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Mary and Elizabeth

[Forty-Eighth in a series of posts on Bible Stories]

Blog Post:

At first glance, Mary and Elizabeth do not seem to have much in common — other than King David as their common ancestor. Mary was a very young woman, barely out of childhood. Elizabeth was very old and had no children. Mary lived on the outskirts of the Holy Land, out in a small town in Galilee. Elizabeth is at the center of Jewish life, the wife of a priest, living in the bedroom communities of Jerusalem. It is clear that the women knew of each other, but not that they knew each other. Elizabeth’s pregnancy is an obvious blessing from God. Everyone knew her to have been barren until old age, like mother Sarah. Mary was a teenager pregnant outside of marriage. Likely, everyone assumed Joseph was a bit too eager and frowned upon it.

One thing is sure. A prompt visit to a distant relative was a wise thing —it allowed the community a chance to calm down about something they didn’t approve of. So imagine the joy of yet another miracle. The Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth. The baby John the Baptist, still in her womb, recognized the presence of the Messiah, still in her cousin’s womb, and leaped for joy. Elizabeth suddenly knew the whole truth — that God had become a man in the womb of her young relative. Mary was the God Bearer, the Mother of God. God had kept his promise — the Messiah had come to save His people from their sin.

Mary responded to Elizabeth with thanksgiving to God. She sings the first song in Luke’s musical. Called the Magnificat, which we sing in Vespers services. In this song, she marvels that God has so richly blessed a poor girl. She remains with Elizabeth for three months.

The early church fathers saw something special in the faith of these two women. Both of them believed what God revealed to them from the very start. Their husbands, Zechariah and Joseph, at first doubted. In the end, all four of them firmly trusted in God, who finally came to save — and did so through two very unlikely women, neither of whom should have conceived, one very young and one very old.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Ezra: The Scribe and Priest

The man we know as Ezra is the first to be identified as both a scribe and a priest. Ezra was a descendant of Aaron, and he can be considered the High Priest. The term scribe appears to imply that Ezra had royal administrative duties in addition to his priestly duties. Ezra knew the Torah of Moses extremely well, and he was sent to impose the Law of Moses once again in Jerusalem. Artaxerxes vested him with the authority to return to Jerusalem likely around 458 BC. I am working under the assumption that Ezra and Nehemiah were somewhat contemporaneous, as the two books suggest. Some other scholars want to see Ezra return later under the reign of Artaxerxes II (398 BC).

The book that Ezra wrote offers a bit of history of the rebuilding of the temple, which took place before Ezra arrived in Jerusalem. The first chapters deal with the people who were part of the first wave of returning exiles. Ezra highlights the work of Zerubbabel, Joshua the High Priest, and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, who spur the people on in rebuilding the Temple of the Lord.

The interesting thing about this temple, however, was that unlike the Temple of Solomon or the Tabernacle in the days of Moses, Ezra never writes about the glory cloud coming and settling upon this new temple. This, in my opinion, tells the people and others that the true temple of God was yet to come, and we see the fulfillment of the temple in the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, the only Son of the Father.

It is not until the seventh chapter of the book that we see Ezra come onto the scene in Jerusalem. As I said above, Ezra is known to King Artaxerxes as the priest and “scribe of the Law of the God of heaven.” Artaxerxes desires Ezra to go and continue in the work of serving the Lord in Jerusalem in the temple that Cyrus decreed could be built at the end of 2nd Chronicles, and relayed again in the book of Ezra through one of the many copied letters which certify YHWH’s promise of a remnant to return and worship in Judah (Jerusalem). This promised remnant plays a tremendous role in the promised Messiah being born in Bethlehem. As the exiles return and have the altar and foundation of the temple constructed, they celebrate the pilgrimage feasts of Passover and the Feast of Booths, which are held with great joy before and after Ezra comes. We should also assume that other High Days of the Israelite worship calendar are also celebrated, such as the solemn day of Yom Kippur, though it is not mentioned by name.

The book speaks a lot about bringing more items back to the temple for use, but the ninth chapter turns to a problem that Ezra encounters with the people settled in Jerusalem. The Jews had intermarried with the surrounding nations. The book highlights nations and peoples who should have been destroyed in the days of Joshua’s conquest. The remedy that Ezra orders is for the men to leave their wives and families. He orders this because the history of Israel was full of situations where Israel was led away from following the LORD by the daughters of foreign nations.

While this may sound extremely harsh, and it is, we must consider this from the theological perspective for a moment. The people of Israel were called to be pure, set apart for the Lord. Their earthly marriages were to reflect this greater reality and their relationship with the Lord. Paul in the New Testament also speaks about the great difficulties that come from being married to an unbeliever. We should heed the warnings that are presented both in Ezra and again in the New Testament about the estate of marriage and not enter into it lightly.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, IN

The Babylonian Captivity

The Babylonian Exile was a turning point in the history of God’s people. From the conquest of the land under Joshua until the fall of Jerusalem, the people of Judah enjoyed some measure of independence. Yet instead of serving the Lord, they repeatedly worshiped the gods of Canaan, ignored His law, and turned away from Him.

Because God loved His people, He remained patient with them. He sent prophets to warn them and call them back to His Word. Occasionally a righteous king like Hezekiah or Josiah would arise, and Judah would return to the Lord for a time — but never for long.

The kings who followed Josiah were as wicked as Josiah’s father. Because of their rebellion, God allowed first the Egyptians and then the Babylonians to bring Judah under their control. Rather than repent, Judah’s kings and people sinned even more. So the Lord began to remove His protection and allowed Babylon to impose a series of exiles.

So God removed His presence — the cloud of glory — from the Holy of Holies. The Babylonians captured the city, destroyed the temple, and carried the people away.

The Babylonians carried out three major deportations before Jerusalem finally fell:

In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at Carchemish and made Judah a vassal state. He carried off the first group of exiles, including young nobles such as Daniel and his companions.

In 597 BC, after Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin rebelled, Babylon returned. Nebuchadnezzar deported the king, the royal family, soldiers, craftsmen, and many leaders of Judah.

In 586 BC, after a two‑year siege, Jerusalem fell. The Babylonians destroyed the temple, burned the city, massacred much of the population, and carried the survivors into exile.

Just as the Prophet Jeremiah had foretold, the exile would last seventy years.

Yet God did not forsake them. He sent prophets to them throughout the exile. In Babylon, the people learned their lesson. They built the first synagogues, devoted themselves to God’s law, and began to shape the form of Judaism that continues to this day. As God promised through Jeremiah, after seventy years, the Persians conquered Babylon and sent the exiles home

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Samson

Encore Post: Samson’s mother was unable to have children until God came to visit her and her husband Manoah. He came in the form of the Angel of the Lord. Many Christians believe this messenger is the Son of God appearing to people. The Angel always speaks as if He is God. Yet the people who see Him do not die, as unholy people do when they see God. God promised she would have a son. He was to be a Nazirite, a man who never cut his hair or drank wine. These were signs that Samson was to be fully dedicated to God.

Samson was the second-last judge of Israel, one of the leaders God raised up to defeat their enemies. He was from the tribe of Dan and lived in their southern territory near Jerusalem and bordering Philistine cities. The Philistines were moving into their territory peacefully and intermarrying with God’s people, threatening to absorb them. God would use Samson’s disobedient nature to provoke conflict with the Philistines and lead to eventually defeating them.

God gave Samson miraculous strength. He would use it to defeat wild beasts and repeatedly kill Philistines. He desired a Philistine woman for his wife. During the wedding, he made a bet with some Philistines, who cheated to win. Samson killed thirty Philistines to repay the bet. This escalated into one reprisal after another.

Samson’s downfall came when he fell in love with another gentile woman, Delilah. The Philistines bribed her to try and learn the secret of his strength so they could defeat him. Three times he lied to her and defeated the Philistines who came for him. The fourth time he told her it was in his hair, which by his Nazirite vow, he was to keep uncut. This time his strength left him. In captivity, when his hair regrew, he prayed that he would have his strength back to defeat the Philistines one more time. God granted it, and Samson pulled down the pillars of the temple of the Philistine god, killing them and himself.

Samson isn’t the kind of role model we want our children to follow. He was violent, mean, and vindictive. He was the kind of man you didn’t cross. Samson, in spite of his sinfulness, relied on God for his strength. For this reason, God used him to defeat the Philistines. Even after Samson’s vow was broken, Samson remembered to turn to God for strength.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

David Anointed King

[Twenty-Eighth in a series of posts on Bible Stories]

Encore Post:

In ancient times, people poured oil on themselves for various purposes, including as perfume, medicine, and to signify that something or someone was dedicated to serving God. Doing this was called anointing.

Anointing was a part of the ceremonies to make a king the ruler of Israel or a priest to serve God in performing sacrifices. The word “Messiah” comes from the Hebrew word that means “anointed one.” It was translated into Greek as “Christ.”

Before Jesus was called “Messiah,” the title pointed to another anointed one: David. When God chose him to be king, the prophet Samuel anointed him with oil—not simply to crown him, but to mark him out as someone set apart for God’s purpose. Though David was the youngest son, overlooked by others, God saw his heart. That moment of anointing wasn’t about politics or ceremony; it was about calling. From then on, David became the pattern—a king with flaws, yet deeply loved by God—through whom the promise of the true Messiah would come.

As the prophets God sent to Israel predicted more and more about the coming of Jesus, they began to use these words as the title for God’s Son. When the prophet Nathan promised that a descendant of David would be the Messiah, they also came to call this promised savior “The Son of David.”

Jesus is the Messiah promised. He did not come to be served, but to serve others and give his life for us. In this way, he truly is the man after God’s own heart.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

David and Saul

[Twenty-Seventh in a series of posts on Bible Stories]

Encore Post:

David was a good man. He was a soldier who defended his king and his country. The people loved him and loved King Saul because of him. Prince Jonathan was his best friend. Princess Michal loved him and married him.

Yet King Saul was jealous of him. Like most kings, he was afraid of anyone who might take his kingdom from him. Because Saul saw David as a threat, he missed out on the good things a loyal and talented son-in-law could bring him. So, Saul tried to kill David. Jonathan and Michal warn David and help him escape Saul’s grasp. The future king seeks Samuel, and together they hide in the wild areas near Bethlehem. For a while, he hid in various Philistine cities and eventually returned to caves near Bethlehem. Members of his family and four hundred fighting men gathered with him there.

Soon, Saul would send an army to look for David and eventually led them. They played a cat-and-mouse game for some time. Twice, David snuck into Saul’s camp and took a personal item from him. Each time, he would display the item to Saul in the morning to prove his loyalty. Eventually, Saul gave up the effort to catch David and went after the Philistines. Saul, Jonathan, and most of Saul’s sons died in battle with them.

David would have been justified in taking the throne from Saul. No one would blame him if he killed Saul. But David loved God and Saul. He remained loyal until the day Saul and Jonathan died. Even when he had chances to kill Saul, he spared the king. After their deaths, he assumed the throne of Israel. For the rest of his life, he protected the disabled son of Jonathan.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

David and Goliath

[Twenty-Sixth in a series of posts on Bible Stories]

Encore Post:

When Saul and David lived, war was very personal. Most of the fighting was done with swords, shields, and other weapons in hand-to-hand combat. Sometimes it was very hard to predict who would win a battle. Yet everyone knew hundreds to thousands of soldiers on both sides would die. To spare the armies such losses, the two sides would sometimes agree to have their two best soldiers fight the battle for them. These soldiers were called champions.

Goliath proposed to fight for the Philistines. If he won, Israel would surrender to them. If he lost, the Philistines would surrender. All of Goliath’s strength did him no good, since he couldn’t reach David with his sword. David used his sling. Men from the tribe of Benjamin were known for their marksmanship with a sling. Like them, David learned his skill with the weapon in fending off animals that attacked his sheep. God guided David’s stone, which killed the giant. He finished Goliath with the Philistine’s own sword. However, the Philistine army did not honor the agreement; instead, it broke ranks and fled. The army of Israel followed them, killing many as they ran.

Saul recognized talent when he saw it. He kept David with him and sent him out on military missions. As David won victory after victory, the people came to love him. David became a good friend of Saul’s son, Jonathan. Saul would eventually give his daughter Michal in marriage to David. Soon, Saul would become jealous of David’s fame and see him as a threat to his throne.

David’s descendant, Jesus, is our champion. He fought sin, death, and the devil for us on the cross, suffered and died for our sins, and rose from the grave to defeat them. Because our Champion died for us, we will now live with Him forever.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

King Saul

[Twenty-Fifth in a series of posts on Bible Stories]

Encore Post:

After Joshua’s death, God let each tribe of Israel rule their own land. When needed, God appointed judges to settle disputes and lead them into battle. However, the tribes did not act as a single people. They were not impressed with the sons of their greatest judge, Samuel. So the people asked God for a king to unite them, fight their battles, and give them a sense of pride. What the people did not see was the downside — kings do whatever they want and take whatever they want. If they do not serve God, then the people will become slaves in their own country. They did not listen, so God granted their wish.

He sent to Samuel a handsome, tall, and charismatic young man named Saul. He was the son of a rich man from the tribe of Benjamin. Samuel anointed him king over Israel. At first, Saul was very successful. He raised a large army and liberated some Israelites from the Ammonites. He won a few victories against the Philistines with inferior weapons. He defeated the Amalekites and killed every one of them, yet spared their king against God’s command.

Ultimately, King Saul disobeyed God and did as he pleased. So God took the Kingdom of Israel back from him and gave it to a shepherd boy, David. A thousand years later, Jesus, the Son of David, served God and His people. He suffered and died for our sins and rose again to defeat sin, death, and the power of the devil. One day, he will return with the armies of Heaven to defeat these forces forever. On that day, we will live under the King of Kings forever.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Samuel’s Call

[Twenty-Four in a series of posts on Bible Stories]

Encore Post:

Samuel is a unique figure in the history of God’s people. Samuel was the last and greatest of Israel’s judges and the one through whom God would anoint Israel’s first two kings. As a Levite dedicated to the Lord, he served as a priest. God also called him a prophet. He was the only figure in the Old Testament who served in all three sacred offices: prophet, priest, and judge. In this way, Samuel paved the way for Jesus, who is the greatest of all: Prophet, Priest, and King.

Samuel’s birth was also unique. His mother, Hannah, was barren and prayed for the birth of a son. When Samuel was born, she gave him to the Lord so that the boy would serve as a priest in the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was Israel’s first temple. It was a tent whose layout was like the temple that would follow it. Here, in its Holy of Holies, was kept the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the tablets of God’s law, Moses’ staff, and other items that witnessed to God’s miracles during the desert years. Samuel’s duty that night was to keep the lamps lit all evening.

While he was sleeping near the sanctuary, God called out to Samuel. Thinking the voice was that of the high priest, Eli, he went to him. Eli instructed him to go back to bed. When God called two more times, Eli told him to say to God, “Speak, Lord, your servant listens.” God gave Samuel the first of many prophecies that night.

When Samuel was old, the people of Israel pressed him to give them a king, like all the neighboring nations. They believed it would unite them. Samuel warned them that substituting a human king for God, their King, would bring only trouble. He would, in a sense, enslave them. They did not listen. God told Samuel to give in. He revealed to the prophet-judge-priest that Saul would be king — handsome, strong, everything they thought a king should be.

At first, Saul was very successful. But soon his power convinced him he could do anything he wished. Even though he was not a priest, he personally sacrificed to the Lord. Even when God ordered the complete destruction of an enemy people and not to take plunder from them, he spared their king and took plunder. God deposed him and chose David of Bethlehem, son of Jesse, as his successor. Samuel anointed him king.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Ruth

[Twenty-Third in a series of posts on Bible Stories]

Encore Post:

In ancient times, a widow was on her own. She had no means of supporting herself or her family. If she were fortunate enough to have adult sons, they would care for her. If she did not, she was completely at the mercy of her relatives. Most ancient societies placed great importance on descendants inheriting the family name and fortunes. To be a widow without sons meant the family line would die with her.

God’s laws for Israel provided for that. It required a man’s brother to marry his widow. The children born of that marriage would be the deceased’s legal heirs and would inherit all his property. This duty was a disadvantage to the brother. If he declined to perform it, the nearest relative would take his place.

Naomi and Ruth were in an especially tough spot. They were both widowed, and Ruth was childless. They lived in a foreign land where no family lived to help them. Ruth so loved and honored her mother-in-law that she would not hear of abandoning her. In addition, she believed in the God of Israel. So they returned to Naomi’s home — Bethlehem.

God also had not forsaken the two women. He protected them and led them home, where Naomi’s relatives cared for them. She helped Ruth understand the culture of Israel, which enabled them to find food to eat by gleaning in the fields of Boaz, Naomi’s husband’s relative. Even though Ruth was a gentile, Bethlehem received her as a member of his family. Boaz shows the true, selfless character of a redeemer — one who would establish a line for his relative by marrying Ruth and having a child with her, buying back all the property of Naomi and Ruth’s husbands, and preserving it for their descendants.

But, as usual, God had bigger plans for his daughters. It was through their descendants that his Son would be born. The son of Ruth and Boaz was Obed, the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David. Through them, the redeemer of all would be born. When Matthew selected generations to include in the genealogy of Jesus, he did not omit Ruth, one of the very few women on the list. God had redeemed her and, through her, had redeemed the whole world.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana