Seder 1: Psalm 104---A Psalm of Creation

 Commentator Willem Van Gemeren calls Psalm 104 a "descriptive song of praise."  It presents beautiful pictures of Go's greatness as Creator of all.  

There are a number of connections between Psalm 104 and the book of Genesis.  Verses 6-9 are related to the third day of creation from Genesis 1.  Verse 9 refers to the covenant with Noah in Genesis 9:  "You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth."

Verse 19 refers back to Genesis 1:14 and the roles of the heavenly bodies in helping define a worship calendar and setting up an orderly structure for the activities of life: "He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting." 

Creation as pictured in Psalm 104 is not a one-time event, bur rather an ongoing process.  God sustains and renews life, and he may also choose to take it away.  

The psalm ends in verse 35 with a prayer that all creation would be submitted to God: "Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more!"  In the midrash on Psalm 104, the sages assert that this is a prayer for all to repent and cease from sin.  When that occurs, they say, everyone will praise God as at the close of verse 35.  

Much of Psalm 104 addresses God in second person.  There is some shifts, though, in vv 3-5 and verse 19 from second person to third person.  Some early Christian interpreters viewed these shifts as places where God the Father speaks about the Son.  We see this in Hebrews 1:7, where the author quotes Psalm 104:4 as an example of the Father speaking of Jesus' superiority over the angels. Psalm 104:4, according to Hebrews 1:7, has God saying that Jesus "makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire."

There are traditions about the creation of special "wind angels" and "fire angels," and about God changing angels to wind or fire according to his will.  Hebrews 1:7 implies that the Son has authority over the angels.  

 Early Christians identified several passages in the Tanakh in which members of the Godhead speak about or address each other.  This kind of interpretation is known as prosopological exegesis and has been the subject of some recent research, for example by Matthew Bates, Kyle Hughes, and Madison Pierce.  

Seder 1: Colossians 1---Messiah the Creator

Colossae was a town in the Lycus Valley of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), near the bigger cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis.  There was a significant Jewish population in the region, as evidenced by the fact that Laodicea was a collection point for the Temple tax.  

We may know more about the background and timing of Paul's epistle to the Colossians when more archaeological work has been done there.  A Turkish university has done a survey preparing for a dig which they hope to begin soon.  

One main question involves an earthquake that hit the region in the early 60s AD, causing major damage.  Paul's letter does not mention the earthquake directly.  Some commentators---e.g., Michael Bird---suggest that Paul wrote the letter in the late 50s AD before the earthquake.  Others suggest that Paul uses some architectural language in the letter that may indirectly refer to the earthquake.  

Paul was imprisoned when he wrote Colossians and Philemon, and there are questions about when and where he was detained.  Bird weighs arguments for the Roman imprisonment of Acts 28 and for a possible earlier imprisonment in Ephesus, coming down on the side of the latter.

Paul wrote to counter a problematic teaching that may have been popular in the local synagogue community.  Scholars have tried to reconstruct what this teaching might have been from the hints we get in the letter.  Perhaps some were advocating a regimen of ascetic practices that were meant to lead to visions that involved worshiping God with the angels (based on 2:18).  Whatever this teaching was, Paul urged the Colossians not to become preoccupied with it, but instead to put their focus on the risen Messiah.  

The Christian congregation(s) at Colossae apparently had been planted by Epaphras (1:7), one of Paul's coworkers.  Another purpose of the letter may be support Epaphras' leadership there.

Paul expresses thanks for the faithfulness and love that the Colossians are known to have, grounded in their trust in Jesus, who they anticipated would reward them at his return (1:3-5).  Paul wants them to understand that their little group is part of a much larger movement that is "bearing fruit and increasing" (v 6).  The phrase "bearing fruit and increasing" is an allusion to the "be fruitful and multiply" of Genesis 1:28.  They were part of a new creation begun by a second Adam.  Bird suggests that Paul also may have in mind here the prophecy of Isaiah 27:6:  "In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whold world with fruit."

Paul next turns from thanksgiving to intercession, praying that the Colossians will have life-changing knowledge, wisdom, and understanding through the Holy Spirit.  Paul says that God has qualified them to "share in the inheritance of the saints in light" (v. 12).  Given the apparent interest in angels in Colossae, Bird suggests that the "saints" in this verse may be angelid beings.  

In Colossians 1:15-20, Paul may be quoting (and perhaps building upon) an existing Christian confession hymn.  There are other New Testament passages that may also fall into this category---Phil 2:6-11; 1 Co 8:6;1 Pe 2:21-24.  

In any case, he makes a number of remarkable affirmations about Jesus, who is 

• the creator, sustainer, and ruler of all things.  
• a second Adam.
• the firstfruits of a great spiritual harvest. 
• head of the church.

Theologically speaking, everything can be divided into two categories, the Creator and the creation.  God rules over everything because he created everything.  By placing Jesus in the "creator" category, Paul makes a strong assertion that Jesus is God.  

Colossians 1, of course, is not the only passage that makes such statements about Jesus.  John 1, Philippians 2, Hebrews 1:1-3, and 1 Cor 8:6 are others.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on October 14, 2023, Kyle Kettering reflected on this theological truth, emphasizing that our purpose is to yield to God as Creator and Ruler, and to manifest and magnify his sovereignty.  

Seder 75: Exodus 39-40---Completing the Work of the Tabernacle

 Exodus 39:32 begins, "Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished...."  

We are reminded of Gen 2:1:  "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished...."  

Building the tabernacle was a kind of creation.  Humans are made in the image of God, and God has given us the ability to do some creating. 

When the work was done, Moses inspected the finished product.  Verse 43 says, "And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it.  As the Lord had commanded, so had they done it."  Moses "saw that it was good" so to speak, reminding us of Gen 1:31.

Chapter 39 concludes by mentioning that "Moses blessed them."  According to the medieval Jewish commentator Rashi, the blessing Moses gave was the one in Ps 90:17:  "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!"

In his Exodus commentary, Dennis Prager cites a saying that "a mitzvah is attributed to the one who completes it."  Lots of people begin projects, but projects are often left unfinished.  This was a project that was completed in fine style and in a timely manner.

Everything was finished, in fact, by the first day of the first month of year 2 of the Exodus (Ex 40:2), so the work of constructing the tabernacle had required about 6 months.  

God put his stamp of approval on the constructed by filling the tabernacle with his glory (v. 34).  Israel had been completely forgiven after the sin of the golden calf.  The Exodus could proceed as planned.

In a sermon on Seder 75 at Church of the Messiah on Oct 16, 2021, Kyle Kettering highlighted a motif that carries forward from Torah to Prophets to Gospels:

• When the work on the tabernacle was finished, the Israelites brought their work to Moses for inspection.  The tabernacle was made of treasures contributed by Egyptians.
• The treasures of the nations are brought to God's sanctuary in the prophecy of Isa 60---see vv 13-14.
• People in need of healing (another kind of treasure) were brought to Jesus during his Galilean ministry--Luke 4:40-41.

These readings from the Torah and prophets are another candidate for the readings on the day that Jesus preached in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4).

Seder 66: Exodus 27:20-21---Keep the Lamps Lit

 After giving descriptions of the bronze altar and the tabernacles courtyard, Exodus 27 concludes by specifying that the priests would use olive oil to keep the menorah lit every night (vv 20-21).  

On July 31, 2021, Kyle Kettering talked about the symbolic significance of a continually burning light in a sermon at Church of the Messiah.  

He noted that God began the creation week by proclaiming, "Let there be light" (Gen 1:3).  In Hebrew, this sentence is literally, "Be light!", which we can read as instruction for the humans he created in his image.   

Being light means doing good works, as guided by God's word (Matt 5:14-16).  God's word is itself described as a lamp that will guide our steps (Ps 119:105; Prov 6:23).  The Talmud (b Sotah 21a) says that each biblical commandment is a small lamp.

Keeping our lamps lit means following God each day, so that we will be ready when Jesus returns.  In one parable about this Jesus instructed, "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning" (Luke 12:35-48).  

Seder 48: Psalm 8---Marveling at Man's Place in God's Plan

Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise to God as Creator, and a meditation on man's place in the cosmos as revealed in Genesis 1.

The psalmist marvels at the fact that God, Creator of the vast universe, has given people dominion over the earth (Gen 1:28).  People are "made a little lower than the heavenly beings," created out of dust and returning to dust.  And yet God has entrusted us with a great responsibility.  

The New Testament presents Jesus as the one who has most fully carried out God's intention for humans and paved the way for the rest of us to fulfill what God has in mind for us---Heb 2:5-9.  For our sake he became "for a little while lower than the angels" (v 7), but has now through his work on the cross been "crowned with glory and honor."  God has placed "all things under his feet" (Eph 1:22; 1 Cor 15:25-28), and we are destined to rule with him (Rev 5:10).  

Psalm 8:2 contains the remarkable image of the praise of children silencing and defeating the enemies of God.  Psalms commentator Derek Kidner has written, "The free confession of love and trust is a devastating answer to the accuser and his arsenal of doubts and slanders."  Through each new generation of children the human race and its connection to God continue, thwarting the purposes of those who oppose God. 

Jesus quoted Psalm 8:2 when some chief priests and scribes were distressed by the praise Jesus was receiving from children after his triumphal entry of Jerusalem (Matt 21:14-16).  The children had picked up on something that some religious leaders were slower to grasp.  

Significantly, Jesus applied Psalm 8:2, a verse about praise of God, to a situation where he was receiving praise.  This is one of those situations where Jesus implicitly affirmed his deity.  

Seder 41: Gen 46-47---A Joyful Reunion

 After 22 years apart, Jacob and Joseph were finally reunited in Egypt.  Gen 46:29 describes their joyful reunion:  "He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while."  

It's not clear in verse 29 which one wept on which one's neck, which may imply that each did so to the other.  

Jacob told Joseph that he could now die in peace, having seen his son again (v 30).  We see here a foreshadowing of  a later event, when the elderly Simeon had the opportunity to hold the baby Jesus (Luke 2:25-32).  

Jacob also had the opportunity to meet Pharaoh (Gen 47:7-12).  Jacob was not overly intimidated by the monarch, as indicated by the fact that he blessed Pharaoh twice.  Jacob knew who he was, one through whom the nations would be blessed.  And Pharaoh accepted the blessings from Jacob, showing both his respect for Joseph and his respect for the wisdom of the aged. 

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on January 23. 2021, Kyle Kettering reflected on arrivals and departures, times that cause much anxiety and also hold great potential.  The way to make the most of that potential is to walk in love, Kyle emphasized.    

A further example of the mission of Abraham's descendants to bless the nations is seen in Joseph's administration of the grain supply during the 7 years of famine (Gen 47:13-26).  Joseph's policies saved many lives and also enriched Pharaoh.  

There are some ironies here.  Joseph, who arrived in Egypt as a slave, ended up seeing many people in Egypt become sharecroppers, while his own family fared better.  It has been argued that his policies helped lay the groundwork for the eventual enslavement of the family of Israel.         

Joseph's treatment of the poor was not harsh, especially considering the context of the times.  (Ancient tax rates tended to be pretty high.)  Those who became sharecroppers were still grateful to Jacob for helping them through the famine (v 25).  

We can see Joseph as an example of the "faithful and wise servant" described by Jesus in Matt 24:45-47.

In Egypt the children of Israel "were fruitful and multiplied greatly" (Gen 47:27).  They were carrying out the mandate of Gen 1:28.  A return to Eden had not yet occurred, but God's plan to restore blessing to the world was well underway. 

Seder 37: Gen 41---Joseph's Amazing Reversal of Fortune

 Two years after Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker, another opportunity arose for Joseph to interpret dreams.  The Pharaoh himself had a pair of dreams that troubled him greatly, and his experts had been unable to give an explanation that satisfied him (Gen 41:1-8). 

We know that in ancient Egypt some "dream manuals" were compiled, giving examples of dreams and their interpretations.  The interpretations often relied upon wordplay.  Apparently the manuals were not helpful in this case.

One midrash imagines what Pharaoh's experts might have told him (Genesis Rabbah 89).  In the midrash, they say that the image of seven good cows eaten by seven bad cows stands for seven daughters of Pharaoh who will die prematurely, while the seven good sheaves eaten by seven bad ones represent seven kingdoms that Pharaoh would conquer but that would rebel against him.

The midrash reminds us of two main challenges in interpreting these dreams.  A correct interpretation would recognize that the two dreams were a pair with the same message, and that the sevens in the dream stood for seven years.  Verse 8 may imply that the experts did not pick up on the first of these challenges.  The Hebrew literally says that Pharaoh told them his dream (singular), but that they were not successful in interpreting the dreams (plural).  

Pharaoh's cupbearer then remembered Joseph's skills in dream interpretation (vv 9-13), and Joseph was brought out of prison to hear the dreams.  Joseph was careful to emphasize that he could not interpret dreams on his own, but that God could provide a satisfying interpretation (v 16).  

Joseph not only gave a convincing interpretation but offered a plan for dealing with the extended famine that he saw predicted in the dreams (vv 25-36).  Here we get a glimpse of the aspects of Joseph's character that led to his being given managerial responsibilities at an early age.  Pharaoh was greatly troubled by the dreams, and after hearing Joseph's interpretation he might have wondered if it was possible for Egypt to get through the famine successfully.  Joseph's plan helped to ease his mind.  

Joseph's plan was his resume.  After hearing Joseph's impressive presentation, Pharaoh made him the "famine czar", with authority to carry out the plan he had proposed.  He was given an Egyptian name and a wife from the Egyptian elite.  

We wonder what Pharaoh had heard previously about Joseph, Did he remember the encounter that an earlier Pharaoh had had with Abraham 200 years before (Gen 12)?  Had he heard about Joseph's talents from Potiphar?  In any case, Joseph experienced a meteoric rise to power and was put in a position to save many lives.   Once again, the nations were blessed through a descendant of Abraham.  

Thinking of the book of Genesis as a whole, Joseph is a kind of second Adam figure.  Adam failed by trusting in himself to determine good and evil.  Joseph, on the other hand, relied on God to correctly identify the "good" and "evil" cattle and sheaves.  He showed how to wisely exercise dominion over the earth (Gen 1:28).  

Christians recognize in Joseph a type of the Messiah.  Through no sin of his own, he was buried for a time in prison, but then was raised again with all things in Egypt "put under his feet" (1 Cor 15:27-28).  He was led by the Spirit of God (Gen 41:38; Isa 11:2).  

When Egypt needed bread, Pharaoh said, "Go to Joseph.  What he says to you, do" (Gen 41:55).  We are reminded of Mary's words at the wedding feast at Cana in John 2:5.  "Do whatever he tells you."

Seder 21: Gen 24---A Marriage Made in Heaven

 In Genesis 24 Abraham, at age about 140 (about 3 years after Sarah's death), sends his trusted servant on a long journey back to Abraham's homeland to find a bride for Isaac.  A woman willing to travel back with the servant and marry Isaac would have to be someone like Abraham (Gen 12:1-4), leaving family and homeland behind for a divine purpose.  

And indeed, this chapter emphasizes the parallels between Abraham and Rebekah, the woman brought back by the servant.  In particular, Rebekah exercises the kind of "radical hospitality" that characterized Abraham (vv 15-21).

The servant was convinced that God had chosen a special wife for Isaac, and he was determined to find that person with God's help.   He prayed for a very specific sign that would identify the right woman (vv 10-14).  And despite the servant's presumptuousness, God honored his prayer.  

Jack Starcher commented on this incident in a message at Church of the Messiah on Aug 8, 2020.  He noted God's commitment to working through his human "imagers" (Gen 1:28; 1 Cor 6:1-3).  He asserted that God has a "suggestion box" and invites us to use it.  If we pray according to his will, God will grant our request or do something even better.