Book Review: The War for Middle Earth, by Joseph Loconte

This book puts the pieces together. Having read the Chronicles of Narnia as a youth, and the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings later, being aware vaguely of the authors of those works history in the early and mid 20th century, I was enthralled to find them woven together with details of the wars. Decades ago I read Winston Churchill’s history of World War II (The Gathering Storm et.seq.), while I was on active duty. Now it is all connected. 

In reading the entire Chronicles of Narnia, the Biblical themes were obvious to me, and to my grandchildren when I read the seven books to them. But the underlying purpose, the theme of this book, was the intention of Lewis and Tolkien to introduce and advocate for the classical traditional values in a way that children would engage and relate to. This grew out of several sources. Both Lewis and Tolkien were World War I veterans, having fought on the ground, seen the carnage, grieved the loss of close friends, and returned home. Both taught at Oxford, the pre-eminent classical liberal arts university in England. Both were devoted Christians. Their lives at Oxford were intertwined far more than both being Inklings who met weekly for beer and debate. Both recognized the moral and spiritual emptiness of the interwar intellectual and cultural mainstream in the West. The upshot of this was their desire to write for the purpose stated above, to introduce and advocate for the classical traditional values in a way that children would engage and relate to.

The bulk of the book ties specific events of World War II to various speeches and writings. Many of Lewis’ well-known works were specific to speeches he gave then or events that occurred, including the Weight of Glory, the Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, the Great Divorce, the Four Loves, the Abolition of Man, and the Ransom Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet et.seq.). One example: the opening scene of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, with children being sent to live in the countryside with an elderly professor, was based directly on Lewis’ experience hosting children from London in his house at Oxford during the Battle of Britain. (Portrayed vividly in the movie.) But the reality of evil incarnate, the ability of evil leaders to seduce the common people to turn to it, the worldly power it can muster are all based on the Axis. The events that ensued in the war - the evacuation at Dunkirk, the Blitz, Pearl Harbor, Germany’s occupation of Western Europe, Japan’s occupation of China and Southeast Asia, the Holocaust - all provide a context for what and why Lewis and Tolkien wrote and said what they did. They were trying to influence their immediate peers, the faculty and students at Oxford, that the classics provide the antidote, the inoculation for the nihilism and moral blindness that followed the First World War.

It is important to understand that not all fantasy embodies values, truths, and ideals. Much of modern fantasy is about adventure and rejecting the status quo. But it appeals to young people. Dragons, elves, witches, and so forth were invented millennia ago. So, also, the presence of evil in the world dates back to the garden of Eden, although evil as an entrenched social and political force took a while to appear - perhaps the antediluvian world (Genesis 6:11-12) as the earliest recorded manifestation. The story of Tolkien and Lewis should encourage us to think about our own day, 80 years after World War II, as to how evil has become powerful in a new form, and what approach might be taken to creatively influence our generation to the values and ideals that made civilization good and not evil. Modern technology and media seem the obvious venue, but how can they be used to promote courage, integrity, brotherly love, and self-sacrifice? That is the challenge that Joseph Loconte implicitly gives us.

Jonah

Jonah 1:1-2 The Lord called Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, and preach. Nineveh was first mentioned as having been established by Nimrod, the son of Cush. (Genesis 10:11) It was the home of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, to which he returned after the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 of his soldiers, ending his attempt to defeat Hezekiah and conquer Judah. (2 Kings 19:26; Isaiah 37:37) Nahum later pronounced the Lord’s judgment on Nineveh. 

Jonah 1:3 Jonah ran away. We only have hints as to his internal basis for this. Perhaps he was afraid for his own safety, as it would have been very dangerous to go to the capital of the most powerful empire in the world, known for its barbaric cruelty, and publicly accuse it. Later, Jonah offers the excuse that he was afraid Nineveh would actually repent and God would spare them, which Jonah didn’t want to happen. (4:2) He wanted God to destroy it! Perhaps he thought that if he left Israel and got far away, somehow God’s call wouldn’t be as strong. In any event, you can’t run away from God. (Psalm 139:8) Tarshish is believed to have been on the west coast of the Iberian peninsula, as far away from Nineveh as it was possible to get in the then-known world.

Jonah 1:4-5 The Lord sent a great storm, not unlike the one that Paul endured on his way to Rome. In both cases they threw cargo,overboard to lighten the ship in the futile hope that would help them survive.

Jonah 1:6-8 The sailors cast lots to get divine revelation of who was responsible. Even though they were pagan, they wanted some supernatural insight. This was a common practice in the ancient world, and even the disciples cast lots to decide who should replace Judas. (Acts 1:26) That is not to say that this is how God wants to speak to people, but if that is all they will understand, He is certainly able to control the outcome. It is ironic that pagan sailors wanted to hear from God or a god, while Jonah, who had heard from God, was running away from what he had been called to.

Jonah 1:9-16 After the casting of lots fingered Jonah, he offered himself as payment for getting out of their predicament. The sailors tried to do the right thing by sparing him, then prayed to God to not be held to account for throwing Jonah overboard. And no doubt were convinced by the fact that the sea became calm as soon as they did so. 

Jonah 1:17 The Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and he was in its belly three days and three nights. This was a type of Christ, who spent three days and nights in the belly of the earth. (Matthew 12:39-41) Apart from the fact of isolation and the duration, we don’t know much about what happened. Neither Jonah nor Jesus was in the presence of God the Father (although Jesus Himself was God). Lazarus was in the tomb for more than three days.  (John 11:39) Whether it took Jonah that long on this enforced retreat to wrestle with God and decide to comply is an inference we might make from the prayer. 

Perhaps being trapped in the belly of the fish is an object lesson for us to consider what death will be like. For Jonah it was not the end of existence or of consciousness. It was a loss of freedom of movement plus, most likely, significant pain. Not just the physical pain of slowly being digested, but also the emotional pain of receiving the just due of his choices and actions. The fish represents the grave. When we are baptized by immersion it symbolizes a watery grave, death to self and flesh, to emerge in new life in the spirit. Baptism isn’t identical to being born again, but the vomiting of the fish that ejected Jonah gave him new life, effectively a second birth. (John 3:4) 

Jonah 2

Jonah 2:1-2 Jonah prayed, calling to the Lord (finally!) after three days and nights. And the Lord answered. Jonah cried for help, not running away any more. He couldn’t. Is that what it takes for us to call to God, for Him to box us in so we have no choice? The realm of the dead is the final test; imagine being alive and aware, but utterly unable to do anything. For some reason I am reminded of C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce, in which people are brought from hell to a meeting spot where saints invite them and try to convince them to want to go to heaven, but only occasionally win the argument. At least Jonah did decide to go.

Jonah 2:3-6 Jonah describes to God what He had done to get his attention. Physical peril and suffering, and banishment from God’s presence. Jonah recognized that he needed to repent, like Nineveh. He also recognized that he couldn’t run away from God’s love. 

Jonah 2:7 Jonah was at death’s door when he finally repented and prayed.

Jonah 2:8-9 Jonah recognized the folly of worshipping idols made of stone. They do not represent or symbolize God. We know from other sources that evil spiritual forces lure humans into idol worship for this very purpose; idol-worshippers do not realize they are worshipping demons, or worse recognize that they are worshipping evil and choose to. But Jonah recognized, having faced death, that he need not fear humans or evil empires or evil spirits, because God saves, and He is sovereign. How can we pray such a devoted prayer without having to endure what Jonah went through? Obey God the first time.

Jonah 2:10 God told the fish to vomit Jonah out. I have read somewhere that after three days in the stomach, Jonah’s skin was likely bleached by the acid there, and possibly some parts of his body were damaged as well. This would have given credibility to his story later.

Jonah 3

Jonah 3:1-2 God repeats His call to Jonah. (1:1-2) 

Jonah 3:3-4 This time Jonah obeyed and went and preached. Nineveh was a huge metropolis, exact meaning of the description three days journey is uncertain. It parallels the time Jonah spent in the fish. 

Jonah 3:5 Apparently the very first day Jonah started proclaiming Gods coming judgment, the people responded. They were more ready to respond to God than Jonah was the first time around. The Lord did not spit them out like He warned the Laodiceans, like the fish vomited Jonah. (Revelation 3:15-17) We might infer that although they were evil and cruel, they knew deep down that things weren’t right, and when Jonah told them the truth, they recognized it.

Jonah 3:6-9 Amazingly, the king of Nineveh (who might or might not have been the king of Assyria) responded to Jonah’s preaching. He commanded his subjects to turn from their evil ways and violence, and visibly demonstrate their repentance through sackcloth, ashes, and fasting. Perhaps these actions were intended to remind the people of their need to repent, or perhaps to show the sincerity of their repentance. We do not know what form of destruction might have been, because it didn’t happen. Perhaps he knew the story of the supernatural destruction of the Assyrian army (if that had happened previously) under Sennacherib. (2 Chronicles 32:21) Perhaps they faced a peer competitor such as did Babylon. (Daniel 5:30-31) This does leave one wondering why men who are great leaders in the sense of organizing and inspiring men to follow them would choose evil in the first place. The answer seems to be pride, the will to power. They need to be shown that God is sovereign.

Jonah 3:10 God saw their repentance and relented from judgment. Although this was recorded as regards Israel (Amos 7:3&6), this appears to be the only Bible record of a gentile superpower turning to God and being spared from judgment. Modern history has instances of revival bringing restoration. 

Jonah 4

Jonah 4:1-3 Jonah reveals his heart, which did not share God’s heart. (4:10-11) Jonah knew what God’s heart was. The problem for Jonah is that he could not reconcile love and holiness, justice and mercy. It is hard to tell in this melodrama if Jonah is genuinely suicidal or is trying to manipulate God. 

Jonah 4:4 The Lord asks Jonah a simple question. Jonah does not respond. Instead, he gets himself a good seat for Nineveh’s destruction, which he still expects.

Jonah 4:5-8 Apparently the shelter that Jonah built didn’t provide enough shade. The plant that the Lord provided has been suggested as being a castor oil plant, ricinus. The use of castor oil for healing certain medical conditions contrasts with the poisonous quality of its leaves. The toxin ricin, derived from them, is known to be deadly. The plant grows quickly.  It is ironic that God used a plant that is both medicinal and poisonous, depending on how it is used, to shade Jonah from the direct illumination of the sun. Is there a hint here that His words can similarly bring healing or condemnation, that Jonah missed the point that as a prophet of the Lord, he is supposed to bring God’s word for healing and not condemnation? 

Jonah 4:9 The Lord repeats His question, albeit about the plant instead of about His forgiveness of Nineveh. (4:4) Jonah self-righteously declares he would rather die. There is perhaps a lesson here about psychiatry, about toxic anger, such as we experience in our day. It is not God’s way. 

Jonah 4:10-11 The Lord’s response to Jonah’s pity party is simply a restatement of His nature and character. He is sovereign and causes plants to grow and die as He sees fit.  (Matthew 21:18-19) He desires that the mass of people, 120,000 in Nineveh, know right from wrong and choose to do what is right, rather than continue in moral ignorance. (Mark 6:34; Luke 9:54-55)  He closes with reference to animals, that humans are charged with ruling over.  When humans repent, this also points towards redemption of the original plan that God had for caring for animals. (Genesis 1:26-28)

Obadiah

Obadiah 1-4 Edom will be judged because of pride. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, usually listed first. It is mentioned as a defining attribute of Satan. (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:1-5,12-17) It is also mentioned occasionally as leading to a downfall, as it is in Obadiah.(Proverbs 16:18) The archaeological site of Petra testifies to living in the clefts of the rocks. Envy comes later in the list of deadly sins, but it is there.

Obadiah 5-9 Both allies and friends will turn on Edom, bringing God’s judgment, on soldiers and sages alike. 

Obadiah 10-14 Edom had a long history with Israel and Judah, beginning in Genesis.

• Esau despised his birthright and sold it to Jacob for a bowl of stew. (Genesis 25:29-34)
• Jacob stole Esau’s blessing by deceiving Isaac. (Genesis 27) 
• Esau sought revenge (Genesis 27:41; Hebrews 12:17); Jacob left Canaan for his own safety. (Genesis 27:42-45)
• Jacob and Esau reconciled, sort of. (Genesis 33)
• Edom refused to allow Israel passage (Numbers 20:14-21)
• David conquered Edom (2 Samuel 8:13-14)
• Edom rebelled against Israel’s rule (2 Kings 8:20-22)
• Edom attacked Judah (2 Chronicles 28:17)

Obadiah 15-18 In the day of the Lord, Edom will reap what it has sowed. Jacob and Joseph will be like a fire consuming like stubble all that remains of Esau’s descendants, making Edom a desert wasteland. (Malachi 1:2-3) God loved Jacob and hated Esau, showing one aspect of the complicated interaction between God’s sovereign will and human free will. (Romans 9:13)

Obadiah 19-21 The people of Judah, the Jews, will possess the land of Edom, formerly occupied by Esau’s descendants. The kingdom will be the Lord’s. 

The law of primogeniture is not a Biblical principle. Thinking that the oldest son had a birthright to inherit his father’s estate was very likely a cultural principle of the Middle East, and Esau and his descendants believed they had been cheated out of it. The Biblical norm for blessing has different principles:

• God honors those who honor and seek Him, and on that basis blesses them.
• The spiritual blessing of God’s approval transcends worldly things like money, political power, military might, etc.

This didn’t seem fair to the Edomites, and doesn’t seem fair to many in today’s world. The Jews had (and still have) Palestine, while the desert east of the Jordan River is still desert. 

Amos 7-9

 Amos 7

Amos 7:1-6 Twice YHWH shows Amos a judgment on Israel. Amos prays for mercy, and the Lord relents.

• Amos 7:1-3 A devastating plague of locusts will destroy crops at harvest time, like the eighth plague on Egypt. (Exodus 10:1-20) Except that these locusts would be after the king’s share of the crop was harvested. So it is the people who would suffer, since it was earlier revealed that the rich showed no consideration for the poor. The Lord had compassion on the descendants of Jacob.
• Amos 7:4-6 Judgment by fire would dry up deep waters and destroy the land, like Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 19:24-25) Again the Lord showed compassion for Jacob. When Abraham interceded for the righteous people of the cities, God could not find even ten such on inspection, so they were destroyed. (Genesis 18:23-32; 19:4-5, 29) Although Amos did not frame his plea for mercy based on finding righteous people in Israel, there must have still been hope for repentance.

Amos 7:7-9 The Lord showed Amos a wall built true to plumb, and a plumb line to show that. He is now going to use the plumb line (His standards of righteousness) to show that the people are not morally upright, and that the kingdom they have built will therefore collapse, under its own crookedness. This judgment is final. He later cited this in His judgment of Manasseh, using the same standard that He had earlier applied to Israel, on Judah. (2 Kings 21:13) Shortly after Amos, Isaiah used the same language to describe God’s judgment of Israel, Judah, and Edom. (Isaiah 28:17, 34:11) In this case, the places of false worship will be destroyed, and Jeroboam II’s house would be wiped out.

Amos 7:10-13 Amaziah the priest of Bethel told Jeroboam II, the king, about Amos’ prophecy. Presumably this was because Jeroboam had appointed him, and he was doing his political duty. He called it a conspiracy against Jeroboam, and said that the land could not bear this prophecy. No indication if Jeroboam responded or directed him to, but Amaziah then told Amos to shut up. Moses had warned the people to pay attention when God sent a prophet, which Amaziah will learn the hard way. (Deuteronomy 18:19-20)

Amos 7:14-17 Amos replied to Amaziah. The judgment on him and his family would be specific and personal, dishonor and death on those he loved. He personally would die far from home. (Deuteronomy 18:19-20) Moses had given emphasis to discerning whether a prophet was genuine or a false prophet. However, God simply said to ignore false prophets. Discernment is  challenging in this type of circumstance. But that is probably why Moses said to ignore them, not to tell them to be shut up. Different people have different levels of discernment.

Amos 8

Amos 8:1-2 A basket of figs or summer fruit symbolize the harvest of sin that Israel has sowed. Fruit must be reaped at harvest time.

Amos 8:3-7 A summary of what has gone wrong in Israel. The needy and poor are oppressed. Peoples’ hearts are so focused on business that they can hardly wait for the Sabbath to be over so they can work. Then they cheat their customers. The Lord who identifies Himself with Jacob remembers.

Amos 8:8-10 Remember what happened to Egypt when they oppressed the Israelites. The day will be turned into darkness, like the ninth plague. (Exodus 10:21-29) It will be a time of mourning, like the tenth plague, death of the firstborn son. (Exodus 12:29-30) The ultimate price for rescue would, of course, be paid in Jesus’ death, God’s uniquely begotten Son, about 600 years in the future. It got dark then as well. (Matthew 27:45)

Amos 8:11-14 Will people no longer hear the word of the Lord because He stops speaking, as in the 400 years between Malachi and John the Baptist, or because they stopped listening to His prophets and no longer recognized His voice? The last two verses seem to suggest the latter - they turned to false gods and no longer were able to hear or recognize the one true God when He spoke.

Amos 9

Amos 9:1-4 A continuation of the judgment pronounced at the end of chapter 8. There will be no escapees from His punishment, the sentence was passed and will be executed. Neither land, sea, or oceans can hide those God has judged.

Amos 9:5-6 In this description of YHWH, His overarching power is described in terms of things we can relate to  - rivers, palaces, oceans, continents. What we cannot grasp is His transcendence. In the spiritual realm which is His true abode are wonders we cannot comprehend.  (2 Corinthians 12:4) He tells us His name.

Amos 9:7-10 The Lord relocates tribes and destroys them according to His sovereign standards. Although He chose Israel to be His people, He will still deal with them to judge sin, even though He has scattered them in the diaspora. The nation of Israel was to be politically ended, but the people of Israel will continue to exist, the survivors of His judgment, as a recognizable group. 

Amos 9:11-15 One day, Israel will return to their land and be blessed by God again. This passage was quoted by the apostle James at the council of Jerusalem.  The context was the debate about imposing circumcision and all of the detailed rules of the Mosaic Law on gentiles who believed in Christ. (Acts 15:16-17) The messianic promise of Amos would be fulfilled in Jesus, souls would be harvested for Him, the new wine of Holy Spirit will flow, and peoples’ spiritual lives will flourish. While physical Israel was once again uprooted from Palestine in 70 AD, not to return until 1948, the church of Jesus Christ will endure forever. As James understood (although Amos probably did not), this church will consist mostly of gentiles.

It is beyond our limited understanding why God chose to have the Jews struggle with the Law without the Holy Spirit, when He knew they would fail, and thereby suffer. Probably mankind’s free will and God’s transcendent grace play into this mystery. It is sad that beginning with Adam, humans have chosen sin over obedience, and God clearly grieves over this. But it is clear that we need the indwelling Holy Spirit to live otherwise, to enjoy the incredible blessings God has prepared for His people. (Numbers 11:29)

Amos 4-6

Amos 4

Amos 4:1-3 Cows worship a golden bull. They constantly consume luxury, the richest goods. The superficial religion of offerings, tithes, and sacrifices doesn’t address the deep self-centered sin manifested in oppressing the poor, because they continue to do it. 

Amos 4:4-5 They go to religious sites and brag about their offerings. Jesus remarked on public displays of offerings in contrasting the large offerings of the wealthy to the widow’s two cents. (Luke 21:1-4) Are our offerings done for show before man, or before God to try to manipulate Him, or an attitude of meek obedience? 

 

Amos 4:6-11 Amos lists the ways God rebuked the Israelites, that they did not respond by turning back to Him.

• Amos 4:6 Famine
• Amos 4:7-8 Drought
• Amos 4:9 Blight, mildew, and locusts
• Amos 4:10 Plague
• Amos 4:11 Fire from Heaven

Amos 4:12-13 To get them to return to Him, God will reveal Himself to them. The almighty, uncreated creator who simply is, will meet them. In 4:2 He sovereignly swore by His holiness that a day was coming. What day? The day of the Lord. The response to seeing Him is recorded by His servants as overwhelming. (Isaiah 6:5; Daniel 10:8-9; Revelation 1:17, 22:8) What will be the response of those who have rebelled against Him? (Daniel 10:7; Hosea 10:8; Revelation 6:16)

Amos 5

Amos 5:1-3 The Lord laments what will happen to Israel as she reaps what she has sowed. He does not take any pleasure in this, but grieves, not that He has deserted them, but that they have deserted Him.

Amos 5:4-6 God pleads with them to seek Him for their own benefit. Only He offers life. Religious rites at religious sites offer nothing if their hearts aren’t right.

Amos 5:7-15 God enumerates their sins, from His eternal perspective, that are calling forth inevitable disasters: injustice, unrighteousness, lying, exploiting the poor, oppressing the innocent. He pleads with them to turn from these. What does He want? To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him. (Micah 6:8) This is a life and death issue, both individually and nationally. 

Amos 5:16-20 When it is too late, then they will cry. But it will be because He is present among them. There will be darkness. Whether this will be physical or spiritual darkness isn’t clear, but the language suggests physical as fell on Egypt during the ninth plague. (Exodus 10:21-23) They already were in spiritual darkness.

Amos 5:21-27 Hypocritical worship is worse than useless; it is offensive to God. He is looking for lives that embody justice and righteousness, like the rainy season in Israel that brings water to the crops, so that there will be a harvest. The harvest of their idolatry will be exile beyond Damascus. This crop was reaped about 722 BC, when Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, invaded and captured Samaria, and deported the Israelites. (2 Kings 17:3-23)

Amos 6

Amos 6:1-3 The ruling class of Samaria felt secure based on geography, not on God. They did not take into account things that were out of view, beyond the mountains. If they had gone to look at other locations of previous battles, they would have reckoned with risks. There is a coming reign of terror, because of their actions. 

Amos 6:4-7 Amos lists their luxuries, which they believe they are entitled and will continue.

• Ivory beds and couches 
• Choice meats
• Pleasant musical instruments for entertainment
• Lots of wine
• Lotion

God grieves over Manasseh and Ephraim’s ruin, but the people in charge do not. Their luxuries will end, and they are oblivious to the spiritual reality.

Amos 6:8-14 Many will die, and survivors will hide from the Assyrians and deny YHWH to avoid death or exile. But the Lord is in charge; people can’t hide in demolished houses, large or small. Some things simply don’t work, like trying to plow the sea. Turning virtues into evil may try to boast of strength, but the Lord will bring a conqueror against them that will oppress the entire nation. The sins of the rulers will ruin the people as a whole. The Assyrians will come to exile everyone. They will bring non-Jews to settle in Samaria, who will be despised by the Jews. (2 Kings 17:23-24) The Samaritans were despised in the time of Christ because they weren’t descended from Jacob, or were mixed-breed. But Jesus ministered to the Samaritans (John 4:4-42) and told a parable comparing Jews unfavorably with them. (Luke 10:30-37)