ART & ENTERTAINMENT 06 - PLAY, GAMES & SPORT
Wonder at the human body and its ability
Basic values undergirding play, games and sports
Positive View of the physical world and the human body
- God creates heaven and earth, all things visible and all things invisible, all things physical and spiritual, the humna soul and spirit – and the human body.
- God made the physical world. God wanted it, designed it, made it, rejoiced over it: and declared that it was “very good”!
- God made humans with a body and a spirit, we are children of two worlds, both the physical and the spiritual world. In humans the visible and the invisible is equally present. We don’t know very well how the two interact, but we know they do – this is our daily experience.
- God wanted humans to have a body, God made our body, God gives life to our body. And he never apologized for it. He never took it back. He never negated its importance.
- Isn’t the body the root of all sin? Actually: no. Satan first sinned, and he doesn’t even have a body. He is a spirit. The spirit first sinned. The spiritual world was first sin-affected. That is why we hear of the reality of evil spirits in the Bible.
- The root of sin is not in the body, but the heart: pride, selfishness, self-focus, godlessness. From those wrong basic attitutes sin works itself out into action.
- So yes, we can use our bodies for sin, and our bodies can add to the temptation of certain sins (like sexual desire), but the body does, what the heart has chosen.
- But we can also use our bodies for righteousness “For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification” (Rom 6:19).
- So: use your body well! Remember who gave it to you! Remember how amazing it is! It is far too good to ruin! So enjoy it, as God enjoys it.
God’s command to rest and recouperate
- Though work, even hard work, faithfulness, service are very important to God, he has with equal importance told us that we need to rest, recuperate and enjoy life.
- There is a time for everything under heaven (Ecc 3:1): A time to work and also a time for sleep, rest, relaxation, fun, games, sports, time for family and time with God, sleep.
- God is generous. If he just wanted workers or slaves, there would be no command to rest. But he wants friends! He wants people to participate in his generous nature and in the goodwill of his character.
- God knows – and in Jesus has shared – our weakness, he knows our need for sleep, rest, food and exercise.
- When Elijah was falling into a depression after his big victory on Carmel, God makes him eat and sleep. After this God meets with Elijah and restores his calling (1 Kin 19).
- The way God made our bodies implies a constant and very essential need for many things: If we don’t sleep for hours, we turn into zombies. If we don’t eat and drink we very quickly lose strength, functionality and even life. Our need for oxygen is even more urgent.
- All this is not bad. It is part and parcel of having a body in a real world. It is the humility of the creature.
- But the long-term maintenance of a body requires not only oxygen, water, calories, essential nutrients and sleep, it also requires the constant use (and appropriate use) of our bodies: movement and exercise.
- There is joy in rest, but there is at least as much joy in movement. Children should teach you this, if nothing else will. In a very real way the muscles of our body become weaker if we don’t use them (atrophy) and they become stronger if we do use them. This is equally true for mental faculties. There is great joy in health, in physical ability, in tactile skill, in mastery.
- So there is a time to work. There is a time to rest – and there is a time to play!
The nature of playing games
What exactly is a game?
- It is a challenge, a stated goal, and also an agreement to follow a set of rules. If I grab the ball with my hands and then sit on it or dump it into the next pond, this is not a fun game.
- We need to know what the goal of the game is. The goal is the goal!! Run that way! Preferably with the ball! And only with your feet! And not killing anybody on the way! And don’t score an own goal. So much for rules.
- If there are no rules, if there are no restrictions, there is no game.
Want to keep playing?
- Since you are playing games now, it stands to reason that you enjoy games and want to keep playing games in the future, also.
- If you want to play games in the future also, you must play now in such a way, that people still want to play with you at a later date.
- If you play in such a way that you win now, but nobody wants to play with you anymore, then you may have won this one game, but in relality you have lost.
- So play the current game with future games in mind. Be the one everybody wants o their team and in their game!
Feasts or games gone wrong
Exo 32:5, 1 Cor 10:7 Israel at Sinai. During Moses absence the people request Aaron to make a golden calf. Sacrifices are made to it. Then is says “and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to revel (play).”
- This feast is a disaster from start to end: it starts with idolatry and ends with bloodshed. Still today idolatrous celebrations are known for their spiritual darkness, excesses, sexual immorality and even occasionally bloodshed (Lord Jagannath festivals, Sagor puja).
- Moses descends, breaks the tablets with the 10 commandments in anger (a sign of the broken covenant) and instructs the Levites gathering to him to kill the ringleaders, even if they are own relatives (Exo 32:25-29).
2 Sam 2:14-15 “Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and play (have a contest) before us.” Joab said, “Let them comeI forward.” So they came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.”
- This supposed friendly game turns into a massacre and into a full-blown war between Israel (Saul’s 10 tribes) and Judah (David), with much bloodshed.
- Since this encounter started peacefully, with communication and basic agreement, it could be that this is a good-natured game gone wrong.
- It could also be said that the whole thing was a set-up, a way to inflame things and to intentionally cause a war, with both sides aware of the inherent danger and ready for it (2 Sam 2:16).
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A picture of a society as God wants it to be
Isa 11:8-9 Messianic rule: “The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt of destroy on all my holy mountian’ for the earth will be full of the knowledge o the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
Zec 8:3-5 “Thus says the LORD: I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts shall be called the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets.”
- The society God wants, the quality of life in the Kindom of God, the result of Jesus fully reigning in our hearts by the Holy Spirit will be humans in community with God and each other, health, safety, freedom and peace.
- Boys and girls playing being able to play safely in the street is a powerful picture, but also a practical reality: it means the streets are safe, safe in regards to health, absence of danger and abuse. Playing is what children are supposed to do, freely and easily.
- Or said differently: dirty streets, unsafe streets, dangerous traffic, potential abuse by anyone in the society (cheating, taking advantage of, stealing from, calling names, ridiculing, discouraging, threatening, deceiving, verbal, physical and sexual abuse, waylaying, kidnapping) … all of this is absent in order for parents to let their boys and girls play without worry in the streets.
- Notice also the mention of girls: no staring, no eve-teasing, no stalking, no inappropriate language, no ridicule, no threatenting, no inappropriate proposals, no inappropriate touch – girls are even more vulnerable than boys, so their safety and freedom is truly the measure of a good society.
Bible Study on the word “play”
English word “play” 17x in OT
Different uses:
- play an instrument H5059 (15x in OT) 1 Sam 16:16,17, Psa 33:3, Eze 33:32
- play a role
- H2181 (harlot), Deu 22:21, Hos 3:3, 4:15
- H7696 (mad man), 1 Sam 21:15 about David before Abimelech
- H2388 (strong man) 2 Sam 10:12
- play as amusement
- H7832 (humans, animals Job 40:20, 41:5, Psa 104
- H8173 (child Isa 11:8)
- H6711 (idolators, 1 Cor 10:7, = G 3815)
H5059 נָגַן nâgan 15x in OT playing an instrument
Meaning: to thrum, to beat a tune with the fingers; to play on a stringed instrument; to make music, to play an instrument, to sing to the stringed instruments, melody, minstrel.
1 Sam 16:16 player of a harp (David),
1 Sam 16:17 David can play well
1 Sam 16:18 David playing well and also valiant man.
1 Sam 16:23, 18:10, 19:9 David playing for Saul.
2 Kin 3:15 Elisha asking for a minstrel to get the word of the LORD.
Psa 33:3 sing unto him a new song, play skilfully with a loud noise.
Psa 68:25 Description of worship at the temple: singers first, musicians last, in the middle girls playing tambourines.
Isa 23:16 Challenge to old harlot Tyre to sing songs so she is remembered.
Isa 38:20 Hezekiah’s thank you song after his illness: sing songs on stringed instruments in the temple
Eze 33:32 God to Ezekiel: he is like a musician who plays well and has a beautiful voice.
H6711 צָחַק tsâchaq 13x in OT laugh, laughter, make fun
Meaning: to laugh outright (in merriment or scorn); by implication to sport: – laugh, mock, play, make sport.
Gen 17:17 Abraham laughing at announcement of Isaac’s birth.
Gen 18:12,13,15, 21:6 Sarah laughing at announcement of Isaac’s birth, denying it, upon birth rejoicing
Gen 19:14 Lot trying to convince his sons-in-law to flee Sodom,they think it a joke
Gen 21:9 Ishmael playing / mocking Isaac > Sarah is upset, casts out Ishmael
Gen 26:8 King Abimelech of Gerar sees Isaac fondling Rebekah
Gen 39:14,17 Potiphar’s wife accuses Joseph of mocking her / making sport of her
Exo 32:6 Israel at Sinai makes the calf, eat, drink and rise up to play / revel.
Jdg16:25 Philistines making sport of Samson, to their detriment.
H7832 שָׂחַק śâchaq 36x in OT
Meaning: to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication to play: – deride, have in derision, laugh, make merry, mock (-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in (make) sport.
Jdg 16:25,27 Philistines making sport of Samson, to their detriment
1 Sam 18:7 Women played, said: Saul has slain thousands, David ten thousands
2 Sam 2:14 Abner (Israel) suggests to Joab (Judah) to have the young men play before them > turns into a civil war.
2 Sam 6:5 David and Israel play before the LORD on all manner of instruments.
2 Sam 6:21, 1 Chr 13:8, 15:29 David to Michal: I will play before the LORD anyway.
2 Chr 30:10 King Josiah sends invitation for Passover to conquered areas of Ephraim, Manasseh, Zebulun but people laugh messengers to scorn.
Job 5:22 Eliphaz to Job: the righteous shall laugh at destruction, famine, beasts
Job 29:24 Job’s former respect: his smile encouraging young (?) people
Job 30:1 Now the opposite: Those younger than Job have him in derision.
Job 39:7 Wild ass scorns the multitudes of the city.
Job 39:18 Ostrich scorns hose and rider
Job 39:22 Horse laughs at fear, and is not dismayed.
Job 40:20 Behemoth: mountains yield food for it where all the animals play.
Job 41:5 Will you play with Leviathan as with a bird? Will you bind him?
Job 41:29 Leviathan laughs at the rattle of the javelins
Psa 2:4 God in the heavens laughs and holds in derision kings plotting against him
Psa 37:13 The Lord laughs at the wicked, seeing their day coming.
Psa 52:6 The righteous will see, and fear, and will laugh at the evildoers.
Psa 59:8 But you laugh at them, O LORD, you hold all the nations in derision.
Psa 104:26 There go the ships, Leviathan that you formed to sport in it (the sea).
Prv 1:26 Wisdom will laugh at the calamity of those who didn’t listen to her.
Prv 8:30-31 Wisdom with God at creation, rejoicing at inhabited world, humans
Prv 26:19 So is one who deceives a neighbor and says, “I am only joking!”
Prv 29:9 If the wise go to law with fools, there is ranting and ridicule.
Prv 31:25 Praiseworthy woman: She laughs at the time to come.
Ecc 3:4 a time to weep and a time to laugh.
Jer 15:17 Jeremiah: I did not sit among the mockers, nor did I rejoice.
Jer 30:19 Israel’s cities will be rebuilt, out of them > the sound of merrymakers.
Jer 31:4 Virgin Israel will go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
Lam 1:7 Downfall of Jerusalem: the foe looked on mocking.
Hab 1:10 Babylonian army: at kings they scoff, they laugh at every fortress.
Zec 8:5 Restoration of Zion: the city full of boys and girls playing in the streets.
H8173 שָׁעַע shâ‛a‛ 9x in OT
Meaning: to look upon (with complacency), to fondle, please or amuse (self); (in a bad one) to look about (in dismay), that is, stare. dandle, delight (self), play, shut.
Psa 94:19 When many cares of the heart > your consolations cheer my soul.
Psa 119:16 I will delight in your statues, I will not forget your word
Psa 119:47 I find my delight in your commandments, because I love them.
Psa 119:70 The arrogants’ hearts are fat and gross, but I delight in your law.
Isa 6:10 Make the heart of this people dull, shut their eyes so they will not turn
Isa 11:8 Messianic rule: the nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
Isa 29:9 Stupefy yourselves and be in stupor, cry out … they are drunken.
Isa 66:12 God will restore Jerusalem: You will be nursed, dandled on her knee.