Archive for the ‘Ruth 1’ Tag
Above: Map of the Assyrian Empire
Image Scanned from an Old Bible
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READING FIRST ISAIAH, PART XII
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Isaiah 14:28-20:6; 23:1-18; 30:1-26; 31:1-9
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INTRODUCTION
Some of this material may have originated with Isaiah ben Amoz, but other material (if not all of it) came from a later time. The First Isaiah (Chapters 1-23, 28-33) part of the Book of Isaiah came to exist in its final form of the Babylonian Exile. The editing of the older material and the addition of old material created a multi-layered collection of texts.
I acknowledge this historical and literary reality without reservation. I also focus on meanings. Contexts–especially historical ones–are crucial for establishing a text’s original meaning. One needs to do this before interpreting a text for today as effectively as possible. Unfortunately, determining original historical context is not always possible in First Isaiah. Still, I do the best I can.
If prophetic denunciations of Tyre/Philistia, Moab, and Aram/Damascus (Isaiah 14:28-17:14) seem familiar to you, O reader, you may be thinking of Amos 1:3-5; 1:9-10; and 2:1-3.
PHILISTIA
Isaiah 14:28 establishes a temporal marker:
In the year that King Ahaz died….
As I have written in previous posts in this series of posts about Hebrew prophetic books, establishing a coherent and consistent chronology on the Gregorian Calendar and the B.C./B.C.E.-A.D./C.E. scale for the period from King Azariah/Uzziah of Judah and King Hezekiah of Judah is notoriously difficult. If one consults three study Bibles, one may find three different sets of years for the reign of the same monarch. Although study Bibles disagree about when King Ahaz began to reign, they agree that he died in or about 715 B.C.E.
Circa 715 B.C.E., Philistine cities, Assyrian vassals, were trying to forge a regional united front against the Assyrian Empire. That empire had already swallowed up Aram and the (northern) Kingdom of Israel in 720 and 722 .C.E., respectively. The Kingdom of Judah, under King Hezekiah, did not join this alliance. Circa 715 B.C.E., the Assyrian Empire was experiencing a period of temporary decline.
Do not rejoice, Philistia, not one of you,
that the rod which struck you is broken;….
–Isaiah 14:29a, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
The rod was not broken, after all. The Assyrian Empire had a resurgence of power, and the anti-Assyrian rebellion failed.
Anyway, the snake in Isaiah 29:b is a call back to the seraphim (poisonous snakes) from Numbers 21:1-9 and Deuteronomy 8:15, and alluded to in Isaiah 6:1-13.
Philistia’s hopes of throwing off the Assyrian yoke were in vain.
PHOENICIA (TYRE AND SIDON)
The Phoenicians (who deserve much credit for the alphabet in which I write this post) were seagoing merchants. In fact, in the Bible, the association between Phoenicians and merchants was so strong that, in some texts, “Phoenicians” may refer to merchants, not ethnic-cultural Phoenicians. Anyway, many Phoenician merchants were fabulously wealthy.
Isaiah 23:1-18 may be either a prophecy or a text written after the failed Phoenician rebellion against the Assyrian Empire in 701 B.C.E. The text is, in any case, a mock lament. The text criticizes Phoenicians for relying on their wealth and being arrogant, not relying on YHWH. We read the Tyre, supposedly inviolable, fell. We may legitimately consider this as a warning that Jerusalem, also supposedly inviolable, could fall, too.
It did, in 586. B.C.E.
MOAB
The temporal origin of Isaiah 15:1-16:13 is uncertain. It may date to a time after Isaiah ben Amoz and refer to mourning after Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian military activity. A similar text, a dirge for events circa 650 B.C.E., exists in Jeremiah 48. There are also thematic connections with Numbers 21:27-30.
Moab, to the east of the Dead Sea, was where Jordan is today. Moab was a traditional enemy of the Jewish people. The (united) Kingdom of Israel controlled Moab. The (northern) Kingdom of Israel fought off Moabite resistance to its control until the reign (851-842 B.C.E.) of King Joram (Jehoram) of Israel. Then Moab regained its independence. Circa 735 B.C.E., Moab became a vassal state of the Assyrian Empire. In the middle of the seventh century B.C.E., Moab, as an autonomous state, ceased to exist. Moab traded Assyrian domination for Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian domination in 609 B.C.E. The last Moabite king’s reign ended circa 600 B.C.E. (Jeremiah 27:3).
Isaiah 16 encourages the Kings of Judah, part-Moabite (Ruth 1-4), to welcome Moabite refugees.
Isaiah 16 also includes some references that careful, attentive readers of the early prophets (Hosea, Amos, Micah, and First Isaiah) should find familiar. Verse 7 refers to raisin cakes offered to false gods (Hosea 3:1). The royal government of Judah had a divine mandate to act justly, consistent with the Law of Moses (verses 1-5). We read another condemnation of collective and official “haughtiness, pride, and arrogance” before God (verse 6). And the remnant of Moab will be “very small and weak,” we read in verse 14. The Moabite remnant contrasts with the Judean remnant.
E. D. Grohman wrote:
Archaeological exploration has shown that Moab was largely depopulated from ca. the beginning of the sixth century, and in many sites from ca. the eighth century. From the sixth century on, nomads wandered through the land until political and economic facts made sedentary life possible again in the last centuries B.C.
—The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, K-Q (1962), 418
ARAM/DAMASCUS
Aram (where Syria is today) was the main rival to the Assyrian Empire during the prophetic careers of Hosea, Amos, and Micah, and during the beginning of the prophetic career of First Isaiah. After the Syro-Ephraimite War (734-732 B.C.E.), both the Kingdom of Aram and the (northern) Kingdom of Israel lost territory to the Assyrian Empire and became vassal states of that empire. The Assyrian Empire conquered Israel in 722 B.C.E. and Aram in 720 B.C.E.
Truly, you have forgotten the God who saves you,
the Rock, your refuge, you have not remembered.
–Isaiah 17:10a, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
I will return to that theme before the end of this post.
ETHIOPIA AND EGYPT–REALLY CUSH/NUBIA
Modern place names do not always correspond to ancient place names. The references to Ethiopia in Isaiah 18:1-7 and 20:1-6 are to Cush (where the Sudan is today). On maps of the Roman Empire, the label is Nubia.
A Cushite/Nubian dynasty (the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty of Egypt) controlled Egypt at the time, so references to “Ethiopia” included Egypt. That dynasty had invited the Kingdom of Judah to join its coalition against the Assyrian Empire circa 715 B.C.E. Egypt/Cush/Nubia had replaced Aram as the main rival to the Assyrian Empire. Judah, under King Hezekiah, did join this alliance, much to divine disapproval (Isaiah 30:1-5; 31:1-9). Judean participation in this alliance was apparently an example of rebellion against God (Isaiah 28:14-22; 29:15-26; 30:6-7). God was prepared to act against the Assyrian Empire, but not yet (Isaiah 18:1-7).
Isaiah 19 refers to the Cushite/Nubian conquest of Egypt and asserts divine sovereignty over Egypt:
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.
Verse 1b, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
The theological-geopolitical agenda in the Egyptian/Cushite/Nubian material was to rely only on God, not on powerful neighbors that did not have Judah’s best interests at heart. Trusting in God was the only way to maintain independence. Empires rose and fell, but God would never fall. And God was waiting to be gracious to Judah (Isaiah 30:18f).
For this said the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
By waiting and by calm you shall be saved,
in quiet and trust shall be your strength.
But this you did not will.
–Isaiah 30:15, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
CONCLUSION
These passages reflect a particular geopolitical and historical set of circumstances. As with the Law of Moses, one ought to be careful not to mistake examples bound by circumstances for timeless principles do exist.
If one expects me to extrapolate these readings into a condemnation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (N.A.T.O.) or the United Nations (U.N.), for example, I will disappoint such a person. I live in the United States of America, not equivalent to any ancient kingdom, empire, or city-state. I do not accept American Exceptionalism either, so I may disappoint another group of readers. The same rules and moral standards that apply to other nation-states in 2021 also apply to the United States of America.
One timeless principle germane in this post is the imperative of trusting in God more than in people. This applies both collectively and individually. God is forever; people have relatively short lifespans. Nation-states come and go. Administrations come and go, also. Even the most capable and benevolent leaders are imperfect. They can still function as instruments of God, of course. May they do so. And may they know that they are “like grass.”
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 1, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUSTIN MARTYR, CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST AND MARTYR, 166/167
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAMPHILUS OF CAESAREA, BIBLE SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 309
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL STENNETT, ENGLISH SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN HOWARD, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON OF SYRACUSE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM ROBINSON, MARMADUKE STEPHENSON, AND MARY DYER, BRITISH QUAKER MARTYRS IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 1659 AND 1660
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Above: Map of the Assyrian Empire and Its Neighbors
Image Scanned from an Old Bible
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READING AMOS, PART II
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Amos 1:3-2:3
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Introduction
As I read the Book of Amos, I ask myself how much of the final version is original to the text from the prophet. I know that the final version of the Book of Amos dates to the 400s B.C.E., three centuries after the time of the prophet. Nevertheless, that question, germane for some matters of interpretation, is irrelevant for other matters of interpretation. The message(s) of the Book of Amos for people, cultures, societies, and institutions in 2021 C.E. are what they are, regardless of which layer of composition to which a particular passage belongs.
Amos 1:3-2:16 consists of prophetic oracles of judgment against nations. I choose to write about the oracles against Judah and Israel in the next post. In this post, I focus on divine judgment against Aram, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab.
Notice, O reader, a motif:
For three crimes of _____, and now four–
I will not take it back–….
–Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
This motif indicates the end of divine patience after the third crime. Divine patience is not infinite. Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance.
Amos 1:3-2:3 condemns neighboring nations for behavior that is anti-human or against nature. These Gentiles, not being under the Law of Moses, had no covenant with God to keep. They were still accountable according to certain standards, though.
Aram (1:3-5)
Aram was where Syria is today. Aram was the main rival of the Assyrian Empire during the time of the prophets Amos, Hosea, Micah, and (First) Isaiah. Aram was also a frequent foe of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel.
Aram had “threshed Gilead with sledges of iron,” a reference to a military campaign (2 Kings 13:3-7). King Hazael came to power circa 842 B.C.E. and reigned until circa 806 B.C.E. (2 Kings 8:7-15). He founded a dynasty. Hazael’s immediate successor was his son, King Ben-hadad II (2 Kings 13:3). Hadad was a storm god, and “Ben” meant “son of.”
“Aven” meant “evil,” so the Valley of Aven was the “Valley of Evil.” Beth-eden was an Aramaic city-state between the Euphrates and Balikh Rivers. According to Amos 1:5, God would depose the King of Beth-eden and exile the Arameans. During the Syro-Ephraimite War (734-732 B.C.E.; 2 Kings 15:27-31; 2 Kings 16:1-19; 2 Chronicles 28:1-26; Isaiah 7:1-8:23), King Pekah of Israel (r. 735-732 B.C.E.) and King Rezin of Aram (r. 750-732 B.C.E.), having formed an anti-Assyrian alliance, fought the (southern) Kingdom of Judah and besieged Jerusalem because King Ahaz (r. 743/735-727/715 B.C.E.) refused to join that coalition. King Ahaz of Judah turned not to God, but to the Assyrian Empire. That empire conquered part of Aram and reduced Israel to vassalage in 732 B.C.E. The Assyrian Empire ended Aram’s existence as an independent kingdom in 720 B.C.E. That empire relocated Arameans throughout the Assyrian Empire, including in Samaria (2 Kings 17:24, 30).
Philistia (1:6-8
Philistia was on the Mediterranean coast and east of the (southern) Kingdom of Judah. Philistia was where the Gaza Strip is today. Philistines were the people otherwise known as Phoenicians.
Philistia had “exiled an entire population,” probably from Israel or Judah. This raid, perhaps during the reign (817-800 B.C.E.; 2 Kings 13:1-25) of King Jehoahaz of Israel, violated Exodus 21:16, not that the covenant applied to the Philistines.
Tyre (1:9-10)
Tyre, on the Mediterranean coast, was the chief Phoenician city in the middle 700s B.C.E. It was a wealthy commercial capital of a trading network.
Tyre had violated a treaty with an unnamed partner and handed an entire population over to slave markets in Edom.
Edom (1:11-12)
Edom was south of the Dead Sea, in what is now the southern regions of Israel and Jordan. Edom was the nation, by tradition, descended from Esau, a.k.a. Edom (Genesis 25:25-28:9; 32:3-33:16; 35:1-43; 36:1-43). Jacob/Israel had made their peace (Genesis 33), but their descendants had continued the conflict.
Edom, the nation, had pursued his “brother” (Israel) with the sword. Edom, the nation, was metaphorically the brother of the Israelite people (Numbers 20:14; Deuteronomy 2:4; Deuteronomy 23:7; Obadiah 10, 12). King David had added Edom to the (united) Kingdom of Israel (2 Samuel 8:13f; 1 Kings 11:15-17). Edom, part of the (southern) Kingdom of Judah after the division of the (united) Kingdom of Israel, threw off Judean control during the reign (851-853 B.C.E.) of King Jehoram (Joram) (2 Kings 8:16-24; 2 Chronicles 21:4-20). Yet Judah reconquered Edom during the reign (798-769 B.C.E.) of King Amaziah of Judah (2 Kings 14:1-22; 2 Chronicles 25:1-28) and the reign (785-733 B.C.E.) of King Azariah/Uzziah of Judah (2 Kings 15:1-7; 2 Chronicles 26:1-23), contemporary with the time of the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Micah. Edomites persisted in their anger; they raged in wrath without end.
Ammon (1:13-15)
Ammon was to the west of the River Jordan and north of the Dead Sea, in modern-day Jordan. Ammon had been part of the (united) Kingdom of Israel under Kings David and Solomon. The Ammonites had broken away circa 928 B.C.E., when the (united) Kingdom of Israel split into the (northern) Kingdom of Israel and the (southern) Kingdom of Judah.
Ammon had “ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, in order to extend their territory” (Amos 1:13). Ammon had fought a border war with Israel, probably during the 800s B.C.E. In the course of that conflict, Ammonite soldiers had ripped open pregnant women, a tactic not unheard of, sadly.
Ammon became a vassal state (742-630 B.C.E.) of the Assyrian Empire then a province thereof. With the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian conquest of the Assyrian Empire, Ammon became a rebellious province of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire. The rebellion failed, and mass deportations ensued.
Moab (2:1-3)
Moab was west of the Dead Sea, in modern-day Jordan. Moab had been a vassal state of the (united) Kingdom of Israel under Kings David and Solomon then under the kings of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel. King Mesha of Moab had successfully rebelled against vassalage during the reign (851-842 B.C.E) of King Jehoram (Joram) of Israel (1 Kings 3:1-27) and the reign (870-846 B.C.E.) of King Jehoshaphat of Judah (1 Kings 22:1-51; 2 Kings 3:1-27; 2 Chronicles 17:1-20:37). Moab was also the homeland of Ruth.
Moab had “burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king.” This was an extreme disrespect usually reserved criminals (Genesis 38:24; Leviticus 20:14; Leviticus 21:9), not that Moabites were subject to the Law of Moses. This act, which had no effect on either the (northern) Kingdom of Israel or the (southern) Kingdom of Judah, was still a crime against God.
Moab came under Assyrian domination (c. 735 B.C.E.), became an Assyrian province (711 B.C.E.), and finally ceased to be a state (circa 600 B.C.E.). (For more about the decline and fall of Moab, read Isaiah 15-16 and Jeremiah 48.)
Conclusion
A spiritual mentor of mine liked to read some portion of the Bible then ask:
What is really going on here?
God, who is sovereign over all the nations, does not tolerate injustice. The Book of Amos beats the drum repeatedly. God cares deeply about how people, cultures, societies, and institutions treat people.
In this post, I have focused on neighbors of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel and the (southern) Kingdom of Judah. Many of the prophet’s original audience probably delighted to hear these proclamations of divine judgment against these foreign nations.
Then Amos stopped preaching and started meddling, so to speak.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 20, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALCUIN OF YORK, ABBOT OF TOURS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS COLUMBA OF RIETI AND OSANNA ANDREASI, DOMINICAN MYSTICS
THE FEAST OF JOHN ELIOT, “THE APOSTLE TO THE INDIANS”
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIÁ ANGÉLICA LATHROP, FOUNDRESS OF THE DOMINICAN SISTERS OF HAWTHORNE
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Above: Ruth, the Dutiful Daughter-in-Law, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
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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 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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Genesis 18:1-15 or Ruth 1:1-19
Psalm 140
Revelation 19:1-10
John 12:37-50
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I detect some themes in the assigned readings. These include:
- Failure to believe, sometimes despite evidence:
- The victory of God over evil regimes, institutions, and people;
- Divine destruction of the corrupt, violent, exploitative, and oppressive world order ahead of replacing it with the fully realized Kingdom of God;
- The divine preference for the poor; and
- God acting in the lives of people, often via other people.
This week, the Humes lectionary takes us to the Book of Ruth, a delightful book about the faithfulness of God, especially in the lives of women. The Book of Ruth also teaches that some Gentiles have faith in the God of the Jews. When one considers that the text may date to either the Babylonian Exile or to the Postexilic period, one may recognize more hope in the story than one would see otherwise. One may even recognize a protest against Ezra 9:9, 10 and Nehemiah 13:23-30, as well as an assertion that foreigners may join the Jewish community.
Divine love includes all who follow God, after all. I, as a Gentile, approve of that message. Divine love also reaches out to those who reject it. Divine love calls upon all people to respond affirmatively.
I do not presume to know who has gone to Heaven or Hell, or who will go to either reality. I guess that Adolf Hitler, for example, is in Hell. However, I affirm that even Hitler was not beyond redemption. I also affirm that he made decisions, which had negative consequences for himself and the world.
The Gospel of Jesus is inclusive. The love of God is inclusive. When we say that salvation comes via Jesus, what does that mean? That question is distinct from what we think it means? I leave to the purview of God what belongs there. My role is to point toward Jesus. To whom else would I, a Christian, point?
How inclusive do we who claim to follow God want to be? Do we want to include all those whom God includes? In other words, who are our Gentiles?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 26, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS TIMOTHY, TITUS, AND SILAS, COWORKERS OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2021/01/26/devotion-for-proper-22-year-d-humes/
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Above: Holofernes
Image in the Public Domain
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READING JUDITH
PART VI
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Judith 10:1-12:20
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Holofernes was like his master, King Nebuchadnezzar II. He was vain, boastful, and quick to accept flattery. The general also consumed lies as easily and in great quantities as easily as he drank too much wine.
Judith played the role of the seductress well. She understood male nature, which she exploited. In doing so, Judith placed herself in much danger. She was even sleeping in the tent of Holofernes. Her undercover (pardon the pun) mission was always perilous.
A few aspects of these three chapters are especially worthy of explanation and elaboration.
- Judith lied when she said her people were so desperate they were about to violate the food laws in the Law of Moses. She referenced Leviticus 17:10-16 and Numbers 18:8-32. Yet, at the time of the composition of the Book of Judith, any violation of the Law of Moses for the purpose of preserving human life was acceptable, according to one school of Jewish thought (1 Maccabees 2:29-41).
- Ironically, Holofernes told the truth, at least partially. He said that Judith was renowned throughout the world (11:20-23). The Book of Judith has long provided inspiration for artists.
- Judith was in extreme sexual danger (12:5). So was Sarah in Genesis 12:10-20 and 20:17.
- Judith established her routine of leaving the Assyrian army camp unchallenged each night (12:6-9). This strategy paid off in 13:11.
- Judith had to work quickly. She had only five days to deliver her people (7:29-32; 8:32-35).
- Judith obeyed kosher food laws, even in the Assyrian army camp. (One may think of Daniel and his friends in Daniel 1, too.)
- Judith’s unnamed female maid/servant was loyal and essential. Judith’s servant was intelligent, unlike the gullible Bagoas, servant of Holofernes.
- In 11:19-23, Judith used language laced with allusions to the prophets and the Book of Psalms. Verses 19 and 20, for example, echoed Isaiah 40:3-4; 35:8-10; 42:16; 51:11; 56:10-11;; as well as 2 Samuel 7:13; Psalm 89:4; Ezekiel 34:8; Zechariah 10:2 and 13:7.
- Ironically, the wisdom at which Holofernes marveled was deception.
- The words of Holofernes, “…your God will be my God…” (11:22), an echo of Ruth 1:16, are vague. Perhaps the character had no idea what he was saying.
- Holofernes lusted after Judith (11:16).
- The texts depict Judith as a great beauty. They also describe Assyrian soldiers as drooling over her. Therein resided part of Judith’s power, which she used to the full extent necessary.
The Book of Judith contains elements of satire and comedy. The text is rich with irony in many places. For example, even a boastful fool accidentally tells the truth sometimes. The intoxicated Holofernes also imagines himself to be in control of the situation. He has no idea how wrong he is.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 11, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF LUKE OF PRAGUE AND JOHN AUGUSTA, MORAVIAN BISHOPS AND HYMN WRITERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT KAZIMIERZ TOMASZ SYKULSKI, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1942
THE FEAST OF LARS OLSEN SKREFSRUD, HANS PETER BOERRESEN, AND PAUL OLAF BODDING, LUTHERAN MISSIONARIES IN INDIA
THE FEAST OF MARYRS OF EL MOZOTE, EL SALVADOR, DECEMBER 11-12, 1981
THE FEAST OF SAINT SEVERIN OTT, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
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Above: Naomi Entreating Ruth and Orpah to Return to the Land of Moab, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year 1, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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O God, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee:
mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 126
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Ruth 1:6-18
2 Peter 3:3-14
Luke 14:1-11
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Divine patience for the purpose of granting opportunities for repentance is indeed merciful, but not infinite; judgment is also real. In that context the faithfulness of Ruth contrasts starkly with the heartless orthodoxy and selfish status-seeking of Christ’s hosts in Luke 14:1-11. Love of God leads to love of human beings–to the seeking of their best interests in the contexts of God and the common good. Love of God does not lead one to become caught up on details of theology and law at the expense of compassion.
Lest we–you and I, O reader–become self-righteous, congratulating ourselves on our piety while we condemn others for their offenses, we need to remember that we are not immune to such sins. We also need to remember that those who commit those sins go down that path while motivated by piety and the desire to obey God.
As we seek to obey God, may we succeed, by grace. As we seek to obey God, may we heed the Golden Rule.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 12, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE ELEVENTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE VISITATION
THE FEAST OF ALICIA DOMON AND HER COMPANIONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS IN ARGENTINA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS BARTHOLOMEW BUONPEDONI AND VIVALDUS, MINISTERS AMONG LEPERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUDWIK BARTOSIK, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR
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Above: Ruth Swearing Her Allegiance to Naomi, by Jan Victors
Image in the Public Domain
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FOR THE NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, ACCORDING TO A LECTIONARY FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE BOOK OF WORSHIP FOR CHURCH AND HOME (1965)
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Let your merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of your humble servants;
and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–Modernized from The Book of Worship for Church and Home (1965), page 139
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Ruth 1:1, 4-9, 16-19a
Psalm 14
Acts 28:16-20, 23-34, 30-31
Luke 15:1-10
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Most English-language translations of Psalm 14, nearly identical to Psalm 53, do not do the text justice, especially in the first verse. The “fools” are actually wicked, for example. Furthermore, the saying that “there is no God” is not a statement of modern-style atheism. No, it means that God does not care and is absent from the world in any meaningful way. That misperception leads the wicked deeper into their perfidy.
God is present in the world in meaningful ways. God also cares–deeply. We read this in Luke 15:1-10, the Parable of the Lost Sheep. We read this also in the entire Book of Ruth. We read of God’s concern repeatedly in the writings of St. Paul the Apostle, who ended his days in Rome. And, if we affirm that God cares, we acknowledge that we should do the same. If we recognize the presence of God in meaningful ways in the world, and if we are spiritually honest, we must then admit that we have an obligation to be present in the world in meaningful ways also.
These are great challenges. They might even prove to be more than inconvenient to us. Nevertheless, grace–the only way we can rise to this challenge–is available, fortunately.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 5, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN NEPOMUCENE NEUMANN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF PHILADELPHIA
THE FEAST OF ANTONIO LOTTI, ROMAN CATHOLIC MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT GENOVEVA TORRES MORALES, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND THE HOLY ANGELS
THE FEAST OF MARGARET MACKAY, SCOTTISH HYMN WRITER
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Above: The Adoration of the Magi, by Albrecht Durer
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-ppmsca-40191
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FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY, ACCORDING TO A LECTIONARY FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE BOOK OF WORSHIP FOR CHURCH AND HOME (1965)
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We ask, Lord, that you mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you,
and that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do,
and may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–Modernized from The Book of Worship for Church and Home (1965), page 85
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Isaiah 60:1-3, 6b
Psalm 24
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
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Isaiah 60 and Psalm 24 state that God is the King, a ruler superior to human rulers who shed the blood of the innocent, commit injustice shamelessly, and do not care about integrity. God is not fully the King of the Earth yet, we read, but that will change. God is certainly superior to the unstable and evil Herod the Great, a client ruler within the Roman Empire and a man fearful of a young boy.
Interestingly, Father Raymond E. Brown, author of The Birth of the Messiah (1977 and 1993) and An Introduction to the New Testament (1997), both magisterial works of Biblical scholarship, was dubious of the story in Matthew 2 (considering the account in Luke 2, despite its factual errors, more plausible) yet affirmed the Virgin Birth. For a long time many scholars–even conservative ones–have struggled to reconcile the very different stories in Matthew 2 and Luke 2. Nevertheless, would not visiting Magi have been more likely than a virginal conception and subsequent birth?
Regardless of the objective reality regarding that matter, the kingship of God remains. Most of God’s subjects are Gentiles, whom He does not exclude from the potential for salvation. This is an old theme in the Bible, given the faithful Gentiles who appear in the pages of the Hebrew Bible. The narrative makes room for the civilly disobedient midwives Shiphrah and Puah (probably ethnically Egyptian) in Exodus 1, for Rahab the prostitute of Jericho and her family in Joshua 2 and 6, and Ruth in Ruth 1-4, for example. The four chapters of Jonah, a work of fiction and a Jewish protest against post-Babylonian Exilic exclusionary attitudes among Jews, remain relevant in many settings. We read of some Gentile Godfearers in John 12:20-36. Faithful Gentiles, we read in epistles of St. Paul the Apostle as well as those texts others wrote in his name, join the Jews in the ranks of the Chosen People. Are not the Chosen People–Jews and Gentiles–supposed to be a light to the nations, that is, Gentiles?
The message of God is for all people. Not all will accept it, however; that is their decision. The offer is on the table one way or another, however. It is a generous offer and a gift. The grace is free yet not cheap, for it makes demands of all its recipients. So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SUNDAR SINGH, INDIAN CHRISTIAN EVANGELIST
THE FEAST OF DAVID PENDLETON OAKERHATER, EPISCOPAL DEACON
THE FEAST OF SAINT FIACRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC HERMIT
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Above: Parable of the Wicked Servant, by Domenico Fetti
Image in the Public Domain
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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:
Deuteronomy 15:1-18 or 19:15-21
Psalm 129
Matthew 18:1-14 (15-20) or Luke 9:46-50; 17:1-4
2 Corinthians 9:1-15
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The reading for this Sunday, taken together, proclaim the mandate of economic and legal justice, condemn lying in court, command forgiving penitents, order valuing the powerless and the vulnerable, and extol the virtues of generosity of spirit and of giving. On the other hand, we read a prayer for God to destroy Israel’s enemies and a permission slip to dun foreigners. What are we supposed to make of all this?
First I call attention to the presence of both collective and individual sins and virtues. My Western culture, steeped in individualism, understands individual sins better than collective and institutional ones. I know that, as a matter of history, many professing Christians have obsessed over personal peccadilloes to the exclusion or minimizing of societal sins.
My second point is the value of foreigners who bear the image of God. Focusing just on the Hebrew Bible for a few minutes, I recall certain passages that depict somegoyim favorably: Rahab the prostitute (Joshua 2:1-24 and 6:17-25), Ruth (Ruth 1-4), and Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-19). And, of course, as one turns to the New Testament, one should think of the controversy regarding St. Paul the Apostle’s mission to the Gentiles.
Finally, forgiveness can be difficult, but it is the best policy. According to a rule common among Jews at the time of Jesus, one was perfect if one forgave three times daily. As we read in the Gospel readings, Jesus more than doubled that number, increasing it to seven. (He affirmed spiritual challenges.) Even if forgiving someone does not affect that person it changes for the better the one who forgives. We also read in Matthew 7:1-5 that the standard we apply to others will be the standard God applies to us. One might also consult Matthew 18:23-34, the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.
I understand the desire for God to smite one’s foes. I have prayed for such results. I have also learned that praying for their repentance–for their benefit and that of others–is a better way to proceed. Even our foes bear the image of God, after all. God loves them too, correct?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 12, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MARTIN DOBER, MORAVIAN BISHOP AND HYMN WRITER; JOHANN LEONHARD DOBER, MORAVIAN MISSIONARY AND BISHOP; AND ANNA SCHINDLER DOBER, MORAVIAN MISSIONARY AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDITH CAVELL, NURSE AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT KENNETH OF SCOTLAND, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT NECTARIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE, ARCHBISHOP
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2016/10/12/devotion-for-the-sixth-sunday-of-easter-year-d/
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Above: Lot and His Daughters, by Lucas van Leyden
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Merciful God, gracious and benevolent,
through your Son you invite all the world to a meal of mercy.
Grant that we may eagerly follow this call,
and bring us with all your saints into your life of justice and joy,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 52
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The Assigned Readings:
Nehemiah 13:1-3, 23-31 (Monday)
Zechariah 7:1-14 (Tuesday)
Psalm 50 (Both Days)
1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (Monday)
Jude 5-21 (Tuesday)
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“When you see a thief, you make him your friend,
and you cast your lot in with adulterers.
You have loosed your lips for evil,
and harnessed your tongue to a lie.
You are always speaking evil of your brother
and slandering your own mother’s son.
These things you have done, and I kept still,
and you thought that I am like you.”
–Psalm 50:18-21, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The Law of Moses teaches that, among other things:
- We humans depend on God for everything,
- We depend on each other also,
- We have no right to exploit each other,
- We are responsible to each other, and
- We are responsible for each other.
Thus hospitality is a great virtue, for it can make the difference between someone coming to harm or avoiding harm, as well as the difference between someone dying or living.
My summary of the forbidden behaviors in these days’ readings is that they are generally activities that harm others. I note that, in post-exilic zeal to obey the Law of Moses, many people went too far with regard to the treatment of foreigners. The Book of Jonah pushes back against such excesses. The Book of Ruth, in which a Moabite woman marries a Hebrew man and becomes an ancestor of King David, is probably another protest against such zealousness-turned-xenophobia, such as that praised in Nehemiah 13:1.
As for homosexual behavior (as opposed to homosexuality as a sexual preference, an understanding which did not exist until recent centuries), Jude 7 is the only verse in the Bible to make explicit the link between homosexual conduct and the story of Sodom in Genesis 19. In that chapter Lot, who has lived in the city since Genesis 13, presumably knows his neighbors well enough to understand what they like. Lot has taken in two angels. A mob gathers outside his door and demands that he send them outside to that they can gang rape the angels. Lot refuses the demands and offers to send his two virgin daughters out instead. (Bad father!) Fortunately for Lot’s daughters, the mob is not interested and the angels have a plan to save Lot and his family from the imminent destruction of the city. In the context of Genesis 19 the planned sexual activity is rape, not anything consensual; may nobody miss that point. The standard Biblical condemnations of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah are like those in Ezekiel 16:48-50 and 3 Maccabees 2:5-6, where one reads that the cities’ sins were notorious and the people were arrogant and brazen in their iniquity. Ezekiel 16 adds to that description the neglect of the poor and the hungry–a lack of hospitality.
Zechariah 7:8-14 states that the pre-exilic Kingdoms of Israel and Judah violated the basic requirements of the Law of Moses, and paid the price. The societies, generally speaking, did not administer true justice and act kindly and compassionately. No, it oppressed widows, orphans, the poor, and resident aliens. The societies were unrepentant, and divine patience ran out.
Society is people. It shapes its members, who also influence it. May we–you, O reader, and I–influence society for the better–to care for the vulnerable, to resist bullying and corruption, to favor kindness and compassion, and to seek and find the proper balance between individual and collective responsibility. May we eschew bigotry in all forms, for we have a divine mandate to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. May we seek to love God and each other fully, manifesting respect for the image of God in each other, seeking to build each other up, for that is not only the path to the common good but is also godly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/devotion-for-monday-and-tuesday-after-proper-26-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: World Map 1570
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Almighty and most merciful God, your bountiful goodness fills all creation.
Keep us safe from all that may hurt us,
that, whole and well in body and spirit,
we may with grateful hearts accomplish all that you would have us to do,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 50
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Kings 5:15-19a (Monday)
2 Kings 5:19b-27 (Tuesday)
2 Kings 15:1-7 (Wednesday)
Psalm 61 (All Days)
Acts 26:24-29 (Monday)
Ephesians 6:10-20 (Tuesday)
Matthew 10:5-15 (Wednesday)
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So I will always sing he praise of your Name,
and day by day I will fulfill your vows.
–Psalm 61:8, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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In the assigned readings for these three days we read of people accepting and recognizing God or doing the opposite. Jews and Gentiles alike accept and recognize God. Jews and Gentiles alike do the opposite. The standard of acceptability before God has nothing to do with national identity.
This principle occurs elsewhere in scripture. Off the top of my head, for example, I think of the Book of Ruth, in which a Moabite woman adopts the Hebrew faith and marries into a Hebrew family. I recall also that Matthew 1:5 lists Ruth as an ancestor of Jesus. That family tree also includes Rahab the prostitute (Joshua 2:1-21 and 6:22-25), who sheltered Hebrew spies in Jericho. I think also of St. Simon Peter, who, at the home of St. Cornelius the Centurion, said:
The truth I have now come to realize is that God does not have favorites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
–Acts 10:34-35, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
Nationalism is inherently morally neutral. What people do with it is not morally neutral, however. These applications can be positive or negative. Nationalism seems to be a human concern, not a divine one. As we seek to build up our communities and nations may we not label those who are merely different as dangerous because of those differences. Many of them might be people of God, after all. Others might become followers of God. Furthermore, many within our own ranks might not be devout.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-proper-23-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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