Reading Through Ezekiel #3

We continue the journey through the strange book of Ezekiel accompanied by Ezekiel The College Press NIV Commentary, by Brandon Fredenburg. In this section, Ezekiel publishes prophecies of judgments against the nations surrounding Jerusalem, demonstrating God’s sovereignty over those nations. I am posting quotes from the book on my Facebook page on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (NT is Mon-Wed-Fri) and we can discuss comments and questions about the passage there. As usual, quotes from the commentary are in blue below…

Chapter 25 begins a section (25-32) of judgment on the Gentile nations. Ezekiel begins with judgments of the smaller nations adjacent to Israel. He moves around Jerusalem starting in the East, with Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia with an extended prophecy against Tyre. Because these nations assisted or approved of Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem, they would experience destruction from the same source. God would give their lands to others and ultimately to Israel. This would be a great encouragement to the exiles that God was still in control and would maintain His covenant with them.

Yahweh’s vengeance is extended on behalf of his people and, here, without any intervening agent. Yahweh himself will do it without human instrumentality. Such a notion subtly points to Yahweh’s gracious, unilateral action in preparing the land for his own people. Ezekiel 25, 234

A high view of Scripture compels us to respect what Scripture says on its own terms, especially when what it says, and does not say, is perplexing and affords no completely satisfying solution.
Ezekiel 26.7-14, 241

Chapter 27 pictures Tyre, with its multinational trade, as an overloaded merchant ship filled with goods which sinks in a storm in the sea. Tyre's pride and self-sufficiency are wiped out in one night by God. Chapter 28 prophecies against both the human king of Tyre (Ethbaal III) and the spiritual king behind Tyre who both arrogantly exceeded their authority and tried to take the place of God. For that they would be removed. The section ends with a promise of removal of the oppressing nations in the region and of a full restoration of God's people to their land and covenant blessings.

Tyre’s primary export was arrogance and self-sufficiency; all those who also traded in these commodities had reason to fear for their safety. Ezekiel 27, 247

In the ancient Near East, kings were considered to participate in the patron deity’s supernatural radiance and awe. Ezekiel’s comment deflates the king of Tyre’s view of himself, it also suggests the Babylonian overthrow of the Tyrian patron deity, Melkart. Ezekiel 28.6-10, 250

It was never Yahweh’s purpose for punishment to be the last word among his people. Instead, woven into the fabric of the Mosaic covenant itself is Yahweh’s determination to bring his people back to himself after he implements the full range of covenant curses. Ezekiel 28.25-26, 256

Chapters 29-32 contain 7 oracles against the nation of Egypt. Egypt was a historic oppressor of Israel and Jerusalem, who had tempted them into alliance against Babylon. Ezekiel is making sure that the exiles understand that Egypt is an unreliable ally. Egypt is also condemned for its oppression, its arrogance, its idolatry and its defiance of God. God will reduce this powerful nation down to irrelevancy on the world stage.

In the struggle for sovereignty, Yahweh will always win. Ezekiel 29, 259

Yahweh wanted the other nations of the world to learn the lesson of mighty Assyria’s downfall: if it can happen to the most powerful, it can happen to anyone. This is the lesson Egypt failed to learn and for which Assyria’s punishment would be her own. Ezekiel 31, 272

Against arrogance, Yahweh has the last word. And that last word is shameful humiliation. Ezekiel 32, 272

Traveling–San Diego

After flying from Dallas to Los Angeles for the TRACS conference I made a quick overnight side trip to San Diego to see my newest granddaughter. Even though I didn’t have much time it was good to spend it with Matt and family. Here are a couple of the pictures I took to send to grandma. Milo is in the picture above, with Ahni on the left and Matt and Meika on the right.

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes–Parables of Jesus #3

This is the third of four discussions on Jesus’ parables in Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels, by Kenneth E. Bailey. The main purpose of this book is to take a fresh look at the Gospels in the context of Middle Eastern culture. Here we will look at three more parables from the Gospel of Luke. I welcome comments and discussion on my Facebook page. I am using the Logos version of the book. This is a book I would highly recommend that you add to your library.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector Luke 18.9-14

Bailey sees this parable as a "brilliant update" of the prophetic sermon in Isaiah 66. The point is that righteousness (right standing with God in relationship) is a gift that is only received through God providing atonement to which the response is worship and striving to live a life pleasing to the God who graciously accepts us. Thus, self-righteousness is the most dangerous barrier to real righteousness before God.

In the popular mind, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is a simple story about prayer. One man prays an arrogant prayer and is blamed for his attitudes. The other prays humbly and is praised for so doing. Too often the unconscious response becomes, Thank God, we’re not like that Pharisee! But such a reaction demonstrates that we are indeed like him! 343

Going down from the temple, the Pharisee is downgraded from “the Pharisee” and is referred to dismissively, as “that one.” One man goes to the temple for worship confident that his pious achievements guarantee his status as one of the righteous. The tax collector, who feels that the lamb could not possibly have atoned for his sins, is the one whom Jesus pronounces justified/accepted in God’s presence. Luke 18.9-14, 349–350

Sin for Jesus is not primarily a broken law but a broken relationship. The tax collector yearns to accept the gift of God’s justification, while the Pharisee feels he has already earned it. Luke 18.9-14, 350

The Parable of the Compassionate Employer Matthew 20.1-16

The emphasis in this parable is on the owner of the vineyard, who represents God. It presents God as a compassionate master who gets involved in the lives of needy people and helps them to become what they need to become. The master comes to hire throughout the day because he cares for the dignity of the men who want to work and do not get hired. He pays a full days wage to all the workers because he is generous. The workers who view the relationship as contractual are angry at this generosity. Again the challenge to us is to be thankful for God's grace rather than seeing God's blessings as earned.

This parable presents the overpaid, not the underpaid. The story focuses on an equation filled with amazing grace, which is resented by those who feel that they have earned their way to more.  Matthew 20.1-16, 360

The master’s compassionate response is a model for all. He finds a way to respect the dignity of the workers, encourages rather than short-circuits their self-reliance and sees that their basic needs are met. He offers a hand up not a handout, and he tries deliberately to educate the entire workforce in these matters. Matthew 20.1-16, 362

Against the expectations of his class, the master in this parable does not remain aloof. His compassion leads him to go to the hurting himself and thereby incarnate his deep concern as he demonstrates costly love to the “poor.” Jesus is describing his own ministry. Bethlehem and Jerusalem join hands. Incarnation and atonement kiss each other. Self-giving takes on the form of offers of costly love. Matthew 20.1-16, 363

The Parable of the Serving Master Luke 12.35-38

Bailey sees the point of this parable as God, the master, graciously shares with his faithful and obedient servants from the luxurious food served at His kingdom banquet. It is very unlike the way a master in the culture would have acted and it goes against the popular view of God. The picture of the slaves reclining and the master serving is the picture of a loving gracious God who "washes the feet" of His people. If the character of God is to be a servant, how much more should we be focused on service. 

Servants/slaves who have lamps lit, robes duly belted and are awake, eagerly expecting the arrival of the master, are already filled with the blessing of God and are a blessed presence in the household. The way they act is an expression of who they are, not an attempt to earn something they do not have. Luke 12.35, 372

This is where the slave ceases to be a slave and becomes a partner in love and a partner in glory. This is where those who are loved sit at the table of the one who loves. This is where one who loves is girded with glory and he sits and feeds them from his own body and gives them to drink from his cup. This is the fulfillment of a true promise given by the savior as a covenant which he resolutely took upon himself when he said, “I will not eat from this Passover meal except in the kingdom.” This is where he shares with us his joy and his glory. The Christ fulfills this when he wills and chooses, and it is his pleasure to complete this in a sacramental mystery with those who stay awake, those whom the world has rejected and repudiated. Luke 12.35-38, 373

In the parable the messianic wedding banquet is in progress. Our Master will leave that banquet and return to us at the time of his choosing. We expectantly await his coming. He will bring a portion of the banquet with him and serve it to us himself. Participation in this drama, that began with the ministry of Jesus and stretches to our death and to the eschaton, creates meaning and identity. This is who we are. Luke 12.35-38, 377

Reading Through Ezekiel #2

We continue the journey through the strange book of Ezekiel accompanied by Ezekiel The College Press NIV Commentary, by Brandon Fredenburg. In this section, Ezekiel has to deal with the misconception among the exiles that Jerusalem was impregnable because of the temple. I am posting quotes from the book on my Facebook page on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (NT is Mon-Wed-Fri) and we can discuss comments and questions about the passage there. As usual, quotes from the commentary are in blue below…

The next three chapters introduce a section (12-24) that deals with the misconception of the people that God's blessing was tied to the land and temple and therefore God would not allow them to be destroyed. Ezekiel forcefully shows that God has abandoned the people in Jerusalem because of their idolatry. The king will be defeated, his armies killed, humiliated and taken to Babylon. The false prophets, who are saying that "everything will be all right," will be proven wrong by the destruction of the temple and by their own deaths.

Yahweh’s flight from the temple is not only because it has been defiled (8:6); it is also to demonstrate that he is not limited in his actions by their limited conceptions of him. The bad theology of the exiles is, in principle, no barrier to Yahweh’s blessing them. Nevertheless, Yahweh is not at all content for the exiles to continue in their false perceptions. Ezekiel 12, 113

Part of what made them false prophets was their easy willingness to announce covenant blessings without sufficiently laboring to call people to account for their covenant violations. In short, false prophets were superficial social critics eager to proclaim Yahweh’s final period of covenant blessing without first announcing the responsibilities necessary to enjoy them. Ezekiel 12-13, 123

In e second half of chapter 14, along with chapters 15 and 16, Ezekiel gives us 3 pictures of why God is just to destroy Jerusalem. First, he uses the stories of 3 people (Job, Noah, Daniel) who were able to save themselves by their righteousness, but not the people around them. In the 2nd analogy he turns upside down the traditional grapevine imagery for Israel. If a grapevine is not bearing grapes, it is useful only for firewood. Finally, he compares (16) Jerusalem to a nymphomaniac prostitute wife. God did everything for Jerusalem, but she took his wonderful gifts and used them to indulge herself in the fertility cults and in political alliances with other nations rather than trusting God and his covenant. The only solution was the removal of Jerusalem so she could be cleansed and restored in the future.

The righteous character of these three (is) compared to the treachery of those still in the homeland. By this measure, no one other than these three could be exempted because of their righteousness. The righteousness of the fathers does not overcome the treachery of the children. Ezekiel 14.12-20, 138

“And so the parable is one of the failure of function. God had given Israel a task to undertake, but she had failed to fulfill it.” Jerusalem is useful for only one thing now. It is ready to be burned. Ezekiel 15, 140

The depth of love, care, and concern he had for his wife Jerusalem could not have been greater or more lavish. The depth of her treachery could not have been more depraved and indifferent...By not turning Jerusalem over for community disgrace and punishment, Yahweh would have been undermining essential community values of honor and shame. His inaction would have been interpreted as allying himself with her shameful activity. Ezekiel 16.43, 151

Ezekiel 17-20 continue the section that explains the reasons for the impending fall of Jerusalem and calls for the exiles to repent before it happens so they can experience God's blessing in Babylon. Israel's final four kings were disasters who broke covenant with God and man, oppressed their own people and led the nation in idolatry. The people were also guilty of ignoring God and His covenant. The past actions of the nation made the destruction of Jerusalem inevitable, but the people could be blessed by God in Babylon if they would repent and live according to God's way.

Yahweh’s action is an action of reversal and utter grace. It is he who will dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. Indeed, since he has spoken, it is certain: he will do it. Yahweh will reestablish a Davidic king by his own gracious action in his own good time in his own sovereign way. Ezekiel 17, 162

It was certainly true that the evil actions of a father could have sorry consequences for his children. But it was not true that God held people responsible for the actions of others. Each must answer for his or her own life.” Ezekiel 18, 174

Bound up with Yahweh’s patience is his determination to fulfill the purpose of the covenants: intimate relationship between himself and his people, particularly manifested in worship. Ezekiel 20, 181

Chapters 21-24 are the final part of this section which shows the inevitability and reasons for YHWH bringing all the covenant curses down on to Jerusalem. 21 portrays the calling of the sword of Nebuchadnezzar as God's instrument of judgment. God will direct and empower his sword until Jerusalem and its people are completely destroyed. 22 gives three basic justifications for this: The leaders shed the blood of the innocent to enrich and empower themselves; they are not fully committed to love God (idolatry) and they ignore God's laws. Chapter 23 indicts Jerusalem with disgusting and profane language as a whoring wife who deserves a worse punishment than Samaria. Finally the beginning of the siege and inevitable fall of Jerusalem are announced in chapter 24.

And you have forgotten me, declares Lord Yahweh. All the previously mentioned sins are attributable to this one cause. This claim strongly implies that the sins that characterized Jerusalem were not simply individual lapses in judgment or holiness. Instead, they point to a deeper, wholesale defection from Yahweh’s will as disclosed in the Sinaitic covenant. Ezekiel 22, 204

The final pronouncement summarizes the reason Oholibah/ Jerusalem must be destroyed. Though married to Yahweh, she has treated him with utter contempt...Because of the disdain Oholibah/Jerusalem had for their marriage and Yahweh’s graciousness, he will cause her to bear the consequences of her lewdness and whorings. Ezekiel 23, 216

Ezekiel has been their inspired interpreter of the purpose and need for Yahweh to invoke the covenant curses upon the city. The time for warning, pleading, and leniency was finally over. On that very day, Jerusalem was besieged; eighteen months later, it will fall. Ezekiel 24, 223

Traveling–Texas Trick or Treat

My last day in Texas with my daughter and grand-daughter was trick or treat day. Leila was pretty excited for it all day. I have to say that trick or treating in Texas is a little bit different than anywhere else I have ever been. Everyone is out in their front yards, There is very little “hit-and-run” candy acquisition. Almost every piece of candy is distributed with conversation. I was even invited inside a couple times for real food. And they really do the decorations big. Here are a few pictures from the evening. Above Leila shows off her triumphant candy acquisition. In the other two pictures we are getting ready to go out. Leila wanted to take a picture of her plastic frog. We played with it for hours

We met some interesting people. Leila ended the evening helping to distribute candy.

Some people went all out with their decorations

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes–Parables of Jesus #2

We now continue the discussion on Jesus’ parables in Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels, by Kenneth E. Bailey. The main purpose of this book is to take a fresh look at the Gospels in the context of Middle Eastern culture. Here we will look at three more parables from the Gospel of Luke. I welcome comments and discussion on my Facebook page. I am using the Logos version of the book. This is a book I would highly recommend that you add to your library.

The Parable of the Great Banquet, Luke 14.15-24

This parable builds on, explains and confirms the great kingdom banquet prophecy of Isaiah 25 that will include the pious Jews, the outcasts and the Gentiles. By the time of Jesus the passage had been reworked into a defense of the law that would bar the second two groups. Jesus warns the Jewish leadership that their rejection of him (the excuses for not attending are bogus and insulting) would not slow down God's intention for the kingdom in any way. The outcasts and Gentiles will be part of it, but those leaders who reject Jesus will be on the outside. God will turn their rejection into grace for the whole world.

Jesus is referring to the outcasts within Israel, the “people of the land,” the common people who heard him gladly. These folk are now welcomed into the banquet even though they are not worthy to be seated with such a noble host and the possibility of their repaying him with a similar banquet is out of the question. 317

Ibn al-Tayyib writes, “Oblige them to come in.” This does not mean compulsion or force or persecution, but refers to the strength of the need for urgent solicitation, because those living outside the town see themselves as unworthy to enter into the places of the rich and eat banquets. Such outsiders need someone to confirm that there is indeed a welcome awaiting them there." Luke 14.23, 318

For Jesus, the messianic banquet has begun and that great banquet is his banquet. The religious leaders listening to him are welcome, but if they refuse to attend, the banquet will proceed with the “people of the land,” the outcasts of Israel and will eventually be extended to the Gentiles. Luke 14.15-24, 318

The Parable of the Two Builders Luke 6.46-49

Bailey sees this short parable as being based on the parables in Isaiah 28.14-18 and Ezekiel 33.29-33. Both of these parables were originally preached in a crisis situation in which the people of Jerusalem were relying on the Jewish temple as their protection from destruction rather than God's covenant. Jesus' situation is the same. He warns the people that the only reliable protection in the coming crisis is his own person rather than the temple or the city. Sadly they did not respond and the temple and city were destroyed by the Romans.

Jesus was saying, “I am the foundation stone, I am the Sheteyah. Build on me and my words and you will not be shaken. Isaiah’s parable of the destroyed building and the promised new foundation is not fulfilled in Qumran or the second temple, but in me and my words.” Luke 6.46-49, 327

The parables which deal with the impending crises were each uttered in a particular concrete situation, a fact which is essential for their understanding. It is not their purpose to propound moral precepts, but to shock into realization of its danger a nation rushing upon its own destruction, and more especially its leaders, the theologians and priests. But above all they are a call to repentance. Luke 6.46-49, 328

Throughout the New Testament there is witness to the astounding fact that a person had replaced a building. In faith and baptism believers in Jesus Christ become part of that temple. Luke 6.46-49, 328–329

The Parable of the Unjust Steward Luke 16.1-8

Bailey thinks that this parable must be understood together with the parable of the prodigal son. In both stories the generous master is treated badly by the son/servant and in both stories the evil of the son/servant is exposed but the master chooses to absorb the cost of their sin. The servant takes advantage of the master's generosity, in order to make himself popular. Jesus condemns the wrong in this, yet recognizes the cleverness.

In this story silence is a confession of guilt. It is also a confession regarding the nature of the master, who cannot be manipulated or pressured...From Adam onward, sinners, when confronted by God, never successfully offer excuses for the evil they have done, but like Adam they often try. Luke 16.1-8, 336

At the end of the story, Jesus calls him “a son of this age/world.” He is smart enough to know that his only hope is to put his entire trust in the unqualified mercy of his generous master. His morals are deplorable. Nonetheless, Jesus wants “the sons of light” to use their intelligence, like the dishonest steward, and to trust completely in the mercy of God for their salvation. The prodigal son made a similar decision. Luke 16.1-8, 341

God is a God of justice, mercy and great personal integrity (honor). His sense of justice leads him to dismiss the rascal. His mercy is demonstrated in the decision to dismiss the servant rather than sell or imprison him for his thefts. It also shows in agreeing to pay the price for the servant’s salvation. Luke 16.1-8, 341

Travel #2–Family Weekend

I timed the Dallas portion of my trip this year so I could spend a weekend with my daughter Missy and 4 year old grand-daughter Leila. I spent Saturday morning at the Wind Festival on the Trinity River bank and watched Missy place 3rd in the women’s division of 4.5 mile race. I got Leila a grape sno-cone and watched her dominate the bounce houses. We even got to, sort of, fly a kite. I then gave Missy a break from single-mom duties so she could spend some time with her friends on Saturday night – Leyla and spent 4 hours playing the “frog game” (her invention) and then watched some videos. I took Leila to church on Sunday morning and she enjoyed some very energetic worship dancing. Here are a few pictures of the Weekend. Trick or treat pictures will follow in the next post.

Here are the start and finish pictures of Missy’s race

Leila enjoyed the Sunday morning church service