(2) Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18, 8:6-18, 9:8-13 and Psalm 46
(3) Genesis 22:1-18 and Psalm 16
(4) Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 and Canticle 8, page 85, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
(5) Isaiah 55:1-11 and Canticle 9, page 86, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
(6) Baruch 3:9-15, 3:32-4:4 or Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6 and Psalm 19
(7) Ezekiel 36:24-28 and Psalms 42 and 43
(8) Ezekiel 37:1-14 and Psalm 143
(9) Zephaniah 3:12-20 and Psalm 98
DECLARATION OF EASTER
The Collect:
Almighty God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. or this O God, who made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord’s resurrection: Stir up in your Church that Spirit of adoption which is given to us in Baptism, that we, being renewed both in body and mind, may worship you in sincerity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
My custom regarding posts for the Easter Vigil is to list the manifold and myriad readings (most of which are optional) and to offer a brief reflection. Consistent with that practice I invite you, O reader, to approach the question of divine power, which gave us the Resurrection, with awe, wonder, reverence, and praise. The Resurrection of Jesus is a matter of theology; historical methods cannot analyze it properly. I am a trained historian, so far be it from me to criticize methods which work well most of that time. But I am also a Christian, and I recognize the existence of mysteries beyond the bounds of historical scrutiny. Life is better with some mysteries than without them. So I invite you, O reader, to embrace this mystery.
in the New Testament reading. This hope occurs in the context of Christ’s high priesthood and superiority to the Law of Moses. In the Book of Exodus we read that the Pharaoh, having begged Moses to take the Hebrews out of Egypt, changes his mind and sends military forces to prevent their departure. Hope is at hand yet seemingly far away on the cusp of the Exodus.
This is, of course, a devotion for Holy Saturday, a day which should function as far more than a day to decorate a church building for Easter Sunday. We ought to let Holy Saturday sink in. We should let Jesus be dead liturgically for a time. Easter Sunday will arrive on schedule, and its effect on us will be greater if we give Holy Saturday its proper due.
On this day hope is near yet seemingly far away. This liminal state is uncomfortable, is it not? Yet such liminality describes much of our lives: hope is near yet seemingly far away. In these moments we might notice God’s presence more palpably than at others. Maybe God is present more palpably then because the need is greater. Or perhaps we are merely paying closer attention. A lamp turned on during both daytime and nighttime emits the same amount of light each time, yet the light is more obvious after sunset. When hope is near yet seemingly far away may we cling tenaciously to it, for it is all that we have.
Today, in the Book of Exodus, we read instructions immediately prior to the title event of that text. Among them is to remember that day, to speak of it to one’s children. History tells us of many Passover feasts long after that day. Among those Passover feasts was the one during Holy Week in 29 CE, when Jesus died.
Ritual has a proper place in religion. Via ritual we mark time and set aside certain days. And it is appropriate to observe Good Friday in a manner unlike any other day. In The Episcopal Church we read a Passion account, distributing parts among members of the congregation. The liturgy ends on a deafening and somber silence. The ritual communicates a certain degree of the sadness of the crucifixion. The silence speaks louder than any words can.
We remember the first Passover in joy and the crucifixion in stunned silence. Both responses are appropriate.
It is appropriate to read instructions for the first Passover on Maundy Thursday. Although the Synoptic Gospel narrative sets the crucifixion of Jesus on Friday–one day after the Passover meal, the Gospel of John places the crucifixion on Thursday–the day of Passover. In simple terms, Jesus dies on the cross as sacrificial animals go to the slaughter at the Temple. Jesus in the Passover Lamb in the Gospel of John.
The original Passover lambs in the Book of Exodus preserved the Hebrews from the consequences of the sins of others, especially the Pharaoh. And Christ, as high priest in Hebrews 5, has no need to sacrifice for our sins (as he has none) but only for the sins of others.
The sins of others affect us; how can they not, given the fact that our lives intersect in society? Likewise, our virtues affect each other for the same reason. May we therefore, through Christ our sinless High Priest and Passover Lamb, affect each other more positively than negatively. May we spread love, friendship, empathy, and compassion to each other. May we not place others in harm’s way needlessly or accidentally. May we build a better society.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 30, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA, HISTORIAN AND ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF APOLO KIVEBULAYA, ANGLICAN EVANGELIST
THE FEAST OF JOACHIM NEANDER, GERMAN REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
The “word of God” in Hebrews 4:12a, as the note in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible (2003), explains,
is not Scripture but the living voice of God…. (page 2158)
And, as William Barclay commented in his (revised) volume on the Letter to the Hebrews,
…the word of God is something that every man must face, its offer something he must accept or reject. (page 39)
The word of God comes through various media, including and not restricted to the Bible, nature, and other people. In Exodus we read of the word of God coming directly to Moses, then going from there. As a Christian I recognize the word of God, Jesus of Nazareth, whom I encounter in the Gospels. That Word–that Logos–is the great high priest due to whom I can approach the throne of grace boldly.
One might wonder how to distinguish the voice of God from another–perhaps one’s own. One’s God concept is far too small if it resembles what one sees when one looks into a mirror. The best test I can determine is that of compassion, especially for the vulnerable members of society. The Hebrew Prophets testified to this standard. Love–sometimes the kind which leads to self-sacrifice (This is Holy Week)–yet which always seeks the best for others is another way of stating the case. There is no divine law against such things. Or, to use a concrete image, would Jesus do it, whatever “it” is? Yes, the living exemplar is Jesus.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 30, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA, HISTORIAN AND ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF APOLO KIVEBULAYA, ANGLICAN EVANGELIST
THE FEAST OF JOACHIM NEANDER, GERMAN REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
It is true that Moses was trustworthy in the household of God, as a servant is, acting as witness to the things which were yet to be revealed, but Christ is trustworthy as a son is, over his household. And we are his household, as long as we maintain the hope in which we glory.
[Aaron and Miriam] came forward; and [the LORD] said, “Hear these My words: When a prophet of the LORD arises among you, I make Myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses; he is trusted throughout My household. With him I speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles, and he beholds the likeness of the LORD. How then did you not shrink from speaking against My servant Moses?” Still incensed with them, the LORD departed.
In Exodus 10 we find a new wrinkle in the narrative: Courtiers of the Pharaoh criticize him for his obstinancy. They understood what he ought to do. Confronting such a monarch was no small risk, and this was no sympathetic king.
Moses, meanwhile, was faithful to God’s instructions. This is a point the author (probably the Elohist–E) wanted the audience to understand. It was a point the author of the Letter to the Hebrews grasped. In Hebrews Jesus was greater than the prophets (1:1-4), the angels (1:5-2:18), and Moses (3:1-6), who was very close to God. Moses was great, but he was only a servant in the household of faith, a household with Jesus built (3:2, 3, and 5).
We who have read the Bible know the outline of the rest of the story. Yes, God will liberate the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. (The name of the book is Exodus!) But almost immediately afterward the troubles will start. Grumbling will ensue. People will express nostalgia for Egypt. And the next generation will be the one to enter the Promised Land. The liberated generation will not enter the Promised Land because it will not believe and will not abandon its slave mentality. It will not enter the Promised Land because it will insist on hardening its collective heart.
Likewise, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote, Christians ought not to harden their hearts. Our Promised Land is spiritual, not geographical. And Jesus, whose Hebrews name translated directly into English is Joshua, will lead us there. The parallels between the Old Testament and the New Testament are beautiful, are they not?
This is a devotion for Tuesday in Holy Week. This day has meaning only in relation to subsequent days, namely Maundy/Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Most of all it derives meaning from its position relative to Easter Sunday, for that Sunday gives us a Resurrected Jesus, not a dead one. As scholars of the New Testament observe accurately, the point of perspective in the canonical Gospels is a post-Resurrection one. And that is appropriate. We Christians follow a Resurrected Lord and Savior, not a dead Messiah. We follow him, who is superior wo even the greatest figure of the Hebrew Scriptures. We follow the one of whom St. Paul the Apostle wrote
But what were once my assets I now through Christ Jesus count as losses. Yes, I will go further: because of the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, I count everything as loss. For him I have accepted the loss of all other things, and look on them as filth if only I can gain Christ and be given a place in him….
(Sorry for the ellipses, but the text is a run-on sentence in The New Jerusalem Bible. The citation is Philippians 3:7-9a.)
St. Paul summarized the case well; I cannot do better. So I encourage you, O reader, to ponder the supremacy of Christ during all weeks, but especially during Holy Week, and to do so while remembering St. Paul’s words from Philippians 3.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 30, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA, HISTORIAN AND ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF APOLO KIVEBULAYA, ANGLICAN EVANGELIST
THE FEAST OF JOACHIM NEANDER, GERMAN REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
Before I arrive at my main point I choose to indulge myself in raising two points.
ALPHA
All the livestock of the Egyptians died in Exodus 9:6. That is what the text says. Where, then, did the Egyptians get the livestock mentioned in 9:19? My inquiring mind wants to know. The source of both verses is presumably the Elohist (E), so I cannot explain away this detail by pointing to the editing together of different documents. And I assume that the Hebrews kept all their livestock, of which we will read later in the Book of Exodus.
I did find one attempt to explain this detail. The NIV Study Bible (1985), page 98, offers this weak explanation:
That is, all that were left out in the fields. Protected livestock remained alive (see vv. 19-21).
But that is not what 9:6 says. It does not say that all the unprotected livestock died. No, even in the New International Version, it reads:
All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but one one animal belonging to the Israelites died.
The sooner we abandon misconceptions of Scriptural infallibility and inerrancy, the better off we will be. We ought not to transform texts into allegedly error-free idols. No, an error crept in somewhere during the transmission of the saga of the plagues. That is the simplest explanation.
BETA
Hebrews 2:15 is one source for the Conquest Satan theory of the Atonement. One finds three understandings of the Atonement in the writings of the first five centuries’ worth of the Church Fathers. The other two are Penal Substitution and the Incarnation itself.
+++++++++++++++
Now for my main programming….
Exodus 9:20-21, for the first time in that book, makes a distinction between those Egyptians who obeyed God’s instructions and those who did not. Those who did as Moses said reaped the benefits. And, in Hebrews 2:1-4, we read a stark warning not to neglect salvation
so that we do not drift away.
–2:1b, The New Jerusalem Bible
Yes, I affirm Single Predestination and its partner, free will, and therefore recognize the possibility of committing apostasy. I do not advocate apostasy, however. Free will plays a vital role in gaining and retaining salvation for many people.
The original audience for the Letter to the Hebrews risked suffering for the Gospel. So here in Chapter 2 we find yet another passage which contradicts the idea that suffering necessarily equals punishment for sin. In fact, the text tells us, Christ’s suffering “perfected” him, that is, completed the divine plan of salvation. So Christ, who has suffered, can identify with and help suffering Christians.
This is excellent news. It should encourage us in our struggles. But if we drift away, there remains the possibility of returning. I do not presume to know the extent of divine mercy. It is vast, however. But there is also judgment. All of these matters are for God, not me, to decide and decree. If we are prodigal sons or daughters, may we return to home and stay there. And, if we are elder brothers or sisters, may we not resent divine mercy.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 30, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA, HISTORIAN AND ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF APOLO KIVEBULAYA, ANGLICAN EVANGELIST
THE FEAST OF JOACHIM NEANDER, GERMAN REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
Exodus 7:26-8:28 in Jewish and Roman Catholic Bibles equals Exodus 8:1-32 in Protestant ones. So the Exodus citation in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod daily lectionary refers to the Protestant versification.
With this post I turn to that part of the LCMS daily lectionary (2006 version) which pairs the Book of Exodus and the Letter to the Hebrews. The epistle belongs to the Pauline tradition without St. Paul being its author. Origen, my favorite excommunicated theologian, wrote in the 200s,
As to who wrote the epistle, only God knows.
The epistle opens by explaining the superiority of Jesus:
He is the reflection of God’s glory and bears the impress of God’s own being, sustaining all things by his powerful command; and now that he has purged sins away, he has taken his seat at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.
–1:3, The New Jerusalem Bible
Meanwhile, in the Book of Exodus, the plagues continue. Frogs, lice or gnats (depending on the translation one consults), and flies overrun Egypt. But the Pharaoh is stubborn. He is the same uncaring character who, in 7:23-24, went home as common Egyptians, desperate for drinking water, dug wells.
How is one supposed to tie these two readings together? Psalm 32:10 (The New Jerusalem Bible) reads
Countless troubles are in store for the wicked,
but one who trusts in Yahweh is enfolded in his faithful love.
Were the ordinary Egyptians wicked? No, course not! They were no more or less sinful than anyone else. So I have difficulty reconciling the God concept in Exodus 8 with the one in Hebrews 1. Is the God who inflicts plagues on innocent civilians the same one whose impress Jesus bears?
I think that a series of natural disasters befell Egypt in rapid succession and that the Hebrews escaped in the process. I think that authors of now-canonical texts interpreted these disasters as acts of God. But I do not think that God victimized innocent civilians. No, that is not the God whose glory I see in Jesus of Nazareth, who sacrificed himself out of love rather than betray it. We have begun Holy Week. May we not proceed through it with a concept of God who attacks innocent populations.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 29, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE FIRST U.S. PRESBYTERIAN BOOK OF CONFESSIONS, 1967
THE FEAST OF JIRI TRANOVSKY, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LUKE KIRBY, THOMAS COTTAM, WILLIAM FILBY, AND LAURENCE RICHARDSON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS
Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Passover was the Hebrew national holiday, the commemoration of the birth of the Hebrew nation via the passage on dry land through the Sea of Reeds. Thus it was political, especially when Judea was part of the Roman Empire and a Roman fortress towered over the Temple complex in Jerusalem. Vast throngs of pilgrims came to the city for that week, and more Roman soldiers than usual watched them. The empire was relatively tolerant of religions–especially old ones–but only to a point. And it did not tolerate insurrections. If an insurrection were to erupt in the Jewish homeland, it might do so at Passover.
Temple authorities cooperated with the occupying Romans. So even the side of the Passover ceremonies was tainted. Thus Jesus, by confronting the Temple system, made his execution inevitable. There was no separation of religion and state at that time and place.
That was the background of the Triumphal entry and of the rest of Holy Week. It is easy to condemn long-dead people. Indeed, many long-dead people deserve historical condemnation. But may we not stop there. Are we complicit in an exploitative system? If so, would we be willing to kill to defend it? Perhaps the answer to the first question is negative, so the second question is irrelevant. In that case, how prone are we to bow to peer pressure? Mobs cried,
Crucify him!
History and sociology confirm what experience teaches: Many of we humans will do in groups what we will never do alone. So, one way or another or both, we have reasons to apologize to God and repent.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 29, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE FIRST U.S. PRESBYTERIAN BOOK OF CONFESSIONS, 1967
THE FEAST OF JIRI TRANOVSKY, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LUKE KIRBY, THOMAS COTTAM, WILLIAM FILBY, AND LAURENCE RICHARDSON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS
The Book of Exodus is open to God working through nature. For example, in 14:21,
a strong east wind
(TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures)
parts the waters. I have seen a documentary which argues that all the plagues, the parting of the waters, and the return thereof were natural consequences of the volcanic eruption which ended the Minoan civilization of Crete. Even if the hypothesis does not withstand historical scrutiny by meeting the standard of chronological accuracy, I assume that God has long acted through natural means. Whether this was one of those occasions is another question.
We read of the first plague. The Nile River made Egypt bloom. The annual floods left silt deposits, therefore fertile soil. So the attack on the Nile River was an assault on the basis of royal power because the health of the river was, according to common assumption, the responsibility of the Pharaoh. The river did not turn into blood, of course; it did turn red, however. Volcanic ash would have that effect and caused a major environmental problem. But God had given the monarch an opportunity to free the Hebrews prior to this. That, at least, is the narrative.
The Roman Empire had executed Jesus. Those were Roman soldiers at Calvary. And some religious leaders were complicit in his death. What, then, were human authority figures able to do to Jesus after his Resurrection? Nothing! I imagine at least three gatherings : one of Temple authorities, another of Herodians, and a third of Romans. In each case I imagine men who had borne some measure of responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus asking each other,
I saw him die! Why did I see him in public yesterday?
They were powerless to do anything about it, for they had done their worst already. And God had acted afterward.
We can either work with or against the will of God at any given time. Yet we cannot thwart the will of God. We can redirect it by means of the exercise of our free will, but we cannot thwart it. May we work with God, not against God. (Credit: I am channeling the Reverend Leslie Weatherhead in the last paragraph.)
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 29, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE FIRST U.S. PRESBYTERIAN BOOK OF CONFESSIONS, 1967
THE FEAST OF JIRI TRANOVSKY, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LUKE KIRBY, THOMAS COTTAM, WILLIAM FILBY, AND LAURENCE RICHARDSON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS
LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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