Yesterday on the last day of annual meeting of Evangelical Theological Society (ETS), Daniel I. Block was surprised with a Festschrift (a book honoring a respected scholar) entitled For Our Good Always: Studies on the Message and Influence of Deuteronomy in Honor of Daniel I. Block. The volume is a collection of 25 new essays from evangelical scholars on the message, influence, and lasting significance of Deuteronomy on and within Christian Scripture.
Here's a little blurb from a handout that was distributed.
The volume is offered in honor of Daniel I. Block on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Few Old Testament scholars have worked so ably, carefully, and intentionally to help the church and the academy grasp the message of Deuteronomy. Block's own studies always exhibit an admirable balance of exegetical rigor, literary and theological awareness, and pastoral care, and for well over a decade he has, like the priest-scribe Ezra, devoted himself to the study, practice, and teaching of the deuteronomic torah (Ezra 7:10), helping and urging others to hear the life-giving gospel of Moses in Deuteronomy. It is the hope of all contributors that these studies will in various ways supplement Daniel Block's work, serving the church and the academy and honoring the God of Israel.
It was a sweet time and I'm glad I was able to be present. After presented with the volume, Block offered many heartfelt words of thanks and gratitude to God and friends and words of aged wisdom. Two in particular impressed me. First, Block said, "All we've written is in soft lead pencil." Our interpretations of divine scripture are exactly that; they're interpretations. They're fallible and temporary. They're subject to discredit and revision. This is a crucial fact to keep in mind not only for scholars of the bible but also for all who read the bible. I took it as a exhortation to humility and an admonition against dogmatism, which I hope to heed. Second, Block said, "The scripture has taken me to places I didn't want to go." There was more to what he said but unfortunately I was too slow to transcribe it. Anyhow, the point he was driving at was simply this: Be willing to follow scripture where it leads even if it leads you away from what you may have thought or been taught. The scripture is to reign supreme over interpretation.
BD
Here's a little blurb from a handout that was distributed.
The volume is offered in honor of Daniel I. Block on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Few Old Testament scholars have worked so ably, carefully, and intentionally to help the church and the academy grasp the message of Deuteronomy. Block's own studies always exhibit an admirable balance of exegetical rigor, literary and theological awareness, and pastoral care, and for well over a decade he has, like the priest-scribe Ezra, devoted himself to the study, practice, and teaching of the deuteronomic torah (Ezra 7:10), helping and urging others to hear the life-giving gospel of Moses in Deuteronomy. It is the hope of all contributors that these studies will in various ways supplement Daniel Block's work, serving the church and the academy and honoring the God of Israel.
It was a sweet time and I'm glad I was able to be present. After presented with the volume, Block offered many heartfelt words of thanks and gratitude to God and friends and words of aged wisdom. Two in particular impressed me. First, Block said, "All we've written is in soft lead pencil." Our interpretations of divine scripture are exactly that; they're interpretations. They're fallible and temporary. They're subject to discredit and revision. This is a crucial fact to keep in mind not only for scholars of the bible but also for all who read the bible. I took it as a exhortation to humility and an admonition against dogmatism, which I hope to heed. Second, Block said, "The scripture has taken me to places I didn't want to go." There was more to what he said but unfortunately I was too slow to transcribe it. Anyhow, the point he was driving at was simply this: Be willing to follow scripture where it leads even if it leads you away from what you may have thought or been taught. The scripture is to reign supreme over interpretation.
BD