All Saints Day 2003
(November 1, 2003)
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9 or Isaiah 25:6-9 and Psalm 24
Revelation 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44
Major Themes:
The theme here is clearly immortality and resurrection. There is a little bit of apocalyptic flavor to the selections, in particular Isaiah 25:6-9 and Revelation 21:1-6a. You should note that Revelation alludes to Isaiah 25, so those two texts can be used together as readings for a sermon on the new earth. Psalm 24 can best be connected to a more triumphal view, i.e. a return of God to rule at the last days. That theme can also be found, however, in all of the other texts.
If your tradition uses the apocrypha, Wisdom 3:1-9 makes a good setting for a time of hardship. It can provide a good theme in cases where a number of church members have passed away in the preceding year unexpectedly or leaving people in mourning. The tendency may be to get too negative when a number of folks die in a congregation near the same time, or who are closely related. Be sure, of course, not to minimize their grief in focusing on the positive as this passage does. You can combine it with either Isaiah 25 or Revelation 21 in which God wipes away the tears and sorrow is destroyed.
To step completely outside the list of texts, 1 Corinthians 15 can be combined with almost any of the texts, but especially Revelation 21 and John 11. An apologetic sermon could be built from 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, John 11 and Revelation 21:1-6a, or a sermon on the restoration involved in resurrection could be built around 1 Corinthians 15:35ff and Revelation 21:1-6a. Another could easily be built around 1 Corinthians 15:23-28, and Psalm 24 talking about the final sovereignty when God is ?all in all.?
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9
I?ve noted several possible combinations of texts to use with this passage above. In addition, one could craft a sermon around the simple opening statement: ?the righteous souls (or souls of the righteous) are in the hand of God.? The remainder of the passage makes it clear that the righteous souls do suffer in the eyes of the world. How can the writer say that they are at peace? He is clearly looking at this from a very different viewpoint than most of us would today.
For background information on the Wisdom of Solomon, I recommend the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (read my review). Wisdom was written in Greek either late in the 1st century BCE or up to the persecution of the Jews by Caligula in 38-41 CE.
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(1) But the righteous souls are in the hand of God, and torment will never touch them.
(2) In the sight of the senseless they were thought to have died, And their departure was reckoned as oppression, (3) And their journey from us was considered ruin,
But they are in peace. (4) For even when in the eyes of people they seem punished, Their hope is filled with immortality.
(5) And though they are disciplined for a little while, They will benefit greatly, Because God tested them and found them worthy of himself.
(6) As gold in a furnace he tested them, And as a burnt offering he received them.
(7) And when he helps them they will shine, They will run like sparks through stubble. (8) They will judge nations and will have power over peoples, And the Lord will rule them forever. (9) Those who trust in him will understand truth, And the faithful ones will remain with him in love, Because grace and peace belong to his elect. |
The opening statement seems rather simple, but as we read on, we are led to believe this is not quite the case.
Those who do not understand the godliness of the righteous are viewed by the author as senseless (Greek ?aphron?, lacking in prudence or good judgment. This senselessness leads them to assume that the apparent result was the whole of the result. ?Senselessness? here is specifically a failure to consider the immortality of the soul.
One might also consider preaching a sermon on just how much our belief in immortality (assuming we believe that) should impact our morality or ethics. This could turn into a sermon against the text.
Irrespective of how we answer the question of immorality and its impact, those whom the writer describes are at peace with their actions. Their attitude is hopeful, in spite of?not because of?what is happening to them. One could use this text to discuss the attitude of peace. I ask myself just how much I can endure with an attitude of peace.
I highly recommend Victor Frankl?s book, ?Man?s Search for Meaning,? especially the first part in which he describes his experiences in the concentration camps and the attempt to find dignity there. function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,’location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10′); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(“
The question remains whether all suffering is discipline. Can all suffering be discipline. The unknown author of ?Wisdom? clearly takes a positive view of this.
Very likely this refers to the ?pleasing odor? to God of sacrifices in general rather than any specific type of sacrifice. Genesis 8:20-22, Noah?s sacrifice on exiting the ark, would be a good reference to use.
Our author continues to describe the actual triumph of the persecuted righteous, in opposition to what has apparently happened to them. They appear to have been snuffed out, but in fact they will shine. They are now the bottom, but eventually they will be rulers, they will be powerful, and the only person who will rule over them will be the Lord himself.
As is common in wisdom literature, understand is equated with dependence on God. |
Isaiah 25:6-9
This is a much more eschatological passage than the previous one. The focus is much more on final vindication than on the attitude of peace possessed here and now. Though the focus of both passages is on the future, Isaiah discusses only the distant future, while the author of wisdom begins from the present.
This is one of the most hopeful passages from I Isaiah. It seems to make clear that nearly all the prophets presented at least some hope along with their corrections and predictions of judgment. We have a tendency to focus on the passages of hope, but don?t forget the large numbers of messages regarding the failure of Israel and its impending doom.
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(6) And YHWH of hosts will make for all the peoples on this mountain, A feast of the best produce, a feast of aged wine, Food rich with marrow and fine wine.
(7) And he will destroy on this mountain the blanket, the blanket that is over all the people, And the veil that is covering all the nations.
(8) He will destroy death forever, And the Lord YHWH will wipe the tears from every face, And he will remove the shame of his people from the earth, Because YHWH has spoken.
(9) And it will be said in that day, Behold, this is our God. We have waited for him to save us. This is YHWH, we have hoped for him, Let?s dance for joy and rejoice in his salvation. |
The final feast is a common theme in prophetic and especially in apocalyptic literature. This feast is divided into two separate feasts in Revelation, with one being the feast for the birds at the end of the final battle (Rev. 19:17-18; Ezekiel can bear some of the responsibility for this picture as well), and the other feast is the marriage supper of the lamb (Rev. 19:5-10).
I struggled with the precise words for this translation. The implication is that the nations and people of the world are being veiled and prevented from knowing of God. ?Blanket? doesn?t reflect this imagery precisely, but is closer to a precise translation of the word used. God is promising to remove this blanket, and rule over the world himself.
1 Corinthians 15:26 seems to relate to this: ?the last enemy to be destroyed is death.?
The shame on God?s people was their wandering from him which resulted in the exile to Babylon. On the return, YHWH promises to take away the shame through the restoration of the people.
Again there is a theme of trust which can be seen also in the passage from Wisdom. Those who are now rejoicing are doing so because they put their hope in YHWH and he has now saved them. The feast includes dancing for joy, of course!! |
Psalm 24
While there is some debate about the particular situation in which Psalm 24 might have been used, it is without doubt a procession hymn. It is possible that it is used for the procession of the ark into Jerusalem to be taken to the temple. Some scholars relate it to a hypothetical autumn festival in which there may have been a procession of the enthronement of YHWH. Unfortunately, while there is evidence for such processions in other religions, there is no such evidence in Israelite religion.
I would suggest that whatever ritual in the worship service may have been the occasion for this Psalm, its conclusion holds points to a deeper meaning than simply carrying the ark to its place in Jerusalem one time. The entire sanctuary service tended to make people think about how to approach God. Using imagery common in the Bible, and much more explicit in other cultures, such as Ugarit, in which the great gods live on a holy mountain, we may here picture first the desire of the individual worshipper to be in the presence of God, and in verses 7-10 the imagery suggests God entering his own city in his own ?real? temple or palace.
One connection could be made to the new Jerusalem, which is on a ?great mountain? (Rev. 21:10) and has 12 gates (21:12), needs no temple and needs no sun for light because God himself lives there (21:22-23). Of course, Revelation, as the later writing would be deriving its imagery partially here, rather than the reverse, but the understanding is still interesting.
Another interesting application is made by Seventh-day Adventist writer Ellen White, in Desire of Ages, starting on page 833:
All heaven was waiting to welcome the Saviour to the celestial courts. As He ascended, He led the way, and the multitude of captives set free at His resurrection followed. The heavenly host, with shouts and acclamations of praise and celestial song, attended the joyous train.
She continues by describing the escorting angels give the challenge of verse seven, while those waiting respond with verse 8, and so forth. She continues:
Then the portals of the city of God are opened wide, and the angelic throng sweep through the gates amid a burst of rapturous music.
Exegetically the picture has little to commend it, but as a use of imagery, one can see how the vision flows from the city of God of Revelation 21 and from there to the scene of this Psalm. Sometimes we have to be a little bit free to get the best use of imagery!
The Psalm falls naturally into three parts:
1. Who is YHWH? (1 & 2)
2. Who can enter YHWH?s presence? (3-6)
3. The processional exchange (7-10)
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(1) For David, a Psalm. To YHWH belongs the earth and it’s fullness, The world and those who live in it.
(2) For he founded it on the waters, And on the streams he established it.
(3) Who will go up to the mountain of YHWH? Who will stand in his holy place? (4) The one whose hands are innocent, whose heart is pure, who has not worshipped an idol, and has not sworn deceitfully.
(5) He will bear a blessing from YHWH, and righteousness from the God who saves him. (6) This is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, [God of] Jacob. (Selah)
(7) Lift up, oh gates, your heads! And be lifted up, you eternal doors, And the glorious king will pass. (8) Who is this glorious king? YHWH strong and heroic! YHWH the battle hero! (9) Lift up, oh gates, your heads, And open the doors of eternity, And the glorious king will enter. (10) Who is he, this king of glory? YHWH of hosts! He is the glorious king! (selah) |
The Psalmist begins by stating who God is. He is the creator of the earth and all that is in it, including the inhabitants.
Leupold, Exposition of Psalms, makes light of the notion that this imagery could come from the common cosmological view of the ancient near east which has the earth established on the waters. But Leupold makes the common mistake of taking religious imagery too seriously with a fact oriented, scientific mind.
I have discussed the basic imagery in my essay on Psalm 104, especially in the comments on verses 1-9 which are essentially a creation story in themselves. (The remainder of the Psalm continues by portraying God?s continuing care.)
The important point here is that the sea frequently is used to represent chaos and evil in biblical imagery. For example, the beasts of Daniel 7 come up out of the sea (Daniel 7:2ff), and the great beast of Revelation 13 likewise comes up out of the sea. In the ancient near eastern imagery, this establishing of order was seen as an image of power.
There are two points to be made here. First, the imagery is powerful in itself. The fact that it doesn?t present a scientific view of cosmology is not important to that meaning. Second, however, this shows God?s people communicating God?s message using the common language, including the common imagery that people could understand.
Thus by the explicit statements our writer affirms God as the creator of everything, while by the use of the common imagery, he affirms God as one who wishes to have communion with us.
Dahood [AB Psalms I] maintains, I think correctly, that ?streams? here refers to the ocean currents, and not to the rivers.
Now the picture shifts. God is creator, and he?s willing, but who can go meet him? This calls for the pure heart, the clean hands, sincerity of mind (not swearing deceitfully) and correct focus in worship. The phrase I have translated ?not worshipped an idol? is literally ?not lifted up his soul to something vain.? The Hebrew word for ?something vain? is often used in reference to idols, and the idea of lifting up one?s soul as equating to worship is not a difficult connection to make. For detailed discussion see Dahood, [AB Psalms I].
A blessing is promised to this type of person, most particularly the blessing of going up.
The generation of those who seek God is those who are desiring to go up in the procession to meet God.
This passage is obscure. It might also be translated ?Jacob, who seeks your face? referring to the Israelites who are seeking to approach God. ?God of? is added in accordance with the LXX, though the basis for that is uncertain.
?lift up your heads? may mean rejoicing (Dahood [AB Psalms I], or ?head? in this case may mean ?lintel? (the Hebrew word can mean ?top?) and thus the picture is of the glorious king being unable to enter through such small gates. |
Revelation 21:1-6a
This is another standard passage for funerals and also for remembering those who have passed on. Much of the wording is reminiscent of our previous passages from the Hebrew scriptures.
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(1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more,
(2) and I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, descending from heaven from God, prepared as a bride decked out for her husband.
(3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s tent is with humanity, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, their God, (4) and he will wipe away each tear from their eyes, and death will no longer exist, nor mourning nor crying, nor will there be pain any more, because the first things have passed away. (5) And the one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I am making everything new.” And he said, “Write it down! For these words and faithful and true.” (6) And he said to me, “It’s done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. |
God who is the creator, now recreates. Creation and redemption go together. The same power produces both.
See my comment on Psalm 24 for more about the sea. I believe the imagery is being used in the same way here as in Psalm 24, Daniel 7, and Revelation 13. This imagery can be explained by the creation imagery of Psalm 104, and the common cosmological language of the ancient near east.
Note the reversal of the picture of Psalm 24. People are not ascending; the city is descending.
The imagery of God?s city descending is important because it reflects God?s intention to live with his people on earth. Death and sorrow are destroyed in this remade earth.
As happens frequently in Revelation, John is told to write down what he sees and assured of the validity of the message. |
John 11:32-44
The raising of Lazarus is very interesting, especially as it relates to the theology of the gospel of John. John?s Jesus does not approach the cross with any kind of fear or hesitation. We have no description here of the agony in the garden as Jesus asks that this cup be taken from him.
Instead we have the emphasis on how Jesus is carrying out his mission and how he is in control of the situation. We also have a focus on the presence of the Spirit and of the kingdom in the lives of the believers. If only they would have enough faith, they could see the Father now!
In this context we have the resurrection of Lazarus, which is almost contrived by Jesus according to the story, when he delays going to heal Lazarus. (Even though the delay makes it appear that Jesus wants Lazarus to die so he can raise him, the chronology would indicate that Lazarus may have already been dead by the time the messengers reach Jesus.) So here we have Jesus demonstrating the life-giving power prior to the resurrection. It?s interesting to note that in 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul gives one of the earliest confessions of Christian faith, he does not say anything of Lazarus, and says that Jesus is the first fruit of those who have died. It seems that Lazarus is here presented as a foretaste of the first fruit!
At the same time, Jesus is presented in this passage as very human at the same time as he is making his greatest demonstration of divine power as portrayed in the gospel of John. He is deeply moved, he cries, he instructs people to attend to the grave clothes. (Have you ever wondered why Jesus, who had just restored the body to life, left the grave clothes on?)
In the story as told by John this act both caused many to believe, and yet led others to begin the serious plotting of his death (John 11:45-53).
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(32) So then Mary, as she came where Jesus was and saw him fell at his feet saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.?
(33) Then Jesus, when he saw her crying along with the Jews who had gathered about her, was deeply troubled in his spirit and he was moved. (34) And he said, “Where have they laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, Come and see.” (35) Jesus cried. (36) So the Jews were saying, “Look how he loved him.”
(37) But certain of them said, “Couldn’t this guy who opened the eyes of the blind work it so that this man would not have died?”
(38) Then Jesus, deeply disturbed in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a rock was placed on it. (39) Jesus said, “Take the stone away!” Martha, the sister of the man who had died said, “Lord, he already stinks, since it has been four days.”
(40) Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
(41) Then they rolled the stone away. And Jesus lifted his eyes upward and said, “Father, I bless you because you have heard me. (42) But I know that you always hear me, but I said this because of the crowd standing around that they might believe that you sent me.?
(43) And when he had said these things he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus! Come out!”
(44) The dead man came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face tied with a head cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him and let him go.” |
Note the clear indications that Mary and Martha believe that Jesus could have healed Lazarus, but do not believe his power extends to bringing Lazarus back to life. This portrayal is intentional, in that it shows the need for this miracle as a sign for teaching, and also prepares us for the contrast as many believe because of it.
Why is Jesus sad, since he obviously plans to raise Lazarus? I would suggest he?s sad because of the sorrow all around him, and because of the difficulties these people have gone through. John is portraying the sympathy Jesus has for Mary and Martha.
One of the problems with miracles is that they simply create the demand for more. I would suggest this is one reason why we see few complete reversals of the natural course of things, and most ?miracles? can be easily explained in other ways. See my essay series, The Hand of God, The Hand of God: Miracles, and The Hand of God: Prayer.
Martha is the practical one. Four days have passed, and he should stink already. She assumes his intent is to view the body. One of the problems I find in listening to God, and indeed in all problem solving, is that we make assumptions of the course. What was a dumb idea if Jesus intended to view the body was a fine idea as the prelude to a resurrection.
All open-minded thinking is, in a sense, listening to God. We need to learn not to block off options and bias answers through our preconceptions. In his book Who?s Afraid of the Old Testament God, Alden Thompson points out the difficulties encountered by the Israelites in Judges 19 when they ask God who should go up against Benjamin first. They don?t leave open the option that perhaps some entirely different course should be pursued (p. 99 in the Pacesetters edition).
One of the focuses of the last few chapters of John is the manifestation of the glory of God. Here is the glorious king of Psalm 24 in a very different guise.
A very interesting case of a public, ?show? prayer by Jesus. His purpose in praying was to guarantee that the audience knew that he was doing this by the power of the Father. The crowd is to know that this is not his own power as a human, but rather the power of God.
The actual miracle is accomplished as a spoken command. Again, a great deal could be said about the spoken word in scripture. In fact, a whole theme could be made of the spoken word in Genesis 1, Psalm 24 (the first two verses) and here.
Again, one wonders why Lazarus is brought to life but left in his grave clothes. I think there is an important thing here. The primary way in which God likes to run the universe is by the natural laws. Sometimes lessons are taught through the apparent violation of those laws. But we are always left with some work to do.
But remember also that whatever is binding you, Jesus is there to say, ?Loose him and let him go.? |