Micah 7:11-20

11 A day for the building of your walls!

In that day the boundary shall be far extended.

12 In that day they will come to you

from Assyria to Egypt,

and from Egypt to the River,

from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.

13 But the earth will be desolate

because of its inhabitants,

for the fruit of their doings.

14 Shepherd your people with your staff,

the flock that belongs to you,

which lives alone in a forest

in the midst of a garden land;

let them feed in Bashan and Gilead

as in the days of old.

15 As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,

show us marvelous things.

16 The nations shall see and be ashamed

of all their might;

they shall lay their hands on their mouths;

their ears shall be deaf;

17 they shall lick dust like a snake,

like the crawling things of the earth;

they shall come trembling out of their fortresses;

they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,

and they shall stand in fear of you.

18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity

and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession?

He does not retain his anger forever,

because he delights in showing clemency.

19 He will again have compassion upon us;

he will tread our iniquities under foot.

You will cast all our sins

into the depths of the sea.

20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob

and unswerving loyalty to Abraham,

as you have sworn to our ancestors

from the days of old. (Micah 7:11-20, NRSV)

The following comments are combined with editing and supplement from November 26, 2005 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 23, Year One) and from comments on Micah 7:7-15 from April 11, 2007 (Wednesday of Easter Week, Year One):

Much of the Book of Micah has a very negative tone, describing Israel’s sin and its consequences, with a few bright spots–mainly focused on God’s future redemption (e.g. 4:6-8; 5:7-9 [Hebrew text 6-8]). Today’s reading from Micah follows the prophet’s lament over Israel’s desperate state. “The faithful have disappeared,” and “there is no one left who is upright” (Micah 7:2). He speaks of bribes and perversion of justice (v. 3). Even friends and family cannot be trusted (v. 5); “your enemies are members of your own household” (v. 6). Against that background the prophet affirms his trust in God. “But as for me, I will look to the LORD,/I will wait for the God of my salvation;/my God will hear me” (v. 7).

Micah ends with an oracle of salvation (Micah 7:8-20). “A day for the building of your walls!” (v. 11, cf. Neh. 2:7), says the prophet, perhaps indicating a date “in the early post-exilic period” (Gregory Mobley, NOAB, 3rd ed., on Mic. 7:11-13); but Micah is a contemporary of the eighth century prophet Isaiah. Perhaps Mobley implies a late addition to the book. Ehud Ben Zvi calls this section “a concluding note of hope.” He says it is a confirmation that the relationship between the LORD and Judah and Jerusalem is maintained, that the LORD forgives and Israel will be restored” (The Jewish Study Bible, 2004, on Mic. 7:8-20). Mobley says, “This final unit contains shifts in content, if not speakers, and may have been designed for worship. It begins with lament (vv. 8-10), followed by an oracle of encouragement (vv. 11-13) and prayer (vv. 14-17), before closing with hopeful affirmation of God’s great mercy.

“Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy,” says the prophet, speaking for personified Jerusalem (v. 8a). It is clear that Jerusalem is personified as a woman here because the pronoun is feminine when she quotes a line addressed to her. “Where is the LORD your God (’^elōhayik)?” says her enemy, who will be shamed for saying this (v. 10a, b, c; cf. Leslie C. Allen, The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah, NICOT, pp. 392-393, on Mic. 7:8-20). She says, “when I fall, I shall rise; / when I sit in darkness, / the LORD will be a light to me” (v. 8b, c, d). She admits her past sin. “I must bear the indignation of the LORD, / because I have sinned against him, / until he takes my side / and executes judgment for me” (v. 9a, b, c, d). But she notes the bright side. “He will bring me out to the light; / I shall see his vindication” (v. 9e, f). Jerusalem will see the downfall of her enemy, for “now she will be trodden down / like the mire of the streets” (v. 10e, f; note the feminine pronoun for the enemy as well, translating the feminine verb tihyeh).

The voice changes again, as Jerusalem is addressed in the second person. “A day for the building of your walls (g^edērāyik)! / In that day the boundary shall be far extended” (v. 11). The feminine “you” becomes masculine in the next verse, probably a scribal anticipation of verse 14. “In that day they will come to you (‘ādeykā), with a masculine pronoun for “you,” but R. Kittel corrects it to feminine (‘ādayik, Biblia Hebraica, 3^rd ed., apparatus for v. 12). They will come “from Assyria to Egypt, / and from Egypt to the River, / from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain” (v. 12b, c, d). “But the earth will be desolate,” says the prophet, “because of its inhabitants, / for the fruit of their doings” (v. 13).

But the text continues with a prayer: “Shepherd your people [God] with your staff, / the flock that belongs to you, / which lives alone in a forest / in the midst of a garden land” (v. 14a, b, c, d). “Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,” says the prophet, “as in days of old” (v. 14 e, f). “Bashan and Gilead,” says Ben Zvi, are “fertile lands in Transjordan” (on v. 14). “As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,” says the prayer, “show us marvelous things” (v. 15). “As elsewhere in prophetic literature,” says Ben Zvi, “particularly in Deutero-Isaiah (Isa. chs. 40ff), the exodus is paradigmatic for restoration and salvation” (on v. 15). “The nations shall see and be ashamed / of all their might; / they shall lay their hands on their mouths; / their ears shall be deaf” (v. 16). These would be Israel’s enemies, once used to inflict punishment on Israel, but now embarrassed and ashamed. “They shall lick dust like a snake, / like the crawling things of the earth; / they shall come trembling out of their fortresses; / they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, and they shall stand in fear of you” (v. 17).

But blessings for Israel do not come without dealing with the sin and rebellion that brought them down in the first place. “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity / and passing over the transgression / of the remnant of your possession? / He does not retain his anger forever, / because he delights in showing clemency, / He will again have compassion upon us; / he will tread our iniquities under foot. / You [God] will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (vv. 18-19). “You will show faithfulness (’^emeth) to Jacob / and unswerving loyalty (chesed) to Abraham, / as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old” (v. 20; cf Gen. 12:1-3; 17:6-8).

Allen takes note of the different voices in this passage.

The piece is held together by a number of themes that run through its constituent parts. All four sections are concerned with the past sin of the community or its consequences in their present distress. The first three parts depict the coming triumph of Israel in terms of the discomfiture of enemy nations, while the second and third join in representing their triumph as an opportunity for territorial enlargement. All four relate the fortunes of the community to the will of Yahweh, their covenant God. (op. cit., p. 393, on Mic. 7:8-20)

He comments on the feminine voice (of Jerusalem) noted above. We hear a feminine voice in Micah 7:8-10, “evidently Zion, which stands for the community of God’s people at worship” (p, 394). Allen notes that the Hebrew pronoun in phrase “the LORD your God” is feminine (YHWH ’^elōheyik). He cites parallels in Lamentations 1:10-16, 18-22.

Indeed a similar air of catastrophe looms in the backgrounds of both those poems and this section. But whereas there the disaster has demoralized the community, here they have nearly traversed their dark tunnel of despair and can glimpse light at its other end, the future reversal of their fortunes by Yahweh. As in the later chapters of Lamentations, they can, if not smile through their tears, at least look upward and ahead through their tear-filled eyes instead of being morbidly engrossed in their past affliction. (Ibid.).

Allen believes “the community has regained its morale. . . . Prisoners in their dark dungeon of desolation and disfavor, they had to serve their just sentence; but they could depend on God for their eventual release” (Allen, pp. 304, 305). He dates this passage in “the early postexilic period” (p. 393). They realize that they are sinners, but also feel sinned against. “The issue mentioned at the outset,” says Allen, is still much in mind” (p. 395), “Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; / when I fall, I shall rise” (Micah 7:8a), “the malicious laughter at Zion’s disaster was like kicking a man when he was down.” But more than that,

the hearts of the community savor the prospect of light and liberation at God’s hand, a theme Charles Wesley applied so finely to the Christian experience of conversion:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay

fast bound in sin and nature’s night.

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.

My chains fell off, my heart was free.

I rose, went forth and followed thee. (Allen, p. 396, citing Charles Wesley’s hymn)

Zion, who spoke before, is now addressed. Allen calls this “two-way communion.” Zion’s walls will be built up (v. 11). “A feature of Israel’s worship was the welcome interruption of petition and prayer with an answer from God delivered by prophet or priest” (Allen, p. 396).

The congregation speak again, in a prayer of supplication. It expresses how ardent their desire is that the divine oracle should come true. The promises of territorial expansion and of enemy defeat are echoed with a fervent “please.” They pray in the spirit of David’s prayer in 2 Sam. 7:25 that Yahweh will make his word come true. (Allen, p. 398)

1 Peter 4:7-19

7 The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering as a Christian

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. 16 Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?”

19 Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good. (1 Peter 4:7-19, NRSV)

The following comments are combined here with editing and supplement from November 26, 2005 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 23, Year One), from April 29, 2006 (Saturday in the week of the Second Sunday of Easter, Year Two), and from comments on 1 Peter 4:7-11 from April 22, 2007 (the Third Sunday of Easter, Year One):

One of Peter’s purpose for writing was to encourage Christians to remain faithful in spite of the real possibility of persecution , “the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you” (1 Pet. 4:12). Yesterday’s reading emphasized God’s judgment. “For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does” (1 Pet. 4:6). Peter instructs his readers with the end-times in view. “The end of all things is near,” he says, and for that reason (“therefore”) he calls on them to “be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers” (1 Pet. 4:7). In many Jewish traditions (including Dan 12:1-2), the end of the age would be preceded by a period of great suffering; the impending end, therefore, calls for exhortations to perseverance in seriousness and prayer. (Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament, p. 719). “Talking about the final judgment and their vindication at it [i.e. the vindication of the Christians whom Peter encourages in the face of pending persecution] is far from wishful thinking for Peter,” says Peter H. Davids, “for ‘the end of all things is near’” (Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, NICNT, 1990, p. 155 on 1 Pet. 4:7).

Accordingly, the apostle says, “be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers” (v. 7b). He follows with admonitions to “maintain constant love for one another” (v. 8), “Be hospitable to one another without complaining” (v. 9), and to “serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received” (v. 10). Peter’s choice to emphasize love (agapē), “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins” (v. 8), reminds us of the significance of love emphasized in yesterday’s reading from First John. “Hospitality was receiving others, especially taking in travelers of the same faith who needed a place to stay. As generally in the ethical ideals of antiquity, lodging and provisions were to be provided generously, not grudgingly” (Keener, op. cit., on v. 9). Genuine hospitality is clearly a demonstration of agape love. Using God’s grace and gifts (v. 10) is another, including “speaking the very words of God,” or even serving (v. 11). Speaking, presumably in worship, must be done “as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ” (11). Davids interprets verse 11a as follows:

Peter gives two general examples of how God’s gifts should be used. First, “if someone speaks” covers the whole range of speaking gifts, that is, glossolalia . . . prophecy, teaching and evangelism (or preaching). It is not referring to casual talk among Christians, nor is it referring only to the actions of elders or other church officials (to whom it will be restricted in the Apostolic Fathers), but to each Christian who may exercise one of these verbal gifts. Such speech is not to be simply his or her own good ideas, nor even good exegesis, but “as . . . the very words of God.” (op. cit., p. 161 on 1 Pet. 4:11)

He sees reference to “the other broad class of gifts” in verse 11b:

The other broad class of gifts referred to is “if someone serves.” While the verb is the same as that in 4:10 [diakonein], a narrower meaning is taken up here, much like the distinction between “the word of God” and “serving tables” in Acts 6:2 or Paul’s sense in Rom. 12:7. It probably covers all those deeds one Christian does to or for another: administration, care for the poor and sick (including contributing funds, distributing funds, and physical care), healing, and similar acts that express God’s love and mercy in concrete form. (Ibid.)

As noted in yesterday’s comments (Nov. 30, 2007), suffering is a major theme through much of 1 Peter. The subject comes into focus in its own right in chapter 3, but to a climax in 4:12-19. Here Peter returns to the subject of suffering as a Christian. He addresses “the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you” (v. 12). They should “not be surprised” (v. 12). According to M. Eugene Boring, the suffering the readers of 1 Peter faced, when they

are called to suffer ‘for the name’ (4:15-16) . . . is mostly verbal (2:22-23; 3:9-12, 16). The positive attitude toward the state (2:13-17) indicates there is as yet no overt government persecution, except perhaps for occasional arbitrary acts by subordinate officials. First Peter offers realistic encouragement and instruction to Christians attempting to live faithfully in such a situation. (NOAB, 3^rd ed., “Introduction” to First Peter”)

Peter H. Davids presents a thematic study of suffering throughout the Bible, with some reference to modern pastoral practice, which helps to define the term as used in 1 Peter:

At the very least . . . we must argue that in the NT suffering is persecution and does not appear to include illness. The English term “suffer” is therefore a misleading, although necessary, translation, for it has a semantic field that tends to include too much as suffering and tempts us to read into the NT ideas that are not there. (op. cit., pp. 40-41)

For Davids, however, the persecutions to which 1 Peter refers “are not official imperial persecutions, such as would later occur under Trajan, but discrimination and abuse on a local level, which occurred with or without imperial sanction” (p. 10). So what, we may ask, was the “fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you” (1 Pet. 4:12)? According to Davids, it was “persecution by the pagan culture”:

Before [the reader’s] conversion they were perfectly at home in their city. And instead of rebelling against God they had accepted the gospel message. But now they were experiencing cultural isolation and personal hostility, not what they might have expected as the blessing of God. (p. 164 on 1 Pet. 4:12)

They are instructed to “rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings” (v. 13). Being “reviled for the name of Christ,” while not the blessing as such, indicates blessing “because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you” (v. 14). It is not good to suffer as an evildoer (v. 15), but Peter’s concern is to encourage the believer who “suffers as a Christian,” which is not a disgrace; one should rather “glorify God because you bear this name” (v. 16). A “further explanation . . . is necessary,” says Davids, “even if suffering has a good purpose.” “The reason, according to our author, is quite simple, ‘it is the time to begin the judgment’” (Davids, p. 171 on v. 17). “But this fact should not frighten the Christians or cause them to wonder, ‘Is this what I signed up for?’ For if God is this hard with the church, how much harder will he be with ‘those who do not obey the gospel of God?’” (Ibid.). The quotation (v. 18) is from Proverbs 11:31. Although the Old Testament text “focuses on a deliverance in this world . . . In our context the OT is reinterpreted within NT eschatological parameters (already set in 4:;17, which this verse clearly is intended to parallel). . . . The judgment is no longer this-worldly, but apocalyptic; in other words, the final judgment” (Davids, p. 172 on v. 18). Those facing suffering “according to God’s will [should] entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good” (v. 19).

Matthew 20:29-34

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men (cf. Mt. 9:27-31; Mk 10.46-52; Lk 18.35-43)

29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” 32 Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:29-34)

On June 30, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to June 22, Year Two), comments were combined and revised from June 25, 2004, in an email sent June 24, 2004, for June 24 and June 25, and from November 26, 2005 (Saturday of the week of the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year One). The combined comments are repeated here.

For parallel accounts related to this reading from Matthew, see the separate file, Healing the Blind. For recent comments on Mark 10:46-52, see the Archive for August 17, 2007 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 10, Year One). For recent comments on Luke 18:35-43, see the comments on Luke 18:31-43 in the Archive for June11, 2006 (Monday in the week of the Sunday closest to June 8, Year Two)

Jesus heals two blind men in this passage (Mt. 20:29-34), and does the same in an earlier account (Mt. 9:27-31). The account in Matthew 20 has parallel accounts in Mark (Mk. 10:46-52) and Luke (Lk. 18:35-43). These two parallel accounts occur in sequence with Matthew’s account, but differ in mentioning only one blind man who is healed. Perhaps Bartimaeus was the most memorable case. Mark translates his Aramaic name, Bartimaeus, as “son of Timaeus.” It is remarkable that, though Jesus had "set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Lk. 9:51; cf. Mt. 20:28, "the Son of Man came . . . to give his life a ransom for many"), he would take time for this healing. We have the right to believe that he is not too busy, or too preoccupied, to deal with our lives, our anxieties and concerns, and our hopes and plans. For Luke, the healing occurred as Jesus and his disciples were entering Jericho (Lk. 18:15), but for Matthew and Mark, it happened as they were leaving Jericho (Mt. 20:29; Mk. 10:46). According to Eric Franklin, “The healing of the blind man (Bartimaeus, Mk. 10:46) is on the approach to Jericho (Lk. 18:35) in Luke, rather than “as he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho” (Mk. 10:46; cf. Mt. 20:29) “in order to accommodate the story of Zacchaeus that Jesus uses as a climax” (Eric Franklin, The Oxford Bible Commentary, p. 951, on Lk. 18:35-43).

The cry for help is essentially the same in each account, with allowance for the two in Matthew’s accounts. “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” (Mt. 20:30; 9:27), or “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mk. 10:45; Lk. 18:38). The crowd attempts to silence these cries for help (Mt. 20:31; Mk. 10:48; Lk. 18:39), but fails in that attempt. Jesus responds, “What do you want me to do for you?” (The English translations are identical, but the Greek verb ending for “you” (thelete) is plural in Mt. 20:32, but singular in Mk. 10:51 and Lk. 18:41 (theleis), which agrees with the accounts respectively.) They said, "Lord, let our eyes be opened" (Mt. 20:33). And when he touched their eyes, "Immediately they regained their sight and followed him" (v. 34; cf. Mt. 9:29). In all the accounts sight was received immediately (eutheōs, Mt. 20:34; implied, “And their eyes were opened,” 9:30; euthys, Mk 10:52.; parachrēma, Lk. 18:43). These were physical eyes, but we may also ask for our spiritual eyes to be opened.

Dale C. Allison, Jr., comments on the relation between the two accounts of healing two blind men in Matthew:

This passage [Mt. 20:29-34] is remarkably reminiscent of 9:27-30. In both Jesus is being followed, two blind men appear, the blind men cry out and say, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David’, Jesus touches their eyes, and they see again. There are also striking verbal links (cf. e.g. 20:29, 30 with 9:27). These parallels form a sort of inclusio. The first restoration of sight occurs towards the beginning of the ministry, the second near the end. This gives an artistic unity to the whole gospel. Furthermore, the first takes place before corporate Israel has rejected Jesus, the second after that rejection has become manifest. So despite being rejected, Jesus’ charity remains the same throughout. His difficulties do not cancel his compassion. (Dale C. Allison, Jr., The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001, p. 871 on Mt. 20:29-34)

Allison also suggest that the sequence of this account and the preceding account has a lesson for us:

In the former [account, Mt. 20:20-28], two privileged insiders, (James and John) make a request through a third party (their mother). The request is prefaced by no title of respect or majesty, it concerns the eschatological future, and it involves personal exaltation (to sit at the right and left of the Messiah). In the latter, two outsiders (the blind men) make a request that a third party (the crowd) tries to stifle. That request is prefaced by titles of respect and majesty, concerns the present, and is for something necessary that is taken for granted by most (sight). One might infer that petitions are more likely to be heard when addressed directly, with respect, and for things truly needful. (Ibid.)

This prayer was for physical sight, and Allison makes a good point. It is needful. But we also should remember to pray for spiritual sight, and spiritual insight (cf. Jn. 9:40-41).

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net