Reading for November 8th

Read Ezra 4.7-16 In verse 7: And in the days of Artazerxes: He came to the throne in 465 BCE and remained in power until 423 BCE. The names of the officals sending the memo are Aramaic: The normal language for conducting businessin the Persian empire was Aramaic. By making not of this detail, the author affirms the seriousness of this exchane. It was translated so that the Jerusalem community could understand it. The footnote points out that the Hebrew text goes on to read in Aramaic, indicatiing that the author is quoting fromthe Aramaic original as opposed to the translation. From this point until 6.18, the narrative is in Aramaic. In verse 8: Wrote a letter against Jerusalem indetifies the city with the house of God. In verse 10: The rest of the nations ... deported and settled refers to vv. 1-2, where the deportees sttled to the north of Jerusalem were the "adversaries" seeking to join in rebuilding the Temple. Here, they oppose the rebuilding of Jersalem's walls. Osnapper is a variant name for the Assyrian king Asshurbanipal (699-633 BCE). Beyond the River was the offical name of the adminsitrative unit of Syria-Palestine (in Aramaic, "Abarnahara"), from the perspective of Mesopotamia and Persia, the territories of Syria-Palestine were acroos or "beyond" the river Jordan, terminating at the coast of the Mediterranean. In verse 12: They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city: The neigboring peoples charge that Jerusalem, with ist history of rebellion against empires, should not be rebuilt. Persian imperial pratice was to decentralize populations. Only where secuirty or economic concerns were of central importance were cites rebuilt. In verse 13: If this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute: A renewed and refortified Jeusalem will follow its earlier history and will revolt against the taxes and dues that propvided the economic lifeblood of the empire. In verse 14: We share the salt of the palace: An expression, exact meaning unclear, perhaps, syaing that the writers are paid in part directly by the palace in the form of salt, a more valued commodity in antquity than now. In verse 16: You will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River: With hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point) the opponents imply that Jerusalem's revolt would lead to the loss of the whole province. Comments or Questions..

Reading for November 7th

Read Ezra 4.6. 4.6-26: Opposition to rebuilding the Jerusalem. The author now moves from opposition to the Temple rebuilding to opposition to building a wall around Jerusalem. After a brief effort at a chronological transition, there is an exchange of memoranda between several imperial officals and King Artaxerxes 1 of Persia. As a result, the king orders the suspnsion of any rebuilding of the city, which the author then ties to opposition to the Temple. While there is no way to authenticate these memos, they have the form and general structure of know imperial memos from the Persian empire, although some elements may have been introduced to carry forward the larger purposes of the book. In verse 6: In the reiign of Ahasuerus, in his accession year: Ahasuerus, in his accession year: Ahaserus is the Hebrew version of thename of the Persian King the Greeks called Xerxes. The main royal figure in the book of Esther,Xerxes came to the Persianthrne late inthe year 486 BCE. The contents of the accusation are not specified, nor the consequences of the report. This notice serves to bring the narrative through a chronlogical sequence of Persian Kings (Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes) to the communications with Artaxerxes. Comments or Questions..

Reading for November 6th

Read Ezra 4.1-5. In 4.1-5: Opposition to rebuilding the Temple. This section shows the surrounding peoples opposing the rebuilding of the Temple, just as the following section will detail opposition by surrounding peoples to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem over a half of century later. Such opposition to sacred actions furthers the prohibition of intermarriage witht he surrounding peoples. In verse 1: The adversaries of Judah and Bejanmin: By charactererizing these persons as adversaries, the author makes their subsequent request less than truthful. In verse 2: We worship your God as you do: As deportees who have been settled in the land by the Assyrains, the "adversaries" would not have known the Pentateuch nor the orders of the Temple service attributed to King David. Consquently, they could not approach God inthe same way as the returned exiles. In verse 3: We alone will build to the Lord ... as King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us: The community determines to show its devotion on its own, and claims this is reuired by Cyrus' orders. There is nothing in the decree that restricts who can participate in the rebuilding. In verse 4: The people of the land discouraged the people of Judah: Here the people of the land is defined by what preceeded it, namely they are deportees who were brought into the land by the Assyrains. However, the author will use the term simpley as a generic label for those who are not of Judah. The Hebrew term tranlated as discourged is better rendered "undermined." Comments or Questions..

Reading for November 5th

Read Ezra 3.8-13. In 3.8-13: Laying the foundation of the Temple. The author highlights the momentous beginning of the building of the Temple, emphasizing the devotion of the community. In verse 8: In the second year after their arrival at the house of God at Jerusalem may relate to the third year of Darius, around 519 BCE if the earlier reference was to a time in the reign of Darius. The community arrived at Jerusalem to find the Temple in ruins, hence the need to begin rebuilding. But the author, wanting to connect the Jerusalem community with the sanctified dwelling place of God, has the exiles arriving at the house of God. They appointed Levites: Most likely Zerubbabel and Jeshua appointed them. In verse 10: The priests in their vestments were stationed to praise the Lord with trumpets recalls the priestly trumpeters in 2 Chr.5.12 at the dedication of the Temple in the days of Solomon. According to the directions of King David empasizes the continuity between this Second Temple and the worship conducted in the First Temple. Despite the trauma of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the exile in Babylon, nothing has changed in the way the community worships God. In verse 11: They sang responsively: The leaders sang first and the assembly responded. Another possible meaning is "antiphonally," with one part of the choir initiating a verse and the other part completing it. The hymn that is sung appears as part of a number of Psalms (for example, Ps 106.1; 107.1; 136.1). In verse 12: Old people who had seen the first house: Sixty-eight years had elapsed since the destruction of the first Temple. Wept with a loud voice when they saw this house. Presumably what was planned for the rebuilt Temple was less is size and/or granduer than that of the Temple of Solomon (as in Hag 2.3). The weeping over what had been lost was drowned out by those who shouted for joy, shifting the focus to what could be anticipated for the future. Comments or Questions..

Reading for Novemeber 4th

REBUILDING THE HOUSE OF GOD. Chs. 3-6: This section, in the form of historicl narrative, includes citations from various documents designed to authenticate the contents. There are disruptions in the chronological order of the narrative, however, and in ch.4 there is a sudden shift from the Hebrew to the Aramaic language. Recounting events in chronological order is therefore probably not the intention of this section. Rather, the author is interweaving two actions by the community: The rebuilding of the Temple and the reconstitution of the community as the "house of God." The first happens within a generation of the return to Jerusalem from Exile, but the second can take place only serveral generations later, after Jerusalem community is separated by its walls and its covenant to refrain from inter-marriage. Read Ezra 3.1-7. In 3.1-7: The reinstitution of worship. This section describes the resumption of worship at the site of the ruined Temple as a prelude to the effort to rebuild the Temple, as decreed bythe Persian King Cyrus in the opening of the book. In verse 1: When the seventh month came is an enigmatic reference since the year is not disclosed. It may be the seventh month of the earlier date formula of 1.1, that is, the first year of Cyrus (around 539 BCE), though this presents a problem with what follows. The notices of Jeshua and Zerubbabel (v. 2) focus on two individuals who are usually dated to the early years of the rign of Darius (522-486 BCE). The seventh month may refer to the second year of Darius' rule, when a renewed commitment to rebuilding the Temple was made (Hag 2.1). In verse 2: As prescribed in the law of Moses, the man of God relates to rules on the compsition of the altar found in Ex 20.25. In verse 4: And they kept the Festival of Booths, as prescribed, relecting perhaps a concern to follow the rules found in Lev 23.33-43, where the fifteenth day of the seventh month is reserved for the beginning of this important festival. In verse 6: But the foundation of the Temple of the Lord was not yet laid distinguishes the resumption of worship from the beginning of rebuilding the physical Temple. Comments or Questions..

Reading for November 3rd

Read Ezra 2.36-70. In verse 36: The priests: The decendants of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua: Jedaiah is named as one of the first priestly figures to return to Jerusalem after the Exile (1 Chr 9.10), and Jeshua was an important chief priest under the administrartion of Zerubbabel in the late sixth century (Ezra 3.8). Apparemtly, Jedaiah was regarded as the founder of a renewed line for the chief priesthood. In verse 43: The Temple servants is a technical name for a group devoted to serving the Levites. In verse 55: Solomon's servants appear to have been a similar group. In verse 59: Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer are place names of uncertain identification. Comments or Questions..

Reading for November 2nd

Read Ezra 2.1-35. In 2.1-70: The first list of those who returned from Babylon. At first glance, the list would seem to be a well- organized, coherent presentation broken into sections by category of occupations. A closer examination reveals that some persons are idenitifed by their family lineage, others by their place of resdence. This and other differences suggest the list is a composite product, possibly listing returnees from several different stages of the formation of the community in Jerusalem. From the meager records have survived, the usual conclusion drawn is that following Cyrus's decree several different groups left Babylon for Jerusalem at different times. The list is repeated with some variations in Neh 7.6-73. From a close comparison of the two lists, the list here in Ezra 2 appears to summarize the information in Neh 7, and consequently may be derived from that list. The use of duplicate lists in Ezra-Nehemiah is a deliberate framing device by the author, directing the reader's attention to the level of the individulas who form the "house of God." In verse 2: They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah ... : Several of these names are well-known govenors of Yehud, the persian province centered in Jerusalem, who were in office at various times from the sixth century onward. Others, such as Jeshua, were among the high priests. Some of the individuals were contemporaries of Nehemiah, bringing the close of the list to the mid fifth century. The incorporation of persons over such a range of time shows the essentially nonhistorical interest of the author. The number of the Israelite people: This term for number is more apporpriately "listing," since formal census does not follow. The first section (vv. 2b-20) lists names by clan group, the second (vv. 21-35) mainly by location, the third (vv. 36-39) lists priestly clans, the fourth (vv. 40-42) Levitical groups, and the fifth (vv. 43-58) various orders of Temple servants. These are followed by a miscellaneous group that could not demonstrate a connection to known family lineages (vv. 59-63). A numerical summary of the primary attributes of the community follows (vv. 64-67), then there is a report of the devotion of these goups to the Temple (vv. 68-70). The various numbers given are possible in some cases, though some of the amounts may be artifical, such as 666 (v. 13). Comments or Questions..

Reading for November 1st

Read Ezra 1.1-11. In 1.1-11: The decree of Cyrus and its results. The legitimation pattern is opened by having Cyrus, the dominat founder of the Persian empire as Israel experienced it, decree that all those from Jerusalem should return and rebuild the house of the Lord. In verses 1-2: In order that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished: Jeremiah had claimed the Exile in Babylon would last 70 years (Jer 29.10). The first year of Cyrus is probably a reference to his first year over the Babylonian empire, which he captured in 539 BCE. The decree that follows is substantially the one the closes 2 Chr 36. Charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem is not the confession of Cyrus's belief in Israel's God, but rather a balanced polytheistic way of claiming that all subjugated people's gods have empowered Persian rule. Thus the persian king, by virtue ofhaving rule, should honor the gods who have permitted it. In other ancient sources, Cyrus claims the same divine approval from Marduk, the chief Babylonian god. In verse 3: He is the God who is in Jerusalem reflects the common ancient Near Eastern concept that gods and goddesses are especially presenet and should be worshipped in particular locations. In verse 4: For the house of God in Jerusaelm is an expansion of the decree in 2 Chr 36 that allows for the collection of offering for the Temple in Jerusalem by all those living outside the city. In verse 5: The heads of the families of Judah and Bejamin, and the Priests and the Levites: The primary tribes populating the southern kingdom of Judah were Judah and Benjamin. The Priests and Levites were usually counted separately from the tribes. In verse 7: King Cyrus himself brought out the vessels of the house of thr Lord the Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem: When Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in 587 BCE, the Babylonians looted the Temple precinct, including the gold and silver vessels used in the Temple service. The return of these vessels links the Temple of Solomon that had been destroyed by the Babylonian with the Temple that will be built after the Exile. In verse 8: Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah: There is no consensus on what this title may have meant in this time period. In Ezra 5.14 Sheshbazzar is called "govenor" of the province, so it may be that the author is using "prince" to indicate a leading citizen. In verse 9: And this was the inventory: This list possibly has been copied from an authentic inventory of the returned vessels. Coments or Questions..

Reading for October 31st

Read 2 Thessalonians 3.16-18. In 3.16-18: Epistolary closing. Peace and grace for all of you suggests a desire to draw in the erring members. In verse 17: With my own hand in light of 2.2 suggests that the writer feels the need to authenticate his letter. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 30th

Read 2 Thessalonians 3.1-15. In 3.1-15: Commands and exhortations. Two sets of commands and encouragements to virtue (vv. 1-4 and 6-11) surround a prayer (v. 5). In verse 1: Finally, the last section of the letter. In verses 6-15: Commands and exhorations to the entire community (vv. 6-10) and to the offending figures in the congregation (vv. 11-12) precede a command on how to deal with disobedient (vv. 13-15). In verse 6: In idelness could also mean "in disorderliness." Apparently expecting the Lord to return very soon, some in the congregation stopped working. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 29th

Read 2 Thessalonians 2.16-17. In 2.16-17: Another prayer. As in 1.11-12, this prayer anticipates sunsequent concerns, in this case God's role in strengthening the community (3.3) and "work" (3.8-12). In verse 17: Comfort your hearts, see Isa 51.12; 61.2. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 28th

Read 2 Thessalonians 2.1-15 In 2.1-15: A refutation. False teaching about the day of the Lord is stated (vv. 1-2) and refuted (vv. 3-12). In contrast is thanksgiving for the different fate of believers (vv. 13-15), who hold on to the truth (v. 13). In verse 3: Lawless one, perhaps a false prophet or one of the emperors. In verses 6-7: The identity of the unknown one restraining the lawlss one is impossible to determine, but the conflict between the two belongs to what must occur before the day of the Lord. In verse 13: We must always give thanks, see 1.3. In verse 15: Stand firm: see 1 Thess 3.8. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 27th

Read 2 Thessalonians 1.3-12. In 1.3-10: Perseverance and future vindication. This long sentence includes a thanksgiving (vv. 3-4) and commentary on affliction (vv. 5-10). In verses 3-4: The thanksgiving report relates the community's progress and steadfastness. In verse 4: Persecution ... afflictions, both mean suffering, but the first, external suffering, is more specfic. They may mean the woes of the end times; see Dan 12.1. In verses 5-10: These verses teach that suffering is a sign of being chosen and that those who suffer will be vindicated at the judgment. That day anticipates 2.1-12, which refutes those who think their recent afflictions mean that the "day of the Lord' has already appeared. In verses 7-10: Descriptions of God in the Hebrew Scritptures and other Jewish writings now apply to Jesus (see the angels in Zech 14.5: Enoch 1.9; flaming fire in Isa 66.15-16; glorified in Ps 89.7). In verses 11-12: A prayer. These verses are the letter's main teahing. Resolve, work of faith anticipate the refutations in 2.1-12 and 3.1-15. In verse 12: see Isaiah 66.5, but it is Jesus who will be glorified. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 26th

Read 2 Thessalonians 1.1-2. In 1.1-2: Epistolary opening. The greeting is similar to 1 Thessalonians but longer. On Silvanus and Timothy, see 1 Thess 1.1 Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 25th

Read 2 Kings 25.27-30. In 25.27-30: The elevation of Jehoiachin. The year is around 562, so that there is a gap of about 25 years between the events described in these verses and those in the verses immediately preceding. This may indicate that these verses are a later addition. There prupose is not clear, but some have suggested that they subtly express the possibility that God may again restore the Davidic monarchy. In verses 27-28: Evil-merodach was Awil-Marduk. His reason for releasing Jehoiachin from prison is not made clear. In verses 29-30: Even though he remained a captive, probably until he died, Jehoiachin's status was enhanced and his life made more comfortable. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 24th

Read 2 Kings 25.22-26. In 25:22-26: The rule and assassination of Gedaliah. In verse 22: The word governer does not actually appear in the Hebrew text. Gedaliah is not given any title. In verse 23: The admistrative capital was moved from Jerusalem to Mizpah. In verse 25: Perhaps because he was not a descendant of David, Gedaliah wwas regarded as an illegitimate ruler and was assassinated by members of the royal family. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 23rd

Read 2 Kings 24.18-25.21. In 24.18-25.21: The reign of Zedekiah and the fall of Jerusalem. This section is very similar to Jer 52, and the first part of it to Jer 39.1-10. In 24.20: Here the Exile is blamed mostly on Zedekiah and his generation. In 25.2-3: the city of Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 587 or 586 BCE. In verse 4: The Arabah means the Jordan valley north of the Dead Sea. In verse 11: Jeremiah 52.29 gives the number of captives from this deportation as 832. In verses 13-17: On the items taken from the Temple, see 1 Kings 7.15-50: Jer 52.17-23. In verses 18-21: The other leaders of the city who were considered responsible for fostering the rebellion were executed. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 22nd

Read 2 Kings 24:8-17 In 24.8-17: Jehoiachin and the Babylonian incursion. In verses 8-9: Again, since Jehoiachin reigned only three months,the judgment that he did evil in the sight of the Lord is a sterotypical fomula. In verses 10-12: Jehoiakim died after his rebellion but before the Babylonians reached Jerusalem. That, plus the fact that Jehoiachin surrendered himself, may be the reason the Babylonians did not destroy the city in the invasion of 597. Jehoiachin, also called Jeconiah (1 Chr 3.16) and Coniah (Jer 22.24) was the son of Jehoiakim. In verse 14: The statement that all Jerusalem was taken captive is an obivious exaggeration. Evidently, the upper class was exiled. The prophet Ezekiel was also among them (Ezek 1.1). In verse 17: Mattaniah means "gift of Yahweh." Nebuchadneezzar changed it to Zedekiah, "the judgment of Yahweh," perhaps as a reminder that the Lord would bring judgment upon him if he broke his oath of loyalty, sworn by the Lord, to Babylon. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 21st

Read 2 Kings 23.36-24.7 In 23.36-24.7: The reign of Jehoiakim. In 21.1 The new power at the end of the seventh century BCE was babylon (see v. 7). Judah came under Babylon control around 605 BCE and rebelled three years later. In verse 2: Chaldeans is another name for Babylonians. In verses 3-4: As in 23.6, the exile is blamed on Manasseh. In verse 7: Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had defeated the Egyptians in the battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE, so Egypt no longer controlled Judah. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 20th

Read 2 Kings 23.31-35. In 23.31-35: The reign of Jehoahaz. In verse 32: The judgment that Jehoahaz did what was evil in the sight of the Lord is clearly formulaic, since Jehoahaz reigned on three months. In verse 33: Pharaoh Neco apparently deposed Jehoahaz on his way back to Egypt. Jehoahaz, also known as Sallum (Jer 22.11), had evidently been chosen by the people, but Neco did not believe he would be favorable to Egypt and so replaced him. A talent varied in weight from 45 to 130 pounds. In verse 34; Eliakim was Jehoahaz's older brother. Neco found him more suitable. His name, Jehoiakim, means "Yahweh establishes" and may have been intended by Neco to remind Jehoiakim that he had sworn an oath of loyalty to Egypt by the Lord (Yahweh). Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 19th

Read 2 Kings 23.15-30 In verse 15: On Jeroboam's altar at Bethel, see 1 Kings 12.25-33. In verses 16-18: The story of the man of God from Bethel is found in 1 Kings 13. In vereses 19-20: According to these verses, Josiah's reforms reached as far as Samaria. He may have annexed at least part of the territory of the former northern Kingdom as his own. In verses 21-23: On the passover see ex 12.1-32 and Deut 18.2-8. In verse 24: On mediums and wizards, see 21.6. Teraphim or "household idols" play a role in stories in gen 31.33-35 and 1 sam 19.11-16. In verse 25: Josiah was incomparably obedient (22.2; Deut 6.5) as Moses was an incomparable prophet (Deut 34.10), Solomon incomparably wise (1 Kings 3.12), and Hezekiah incomparably faithful ( 2 Kings 18.5). In verse 26: This staement is curous because 23.4-14 makes it clear that Josiah corrected Manasseh''s apostasies. The writer is apparently struggling to find a theological reason for the exile and ends up blaming it on Manasseh. In verse 27: This verse is a reversal of the doctrine in Deuteronomy of a chosen place. In verse 29: King Josiah's sudden death came as a shock to those who had placed trust in his reforms. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 18th

Read 2 Kings 23.1-14 In verses 1-3: Huldah's original oracle may not have been so bleak, or at least it may have been conditional, since it motivated Josiah to try to carry out reforms so as to avoid disaster. On the language of v. 3 compare 23.25 and Deut 6.5. In verses 4-5: Josiah's reforms included purging the Temple of the trappings of the worship of other gods. The Kidron was the valley between the city of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. In verse 6: Throwing the dust from the image of Asherah upon the graves woulld defile the image all the more. In verse 7: The word translated male temple prositutes may actually include both male and female prostitues who served in the fertility rituals of worshiping Baal and Asherah. In verse 8: In bringing the priests out of the towns of Judah and destroying the high places Josiah was executing the Deuteronomic ideal of centralization, according to which the Temple in Jerusalem was the only legitimate place to worship the Lord. from geba to Beer-sheba was the extent of the Kingdom of Judah. In verse 9: The priests of the high places, however, refused to go to Jerusalem. Eating unleavened bread accompanied sacrifices (Lev 6.14-18), which apparently continued outside of Jerusalem despite Josiah's efforts. In verse 10: Topheth was a valley that marked Jerusalem's western border. Also known as the valley of (the son of) Hinnom (Heb., "ge'hinnom"), it became Jerusalem's trash dump and was used by jesus as the image for hell (Gehenna, see Mt 10.28). It was dispised because it had served as a place of child sacrifice to the Ammonite god Molech (a distortion of the name Milcom made by barrowing the vowels from the word "Bosheth," meaning abomination). In verse 11: This verse suggests that horses were an important part of the worship of the sun, which was imagined as being drawn daily across the sky in a chariot. In verse 12: Offerings from altars on the roofare mentioned in Jer 32.29. The altars that Manasseh had made are mentioned in 21.5. In verse 13: Mount of Destruction is probably a play on the Hebrew name for the Mount of Olives ("Mount of Anointing") because of the altars to the foreign gods erected there. In verse 14: Pillars and sacred poles were used in the worship of the Canaanite gods. Cover(ing) the sites with human bones would further defile them. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 17th

Read 2 Kings 22.11-20. In verse 11: Tearing clothes is a sign of repentance and distress. Josiah is worried because of the punishments threatened in the law for disobedience, since the people of Judah have not kept the law. In verse 13: Inquire is a techical term for divining or seeking an oracle from God. In verse 14: The prophetess Huldah is one of the few women in the Bible so designated (Miriam, Ex 15.20; Deborah, Judg 4.4; and Isaiah's wife(?), Isa 8.3). The Second Quarter was apparently an expansion of the city of Jerusalem that had taken place, perhaps during Hezekiah's day, in part to accommodate the influx of refugees from Israel. In verses 15-17: The man who sent you to me is Josiah. This place is Jerusalem. This part of Huldah's oracle anticipates the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Exile. In verse 20: Most scholars believe at least the second half of Huldah's oracle to be genuine because it seems to be contridicted by history. Josiah did not in fact go to his grave peacefully, if this is what peace means. Rather, he was killed in battle (23.29). Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 16th

Read 2 Kings 22.1-10 In 22.1-23.30: The reign and reform of Josiah. Josiah, along with Hezekiah, is one of the good kings of Judah and one of the heroes of the Deuteronomistic History. He is renowned for his obedience (22.2; 23.25) to the law book found during his reign. In verses 3-10: The Temple repairs made by Josiah lead to the discovery of a copy of the book of the law, which has long been identified as a form of the book of Deuteronomy. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 15th

Read 2 Kings 21.10-26 In verse 11: Amorites is a general name for the inhabitants of Canaan before the Israelites. In verse 13: The measuring line and plummet suggest that Judah will be judged by the same standards by which Samaria and its worst kings, the house of Ahab, were condemned. Compare Am 7.7-9. To wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish means to empty it completely. In verse 14: The Lord's heritage is the nation of Israel. Since the northern kingdom is no more, Judah is the remnant of the hertiage. These verses, therefore, predict the Babylonian Exile and blame it on Manasseh. Quite a different story is told in 2 Chr 33.10-13. In verse 16: This verse may be an addition, sinnce it does not seem to relate well to the surrounding context. In verse 18: Manasseh also is not buried in the city of David but in the garden of Uzza. Both the identity of Uzza and the location of this garden are unknown. In verse 24: The people of the land may be the land owning nobility, but their identity is disputed. In verse 26: Amon is also buried in the garden of Uzza. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 14th

Read 2 Kings 2 Kings 21.1-9 In 21.1-26: Manasseh and Amon. In verse 1: Manasseh is credited with the longest reign, fifty-five years, of any king or Israel or Judah. In verse 3: A sacred pole was an important part of the worship of the Canaanite goddess Asherah. The host of heaven refers to the astral gods- sun, moon, and stars. These practices were outlawed by Deuteronomy (12.29-31; 17.3). In verse 6: He made his son pass through refers to child sacrifice. Mediums and wizards are often used in conjunction and refer to devices used to communicate with the dead. Such practices are condemed by the law in Deuteronomy (18.10). See 1 Sam 28. In verses 7-8: Here the promise of the central "place" chosen by Yahweh (deut 12.5) is combined with the promise of a dynasty to David (2 Sam 7). Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 13th

Read 2 Kings 20.1-21 In 20.1-21: Hezekiah's illness and the Babylonian envoy. The stories in this chapter are probably out of order and originally preceded the invasion of Sennacherib in 701 BCE, since v. 6 promises defense of Jerusaelm, and the visit of Merodach-baladan must have preceded Hezekiah's revolt against Assyria. In verse 7: The lump of figs served as a poultice, a medicinal substance applied directly to the skin, to draw out the boil. In verses 8-11: Comparable to Josh 10.12-13, where the sun stood still, here it retreated 10 hours. In verses 12-19: Merodach-baladan is Marduk-apal-iddina, who ruled in Babylon 720-709 and again in 702 and opposed Assyria. His visit to Jerusalem would have involved plotting for Hezekiah's revolt against Assyria. In this context, however, it has been used to foreshadow the Babylonian exile. Eunuchs (v. 18) were castrated males who were often employed as guardians and servants in the royal harem. However, the Hebrew word may simply mean a palace servant or official. In verse 20: The conduit by which Hezekiah brought water into the city probably refers to the Siloam tunnel in Jerusalem, which contained as inscription describing its construction. In verse 21: There is no notice about Hezekiah's burial "in the city of David" as there was for his predecessors. The reason is unclear, though it may reflect an actual change in practice. 2 Chr 32.33 says he was buried "on the ascent to the tombs of the descendants of David, " which may suggest that the royal tombs of Judah were full. Comments or Questions...

Reading for October 12th

Read 2 Kings 19.20-37 In verse 21: She is the virgin daughter Zion, a reference to Jerusalem. Toss(ing) her head was a way of showing contempt. The idea is that the city of Jerusalem disdains the Assyrian king Sennacherib. In verses 22-24: Sennacherib is caricatured as arrogant and boastful to the point that he has reviled the Lord. The speaker in vv. 23-24 is Sennacherib. See Isa 10.12-19; 14.24-27. In verses 25-28: Now, the Lord speaks. The messsage in these verses is that it is the Lord who determined Sennacherib's victories and who will now bring him down because of his pride. In verses 29-31: This oracle is considered more realistic and thus more original than the surrounding material. The sign it describes is a three-year period before agriculture returns to its normal cycle and the Assyrian threat is finally removed (v. 29). The oracle also describes the survial of a remnant in the city of Jerusalem from which the countryside will be repopulated after the Assyrian devastation (vv. 30-31). In verses 32-33: These verses reflect the doctrine of the inviolability of Jerusalem, that is the belief that the Lord will never allow the city of Jerusalem to be captured. The idea may have arisen as a result of the city's survival in 701. It was later countered by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 7). In verse 35: This verse describes a plague that devastated Sennacherib's army and forced him to return in shame to Nineveh. The historical veracity of the event cannot be confirmed or denied. In verse 36-37: Sennacherib's assassination did not take place until 20 years later in 681 BCE, Ararat (v. 37) is modern Armenia noth of Assyria. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 11th

Read 2 Kings 19.14-19 In verse 15: The cherubim is a reference to the ark, which had two cheribum depicted on its lid. These were mythical, griffin-like creatures whose status often adorned temples and palaces in the ancient Near East. In verses 16-19: Hezekiah's prayer addresses the Rabshakeh's claim that the gods of the nations had not saved them and niether could the Lord save Judah. Through Hezekiah the author makes the point that those gods were not real but only idols. Hence, Hezekiah calls on the Lord of for deliverance as a way of showing the world that the Lord (Yahweh) is God alone. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 10th

Read 2 Kings 18.36-19.13. In 19.1-2: Wearing torn clothes and sackcloth (Heb., "saq") were signs of great sorrow or distress. Isaiah, son of Amoz, is also the prophet behind the book of Isaiah. In verse 3: Chrildren have come to birth, there is no strength to bring them forth may be a proverb. It alludes to great pain and suffering associated with labor. Here, it expresses frustration because the people of Judah do not have the strength to carry out the rebellion against the Assyrians. In verse 4: It was in his second speech (18.28-15) that the Rabshaken mocked the living God. In verse 8: Libnah was southwest of Jerusalem and north of Lachish. In verse 9: Tirhaka (Tahaka) was from Nubia (Ethiopia) and did not become king of Egypt until around 690 BCE. His name here is probbaly an error made by the much later biblical writer. In verses 11-13: The Rabshakeh's letter here is very similar to his speech in 18.33-35. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 9th

Read 2 Kings 18.28-35 The Rabshakeh's second speech is in Hebrew (the language of Judah, v. 28), is directed to the common defenders of the city, and is designed to effect a mutiny. He calls on them to surrender, promiseing prosperity first intheir homeland (v. 31) and then in exile (v. 32). The part of the speech regarded as blasphemy by the biblical writers in vv. 33-35, where the Rabshakeh compares the Lord to the gods of the other nations, none of whom has been able to save their people from the Assyrian assault. Comments or Questions..