Nahum 3, Mark 4, Psalm 126 OR 2 Maccabees 5
Three times the narrator whips up the tension of the anticipated destruction of the Jews: three times the elephants are made drunk; three times the king is so drunk he barely knows what is happening – he is “seeing pink elephants” himself! The contrast between the sober faithfulness and steadfastness of the Jews and the worldly and capricious Ptolemy is drawn further and deeper until the chapter climaxes with a scene that we can only touch on with our pictures of the bull runs in Spain, or the stampedes of the Lion King.
But as usual, all is not as it seems. From Nahum’s prophecy of destruction of the Assyrians, to Jesus’ proclamation that, “they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand,” so the theme of God’s special revelation to God’s chosen people is exemplified by the narrator of Maccabees: “For to the Gentiles it appeared that the Jews were left without any aid, because in their bonds they were forcibly confined on every side. But with tears and a voice hard to silence they all called upon the Almighty Lord and Ruler of all power, their merciful God and Father, praying that he avert with vengeance the evil plot against them and in a glorious manifestation rescue them from the fate now prepared for them. So their entreaty ascended fervently to heaven.”
When we are faced with danger, do we follow the fatalism of the Gentile world view, or do we follow the faith of our spiritual ancestors, from whose line Jesus came to instruct us that we, too, are chosen of God, and send our fervent entreaties up to heaven?
The Jews prayed; they expected deliverance; also expected death. The two are not necessarily always incompatible. What do we expect will happen next?
Epiphany's Bible Challenge 