Basic interpretation principles

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One important principle of biblical interpretation is to try to understand Scripture from the point of view of the original audience and then use that as a stepping stone to work out what it means for us. Along with this original audience principle is the principle of original intent: what did the author intend to communicate to that original audience?

If we ask these two questions of chapter 1 of Genesis, the story of creation, we may find the answers surprising. The prophet Moses is presumably the author of Genesis, the first of the five books he wrote while the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness of Sinai. These people, the original audience, had just emerged from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. Joshua 24:14 explains that many of them had been idolaters there.

Pantheon of gods

The Egyptians had a god or goddess for virtually everything: the sun, moon, stars, crocodiles, flies, cats, the Nile–all of these and more were considered divine and were worshiped. But Genesis 1 explains that neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, neither that water nor the sky, nor any plants, nor fish, birds, beasts, or creeping things are divine.

To paraphrase the significance of Genesis 1 for the original audience, it’s as if Moses said, “All that you have been worshiping the true Creator spoke into being in the beginning. He alone is worthy of homage; He alone is God, and king over all of His creation.”

A world shift

This truth would have had a profound effect on the former slaves of Egypt. They had lived in a world in which virtually every object was a spiritual being, whose will had to be accommodated, whose wrath must be placated. But when the one true God revealed His nature through Moses, including His relationship to all that He had made, the world shifted. All of those objects were drained of their spiritual significance. Now they were only objects, things that human beings could handle and manage without fear.

Yet the new world that stood in place of the old was not bereft of its spiritual dimension. All of the power, the mystery, and the majesty of the Egyptian pantheon, the Hebrews learned, belonged to the one true God, the king of the universe. And furthermore, and herein lay the good news, The Almighty cared about them, and He was ever faithful and reliable.

Theological foundation

Genesis as a whole serves to lay the groundwork for the Law of Moses that is revealed in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Nothing in the Law is more foundational than what is expressed in the Shema, accepted for thousands of years as the credo of Judaism and acknowledged by Jesus Himself as the “Greatest Commandment”:

The oneness of God, His sovereignty over all His creation, and His commission of human beings to be His stewards of that creation (see Genesis 1:28-30) is the unmistakable message of the Genesis creation account, as far as the original audience is concerned.

Modern significance

If that’s what it meant for them, what does it mean for us? It has the same significance for modern readers, whoever we might be. Only one God is worthy of the name and deserves our obedience. We willingly offer Him, not just our obedience, but also our love. He deserves it because of who He is, the Ultimate Custom Designer, the Cosmic Engineer, the King who condescends to be our loving Father.

Following His directive, we manage the earth, not to exploit and abuse it, but to care for it, cultivate it, and nourish it (see Genesis 2:15). We are aware that ours is a spiritual world, not because of a pantheon of gods and goddesses, but because He is always present, because He cares what happens to us, because He empowers us to change, to grow, to reflect in our own hearts and lives His nature, His priorities, His concerns. Just like it was before the Rebellion. Just like it was “In the beginning.”

Periodically I search the world-wide-web checking-out price differences between the Basic vs. Deluxe models of the Stearns Puddle Jumper. The Stearns Puddle Jumper is a U.S. Coast Guard Approved, Type III PFD for kids, 30-50 lbs. A PFD is 우리카지노 a personal flotation device. Generally speaking, retailers sell the two Puddle Jumper models at a $5 price-point difference. While the retail price fluctuates, especially in geographical locations where extreme seasons are experienced… spring, summer, winter, fall… still the difference in price is usually and approximately $5.

The Price Difference

Is the $5 difference in price the correct “determining-factor” when deciding which Puddle Jumper to buy? I think not. Not when you consider that a “better” life jacket has a greater probability of saving a life. What is a life worth? A life is priceless, right? Perhaps, however, I have rushed into an opinion. When I force myself to remember the many people who are standing in front of tough economic times, $5 becomes a relative amount of money. Young couples with young children, young people new to a career and therefore occupying entry-level positions, have limited resources. Then there are the people who are still in school, still preparing for their intended career who also have limited resources. In front of tough economic times $5 is most definitely a relative thing. Depending on life-circumstances a $5 meal can be as life-saving as a child’s life-jacket!

Other Considerations: Design & Fabric

If, however, a $5 price difference is not the driving determinant there are other differences that should be highlighted and considered.

First, note the similarities between the two models:

Similarities: Basic vs Deluxe Models

Second, note the two major differences between the models: Design and Fabric:

The Design

Regarding the design, if your child becomes attached to a particular animal character he or she will want to “be with it” and will therefore want to wear the Puddle Jumper. The child who wants to wear a “flotation aid” because it is a friend versus the child who merely submits to an imposed rule: “a life vest must be worn” is a state-of-affairs that too frequently leads to life versus death, or vice-versa. Any flotation device, including the Puddle Jumper, can only save a life when it is worn. If your child is attracted to an animal character, then by all means buy the Puddle Jumper with the design your child is attracted to. With the “animal character” strapped across his or her chest your child is safer in the water, and, better able to adjust when stressful unexpected situations occur while in a pool, lake or at the beach.

The Fabric

The type of fabric used to construct the Puddle Jumper is another difference to consider between the two models. Both nylon and polyester are lightweight and durable fabrics. Both are synthetic fabrics. Neither is a better fabric. They even share many of the same properties.

Shared-Properties:

Nylon:

Polyester:

Historically nylon was considered the smoother softer fabric, as compared to polyester. Over time, however, refined manufacturing capabilities have resulted in a softer polyester fabric that in many ways matches nylon. This is true enough that Stearns is now able to make the claim that the Deluxe Puddle Jumper has the “softer” feel, and therefore causes less chafing against your child’s skin.

Polyester dries faster. This is due to its’ water-wicking ability. Polyester is hydrophobic, which means it expels water to the surface of the fabric’s fibers where the water then evaporates. Nylon, on the other hand, absorbs water and therefore dries slower. The hydrophobic property of polyester goes to the feel of the fabric when strapped around your child’s chest and arms. Your child will not feel wet and chilled. As kids become accustomed to the Puddle Jumper they become almost oblivious to the fact that they are wearing a flotation aid. As this set of circumstances evolves the likelihood increases that your child will be wearing his or her Puddle Jumper at the most important time: while in the water, at the life-saving moment when it is needed.

Also compare the color-fastness of the two fabrics. Bright colored fabric is a key feature of the Puddle Jumper. It attracts and delights kids. The bright colors are also a safety feature; the bright colors help you, parent or guardian, to easily see your little one as they frolic about in the water. Therefore, a comparison of polyester and nylon in light of their colorfast properties is important. Polyester absorbs more color (more dye). This, again, is because of polyester’s water-wicking property. Since the polyester expels water when in the dye solution more dye bonds to the polyester fibers.

Conclusion: Which Puddle Jumper Model Is Best?

So what is the bottom-line? Which Stearns Puddle Jumper is the “best?” The answer begins with a quote from the U.S. Coast Guard. They say, “The perfect life-preserver, life-jacket, or PFD (personal flotation device) has not yet been designed.” Given these state-of-affairs respecting life-jackets, even so the Coast Guard is still willing to point to characteristics of a life-jacket that make it “the best”:

Given all of the above information, and knowing that the Stearns Puddle Jumper is Coast Guard approved only for kids, and only if they weigh between 30 and 50 lbs (not for adults users, nor for infants) the prospective list of Puddle Jumper users is narrowed, irrespective of design or model.

For this narrowed list of users, children 30-50 lbs… our most vulnerable swimmers… the answer as to which model is “best” is simple.

IF the extra $5 doesn’t break the piggy bank and deprive your family of