This is another special episode as we are going to read three different passages. Different, and yet they fit nicely together. Somehow these passages form a beautiful reminder that God is in our midst and is for us: the oppressed, the minority, and the marginalized.
This episode highlights:
- Who God is in on the side of
- How the clobber passages are always twisted and used against queer folks. If you want to read about it, you can check it at queertheology.com/apologetics
- The importance of knowing the context of the passage, who it was written for, in what circumstance it was written
- Bible and politics
We are already halfway through the Bible course on How to Read the Bible, and we will be doing this again (as it had been so much fun and eye-opening) sometime next year. To keep posted, join the waitlist at queertheology.com/biblecourse.
Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16
Living in the Most High's shelter,
camping in the Almighty's shade,
I say to the Lord, "You are my refuge, my stronghold!
You are my God—the one I trust!"
God will save you from the hunter's trap
and from deadly sickness.
God will protect you with his pinions;
you'll find refuge under his wings.
His faithfulness is a protective shield.
Don't be afraid of terrors at night,
arrows that fly in daylight,
or sickness that prowls in the dark,
destruction that ravages at noontime.
God says, "Because you are devoted to me,
I'll rescue you.
I'll protect you because you know my name.
Whenever you cry out to me, I'll answer.
I'll be with you in troubling times.
I'll save you and glorify you.
I'll fill you full with old age.
I'll show you my salvation."
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Doom to those resting comfortably in Zion
and those trusting in Mount Samaria,
the chiefs of the nations,
to whom the house of Israel comes!
who lie on beds of ivory,
stretch out on their couches,
eat lambs from the flock,
and bull calves from the stall;
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
and, like David, compose tunes on musical instruments;
who drink bowls of wine,
put the best of oils on themselves,
but who aren't grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
Therefore, they will now be the first to be taken away,
and the feast of those who lounged at the table will pass away.
Psalm 146
Praise the Lord!
Let my whole being praise the Lord!
I will praise the Lord with all my life;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
Don't trust leaders;
don't trust any human beings—
there's no saving help with them!
Their breath leaves them,
then they go back to the ground.
On that very same day, their plans die too.
The person whose help is the God of Jacob—
the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God—
is truly happy!
God: the maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
God: who is faithful forever,
who gives justice to people who are oppressed,
who gives bread to people who are starving!
The Lord: who frees prisoners.
The Lord: who makes the blind see.
The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low.
The Lord: who loves the righteous.
The Lord: who protects immigrants,
who helps orphans and widows,
but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!
The Lord will rule forever!
Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!
Praise the Lord!
