Michael Williams told me Sunday that he decided to read some of the scriptures in Genesis prior to the January 14th reading (Genesis 30) which picked up in the middle of the birth of the twelve sons of Jacob (whom we learned in the January 17 reading got his name changed to Israel). These children figure prominently throughout the rest of the Christian Old Testament.
In the January 17 reading (Genesis 35:1-36:43), you find a brief synopsis of the twelve sons of Israel:
23 The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
Leah and Rachel were Jacob's two wives (as for how this marriage to these two sisters, Jacob's nieces, came about, see Genesis 29). Bilhah and Zilpah were their respective maidservants. When each of the sisters ceased or could not conceive children, they offered Jacob their maidservants in a kind of fertility war. These twelve sons become the Twelve Tribes of Israel (there will actually be 13, because instead of a tribe of Joseph, Israel/Jacob gives this honor to Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh - see Genesis 48:5-6).
Besides the names of these important tribes (the tribe of Jesus is Judah), you may also want to take particular notice of the various mentions of God's covenant, or eternal promise, to Jacob/Israel, to his father, Isaac, and to his grandfather, Abraham/Abram. The first of these covenant statements is found in God's call to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3. The covenant is restated several times: Genesis 13:14-17; 15:5; and 22:17-18. The God renews the covenant with Abraham's son, Isaac in Genesis 26:2-5, and with Abraham's grandson, Jacob, in Genesis 28:13-15; 35:11-12; and in 46:2-4.
I hope you are enjoying the Joseph saga, which begins in Genesis 37 (we started yesterday). But don't let your eyes glaze over when reading chapters like Genesis 36, which recount the genealogy of families and tribes which are part of the story of God's people in the Christian Old Testament. One strategy I like to use is to meditate on the names, which are transliterated from the Hebrew (almost all of which is accented on the final syllable). These long lists of names are the only places you can hear the ancient sounds that first carried the message of Good News of God's presence among human communities. Don't run from them - revel in the fact that you are reading Hebrew!
I hope transitioning from the story of the patriarchs to the stories of Jesus in Matthew aren't too bracing for you (at least Matthew likes to quote the Hebrew prophets often). Today, we got to read the first of many parables recorded in Matthew. I'd love to hear what your take is on these ancient forms of teaching spiritual realities in a hostile world - particularly your thoughts when reading Matthew 13:10-16, which can seem a little harsh for Jesus. What do you think it means?
Thanks for sharing this journey of faith with me and with each other.
Peace,
Bo
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Genesis 19 - A Case Study of How the Bible Provides Interpretive Keys for Itself
Blogger's Note: some of you may have read parts of this material in my booklet, "How Are We to Live Together?" In what follows, I have expanded and added to a section entitled "Sodom and Sodomy: How We Got from There to Here", as I believe that this outlines a profoundly important example of ways in which the Bible guides us in the process of interpretation (and the ways which we ignore this guidance). Read on...
Genesis 19 (paralleled in many ways in Judges 19) tells the story of God’s angels destroying the city of Sodom (prefaced in Genesis 13-14 and 18:16-33). Because of this story, sodomy has come to mean anal intercourse, even though what Genesis reports does not match this cultural assumption. Beyond the Book of Genesis, there are at least 20 references to Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old and New Testaments (see below). Two of these provide explicit scriptural interpretation of the sins for which God destroyed the towns. The first is Ezekiel 16:49 (NAS): "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.” The second is Jude 1:7 (NAS): “Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
The Jude passage reads like a mystical trance or science fiction literature, filled as it is with “angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode” and men who “by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.” The “strange flesh” reference makes sense when you consider that the men of Sodom wanted (perhaps) to gang rape two angels (see Genesis 19:1). There is another precedent, in Genesis 6:4, for this kind of human-angelic coupling. The Jewish Publication Society translation reads: “It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim [giants] appeared on earth – when the divine beings cohabited with the daughters of men, who bore them offspring. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.” Getting from angelic gang rape to a blanket condemnation of all homosexual relationships is more than a stretch – the Jude interpretation does not support it – and the prophet Ezekiel does not mention sex or homosexuality at all.
Take a closer look at Ezekiel 16 and you begin to wonder why virtually every commentator on Sodom and Gomorrah ignores this explicit statement of the sins of Sodom. And Ezekiel is speaking or writing as God’s mouthpiece (see vs. 36: “Thus says the LORD God…”). Look again at the list God apparently put together: pride, indulgence, laziness, and refusal to help the poor (stranger?). Why doesn’t the word Sodomy mean these offenses, for which God explains through the prophet the city suffered the ultimate punishment?
Why indeed? Did Ezekiel (or God) not get the memo? I suppose it goes without saying that (from a heterosexual perspective) it’s far more fun to make scapegoats out of homosexual persons than to accept responsibility for and repent of our own pride, gluttony, laziness, and rape of the poor (ouch!). A good offense is the best defense.
Jesus Christ implies that the sin of Sodom involved refusing hospitality to the stranger, or at least the itinerant (traveling) healer/missionaries he was sending out in Matthew 10:14-15 (“And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city” NAS) and its parallel in Mark 6:11 ("…any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake off the dust from the soles of your feet for a testimony against them" NAS). This interpretation is supported in the related story in Judges 19 (especially verses 15-19).
Take a look at the outline below of parallels between Genesis 19 and Judges 19. To read through them is to enter into a different kind or morality, where hospitality to strangers trumps all other concerns (particularly concern for your daughter’s safety and honor). Look again at the rationale each host uses for refusing to give up the stranger(s) to the mob: “they have come under the shelter of my roof” (Genesis 19:8); “this man has come into my house” (Judges 19:23). Conservatives may reject interpretive efforts to take Jesus Christ seriously as “politically correct”, but the Middle Eastern Code of Hospitality was and is real, even if not in Europe or America. Think of the Afghan villagers recently who refused to surrender to the Taliban soldiers several wounded American (alien) special forces commandoes they had taken under their roof, even though the Taliban fighters threatened to destroy their village (the Taliban fighters respected the Code and spared the village).
How we got from God’s condemnation of pride, gluttony, prosperity, and stinginess (according to Ezekiel 16:49) and inhospitality (Matthew 10:14-15) to creating a new English word for anal sex points to a powerful cultural fear at work in this traditional Christian teaching. True Biblical “literalists” would define “sodomy” as selfishness or inhospitality. That it means something else reveals the ways our cultural context colors (and blinds) our interpretation of the Bible. As on the Road to Emmaus on Resurrection Sunday, consulting the Law and the Prophets around a Table where strangers are welcome to share a meal are the keys to opening our blind eyes.
1. Visitors arrive at the town in the evening
a. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening (Genesis 19.1)
b. So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah (Judges 19.14)
2. They intend to spend the night in the square
a. They said however, "No, but we shall spend the night in the square." (Genesis 19.2)
b. When they entered, they sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night. (Judges 19.15)
3. The man who provides the travelers hospitality is himself an alien (not originally from the town)
a. Furthermore, they said, "This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge (Genesis 19.9)
b. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites. (Judges 19.16)
4. They share a feast in the man’s home
a. so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. (Genesis 19.3)
b. So he took him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet and ate and drank. While they were celebrating, (Judges 19.21-22a)
5. The men of the city surround the house and speak to the host
a. the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot (Genesis 19.4-5a)
b. the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man (Judges 19.22)
6. They demand that the host surrender his male guest(s) so that they may sexually abuse the guest
a. "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them." (Genesis 19.5)
b. "Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him." (Judges 19.22)
7. The host pleads with the men of the city not to violate his guest (who is under his protection) and offers them the women in the house to sexually abuse instead
a. "Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof." (Genesis 19.7-8)
b. "No, my fellows, please do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not commit this act of folly. 24 "Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please let me bring them out that you may ravish them and do to them whatever you wish. But do not commit such an act of folly against this man." (Judges 19.23-24)
8. The men of the city refuse the offer – but do not harm the (male) visitor(s)
a. So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door. (Genesis 19.9)
b. But the men would not listen to him. (Judges 19.25)
9. The behavior of the men of the city results in the total destruction of the people and the city (by fire)
a. …for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it. …Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (Genesis 19:13, 24-25)
b. So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. When the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah, the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city. But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them; and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven… The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found. (Judges 20.36-38, 40 and 48)
1. Deuteronomy 29:23 'All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.'
2. Deuteronomy 32:32 "For their vine is from the vine of Sodom, And from the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of poison, Their clusters, bitter.
3. Isaiah 1:9-10 Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah.
4. Isaiah 3:9 The expression of their faces bears witness against them. And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.
5. Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
6. Jeremiah 23:14 "Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
7. Jeremiah 49:18 "Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors," says the LORD, "no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it.
8. Jeremiah 50:40 "As when God overthrew Sodom And Gomorrah with its neighbors," declares the LORD, "No man will live there, Nor will any son of man reside in it.
9. Lamentations 4:6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her.
10. Ezekiel 16:46-58 46 "Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 "Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your conduct than they. 48 "As I live," declares the Lord God, "Sodom, your sister, and her daughters, have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. 50 "Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it. 51 "Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. Thus you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have committed. 52 "Also bear your disgrace in that you have made judgment favorable for your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. Yes, be also ashamed and bear your disgrace, in that you made your sisters appear righteous. 53 "Nevertheless, I will restore their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and along with them your own captivity, 54 in order that you may bear your humiliation, and feel ashamed for all that you have done when you become a consolation to them. 55 "And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to their former state, and you with your daughters will also return to your former state. 56 "As the name of your sister Sodom was not heard from your lips in your day of pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered, so now you have become the reproach of the daughters of Edom, and of all who are around her, of the daughters of the Philistines-- those surrounding you who despise you. 58 "You have borne the penalty of your lewdness and abominations," the LORD declares.
11. Amos 4:11 "I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD.
12. Zephaniah 2:9 "Therefore, as I live," declares the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, "Surely Moab will be like Sodom, And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah-- A place possessed by nettles and salt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them, And the remainder of My nation will inherit them."
13. Matthew 10:11-16 "11 "And into whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it; and abide there until you go away. 12 "And as you enter the house, give it your greeting. 13 "And if the house is worthy, let your greeting of peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your greeting of peace return to you. 14 "And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. 16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.
14. Matthew 11:20, 23-24 “Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent… And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.
15. Luke 10:3-12 3 "Go your ways; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 "Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5 "And whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house. 6 "And if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 "And stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 "And whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 "But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' 12 "I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
16. Luke 17:28-29 "It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
17. Romans 9:29 And just as Isaiah foretold, "Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, We would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah."
18. 2 Peter 2:4-11 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, 11 whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.
19. Jude 1:5-9 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7 Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you."
20. Revelation 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
Sodom and Sodomy: How We Got from There to Here
Genesis 19 (paralleled in many ways in Judges 19) tells the story of God’s angels destroying the city of Sodom (prefaced in Genesis 13-14 and 18:16-33). Because of this story, sodomy has come to mean anal intercourse, even though what Genesis reports does not match this cultural assumption. Beyond the Book of Genesis, there are at least 20 references to Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old and New Testaments (see below). Two of these provide explicit scriptural interpretation of the sins for which God destroyed the towns. The first is Ezekiel 16:49 (NAS): "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.” The second is Jude 1:7 (NAS): “Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
The Jude passage reads like a mystical trance or science fiction literature, filled as it is with “angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode” and men who “by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.” The “strange flesh” reference makes sense when you consider that the men of Sodom wanted (perhaps) to gang rape two angels (see Genesis 19:1). There is another precedent, in Genesis 6:4, for this kind of human-angelic coupling. The Jewish Publication Society translation reads: “It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim [giants] appeared on earth – when the divine beings cohabited with the daughters of men, who bore them offspring. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.” Getting from angelic gang rape to a blanket condemnation of all homosexual relationships is more than a stretch – the Jude interpretation does not support it – and the prophet Ezekiel does not mention sex or homosexuality at all.
Take a closer look at Ezekiel 16 and you begin to wonder why virtually every commentator on Sodom and Gomorrah ignores this explicit statement of the sins of Sodom. And Ezekiel is speaking or writing as God’s mouthpiece (see vs. 36: “Thus says the LORD God…”). Look again at the list God apparently put together: pride, indulgence, laziness, and refusal to help the poor (stranger?). Why doesn’t the word Sodomy mean these offenses, for which God explains through the prophet the city suffered the ultimate punishment?
Why indeed? Did Ezekiel (or God) not get the memo? I suppose it goes without saying that (from a heterosexual perspective) it’s far more fun to make scapegoats out of homosexual persons than to accept responsibility for and repent of our own pride, gluttony, laziness, and rape of the poor (ouch!). A good offense is the best defense.
Jesus Christ implies that the sin of Sodom involved refusing hospitality to the stranger, or at least the itinerant (traveling) healer/missionaries he was sending out in Matthew 10:14-15 (“And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city” NAS) and its parallel in Mark 6:11 ("…any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake off the dust from the soles of your feet for a testimony against them" NAS). This interpretation is supported in the related story in Judges 19 (especially verses 15-19).
Take a look at the outline below of parallels between Genesis 19 and Judges 19. To read through them is to enter into a different kind or morality, where hospitality to strangers trumps all other concerns (particularly concern for your daughter’s safety and honor). Look again at the rationale each host uses for refusing to give up the stranger(s) to the mob: “they have come under the shelter of my roof” (Genesis 19:8); “this man has come into my house” (Judges 19:23). Conservatives may reject interpretive efforts to take Jesus Christ seriously as “politically correct”, but the Middle Eastern Code of Hospitality was and is real, even if not in Europe or America. Think of the Afghan villagers recently who refused to surrender to the Taliban soldiers several wounded American (alien) special forces commandoes they had taken under their roof, even though the Taliban fighters threatened to destroy their village (the Taliban fighters respected the Code and spared the village).
How we got from God’s condemnation of pride, gluttony, prosperity, and stinginess (according to Ezekiel 16:49) and inhospitality (Matthew 10:14-15) to creating a new English word for anal sex points to a powerful cultural fear at work in this traditional Christian teaching. True Biblical “literalists” would define “sodomy” as selfishness or inhospitality. That it means something else reveals the ways our cultural context colors (and blinds) our interpretation of the Bible. As on the Road to Emmaus on Resurrection Sunday, consulting the Law and the Prophets around a Table where strangers are welcome to share a meal are the keys to opening our blind eyes.
Parallels between Genesis 19 and Judges 19
1. Visitors arrive at the town in the evening
a. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening (Genesis 19.1)
b. So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah (Judges 19.14)
2. They intend to spend the night in the square
a. They said however, "No, but we shall spend the night in the square." (Genesis 19.2)
b. When they entered, they sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night. (Judges 19.15)
3. The man who provides the travelers hospitality is himself an alien (not originally from the town)
a. Furthermore, they said, "This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge (Genesis 19.9)
b. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites. (Judges 19.16)
4. They share a feast in the man’s home
a. so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. (Genesis 19.3)
b. So he took him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet and ate and drank. While they were celebrating, (Judges 19.21-22a)
5. The men of the city surround the house and speak to the host
a. the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot (Genesis 19.4-5a)
b. the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man (Judges 19.22)
6. They demand that the host surrender his male guest(s) so that they may sexually abuse the guest
a. "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them." (Genesis 19.5)
b. "Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him." (Judges 19.22)
7. The host pleads with the men of the city not to violate his guest (who is under his protection) and offers them the women in the house to sexually abuse instead
a. "Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof." (Genesis 19.7-8)
b. "No, my fellows, please do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not commit this act of folly. 24 "Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please let me bring them out that you may ravish them and do to them whatever you wish. But do not commit such an act of folly against this man." (Judges 19.23-24)
8. The men of the city refuse the offer – but do not harm the (male) visitor(s)
a. So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door. (Genesis 19.9)
b. But the men would not listen to him. (Judges 19.25)
9. The behavior of the men of the city results in the total destruction of the people and the city (by fire)
a. …for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it. …Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (Genesis 19:13, 24-25)
b. So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. When the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah, the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city. But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them; and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven… The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found. (Judges 20.36-38, 40 and 48)
References to “Sodom” in the Bible (beyond the book of Genesis)
1. Deuteronomy 29:23 'All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.'
2. Deuteronomy 32:32 "For their vine is from the vine of Sodom, And from the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of poison, Their clusters, bitter.
3. Isaiah 1:9-10 Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah.
4. Isaiah 3:9 The expression of their faces bears witness against them. And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.
5. Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
6. Jeremiah 23:14 "Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
7. Jeremiah 49:18 "Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors," says the LORD, "no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it.
8. Jeremiah 50:40 "As when God overthrew Sodom And Gomorrah with its neighbors," declares the LORD, "No man will live there, Nor will any son of man reside in it.
9. Lamentations 4:6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her.
10. Ezekiel 16:46-58 46 "Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 "Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your conduct than they. 48 "As I live," declares the Lord God, "Sodom, your sister, and her daughters, have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. 50 "Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it. 51 "Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. Thus you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have committed. 52 "Also bear your disgrace in that you have made judgment favorable for your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. Yes, be also ashamed and bear your disgrace, in that you made your sisters appear righteous. 53 "Nevertheless, I will restore their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and along with them your own captivity, 54 in order that you may bear your humiliation, and feel ashamed for all that you have done when you become a consolation to them. 55 "And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to their former state, and you with your daughters will also return to your former state. 56 "As the name of your sister Sodom was not heard from your lips in your day of pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered, so now you have become the reproach of the daughters of Edom, and of all who are around her, of the daughters of the Philistines-- those surrounding you who despise you. 58 "You have borne the penalty of your lewdness and abominations," the LORD declares.
11. Amos 4:11 "I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD.
12. Zephaniah 2:9 "Therefore, as I live," declares the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, "Surely Moab will be like Sodom, And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah-- A place possessed by nettles and salt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them, And the remainder of My nation will inherit them."
13. Matthew 10:11-16 "11 "And into whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it; and abide there until you go away. 12 "And as you enter the house, give it your greeting. 13 "And if the house is worthy, let your greeting of peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your greeting of peace return to you. 14 "And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. 16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.
14. Matthew 11:20, 23-24 “Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent… And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.
15. Luke 10:3-12 3 "Go your ways; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 "Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5 "And whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house. 6 "And if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 "And stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 "And whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 "But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' 12 "I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
16. Luke 17:28-29 "It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
17. Romans 9:29 And just as Isaiah foretold, "Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, We would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah."
18. 2 Peter 2:4-11 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, 11 whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.
19. Jude 1:5-9 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7 Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you."
20. Revelation 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Seminal Stories of the Bible - for Sunday Feb 28 and Wednesday Mar 3
After a grueling round of relentlessly narrowing down profoundly important passages of the Bible, I have settled on seven passages from the Old Testament and seven passages from the New Testament for us to focus on this Week.
Seven Seminal Passages from the Old Testament:
Seven Seminal Passages from the Old Testament:
- Covenant - Genesis 12 - God's Covenant with Abram
key verses: Genesis 12:1-3 - Deliverance - Exodus 15 - God's salvation of Israel through the Red Sea
key verse: Exodus 15:21 - Worship - Deuteronomy 6 - The Shema
key verse: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 - Dynasty - 2 Samuel 7 - God makes covenant with King David's Dyansty
key verse: 2 Samuel 7:16 - Oblivion - 1 Kings 19 - Elijah stands (with God) against King Ahab's Omri Dynasty
key verse: 1 Kings 19:11-12 - Messiah - Psalm 110 - Messianic Hymn most often quoted in the New Testament
key verse: Psalm 110:1 - Redeemed - Isaiah 42:1-9 - First of the four Servant Songs reinterpreting Israel's (and God's) place among the nations in the wake of exile
key verses: Isaiah 42:6-7
- Fulfillment - Matthew 5:1-20 - Preamble to the Sermon on the Mount
key verses: Matthew 5:17-18 - Abundance - Mark 4:1-20 - Parable of the Sower
key verse: Mark 4:20 - Companion - Luke 24: 13-35 - The Resurrection Walk to Emmaus
key verse: Luke 24:26-27 - Light - John 1:1-14 - Prologue of John
key verses: John 1:4-5 - Power - Acts 15 - The Jerusalem Council integrates the Gentiles
key verses: Acts 15:28-29 - Way - Philippians 2:1-18 - the Christ Hymn
key verses: Philippians 2:8-9 - Faith - Hebrews 11 - Roll call of Faithfulness
key verse: Hebrews 11:13
- These passages form a framework for the narrative thread in the entire Bible
- Each passage forms a crucial moment in the life of God's people
- Taken together, the passages represent a sampling of the various kinds of literature styles in the Bible
- Many of the passages are either referenced in other parts of the Bible, or themselves reference other parts of the Bible
Major Divisions of the 66 Books of the Bible
The basic division of our Bible designates 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.
So here are two basic divisions (Jewish and Christian) of the collection of what Christians call the Old Testament and a division of the books of the New Testament. Wiki includes a helpful chart of these divisions, including Catholic and Eastern Orthodox divisions (which include extra books!).
The Jewish people use three major divisions for the Hebrew Bible (what we call the Old Testament):
Jesus often cited two major divisions: the Law (Hebrew: Torah) and the Prophets (see Matthew 7:12 or Romans 3:21). Later, Judaism sanctioned a third major division, the Writings.
1. The Law (Torah, in Hebrew) is the heart of the Hebrew Bible, sometimes also called the Pentateuch (a Greek word meaning "Five Books"). Traditionally ascribed to Moses, it includes the books of:
2. The next major division of the Hebrew Bible is the Prophets (Hebrew: Nevi'im). The Jewish tradition combines books that have two parts (because one scroll would not contain them) as well as the 12 "Minor" prophets to come up with eight "books", although in the Christian Old Testament, they are divided into 21 of the 39 total books. They include:
The Early Prophets (which relate the history of Israel from the time of Moses to the time of the Babylonian exile (approximately 1200 - 586 BCE)):
3. Jewish people call the third division the Writings (Hebrew: Ketuvim). They include:
The "Books of Truth":
From the Jewish Early Prophets
The Major Prophets
So here are two basic divisions (Jewish and Christian) of the collection of what Christians call the Old Testament and a division of the books of the New Testament. Wiki includes a helpful chart of these divisions, including Catholic and Eastern Orthodox divisions (which include extra books!).
The Jewish people use three major divisions for the Hebrew Bible (what we call the Old Testament):
Jesus often cited two major divisions: the Law (Hebrew: Torah) and the Prophets (see Matthew 7:12 or Romans 3:21). Later, Judaism sanctioned a third major division, the Writings.
- 5 books of the Law (Torah)
- 8 books of the Prophets (Nevi'im) including four Early and four Later Prophets (counted as 21 books in the Christian Old Testament)
- 11 books of Writings (Ketuvim) counted as 13 books in the Christian Old Testament
1. The Law (Torah, in Hebrew) is the heart of the Hebrew Bible, sometimes also called the Pentateuch (a Greek word meaning "Five Books"). Traditionally ascribed to Moses, it includes the books of:
- Genesis,
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers, and
- Deuteronomy.
2. The next major division of the Hebrew Bible is the Prophets (Hebrew: Nevi'im). The Jewish tradition combines books that have two parts (because one scroll would not contain them) as well as the 12 "Minor" prophets to come up with eight "books", although in the Christian Old Testament, they are divided into 21 of the 39 total books. They include:
The Early Prophets (which relate the history of Israel from the time of Moses to the time of the Babylonian exile (approximately 1200 - 586 BCE)):
- Joshua,
- Judges (two scrolls),
- Samuel (two scrolls) and
- Kings (two scrolls)
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Ezekiel
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habbakuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
3. Jewish people call the third division the Writings (Hebrew: Ketuvim). They include:
The "Books of Truth":
- Psalms (the hymnbook of the Israelites),
- Proverbs (a scriptural "Poor Richard's Almanac"), and
- Job;
- Song of Songs (called Song of Solomon in the Christian Old Testament)
- Ruth
- Lamentations
- Ecclesiastes
- Esther
- Daniel (an example of apocalyptic literature in the Hebrew Bible, this book was probably written only a couple of centuries before Jesus Christ, in Hebrew and in Aramaic)
- Ezra-Nehemiah (divided into two books in the Christian Old Testament - these are the only historical accounts of the post-exile period)
- Chronicles (two scrolls which cover the same historical period covered in the scrolls of the Kings, and which were written much later)).
- 5 Books of the Law
- 12 History Books (the 7 Early Prophets and 5 books from the Writings)
- 5 Wisdom Books
- 17 Books of Prophecy (5 Major and 12 Minor Prophets)
- Genesis,
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers, and
- Deuteronomy
From the Jewish Early Prophets
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
The Major Prophets
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations (from the Jewish Writings division)
- Ezekiel
- Daniel (from the Jewish Writings division)
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habbakuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
- 4 Gospels
- 1 History
- 21 Epistles or Letters
- 1 Apocalypse
- Matthew
- Mark
- Luke
- John
- Acts of the Apostles (also written by Luke)
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
- Hebrews
- James
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- 1 John
- 2 John
- 3 John
- Jude
- Revelation
Reading the Bible - Where to Start
We had a great conversation Wednesday evening, Feb. 24 (our first Wednesday session of the study, which continues on Sunday mornings through March 21). I'm impressed at how often the question "Where do I start?" comes up. And related to that question is the experience of having read a portion of the Bible and feeling more confused and alienated that before you started reading!
I've been roller skating for about a year now. When I began, I fell a lot. After suffering from many nasty encounters with the floor, I realized that I had to wear protective gear and take it easy on the things I was trying to accomplish if I were going to be able to continue skating. Everyone around me seemed to be skating with ease. I got advice from people (not all of it helpful or welcome), and experienced the reality of the old saw: "It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better."
Getting into any new practice comes with that kind of cost. For one thing, you have to make time for reading scripture in a schedule already too crowded for such reflection. And if you can balance the time, so much of the vocabulary and "culture" of scripture feels foreign and ill-fitting to you. People like me (pastors and teachers) make it seem easy, and our advice about how to go about reading the Bible can sometimes make you feel inadequate and ignored.
Relax. You're trying something new and this kind of break-in (steep learning curve) is normal and appropriate. So take it easy and realize that continuing to show up, adjusting your approach when appropriate (when you have a pretty good idea of how a certain approach is trending - in either a helpful or unhelpful way), will bear fruit in your life. My skating got better - and it continues to get better, because I practice and enjoy it a lot. Your experience of reading scripture and encountering the God to which scripture bears such eloquent witness will get better too!
In the meantime, I'm planning a series of helps to get you better acquainted with the lay of the land in scripture. A great place for Christians to begin is in any one of the Gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Or read all four! But take it slowly, and be prepared to go where the Spirit of God leads you in your reading. I like to suggest reading with a journal in hand, so that you can write down notes and reflections. And don't be afraid of writing some of those notes and references in your Bible. (Don't own a Bible? Take one of the pew Bibles in the sanctuary! We'll also discuss approaches to purchasing a good study and devotional Bible).
One of the best ways to get aquainted with the lay of the land - the culture of the Bible - is to learn about the way the Bible is structured. More a library of 66 books than a single volume, the Bible contains many different forms of literature (law, history, poetry, wisdom sayings, prophetic writings, genealogies, stories, parables, letters, gospels, apocalypses, morality tales, collections of sayings, and commentaries). Knowing where you are and what to expect (these different literary forms require different reading strategies) is more than half the battle of getting comfortable in the culture of scripture.
Stay tuned for an explanation of the structure of the Bible in the next Blog installment!
I've been roller skating for about a year now. When I began, I fell a lot. After suffering from many nasty encounters with the floor, I realized that I had to wear protective gear and take it easy on the things I was trying to accomplish if I were going to be able to continue skating. Everyone around me seemed to be skating with ease. I got advice from people (not all of it helpful or welcome), and experienced the reality of the old saw: "It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better."
Getting into any new practice comes with that kind of cost. For one thing, you have to make time for reading scripture in a schedule already too crowded for such reflection. And if you can balance the time, so much of the vocabulary and "culture" of scripture feels foreign and ill-fitting to you. People like me (pastors and teachers) make it seem easy, and our advice about how to go about reading the Bible can sometimes make you feel inadequate and ignored.
Relax. You're trying something new and this kind of break-in (steep learning curve) is normal and appropriate. So take it easy and realize that continuing to show up, adjusting your approach when appropriate (when you have a pretty good idea of how a certain approach is trending - in either a helpful or unhelpful way), will bear fruit in your life. My skating got better - and it continues to get better, because I practice and enjoy it a lot. Your experience of reading scripture and encountering the God to which scripture bears such eloquent witness will get better too!
In the meantime, I'm planning a series of helps to get you better acquainted with the lay of the land in scripture. A great place for Christians to begin is in any one of the Gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Or read all four! But take it slowly, and be prepared to go where the Spirit of God leads you in your reading. I like to suggest reading with a journal in hand, so that you can write down notes and reflections. And don't be afraid of writing some of those notes and references in your Bible. (Don't own a Bible? Take one of the pew Bibles in the sanctuary! We'll also discuss approaches to purchasing a good study and devotional Bible).
One of the best ways to get aquainted with the lay of the land - the culture of the Bible - is to learn about the way the Bible is structured. More a library of 66 books than a single volume, the Bible contains many different forms of literature (law, history, poetry, wisdom sayings, prophetic writings, genealogies, stories, parables, letters, gospels, apocalypses, morality tales, collections of sayings, and commentaries). Knowing where you are and what to expect (these different literary forms require different reading strategies) is more than half the battle of getting comfortable in the culture of scripture.
Stay tuned for an explanation of the structure of the Bible in the next Blog installment!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Ways of Reading the Bible - Finding Jesus in the Scriptures
Here's a wonderful example of a thread or topical chain that runs throughout scripture. I have found it in various forms on many websites without attribution, so I copy it anonymously here (with many of my own modifications and verse references):
In Genesis, Jesus is The Seed of Woman.
In Exodus, Jesus is The Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus, Jesus is The Atonement Cover.
In Numbers, Jesus is The Cloud and The Fire,
In Deuteronomy, Jesus is The Prophet Like Moses.
Joshua presents Jesus as God's Commander,
In Judges, Jesus is The Sign of God,
In Genesis, Jesus is The Seed of Woman.
In Exodus, Jesus is The Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus, Jesus is The Atonement Cover.
In Numbers, Jesus is The Cloud and The Fire,
In Deuteronomy, Jesus is The Prophet Like Moses.
Joshua presents Jesus as God's Commander,
In Judges, Jesus is The Sign of God,
The book of Ruth presents Jesus as The Family Guardian,
In 1 Samuel, Jesus is The Ark of God,
In 2 Samuel, Jesus is The Forever King,
In 1 Kings, Jesus is The True Temple,
In 2 Kings, Jesus is The Covenant Restorer,
1 Chronicles declares Jesus is The Builder of God's House.
In 2 Chronicles, Jesus is God's Promise of Restoration,
while in Ezra, Jesus is The True Foundation.
Nehemiah pictures Jesus as The Rebuilder.
In Esther, Jesus is The Encourager.
Job describes Jesus as The Arbitrator.
In Psalms, Jesus is Our Shepherd,
Proverbs calls Jesus Lady Wisdom
and Ecclesiastes calls Jesus Life's Joy.
The Song of Solomon declares Jesus Love Strong As Death
The Song of Solomon declares Jesus Love Strong As Death
The Prophet Isaiah calls Jesus Prince of Peace.
In Jeremiah, Jesus is Righteous Savior
and in Lamentations, Jesus is Never-Failing Compassion,
while Ezekiel witnesses Jesus as Breath of New Life.
Daniel names Jesus The 4th Man in The Fire,
To Hosea, Jesus is The Holy One Among Us
Joel declares that Jesus is Outpouring Spirit,
while Amos calls Jesus River of Justice.
The book of Obadiah speaks of Jesus as God's Deliverance,
while Jonah says Jesus is Forgiver of Enemies.
In Micah, Jesus is Our Peace,
and Nahum prophesies Jesus as The Restorer.
Habakkuk speaks of Jesus as The Flood of God's Glory,
while Zephaniah describes Jesus as The One Who Brings Us Home.
In Haggai, Jesus he is The Desire of Nations,
Zechariah calls Jesus The One We Have Pierced
and Malachi calls Jesus The Sun of Righteousness.
Matthew: The King of the Jews,
Mark: The Servant of God,
Luke: The Son of Man,
John: The One and Only Word of God.
In Acts, Jesus is the Sufferer With the Saints,
In Romans, Jesus is Our Justification.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul calls Jesus The Resurrected Lord,
In 2 Corinthians, Jesus is The Minister of Reconciliation
Galatians celebrates Jesus as The One Who Sets Us Free.
Ephesians calls Jesus The Head of the Church,
while in Philippians, Jesus is Strength Giver.
Colossians describes Jesus as The Image of the Invisible God,
In 1 Thessalonians, Jesus is The One Who Calls Us,
In 1 Thessalonians, Jesus is The Peace Giver
1 Timothy calls Jesus The Mediator.
2 Timothy declares Jesus The Guard of Our Trust
Titus calls Him The Great God and Savior,
while Philemon calls Jesus An Appeal of Love.
In the book of Hebrews He is Our Great High Priest.
James declares Him The Lord Coming Near.
In 1 Peter, Jesus is The Living Stone
and 2 Peter declares Jesus The Rising Morning Star
while in 1 John, Jesus is Our Advocate,
and in 3 John, Jesus is The Name.
Jude cries The Only God our Savior,
and in Revelation, Jesus is The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, The Lamb of God, The Bright Morning Star, and The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Continuing our journey through the Season of Lent
After missing a snow day Feb. 7 and rescheduling the Gospel Parallels conversation to Feb. 14, we met on Feb. 21 to introduce the practice of Lectio Divina. I've found a wonderful article online by Fr. Luke Dysinger that describes the practice for individuals and groups (like ours), as well as a way to integrate the practice into our daily life.
We introduced this practice of prayerful scripture reading on Feb. 21, but you can experience this part of the class again on Wednesday evening, Feb. 24, at 8 pm in the sanctuary, following the Lenten Prayer service that begins at 7 pm. Please plan to join us for some welcome spiritual refreshment and peace.
Here's an outline of what we've covered so far:
1. Jan. 17 - The Daily Office (prayers of the hours or praying scripture) - we discussed the difference between what you learned about the Bible as a child and what you have learned about the Bible as an adult (passive vs. engaged).
2. Jan. 24 - Psalm 19 and Praying with the Body - we discussed what it means to call the Bible "God's Word". Introduced the "dropped ski" analogy and the difference between appreciating and appropriating the message of scripture. We also discussed the tension between the explicit and implicit word (creation vs. law).
3. Jan. 31 - Following the "Here I Am, Lord" topical thread or chain - discussed Karen Armstrong' assertion that the Bible is a commentary or interpretation of events (rather than a bare reporting of those events). Focused on Gen. 22 (the sacrifice of Isaac) and how we must go to the edge in order to truly know about ourselves.
4. Feb. 14 (skipped Feb. 7 due to snow) - Gospel Parallels of Mark 2:23-28 - we (1) compared the parallel accounts and (2) discussed the interpretive methods used by the pharisees, Jesus, and the Gospel writers. We discussed integrating the Bible story into our life story as a way of doing theology. We also discussed the tension between freedom in Christ and the requirements of the Law.
5. Feb. 21 and 24 (Wednesday evening) - Lectio Divina using Jeremiah 29:10-14 - reading from the TNIV, RSV, and TNK versions and listening for a word that resonates with our lives. This way of inspirational reading (or hearing) contrasts sharply with the more scholarly and pedantic technique we used in comparing the Gospel parallels.
Here is the plan for the remainder of the class sessions:
6. Feb. 28 and March 3 (Wednesday evening) - a whirlwind tour of the "seminal stories" of the Bible. These stories are the primary narratives that provide the structure and foundation of the Biblical narrative.
7. Mar. 7 and 10 (Wednesday evening) - Dennis Dewey and the art of Biblical storytelling - let's experience together how scripture might have been originally transmitted among the Israelites and early Christians.
8. Mar. 14 and 17 (Wednesday evening) - using the Bible as it's own interpretive commentary on Genesis 19 (destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah) - we'll examine the ways scripture references and interprets Genesis 19, as well as the interpretive power of translation.
9. Mar. 21 and 24 (Wednesday evening) - experiencing scripture liturgically - we'll join for a celebration of communion as we gather around the story of passover, the letters of Paul, and the Gospel accounts of the last supper.
We introduced this practice of prayerful scripture reading on Feb. 21, but you can experience this part of the class again on Wednesday evening, Feb. 24, at 8 pm in the sanctuary, following the Lenten Prayer service that begins at 7 pm. Please plan to join us for some welcome spiritual refreshment and peace.
Here's an outline of what we've covered so far:
1. Jan. 17 - The Daily Office (prayers of the hours or praying scripture) - we discussed the difference between what you learned about the Bible as a child and what you have learned about the Bible as an adult (passive vs. engaged).
2. Jan. 24 - Psalm 19 and Praying with the Body - we discussed what it means to call the Bible "God's Word". Introduced the "dropped ski" analogy and the difference between appreciating and appropriating the message of scripture. We also discussed the tension between the explicit and implicit word (creation vs. law).
3. Jan. 31 - Following the "Here I Am, Lord" topical thread or chain - discussed Karen Armstrong' assertion that the Bible is a commentary or interpretation of events (rather than a bare reporting of those events). Focused on Gen. 22 (the sacrifice of Isaac) and how we must go to the edge in order to truly know about ourselves.
4. Feb. 14 (skipped Feb. 7 due to snow) - Gospel Parallels of Mark 2:23-28 - we (1) compared the parallel accounts and (2) discussed the interpretive methods used by the pharisees, Jesus, and the Gospel writers. We discussed integrating the Bible story into our life story as a way of doing theology. We also discussed the tension between freedom in Christ and the requirements of the Law.
5. Feb. 21 and 24 (Wednesday evening) - Lectio Divina using Jeremiah 29:10-14 - reading from the TNIV, RSV, and TNK versions and listening for a word that resonates with our lives. This way of inspirational reading (or hearing) contrasts sharply with the more scholarly and pedantic technique we used in comparing the Gospel parallels.
Here is the plan for the remainder of the class sessions:
6. Feb. 28 and March 3 (Wednesday evening) - a whirlwind tour of the "seminal stories" of the Bible. These stories are the primary narratives that provide the structure and foundation of the Biblical narrative.
7. Mar. 7 and 10 (Wednesday evening) - Dennis Dewey and the art of Biblical storytelling - let's experience together how scripture might have been originally transmitted among the Israelites and early Christians.
8. Mar. 14 and 17 (Wednesday evening) - using the Bible as it's own interpretive commentary on Genesis 19 (destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah) - we'll examine the ways scripture references and interprets Genesis 19, as well as the interpretive power of translation.
9. Mar. 21 and 24 (Wednesday evening) - experiencing scripture liturgically - we'll join for a celebration of communion as we gather around the story of passover, the letters of Paul, and the Gospel accounts of the last supper.
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