Archive for month: March, 2019

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2019, April 7 ~ Isaiah 43:16-21 and Philippians 3:4b-14

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Isaiah 43:16-21

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.

Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 20 years before Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 in which a prophet gave encouragement to Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile.

Today’s reading is from “Second Isaiah,” and the prophet speaks for YHWH (“LORD” – all capital letters in the NRSV). YHWH reminded the people about the Exodus from Egypt (“make a way in the sea” v.16). YHWH promised to “do a new thing” (v.19) by delivering the Judeans from Babylon. The reading concluded with the theme that the Judeans were chosen (v.20) and formed by YHWH so they could praise YHWH (v.21).

Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippi was a major city in Macedonia on the Roman road to Byzantium (Istanbul), and most of its inhabitants were Roman citizens. Paul wrote this letter from prison. For this reason, some think the letter was written from Rome around 62 CE. Other scholars note that Paul was also imprisoned earlier in Ephesus and made trips to Philippi from Ephesus. Paul had a deep affection for the Jesus Followers in Philippi and thanked them for gifts sent to him in prison (4:18).

Today’s reading is a continuation of Paul’s statements in opposition to those who claimed that one had to become a Jew by being circumcised before one could be a Jesus Follower. He described these opponents as “being confident in the flesh” (v.4) and asserted that he himself was circumcised (as a Hebrew) and was a blameless Pharisee (v.6). He referred to all his religious “gains” prior to knowing Christ Jesus as “rubbish” (v.8). (The Greek word is literally translated as “dog poop.”).

Paul emphasized the importance of “faith in The Christ” (v.9) – by which he means a transformation of one’s deepest “heart” that leads one to “know” (have a close relationship with) The Christ. Paul acknowledged that, as a human being, he had only partially reached the goal of sharing in the sufferings of The Christ (v.12) but that he was “pressing on” to the “prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” (v.14).

2019, March 31 ~ Joshua 5:9-12 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

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Joshua 5:9-12

The Book of Joshua is part of the “Deuteronomic History” (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings), most of which was written from about 650 to 600 BCE. This Book covers the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land by crossing the River Jordan (Chapters 1 to 5), the swift (and idealized) conquest by Joshua of the people who were in the land starting with Jericho (Chapters 6 to 12), the allocation of the conquered lands among the tribes (Chapters 13 to 23), and concludes with the “Covenant at Shechem” in Chapter 24 by which the people swore (acting as their own witnesses) to be faithful to YHWH. The timeframe of the events in the Book would be around 1225 BCE, if the accounts are historical.

Today’s reading is set just after the Israelites crossed the River Jordan and just before the Conquest began. It is part of a Priestly insertion into the Book and was written in the period from about 550 to 450 BCE It reflects two major concerns of the Priestly writers – the timing and celebration of the feasts, and circumcision as a separating sign for Jews.

The reading recounts the first Passover in Canaan and Israel’s becoming an agrarian society. (Whenever the phrase “on that very day” occurs, it is a “trademark” of the Priestly concern for accuracy in the dates for celebrating rituals.)

The place of the Passover Celebration is Gilgal, which means “the round place” and is a play on words for YHWH’s “rolling away the disgrace of Egypt” (v.9). Scholars surmise that the “disgrace” refers to the fact that (according to the story) Israelite men who were born in the 40 years in the Wilderness had not been circumcised, a matter which would have been of great concern to the Priestly writers. This “disgrace” was “remedied” in the first part of Chapter 5 so that after the men were healed (v.8), they would be allowed to participate in the Passover Celebration and would be proper warriors for YHWH in the upcoming Conquest.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was diverse and Hellenistic. Corinthians emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written in the 50’s (CE) and presented his views on many issues that were controversial in this Jesus Follower Community. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians was written in opposition to “false apostles” (11.13) and seems to be a composite of fragments from other letters that have been lost, some of which are referred to in the letter we have.

Today’s reading emphasizes God’s reconciliation with the world through the Christ, and urges the Corinthians to be reconciled to God. The last verse is difficult, and is sometimes understood as “Because the Christ became a human being [Jesus of Nazareth] who did not sin, we have a relationship with the Christ through which we can be in a right relationship (righteousness) with God.”

2019, March 24 ~ Exodus 3:1-15 and 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

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Exodus 3:1-15

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible, and covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness.

Just prior to today’s story, Moses escaped from Pharaoh who heard that Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a “Hebrew” (2:11-12). Moses went to Midian, which is east of the Sinai Peninsula and the Gulf of Aqaba, about 250 miles southeast of Egypt. There, he married the daughter of the high priest, Reuel (2:18).

Today’s reading is the first account of the “Call of Moses” at Mount Horeb (sometimes called “Sinai” as in Ex. 19:11). (A second – and different – account of the call of Moses is in Exodus 6.) In today’s story, Moses saw a burning bush (v.2) when he was tending the flocks of his father-in-law, Jethro (v.1).

The fact that the holy mountain has two names (Horeb and Sinai) and that Jethro is also called Reuel (2:18), all show that today’s reading (like most of the Torah) was woven together from several sources. The verses that refer to God as “LORD” are translations of YHWH, the sacred name in the “J” (Yahwistic) Source. The verses in today’s reading that use the word “God” are translations of the Hebrew word “Elohim” and are from the “E” (Elohistic) Source. YHWH was presented in the Torah as anthropomorphic – a God who spoke with humans and walked in the Garden of Eden. Elohim, on the other hand, was remote and transcendent. Verse 15 of today’s reading presented both understandings of the Sacred.

When Moses asked for God’s name (v.13), he was seeking to “control” God. Names in Ancient Israel described who and what something or someone was. In Genesis, Adam named the animals and later – as a sign of the disorder from the Disobedience Event – named the woman “Eve.” Naming meant that the name-giver had some control over what or who was named.

Instead of being told a name, Moses received four Hebrew letters that emphasized the unfathomable mystery of God (v.14). These four letters (YHWH) are variously translated as “I AM WHO I AM” or “I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE” or “I AM BECOMING WHAT I AM BECOMING.” In addition to emphasizing the Mystery of God, the “name” also conveys God’s dynamism and changing manifestations.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. The culture of Corinth was Hellenistic, with an emphasis on reason and secular wisdom.

In today’s reading, Paul used examples from stories of the Israelites in the Wilderness to warn the Corinthians against idolatry and eating food offered to idols. In 10:7, he referred unfavorably to the Israelites’ eating and drinking after worshiping the Golden Calf (Ex. 32:6). As a self-described Pharisee (Phil. 3:5), Paul knew the Hebrew Scriptures well and often invoked them to emphasize his messages.

2019, March 17 ~ Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 and Philippians 3:17- 4:1

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Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah also called the Pentateuch (“five books”) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.

The Book of Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and these sources are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.

Most of today’s reading is part of an early tradition. One clue to the date of today’s reading is that God’s name is printed in the New Revised Standard Version as “LORD” in all capital letters. LORD is the translation of YHWH. The earliest written tradition called God “YHWH” and presented God anthropomorphically – a God who walked in Eden and spoke directly with humans.

In today’s reading, God spoke with Abraham and made a further covenant with him (there are similar covenants in Gen. 13 and 17). This covenant was confirmed by cutting a number of animals in two. In the Hebrew, to “make” a covenant is literally to “cut” a covenant (we might say “cut a deal”). The covenant was “sealed” when the flaming torch passed between the cut pieces of the animals. Unlike the covenants in Genesis 13 and 17, this covenant is “unilateral” and does not require Abraham to take actions to uphold his part of the “bargain.”

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Philippi was a major city in Macedonia on the Roman road to Byzantium (Istanbul), and most of its inhabitants were Roman citizens. Paul wrote this letter from prison. For this reason, some think the letter was written from Rome around 62 CE. Other scholars note that Paul was also imprisoned earlier in Ephesus and made trips to Philippi from Ephesus. Paul had a deep affection for the believers in Philippi and thanked them for gifts sent to him in prison (4:18).

Today’s reading contains some of the subversive themes Paul presented in the letter. He asserted that Jesus Followers’ citizenship is in heaven (3.20), rather than with Rome. In addition, in many places in the Roman Empire, there were monuments hailing Caesar Augustus as savior and lord, but Paul claimed in 3:20 that we are “expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”