Judges 1-3:6

With Joshua's death, the last of the generation that experienced the Lord's deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt is gone. Here, in Judges, it is an angel of the Lord who delivers God's message to the people--not one of their own. The Israelites gain some victories over inhabitants of Canaan. The brothers Judah and Simeon, for example, defeat the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and in doing so cut off the thumbs and big toes of Adonibezek. How horrifying. But the Israelites choose to live side by side with some of the tribes in Canaan--in disobedience to God's command to Moses and Joshua that the Israelites put them allot the sword. Over time, the Israelites forget God's commands, and they assimilate with these peoples and begin to worship their gods. They forget the Lord and all He has done for them. They abandon Him. As a result, the Lord becomes angry with them and allows them to fall under the power of certain plunderers until they are in great distress. The Lord periodically sends a judge to them to get them back on the right path, which they would do, at least temporarily. But upon a judge's death, they relapse into a worse state than before. Therefore, the Lord allows certain people's to remaining Canaan to challenge and thwart the Israelites. 

How often I relapse, forgetting all the good that God has done for me. I forget God's promise to me, His faithfulness, His mercy. When this happens, I don't look for "false gods" to worship--at least I don't think I do. Instead, I am more like Adam in Eden--I hide my face from Him. 

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.

Joshua 19-21

At the door of the meeting tent at Shiloh, the division of the promised land among the families of the tribes of the Israelites continues. My father has always been a movie fan--Westerns especially. I seem to remember growing up that Shiloh was a commonly used name in those movies. And now I know its origin. Seems fitting, I guess, as the concept of the US as a kind of promised land, the notion of Manifest Destiny that underlay one view of Westward Expansion, has some commonality with the story of the Israelites and Canaan. And certainly there was political benefit to be had by tying the two things together in peoples' minds. 

In this passage, once the division of the promised land is completed, the narrative pauses for a reminder of how all of the Lord's promises to the people, through Moses and Joshua, had been fulfilled:

Not a single promise that the Lord made to the house of Israel was broken; every one was fulfilled.

Our God is a God who keeps His promises. He has promised everlasting life. He has promised that if we call on Him, He will be here for us. He is faithful. 

Joshua 13-18

We continue with what I must confess is for me the least inspiring sections of the Old Testament to date. Joshua affirms the division of the land just outside Canaan to two and one-half of the twelve tribes, and then begins the process of dividing the promised land among the remaining tribes. This is done in accordance with the instructions of Moses before he died. 

Tomorrow begins the conclave to elect a new Pope. The media is very focused on the "horse race" aspect of it, which I suppose is human nature. But I hope and trust that the Holy Spirit is at work this week through the assembled cardinals, flawed humans as they are. And that they are inspired by the Holy Spirit to select the man we need for the job at a critical time in Church history. I will certainly be praying for that.

One message that has been coming to me very strongly this last week or two has been "do not be afraid." As I alluded to in a prior post, I am in a period right now of being afraid. And yet it seems everywhere I turn--this past Sunday's readings, songs on the radio, comments of support from loved ones--I can hear God's voice encouraging me to put aside my fear and trust Him. It is very, very difficult for me. But I will keep trying and praying for courage and trust. 

Deuteronomy 14-17

The Book of Deuteronomy continues with Moses' explication of the laws by which the Israelites are to govern themselves in Canaan. We see a continuation of certain currents. The Israelites are a specially chosen people. God is a jealous God, who prescribes harsh punishment for those who worship other gods. The Israelites are to treat each other justly and mercifully, as God has treated them. 

Two elements of this passage took my thoughts immediately to the New Testament.

Instructing the Israelites about how to deal with a person in the community who "does evil in the sight of the Lord" by serving or worshipping other gods, Moses teaches that the punishment is stoning, but only after two or three witnesses have testified against the perpetrator.  He continues:

At the execution, the witnesses are to be the first to raise their hands against him; afterward all the people are to join in.

I am reminded of the woman caught in adultery brought before Jesus by the Jewish leaders, who were trying to trap Him. When He suggested that the person in the community who had no sin cast the first stone, the people who had gathered drifted away and she was spared.  God is just; God is merciful. The way these two truths are juxtaposed, both in the Old and New Testaments is very mysterious to me.

Moses also spoke of the possibility that the Israelites might subject themselves to governance by a king. He directs with regard to that king:

Nor shall he make his people go back again to Egypt to acquire [horses], against the Lord's warning that you must never go back that way again.

St. Joseph is described as a man of faith in the New Testament. I think back to his being told in a dream by God, shortly after Jesus' birth, to take the baby and Mary to Egypt. It deepens my awe and admiration for his faith in God, as that dream and that instruction from God must have gone against his instincts based on everything he had been taught and had heard from Scriptures his whole life.  That is trust in the Lord. If only I had just a tiny fraction of that trust.

Deuteronomy 7-9

Moses continues to explain to the Israelites the reason for all that has happened to them since they left Egypt.  He does this in anticipation of their entry into Canaan--without him.  Why has God chosen this people, this nation among all others? 

For you are a people sacred to the Lord . . . . The Lord set his heart on you and chose you . . . You will be blessed above all peoples.

Why has He chosen me? Why has He set His heart on me? He created me; He loves me; He calls me closer. As with the Israelites, He wants to lead me out of slavery--the slavery of my distractedness, my temper, my impatience with others, my stubbornness, my lack of trust in Him, my fearfulness.  I am immensely grateful, when I contemplate these things, and I want to respond and let these things go, but I don't always know how.

Numbers 33-36

The Book of Numbers closes with a passage that recounts all of the stops along the way of the Israelites' forty-year journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan. It summarizes the setting of the boundaries of the Promised Land, the allotment of land to the twelve tribes (two-and-a-half of which have elected to live just outside of Canaan), and the setting aside of land for the Levites. I find the discussion of the land of asylum an interesting concept: a place where someone who has unintentionally killed another can go and be protected from vengeance by the dead person's "avenger."  There the "killer" must remain until the death of the high priest in order to be protected. I am not sure, honestly, what I think about the concept of Purgatory--maybe a discussion for another time--but this reminds me of that concept. The land of asylum is a temporary place for someone who is culpable for an action, but not a grievous or horrific action that signifies a complete turning away from God and neighbor. Not until the high priest (Christ?) dies is the exile free from retribution for his sin. 

Why does God free me from my sins?  Why does He forgive me? I have done nothing to merit that forgiveness, obviously. I am on a journey to the Promised Land, like the Israelites.  I grumble and complain like the Israelites. I forget His many kindnesses; I want more. Occasionally, I hear His message through some "Moses" in my life--my wife, my children, a friend, a song, nature, a work of art, a poem. But it is only "occasionally" because my heart is not properly attuned to His message. He has to "shout". It is easy for me to read these passages and wonder how the Israelites could have been so stubborn, so arrogant, so blind, so forgetful.  And then I look in the mirror . . . 

Numbers 29-32

The Lord continues to instruct the Israelites, through Moses, as to the appropriate sacrifices and offerings to be made in connection with various holy days.  These holy days, as noted in an earlier post, all have a community dimension to them, as the Lord calls for a sacred assembly on those days as well. There is a discussion of the relationship between husbands and wives and fathers and daughters in the context of vows and oaths, one which seems to reinforce a culture that places women subservient to men. This is followed by a narrative of the slaughter of the Midianites by the Israelites, and a detailed (albeit, odd in my view) discussion of how the booty of war is to be divided among the Israelites. The Lord we meet in this section is vengeful and merciless. Scary. As the Israelites near the time to enter Canaan, two tribes ask that they be permitted outside the boundaries of the promised land. Moses at first rejects this suggestion. But the Reubenites and Gadites promise to help the other tribes cross the Jordan and defeat the residents of Canaan, securing it for the Israelites, before returning to the other side of the Jordan. They pledge: "We will do as you command, my Lord" and again "We will do what the Lord has commanded us, your servants." Thus, agreement is reached with Moses and the Lord. 

One way to look at this is that the Reubenites and Gadites are "negotiating" with God--something we are not typically encouraged to do. Another way to see it, however, is that our dialogue with God, our prayers, should be an open, candid dialogue. Moses, for example, has repeatedly asked the Lord to reconsider His instructions, and sometimes God has acceded to Moses' request. In the end, the Gadites and Reubenites have the right approach: they agree that they will do what the Lord commands--but I think the lesson for me is that God wants me to have a mature, open dialogue with Him. A conversation. So that I can share my heart with Him, and He with me.

Numbers 26-28

The Lord instructs Moses to take a second census as the Israelites near their entry into Canaan. The second census reveals that the Israelite community has grown. It also reveals that, as God had promised, not a single man is still alive who had been counted in the first census at the base of Sinai, except for Joshua and Caleb (and Moses himself, of course)--the rest had perished as the Lord had promised for their lack of faithfulness. The Lord instructs Moses as to how the Promised Land should be divided among the twelve tribes, and reminds Moses that he himself will see, but not enter, the promised land. Moses accepts his fate gracefully, but does ask the Lord to appoint a successor to guide the people:

Set over the community a man who shall act as their leader in all things, to guide them in all their actions; that the Lord's community may not be like sheep without a shepherd.

God directs Moses to appoint Joshua as his successor. Moses lays his hands on Joshua in a ceremony before the whole community, and in this way the community itself also consecrates Joshua. This is a very interesting, and yes comforting, passage to be reading as we prepare for the election of a new Pope. It is an unsettling time for Catholics, with the historic resignation of BXVI, and we pray for God to guide the cardinals in the task ahead.

This passage ends with more detailed descriptions of the sacrifices that God expects the Israelites to offer on various occasions, all of which have that social dimension to them: a shared assembly of the people.

Numbers 21-25

The Lord continues to lead the Israelites in their journey in the desert. They defeat the Canaanites and the Amorites along the way. He continues to ensure they have water and food to survive. And despite all this, they periodically break out in grumbling and complaining. They turn to worshipping false gods and consorting with women of tribes they meet along the way. I find it difficult to read these passages, as I see myself in the Israelites.  How much does God give me in my life, and yet how often do I complain that it isn't enough, or that I want something different? I have a family that is so much more wonderful than I deserve, and yet I cannot control my temper or my moodiness when I am around them. My hope is that, as with the Israelites, God is merciful and forgives and keeps His promises, no matter how unworthy I am to receive them. 

This passage continues with the story of Balak, king of Moab, and his efforts to convince Balaam, king of the Amawites, to join him in battling the Israelites. But Balaam is a man of God, and he listens to the Lord. Although he travels to meet Balak, Balaam stays true to God's instruction that he (Balaam) say only what God directs him to say. Rather than curse the Israelites, Balaam blesses them:

How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

Four times Balaam acts as an oracle, identifying the Israelites as a special people, "a people that lives apart."  He predicts:

A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel.

A star in the East? The staff of the Good Shepherd? Throughout the Old Testament I continue to see the promise of Christ.

Numbers 13-15:21

At God's command, Moses sends twelve men to scout the land of Canaan, the land of milk and honey, the promised land, and the people dwelling there. Upon their return, the scouts confirm the goodness and fruitfulness of the land. But ten of the twelve stir up the Israelites to grumble against Moses and God, convincing them that the Israelites that God cannot keep His promises--that He cannot guide them to triumph over the residents of Canaan and give the Israelites the land He has promised them. Only Caleb and Joshua of the twelve remain faithful and confident in God and His promises. The others, and the rest of the Israelites, grumble and complain and long to return to Egypt as slaves rather than (as they see the alternative) to die in the desert. This moves the Lord to anger. After Moses attempts to intercede for the people, the Lord relents somewhat. But the punishment is that the Israelites must wander the desert for forty years--one year for each day the twelve spent scouting Canaan--until the last of the ten scouts and others who spurned the Lord are dead. On reflection, the people feel "great remorse"--but even then they cannot obey the Lord.  Instead, they set off for battle to take Canaan despite Moses' warning: "Why are you again disobeying the Lord's orders? This cannot succeed." And, of course, without the Lord, it does not succeed and they are defeated. One recurring theme here is that the Israelites repeatedly "spurn" or "reject" the Lord, and even when they have remorse they are so strong willed that they feel compelled to decide how they themselves will "make things right"--even when God, through Moses, instructs them differently. 

How often do I do the same? I grumble and complain, even tough God has given me so much! I am incredibly fortunate and blessed--with health, with a beautiful family, with a job--and yet there are times when I grumble against the Lord.  I want something more, or something different, or I want something when I want it. Then, when I am struck by how much God has already given me, I too have remorse. 

Genesis 11:10-14:13

Interesting that the fruitfulness theme comes up here early in the story of Abram. That his wife, Sarai, was barren allowed them to pose as brother and sister when they fled the famine in the land of Canaan for Egypt. Sarai, who was beautiful, was taken to live in Pharaoh's palace, and, as a result, "it went very well with Abram." He was able to accumulate many riches and possessions. Eventually, though, misfortune befell Pharaoh because (as he discovered) Sarai was actually Abram's wife. Pharaoh sent them both out of Egypt--with Abram's possessions. Abram and Lot, his nephew, ultimately had to part ways, as each of their possessions made the land too small for them to dwell together. Once Lot had departed, God made Abram a promise that Abram's descendants would be like the dust of the earth. God's meaning is that they would multiply and thrive to such an extent that they would be too great to be counted. Fruitfulness again--but also, a wonderful echo of Adam and Eve (formed from the earth).