Saturday, August 21, 2004
The Holy Apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy
Kellia: Joshua 6:21-25 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5 Gospel: St. Mark 3:13-21
Joshua 6:21-25, especially vss. 21, 22, 23, 24: "Then
[Israel] utterly destroyed all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and
asses, with the edge of the sword. And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land,
'Go into the harlot's house, and bring out from it the woman, and all who belong to her, as you
swore to her.' And they burned the city with fire...." The English word, "holocaust" derives
from Greek, 'kaustos," meaning, "burnt," with the prefix, "holo-" meaning, "wholly." The word
in both languages refers to sacrifices offered totally, consumed either by fire or sword. By
extension holocaust also refers to all total annihilations, as in the Ukrainian Holocaust, when
fifteen million Ukrainian citizens were starved to death or murdered during the winter of 1933-1934 as part of a Soviet drive to collectivize farming in Ukraine.
As today's reading reports, the entire city of Jericho was devoted entirely to God through the
execution of its people and livestock and by the burning of all its buildings and furnishings. Only
precious metals were reserved for melting down and later use in the portable Tabernacle or in the
future permanent Temple, whenever such a shrine might be constructed. The exception, of
course, was the deliverance of Rahab and her household, who were brought out by the spies she
had earlier hidden from the officers of the king of Jericho and had helped to escape.
As the account in Joshua continues after today's reading, there is a report concerning a military
force sent against the city of Ai, a force that was resoundingly defeated (Josh. 7). The defeat at
Ai is a sharp contrast to the unimpeded conquest of Jericho. The plan was to take Ai and offer it
also as a holocaust. Following the Ai defeat, however, God revealed that the defeat was caused
by Achan, a man who held back a beautiful festal garment and some silver and gold from what
should have been part of the holocaust at Jericho. He had hidden these devoted things in his tent,
making the whole people of God into "a thing for destruction" (Josh. 7:12). He and his family
were stoned and their remains burned, becoming thereby a holocaust (Josh. 7:25,26). Later, Ai
was taken with no loss of life to Israel and made a holocaust to the Lord (Josh. 8:1-29). The
exception from the holocaust at Jericho would appear to be Rahab. However, it should be noted
that even Rahab was part of the "total sacrifice," or holocaust there, for by assisting the spies, she
completely severed all bonds with her former people and community and wholly sacrificed
herself and her family on behalf of Israel. Rahab, "the harlot of Jericho," died to the persona of
prostitute and citizen of Jericho. Thus she became worthy to be a lifelong dweller "in Israel to
this day" (Josh. 6:25) and an ancestor of our Lord Jesus. Observe: when Rahab and her family
were led out of Jericho they were "brought...and set...outside the camp of Israel" (vs. 23).
Following the campaign at Jericho, they all were then initiated and pledged as members of Israel
and taken "into the camp," at which point she could be married to Salmon and become the mother
of Boaz, the worthy ancestor of David and therefore of our Lord (Mt. 1:5). Let Rahab be an
example to everyone who is Baptized into Christ and has put on Christ: in "renouncing," or
"severing," all ties with "Satan, and all his angels, and all his works, and all his service, and all
his pride." By breathing and spitting upon the Devil, each Orthodox Christian is thereby
holocausted and becomes a complete sacrifice to the Lord, one worthy to be united to Him as a
"member and partaker of [His] death and resurrection." Like Rahab, each member of Christ is
cut off from his former life when initiated into the Church of the Living God.
O Lord Jesus Christ, our King and God, by Thy mercy may each of us preserve our baptismal
garment and the earnest of the Spirit undefiled unto Thy dread Day of Judgment.