The Lesson of Masada

Masada 

It has been five years since I last posted anything in this blog, quite a long time for writer's block and much has happened in the interim.  I have been away from the writing but not from my study of the. Bible. I hope that I have learned much. I hope that I am closer to God and that I can count myself among His friends.

The picture on this page is an image of Masada, the fortress that Herod the Great carved out of a mountain plateau overlooking the Dead Sea.  Herod used it as a winter palace and as a haven from enemies. Its ruins still show signs of the beautiful frescoes that were once painted on its walls, and the remains of cisterns, storerooms, and walls are remnants of a past lost to time but not memory.

After the Romans destroyed the Second Temple of the Jews in 70 A.D., a group of Jews fled to Masada.  They remained there until  73 AD when the Romans laid siege on the fortress, built a circular ramp and began an ascent toward the summit. The climb proved futile, for upon reaching the top, they found  960 men, women, and children dead in a mass suicide.  The Jews had chosen to commit suicide rather than being taken captive by the Romans.

Masada made an impression on me not so much for its historical significance as for the realization that our actions, which we can control put in motion a whole series of events which we cannot control.  Only God knows the future, but he puts it within our power to control our present actions. In Luke 19: 41-44, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, saying, Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you in on every side, and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation. Jesus was referring to the destruction of the Temple, but that event set in motion a whole series of events leading to the siege of Masada. He wept for His people then as he weeps for us now when we turn from him.

I write this in the midst of a pandemic that experts claim will kill at least 100,000 people in the United States alone before it is over. But what do the experts know?  Only God knows what the end result will be.  It is the season of Lent.  Will we use this time to turn back to God or will we make Jesus weep?

1 Samuel: Speak Lord

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judg. 21:25.  

The first and second book of Samuel focus on five pivotal biblical figures, Hannah, Samuel, Eli, Saul, and David.  They demonstrate the outcome of perseverance and great faith in God, as well as the outcome of disobedience of God's law.  They turn the course of Salvation history according to God's plan and promise, and they show God's eternal presence in the lives of His children.  We can learn a valuable lesson from each.  The first one we will look at is Hannah.

Hannah is a lowly figure,  the beloved but childless wife of Elkanah, a man of Ephraim. Shamed and abused by her husband's other wife Peninnah who has borne Elkanah sons and daughters, Hannah vows to the Lord, If you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me and not forget your maidservant but will give to your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head. 1Samuel 1:10-11.  While Hannah is praying, she is approached and rebuked by Eli, the priest who presumes her to be drunk. How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you. 1Sam.1:13 

Hannah is not drunk; she replies, No my lord, I am a woman sorely troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.  Do not regard your maidservant as a base woman, for all along, I have been speaking out  of my great anxiety and vexation. 1Sam. 1:14-16.  Eli responds, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition. 1Sam.1:17.

If we read carefully these first few verses in 1 Samuel, we can glean some important details that should serve as teaching moments for ourselves.  We might ask ourselves, for instance, how often we tend to overlook the plight of others.  Do we often rush to judgement as Eli did, sure of our place in the temple? As Peninnah, are we boastful of our family's accomplishments in front of those who may be undergoing great trials and sorrow?

We learn indeed in these opening verses that God rewards great faith, humility and perseverance.  He hears Hannah's prayer and He answers her.  ...the Lord remembered her, and in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, ' I have asked him of the Lord.' 1Sam. 1:19-20.  Hannah did not forget her vow before God.  She gave her son back to God as she had promised. For this child I prayed; and the Lord has granted me my petition which I made to him.  Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord. 1Sam 1:27-28.  Let us not forget our promises to the Lord.
Hannah

Young Samuel

Ruth

In between the book of Judges and 1 and 2 Samuel is the story of Ruth.  It has been called a "delightful" little story, but upon a careful reading, we may find it full of meaning both for its time and in ours.  It is the story of a couple, Naomi (my delight) and Elimelech (my God is king), who leave Bethlehem in Judah during a famine and migrate to the land of the Moabites, former oppressors of the Benjaminites.  Their two sons marry Moabite women, Ruth (she who comforts) and Orpah( she who turns her back).  The men in the family, die and Naomi is forced to return to her home.  She implores her daughters-in law to remain with their people, for there is nothing to bind them to her any longer.  Neither daughter-in-law wants to leave Naomi, but she insists and Orpah goes.  Ruth remains by her side, and her words have become memorialized in weddings ever since. Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God; where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.  She continues with an oath,  May the Lord do so to me and more also if even death parts me from you. Ruth 1:16,17.

In the context of its time, the story of Ruth occurs when marriage between Jews and foreign women was discouraged, precisely because the fragile Jewish identity needed to be preserved and protected from pagan influences. It is interesting that for some reason or other, marriage between races, religions, and cultures has only recently become accepted in our own day.  Those who objected often pointed out  problems that would have to be overcome within the families of such unions. Often objections were the result of intolerance of one another. The Book of Ruth serves to illustrate that God intended all humanity to be a part of His divine plan. Like the benevolent father that He is, He guides His children through all manner of life events, unfolding His plan as life goes on.

As the story goes, Ruth and her mother-in-law reach Bethlehem during harvest time.  Ruth goes immediately to work, gleaning after the harvesters.  Her demeanor is humble; her work is meticulous and careful.  She is noticed by Boaz, a relative of Elimelech, her former father-in-law.  Intrigued by her loyalty and humility, Boaz decides to become responsible for her and ends up marrying her.  So it happens that Ruth, a foreigner, becomes the great grandmother of King David and ancestor of Jesus.  Because she chooses God and remains faithful to her promise, Ruth plays a key role in the history of Salvation, all according to God's divine plan.

Ruth's memorial words to Naomi remind us of the importance of family, of loyalty and of faithfulness to the oaths we take.  She is a model of perseverance in hard times which come to us all on our pilgrim journey through life.  Ruth reminds us also of the words of St. Paul, Your life is hid with Christ in God. Col 3:3  God is present in everything that we do, and in everything that happens, and even in the smallest detail of our lives. We need only to remain true.

Judges

Judges begins with the arrival of the Israelites in Canaan and their gradual settlement of the lands they have been assigned.  The main problem, persistent throughout salvation history, is that this generation has failed to know God. They have failed to honor their commitment to serve the Lord as promised to Joshua, The Lord we will serve and His voice we will obey. Josh.24:24.

In Judges we continue to see the basic theme of Salvation History: sin, punishment and salvation, and we witness God's unending faithfulness.  He remains patient and true amidst the corruption and weak will of the people, and in times of great difficulties, He offers His divine protection by raising up charismatic leaders, the "judges" to save His people.  God calls each of them to fulfill his divine purpose in leading His people out of the conditions in which they find themselves as a result of their sinfulness and infidelity. Those of us who are reading judges get a good idea of the saying, "God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called," when we read of the exploits of each judge.

While there are twelve judges, one for each tribe, only six are written about at length in the book.  They are far from being perfect people. Gideon questions God as we all tend to do. Pray, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this befallen us? Judg. 6:13.  And God says to him, Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you? Judg. 6:14. Just like us, Gideon offers one excuse after another. Pray, Lord, how can I deliver Israel?  Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. Judg. 6:15  Gideon has the audacity to ask the Lord for a sign. If thou wilt deliver Israel by my hand, as thou hast said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece alone and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that thou wilt deliver Israel by my hand as thou hast said. Judg. 6:37. God responds with tangible proof. Then Gideon pushes further.  Let not thy anger burn against me, let me speak but this once; pray, let me make trial only this once with the fleece; pray, let it be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew. Judg. 6:39.  Our ever patient God complies.

We can certainly see ourselves in Gideon.  God calls him to the task as he is going about his usual day.  He is an unremarkable man from an unremarkable family.  When the call comes, he is grinding corn.  How mundane is that?  Gideon does not perceive himself worthy of the task.  He makes excuses.  We make excuses. We are not qualified; we are too old, too young, too weak.  We ask for signs. We want proof.  We fail to trust.  But God has a plan for all of his creation. In this example, God's choice falls on Gideon who would have never expected such a vocation as to be the leader of his people. The call of Gideon is God's initiative. God is in control.  It is not Gideon's doing. God alone, qualifies the called.

The judges that God calls are far from perfect and they are the least anyone would expect to lead.  Deborah is a woman, called by God at a time when women were not leaders outside the domestic realm.  By this action, God shows that He counts on the cooperation of women in his plan of salvation.  He is revealing in this gradual way that women too will be called to help in His plan.  Deborah is a prophetess and proves herself a skillful organizer against a powerful adversary.

Yet another of the judges, Jephthath makes a rash vow and suffers dire consequences when the time comes to keep it.  God expects his people to be faithful  to their vows and not to make them lightly.

Samson's vocation is set even before his birth.  God endows him with great physical strength and designates him as savior to his people. We all know the story of Samson.  His personal behavior leaves much to be desired. He does not follow God's law.  He marries a nonbeliever. He flaunts his great strength.  He allows himself to be seduced by Delilah into revealing the secret of his strength.  After his capture by the Philistines, he realizes his mistake, he repents and makes amends. Though it costs him his life, he fulfills God's purpose.

As we read and ponder God's Word, we become aware of God's great love for us, His patience and His unending mercy.  The people we encounter in judges are the products of their time.  They live in a world that has failed to live up to the commandments God gave to their ancestors. A whole generation has grown up without knowing HimIn those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

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Upon reflecting on these stories from the book of Judges, we can see that we are living in times very similar to these.  Many in our generation have grown up without a knowledge of God, every man doing what is right in his own eyes.  Today's world is fraught with violence, pain, and sorrow that is much the result of our doing.  The book of Judges, reassures us that God is merciful, patient, loving and kind.  He has a plan we can trust.

The Book of Joshua: Conquest and the Sin of Self-Reliance

The River Jordan

The first part of the book of Joshua deals with the conquest of Canaan.  It is a brutal saga of war and destruction. Then they utterly destroyed all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, asses, with the edge of the sword.  Josh 6:22. God instructs Joshua to destroy everything except what can be devoted to Him.  Many first time readers of the Old Testament wonder why so much collateral shedding of blood.  What kind of God would instruct his armies to leave no one alive?  It helps to look at the story in its historical context.

God  promised His people the land. To give it to them He must get them there.  He sent Moses to liberate them from slavery in Egypt so that they might go to Canaan.  But the Israelites were in Egypt for four hundred years, more than enough time to take on some very bad habits and sinful ways. They had not learned to trust God, and they fell into sin so much along the way that it took them forty years to go a distance that should have taken a few days. We can only imagine the patience of God as He dealt with His people, then and now!  Ever the good Father, God took them to their destination, but He did not give freely. There were contingencies.  Chief among them were fidelity and obedience.

 The consequences of disobedience were dire. Because of their many transgressions, most of the early generations did not live to see the promised land, including Moses.  The privilege fell to Joshua, Moses' successor.  Joshua proved to be a faithful leader who followed God's word to the letter.  One important theme of the book of Joshua is that Faith is the key to the success of any endeavor and disobedience results in death.

After the conquest of Jericho, the Israelites move toward Ai. All appears to be in order until we learn that Achan, of the tribe of Judah,  disobeys God's command, keeping for himself some of the booty that should be designated for God. This act ignites God's ire. Later, when Joshua sends men to spy out the land of Ai, they are filled with over confidence and report that taking the land will be an easy task.  They do not count on God's help, relying instead on their own abilities. This further angers the Lord. As a consequence, they fail to take Ai, and lose thirty-six men in the battle.  Thus, the battle of Ai is a recipe for how NOT to fight a battle, and the point God makes once more is that obedience brings victory and disobedience brings defeat.  The over-confident strategy failed to work because the Lord was not brought into the plans for battle.

The great lesson of the book of Joshua is that fidelity and obedience are key. God Himself is the model of fidelity. Fidelity for His children demands obedience. He keeps his promise to deliver the Promised Land into their hands. To keep it, they must obey.  Furthermore, the message of Joshua is that God wants to maintain the covenant relationship with his children. In the story of war and conquest we learn that the key ingredient, faith, supersedes military might.  God calmly tells Joshua not to fear.  He will deliver on His promise. Joshua believes Him and does as God commands. God delivers.

Another powerful example of faith in Joshua is Rahab, the prostitute who is made a member of Israel for her kindness to the Israelite spies and for her great faith in the God of Israel.  St. Paul recognizes her faith, supported by good works in the book of Hebrews 11:31.  According to Church Fathers, Rahab foreshadows the Gentiles who will later win salvation when they accept the Christian faith.

The Ark of the Covenant is a representation of God for the Israelites.  God instructs them to carry the Ark before them as they cross the Jordan and go into battle.  As long as the Ark is before them, they will be successful.  This is the relationship that God wants with His people to this day.  As long as we place God before all our needs, we will receive what we desire.  The requirements are fidelity, obedience and placing God in the forefront of all our endeavors.

Joshua: God's Faithful Man

Reading the book of Joshua, we might wonder what qualities Joshua possessed that God favored him with finishing the task of leading the Israelites into the promised land. Joshua was the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim. We may recall from Genesis that Ephraim was the second son of Joseph and that Jacob adopted both Ephraim and Manasseh as his own.  It is also interesting to note that Jacob preferred Ephraim to his older brother in giving his blessing. Gen.48:14-16.  The tribe of Ephraim became the most powerful and influential  of the tribes of Israel after Judah and was credited with achieving and maintaining unity among the Israelites prior to the Kings.  Joshua, true to his lineage, distinguishes himself by faithfully obeying God's commands.  God rewards him by remaining by his side and selecting him to be Moses' successor.

Joshua's name was originally Hosea, meaning "salvation."  Moses changed his name to Joshua, Num 13:16  "The Lord is salvation" in recognition of his loyalty to the Lord.  Interestingly, the name Joshua is a form of Jeshua or Jesus. Thus, in Joshua, we have a figure who is a type.  That is, he prefigures Jesus, the One who is to come.  Once again we are struck by God's hand in all that occurs in Salvation History. His perfect planning.  Before Joshua is even born, God  has designated him to lead His people into the promised land.

From the moment that Joshua begins to distinguish himself and then throughout the book of Joshua, God reiterates the promise he had given to the Israelites through Moses, No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.  Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Joshua 1:5-6.

God does not forget His word.  He is true to His promise, but He does ask this of Joshua, Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Joshua1:7-8.  

Reading the first chapter of Joshua gives us a glimpse of God's faithfulness.  It also should reassure us that we too will be rewarded for our faithfulness to Him. Joshua's task will not be easy.  The book of Joshua is about conquest in battle.  The land will not simply be handed over to the Israelites; they must win it.  And so it is with all of our endeavors.  Success does not come easy.  There are many pitfalls along the way.  There is always the temptation to take short cuts.  There is the danger of despairing when times get tough.  We can take heart from reading this first chapter of the book of Joshua.  God has given us the law which we must follow.  We must not deviate to the left or to the right, but follow it straight, meditating upon it night and day. As God said to Joshua, He also says to us, Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9/

We can gather from Salvation History that God supports those who act in His service and not for their own glory.  He requires absolute faithfulness.  That is the quality that Joshua possessed.

Marker placed at the entrance to Jericho

Desert Wanderings

We recently resumed our Bible study after a long break that began in late spring.  It was an unforeseen break.  Life intervened in our schedule with surprising and critical events, the kind that test your faith and force you to confront the inevitability of death.  Our first day back in our group, we offered prayers for our loved ones, for the world which is always at war, and for the souls of those departed---now one of us counted among them.  We also thanked God for the many blessings of our lives, and we called upon the Holy Spirit to guide us as we continue our studies.

So where did we leave off?  We asked each other. One class had just begun the book of Exodus; the other started Numbers or when did we read Deuteronomy?  Could it be we have forgotten?  So soon? We realized as we pondered where to start, that the Word of God continues to reveal new and wonderful truths even as we read and re-read, and especially in the light of the many crises of our lives. And we turned to the book of Exodus.

Sinai Desert

If you ask anyone what they know about the book of Exodus, he will probably tell you that it is about the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt. He may tell you about the ten plagues that God rained upon the Egyptians or he may know about the Passover, the event that is still commemorated today. Thanks to Hollywood and Charleton Heston, many in our group at least were well aware of those important events in Exodus, but as we re-read Exodus, we focused on the Call of Moses and on God's Promise.  Now here is where the Holy Scripture becomes relevant in our lives today!

Moses, our unlikely hero, is an ordinary man to whom God gives an extraordinary task.  Through God's intervention, he has survived the infanticide of Hebrew boys by the Egyptians, and he is raised in luxury as the adoptive son of Pharaoh's daughter.  As an adult, he kills an Egyptian and is forced to flee to Midian.  He marries Zipporah the daughter of a Midianite priest, and lives a fairly mundane life, until one day, he sees the Burning Bush and hears God's call.

As we read, we find that it takes God a great deal of patience to convince Moses that he is up to the task.  Moses first responds (to God no less!) with, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" Ex.3:11  God responds, "I will be with you; and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you when you bring my people out  of Egypt, you will worship on this very mountain." Ex.3: 12. "But, says Moses..."if they ask me,' what is his name?' 'What shall I tell them?'"

It doesn't end there.  Moses has other objections. He is not gifted in speech.  He is not eloquent.  He cannot possibly be convincing. God answers, "Who gives one man speech and makes another deaf and dumb? Or who gives sight to one and makes another blind?  Is it not I, the LORD? Go then! It is I who will assist you in speaking and will teach you what to say." Ex.4:11-12.  

What does Moses say? "If you please, Lord, send someone else!"  God becomes angry and says, "Have you not a brother, Aaron the Levite?" "I know he is an eloquent speaker." (Of course he does!) Ex.4:14

We can draw many, many parallels to our own lives from the first chapters of Exodus.  No matter what the circumstances of our births, we are all ordinary people called by God to do extraordinary things. The question is, do we listen to God's call and trust in His promise to be with us in all things done for His glory?