Friday, August 20, 2004
The Holy Prophet Samuel
Kellia: Joshua 6:1-7, 14-21 Epistle: 2 Corinthians 7:10-16 Gospel: St. Mark 2:18-22
Joshua 6:1-7, 14-21, especially vs. 17: "And the city and all
that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction; only Rahab the harlot and all who
are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers that we sent." The total
obliteration of the Canaanite city of Jericho, called for by the Lord and carried out by the army of
Israel, brings to mind instances of the total devastation wreaked against certain cities during
World War II - the fire bombing of Dresden, several carpet or obliteration bombings aimed at
various German industrial centers, and above all, the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Total war is not a new concept. Centuries before the destruction of
Jericho, the Lord had foretold the doom of "the city and all that is within it" when He explained
to Abram that "the iniquity of the Amorites [was] not yet full" (Gen. 15:16).
What the reader should understand about the destruction of Jericho is that it was the fulfillment
of a Divine curse against prolonged, unrepentant wickedness. The God of Love gave Jericho to
Israel as a pure gift (Josh. 6:2). The penalty meted out against the city and its people was
awesome, but God was teaching an invariable truth: stubborn opponents of God may become
"devoted" to Him, set aside for utter annihilation.
If one studies the Divine Law given through Moses, he discovers the irrevocable nature of a
Divine decision to destroy a wicked person or community: "...no devoted offering that a man may
devote to the LORD of all that he has, both man and beast, or the field of his possession, shall be
sold or redeemed; every devoted offering is most holy to the LORD. No person under the ban
[that is, devoted for total annihilation], who is doomed to destruction...shall be redeemed, but
shall surely be put to death" (Lev. 27:28-29). The phrase "under the ban" (Lev. 27:29) is the
same word found in the previous verse (in Hebrew, "herem," and in the Septuagint, "anathema"),
because once a person or thing is devoted to God, it is forever consecrated to Him and banned or
anathema for any human use thereafter. Note that "Rahab the harlot and all who [were] with her
in her house" (vs. 17) were excluded from Jericho's inhabitants - to become Israelites.
This aspect of total surrender of all claim over what is devoted to God should be considered
prayerfully by every Orthodox Christian. When one gives some thing of value to the Church, he
surrenders all claim over it - for instance, what is put in the tray, one's tithes and offerings, or
special gifts. There can be no thought of taking back, although a parish, through its officers, may
for good reason give back some item later in time, say when it is replaced or supplanted. Donors
who make large pledges have no more purchase on a parish's decisions than do its small donors.
What is given to the Lord is holy to Him, it is "herem" or "anathema" to God to apply demands
using sway through what once was given. All claim is surrendered.
In today's reading there is an explicit warning against the temptation to consider any of the things
in Jericho as spoils of war, available for the taking: "keep yourselves from the things devoted to
destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the
camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it" (Josh. 6:18). In this connection,
let us ponder on the Lord Jesus' giving Himself to destruction on the Cross. He was not
constrained by human agency to suffer the humiliation of Crucifixion. Rather, He determined in
the Mystery of salvation, "ordained before the ages for our glory" (1 Cor 2:7), to trample down
death by His death and to bestow life upon all destined by sin for the grave.
Glory to Thee, O Lord, Who didst freely give Thyself unto Death, and, having descended into
Hell by Thy Cross, hast made a way for all flesh through the Resurrection from the dead!
