2 Chronicles 17-28

The author of 1 & 2 Chronicles, known (not surprisingly, I suppose) as the Chronicler, covers much of the history already covered in prior books. I did a bit of research and learned that those earlier books are a primary (but not the exclusive) source for these later books. The Chronicler drew from other sources as well, but also seems to bring a different historical and political perspective. More importantly, to my mind, he also brings a more advanced sophisticated understanding of the relationship between God and man. 

In earlier books, the critical attribute of the man of God is obedience. Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and he obeys--stopped at the last moment by an angel of God. Noah builds the ark and assembles the menagerie of animals as instructed. They did not question; they obeyed. 

The Chronicler shifts the emphasis to "faithfulness of heart". David is the paradigm of the man who is faithful of heart. Did he always obey the Lord's commands? No. But he oriented his life toward God, he begged for God's forgiveness, he sought God's help, and he trusted God's counsel. These last two are emphasized in this section of 2 Chronicles. The Lord expects--indeed, demands--that his faithful people seek His help. He is angered when they seek assistance elsewhere. God does not rest on what He has already done for His people, awaiting their gratitude, but instead insists that we ask for more. 

This section of 2 Chronicles is filled with leaders who did not seek the Lord in this way, leading to their failures and to the suffering of Israel and Judah as a result. Asa and Jehoshaphat are the best examples of faithfulness of heart in this section, although they too are flawed, but the other kings turn away from the Lord (and lead their people there, too), thus displeasing Him.

2 Chronicles 1-6

The early chapters of 2 Chronicles repeat the story of Solomon's early days as king, his fidelity to God, his request for wisdom from God so as to be a good ruler, and, of course, the building of the temple and the holy of holies within to house the ark. God keeps His promises; He honors the covenant. He is good and kind, and His mercy endures forever. There is no other god like Him. He alone knows the hearts of men. Solomon and the Israelites are to honor God by being faithful of heart, seeking to keep the Lord's commands. They also do Him honor by building the temple, and by worshipping God according to the ways revealed to the people through David and Solomon.

I am struck here and elsewhere by the emphasis on the heart. It is inevitable that a man will sin, as David did. Yet the man who is faithful of heart recognizes his sin, has remorse, seeks forgiveness, endures penance, and is made whole in the eyes of God. 

1 Chronicles 11-14

Upon Saul's death, the people of the tribes of Israel universally agree to anoint David the king. His bravery and greatness draw to him many thousands of warriors from all the tribes, including the so-called Chiefs--exceptionally great military commanders. David, in turn, makes a covenant with the people. The people recognize that the Lord is David's champion and they pledge their loyalty to him:

We are yours, O David, we are with you, O son of Jesse. Peace, peace o you, and peace to him who helps you; your God it is who helps you.

David transports the ark, and leads the Israelites in music and dancing as the ark is moved. Even this great warrior king is moved to sing and dance with joy and gratitude for God's gift of the law and His special love for Israel.

1 Samuel 3-7

The story of Samuel being called by God gives me goosebumps. How many times in my own life have I heard God's call, sometimes even at night, alone, in the silence of my dark room, pulling at my heart? And yet how often have I resisted that call, or ignored it, or pretended i didn't hear it, or even promised myself that I would answer it only to forget my promise soon after? Too often to count. Yet God keeps calling to me. I am trying to do as Samuel did--to respond with "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." But it is hard. I am happy and blessed and more or less comfortable where I am. Those are good things. Great things. Yet God may be calling me to something more or something different--something unknown. And unlike Samuel, I am afraid. 

The remainder of this passage tells of the Philistines capture of the Ark, the sufferings they undergo as a result, the return of the Ark to Israel, and the subsequent defeat of the Philistines. 

Comic moments (to me a least): the Philistines send back a guilt offering along with the Ark, in the form of golden hemorrhoids. Yup, golden hemorrhoids (according to my translation). Umm, ok. Also, two of the minor characters in this passage have names that we find, many centuries later, as prominent characters in classic works of literature: Ichabod (Crane) and Ebenezer (Scrooge). 

Joshua 22-24

The men from the two-and-a-half tribes of Israel who had settled east of the Jordan are released with Joshua's blessing to return to their homes, having kept their promise to Moses. A misunderstanding later arises on the part of the tribes that remain in Canaan regarding an altar the eastern tribes build on their side of the Jordan. This misunderstanding nearly leads to bloodshed, but dialogue and trust between the tribes lead to a peaceful and productive resolution. The altar built in the east was meant as a remembrance of the true altar that houses the Ark--not a competing sanctuary. Trust and dialogue within our Church, and among various Christian denominations, are critical in helping us all ultimately find our way to Jesus.  

As Joshua nears the end of his life, he recounts to the Israelites all the blessings and wonders God has done for them from the time of Abraham to the present, and says:

Now acknowledge with your whole heart and soul that not one of all the promises the Lord, your God, made to you has remained unfulfilled. Every promise has been fulfilled for you, with not one single exception.

Indeed, our God is a faithful God. 

Joshua reminds the people to "fear the Lord and serve him completely and sincerely."  Describing for the Israelites the choice they face--to serve either the Lord or the false gods of the past--Joshua puts his own choice simply and beautifully:

As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Soon after, Joshua dies. But not before reminding the people, yet again, that they must serve the Lord by following His law, His statutes, and His decrees.

Exodus 40:17-38; Leviticus 1-4

We come to the close of Exodus, as the Dwelling has been completed according the Lord's precise instructions. Moses puts the commandments inside the ark, and the ark inside the Dwelling. The presence of the Lord, in the form of a cloud during the day, and cloud of fire at night, settles over the Dwelling. When the cloud lifts, the Israelites continue their journey. The Book of Leviticus begins with a very detailed description of the ritual of sacrifices. Depending on the reason for offering the sacrifice, a different animal might be used. But the animal offered as a holocaust or sacrifice must be unblemished. Just as Jesus, the ultimate Sacrifice and expiation for our sins, was a spotless Lamb. An interesting aspect of the description of these sacrificial rituals is that some of the offerings to be made are as a result of sins committed by an individual (e.g., a priest, a prince)--but the text is clear that these are sacrifices to be offered when the sin is "inadvertent." It is not clear to me what this means, because my understanding of sin includes as a condition that the act (or omission) was intentional, done with knowledge. As we leave Exodus, let me retrace my steps to mention one other thing that struck me. After Moses returned from the mountain, after having been called there by the Lord, we read of his "radiance." This radiance was so striking that Aaron and others were afraid to go near him, and he was given a veil to wear over his face. What a powerful metaphor for the transformative potential of prayer and of giving oneself to God! 

Exodus 38-40:16

The artisans continue to build the Dwelling for the ark of the commandments, as well as creating the vestments for Aaron and his sons. The emphasis throughout the passage is that in doing so, "the Israelites did the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses." Did an artisan from time to time ask himself, or a co-worker, "Why does the Lord want pomegranates and bells sewn at the bottom of the priestly vestments?" or "Why does the Lord want the breastpiece embroidered with gold thread and violet, purple, and scarlet yarn?" If they were anything like me, they surely did. Is that a bad thing? Moses certainly questions God at times, implores Him to change His Mind. Yes, the Lord's ways are inscrutable. But is it wrong for us to "scrute" occasionally and ask Him why? We are searching for truth in our lives and our minds won't rest until we find it. Many have said this in one way or another--St. Paul, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas (his feast day was this week!) among many. And only in Jesus do we find the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So the search for truth, the "scruting", is a way in which we express that restlessness and try to find God, even if we don't always recognize it as such. That does not mean that, in the end, I don't (or I shouldn't) "do as the Lord commanded", but it does encourage me to seek out the truth and ask God questions when I don't understand, but want to.

Exodus 25:10-27:21

God provides very precise instructions for how the Ten Commandments are to be kept, " a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst."  The ark, the table, the lamp stand, the tent cloth, etc., are to be constructed with much gold, silver, bronze, and fine linen, among other precious elements. I understand this as a metaphor for how we are to receive and incorporate God and His message in our lives. We are precious; we are God's own creation. His Word, His Commandments and Laws, should dwell in our hearts. I take the ark itself as the symbol of our hearts, with its four gold rings reminding me of the heart's four chambers. This is not to say that we should be focused solely on adorning ourselves, so that the message buried inside ourselves is forgotten or overlooked. But rather to me it is an issue of honoring ourselves as His creation, and always remembering we are a dwelling place for His Word and message. This means, of course, that so too is every other person, and that necessitates that we treat others with the same reverence and honor with which we are called to treat ourselves.

Exodus 21:22-25:9

God continues to provide Moses with instructions and commands for how the Israelites should live. Criminal law, tort law, property law, personal injury law, and rules of social behavior. We find here the "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" language that is ingrained in our cultural lexicon, in the context of the punishment for fighting with a pregnant woman and causing her to be injured and to miscarry. But if she miscarried and is not otherwise injured, the punishment is only a fine in an amount to be determined by the injured woman's husband. Curious. Also in this passage we find the special admonition to treat widows and orphans well--another reference that is or at least was commonplace in our Anglo-American culture at one point. The Lord tells the Israelites that he will surely hear the cry of the widows and orphans. Going on, He instructs them to "keep away from anything dishonest." Surely outstanding advice, and I know I try in my life to keep a distance from people I feel or fear are not honest. As the passage ends, the Lord has called Moses to ascend Mt. Sinai where He is to give him the tablets containing the Ten Commandments and to instruct him to build the Ark. More on that in the next passage. But just before that, the Lord describes the rewards to come for the Israelites if they are faithful to Him. He says, "I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared." These words call to my mind the words Jesus speaks just before his Ascension, as He explains to His disciples that he is going ahead of them to prepare room for them in His Father's house. It also reminds me of Jesus' words in promising to send the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, to help His disciples in the future.  

Genesis 8-11:9

As Noah and his sons and their wives disembark after the great flood, God exhorts them to be fruitful and multiply. Indeed, we are told that all the people's of the earth descend from them. God makes a covenant with them, a promise He has kept even to today.  A covenant remade and transformed in Jesus Christ. The Tower of Babel story has always gotten my attention. I was awed as a child by it, and generally find myself amused by it as an adult.  Although sadly it calls to mind the current US government scene.  

Genesis 4-7

Two stories make up today's reading--with a strange interlude in between. First, Cain and Abel. Cain's anger toward Abel arose because Cain was "crestfallen" that God had looked with favor on Abel's offering, but not on Cain's. It never struck me before that Cain's anger and the horrific act that followed were born out of Cain being unable to deal with God's disappointment. Worse than this disappointment for Cain, though, is the punishment that he receives for killing his brother. Being banished from God's presence is a punishment that Cain finds "too great to bear." I feel as if I disappoint God all the time, but he gives me the strength, I think, to somehow understand that He is all-merciful, and to keep going. I used to experience this story as a brother--as I am the oldest of 7 children, but now, as a parent, I am struck by what is not discussed:  Cain and Abel's relationships with their parents.  Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded a song called Adam Raised a Cain, the theme of which is obvious from the title and which comes to mind in reading the story. 

As a parent, I see how each of my children is so different from the others, yet has certain traits and behaviors in common. How could Adam and Eve have raised both Abel and Cain? While each had the common urge to please God by making an offering, their actions certainly took them on different paths with tragic consequences for both of them. Anyway, let me briefly mention the second story, the story of the great flood, which I confess I have never found terribly compelling. It has never had the same resonance for me somehow as the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel do. I can't help but think of the old Bill Cosby routine that I listened to on vinyl when I was a kid (God: "Noah, this is God" . . . Noah: "Right!"). What a contrast for me between, on the one hand, the God who so regretted his creation that he wanted to wipe it out and start over, and, on the other hand, the loving, forgiving, merciful God who shines throughout the New Testament. One last thought: That interlude right before the story of the great flood is so strange! The sons of heaven mating with the daughters of the earth to create "the heroes of old, the men of renown." It seems to "Greek mythology" to me, and just randomly dropped in there.