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2020, March 15 ~ Exodus 17:1-7 and Romans 5:1-11

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Exodus 17:1-7

Reading

1 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 The LORD said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Commentary

The Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the months in the Wildernesses of Sin, of Paran and of Zin, all of which are in the Sinai Peninsula. The accounts of various “events” in Exodus differ in many ways from the accounts in Numbers and Deuteronomy.

The Book of Exodus (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.

The story in Chapter 16 is considered part of the oldest traditions. The people complained about not getting enough food, and YHWH told Moses that He would “rain bread from heaven.” This was “manna,” a Hebrew word that means “What is it?” Manna is real stuff and can be purchased even now in Arab markets in Jerusalem. It is the carbohydrate-rich excretions of insects that feed on the twigs of tamarisk trees. It has a mildly sweet taste.

In today’s reading, the Israelites quarreled with Moses and asked (rhetorically) if he brought them out of Egypt only so they could die of thirst. YHWH is portrayed anthropomorphically and told Moses to strike a rock with his staff to get water.

Israel’s lack of trust in YHWH reappears in the Book of Deuteronomy (and other books by the Deuteronomists – Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) as the reason the fortunes of Israel and Judea declined, and the people were conquered by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

Romans 5:1-11

Reading

1 Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person– though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Commentary

Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE), about 10 years before the earliest Gospel (Mark) was written, to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish.

Paul used some words that are difficult for us. He said we are “justified by faith” in verse 1. “Justified” means living in “righteousness” or in a right relationship with God and others – being “justified” as a page of type is “justified” when the margins are square on both the left and the right.

Paul’s use of “faith” is better understood today as “faithfulness” because of the active aspect of the Greek word Paul used. For many modern persons, “Faith” is an intellectual assent to one or more propositions. “Faithfulness,” however, is active living into one’s beliefs through grace and trust in God.

Paul was a Jew who became a Jesus Follower (the term “Christian” hadn’t been invented in Paul’s lifetime). All during Paul’s life, animal sacrifices were made at the Jerusalem Temple as a way Jews were reconciled to YHWH. Animal sacrifices continued until the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE – after Paul’s death in 63 CE.

It is therefore not surprising that Paul used “sacrifice” language to interpret the meaning of the Crucifixion: “Christ died for us” (v.8); we are “justified by his blood” (v. 9); and “we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son (v.10a).

Paul went beyond the sacrifice language, however, and stated we are “saved” [i.e. made whole as human beings] by the life of Jesus the Christ. (v.10b).

2019, June 16 ~ Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 and Romans 5:1-5

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Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

In Christian Bibles, the Book of Proverbs is included in the “Wisdom Literature,” but in the Jewish Bible (the “TaNaK”), it is part of the “Writings.” The other two parts of the Jewish Bible are The Torah and The Prophets. The name “TaNaK” is an acronym for the first letters of the Hebrew words for each of these sections: the Torah, the Nevi’im, and the Ketubim.

Although Proverbs claims to be written by Solomon (965-930 BCE) (1:1), most scholars agree that these sayings were compiled over a long period and put in their final form around 450 BCE. In fact, two Chapters of Proverbs (22:17 to 24:34) are copied almost word-for-word from Egyptian literature dating to about 1100 BCE.

Most of the sayings in Proverbs are presented as teachings from the elders and are aimed at young men. They generally advise that moral living (diligence, sobriety, self-restraint, selecting a good wife, honesty) will lead to a good life.

The usual translation of a recurring theme in Proverbs is that “fear” of YHWH (translated as LORD – all capital letters in the NRSV) is the beginning of wisdom. Many scholars suggest, however, that “awe of YHWH” or “reverence for YHWH” better captures the sense of the authors of the Proverbs.

Today’s reading is about Wisdom, which is presented as the feminine aspect of the Sacred. Wisdom is described as being present at Creation and as the first of God’s creations.

Romans 5:1-5

Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.

Nero’s predecessor (Claudius) had expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 CE. During Nero’s reign (54-68 CE), he allowed Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers) to return, and this created tensions within the Jesus Follower Community. (They were not called “Christians” until the 80’s.)

Paul died in 62 or 63 CE. Accordingly, the Temple in Jerusalem (which was destroyed in 70) was in full operation all during Paul’s life. As a Jew who was also a Jesus Follower, Paul continued to have expectations about the fullness of the Coming of the Messiah, one of the important themes in Romans.

Today’s reading speaks of being “justified by faith” (v.1). Understanding these terms in Paul’s context is often challenging for modern readers. For example, “justified” (v.1) is more properly understood as “being in right relationships with God, others, the world and oneself.” (A page of type in which the right and left margins are straight is described as “justified.”)

The term “faith” is a translation of the Greek word “pistis” – a word that conveys an active quality. The word is perhaps better understood as “faith-ing” or “active faithfulness.” For Paul, “faith” was not a matter of intellectually assenting to a series of doctrines (the way many Christians today think of “Faith”). Instead, “faith” is living a life of loving faithfulness as Jesus of Nazareth lived his life.

2017, June 18 ~ Genesis 18:1-15, Exodus 19:2-8a & Romans 5:1-8

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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.

Genesis 18:1-15

The word “Genesis” means “origin” and the Book of Genesis starts with Creation and concludes with the death of Joseph (Jacob’s son) in Egypt. The Book is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated to about 950 BCE and some as late as 450 BCE.

Today’s reading is the account of three “men” (also identified as YHWH in verse 13) who came to Abraham’s tent at Mamre (whose oaks were regarded as oracles). They predicted that Sarah (who was over 90 years old) would have a son in a year. Sarah’s laughed. This anticipated the name of her son, Isaac (which means “he laughs”). Abraham’s hospitality to the three sacred figures was overwhelming: an entire calf and three “measures” of flour (about 63 quarts of flour).

Exodus 19:2-8a

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

Today’s reading is from the Priestly writer – shown by the emphasis on precise dates. The events occurred “on the very day” of the third new moon after leaving Egypt, the day the Israelites reached Sinai. (The holy mountain is called “Horeb” by other writers – for example, Ex. 3:1.)

YHWH proposed a conditional covenant to Moses and the Israelites (“If you obey my voice” v.5), and all the people responded that they would do all that YHWH had spoken (v.8). This event is the basis in Judaism for the Feast of Pentecost (Ex. 23.16).

Romans 5:1-8

Paul’s letter to the Romans is his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) – about ten years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written.

Paul uses some words that are difficult for us. He says we are “justified” in verse 1. This means living in “righteousness” or in a right relationship with God and others – being “justified” as a page of type is “justified” when the margins are square on both the left and the right.

Paul’s use of “faith” (v.1) is better understood as “faithfulness” because the Greek word has an active aspect. Today, “Faith” is often understood as intellectual assent to one or more propositions. “Faithfulness” is active living into one’s beliefs through grace and trust in God.

Paul was a Jew who became a Jesus Follower (the term “Christian” hadn’t been invented in his lifetime). All during Paul’s life, animal sacrifices at the Jerusalem Temple were a way Jews were reconciled to YHWH. This continued until the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE – after Paul’s death. It is therefore not surprising that Paul uses “sacrifice” language to interpret the meaning of the Crucifixion: “Christ died for us” (v.8); we are “justified by his blood” (v. 9).

2017, March 19 ~ Exodus 17:1-7 & Romans 5:1-11

/in /by

Exodus 17:1-7

The Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, 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.

In Chapter 16, the people complained about not getting enough food, and YHWH told Moses that He would “rain bread from heaven.” This was “manna,” a Hebrew word that means “What is it?” Manna is real stuff and can be purchased even now in Arab markets in Jerusalem. It is the carbohydrate-rich excretions of insects that feed on the twigs of tamarisk trees.

In today’s reading, the Israelites quarreled with Moses and asked (rhetorically) if he brought them out of Egypt only so they could die of thirst. YHWH is portrayed anthropomorphically and tells Moses to strike a rock with his staff to get water.

Israel’s lack of trust in YHWH reappears in the Book of Deuteronomy (and other books by the Deuteronomists – Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) as a reason the fortunes of Israel declined and the people were subjugated to the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

Romans 5:1-11

Paul’s letter to the Romans is his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) – about ten years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written.

Paul uses some words that are difficult for us. He say we are “justified” in verse 1. This means living in “righteousness” or in a right relationship with God – being “justified” as a page of type is “justified” when the margins are square on both the left and the right.

Paul’s use of “faith” is better understood today as “faithfulness” because of its active aspect. For many modern persons, “Faith” is understood as intellectual assent to one or more propositions. “Faithfulness,” however, is an active living into one’s beliefs through grace and trust in God.

Paul was a Jew who became a Jesus Follower (the term “Christian” hadn’t been invented in Paul’s lifetime). All during his life, animal sacrifices were made at the Jerusalem Temple as a way Jews were reconciled to YHWH. Animal sacrifices continued until the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE – after Paul’s death. It is therefore not surprising that Paul uses “sacrifice” language to interpret the meaning of the Crucifixion: “Christ died for us” (v.8); we are “justified by his blood” (v. 9); and “through whom we have received reconciliation (v. 12).