Seder 17: Gen 18-19---The Trial of Sodom and Gomorrah

One biblical passage that may puzzle readers at first is Gen 18:20-21, where God says, "How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin!  I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know."

At this point in the narrative, God has just demonstrated his omniscience by reading Sarah's mind (vv 12-15), so there is no question that he knows what is going on in Sodom and Gomorrah.  But it seems that he wants to model, for Abraham and all his descendants (vv 17-19), how to conduct a proper judicial proceeding, with a public trial based on the eyewitness testimony of multiple witnesses.  (One scholar who has explored this approach to Gen 18-19 is James Bruckner.)  Conducting such a trial also gives the people of Sodom and Gomorrah one more opportunity to repent.

The evidence is presented in Gen 19, when two angels arrive in Sodom.  The first person to be examined is Lot, who shows great hospitality to his guests (vv 1-3), much as Abraham had in Gen 18.

However, that night an angry mob came to Lot's house, demanding that Lot surrender his guests to them.  Lot could not dissuade the mob from its evil intentions, and the angels finally immobilized them by striking them blind.(vv 4-11).

At this point the evidence was in, and the cities of the plain were destroyed after Lot and his two daughters escaped to safety.

As readers we struggle to make a fair evaluation of Lot.  Lot initially settled at Sodom because of the wealth in that region (Gen 13:10-13).  Was he wrongly valuing wealth and ignoring the spiritual problems there?  The fact that he offers his virgin daughters to the mob (Gen 19:8) suggests that his own morality has been compromised by his time in Sodom.

The Genesis narrative implicitly compares Lot to Abraham in a number of places, and the comparisons tend to be unfavorable to Lot.  For example, while Abraham is a father of many nations (Gen 17:4-6), Lot is the father of two, and they both begin with acts of incest (Gen 19:30-38).  Lot is saved from the cataclysm partly for Abraham's sake (v 29). He seems to be an example of 1 Cor 3:15, someone who is saved but whose work does not survive the fire.

On the other hand, Lot can be seen as a kind of Noah figure, maintaining a righteous witness before a corrupt society.  The apostle Peter later described Lot as "a righteous man greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the lawless" (2 Peter 2:7).

Rob Wilson shared further reflections on Lot, Christian witness, and "radical hospitality" in a sermon on Seder 17 given on July 11, 2020.

Seder 11: Psalm 33---Singing a New Song

Psalm 33 is a song of community praise for both past and present manifestations of God's love.  It may have been used originally in congregational singing at the fall festivals of Israel.

At the start of this psalm the righteous and upright (those submitted to God who trust in his love and deliverance) are exhorted to "shout for joy in the LORD".

The congregation rejoices in the fact that God's word and works and faithful and true and show his love (vv. 4-5).

Specifically, they praise God's work of creation through his word, both his spoken word and the incarnate Word (John 1, Heb 1:1-3).  They praise God's omniscience and omnipotence, and his care for his covenant people.

Psalm 33 calls upon the congregation to "sing to him a new song" (v 3).  The words of the psalm are familiar, but their praise is renewed by their fresh experience of God's love.  At the end of the psalm, the congregation prays that God's love toward them will continue, as it always has (vv 20-22).

Seder 4: Psalm 139---God of the "Omnis"

Psalm 139 is an important Psalm from a theological standpoint.  In any biblical study of God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, this Psalm will be central to the discussion.

The traditional heading labels this as "a Psalm of David."  It begins, "O Lord, you have searched me and known me." Different forms of the word "know", connoting intimate knowledge, appear frequently in this Psalm.  

A midrash observes that Adam could just as well have said these words.  God's knowledge of Adam was evident when he said that it was not good for the man to be alone (Gen 2:18).  God is our Creator and has complete knowledge of his handiwork.

David marvels at the extent of God's knowledge of him.  "You know when I sit down and when I rise up" (v. 2).  In other words, God knows everything he does.  "Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether" (v. 4).  

Today we worry about the extent of the knowledge that large corporations have about us.  This can seem very intrusive and even a little creepy.  I remember a story about a young husband who picks up the mail one day, which includes personalized coupons from a supermarket.  He sees a coupon for disposable diapers and asks his wife what is going on.  She says that she has just found out that she is pregnant and has been waiting for a good time to tell him.  

God's knowledge of us goes way beyond that of the corporations, but this is not a threat to us.  David is comforted by the fact that God uses the knowledge to protect him.  "You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me"(v. 5).  Commentator Willem Van Gemeren (Expositor's Bible Commentary) says that God's "hand" connotes protection and blessing.  Think of God's hand covering Moses in the cleft of the rock (Exod 33:22).  

The completeness of God's knowledge is unique.  David declares that it is beyond his comprehension (v. 6).

Verses 7-12 picture God's omnipresence.  Yahweh is not just some minor territorial deity.  God can protect David wherever he is, in any location, day or night (v 10).  God's light overcomes the darkness (v. 12).      

The next verses emphasize God's detailed involvement with each of us as individuals.  "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb" (v. 13).  David's response to these great works of God is praise (v 14).   

David again pictures the extent of God's foreknowledge.  "In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, where as yet there was none of them" (v. 16).  I wonder how many zettabytes of information are in that book!  David marvels at the vastness of this database (vv 17-18).

David next abruptly turns to problems he is facing with those who oppose him and falsely accuse him.  Given God's power and goodness, David wants to know what purpose is served by the continued existence of those who oppose God or him (vv 19-20).  David affirms whose side he is on and invites God's scrutiny and guidance in his life (vv. 21-24).