Diocese of Charleston Bible Study + March 16, 2016

Isaiah 2:11-21
Genesis 2:4-19
Proverbs 3:1-18

(Note to Readers: As of this study, we have completed one liturgical cycle of the Scriptures. For the forthcoming year, this study will still become available on Wednesdays, but will be covering the Thursday readings, to minimize repetition.)

Isaiah 2:11-21 (NKJV)
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up—and it shall be brought low—upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up; upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall; upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all the beautiful sloops. The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, but the idols He shall utterly abolish. They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily. In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made, each for himself to worship, to the moles and bats, to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the crags of the rugged rocks, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily.

Genesis 2:4-19 (NKJV)
This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.

Proverbs 3:1-18 (NKJV)
My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest His correction; for whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her. 

Commentary 

During Great Lent, we shift from the usual New Testament readings which we have for the restof the year, from the Gospels and the Epistles, and move to readings from the Old Testament, from Isaiah, Genesis, and Proverbs. We move from the continued celebration of Christ's Resurrection from the dead, His Ascension, His Enthronement at the Right Hand of God the Father, back to a posture of anticipation. We return to the perspective of the Old Testament Prophets, awaiting redemption, both so that we might experience Redemption afresh and anew at Pascha, and so that we may more deeply enter into our own expectation of Christ's Second and Glorious Coming, which we ourselves anticipate in our age.

The entire Old Testament really tells one story, thought it tells it over and over again, displaying the same spiritual interpretation of our lives time and again in the lives of individual men and women and in the corporate life of God's people as a whole. The beginning of this pattern is found for the first time in today's reading from Genesis. As the crowning achievement of God's work in Creation, He
creates man, and creates for him a Paradise, that is a walled garden, protected and safe and full of beauty and life. Man is given the task not of planting or establishing the Garden, nor of finding it or discovering entry to it, nor of somehow earning its joys. Rather, it is simply given to man for him to care for, to himself protect, tend, nurture, support, and grow. He is there to maintain and grow and
develop what God has given him until the time of God's choosing. This is true not only of the plant life and the physical elements of the garden, but also the animals who are the garden's other denizens. It is man's job to care.

Man was given the gift of participating in God's work of creation and life-giving in the world. All that He was forbidden to do was to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was free to live with, love, be loved, and work alongside His Creator. Though today's reading ends before the fateful moment, man chose to pursue a wisdom and a knowledge and a power of his own, not content
with God's own self. In seeking after something apart from God, he cut himself off from God. Because God is Life and the one who gives life to the world, man brought death upon Himself. In doing so, he not only brought about an end to his own physical life, but he caused himself to be expelled from the garden into this world, unable to return by the way he came.

This story is true not only of a man, the first man, at some point in primordial history, but it is true, and has been true, of every man and woman who has lived in this world. We have all wandered after our own desires, pursuing false ways to happiness and fulfillment in wealth, sexuality, and the good things of this world. We have mad gods out of ourselves, serving ourselves and our own passions rather than God. We have sought after what those in this world call 'wisdom' and 'knowledge' in order to do as we see fit, and try to rebuild false paradises for ourselves. When we gather together we not only fail to check each others evil, but that evil is multiplied, as politics has claimed the lives of millions upon millions in the name of creating a brighter and more prosperous future utopia.

Because we live in the New Covenant, however, we have seen the end of the story of the Old Testament. We know what it is that we anticipate as we journey through Lent toward Pascha. We know that as through man sin entered the world, and through sin came death, alienation from God, and the destruction of paradise, so also through our Lord Jesus Christ has come forgiveness, rebirth, and
new life for all of us. Great Lent is a time for us to take stock of what it is we have lost and how we lost it, and to grieve and mourn that loss before God. But always remembering our hope 40 days hence, that we will behold the new dawn of Christ's Holy Resurrection. 

Questions to Ponder 

1. Today's reading describes the Day of the Lord, the day of His judgment, in terms of a great leveling out. This means that those who have been laid low, who have sunken into the earth or down into the abyss, will be brought up from the dust and restored. The focus of Isaiah here, however, is on the proud who have lifted themselves up, who will be laid low by the Lord. Do
   you spend time and effort trying to lift yourself up, to receive respect and admiration from others? When belittled, do you try to fight back? Do you spend time on bitterness or brooding over times when you've been humbled or even humiliated? Would this not be better left to the Lord, and His judgment in eternity?
2. When God finished creating the world, He gave it to man to tend and care for. He placed man over the animals to care for and rule over them. We see from the very beginning that God desires power over His world to be exercised through care, nurturing, cultivation, and compassion. Is this how you rule over the corner of the world that is yours? Is this how you treat people who work for you or serve you? Do you seek to aid and strengthen them, or subject them to your own desires to aid yourself?
3. In today's reading from Proverbs, we are told to trust not in our understanding, but in the ways of the Lord. How much of your time do you spend thinking about and planning for the future? How much time do you spend studying the Scriptures and the examples of the lives of the Saints? What does this proportion reflect upon whose wisdom you use to make decisions?

Questions or Comments?FrStephen@stgeorgecharleston.org

Note from the Author – No rights reserved. If you find anything good, or helpful, or worthwhile in these Bible studies from week to week, feel free to take and use it as you see fit. I do not need credit.

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