REDEMPTIVE REVERSALS AND THE IRONIC OVERTURNING OF HUMAN WISDOM, by G. K. Beale

A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance

by Steve West

 

Table of Contents

1 God Judges People by Their Own Sin
2 People Resemble the Idols They Worship
3 The Irony of Salvation
4 The Christian Life: Power is Perfected in the Powerless
5 Faith in Unseen Realities Contradicts Trust in Superficial Appearances
6 The Irony of Eschatology
Conclusion

 

Summary

 

Chapter 1: God Judges People by Their Own Sin

One of the ironies of life is that it is often through the same unethical means that people try to get ahead of others that they are exposed and brought low. Overindulgence in pleasure often ruins health and hinders the ability to experience pleasure in the long term. In irony, what is said or done ends up in the reverse direction of where it first appears to be going. Irony is a very important element in Scripture, where we see that God works in both judgment and salvation to bring about reversals of what was expected and at first seemed to be happening. A great illustration of this dramatic irony is found with Haman and Mordecai whom Haman despises. Haman believes that he himself is going to be honored by the king, but then all of the instructions he provides for how best to honor someone is done for Mordecai—and Haman himself has to be the one who leads the procession in Mordecai’s honor. This reversal pictures the even greater one that occurs when Haman—who was plotting to exterminate the Jews—has his plan exposed and is hung on gallows he built for Mordecai.

Lex Talionis (eye for eye, tooth for tooth) teaches that what someone does to someone else will be the reason why the same thing is done to them. Those who dig a pit may fall into it; we reap what we sow; there is a way that seems right to a man but ends in death. David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah resulted in adultery and violence plaguing his household. Today, the reasons why many people marry a particular individual turn out to be the things that stunt their growth in the future. Absalom rebelled against his father and died as a result; Ahithophel joined his conspiracy, but the advice he gave which was rejected led to his suicide and ruin. A prominent example of irony in Scripture is with Pharaoh in Egypt. He claimed to be a god, and he kept Israel in slavery; he even went so far as to order the death of the firstborn of the Israelites. In the end, he was shown to have no power, he lost his slaves, and it was his firstborn that died. Another example is found with Daniel and the lions’ den. Daniel’s enemies orchestrated a plot to destroy Daniel, but in the end, it resulted in his honor and they were killed by the lions they thought would kill Daniel. . . .

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