To be honest, this was a hard passage for me to read. The first section contains regulations about vows, and it includes a lot of extremely patriarchal and sexist views towards the self-determination of women. After this, there is a section where the Israelites exact revenge on the Midianites (according to the LORD's command). After that, they split the spoils. Some tribes do not want to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land because the land looks so good, and therefore, the LORD is displeased with them. Then there is a final account of the sequence of locations that the Jews passed through in their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.
In the first section on vows, a lot of the discussion is how a man can override any of his wife's vows if he hears about it. I know that this was written in a different time and culture, but to me, an institutional discrimination and patronization of women is moral reprehensible no matter how happy they are regardless. Chapter 30:5, 8, and 12 all talk about how a man can nullify his wife's or daughter's vow. It does not specify what these vows are. I would be curious to know, and if any of my readers- that's you, Tom- know what those vows are.
Chapter 31 starts with God's command to wipe out the Midianites, enemies of Israel. The Midianites seduced Israel into sexual immorality (in all its forms, presumably) and idolatry (to Baal [tne God of] of Peor, some kind of idol/false god). How do I know these fine details? Well, I look to the notes in my study Bible for these sorts of things. So, the Midianite were stealing Israel away from God and his divine love and justice. So, God commanded that they be wiped out. The Israelites killed them all except the women and children, who they took as plunder. Balaam, the guy who talked to the donkey a couple of chapters back, was killed in this attack.. Then they kill all of the male children (Num. 31:17), but keep for themselves all of the virgin girls. That bothers me.
They divy up the plunder and then head on out. As they reach the Jordan, the last and final barrier between them and the Promised Land, the Reubanites and Gadites see all of the range land and how it would be really good for their flocks and herds. So, they do not want to cross into the Promised Land because the good land is already there. They ask if they can stay there to have that land for their herds and flocks instead of having the portion of the Promised Land. Here it says that the LORD's anger was aroused. He reminded them that their forefathers did the same thing sometime ago, "...when [the LORD] sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the LORD had given them" (Num. 32:8-9). As a result, their forefathers wandered the desert for 40 years.
I think God was trying to remind the Reubanites and Gadites, in lieu of their greed and lack of faith, how horribly things went when their ancestors did the same thing. It turned out very bad. So, they finally say that they will go into the Promised Land, Canaan, with the rest of Israel, if, when the land is given to the people, they can have the land that they want. I get the sense from the context, after having just read about how bad things went the last time the Israelite tribes fared when they abandoned the LORD's providence, that history did not favour even this final act by the Reubanites and Gadites.
The next chapter is a brief synopsis of the waypoints along the journey from captivity in Egypt all the way to Canaan.Although I do not have a map, I have a feeling that much of this time was spent going around in circles or crossing over paths they had already tread. It seems like the whole thing was an object lesson that without the direction of God in our lives, we are just spinning in circles without hope. We are utterly hopeless without him.
I know that firsthand. Just think about it. I have no control over whether my heart beats. Everything I have, every beat of my heart is a gift. May I never forget that. When I realize that, I am afraid. There is no way I have any control over my heart beat. I am nothing without Him. God's overwhelming, pervasive, and unmatched power to me is as a sea storm to a leaf upon those crashing waves. This video does a better job explaining it. The most striking line, is when Chan alludes to when God says, "You want to challenge me? Why don't you stand up right now and tell everyone, 'Hey, I could live without you.'" The sheer thought of that terrifies me because I know I am nothing without him, and to lose the only hope I have through him would render this life meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Thank God for Jesus Christ.
Only 1711 pages to go!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Days 38-39: Numbers 21:1-29:40
Because I have fallen a bit behind in my readings lately, I will do a two-for-one deal on today's blog. I would normally do a blog for each reading, but today, because I am tired and had a bit of two-day-long Monday in the middle of my week, this blog will be an abbreviated version.
Chapter 21 contains an intriguing passage of Scripture where God sends venomous snakes to the Israelites to discipline them because they started to speak out against Him and Moses, growing ever impatient with God's ways and timing. The snakes were awful and the people soon learned their lesson, and they cried out to God for help. So, God told Moses to fashion a bronze snake and to put it up on a pole. "Then when anyone who was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived" (Num. 21:9). God disciplined His people, but once they turned back to Him, He provided for them relief and salvation from their affliction. I wonder why, when God said in Exodus to not fashion idols, He would use such an idol-like method of healing from the snakes.
Chapter 22 contains the story of how God used a pagan prophet, Balaam to save His people. Apparently, there was this foul tempered king named Balak, and he had it out for the Israelites, as did most kings in this time, I am learning. So, he summoned Balaam to curse Israel, but then God intervenes. God tells Balaam not to curse Israel, but to bless them. For some reason, this pagan Balaam says, "I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God." God moved in Balaam, and Balaam allowed himself to be moved.
As he was riding his donkey to go, God sent an angel with a drawn sword to prevent him from leaving. God was not impressed that Balaam would just get up and go. The angel stood in front of the donkey, and the donkey veered off course because it saw the angel, but Balaam did not see it. So, after beating the donkey without mercy three times, the donkey turns to Balaam and says, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times" (Num. 22:28). Without hesitation, Balaam talks back to his donkey... what a sight to see. The angel finally appears to Balaam, and Balaam falls face down on the ground. I would be terrified. After meeting God on the road, Balaam seems to change to become God's messenger himself to Balak.
Balak wants Balaam to curse Israel, but instead ends up blessing Israel four to seven times. I love one of the lines of his blessing. "Let me die the death of the righteous" (Num. 23:10). To rest in the place where God craves for me to be; that is what that phrase says to me. Another beautiful sort of blessing is in Numbers 24:9, "May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!" I like that for some reason. Then in Numbers 24:17, I think he pulls out a two-for-one special on prophecy. He seems to be foretelling the coming of David and Christ when he says, "A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." Cool.
After all that, Israel still turns away from God, which makes the LORD very angry. He is so angry that those who turn away from Him are killed by an unspecified plague. It says, "The LORD's anger burned against them" (Num. 25:3), and then, "... the LORD's fierce anger..." (Num. 25:4). God certainly does not seem to tolerate insolence and profanity (the opposite of the sacred). It angers Him... big time. I am learning that holiness, "set-apart-ness", and righteousness are things that God thirsts and burns for.
After the events in the desert and all their wandering around, the Israelites do a nationwide head count. That amounts to lots of passages like this, "The descendants of Asher by their clans were: through Imnah, the Imnite clan; through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan; through Beriah, the Beriite clan; and through the descendants of Beriah: through Heber, the Heberite clan; through Malkiel, the Malkielte clan. (Asher had a daughter named Serah.) These were the clans of Asher; those numbered were 53, 400." At least they were thorough!
The last cool part of this passage was the commission of Joshua. This was a monumental point in Israel's history. The leader of Israel in one of their most historically rich and meaningful times of history, and a sort of Bible favourite, the man who (as tradition holds) wrote the Pentateuch, he was finally relinquishing his place as leader of the Jews and passing it on to the next generation. Joshua was to be the next leader of Israel.
And so the story continues! I look forward to tomorrow's reading when I am finally back on track and up to date with the readings and blogs. God bless!
Only 1716 pages more to go!
Chapter 21 contains an intriguing passage of Scripture where God sends venomous snakes to the Israelites to discipline them because they started to speak out against Him and Moses, growing ever impatient with God's ways and timing. The snakes were awful and the people soon learned their lesson, and they cried out to God for help. So, God told Moses to fashion a bronze snake and to put it up on a pole. "Then when anyone who was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived" (Num. 21:9). God disciplined His people, but once they turned back to Him, He provided for them relief and salvation from their affliction. I wonder why, when God said in Exodus to not fashion idols, He would use such an idol-like method of healing from the snakes.
Chapter 22 contains the story of how God used a pagan prophet, Balaam to save His people. Apparently, there was this foul tempered king named Balak, and he had it out for the Israelites, as did most kings in this time, I am learning. So, he summoned Balaam to curse Israel, but then God intervenes. God tells Balaam not to curse Israel, but to bless them. For some reason, this pagan Balaam says, "I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God." God moved in Balaam, and Balaam allowed himself to be moved.
As he was riding his donkey to go, God sent an angel with a drawn sword to prevent him from leaving. God was not impressed that Balaam would just get up and go. The angel stood in front of the donkey, and the donkey veered off course because it saw the angel, but Balaam did not see it. So, after beating the donkey without mercy three times, the donkey turns to Balaam and says, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times" (Num. 22:28). Without hesitation, Balaam talks back to his donkey... what a sight to see. The angel finally appears to Balaam, and Balaam falls face down on the ground. I would be terrified. After meeting God on the road, Balaam seems to change to become God's messenger himself to Balak.
Balak wants Balaam to curse Israel, but instead ends up blessing Israel four to seven times. I love one of the lines of his blessing. "Let me die the death of the righteous" (Num. 23:10). To rest in the place where God craves for me to be; that is what that phrase says to me. Another beautiful sort of blessing is in Numbers 24:9, "May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!" I like that for some reason. Then in Numbers 24:17, I think he pulls out a two-for-one special on prophecy. He seems to be foretelling the coming of David and Christ when he says, "A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." Cool.
After all that, Israel still turns away from God, which makes the LORD very angry. He is so angry that those who turn away from Him are killed by an unspecified plague. It says, "The LORD's anger burned against them" (Num. 25:3), and then, "... the LORD's fierce anger..." (Num. 25:4). God certainly does not seem to tolerate insolence and profanity (the opposite of the sacred). It angers Him... big time. I am learning that holiness, "set-apart-ness", and righteousness are things that God thirsts and burns for.
After the events in the desert and all their wandering around, the Israelites do a nationwide head count. That amounts to lots of passages like this, "The descendants of Asher by their clans were: through Imnah, the Imnite clan; through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan; through Beriah, the Beriite clan; and through the descendants of Beriah: through Heber, the Heberite clan; through Malkiel, the Malkielte clan. (Asher had a daughter named Serah.) These were the clans of Asher; those numbered were 53, 400." At least they were thorough!
The last cool part of this passage was the commission of Joshua. This was a monumental point in Israel's history. The leader of Israel in one of their most historically rich and meaningful times of history, and a sort of Bible favourite, the man who (as tradition holds) wrote the Pentateuch, he was finally relinquishing his place as leader of the Jews and passing it on to the next generation. Joshua was to be the next leader of Israel.
And so the story continues! I look forward to tomorrow's reading when I am finally back on track and up to date with the readings and blogs. God bless!
Only 1716 pages more to go!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Day 37: Numbers 16:1-20:29
There was a lot of judgment in today's reading. First people are swallowed into the earth when it splits open. Then they are burned as the LORD's fire consumes them. Then, Aaron and Moses are forbidden to enter the Promised Land.
Some people get envious and suspicious of Moses because he is essentially the highest authority (short of God) in the entire nation of Israel. These people were not just village idiots. It there were these main guys (Korah, Dathan, Abriam, and On). With them were 250 of Israel's elite and well-known men. They are suspicious of the priesthood who have exclusive access to God in His purest sense. They argued that all of Israel is holy, set apart to God, and therefore everyone should be involved with and have access to God (Num. 16:3). I could sense, though, that they did not really mean everyone. They probably wanted access to God themselves, and everyone else could fend for themselves. They are ready to storm the Tabernacle, but Moses makes a wager, saying that they should bring bronze torches with incense in them, and to stand before the Tabernacle opposite Moses and Aaron and Aaron's sons. Then, they would let God decide the outcome. If God was a God of (their flawed) reason, He would side with them. Right?
Moses is scared, because he could very well be killed by either God or these angry, envious men. In 16:22, he begs God not to judge the whole nation because of these few sinful men, but God reassures him.
Well, the "elites" show up with their incense, and Moses says that whoever God chooses will live. As soon as he says that, the earth splits open and all of the households of Korah, Daman, Abriam, and On fall into the pit, torches and all, and the earth closes over them. It reminded me of how the waters swallowed up the Egyptians in the Exodus. I wonder if that parallel was intentional. Anyway, these insurrection leaders are swallowed up. I am sure that their 250 elite friends were a little afraid at this point. They sure feared the LORD in that moment, I'm sure. They were afraid they were going to fall into the pit too (16:34), but God has something more dramatic in store. He sends fire that consumes them all.
Remember those bronze torches they had? Well, they did not burn up in the fire, obviously. So, God commands the priests to collect the bronze torches, hammer them out, and make a bronze covering for the altar. This was to "remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the LORD..." (Num. 16:36-40). How's that for an object lesson? Take the symbol of their pride from around the ashes of their burned bodies, and then use it in humble worship of the God they were trying to gain self-interested access to.
I got a real sense, in reading this, that God craves righteousness. He does not want our good intentions and half-hearted attempts. He wants us completely.
.I think the camp was bickering about who should lead the Israelites, to make it perfectly clear, after the upheaval of the past few days, who was to lead the Israelites. God tells them to take the walking stick from the leader of every tribe, 12 in total, and place them with their respective names in front of the Testimony to be left overnight. Whichever one sprouted would indicate which person was to lead Israel in worship. The next day, they saw that Aaron's staff had sprouted. They took this and placed it with the tablets and the manna in the Ark. I assume that was the same staff that turned into a snake. Cool staff.
There was a cool passage in this chapter 19 about the water of cleansing, which was a mix of the ashes of a burnt offering and water. The mixture was used in the purification of sin. The water was poured over the sinner on the third and seventh days, and then they were cleansed from their sin. What a powerful symbol. You were washed clean by the death of a sacrifice. Its ground bones flowed over your skin, covering you from the wrath of God, and washing you clean from your impurity.
Chapter 20 contains another passage about water from a rock. This is a direct parallel to Exodus 17. The people complain about not having water to drink, so Moses goes to God. God tells him to speak to the rock, and it would pour out water. Moses walked in front of the people, and got upset, probably because of the all the recent events. He called them "rebels" (Num. 20:10). He struck the rock with his staff, just like he did in Exodus 17, and the water gushed out. But he had disobeyed God's commands, and he had acted out of anger. As a result, God tells Moses that he nor Aaron would enter the Promised Land (Num. 20:12). God craves holiness, righteousness, and attention to detail.
The last passage of this chapter contains the story of Aaron's death. He was to walk to the top of Mount Hor, remove his priestly garments, pass them onto his son, and them die. He did as the LORD commanded. He died in a final act of obedience. I just got a real chill of reverence as I read that passage. It seemed so surreal and holy.
1730 pages to go!
Some people get envious and suspicious of Moses because he is essentially the highest authority (short of God) in the entire nation of Israel. These people were not just village idiots. It there were these main guys (Korah, Dathan, Abriam, and On). With them were 250 of Israel's elite and well-known men. They are suspicious of the priesthood who have exclusive access to God in His purest sense. They argued that all of Israel is holy, set apart to God, and therefore everyone should be involved with and have access to God (Num. 16:3). I could sense, though, that they did not really mean everyone. They probably wanted access to God themselves, and everyone else could fend for themselves. They are ready to storm the Tabernacle, but Moses makes a wager, saying that they should bring bronze torches with incense in them, and to stand before the Tabernacle opposite Moses and Aaron and Aaron's sons. Then, they would let God decide the outcome. If God was a God of (their flawed) reason, He would side with them. Right?
Moses is scared, because he could very well be killed by either God or these angry, envious men. In 16:22, he begs God not to judge the whole nation because of these few sinful men, but God reassures him.
Well, the "elites" show up with their incense, and Moses says that whoever God chooses will live. As soon as he says that, the earth splits open and all of the households of Korah, Daman, Abriam, and On fall into the pit, torches and all, and the earth closes over them. It reminded me of how the waters swallowed up the Egyptians in the Exodus. I wonder if that parallel was intentional. Anyway, these insurrection leaders are swallowed up. I am sure that their 250 elite friends were a little afraid at this point. They sure feared the LORD in that moment, I'm sure. They were afraid they were going to fall into the pit too (16:34), but God has something more dramatic in store. He sends fire that consumes them all.
Remember those bronze torches they had? Well, they did not burn up in the fire, obviously. So, God commands the priests to collect the bronze torches, hammer them out, and make a bronze covering for the altar. This was to "remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the LORD..." (Num. 16:36-40). How's that for an object lesson? Take the symbol of their pride from around the ashes of their burned bodies, and then use it in humble worship of the God they were trying to gain self-interested access to.
I got a real sense, in reading this, that God craves righteousness. He does not want our good intentions and half-hearted attempts. He wants us completely.
.I think the camp was bickering about who should lead the Israelites, to make it perfectly clear, after the upheaval of the past few days, who was to lead the Israelites. God tells them to take the walking stick from the leader of every tribe, 12 in total, and place them with their respective names in front of the Testimony to be left overnight. Whichever one sprouted would indicate which person was to lead Israel in worship. The next day, they saw that Aaron's staff had sprouted. They took this and placed it with the tablets and the manna in the Ark. I assume that was the same staff that turned into a snake. Cool staff.
There was a cool passage in this chapter 19 about the water of cleansing, which was a mix of the ashes of a burnt offering and water. The mixture was used in the purification of sin. The water was poured over the sinner on the third and seventh days, and then they were cleansed from their sin. What a powerful symbol. You were washed clean by the death of a sacrifice. Its ground bones flowed over your skin, covering you from the wrath of God, and washing you clean from your impurity.
Chapter 20 contains another passage about water from a rock. This is a direct parallel to Exodus 17. The people complain about not having water to drink, so Moses goes to God. God tells him to speak to the rock, and it would pour out water. Moses walked in front of the people, and got upset, probably because of the all the recent events. He called them "rebels" (Num. 20:10). He struck the rock with his staff, just like he did in Exodus 17, and the water gushed out. But he had disobeyed God's commands, and he had acted out of anger. As a result, God tells Moses that he nor Aaron would enter the Promised Land (Num. 20:12). God craves holiness, righteousness, and attention to detail.
The last passage of this chapter contains the story of Aaron's death. He was to walk to the top of Mount Hor, remove his priestly garments, pass them onto his son, and them die. He did as the LORD commanded. He died in a final act of obedience. I just got a real chill of reverence as I read that passage. It seemed so surreal and holy.
1730 pages to go!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Day 36: Numbers 11:1-15:41
The Tabernacle was now completed. The Israelites were leaving Sinai. They had just spent the last four or five chapters following the LORD's commands wholeheartedly, and then in chapter 11, they start complaining about their hardships.
God's awesome presentation is another theme in this reading. When God heard their complaining, he "burned" with anger. He sent fire to burn among them. This fire burned and consumed the outskirts of the camp (Num. 11:1). I know I would be terrified to see such a thing happen. It would be like Hell burning all around me. Consuming Hell fire would surround me. I would be terrified.
God seems to use fire as an object lesson to represent himself throughout the Scripture I have read so far. He comes as a pillar of fire at night to lead and watch over the people of Israel. I imagine that in the good times, this was a comfort... the Divine Nightlight. It would remind me of his faithfulness in leading me out of the land of bondage. But now, I would be terrified. I would be surrounded by flame, confusion, and death. It is no wonder "the people cried out to Moses" (Ex. 11: 2). Again, God presents himself as a terrifying force, one that instills fear and trembling, not just reverence.
After this experience, they complain saying that they want meat to eat, not just flatbread manna. So, in a way reminiscent of Dante's Inferno, where sins are punished through ironic suffering, God sends quail in quantities enough to sicken even the most true gluttons. They must eat quail "... for a whole month-until it comes out of [their] nostrils and [they] loathe it-because [they] have rejected the LORD..." In Dante's Inferno sinners were punished according to their sins. For example, those who caused division in the church (schism) were forced for eternity to be cut open and then walk in a circle until they healed up again, where they would be sliced again once they got back to the start of the circle again. Here, the people complained to God, not being thankful for the blessings they had. So God overwhelmed them with what they wanted to the point of sickness. This story serves as a cogent reminder that God will provide what we need and we ought not complain when our needs are met, but rather be thankful for every thread of clothing, every crumb of food, and every drop of water.
Well, that was all I had to say about today's reading. Only 1736 pages to go!
God's awesome presentation is another theme in this reading. When God heard their complaining, he "burned" with anger. He sent fire to burn among them. This fire burned and consumed the outskirts of the camp (Num. 11:1). I know I would be terrified to see such a thing happen. It would be like Hell burning all around me. Consuming Hell fire would surround me. I would be terrified.
God seems to use fire as an object lesson to represent himself throughout the Scripture I have read so far. He comes as a pillar of fire at night to lead and watch over the people of Israel. I imagine that in the good times, this was a comfort... the Divine Nightlight. It would remind me of his faithfulness in leading me out of the land of bondage. But now, I would be terrified. I would be surrounded by flame, confusion, and death. It is no wonder "the people cried out to Moses" (Ex. 11: 2). Again, God presents himself as a terrifying force, one that instills fear and trembling, not just reverence.
After this experience, they complain saying that they want meat to eat, not just flatbread manna. So, in a way reminiscent of Dante's Inferno, where sins are punished through ironic suffering, God sends quail in quantities enough to sicken even the most true gluttons. They must eat quail "... for a whole month-until it comes out of [their] nostrils and [they] loathe it-because [they] have rejected the LORD..." In Dante's Inferno sinners were punished according to their sins. For example, those who caused division in the church (schism) were forced for eternity to be cut open and then walk in a circle until they healed up again, where they would be sliced again once they got back to the start of the circle again. Here, the people complained to God, not being thankful for the blessings they had. So God overwhelmed them with what they wanted to the point of sickness. This story serves as a cogent reminder that God will provide what we need and we ought not complain when our needs are met, but rather be thankful for every thread of clothing, every crumb of food, and every drop of water.
Well, that was all I had to say about today's reading. Only 1736 pages to go!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Days 32 and 33- Numbers 3:1-6:27, 7:1-10:36
I have fallen behind in my reading, and there was a lot of content. Most of it centred around the Tabernacle; who was to carry what, the ceremony for its sanctification, etc.
I am very tired and there is much too much detail to go into for tonight.
This section of Scripture has one of my favourite passages, though. It is a blessing that Aaron gave to the people of Israel. I love this blessing, and it is one of the most moving passages of Scripture.
Numbers 6:24-26, the Priestly Blessing, "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
I try to imagine that Christ Himself is saying it to me. What is interesting to me is that so often, anyone who looks at the face of God is struck dead. No one was allowed to enter the presence of God unless they were absolutely blameless as per all of the regulations. I have seen many references to the fear, the dread, the terror of God. Clearly, God presents himself as utter power, holiness, beauty, sacred presence.
I am tired tonight. Hopefully, I will sleep well.
I am very tired and there is much too much detail to go into for tonight.
This section of Scripture has one of my favourite passages, though. It is a blessing that Aaron gave to the people of Israel. I love this blessing, and it is one of the most moving passages of Scripture.
Numbers 6:24-26, the Priestly Blessing, "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
I try to imagine that Christ Himself is saying it to me. What is interesting to me is that so often, anyone who looks at the face of God is struck dead. No one was allowed to enter the presence of God unless they were absolutely blameless as per all of the regulations. I have seen many references to the fear, the dread, the terror of God. Clearly, God presents himself as utter power, holiness, beauty, sacred presence.
I am tired tonight. Hopefully, I will sleep well.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Day 31: Leviticus 26:1-Numbers 2:34
I finished Leviticus today!
In the last two chapters of Leviticus, God tells the Israelites of the reward for obedience and the punishment for disobedience. After giving them all of his laws, God now gives them the final contingencies of his plans for them. Essentially, the blessing is of abundance, peace in the land, fertility, and prosperity- essentially a "name", the same covenant made with Abraham and his descendants. The punishment is the opposite of this covenant blessing: disease, famine, God's rejection, death and infertility, conflict and death. Then God says to Israel, in Lev. 26:29, "You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters." I am a little confused and disturbed by this. I read Dante's Inferno last year, and the eating of cannibalism of one's children reminds me of Dante's allegorical use of the character Ugolino in the frozen river of hell, Cocytus, where Ugolino gnaws at the head of Ruggieri for eternity. Ruggieri in life, had locked Ugolino with his children into his tower in the Muda. There his children died of starvation, and after their death and because of his hunger and madness, he ate his children to survive. That empty madness is what I thought of when I read that passage.
Leviticus ends with the phrase, "These are the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites."
Numbers is a whole new ball game for me. I am not looking forward to reading this book. My impression is that it a huge, repetitive list of hard-to-pronounce names and very little plot. So far, I am afraid that my fears have been confirmed. Of interest, in each tribe of Israel, God appoints one man to take a census of that tribe and then lead that tribe. They are Elizur, Shelumiel, Nahshon, Nethanel, Eliab, Elishama, Gamaliel, Abidan, Ahiezer, Pagiel, Eliasaph, and Ahira. According to my study Bible, most of these names contain reference to God. I think probably the prefix, Eli-, and the suffix -iel, is what it was referring to. So, these men represented God among the tribes... could be one interpretation. Then there is a repetitive list of names and populations, and the instructions for the layout of the camp.
Hopefully, I will have more interesting stuff tomorrow. Thank the Lord I am still able to keep up with my reading and continue on learning about Him.
1760 pages to go!
In the last two chapters of Leviticus, God tells the Israelites of the reward for obedience and the punishment for disobedience. After giving them all of his laws, God now gives them the final contingencies of his plans for them. Essentially, the blessing is of abundance, peace in the land, fertility, and prosperity- essentially a "name", the same covenant made with Abraham and his descendants. The punishment is the opposite of this covenant blessing: disease, famine, God's rejection, death and infertility, conflict and death. Then God says to Israel, in Lev. 26:29, "You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters." I am a little confused and disturbed by this. I read Dante's Inferno last year, and the eating of cannibalism of one's children reminds me of Dante's allegorical use of the character Ugolino in the frozen river of hell, Cocytus, where Ugolino gnaws at the head of Ruggieri for eternity. Ruggieri in life, had locked Ugolino with his children into his tower in the Muda. There his children died of starvation, and after their death and because of his hunger and madness, he ate his children to survive. That empty madness is what I thought of when I read that passage.
Leviticus ends with the phrase, "These are the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites."
Numbers is a whole new ball game for me. I am not looking forward to reading this book. My impression is that it a huge, repetitive list of hard-to-pronounce names and very little plot. So far, I am afraid that my fears have been confirmed. Of interest, in each tribe of Israel, God appoints one man to take a census of that tribe and then lead that tribe. They are Elizur, Shelumiel, Nahshon, Nethanel, Eliab, Elishama, Gamaliel, Abidan, Ahiezer, Pagiel, Eliasaph, and Ahira. According to my study Bible, most of these names contain reference to God. I think probably the prefix, Eli-, and the suffix -iel, is what it was referring to. So, these men represented God among the tribes... could be one interpretation. Then there is a repetitive list of names and populations, and the instructions for the layout of the camp.
Hopefully, I will have more interesting stuff tomorrow. Thank the Lord I am still able to keep up with my reading and continue on learning about Him.
1760 pages to go!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Day 30: Leviticus 22:1-25:55
For the record, olive oil does not burn. I tried. Why do I start with these sentences? In chapter 24:1-2, the LORD tells Moses to "bring the clear oil of pressed olives for the light to that the lamps may be kept burning continually." So, being the good scientific person I am, I went up into the kitchen, grabbed myself some EVOO, poured it into a bowl, and brought the flame of my lighter to the oil. What was I hoping for? I think I was expecting a soft, blue flame to gently flow across the oil. What did I get? Nothing. Perhaps God did not have my particular olive oil in mind, or maybe the olive oil of those days was just more flammable.
Today's reading covered the LORD's commands regarding unacceptable sacrifices, the Sabbath, the Passover, the offering of the firstfruits of the harvest, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, the type of food to be set at the table before the LORD in the tabernacle, the story of a blasphemer who got stoned (like beaten to death with rocks, not baked) after making the sacred name of the LORD profane, and the Year of Jubilee regulations. There was a lot of stuff in this reading.
I was struck by how much celebrating has been commanded so far. I am sure more ceremonies are to be instituted as I read more, but I was struck at how often the whole community took time off to rest, celebrate, reflect on the way God worked in their lives, and look to him for forgiveness and favour.
There are a lot of ceremonies, but I want to focus on the Year of Jubilee. If I understand it correctly, it was like the ultimate wealth re-distribution procedure. In that year, all slaves were freed, all debts were canceled all land and possessions taken from people sold into slavery or servanthood was reinstated to the original owners. Many other social welfare practices are mandated. For example, Lev. 25:35-38 says, "If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your country man may continue to live among you. You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God." When I read this I thought that this was beautiful. It strikes me that not only is this a social welfare institution, but it also seems like an object lesson. When God says, "... but fear your God... I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God", it seems to me like God was saying, "Only because I brought you out of slavery, cleared the land, and let you settle here, you have anything. So, remember that ultimately I own everything, and everything you own is a gift."
Again, the concept of the "fear" of the LORD came up today in the context of making sure that Israelites who owned slaves did not "treat them ruthlessly" (Lev. 25:43) and making sure that they did not "take advantage of each other" but to "fear [their] God" (Lev. 25:17). God says to fear Him, because, after all: Who had the power to wash death over Egypt, summon darkness for days, part seas and pull them together, etc.? It is is like God is reminding them of His absolute, incredible-ness, Much of what I'm trying to capture is shown in this video, called BASIC.Fear.
I feel like I am seeing a pattern develop where, through this Scripture, I am learning that if I actually met God, I would be terrified. I think I need to learn the lesson He is trying to teach me: that I am nothing before Him, but I mean everything to Him and that He is my only true hope, that, like He did for the Jews- He will provide for my life, and that I will have nothing in my life without His grace. I cannot even control my own heart beat or whether I will wake up tomorrow morning. Everything I am and have is a gift.
Who am I to boast?
Today's reading covered the LORD's commands regarding unacceptable sacrifices, the Sabbath, the Passover, the offering of the firstfruits of the harvest, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, the type of food to be set at the table before the LORD in the tabernacle, the story of a blasphemer who got stoned (like beaten to death with rocks, not baked) after making the sacred name of the LORD profane, and the Year of Jubilee regulations. There was a lot of stuff in this reading.
I was struck by how much celebrating has been commanded so far. I am sure more ceremonies are to be instituted as I read more, but I was struck at how often the whole community took time off to rest, celebrate, reflect on the way God worked in their lives, and look to him for forgiveness and favour.
There are a lot of ceremonies, but I want to focus on the Year of Jubilee. If I understand it correctly, it was like the ultimate wealth re-distribution procedure. In that year, all slaves were freed, all debts were canceled all land and possessions taken from people sold into slavery or servanthood was reinstated to the original owners. Many other social welfare practices are mandated. For example, Lev. 25:35-38 says, "If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your country man may continue to live among you. You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God." When I read this I thought that this was beautiful. It strikes me that not only is this a social welfare institution, but it also seems like an object lesson. When God says, "... but fear your God... I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God", it seems to me like God was saying, "Only because I brought you out of slavery, cleared the land, and let you settle here, you have anything. So, remember that ultimately I own everything, and everything you own is a gift."
Again, the concept of the "fear" of the LORD came up today in the context of making sure that Israelites who owned slaves did not "treat them ruthlessly" (Lev. 25:43) and making sure that they did not "take advantage of each other" but to "fear [their] God" (Lev. 25:17). God says to fear Him, because, after all: Who had the power to wash death over Egypt, summon darkness for days, part seas and pull them together, etc.? It is is like God is reminding them of His absolute, incredible-ness, Much of what I'm trying to capture is shown in this video, called BASIC.Fear.
I feel like I am seeing a pattern develop where, through this Scripture, I am learning that if I actually met God, I would be terrified. I think I need to learn the lesson He is trying to teach me: that I am nothing before Him, but I mean everything to Him and that He is my only true hope, that, like He did for the Jews- He will provide for my life, and that I will have nothing in my life without His grace. I cannot even control my own heart beat or whether I will wake up tomorrow morning. Everything I am and have is a gift.
Who am I to boast?
Monday, October 18, 2010
Day 29: Leviticus 16:1-21:24
Holiness and sacredness seemed to be the main theme of the reading today.
There are a whole list of "do nots" in this section. I interpret this in two ways. Perhaps, when Moses was listening to God's instruction, he was commenting on the detestable things that the Israelites were doing around him. For example, when, chapter 18 verse 8, it says, "Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father." I wondered if there was public knowledge that many men or women were sleeping with their father's wife (not necessarily their mother, because their father could have multiple wives).
Or maybe it was the result of something different. Based on the theme of holiness, maybe God was trying to set Israel as a whole apart from the other nations of the land. Perhaps the nations of the land were the ones mainly engaging in all of these sexual activities, practices, and rituals. These were all detestable to God.
It seems like the whole section is best summarized in what I thought was the key verses, Leviticus 20:7, 8 and Leviticus 21:6, 8. "Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God", "I am the LORD who makes you holy", "... must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God", "... because I the LORD am holy-I who make you holy."
The punishment for a lot of the sexual sins are death by stoning, except for the case of the girl who becomes a prostitute, because she must be burned to death. These rules sound to me like what sociologists and religious scholars call pollution laws governed by shame. The idea is that they are not so much rules of right and wrong that are governed by guilt. They do not seem like rules of whether an act adheres to a higher moral code. Usually these moral codes are governed by guilt. A person is guilty because they broke the moral code by action that was within their control but they chose to break it. It is the result of an internal, unstable, and controllable attribution made by the community and the person him/herself. Pollution laws are generally more primitive. They operate on the basis of shame. They are to separate people from "uncleanliness", whatever that group deems as unclean. They are often highly ritualized societies. The idea is to protect the sacred from the profane. The profane is anything that is unclean. Bodily fluids, menstrual blood, certain sexual acts, certain foods, etc. all can make profane that which is sacred. The some things are more out of a person's control than others (e.g., menstruation or nocturnal emissions are uncontrollable). The pollution laws are imposed on the individual. Generally, then, the individual is not in control, there is a sense of internal cause to the pollution, and the pollution may or may not be stable. This generally leads to the feeling of shame. It seems like the Leviticus are shaming laws that are based on pollution-type social mores. In order to make the profane once again sacred or the polluted clean again, many rituals are instituted. In this case, God used the symbol of the pouring of blood and death to redeem those who are guilty of sin, to forgive them. They are redeemed, made sacred again.
What is interesting to me is that Jesus flips this whole paradigm upside down in the New Testament when he turns these pollution regulations into a moral code by internalizing the whole thing. Suddenly, if you so much as hate another person, you have committed something equal to murder. The underlying message to me is that is an act that is internal, unstable, and controllable. Suddenly, you are no longer dealing with a pollution regulation system governed by shame, but a moral framework regulated by guilt.
Once we are guilty, though, thank the Lord that Christ came, because He is the only remedy to make me clean again. He was the final redeemer. Thank God all I have to do is turn my guilt to Him, fall to His feet, and when I ask, He forgives me. Every time. That is my only hope of holiness. The only thing in which I can boast: that I am forgiven through Christ.
There are a whole list of "do nots" in this section. I interpret this in two ways. Perhaps, when Moses was listening to God's instruction, he was commenting on the detestable things that the Israelites were doing around him. For example, when, chapter 18 verse 8, it says, "Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father." I wondered if there was public knowledge that many men or women were sleeping with their father's wife (not necessarily their mother, because their father could have multiple wives).
Or maybe it was the result of something different. Based on the theme of holiness, maybe God was trying to set Israel as a whole apart from the other nations of the land. Perhaps the nations of the land were the ones mainly engaging in all of these sexual activities, practices, and rituals. These were all detestable to God.
It seems like the whole section is best summarized in what I thought was the key verses, Leviticus 20:7, 8 and Leviticus 21:6, 8. "Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God", "I am the LORD who makes you holy", "... must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God", "... because I the LORD am holy-I who make you holy."
The punishment for a lot of the sexual sins are death by stoning, except for the case of the girl who becomes a prostitute, because she must be burned to death. These rules sound to me like what sociologists and religious scholars call pollution laws governed by shame. The idea is that they are not so much rules of right and wrong that are governed by guilt. They do not seem like rules of whether an act adheres to a higher moral code. Usually these moral codes are governed by guilt. A person is guilty because they broke the moral code by action that was within their control but they chose to break it. It is the result of an internal, unstable, and controllable attribution made by the community and the person him/herself. Pollution laws are generally more primitive. They operate on the basis of shame. They are to separate people from "uncleanliness", whatever that group deems as unclean. They are often highly ritualized societies. The idea is to protect the sacred from the profane. The profane is anything that is unclean. Bodily fluids, menstrual blood, certain sexual acts, certain foods, etc. all can make profane that which is sacred. The some things are more out of a person's control than others (e.g., menstruation or nocturnal emissions are uncontrollable). The pollution laws are imposed on the individual. Generally, then, the individual is not in control, there is a sense of internal cause to the pollution, and the pollution may or may not be stable. This generally leads to the feeling of shame. It seems like the Leviticus are shaming laws that are based on pollution-type social mores. In order to make the profane once again sacred or the polluted clean again, many rituals are instituted. In this case, God used the symbol of the pouring of blood and death to redeem those who are guilty of sin, to forgive them. They are redeemed, made sacred again.
What is interesting to me is that Jesus flips this whole paradigm upside down in the New Testament when he turns these pollution regulations into a moral code by internalizing the whole thing. Suddenly, if you so much as hate another person, you have committed something equal to murder. The underlying message to me is that is an act that is internal, unstable, and controllable. Suddenly, you are no longer dealing with a pollution regulation system governed by shame, but a moral framework regulated by guilt.
Once we are guilty, though, thank the Lord that Christ came, because He is the only remedy to make me clean again. He was the final redeemer. Thank God all I have to do is turn my guilt to Him, fall to His feet, and when I ask, He forgives me. Every time. That is my only hope of holiness. The only thing in which I can boast: that I am forgiven through Christ.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Day 26: Leviticus 13:1-15:33
Today was a terrible day. I'm not really in a good mood, so this blog will be short.
This section of Scripture dealt primarily with cleanliness laws. It spells out the ways in which a person becomes unclean, the ramifications of uncleanliness, the remedies for uncleanliness, and how the person is reintegrated after being unclean.
I learned that you can become unclean through disease, the emission of bodily fluids and blood.
Wow, I am really unmotivated to blog anything else today. I think that it would be best if I wrapped it up for today and just let you know that I did read the reading for today.
This section of Scripture dealt primarily with cleanliness laws. It spells out the ways in which a person becomes unclean, the ramifications of uncleanliness, the remedies for uncleanliness, and how the person is reintegrated after being unclean.
I learned that you can become unclean through disease, the emission of bodily fluids and blood.
Wow, I am really unmotivated to blog anything else today. I think that it would be best if I wrapped it up for today and just let you know that I did read the reading for today.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Day 25: Leviticus 8:1-12:8
Today's reading began with the ordination of Aaron and his sons, where they were set apart for the sole purpose of serving God on behalf of Israel. Just about every wave, fellowship, grain, guilt, and sin offering was made in the ceremony. I think the point of all of sacrifices and offerings was to make sure that Aaron and his sons were completely pure and holy before starting their service to God and the Israelites.
I think there is a second reason, as well. They had to go through just about every type of sacrifice and ceremony during the ordination. I wonder if this was a "dry run". God had just laid down all of the rules surrounding the purification of the people. I think this was the first time that they had attempted to do them all properly. It makes sense to me that they would go through every single ritual because they would want to make the consecration of their religious leaders a truly special event.
So, they went through their ceremony and there was stuff on the altar. At the end of Lev. 9, the priests come out and bless the people. The glory of the LORD appears. Then a fire "from the presence of the LORD" came and burned up all of the offerings. The people are overjoyed and worship with their faces down. Fire blazing from Heaven would be a sight to see.
After the all consuming fire from God at the end of chapter 9, chapter 10 starts with some "unauthorized fire" (Ex. 10:1). Aaron's sons put fire in some incense bowls and added incense to God, but for some reason this was not acceptable. So, the fire from the presence of the LORD came out and consumed the sons. God said that he would show himself holy and the people would honour him. What I find interesting is that in the next sentence, it says, "Aaron remained silent" (Ex. 10:3). Was this shock, horror, awe, disgust, or grief? I do not know. But I know that I would be speechless and wrenched with sorrow if my sons were killed like that. My study Bible says that a possible reason for the death of his sons is that God had to be harsh to teach the Israelites that they existed for his purposes, not the other way around. Somehow, though, it still bothers me.
After the ceremony and bad stuff, God tells them what is clean and unclean.
Split hoof + cud chewing = clean.
Not Split hoof + cud chewing = unclean.
Split hoof + not cud chewing = unclean.
If from the water, scales + fins = clean.
If from the water, not scales + fins = unclean.
If from the water, scales + not fins = unclean.
All bugs unclean except locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers.
I do not know if the clean/unclean rules were to protect desert nomads before the days of cooking thermometers, antibiotics, and other modern medicine stuff from the ravages of possible disease from potentially hazardous meat products. One of my professors once said that in Near East culture, pigs are revolted because their waste very easily seeps into water supplies and they forage through stuff. I do not know if that is the reason God instituted these precepts, though.
Sometimes, I wonder if many of these rules are just arbitrary and the whole set of them were designed as a test of how obedient a people would be. Exodus 11:44 said, "I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy , because I am holy." I wonder if the whole set of laws and regulations was to set a people apart from the rest of the society, to make life more complicated so they would have to rely on God for everything.
This is probably the earliest post to date. I could not sleep last night. I tossed and turned, and I did not feel at peace. So, I woke up and decided to read Scripture. I look forward to it everyday, now. It is my time alone with God where I can learn about him, ask him questions, fall at his feet and say that I do not understand it all, tell him I love him, and ask for his forgiveness. Lord knows, I need his forgiveness every day.
1790 pages to go.
I think there is a second reason, as well. They had to go through just about every type of sacrifice and ceremony during the ordination. I wonder if this was a "dry run". God had just laid down all of the rules surrounding the purification of the people. I think this was the first time that they had attempted to do them all properly. It makes sense to me that they would go through every single ritual because they would want to make the consecration of their religious leaders a truly special event.
So, they went through their ceremony and there was stuff on the altar. At the end of Lev. 9, the priests come out and bless the people. The glory of the LORD appears. Then a fire "from the presence of the LORD" came and burned up all of the offerings. The people are overjoyed and worship with their faces down. Fire blazing from Heaven would be a sight to see.
After the all consuming fire from God at the end of chapter 9, chapter 10 starts with some "unauthorized fire" (Ex. 10:1). Aaron's sons put fire in some incense bowls and added incense to God, but for some reason this was not acceptable. So, the fire from the presence of the LORD came out and consumed the sons. God said that he would show himself holy and the people would honour him. What I find interesting is that in the next sentence, it says, "Aaron remained silent" (Ex. 10:3). Was this shock, horror, awe, disgust, or grief? I do not know. But I know that I would be speechless and wrenched with sorrow if my sons were killed like that. My study Bible says that a possible reason for the death of his sons is that God had to be harsh to teach the Israelites that they existed for his purposes, not the other way around. Somehow, though, it still bothers me.
After the ceremony and bad stuff, God tells them what is clean and unclean.
Split hoof + cud chewing = clean.
Not Split hoof + cud chewing = unclean.
Split hoof + not cud chewing = unclean.
If from the water, scales + fins = clean.
If from the water, not scales + fins = unclean.
If from the water, scales + not fins = unclean.
All bugs unclean except locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers.
I do not know if the clean/unclean rules were to protect desert nomads before the days of cooking thermometers, antibiotics, and other modern medicine stuff from the ravages of possible disease from potentially hazardous meat products. One of my professors once said that in Near East culture, pigs are revolted because their waste very easily seeps into water supplies and they forage through stuff. I do not know if that is the reason God instituted these precepts, though.
Sometimes, I wonder if many of these rules are just arbitrary and the whole set of them were designed as a test of how obedient a people would be. Exodus 11:44 said, "I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy , because I am holy." I wonder if the whole set of laws and regulations was to set a people apart from the rest of the society, to make life more complicated so they would have to rely on God for everything.
This is probably the earliest post to date. I could not sleep last night. I tossed and turned, and I did not feel at peace. So, I woke up and decided to read Scripture. I look forward to it everyday, now. It is my time alone with God where I can learn about him, ask him questions, fall at his feet and say that I do not understand it all, tell him I love him, and ask for his forgiveness. Lord knows, I need his forgiveness every day.
1790 pages to go.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Day 24: Leviticus 2:1-7:38
Today, I read all about the different types of offerings that were to be made at the Tabernacle. The burnt offering, grain offering, fellowship offering, sin offering, and guilt offering. I learned, among other things, that the first three were designed more like offerings made as praise to God or to find favour in his eyes. The last two are specifically for atonement of sin committed by an individual, a leader, or the whole community.
This was the first section of Scripture that I came across the phrase, "... and (they/he) will be forgiven" (Starting in Lev. 4:20, 26, 31, and 35). Forgiveness is first mentioned in the context of the slaughter of animals and the pouring out of blood at the base of the altar and sprinkling of blood on the altar horns. Then the fat was burned on the alter. (I giggled at Ex. 3:16, "All the fat is the LORD's."). The animal was killed, broken, cut, torn apart, and then burnt. The death in the place of the person or people heralds forgiveness.
This leads me to the next interesting thing I learned. The animal death was a symbol of the person's death. Starting in the first chapter, people are told to place their hands on the head of the animal to be slaughtered. They have their hands on the animal's head as its throat is slit, it bleeds out, an it dies. According to my study Bible, the placing of the hands on the animal's head is to "express identification between [the person offering the animal] and the animal, whose death would then be accepted in 'atonement'". Symbolically, they are saying, "I must die to atone for the wrong things I have done. I must let my blood pour out, be parted and burned. Only then will I become pleasing to the LORD (Ex. 1:9, 13, 17, 3:5, 16, etc.). The death of the animal atoned for the sin of the person. The body was parted and then burnt. This burning aroma was pleasing to the LORD.
This got me wondering. I could not help but notice some parallels between the death and disposal of the animals and the fate of those of us hell-bound. My impression is that it is a place of weeping, gnashing of teeth, suffering, disjointed-ness from God, being parted from God, cast into fire (Luke 16:24). Will the resulting aroma of the dead in Hell be pleasing to the LORD? I feel that perhaps my interpretation is a little far fetched, but I want to think big thoughts tonight.
Well, I'm tired. I hope I can get my reading done a little earlier tomorrow.
1794 pages to go!
This was the first section of Scripture that I came across the phrase, "... and (they/he) will be forgiven" (Starting in Lev. 4:20, 26, 31, and 35). Forgiveness is first mentioned in the context of the slaughter of animals and the pouring out of blood at the base of the altar and sprinkling of blood on the altar horns. Then the fat was burned on the alter. (I giggled at Ex. 3:16, "All the fat is the LORD's."). The animal was killed, broken, cut, torn apart, and then burnt. The death in the place of the person or people heralds forgiveness.
This leads me to the next interesting thing I learned. The animal death was a symbol of the person's death. Starting in the first chapter, people are told to place their hands on the head of the animal to be slaughtered. They have their hands on the animal's head as its throat is slit, it bleeds out, an it dies. According to my study Bible, the placing of the hands on the animal's head is to "express identification between [the person offering the animal] and the animal, whose death would then be accepted in 'atonement'". Symbolically, they are saying, "I must die to atone for the wrong things I have done. I must let my blood pour out, be parted and burned. Only then will I become pleasing to the LORD (Ex. 1:9, 13, 17, 3:5, 16, etc.). The death of the animal atoned for the sin of the person. The body was parted and then burnt. This burning aroma was pleasing to the LORD.
This got me wondering. I could not help but notice some parallels between the death and disposal of the animals and the fate of those of us hell-bound. My impression is that it is a place of weeping, gnashing of teeth, suffering, disjointed-ness from God, being parted from God, cast into fire (Luke 16:24). Will the resulting aroma of the dead in Hell be pleasing to the LORD? I feel that perhaps my interpretation is a little far fetched, but I want to think big thoughts tonight.
Well, I'm tired. I hope I can get my reading done a little earlier tomorrow.
1794 pages to go!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Day 23: Exodus 37:1-Leviticus 1: 17
Today, I finished reading Exodus. Two books down. 64 to go! Today was the end of the story of the Tabernacle construction. I think it was interesting to see how God had to go through the entire construction instructions again. It was like he was saying, "OK, you didn't get it the first time. Let's try again."
In chapter 38, it describes the total amounts of the precious metals used. Though it gives the weights in talents and shekels, I was able to come up with some current estimates. Using my hasty detective skills, I found a talent or pound to modern ounce converter online, looked up the current value of gold, silver, and bronze in U.S. dollars, and came up with some modern equivalent estimates of the amount of value that went into the tabernacle.
Gold: @ ~$1354 USD/oz x ~2143 lbs (29+ talents) = ~$47.5 million USD
Silver: @ ~$23.31 USD/oz x ~7545 lbs (100+ talents) = ~$2.8 million USD
Bronze: @ ~$5.63 USD/oz x ~5310 lbs (70+ talents) = $ ~$0.5 million USD
So by my crude calculations, the equivalent of over $50 million dollars went into just the fine metals of the Tabernacle, not to mention the woods, the fabrics, the leathers, and other materials. Desert wanderers they may be, but poor as a nation of ~500 000 people, they were not. Interesting.
It seems like the end of Exodus is all good news. Finally, the people are turning to God and obeying his commands. I find this interesting: It says many times near the end that "Moses... did just as the LORD commanded." Even though most of the work was probably done by others, Moses was the one who seemed to finalize and/or legitimize all of the completions of the work set out for Israel. I feel that some narrative work is at play, but I also think that it is a way of demonstrating that, in the end, Moses fulfilled his duty to the LORD. In Exodus 40:33 it says, "... Moses finished the work." That reminds me of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:6 when he says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race."
I love how Exodus ends. "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted form above the tabernacle, they would set out; but it the cloud did no lift, they did not set out- until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during their travels" (Exodus 40:34-38). What an experience that would be! God was completely unknowable in those times. He was truly ineffable. God was cloud and fire, powerful and uncontrollable, terrifying but harmless to the people he loved. He would be who he would be.
I think Leviticus is going to be a challenging read. I started it today, but it just talked about how to sacrifice bulls, lambs or goats, and pigeons or doves. Because so much of it is black and white and controversial and narrow-minded, I am going to have a hard time not being really offended and judgmental of this book. Why was menstruation or nocturnal emission or marital sex considered "unclean"? These things bother me, along with other things like the condemnation of gay people.
I really like what a pastor told me, and I have taken it to heart as I read this Bible. He wrote to me, "Let the Scriptures offend you, stun you, comfort you, disconcert you, and teach you....."
1807 pages to go!
In chapter 38, it describes the total amounts of the precious metals used. Though it gives the weights in talents and shekels, I was able to come up with some current estimates. Using my hasty detective skills, I found a talent or pound to modern ounce converter online, looked up the current value of gold, silver, and bronze in U.S. dollars, and came up with some modern equivalent estimates of the amount of value that went into the tabernacle.
Gold: @ ~$1354 USD/oz x ~2143 lbs (29+ talents) = ~$47.5 million USD
Silver: @ ~$23.31 USD/oz x ~7545 lbs (100+ talents) = ~$2.8 million USD
Bronze: @ ~$5.63 USD/oz x ~5310 lbs (70+ talents) = $ ~$0.5 million USD
So by my crude calculations, the equivalent of over $50 million dollars went into just the fine metals of the Tabernacle, not to mention the woods, the fabrics, the leathers, and other materials. Desert wanderers they may be, but poor as a nation of ~500 000 people, they were not. Interesting.
It seems like the end of Exodus is all good news. Finally, the people are turning to God and obeying his commands. I find this interesting: It says many times near the end that "Moses... did just as the LORD commanded." Even though most of the work was probably done by others, Moses was the one who seemed to finalize and/or legitimize all of the completions of the work set out for Israel. I feel that some narrative work is at play, but I also think that it is a way of demonstrating that, in the end, Moses fulfilled his duty to the LORD. In Exodus 40:33 it says, "... Moses finished the work." That reminds me of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:6 when he says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race."
I love how Exodus ends. "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted form above the tabernacle, they would set out; but it the cloud did no lift, they did not set out- until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during their travels" (Exodus 40:34-38). What an experience that would be! God was completely unknowable in those times. He was truly ineffable. God was cloud and fire, powerful and uncontrollable, terrifying but harmless to the people he loved. He would be who he would be.
I think Leviticus is going to be a challenging read. I started it today, but it just talked about how to sacrifice bulls, lambs or goats, and pigeons or doves. Because so much of it is black and white and controversial and narrow-minded, I am going to have a hard time not being really offended and judgmental of this book. Why was menstruation or nocturnal emission or marital sex considered "unclean"? These things bother me, along with other things like the condemnation of gay people.
I really like what a pastor told me, and I have taken it to heart as I read this Bible. He wrote to me, "Let the Scriptures offend you, stun you, comfort you, disconcert you, and teach you....."
1807 pages to go!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Day 22: Exodus 27:1-31:18
So it turns out that the Ten Commandments were written twice! I learned something today! After Moses came down from the mountain with God, the people had built a golden calf to worship. So, Moses threw the tablets of the Ten Commandments down and they shattered into pieces. It seems like that was a metaphor for how the people broke their covenant with God.
I am interested in why they would so quickly turn away from God and worship something that they knew they created. I know that calves were a symbol of deity in Egypt (Apis), and so in a way they were turning back to their captivity, back to their bondage. Why? I don't know. Why would they be in the presence of God one day and then the next day say, "Hey! Let's melt some gold, make it into a cow, and then worship that!" Perhaps they were struggling in the way that I do much of time. They wanted something tangible. They wanted to see God and touch God, they wanted to see his face and be able to know with certainty that he was with them, but they could not. God was not a thing. God was not an object. God, as I see it here, is a promise, is a commitment, is a mighty and powerful force. He was the anti-thesis to materialism. He was "who will be". God was not a permanent thing. Who he is depends on who we are and how we relate to him. This is the God of the object relation theorists. Who we are, then, depends entirely on him. This dialogical relationship seems to pervade this section of Scripture.
So, after meeting with God and pleading for the people God tells Moses that he will meet him and redo the covenant. In chapter 33 verses 12 to 23, God tells Moses about how he will meet with him. I love when Moses says, "Now show me your glory." That's pretty bold.
Chapter 34 describes how the LORD met with Moses to redo the covenant. God writes the covenant on two new stone tablets. He meets with Moses, but this time he does not show Moses his face. He hid his glory. Why? My guess is that it was almost like a lesson. When sin separates him from God, he cannot see the face of God.
After meeting with God, Moses' face was "radiant". I don't know if that means he was smiling uncontrollably or if that meant that it was luminescent. I think it implies the latter. It was so radiant that they made a veil for him that covered his face whenever he was with the people. He took the veil off only to meet with God. Moses' veil seems to mirror God's hand in 33:22 when God uses his hand to hide his glory from Moses.
The rest of the reading is more detail about the priests and the construction of the tabernacle.
I feel tired today. I don't really feel like I learned any great truth today. Today feels like a lesson in discipline and perseverance. I think I'm distracted too. Steph and I are taking our engagement photos with our photographer today. We also have a big family supper for Thanksgiving, so my mind is sort of focused on that too.
1810 pages to go!
I am interested in why they would so quickly turn away from God and worship something that they knew they created. I know that calves were a symbol of deity in Egypt (Apis), and so in a way they were turning back to their captivity, back to their bondage. Why? I don't know. Why would they be in the presence of God one day and then the next day say, "Hey! Let's melt some gold, make it into a cow, and then worship that!" Perhaps they were struggling in the way that I do much of time. They wanted something tangible. They wanted to see God and touch God, they wanted to see his face and be able to know with certainty that he was with them, but they could not. God was not a thing. God was not an object. God, as I see it here, is a promise, is a commitment, is a mighty and powerful force. He was the anti-thesis to materialism. He was "who will be". God was not a permanent thing. Who he is depends on who we are and how we relate to him. This is the God of the object relation theorists. Who we are, then, depends entirely on him. This dialogical relationship seems to pervade this section of Scripture.
So, after meeting with God and pleading for the people God tells Moses that he will meet him and redo the covenant. In chapter 33 verses 12 to 23, God tells Moses about how he will meet with him. I love when Moses says, "Now show me your glory." That's pretty bold.
Chapter 34 describes how the LORD met with Moses to redo the covenant. God writes the covenant on two new stone tablets. He meets with Moses, but this time he does not show Moses his face. He hid his glory. Why? My guess is that it was almost like a lesson. When sin separates him from God, he cannot see the face of God.
After meeting with God, Moses' face was "radiant". I don't know if that means he was smiling uncontrollably or if that meant that it was luminescent. I think it implies the latter. It was so radiant that they made a veil for him that covered his face whenever he was with the people. He took the veil off only to meet with God. Moses' veil seems to mirror God's hand in 33:22 when God uses his hand to hide his glory from Moses.
The rest of the reading is more detail about the priests and the construction of the tabernacle.
I feel tired today. I don't really feel like I learned any great truth today. Today feels like a lesson in discipline and perseverance. I think I'm distracted too. Steph and I are taking our engagement photos with our photographer today. We also have a big family supper for Thanksgiving, so my mind is sort of focused on that too.
1810 pages to go!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Day 19: Exodus 27:1-31:18
To be completely honest, I dozed off a few times during this reading. It was a reference section for the priests of Israel to construct the Tabernacle, the elements of the Tabernacle, and the clothing that Aaron and his sons were supposed to where as part their duties.
The Altar of Burnt Offering, the Courtyard, the Oil for the Lampstand, the Ephod, the Priestly Garments, the Breastpiece are all described in this passage. What I thought was interesting was that the garment that Aaron wore as the chief priest had so much symbolism. His shoulders had badges with the names of six tribes of Israel on one shoulder and the names of the other six on the other shoulder. He represented the whole nation whenever he entered the Tabernacle. He wore a plate on his turban whenever he entered the Tabernacle that read, "HOLY TO THE LORD". As a representative of the entire nation of people, he had to be holy before God, lest he be struck dead by God's holiness. Everything about this whole process- the strict blueprints for the tabernacles and the rituals to consecrate the priests and to atone for the sins of the people, the type of yarn to use for the garments- seems to me to be a huge lesson in re-orienting the people to the LORD, to set them apart for Him, to develop in them other-worldly focus.
I do find today's passage brutal at times. I do not know how often offerings were to be given yet. That part has not been discussed in the Scripture, but the the way in which this animals were killed, their blood drained, then sprinkled or burned, their fat burned, and their flesh consumed, was part of the reading. I kept thinking about how much blood shed and death must have hung over the Tabernacle. The sounds and cries of slaughtered animals, the smell of death, the smoke coming from the burnt offerings. The suffering and death of these animals was the atonement for the people. That death and suffering was the LORD ordained consequence of and remedy to their sinful actions. My assumption is that, at least for the entire duration of their stint in the desert, animals would have been slaughtered and their bodies and blood would have been used in these rituals daily. If that is not a powerful allegory/teaching tool, I am not sure what is.
Well, I am tired, and I need to sleep.
1817 pages to go.
The Altar of Burnt Offering, the Courtyard, the Oil for the Lampstand, the Ephod, the Priestly Garments, the Breastpiece are all described in this passage. What I thought was interesting was that the garment that Aaron wore as the chief priest had so much symbolism. His shoulders had badges with the names of six tribes of Israel on one shoulder and the names of the other six on the other shoulder. He represented the whole nation whenever he entered the Tabernacle. He wore a plate on his turban whenever he entered the Tabernacle that read, "HOLY TO THE LORD". As a representative of the entire nation of people, he had to be holy before God, lest he be struck dead by God's holiness. Everything about this whole process- the strict blueprints for the tabernacles and the rituals to consecrate the priests and to atone for the sins of the people, the type of yarn to use for the garments- seems to me to be a huge lesson in re-orienting the people to the LORD, to set them apart for Him, to develop in them other-worldly focus.
I do find today's passage brutal at times. I do not know how often offerings were to be given yet. That part has not been discussed in the Scripture, but the the way in which this animals were killed, their blood drained, then sprinkled or burned, their fat burned, and their flesh consumed, was part of the reading. I kept thinking about how much blood shed and death must have hung over the Tabernacle. The sounds and cries of slaughtered animals, the smell of death, the smoke coming from the burnt offerings. The suffering and death of these animals was the atonement for the people. That death and suffering was the LORD ordained consequence of and remedy to their sinful actions. My assumption is that, at least for the entire duration of their stint in the desert, animals would have been slaughtered and their bodies and blood would have been used in these rituals daily. If that is not a powerful allegory/teaching tool, I am not sure what is.
Well, I am tired, and I need to sleep.
1817 pages to go.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Day 18: Exodus 22:1-2637
I know this blog is a day late, but by the time I read the passage for the day, I had to go to my volunteer job until midnight. Again, I had the awesome opportunity to talk about my journey through this Bible. People were interested in knowing what I'd read this past week and what some highlights have been for me. It was wonderful to share more about my journey with them.
I don't know how to witness to people. I haven't said, "Hey, you guys should be Christians!" But I think I have shared with them my faith, my spiritual ups and downs as I have gone through this book. I have shared with them my experiences. For example, I remember saying something like "I just love how God shows His/Her/Its love for His/Her/Its people here, and how immanent He is. I feel like He moved in me when I read this, and I felt so much peace." Stuff like that. I've told them that I have a faith in Christ, but I've not read the sinner's prayer to anyone yet. Maybe that will come. Let's hope and pray!
This day's reading was pretty boring to be honest. It was more rules and regulations about feasts and laws.
The theme of the fear or terror of God came up again in 23:27 when God tells the people that He is sending an angel ahead of them. He later refers to that angel as "my terror". He sent His terror ahead of them to clear out Canaan so that the Israelites could settle in a peaceful land. The terror of God. If I saw God, I wonder if I would be terrified.
Then God tells Moses how to make the Tabernacle and all its elements. There is so much gold involved! The thing must have been quite the sight to see. The ark must have been beautiful. The lid with two cherubim was made from one piece of gold and the way it is described, it would have shone in the sunlight and been so beautiful.
Well, that's all for now!
I don't know how to witness to people. I haven't said, "Hey, you guys should be Christians!" But I think I have shared with them my faith, my spiritual ups and downs as I have gone through this book. I have shared with them my experiences. For example, I remember saying something like "I just love how God shows His/Her/Its love for His/Her/Its people here, and how immanent He is. I feel like He moved in me when I read this, and I felt so much peace." Stuff like that. I've told them that I have a faith in Christ, but I've not read the sinner's prayer to anyone yet. Maybe that will come. Let's hope and pray!
This day's reading was pretty boring to be honest. It was more rules and regulations about feasts and laws.
The theme of the fear or terror of God came up again in 23:27 when God tells the people that He is sending an angel ahead of them. He later refers to that angel as "my terror". He sent His terror ahead of them to clear out Canaan so that the Israelites could settle in a peaceful land. The terror of God. If I saw God, I wonder if I would be terrified.
Then God tells Moses how to make the Tabernacle and all its elements. There is so much gold involved! The thing must have been quite the sight to see. The ark must have been beautiful. The lid with two cherubim was made from one piece of gold and the way it is described, it would have shone in the sunlight and been so beautiful.
Well, that's all for now!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Day 17: Exodus 16:1-21:36
I'm so tired today. I don't know if I'm battling a cold, fatigue, or both. I had a horrible sleep last night. I woke up feeling like I had been beaten the night before, and as if my head was being compressed by a vice. I managed to get some work done today, and I had the chance to go see the Bodies exhibition. Interesting.
I read about the manna and quail today, God's food for the wandering Israelites while they were in the desert. Every morning, they woke up to see a fresh coating of manna on the ground. It says in Ex. 16:31 that it tasted like honey. I thought to myself, "Hmm... land of milk and honey? We've got the honey, but where's the milk now?" There was manna everyday, and people could have only enough for the day, otherwise it would go bad. God gave them only what they needed for the day, and if they tried hording it, it went bad. He wanted them to rely solely on Him. They took a bunch of it and stuffed it in a jar to show future generations. They kept it in front of the "Testimony", which I'm assuming is something similar to a record of all that was happening to them at the time. Later, I think they put the jars of manna in the Ark of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments tablets.
The people have been traveling in a desert for three days, and they are understandably thirsty. They are going to stone Moses if he doesn't get them water. So, God tells him to meet Him by the rock at Horeb, strike the rock with the staff that he used to spread the Red Sea waters, and then water gushed out enough to serve the people. So a rock represents both the harbinger of death and the source of life. The only difference is whether and how the LORD is involved and what He wills.
Next, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, comes to visit Moses, bringing Moses' wife and kids. Jethro is "delighted" at how Moses is walking with God. That was cool. Moses had apparently been trying to manage all of the civil disputes among the people so Jethro helps Moses set up an hierarchical judicial system with Moses acting as sort of a Supreme Justice.
Chapter 19 contains what I think is the first female metaphor used to describe God that I have seen so far in Scripture. In verse 4, He says, "You yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." In the notes of my study Bible, it says that this description is most like the female golden eagle. Hooray for signs of God's female nature!
The Ten Commandments are described in chapter 20.
1. No other gods.
2. No idols.
3. Do not misuse the name (which I think means something more like "the honour, prestige, history, reputation, and legacy) of the LORD.
4. Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy. No work on the Sabbath for anybody.
5. Honour your father and mother, so that you will live long in the land the LORD has given you.
6. Don't murder.
7. Don't commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Don't lie.
10. Don't covet another person's things or wife (which I will extend to spouse/partner)
Though it's filled with course language, I couldn't help but keep thinking about George Carlin's take on the Ten Commandments. My personal reaction to the Ten Commandments is underwhelm-ment (I can make up words because it's my made up blog). If God was the source of everything good, why couldn't he have given the Israelites advanced ethics like Aristotelian, utilitarian, deontological, or virtue ethics. Why didn't God use principles like Christ did (love, holiness, and justice)? Why are these laws so barbaric if they came from God? My guess is that they are so barbaric because they probably didn't come from God. They are probably simplified versions of what God actually said. Just my guess. Given that they were probably living in a time and place where philosophy and science hadn't been invented yet, then they would have little basis or few tools with which to understand these laws.
ANYWAY! I digress.
The barbaric laws continue in chapter 21. Here, slavery as an institution is legitimized, as "the Lord said to Moses." I have a feeling that, again, Moses and others wrote these laws to confirm the cultural beliefs and practices of the time under the name of God in order to create stability in the group. Let's face it. A crowd of thirsty and disgruntled people in a desert are not going to take lightly to massive social changes that would disrupt what little they had in the way of the life they knew. My only problem is this: They were slaves in Egypt, right? They knew the injustice of the system. Sure, the Egyptians were harsh with them from time to time. But it was the institution of slavery that was detestable. Even if the Egyptians were nice to the Jews, wouldn't it still be a detestable practice? Why then, were the Jews dragging slaves around?
Barbaric law 1: If you beat your slave and kill her, you should be killed by stoning, but if she manages to survive the beating or revive after a couple of days, then you are "not to be punished... since the slave is [your] property." I just can't imagine God thinking like that. That sounds like the logic of an ancient shepherd, not a loving and just God. Interestingly, the only passage I could find with the phrase, "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" was if a man strikes a pregnant mother and there is "serious injury" (Ex. 21:22-25). Does "serious injury" mean the miscarriage of the baby, death of the mother and baby, or just a bruise or a couple of broken bones? I don't know.
One law that made me giggle was as follows: "If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull must be put to death." (Ex. 21:28-29)
"A habit of goring" made me giggle for some reason." It sounds like a Monty Python sketch in the making.
I'm tired.
1832 pages to go!
I read about the manna and quail today, God's food for the wandering Israelites while they were in the desert. Every morning, they woke up to see a fresh coating of manna on the ground. It says in Ex. 16:31 that it tasted like honey. I thought to myself, "Hmm... land of milk and honey? We've got the honey, but where's the milk now?" There was manna everyday, and people could have only enough for the day, otherwise it would go bad. God gave them only what they needed for the day, and if they tried hording it, it went bad. He wanted them to rely solely on Him. They took a bunch of it and stuffed it in a jar to show future generations. They kept it in front of the "Testimony", which I'm assuming is something similar to a record of all that was happening to them at the time. Later, I think they put the jars of manna in the Ark of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments tablets.
The people have been traveling in a desert for three days, and they are understandably thirsty. They are going to stone Moses if he doesn't get them water. So, God tells him to meet Him by the rock at Horeb, strike the rock with the staff that he used to spread the Red Sea waters, and then water gushed out enough to serve the people. So a rock represents both the harbinger of death and the source of life. The only difference is whether and how the LORD is involved and what He wills.
Next, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, comes to visit Moses, bringing Moses' wife and kids. Jethro is "delighted" at how Moses is walking with God. That was cool. Moses had apparently been trying to manage all of the civil disputes among the people so Jethro helps Moses set up an hierarchical judicial system with Moses acting as sort of a Supreme Justice.
Chapter 19 contains what I think is the first female metaphor used to describe God that I have seen so far in Scripture. In verse 4, He says, "You yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." In the notes of my study Bible, it says that this description is most like the female golden eagle. Hooray for signs of God's female nature!
The Ten Commandments are described in chapter 20.
1. No other gods.
2. No idols.
3. Do not misuse the name (which I think means something more like "the honour, prestige, history, reputation, and legacy) of the LORD.
4. Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy. No work on the Sabbath for anybody.
5. Honour your father and mother, so that you will live long in the land the LORD has given you.
6. Don't murder.
7. Don't commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Don't lie.
10. Don't covet another person's things or wife (which I will extend to spouse/partner)
Though it's filled with course language, I couldn't help but keep thinking about George Carlin's take on the Ten Commandments. My personal reaction to the Ten Commandments is underwhelm-ment (I can make up words because it's my made up blog). If God was the source of everything good, why couldn't he have given the Israelites advanced ethics like Aristotelian, utilitarian, deontological, or virtue ethics. Why didn't God use principles like Christ did (love, holiness, and justice)? Why are these laws so barbaric if they came from God? My guess is that they are so barbaric because they probably didn't come from God. They are probably simplified versions of what God actually said. Just my guess. Given that they were probably living in a time and place where philosophy and science hadn't been invented yet, then they would have little basis or few tools with which to understand these laws.
ANYWAY! I digress.
The barbaric laws continue in chapter 21. Here, slavery as an institution is legitimized, as "the Lord said to Moses." I have a feeling that, again, Moses and others wrote these laws to confirm the cultural beliefs and practices of the time under the name of God in order to create stability in the group. Let's face it. A crowd of thirsty and disgruntled people in a desert are not going to take lightly to massive social changes that would disrupt what little they had in the way of the life they knew. My only problem is this: They were slaves in Egypt, right? They knew the injustice of the system. Sure, the Egyptians were harsh with them from time to time. But it was the institution of slavery that was detestable. Even if the Egyptians were nice to the Jews, wouldn't it still be a detestable practice? Why then, were the Jews dragging slaves around?
Barbaric law 1: If you beat your slave and kill her, you should be killed by stoning, but if she manages to survive the beating or revive after a couple of days, then you are "not to be punished... since the slave is [your] property." I just can't imagine God thinking like that. That sounds like the logic of an ancient shepherd, not a loving and just God. Interestingly, the only passage I could find with the phrase, "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" was if a man strikes a pregnant mother and there is "serious injury" (Ex. 21:22-25). Does "serious injury" mean the miscarriage of the baby, death of the mother and baby, or just a bruise or a couple of broken bones? I don't know.
One law that made me giggle was as follows: "If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull must be put to death." (Ex. 21:28-29)
"A habit of goring" made me giggle for some reason." It sounds like a Monty Python sketch in the making.
I'm tired.
1832 pages to go!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Day 16: Exodus 10:1-15:27
Last night was rough. I had a terrible sleep. I was restless and ended up trying to sleep on the couch in the basement while listening to Wiretap, hoping the oh! so monotonous voice of Jonathon Goldstein would whisk me off to blissful sleep. However, I woke up with a headache, sore throat, queasiness, and a general ill feeling. Suffice it to say, my reading for today was put on hold until the afternoon when I felt mildly better.
I picked up where we left off yesterday; it's always good to start with an obvious statement like that. Chapter 10 describes the plague of the locusts. According to my study Bible, this event occurred around the time when locusts are young and voracious. Whatever hope of recovery Egypt had after the hail plague wiped out most of their agricultural production of the year, the locusts surely finished off. They ate everything. Yet, still Pharaoh was defiant.
The next plague was that of darkness. My Bible pointed out that Egypt worshiped Ra, the sun god, and that he was one of the most prominent religious ideas in Egypt. So, darkness not only was inconvenient and eerie, it quite possibly could be interpreted as a God to god can of wupa$$, because God demonstrated His power over Ra. The sun faithfully rose and set every day and was the basis of all circadian stability. God's darkness insulted that balance, drawing attention to the sun-disc's absence and lack of power in the presence of the LORD.
Chapter 11 is about the plague of the firstborn, or at least, the chapter where the LORD announces what He's going to do. It seems like the last straw. Pharaoh up until this point started defiant, then got scared, then changed his mind, etc. I think this last one was to try and finally show that the LORD controls life and death itself, unlike any other power Pharaoh's magicians or their mythology could explain. He was going to kill the firstborn of everyone, from the "slave girl" to the Pharaoh: everyone.
Apparently, the firstborn (male, of course; who couldn't use a little patriarchy?) symbolized all the hopes and dreams of a family. So, to kill the firstborn male was like murder plus life insurance theft plus defiling the name (which is synonymous with prestige and glory, remember) of the family. The LORD does not want to kill the Jewish babies and so He tells them about the Passover rules. On the tenth day of the month, they were to take a male lamb (sheep or goat; you choose) without defect, one per household, care for them til the fourteenth day. Then kill it at twilight (not the popular teen movie), and sprinkle its blood on the top and sides of the door frame of your house with hyssop (a leafy plant with a long woody stem conveniently similar to a handle). Then, you're supposed to eat all of the meat by roasting it over a fire (like shepherds do when they're in the wild) and you have to eat all of it. No leftovers for Passovers. You have to eat it with your jacket (cloak) on with your shoes on and staff in hand. Eat quickly. Essentially, it seems like they had to eat ready to leave, ready to exodus at any moment. They are to eat bread without yeast for 7 days in the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
In verses 21 to 24, there is an interesting reference. God says through Moses that the LORD will go through the land and will pass over the houses with the blood. He will not permit the destroyer to enter the houses. So, God Himself actually passed through the land. I always remember a reference to an "Angel of Death":. Maybe that is the "destroyer".
All the unprotected firstborns die, and Egypt is mourning. Pharaoh's own son dies, destroying his legacy. He says, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go." So they are now free to leave.
But then he says something that I've never heard talked about. In verse 32, Pharaoh says, "And also bless me." Christ told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Perhaps he would have drawn on this verse as an example. I don't know.
God tells Moses about the promised land flowing with milk and honey. I wonder if milk and honey is more of a reference to having large herds of dairy and meat cattle, which are revered in near and middle eastern culture as a sign of wealth and prosperity. Honey could also represent the presence of bees, which are necessary for healthy crops. So, maybe "milk and honey" is like "wealth and food security". Again, I'm just observing patterns as I go.
The Israelites are then told to leave. They follow a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Fire by Night seems like a good band name, but I digress. The "angel of God", we are told in Ex. 14:19, traveled in front of Israel. So, they try to go to the desert, but Pharaoh wants them back and tries chasing them down, but the angel at the front (the cloud by day) goes behind Israel to provide a smoke screen between Israel and Pharaoh (Ex. 14:19-20). Cool stuff.
Then some even cooler stuff happens. Moses stretches out his staff parting the waters, not just receding them, but literally parting them into two halves with walls of water on either side and dry ground between for them to walk on.(Ex. 14:29-31). What I thought was cool was that there were walls of water. The water didn't just recede like a tide. The description is more like a canyon in the water was formed with walls of water on either side. That would be amazing to see. The phrasing here reminded me of Genesis 1:9-10, when God parts the waters to set up the dry ground He calls land. The Israelites all walk across on dry ground. Then just as Pharaoh is in the valley between the water walls, God looks down from the pillar of fire and cloud at starts causing the Egyptian chariots to fall apart and break down. Then God tells Moses to lift his staff again, and the waters close on the Egyptians. The Israelites are free.
Of course, this would be pretty amazing to see, and terrifying. Again, the idea of the fear of the LORD comes up. The Israelites feared the LORD after they saw all that. I know I would be a little freaked out myself.
The next chapter is a song of praise from Moses and Miriam about how the LORD rescued them. Again, the theme of the fear of God comes up. Read Ex. 15:14-16. That does not sound like just reverence to me. That sounds like they are dead terrified.
The only other cool thing is that this is the first passage I came across where a woman is described as a prophetess. Finally! Feminists rejoice! In Ex. 15:20, Miriam is described as a prophetess. Pretty cool.
Well, this has taken waaaaaay too long to write, and I am tired. I was struck, however, in this passage at God's faithfulness, and His providence in carrying the people He loves through trial and tribulation, providing for them. Thank you, God.
I love You. I need You. I desperately need You.
1840 pages to go!
I picked up where we left off yesterday; it's always good to start with an obvious statement like that. Chapter 10 describes the plague of the locusts. According to my study Bible, this event occurred around the time when locusts are young and voracious. Whatever hope of recovery Egypt had after the hail plague wiped out most of their agricultural production of the year, the locusts surely finished off. They ate everything. Yet, still Pharaoh was defiant.
The next plague was that of darkness. My Bible pointed out that Egypt worshiped Ra, the sun god, and that he was one of the most prominent religious ideas in Egypt. So, darkness not only was inconvenient and eerie, it quite possibly could be interpreted as a God to god can of wupa$$, because God demonstrated His power over Ra. The sun faithfully rose and set every day and was the basis of all circadian stability. God's darkness insulted that balance, drawing attention to the sun-disc's absence and lack of power in the presence of the LORD.
Chapter 11 is about the plague of the firstborn, or at least, the chapter where the LORD announces what He's going to do. It seems like the last straw. Pharaoh up until this point started defiant, then got scared, then changed his mind, etc. I think this last one was to try and finally show that the LORD controls life and death itself, unlike any other power Pharaoh's magicians or their mythology could explain. He was going to kill the firstborn of everyone, from the "slave girl" to the Pharaoh: everyone.
Apparently, the firstborn (male, of course; who couldn't use a little patriarchy?) symbolized all the hopes and dreams of a family. So, to kill the firstborn male was like murder plus life insurance theft plus defiling the name (which is synonymous with prestige and glory, remember) of the family. The LORD does not want to kill the Jewish babies and so He tells them about the Passover rules. On the tenth day of the month, they were to take a male lamb (sheep or goat; you choose) without defect, one per household, care for them til the fourteenth day. Then kill it at twilight (not the popular teen movie), and sprinkle its blood on the top and sides of the door frame of your house with hyssop (a leafy plant with a long woody stem conveniently similar to a handle). Then, you're supposed to eat all of the meat by roasting it over a fire (like shepherds do when they're in the wild) and you have to eat all of it. No leftovers for Passovers. You have to eat it with your jacket (cloak) on with your shoes on and staff in hand. Eat quickly. Essentially, it seems like they had to eat ready to leave, ready to exodus at any moment. They are to eat bread without yeast for 7 days in the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
In verses 21 to 24, there is an interesting reference. God says through Moses that the LORD will go through the land and will pass over the houses with the blood. He will not permit the destroyer to enter the houses. So, God Himself actually passed through the land. I always remember a reference to an "Angel of Death":. Maybe that is the "destroyer".
All the unprotected firstborns die, and Egypt is mourning. Pharaoh's own son dies, destroying his legacy. He says, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go." So they are now free to leave.
But then he says something that I've never heard talked about. In verse 32, Pharaoh says, "And also bless me." Christ told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Perhaps he would have drawn on this verse as an example. I don't know.
God tells Moses about the promised land flowing with milk and honey. I wonder if milk and honey is more of a reference to having large herds of dairy and meat cattle, which are revered in near and middle eastern culture as a sign of wealth and prosperity. Honey could also represent the presence of bees, which are necessary for healthy crops. So, maybe "milk and honey" is like "wealth and food security". Again, I'm just observing patterns as I go.
The Israelites are then told to leave. They follow a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Fire by Night seems like a good band name, but I digress. The "angel of God", we are told in Ex. 14:19, traveled in front of Israel. So, they try to go to the desert, but Pharaoh wants them back and tries chasing them down, but the angel at the front (the cloud by day) goes behind Israel to provide a smoke screen between Israel and Pharaoh (Ex. 14:19-20). Cool stuff.
Then some even cooler stuff happens. Moses stretches out his staff parting the waters, not just receding them, but literally parting them into two halves with walls of water on either side and dry ground between for them to walk on.(Ex. 14:29-31). What I thought was cool was that there were walls of water. The water didn't just recede like a tide. The description is more like a canyon in the water was formed with walls of water on either side. That would be amazing to see. The phrasing here reminded me of Genesis 1:9-10, when God parts the waters to set up the dry ground He calls land. The Israelites all walk across on dry ground. Then just as Pharaoh is in the valley between the water walls, God looks down from the pillar of fire and cloud at starts causing the Egyptian chariots to fall apart and break down. Then God tells Moses to lift his staff again, and the waters close on the Egyptians. The Israelites are free.
Of course, this would be pretty amazing to see, and terrifying. Again, the idea of the fear of the LORD comes up. The Israelites feared the LORD after they saw all that. I know I would be a little freaked out myself.
The next chapter is a song of praise from Moses and Miriam about how the LORD rescued them. Again, the theme of the fear of God comes up. Read Ex. 15:14-16. That does not sound like just reverence to me. That sounds like they are dead terrified.
The only other cool thing is that this is the first passage I came across where a woman is described as a prophetess. Finally! Feminists rejoice! In Ex. 15:20, Miriam is described as a prophetess. Pretty cool.
Well, this has taken waaaaaay too long to write, and I am tired. I was struck, however, in this passage at God's faithfulness, and His providence in carrying the people He loves through trial and tribulation, providing for them. Thank you, God.
I love You. I need You. I desperately need You.
1840 pages to go!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Day 15: Exodus 5:1-9:35
Today was the story of Moses and the Pharaoh and the Ten Plagues. Why ten? Probably because 10 sounds good. 10 Sounds official. 10 is poetic. Nine, not so much. Eleven sounds like you've got more than you need. Ten, though, sounds complete and authoritative.
I remember once listening to or watching documentary on the 10 Plagues, and they said that, if you look at them closely, most of them can be accounted for by natural processes. If I remember correctly, here is what they said: The Nile becoming like blood could have been caused by an abnormally high tide where the reddish soil got washed into the water, making it look like blood and making it stagnant, smell bad, and undrinkable. It would also explain why the Egyptians were able to filter it through the soil in the wells they dug (Ex. 7:24). Frogs like swamps, and when the water became stagnant, it may have become good for them to breed. So when there were too many to live on the banks of the Nile, they moved inland. The frogs overpopulated in Egypt and overran the Egyptians. Frogs cannot live so long away from the water, and they probably died. Their bodies would be perfect breeding grounds for gnats and flies who eat fungus and dead and decaying organic material. The water impurities and infestation of flies and gnats (who probably carried lots of diseases could have led to the livestock death in Ex. 9:1-7. I'm not sure how they would explain the boils and hail. Maybe the boils could come from eating poor meat and drinking bad water. The hail seems more like the effects of hot, humid, windy air masses. That was more of an obvious God-thing. Maybe the whole thing was God's doing. The narrative seems to present it that way, because God tells Moses what is going to happen. Then Moses warns Pharaoh.
Anyway, it was interesting to see how Pharaoh went back and forth from his arrogance and not listening to the advice of his officials (his hardening heart) and then wanting to let the Israelites go. He seemed to try and save face and not be challenged by an elderly goat herder (Moses).
What I also found interesting was that it mentions that the magicians of Pharaoh's court could do some of the miracles that Moses and Aaron did. They were able to make the snake into a staff and back again, although Aaron's staff ate their snakes (Ex. 7:11-13). I wonder what the allegorical significance of the staff eating their staff is. They were also able to change water to blood (Ex. 7:22), summon frogs from the land (Ex. 8:8). I would love to know how they did these things. I do not know if it was an illusion or something else. Modern illusionists have some pretty convincing acts, and it would seem that probably some of them could come up with ways of doing some of these. My bible also says in the margin that people do not know if it was illusions or some sort of demonic thing. I'm not sure.
They could not summon the gnats (Ex. 8:18), the boils (Ex. 9:11)and the sections on the other plagues don't mention their abilities, as far as I remember.
The reading is going OK, but I do find that I am finding that when I'm tired, it makes me less motivated to sit down and get the reading done. I'm so thankful that my church is all doing this together. Somehow, just knowing that others are doing the same thing is helpful. Praise God, He has given me the strength and perseverance to keep up with the readings for as long as I have.
I wasn't struck with any major insights from today's reading like I have in past readings. That's probably normal and to be expected. I don't think Numbers will be a particularly exciting read, for example.
Well, that's all for today. A much shorter blog today, but hopefully there will be more exciting stuff tomorrow.
I remember once listening to or watching documentary on the 10 Plagues, and they said that, if you look at them closely, most of them can be accounted for by natural processes. If I remember correctly, here is what they said: The Nile becoming like blood could have been caused by an abnormally high tide where the reddish soil got washed into the water, making it look like blood and making it stagnant, smell bad, and undrinkable. It would also explain why the Egyptians were able to filter it through the soil in the wells they dug (Ex. 7:24). Frogs like swamps, and when the water became stagnant, it may have become good for them to breed. So when there were too many to live on the banks of the Nile, they moved inland. The frogs overpopulated in Egypt and overran the Egyptians. Frogs cannot live so long away from the water, and they probably died. Their bodies would be perfect breeding grounds for gnats and flies who eat fungus and dead and decaying organic material. The water impurities and infestation of flies and gnats (who probably carried lots of diseases could have led to the livestock death in Ex. 9:1-7. I'm not sure how they would explain the boils and hail. Maybe the boils could come from eating poor meat and drinking bad water. The hail seems more like the effects of hot, humid, windy air masses. That was more of an obvious God-thing. Maybe the whole thing was God's doing. The narrative seems to present it that way, because God tells Moses what is going to happen. Then Moses warns Pharaoh.
Anyway, it was interesting to see how Pharaoh went back and forth from his arrogance and not listening to the advice of his officials (his hardening heart) and then wanting to let the Israelites go. He seemed to try and save face and not be challenged by an elderly goat herder (Moses).
What I also found interesting was that it mentions that the magicians of Pharaoh's court could do some of the miracles that Moses and Aaron did. They were able to make the snake into a staff and back again, although Aaron's staff ate their snakes (Ex. 7:11-13). I wonder what the allegorical significance of the staff eating their staff is. They were also able to change water to blood (Ex. 7:22), summon frogs from the land (Ex. 8:8). I would love to know how they did these things. I do not know if it was an illusion or something else. Modern illusionists have some pretty convincing acts, and it would seem that probably some of them could come up with ways of doing some of these. My bible also says in the margin that people do not know if it was illusions or some sort of demonic thing. I'm not sure.
They could not summon the gnats (Ex. 8:18), the boils (Ex. 9:11)and the sections on the other plagues don't mention their abilities, as far as I remember.
The reading is going OK, but I do find that I am finding that when I'm tired, it makes me less motivated to sit down and get the reading done. I'm so thankful that my church is all doing this together. Somehow, just knowing that others are doing the same thing is helpful. Praise God, He has given me the strength and perseverance to keep up with the readings for as long as I have.
I wasn't struck with any major insights from today's reading like I have in past readings. That's probably normal and to be expected. I don't think Numbers will be a particularly exciting read, for example.
Well, that's all for today. A much shorter blog today, but hopefully there will be more exciting stuff tomorrow.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Day 11-12: Genesis 34:1-Exodus 4:31
Last night, I was at my volunteer position until midnight; then I came home. After going to bed at around 2 in the morning, I had a nightmare last night about being swarmed by army ants. The nightmare woke me up at around 7:30am, so I decided that I was feeling too uncomfortable to go back to sleep. I decided to get my reading done for the day and to catch up on the reading that I missed out on yesterday.
Yesterday, I was busy trying to get registered with a Canadian federal program that finds jobs for recent university graduates. I got absorbed into it, so I didn't get a chance to do the reading for the day. I took my Bible to my volunteer position thinking that I may be able to get it done there. It was really interesting because this organization is a secular but open LGBTTI*-friendly facility (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Two-Spirited, Inter-sexed, and any other person who doesn't fit into traditional categories of gender or sexual orientation). Usually, discussion of all things about Christianity or God, as in the Judeo-Christian version of God, can be heated at best. So, I was nervous bringing my big study Bible there but thought that the worst that would happen is that they would ask me to put it away so that others didn't feel uncomfortable or something.
Quite the contrary happened. Other staff and volunteers saw me reading, and they started asking me questions. Why was I doing it? How was the read? They told me of their own experience with the Bible and a little bit about their take on faith. The general impression I got was that many had not read the Bible. Most had tried reading some of it, got frustrated because it was boring or offensive, and then they put it down. Most said they tried reading through the whole thing cover to cover and got very frustrated. I did connect with one guy though. He mentioned that he recently finished reading the New Testament and found it very interesting. He asked me why I was doing it. I said that I was doing it along with my church because I have never read the Bible before and thought I should know what is in this book. I should know what the book of my faith is all about.
In this way, I got to share a little about my faith with these people. There were about five or six of them in the room. They all heard that I was a Christian and that I was trying my best to read through the Bible. I didn't want to pressure any of these people. After all, we're under enough pressure as it is, helping counsel people who call in on crisis, suicide, sexual assault, and other phone lines. But I feel like a seed has been opened. Many of the people there were really interested and open to hearing about my experience with the Word. They wanted to know about what I thought of it and what I was learning. I told them that I'm seeing a lot of narrative teaching so far, where a lot of the stories point toward God as righteousness and that they often stray from that. I told them about how, for the first time, I'm noticing patterns, like the pattern of two kin, one committing her or himself to God while the other lives a sinful life devoid of seeking God. I feel like a barrier was brought down. I'll let God minister to these people as God sees fit, whether it is direct, through me, or through someone else, but it was really cool to see how God seemed to bless those moments that we were able to talk.
People really opened up. One person told me about his experience with Christianity. I was not expecting him to be so vulnerable. Usually, he uses a lot of humour to hide behind his very critical statements of certain issues, often religious. He told me that he tried getting into Christianity and reading the Bible, but never felt comfortable because of his "Zealot of a grandmother". He reacted to his grandmother's condemning ways, feeling that, if God really loved a person, He would love them exactly for who she or he was. So, he became an atheist and has been vocal about it ever since I knew him. I talked to him a little about what I was reading and shared how I'm trying to read this Bible both to see what I learn, but mostly just to read it, because as a person of faith, I should learn this book. I will be praying for that person. I hope you will as well.
Maybe a seed has been planted.
Today was the end of Jacob's (Israel's) and Joseph's story, and the beginning of Moses' story. It made sense for the most part. I always love the way God reveals himself to Moses. "I will be who I will be". The denial of a name. Pure potential and actuality. Nothing more, nothing less. This is the God that I love to think about, to talk about.
I was confused, though. I know that Moses was reluctant. Several times he tells God that maybe God should find someone else to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. After all, Moses killed a guy. God finally says He'll use Aaron to speak for Moses. I thought, "OK, so we have a compromise here." Then in Exodus 4:24, God tries to kill Moses. His mother saves Moses' life only when she grabs Moses, grabs a flint knife, and circumcises him. I am sure that Moses is not a young boy at this point. Two things. I know God was upset, but KILL MOSES? And why would his mother straight up lop his foreskin off so graphically? YIKES!
This Bible is full of drama. That's for sure.
Till tomorrow!
Yesterday, I was busy trying to get registered with a Canadian federal program that finds jobs for recent university graduates. I got absorbed into it, so I didn't get a chance to do the reading for the day. I took my Bible to my volunteer position thinking that I may be able to get it done there. It was really interesting because this organization is a secular but open LGBTTI*-friendly facility (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Two-Spirited, Inter-sexed, and any other person who doesn't fit into traditional categories of gender or sexual orientation). Usually, discussion of all things about Christianity or God, as in the Judeo-Christian version of God, can be heated at best. So, I was nervous bringing my big study Bible there but thought that the worst that would happen is that they would ask me to put it away so that others didn't feel uncomfortable or something.
Quite the contrary happened. Other staff and volunteers saw me reading, and they started asking me questions. Why was I doing it? How was the read? They told me of their own experience with the Bible and a little bit about their take on faith. The general impression I got was that many had not read the Bible. Most had tried reading some of it, got frustrated because it was boring or offensive, and then they put it down. Most said they tried reading through the whole thing cover to cover and got very frustrated. I did connect with one guy though. He mentioned that he recently finished reading the New Testament and found it very interesting. He asked me why I was doing it. I said that I was doing it along with my church because I have never read the Bible before and thought I should know what is in this book. I should know what the book of my faith is all about.
In this way, I got to share a little about my faith with these people. There were about five or six of them in the room. They all heard that I was a Christian and that I was trying my best to read through the Bible. I didn't want to pressure any of these people. After all, we're under enough pressure as it is, helping counsel people who call in on crisis, suicide, sexual assault, and other phone lines. But I feel like a seed has been opened. Many of the people there were really interested and open to hearing about my experience with the Word. They wanted to know about what I thought of it and what I was learning. I told them that I'm seeing a lot of narrative teaching so far, where a lot of the stories point toward God as righteousness and that they often stray from that. I told them about how, for the first time, I'm noticing patterns, like the pattern of two kin, one committing her or himself to God while the other lives a sinful life devoid of seeking God. I feel like a barrier was brought down. I'll let God minister to these people as God sees fit, whether it is direct, through me, or through someone else, but it was really cool to see how God seemed to bless those moments that we were able to talk.
People really opened up. One person told me about his experience with Christianity. I was not expecting him to be so vulnerable. Usually, he uses a lot of humour to hide behind his very critical statements of certain issues, often religious. He told me that he tried getting into Christianity and reading the Bible, but never felt comfortable because of his "Zealot of a grandmother". He reacted to his grandmother's condemning ways, feeling that, if God really loved a person, He would love them exactly for who she or he was. So, he became an atheist and has been vocal about it ever since I knew him. I talked to him a little about what I was reading and shared how I'm trying to read this Bible both to see what I learn, but mostly just to read it, because as a person of faith, I should learn this book. I will be praying for that person. I hope you will as well.
Maybe a seed has been planted.
Today was the end of Jacob's (Israel's) and Joseph's story, and the beginning of Moses' story. It made sense for the most part. I always love the way God reveals himself to Moses. "I will be who I will be". The denial of a name. Pure potential and actuality. Nothing more, nothing less. This is the God that I love to think about, to talk about.
I was confused, though. I know that Moses was reluctant. Several times he tells God that maybe God should find someone else to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. After all, Moses killed a guy. God finally says He'll use Aaron to speak for Moses. I thought, "OK, so we have a compromise here." Then in Exodus 4:24, God tries to kill Moses. His mother saves Moses' life only when she grabs Moses, grabs a flint knife, and circumcises him. I am sure that Moses is not a young boy at this point. Two things. I know God was upset, but KILL MOSES? And why would his mother straight up lop his foreskin off so graphically? YIKES!
This Bible is full of drama. That's for sure.
Till tomorrow!
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