Week 13: The Burial of Jacob in Hebron, Bildad the Shuhite, Samuel vs Saul, Jeremiah, The Gerasene Demoniac

     In Chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians, Paul asserts that he is more concerned with the needs of others rather than his own needs: "For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more of them (1 Corinthians 9:19)."  Chapter 10 is a warning against overconfidence.  Baptism and partaking in the Lord's supper do not guarantee salvation, any more than corresponding acts sufficed for the ancient Hebrews.  Paul also reminds the church members that as a believer, you have the right to do anything you want, but not everything is beneficial:  "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)."

     Genesis concludes this week in a flurry of activity surrounding the death of Jacob.  In chapter 48 Jacob, sensing the nearness of death, accepts and blesses Joseph's two sons.  He elevates the younger brother Ephraim over Manasseh, mirroring the similar situation with Isaac, Esau and Jacob.  In chapter 49 Jacob blesses all of his sons individually: "All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, blessing each one of them with a suitable blessing (Gen 49:28)."  In Chapter 50 Joseph and his brothers return Jacob's embalmed body back to Canaan to fulfill their father's wish to be buried next to Leah in the family tomb in Hebron.  All of Jacob's sons return to Egypt after the burial and Joseph's brothers again worry that he will bring retribution after their father's death, but Joseph continues to reassure them.  The book concludes with Joseph's death.  Before he dies, however, he makes his brothers swear to return to Canaan saying: "But God will surely come to you, and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob (Gen 50:24)."  Karen Armstrong, in In the Beginning, very concisely summarizes the themes of Genesis.  She states that the Book of Genesis reminds us that there is no final certainty.  Nobody is allowed to have the last word.  Genesis offers few consistent doctrines.  Its teachings are frequently contradictory.  Genesis points out that we cannot understand or predict God's behavior.  The sacred reality must always remain an "ineffable mystery."  The one important theme of this book is survival.  Armstrong states on page 118: "The authors do not seem to think that moral perfection is possible.  Instead, the show us individuals struggling, like Jacob, for insight and the state which the call blessing."  Armstrong also notes that in Genesis, the most memorable moments of blessing and revelation come from dynamic encounters with others.

15th Century Depiction of the Burial of Jacob

      In Chapters 11 through 15 of 1 Samuel there is a continuing conflict between Samuel and Saul.  In Chapter 11 Saul defeats the Ammonites and then was universally accepted as king of Israel.  He was publicly acclaimed at Gilgal.  Samuel tells the Israelites in Chapter 12, however, that they have displeased God by asking for a king and there is conflict over Saul's performance of priestly duties in the form of animal sacrifices.  Saul tells the people "Do not be afraid, you have done all of this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart (1 Samuel 12:20); and "The Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself (! Samuel 12:22)."  Chapters 13 and 14 continue military victories for Saul and also his son Jonathon.  Asimov points out that the persistent tension between Samuel and Saul reaches a climax regarding the battle with the Amalekites in Chapter 15.  Samuel is angry that Saul spares both the king of the Amelakites (Agab) and many animals which Samuel feels should have been sacrificed to the Lord.  Samuel then replaces Saul with a new king.

Saul in Conflict with Samuel

     Psalm 36 is a prayer of confidence in the Lord.  Verses 5 and 6: "Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.  Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;  your judgments are like the great deep;  man and beast you save, O Lord."  Psalm 37 extols the idea that virtue brings its own reward: "Commit your way to the Lord;  trust in him, and he will act.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday (Psalm 37:5-6)."  In verse 28 the psalmist continues: "For the Lord loves justice;  he will not forsake his saints."  Psalm 38 to me is reminiscent of the Book of Job.  The psalmist admits his sin, declares his guilt and looks for salvation in the Lord: "My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague (Psalm 39:11)" and "Do not forsake me, O Lord!  O my God, be not far rom me!  Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation (Psalm 39:21-22)!" 

     Job consists of two quick chapters this week.  In Chapter 25 Bildad the Shuhite cries out that God is all powerful and man is basically wicked and weak and declares: "How then can a man be in the right before God?  How can he who is born of a woman be pure (Job 25:4)?"  Job retorts in Chapter 26 in a very poetic fashion.  He defends God in all of his majesty and power: "The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke.  By his power he stilled the sea (Job 26L11-12)."

   The Book of Jeremiah is an interpretation of the history of the fall of Jerusalem in the sixth century B.C.  Israel's persistent failure to observe the covenant made with them by the Lord forced him to correct them by sending them into exile in Babylon.    Asimov points out that Jeremiah is an unwilling prophet who carried on a mission which was to carry him through more than forty years of tragedy to the final fall of Jerusalem and beyond.   Jeremiah is the second major prophet (Isaiah being the first) and there are several features unique to this book.  First, there is a series of laments of the prophet which begin at Chapter 11, verse 18.  Second, there is a wealth of detail concerning the various trials endured by Jeremiah during his career.  The Book of Jeremiah has several themes: rewards and punishment (the recompense for good and evil), faithfulness and finally, disobedience.  In Chapter one God calls Jeremiah who notes he is but a child.  In Chapter two God states "My people have committed two evils;  they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water ,and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13)."  God chastises Israel and compares it to an unfaithful wife.  The theme of unfaithfulness continues in Chapter 3 and the Lord implies in Chapter 4 that a nation from the north will invade Judah and destroy Jerusalem if the people do not return to him.  The Lord continues in Chapter 5: "As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours (Jeremiah 5:19)."    God continues to warn that Jerusalem will be besieged and destroyed in Chapter 6.

     Mark recounts many of the stories and miracles already presented in Matthew.  In Chapter 5 Jesus cures the Gerasene demoniac, casting out thousands of unclean spirits into swine who then dash into the water and drown.  Jesus raises Jairus' daughter from the dead.  Asimov points out that although this story appears in all three synoptic Gospels, Mark is the only one which presents Jesus' words to the girl (in Aramaic): "Talitha cumi", translated as I say unto thee, rise! (Mark 5:41)"  In Chapter 6 Herod hears of Jesus' miracles and fears that John the Baptist has been raised.  There is a recounting of Herod's execution of John the Baptist.  Accounts of the loaves and the fishes and Jesus calming the stormy waters follows.  Jesus and the apostles then go to Gennesaret and "wherever He went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might touch even the fringe of hHis cloak;  ald all who touched it were healed. (Mark 6:56)."

Jesus Cures the Gerosene Demoniac

Week 12: Joseph and Jacob Reunited, Samuel Anoints Saul and Jesus Calms the Storm

      Paul continues to offer advice to the church in Corinth in his first letter to the Corinthians.  In chapter 7 he gives a lot of advice regarding sexual matters.  A  brief summary of this would be that marriage is good and divorce should be avoided if at all possible.  All of Paul's advice is given here in light of his belief that the Day of the Lord (or the end of the world) was imminent: "But this I say, brethren, the time is short... (1 Corinthians 7:29)."  In this chapter Paul also insists on the parity of women's sexual rights.  In chapter 8 Paul addresses the issue of whether a Christian can eat food which was consecrated to an idol.  He clearly states that since idols are nothing, eating food sacrificed to them shouldn't be a problem:  "there is no god but one (1 Corinthians 8:4)."   He uses this issue to also state that you shouldn't lead people to sin against their on consciences.

      Joseph's story continues in Genesis chapters 44 through 47.  Joseph hides his silver cup in Benjamin's pack as the brothers start a return trip to Canaan.  Benjamin is accused of being a thief and forced to become a slave in Egypt.  Judah intercedes and offers to stay behind instead of Benjamin in order to spare Israel (Jacob) the heartache of losing another favored son.  In Chapter 34 Joseph "made himself known to his brothers (Gen 45:1)."  He reassures his brothers that he forgives them for "It was not you who sent me here but God (Gen 45:8)."   Joseph then sends his brothers to get Jacob and bring him to Egypt.  God appears to Jacob in Chapter 46 and tells him "I am God, the God of your fathers;  do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there (Gen 46:3)."  A long list of Jacob's family which then relocates to Egypt follows.  Counting Joseph's family, Jacob's clan is 70 people.  In Chapter 47 Pharaoh lets Jacob's family settle in Goshen.  As the famine continues, Joseph trades stored food to the Egyptians for livestock, land and, finally their freedom.  At the end of Chapter 47 Jacob realizes he is near death and makes Joseph promise to bury him in Canaan. 

Jacob Reunited with Joseph in Egypt

     The transition from Samuel, who "judges Israel all the days of his life (1 Sam 7:15)," to the monarchy of Saul is highlighted int his week's chapters of First Samuel.  In Chapter 6 the Ark stays with the Philistines for months and then is returned to the Israelites who move it to Kiriath-jearim in Chapter 7.  Samuel defeats the Philistines in battle and continues to preside over Israel.  As Samuel ages the people begin to clamor for a king.  Samuel warns that a king can impose taxes and can turn the people into slaves.  Samuel then meets a young man named Saul and God reveals to Samuel that this man should be king.  Samuel anoints Saul as king and then arranges a meeting in Gilgal for proclamation.  Asimov points out in his book (Page 276) "when something was to be dedicated to God or presented to Him, the act of anointing was usually involved and it became symbolic of a divine grace being conferred upon the object of person anointed."

Saul Anointed by Samuel

     Psalm 33 is entitled "The Steadfast Love of the Lord" and is a celebration of just that.  In verse 4 the psalmist writes: "For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness (Psalm 33:4)."  Psalm 34 is another "acrostic psalm" using the Hebrew alphabet and is an ivitation to praise the lord and this psalm also lays down guidelines for good conduct: "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit;  Turn away from evil and do good;  seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:13-14)."  Psalm 34 is a confident call for God's help against our enemies.

     Job gets both chapters this week to vent his frustrations.  In Chapter 23 he loudly wonders where God is and desires to present his case directly to God.  He clings to his innocence (despite all of the input to the contrary from his three friends):  "My foot has held fast to his steps;  I have kept his wan and have not turned aside.   I have not departed from the commandment of his lips (Job 23:11-12)."  In Chapter 24 Job wishes his friends were correct and that God would relentlessly punish the wicked: "They are exalted a little while and then they are gone;  they are brought low and gathered up like all others."  

Job is Rebuked by His Three Friends

     The Book of Isaiah concludes this week with Chapters 62-66.  Again, these are part of what is referred to as "Third Isaiah" and were most likely written around 450 B.C.  Chapter 62 is a a reminder to Jerusalem of imminent salvation and that God and his people will be united and inseparable.  Chapters 63 and 64 contain a poem on divine vengeance and a psalm of intercession.  There are pleas for God to rescue his people and forgive them.  In the final chapters God reassures Israel that heaven and earth will be transformed and that Jerusalem's rebirth is a divinely wrought miracle.  The righteous will proclaim God's glory to the nations of the world.

     Things continue to move along at break-neck speed in the third and fourth chapters of Mark.  In Chapter 3 Jesus cures the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath.   This incurs the wrath of the Pharisees who then begin to conspire against Jesus with the Herodians.  Later, Jesus addresses a large crowd in Galilee who proclaim him the Son of God "but he sternly ordered them not to make him known (Mark 3:12)."  Jesus then selects twelve apostles from among his followers.  In Chapter 4 Jesus "began to teach them many things in parables (Mark 4:2)."  Two famous parables follow: the Parable of the Sower and the Seed and the Parable of the Mustard Seed.  After explaining the importance of parables Jesus and his disciples are caught in a storm at sea.  The apostles wake Jesus who calms the storm but then rebukes them by asking "Why are you afraid"  Have you still no faith (Mark 4:40)?"  The disciples "were filled with great awe and said to one another 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him (Mark 4:40)?"