waters of life

Good morning brothers and sisters,

Today's reading shows us the renewal of Jerusalem and the world through the eyes of Ezekiel. Many of the images in Revelation seem to take their cue from Ezekiel. He envisions the world's renewal, here shown as the streams of the water of life, coming from the temple of God. In Revelation, there is no temple because God's presence will be so obvious such things won't be necessary. 

God bless,
Sam

Ezekiel 47:1-5

Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple; there, water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. ²Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and the water was coming out on the south side. 

³Going on eastward with a cord in his hand, the man measured one thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep. ⁴Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the waist. ⁵Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed.

who's using whom?

Good afternoon friends,

First, there is a small but important meeting tonight for some folks in Urban Presbyterians Together, the Rochester church consortium we're most active in. We'll be thinking about how we can strengthen each other for ministry. Please keep this meeting in prayer for God's wisdom and creativity to shine through.

Our reading today is both a critique of the wealthy and powerful of Jerusalem and the beginning of a critique of the King of Assyria. God used the Assyrian Empire to punish Israel and Judah for their injustice. But the Assyrians didn't realize they were God's instrument, so they thought they were really in charge. God says Assyria isn't going to get off the hook either.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 10:1-11

10:1 Ah, you who make iniquitous decrees, who write oppressive statutes, ²to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be your spoil, and that you may make the orphans your prey! ³What will you do on the day of punishment, in the calamity that will come from far away? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth, ⁴so as not to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain? For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is stretched out still.

⁵Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger— the club in their hands is my fury!⁶Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. ⁷But this is not what he intends, nor does he have this in mind; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few. ⁸For he says: “Are not my commanders all kings?⁹Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? ¹⁰As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols whose images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,¹¹shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols what I have done to Samaria and her images?” 

redeemed

Good evening friends,

Today's reading is striking for the images of Israel having been forsaken by God and now redeemed. Even in the deepest darkness, God's love can shine again. 

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 62:1-9

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. ²The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. ³You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. ⁴You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. ⁵For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

⁶Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels; all day and all night they shall never be silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest, ⁷and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it renowned throughout the earth. ⁸The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink the wine for which you have labored; ⁹but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the Lord, and those who gather it shall drink it in my holy courts.

redemption and peace

 Good afternoon friends,

Today's reading continues the theme of redemption for the oppressed people of Israel. It's a lovely image, not just for Israel, but for a world at peace. These powerful redemption images from Isaiah keep us tuned to hope, even when things are troubled.

God bless,
Sam

Good afternoon friends,

Today's reading continues the theme of redemption for the oppressed people of Israel. It's a lovely image, not just for Israel, but for a world at peace. These powerful redemption images from Isaiah keep us tuned to hope, even when things are troubled.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 60:15-22

¹⁵Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age. ¹⁶You shall suck the milk of nations, you shall suck the breasts of kings; and you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. ¹⁷Instead of bronze I will bring gold, instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron. I will appoint Peace as your overseer and Righteousness as your taskmaster.

¹⁸Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. ¹⁹The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. ²⁰Your sun shall no more go down, or your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. ²¹Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever. They are the shoot that I planted, the work of my hands, so that I might be glorified. ²²The least of them shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the Lord; in its time I will accomplish it quickly.

turning back

Good evening friends,
Stephen has been reviewing Israel's story. Now he starts getting to a main point: Israel has often turned away from God and God's messengers. Moses provided faithful leadership, and God saved the people from slavery, but the people got scared and build a golden calf. The thing to remember as we read this part (and most of Acts) is that we Christians are just as bed at listening to God. It's often helpful to think about Israel or the Jewish leaders as Christian religious leaders or as you and me. Do the criticisms still fit? More often than I want to admit it, they fit me.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 7:39-46

³⁹Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, ⁴⁰saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us who will lead the way for us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ ⁴¹At that time they made a calf, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands.

⁴²But God turned away from them and handed them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you offer to me slain victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? ⁴³No; you took along the tent of Moloch, and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; so I will remove you beyond Babylon.’

⁴⁴“Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the wilderness, as God directed when he spoke to Moses, ordering him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. ⁴⁵Our ancestors in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors. And it was there until the time of David, ⁴⁶who found favor with God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob.

times of refreshing

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Yesterday we read how Peter and John healed a man in the temple through the name of Jesus Christ. That quickly drew a crowd, and Peter loses no opportunity to share the good news of Jesus. Notice how he connects the story of Jesus with a familiar story for his hearers: the story of Israel and the prophets. I also love that he talks about faith in Christ as bringing "times of refreshing." Too often we think about faith and church as obligations, when really, they can be a joy.

Blessings on your day,
Sam

Acts 3:12-25

¹²When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

¹⁷“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, ²¹who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.

²²Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. ²³And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’ ²⁴And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. ²⁵You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

an insect army

Good afternoon friends,
As I mentioned yesterday, Joel uses a plague of locusts as a symbol for God's judgment on Israel. He talks about the locusts as an invading army bringing God's wrath. The good news is that God's judgment brings forgiveness and redemption, even though it's scary. Love wins in the end.

God bless,
Sam

Joel 2:1-11

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near— ²a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.

³Fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame burns. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, but after them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. ⁴They have the appearance of horses, and like war-horses they charge. ⁵As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. ⁶Before them peoples are in anguish, all faces grow pale.

⁷Like warriors they charge, like soldiers they scale the wall. Each keeps to its own course, they do not swerve from their paths. ⁸They do not jostle one another, each keeps to its own track; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. ⁹They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls; they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. ¹⁰The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. ¹¹The Lord utters his voice at the head of his army; how vast is his host! Numberless are those who obey his command. Truly the day of the Lord is great; terrible indeed—who can endure it?

I was glad when they said, "Let us go to the house of the Lord."

Good afternoon friends,
Today's reading is one of several Psalms called Psalms of Ascent. What that means is they were songs sung by pilgrims as they came to the end of their journey to worship in the temple in Jerusalem. The psalmist in this case rejoices in the beauty of Jerusalem and the opportunity to worship with the other people of God in God's house. Do we feel the same joy when we come to the house of the Lord? How could we open ourselves to that joy more?

God bless,
Sam

Psalm 122

¹I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”

²Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

³Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together.

⁴To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

⁵For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.

⁷Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.”

⁸For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.”

⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

Running to survive

Good evening friends,

Tonight we start a new story: the story of Ruth and Naomi. It's a story of women struggling against the odds together. The story begins with Naomi and her husband setting off with their sons to a new country because there is a famine in Israel. The Bible has a lot to say about kindness to refugees and strangers. Part of that comes out of the experience of God's people often being the strangers and learning those hard lessons.

God bless,
Sam

Ruth 1:1-9

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. ²The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. ³But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. ⁴These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, ⁵both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

⁶Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. ⁷So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. ⁸But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. ⁹The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud.

Hannah and Peninah

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today we're starting the beginning of the story of Samuel, which is the story of Hannah. The Books of I and II Samuel bring Israel from being a loose affiliation of tribes to a kingdom. This part of the story gives us some insights into the religious life of early Israel. It also shows us some of the conflict that can happen within families. Several times in the Bible we encounter families where the husband has more than one wife. It doesn't ever seem to work well. In this case the two wives think of themselves as rivals, which can't make for a good home environment. As is often the case, God can do surprising things to move the story towards justice.

God bless,
Sam


1 Samuel 1: 1-8
There was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ²He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³Now this man used to go up year by year from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord.

⁴On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; ⁵but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. ⁶Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. ⁷So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. ⁸Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

victory songs

Good afternoon friends,
We read yesterday about Deborah and Barak's victory over the Canaanite's who were oppressing them. We also read about Jael finishing the battle by killing Sisera, the Canaanite general. Today Deborah and Barak respond with songs of praise to God. The song is hard to understand, but interesting.
Blessings on your afternoon and weekend,
Sam

Judges 5:1-11

Then Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: ²“When locks are long in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly— bless the Lord! ³“Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the Lord I will sing, I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁴“Lord, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens poured, the clouds indeed poured water. ⁵The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel. 

⁶“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, caravans ceased and travelers kept to the byways. ⁷The peasantry prospered in Israel, they grew fat on plunder, because you arose, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel. ⁸When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel? ⁹My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord. ¹⁰“Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way. ¹¹To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the triumphs of the Lord, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. “Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.

not the best hiding place

Good morning brothers and sisters,
The last two evenings we read about how Deborah and Barak led Israel against the Canaanite army of King Jabin who was oppressing them. Last night we read how Barak defeated Jabin's army, led by Sisera and how Sisera ran from the battle on foot. Today we see what happens when he looks for a hiding place. Remember that Deborah told Barak that he would win the victory but not the glory, because God was going to give Sisera into the hands of a women.


May you be strong in righteousness today.
God bless,
Sam


Judges 4:17-24
¹⁷Now Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between King Jabin of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. ¹⁸Jael came out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. ¹⁹Then he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. ²⁰He said to her, “Stand at the entrance of the tent, and if anybody comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’”


²¹But Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, until it went down into the ground—he was lying fast asleep from weariness—and he died. ²²Then, as Barak came in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went into her tent; and there was Sisera lying dead, with the tent peg in his temple. ²³So on that day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. ²⁴Then the hand of the Israelites bore harder and harder on King Jabin of Canaan, until they destroyed King Jabin of Canaan.

Deborah judges Israel

Good evening sisters and brothers,
Judges is a book we don't read from often, but there are some great stories in it. The book takes place soon after the people of Israel came into the Promised Land. Joshua, who led them in has died and the book tells the stories of the struggles the new people had. It seems that the tribes had some organization, but the the nation wasn't really unified. Time and again the people turn away from God, often to the gods of the other inhabitants of the land. When they turn away God allows them to be defeated by their enemies for a time. Before long, God can't bear seeing them oppressed and raises up a leader, called a judge, to lead Israel back to faithfulness and to victory.

Tonight's reading begins the story of the only woman judge, a woman named Deborah. Deborah is also the only judge who also acted as a judge in the way we think of it. This passage tells us that she settled disputes for the people before becoming a leader in the political and military sense. It's an interesting story, so I hope you enjoy it.

God bless,
Sam


Judges 4: 1-9
The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. ²So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. ³Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years.

⁴At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. ⁵She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.

⁶She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. ⁷I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.’” ⁸Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” ⁹And she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

welcome for all

Good evening brothers and sisters,
Tonight's reading is not Paul at his clearest, but he makes an important point. God has always loved the world and welcomed people into covenant relationship. Since Abraham's calling by God, his family, the people of Israel have had a special role in that covenant. That will always be the case because God's covenant is always true. In Jesus Christ's life, ministry, death and resurrection, the close covenant of love is extended to the whole world in a new way. Gentiles were welcomed into the family of God. That unlimited love and welcome is what the good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ is all about. It's also the church's mission to live and share that love with the world in our words and actions.

God bless,
Sam


Ephesians 3:1-12
¹This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — ²for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, ³and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, ⁴a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. ⁵In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.


⁷Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. ⁸Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; ¹⁰so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

prepare the way

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,
Today's reading is a prophesy of redemption for Israel. God tells the Jewish exiles that they will be set free, that their time of exile is coming to an end. Then the prophet calls for a way to be made for God in the desert. We see the call to prepare the way of the Lord in John the Baptist's preaching. We can also see a role for ourselves. We can prepare ourselves for God's coming by lining our lives up with God's love. We can also play a role by working for justice and healing in the world today.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 40:1-8

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. ²Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

³A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. ⁴Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. ⁵Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” ⁶A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. ⁷The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. ⁸The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.

a new empire in the picture

Good morning friends,
The next few readings take us out of the Bible we know, but into an important historical time for our faith. After the return of Judah from exile (late 6th century BCE) the Greek city states gained strength. As with other times in Jewish history, much of the fate of Israel Palestine was determined by outside empires. In this case, the Greek civilization had been in conflict with Persia for some time. In 335 BCE, Alexander the Great, King of Macedon and general of the Greek forces, invaded Persia, eventually conquering it. At that point Greece ruled Judah along with the surrounding area.

Alexander tried to unify his giant empire through tolerance and the spread of Greek culture. He left his subject peoples free in most ways but wanted Greek culture to provide a common language. Assimilation was a threat to Jewish culture and faith, because it came with polytheism. In the Jewish community there were different responses. Regardless, it was a fairly humane occupation during Alexander's reign and immediately afterwards. Jews were free to worship God and life was manageable. Later rulers would be harsher, eventually leading to a Jewish revolution. Our readings today and the next couple of days come from the Book of Maccabees. This book (actually 4 books) was written in the second of third century BCE and tell the story of oppression and rebellion by Jewish leaders. Protestants generally do not consider these books as part of the Bible; Catholics and some Episcopalians do. The term for this book and several others is the Apocrypha. At the very least, it gives insight into history that is important for us. Our reading starts with Alexander the Great.

God bless,
Sam

1 Maccabees 1:1-15

After Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated King Darius of the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king. (He had previously become king of Greece.) ²He fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and put to death the kings of the earth. ³He advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered many nations. When the earth became quiet before him, he was exalted, and his heart was lifted up. ⁴He gathered a very strong army and ruled over countries, nations, and princes, and they became tributary to him. 

5 After this he fell sick and perceived that he was dying. ⁶So he summoned his most honoured officers, who had been brought up with him from youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive. ⁷And after Alexander had reigned for twelve years, he died. 8 Then his officers began to rule, each in his own place. ⁹They all put on crowns after his death, and so did their descendants after them for many years; and they caused many evils on the earth.

10 From them came forth a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus; he had been a hostage in Rome. He began to reign in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

11 In those days certain renegades came out from Israel and misled many, saying, ‘Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles around us, for since we separated from them many disasters have come upon us.’ ¹²This proposal pleased them, ¹³and some of the people eagerly went to the king, who authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. ¹⁴So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, ¹⁵and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.

exile is the beginning

Good afternoon friends,
We read on Sunday about the defeat of Judah and the exile of the people. Scripture has a bunch of lamentations about that defeat; in many ways it was a devastating ending to the dream that had been Israel. Today we read the story in a different light, as the introduction to the Book of Daniel. God didn't abandon his people in exile. Things changed, but God didn't change. Daniel is a fascinating book that starts with six chapters of mostly funny stories about how God blessed and used Daniel and his friends to testify to God's love and power in Babylon. It ends with six chapters of visions that are often understood as visions of the end of time. Today's story has a special place in my heart as a vegetarian too. I hope you enjoy.

God bless,
Sam

Daniel 1: 1-13

In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ²The Lord let King Jehoiakim of Judah fall into his power, as well as some of the vessels of the house of God. These he brought to the land of Shinar, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his gods. ³Then the king commanded his palace master Ashpenaz to bring some of the Israelites of the royal family and of the nobility, ⁴young men without physical defect and handsome, versed in every branch of wisdom, endowed with knowledge and insight, and competent to serve in the king’s palace; they were to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

⁵The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king’s court. ⁶Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah. ⁷The palace master gave them other names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

⁸But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food and wine; so he asked the palace master to allow him not to defile himself. 

⁹Now God allowed Daniel to receive favor and compassion from the palace master. ¹⁰The palace master said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king; he has appointed your food and your drink. If he should see you in poorer condition than the other young men of your own age, you would endanger my head with the king.” ¹¹Then Daniel asked the guard whom the palace master had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: ¹²“Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you observe.”

letter to the exiles

Good morning brothers and sisters,
We've been following the story of Israel and Judah. Sunday we talked about the defeat of Israel and Judah (722 and 597 BCE, respectively) and the exile of the people to Assyria and Babylon. Today's reading is a letter God inspired Jeremiah to write to the exiles in Babylon. It's a great message about making a life under God's calling, no matter where we are. God is with us everywhere, all the time.

God bless,
Sam

Jeremiah 29:1-14

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. ²This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. ³The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: ⁴Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. ⁷But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 

⁸For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, ⁹for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the Lord. ¹⁰For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. ¹¹For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. ¹²Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. ¹³When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, ¹⁴I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

fall of Israel

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today we move ahead a bit further in the history of Israel to 722 BCE. We've been reading about how the Kings of Israel led Israel into sin and how God sent prophets, like Elijah, to call them back to faith. Today the story of the Kingdom of Israel reaches its conclusion (for the moment). Assyria, one of the most powerful empires in the region, conquers Israel, taking the people into exile. Judah remains an independent nation for another hundred and forty years, but eventually they will face a similar fate for similar reasons.

God bless,
Sam

2 Kings 17:1-14

In the twelfth year of King Ahaz of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel; he reigned nine years. ²He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not like the kings of Israel who were before him. ³King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against him; Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute. ⁴But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to King So of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; therefore the king of Assyria confined him and imprisoned him. ⁵Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria; for three years he besieged it. ⁶In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria; he carried the Israelites away to Assyria. He placed them in Halah, on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

⁷This occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods ⁸and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had introduced. ⁹The people of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the Lord their God. They built for themselves high places at all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city; ¹⁰they set up for themselves pillars and sacred poles on every high hill and under every green tree; ¹¹there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them.

They did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger; ¹²they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.” ¹³Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law that I commanded your ancestors and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” ¹⁴They would not listen but were stubborn, as their ancestors had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God.

Elijah and Baal

Good morning sisters and brothers,
 
Yesterday we read about a contest the Prophet Elijah arranged between God and Baal to show the people of Israel who was God. Baal's many prophets (supported by the King and Queen of Israel) tried to offer a bull to Baal, but Baal didn't respond. Today, Elijah gets his turn. The violent ending is troubling, but it reminds us that when it comes to our ultimate allegiance, there can only be one God.

Blessings on your discipleship today,
Sam

1 Kings 18:30-40

³⁰Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come closer to me”; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down; ³¹Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name”; ³²with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. 

³³Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” ³⁴Then he said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. Again he said, “Do it a third time”; and they did it a third time, ³⁵so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water. ³⁶At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. ³⁷Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

³⁸Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.” ⁴⁰Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” Then they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and killed them there.