"In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy." (Joel 2:28-29a NRSV)
And there is the troubling phrase: "Even upon my slaves...." So troubling, in fact, that most modern versions render the word as "servants."
Well, which is it, servants or slaves?
Neither. We don't actually have a word in modern English that directly corresponds to the original language in that passage. The closest we can come is "Bondservant," a person who intentionally attaches themselves to a master (sort of an indentured servant). But even that isn't exactly right.
So, then, what is it like?
More like Batman and Don Quixote* and Stephen King's "Gunslinger" Roland Deschain ... Knights, that is. Though, of course, fictional Knights, they are versions of something that harks back to a time when actual knights swore an "Oath of Fealty" to their King. They went on quests, did as the King asked, and were easily identified as representatives of their King. They pledged to never do anything that reflected badly on the King, and to always do the right. In other words, knights committed themselves to serve their kings, faithfully.
Which brings us back to Israel.
At the time God gave the Law to the Israelites, there were many practices in the world that we would find repellant. As with many of these, God's requirements relative to slavery were intended to begin the process of shaping the fledgling nation in the right direction, to mitigate the worst aspects of the practice within Israel, not eliminate it from the world. "An eye for an eye" was a significant improvement over "a death for an eye."
As part of this, God gave special instructions about slaves who were also Jews. God required that Jews be released from slavery after six years, regardless of the reasons they became slaves. No Jew was enslaved to another Jew for life.
With one exception.
A Jew could elect to refuse release at the end of six years. To make this happen, he or she had to state before community leaders, "I will not go out free." At this, the master would pierce the slave's ear as a sign the person had elected to be permanently in the master's service. It was this kind of so-called "slave" being referenced by God in Joel's prophecy; men and women who had committed themselves to lifetime service to the Lord.
If you are one of these whose "oath of fealty" is to God, someone on whom the Spirit has been poured out, scripture says you "shall" prophesy. You, then, must not wait. You must not withhold God's word.
Peter and the eleven spoke as they were moved by the Spirit. What is stopping you?
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Day of Pentecost (May 15, 2016)
First reading
Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9
Psalm
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Second reading
Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21
Gospel
John 14:8-17, (25-27)
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* Why not take a break and listen to a song that captures this state of commitment so perfectly? There are many versions of "The Impossible Dream" on YouTube. Here is a link to one of my favorites: Jim Nabors (as Gomer Pyle) sings it in his true voice. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r5KeGccP9Jk&autoplay=1)
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This is the time of year we celebrate Pentecost, the launching of the church in Jerusalem. We would love it if you could join our group of believers at Lectionary Breakfast on Friday morning. We read the scripture and the Spirit instructs us. The hour starts at 8:00 and includes a meal, the Bible, and an enjoyable time together. We still meet at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant.
Enjoy the week!
Steve
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