Author: theelvesareheadingwest

The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Sa 3-5; Heb 9; Psalm 25

One of the strange gifts of the scriptures is that none of us as the people of God can be under any illusion as to how we consistently foul it up.

In the days of Eli the priest we read ‘The word of the Lord was rare in those days’. And for all people post comforting biblical verses on Facebook and the like (and note it is always such verses, not discomforting verses), we might well say, ’twas always thus’. It is hard to look at the world around us and see evidence of the live giving word of God. Certainly visions are not widespread.

So it is in this context that the child Samuel hears the voice of God – and it even takes Eli the priest three attempts before he realises that this is a long forgotten voice in the night. But this voice does not bring a word of comfort in the modern sense of the word. Yes it is a ‘comforting’ word, but only in the sense of one that strengthens – that speaks into the utterly dissolute situation and calls the prophet to strong action.

Our narrative continues with the capture of the Ark – unthinkable. But God will not be without witnesses and if the people of God will not witness to his Glory, then he will allow himself to be put in the hands of wicked men, that his glory may be revealed. And so, the Ark is placed in the presence of Dagon, the Philistine Idol – and the idol is shown to be ‘as nothing’ before the presence of the Lord.

So in an age when the word of the Lord was rare, one will come who is content to be betrayed into the hands of wicked men – to become the place of atonement (the cover of the Ark) – and thereby he ‘disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them’

The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Sa 1-2; Heb 7-8; Psalm 23-24

Perhaps the dominant theme of the epistle to the Hebrews is that of the Priesthood of Christ, one without beginning or end, like that of Melchizedek. It is interesting that the writer reaches back in the history of GOd’s people to a time before the formal establishment of the sacrificing priesthood, to Melchizedek, one who offers bread and wine . . .

Throughout the Old Testament, there is an ongoing critique of the Aaronic priesthood – which culminates in Jesus’ conflict with the Temple authorities. It is Aaron after all, the first High priest, who causes the Israelites to sin by creating the Golden calves. Warning there surely and a Powerful one to all those of us who are involved in the leadership of the church in an age which like the city of Athens is full of Idols, many of which we worship within the church.

Throughout the Old Testament it is the prophets who lead the critique of the priestly cult and their forerunner is Samuel. And so the story of Samuel begins in the context of the sacrificing priesthood. [It is I think important to note that for all the two books of Samuel are focussed on the rise and fall of David, its roots are to be found in this critique of the sacrificing priesthood]

And so as often happens, when God seeks to raise up a faithful one, one is born beyond human hope, by the intervention of God most High, to Hannah. And so Samuel is born and in the early years of his service we are introduced to the degenerate ministry of Eli and his sons – the reverberations of which will continue to be felt for many years. At its heart is indeed that which brings Satan down – ‘Why then look with greedy eyes on My sacirifices and My offerings – the offering of My people Israel?’

The first temptation was to take that which belonged to God, to seek to be like him, Satan fell from heaven we are told because of his desire, his lack of humility, his thirst for that which was not his – Jesus comes to us at the end ‘as one sho does not consider equality with God something to be grasped . . .’

The scheme for May – June can be found here

1 Ch 9; Heb 5-6: Psalm 22

‘imitators of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises’

It is in such passages as today’s reading form the Hebrews that we dicover a unity in the Scriptures – all of the Scriptures pointing to the same End – which is the person of Christ Jesus. We have the words of Psalm 110, the Royal psalm which speaks of  ‘a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek’ – itself a backward reference to the encounter of Abraham with Melchizedek in Genesis 14. Then again we hear of Abraham, or rather of God’s promise to Abraham and a reference ot the incident in Genesis 15 when God puts Abraham to sleep to bless him – ‘swearing by himself for he had no-one greater by whom to swear.

Hebrews is scattered with pictures of those who have endured to the end. But supremely it is a witness to The Faithful One – Jesus Christ – ‘who learned obedience through what he suffered’. This suffering as we considered yesterday is not the suffering which is the common lot of all humanity, it is the suffering which we undergo when who we are in Christ comes into conflict with the world in which we live, exemplified Perfectly in the crucifixion of Jesus.

What is more there is a strange note here which we might miss – that Jesus ‘learned obedience through what he suffered. It was not that he suffered because he was obedient, but that he learned obedience through what he suffered. In our suffering for the faith we share, as we exhort one another, we grow in obedience – and thus Christ becomes our source of Salvation.

For it is obedience that we are to learn. St Paul as he opens his gospel to the Romans, describes it in terms of the Obedience that comes through faith. Jesus warns those around him ‘why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?’ To listen to these words of Jesus is to suffer if we love him? ‘Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?.

All to often as Christians we imagine faith as something in our head – whereas it is nothing less than obedience to Christ, the faithful one – who through His obedience has opened a new and living way.