Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37 (Year A October 30-November 5) is a communal thanksgiving hymn. Worshippers recited it before the sacrifice at the festival of thanksgiving. It shares themes with II Isaiah and shows a strong international theme. It calls those the Lord has redeemed from their distressing circumstances to give thankful praise to God and to speak up about what God has done for them. Giving thanks for the goodness of the Lord is the basis of Jewish piety. [1] Steadfast love is the most significant thematic word in Psalm 107. Its combination the goodness of the Lord, we have a phrase used often in the Old Testament. We see it in Psalms 100:5; 106:1; 118:1-4, 29; 136 (all); Jeremiah 33:11; I Chronicles 16:34; II Chronicles 5:13; Ezra 3:11. Further, Psalm 23:6 combines the goodness and mercy of the Lord, words we find here as well. Steadfast love signifies the persistent protective loyalty of the Lord to the people with whom the Lord has established a covenant. The Lord acts faithfully in keeping promises. The Lord will show such loyal love, even when the people do not show such loyalty to the Lord. Thus, the Psalm opens with offering good reasons to offer thanks to the Lord. The Lord took redemption of the covenant people seriously. For example, the Lord will redeem them “with an outstretched arm” in Exodus 6:6-7. The Lord has redeemed them and called them by name, so they belong to the Lord in Isaiah 43:1-7. The Lord has redeemed Jacob “from hands too strong” for him in Jeremiah 31:11. The psalm suggests a widespread diaspora. Therefore, it would seem to be written after 587 BC. The theme is common. Out of compassion, the Lord will restore their fortunes, gathering them from among the peoples to whom the Lord has scattered them (Deuteronomy 30:1-5). They pray for the Lord to gather them “from among the nations” (Psalm 106:47-48). The Lord will gather the people “from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12). The Lord will bring the people from north and south (Isaiah 43:5-7). The Lord will gather them “from all the nations and all the places where” where the Lord has driven them (Jeremiah 29:10:14). The Lord is going “to bring them from the land of the north” and “gather them from the farthest parts of the earth” (Jeremiah 31:8). The Lord will gather them from the lands to which they have scattered (Ezekiel 11:14-20). Thus, the Lord has taken responsibility for redeeming the people from their trouble, gathering them in and bringing them home from all points of the compass. The rest of the psalm is a series of vignettes that are accounts of redemption. Each of these redemption stories has the same fourfold structure:
1) a description of the nature of the distress;
2) a prayer of desperation;
3) an account of the deliverance; and
4) an expression of thanks.
In his play, A Woman of No Importance, Oscar Wilde has this line: "The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future." This psalm makes it clear that the Lord acts redemptively toward those who have gone astray. Suffering and judgment are not the final word. Saints lose their tempers, get hungry, scold God, get egotistical, testy, or impatient, make mistakes and regret them. still, they are persistently blundering toward heaven.[2] What follows are five sections which identify the "redeemed." the redeemed are those who were coming home. We find a description of a group of wanderers who are lost in the desert, but who also find their way out of the desert. They move from the distress of a deserted wasteland to settled and inhabited land that will satisfy their deepest hunger and thirst. The description of life as need and desire corresponds to the teleological description of living creatures in Aristotelian philosophy. A point of contact with the Christian Aristotelianism of Aquinas is that God alone can satisfy the desire for life that constitutes the life of the soul. From the biblical standpoint, to desire God is of the very nature of creaturely life.[3] The psalm concludes with a testimony. Wisdom literature often uses multiple contrasts and reversals, along with words such as "wickedness," "upright" and "those who are wise." The point is that suffering becomes an occasion to show the mercy of the Lord. The psalm places the story of human suffering within a redemptive perspective. The final word is not suffering, but the showing of divine mercy. The psalm raises the question of whether our story is a redemptive one. In his Journal, Søren Kierkegaard observed that the fact that God creates out of nothing is wonderful. What is still more wonderful is that the Lord makes saints out of sinners.[4]
Joshua 3:7-17 (October 30-November 5) is part of a larger segment, Josh 3:1-4:18, that is a liturgical presentation of the crossing of the Jordan River by the tribes of Israel. The image has had a powerful influence upon theology and spirituality. This text shows that an early act of worship by the tribes was the ritually re-enacted entry into the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. The Lord initiates the movement by communicating with Joshua in a way that shows the Lord is with him as the Lord was with Moses. The Ark of the Covenant symbolizes the power of the Lord among the people. It symbolizes the covenant as the living promise that binds the Lord to the people and them to their Lord. The living God is among them and will drive out the inhabitants of the land. Joshua is to select one man from each of the twelve tribes to carry the Ark. The language used to describe the Jordan's abrupt drying up is intentionally reminiscent of that used to describe the miraculous Red Sea parting. In this case, the feet of the priests touch the water, and the flowing water miraculously ceases, remembering that the Jordan River varies 2-14 miles in width and 3-12 feet in depth. Yet, the focus of the text is not the miracle, but the living, guiding presence of God literally and figuratively stands amid this miracle. The ark and the covenant occupy center stage in the drama acting as the only gate through which the Israelites must pass to safely cross over and enter the Promised Land. It was the portable throne of the Divine suzerain. The Ark occupied the holiest place in the tabernacle, which was also portable. Leaders sought oracular decisions from it. The people made special preparations of themselves the day before the service. The priests carried the Ark in front of the people. The service remembered the liberation from Egypt and the military victories in the wilderness. Each of the tribes had a representative place memorial stones as a remembrance of liberation. This ritual re-enactment at a covenant renewal festival was a reminder to the Israelite tribes that their entry into the land brought a social and religious transformation. From the social side, the tribal system of organization proved more effective than the system of city-states in facing the challenges of the 1200’s and 1100’s. From a religious perspective, the Israelite tribes brought with them the Ark of Covenant as a symbol of the covenant established with Yahweh through Moses. The development of a system of laws rooted in this covenant with Yahweh introduced a new way of believing and living that brought conflict into the land. Fertility and nature cults in Canaan continued their strong hold upon the minds and hearts of people. The struggle would continue for centuries. This event has inspired powerful reflections upon conquering the obstacles of life. The Jordan River is a symbol for the obstacles and challenges that have arisen in your life that block you from experiencing what God wants in your life. For slaves in the south prior to the Civil War, it referred to the Ohio river and the Promised Land was the North, where they could find freedom.
Roll, Jordan, roll;
Roll, Jordan, roll;
I want to get to heaven when I die,
To hear old Jordan roll.
Psalm 78:1-7 (Year A November 6-12) is the wisdom portion of a long psalm that his largely a poetic reinterpretation of the story of Israel. I presents a narrative about the past to teach about the present. A date of soon after the fall of Israel, the northern kingdom, in 722/1 is likely. The lessons of life, faith, and history can be hard. We are difficult people for whom the lessons of life and history may have some difficulty penetrating us. Scholars often connect it with Deuteronomy 32, but it approaches history differently. The psalm recounts, in a didactic and pointed way, pivotal events from the sacred history of Israel to provide instruction for its contemporary hearers. Like Psalms 105-106 and 136 and others, Psalm 78 recounts the history of Israel to expound upon the providential care of God for Israel, on the one hand, and the persistent recalcitrance of Israel in responding to and living in the light of that care, on the other. The events narrated stretch from the time of the liberation of Israel from Egyptian bondage, the pivotal event in the sacred story of Israel, down to the time of David (a period of 250 years), when a new era began in the social and religious life of Israel. It offers justification for the destruction of the Northern Kingdom and praise for Davidic kingship centered in the chosen city of Zion. The tribe of Joseph, witness to great miracles, has rebelled against God, so that God has now rejected them in favor of the Temple at Jerusalem, the Davidic covenant, and Judah. The selective use of events, as well as the abrupt transition from wilderness wandering to security in Zion, leaves the strong impression that one of the functions of the psalm was to justify the revolutionary and controversial reforms of the monarchic era of David and Solomon. As in Est 7:3, Ps 59:11, and Jer 9:2, the teacher addresses Israel as “my people” and he wants them to listen to his teaching, connecting the introduction of the psalm to the wisdom school. Teachers in Israel want to clarify the works of the Lord for now and for future generations. Although the precise relationship between the Temple and the wisdom schools (or even circles) in ancient Israel is not known, it is certain that there was extensive interplay between the two ways of looking at the world. The religious tradition of Israel, centered on the recitation of sacred events in Israel’s mythic (i.e., sacro-historical) past, over time incorporated practical teachings from the wisdom circles that focused on timeless and general truths. He will teach with a parable (mashal), or in a proverbial way. It denotes a gnomic instruction, meaning wisdom that is not immediately obvious, in the form of a riddle, but it will concern what the people have heard and known from their ancestors. We as the adults of today will ensure that coming generations will know the glorious deeds, might, and wonders of the Lord (Deut 32:45-6). The goal of this instruction is that coming generations will gain a personal relationship of hope or trust in the Lord. The history of Israel will teach these generations that there are paths that will lead them away from this hope or trust, for one who has this hope will not forget the works of the Lord, which will include the giving of Torah. One who has this hope will listen to the guidance provided in Torah. Failure to be faithful to the covenant opens one to the danger that the Lord will remove divine protection and allow the actions of unfaithfulness to have justified consequences.
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 (Year A November 6-12) has the theme of a covenant renewal established at Shechem (Josh 24-1-33, with Josh 8:30-35). Shechem, 40 miles north of Jerusalem, is the place where Jacob ordered the foreign gods to be put away (Gen 35:1-4). Mt. Ebal was an avoidable physical reference point because of its height and placement. He used undressed stones to commemorate this event (Amos 5:5, 8:14 considered such stones as of pagan origin). Sacred pillars were now used as a witness to the treaty they had with the Lord. The covenant renewal festival, which would occur every seven years, was an example of the cooperation among the Israelite tribes. The ancient suzerainty treaty/covenant/berit included a preamble that identifies the author of the covenant, a historical prologue identifying the benevolent acts of the suzerain for the benefit of the vassal, stipulations of the obligations of the vassal that include not dealing with the enemies of the suzerain, and a provision for the public reading of the covenant with accompanying blessing and cursing, depending upon the faithfulness or its lack by the vassal. It was a covenant of grace. The Lord instituted it by choosing Israel and the people respond by choosing the Lord as their God. The covenant will work itself out in the institutional life of the Tribal Federation.[5] Such a concluding speech by Joshua has its parallel in the final speech of Moses. The preamble identifies the Lord as the god of Israel, and among the benevolent acts of the Lord are the calling of the patriarchs from among a people of polytheists to form a new people in Canaan. The text moves to the public reading of the covenant with its accompanying blessing and cursing, giving the people a choice of religious alternatives. The text has a serious and grim tone. It becomes a tombstone issue in defining the controlling center of one’s life. Based upon the benevolent acts of the Lord, they are to revere and serve the Lord with sincerity and faithfulness by putting away the gods of the ancestors and serve the Lord faithfully, giving a brief description of repentance. The alternative is between allegiance to Yahweh, who delivered them and brought them to the Promised Land, and the real alternative of serving other gods. The point here is that in their minds, these other gods exist, but Israelites must reject them and serve Yahweh. There is no suggestion that Joshua believed that the gods of either his religious ancestors or “the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living” were figments of their devotees’ imaginations. Moses insisted (Deut 30:19-20) that the people choose between life and death. Joshua testifies on behalf of his household, his wife, children, slaves, and the families of the slaves. As the head of the household, Joshua had the right to speak on behalf of all of them. The Lord delivered them from the house of slavery through great signs and protected them, and drove out the inhabitants of the land, so they will serve the Lord. Joshua warns them that the Lord is a jealous God and will not forgive their sins if they abandon the Lord. The holiness of the Lord leads to the formation of a holy, set apart people. While false gods are always available, these people are to recognize the supremacy of the Lord in their lives. One cannot serve God and mammon (Lk 16:13=Matt 6:14). Joshua informs them that even after acting benevolently toward them, the Lord will do harm to them if they serve other gods. The people reaffirm that they will serve the Lord, so Joshua says that their words will stand as witness against them. He then tells them that now is the time to put away their false gods and incline their hearts to the Lord, consistent with the theme in Deuteronomy of serving the Lord with the whole heart. The problem which the Deuteronomic History (a theme we also find in Ps 78:1-7) will show with this decision is that none of our decisions are final. All of our decisions are open to re-evaluation, re-consideration, and amendment. We might reaffirm, but we may also rethink and toss away. Faithfulness to an unwise decision is not a virtue and deepening an understanding of a prior decision can deepen our commitment. In this case, the people of Israel will re-evaluate this decision and many will decide that some acceptance of the gods of Canaan is worth the risk.
Psalm 123 (Year A November 13-19) is a short communal lament, occurring the collection of the Songs of Ascent (Pss 120-134) a prayer springing from heartfelt and profound piety that takes to heart the affliction of the people. It invites us to have the eyes of a servant/maid in our approach to the Lord. The poet has a sense of personal dependence upon the Lord, lifting his eyes to the Lord, recognizing his inadequacy and the power of the Lord, for the Lord is enthroned in the heavens, a sphere of the divine eternal presence inaccessible to us,[6] stressing that only the Lord can help in this moment. The poet expresses humble submission and trust in the Lord amid the distress. Servants look to the hand of their master/mistress for assistance, looking now upon Israel as a servant/maid to the Lord. Now, our eyes, reminding us that this is a communal lament, in which the poet identifies completely with the affliction of Israel, for the only hope for deliverance is in their dependence upon the Lord. His imperative that the Lord have mercy upon Israel is bold, but a common expression in the psalter, even with the unusual plural usage. The motivation for the Lord to do this is that they have a long history of contempt and scorn from their neighbors, arising from their pride, yet who are presently at ease.
Judges 4:1-7 (Year A November 13-19) track a cyclical pattern of the judges (3:7-16:31, but already summarized in 2:6-23). Israel fell into a predictable, yet tragic cycle of behavior. First, the Israelites turn away from following the way of the Lord. They become comfortable with worshipping the Lord along with other of the gods of Canaanites. The covenant commanded exclusive loyalty to the Lord, as we see in the first two of the Ten Commandments. They the Lord turns them over to the power of the enemy as punishment. In this case, Israel will overcome a powerful enemy through the teamwork of Deborah and Barak (4-5). They cry out to the Lord for help in their time of oppression. The Lord will choose a prophetess, Deborah, to be the agent of liberation. The feminine word for prophet occurs only six other times in the Old Testament, to describe Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Huldah (II Kings 22:14, II Chronicles 34:22), Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14), and the wife of Isaiah (Isaiah 8:3). In the New Testament, we find Anna (Luke 2:36) and a negative reference in Revelation 2:20. Her primary function was to settle disputes. The story is surprising among early Old Testament episodes in the leadership provided by a woman. It lets us know that even in heavily patriarchal cultures, the Lord will call women to political and military leadership, as well as to spiritual guidance. Barak surprisingly accepts the leadership of a female prophet in such matters. The people of God need women like Deborah to hear and respond to the call of the Lord. They also need men like Barak, who will accept the calling of the Lord upon a woman and receive the leadership the Lord provides through her.” Such divinization before battle was common in this culture. The Lord would fight for them and lead them into battle, just as the Lord had done in the wilderness for Moses and in the opening victories in Canaan with Joshua. Strategically, this military victory, for which one will need to read Judges 4-5, prevented a permanent division of the tribes north and south of the Plain of Esdraelon. Had Hazor won, this area would have been in non-Israelite hands.
[1] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1, 432.
[2] McGinley, Phyllis. "Running to paradise." Saint-Watching. Viking, 1969.
[3] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 185.
[4]Søren Kierkegaard, The Soul of Kierkegaard: Selections from His Journals (Courier, 2012), 59.
[5] Barth, Church Dogmatics IV.3 [57.2] 23.
[6]
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