Lamentations/2 Chronicles 36/Daniel 1-6/Titus

Lamentations
It is a book devoted to one thing: lament, specifically lament over the fall of Jerusalem and the abandonment of that city by God. There is really no silver lining in this lament. It is bold, violent and brutal. It does not flinch or try to pretty up. It does not seek to make lemonade from lemons. It acknowledges the pain of the exile, the loss, the terror, the uncertain future. What hope it raises is quickly crushed.

Though often ascribed to Jeremiah by later centuries, older collections of the OT do not associate with the prophet. It's authorship is uncertain, and the Jeremiah connection maybe similar to other efforts to associate famous people with anonymous writings (David and psalms; Solomon and Proverbs and Songs of Songs etc.)

The lament is expressed in several voices. Sometimes it is as an onlooker, describing the event. Other times it is as the city itself mourning. Still others we hear the voice of the people of the city itself, crying out their lament. The complaint against God is found in chapter 3.

2 Chronicles
These events should be fairly familiar, since we have covered them in 2 Kings as well as Jeremiah. However, where Kings ends with the good treatment of Jehoiachin, Chronicles ends with a more obvious note of hope. It refers to Cyrus (the king of Persia, mentioned frequently in Isaiah, if you remember) who announces the return that we will pick up in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Daniel
Daniel as a book can be divided into 2 part. The first six chapters tell near-fanciful stories of the Jews sojourn in Babylon. The point of these stories is how these individuals maintained their Jewish identity in a foreign land by remaining loyal to Yahweh, and especially by following the convenantal Law.

The second half of the book is full of apocalyptic visions foretelling the fall of foreign nations and the restoration of Jerusalem and the Jewish people.

The book as a whole focuses on the preservation of the Jews during their exile and the faithfulness of God in these difficult times. It clearly is a collection of stories and visions meant to give hope to people during difficult times.

1: During an exile young nobility were often educated and taught in the captor's land. The hope was that this would lessen the tendency to rebellion. Daniel and his companions are given new names, which honor the primary gods of Babylon - Bel (or Marduk) and Nabu - the emperor's deity. They refuse to eat meat so as not to violate the Law and miraculously are healthier and fatter at the end of ten days. They are also ten times smarter and stronger than any of the other young men. They are rewarded with success because they followed the Law - even when it make sense at the time.

2: The dream and it's interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar will put the "wise men" to death unless they know both the dream and interpretation (Neb's volatility becomes a common theme in Daniel). Daniel is the only one who can do it, though he is determined to give credit to God alone. The figure with "feet of clay" is likely the Babylonian Empire, the Mede, Persian and finally the Greek. The Greek Empire of Alexander was split into four pieces at this death, Judea falling under Ptolemy. Nebuchadnezzar makes his first proclamation that Daniel's God is God of gods. It is not, however, an actual conversion.

3: The famous story of the fiery furnace. This was a favorite of the early Christians and often featured in their artwork. It is also given prominence in the most important day of the year, Pascha. Once again the 3 young men's loyalty to Yahweh pays off and Neb recognizes the power of their God.

4: The second dream and interpretation. Neb's pride is the catalyst for his downfall, but when he returns to sanity, he praises God. This is his firmest affirmation of the God of Daniel. The historicity of this event is very unlikely, though I have a note that there was another King of Babylon, Nabonidus, who suddenly and inexplicably left Babylon and spent many years in Northern Arabia. There is scroll in Qumran that tells of his healing by a Jewish exorcist after seven years of illness.

5: The writing on the wall. Belshazzar was Nabonidus son, not Neb's. He ruled as regent during the years of Nabonidus' absence. Mene, Tekel, Parsin are all related to weights and measures. You've been in the balance and found wanting - is a song by Johnny Cash about Belshazzar's feast. "Darius the Mede" is unknown, though there were several Persian kings named Darius.

6: Daniel and the lion's den. There are several parallels here with Esther which we'll read later. The unalterable law of the Medes and Persians and the plot against the hero by jealous courtiers. The angel in the den also recalls the one "like a son of god" in the fiery furnace, and Darius' letter is similar to the one written by Nebuchadnezzar.

Titus
Titus, along with 1&2 Timothy, are called the "Pastoral" Letters. It is certain that they were written in the later half of the first century, perhaps even into the early second. The concerns of the church and its organization has changed. The church has become more of an institution rather than a loosely affiliated group of house churches.

For this reason these books are often thought to have not been written by Paul the apostle, but some one else. This was a common practice in the ancient world, a much less literal culture. Some still argue for Pauline authorship, arguing that they were written much later in his life, likely after a time of imprisonment in Rome.

Titus is a short book, written to a leader in Crete, and its subject matter is straightforward. He makes recommendations on what kind of a person bishops should be. He warns against false teachers who wish to add things to the gospel. He then passes on the typical "house teachings," that is the wisdom to maintain a peaceful house. From 2.11 to 3.8 is a beautiful presentation of thee gospel and a reminder of what this new life is all about.