The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 15, 16 August 2015
I Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14
Psalm 111
Or
Proverbs 9:1-6
Psalm 34:9-14
Ephesians 5:15-20
St. John 6:51-58
Background: Solomon
This king, the son
of David was also known as Jedidiah, ruled from 970 to 931 BCE. He ruled the
Untied Monarchy as its third king. That enterprise, however, broke apart upon
his death, forming the southern Kingdom of Judah, and the northern Kingdom of
Israel. His mother was Bathsheba, whose first son with David died earlier. He
had several siblings. As king of the United Monarchy he had several rivals in
the Levant, the Assyrian Empire to the northeast, the Kingdom of Aram, the
Kingdom of Ammon, the Kingdom of Moab, the Kingdom of Edom, and the Philistine
city-states to the west. He is credited with having built the first Temple in
Jerusalem, and for being a wise man. Modern archaeologists suggest that the
Empire of Solomon may not have been as grand as we have been led to believe.
The “empire’s” location in the midst of the Levant would put it at the
cross-roads of the Fertile Crescent, so its wealth may have been if not
grandiose, something substantial. Evidence of his building activity has been
found at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer, although some scholars date them to a later
period.
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
David slept
with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. The time that David
reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and
thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father
David; and his kingdom was firmly established.
Solomon
loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he
sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. The king went to Gibeon to
sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a
thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon
in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I should give you." And
Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my
father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness,
and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and
steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O
LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David,
although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And
your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great
people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant
therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between
good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?"
It pleased the
Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, "Because you have asked
this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of
your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind;
no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.
I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life;
no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my
statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen
your life."
Here we get a glimpse of what obtained in Jerusalem before
the centralization of the cult in Jerusalem with the building of the temple.
There are numerous mentions of “high places”, hilltops upon which sacrifices
were made and worship was conducted. The theme of the Deuteronomist will be to
move away from these practices (which smack of the worship of the Ba’alim and
others) to what was considered the willed Temple that David was not allowed to
build. The pericope begins with the statement, “Solomon loved the Lord.” It signals a change of attitude and
theme. The militarism of David is past, and now we are going to meet a faithful
king, who loves YHWH.
Solomon goes to Gibeon to sacrifice, as if to underscore
the absence of a temple. One also wonders if there is a hint of the fusion of
the offices of king and priest at this time. The text isn’t clear, but what we
do have is the king as dreamer, and as one who prays. His prayer is a model for
all leaders. He acknowledges the past, and his weakness as a military leader,
and then asks for understanding and wisdom. There is no small epic
magnification here, ‘no other king shall
compare with you.” For the purposes of showing Solomon to be blest by God,
the author sets him up as a peer of the truly great kings to the South (Egypt)
and the North (Mesopotamia).
Breaking open I Kings
- How did David and Solomon differ?
- Why is Solomon’s prayer effective?
- Why does Solomon get to build the temple and David does not?
Psalm 111 Confitebor tibi
Hallelujah!
I will give
thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, *
in the assembly
of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the
deeds of the LORD! *
they are
studied by all who delight in them.
His work is
full of majesty and splendor, *
and his
righteousness endures for ever.
He makes his
marvelous works to be remembered; *
the LORD is
gracious and full of compassion.
He gives food
to those who fear him; *
he is ever
mindful of his covenant.
He has shown
his people the power of his works *
in giving them
the lands of the nations.
The works of
his hands are faithfulness and justice; *
all his
commandments are sure.
They stand fast
for ever and ever, *
because they
are done in truth and equity.
He sent
redemption to his people;
he commanded
his covenant for ever; *
holy and
awesome is his Name.
The fear of the
LORD is the beginning of wisdom; *
those who act
accordingly have a good understanding;
his praise
endures for ever.
This psalm of praise is a short acrostic with each half
verse of the initial two verses begun with a letter of the alphabet. In some
sense it is a hymn either sung or proclaimed to ‘the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.’ What follows is
a listing of God’s peculiar acts of kindness and grace to all the people, and
not one particular act. These are not random acts, but rather acts done
because, “(God) is ever mindful of (the)
covenant,” and later, “(God) sent
redemption to (the) people, (God) commanded (God’s) covenant for ever.” The
author draws a broad scope of reference, noting the historic relationship of
God and people in the covenant. The final verse comments on the source of
Wisdom, not only a personification of God, but also the source of
understanding.
Breaking open Psalm 111:
- Where have you known God’s mercy in your life?
- How have you shown that to others?
- How is wisdom the practice of sharing?
Or
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built
her house,
she has hewn
her seven pillars.
She has
slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also
set her table.
She has sent
out her servant girls, she calls
from the
highest places in the town,
"You that
are simple, turn in here!"
To those
without sense she says,
"Come, eat
of my bread
and drink of
the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside
immaturity, and live,
and walk in the
way of insight."
 |
| Russian icon of Holy Wisdom |
In the Track 1 Psalm we have hints as to Wisdom and her
nature, but here we have a hymn sung to her honor. There are also comments regarding the
opposite of wisdom, namely folly. You may want to read the entire chapter to
capture its whole meaning. The seven pillars are not symbolic of anything other
than the perfection of the house. That meat is served at her table describes
the extravagance of her feast. Her invitation is gracious, including the simple
and foolish. To these she offers bread and wine. It is invitation to walk “in the way of insight.” This text has
opportunities for Eucharistic allusion, and for comparison to Jesus as the
Bread of Life in the Gospel. For Christians, Jesus is Holy Wisdom.
Breaking open Proverbs:
- What does the word “wisdom” mean to you?
- What does it mean in this reading?
- How is Jesus wisdom?
Psalm 34:9-14 Benedicam Dominum
Fear the LORD,
you that are his saints, *
for those who
fear him lack nothing.
The young lions
lack and suffer hunger, *
but those who
seek the LORD lack nothing that is good.
Come, children,
and listen to me; *
I will teach
you the fear of the LORD.
Who among you
loves life *
and desires
long life to enjoy prosperity?
Keep your
tongue from evil-speaking *
and your lips
from lying words.
Turn from evil
and do good; *
seek peace and
pursue it.
We seem to be having an on-going reading from Psalm 34.
Its themes of hunger and want seem to offer comment to Jesus’ promise of bread.
The psalmist considers hunger and want in the whole of creation. The pattern is
this – the righteous are fed and protected, and the unrighteous are fed and
punished. What follows in the latter
verses of the pericope are patently a wisdom psalm with common sense
observations about daily life, and the pattern of life for the righteous.
Breaking open Psalm 34:
- What hungers do you have?
- What about those who live around you?
- How do you address their hungr?
Ephesians 5:15-20
Be careful then
how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time,
because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will
of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be
filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among
yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks
to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
This is a continuation of the reading which one
commentator calls “The Sons of Disobedience and the Children of Light”. There
is a distinction between the wise and the unwise. The call here is similar to
the call in the passage from Proverbs, “So
do not be foolish,” which the author augments with examples: drunkenness,
and debauchery. This is to be contrasted with the hymns of praise that the
author commends to us.
Breaking open Ephesians:
- What parts of your life are wise?
- What parts are foolish?
- How do you live in the middle?
St. John 6:51-58
Jesus said,
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this
bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the
world is my flesh."
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man
give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell
you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have
no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life,
and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my
blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and
I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father,
so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down
from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one
who eats this bread will live forever."
We continue with John’s series on Jesus and the festivals of
Judaism, here the Passover. Jesus’ invitation to, “eat my flesh and drink my blood,” flies in the face of the dietary
taboos that governed the purity laws of Israel. Once again, Jesus makes the
comparisons to the manna that was eaten in the wilderness, namely the bread
that comes down from heaven. In the discourse we see the reluctance of the
crowd to recognize Jesus as giving the gift of heaven, and Jesus sees only
their unbelief. In the reading about Wisdom we realize that the giver and the
gift are both the same, and here it is with Jesus as well. Into the intimate
community of the Father and the Son, we are invited to participate as well –
simply by taking into ourselves the bread of heaven.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- What is your hunger in life?
- Have you ever struggled to provide for yourself or for your
family?
- How did you provide?
After breaking open the Word,
you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a
sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive
thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed
steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Questions
and comments copyright © 2015, Michael T. Hiller
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