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.
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| 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."
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| 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."
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| 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)?"
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