Seder 89: The Commissioning of Isaiah in Isaiah 6

 The sixth chapter of Isaiah begins by describing a vision of the heavenly throne room that Isaiah received in around 740 BC.  This vision brought home to Isaiah the great gulf between him and a holy God, a gulf created by his sinfulness. 

God proceeded to cleanse Isaiah and forgive his sins.  God then asked his heavenly host, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"  Encouraged by what God had done for him, Isaiah spoke up, "Here I am!  Send me" (v 8).  

God then let Isaiah know what he was getting himself into.  If Isaiah told people what they wanted to hear, he might become popular.  But he would be telling the nation of Judah what it needed to hear.  As a result, many would tune him out, at least in the short run, and the nation would face judgment.  But a remnant would listen, and the nation would be rebuilt from there. 

Chronologically speaking, this may be the earliest part of the book of Isaiah.  We would normally expect the book to open with this commissioning narrative---see Jeremiah 1 and Ezekiel 1-2.  Commentator John Oswalt proposes that this episode appears where it does in order to model what the Israelites must do in order to address the spiritual problems raised in Isaiah 1-5.  If the people would humble themselves and confess their uncleanness, then God would cleanse them in his mercy.

Another unusual thing about Isaiah 6 is that God does not command Isaiah to serve as a prophet.  Instead, God invites him to volunteer.  

The passage from Isaiah 6 that is most often quoted in the New Testament is verses 9-10.  Jesus and Paul would sometimes find their audiences to be just as spiritually obstinate as Isaiah's.  As human beings, we tend to resist listening to the things we need to hear.

Seder 88: Answering Two Questions about Mark 7

 Mark 7 records a halakhic discussion in which Jesus engaged about a ritual hand-washing practice which was popular in his time.  Jesus was asked why his disciples didn't engage in this practice, which was based on the belief that ritual impurity could spread from a person's hands via a liquid to food, which would then make the person ritually unclean.  

Jesus expressed disagreement with this practice, which he classified as a human tradition that obscured rather than amplified the  teaching of the Torah.  He stated, "There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him" (v 15).  

Thinking about the rules for ritual purity in Leviticus 11-15, we can see what Jesus was talking about.  It is things that come out of a person---e.g., bodily fluids like blood and semen---that lead to ritual impurity, not anything a person ingests.  

At first glance, though, there seems to be a possible exception in Lev 17:15:  "And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean."

Biblical scholar Logan Williams addresses this question in a 2024 paper in the journal New Testament Studies.  He explains that the uncleanness may be contracted from handling the dead animal rather than from ingesting the meat.  

Williams also looks at another question about Mark 7, the interpretation of Mark 7:18-19.  He says that here Jesus is saying that the human digestive system is a ritual cleansing agent.  Whenever a person eats meat, one has contact with a dead animal, but eating meat does not, according to Leviticus, lead to ritual impurity.  One way of explaining why that is is to see the digestive system as ritually cleansing the meat. 

A number of English translations of Mark 7:19 end the verse with a parenthetical "thus he declared all food clean."  Williams says that it's better to read that final clause as the end of the previous sentence, as in the KJV.  It's a trip through the digestive system that ritually cleanses the food, not a proclamation by Jesus.

Feast of Tabernacles 2025: Comparing 1 Cor 8-10 and Avodah Zarah

 At the Feast of Tabernacles, we look forward to the time when all nations worship the true God, as pictured in Zechariah 14.  

In the first century the Gospel began to be proclaimed to the nations, an effort that eventually will lead to the fulfillment of Zechariah 14.  Former pagans who joined the Christian movement faced some big challenges negotiating the polytheistic environment of the Greco-Roman world.  Here their Jewish brethren in the Diaspora could provide help based on generations of experience.  We see the apostle Paul providing this kind of help in his epistles---for example, in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10.  

In a lecture at Church of the Messiah on October 11, 2025, Kyle Kettering explained that the guidance Paul gave to his congregations has important parallels with the cases discussed in tractate Avodah Zarah ("works of idolaters") in the Mishnah, Tosefta, and Talmuds.  This is not surprising, since Paul 

• was a Pharisee (not an "ex-Pharisee"), as we see in Acts 23:6;
• was a follower of the Torah, as in Acts 18:8; 21:21-24;
• was a teacher of Torah principles.

Both Paul and Avodah Zarah took into account three considerations in navigating the idol-saturated world of the Roman Empire:

1. How a particular thing appeared to others.
2. The significance given to the thing in its setting.
3. How a particular thing was being used.

In regard to appearances, one case discussed by the rabbis involves a coin that is lying on the ground in front of an idol shrine.  Is it OK to pick up the coin?  The sages say no in a situation where doing so would make it appear that one is worshiping the god of the shrine.  Similarly, Paul in 1 Corinthians 8 says that meat that has been offered to an idol should not be eaten if this action would do spiritual harm to a brother---e.g., a Gentile believer who is still struggling with whether to continue in pagan practices that previously were part of his life.  

1 Thessalonians 5:22 as it is translated in the KJV ("abstain from all appearance of evil") may be relevant here, although there is some question about the meaning of this verse.  For example, ESV has "abstain from every form of evil."   

Significance given to an object arose, for example, in the question of the possible use of stones that had been part of an image of a god.  Are these stones still being seen and treated as representing the god?   If so, they should not be reused.  If not, it is OK to recycle them for another purpose. 

The question about how a thing was being used arose, for example, in the question of whether one should go to a Roman bathhouse in which there were idolatrous images.  In one famous ruling, Rabban Gamaliel II said that it was not a problem to go to a bathhouse in which there was an image of Aphrodite.  Gamaliel reasoned that people went to a bathhouse to bathe, not to worship idols.   The idol at the bathhouse was just a decoration, not an object of worship. 

Kyle gave some current examples in which these principles can be applied.  For example, the image on a Starbucks cup is not a part of pagan worship, so there is no reason to abstain from Starbucks coffee.  Similarly, there is no reason to avoid the use of Christmas trees; the people who use them do not do so to follow a false god.  There is no reason to worry about the origins or past use of the "Star of David;" the current intended use of the star has nothing to do with paganism. 

Seder 87: Spiritual Lessons from a Moldy House

 If a house in ancient Israel was hit with a persistent fungal infestation, then the building materials---mainly stones---would have to be discarded and the house rebuilt (Lev 14:43-45).  Stones were free and readily available, but significant time and effort would have been expended in the rebuilding project.

The rules on moldy houses carried some spiritual messages.  As with other ritual purity rules, they were a reminder of our human imperfection and mortality.  Houses, like other material possessions, are temporary, so one should not place too much emphasis on them and make their acquisition one's primary goal.  

Other biblical passages express this lesson---e.g., the prophecy in Isaiah 5:8-9 and the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21.  

Seder 87: Isaiah 5---The Parable of the Vineyard

 Isaiah 5:1-6 presents the story of a vineyard owner who carefully plants and tends a vineyard, only to have it produce bad fruit.  The owner finally decides not to waste any more time and effort on the vineyard and allows it to become overgrown.  

Isaiah gets to the point in verse 7.  Israel is God's vineyard, and it has not been producing good fruit.  

Isaiah goes on to describe the fruit that Israel and Judah have been yielding, giving five "woes".  Commentator John Oswalt summarizes them this way:

1. Greed (vv 8-10), with the rich buying up houses and fields and pushing others off their land.  God had meant for plots of land to stay in families (Lv 25:23-28) to help people avoid poverty.  In a measure-for-measure judgment, those who engaged in these practices would lose their houses and go into exile.
2. Self-indulgence (vv 12-17)---people living for pleasure rather than rejoicing in God.  Feasting is a blessing (Isa 25:6; Rev 19:7-9), but not a proper life goal.  The self-indulgent would go hungry in exile. 
3. Cynicism (vv 18-19) of those who sin and dare God to do something about it, confusing grace for license.  
4.  Moral perversion (vv 20-21) of those who are so wise in their own eyes that they reject all moral authority.  
5. Social injustice (vv 22-24) practiced by those who exploit others for the sake of material gain. 

Isaiah declares that if Judah does not repent, God will use foreign powers---Assyria and Babylon---to punish the southern kingdom.

Seder 86: Isaiah 57-58---Repentance Precedes Restoration

 The "second half" of the book of Isaiah, chapters 40-66, has an emphasis on offering comfort to Israelites in exile.  There are prophecies of the Messiah and the messianic era, looking ahead to the coming of a new Exodus and the restoration of Israel in the Promised Land.  

The main focus in these chapters is not correction and rebuke, but these features are still present.  Isaiah foresees that Israelites returning from exile will still be clinging to some syncretism (e.g., chapters 57 and 58).  In Isaiah 58:3, people are pictured fasting in order to gain God's favor.  This is an attitude from paganism, where religious practice is about trying to manipulate the gods.  

Isaiah also makes clear that God invites his people to come to him in repentance.  Isaiah 57:14-21 pictures a highway on which the humble and contrite can return to God.  Instead of fasting to try to influence God, Isaiah says that worshipers should show "fruits meet for repentance" by helping the needy (Isa 58:5-6).

Seder 85 and Seder 86: Prayer in a Time of Suffering

 In discussing Leviticus 13, commentator Jay Sklar notes some things that the chapter does not mention.  Most notably, there is no explanation of why certain skin conditions lead to ritual impurity.  Moreover, there is also no discussion in Leviticus about how people dealt with the great suffering that can go with skin conditions.  

Sklar observes that we can get a sense of this suffering from another part of the Bible---the Psalms.  There we find prayers made in times of suffering.  Sklar lists Psalms 6, 13, 38, 41 as examples.

These psalms give a sense of the magnitude of suffering involved.  They also show a firm trust in God's help---see 6:8-10; 13:5-6; 38:15; 41:11-12.

Another lament of this type is in Psalm 88. At Church of the Messiah, Kyle Kettering gave a sermon on this psalm on September 27, 2925.

Psalms of this type remind us that life includes lots of suffering, and in our worship we should not ignore this part of life.  As Ecclesiastes 3:4 says, there is a time to mourn.  

Feast of Trumpets 2025: What is Memorialized?

 The Feast of Trumpets is introduced in Leviticus 23:23-25 as "a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets" (ESV).  There is no mention in these verses of what is being memorialized.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on September 20, 2025, Kyle Kettering surveyed the important things that may be memorialized by this festival.  

Since harvest festivals like Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles are prominent in the annual cycle of celebrations, the fall harvest is one thing to celebrate in this season.  

There are a number of themes associated with the Feast of Trumpets in Jewish tradition.  These include 

• creation
• the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22, partly because of the horn of the ram that was a substitute for Isaac.
• a spiritual wake-up call and announcement of coming judgment.
• the coming of the King (Ps 98:6).
• future redemption, including the coming of Messiah (Zech 9:14) and the ingathering of exiles (Isa 27:13).  

Several of these themes are continued in the New Testament, especially that of future redemption.  The imagery of trumpets is prominent in the book of Revelation and in descriptions of the return of Jesus (Rev 11:15-18; Mt 24:29-31; 1 Co 15:51-57; 1 Th 4:13-18).  

Seder 84: A Question about Psalm 72:20

 Psalm 72 concludes with the statement, "The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended" (verse 20).  

Psalm 72:20 sometimes raises questions, because Psalm 86 carries the superscription, "A Prayer of David."  So it appears that Psalm 72 is not the final prayer of David in the psalter.  Are Psalm 72:20 and Psalm 86:1 in contradiction?  

Here it is important to recognize that Psalm 72:20 is not just the end of Psalm 72; it is also the conclusion of Book 2 of the Psalms, which consists of Psalms 42-72.  So Psalm 72:20 may just be signaling the end of the prayers of David in Book 2, or in Books 1 and 2.  The compilation of Book 3, which includes Psalm 86, may have occurred later.  

There is also no reason to assume that the canonical order of the psalms reflects a strict chronological order.  There is a tradition that David in Psalm 72 was praying for Solomon, the next king.  If David composed this psalm shortly before he died, it could well be his final psalm, chronologically speaking.

Seder 83: The "Forbidden Impurity" of Leviticus 11:42-43

 Like chapters 12-15 of Leviticus, Leviticus 11 mentions some ways of contracting ritual impurity.  Specifically, touching or carrying the carcass of an impure animal, or a pure animal that had died of itself, resulted in a minor ritual impurity that could be dealt with by washing one's clothes (verses 24-25,27-28, 31).  Such rules on ritual impurity are connected with protecting the tabernacle or temple from defilement.  

Leviticus 11:42-43 speaks of a different kind of defilement associated with eating meat from impure animals.  Scholar Roy Gane points out that this kind of impurity is associated not with the holiness of the sanctuary, but with the holiness of the people themselves (see verses 44-45).  Gane also observes that the distinction between pure and impure animals predates the covenant at Sinai (Ge 7:2-3, 8-9; 8:20).

This kind of impurity can't be remedied with a simple washing, and it can't be passed along through contact with another person. Assuming this sin was not carried out in a defiant or "high-handed" manner, presumably it could have remedied with a purification offering.  

Gane, a Seventh-day Adventist, also argues that since Christians are also a holy people in covenant with God, the dietary rules of Leviticus 11 continue to have relevance for Christians.  That's a topic for another time.

Seder 82: Ezekiel 44---Envisioning a Holy Priesthood

 In the vision recorded in Ezekiel 40-48, Ezekiel is shown a picture of twelve tribes brought back to the Promised Land, with God dwelling in the midst of his people and true worship conducted at a new temple.  

The Aaronic priesthood serving at this temple is described in Ezekiel 44:15-31.  The holiness of these descendants of Zadok is emphasized, with specific mention that they follow instructions for priests laid out in the book of Leviticus.  They would

• carefully "distinguish between the holy and the common" (Lv 10:10; Eze 44:19).  
• not engage in pagan mourning rituals (Eze 44:20; Lv 10:6; 21:5, 10).  
• not drink on duty (Eze 44:21; Lv 10:9).
• observe marriage restrictions for priests, even for high priests  (Eze 44:22; Lv 21:7,14).
• faithfully carry out teaching responsibilities (Eze 44:23; Lv 10:11).
• make judicial rulings to settle disputes (Eze 44:24; Dt 17:7; 19:17; 21:5).
• follow priestly restrictions on mourning and deal appropriately with corpse impurity (Eze 44:25-26; Lev 21:1-3).  

One difference between the vision and previous practice was that these priests would serve strictly in white linen garments (verses 16-18).  Apparently the high priest would not wear the colorful royal garments described in Exodus 28, but would follow the restrictions used on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16).  Perhaps these details are intended to emphasize the humility of these priests.  

There are some differences between practices described in the Torah and those pictured in the vision.  The clothing in Ezekiel 44:16-18 is one of them.  Another is the burnt offering for a new moon---two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs in Nu 28:11; and one bull, six sheep, and one ram in Ezekiel 46:6-7.  

Apparently the early rabbis puzzled over such differences.  The Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 13b) mentions a sage named Hananiah ben Hezekiah who saved the book of Ezekiel's status in the canon by laboring to explain the differences between the practices in the vision and those laid out in the Pentateuch.  I personally am not troubled by these differences, which seem minor.  A new temple can come with some new customs.  

Seder 82: Ezekiel 44-45: Who is "the Prince" in Ezekiel's Vision?

 In Ezekiel's vision in chapters 40-48, one figure mentioned several times is "the prince" (nasi in Hebrew).  This is a righteous human leader who will sponsor worship at the Temple described in the vision.  Too often in ancient Israel's history there was corrupt leadership, but Ezekiel looks forward to a time when there would be godly leaders (Eze 45:8-12).  

It seems reasonable to view the prince as a type of the Messiah; on the other hand, the vision also seems to distinguish the prince from the Messiah of Christianity.  For one thing, the prince will provide purification offerings for himself and the people--Eze 45:22---while Christ requires no such offerings (Heb 7:27-28).  Moreover, the priest is someone who may have physical descendants---Eze 46:16.

Seder 81: Ezekiel's Temple Vision and the Torah

 The vision of Ezekiel recorded in Ezekiel 40-48 is one of the most mysterious sections of Scripture.  In this vision, Ezekiel is escorted by a heavenly guide around a restored temple compound, with lots of measurements given for gates, courtyards, a sanctuary, and quarters for priests.  God's presence comes to this temple, where he will be present with his people forever.  Worship at the temple is then described, and finally an apportionment of the Holy Land among the tribes of Israel.  

Ezekiel received this vision in about 573 BC, during the time of Judah's exile in Babylon.  The vision was a comforting one for the exiles, assuring them that there would be a future restoration of Israel in the land, with God dwelling among his people and true worship reestablished.  

But how literally are we to take the details of the vision?  Is this a literal description of a millennial temple, as dispensationalists tend to believe, or is it more a symbolic description of true worship in images meaningful to the original readers of the book of Ezekiel? 

In any case, there are a number of parallels between the book of Ezekiel and the things revealed in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, as commentator Daniel Block points out.  In both accounts,

• God commissions a human agent---Exodus 3-4; Ezekiel 33.
• God separates Israel from the nations and delivers her from bondage---Ex 5-13; Eze 34-37.
• Attacking enemies are defeated---Exodus 14-15; Ezekiel 38-39.
• God appears on a high mountain---Ex 19; Eze 40:1-4.
• God provides for residence among his people---Ex 25-40; Eze 40-43.
• God prescribes the appropriate response to his grace---Lev 1-Num 21; Eze 44-46;
• God provides for apportionment of land to the tribes---Num 34-35; Eze 47-48.

So Ezekiel, a new Moses figure, describes a new exodus with a renewed covenant and Torah.

Seder 80: 1 John 2:18-27---Anointed Followers of the Anointed One

 In his first epistle, John wrote to a community that was experiencing division.  Some people had left them.  John describes them as "antichrists"---opponents of Christ.  

John recognized this kind of opposition as characteristic of the "last hour"---i.e., the time after Christ's resurrection and before his return(1 Jn 2:18).  Jesus had predicted in his Olivet Discourse that such conflict would occur  (Mt 24; Mk 13; Lk 21), and so the apostles were not surprised by it (e.g., 1 Ti 4:1; 2 Pe 3:3-7; Jude 18).   

John describes some of the beliefs of those who are antichrists.  They deny that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Anointed One or Messiah (2:22-23).  In particular, they do not believe that Jesus is the Word made flesh (Jn 1:1-18; 1 Jn 4:2-3; 2 Jn 7).  

Those who do believe in the Jesus the Messiah as portrayed in John's Gospel "have an anointing from the Holy One," John says (1 Jn 2:20).  Believers are themselves "anointed ones."  They have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, who guides believers into all truth (Jn 14:17, 26; 15:26; 16:13), and so they have no need for some alleged "new truth" that their opponents might be offering.  

Bible Thinks Workshop with Baruch Kvasnica: Walking with God

 The first Christians referred to their movement as "the Way" (Acts 9:2; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:22).  They were people who walked with God, following in the footsteps of Jesus the Messiah.  

The expression "walking with God" is a familiar one in the Bible.  In the early chapters of Genesis, Enoch "walked with God" (Ge 5:22, 24), as did Noah (Ge 6:9).  Similarly, the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob "walked before God" (Ge 24:40; 48:15).  So did King Hezekiah of Judah (2 Ki 20:3).  

Jacob described God as his shepherd who guided him from behind (Ge 48:15).  God was also said to walk in front of (Ex 13:21) and among (Lv 26:12) his people.  

This kind of language pictures a close relationship between God and his people.  Moses instructed the children of Israel to walk in all the ways of God, following his commandments (Dt 11:22).  In the same sentence, he spoke of "loving the LORD your God" and "holding fast to him."  

The metaphor of walking with God, a prominent one in the Bible, isn't found in other ancient cultures.  Neither is the idea of repentance, where one who has strayed from God's way returns to it.  For most ancient people, the gods were mysterious and arbitrary.  People weren't sure what the gods required of them or how to appease the gods when the gods were offended.  So pagans didn't really think of themselves as being on a journey with the gods.  

On August 9, 2025, Sherry and I attended a workshop at Hope College in Holland, Michigan on the metaphor of walking with God.  The workshop was sponsored by the Center for Hebraic Thought and En-Gedi Resource Center.  The main speaker was Baruch Kvasnica, founder and head of Jerusalem Seminary.

Kvasnica reported on his doctoral research, where he looked at the appearance of the metaphor of walking with God in ancient Greek sources.  

He explained that in the Greek Septuagint (LXX) translation of the Hebrew Bible, the language of "walking with God" is translated in a few different ways.  In the Genesis passages about Enoch, Noah, and the patriarchs walking with God (Ge 5:22, 24; 6:9; 24:40; 48:15), the LXX says that they were pleasing to God.  

A Greek word for "going," poreuomai, appears frequently (almost a thousand times) in the LXX.  This word is often used to render "walking with God" language---e.g., in Leviticus 26:3, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 40, 41 and Deuteronomy 10:12; 11:22; 13:4; 19:19; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16.  

A Greek word for "walking," peripateo, appears 26 times in the LXX.  Usually this word is used in situations where someone is walking somewhere.  In a couple of cases, it is used figuratively for walking with God (2 Ki 20:3) or walking in the way of righteousness (Pr 8:20).  

So at the time when the LXX was produced, Greek-speaking Jews may have just been starting to speak of "walking with God" with the word peripateo.  By the time that the New Testament was written, though, such an expression was often used.

Kvasnica observed that this language is seldom used in the Synoptic Gospels.  The one exception is in Mark 7:5, where Jesus is asked, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders?"  The Synoptics speak more often of following Jesus.  

In John, "walking with God" language appears in John 8:12; 11:9-10; 12:35.  John uses this language in his epistles in 1 John 1:6,7; 2:6,11; 2 John 4,6; and 3 John 3,4.  In Revelation, we see it in 3:4 and 21:24.

Paul uses "walking with God" language frequently; Kvasnica counted over 30 instances, including Romans 6:4; 8:1,4; 13:13; 14:15; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 7:17; 4:2; 5:7; 10:2, 3; 12:18; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 2:2, 10; 4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15; Philippians 3: 17, 18; Colossians 1:10; 2:6; 3:7; 4:5; 1 Thes 2:12; 4:1, 12; 2 Thes 3:6, 11.  

In a survey of ancient Greek literature, Kvasnica found that "walking with God" language only appears in "Jewish Greek."  Outside of the New Testament, such language appears, for example, in Philo and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.  Josephus, writing from Rome to Gentiles, does not use such language.  

Why then, Kvasnica wondered, does Paul use this language so often in his epistles to churches with large Gentile populations?  The answer may be that many of the Gentiles in his audiences were "God-fearers" who had some familiarity with the Bible through contact with synagogues.  

When we hear the Greek word peripateos, we think of the English word peripatetic.  Kvasnica was asked if the language of walking in a certain way of life could have also been influenced by the "Peripatetic school" of philosophy.  He explained that this school got its name not from the fact that its teachers "walked around" or lived in a certain way, but from the place where the school met, the Peripatos.  (Similarly, he said, the Stoics got their name from the stoa where they met.) 

This was a stimulating workshop that helped us think about what it means to walk with God.  

Seder 79: Lev 7:12-15---The Thanksgiving Offering

 The seventh chapter of Leviticus describes three types of peace/fellowship offerings.  One was called a toda, an offering of praise and thanksgiving.  It was given in gratitude for rescue or deliverance. 

Some examples are described in Psalm 107.  In one of them, a person receives healing from God:

"He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.  Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!  And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!" (verses 20-22)

Other examples in Psalm 107 involve people who have been rescued from the wilderness, released from imprisonment, or safely brought through a sea voyage.  

A thanksgiving offering involved a communal meal that had to be eaten on the day of the offering.  This requirement encouraged the offeror to invite a large group of people to share the feast.  As it says in Psalm 107:32, "Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders."

The feast included lots of bread, both unleavened and leavened (Lv 7:12-14).  Sharon Rimon suggests that the unleavened bread might represent the trial the person had endured, while the leavened bread might represent the fact that the offeror had been completely delivered from the trial.  

Rimon points out that a toda is in several ways similar to a Passover meal, which is a kind of national toda:

• Both give thanks for deliverance.
• Both are shelamim (offerings of peace or wellbeing).
• Both have to be finished by the following morning.
• Both are eaten with bread.

One major difference is that the bread at a Passover meal is strictly unleavened bread.  Rimon observes that Passover celebrates a redemption that has begun but has not yet been completed.  The redemption of the Exodus is completed when Israel receives the Torah at Mt Sinai, inherits the Promised Land, and begins harvesting crops there.  These things are celebrated at Pentecost, when leavened bread is part of the liturgy (Lv 23:15-21).  

Seder 78: Leviticus 5-6 and Zechariah 5---Crime and Punishment in Ancient Israel

 When a crime was committed in ancient Israel---a theft, for example---there would be a public call for witnesses to come forward, with an oath calling upon God to deal appropriately with the perpetrator and anyone who knew what had happened but refused to testify.  

This kind of public call and oath is first mentioned in the Bible in Leviticus 5:1.  Another reference to it is in Proverbs 29:24:  "The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing."  

When there was a lack of evidence in a case, it might have ended up being resolved by an oath.  For example, Exodus 22:10-11 describes a case where one person leaves some possession with another person for safekeeping, and the possession is subsequently lost.  If there is no evidence of what happened and the person who was supposed to be guarding the possession swears that he doesn't know what happened, the owner has to accept his word.  

Underlying all of this is the conviction that God sees everything and is the ultimate Judge.  In some cases where a person failed to testify, his conscience would eventually move him to step forward belatedly, as in Leviticus 5:1.  Or if a person had defrauded another and initially lied about it, he might later confess the truth and make things right (Lv 6:1-7).  God might give such a person some incentive to do the right thing by allowing the person to suffer for his wrongdoing.  That's what Leviticus 5:1 means when it speaks of the reluctant witness "bearing his iniquity."  

One striking affirmation of God's justice appears in Zechariah's vision of a flying scroll.  (Remembering the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, I am tempted to refer to the scroll in the vision as Rocket J. Scroll.)  This huge scroll measures about 30 feet by 15 feet.  It has writing on both sides, like the tablets of the Decalogue.  The commandment against stealing is on one side, and the commandment against bearing false witness is on the other.  The scroll seems to symbolize the whole Decalogue, or more broadly all of God's Word.  

Zechariah 5:3-4 pictures God sending out the scroll, as he sends out his Word in Psalm 147:15; and as in Isaiah 55:11, it accomplishes God's will, carrying out justice in the world.  The scroll makes good on the oath that goes out when witnesses are solicited---see verse 3.  

Although we are not often called upon to be witnesses in a court of law, we have all been witnesses of the goodness of God.  In a sermon on Leviticus 5:1 at Church of the Messiah on August 2, 2025, Kyle Kettering urged us not to be reluctant witnesses, and to speak up about what God has done for us. 

Seder 77: Ezekiel 18---Principles of Divine Justice

The eighteenth chapter of the book of Ezekiel is one of  several examples in the book of what scholars call a "disputation speech."  The discussion begins by quoting a popular saying that gives a thesis.  Ezekiel then responds with a counter-thesis stating God's perspective on the matter.  There are examples in chapters 11, 12, 18, and 33.  

Chapter 18 begins with a thesis accusing God of injustice:  "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge."  Ezekiel responds with a counter-thesis from God:  "It is the one who sins who shall die." He elaborates by telling a story of three generations (vv 5-18):  

• A righteous man, one who lives according to God's covenant with Israel, will be rewarded with life.  
• If that man's child turns to wickedness, the child will be judged for that wickedness.
• If the man's grandchild returns to righteousness, the wickedness of the grandchild's parent will not be held against him.

Some have suggested that this example has in mind three generations of kings of Judah.  Righteous king Hezekiah was succeeded by his wicked son Manasseh, who was in turn succeeded by righteous king Josiah.  But Ezekiel is laying out a general principle, not just thinking about these three kings.  This principle has previously been stated in Deuteronomy 24:16.

There is some pushback in verse 19, with a restatement of the original thesis.  Commentator Daniel Block points out that some may be supporting the thesis with a famous passage from Exodus 20, where God states that he is "a jealous [i.e., impassioned] God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me..." (verse 5).  

Block explains that a different issue is being addressed in Exodus 20, which is directed to heads of household.  God wants heads of household to know that their behavior will affect, for good or ill, their entire multi-generational extended families.  

However, Ezekiel makes clear that we cannot use our parents' sins as an excuse for our own.  A person who has been wicked can repent and turn to righteousness.  In that case, that person's earlier sins will not be held against him (verses 20-22).  

On the other hand, a righteous person who subsequently turns away from God will not be able to get by based on earlier righteousness (verse 24).  

Ezekiel closes the chapter with a general call to repentance.  This is a remarkable text, Block points out.  There are a number of cryptic passages in Ezekiel's prophecy, but chapter 18 is crystal clear and speaks directly to readers in all generations.  We all have our destinies in our own hands.  Our eternal futures depend on our own decisions.  God's desire is that all of us choose life.

Seder 76: Leviticus 2:13---the Symbolism of Salt

"You shall season all your grain offerings with salt," we read in Leviticus 2:13. "You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt."

Why was salt so important in the sacrificial system outlined in the book of Leviticus?  In a study of this question, Sharon Rimon notes that Maimonides, the great medieval Jewish theologian and philosopher, proposed that this was one more way to set the Israelites apart from their neighbors.  Since other nations used leavening and honey in their sacrifices but not salt, he said, God had the Israelites do it the other way around.  But is this correct?  I'm skeptical of this proposal, doubting that Maimonides had much access to data on sacrifices in the Ancient Near East.

It might be more fruitful here to think about the uses and imagery of salt in the Bible, which is what Rimon goes on to do in her article.  She notes that in one set of scriptures, salt imagery is associated with barrenness, destruction, and judgment, especially the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah  (Dt 29:22; Zeph 2:9; Jer. 17:6).  In a place "sowed with salt" (Judges 9:45), nothing will grow.  

In one fascinating example Elisha cleanses some water by using salt, which usually makes water undrinkable (2 Ki 2:19-22).  This accentuates the miraculous nature of Elisha's work---only God can cleanse water with something that would normally spoil it for drinking.

Rimon suggests that if we think of the way that salt can "negate life," one meaning of sacrifices for sin results .  The salt could remind the worshipper that he deserves to experience judgment (e.g., be turned into a pillar of salt) but is being spared because of God's mercy.

On the other hand, salt enhances the flavor of food (Job 6:6).  This provides one reason for salt to be included in sacrifices.  Just as we would not want to give bland, unsalted food to a human king, so we can show respect for God by including salt in a sacrifice and in effect "salting his food." 

Moreover, salt is lasting and preserves food from spoiling.  So the "salt of the covenant" (Lev 2:13) emphasizes God's faithfulness and the lasting nature of God's covenant.  In addition, making a sacrifice enhances and preserves one's life and one's relationship with God.  

Rimon points out that salt is a substance which can both destroy and preserve.  Similarly, God is a God of both judgment and mercy, and the Mosaic covenant includes both blessings and curses.  Including salt in a sacrifice acknowledges the sovereignty of God, the fact that he is the one who both preserves and destroys.

Seder 75: Avodah in the Book of Exodus

 A key Hebrew word in the book of Exodus is avodah, a word for work/slavery, service, and worship.  It appears in Exodus 1:14; 2:23; 5:9, 11; 6:6, 9; 12:25, 26, 13:5; 27:19; 30:16; 35:21, 24; 36:1, 3, 5; 38:21; 39:32, 40, 42.  

In episodes 96 and 97 of the Hebrew Bible Insights podcast, Matthew Delaney and Nathan French explain how this word brings out some key connections and themes in the book of Exodus.  The word helps bring out how the Israelites change masters in the Book of Exodus, going from being slaves of Pharaoh to being servants of God.  

In Egypt (20:2) the children of Israel were in the "house of slavery" (beit ebed), and they built cities (1:11) for storage (miskenah).  At Sinai the Israelites built the tabernacle (mishkan), a "house of service" that was a dwelling place for God and a place for the worship of God.  

The end of the book of Exodus describes the construction of the tabernacle. The text emphasizes Israel's obedience to God's instructions.  "According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work" (Ex 39:42).  Here we see Moses, and the nation as a whole, acting as forerunners of the Messiah.  On the eve of the crucifixion, Jesus prayed, "I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do" (Jn 17:4).  

Seder 74: Isaiah 32---The Spirit and the Messianic Age

 Isaiah 32 looks ahead to the messianic age, a time when "a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice" (verse 1).  During this reign the spiritual blindness and deafness that characterized the Judah of Isaiah's time will be reversed (compare verse 3 with 6:9-10).  The hearts of people will be transformed; they will desire to follow God and to teach others the right way (verse 4).  Other prophets---e.g., Jeremiah (31:33) and Ezekiel (36:26)---also spoke of this time.  

Too often in this age the foolish (Hebrew nabal), especially wealthy fools, are confused with the noble (Hebrew nadib).  But in the messianic age, the two will be clearly distinguished (verses 5-8).  

Another word that describes the Judah of Isaiah's time is insecurity.  A good harvest could bring temporary security, but the land was just one failed harvest away from hardship.  

The transformation and peace of the messianic age would result from an outpouring of the Spirit of God (verses 15-18).  The Spirit produces inner peace that can withstand trials and difficult circumstances (verses 19-20).  

Seder 73: 2 Chronicles 33-36---What Happened to the Ark of the Covenant?

 Egyptologist David Falk, in his book on the Egyptian context of the ark of the covenant, says that one of the things he is asked about most often is the fate of Israel's ark of the covenant.  The last time the ark is mentioned in the biblical account of the history of Israel is in 2 Chronicles 35:3, where King Josiah of Judah gave these instructions:

"And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the LORD, 'Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built.  You need not carry it on your shoulders.  Now serve the LORD and his people Israel."

Here it seems that the ark was being restored to its rightful place after having been removed for a time.  We are not told why, or for how long, it had been removed.  Perhaps the ark had been removed from the Holy of Holies during the reign of a previous idolatrous king of Judah--e.g., Manasseh or Amon (2 Chron 33).  Or perhaps it had been removed briefly during the renovations authorized by Josiah (2 Chron 34).  

Josiah died in 609 BC, and the Temple was destroyed a generation later by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 586 BC.  We read in 2 Chronicles 36:18 that the Babylonians took "all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD."  

Noting that the Babylonians paid their soldiers in gold, Falk writes that they probably took the ark, burned the wood, and melted down the gold for that purpose.  Perhaps they used one of their "fiery furnaces" like the one in which they had thrown Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan 3).  The Babylonians' interest in looting precious metals from the Temple is also indicated in 2 Kings 25:13-17

Remember that God's presence had already departed from the Temple several years earlier, in about 592 BC (Eze 8:1; 10). so by the time the Babylonians ransacked the Temple, nothing was stopping them from grabbing everything that remained there.

But was the ark still around by the time the Babylonians arrived?  There are some legends that the ark had been hidden away by that point.  

For example, in 2 Maccabees, written in the second century BC, there is a story that Jeremiah the prophet "ordered the tabernacle and the ark to accompany them, an oracle being received by him, and that he went out to the mountain from which Moses, upon ascending, beheld the inheritance of God.  And when he arrived, Jeremiah found a cave-like house, and he brought in there the tabernacle and the ark and the altar of incense, and he blocked up the door" (2 Macc 2:4-5). The ark was to remain hidden until God wanted to use it again (verses 6-8).  

Other possibilities are discussed in rabbinic literature.  According to one scenario, when Josiah learned about the contents of the book of Deuteronomy, including the curses of Deuteronomy 28, he understood that Judah would soon be defeated by a foreign enemy and decided to have the ark hidden in a secret place under the temple.  In this scenario, he told the Levites in 2 Chronicles 35:3 to hide the ark in that secret place rather than in the Holy of Holies (b Yoma 52b).

Wherever the ark ended up, there is a biblical indication that it had an expiration date.  In Jeremiah 3:14-18, God states that the ark "shall not come to mind or be mentioned or missed; it shall not be made again" (verse 16).  In a renewed covenant, the Torah that had been written on tables of stone would be written on people's hearts (Jer 31:31-34).  

Postscript:  I've learned recently that an excellent film on the ark, Legends of the Lost Ark, is coming out soon.  Archaeologist Chris McKinny discusses this subject and the film in an episode of the Onscript podcast.  

Seder 72: 2 Cor 8-9---Paul's Collection for the Saints in Judea

 In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul writes about the collection that he has been organizing for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.  Commentator David Garland explains that this collection was important to Paul for several reasons:

1.   The saints in Jerusalem were in need, and helping the poor was a value that he wanted to both practice and teach his congregations to practice (Ro 12:13).
2. Paul believed it was fitting for Gentile Christians to show appreciation to their Jewish brethren.  "For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings" (Ro 15:27).  
3. Paul hoped that the collection would promote greater unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians and would help the Jewish Christians to accept the Gentile believers as brethren 
4. Paul saw this collection as a fulfillment of prophecies that picture the nations bringing their wealth to Jerusalem (e.g., Isa 60:5-7; Zec 14:14).

What was important to Paul was not the amounts donated, but the spirit in which the donations were made.  By giving to those in need, Christians follow the selfless example of Jesus  (2 Co 8:9).  

Seder 72: Exodus 35-36---Freewill Donations and Service: Comparing Tabernacle and Temple

 With the Golden Calf crisis resolved, plans to build the tabernacle in the wilderness went forward.  Moses announced a call from God to collect donations of materials for the tabernacle (Ex 35:4-19).  The Israelites responded with enthusiasm (vv 20-29), quickly donating more than enough (36:2-7).  

There was also a call for skilled craftsmen to work under Bezalel and Oholiab in building the tabernacle, and many were moved to answer this call as well (36:2).  

Because many donated materials and labor to the tabernacle project, the Israelites felt a close personal connection to the tabernacle.  

It is natural to compare the construction of the tabernacle to the later building of Solomon's Temple.  This was a much larger project.  King David collected lots of wealth for the future Temple, and the tribes of Israel gladly added much more (1 Chron 29:1-9), leading David to joyfully thank and praise God (vv 10-19).  

The building of the beautiful Temple, though, was not entirely a volunteer effort.  Solomon drafted lots of workers for this mammoth endeavor (1 Ki 5:13-18).  Some wonder if the Israelites, as a result, felt less of a personal tie to the Temple than they had to the tabernacle.  Instead, there was more resentment about the high taxes that Solomon levied.  Sharon Rimon proposes that a lack of personal connection to the Temple allowed many Israelites to join Jeroboam's rebellion and leave Jerusalem and the Temple behind ( I Ki 12).

Seder 71 Sermon: Thirteen Aspects of God's Character

 God's self-revelation of important aspects of his character is Exodus 34:6-7 is one of the most important passages of the Bible from a theological standpoint.  Jewish tradition identifies thirteen characteristics of God in this passage.  In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on June 14, 2025, Kyle Kettering enumerated them:

1. "The LORD"--how God is before a great sin, like the sin of the Golden Calf;
2. "The LORD"--how God is after a great sin--the same as before the sin (Mal 3:6).
3. "a God"--one who is mighty.
4. "merciful"
5. "gracious"
6. "slow to anger"
7. "abounding in steadfast love"---Hebrew chesed.
8. "and faithfulness"---or "truth"
9. "keeping steadfast love for thousands"--i.e., for a thousand generations.
10. "forgiving iniquity"--God forgives big sins.
11. "and transgression"--even willful sins, if they are repented of.
12. "and sin"---and God forgives errors.
13. "but who will by no means clear the guilty"--God is the One who cleanses.

When seeking forgiveness, we should remind God (and especially ourselves) of what he is like.

Seder 71: A Question about Exodus 34:7

 God's great revelation of Exodus 34:6-7 emphasizes his gracious, merciful nature.  But God's justice is also included.  Verse 7 states that God will "by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation."

What does this statement mean?  First, it does not mean that God will hold anyone legally responsible for the sins of an ancestor.  As Deuteronomy 24:16 states, "Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers.  Each one shall be put to death for his own sin."

I have heard this statement explained in a couple of different ways.  First, our sins often do have effects on our lives and those of our descendants.  When we are forgiven for wrongdoing, we still may experience some consequences of that wrongdoing.  

Second, one common effect of our sins to have our descendants repeat them.  Commentator Douglas Stuart explains that this is what is described in Exodus 34:7.  This statement "describes God's just punishment of a given type of sin in each new generation as that sin continues to be repeated down through the generations."

Seder 70: Exodus 32:32---The Book of Life

 After Moses, with the assistance of his Levite brethren, succeeded in bringing order to the camp of Israel after the sin of the golden calf, he still had to deal with the rift that this sin had created in Israel's relationship with God. The problem is reflected in the language of Exodus 32:7 and Exodus 33:1, where God refers to "your people" and "the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt.'   

Although he is angry with the Israelites, Moses expresses his solidarity with them.  In Exodus 32:32, Moses says that if God is not willing to forgive the nation, then he should blot Moses' name out of his book as well.  As commentator Douglas Stuart points out, Moses is not offering here to die in place of the Israelites; instead, he is offering to die along with them. 

God answers that it is those who have sinned whose names will be removed from the book (verse 33).  

In verses 32-33, it is assumed that God has a listing of everyone who has life, and that it is possible for God to remove names from that listing.  This concept of a "book of life" appears a number of times in the Bible (Ps 69:28; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27).  The book of Revelation says that in the judgment, it is those whose names are in the book of life who will receive eternal salvation, while those removed from the book will suffer the "second death" (Rev 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8). 

Stuart notes some theological consequences of the Bible's discussion of the book of life.  For one thing, Exodus 32:33 implies that since all of us have sinned, all of us need to be forgiven in order to have a place in the book of life.  Moreover, we all start out in the book of life; all have the potential to be saved (1 Tim 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9).  And our names will remain there if we continue in faith and obedience throughout our lives.

Seder 70 Sermon: Spiritual Rollercoaster

 In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on May 31, 2025, Kyle Kettering observed that all of us experience  highs and lows in life.  There is a graphic illustration in the life of Moses during the Exodus, with his altitude reflecting his circumstances.  Ascending Mount Sinai and receiving revelation from God marked a high point for Moses.  Descending the mountain and facing the chaos in the Israelite camp (Ex 32) was a low point.  

Another example comes from the life of David.  His time of fleeing for his life from King Saul was a low point, and his rescue from danger was a high point.  He praised God for that rescue in 2 Samuel 22(= Psalm 18). 

The lows we experience, Kyle noted, can be brought about by 

• our own sin.
• circumstances of life.
• God. 

  In a low point caused by our own sin, our proper response is repentance, with restoration being the goal. Lows resulting from life circumstances or a test from God are opportunities to grow in faith and in our relationship with God.  When we recognize the nature of our ups and downs and respond appropriately, we can turn the undulations of life into a positive.

Seder 70: Psalm 48---A Zion Psalm

 Biblical theology joins the universal and the particular.  The Great King of the Universe and Creator of the Cosmos is also the God of Israel, choosing to work with the nations of the world by means of a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. 

We see this juxtaposition of universal and particular in Zion Psalms like Psalm 48, in which Jerusalem is the "city of the great King," where God is present and from which he rules the world.  Citizens of that city have special reason to praise him for his presence,  protection (verse 3). love, and righteousness (verses 9-11).  

God's presence produces terror in the hearts of those who oppose him (verses 4-7), and joy in the hearts of his followers (verses 9-11).  

This psalm was traditionally sung at the Temple on Mondays and may have been written for use during a pilgrim festival.  It is one of the psalms of the sons of Korah.  These psalms sometimes contain hints of resurrection, reflecting the fact that the sons of Korah were resecued from death when their father was swallowed up by the ground.   

Psalm 48 is one of those that hints at the reality of resurrection.  It concludes by asserting "He will guide us forever" (verse 14).  Another possible translation, as an ESV footnote explains, is, "He will guide us beyond death."  The midrash on Psalm 48 explains the verse by saying that God guides us in two worlds---that is, this world and the world to come.

Seder 69: Isa 43-44---Witnesses of a Loving, Patient God

 God designated Bezalel from the tribe of Judah and Oholiab from the tribe of Dan to take the lead in constructing Israel's tabernacle in the wilderness, empowering these two men for their task (Ex 31:1-11).  

God also had a special calling for the Israelites as a group:  to be witnesses to the world that he is the supreme, incomparable Creator and Ruler of the Universe (Isa 43:10,12).  

Often the Israelites fell short in this mission.  Shortly after entering into covenant with God at Mount Sinai, they constructed a golden calf and fell into idolatry (Ex 32).  Later, in Isaiah's time, the people of Judah are described as spiritually blind and deaf (Isa 43:8).  

But God would not give up on them.  Judah's unfaithfulness would lead to their exile in Babylon (vv 22- 28), but God would not leave them there.  He would bring them out in a new and greater Exodus and transform them through his Spirit (Isa 43:16-21; 44:1-5).  Then they would be powerful witnesses for him.  

Incidentally, one can argue that God's patience and faithfulness as expressed in Isa 43-44 and elsewhere are evidence that he did not seriously intend to wipe out the Israelites at Sinai in Exodus 32:9-10.  Instead, he may have been preparing Moses to face what awaited him at the foot of the mountain.