Tag: god’s promise

Struggling in the Season (Genesis 25:19-28)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
Art by Sefira Lightstone

These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
    and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other;
    the elder shall serve the younger.”

When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle, so they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he was fond of game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (New Revised Standard Version)

As we near the end of Advent and the anticipation of the Christ child, today’s Old Testament lesson is a reminder to us of a much earlier birth.

The birth of the twins Jacob and Esau from Rebekah and the patriarch Isaac, are part of the promise given to Abraham, which would find its fulfillment centuries later, according to Christians, with the incarnation of Christ.

In this time of year, we may commonly associate the season with an emphasis on peace and unity. Yet, we must bear in mind that the need to emphasize these positive elements arises because enmity and discord exists among us.

In our story for today, we are reminded that God also works within conflict, even family conflict, to further divine purposes and promises. God’s presence exists through times of strife and disagreement, just as much as it does in times of joy of celebration.

The sibling rivalry between Jacob and Esau began within the womb and at their birth. Their adverse relationship and continual competition was something God used, and bent it toward the Lord’s good plans and purposes for people.

Just as Mary and Elizabeth were mothers central to the direction of God’s will accomplished on this earth, so Rebekah is a pivotal character in the early history of the people of Israel, and their covenantal promises.

And similar to Mary and Elizabeth in the New Testament, Rebekah in the Old Testament was given children by means of God’s gracious power. We are meant to see God’s sovereign authority over all things, including control of the future. The text of Scripture values faith, and trusting in divine promises.

The two babies, Esau and Jacob, are more than twins. They each are ancestors of entire nations of people: Esau of Edom, and Jacob of Israel.

Against all odds, Jacob is the one who kept coming out on top of things. His character reveals something of the nation of Israel’s understanding of themselves. Israel is a small, and by all appearances, an insignificant nation; and yet, they become identified as God’s covenant people.

The ways of the Lord are often quite contradictory to societal convention and cultural expectations. The smallest and the youngest, the least and the forgotten, become prominent in God’s economy of things. This is a common pattern throughout Holy Scripture. (e.g. Genesis 17:18-19; 42:6-9; 1 Samuel 16:10-13; 17:33, 50)

Even though the two of them are twins, Esau and Jacob have very different personalities and interests. Esau was an outdoorsman, a hunter, who wasn’t home much. He had an extroverted life which had him interacting with all sorts of different people, especially women from other places. Jacob, however, hung around the home tents, an introvert. He comes across a stereotypical mama’s boy.

Yet, despite Jacob’s continual conniving, and Esau’s constant disdain for his family’s heritage with God, the Lord nevertheless showed generosity to both brothers.

But for a long time, it seemed as if one might kill the other, or both of them may do away with each other. Yet, eventually, there is a reunion between the brothers.

Ultimately, their story as brothers ends without any more sibling rivalry or hatred. Instead, there is reconciliation, blessing, and peace, as they positively accept one another and share in the burial of their father Isaac.

Especially in this time of year, when families gather around tables to eat, watch football games together, and go outside for semi-ceremonial smokes and drinks – and all that goes with being together around family, there is the inevitable conflict.

And when it comes, each individual responds in their typical way of either avoidance, confrontation, or quick-fix resolution. But there is also another way to respond.

Know that struggle, rivalry, emotion, longing, and belonging are all part of our human experience. And God is just as much present within those times, as God is in the blessing before eating, or the spiritual conversation between friends, or the collective sojourn to church on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day.

The blessing and abundance of God comes through all sorts of means. The ways of the Lord are often beyond what we might think or believe.

This season is an opportunity to embrace the conflict and the struggle, in order to know God better, know friends and family better, and better know what it means to be blessed.

Almighty, ever-living, and ever-loving God, the Nativity of your Son draws near. May divine mercy flow from your Word, made flesh for us of the Virgin Mary, to us, your unworthy yet faithful servants. Let him establish his dwelling on this earth, and in our hearts, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Farewell Speech of Joshua (Joshua 23:1-16)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The tomb of Joshua in the West Bank

After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them:

“I am very old. You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

“Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

“The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

“Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. 

“But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you, have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.” (New International Version)

Orthodox icon of Joshua

The Person

Joshua, the son of Nun, was the protégé of Moses, as the Israelites wandered the wilderness. After the death of Moses, Joshua became their military commander, leading the people into the Promised Land.

The biblical book of Joshua involves the Israelite conquest and settlement of Canaan. After securing decisive victories in the middle, north, and south of Canaan, the land was allotted to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Close to his death at 110 years old, Joshua gave a farewell speech to the people in which he called them to remember God’s actions, and be faithful to the Lord. He also warned them that if they failed in their memory and in their faith, they would lose the very land which was promised to them.

The Conquest

Throughout the Book of Joshua, there is a very positive view of conquering the land of Canaan. There are several notable stories of stepping out in faith despite the fear of engaging a much larger foe.

God is pictured as the real force behind all of the Israelite success, bringing the people into the land by through a miraculous parting of the Jordan River, and securing victory over great cities like Jericho by means of supernatural help.

After entering the land, the covenant with God was reaffirmed. The Israelites had moved around the Sinai desert for 40 years, and the new generation of people needed both circumcision and law in order to become faithful inhabitants of the land.

By the end of chapter 12 of Joshua, each of the native nations in Canaan had fallen. The conquest was complete, albeit with some of the Canaanites still living in the land. This would eventually prove to be a problem after Joshua’s death.

Allocation of the Land

A detailed account of the land’s division for all of the Israelite tribes covers chapters 13 to 22 in Joshua. Nearly all of the tribes settled between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, with a few exceptions settling along the eastern bank of the Jordan.

The reason for this traces back to a story in the Book of Numbers in which the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh ask to settle there. At the time, Moses agreed to their request on the condition that they help complete the conquest of the land before being allowed to return and settle in their own, which they did.

Moses and Joshua

The book of Joshua and the story of Moses have a lot of similarities, such as:

  • Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt; and Joshua led them into Canaan.
  • Moses led the Israelites miraculously through the Red Sea; and Joshua led them miraculously across the Jordan River.
  • Moses sent out spies into Canaan; and Joshua sent spies to Jericho.
  • Moses allocated land on the east side of the Jordan River; and Joshua allocated land on the west side of the Jordan.
  • Moses gave a prolonged address before dying; and Joshua also gave a parting address to the people.

The Farewell Speech

Joshua’s farewell speech was both an exhortation and an encouragement to the Israelites. Joshua gave them a charge to remain faithful to God, just as God had faithfully fulfilled the promise of giving the people the land of Canaan. We get the sense that Joshua knew what was coming down the pike, and that unfaithfulness was in their future.

We also get the spiritual sense from Joshua that unless one’s heart is filled to the full of God’s law and love, something or someone else will come along and fill the void, no matter how big or small. Our happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction is to be found in the Lord.

Joshua was insistent that to remain true to God is to remember what God has done. The Israelites were to always keep in their memory how the Lord brought them victory and fought their battles for them. By being continually reminded, the people would always trust and obey their God.

Indeed, even for believers today, if we can keep in mind God’s past faithfulness, it will help us have faith in God for the present time.

And just as the Israelites needed to hold onto and keep the Book of the Law in their minds and hearts, so we are to be ever mindful of God’s Holy Word. Christians are especially to realize the connection we have with Jesus and the Spirit.

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Joshua 1:7-8, NIV

We are to avoid compromising our faith and marrying into foreign concepts that would take us away from our fidelity to the Lord. As Christians, our lives are to maintain the center of Christ. It is therefore imperative that we continually have the words and ways of Jesus ever before us. Otherwise, false gods can easily take over our lives.

The consequences of disobedience are much like those of trying to defy the law of gravity. It won’t go well with you to believe you can walk off the roof of your house in faith and be just fine.

Whereas many people may believe that God is punishing them when there are devastating consequences, typically we create our own problems by refusing to pay attention and listen to God’s warnings to avoid stupidity.

But if we remember our history with God, and God’s history with others, perhaps we will not take our spiritual lives for granted, nor let our spirits fall into disuse.

Not one good promise from God failed to be realized for the ancient Israelites. And all the good promises fulfilled in the person of Jesus are connected to his Church. Ultimately, our blessings come through the person and work of Christ – and not our own abilities, or lack thereof.

God almighty, Lord of heaven and earth, renew us with your divine love, energize our souls, nourish our spirits, empower us to show our faith, help us to walk with you, abide in us always, and teach us to continually remember you and follow you at all times and in every way. Amen.

When to Stay, When to Move (Numbers 9:15-23)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Cloud in the Desert, stained glass at the Congregation Beth Emeth, Herndon, Virginia

On the day the Tent of the Lord’s presence was set up, a cloud came and covered it. At night the cloud looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted, the people of Israel broke camp, and they set up camp again in the place where the cloud came down. The people broke camp at the command of the Lord, and at his command they set up camp.

As long as the cloud stayed over the Tent, they stayed in the same camp. When the cloud stayed over the Tent for a long time, they obeyed the Lord and did not move on. Sometimes the cloud remained over the Tent for only a few days; in any case, they remained in camp or moved, according to the command of the Lord. Sometimes the cloud remained only from evening until morning, and they moved on as soon as the cloud lifted.

Whenever the cloud lifted, they moved on. Whether it was two days, a month, a year, or longer, as long as the cloud remained over the Tent, they did not move on; but when it lifted, they moved. They set up camp and broke camp in obedience to the commands which the Lord gave through Moses. (Good News Translation)

I know a few believers who would really like to have their spiritual lives governed by a cloud lifting and moving and settling. Then, there wouldn’t be any doubt about what to do and when to do it.

But keep in mind that this arrangement of a cloud was temporary; it was only meant to get the Israelites from one place to another until they entered the Promised Land. Anytime we try and make something permanent which is designed to be temporary, we become stuck, not to mention missing out on the good things intended for us.

Clouds of Glory, by Yoram Raanan, 2014

In a time of transition for the nation of Israel, the gracious presence of God provided both guidance and assurance. The Lord was with them; and the divine presence reminded the people that God’s promise would be fulfilled.

The book of Numbers begins at the point where the book of Exodus leaves off. Leviticus is in between, interrupting the narrative flow with detailed legislation, especially of the sacrificial worship system. Exodus ends with the construction of the tabernacle (the sacred tent with the ark of the covenant and worship utensils).

Numbers then begins a year after Israel came out of Egypt. It covers the years of wandering in the desert wilderness in which an entire generation dies off and their children are poised to enter the Promised Land. The bulk of the book is given to the beginning and ending of the 40 years of wandering.

The Sinai Peninsula, where the Israelites walked, is a rather harsh environment. This is on purpose; it’s part of the nation’s spiritual development. The desert is the place where failures are acknowledged and purged. It’s a unique place and time which required a special system to safeguard the people. They needed to be guided toward holiness so that they could be a holy nation, set apart for God.

In many ways, Numbers is a depressing book. It tells us the painful shortcomings of Israel to their divinely appointed calling. There are plenty of murmurings, rebellions, and outright transgressions of all kinds. I can just imagine God shaking his head in disappointment.

Yet, even though many individuals were punished and an entire generation died, God’s covenant with the people held firm – namely because the Lord tenaciously held to it and did not abandon Israel altogether. The tabernacle remained, despite the fickle people.

The point is strongly made that God was with the people and governed their comings and goings. And this teaches us something about our own spiritual pilgrimage on this earth; and the decisions and discernments which must be made in that sojourn.

There are times we need to pack up and get moving; and there are other times when we need to stay put, pause, and wait on the Lord’s timing. Our entire earthly life is one big sojourn from birth to death. How we go about this pilgrimage is of upmost importance.

We are meant to connect with transcendent things, to discover the Divine. The Lord wants us to discern what to do, when to do it, and where. So we keep moving, learning both the value of putting down roots and blessing a particular place, as well as the importance of walking, traveling, and spreading out across the earth. In engaging these dynamics of movement and stillness, we learn about realities greater than ourselves.

There is a lot of work to do with discernment and decision-making. We may long for a pillar of cloud, but the Lord seems to want us leaping into the unknown with faith when it’s time; or to stop talking, sit down, and listen for the still small voice of God. And we’ll need to work together for this discernment to happen.

A change in direction requires right motives and proper attitudes. It’s got to have some solid knowledge, understanding, and wisdom behind it. And our movements must be purposeful in a way which blesses the world and doesn’t curse it.

In short, faith and trust are to be developed. Faith is not a static word, but dynamic. Believing is always moving, either in redemptive and helpful ways, or in the unbelieving ways of self-centeredness and ignorance. And since the believer serves a good God who has our best interests at mind, we can trust that we’re headed toward the place of promise and abundance.

Course corrections will always be needed, and that’s okay. But what’s not okay is the refusal to change, move, and discern next steps. One of the wonderful gifts of taking time for silence, solitude, and prayer is that we learn the subtle movements of God’s spiritual rhythms. We discern who we are, how we are, where we are, and where we need to be.

May it please the supreme and divine Goodness to give us all abundant grace ever to know his most holy will and perfectly to fulfill it. Amen.  —St. Ignatius of Loyola

The Lord Was With Him (1 Chronicles 11:1-9)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”

When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites who lived there said to David, “You will not get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.

David had said, “Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander in chief.” Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.

David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. He built up the city around it, from the terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. And David became more and more powerful because the Lord Almighty was with him. (New International Version)

Originally, in the Hebrew Bible, 1 and 2 Chronicles were one book, not two; and the Chronicles are the final book of Hebrew Scripture. The Greek translation of the Hebrews Bible – the Septuagint – was accomplished around the turn of the second century B.C.E. and made Chronicles two books because of its length.

Compilers of Christian Scripture moved the location of Chronicles from the end of the Old Testament and put it alongside the other historical books of 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings – mostly because Chronicles is generally a restatement of those books for a different generation of Jews living in the post-exilic period along with Ezra and Nehemiah.

Chronicles largely retells the story of the ancient Israelites, and then summarizes their history before focusing primarily on the reigns of King David and King Solomon. Yet, it is more than a retelling.

Chronicles is a restatement that emphasizes the importance of faithfulness to God and highlights the necessity of taking God’s Law seriously.

Religious reforms play an important part of Chronicles. Removing idols, obeying God’s Torah and God’s prophets, and honoring the proper worship of God are central to ensuring that a Babylonian exile never happens again – that the people will see the consequences of infidelity to the Lord, and live in the right and just ways handed down to them.

King David is pictured as a politically unifying figure of all Israel and Judah because he sought to conscientiously and faithfully live according to God’s commands. Later generations of kings did not do so, which led to the people losing their land and their temple.

David had proved himself as the right person for the job of leading the people. After becoming king, he used his position and authority to do God’s will. And it was a long time in coming; David patiently waited for the Lord’s timing and purpose to be accomplished.

Although anointed by the prophet Samuel as king while Saul was still in his reign, it took years for David to be enthroned as the actual king. David had several opportunities to make himself king by killing Saul (who was trying to kill David) but he allowed God to enthrone him in God’s own good time.

Rarely does anything the Lord promise come to fruition immediately. We must wait patiently for deliverance from painful trials of faith and the return of Christ. God makes promises. Then we persevere until those promises are fulfilled.

All of David’s waiting finally dissipated into kingly action. Before there were kings, judges ruled in Israel. And before that, Joshua led the people into the Promised Land. They had a mandate to expel the Canaanites. Those instructions from God only partially happened. There were still remnants and pockets of resistance. The Jebusites, ensconced in the city of Jebus (Jerusalem) were the most stubborn.

Part of the reason there were Canaanites still living in the land was the former King Saul’s failure to follow through on God’s plan. One of the first acts of King David was to finish and fulfill the complete takeover of the land.

David was willing to attempt something nobody else could do, and that no one believed could be done. If we were a fly on the wall during discussions about this, I can imagine a coterie of people saying to the king, “We tried that before. It won’t work. You cannot get rid of the Jebusites. This is a fool’s errand.”

Pessimism and passivity certainly do not dislodge anything, and the people had fallen into a cynicism that believed they needed to put up with the current situation.

Whenever a group of people fall into passive defeatism, criticism is rife because folks are not working together toward shared goals and solutions. Instead of addressing problems, there is merely complaining about whatever they don’t like.

On the other side of it, the Jebusites were smug in their self-confidence, showing their bravado through being blowhards. However, they had not yet faced David. If they thought another king like Saul was coming along, they were in for a big wake up call.

The Lord almighty was with David. And that is what made all the difference.

King David did not accept the status quo. He worked toward accomplishing the Lord’s will, as he understood it. And his faith always led to effective action.

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray you, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.