Lectionary #33 November 16, 2003

General themes:

Translation

Notes

(4) Now there came a day when Elkanah went to offer sacrifice, and he gave Peninah his wife and all her children portions, (5) but to Hannah he gave the best portion because he loved Hannah, though YHWH had shut up her womb.

(6) And her foe (Hannah’s foe Peninah) taunted her bitterly on account of her disability, because YHWH had shut up her womb.  (7) And so he did year after year at the time when he offered his burnt offering at the house of YHWH, so she tormented her, and she wept and did not eat.

(8) So Elkanah said to his wife Hannah, “Why are you weeping, and why do you not eat, and why is your heart sad?  Am I not better for you than ten sons?”  (9) Then Hannah rose up after she had eaten in Shiloh, and after she had drunk, and Eli the priest was sitting on the chair at the gate of the shrine of YHWH.  (10) And she was deeply bitter, and she was praying to YHWH and weeping inconsolably.  (11) And she swore an oath and said, “YHWH of Hosts, if you indeed see the affliction of your maidservant, and you give your maidservant male offspring, then I will give him to YHWH all the days of his life, and no razor will be used on his head.”  (12) And it happened that as she multiplied prayers before YHWH, Eli was watching her mouth closely.  (13) Now Hannah was speaking to herself, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard, so Eli took her for drunk.  (14) So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk?  Put your wine away from you!”  (15) And Hannah answered, “No sir!  I am a woman of troubled spirit, but I have not drunk wine or beer.  Rather, I was pouring out my inmost self before YHWH.  (16)  Don’t put your maidservant in the place of a depraved woman, because from the quantity of my moaning and my torment have I spoken up to now.”  (17)  Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you the request that you asked of him.”  (18) And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your eyes!”  And the woman went on her way, and she ate, and her face was not like it was before.  (19) And they rose up early in the morning and they went to their house, to Ramah.  And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and YHWH remembered her.  (20) And it happened as the days passed that Hannah conceived and bore a son and called his name Samuel, because (she said) “I asked for him from YHWH.”

Note the implication that fruitfulness is the result of YHWH?s blessing while unfruitfulness is a punishment for wrong (Psalm 107:34, Dt. 7:13 & 14).

An interesting result of this particular polygamous marriage was that the other wife can be regarded not as a close family member, but as a foe.

Depraved woman  literally ?daughter of Belial.?  In later Hebrew this became synonymous with the devil, but here it is used descriptively.

Translation

Notes

(1) Then Hannah prayed, saying,

My heart rejoices in YHWH,

My horn is exalted in YHWH,

My mouth is wide against my enemies,

Because I rejoice in your salvation.

(2) There is none holy like YHWH,

For there is nobody except you.

And there is no rock like our God.

(3) Don’t keep on saying, I’m great!  I’m great!

Don?t let Insolence go forth from your mouth,

Because God is a knowing God,

So you will not weigh your own deeds.

(4) The bow of heroes is crushed,

But the stumbling ones have girded on strength.

(5) The satiated hired themselves out for food,

But the hungry are hungry no more,

Now that the barren woman has born seven children,

But the woman with many sons is withered.

(6) YHWH kills and brings to life,

he brings down to Sheol and he lifts up.

(7) YHWH dispossesses and enriches,

He makes even the haughty fall.

(8) He raises up the poor from the dust,

From the dung heap he raises up the needy,

To sit with princes,

He makes them inherit a seat of honor.

Because the pillars of the earth belong to YHWH,

He has set the world upon them.

(9) He guards the steps of his devout ones,

But the wicked are silenced in darkness,

For it is not by strength that a man will win.

(10) Those who contend against YHWH will be shattered,

He thunders against them in the heavens.

YHWH will judge the ends of the earth,

And he will give strength to his king,

And he will raise up the horn of his anointed one.

Prayed  Prayer includes any kind of conversation with God [IB], see, for example Habakkuk?s prayer in which the musical form is prescribed (Habakkuk 3:1).

Rejoicing that starts on the inside.

A metaphor which may come from the horned animal lifting its head high [IB].

Having one?s mouth gaping open was a sign of contempt in the ancient world.  Hannah can now afford to laugh (contemptuously) in the face of her enemies.

God is the source of salvation and joy.

The Hebrew here is difficult and often emended, but the conjugation indicates a reciprocal action, so I have chosen to render it thus.  It probably means the deeds are not self weighed, but will come into judgment.

This is the section most suited to Hannah herself.  Each passage speaks of a reversal of fortunes.

The Hebrew puts ?YHWH? at the starting position, ?As for YHWH, will be shattered those who contend against him.?

One possible reconstruction of a difficult text.

It would be interesting to contrast this positive speech to the experience of Job.  I believe these themes are intended to be looked at together.  If we spend our time looking at Job, talking about enduring suffering and how God can do whatever he wants, and never come along with the positive, we will become either despondent or really negative.  On the other hand if we pretend God solves problems in a way that scripture and experience both indicate he does not, then we set people up to fail in their relationship with God.  I would suggest that we need to look at both sides on a regular basis.  Good people do suffer terribly sometimes, but also the good are often rewarded.

Despite suggestions by some commentators, I keep the pointing of the Massoretic text.  The image of God thundering was common in Israel, especially in response to the hymns and myths of the Canaanite gods.

This reference suggests a later setting for this prayer than Hannah herself.  It?s likely that our author added a suitable prayer of thanks.  Remember, there was no king in Hannah?s days.

Translation

Notes

(1) At that time Michael, the great prince, who stands (guard) over the children of your people, will stand up,

and there will be a time of trouble such as there has not been since there has been a nation until now, and at that time,

your people–all who are found written in the book–will escape.

(2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will wake up, some to eternal life (the life of the new age) and others to the same of scorn forever.

(3) And those who are wise will shine like lights in the firmament.

Those who obtain rights (or justice) for many like the stars forever and ever.

Michael is the protecting angel of Israel and tends to show up where there is conflict (Jude 9, Revelation 12.)

The end is consistently associated with a time of trouble.  Very often, books about the end are written during a time of trouble.

Is this the book of life?  Daniel 7:10 refers to the books being opened for judgment, but it?s possible this is more of a citizenship role.  Since the book contains those who escape, I would suggest a specific book listing the righteous.

No matter how you date Daniel this is probably the first clear statement of a resurrection.  There are hints in earlier books but they remain hints.  Daniel opens up a new doctrine.

More precisely this would be ?light of the firmament? but I have chosen to take ?light? or ?shining? as collective, and see in this a reference to the shining stars and thus ?lights.?

Those who obtain rights or justice  based on HALOT.  More commonly ?those who bring many to righteousness.?  I think those who are wise and those who practice justice makes the better combination.

Translation

Notes

(David’s Miktam)

(1) Guard me, Oh God,

for I have taken refuge in you.

(2) I said to YHWH,

You are my Lord,

My good.

There is none above you.

(3) To the holy ones who are in the land,

And the mighty ones in whom I took all my pleasure.

(4) May their suffering multiply,

May they hurry their end!

I will not offer up their libations of blood,

I will not bear their names on my lips.

(5) YHWH is my portion and my cup,

You take hold of my fortunes.

(6) The lines fall to me in beautiful places,

You have measured my portion for me.

(7) I will bless YHWH who has given me counsel,

During the night he corrected my thoughts.

(8)  I will set YHWH before me forever,

Indeed, I never move from his right hand.

(9) Therefore my heart has rejoiced,

And my liver has become glad,

Thus my body will dwell in trust.

(10) For you will not abandon my life to Sheol,

You will not allow your devout one to see destruction.

(11) You will make known to me the way of life,

Filled with rejoicing before you,

With pleasures at your right hand forever.

Dahood [AB Psalms I] suggests that ?miktam? may be an inscription on stone.

I think Dahood [AB Psalms I] has pretty much figured this Psalm out, and I have accepted the majority of his textual decisions.  He suggests that the author is a Canaanite convert to Yahwism, which explains a number of peculiarities of the language.

Dahood identifies both ?holy ones? and ?mighty ones? as epithets of the Canaanite gods as a pantheon.

Fortunes  ?my lot? as in the casting of lots.

The metaphor here is of measuring the land out for the apportionment of lots as was done for the tribes of Israel.  The lot is coming up good for the psalmist, with his lot in beautiful places.

Destruction  or ?pit.?  In either case, in parallel with Sheol it means the grave where decay takes place.

Translation

Notes

¹¹Now every priest stands day by day ministering to these various sacrifices which can never carry sin away.

¹²This one {Christ}, on the other hand, has offered one sacrifice, good to completion, and sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³leaving only a time of waiting until his enemies are placed as a footstool for his feet.

¹⁴For by means of one sacrifice he has made totally whole those who are being made holy.

¹⁵And the Holy Spirit testifies to us, for after that he says:

¹⁶For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel:

After those days, says the Lord,

I will put my laws in their hearts,

And will inscribe them upon their minds.

¹⁷Because their deeds of unrighteousness and their sins

I will not remember any more.  [Jeremiah 31:33,34]

 ¹⁸And where there is forgiveness of these sins, there is no more offering for sins.

¹⁹Now then, brethren, we have boldness to go into the holiest place through the blood of Jesus, ²⁰which he placed as a living way through the curtain, not previously available, which is his flesh.  ²¹Jesus is also a great priest over the household of God.

²²So let’s come with true hearts and full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from bad conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  ²³Let us hold firmly the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful.

²⁴And let us pay attention to each other, so as to stir up of love and good works, ²⁵not neglecting our meetings, as is the practice of some, but encouraging, and doing this even more as we see the day approaching.

A major emphasis of Hebrews is on the temporary nature of old covenant ritual versus the permanent nature of the new covenant, including its priest and sacrifice, Jesus.

Because it is eternal, it can finish its work.

Reference again is made to Psalm 110 which is interpreted christologically throughout Hebrews.

One sacrifice, one priest, one complete healing leading to sanctification.  This is essentially the doctrine of Hebrews.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (33 & 34 quoted here) are the key new covenant prophecy.  In the view of our author, Psalm 110 speaks of Jesus as the reigning king, while Jeremiah 31 gives the nature of the new covenant.  Note that forgiveness is followed by new fruit of righteousness.  The law does not cease to matter.  Rather, the law is taken from outside the person and put inside the person.  One could easily see this as simply a different perspective on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Mark quotes John the Baptist as saying that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit.  How much more could the law get inside you than to have Jesus living in you through the Holy Spirit?  This is why Christianity is not about lawlessness; rather it is about God enabling lawfulness rather than it being an effort of our own.

Note that he does not say it?s alright to do whatever you want because there is no more sacrifice.  Rather this is a serious proclamation that one needs to be depending on Christ and filled with the Spirit.

This was not possible under the old covenant except for the high priest.  In Hebrews, because Jesus has paved the way, we can all enter into the presence of God.  The way through the curtain is related to Matthew 27:51 and parallel passages.

We come knowing that we can, but we also come after availing ourselves of the cleansing that is available through Jesus, and promised for the new covenant (Ezekiel 36), and we come holding fast to the faithfulness of Christ.

Focus here is on the need for fellowship in order to ?hold firmly?without wavering.?  I would suggest that this is one of the most violated command amongst Christians in trouble.  Rather than letting loose of our fellowship last, we let loose of it first.  Rather than seeking a church where the fellowship we need is available, we stay away from the body when we have been hurt.  Fellowship is a need!

Translation

Notes

(1) Now as he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at the sort of stones and the sort of buildings here!”  (2) But Jesus said to him, “Do you see these big buildings?  Not one stone will be left upon another.  They’ll all be destroyed.”

(3) And when he sat down on the mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him,

(4) “Tell us when these things will happen, and what the sign will be that all these things are about to be accomplished.”

  (5) But Jesus began to tell them, “Be sure that none of you are deceived.  Many will go out in my name saying, “I am he!” and they will deceive many.

(7) But whenever you hear of wars and rumors of wards, don’t be disturbed.  It has to be this way, but it is not yet the end.  (8) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be earthquakes in various places, their will be famines.  This is just the beginning of troubles.”

The disciples here express their hope and joy in the physical structures that represent the center of their religious life.  Jesus has a different perspective.  All of this is temporal, in fact, it will soon be destroyed.  There is a principle here as well as a simple prediction about certain buildings in Jerusalem.  We can stand and look at any structure and say with Jesus, ?Not one stone will be left upon another.  They?ll all be destroyed.?

Jesus has established the nature of his kingdom over the prior 12 chapters by word, deed and sign.  These buildings are not the focus of his kingdom which is not of this world.

The disciples still have their focus on this particular event.  Does this deal with the destruction of Jerusalem, or with some future end of the world?  Bible students have debated this for centuries.  What I think is pretty clear, however, is that Jesus is here much less interested in the physical than in the spiritual, while both the immediate disciples and modern students are primarily interested in the physical over the spiritual.

Some commentators believe the following section, or portions of it do not come from the mouth of Jesus, or at least that portions do not.  One of those things is the fact that the disciples ask Jesus for a sign.  But note that in the immediate sense Jesus doesn?t give the disciples a sign.  Rather, he points to the troubles of the world and says that this is not a sign.  Later he does present the sign of Jerusalem invested with armies, but that is a specific sign of a specific event requiring specific action.  It is not a case of prior knowledge of the end of the world or a sign given to prove his status.

Compare this request for a sign with the request in Mark 8:11-13.  What are the similarities and the differences?  How does Jesus respond in each case?  Are there cases in which asking for a sign is appropriate?  Are there cases in which one should not ask?

Isaiah 7:1-17 and the reaction of Ahaz to God?s offer of a sign through Isaiah.  (I?m focused here on the immediate situation, not the Messianic implications.)  There God was angry with Ahaz for refusing to name a sign.

The immediate response to the request for a sign is the warning against deception.  Is it possible that Jesus notices the potential for deception in looking at signs apart from understanding what God is doing and relying on Him?

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 speaks of a prophet or a dreamer coming with a sign, and states that if the person is calling Israel away from God he should not be believed even if the sign comes to pass.  Israel was to put loyalty to God above signs.

C. S. Lewis has a wonderful passage on the deception of signs in ?The Last Battle? (book 7 of the Chronicles of Narnia).  As the ape is persuading the ass to wear a lion skin and pretend to be Aslan, lightning strikes.  The ass believes this to be a sign of how wrong their plan is.  But the ape says instead that he had been about to call for a sign of lightning and thunder if they were to carry on with their plan, only the sign got ahead of his statement.  It?s an illustration of how signs can be manipulated.  If you?re acquainted with the book, you might consider this story as an illustration.

It is amazing how much this passage is misused.  Jesus does not say that wars and rumors of wars are a sign of the end.  In fact, there have been wars and rumors of wars ever since Jesus said this, and there were wars and rumors of wars all through history before he said it.   But Jesus says, ?it is not yet the end.?  Wars do not constitute a sign of the end of time.  Neither do famines or earthquakes.  Neither does trouble.  What Jesus does indicate later in the chapter is that when his people are in trouble they will be delivered.  Even then, however, the signs accompany his coming rather than signaling it.