February 3, 2019

COMMITTED TO GOD

Susanna 1:22-23

Then Susanna sighed deeply and said, “I am hemmed in on all sides, for if I do this thing, it is death for me; yet if I do not, I will not escape your hands. But it is better for me not to do it and to fall into your hands, than to sin against the Lord.”

Personal Challenge

The story of Susanna is a powerful story that is not found in the Western versions of the Bible. It was included as a preamble to the Book of Daniel, in the Septuagint, which is the Old Testament used in the version of the Bible used in the Orthodox church. Susanna was the daughter of Hilkiah and married to Jehoiakim, a very wealthy leader in the Jewish community. She was a young and beautiful woman. In the community, there were two elders in the community who were appointed as judges over the affairs of the people. They met daily at Jehoiakim's estate and listened to the cases of the people. One day after all the cases had been heard and all of the people had left, Susanna went for a walk in the gardens. These two men had stayed behind for they were infatuated with Susanna's beauty. They followed her into the garden and demanded that she have relations with them. They told her that if she did not that they would accuse her of meeting up with a young man in the garden, which was punishable by stoning. With the two of them acting as witnesses and being pillars in the community, she would surely be condemned. This is where these two verses pick up. In her love for her God, she chose to take her chances in the courts rather than to sin against Her God. Every time I read this passage I ask myself if I would be this committed to my God or take the easy way out. For the rest of the story... read Susanna. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!