The complation of Book of Danial18
Thursday, August 17, 2006
“She said to her maids, “Bring me olive oil and
ointments, and shut the garden doors so that I can bathe.” They did as she told
them: they shut the doors of the garden and went out by the side doors to bring
what they had been commanded; they did not see the elders, because they were
hiding.” (17,18)
The importance of oil and ointment for women in the Old Testament was also
emphasised in Esther 2:11 011 is symbolic of faith. It also symbolizes the
power of the Holy Spirit which we acquire when we are anointed with the Holy
Chrism after baptism. Ointment is symbolic of love and God’s commandments.
The symbols here are present to assure us that our current practices in the
church have had symholic references since the Old
Testament. This is reinforced by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians
10:11.
The side doors in these verses may he symbolic of the narrow gate which Jesus
talks about in Matthew 7:13,14.
The devil does not like to make his presence known. In the Book of Genesis, we
read in Chapter 3 how he bid in the serpent in the Garden of Eden and had it
tempt Eve.
“Tbey said, “Look, the garden doors are shut, and no
one can see us. We are burning with desire for you; so give your consent and
lie with us,” (20)
The evil judges were educated and would have read the Laws of Moses. However,
they did not follow them. “You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife”
(Exodus2O:17) hut filled with wicked desires they Insted
for her. “If you refuse, we will testify against you that a young man was with
you, and this was why you sent your maids away. Susanna groaned and said, “I am
completely trapped. For if I do this, it will mean death for me; if I do not, I
can not escape your hands. “(21,22)
The confidence of the two judges in going up to Susanna and speaking to her the
way they did was not courage but false strength bestowed upon them by the
devil,
Ordeals similar to that of Susanna are common in the lives of saints where they
are ordered to defile themselves by committing an offence against God. Like
Susanna, they strongly refuse and as a result are persecuted or sentenced to
death,
“I choose not to do it; I will fall into your hands, rather than sin in the
sight of the Lord,” Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and the two
elders shouted against her.” (23,24)
