Remember the Past

6. “Remember the Past”

- On the last Lord’s day of May 2001, a few days ahead of the Memorial Day
- Reflection of the Memorial May on Deuteronomy 32:7~12 “Remember the Past”

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Deuteronomy 32:7~12
7. Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.
8. When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.
9. For the LORD'S portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.
10. In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
11. like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.
12. The LORD alone led him; no foreign god was with him.

- A Dead Soldier Speaks -


- Mo Yunsuk

(Straying in the hills and valleys of Gwangju
I happened to see a dead soldier laid alone.)

I see a soldier lying alone
In a remote valley of the mountain.
I see the close-eyed soldier looking skyward
Without a word without a move.

Deep-yellowed uniform, sunshiny emblems on the shoulders
You were a proud second lieutenant of Korea.
Warm blood is still spilling at his breast.

Scent of blood thicker than that of rose!
Wailing over the young dead body with my bowed head
I am hearing!
What last word thou said......

I died, at my young age 24
I breathed my last as a son of Korea.
Defending the mountains of our motherland against crazy smothering clouds and winds
In the long run I met my fate.

An uncatchable rifle in my hands, an unbreakable helmet on my head,
I was never a coward against the enemy
Rather, a stronger soul of Korea cried within my blood
I ran and ran,
Over mountains and valleys, tombs and bushes
Like General Lee Sunshin, like Napoleon, like Caesar.
To guard my motherland from danger, night and day,
Onwards and onwards go! go!
Pushing against the enemy, I fought
I wished to go, as far as the sky of the enemy
Pushing and pushing like a storm up to the tower of Kremlin of Moscow
I wished to march.

I had my mother, my father and my cute younger siblings.
I had my beloved darling.
With neighbors in the bud of my youth,
I wished to live blooming on the earth
With numerous birds of my country flying in the air beautiful over there,
I wished to live blooming on the earth
With numerous birds of my country flying in the air beautiful over there,
I wished to grow singing on the earth
So much the braver I fought, and died.
I suppose nobody will know my dead body.
However, my country, my love!
The breeze passing by
Don’t they wash my sweating face of my lain body like this?
The blue stars in the sky
Don’t they console my loneliness over the night?

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Omission in between....

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Make doom of the enemy’s hope, my friend!
The sturdy arms and legs of yours, the red blood and spirit of Dan gun,
By braving in your fight by dying in your destiny,
Bring life to your land from fading away.
For sake of my motherland, I decline my grave
Or my small coffin for the body
Before long, my rough winds may sweep over me,
Worms on the ground may pick into my body,
But I would make friends with them.
Gladly waiting for my country to be happy,
I wish I’d be a handful of soil of my land in this valley

I see a soldier lying alone
In a remote valley of the mountain.
I see the close-eyed soldier looking skyward
Without a word without a move.
Deep-yellowed uniform, sunshiny emblems on the shoulders
You were a proud second lieutenant of Korea.
Warm blood is still spilling at his breast.
Scent of blood thicker than that of rose!
Wailing over the young dead body with my bowed head
I am hearing!
What last word thou said......

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Since old times man first lived, war has been ever kept on. A common point among the wars is that the parties concerned put justification on the war they do.

Apart from war big or small, the parties lost in war have never ceased to exist. Though once in a while into a cease-fire after a tie, they were plagued by persistent bodily, mental and material harms caused by war. In spite of the enormous damages, wars were ceaseless. Initiators in wars, or national leaders, engrafted ‘God’s command’ onto their justification of wars.

The reality in numerous wars ancient times is that the wars happened not for their nation or people, but for the king’s personal passion or greed.

But what they set up for their war was the slogan ‘the Supreme Command by god.’ They have ideologized their wars as if they were for their gods.

Some of representative examples are the Exodus in the Bible, the Crusade in the Middle Ages and the Jihad in the present Arab world.

The Jihad, meaning fight or war, represents wars that happen by the principle of faith. Other expressions for jihad are ‘holy war’ or ‘the war for god.’ Usually by adding the word ‘holy,’ it is frequently called ‘the Holy War.’ Local wars by Islam countries of modern days and civil wars in Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia and Africa are the ones characteristic of jihad.

‘Fight for god’ - sacrificial offerings offered for gods were the dark red land where the dead bodies and red blood were thrown here and there.

In those days of the world war II which caused the whole word into turmoil, the ‘imperialist nations’ too such as Germany and Japan who invaded other countries used their own espousing god to put up their justified war slogan, ‘God’s Command’ or ‘Loyalty for God.’

There are a certain outrageous words “Destroy anything who breathe” in Deuteronomy and Joshua in the Bible. About 2500~3000 years afterwards, when leaders of big powers put these words and idea to their use, Spain and Portugal had no remorse and took it for granted, killing South American Indios, raising fires, plundering and raping in the misunderstanding they are doing something great as God’s messengers.

The elegant English puritans beat, killed, raised or sold their black Americans like domestic animals. They misunderstood as ‘God’s calling’ killing Indians whenever they were seen because Indians were demon.

These are what some puritans did - outrageous but great and elegant champions of faith - who came at the risk of their life from England to hear God’s true voice. This brutalities are a picture of those who built the great United States of America 200~300 years ago.

There is no true peace on this earth.

Isaiah 2:4
“He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

Micah 4:4
“Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.”

Besides these verses, there are many other places in the Bible that sings or craves for peace. To read between the lines, it represents barren climate in Palestine, unstable situation between nations and Israelite people’s life who suffered between ever-conflicting nations which was urgent, troublesome and distressful.

During men’s stormy paths on this earth, there is said to be no true peace. Neither everlasting strong man nor everlasting weak man...there is no ever-unchangeable thing. Such is social thing, such is international situation. And such is the flesh changing in proportion to individual ages.

We call this history of change all together ‘dynamics.’

To further on this, ‘history of mankind’ is expressed as ‘history of reversal.’ Examples of such ‘dynamics’ are found here and there of man’s world.

Some descendants of persons who used to be called children of lowest class 100 years ago have today become a commanding president in a big company, a famous scholar or a religious leader. While, some descendant of used-to-be extinguished aristocratic class have become a janitor in a big company founded by a descendant of lowest class whom his ancestors of highest class ignored as lowest birth lower than human beings, or a handcart peddler driven out by the janitor. Yesterday’s big power Russia collapsed and divided into many countries, which were in turn born again as many independent states. These phenomena all told are called ‘history of dynamics.’

Namely, dynamics? this theological term is the meaning of ‘reverse turning’ expressed differently and difficultly. Today’s text, Deuteronomy 32:7~12 too should be looked at in this sense of dynamics.

Representatively, Luke 1:46~55 ‘Mary’s Hymn’ and Matthew Chapter 5~7 the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ are the essentials of dynamics.

At least without this understanding, modern people of 21st century cannot look at, understand and apply Deuteronomy 32:7~12, Deuteronomy 13:15, Joshua 6:21, Joshua 8:26 and other Old Testament’s verses of the war ideology, “Jehovah the champion.”

Like I said, it has been often the case that the people who thinks believing the Bible literally is the noblest and firmest belief took the part of Bible verse, ‘Destroy anything who breathe,’ made the world bloody and ruined others lives.

The self-professed righteous have embellished 2000 years of human history as if they had the most right and religious faith in their greedy misunderstanding, praying their following eccentric prayer over trodden lives and numerous corpses strewn, “Thank you God for hearing our prayer...May there be an everlasting progress of Heaven and attendance of peace on the earth...I pray in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.”

This is because they have misunderstood or ignored the Bible’s absolute truth of Isaiah 40:8 ‘The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever,’ the fact that in retrospect of man’s history, no matter how great and brilliant each person’s life is, such a life too withers.

If you have ever strewn seeds in the soil for farming, you will somewhat understand what I mean to tell. After sprouting of grain seeds on the ground, a farmer should dig up weeds around sprouts carefully for fear the tender sprouts should hurt. Only so the tender sprouts can root easily into the ground. According as the sprouts grow, the farmer can raise them into sturdiness through a few times of ‘weeding out’ and ‘earthing up.’

But by the time when the sprouts grow up blossoming out into grains, the farmer does not dig up weeds in the field. For, if one goes to the grain field to dig up weeds, the hands of man could easily break twigs or stalks so that the grains may hurt. (Mathew 13:28~30)

The baby born newly out of the womb is taken care of by not only their mother but also neighbors. The baby’s eyesight develops, starts eye to eye with their mother, mumbles, turns over and craws about. Until they can begin toddling, they aren’t told ‘No.’ All their neighbors act in accordance with the baby’s acts or clear away objects.

But in about a year around the first birthday, the baby begins to be taught what to do and what not to do so they learn their ‘adaptation,’ or learn their rules and manners to be kept within the bounds of their action. This process of learning changes according to age. This process of growth in a child, we call ‘socialization.’

This education of ‘socialization’ is simultaneously given in family and society. Getting older, one generally adapts themselves to the society, but there are a few who act like a child, which we call ‘Mamma Boy.’

This momma boy is all right if only within the relationship of mom and son. However, by the time of his grownup, love and marriage, he meets with problems. The babyish behavior that has been done toward his mom applies only to his mother, but gets rejection by his dating partner, who is just a woman not his mother.

On the contrary, if one has conformed himself well to the family but not to the society, he will show the symptom of serious depression or autism. Radius of behavior according to growth is important for man and animal.

Thus, regardless of wild animal, domestic animal or man, there is one’s ‘adaptation’ suitable to growth, or environment for any species to maintain their subsistence.

Only when this ‘adaptation’ applies to the nation of ‘Israel’ can we understand Deuteronomy 32:7~12, Deuteronomy 13:15, Joshua 6:21, Joshua 8:26 and other verses of Old Testament war ideology ‘Jehovah the Champion.’

Long long ago, Yahweh responded to the wailing of Hebrews who were suffering in the land of Egypt, led them out of Egypt which was the land of suffering, death and slavery, made a covenant with them on the wilderness(Exodus 19:20~). Yahweh became their king; Israel was born as a new-established nation made of the holy people whom God had chosen. This is the history of the Exodus. How to be members of the new-established people in accordance with this covenant is Exodus 19~, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua. Exodus 19~20~, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua is the recording of ‘adaptation’ by Israel from the Exodus through the wilderness up to the occupation of Canaan.

Dear listener, look at the fields. It’s the season of rice planting.

As you see, in order for you to plant rice, you should grow seedlings affectionately in the nursery before transplanting them to the paddy field. In order for the tender to take root, the farmer gets the soil turned over, draws water and tills the soil again into tiny pieces before rice planting. Then, hands or a transplanting machine plant young seedlings.

You might have seen, part of them dead, they become alive through a few days suffering of the leaves getting scorched white in order for the infant seedlings to take root in the new ground. This time needs the owner’s careful concern. It is this important period that has the dying seedlings survive by affectionate care of the owner.

During man, animals or grains taking root for the first time in their situation, they need some unconditional support and care by their parents for digging weeds around or keeping life in tender age.

When compared to grains, Exodus 19~20~, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua holds such process. Inside is Israel’s ‘adaptation’ recorded from the Exodus through the wilderness until the entrance and occupation of Canaan. Thus, this period had Yahweh unconditionally protect and keep them. ‘Jehovah the Champion’ is a theological term for war which can be understood only in such process.

Today’s sermon text Deuteronomy 32:7~12 is that we should reflect the process. It is the story in which the Israel who lives under Yahweh’s great grace should reflect their past history. In case successors should say, ‘We are full and well off. When did we get help? Who is Yahweh? (Proverb 30:9)’ when their predecessors who were under God’s great grace and care die old, the text says “Remember the days of old. He guarded us as the apple of His eye. He protected us like an eagle that shielded its young at its nest. Why don’t you listen and learn again, and remember what God did.”

Time is eternal but not still.

The Bible is a special revelation in which it gives us an eternal message in eternal time. But understanding, applying and attending the Bible in the life, we should use ‘Biblical interpretation of dynamics.’ A problem is, the spirit of the times progresses but too often they tend to bind time to 2500~3000 ago or to Calvin times 500 ago when they interpret the Bible.

I say again.

Take, for example, Mary’s Song of Luke 1:46~56 which is the hymn for the coming of Jesus onto this earth. The core of the song is ‘dynamics.’ The ‘Sermon on the Mount’ of Matthew Chapter 5~7 which is called the essence of Christianity sprit has the concentration of ‘dynamics,’ too.

By drawing the Bible to one’s own advantage, creating one’s own Bible and misunderstanding the phrase ‘Destroy anything who breathe’ as if it is the catchphrase for the coming of a dictator, we cannot ever believe such a thing to be biblical or ‘the Biblical project God commanded’ and wield our baton.

I will come to a conclusion.

A religious person is not a politician, nor elocutionist nor a great god. Only, he or she hopes to recognize the problems that happen on the earth and hopes to go and improve the world. In the light of actualism, a religious person may be a ‘dreamer’ who suggests some future’s dream or something better than today.

This week includes the Memorial Day.

War is often wanted and created by tiny % of people or very few politicians who desire to control the political circles.

However, most of victims in such war were people who had nothing to do with the war. Regardless of all ages and countries, those who schemed and advanced struggle somehow to evade without being unhurt. Instead, they usually make their own people their war victims, their own people whom they used to look upon as not his same class but his inferior in peace time and so whom they used to tread upon, disregard and twist around their finger.

In place of those(!) who used to profess themselves great people or patriots in time of peace, it was yet the national citizens irrelevant to war that fall victims to fight and die away in time of war. On each of the occasion, it was the sons of those threadbare, poverty-stricken and trodden on the land that were the silent true protagonists and heroes.

Our country too has been stained with distressful memories since ancient.

Resisters against Mongolia, patriotic soldiers against Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, nameless fighters for national independence after the 1910 Japanese annexation of Korea and numerous deaths of the young during the Korean War on June 25...most of them were sons of nameless citizens.

‘Bribery crime in military conscription’ that appears in the media takes place through powerful politicians, rich businessmen, famous lawyers, hospital directors and the like. For their blood-related(?) sons, they draw their sons out of military service. But then, as many as the number are to be replaced by the sons of the socially lesser.

Yet, an irony is, those who used to be initiative in loving their nation, discussing about the future of their country and crying for morals and discipline of their society are the persons concerned in ‘bribery crime in military conscription.’

Still the same the Jews educate their next generation, ‘Let’s not forget the old.’ It is said that they exhibit in their museum the realities of the merciless massacre of the Jews in the Second World War and teach their descendants ‘Don’t retaliate, but don’t forget.’

It is owing to such painful education that today they have produced considerably more portion of Nobel Prize winners, politicians, educators and financial specialists in consideration for their number of population.

So is our country.

Before crying for thoughtless globalization, thoughtless unification, we should help our next generation to be enlightened on ‘how we have endured, how we have lived’ and inspired with their sense of belonging as a ‘Korean’ on the land. On the other hand, we the existing generation should help our next to adapt themselves with pride as a ‘citizen on the kingdom of God.’ These are what the existing Christians ought to do.

Let us remember, “Our future is determined by our descendants.”

- Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. -
Luke 2:14

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