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Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted Isa 53:4 |
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Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Sunday, July 13, 2025
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Tobit’s Ups and Downs in Assyria BibleVerse:Tobit 1:9-22 "But then we were captured, and most of us ate the food sacrificed to Assyrian idols; but I refused, and God rewarded me for my faith by making me an official of the king, a purchasing agent. He sent me to Media at time, to buy goods, and I was able to set aside some money (which was left with my kinsman Gabael in Media.) This is how I was able to give bread to the hungry and clothing those in need. But the king died and was succeeded by Sennacherib. He did not keep the roads to Media safe and my income was cut off. But worse, the wars he fought went against him, as foreseen by the prophets, and he killed many Jews out of anger. He threw their bodies outside the walls. I would sneak out and bury them in secret; but Sennacherib caught onto me — a turncoat informed on me — and I had to go into hiding, for my life was forfeit. Thus I lost all that I had in Nineveh, and although Anna and Tobiah were safe, we were separated. Then my fortunes turned again. Sennacharib was assassinated by his own sons. The new king, Esarhaddon, appointed my nephew as to oversee all the accounts, a very high position; and he secured my return to my home, with my wife and child." Message:
By this late date in the Northern Kingdom's history, no doubt a great number of the dietary laws had been forgotten; but Tobit’s grandmother had taught him the most important one; as idolatry was the great sin of Israel, so eating food sacrificed to idols must be thought the greatest of dietary taboos. He does not speak of what this would have cost him, but at least until he gains some income, this must have meant going hungry much of the time.
Sennacherib, while as wicked and bloody as many Eastern potentates, was a powerful military leader and Tobit was unlucky that he ran afoul of one of the king's few defeats, and that it was in Judea. He came back filled with hatred for the Jews.
There is no motive given for Sennacherib’s disgraceful habit of murdering Jews and throwing their bodies over the walls, to be eaten by wild animals and rot; burial was the custom of the Assyrians and a bounden duty of the Jews. To leave Jewish bodies exposed was an offense against God. Remember, in this regard, how anxious the Jews were to get Jesus into a tomb before sunset.
We begin to understand the flavor of Tobit in this passage. It is a very contemporary-sounding autobiography from, what, 2500 years ago! In ways, it reminds me of Moby Dick; it is very much a personal adventure.
Tobit is the only truly “first-person” narrative in the Bible. Parts of Acts use the plural first-person, but still, they do not concentrate on Luke’s experience, but rather describe Paul’s experiences as witnessed by Luke. (And Revelation is first-person in form, but not in intent. Also, perhaps, some Old Testament prophecy.)
Meditation : Prayer : Lord, in utter humility I thank you and glorify you, that you might hear the prayer of one so small as myself, amidst the billions of souls among billions of stars in one of billions of galaxies in your universe. Let me go forth in your peace, keeping your Spirit always in my mind; and bless me, I pray, that I might always follow your will and live in the radiance of your blessing. Amen. |
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