Invested in Inaccurary--Zion Oil and Well-Intended Misinterpretation

Recently I reacquainted myself with the work of Zion Oil & Gas, a company dedicated to discovering petroleum in Israel. The company was founded by John Brown, an American Evangelical Christian who believes that the Bible prophesies the discovery of oil in the region where he's drilling. He's been at it for over 30 years, but he's not yet found the black gold he's looking for. Nonetheless, he's been able to find investors and donors willing to follow him in his venture of faith.

Unfortunately, this merger of business and faith is a flawed one. The oilman has based his venture on a misinterpretation of Deuteronomy 33:24, "Of Asher he said, 'More blessed than sons is Asher; May he be favored by his brothers, And may he dip his foot in oil'" (NASB).

In this passage, Moses pronounces prophetic blessing on each of the tribes about to enter the Promised Land. The error in interpretation is two fold. First, and most importantly, it misunderstands "oil" to refer to petroleum instead of olive oil, the most common form of oil used in the ancient world. Ancient peoples had virtually no use for petroleum, and most didn't even know it existed. But olive oil was a staple of society. It was used for many necessities of life, from cooking to personal hygiene. It could also be processed into things like luxury bath items. To see here a reference to petroleum is to introduce an idea utterly foreign to Moses and gives a sense to the passage that he did not intend. While it's true that biblical prophets did not always understand all that they prophesied, in this case, the imagery Moses used was readily understandable in his own day. It's not a cryptic image at all.

Second, it misunderstands the reference to Asher's "foot." This is not, as the oilman has supposed, a reference to the southernmost tip of Asher's tribal allotment. It's an actual human foot. In this dreamscape, Asher is dipping his foot in olive oil luxuriant which could then be rubbed and massaged in to soothe his foot. The image is one of abundance, ease, and peace. He has so much olive oil that there's plenty to use for pampering his feet. His feet need not be hardened and crusty from much toil and travel. Of course, Asher himself had been dead for several centuries. Moses is using his name to speak of his tribal descendants. The thought is that the people of Asher would one day enjoy tremendous peace, ease, and comfort.

What saddens me most about Zion oil is that this well meaning Christian businessman has invested almost three decades of his life and money from his own coffers and that of investors in a misunderstanding of Scripture. Unfortunately, he's not the only one to be taken in by this misreading. He's made the rounds on various Christian television networks where's he's been applauded as a man of conviction (which he is) and faith (which is partially misplaced). Even some well respected pastors have been caught up in this misreading of Deuteronomy.

 

For what it's worth, I do think that the richness of this passage is something yet to be fulfilled. The territory of Asher was rarely ever under Israelite control. Joshua's forces never took the territory, and it wasn't brought under Israelite control until another 400 years in David's day. And even then they didn't enjoy the sort of abundance of which this imagery speaks. As a premillennialist, I believe this prophecy will find its fulfillment in the golden age to come.

 

Don't get me wrong. In general, I support the nation of Israel. If oil is found there, it could potentially become a positive game changer in the region. But if they find oil in Israel, it won't prove that Moses prophesied it. The interpretation of this verse in Deuteronomy--and every other passage in the Bible, for that matter--needs to stand on its own.

 

And this interpretation is on slippery footing.

 



 

Avoid the Void View of the Word

Anyone who's had even the most basic training in Bible study knows that studying the context is rule number one for understanding any passage. But following this rule seems to be much easier said than done for many of us. The fact is that from time to time all of us proof-text, using a verse in a way which would make the author of the passage scratch his head. One of the clearest examples of this involves a very well-known verse amongst Bible-believing Christians, one that pastors often repeat from the pulpit.

Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)

This verse is often used as an encouragement to believers who share the Word with others. From this passage, pastors and well meaning Christians challenge believers not to be discouraged when others reject what they share from the Bible. Supposedly, this verse encourages us that God is nonethless at work and will eventually do something wonderful in the hearts of those who hear the Word.

While this is an extremely common use of this verse, there are real problems with understanding it this way. The context is not about believers spreading the Word but about believers needing to believe God's promise. In this context the phrase "My word" refers not to the Bible in general but to God's promises in particular. More specifically, God's promises in this passage are that God will restore His people Israel, return them to their land, and renew their hearts.

Isaiah wrote chapters 40-66 of his book largely for the benefit of generations after his time, particularly the generation that would live in the Babylonian exile. In this second half of his book, he foresees that in time God would bring the Jews back to their land and back to their God. God also promised that He would eventually redeem them from their greatest captivity--the bondage of their own sin. These promises of Hebrew salvation and restoration are the essence of the phrase "My word" in Isaiah 55:11. Though the fulfillment of that promise might be a long time in coming, Isaiah urges his listeners to wait on the Lord and trust Him to fulfill His good word.

Many Christians understand the verse as if it says this: "So shall My word be which goes forth out of YOUR mouth; it shall not return to Me void...." But this idea is foreign to the passage. The verse says nothing about believers repeating God's word to others (something we should do, or course). No, in this passage the focus is on the fact the GOD has promised to keep his promises, that what He has said will come to pass. But this is not a promise that if we repeat His Word to others that it will do something in their hearts. It may very well do so, and we should pray that is does, but that's not the point in this verse.

The misuse of this verse is deeply engrained in many Bible believing Christians. In one sense, that's representative of something good: a high view of Scripture and a firm belief in the power of God's Word. But it's also representative of a problem that we have with the way we use the Bible, something I call "innocent proof-texting." When we hear a verse used in a certain way over and over again by people we trust, we assume that that understanding of the verse has been properly vetted. But the example above illustrates how very careful we need to be with context. As the old saying goes, "A text used out of context is a pretext."

* Though I've argued that many Christians innocently misuse this passage, I'm convinced that it is very relevant for believers today. And it's real relevance is right in line with what Isaiah originally meant. As New Covenant believers, we are awaiting the Second Coming of our Redeemer who will redeem not only His people Israel but also resurrect our bodies and renew the world, bringing to completion the fullness of our salvation. That's one promise among many others that will never be voided for those who are in Christ Jesus.