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September 24th, 2022

9/24/2022

The Old Testament text for this Sunday is, like last week’s reading, from Amos [6:1-7]. And besides reiterating the importance of looking closely at the beginning of an ancient book, last week the significance of the number one was considered when it came to the two big issues of sin and a Savior.

It was also the case that the numbers three, four, six, and seven were said to be important numbers. The week before that was a look at the beginning of the book of Ezekiel, and the four living creatures were studied there in some detail. Some of the differences of the order of the living creatures were also just briefly discussed. The order of the living creatures in the book of Revelation was part of that focus.

At the end of next month, there will be another look at the book of Revelation, on Reformation Sunday. The first reading will be from there, and it will also be the source of the reading for the Sunday after that. Given those two factors, it may be helpful to study, in greater detail, some of the possible connections between the four living creatures and the four gospel accounts, especially in the different ways in which they are described, such as when they are brought up in Revelation.

Before tackling that big issue, it may be helpful to see just some of the confusion that has come up between the connections of the four living creatures and the four gospel accounts. This is not a recent connection, but it has existed from almost the beginning.
The Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament on the book of Revelation [by Grant R. Osborne; published by Baker Academic of Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002; page 233] has an excellent footnote that summarizes some of this confusion. What follows are the different connections made by some of the early church fathers. To be helpful, the order of the living creatures below is that of Ezekiel 1 and that of the four gospel accounts.

IRENAEUS
            MAN                MATTHEW
            LION                JOHN
            OX                   LUKE
            EAGLE MARK              (This happens to be the order of Codex D.)

VICTORINUS
            MAN                MATTHEW
            LION                MARK
            OX                   LUKE
            EAGLE JOHN               (This is, of course, the normal order.)

            AUGUSTINE
            MAN                MARK
            LION                MATTHEW
            OX                   LUKE
            EAGLE JOHN

            ATHANASIUS
            MAN                MATTHEW
            LION                LUKE
            OX                   MARK
            EAGLE JOHN

Some of this confusion is to be expected, since every time the four living creatures are mentioned in the scriptures, they are given in a different order. It was stated previously that some of this confusion is also because of a connection made to the living creature using a point that is at the BEGINNING of a gospel account. A more detailed look at the connections all along in the gospel account to the living creature may therefore be helpful.

If there were just one account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, his life would probably be seen as simply an act in history. If there were twelve different accounts of his life, each written by one of the twelve disciples, those accounts would probably be seen as a bit of a competition among his disciples. But if there are four, then those accounts might just be seen as something that is to go to the ends of the earth, in all directions, with this good news of salvation.

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September 17th, 2022

9/17/2022

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Once again it happens that the Old Testament text for this Sunday is a significant distance from the book’s beginning. The text is from Amos 8[:4-7], and this chapter is the second-last chapter of the book. It will be nice that next Sunday’s text will be a little closer to the beginning of that book, but that text will be only from chapter six.

The beginnings of ancient books were significant, especially since there were no separate outlines or introductory notes. The first thing that Amos does at the beginning of his book seems a bit self-centered at first glance. He gives a couple of the details about himself, and one of his first is that he was a shepherd. But this is in stark contrast to those who were ‘professional’ prophets. And it is certainly very theocentric that Amos starts out his message by saying that ‘from Zion Yahweh roars and from Jerusalem he gives his thunder (1:2; a somewhat-literal translation).’ That certainly would get the attention of people, in much the same way that a shepherd would be attentive when he would hear the roar of a wild lion or the sound of some thunder nearby. Some serious trouble could be very near.

In the first two chapters, Amos starts his statements of judgment on the various surrounding nations in a very orderly way, and what follows is a somewhat-literal translation:

‘This Yahweh says: For three sins of … and for four, I will not turn it back….’

What takes the place of the first ellipsis in the text are the names of various nations. Amos starts with those nations that are around Judah and Israel, and those nations were in all likelihood not liked by Judah and Israel, and so those in Judah and Israel probably liked to hear those words of judgment. The statement at the end, with the other ellipsis, that ‘I will not turn it back’ implies that the LORD will not turn back his anger or wrath against this particular country.

After the above initial statement, after stating at least one problem that the country had, Amos talks about fire being sent. And the people of Judah and Israel probably liked to hear that as well.

The last two nations, though, that were included in that list of judgment were the nations of Judah and Israel. And fire is sent on Judah as well. Amos does not talk about fire being sent when he is talking about the last nation, Israel, but that certainly does not mean that the LORD will go easy on Israel. In Amos 2:15 there is talk of ‘crushing’ Israel. Now that seems to be a bit harsh. But you might want to check out the list of sins that the LORD has against them, starting at 2:6.

Now the numbers three and four are important in the structure that leads to giving at least one big sin that the LORD has seen and that is stated. And this use of a pair of numbers to give an important message occurs elsewhere. You might want to see Proverbs 6:16; 30:15, 18, 21, 29; and Micah 5:5. Here the numbers used are also six and seven. It is also hinted that the last one on the list is an important one.

The number seven is an important one. And, with the lists above, the number four is also important. And the number three is also important, due to the Holy Trinity. Numbers are important, especially when the Hebrew language, the language of the vast majority of the Old Testament, had its letters also have the meaning of numbers.

There is a difference of one between three and four and between six and seven. Amos indicated just one sin can cause significant problems with a particular country. All the commandments are ultimately connected to the first commandment of having no other gods. And the good news is that, with all these sins, these totally innumerable sins, we know of one Savior. And that is certainly enough.

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September 10th, 2022

9/10/2022

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We again have it that the Old Testament text for this Sunday is a significant distance from the book’s beginning, and this time it may be helpful for several reasons to look at those first few verses of that book. This week’s text is from the prophet Ezekiel [34:11-24], and the text gives a picture of the LORD being a good shepherd and seeking after his lost sheep.

What follows is a somewhat-literal translation of the first ten verses from the book of Ezekiel, and here we have a significant picture of the LORD that has had significant ramifications through many centuries (and you may wish to read the text in other translations and also see the corresponding notes that are in study bibles; you may also wish to delve into some commentaries):

And it was, in thirty year, in the fourth, on the five, to the month, and I, in midst of the exile, by river of Kebar, they were opened, the heavens, and I saw sights of God.

On five to the month, it, the year, the fifth, to exile of the king, Jehoiachin. To be, it was, word of Yahweh, to Ezekiel, son of Buzi, the priest, in land of Chaldeans, by river of Kebar, and it was, upon him, there, hand of Yahweh.

And I saw, and behold, wind of storm, coming from the north, great cloud and fire, taking hold of itself, and brightness to it, round and from the midst of it, like appearance of the glowing metal, from midst of the fire.

And from midst of it, form of four living creatures, and this, their sights, form of man to them. And four faces to one, and four wings to one, to them. And their feet, straight foot, and sole of their feet, like sole of calf leg, and ones gleaming, like eye of burnished bronze. And his hand, man, from under their wings, on four of their sides, and their faces and their wings, to four of them. Touching each to its other, their wings, they did not turn, as they went, each to ahead, his face, they went.

And form of their faces, face of man, and face of lion to the right, to four of them, and face of ox from the left, to four of them, and face of eagle, to four of them.

These words could have been translated in many ways. And much more could have been translated. The end of the chapter (verse 28) describes this as the form of the LORD’s glory (literally ‘heaviness’) and has Ezekiel falling on his face. And, as always, much could be said about just a few words from such a special text. Ezekiel is, after all, one of the major prophets, and this is a major appearance of Yahweh. The importance of this appearance is emphasized right at the very end of the first sentence.

The importance of words of Yahweh coming to Ezekiel is also important. (Within the second section of the text it says, ‘To be, it was’, and this is a Hebrew way to say something with some emphasis. In other words, the word of the LORD certainly was there, and it certainly came to Ezekiel that day. Such a structure is rare.) What follows is not something that Ezekiel made up.

Much has been written about these four living creatures that are identified in the last section of the text above, and this is the first time in scripture that they are specifically mentioned. And it will be difficult to treat the topic adequately.

At this point in time, the direction this writing will go is to connect those living creatures to the four gospel accounts. This has been done for many centuries and in many ways. Unfortunately, many people think that this is an artificial connection and not an important topic. Perhaps a closer look at the order of all the appearances of the living creatures may help bring some clarity and be a benefit.

Since this is the first time these living creatures are given in detail, it should not be surprising that they are given in the order which connects to the normal order of the four gospel accounts of the New Testament. These connections have been the most common throughout history, and here are the four creatures that were mentioned above and their corresponding accounts:

Man and Matthew, lion and Mark, ox and Luke, eagle and John

What causes the most trouble is that, when these creatures are mentioned elsewhere, they are in different orders. They are mentioned again in Ezekiel 10:14 and Revelation 4:7 in the following orders:

Cherub, man, lion, eagle

Lion, calf, man, eagle

Are there different creatures listed? In essence, no. A calf is very similar to an ox [See A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, Third Edition, Chicago & London: The University of Chicago Press, 2000; page 660]. But a cherub is significantly different. One possible reason for putting the word ‘cherub’ instead of ‘ox’ is because the ox often appears first in other biblical lists when human possessions are listed. This is something significantly different from a list of a person’s possessions, and the word ‘cherub’ is a good reminder of that. To simplify things, here are the two orders with two slight changes made:

Ox, man, lion, eagle

Lion, ox, man, eagle

The reason for the changes in the order that was in the first chapter of Ezekiel is not meant to make a different connection to a different gospel account. These creatures have different tasks in the other texts and therefore appear in a different order.

In the Ezekiel 10 passage, the context of their listing is that the glory is leaving the temple (see Ezekiel 10:18), and this glory would leave the temple when Jesus would come. After all, he did have a close relationship with the temple. And the order of the accounts that would leave the temple would be when they were written.

If the four accounts would be thought of as basically being written at the same time, since they all focused on Jesus, which one would ‘lead the way’ for the glory of Yahweh leaving the temple? The accounts that have genealogies would have already been written down in other places long before Jesus was born, and this could signify a way of departure. And the two gospel accounts that have genealogies are the Gospel according to Matthew and the Gospel according to Luke. And the latter one has the more ancient genealogy since it goes all the way back to Adam (see Luke 3:38). So, in this way, the connections to the gospel accounts are, therefore, the following:

Ox and Luke, man and Matthew, lion and Mark, eagle and John

The unusual order of the living creatures in the book of Revelation becomes important in Revelation 6 when the seals are broken for the book. These are broken when each one of the four living creatures says the word ‘Come.’ Each living creature is, of course, different, and what comes as a result of the calling is also different. What comes as a result of the calling are four different types of horses that cause a particular kind of trouble in the world. If the four living creatures are connected to the four gospel accounts, then these accounts seem to have the resources to answer those four evils that the four horses bring with them.

Rather than connecting those creatures to the evils, to be brief, it seems that the four gospel accounts must have been authorized by some type of authority before they were distributed. And those gospel accounts which were written by secretaries would have been authorized before those that were written by disciples of Jesus. And the two secretaries were Mark and Luke. So, in this way, they were allowed to say ‘Come’ first. And the connection to the gospel accounts in this case is as follows:

Lion and Mark, ox and Luke, man and Matthew, eagle and John

As was said above, many people have dismissed the connections between the four living creatures and the four gospel accounts. And it certainly can be confusing. Another thing that did not help to make the same connections between living creatures and gospel accounts is that when connections are made from the living creature to the BEGINNING of the gospel account. Those connections, although they may be true, do not necessarily continue through the rest of the account. Connections throughout the accounts may be made when looking for the historical presents within each account. But that subject must be saved for another time.

The beginning of the book of Ezekiel was about the sights of God. And these became the sights of Ezekiel. And he passed them on to others. The gifts that are given through these sights are not entirely obvious. If they were, then power would probably have to accompany them, and many people would probably be scared away. Ezekiel also hinted words to be more important than power. And words usually come in a gentle way. And when the LORD of heaven and earth wishes to draw closer to his people, his sheep, he will often use simple words.

When we read these four gospel accounts, we usually do not fall on our faces. But these accounts do show the LORD’s glory, his weight and significance, and all of his ramifications on humanity. And by using his simple words, they come in a very gentle way. And when they come to you in four slightly different ways, they are even more helpful.

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September 03rd, 2022

9/3/2022

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It was Last Sunday when the Old Testament text from Proverbs 25 was far from the beginning of that book, and hopefully it was helpful have a look at the beginning of Proverbs and to see the LORD, his actions, and his words a bit more involved in the words of the text. This Sunday the text is a significant distance from the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy [30:15-20]. As was done last week, it may be helpful to look at the beginning of the book, to help see the book’s purpose and structure. Whether we hear of advice or commands, it is so easy to focus on the self as a quick and adequate response and to forget what our amazing LORD has done and will do.

The idea of a book having a literary structure is certainly a multi-faceted thing. If something is important to a writer, that important thing will be emphasized multiple times and in various ways. And it will be connected to the main theme or progression of the work, and it may even be noted at both the book’s beginning and its end.

You may wish to look at what introductory materials appear in various study bibles regarding the book of Deuteronomy. It may be helpful to look at The Lutheran Study Bible. Doctor Martin Luther had some important things to say regarding this book. The following study will focus on some of the very first words of the text. What follows is a somewhat-literal translation of the first verses of the book:

These, the words, specifically, he worded, Moses, to all Israel, on east of the Jordan, in the wilderness, in the Arabah, opposite Suph, between Paran and between Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di Zahab. One and ten days, from Horeb, road of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. And he was in fortieth year, in one and ten months, on the first of the month, Moses worded to sons of Israel, as all, specifically, Yahweh commanded him to them.

Given the situation, it is not difficult to think that Moses gave words to Israel, but the fact that the text says that he gave them to ALL Israel seems to be significant. People can separate themselves from others. People can feel left out. Many people do that today! People can easily feel isolated and alone. Putting all Israel together does not direct a person to the individual self. Something important is happening to those people who are taking seriously what the rest of the text has to say.

Within the Hebrew language, numbers are closely connected to words. Perhaps you noticed that the number eleven (‘one and ten’) is important in the above text. Obviously twelve is also an important number in Israel’s history. These two words (‘all Israel’) may also be significant because they are the seventh and the eighth words of the book in the Hebrew language, and those two numbers are also important in the Bible. These two words also end up being the very last words of the book (at Deuteronomy 34:12). And they are also found in a few important places in the middle.

Now the word ‘all’ is important, and, of course, the word ‘Israel’ is also important. And other connections of these words to others are important, but we will only look at this combination here. At the end of the above paragraph, there is the word ‘all’ near ‘Israel’, but it is not in the same order.

Can you imagine reading this book without any chapter or verse divisions? This phrase, like others, may have been helpful to pull in the ancient reader or listener, to remind them of how things were going along in the text, but also how things were going along in their lives as well.

Below are all the other times when ‘all Israel’ is mentioned in Deuteronomy. To make it easier, that phrase is in bold print. And a somewhat-literal translation has been given. (And, if there are additional words added to the phrase, they are also in bold.) And hopefully you can see a progression within the work:

1:1       These, the words, specifically, he worded, Moses, to all Israel….

5:1       And he called, Moses, to all Israel, and he said to them, “Hear, Israel….”

11:6     And, specifically, he [the LORD your God] did to Dathan and to Abiram, sons of Eliab, son of Reuben, specifically, she opened, the earth, her mouth, and she swallowed them and their houses and their tents and all the thing, specifically, with their feet, in the middle of all Israel.

13:12   And all Israel, they will hear, and they will fear, and they will not add to do as the thing, the evil, the this, in your midst.

18:6     And that he comes, the Levite, from one of your gates, from all Israel, specifically, he sojourning there, and he comes with all earnestness of his spirit, to the place, specifically, he will choose, Yahweh.

21:21   And they stone him, all the men of his town, with the stones, and he dies, and you burn the evil from your midst, and all Israel, they will hear, and they will be afraid.

27:9     And he worded, Moses, and the priests, the Levites, to all Israel, to say, “Be silent and hear, Israel, the day, the this, you became, to people, to Yahweh, your God….”

29:1     And he called, Moses, to all Israel, and he said to them, “You, yourselves saw all, specifically, Yahweh did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land.”

31:1     And he went, Moses, and he spoke the words, the these, to all Israel.

31:7     And he called, Moses, to Joshua, and he said to him, before the eyes of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous….”

31:10f  And he, Moses, commanded them, to say, “From the end of seven years, at the time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, when to come, all Israel, to appear at the face of Yahweh, your God, at the place, specifically, he will choose, you will read the Torah, the this, before all Israel, in their ears.

32:45   And he completed, Moses, to word all the words, the these, to all Israel.

34:12   And to all the hand, the mighty one, and to all the terror, the great, specifically, he did, Moses, before the eyes of all Israel.

Much could be said, but the following comments will be quite brief. All Israel is important to the writer, because all Israel is important to the LORD. The first occurrence of this phrase after 1:1 is at 5:1, and this is the start of the important statement of the Ten Commandments. The next occurrences, starting at 11:6, certainly go in a negative direction. One type of response, that of fear, is seen in 13:12 and 21:12, and this is also seen as negative. The Levite moving closer to Yahweh, in between those two occurrences, at 18:6, seems to be positive, since he is getting close to the One who is behind literally everything. The Levites are included the next time the phrase comes up, in 27:9, and some good news is starting to be given. This continues through the rest of the occurrences. And their occurrences are much closer together as the end of the book gets closer.

One might even imagine a type of temple structure that follows these phrases. At the beginning, there should be an understanding of Whose house (or tent) this ultimately is. Near the entrance, there is a place for sacrifice. One could say that an innocent animal is killed, to allow one to progress even farther along and closer to the One who is behind everything. And in the Old Testament, the Levites were very much involved in the tabernacle and temple. In the end, there is the closeness that the Maker of heaven and earth allows. And that is, of course, where one could say that Jesus eventually comes in.

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