The Future and the Past

February 20, 2007 at 11:03 am (Old Testament)

John Goldingay had an extremely interesting thought in the second volume of his Old Testament Theology (pg. 129). He notes that when we think about the future and the past, our orientation is usually that we look ahead to the future, and look behind to the past. He doesn’t think that the Hebrews thought this way. For the Hebrews (says Goldingay), they look forward to the past, and look behind them to the future. Imagine, then, a person walking backward into the future (which he cannot see), being able to see the past, because he is facing it. Goldingay argues that this helps explain Psalm 51:3. It is certainly an interesting thought. It is more logical than the way we normally think about it. Food for thought.

5 Comments

  1. John said,

    February 20, 2007 at 1:12 pm

    Um … pardon my density, but … what does this MEAN? What does it mean to “look forward to the past” or “look back to the future”? I can’t wrap my head around it.

  2. John said,

    February 20, 2007 at 8:48 pm

    Okay, having thought it through more, I understand that Goldingay wants to say that we can see the past (and so we must be looking at it) but we can’t see the future (and so we must be looking away from it). That’s why he says we’re like a man walking backwards: we can’t see where we’re going but can see where we’ve been.

    True enough. But I don’t know that that’s a particularly helpful way to look at things. It may be a helpful illustration of our situation, but I’d need more proof that that’s actually how the Hebrews in the Bible viewed things.

  3. greenbaggins said,

    February 21, 2007 at 10:21 am

    Unfortunately, Goldingay doesn’t prove his case exegetically. However, it does make sense of Psalm 51:3. It would be an interesting thesis to try to prove.

  4. Joseph Randall said,

    February 21, 2007 at 11:43 am

    Hello Pastor Keister,
    I’ve really been helped by your blog. Thanks. I’m in the PCA as well, and I’m trying to decide on a seminary. I was wondering if I could e-mail you or call you and chat a bit. I live in Minneapolis at the moment - so we’re not too far away. Thanks for any help you can offer.
    Christ is all!
    Joseph Randall

  5. greenbaggins said,

    February 21, 2007 at 11:44 am

    Absolutely, Joseph. And welcome to my blog. My email is pastorlane@juno.com

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