Faith Blog

Revelation 17-22/Nehemiah/Malachi

2009-01-26T16:36:00.001-08:00

Nehemiah
Nehemiah continues the story of Ezra. It relates, primarily in first person, the commission and work of Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem focusing on the walls and gates. So where the Temple is the focus of rebuilding in Ezra, in Nehemiah it is the rest of the city.

1-2: Nehemiah hears news from those who have returned and weeps that there are no walls around the city. As a highly placed official in change of wine, he has the ear of the king. He prays to God for his blessing and asks the king to return to build the walls of the city, the "graveyard of my ancestors" - a rather non-threatening phrase. He is commissioned, travels to the city, and surreptitiously examines the walls. Later he gets support for rebuilding, though, like Ezra, there is opposition and the threat to stir up trouble with their Persian officials.

3: A list of who rebuilt what. This is a summary, and the time frame for all this building isn't mentioned.

4-6: Obstacles arise as the building goes on. Sanballat and Tobiah are leaders from Samaria, the former capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Recall there was a fierce rivalry between the north and the south. The people rebuilding the walls were people of Judah, the southern kingdom.

At first there is mocking, but once the wall is about half its height, there is a plot to attack the workers. Nehemiah responds by arming the workers and setting a guard. This gets things going again.

Chapter 5 introduces economic problems. The high rate of taxes and famine cause poorer people to go into debt, using their land and children as collateral. As times get tough because of famine, they lose their land and their descendants. There trouble keeps them from working on the wall as well as they could. Nehemiah introduces economic reforms, starting with himself, and proclaims a kind of jubilee year in which lost land and wealth is returned and debts forgiven. Nehemiah points out that he, as the governor, is entitled to a food tax that he does not take.

Chapter 6 covers plots to kill and dishonor Nehemiah. He is first invited to meet with the Samarians, first in a friendly way, and then in an extorting way (I've heard bad things, and will report them to the emperor, we should talk together). Shemaiah, who was under house-arrest, tells him to hide in the temple, a place that only a priest was supposed to enter. Such an act might lead people to think Nehemiah was making a power grab or was just being presumptive. Nehemiah doesn't fall for it.

The walls are done in 52 days, a sign of the zeal and dedication of the workers and Nehemiah, regardless of the hardships and obstacles that they encountered.

7: Guards are posted and instructions for when to open and the gates. Walls were an important part of a city at that time. Without things like standing armies or police, cities without walls could more easily be raided. Walls added to the security of a city, and was one of the reasons neighboring leaders probably didn't want them built.

After this there is a recounting of the people who had returned and other things of note.

8-13: The celebration of the reconstruction. With the reconstruction of temple and city completed, there is a big party that lasts for weeks. There were four big parts.

1. Torah is reread (ch. 8) and the people respond "Amen, Amen." Then an interpretation is given. Then the people eat, they have a feast. Now I hope the pattern of hearing the Word, with interpretation, followed by a meal sounds familiar, because it is the same shape of our liturgy.

2. Then, in 8.13-18 there is the "Festival of Booths" when the people sojourn in the wilderness is recalled as the people live in temporary housing.

3. 9-10 captures the confession of the people and preparation for renewing of the covenant, then the long communal prayer that re-tells their story, of God's faithfulness and their own unfaithfulness. Then the people agree to renew their covenant faithfulness, both the leaders of the people, their names are given, and the people as a whole recommit themselves.

4. 11 concerns the repopulation of the land. 1/10 stay in Jerusalem, 9/10's move to other towns. Who goes where is determined by lot. And the first part of 12 reviews the priestly genealogy. Remember, one had to be of a certain tribe to be a priest, so genealogy was very important there.

5. The big celebration in which the walls are dedicated, songs are sung, processions are processed, and sacrifices given. It must have been quite an event.

13.4-31 is a rather strange coda to the tale. As you might recall, Nehemiah asks to take a certain amount of time to go to Jerusalem, and then he would return to the emperor. Apparently this was about 12 years. After he serves the king for a while, he returns again, and finds much in disarray. The Samarians have caused trouble in the temple, and many of the priests are working in the fields instead of working in the temple. People have again inter-married and brought the pagan beliefs of their wives into their home. People worked on the Sabbath. Let's just say Nehemiah sets things back on the straight and narrow.

Malachi
Who Malachi was and when exactly he made these prophecies is not known. We know it was after the Temple was rebuilt, and is either contemporary with Ezra-Nehemiah, or most likely follows them after some time. So the last book of the OT is actually the last chronologically (though some of Daniel is probably as late or later than Malachi).

The subject the book seems to engage is the promise of the restoration of Judah and the kingdom of God. There were probably a lot of people who thought they were living in the time of the restoration prophecies (like in Isaiah and Ezekiel). Where was the unconditional blessing and the elevation of Jerusalem above all other powers?

The answer that Malachi gives is that these things are not fulfilled because the people have not been faithful. They continue in their old ways. Perhaps we should bear in mind the end of Nehemiah as we read the words of the prophet.

The book is divided into portions different than the chapters and verses.

The first section 1.2-5 is a general piece and begins the pattern of question and answer. "I have loved you," says God. The people reply, "Have you loved us?" The implication being - we don't think we are loved. The argument then continues as to why they do not feel loved and why it is not God's fault.

1.6-2.9: covers the priesthood which has fallen down on the job, offering blind and lame animals instead of unblemished ones. "What a weariness this is," they say, and wonder why the restoration has not manifested in its fullness.

2.10-16: The people have not honored their commitment to one another. Their has been idolatry and injustice, particularly in marriage relationships. Remember, marriage was as much a lawful contract with specific obligations and responsibilities as anything else.

2.17-3.5: God is wearied by their complaint. They look for justice when they do not do justice. There is one coming who will prepare the way of the Lord, and the Lord (whom you are looking for) will suddenly appear and you will not like it. He will refine the priests and the people and justice will be done in the land.

3.6-12: A call for repentance and returning to God. Pay the tithe and God will fulfill the promises of the covenant.

3.13-4.3: Here is the flip side of apocalypse. It seems that God is absent from the world, and those who follow God are fools. Why bother? It does no good? Here God promises that all he has said will be fulfilled. The good will receive good and those who are arrogant and evil will be destroyed.

4.4-5: Two appendices. One recalls the covenant of Moses, so important in this book. The other is a passage whose ripples have rolled out to today. Elijah will come at the time of restoration and his prophecy will be heeded by the people. This saying was very much known at the time of Jesus, as people were looking for Elijah to return. Also, if you have every shared sabbath or Seder with a Jewish family, you know that there is always an extra setting at the table in case Elijah returns.

Revelation
17-18: The fall of Babylon (Rome). The whore and the beast represent the Roman empire. The whore is more particularly the city (cities were feminine in grammar). The beast - seven heads for seven hills (Rome was on seven hills) and the 10 horns, ten emperors (probably Julius Caesar through Domitian).

The kings and merchants of the earth are seen as being in collusion with the empire, but eventually turning against it. In 18, God's messengers pronounce judgment on Rome, but the rest of the world (especially the merchants) lament the fall of Rome.

19: There is rejoicing in heaven over the destruction of Rome, the enemy of God and oppressor and murder of God's people. The first part of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah is found in verse 6. There is a final battle between Jesus and the armies of the beasts (notice it does not say this happens at Armageddon which actually pops up earlier and may have nothing to do with this event). The enemies are quickly defeated by the words of Jesus (this could be seen as an essentially non-violent episode - the beast and his followers are defeated by the testimony of Jesus, not an army). The beasts are judged and burned alive.

20: Satan is imprisoned and there appears to be a Messianic kingdom for a while (1000 years is purely symbolic). Satan is released to tempt the nations again, but the rebellion is quickly put down. How this fits into unclear. Some believe there will be an actual 1000 year reign of Jesus at which time the Devil will be unleashed. This is an idea not found anywhere else in the Bible and is not a part of the witness of the apostles. The writer seems to be referring to a time after the fall of Rome, but that may not be the case. This could all be allegory for the death and resurrection of Jesus, in which case the reign of Jesus would be now.

Then we have the great white throne judgment in which all the dead will be judged.

21: The new Jerusalem. Like Ezekiel again, we have a vision of the holy city, this time not built by human hands, but fashioned in heaven. There is no temple, and its gates are pearls, its streets gold, but transparent. I find myself thinking about that gigantic UFO in the climax of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Notice that there is a new heavens and a new earth. Where do the people of God live? On the new earth and in the holy city. I often tell people that Christians don't go to heaven. You can imagine the reaction I get. But that is the simple witness of our spiritual founders. There is no end of the world, there is instead a resurrection of the world, and of the people, and we continue to live on this resurrected earth.

22: The description continues through verse 5, describing the river that flows out of the city, again like in Ezekiel. There is not more night, nor lamps or sun.

Starting in verse 6 we get a testimony that the words are true and then encouragement, exhortation and the promise that Jesus will come.

Well folks - that's it. Assuming you have stayed with the program, if you are reading this, you have finished reading the entire Bible!

Revelation 10-16/Ezra 5-10/Esther

2009-01-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

Ezra
5: At the prompting of Haggai and Zecheriah, which we finished up last week, the work on the Temple begins again. Again, officials come and question the work. They make a report to Darius and refer to the previous decree by Emperor Cyrus. They are looking for direction as to what they should do. Seeming in contrast to the previous outsiders.

6: The decree is discovered, and tells his governor of the land "Beyond the River" - of which Judea is a small province - to continue support for the builders, even threatening enemies of the work with death and destruction of their house. The temple is finished March 12, 516 BC, and the people celebrate with sacrifices (Bar-B-Q) and celebrating passover. The connection between God's desire and the decree of kings is an important theme in Ezra and Nehemiah.

7: Ezra is introduced here, a person with an established pedigree going back to Aaron. He travels from Babylon once the temple is completed, his desire is to study and teach the Torah - to reestablish the identity of the people as a people of the Law. He sets off with a decree from the Emperor giving him in many ways quite a free hand, with access to the royal treasures in that region and tax exempt status for those traveling with him. Ezra's memoir also begins at the end of this chapter. Notice that Darius thinks of the Jewish God as a regional deity, even calling Yahweh the God of Jerusalem. This illustrates both the belief that deities were associated with a particular geographic region, and the perceived importance of giving honor to local deities as a part of securing an empire.

Esther
Esther is the story of two alert Jews who outfox the enemy of the Jewish people, the nasty Haman. It is an unusual story, but became so popular that it is now the center of the Jewish festival of Purim in which it is read, and sometimes performed as a play. It is full of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, as well as tragedy, a battle of the sexes and plenty of bloodshed. Throughout it all, Esther, who enters as a woman who is merely beautiful, and exits as a great and resourceful hero, exemplifies all the things a hero should be. I suggest reading the book in a single sitting so you can experience the suspense and catharsis in a more intense way.

1-2 We begin with a banquet, given by Ahasuerus (probably Xerxes I) in Susa, the winter captial in NW Iran. Queen Vashti is put away and another is found - Esther, a Jew whose Jewish name is Hadassah (myrtle). After she is crowned she saves the king's life from a plot.

3-10: The evil plot by the dastardly Haman. Why Mordecai will not bow is not clear, but Agag was an Amalekite king, an enemy defeated by King Saul. Notice 3.7 which is a strange, badly worded interruption, likely by a scholar who is trying to connect this story with the holdiay Purim. It is also important to remember that the King does not really know who Haman is planning to eliminate.

Mordecai appeals to the Queen, though she is putting her life on the line by making an appeal to the king. She is reticent at first, but then agrees. She gets the king to invite Haman to a series of banquets.

While this is going on Haman must exalt his enemy, perhaps throwing a wrench into his plan to kill Mordecai and his people, but before he can make further plans, he is whisked away to yet another banquet. His plot is revealed and he is hung on his own gallows.

Mordecai is promoted, given Haman's job, and works to reverse the earlier decree. However, the decree cannot actually be reversed because of the laws of the Persians. So a solution is found. The Jews can arm and defend themselves against the attacks authorized in the previous decree. Apparently it was a bloody day in the empire, but the Jews take no plunder (as they did to their detriment in the Agag story in 1 Sam 15.9).

The day is a success and Queen Esther establishes the holiday of Purim to celebrate the saving of the Jewish people.

Ezra
8: Preparations for the journey. The people are named (about 1500 men). They fast in preparation of departing and then make their way. They enter Jerusalem and celebrate at the temple.

9: The problem of intermarriages arises. The people, as they always have really, intermarry with the locals. As a small minority who is trying to preserve their unique culture, this becomes a crisis. Ezra mourns and offers not so much a prayer but a sermon, paraphrasing the part of the Torah that speaks of not marrying Canaanites.

10: The crisis is resolved through communal action. The people gather and ask Ezra to make a decision. He gathers the people together and gives his decision that the wives should be sent away. Those who do not attend have their property taken away. There is a vote and all agree except four (their vote is counted but they are not punished). The investigation and execution of the decision is left up to a council formed from representatives of each family.

Revelation
10: Another interlude: Notice the description of the angel. Remember, this was a time before movies, when such things could easily be imagined. Think of an apocalypse as a weird, psychedelic Sci-Fi movie.

The angel has a scroll whose contents were not to be revealed. The seventh trumpet - the mystery of God - is about to sound without delay. John is instructed to eat the scroll, as did Ezekiel (Ez. 2.9-3.3). John is instructed to prophesy.

11:1-14: continuation of the interlude. After a measuring of the temple (how many times have we seen that?) the two witnesses are introduced. These figures may refer to prophets who were thought to return to announce the final judgment of God - usually Enoch or Moses and Elijah. They are killed, but then are raised and ascend to heaven.

11:15-19: The final trumpet: The reign of God is fulfilled. Part of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah comes from this passage.

12: The great allegorical tale of the woman and dragon. Probably the woman is Israel who gives birth the Messiah and then is hounded out of Jerusalem by the Romans, who are almost certainly the dragon - though the dragon can represent simply an embodiment of the forces of evil. The reference to the dragon being expelled from heaven perhaps refers to Luke 10.18. The ministry of the Messiah is equivalent with the defeat of the devil.

1260=42months=3 1/2 years=time, time, and half a time = one half of 7, the number of completeness and so is symbolic of incompleteness and of divine restraint.

13: This section begins in 12:18. The same dragon stands on the shore of the sea to call forth the hideous sea beast. Now it would be wrong to say that the beast is the anti-christ. The word does not appear anywhere in the book of Revelation. In fact the idea that a single person will arise at some point in the future and rule the world and commit great blasphemies and oppress the church, would have been a foreign idea to these people - BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY HAPPENING. Revelation reflects the current situation of the church, which was already being oppressed by Rome and it's emperors (while though they are often killed, Rome, the beast, never dies). So while some of these emperors embodied the spirit of the anti-christ (the word as found in the epistles) there is no single anti-christ.

The beast from the sea - probably a symbol of the office of emperor - and the beast from the earth - the cult of the emperor which worshiped him as divine - are the great enemies. Their number - 666 - can be "calculated" as Neron Caesar. If the alternate 616 (see textual note) is used, then the "n" is dropped.

14: A series of visions for the comfort of the saints. The theme here (not unlike the prophets) is that those who are faithful will be vindicated while those who oppress God's people and follow the beast will be punished. The message for the churches is that while it seems that God is powerless and Rome is powerful, this is merely an illusion. The divine vision shows that good will triumph over evil.

15-16: The seven bowls of wrath. These are prepared in heaven, with momentous prelude in 15 and then poured out in 16. Notice the wrath of the seven bowls primarily affect the natural world, disease, rivers, sun, darkness, etc. The seventh bowl is poured and that wrath is done.

Revelation 1-9/Psalms

2009-01-20T12:25:00.001-08:00

Psalms
For my remarks on the Psalms, see my previous post on the book itself. The psalms this week are primarily about Zion and the temple, foreign enemies, and return from exile.

Revelation
The book of Revelation (or Apocalypse) is a work in a particular genre, which has particular conventions, known as an apocalypse. The word itself means "revelation" or "disclosure" or "unveiling." Like other apocalypses we've seen before the primary task of this kind of work is to unveil, in highly symbolic and allegorical terms, occurrences in the spiritual or heavenly realms that coincide with what is going on upon the earth.

So - wars, famine, etc. are not just the result of bad weather and political strife, but also the opening of the seals of the book and the unleashing of the four horsemen.

Apocalypses take a very black & white view of the world in which good is pitched against evil in epic battle. The triumph and vindication of good and the destruction and ignoble defeat of evil is a message that is meant for people in times of great duress and struggle. It is likely that this book was written during a time of persecution and Nero is probably referenced at least once.

It is probably best to dispel a misconception right away. The book of Revelation is not about the future. It does not have within it details about the end of the world or the end of time. Such an idea would be ridiculous to the author and the people of the time. The book of Revelation is about what was happening in Rome in the late first and early second century AD. It references Rome, Nero and Israel - not Europe, Russia or China. Once you let that sink in, then the book opens up and becomes prophetic in the sense that it speaks truth, and specifically speaks to the world of power, politics, and military might - in stark contrast to the world (or kingdom) of God.

1: The angel which is sent to John is a typical convention of an apocalypse. The author has a heavenly guide which takes him to the heavens to see what is happening. John is not the apostle John, but another, often referred to as John the Revelator. John is addressing his writing to seven churches, which then receive particular letters. John has a vision of Jesus in his exaltation - the one who sits at the right hand of God, the ascended Jesus.

2-3: The letters to the churches. Each letter contains a particular metaphor about Jesus, a condemnation or condemnation, an admonition, and an exhortation referring to the promises of God. Often there is reference to the situation of the church and reference to the characteristics of the city they are in. Check your study Bibles for a map of the area.

4: A vision of the heavenly throne room. Lots of imagery that should be familiar from Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Notice this is not a view of "heaven" in the sense of where we go where we die, though it is often used in the way. This is God's throne room and even reflects a typically idealized throne room of an earthly kingdom.

5: The scroll, which contains the divine plan for judgment and salvation is sealed - unalterable and perhaps unknown. At first no one is found to open it, and things will continue as they are, and John weeps. Then Jesus appears as the one who is worthy to open the scroll and expose it's contents. Remember that apocalypse means unveiling.

6: Four seals are opened that reveal war and destruction: A warrior who cannot be defeated rides to war, the red horse which is war itself, the third horse which symbolizes economic collapse and the famine that follows, the fourth horse which brings death by war, famine and disease to a fourth of the earth. The fourth part indicates wide but not total destruction. We'll see phrases like this again and again, and it is not a glass-half-empty term, but a glass-half-full perspective. The destruction is not complete, and hope remains.

The fifth seal is the martyrs. Remember this book is written to people who probably knew martyrs and lived with the very real possibility that they themselves might be executed.

The sixth seal is a kind of warning of the judgment to come and is a reference to Joel 2 and the Day of the Lord. All classes of society realize the power of God (though apparently only for a time, since they quickly turn away from God).

7: The first interlude appears between the sixth and seventh seal. First there is the 144,000 who recall the Jewish remnant during the exile, and has been taken to variously stand for the Jewish people, the church, the martyrs or all the faithful. The great multitude likely refers to martyrs again, the ones who seemed to have been defeated but now appear in victory with white robes and palm branches.

8: The seventh seal is silence in heaven. Perhaps in judgment, in sober reflection on what has occurred and what will happen. It is possible also that the seven trumpets coming up where a part of the seventh seal. The altar censure is filled with smoked and hurled to the earth and the trumpets begin.

As before we have four trumpets of destruction, followed by a warning, and then the fifth and sixth trumpets.

9: The fifth trumpet sounds the swarm of hideous locusts, alluding to demonic spirits, and torturing men with their horrible bites. I believe this was often referenced during the Black Plague in Europe. Abaddon means destruction - King of Death - think the Grim Reaper.

The monstrous cavalry is as terrifying as the plague of locusts. But still - the people do not turn from worshiping idols.

Ezra 1-4/Haggai/Zechariah/2-3 John/Jude

2009-01-13T16:48:00.000-08:00

Ezra
Ezra - in the Hebrew Bible paired with Nehemiah as the same book - tells the story of the return of the Israelites to Judea. The return probably took place in about four stages, the final two the focus of Ezra-Nehemiah. Ezra covers the return and re-establishment of the Laws of Moses (Torah) in the community in Jerusalem. As a minority in the multi-cultural Persian empire, the Jews became assimilated in many ways with the Persians. The story of Ezra is focused a great deal on the recovery and preservation of the unique Jewish identity which was under threat of vanishing.

1: The decree from Emperor Cyrus for the return of the Israelites to their city Jerusalem. Recall the prophecies about Cyrus from Isaiah, that see him as a kind of gentile hero, though he does not recognize the supremacy of Yahweh, he becomes Yahweh's instrument.

The people bring their valuables, and Cyrus gives them the vessels used in the Temple to take back for worship. Many return with Sheshbazzar in the first return.

2: The list of people in the return. Nehemiah, of course will become important later; Jeshua is elsewhere called High Priest; Zerubbabel is the one of the last known Davidic descendants in the OT. It appears this group began work on the Temple.

3: Rebuilding comes in stages: starting with the altar and then the foundation of the Second Temple. Notice also they are in "dread" of neighboring people. This will be a continuing theme and also be important in Nehemiah as they build the walls around Jerusalem.

4: The opponents - many people who were moved to the area after the Assyrians conquered and displaced the northern kingdom of Israel - want to help build the temple, and when they are told no, they write a letter to the emperor, who makes the Jews cease their rebuilding of the Temple.

Haggai
We skip to Haggai now - and Zechariah as well - because they are active in this time when the Temple is not being worked on. Their prophetic word - remember prophecy is about speaking the truth and God's will to people, not foretelling the future - is that the people need to begin work again. The prophecy occurred from August through December in the year 520 BC.

1: The prophecy against the people and their response to begin building again. Notice Zerubbabel and Jeshua (here Joshua) are important people in this book and what was going on.

2: The new temple will be more splendid than the old and an oracle of encouragement - the curse is lifting and things are getting better.

Zechariah
Zechariah is an interesting book because the first part, 1-8, follows similar themes and can be dated to around the same time as Haggai. The rest of the book, however, 9-14, has none of the specifics of the first section and talks mostly about "that day" - the day of the Lord.

1: Introduction and call to repentance followed by two visions. The first is very apocalyptic - a vision of another realm that mirrors the situation on earth. The horses which patrol the earth are an opportunity for God to now restore his people. Then the vision of the horns and the blacksmiths.

2: Jerusalem is measured and promised that it will be full. God will defend it without walls (the walls are not built until around 445 (nearly 70 years later). There is a call for the people to return to Jerusalem and Yahweh will reestablish them.

3: Joshua before Satan. In the OT Satan was not what we think of today. Satan was the adversary, or the Accuser. He played a role in the divine court as the prosecuting attorney, trying to bring down the virtuous. Joshua survives the trial and is exalted, as is the branch - a Davidic ruler - probably a reference to Zerubbabel.

4: The lamp is the blessing of God, the two olive trees Joshua (Jesuha) and Zerrubbabel. They have been blessed and by the power of God - that is by his Spirit - the building of the Temple will be finished.

5: The scroll (the size of the porch of Solomon's Temple) is the new ethical standards. The basket, the wickedness of people, is taken to Babylon (Shinar), that is, away, where it becomes a temple.

6: After a vision mirroring the first, there is the coronation of Jeshua - but also Zerrubabel, who apparently got lost. Notice the textual note referring to crowns. However the exact meaning is unclear.

7-8: The question of fasting is answered in 8.18-19 and refers to fasts down as mourning the loss of Jerusalem, which is now being restored. Notice that in 7 the reasons given for the exile are related to issues of social justice. 8 are ten oracles about Jerusalem encouraging the people that it would be restored and that God was with them.

9-14 is the next section, and contains a variety of oracles that seem unrelated to the events surrounding Haggai and Zechariah 1-8.

9-11: The first oracle. First against the nations that arose against Israel. God will subdue them.

Then the image of the King of Peace whose reign will bring an end to war (quoted in the Matthew 21.5-7 as referring to Jesus).

Then a vision of Yahweh liberating the dispersed people and leading them to Jerusalem.

10: a call to look to the Lord for rain perhaps leads into the next section where Yahweh strikes down the rulers (shepherds) who oppose him and leads his people back home.

11: The ceders, oaks shepherds and lions refer to rulers in Lebanon, Transjordan and the Jordan valley - all of whom perish.

4-17 is a kind of retelling of the people before the exile. They refuse unity and favor and God gives them the king they deserve and desire, who brings them to ruin.

12-14: The second Oracle
12-13.6: Oracles about the Day of the Lord as both a time when Jerusalem is preserved and idols destroyed but also there is much mourning.

13.7-9: the shepherd who is struck. The downfall of this leader may refer to some post-exilic event - a reference we are not familiar with.

14: A final battle that leads to a revolution in Jerusalem. Nations will gather and come against the city, but Yahweh will defend her and utterly destroy her enemies, leading even to geographical metamorphoses. Jerusalem then will itself become a great temple - every pot will be a pot used in sacrifices - and all the nations will come to worship Yahweh in the City-Temple.

2 John:
Likely, along with 3 John, the same author as 1 John. The commandment to love, again, and a warning against those who preach that Jesus was not fully human. There were a variety of heresies popping up at the time, one of them being that Jesus was primarily a spirit, not a person of flesh and blood. John warns against these false teachings.

3 John:
A more personal letter covering practical matters and concern over others who were causing trouble. It should come as no surprise that the early church had quite a few problems.

Jude:
The Jude here might be the brother of James the brother of Jesus, which might give his writings the weight to be included in the Scripture. He writes, seemingly as a last resort (v. 3) to warn of false teachers who are leading them away from the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (compare Gal. 1.8-9). He warns them using several OT allusions and refernce to ritual purity which probably show this was meant for a primarily Jewish audience.

Ezekiel 37-48/2 Peter/1 John

2009-01-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

Ezekiel
37: First the dry bones - a vision of Judah restored, even from death. Nothing is impossible with God. I hope this section was familiar to everyone. It has a kind of humor to it. Then the symbolic action of the two sticks. The two kingdoms will be united once again under the peaceful rule of a Davidic King and Yahweh will return to the sanctuary to dwell with the people.

38-39: Prophecy against Gog and Magog. Who is Gog and Magog. They are both mytho-historical powerhouses that are likely stand-ins for other powers. If you look at the geography of the Holy Land, you will notice that, unless you are Egypt, the way you invade is from the north. Both Assyria and Babylon came from the north.

So Ezekiel is prophecying against some future super-power that, like Assyria and Babylon, will come down from the north and attack the land. However - notice it is not the people who fight. God rains down wrath from heaven, and Gog and Magog are defeated - not by human hands, but by God's power.

40-48: April 28, 573 BC Ezekiel had a vision of the rebuilt Temple and Jerusalem. This vision has a plan to settle all the people in the land that is reclaimed, with boundaries that would be permanently safeguarded. It should be noted that as you read Nehemiah and Ezra that these boundaries and building plan are never established during the Second Temple Period. This important section is also a recapitulation laws found in Leviticus and Numbers and a temple building plan that is reminiscent of Exodus and Solomon's temple. Remember, Ezekiel is describing in prose what we would normally describe in a blue print.

40-42: The new Temple. Chapter 40 deals with the walls, courts and fortifications. It is a massive new building, based on Solomon, but in a larger and grander style. Chapter 41 deals with the Temple itself. Notice the narrowing entrances indicating that you were entering a holier and holier place. 42 describes the chambers that the priests used for garments, for eating the sacrifices and for preparation for their priestly activities (remember Ezekiel was a priest).

43: The glory of the Lord on the chariot of "wheels within wheels" returns to the temple (recall chapter 1). The presence of God enters the same gate it left and God takes up residence forever. There is a warning against disloyalty and disobedience to the law.

44: The gate through which God enters is closed forever, open only for the prince to enact certain rituals as the civic head. Then the priesthood is reformed. Only the members of the Zadok priesthood (a smaller section of the Levites) are allowed to perform priestly duties and are required to follow certain purity practices.

45: 1-9 divides up parts of the city for the priests and the prince (the monarchic ruler in Jerusalem). It is followed by an injunction to cease taking land from the weak (you may remember Ahab and Jezebel taking the land of Naboth after having him killed).

The rest of the chapter regulates the weights and measures (to prevent cheating) and the calendar.

46: Four sections here: The management of gates, the offerings made by the prince (he brings them; the priest does the sacrifice), the management of the prince's property when it is given outside of the family, and the kitchens.

47: 1-12: The description of the River of Life that flows from the Temple, bringing life every where. The swamps and marshes are used to supply salt.

13-23: The boundaries of the kingdom. They are roughly equivalent to the Davidic kingdom, but do not include any areas east of the Jordan (Transjordon).

48: The allotment of the land to each tribe. Here each tribes receives an equal amount of land. Jerusalem is set aside as a holy city with 12 gates, three per side, named after each tribe.

2 Peter
Although the actual authorship is unknown (since this letter is likely very late in the century), it is setup as a final letter written by Peter before his death. The letter quotes and alludes to quite a lot of the New Testament, the gospels as well as the letter Jude. As the final address before his death, the author exhorts his hearers to live a holy life, to not listen to false teachers, and to stand firm until the final coming of God and his kingdom.

1 John
You will notice that John uses "We" quite a lot. Some argue that this was not written by the same author of the gospel, but I think it was written by him, along with the community he was with. The language, form, and the theology have the same shape. The simple prose-poetry of John is also found throughout 1 John.

The letter, along with many others focuses on theology, the nature of Jesus, holy living and false teachers. John, however, you will find writes in a very different way to Paul.

So it is important to point out that John uses very black and white language to convey his message. If we were to read this to literally, we might think that if we sin, it means that we do not belong to God. I don't think that is John's point, since he refers several times to the forgiveness of sins.

Another thing to notice is the reference to the "antichrist." There is a popular notion that the antichrist is an actual person who will appear in the future, take over the world, and bring about the end of the world. This is not how the term is ever used in the New Testament. Rather it refers to a teaching or a movement that challenged the identity of Christ, either his Messiahship, his divinity or his humanity, or other false teachings.

Finally, "God is love" appears twice, in prominent places, and the emphasis placed on love should not be missed. It is hard to find other statements in the Bible that seem to refer to God's very nature, as opposed to some attribute that God possesses. To say God is powerful, angry, jealous, compassionate, present, patient, loving - etc. is not the same as to say "God is love." John's words here have therefore had a significant influence in theology.

Ezekiel 33-36

2009-01-06T15:50:00.004-08:00

Ezekiel
This next section of Ezekiel, which runs to the end of the book, covers the time after the final exiles, when Jerusalem has been destroyed. Now is the time when God promises restoration, that God will bring life to his people and that their sins will be forgiven.

33: A couple of things are going on here. First - Ezekiel is the sentinel - if he does not speak (blow the trumpet) he will be held accountable. Second, he has a new message. His being mute, imposed during the exile, is lifted and he is allowed to speak now that the judgment he prophesied has been fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem. Finally, with the final judgment of those who stayed behind and perhaps attempted to usurp land, Ezekiel becomes popular amongst many people, but it shallow.

34: Shepherds are often a metaphor for the kings. Here the bad kings are bad shepherds and the wealthy are bad sheep. The good and bad sheep will be separated and a new shepherd - a Davidic King - will rule in peace. Of course the Messianic ties to Jesus here are very strong. Think of Jesus the Good Shepherd and the judgment in which Jesus separates the sheep and the goats.

35: A prophecy against the mountain of Edom, and therefore against the Edomites.

36: The attention then turns to the mountains of Israel, which shall be a place of deliverance. Israel - probably those northern tribes that escaped south during the Assyrian exile - will also be restored. However, not because of their holiness, but because of God's glory. It will be a sign to all people that Yahweh is truly God.

Ezekiel 33-36

2009-01-06T15:50:00.003-08:00

Ezekiel 33-36

This next section of Ezekiel, which runs to the end of the book, covers the time after the final exiles, when Jerusalem has been destroyed. Now is the time when God promises restoration, that God will bring life to his people and that their sins will be forgiven.

33: A couple of things are going on here. First - Ezekiel is the sentinel - if he does not speak (blow the trumpet) he will be held accountable. Second, he has a new message. His being mute, imposed during the exile, is lifted and he is allowed to speak now that the judgment he prophesied has been fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem. Finally, with the final judgment of those who stayed behind and perhaps attempted to usurp land, Ezekiel becomes popular amongst many people, but it shallow.

34: Shepherds are often a metaphor for the kings. Here the bad kings are bad shepherds and the wealthy are bad sheep. The good and bad sheep will be separated and a new shepherd - a Davidic King - will rule in peace. Of course the Messianic ties to Jesus here are very strong. Think of Jesus the Good Shepherd and the judgment in which Jesus separates the sheep and the goats.

35: A prophecy against the mountain of Edom, and therefore against the Edomites.

36: The attention then turns to the mountains of Israel, which shall be a place of deliverance. Israel - probably those northern tribes that escaped south during the Assyrian exile - will also be restored. However, not because of their holiness, but because of God's glory. It will be a sign to all people that Yahweh is truly God.

Ezekiel 33-36

2009-01-06T15:50:00.001-08:00

Daniel 7+/Ezekiel/Timothy/Philemon/1 Peter

2008-12-21T23:13:00.000-08:00

Daniel
Chapter 7 starts a new section in Daniel. From here to pretty much the end we leave the stories behind and are treated to a series of mostly apocalyptic visions. The audience for these visions are probably Jews living in the Maccabean period, after the return to Jerusalem and during the reign of the Seleucids, the Greek empire in the Near East after the death of Alexander the Great. This history is, for the most part, the subject matter of the visions.

The first scene with the animals most likely describes a series of empires: perhaps Babylon, then Medes Persians and finally the Greeks. The little horn is probably Antiochus IV Epiphanies who usurped the throne from his brother, Demetrius. Antiochus is one of the supreme bad guys for the Jews who returned from exile. He is well known for desecrating the temple and setting up worship of gods in the temple.

The scene in heaven describes the noise of the horn's arrogant words and his destruction and then the vindication of Israel by the ascension of the "son of man (one like a human being). This is the passage Jesus often refers to we he talks about the Son of Man "coming in the clouds." It is not an allusion to the Second Coming, but an interpretation of Daniel, using it to refer to his death, resurrection and ascension.

Notice Daniel himself seeks interpretation for these terrifying visions. The great kingdom which conquers all others is almost certainly the one belonging to Alexander the Great. Antiochus disrupted much of the Jewish religious observances; he was also the first Hellenistic king to refer to himself as divine on his coinage.

8: The second vision. Again this vision tells the story of the fall of the Medeo/Persian empire at the hands of Alexander the Great, the splitting of his kingdom after his death and the reign of Antiochus.

9: Daniel's prayer and visitation. Daniel is attempting to resolve a couple of issues and seeks to understand when some of these events will happen. After his prayer, which focuses mostly on the forgiveness of sins which will lead to a return from exile, he receives a visitor with some information. The timing works out for the edict which returned the Jews to Jerusalem as well as the rise of Antiochus.

10-12 is all part of a single visionary event. Daniel sees what is probably an angel, likely Gabriel again. Gabriel has just returned from conflict, having been freed by Michael. The events of the earthly realm are reflected in the heavenly realm - this is a major point in the apocalyptic genre. We hear another retelling of Antiochus and his rise to power, after a more lengthy recounting of Alexander and his division of his kingdom. A good study Bible will help you trace with kings the vision is speaking about. Then the promise that this suffering would come to an end. Finally in 12. 2 we have the first, unalloyed description of resurrection, judgment and an eternal kingdom of light.

Psalm 137 is a lament psalm that begins with a beautiful pathos and ends with a grisly desire for revenge. It is a nice segue into Ezekiel which wrestles with this question of exile in a more subtle and thoughtful way that Daniel's stories of heroic perseverance.

Ezekiel
Strap on your boots, things are about to get wild. Ezekiel is out there. There's just no other way to put it. Of all the prophets he is the most enigmatic, puzzling, extreme, bizarre - and therefore one of the most fascinating.

Ezekiel can be understood, however, more clearly in the proper context - that is: the exile to Babylon. Most of the book was finished there and deals specifically with the subjugation by Babylon and is addressed both to those who are left in Jerusalem before its ultimate destruction, as well as those who have already been taken away - and finally to all those in exile after the final destruction. It was almost certainly written by Ezekiel, a priest and prophet, and his followers and was carefully preserved as a work of writing, as opposed to an oral history. Much of the chronology is carefully preserved.

The focus of the book deals with the deep questions of Israel's identity and its relationship with God during exile. Has God abandoned Jerusalem and the Temple? Is there a purpose or reason for this suffering and exile? How do the people interpret the exile? Ezekiel tries to address these questions in a thoughtful and profound way.

Chapters 1-24 takes place in the period of the first exile, but before the fall of Jerusalem. Ezekiel is among those who are exiled first and is living in Babylon. His prophecies are against those back home in Jerusalem, really the last standing city, where Zedekiah is king

1-3: The vision and the call: On July 31, 593 BC Ezekiel, a priest of Yahweh's temple was by the river (really a canal) Chebar, which is in the heart of Babylon. He has been taken away into exile, away from his temple, away from his home, away from everything that made his life what it was. Perhaps he was considering what he would do now, and what God might be up to.

On that day he receives an amazing vision. Notice how many times he uses the word "like." He is using metaphors for a transcendent reality. In the vision he sees the glory of Yahweh, enthroned upon a chariot, which is guarded by terrifying cherubim, traveling with him - into exile. Notice that the dome of the cosmos is upon the chariot and the throne is above that dome. A voice comes from the throne and commissions Ezekiel to be a priest and to speak the truth to the people. He will be as hard as flint, and unwavering. If he does not speak, he will be guilty of their blood. If he does speak, he will not.

Quite the way to open a book.

4-5: Symbolic actions describing the siege (remember Jeremiah and Kings). The first thing Ezekiel must do is lay on his side for over a year, symbolizing the punishment of Israel and then on the other side for 40 days symbolizing the siege of Jerusalem. He must eat coarse bread and measure water to symbolize the difficulty of the siege and cook in such a way that it symbolizes how the Jews will become ritually unclean in Babylon during their exile. You could say Ezekiel was an early performance artist.

Shaving someone's beard and hair was often a way of humiliating the defeated. Cannibalism is likely another reference to the siege. There is the common prophetic theme that Israel will become a "byword" they will become a proverb that warns of foolishness, disloyalty and injustice.

6: A prophecy against idolatry. We see the beginnings of the metaphor of idolatry as adultery that becomes a major theme in Ezekiel.

7: The end is come upon them. Here injustice is seen as the primary cause (v. 19).

8: While at a meeting with some leaders (perhaps they had come to hear the vision?) Ezekiel is taken on a journey by a heavenly being. The heavenly journey companion is a common theme in apocalyptic literature. He has a vision of the abominations in Jerusalem in the Temple. Likely this refers to the temple under the reign of Manasseh before the reforms of Josiah, but the image still remains. If you recall, Josiah was given a break because of his faithfulness, but was told the judgment would still come.

9: The punishment that falls on Jerusalem because of their unfaithfulness - told in the typical apocalyptic form. Earthly realities have a spiritual analog.

10-11: The heavenly beings who punish Jerusalem come to the temple. The image hear is like the vision in chapter 1. In a sense, it could be a flashback. It tells how the glory of God, which was in the temple amongst the cherubs in the temple is transfered to the chariot. The chariot then moves east, outside the city, to the Mount of Olives, which is one of the notable borders of the city (where the people will be judged (11.11). The vision from chapter 1 describes the chariot traveling with the people to exile, and is meant to be a vision of comfort.

In the midst of this vision, a prophecy of doom in heard in chapter 11, along with the prophecy that Pelatiah (a friend) will die. Ezekiel is given an assurance that God is with those in exile, and that they are the remnant that will one day return to the land.

12: Ezekiel is told to act like someone in exile. He sneaks out through the wall. The point is a symbolic act prophecy, proclaiming that those left in Jerusalem will be taken into exile as well. Ezekiel then eats with trembling, and assures the skeptics that these prophecies will be fulfilled. Again, he plays the part of the performance artist.

13: Ezekiel prophecies against the false prophets who were saying everything was okay. Many of the prophets had the same problem, especially Jeremiah. He also speaks against women who prophesied and used magic to attack or defend people. The talk about "hunting lives" likely refers to some form of stealing or imprisoning someone's soul.

14: Two issues: first loyalty to Yahweh is paramount. Leaders who come to seek God's counsel who are still idolaters will not get a word from God. Second - the judgment of Israel is inevitable. Sodom would have been saved if it had had 10 righteous in it, but not Jerusalem. Only righteous individuals will be saved.

15: analogy of useless wood. If the grape vine is not producing, you can't use it for carpentry. Wild vines might be poisonous. This is what Jerusalem is like, fit only to be burned.

16: Another allegory. Israel is a foundling that God raised and then married. He took care of her, but she became a whore, chasing after other gods, the power of other nations, and wealth through the neglect of the poor. God's punishment is now upon her and she will be humiliated and judged among the nations.

17: A fable against Zedekiah, who was put in power and then rebelled against Babylon. Later a messianic prophecy of a king (sprig) who will restore the kingdom and make Yahweh known.

18: The people in exile were blaming their parents for their current situation (a similar thing happens in Jeremiah). The argument that follows states that, first, the generation that Ezekiel is with is hardly blameless, and second, though the community suffers for the sin of one, if a person does what is right, they will live and not be under judgment. He does not let them get away with blaming their parents, however.

19: The lions and the vines are the kings of Judah, both who were deposed and taken away by Babylon.

20.1-44: August 14, 591 BC. A retelling of the history of Israel, showing their pattern of rebellion and their lack of loyalty to Yahweh and Yahweh's law. There is also a promise that the covenant would be renewed (apparently by force if necessary) and that they would be restored on Mt. Zion (the holy mountain).

20.45-21: The "Sword" prophecies really start hear, with a forest fire in the Negev (the southern desert), which is seen as a sword against Jerusalem. The sword - that is battle - is prepared. The Babylonian king uses divination to determine which rebel to attack first. The lot falls on Jerusalem, which will be destroyed, but the Ammonites are warned that their joy at being spared will not be long.

22: Three metaphors and judgments: Jerusalem is bloody, it is dross, it is corrupt. It violates the law of God, it commits injustice against the poor, it murders for gain, it is lewd and idolatrous. Therefore it will be destroyed.

23: Again we see adultery as a metaphor for Israel and Judah's disloyalty. Ezekiel sees alliances with these other nations as a big part of the problem. Rather than trusting in these alliances they should trust in Yahweh. Political pragmatism had nothing on Yahweh's geopolitical power.

Israel is Oholah - her (own) tent. Oholibah is Judah - my tent is in her. This of course refers to the temple which was in Jerusalem (in Judah). Judah suffers the worst punishment because God actually dwelt within her, rather than Israel, which built their own temples in Beth and Dan after the nations split.

The final part of the chapter, starting in v. 36, is what would have taken part in a Jewish court setting. God is the plaintive, bringing an indictment against Jerusalem for adultery. The evidence is laid out and Jerusalem is sentenced for the crime: public stoning.

24: January 15, 588 BC: The pot of Jerusalem (11.3) is not just going to cook the meat it is going to destroy it. The cauldron is a nasty, unclean pot, and it's contents will be burned up.

Ezekiel's wife dies, and he is told not to mourn, for the destruction of Jerusalem, and the ending of the people will leave them utterly dumbfounded. Ezekiel will no longer prophecy until news of the destruction of Jerusalem arrives. Then he will proclaim a new message of restoration.

25-32: This section, which I will simply summarize is a series of prophecies against foreign countries. Israel's antagonists will be judged and punished. This builds the bridge between the judgment of Judah and the promise of return. Once their enemies are defeated, they can return in peace. The nations which are judged are Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philisita, Tyre, Sidon and Egypt.

1 Timothy
For the background of the pastoral epistles, see the introduction to Titus. Timothy was a co-worker with Paul, often seen as a kind of protégé. He is mentioned quite a few times in Acts, and Paul mentions him in his letters frequently as well.

The letter itself is a kind of exhortative letter to encourage the young leader in the place of his ministry. It is mixed with advise, teaching, instruction, recommendations, warnings, even commiseration.

Perhaps because of this it is a largely disorganized letter compared to the other Pauline letters. It skips from subject to subject and then back again - sometimes even contradicting Paul's own arguments elsewhere (2.15).

The main concerns of this letter, like Titus, is to maintain the proper teaching that was handed down, to select good leaders and to maintain order in families. There is something very Puritan here, and you could almost see where the Puritan culture arises from these letters. On the other hand I doubt very seriously that Timothy's church was much like the Puritan communities.

2 Timothy
Here is much more personal letter than2 Timothy the first. Paul is almost certainly near death, and uses at the end (4.6-8) nearly every metaphor for life and death he has used in all his previous letters.

Indeed the letter is written by one who is close to death, and one who finds himself lonely at the end. He seeks to gather friends around and comforts himself with the gospel in 2.8-13.

Philemon
What can you say about Philemon? It is practically dripping with enuendo and allusions - even some sarcasm. The situation? Paul has encountered a slave, Onesimos, who belongs to Philemon (most likely). He writes to Philemon, probably to convince him that it would be better that Onesimos be free and be able to serve Paul. None of this is said in the open, however is strongly implied by 16 and 21. Notice Paul addresses the letter to the entire church (v. 2) - and Paul definitely makes it known that he wishes to ask out of love - not demand - though Philemon owes Paul everything (v. 19). We might take a look at this interesting book when next we gather.

1 Peter
First, the letters ascribed to Peter in the New Testament, were almost certainly not written by Peter. The Greek is too good for a Jewish fisherman, and the the concerns are more Hellenistic, and almost nothing written about Jesus reflects a writer who would have spent so much time with him. The Jesus here is the cosmic Christ, the one who transformed the universe and brought about a new age.

It is however, a letter, written probably around 90 AD, perhaps by the elder in 5.1 (notice not apostle). 1 Peter offers comfort in a time of social unrest, when the community of Christ is being ostracized by the local society. The are assured of their place as God's people and encouraged to endure.

1: The introduction, and a proclamation of the gospel. Then a call to holy living based on this new identity.

2-3.12 : The call to holy living continues, surrounded by examples of our identity in Christ, and is applied it to the congregation's relation with the state, and how it was lived out in the home, especially (apparently) with unbelievers. In each case the Christian is called to humility and patience and is reminded that actions speak louder than words.

3:13-5: Suffering for the good. Using Christ as an example, Christians are called to also live in obedience to the desire of God, even in the face of suffering. Suffering is not passive, but arises from an active life, one that sets aside old ways and acts in compassion. Suffering is a to be a witness for God's desire for all people. Those who suffer will be vindicated when God returns to fulfill God's kingdom. The letter ends with the typical greetings and encouragement.

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

2008-12-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

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.

Jeremiah 25-52/Hebrews 5-13

2008-12-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah
25: The judgment of God shall be visited upon Judah by Babylon, however Babylon and these other nations will not escape punishment. The last half of 25, 15-38 almost seems to be a diatribe against war in general - a cup that causes uncontrolled violence and sorrow.

26-29: A large narrative whose question is how to tell the difference between a false and true prophecy.

At first Jeremiah prophecies against Judah during Jehoiakim's reign. But is it true. The priests and other prophets, who have been prophesying good things want to do away with him, but the officials, who would carry out the punishment want to wait, to see what happens.

Now chapter 27 is at a different point. If you remember from Kings, the exile from Judah and Jerusalem is in two phases. Babylon comes and takes most of the royal family and many people away to exile in Babylon and puts Zedekiah on the throne. So during Zedekiah's reign a few things happen. First, Zedekiah is thinking about a rebellion with these other tribes. Jeremiah puts on a yoke and says - don't do it - you will be under the yoke of Babylon and you can't shake it off.

Hananiah disagrees and breaks the yoke - but in the place of a wooden oak, an iron yoke is put in its place. Jeremiah sends word to exiles to buy houses and find wives - you're going to be there for a while. Jeremiah is prophesying a long stay, while the other prophets are saying the stay will be short.

Guess who was right.

30-36 form a kind of unit. 30-31.27 form what is called the Book of Consolation, a collection of poems and sayings that fortells the renewal of God's covenant, the restoration of the people and identifies that with a return of the exiles.

31.38-33 is a kind of apendix to this book and speaks of the future of Jerusalem.

30: A call upon God, who is only one who can help. The enemies will be judged and the people will be restored. The city will be rebuilt.

31: The promise of return and restoration is given to both Israel (Ephraim) and Judah. The section ends in v. 26 with the return from exile to the holy hill. The next section is a series of eschatological promises: Children will not suffer for the misdeeds of their parents; a new covenant will be made in which God will write the Law on the hearts of the people; as surely as the sun rises in the east, Israel will exist; Jerusalem will be rebuilt.

32: The events of this chapter actually follow chapter 37, and it might be helpful if you read that first. It describes how Jeremiah was suspected of collaborating with the Babylonians and was arrested, but then freed and returned to Zedekiah.

Basically the city has had a reprieve from a siege and the people believe they have been delivered, but Jeremiah warns - no - even if there was only wounded men in the camp, they would still burn Jerusalem to the ground.

In the midst of all this - Jeremiah buys a plot of ground in near by Benjamin. God tells him to do this as a kind of sign that the people would one day return and that a remnant would indeed be preserved. However Jeremiah tells his secretary Baruch to put it in a jar to preserve it for a long time.

33: Jeremiah receives this while in the court of the guard 37.21. These are more prophesies about the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem. While the enemies are at the gates, he is basically telling people - they will conquer us and drag us off, but one day the city will be rebuilt and the people of Israel will not vanish away.

34: The siege of Jerusalem begins. Zedekiah is promised that though he will go into captivity he will still be given a proper burial (very important at this time). Only Lachish and Azekah were left with Jerusalem as cities of Judah.

The people free their Hebrew slaves during the siege, but it appears that when Babylon leaves to fight Egypt, they make them slaves again. This incurs God's wrath, who promises to bring back the Babylonians to finish the job.

35: Flashback to the previous reign - we get a story of the Rechabites (they were connected with the purge of Jehu 2 Kings 10.15-28). They are faithful in their vows, but the people of Jerusalem are not. The Rechabites become a contrast to the faithlessness of Judah.

36: Another flashback - the king burns the scroll of prophesies that Jeremiah dictated to Baruch. This is in contrast to Josiah, who, when the scroll of the law is found, tears his clothes and weeps, and begins broad reforms.

37: See above - we're kind of back where we started :).

38: Jeremiah continues to advise surrender. The officials are worried about morale and throw Jeremiah in the cistern - which is mud - which means there is basically no water - which means the siege is starting to get ugly.

He is rescued by a visiting Ethiopian court official (not necessarily a eunuch) and goes secretly to Zedekaiah. Again - tells him to surrender. Zedekaiah hears him, but makes him keep his advise secret and returns him to house arrest.

39-40.6: Jerusalem falls. Compare with chapter 52. The king flees but is caught. His sons are killed before him and it is the last thing he sees, for he is then blinded. He is taken away, along with everyone else, except the poor. Jeremiah is left as well, and he promises the Ethiopian that he will be okay because of his help.

Jeremiah is treated well by the captors and given several choices. He ends up going with Gedaliah, who Nebuchadnezzar appointed over the towns of Judah.

40.7-41: Gedaliah and his assassination. Gedaliah seems to be a good guy and is setting things in order, keeping civilization under the Babylonians alive. However, Ishmael, who was a relation of the royal family, plots his assassination. He is killed "as they ate bread together" which was particularly heinous. Ishmael tries to seize power, but Johanan defeats him and he flees to the Ammonites.

These events likely lead to the third exile mentioned in 52.30, one which truly decimate the Jewish population.

42-44: What to do now? Johanan and the leaders ask Jeremiah. He says, "Stay. The Babylonians will be cool and not kill you." They say, "Liar. We're out of here." They go to Egypt - taking Jeremiah with them, probably unwillingly. Jeremiah warns that they will be destroyed if they do. When they get to the border fort of Tahpanhes Jeremiah warns that Nebuchadnezzar will conquer even here. There is no where you can go to escape this wrath.

44 seems to skip in time ahead a bit. The people have returned to worshiping some consort of Yahweh and likely Eyptian gods. The Pharaoh is assassinated by a rival as in verse 30. The Jews in Egypt fade from history and lose their culture.

45: A short chapter - not the scrolls from the previous chapters, but apparently something personal - that Baruch would survive the turmoil ahead.

46-51: Oracles against the foreign nations. Once again the nations around Judah and who ally against Judah or lead her into falsehood are judged. Babylon gets a second helping.

52: The historical appendix, summarizing man of the events in Jeremiah and similar to 2 Kings 24.18-25.30. Nebuzaradan's purge took even many of the poor away, though he still left some as laborers. For some, the rising Jehoiachin (also described in 2 Kings) was the first foreshadowing of return.

Hebrews
5: Jesus was called to his office as high priest and appointed by God. His cries were heard because of his faithfulness and humility - even in the midst of great suffering - Paul would add for this reason his name was exalted above every other name (see Philipians 2). There is a very similar theme hear. The author warns that this matter is for mature thinkers. He is offering milk not solid food, for, like the majority of adults, they have likely not been able to shift their thinking from concrete to abstract when it comes to religious thinking.

6: After a warning against losing hope, the author assures his listeners that they have not fallen away and he encourages them to continue to grow. He refers them to the promise of God given to them through Abraham - I will bless you. God promise will not change. He then introduces the idea of the order of Melchizedek.

7: Who is Melchizedek? Reread Genesis 14.17-20 and Psalm 110.4. Jesus' priesthood comes outside the Levitical priesthood - that is the descendants of Aaron. The priesthood of Melchizedek is eternal, having no beginning or end and no human root. Therefore it is greater, and Jesus offers the sacrifice, not over and over, but once for all.

8: The comparison is clear: Christ serves in an eternal priesthood and as a priest in the heavenly tabernacle. The earthly priesthood is on earth in an earthly temple, built by human hands. Christ also serves a new covenant (see Jeremiah that we are reading) not an older one. The new covenant is perfected in Jesus while the old covenant was broken.

9: Following the description of worship in the traveling tabernacle built by Moses (not Solomon's temple or the Second Temple), we again have a comparison of rituals and an accompanying metaphor: Priestly ministry, covenant, and the purifying of the sanctuary. In each case Jesus is seen as the supreme priest offering his own eternal blood to purify the sanctuary and ratify this new covenant.

10: Since Christ has purified the sanctuary for all time, we are invited to come before God - even the holy of holies. It cannot be polluted any longer - we are called to enter with confidence and faith and together to worship and call upon God. The author again warns about losing hope and losing faith which holds it up, for the Day is approaching.

11: These stories should be familiar by now :), not only our exercise but from last summer. All these are recounted - first as a point of compassion - that is of co-suffering - that they suffered as we did. Second - that they suffered for something unseen - or more properly - something unrealized.

12: How much more then should we lay aside anything that weighs us down in the race, since we have seen their hope realized and manifested! You can almost hear him saying - stop complaining - lift your drooping hands! Strengthen your weak knees!

The author continues - make peace - do not be like Esau. We have not come upon something that can be touched - but the city of the living God - the heavenly Jerusalem. Here the author gets rather doxological. This faith that is authored is something that is greater than anything before.

13: An exhortation and practical teaching about living life. Most epistles contain this kind of section. The final farewell identifies the letter as more of a sermon (exhortation) than a letter per se. Timothy is mentioned, though whether this is "the" Timothy or someone else, or even a later gloss is unclear.

Jeremiah 15-24/Colossians/Hebrews 1-4

2008-12-01T14:55:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah
15: An interesting section that is a dialog with God and personal lament of Jeremiah

16: Along with judgments, Jeremiah is again called to act out his prophecy by not taking a wife, bearing children, or attending feasts.

17: The heart - upon which is written in indestructible ink the sin of Judah - which is like a tree planted by waters when it trusts God - but which will fall when it is deceitful. Also a passage on the Sabbath - which means it wasn't being kept.

18: The potter and the pot. God's rights over his people are absolute. They plot against Jeremiah who speaks against their leaders. Jeremiah again laments.

19-20: Jeremiah goes to proclaim the Lord's decision - this is not a preaching for repentance but the announcement of a judgment - I have pronounced. Pashur arrests him, and Jeremiah renames him "Terror-all-around." Now Pashur, as well as Jeremiah, will be the source of the bad news.

We then have another lament of Jeremiah, parts of which sound a bit like Job. He wishes he had never been born.

21: Later, Jeremiah is asked to prophecy for Zedekiah, who is regent after a first invasion by Babylon. The news is not good. There is not hope - those who wish to live should surrender.

22: The sons of Josiah are judged for two reasons: The worship other gods and they do not do justice in the land. The pronouncement here - though a brief offer of forgiveness is at the beginning - is again somewhat final.

23: Prophecies against kings (shepherds) is accompanied by the promise of a king who would do justice and establish the kingdom of God. The prophet then takes aim at other prophets, those who claim to speak for God but don't, and those who proclaim that "all is well," rather than Jeremiah's warnings.

24: The basket of figs: The remnant will be the good figs - the one who go into exile; these God will preserve. The bad figs are Zedekiah and his court - those who remain behind or seek to maintain some semblance of power.

Colossians
Colossae is a town along the Lycus river kind of in the middle of modern day Turkey. The church was founded by Epaphras, and it appears Paul had not visited it when he wrote the letter. Since the letter was likely written by Paul very late in life, it is unlikely he ever visited.

The introduction is one of the more powerful ones, and the letter contains more liturgical type language than Paul's others. He will notice the phrase in v. 12, "share in the inheritance of the saints in light" which is a common liturgical phrase.

We have been transferred out of a kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his Son - who Paul then goes on to describe in doxological terms - the basis for the security and power of Christ.

Paul describes his ministry in 1.24-2.6. He then begins the meat of the letter - a warning against people who were trying to make certain spiritual practices necessary for salvation. There also appeared to be some kind of mystical magic - binding one self to elemental spirits - which has various interpretations. Paul's point is that we are set free by Christ.

Chapter 3, Christ again becomes the focal point as Paul lays down the rules for community living - in which Christ is all in all. He encourages them to pray - "keeping alert in it with thanksgiving" (remember your blessings?). This wraps up chapter 4 and the final greeting to various people.

Hebrews
Hebrews is a unique work in the New Testament. It is a letter, but it is a very general one - an open letter to all the Jews scattered throughout the empire. It also has no author, and no claim to author. Some ascribe it to Paul, but from the early church there were scholars who strongly disagreed. Today few would ascribe it to Paul. The main point of the letter is to show how Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial system as its high priest as well as its offering.

1: Christ is supreme - not a prophetic word but the perfect expression of God - the exact imprint. Christ is also greater than the angles and the one who sustains all of creation.

2: It was fitting that Christ become one of us, so that he could lead us out of death and into life. By dying he destroyed death and rescues us from it, leading us out of it, and into fraternal fellowship.

3: Comparison of Jesus and Moses, the greatest leader of the Jews. While they were alike in faithfulness, Jesus was a son, not a servant. Moses served in the house, Jesus over it. We then hear the exhortation to not harden our hearts and rebel, but trust in God and his Son.

4: A discussion of rest - which starts in 3 and concludes here. Did the Israelites find rest during Joshua's time? No, for David speaks of entering "rest." God rested on the 7th day, but that was pointed to the past. To rest in God is to trust in him and seek him through Jesus.

Verses 12 and 13 are two of the great verses in Scripture, explaining the power, meaning, and purpose of Scripture. It is alive and discerning. We do not simply read it; it reads us and lays us bare. That is why it should be read, and what its true nature is.

The author then introduces the idea of Jesus as High Priest which he will elaborate on for some time and which we will pick up next week.

Zephaniah/Jeremiah 1-4/Habakkuk/2 Chronicles 35/Colossians 1/Acts 24-28

2008-11-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

Zephaniah: A prophet who speaks of utter destruction, even, in chapter 1, of the entire world and all living things. He warns both foreign cities and Jerusalem itself in chapter 3 of the Day of the Lord that is coming because of the worship of other gods. It is not, however, without hope. If the people will turn to God they will be saved.

2 Chronicles
35: The story of the great passover held by Josiah the reformer king. Followed very closely on this is the story of the death of Josiah. He goes against the Egyptian, when he shouldn't have. He is killed by archers and is buried in Jerusalem.

Habakkuk: Like Zephaniah can be dated to the seventh century BC, the rise of Babylonian power. He is likely between the time of Josiah's great reign, and the kings that followed in which Babylon and the Chaldeans became a greater threat.

Jeremiah
Jeremiah was likely born at some point in Josiah's reign and prophesied and lived during the end of the Judah's existence as a independent kingdom. He is one of the most important prophets because his book tells the story of those who lived through the Babylonian exile in a way that no other book quite captures. It is also likely that it was composed by Jeremiah and his servant Baruch, though it shows later editing, it is a book that is firmly anchored in the history that swirls around it.

1: Jeremiah receives a call, that, unlike many prophets, is described in some detail. Notice the call is not something nice or gentle. "Do not break down...or I will break you" v. 17.

2: A series of indictments of Israel. They have not been loyal to Yahweh, though he has been loyal to him. They have not done justice or followed the covenant. God therefore pronounces his judgment on them.

3: Like the previous chapter Jeremiah recalls the adulterous ways of the children of God. Again we see him refer to Israel to the north, that has fallen completely, being under Assyrian rule and having lost its identity. Here, however, we hear a chance that the people can return if they will return to God.

4-6: The opponent from the north is described. People wear fine clothes and go about their business, but the destroyer comes with chariots and horses to over throw their world. It should be pointed out that because of the terrain, virtually any conqueror from the east would approach from the north, not the east

7-9: The "Temple Sermon" a call to repentance that the people will not heed (v. 27) but Jeremiah gives it anyway, speaking truth to deaf ears. At this point, the salvation of Jerusalem from destruction is considered impossible.

10: Because of idols, the people are told to prepare to leave.

11: starts a larger section reasserting further that the fate of Judah is sealed

12: Jacob's lament over Israel and God's response, also a lament.

13: Two symbolic acts, involving a loincloth and a jar. Is there time for repentance? Exile is coming v. 13 ff.

14: Another lament over the destruction of Jerusalem and her exile.

Acts 24-28: Paul on trial for the riot that took place earlier. Felix seems a slippery fellow, expecting a bribe for setting Paul free; however he is also apparently disturbed by part of Paul's message. He waits until his replacement Festus comes to office, and leaves the problem to him.

Paul speaks to Festus, who is impressed and invites King Agrippa to hear him as well. Agrippa is also impressed, and had Paul not appealed to the Emperor, says he would be freed. Festus, however breaks out during his description of the resurrection - "Paul you are talking nonsense now!" It is agreed to send Paul to Rome. The voyage is perilous, and they wreck in a storm. Paul lives through a snake bite and makes his way to Rome, waiting to speak with the emperor.

We start the book with a small group of terrified followers in an upper room, and end with one of its greatest leaders waiting to speak to the most powerful man in the world. Quite a story.

Hosea 9-14/Micah/Nahum/2 Chronicles 33,34/Romans 15:14-16/Acts 21-23

2008-11-17T13:12:00.001-08:00

Hosea
9-14: Israel, the Kingdom to the North, here often called Ephraim because of it's largest tribe continues under indictment. Perhaps the most poignant is chapter 11, when the metaphor of a child is used, and God is described as a parent who nurtures and cares for a child, even when it is unaware. There is a final call to repentance in chapter 14, but Hosea is mostly bleak. The implication here is that Israel's fate is all but sealed.

Micah
Micah is a prophet who likely did most of his work during the last 25 years of the 8th cent. BC. He prophesied especially in the South against Jerusalem, which he called a high-place - that is a place of false worship. He is famous for having prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem.

1-3: Staring with the Northern Kingdom - referring to Samaria - we may think this is an indictment of Israel, however the prophet quickly turns that into a comparison of the two and then an indictment of Judah. For someone in the South a comparison with the North would have been offensive.

4-5: A vision of an ideal Kingdom - the Kingdom of God when there is peace and nations will be at peace. The Messiah, a new David, will arise and establish this Kingdom.

6-7: A further indictment coupled with a call to repentance. God is full of mercy. For Balak and Balaam - reread Numbers 22-24 if you want a refresher.

Nahum
The book of Nahum is an ecstatic gloating over the fall of Assyria, specifically the fall of it's capital Nineveh. The Assyrians had been an oppressive super power in that area of the Mid-East for centuries. It's destruction by the Medes and Chaldeans was celebrated as a just reward for their evil oppression, and the hand of God is seen it that victory. It was the Assyrians who destroyed Samaria and took the people of Israel into exile and removed them from history.

2 Chronicles
33: Manasseh was a bad king. One of the worst. His exile to Assyria and return and later repentance are not recorded in Kings. Amon was as bad or worse than his father.

34: Following David and Solomon, Josiah is considered the greatest King of Judah. He reforms worship, does away with idolatry and worshiping Yahweh outside the temple. He restores the temple and educates the people. He also discovers a book of the law - likely some form of Deuteronomy. Because of his faithfulness, the judgment of Israel (mostly on account of Manasseh and Amon) is postponed during his reign.

Romans
Paul concludes his arguments and sends greeting to many. He is concerned about a visit to Judea and looks forward to visiting Rome on his way to Spain. Notice the women who support him as well as Junia, who is an apostle.

Acts 21-23
There is great consternation about Paul's return to Jerusalem and for good reason. No sooner does he arrive at the Temple than he causes a riot. He asks to address the people and he does, but they riot again and Paul is arrested. When it is discovered that he is a Roman citizen, however, things change, and the Roman authority will have to decide what to do with him.

Isaiah 56-66/Hosea 1-8/Romans 10-15:13

2008-11-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

Isaiah
56-59: We start in Third Isaiah here, though that is more a thematic division than anything else. After the middle section speaking comfort, we return to the dire warnings. Foreigners are invited to participate in the covenant, while wild animals are invited into Judah. Remember a place returning to the wild was a sign that civilization was lost. While there is some consolation in this section, the primary theme seems to be one describing a rift between God and God's people.

60-62: Again this section should sound familiar, especially around Christmas time. Here is a long hymn singing of the renewal of Jerusalem and the light that returns to it. This is the good news that people were looking forward to.

63-66: Again a return to warnings. There are two sides and two peoples in this section, one who God will deliver and one who will be destroyed. Loyalty to Yahweh is the focus of this section.

Hosea
Hosea was a prophet to the northern kingdom, Israel, not long before it was destroyed and the people taken away by the Assyrian invaders. He uses metaphors from nature, agriculture and family structures (Father/Son/Wife etc.). He refers to Israel often as Ephraim (the largest tribe) and Samaria, which was it's capital.

1-3: The "biographical" information on Hosea. Hosea did not just speak prophecy, he lived it, much in the same way that other prophets did, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, etc. Hosea is told to marry a prostitute, to name several children (likely not his and born while they were married). He puts her away and the woos her back, renaming the children as he goes. The point is that Israel has acted the whore to God's faithfulness, and while God is angry, his anger will not last forever, and he will call her back.

4-8: A long diatribe and judgment on Israel primarily for chasing after other God's and disloyalty to Yahweh. There is little hope given here, at the beginning of chapter 6, but it is unclear if it is to be taken seriously.

Romans
10-11: What then of the Jews? Are they lost? No! Paul says. They are under the covenant they made through Moses and grace is still available to them. God will save all Israel, and it is through them that we are saved, so don't become proud.

12: Here through 15:13 is a long discourse a living this new, transformed life spoken of in 12:1-2. What does this transformation look like: acknowledging the gifts of others, living peacefully even in an oppressive setting, welcoming those who do not agree with us, doing no wrong to one another, not abusing our freedoms, even if it means curtailing them. That pretty much sums it up.

Isaiah 38-555/Romans 5-9

2008-11-04T12:46:00.001-08:00

Isaiah
37-38 are retellings of stories from 2 Kings 20. You may recall Hezekiah is sick, but is given 15 more years. He is visited by the Babylonians and shows them all his treasures, which turns out to be a bad idea.

Chapter 40 begins a new section of the book and is often called the "Consolation of Israel." The prophecies here speak of the return of the people from Exile in Babylon and speak in good terms of its Emperor Cyrus who supports the return of the Israelites.

40-44:8
An extended poem which makes the promise of consolation and return of the people. God does this "for his own sake." He raises up kings and knocks the down. The idea of the "servant" also is introduced and will play an important role in this section of Isaiah. The servant probably has several different valid interpretation - the term is multivalent. On one level the servant is Cyrus who opens the way for the people to return. At another level it is Israel who brings in God's kingdom on behalf of the world. At yet another level it is the Messiah who is the individual who inaugurates and ultimately manifest the kingdom of God and the return of the Israelites to the promised land.

44-45: After a diatribe against idols the seer gives an oracle primarily about Cyrus who will be the one who makes the return possible - as well as the invitation to all nations to worship God.

47-55 is the second major part of the this section of Isaiah. The constant theme is though Israel is small God is great. There are warnings and invitations to the nations. There is the call to repentance and the call to return to the land.

52:13-53 have had many interpretations and much ink has been spilled about them. My understanding would be, like most prophecy in the Old Testament, that at the time the suffering servant referred to Israel, who was small, weak and beat up, but has now been exalted for the sake of the world and through whom the world may now know the power of Yahweh. Of course the same could be said about Jesus, and thus the early Christians (I think correctly) saw this as also speaking of Jesus.

The final two chapters are an invitation to the Kingdom and return to the promised land. Chapter 55 especially should sound familiar.

Romans
5: Paul talks extensively about the workings of justification (righteousness) - that is salvation. Let me lay it out - being justified by faith is to be justified by the faith of Jesus - that is our participation in that faith: So it is discussed in several different ways - his faith/trust in God led to his obedience even to death, so Paul speaks of his death, his blood, his obedience. The grace made available is more powerful than the transgression that made this salvation a need.

6: answers the old age question: If we're really saved by faith and grace, does that mean we can do whatever we want? Paul says - NO WAY! In essence his argument is that the way of faith and grace leads us into a life that is life giving, rather than one that is life-taking. The way of life we are brought into is one that leads to life; the way of sin leads to death. Grace frees us from sin so that we may turn in that direction.

7: This can get a little confusing, and I think Paul is talking about the disintegration of the individual as a result of sin, but I think I can make this a little more simple. Is the law bad because it shows us sin? Is it bad because it revealed it? What is its role? We could say the same thing about Doctors. Sometimes when we are sick we may not even know it; or we might not feel good and not know why. If I visit the Dr. I'll (hopefully) find out, and he will give me medication or some other treatment. However, it is not the Dr. who heals, it is the medication. The Dr. simply diagnoses. Is the Dr. therefore bad because he told me I was sick? No - but the Dr. doesn't heal either. This is a gross analogy, but I hope you get the point.

8: This chapter is really summarized by the first verse: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The rest of the chapter is riff on that statement, ending with that great verse 38.

9: A complicated start to a complicated topic - what then Israel who has rejected the Messiah? Paul begins with his own sorrow over his own people and speaks to the validity of the calling of Gentiles - the promise was not given to all of Abraham's children (of the flesh) but to the one who was the child of promise. The Gentiles inherit this promise as well when they seek it through faith and not through works of fulfilling the law. I believe the section on God's power to deal with creation as God sees fit is a bit weak here and is answered elsewhere in a better manner. Notice however that the vessels of wrath are people with whom God has already endured with much patience.

Isaiah 17-37/Ephesians 5-6/Romans 1-4

2008-10-27T16:01:00.001-07:00

Isaiah
There is a break in prophecies against other kingdoms in chapter 20, and we get a bit of acted-out prophetic sign. You will read of more of these, in which prophets don't merely speak, but actually act out in some way the things that God is saying.

The prophecy against Babylon is echoed in the book of Revelation.

Chapters 24-27 are further judgment on enemies. It is a loose collection of passages. These are sometimes considered a kind of apocalypse, thought that genre doesn't really take form until later. In the midst of 25 there is the promise of a final feast that echoes our own ideas of the marriage supper of the lamb.

Chapter 28 starts a series of oracles against Israel (Ephraim) and Judah. Again we get the sense of judgment and mercy, or hard times that are followed by deliverance. Chapter 29 stands out as it speaks of a siege that is miraculously broken, as the siege of Sennacherib during the reign of Hezekiah. 31 warns against an alliance with Egypt and that the Assyrians will flee.

32 begins with another description of a glorious kingdom, though it seems a failed harvest makes way for it. 33 of the end of a despotic ruler replaced by the salvation of Yahweh. 34 speaks judgment on Edom, Israel's cousin who sometimes turned against it. The idea of a place being reclaimed by nature is a powerful symbol for depopulated and abandoned land.

35 is a famous passage, an image of return and re-establishment. It became an important vision of the kingdom of God.

36-37 is the story of the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib. Hezekiah pleads to God, consults Isaiah and God defeats the army of Sennacherib, who flees back home, where he is killed much later. Understand the force we're talking about here. Assyria was the superpower of the time, and nearly undefeated. Imagine if the US laid siege to Panama and lost 100,000 soldiers in one night to some unknown plague. We might pull out as well. The Panamanians would certainly have a couple of interpretations of what happened as well.

Ephesians
Paul continues his discussion of new life - and digresses extensively into the similarity of marriage between man and woman and Christ and the church. As a man and wife are one flesh, so Christ is one flesh with his church. Don't get too wrapped up in "women should submit" stuff - it's a pretty weak interpretation of this passage that would seem to emphasize unity and mutual care.

Finally this letter concludes with an encouragement to stay strong in the faith and to pray for one another, for Paul and his ministry and the church. He concludes with a short mention of someone - the most personal he has been in the entire letter.

Romans
Romans is probably, from a theological standpoint, Paul's most significant work. It has very little of the particularity that we see in Philippians or Corinthians. It is written to a church Paul has yet to visit. Perhaps for that reason Paul sets out on a theological project that became his masterpiece.

To quote N. T. Wright: Romans is "neither a systematic theology nor a summary of Paul's lifework, but it is by common consent his masterpiece. It dwarfs most of his other writings, an Alpine peak towering over hills and villages. Not all onlookers have viewed it in the same light or from the same angle, and their snapshots and paintings of it are sometimes remarkably unalike. Not all climbers have taken the same route up its sheer sides, and there is frequent disagreement on the best approach. What nobody doubts is that we are here dealing with a work of massive substance, presenting a formidable intellectual challenge while offering a breathtaking theological and spiritual vision".

1: Paul opens with a very Jewish framework by way of introduction. This comes into play later in his discussion about "the Jews." There had been anti-Jewish pogroms in the empire, and it is sometimes thought that this Roman church had an anti-Jewish bent. He continues to emphasize the Jewishness of the gospel, which comes to the Jew first and then the Greek, and then proceeds to excoriate pagan worship practices with the unnaturally immoderate indulgence of their sexual appetites (it is unlikely this passage has anything to do with what we think of as "sexual orientation" today) and worship of animals instead of immortal God.

2: This is all about accountability. Paul is making it very clear that no one gets away from the judgment of God - he expands this later in chapter 3. Even those who keep the law do not always follow the heart of the law and the purpose of the law.

3: The law reveals our sin and condemns us. Grace forgives us and frees us. That is pretty much it - it is a gift that cannot be boasted about - whether Jew or Greek. Because of our inability to fulfill the law, God forgives us through the one who did fulfill it, Jesus.

4: The example of Abraham, who becomes the forefather of the religion. He is saved by his faith in God. He trusts God regardless of the circumstances and it is that that saves him. There was no Law before Moses, so Abraham could not be saved by it.

2 Chronicles 27-32;Isaiah 7-16/Acts 19-20/Ephesians 1-4

2008-10-23T11:16:00.001-07:00

2 Chronicles
We start with a decent king in Jotham, but then we find ourselves embroiled with Ahaz - one of the worst who "followed the ways of the kings of Israel." His failures led to problems with neighboring tribes and the super-power of the time Assyria.

Hezekiah comes along and is quite a turn around. He works to restore the temple and reestablish worship there. He also leads the people in a national passover.

However there were problems because the Assyrians come through the land waging war and pillaging. Chronicles leaves out the tribute Hezekiah offers Sennacherib. However it does preserve the story of the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem by God. Hezekiah was one of the greatest post-Davidic kings.

Isaiah
Chapter 7 contains a famous messianic section. However, please note the situation. The prophecy is that by the time the boy, who is now inside his pregnant mother, is old enough to eat soft food, the enemies of Jerusalem will be no more. This prophecy is fulfilled, and the alliance fails to conquer Jerusalem.

There is a series of prophecies here, regarding the downfall of the northern kingdom, but also a promise that Yahweh would save his people. Chapter 10 pronounces judgment on Assyria for conquering God's people. Keep this in mind - the people are punished by God by an invader, Assyria - but Assyria is also judged for its violence.

Then we have another prophecy of a future peaceful kingdom and how God will reclaim the remnant of his people. Chapter 12 begins a series of pronouncements against foreign nations, often represented by their principle cities.

This part of Isaiah is full of this two sided prophecy. There will be punishment and exile - but God will still save God's people.

Acts
The major part here covers Paul's ministry in Ephesus, which was a center for Christianity. Many books are thought to have been written from here. Of course, we are also reading the book of Ephesians this week. Chapter 20 is Paul's final visit to Greece.

Ephesians
Ephesians lacks some of the typical characteristics of Paul's other letters. There is very little mention of people's names and the letter does not have the particularity that many of Paul's other letters had. It many way it is more of a homiletical type letter, similar to Romans, which is very didactic.

After a brief introduction, Paul gives thanks for the Ephesians and for the power of God in God's salvation of the world. He contrasts the old life with the new, the importance of grace and works. He reveals the secret that has put him in chains - namely that the Gentiles would become fellow heirs of this great salvation. Because God has done such great things - we should live in unity though we are all different, we should live our lives in a different way.

2 Chronciles/Joe/Isaiah/2 Corinthians

2008-10-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 22-28
Many sordid tales here. Especially of Athaliah, who you may remember from 2 Kings 11. We have some mixed kings until Uzziah, who was an important reformer.

Joel:
This prophet warned of the day of the Lord which would come upon the people unless they repented. You should recognize much of this text - or at least it should be vaguely familiar. Chapter 2, "Blow the trumpet in Zion," is read each year on Ash Wednesday.

Isaiah:
Probably the most important prophet after Moses, the book of Isaiah overshadows all the other prophets. It was written over the course of many centuries and was edited and re-edited. In its current form it divides in to two (or three for some scholars) sections: 1-39 which focuses on the political and historical situation of Judah and its eventual judgment. 40-66 (sometimes with another division at 55) is almost uniformly prophecy about returning to Yahweh, the preservation of a remnant, and Yahweh's promise to save his people and return them from exile. It is a long book, but there is much here which will seem familiar.

Chapter 1 is an introductory poem capturing many of the themes that will resonate throughout. 2-3 forms a kind indictment of Judah - the problem will consistently fall into two related themes: The have chased after other gods and they have perverted justice but not taking care of the poor and preserving an unequal society. The two are closely related, however, and in some sense dependent on one another, for it is the foreign gods who preserve the inequity, and it is attractiveness of inequity that leads people to chase foreign gods.

4 starts with a promise of renewal and then 5 is the famous love song of the vineyard.

6 is one of those important chapters in the Bible, which should sound familiar. King Uzziah (who we have just been reading about dies) and in that year the prophet Isaiah has a epiphanic vision. Holy, Holy, Holy the angels cry out - just as we do each Sunday and wonder at the ineffable glory of God.

2 Corinthians 9-13
Paul continues his argument with those who oppose him in Corinth. He parodies them and then talks about his own vision of Jesus in which he encountered the living God in the seventh (highest) heaven. He then lets them know that he will be stopping by - no doubt there was a great deal of anxiety on everyone's part over this. The conclusion is short - almost a warning.

2 Chronicles 7 -21;Obadiah/2 Corinthians 1 - 8

2008-10-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles
7: God himself (unlike the version in Kings) sends fire to consume the offering, legitimating the temple Solomon has built. After the great sacrifices Solomon makes at the temple, he receives a promise: The temple will be the center of worship and religious cult for the people; God will bless them and hear their prayers, but if they turn away to other gods, they will cast out of the land.

8: Solomon expands and establishes his kingdom. There are great buildings, works, fortifications etc. Solomon marries a daughter of Pharaoh.

9: Solomon is wealthy, famous for his wisdom, is visited by foreign dignitaries who marvel at his accomplishments etc. The David-Solomon time in Chronicles is the height of Israel's power, influence, and orthodoxy and becomes the standard by which all former and later kings are judged.

10: The splitting of the kingdom is in quite a different light in Chronicles. Here it happens on account of the unfaithfulness of the north rather than as a consequence of Solomon's disloyalty to Yahweh and unscrupulousness. Here Rehoboam ignores the sage advice of his elder councilors and instead listens to the young men, who cause him to be arrogant. The tribes of the north split off to form their own kingdom under Jeroboam.

11: Rehoboam is seen to be faithful the first three years, bringing in the priests from Israel, listening to the prophets and continuing to build up cities. Chronicles continues to be concerned with naming various people and we get that here as well. You will find that in the summary of a kings accomplishments will be listed the number of wives, concubines, sons and daughters the king had.

12: Rehoboam turns from following Yahweh. Exactly what that is is not told, but the invasion of Shishak of Egypt is also recounted in Kings. Here Rehoboam turns back to God, and is given a reprieve from total destruction. Shishak takes many gold items, but they are replaced by bronze ones. Definitely a sign of decline.

13: Abijah (Abijam in Kings) is a good king in Chronicles if not in Kings. He and Jeroboarm war, as was common, especially in the first years after the split. The story of Abijah is the story of how God is blessing the south because of their faithfulness to Yahweh, while the North flounders because of idolatry.

14-16: Asa was a good king and then a bad one. He begins with great faithfulness to Yahweh and reaps the rewards of prosperity and defeating of mighty enemies (the Ethiopians did not have a millionman army - no one did in those days...it likely refers to a particular cohort).

Asa launches a reform in chapter 15 in response to the prophet. He restores part of the temple and makes a covenant renewal in the form of sacrifices at a gathering of all the people at the temple.

Asa's faithfulness wains, however. He does not trust God, but, using treasure from the temple and palace to bribe to King of Aram to help him defeat the King of Israel at Ramah. The campaign is successful, but Asa is rebuked; which he doesn't like. Asa also fails to seek God when he becomes ill later in life.

17-20: King Jehoshaphat is another example of starting well and then having some trouble. He begins by fortifying the land and even sending out teachers to educate the people and cities the law of the Lord. He received tribute from vassal kings and had a good deal of peace during his reign.

Jehoshaphat makes an ill-conceived alliance with the king of Israel, Ahab - yes that Ahab. While this is one of the first real treaties with the north, likely secured by Jehoshahat's son Jehoram to Ahab's daughter, it will cause trouble in the South later.

They inquire of the Lord, as to whether they should join together to fight the King of Aram, and the prophets there say they will have success in battle, but Jehoshaphat doesn't believe them. He asks for another, and that prophet fortells doom - in fact Ahab is being lured to his demise.. They battle anyway and Ahab is killed - even though he is in disguise -, but Jehoshaphat escapes.

Jehoshaphat continues reforms in 19. In fact these are amazing reforms, that are not even done by in king in the book of Kings. Judges are setup and told to follow Yahweh, and the king himself travels through the country (Beer-sheba and Ephraim were the southern and northern borders of Judah) to bring "them back to Yahweh."

Chapter 20 covers the great war in which God defends the people from a large coalition of invaders. Jehoshaphat sees and is terrified of the multi-national army and realizes only God can save them. He prays on behalf of all the people, who are fasting. God hears their prayer. No one must fight to defeat this enemy. God does it on his own. Quite the lesson. We faced with an unbeatable foe, rely on God to do your fighting.

20 ends with another weakness of Jehoshaphat. He again makes an allegiance with the King of Israel and suffers misfortune on account of it.

21: Jehoram does not begin or end well. He takes power in a very bloody way. He fails to quash an Edomite revolt as a result. He sets up the high places (places to worship other gods and places to worship Yahweh outside the temple) and receives an incurable, and gross, disease. No one mourns his passing.

Obadiah
It's the shortest book in the OT. It references the Edomites (who rebelled) and particularly their complicity in the Babylonian conquest. It is important to remember that in Hebrew tradition the Edomites are the descendants of Essau, brother of Jacob (who becomes Israel, father of 12 sons etc.). The Edomites were allied with the Hebrews and were treated more kindly in their conquest of their land. That they aided the Babylonians is thus viewed as a vicious betrayal.

2 Corinthians
There is a lot of history with the Corinthians and Paul. He helped found the church, sent them a letter, sent them another (1 Corinthians), then sent the Timothy, who returned with a bad report. Paul has a conflict, and apparently got into it with someone. He wrote his letter of tears, and finally this letter (thought it may not have been the last). It is in many ways a said, disquieting letter. Pain, anguish, suffering, grief, are ideas and emotions that seem to inhabit this letter.

Paul was debating about whether to visit, and decided to send this letter. He then goes on in chapter 2 to find reconciliation with the person he had a great conflict with. Problems in the church and hurt feelings are not a new phenomena!

3-4: Paul continues to discuss his ministry - and specifically how he ministers and ministered to the Corinthians. He is in effect arguing that what he says is truly from Christ and that others who have come into the community (we get to that later) are the ones who are false.

5: Paul writes about the importance of a ministry of reconciliation - reconciliation that must occur because of the anguish and pain that is a part of life.

6: Paul again pleads that the Corinthians will listen to him, not for his sake, but for God's. There is an abrupt change from verse 14 - 7.1 that is likely a missed edit from an earlier letter, since 7.2 picks up and continues with the same idea. It may also simply be that Paul is digressing regarding a particular problem at that church.

7: Paul continues to ask for reconciliation and then returns to his travelogue and the ministry of Titus.

8: Here Paul shifts gears, segueing from Titus to the support of his ministry and the churches in Macedonia who are impoverished. It is very clear from the early writings of the church that various churches supported the members of others who were poor (especially Jerusalem). Paul quotes in verse 15 Exodus 16:18 - the tale about the manna. Everyone was to gather enough for that day, and when they were done - everyone had just the right amount - not too much, not too little. Paul appeals to this idea of the abundance of God and distribution of wealth to encourage the Corinthians to be generous as God has been generous.

1 Chronicles 17 - 2 Chronicles 6; 1 Corinthians 13 - 16

2008-10-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

1 Chronicles
17: A retelling of 2 Samuel 7. David wants to build Yahweh a house. Yahweh never asked for a house, but because of David's thought, David's line will rule Judah forever. It is also promised that his son will build the temple.

18-20: David expands his kingdom in a variety of wars and battles. The Ammonites are discussed in detail. Remember, we are not dealing with nation-states. Promises made between kings are between kings, not the nations they represent. When a king died, it was important to reassert treaties, or take advantage to break them.

21: A retelling of 2 Sam. 24. Counting the people, or taking a census, was done for two reasons: taxes and mustering an army. Kings were not permitted to do this without express permission.

22-29: The end of David's reign. David picks the place for the temple and appoints Solomon as the next king. The way this is told leaves out much of the back story of the struggle for power that took place in David's dotage. One would think that Solomon came into power without conflict. You will also notice that the civil war of Absalom's revolt is skipped. David is presented in a very different, more propagandist light: the perfect king, who prepares the building of the temple that his son would complete.

We also find here list after list of the names of important leaders in the administration of the kingdom and temple. Again, don't wear yourself out over these.

2 Chronicles
1-6: Solomon's reign begins with his establishing his kingdom and beginning the building of the temple. The account here is much shorter than the one in Kings, but conveys the same message. With the help of other nations the temple is built and consecrated in grand fashion. It is proclaimed as the supreme religious center where Yahweh is worshiped. Both political and religious power are now rooted in Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians
13: The centrality and supremacy of love. Notice it is context with the previous chapter on the importance of all spiritual gifts and the following chapter on why tongues is not the end-all-be-all of gifts.

14: It is clear from the previous few chapters that there were more problems in Corinth. Apparently there were some snooty people who thought that if you spoke in tongues you were better than everyone else. Further, apparently every one wanted to speak at the same time, likely felt their message is the one everyone needed to hear. Paul calls for order and points to the importance of prophecy as the better gift since typically no one understood what was being said in tongues.

Now a word of definition: Tongues is likely not what is talked about in Acts, when visitors and observers understood what was being said. Here Paul is likely talking about glossolalia, which is a kind of spontaneous utterance, which is usually "nonsense" words spoken when in an ecstatic state. Likely people thought they were speaking in "the tongues of angels" or some mysterious human language.

Prophecy on the other hand was not telling the future. It was "speaking the truth," or "speaking for God." Prophecy is the bold pronouncement, often with a discernment of the real issues.

On women being silent. It is likely this is a later gloss, since different ancient versions have it in different places and it breaks the flow of meaning. It is quite clear that women were doing a lot of the talking in the previous part of the chapter. Secondarily it likely addressed not women speaking at all, but women speaking in the midst of someone else's speaking. Women and men didn't sit together at that time, and women often sat in the back (or in a balcony). Apparently some of them were shouting at their husbands, "What was that?" Paul is telling them to ask their husbands after the service. Still a bit offensive to our modern culture, but also a bit more understandable.

15: The resurrection and it's importance. Vss 4-5 are likely one of the earliest forms of the creed we now speak. It covers the basics as we do in our Apostles Creed. Paul's point here is that bodily resurrection is not some tertiary part of the Gospel. It is central. Without it nothing else makes sense. He then goes on to describe that resurrection is, if I can summarize, both a continuity and a discontinuity with the present state. Where as now we are a seed, then we will be a full blown tree.

16: Conclusion and loose ends. Paul often wraps up his letters with miscellaneous business and greetings. Notice the mention of the church in Jerusalem. We know from other letters that this church, the first one, the Pentecost church, suffered constant money woes. They received donations from pretty much all the other churches.

1 Chronicles 10-16/1 Corinthians 8-12

2008-09-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

1 Chron. 10-16
You will notice that Chronicles is short on history and long on names. Chronicles in some ways supplements what is in Kings with the names of the secondary and tertiary characters. There are times where it contradicts or puts a very different spin on the same stories.

Chapter 10 is the short version of Saul's life and kingship - basically it begins with his ignominious ending.

Chapter 11-12 starts the tale of David, and it would be an understatement to call it glowing. Gone are the ugly tales of Bathsheba and Urriah and the internal problems of David's family. What we get here are the military stories of David's conquests and the prowess of his warriors.

Chapter 13-16 picks up David's work to unite the religious life of Israel as well as the political. It is interrupted by invading Philistines, but David quickly returns, brings the ark to Jerusalem (without the intervening story of how it was missing in the first place), and throws a gigantic party.

1 Cor. 8-12
8: This chapter needs some explaining, b/c everything after relies on understanding it. The thing you have to understand is that if you were eating meat in Corinth (or just about any Greco-Roman town or city) you were eating meat sacrificed to an idol.

See - that was were all the butchering happened, b/c the important thing was that the deity (or deities) got their cut, and got it first. So if you went to a food stall to buy meat a part of it had already been used in some kind of worship ritual of a god other than the Christian God. Think of it as a kind of sales tax that supported the temples of the gods. By the way - the same thing was true in the Hebrew world before the temple in Jerusalem. There are sections of the law prohibiting the slaying of any animal outside the tabernacle.

So the dilemma was - do I eat meat, knowing that idols are false, and therefore irrelevant - or do I stay away from meat altogether rather than risk supporting (or even technically engaging in) the worship of false gods.

Paul gives a good answer: first, it's no big deal - you know the gods are false and are powerless, and you want meat in your diet, we are "free" to do so. However, second, if my brother or sister does not and is offended, then don't do it for the sake of that brother or sister. We have rights and are free to not exercise them. Love trumps knowledge (8.1-3)

Chapter 10 continues the discussion - Paul does not want them to think devotion and ritual are empty. The sacramental aspects of the Jewish people and the sacraments of the church are important and have real consequences in the real world. Meat sacrificed to idols does as well...bear with me through the contradictions. Notice at the end of chapter 10 - if someone gives you meat and tells you it was sacrificed - ie wishes to include you in that ritual don't do it. On the other hand - don't fret about every cutlet that floats onto your plate. People are more important to God.

11: Well this starts off with a bang (no pun intended) all about hairstyles. For whatever reason, people at different times have taken Paul more seriously than he did himself. v. 13 says, "Judge for yourselves." I don't think this is simply rhetorical. Paul was concerned that the assembly wasn't being deviant for the sake of being deviant. The radicalness of Jesus Gospel was about faith and community, not hairstyles - it was about how life was lived and what was important - not challenging social norms - today Paul would probably say, "Leave that to the teenagers."

The second half of 11 is pointing to the celebration of the Lord's supper. In the very early church, this celebration was more like an actual meal. This changed very quickly into the kind of meal we have today, and some people think Corinthians points to why. Rich people (who owned houses and didn't have to work as long) got there first and ate and drank, leaving nothing for the poor (who worked much longer). Paul admonishes them to cease this practice, and that the meal was a special meal that was not just about filling bellies. This issue probably led to the transition of Holy Communion to that little bread and little wine - the excess of which was then distributed to the poor.

12: is the well known discussion on spiritual gifts. The point here is not to give a listing of gifts or even their definitions, but to point out that each assembly, or congregation, is an assembly of these gifts that form a whole body, a body that fits together and cannot operate on its own. There are no parts more important than others. It is of note that the chapter immediately following this one is all about love.

1 Chronicles 1-9/1 Corinthians 1-7

2008-09-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

1 Chronicles
The first part of this book is genealogies. Yes...all of it. Don't kill yourself. Just move through it as painlessly as possible.

1-2 Chronicles will seem familiar. It retells the stories you first read in Kings. In fact, several sections are very close retelling of some of the events. However, the story does diverge in places. The writer(s) of Chronicles is more interested in the Southern Kingdom of Judah than the Israel in the north. We also get the occasional detail filled in. Perhaps it's not a bad thing to re-read the most complex part of the story of God's people from different perspective.

1 Corinthians
Corinth was a bustling city in 1st century Rome. Paul founds the church in one of his missionary journeys which we just read in Act 18. The church itself seems to have been a hotbed of controversy and scandal. They seem to languish under pagan hedonism and in fighting. Paul pleads for unity, and, in one of the most inspired passages of Pauline writing, takes an entire chapter (13) to explain what love looks like. Apparently the Corinthians needed the lesson.

After an introduction and thanksgiving, he launches into their first problem which is unity. This comes up again and again and is a major theme in the book. He speaks of his own ministry with them and defends the truth of the message he proclaimed.

He then turns to more practical matters, obviously ones which were troubling the Corinthians - lawsuits; sexual issues. Then in chapter 7, one of the most confusing and double-talking passages of scripture Paul tries to explain how he thinks Christians should live with one another when it comes to marriage and and sex. It is important to note that for most part Paul is here giving his own advise, not proclaiming the Gospel. The best part of the advise probably comes in verse 32: I want you to be free of anxieties.

Acts 17-18/1-2 Thessalonians

2008-09-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

daily text

As I mentioned before, information on the Psalms can be found on an earlier post.

Acts
17: Paul arrives in Thessalonica. He founds a church there in the typical way, which becomes a formula. Paul arrives and goes to the synagogue to teach. He is either welcomed or not, but there is usually at least some faction there that gives him trouble. Here they beat the person at whose house he was staying.

Of course we are reading 1-2 Thessalonians in relation to this section.

Paul then goes to Athens and delivers his famous discourse at the Areopagus. The Athenians were famous for their curiosity, education, and philosophical discourse. Paul shares the gospel with them in terms they can understand, even quoting their own philosophers. However, when the issue of the resurrection comes up they find it strange. We often forget what an unusual idea the central idea of Christianity is when compared to most religious thinking in the world.

18: Paul's adventures in Corinth. Next week we start reading the two Corinthian letters.

1-2 Thessalonians
Most scholars agree that 1 Thess. is the earliest letter written by Paul, somwhere in the late 40's early 50's. It is thus the earliest writing in the New Testament. It is a friendly letter of encouragement to a church that was suffering from persecution by other Jews in town (remember the first part of Acts 17).

2 Thessalonians is almost certainly written quite a bit later. It's concern again is to encourage the Thessalonians and warn them of people who are spreading false ideas. Paul tells them that the day of the Lord - that is Jesus return - has not occurred yet (as apparently some one was telling them). He is also apparently signing all his letters with a particular mark. Evidence that there were forgeries floating about. Paul, you may remember, did not actually write out his letters but dictated them to a secretary. Occasionally he will mention the secretary, and will also sometimes write part in his own hand.

Galatians/Acts 15-16/Philippians

2008-08-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Acts
Paul's story begins in earnest now. Chapter 15 covers the conflict in the early church that often crept up. The followers of Jesus were all originally Jewish, and did not see themselves as starting a new religion, but a new movement within Judaism. The questions was, for a person to be a member of this Jewish community, how were they to be Jews. The standard answer is that they should be circumcised, but Paul argues that these Gentiles have joined the family of Abraham without circumcision. It is confirmed by the many works the Holy Spirit has done among them. The Jerusalem church and the twelve accept this point and ask that they simply not eat meat sacrificed to idols and follow the Noaich covenant, which forbids consuming blood.

16 covers Paul's missionary journeys. There are several miracles and people are drawn to Paul's message about the Good News.

Galatians
This early letter of Paul is sometimes called the mini Romans because of the similar subject matter. Paul is arguing against a group of people in the community who are holding onto the Jewish Law as the way of salvation. Paul argues that it is God's grace that saves us and brings us into God's family where there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, woman nor man.

Philippians
One of the most beautifully written of Paul's letters, also rather early. The subject of this letter revolves around a conflict that has arisen between two leaders (likely pastors of house churches) Euodia and Syntyche. These woman had divided the larger church community of the town, and Paul urges them to find unity in love. It contains one of the key passages of theology about Christ, the poem (likely a hymn) found in 2.6-11. The identification of Jesus as divine in such an early work of well known hymnody points to a very early understanding of Jesus as God in the first century church.

2 Ki 17-25/Psalms

2008-08-25T15:45:00.001-07:00

Psalms
See my main for the psalm readings.

2 Ki 17-25
17: Tells of the fall of Israel and it's capital Samaria to the Assyrian King. The Assyrians deport all the Israelites far away throughout their kingdom and import people from various cultures to live in Israel. The people who live there want to appease the god of that place (Yahweh) and bring in priests. Essentially they add Yahweh to their pantheon of gods. Most of the chapter is a retelling and indictment of the people of Israel from the time of Jeroboam on.

18-19: King Hezekiah's story begins with his reformation. He tears down (finally) the one thing that so many rulers left, the high places were people would sacrifice to Yahweh or other gods.

He then faced his greatest test. The King of Assyria, Sennacherib, conquerors many towns of Judah. Hezekiah responds by sending tribute, but Sennacherib, perhaps b/c he heard that Hezekiah was seeking an alliance with Egypt, lays siege to Jerusalem.

His messenger makes many threats, upsetting people. Finally, Hezekiah prays before Yahweh, and hears the promise of God through the prophet Isaiah. Sennacherib will flee and in three years time the agricultural cycle will return.

20: Hezekiah is ill. He prays and receives a reprieve of 15 years. But we all die eventually. He shows an envoy from Babylon all his wealth, and is told that is will be taken. His response seems to be rather short sighted - at least there will be peace in my day.

21: Two of the worst kings - Mannasseh, who rebuilt the temples to foreign gods, practiced child sacrifice, used augury and built altars to the "hosts of heaven," (sun, moon, stars) in the temple of Yahweh. Yahweh becomes just one other god among many. Because of these acts God condemns Judah to the same fate as Israel, which is the same fate as the people the Israelites displaced in Joshua and Judges. Exile. His son Amnon was apparently just as bad. He was murdered by his own servants.

22 - 23: Josiah is considered the greatest reformer - greater even than Hezekiah, if only because he rediscovered the books of the law (likely some form of Deuteronomy) and held a great passover, a ritual that had been ignored by the Israelites for many centuries. He tore down all the buildings as well as the institutions of worshiping other gods, though his reforms were larger bloodless in comparison with some other previous rulers. More than any other leader Josiah is given credit for shaping the zealous monotheistic and law oriented Judaism that survives into the Babylonian exile.

Josiah - apparently foolishly - tries to stand in the way of a meeting between Pharaoh and the King of Assyria (who is probably starting to feel the heat from Babylon). Josiah's defeat by Pharaoh allows Pharaoh to receive tribute and put some one more acceptable on the throne.

24: Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon (Babylonians are also called Chaldeans), ascends to power. The King of Judah Jehoiakim pays tribute, but then rebels. Jehoiachin follows him. Pharaoh is no help anymore for the Babylonians now rule from the Sinai Peninsula to the Euphrates in modern day Iraq.

Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, captures it, takes most of the royal family and their wealth and servants in to captivity. Nebuch. then puts Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's uncle, on the throne.

25: Zedekiah doesn't last long. He quickly rebels and incurs wrath of Babylon. They destroy the city, the temple and drag the people away. Even the few that are left flee to Egypt because of the violence of the Babylonians. There is a fairly detailed account of the furniture in the temple, but not a word about the ark of the covenant, which seems to have disappeared from the narrative. This has fueled countless conspiracy theories and at least one block buster.

The final epilogue seems to offer some hope that the people might be preserved.

2 Ki 9-16/Amos/Jonah/

2008-08-20T17:02:00.001-07:00

2 Kings
First up is the end of Ahab (at least his son) and Jezebel. They end as Elijah spoke. Jehu is their downfall, a son of Jehosaphat. He also kills the king of Judah, leaving a huge power vacuum. Jezebel calls him "Zimri," referring to a usurper who was on the throne all of a week.

Jehu outlives Jezebel's pronouncement and brings and end to Baal worship (or so you might think) through lots of bloody destruction. His is a bloody reign, though he receives a promise that his sons will reign for four generations.

11: A queen in Judah. Yes, and not a good one. The priest, Jehoida, who is hiding the crown prince brings loyal troops and guards (Carites) to the temple, then they crown Joash. The queen finds out, visits the temple (not a smart move) and is arrested and executed. The kingship is reaffirmed in a particularly Jewish way - covenant between king and people. Baal temples are torn down.

12: Joash grows up and is called Jehoash. He is a relatively good king who tries to do a restoration of the temple, which is not terribly successful. During his reign the people are also paying tribute to King Hazael of Aram (Syria). The violent death of Jehoash may be because of a turn to wickedness mentioned in 2 Chronicles)

13: Jehoahaz and Jehoash (also Joash) - kings of the North. We're back to Israel, don't let the names confuse you. There were two kings, neither of which were very good, but when Joash sought him out he promised he would have some victory over Aram. They indeed are able to fight back with their reduced army...for a while.

14: Battle between Israel and Judah, who is fresh from a successful campaign does not go well for the South. Israel is on the rise and Jeroboam II reestablishes their former borders. He is the King of Amos and Hosea, and Jonah is mentioned, but Jonah is a non-historical drama.

15-16: Starting with the brief description of King Azariah (sometimes called Uzziah) of Judah, who had leprousy, we embark on the downturn of Israel. The sons of Jehu are replaced and they begin to lose the land. Then Assyrian comes into the picture. These will be the people who finally conquer the northern kingdom of Israel. At first Menahem buys them off (King Pul). This will not always work. During the rule of Pekah of Israel, Assyria makes incursions in the north and carries a great many people away.

Then we move back to Judah: Jotham takes over, though he has been ruling in all but name. Verse 37 refers to a conflict that we will read about again in Isaiah 7-9 (a maiden shall conceive and bear a son etc.).

vv. 5-20. What's going on here? Pekah, king of Israel and the Arameans (modern day Syria) form an alliance and attack Jerusalem. King Ahaz of Judah, not a good king, sends money and asks for help from Assyria. Assyria destroys Aram (Syria) and takes Damascus, "saving" Jerusalem. Ahaz visits and makes copies of things from pagan temples and places them in the temple in Jerusalem. As you can imagine, this is not a good thing to do.

Jonah
Jonah is a great story. One of the greatest. However, it did not happen. It is a non-historical story, perhaps even a drama, that shows the open hearts of the Jews arch-enemies, the Assyrians, who were oppressing them, and compares them to the hard hearts of the Jewish people. It would be like if I gave a sermon in which I told of how Osama bin Laden turned to Jesus and laid down his arms while we in America still like to sleep in on Sundays. In some ways, it is amazing it survived, since I'm sure it made a lot of people angry.

Amos
Our first minor prophet. Amos was active during the reign of Jeroboam II, King of Israel. His reign was peaceful and prosperous, however it was full of incredible inequities. By manipulating debt and credit, wealthy landowners got richer while impoverishing small farmers. The smallest debt served as a wedge to separate people from the land their families rightly owned. Amos prophecies that Israel will fall to Assyria and be taken into exile.

1 Ki 13-22/2 Ki 1-8/Acts 12-14/James 1-3

2008-08-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

1 Kings
There are a lot of bad kings and they do a lot of bad things. The king of Israel in the North sets up an altar at Bethel and Dan where they worship Yahweh (instead of Jerusalem where it is supposed to be).

The worst of the lot of Ahab and his notorious wife Jezebel. They are worshipers of Baal, the primary rival of Yahweh in the region.

We also have the story of Elijah. Here is one of the greatest prophets of Israel, who stands up against the evil kings and queens. Well...mostly. After his victory at Mount Carmel, he is on the run. However he performs great miracles and speaks for God to the people struggling at the time.

Ahab himself has an ambiguous loyalty to Yahweh. He seems to be convinced at times, but at others is apathetic.

The deaths of these kings is often bloody. The reference to being eaten by dogs is pointed at the lack of proper burial. Such a thing was shameful to the person and their family. Several of the kings are not succeeded by descendants, but are cut-off.

2 Ki
2 Kings is a simple continuation of 1 Kings. In the Hebrew Bible they aren't even separated. 2 Kings tells the story of the fall of the nation of Israel - first Israel in the north to the Assyrians in 721 BC and then Judah in the south to the Babylonians in 586 BC. However, while the people in the north are lost to history, the people of the south maintain their identity in their exile.

This first part centers around Elisha, who succeeds Elijah. He asks for a double-portion - the proper inheritance of the first born. He repeats many of the miracles of Elijah, and if anything seems to be even more spectacular than Elijah.

The Kings are a mixed bag in Judah - some, such as Jehosaphat, not so bad (though not great either). Others as bad as their evil parents.

Acts 12-14
A funny story of Peter's rescue then the beginning of Paul's missions. Notice the shape - at first Paul is welcomed, then later his enemies and rivals stir people up and they are persecuted.

James 1-3
A break to read the epistle of James and some of Paul. The two are about to meet in conflict in the next chapter in Acts. James and Paul might seem to have opposing view points on faith and works. But I think they both would see that the two are connected and inter-related.

James epistle (which Luther almost tossed out of the German Bible as an "epistle of straw") is written to Jewish Christians and very much in that vein of thought. It is a kind of morality sermon as well as containing a fair bit of wisdom literature, like the Proverbs. Throughout James concern is about justice and living peaceably in community and care for the poor. He also has one of the most famous passages about the tongue in chapter 3 (gossip is not a new problem).

1 Ki 8-13/Eccl/Acts 8-11

2008-08-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

1 Kings
The fall of Solomon. He proves to have a divided heart and after dedicated the temple he also worships other gods than Yahweh. It proves his undoing. The kingdom is torn from him and given to another. Here is an important and vital turning point for the rest of our story. The kingdom is torn in two. 11 tribes in the north called Israel. 1 tribe in the South called Judah - preserved for the sake of David. You'll quickly see: all the king of the north are bad and a few of the kings of the south are good. The remaining story of kings will relate the tale of each king, both north and south.

Ecclesiastes
Many interpretations here, and much wisdom. This is the opposite side of the coin from the book of Proverbs. There everything works together for the wise and industrious. Here in Ecclesiastes, all is vanity and chasing after the wind. Which view do you find more compelling? Perhaps the greatest wisdom in the Hebrew Bible is the Song of Songs, a poem in which love is the purpose of all life.

Acts 8-11
The ministry of the Twelve is recounted in several stories. We also have the conversion of Saul - who is just as zealous about spreading the news of Jesus as he was about persecuting his followers before. Most of this section however relates to the ministry of Peter and the fullness of the revelation of the Gospel to the Gentiles. The disciples are amazed at this - but they are also pleased.

Song of Songs/Acts/1 Kings

2008-07-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

Song of Songs
Song of Songs has a long and storied history of interpretation. It is on the surface a story of romantic love. It is also seen as an allegory of love in at least three different ways: God and Israel; God and the church; God and the human soul.

Of course all four of these layers can be seen in this work, whose words resonate through history.

Acts 5-7
5: All is not well in the church. First Ananias and Sapphira lie about their finances. It would have been one thing to set some money aside; it is another thing to lie about it.

6-7: The communal living in the early church was not working out as planned. While we get a rosy view of things earlier, we find out now it is not working out so well, and the first deacons are assigned to make sure everyone who is hungry is taken care of. We also read of the first martyr, Stephen, who was a deacon.

1 Ki 5-7
Solomon builds the temple. The cultic worship space of the people had been the tabernacle, a mobile tent shrine. In fulfillment of God's promise to David in 2 Samuel 7, his son Solomon, now builds the temple.

This is another "blue-prints in prose" section, so don't get bogged down in the details.

Proverbs/John/Acts

2008-07-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

John 20-21
John's resurrection section is the longest of any of the gospels. Jesus appears many times in several different situations. The writer goes to pains to demonstrate that Jesus is not an ephemeral spirit or ghost. He can eat; he can be touched. The exclamation of Thomas, "My Lord and my God!" is the climax of the gospel. The next section in fact reiterates why the writer has embarked on the endeavor. It is followed by an epilogue of sorts telling the story of the rather personal reconciliation between Jesus and Peter, who denied him.

Acts 1-4
Re-read Luke 1:1-4. You will find a parallel here. Luke and Acts are so tightly tied together that they are sometimes simply referred to as Luke-Acts. Acts, the only real historical book in the NT, tells the story of the church in those important first years.

Luke kind of picks up where he left off, retelling in greater detail the story of the ascension of Jesus. He then tells of how Judas was replaced by Matthias, a member of the community that had gathered together.

Chapter 2 is the familiar story of Pentecost and Peter's great discourse. In many ways it is here that the disciples finally get it, they finally understand what Jesus was all about. It is here too that we start the story of Peter, the first major section of the book.

Chapter 3-4 tell of Peter's exploits - Peter heals, Peter preaches, Peter is arrested. These stories are bookended by the end of chapter 2 and the end of chapter 4, in which the life of the community is described...people shared their goods, spent time together in prayer, worshiping God and breaking bread.

Proverbs 5-24
Again we hear of the "strange woman" who lures with the perils of foolishness and adultery and then Wisdom speaks, she invites all people, rich, poor, wise, unwise.

We are then treated to the actual proverbs (of Solomon) 10 - 22:16. Some of these may have come from Solomon, some likely from other sources. They are loosely connected, but in general you can pretty much pick a verse at random and get a good saying.

In the middle of chapter 22 we pick up the "Words of the Wise" through chapter 24. The sources of these sayings are varied, many related to Egyptian wisdom.

Don't forget to bring your top 10 proverbs to our next meeting, scheduled for August 3.

John/1 Kings/Proverbs

2008-07-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

John 12-19
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and the religious leaders plan his death. This is a different story from the synoptics in which the religious leaders begin to plan his death because of what he does at the temple. They are afraid that anyone who can raise someone from the dead is too much to deal with - he will have to die. Incredibly ironic, isn't it?

The passion story of John is different as well. Jesus is seen as much more in control. Indeed, the Passion is as much his glorification as the glorification itself. The tie between how Jesus dies and his resurrection is subtly emphasized. In this Gospel, Jesus doesn't need any help with his cross but carries it himself. This story is also full of irony: the Roman Governor is afraid of Jesus and the Jews; Jesus is proclaimed King of the Jews in three languages, much to the chagrin of the religious leaders; and is there anything more dripping with irony than Pilate's mocking question: "What is truth?"

1 Kings 1-4
Solomon, like David, is a complex figure. He begins almost as a puppet to court intrigue, his mother and her friends working to make him the heir in place of Adonijah (and not in a particularly ethical way). It works. Solomon becomes king. One of the things he does, as all kings do, is stabilize and strengthen their position by eliminating enemies - even if they were your father's trusted servants (Joab).

Solomon prays for wisdom, and God is impressed enough to grant it. God also promises Solomon a long life and glorious reign if he will remain loyal and obedient as his father David. He doesn't. Solomon is known for his wisdom, which he demonstrates at several points, but he is also known for taking foreign wives and while he built the temple of Yahweh, he also worshiped at the altar of other Gods.

Proverbs 1-4
Solomon is the traditional author of most of the book of Proverbs, and while it is not impossible that some or even many of the proverbs can be attributed to him, it is doubtful that he had much to do with the final form of the text. However, because he is associated with Proverbs, we take a break and read some wisdom literature.

Proverbs is a book of aphorisms. These things are mostly true and provide wisdom much of life. They are the "Laws of Nature," the bumper stickers of ancient times.

The first 4 chapters are an introduction to wisdom and in praise of wisdom. We find the introduction of the idea of "Lady Wisdom," or "Sophia," as she is also sometimes referred to. She is contrasted in places with the "loose woman," or "prostitute," that lures you into foolishness. She is the dark side of the force - powerful, seductive, but leading to ruin.

As you read the book of proverbs, I encourage you to make your own Top 10 list and bring it to the next meeting. What are your Top 10 proverbs, out of the entire book?

John 8-11

2008-06-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

8: This first part of chapter 8, while a well known story, is likely a later addition to the gospel. It does not appear at all in the earliest, best manuscripts. It is still a good story though.

Jesus is in a running argument with "the Jews," which in John is a kind of shorthand for those who reject Jesus' claims out of a sense of ethnic entitlement. Jesus makes a claim to greater authority and position than Abraham and their revealed Scriptures. Jesus is making the point that if you understood, believed and trusted in God, you would believe in me and not think of Abraham in this way. His opponents seem so angry that they make wild claims, such as "we have never been slaves to anyone (v. 33)," which is simply factually false. It is a reminder of how far people will go to maintain a privileged status. Jesus makes the ultimate statement of privilege, "before Abraham was, I am," a blatant claim to divinity. The crowd is not amused.

9: Jesus opens by shifting the focus of the cause of the blindness(was it sin?) to purpose (the work of God that you might believe). The entire story is about blindness: who sees and who does not; who blinds themselves and who has their eyes opened. Who is stubborn and who simply tells the story of their experience of Jesus. The story is also another of Jesus' "signs."

10: Jesus the good shepherd, who offers his life for the sheep, even to death. He also makes the brash claim to oneness with God, "I and the Father are one." Jesus points to his good works - his "signs" that show he is indeed from God.

11: The greatest sign outside of Jesus death and resurrection is the raising of Jesus' friend, Lazarus. We hear again and again in the story the purpose of these signs - that you may believe that Jesus is the one sent by God. It is ironic that Jesus, more than anywhere else, is the bringer of new life, yet it is also after this event that the religious leaders begin to plan the death of Jesus. As opposed to just reacting to what he is saying, they start a project.

Joh 5-7

2008-06-16T12:08:00.001-07:00

5: Conflict with the religious leaders starts. Jesus claims his own authority to heal on the Sabbath. Notice that in the other gospels Jesus makes an argument about getting your cattle out of a hole. Here he simply claims an equality with God. Quite a difference to the previous three.

As a part of that argument we can get a picture of the relationship between the Father and Son. The Father gives all things to the Son, who does what the Father desires - at least in simplest form that is how we can understand it. Yet there is a reciprocity. So the Father gives the Son his glory, but in showing forth that glory, the Son glorifies the Father, and in so doing also glorifies himself. This theme of glory becomes a central part of Jesus story as he approaches his Passion, for in it (though it is obviously humiliating and shameful) he brings glory to himself and the Father by his obedience to the Father's desire. So we have to leave linear thinking aside if we are to really understand the gospel of John.

6: Food; necessity. Jesus here performs the only miracle that is recorded in all four gospels by feeding the hungry with food left over. We are then launched into a lengthy meditation, told in dialectic form, of the significance of this miracle. Jesus is asked questions and given requests. His answers draw us away from the mere physical benefits of food toward the importance of developing a trusting relationship with God, who will fill us in times of trouble. Of course we have a direct connection here with the Sacrament of the table - our holy food, which is just a little bread and a little wine - that is somehow enough for the journey.

7: Conflict with religious leaders escalates. Jesus goes to Jerusalem clandestinely, but then begins to preach. The leaders are not happy with his outrageous claims. They argue, but the people are amazed at his arguments. Even the police who are called to arrest him don't do anything. They are flabbergasted. There is a clear prejudice amongst the leaders from Jerusalem against their country cousins from rural Galilee. The idea that some peasant from the north could come down and give them such a hard time bewildered them.

2 Samuel 3-24/Psalms/John 1-4

2008-06-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

2 Samuel
David has been declared King over Judah (the South) but not over Israel (the North). We start with the death of Abner, who was the commander of Ishbaal's (and before him Saul's) army. Ishbaal loses an important ally and counselor in his death. David is given a strong alibi.

Ishbaal is the next to fall, and again David is removed from any involvement. He even takes out the guys who do the assassination.

5: David establishes himself as King over both Judah and Israel and defeats the Philistines in war. He also defeats the Jebusites and makes Jerusalem his new capital city. This is the first time Jerusalem has been in possession by the Israelites, but it will become the capital city.

6: David brings the ark to Jerusalem. This action cements this city as the political and religious center of all Israel. From now on Jerusalem becomes the primary sacred site and the place where Solomon will build his temple. The sacrificial system, once available in a couple of different places by mobile tabernacle, is now in one place to which all must travel. Michal is embarrassed by David and things between them never get better.

7: This is one of the most important stories about David because of it's future implications. David wants to build a house for God, a permanent dwelling instead of the tabernacle which was an elaborate tent. God responds that David's son will do it. However, because of David's loyal love, God makes a promise - that the throne will not depart from his house. From this point on a descendant of David will be the proper ruler of all Israel. This becomes important later when Jesus is presented as the inheritor of this promise to David and why the Messiah is supposed to arise from the tribe of David (Judah). It also points all the way back to the songs of Jacob and Joseph.

8-10 : David's wars. He establishes and settles his borders and expands them to create an empire with client kings. Take a look at a map - these tribes represent people to the North, South, East and West of Israel. In the midst of these stories is the story of Mephibosheth, the last son of Jonathan. David fulfills the promise made to Jonathan all those years ago.

11: David and Bathsheba. David is not out fighting; as king he should be with the army during the fighting season (spring into summer). David first tries to get Urriah to go home and sleep with his wife. When it doesn't work, he gets Joab to collude in his murder. David at first is angry with Joab for his tactical error, but is reminded of why it was done.

12: David's conviction, repentance and punishment through the prophet Nathan. We might ask here, what about the sick boy? David is also punished by trouble within his house.

13-14: The ugly story of Amnon, his rape of Tamar, and his murder by Absalom. David is shown to be weak in his dealing with his family. Had he been firmer, he might have avoided this problem. He later allows Absalom back into the court, but things are far from over.

15 -17: Absalom revolts. David is forced to leave Jerusalem but leaves spies and agents behind. Hushai, agent of David, gets rid of Absalom's best counselor, Ahithophel. Absalom pitches a tent on the roof of the palace and sleeps with David's concubines. He is taking everything that was David's and shaming him publicly.

18: David musters his army and goes to war with Absalom. Joab defeats him and Absalom is killed while hanging by his hair. David mourns over his lost son.

19: David is in a funk and Joab calls him on it. Joab tells him he needs to start acting like a king and a leader. David returns to Jerusalem and must settle several disputes, including one regarding Mephibosheth (called here Meribbaal). We also see the rivalry between the South and North, Judah and Israel.

20: Sheba's revolt. A significant contingent of Israel turns against David. The revolt is put down and Joab shows himself to be as ruthless as ever.

21-24: This is a kind of appendix to the main story, a collection of other stories that do not follow chronologically with the rest. The first shows David's ruthlessness is dealing with his rivals from Saul's clan. This kind of thing was typical of the culture and time. Then there are more stories of Philistine wars. Notice who kills Goliath here?!

David's psalm in chapter 22 is essentially the same as Psalm 18.

David's last words and a list of some of David's "mighty men," the great warriors of David.

24 ends with a slightly bitter note. The story itself appears to be heavily edited, which makes the motivations and purpose of the census and the plague unclear. Kings were forbidden to take a census of the people, which was used for only two reasons: taxes and mustering an army (there was only a very small standing army in ancient times; most fighters were farmers and merchants who fought during the fighting season). David makes a sacrifice to God and the plague ends, the people are restored. The priestly role of the king is something that crops up throughout the monarchies of Israel.

So...quite an epic story. David and Moses are the center pieces of the Jewish narrative and the two people who figure most prominently in Israel's self-understanding. Looking back, there is much that we might find strange, and even barbaric....however we can also say that Yahweh always has an unconventional relationship with his people. I'll be interested to hear your evaluation of David at our next meeting.

Psalms
I won't analyze each of the psalms. I want to say something in general about them. There are a few categories you should be aware of:

Wisdom Psalms: These usually refer to the Law and its importance for righteousness, justice, and living well.
Deliverance Psalms: Yahweh as the deliverer and vindicator of the psalmist, who is usually besieged.
Temple Psalms: Psalms which extol the beauty and greatness of the Temple.
Yahweh is King Psalms: Yahweh is shown to be the greatest of all the gods, sometimes the only god. Yahweh is ruler over Israel and its deliverer and protector.
Praise Psalms: Pretty much what you think. One of the most popular kind of Psalm
Lament Psalms: A call on Yahweh to remember his people and promise, to forgive, and to restore. Often begins with a cry or troubled heart. Usually has a "hope" section in which the psalmist shows trust that Yahweh will deliver (but look at Psalm 88).

Many of the psalms are deeply personal and show a transparency that is unmatched in the ancient literature. This kind of openness and honesty of emotion is unique in ancient literature. We have to wait until Augustine's Confessions to find anything like it. The Psalms echo how we actually feel, not how we are supposed to feel or how we should feel. There are places you will cringe. This is good; and I hope you appreciate the honesty of the sentiment being expressed. We run the whole gambit from praise and love of God, to anger and despair of God. No wonder they were made the center piece of spiritual practice and devotion.

John
John is not like the other gospels. The other three gospels are referred to as the synoptic gospels (meaning "same eye"). John tells a different kind of story. He is not so much concerned about an orderly presentation of the life of Jesus. The action around Jesus' death happens in a different way. John's style is even different. He is much less of a linear, concrete thinker and more of an abstract poetic writer. The opening of his gospel echos the opening of the Hebrew Scriptures and emphasizes the eternal, intimate, dynamic relationship of the Second Person of the Trinity, who is the self-expression of who God is. There is a depth to John's writing (some people call it theological), that the other writers (with the occasional exception of Luke) do not demonstrate.

1: The intimate nature of the Word, who is face-to-face with God and finds expression in humanity - in "flesh" - fulfilling God's ancient promise to "dwell with" (lived among us) God's people. This bridges into the story of John and his testimony about Jesus. John is seen as the first person to understand who Jesus was and what his arrival meant. Jesus also begins to gather his disciples and make wild promises about the future of his and their ministry. Compare this to the beginning of other gospels. We do have a kind of "origin" story, such as we get in Luke and Matthew, but with a very different twist.

2: The wedding at Cana - Jesus' first miracle and a demonstration of his power as well as his involvement and approval of human society and joy. v. 11 points out that this is the first of Jesus' "signs," a technical word in John. The Sign, or Wonder, are held up as evidence of his claims about who Jesus is.

Notice also here that Jesus cleanses the Temple at the beginning of his ministry, not at the end. John is filled with these changes, done to make a point about what kind of Messiah Jesus was. Most of the discourses, events, and miracles in John have no reference with those in the synoptics, or they take on a different meaning.

3: Nicodemus: Jesus is often misunderstood and talking to cross purposes with those he encounters. The whole issue of "born again," or "born from above," completely confounds him. Jesus is introducing new concepts through new language.

4: This is one big story - the Samaritans, the Samaritan Woman, the disciples, food and water, faith and doubt. Who gets it and who doesn't, who belongs and who is on the outside, what is it that really quenches our thirst. This chapter keeps these things constantly in the air, like a juggler, not letting our presuppositions or assumptions relax or make us comfortable. In the end Jesus and what he offers is everything, and entitlement is nothing.

1 Samuel 20-2 Samuel 2/Psalm 34, 56, 52,57,142,54/Luke 22-24

2008-06-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 20-31
I'm going to give you a broad outline here rather than a detailed rendition of the story. Come with your questions about the details of what is going on here for our discussion next week.

Characters in David's story:

Saul: King of Israel
His sons: Jonathan and later Ishbaal
His daughter: Michal
Commander of Army: Abner

David: Rival and soon to be King of all Israel
His wives: Michal, Abigail, Bathsheba
Command of the Army and councilor: Joab
sons: Absalom, Amnon, Solomon
daughter: Tamar

Important prophets: Samuel, Nathan

David is on the run. He has gathered around him a band of loyal, effective fighters. Saul chases him constantly, trying to end this dangerous rival to the throne.

David, however, again and again passes up the opportunity to kill Saul. He also remains friends with Jonathan. During this time the Philistines are a constant threat, likely due to Saul marching out with his army against David.

David has several adventures, acting insane in Gath, getting a wise wife in Abigail. There is a lot of foreshadowing of David's kingship throughout these passages. Joab, the commander of David's army, is also introduced. He will have a lot of influence on what goes on during David's life.

In the end, Saul turns out to be his own worst enemy. He seeks the witch of Endor for dubious purposes and when he finds himself surrounded, he falls on his sword. His sons die with him, and they are all made a spectacle by the Philistines.

David has a rival to any claim of the throne, Ishbaal. David can be ruthless, but he also often lets Joab do his ruthless work for him.

Looking back at this part of David's story: what kind of person is David? What kind of relationship does he have with God? Is this an overly rosy picture of the man written by scribes hundreds of years later, or do you think this might be a fairly accurate picture of David?

Psalms
34: Deliverance by Yahweh
36: Wisdom psalm about Yahweh as vindicator and provider for the righteous
52: God punishes the evildoer and preserves the righteous
57: Yahweh preserves the psalmist in the midst of danger
142: Another prayer for deliverance
54: Yahweh delivers the psalmist from foes

Luke
22 - 23: The Passion of Jesus we celebrate during Holy Week. Luke's version is often seen as a portrayal of Jesus as the Holy Martyr - a slightly more Greek spin on the story than Matthew. Pilate is also seen in a slightly more positive, or at least less bloodthirsty, light than in Mark.
24: This is the single chapter devoted to the resurrection stories told in Luke's community. Notice that they are all connected starting with Emmaus. The women report the empty tomb, but nobody believes. He then appears first on the Emmaus road. While the two pilgrims tell their story to the disciples, Jesus appears once again. The Luke appearance to the disciples shares several elements with the non-synoptic John.

The story of Jesus ascension is retold in a different way in the sequel to the Gospel of Luke, the Acts of the Apostles.

1 Samuel 4-19/Psalm 23, 59; Luke 18-21

2008-06-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel
4-6: The story of the losing and regaining the ark. Here the prophecy given to Eli earlier is fulfilled and his evil sons get their comeuppance. The real story here, however, is about the ark. The question is, "Is God in the box, or not?" If the box (the ark) brings a curse to Philistines, why doesn't it help the Israelites in their battle?

7: Samuel's main entry into the story. He takes on a role as priest, then prophet and now judge, forming a bridge to the monarchy.

8: Like Eli, Samuel's sons are not great. The people want a king like the other nations. Yahweh sees this as a rejection of his kingship over them. Samuel warns about the demands a king will make on the people. They want one anyway. When the monarchy is established, the downside of having a king is made clearer and clearer.

9-10: The anointing of Saul. There are almost two stories here, one the story of the gathering of the people in chapter 8 and the choice of Saul by lot at the end of 10, and the story of Saul chasing the donkeys and running across Samuel in 9-10a. These stories have been connected. Saul is first anointed in private, then publicly installed in front of the assembly of Israel. David too is first anointed in private and later takes over kingship. Notice that Saul is handsome and also tall (David was short). Notice also that the method Saul uses at the assembly to select the king is by lot, that is, by chance, kind of like flipping a coin or throwing dice.

10:27b - 11: we start with a restored section from the Dead Sea Scrolls setting the stage for Saul's first great triumph over the Ammonites. The territory of the Ammonites overlapped with the Gadites and Reubenites - it was disputed territory. Now the King is moving north to Jabesh. The news comes to Saul, who by the way, as king, is still plowing his fields. He does what no judge before him has done, he musters the entirety of the Israelites to come and fight. He does so with a threat - but it finally works.

Mustering an army was nothing like it is today. Each city state had it's own rulers and territorial governors. They each had to agree to either send or go with troops to a battle, which usually occurred in the spring after the planting. There was not always a strong motivation to do this for the local leaders. They might just say - the Gadites problems are the Gadites - let them deal with it. So one of the jobs of a king is to be able to motivate the other local lords/kings to send troops to his muster. This will become more and more important as the history unfolds.

The defeat of the Ammonites secures Saul's rulership.

12: Samuel steps down from being a judge. The people receive a warning to stay faithful to Yahweh. The rain, coming during the wheat harvest, would have been a threat. Yahweh and his people seem to have come to a compromise. Notice the responsibility is laid upon the king and the people together.

13: Conflict with the Philistines and Saul's rejection. Saul, in making an offering, is supplanting the priest and taking on that role. Because of that the kingship will not continue with his children. Remember: Saul is the first king, chosen by Yahweh and by lot - there is no established method for selecting the next king. It might be assumed that it would pass to his heir, but that is an assumption.

14: A continuation of the conflict. If you watched the documentary, this battle was recounted. The troops are lined up with a ravine dividing them. Jonathan takes his armor-bearer (a great warrior himself) and attacks a garrison by means of a hidden pass. This throws the ranks into confusion. The confusion spreads throughout the Philistine camp. The Israelites who were in hiding come out and even the Hebrews (likely some mercenaries and not related to the Israelites) turn against their employers. Saul asks the priest to inquire of the Lord (likely using the ephod, not the ark). This would have been a small box with two sticks - one saying yes/another no - that was used to determine the will of God. The furor grows however, and Saul interrupts the priest and joins the attack.

There is some complications around food. Remember the ritual importance of eating. Saul takes a vow to win God's favor that Jonathan runs afoul of. There is also the problem of eating meat with the blood in it, which has been forbidden since the time of Noah. These get resolved and Saul establishes the borders of his kingdom which is demonstrated by his defeating the tribes on his borders - East, South, West and North.

We get his family and a summary of his military skills - hard fighting. The Philistines become the primary rivals of the Israelites through David's reign.

One thing to remember: a "thousand" when it relates to armies is not an actual number but a company or division of the army. They were divided into "hundreds" and "thousands." So when it says three hundred thousand, it doesn't really mean that many people. The population wasn't large enough for that.

15: Saul is rejected because he disobeyed the outright command of God. He was to utterly destroy the Amalekites - the first herem commanded by God since Joshuah. He holds back and we hear a refrain that will echo later from the prophets - it is better to obey than to sacrifice - God is not fed - he does not need the fat of bulls and rams - he wants devotion - and someone after his own hearts (the later description of David). The kingdom will be torn from his hands. Samuel is upset by this rejection, and he grieves over Saul's fall. Saul returns to his capital city Gibeah. This is the turning point - for the next chapter begins the story of David and his ascent to the throne.

16: David is chosen by God who looks on the heart, not just the outward appearance. David makes his way to Saul's court (though the next chapter seems to tell another story of how this occurred). David becomes an armor bearer, who is a skilled warrior who fights beside the king. Saul loses the Spirit of God and is afflicted, likely with a mental illness.

17: David and Goliath. There are some ancient manuscripts which vary the story here - from Goliath being 9 1/4 to 6 1/2 feet. Also whether the name of the Philistine was really Goliath or whether this was a later addition. Nevertheless, David meets the heavily armored Philistine with his lighter armaments and his sling, a common weapon for the poorer warriors, but an effective ranged weapon. He catches Goliath in just the right place, fells him, relieves him of his head, and routes the Philistines.

18: Jonathan and David become friends, but Saul becomes jealous of David because the people sing, "Saul has killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands." He tries to get David killed by sending him into battle again and again, but David prevails and is given Saul's daughter Michal as a prize. He is now a part of the royal family. Jonathan's lending of his royal cloak, weapons and armor prefigure David's ascent to the throne.

19: Saul plots to kill David again. There is a real love-hate relationship developing here. Saul wants to be friends and then becomes jealous and tries to kill him. Saul's own children try to convince him to lay off; Michal even lies for David. She helps him flee and David goes to stay with Samuel. Every time someone tries to take David, they fall into a frenzy. Saul comes, and he himself falls naked into a frenzy at the feet of Samuel. Even the king is powerless before the prophet of Yahweh.

Psalms:
We will be reading various psalms during the story of David. They have a tradition of being attributed to David, but who actually composed them is a matter of debate. Some are thought to be from David, but many are doubtful.

23: Yahweh the shepherd. Shepherd was also a common metaphor for King.

59: A psalm of deliverance, supposedly when David was hiding in his home.

Luke

18: Jesus continues to tell surprising stories and do amazing works. How is one persistent in prayer? Whose prayers are heard? What is it to be good? How can we be saved? How will the Son of David, the heir to the throne, be received in Jerusalem?

19: Jesus meets Zacheus - a hilarious story; then he tells a parable about what we do with the gifts we are given. We have the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem. He enters triumphantly, like a king, and welcomed and proclaimed a king, yet he weeps and grieves over Jerusalem and its fate. He foretells of its destruction (which happens in 70 AD) and cleanses the Temple

20: All about his confrontation with the religious leaders. What is his authority - and what is authority? Who will welcome the Son who brings the kingdom? The leaders try to trick him and bring him into divisive arguments - Jesus outwits them and warns his disciples about those who carry religious power.

21: Jesus warns again of the coming destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. Now that he has arrived, it becomes his primary message to the people there. He offers himself as an alternative way into the kingdom.

Judges 9-1 Samuel 3/Luke 14-17

2008-05-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

Luke
14: Jesus continues to call the "status quo" into question. If you can haul your donkey out of a hole on the sabbath, why not heal someone? Do not presume; do not carry around with you a sense of entitlement (he nearly quotes Proverbs 25.6-7 here). Those who are first will be last and those last will be first. Jesus is setting up a new kingdom that will not be like the world you revere today.

15: This chapter is all about that parable. The Pharisees were appalled because Jesus was eating with (and therefore associating himself with) the wrong kind of people. The brilliance of the parable is not only because it is about the prodigal son, but the elder brother as well.

16: I'm interested to hear what you think about the story of the dishonest manager. What is the point Jesus is trying to make? What is Jesus trying to say about money and riches? The Pharisees, and most of the culture at the time, saw wealth as a sign of God's blessing. If you had lots of resources, you must have deserved them.

John's arrival herald's the coming of God's kingdom. How this relates to divorce is unclear, though Jesus may have specifically referred to divorcing in order to marry another, which is what Herod Antipas had done.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus is another tale of great reversal. The one who is blessed is cursed and the one cursed, blessed. Jesus is indicting a system where the poor could be allowed to suffer so much at the door step of the rich. The other point he makes is our own lack of trust. We sometimes think that an experience we have will convince us of something. Jesus points out that it is never that simple.

17: It starts with a collection of different sayings about obedience, forgiveness, leading others astray. We then have the story of 10 lepers. The one who returns is the Samaritan. That's not how it's supposed to be. Topsy-turvey again.

Jesus talks about the kingdom. The Pharisees are looking for political or military events. Jesus tells them to find the kingdom in his ministry.

He talks about one of the days of the Son of Man. He warns against false prophets who foretell it's arrival. He warns them that there will be no warning. People will be carrying on in life as usual - so you must always be prepared. That message would have been important for Christians at the end of the first century who expected Jesus to have returned by then.

Judges
9: The sordid tale of Abimelech. He convinces the people of the area of Shechem (the Lords of Shechem) to make him king - which is a bad idea. Shechem is an important place, where several covenants with Yahweh were ratified by the assembly. We learned last week that a wise man proclaims Yahweh as king. He has all his brothers (they would be rivals) executed, probably in one day. Seventy heads on one bloody stone. The youngest escapes and pronounces a curse in a satirical story about Abimelech and those who would make him a king.

The Shechemites come to dislike Abimelech. They side with Gaal who is bragging. Zebul, who ruled that city, sends word to Abilmelech, who attacks. Gaal asks for help, but doesn't get any; he and many Shechemites are defeated.

Abimelech then does three things. He slaughters the people who come out to work the next day. He destroys the tower of Shechem and sows the ground with salt (so nothing would grow there). He besieges the city of Thebez, where he is killed by a woman who hurled a stone over the wall. When he dies, everyone seems to lose resolve and goes home.

How does the writer/editor evaluate this tale: snakes fighting snakes.

10: Two minor judges followed by the story of Jephthah. This story begins with the setup. It is the only story to take place in the Transjordan and the only one where the people repent. The people chased after other gods. They become oppressed by the Ammonites. The people cry out, and God could not longer bear to see them suffer.

11: Jephthah was no pillar of virtue. He was shrewd and accomplished as a military leader. Think if the local government turned to the Mafia for help in dealing with a threat.

Jephthah has no motivation to help except that he is made "head," which is apparently better than being a commander.

Jephthah attempts diplomacy and argues from history and the result of battles that the Israelites have a claim to the land. This might sound familiar; it is the same type of argument that we hear from both Jews and Palestinians today.

Jephthah's vow and its fulfillment should not be seen in a positive light. It is, rather, another story showing the downward spiral of the Israelites. Their enemies in this story, the Ammonites, worshiped Molech who demanded child sacrifice. The Law speaks about this specifically as a hideous abomination. Yet here the Israelite who defeated them is sacrificing his own daughter.

12: Again we have civil war as in chapter 9. God is not mentioned nor apparently involved. The motivation of the Ephraimtes are not clear, but they seem to be portrayed as scavengers looking for an easy meal. They battle with Jephthah and his Gileadites and lose control over the Jordan crossing. The Ephraimtes couldn't say the "sh" sound and so were found out. You can imagine Americans having to pronounce an Italian or a French "R" sound - or an Asian trying the same. These civil conflicts anticipate the further downward spiral that climaxes at the end of the book.

Finally there are a few minor judges.

13: This begins the story of Samson. He is the final judge and really reaches into the moral dregs. Samson is perhaps the mightiest but also the worst judge: He breaks his nazarite vow; he sleeps with non-Israelite women; never works with the other Israelites in his fight with the Philistines. And of course, he never really liberates the people from oppression. On the whole this is a tragic story of failure.

Samson is a Danite. They were along the Philistine border at the time of Samson but later move north. Samson's birth is accompanied by signs and appearances; it can be compared with the birth of Isaac, Samuel, John the Baptist and Jesus. Manoah does not come off as well as his wife, but neither of them know what the nazarite vow was anymore, and they don't seem to understand whether they should worship the angel or whether it is another kind of god. Eventually Samson is born and becomes strong.

14: Samson finds a foreign wife and demands his parents get her for him. He kills a lion. Later he takes the honey from the corpse, breaking his vow and defiling himself as well as his parents. He shoots his mouth off at the wedding. He gets fooled by his wife. He murders thirty men in another town to pay his debt. His wife is given to his best man. Quite a start.

15: When he cannot get his wife back he burns down the local grain fields. The people respond by burning his wife and her family. He gets so angry he kills these people. This escalating revenge is exactly what the law "eye for an eye" was meant to prevent.

Samson flees, but his fellow Israelites want nothing to do with him. They bind him and bring him to the Philistines, but he breaks loose and kills them with the jawbone of an ass. His poem plays upon the similarity in Hebrew between jawbone and heap.

Samson's first prayer is a demand for water - much like the Israelite's in the desert when they tested God.

16: Samson's weakness and foolishness reaches it's height with Delilah. You think he would have caught on. He is shaved, blinded and shamed with forced labor. He is made to perform like a monkey at the Philistine feast. His final prayer and his final act, like all the others he had performed, were for personal revenge. Samson was never concerned about anyone but himself and his appetites and pride. Again: snakes killing snakes.

17: We begin to hear the phrase, "there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in their own eyes"(as opposed to following the law). 17-21 form a kind of double conclusion that describes the final and utter disintegration of the society of the 12 tribes. It begins with a man who takes stolen money and builds an idol and shrine and sets up his own worship center instead of the tabernacle (which likely resided primarily at Shiloh). Later he hires a priest who is not dwelling in a Levitical town, as he was supposed to.

18: The Danites (Samson's relatives) leave, probably because they are being oppressed by the Philistines, whom Samson failed to defeat. They go to the far north of the Israelite territory and set upon a town with no walls (they were living there securely v. 8). On the way they capture the idol and priest from Micah and set up an alternative temple (likely to Yahweh) far to the north in Dan - take a look at a map - Dan is directly north of the Sea of Galilee (or Chennereth). The description of their apostasy is an echo that resonates into the later history of the northern tribes of Israel after the kingdom is split at the end of Solomon's reign.

19: Not a pleasant story. The Levite is put on the road to retrieve his concubine. Remember familial relationships were often a matter of survival. The man in Bethlehem, of Judah, is hospitable to a fault. When the Levite leaves, he travels and skips Jerusalem (Jebbus) because he expects hospitality from his own kindred, his fellow Israelites. He stops at Gibeah, which belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. The Benjemanites do not show hospitality and take him in. It is an Ephraimite, living in the city who takes him in. What unfolds is an unseemly tale that reminds the reader of the story of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Levite shows callousness to the concubine the next morning. We are not even sure when she died. The implication is that it was in the night, but it is possible that she finally died when he cuts her up. The Israelites have hit rock bottom here.

20: In all the book of Judges no one has been able to muster all of Israel until now (Dan is to the far north, Beer-sheba to far south and Gilead is the Transjordan). The callous Levite, his honor besmirched, gives his account, and based on the testimony of one witness (and not two) the assembly decides to apply the ban or herem on the people of Gibeah.

The Benjamites, from whom will come the first Israelite king, Saul, decide to fight. They are very successful at first, but in the third encounter the armies of Israel use a classic tactic to get the Benjamite army to draw away from the city. They find themselves completely surrounded and flee. Of all the Benjamites only 600 escape, and the town of Gibeah, as well as a few nearby others, are put to the herem - men, women, children and animals. The city is burned to the ground.

How God fits in can be difficult to determine. When it says they "inquired of the Lord," this means by divination. What probably occurs is what is found later in the stories of Samuel and Kings - the Urrim and Thurrim are used, which was a basic "yes" or "no." We shouldn't think of this as a voice from heaven, but rather someone rolling dice.

21: The rash oaths of the assembly threaten the existence of Benjamin. The other oath provides a solution. They put the Israelite town of Jabesh-gilead to the herem, take the virgins from that town and give them to the Benjaminites to repopulate.

After this abhorrent act there are still not enough women. The second idea - go and abduct the dancers who are celebrating at the annual festival of Yahweh. If their fathers complain, we'll protect you from reprisal. They do not bother to consult Yahweh in any way.

The final judgment of this time echoes in v. 25.

Ruth
Ruth is a story of fertility and life. The themes of marriage and harvest meld together in its text. After the madness of Judges, it is a pleasant reminder that during the time of the judges people were still able to find happiness and blessing.

1: It starts out with some bad luck. Naomi's sons are sickly. They marry, but die soon and eventually Naomi's husband dies as well. Now Naomi finds herself with no hope and two daughter-in-laws. Remember, women of this time didn't own property. They had moved away from their family and so had no welfare safety net. Their likely future was one of starvation or prostitution.

Orpah goes her own way to try and find another husband, but Ruth decides to stick with Naomi. They return to Bethlehem, arriving at the beginning of the barely harvest. Notice a point is made that Ruth was a Moabite, not an Israelite. This is an important part of understanding the reversal of fortune that happens to her.

2: Boaz is introduced, a member of Naomi's extended family. Ruth goes to glean for Naomi and herself. If you recall the law, the farmer was not to go over their fields twice or harvest the edges of their fields. What was missed was for foreigners, the poor and widows. Ruth is all three.

Boaz notices Ruth and apparently has heard of her story. He is especially gracious to her, offering protection and water. He then invites her to the shared meal and tells the reapers to leave extra grain for her. Boaz is being generous far beyond what the law dictated. An ephah of grain is a very good day's work. Notice both men and women worked in the harvest. The chapter ends with the end of the harvest, as it began at the beginning.

3: Feet are often a euphemism for genitals, so there may be more going on than a purely literal reading would give. Boaz is not a brother-in-law, so there is no strict requirement that he marry Ruth. However, it would be seen as an appropriate and generous act. There is the added suspense of a nearer related kinsman - will that the get married and live happily-ever-after??

4: Boaz makes a shrewd deal and gets some land as well as Ruth's hand in marriage. It is likely that the family did not want the hassle of a land dispute, so Boaz aquires both. The live happily ever after, and we discover that Ruth the Moabite becomes King David's grandmother.

1 Samuel
1 &2 Samuel were originally one book, probably also connected with 1 &2 Kings. The viewpoint and themes are similar throughout. 1 Samuel is a book that focuses on three people. The first section is the story of Samuel. Then we have the story of Saul; then the story of David. Samuel is the last judge and is also a prophet who anoints both Saul and David as King over the Israelites.

1: We start with Samuel's mother, Hannah. She cannot have children, so the other wives made fun of her, but her husband liked her. She prayed for a child with the promise that he will be dedicated to service in the temple.

2: God hears her prayer and Hannah responds with her song. Notice how similar her song is to Mary's in Luke 1.46-55.

The second part of this chapter connects with chapter 3. Eli's sons are priests in the tabernacle, but they are crooked and making themselves rich. Eli seems powerless to stop it. A prophet comes to warn Eli. We don't know his reaction. However, later Samuel, when he is still young and serving in the temple hears this prophecy from God as well. He is worried about telling Eli, but when pressed he reveals the message. Eli seems to accept this judgment as just.

Samuel rises to prominence as one who speaks truly for God (his words do not fall). He becomes known and respected from Dan in the far north to Bee-sheba in the far south.

Joshua 13-Judges 8/Luke 11-13

2008-05-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

Joshua

13-21: How the conquered land is divided up. There are a lot of confusing geographic references here, so skim that part and check out the ugly but informative map here: http://members.aol.com/Wisdomway/twelvetribes.htm

Here's the map of where the Canaanites were.

There are a couple of interesting narratives here, so don't skip those. You'll notice that Judah (the tribe of King David) gets a special mention. Recall that Caleb was one of the early scouts who thought they could take the land from the beginning. Because of his faith, he and Joshua were the only survivors of the 40 year wandering.

An important thing to notice in these sections is that the Israelites were still having trouble with some Canaanite tribes. They had not completely conquered the land. Tribes which Joshua had defeated were still causing trouble. The Philistines are mentioned. Notice that the Jebusites hold Jerusalem. It will not be until the time of King David that they will be defeated and Jerusalem made the capital of Israel.

22: Addresses the potential problems with the tribes in the Transjordan. They are worried about being the red-headed step-child. They live on the other side of the river, so the potential of being left out or marginalized is addressed in this chapter.

23-24: Joshua's final words, like Moses. Again they are exhorted to have faith in God and to follow his Law. If they do not, they will fail. There is a covenant renewal ceremony in which Joshua places a copy of Law in the sanctuary. The book ends by tying up three loose ends: Joshua dies and Eliazar dies - the two leaders of the people who brought them to the land and led its conquering. Finally, as almost a footnote we get the burial of Joseph's bones in the place he had purchased from the children of Hamor all those years ago as the patriarchal burial plot (Ge 50.25; Ex 13.19).

Judges
Judges tells the story of the life of the tribes of Israel after the death of Joshua. Much of the land had been conquered, but, as noted in Joshua and the beginning here, there were still Canaanite peoples in the land.

The book gets it's name from the people who are seen to succeed Joshua, who is technically the first judge. They are not judges in the judicial sense, but leaders of the people, usually who are seen to posses authority over more than just their own tribe. They tended to be military leaders; but usually this is not their only role.

More than anything else, however, the book of Judges recounts the downward spiral of the culture and people of Israel. After the successes of Joshua and the general cohesiveness of the people, by the end of Judges we have a people divided and scattered. In deep irony, the book of Judges concludes in lawlessness. It is an ugly story.

1: Judah, the tribe of David, is the most successful of the tribes, though even they cannot conquer the plains in their tribal area because the Israelites do not have a sufficient tactic to defeat chariots (they only have infantry). The other tribes are less successful and dwell with the other tribes in the land. When it says "Judah said to his brother Simeon," it is not describing two people, but two tribes....As in, "The US said to the UK."

2-3: We have the judgment of Israel, based on the previous chapter. They will not have an easy time in the land. We are also introduced to the judge's stories we will find in the book of Judges. The typical format of these stories in some way echoes the wandering stories we have previously read:
• The people wander from their loyalty to God.
• God's anger and judgment comes to them, usually in the form of oppression and slavery.
• God has pity on the people and raises a judge to liberate them.
• The judge fights for the people and establishes a time of peace.
• The judge dies and the people wander from their loyalty to God.

The story of the first Judge, Othniel follows the standard format and serves as a kind of archetype for the others.

The story of Ehud is filled with iron and sarcasm. When he stabs Egon "and the dirt came out," it is the obvious scatological reference you're thinking. Ehud escapes. Meanwhile, the servants, who can smell the odor from the private chamber, do not disturb their lord until it is too late. The Moabites are in disarray when the Israelites attack. The land rests.

We also have a minor judge, Shamgar, who may not have been an Israelite in the strictest sense. There will be a few one-liner judges in the stories.

4-5: Here is the longer story of the Judges Deborah (the only female judge) and Barak. They defeat Sisera who may have been from the north or a Philistine. Deborah not only had a keen military mind, but was a prophetess as well; she also decided disputes for the people in the area. For those who have seen the documentary we watched, this is one of the battles described.

5 is the poetic retelling which also remembers the tribes who did and did not come to the aid of Deborah. It tells of a sudden downpour, which would have flooded the Wadi, leaving the chariot's wheels and horses hooves stuck in the mud.

You will see the valley of Jezreel coming up fairly often. It was part of an important pass through the central hills between the valley of the Jordan river and the plains and sea to the west. It was of great strategic value.

6-8: The story of Gideon. Gideon means "hacker," and that is what we find him doing. The people have to be careful about their harvest because of Midian and Amalekite raiders. A prophet accuses the people of disloyalty, but before there is a reply, we find 'Hacker,' who is characterized by disbelief and cowardice.

Gideon does what God tells him, but only after sign after sign, and in the way which has the least risk - so he cuts down the pole and altar at night. He does, however, at least do that.

When Gideon goes out against the Midianites, God makes him take only 300, so that no one ascribes the victory to anyone else but God. Gideon uses guerrilla tactics to defeat the larger force of Midianites. He attacks at night, when battles at that time where in the day. He uses 300 horns, which probably convinced the enemy they were surrounded by a great army. The fire pots might have been used to start fires in the camp. The Midianites flee in disarray and are set upon by the larger forces as they retreat.

Gideon pursues the leaders of the Midianites across the Jordan along the river Jabbock. Succoth and Penuel do not give him aid, for which he takes revenge. He finally catches the Midianite kings and kills them - avenging his brothers.

Gideon refuses to become king, telling the people that Yahweh is their king. Then there is the strange account of the ephod. Usually an ephod was a special breastplate worn by the high priest. It seems likely that Gideon set up some kind of priesthood in his local town, rather than worshiping at the tabernacle with its Levitical priesthood. Some believe this refers to some kind of idol worship.

After Gideon's death, Israel falls into disloyalty once again. His son, Abimilech will be succeed him in the next story.

Luke
11: Jesus teaches on prayer. He teaches them what to say and how to pray. God does not give us a stone if we ask for bread. At the same time, if we ask for a snake, I don't know if he would give us that either.

There is conflict with some people who distrust his exorcisms. Jesus makes it clear that when it comes to him and the devil, there is no middle ground.

Constantly asking for a sign makes me think of Gideon.

Jesus pronounces his woes, much as in Matthew, on the religious leaders. Not unsurprisingly, this intensifies the conflict between them.

12: Several sayings of Jesus: Bewared of hypocrisy. Do not be afraid to acknowledge Jesus. Do not assign the work of the Spirit to evil.

Beware of money. The rich fool's soul is demanded by the things he is building. Rather than taking joy at the abundance of his crop, he sees it as a problem.

Then Jesus gives two, in some ways, conflicting messages: Don't worry, God will provide. Be vigilant, for Jesus message is controversial, it will rend even families apart. We might ask ourselves how we can understand this message today.

13: First - not all those who suffer deserve it. Second - salvation is still possible; indeed it is at hand. Third - people are what is important; the law was made for people, not people for the law. Fourth - the kingdom's growth cannot be stopped; it starts small and gathers strength. Fifth: the gate is narrow, but people come from all over to the feast of the kingdom of God. Fifth: I'm not afraid of Herod; how I wish I could gather Jerusalem to myself.

Map of Canaanite tribes

2008-05-12T16:19:00.001-07:00

As you are reading Joshua, I thought this might be helpful. Here's a map of where the Canaanites were:
http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Article/Bible/OT/OT_Historical/Joshua/Palestine_Time-of-Conquest.png

Deuteronomy 28-Joshua 12/Luke 8-10

2008-05-12T10:57:00.001-07:00

Luke
8: Jesus shows his power. The disciples are left wondering, "Who is this guy." It is an astonishing moment. He also proclaims a different kind of family. This is a radical departure from the culture at hand and offered to people a different kind of community based on Jesus' vision of the kingdom.

9: It is important to pivot in the story of Jesus. This is the first time he speaks of his inevitable death. Jesus is transfigured before the disciples, and again the voice from heaven comes pronouncing blessing upon Jesus. He is the one God has chosen as his representative and spokesperson. Finally, in v. 51, Jesus "sets his face to go to Jerusalem." This is a Semitic figure of speech which speaks of resolve and determination. What Jesus does is not easy for him to do.

10: After we hear of the difficult demands of Jesus ministry, we get the commissioning of the twelve who are sent out on an urgent mission. Jesus has a vision of Satan, the accuser and opponent, falling from heaven: ie being ejected from God's court. He gives thanks for this sign of the vindication of his mission.

The lawyer would have been someone educated in the intricacies of the Law - that is the Torah. Luke (and only Luke) then gives us the story of the Good Samaritan - a story with great intricacies that in fact turn the question the lawyer asks in upon itself. He asks, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus responds: "Be a neighbor." Not exactly the question he asks, but then Jesus was in a habit of shaking the foundation from which those questions arose.

Deuteronomy
28: A long chapter, but the point is clear: If you do not follow the Law you will lose the land, you will be taken away by foreign invaders and (in a kind of reverse Exodus) the plagues of Egypt will come upon you.

29-30: The ratification of the covenant and a restatement of blessing and cursings. There are several sections here which seem to speak of another time, specifically after the exile, which we will read of later. There is a hope, even at the end of a tumultuous future, for restoration.

31-33: Moses prepares for his death. Joshua is sworn in as the new leader; Moses prophesies about the future of the people. This intricate and beautiful poem is likely a later addition that recalls the history of Israel from the exile. He then speaks blessing on each of the twelve tribes.

34: The death of Moses. Notice he ascends to the top of Pisgah (yes just like south of Eugene). He is able to see the Holy Land, but he is not able to enter it. He is given an epitaph we could all desire: whom the Lord knew face to face.

Joshua
We are out of the Torah now. We have entered the history books. These books tell the story of how the children of Israel conquered Canaan, built an empire, lost it, and returned again. It covers the books of Joshua through Ezra/Nehemiah and Esther. But we cannot imagine that the people who told these stories, who recorded and edited them thought of "history" in the same way as we do today. As I have pointed out before, no one thought that way until very recently in the Western world. These stories are told to make a point.

These books are of totally different nature than the preceding one. God is still intertwined in the lives of the people, but not in the same way as before. There are differences also of how people understand God and their relationship with him. Many of the stories are idealistic retellings that were recorded during the exile, but most of them contain, without a doubt, many kernels of truth. They are above all descriptions of what happened and less prescriptions of how things should happen or how God might be acting. This is important to remember when we get to certain places.

We start with Joshua, which is perhaps the most idealistic of all the books. Good and evil are very obvious and presented in black and white - and anything with a taint of evil was utterly destroyed. It is a brutal and bloody book, but it took place in a brutal and bloody land. There are two things you should remember: first the warfare that was practiced was not unusual at the time; second, the stories are almost certainly untrue in their absoluteness. We know these people that Joshua fought were not utterly destroyed because they pop up again and again in later stories. For further notes on the herem or ban, see my previous posts.

As always for more information check out wikipedia.

1: Introduction and Joshua is encouraged by God to be courageous and tells the people that they will be successful as long as they follow the law and remain loyal to God.

2: An interlude in which spies are sent into the land. People had heard about the Israelites and their victorious battles with other people in the land. We also get the introduction of the story of Rahab the prostitute, who is also an ancestor of Jesus in Matthew's genealogy.

3-4: The people cross the Jordan. There are various rituals which recall the covenant and God's faithfulness to the people. The largest of which, of course, is the echo of their crossing of the Red Sea.

5: Before they go to Jericho they a ritually made holy. Those who are uncircumcised are now circumcised. They hold a passover and eat the produce of the land they are encamped at, Gilgal. On that day, the manna stops. They are no longer being fed by the bread that comes from heaven, but by the food of the land they have been promised. Joshua has a vision of the commander of God's army which is going to aid them in their conquest.

6: Jericho. We all know the story.

7: Someone did not follow the law to destroy everything. We tend to concentrate on the human part of the herem or ban, that everyone was killed. Yet it was not just people. The Israelites were not to take the wealth of the people put to the herem. They were to destroy everything. Achan got greedy and so he and all that he had taken is put to the herem.

8: Ai is conquered through some military cleverness and put to the herem. Joshua makes sacrifices and inscribes and reads the Law.

9: The campaign continues. The Gibeonites deceive the Israelites, but eventually fall under their rule. They are the only people to escape the herem in this early campaign.

10: The defeat of the Amorite alliance and putting the towns in the south to the herem.

11: The northern campaign and defeat of Canaanite coalition. Putting the towns to the herem.

By the end of 11 Joshua had pretty much captured the central hills of Canaan, securing a power base in the land. This would prove an important strategic move in that area of the world. Remember in Deuteronomy God tells the people that the land they are going to is one of hills - not a flat land that could be irrigated. They would have to depend on God for the rain to grow their crops. Joshua has captured these hills and will use them as a power base in the future.

12: A list of the conquests beginning with Moses campaigns in the Transjordan.

Deuteronomy 24-27/Luke 7

2008-05-06T16:41:00.001-07:00

Deuteronomy
24-26 in a continuation of the laws. Notice these are pointed specifically at justice and fairness which should be applied to everyone, not just the people of a particular status level. The poor, the stranger, and the orphan are even accorded some extra rights. You cannot utterly deprive someone of their dignity, no matter what they owe you. As human beings, they are not to be treated as animals or sub-human. 26 ends with further ratification of the agreements of the covenant God is making with the Israelites.

27 tells us of the ceremony held when the people enter the holy land. There are a couple of competing stories regarding exactly where and how these things happened. The curses at the end, however, echo the meaning of covenant as "to cut." Remember the animals that were halved, between which the two covenant makers passed: the declaration being, "If I break this covenant, let what happened to these animals happen to me."

Luke 7
Here we have three stories in which the people who are supposed to get it don't get it, and the people who aren't supposed to get it, do. The Centurion does not represent the nice police officer or NCO from the local base. The Centurion represents "The Man." He stands against freedom and self-determination. John of course is the crazy man from the wilderness who is prophesying the fall of the "system." Then there is the unrespectable woman, the woman who does not get invited to dinner parties but to bachelor parties. In each case, Jesus sees beyond the classification their society has laid upon them, and sees the true person underneath - in need of the good news of his kingdom and his healing and forgiveness.

Deuteronomy 8-27/Luke 4-7

2008-05-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Luke
Luke 4: The temptation of Jesus is nearly identical to the one in Matthew, except for the order (Mt 4.1-11). It is likely that they thought the temptation they put last was the trickiest one, and so left it to the last.

Jesus comes out of the wilderness and begins his ministry (this should be a familiar pattern). He reads what was probably a well known passage about the establishment of the kingdom of God and return of the people from exile. He states that it has been fulfilled; the people are intrigued and excited. They perhaps start to question his authority and claim (Is this not Joseph's son?). He answers with two challenges: references to God's grace coming to gentiles (widow of Zarephath and Naaman), coupled with the famous quote about a prophet not being welcome in their home town. Response: they try to throw him off a cliff.

Having encountered this response and weathered the conflict, Jesus next enters into conflict with the demons. This will be an important point in the story of Jesus: his conflict with people and his conflict with the supernatural powers. In Jesus' world, the two would have been more connected than in ours.

When Jesus goes to leave Capernaum and the area of Galilee, the people want him to stay, but he most proclaim his message in other cities. Notice he continues to proclaim that message in the synagogues of Judea (take a look at your maps).

Luke 5 begins with the miraculous fishing and the call of Peter, James and John. During a healing, he touches a leper (which you weren't supposed to do). His healing starts to draw crowds, including the "teachers of the law."

There is a whole section here, from about 5.17 - 6.11 where he has various conflicts and disagreements with these religious leaders. They want him to be proper and respectable. Jesus is more interested in living life and bringing life to others. Notice Jesus also consistently gets away for rest and restoration.

Chapter 6.12-16 is the list of disciples who become "The Twelve." There is some variation in the lists between the different gospels, but they always start with Peter and end with Judas Iscariot.

The end of 6 is Luke's version of the sermon on the mount. Here we have the sermon on the plain (v. 17), and some very basic differences, even in the Beatitudes, which includes the classic formula of blessings and cursings (remember how often this occurs in the Torah). Compare with Matthew 5.

Deuteronomy
8: it is serendipitous to be reading this with Luke 4. We hear the phrase with Jesus quotes to Satan in v. 3 - one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. The point here is clear....it is God who feeds us, who clothes us, who gives us shelter. We are wholly dependent on God. The Israelites are warned not to forget this, now they are moving into a land that is bountiful from a land where they would have starved if bread had not fallen from the sky.

9: retells the story at Mt. Sinai, but there is a deeper warning against self-righteousness. "Do not think you are taking this land as a reward for being good." No, it is God's judgment on the Canaanites and because of the promises made through Abraham that they are receiving the land.

10: a conclusion of the historical recap and a plea, not simply to obey the law, but to love God, and not only God, but the stranger, the widow, the orphan. The point here is that Yahweh is not only the God of the Israelites, but of everyone, especially the downtrodden.

11: We hear again the call to loyalty to God. Notice vv. 10-12. The Nile Valley in Egypt is irrigated by human effort. The land of Canaan is a place of hills and valleys where a large irrigation endeavor won't work. The land of Canaan is a place where the agriculture is completely dependent on the rain God sends. This will become important when the land is afflicted with drought. Notice also the use of the plural you throughout. It is a communal injunction that the community (not just individuals) remain loyal. They were in it together.

12 - 26.15 is the next great body of law in Dt.

12 speaks to a centralized worship of their God to the exclusion of all others. They are to destroy the pagan temples. They were not to worship God there. One of the key distinctions here is that now that the people are living throughout the land, they do not have to bring every animal to the tabernacle to slaughter it. Now when an animal is killed in "a town" it is not a sacrifice, where before it was. There is now also only one place (from among the tribes) for sacrifices to happen. This is where we see the writer reflecting the time of Josiah, when there was only one temple and one altar in Jerusalem rather than places throughout the land. This becomes much more important later. This new description of slaughtering an animal that is not sacrifice is one of the first divisions between the "sacred" and the "secular."

13: Don't worship other gods, no matter who says so. 'Nuff said.

14: Tithe was what was usually owed to the monarch or the landowner - the people are stewards, God is the owner. Their tithe was used to support the Levites and the poor.

15: We hear again of the year of jubilee. Every 7 years, no more debt, no more slavery (most likely indentured servants).

16: Is a revamping of the calendar and the establishment of local courts which usually held their meetings at the town gates.

17: What do you do with crime and disputes. If the local court cannot reach a conclusion, bring them to the temple and the priests and judge (as in the book of Judges) will decide. There is also a provision for a king (strange considering what happens over the next couple of hundred years if this was indeed written before Josiah). Notice the king's power is greatly limited, and there are several prohibitions against extravagance (which is what gets King Solomon in trouble).

18: More on the levitical priesthood, and also in some sense creates the role of the prophet. This is one who speaks for God, not in the way the pagans do (9-14), but in the way Moses did.

19: covers two topics: the cities of sanctuary and the rules of evidence for the court. You must have more than one witness to convict.

20: again we have the herem or the ban. The Israelite holy war described here frankly never took place. The rules here are similar to other Near East descriptions, and you can even see in verse 16 how the rules were amended. When this was written, the Canaanite tribes were already assimilated into the Israelite populace. This was an attempt to idealize the conquering of the land in a way to convince contemporary Jews (7th cent.) to not be tempted by the pagan gods and worship.

21: various situations: how will the land be cleansed by bloodshed if we cannot find the perpetrator? How shall we settle certain civil disputes? Remember, the family was the welfare system; the welfare of woman depended on the rights they demanded from their husbands and fathers. Regarding the corpse on a tree, we find the reason the people asked for Jesus' body before sundown.

22: Lots of different laws mostly covering civil matters; that is the obligations between people. Remember the precarious position of woman in this society. Most of these laws are there to protect her from summary execution or from banishment from the protection of family which would lead either to starvation or prostitution (perhaps both).

23: Restriction on those who could be a part of the Israelite assembly, which was the governing body of Israel, and most likely a popular legislature made up of tribal and town leaders (Edomites are descendants of Esau) .

More in a couple of days....

from kottke.org

2008-04-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

Jared Diamond wrote a fascinating article in last week's New Yorker about vengeance. On one of his trips to Papua New Guinea, he met a man named Daniel who had been responsible for "organizing the revenge" against the man who killed his paternal uncle Soll. (Incidentally, Soll's killer was also an uncle of Daniel's.)

Among Highland clans, each killing demands a revenge killing, so that a war goes on and on, unless political considerations cause it to be settled, or unless one clan is wiped out or flees. When I asked Daniel how the war that claimed his uncle's life began, he answered, "The original cause of the wars between the Handa and Ombal clans was a pig that ruined a garden." Surprisingly to outsiders, most Highland wars start ostensibly as a dispute over either pigs or women. Anthropologists debate whether the wars really arise from some deeper lying ultimate cause, such as land or population pressure, but the participants, when they are asked to name a cause, usually point to a woman or a pig.

The process of vengeance is very important to the people living in this region of New Guinea; people there speak openly of revenge killings as Americans might speak of friendships and family.

Numbers 26-Deuteronomy 7/Luke 1-3

2008-04-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Numbers
Numbers 26 we have a second census. This is the census after they return from the 40 years of wandering.

27 covers a possible loophole in the law. What if a man has no sons? The land passes to his daughters until their sons can inherit it in the man's name (their grandfather). The importance of keeping land within the family was a central value of this culture. Land was not sold or given away except under extreme circumstances.

We also have here the important passing of the torch from Moses to Joshua, who will now be the leader of the people. Joshua becomes the first judge, who fulfills this role (these people give the title to the book of Judges coming up). Notice however that Joshua does not have the religious authority that Moses had. Joshua must go to the priest to inquire of God, whereas Moses went directly to God.

Why can't Moses enter the promised land (v.13-14)? Because he struck the rock for water instead of speaking to it (20.8-13).

28-29 is more discussion on the calendar and the proper offerings, both daily and on special days. This is in contrast to those offerings in Leviticus which were primarily offerings people would bring; these were offerings made by the priests on behalf of all the people.

30 regards to nullification of the vows of wives and daughters. Since these women had no economic power and no ownership of the property of the family, they could not bind it irrevocably. However, if they make a vow and their husband or father (before marriage) does not speak up, it stands. So the onus is on the father/husband to speak up and take action; otherwise it is thought that the wife/daughter speaks with the authority of the family. Notice that widows and divorcees can make binding vows because of their economic independence.

31 continues the story started in chapter 25 when the Israelites where "seduced" by the Moabites (or Midianites - it is unclear which is which because it is likely these are two stories that have been combined into one). As we will encounter later, the Israelites prosecute a violent, give-no-quarter war on the people living in the promised land. The likely story behind this is the fear (perhaps justified) that the cultures of Canaan will tempt the Israelites with idolatry. In point of fact, they do, and the worship of other gods than Yahweh is one of the two keys factors in their eventual subjugation.

32 is an interesting interlude and explains the holdings of three tribes to the east of the Jordan River (called Transjordan). They wish to set up towns and fields here, but they promise to cross the Jordan and fight with everyone else against the Canaanites. This turns out to be an acceptable compromise, and the area controlled by the twelve tribes increases before they even get established.

33 is a re-hash in summary form of the wanderings from Egypt up until now. It adds, contracts, expands and omits several things from the rest of the narrative. The boundaries which are given in 34 are likely ideal boundaries, probably achieved during the time of David (check your maps for where tribes end up).

34 is important for two reasons. First, it lays out the Levitical cities. Since the priests did not have a territory, they were given cities throughout the land along with pasture and fields. Second, six towns will be towns of refuge or sanctuary. Remember, there are no police; there are no courts; there are no lawyers. If someone is killed, it is the obligation of the family of the slain to avenge that death and to bring about justice.

Obviously this kind of system lends itself to blood feuds and the ever increasing cycle of violence. To control bloodshed there are two outlets. One is the judicial review (needing two witnesses). The other is the town of refuge, where, if the accused is guilty of man-slaughter (and not murder), they can reside without fear of reprisal.

Finally there is the warning against bloodshed, which I believe is referring to the dangers of the cycle of violence, murders, man-slaughter, vengeance, honor killings etc. Echoing I believe the story of Cain and Abel we hear that blood pollutes the land, and the land cannot be cleaned; it cannot be expiated. It is made filthy by this violence, and only the end of the one perpetrating the violence can bring an end to it. God says - do not pollute the land, because I live in it too!

The final chapter concludes the problem of the women who own land, and who could, potentially, give it through inheritance to a Gentile foreigner. The daughters marry within their tribe and the land stays within that tribe's territory.

Deuteronomy
So we get to the final book of the Torah. The last of the five books of the Pentateuch. The setting: the children of Israel have wandered 40 years and now stand on the brink of entering the promised land (see yesterday's reading). They will enter without Moses, who is about to die. However, before they do, he is going to give them a piece of his mind. Deuteronomy (Dt.) is set as Moses' last great discourse, his final words, on his deathbed, before he leaves them and the people move into the next phase of their story.

The vast majority of the book itself, however was shaped many, many years later. Most scholars now believe the Dt. is the core of the book is a product of 7th century BC reformation and revival during the reign of King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23). It reflects different concerns than the Mosaic laws found in Exodus and Leviticus. It is more urban and less rural, and reflects many of the reforms carried out by Josiah.

However, it is a book of great significance. Deuteronomy means "Second Law," and in it we do get a kind of revision of the Law found earlier in Torah. It is a deeper expounding on the history and law of the Israelites and a great exhortation to remain loyal to Yahweh in the midst of distractions and temptations.

Chapters 1-4 are the first discourse of Moses. You will notice the tense is a little hard to get used to. Remember, Moses begins in verse 6 through 3.29 to give a historical review of their exodus and 40 year journey. We get a retelling of the events at Kadesh-Barnea which precipitated their 40 year wandering and their final return to this plain from which they would launch their invasion of the Promised Land.

Chapter 4 is Moses' first exhortation to obey the Law (Torah). vv.25-31 are especially important for the later history of the people. If they do not follow the Law, then they will lose the land and be scattered. This becomes an important factor in the history of Israel when they are later defeated, exiled, and carried off into slavery in Babylon.

Chapter 5 -28 is Moses' second discourse, primarily on the Law. Notice we start again with the 10 (or however many there are) commandments. Notice who is addressed - all Israel, man, woman, child. God is disclosing this law to everyone and for everyone. Most other Near Eastern laws were significantly more concerned with preserving class distinctions. Also compare this list with the one in Exodus 20.2-17. Also note v. 28. The previous Laws (commandments) come directly from God to the people; the rest are mediated by Moses (the Lord spoke to me).

Chapter 6-11 discuss the requirement of loyalty to God. v. 4 commands the people to love God completely, to remember the laws and pass them down. Within this section, you will find chapters 7-10 warn about the dangers of inhabiting the land.

For chapter 7, we must discuss the "ban," or the "herem." This is where the Israelites are commanded to "utterly destroy" a people. There are many different explanations for this practice, which seems so utterly foreign to the God we have come to know.

Some have looked to the warning that follows, of the dangers that the Israelites faced from the culture and religion of these other peoples, a danger that found fulfillment in the history of Israel. However, it is unclear how that justifies the ban.

There are also many inconsistencies in the different descriptions and prescriptions for the ban. How it is carried out is problematic as well, since after war with many of the people placed under the ban, they still appear and their daughters and sons become intermarried with the Israelites. Many scholars believe that the ban is an anachronism, read back from the 6th century BC (when purity and survival were paramount) to the 11th when conquering and taking possession of the land were. Some believe it was a polemic directed at internal issues of the Josiah reformation, rather than a practice used by Joshua (who leads the people after Moses) in the conquest of Canaan.

The primary purpose of the ban, however we understand it, was to keep the Israelites pure and loyal to Yahweh. They were to burn the idols with fire, and not even use the gold and silver used to cover them. If they did not maintain their loyalty to Yahweh, then they would suffer the plagues of Egypt and be scattered from the land.

Luke
There is a very ancient tradition that the author of Luke was a physician who accompanied Paul on several of his missions. There are some problems with that identification, but none that call the tradition into serious question. The author of Luke was clearly familiar with Jewish tradition, but in a more academic than experiential way; and though his knowledge of ancient Palestine is detailed in some ways, in other ways the vision of that place is found wanting.

Luke certainly drew on Mark (as Matthew most likely did) when shaping his gospel. Further, we see that both Matthew and Luke shared another source that apparently Mark did not have access to. Scholars call this source Q. In broad strokes the story is much the same as the other two synoptic gospels. However there are some differences in emphasis.

Luke's gospel is addressed to Theophilus (Friend of God). The designation "most excellent" points to the likelihood that this was a person of high socio-economic status. The audience is likely mostly Greek, though they would have had some familiarity with Jewish customs. Luke's gospel is, in some ways, the most biographical. He seems to be laying things out in a logical way, trying to make sense of how the story ties together not just theologically but historically as well. Though Luke's gospel is by no means a modern history (such a thing did not exist until centuries later), Luke is probably the gospel that is closest to that understanding. In short, Luke is writing to a Western audience, writing to the people that would form the later world of the Byzantine and Latin Empires, through the middle ages and into the modern world. In other words, more than the other gospels, Luke has us in mind.

Chapters 1-2 form a single unit; the infancy narrative of Luke. There are big differences when compared with Matthew. For one thing it is much longer and more closely detailed. It begins not with the story of Jesus but of John the Baptist and his miraculous birth. There are four songs here, Zechariah's, Mary's, the angels', and Simeon's.

There are also, of course similarities to Matthew. Jesus is born in Bethlehem. There are angelic visits (Joseph/magi/Mary) and earthly visitors to the infant Jesus (magi/shepherds); though the status of these visitors is a bit different. Luke's story, however, is similar to Matthew's: The one who will bring the kingdom of God, will bring forgiveness of sins, will restore the people of God, will be the Messiah, has arrived with portents and heavenly announcements.

Luke 3 covers the ministry and message of John. In his words we hear an echo of Moses from Dt. The ax is at the root of the tree! Every tree that is fruitless will be burned. What should we do? Act with justice and fairness. The people are under Roman rule; they wonder when they will rule the Promised Land again, with their own rulers. When will proper worship return to the temple? When will the law be followed? When will Yahweh rule over the people? When will his servant, the Messiah, be made known? The moment of time Jesus was born into was a turning point for the Jewish people.

Jesus genealogy is traced through his step-father Joseph (Matthew is through Mary) and extends back through Adam, showing him to be a universal savior and that he shares humanity in common with all people, even the Gentiles.

Numbers 7-24/Mark 16

2008-04-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

Numbers
Chapter 7 details the offerings from different tribes. I suggest skimming this one. 8 gives us more details on the business of the priests. 9 however, is a key chapter which discusses the keeping of passover. This is the special meal shared once a year by everyone which celebrated the Israelites deliverance from Egypt, and the "passing over" over the angel of death. If you have ever been to a Seder meal, that is the modern version.

Chapter 10 - how do all these people move about? As orderly as possible. Interestingly trumpets were not used for "music" but for signaling until recent modern history.

Moses father-in-law, who was a Midianite, stays with them (he is called, in various places, Hobab, Reuel, and most famously Jethro)

Chapter 11 gives us two of the classic "complaint" stories that we will see again and again. The first one is very short and gives us the basic outline:
1. rebellion or sin
2. divine punishment
3. intercession by Moses
4. restoration

The story about the quails has the usual lengthier, detailed version. There is an obvious proposal in these stories that God is in absolute control of every aspect of the lives of the people at every single moment. I'm not sure that proposal bears the weight of the history of God's relationship with humanity throughout time; however, there is the implication that at this particular time, as the people have just left Egypt and are wandering around in the barren desert, as food literally falls out of the sky, that they and God are very much intertwined.

Chapter 12 is another complaint story. Notice, Miriam gets in trouble, but also notice her important position. Miriam was one the most important people amongst the Israelites, on par with Aaron. God's response to their complaint is not what they expected, but to my ear it is exactly the kind of God we serve, who is more interested in relationship than following the law. The particularity of Moses and his importance is also an obvious locus.

Chapters 13-14 are one of those key turning points in the history of Israel. They have fled Egypt and have now arrived. They are on the borders of the Promised Land. They send scouts (better translation that spy). But when they return they fill everyone with dread over the dangerous people who live there. Joshua and Caleb encourage them to not be afraid, but they cry out (again) against Yahweh who took them out of Egypt.

God is going to destroy the people and start with Moses. But Moses intervenes (what will the neighbors think if you kill them all off?!). God acquiesces. Instead the people will wander for 40 years.

Now you have read where we get the "40 day journey" of Lent. Notice the irony of what God says in 26-34. You will go toward Egypt, but not make it. Your fear of death will come upon you. Your children, who you were afraid would be taken as booty, will succeed.

Chapter 15 covers various sacrifices. Notice that the alien and the Israelite are the same and follow the same rules. There is a trial over a man working on the sabbath. The people are told to make fringes on their garments with a blue cord to remind them of their metaphorically priestly status (Ex 19.6).

Chapter 16: So who is "holy" and why? Is not everyone holy? A couple of things. First, notice Moses reaction: he falls on his face. Moses reaction to people was often one of humility, not pride. This is an interesting contrast with, second, Korah's presumptiveness. No one ever gets away with a sense of entitlement with God. It is just not a good strategy (in any relationship for that matter). Once again the people tread close to destruction and once again God is merciful in the mediation of Aaron and Moses.

Chapter 17 continues the theme. How do we know that God has really chosen Aaron and his family. How do we know that Moses and he aren't just in cahoots to grab power? Well, a sprouting staff will hopefully convince people.

Chapter 18 lays out the duties, dues and responsibilities of these priests. We sometimes wrestle with these same issues in the church when it comes to people's gifts. We tend to believe that some gifts are better than others, especially if they are not ours. Finding peace and satisfaction with how God has made us is a sometimes a difficult process.

Chapter 19 describes the ritual cleansing because of the death of Korah and his rebellion. The purity laws regarding dead bodies are also detailed here echoing Leviticus. Notice the different meaning of impurity than the often moral spin we place on the word.

There is a telescoping of time in Chapter 20, in which we go from the second year of wandering to the fortieth. Miriam dies, the first person of note of that generation. Moses and Aaron strike the rock instead of speaking to it, and are barred from entering the Holy Land because of it. They do not make war with Edom, but must pass a different way. Aaron is succeeded by his son (without ceremony), and the people come into early conflict south and east of the Promised Land.

There are two famous bits from chapter 21, the story of the snakes which connects with John 3:16 and "Spring up O Well!" which is a camp song.

Chapter 22-24 is the comedic story of Balaam, a legendary seer of that area at the time. The Israelites have been attacking the people of the area very successfully, and Balak, king of Moab, wants them cursed. He hires Balaam, but Balaam blesses them instead (after a stern talking too from his ass). It is a great story of God's presence among all kinds of people and his greatness over against the gods of other nations.

Mark 14-16
Again we see Mark's brevity and quick pace in his description of the passion and resurrection of Jesus. Matthew moves forward like a holy historian, making sure we understand the theological implications of these events. Mark is a thriller writer. What will happen next? How will these characters react? There is almost a sense here that Mark is assuming we have never heard the story before.

Chapter 16 needs some comment. I suggest you get a good study Bible and read up on this final chapter. The alternate, longer endings seem to be tacked on. If you recall, there has long been the suggestion that the beginning and end of Mark were lost.

But lets assume for a moment that Mark does indeed end with the foreboding, "So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." What are we to make of that? Let's be sure we discuss that Sunday after church.

See you then.

Leviticus 21-Numbers 6/Mark 10-13

2008-04-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

Leviticus
These chapters in Leviticus continues the basic organization of the Israelites culture. First we find the more restrictive rules for the priests and high priests. They were to follow more extreme versions of the purity regime than others. Later in Rabbinical Judaism (that is, modern Judaism) these rules would be spread to the rest of society as well, as one form of substitution for the temple that was destroyed.

We have the calendar, which is complicated because it is lunar rather than solar like ours. Then we have laws such as eye for an eye, life for a life. These were there to limit the breadth of revenge. If someone kills your son, you cannot kill their entire family; which is something not uncommon in certain cultures. Then we cover the years of jubilee. Of course, in a capitalist society, the idea that all credit would be forgiven every 50 years is earth-shaking. God's economy is not our own. For those familiar with farming, you are probably aware of the advantages of letting land lie fallow, as well of the fact that few people practice it anymore because of modern fertilizers.

Leviticus closes with blessings and cursings. The law, as we have seen, is a conditional covenant, based on the people's willingness to follow it. If they do not, then they will lose the land and their blessings. I hope you have questions about chapter 27 we can discuss.

Numbers
Numbers is so named because of the census at the beginning. You can find more basic info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_numbers. The census is taken as a part of organizing the camp: who was in the middle; who on the outside; where was the sanctuary located...etc. Later you will find kings who take a census get in trouble with God because a census had two purposes in the ancient world: 1. to levy taxes; 2. to draft an army.

Numbers also contains more laws regarding the people and will contain various narratives about the Israelites travel.

Chapter 5 covers some of these laws, including the only Trial by Ordeal in the Hebrew Bible. This was done to determine whether a woman was adulterous. In a world where trial by ordeal would have been common place, it is interesting that the ancient Israelites had only one. What do think of it?

Chapter 6 is a nazarite vow, which is a vow a person took for various reasons. Many think John the Baptist took this kind of a vow. It also contains one of the great blessings in the Bible, The Blessing of the Holy Name, in which the name of their God was placed upon the people three times.

Mark 10-13
We begin with Jesus teachings, about marriage, about children, about the how to "get into" the kingdom of God, and Jesus bewilders them with his teachings. He welcomes those the disciples try to drive off, reaches out to those who do not belong, and tells them again and again that he will be killed, but he will be raised again.

He arrives in Jerusalem in Chapter 11 (this time riding one animal - see Matthew). This is always the beginning of the end in Jesus' story. When he gets to Jerusalem, he "cleanses" the temple. He drives the money changers out and begins to talk about himself as a kind of temple. Verse 18 gives us the turning point, "the chief priests and the scribes....kept looking for a way to kill him." Jesus is causing to much trouble, he is announcing a kingdom that is almost a heresy to them, and they decide they must stop him. Remember the story of the fig tree....

However, it won't be easy. Jesus is confronted by them regarding authority and taxes and resurrection. He comes out on top each time. Chapter 13 is what is sometimes called the "little apocalypse." Jesus is speaking as a prophet here, in the great tradition of Isaiah and Jeremiah about the destruction of the temple and of another exile of the people. This is a manifestation of his own exaltation and vindication - that his message is the one God supports and not the religious leaders who are running the temple. Jesus is a kind of alternative-temple movement. The thing to remember, is that he is saying that HE is the new temple. This gets him in a lot of hot water.

Leviticus 10-20/Mark 7-9

2008-04-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Leviticus
We find in chapter 10 that God is serious when it comes to the responsibilities of the priests. He is not kidding around. The resolution with Aaron at the end is vague, but it does seem to assuage Moses. The ritual purity of the priests is very important, which we will discover later.

Chapter 11 starts a series of laws about purity and impurity. Notice that impurity is a part of daily life. There will be cases for everyone when they will become impure. It is important to remember this. The Jewish idea of "impure" is not what we often me when we connect it with morality. The two are distinct ideas, though a person who commits a crime becomes impure.

Also, leprosy is not what we today call leprosy (Hanson's disease). It is likely a variety of different skin afflictions. Remember, there were no doctors, no one to go and check things out with. Also of note...the priests job was not to cure someone, but declare whether they were cured - or in more ancient terms, whether they had been cleansed of impurity and were ready to be re-incorporated into the community by their sacrifice.

Also, please notice that sacrifices were never offered to bring about a cure. One did not sacrifice so that the deity would then cure you. You offered sacrifice as thanksgiving and as a part of your re-entry into the community. This is very different from the pagan idea in which you sacrifice to appease or win the favor of the deity. Yahweh cannot be bought.

Much of the purity laws revolve around procreation. There was little difference between sex and reproduction, though we separate them in our own culture. Bearing children was the most important function in that society and the family was the social welfare system. This will become more important in later laws.

Chapter 16 is one of those important chapters in the Bible. It is important because it deals specifically with the idea of atonement for sin. It is the description of what is known today as Yom Kippur. Please note several important things:

There are two sin offerings, one for the high priest who is performing the ritual. The other is for the nation of Israel
The sin offering is not to appease the deity.
It is specifically to cleanse the temple. Once a year the temple was given a kind of spring cleaning with the sin offering.
The offering ritual's focus is not on purification or repentance of an individual.

The other goat, the "scapegoat" also deserves several points

Notice two hands are laid on its head. This is the only time it happens and the only time that the idea of sin being transfered to any ritual animal
Notice the animal is not killed
It is sent away from the camp. It bears the sins of the people out into the wilderness.
There are some Rabbinical comments from much later that someone was sent to make sure the animal (carrying the sins of the people) would not return.

Now all of this points back to how we understand Jesus' own sacrifice, or offering. There have occasionally been strains in Christian theology that say Jesus death was necessary for our forgiveness, that Jesus was destined to die on the cross, that his death appeased an angry God, or somehow "paid" for our sin. It is sometimes argued that Jewish sacrifice prefigured this in some way. If you pay attention to Jewish sacrifice, you will see that their cultic practices do not support this kind of theology. Rather it is better to say that he was killed by our sin, and in forgiving us for killing him and rejecting his message, he bears our sin, bears it away from us. This is what we mean when we say, "Jesus died for our sin." Jesus played the role both of the animal that was sacrificed to purify the temple and the scapegoat who takes the sins of the people of God out into the wilderness where they are forgotten by God and banished from his presence.

Chapter 17 introduces the Holiness Code (see last week). It begins with how animals are slaughtered, specifically that they not be killed outside of the sanctuary. Remember, in ancient cultures no one ever killed an animal without some kind of theistic ritual. This section of the law has as much to do with worshiping false gods as anything else.

Many of the laws that follow in 18-20 may seem archaic. Remember, for the most part these laws were rather progressive for their time. They treated both men and women as members of society whose purpose was the preservation of order and the growth and strengthening of the extended family. Also, remember there aren't laws against things that no one was doing. There are also significant provision for the poor.

The section ends with almost a kind of warning. The covenant they are making with God is conditional. If they do not follow these laws, they will end up like the people they are going to displace in the Promised Land.

Mark 7-9
Interestingly, while we are reading the purity codes of Leviticus, we find Jesus fighting with the Pharisees over these things. Jesus makes the argument that what goes into a person ends up in the toilet anyway (Jesus was not above locker-room humor on occasion). It is what comes out of a person's mouth, what they say and do that matters. He points out several flaws in the laws that people would follow, for instance not taking care of family for "holy" reasons. The purpose of the law is to help, not to deprive and hurt.

As if to drive the point home, we have the story of the Gentile woman, some one who would be an outsider to a Jew. She receives her miracle because she challenges the generosity and abundance of God.

The stories of the deaf man and the blind man bookend another miraculous feeding and the blindness of the disciples. Here they are worrying about the fact that they had only one loaf for their crossing. Jesus challenges them. Do they not understand the promise of abundance that God has made to them. A promise shown in as clear and concrete a way that you could expect. There is always enough with a little left over!

We also find the great pairing of stories in which Peter gets it, but not really. He understand Jesus is the Messiah, but he doesn't get what kind of Messiah Jesus is (8:27-33).

Chapter 9 has the transfiguration followed by another exorcism. The "battle" with Satan continues in Jesus ministry. It is followed with a section similar to the Sermon on the Mount. The kingdom is all or nothing; don't be afraid to leave some things behind.

Exodus 31-Leviticus 10; Mark 3-6

2008-03-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

Exodus
So here we have the famous story of the calf. Notice how it is made and how it is presented. The calf was likely supposed to be a kind of throne that the deity would sit upon; it becomes a representation of the deity itself. "Here is Yahweh, the one who brought you out of Egypt," Aaron says.

Notice God's reaction and how Moses persuades him to not destroy the people. What are his arguments? Instead Moses metes out his own form of justice and a plague falls on all those who become sick after drinking the water.

The covenant being broken, Moses now meets with God out away from the camp, and the questions becomes, "Will God be with Israel of not?" by chapter 33. Again we see the covenant and promise in danger. Will God rescue this relationship?

In the end God renews the covenant in chapter 35 and re-issues the commandments given earlier. The covenant is reestablished and the people bring gifts to build the tabernacle, whose prose-blueprint we read last week. Now we get a re-description of the work, showing that all was done "as the Lord commanded" (chapter 39 - 40). In the end God's glory once again comes upon the tabernacle.

Leviticus
Leviticus is a book of rules. Specifically it is a set of instructions on how to run things in the tabernacle. There are clearly several hands in the writing of the book. It is broken up into two main sections. The first is the section on running the temple and the various sacrifices that were done as signs of thanksgiving, of incorporation in to the community and for purification. The second section is what is often called the "Holiness Code." It describes the various things that might occur to a person or that they might do that would make them impure and in need of re-incorporation with the community.

Find out more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviticus

Some things to notice about the offerings:

There is usually some economic scale regarding animals. A poor person could offer birds instead of a bull (remember Jesus' family did this, which shows their economic status)
A person laid one hand on the animal. This was not an act to convey their sins on the animal so that it's death would then appease God, the sins having been "paid for." That is an alien concept to these sacrifices. The hand was laid upon it as an act to show that this animal belonged to that person (imagine thousands of people coming to sacrifice; you wanted to keep things as orderly as possible).
Again we see the dashing of blood. This was seen as an a kind of spiritual detergent which purified the tabernacle. For certain sins (see chapter 4) they penetrated at different levels and thus the blood was sprinkled in different places.

These are the sacrifices:

Burnt offering: stands out because none of it is eaten (ch. 1)
Grain offering: likely a substitute for an animal for the very poor (ch. 2)
Well-Being offering: Also sometimes called a Thank offering. These would have been most common and the typical offering given when eating meat. (ch. 3)
Sin offering: Also called purification offering. Impurity polluted the tabernacle which must be cleansed. Chapter 5 gives more details about this offering (ch. 4-5)

Chapter 6-7 reprises each of the offerings, adding details, likely for the priests themselves.

Chapter 8-10 regards the consecration of the sanctuary and priests.

Mark
In Mark we have a similar movement as in Matthew. Jesus calls the twelve, then he is rejected by his family and hometown, accused of working for Satan, and begins teaching in parables.
Chapter 4 is the famous sower parable. Notice that Jesus continues his conflict with Satan even here.

They cross the sea for the first time in Mark, and Jesus casts out demons and raises a girl from the dead. This must have been quite a week for the disciples!

Jesus then commissions the twelve and we hear of John's execution. Right after this story we again have the feeding of the 5000 in the wilderness. As I mentioned before, outside of the passion, this is the miracle story that occurs in each of the Gospels. The same order is found in Matthew.

Exodus 17-30; Mark 1-2

2008-03-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Exodus
The Israelites continue their travels away from Egypt, often running into problems. In chapter 18 Jethro, Moses father-in-law, meets them and gives Moses some good advice on delegating.

Chapter 19 is the preparation of chapter 20. God is about to reveal Godself to the people. They need to get ready. Moses goes up and receives the commandments.

Now how many commandments there are is still debated. It is not clear if there are 10 or perhaps more, and different traditions of Christianity have counted them differently. There is a definite break in v. 18, though, which shows that the previous commandments (2-17) were of particular importance.

Chapter 21-23 are the beginning of what we call the Mosaic Law that forms the basis of the covenant God makes. Basically this is a contingent covenant as we see at the end of chapter 23..."If you do this, then I will do this."

Now some of the laws will sound strange. Anything that is too weird, make a note and we'll discuss it at our next meeting. Remember also that the focus of that society was around extended family relationships and the importance of having male children to carry on the bloodline. What would a society look like that followed this law? Is it just?

Chapter 24 tells us how the covenant is established. There is a ceremony in which blood is sprinkled on the altar (representing God) and upon the people (the Israelites). The root word for covenant is "to cut" - the meaning being "If I break this covenant, may I be cut up." Hence the blood, being the source of life (as well as death) is used to symbolize the seriousness of the covenant. It's power is also used as a kind of "detergent," sprinkled on important parts of the temple to show their holiness.

Chapter 25-28 is a description of and prescription for the making of the tabernacle (the mobile temple the Israelites used for their offerings until the time of Solomon), the ark of the covenant (if you've seen Raiders of the Lost Ark, you should know what that is) and the priests robes. Of course, it is a setting down in prose of construction instructions, which is not the easiest thing to read (imagine if someone wrote down the blueprint for even a simple building in words!). As you go I suggest you take a look here, since a picture is worth a thousand words. Remember, these are only artists impressions, but most of them follow the texts from Exodus.

Tabernacle pictures:
http://www.the-tabernacle-place.com/tabernacle_articles/what_is_the_tabernacle.aspx
http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernacle.htm

Several pictures of the ark

High Priests robes:
http://biblia.com/jesusbible/priest-high13.jpg
http://www.domini.org/tabern/gif/highprst.gif

From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabernacle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_of_the_covenant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephod

Chapter 29 tells the story of how a priest was ordained. You will notice there are a lot of sacrifices, or offerings. This is a good time to understand and figure out what sacrifices meant to the Jewish people and how they were understood. What do you think they mean? How would you explain them? Why were sacrifices used in the worship of God?

Finally Chapter 30 describes the various parts of the tabernacle and their particular uses and prescriptions.

Mark
You'll notice right away that Mark moves quicker than Matthew. It is about half as long, there is not nativity story, the stories are much shorter than in Matthew. Many scholars believe Mark was the first Gospel written and that both Matthew and Luke used it as a major source, which is very likely.

In Mark Jesus is a man of action, we don't get the long discourses that we get in Matthew and later in John. Notice much of chapter 2 is devoted to food. There is an old Middle East proverb, "I saw them eating and I knew who they were." Who you ate with and how you ate told everyone around you what kind of person you were. Pay attention to how this gets played out as the gospel continues.

Exodus 1-17/Matt 23-26

2008-03-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Exodus 1-17
Exodus is the core, foundational story of the Jewish people. In fact the chapters we have read form a central core of that core story itself. Some speculate that the song of Moses and Miriam (which we will hear at our Easter Vigil) is one of the oldest parts of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). Here we see God's work moving from a particular family to a nation: from Jacob's (Israel's) sons, to their descendants.

Most of this story we are familiar with, but what stands out to you? Anything you never heard of? Leave a comment.

For more information on Exodus check here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exodus

Matthew 23-26
Chapter 23-26 forms Jesus next fifth and final discourse. Where the first contained blessing for the poor in spirit, the meek, etc. this one contains woes for the powerful. We then here the great eschatological section in Matthew 24, when Jesus foretells the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple that occurs in 70 AD (about 40 years later). Finally, the discourse with various parables about being ready when the time comes.

Chapter 26 begins the end game for Jesus. Most of this story we heard in church last week. If you like, it might be good to read this chapter with chapter 27 and then read chapter 28 next Sunday, which happens to be Easter. When you get there, you'll know why. Next week is Mark!

As always, leave comments below.

Ge 33-50/Matthew 20-22

2008-03-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

Genesis 33-50
We pick up the story of Jacob here and the trickster finds reconciliation with his brother Esau. His children, however, find themselves in all kinds of trouble. Judah and his trouble with Tamar to start off and then the story of Joseph. Joseph, no doubt the favorite because he is both the son of Rachel (the favored wife) as well as the youngest, as Jacob was. We hear of his royal-like robe (the long sleeves or many colors refers to a special standing). His brothers want to get rid of him, but they are divided over what to do. They decide to trick their father (the trickster) with a garment.

Joseph's tale is one of those great rags to riches story. Because he is a dreamer and an interpreter of dreams, he has great success in a foreign land. His dreams save the Egyptian empire from famine, and his brothers, suffering from the famine, come for help. Joseph tricks them, and by deceit gets the entire family to Egypt where the family is happily reunited.

The end of Genesis is very important because it sets up the next major story for the people of God, the Exodus. The twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) become the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. Having settled in the land of Goshen, which is in the northern part of Egypt, their descendants will be the brick makers that Moses liberates. You will notice that Moses' request to the Pharaoh of that time is that they can go to worship their God and bury their fore-father Jacob. The promise Joseph makes to him in 47.29-31 and 49.29-30 foreshadow their eventual departure. Jacobs final words, the poem of chapter 49, foretell great things and horrible things for the tribes. Notice that Judah is given the scepter, and not the other three older brothers. Judah will be the tribe of David, Solomon and Jesus.

Next time we will start Exodus and discover that this large family has grown into a nation, Israel, and that this God who has been guiding them has a name, Yahweh, who will deliver them from their bondage.

Matthew 20-22
We open with more parables about the kingdom. There will be many parables this week, each one speaking about the kingdom of God and often connecting to its rejection by those who should be saying yes. For the first one we may ask, how fair is the land owner. Is he tricking workers, or simply being exorbitant with others?

We then read stories about who is greatest in the kingdom, and the Son of David, the rightful heir to the throne helping the blind. Jesus enters Jerusalem, a story we will hear again in church. The blind and lame come to the temple to him. Traditionally they would not be allowed inside the inner parts of the temple because of their affliction. Here Jesus is showing that in the kingdom all are made acceptable to God by grace.

Jesus has many run-ins with the religious leaders in these chapters. Where does authority come from? Should we pay taxes to our oppressors? Is the resurrection true? Again and again Jesus shows his wisdom, but in the process gains enemies from those who are wise. His parables foretell his rejection by his own, but that those who are outcasts will be welcomed into the kingdom of God, and that the stone which was rejected will become the corner-stone (that is, will be exalted).

The Unknown God

2008-03-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

I think something that gets lost in our readings of Genesis is the problem of who God is at this point in the story. We think we already know this. We know it because we have the stories about Jesus, the Word of God, who in his life, teachings, death and resurrection gives us the full expression of who God is.

However the patriarchs do not know God in that way. Monotheism has not taken hold. The old gods are still there, and are still powerful. God does not have a name as yet. God is referred to as El Shaddai (God Almighty (literally probably God of the Mountain). Jacob even thinks of him as El-Bethel (God of Bethel). The God who appeared to him at Bethel. Jacob also knows which one God is because God says, I am the God of Abraham and Isaac: i.e. I am the God of your father and grandfather.

Keep this in mind. Why does Abraham take Isaac up to sacrifice him? Why would he expect anything else from this new God and his promises? It is unclear at this point how God differs from the other Mesopotamian deities everyone was familiar with.

It is not really until we come to Moses, when God gives his name, and he becomes the God, not of a tribal patriarch, but of a people, that the picture we often have of God starts to get filled out.

Job 36-Genesis 32/Matthew 15-19

2008-03-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

Job 38-42
Job 38 contains God's response. Notice it is from the "whirlwind." There is also the mention of great sea creatures, Behemoth and Leviathan. These are more likely legendary sea monsters than actual animals, creatures which terrify the gods. But for God, they are playthings, pets.

God questions Job, as Job has seemed to request in the first place. However Job is not able to make an answer. Instead Job is overwhelmed by his encounter God. Notice, Job never really seems to receive a proper answer. God instead puts the mysteries of creation before him, as if to say, if you can answer me about this, then I will answer you. Job responds with silence - I will not speak; these things are too wonderful for me (40:3-5; 42:2-6).

In the beginning Job is looking for an answer as to why this is happening to him, instead he has an encounter with God. His questions do not get answered - they simply melt away in his experience of God's presence. Job has not only heard of God, now he sees God (42.5). An appearance we call epiphany or theophany.

The "meaning" of the book of Job is debated. What exactly is Job's quest and how does God (if at all) respond. My take is that Job's questions are in a sense valid; however, when he encounters God, they simply lose their importance. Will the faithful remain faithful in suffering? Is there a direct cause for suffering? Why do the faithful suffer? All these questions are not answered. We are simply presented with a God whose very presence shows us that God is more interested in relationship than giving answers; is more interested in sharing life with us than trying to make sense out of what is essentially senseless.

Genesis 23-32
Genesis 23: The point here is that Abraham now owns that land. The rightful possession of it is important to Israel's later claim to the land (after they return with Moses). Genesis 24 gives us a view of how people found spouses back then. It wasn't in the church or class and it wasn't at the local bar or social service organization. A servant went and tracked down a good mate. Notice his criteria!

Ge 26 and 27 recount how it was that Jacob, the younger son, received an inheritance rather than the older, Essau. This is a theme in the Bible, including Cain and Abel as well as David, who was the youngest. Jacob establishes himself as a trickster, an archetypal character in ancient literature - think Odysseus, Loki, or in modern times, Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker.

It also traces how the promise given to Abraham is put at risk and then fulfilled. Will God honor the blessing Isaac gave in ignorance of his being tricked? Will he give it to Jacob, the trickster? Chapter 28 says yes. Even someone like Jacob can bear this promise. This risk taking is a continuous theme through the stories of patriarchs, until we get to Moses, when the promise is risked and then fulfilled in the nation of Israel.

Ge 29 shows the trickster Jacob tricked! He has to work not seven years but fourteen for his love. But, in a theme of the undesirable being blessed, it is Leah who bears Jacob children (the highest honor and importance in any marriage at that time).

Chapter 30 shows the unrest and competition in Jacob's household, a problem that will continue with his sons. Jealousy causes much sorrow in these stories. The story about the lambs - you should know that at that time they believed that the coloring of sheep was connected with what they saw while breeding. Hence the striped sticks produced speckled and striped sheep. Again we see the two tricksters, Jacob and Laban, locked in competition with one another.

Chapter 31 recounts Jacob's flight from Laban and Laban's pursuit. What a dysfunctional family! They finally make peace and a covenant, which is built around a tradition regarding a boundary between Arameans and Israelites, who both claimed land in that region.

Chapter 32 and 33 should really be read together. Here Jacob is renamed Israel (meaning he who strives with God and humans). 33 recounts his reunion with Essau. After his encounter with God, he is able to make up with Essau.

What do you think of Jacob and these other characters? Do you think they have integrity? Are they obvious choices for God's blessing? What role does God play in these stories and how is that significant?

Matthew 15-19
In these chapters, like each week so far, we have stories about Jesus along with one of his great discourses. Chapter 15 he has a conflict with the Pharisees (the religious bad guys) yet again. This will escalate in the weeks to come. He again feeds thousands of people, with food left over, an emblem of the abundance of the kingdom.

Peter makes his amazing confession and immediately gets into trouble and is called Satan (adversary) because he doesn't get it. We have the story of his transfiguration. We hear his wisdom on taxes. Jesus speaks again and again of his coming trial, execution and resurrection. The fourth discourse is in chapter 18 about how things will be in the kingdom; who is most important; how we can be reconciled to one another; what forgiveness looks like.

Finally in chapter 19 (When Jesus had finished saying these things) he has another great dispute with the Pharisees.

As we continue to read Matthew, what is Jesus like? What is his message? What kind of things do you think he would say if he appeared in the US today? Who would be his enemies? Who would be his followers?

Week 3: Job 22-37/Matthew 12-14

2008-02-25T10:08:00.000-08:00

Job 22-37

The first day I was struck by this passage from Job 24:
9 "There are those who snatch the orphan child from the breast,
and take as a pledge the infant of the poor.
10 They go about naked, without clothing;
though hungry, they carry the sheaves;
11 between their terraces they press out oil;
they tread the wine presses, but suffer thirst.
12 From the city the dying groan,
and the throat of the wounded cries for help;
yet God pays no attention to their prayer.

How often have we also felt this way when we look at the world and despair of God's love, care, or even existence? The Bible does not flinch from such questions. Instead it takes them head-on. Perhaps you never realized this. It is a part of the blessing of reading the whole Bible that we get to see the many facets that perhaps we were not aware of.

Starting in Chapter 32 we hear another voice, the young man Elihu. He is the only character with a Jewish name, and it is thought that this is a later addition to the text by a writer unhappy with the argument so far. He desires to give an answer to Job's issue, and we perhaps see a ray of hope when he appears on the scene. However, to quote a note from my study Bible: "Impatient with the failure of Job's friends to provide compelling answers to Job, Elihu proceeds to engage Job's ideas directly. His arguments, however, are often similar to those of the three friends."

Elihu gives the same arguments that Job's other friends do. God doesn't punish good people; only bad people are under his wrath. If God doesn't answer you, the problem is with you, and not with God. This is, of course, a common view, even today among people who believe that if you just think positive and do the right thing that good things will happen to you and you will make it through your struggles. In the East, they call it Karma.

In thinking about Job's friends, I try to remind myself about how to be with people who are suffering. It is perhaps easy to blame the person or to try and piece some meaning out of something that is obviously senseless. This week ask yourself how you would have comforted Job and how have you comforted others who were suffering.

Matthew 12-14

Matthew Chapter 12 is Jesus' first great dispute with the Pharisees. Because he heals on the Sabbath and in general is not deferring to their authority, they accuse him of being an agent of Beelzebul, another name for the Devil. Jesus saying about good and evil treasure will come up again in chapter 13. It is interesting to note that Jesus begins speaking in parables after this dispute.

Chapter 13 is the third great discourse in Matthew. We can know this because after it is done we hear again in verse 53, "After Jesus had finished..." which echoes the end of the other parables. There are many famous parables gathered here, the one about the sower and the seed, the mustard seed, the wheat and the tares. All of these are here to uncover the hidden things of the kingdom (v. 35). Only those whose eyes and ears are open to Jesus can understand them.

After we read of Jesus coming into conflict with his home town we hear the story of the end of John the Baptist. The story is also told outside the Bible by the famous historian Josephus and of course has been immortalized in various plays and even an opera by Strauss. Try to read it anew and notice the details that we fill in.

Chapter 14 also contains the only miracle story (other than the Passion and Resurrection) that is found in all 4 gospels: The Feeding of the 5000. It is a story that is central to our understanding of who Jesus is. Notice the context. Jesus, having heard of the death of John, withdraws in a boat to a deserted place by himself (v. 13) to mourn. The crowds follow him, and when he comes ashore he heals the sick. However, they are far from food, and so when the disciples cannot feed them, Jesus multiplies the food, until there is an over-abundance. Finally we have the story of Peter walking on the water and then sinking. We sometimes deride Peter for his lack of faith - but hey, at least he got out of the boat! No one else did!

As always, you can leave comments and ask question by clicking on the comments link below.

Week 2: Job 1-21/Matthew 7-11

2008-02-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

It's a long post this week. As always leave questions and comments below by clicking on the comments link. You can expect slightly longer posts for the beginnings of new books. Be sure and take a look at the section on Hebrew poetry.

Job 1-21
This week we skip to Job. What is going on here? I thought we were reading the Bible through! Well, this particular system attempts to place the readings in a rough chronological order, which will give us a break occasionally from the book we are in. Job is a very ancient book, and the world it describes is much more like the times of Abraham than any other major section of the Bible, so it is placed here.

Job is made up of different parts, likely composed at different times and then edited into a final form. When this final form was finished is debated, but most scholars agree that the book needs to be read as a final whole.
If your Bible doesn't have an introduction to Job, check out wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Job

You will notice immediately that the book changes in the third chapter from prose to poetry, which is a great chance to introduce you to Hebrew poetry, because you are going to be reading a lot of it.

First, you will notice that the lines go jaggy, as opposed to being laid out across the page. This is your first hint that you are reading something poetic. Hebrew poetry is not like our poetry. It is not based primarily on rhythm, and certainly has very little rhyme. It is based, rather, on a certain consonance of ideas, on a parallelism of concepts and images that are paired together in groups of twos and (occasionally) threes.

You can see this couplet pairing in the first poetic lines of chapter 3:

Let the day perish in which I was born,
and the night that said, "A man-child is conceived"

Here we have a pairing of time: day/night and the idea of birth: I was born/A man-child is conceived.

Verse 4:
Let that day be darkness
May God above not seek it, or light shine on it!

Here we have the idea of darkness paired with two ideas of darkness and abandonment: God does not seek it/light does not shine on it.

There are also larger structures of the poetry as well. Verses 3-10 are verses about the day of his birth, and how horrible it was. Verses 11-19 discuss his wish that he would have died at birth.

Obviously, Job is upset about something, and so we come to meat of the issue for this book: How do God and evil relate? The first two chapters setup the situation and then we have the poetic discourse between Job and his friends about his suffering: its causes and remedies. Finally in Chapter 38 (March 4) God speaks, and we'll have more to discuss then.

Clearly the opening chapters of Job will give us plenty to discuss at our meeting on the 24th.

For the passages you will be reading, notice the argument between Job and his friends. It is not a friendly discussion! His friends are telling Job, "Shape up! This is you own fault! Does God punish the righteous?" Job's reply is basically 1. Who can argue with God, but I'm willing to try! 2. I'm not worse than you! Why am I the one suffering! 3. You guys are as comforting as a cactus chair!

You will also, towards the end of the week, read the famous passage: "I know my Redeemer lives..." You need to understand that the entire book is set up as a kind of court case. In the opening prose sections, the Devil - the Adversary - is not the character we usually think of. He is a kind of prosecuting attorney, accusing the righteous before God. The Redeemer, or Vindicator, is the one who is on the Defense Team, arguing and saving the accused.

Matthew 7-11
In Matthew this week we finish up the Sermon on the Mount and move on to Jesus' deeds of power and his second great discourse in Matthew. Chapter 8 sees him doing great works of healing and his power over the elements, including demons. Chapter 9 shows the beginnings of tension with those in religious leadership, but Jesus again casts out demons and even resuscitates the dead.

Chapter 10 is the second great discourse in Matthew in which Jesus gives the Twelve his instructions and teaches them of the realities a disciple will encounter. Chapter 11 lets us know Jesus has finished the discourse: "Now when Jesus had finished..." (compare the end of the Sermon on the Mount: 7.28 - Now when Jesus had finished...; also 13.53; 19.1; 26.1). Then we have the story of Jesus and John the Baptist (read last month in church) and Jesus expresses his frustration with the places he has been ministering. This tension is carried over into Chapter 12 where Jesus has his first great conflict with the religious leaders represented by the Pharisees.

Week One - Gen/Matthew

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We begin at the beginning. The first 11 chapters of the Bible retell the ancient stories passed down for generations about the prehistory of the world. These are all stories we have read and heard before, yet they remain amazingly fresh: the creation, the fall, the violence of Cain, the faithfulness of Noah, the arrogance of the people at Babel. The question we should be asking is “What do these stories tell us about this God and about humanity?” They are not history, as we would understand it, but rather lay the groundwork for what we can expect from God and people throughout the rest of these writings.

Then we come to Abraham's story. These 10 chapters 12 – 22, cover the core of Abraham's life, his struggle to gain an heir and his relationship with Lot. Notice Abraham is described as an alien. He was a stranger in this land, a “wandering Aramean,” as he is described later in the Torah.

Speaking of Torah, that is what the first five books are called. You can find out more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentateuch

The stories in Matthew should sound familiar because we have just read most of them in Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. We also will get into the Sermon on the Mount (5-7) the first of five great discourses in Matthew. Jesus ascends a mountain, like Moses to distribute the new Law of the Kingdom. If you get the chance, read chapters 5-7 in one sitting.

Now is your opportunity to develop you own reading style. Will you read every day? Will you read at the same time everyday? It is certainly easier to develop a habit if you try to do the same thing at the same time every day. At the end of a week, if you have read at the same time everyday, you are well on your way to developing a good habit If you find you have some time and inclination to read ahead, do so. It is always easier to read ahead than to catch up.