22nd Sunday after Pentecost; October 19, 2003

22nd Sunday after Pentecost; October 19

Job 38:1-7, (34-41) and Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c

Isaiah 53:4-12 and Psalm 91:9-16

Hebrews 5:1-10

Mark 10:35-45

General themes:

There are two larger themes offered if you use all four scriptures.

First, the theme of the creative power and majesty of God carried over into Jesus, the eternal priest (Hebrews 5) and the one who will eventually be in his glory (Mark 10:35-45). Of course, there are many directions you can go with that topic, and I hope to suggest some in studying the texts. This is a sort of ?high road? look.

The other is the suffering servant approach, starting with Isaiah 53:4-12, with the idea of the suffering of the few on behalf of the many, followed by Psalm 91:9-16, concerning God?s protection. An interesting topic could be created out of the contrast of Isaiah 53 with Psalm 91. How is it that someone innocent can suffer as described in Isaiah 53:9, and yet God says he will give his angels the assignment of keeping us wherever we go (Psalm 91:11)? But the theme of suffering, and praying one?s way through suffering meshes well with Hebrews 5, and then Mark 10 and the question ?Can you drink the cup??

There?s an interesting theme in looking at the answers given in Mark 10:35-45 and in Hebrews 5:1-10. It states that Jesus prayed to the one who was able to save him from death, and was heard because of his piety. Yet Jesus went to his death! In Mark 10, James and John are told ?no? and yet later both become key pillars of the early Christian church. I feel a theme about various answers to prayer coming on!

You can also combine Job 38 and Psalm 104 into a much simpler theme of the majesty of God?s creation. I would suggest using more than the specified readings if you choose to take that route. Besides using selections from Job 38-41, and the whole of Psalm 104, you could consider Psalm 8, Proverbs 8:22ff as well.

Job 38:1-7, (34-41)

See the previous two discussions (Oct 5 & 12) for the introduction to the story of Job. This is where God responds to Job, but does not answer his questions. He does, however, get a direct encounter with God.

Translation

Notes

(1) Then YHWH answered Job from the windstorm, and he said,

(2) Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

(3) Gird up your loins like a man,

and I will ask you and you will inform me.

(4) Where were you when I founded the earth?

Tell me, since you have insight!

(5) Who measured it out, since you know?

Or who stretched out a measuring line across it?

(6) On what were its supporting columns settled,

Or who set its cornerstone?

(7) When the stars of the morning sang out together,

And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

(34) Have you raised up your voice to the clouds,

So the abundant waters would cover you?

(35) Have you sent forth the thunderbolts, and they went,

Did they answer you, ?Here we are!??

(36) Who placed wisdom in the inward parts?

or who gave understanding to the mind?

(37) Who counts [orders] the clouds wisely,

Who pours out the jars of heaven?

(38) Making the dust run into a glob,

and dirt clods cling together.

(39) Do you hunt prey for the lion?

Do you satisfy the appetite of the young lions?

(40) When they crouch in caves,

When they lie waiting in their hiding place?

(41) Who established food for the raven,

since its young cry out to God,

lest they wander without food.

Note that God answers Job, and yet he doesn?t ever answer any of his questions. In using this passage as a description of the power and majesty of God we often miss the key character in the story?Job. He?s still wondering why he?s suffering when he?s good.

There?s a beautiful passage in book 6 of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician?s Nephew, Chapter IX, ?The Founding of Narnia? which describes a creation scene in just these terms. It might help to look at that for some vocabulary and good imagination.

Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c, also, read Psalm104.

Psalm 104 is another creation story in the Hebrew scriptures. Its emphasis is on the continue care of God for his creation. Genesis 1:1-2:4a emphasizes the simple power of God?s word. Genesis 2:4bff emphasizes the personal care and attention of God. Proverbs 8 emphasizes God?s wisdom in creation. Psalm 104 emphasizes the continuity of God?s activity. These chapters work together in a coherent doctrine of creation. For some ideas on a doctrine of creation, see http://www.participatorystudyseries.com/creator.shtml.

Translation

Notes

(1) Bless the Lord, O my inmost being!

0 Lord, my God, you are very great;

You are clothed with majesty and splendor.

(2) He spreads out light like a covering;

He stretches out the heavens as a tent.

(3) He fills his upper chambers with water;

He makes the clouds his chariot;

He travels on the wings of the wind.

(4) He makes the winds his messengers,

Fire and flame his servants.

(5) He established the earth on its foundations;

It shall not be moved forever and ever.

(6) The primeval ocean covered it like a garment;

The waters stood over the mountains.

(7) Prom your rebuke they fled;

From your thunderous voice they rushed away.

(8) They went up to the mountains, down to the netherworld chasms,

To the place which you appointed for them.

(9) You set them a limit which they cannot transgress;

They will not return to cover the earth.

(24) How marvelous are your works, O Lord!

You made them all wisely.

The earth is full of your created things.

(35c) Bless the Lord, O my inmost being!

I?m placing the relevant text here for form, but I have removed the footnotes. For further information please see the link above. Note that I have used a number of textual emendations and that this translation is based on my reconstructed text. None of these emendations change the consonantal text, but they do change word separation and vowel pointing. I wrote this paper in graduate school but I would still maintain the same arguments as I made then with regard to structure.

Isaiah 53:4-12

Isaiah 53 is a standard Christian passage used in Messianic settings. It is regarded as the best description of the suffering of Jesus from the Old Testament. Ever since Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), in which Philip begins at this scripture in sharing about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, it has been a mainstay of Christian evangelism and teaching.

I strongly recommend the commentary of Brevard Childs in the Old Testament Library. He covers a number of views and the arguments both pro and con for them from a scholarly point of view. I am going to suggest certain specific understandings of the passage, but there is no possibility in just a few notes that I could cover the ground that he does.

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Christians tend to read ideas of the vicarious atonement back into this passage. I don?t think this is entirely inappropriate, but I think it might be better to read some ideas from it forward into our own ideas of the atonement. The atonement is a many faceted idea, and it requires many metaphors to cover even a small portion of its meaning. One problem we have as Christians has been to put one metaphor for the atonement against another, rather than letting them combine to describe a bigger idea.

Isaiah 53 finds its place in the second section of Isaiah, chapters 40-55, and there are numerous references here to the Lord?s ?servant.? Again, to cover all these references would require more time and space than these weekly notes permit, but I recommend reading from chapter 40-55 at one sitting and paying special attention to the various passages that discuss the servant. I will refer to a couple of these in the notes.

But notice also how the section starts in Isaiah 40. The ?penalty is paid? and Jerusalem ?has received from the LORD?s hand double for all her sins? (verse 2). This is generally understood simply to state that the time of the exile is over, the punishment is done, and we can get on with our lives. But there is a much broader theme here. The return from exile is built into the theme of redemption and of renewal, which will come to a climax (for this section) in chapter 55. In this context the importance of the penalty being paid is much more important than simply as a marker for time. There is a difference between the penalty being paid and ?we got by with it? or ?God just decided to quit.? There is an enormous practical as well as spiritual difference between ?getting away with something,? that is, being forgiven literally ?for nothing? and the penalty being paid in some way. I would suggest that the penalty of wrongdoing is regularly paid by those who do not deserve to pay it; that is one of the effects of evil.

When this comes to Isaiah 53, and the servant offering his life as an ?asham,? this becomes much more important. Amongst the issues that were stirring in Israel are those of individual versus collective responsibility. How is it that punishment falls so much on the innocent? We?re seeing this played out in Job as well, and extended there to seeing the good suffer.

In the case of the exile, we have the remnant of Israel sent into exile, and by some they were considered the most wicked, but as Ezekiel notes (chapter 11) it was not the exiles who were the most wicked. This remnant suffers a great deal of the punishment. I would suggest that at various points in Isaiah 40-55 Israel as a whole, the remnant, and some representative individual (a prophet) is in view. Does this mean that I don?t believe this applies to Jesus?

Not at all. But it applies to Jesus typologically. As there are laws in the physical realm there are principles and motifs in the way God works through history. The principle of vicarious suffering is established here, which also applies in an even broader sense in the time of Jesus. We should listen to how this works. The penalty has been accomplished, those who are innocent have suffered, nobody got off free, and now those around are expected to confess that (the ?we? passages in which Israel confesses what the servant has done) and step forward into the redemption that is offered. Part of the process of redemption is a recognition of the consequences, the natural results, of wrongdoing.

One of the things we miss with our standard view of vicarious atonement is that there is a broad principle at work here that is a regular principle of how the universe works. Suffering does not always or generally fall only on those who do wrong, no matter how much we?d prefer to think otherwise.

I have included New Testament quotations and some allusions in square brackets. Quotations are entered in regular type while allusions are entered in italics.

Translation

Notes

(4) Surely he bore our sicknesses,

and carried our sorrows,

but we considered him wounded, struck by God and afflicted.

(5) But he was wounded for our transgressions,

Beaten for our iniquities,

On him fell the punishment that made us well,

So with his wounds, we were healed.

(6) We have all gone astray like sheep,

We have each turned to his own way.

But God struck him with all of our punishment.

(7) He was oppressed and he was afflicted,

But he didn’t open his mouth.

Like a sheep to the slaughter he was led,

And as a ewe is dumb before her shearers,

He did not open his mouth.

(8) He was removed by oppressive judgment,

Who will consider his generation?

For he was taken from the land of the living,

He was stricken for the transgression of my people.

(9) And his grave was appointed with the wicked,

and with the rich when he dies,

Though he did no violence,

And no deceit was in his mouth.

(10) Yet YHWH was pleased to smite him with sickness,

When you place his life as an Asham.

He will see his seed,

He will prolong his life,

And the pleasure of YHWH will prosper in his hand.

(11) From the trouble of his soul, he will see; he will be satisfied with his knowledge.

My righteous servant will justify many,

For he will bear away their guilt.

(12) Therefore I will divide for him an inheritance portion with the great,

And with those of substance he will divide the spoil,

Because he laid his soul bear to death,

And he was numbered with the transgressors,

So he bore the sin of many,

And he interceded for the transgressors.

[4 ? Matt 8:17]; [Whole chapter ? 1 Peter 1:11]; [4 ? 1 Peter 2:24]

The people consider the servant to be the one receiving God?s disapproval when instead the servant is suffering because of what they have done.

[4 & 5 ? Romans 4:25]

Punishment or guilt. God didn?t make him actually guilty. Rather, God allowed the punishment of the whole to fall on the servant.

[7 & 8 ? Acts 8:32-33 LXX]; [7 ? Matt. 26:63, 27:12, 27:14]

Who will consider his generation? Or, ?Who from among his generation considered?? The Hebrew is a bit difficult here, as comparing translations will show. What is being considered is the question. Is the problem that nobody considered the future or destiny of the servant? Of is it that nobody in his generation regarded the injustice done to him as worthy of consideration?

[9 ? 1 Peter 2:22]; [8 & 9 ? 1 Cor 15:3]

This takes the Qal imperfect ?yitten? as impersonal. Many translate with a plural impersonal even though the verb is singular. Either translation is justified by Hebrew syntax.

A number of commentators have tried to escape the word ?rich? here as inappropriate to Jewish thought, but I think it is quite appropriate to prophetic thought. The rich of both Judah and Israel were often the target of prophetic ire. Considering the sparse expression used in Hebrew poetry, I believe we should hear ?unjust rich? here. This is also supported by the parallelism of ?rich? with ?wicked.? Rather than a synonymous parallelism, we have a synthetic parallel here, resulting in ?wicked rich.? The servant found himself dying with those who were unjust, even though he had done no violence (implying again that the rich were violent) and that he had never deceived anyone (again implying that the rich had deceived someone).

Or smite him and make him sick. The Hebrew is difficult.

The use of the term ?asham? here is interesting. A key question is whether this is intended to reflect a cultic setting, and thus that this should be an ?asham? sacrifice. A key reference on this subject is Leviticus 5:14-26. I highly recommend the discussion by Milgrom [AB: Leviticus I, on this passage].

But note that ?asham? can be used outside of the cultic context as in Genesis 26 when Abimelek complains to Abraham or 1 Samuel 6 when the Philistines are trying to get rid of the Ark of the Covenant. In both these cases either a reparation or a potential reparation is seen as necessary, and this does not take the form of a sacrifice.

The asham was a ?reparation? offering, and it explicitly involved the feeling and expiation of guilt. This again ties into the full payment of the penalty, and to the acknowledgement (the ?we? confession contained in this passage).

Read a related Homily: Confession and Repentance – Leviticus 6:1-7 (NRSV)

[11 ? Romans 5:19]

Guilt or punishment.

[12 ? Luke 22:37]

[12 ? Luke 23:33-34, Hebrews 9:28]

Note the connection here to Hebrews 5:1-10. If you use only two readings in your service, you could combine these two very effectively.

Psalm 91:9-16

This is a simple prayer for protection along with the Lord?s response to the one praying. I have adapted this as a scripture prayer which can be found on the Pacesetters Bible School web site at http://www.participatorystudyseries.com/prayer_scriptures.shtml.

The key issue in this passage is the simplicity of this prayer versus the complexity of the discussions in Job and elsewhere. This can be related to the petitions in Mark 10, Hebrews 5, Job, and even the assumed petitions of Isaiah 53.

Translation

Notes

(9) Because you, YHWH, are my hiding place,

You have made the most high your refuge.

(10) No disaster will come upon you,

Nor any plague come near your tent.

(11) For he will command his angels with respect to you,

to keep you in all your ways.

(12) They will carry you along in their hands,

lest you strike your foot on a rock.

(13) You will tread on the lion and the serpent,

You will trample the young lion and Tanin.

(14) Because he has placed his trust in me, I will rescue him,

I will raise him up because he knows my name.

(15) He will call upon me and I will answer him,

I am with him in trouble,

I will rescue him and honor him.

(16) I will satiate him with long life,

And I will show him my salvation.

I?ve left ?Tanin? here rather than translating it, because the symbolism here would be much greater. ?Tanin? was a primeval type monster, representative of the chaotic, anti-law forces. The one who is offering this petition is promised that he will step on the most basic and deepest evil and bring it down.

Hebrews 5:1-10

Refer back to the previous lectionary notes on Hebrews. We?re dealing here with the qualifications of Jesus as the high priest and are given a series of comparisons and contrasts with human high priests, ending up with the much greater qualification of Jesus as the high priest who is eternal, and who, despite learning about our weaknesses through experience, did not sin.

Translation

Notes

¹For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to deal with divine things on behalf of humans, so that he might offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ²He is able to deal gently with people who are ignorant and deceived, since he himself is burdened with weakness. ³And because of this he needs to offer sacrifices for sin for himself just as he does for the people. ⁴Now nobody takes this honor on himself, but because he is called by God, just as Aaron was.

⁵Thus also Christ did not glorify himself by becoming high priest, but {was glorified by} the one who said to him:

“You are my son;

I have given you birth today.”

[Psalm 2:7]

⁶Just as it says in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” [Psalm 110:4]

⁷Who, in the days of his flesh, offered entreaties and petitions to the one who was able to save him from death with loud cries and tears, and he was heard because of his piety.

⁸Even though he was a son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered, ⁹and being made whole he became a means of eternal salvation to all those who obey him, ¹⁰since he was designated by God as a priest according to the priestly order of Melchizedek.

He offered petitions, and he was heard, but notice that the answer was really not one to match the request. Read any of the synoptic gospels about the experience in the garden.

There are things that can only be learned through suffering. Be very, very careful, however, not to comfort someone who is suffering in this way. We make this mistake regularly. Finding meaning in suffering is something good to do afterward. It comforts those who are not, especially if they can find a meaning that does not apply to them!

We need to recognize that finding meaning in suffering doesn?t make the suffering good. It simply offsets a little bit of the damage. ?I know God has a purpose in all this,? doesn?t really help much when everything is going wrong!

Mark 10:35-45

I?m going to leave this passage with very little comment. I?ve already commented on the topic last week, in terms of the nature of the kingdom. This week, we?re seeing more of the nature of suffering, and the fact that it occurs.

In this case James and John want to get the glory without going through the hardships. Jesus tells them they?ll go through the hardships, but the glory belongs to God, and he will give it out.

Translation

Notes

(35) And James and John, the sons of Zebedee approached him and said, “Teacher, We want to ask you to do something for us.” (36) So he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” (37) They said to him, “Grant us that one of us will sit at your right hand and one at your left in your glory.” (38) Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking for! Can you drink the cup that I am drinking or be baptized with the baptism that with which I’m being baptized? (39) They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I am drinking you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am being baptized. (40) But to sit at my right or my left is not mine to give, but is for those for who it was prepared. (41) Now when the ten had heard this they became indignant at James and John. (42) And Jesus called them and told them, “You know that those who consider themselves rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. (43) But it is not to be this way among you, but whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. (44) And whoever wants to be first among you must be the servant of all. (45) For the Son of man didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many people.

This is a petition to which God says no. I think a wonderful set of principles about prayer can be provided by linking this passage with verses 36-42 and the petition of Bartimaeus. Look at the difference in the two petitions! Look at the difference in the responses. I don?t think it?s an accident that the two stories are presented side by side.