Seth boarded the bus and settled in a seat for the morning commute.  It was the start of another work day.  If you asked him, “How do you like your job?” he’d probably reply, “It’s a job”.  He didn’t hate it, but he didn’t really like it either.  His boss was demanding, but didn’t always explain exactly what he wanted to be done which in turn meant a lot of reworking when Seth’s work didn’t meet “Bossman’s” expectations.   This made Seth feel like his job merely existed to stroke the boss’ ego and fulfill his every whim.  He sighed and stared out the window wondering how a company could be run that way.  “Well,” he thought to himself, “He’s the boss,” and he picked up his iPhone to check out the latest scores.
            It is hard for us to fully grasp the ancient world’s understanding and belief toward deities, but a capricious boss may come close.  It was understood and believed that the gods had made people because they were tired of taking care of themselves.  People were created so that the gods could kick back and live a life of ease and luxury.  In return the gods generally took care of the people, except for when they were displeased with what the people brought in worship.  This co-dependent existence was the basis of every temple built, every ritual performed and every religious obligation thereafter in the ancient world. 
            While most of us believe that myths are equal to fairy tales, the ancients took them as a guideline to know which deity was most important and which was the least.  It was difficult though to know exactly what the gods expected from people (other than to be pampered) and when something went wrong, it was assumed that a god must be offended, so extra care needed to be exercised in order to right the wrong.  Hard work did not produce “things” you owned, it produced things which belonged to the god for his/her pleasure.  The goods, the land, the buildings and every creature existed to appease and please the gods and one never knew exactly where they stood with them. 
            But that was not the case with Adonai who is first addressed as such by Abraham in Gen. 15:2.  Although Abraham’s interaction with Adonai (usually printed as Lord in our English translations) is typical of the way a person would interact with a god, Adonai’s interaction with Abraham is not typical of the way a god was expected to interact with a man.  Their most notable interaction involves the Lord’s promise of a child, specifically a son, to be born of Abraham and his wife Sarah at a time when neither was physically able to produce an heir.  However when the Lord appears to Abraham in Gen. 15 to announce that promise, Abraham would rather register a complaint.  Our English versions make it sound as if Abraham respectfully doubts the Lord’s ability to follow through with this promise, but in the Hebrew, Abraham sharply declares his disappointment!  He points out to God that since there is no blood heir, he and Sarah will have to adopt their servant so that someone will carry on the family name and watch out for the couple as they grow older.  Abraham is basically saying, “Adonai, You are an unfair boss!  I did everything You told me to, and You have not given me a child.”
            Adonai’s response is to bring Abraham outside of his tent and partake in a little star gazing.  “Go ahead Abe, count the stars,” Adonai admonishes,  “That’s how many children I’m going to give you.”  It finally dawns on Abraham that his God is far different from any other he has known.  He is unlike the self-serving, capricious gods of his former residence, Chaldea.  Abraham recognizes Adonai’s ownership and supreme authority over the created world.  It is His, and all it contains, and He alone has the power to operate it as He sees fit.  A son will come; Adonai will make sure of it.
            Abraham is not the only person in the Bible to address God this way.  The Lord is acknowledged as Adonai by Moses (Ex. 4:10), Joshua (Jos. 5:14), David (2 Sam. 7:18-20), Isaiah (Is. 6:1), Jeremiah (Jer. 1:6), and Daniel (17 times in chapter 9 alone!).  While not as personal as the other name we designate as LORD (Yahweh), Adonai is no less revealing.  In each of the previous passages Adonai is recognized as having authority over people with the right to assign roles to them (as in the case of Moses or Isaiah) or as One who keeps His promises and enables people to accomplish great things (as with David, Joshua and Daniel).  Adonai is the Supreme Boss who makes His will known to humankind and humankind is to obey it.
            I believe most of us do not perceive the Lord to have this kind of role in our lives.  We generally believe the good things we have in life are a product of our hard work and/or talent.  And we are more likely to treat the Lord as our BFF than the One who has authority over and ownership of our lives.  We focus on God’s love (Jn. 3:16) but fail to remember He will also come back to judge (Jn. 5:21-22; Ac. 10:42; 17:31-32; Rom. 2:15-16; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8).  What will you have to show the Boss when He returns and how will He measure your job performance (Mt. 24:42-51; 25:14-30, 31-46; Lk. 12:35-48)?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week of 10/30/2016

            I am dating myself again with my illustration this week, but nonetheless I forge ahead!  If you grew up in the Sixties in the Northeast as I did, S & H Green Stamps were most likely a part of your shopping experience.  Gas Stations, supermarkets and department stores dispersed them to loyal customers.  The little green perforated and gummed stamps would be collected and pasted into 24 page booklets and once you had a hefty sum of them, you could go to the local Green Stamp store or shop by catalog and redeem them for items such house wares or toys.  While it seemed like you were getting that premium for free, all the dollars spent on gas and other necessities was a distant memory when you picked out that reward and brought it home.  It’s the same way in a coffee shop today- buy four cups get the fifth free?  I don’t think so!  It cost you four cups to get the “free” one.  But whether it’s Green Stamps or a customer loyalty program, each illustrates the concept behind redemption.  It is something of value which is returned for an action which involved cost.
            The greatest Biblical story of redemption, of course, is the Exodus (Ex. 7:14-14:30).  Most of us are familiar with its gripping components: an enslaved people, a reticent leader, a series of judgments in the form of unusual plagues, the climactic night in which blood protects the Israelites and the lack of it condemns the Egyptians and the dramatic conclusion when the people are led through the Red Sea.  That defining event in Israel’s history serves as the backdrop when the prophet Isaiah proclaims a message from “the Lord your Redeemer” in Is. 43:14. 
            But the Exodus is not the only imagery within this title.  In the years to come and once established in the land of Promise, another story emerges from the family line of David.  Many of us are familiar with that story as well.  Ruth, a daughter-in-law of David’s great-great-grandmother Naomi (Ruth 4:16-22), is the recipient of redemption by the gracious act of Boaz who takes on the role of “kinsmen redeemer” and carries on the family name by marrying Ruth (Ruth 4:1-15).  When Isaiah states, “Thus says the Lord your Redeemer” he is using the same term as applied to Boaz.  In other words, the Lord is acting as a kinsmen-redeemer when He brings His people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.  But this act was not “free” from cost.  The final judgment on the Egyptians with the death of their first-born son (including the livestock!) was a terrible price to pay (Ex. 12:29).
            Israel’s Redeemer is also called “The Holy One of Israel” in this passage.  The word kadosh (sometimes pronounced ka-dose) designates something that is sacred and the opposite of anything common or profane.  It often refers to God as being inherently set apart from fallen humanity (Ps. 22:3; Is. 6:3; 57:15; Hos. 11:9).  There are many passages which ascribe this title to Him (2 Ki. 19:22; Ps. 78:41; Is. 17:7; Jer. 50:29) and it is the Holy One of Israel that commands His covenant people (that is Israel) to be holy like Him (Lev. 11:44; 19:2).  When linked with the role of Redeemer in this passage it underscores the fact that the Lord does not operate like anyone else.  And looking at the current events surrounding this prophecy, one can see why!  Having become established in the land, no one ever assumed there might be a time when they were not in the land.  But the disobedience and broken covenant promises performed over the years were about to bring the people into exile (Dt. 28:15, 36).  While not as severe as the enslavement in Egypt, the prospect of deportation brought fear into many.  However, the Lord assures them He has not only “sent” them to the land of the Chaldeans (Babylon) He will also eventually “bring down” those who will cart them off into captivity.  Both of these Hebrew words carry the idea of a providential purpose.  Simply put, no matter what the direction, it is God who is the impetus behind it.
            It is true there is a high cost factor in redemption.  Whether it’s the dollars you spend on a number of items to get a “free” one, or the price that has to be paid in order to free a people, something of value is bestowed upon the recipient when the price has been paid.  Old Testament Scriptures make that quite clear (Ex. 6:6; 13:13; 34:20; Lev. 25:48-49; 27:13-31; Num. 18:15-17) but this concept is not exclusive to the Old Testament.  It is merely a shadow of the most costly act of redemption in all of human history- Christ’s death on the cross (Rom. 3: 23-25; 8:20-23; Eph. 1:17; Tit. 2:11-14; Heb. 9:11-12; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).  I don’t know if we really understand the magnitude of what our redemption cost, but the reality of it should sink in every time we participate in Communion or attend an Easter service, and we should never take it lightly (1 Cor. 11:17-34).  So when you get something for “free” this week, let it be a reminder of the greatest act of redemption for all time (Col. 1:13-14) and give thanks to your Redeemer.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 10/23/2016

I have known a number of gardeners throughout the years.  I admire and am sometimes in awe of how these people know the soil, understand what plants grow where and have the capability to nurture the soil and seed to produce beautiful gardens.  Tina Gunder is one of those gardeners.  The first time I walked with her through one of her gardens I was in awe of how plush and plentiful her flowers and bushes were, and the variety of flora growing in her little patch of earth.  I am at the opposite end of the gardening spectrum.  If I can stick the plant in the ground and it will henceforth take care of itself, that’s my kind of plant.  This year the garden has looked quite miserable as we’ve not had enough rain for a few months.  Even my potted plants look miserable.  It’s times like this I wish I understood and was more committed to gardening like Tina.  But the drive just isn’t in me.
            The process of nurturing and bringing forth life is encapsulated in one of God’s most prominent names- El Shaddai (El as in the letter “L”, Sheh-die).  It is often translated in our Bibles as God Almighty.  We might tend to think that “almighty” indicates strength and power, but those attributes are associated with “El” more than “Shaddai” (see Dt. 3:24; Ps. 68:35; 77:14; Neh. 9:32 for example).  A little history behind the name is helpful.  This translation came about due mostly to the influence of the ancient Latin version of the Bible called the Vulgate which is attributed to Jerome in the 4th century A. D.  Jerome’s translation of Shaddai was based on a root word meaning strong and powerful as in one who can set aside the laws of nature or its ordinary course.  And a case could be made for this thought since the name El Shaddai is closely connected to the story of Abraham and Sarah and God’s promise of off-spring to them at a time when that was (in man’s mind) physically impossible.
            But there is a second possibility which is based on the root word meaning “breast” as in that which nourishes, supplies and satisfies.  El Shaddai then becomes the title which illustrates God’s role the One who pours out sustenance and blessing.  He is all-sufficient, all-bountiful.  The Septuagint (the Hebrew Scriptures translated into Greek) endorses this translation in its choice of ikanos for the Hebrew shaddai.  It is interesting to note that the common Hebrew word for field, sadeh (sah-day), is another form of the word shaddai and the point is obvious: a cultivated field is something which nourishes and sustains life.  Combined with the concept behind the first root word, El Shadai is then both the One who has the power to bring forth life and to sustain it.
            There is no passage in Scripture which is more significant to this name than Gen. 17: 1-21.  We have no problem relating to Abraham’s initial disbelief.  After all, how many 99 year olds do you know that are able to father a child?  But even more significantly, it is El Shaddai who confirms to Abraham that a child, and the ensuing descendants after him, will be the recipients of a unique relationship with El Shaddai Himself.  It is one thing to have the power to produce a little seedling, that is, an heir.  It is another to sustain an entire family tree!  You have to be a very special Gardener to do that.  Yet in time Abraham recognizes and believes that El Shaddai will do just that- produce both his heir and the generations to come because Paul recognizes in Romans 4:19-21 that Abraham’s faith confirmed God’s ability to fulfill His promises.  The author of Hebrews says the same of Sarah (Heb. 11:11).  To be truthful both Abraham and Sarah did not completely understand the power and sustainability of El Shaddai at first, but are we any quicker at understanding God when He steps into our lives?  I think not!
            In Gen. 17:1 El Shaddai requires two commitments from Abraham: walk before Me, and be blameless (NAS).  Studying these words brings out wonderful nuances.  If we were to literally spell it out, El Shaddai is saying, “Abraham set your face and the direction of your life toward me and move in that direction with complete and whole-hearted commitment”.   The result of that dedication is a change in names which reflect the fulfilled promise to come a year later (Gen. 21:1-7).  Did Abraham or Sarah initially believe that the Lord would actually give them a son of their own flesh and blood?  Their actions seem to indicate that they did so- but with their own human perimeters and they proceeded to “help God out”.  But they did eventually realize El Shaddai was quite capable of producing and sustaining life on His own!  You may shake your head at them; you may even laugh, but how many times and in how many ways have you done the same?  The way we live our lives indicates our response to El Shaddai’s command to Abraham:  walk before me and be blameless.  Which way are you facing?  How committed to that direction are you?   There is only One Gardener who can produce and sustain life.  Is He the One who is tending to you?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week of 10/16/2016 

           Zebacki donned the linen garments slowly and carefully.  It was quiet in the Court of the Priests as he walked toward the door of the Temple.  He stopped by the steps and a lengthy cord was attached around his ankle.  His stomach turned a bit when he thought about what this meant.  Should the Lord not accept the Atoning Blood, he would need to be pulled out from the Sacred Room as no man but the High Priest could enter the Holiest Place.  He picked up the small laver with the blood and walked through the door, passing by the Altar of Incense, and into the Sacred Room.  It was empty and dark but with a slight parting of the curtain some light from the Lamp Stand in the Holy Place spilled in to the room.  With a slight tremble, he splattered the blood on the spot where the Ark once stood and then made a hasty retreat to the courtyard where he finally took a breath and squinted as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight.  There was a collective sigh of relief as the cord was detached.  But for some reason Zebacki felt unsettled.  The Day of Atonement no longer made any sense to him.  Without the Presence in the Sacred Place the blood seemed useless.  What could possibly be the explanation for this?
            The Day of Atonement was (and still is) considered the most sacred of days in the Jewish liturgical calendar (Lev. 16:1-34; 23: 26-36; Num. 29:7-11).  Beyond the Scriptural references to it, the Mishnah also contains a vast amount of detail on how it is to be observed both by clergy and lay people.  The Biblical observation was very specific.  Blood from a sacrificial goat was to be sprinkled on the Mercy Seat (Ark) to cover the yearly sins of the people and the High Priest had to administer it in linen garments.  Because it had to be observed “just so” and so sternly, there was no missing the point of it: there would NEVER be a man who could make up for the sins of himself let alone those of an entire nation.  The sin of Adam and Eve and the continued sins of their offspring (that is humankind) severed the intimate relationship with God once enjoyed in the Garden of Eden.  And the only way to temporarily patch up that broken relationship and approach God was through the sacrifice of an innocent victim.  But the blood of an animal was severely out of balance to those by whom the relationship had been broken.  The blood of an animal did not equal the blood of a person, hence the reason for the perpetual sacrifices offered at the Tabernacle and Temple, and the yearly sacrifice offered on the Day of Atonement.
            Jesus Christ, however, changed all that.  The Apostle John writes in 1 John 2:1-2, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world”.  The imagery is clear.  Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross was equivalent to the act of sprinkling blood on the Mercy Seat by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement.  The Greek word for propitiation is “hilasmos”.  It can also mean “expiation” or “forgiveness” (forbearance).  The Septuagint correlates this word to the Hebrew word “kippur” and the atoning sacrifices of the priestly system.  John states that the death of Jesus not only atones for the sins of both the individual and the world but that in its very nature it is superior to those of the sacrificial system because Jesus was righteous from the start.   The author of Hebrews conveys this as well (Heb. 9:6-14).
            In our fictional scenario the High Priest is struck by the lack of God’s presence in the Holy of Holies.  Why is He not there?  Why continue with the ritual when there is no way of knowing whether or not it is acceptable or even received.  The not-so-fictional answer is that there is no temporary sacrifice that can be better or more meaningful than the atoning blood of Jesus.  John, along with Paul in Rom. 3:21-26, claims that Jesus’ blood is the only means of putting away sin and establishing a relationship with God.  One author wrote, “Man is incapable of offering anything to placate God because He is a righteous God.  For God to accept sinful man, it was necessary for God to do something to deliver man from his sin”.  Christ’s sacrificial death does not merely cover sin, it clears it away.  It embodies God’s righteousness and His love.  God did not have to restore His relationship with His wayward creation, but out of His love for it, He did.
            I have a friend right now who is facing an insurmountable mountain of debt.  Poor advice and empty promises have put him there.  He feels like a sparrow trying to fly through a hurricane.  That is the position you and I face when it comes to sin.  There is no way you or I can “pay it off”.   If someone were to step forward and clear my friend’s debt, how do you think he would feel?  I don’t think there would be enough words that could describe his gratitude toward that benefactor.  That is what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross.  He has cleared an insurmountable debt for us.  Most of the time we go to the Lord with a laundry list of things we think He should act upon.  But our gratitude for His sacrifice should be unending!  So, have you thanked Him lately?  If not, do it now.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week of 10/9/2016