Kindness is the new rock and roll
Peace are a great band. Their first two albums soundtracked my final year at uni, and when I saw them live it was so boisterous I nearly lost my shirt. But for ...
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Today I’m in Ukraine with Joshua Searle, practising ‘peacemaking in wartime’.* His organisation Dnipro Hope Mission offer a retreat for embattled Christian workers – momentary reprieve from three traumatised years under Russian siege.
What to say, when I lead devotions for them this morning? I dare not lecture courageous people in the midst of fighting for their lives, as if I know the will of the Lord better than the bloodied.
But I think Jesus led me to a novel practice in how ancient words might speak afresh to the modern world amidst conflict.
Cue the targum.
Jewish teachers once translated Hebrew texts into Aramaic, substituting identities to interpret their context and find wisdom to move forward (Ezra 4:7; Nehemiah 8:8). It’s a practice that can help us – help me – today.
Since the war in Ukraine began, I’ve circled around 2 Kings 18–19, praying that like King Sennacherib of Assyria in 701 BCE (a sabre-rattling, old-yet-resurgent empire), God would hook Vladimir Putin like a pufferfish and reel him back to his own pond (19:28).
Judah’s King Hezekiah rightly feared this proud tyrant, rebuilding Mother Assyria. Ten years earlier – like Crimea in 2014 – people on the country’s margins were taken captive. Slowing the advance, they leant on another great and more recent power, Egypt – as Ukraine leans on resources of other powers for its own defence.
But the Egyptians withdrew to Make Egypt Great Again – and Sennacherib pressed in to take the spoils of war.
Is a similar thing happening today? Both the US and Russia stand to benefit by Ukraine capitulating, so they gaslight Zelensky to believe he holds no cards (while maintaining that he is ‘gambling with World War Three’). Historic enemies posture together: make a deal with Russia ‘or we’re out’.
Hezekiah has nowhere left to look but up. His people quake and fast.
Making our modern targum from 2 Kings 19:15–19, replete with risky substitutions, can help us to pray. So, let’s petition the Lamb on the throne, raising our voices with Zelensky on behalf of the Ukrainian people:
Lord God … you alone are God over all earth’s kingdoms. Turn your ear this way and hear! … Listen to Putin’s words. He sent them to insult the living God! It’s true, the Kremlin’s powers have destroyed many nations and lands. The military burned the gods of those nations with fire because they aren’t real gods. … So now, Lord our God, save us from Putin’s power! Then all the earth’s kingdoms will know that you, Lord, are the only true God.
May the Lord answer President Zelensky as he did Hezekiah.
And may God help us all.
Dr Dave Benson
Culture & Discipleship Director, LICC
* Prof Dr Joshua Searle wrote the first in our blog series on this topic, leading up to our panel event on ‘Peacemaking in Wartime’ on 27 March – get your tickets now to join us in London. For more on the stunning work of Dnipro Hope Mission on their website.
Dave, this is so helpful. When Putin launched his attack in February 2022, our church ‘prayed for peace’ but all I could pray was Psalm 58 – break their teeth in their mouths, O God! Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions. Living in South Africa in the 1980s taught me that God does take sides to defend the poor, and reading Joshua’s blog (and his excellent ‘Theology after Christendom’) I find myself completely at ease with his Mennonite brothers who find themselves having to take up arms. Thanks so much for the post.
An interesting post, but some issues.
Checking on the references given, their content does not seem to support the authors reading of them.
Similarly, the king referred to was from Israel, and had called out to God for help. Has President Zelenski done this? If not, then applying this text to him is false. Please clarify.
I fully support Ukraine, and am appalled at the actions and words of Trump, but being truthful, and careful with biblical interpretation is essential.
As for the bit about Putin’s gods. Be very careful. It might also apply to Ukraine.
This post stands or falls on the validity of its biblical interpretation.
But we continue to pray for Ukraine and it’s leaders, and against the Russian aggression.
Dear David, thanks for your engagement, and pressing the details.
Hezekiah (flourished late 8th and early 7th centuries BC) was the son of Ahaz, and the 13th successor of David as king of Judah at Jerusalem. So, I’m not sure where you’re getting that he was Israel’s King. Though, prior to Assyria conquering the northern kingdom, often ‘Israel’ was used collectively for all the children of Israel, not just the northern kingdom. There is some slippage.
As for Zelensky, he is Jewish, as was Hezekiah – though we see him drawing on the Gospels explicitly in his Easter address at https://english.nv.ua/amp/easter-2024-zelensky-s-greetings-ukrainian-news-50415767.html, in which he prays that God’s light would break into their darkness, bringing peace – a prayer he shared with Pope Francis at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65581170.amp.
Of course, any leader can call on God as they see fit, and potentially be half-hearted or fake about this. (I may feel this way about prayers from the leader of the ‘free world’ in election time.) But, it would seem from your shared prayers, that perhaps we believe the Ukrainian resistance and cause is more righteous, as those defending their sovereign country against an invader, than the prayers of President Putin, as with Sennacherib.
You are right, biblical interpretation is key. And I’m not side-stepping this. Careful exegesis is my normal practice, and this is key.
But the historic and present practice of the targum is not to find a 1:1 equivalent between past and present – which never exists, as we can’t enter the river twice – but rather a situation that dynamically suggests a way forward in prayer and action in the present, as we humbly seek God.
And to this end, there is more than enough dynamic equivalence to find Hezekiah’s prayer helpful in guiding not only the Ukrainian people in prayer, but perhaps even President Zelensky’s prayer at this pivotal time.
I shared this prayer with over 20 Ukrainian leaders in the last day, each of whom worships Jesus as the Lord of all and Lamb on the throne. And many of them were amazed at the similarities in their situation, and cried as they inhabited Hezekiah’s words, which felt in the Spirit so apt for this moment when words easily fail.
Again, I’m glad we’re praying together, whether you go along with all the details and want to use this ancient practice of the targum or not. God knows they need our prayers, and encouragement, when they feel incredibly alone.
in Christ,
Dave
Thanks Dave, that is helpful. And yes, I did use ‘Israel’ in its wider meaning of Judah and Israel – I was writing quickly and did not check.
Two of our readings today seemed very apposite 2 Chronicles 20 : 1-30. Isaiah 14: 1-17
blessings
Dave, thank you for your deep empathy for the people of Ukraine. The fact that you’re onsite is proof of the depth of your empathy. I share your beautifully written prayer. Indeed, God help us all.
Thank you, Dave. Of course, the parallels are not exact but I am comfortable with how you’ve re-purposed the passage. This helps God’s living word speak into – and out of – a real-life reality today.
Whoever wrote this article, is so unbiased that he should stay in Ukraine and fight at the frontlines for Zelenskyy himself,
Using scripture to prove a false point is sin in and of itself,
Ask for forgiveness and leave politics to those who know what they’re talking about.
Of course there will never be a direct parallel from Israel’s circumstances to Ukrain. However, in many ways the circumstances are worse. Putin and Trump pretend to be a Christians. In this way they soil Jesus’ reputation and confuse the moral compass of their followers and many in the world, and so their guilt is multiplied. One thing is certain about President Zelensky: his moral compass has not been confused. Thankyou Dave for supporting Ukraine pastors.
I really appreciate such a forthright article. After that incident in the White House, I wanted to ‘take up’ something for Lent and chose to take up praying for President Zelensky as his position appeared so hopeless and yet so unjust. This has given me real encouragement.
I’ve been getting LICC newsletters for a few years now, and I can’t recall every seeing such an openly politically partisan use of scripture under the LICC banner. I suppose the question I am asking, is why NOW, and why THIS cause?There have been plenty of others including those where the slaughter, the atrocities, the taking of territory, and the injustices and oppression are even worse. I don’t think it is our place to take sides in a war such as this, but to stand against breaches of international law, against injustice and oppression, and to encourage people, leaders and countries to put their hope and trust in Jesus Christ. That may look similar but it isn’t. It may mean involvement in politics, but not this sort of almost total partisan commitment.
The Russian people need our prayers too, as they are under the rule of a cruel dictator, although the Western world seemed happy to encourage him when he was busy opposing Islamists.