Prophets: Words of Fire
Spring 2005 Bible Study

Lamentations and Ezekial

"St. Joan of Arc Bible Study is an open and growing group that meets for fellowship and to discuss the Bible and other faith-centered literature. Our informal study group draws from biblical scholarship, historical perspectives, current events and personal reflections. We welcome honor and respect the personal ideas and spiritual journeys of all who join us."

Greetings

We were a very small group again this week, but had some good conversation. Our treat meister kind of forgot to bring treats so we availed ourselves of the church cookies. Here are the notes from tonight's session.

Prophets: Words of Fire, Megan McKenna
The Prophets of the Return: Third Isaiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi

Third Isaiah

• The prophet known as Third Isaiah returned to Jerusalem with the remnant after 537 BCE.
• The ten chapters (56-66) known as Third Isaiah convey a sense of weariness.

1. The messiah is already here. He already shares in the sufferings of the people.
2. When is he coming? Now! If only people would obey the commandments and attend to the word of God.

Read Isaiah quote at top of pg 203. Isaiah tells us there is no peace without justice.

Read quote from Isaiah 58 on pg 204. Isaiah is trying to capture the hearts of the people for their God Yahweh while they are sliding back into their old ways of selfishness, greed, hoarding, and unjust treatment of their neighbors and families. The people must be humble and live with contrite hearts. God sees their fasts and penance, but he sees also what they do to the poor, to their day laborers, and to their neighbors. Third Isaiah denies that the fasting observance has any intrinsic value. Ritual only has value when it is the expression of a just society. Self-affliction is not a good in itself; feeding the hungry is.

The book concludes with a vision of the world in which those who adore Yahweh come into the temple and those who refuse are annihilated - a sign of God's invincible justice. These passages contain some very disturbing imagery.

Haggai

• Prophesied around 520 BCE
• Was a contemporary of Zechariah
• His sole preoccupation was the restoration of the temple

The message of Haggai brings to mind a conversation Jeff and I had while in Ukraine. The Soviets, while the occupiers of Ukraine, had enforced a strictly utilitarian model for society. You might call it an "Uglification" project. All the structures built by the Soviets were boxy and plain. Religion, of course, was suppressed to conform with the atheist State. Churches were stripped bare and converted into taverns or barns or anything else useful. In 1993 (I think), when Ukraine regained independence, one of the first priorities was the rebuilding of the churches. Significant government money, as well as individuals' personal funds, was devoted to the rebuilding of these very ornate Orthodox churches. While we were there in 2003, we could see what incredible progress had been made - it was fairly typical to come across a church every 2 or 3 miles. At the same time, we saw many elderly people begging in the churchyards for money to feed themselves. We were told that when the Soviet system collapsed, so did their "pension" system, and subsequently, the country was filled with poverty-stricken widows and old men - too old to work and too poor to provide for themselves. At the time we discussed the morality of directing so much money into the funding of buildings, when there were such significant social problems to deal with. After all, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had survived all those years under Soviet rule, meeting secretly in homes. Surely God was still with them, even without an actual Church building.

Read page 212, first full paragraph. Contrast to Isaiah 58.

Zechariah

• Most likely a priest returning with the exiles
• Major concern was repentance
• His writings consist of eight fantastic visions, composed over a two-month period.
• He reiterates the basics of morality: "Render true judgment, be kind and merciful to each other. Do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the alien or the poor, do not plot evil in your heart against another."
• Chapters 11 and 13 have been associated with Jesus as the Suffering Servant

Malachi

• Name means "messenger" or "angel"
• Postexilic prophet who preached around 465-460 BCE
• Oracles have the structure of a dialogue between the prophet and the people
• He is faced with combating the abuses that have developed over time, many of which are connected to temple worship and to the practive of marrying foreigh women
• He also addresses the lack of respect among the priests who seem to be more interested in their personal gain than in the honor and glory of the Lord of Hosts.
• Undercurrent is always injustice, insensitivity to the poor among them, and giving second-rate offerings to God.
• The last of the Minor Prophets in the Christian Bible - it's last lines serve as a bridge to the testament of Jesus.

Discuss the Contemporary Issues that McKenna covers from page 220 to end of chapter.

Thanks Rita!

Privileges for next week include:

• Facilitator: Margaret
• Opening Prayer: Marlys
• Closing Prayer: Vi
• Treats: Brian