OT Archives - Honor Shame

Honor in the Old Testament

By HonorShame Posted on February 9, 2021 Posted in Honor, OT 2 Comments Tagged with Honor, OT

“How heavy are you?” In Western contexts, this question can be offensive. But in honor-shame cultures, the very question can be a gesture of respect because their mindset often assumes “weight=honor.” Here are a few examples from Central Asia. The …

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4 Honor-Shame Motifs of Lamentations 1

By HonorShame Posted on July 22, 2020 Posted in Bible, OT 1 Comment Tagged with lament, OT

The realities of dishonor and shame pervade the book of Lamentations (see previous post). Four motifs express the honor-shame dynamics in Lamentations 1—defilement, loneliness, subjugation, and desperation, as this post explores. Defilement The poet portrays the destruction of Israel is …

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Ruth 1 (HSP)

By HonorShame Posted on May 13, 2020 Posted in Bible, Honor-Shame Paraphrase 1 Comment Tagged with OT, ruth

This paraphrase of Ruth 1 is from the new book Ruth: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase. A long time ago before the days of king David, a man named Elimelech lived in his ancestral village of Bethlehem. There was a famine in the land …

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The Meaning of “Sodomy”

By HonorShame Posted on November 6, 2019 Posted in OT 25 Comments Tagged with homosexuality, hospitality, OT, sodom

You know the definition of the English word sodomy? The word derives from the ancient city of Sodom, which was famously destroyed for their wickedness (Genesis 19). So what made Sodom so wicked and worthy of destruction? The standard answer has …

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A Japanese Scapegoat for Impurity

By HonorShame Posted on February 20, 2019 Posted in Evangelism, Jesus Christ 4 Comments Tagged with atonement, evangelism, Japan, OT

Brian McGregor (M.Div., Columbia International University) recently Shinto: The Gospel’s Gate, a book that explores Japanese atonement concepts in light of honor and shame. The Japanese have a particular understanding of sin. The word is 罪 tsumi, which also means …

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Psalm 23 (HSP)

By HonorShame Posted on June 27, 2018 Posted in Honor-Shame Paraphrase 1 Comment Tagged with HSP, OT, Psalms

This post is excerpted from the new book Psalms: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase of 15 Psalms. Psalm 23 is a popular hymn that speaks about God’s generous, honoring patronage. David uses two common metaphors to convey God’s protection and provision for his …

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Esther 1 (HSP)

By HonorShame Posted on November 15, 2017 Posted in Bible, Honor-Shame Paraphrase 4 Comments Tagged with esther, honor-shame paraphrase, HSP, OT

Here is an honor-shame paraphrase of Esther, chapter 1. This is excerpted from the new book Esther: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase, available as Kindle or PDF for $2.99. A long time ago, the king of Persia was a man named Ahasuerus. His glorious kingdom included 127 provinces from …

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Esther: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase (new book)

By HonorShame Posted on November 8, 2017 Posted in Honor-Shame Paraphrase No Comments Tagged with esther, HSP, OT

The second title—Esther—in the Honor-Shame Paraphrase series is now available. Esther: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase costs $2.99 on Kindle and PDF. Readers often misinterpret Scripture for a simple reason—our culture is very different from the ancient cultures of the Bible. For example, Westerners …

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Set of 30 Bible Stories about Honor & Shame

By HonorShame Posted on January 25, 2017 Posted in Bible, Communication, Evangelism, Ministry, Missiology, Resources 4 Comments Tagged with bible, ministry, NT, OT, resource, story set

Biblical writers communicated God’s honor for the shamed through stories. Narratives recount how God saves his people from disgrace and displays honor.Here is a story set of 30 biblical narratives that address honor and shame. For a more complete list , …

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New Book: Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures (IVP)

By HonorShame Posted on October 5, 2016 Posted in Bible, Honor, Ministry, Missiology, NT, OT, Resources, Shame, Theology 1 Comment Tagged with book, ministry, missiology, NT, OT, resource, theology

My latest book Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials (InterVarsity Press) is now available.This 270-page book equips Christians to proclaim and embody the gospel in honor-shame contexts. Our aim was simple: to show how honor-shame is central …

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Sarah & Hagar: A Struggle for Honor

By HonorShame Posted on September 21, 2016 Posted in Bible, OT, Theology 5 Comments Tagged with Abraham, God, OT, Sarah, story, theology

Dr. Marvin J. Newell is Senior Vice President of Missio Nexus, a network that connects evangelical mission agencies, churches and training centers across North America. He served over two decades in Indonesia and teaches at Moody and Western. This article …

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Honor & Shame in God’s Revelation (1 Kgs 22)

By HonorShame Posted on July 13, 2016 Posted in Bible, ethics, OT, Theology No Comments Tagged with bible, culture, OT, revelation, theology

Martin Munyao (Th.M., Daystar Academy of Nairobi) was a pastor and theology teacher in Kenya. He is earning his Ph.D. at Concordia Theological Seminary.How did God use Israel’s cultural dynamics of honor-shame to reveal himself? As an example, we take the …

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The Law is NOT Legal

By HonorShame Posted on July 6, 2016 Posted in Bible, OT, salvation, Theology 7 Comments Tagged with bible, Israel, law, OT, salvation

In the Bible, the “law” is not primarily a legal concept. For Western Christians, their view of the “law” is heavily influenced by cultural assumptions. (Some might call this “syncretism.”)When teaching about the “law,” I prefer to use the original words …

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How OT Sacrifices Saved

By HonorShame Posted on June 29, 2016 Posted in Bible, Christology, Honor, Jesus, salvation, Sin, Theology 10 Comments Tagged with atonement, OT, sacrifice, theology

What happens during a sacrifice? How do sacrifices work? What was killing an animal in the temple supposed accomplish?Malachi 1:6-2:9 explains the logical underpinning of temple sacrifices. Basically, the priest’s defective sacrifices failed to honor God. The priests’ unclean animals have shown …

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Redemption. From What?

By HonorShame Posted on June 8, 2016 Posted in Bible, Honor, salvation, Theology 2 Comments Tagged with bible, OT, redemption, theology

What does redemption mean? What are we redeemed from? The biblical term denotes “release from bondage.” Because of our own weaknesses (social, physical, or spiritual), a stronger patron-like Savior must enact our release.HOW do redeemers redeem?In the Bible, people are redeemed …

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How David Sinned with Bathsheba

By HonorShame Posted on April 27, 2016 Posted in OT, Relationships, Shame, Sin, Theology 12 Comments Tagged with bible, david, OT, shame, sin, theology

When David slept with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:1-13), why was that sin? David thought nothing was amiss, “but the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh” (2 Sam 11:27). Exactly why was God displeased? Despite common assumptions, the Bible does not portray David’s …

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Did Bathsheba Seduce David?

By HonorShame Posted on January 12, 2016 Posted in OT, Theology, Uncategorized 14 Comments Tagged with Bathsheba, david, OT, shame, sin

Did Bathsheba purposefully seek to seduce David when bathing? Some books say Bathsheba “intended” to be seen by the king, presumably to seduce David and get closer to the seat of power. But I think this is misreading Scripture. The Bible portrays …

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Yahweh’s Counter-Cultural Honor

By HonorShame Posted on July 23, 2015 Posted in Culture, Honor, OT, Theology 2 Comments Tagged with bible, culture, God, Honor, OT

Guest Ron Mudge (Ph.D., Concordia Seminary) has served as a missionary to Ivory Coast and Togo, West Africa (1996-2006), and is presently the Rouse Associate Professor of Pre-Seminary Studies at Concordia University Wisconsin. Here is a summary of his article, …

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God’s Face

By HonorShame Posted on June 3, 2015 Posted in Culture, OT, Shame, Theology 5 Comments Tagged with cain, face, God, OT, shame

Christian workers will never eliminate social face, nor should they attempt to. A better approach to “face” is to reorient cultural face around God’s face. Fortunately, the Bible has much to say about face; it is a significant concern for …

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Honor-Shame Theology in Proverbs

By HonorShame Posted on March 18, 2015 Posted in OT, Theology No Comments Tagged with bible, OT, proverbs, theology

The previous post listed 50 biblical proverbs about honor and shame. The seven categories frame the primary theological themes of Proverbs in relation to honor-shame.Honor is a reward.Pride leads to shame.Fools are shameful.Humans (dis)honor God.A good name reflects honor.Wisdom herself is honorable.The family …

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