Archive for the ‘Psalm 97’ Tag
Above: Christ and the Adulteress, by Rocco Marconi
Image in the Public Domain
In Vain
MAY 29, 2022
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Acts 19:1-20
Psalm 97
3 John
John 8:1-11
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The name of Jesus has power, but only when people who believe in him use it. Consider, O reader, the hilarious scene in Acts 19:11-20 and the serious issue (division of a congregation by one man) in the Third Letter of John. God is the king and the earth should exult, as Psalm 97 reminds us. However, some people still use religion self-servingly.
John 7:53-8:11 is a floating pericope. Some ancient copies of the Gospel of Luke place it in different locations. The final version of the Gospel of Luke lacks it. And one can jump from John 7:52 to 8:12 without missing a beat. This floating pericope is a compelling story–originally part of the Gospel of Luke–that has settled down as John 7:53-8:11.
Those who sought to entrap Jesus (yet again) used an adulteress as their pawn. They seemed unconcerned about the whereabouts of the man with whom she had sinned. Where was he? His absence was conspicuous.
These Pharisees had distorted the Law of Moses to attempt to entrap Jesus. They had focused on the death penalty (Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22) for one sinner and not the other one. These Pharisees had also ignored the real issue at work in the Law of Moses vis-à-vis adultery: the protection and stability of a man’s property. Whatever Jesus wrote, he compelled the accusers to leave. He reversed the trap.
Then Jesus forgave the woman.
The Law of God is not a blunt weapon to manipulate for one’s purposes. Neither is the name of Jesus.
This point leads me back to Exodus 20:7:
You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name.
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
Robert D. Miller, II, of The Catholic University of America, offers a germane analysis of this commandment in his Understanding the Old Testament course (2019) for The Great Courses. He explains:
This is a warning that there is no possibility of involving the name of God without something happening.
–Course Guidebook, 39
That something may involve ricochet.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 12, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BENEDICT BISCOP, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT OF WEARMOUTH
THE FEAST OF SAINT AELRED OF HEXHAM, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT OF RIEVAULX
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY PUCCI, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF HENRY ALFORD, ANGLICAN PRIEST, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, LITERARY TRANSLATOR, HYMN WRITER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND BIBLE TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARGUERITE BOURGEOYS, FOUNDRESS OF THE SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/12/in-vain/
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Above: Icon of Christ Pantocrator
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
The Glory of the Lord, Part I
MAY 27 and 28, 2022
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The Collect:
O God, form the minds of your faithful people into one will.
Make us love what you command and desire what you promise,
that, amid all changes of this world, our hearts
may be fixed where true joy is found,
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 35
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 33:12-17 (Friday)
Exodus 33:18-23 (Saturday)
Psalm 97 (Both Days)
Revelation 22:6-9 (Friday)
John 1:14-18 (Saturday)
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The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
–Psalm 97:5-16. The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Psalm 97 is consistent with the concept of divine glory in the Hebrew Bible. God is invisible, but evidence of divine mighty acts is visible. YHWH is an active player on the stage of human history.
Moses, interceding on behalf of the Israelites between the infamous Golden Calf (Golden Bull, really) incident (Exodus 32) and the restoration of the covenant (Exodus 34), asked not only to know what God wanted him to do but to see God’s Presence, or, as some versions translate the Hebrew word, glory (33:18). God consented to the first request and to a partial view of the divine Presence/glory, for a full view would be fatal to humans. The connection to Exodus 32 was that the Golden Calf/Bull was, for those who adored it, a physical stand-in for God, who became angry yet held back from destroying such a stiff-necked people (33:3).
In the Gospel of John Jesus was the physical embodiment of divine Presence/glory, which was evident in his deeds as well as in his resurrection. Even though Moses had a close relationship with God, Jesus was more intimate with YHWH. And many people saw, met, and interacted with Jesus. They saw God, but many of them did realize that.
Often we seek God and settle for substitutes, which can only prove inadequate. John of Patmos reported a vision in which he fell down to worship an angel, who rebuffed the effort immediately:
You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book.
–Revelation 22:9b, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
Among the themes in the Gospel of John is that Jesus, the physical embodiment of the divine Presence/glory, came into the world and encountered much rejection. Many people preferred an inadequate glory instead.
Many people still do. How many of them know this about themselves?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 7, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FRANCOIS FENELON, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF CAMBRAI
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALDRIC OF LE MANS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUCIAN OF ANTIOCH, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/the-glory-of-the-lord-part-i/
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Above: A United States $500 Bill from 1918
$500 in 1918= $7,470 in 2011 (Consumer Price Index)
Numbers and Luke, Part V: Illusions and Attachments as Idols
MAY 21 and 22, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Numbers 14:1-25 (43th Day of Easter)
Numbers 14:26-45 (44th Day of Easter)
Psalm 93 (Morning–43th Day of Easter)
Psalm 97 (Morning–44th Day of Easter)
Psalms 136 and 117 (Evening–43th Day of Easter)
Psalms 124 and 115 (Evening–44th Day of Easter)
Luke 18:18-34 (43th Day of Easter)
Luke 18:35-19:10 (44th Day of Easter)
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Some Related Posts:
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-seventh-sunday-of-easter/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-seventh-sunday-of-easter/
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I found Richard Elliott Friedman’s Commentary on the Torah (2001) helpful in understanding what happened in Numbers 14. (Aside: If you, O reader, do not have a copy of that excellent book, you might want to purchase one.) The spies/scouts have returned from their mission. Some have warned in dire tones of the dangers there. As Friedman pointed out and I did notice, they had not mentioned God. But Caleb was more optimistic, ready to go back with the rest of the population.
In Numbers 14 the community laments the possibility of going to Canaan. Dying in the desert seems preferable. Even returning to Egypt, where they had been slaves, seems better than going to Canaan. Caleb and Joshua try to calm the people, to no avail. God, angry, threatens to destroy the faithless people, but Moses talks God down. Instead, God decrees, the people will get their wish: they will die in the desert. This does not make them happy either. And those who, against divine instructions, go up against the Canaanites and the Amalekites without God’s blessing and the Ark of the Covenant perish.
As Friedman stresses, the problem was a slave mentality. The faithless people had not had to act before. The Egyptians had acted upon them and made decisions for them. God had liberated them and provided them with manna and quail in the desert. (They did have to eat.) But resettling Canaan would require effort. It would require them to decide then to act.
An entire generation’s experience is not easily reversed.
–Richard Elliott Friedman, Commentary on the Torah (2001), page 475
The faithless Israelites clung tenaciously to nostalgia (for slavery, oddly enough) and to a slave mentality. The rich man in Luke 18:18-23 clung to his wealth, which blinded him to his total dependence on God. Zacchaeus (in Luke 19:1-10) preferred an attachment to Jesus to one to wealth and the illusion of independence.
Illusions and attachments can be the most difficult idols from which to divorce ourselves. An idol, of course, is anything which distracts us from God. Statutes of pagan deities are obvious idols, but concepts can be less obvious and more powerful ones. We depend entirely on God. We cannot pull ourselves up by our spiritual bootstraps. Yes, we have an obligation to cooperate with God, but we cannot save ourselves. And grace–that which we do not do–requires much of us. It requires us to decide then to act. It is free, not cheap.
Which illusions and attachments are your most powerful idols, O reader? I must recognize and confront mine. May you do the same to yours. And may we succeed via grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 21, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALL FAITHFUL MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, JESUIT
THE FEAST OF HENARE WIREMU TARATOA OF TE RANGA, COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEING
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN JONES AND JOHN RIGBY, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/numbers-and-luke-part-v-illusions-and-attachments-as-idols/
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Above: Thomas Edison, 1925
Image Source = Library of Congress
Via Words and Deeds
MAY 29, 2022
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Acts 16:16-34 (Revised English Bible):
Once, on our way to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination and brought large profits to her owners by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and the rest of us shouting,
These men are servants of the Most High God, and are declaring to you a way of salvation.
She did this day after day, until, in exasperation, Paul rounded on the spirit.
I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her,
he said, and it came out instantly.
When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of profit had one, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the city authorities in the main square; bringing them before the magistrates, they alleged,
These men are causing a disturbance in our city; they are Jews, and they are advocating practices which it is illegal for us Romans to adopt and follow.
The mob joined in the attack; and the magistrates had the prisoners stripped and gave orders for them to be flogged. After a severe beating they were flung into prison and the jailer was ordered to keep them under close guard. In view of these orders, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas, at their prayers, were singing praises to God, and the other prisoners were listening, when suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken; the doors burst open and all the prisoners found their fetters unfastened. The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open and, assuming that the prisoners had escaped, drew his sword intending to kill himself. But Paul shouted,
Do yourself no harm; we are all here.
The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and threw himself down before Paul and Silas, trembling with fear. He then escorted them out and said,
Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
They answered,
Put your trust in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household,
and they imparted the word of the Lord to him and everyone in his house. At that late hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds, and there and then he and his whole family were baptized. He brought them up into his house, set out a meal, and rejoiced with his whole household in his new-found faith in God.
Psalm 97 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 The LORD is King;
let the earth rejoice;
let the multitude of the isles be glad.
2 Clouds and darkness are round about him,
righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.
3 A fire goes before him
and burns up his enemies on every side.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees it and is afraid.
5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
7 Confounded be all who worship carved images
and delight in false gods!
Bow down before him, all you gods.
8 Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O LORD.
9 For you are the LORD,
most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
10 The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he preserves the lives of the saints
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light has sprung up for the righteous,
and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy Name.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 (New Revised Standard Version):
At the end of the visions I, John, heard these words:
See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates….It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.
Th spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift….
The one who testifies to these things says,
Surely I am coming soon.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
John 17:20-26 (Anchor Bible):
[Jesus continued,]
Yet it is not for these alone that I pray but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they all may be one, just as you, Father, in me and I in you, that they also may be [one] in us. Thus the world may be brought to completion as one. Thus the world may come to know that you sent me and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me; and where I am, I wish them to be one with me, that they may see my glory which you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. O Father most just, while the world did not know you (though I knew you), these men came to know that you sent me. And to them I made known your name; and I will continue to make it known so that the love you had for me may be in them and I may be in them.
The Collect:
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-seventh-sunday-of-easter/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-seventh-sunday-of-easter/
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Words can be powerful. They can inspire one to act boldly or badly, for the benefit of others or to their detriment. As an old U.S. Supreme Court ruling tells us, there is no constitutional protection for crying “fire” in a crowded theater. And, in a related matter, speech which incites violence is illegal, so long as the state disapproves of that violence. On the other hand, speech which decries state-approved violence, such as war, has, as history proves, often been criminalized, if not merely considered in appropriate. Consider the examples of Eugene Victor Debs and a host of anti-World War I activists, for example. And how much hell did Martin Luther King, Jr., catch for opposing the Vietnam War?
Yet, as powerful as words can be, actions matter more. Sometimes one tries and fails, but at least one did something. Failure has led to ultimate success, as the example of Thomas Edison attests. We must not anathemize failure, just giving up when one ought to persist. Edison did fail many times before he succeeded. The light bulb in the floor lamp behind my head as I type these words attests to his ultimate success.
It is through the words and actions of others of many men and women who have preceded us that we know of Jesus Christ. Actions flow from attitudes, and words explain deeds when deeds do not belie them. So I emphasize deeds, along with the Letter of James and sound Roman Catholic theology. Sometimes good and faithful works will get us into legal trouble, as in the case of Sts. Paul and Silas. (Yet the incident gave them an opportunity to convert a household.) And sometimes good and faithful works will lead to martyrdom, as in the case of those in Revelation 22 who had washed their robes in the blood of the lamb. Yet may we persist in good and faithful deeds. There will be (even if only in the afterlife),
joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.
–Psalm 97;11b, 1979 Book of Common Prayer
The company of the truehearted includes both those who are already in Christ and those whom the first group adds to their number. This is about more than evangelism, which is vital. It is also about discipleship and service. To love one’s neighbor as oneself might entail social activism, for what use is it to wish one fed while not feeding him or her or supporting a system which keeps him or her hungry? And what use is it to wish one at peace while supporting a system which keeps him or her at war?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 21, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALL FAITHFUL MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, JESUIT
THE FEAST OF HENARE WIREMU TARATOA OF TE RANGA, COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEING
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN JONES AND JOHN RIGBY, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/via-words-and-deeds/
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Above: The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Leonello Spada
Numbers and Luke, Part I: Respecting God
MAY 14 and 15, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Numbers 3:1-16, 39-48 (36th Day of Easter)
Numbers 8:5-26 (37th Dayof Easter)
Psalm 93 (Morning–36th Day of Easter)
Psalm 97 (Morning–37th Day of Easter)
Psalms 136 and 117 (Evening–36th Day of Easter)
Psalms 124 and 115 (Evening–37th Day of Easter)
Luke 14:25-15:10 (36th Day of Easter)
Luke 15:11-32 (37th Day of Easter)
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Some Related Posts:
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-sixth-sunday-of-easter/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-sixth-sunday-of-easter/
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I belong to a wonderful congregation in Athens, Georgia. It is friendly, generous, socially progressive, and open to free intellectual and spiritual inquiry. The parish has become a community leader in environmental stewardship, with plans to improve according to this standard. Of all the churches to which I have belonged, it is the closest fit for me. Yet I think that my parish is too casual. This is not a deal breaker for me, but the place is too casual. So I come to church most Sundays dressed in a suit, a tie, and a fedora. I stand out. In a place where I, once the resident heretic in southern Georgia, am now relatively orthodox (without having changed my mind much), I stand out in another way. Blending in is overrated.
The concept of one’s Sunday Best is a dated one in my increasingly casual North American culture. Without turning church into an occasion for a fashion show, I affirm the underlying principle of Sunday Best: One ought not approach God with a casual attitude. That principle also undergirded the purity and Levitical codes in the Law of Moses.
This God whom we should not approach casually is the one whom we should love more than any person, possession, or other attachment. This is the God who seeks us out when we are lost. This is the God who listens to our insults, waives the death penalty from the Law of Moses, awaits our return, and welcomes us home. (The son in the parable had told his father, via his early request for his inheritance,
I wish that you were dead.
This met the definition of cursing or insulting a parent, an offense which carried the death penalty.)
This is God, worthy of all our respect. May our manner and attitude of approaching God in public and private reflect that reality.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 16, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF RUFUS JONES, QUAKER THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN FRANCIS REGIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH BUTLER, ANGLICAN BISHOP
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/numbers-and-luke-part-i-respecting-god/
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Above: A Long-Playing Record
Image Source = Tomasz Sienicki
Leviticus and Luke, Part V: Like a Broken Record
MAY 7-9, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Leviticus 20:1-16, 22-27 (29th Day of Easter)
Leviticus 21:1-24 (30th Day of Easter)
Leviticus 23:1-22 (31st Day of Easter)
Psalm 93 (Morning–29th Day of Easter)
Psalm 97 (Morning–30th Day of Easter)
Psalm 98 (Morning–31st Day of Easter)
Psalms 136 and 117 (Evening–29th Day of Easter)
Psalms 124 and 115 (Evening–30th Day of Easter)
Psalms 66 and 116 (Evening–31st Day of Easter)
Luke 11:37-54 (29th Day of Easter)
Luke 12:1-12 (30th Day of Easter)
Luke 12:13-34 (31st Day of Easter)
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Some Related Posts:
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-fifth-sunday-of-easter/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-fifth-sunday-of-easter/
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I admit it; I sound like a broken record: Loving people and seeking justice for them matters far more than does keeping an obscure element of the Law of Moses. Speaking of that law code, shall we consider some provisions of it? We read some sexual laws and an order to execute one for the offense of idolatry. Then there is this law:
If anyone insults his father or his mother, he shall be put to death; he has insulted his father and his mother–his blood guilt is upon him.
–Leviticus 20:9, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
To insult is also to curse, the sort of activity the Prodigal Son committed in Luke 15. Yet the father, the God figure in the parable, forgave the son.
We read in Leviticus 21:16 forward that physically handicapped or deformed Levites were forbidden to serve as priests. It seems that such men were not supposed to serve God in that way because their physical imperfections reflected the divine form inadequately. I am glad of progressive attitudes regarding physical differences in modern times; may these ideas flourish.
Then we read about what makes a sacrifice acceptable. I do not care, for none of that has mattered since the first century CE.
Jesus criticized people who were meticulous about legalistic details while they ignored the imperative of social justice. He advocated humility before God, trust in God, and active concern for the conditions and circumstances of others. I think that he cared about blind and disabled Levites, who got to eat well yet were still second-class spiritual citizens.
Speaking of Levites, contact with a corpse made one unclean (Leviticus 22). That concern played a role in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). And who was the hero in that story?
People matter more than arcane laws. Here ends the lesson, again.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 15, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT LANDELINUS OF VAUX, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; SAINT AUBERT OF CAMBRAI, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT URSMAR OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND MISSIONARY BISHOP; AND SAINTS DOMITIAN, HADELIN, AND DODO OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONKS
THE FEAST OF EVELYN UNDERHILL, ANGLICAN MYSTIC
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/leviticus-and-luke-part-v-like-a-broken-record/
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Above: The Sin of Nadab and Abihu
Leviticus and Luke Part II: God Concepts
MAY 1 and 2, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Leviticus 9:1-14 (23rd Dayof Easter)
Leviticus 10:1-20 (24th Day of Easter)
Psalm 97 (Morning–23rd Day of Easter)
Psalm 98 (Morning–24th Day of Easter)
Psalms 124 and 115 (Evening–23rd Day of Easter)
Psalms 66 and 116 (Evening–24th Day of Easter)
Luke 9:18-36 (23rd Day of Easter)
Luke 9:37-62 (24th Day of Easter)
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My point of reference is that of a modern, liberal, intellectual North American Christian. God is love, I affirm, and the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth was God incarnate. So my God concept leads me to ask what Jesus would do. Hence the God concept in Leviticus 10 is foreign to me. The sacrifices in Leviticus 9 are likewise alien to me. Parts of the Letter to the Hebrews played back in my head as I read these chapters from Leviticus.
Although I am a ritualist, I do not attach life or death stakes to performing a certain liturgical act just so. What, I wonder, did Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, do that was so bad that they died on what was supposed to be a joyous occasion? I found the following note from the The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford University Press, 2004) helpful:
In biblical thought, however, ritual crimes are dire. Further, the sin of the two brothers was not simply that they went too far in their misguided super-piety. Rather, they acted in utter disregard for the deity. God intended that the manifestations of His Presence would ignite the altar fire, marking His acceptance of His peoples’ devotion. Their intent was for the divine fire to ignite their pans; that is, they were attempting to arrogate control of the deity to themselves. (page 227)
Trying to control God is one sin; misunderstanding God can lead to others. Consider Simon Peter, who grasped that Jesus was the Messiah but not what that entailed–suffering for the Messiah. Then, at the Transfiguration, the Apostle would have institutionalized the event, not distinguishing among Jesus, Moses, or Elijah. Our expectations and best attempts prove inadequate, do they not?
But, for a God concept, I still prefer Jesus to the Yahweh of Leviticus 10.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 13, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF GILBERT KEITH (G. K.) CHESTERTON, AUTHOR
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/leviticus-and-luke-part-ii-god-concepts/
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Above: Epitaph of a Centurion
Exodus and Luke, Part VIII: Damaged Relationships
APRIL 24 and 25, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 33:1-23 (16th Dayof Easter)
Exodus 34:1-28 (17th Day of Easter)
Psalm 97 (Morning–16th Day of Easter)
Psalm 98 (Morning–17th Day of Easter)
Psalms 124 and 115 (Evening–16th Day of Easter)
Psalms 66 and 116 (Evening–17th Day of Easter)
Luke 7:1-17 (16th Day of Easter)
Luke 7:18-35 (17th Day of Easter)
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The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelite people, ‘You are a stiffnecked people. If I were to go in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now, then, leave off your finery, and I will consider what to do to you.'”
–Exodus 33:5, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
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I detect several consistent patterns in my life. One of them pertains to what happens after I fall out with an institution. I return after some time, but never with the same enthusiasm. The water might be under the bridge, but I cannot forget the flood. So the breach remains in my memory. Things can be better, but not as they were before. Perhaps this is a spiritual failing. (Relationships with individuals are a different matter; I have reverted to a pre-falling out state with them. Institutions are frequently impersonal by nature, however.) I offer neither a defense nor a condemnation of myself relative to this reality relative to institutions; no, I am content at the moment to make an objectively accurate statement.
The relationship between God and the Israelites was damaged, not broken, in Exodus 33. Moses functioned as an intermediary, for there was a distance between God and the people. The narrative would have us believe that the people were entirely to blame, but I argue that God, as the narrative presents God, shared in the blame. Were the people supposed to love and follow a deity who sent away those who had not adored the Golden Calf as punishment for the adoration of that idol?
The relationship between Jesus and the religious authorities (eventually broken) in the Gospel of Luke. And, in Luke 7, our Lord found a Gentile–a Roman officer, no less–whose great faithfulness impressed him. This spoke well for the Centurion but not of those religious authorities.
To tie everything together in a big theological bow, God did come among many of our forebears, and they did not perish. The Incarnation of God in Jesus constituted God among us, with us, and for us. It was how God bridged the gap. Things would not be as they were before. No, they would be better.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 9, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT COLUMBA OF IONA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY AND ABBOT
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/exodus-and-luke-part-viii-damaged-relationships/
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Above: A Migrant Worker in California, 1935
Image Source = Library of Congress
Exodus and Luke, Part II: Together in Society
APRIL 17, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 22:20-23:13
Psalm 97 (Morning)
Psalms 124 and 115 (Evening)
Luke 4:16-30
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I began my preparations for this post by reading Exodus 21:1-23:13 closely. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod lectionary skips Exodus 21:1-22:19. This statement does not constitute a criticism, for one must skip around sometimes when creating a lectionary. Yet I thought that the skipped-over verses might pertain to the assigned material. I was correct.
Exodus 22:20 forward commands the Israelites to show kindness, mercy, and respect to strangers, widows, and orphans, to refrain from usury (a rule which credit card companies violate daily), to make good sacrifices to God, to return wandering livestock to its owner, to grant justice to the poor, to leave food in the fields for the hungry, and to honor the Sabbath. The guiding principle is that what one person does affects others. There is no room for careless individualism which harms the society.
But what does one find in Exodus 21:1-22:19? Slaves (more like indentured servants in the U.S. historical context) have rights. Women have many of the same rights as men. One dies for a variety of offenses, from cursing or insulting one’s parents to committing murder. One can sell one’ s daughter into slavery. Retribution is in proportion to the offense. For many offenses restitution–not death–is the penalty. An Israelite who offers a sacrifice to a deity other than Yahweh must die. A reader can find other laws there; this is just a sampling.
Historical and cultural contexts matter. There were traditional Semitic notions of family honor and parental authority. Any offense which carried the death penalty was one deemed especially dangerous to society. And the people were nomads in the desert. Resources were precious, and there was no jail or prison.
I, of course, live in a settled society which draws influences from the Enlightenment. Despite poverty not far from my front door (a few miles away, elsewhere in Athens, Georgia, a street separates university dormitories from public housing projects), there is an abundance of food and drink. And the local jail is frequently overcrowded. I wonder how a modern version of the Law of Moses would compare the biblical one.
In Luke 4:16-30 we read an account of our Lord’s rejection at Nazareth, his hometown. Plotting to overthrow someone off a cliff, as some residents of Nazareth meant to do Jesus, was not nice. Perhaps some people thought that it was consistent with the death penalty for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16). Or maybe it was just a case of homicidal rage. If they had succeeded that day, would they not have been subject to death themselves (Exodus 21:14)?
One must, if one is to understand the Bible properly, consider it intelligently, taking into account all the germane contexts, avoiding the error of prooftexting, and not transforming the Bible into an idol. May we use the Bible as an icon–through which we see God–not as an idol–which we see in lieu of God. And may we remember that we are here on the planet together, so what one person does affects others. And God expects us to avoid wronging or oppressing one another. After all, we all bear the image of God; may we treat each other accordingly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 7, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROBERT OF NEWMINSTER, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY GIANELLI, FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARIES OF SAINT ALPHONSUS LIGUORI AND THE SISTERS OF MARY DELL’ORTO
THE FEAST OF CHARLES AUGUSTUS BRIGGS, PRESBYTERIAN PASTOR AND EPISCOPAL PRIEST
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/exodus-and-luke-part-ii-together-in-society/
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Above: Moses
Image Source = Billy Hathorn
Exodus and Hebrews, Part IX: Mighty Acts of God
APRIL 10, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 15:1-18
Psalm 97 (Morning)
Psalms 124 and 115 (Evening)
Hebrews 9:1-28
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A Related Post:
Prayer:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/prayer-for-monday-of-easter-week/
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If the LORD had not been on our side….
–Psalm 124:1a, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The reading from the Book of Exodus consists of the Song of Moses (and the Israelites) immediately after the Exodus. They are very happy and filled with praise of God. Enjoy this while it lasts, O reader, for the grumbling starts before the chapter ends.
In Hebrews we read a masterpiece of Platonist philosophy (via the concepts of heavenly forms and earthly shadows) applied to Christology. We continue to read about Christ’s superiority to the Law of Moses. The first tent preceded the second tent, the Holy of Holies, home of the Ark of the Covenant. Entrance to the Holy of Holies was restricted, with only one priest going there one day–the Day of Atonement. But, with Christ’s sacrifices completed, there is atonement. That is one message of the text.
If the LORD had not been on the side of the Israelites, they would have remained slaves in Egypt. If the LORD were not on our side, we would not have Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, who
has made appearance at the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself.
–Hebrews 9:26c, The New Jerusalem Bible
Such mighty acts of God demand an affirmative response, do they not? May we act accordingly, individually and collectively, by what we do and choose not to do.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 2, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT STEPHEN OF SWEDEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY, BISHOP, AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF LYONS (A.K.A. SAINT BLANDINA AND HER COMPANIONS)
THE FEAST OF REINHOLD NIEBUHR, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST THEOLOGIAN
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/exodus-and-hebrews-part-ix-mighty-acts-of-god/
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LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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