Job - Faith in the Worst of Times

I finally finished the book of Job. 

I don't know why it took so long to finish.  I guess life just got in the way.  I lost my motivation.  I lost spare moments.  I lost my priorities.  I finally sat down on Sunday and said I will finish today ... and I did.  But I don't really consider a book of the Bible read until I write about it.  So, here goes.

First, I had no idea that what happened to Job was the result of a bet between God and Satan.  What????

God has so much confidence in Job's faith that He told Satan he could do anything he wanted to Job (short of killing him) and God knew Job would remain faithful.  So Satan threw every bad thing he could think of at Job.  Job's children were struck dead, his wealth was taken away, and his home was burned down.  Satan afflicted Job with sores on the soles of his feet.  And still Job did not curse God for his troubles.  He still maintained his faith in God. 

Three of Job's friends came to sit with him, sympathize with him and comfort him.  

Job cursed the day he was born, but did not blame God for his misery.  He tried to figure out what he had done that God cursed him so.  He wanted to prove his innocence to God, but knew God had vast wisdom and power, so what could he possibly say that God did not already know?  He asked that God tell him what charges He had against him.  He didn't understand what happened to him, but he did not blame God for his troubles.

The book goes back and forth in a conversation between Job and his friends. 

They did not understand how Job could not blame God for his misery.  Job just kept repeating that what ever happened to him had to be because of something he did - some failing on his part.  He was not sure what it was, but he still had faith in God, despite all the arguments of his friends.

And God listened.

God lectured Job.  He asked Job if he can answer questions only God knows the answer to.  And Job replies that he has no such knowledge.  Then God asks Job if he can do things only God can do.  Again, Job replies that only God can do such things.  Job apologizes to God, realizing he is not privilege to God's plans, and he spoke of things he did not understand.  God then rebuked Job's friends but said because of Job's prayers for them, God will forgive the friends for the bad advice they gave Job.

In the end, the Lord restored Job's fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.  He blessed Job with more children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to the fourth generation.  And Job died an old man with many blessings.

I always thought of Job as just a whiner - but I really didn't know the story.  

Job had terrible things happen to him.  He had every right to be sad and upset and angry.  But he never blamed God.  Through it all he had an undeniable faith.  That is what I learned from the book of Job.  We expect life to be good and when it is is, we take things for granted.  Then when bad things happen, we are taken by surprise and get angry, usually at God.  But, as Job said, "How can we accept good from God and not trouble?"  

Job helps us understand everything is part of a larger plan, one we don't see or even understand, but God does.

Queen Esther

Esther is the second book of the Bible to be named after a woman. 

Before we meet Esther, however, we have Queen Vashti.  Vashti is married to King Xerxes and after a one hundred eighty day party, the king had a seven day banquet which ended in him wanting to show off his queen before all of his guests.  So he commanded her presence...now.  She refused to leave her women's banquet and the king could not allow such disrespect.  So, as punishment, he declared Vashti could never be in the presence of the king again and demoted her to a lower position.  This was done to send a signal to the other women of the realm that they, too, could lose everything if they did not obey their husbands.

Sometime later, the king realized his decree meant he no longer had a queen.  

This would not do, so there was a search to bring all the young virgins to his palace; one of which would be his future queen.  The women would be pampered and groomed until, after a year of preparation, they would be brought to the king for evaluation.  He would pick his next queen from this group.

Esther was one of these women.

Esther was beautiful, smart... and Jewish.  He uncle, Mordecai, advised her to hide her nationality and family background, as he knew this might not work in her favor.  Esther did as she was asked.  She used her beauty, her loyalty and her wits to become King Xerxes' second queen.  

Shortly after Esther is named queen, Mordecai discovers a plot to assassinate the king.  He tells Esther, who in turn tells the king, giving Mordecai the credit.  The report is investigated, found true, and the men are impaled on poles.  Mordecai's part is recorded in the annals of the king.  

Sometime later, the king names Haman to the highest position in his court.

I think this power went to Haman's head, as he was infuriated when Mordecai refused to bow down before him.  So Haman declared, in the kings name, that all the Jews (men, women and children) in the land were to be killed on a single day - the thirteenth day of the twelfth month.  This confused everyone - why would the king want to annihilate the Jews?  When Mordecai heard the decree he went to the city walls, fasting, weeping and wailing.

Esther sent a servant to see what was happening and Mordecai told Esther (through her servants) what Haman had decreed.  He warned Esther that not even she would escape what was to come.  So, Esther made a plan and went to the king.  She asked the king to prepare of banquet and invite Haman.  Now, Haman thought this invitation meant he was in her good graces.  But, Mordecai was still a problem.  Haman had a pole prepared on which he planned to impale Mordecai.

Esther, however, had a plan of her own.

She reminded the king that Mordecai had saved his life, but had never been honored for doing so.  The king then asks Haman (who thinks the king is talking about him) what should be done for a man the king would like to honor.  Haman names every grand thing he can think of and is mortified when the king orders him to do those things for Mordecai.  

And, he still has to go to Queen Esther's banquet.

The king asks Esther what she wants, what is her petition.  He will grant her anything.  She asks that the Jews be spared - and Haman be punished.  The king orders Haman be impaled on the very pole Haman erected to kill Mordecai on.

That same day, the king gave Haman's estate to Esther and honored Mordecai with his signet ring and the right to make any decree he wishes in the king's name.  Mordecai reverses Haman's decree and says the Jews now have the right to defend themselves against their enemies.  Esther asks that all of Haman's sons be killed and her wish is granted.

So, instead of the thirteenth day of the twelfth month being a day of mourning, the Jews celebrate their good fortune on the fourteenth and fifteenth day with a festival.  The festival was called Purim and is still celebrated to this day, just as Mordecai and Queen Esther decreed. 

What a story - it is like something out of the movies.

Coincidently, my husband's paternal grandmother - a woman of beauty, quick laughter and intelligence - was named Esther.  I wonder if she realized what power her name held?  

Nehemiah

For such a short book, it sure took me a long time to finish Nehemiah.

It has been a busy month, so I will give myself some grace.  My father-in-law moved to Colorado after a lifetime of living in the Midwest.  We helped him find an apartment, get settled in and tried to make him feel happy that he made this move.  It has been hard on him, I am sure.  He lost his wife of sixty years, said goodbye to friends and family, and moved across the country during a global pandemic.  But, sometimes, a fresh start is just what is needed.

Nehemiah, like Ezra, is a book of fresh starts.

The book of Nehemiah parallels Ezra, but Nehemiah is told by Nehemiah himself.  (I am not sure who wrote the book of Ezra.)  He often speaks in first person.  He details out his former life (a cupbearer to the king who hears about the walls of Jerusalem being destroyed, prays to God for help rebuilding the wall, and is eventually sent by the king to Jerusalem to do just that.)  Nehemiah goes from cupbearer of the king to governor of Judah in one swift move.  He frequently asks God to remember him with favor - look at all the good I have done.

Nehemiah finds Jewish descendants from all over to come help build the wall.

They arrive in Jerusalem and begin to rebuild the walls and the gates.  Nehemiah is governor who, in his own words, treats the Jews fairly by not taxing them.  He does encounter opposition to the wall, but is able to get past that, assuming the opponents were just afraid of God and all the help he is giving the Israelites.

With the walls and gates repaired, Nehemiah sets to fill the city with houses and people.

He makes a list of all the exiles who return to the city.  Then he has Ezra read the law to the people of Israel.  And the Israelites confess their sins by reviewing the history of their people, from Egypt to today.  They confess the failings and betrayals of their people, along with praise for God's frequent forgiveness.  They ask God to set them free once again and promise to obey his word.

Of  course, as soon as Nehemiah goes back to Babylon, someone messes up.

When he hears what is going on, Nehemiah asks for permission to return to Jerusalem.  Upon his arrival, Nehemiah chastises the priest in charge of the Temple, as the priest let a friend live in a part of the sacred house of God.  The priest wasn't giving the Levites what they were allotted so they, along with the musicians, all left.  People were working on the Sabbath.  Men are marrying foreign women.  What a mess!

So, Nehemiah has to set it all straight, again.

He concludes his writing by reminding the reader (and God) of all the bad everyone else did, how he set them straight and saved the day, asking God to remember him with favor.       

 

 

Ezra - Return and Rebuilding

 After years in exile the Israelites are finally allowed to return to Jerusalem.

Once there, they begin to rebuild God's temple, with the blessing of King Cyrus of Persia.  There is a bit of conflict and confusion over the construction as some people implied the Israelites were not authorized to do this.  But the issue is resolved through numerous letters and finally a research of the archives of King Cyrus.  Scrolls are located authorizing the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple.  The conflict is resolved and construction resumes.

Midway through the book, we finally meet Ezra.

Ezra was a descendent of Aaron (as in Moses and Aaron) and is a keeper of the laws of God.  Ezra was chosen to lead the rest of the exiles into Jerusalem, help complete the building of the temple and oversee the execution of the law.  When he arrives, Ezra discovers (of course) that the Israelites have already forsaken God's law by marrying foreigners from the lands surrounding Jerusalem.  Ezra pleads to God for forgiveness and all the people repent and join in.  The men who had married foreign women agree to send the women away.  

Ezra makes a list of the guilty and the book ends. 

On to Nehemiah! 

2 Chronicles

I thought 2 Chronicles would just be a repeat of 2 Kings.  I was wrong.

2 Kings jumped between the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel, following them along the same timeline.  2 Chronicles focuses solely on the kings of Judah starting with Solomon. Both books of Kings spent a lot of time on the prophets.  In Chronicles, the prophets are part of the story, but only as a deliverer of God’s messages (or warnings) to the king of the hour. They are not the focus of any story in Chronicles, where in Kings we learned about the prophets in great detail.

All the kings of Judah are reviewed - the good, the bad and the ugly.

There is more narrative in Chronicles on some king’s lives than there were in either book of Kings...and less detail on others. 

Jehoshaphat is barely mentioned in Kings, even though he reigned for twenty-five years. In Chronicles he has a much more detailed story. We are told not just about his being a good king in God’s eyes.  We see how Jehoshaphat listens to the prophet of God, unlike his counterpart the King of Israel, who dies on the battlefield. We see how Jehoshaphat pays homage to the Lord and how God rewards him...until he makes a deal with the new and wicked king of Israel. Oh well.

Jehoshaphat is replaced by his son, Jehoram, who did evil in the eyes of the Lord. I found it interesting how his death is portrayed. “He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”  He must have been one really bad king. He died in great pain and no one cared. 

Most of these kings took the throne when they were very young.  Some were just kids, seven and eight years old.  Some were barely men, becoming king in their early twenties. There is no rhyme or reason as to who was a “good” king and who was a “bad” king. Age wasn’t a factor. How their father honored (or didn’t honor) God wasn’t an indication of how the son would rule.  Who their mother was and what she believed did not seem to be a consistent indicator of good or evil either. 

It all seems so random...

Next up, Ezra. (I didn’t even know there was a book called Ezra - wonder who he is?)

1 Chronicles (A Genealogy of Sorts)

After the craziness of Kings we go back to the beginning.

1 Chronicles starts with a recap, a genealogy, from Adam through Abraham.  Honestly, very little time is spent on the people prior to Noah, just a short list of names.  This is followed by longer lists of names - Noah and his descendants, Abraham and his descendants, the many sons of David, and a long list of the other clans of Judah.  Then on to Saul's genealogy and Saul's death.  Nothing about Saul's time as king.  There are so many names, it was hard to read without glossing over them - just skimming the lists and lists of people.  Some are familiar, but many were not. There must be a reason for so much detail, but I will leave figuring out why for another day. 

After all the lists of names, we go back to David.

In this version, David is already a man.  He is a great warrior and destined to be the next king.  Battles are detailed.  There is no mention of his boyhood, no mention of Goliath, no mention of Saul's son and David's friend Jonathan, no mention of Saul's determination to kill David.  There is no mention of Bathsheba, but there is the story of God being upset at David because he took a census of all the men in Israel without permission.  Even without Bathsheba ever being named, Solomon is mentioned as a highly favored son.  David is told by God (through his prophet) that Solomon will be the next king.  And David goes to great lengths telling Solomon he is the one God chose to be the next king and that Solomon is to build a temple to house the Ark of the Covenant.  David also tells Solomon that he has already drawn up all the plans, in detail, for him to use. (Surprise!) 

Then we have more lists of names - detailing out a division of labor.

The book ends with everyone knowing Solomon will be the next king, with no mention of Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan going to an elderly David to ensure Solomon will be king.  And no mention of the other guy who was trying to be king.  Nope, we just skip to everyone being thrilled Solomon is the new king and then David dies.

On to 2 Chronicles...

2 Kings

I am not reading my Bible nearly as much or as quickly as I thought I would be.

I finally finished 2 Kings.  I started my reading by taking notes, but stopped fairly early into the book.  There were just too many names, too many kings, too much fighting, and too much doing evil in the eyes of the Lord to keep up with everyone.  And the names, why are they so similar to each other?  Amaziah, King of Judah is replaced by his son Azariah.  Jehoash, King of Israel is replaced by Jeroboam.  Pekahiah, King of Israel is replaced by Pekah.  Even the prophet Elijah is replaced by Elisha.  

So, then, what did I learn?

The book begins with tales of the prophet Elisha.  He performs several miracles which reminded me of the miracles performed by Jesus.  Elisha turned a small jar of olive oil into a supply that filled multiple jars.  Elisha predicts the birth of a son to a childless woman and brings that same boy back to life when the woman asks for his help.  Elisha feeds hundreds with twenty loaves of bread.  Elisha healed a man of leprosy and performed other miracles in the beginning of this book.

Then the focus changes and we learn about many, many kings.

In general, it seems that the kings of Judah fared better than the kings of Israel, at least at first.  Almost every king of Israel "did evil in the eyes of God" and so God pretty much gave up on them and all of Israel.  The kings of Judah seemed to be a mix of good kings (those who worshipped God and followed David's lead) and bad kings (those who worshipped the local gods and forgot about the God of their ancestors).  

God really does not like it when his people turn to other gods.

What I can't figure out is why one king does so well and then the next goes back to doing all the wrong things.  Why didn't they just keep on doing good?  One king went so far as to destroy everything that had anything to do with the worship of other gods.  He followed all of God's commandments and followed Him faithfully.  So what does his son do when he becomes king?  Go back to all the old, evil ways.  

When God is angry all the people pay for the evils of the king.

Not to say God can't be compassionate.  If a king repented and asked God for help or forgiveness, God was there for him.  But in many cases, it was just for the king.  The "reward" was to die before all the bad things God promised happened to his people.  In the end, God gave up on Israel and Judah, for now. 

I sure hope things get better...

Solomon and Sons

Solomon plays a significant role in the beginning of 1 Kings.

He was named David's successor to the throne through some skillful manipulations by his mother, Bathsheba and the prophet, Nathan.  Regardless of how it came to be, I think Solomon was always God's choice and everyone else were just pawns in God's game of chess.  Solomon gains God's favor by asking for wisdom instead of material goods.  And God gives him everything, wisdom and material wealth, as long as he follows God's law.

Easier said than done, apparently.

Solomon built a temple for God and also a huge palace for himself.  He brought the ark with the stone tables containing the ten commandments to the temple as instructed.  He tried to follow God's will, but Solomon liked the luxuries that being king afforded him a little too much.  He had a visit from the Queen of Sheba (who wanted to see if Solomon truly was as wise as she had heard) and she brought him gold, spices and precious gems as a gift.  Solomon had many wives from many nations who worshipped many gods, despite God's instructions to the contrary.  Solomon began to worship these other gods and the Lord was not happy with him.

Solomon dies and chaos ensues.

God had a promise to keep.  He promised David that his line would continue to lead and that God's chosen one would descend from the line of David.  This was so tough.  David's line was really messed up.  1 Kings details out the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel, neither of which was very good at following God's law.  The kings of Judah seem to fair a little better when they finally got to Asa who ruled for forty-one years.  The kings of Israel were all pretty bad.

During this time, God speaks to the prophet Elijah.

God tells Elijah of a great draught.  After a time, God instructs Elijah to go to a widow and ask for water and bread. He asks for water and the widow gives him water. He asks for bread and the woman says she only has enough for one more meal for herself and her son.  Elijah insists and she agrees to make bread for him first.  In return, God makes an endless supply of flour and oil for them all.  Still, the woman's son dies and she doesn't understand how God could do this to her.  Elijah prays to God and God revives the son.  (Does this sound familiar?  Maybe foreshadowing the events of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life?)  

Ahab, king of Israel, was married to Jezebel and she was quite the manipulator.  

Jezebel, with Ahab's blessing, ordered the Lord's prophets be systematically killed. Obadiah, the palace administrator, saved hundreds of prophets by hiding them in caves.  It was to him that Elijah first appeared when he came back to Israel to end the famine. Obadiah told Ahab where to find Elijah, as he was instructed to do.  Ahab accused Elijah of being a trouble maker to which Elijah responded that it was Ahab who caused the troubles because he abandoned God and followed the Baals.

Elijah has a proposal.

He challenges the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel to prove who is the true God of Israel.  Each will ask their god to light a fire from the wood placed around the animal sacrifice.  Despite all the ranting and raving and carrying on of the Baal prophets, a fire is not lit by their god.  But, Elijah prays to the one and only God and the fires are lit instantly.  Elijah tells the people to kill the Baal prophets and they do.  Meanwhile, Ahab tells Jezebel (who is in charge here anyway?) what happened and she threatens Elijah.  So, Elijah runs.  He prays to God to take his life.  He is tired.  He want to hide.  But, he can't hide from God.  God tells Elijah to go out on the mountain, for he is going to pass by.  After several dramatic demonstrations, God speaks to Elijah in a gentle whisper, instructing him what to do next.  

Then back to king Ahab of Israel and more fighting.  

There are wars and treaties and condemnations through the prophets but Ahab still does not learn.  Instead, he lets Jezebel continue to manipulate him and those around him.  Ahab wants his neighbor's vineyard, but his neighbor won't sell.  He whines to Jezebel and she comes up with a plan to have the neighbor accused of cursing both God and the king so he will be stoned to death.  It worked.  Ahab goes to get the property and is met by Elijah who curses Ahab and all his descendants on God's behalf for what he had done.  

Ahab is eventually killed and his blood lapped up by dogs, just as Elijah predicted.

New kings take over both Judah and Israel  As before, the kings of Judah did right, mostly, in the eyes of God and the kings of Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of God by worshipping Baal,  

Will anything change in 2 Kings?

David the King

I am not sure how I feel about David.

According to both books of Samuel, God chose David to be king after Saul was gone.  And Saul spent most of his adult life trying to kill David.  Apparently, Saul's sons felt one of them should be the next king, not David.  God did not agree.  This is where Second Samuel begins.

David finds out Saul and his son Jonathan have been killed in battle.

David repays the messenger of this news by having him killed.  Then he begins lamenting Saul's death and ordering everyone else to learn his lament.  I picture David being very dramatic in his wailing.  This is followed by a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David over who is the rightful king of Israel.  David's men killed Saul's sons, thinking this would make David happy, and David repays them by, wait for it, having them killed.

Soon after, at age thirty-seven, David officially becomes king of all Israel.

David defeats the Philistines and decides to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem.  As they enter the City of David, he starts dancing before the Lord, making quite a spectacle of himself.  David's former wife Michal, who was forced to leave her current husband and live with David, gives him a piece of her mind.  He made her angry and embarrassed.  David doesn't care.

Sometimes David acts like a child.

David spends his life doing both good and bad.  On one hand he saves Jonathon's disabled son and sets him up for life.  On the other hand he sees his neighbor's wife as she is bathing on her roof and has her brought to him so he can sleep with her.  David tries to hide what he did when he finds out Bathsheba is pregnant, hoping to get her husband to sleep with her, too, so they can convince him the baby is his.  Her husband doesn't cooperate.  So David sends him out to battle, knowing he will be killed.  Of course, he is and David brings Bathsheba to his house as a wife.  David broke so many commandments here it is ridiculous.

God is not happy with David and says the baby will die because of his behavior.

The baby dies but Bathsheba and David have another son, Solomon.  I don't know yet, but I suspect this is the wise Solomon we heard about in Sunday School.  You know, the one who settles the argument between the two women who both claimed to be mother of a baby.  He proposed cutting the baby in two and the woman who gave up her claim to save the baby was decided to be the real mother.  God has this habit of putting two unlikely men and women together to create special people in Jesus's line (Ruth the Moabite and Boaz, now David and Bathsheba).

The book ends with David singing a song of praise.

David sings, "All his laws are before me, I have not turned away from his decrees.  I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin."  What is he talking about?  Davis is far from perfect.  He is arrogant.  He is childlike.  He is short tempered.  He broke God's commandments and yet God forgave him.  Sometimes I really don't like David.  Maybe it is because he is too human, too flawed.  And I wanted more.

Why do I care that David is flawed?

I care because of God's promise that was revealed through Nathan near the beginning of the book.  He prophesied the birth and death of Jesus (at least that is what I think this is saying).  He said Jesus is part of the line of David. "...I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.  I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.  But my love will never be taken away from him..."

I guess I wanted Jesus to come from a line of superheroes and not just mere mortal men. 

Drama, Drama, Drama

I finally finished reading 1 Samuel.

We are in the middle of a worldwide health pandemic where stay at home orders are the norm.  You would think staying at home would mean I could read more and write more, but no.  I am able to work from home so no reading, binge watching Netflix or cleaning closets for me.  My days are generally spent working on my computer, answering the occasional phone call and attending skype meetings.  I take a long lunch hour walk, just to get some fresh air.  I long for someone other than my husband to see and talk to in person.

But I digress...

I thought I would be reading a book about Samuel.  I mean, that is the name of the book.  And since I had no idea who he was, this seemed reasonable to me.  The beginning of the book does talk about Samuel.  His mother, Hannah, prayed to God that He would give her a son.  If He did, she would dedicate that son to God.  Samuel was born and Hannah left him with the priest Eli.

Normally, Eli's sons would become the next priests, but they were wicked so God decided Samuel would lead the Israelites.  And he did for many, many years.  But, the Israelites wanted to be like the other nations around them.  They wanted a king to follow, not a priest.  Samuel consulted with God and is told what life would be like under a king's rule.  It will not be good.  Samuel relays this to the people and they don't care.  They want a king.  So, with God's blessing, Saul becomes king and reigns for forty-two war filled years.  

The rest of 1 Samuel reads like an action movie script.

Saul doesn't obey God and he fall out of God's favor.  God then decides that a young man named David should be the new king.  Saul is blissfully unaware of God's new plan and hires David to work for him, playing the lyre when Saul needs soothing, which is often.  This is where the story of David and Goliath is told.  This is the story of the close friendship of Saul's son Jonathan and David.  This is the story of Saul trying to kill David, over and over again.  This is the story of David asking Saul, why, why does he want to kill him?  This is the story of how David spares Saul from death twice.  And in the middle of all this, Samuel dies, a side note in the complicated story of Saul and David.

The book ends with Saul's death.

1 Samuel is filled with conniving villains, taunting enemies, complicated plots to kill the competition, daring escapes, ferocious battles, unexpected heroes and an evil king.  There are stories of marriage, survival and forgiveness.  The stuff of action movies.

What is left for 2 Samuel?  Guess I'll find out...

 

A Tale of Two Ruth's

My mom was a quiet hardworking woman named Ruth.

When she was a young girl she met my father, a man eighteen years her senior.  They married and she was rescued from a life in a packed two bedroom shack that she shared with her parents and six siblings.  Mom was always close with her family, but they had a tough life.  So tough that she didn't like to talk about it and didn't even like looking at the rare pictures that existed from her childhood.  Dad provided stability and a way to get out.  The romantic side of me says they fell deeply in love and were married solely because of this love.  The realistic part of me thinks that while she probably did love him, marriage was also an escape.  Either way, they built a family; and that family would go on to do things neither of them would have imagined.

Mom reminds me a lot of Ruth from the Bible.

The book of Ruth takes place during the time of the judges.  Because of a terrible famine in the lands of Caanan, Ephrathites, an Israelite, moved his family from Bethlehem in Judah to the foreign land of Moab.  There he had two sons with his wife Naomi.  These sons married Moabite women.  After some years, the husband and then the two sons died.  It could not have been an easy time for a widow in a foreign land.  If she was ever going to leave, now was the time.

Naomi heard there was food in her home land and decided to move back.

She told her daughters-in-law that they should stay in Moab with their families, find husbands and build a new life.  One daughter-in-law, Orpah, did as she was asked and left.  Ruth, however, decided to stay with Naomi and worship the God that Naomi had so often spoke about.  The trip could not have been easy.  Two women, on foot, with no-one to protect them.

But, they made it to Bethlehem.

When Ruth and Naomi arrived they were greeted by the women of the town and Naomi told her tales of woe to anyone who would listen.  She explained who Ruth was and that she would be staying with her.  The two women had a place to stay, but no livelihood.  So, Ruth went to the fields to glean grain left on the ground after the workers had gone through.

It just happened she gleaned wheat from the fields of Boaz.

Boaz was a member of Naomi's clan.  He was a God fearing man and landowner, fair to his workers.  Boaz noticed Ruth in the fields and asked about her, heard she was taking care of his relative Naomi and instructed the men to leave her plenty of grain to glean.  He also instructed the men to leave Ruth alone, invited her to eat lunch with him and his workers, and told Ruth she should join the other women and glean everyday until harvest was over.

Naomi was thrilled and had a plan.

She instructed Ruth to go to the threshing floor one night and find Boaz, after he was a bit drunk and asleep.  She was to "uncover his feet" and lay by him.  Boaz, upon finding Ruth, had a plan of his own.  He was going to take care of Ruth, marry her and buy the land so the family line would continue.  But first, there was another man he had to go through.  This other man was the first in line to be Naomi's guardian redeemer and he had to first say he did not want the land or the women that came with it.  Once that was done, Boaz could do as he wished.

Boaz, through some tricky manipulations, got both the land and Ruth.

Ruth and Boaz were married and had a son named Obed.  Obed was the father of Jesse who was the father of David.  David is in the lineage of Jesus, as listed in both the Gospel of Mathew and the Gospel of Luke. (Interestingly, after David the two gospels differ on how we get to Jesus.  Maybe one is the line of Joseph and one of Mary?)  I think what is important about this union is that Jesus came from a lineage that united a son of Israel with an outsider.  Was this to show the world should be united, regardless of where the people began?

Something to think about.

Judges - Disobedience and Violence

This was a messed up time for the Israelites.

Moses was gone; Joshua was gone; there was no one to lead the Israelites in a God fearing life.  And they behaved terribly.  They did everything God asked them not to do.  But, God took pity on the Israelites as they begged for forgiveness and assigned judges to guide them. During each judge's lifetime, God was with the people and they generally toed the line. When the judge died, the people fell back into old habits and God punished them.  The cycle continued over and over again.

The fourth judge was Deborah.

Yes, you read that right.  Deborah was a woman and a leader of all the people of the tribe.  They listened to her, deferred to her, followed her.  Let me say that again.  God chose a woman to lead the Israelites.  Deborah was a prophet, a judge, a military leader and a poet.  Pretty amazing.  After the fighting ended and victory was in hand, Deborah lead the Israelites through forty years of peace.

Then Deborah died and conflict returned.

During approximately the next one hundred seventy years there were times of peace and times of conflict.  God chose several judges throughout the years to lead, some who were better than others.  It really didn't matter because the Israelites kept falling away from God.  In the end, God saw the tribes of Israel spend the last forty years of this time frame oppressed by the Philistines.

Then came Samson.

I thought I knew the story of Samson, but mostly I knew the story of Samson and Delilah.  Samson was a Nazarite, dedicated to God from the womb, because an Angel of the Lord came to Samson's parents prior to his birth and decreed this to happen.  (Numbers Chapter Six talked about the Nazarite vow in great detail if you would like a refresher.)  There are several bazaar Samson stories. From the lion he killed bare handed who grew honey in its belly (which Samson strangely ate and fed to his parents), to the odd riddle he told about it which ultimately resulted in his wife and her father being killed.  Then he meets Delilah and apparently loses his mind.  She clearly tries to trick Samson so the Philistines can subdue him, yet Samson keeps falling for her ruses.  She finally learns the true secret of God's gift of strength to Samson and cuts his hair. Samson consequently loses his strength, is captured, has his eyes gouged out and later destroys the city (after his hair grows back in) and gives his life back to God in death.

Back to more destruction and cringe worthy stories.

First, the Danites destroy a peaceful town just because they felt entitled to the land.  Next, a terrible story of a Levite and his concubine wife.  As he is bringing her home they stop for the night in Gibeah, as Israelite city controlled by the Benjamites.  There, a group of men want to have their way with the man and he offers them his wife to save himself.  After raping her, they left her to die on the doorstep of the house he is staying at.  The Levite cuts her into twelve pieces and sends a piece to each Israelite tribe.  All the other Israelites attack the Benjamites and kill all but the six hundred that run into the mountains.  Because the Benjamites are part of the tribes of Israel, it was arranged to get them wives through an intricate scheme so all the tribes can continue on.

With that, Judges finally comes to an end.

Joshua

Everything I knew about Joshua came from an old Sunday School song...

     Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho

     Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
     And the walls came a-tumbling down...

Well, Joshua did a lot more than fight one battle.

After taking over for Moses, Joshua sent two spies to the city of Jericho.  The spies encounter a woman, Rahab, who hides them. The king's men come looking for the spies and Rahab sends them on a wild goose chase outside the city walls.  She saves the Israelite spies and makes a proposal to them.  Since she protected them, will they protect her and her family during the attack?  Let them live.  The spies agree on the condition that she does not warn the king of Jericho about the impending attack.  

All the Israelites need to get to Jericho, which means crossing the Jordan river.

The Jordan is at flood stage, swollen and rushing.  How will they ever make it across safely?  Do you remember the parting of the Red Sea?  Well, God does it again.  He first sent the priests into the river with the Ark of the Covenant and as soon as they touched the water, it stopped flowing, backing up, creating a dry pathway.  They moved to the middle of the river opening it up from bank to bank while the rest of the Israelites walked across.  Just before the priests progressed to the other side, one man from each tribe carried a rock from the exposed riverbed in front of the priests and took it to the other side as a memorial to the crossing.  The priests stepped onto the other bank and the river started flowing again.

Then came the battle of Jericho.

God gave instructions for seven priests carrying seven horns to walk around the city wall one time and blow the horns once.  They did this for six days and on the seventh day they walked around the city wall seven times and blew the horns.  Joshua then gave the call for the Israelites to shout (not attack) and the walls came tumbling down, just like in the song.  True to the promise, Rahab and her family were saved while the rest of the city was burned to the ground.

God instructed the Israelites to take no plunder for themselves.

But one man did not listen.  He took a few items for himself and hid them.  Foolish man.  Because of that one person, God punished all of Israel.  When they went on their next battle they were soundly defeated.  No one could understand why.  Until God made it clear by outing the thief and sentencing him to be stoned and buried.  The lesson would not be forgotten...at least not in Joshua's lifetime.

After that, the Israelites proceed to destroy city after city.

God promised the land of Canaan to the tribes of Israel.  To fulfill this promise, he directed them in a violent, aggressive and vicious takeover of all the cities and their kings.  From this point on, when a city was subdued the Israelites were allowed to take livestock and other plunder, but they must kill all the people.  It was an extremely brutal time in Israel's history.

After the battles were done the lands were divided among all the Israelites.

If any people still remained in the embattled land, they became slaves of the tribe who now ruled the land.  Once the land was divided, the Ruebenites, Gadites and half of the Mannesseh tribes, who had fulfilled their promise to fight with Israel, were allowed to go to the other side of the Jordan and return to their families and the lands Moses had promised them long, long ago.  

On their way back, these tribes built an altar to God on the bank of the Jordan river.  

This almost caused their destruction, as God had been very clear they were not to build additional altars for burnt offerings and their fellow Israelites remembered the last time someone did not obey God's commands - they were all punished.  It was explained the altar was not for offerings, but was a symbol that, even though they did not have lands west of the Jordan, the Ruebenites, Gadites, and Mannessahs were still God's people.  This clarified, they were allowed to go back to their families.

Once the lands were divided among all the tribes of Israel Joshua knew it was time to say farewell.
  
He followed the lead of Moses and gave a history of their journey and reminders that the Israelites must follow the one God.  Do not worship any other god's.  Like Moses, Joshua is worried about the future of the Israelites.  Soon after, Joshua dies and is buried in the land of his tribe.  Joseph's bones, which had been brought from Egypt, were also buried in the promised land on the plot that his father Jacob had purchased long, long ago.

There was not successor named for Joshua - so what happens next?  Keep reading and find out...

   

Deuteronomy - Moses speaks one last time

It's a recap...and a warning...and a goodbye.

Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and spent the next forty years wandering in the desert with them.  He knew he was leading a messed up group who, despite being God's chosen people, truly did not understand the significance of this journey.  They complained and whined and worried about the future.  They reverted to the old ways whenever things got tough.  In other words, they were a lot like us.

Moses knew he would not enter the promised land, but his people would.

So he gave them a point by point history of the journey.  Moses reminded the Israelites of everything that had happened over the last forty years.  He reminded them of how and why they left Egypt.  He reminded them of God's law and promises.  He reiterated, many times, not to make idols to God.  He recapped the commandments several times.  He reminded them they were not chosen because of their righteousness, but because of the wickedness of others.  He repeated, over and over, the most important commandment; love God with all your heart, soul, and strength. He reminded the people they are commanded to defend the fatherless, the widows and the foreigners living among them. (Jesus said basically said the same thing when he spoke of the greatest commandment:  Love God with all your heart and soul and mind.  Love your neighbor as yourself.)  I like that.

Moses was not happy he had to stay behind.

He complained, several times, that he would not be allowed to enter the promised land because of the Israelites.  How quickly he forgot.  He would not cross the Jordan because he angered God.  It was Moses and Aaron who messed up at the water rock, not the complaining Israelites.  Moses was supposed to just speak to the rock and know God would produce water.  Instead Moses pounded his staff on the rock and said, Must WE bring you water?  Not God, but Moses and Aaron.  That was why the two of them would never see the promised land.  We see Moses was clearly not perfect.

Moses was worried about the Israelites.

He continually warns them to obey God.  He reminds them that they saw all this personally, but their children did not.  That they must teach their children this history and make sure they understand the law.  He repeats this over and over again.  Why?  Because Moses will not be there to intervene and he is worried with a capital W.  The Israelite's do not have a great track record of obeying - remember the golden calf after only forty days on their own?  Moses even has the people recite the curses of not following God's law, tell them the blessings of obedience and again the curses for disobedience.  He is afraid for them.

Sadly, God tells Moses the Israelites will fail to follow his warnings.

Moses again reads the laws and gives the warnings, even though he knows it is vain.  He knows the Israelites will worship other gods, despite all the consequences Moses laid out in detail, numerous times.  Yet, he still has hope.  Maybe they will remember, he must think.  He finds a small comfort knowing God will redeem the Israelites in the future despite their wicked behavior, but only after being punished over and over again and only after they have lost everything.  This he cannot change.

It is time for Moses to say goodbye.

Joshua is to be his replacement.  Moses will never cross the Jordan into the promised land.  Despite this, he takes time to bless all the tribes of Israel, talking about their strengths and duties.  He blesses them as a group, reminding them they were saved by the Lord and that great things lie ahead.  Then Moses goes onto the mountain where he looks over all the lands promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  God has let him see the land, even though he cannot cross over into it.  Moses dies on that mountain.

Moses dies and Joshua is left to lead the Israelites into the next chapter of their story.

Harry Potter and the Old Testament

Reading the Old Testament is a lot like reading Harry Potter.

They both have interesting - sometimes confusing, sometimes wacky - story lines, flawed main characters who are put in positions they never asked to be in, and some crazy stories filled with imaginative creatures and frightening situations.  There is an abundance of self pity and whining.  Harry Potter takes place in a land of magic.  The Bible takes place in a time and place where magical events were, well, normal.

Take Balaam and the Donkey from the book of Numbers, for instance.

It is the proverbial elephant in the room.  First, Balaam was just plain mean to his donkey, beating him three times for not following commands.  But, when the donkey speaks to Balaam, asking why he keeps beating him, Balaam never bats an eye.  He just answers the donkey.  Now, I don't know about you, but a talking donkey would at least cause me a double take.  But not Balaam, he takes it all in stride.  Then Balaam sees an angel and has a conversation with him.  Again, I am not sure I would be as calm and believing as Balaam seems to be. 

Unexpected, magical events happen all the time.

Since Harry Potter is a wizard, there is magic all around.  There are magic wands, magic potions, capes that make you invisible, trains that only wizards can see and board, rooms that change in size and appearance and so much more.  In the land of the Old Testament there are plagues created by God that only affect select people, seas that open to allow the Israelite's to cross through them, animals that talk, manna appearing from nowhere, water coming from rocks, angels stopping people on the road and more examples that I simply can't remember.  In both places, no one seems to think any of these events are unusual.

Moses and Harry have more in common than you might think.

They were both raised by someone other than their parents and never seemed to quite fit in.  Moses was an Israelite being raised by Egyptians; Harry was a wizard being raised by muggles.  They both were thrown into positions of power they really didn't want.  Moses had to lead the Israelite's out of Egypt when he did not believe he had the skills to do so; Harry had to lead the fight against Lord Voldemort when all he wanted was to be a normal, wizard kid.  They both have powers given to them by someone else.  Harry was able to hear snakes talk because of the scar left by Voldemort and Moses was given powers by God when he needed them.

Both are stories of good versus evil.

Harry and friends are on a constant battle against evil.  It is very clear who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.  Moses and the Israelite's are constantly battling the evil in themselves.  Moses tries to lead them on the path to God's plan and the people are always doubting, doing foolish things which only makes their situation worse in many cases.  The Israelite's are fighting the evil within themselves and also the temptations around them.

There are physical battles in both stories.

Harry and company fight Voldemort's followers in both small battles and a climatic finish.  The Israelite's are preparing battle with the people who get in the way of the promised land.  The battles in both the imaginary land of Harry Potter and the Bible are ruthless, take no prisoners, violent and bloody events.

The books parallel in many ways, but they are not the same.

There are common themes, but one is fictional entertainment and one is a historical record of peoples lives.  While I may believe some Bible stories have been exaggerated as they were told from person to person, I do believe in the historical concept that Moses led people out of Egypt to live in Canaan.  And that the Israelite's were messed up, just like we are today.  And that they kept being forgiven, afforded second chances, despite their flaws.  So there is hope for us.

That is the final parallel, I think.  Hope.  There is always hope.

I Finished Numbers!

It took longer than I thought it would, but I finally finished Numbers!

As the name suggests, Numbers is definitely about counting.  Counting all the first born sons over age twenty to build an army.  Counting all the first born sons older than one month to establish how much of an offering must be brought to God.  And then, after some time, another census of adult males to form an army again.  God is moving the Israelite's to the promised land and no one will stop them.

But, Numbers is about more than just taking a census.

Numbers is the story of the Israelite's continued journey to the promised land.  Unfortunately, the Israelite's are kind of whiny and this frequently makes God mad.  The pattern seems to be simple.  People complain. God gets mad and punishes them.  Moses steps in to ask forgiveness.  God stops whatever he was doing to punish the complainers.  Repeat.

For example...

The people complain they are tired and this journey is too hard.  God is angry and sends fire to burn throughout the camp.  Moses prays to God and the fires stop, but only after the outskirts of the camp were burned.

God provides food every day in the form of manna and the Israelite's complain they don't have meat to eat.  They are sick of manna!  They want meat!  (Ironically, there is meat around.  There are regular animal sacrifices that Aaron and his family get to eat.)  The complaining makes God mad.  Moses tries to reason with God, doubting that God can bring meat to the people in the abundance needed.  So, God sends more quail than the people can possibly need and while they are eating, God sends a plague to kill all the people as they take their first bite.  If you didn't eat the meat, you were saved.

An exploration party is sent out to see what is in Canaan.  They see many strong people who already live there and become afraid.  They want to stay where they are or go back to Egypt.  (How soon they forget they were slaves in Egypt.)  God is frustrated and wants to kill them all.  Moses talks Him down and so God sends the complainers to the wilderness saying they will never see the promised land.  He strikes them down with a plague and now the wait begins before God will move the surviving people to the new lands.

God even gets angry at Aaron and Moses for not giving God credit for making water flow from a rock, so God tells them both they will never see the promised land either.  There are many more examples of God's frustration and punishments, but I won't review them all here. Suffice to say, the Israelite's have a tough time obeying, believing, and not complaining despite all that God does to and for them.

The Israelite's go to war.

On the way to Canaan, there is much destruction.  God's people are ruthless.  They take everything in their way.  Destruction is rampant. God divides the future land of Canaan to all the people of Israel by tribe.  (Interestingly, He did agree that the daughters of Zelophehad would be allotted a share of the land since there were no first born sons.  There were stipulations, of course, but they were acknowledged.)

As I read this, I thought that the God of Numbers was not the God I know.

I picture God as a loving father, guiding his children, forgiving mistakes, and helping them to make good choices.  He is someone we come to in times of need.  But this Old Testament God gives detailed rules and expects them to be followed to the letter.  He doesn't like being questioned.  He gets angry and is scary.

What gives?

It helps if I picture God as a new father with young children.  He has to set strict rules and make sure they are obeyed or his children may be hurt.  The children are easily distracted.  The Israelite's are like young children.  They are new to this worship of one God.  They are learning the rules and pushing them.  God has to put his foot down, again and again.  But, typically, as children get older, they start to need less rules and more guidance. The father can be a little more relaxed in how he handles mistakes as he sees his children grow and remember.  He is a little tired, but still present.  He hopes his children will want to follow his example and be good people, but he can't lead their lives for them.  Maybe that is why Jesus came when he did.

For now, though, God's people still need to follow his instructions to the letter, or else.

On to Deuteronomy...

     

Patience

My word is Patience.

I kept reading about people picking their word of the year.  It popped up on Instagram, Facebook, even my work newsletter.  Honestly, I thought it was kind of silly.  But, as the year progresses, I realize I actually do have a word.  And, I find I need to go back to my word more and more often.

I did not read anything from the Bible last week.  (Insert sad face here.)

Last week I spend my free time reading my book club book (our meeting was Thursday night - I finished on Wednesday!), watching too much Netflix while my husband was out of town for the weekend (stay away from The Good Place - it is silly, but sucked me in again and again), and starting a new craft project (my inner artist needs nurturing too!).  

I need to be patient with myself when I don't live up to my self imposed expectations.

I started a new craft project this week.  I am trying to quilt.  Talk about teaching me patience!  Making a quilt, even a small beginner project, is very meticulous and time consuming.  I don't know how people do projects with little tiny pieces making a bedspread size quilt.  A tiny, simple beginner piece is hard enough!  Patience. Cutting accurately takes time; sewing precise quarter inch seams takes concentration; ironing without pulling is hard.  Patience.  Next weekend I will try to do the actual quilting...more taking things slow and easy.  Patience.

My ear is healing very slowly.

I ruptured my eardrum about three weeks ago now and am tired of waiting for it to heal!  It is getting better, but so much slower than I wanted.  Patience.  My hearing is starting to come back (yeah!) but it still feels...wrong, plugged up.  Patience.  I had a hearing test scheduled for Tuesday, but it just got rescheduled for Thursday.  Patience.

It's time to get back to my normal routine.

I finally went back to Pilates class and it was tougher than I thought it would be.  I was not at the same ability level as when I last went.  Patience.  This week I am back to Orange Theory after a two week hiatus and I am nervous.  What if I can't do everything I used to do?  What if I can't hear well enough to keep up?  Patience.  It will all be okay.

I do plan to read the rest of Numbers this week.  Just be patient with me, please.

Numbers is Long...

My plan was to finish reading the book of Numbers last week.

But, life got in the way.  Between work, a ruptured eardrum, doctor visits, trying to finish my book club book, preparing for my storytelling gig this week and a weekend trip to the mountains with friends... I just did not get nearly as far reading as I thought I would.  The good news is I am still on track to finish the Bible in a year as I am ahead of my schedule.  The bad news, I have very little to write about since I only read through chapter six.

What did I learn?

I took the time to refresh who exactly the Levites are since they play an important part in Numbers.  As a reminder (to you and to me) the Levites were the only ones to not worship the golden calf while Moses was up on the mountain talking to God.  Because of this, the Levites were allowed to live, but they did have to kill the friends and brothers who were worshiping the calf.  They hold a special place in God's plans.

I realized that Numbers took place about two years after Moses lead the Israelite's out of Egypt  I reviewed who the twelve sons of Jacob (renamed Israel by God) were as their descendants made up all the tribes of Israel.  Each son's descendants were part of their own tribe. (I guess some must have survived the wrath of Moses.) Each tribe will be given a very specific job to do.

As the name Numbers indicates, the beginning chapters talk about taking a census of the first born males in all the tribes.  This seemed to be for several reasons.  One, count first born men over twenty who would be part of an army.  (Is there a battle coming?)  Two, count the firstborn males over one month to determine a tax each tribe would have to pay to God, through Aaron.  Third, use these numbers to determine which tribe is assigned what location and job around the Tabernacle Tent.  (The Levites are the keepers of the Tent.)

There is a section on the purity of the camp which was a bit over the top to me.

First, ban anyone who is unclean from the camp. (Leviticus had all the rules in explicit detail on clean versus unclean, remember?)  Next, there is a detailed explanation of what the priest is to do if a woman is brought before him because she is suspected of being unfaithful to her husband (whether she really is or if her husband is just jealous and has no facts to back up his suspicions).  Of course, there are no repercussions if the wife suspects her husband is not faithful - women are still second class citizens.  (Do you think that bugs my twentieth century brain?  Yes, it does.)

Then on to the Nazarite vows.  I was a bit confused as to what this was.  After some research, I think I understand a little better.  The vow was taken by individuals who decided to voluntarily dedicate themselves to God (as opposed to Aaron and his sons who were chosen - they did not volunteer.)  Besides being voluntary, it can be done by either men or women, has a specific time frame with specific requirements and restrictions, and ends with a sacrificial offering.

Interestingly, the last thing I read was a blessing we still use today in my church.  I had no idea was from Numbers.

Numbers 6:24-26
     The Lord bless you and keep you;
     The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
     The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

See you next week with, hopefully, my thoughts on the rest of Numbers...

Leviticus - so many rules...

All those rules and instructions and warnings; and in such explicate detail...

It all begins with detailed instructions on the types of offerings - burnt offerings, grain offerings, fellowship offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings.  And then, they are all reviewed again but this time with an emphasis on Aaron and his son's part in the rituals. There is a lot emphasis on how, when and where to kill and then burn the animals and on the types of breads (what is the deal with no yeast?) that can be offered as a sacrifice.  I just didn't understand why the details were so important.

At first, I thought Aaron and his son's had a pretty sweet deal.

The were named priests for no reason other than God chose them. They had not done anything special.  They did not seem extra holy.  But, because of this honor, they seemed to get to eat a lot of food.  And no one objected or questioned the choice. It reminded me of British royalty, they are who they are because of a birth line, nothing to do with the kind of person they are.  As it turns out, being a son of Aaron was no picnic.  Two died right away because they messed up and lit an extra fire and incense to the Lord during their consecration - boom, you're dead.  Aaron and the remaining sons were not even allowed to morn them.  That is tough.

After reading about offerings in detail, we move on to all the regulations.

First, clean and unclean foods - I would be afraid to eat any meat (food animals must have divided hooves and be cud chewing...why?).  Fish is allowed (but, sorry you shrimp and lobster lovers - that is a big no) and only some birds are okay.  Stay away from those four legged (yes, that is what it says) flying insects - they are bad news.  Don't eat them - like I would even want to.  It is not just about eating; you can't even touch something considered unclean.  Fortunately, if you touch the unclean, once you wash and evening finally comes you are back to being clean, most of the time.

Next come the regulations about childbirth, skin diseases and molds.  How to recognize a bad disease or mold over an acceptable case.  (What is the deal with white hair in a sore - why is that so bad?)  I feel for the priests; they have to remember all the exceptions and be the one to examine and decide what should be done. Is the person clean or unclean as a result of the problem?  They better get it right, because if the person is unclean, there are serious consequences that must be paid.

Then back to more rules and punishments (including special rules just for the priests).

There is a section on festivals, some of which I recognize as Jewish celebrations including Sabbath and Passover.  Then, in the middle of the celebrations and offerings, is a story of a man who blasphemed God's name during a fight, and was put to death by stoning.  His mother was an Israelite and his father an Egyptian.  An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is mentioned, not for the first time.  Then, with no further explanation, back to more information on the Sabbath Year (not just a day of rest, a whole year!) and the Year of Jubilee, which has a whole new set of rules.

The chapter concludes by telling the rewards for obedience and the punishment for disobedience.

I understood why Genesis (the beginning) and Exodus (the journey) were named what they were, but I didn't understand Leviticus.  So, I looked it up.  Basically, what I found was this book was a set of rules for the Levites.  Guess I could have figured that out on my own.  There are a lot of rules...very specific rules for a very specific people at a very specific time in history.

Specific, because the rules changed with the teachings of Jesus.

For example, an eye for an eye became turn the other cheek in Jesus' teachings.  Fear the stranger (don't marry them!) in Leviticus became love your neighbor with Jesus.  And of course, women were second class citizens, the unclean should be pushed away, and slaves were simply property.  But, Jesus had many women followers that he held in high regard, he healed the lepers, and...well, I don't know if he ever said anything about slavery other than to treat your slaves fairly.  I wish I could say he was an abolitionist, but I can't (unless you go back to love your neighbor and assume Jesus was including all men and women, slave or free).

Despite all the rules (who could ever remember them all?) there is one other thing about Leviticus that caught my attention.  It was a very real God doing all the talking to Moses and the Israelites.  God was there, among the people.  God was not just a concept.  He was real.  He talked to people.  He killed people.  He rewarded people...and punished them.

God was actually there...and maybe that is what I should take away from Leviticus.

Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses...

I finished reading Genesis and Exodus.  Yeah!

Last time I checked in, I focused a lot on details that I had a hard time reconciling with the world as I know it.  There are more things I could question from a purely logistical standpoint, but I don't think I will.  I am going to accept that the Bible has some crazy stories in it.  Whether you believe the stories are historical fact or an attempt to explain why the world is as it is without the benefit of modern science or the historical references we have today, that is up to you.  (Many of the stories remind me of folktales from around the world - not scientifically accurate, but a good story with a hint of possibility.)  I think God, through these stories, was trying to explain the world in ways He thought the people of the time would understand - some facts mixed in with good story telling.

So, Isaac has two sons, Esau and Jacob.

The younger son, Jacob, plays some tricks on his father (with the help of his mother, Rebecca) and gets Isaac's birthright and blessing.  Even though Jacob was deceitful, God still says He is building His kingdom through the sons of Jacob.  (Coincidentally, many years later, when Joseph asks his father, Jacob, to bless his sons Jacob purposely gives the blessing of the first born to the younger son - sound familiar?)  God gives Jacob a new name, Israel.  (He likes to give new names, doesn't He?)  And in the rest of the Genesis Jacob is referred to by both names, bouncing back and forth between them. Just a little confusing.

Jacob has a lot of sons (and wives).

I was familiar with the story of Jacob and Leah, Jacob and Rachel, Jacob and his wives’ two slaves, Zilpah and Bilhah, all of whom he had children with.  His favorite child was Joseph.  (Remember Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat anyone?)  Joseph was chosen by God to lead the children of Israel and ended up living a good life in Egypt along with (through a complicated series of events) his father, brothers and their families.  Most memorable line by Joseph (when talking to his brothers):  You were intending to harm, but God intended it for good.  And with that, all is forgiven.

On to Exodus and Moses.

I actually knew many of the stories in Exodus.  The story of the midwives refusing to kill Hebrew baby boys, Moses being saved from death as an infant by being placed a basket for the Pharaoh's daughter to find, Moses being raised as an Egyptian, Moses and the burning bush, Moses and the plagues, Moses and the parting of the sea, Moses leading his people out of Egypt, God giving him the Ten Commandments and Moses smashing them in anger when he sees his people worshiping the golden calf.  (I keep picturing Charleston Heston in The Ten Commandments on my parents black and white console television.)

Here are some things I didn't know.

God gives Moses hugely specific details about the ark that will carry the Commandments (made me think of Raiders of the Lost Ark), the inner tent, the Tabernacle Tent, and the outer tent area.  He gave more specific detail on the clothing that was to be made for Aaron and descendants, who were to be named high priests.  And there is more detail on the sacrificial altars, basins, and procedures to be followed for consecration and sacrifice.  God wants gold, and jewels, and the finest linens in royal colors.

I was confused.

I didn't understand why God would demand such opulence be built in his honor.  I didn't like it.  I was reminded of touring the Vatican and the overwhelming feel of wealth and pageantry on display there.  I kept thinking of Jesus and his humble beginnings and had a hard time reconciling the two.  And then I talked to my daughter who wondered why I wouldn't think God was deserving of all the best things.  I needed some additional insight and research to understand what I felt...

I needed to keep reading.

Moses brings down the tablets, sees the people have already forgotten their promises to God (and it had only been forty days), and feels the anger God had expressed to him earlier well up inside himself.  Moses gathers the true believers and has them kill all those who worshiped the false god.  Then he goes back up the mountain to God again.  Last time, God told Moses He was a jealous God whose anger burned and now God says He is a compassionate God, slow to anger.  And God once again engraves the Ten Commandments on new stone tablets for Moses to take back down to his people. And then, the people start to build God's temple, per his instructions.

God was not forcing his people to build the Tabernacle or anything else.

It says, at the end of Exodus, the people brought what they had as they were willing.  That there was so much gold and other precious metals, so much fabric and threads of purple, blue and scarlet, so many gems and jewels, that Moses had to tell the people to stop bringing donations.  People wanted to honor God by doing their part to construct the Tabernacle tent.  I guess God knew what he was doing by providing the architectural design plans. (When I think about it, house plans usually list the types of wall coverings, flooring, fixtures, just like God's plans did.). God’s people wanted to honor Him in a special place.  They wanted to hold God above themselves by providing a place worthy of Him.  Did I just have a revelation?

On to Leviticus...

Genesis - From Creation to Abraham

In the beginning...

I started reading Genesis and at first, all I could do was question the logistics of everything.  Is this a real history, a mythology written to explain the unexplainable or a little of both?  While my reading may have created more questions than answers, I did come to a conclusion.  Maybe the how is not as important as the why.  I mean, the overall message is that God created a flawed mankind, one who makes mistakes (a lot of them), but is constantly given a second chance despite their bad choices.  Genesis is also an accounting of a family tree (which will ultimately lead to Jesus). Long lists of names are common - I had to do some diagrams to figure who fit in where - and even then I sometimes just glossed over all those names...so many names.

So, here are my questions - I am just no longer certain I need all the answers.

Creation

God created the world, the Garden of Eden, the animals, Adam and Eve (...in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them) in seven days.  Seven twenty-four hours days?  Or were days measured differently?  How does this fit in with evolution and the slow formation of the earth?

If God did not want Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge & Wisdom, why did He put it in the garden in the first place?  And why create a talking serpent who would tempt them to eat from the tree?  Was it part of a bigger plan?  Did God want them to eat from it so He could send them away from the garden?  And what about the Tree of Life - why did He put that in the garden?  Was it to give the inhabitants eternal life only while they were in the garden?  (No one said to not eat from it.)  Once He sent Adam and Eve away, the entrance was guarded to protect the Tree so that people could no longer find it and, in retrospect, not have eternal life.  Again, part of a bigger plan?

All those people

Where did the wives of Cain and his sons come from?  Were there unmentioned sisters or other people who already lived outside the Garden of Eden? After Cain killed his brother Abel, he was worried about the others killing him - who were those people?  Where did they come from?

Why is there mention of "sons of God" marrying "daughters of humans" in Chapter Six?  If God created all people, why the need to differentiate?

Noah

God decided to destroy all mankind except for Noah and his family.  Did the flood cover the entire earth or just the area we know as the middle east (which, in the minds of the people at that time, would be their entire earth)?  And everyone that lived after were descendants of Noah and his sons?  So there was marriage between family members of all ages?

Tower of Babel

God did not want everyone to speak the same language because they would communicate too well, work together and build a tower to heaven?  It was better to create division among the people by giving them different languages?  Makes no sense to me...

Abram and Sarai

What is the deal with Abram telling people his wife Sarai is his sister?  And he did this not once, but twice.  And he was forgiven and sent away with all the possessions he gained while Sarai was taken as a wife by two different pharaohs/kings (both of whom were told by God who she really was, and then threatened to let her go...or else)?  And then, after the second incident, we find out that she is not only Abram's wife, but also his half-sister, so in his mind he was justified in his deceit.

God told Abram he and Sarai would have a son.  Sarai did not believe this would happen, so she offered her servant Hagar to Abram.  We are told Abram believed God when he was told he would have a son with Sarai, but he still slept with her servant and had a son.  Why did he do that if he truly believed God's promise?

Lot

Before Isaac was born, Abram took his great-nephew Lot to live with him but they ended up parting ways and Lot went to Sodom (where, if my charts are correct, the descendants of Noah's son Ham lived).  God was so angry at the behavior in Sodom he was going to kill everyone, but he let Abram negotiate with Him until it came down to Lot, his wife and his daughters leaving before the slaughter.  Why is it that Lot's wife, who doesn't even have a name, is so well known when all she did was look back and turn into a pillar of salt (and how is that even possible?)  Then Lot's daughters get him drunk and sleep with him so they could have his babies?  How is looking back worse than seducing you own father?  And these were the people worth saving?  Is this an indication of the times or a message that even flawed people are worthy of God's love?

Abraham and Sarah

Why did God rename Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah?  I know there was some reference to the meaning of the new names.  Were they renamed to represent a new beginning?

Why did God feel he had to test Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac?  How old was Isaac?  He had to at least be an older boy as he carried the wood and asked his father what they were going to sacrifice as they had no animal with them to use as a burnt offering.  Next thing, Isaac is tied up over the wood.  He just went along with this?  I think his faith had to be as strong as Abraham's, but this is never mentioned.

Sarah dies.  Abraham is dying and sends a servant to find a wife for his son that is of his own bloodline.  Rebecca marries Isaac and Abraham dies (after having more sons with another wife - apparently girls are not worth mentioning, again).

And that is where I stop for now.  Next time...Isaac, Rebecca and more Genesis...