Proper 19 / Pentecost 17 / OT 24
Devotional
Water From the Well
Lectionary Devotional For Cycle A
Object:
Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
-- Psalm 114:2
Psalm 114 is the fourth psalm of praise in a row. The first one, Psalm 111, praised God for establishing and being faithful to the covenant that God had established with God's people. The second, Psalm 112, praised God for the way that God had guided Israel in responding to their material blessings by being conscious of the issues of justice and generosity to the poor. "They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever ..." (Psalm 112:9). The third, Psalm 113, celebrated the sovereignty of God over all nations and the way in which God acted on behalf of the poor and the needy in the world. In Psalm 114, the focus was on God's lordship over the forces of nature. All of these psalms can be read with the memory of how God had dealt with them when they were slaves in Egypt. God remembered God's covenant with them as a people, demanded the same justice and mercy from Egypt that he expected from Israel, and acted on behalf of those who cried out to God from their pain of slavery.
It is helpful to recall the significance of the names of Jacob and Israel and Judah. Jacob signified an aggressive striver after that which would benefit him in life. Israel signified one whose striving had been transformed into striving with God. Recall that Jacob wrestled with God at Jabbok and refused to let go of God until he was blessed. He was then named Israel because he had wrestled with God and humanity and prevailed (Genesis 32:22-30). Still later in the story, it was his son, Judah, who, perhaps out of greed, it is not clear, was used by God to preserve Joseph's life so that he could go into Egypt and prepare the way to save all of Israel from famine (Genesis 37:26-28). It is this very ambiguous reflection of humanity, only distinguished by God's choice, that becomes "God's sanctuary."
As further evidence of God's sovereignty, the psalmist celebrated how even the forces of nature are God's instruments to effect God's purpose. When we remember that God is sovereign over both human nature in all of its ambiguity and the natural forces of creation, we can only tremble and offer our praise.
-- Psalm 114:2
Psalm 114 is the fourth psalm of praise in a row. The first one, Psalm 111, praised God for establishing and being faithful to the covenant that God had established with God's people. The second, Psalm 112, praised God for the way that God had guided Israel in responding to their material blessings by being conscious of the issues of justice and generosity to the poor. "They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever ..." (Psalm 112:9). The third, Psalm 113, celebrated the sovereignty of God over all nations and the way in which God acted on behalf of the poor and the needy in the world. In Psalm 114, the focus was on God's lordship over the forces of nature. All of these psalms can be read with the memory of how God had dealt with them when they were slaves in Egypt. God remembered God's covenant with them as a people, demanded the same justice and mercy from Egypt that he expected from Israel, and acted on behalf of those who cried out to God from their pain of slavery.
It is helpful to recall the significance of the names of Jacob and Israel and Judah. Jacob signified an aggressive striver after that which would benefit him in life. Israel signified one whose striving had been transformed into striving with God. Recall that Jacob wrestled with God at Jabbok and refused to let go of God until he was blessed. He was then named Israel because he had wrestled with God and humanity and prevailed (Genesis 32:22-30). Still later in the story, it was his son, Judah, who, perhaps out of greed, it is not clear, was used by God to preserve Joseph's life so that he could go into Egypt and prepare the way to save all of Israel from famine (Genesis 37:26-28). It is this very ambiguous reflection of humanity, only distinguished by God's choice, that becomes "God's sanctuary."
As further evidence of God's sovereignty, the psalmist celebrated how even the forces of nature are God's instruments to effect God's purpose. When we remember that God is sovereign over both human nature in all of its ambiguity and the natural forces of creation, we can only tremble and offer our praise.
