Psalm 91:1–8: This magnificent psalm, which celebrates God’s all-encompassing protection, includes one of the most famous lines in the entire Psalms:
“I say of the Lord, ‘My refuge and bastion,
my God in whom I trust.’” (2)
The idea of God as trustworthy protector must have been a radical concept in an era when surrounding cultures worshipped and sacrificed even their children in their futile attempts to propitiate terrorizing small-g gods.
Our poet’s God is everything small-g gods are not: shelter, protection, truth. Metaphorically like an eagle, God “With His pinion He shelters you,/ and beneath His wings you take refuge.” (4a) At the center of this protection lies God’s reality: “A shield and a buckler, His truth.” (4b)
Our poet is not content to merely say that God is his protector and leave it at that. Instead, he goes on to provide examples of this protection using marvelous contrasts that demonstrate the enormous extent and quality of God’s shelter and how it eliminates fear. First, protection from enemies, real and imagined: “You shall not fear from the terror of the night/ nor from the arrow that flies by day,” (5). And protection from disease: “from the plague that stalks in darkness/ nor from the scourge that rages at noon.” (6)
Even when surrounded by disaster, God, who is now speaking, remains our faithful protector in the famous line: “Though a thousand fall at your side/ and ten thousand at your right hand/ you it will not reach.” (7)
And, unlike so many psalms of supplication that bemoan the apparent success of the wicked, here is God’s promise that the wicked will not prevail in the end: “You but look with your eyes,/ and the wicked’s requital you see.” (8) In other words, they will get what’s coming to them.
These verses have brought encouragement to all who suffer down through the age, Simply reciting the words of these opening verses is a both a reminder that God loves us and a healing balm to our fearful souls.
Joshua 8:30–9:27: Joshua is not only the political and military leader of Israel, he s its spiritual leader as well, having taken up the responsibilities that once belonged to Moses. Having conquered two cities—Jericho and Ai—Israel enjoys a brief respite as Joshua fulfills God’s command to Moses inscribe the Law on “the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.” (9:32). Were these simply the Decalogue or the seemingly endless details of the law that consume most of the book of Deuteronomy? I prefer to think it was simply the Decalogue. Otherwise it would be an awful lot of carving!
This task of renewing the Covenant is performed in front of all “Israel, alien as well as citizen, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark in front of the levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord.” (33a) As commanded to Moses, half of the population stood “in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal.” (33b)
Joshua reads “all the words of the law, blessings and curses,” (34) which this time I take to be the entirety of Deuteronomy because our authors make sure to inform us that “there was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel.“(35) This would amount to a several hour sermon, through which the people stood. No comfy pews for them…
Most of the tribes inhabiting Canaan become allies and “gathered together with one accord to fight Joshua and Israel.” (9:2) With the exception of the Gibeonites, who try a cunning ruse. They dress in worn-out clothes and sandals and come to Joshua, saying, “We have come from a far country; so now make a treaty with us.” (9:6) They bamboozle the leaders, including Joshua. The leaders “did not ask direction from the Lord.” (14) and fall for the ruse. Israel concludes a treaty with them only to find out they live in the neighborhood, just a three-day journey away.
However, there’s not much Israel can do since “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we must not touch them.” (19) So they let them live and “became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had decided concerning them.” (21)
Thus is the first thread that will lead to the unraveling of God’s command to destroy all of Canaan’s inhabitants. Done in by a clever trick. But I’m relieved to know that an oath sworn to God trumps military action and killing people. And our sympathies tend to go with the Gibeonites, who deserve some credit for their cleverness.
Luke 12:49–59: Jesus gives a fire and brimstone sermon: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (49) Luke tells us that Jesus said, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” (51). And yes, that is exactly what happens in the early church—as Paul so vividly describes in letter after letter—and it’s certianly the case today. I’m also sure that Jesus’ words resonated within Luke’s community as well.
Christianity is far from being a “religion of peace.” But even as it divides families,
“father against son
and son against father,
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (53)
Just as it has divided communities and nations throughout history.
Nevertheless, Jesus excoriates his audience for not “getting it” about the real impact of his message and his presence on earth: “You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” (56) And that is true today, even though many Christians think it’s all about interpreting current events as indicators of end times. It has always been “end times.” Ever since Jesus was here.
Finally, Jesus advises against litigation, when we should “saves money: judge for yourselves what is right.” If nothing else, avoiding litigation saves money: “I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.” (59)
There is nothing gentle about Jesus and his impact on history.
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