Thought for Today
Exodus 9:18 Tomorrow at this time I will cause the heaviest hail to fall that has ever fallen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.
Psalm 105:32 He gave them hail for rain, and lightning that flashed through their land.
Matthew 5:45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
Revelation 11:19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
It must be the weekend, because it’s raining outside. For the last 500-600 weekends, we have had rain in New England (making some allowance for pastoral embellishment) Right now, however, it’s more than just rain. There are also lightning, thunder, hail and wind. Even by Houston’s standards, this is a serious storm cell overhead right now.
I have often thought that seminaries should include a course on Biblical meteorology in their curriculums. We do not often ponder the effect of climate and geography on our faith history and our theology. Yet from the beginning to the end, the Bible is rife with stories of how the geography and climate of the southern Mediterranean coast influenced the lives of individuals and nations. It is not coincidental that Genesis gives a geographic description of the location of Eden, “2:10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;” and so on.
The Patriarchal narratives are replete with stories of floods, droughts and storms. The Hebrews became slaves in Egypt because they had sought refuge there from a drought in Canaan. Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, “Judges 4:13 nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the troops who were with him” because, as Deborah and Barak sang, "Judges 5:4 LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens poured, the clouds indeed poured water. 5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.” Wheeled chariots bog down on muddy ground!
The importance of climate and geography is not restricted to the Old Testament. Jesus’ childhood and much of his ministry is located in the Galilee region and around the large freshwater lake known as the Sea of Galilee. One third of those called as disciples were fishermen. Jesus performed miracles associated with fishing and fishnets. One of our most ubiquitous phrases in English about being able to walk on water comes from the story of a boat ride on the Galilee and a sudden squall arising.
Moses encountered God and received the Ten Commandments on a mountain top. Jesus’ Transfiguration occurred on a mountain. The Garden of Gethsemane is at the foot of the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem.
It is not coincidental that in Biblical Hebrew and Greek the words for wind can also be understood as breath or spirit. Genesis 1:2 can be understood as “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (KJV) “a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” (NRS) or even “the breath of God moved over the face of the waters.” (my own translation). The same spirit/wind/breath read about in vs. 2:7 “then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being” although a slightly different form of the word is used there.
Those who smugly claim that science disproves religion do not fully understand either. The same Creator God who created Creation created all of the laws and rules of all the sciences. Creation is an ‘integrated system’ operating and functioning according to the will of its Creator. The same Creator God who gave each of us our own Advocate, the Holy Spirit. “John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”
Stay safe, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in the wind and the rain, trust God,
Pastor Ray