Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. – Psalm 126:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 30, 2014): Psalm 126

On February 25, 2010, Andrew Koenig was found dead, hanging from a tree in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is thought that Andrew had been hanging in the tree for over a week before his family and friends finally discovered his body. Andrew was 41 years old at the time of his suicide. His family begged for time to grieve without being disturbed by curious members of the press or their many fans. I am a big fan of Star Trek (all the incarnations of Gene Roddenberry’s vision) and so, as happens with movies and T.V. shows that we adopt as our own, I felt like I had somehow grown up with Walter Koenig, Andrew’s dad, who had played Pavel Checkov on the original Star Trek series. So when Andrew died, although I recognize that this seems so impossible, I believe that there were millions of Star Trek fans of which I am one that somehow felt the loss – even though none of us had ever met the Koenig family, mysteriously we were able to stand with the family in their pain.

On February 14, 2010, Andrew Koenig died. For whatever reason, Andrew in that moment ceased to believe that life was worth the pain that our living always brings with it. There is a concept in financial investing that markets fluctuate, and sometimes the markets go into a downturn and investors lose money in a matter of moments. But the loss of money in a market downturn is only a theoretical loss until the moment in which we sell the stock. Only with act of selling do we make the losses real. In so many ways, life seems to mirror the stock market. There are ups and downs to life, there are gains and losses, but the losses are only theoretical unless we decide to sell during that moment of loss. And that was the tragedy of the death of Andrew Koenig, he sold in the moment of his losses and in that action he made his losses real.

The Psalmist stands on the ending side of the Babylonian Exile. And in his mind he saw these people – or more likely the parents of these people - who had been removed from Israel. In that moment there was great pain and great anguish because the people had lost much. But they had left Israel with a seed. It didn’t count for much, it was inconsequential when it was compared with the pain, but on this day as the exiles were being released to go back home with the full blessings and support of the king, the seed had bloomed and had become a harvest.

I am sure that there were some who had cashed in their losses early on in the exile, those who had missed what it was that God was going to do because their pain was too great and they could not conceive of the blessing that could be at the end of this road. That is a great tragedy. When we give up, the seed that has been planted inside of us is not given the chance to grow into the harvest. For that moment we have to wait, enduring the pain and loss and making sure that are losses remain only theoretical – losses that if we are faithful will one day be overcome with a substantial harvest.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezra 5

Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe … - Psalm 107:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 29, 2014): Psalm 107

Just over a decade ago I attended a Youth Conference in Downtown Toronto. One of the challenges of the week was in trying to teach a number of rural youth about the challenges of living in the downtown area of a major North American City. And every day as we walked toward the Air Canada Center where our main sessions were being held, we walked through the bedrooms of a number of the street people in the area. These were the people that lived largely ignored on the streets of the city.

We stayed in the downtown area for just over a week, and slowly there was a change. I began to see muffins and pieces of fruit left on the top of neatly folded blankets on a street corner. I saw a number of youth sitting and just talking with the people who lived on the street. In their innocence, they saw in these people the treasure that I think most of missed. It was a great week, but I remember wondering exactly what it was that the street people thought about their new found friends. They were a people who were normally scorned and rejected, but now for a period of ten days they found a new acceptance in the eyes of teens from rural North American towns who didn’t know that these people were ignored by most of society.

After ten days in downtown Toronto, as the buses carrying the teens and their sponsors out of the downtown area toward the airport and the planes waiting to carry them home, I discovered the answer to my question. As the buses started to move out of the downtown area, one of the homeless men stood with a sign made out of a scrap piece of cardboard. The sign read “Thank you for the food – but most of all thank you for the conversation.” The sign seemed to scream the message - thank you for noticing us. For a moment in time, these people had found a measure of redemption. And when we find redemption, even in the smallest amount, every fibre of our being cries out with thanks.

And this is the cry of the Psalmist. It is a cry that could have been expressed about a God who had released Israel from their bondage in Egypt, but that was ancient history. It is more likely that the Psalmist is marvelling about the hand of God which had released them from captivity in Babylon. In the moment that the people of God were below being noticed, in the day that Israel found herself homeless, God noticed them and brought them home. And the Psalmist cries out the message – those who have been redeemed need to say so – the redeemed need to say thank you to the Redeemer who has seen them and brought them home.

But there is also an echo of something else – something that the Psalmist didn’t know. And that is that one day there would be another redeemer - one who would see us, speak to us, and buy us back from those that would hold us as slaves. The Psalmist speaks of the ultimate redeemer, the Messiah, and encouraged all those who had known that redemption to speak of it – so that others might find that redemption for themselves.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 126

I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. – Zechariah 14:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 28, 2014): Zechariah 14

There is a thought that maybe the “Left Behind” series of books got it wrong - that maybe the vision of the last days imagined by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins is nothing more than a product of an overactive imagination, and the LaHaye and Jenkins actually got the dream backwards. The idea is that when the end times arrive, when the rapture actually comes and that moment that Jesus talks about of one being taken and the other left, much to our surprise we want to be part of the ones who are left. That every Christian should understand that it is the people who are left behind that will be with God. And the idea stems from another thought pattern – that when God proclaimed that his creation was good and very good in Genesis 1, he actually meant it. And the day is coming when God will restore the creation that he loves and that a New Earth and a New Jerusalem will descend on top of the old earth and the old Jerusalem – and those who are left behind will be transformed with creation and they will once again have the ability to enjoy a renewed Garden of Eden.

The question that some want to ask is where does this dream come from? And the reality is that there is more and stronger biblical evidence for this view of the end times than there is for the view espoused by LaHaye and Jenkins in the “Left Behind” series. And part of the evidence is found in this passage in the closing chapter of Zechariah.

Zechariah prophecies of a time that would come when the nations would fight against Jerusalem. And in this time there would be atrocities that are common to war that would take place in the Holy City. And at the end of the war, God would allow half of the inhabitants of the city to be taken into a life of slavery, and half would remain in Jerusalem. And there is no doubt in Zechariah’s mind that when that day came he wanted to be part of the half that stayed in Jerusalem

Maybe the most obvious fulfillment of the prophecy is found in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. At that time the temple was destroyed but the city was left and some were left in the city. But some were taken as slaves and given away to the friends of Rome. Some were taken and the others were left, but the lucky ones (if there were any that could have been considered to be lucky at the end of a war that had been lost) were the ones that were left behind.

But, as with many prophecies, there seems to be another fulfillment. Zechariah is speaking about events connected with the first coming of the Messiah (Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple – an event that happened in the next generation after his death and resurrection), but Zechariah seems to be also speaking of the second coming of the Messiah. And in that day there will be a great war. Atrocities will take place as they always seem to during times of conflict. But God will end the conflict – and at that time he will separate the people - the sheep from the goats – and some (the goats) he will remove from the playing field, but others – the sheep, those who have believed in him - he will leave to enjoy the benefits of the New Jerusalem – and of a restored creation.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 107

On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. – Zechariah 12:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 27, 2014): Zechariah 12 & 13

The famous parking garage where Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein met with their informant regarding the Watergate break-ins is set to be demolished starting in 2017. Woodward and Bernstein met with their informant, who they had code named “Deep Throat” after a 1970 pornographic movie, six times in following the 1972 break-ins. The meeting place was always the same – stall 32D within the otherwise unassuming parking complex in Arlington, Virginia. No one knew the true identity of “Deep Throat” except for Woodward and Bernstein until 2005. Woodward had repeatedly denied that the informant was in any way connected with the intelligence community, but in 2005 former FBI Assistant Director Mark Felt admitted that he was the mysterious informant. Felt died in 2008.

Felt had seen all of the documents regarding the break-ins cross is desk in 1972 and believed that he had to do something. His revelations resulted in a scandal that eventually forced the resignation of the President of the United States – Richard Nixon. Nixon’s resignation and subsequent pardon saved him from criminal charges, but Watergate was an event that Richard Nixon never really recovered from – it was an immovable object that shaped the rest of Nixon’s life and the way that we remember both the man and the presidency - thus the title scandal is appropriately applied.

The word scandal literally means “a stone of stumbling.” Zechariah says that in that day, the Day of the Lord, Jerusalem will be like an immovable rock, a stone of stumbling, a scandal to the nations. No matter how they try, Israel will not be moved. And those who try to move it will only end up injuring themselves.

This passage is usually considered to be messianic in nature. Once again, we see the use of the imagery of stone. And it seems that this might be the image that Jesus was referring to as he describes the Kingdom of God in Matthew 21 –

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. ⁴⁴ Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed” (Matthew 21:42-44).

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 14

Personal Note: Happy Anniversary to my Dad and Mom

In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them. – Zechariah 11:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 26, 2014): Zechariah 11

When Jerusalem fell during the first Jewish-Roman War, the political structure and the spiritual nature of Israel was rocked. With the destruction of the Temple came a series of socio-political changes for the nation. The Sadducees – one of the prominent political organizations of the time – was destroyed. In modern terms, the Sadducees were the movers and shakers of the culture. They consisted of people who were both rich and powerful. But their activity tended to revolve around the Temple – in fact, they were the main group that oversaw the maintenance of the Temple. So with no Temple, there was also no purpose for the Sadducees and the group simply disappeared.

About the same time, the Essene’s also disappeared. The Essene’s were a group that had disengaged themselves from the main stream of society. Their core belief was that Israel had degraded itself to the point that there was no coming back for the nation. Israel needed to be discarded and rebuilt with the Essene’s in control. The destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem would seem to have played right into their hands and yet at about the same time the Essene’s disappeared. Some have wondered if the Roman armies had mounted an attack against the main Essene compound – a place called Qumran. The Dead Sea Scrolls discovered during the middle years of the 20^th Century are thought to be a portion of the Essene Library – and they were discovered at Qumran. John the Baptist is often thought to have been one of the prominent members of the Essene community.

Three years after the destruction of the Temple, the last battle of the First Jewish-Roman war was fought at Massada with the Zealots, another Jewish political party that believed in the violent military overthrow of the Roman army that had occupied the Jewish homeland. The Zealots were responsible for a number of uprisings in Israel during the years around Jesus ministry and at least one disciple (the second Simon or Simon not Peter often referred to as Simon the Zealot) was a member of this violent wing of Judaism, but it is thought that he was not the only Zealot that was a part of the disciples of Jesus.

The final major political group of this Jewish era was the Pharisees. The Christian Bible describes Jesus interaction with this group. While Jesus often seemed to stand in conflict with the Pharisees, it is sometimes forgotten that the tomb that Jesus was buried in belonged to a Pharisee – Joseph of Arimathea. But the Pharisees also found themselves often in conflict with the ruling Sadducees. And the Pharisees were the only major Jewish political group to survive the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem during the First Jewish-Roman war. They were the only group whose theology seemed to be able to continue past the existence of a temple.  According to the teachings of the Pharisees following the destruction of the temple, the ritual atonement which up until then had only  been available at the Temple in Jerusalem was now available to all through acts of loving-kindness. You can atone for you sin by loving everyone that you come in contact with. It is believed that the Pharisees became the Rabbis of the post Second Temple Judaism.

There have been many attempts to identify the three shepherds that God had cast out in Zechariah 11. But the explanation that makes the most sense is that God was speaking about three classes of people. The time parameter of one month really just indicates a short period of time – and not a literal month. So for many, the three classes of Shepherds that failed God and who God removed has been thought to be the Sadducees, the Essenes and the Pharisees. And this argument seems to make some sense. However, I would argue that it needs to be adjusted because the Pharisees really didn’t disappear during the First Jewish-Roman War. Instead they morphed into the sect of the Rabbis which has continued to lead Judaism even to this day (and some Pharisees at this time actually joined in the Christian church.) Jesus struggle with the Pharisees was not because they were so far away from the truth, but rather because they were so close to the truth but were either unwilling or unable to make that final step. But the fact that they were so close to the teachings of Jesus may have also served as the reason why the Pharisees were able to survive the destruction of both Jerusalem and the Temple.

So here is my modification of the traditional theory, the three shepherds that God cast out were not the Sadducees, Essenes and Pharisees – they were the Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. All three represented a spiritual dead end in the pursuit of God – the Sadducees found God in the wealth and power, the Essenes in their isolation from society (refusing to be salt and light) and Zealots in their pursuit of violence. And none of these would ever lead to the one, true God.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 12 & 13

My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. – Zechariah 10:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 25, 2014): Zechariah 10                                                             

On May 22, 896, Steven VI rose to the Papacy. The events surrounding his election are unclear, but it is likely that Steven’s election had more to do with knowing the right people than it did with his accomplishments as a priest. Steven VI reign as pope lasted just a little more than a year, but it would be a year that would catch the imagination of all historians. It is likely that Steven’s political friends placed him in the papacy for a reason. They had had a disagreement with one of the Steven’s predecessors and they had decided to make an example of him. In one of the strangest trials in history, Steven VI exhumed the body of Pope Formosus, a pope that had died just over a month before Steven had taken office. (However, there was a Pope that ruled between Formosus and Steven VI. Pope Bontiface VI reigned for sixteen days in April 896 before dying under mysterious circumstances. Officially the cause of death was gout, but it is thought that he may have been killed to make room for Steven as Pope.) Steven dressed the body of the dead Formosus in the robes of the papacy and then put the dead body on trial. Formosus was found guilty, the garments of the papacy were removed from Formosus along with three of his fingers – the fingers used to pronounce the blessing - and then the body of the former pope was thrown into the Tiber River. The trial has become known as the “Cadaver Trial.”

Zechariah’s prophecy stood against those who ruled over the nations. He likens the kings and rulers of his day to shepherds who are responsible for the sheep under their care. But, instead, those that ruled seemed to simply want to use the people that they ruled over to make their own lives more comfortable. But that was not their purpose. Leaders who rose to power were supposed to take care of the people in the jurisdictions. In the words of Zechariah, the rulers were the shepherds and the people were the sheep whose care had been entrusted to them. It was a sacred trust, and the kings and rulers had failed at the task.  

But some have seen another prophecy in Zechariah words – an extension of the prophecy into a different time. For them, the words of Zechariah are not limited to just the kings of Zechariah’s day. They extend to leaders of the Christian Church who have failed at their task – to Pope’s who have seemed to be more interested in the intrigue of the palace and the politics of the office than their responsibility for the people. All of these leaders qualify as the shepherds against whom the anger of God burns.

The trial of Formosus caused quite a stir. While Formosus was not a loved Pope, the Cadaver Trial seemed to stretch the bounds of incredulity. Steven, evidently having served his purpose, was imprisoned and then strangled in August of 896. Steven VI had been Pope for just over a year – in the end he was just another shepherd who had failed his sheep.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 11

Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted. – Zechariah 9:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 24, 2014): Zechariah 9

Ashkelon was a very important ancient seaport.  The area shows almost constant human inhabitation from sometime in the pre-historical era. It is the oldest and largest seaport in Canaan (on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea). It was also one of the five cities of the Philistines. But possibly because Ashkelon was an important seaport, it has also at times been a city under siege. The city itself is located just north of the Gaza Strip and is currently located inside of the nation of Israel. But it for most of its history Ashkelon has not been under the control of the children of God.

What is significant about Zechariah’s prophecy is actually the timing of it. Less than a hundred years before Zechariah, Ashkelon was destroyed. Ashkelon was the last of the Philistine cities to hold out against Nebuchadnezzar, but in 604 B.C.E the city fell to the Babylonian forces who promptly burned the city and carried all of the inhabitants of the city into exile. With the defeat of Ashkelon, the era of the Philistines was brought to a close.

But Ashkelon was not left destroyed for long. Soon after the destruction of Ashkelon, the rebuilding of the city and the important seaport began. It is quite likely that Zechariah was witnessing part of the rebirth of Ashkelon. And yet deep down he realized that this rebirth was not permanent. The rebuilt city was heavily influenced by Persian culture until it fell once again – this time to the Greeks and Alexander the Great. The Greeks held the city until it fell for the first time to Israel during the revolt of the Maccabees. After that, the city seemed to have stayed in control of Israel for an extended period of time. It was possibly the birthplace of Herod the Great, and during the First Jewish-Roman war the city escaped destruction by remaining loyal to Rome.

If there is a mystery to the prophecy of Zechariah, it is in his comment that Ashkelon would be deserted. The only time that Ashkelon seems to have been deserted was a time before Zechariah made the prophecy. But by the time of Zechariah, Ashkelon was already recovering from her time left deserted.

One of the possible answers to the mystery is that Zechariah was actually speaking of the time after the Maccabees when Israel would finally take possession of the city – because in that day the traditional inhabitants of the city would be banished. In that day the city would finally come into possession of the people of God. And in that day the traditional god’s of Ashkelon would be finally thrown out and they were the ones that would desert the city – so that God could inhabit it.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 10

The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. – Zechariah 8:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 23, 2014): Zechariah 8

Sometimes all we need is a promise. It is the courage that allows an explorer to go where no one has ever gone before. It is the hope that drove the British and American soldiers toward a series of beaches in Normandy. It is the confidence that drives a man to into a box and allow a series of explosive events to drive him into space. It is the anticipation that gives us excitement every time a child is born because we somehow believe that this world can be different that it really is. All of these things revolve on a promise.

Without a promise nothing seems to make sense. Marriages end because all expectation of good is lost. Organizations become jaded and critical because they can no longer sense the promise. In the experimental world, animals give up in their battle against painful events if hopefulness is removed. Without the existence of the promise, it is absolutely impossible for any of us to move forward.

I have to admit that sometimes as I read through the Hebrew Bible prophets, it is hard to maintain that sense of hope. Sometimes it seems that the negative is overwhelming and that there is no need to even try because the promise is totally absent. And it is not a mystery as to the reason why. We have failed. We have not even come close to the potential that we have inside of us. Too often we can be described as petty and selfish and bitter – and we have no defense against the charges because that is exactly what we are. We do not deserve the best that God has to offer. What we deserve is the chastisement that we receive repeatedly from a number of the prophets.

But every once in a while a ray of light shines through. And this verse is one of those rays of light. In spite of everything that has been said, God assures those that read the prophecy that good things are still ahead – that hope still exists. God gives the promise that the seed would continue to grow, that the vine would give its fruit and that the field would still give its grain. That the life giving dew would still be seen in the early morning light giving life a growth to all of the nature that God has created. The world would continue as it always had – and this was the promise that God gives to his people – his promise to the remnant who would return home again.

And it is still the promise that exists for each of us today. When things seem to be going against us, God reminds us that the simple things remain. And that they always will (that is as long as we are willing to care for creation.) We can count on the simple consistency of life.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 9

This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.’ – Zechariah 7:9

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 22, 2014): Zechariah 7

Roger Godberd was a farmer who became an outlaw during the 13^th Century. The turning point for Godberd seemed to have come in 1265 during the Battle of Evesham. The battle was part of the Second Baron’s War, a civil war in England between the Royalty and the Barons. The cause of the war was a constitutional crisis that occurred under King Henry III’s leadership. The reason for the crisis was what the Barons considered to be the King’s greed and his unreasonable demands for extra finances (which meant higher taxes for the people.) All of this was made even worse by a widespread famine. And all of this was laid at the feet of the King.

So Godberd decided to fight on the side of the Baron’s, and in the end it was the monarchy that won the day. So those who had supported the Barons had all of their lands removed from their possession following the royal victory. And it is at this point that Godberd apparently became an outlaw. He hid in Sherwood Forest robbing from the rich (all there is no evidence that he gave back to the poor. It is probably his backing of the Barons against the king that made gave him a reputation as a man of justice.) However, Godberg is one of the possible origins for the legend of Robin Hood.

Zechariah writes that our purpose as followers of God is to administer true justice – not justice when it is convenient. And often, to be people of justice will cost us something.  The myth of Robin Hood is actually not a bad model for what God expects of us. We are to be the resting place of Justice, we are the ones that oppose the injustice of the world whenever we come into contact with it. And we are the ones who are supposed to react to the situations of the world with true compassion. This is expected of us.

But it is often too easy to just accept the status quo than to have to chase after justice - too easy to rest in complacence than to exercise compassion. But faith was not supposed to be easy. And sometimes we need to stand up against greed, even if it costs us everything that we have.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 8

Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the LORD, and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God.” – Zechariah 6:15

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 21, 2014): Zechariah 6

In 1644, Beijing fell to the Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan of North Eastern China. The Jurchen were inhabitants of an area that has traditionally been known as Manchuria.  The result of the Jurchen overthrow of Beijing was the beginning of the last imperial dynasty of China – the Qing dynasty – which ruled over China for almost three centuries (1644-1911). What is significant about the Qing Dynasty was that it was rule by the minority. Manchurian Chinese are a smaller group when compared with the much more populous Han people. As a result, there was always the problem that, over time, the Manchurian people would be simply absorbed by the Han people.

But such an absorption was not deemed to be acceptable to the Qing leadership. And as a result the Qing made a series of laws that were intended to segregate the Manchurian people from the Hans. One of the steps was that intermarriage between the Manchurians and Hans was made illegal by Chinese law. But a more physical change that was included in the segregation attempt was that a series of ditches and embankments into which Willow trees were planted known as the Willow Palisade. The sole purpose of the Palisade was to make it harder for movement in to and out of Manchuria, and therefore limit the contact of the Manchurian people with other ethnic people groups.   

The Jewish people seemed to major on segregation. According to Jewish tradition, there were only two people groups on the earth – the Jews (very much a minority group when compared to the rest of the people on the earth) and everybody else (known as the Gentiles.) Those who dared to marry outside of the Jewish race were ostracized. But maybe even more obvious was the effect that segregation had on the Temple. The Temple area was divided into courts. The outermost court was the court of the Gentiles. Unless you were a Jew, or had converted to Judaism, you could go no further. In a male dominated culture, even Jewish woman could get closer to the Temple than a Gentile male or female could. And then in the innermost area was the court of men – and Jewish men only need apply for admittance.

But Zechariah speaks of another time. In this time, those who are far off – or those who are not allowed to come close to the temple – will help build the temple. The allusion is to a day when the Gentile would help to build a spiritual temple side by side with the Jews. Taken with the rest of Zechariah, we get a picture of a day when the Jews who refuse to fear God would be removed, and the Gentiles who fear God would be invited to take their place. The Apostle Paul would describe it this way – There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:28-29).

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 7

He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.” – Zechariah 5:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 20, 2014): Zechariah 5

Aboriginal Elder Elsie Yanik recently commented during a convocation speech that at 97 years of age, the one thing you notice is that everything becomes familiar – there just are not that many things have the ability to surprise anymore. As we grow older, we become familiar with even the strangeness of life. Having said that, this passage is strange. And I am willing to bet that even Elder Yanik has probably never seen a large flying scrolls.

Scholars have struggled a bit with regard to the meaning of the scrolls. There is no doubt about what the message of the scrolls. Judgment is on its way for the nation of Judah and those who refused to follow the directives of God were going to find themselves removed from the nation that God claimed for his own. But why this message came in the form of large flying scrolls is a bit of a mystery.

Following Elder Yanik’s feelings about what is strange in life, some have argued that there is nothing special about large scrolls. Many ancient cultures have gathered their wisdom in mammoth scrolls, so a story about large scrolls would have been very familiar to hearers of the vision (although we have to admit that the flying part is something new.) Others have argued that there is something significant about the size of the scroll – the measurements given for the scroll make it very close to the size of the Holy of Holies in the temple. But these scholars have resisted the temptation to argue that the flying scrolls have any meaning other than a way to attract the attention of Zechariah.

Admittedly, a flying scroll would be a great way to get someone’s attention, but I wonder if we aren’t making a mistake by ignoring the flying scrolls. So let me argue that there is meaning in the scrolls beyond just getting Zechariah’s attention. Solomon’s temple had been destroyed and for a time Judah existed without a temple. The significance is that the Temple, and especially the Holy of Holies, was supposed to be the place where God resided on the earth. The question that the exiles had asked all through the Babylonian Captivity was where is God? And if God is no more, if God has no place to reside on the earth, then does God’s law still apply to his people.  By the time of Zechariah, Zerubbabel’s temple had been built or at least was nearing completion. But the truth was that God did not need the Holy of Holies to minister in this world. The law was never dependent on the existence of the Temple. In fact, the law actually predates not only Solomon’s Temple, but the tabernacle that existed before Solomon.

Enter the flying scroll that just happens to be the size of the Holy of Holies. And on the scrolls apparently were written the laws of Moses. And the message seems to be clear. God’s law does not require a temple to be valid. And a Holy of Holies sized flying scroll gets that across well. But we might be able to go even another step forward. The time was coming when the word of God would be made to live in the form of a man. And in that day, the Messiah would forever replace the need for a temple – and a Holy of Holies.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 6

So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” – Zechariah 4:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 19, 2014): Zechariah 4

Aristotle once wrote that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” He seemed to understand that there is a mystery about this world that cannot be discovered by taking it apart. There is simply something magical about life. And the truth is that the more we understand about life, the more we find that we don’t know. Maybe that is why life seems to be so hard to emulate. And it is also the reason why life can be so unpredictable.

Zechariah makes it clear that the words he is about to speak to Zerubbabel are not his, that these word proceed from mouth of God. And the words of God is that Zerubbabel is not to rely on the things that he has at his disposal. Victory was not going to come because of the size of the army that Zerubbabel could raise, nor was victory going to come because of the alliances that Zerubbabel could make. Zerubbabel’s success was going to come only at the hands of God that Zerubbabel served.

But this was a lesson that the kings of Judah had refused to learn. Rather than depend on God they had routinely placed their faith in their political and secular assets. And it was because of this refusal of faith that Judah found itself exactly where it was. The repeated message of God is that the fate of Israel and Judah did not have to end up this way - if only the kings of Israel and Judah had learned to trust. And if anything was going to change, it had to change at the top. Zerubbabel had to learn to trust in God instead of the things that he could see – and the assets that he had under his control.

This verse has repeatedly been called one of the great texts of the Hebrew Bible. When God is involved in any endeavor, it is God that decides the outcome. In life, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, but that effect becomes even more prominent when God is involved in our situations. With God, nothing is impossible – and he has the tendency to multiply the sum of our parts.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 5

See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.– Zechariah 3:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 18, 2014): Zechariah 3

In ancient Israel, there was a belief that almost bordered on a fantasy. It was the cult of the Messiah, and with every generation it seemed that the cult grew – and for Israel the expectations of the Messiah continually changed. But ultimately the cultic expectations became a belief in the return of a king like King David. Under the reign of the Messiah, Israel would once again be the political player on the world stage that it had once been. It was not a spiritual revolution that was sought after, it was a military one. Israel, in the day of the Messiah, would dominate their world once more.

So Israel waited for the Messiah. And a belief began to rise up among the people that taught that if Israel could abstain from sin for just one day, then the Messiah would come. It was this belief that, at least in part, contributed to the rise of the Pharisees, a political party of the Second Temple era. The Pharisees prided themselves on being ordinary people, and taught that ordinary people had as much of a responsibility to keep the Law of Moses as those born into a priestly or royal family. One saying of the Pharisees aimed at this concept was that “a learned mamzer (a child born from a sinful union – such as adultery or incest - and was therefore by law considered to be an outcast of the society) takes precedence over an ignorant High Priest.” The Pharisees were loved partially because they were common, and yet strived for something more.

Zechariah, writing a couple of centuries before the rise of the Pharisees spoke directly into this belief of the Pharisees. First, he wrote about the coming of the Messiah. Joshua’s stone with seven eyes borrows its imagery from Isaiah’s trusted and tried cornerstone (Isaiah 28:16) and the imagery would be picked up again in the New Testament as the “living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him” (1 Peter 2:4). This stone was the Messiah, and the Pharisees had it exactly right, the Messiah was going to come for everyone. In the day of the Messiah, all of the distinctions were going to be wiped away and a “learned (or faithful) mamzer would take precedence over an ignorant High Priest (or pastor or church leader).”

But there was also error. According to Zechariah, it was not the people that needed to be without sin for one day before the Messiah would come. God was not waiting for the nation to mimic the Pharisee’s ethical holiness – not that there was anything bad about the Pharisees commitment to live according to the laws and desires of God. What we often miss is that Pharisees legalism was not in and of itself a problem. The law was given so that the people could follow it, it was given so that the people would profit by it. But it was not the people that were going to erase sin in one day – it was God.

The seven eyes represent the perfect vision of the Messiah, and the inscription and the wiping away of the sin of the people was accomplished on the day that Jesus Christ died on a cross for us. The terrible truth of the Scripture is simply this – what we were unable to do on our own behalf, God did for us in the sending his son to take on our flesh and die in our place. It was not expected to be this way – but the Messiah came, and he dealt finally with the sin of the people.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 4

… and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. – Zechariah 2:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 17, 2014): Zechariah 2

One of the most famous battles in history is the Battle of Marathon. The battle took place in 490 B.C.E. It was the beginning of the first Persian invasion attempt of Greece. Persia arrived in ships at coast near the city of Athens. The Persian army had superior numbers and to the Athenians it must have looked like the future was bleak. Legend has it that as soon as the ships were spotted, a runner was dispatched from Athens to run to Sparta to tell the Spartans of the attack and seek their assistance in the battle. While Sparta was a rival city, the Spartans had helped Athens before, and now their futures seemed to be together. The runner, a man named Pheidippides, made the 140 mile run in two days. As it turned out, the help wasn’t needed. Athens repelled the Persians in a decisive victory. But the story illustrates the ancient practice of running news and requests from place to place.

In a conversation two angels are having with each other, the one angel tells the other to run in order to deliver a message to a certain young man. The identity of the young man has caused a lot of speculation, but the only interpretation that makes any sense is that the young man is Zechariah himself. And the angel’s instruction to run indicates that the news was important – this was a message that Zechariah had to understand.

But the news itself was figurative in nature. While the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed twice, the walls around the city came down for only a short period of time, and it only happened once. And by the time of Zechariah’s prophecy, if the walls had not already been rebuilt, the process was close to being finished. But it is also important to notice that the reason the city would be without walls is that the city would have outgrown the walls – not because the walls themselves had been destroyed.

The other part of the prophecy concerns the inhabitants of the city. Zechariah says that the city is filled with men and animals, or actually quite literally men and cattle. And while it is possible that Zechariah meant exactly what he said, it is also possible that his mention of cattle is really an indication of the Gentiles present in the city – Gentiles were likened to cattle in the prophetic books.

So Zechariah’s prophecy would seem to be that this city which had just finished its walls, would one day once again be a city without walls, because in that day the city would have become a great multicultural center – filled with both Jews and Gentiles.

And the prophecy is an important one, because in that day, with that multicultural group of people, God would take the place of the walls and become the protector of the city.      

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 3

“Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the LORD Almighty. – Zechariah 1:16

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 16, 2014): Zechariah 1

On Saturday, September 4, 2010 a magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked New Zealand’s third largest populated urban area – Christchurch. Little did the inhabitants of the city realize that it was merely the beginning of what would end up being a cluster of earthquakes in the region. In a two year period beginning on September 4, 2010, Christchurch was hit with 4,423 earthquakes above the 3.0 magnitude level. The result of the earthquake cluster was a city that had been destroyed. Now, two years later, there are still a number of questions that need to be answered with regard to the rebuilding of the city. And maybe the first question is what kind of a city is it that needs to be rebuilt. With the extensive damage in the city as a result of the movement of the earth, the city could be simply rebuilt reflecting the character of the old city, or it could be completely and radically redesigned, or a multitude of choices in between the two extremes. This is the most likely reason why the decision to destroy and rebuild or attempt to repair the existing buildings has yet to be made with regard to a number of buildings inside the city. Because of the earthquake cluster, choices abound for the designers of the new city.

Jerusalem, the spiritual and emotional center of Israel, had been totally destroyed be the Babylonians. Zechariah begins his prophecy with a significant promise from God that his house would be rebuilt. But scholars have argued over what that “rebuilding” really meant. For some, the meaning is obvious and the construction of Zerubbabel’s Temple was the fulfilment of the promise. God’s house meant the physical temple in Jerusalem. For some, the meaning is  a rebuilding of a physical temple, but the promise is not fulfilled by the building of Zerubbabel’s Temple. And the argument is that God never seems to fully accept the inferior temple that was built by the returning exiles. The fulfilment of the promise must, therefore, lie in the building of the mysterious third temple of Ezekiel’s dreams. While Zerubbabel’s Temple was a step back for the people of Jerusalem, Ezekiel’s Temple would have been a significant step forward. While Ezekiel reflected many of the design elements that existed in the temple that Solomon had built, Ezekiel’s dream temple was bigger with added features and improvements over that of the previous building. So the question is - if God was going to build his house, at least from our perspective is it not more likely that God would build a house more in keeping with the one Ezekiel dreamed of than the one built during the reign of Zerubbabel?

But for the Christian, there is a third option. And it is more in keeping with the complete and radical redesign model. God is not limited to a building that is filled with altars and places of sacrifice along with tools to carry out that sacrifice. It is possible that God could dream beyond a temple that contained a closed off section at one end called the Holy of holies – the place where God lived and sat on his throne. The radical redesign model simply argues that what God was speaking of as the rebuilding of his house was the same temple that Jesus would later tell the leaders in Jerusalem that they could destroy, but that God would restore in three days. The only temple that really fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah was the temple was Jesus. And because God’s Temple was Jesus, even when the Romans pulled down Zerubbabel’s temple it was not that big a deal – because God’s temple still remained.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 2

‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? – Haggai 2:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 15, 2014): Haggai 2

Just over a week ago World War II veterans from all over the world returned one more time to the shores of Normandy to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the D- Day landings during the Second World War. The D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944 were a turning point in the war. It once again gave the Western Powers a foothold in Europe, and the hope of possibly freeing France from the grips of Germany. But in the next month almost a quarter million soldiers on both sides of the war would lose their lives. It was an expensive battle for both sides of the war.

So it is not surprising that the seventieth anniversary of the invasion was an emotional time for the veterans who returned to the French coastline. Some of the veterans were frustrated with the number of talking heads that just seemed to want to make the celebration into some kind of a political advantage. Some were happy to see members of other service units at the memorial – they may have not known the soldiers personally, but they knew of the impact that the unit had made on that fateful day. Some were just glad to have been one of the ones who had survived the attack, and the years in between. But the truth is that the number of veterans who remember D-Day get fewer every year. It won’t be that much longer before there won’t be any veterans left, memories of that day will be limited to eyewitness accounts of people who have since died. No one will be left alive who actually lived through the events of Normandy.

The return of the exiles had already begun. Some have wondered if the question being asked is simply rhetorical – if maybe there were no people left who remembered Solomon’s Temple. The return of the exiles started about seventy years after the destruction of the temple. And this writing of Haggai was probably about fifteen years after the beginning of the return of the exiles. In other words, eighty-five years had passed since the temple was destroyed. If there was anyone left who had seen the former glory of the temple, they would have been very small children at the time. And that definitely meant that it did not include Zerubbabel or Joshua.

But those that remembered Solomon’s Temple remembered something grand. And the truth is that because they were young when they last saw the temple, they probably remembered the temple to be even grander than it was. And the temple that replaced it was a disappointment. It was nothing to be proud of – it was simply the product of human hands; the product of what could be built without God.

And what we can build without God will never measure up to what God desires from us. What God desires can only be built with God’s help.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 1                     

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. – Haggai 1:7

Today’ Scripture Reading (June 14, 2014): Haggai 1

Dave Ramsey is not a fan of Credit Cards. In fact, he stresses that as long as you are going to use Credit Cards, you are going to lose. You absolutely cannot play with a multi-billion dollar industry and expect that somehow you are going to come out on top. Even with points and rewards, Credit Cards are a fool’s bargain. Ramsey also maintains that if you insist on using Credit Cards, you will spend more money than you would if you just used cash or a debit card. And while you may plan to pay off your credit cards on time, you need to understand that most people who make that commitment fail to follow through. And the result is more money in the pockets of the Credit Card Companies. The rich get rich, while you get poorer.

Ramsay insist that if you want to be rich, then the first thing that you have to do is hate debt in all of its forms. The way to get rich is not hard, and it has not changed over centuries. To get rich all you have to do is spend less than you make. Those who can follow that one simple rule can build savings. Those who refuse to follow that rule will struggle with poverty all of their lives. It really is that simple.

God speaks through Haggai and stresses that Judah should give careful thought to their ways - that they would understand that the way that they walked would carry them to a very specific destination. And if Judah ever expected to be honored again, the only way that that would happen would be if they were willing to honor God. To find God, they needed to be willing to walk toward him and honor him with their actions.

Our paths are important because they are what brings us to our destinations. And our destinations are always defined by our path. If we don’t consider our ways, then we are leaving our destinations to chance. And that is too big a risk to take with something as valuable as our lives – or our faith.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Haggai 2

Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. – Ezra 4:20

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 13, 2014): Ezra 4

In 1919, British Economist John Maynard Keynes published his book entitled “The Economic Consequences of the Peace.” The book evaluated what Keynes believed to be the cost of the “Treaty of Versailles” between Germany and the Allied powers of France, Britain and the United States at the close of the First World War. Keynes had attended the Versailles Conference as a member of the British Treasury. Keynes himself had argued for a much more generous peace than the treaty had provided. He blamed France for the Treaty as it was presented, but he also understood the problem. France had suffered the most during the war – both in the amount of damage inflicted on the country as well as the suffering the heaviest human losses. French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau best described Frances position – “America is far away, protected by the ocean. Not even Napoleon himself could touch England. You are both sheltered; we are not.” France needed the Treaty to be their protection from Germany.

So France demanded steep reparations and military restriction to be placed on the German people. It was the opposite of what Keynes had thought should happen. Keynes had suggested no or minimal reparations, a forgiveness of war debts, and for the United States to launch a vast credit program aimed at the restoration of the European economy. But Keynes lost the argument, and as a result Germany was severely restricted economically and militarily. The hope was that the Treaty would remove Germany’s ability to ever wage another World War.

As the complaints came in with regard to Jerusalem, the charge was that Judah had been a rebellious nation. The charge was based on Israel’s dominance of the known world during the reigns of David and Solomon. They were the ones who had ruled over the Middle East and at one point in time, the taxes that were now being paid to Persia had been paid to Israel. And the fear that was raised was that if Jerusalem was allowed to rebuild, that they would rule once again and the taxes that were now being paid to Persia would be diverted to the restored State of Israel.

It should be noted that the while the Temple had most likely not been completed at this point in time, this complaint was more about the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem than anything else. And Persia understood the fear, and at least for a time stopped the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. The hoped for result was that the limits placed on Israel would keep Judah in a subservient position.

Unfortunately for France and the known world, the historical evaluation of the Treaty of Versailles was that it was a failure. In fact, rather than stopping Germany from being able to wage war again, the Treaty provided the fertile ground from which Hitler and the Nazi party could once again grow – and the rebellion against the Treaty would once again allow the world to spiral into war.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Haggai 1

Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. – Ezra 3:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 12, 2014): Ezra 3

The opposite of the coveted Baptist ideal of the Separation of Church and State might be either Caesaropapism or Theocracy. The basic difference between Caesaropapism and Theocracy would seem to be whether it is the church or the secular authority that is in ultimate control. Caesaropapism is the concept of combining the power of the secular government with the religious power, with the secular power in control. A good example of Caesaropapism, at least on paper, is Great Britain.  The British Monarch (King or Queen) is also the head of the Church of England. Theocracy reverses the power structure with the leader of the church also being in charge of the nation. An example of Theocracy would be Israel during the time of the Judges, before the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon. And neither of these forms of government separates the powers of the Church from the powers of the State.

Today, true Caesaropapism or Theocracy are rare. Even in Great Britain, the Caesaropapism of the nation has largely been relegated to a ceremonial role. But even with the separation of Church and State in most modern cultures, there is still a time when it is totally appropriate for the church and the state to come together. Maybe a modern example of this is in the aftermath of any type of disaster. Often in those moments it is not unusual to see the political officials and the religious authorities standing together in solidarity – putting any differences that might exist between them in the rear view mirror.

As the exiles began to return from captivity, there was a clear division in the power structure of the church and state. But anything special that was going to happen in the nation after the disaster that was the Babylonian captivity could only happen if the secular and the religious came together with one purpose. Joshua was the high priest, and Zerubbabel was the prince, heir to the throne of David, and now governor of the province of Judah, and both of them were going to be needed if the religious ritual of the nation was going to be restored.

Great things always require the full community in order to be accomplished. And there are times that we still need to come together – both church and state – if we are truly going to bring to completion the great things.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezra 4

 

Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town … Ezra 2:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 11, 2014): Ezra 1 & 2

In Canada, Quebec Separatism is a recurring idea. The idea springs from the idea that the province of Quebec not only possesses a different language than the rest of Canada (Quebec is predominately French while the rest of Canada is predominantly English) but that it also possesses a significantly different culture than the rest of Canada. The fear in Quebec is that the rest of Canada refuses to understand the essential difference, and not only do they not understand, they actively seek to minimize the difference destroying Quebec’s unique culture.  Whether that is true or not really doesn’t matter – it is the way that some Quebecers feel.

But Quebec separation is not the only separation concept that exists in Canada. Probably not surprising for country that physical size of Canada (Canada occupies the second largest land area of all of the nations of the world, second only to Russia), there are factions of the country that feel that they are out of step with the central power of the nation. And another group of separatists live in the Western part of the country. Politically, Western Canada tends to oppose the federal government on many issues, but the dream of Western Separatism is not a cultural ideal – rather it is fiscal in nature. The dream is that if Western Canada, especially Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, were to separate from Canada and unite with the Pacific Northwest area of the United States into one nation, the resulting union would form one of the strongest economies in the world. It is a dream that will most likely never happen, but for some, the dream keeps them warm at night.

Ezra starts out his record with the phrase “people of the province,” and the words are very carefully chosen. They highlight the heights from which Judah (and Israel) had fallen. Once Israel had been a power to be reckoned with. During the days of David, Israel’s military had been feared, and the nations that surrounded Israel had been effectively brought under her control. And during the reign of David’s son Solomon, Israel had become an economic powerhouse. This was the golden age for Israel. But as Ezra prepares to enter back into the land of Israel, it is no longer a powerhouse, it is not even a nation – now it is a province, once a province of the Babylon and now a province of Persia – but still just a province. The dream of separatism still existed in Israel, to once more become a nation like they were under the reigns of David and Solomon in the golden age, but it was a dream that would not really become a reality for more than 2000 years.

The nation had become a province. The proud had been humbled. And yet, God was still there. The presence of God had never left his people – and God’s promise was that no matter what the external reality of Israel was, he never would.

And we are heirs of the same promise. No matter what our external reality is, God will never leave us or forsake us.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezra 3

… the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi. – Ezekiel 48:31

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 10, 2014): Ezekiel 48

Neil Young wrote the song “Love is a Rose” in 1974. The song was originally written for Young’s studio album “Homegrown.” But the album was never released. For some mysterious reason Young decided at the last minute to abandon the project. And the song “Love is a Rose” went into a bit of a holding pattern. It would be a few more years before the song would see the light of day on a compilation CD – and then as a country hit released by Linda Ronstadt.

Love is a rose but you better not pick it
It only grows when it's on the vine.
A handful of thorns and you'll know you've missed it
You lose your love when you say the word "mine".

Young has great poetical thought in the lines of the song, but in a very real way he is wrong. Love may be like a rose, it may be symbolized by a rose, but love is not a rose. The rose (especially a red one) simply stands as a symbol of love – but it is not love. And it is a very dangerous thing to confuse the real thing with the symbol. The only safe place to do that is in a poem or a song. But real life demands something different.

In biblical study, one of the challenges that we seem to struggle with is the difference between the literal and the symbolic. When does the Bible mean something literally and when is it speaking figuratively or symbolically? A friend of mine solved the problem by assuming that the Bible never speaks symbolically – everything that is mentioned is meant literally. But then we arrive at the “Love is a Rose” problem.

Ezekiel describes the gates to the new city. There are twelve gates to the city, and each one of them is named after one of the tribes of Israel. But this is not a literal representation of the tribes of Israel, the gates are symbolic. We know this for two reasons. First, the order of the gates does not match any order given for the tribes of Israel. It does not reflect either the way that Israel camped in the desert, or the way that the tribes received their inheritance in Canaan. But a second clue is the inclusion of Levi in the list. Levi had no inheritance and is often not included in the list of the tribes, but there is a gate that bears his name.

Ezekiel describes the new city – the city that blesses the world. The tribes symbolize the way into the city. But the way is not through the tribes of Israel. The tribes of Israel simply symbolize the promise of God. God promises Abraham that he will bless the world through him, and the tribes symbolize that promise of God. And as Ezekiel sees the gates of the new city, he recognizes the promise of God to bless the world, and he allows the twelve tribes to represent that blessing.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezra 1 & 2

The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. – Ezekiel 47:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 9, 2014): Ezekiel 47

Alexander Pope’s poem “An Essay on Criticism” (1709) warns that bad criticism is responsible for doing more harm than bad writing. According to Pope, a critic who refuses or is unable to understand what the author is speaking about should also refuse to be a critic of the work. Pope maintains that bad writing may “tire our Patience,” but a bad critic “misleads our sense” – in essence a bad critic challenges our intelligence.

Part II of Pope’s poem contains the famous couplet –

A little learning is a dangerous thing;

Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.

For Pope, it made absolutely no sense to learn a little about something – if you wanted to learn, then spend the time and the effort to know as much about it as you can. It would seem that for Pope, this is the danger of the critic. The temptation of the critic is to know a little and yet criticize – often criticizing things that are beyond what they know. The reference to the Pierian spring is from Greek mythology. The spring was a holy place – a place where writers came to celebrate their art and to get in touch with the inner muses – the imaginative center of every writer. There are a few holy springs in Greek mythology. And there have been a few in Christian history – especially during the Middle Ages. These springs were often Pagan springs that were eventually Christianized. Strictly speaking, a sacred or holy spring is any water source of limited size that has some significance in folklore.

As Ezekiel begins to close of his prophecy, he speaks of a holy spring. And this is something new. Neither of the temples that have been built (Solomon’s and Zerubbabel’s or Herod’s) had a spring under the temple. Ezekiel describes the temple facing the east, and the spring flowing under the temple from the west side of the building. That would place Ezekiel’s holy spring directly under the Holy of holies which would have been opposite the main entrance to the temple. So maybe it is appropriate that the holy water of Ezekiel’s temple flows directly from the seat of God.

Both of the first two temples required an aqueduct that would carry water into the temple so that the sacrifices and the various cleansings could be carried out. According to Jewish law, ritual cleansing had to be done with naturally pure and unused water that was clear in color, and it must be poured in order to be effective. And Ezekiel’s spring would take care of all of these requirements of God –with water that flowed directly from the throne of God. The water that flows from the Holy of holies is water that God hopes we will drink deep from – not so that we can get in touch with our muses, but rather so that we can experience the very Holiness of God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 48