37: DAVID: KING - WARTS & ALL
Based on the 2nd Book of Samuel (2SAM, 2S)... Read more
there...
2 SAM begins with a different version of
Saul's death (N1) then focuses on David, who in
keeping with the musical skills mentioned in Ep.36 sings
a moving lament for Saul despite the history between them!
Later, David will become known as a leader among those who
compose the Psalms, but for now we're in a time of rival
politics & civil war. A pro-house-of-Saul 'party' led by
Abner, an ambitious general instals one of Saul's sons, Ishbaal,
as puppet king reflecting Abner's own ambitions & Israelite
(Northern) interests. For now the men (!) of Judah anoint David
as their king either to confirm, or in ignorance of Samuel's
earlier secret anointing of David [1SAM Ch.16]. After
some nasty goings-on Abner & Ishbaal are both murdered (not
by David) & not long after [Ch. 5: 1-5]
we hear David being acknowledged & anointed king of Israel
as well. Soon after David makes Jerusalem his capital, & in
Ch.6, in a calculated move to consolidate his position
David has the Ark of the Covenant (N2) moved from Shiloh
to Jerusalem, recently captured from the Jebusites. Jerusalem
now becomes both the religious & political capital of the
emerging nation. In Ch. 7 David tells the
Prophet Nathan that he wants to build a Temple for YHWH. However
God makes it clear through Nathan that it is He, YHWH
who will build David a 'house', i.e. a dynasty,
& not vice-versa! Chs. 8-10 are about more warfaring
except that in Ch. 9 David makes compassionate provision
for Jonathan's disabled son Meribbaal.
Ch. 11 marks a turning point - for
the bad - for David. Maybe seduced by Bathsheba, wife of
Uriah, one of his best & loyalest troops, David commits
adultery with her. But worse is to come! When Bathsheba becomes
pregnant David compounds their evil by deviously trying to
arrange 'home-leave' for Uriah to make it look as though the
child to be born is his, Uriah's. But Uriah's loyalty thwarts
him. In desperation David then treacherously arranges for Uriah
to be killed in battle so he can marry Bathsheba. Not only is
this a treacherous & murderous act on David's part, it is a
total failure on his part to live up to his responsibilities as
king to govern justly in God's name! Ch. 12 brings an
example of the role of a true Prophet having little to do with
fore-telling the future & everything to do with tackling the
present! Nathan fronts David who repents & is forgiven,
however the child born to Bathsheba & David dies. But then
another child, Solomon, is born who will be the next king &
renowned for his wisdom. But all that's a long way off yet.
Chs. 13-19: 9 are a litany of family & internal
strife centring on one of David's sons, Absalom, who leads a
revolt against his father. In the end, Absalom is killed, but
David has to snap out of mourning him or risk losing the support
of those who've remained loyal to him. There come more strife
& revolts. For one revered as a great king, David is
certainly a shaky one! After the strife has died down, in Ch.
22 David celebrates his deliverance from the
clutches of all his enemies with a great Psalm (N3). In
CH. 23 we read what are said to be David's 'last words',
but a less pleasant alternative version of his 'last words'
appears at [1K2:5-9] (N4). These 'last words' are
followed by a kind of 'Honour Roll' of 'heroes' (N5).
The book ends with a strange story of a census in which God
seemingly sets both David & the people up (!) & David
buying a threshing floor adjacent to Jerusalem. He has an altar
built there, & this will later become the site for Solomon's
Temple. But that's another story...38...The Wisdom of Solomon
(N1) An illustration of how conflicting texts of some
books can be. (N2) Recovered from the Philistines years
before [1SAM 7:1]. (N3) Almost identical with PS
118 q.v. (N4) Perhaps this first represents the
better side of David & the second the other side of him,
though some scholars think the first is not genuinely Davidic. (N5)
This roll, like Ch.24 that follows it, probably
originally came after Ch.21.
Question: What do we make of God 'using' bad things people do to
bring good out of it / them?
Friday, 20 June 2014
36: SAMUEL: PROPHET, JUDGE, KING-MAKER
Based on The 1st Book of Samuel (1SAM or 1S)...Read more there...(N1)
The books bearing Samuel's name cover the story of the Hebrews as they develop as a people through the last of the Judges to the establishment of the monarchy. But remember that history is usually told through the eyes of the victors in any conflict. Even then it can be one faction's point of view. Samuel is born in unusual circumstances, like many others who feature in the Scriptures. He is born to a devout couple named Elkanah & Hannah. Ch. 1 tells us another of Elkanah's wives has children by him, but Hannah has none. So she goes to pray for a child at the sanctuary of Shiloh, site of the Ark of the Covenant (N2) at this time, & fore-runner to the eventual Jerusalem Temple. Hannah prays to YHWH Sabaoth, 'God of Hosts' (N3). This might mean God of the hosts of angels, of the stars of the heavens, of earthly armies, all three, or a whole lot more than any or all of these. Hannah's praying pretty powerful stuff to a pretty powerful God! At Shiloh she has a confrontation with Eli, the resident priest. At first Eli takes her fervent praying as the outpourings of a drunkard (it is festival time, after all!) but eventually asks God to grant Hannah's prayer. Hannah goes back home & conceives Samuel! Once he's weaned though, with Elkanah's blessing she takes Samuel back to Shiloh to the sanctuary & offers Samuel back to God to reside there with Eli. He is to be brought up to serve at the shrine as a kind of apprentice to Eli as a thanksgiving to God for his birth. Ch. 2 begins with Hannah singing a heartfelt hymn of praise to YHWH. Blessed Mary is later much influenced by Hannah's song when she herself sings what we know as the Magnificat [LK 1:46+] in praise of God when she is pregnant with Jesus. But back to Samuel! One night YHWH calls to Samuel as he lies sleeping near the Ark [Ch. 3] but Samuel thinks it is Eli calling, & goes to him to see what he wants. When this happens three times, Eli realizes that it is God who is calling Samuel & tells him to answer YHWH next time this happens. Samuel does, & God reveals to him that Eli's bad-egg sons are to die. When he reluctantly tells Eli this, Eli realises that in Samuel we have the makings of a prophet! Chs. 4-7 centre on the Ark, its capture by the Philistines & its return to the Hebrews after the Philistines associate it with an outbreak of plague in their midst.
Ch. 8 marks a turning point in Israelite history. After Eli's death, the by now adult Samuel becomes the influential figure in Israel. The people petition him in his role as prophet & judge to appoint them a king. Neither YHWH nor Samuel want this [Ch.8:10-18] but the people insist. YHWH agrees now, seemingly to let the people discover the hard way that He is their only true king. In Chs. 9-10 we find that after being anointed by Samuel & chosen by the casting of the lot (N4) from among the people, Saul is appointed king. Chs. 11-15 are pretty much about war-mongering, & the many flaws in Saul's character appearing. Ch. 16 is about Samuel secretly anointing David, a young shepherd, to replace Saul eventually. David joins Saul's court, in this version as a harpist to soothe Saul's troubled mind. However the following tale [Ch. 17] in which David kills the Philistine champion Goliath with a well placed sling- shot & saves the honour of Saul's army & the Israelites clearly comes from a different source. It isn't long before Saul becomes increasingly jealous of David & his achievements [Chs. 18+]; a jealousy that comes in fits & starts for the rest of Saul's life & raising questions about the state of his physical & mental well-being. Saul is a very flawed character & this will be his undoing, but soon we'll be seeing David warts & all too! Chs. 19-20 tell of the growing friendship between David & one of Saul's sons, Jonathan, including Jonathan helping David escape his father's clutches. In Chs. 21-27 David, a hunted outlaw now, is mostly on the run from Saul. On one occasion David spares Saul's life when he could easily have killed him. Samuel dies & is mourned [Ch. 25], & again David spares Saul's life [Ch. 26]. The book draws to an end [Ch.31] with the Philistines inflicting an ignominious defeat on the Israelites, with both Saul & Jonathan dying in battle together with most of Saul's other sons. So the story continues...37...David: King - Warts & All.
(N1) The two books bearing Samuel's name were originally one book. (N2) See Ep. 29, All Heaven Breaks Loose. (N3) This seems to be the first use of this title for God in the Hebrew Bible. (N4) Making decisions by casting a lot (a marked stone or similar) was common practice in ancient times. Acts 1:15-26 is an example from early Christianity (later replaced by asking guidance of Holy Spirit). Question: Is God obvious in the way we're governed today?
Based on The 1st Book of Samuel (1SAM or 1S)...Read more there...(N1)
The books bearing Samuel's name cover the story of the Hebrews as they develop as a people through the last of the Judges to the establishment of the monarchy. But remember that history is usually told through the eyes of the victors in any conflict. Even then it can be one faction's point of view. Samuel is born in unusual circumstances, like many others who feature in the Scriptures. He is born to a devout couple named Elkanah & Hannah. Ch. 1 tells us another of Elkanah's wives has children by him, but Hannah has none. So she goes to pray for a child at the sanctuary of Shiloh, site of the Ark of the Covenant (N2) at this time, & fore-runner to the eventual Jerusalem Temple. Hannah prays to YHWH Sabaoth, 'God of Hosts' (N3). This might mean God of the hosts of angels, of the stars of the heavens, of earthly armies, all three, or a whole lot more than any or all of these. Hannah's praying pretty powerful stuff to a pretty powerful God! At Shiloh she has a confrontation with Eli, the resident priest. At first Eli takes her fervent praying as the outpourings of a drunkard (it is festival time, after all!) but eventually asks God to grant Hannah's prayer. Hannah goes back home & conceives Samuel! Once he's weaned though, with Elkanah's blessing she takes Samuel back to Shiloh to the sanctuary & offers Samuel back to God to reside there with Eli. He is to be brought up to serve at the shrine as a kind of apprentice to Eli as a thanksgiving to God for his birth. Ch. 2 begins with Hannah singing a heartfelt hymn of praise to YHWH. Blessed Mary is later much influenced by Hannah's song when she herself sings what we know as the Magnificat [LK 1:46+] in praise of God when she is pregnant with Jesus. But back to Samuel! One night YHWH calls to Samuel as he lies sleeping near the Ark [Ch. 3] but Samuel thinks it is Eli calling, & goes to him to see what he wants. When this happens three times, Eli realizes that it is God who is calling Samuel & tells him to answer YHWH next time this happens. Samuel does, & God reveals to him that Eli's bad-egg sons are to die. When he reluctantly tells Eli this, Eli realises that in Samuel we have the makings of a prophet! Chs. 4-7 centre on the Ark, its capture by the Philistines & its return to the Hebrews after the Philistines associate it with an outbreak of plague in their midst.
Ch. 8 marks a turning point in Israelite history. After Eli's death, the by now adult Samuel becomes the influential figure in Israel. The people petition him in his role as prophet & judge to appoint them a king. Neither YHWH nor Samuel want this [Ch.8:10-18] but the people insist. YHWH agrees now, seemingly to let the people discover the hard way that He is their only true king. In Chs. 9-10 we find that after being anointed by Samuel & chosen by the casting of the lot (N4) from among the people, Saul is appointed king. Chs. 11-15 are pretty much about war-mongering, & the many flaws in Saul's character appearing. Ch. 16 is about Samuel secretly anointing David, a young shepherd, to replace Saul eventually. David joins Saul's court, in this version as a harpist to soothe Saul's troubled mind. However the following tale [Ch. 17] in which David kills the Philistine champion Goliath with a well placed sling- shot & saves the honour of Saul's army & the Israelites clearly comes from a different source. It isn't long before Saul becomes increasingly jealous of David & his achievements [Chs. 18+]; a jealousy that comes in fits & starts for the rest of Saul's life & raising questions about the state of his physical & mental well-being. Saul is a very flawed character & this will be his undoing, but soon we'll be seeing David warts & all too! Chs. 19-20 tell of the growing friendship between David & one of Saul's sons, Jonathan, including Jonathan helping David escape his father's clutches. In Chs. 21-27 David, a hunted outlaw now, is mostly on the run from Saul. On one occasion David spares Saul's life when he could easily have killed him. Samuel dies & is mourned [Ch. 25], & again David spares Saul's life [Ch. 26]. The book draws to an end [Ch.31] with the Philistines inflicting an ignominious defeat on the Israelites, with both Saul & Jonathan dying in battle together with most of Saul's other sons. So the story continues...37...David: King - Warts & All.
(N1) The two books bearing Samuel's name were originally one book. (N2) See Ep. 29, All Heaven Breaks Loose. (N3) This seems to be the first use of this title for God in the Hebrew Bible. (N4) Making decisions by casting a lot (a marked stone or similar) was common practice in ancient times. Acts 1:15-26 is an example from early Christianity (later replaced by asking guidance of Holy Spirit). Question: Is God obvious in the way we're governed today?
35: GREAT GRANDMOTHER TO THE GREATS
Based on RUTH (Rt)...Read more there.
Ruth is a very short book; barely 4 1/2 pages. But Ruth, who comes across as one of the nicest & best people in the Hebrew Scriptures, is a far more important person than that brevity might suggest. Even that she's not a Hebrew, but a Moabite (a descendant of a tribe springing from Abraham's nephew Lot) does not affect the place of honour she holds in both Hebrew & Christian traditions. Ruth marries a Hebrew man, Mahlon, a son of Elimelech & Naomi, Hebrews who had migrated from Bethlehem to Moab during a famine. Elimelech & Mahlon both die, leaving Naomi & Ruth widowed. Naomi elects to return to live among her own people, the Hebrews, & Ruth chooses to accompany her rather than remain among her Moabite tribes-people. Naomi's other daughter-in-law, also a widow now, chooses to stay. When Naomi tries to persuade Ruth to remain in Moab too, Ruth's response is: "Where you go I will go; wherever you choose to stay, I will stay; your people will be my people; your God will be my God......" [Ch.1:16-17)].
Naomi & Ruth arrive back in Bethlehem at the time of the barley harvest. Ruth, needing to provide food for them both, goes gleaning, as the poor are allowed to do by law [DT 24:19] but not always by property-owners! Ruth goes to glean in the fields of a well-to-do man named Boaz, who orders she be given preferential treatment so she can glean more abundantly. More, he generously provides her with food & drink. Something other than food & drink is clearly brewing here! Boaz tells Ruth to remain gleaning in his fields. When she takes home to Naomi what she's gleaned, & tells her the name of the man who has taken her under his wing, Naomi says, "Oh, he's a close relative of our late husbands. Blessed be God!" So Ruth gleans on into the wheat harvest. Naomi appears to put Ruth up to acting seductively [Ch.3] - & very effectively! - all in a good cause as things transpire! However, under Hebrew law another closer male relative has first right of refusal of buying Naomi's property & the widowed Ruth who is part of it! In a complicated process of tradition, law, & manoeuvring, Boaz persuades the other man to surrender his rights to him [Ch.4] & promptly marries Ruth [4:13]. And they all live happily ever after...
The book of Ruth is not simply a nice story of love & faithfulness at a human level. As often in the case in Scripture it is also a demonstration of God's love & faithfulness to Israel & its outworking down through the generations.The author wants to show God's will unfolding, working itself out through making connection after connection down the years. We can trace that through a land promised to Abraham (who pre-dates both Judaism & mono-theism), Captivity in Egypt, Exodus, Journeying in the wilderness, Taking possession of the long-Promised Land & all the other stages that unfold as the story is told on further & further. There's a lot still to come! We are left to ponder that there are no such things as co-incidences in this process; only God-incidents, encompassing those who remain faithful as God is faithful. Ruth's story is an important link in this out-working of the overall biblical picture. For instance, Boaz turns out to be the son of Rahab, the Canaanite woman who, discerning the way the Wind of God is blowing, betrays the town of Jericho into the hands of the invading Hebrews [JSH Chs.2 & 6]. With her family, Rahab is spared, & they are allowed as a reward to live among Hebrew society as 'honorary members'.
Ruth & Boaz produce a son they name Obed; Obed & his wife, a son called Jesse; & Jesse & his wife, a son named David! Great king of the Hebrew people! Even more importantly, David becomes great, great, umpteen greats grand-father of Jesus the Christ! All of which of course makes Ruth not only David's great grand-mother, but Jesus' great, great, umpteen greats... grand-mother too! [MT 1:5] Before leaving Ruth, & looking further ahead, we might consider whether despite the importance of racial purity to the Jewish people from whom He springs, Jesus has Rahab, a Canaanite (& a prostitute & traitor to boot!) as an ancestor, & Ruth, a Moabite, too, among other 'iffy' people. Maybe YHWH's horizons are wider & broader than people who see religion through strait-jacketed hearts?! The story continues...36: Samuel... Prophet, Judge, & King-Maker...
Question: Have we been blessed as a result of God's will taking its course through choices people have made down the years?
Based on RUTH (Rt)...Read more there.
Ruth is a very short book; barely 4 1/2 pages. But Ruth, who comes across as one of the nicest & best people in the Hebrew Scriptures, is a far more important person than that brevity might suggest. Even that she's not a Hebrew, but a Moabite (a descendant of a tribe springing from Abraham's nephew Lot) does not affect the place of honour she holds in both Hebrew & Christian traditions. Ruth marries a Hebrew man, Mahlon, a son of Elimelech & Naomi, Hebrews who had migrated from Bethlehem to Moab during a famine. Elimelech & Mahlon both die, leaving Naomi & Ruth widowed. Naomi elects to return to live among her own people, the Hebrews, & Ruth chooses to accompany her rather than remain among her Moabite tribes-people. Naomi's other daughter-in-law, also a widow now, chooses to stay. When Naomi tries to persuade Ruth to remain in Moab too, Ruth's response is: "Where you go I will go; wherever you choose to stay, I will stay; your people will be my people; your God will be my God......" [Ch.1:16-17)].
Naomi & Ruth arrive back in Bethlehem at the time of the barley harvest. Ruth, needing to provide food for them both, goes gleaning, as the poor are allowed to do by law [DT 24:19] but not always by property-owners! Ruth goes to glean in the fields of a well-to-do man named Boaz, who orders she be given preferential treatment so she can glean more abundantly. More, he generously provides her with food & drink. Something other than food & drink is clearly brewing here! Boaz tells Ruth to remain gleaning in his fields. When she takes home to Naomi what she's gleaned, & tells her the name of the man who has taken her under his wing, Naomi says, "Oh, he's a close relative of our late husbands. Blessed be God!" So Ruth gleans on into the wheat harvest. Naomi appears to put Ruth up to acting seductively [Ch.3] - & very effectively! - all in a good cause as things transpire! However, under Hebrew law another closer male relative has first right of refusal of buying Naomi's property & the widowed Ruth who is part of it! In a complicated process of tradition, law, & manoeuvring, Boaz persuades the other man to surrender his rights to him [Ch.4] & promptly marries Ruth [4:13]. And they all live happily ever after...
The book of Ruth is not simply a nice story of love & faithfulness at a human level. As often in the case in Scripture it is also a demonstration of God's love & faithfulness to Israel & its outworking down through the generations.The author wants to show God's will unfolding, working itself out through making connection after connection down the years. We can trace that through a land promised to Abraham (who pre-dates both Judaism & mono-theism), Captivity in Egypt, Exodus, Journeying in the wilderness, Taking possession of the long-Promised Land & all the other stages that unfold as the story is told on further & further. There's a lot still to come! We are left to ponder that there are no such things as co-incidences in this process; only God-incidents, encompassing those who remain faithful as God is faithful. Ruth's story is an important link in this out-working of the overall biblical picture. For instance, Boaz turns out to be the son of Rahab, the Canaanite woman who, discerning the way the Wind of God is blowing, betrays the town of Jericho into the hands of the invading Hebrews [JSH Chs.2 & 6]. With her family, Rahab is spared, & they are allowed as a reward to live among Hebrew society as 'honorary members'.
Ruth & Boaz produce a son they name Obed; Obed & his wife, a son called Jesse; & Jesse & his wife, a son named David! Great king of the Hebrew people! Even more importantly, David becomes great, great, umpteen greats grand-father of Jesus the Christ! All of which of course makes Ruth not only David's great grand-mother, but Jesus' great, great, umpteen greats... grand-mother too! [MT 1:5] Before leaving Ruth, & looking further ahead, we might consider whether despite the importance of racial purity to the Jewish people from whom He springs, Jesus has Rahab, a Canaanite (& a prostitute & traitor to boot!) as an ancestor, & Ruth, a Moabite, too, among other 'iffy' people. Maybe YHWH's horizons are wider & broader than people who see religion through strait-jacketed hearts?! The story continues...36: Samuel... Prophet, Judge, & King-Maker...
Question: Have we been blessed as a result of God's will taking its course through choices people have made down the years?
34...MAKING GOD JUDGMENTS
Based on the book of Judges (Judg, Jd, or Jg)....Read more there.
Judges is a series of accounts of people who play a lead role when the Hebrews are settling or settled in Canaan, the 'Promised Land' (N1). After Joshua & his generation die, despite the Covenant made at Shechem tribal & religious observance deteriorate to the point of chaos & the people have to be rescued by YHWH (N2). The Judges, who feature over a long period rule on civil matters & often lead the people into battle. They operate in the void that exists between tribal & more centralised government. The latter doesn't emerge for some time yet. Moreover YHWH is often portrayed putting the Hebrews up to acts of violence we would not want to attribute to God today! In some judges we also have a glimpse of a prophet thrown in for good measure. More, the judges' influence is almost wholly limited to local, tribal affairs. Two of the earlier ones who rise to the occasion - or are raised by YHWH God - are Barak & Deborah (Chs. 4, 5). Yes, a woman! Deborah is actually referred to as a prophet! Barak seems unsure of himself in his role, & leans on Deborah as go-between between God & himself. Deborah blurs the lines between judging & prophesying when she becomes Barak's inspiration as he leads the Hebrews to defeat the local Canaanites in battle. Afterwards, the pair sing a long & bloodthirsty victory song (N3) as Moses & Miriam had done after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds [EX Ch. 15].
The next Judge to warrant attention is Gideon who wages war on the neighbouring Midianites, followers of the pagan god Baal (Chs.6-8). 'Highlights' might be Gideon's call by God (6:11+); his destruction of a pagan altar (6:25+); & the way in which YHWH orders him to reduce the size of the war party he is to lead against Midian (7:1+). The religious message conveyed by this reduction & its outcome is to make sure YHWH gets the glory for victory, not the Hebrew troops, but see (N4). After some 'lesser lights', Jephthah, though a 'lesser light' himself (Chs. 10-12) leads the Hebrews to victory over the Ammonites. It's one skirmish after another as local tribes continue to resist the migrating (invading) Hebrews. Reminiscent of today's Middle East still? The Hebrews' failure to remain faithful to YHWH for any length of time is usually cited as the reason this warfare is so ongoing, but in the end they see YHWH as sticking with them & in most cases giving them victory despite their failure to keep the covenant they have made with Him.
In Ch.13, we are introduced to Samson who has been dedicated to God from birth as a Nazirite (Ch.13:1+). This involved among other things abstaining from wine & leaving your hair uncut. Honestly, Samson comes over more as a womanising, folk-hero kind of lout than a Judge. He's probably remembered as one of the latter only for his fighting prowess against Philistines! Best known to us as part of the Samson & Delilah drama maybe still showing in some format in a theatre near us, Samson is mostly all brawn & no brain. However, his encounter with a lion (Ch.14) & the riddle he poses as a result of that shows another side to him. He can also be a smart operator! Maybe he's another example of God being able to use anyone to do His will. Samson harries the Philistines at every opportunity (Ch.15), but his downfall comes (Ch.16) when they enlist his latest paramour, Delilah, herself a Philistine, & pay her to betray him. After some failed attempts, Delilah eventually brings Samson undone by lulling him to sleep so the Philistines can cut off his long Nazirite hair, supposedly the secret to his strength. Lo & behold, Samson's strength disappears with his hair! He is then captured, blinded & chained as a slave. His mostly unedifying time as Judge ends when his captors trot him out to amuse them with his feats of strength. He brings the house down! Literally. He has recovered enough strength to bring the building down killing them & himself in the process! The rest of the book appears to be a collection of add-ons from later times, probably not really relevant to most of us today. But that's another story...Great Grandmother to the Greatest.
(N1) Like most of the stories we've already heard, Judges in the form we know it has been edited much later. (N2) As in the case of 'major' & 'minor' Prophets, some Judges come to be known as more important than others. (N3) This song is regarded as being one of the oldest works of poetry in the Hebrew Bible (JB notes.). (N4) A little teaser: Can we see a possible pragmatic & military explanation for the choice Gideon is told to make here?
Question: Are the 'good' judgments we think of ourselves making necessarily 'God' judgments?
Based on the book of Judges (Judg, Jd, or Jg)....Read more there.
Judges is a series of accounts of people who play a lead role when the Hebrews are settling or settled in Canaan, the 'Promised Land' (N1). After Joshua & his generation die, despite the Covenant made at Shechem tribal & religious observance deteriorate to the point of chaos & the people have to be rescued by YHWH (N2). The Judges, who feature over a long period rule on civil matters & often lead the people into battle. They operate in the void that exists between tribal & more centralised government. The latter doesn't emerge for some time yet. Moreover YHWH is often portrayed putting the Hebrews up to acts of violence we would not want to attribute to God today! In some judges we also have a glimpse of a prophet thrown in for good measure. More, the judges' influence is almost wholly limited to local, tribal affairs. Two of the earlier ones who rise to the occasion - or are raised by YHWH God - are Barak & Deborah (Chs. 4, 5). Yes, a woman! Deborah is actually referred to as a prophet! Barak seems unsure of himself in his role, & leans on Deborah as go-between between God & himself. Deborah blurs the lines between judging & prophesying when she becomes Barak's inspiration as he leads the Hebrews to defeat the local Canaanites in battle. Afterwards, the pair sing a long & bloodthirsty victory song (N3) as Moses & Miriam had done after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds [EX Ch. 15].
The next Judge to warrant attention is Gideon who wages war on the neighbouring Midianites, followers of the pagan god Baal (Chs.6-8). 'Highlights' might be Gideon's call by God (6:11+); his destruction of a pagan altar (6:25+); & the way in which YHWH orders him to reduce the size of the war party he is to lead against Midian (7:1+). The religious message conveyed by this reduction & its outcome is to make sure YHWH gets the glory for victory, not the Hebrew troops, but see (N4). After some 'lesser lights', Jephthah, though a 'lesser light' himself (Chs. 10-12) leads the Hebrews to victory over the Ammonites. It's one skirmish after another as local tribes continue to resist the migrating (invading) Hebrews. Reminiscent of today's Middle East still? The Hebrews' failure to remain faithful to YHWH for any length of time is usually cited as the reason this warfare is so ongoing, but in the end they see YHWH as sticking with them & in most cases giving them victory despite their failure to keep the covenant they have made with Him.
In Ch.13, we are introduced to Samson who has been dedicated to God from birth as a Nazirite (Ch.13:1+). This involved among other things abstaining from wine & leaving your hair uncut. Honestly, Samson comes over more as a womanising, folk-hero kind of lout than a Judge. He's probably remembered as one of the latter only for his fighting prowess against Philistines! Best known to us as part of the Samson & Delilah drama maybe still showing in some format in a theatre near us, Samson is mostly all brawn & no brain. However, his encounter with a lion (Ch.14) & the riddle he poses as a result of that shows another side to him. He can also be a smart operator! Maybe he's another example of God being able to use anyone to do His will. Samson harries the Philistines at every opportunity (Ch.15), but his downfall comes (Ch.16) when they enlist his latest paramour, Delilah, herself a Philistine, & pay her to betray him. After some failed attempts, Delilah eventually brings Samson undone by lulling him to sleep so the Philistines can cut off his long Nazirite hair, supposedly the secret to his strength. Lo & behold, Samson's strength disappears with his hair! He is then captured, blinded & chained as a slave. His mostly unedifying time as Judge ends when his captors trot him out to amuse them with his feats of strength. He brings the house down! Literally. He has recovered enough strength to bring the building down killing them & himself in the process! The rest of the book appears to be a collection of add-ons from later times, probably not really relevant to most of us today. But that's another story...Great Grandmother to the Greatest.
(N1) Like most of the stories we've already heard, Judges in the form we know it has been edited much later. (N2) As in the case of 'major' & 'minor' Prophets, some Judges come to be known as more important than others. (N3) This song is regarded as being one of the oldest works of poetry in the Hebrew Bible (JB notes.). (N4) A little teaser: Can we see a possible pragmatic & military explanation for the choice Gideon is told to make here?
Question: Are the 'good' judgments we think of ourselves making necessarily 'God' judgments?
33: JOSHUA NOT ONLY
FIT THE BATTLE OF JERICHO
Based on the Book of Joshua (JOSH) ...Read more there.
Based on the Book of Joshua (JOSH) ...Read more there.
We've
already seen in Ep. 31 that Joshua, son of Nun, has
been appointed to succeed Moses before the latter's death.
The Hebrews are still on the wrong side of the Jordan
River. Still on the way to Canaan, the land promised to
Abraham centuries earlier. The book named after Joshua is
history told from a religious perspective. It's about the
relationship between YHWH God & the Hebrew people as
they move on (N1). The story of the conquest
of the Promised Land as it's told here makes it clear
that it wasn't completed in one fell swoop. Nor is it
a completely joint effort. Individual tribes sometimes
make their own thrusts according to their own agendas
(N2). Chs. 1-12 are
taken up with the conquest of Canaan, with special
reference to the famous siege, walls 'falling down' (as
the result of a timely earthquake?), & taking of
Jericho (Chs.2-6) in which
Hebrew spies are aided & abetted by an insider, a
woman named Rahab who discerns which way the wind of God's
Spirit is blowing! Her reward? She & her family are
spared the inevitable slaughter when the Hebrews take the
town, & are allowed to assimilate to a degree within
the Hebrew community. There is also an impressive &
'miraculous' crossing of the Jordan with echoes of
the Sea of Reeds (Chs.3 & 4). The
story then moves to the division of the land between the
tribes, & issues relating to that dividing up (Chs.13-21).
Before Joshua eventually dies, a highly significant religious assembly takes place at Shechem (Ch. 24). Not all the tribes have been fully 'on board' before this. Some had not even migrated to Egypt in the first place, so they have not experienced being enslaved there, & have no knowledge of Passover, nor the Exodus, all events that shaped the Hebrew national, cultural & religious mind-set from that time on. The other serious consequence for those tribes left out of that big 'loop' is that they have neither been introduced to YHWH as their God, nor have they received the Commandments given to Moses, the basis of all Hebrew Law. So these tribes now find themselves out on a limb, a world apart from those who have experienced, or descended from those who have experienced, these momentous happenings. In a master stroke, under the wise guidance of Joshua at a human level holding the great assembly at Shechem welds all the tribes together in a new way with YHWH God at their centre. This will be nation-building. Christians might describe this as an out-pouring of Holy Spirit. Shechem is ancient family & tribal territory from the time of Abraham & Sarah, a bridge between pre- & post- Egypt experiences. Also, several of the most important & revered figures in Hebrew history have been buried at or in the vicinity of Shechem, & Joseph's bones, brought back from Egypt with the emigrants, now join his forbears' here too. So all the Israelites, whether they 'left home' or not, have common roots there. The great assembly agrees on & makes a new covenant that unites all the people in serving YHWH God. And so the story continues... 34: Making God Judgments
Before Joshua eventually dies, a highly significant religious assembly takes place at Shechem (Ch. 24). Not all the tribes have been fully 'on board' before this. Some had not even migrated to Egypt in the first place, so they have not experienced being enslaved there, & have no knowledge of Passover, nor the Exodus, all events that shaped the Hebrew national, cultural & religious mind-set from that time on. The other serious consequence for those tribes left out of that big 'loop' is that they have neither been introduced to YHWH as their God, nor have they received the Commandments given to Moses, the basis of all Hebrew Law. So these tribes now find themselves out on a limb, a world apart from those who have experienced, or descended from those who have experienced, these momentous happenings. In a master stroke, under the wise guidance of Joshua at a human level holding the great assembly at Shechem welds all the tribes together in a new way with YHWH God at their centre. This will be nation-building. Christians might describe this as an out-pouring of Holy Spirit. Shechem is ancient family & tribal territory from the time of Abraham & Sarah, a bridge between pre- & post- Egypt experiences. Also, several of the most important & revered figures in Hebrew history have been buried at or in the vicinity of Shechem, & Joseph's bones, brought back from Egypt with the emigrants, now join his forbears' here too. So all the Israelites, whether they 'left home' or not, have common roots there. The great assembly agrees on & makes a new covenant that unites all the people in serving YHWH God. And so the story continues... 34: Making God Judgments
(N1) Some scholars think the preceding book, Deuteronomy (Ep. 32), is actually the first in a series, with Josh as second, & continuing on through the books of KINGS. JB has useful notes here. (N2) Not all the tribes of Israel had migrated to Egypt in the first place, or at least not in their entirety. Moreover, Moses had already pre-allocated lands to some [NUM 32].
Question: Is God at the centre of both our personal & 'tribal' life?
Sunday, 30 March 2014
32: RUN THAT PAST ME AGAIN
Based on the book Deuteronomy (DT)...Read more there.
Deuteronomy might be called 'another way of looking at' many of the same issues we've seen in the earlier 'Mosaic' books of the Law (GN, EX, LV, NB). It serves as a reminder, a revision of what has gone before. Like so much in the first four 'books of Moses', or 'the Law', as those of the Hebrew faith know it, DT is a compilation from a date much later than the original events. One scholar suggests a main concern is how to make older teachings about cultic (religious) & legal traditions relevant to new generations by those whose responsibility it is to teach & preach them in later days (N1). Is nothing new?! As we work our way through DT it will help if we keep those 'another look at former things' way of looking at it & the recapitulation angle both in mind.
The Hebrews move on from Horeb (Sinai) & approach the Promised Land via scuffles & fights with rival clans. In Chs.5-11 we find pep-talks by Moses including a 're-broadcast' of the Commandments & why the people should keep them. The reason is neatly summarised at Ch.7:6. Moses goes on to promise the people that YHWH will raise up a Prophet like himself [Ch.18:15]. Is he pointing to Joshua, his successor, or Someone Else? (N2). From half way through Ch.23 till early in Ch. 25 we find a collection of laws more compassionate than we might expect from so long ago & dealing with various situations. Most of us would happily give an 'Amen' to many of them today. Ch. 26 reminds the people - & us, too - of our need to be grateful to YHWH God & to show our gratitude in generosity. Moses, drawing near to the end of his life now, reviews the people's Exodus from Egypt & the covenant God has made with them before the assembled people in Ch. 29. Then in Ch.30:11+ Moses tells the people: a) what they have been commanded to do is not beyond their ability to obey; b) the Word (of God) is very near them (N3); & c) they should choose life rather than death. If we don't read anything else in DT, let's 'hear, read, mark, & inwardly digest' this bit! (N4)
Moses knows he will not live to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land & prepares for the hand-over to Joshua. In Ch.31:14-15 God sets His seal on this with the appearance once more of the Cloud at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Moses, or someone else later launches into a long song or psalm celebrating the power & faithfulness of God (Ch. 32) before giving a formal blessing to each of the tribes (Ch. 33). From the top of Mt. Nebo, opposite Jericho, YHWH shows Moses the Promised Land he will not enter (Ch.34) The book then ends solemnly & rather poignantly with: 'Moses, servant of YHWH died as YHWH had decreed; they buried him in the valley, in the country of Moab, opposite Beth-Peor, but to this day no-one has ever found his grave....' (NJB) And the story continues: 33: Joshua Not Only Fit The Battle Of Jericho..!
(N1) von Rad, Deuteronomy, SCM Press, London, 1979 edn. p. 23. (N2) Christians usually take this to be a prophecy of the coming of Jesus as Messiah. See AC3:17-23 (Peter) & AC7:37 (Stephen). (N3) The 'Word' in the sense of the Creative Principle of the Universe will later become a major theme in both Older & Newer Testaments as it does in some other traditions. A 'Wisdom literature' develops. Some Christian churches see Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, & Song of Songs as 'Wisdom' literature; others add Wisdom & Ecclesiasticus from the Apocrypha, too. Notably, John the Evangelist opens his Gospel with, 'In the beginning was the Word....' (N4) From the Collect for Advent 2 in the 1662 English Prayer Book.
Question: Do we have the wisdom to recognize Wisdom when faced with 'It'?
Based on the book Deuteronomy (DT)...Read more there.
Deuteronomy might be called 'another way of looking at' many of the same issues we've seen in the earlier 'Mosaic' books of the Law (GN, EX, LV, NB). It serves as a reminder, a revision of what has gone before. Like so much in the first four 'books of Moses', or 'the Law', as those of the Hebrew faith know it, DT is a compilation from a date much later than the original events. One scholar suggests a main concern is how to make older teachings about cultic (religious) & legal traditions relevant to new generations by those whose responsibility it is to teach & preach them in later days (N1). Is nothing new?! As we work our way through DT it will help if we keep those 'another look at former things' way of looking at it & the recapitulation angle both in mind.
The Hebrews move on from Horeb (Sinai) & approach the Promised Land via scuffles & fights with rival clans. In Chs.5-11 we find pep-talks by Moses including a 're-broadcast' of the Commandments & why the people should keep them. The reason is neatly summarised at Ch.7:6. Moses goes on to promise the people that YHWH will raise up a Prophet like himself [Ch.18:15]. Is he pointing to Joshua, his successor, or Someone Else? (N2). From half way through Ch.23 till early in Ch. 25 we find a collection of laws more compassionate than we might expect from so long ago & dealing with various situations. Most of us would happily give an 'Amen' to many of them today. Ch. 26 reminds the people - & us, too - of our need to be grateful to YHWH God & to show our gratitude in generosity. Moses, drawing near to the end of his life now, reviews the people's Exodus from Egypt & the covenant God has made with them before the assembled people in Ch. 29. Then in Ch.30:11+ Moses tells the people: a) what they have been commanded to do is not beyond their ability to obey; b) the Word (of God) is very near them (N3); & c) they should choose life rather than death. If we don't read anything else in DT, let's 'hear, read, mark, & inwardly digest' this bit! (N4)
Moses knows he will not live to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land & prepares for the hand-over to Joshua. In Ch.31:14-15 God sets His seal on this with the appearance once more of the Cloud at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Moses, or someone else later launches into a long song or psalm celebrating the power & faithfulness of God (Ch. 32) before giving a formal blessing to each of the tribes (Ch. 33). From the top of Mt. Nebo, opposite Jericho, YHWH shows Moses the Promised Land he will not enter (Ch.34) The book then ends solemnly & rather poignantly with: 'Moses, servant of YHWH died as YHWH had decreed; they buried him in the valley, in the country of Moab, opposite Beth-Peor, but to this day no-one has ever found his grave....' (NJB) And the story continues: 33: Joshua Not Only Fit The Battle Of Jericho..!
(N1) von Rad, Deuteronomy, SCM Press, London, 1979 edn. p. 23. (N2) Christians usually take this to be a prophecy of the coming of Jesus as Messiah. See AC3:17-23 (Peter) & AC7:37 (Stephen). (N3) The 'Word' in the sense of the Creative Principle of the Universe will later become a major theme in both Older & Newer Testaments as it does in some other traditions. A 'Wisdom literature' develops. Some Christian churches see Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, & Song of Songs as 'Wisdom' literature; others add Wisdom & Ecclesiasticus from the Apocrypha, too. Notably, John the Evangelist opens his Gospel with, 'In the beginning was the Word....' (N4) From the Collect for Advent 2 in the 1662 English Prayer Book.
Question: Do we have the wisdom to recognize Wisdom when faced with 'It'?
Friday, 7 March 2014
31..NUMBERS UPON NUMBERS UPON NUMBERS
Based on NUMBERS (NB)...Read more there.
Based on NUMBERS (NB)...Read more there.
NB holds little
to enthral us today. Much of it is about the organising,
defining, & regulating the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Israel,
remember, is Jacob renamed by YHWH (N1). The tribe
of Levi is treated differently from the others in this process
& set apart to perform priestly responsibilities. Family
trees of one kind or another, whether written down or not, play
an important role in the way many cultures understand
themselves. The number of organisations & websites offering
ancestry information, together with a genre of TV programmes
dedicated to researching where people came from are but the tip
of a pretty big industry feeding & feeding on today's
thirst for information about our ancestors. That the Hebrews
were thorough in this matter as here in NB,
enabled early Christians anxious to establish Jesus'
genealogical credentials strike pay-dirt (N2).
In Ch 9 as the Hebrews prepare to continue their journeying we delve again into the mystical spirituality inherent in the Cloud, that symbol of YHWH's presence over & among them when they left Egypt & still 'hovering' to reassure, protect, & guide (N3). In Ch.11 Moses gets caught up yet again in complaining on the part of the by now tired-of-all-this-wilderness-lifestyle people & more 'food from heaven' is provided. Also, Joshua, who will later loom large in Hebrew affairs appears on the scene for the first time. In Ch. 12 Moses' siblings Miriam & Aaron rebel against him & are put in their place! In Chs. 13-14 YHWH tells Moses to send spies ahead to eye off the land of Canaan, further to the north, the 'Promised Land' to which they are heading. Mixed reports on the spies' return divide the people, but Joshua's more positive report prevails & the people press on. Chs.15-19 return us to the earlier style of detailed laws about the way this, that, or the other is to be carried out. In Ch.20 there is another instance of 'water from the rock', the Hebrews are denied passage through Edomite lands, & Aaron dies.
In 21:4-9 a strange incident occurs that stands out as a passage of major importance for Christians later. As the Hebrews journey they travel through an area severely infested by snakes & are greatly threatened by them. Archeologists have in fact uncovered miniature serpents of copper & bronze in that area, perhaps pointing to a local cult involving snakes. Were some Hebrews attracted to such a cult to protect themselves from being bitten or as an antidote? YHWH's telling Moses to forge a metal snake & hoist it on a pole so the Hebrews could look up at it & be healed is a puzzle. Might it reflect a kind of 'if you can't beat them join them & having joined them beat them' tactic on YHWH's or Moses' part to deal with such idolatry? For instance, were the people meant to gaze up & through & beyond the serpent to YHWH the True Healer? Failing some such explanation, how come YHWH is requiring Moses & through him, the people, to break His own 2nd Commandment? Good question (N4)! However, what makes this passage important still is that that cast-metal snake nailed up on its pole has, as the Evangelist John sees it, entered deeply into Jesus' psyche. Jesus understands Himself to be the One lifted up on the cross for the healing of all the world's bites of every kind!: [JN 3:14, 8:28, 12:32]. As the Hebrews continue their migration towards their Promised Land, in CHs. 22-24 we find a complicated, quaint incident involving Balak (an enemy ruler); Balaam, a kind of local 'small p' folk prophet; a talking donkey(!) & an angel! Make of it what you will! CH.27:12-17 is significant for YHWH's choice of Joshua to become Moses' successor as leader of the Hebrews & his ceremonial installation as the people prepare to move closer to the Promised Land. After more regulations, some nasty inhumane actions certainly not in keeping with the mind of YHWH as we now understand it, & still more record-keeping, we end - whew! - with a concise summary: 'Such were the commandments & laws that Yahweh prescribed for the Israelites through Moses...' (NJB). And that's another story...Run That Past Me Again
(N1) See Ep.18. (N2) See: MT 1: 1-17, & LK 3:23-38. (N3) The Cloud also features in the N.T., notably at Jesus' Transfigurtion. (N4) There is an intriguing later reference to the snake incident in 2K18:4 where we find Hezekiah, a reforming king of Judah (BC 716-687) 'smashed the bronze serpent which Moses had made; for up to that time the Israelites had offered sacrifices to it; it was called Nehushtan' (NJB). Question: What do snakes symbolise for us?
In Ch 9 as the Hebrews prepare to continue their journeying we delve again into the mystical spirituality inherent in the Cloud, that symbol of YHWH's presence over & among them when they left Egypt & still 'hovering' to reassure, protect, & guide (N3). In Ch.11 Moses gets caught up yet again in complaining on the part of the by now tired-of-all-this-wilderness-lifestyle people & more 'food from heaven' is provided. Also, Joshua, who will later loom large in Hebrew affairs appears on the scene for the first time. In Ch. 12 Moses' siblings Miriam & Aaron rebel against him & are put in their place! In Chs. 13-14 YHWH tells Moses to send spies ahead to eye off the land of Canaan, further to the north, the 'Promised Land' to which they are heading. Mixed reports on the spies' return divide the people, but Joshua's more positive report prevails & the people press on. Chs.15-19 return us to the earlier style of detailed laws about the way this, that, or the other is to be carried out. In Ch.20 there is another instance of 'water from the rock', the Hebrews are denied passage through Edomite lands, & Aaron dies.
In 21:4-9 a strange incident occurs that stands out as a passage of major importance for Christians later. As the Hebrews journey they travel through an area severely infested by snakes & are greatly threatened by them. Archeologists have in fact uncovered miniature serpents of copper & bronze in that area, perhaps pointing to a local cult involving snakes. Were some Hebrews attracted to such a cult to protect themselves from being bitten or as an antidote? YHWH's telling Moses to forge a metal snake & hoist it on a pole so the Hebrews could look up at it & be healed is a puzzle. Might it reflect a kind of 'if you can't beat them join them & having joined them beat them' tactic on YHWH's or Moses' part to deal with such idolatry? For instance, were the people meant to gaze up & through & beyond the serpent to YHWH the True Healer? Failing some such explanation, how come YHWH is requiring Moses & through him, the people, to break His own 2nd Commandment? Good question (N4)! However, what makes this passage important still is that that cast-metal snake nailed up on its pole has, as the Evangelist John sees it, entered deeply into Jesus' psyche. Jesus understands Himself to be the One lifted up on the cross for the healing of all the world's bites of every kind!: [JN 3:14, 8:28, 12:32]. As the Hebrews continue their migration towards their Promised Land, in CHs. 22-24 we find a complicated, quaint incident involving Balak (an enemy ruler); Balaam, a kind of local 'small p' folk prophet; a talking donkey(!) & an angel! Make of it what you will! CH.27:12-17 is significant for YHWH's choice of Joshua to become Moses' successor as leader of the Hebrews & his ceremonial installation as the people prepare to move closer to the Promised Land. After more regulations, some nasty inhumane actions certainly not in keeping with the mind of YHWH as we now understand it, & still more record-keeping, we end - whew! - with a concise summary: 'Such were the commandments & laws that Yahweh prescribed for the Israelites through Moses...' (NJB). And that's another story...Run That Past Me Again
(N1) See Ep.18. (N2) See: MT 1: 1-17, & LK 3:23-38. (N3) The Cloud also features in the N.T., notably at Jesus' Transfigurtion. (N4) There is an intriguing later reference to the snake incident in 2K18:4 where we find Hezekiah, a reforming king of Judah (BC 716-687) 'smashed the bronze serpent which Moses had made; for up to that time the Israelites had offered sacrifices to it; it was called Nehushtan' (NJB). Question: What do snakes symbolise for us?
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