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2019, January 13 ~ Isaiah 43:1-7 and Acts 8:14-17

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Isaiah 43:1-7

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. For the most part, a prophet gave encouragement to Judeans who returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile.

Today’s reading is from Second Isaiah and is a poetic oracle of salvation in which the prophet spoke for YHWH (translated as LORD in all capital letters) who emphasized a close relationship with Jacob/Israel.

The prophet (speaking for YHWH) told the Exiles in Babylon that all Israel would be redeemed and its sons and daughters would be brought back to Israel. Verses 3 and 4 “anticipated” (with 20-20 hindsight) that Cyrus the Great of Persia would conquer Babylon, Egypt, Ethiopia and Saba (Arabia). The “people” and “nations” (i.e. Gentiles) would, according to the prophet, be given as ransom for the Judeans (v.4).

Acts 8:14-17

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with the Ascension of Jesus and ending at the so-called Council of Jerusalem where it was agreed that Gentiles did not have to be circumcised and keep all the Kosher dietary laws in order to become Jesus Followers.

Chapters 16 to 28 of Acts are an account of Paul’s Missionary Journeys, his arrest and his transfer to Rome – and the stories are not always consistent with Paul’s letters.

Today’s reading described the spread of the Jesus Follower Movement from Jerusalem to Samaria. Ever since Samaria was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE and Samaritans intermarried with non-Jews, Samaritans were looked down upon by Jews from both Judea and Galilee. Samaritans worshiped at Mount Gerizim (not Jerusalem) and had their own version of the Torah.

In the verses just before today’s reading, the author stated that persecutions against Jesus Followers occurred in Jerusalem, and Philip (one of the seven deacons appointed by the apostles in Acts 6) went to Samaria and proclaimed “the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (v.12). Men and women were baptized.

The apostles (who remained in Jerusalem and were coordinating the spread of the good news) sent Peter and John to convey the Holy Spirit by laying hands (a ritual of consecration) on the Samaritans who had been baptized (v.17).

This passage reflects a continuing theological evolution in the Jesus Follower Movement in the First Century. According to the author, Baptism “in the name of Lord Jesus” (v.16) was not seen as infusing the baptized with the Holy Spirit. In other parts of Acts, however, the Holy Spirit came upon Gentiles listening to Peter even before they were baptized (10:44).

One of the major themes of both the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles is the impact of the Holy Spirit – often portrayed as the driving force for all that happens. Today’s reading is an example of the importance the author of Luke/Acts gave to the Holy Spirit.

2018, May 13 ~ Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 and 1 John 5:9-13

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Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul’s Missionary Journeys – not always consistently with Paul’s letters.

Today’s reading takes place after a description of the Ascension and the disciples’ return to Jerusalem. It is the first of Peter’s four speeches in the first four chapters of Acts.

Peter stated that the Holy Spirit (through David – the traditional author of the Psalms) foretold Judas’ betrayal. (The omitted verses describe Judas’ death and give the Aramaic name for the place of Judas’ death – the Field of Blood.)

Peter’s speech continued with a call to replace Judas. Because there were 12 Tribes of Israel, 12 was regarded as a sacred number, and the disciples decided to elect a successor to Judas.

The use of “lots” (a form of dice) was a common Biblical way to make choices on the theory that God would control the lots to choose the correct person. The lot fell upon Matthias and he was added to the 11 remaining apostles. Nothing else is known about either Matthias or the other candidate, Joseph called Barsabbas, also known as Justus.

In another reference to lots, and using Psalm 22:18 as a model, the Synoptic Gospels said that soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothing at the Crucifixion (Mark 15:24; Matt 27:35; Luke 23:34).

1 John 5:9-13

Today’s reading is from the first of three letters attributed to “John” – an attribution that was given to these letters in the late 2nd Century about the same time the four canonical Gospels were attributed to Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. (We do not know the actual authors of any of the Gospels.)

The author of 1 John was likely an individual speaking on behalf of a community of followers of the author of the Fourth Gospel.

Today’s reading is from the concluding chapter of the letter, and reprises themes from the Fourth Gospel. True faith is testified to by not only humans, but also by the Son and by God (v. 9). This is a theme in the Fourth Gospel (John 5:31-38). Belief in the Son will bring eternal life (v.13) parallels the last verse of the Fourth Gospel – “and that through believing [that Jesus is the Messiah] you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

2018, May 6 ~ Acts 10:44-48 and 1 John 5:1-6

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Acts 10:44-48

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul’s Missionary Journeys – not always consistently with Paul’s letters.

The Gospel According to Luke and Acts of the Apostles see the Holy Spirit as the driving force for all that happens. The events surrounding today’s reading exemplify this.

As background to today’s reading in Chapter 10, Peter fell into a trance (v.10) and saw a sheet filled with foods regarded by Jews as profane or unclean. A voice admonished him that what God made clean shall not be called profane (v. 15). Soon after, Peter converted a Gentile, Cornelius the Centurion, at the behest of the Spirit (v.19). Peter then gave a speech that was a synopsis of the major themes in the Gospel According to Luke (vv. 34-43).

In today’s reading, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard Peter’s speech. The “circumcised believers” (v. 45) were Jewish Jesus Followers. They were astounded that the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon Gentiles (v. 47). Peter baptized these Gentile Jesus Followers.

These three events – the sheet of “unclean foods,” the conversion of Cornelius, and the baptism of the Gentiles upon whom the Holy Spirit was poured – are presented in Acts as critical “precedents” to the spread of the Jesus Follower Movement to Gentiles. This expansion was “ratified” at the so-called Council of Jerusalem in 49 CE (Acts 15). At this “Council,” Peter and Paul testified about the Spirit’s coming upon Gentiles. James (the brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem Jesus Follower Community) made the decision that Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism (by observing a strict kosher diet and by being circumcised) to become Jesus Followers.

Following the Council, Acts of the Apostles turned its focus to Paul’s missions to the Gentiles.

1 John 5:1-6

Today’s reading is from the first of three letters attributed to “John” – an attribution that was given to these letters in the late 2nd Century about the same time the four canonical Gospels were attributed to Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. (We do not know the actual authors of any of the Gospels.) The author of 1 John was likely an individual speaking on behalf of a community of followers of the author of the Fourth Gospel.

Today’s reading emphasizes themes in the Fourth Gospel – belief in Jesus as The Messiah accompanied by love of others is the hallmark of a Jesus Follower. This belief and action allow one to “conquer the world” (v.4). As used in the Fourth Gospel and in this letter, the “world” is better understood as “the System” – the systems of human power, ego and self-interest.

The Fourth Gospel is the only gospel in which a soldier lanced Jesus’ side with a spear, producing blood and water (Jn. 19:34). Today’s reading repeats this unique theme (v.6).

2018, April 29 ~ Acts 8:26-40 and 1 John 4:7-21

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Acts 8:26-40

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul’s Missionary Journeys – not always consistently with Paul’s letters.

Today’s reading – the conversion of the high-ranking Ethiopian eunuch – is filled with references that were important to the late First Century Jesus Follower Community.

Philip was one of the first deacons (6:5), and just prior to this story, was converting Samaritans (thus spreading the Jesus Movement).

In the First Century, Ethiopia was seen as “the ends of the earth,” so the conversion of an Ethiopian official was a fulfillment of Jesus exhortation to the apostles to be his “witnesses … to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1.8).

Most references to eunuchs in the Hebrew Scriptures were unfavorable. Eunuchs were prohibited from making offerings at an altar (Lev. 21:20) and from being admitted to the assembly of YHWH (Deut. 23:1). The only favorable reference was to eunuchs who keep YHWH’s sabbath in Isaiah 56:4. The story of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch was therefore an important statement of openness in the Jesus Follower Community to all who accepted the good news.

It is also noteworthy that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading verses (vv. 33-34) from the “Suffering Servant Songs” in Isaiah 53. The Gospel According to Mark first presented Jesus as the Suffering Servant-Messiah. The four Suffering Servant Songs in the Book of Isaiah were written during the Babylonian Exile (587 to 539 BCE) and originally referred to the Judeans in captivity.

1 John 4:7-21

Today’s reading is from the first of three letters attributed to “John” – an attribution that was given to these letters in the late 2nd Century about the same time the four canonical Gospels were attributed to Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. (We do not know the actual authors of any of the Gospels.)

The author of 1 John was likely an individual speaking on behalf of a community of followers of the author of the Fourth Gospel.

Today’s reading takes key ideas from the Fourth Gospel and makes a beautiful and powerful statement that God is Love and that we love God only by loving one another.

2018, April 22 ~ Acts 4:5-12; and 1 John 3:16-24

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Acts 4:5-12

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul’s Missionary Journeys – not always consistently with Paul’s letters.

As a background story to today’s reading, Peter healed a lame man in the Temple (3:6). After Peter made a long speech to the observers (3:12-26), the Temple Authorities (including the Sadducees — who denied resurrection for anyone) took Peter and John into custody. Next day, they brought Peter and John before the High Priestly family (4:6). Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit (v. 8), made another speech and stated the lame man was cured in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He blamed the Temple Authorities for crucifying Jesus and said God raised Jesus from the dead (v.10).

In the late First Century, for their own self-protection, the Jesus Followers’ writings largely exonerated the Romans for Jesus’ death and instead blamed the Temple Authorities and the Pharisees for the Crucifixion. In fact, the Romans crucified Jesus as an insurrectionist.

This shift of blame also allowed the Jesus Followers (who continued to see themselves as Jews) to separate themselves from the other Jewish sects that were responsible for the Jewish Revolt against the Romans that began in 66 CE. These including the Sadducees, scribes, Zealots, Herodians and Essenes – all of whom were eliminated by the Romans in either the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE or the killing of the Essenes at Masada in 73CE.

After the Revolt, the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees were the only surviving Jewish sects. From 70 to 100 CE, the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees contended with each other for control of post-Temple Judaism until the “parting of the ways” around 100 CE. By that time, the Jesus Follower Movement had evolved into an early form of Christianity and the Pharisaic Movement had evolved into an early form of Rabbinic Judaism.

1 John 3:16-24

Today’s reading is from the first of three letters attributed to “John” – an attribution that was given to the letters in the late 2nd Century about the same time the four canonical Gospels were attributed to Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. (We do not know the actual authors of any of the Gospels.)

The author of 1 John was likely an individual speaking on behalf of a community of followers of the author of the Fourth Gospel.

Today’s reading and its emphasis on love follows the theology of the Fourth Gospel. It adds the moral imperative that persons who have the world’s goods must help their brothers and sisters in need (v.17).

2018, April 15 ~ Acts 3:12-19; and 1 John 3:1-7

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Acts 3:12-19

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul’s Missionary Journeys – not always consistently with Paul’s letters.

Today’s reading is one of Peter’s two lengthy speeches given in the Temple. Immediately before this speech, Peter healed a lame man at the Temple and people followed him and John.

“Peter’s speech” largely exonerated the Romans for Jesus’ death (v.13) and followed Luke 23:13-25 in blaming the Jewish Authorities. In the historical context of the late First Century, this shifting of blame by the Jesus Followers to these “other Jews” made sense.

The Jesus Followers and the Pharisees were the only Jewish sects that survived the disastrous Jewish Revolt in 66 CE that led to the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. The Sadducees, scribes, Zealots, Herodians and the Essenes were all eliminated by the Romans by 73 CE.

In Christian Scriptures written after 73 CE, to avoid offending the ruling Romans, the Jesus Followers largely exonerated the Romans for Jesus’ death. Simultaneously, they separated themselves from “those other Jews” responsible for the Jewish Revolt in 66 CE.

As the conflict between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of post-Temple Judaism intensified after 80 CE, the last three Gospels (Matthew, Luke and John) minimized Roman responsibility for the Crucifixion, blamed the Temple Authorities and the Pharisees for Jesus’ death, and portrayed the Pharisees as hypocrites enslaved by the Law.

1 John 3:1-7

Today’s reading is from the first of three letters attributed to “John” – an attribution that was given to the letters in the late 2nd Century about the same time the four canonical Gospels were attributed to Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. (We do not know the actual authors of any of the Gospels.)

The author of 1 John was likely an individual speaking on behalf of a community of followers of the author of the Fourth Gospel.

Scholars also conclude that the three letters attributed to “John” were written after 100 CE because they do not reflect the tense relationships found in the Fourth Gospel between the Jesus Followers and the Temple Authorities (in Jesus’ lifetime and up until 70 CE) and the Pharisees (from about 70 CE until the “parting of the ways” around 100 CE).

2018, April 8 ~ Acts 4:32-35; and 1 John 1:1-2:2

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Acts 4:32-35

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul’s Missionary Journeys – not always consistently with Paul’s letters.

The Gospel According to Luke and Acts of the Apostles see the Holy Spirit as the driving force for all that happens. The events surrounding today’s reading exemplify this.

Peter and John and other Jesus Followers prayed at the Temple soon after the Ascension and Pentecost. (Jesus Followers saw themselves as part of Judaism until the late 1st Century, even after the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.)

After praying, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (v.31) and, as described in today’s reading, the “whole group” gave all their possessions to be held in common so that no one would be needy among them (v.34). Today’s reading is a reiteration of the holding all things in common by “all who believed” as described in Acts 2:44.

Holding all goods in common is still characteristic of those religious orders whose members take a vow of poverty.

1 John 1:1-2:2

There are three letters attributed to “John” – an attribution that was given to the letters in the late 2nd Century about the same time that the four canonical Gospels were attributed to Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. (We do not know the actual authors of any of the Gospels.)

There are similarities between these three letters and the Fourth Gospel (for example, “from the beginning” in verse 1). But there are also differences – in the use of images (in the Fourth Gospel, Jesus is the “light” but in 1 John, a moral life is the “light” v. 7), as well as differences in theology and in other aspects of the Fourth Gospel.

Biblical Scholars believe that the author of 1 John was likely an individual speaking on behalf of a community (“We declare” in verse 1) of followers of the author of the Fourth Gospel.

Scholars also conclude that the three letters attributed to “John” were written after 100 CE because they do not reflect the tense relationships found in the Fourth Gospel between the Jesus Followers and the Temple Authorities (in Jesus’ lifetime and up until 70 CE) and the Pharisees (from at least 70 CE until the “parting of the ways” around 100 CE).

2018, April 1 ~ Acts 10:34-43; Isaiah 25:6-9; and 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

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Acts 10:34-43

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul’s Missionary Journeys – not always consistently with Paul’s letters.

The Gospel According to Luke and Acts of the Apostles see the Holy Spirit as the driving force for all that happens. The events surrounding today’s reading exemplify this.

Peter’s speech (today’s reading) is part of the story of the conversion of Cornelius the Centurion and is a synopsis of the major themes in the Gospel According to Luke. In the conversion story, an angel told Cornelius to ask Peter to see him. Peter was moved by the Holy Spirit, went to Cornelius, gave his speech, and the Holy Spirit “fell upon all who heard the word” (v. 44). The conversion of the Gentile, Cornelius, by the power of the Holy Spirit was a key element in the so-called Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) where it was decided that Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism (by a kosher diet and circumcision) to become Jesus Followers.

Isaiah 25:6-9

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Israel’s history. Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and were written in the 20 years before Jerusalem was under direct siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55 and brings hope to the Judeans during the time of the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they have suffered enough and will return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 and gives encouragement to the Judeans who returned to Jerusalem after the Exile.

Today’s reading is a part of the Book called the “Isaiah Apocalypse” (Chapters 24 to 27). Chapter 24 describes great destruction, but the next three chapters speak of an “eschatological” (end of times as we know them) renewal and restoration. Today’s verses told of a banquet on the holy mountain for those who trusted in YHWH. This image was closely linked in Ancient Israel with an expected Messiah through whom YHWH would swallow up death forever.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. 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.

Today’s reading presents a number of interpretive issues. When Paul says Christ died “for” our sins (v. 3) does he mean “because of” or “on account of” or “to atone for”? In 1 Cor. 15:44, Paul speaks of the resurrected body as a “spiritual body.” In today’s reading, is the appearance to Cephas (Peter), the 12, the 500, James (Jesus’ brother) and lastly to Paul, a “physical” or a “spiritual” appearance? Nowhere in the Christian Scriptures is there a claim that any appearance of the resurrected Christ to Paul (including the three accounts of the Damascus Road Experience) was a “physical” appearance. Does this mean the other appearances (Peter, the 12, the 500 and James) were also of a “spiritual body”? Paul seems to assert that the appearance to him of the resurrected Christ was of the same type as the appearances to others.

2018, January 7 ~ Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7

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Genesis 1:1-5

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 1,650 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.

Today’s reading describes the first day of the seven-day “First Creation Story.” It is part of the “Priestly” tradition written in the period from 550 to 450 BCE. The name used for God in this account is “Elohim” (literally, “the gods”) and is different name from the name (YHWH or “LORD God”) used in the Second Creation Story (Gen. 2:4b – 24). The Second Creation Story is part of the “Yahwistic” tradition dated to about 970 to 930 BCE – the reigns of David and Solomon.

The First Creation Story emphasizes order and categorizing by separation. Priestly writers portrayed order and precision as leading to “Shalom” (peace, good order). It is noteworthy that creation is not “out of nothing” (creation ex nihilo) but describes God as creating by bringing order out of a “formless void” (v. 2) and a watery chaos (“the deep” and “the waters”).

Overcoming the chaos of the ocean was also an important theme in the Babylonian Creation Myth (the “Enuma Elish”) which the Judeans would have encountered during the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE).

Acts 19:1-7

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written by the author of the Gospel According to Luke around 85 to 90 CE. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with an account of the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul’s Missionary Journeys – not always consistently with Paul’s letters.

Today’s reading is set in Ephesus and is part of Paul’s Third Missionary Journey, one that began in Antioch in Syria and ended in Jerusalem. Ephesus was a large and prosperous city in what is now western Turkey, and was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. According to Acts 19:10, Paul spent two years in Ephesus converting both Jews and Greeks and performing miracles (v.11).

One of the major themes of both the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles is the impact of the Holy Spirit – often portrayed as the driving force for all that happens. Today’s reading is an example of the prominence the author of Luke/Acts gives to the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1-21, 1 Cor. 12:3b-13 & Num. 11:24-30

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Acts 2:1-21

The book, “The Acts of the Apostles,” was written by the author of the Gospel According to Luke around 85 to 90 CE. Today’s reading is an account of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples on Pentecost. (Another account is given in John 20.22 when the resurrected Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit upon the disciples on the evening of Easter.)

Pentecost was a well-established Jewish Feast ordained by Lev. 23 to celebrate the spring barley harvest 50 days after Passover. It was also known as the Feast of Weeks and Jewish tradition held that the gift of the Law was given on this day. It was one of the three feasts in Judaism that called for Jews to come to Jerusalem. For this reason, Jews and proselytes (full converts to Judaism) gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast.

The “violent wind” (v.2) is likely a reference to the “wind from God” that swept over the waters in the First Creation Story (Gen. 1:2) and recognizes that breath is the sign of life, as when YHWH breathed life into the earthling in the Second Creation Story (Gen. 2:7).

In describing the disciples speaking other languages, the author signifies a reversal of the confusion caused by the multiplicity of languages “resulting” from the Tower of Babel story in Genesis 11.

1 Cor. 12:3b-13

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was Hellenistic and emphasized reason, secular wisdom and a hierarchical structure in society.

In today’s reading, Paul emphasizes diversity in unity, and uses the metaphor of the body as unifying the members and their different gifts of the Spirit (vv. 12-13). This discussion is a basis for his exhortation in the verses that follow (vv. 14-20) that even an individualistic attitude by any member would not make it any less a part of the whole body.

Num. 11:24-30

Numbers is the fourth book of the Torah (Hebrew meaning “teaching” or “Law”), known in Greek as the Pentateuch (“Five Books”). It describes the time of the Israelites in the Wilderness before entering the Promised Land. If the time in the Wilderness is historical (no archeological evidence has ever been found to support it), this would have been around 1250 BCE.

Most of the book of Numbers was written by the “Priestly Source” during the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE) and the 100 years after the Exile.

Today’s reading describes imparting the spirit of “prophesy” (ability to speak for God) on 70 elders. This sharing of the spirit causes concern among some of Moses’ followers, and Moses reassures them that the spirit of YHWH may be shared. The story reflects the Hebrew Bible’s ambivalence about prophesy generally.