Weekly Readings (5th Week of Lent)

In this post we'll focus in on the three weekly Bible passages for the 5th week of Lent.  Lent is the period of the liturgical (church) year leading up to Easter.  In most Christian denominations it lasts for forty days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.  In the Bible and in Christian faith the number forty represents a time of trial, chastisement, and trial.  It usually comes to a head in redemption or better understanding of faith in God.  The forty days in lent symbolizes the time that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry. While in the desert, conditions were hard and Christ was tempted in the worst possible way as Satan did everything to try to make Christ sin, but Jesus did not give in.  The fact he faced every temptation and feelings that we as humans feel, and did not cave into that temptation - is how Christ was able to conquer Satan on the cross and in turn forgive use of sin. 

Today's readings include Ezekiel 37, referred to as The Valley of Dry Bones - an Old Testament account of Israel's strife, but God's promise of redemption for the nation of Israel and all nations through Christ.  The Epistle is a letter to the Romans (8:1-11), and The Gospel comes from John 11.

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 37: 1-14 "The Valley of Dry Bones."  

Background: Ezekiel was an Old Testament priest who prophesied for twenty-two years in the 6th-century B.C.  The Book of Ezekiel recounts his visions while exiled in Babylon.  Contextually The Book of Ezekiel takes place in a time of turmoil for the nation of Israel as Judeans have been exiled from their home by the Babylonian Empire. Given the strife and uncertainty surrounding the Judean nation.  With a power so strong in Babylon, who worshiped false gods and idols, and yet had power it was easy to be tempted away from the one true God.  Ezekiel's prophesies reaffirm God's covenant with Israel and promise that they will be restored again and alludes to the coming of Christ.

Passage:

"The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley, it was full of bones.  And he led me around among them, and behold, there were many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.  And he said to me, "Son of man, 'can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, you know."  Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.  Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter your and you shall live.  And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord."

So I prophesied as I was commanded.  And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.  And I looked and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them.  But there was no breath in them.  Then he said to me, Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.  Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and 'our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people.  And I will bring you into the land of Israel.  And you shall know that i am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves.  O my people.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.  Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord."

Okay so let's dissect the Valley of Dry Bones.  I don't know about you, but when I first read this passage I was confused.  It reminded me of a fantasy or ghost story as I visioned the dead, dried out bones suddenly rattling and coming to life.  It took me a few reads before I began to understand the meaning of the this scripture, and once I did I was in awe of it's message of hope and the promise of God's commitment to use, even when we stand clinging to life in the desert.

In this passage the Lord appears to Ezekiel in a vision.  In the vision the Lord puts Ezekiel into the middle of a dry, dismal valley where a pile of human bones were baking dry and white on the valley of the desert floor.  The valley is a symbolism of Israel's despair, exile and the belief they were destined to die as a nation and 'indeed cut off."  The bones symbolism the house of Israel.  

God asks Ezekiel if he believes the bones can come to live, "Son of man, can these bones live?" Ezekiel by this point in the scripture had previously witnessed the miraculous hand of God and had  a strong faith in God's abilities.  So instead of answering the way you and I would, "No bones cannot live," Ezekiel's responds with faith: 'O Lord God, you know.' 

God then dramatically shows Ezekiel his power over life and death.  God first instructs Ezekiel to preach to the bones in an effort for the dead, dry bones to come to life once more. Surprisingly the bones begin to rattle and come together in human form, soon flesh is put on the bones and the four winds of the world blow breath into the bones.  Suddenly the valley of dry dead bones is alive because of God and given a new life.

So the desert symbolizes exile of the nation of Israel and a time of trial and uncertainty.  The Bones represent the whole house of Israel and though dead at first they come to live and God offers a promise of a new life and message of hope for his people of better things to come and a new life (eventually in Christ)

Fulfillment of Prophecy: 

1) 50 years after Ezekiel's prophecy the Israelites began to return to Jerusalem.

2) The long-term promise of God's ability to conquer death (death is a result of sin) by salvation in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross.

Epistle: Romans 8:1-11 *Note* And Epistle is a letter, and in this case is a collection of letters the Apostle Paul wrote to people in Rome to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Book of Romans is the longest of the Pauline Epistle books within the New Testament

Passage: Romans 8:1-11 "Life in the Spirit" 
 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 

 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 

 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Romans discusses how we struggle with sin and our chance of salvation through Jesus Christ.  God's Law declares that all people who sin, thus breaking the law deserve to die.    Howeer in this Epistle, Paul concisely summarizes God's reverse declaration for those who follow Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately we all become subject to sin and giving into temptation and because of this sinful nature even the best of people cannot fully uphold God's law.  In God's compassion and love he sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ to fulfill the law for us, as we cannot do it ourselves.  

Christ was able to do what we can not.  Lots of people assume that when Christ (God) came down to earth he didn't face the temptations or hardships we face on a day to day basis, but this is not true.  Jesus faced every temptation and had the same emotions and experiences as we do.  However despite being tempted and having the same feelings and emotions we as humans face, Christ did not cave in.  He fully upheld God's Law, and did not give into temptation.  Christ did not sin although we see him tempted in many ways: by Satan in the desert and even while on the cross, Christ held firm and died free of sin, therefore allowing us to be saved and have eternal life.

Gospel Reading: John 11 "The Death of Lazarus, I am the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus Weeps and Jesus Raises Lazarus." 

Chapter 11 of John is one of the landmark stories of Christ's ministry and his miracles.  The miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead directly set the wheels in motion for Jesus unfair arrest and crucifixion.  It once again reinforces the power of God, Jesus as a man with compassion and feeling (when Jesus wept it shows how he felt sadness, pain and emotions exactly as we do).

This is a long passage and one that deserves an entire blog entry so for now I'll run down the basic outline of John 11 and highlight key themes.

The chapter deals with the death and resurrection of Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus and the  brother of Martha and Mary.  Lazarus lived in the small village of Bethany east of Jerusalem.  When he fell ill, word was sent to Jesus of Lazarus's illness.  When Jesus heard of it he said "This illness does not lead to death.  It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, instead of rushing back to save him it was decided to wait an extra two days.  This delay was not out of love or compassion for Lazarus, who was a dear friend, in fact it was the opposite. Essentially Jesus saw this as a good opportunity in his last days to show the power of God over death and Christ's manifestation of power and grace obedient to His Father's will.  Jesus knew that even if Lazarus died, through his father in heaven, he would have the power to raise Lazarus from the dead.

When Jesus arrived at Lazarus's house, he had been dead four days.  This is significant because in Jewish tradition of the time, it was believed the spirit of a person hovered over the body for three days.  By the fourth day all life was gone, so to raise someone from death on the fourth day was a true miracle and something only God could do.  

Jesus met with Martha who said: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died..." Jesus proceeds to tell her: "Your brother will rise again." Martha replies: "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."  Jesus then said to her this famous and important statement: "I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?" Martha said she believed in his words and Jesus proceeded to the tomb of Lazarus. En route he sees Mary and we see how despite being God, Jesus feels human emotion as we do:

"(33) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he 'was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. (34) And he said, "Where have you laid him?" The said to him, "Lord, come and see." (35) Jesus wept.  So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 

Jesus went into the tomb, a cave, where Lazarus was being held, and it stunk of death and the body was beginning to decompose.  Jesus said a prayer to his Father, God "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I Knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me." When he had sad these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out."  The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

As we draw closer to Easter, this story is a turning point in Jesus ministry. The miracle of the raising of Lazarus, is the climax of John's "signs". It explains the crowds seeking Jesus on Palm Sunday, and leads directly to the decision of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin to plan to kill Jesus - and is the first domino to drop so Christ's ultimate sacrifice occurs: dying on the cross to forgive us for sin.

Thanks for checking out my blog.  In the next few days I will be posting summaries from the Chronological readings in Genesis from the time of the Fall to the Flood.  I will also be doing a feature on Episcopal Relief and Development, a non-profit organization headed by the Episcopal Church to help those suffering worldwide.

Genesis: The Creation Hymn

Genesis 1-2:25 "The Creation Hymn"

The Creation Hymn details how the universe was created. As I mentioned earlier it is important to remember that The Bible begins with God, not with philosophic arguments for His existence. God has always been and always will be. It's hard for us to understand this concept as we on earth have such a definite timeline versus the infinity of God's time, of course once we cross over after this life we will begin to have a clearer understanding of this infinity. However on earth we do not, and that's why trusting that God has been, and always will be is a key element to faith.

I like to think of it like this. To us some of the oldest structures are the Pyramids (just an example) and they are approximately 4500 years old. You look at a mountain in the Rockies and some of that rock is 1.4 billion years old...God's time is similar to that rock...it is stable and linear. We come into the time line later on, however the creation of the universe and the events in the Bible and occurring now are part of God's master plan.

Okay so we all know that God created the Universe in Seven Days. Creationalists believe that each day was a 24 hour period, others feel that God's 'day' was a longer period. I tend to agree with the latter, but respect the Creationalist theory. The word "day" is used in Scripture in four ways 1: that part of the solar day of 24 hours, which is light. 2) a period of 24 hours, 3)a time set apart for some distinctive purpose as "The Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27)" and 4)a longer period of time, during which certain revealed purposes of God are accomplished. The use of "evening" and "morning" may be held to limit "day"to the solar day, but frequent parabolic use of natural phenomena may warrant the conclusion that it simply means that each creative day was a period of time marked off by a beginning and ending

God's Creation of the World is presented in three stages over the course of seven days:

- Declaration of the creation of matter out of nothingness

- Ordering of Creation

- Filling of Creation, in which God puts inanimate objects and animate beings on the earth.

God enacts three creative acts within the 7 days chronicled in the Creation Hymn:

1. The Heavens and the Earth

2. Animal Life and vegetation

3. Humans

Let's break down the days:

Day One:

Passage: Genesis 1:1-3  1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

God's initial creative act resulted in shapeless matter that God molded and arranged or ordered in several stages.  The Light mentioned was not the sun, which did not become visible until the fourth day.

Day Two:  6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 

God introduces three fundamental distinctions in the physical world: sky, sea, and dry land

Day Three:  9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

The Third Day of Creation is a biggie.  It is on this day that vegetation, which will allow future animals and human life to be sustained on the earth as the vegetation provides food, shelter and we know know regulates our air and seasonal weather.

Day Four:  14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

The Fourth day God creates the sun, moon, and stars...the stars help guide the seasons and days and years are created.  I read in a guide to the symbolism of numbers in the Bible that the number '4' represents creation, which is evident in this passage.  The Four Seasons the four corners of the earth, etc...not a major point, but very interesting!  

Day Five:  20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

God creates the birds and fish of the sea.  He also issues his first explicit blessing in  in the Bible.  By pronouncing a blessing, God granted the power of procreation to the animals he created.  His blessing shows his consideration for the creatures welfare ad care.

Day Six: 4 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

The Sixth Day is a major day in the Creation Hymn for a number of reasons.  First, God created livestock, animals/creatures, which could roam on the earth's land, not just in the sea or sky.    Most importantly this is the day God created us - he created Man.  God then blesses the human race (then Adam and soon to be Eve) and gives them dominion of the earth.  This shows that God puts us as caretakers of the earth and to tend his creation.

God made us in HIS image, which has typically come to mean that man is personal, rational, and a moral being. While God is infinite and man finite, nevertheless man possesses the elements of personality similar to those of the divine Person: thinking, feeling, and willing. It is important as humans to remember that God made us, and gave us dominion over the world, however God is above us in all things, and anything we choose to do on this earth should be in accordance with his will, not our own pride or selfishness. We will discuss this a bit more in the next entry when we discuss Adam and Eve, the Fall, and Adam's line.

I also think it's interesting that Man was created on the Sixth Day.  In the Bible the number 7 is typically associated with God's divinity.  Man is made on a day just short of seven, showing how we are made in the likeness of God, but that God is above us.  

Another Note: I think it's very topical to consider the task that God gave the human race.  He gave us dominion over the creatures of the earth and vegetation, however in that gift, God expected us to tend and take care of the earth he'd given us to live off of.  He expected us to respect and care for the earth and the creatures inhabiting it.  This wasn't just a silly request, but a practical one.  God knew that as long as we cared for the earth then we could live off of it.  Unfortunately we have faltered on our responsibility and we will suffer for it.  As the efforts of pollution and lack of conservation takes hold, we will be faced with extreme weather and will be forced to either change our ways or face the consequences of our actions.  I'll be the first to admit I'm guilty of contributing to the pollution, however if we make small steps to change our ways and take on the task to preserve the earth as God commanded us then I think we can do a lot of good.

Day Seven:  2: 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Insights:

"it was good..." So why does God say that refrain at the end of everyday in the Creation Hymn?  God judged that this first step in ordering His creation conformed to His will.  God is purely good and therefore everything he creates within his will is good.  Don't kid yourself, God was logically planning and crafting a creation that was pleasing to him.  He thought it out to the smallest detail.  When you look at a craggy cliff or a rambling creek, God planned it all to a tee.  I personally believe that God uses natural forces, and science to mold the mountains and sea, because God is a logical God.  He has a plan and when you step outside notice the grass and wind and the trees and God's hand crafted it.  

In Genesis 1:26 scripture says "And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..."  Why the 'we'?  A lot of people unfamiliar with the Christian faith have a hard time understanding the Trinity.  We are a monotheistic religion, however God is made up of a Trinity: God, Christ and the Holy Spirit - the form one God - The Trinity. At first it's easy to assume that God didn't have the plan of sending Christ to save man thousands of years after the world's creation, but here we see the vastness and preeminence of God's plan.  

Quote from Study Bible: While affirming the singularity of God, it is not unusual for the Old Testament (OT) to use the plural when speaking of God and his activities.  This anticipates the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.  

Some scholars believe this to only be a grammatical device, a plural of majesty or an honorific plural, with no specific theological significance.  I personally tend to think that when God refers to himself as 'We' it foreshadows the Trinity as from the offset of the fall, it seems obvious that God is working toward Christ and ultimate redemption for mankind.

Thanks for reading this entry.  Next up in this Weeks Chronological readings I'll summarize Adam and Eve and the Fall.  I'll also be posting another entry soon on the Lectionary readings and their significance in the 5th Sunday of Lent.