“His engraved precepts shall be on my tongue as long as I live,
as the fruit of praise and portion of my lips.
I will sing with knowledge;
all my music shall be for the glory of God.
The strings of my lyre sound for his holy order;
my lips play flute after his guiding line.”
—Community Rule, 1QS 10:8-18 (p. 8, bold mine)

When we consider the inter-testamental period, we might assume that God was silent and that Israel—God’s chosen people—were spiritually adrift. My Lips Play Flute for the Highest was written to dispel such notions. Author Torleif Elgvin asserts, “Jewish literature blossomed in this period,” and demonstrates repeatedly that there were Israelites who prayed for their nation, for Jerusalem, for redemption from their sins, and who faithfully awaited God’s intervention. Elgvin focuses on the liturgy and psalms discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, offering often moving and sometimes revelatory insights. One may conclude, as I have, that Jesus’s arrival was not only “in the fullness of time” (Gal 4:4) but also an answer to the fervent prayers of a faithful remnant.

“Save me from the power of evil spirits, those who rule over the thoughts of men, so that they do not lead me away from you, my God! Strengthen me and my descendants through all times, so that we never go astray!”
—Jubilees 12:19-20

While Dr. Elgvin professes to be a Christian, this is an academic work designed to appeal to both the traditional Jewish community and Christians. He contrasts both perspectives, presenting them objectively and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.

Spanning 225 pages, the prayers are followed by brief commentary and organized into sections:

• Hymns of Praise
• Prayers for Israel
• Prayers for Zion
• Psalms of Confidence
• Longing for God
• Revelation and Illumination to the Humble
• The Lord’s Anointed
• The End of Days and the World to Come

Images and maps enhance the overall presentation.

My Lips Play Flute for the Highest serves as an excellent reference book. Though millennia old, these prayers remain fresh and biblically consistent, making them suitable for congregational prayers or liturgical readings today.

Reviewed by Kevin Williams

Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666770018/my-lips-play-flute-for-the-highest/

Cletus Hull presents papers at EGLBS 2016 and the Stone-Campbell Journal Conference.

Recently, I presented papers at two different conferences.

On March 10, 11, 2016, I attended the EGLBS 2016 (Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society) at Mohican State Park & Conference Center in Loudonville, Ohio. My paper “The Purpose of Suffering and Glory in the Pauline Eschatology of Christ’s Parousia in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10” entered under the category of Pauline Eschatology. About my paper:

The purpose of this exegetical study of 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 juxtaposes the biblical concepts of suffering and glory within the eschatological theology of Paul’s Thessalonian correspondence. Recognizing the historical and biblical background of the text creates a foundation for exposing the Pauline eschatology of suffering and glory. The outcome of the paper reveals the kingdom understanding that suffering must precede God’s glory in the life of his people.

Mohican State Park, Ohio, with 900 acre lake in view.

A pleasant surprise at this conference was meeting a colleague in the ministry I had not seen in many years. He had attended my ordination into the Christian ministry 27 years ago.

On April 1, 2, 2016, I attended the Stone-Campbell Journal Conference, held at Johnson University in Knoxville Tennessee. I presented two papers. The first paper was, “The Eschatology of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran.” About my paper:

The proposal for this paper reveals the evident eschatology within the Dead Sea Scroll (DSS) documents, specifically the apocalyptic genre. The Qumran community of the Second Temple Period (2TP) existed as an eschatological commune, asserting the key themes of judgment and salvation in their eschatology. Specific attention in the research uncovers the meaning of numbers, the notion of messiah, the Teacher of Righteousness, and later apocalypses’ awareness of this eschatological motif. The overall narrative of the DSS eschatology strengthens the meaning of Qumran’s metahistory. For this reason, the 2TP opens the path for the reception of the forthcoming eschatology of Jesus the Nazarene.