A Cup of Eau Claire

Chapter 5 brings us into the supernatural, if not science fiction. The king, Belshazzar (who was not, historically, Nebuchadnezzar's son, but for some reason is named so in this story), is hosting a party and decides to use the sacred vessels from the temple in Jerusalem as wine glasses. So a vision appears (reminds me a bit of Dickens' A Christmas Carol ), presumably a warning from God in response to the desecration of these holy relics. Daniel is called in to interpret, and tells the king what he sees, even though it's bad news for the king. This is the second time we've seen a reference to four kingdoms (also seen in Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue, chapter 2). These visions of sets of 4 serve to "predict" the demise of four empires, at the end of which time God will usher in God's eternal and perfect reign. The apocalyptic nature of this vision will be seen again in the second half of the book, when Daniel receives the dreams. The four empir...

Sermon, Daniel 3-4   [3:13-30 NRSV] Today’s chapters in Daniel include one of the Sunday School classics: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar has created a golden statue, larger than life (think sphinx and pyramids),  and requires that everyone in the empire bow down and worship it. Of course, the faithful exiles from Jerusalem, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse. They do not bow down, and they offer a very eloquent explanation, stating that they will remain faithful to God even if it costs them their lives.   They are thrown into a fiery furnace, their arms and legs bound so they can’t resist or escape, but they survive. The “fourth man in the fire” unbinds and protects them. When they exit the furnace alive, unharmed, and not even smelling of smoke, the King makes it illegal to speak ill of their God, and praises God as the only one who could do such a thing. The confession of faith o...

Chapter 3 brings us one of the very familiar stories from Daniel: the Fiery Furnace. The golden idol seems to come from nowhere, but may be suggested by the dream the king had in chapter 2. That one was vulnerable to destruction, made of various materials; perhaps this statue of gold is King Nebuchadnezzar’s response to God’s intention to bring down his kingdom. This chapter is about the steadfast faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (who are consistently named by their Babylonian names rather than their Hebrew names). They are targeted for their failure to obey the king’s decree to worship the statue. A thousand years before the wilderness Israelites were punished for worshiping a golden statue of a calf (Exodus 32); Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are presented as a faithful alternative to that bit of history. While the three are not portrayed as praying to be delivered from this death, they do make a valiant speech of loyalty to God (2:16-18): whether they live o...

Daniel 1-2 sermon                  07-21-19 This week we shift from Esther to Daniel. Both are stories about Jews living outside of Israel, and what it means to be faithful when Jerusalem and the Temple are in ruins, thousands of miles away from where you are. Both stories are about exceptional individuals who trust God and remain faithful even when their own life is in danger, and who impress their oppressors by their dedication to being Jewish. As captives, Daniel and Esther are both selected for special service to their kings, and promoted to positions of power and prestige. The Book of Daniel begins with the destruction of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar, and some of the people are captured and taken to Babylon. Notice who is targeted for capture:  the brightest and best, smartest and sharpest, with proper credentials (nobility). Daniel and his 3 friends, Hananiah, ...

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon Chapter 1 sets the stage for these stories. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (now Iraq) was one of the most powerful rulers of the ancient world. He invaded Judah (now southern Israel) in 605 bce, destroying Jerusalem and the temple in 587 bce, and forced as many as 10,000 Jews to exile, scattering them across Babylon. [1] Members of the nobility and others with political power, highly educated and strategic, were primary targets for deportation, to prevent any uprising within Jerusalem, or gatherings that might become militia in other parts of Babylon (thus the scattering). Daniel and 3 friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (whom we know better as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, their Aramaic names) were among the young men taken captive to be groomed as servants for the king. We see throughout this chapter that God is the subject of many verbs. It is God who orchestrates the activity, from the overthrow of Jerusalem to the selection of Daniel...

The book of Daniel is a collection of short stories about life in exile under the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, in the first half; and in the second, visions relating to the fall of current empire, the end of the punishment of Jerusalem, and the end of days. The stories in the first half establish Daniel’s capacity as an interpreter of dreams, to whom God reveals both dreams and their meaning. The visions in the second half come to Daniel at various times, referencing various kings and powers, and are predictions of what will happen. This role as dream interpreter/code breaker distinguishes Daniel from other prophetic literature. “Traditional” prophets, those who interacted with kings and who have books named after them, communicated the word of the Lord to the kings, people in power, and the general population, as God gave them this word. The literature in Daniel is more apocalyptic in nature, describing end times in coded and symbolic language, predicting events that have not h...

Sermon Esther 8-9-10                         7-14-19 The Jewish holiday Purim celebrates that Queen Esther intervened in Haman’s evil plot to destroy the Jews, saving them from total extermination. The Purim celebration embraces the “carnival” nature of the story, a parallel of extravagant, over-the-top Mardi Gras revelry before the somber season of Lent begins. Jewish tradition does not observe Lent, of course, but Purim is a day, or two, of celebrating life, setting aside the cares of the world, pretending to be something fantastic. The first time I attended a Purim celebration at a temple, the rabbi was dressed as a teenage mutant ninja turtle. At Purim, the entire book of Esther is read, with listeners booing every time Haman is mentioned and cheering every time they hear the name “Esther”. It is a celebration of life, of victory, of th...

                      preached  7-7-19 Review: The story of Esther is very odd in scripture. It does not mention God, the temple, or the covenant, which are key themes and sort of what makes a holy book “holy”. Still, Esther is part of the Hebrew Bible, perhaps regarded as holy scripture because it describes the institution of Purim, a holiday celebrating the deliverance of the Jews from destruction. In the story we have met Esther, a young Jewish woman who was chosen to be queen by marrying King Ahasueras. Her uncle Mordecai and Esther live in Persia as exiles from the land of Israel, after the fall of Jerusalem by king Nebuchadnezzar that resulted in the deportation of Jews from Judah to Babylon. Haman is an official who works for the king, and has been elevated to the number 2 spot, the king’s right-hand man.   Feeling disrespected by Mordecai, a faithful Jew, who r...