Salvogesis

I recently read an interview with David Suzuki where he was asked –among other things- about political reform; how to give power to the people rather than politicians and their parties. He had what I thought was a very interesting answer. He said, ‘The solution to me is we need a system where politicians are drawn from a hat, the same way we need to set up our juries.' It has some merit. The word ‘democracy’ from the Greek roots ‘power’ and ‘people’ has come to mean ‘power to the people’ and way of drawing lots for political representation would give power to the people rather than the political parties. And actually, now that I remember it, that is the way that the first Greek democracies actually did operate, through the casting of lots. I thought it was very interesting that I read this while we have been studying Joshua. It reminded me of the way government was run in the Book and the time of Joshua in the Bible and throughout the Old Testament at least until the time of King...

This is a very important passage for our world today. Judges 2:1-5: The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you." When the angel of the LORD had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, and they called that place Bokim (weepers). There they offered sacrifices to the LORD. This is disappointing; it’s a sad but very important passage from which to launch the stories of the so-called Judges.[1] This pericope (Joshua 2:1-5) explains why the Israelites and their allies suffer hundreds of year...

Today when we hear the name Rahab, we often think of this lady whom the LORD used to save the spies and deliver Jericho into the Hebrews’ hands. Did you know the name ‘Rahab’ translated from Hebrew means ‘broad’ or ‘fat’ and in common usage it refers to ‘fierceness’, ‘insolence’, and ‘pride.’ In the Bible, the word ‘Rahab’ is used commonly as an insult for the country of Egypt. Rahab, the lady in this passage, was a marginalized, prostituted Canaanite. But Rahab is saved and Rahab is redeemed! After Rahab’s faith and deeds were used by God to save the Hebrew spies and deliver Jericho over to the LORD, do you know how the Lord transformed her life? According to Jewish tradition, she, a lady who was extremely marginalized, became the ancestor of eight priests (Tal Megillah 14b). She is listed as one of four women of  surpassing beauty  (Tal Megillah 15a). Rahab may mean ‘broad’ but this Rahab is nonetheless a beauty. She is – to quote Reba – she is not a back of the store l...