17th Sunday After Pentecost, 2003

September 14, 2003

17^th Sunday after Pentecost

The following are the suggested passages:

Proverbs 1:20-33 and Psalm 19 or Wisdom of Solomon 7:26-8:1

Isaiah 50:4-9a and Psalm 116:1-9

James 3:1-12

Mark 8:27-38

Proverbs 1:20-33

This hymn to Wisdom personified is both beautiful and very important to the balance of the church. Wisdom is personified as a woman, and so the references are feminine. Much has been made of this in church debates. On the one extreme we have people creating liturgies to ?Sophia? the Greek equivalent of Hebrew wisdom (chokma), also feminine. On the other hand we have people who complain about any feminine references to God.

We can take a lesson from this passage. Wisdom is an attribute of God. It is not God. But it is alright to personify an attribute and speak about it poetically, so let?s relax there too.

Translation

Notes

(20) Wisdom calls out in the street,

in the public squares she raises her voice.

(21) At the most populated places she cries out,

In the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words.

(22) “Until when oh simple ones will you love simplicity,

and mockers delight themselves in mocking,

and fools hate knowledge?”

(23) Return to my reproof,

behold I will pour out my Spirit to you,

I will make you know my words.

(24) Because I called and you rejected me,

I stretched out my hand and there was nobody who listened attentively,

(25) Because you made yourself free of all my counsel,

and you did not desire my reproof,

(26) Even so also I will laugh at your calamity,

and mock when your terror comes upon you.

(27) When your terror comes like a storm,

and your calamity comes like the end,

When trouble and distress come upon you,

(28) Then you’ll call me but I won?t answer,

You’ll search for me early in the morning, but you won’t find me.

(29) Because they hated knowledge, and they didn’t choose the fear of YHWH,

(30) They did not desire my counsel,

They rejected all my reproof,

(31) So they will eat from the fruit of their way,

and be sated from their own counsels.

(32) Because the rebellion of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

(33) But the one who hears me will dwell in trust,

and rest from the fear of evil.

Or ?places of tumult.?

How many of us have not heard the calling of wisdom when we?re in the ?tumult? and about to make a wrong decision. Often, we don?t listen, but when things start going wrong, we know that we knew.

REB reads ?at the approaches?

Because we are equal in Jesus Christ, and the intellectual does not have better standing with God, some Christians look down on knowledge and education. But God calls on us to seek wisdom and knowledge. This isn?t just an intellectual knowledge, but it is also an experiential knowledge of God, and our practical life experience

REB transposes 22b after verse 27, but I see little support for such a change.

Wisdom is there if we will listen. There?s a clear promise of wisdom in James 1:5. The problem is that wisdom isn?t a ?quick? gift. It requires patience to take the time to listen.

REB ?heeded?

REB inserts 1:22b at this point.

early in the morning, or diligently

From the viewpoint of wisdom, it?s a simple, natural result, reaping what one sows.

Psalm 19

This is a good scripture to use as a sermon topic. Actually, several sermon topics could be made from it (see below). The Psalm is divided into two distinct parts. The first is a section describing how the created world, and in particular the heavens, show God?s glory, and communicate God?s message. The emphasis is on the universality of this means of communication. The second part talks about God?s law, or better God?s Torah, or instruction. The result is a psalm which parallels God?s working in the natural world with God?s working in the spiritual, and in particular, God?s revelation through nature with God?s revelation through human prophets and in the written word.

There are two extremes in handling Psalm 19, the first of which I will represent by the comment of Artur Weiser (Psalms, Westminster Press, 1962, p. 197), where he comments that ?Psalm 19 consists of two independent songs which in subject matter, mood, language and metre differ from each other so much that they cannot be composed by the same author.? The other extreme considers the two parts to be united and written by the same author, but subordinates the physical revelation to the special revelation in the second part. This second view is exemplified by H. C. Leupold in Exposition of Psalms.

In fact, in wording, the Psalm places the two facts about the creator in parallel. He is creator of all in the first part, something which the creation cannot help but declare, even though it lacks words. He is the lawgiver for that creation in the second part. There is a difference in both the nature and the sphere of the revelation, but there is no suggestion that one is subordinate to the other.

One possible combination of scriptures, even though not actually suggested by the lectionary, would be Psalm 19 with Wisdom of Solomon 7:26-8:1. The subordination would be the one given in Wisdom 7:29 & 30 which has God?s attribute wisdom, which is eternal and necessarily coexistent with God, superior to the natural world. God?s wisdom is, in fact, what is proclaimed by the natural world.

I believe this Psalm assumes the existence of the written Torah, but I do not believe that means it must have a late date. In particular, in the note following the Psalm I will relate it to some specific portions of Leviticus (if one accepts the source theories, from the P source). I see no difficulty in placing the Psalm as early as the 10^th/9^th centuries, though there is also nothing to force such an early dating.

Translation

Notes

(1) To the director, a Psalm of David.

(2) The heavens are recounting the glory of God

and the firmament reports the work of his hands.

(3) Day to day they utter speech,

and night to night they announce knowledge.

(4) There is no speech, there are no words,

Their voice is not heard.

(5) Their precept has gone out to all the world,

And there words to the end of it.

God has pitched a tent for the sun in them.

(6) And he (the sun) is going forth like a bridegroom from his chambers,

He rejoices like a hero-warrior to run a race.

(7) His departure is from the end of the heavens, and his circuit to the other end,

there is nothing hidden from his heat.

(8) The instruction of YHWH is perfect, turning a person around.

The testimony of YHWH is true, making the simple wise.

(9) The regulations of YHWH are right,

making the heart glad.

The commandment of YHWH is pure,

giving light to the eyes.

(10) The fear of YHWH is clean,

standing forever.

The judgments of YHWH are truth,

they are altogether righteous.

(11) They are more precious than gold, and than much fine gold.

They are sweeter than honey, yes, honey from the comb.

(12) Indeed your servant is warned by them,

in keeping them is great reward.

(13) Who understands his inadvertent sins?

Find me innocent of secret sins.

(14) Also from haughty sins spare your servant,

Don’t let them rule over me,

Then I will be complete,

and I will be innocent of great transgression.

(15) Let the words of my mouth be acceptable,

and the meditation of my heart before you,

YHWH my rock and my redeemer.

English verses are all one less than the verses shown at left. I?m using the Hebrew verse numbering.

That is, the heavens.

The Psalmist presents God?s created servants as going for joyfully to fulfill their role. Since the sun traverses the entire circuit of heaven, and nothing is hidden from its heat, there is no place where God?s wisdom is not proclaimed.

My translation here is very literal. I would suggest ?bringing a person to repentance.?^* The old KJV ?converting the soul? is something like this.

Think here of something like the regulations necessary to order a large army. God?s marshalling orders for his army?heavenly and earthly?are just right!

Hebrew ?bar? which refers to moral purity, but also to radiance. Note the parallel with the sun imagery. One element of God?s word, his ?mitzvah? or his command, goes out to purify. Nobody is hidden, just as the sun goes everywhere, so goes the command.

Hebrew (tahar). This refers to the ceremonial purity of the Torah, but in particular it is a purity which allows one to approach God.

I use the noun ?truth? to translate the Hebrew noun (?emeth) here. GK (141c) indicates that the use of a substantive in a predicate clause emphasizes the identity. With Dahood (AB Psalms I) I translate with the more forceful noun.

REB ?righteous every one?

The value of the law is emphasized here. Moral rightness is foundational. But unlike the universal proclamation of the natural world, where nothing is hidden from the sun?s heat, one can avoid the entrance of God?s spoken or written instruction. It is something we have to seek after.

Some writers are concerned that this might be an indication of a quid-pro-quo morality, or a suggestion that the psalmist will only keep the law for the reward. But that is not even close to the topic here. The psalmist is neither interested in claiming such a thing, nor in refuting it. He is praising the value of God?s creation and God?s laws, and the obvious reflection of these two revelations on our understanding of God, and also on the living of our life. Of course there is great reward in living in the universe according to its creator?s instructions!

Here the psalmist turns to talking about his response to the revelation, and since this is now a Psalm, or a poem/song used in worship, it is the worshippers response to the revelation. Nothing is hidden from the sun?s heat, but that doesn?t mean that everyone benefits equally. One must desire and pursue God?s instructions and laws. They must work on the mind, and also come forth from the mouth (verse 15).

Hebrew ?zed? with ?sins? understood from the previous lines. Verses 13-14 deal with avoiding sins, but see the note^*below that relates this passage to verse 8.

Or perfect.

The ?great sin? (Hebrew pesha rav) is probably idolatry, synonymous with Hebrew chateta?ah gedolah (Exodus 32:21, 30, 31), see Dahood [AB Psalms I].

*In my approach to this Psalm I assume that it is written after there is a written Torah, and thus relates to it, starting with verse 8 (English v. 7). Even though I would hold a fairly early dating as possible for the Psalm, I simultaneously hold an early dating (pre-first temple) for the P source of the Pentateuch. I had thought that P should be dated early, and especially that it should be dated earlier than D to make any sense. Only recently I began to read Leviticus in Hebrew in parallel with Jacob Milgrom?s wonderfull three volume commentary, and Milgrom provided the arguments that I believe make sense of this dating. The following material is dependent on Milgrom, but I would emphasize that he is not applying the material to Psalm 19. This is a preliminary idea, which would require further information to adequately support it.

I would suggest that the final goal of the Psalm is being innocent of the great transgression, and just before that, being innocent of haughty sins. There is a great divide in the Torah between inadvertent sins and presumptuous sins. Although the words are different, the progression is the same.

In the Torah, particularly in P, there is no sacrifice for presumptuous sins. Well, maybe not so quickly! There is, in fact, a passage in Leviticus 5:20-26 (Hebrew verse numbering) that lists sins which are presumptuous, and then allows a sacrifice for even these sins. Through certain sacrifices, the priestly legislators taught a doctrine of repentance, and by repentance a presumptuous sin was converted into an inadvertent sin and could be expiated by sacrifice. If one wanted to preach on this, a good text would be Numbers 5:6-8 which lists the points of repentance?confession and taking action for restitution. What is lacking in Numbers 5:6-8 is present in Leviticus 5:20-26 in which the person first feels guilt, then confesses, then takes positive action to restore. An excellent sermon on repentance, or one specifically on the value of religious ritual in teaching could be based on this section. I would not suggest trying to teach this without first reading Milgrom?s discussion, [AB Leviticus I, 365-378], unless you are well acquainted with Levitical terminology. I would be happy to correspond with anyone interested in pursuing this topic (henry@energion.com).

If the final goal here is being innocent of presumptuous idolatry, then perhaps the term ?converting,? ?turning around,? or ?bringing to repentance? which is my suggestion as a translation of ?meshivath? in verse 8, refers to how God?s instruction, God?s Torah, brings one to the point of repentance, to the point at which one is willing to confess, restore, and bring one?s sacrifice before God in order to be free of the guilt of presumptuous sin.

Read a related Homily – Psalm 19

Wisdom of Solomon 7:26-8:1

This is another poem praising wisdom. For those who use the apocrypha as part of your scripture readings, this is a wonderful reading. For others, at least consider it as a piece of fine writing, despite not being in the Protestant canon.

Translation

Notes

(26) For she is the radiance of the eternal light,

the spotless reflector of the activity of God,

the image of his goodness.

(27) Being one she is capable of all things,

While remaining the same herself, she renews all things,

and generation to generation she takes up residence with devout souls,

preparing friends of God and prophets.

(28) For God loves nothing so much as someone living with wisdom.

(29) For she is more beautiful than the sun and above every constellation of stars.

(30) For the one turns in succession into night,

but evil does not dominate [or prevail over] wisdom.

Chapter 8

(1) But she extends from one end of the world to the other with might,

and she administers everything to a high standard.

Even though the reading begins with verse 26, it might be a good idea to start with 7:22 to get the context of the assigned passage.

Verse 27 begins with a present participle. Amongst the translations I compared this was viewed as either concessive or perhaps circumstantial. The concessive (REB, NRSV) ?though she is but one? or something similar, considers that wisdom, in spite of being only a single attribute, covers a great deal of ground. The circumstantial, or even causative suggests that because she is one, a unity, as God is one, she is therefore capable of all things. I would suggest the second option because we are hear paralleling wisdom?s attributes with the divine attributes.

Notice the continuation of the divine theme. Wisdom does not change, but is able to create, just as the changeless God is responsible for renewal.

?takes up residence? shows the relationship to ?living with? (verse 28)

?preparing? might also be translated ?bring into existence? or ?creating?

cf Psalm 19:1-7, especially 6 & 7. The heavens?including the stars, the moon, and sun are wonderful works of God, but the creature never exceeds the creator. The same is true of wisdom, an attribute of God, which is changeless, eternal and invincible, exceeding all of God?s created works.

One sees here one of the reasons that some regard the concepts of God?s wisdom, and God?s ?logos? as closely related. I would suggest that the ?logos? is the broader concept, but totally encompasses God?s wisdom, and thus the incarnation would hold that God?s wisdom was embodied in Jesus Christ.

Compare Psalm 104:24, where the Psalmist exclaims over God?s creation that ?You have made them all wisely [literally in wisdom].? Dahood [AB Psalms III] suggests ?with wisdom at your side.? God?s wisdom is shown in the organization and functioning of the universe.

Psalm 116:1-9

The reading encompasses the first half of Psalm 116, another Psalm which, like Psalm 19 is sometimes viewed as two. However, in this case we have the Septuagint which shows it split. It?s not important to our overall use, but I will treat verses 1-9 as an independent passage for purposes of comment.

One particular point to note is that I do not accept the notion that there are regular instances in which the Hebrew imperfect form should be translated with a simple past in the Psalms. I have been careful to note the translation of specific Hebrew tenses in this passage. Not all would agree with my interpretation of these tenses, as one can tell from reading just about any English translation. For more information on the Hebrew tense system read W&O 456-478 and Jouon, 359-386. A full debate of the uses of these tenses in poetic literature is beyond the scope of these notes.

Translation

Notes

(1) I love [the Lord]

because he hears the voice of my supplications,

(2) because he has stretched out his ear to me,

so throughout my days I will call [the Lord].

(3) The bands of death encompassed me,

the anguish of Sheol found me,

I kept finding trouble and sorrow.

(4) Then in the name of YHWH I would cry out,

?I beseech you, Oh YHWH, save my soul.?

(5) YHWH is gracious and righteous,

Our God is merciful.

(6) YHWH is the keeper of the simple,

When I had been brought low, he saved me.

(7) Return, my soul, to your rest,

Because YHWH has dealt with you.

(8) Because he rescued my soul from death,

my eyes from tear(s).

my feet from stumbling.

(9) I will walk before YHWH in the lands of the living.

If you have tried to translate this from Hebrew, you?ll find the syntax of the first verse very difficult. There are a number of suggested solutions, but I would simply suggest that this is poetry. Also, there is a chiasm in verses 1 & 2:

A I love [YHWH]

B Because he hears the voice of my supplications

B Because he has stretched out his ear to me

A I will call [to YHWH]

The greatest difficulty of syntax is that the first ?YHWH? doesn?t occur until after ?he hears? which would make it the subject of ?hears? and leave no object for ?I love.? Looking at the chiasm, I would suggest that this is intentional, and that we are to supply ?YHWH? in each place as necessary.

he hears is a Hebrew imperfect and I would suggest continuous or even better habitual hearing. The Psalmist expresses his love for YHWH, because YHWH regularly hears his petitions.

he has stretched out a perfect of continuing results. God has made the decision to habitually listen to the Psalmist?s petitions.

I will call or ?I will keep right on calling? in consequence of the fact that God has decided to listen, and regularly hears my petitions.

encompassed and found are both perfect verbs, and set up the circumstances of all his troubles.

kept finding is another imperfect. While he was ill, as suggested by 3a, he kept on finding trouble and sorrow.

I would cry out is another imperfect. In his illness, as he continued to find trouble and sorrow, he would cry out to the Lord.

he saved is another imperfect. It is because of this imperfect that I translate the first clause ?when I had been brought low? as a circumstantial clause.

This is the verbal response to God?s deliverance. The Psalmist tells himself to live in accordance with the deliverance he has received, and is receiving, from YHWH.

This is the result and active response to God?s saving action.

Isaiah 50:4-9a

This is one of four generally acknowledged servant songs in Isaiah 40-55, commonly known as second Isaiah. Our interest here is not authorship, however, but rather the message of the passage. Isaiah introduces the idea that some can suffer for others, and especially in this case, the righteous remnant of Judah, taken into exile, suffers for the whole nation.

There is some confusion in the songs as to whether the servant is Israel as a whole, a remnant of Israel or an ideal Israelite. I would suggest that the ambiguity is intentional. We are not simply introduced to the concept of a single vicarious redemption, and Christian theology would often have it, but rather to the reality of redemptive suffering. Redemptive suffering sounds horrible on the surface. One person or group suffers so that some other group, even a larger group of the same nation or tribe, can be redeemed. But I would suggest that redemptive suffering is simply a fact. Often the few suffer so that others can reap the benefits. The remnant suffered, and prepared the way for the return from exile. Individuals, including perhaps the prophet himself, suffered in order to present the message of hope. In Christian understanding, Jesus suffered so that the world could be saved.

Rather than saying that the servant songs represent only one thing, I would suggest that the present a principle and a reality which is carried out in our daily lives. The servant is identified as Israel at one point, but others, I think, allow this broader emphasis.

Good material on the servant songs can be found in the Learning Bible, p 1321 which is geared to a lay audience, or in Brevard S. Childs Isaiah in the Old Testament Library on this topic.

Translation

Notes

(4) My Lord YHWH has given me an educated tongue,

to know how to help the weary with a word.

He awakens (me) morning by morning,

He awakens my ear to hear like the learned.

(5) My Lord YHWH opened my ear

and I did not disobey.

I did not turn back.

(6) I gave my body to the smiters,

and my cheeks to be flayed.

I did not hide my face from disgrace and spitting.

(7) And my Lord YHWH helps me,

therefore I will not be disgraced,

therefore I set my face like a hard rock.

And I know that I will not be ashamed.

(8) My justifier is near,

who will contend with me.

Let us stand together!

Who is the one who condemns?

Let him approach me!

(9) Behold my Lord YHWH helps me,

Who will do me wrong?

REB ?insult and spitting?

James 3:1-12

This passage is troubling to some Christians, because in general, we all want to teach something that we know. It is important to notice, however, that those who try to teach others take on a greater responsibility, as does anyone in authority. In fact, anyone who takes a position of authority has a greater responsibility because his or her actions will impact many more people.

As Christians we are always teaching. Am I contradicting James? Actually no. I believe James is speaking about the exercise of the teaching office in the church. That is a specific extra responsibility. But there is a responsibility you take on when you claim to be a Christian. People will interpret your actions as reflections on the nature of your faith. So when you claim the name, you also have a responsibility. A friend of mine tells me he won?t put a fish symbol on his car, not because he objects to being identified as a Christian, because he wouldn?t want some driving error of his reflecting on his faith. Of course I tease him mercilessly, as do his other friends, about cleaning up his driving in that case. Nonetheless, he understands that when he claims to be a Christian his actions reflect on his faith.

When we open our mouths, we are immediately in more danger. Our actions reflect on our faith, but our words tend to focus things. They make people observe how we act, and check whether our actions and our words are consistent.

Teachers are especially responsible. But we all need to watch our tongues.

Translation

Notes

(1) Not many should become teachers, my brethren, because we know that we will receive a greater judgment. (2) For all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, that’s someone who is a mature man, able to hold in check (with a bridle) the whole body. (3) Now if we place a bit in the mouths of horses, so that we can bring them into submission to us, we thus also bring along the whole body. (4) Note also the ships, while being so big and driven along by strong winds, are guided by the smallest rudder wherever the whim of the steersman chooses. (5) Thus also the tongue is a small part (of the body) but it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest a little fire can kindle. (6) And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of evil, is placed amongst our body parts, and stains our whole body. It lights on fire the whole of human experience. It is lighted directly from hell. (7) For every type of wild creature and bird, snake and sea creature is tamed and has been tamed in the human nature. (8) But as for the human tongue, nobody is able to tame it, a restless evil, mixed with death bearing poison. (9) With it, we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are in the likeness of God. (10) Out of the same mouth come blessings and curses. It’s not good, my brethren, for these things to be this way. (11) Surely a well from the same opening can’t pour forth sweet and bitter? (12) It’s not possible, my brethren, is it, for a fig to produce olives or a vineyard figs? Neither can a salty one produce fresh water.

Cf. Ephesians 4:11

greater ? perhaps more intense scrutiny

It?s interesting that James focuses on the mouth and spoken words rather than the mind or heart. Perhaps he had in mind the comment of Jesus: ?You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks? (Mt 12:34 NRSV).

The Greek construction suggests these two words refer to the same person.

This can apply to many things, including our relationship with fellow-believers, in which we bless them as brothers and sisters, but curse them at every petty disagreement. But it can also apply to sharing our faith, when we speak a blessing of the Good News, but then curse a person by calling them stupid or stubborn when they don?t accept.

Are negative comments about others the result of our zeal for God, or are they the result of our hurt pride when our supposedly unassailable arguments are not well received?

Mark 8:27-38

For some thoughts resulting from this passage see the current Energion essay. (Guest Essay / Monday Morning Devotional

The confession of Peter is a key passage in the synoptic gospels, and especially in Mark. It is the turning point in Mark?s gospel. From this point on there is a clear progression leading to the cross and the end of Jesus? ministry on earth. This incident occurs in all three synoptic gospels.

Normally I recommend reading the parallel accounts from a gospel parallel. I?m not going to comment on any of the differences regarding this passage. It?s covered as three pericopes in Aland?s Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum (Mark 8:27-30, 31-33 and 34-9:1). If you are interested in studying the synoptic problem, try looking at key differences between the various gospels. For example, why does the term ?son of man? occur in Matthew in the pericope of Peter?s confession in place of simple ?me? in Mark 8:27, but in the next pericope (Mark 8:31) it occurs in Mark where there is a simple ?him? in Matthew. (The latter verse is talking about the necessity for the suffering of the crucifixion.)

Translation

Notes

And Jesus and his disciples went out into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Now on the road he asked his disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” (28) And they said,
?Some say ?John the Baptist? and others ?Elias,? and others ?One of the prophets.?? (29) And he asked them, “But you, who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “You are the Messiah!” (30) And he ordered them not to say this about him to anyone.

(31) And he began to teach them that it was necessary for the son of man to suffer many things and to be rejected by the elders and the high priests and the scribes and to be killed and after three days to rise again. (32) And he was speaking the word openly. And Peter, taking him aside, began to rebuke him. (33) But (Jesus), when he had turned and seen his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Go behind me, Satan, because you don’t understand the things of God, but the things of men.? (34) And he called the crowd and his disciples and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and let him follow me. (35) For whoever wishes to save his live shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. (36) For what does it benefit a man to gain this whole world, and lose his soul? (37) For what will a man give in exchange for his life? (38) For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the son of man will also be ashamed of him, whenever he comes in the glory of his Father with his holy angels.

Why does Jesus want to invite his disciples to verbally confess?

Matthew adds that flesh and blood didn?t reveal this to Peter, but the Father (Mt 16:16, 17).

Verse 31 is your connection to Isaiah 50:4-9 if you?re going to use that passage as a reading.

REB ?You think as men think, not as God thinks.?

In commenting on Isaiah 50:4-9 I comment on the idea of redemptive suffering. Jesus not only indicates that he will suffer, but he indicates that there will be hardships for those who follow him. It will be worth it, however.

We tie back to the confession. Whoever confesses, will be ?confessed? or acknowledged. Jesus places a strong emphasis on verbal testimony.