Good morning! Today we focus in Ezra 3-6 on the progress of and challenge to rebuilding the temple. Recall that despite its ruins, the temple is still a site where God has promised to be especially present. In the language of Celtic Christianity, the temple is a “thin place” where heaven and earth are so close they all but touch. No wonder the exiles sought to make the building whole again. Yet the opposition they face over rebuilding demonstrates how bound the Hebrews are to the will of those who have conquered them.
Month: May 2016
Ezra 1-2
Good morning! There exists in the Bible no “history” of the seventy years that upper- and middle-class Hebrews spent exiled in Babylon. Some parts of the prophets and psalms were likely written there, but the narrative history hinges on “before” and “after” Exile. This is why yesterday’s reading at the end of 2 Chronicles discussed the revolving door of evil kings before the exile, then jumped immediately to Cyrus’ decree that the Hebrews should return home from Babylon. Before we turn to the post-exilic narratives of Ezra-Nehemiah and Esther, consider for a moment how much changed in seven decades. That’s the vast majority of a person’s life these days, and at that time there was likely no person who lived that long. Those in Babylon would have grown up with that as their only home, and those who remained in Jerusalem would have had no living memory of those who were exiled. Imagine if the people who moved away from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina all returned en masse in 2077, having had no contact with relatives who stayed and rebuilt the city. How much change happens in seventy years? The experiences of those who stayed and those who left would likely be so divergent that they would be hard-pressed to recognize a common cultural connection. So it was with the Hebrew people in 539 BCE.
2 Chronicles 34-36
Good morning! With today’s passage (1 Chronicles 34-36) we conclude the pre-exile historical narratives that have stretched from the beginning of Joshua (March 11th) all the way until today. Ezra and Nehemiah (which follow today) offer a brief interpretation of events after exile, but we’re nearly done with all the books in the “historical” section of the Hebrew scriptures. Today we finish Chronicles with a focus on righteous Josiah and the unrighteous kings who follow him, all powerless to stop the convergence of Egyptian and Babylonian powers against Judah.
2 Chronicles 32-33
Good morning! We are nearly done with Chronicles—only one more day after this! With today’s passage (2 Chronicles 32-33), we celebrate Hezekiah’s righteous triumph and revisit the less successful generations until Josiah’s reign. Part of the background here—unmentioned in Chronicles because of its focus on Judah—is the capture and exile of the northern kingdom to Assyria. Hezekiah’s ability to withstand where Israel had fallen is credited to him as righteousness, but the kings who follow him forsake his example and thereby imperil the kingdom.
2 Chronicles 29-31
Good morning! Today in 2 Chronicles 29-31, we are not talking about battles or the sinfulness of rulers, for once! Instead, the topic is spiritual reform under the umbrella of righteous King Hezekiah. I’ve been thinking about this with a metaphor of the renewal of vows for a couple who have been together awhile, and are now recommitting to spend more time together. The Hebrew people have been “God’s chosen people” so long that they’ve taken God for granted, making necessary some deliberate and eventually fruitful time together.
2 Chronicles 25-28
Good morning! Throughout these two books, the Chronicler has never felt shy about passing judgment on the subjects of these chapters. Because of their rejection or embrace of idols, rulers are either GOOD or BAD, seldom in between. However, today three of the four kings we hear about in 2 Chronicles 25-28 break the mold of being one or the other. Their stories help us understand how even “black/white” thinkers can start to view human nature and leadership with a bit more nuance.
2 Chronicles 21-24
Good morning! These last few days of 2 Chronicles stretch on longer than we might wish, cataloguing the various saints and sinners among the kings of Judah. Today in 2 Chronicles 21-24 we see one king who is faithful for a period of time, but then joins the rest of the rogues’ gallery that passes for the later kings of Judah. Of more interest in these chapters is the role of the priest Jehoiada, who uses the privileges and calling of his office to full advantage in order to preserve the kingdom in righteousness. Sometimes it’s not the figureheads but the powers behind the throne that most clearly hear and obey God’s voice.
Spirit Soup
Community United Church of Christ (St. Paul Park, Minnesota)
Scripture: Acts 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12:1-13
Cooking is one of the things I enjoy doing to relax, even though Javen does most of our cooking these days. I’ve learned a few things about my cooking over the years. I have to be willing to give it the time it takes, and to clean up the mess afterwards. My food turns out best when I’m cooking a familiar recipe or it’s a meal that forgives mistakes and imprecision. This is why (when the season is right) I make a lot of stews.
2 Chronicles 17-20
Good morning! Today’s passage (2 Chronicles 17-20) focuses on the next generation leader in Judah, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat. Whereas Asa went from good to bad over the years of his reign, Jehoshaphat stays remarkably true to Israel’s God throughout his life. He does get into dicey situations, but his uprightness helps to keep bad things from becoming worse. Jehoshaphat’s example, and the counterexamples of others in these chapters, show us the importance of integrity, staying true to oneself and one’s God.
2 Chronicles 13-16
Good morning! An argument of biblical interpretation can be made, with some textual evidence, for the evolution of God’s character throughout the Bible. Early on, God seems unpredictable and irrational, launching an attack at Moses or hardening Pharaoh’s heart against granting what God asks. The mystery of God’s will is the main explanation for whether things go well or not. But by the time of the divided kingdoms, biblical writers seem to have a stronger sense of God as always good and human beings as more inexplicable. Thus, human misbehavior is the cause of misfortune, not God’s capricious nature. We see this in the Chronicler’s theology today in 2 Chronicles 13-16, where success and failure in Judah—especially in battle—depends solely on faith in God.
Pastor Oby Ballinger 