Jeremiah 1-3; 7; 16-18; 20

It was so great to be together again! Thank you for your incredible comments and insights. As a reminder class announcements plus a short message from the reading can be found on Instagram at Seek the Covenant Path. 

Reading for next week:

Jeremiah 30-33; 36; Lamentations 1:3 

A FAMILIAR VOICE

"And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the dust, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust."

Isaiah 29:4

“This is the Bible being a voice out of the ground speaking to us. I feel like this year this verse has been fulfilled more than ever before in those terms. I feel like that the Bible and our Israelite ancestors that we're reading about are speaking to us out of the ground with a familiar spirit out of the dust. They're coming to life again as it were for us, and we're learning the lessons that they would have us learn from their lives.”

Dr. Kerry Muhlestein, Follow Him Podcast Episode 38, Part II

THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH

“The book of Jeremiah is unique in many regards, but especially because the Greek tradition differs from the Hebrew tradition in this book more than any other. A major difference in the Greek tradition (the Septuagint) locates the ‘oracles against the nations’ not at the end of the book, but rather immediately following an appropriate reference to ‘this book’ in 25:13. This and other differences between the Hebrew and the Greek has convinced many scholars that the Greek tradition preserves earlier and better traditions concerning the oracles, the language of the text, and the character of Jeremiah. Both of these textual traditions are attested among the Hebrew biblical texts found at Qumran (the Dead Sea Scrolls), indicating that the book of Jeremiah had a fluid editorial history.”

The New Oxford Annotate Bible, New Revised Standard Version, pg. 1058

PURPOSE OF THE COVENANT

“The purpose of the covenant is not so that you will get blessings; it’s not so you will prosper. The purpose of the covenant is so that you will have a relationship with God and with each other.”

Avram Shannon, The Scriptures are Real Podcast, Episode 145

THE POTTER

“This is a parable that challenges our notions of inevitability. It challenges our notions of the set future; that things will only be a certain way. Only the past is inevitable.”

Dr. Kristian Heel, Abide Podcast, BYU Maxwell Institute

RITUALS

“[W]e need to beware . . . of shallow talk about ‘empty rituals.’ To be sure, rituals can indeed become empty, performed habitually and thoughtlessly, without regard to their meaning and the ethic that is supposed to be associated with them. The prophets of Israel were unstinting in their condemnation of just that sort of pro forma religion. But it is also important to remember that, like other habitual behaviors, rituals are hardy—like habits, difficult to break—and thus likely to survive the spiritual dry periods when faith and feelings are just not there.

The ritual without the theological truth to which it bears witness, the act without the affect, can come alive—the empty ritual can be filled up—when the dry period passes. Indeed, the very existence of the ritual can help the spiritual dryness pass from the scene. Conversely, when the ritual is no longer observed, the likelihood declines that the message with which it is associated will survive, and the likelihood that old practice will come to be associated with new meanings declines still further.”

Jon D. Levenson, The Love of God, pp. 32-33

“Rituals are a practice of the faith that provide the structure for our spiritual lives. Rituals are not beholden to our thinking but shape our thinking and, when necessary, step into the gap when our minds are tired and our feelings empty.

Sooner or later we all need that kind of help.”

Pete Enns, Ph.D.

Jeremiah Movie 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pL4FYXj0qQQ&feature=share

Welcome Back!

Hi Everyone,

I'm excited to be in class with you again soon! Our first class will be Thursday, October 13 from 9:30 to 11 a.m.  We will meet in the Relief Society room at the Old Gilbert building. The Thursday class time will help us better align with the timing of the Come Follow Me schedule.  

I'm thrilled to welcome Kim Wold this year. Kim is a deep thinker and excellent instructor. It will be wonderful to learn from her! We plan on teaching every other week. 

We will begin with the reading outlined in Come Follow Me for the week of October 10-16, which is Jeremiah 1-3; 7; 16-18; 20. For historical background of this time period see 2 Kings 21-15.

Please contact me with any questions. You can leave a comment here or email me at debratolman75@gmail.com. 

See you soon!

Esther

The events of the book of Esther took place while the Jews where living in Persia after the Babylonian exile. The story is remarkable and instructive. One commentator has said, "Readers who are satisfied that they know what Esther means would be well advised to examine it again in search of other dimensions." Jon Lavenson, Bible scholar, states, "It is the story of the assent of a woman, an orphan in exile, to the most powerful woman, perhaps the most powerful person, in the empire and arguably the world."

"The author's central purpose was to record the institution of the annual festival of Purim and to keep alive for later generations the memory of the great and providential deliverance of the Jewish people during the reign of Xerxes. The book accounts for both initiation of that observance and the obligation for its perpetual commemoration." (NIV Study Bible, pg 802.) This commemoration has continued through modern history. This is a story of redemption akin to the story of Joseph in Egypt. 

God accomplishes this all through an orphaned woman, living in exile on the margins of society. Esther and her actions teach many things that stand the test of time. Her account portrays a broader perspective if read through eyes to see.

"When you see the book of Esther, it is the book of Ishtar. It is the book of Asherah. It is the book of Hadassah. It is the book of Esther who has these two names, her Jewish name, and her Babylonian or Persian name. By functioning in this role of redemption, she is in some ways fulfilling her divine counterpart. Esther is just another powerful example how God works that deliverance. And it means something that he works it through a woman."  Dr. Ariel Silver, https://followhim.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/31-Ariel-Silver-ESTHER-followHIM-Podcast-SHOW-NOTES-ENGLISH.pdf 

"The God-fearing defiant women of the Exodus, and also Rahab, are models of how Israel should behave in adversity and the reward they can expect. Yael the apparently powerless tent-dweller is the archetype of those who conquer their powerful adversaries by faith and determination. Later, when once again there was no king, Esther became the model for the behavior and salvation of Jews in the diaspora, and Judith, like the much earlier Yael, rose to destroy the enemy of Israel. The women who were saviors of Israel, like the boy David who slew Goliath, all demonstrate the ability of the small and marginal to win by their will and the power of God." Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (p. 335). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

"An outstanding feature of this book—one that has given rise to considerable discussion—is the complete absence of any explicit reference to God, worship, prayer, or sacrifice. This “secularity” has produced many detractors who have judged the book to be of little religious value. However, it appears that the author has deliberately refrained from mentioning God or any religious activity as a literary device to heighten the fact that it is God who controls and directs all the seemingly insignificant coincidences that make up the plot and issue in deliverance for the Jews. God’s sovereign rule is assumed at every point, an assumption made all the more effective by the total absence of reference to him. It becomes clear to the careful reader that Israel’s Great King exercises his providential and sovereign control over all the vicissitudes of his beleaguered covenant people." NIV Study Bible, page 804

 "There is another side to the story, God being hidden in this text, he is present. And I hope that our discussion has demonstrated the ways in which God was present in Esther's life, was present in Mordecai's life, was present in this text and in this story. But many people have suggested that the hiddenness of God, that figure is obscured slightly so that we can see what we might call the female divine.                         And I think our most comfortable corollary is a heavenly mother. I think it's worth mentioning that she really functions in much the way that Esther does. She's both hidden and she's revealed. There's not a lot that is said about her, her role remains a bit obscured, and yet we also affirm and reaffirm her presence. And we recognize that divinity is incomplete without her." Dr. Ariel Silver, https://followhim.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/31-Ariel-Silver-ESTHER-followHIM-Podcast-SHOW-NOTES-ENGLISH.pdf 

We are given the opportunity to watch Esther come to understand her purpose and grow into what it required of her. Often, we struggle with purpose day-to-day. Esther's story provides a guidepost for the growth we seek even in the midst of challenging and painful times.   

"[Biblical authors] mostly perceive exile as something to be endured, something to be survived, something for which we hope for a resolution. We don't really want this to endure longer than it has to. In the book of Esther, she sees it as an opportunity, even in the face of a really severe life-threatening situation where a decree against their lives has been placed, but she sees exile as an opportunity to develop capacities, to grow. And this is the other really interesting, one of the many other interesting things about this text is that the female character of Esther across the span of these 10 chapters changes, she evolves, she develops, she progresses. It's a heroine story. What they call a Bildungsroman, coming of age story. She comes into her own and as her purpose becomes more clear, her power and her knowledge and her understanding also grows, her capacity to act and to do things that are going to work toward her salvation personally, and toward the salvation of her people." Dr. Ariel Silver, https://followhim.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/31-Ariel-Silver-ESTHER-followHIM-Podcast-SHOW-NOTES-ENGLISH.pdf 

 

Huldah the Prophetess, Class Announcements, Instagram Page

Hi All,

Summer is coming to an end very quickly. I hope you have had some good family time! The first day of class this year will be October 13.  We will meet on Thursdays this year; it will better align our discussions with Come Follow Me schedule. The time and place will be the same: 9:30-11 am. at Old Gilbert Building. 

We have started an Instagram page where we will post quotes occasionally and class announcements. You can find it on Instagram as Seek the Covenant Path. We hope to see you there!

This week's reading includes the story of the Prophetess Huldah. Her story is found in 2 Kings 22:11-20 and 2 Chronicles 34:19-28. Her story appears at a pivotal moment in Jewish history, in about 624 BC. She was a contemporary of the great prophet Jeremiah and was an advisor to the righteous king Josiah. 

"Her name 'Huldah' means 'a burrowing animal.' Scholars, in their own way, burrow, seeking out and examining little pieces of knowledge/wisdom to nourish the mind and heart. Huldah was just such a scholar." https://womeninthebible.net/women-bible-old-new-testaments/huldah/

"Huldah, the wife of Shallum ben Tikvah, was one of seven prophetesses mentioned in Tanach who lived in different times. These seven prophetesses were: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah and Esther." https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112503/jewish/Who-Was-Huldah-the-Prophetess.htm

In her book, "Reading the Women of the Bible," Jewish scholar, Tikva Frymer-Kensky provides this insight into Huldah.

"Huldah is a pivotal figure. The last prophet in the Deuteronomic history, she provides closure to the period of the occupation of the land (introduced by Rahab), to the monarchy (proclaimed by Hannah), and to the throne of David (proclaimed by Abigail). But she marks not only an end. She is also the beginning of the new phase of biblical interpretation that becomes ever more important in Israel. Like the many interpreters who came after her, Huldah is a link, a triangulation point between herself, the words of the Book, and the world around her. She recognizes her own society in the dictates of the Book and in its failure to observe those prescriptions, and she applies the Book’s own curses to her own day. The king and his emissaries give her this authority on the basis of her own qualifications as prophet. Later, Israel, no longer inquiring of prophets, rested its interpretative behavior on the authority of the Book itself."

These women of the Dueteronomic history have much to teach us. Reading and pondering their scriptural accounts can provide direction we need in a confusing world. Courage, faith, inspiration and loyalty to Jehovah shine in their stories. 

Abigail

There are so many important stories in first Samuel. Stories of betrayal, loyalty, friendship, bravery and submission. We often are amazed by stories like David and Goliath, yet one of the most amazing and instructive stories in first Samuel is the story of Abigail. The narrative of her actions is found in 1 Samuel 25. Unfortunately, our Come Follow Me reading did not include this story. 

David has escaped the wrath of Saul through the help of Jonathon. He goes into hiding and collects a band of soldiers who were also disaffected. David has a couple of chances to end Saul's life but refuses because he knew it was wrong to take the life of the king. He uses his army to protect the southern flank of Israel from enemies approaching from the south. 

The story of Abigail begins with the explanation that David and his men have been living near the land owned by a wealthy man named Nabal. They protect Nabal's shepherds and flocks from enemies who would have raided Nabal's land. David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep and sent ten of his men to ask for Nabal's favor in providing some provisions and food for his army.  Nabal not only refuses, but he insults David. David reacted in anger and vowed to destroy Nabal, his family, and his entire household.

Some of the servants reported the incident to Nabal's wife, Abigail. She immediately took action. She gathered food and supplies and hurried out to meet David. 

(1 Sam. 25:24–27) She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, let the sin be upon me. Let your servant-woman speak to your ear and listen to the words of your servant-woman: “Let not my lord pay attention to this worthless man. “Nabal is his name and as his name, so is he. “His name is Nabal and nebalah (outrage) is with him. “I, your servant, did not see my lord’s lads whom you sent. “And now, my lord—by the life of YHWH and by your life, YHWH has indeed prevented you from coming into blood-guilt, has rescued you. “And now, may all your enemies who seek my lord’s evil be like Nabal. “And now, may this gift which your servant has brought to my lord be given to the lads who go at my lord’s feet.”

"Abigail knows that she has to convince David she is not acting as Nabal’s emissary, so she begins by insulting her husband. The insult strategy is familiar in Israel’s history. For example, the midwives in Egypt called the Hebrew women “animals,” ḥayyôt, to protect themselves. In the same way, Abigail distances herself from Nabal by declaring him a boor, and creates a bond between herself and David. This bond generates ethical demands. It distinguishes between the boor (nabal) who commits outrages (nebalah) and the man who would never commit a nebalah such as slaughtering an innocent household. Abigail herself took no part in Nabal’s rejection of David. Far from it, she reveals herself as God’s emissary. In the first of three 'And now' clauses, she avows that God is acting to prevent David’s bloodguilt. She is so certain of God’s actions that she can reveal them under oath, implying that she herself is acting as God’s agent. In her second 'And now' clause, she expresses her wish that all David’s enemies be as easily thwarted as Nabal, and in her third 'And now,' she offers her own gift to David’s men, which, like Jacob offering his gifts to Esau (Gen. 33:11), she calls a berakah, a gift-in-blessing. Abigail then turns to announcing David’s destiny and, in particular, his destiny from YHWH, whom she calls by name five times and 'your god' once."  Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (pp. 319-320). 

Through Abigail's actions and words, David saw the folly of his ways. He vows not attack Nabal and his household. There are so many parallels of this story and the story of Saul and others we have already studied. I hope you will ponder on past discussions and put into perspective these remarkable actions of a woman who submits to David in a dangerous situation. 

James Farrell draws several interesting insights from this narrative. The following are taken from his book, The Hidden Christ. He has written about Abigail in other places. 

"What amazing grace! Upon hearing of the wrong committed by another, Abigail raced to gather what the aggrieved—David and his men—had been denied by Nabal’s mistreatment. She then sought out David with her gift—to save him from avenging himself, wherewith he would begin to fight his own battles rather than the Lord’s, and commit an 'offence of heart' that would keep him from receiving 'all the good that [the Lord had] spoken concerning [him].' Upon delivering to David all that he needed and more, thereby atoning for Nabal’s sin, she then took Nabal’s sin on her own head when she pleaded, 'upon me let this iniquity be.' And then in an utterance that teaches us just what it means to take upon oneself the sins of another, she pleaded, 'forgive the trespass of thine handmaid.' Think of it: The one who had done no wrong asked for the mistreated person to forgive her—not Nabal, the actual perpetrator of the wrong, but her! In her mind, as she knelt before David, Nabal’s sin was now hers. She had taken it upon her, claiming it as her own. 'Forgive the trespass of thine handmaid.' No purer words have ever been spoken—except, that is, by Him in whose similitude she uttered them. Consider how closely Abigail’s story parallels the Savior’s: 

• She atoned for the wrong committed by another. 

• She provided all that was needed to him who was harmed. 

•  She took the sinner’s iniquity on her own head, even though she herself had done no wrong. 

• She pled for the avenger to give up vengeance. 

•  And she was the means of delivering peace. 

When we think of the Atonement, we most often think about how the Savior filled in the gaps for our own sins, which he surely did. That is, we are all sinners, and someone had to bridge for each of us the otherwise impassable chasm between us and eternal life that we have created through sin. So normally we think of the Atonement as something that Christ has done for us—for ourselves. But Abigail invites us to look at the Atonement from a different angle—not from the perspective of how Christ has atoned for our own sins, but rather from the equally true perspective that he has atoned for the sins of others. And part of that Atonement, Abigail suggests, is the idea that the Lord offers to those who have been harmed or potentially harmed by the sins of others the help and sustaining they need to be made whole. Those deprived of love can receive his love. The companionless can find a companion in him. Those with a cross to bear can find another who carries and makes it light."

"There is no more beautiful character in all the words ever written than the peacegiver Abigail. Her words and actions change everything—every interaction, every relationship, every feeling, every thought. They change everything because they teach us something extraordinary about the Lord’s Atonement. Those who see Abigail’s offering never see life the same way again. David and Jonathan saw it. Unfortunately, Saul never did. The question is, will we see it?" Ferrell, James L.. The Hidden Christ: Beneath the Surface of the Old Testament 

"The questions is, will we see it?" I hope we each see it!