Seder 31:Genesis 32-33 and Obadiah---Lessons about Self-Sufficiency

 Many people submit to God after reaching a point in life where they find that their own efforts are not good enough.  

The patriarch Jacob seems to have reached this point when he returned to Canaan and was faced with the prospect of meeting his brother Esau, who was accompanied by 400 men.  He placed his life in God's hands and asked for deliverance (Ge 32:9-12)  

His prayer was answered.  Esau greeted Jacob magnanimously, and the two had a joyful reunion (Ge 33).  We don't know what changes had taken place in Esau's life during the 20 years when Jacob was gone, but Esau was no longer angry with Jacob by the time Jacob returned.  

Did Esau submit his life to God?  We're not told.  

Many centuries later (perhaps in the early sixth century BC), the prophet Obadiah spoke of the need for Esau's descendants, the Edomites, to collectively repent of their self-sufficient pride:

"The pride of your heart has decived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, "Who will bring me down to the ground?' Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord" (vv 3-4).

Edlom's pride problem is one that we all share, and we are all to repent of it. 

Seder 76: Mark 9:49 and Lev 2---"Salted with Fire"

An enigmatic saying of Jesus is recorded in Mark 9:49:  "For everyone will be salted with fire."

This is a striking image.  Imagine a salt shaker being shaken over your head and fire coming out of it.

Mark 9:49 has always raised questions.  One indication of this is that sometime in the early centuries of Christianity, someone added a clause to the verse: "and every sacrifice will be salted with salt."  This extra clause is not in the oldest manuscripts of Mark, so modern translations like the NRSV and ESV relegate it to a footnote.  We do not necessarily have to remove the clause from translations that include it, like the KJV.  After all, God may have inspired the addition. 

The additional clause points the way to one possible interpretation of Jesus's saying, making reference to Leviticus 2, which describes Israel's grain offerings.  A grain offering included fine flour mixed with oil and (for the uncooked ones) frankincense.  Salt was also included, as we read in verse 13:  

"You shall season all your grain offerings with salt.  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."

A portion (including all of the frankincense, which is not edible) was burned on the altar.  The rest was  used in providing bread for the priests.  

So grain offerings involved both salt and fire.  

The Hebrew word for a grain offering is mincha, a word that more broadly refers to a tribute or gift showing reverence or submission---for example, a gift brought to a king.  The present that Jacob prepared for Esau at the time of their reunion (Gen 32:13) was a mincha.  One presenting this kind of offering showed dependence upon and loyalty to God, acknowledging him as king. 

The salt in the grain offering is called "the salt of the covenant" in Lev 2:13.  Salt symbolized permanence--see Num 18:19.  When you made a grain offering, you were pledging a lasting commitment to the covenant.  

The part of the offering that was burned was called the memorial portion.  It asked God to remember the covenant, to take action on the offeror's behalf.  Prayers would have accompanied the offering, perhaps a prayer like Psalm 86.  

Salt was also used in other offerings.  In animal sacrifices at the Temple, salt was put into a carcass to soak out the blood.  The salt had a purifying effect.  On the purity of salt, see Ex 30:35, which refers to the special incense for the tabernacle as "an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy."

Let's get back to Mark 9:49.  In one reading of this verse, "everyone" refers to all of Jesus' disciples.  They are salted, implying that they are sacrifices.  This is a familiar New Testament motif.  Think of Rom 12:1, where Paul calls upon Christians to be "living sacrifices."  Another example is Ephesians 5:2, which refers to Jesus' death as "a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" and calls upon Christians to imitate him.  This was one of Jesus' messages to his disciples in this part of the Gospel of Mark:

Mark 8:34-35:  "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it."

We can think of each disciple as a mincha---a gift to the King, dependent upon and loyal to God.  So each disciple is precious, as Jesus expressed in Mark 9:42.  

How does the fire fit in?  It could be the fire of the Holy Spirit.  At Pentecost the Spirit came upon the disciples in "tongues as of fire" (Acts 2:3).  Salt enhances the flavor of meat and purifies a carcass.  The Spirit sets us apart and dedicates us to God.  The salting with fire could mean receiving the fire of the Spirit.  

The fire could also be the fire of suffering and persecution, which can be seen as having a purifying effect (see 1 Peter 1:6-7; 4:12-16).  Mark 9:49 could be about the nature of discipleship, which can  involve suffering for Jesus ' sake.  We're purified with the fire of the Spirit and the fire of suffering.  We're sacrifices dedicated to God.  

There is another entirely different interpretation of Mark 9:49 based on the fact that in Hebrew, to "salt" something can mean to completely destroy it.  Judges 9:45 gives one example.  When Abimelech attacked Shechem, "he captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt."  Sowing a city with salt was a symbolic action signifying that nothing was to grow from that soil again.  

This kind of interpretation of Mark 9:49 fits well with the preceding verses in Mark 9.  Verses 43-48 give a warning that one should not let a recurring sin prevent one from entrance into the kingdom of God.  In this reading, "everyone" in verse 49 would mean everyone who is thrown into the fires of hell, and being "salted with fire" would mean being completely destroyed in hell.  

This interpretation is discussed in articles by Weston W. Fields (see Grace Theological Journal 6 (1985), pp 299-304).

These two different interpretations of Mark 9:49 both emphasize the importance of how we respond to Jesus.  Will we be totally committed to him and be salted by the purifying fire of the Spirit and suffering?  Or will we reject him and be salted by the fire of destruction?  Those are our options.

Seder 33 Sermon: New Names

 In the book of Genesis, both Abram (Gen 17) and Jacob (Gen 32, 35) receive new names from God.  In addition, Jacob (Gen 35:18) gives his youngest son Ben-Oni ("son of my sorrow") the new name Benjamin ("son of the right hand" or "son of the south").  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on Nov 21, 2020, Kyle Kettering traced the biblical "new name motif" further.  For example,

• Isaiah 62:1-4 prophesies a new name for Jerusalem.    
• The letter to the church at Pergamum (Rev 2:17) promises a new name to the overcomer.
• In the letter to the church at Philadelphia (Rev 3:12), Jesus speaks of "my own new name".

Since God knows us intimately (e.g. Is 43:1), he knows the appropriate new name for each person.

Seder 31: Gen 32-33---Jacob Faces God and His Brother

 Having reached the borders of Canaan on his journey home, Jacob sent  messengers to his brother Esau.  It was time to take care of some unfinished business, and there were two relationships that required his attention---his relationships with Esau and with God.

In his message to Esau he adopted a humble, subservient position, reversing the roles suggested in the blessing he had received (Gen 27:29,37).  Jacob's message concludes:  "I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight (Gen 32:4).

When Jacob's messengers returned, they announced that Esau was coming, accompanied by 400 men.  What were his intentions?  Jacob feared that Esau intended to kill him and his family.  

At this point, Jacob did not have a plan to cover the danger he faced.  The man who had always relied on his wits had reached the limits of his self-sufficiency.  He turned to God in prayer, admitting his own shortcomings and fear and reminding God of the promises He had made (vv 9-12).

As Jacob prepared for Esau's arrival, God set up a test for Jacob, sending "a man" to wrestle with Jacob (vv 24-30).  The struggle, which was at least as much spiritual as physical, continued all night, with Jacob not letting go until he had received a blessing.

Jacob received a new name---Israel, one who strives with God.  Jacob had been a "heel-grabber" or deceiver.  Now he was a prevailer or overcomer.

Hosea would later write about Jacob, "In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God.  He strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor." (Hos 12:4-5).

In a sermon at Church of Messiah on Nov 7, 2020, Kyle Kettering spoke on the meaning of Jacob's wrestling match.  

When Jacob and Esau met, it seemed that Jacob's fears were unfounded.  The two embraced in a joyful reunion (Gen 33:4).  Jacob approached Esau humbly, implying an apology, and convinced Esau to accept a lavish gift.  

The two were apparently reconciled, but Jacob did not seem eager to spend more time than necessary with Esau.  He denied Esau's offer of an escort and did not follow Esau back to Seir as he had indicated he would (vv 12-17).

The ambiguity in the reunion has led to lots of speculation over the centuries.  In rabbinic tradition, some sages believed that Jacob and Esau were truly reconciled.  Others, perhaps reading some of the later hostility between Israelites and Edomites back into history, were not so sure.  One midrash, noting the similarity between the Hebrew words for "kiss" and "bite", proposed that Esau actually tried to bite Jacob in the neck in Gen 33:4, but that God had turned Jacob's neck into stone at that instant.  In this midrash, "Esau wept because of his teeth, Jacob because of his neck."   

Seder 21: Psalm 112---An Acrostic Wisdom Psalm

 Psalm 112 is a wisdom psalm, like Psalm 1.  And like Psalm 111 right before it, it is an acrostic psalm, consisting of 22 phrases whose first letters go through all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order.

Psalm 112 says that an attitude of proper fear of God leads to a number of good things.  Such an attitude leads one to heed God's word (v 1) and to grow in  wisdom (Ps 111:10), resulting in blessings in the present and future.   As 1 Tim 4:8 says, "Godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 

Some of the traditions surrounding Ps 112 involve Abraham and Sarah.  One midrash based on the acrostic nature of the psalm says that these two obeyed God "from aleph to tav" (we would say from A to Z).  And as a result they had mighty descendants (v 2).  In particular, Isaac prayed for Rebekah and she was able to conceive children (Gen 25:21).  And Isaac's son Jacob prevailed in wrestling with an angel (Gen 32).  

Ps 112 ascribes qualities usually attributed to God to people who fear God.  God's word reflects his character, and those who heed it become more like him.  For example, vv 3,9 say of those who fear God that "their righteousness endures forever."  They accumulate "treasure in heaven" for a lasting reward.

In Jesus' day "righteousness" (tzedekah in Hebrew)  was associated in particular with giving to the poor, a connection made in Ps 112:9.  Paul quotes this verse in 2 Cor 9:6-15, where he urges believers in Corinth to follow God's example of generosity and contribute to famine relief for those in Judea.  

With a firm foundation in God's word, those who fear God will not be shaken by hard times (vv 5-8).