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I have a slight headache, so I may go to bed early. Here are a few items from my readings for today:
1. Othmar Keel, in Symbolism of the Biblical World, states the following on page 306:
In survey, it appears that in the ancient Near East there was eager expectation of a future time of salvation under the dominion of a powerful and righteous king whose beneficial sovereignty would encompass the entire world, excluding any further war. Within this general hope, Israelite expectation took a specific turn by stressing the importance of ethics—particularly concern for the poor and the weak (Ps 72)! The prophets, who acutely perceived the difficulty of maintaining a consistent ethical posture, added to this expectation the good news of a new creation of the human heart (cf. Ps 51:10-11). In the absence of this new disposition, which is to be effected solely by God, the prophets envision no possibility of an authentic time of salvation. This expectation of a radical, new intervention by God opened the way to authentic eschatological thinking, which is not content with the hope of the return of what has been, but is open to entirely new and unexpected horizons.
“Thy kingdom come.” That’s something that I pray after the earthquake in Haiti. And, as many have pointed out, that’s only the tip of the ice-berg, for Haiti has a history of poverty and political corruption. Our earth has continual problems, which is why so many people throughout history have hoped for a righteous ruler, who would not judge by the sight of his eyes, but would vindicate the poor in righteousness (Isaiah 11).
2. I read the Anchor Bible Dictionary article on the Book of Nahum. On its date, the article offers one of several possibilities: The first dates the book to ca. 625 b.c., when Nabopolassar emerged as the leader of an aggressive Babylonia, a development which must have given heart to those peoples who hated the oppressing Assyrians.
One oppressive kingdom falls, and another arises in its place. Yet, God is somewhere in all of this.
