correction of his response in the interview posted about a week ago by Justin Taylor. Glad to hear that this is indeed not his first renouncing of these views but that he did so immediately. Wish this information had been made known and more communication had gone on before posting of the interview, since they appear to come from the same source: The Gospel Coalition. 

Praise God for humble leaders who readily and honestly admit their mistakes. I might add (in parallel to something I said in the previous post), that many who are willing to speak the truth in any situation are not always willing to admit their mistakes. Some who speak the truth no matter what have a harder time humbling admitting their faults. And thus, my hat is now off to Tim Keller, for whose example I am greatly indebted, and I hope I myself would be able to emulate.

I was happy to see an interview posted on Justin Taylor's blog between Martin Bashir and Tim Keller. I liked the honesty and directness of Bashir in his earlier interview of Rob Bell that I had seen, and I was excited to see how Tim Keller would answer him. The first 10 minutes were quite encouraging. Tim Keller gave insightful answers to tough questions. But starting around 11 minutes, Bashir asked about what happens to people who do not believe in Jesus, will they go to hell?

I don't know why but this is the question that many people seem to just have a hard time answering straightly about on TV. Keller gave a pretty discouraging answer. Bashir even made the question easy by specifically talking about people who have heard about Christ and then rejected him, leaving out for the moment people who had never heard. Still, Keller did not use the "h" word.

Keller’s other answers were great and very insightful, but this one left me quite surprised! He said God gives us information on a "need to know basis" (which is true), but wrongly included this answer in the categories of things he did not reveal. He  straight up said, "I don’t know" at one point! 1 John 2:23, 5:11 along with Acts 4:12 and a myriad more show God has included this item in the "need to know" category! Give us someone who knows!

I'm not sure if he has since acknowledged this was a moment of weakness, but this answer leaves me with a little less respect for Tim Keller. I'd already lost some when I heard he sort of supports Biologos, and now this is another discouraging blow. He is a wonderfully gifted man and can teach some things in a marvelously alive and convicting way, and I often very much enjoy listening to him. Yet if this is the direction we must head to "engage" the culture, then count me out.

I’m even more surprised Justin Taylor's blog post did not bring this out, in particular with the debate as of late with Rob Bell's "Love Wins" and the blogosphere lit up over the reality of an eternal hell for all who do not believe in Christ. I hope his answer will be confronted.

Times like this particularly remind me of John MacArthur, whose reputation is simply for saying the truth like the Bible says it, no matter what situation, often on Larry King Live. When so many fumble at this point, MacArthur stands out as an example of courage and fidelity, for whose example I am greatly indebted, and I hope I myself would be able to emulate.

(Edit: Good news is that this was a sort of  lapse of communication between Keller and Justin Taylor. Keller had already renounced his answers in this video 3 years ago when it happened, and he clarifies this on the TGC blog. The discouraging interview gives way to an encouraging conclusion!)

I wrote most of this down in my journal on Aug. 16. Don't remember now what my kids did that morning, but it brought about the following reflections:

While I do believe in a kind of varying "age of accountability" before which all children will go to heaven, it is not because of their sinlessness before that age. Anyone still holding on to the conception that all humans are basically good should spend some good time with children. 

Children are like upset little gods. They always want to be in control of whatever they're doing. Yet they're not in control, and so they're often upset. The one thing that every parent who has been embarrassed before in public (i.e. in the supermarket) that the one thing you "don't do" to make these little gods angry is say "no" to them. Try not giving them what they want, or taking away what they want, and they throw a fit: "Oh no you did not just say no to me!!"

They are slowly coming into the realization that though they desperately want to be god and want to be in control, their purposes are often frustrated. Quite simply, because we are not God. We adults on the other hand are not too different, just much more sophisticated. We've learned how to hide our upset. 

And so, teach your children to become accustomed to the words "no". We do them no service by pandering their illusions of deity. We should instead love them enough to show them a small preview of the penalty of idolatry via persistent application of "the rod" as well as patient and wise instruction. It is a sad thing when parents seek to appease their children rather than to please God, fear the upset of these little gods more than the wrath of the living God.