Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God
By Matthew J. Lynch. (InterVarsity Press)
The problem of violence in the Old Testament defies easy answers. Author Matthew Lynch of Regent College in Vancouver, Canada, proposes no simple solution, but he offers helpful guides for Christians as they read the Old Testament.
Lynch recommends the creation account in Genesis 1-2 as an interpretive lens to view everything that follows in the Hebrew Scriptures. Violence has no part in God’s original design. Scripture points to humanity’s sinful rebellion against God’s plan as the cause of violence. The New Testament ends with a vision of a new heaven and new earth, where peace and wholeness—shalom—prevail. The prickly part lies between the beginning of Genesis and the conclusion of Revelation.
Flood and Fury specifically examines two troubling Old Testament narratives—the Great Flood and Joshua’s conquest of Canaan. In the former, God drowned all of creation, with the exception of one human family and representative pairs of animals. In the latter, Joshua heeded God’s command to totally destroy all who inhabit Canaan—men, women, children and livestock.
Lynch offers an alternative way of reading the story of Noah and the Great Flood. He focuses on how humankind’s sin grieved God—a reaction that sets the God of the Bible apart from the gods of other ancient flood stories. God took the creation humanity already had ruined and restored it to the “useful formlessness” of Genesis 1 to provide a fresh start, Lynch asserts.
Turning to the conquest of Canaan, Lynch frames the book of Joshua as a continuation of the Exodus narrative—a story of God’s liberating activity more than a war story. He suggests the commands to kill every living being in Canaan be taken just as literally as Jesus’ instruction to pluck out one’s eye or cut off one’s hand to avoid sin. In other words, view them as hyperbole to make a point. The people of God were to have nothing to do with Canaanite idolatry and pagan worship.
Lynch acknowledges violent stories in the Old Testament present a problem for disciples of the Prince of Peace. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, Lynch points to abiding principles that enable committed Christ-followers to grow in faith as they grapple with problematic passages. Like Jacob, we are called to wrestle with a God whose ways are higher than our own. That’s a struggle even the most dedicated peacemaker can embrace.
Flood and Fury goes on sale Feb. 28. Order your copy now. You’ll be glad you did.
Ken Camp, managing editor
Baptist Standard
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