Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 49:1-33; 50:1-3 (Jacob’s Last Words, Jacob’s Death)

Last time, we saw Jacob call Joseph to him, and ask him to swear in the most binding way that Joseph would not bury him in Egypt, but would bring him back to the place of burial that Abraham had purchased for Sarah, in which Abraham and Isaac and Rebecca were all buried. He then proceeded to bless Joseph’s sons, claiming them as his own, and giving to them his particular inheritance. He also put the younger son, Ephraim, ahead of the older, Manasseh, saying that he would become a multitude of nations in the future. This time, we will see Jacob give blessings and prophecies to all his sons, and then finally he will die.

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons

49 Then Jacob called his sons, and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in days to come.
2 Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob,
and hearken to Israel your father.

3 Reuben, you are my first-born,
my might, and the first fruits of my strength,
pre-eminent in pride and pre-eminent in power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not have pre-eminence
because you went up to your father’s bed;
then you defiled it—you went up to my couch!

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers;
weapons of violence are their swords.
6 O my soul, come not into their council;
O my spirit, be not joined to their company;
for in their anger they slay men,
and in their wantonness they hamstring oxen.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
and scatter them in Israel.

8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion’s whelp;
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down, he couched as a lion,
and as a lioness; who dares rouse him up?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs;
and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
11 Binding his foal to the vine
and his ass’s colt to the choice vine,
he washes his garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapes;
12 his eyes shall be red with wine,
and his teeth white with milk.

13 Zeb′ulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea;
he shall become a haven for ships,
and his border shall be at Sidon.
14 Is′sachar is a strong ass,
crouching between the sheepfolds;
15 he saw that a resting place was good,
and that the land was pleasant;
so he bowed his shoulder to bear,
and became a slave at forced labor.

16 Dan shall judge his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
a viper by the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that his rider falls backward.
18 I wait for thy salvation, O Lord.
19 Raiders shall raid Gad,
but he shall raid at their heels.
20 Asher’s food shall be rich,
and he shall yield royal dainties.
21 Naphtali is a hind let loose,
that bears comely fawns.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough,
a fruitful bough by a spring;
his branches run over the wall.
23 The archers fiercely attacked him,
shot at him, and harassed him sorely;
24 yet his bow remained unmoved,
his arms were made agile
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
(by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel),
25 by the God of your father who will help you,
by God Almighty who will bless you
with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that couches beneath,
blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26 The blessings of your father
are mighty beyond the blessings of the eternal mountains,
the bounties of the everlasting hills;
may they be on the head of Joseph,
and on the brow of him who was separate from his brothers.
27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
in the morning devouring the prey,
and at even dividing the spoil.”

Jacob’s Death and Burial

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel; and this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. 29 Then he charged them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field at Mach-pe′lah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

33 When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed, and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. 50 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel; 3 forty days were required for it, for so many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

Reading 12 – 833 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out how Jacob is speaking in two modes in this passage. On the one hand, when he speaks of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, he is speaking of their past deeds, and explaining why the right of the firstborn is passing them by. For the rest of them, he is speaking of the future, of what will happen to their descendants, not of anything related to their actions and character, with the exception of Joseph, of whom he has much to say, and for whom he prays that God will bless him richly. We need to pay special attention to what he says about Judah, however, because in this we see a prophecy of the kingship of the house of David, and of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will be born of David’s line. He is the one who will “bind His foal to the vine and His ass’s colt to the choice vine” as we see happen on Palm Sunday.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Hymns from the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (November 21)

Every year on November 21st, we celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple. This feast is coming up on Tuesday of next week, so we will talk about it this week. The story of this feast is that when the Virgin Mary was three years old, her parents dedicated her to serve in the Temple. When she was brought to the Temple, the Priest Zacharias (the father of St. John the Baptist) greeted her, but she walked straight into the Temple by herself, and went straight into the Holy Place, and beyond the curtain into the Holy of Holies, which is where the Ark of the Covenant had used to be, until it was lost. The Holy of Holies had therefore been empty for hundreds of years, since the Temple was rebuilt, and along with its absence, the people of God understood that God’s Presence had never returned to the Temple. With the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, the Fathers of the Church understand a transition, from the Temple of the Old Covenant, in which God had been pleased to dwell with His people, to the Temple of the New Covenant, as the Lord dwells in the Faithful, and first of all, of course, in His All-holy Mother. The following hymns reflect on this.

Doxastikon of the Kekragaria

After you were born, O Lady Bride of God, you went to the Temple of the Lord to be raised in the Holy of Holies, as one who was sanctified. Then Gabriel was sent to you, the all-blameless one, and he brought you food. All beings in heaven were astounded, seeing the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. Therefore, O spotless and unstained Mother of God, glorified in heaven and on earth, ever keep us safe.

Hymn from Ode 1 of Canon 2 of the Feast

Our King and our God came forth from you, O Lady, * and put on the purple robe * that was dyed in your own blood, * O all-immaculate Maid, * and in His mercy He refashioned all the human race.

Heirmos of Ode 9, Canon 1 of the Feast

Now let no uninitiated hand * approach the living Ark of God to touch it. * Rather let believers' lips sing out in exultation * the Angel's salutation unceasingly * to the Theotokos and cry out: * You, O pure and virgin Maiden, are truly superior to all.

Hymn from Ode 9, Canon 1 of the Feast

Paradoxally the Law prefigured you, * O pure one, as a jar and tabernacle, * spiritual ark and rod of Aaron and the curtain, * indestructible Temple and the gate of God. * Thus it teaches us all to cry out: * You, O pure and virgin Maiden, are truly superior to all.

Hymn from Ode 9, Canon 2 of the Feast

Mary who bore a divine Son * was born herself to the holy * and righteous Joachim and Anne * as the fruit of a promise. * Now as an infant in the flesh * they offer her as incense acceptable * for to dwell in the holies * of the holy Temple as a holy Maid.

Hymn from Ode 9, Canon 2 of the Feast

She is by nature an infant * who in a way passing nature * will be the Mother of her God. * Let us therefore extol her. * For she is offered to the Lord * in the Temple according to the Law today, * for a sweet-smelling savor, * as the spiritual fruit of the righteous pair.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out how we speak of the Virgin Mary as the Temple in which God dwells, as the Ark of the Lord’s Presence with His people, as the offering of her parents in the Temple, as the jar, the rod of Aaron, and the curtain, and as the one providing the purple dye in which the King of Kings, her Son, is clothed. In her, all the prophecies and foreshadowings of the Old Testament are brought together in a single point, in a single person, through whom God Himself comes to His people to save us.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Acts 7:44-60; 8:1-3 (Stephen’s Speech Concludes, Stephen is Stoned, Saul Persecutes the Church)

Last time we saw Stephen describe the life of Moses, how God worked such great signs among His people through Moses, but the people continually doubted, complained, and rejected Moses’ leadership and teaching. He is developing this theme in response to the accusation against him, that he is preaching Jesus Christ as the abolition of the teaching of Moses and the alteration of the ordinances of the Torah. This time he will conclude his speech, but we will find that it has not made him any friends among those who are standing in judgment of him, as he ranks them among the worst of the unrighteous Israelites of the Old Testament.

Stephen’s Speech Concludes

44 “Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the wilderness, as God directed when he spoke to Moses, ordering him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. 45 Our ancestors in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors. And it was there until the time of David, 46 who found favor with God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob.

47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands; as the prophet says,

49 ‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. 53 You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen.[j] 55 But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him.

58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

8 1 And Saul approved of their killing him.

Saul Persecutes the Church

That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.

Reading 13 – 452 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that Stephen has effectively turned the accusation made against him, that he is unfaithful to Moses and the House of God, against his accusers, pointing out to them that Moses had prophesied the coming of another Prophet, and that even when Solomon built the first temple, even though God had accepted it, He had also reminded His people that He could not be contained in any house built with human hands. Thus he refutes their idea that the Temple is inviolable and utterly sacrosanct, and calls them to account for their rejection of the Lord, just as their ancestors had done with Moses and all the prophets. This has them angry enough, but when he says that he sees Jesus at the right hand of God in heaven, affirming that the Jesus they had killed is Himself Almighty God, they rush at him and kill him by stoning. We must note, as well, that even having counted them with all the transgressors of the Old Testament, Stephen is not angry with them, but rather prays that they will be forgiven. And at his death, we are introduced for the first time to Saul of Tarsus, from the same region as those of the synagogue of the Freedmen with whom Stephen had been disputing at the beginning of this argument which led to his death. We will, of course, see more of Saul in the coming chapters.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 47:27-31; 48:1-22 (Last Days of Jacob, Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons)

Last time, we saw Jacob and all his household go down to Egypt, and meet with Pharaoh, and receive permission to settle in the land of Goshen in Egypt, with their flocks and herds. We saw, notably, that none of the household of Israel took positions of authority in Egypt, except Joseph only, but that they continued to live as shepherds, save only that they served as caretakers for the flocks of the Pharaoh. And last of all, we saw Jacob meet with Pharaoh, and give him his blessing. This time, we will begin the conclusion of Jacob’s life story.

The Last Days of Jacob

27 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years.

29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh, and promise to deal loyally and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers; carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” 31 And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons

48 After this Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill”; so he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you”; then Israel summoned his strength, and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’”

5 “And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 And the offspring born to you after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 For when I came from Paddan, Rachel to my sorrow died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, I pray you, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him; and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; and lo, God has let me see your children also.”

12 Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, E′phraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manas′seh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the first-born. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has led me all my life long to this day,
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads;
and in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he took his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this one is the first-born; put your right hand upon his head.” 19 But his father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’”;

and thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

Reading 11 – 868 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out the significance of the blessing of Ephraim over Manasseh. Within the history of the children of Israel in the Old Testament, the significance of this is that the tribe of Ephraim was the tribe of the kings of the northern country of Israel after the death of Solomon, when the ten northern tribes rebelled against the house of David and became their own nation. However, all of Ephraim, together with the other nine tribes, were lost after the Assyrian conquest. St. Paul in the book of Romans, however, connects the lost tribes, and especially the house of Ephraim, with the Gentiles who were coming into the Church, and it is in this that we see the fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy, that Ephraim would become a multitude of nations.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Joseph and Aseneth – 8

Last time, we saw Aseneth conclude her prayer of repentance and supplication to the Lord, and we saw her prayer answered with a sign from heaven, as the morning star arose first, and then the heavens were split open and a brilliant light shone, and as she fell on her face, a man from heaven came and stood in her chamber, and called to her, and raised her up, and commanded her to put off her mourning, to wash herself, and to clothe herself in new apparel, showing to her that her repentance was accepted, and her prayer was answered. This time, we will see what follows.

James H. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and the New Testament: Expansions of the “Old Testament” and Legends, Wisdom, and Philosophical Literature, Prayers, Psalms and Odes, Fragments of Lost Judeo-Hellenistic Works, vol. 2 (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1985), 202–238.

The heavenly man announces Aseneth’s acceptance with God and her marriage to Joseph

15 1 (1) And she went to the man into her first chamber and stood before him. And the man said to her, “Remove the veil from your head, and for what purpose did you do this? For you are a chaste virgin today, and your head is like that of a young man.” 2 (2) And Aseneth removed the veil from her head. And the man said to her, “Courage, Aseneth, chaste virgin. Behold, I have heard all the words of your confession and your prayer. 3 Behold, I have also seen the humiliation and the affliction of the seven days of your want (of food). Behold, from your tears and these ashes, plenty of mud has formed before your face.”

4 (3) “Courage, Aseneth, chaste virgin. For behold, your name was written in the book of the living in heaven; in the beginning of the book, as the very first of all, your name was written by my finger, and it will not be erased forever. 5 (4) Behold, from today, you will be renewed and formed anew and made alive again, and you will eat blessed bread of life, and drink a blessed cup of immortality, and anoint yourself with blessed ointment of incorruptibility.”

6 (5) “Courage, Aseneth, chaste virgin. Behold, I have given you today to Joseph for a bride, and he himself will be your bridegroom for ever (and) ever. 7 (6) And your name shall no longer be called Aseneth, but your name shall be City of Refuge, because in you many nations will take refuge with the Lord God, the Most High, and under your wings many peoples trusting in the Lord God will be sheltered, and behind your walls will be guarded those who attach themselves to the Most High God in the name (7) of Repentance.”

“For Repentance is in the heavens, an exceedingly beautiful and good daughter of the Most High. And she herself entreats the Most High God for you at all times and for all who repent in the name of the Most High God, because he is (the) father of Repentance. And she herself is guardian of all virgins, and loves you very much, and is beseeching the Most High for you at all times and for all who repent she prepared a place of rest in the heavens. And she will renew all who repent, and wait on them herself for ever (and) ever. 8 (8) And Repentance is exceedingly beautiful, a virgin pure and laughing always, and she is gentle and meek. And, therefore, the Most High Father loves her, and all the angels stand in awe of her. And I, too, love her exceedingly, because she is also my sister. And because she loves you virgins, I love you, too.

9 (9) “And behold, I am going away to Joseph and will tell him about you everything I have to say. And Joseph will come to you today, and see you, and rejoice over you, and love you, and he will be your bridegroom, and you will be a bride for him for ever (and) ever. 10 (10) And now listen to me, Aseneth, chaste virgin, and dress in your wedding robe, the ancient and first robe which is laid up in your chamber since eternity, and put around you all your (11) wedding ornaments, and adorn yourself as a good bride, and go meet Joseph. For behold, he himself is coming to you today, and he will see you and rejoice.”

Aseneth tries to ascertain the heavenly man’s name

11 (12) And when the man had finished speaking these words, Aseneth rejoiced exceedingly with great joy about all these words and fell down at his feet and prostrated himself face down to the ground before him, and said to him, 12 (13) “Blessed be the Lord your God the Most High who sent you out to rescue me from the darkness and to bring me up from the foundations of the abyss, and blessed be your name forever. 12x What is your name, Lord; tell me in order that I may praise and glorify you for ever (and) ever.”

And the man said to her, “Why do you seek this, my name, Aseneth? My name is in the heavens in the book of the Most High, written by the finger of God in the beginning of the book before all (the others), because I am chief of the house of the Most High. And all names written in the book of the Most High are unspeakable, and man is not allowed to pronounce nor hear them in this world, because those names are exceedingly great and wonderful and laudable.”

799 words
Reading 8

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note that the identity of the Man from Heaven is somewhat difficult in this passage, primarily because of the statement that Repentance is his sister. This portion, I think, is connecting the Man from Heaven to other elements of the Old Testament which reveal the Word and Son of God prior to His Incarnation, especially to Proverbs 8:22 (The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old) and Psalm 40:7-8 (Then I said, “Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me”). In both of these we see indicated beforehand the Son of God, the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, revealed in advance of His Incarnation in shadows and metaphors. Repentance may indeed be the sister of Wisdom in a metaphorical frame, but Wisdom in the Scriptures is more than merely a metaphorical personification of wisdom, but is a revelation of the Logos and Word of God Himself, in fact uncreated, and He calls all of us to repentance, that we may abide in and with Him for eternity. With the statement that Aseneth is now become a City of Refuge, we are clearly moving into a metaphorical frame, and her role as a type of the Church is becoming more clear.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Acts 7:23-43 (Stephen’s Speech Part 2)

Last time, we saw Stephen begin to speak to the Sanhedrin, answering the accusation that he was preaching an end or a change to the things established by Moses, and to the worship of God at the Temple in Jerusalem. In his answer, he began with Abraham, and proceeded to talk about Isaac and Jacob, and Joseph’s time in Egypt, and the sojourn of the whole house of Israel in Egypt, where they were eventually enslaved, until Moses was born and brought into the house of Pharaoh. We left off there last time; this time, we will see Stephen continue with the life of Moses, and the response of the Israelites to his leadership.

Stephen’s Speech Part 2

23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his relatives, the Israelites. 24 When he saw one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his kinsfolk would understand that God through him was rescuing them, but they did not understand. 26 The next day he came to some of them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong each other?’ 27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When he heard this, Moses fled and became a resident alien in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons.

30 “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.’

35 “It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up a prophet for you from your own people as he raised me up.’ 38 He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living oracles to give to us.

39 Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us who will lead the way for us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ 41 At that time they made a calf, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away from them and handed them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

‘Did you offer to me slain victims and sacrifices
forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 No; you took along the tent of Moloch,
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship;
so I will remove you beyond Babylon.’

Reading 12 – 568 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that the point of Stephen’s response is becoming clearer. The Sanhedrin is laying claim to Moses, but in fact the Israelites had never been truly obedient to Moses, but had complained and rebelled against him time and again. The comparison that the Lord provided in the parable of the vineyard, in which those placed in charge of the vineyard consistently rejected the messengers sent by the landlord, until they finally even killed the Son whom the landlord sent to them, is clearly on Stephen’s mind; he will reach his conclusion next time.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 46:1-34; 47:1-12 (Jacob Brings his Family to Egypt)

Last time we saw Joseph reveal himself to his brothers, assuring them that they should not be afraid or overwhelmed by guilt, because even though they had intended evil against him long before, God had used it for good, bringing Joseph into Egypt and elevating him so that through his wisdom all Egypt and many others, including the entire household of Jacob, might be preserved through the famine. He sent his brothers back to bring Jacob and his entire household back to Egypt, and Jacob, who had been almost as good as dead for all the years since he lost Joseph, effectively came back to life, and joyfully prepared to leave Canaan and go to Egypt. This time, we will see what follows.

Jacob Brings His Whole Family to Egypt

46 So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here am I.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

5 Then Jacob set out from Beer-sheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They also took their cattle and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, 7 his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters; all his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

8 Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons.

Reuben – 4 sons; Simeon – 6 sons; Levi – 3 sons; Judah – 3 sons + 2 grandsons; Issachar – 4 sons; Zebulun; 3 sons; Jacob’s daughter Dinah – no children; Gad – 7 sons; Asher – 4 sons, 1 daughter + 2 grandsons; Joseph – 2 sons; Benjamin; 10 sons; Dan – 1 son; Naphtali – 4 sons.

26 All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own offspring, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all; 27 and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, that came into Egypt, were seventy.

Jacob Settles in Goshen

28 He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to appear before him in Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Then Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”

31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me; 32 and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you, and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

47 So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; they are now in the land of Goshen.” 2 And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.”

4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land; for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan; and now, we pray you, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen; and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my cattle.”

7 Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.”

10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Ram′eses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

Reading 10 – 860 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out how important it is that God speaks to Jacob as he leaves the Promised Land, and blessed his departure, and assures Jacob that He will bring his descendants back again. It has been a theme throughout the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that they are not supposed to leave the land which God has promised to them, even though they have been living as strangers and sojourners there. This has been a life of trust in and dependence upon God to protect and preserve them, and going down to Egypt has previously been the way in which they expressed doubt. This time, however, God is calling them to go to Egypt, escaping the famine and leaving Canaan to its own devices until their evil reaches its apex, at which time God will bring them back again to take possession.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Joseph and Aseneth – 7

Last time, we saw Aseneth turn away from despair and toward prayer and hope, confessing her sins, her bereavement and helplessness, and entrusting herself entirely to the Lord and His mercy. She will continue this prayer in today’s selection, and then we shall see what sort of answer she receives.

James H. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and the New Testament: Expansions of the “Old Testament” and Legends, Wisdom, and Philosophical Literature, Prayers, Psalms and Odes, Fragments of Lost Judeo-Hellenistic Works, vol. 2 (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1985), 202–238.

Aseneth’s Prayer Continued

13 1 Be mindful, Lord, of my humiliation
and have mercy upon me.
(1) Look at my orphanage
and have compassion on the afflicted.
For behold, I fled from everything
and took refuge in you, Lord, the only friend to men.
2 Behold, I left behind all the good (things) of the earth
and took refuge in you, Lord,
in this sackcloth and ashes,
naked and an orphan and left all alone.

3 (2) Behold, I put off my linen royal robe, interwoven with violet and gold,
and dressed in a black mourning tunic.
4 (3) Behold, I loosened my golden girdle and threw it off me
and girded a rope and sackcloth around myself.
5 (4) Behold, my tiara and my diadem I threw off my head,
and have sprinkled ashes (upon it).
6 (5) Behold, the floor of my chamber, paved with colored and purple stones,
which once used to be besprinkled with perfumes
and wiped with bright linen cloths,
is now besprinkled with my tears
and was profaned having been powdered with ashes.
7 (6) Behold, my Lord, from my tears and the ashes
much mud has been formed in my chamber,
as on a broad street.

8 (7) Behold, Lord, my royal dinner and the cereals
I gave to the strange dogs.
9 (8) And behold, seven days and seven nights I was fasting
and ate no bread and drank no water,
and my mouth has become dry as a drum,
and my tongue as a horn,
and my lips as a potsherd,
and my face has fallen,
and my eyes are burning in shame from my many tears,
and my entire strength has left (me).
11 Behold now, all the gods whom I once used to worship in ignorance:
I have now recognized that they were dumb and dead idols,
and I have caused them to be trampled underfoot by men,
and the thieves snatched those that were of silver and gold.

12 And with you I have taken refuge, O Lord my God.
Yet you, rescue me from my many deeds of ignorance
13 and pardon me,
(9) because I have sinned against you in ignorance,
being a virgin,
and have fallen in error unwittingly,
and spoken blasphemous (words) against my lord Joseph,
(10) because I did not know, the miserable (one that I am),
that he is your son,
as people told me
that Joseph is the shepherd’s son from the land of Canaan.
And I, the miserable one, have come to believe them
and fall into error.
And I have despised him
and spoken wicked (words) about him,
and did not know that he is your son.

14 (11) For who among men will give birth to such beauty
and such great wisdom and virtue and power,
as (owned by) the all-beautiful Joseph?
15 Lord, I commit him to you,
because I love him beyond my (own) soul.
(12) Preserve him in the wisdom of your grace.
And you, Lord, commit me to him for a maidservant and slave.
And I will make his bed
and wash his feet
and wait on him
and be a slave for him and serve him for ever (and) ever.

B. ASENETH’S ACCEPTANCE

A man descends from heaven, introduces himself as chief of the angels, and orders Aseneth to dress again

14 1 (1) And when Aseneth had ceased making confession to the Lord, behold, the morning (2) star rose out of heaven in the east. And Aseneth saw it and rejoiced and said, ´“So the Lord God listened to my prayer, because this star rose as a messenger and herald of the light of the great day.” 2 (3) And Aseneth kept looking, and behold, close to the morning star, the heaven was torn apart and great and unutterable light appeared. 3 (4) And Aseneth saw (it) and fell on (her) face on the ashes.

And a man came to her from heaven and stood by Aseneth’s head. 4 And he called her and said, “Aseneth, Aseneth.” 5 (5) And she said, “Who is he that calls me, because the door of my chamber is closed, and the tower is high, and how then did he come into my chamber?” 6 (6) And the man called her a second time and said, “Aseneth, Aseneth.” 7 And she said, “Behold, (here) I (am), Lord. Who are you, tell me.” 8 (7) And the man said, “I am the chief of the house of the Lord and commander of the whole host of the Most High. Rise and stand on your feet, and I will tell you what I have to say.”

9 (8) And Aseneth raised her head and saw, and behold, (there was) a man in every respect (9) similar to Joseph, by the robe and the crown and the royal staff, except that his face was like lightning, and his eyes like sunshine, and the hairs of his head like a flame of fire of a burning torch, and hands and feet like iron shining forth from a fire, and sparks shot forth from his hands and feet. 10 (10) And Aseneth saw (it) and fell on her face at his feet on the do ground. And Aseneth was filled with great fear, and all of her limbs trembled.

11 (11) And the man said to her, “Courage, and do not be afraid, but rise and stand on your feet, and I will tell you what I have to say.” 12 (12) And Aseneth rose and stood on her feet. And the man said to her, “Proceed unhindered into your second chamber and put off your black tunic of mourning, and the sackcloth put off your waist, and shake off those ashes from your head, (13) and wash your face and your hands with living water, and dress in a new linen robe (as yet) untouched and distinguished and gird your waist (with) the new twin girdle of your virginity. 13 (14) And come (back) to me, and I will tell you what I have to say.”

14 (15) And Aseneth hurried and went into her second chamber where the chests (containing) her ornaments were, and opened her coffer, and took a new linen robe, distinguished (and (16) as yet) untouched, and undressed the black tunic of mourning and put off the sackcloth from her waist, and dressed in her distinguished (and as yet) untouched linen robe, and girded herself with the twin girdle of her virginity, one girdle around her waist, and another girdle upon her breast. 15 (17) And she shook off the ashes from her head, and washed her hands and her face with living water. And she took an (as yet) untouched and distinguished linen veil and covered her head.

1130 words
Reading 7

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note how Asenath recounts in this prayer everything that she’s said before, but now it is redirected in humility and hope toward the Lord. She sums up the essence of her prayer and repentance early on, when she says “Behold, I left behind all the good (things) of the earth and took refuge in you, Lord, in this sackcloth and ashes, naked and an orphan and left all alone.” This complete turning away from the world towards the Lord is the definition of repentance, and then, of course, we see the response, in which one who seems to be depicted either as a great one among the angels, or even as the Lord Himself, comes to her, and commands her to put off her raiment of grief and wash herself. This is not the end, of course, but it, and the visit of this Man from Heaven in itself, are signs that her repentance is accepted. We will see next week what follows.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Acts 7:1-22 (Stephen’s Speech Part 1)

Last time we the seven Deacons selected to help with the practical ministry of the Church, and then saw Stephen confound his opponents in argument, so that they brought false witnesses against him and raised a mob, and in the commotion he was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. They brought false charges against him there, specifically that: “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” This time, we will see him answer these charges with a lengthy summary of the entire history of the children of Abraham.

Stephen’s Speech to the Council

7 Then the high priest asked him, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen replied:

“Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living. 5 He did not give him any of it as a heritage, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as his possession and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child.

6 And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and mistreat them during four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 Then he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

9 “The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and enabled him to win favor and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering, and our ancestors could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on their first visit.

13 On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five in all; 15 so Jacob went down to Egypt. He himself died there as well as our ancestors, 16 and their bodies were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 “But as the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased and multiplied 18 until another king who had not known Joseph ruled over Egypt. 19 He dealt craftily with our race and forced our ancestors to abandon their infants so that they would die. 20 At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful before God. For three months he was brought up in his father’s house; 21 and when he was abandoned, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.

Reading 11 – 530 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that in this reading, we see only the beginning of Stephen’s lengthy speech, but that, at first glance, it doesn’t seem particularly relevant to the accusations against him, that he is speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and urging the abandonment of the Torah received from Moses. However, in going back to Abraham, he is reminding the Sanhedrin that their relationship with God goes back further than Moses, and thus asserting to them that neither the Temple or Jerusalem are essential to the right relationship with God, and thus that they may be mis-used, and that God will judge. We will be reading this speech for two more weeks; next week, we will see how he goes on, and the following week how he concludes, and how they respond.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 45:1-28 (Joseph Reveals Himself to his Brothers)

Last time, we saw Joseph plant his silver cup in Benjamin’s bag, as well as placing all the money that his brother’s had paid for the grain in their respective bags, and then send them on their way home. Once they were on the road, he sent his steward after them, accusing them of theft, and they promised that if his cup was found, the one who had it should die, and the rest of them should be slaves. The steward refused this offer, and said that only the one with whom it was found would be a slave, and the rest of them could return home in peace. When the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag, however, they all immediately tore their clothes and returned to Egypt, to Joseph’s house. Once there, he again offered to let them leave, but instead Judah stood up, told once more the story of how much their father loved Benjamin, and begged Joseph to take him in Benjamin’s place, so that their father would not die of grief. We noted that this exhibited profound repentance by Judah…this time, we will finally see Joseph reveal himself to his brothers.

Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers

45 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, “Make every one go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, I pray you.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

9 “Make haste and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry; 10 you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have; 11 and there I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come; lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty.’”

12 “And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Make haste and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan; 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 Command them also, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Give no thought to your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

21 The sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave festal garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five festal garments. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten asses loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”

25 So they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart fainted, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived; 28 and Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive; I will go and see him before I die.”

Reading 9 – 747 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note how thoroughly Joseph has laid aside any resentment against his brothers; as he sees their true and genuine (and unforced) repentance, he cannot conceal himself from them any longer, and has no reason to either. So he reveals himself, promises them only good things, expresses his love and forgiveness, tells them not to be afraid, and that even in their sin they have been instruments of God for the salvation of all their family, and indeed of all the world. Considering what he has experienced at their hands, it is truly and absolutely remarkable, but we should be very clear that there have been two stages to this. In the first, he has set aside a desire for revenge, and contrived a way for them to go their way in peace, if they are as they were when he was young…he has not forced a reconciliation, but has chosen to do good to them regardless, without revealing himself to them. In the second, however, once he has tested them and found that they are changed, that the fruits of repentance are evident in them, then he reveals himself to them and reconciles himself with them. So the story of Joseph is a good guide for what actual forgiveness looks like.)  

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Joseph and Asenath – 6

Last time we saw Aseneth rid herself of all her finery, of the idols of her former gods, and of the rich food that had been dedicated to them. She clothed herself in mourning clothes, and then (quite dramatically) humbled and humiliated herself, putting a belt of sackcloth around her waist and pouring ashes upon her head. She fasted for seven days, weeping for her sins and errors, and then she began to speak to herself about how, having forsaken the gods and the wealth of her parents and her people, she was now effectively an orphan and an outcast. In that state of bereavement and helplessness, she remembered that the God of Joseph was known to be merciful and loving to those who turn to Him, and she decided to pray to Him. This time, we will see her confirm this intention and begin to pray.

James H. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and the New Testament: Expansions of the “Old Testament” and Legends, Wisdom, and Philosophical Literature, Prayers, Psalms and Odes, Fragments of Lost Judeo-Hellenistic Works, vol. 2 (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1985), 202–238.

Aseneth’s second soliloquy on how to take courage to pronounce God’s name

15 And Aseneth rose from the wall where she was sitting and turned to the window looking east and straightened up on her knees and spread her hands out toward heaven. And she was afraid to open her mouth and to name the name of God. And she turned again away to the wall and sat and struck her head and her breast with (her) hand often, and said in her heart without opening her mouth:

16 (What) a wretched (woman) I (am), and an orphan and desolate,
my mouth is defiled from the sacrifices of the idols
and from the blessings of the gods of the Egyptians,
17 And now, in these tears of mine and the ashes strewn around and the filth of my humiliation,
how shall I open my mouth to the Most High,
and how name his terrible holy name,
(and be sure) that the Lord will not be angry with me,
because in (the midst of) my lawless deeds I have called on his holy name?

18 What shall I now do, wretched (that) I (am)?
I will rather take courage and open my mouth to him
and invoke his name.
And if in fury the Lord strikes me
he himself will again heal me;
and if he chastises me with his whips,
he himself will look again on me in his mercy;
and if he is furious at me in my sins,
he will again be reconciled with me and forgive me every sin.
So I will take courage to open my mouth to him.

Aseneth’s confession of sin and prayer for acceptance

19 And Aseneth rose again from the wall where she sat and straightened up on her knees (12:1) and spread her hand eastward and looked with her eyes up toward heaven, and opened her mouth to God, and said:

12 1 (2) Lord God of the ages,
who created all (things) and gave life (to them),
who gave breath of life to your whole creation,
who brought the invisible (things) out into the light,
2 who made the (things that) are and the (ones that) have an appearance from the non-appearing and non-being,
(3) who lifted up the heaven
and founded it on a firmament upon the back of the winds,
who founded the earth upon the waters,
who put big stones on the abyss of the water,
and the stones will not be submerged,
but they are like oak leaves (floating) on top of the water,
and they are living stones
and hear your voice, Lord,
and keep your commandments which you have commanded to them,
and never transgress your ordinances,
but are doing your will to the end.

For you, Lord, spoke and they were brought to life,
because your word, Lord, is life for all your creatures.
3 With you I take refuge, Lord,
(4) and to you I will shout, Lord,
to you I will pour out my supplication,
to you I will confess my sins,
and to you I will reveal my lawless deeds.
4 Spare me, Lord,
(5) because I have sinned much before you,
I have committed lawlessness and irreverence,
and have said wicked and unspeakable (things) before you.
5 My mouth is defiled from the sacrifices of the idols
and from the tables of the gods of the Egyptians.
(6) I have sinned, Lord,
before you I have sinned much in ignorance,
and have worshiped dead and dumb idols.
And now I am not worthy to open my mouth to you, Lord.

(7) And I, Aseneth, daughter of Pentephres the priest,
the virgin and queen,
who (was) once proud and arrogant,
and prospering in my riches beyond all people,
am now an orphan, and desolate, and abandoned by all people.
6 With you I take refuge, Lord,
and to you I bring my supplication,
and to you I will shout.
7 Rescue me before I am caught by my persecutors.
8 For (just) as a little child who is afraid flees to his father,
(8) and the father, stretching out his hands, snatches him off the ground,
and puts his arms around him by his breast,
and the child clasps his hands around his father’s neck,
and regains his breath after his fear,
and rests at his father’s breast,
the father, however, smiles at the confusion of his childish mind,
likewise you too. Lord, stretch out your hands upon me as a child-loving father,
and snatch me off the earth.

9 (9) For behold, the wild old lion persecutes me,
because he is (the) father of the gods of the Egyptians,
and his children are the gods of the idol maniacs.
And I have come to hate them,
because they are the lion’s children,
and have thrown all of them from me and destroyed them.
10 And the lion their father furiously persecutes me,
11 (10) but you, Lord, rescue me from his hands,
and from his mouth deliver me,
lest he carry me off like a lion,
and tear me up
and throw me into the flame of the fire,
and the fire will throw me into the hurricane,
and the hurricane (will) wrap me up in darkness
and throw me out into the deep of the sea,
and the big sea monster who (exists) since eternity will swallow me,
and I will be destroyed for ever (and) ever.

12 (11) Rescue me, Lord,
before all this comes upon me.
Rescue me, Lord,
the desolate and solitary,
because my father and my mother disowned me and said,
“Aseneth is not our daughter,”
because I have destroyed and ground (to pieces) their gods,
and have come to hate them.
13 And I am now an orphan and desolate,
and I have no other hope save in you, Lord,
and no other refuge except your mercy, Lord,
because you are the father of the orphans,
and a protector of the persecuted
and a helper of the afflicted.

14 Have mercy upon me, Lord,
and guard me, a virgin (who is) abandoned and an orphan,
because you, Lord, are a sweet and good and gentle father.
15 What father is as sweet as you, Lord,
and who (is) as quick in mercy as you, Lord,
and who (is as) long-suffering toward our sins as you, Lord?
(12) For behold, all the gifts of my father Pentephres,
which he gave me as an inheritance, are transient and obscure;
but the gifts of your inheritance, Lord, are incorruptible and eternal.

1096 words
Reading 6

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note how Aseneth began the passage determined to ask the Lord for mercy, and then turned back briefly in despair before pressing on with her decision. We see in this a reality that often comes to us when we undertake to repent, that we believe (or perhaps are tempted to believe) that God will not accept our prayer, and therefore we turn away from it. Aseneth’s conclusion is the correct one, however; she says that even if God does not receive her prayer, she will still cast herself upon His mercy and love, and confesses that even if He does reject and punish her, that He will be merciful to her after. This is what trust in God looks like, even in the face of demonic temptation and lies; even if God were to reject us, as they assure us that He will, we should still turn to Him, because He is always merciful, even after correcting us. Whatever He brings upon us, we cleave to Him, for with Him alone is life and light and salvation.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Acts 6:1-15 (Seven Chosen to Serve; Stephen Arrested)

Last time we saw the Apostles before the Sanhedrin, and saw Gamaliel urge the council to take a “wait and see” approach, since if the movement and teaching of the Apostles was not from God, all experience from the past gave them every assurance that their movement would wither to nothing. Conversely, he said, if it was indeed from God, then nothing they could do would have any chance of succeeding. They took his advice (more or less), but nonetheless they had the Apostles flogged and whipped, and ordered them not to preach any longer; the Apostles left there rejoicing that they were found worthy to suffer for the name of the Lord, and continued to preach without any pause. This time, we will see what happens as the Church continues to grow.

Seven Chosen to Serve

6 Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. 2 And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.”

5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

The Arrest of Stephen

8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”

12 They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. 13 They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” 15 And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Reading 10 – 379 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out how things have developed, that on the one hand, the religious leaders themselves have held to their intent to wait and see what happens with the Apostles and those who follow Jesus Christ, and even many of the priests (if not the high priests) are receiving the Gospel. On the other hand, however, we see Stephen, one of those seven selected to assist the Apostles in the care for the people, engaged in a dispute with what are effectively a group of students, and refuting every argument they make; in anger, they find people willing to accuse him of blasphemy, and this leads the Sanhedrin to arrest him and bring him in for trial.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?