26 "Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their backs and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. 27 Therefore you gave them into the hands of their enemies, who made them suffer. Then in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hands of their enemies. 28 But after they had rest, they again did evil before you, and you abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them; yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you rescued them according to your mercies. 29 And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, by the observance of which a person shall live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. 30 Many years you were patient with them, and warned them by your spirit through your prophets; yet they would not listen. Therefore you handed them over to the peoples of the lands. 31 Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

32 "Now therefore, our God--the great and mighty and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love--do not treat lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings, our officials, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until today. 33 You have been just in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly; 34 our kings, our officials, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law or heeded the commandments and the warnings that you gave them. 35 Even in their own kingdom, and in the great goodness you bestowed on them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you and did not turn from their wicked works. 36 Here we are, slaves to this day-slaves in the land that you gave to our ancestors to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts. 37 Its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins; they have power also over our bodies and over our livestock at their pleasure, and we are in great distress."

38 Because of all this we make a firm agreement in writing, and on that sealed document are inscribed the names of our officials, our Levites, and our priests. (Nehemiah 9:26-38, NRSV)

The historical prayer of confession continues with “a summary interpretation of the period from Joshua to the destruction of Jerusalem” (Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Neh. 9:26-31). This summary is comparable to the introductory summary of the book of Judges (Judg. 2:6-3:6). “Nevertheless they were di8sobedient and rebelled against you and c ast your law behind their backs and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and the committed great blasphemies” (Neh. 9:26). The summary here continues with reference to the enemies “who made them suffer,” but they “cried out to you [God]” and “you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hands of their enemies” (v. 27). But this pattern became a repeating cycle (vv. 28-30)–apparently including the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. “Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God” (v. 31).

The next paragraph appeals to God’s mercy, “keeping covenant and steadfast love” throughout Israel’s history (v. 32), with a reminder of God’s justice, having “been just in all that has come upon us” (v. 33) though “our kings, our officials, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law or heeded the commandments and the warnings that you gave them” (v. 34). They decry their present position as subjects of the Persian empire, as “slaves in the land that you gave to our ancestors to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts” (v. 36). Their proposed remedy for the present situation, against the background of such disobedience, rebellion and suffering of punishment, is to “make a firm commitment in writing, and on that sealed document are inscribed the names of our officials, our Levites, and our priests” (v. 38). The next chapter begins with a list of the names of those who signed the document (Neh. 10:1-27). “These signatories include persons and clan names from several previous lists (Ezra 2//Neh. 7; Ezra 8), but also reflects a broader religious; and social participation” (Eskenazi, on 10:1-27). A commitment is also recorded from “the rest of the people” (v. 28) who “join with their kin, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his ordinances and his statutes” (v. 29).

The following text and comments on Nehemiah 4:1-23 are repeated from Saturday, October 29, 2005.

4:1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he mocked the Jews. 2 He said in the presence of his associates and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish-and burned ones at that?" 3 Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "That stone wall they are building-any fox going up on it would break it down!" 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their taunt back on their own heads, and give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt, and do not let their sin be blotted out from your sight; for they have hurled insults in the face of the builders.

6 So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work.

7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the gaps were beginning to be closed, they were very angry, 8 and all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. 9 So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.

10 But Judah said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, and there is too much rubbish so that we are unable to work on the wall." 11 And our enemies said, "They will not know or see anything before we come upon them and kill them and stop the work." 12 When the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, "From all the places where they live they will come up against us." 13 So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."

15 When our enemies heard that their plot was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. 16 From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and body-armor; and the leaders posted themselves behind the whole house of Judah, 17 who were building the wall. The burden bearers carried their loads in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and with the other held a weapon. 18 And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 And I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. 20 Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us."

21 So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from break of dawn until the stars came out. 22 I also said to the people at that time, "Let every man and his servant pass the night inside Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day." 23 So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me ever took off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his right hand. (Nehemiah 4:1-23, NRSV)

Nehemiah gets down to work, "So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work" (Neh. 4:6). But that, so to speak, is only half the story. The report of the completion of the wall comes later, "So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul [the 6th month, counting from Nissan], in fifty-two days" (6:15), but only after enduring a series of troubles. Sanballat, Tobiah and associates are angered by news of Nehemiah's beginning the work (4:7-10) and plotted against him to prevent his success (4:8) and harm him (6:2-13). Perhaps they did want to kill him, but the statement to that effect, "tonight they are coming to kill you" (6:10), comes from Shemaiah, "the enemy within the camp" (A. Jeffery, J. J. Collins, NOAB, 2nd. ed.), who intended "to make me [Nehemiah] sin" (v. 13) by entering the temple as a lay person (v. 11) for refuge "so they could give me a bad name, in order to taunt me" (v. 13).

9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; 10 they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, all articles of ivory, all articles of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, choice flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, slaves-and human lives.

15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,

And all shipmasters and seafarers, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,

20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints and apostles and prophets! For God has given judgment for you against her." (Revelation 18:9-20, NRSV)

The “dirge over the fallen city,” that is, over “Babylon,” which means “Rome,” continues. (Bruce M. Metzger, NOAB, 2^nd ed., on Rev. 18:1-24; cf. Jean Pierre Ruiz, NOAB, 3^rd ed.). Today’s reading begins by ruing the lot of “those who have been enriched by the wicked city: kings (vv. 9-10), merchants (vv. 11-16), and mariners (vv. 17-20)” (Metzger, on vv. 9-20; cf. Ruiz, who adds a comparison to Ezek. 27:29-36).

This critique of “Babylon” and prediction of her fall may, by analogy, apply to cities and corporate structures that defy God’s righteousness and turn themselves into machines for the oppression and destruction of human life. But it is set in the context of the ultimate struggle between the powers of light and the powers of darkness which, though we customarily refer them to the end of time, were rearing their ugly heads in the late first century of the Christian era. The technologies available to the powers of darkness now, unfortunately, have grown considerably more dangerous in our time.

The Canaanite/Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith*
Matthew 15:21-28, NRSV)	Mark 7:24-30, NRSV)
21 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." 23 But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly	24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 28 But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29 Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-the demon has left your daughter." 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Cf. Kurt Aland, Synopsis of the Four Gospels*, 1982, sec. 151, p. 144.

The story of the Gentile woman’s faith is one from that part of Mark which Luke lacks (his so-called “gap” in the use of Mark as a course), Mark 6:45-8:26 (discussed in the comments for Saturday, November 5, 2005, last week). Matthew and Mark have accounts that are close parallels, but with significant differences too, beginning with the designation of her as “a Canaanite woman” (Mt. 15:22) or “a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin” (Mk. 7:26). In Mark Jesus “entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there” (v. 24), so the coming of the woman seems to interrupt an attempt to withdraw from the crowds and get some rest, whereas, in Matthew, he says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt. 15:24). In both accounts Jesus first says “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs” (Mt. 15:26, cf. Mk. 7:27). I’d like to think he said that with a smile and in a joking manner, for the word “dogs” is an insult. But “to Jesus’ insistence that the manifestation of the kingdom (food) is primarily for Israelites (children), she gives a reply that wins the debate” (Richard A. Horsley, NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Mk. 7:27-28 cf. Mt. 15:26-27). I believe that since Jesus commended her faith, “great is your faith!” (Mt. 15:28, cf. “For saying that . . .” Mk. 7:29), and healed the daughter, that must have been his intention all along, and the “debate” was intended to bring out the woman’s expression of faith. William Barclay points to her love for her child, and her faith, a “faith which worshipped,” for “she began with a request; she ended in prayer” (The Gospel of Matthew, Daily Study Bible, 2^nd ed., vol. 2, pp. 122-123). She also had “indomitable persistence” (p. 123) and “the gift of cheerfulness” (p. 124):

This woman brought to Christ a gallant and an audacious love, a faith which grew until it worshipped at the feet of the divine, an indomitable persistence springing from an unconquerable hope, a cheerfulness which would not be dismayed. That is the approach which cannot help finding an answer to its prayers. (Barclay, p. 124)

Daily Scripture Readings
Tuesday (November 8, 2005)
Daily Office Lectionary, The Book of Common Prayer, the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A.	Daily Lectionary, The Book of Worship, the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.	Daily Lectionary, Book of Worship Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship, c. 1978 (2002 printing)
http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/index.htm http://www.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/lectiond.cgi
Unless otherwise indicated, the scripture texts quoted are from The New Revised Standard Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers), 1989.
According to Proper27*	According to Proper 27*	According to Proper 26*
Tuesday AM Psalm 78:1-39 PM Psalm 78:40-72 Neh. 9:26-38 Rev. 18:9-20 Matt. 15:21-28	Morning: Psalm 123 Nehemiah 9:26-38 or Nehemiah 4:1-23 Revelation 18:9-20 Matthew 15:21-28 Evening: Psalm 30	Morning Pss.: 123, 146 Ezra 4:7, 11-24 Revelation 11:1-19 Matthew 13:44-52 Evening Pss.: 30, 86
*For this week (of the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost): the Lutheran tradition remains a week behind the Episcopal and Presbyterian traditions.