Tobit 1-3

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

The Book of Tobit feels different to me than anything I've read so far in the Old Testament. Somehow the style of the prose and the tone just hit me in a way that nothing before has. It feels more, I don't know, modern. In a good way.

When I was a freshman in Catholic high school, attending Catholic school of any kind for the first time, my religion teacher was a little old nun named Sr. Georgine. She was small and soft-spoken, but tough. She struck fear in our hearts--mine at least. She tried to teach us to meditate in prayer, but she would occasionally fall asleep during those lessons. She took a swing at a couple of boys who misbehaved in the class, too. Ah, the good old days.

Anyway, Sr. Georgine began our year of Bible study with, you guessed it, the Book of Tobit. 

Tobit is an Israelite, in exile in Nineveh. He is virtuous and kind. A charitable man. He has remained faithful to the Law of Moses, following the commands and worshipping and honoring only the one true God. Some of his charitable actions, in particular burying the dead, get him in trouble with the authorities, and he is briefly forced into hiding. While in hiding, his property is confiscated, leaving him with only his wife, his son, and some money he had deposited with a kinsman of his in another town. The political situation changes, and he is able to return home to his family and his virtuous ways. But his fortunes shift yet again. More charitable works lead to more trouble. His neighbors and even his wife mock and insult him. And to make matters worse, birds poop in his eyes and blind him. Yuch. Overcome with grief and sorrow, Tobit prays to the Lord for death. "All your ways are mercy and truth," Tobit declares, but he feels he can go on no longer. It is not hunger or physical pain or poverty that lead him to despair, but the calumnies and insults of those around him that he cannot bear. 

Meantime, in another town, we find Sarah. Sarah has married seven times, only to have each new husband killed by a wicked demon on the wedding night, before the marriage could be consummated. Cruelly teased by people around her, Sarah, in her misery and grief, resolves to hang herself. She is stopped, however, by the realization that her suicide will bring shame and dishonor to her father. Like Tobit, she too prays for death to relieve her from her misery, but adds that if the Lord elects not to take her life, she prays that the Lord "look favorably upon me and have pity on me."

The Lord hears the prayers of Tobit and Sarah, and dispatches an angel, Raphael, "to heal them both."  The early part of this story brings to mind my very favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, although there the angel was, of course, named Clarence.

Nehemiah 8-13

Nehemiah is in some ways a terribly confusing book. In reading the notes that accompany my translation, it appears that many of the events recounted in this book, including the life of Nehemiah himself, took place before the events in the Book of Ezra. On top of that, some sections of Nehemiah fit together with sections of Ezra, and are otherwise out of place here. It is not, in other words, a straight through narrative, but rather a bit of a patchwork. But that's ok--there are still some nuggets in here.

The Israelites gather together to hear Ezra (right, Ezra, to Nehemiah) read and interpret the Mosaic law. The people are brought to tears, but Ezra instructs them to be joyful:

Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!

There is great rejoicing and celebration.  But the text quickly shifts to a continuation of the mourning resulting from the intermarriage of the Israelites and the "people of the land". As a rebuke of sorts, Ezra recounts for the regretful people the story of God's favor and mercy toward the Israelites--beginning with the story of Abram, the slavery in Egypt, the rescue through Moses, the wandering in the desert, the Promised Land, the Israelites' repeated turning away from God, and His boundless patience and mercy:

But you are a God of pardons, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in mercy; you did not forsake them.

Even through the exile from Jerusalem, God did not forget His people, but allowed a remnant to survive. That surviving remnant renews the promise of the covenant, pledging an oath to honor God and His Law.

Nehemiah 1-7

Nehemiah is a very interesting figure, a complement of sorts to Ezra. Ezra was very much a religious leader for post-exile Israelites, setting a powerful example of righteous conduct and insisting on strict adherence to the Mosaic law. Nehemiah is more of a civic leader to this same group. He calls to mind Joseph. Like Joseph, Nehemiah is a trusted servant of a king--cupbearer to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. Nehemiah learns of the struggles of the remnant of the Israelites in captivity (here for the first time referred to as "the Jews"), who are trying to re-establish and rebuild Jerusalem. He mourns and prays and, soon after, has the opportunity to intercede with Artaxerxes on their behalf. The king permits Nehemiah to leave his employ to travel to Jerusalem to assist the remnant there. Because of his fondness for Nehemiah, the king richly provisions Nehemiah and the group who accompany him to Jerusalem. 

Arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah rallies the people to engage in the rebuilding effort.  Despite the jealousy and intrigue of other communities -- and even some treachery within this remnant itself -- Nehemiah oversees the repair of the great wall around Jerusalem as well as the gates to the city. Nehemiah shows himself to be a faithful servant of God. He is also a dedicated and loving leader to the remnant. For example, he successfully convinces members of the remnant to cease lending money at usurious rates to other Jews, because this has led to poverty and even slavery for some of them. Nehemiah is a bit self-aggrandizing at times, but his heart and his efforts are absolutely in the right place.  

Ezra 7-10

Ezra appears in this section as a major figure among the people of God, during te reign of King Artaxerxes I of Persia. With that king's blessing and support, Ezra leads a band of believers back to Jerusalem to settle there in order to worship God. Ezra is a strong and influential religious leader, holding the people strictly to the law handed down from God to Moses. 

Although this book is generally attributed to the Chronicler, he is believed to have drawn from something called the Memoir of Ezra as one of his sources. This would explain why part of this book is written in the first person voice. Ezra's zeal for obedience to the Law of Moses is understandable. And the fact that he is trying to, in effect, rebuild a once great and numerous people from a small surviving remnant makes clear why he has such a strong aversion to the widespread practice of intermarriage between the Israelites and other peoples. But I must say that I find his own description of his very dramatic reaction to this situation to border on the comical:

When I heard this thing, I tore my cloak and my mantle, plucked hair from my head and beard, and sat there stupefied. . . . I sat there motionless until the evening sacrifice. Then at the time of the evening sacrifice I rose in my wretchedness, and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees, stretching out my hands to the Lord my God. 

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

It's that time again! During the week, I covered 1 Chronicles and about half of 2 Chronicles. These historical books retrace much of the ground covered in 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings.   The life of Saul is briefly covered, followed by the reigns of David and Solomon. On reflection, David and Moses are clearly the central figures of the Old Testament to this point. Not that others were not great or important (Abraham, Isaac, Noah, Joseph, Jacob, and Solomon, to name just a few). But David and Moses are clearly the key figures: Moses, the recipient of the Law, the embodiment of obedience and trust in God, and David, the paragon not of perfection, but of faithfulness of heart. The importance of faithfulness of heart is a central theme in this week's readings.

So, here you go (in reverse chronological order this week):

• 2 Chronicles 7-16
• 2 Chronicles 1-6
• 1 Chronicles 22-29
• 1 Chronicles 15-21
• 1 Chronicles 11-14
• 1 Chronicles 1-10

And, of course, here is the link to this week's Catholic carnival:

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Enjoy and have a great week!

2 Kings 22-25

Josiah, king of Judah, pleases the Lord as Davd had. The kings that follow? Well, not so much. Josiah is presented with the book of laws, discovered by the high priest in the temple.  When the book is read to him, Josiah is filled with anguish, because he realizes ho far the Israelites have strayed from their covenant with God. So he undertakes to set things right. It is not enough to rescue the Israelites from the end they have earned, but the Lord does promise to put off that day until after Josiah dies. 

Before [Josiah] there had been no king who turned to the Lord as he did, with his whole heart, his whole soul, and his whole strength, in accord with entire law of Moses; nor could any after compare with him. Yet, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had given, the Lord did not desist from his fiercely burning anger against Judah.

In time, Judah is defeated, overrun, and her people scattered--driven into exile. The temple of the Lord is dismantled and destroyed.

What a sad story of unrequited love. Not romantic love, of course, but God's love for His people. I find the ending of this book to be particularly frightening. God is angry and His people suffer. He seems to have abandoned them. Yet He is also clearly willing to acknowledge and reward the man (Josiah) who strives to be righteous and obedient by loving God and observing His commands. 

2 Kings 17-21

With one notable exception, the next group of kings of both Israel and Judah displease the Lord greatly. In the case of the kings of Israel, so much so that the Lord permits the king of Assyria to capture Israel and carry its people off to a distant land. Only Hezekiah, a king of Judah, acts in a way pleasing to the Lord.

He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel, and neither before him nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah. Loyal to the Lord, Hezekiah never turned away from him, but observed the commandments which the Lord had given Moses.

The Lord rewards Hezekiah with a long life. The Lord sends to him Isaiah, a prophet, to guide him. Isaiah advises Hezekiah when the king of Assyria tries to conquer Judah. Isaiah's counsel, and Hezekiah's heartfelt prayers to God, help turn back the Assyrians. But Isaiah also foretells the ruin of Judah--of its future conquest by Babylon. After Hezekiah's death, his son, Manasseh, succeeds him. Manasseh displeases the Lord greatly, pushing Him past the breaking point, and He speaks through the prophets, promising the destruction of both Jerusalem and Judah: "I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a dish, wiping it inside and out."

2 Kings 1-5

The focus shifts away from the kings to the prophets as 2 Kings opens. Elisha is the faithful follower and heir apparent to Elijah. He travels with him wherever he goes--"I will not leave you," he promises. And he keeps that promise until Elijah is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, riding in a flaming chariot drawn by flaming horses. Elisha takes up Elijah's mantle--literally and figuratively. 

Although I believe that Elisha is ultimately a less significant prophet than Elijah, Elisha's actions nonetheless echo and prefigure those of Moses and Jesus, respectively, in many ways. He divides the river so that he may cross it on dry land; he provides water for the people when they are thirsty; he appears to turn a body of water to blood; he multiplies oil (instead of wine) into many jars and a small number of loaves (instead of loaves and fish) into enough for a hundred men to eat; he brings someone back from the dead (as both Elijah and Jesus did); he cures a leper. 

This last is an especially moving story. Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram was highly respected and esteemed. But he had leprosy. A little girl is the one who suggests that Naaman go to Elisha. When Naaman presents himself, Elisha does not see him in person, but instead sends a message to Naaman instructing him to bathe seven times in the waters of the Jordan. Naaman is angry that Elisha did not deign to meet him in person, and leaves, intending to ignore the instruction. But Naaman's servants prevail on him to follow Elisha's direction, and Elisha is cured. Indeed, "his flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." When Naaman returned to Elisha to accept a thanksgiving offering, Elisha would not accept it. Elisha, instead, tells him (as Jesus often did) to "go in peace."

The cure of Naaman speaks to me about God's work in our lives, about the power of the sacraments--mysteries that we believe, whose power we witness, but that we don't "see" in the traditional sense. Baptism and Reconciliation wash us clean, as Naaman was washed clean. As adults we can somehow "feel" the renewing power of Reconciliation, yet we cannot point to the how or the where of it.

1 Kings 6-10

In the 480th year after the Israelites left Egypt under Moses' leadership, the Israelites began construction of the temple to house the ark of the covenant. This signals a conversion of sorts--from a nomadic tribe to a settled people; from a nation surrounded by hostile enemies to a powerful nation at peace. Solomon oversees construction of a glorious temple to honor God, and then supervises the building of an opulent palace to reflect his earthly power. 

God reminds Solomon and the Israelites again and again during this period that what He asks, what He expects and demands is their obedience:

If you observe my statutes, carry out my ordinances, keep and obey all my commands, I will fulfill toward you the promise I made to your father David. I will dwell in the midst of the Israelites and will not forsake my people.

When the temple is completed and appropriately furnished, Solomon leads a grand ceremony to install the ark in the holy of holies, giving it, finally, a resting place. Solomon offers a long, moving prayer to the Lord, which begins:

Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep your covenant of kindness with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart.

Later during the ceremony, Solomon prays:

May [God] draw our hearts to himself, that we may follow him in everything and keep the commands, statutes, and ordinances which he enjoined on our fathers.

I love that imagine of God drawing our hearts to Him. How often I have felt that pull. How many times I have ignored it, tried to escape it. Yet in love, at least, God is relentless. He doesn't give up on us. Thankfully, he doesn't make it easy to walk away from Him.

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. 

Joshua 5-8

Two important rituals precede the Israelites first battle for the Promised Land. First, because no men were circumcised during the forty-year exile in the desert, all submit to the knife.  Then, they celebrate Passover. On that same day, the manna from heaven that had fed them during their long journey ceases. To demonstrate His presence and commitment to them, the Lord sends an angel with a sword to lead the Israelites into battle, who announces, "I am the captain of the host of the Lord and I have just arrived."  Why "just arrived", I wonder? Isn't God always there for us? Perhaps the angel chooses these words to remind us that while God is always present and available for us, He comes to us in a special way when we are in need. 

What follows is a great story of how the walls of Jericho come down as a result of the Israelites blowing ram's horns and shouting, as they had been instructed by the Lord through Joshua. And then they massacred the people of the city--every last one except the family of Rahab, the harlot, who had aided the scape of Joshua's spies. But despite all He had done for them, the Israelites--or at least one of their number--disobeyed the Lord's precise instructions about hauling off booty from the city. He withdraws his aid and the Israelites are (temporarily) rebuffed at Ai. The Lord insists to Joshua that he find and remove the disobedient person. A man named Achan, of the tribe of Judah, is found to be the plunderer, and he is taken to the Valley of Achor, where he is stoned to death by the Israelites. The Israelites then conquer Ai in a rousing battle scene, using an ambush per the Lord's instructions to secure the city. Joshua built an altar to the Lord, and in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote the law on to unhewn stones as God had instructed  Moses. Joshua then "read aloud all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, exactly as written in the book of the law. Every single word that Moses had commanded, Joshua read aloud to the entire community." 

As we have seen, time and time again, the Lord reminds the Israelites, by word, action, and ritual, that the law is and must be central to their lives--impacting every aspect of their existence. This is no less true for me personally. God's Word, His message through this Bible and through His Son, as intermediated through His (far from perfect) Church, must guide my life. It must not just be reflected or observed in my actions, but it must also penetrate to my soul. 

Deuteronomy 31-34

Deuteronomy ends with the final words, and then the death and burial, of Moses. How fitting that the Pentateuch's bookends are Adam and Moses. One was responsible for man being cast out of Paradise. The other responsible for leading God's people to the Promised Land. At God's command, Moses teaches the people a song that they are to sing and to teach to the generations that follow. It is a song of God's anger and the consequences of the Israelites' eventual turning away from God, which God has foretold. It is a song of bitterness and regret. He commissions and consecrates Joshua as his successor, at God's command. Then, in a poignant moment, Moses ascends Mt. Nebo in order to view the Promised Land, which he is forbidden from entering. Moses gives a final blessing to the tribes, except the tribe of Simeon. (Why that tribe is omitted, I cannot tell.)  And then he dies and is buried and is mourned.  Thereafter, his successor, Joshua, "is filled with the spirit of wisdom" and the Israelites give him their obedience. 

The book ends with a short, yet powerful, statement of praise for Moses, which in part reads: Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. None until Jesus.

Deuteronomy 27-30

Moses gathers the people together to give his final words before they cross the Jordan into the land that God has promised them, the land of milk and honey. Moses powerfully lays before them the stark choice they have going forward: they may heed the voice of the Lord and observe His commandments, or they may turn away from Him and ignore His laws. The consequences of that choice are immense. God promises that obedience will result in many blessings for the Israelites and their descendants--victories, prosperity, and fruitfulness. Indeed, among the blessings promised are the words that will later be spoken of the Mother of Jesus: "Blessed be the fruit of your womb." But woe to Israel if they do not heed the commandments, statutes, and decrees, for the ramifications are dire: sickness, invasion, defeat, plagues, famine, and exile. The Lord will "scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth to the other." The famine will be so great that fathers will eat heir children and mothers will consume newborn babies. This parade of horribles is truly frightening. I had a difficult time reading it all the way through. Yet God still leaves the door open for salvation. If at some point this suffering nation ponders these things in their hearts, and returns to the Lord and heeds His voice, He will have pity on them, gather them back together, and once again make them prosperous and numerous, as He once promised their fathers. He will again open their hearts so that they "may love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, and so may live." 

Here, God is terrifying. He is demanding and jealous. Yet in the end, He is merciful and patient. He waits (although not always patiently, Moses suggests) for us to turn back and come home to Him. This section ends with these powerful words from God regarding the choice He has put before the Israelites:

I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.

I love the image of "holding fast to him." Sometimes, I am afraid. I must learn to cling to him then especially.

Deuteronomy 18-26

The Lord's instructions to the Israelites, through Moses, cover much ground in this section--ground that was largely covered in earlier books as well.  In the context of reminding them about the Lord's decrees, statutes and commandments, Moses exhorts the people to "be altogether sincere toward the Lord, your God." Near the end of this section, Moses restates this idea: "Be careful, then, to observe [God's statutes and decrees] with all your heart and with all your soul." It is not nearly enough to simply follow the rules, but I must do so with a sincere and loving heart. 

Moses predicts the future coming of a greater prophet, Jesus. On God's behalf, Moses repeats to the Israelites words that God spoke to him:

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him.

God's tenderness and fidelity toward the Israelites is in stark contrast to the very harsh treatment God reserves for those who do not follow his commands, and for those nations who stand between the Israelites and the Promised Land. For the unjust, there awaits "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." For those cities in the land that God has promised to the Israelites, there is to be the slaughter of every soul. For the incorrigible son, the cheating spouse, and the rapist, they shall be stoned to death. Very intimidating and, frankly, frightening.  

But the discussion turns back to the many blessings the Israelites have from the Lord.  Moses directs the Israelites to celebrate a thanksgiving feast when they enter the Promised Land. A key to this feast is the retelling of the story of the Israelites, from the settlement and eventual slavery in Egypt to their deliverance into "the land of milk and honey." Celebrating the story of God's goodness is integral to the social and religious fabric of the community. The Israelites are told to "make merry over all these good things which the Lord, your God, has given you." 

Indeed, for me, when following God seems complicated, I try to fall back on thankfulness. It is easy to see that He has given me so very much, and the simplest (although not always easiest) thing for me to do is to thank Him for it.

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 10-13

Moses continues his declaration to the Israelites:

What does the Lord, your God, ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul.

Throughout this passage, and so far throughout Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people again and again that this means (i) worshipping God and God alone, and eschewing false idols, and (ii) obeying God's commandments, statutes, and decrees. The repetition of these themes gives me some sympathy for the Pharisees from the New Testament. Dare I say it!?! 

But woven into these themes here is another current--love, the greatest commandment of all. Moses expresses this when he tells the Israelites to "circumcise your hearts." That instruction gave me pause. My version of the Bible has a note explaining that the uncircumcised heart "is closed and unreceptive to divine grace and guidance." Interesting metaphor. But Moses seems to be teaching us that there is something fundamentally important beyond simple obedience at issue here.

Moses goes on to direct the Israelites to "take these words of mine into your heart . . . teach them to your children, speaking of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest."

God is our God, the only God, the loving and merciful God who is always with us.  Every person, every land, every moment. My life cannot be complete or truly fulfilled until I engage in responding to and living His love and mercy.

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.