<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'>Forwarded:<br>
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<div style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"><font face="arial, helvetica">-----Original Message-----</font><br>
<font face="arial, helvetica">From: Tom O'Brien <tgobrien@comcast.net></font><br>
<font face="arial, helvetica">To: Tom O'Brien <tgobrien@comcast.net></font><br>
<font face="arial, helvetica">Sent: Mon, Mar 6, 2017 9:07 pm</font><br>
<font face="arial, helvetica">Subject: Scripture in Context March 19, 2017</font><br>
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<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Dear Friends, </div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"> </div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"><font face="arial, helvetica">[B</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">elow]</font><font face="arial, helvetica"> is Scripture in Context for March 19, 2017. I hope you and others find it informative and helpful. </font></div>
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<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Blessings, </div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"> </div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Tom </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>MARCH 19, 2017<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Exodus 17:1-7<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p> </o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, covers the
period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account
is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">In Chapter 16, the people complained about not getting
enough food, and YHWH told Moses that He would “rain bread from heaven.” This was “manna,” a Hebrew word that means
“What is it?” Manna is real stuff and
can be purchased even now in Arab markets in Jerusalem. It is the carbohydrate-rich excretions of
insects that feed on the twigs of tamarisk trees. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">In today’s reading, the Israelites quarreled with Moses and
asked (rhetorically) if he brought them out of Egypt only so they could die of
thirst. YHWH is portrayed
anthropomorphically and tells Moses to strike a rock with his staff to get
water. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Israel’s lack of trust in YHWH reappears in the Book of
Deuteronomy (and other books by the Deuteronomists – Joshua, Judges, Samuel and
Kings) as a reason the fortunes of Israel declined and the people were
subjugated to the Assyrians and the Babylonians. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><o:p> </o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Romans 5:1-11<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Paul’s letter to the Romans is his longest, last and most
complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) – about ten
years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Paul uses some words that are difficult for us. He say we are “justified” in verse 1. This means
living in “righteousness” or in a right relationship with God – being
“justified” as a page of type is “justified” when the margins are square on
both the left and the right. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Paul’s use of “faith” is better understood today as
“faithfulness” because of its active aspect.
For many modern persons, “Faith” is understood as intellectual assent to
one or more propositions. “Faithfulness,” however, is an active living into
one’s beliefs through grace and trust in God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Paul was a Jew who became a Jesus Follower (the term
“Christian” hadn’t been invented in Paul’s lifetime). All during his life, animal
sacrifices were made at the Jerusalem Temple as a way Jews were reconciled to
YHWH. Animal sacrifices continued until the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in
70 CE – after Paul’s death. It is therefore not surprising that Paul uses
“sacrifice” language to interpret the meaning of the Crucifixion: “Christ died
for us” (v.8); we are “justified by his blood” (v. 9); and “through whom we
have received reconciliation (v. 12). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
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