Experiencing YHWH’s Presence - Reflections on Exodus 17:1-7
Given all that, I still must say that I have never had a “real” experience of the presence of God. I am hardly alone in my desire for some genuine evidence of God.
The Lively Lectionary Old Testament is a blog that reflects on the Old Testament text from the Revised Common Lectionary each week.
Plenty of Mumblin’ Words - Reflections on Exodus 16:2-15
As the old spiritual said of Jesus during his final trial and death, “he never said a mumblin’ word.” To the contrary, the newly-freed slaves from Egypt are just full of mumblin’, more traditionally “murmuring” or “grumbling,” words, as they find themselves facing the terrifying and unyielding deserts of the Sinai.
Victory at Sea! - Reflections on Exodus 14:19-31
Today’s text forms the very heart of the Israelite belief system; it is their resurrection story. On the west bank of the sea, they were Egyptian slaves, and on the east bank, after the miraculous defeat of pharaoh and his armies, they are the people of YHWH.
Take Time to Celebrate! - Reflections on Exodus 12:1-14
Suddenly, we find ourselves immersed in the world of ritual, a place of precise dates correct foods, and cultic practice. Why is it here? Why should we now read about a Passover ritual that certainly was not instituted in the wilderness, but surely was created by a people with the leisure to celebrate their foundational story?
Clever Women Prevail! - Reflections on Exodus 1:8-2:10
I am most attracted today to the confrontation between the mighty pharaoh, at the time the world’s grandest, most powerful ruler, and the two Hebrew midwives, women designated as guides and helpers for the onerous and too often deadly task of child birth.
Crocodile Tears? - Reflections on Genesis 45:1-15
The scene of Joseph’s revelation of himself to his brothers has often lead to all manner of claims of Joseph’s wonderful forgiveness of them, despite their dastardly attempts to murder him in the desert, abandoning him in that fearful dry well.
Just Like His Ancestors - Reflections on Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
With Gen.37 we begin the long tale of Joseph, often termed a novella, a kind of mini-novel that concludes the book of Genesis. Like his famous ancestors Abraham and Jacob, he is a deeply flawed character and yet finds himself employed by a near-silent YHWH to effect a mysterious divine will.
Wrestling With…? - Reflections on Genesis 32:22-31
I say that the wrestling match at Jabbok cannot be fully comprehended without the succeeding meeting of the two brothers. It is there that God is fully revealed.
What Goes Around… - Reflections on Genesis 29:15-28
What are we to make of this story of trickery, deception, and clever dealings? No character here is to emulated; the Bible does not say ever “be like Jacob” or “take Laban as your model for living.” What the Bible instead implies is: just how is the great God going to make anything out of these rascals? And, it follows, just how is God going to make anything out of us? How indeed.
Gee, Thanks a Lot! - Reflections on Genesis 28:10-19a
Context is always crucial when one reads any biblical text, but that is doubly true when examining Gen.28, the tale of Jacob’s mysterious ladder dream. The story is wonderfully spooky, deliciously important, and delightfully funny all at the same time.
Deception and Stupidity - Reflections on Genesis 25:19-34
I am continually amazed at the rich humor of many of our scripture passages. How anyone could read Gen.25:19-34, the tale of the birth and rivalry of Jacob and Esau, and not spare at least a chuckle at the story, is quite beyond me. If one does not laugh, one is left with a crushing sorrow.
Ancient Tales - Reflections on Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
I cannot in silence pass over the delightful story of Abraham’s bargaining with Ephron the Hittite for a burial place for his dead wife, Sarah, for it is all too reminiscent of some modern bargaining that I have tried and failed to do in the current Middle East. That lovely tale is followed by another in Gen.24. In a very long account, Abraham now sends a servant to secure a wife from among his relatives in Haran.
