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→Old Testament: Urim and Thummim
<span class="plainlinks">Many verses throughout the Bible assume a degree of technology and technique: that is, the existence of tools and the processes for their manufacture and use. Common examples include [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=iron iron], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=bronze bronze], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=gold gold], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=silver silver], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=refine refine], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=metal metal], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=tool tool], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=instrument instrument], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=wheel wheel], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=cook cook], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=wine wine], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=craft craft], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=build build], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=cloth cloth], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=city city], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=shield shield], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=helmet helmet], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=armor armor], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=arrow arrow], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=sword sword], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=weapon weapon] [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=spear spear], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=chariot chariot], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=boat boat], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=ship ship], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=door door], [http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=chains chains]. Each of these imply that people created technologies to augment their abilities, to control the environment, to improve their lives, to communicate, etc.</span>
==Old Testament==
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Verse
| Noah grows grapes and brews wine.
|
|-
| [[Genesis 11:1]]; [[Genesis 11:9]]
| human languages
| ''does this really count as a technology?''
|-
| [[Genesis 11:1]] - [[Genesis 11:9]]
* The altar is made from the earth – natural materials, not manufactured.
* Should be unadorned: no symbols or images that might detract from the worship of God alone, and perhaps lead to superstition
* Jesus is a cut stone, formed not by human hands ([[Daniel 2:34]], [[Daniel 2:44]] - [[Daniel 2:45]]). On the other hand there was nothing amazingly attractive about him ([[Isaiah 53:2]]) and he was rejected by the builders ([[Psalm 118:20]], [[Luke 20:17]]).
See also [[Deuteronomy 27:5]].
|-
| Although the "skilled workmen" are to do the work, their wisdom comes from God.
| The work is to be done by skilled craftsmen. This implies dedication, training and care.
|-
| [[Exodus 28:30]]
| Aaron wears the Urim and the Thummim in his breastpiece
| The Urim and Thummim are an early example of decision-making via technology (the first Decision Support System?). An example of their use is in [[1 Samuel 14:41]] -- apparently a lot-casting mechanism. Also mentioned in 6 other places in the Old Testament.
|-
| [[Exodus 31:1]] - [[Exodus 31:11]]
| Note the sandwich here: God's design of the Tabernacle, the people's failure, restitution, and then God's will is realised and the Tabernacle built.
|-
| [[Exodus 35:10]] - [[Exodus 35:29]]
|
| Not just a trained few, but ''all who were willing'' are invited to help in the construction. Each brings their own resources and skills.
|-
| [[Exodus 35:30]] - [[Exodus 35:35]]
| Re-affirmation of the chief craftsmen.
| Similar to [[Exodus 31:1]] - [[Exodus 31:11]], but extends their mandate to teaching others.
|-
| [[Exodus 39:22]]
| [[Numbers 10:1]] - [[Numbers 10:10]]
| Two trumpets made out of hammered silver – used to call the people together.
| Communication technology: one trumpet for the leaders to gather, two for everyone. Paul makes reference to this in [[1 Corinthians 14:8]] and [[1 Thessalonians 4:16]].
|-
| [[Numbers 21:4]] - [[Numbers 21:9]]
| Cities of Refuge for people who kill someone unintentionally. The example is an axe-head accidentally flying off and hitting someone.
| What happens when technology has negative, unintended side-effects? The user of the technology is not to blame, as long as there is no malice aforethought.
|-
| [[Deuteronomy 19:14]]
| ''Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark''
| also [[Proverbs 22:28]], [[Proverbs 23:10]], [[Deuteronomy 27:17]]. If this refers to artificial landmarks created by surveying and placing a boundary stone, it implies several technologies.
|-
| [[Deuteronomy 22:8]]
| Israel's first OH&S policy!
We have a responsibility to pre-empt technological dangers.
Compare [[Deuteronomy 19:5]] and [[Deuteronomy 22:8]] and [[Leviticus 19:16]] with modern legal interpretations of duty of care and negligence.
|-
| [[Deuteronomy 24:6]]
| "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle and they come to an end without hope."
| Woven cloth was first evident in 7000 BC ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_historic_inventions#7th_millennium_BCE]).
|-
| [[Job 19:24]]
| "Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever"
|
|-
| [[Job 28]]
[[Acts 4:11]]
| "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone."
| Quoted in [[1 Peter 2:7]]
|-
| [[Psalm 119:105]]
| "Honor the Lord ... then your barns will be filled ... and your vats will brim over ..."
| Maybe it's not too much of a stretch to infer that if we honor God, then our technology will succeed.
|-
| [[Proverbs 8:12]]
| "I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions."
|
|-
| [[Proverbs 17:3]]
| "Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him."
|
|-
| [[Ecclesiastes 2:4]] - [[Ecclesiastes 2:6]]
| "If the axe is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success."
| This probably generalises to most tools. If your equipment is sub-standard then it takes a lot more effort to get results. Nevertheless, a good tradesman never blames his tools. If you have the skill, you can still succeed -- maybe by sharpening the axe!
|-
| [[Isaiah 2:4]]
| [[Jeremiah 2:13]]
| Israel has forsaken God, the spring of living water, in favour of their own broken cistern.
| In this modern world, we often think that our technological creations are making a perfect life for us. But in reality, we accept something far inferior to the abundant life that God intended ([[John 10:10]]).
|-
| [[Jeremiah 6:27]] - [[Jeremiah 6:30]]
| God uses Israel (or is it Jeremiah?) to 'test the metal' of other nationshis people
|
|-
| [[Daniel 5]]
| King Belshazzar is drinking wine and praising "the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone" when suddenly a disembodied hand writes a message on the wall.
| Belshazzar is criticized criticised for placing himself (and his faith in gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone) above God. As in Chapter 2, the power of this comparison in underpinned by an implication that what God can do is superior to anything achievable by human fabrication.
The human-made ship takes Jonah away, but the God-made fish brings him back. I wonder how many people have been drawn away from God by technology -- perhaps a belief that technology makes God an unnecessary assumption, or perhaps just being side-tracked by an attraction to technology (addition to Internet gaming?) -- and I wonder how many are brought towards God by the majesty of God's creation?
|-
| [[Malachi 3:2]] - [[Malachi 3:3]]| God is a refiner's fire
|
==New Testament==
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Verse
| If you put your hand to the plough, don't look back.
See also [[Luke 14:28]] - [[Luke 14:30]] about the need to plan before building a tower.
| DonWhat's wrong with looking back? It makes it impossible to plough a straight furrow. So don't start working for God if you aren't committed re going to be distracted with other concerns rather than concentrating on the long haulgoal.
|-
| [[Luke 12:16]] - [[Luke 12:21]]
|
|-
| [[2 Corinthians 4:7]]
| "we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all‑surpassing power is from God and not from us"
| This strange technology -- the clay jars that are our bodies -- are very fragile and yet they contain the glory of God.
|-
| [[2 Corinthians 5:1]]
| Our body is merely a tent, but will be replaced by an eternal house in heaven.
|
|-
| [[2 Corinthians 9:9]]
| God supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
| It is easy to see that God provides seed -- that's just part of what he created. But here it says he also supplies bread. Even though humans manufacture the bread (using a lot of technology by the way) even the results of our creative act ultimately come from God.
|-
| [[2 Corinthians 10:2]]
| The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world
|
|-
| [[Ephesians 2:10]]
| "we are God's workmanship"
| God crafts us with the tools of love, grace, relationships with others, suffering and the Spirit of Christ Jesus within us. We have been manufactured for a purpose.
|-
| [[Ephesians 2:20]]
| Christ Jesus himself is the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
| Who is the builder? See [[Hebrews 3:4]].
Compare with [[1 Peter 2:4]] -- we, like Christ, are living stones, and we are being built into a spiritual house.
|-
| [[Ephesians 6:13]] - [[Ephesians 6:17]]
| Put on the full armour of God
|
|-
| [[Colossians 4:14]]
| Luke the beloved physician
|
|-
| [[2 Timothy 2:20]] - [[2 Timothy 2:21]]
| All sorts of artefacts may be used for good or evil. Even people can become "an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work".
|
|-
| [[2 Timothy 4:14]]
| "Alexander the metalworker..."
|
|-
| [[Philemon 1:13]]
| "in chains for the gospel"
| Compare with [[Ephesians 6:20]] where Paul describes himself as "an ambassador in chains". But no chains can constrain God's work.
|-
| [[Hebrews 3:4]]
| "God is the builder of everything"
|
|-
| [[Hebrews 4:12]]
| "The word of God is ... sharper than any double-edged sword"
|
|-
| [[Hebrews 11:9]] - [[Hebrews 11:10]]
| Abraham was content to live in tents even though he looked forward to living in a city whose architect was God.
|
|-
| [[Hebrews 13:16]]| "But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."| Maybe it's not to much of a stretch to apply this to communication technology. (King James is the only one to mention "communication" in this verse, so I don't think this inference works. The Greek implies sharing rather than communicating. -- Matt)|-| [[James 3:3]]| Putting bits in horses' mouths| |-| [[James 3:4]]| Steering a ship by a rudder| |-| [[James 4:3]]| Moths eat clothes, and gold and silver corrode.| The stuff we create with technology and all our material wealth is ephemeral.|-| [[1 Peter 1:7]]| Faith is of greater worth than gold| |-| [[Revelation 1:12]]| Seven golden lampstands represent the 7 churches| |-| [[Revelation 3:18]]| God recommends that the Laodiceans buy salve to put on their eyes| |-| [[Revelation 5:7]] - [[Revelation 5:8]]| Throne, scrolls, harps, bowls of incense| Evidence of technology in heaven?|-| [[Revelation 6:1]] - [[Revelation 6:5]]| Horse riders carry a bow, a sword and a pair of scales| |-| [[Revelation 8]]| Seven angels each sound a trumpet| |-| [[Revelation 9:2 Timothy 2]]| "like the smoke from a gigantic furnace"| |-| [[Revelation 11:1]]| A measuring rod| |-| [[Revelation 14:2014]] - [[2 Timothy 2Revelation 14:2119]]| All sorts One "like the son of artefacts may be used for good or evil. Even people can become man"and an instrument for noble purposesangel wield a sharp sickle| |-| [[Revelation 18:11]] - [[Revelation 18:13]]| Merchants try unsuccessfully to sell precious metals, silk, linen, etc| |-| [[Revelation 18:21]] - [[Revelation 18:23]]| When Babylon is thrown down, there will be no more sound from musical instruments in her, made holynor tradesmen, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work"mills or lighted lamps.
|
|-
| [[Revelation 21]] (see also [[Revelation 3:12]])
| The Holy City -- the city of God, the new Jerusalem -- comes down out of heaven. It is huge and shines with God's glory. High walls. Twelve gates. Streets of gold like transparent glass.
| Cities are not necessarily an evil created by humans: the history of creation will end with a city of God's creation.
|}
