⁴ Restore our fortunes again, Yahweh, like the streams in the Negev. ⁵ Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. ⁶ He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.

In verse 4, I find some similarity between the desert of Negev receiving watering to the very dry bones in Ezekiel receiving the breath of the Lord¹. These two examples,² dry desert and (very) dry bones, represent the destination of Israelites who trust in their own power (to rule themselves or stand against hostile neighbors) instead of in God ³. As a result, they fall captive to their neighbors (Babylonian captivity) and live in a desolate land of hungry people driven against each other to survive.⁴

When the streams water the dry desert of Negev, greenery returns. When the Lord restores his people, life returns. The Lord promises peace like a river,⁵ water that courses steadfastly bringing life to trees and crops alongside. When the woman at the well receives Jesus the true water, she at once returns to town and tells the people she was avoiding to Come and see this Jesus.⁶ In all, God’s restoration of his people also transforms us from sin and death; to life.

Verse 5-6 describe those who sow in tears reaping joy and harvest. Here, I think of three implications of these verses. First, we shed tears as we give up our hold over our lives, whether the sin we clung to or our own plans to glorify ourselves! We weep as we scatter seeds into the soil not knowing if they sprout and bear a harvest: in tears and with a blind faith we give up and die to our familiar lives of sin.

Second, the one who will restore us, Christ, is our sower in tears. In John 12, Jesus tells his disciples that a kernel of wheat that falls to the ground and dies produces many seeds.⁷ He, like the kernel of wheat, endures the shame of the cross hanging on a tree cursed⁸ and forsaken by God;⁹ and falls to the ground in burial. Jesus also wept in John 11, as he sees Mary and those gathered around weeping: he weeps as they do in grief for Lazarus who dies. Jesus weeps too because they still don’t see that he is the Lord of life.¹⁰ In Luke 22, before Jesus submits himself to crucifixion, he prays in anguish on the Mount of Olives. He sweat like drops of blood falling to the ground.¹¹ Jesus wept and sweat like blood; so great was his love for the world and for his father.

Finally, though sowing in tears, Jesus rises from the dead. In him we died to sin; in him we rose to life.¹² We wept when we died to our familiar sinful lives; in him we receive new life, returning with songs of joy. And if we return with songs of joy, don’t our mouths also fill with laughter; and we become like those who dream?¹³ The tears wept sowing seed He bore unto his death. But God who raises Jesus also raises us.¹⁴ One day, Jesus will wipe every tear and death shall be no more.¹⁵ He died so that he might bring forth a harvest and life for those who believe. One day the sun shines through the sheaves golden in the field. One day he and we return, singing songs of joy, carrying sheaves.

¹ When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream. ² Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “Yahweh has done great things for them.” ³ Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad. ⁴ Restore our fortunes again, Yahweh, like the streams in the Negev. ⁵ Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. ⁶ He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion” (1). The Lord restored (past tense), meaning that the Lord restored us once. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth; and saw that all he made was very good.¹ Adam sinned and brought death to the world.² And again and again, the Lord restored his obstinate people.³

“We were like those who dreamed” (1). A few other verses in the Bible mention dreaming, like Joel 2:28 (“Your old men will dream dreams”).⁴ Here, it should seem that young men, growing in strength and looking forward to their years ahead, dream. Old men with gray heads ⁵ probably reminisce or yearn for the past. When the Lord restored our fortunes, we looked ahead, our eyes full of hope, to a brightly shining future.

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy” (2). Laughter and joyful songs flowed naturally. “When the Lord restored… The Lord has done great things…”* (active tense) while “our mouths were filled…” (passive tense). God provides while we receive. His restoration produces in us a joy that overflows out of our mouths.

“Then it was said among the nations…” (2). Neighboring countries could not help but notice our joy overflowing into proclamations. In turn they praise God. “The Lord has done great things for them” (3). Our laughter and joyful songs catch the ears of all around us; and cause them to acknowledge God who does great things.

If we know the Lord, how can we choose anything other than his provision? Don’t we remember when our mouths filled with laughter and our tongues with singing? How those around watched enviously and praised the Lord! But we all like sheep have gone astray.⁶ We have trusted in our own beauty.⁷ And so we dream no longer.

To be continued…

²² Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you live among us? ²³ Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be slaves, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.” ²⁴ They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how Yahweh your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. ²⁵ Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do.” ²⁶ He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t kill them. ²⁷ That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for Yahweh’s altar to this day, in the place which he should choose.

In the passage, God has been giving the Israelites victory over the neighboring people groups.¹ While the other peoples gather to oppose them, the Gibeonites hear about these recent victories and fear for their lives. They put on worn sandals and carry moldy bread; and so, deceive the Israelites into thinking that they pose no threat and ratifying a peace treaty between both groups.²

The writer of Joshua observes in verse 14 that the Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. They trust in their eyes and ears to conclude wrongly that the Gibeonites really did represent harmless people from a distant country.³

After finding out about their error, Joshua graciously saves them from the Israelites; and makes them woodcutters and water carriers to serve at God’s altar (26-27).

I think this passage shows a picture of God’s grace. The Gibeonites expect to die and endure wrath.⁴ But Joshua shows them mercy; and gives them a humble post to worship God (27). To me this seems like another example in the Old Testament of imperfect depictions of Jesus (The prophets, Levitical priests, judges, kings all foreshadow Jesus the true priest who offers up himself, who judges, who rules as king of war and peacetime…)

Maybe relatedly, sometimes in this place I think that I resort to so-and-so dress to blend in better with people. One day I’m striding around like a union rep asking people (smiling winningly) for a thermometer to measure the building’s temperature. The other day I’m adding fuel to the fire as my tablemates lament society’s moral decay. I started off writing this post about an interesting chat between me and this fellow (pleasant but an unnerving gaze) who was about to start telling me about Christian nationalism. I wonder if I’m sinning by blending in deceptively this way (probably). Still, thanks be to God. Jesus saves!

¹¹ The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?” ¹³ Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,

¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” ¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

Jesus chooses to travel an unusual route to meet a woman¹ who is avoiding the rest of town to draw water midday²; and offers her living water.³ The woman asks him where she can get this living water (11) and Jesus tells her to go and call her husband (16).

Here’s an interesting thought. What if this woman is more of a renaissance lady: possessed of power to move from one husband to the next… As soon as one wears out his charm, she tries out the next.⁴ Maybe the woman remains fully possessed of her worldly desires!

Here, though, regardless of if she possesses her wordly desires or not, the woman faces Jesus who offers living water. This Jesus and the water he offers seem far more quenching to the physical “water” (gaining husbands) that the woman has needed to draw frequently.⁵

Also, what is she thinking when Jesus mentions the woman’s husbands? By pointing this out he is drawing to the surface her deep desire. Maybe part of her takes offense at the rudeness of another person seemingly guessing at and revealing her deep desire.

If I similarly encountered Jesus, part of me would probably want to leave offended. The presumptuousness of this man! The difficult truth! Telling me to trust that the water he offers will cause me to never thirst. But part of her sees Jesus and the water he offers for truth and water that springs up to eternal life. And she turns to him.

If we too could see our chasing after worldly desires as leading to unquenchable thirst the second we encounter Jesus. Might we see Jesus and receive him who offers water that springs up to eternal life!

¹⁶ Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. ¹⁷ Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, ¹⁸ another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.

¹⁹ Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” ²⁰ So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. ²¹ The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.

²² So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

In the passage, king Saul and son Jonathan are facing against Philistines who send out parties to raid them. However, the Israelites lack a blacksmith in their whole land so they cannot make swords or spears (vs. 19); or sharpen everyday implements like plow points (20).

At some point, the Philistines had gained control of the abilities to both make and sharpen metal tools. The Philistines’ control over these basic abilities allows them to prevent the Israelites from raising up and training a single blacksmith of their own (19). And by controlling these abilities, the Philistines cause the Israelites to need to travel to Philistine land to sharpen tools; and pay prices the Philistines set (21).

How did the Israelites bring about the conditions leading to 1 Samuel 13? I’d guess that in earlier years, Israelite tribes probably learned about how to mine, refine, produce, and sharpen iron tools; and set up a localized set of systems in each tribe.¹

In this way, each tribe could possess the means to produce armaments and infrastructure to carry out the conquests described in Joshua, Judges,² and³ Ruth.⁴

But, as Joshua and Judges describe, the Israelite tribes neglected and failed to obey God’s commands completely; and as a result, reap the consequences of their failure.

If only the Israelites had completely obeyed God; and vigilantly protected their local and decentralized iron production and sharpening system!⁵