2017, September 3 ~ Exodus 3:1-15; Jeremiah 15:15-21; Romans 12:9-21

During the 2017 Pentecost Season, alternative readings from the Hebrew Bible are offered. Scripture in Context will discuss both readings and the reading from the Christian Scriptures.

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.

Today’s reading is the first account of the Call of Moses (the other is in Exodus 6). Prior to today’s reading, Moses fled from Egypt to Midian where he met his wife, Zipporah, at a well (naturally). While tending his father-in-law’s flocks, he encountered a Burning Bush, heard a voice, and asked God’s name.

In the Bible, names describe a person’s qualities, and having power to name someone shows the ability to control them. When Moses asks for God’s name, the elliptical response is “YHWH” which is a form of the Hebrew word “to be.” The name shows God is not to be controlled. YHWH is variously translated as “I AM WHAT I AM” or “I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE” or “I AM BECOMING WHAT I AM BECOMING.” One of the great insights of the Hebrew Bible is that YHWH is a God of Mystery and is active (as a verb is active) and not fixed like a noun.

Jeremiah 15:15-21

After the righteous King Josiah was killed in battle in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported some Judean leaders in 597 and a larger number of them in 586 (the beginning of the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e. speaking for Yahweh) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.

Jeremiah’s predictions of harsh times for Judea and Jerusalem were opposed by the kings and the “court prophets.” Jeremiah was ridiculed and mistreated. Today’s reading is a lament by Jeremiah (vv. 15-18) to which YHWH replies that Jeremiah will be delivered and redeemed (v. 21). Because of Jeremiah’s laments, the Book of Lamentations is sometimes incorrectly attributed to him.

Romans 12:9-21

Paul’s letter to the Romans is his longest, last, and theologically most complex letter, written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) – about ten years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written. One of Paul’s goals was to reduce tensions and eliminate distinctions between the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome and Gentile Jesus Followers there.

Building on his prior discussions, Paul urges all the Jesus Followers in Rome to love one another (v.10) and live in harmony (v.16). In verse 19, Paul paraphrases Deuteronomy 32:35 to say “vengeance” is God’s, but a better translation of the Hebrew is “vindication” because the idea in the Hebrew was justice (in the sense of making things right) rather than revenge.