Today things went much better with transportation. We left on time--8:00 AM, and arrived at New Dawn at 8:40 AM, which is pretty good. Then I got a real surprise. Most of the teachers were already there, and at 9:00 AM they were all there save for two! I have never had this happen before, and after lunch they were all there 7 minutes before we were to start up again. So it appears that my somewhat stern talk yesterday has borne fruit. Anyway it was a very good beginning.
We were to finish just a few summarizing questions about my lesson on David and Bathsheba, like What do we learn about David from this story and why do you think that Bathsheba is mentioned in the genealogy of Christ in Matthew chapter 1? David is, of course, a very complex figure which they now are pretty much able to describe in detail. He was certainly a gifted prophetic poet who wrote incredible psalms. Then he was a gifted general, and a very charismatic leader, but clearly he was also an adulterer, murderer and an indecisive absentee father, who failed to discipline his sons Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah. Each of these sons were unfit to sit on the Davidic throne, and yet David apparently failed to heed the prophetic word that Solomon was to succeed him until Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan confronted him with that fact. Only then did he take the necessary steps to have Solomon succeed him. Then also he seemed to have had a problem controlling Joab, even after Joab killed the successor who had been appointed by David to replace him. Finally, David still did not deal with Joab after he joined Adonijah in his attempted palace coup; he instead left Joab to the judgment of Solomon. Was it because Joab had saved the letter David wrote him to have Uriah killed in battle, which he perhaps had threatened to release to the public if David would dare to come after him? It is interesting to contemplate.
The students are now clearly able to see Bathsheba as a victim of David's lust. There had really been no way that she could have refused the command of the king to come to the palace. Then she lost her husband, a God-fearing man of incredible integrity, and her firstborn son. In addition, she probably was haunted by palace gossip about her baby not being her husband's. The fact that Bathsheba mourned for her husband is enough proof that she loved him. Finally, her grandfather Ahithofel committed suicide after his sound advice to Absalom was not followed and he realized that Absalom was going to be defeated by David and Joab. He realized that perhaps he would be executed for joining Absalom's coup to take revenge on David because he had killed his granddaughter's husband and so he committed suicide. All of this was pretty interesting.
Then we did the rape of Tamar which was really very well received, and later the class shared that rape and incest are a serious problem among the girls who study at New Dawn. Last year Irene was able to open a house for a number of girls to sleep at night, supervised by one of the teachers. This was because they could not in good conscience be sent home to be subjected to abuse. So the teachers were very interested to get a biblical perspective on rape and really any form of violence against women. The rape of Tamar provides us with a very good insight into how scripture exposes the different human reactions to this sad affair that are still all too common.
There is Amnon, who is the callous rapist who thinks he can get away with it because he is the spoiled crown prince. His indifference to Tamar's frantic pleading is just beyond the pale. While the attitude of Absalom toward his sister's pain is so unbelievably and cruelly indifferent that it is just beyond words. The only way this can be explained is if he secretly delighted because it gave him a an opportunity to act as the self appointed "avenger of blood" and kill his half brother Amnon, which made him the next one in succession to the throne. And David is angry only because he now has to deal with a family scandal that leaves a blemish on the reputation of his beloved son Amnon as the current heir to the throne. Tamar is forgotten and ignored by all. Nobody cares about her needs--she is now a throw away item. Nobody wants her.
The class clearly was able to see that these attitudes are just as prevalent today as then. So often rape and incest are swept under the rug to protect important family members or leaders in the community. Especially Leah, the school's counselor, was really excited about this material and felt she could use the lessons to help victims she counsels. So basically they really are excited about the lesson material just like in Eldoret, which makes me think that perhaps Leah can give a follow up seminar to the teachers of New Dawn.
Finally, today I taught about the widow at Zarephat, and the Aramean commander Naaman who is cured from his leprosy. Both characters are important because they are gentiles who express their faith in the God of Israel in amazing statements. These two are held up as amazing people of faith by the lord Jesus when he is challenged by the Jews in the synagogue of Nazareth for proclaiming to them that he has come to fulfill Isaiah's prophecies that apply to Messiah. Then when Jesus says, "I assure you that the prophets Elijah and Elisha did not go to the gentiles because of the hostilities of the Jews in ancient Israel. No these prophets went to them because God sent them." This is when the people in the synagogue of Nazareth became enraged and tried to throw him off the cliff.
Well that was a full day, tomorrow I only have the morning to teach because the education team of Maggie, Sanna, Lance, Ken, Ann, Nina, and Judy will have their kids give a performance showcasing what they have learned the last 2 1/2 days. So my teachers and I will attend their performances. I will lose a whole afternoon I had not counted on, but it is for the best so I'd better show them my newly found flexibility.
One thing that is really fortunate is that tomorrow we will be driven by Richard and one of his drivers in two cars, rather than the bus we used the last two days. I am sure we will get home faster.
Well have a great day, and God bless,
Well that was a full day, tomorrow I only have the morning to teach because the education team of Maggie, Sanna, Lance, Ken, Ann, Nina, and Judy will have their kids give a performance showcasing what they have learned the last 2 1/2 days. So my teachers and I will attend their performances. I will lose a whole afternoon I had not counted on, but it is for the best so I'd better show them my newly found flexibility.
One thing that is really fortunate is that tomorrow we will be driven by Richard and one of his drivers in two cars, rather than the bus we used the last two days. I am sure we will get home faster.
Well have a great day, and God bless,
Hans
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