Matthew 1-4

After two weeks in Old Testament biblical narrative, you will probably find the next two weeks of gospel readings refreshing. Yet, your training in narrative will help you see the gospel with new eyes. We will spend a week in the gospel of Matthew and a week in the gospel of John, two very different viewpoints on the life and teachings of Jesus. Remember that narrative is history from a particular point of view trying to communicate meaning to a particular people. In Matthew's case, the agenda appears quickly with the genealogy of Jesus. Matthew is intent to show how Jesus is the fulfillment of OT prophecy and longings. Thus, his gospel quotes the Old Testament much more often than the others.

Matthew is one of the "synoptic" ("syn" meaning same or together, "optic" meaning seeing) gospels in that Matthew, Mark and Luke cover similar materials. It is important to remember that the gospels were written later than the letters of Paul and represent material that was being told in the early church for 40-60 years. There is such similarity that many think there were earlier written sources from which the gospels drew. While there are many similarities, there are times when details of the same event vary from gospel to gospel. Do these variances represent different written sources or different traditions in the way the events were told?

The Genealogy (1:1-17) is interesting for who it includes and does not. It is certainly a selective listing, but both the inclusion of women and Gentiles in the listing makes it unusual. Notice Tamar, Rahab, Ruth the Moabitess, and "the wife of Uriah" (also known as Bathsheba, with whom David had the affair and then did a contract murder of Uriah). It's quite a family tree of the famous and infamous that brings up both the glory and shame of Israel's past. In that way, Jesus' genealogy is unique yet remarkably similar to yours and mine.

The birth of Jesus narratives in the gospel of Matthew have several OT references (Ps. 130:8, Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Hosea 11:1, Jeremiah 31:15) and tend to emphasize the males in the story (in contrast to Luke's emphases on females). Only Matthew tells the story of the wise men and the slaughter of the innocents (2:1-18).

In chapter 3, John the Baptist is introduced. The relationship between the two of them (as cousins and in following God's call)is most interesting. Some scholars think that some of the disciples of Jesus were first disciples of John. Their relationship is one of admiration and some question of each other. Jesus is baptized by John. How much water was Jesus baptized with? The normal way of baptism for Gentiles who converted to Jewish faith was a form of sprinkling, usually administered by shaking a water loaded cattail. The secular use of baptism was for the washing of utensils or the sinking of a ship. In Acts, people are "baptized in the Holy Spirit" with the key image being a "pouring". My personal opinion is that we will never know how much water should be used in baptism.

Jesus goes right from his baptism into the three temptations from the devil, which include responses from Jesus from the law in Deuteronomy. Notice that he is led into the desert "by the Spirit." His motivations and commitment are now tested. Will he use is miraculous power to meet his own physical needs, to win the people through manipulation or to make himself rich and famous by selling his soul? Every gifted person of power has to negotiate those temptations. I wonder when Jesus would have shared these temptations with his disciples. No doubt, he faced those issues many times, as do we.

Chapter 4 finishes with the beginning of Jesus' ministry and the calling of Peter Andrew, James and John. Jesus' ministry is an early hit among the people, including many rejected and often disgarded populations like Galilee, the Decapolis and "beyond the Jordan." It is now time to consider what your own call story might be. It doesn't have to be near as dramatic as Abraham, Moses or these early disciples. But the message is clear here that key to Jesus' ministry was to put the gift and the legacy of his ministry in the hands of ordinary people - people like you.

Nehemiah 1-14

As you read this, we have completed a week of Old Testament narrative that has covered many centuries and traditions that go back even further - from creation to Abraham to the Kings and now to return from Exile. You may have felt the whiplash of being in a time machine. In the time of Ezra-Nehemiah you are at about 530 BCE (about 1200 years after Father Abraham and about 550 years after King David). More than a generation of the finest leaders of the southern kingdom have been in exile. They return to a completely broken land of broken people. Many scholars and early church fathers saw this as one book. The Jewish Talmud (the historic commentary on the Old Testament) doesn't list a book of Nehemiah, only a book of Ezra containing the material in both books. For "extra credit" and 50 heavenly reward points, I would encourage you to scan the book of Ezra as well. With us finishing up a building in the southwest, you'll see in Ezra (in the rebuilding of the temple)parallels to our journey together. Nehemiah is the story of rebuilding Jerusalem. Notice the struggles they have. How different are they from when they were in the Sinai grumbling to go back to Egypt? Sometimes it can be just as challenging to be responsibly free as it is to be a bitter slave.

In both Ezra and Nehemiah, you see lots of names (eg. Ezra 2,8 & 10 and Nehemiah 3, 7& 12). While the books are mainly about re-construction, it is the re-establishment of the people that is the main agenda. If you were teaching this material, I would suggest inviting students to name the people who are part of their spiritual house and the community that still sustains them. Notice, also, the struggles with priorities and with doubts as to whether the things they seek to do in the name of the Lord will be accomplished (Ezra 4, Nehemiah 4). Who calls them back to their sense of vision and purpose? What does this have to say about spiritual leadership in the church, in the home, at work and in the community?

Jewish faith has no problem with God using non-believers for his purposes. Notice the powerful role Cyrus the Persian (Ezra 1), Xerxes and Artaxerxes (in the stopping of the rebuilding and Darius the Mede (Ezra 5 & 6) play in the return and restoration. Further stories of them are found in the book of Daniel (the silencing of the lions happened with Darius).

Both books give strong testimony of spiritual renewal and revival. The ongoing biblical story of repentance and rediscovery of God's law as the beginning place for wholistic restoration (politically, fiscally, socially, spiritually)is retold. From the earliest days in Sinai to the latest books of the Old Testament this pattern is repeated. What might it have to say to us as a church, as a denomination, as a nation?

II Kings 18-25

The reading for today takes place during and after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BCE to the Assyrians. The same king threatened Hezekiah, king in the South in our reading. It would be 136 more years before the southern kingdom of Israel would fall to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. The early portions of Isaiah would have been written in this time period, with parallel material to II Kings in Isaiah 36-37.Hezekiah is described as a king "who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord." No king in the Northern Kingdom did what was right, while about 1/2 of the kings in the South did. During the 136 years, there are many ups and downs, with the reign of Hezekiah as one of those up times.

In II Kings 20, we have the story of Hezekiah's illness and the miracle of the sundial (when time goes backwards). Isaiah prophesies that Babylon will be the one to invade Jerusalem (which happened more than 100 years later).

After two corrupt kings (Manasseh and Amon), Josiah becomes king and during his time there is a revival prompted by the rediscovery of the law (in 621 BCE), what many scholars think was the book of Deuteronomy. This is also when many scholars believes that the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) came into the form we know today. Can you believe the people had become so forgetful about the law of God that they had lost it? I am reminded of the adage that says, "The gospel is always a generation from extinction."

Notice that the good kings always destroyed the idols that the people created in "the high places." These were the gods of the surrounding nations that often were worshipped by the children of Israel in their sin. An Old Testament professor asked our class once, "How do you read Psalm 121?" We said, "It says, 'I look to the hills, from whence cometh my help?' He said, "Some people think that's why they feel close to God in the mountains." But what if David was really saying, "I look to the hills from whence cometh my help?" The answer: "Not in those hills (the high places), my help comes from the Lord." I must admit I still like walking and talking to God in the mountains.

II Kings 25 tells the story of the fall of Jerusalem. A lot has happened in just eight chapters of reading. You can read more about Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel. This is the low point in the Old Testament story of Israel. Tomorrow's reading will tell of a better day.

I Samuel 8-20

The narrative account here is the story of the change from prophet or judge (Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel) to a king. It actually seems natural as the nation grows and becomes established that they would want a style of govenment that would be recognized by the coutnries and city-states around them. For Samuel the issue is personal. But God says that they are rejecting God himself. How is that the case?

God choose Saul as the first king. The story of how Samuel and Saul get together and the surprise in it for Saul is intimate and powerful. When approached by Samuel, Saul like all those who have been called before him is reluctant. After all, he is from the tribe of Benjamin (considered the least of the tribes). Are you seeing the biblica pattern in these narratives (God's initiative, the reluctance of the one chosen to receive the call, and God choosing from the unexpected places)? The Holy Spirit came upon Saul and that is what will enable him to become king. He will be king for 42 years, but his power as king eventually corrupts him and he is disobedient to God.

God rejects Saul and calls Samuel to anoint a new king. The anointing of David in I Samuel 16 is classic. The first king looked like a king - a head taller than those around him and physically impressive. Samuel is looking for another Saul only more obedient. But of all of Jesse's boys, David looks the least like a king. His complexion is "ruddy," the appearance of being a mama's boy. The Spirit of the Lord departs from Saul and instead Saul is possessed of an evil spirit. His only comfort is for a harpist to play. And who is that harpist? Saul's replacement! The setup of the rivalry between David and Saul is now in place. A fight with a giant and a deep friendship with the king's son, Jonathan, would only make it worse.

As you teach this kind of passage, some of the students will know the story of David's call and nearly everyone will have a version in their head of David and Goliath. Help them to confront the details of these narratives, for as you do the biblical story will become more their story (egs. struggling with God's call, political and sibling rivalries, the corruptive character of power, the inability to let go, and the power of the Spirit in true leadership). My hope is that you are becoming aware of just how powerful the Old Testament can be in shaping our lives. I always cringe when a pastor or parishioner says, "We belong to a New Testament church," as if the Old Testament no longer has anything important to say.

Joshua 1-6, Judges 6-8, 11 & 13-16

For today, we skip several hundred years and look at some narrative material from when the children of Israel crossed into the promised land. Following the miracle of the Exodus, an entire generation of the children of Israel wandered around in circles through the Sinai peninsula for 40 years going a distance that should have taken no more than about six months. As they wandered, they fought small bands of people. Moses dies at the end of Deuteronomy, right before the people enter the promised land,and the reigns of power are passed on to Joshua. But the skirmishes and the faith and morality lessons learned in the Sinai have only prepared them for bigger skirmishes. Canaan may have been "the promised land," but we can never forget that there were people already living there who tought their gods has promised it to them: the city states of the Hittites, Perrizites, and most of all those pesky and quite large Philistines.

Joshua 1-6 tells the story of the entrance into Canaan. It begins with the sending of spies into Canaan who are housed for the night with Rahab the prostitute. She hides them in her roof between stalks of flax and lies to the men who represented the king of Jericho. This reminds me of the scene in the Sound of Music where the nuns (holding the distributor caps of the cars of the Nazis)say "Reverend Mother, I have sinned."

Chapter 3 tells the story of the entry complete with a parting of the Jordan River as a reminder of the Exodus (again reminding them of who and whose they are). But they also needed this reminder for the entire generation that experienced the Exodus died in the Sinai wanderings. The Ark of the Covenant now leads the people in their travels. It contains the ten commandments and the rod of Aaron. The Ark of the Covenant becomes the major symbol of God's presence right up through the reign of David the King.

Chapters 5 & 6 tell the story of the fall of Jericho. The walls of the city fall before the power of God. The children of Israel wipe out Jericho, killing all the people and their animals. They rescue Rahab and her family as promised. Then they burn the city to the ground. The archeological digs of the area show that Jericho was burned to the ground several times in its history.

As we skipped to Judges, we find the most violent book of the Bible. As you teach the book, your students will note just how violent the book is. They also will begin to ask questions about God in relationship to the violence of both Joshua and Judges. For instance, why were they commanded to wipe out even the youngest and oldest in Jericho? Why do the commands of God in battle in the Old Testament often run identical to the battle strategies that armies used in that day and time? Is the warrior God the same one that is the heavenly Father of the Prince of Peace?

Judges 6-8 tells the stories of Gideon. He like Moses is a reluctant leader. He gains confidence only after several tests of God including the fleece. I have known people to follow Gideon's lead and put fleeces before the Lord (requiring a miraculous sign before moving forward). Some have worked and some have not. And how about the reduction of forces before they gain victory over the Midianites? Gideon is learning the same lesson as Joshua learned in Jericho.

In Judges 11, we read the story of Jephthah's daughter. Phyllis Trible calls this one of the "texts of terror" for women in the Bible. Why is this passage here and what do we do with it?

Finally, we read the story of Samson. What a tragedy - to be so gifted, strong and attractive and yet so vulnerable. Who are similar ones in our own day and time who have fallen into temptation and sexual immorality and wrecked their lives and many others? Why do human beings, including us, like to play it so close to the edge? We have yet another miraculous birth in Samson. Notice the contrast of Joshua and Gideon who know they don't have the resources to take on their challenges without divine help and Samson who's sure he can take anybody. How would you creatively teach these passages?

Genesis 12:1-25:18

The Thursday reading gives us the story of Abram (later named Abraham). The connection to the Tower of Babel story would be that he comes from Ur of the Chaldees and was likely from that religious background . The narrative is a form of history, but with a very clear agenda - the establishment of the identity of Israel. From the beginning the initiative is with God and it will take the ongoing intervention of God to bring his promise to pass. The elements of sacred story are also here: the naming and renaming of people (symbolic for that time and for Israel's future), humorous telling of events along with deception and trickery, etc. A helpful way to picture the telling of the Abram/Abraham story is to imagine a child asking, "How did we get to become God's people?" Then a patriarch of the family tells the story that many in the room or around the fire already know. As he tells it, the imagination of the children are engaged and the adults gain a deeper sense of who and whose they are. That's exactly what happens in the celebration of the Passover, but even to this day, the telling of the stories between generations is a key way of communicating faith, values and identity in the Middle East. As our sons prepare to become young adults, I find they are very interested in the stories their grandparents tell them. They laugh and ask questions, but they also experience a deepening of their roots and some clearer self-definition. One teaching technique would be to have class members bring a story that their parents or grandparents have told them that helped them understand who and whose they are. My guess is that some of the same elements of sacred story will be in what they share.

This reading includes a call story which is a part of the general flow of scripture (Abraham/Sarah, Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Esther, Mary, and Saul who became Paul, just to name some). The calls come in great variety, but always the initiative is with God. The person doesn't seek to be called by God and at times argues with God. The call generally is complicated by an impossible situation (e.g. Sarah's inability to have children) and often the call will have to be updated during the person's life (e.g. the dividing of the land between Abraham and his nephew lot and the tragedy of Sodom and Gomorrah).

As you read this passage, what are some of the values and life lessons that are being communicated in this set of stories: Abraham's claim that Sarah was his sister (liar, liar), the bargaining with God over Sodom and Gomorrah (the God who can be dickered with?) and the turning back of Lot's wife (a little extreme don't you think?), the Ishmael conundrum, the birth of the child of promise (what was that name?), and finally, the specter of child sacrifice?

Welcome to "Teaching the Bible" Series of Blogs

The postings for the next few weeks are from a daily Bible Study that is part of a "Teaching the Bible" class at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Lubbock. Class members are taking a Wednesday night class, reading the book Reading the Bible for All Its Worth, and reading texts that are of the type being described in the book. This week is about learning to teach Old Testament narrative. Hopefully this running commentary and accompanying questions will help stimulate further thought and learning.

Genesis 1-11

For me, this is one of the most exciting parts of the Bible. But the life and meaning of this passage emerges when it is allowed to speak as sacred story. It is written in a time when history was more his (they were male writers) story (events told from a particular perspective). For this reason, scholars often call this "pre-history." It begins with two creation stories. The first one is sacred story in the form of a poem. Notice the repeated phrases "and God said," "and it was so," and "and it was good." To ask whether God could create the world in seven "days" or whether God created with age already on it is to ask modern scientific-historical questions of something that is neither science nor history. Notice also the progression from it was good to the sixth day when after the creation of humans beings God says, "and it was very good." I call this creation story God's New World Symphony in seven movements. It is communicating God's initiative, the greatness of God's creation, and the responsibility of the pinnacle of his creation as caretakers of his creation. Why do you think the Bible begins this way? Why might this passage speak more powerfully as art rather than science?

The second creation story takes place in a garden. It is sacred story in narrative. Notice the playfulness of this passage: God fashioning a creature out of dust and breathing life into it, the parade of animals in search of a proper helpmate for Adam, and then the taking of a rib from the man to fashion one like him ("bone of my bone and "flesh of my flesh") only wonderfully different. It finishes with an erotic love passage. You can picture them walking off into the garden together, ready to live happily ever after.

But there is more to the story, often called "the Fall." Later on in the New Testament, Satan is connected to the snake, but that is an interpretation. The snake is subtle, "tricky." Notice the language used in the temptation story and the arguments made. Are these the temptations of the devil or are they the temptations from within ourselves? I'm tempted to link Genesis 3 to James 1 from last week's study. How might they be describing something similar? What do you do with the punishments given the man and the woman: farm land that produces weeds and thorns, women having pain in childbirth and the experience of death? We are tempted to ask questions of meteorology, agriculture, and biology. But this is sacred story. What is the writer of Genesis trying to communicate?

The second part of the Fall story is the first murder. Cain and Abel represent more than a sibling rivalry (repeated throughout Genesis), but also a social rivalry between farmers and ranchers. Why does God prefer Abel's offering? Is it the attitude of the one who sacrifices or is it possible that the preference for blood sacrifice that is part of the Hebrew sacrificial system is showing itself? What do you make of no mention of Cain's wife nor is there any explanation for the people who are already there in the land of Nod? How do you understand "the mark of Cain?"

The flood story has parallels in other cultures. For example the Babylonian Noah is named Utnapishtim. The sons of Anak (the product of angels and humans) end up being connected to "the giants in the land" and Goliath later. The boat is scientifically not floatable as described, but sacred story could care less. What about the rainbow and the role of the covenant making God? Notice the curse of Ham. This was used during slavery days to justify the belittling of African Americans. Does the Bible support that? Some scholars believe that there are boat remains on Mt. Ararat in Turkey. Why does "the Flood" speak so powerfully from that day and time to several religions? By the way, here is a question I was asked in a Bible Study course in college. Can you answer it correctly? What bird did Moses send out from the ark? A raven, a dove, a pterodactyl or none of the above? Bring you answer to class.

The final story of the pre-history is the Tower of Babel. The design is the typical ziggarut (think pyramid building at loop 289 and Indiana in Lubbock). At the top of a ziggarut was a worship center called "the gate of heaven." Notice the "let us go down" and the plural understanding of God. Some will explain this as an early representation of the Trinity, but it is more likely as in Genesis 1 ("let us make man...") a picture of God as an oligarchy of gods. The other creation stories in that part of the world also describe God as plural (Hebrew word is elohim). In the Bible there is a gradual development in language about God from God as plural (polytheism) to God as superior to other gods (henotheism) to only one God (monotheism). Notice the building materials (tar and pitch). It's set up for failure long before the scattered languages. The Tower of Babel story tends to follow the stories of the gods in that day that never want the humans to get ahead.

What are some of the ways these speak to our own day and time? The first sermon series I did on these stories was called "The Story of Us." How might that be true?