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.

Joshua 9-12

The story of the Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land continues, as, with God's help, they engage and defeat 31 kings and their kingdoms. In doing so, they overcome superior numbers and a number of confederations among kings. And at the Lord's instruction, they slaughter every man, woman and child in those kingdoms (save Rahab and her family, as noted previously). What a horrifying swath of bloodshed they cut through the land. I understand that at some level this must be a metaphor for the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom, for the importance of trusting in Him and being "firm and steadfast." But it also reads like a remorseless and sickening annihilation. I just don't know what to make of it, honestly. It plays into my own fear that, as a sinner, if I stray too far from God, I might be viewed as one of these enemy kingdoms--outside the walls of His protection. Jesus, by His death and Resurrection, is the new covenant that God has promised us--promised me. And I do believe it. But reading passages like this still really scares me.         

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 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.

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 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 1-3:32

Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch.  It describes the 38 years covering the end of the encampment at Mt. Sinai through the journey in the desert to their arrival at the border of  the Promised Land. It begins with a census of the Chosen People commands by the Lord. Thus, the journey of the law, from Sinai to the Promised Land begins with a census. Similarly, the story of the birth of the New Law, the fulfillment of the law, Jesus Christ, also begins with a census.  The census ordered by the Romans is the reason Joseph and Mary journeyed to Bethlehem, of course.