Proper 23 – Year C
Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People
RCL Readings – II Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; Psalm 111; II Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19
ACNA Readings – Ruth 1:1-19a; Psalm 113; II Timothy 2:1-15; Luke 17:11-19
Seasonal Introduction. This season is often called “Ordinary Time,” a term derived from ordinal, meaning “numbered” or “in sequence.” However, there is nothing ordinary about this time. Rather, it is a time when we may reflect on how God (starting on Trinity Sunday and ending with Christ the King Sunday) has been at work in our own lives, the lives of his people, and how he will continue to work in the days to come. Ordinary Time is a season when we are invited to perceive the mystery of God at work in our daily lives, in the ordinary, in the mundane.
Common Theme. Even without looking for it, God’s faithfulness and grace is extended towards us. But, upon receiving His grace, do we also react with faithfulness, praise, and thanks?
Hebraic Context. Ritual impurity in the Bible is not an indication of sin in a person, and it is certainly not sinful to be ritually impure. Ordinary, God-approved activities—childbirth, marital relations, burying the dead—regularly brought impurity. Jesus Himself would have been ritually impure at times in the normal course of life: at the burial of his father, after healing certain individuals, and even through everyday contact with people and objects that might have been unclean.[1]
There are instances when an individual is disciplined which would also result in ritual impurity, and later commentators noted the punishment of Miriam, Gehazi, and Uzziah.[2] But the impurity itself comes as a result of the physical manifestation of God’s discipline, not from the punishment itself. The biblical texts treat impurity primarily through a practical lens, looking at the natural biological reality.
If the moral laws of God distinguish between right and wrong—obedience and rebellion—what do the ritual laws of purity do? Ritual laws in the Bible also create distinctions. There is a distinction between that which is holy and that which is common—the sacred and the profane. Once again, this is not a moral judgment, though disobedience would become a matter of rebellion.[3] A sheep is not morally superior to a camel just because God made a distinction between the two—both were created and called good.[4] Likewise, a Levite or priest isn’t superior to a man from Judah or a woman from Naphtali. A Levite is set apart to serve in specific ways, and the priest in still others.[5] Israel also distinguished themselves in matters such as dress and diet—not because these made them superior to their neighbors, nor were their neighbors required to imitate them—but to make a distinction.[6]
Shabbat is the first thing God calls holy, but God called what He made on Tuesday “good” twice. For this reason, Jewish tradition commonly celebrates weddings and other joyous occasions on Tuesday, a “common” day. The labor of people throughout the week is profane, yet it is commanded by God and considered very good as a means of providing for their families.[7]
There is another distinction in ritual purity—a distinction between life and death. Everyday sources that brought ritual impurity include corpses, leprosy, and genital discharge.[8] A dead body is clearly related to death and mortality, while leprosy also takes on the appearance of death and decay. Curiously, priests were not called to heal leprosy, only to examine whether there was still the appearance of leprosy. Moses prays for Miriam: “Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”[9] Finally, discharges connected with the loss of potential or actual life—blood or semen—render a person unclean, whereas ordinary secretions, such as mucus or feces, that might ordinarily be thought of as unclean do not make one unclean.[10]
Much has been written regarding the health and welfare of the people of Israel in relation to God’s laws on ritual purity. While certain details may be valid, this is never the biblical argument for ritual purity nor is it what makes ritual purity practical. Some foods may indeed be healthier or less healthy, but that is not the distinction God gives. Despite the detailed and practical practices written in the Torah and Mishnah concerning skin diseases, the Torah’s purity system was not designed primarily as a health code. The few historical writing we possess about communicable plagues indicate that the Jews often suffered from outbreaks as much as their Christians and Muslims neighbors.
II Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c. Following the death of Omri and Ahab, the kingdom of Israel diminished as Aram-Damascus grew in power. Even smaller nations, such as Moab, were able to push Israel’s borders back.[11] Aram-Damascus had made at least one recent raid against Israel, taking its most precious spoils. It is all too easy to diminish the effect of war on the psyche of a nation—the fear, pain, and hatred, not to mention the military, political, and economic ramifications—if you have not felt its constant and encompassing effects. Naaman was one of the commanders of this terrible nation Israel feared.
Nonetheless, a young Israelite girl[12] decided to serve her new masters to the best of her ability. Naaman had leprosy, and while we do not know its exact form, the reaction of the King of Israel (likely Jehoram) indicates it was not one of the common, easily curable varieties. King Jehoram was terrified when a letter came to him from the King of Aram-Damascus commanding him to heal Naaman’s leprosy. But Elisha confronted him for his reaction. Most nations in the ancient world believed that military or political power corresponded to the power of that nation's gods. Israel was not more powerful than Aram-Damascus, and the King of Israel had been defeated soundly by their neighbors. But Elisha was not prepared to concede that the God of Israel was weaker than those of Aram-Damascus.
Naaman arrived at Elisha’s doorstep with power, but was received with a simple message through a messenger. Elisha did not follow the practices laid out in Leviticus 14, but this was a completely different situation. The young Israelite girl had said that the prophet of Samaria could cure Naaman. But her statement had little biblical precedent. The priests of God did not cure leprosy, only examine it and state whether it had completely healed or not. The only time a leper had been miraculously healed was when Moses prayed to God for his sister Miriam.
While Leviticus 14 spoke of sacrificing a bird over water and the sprinkling of its blood seven times in the ritual of purity, Elisha’s command only in the loosest sense resembled the ritual described by Moses. Neither did he follow Moses’ example of direct intercession through prayer. Instead of Elisha miraculously curing Naaman, he required Naaman to put in the effort to travel back to the Jordan—having not been healed—and actively obey the word of a prophet of the God of Israel.
Naaman had expected much more, stating, “Behold, I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.” He went away angry, presumably with no interest in obeying the prophet of the LORD. But upon being persuaded to make the attempt, he obeyed—even without faith that it would be efficacious—and was healed.
Naaman acted on the faith of others—a young girl whose people were terrified of him and his servants—and for his own self-interest. But he still acted. And by the faith of others and the work of God, he was able to declare, “I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel.”
Psalm 111. The author of Psalm 111 is unknown; however, they have beautifully crafted a double acrostic poem.[13] Apart from the opening imperative to “Praise the Lord” (Hallelujah), every sentence begins with the next successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, using all 22 Hebrew characters for the 22-line (not verse) psalm. This demonstrates that prayers can be well thought out and well-constructed ahead of time.
While there are many times to cry out, praise, or thank God in prayer in the moment, there is also something to be said for crafting a liturgical prayer. If what we pray shows what the desires of our heart are, perhaps it is good to think about what we so commonly pray. Are we constantly asking God for His blessings but never blessing Him in return? Do we constantly give thanks, but only for the good things God gives us? Do we call out to Jesus as if stating His name will magically make everything better? These prayers can easily become ways to take the Lord’s name in vain.
The psalmist used all their skill to give thanks to God. They considered the many reasons they truly should be thankful. Then they blessed God by taking time and effort to make something beautiful—just to praise the LORD. And, of course, knowing what God did for them, the psalmist proceeded to write out practical ways that they could bless God in Psalm 112, Psalm 111’s parallel psalm.
Written prayers, along with the Holy Spirit (who, as Hebrews 3:7 points out, is the actual author of Psalm 95—a commonly used liturgical Psalm), can help us pray in times when we don’t know how to pray ourselves. Many have faced the same situations we face; their prayers are precious and often theologically astute—expecially if it has been preserved within the Church through the centuries. They can help guide our hearts and minds to God, just as the Psalms have for generation upon generation.
The worship of God was done in public, commonly in the courts of the Temple in Jerusalem (as is likely the case in Psalm 111-112). Here on Mount Zion, the worshipper joined others to form a congregation, or an assembly, of the upright. The psalmist desires that we worship the Lord with our whole heart. These Psalms were sung and prayed in the Temple (“in the congregation”) while sacrifices were being offered. The sacrifice that is important to the author is an undivided heart for the Lord. This is not to diminish the role and nature of sacrifice, for it is part of worshipping God with our whole heart in humility and thanksgiving. Sacrifices also helped provide food for those who feared God.
The psalmist placed emphasis on the great works of God. The Lord is to be praised, not only for who He is but also for what He has done. The most common command in the Hebrew Scriptures is to remember. One way to recall the good things God has done is to include them in our prayers. The psalmist wants the worshipper to remember the wondrous deeds of the Lord, noting that He also remembers His covenant and promises. The works of God are called truth (some translated as faithful) and justice. No single instance of God’s justice or faithfulness is given in Psalm 111, perhaps allowing the reader and hearer to more easily include their own, personal testimonies.
Verse 9 links His covenant with redemption and connects everything with the holy and awesome name of God. The final verse, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” is echoed in Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28—and more immediately in Psalm 112:1 as the Psalmist turns to how we fear God. Fear—not in the sense of being scared, such a fear is inadequate—but in the sense of awesome respect for the power and authority of God. This fear leads to walking in the footsteps of God.
Tertullian, in Prescription against Heretics 43, states that if there is no fear of God (or reason to fear God) all things are permitted. But the only time there is no fear of God is in the place God does not exist and where God does not exist, there is no truth. However, where God does exist…
“...There exists ‘the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom.’ Where the fear of God is, there is seriousness, an honourable and yet thoughtful diligence, as well as an anxious carefulness and a well-considered admission (to the sacred ministry) and a safely-guarded communion, and promotion after good service, and a scrupulous submission (to authority), and a devout attendance, and a modest gait, and a united church, and God in all things.”
As we are called to fear God, we are also called to act in accordance with the great works of our God in Psalm 112. God gave food to those who fear him (Psalm 111:5), so those who fear God should give to their neighbours (Psalm 112:5). Fearing God leads to respect of His power and obedience to His instructions—it also helps us remain steadfast in times of evil tidings. “All those who practice [fear] have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”
II Timothy 2:8-15.[14] The gospel Paul continuously preached is simple in its message. Jesus died and rose from the dead. But more than just death and resurrection—for death is common, and others were raised to life—Paul states that Jesus died for our sins[15] and that salvation is in Christ Jesus.
Unfortunately, the term Christ has lost much of its meaning—becoming a substitute for Jesus’ name. Paul reminds Timothy that Jesus is the offspring of David. Jesus is the messiah spoken of throughout the scriptures: many of the prophecies and promises of God are shown in Jesus’ incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and kingship.
Paul states in Romans 5:7 that there are some who would dare die for a righteous person—we can see throughout history that Christians and Jewish followers of God are not the only people who die for what they believe or for another human—and Paul was willing to be imprisoned and even killed. But Paul knew that such an action would be useless if it were not the Messiah who died and was raised from the dead.[16]
The suffering of God’s people for the sake of the gospel is not in vain. Our faith in God is not in vain. Paul seems to quote an early confession of the Church in II Timothy 2:11-13. With the fulfillment of Jesus’ resurrection, we can be assured of this truth: ”If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him.”
The creed that Paul quotes promises resurrection for those who have died with Jesus. What does it mean to die with Him? Romans 6:4 states that, “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” He continues, “For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.” But we are also warned by both Jesus and Paul that physical persecution would come and some would be called to suffer and even die for His name. Whether through the waters of baptism or the cost of faithfulness unto death, we are joined to the Lord in His death but also in His life.
For those who do endure, the Scriptures state that the martyrs and those who are obedient will not only be resurrected but reign with the Messiah.[17] But if we deny Him, the confession states that He will deny us. This should be terrifying. It continues by stating that “if we are faithless, He remains faithful.” On the one hand, the Scriptures make it clear that what God has promised—not only the good things but the promises concerning discipline, justice, and punishment—He will do.[18] On the other hand, Paul states in Romans 3, “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means!” But this is followed by a quote about God being justified in His dealing with sinners.[19]
Paul states that quarrels about words “only ruins the hearers.” Does that mean that the early church councils were worthless? Obviously the fight against heresies and false gospels was incredibly important—Paul continues by stating that we should rightly handle the word of truth. But the way we handle the word of truth must be seen in our faithful actions. Having a church council without a church that proceeds to follow God is not only worthless, but actively harmful.
Was Jesus willing to die? Then surely we should be willing to die with Him. Was Jesus raised from the dead? Then even in the face of imprisonment or death we can have hope and endure. Will God judge the living and the dead? Then we should be faithful and do our best to be workers who are not ashamed.
Luke 17:11-19. After speaking of having faith in everyday circumstances—facing temptation and the requirement of forgiveness—Jesus gave the example of a servant who simply did what was required of him. Luke moves from Jesus teaching His disciples to His continuing journey toward Jerusalem. On the way, ten lepers call out from a distance for mercy.
Lepers and leprosy, λεπρος or λεπρα (lepros, lepra), were very common in the ancient world. In both the Hebrew Bible and the Greco-Roman context, leprosy included a range of dermatological conditions—including such common problems as eczema or psoriasis. More severe leprosy was unusual and was known by a different name, such as elephantiasis in Greek. The Torah gave detailed regulations concerning leprosy, addressing not only leprosy affecting humans but also leprosy found in clothing and houses.[20]
Leprosy in the Bible was part of the purity laws and had nothing to do with sin. Nonetheless, lepers were outsiders during the time of their leprosy. They were physically isolated temporarily until their leprosy cleared. After a full healing of their skin, they were to call a priest to examine them (likewise with a garment or house).[21] Only after the priest had examined them and declared them cleansed, along with the prescribed cultic practice and time of purification, could they return to the community. Thus, any contagion would not easily spread.
However, certain historical examples of leprosy led to the belief that it could sometimes be caused by disobedience—particularly evil speech (לשון הרע). Miriam, the prophetess, was struck with leprosy for a brief time after speaking out against Moses.[22] Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, and his descendants were afflicted with leprosy because of his greed and deceit.[23] King Uzziah broke out with leprosy because of his pride and anger.[24]
Interestingly, whether it was because of their position as outsiders due to their leprosy or for another reason, the lepers called out to Jesus not as a teacher, religious leader, or messianic figure but as a secular overseer—επιστατης (epistates) were regional representatives of the king, overseers of work forces, and tax collectors.[25] Yet as Jesus and those making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem walked past them, they still asked Him for grace.[26]
We aren’t told what kind of grace they expect, but Jesus told them to follow the Torah as prescribed in Leviticus. All ten of them listened and immediately went to show themselves to the priests—except for one who turned back. Having already been cleansed, would a Samaritan listen to the words of Jesus and submit himself for examination by a Jewish priest? But it was this man whom Jesus praised, for though he turned back, it was to give praise to God and thanks to Jesus.
It is assumed that all ten would have eventually been examined by a priest and followed the command of God regarding leprosy. There is no indication that the other nine returned to a life of leprosy—they were all cleansed as they obeyed Jesus and the Torah. But in that moment of healing, only one had the immediate reaction to give thanks and praise to the One who heals.
Hebraic Perspective. Paul tells Timothy “not to quarrel about words.”[27] But that doesn’t mean words are unimportant. The Scriptures provide many early confessions and creeds: declarations that were to be repeated evening and morning, such as the Shma; confessions recited in humility during certain festivals, such a Deuteronomy 26:5-10; and liturgies sung daily, weekly, and yearly at the Temple.
Some of the early confessions of the church were included in Scripture and so can stand without dispute or quarreling:[28] “If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful.”[29] We can confidently say:
“Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.”[30]
The early church had to defend sound doctrine. As much as we all have the Holy Spirit, the Scripture still must be examined while disagreements will still arise between godly brothers and sisters, as well as against false teachings from wolves in sheep’s clothing. Pirkei Avot 5.17 makes an interesting statement regarding disputes: “Every dispute that is for the sake of heaven will, in the end, endure; but one that is not for the sake of heaven will not endure. Which is the controversy that is for the sake of heaven? Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai. And which is the controversy that is not for the sake of heaven? Such was the controversy of Korah and all his congregation.” Godly men and women may not always come to the same conclusion when studying Scripture, but they both seek to serve and obey God with lives marked by love one for another.
The early church sharpened its theologies, doctrines, and the wording of the Creed through communal study and peer review. One of the most important aspects of the creeds is that they are upheld and affirmed by generation after generation—they are not prone to change to the whims of society or culture. Countless godly men and women over hundreds of years—each facing their own historical and cultural adversities—examined the truthfulness of the Apostles’ Creed. No creed written by a single person in a single culture and generation has remained relevant.
But the church still has to live by its confessions. If an Israelite quoted Deuteronomy 26:5-10 during their firstfruits offerings and proceeded to treat foreigners harshly and with humiliation as they came before God in the pride of their own work then their declaration would be worse than useless. Likewise, if the church declares, “We have died with Him, we will also live with Him,” and then fears the princes of this world more than God Almighty, our declaration will be in vain.
ACNA Readings
Ruth 1:1-19a. The author of the scroll of Ruth isn’t simply telling the history of a family; they are shaping a book of propaganda. The prologue of Ruth quickly moves from bad to worse. First, the story of Ruth is set in the time of the judges. The book of Judges continuously highlights that the men of Israel are weak—morally, spiritually, and nationally. The entire nation is weak, for there is no king in Israel, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes. Nonetheless, the women of Israel step up and lead.[31]
Deuteronomy 12:8 states, “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you.” There will also come a day when Israel will have a king, but that king must be someone whom the LORD God chooses: “One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you.”[32]
Next, we learn that there is famine in the land. Deuteronomy 11 states that the land of Canaan requires the grace of God to provide rain: “That you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And He will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.”[33] Nonetheless, there is also a warning of famine in times of idolatry: “Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you.”[34]
Because of the famine, Elimelech and his family are removed from the land and go to the land of the Moabites. Moab was a consistent enemy of Israel, from the time Israel drew near the land of Canaan through the exile of Israel to Babylon. Because of Moab’s hostility, Deuteronomy 23:3 prohibits Moabites from entering the assembly of the LORD, “even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever.”
And where was Elimelech from? Bethlehem. Prior to King David, Bethlehem was relatively unimportant. It was only through King David that most people would have heard of Bethlehem of Judah. And that immediately would bring up a problem—King David. Everything in the prologue would have been an argument the enemies of David would have used against him. He should not have been king—no foreigner could be made king.
In fact, no one among the Moabites should even have been part of the assembly of GOD—and the argument that this was several generations in the past would not be enough, as David was well within the tenth generation and his family still had ties with Moab. When David was on the run, he went to Moab and sought refuge for his parents with the king of Moab.[35]
Out of this prologue, however, the author builds argument after argument that David was not only a valid king over Israel but that his lineage was one of upright faithfulness to God and family.[36] To counter the veiled accusation of idolatry in the introduction of the story through famine and the open declaration that David was descended from a Moabitess, the author introduces Ruth.
Ruth not only stays with her widowed mother-in-law to care for her; in a single sentence she addresses each of the potential accusations. No longer would Ruth be a Moabite, for “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people… Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.” As for idolatry—Ruth turns away from the idolatry of Moab and states that Naomi’s God would be her God. Ruth is introduced as someone with greater righteousness and faithfulness than the Israelites who surrounded her.
Psalm 113. Why do we praise the LORD in Psalms and hymns? Surely it is because He is great. He is above all nations, from the farthest east and the rising of the sun to the farthest west and its setting, for He is enthroned above the heavens themselves. There are, of course, many ideas about foreign gods. Some are unreachable: gods who don’t care about human affairs for humans are so far below them as to not matter. Other gods are just like humans, squabbling and fighting over pride, jealousy, and greed.
But the LORD, for all that He is great beyond measure, still bends down to look at the earth. He doesn’t simply watch what happens to the beings He created, He interacts with us. He brings hope and joy to a people who would otherwise be without it. Of course we praise God because He is great—but His greatness is shown by both His Being and His revealed actions.
Endnotes
[1] Mark 1:41; Mark 5:41; Luke 7:14
[2] Numbers 12; II Kings 5:15-27; II Chronicles 26:16-23
[3] Leviticus 10:10-11; Ezekiel 22:26; Ezekiel 44:23
[4] Genesis 6:19-7:5; Leviticus 11:1-8; Leviticus 20:24-26
[5] Numbers 18:1-7
[6] Deuteronomy 14:1-21; Deuteronomy 14:21specifically states that God does not hold foreigners to the same laws regarding food as the Israelites.While it is commonly assumed that activities such as cutting oneself or taking a razor to one's head when in mourning for the dead is related to pagan rituals to foreign gods, the Scriptures do not make this distinction. Deuteronomy 14 simply states that Israel is a people holy to the LORD and gives them the food laws.
Leviticus 19:19; Deuteronomy 22:9-11 includes such distinctions as not mixing breeds of cattle, sowing a field or vineyard with mixed seed, or mixing linen and wool for clothing.
[7] Work came before the sin as “the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” In the Ten commandments, God not only commands to keep the Shabbat but also states, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.” See also: Ephesians 4:28; I Timothy 5:8
[8] Numbers 19:11-16; Leviticus 13-15
[9] Numbers 12:12
[10] See also: Jacob Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, pp. 45-46
[11] II Kings 1:1; II Kings 3:5-27; Mesha Stele
[12] While the term נער, נערה (naar) is often translated as young boy or young girl, it can mean anything from a child to someone of a marriageable age. Traditionally, Isaac was thirty-seven when Abraham bound him but as yet unmarried and so still considered a young man. But II Kings 5:2 specifies the girl is quite young by adding the adjective “little” before it.
[13] Psalm 111 can hardly be read without including its counterpart, Psalm 112.
[14] ACNA includes II Timothy 2:1-7
[15] I Corinthians 15:3
[16] I Corinthians 15:12-19
[17] Daniel 7:18, 22, 27; Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29-30; Romans 8:17; Revelation 2:26-27; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 5:9-10; Revelation 20:4-6
[18] Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 15; Joshua 23:14-16; I Kings 8:56-61; Ezekiel 12:25-28; Daniel 9:11-14; Romans 11:22
[19] Romans 3:3-4; Psalm 51:4
[20] Leviticus 13-14. While some modern readers find Leviticus 13-14 tedious and irrelevant, they were considered to be extremely practical in the Second Temple period. Due to how common and practical the Torah addresses leprosy, the priests—and later rabbinic authorities—who examined leprosy and declared it cleansed or still leprous created an in-depth practical guideline for the examination, preserved in Mishnah Negaim.
[21] Priests did not only live in Jerusalem and the Temple. There were prescribed Levitical cities throughout Israel and Judea, some of whose residents would have been priests. For instance, Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in the hill country of Judah—traditionally Ein Kerem.
[22] Numbers 12
[23] II Kings 5:15-27
[24] II Chronicles 26:16-23
[25] Exodus 1:11; Exodus 5:14; I Kings 5:16; II Kings 25:19; Jeremiah 29:26; Jeremiah 52:25; II Chronicles 2:2; II Chronicles 31:12. Luke is the only writer in the New Testament to use επιστατης.
[26] Ελεησον, eleison, but likely from the word חנן (ḥanan) in the Hebrew. See: Psalm 6:2; Psalm 9:13; Psalm 25:16; Psalm 26:11; Psalm 31:9; Psalm 41:4; Psalm 41:10; Psalm 51:1; Psalm 56:1; Psalm 57:1; Psalm 86:3; Psalm 86:16; Psalm 119:29, 58, 132; Psalm 123:3; Isaiah 30:19; Isaiah 33:2
[27] II Timothy 2:14
[28] Even so, interpretation of these confessions is not always as straight-forward as we might desire and so disputed..
[29] II Timothy 2:11-13
[30] I Peter 2:21-25
[31] It is Achsah, not Othniel, that secures water rights. Deborah is the only one who openly stands on the roads, ready to judge for any who have need of a judge or prophetess. And it is Deborah and Jael who bring victory for Israel. An unnamed woman of Thebez delivers her people from the would-be King of Israel, Abimelech. While Samson’s father is terrified of the angels that announce his birth, his mother is the one who speaks with wisdom. And Delilah shapes much of Samson’s story.
[32] Deuteronomy 17:14-15
[33] Deuteronomy 11:10-15
[34] Deuteronomy 11:16-17, see also: Deuteronomy 28:23-48.
[35] I Samuel 22:3
[36] Later, we learn that David’s lineage goes back not only to Ruth, but also to another foreigner—Rahab. Nonetheless, David is also related to Nahshon, one of the great leaders of Judah, through Rahab’s marriage to his son Salmon.