Cultural models are mental pictures of parts of life or behavior. These pictures help us imagine and talk about these topics. For example, Americans often think of many things, even marriage and friendship, as if they were machines. Americans might say "His marriage is breaking down" or "Their friendship is going full speed ahead." In this example, human relationships are modeled as a MACHINE.
Some cultural models, or mental pictures, found in the Bible are listed below. First there are models for God, then models for humans, things, and experiences. Each heading has the model written in capital letters. That word or phrase does not necessarily appear in every verse, but the idea does.
Although the Bible explicitly denies that God is a human being, he is often spoken of as doing things that humans do. But God is not human, so when the Bible says that God speaks, we should not think that he has vocal chords that vibrate. And when it says something about him doing something with his hand, we should not think that he has a physical hand.
><u>The hand of God</u> also came on Judah, to give them one heart, to carry out the command of the king and leaders by the word of Yahweh. (2 Chronicles 30:12 ULB)
>I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me. The Father knows me, and I know the Father, and <u>I lay down my life for the sheep</u>. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:14-15 ULB)
#### A leader is modeled as a SHEPHERD and those he leads are modeled as SHEEP
>Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "Look...when Saul was king over us, it was you who led the Israelite army. Yahweh said to you, 'You will <u>shepherd</u> my people Israel, and you will become ruler over Israel.' " (2 Samuel 5:1-2 ULB)
>Therefore be careful about yourselves, and about all the <u>flock</u> of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be careful to <u>shepherd</u> the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will come in among you and will not spare the <u>flock</u>. I know that from even among you some men shall come and distort the truth, in order to draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:28-30 ULB)
Variations of this model and the model of the EVIL EYE are found in many parts of the world. In most of the cultures represented in the Bible, these models included the following elements:
>He said, "It is that which comes out of the person that defiles him. For from within a person, out of the heart, proceed evil thoughts..., <u>envy</u>.... (Mark 7:20-22 ULB)
>The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore, if your <u>eye is good</u>, the whole body is filled with light. But if your <u>eye is bad</u>, your whole body is full of darkness. Therefore, if the light that is in you is actually darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. <u>You cannot serve God and wealth</u>. (Matthew 6:22-24 ULB)
A person with a good eye can put a blessing on someone by looking at him.
>This person would not die by the hand of the one who wanted to avenge <u>the blood that was shed</u>, until the accused person would first stand before the assembly. (Joshua 20:9 ULB)
If blood cries out, nature itself is crying out for vengeance on a person who killed someone. (This also includes personification, because the blood is pictured as someone that can cry out. See: [Personification](figs-personification))
>It came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, the people of Israel turned again and <u>prostituted themselves</u> by worshiping the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god. (Judges 8:33 ULB)
#### The sun is modeled as BEING IN A CONTAINER AT NIGHT
>Yet their words go out over all the earth and their speech to the end of the world. He has pitched <u>a tent for the sun</u> among them. The sun is like a bridegroom coming out of <u>his chamber</u> and like a strong man who rejoices when he runs his race. (Psalm 19:4-5 ULB)
This is especially true of things that move in the air or the sky.
The sun is modeled as a disc with wings, which allow it to "fly" through the air from east to west during the daytime. In Psalm 139, "the wings of the morning" refers to the sun. In Malachi 4 God called himself the "sun of righteousness" and he spoke of the sun as having wings.
>If I fly away on <u>the wings of the morning</u> and go to live in the uttermost parts across the sea... (Psalm 139:9 ULB)
>This happened while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, those whom Yahweh had killed among them, for <u>he also inflicted punishment on their gods</u>. (Numbers 33:4 ULB)
>What nation is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom you, God, went and rescued for yourself?...You drove out nations <u>and their gods</u> from before your people, whom you rescued from Egypt. (2 Samuel 7:23 ULB)
>The servants of the king of Aram said to him, "<u>Their god is a god of the hills. That is why they were stronger than we were</u>. But now let us fight against them in the plain, and surely there we will be stronger than they." (1 Kings 20:23 ULB)
#### Constraints in life are modeled as PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES
The verses below are not about real physical boundaries but about difficulties or the lack of difficulties in life.
When Job was distressed because of all the sad things that happened to him, he spoke as if he were in a wilderness. Jackals and ostriches are animals that live in the wilderness.
Leprosy is a disease. If a person had it, he was said to be unclean.
>Behold, a leper came to him and bowed before him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, <u>you can make me clean</u>." Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing. Be clean." Immediately he was <u>cleansed of his leprosy.</u> (Matthew 8:2-3 ULB)
>When an <u>unclean spirit</u> has gone away from a man, it passes through waterless places and looks for rest, but does not find it. (Matthew 12:43 ULB)
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