Week 7: Esau and Jacob, Gideon, The Way of Holiness and The Transfiguration

     Week 7:  Esau and Jacob, Gideon, The Way of Holiness and The Transfiguration

     Paul begins to sum up his letter to the Romans by restating some fundamentals.  First, he states: "Owe no one anything, except to love one another;  for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law (Rom 13:8)."   Paul also assumes a certain sense of urgency, anticipating an imminent second coming of the Messiah: "For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers (Rom 13:11)."  In Chapter 14 Paul reminds us that love respects the beliefs and traditions of others: "Who are you to pass judgement on servants of another (Romans 14:4)" and "We do not love to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.  If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die we die to the Lord;  so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's (Rom 14:7-8)."  Finally, Paul reminds the members of the Roman church: "Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Rom 14:23)."

     Genesis gets "curiouser and curiouser."  In Chapter 24 Abraham doesn't want Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman.  He doesn't seem to trust Isaac, so he a servant is sent to find a wife from among Abraham's relatives.  The servant selects Rebekah.  The death of Abraham follows in Chapter 26  and God blesses Isaac.  Isaac and Rebekah have twin boys: Esau, the eldest and Jacob, the younger, who was born "grasping Esau's heel."  God reveals to Rebekah that the favored of the sons is Jacob and Rebekah helps Jacob deceive Isaac on his deathbed.  Isaac gives his blessing, traditionally given to the eldest son, to Jacob, thinking he is giving it to Esau.  Esau is legitimately angry about this turn of events, although he had already in fact disqualified himself as the recipient of God's blessing by marrying a Hittite woman (Judith).

   

Jacob deceives Isaac 

     The cycle of bad Israelite behavior followed by captivity and then deliverance continues in Judges this week.  First comes Gideon, who conquers the Midianites with a smaller army and then tells the Israelites: "I will not rule over you;  the Lord will rule over you (Judges 8:23)."  However, "As soon as Gideon died the Israelites relapsed and prostituted themselves with the Baals (Judges 8:33)."  Abimelech, the disinherited son of Gideon then seizes the royal dignity which Gideon had rejected, kills all of his rivals and assumes the throne, ruling for three years.  God sends an evil spirit and Abimelech is killed.  More bad behavior follows from the Israelites and they are "sold into the hands of the Philistines."  Then follows the story of Jephthah, a mighty warrior who was the son of a prostitute.  The Israelites select him to lead them.  Jephthah promises God to sacrifice the first living thing he sees leaving his home in exchange for a victory and, unfortunately for Jephthah, this winds up being his daughter, his only child.

     Psalm 18 has the distinction of being the longest of all 150 psalms.  In it a king gives thanks for victory in battle:  "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.  My God, my rock in whom I take refuge (Ps 18:2)."  Further: "It is you who light up my lamp;  the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.  By you I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall (Ps 18:28)."  Psalm 19 praises God as the Creator: "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork (Ps 19:1)."  Psalm 20 is another prayer for victory in battle.

     Job has had about enough of his friends advice.  In Chapter 13 Job makes a plea for the opportunity to present his case to God.  "But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God (Job 13:13)."  He lets off a bit of steam to his friends in Verse 13:12: "Your maxims are proverbs of ashes, your defenses are defenses of clay."  Job begins to despair: "See he will kill me;  I have no hope but I will defend my ways to his face. (Job 13:15)" but then rallies:  "I have indeed prepared my case;  I know that I shall be vindicated (Job 13:18)."  Chapter 14 is a statement or summary of the human condition, and concludes: "But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place;  the waters wear away the stones;  the torrents wash away ther soil of the earth;  so you destroy the hope of mortals (Job 14:18)."

     The first portion of Isaiah concludes with a judgement of the nations: "For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion (Is 34:8)" and "Behold you God will come with vengeance with the recompense of God.  He will come and save you (Is 35:4)."  In the eighth verse we are told: "And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;  the unclean shall not pass over it.  It shall belong to those who walk on the way."  The Assyrians then invade Judah and Hezekiah seeks help from Isaiah to overthrow them.  Hezekiah prays to God for deliverance from the Assyrians: "So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord (Is 37:20)."  Hezekiah becomes deathly ill, but the Lord makes him well and adds fifteen years to his life because of his prayer.  Hezekiah proclaims: "There will be peace and secruity in my days (Is 39:8)."

     Chapter 17 of Matthew contains the account of "The Transfiguration" of Jesus.  He takes Peter, James and John to a high mountain where they see a vision of Jesus with Moses and Elijah, securing Jesus' position as the Messiah.  This event is depicted in the stained glass window in the front of our church, First Presbyterian, Lynchburg, Virginia:

Following this we see Jesus heal an epileptic child after his followers have failed to do so.  In Chapter 18 Jesus discusses humility, reminding us that "Whoever becomes humble like a child is the greatest in heaven (Matt 18:4)."  This chapter also has the story of the shepherd who leaves 99 of his sheep untended while he searches for the one which is lost.  As an aside, I once belonged to a breakfast club in Richmond with my father-in-law which was known as "The Ninety and Nine Breakfast Club".  This chapter concludes with the familiar and often repeated admonition from Jesus: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them (Matt 18:20)."    Chapter 19 has a fairly definitive statement on divorce: "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate (Matt 19:6)."   What follows are Jesus' difficult statements regarding wealth.  The first is when he tells the rich young man "Go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;  then come, follow me (Matt 19:21)."  Even more troublesome is Matt 19:24: "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."  This chapter concludes with another of my father's favorite Scripture quotes (not confined to being repeated at funerals): "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first (Matt 19:30)."

Week Six: Abraham and Isaac, Ehud the Left-Handed Judge, Zophar the Naamathite, Loaves and Fishes and Peter

  Week Six: Abraham and Isaac, Ehud the Left-Handed Judge, Zophar the Naamathite, Loaves and Fishes and Peter

     Paul continues to make his case for salvation through grace.  In Romans 11:12 Paul states:  "So to at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.  But if it is by grace it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace."  In Romans 12 Paul urges us to "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice (12:1)" and introduces the "Body of Christ" concept: "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."  In Chapter 12, verses 9 through 21 Paul defines the marks of the true Christian, including; "Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good...  Contribute to the needs of the saints."

     Genesis give us tough stuff to ponder this week.  In Chapter 20 Abraham is again in a foreign land and passes Sarah off as his sister so as not to be executed by the ruler, this time a King named Abimelech.  Finally we get to the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham when Sarah conceives a son who is named Isaac.  God tells Abraham "through Isaac your offspring will be named (Gen 21:12)."  No longer needed as an heir, Ishmael and Hagar are given the boot, but God protects them in the dessert and provides water for them.  God assures Hagar about Ishmael: "I will make him into a great nation (21:18 )."  What follows in the next two chapters is the story of God telling Abraham to make a sacrifice of his only son Isaac on Mount Moriah.  After thoroughly testing Abraham's faith, God spares Isaac and provides a lamb for sacrifice instead.  This story has always bothered me.  Why would a loving God test your faith by telling you to kill your only child?  Why would God do this now, after such a long and anxious wait for Abraham's promised heir?  Karen Armstrong summarizes this story of Abraham and Isaac and reminds us that living in God's presence requires an arduous struggle that can bring us to the brink of despair.

Giovanni's "Abraham and Isaac"

      This week we start the Book of Judges.  This book covers the time after Joshua's death until the rise of the monarchy under Samuel (about 1050 B.C.) - a period of 125 to 150 years.  There is a repetitive pattern to the stories in this book.  First, the people abandon the Lord.  Second, God punishes them by raising up a foreign power to oppress them.  Third, the people cry out to God for deliverance from their oppressor.  Finally, God raises up a deliverer (or Judge) for them.  The author of the Book of Judges is traditionally thought to be Samuel.  In Chapter 1 the tribes of Judah and Simeon are the first to attack the Canaanites but achieve an incomplete conquest.  In the following chapters we see the Israelites repeat the pattern noted above and come under the control of a series of peoples.  They are rescued by a series of Judges, the first of whom is Othniel and then Ehud.  Ehud happens to be left handed and cleverly hides a sword on his right thigh when he visits an unsuspecting Eglon, King of Moab.  There is a brutal victory in Verse 20 where Ehud tells Eglon ""I have a message from God for you' and took a sword from his right thigh and thrust in into his belly." The only female Judge is Deborah, a prophetess, who teams with Barak, a military leader to defeat the Canaanites.

Ehud, before he plunges the sword into the belly of Eglon, King of Moab

      The Psalms this week are all prayers.  In Psalm 15 the psalmist asks: "O Lord, who may abide in your tent?  Who may dwell on your holy hill? (Verse 1)."  The conclusion of Psalm 16 is: "You show me the path of life.  In your presence there is fullness of joy (Verse  11)."  Psalm 17 is a prayer for deliverance from personal enemies.

       Job's second friend, Zophar the Naamathite, chimes in in Chapter 11.  He appears twice (here and in Chapter 20) and is the first to accuse Job directly of wickedness: "Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves (Job 11:6)."  Job replies in Chapter 12 that the Lord himself has done this and that he does this kind of thing to many people (again resonating the story of Sodom and Gomorrah from last week):  "He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders (12:20)."  Job needs to find a more supportive group of friends it seems.

Job and His Three Friends from the Kiev Psalter (1397)

    Isaiah returns to the challenges of his times after his foray into eschatology in chapters 23 through 28.  Asimov explains that these chapters deal with the Judean rebellion against Assyria in about 705 B.C.  He assures us that the "Ariel" referred to in Chapter 29 is most certainly Jerusalem and the siege referenced here is retold later in Isaiah (chapters 36 through 39) as well as in the Second Book of Kings.  Isaiah encourages the Judeans to rely on God ("For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him (Is 30:18)."  He also reminds them that relying on humans (in this case, Egyptians) as their main ally (as opposed to the Lord): "For Egypt's help is worthless and empty (Is 30:7)" and "The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the Lord, when he strikes with his rod (Is 30:31)."  In Chapter 32 complacent women are warned of disaster and in Chapter 33 they come around to this thinking :   "O Lord, be gracious to us;  we wait for you.  Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble...  For the Lord is our judge;  the Lord is our lawgiver;  the Lord is our King; he will save us (33:2 and 33:22)."

     Matthew has a lot of familiar stories this week as well as, for me anyway, one surprise.  I never realized there were two "loaves and fishes" stories!  Chapter 14 begins with the murder of John the Baptist in prison.  Jesus then travels and preaches to a large crowd who need to be fed.  He multiples a few fish and loaves of bread and 5,000 people are fed.  Jesus walking on water comes next, along with Peter's panic attack when he tries the same feat.  In Matt 14:31 "Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?'"  In Chapter 15 the Pharisees chastise Jesus regarding the law of cleanliness and Jesus replies: "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? (Matt 15:3)"  Lines of conflict are being drawn.  Jesus then tells his disciples: "Let them alone;  the are the blind guides of the blind (Matt 15:14)."  Jesus then cures the daughter of a Canaanite woman (not a Jew) because of her great faith.  The second loaves and fishes story comes at the end of Chapter 15.  This time 4,000 people are fed and seven baskets of left-overs are collected.  In Chapter 16 Jesus reveals more of his true identity.   In 16:15-16 Jesus responds to this question from his disciples with "But who do you say I am?"  Simon replies "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  Jesus goes further: "Flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my father in heaven."  Asimov finds the story of the loaves and the fishes intriguing in that it is unique.  It is the only miracle narrative that is described in similar terms in all four gospels.  Asimov also feels that the interchange between Jesus and Peter in Chapter 16 is "the turning point of the gospel.  Jesus greeted the assurance joyfully.  After all, Peter's confidence in his Messiah-hood could not come from his mission's worldly success, which was, at the moment nonexistent.  It could only be inspired by heaven."

Jesus and Peter

     Also of great significance, particularly for Roman Catholics, is that Jesus tells Peter in this chapter that "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt 16:18)."  Peter later becomes bishop of Rome and the line of succession in that role became the Papacy.  The Roman Catholic doctrine of Papal Supremacy follows from this and later, the doctrine of the Infallibility of the Pope.  

Week 5: Faith, Abram/Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, Eschatology and Parables

 

"The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah" by John Martin

 Week 5:  Faith, Abram/Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, Eschatology and Parables

      This week's Chapters in Romans (9 and 10) continue with the concept of salvation through faith in the Risen Christ.  Paul asserts that it is God who determines who is saved, not us.  Citing passages from Malachi and Exodus, Paul tells us (in 9:16) "so then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy" and (in 9:18) "So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills."  Again, we should pursue righteousness by faith, not by works (following the letter of the Law).  Paul becomes even more emphatic about this in Chapter 10 (10:9): "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  Further (10:12): "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him."  He concludes this chapter by declaring the importance of evangelism (10:14): "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?   And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"

     In Chapter 15 of Genesis God affirms his covenant with Abram.  In 15:1 Abram has a vision of God who states: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."  Abram can't help pointing out that he still has no heir, that he and Sarai remain childless.  God continues to reassure (15:5): "And he brought him (Abram) outside and said, 'Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.'  The he said to him ' So shall your offspring be.'"  Sarai comes up with a solution in Chapter 16, giving her servant Hagar to Abram "as a wife."  Hagar conceives and bears Abram a son named Ishmael.  Things get complicated, Sarai resents Hagar and "dealt harshly with her."  Hagar and Ishmael are eventually sent packing by Abram, dispatched into the dessert with just one water container to sustain them.  In Chapter 17 God again promises many descendants to Abram and makes circumcision a sign of this covenant.  Abram then becomes Abraham "For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. (Genesis 17:5)"  God promises an heir through Sarai (Sarah) who will be Isaac.  Chapter 18 begins with "the apparition of Mamre."  Abraham is visited by three strangers which Karen Armstrong in In the Beginning states is an early manifestation of God as the Trinity (p. 63).  Indeed, Abraham addresses the three visitors: "O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant."  The Lord assures Abraham that Sarah will soon be pregnant with his heir and then travels on to Sodom and Gomorrah because "the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is grave."  Abraham tries to intercede with God for the innocent citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, indicating to Armstrong  that even though Abraham had his faults (throwing out Hagar and Ishmael for one) "he was capable of the disinterested love for his fellow human beings that all the great world religions have shown to be the ultimate test of true spirituality."   "Then the Lord raised on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. (Gen 19:24)"  Asimov wonders if this could have been a volcanic eruption or, more likely, some change in the level of the Dead Sea which wiped out these cities.  Lot is spared by the Lord, but Lot's wife is turned into a pillar of salt when she turns back to witness the destruction.  Lot escapes to a cave with his two daughters.  The daughters, thinking that the entire world has come to the same fate as their hometown, make Lot, their father "drink wine."  Each daughter conceived a child with their father.  Armstrong sees Lot as being drawn in contradistinction to Abraham, a man of faith.  Lot was not a man of faith, was therefore not blessed by the Lord and was paralyzed with fear.  The lesson from Lot is that the superficially attractive things of this world (the sinful life in Sodom and Gomorrah) can prove to be very, very dangerous.  

     The Book of Joshua concludes this week, first with further distribution of land.  Chapter 21, verse 43 states  "Thus the Lord gave Israel all the land that he swore to their fathers.  And they took possession of it, and they settled there."   Joshua tells the tribes that they received the land because "You have kept all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you (Joshua 22:1)."  In Chapter 23 Joshua gives a charge to Israel's leaders, reminding them "you may not mix with those nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods."  He concludes this passage with the famous quote (which I have hanging in our living room): "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)."   He also warns them that "the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things...  if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God."  Joshua dies and is buried in Ephraim.  The bones of Joseph, having been brought up from Egypt, are also buried at Shechem and Eleazr (son of Aaron and nephew of Moses) also dies and is buried at Gibeah.  In Joshua 24:31 we are reminded that "Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel."

     In Psalm 12 we are warned (PS 12:8): "On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man."  The psalmist asks God in Psalm 13: "How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?"   We then look to God for protection and in Psalm 14:7: "Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!  When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad."

     Job replies to his friend Bildad in Chapter 9.  In verse 15 he states: "Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him.  I must appeal for mercy to my accuser."  Later he notes (verse 22): "He (God) destroys both the blameless and the wicked."  This is particularly relevant this week after our Genesis readings where Abraham tried to intercede on behalf of the innocents in Sodom and Gomorrah who were to be consumed in the destruction along with the sinners.  In Chapter 10 Job continues his pitiful pleas to God, noting in verse 1: "I loathe my life."  Later, in verse 8 he states: "Your hands fashioned and made me, and now you have destroyed me altogether."  Finally, in verse 20, he pleads: "Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer."  Rough patch for old Job.

     Chapters 23 through 28 are known as "Isaiah's Apocalypse."  Asimov notes that the study of the "end of times" is known as eschatology.  In this section of Isaiah the earth had grown so wicked that it was part of God's scheme to bring all the earth to destruction from which only a few of the faithful would be saved.  God would judge between the good and the evil in that final day of destruction;  even the dead would come back to life if they were worthy.  It states in Isaiah 24:1 "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down."  According to Asimov there are veiled allusions to Antioch as a "city of confusion" (Is 24:10).  Apparently future generations would think of Rome when reading these passages.  This part of Isaiah sets the stage for future apocalyptic writing which can be summarized as follows:  At the end of time, 1) The powerful are punished, 2) the oppressed faithful are uplifted and 3) the dead faithful will be resurrected.  God will then put an end to all evil and establish a new order.


    Chapter 11 of Matthew has John the Baptist's followers wanting to know if Jesus "is the one who is to come" (11:3) and Jesus claims His special relationship to God: "All things have been handed over to me by my Father;  and no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him (11:27)."   In Chapter 12 Jesus is challenged on following the laws of the Sabbath and He proclaims "It is lawful to do good on the sabbath (12:12)."  Verse 12:34 reminds me of seventh grade.  Our homeroom teacher stepped out of the room for a few minutes and general chaos ensued.  She returned to the classroom pretty steamed at us and proclaimed (as Jesus does here): "You brood of vipers!"  To her credit, however, she did not follow with "How can you speak of good things, when you are evil?"  Chapter 13 contains many familiar parables (Jesus speaking metaphorically): The Parable of the Sower, the Weeds in the Wheat, the Mustard Seed, Yeast, etc...  "The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he gives and sells all that he has and buys that field (13:44)."  Asimov reasons that Jesus taught in parables was because "the very murkiness of the parables acts to sift the hearts of men.  Those who honestly want to enter the Kingdom will make the effort to understand, while those who are insufficiently eager will not do so."

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

         

Week 4: Abraham, Levites and Lepers

Week 4: Abraham, Levites and Lepers

      Paul continues in Romans Chapters 7 and 8 to hone the definition of salvation, moving away from salvation through strict adherence to the Law of Moses to salvation through belief in the Risen Christ.  In Chapter 7 he compares the Christian to a widow who has been released from the law of marriage by the death of her husband.  Rom 7:4: "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God...; and 7:8:  "But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code."  Paul goes further in Chapter 8 (8:2): "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death."  He concludes this chapter with the very familiar "If God is for us, who is against us? (8:31)."  Human weakness is sustained by the Spirit's intercession and by the knowledge of God's loving purpose.

   Genesis 12 begins with God's call to Abram, telling him (12:1): "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing."  So aged Abram, acting in faith in his Lord, takes his wife, his nephew Lot and all of his possessions and heads off to Canaan, a land which them God tells him "To your offspring I will give this land."  As soon as Abraham gets there, though there is a famine, so he picks up again and moves to Egypt.  Then follows a curious story where Abram tells his wife Sarai to act like they are sister and brother so that the pharaoh won't kill him.  Sarai, apparently very beautiful, becomes part of the pharaoh's harem. The Lord doesn't react well to this, sending a plague on the Pharaoh.  God then tells Abraham to take Sarai, Lot and all of his accumulations back where he came from.  Upon re-entering Canaan, Abraham gives Lot first choice of land and Lot takes the more fertile land which, unfortunately for Lot, is near some seedy characters in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Lot is taken prisoner by armies invading from the East and is then rescued by his Uncle Abram.  In Chapter 15 God again promises Abram (who still has no heir) that his descendants shall inherit the land of Canaan and that the people living there then will be displaced.  Karen Armstrong in her book In the Beginning explains this part of Genesis as a story of faith.  In the story of Abram, faith requires bold new starts ("Go from your country..."), a reliance upon God and a constant questioning.  Armstrong states that "Genesis indicates that it is the role of faith to make us more productive and more at ease with the world."

     The next four chapters of Joshua (16-20) relates the division of the land according to tribe.  Asimov notes that these allotments are very small in most cases and were made according to instructions which Joshua recorded as having received from God.  Asimov also points out the importance of the fact that the tribe of Levi received no actual land grant.  Their central role was that of serving as a priesthood and for that purpose it was considered enough that its members be granted a number of towns scattered through the tribal areas.

     Psalm 9 is one of thanksgiving and in verse 9 we read: "The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble."  In Psalm 10 the psalmist praises God: "O Lord, you hear the desires of the afflicted, you will strengthen their heart;  you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that the man who is of the earth may strike terror no more."  In Psalm 11: "In the Lord I take refuge."   Further, "The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence."  

   Job continues his lamentations in Chapter 7, becoming even more pitiful (Job 7:3): "So I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me."  Job's buddy Bildad then gives the first of his three speeches in the Book of Job, this one calling on Job to repent (Job 8:6): "If you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation."  As if this couldn't make Job feel bad enough, Bildad continues (8:13): "Such are the paths of all who forget God.  The hope of the godless shall perish."   Incidentally and totally unrelated, Bildad is also the name of one of the owners of The Pequod, Ahab's whale ship in Melville's Moby Dick.

The Pequod

     Isaiah chapters 18 through 22 predicts the fall of many nations.  Asimov points out that the following chapters (24 through 28) are referred to as "The Apocalypse of Isaiah" (more on this next week) and that these chapters are a forecast of a more generalized destruction for Earth.  In Chapter 18 Isaiah uses the figure of the harvest to remind us that God determines the course of earthly events and that we must wait for God to decide what happens when.  In Chapter 19 Isaiah predicts disaster for Egypt.  God's judgement is seen as civil turbulence and that "The Nile will dry up."  He notes unrest between Egypt and Assyria and that Israel will become a mediator and a blessing for these troubled nations.  Isaiah feels so strongly about this that in Chapter 20 he walks around barefoot and naked for three years as a portent and a sign to Egypt and Assyria.  In Chapter 22 readers are reminded that military preparedness does not replace faithfulness to God.

    Chapter 8 of Matthew contains many familiar stories of Jesus' ministry in Galilee.  His fame is spreading as a healer.  Matthew relates the stories of the leper, the Centurion's paralytic servant and the demoniacs.  The story of Jesus in the boat with his disciples during a storm also appears here.  Jesus calming the storm evokes this memorable observation from the disciples: "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"  (Matt 8:27).  Chapter 9 has Jesus being accused of blasphemy and his challenge of contemporary religious views: "I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners." (Matt 9:13).  Matthew 10 has Jesus commissioning and instructing his disciples: "Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel."  (Matt 10: 6),  He also gives them specific guidelines for how to conduct their mission work.

Week 3: Rainbows, Alphabets, Lucifer and The Sermon on the Mount

Week Three: Rainbows, Alphabets, Lucifer and The Sermon on the Mount

     Week Three had fewer surprises and a tremendous amount of depth.  Paul ties Christ to Adam in Romans Chapter 5, Verse 18: "Just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all."  In Chapter 6 he asks the rhetorical question: "How can we who died in sin go on living in it?"  He assures us that salvation is entirely a gracious and undeserved gift.  

     In Genesis this week, the Great Flood subsides and God makes a covenant with Noah to not do that again.  The symbol of this covenant was a rainbow.  God further instructs Noah to "Be fruitful and multiply."  Noah becomes a man of the soil, plants a vineyard and apparently enjoys the fruits of his labors.  In Gen 9:22, "He (Noah) drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent."  I wonder if that will be in the movie?  The ancestors of Noah are then outlined and Asimov points out that the three sons of Noah represent the three great divisions of humanity that were known to the ancient writer.  Shem's descendants are traced through Terah to Abram and Sarai.  What follows next is the curious story of the Tower of Babel in Chapter 11.  Asimov tells us that this story may have been based on the largest Ziggurat (tower) ever built in ancient times by Nebuchadenazzar (King of Babylon) around the sixth century B.C.   I find this a curious story where God decides to "go down and confuse their language, so that they may not understand each other's speech" in order to foil human attempts to build a tower into heaven.

     Joshua is busy this week with military victories.  In 11:23 we read that "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all the Lord had spoken to Moses."  Asimov's commentary includes some very interesting geographical tidbits as they relate to this segment of Joshua.  He notes that in Joshua 11:8 there is mention of Zidon (or "Sidon") whose people were famous for producing a purple-red dye.  The Greek name for this region in "Phoneicia" from the word meaning, appropriately enough, "purple-red."  At the time of Joshua the Phoenicians had already invented the alphabet which was adopted by many of these Hebrew tribes.  

Phoenecian Alphabet

Asimov also points out that Joshua in actuality failed to take "all of the land."  The Philistines, recently escaped from Egypt, occupied the southern-most coast of Canaan and remained there.  This area is now known as "The Gaza Strip" and its occupation has caused many a modern political problem.

     The Psalms continue to inspire.  In Psalm 6 the author implores God: "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing.  Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled."  In Psalm 7 God is referred to as a "righteous judge" and in Psalm 8 the glory of God is manifest in the night sky and in the songs of children.

     In Job 5 and 6 advice is given as to how Job should appeal to God.  Job becomes a bit piqued at his tedious friends but does note that "the terrors of God are arrayed against me."  In 6:11 and 12 Job asks "What is my strength, that should wait?  And what is my end, that I should be patient?  Teach me, and I will be silent;  make me understand how I have gone astray."  Job is searching for answers to questions he can't comprehend.

     Isaiah 12 through 17 begins with songs of deliverance and thanksgiving (Ch. 12) and "Oracles" against foreign nations, the most emphatic regarding the fall of Babylon (Ch. 13) and peace falling on the settled peoples.  Asimov has an interesting explanation for Isaiah 14:12: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the morning."  He notes that the Hebrew word for Lucifer is helel which literally is "The Shining One".  This is thought to refer to the planet Venus (the morning star).  The use of the term Lucifer here in connection with the pride of the Babylonian King is the writer of Isaiah using a metaphor to describe the Babylonian King's (Nebuchedanazzar?) fall from absolute power to captivity and death.  These verses came to mean more to later Jews.  Lucifer, a fallen angel, evolves into Satan.  The early Christian church fathers considered this statement in Isaiah to be a reference to the eviction of Satan from heaven and Jesus is quoted in Luke 10:18 "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."

     Matthew Chapters 5 through 7 dive into Jesus' teachings.  Chapter 5 contains what has become to be known as "The Sermon on the Mount."  Asimov believes that this is a collection of Jesus' favorite themes and does not actually represent one sermon.  The title "Sermon on the Mount" is attributed to St. Augustine whose commentary on Matthew in A.D. 394 he titled "Concerning the Lord's Sermon in the Mountain."  There are many references in this sermon to Psalms.  Matthew, the most "Jewish" of the four Gospel writers, is stressing Jesus' belief in the supremacy of the Law of Moses.  In Matthew 5:17, Jesus is even quoted: "Iam not come to destroy, but to fulfill."  Jesus is seen here to not only adhere to the Law, but to exceed the letter of the Law in matters of morals and ethics.  Jesus also denounces ostentation in piety and in Matthew 6 gives us "The Lord's Prayer."  Also in Chapter 6 Jesus has harsh words for wealth and the wealthy.  In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus urges us to care less for the gathering of material riches and give more care for the gathering of the ethical riches valued in heaven.  Chapter 7 has a definite slant towards Jewish oriented Christianity, again revealing the bias of the writer of this Gospel.

     This concludes Week 3 of the Bible in a Year challenge.  A challenge it is!  I find myself being less certain of my "knowledge" of the Bible and a tremendous respect for those who have a command of it.  Thank you for following along!

Week Two: Cain and Abel and... Seth?

Cain and Abel and...  Seth?

     I am reminded of an interview I saw years ago on "The Tonight Show."  Johnny Carson was interviewing actor Jimmy Stewart and they were reminiscing about comedian W. C. Fields, whom Stewart had been great friends with.  Stewart recounted visiting W.C. Fields in his declining years in a nursing home.  He said he quietly entered the comedian's room and he was sitting by the window, sunlight pouring in on him, and he was reading a Bible.  Realizing that this was fairly out of character for W. C. Fields, he cautiously asked him "Bill, what are you doing?"  Fields looked up and in his rascally voice replied "Looking for loopholes."  So, maybe that's my motivation for this exercise as well.  We could all use some loopholes.

   Paul continues in Romans 3 and 4 to grapple with this issue of adherence to the Law of Moses as requisite for Christianity.  He begins by pointing out that even though the Jews are advantaged by having possession of the Law, both they and the Greeks are under the power of sin (Rom 3:9).  In verse 19 he states further that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who come under the Law, "so that every mouth shall be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God."  He expands this thought to say that all are now justified by his (God's) grace as a gift through the redemption that is Jesus Christ.  True righteousness for Paul rests not upon obedience to law, but on faith in God's act of  redemption in Christ.  God's promise to Abraham to inherit the world did not come through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.  Abraham became more strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.  Romans 4:13-25 proclaims that the true descendants of Abraham are those who have faith in Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles.

     Genesis 4 through 7 has familiar stories as well as some surprises.  Most people are know the story of Cain and Abel.  Asimov feels that Cain represents herdsmen who in ancient times were nomadic.  Abel represents farmers who were of the more civilized culture.  He notes that the Cain and Abel tale more than likely is a remnant of some nomadic lament over what he calls  the "all encroaching tentacles of settled civilization."  Then Adam and Eve have more children, including Seth.  I've never heard of Seth.  Who the heck is Seth?  Is he like other people no on has heard of such as Peter Best (the original drummer for The Beatles) or Shemp, the guy who replaced Moe in The Three Stooges?    The writer of Genesis follows the genealogy following Adam and Eve through Seth, all of the way to Noah.  Which, of course, gets us to the Great Flood.  God noted that  with a lot more humans around, things had gone askew.  "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and the earth was filled with violence."  (Genesis 6:11)  He then instructed Noah ("a righteous man") to build his ark of gopher wood with very specific dimensions and fill it "with every living thing of all flesh."  Chapter 7 goes on to describe the torrential rain and ensuing flood.  Asimov lists a lot of archeologic evidence for a great flood in the area of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in about 3000 B.C.  The flood was more than likely secondary to the combination of heavy rains and a tidal wave ("Fountains of the great deep burst forth." Genesis 7:11).  There was no specific Mount Ararat in ancient times, although there is one now in modern Turkey.  Personally, now that I've read the book, I can't wait to see the movie starring Russell Crowe as Noah.

     Joshua is a busy guy in week two (Chapters 6 through 10).  There is the fall of Jericho and then a defeat for the Israelites at Ai.  God reveals the reason for this defeat: the evil done by the victors at Jericho.  Joshua is eventually victorious at Ai and builds an altar to the Lord on Mount Ebal, including writing upon it the Law of Moses.  There follows a treaty with the neighboring Gibeonites and more victories.  In Joshua 10 we are told that Joshua "defeated the whole land because the Lord God fought for Israel."  There were two stunning natural events during these victories.  Once, God sent hail onto the enemies ("the Lord threw down huge stones from heaven") and during the battle to protect Gibeon Joshua commanded "the sun stand thou still", which it did.

     Job has a particularly tough week.  In Chapter 3 he spends the whole time pitifully lamenting his own birth:  "For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.  I am not at ease, nor am I quiet.  I have no rest but trouble comes."  Yikes.  One of his friends replies in Chapter 4: "Is not your fear of God your confidence and the integrity of your ways your hope?"  What are friends for, I guess.

     In Isaiah 7 through 11 we see that  evil times are at hand, hopefully to be succeeded eventually by better times.  This is the theme of most of the Old Testament prophets.  In Chapter 9 there are rhapsodic praises for an ideal king ("Wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace").  Asimov sees this as the evolution of the vision of an ideal future.  The Jews were despondent over the reality of a triumphant Assyria in Isaiah's time and are longing for their perfect ruler.  Isaiah 11 says "Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.  He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."

     Matthew 3 and 4 begins the descriptions of Jesus' public ministry.  Interestingly, this is where Mark's Gospel starts off.  John the Baptist's activity is described and connected to the prophecy of Isaiah (Is 40:13).  We learn of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist in the River Jordan.  Jesus has a defining spiritual experience and He has a "surge of certainty and self-understanding" (Asimov).  He understands and accepts His role as the Messiah.  The baptism is followed by the temptations of Jesus in the dessert and His refusal to let his mission be influenced by concern for safety or mere practical interests.  Asimov notes that the interchange between Jesus and Satan described here in Matthew 4 is actually a verbal "battle of Old Testament quotations."  In the final temptation Jesus rejects the traditional interpretation of the Messiah as a powerful and ideal King who overthrows the enemies of Israel by force and establishes his rule over all the world in the fashion of a super-Alexander.  This is a conscious decision to be a Messiah of peace rather than one of war.  Jesus then begins his early travels, to Nazareth, then Capernaum, beginning to call disciples along the way.

     That ends week 1.  For those who want to see the template of daily readings we are using for this "Bible in One Year" exercise, here it is:

Week One: Circumcision, Gilgal and Virgin Birth

St. Paul

Week One: Circumcision, Gilgal and Virgin Birth

Day One: Epistles: Romans 1 & 2

Day Two: The Law: Genesis 1-3

Day Three: History: Book of Joshua 1-5

Day Four: Psalms 1-2

Day Five: Poetry: Book of Job 1-2

Day Six: Prophecy: Book of Isaiah 1-6

Day Seven: Gospels: Matthew 1-2

     This whole "Bible in a Year" project is going to be revealing.  I feel like I'm reading a book that I read years ago and only remember parts of.  I'm trying to read through the assigned readings as well as learn some of the background from Isaac Asimov's commentary.  Asimov concentrates on the secular, historical context of the books of the Bible, lending valuable perspective to the readings.

    Starting off with Romans is a bit daunting.  It turns out that these epistles are not presented in chronological order but in order of length.  Romans, the longest, was written about 58 AD by Paul, who was finishing up his mission in Corinth and before he had ever actually traveled to Rome.  Romans represents the most complete exposition of Paul's theology and his theme is that the Gospel represents God's power for salvation to all who believe: who have faith in Him.  He spends a good bit of the first two chapters rattling on about circumcision, mainly to differentiate between the ritualistic aspects of the Law of Moses and its ethical concepts.  His main concern here was whether Gentiles who converted to Christianity had to be circumcised and observe all of the rituals of the Law.  Paul's conclusion was that lack of circumcision and adherence to the rituals of the Law should not be considered as grounds for losing salvation for people who are otherwise righteous.

    Moving on to Day 2 and the first three chapters of Genesis, I learned some more interesting things.  The first is that there are hints of polytheism in the creation story (Gen. 1:26: God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness").  Also, in Genesis, the talking serpent is one of only two episodes of talking animals in the Bible (the other being Bakam's ass in the Book of Numbers - can't wait for that one).  So, there's no Mr. Ed in the Bible.  The name Adam is translated from the word for "man" and Adamah is the word for "ground".  This stresses the relationship of humankind and the soil from which it was formed.  I am reminded that one of my father's favorite Scripture quotes (which he trotted out after every family funeral) was (Gen. 3:19) "you are dust and to dust you shall return".    Another interesting concept culled from these chapters is that for man to be fully human he must be in relation to others.  This is interesting to think about as we all become more isolated in our technology, busy tapping away into our blogs and smart phones rather than actually relating to other human beings.  Finally, the temptation story was fun to read through.  It is interesting to me that eating from the tree of knowledge led to guilt, then shame and anxiety.  This led Adam and Eve to hide from God in the Garden.  A large  portion of today's pharmaceutical industry and psychiatric practice would not be necessary if Eve hadn't eaten that apple!

     The Book of Joshua is part of the larger story of Israel's life in its land.  Asimov explains that this is an idealized historical narrative.  It shows how an obedient Israel under God's chosen leader (Joshua) can bring into existence a society based on justice and freedom.  Joshua finally leads the Israelites into the promised land of Canaan by parting the Jordan River and parading the Ark of the Covenant ceremoniously into the new land.  Twelve stones are taken from the parted riverbed and placed in a ring at Gilgal.  Gilgals (or stone circles) were built by ancient civilizations probably for astrological reasons.  Many were built in Britain, including Stonehenge.

     The first two Psalms didn't do a lot for me.  The first contrasts the fates of the righteous versus the wicked and the second notes that monarchs in the ancient world regarded themselves as adoptive sons of the native gods.  Psalm 2 is interpreted by some as having significance in defining a future messiah as a son of God.

     The tough sledding really began for me with Job and Isaiah.  The Book of Job does not attempt to explain the mysteries of suffering or justify the ways of God.  It does, however, probe the depth of faith in the face of suffering.  It's tough to watch Job lose everything in these first few chapters (including the lives of his family) on what seems to be a celestial bet between God and Satan.  Satan in this book is not seen as a demonic figure but actually a heavenly being who patrols Earth checking on the righteous.  Sort of a celestial hall monitor.  I was reminded here of Harold Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People, which is a very accessible and understandable treatment of the same issues. 

     Isaiah is tough for me to decipher, even with Asimov's help.  This book deals with a period of history known as the "Syrian Ascendancy".  In describing the culture of the times the author of this book speaks against the tendency of the rich of those days to squeeze out the poor farmer and to multiply their own holdings.  So far this book has taught me that greed is nothing new and that the disproportionate distribution of wealth is not a modern concept. 

     The week wraps up with the Gospels, starting with Matthew 1 and 2.  Finally something I think I know a little something about!  Apparently I don't.  Matthew is described as "a manual of Christian teachings".  The first chapter emphasizes Jesus' divine lineage from David (through Joseph's ancestors).  This would imply to all that Jesus is the legitimate heir to the royal House of David.  It isn't problematic to the writer that Joseph actually isn't Jesus' biological father, that distinction going to the Holy Spirit as revealed in Matthew to Joseph in a dream.  It is interesting to me that there are birth narratives in just two of the Gospels (Matthew and Luke) and here all we have is Joseph's dream and, in Chapter 2, the story of the wise men and Herod's slaughter of the innocent children.  Christmas Eve pageants would certainly be a lot different if we didn't have Luke's version which includes the Annunciation, Mary"s "Magnificat", the census, Jospeh and Mary's trip to Bethlehem, Jesus' birth in a manger, angels and shepherds.

      So that puts a wrap on Week One.  The main thing I have learned so far is that I don't know very much about the Bible at all.  I hope that my determination to follow this through the entire year holds up.  Stay tuned!