He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years. – Judges 12:9

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 7, 2016): Judges 12

As the Franco-Spanish war began to wind down in 1658, a decade after the end of the Thirty Years War – one of the most devastating wars in Europe up until that time and the war that began the French-Spanish conflict in the first place - both nations were searching for a way that could provide for the end of the war. And so they began the process of peace and concessions given by both sides to stop the fighting. One of the concessions was that Maria Theresa of Spain would be given to Louis XIV of France as his wife. Spain was originally concerned that such a marriage might be a way to unite the two nations under one king at some point in the future (as has happened with England and Scotland at various points in their histories), and so Maria Theresa, who had been the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne at different parts of her life, was forced to relinquish her authority to reign, and the authority of any of her offspring to reign, in Spain. And so the peace between France and Spain was forged, and Louis XIV and Maria Theresa (who were actually cousins through Louis’ mother, Anne of Austria) were married.

The practice of solving conflict through marriage sounds barbaric to our ears (could you imagine the war between the United States and the Islamic State ending by the giving and receiving of a bride and a groom from each of the conflicting parties as a way to cement the peace?), but in ancient times it was a common way of building Alliances between the nations. The marriage between Louis XIV and Maria Theresa to cement the peace between France and Spain was simply nothing unusual.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus insists that there was nothing significant that was accomplished during the seven years of Izban’s reign. “He did nothing in the seven years of his administration that was worth recording, or deserved a memorial. So he died an old man, and was buried in his own country” (Flavius Josephus – The Antiquities of the Jews). But it might be that Josephus is actually asking the wrong question. Maybe the question that needs to be asked is why was there nothing happening during the reign of Izban (or really in the reigns of the Judges that followed him). Why was Izban so lucky?

The answer to that question might be found in these innocuous words about his children. Izban seems to have been an accomplished diplomat. And he kept the peace through his diplomatic skill, and through the giving of his children in marriage to those who were “outside of his clan.” It is maybe significant that the author of Judges stresses this aspect of Izban’s life, making sure that we understand that the sons and daughters of Izban were not given as husbands and wives to those they grew up with – but rather to other clans and tribes, cementing the peace that Israel now enjoyed.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 13

And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” – Judges 11:30-31

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 6, 2016): Judges 11

Russia has named the United States as one of the threats to Russian Sovereignty and World Peace. The American War machine has been seen working within the countries of the European Community of Nations and threatens to upset the delicate balance of power between Europe and Asia. Whether the Americans really are a threat or not, the truth is that the delicate European-Asia power balance has been a problem ever since the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the Removal and execution of the Tsar and his family (who were related to much of the European Royalty) and the takeover of power, first by the Russian Provisional government and finally by the Bolshevik Party, which paved the way for the creation of the Soviet Union – which in turn resulted in the creation of NATO, which tends to be the offending arm of the United States in Europe.

But much of this is actually a self-fulfilling prophecy. Power always breeds an opposite power. Comic book readers have noticed the trend for decades. If you have a super-hero, you must have a super villain. And the truth is that Russia (Soviet Union) and the United States have played those roles for each other throughout most of the last century. And in every circumstance, including the current conflict in Syria, they seem to find a way to take opposing sides. So the question becomes, should we really expect anything else out of these two nations.   

The story of Jephthah is a sad one. And the first thing we need to realize is that the story is descriptive in nature – not prescriptive. It simply describes what happened rather than being a story that says this is the way that we should act as followers of God; just as the previous discussion on Russian-American relations does nothing more than describe the current state of affairs between the two countries. The discussion in no way says that this is the way things should be, just that this is the way that things are. The story of Jephthah simply describes what happened.

But the other thing that we need to note is that there is no way that the story of Jephthah should have ended the way that it did. God was already moving through Jephthah before Jephthah took a radical and unexpected turn in the plot of the story. The Bible consistently preaches against human sacrifice, and yet Jephthah makes this vow that if he wins, then he will sacrifice “whatever comes out of his house.” Jephthah had to be thinking about a human sacrifice – it was highly unlikely that a cow was going to wander out of his house. And the motivation for the vow likely came from his noticing the customs of the local Canaanite religions. It is possible that he was thinking maybe a servant, but that would have been no better than his daughter. Either way it is human sacrifice that seemed to be on the mind of Jephthah.

And this vow places God into a hard position. Either he fails Japhthah and Israel and stops the human sacrifice, or he goes through with the original plan and hopes that Japhthah will come to his senses and stop the sacrifice. God may have even caused Japhthah’s daughter to come out first to drive home that this vow of his was simply a bad idea.

But Japhthah sees his daughter and mourns his inability to not go through with the vow. He will go through with the sacrifice of his daughter even though the act violates the law of God – all because of a vow that Japhthah should never have made.

As far as Russia and the United States is concerned, there have been a number of vows on both sides that should never have been made, and for peace to truly exist between these two great nations, a way has to be found to go beyond the rhetoric of words and power and try to find the common ground that has to exist between friends. But as long as one feels that the other is trying to exercise undo control, or that one is taking advantage of those countries within its sphere of influence, then it is unlikely that the friendship will ever be a reality – and the power dance and war of words will continue between the nations.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 12

Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD. - 1 Samuel 2:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 5, 2016): 1 Samuel 2

It is hard not to weigh in on the Bill Cosby scandal. And I have to admit that I am as disappointed as anyone. I grew up with the moral teachings of Fat Albert and The Cosby Show, and there were several times when I admit that I applauded the things that Cosby would say. And yes, I get that Cosby was speaking to the Black community, but his words were often just as applicable to the White community of which I belonged. I am not trying to belittle the Black struggle in America, and I have never had to live that life, but in the end we are all people. And what applies to one group, applies to another. Despite the preferential treatment that we seem to see on the Network news, we are all people – there are not, or at least there should not be, different rules for one group than another. We are the same. So when Bill Cosby spoke, even I could take to heart the wisdom of his words.

But sometimes we think that exalted position means that we are better people. It is at the heart of the complaint of some athletes that they are being paid to play football (or baseball or some other sport) not to be role models. Just because I am making tons of money and every child wants to live my life, that doesn’t mean that I am a good person. Cosby stands in the same place. Just because he was famous and rich and said wise things we thought that maybe he was a quality person. And maybe that was the truth and all of his accusers are out for his money or something. But in this moment of time it just doesn’t look like that was the case. Apparently Bill Cosby the wise is really Bill Cosby the scoundrel.

Eli was the High Priest. And his sons were also priests. In fact, Eli’s sons whose names were Hophni and Phinehas, were probably on the track to become, if not the High Priest, at the very least a really important priest in the nation of Israel. They were high profile people and when they spoke, people listened.

But Samuel says that Hophni and Phinehas were scoundrels (if that word sounds too crude for you, then the Hebrew word used here is ben bĕliya`al, which translates to the “sons of worthlessness or destruction,” but scoundrels works for me). Even though they claimed to serve the God of Israel, the truth was that the only god they really served was themselves. In spite of the fact that they held high office and were most likely very well respected, in reality they were worthless – and their lives were waiting for destruction, because even as priests of God, they refused to really serve god.

Our culture seems to reveal to us many people who are prominent and who we begin to give them our respect, who are really scoundrels. Bill Cosby, if the allegations are true, definitely does not stand alone. But maybe the more important question is simply this – do our lives when we are alone match the morals that we proclaim publically. It is a question we need to keep on asking, before someone calls us the “sons and daughters of worthlessness” – or just scoundrels.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 11

Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. – 1 Samuel 1:17-18

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 4, 2016): 1 Samuel 1

The Islamic States call for revolutionaries went awry over the Christmas break. The call went out over twitter, and some of the responses from Muslims believers was simply precious. Among the jewels were @MohsinArain91’s “Sorry mate, I don’t want to risk dying before the next Star Wars comes out. Or @JayLikesIt with “Sorry Amir al-Mushrikeen, I’m busy being a real Muslim, giving to charity etc. Also, your dental plan sucks.” But the simple response of @mehmetCelebi might sum it all up – “Just read the Quran, it says no bro. Sorry mate.”

But all of this simply reveals that there is a very real a problem with the phrase “God said it.” It is a discussion ender. If God said it, then this is what we must do. But the solution just can’t be that simple. Religion is, by its very nature, very subjective. As religious people, we often argue the reverse – we seem to think that any thinking person should be able to come up with the idea of God, but in many ways we are fooling ourselves. Religion is subjective. How else could one section of Islam find a violent response as the message of God from the Qur’an while others preach its message of love and giving to charity?

But it isn’t just a Muslim problem. As Christians we differ as to what it is that God is saying to us. I am convinced that the overall message of the Bible is love for God and for your neighbor – and the definition of neighbor is any person living on the planet earth (and if we find intelligent life on other planets then we might have to broaden the definition.) We are the caretakers of the earth, a job that was first given to Adam and then passed down to the rest of us. By the way, it is a job we haven’t been doing well of late. And yet there are others that seem to believe that the voice of God is telling them the reverse – that hate is the path to the light (maybe they just haven’t seen Star Wars). Or that this earth is not to be protected and cared for by us, but rather we have been given the earth so that we can use it up and destroy it – and when this is done Christ will come back and usher us into our reward. I admit, I don’t see it, but the teaching is present within the Christian community. And it all relates back to the answer to the question – what is it that you hear God saying?

Before I go too far, I do not believe that each belief of what it is that God has said is equal. I believe that there is a true teaching. The Islamic State’s violence and another Muslim’s love are not created equal. One is right (and I side with the Muslim belief in love – it is consistent with my own belief in love, spoken from the one true God.) But maybe the major takeaway is that we need to be a people in constant conversation with other believers, willing to be shaped by the God who enters into that conversation that happens between us – something that might not happen when we are alone and unchallenged by our own thoughts.

So Hannah goes to the tabernacle to pray. Eli, the priest, thinks that she is drunk and tells this woman move along. Hannah insists that she is not drunk, but troubled – and then proceeds to tell Eli of her problems. And then it happens. To be honest, every time I read this passage I hear a priest mutter an inconsequential platitude to Hannah in order to get away. The words are probably close to our saying that we will pray for someone, but what we really mean is that the conversation has ended and we would rather be someplace else. Eli simply says “May God grant what you have asked of him.” Personally I am not sure that he meant it. I am not convinced that he even cared about the conversation that he was having with Hannah. He just wanted to be someplace else.

But that is not what Hannah heard. Hannah heard the voice of God saying that everything was going to be alright. Her countenance changed and she ate – something her husband had been trying to get her to do. Something had changed inside of her. She had heard the voice of God speaking from the lips of Eli.

Who was right? That is the easy question. It was Hannah. God had spoken through Eli, and Eli had no idea that it had happened. Later, he may not have even remembered the exchange. But Hannah would never forget it, because on this day it was not Eli who had spoken to her – she was sure she had heard the voice of God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 2

After the time of Abimelek, a man of Issachar named Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir. – Judges 10:1-2

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 3, 2016): Judges 10

A few years ago, Dan Amira suggested in a New York Magazine article that we celebrate President’s day (just over a month away) by remembering the most forgotten of the American Presidents. He nominated the 23^rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison. But it was his concluding paragraph that won me over to the idea.

Probably seven or eight people in the entire country could even recognize your name, Benjamin Harrison. None of those people are familiar with anything you did as president. But today, and forever more, Daily Intel will celebrate your non-existent legacy on Presidents Day. Because, after serving this great nation for four years as president, you deserve at least one day a year where people acknowledge that you did, in fact, exist. (Dan Amira – Let’s Celebrate America’s Most Forgotten President.) 

Significant people are not always famous people. The reverse is also true, famous people are not always significant people. It is just the way that life is. Another truth is that the ones who may be significant to me, may not be significant to you. People are important for a number of reasons, but maybe the most important is because they have had an impact on your life. Because of this, we know that Benjamin Harrison was important to somebody – even though we don’t know who – or why.

In my spare time I have been trying to build my family tree, just trying to see who it is that might be hiding in the branches. The family history includes the names a number of famous people who might be there, although it is not often the most famous that are the most interesting. But some of the names that have become important to me are very unimportant to the world. I spend some of my time chasing after a man nicknamed Poughkeepsie Pete – or Peter Mullen, born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. in 1750. Family history assures us that our ancestors hailed from Ireland, but the farthest back my research has been able to go is to good old Poughkeepsie Pete. I just have no idea who his parents might be, and there seem to be no mention of them anywhere – or how much earlier it might be that my branch of the Mullen family emigrated from Ireland to what would one day become the United States. So Poughkeepsie Pete is important – but probably just to me.

Tola, the son of Puah, a man from the tribe of Issachar was a judge of Israel. But that is pretty much all that we know. Of all of the people who led Israel during this period of time, we know the least about Tola. There is no mention of his deeds or even who the enemies of Israel might have been at the time. We simply know that he rose “to save Israel” from somebody – and that he led Israel for more than two decades – what is, after all, a fairly significant length of time.

So, while we may not know exactly who this man was or what he did – and it is very unlikely that anyone will ever produce a movie about him proclaiming his deeds - Tola was significant, at least to the people living in Israel and especially those living in an around Shamir during this two decade stretch of time. Tola was significant, even though he was not famous and joins Benjamin Harrison on a list of forgotten leaders.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 1

“Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’ – Judges 9:14

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 2, 2016): Judges 9

Jeb Bush apparently recently commented that his Dad has started to watch Fox News in order to try to figure out the appeal of Donald Trump. It is the question that many full time political watchers have been asking for a long time now. And the question might be unanswerable until after the actual voting begins. Because I know, at least in my own life, that there can be a huge difference between the things that might be said about a political candidate, and my ability to place an X beside their name when it comes to that moment inside the voter’s booth. All in a sudden, something seems to crash down us, and the question of what we really believe and can trust becomes all too real. It is the reason why, occasionally, an outside candidate seems to be in charge of the polls only to end up losing – and sometimes even losing in a spectacular manner. If there is a word of caution that I could offer the Donald, it would be simply this: “Do not rely on the polls you are watching. Make every speech count and every voter special, because if you are to win you will probably need every one of them.”

President Barak Obama Before and Near the End of His Presidency

But there is a question that is not being asked – Why would Donald Trump want to be President. He is a highly successful individual who has already made a name for himself outside of the world of politics. What is it that he gains from being President? I mean, just look at the before and after presidential photos of past Presidents, Why would anyone with any kind of intelligence ever want the job? What kind of insanity has to be present in an individual to want to run for office? And is it these insane people that we want to be in charge of our countries. (I get that we have no choice, which is probably why the question is better left unasked. Of all of the reasons to run that I aware of, the Donald’s “Make America Great” is probably among the weakest while Ben Carson’s concern over the type of world that we are leaving to our children might be among the stronger reasons for wanting to run for President.)

Abimelek wanted to be king. Even his name, which roughly translates into “My Dad is the King” betrays his ambition. But the problem is that his Dad, Gideon or Jerub-Baal, had actually turned down the job of being king. So his name is a bit of a lie. And for Abimelek to become king, he was going to have to betray almost every principle that his Dad held close – and kill all of his brothers (seventy here may be a symbolic number) who might also believe that they had a right to the very throne that he coveted. And this is exactly what he tries to do, but he misses one half-brother – Jotham.

And so, Jotham hears what Abimelek has done and he tells the people a fable about trees. Apparently the trees wanted a king, but they were all far too busy and too valuable to pause in their pursuits in order to take the job. So finally the trees ask the thornbush to be king. The suggestion makes a warped kind of logic; after all, what could a thornbush be too busy doing that would stop it from being king. But that is also the point. It was not the best equipped that would want to fulfill the role of supreme leader – it was the worst, the one with nothing better to do. Not something that we really want to dwell on as the election of November 2016 draws closer.

Scholars are split on what Jotham’s fable is really saying. There is no doubt that Jotham is calling someone incompetent and worthless, the question is - who? For some, Jotham’s  thornbush is the institution of the monarchy itsef. Jotham’s views on Kingship appear to be very close to that of his father Gideon (Jerub-Baal.) God was King and it was not right for anyone else to seek the position. Besides, it was only the incompetent who had the time to seek after the position of being King. For others, Jotham is not making a comment against the monarchy, but rather against his half-brother – it was Abimelek that was incompetent and worthless. The only reason he had time to chase after the kingship, and kill all of his brothers, was because he was unable to do anything constructive with his life. And Jotham’s question is simple – is this really the one that you want to be in charge of the country.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 10

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. – Ruth 4:13

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 1, 2016): Ruth 4

Happy New Year! The page has finally been turned and we have our new beginning. Our ritual insists that this is the day for life change – and in many ways it really is. We stand with the year in front of us instead of behind us. It seems easier on a day like today to decide that things really can be different, that we can make the changes that we need to make in our lives. Whatever that change is, today might be the day of decision, but if our resolutions are going to last for the long haul, then something fundamental needs to change inside of us – and inside of me. (Incidentally, this blog started as a New Year’s resolution seven years ago today. It has gone through some changes, but it started as nothing more than a resolution.)

I know, sometimes we tire of making resolutions that we simply do not have the will to make into a new lifestyle, and there are many around me that have simply given up on the idea of making New Year’s resolutions. But somehow that seems sad to me - that we could have given up on trying to make our lives – and the lives of those around us – better, just because keeping a resolution is hard. We don’t need fewer resolutions, we need more. And we need ways of making the changes stick as the pages of the calendar begin to flip through the seasons of the year. Today we have a beautiful symbol staring us in the face – a new year that is completely a blank slate. It is something with which we can do marvelous things, if we really want to make the change.

A baby is born into the house of Boaz and Ruth. And while the New Year is a symbol of change, a Baby makes that change very real. It is a not a resolution that can be walked away from when it becomes inconvenient. A baby changes everything that we do. They are the resolutions that keep on giving throughout the length of the year. But the amazing thing about this baby, born to this Moabite woman and Hebrew man, is the change that he would bring to Israel. For this child would become the grandfather of Israel’s greatest king – David. David would become a turning point for the nation, and his beginning is intimately tied to this story of Boaz and Ruth – and the birth of the son that they would share together.

This was an important moment of time because of the change that was brought – and change that came from a very unlikely spot and a moment that turned a story of tragedy into one of success – all because a son was born.

I have no idea what this year might hold. I am sure for most of us it will have its share of good and bad – every year does. But we can resolve today that no matter what happens, we will be the agents of change that God wants us to be. Because today we give birth to a baby that will mature with changing pages of the calendar. This year is a life that has been given to us to mold.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 9