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The Art of War | Part III | War Stanzas

Now, I know I promised you a Story. I would start at the Beginning, but this Story doesn't have just one Beginning. I say, let's start our Journey in the Middle, and we can explore the Map both forwards and backwards. Sometimes, reading things from a different starting point can really change a Story! (Take a look at this Beautiful Palindrome Poem by Abdullah Shoaib to see what I mean). 

The Middle of Canon lands us in book of poetry titled, Psalms; specifically in Chapter 118. This Poem ends the same way it begins. I love Poems that end the same way they begin. (Check out one of my favorites by Tanner Olson here). 

The author of Psalm 118 chose to remain Anonymous; though many people attribute it to the Warrior-Poet, David. The Poem tells a War Story, and is bracketed with this stanza: 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is Good; His Love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1/29)

This Word - Good - is expressed as 'Tov' in its original Hebrew language. Tov represented anything that was said to be beautiful, desirable, agreeable, functional, Life-Giving, or 'morally' Good. So few letters for such an explosive word. 

There was another Warrior-Poet who wrote about Tov. We open our Map to the very first page and find seven Tov Creations recorded in a Poem by Moses in the Beginning:

Light
Land & Sea
Plants
Day & Night
Sea Creatures & Birds
Land Animals

The Creator signed His work with His own signature - mankind - and then called His finished masterpiece Very Tov.

I like how Scott Morin & Mandy Melson from And Sons Magazine define this kind of Goodness:

"Anything that produces life and contains the potential for more life within it. Think of a seed becoming an orchard. Or, more practically speaking, think of a conversation or Story that stirred you to bring forth life from inside of you and offer it in a way that had the potential to call forth life in another."

The first thing that God called Life-Giving laid the foundation for all remaining creation: Light.  

In the Beginning, God Created the heavens and the earth. / Now the earth was formless and empty, Darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, "Let there be Light," and there was Light. / God saw that the Light was Good [Tov] and he Separated the Light from the Darkness. (Genesis 1:1-4)

Let's hear another Poet's version of the same Story. Sometimes, reading things from a different starting point perspective can really change a Story! (This one happens to have the same starting point):

In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the Beginning. / Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. / In Him was life, and that life was the Light of all Mankind. / The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5)

Here is where we get our first glimpse of the Enemy in the War Stories. This enemy doesn't carry a sword or wear armor. This Enemy simply seeks to put out Good, Life-Giving Light.  

Let's take a look at one more account of The Beginning. This Origin Story was written by someone who felt Inspired by God and sought to Preserve the Beauty and Goodness he Found. The Story is about The Bible, but it is not found in The Bible; in fact, it's found in a book called What Is the Bible? by theologian Rob Bell. (This book changed the way I read this The Bible - I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to get a big picture of Scripture). Here's how he puts it: 

In the Beginning, someone wrote something down. 

Profound, isn't it?

Let's Remember what it is we are reading when we read The Bible: Stories. Songs. Prayers. Poems. Letters. All written by real people from real places at real times who were Inspired by God. 

A counsel of men decided which stories, songs, poems, and letters were to be included in the Canon. These artifacts are clues that, when put together, form a Map that lead to the Middle Center of The Bible. The Center of The Bible is found not in a verse, but in a Person who is, Himself, the very 'Word' of God. His name is Jesus. 

This Word (Logos) is not set on stone or on a page. This Word is Alive (very Tov) and Active - sharper than any double edge sword.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word... (Hebrews 1:1-3, NIV) 

You see, Jesus - the exact representation of God's being - is what God Himself has to say. His very own Word, Separated from inky human fingerprints. There has never been a time when Jesus wasn't God - we just didn't always know that because humanity didn't always have Jesus. But now we do.

God changed one 'Word' in the The Holy Bible, and it completely re-wrote the Story. It's amazing how changing just one Word can completely re-write a Story, isn't it?

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