LITERARY FORM - this passage forms part of an ancient religious act, an entrance into worship that includes rehearsal history, thankfulness to God, and a response to such gracious providence by God.

A WELL-PLANNED WORSHIP - How can we benefit from the structure and theology that lies within this passage?

The importance of well-planned worship and a well-structured liturgy . . . forms a continuous bridge between the generations and between the unseen world of God and the known earthly realm of home and work. Worship becomes a process of bonding in much the same way that an infant becomes bonded to its mother-through care and contact. Far from such worship’s being an optional extra, it fulfills a vital role in life. It establishes an indispensable sense of identity, relating the individual to the larger community in which life has to be lived and generating a sense of orientation and hope to the environment and its future . . . [1]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM - Do you see how it is especially appropriate after the enjoyment of food to set a spiritual meal for yourself lest the soul, after satiety of bodily food, should lose its zest and fall into some disaster and make way for the wiles of the devil, who is always looking for an opportunity and anxious to deliver us a blow at a critical moment? [2]

The Israelites are commanded to give the first fruits of their labor and their tithes as a way of remembering god’s provision throughout the4 generations. In this way, remembering becomes a spiritual discipline. Reflect on-or write out-your spiritual autobiography. How many generations does your family’s faith go back? Recount the moment when your faith became a personal matter. Tell how God has nurtured you spiritually through the years. What kind of response does your autobiography elicit from you? [3]

Please see the homily posted for this week based on this passage.

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[1] The New Interpreter’s Bible II (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998), page 482.
[2] Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture III (InterVarsity, 2001), page 288.
[3] The Spiritual Formation Bible (Zondervan, 1999), page 257.