After reading chapter 20:
*This chapter starts on the first month of an unknown year. My study bible says it must have been the end of the forty years the Israelites were condemned to wander in the desert, back in chapter 14. If this is true, it appears that nothing noteworthy happened during the intervening years. They are back in Kadesh, where they started forty years ago. Miriam dies and is buried there. Echoing Exodus 17, the Israelites complain of no water. Moses and Aaron go to the tabernacle, where Yahweh tells Moses ( not Aaron) to take the magical staff that has apparently lasted all this time and speak to a rock, which would pour out water. This is the same staff that Moses turned into snakes, used to part the Nile, and which became Aaron's staff which blossomed. So, they gather the Israelites for a show of god's power. Moses struck the rock just like before, and just like before, water gushed out. All million plus Israelites and their livestock now had water. The text says these were called the waters of Meribah, just like the waters struck from a rock over forty years ago in Horeb. God takes this opportunity to remind Moses that he will not be going into the promised land.
*Then Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission for the Israelites to pass through his land, with promises not to disturb anything. The king denied them passage. The Israelites said they were coming through any way. The king of Edom said, "No, you are not." He sent a large army against the Israelites and they backed off.
*On the border of Edom, at Mount Hor, Yahweh told Moses it was time for Aaron to die. Moses, Aaron, and his son Eleazar, went up the mountain. Moses removed the high priest garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar. Aaron died. Then, Moses and Eleazar came down the mountain. Sounds mighty fishy to me.
*If we continue to follow the bible chronology, placing the creation at 4004 B.C.E, this would have taken place around the year 1296 B.C.E.
Showing posts with label Aaron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Numbers chapter 18
After reading chapter 18:
*Now Yahweh tells Aaron that he and his sons, and their descendants, will be the only ones responsible for the altar, the sanctuary, and the duties inside the tabernacle. This service is given to them as a priesthood. If anyone else comes near the sanctuary, they will die. The other Levites are given to the priests to be helpers with all the stuff and activities outside the tent.
* All the wave offerings, first fruit offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings that the Israelites give to Yahweh, become the priests'. This is Yahweh's gift to them and an everlasting covenant, or at least Aaron said it was. They must take his word for it, or rather the word of the person who wrote about it, who was probably a priest. They may share it with others in their household who are ceremonially clean, of course. However, they will get none of the promised land as an inheritance. Who needs land when they have a guaranteed steady supply of food and money?
*For their service, the rest of the Levites get all the tithes that the Israelites bring to Yahweh. They will also have no inherited land. Of the tithes that the Levites get from the Israelites, they must take the best and holiest tenth and give it to Aaron and his sons. That is their tithe to the lord, so they won't be guilty and die. How nice for the priests that the lord is so generous and gives them all his stuff, which he has no use for anyway.
*Now Yahweh tells Aaron that he and his sons, and their descendants, will be the only ones responsible for the altar, the sanctuary, and the duties inside the tabernacle. This service is given to them as a priesthood. If anyone else comes near the sanctuary, they will die. The other Levites are given to the priests to be helpers with all the stuff and activities outside the tent.
* All the wave offerings, first fruit offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings that the Israelites give to Yahweh, become the priests'. This is Yahweh's gift to them and an everlasting covenant, or at least Aaron said it was. They must take his word for it, or rather the word of the person who wrote about it, who was probably a priest. They may share it with others in their household who are ceremonially clean, of course. However, they will get none of the promised land as an inheritance. Who needs land when they have a guaranteed steady supply of food and money?
*For their service, the rest of the Levites get all the tithes that the Israelites bring to Yahweh. They will also have no inherited land. Of the tithes that the Levites get from the Israelites, they must take the best and holiest tenth and give it to Aaron and his sons. That is their tithe to the lord, so they won't be guilty and die. How nice for the priests that the lord is so generous and gives them all his stuff, which he has no use for anyway.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Numbers chapter 17
After reading chapter 17:
*Now, Yahweh tells Moses to get a staff from each of the heads of the twelve tribes. The Levite staff is to be inscribed with Aaron's name. The staffs would be placed in front of the ark of the covenant and the staff of god's chosen person would sprout. So, that was done and the next day, guess whose staff sprouted. Not only had Aaron's staff sprouted, but it had gone through the whole growing cycle in one night, budding, blossoming, and producing almonds! Then Moses came out with all the staffs and showed the leaders of the tribes their staffs.
*Aaron's staff was put back in front of the ark of the covenant as a reminder to the rebellious, so they would not die. I don't know how it would have been a reminder if they couldn't look at it, because that area of the tabernacle was off limits. It surely wasn't put there so they couldn't examine it and maybe see that it wasn't the same staff as the day before. Moses would never do something like switch the staff for a tree branch in the middle of the night.
*The Israelites were in despair. Can you blame them? They were just as much enslaved now as they had been in Egypt, maybe more. Intellectual and emotional enslavement can be just as devastating as physical enslavement.
*Now, Yahweh tells Moses to get a staff from each of the heads of the twelve tribes. The Levite staff is to be inscribed with Aaron's name. The staffs would be placed in front of the ark of the covenant and the staff of god's chosen person would sprout. So, that was done and the next day, guess whose staff sprouted. Not only had Aaron's staff sprouted, but it had gone through the whole growing cycle in one night, budding, blossoming, and producing almonds! Then Moses came out with all the staffs and showed the leaders of the tribes their staffs.
*Aaron's staff was put back in front of the ark of the covenant as a reminder to the rebellious, so they would not die. I don't know how it would have been a reminder if they couldn't look at it, because that area of the tabernacle was off limits. It surely wasn't put there so they couldn't examine it and maybe see that it wasn't the same staff as the day before. Moses would never do something like switch the staff for a tree branch in the middle of the night.
*The Israelites were in despair. Can you blame them? They were just as much enslaved now as they had been in Egypt, maybe more. Intellectual and emotional enslavement can be just as devastating as physical enslavement.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Numbers chapter 14
After reading chapter 14:
*So, after the 12 explorers got back, the Israelites began to complain again because they were afraid of the people whose land they were supposed to take over. It was suggested that they elect someone to take them back to Egypt. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb begged and pleaded with the Israelites, telling them not to be afraid, because Yahweh would protect them. The Israelites seriously considered stoning Moses and his cronies.
* Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, not the people, for some reason, and told him that he was sick and tired of the Israelites not respecting him. He just might destroy them with a plague and make Moses into a nation bigger and better than they are. Moses was worried that the Egyptians would hear about it and ruin Yahweh's reputation. Plus, people in the promised land had already heard great and wonderful things about Yahweh and the Israelites. How would it look if he gave up on them now?
*We again read those fundamentally contradictory statements about god's abounding love and forgiveness, plus his punishing of those who sin against him to the third and fourth generations. So, Yahweh relents and forgives them, BUT none of the people who disobeyed him in the desert would get to see the promised land, except Caleb. He's different. The wierd thing about this passage is that God never actually tells the Israelites to do anything so what command are they disobeying?
*Next they are told to turn back towards the desert. Since the Israelites are such a complaining bunch, every complainer twenty years and older will die in the desert. Their children will get to see the promised land after 40 years of a nomadic shepherding life. That's one year for each of the forty days that the land was explored. Then God says the whole community is wicked and banded together against him. Now who is complaining? As if mere mortals could stop the plans of an all powerful God!
*The ten explorers who started this trouble were struck down by a plague. Only Joshua and Caleb survived. After the Israelites were informed of all this, they said they would go into the land after all. Moses said, if they did, it would be disobedient again and God would not protect them. They went anyway, and the inhabitants of the land beat them back.
*So, after the 12 explorers got back, the Israelites began to complain again because they were afraid of the people whose land they were supposed to take over. It was suggested that they elect someone to take them back to Egypt. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb begged and pleaded with the Israelites, telling them not to be afraid, because Yahweh would protect them. The Israelites seriously considered stoning Moses and his cronies.
* Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, not the people, for some reason, and told him that he was sick and tired of the Israelites not respecting him. He just might destroy them with a plague and make Moses into a nation bigger and better than they are. Moses was worried that the Egyptians would hear about it and ruin Yahweh's reputation. Plus, people in the promised land had already heard great and wonderful things about Yahweh and the Israelites. How would it look if he gave up on them now?
*We again read those fundamentally contradictory statements about god's abounding love and forgiveness, plus his punishing of those who sin against him to the third and fourth generations. So, Yahweh relents and forgives them, BUT none of the people who disobeyed him in the desert would get to see the promised land, except Caleb. He's different. The wierd thing about this passage is that God never actually tells the Israelites to do anything so what command are they disobeying?
*Next they are told to turn back towards the desert. Since the Israelites are such a complaining bunch, every complainer twenty years and older will die in the desert. Their children will get to see the promised land after 40 years of a nomadic shepherding life. That's one year for each of the forty days that the land was explored. Then God says the whole community is wicked and banded together against him. Now who is complaining? As if mere mortals could stop the plans of an all powerful God!
*The ten explorers who started this trouble were struck down by a plague. Only Joshua and Caleb survived. After the Israelites were informed of all this, they said they would go into the land after all. Moses said, if they did, it would be disobedient again and God would not protect them. They went anyway, and the inhabitants of the land beat them back.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Numbers chapter 12
After reading chapter 12:
*In this chapter, we learn that Miriam and Aaron, Moses's sister and brother, were upset because Moses had married a Cushite woman. Why this made them upset is not stated, but there are some possibilities. 1. She was not an Israelite. The Israelites had been told in Exodus 34:16 that marrying foreign women was not God approved. Why did Moses get a pass? 2. One possible interpretation of Cushite is Ethiopian. In that case, this may have been a matter of racial prejudice, because of her dark skin. It could be both reasons or neither.
* Miriam and Aaron wanted equal billing with Moses because Yahweh had also spoken through them. What this had to do with Moses's wife is a mystery. Apparently God preferred Moses to be in charge because he was the humblest man on earth. Wow! That's quit an accomplishment.
*So, Yaweh called the three of them to stand in front of the tabernacle. He came down in the pillar of cloud and asked Miriam and Aaron to step forward. Then he rebuked them for daring to speak against Moses. Everyone else only gets revelations in dreams and visions, and we know how reliable those are. But Moses speaks clearly with God, face to face, and sees Yaweh's form. They should have been afraid to speak against him. This passage makes me wonder if the authors wrote it in response to Israelites in their time questioning the authority of Moses. It directly contradicts other scriptures that no one has seen God. It also directly contradicts the notion that God is a pure spirit being, if he has a face, a form, and a voice there must be a physical component to him. Likewise, if he can be seen and heard by humans, why hasn't he shown himself to anyone else, especially in modern times? Why would he need to cloak himself in mystery?
*When God was finished talking, the cloud lifted and Miriam was found to be leprous, white as snow, perhaps in contrast to the dark skin of the cushite? Of course that made her unclean. Moses and Aaron pleaded for Yahweh to heal her. He told Moses she would have to spend seven days outside of camp like all the other unclean people. So, the Israelites did not break camp till Miriam was "clean" again. Why wasn't Aaron punished too?
*Verse 14 says if Miriam's father had spit in her face she would have been in disgrace for seven days. We have come across no precedent or law about this yet but my study bible tells me there will be an explanation in Deuteronomy. We will wait and see.
*In this chapter, we learn that Miriam and Aaron, Moses's sister and brother, were upset because Moses had married a Cushite woman. Why this made them upset is not stated, but there are some possibilities. 1. She was not an Israelite. The Israelites had been told in Exodus 34:16 that marrying foreign women was not God approved. Why did Moses get a pass? 2. One possible interpretation of Cushite is Ethiopian. In that case, this may have been a matter of racial prejudice, because of her dark skin. It could be both reasons or neither.
* Miriam and Aaron wanted equal billing with Moses because Yahweh had also spoken through them. What this had to do with Moses's wife is a mystery. Apparently God preferred Moses to be in charge because he was the humblest man on earth. Wow! That's quit an accomplishment.
*So, Yaweh called the three of them to stand in front of the tabernacle. He came down in the pillar of cloud and asked Miriam and Aaron to step forward. Then he rebuked them for daring to speak against Moses. Everyone else only gets revelations in dreams and visions, and we know how reliable those are. But Moses speaks clearly with God, face to face, and sees Yaweh's form. They should have been afraid to speak against him. This passage makes me wonder if the authors wrote it in response to Israelites in their time questioning the authority of Moses. It directly contradicts other scriptures that no one has seen God. It also directly contradicts the notion that God is a pure spirit being, if he has a face, a form, and a voice there must be a physical component to him. Likewise, if he can be seen and heard by humans, why hasn't he shown himself to anyone else, especially in modern times? Why would he need to cloak himself in mystery?
*When God was finished talking, the cloud lifted and Miriam was found to be leprous, white as snow, perhaps in contrast to the dark skin of the cushite? Of course that made her unclean. Moses and Aaron pleaded for Yahweh to heal her. He told Moses she would have to spend seven days outside of camp like all the other unclean people. So, the Israelites did not break camp till Miriam was "clean" again. Why wasn't Aaron punished too?
*Verse 14 says if Miriam's father had spit in her face she would have been in disgrace for seven days. We have come across no precedent or law about this yet but my study bible tells me there will be an explanation in Deuteronomy. We will wait and see.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Numbers chapter 10
After reading chapter 10:
*The first part of this chapter is about the creation of two silver trumpets to be used by Aaron and his sons.
-Both trumpets blown at the same time signal a community assembly at the entrance to the tabernacle. Though how you get a million or so people to hear two trumpets, plus gather together and assemble in one spot, is a mystery.
-One trumpet means only the heads of the clans are to assemble.
-One trumpet blast, of a different signal, means the eastern camps start moving. A second blast after that and the southern camps start moving. The text doesn't mention the western and northern camps
-A trumpet blast before a battle will ensure they are remembered by God and are rescued from their enemies. God needs reminding.
-The trumpets will also be sounded at feasts, festivals, and over burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So, I'm guessing the trumpets would have been sounded fairly often. This reminds me of a scene in the Sound of Music.
*On the twentieth day of the second month, of the second year, the cloud over the tabernacle lifted. The Israelites broke camp and followed the cloud from the desert of Sinai to the desert of Paran.
The divisions of clans set out in a particular order, Judah's camp divisions left first. Again, the tribe of Judah is being given priority, even though Reuben was the oldest of Israel's sons. I wonder if this is another case of the younger brother symbolism found so often throughout the bible narrative. It looks ahead to a time when the of tribe of Judah becomes the leading tribe in the kingdom of Judah. If so, that clearly means this narrative was not written till after that time, which was not till at least the 9th century B.C.E., a few hundred years after these events would have taken place.
*The Gershonites and Merarites were to leave with the first Israelite clans so they could set up the tabernacle in the new spot before the Kohathites arrived with the holy accoutrements.
*Moses invited his brother-in-law Hobab to come with them. He declined and said he was going back to his own people. Moses begged him to stay and help them out. He promised Hobab a share of the spoils. So they travelled for three days. (A standard journey for those times.) Every day they set out, and every time they camped, Moses repeated some magical words to get Yahweh to stay with them.
*The first part of this chapter is about the creation of two silver trumpets to be used by Aaron and his sons.
-Both trumpets blown at the same time signal a community assembly at the entrance to the tabernacle. Though how you get a million or so people to hear two trumpets, plus gather together and assemble in one spot, is a mystery.
-One trumpet means only the heads of the clans are to assemble.
-One trumpet blast, of a different signal, means the eastern camps start moving. A second blast after that and the southern camps start moving. The text doesn't mention the western and northern camps
-A trumpet blast before a battle will ensure they are remembered by God and are rescued from their enemies. God needs reminding.
-The trumpets will also be sounded at feasts, festivals, and over burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So, I'm guessing the trumpets would have been sounded fairly often. This reminds me of a scene in the Sound of Music.
*On the twentieth day of the second month, of the second year, the cloud over the tabernacle lifted. The Israelites broke camp and followed the cloud from the desert of Sinai to the desert of Paran.
The divisions of clans set out in a particular order, Judah's camp divisions left first. Again, the tribe of Judah is being given priority, even though Reuben was the oldest of Israel's sons. I wonder if this is another case of the younger brother symbolism found so often throughout the bible narrative. It looks ahead to a time when the of tribe of Judah becomes the leading tribe in the kingdom of Judah. If so, that clearly means this narrative was not written till after that time, which was not till at least the 9th century B.C.E., a few hundred years after these events would have taken place.
*The Gershonites and Merarites were to leave with the first Israelite clans so they could set up the tabernacle in the new spot before the Kohathites arrived with the holy accoutrements.
*Moses invited his brother-in-law Hobab to come with them. He declined and said he was going back to his own people. Moses begged him to stay and help them out. He promised Hobab a share of the spoils. So they travelled for three days. (A standard journey for those times.) Every day they set out, and every time they camped, Moses repeated some magical words to get Yahweh to stay with them.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Numbers chapter 6
After reading chapter 6:
*Most of this chapter is what to do if you have taken a Nazarite vow. We are not told specifically what is a Nazarite or his vow, but it seems to be some kind of dedication to God.
-The Nazarite must not eat or drink any products made from grapes, including wine, vinegar, grapes, raisins, etc.
- He must not cut his hair at all. That is the symbol of his dedication.
-He must not touch or go anywhere near a dead body or he will defile his hair. (?!)
-If he does defile his hair by going near a dead body, he must shave it all off and bring a sin offering to the lord, because it was a sin for him to be in the presence of a dead body. Then he must rededicate himself to the lord and start his vow period over.
-When he has fulfilled his vow he is to bring various sacrificial offerings to the tabernacle. After those are performed by the priest, he is to have his head shaved in front of the tabernacle and the hair is to be put in the fire under the fellowship offering.
-Then the priest is to take a portion of the offering, wave it in front of the lord, then keep it for himself. (I'm not making this up.)
-After that the Nazarite is free to drink wine.
*The last part of the chapter is a blessing Yahweh tells Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to say over the Israelites. It is similar to the one sung at the sabbath meal in Fiddler in the Roof. It is echoed in Psalm 67:1. A portion of this blessing was also found on two silver amulets in a cave in Jerusalem, dated to around 600 B.C.E. They are one of the earliest Hebrew references to Yahweh ever found. The story of Moses would have taken place at least 600 years earlier, if it happened.
*Most of this chapter is what to do if you have taken a Nazarite vow. We are not told specifically what is a Nazarite or his vow, but it seems to be some kind of dedication to God.
-The Nazarite must not eat or drink any products made from grapes, including wine, vinegar, grapes, raisins, etc.
- He must not cut his hair at all. That is the symbol of his dedication.
-He must not touch or go anywhere near a dead body or he will defile his hair. (?!)
-If he does defile his hair by going near a dead body, he must shave it all off and bring a sin offering to the lord, because it was a sin for him to be in the presence of a dead body. Then he must rededicate himself to the lord and start his vow period over.
-When he has fulfilled his vow he is to bring various sacrificial offerings to the tabernacle. After those are performed by the priest, he is to have his head shaved in front of the tabernacle and the hair is to be put in the fire under the fellowship offering.
-Then the priest is to take a portion of the offering, wave it in front of the lord, then keep it for himself. (I'm not making this up.)
-After that the Nazarite is free to drink wine.
*The last part of the chapter is a blessing Yahweh tells Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to say over the Israelites. It is similar to the one sung at the sabbath meal in Fiddler in the Roof. It is echoed in Psalm 67:1. A portion of this blessing was also found on two silver amulets in a cave in Jerusalem, dated to around 600 B.C.E. They are one of the earliest Hebrew references to Yahweh ever found. The story of Moses would have taken place at least 600 years earlier, if it happened.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Numbers chapter 3
After reading chapter 3:
*Here we are again told about Aaron and his four sons. Nadab and and Abihu are no longer living because they used unsanctioned incense. They died childless. Eleazar and Ithamar are priests and served during the lifetime of their father.
*Yahweh told Moses to present the tribe of the Levites to Aaron and his sons as workers to assist them in the tabernacle care and duties. But, only Aaron and his sons could approach the sanctuary, anyone else would die.
*Yahweh explained that the whole tribe of Levites belonged to him. They were stand ins for the first born sons of the other Israelites. Why? Because all first born Israelites (and animals) belong to God, why? Because Egypt. After all, he didn't kill them when he killed the Egyptian firstborn, and he could have.
*Now the Levite males are counted, every one a month old and up. There were 22,000 all together, another nice round number. It is significantly less than the number of adult males in any of the the other tribes. Next, in order to insure each individual Levite male is the redemption for one of the firstborn of the other Israelites, the firstborn of the other tribes, from one month on up, are all counted. There were 22, 273, an excess of 273 Israelites who didn't have a Levite match. No problem, says Yahweh. Just collect 5 shekels of silver for each one of the 273, then give the money to Aaron and his sons, of course.
*So, Moses collected all that silver and gave it to Aaron and his sons.
One wonders if this was just a one time deal or if an accounting needed to be done any time another Levite male or first born male Israelite was born.
*Here we are again told about Aaron and his four sons. Nadab and and Abihu are no longer living because they used unsanctioned incense. They died childless. Eleazar and Ithamar are priests and served during the lifetime of their father.
*Yahweh told Moses to present the tribe of the Levites to Aaron and his sons as workers to assist them in the tabernacle care and duties. But, only Aaron and his sons could approach the sanctuary, anyone else would die.
*Yahweh explained that the whole tribe of Levites belonged to him. They were stand ins for the first born sons of the other Israelites. Why? Because all first born Israelites (and animals) belong to God, why? Because Egypt. After all, he didn't kill them when he killed the Egyptian firstborn, and he could have.
*Now the Levite males are counted, every one a month old and up. There were 22,000 all together, another nice round number. It is significantly less than the number of adult males in any of the the other tribes. Next, in order to insure each individual Levite male is the redemption for one of the firstborn of the other Israelites, the firstborn of the other tribes, from one month on up, are all counted. There were 22, 273, an excess of 273 Israelites who didn't have a Levite match. No problem, says Yahweh. Just collect 5 shekels of silver for each one of the 273, then give the money to Aaron and his sons, of course.
*So, Moses collected all that silver and gave it to Aaron and his sons.
One wonders if this was just a one time deal or if an accounting needed to be done any time another Levite male or first born male Israelite was born.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Numbers chapter 1
After reading chapter 1:
*Back in Exodus 40, the tabernacle was finished and set up on the frst day of the first month, of the second year in the desert. Now, in Numbers, it is the first day of the second month of the same year. Moses has a private conversation with Yahweh in the tent of meeting, which we will assume is the tabernacle. So, apparently, Leviticus took place in between these times. God tells Moses that he and Aaron are to take a census of all the male Israelites twenty years and older who are able to serve in the army. The heads of the clans were to help them.
*Each person counted registered his ancestry by clan and family. Every single name was supposedly written down, one by one. Twelve clans of Israel were counted, those of Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim and Manasseh (sons of Joseph), Benjamin, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. The Levites, the clan of priests, were exempt from service in the Army because they had the special privilege of taking care of all the tabernacle stuff. Nice work, if you can get it.
*The numbers of fighting men in each clan are almost miraculous, they all end with zeroes. All but one end with two zeroes. No odd numbers. Each clan has between 32,000 and 75,000 men. Together they total 603,550. My study bible suggests that the total population, including women and children should have been in excess of 2 million persons, twice the population of Austin, Texas. They all travelled and camped in the desert together for many years and left no trace of their existance. Amazing feat.
*Whenever the Israelites camped, they were to set up their tents in divisions according to their clans. The Levites were to set up their tents around the tabernacle. Only Levites could participate in the setting up and dismantling of the tabernacle. If anyone else came near during this process, they wiould die. They were to literally keep it all in the family.
*Back in Exodus 40, the tabernacle was finished and set up on the frst day of the first month, of the second year in the desert. Now, in Numbers, it is the first day of the second month of the same year. Moses has a private conversation with Yahweh in the tent of meeting, which we will assume is the tabernacle. So, apparently, Leviticus took place in between these times. God tells Moses that he and Aaron are to take a census of all the male Israelites twenty years and older who are able to serve in the army. The heads of the clans were to help them.
*Each person counted registered his ancestry by clan and family. Every single name was supposedly written down, one by one. Twelve clans of Israel were counted, those of Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim and Manasseh (sons of Joseph), Benjamin, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. The Levites, the clan of priests, were exempt from service in the Army because they had the special privilege of taking care of all the tabernacle stuff. Nice work, if you can get it.
*The numbers of fighting men in each clan are almost miraculous, they all end with zeroes. All but one end with two zeroes. No odd numbers. Each clan has between 32,000 and 75,000 men. Together they total 603,550. My study bible suggests that the total population, including women and children should have been in excess of 2 million persons, twice the population of Austin, Texas. They all travelled and camped in the desert together for many years and left no trace of their existance. Amazing feat.
*Whenever the Israelites camped, they were to set up their tents in divisions according to their clans. The Levites were to set up their tents around the tabernacle. Only Levites could participate in the setting up and dismantling of the tabernacle. If anyone else came near during this process, they wiould die. They were to literally keep it all in the family.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Leviticus 24
After reading Leviticus 24:
*More instructions from Yahweh: the Israelites are supposed to provide clear olive oil for the lamps outside the tabernacle. Aaron is to tend the lit lamps continually from evening to morning. When does the poor man get to sleep?
*Each sabbath, twelve loaves of bread of the finest flour, in two stacks of six, are to be placed on the golden table in front of the lord. Beside each stack, some incense is to be place to represent the bread and be a food offering to the lord, because Aaron and his sons are going to eat the real bread. It is most holy.
*In the middle of this we are told a story of young man who utters a curse using god's name. This is considered blasphemy. God tells Moses he is to be taken outside the camp and stoned to death by the Israelites. That is the penalty for blasphemy, no matter who does it. The Israelites obeyed. After that, god gives a rule that anyone who kills another person must be killed, a life for a life. Does no one see the contradiction here? Oh, that's right, if God tells you to kill the person, then you're okay.
*Next, we are told anyone who injures his neighbor is to receive the same injuries in return, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The same laws apply to everyone. Even if a person has been injured by stoning? Does the stonee get to return his injuries to the stoner? We all know it didn't work that way. God's laws to kill superseded his laws to refrain from killing. You try to make sense of that.
-After reading the Wikipedia article on stoning, apparently, since there were multiple stoners involved, no one could tell whose stone was the one responsible for the death, so no one was technically guilty. Loophole.
*More instructions from Yahweh: the Israelites are supposed to provide clear olive oil for the lamps outside the tabernacle. Aaron is to tend the lit lamps continually from evening to morning. When does the poor man get to sleep?
*Each sabbath, twelve loaves of bread of the finest flour, in two stacks of six, are to be placed on the golden table in front of the lord. Beside each stack, some incense is to be place to represent the bread and be a food offering to the lord, because Aaron and his sons are going to eat the real bread. It is most holy.
*In the middle of this we are told a story of young man who utters a curse using god's name. This is considered blasphemy. God tells Moses he is to be taken outside the camp and stoned to death by the Israelites. That is the penalty for blasphemy, no matter who does it. The Israelites obeyed. After that, god gives a rule that anyone who kills another person must be killed, a life for a life. Does no one see the contradiction here? Oh, that's right, if God tells you to kill the person, then you're okay.
*Next, we are told anyone who injures his neighbor is to receive the same injuries in return, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The same laws apply to everyone. Even if a person has been injured by stoning? Does the stonee get to return his injuries to the stoner? We all know it didn't work that way. God's laws to kill superseded his laws to refrain from killing. You try to make sense of that.
-After reading the Wikipedia article on stoning, apparently, since there were multiple stoners involved, no one could tell whose stone was the one responsible for the death, so no one was technically guilty. Loophole.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Leviticus 22
After reading chapter 22:
*More rules about the "sacred offering" for the priests:
-They must treat the offerings to God with respect, even though God doesn't need them, he won't use them, and they will get to use the leftovers from the offerings themselves.
-They must not come near the offerings if they are unclean or they will be cut off from Yahweh's presence. Does that mean they will no longer be able to serve as a priest or does it mean excommunication?
-A descendant of Aaron will not be allowed to eat any of the sacred offerings, if he is unclean by an infectious skin disease or bodily discharge, until he is cleansed. What will he eat, and where will he get it from?
-He also can't eat any of the sacred offering if he is unclean from touching something defiled by a corpse or a person with an emission of semen (How will he know? Did the priests have to ask all the men they came in contact with if they had an emission of semen in the last 24 hours? ), touching an unclean crawling animal, touching an unclean person, or eating found meat. These will make him unclean and he will have to wash and wait til evening to be magically clean again.
-They must keep these requirements or they will be guilty (Of what?) and may die because of it. Verse 9
*No one at at all outside of the priest's immediate family may eat any of the sacred offering, with one exception: his personal slaves. Yes, priests can buy and own slaves, Yahweh has no objections. If the priest's daughter marries outside the priesthood, she is no longer permitted to eat from this holy food. But if she is widowed or divorced and has to come back to live with her father, she can eat the food.
*If anyone eats the sacred food by mistake, he must pay the priest back and add a fifth of the value to it. Who is the extra fifth for, God or the priest?
*Verses 17-25 are rules for the physical condition of the animals to be sacrificed. They must have no defect or blemish of any kind when it is a burnt offering or fellowship offering that is used to fulfill a special vow or as a free will offering. An animal with damaged testicles will not be accepted, presumably this includes castrated animals. These are not acceptable as food for their God. (Or the priests.) Verse 25.
*An newborn sacrifice must remain with its mother for seven days. After that, it is free to be ritually killed, burnt, and eaten. A mother animal and her young may not be slaughtered for sacrifice on the same day. Why? Well, that's another mystery. It certainly can't be to recognize the sanctity of motherhood.
*We end with a reminder that Yahweh is holy, and he makes the Israelites holy, so they better do what he says.
Articles of interest:
Herodotus on animal sacrifice in ancient Egypt
Scholarly article on sacrifice in Britannica
*More rules about the "sacred offering" for the priests:
-They must treat the offerings to God with respect, even though God doesn't need them, he won't use them, and they will get to use the leftovers from the offerings themselves.
-They must not come near the offerings if they are unclean or they will be cut off from Yahweh's presence. Does that mean they will no longer be able to serve as a priest or does it mean excommunication?
-A descendant of Aaron will not be allowed to eat any of the sacred offerings, if he is unclean by an infectious skin disease or bodily discharge, until he is cleansed. What will he eat, and where will he get it from?
-He also can't eat any of the sacred offering if he is unclean from touching something defiled by a corpse or a person with an emission of semen (How will he know? Did the priests have to ask all the men they came in contact with if they had an emission of semen in the last 24 hours? ), touching an unclean crawling animal, touching an unclean person, or eating found meat. These will make him unclean and he will have to wash and wait til evening to be magically clean again.
-They must keep these requirements or they will be guilty (Of what?) and may die because of it. Verse 9
*No one at at all outside of the priest's immediate family may eat any of the sacred offering, with one exception: his personal slaves. Yes, priests can buy and own slaves, Yahweh has no objections. If the priest's daughter marries outside the priesthood, she is no longer permitted to eat from this holy food. But if she is widowed or divorced and has to come back to live with her father, she can eat the food.
*If anyone eats the sacred food by mistake, he must pay the priest back and add a fifth of the value to it. Who is the extra fifth for, God or the priest?
*Verses 17-25 are rules for the physical condition of the animals to be sacrificed. They must have no defect or blemish of any kind when it is a burnt offering or fellowship offering that is used to fulfill a special vow or as a free will offering. An animal with damaged testicles will not be accepted, presumably this includes castrated animals. These are not acceptable as food for their God. (Or the priests.) Verse 25.
*An newborn sacrifice must remain with its mother for seven days. After that, it is free to be ritually killed, burnt, and eaten. A mother animal and her young may not be slaughtered for sacrifice on the same day. Why? Well, that's another mystery. It certainly can't be to recognize the sanctity of motherhood.
*We end with a reminder that Yahweh is holy, and he makes the Israelites holy, so they better do what he says.
Articles of interest:
Herodotus on animal sacrifice in ancient Egypt
Scholarly article on sacrifice in Britannica
Leviticus 21
After reading Leviticus 21:
*Here we have rules for all the priests, the sons of Aaron:
-A priest may not make himself ceremoniously unclean for anyone except a close blood relative: father, mother, unmarried sister, son, daughter, or brother. He must not make himself unclean for anyone just related by marriage, which seems to include his wife. That would defile him. (Defilement is another one of those abstract concepts that has an ambiguous meaning. But we know one thing, it is BAD. )
-He must not shave his head, or cut the edges of his beard or his body. The study bible says this is what other religious groups did at the time.
-He must not marry a divorced woman or a prostitute. Why? Because priests are holy. Why? Because they offer food to a God who doesn't eat it. That's all.
-If his daughter becomes a prostitute, she must be burnt to death. When we think about reasons why a daughter might become a prostitute, maybe it's the father who should be burnt to death for not taking better care of his daughter.
*Rules for the high priest:
-He must not have messy hair or tear his clothes.
-He must not enter a place that has a dead body.
-He must not make himself unclean for anybody, even a blood relative.
-He must not leave the tabernacle area. (Will he keep his sanity? )
-He cannot marry anyone but a virgin, or he will defile his offspring. Lovely. "I'm sorry dear, you are defiled because your mother was not a virgin when we married, that's just the way it is. Yahweh said so."
In the future, only physically perfect specimens of manhood, who are descendents of Aaron. may offer food to God. (The God who doesn't eat food.) They must be not be blind, lame, dwarfed, or disfigured in any way. Why? Because God is holy. Why? Because he said so! There is some compensation, they are still allowed to eat any food left over when God is done with it. Hey, free food without working for it, just because they are descendents of Aaron? We should all be so defective. Someone else can be holy.
*Here we have rules for all the priests, the sons of Aaron:
-A priest may not make himself ceremoniously unclean for anyone except a close blood relative: father, mother, unmarried sister, son, daughter, or brother. He must not make himself unclean for anyone just related by marriage, which seems to include his wife. That would defile him. (Defilement is another one of those abstract concepts that has an ambiguous meaning. But we know one thing, it is BAD. )
-He must not shave his head, or cut the edges of his beard or his body. The study bible says this is what other religious groups did at the time.
-He must not marry a divorced woman or a prostitute. Why? Because priests are holy. Why? Because they offer food to a God who doesn't eat it. That's all.
-If his daughter becomes a prostitute, she must be burnt to death. When we think about reasons why a daughter might become a prostitute, maybe it's the father who should be burnt to death for not taking better care of his daughter.
*Rules for the high priest:
-He must not have messy hair or tear his clothes.
-He must not enter a place that has a dead body.
-He must not make himself unclean for anybody, even a blood relative.
-He must not leave the tabernacle area. (Will he keep his sanity? )
-He cannot marry anyone but a virgin, or he will defile his offspring. Lovely. "I'm sorry dear, you are defiled because your mother was not a virgin when we married, that's just the way it is. Yahweh said so."
In the future, only physically perfect specimens of manhood, who are descendents of Aaron. may offer food to God. (The God who doesn't eat food.) They must be not be blind, lame, dwarfed, or disfigured in any way. Why? Because God is holy. Why? Because he said so! There is some compensation, they are still allowed to eat any food left over when God is done with it. Hey, free food without working for it, just because they are descendents of Aaron? We should all be so defective. Someone else can be holy.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Leviticus chapter 16
After reading chapter 16:
*After the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, Yahweh told Moses to tell Aaron that he couldn't come into the most holy place, were the ark was behind a curtain inside the tabernacle, whenever he wanted. He had to follow a special procedure first. He must wash and put on special clothes and underwear. He was to sacrifice a bull to atone for his sins. Then he takes a censer with fire and incense into the part of the tabernacle tent where the ark is. The smoke from the fire will keep him from seeing the lid of the ark, called the atonement cover, or he would die. Even though he can't see it because of the smoke, he is to sprinkle some of the bull's blood on it. No one but Aaron is allowed in the tabernacle during this ritual. (Why couldn't Yahweh give these instructions to Aaron himself? Who is really in charge here? )
*Then Aaron is to take two goats to front of the tabernacle. One goat is to be sacrificed as a sin offering for the sins of Israel. Again, he takes its blood behind the curtain where the ark is and sprinkles the goat's blood on the lid. This is to atone for the sins of the Israelites for the most holy place.Then he repeats the blood sprinkling procedure for the tabernacle itself, and again for the altar, to cleanse it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
*The second goat is the "scapegoat." Aaron puts his hands on its head and confesses all the sins of the Israelites over it. This transfers the sins to the goat. Then it will be sent out into the desert. After that, Aaron goes back into the tabernacle, takes a bath and changes to his regular clothes. Then he sacrifices a ram as a burnt offering and burns the fat of the sin offering. The people who help with the scapegoat and the disposal of the remnants of the sacrifices must wash themselves and their clothes afterward.
*All this is to be done on the 10th day of the seventh month every year. It is the day of atonement, a lasting ordinance. It will also be considered a sabbath day, an enforced day of rest. Whoever is current high priest is the official who performs the duties described. It will clean the Israelites' sin slate for the year, in a manner of speaking.
*I find the whole thing depressing. Why would an eternal, omnipotent, benevolent, purely spiritual, God make a tribe of desert nomads perform such elaborate bloody rituals for him, or else? Sin and uncleanness are abstract concepts not concrete things. People don't walk around with actual piles of sins on their shoulders, that disappear when some animals are killed. Sins can't be transferred from people to goats. Notice that first the Israelites had to be told how unclean they were, then they were given a way to get rid of the uncleanness. God is giving them the medicine for the sickness he invented. He still does this for christians today.
*One way religious people get around the obvious wierdness of all these laws and rituals is to claim that they have metaphorical significance that trumps the literal meaning. If that is so, the text certainly gives no indication of it. Also, the death threats for non compliance appear to be quite literal.
*After the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, Yahweh told Moses to tell Aaron that he couldn't come into the most holy place, were the ark was behind a curtain inside the tabernacle, whenever he wanted. He had to follow a special procedure first. He must wash and put on special clothes and underwear. He was to sacrifice a bull to atone for his sins. Then he takes a censer with fire and incense into the part of the tabernacle tent where the ark is. The smoke from the fire will keep him from seeing the lid of the ark, called the atonement cover, or he would die. Even though he can't see it because of the smoke, he is to sprinkle some of the bull's blood on it. No one but Aaron is allowed in the tabernacle during this ritual. (Why couldn't Yahweh give these instructions to Aaron himself? Who is really in charge here? )
*Then Aaron is to take two goats to front of the tabernacle. One goat is to be sacrificed as a sin offering for the sins of Israel. Again, he takes its blood behind the curtain where the ark is and sprinkles the goat's blood on the lid. This is to atone for the sins of the Israelites for the most holy place.Then he repeats the blood sprinkling procedure for the tabernacle itself, and again for the altar, to cleanse it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
*The second goat is the "scapegoat." Aaron puts his hands on its head and confesses all the sins of the Israelites over it. This transfers the sins to the goat. Then it will be sent out into the desert. After that, Aaron goes back into the tabernacle, takes a bath and changes to his regular clothes. Then he sacrifices a ram as a burnt offering and burns the fat of the sin offering. The people who help with the scapegoat and the disposal of the remnants of the sacrifices must wash themselves and their clothes afterward.
*All this is to be done on the 10th day of the seventh month every year. It is the day of atonement, a lasting ordinance. It will also be considered a sabbath day, an enforced day of rest. Whoever is current high priest is the official who performs the duties described. It will clean the Israelites' sin slate for the year, in a manner of speaking.
*I find the whole thing depressing. Why would an eternal, omnipotent, benevolent, purely spiritual, God make a tribe of desert nomads perform such elaborate bloody rituals for him, or else? Sin and uncleanness are abstract concepts not concrete things. People don't walk around with actual piles of sins on their shoulders, that disappear when some animals are killed. Sins can't be transferred from people to goats. Notice that first the Israelites had to be told how unclean they were, then they were given a way to get rid of the uncleanness. God is giving them the medicine for the sickness he invented. He still does this for christians today.
*One way religious people get around the obvious wierdness of all these laws and rituals is to claim that they have metaphorical significance that trumps the literal meaning. If that is so, the text certainly gives no indication of it. Also, the death threats for non compliance appear to be quite literal.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Leviticus chapter 10
After reading chapter 10:
*Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, slipped up. They seem to have put the wrong kind of incense on the fire. This was forbidden in Exodus 30:9, but God had not said the penalty was death. Even so, fire came out of the presence of the lord and consumed them. Moses had no sympathy for them or Aaron and basically said, "I could have told you this would happen." Aaron was speechless. Two of Aaron's cousins were called to carry the bodies outside the camp. Aaron and his sons were not allowed to mourn their loss. They must stay at the entrance to the tabernacle or they would die too. Lovely. With friends like God, who needs enemies? No grace, no mercy, no empathy. Pure obedience was all that mattered. They did what they were told.
*Interesting tidbit: In verse 3, Moses gives a direct quote from Yahweh as justification for Nadab's and Abihu's deaths. However, that quote is nowhere else in previous scriptures! Not only that, it doesn't say anything about God killing people, unless there is a subtle implied threat.
*Then, like nothing happened, God proceded to tell Aaron that he and his sons were not to drink fermented beverages of any kind. They were also required to teach the Iraelites all the decrees given through Moses. Moses told Aaron and his sons to eat the grain offering that was leftover from the offerings to the lord. They and their family members were also to eat the priest's portions of the meat offerings. Moses got mad when he found out they hadn't eaten the meat from the goat of the sin offering. Aaron seems to have felt that it would have been inappropriate for him to eat it after what had happened that day. That satisfied Moses.
*Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, slipped up. They seem to have put the wrong kind of incense on the fire. This was forbidden in Exodus 30:9, but God had not said the penalty was death. Even so, fire came out of the presence of the lord and consumed them. Moses had no sympathy for them or Aaron and basically said, "I could have told you this would happen." Aaron was speechless. Two of Aaron's cousins were called to carry the bodies outside the camp. Aaron and his sons were not allowed to mourn their loss. They must stay at the entrance to the tabernacle or they would die too. Lovely. With friends like God, who needs enemies? No grace, no mercy, no empathy. Pure obedience was all that mattered. They did what they were told.
*Interesting tidbit: In verse 3, Moses gives a direct quote from Yahweh as justification for Nadab's and Abihu's deaths. However, that quote is nowhere else in previous scriptures! Not only that, it doesn't say anything about God killing people, unless there is a subtle implied threat.
*Then, like nothing happened, God proceded to tell Aaron that he and his sons were not to drink fermented beverages of any kind. They were also required to teach the Iraelites all the decrees given through Moses. Moses told Aaron and his sons to eat the grain offering that was leftover from the offerings to the lord. They and their family members were also to eat the priest's portions of the meat offerings. Moses got mad when he found out they hadn't eaten the meat from the goat of the sin offering. Aaron seems to have felt that it would have been inappropriate for him to eat it after what had happened that day. That satisfied Moses.
Leviticus chapter 9
After reading Leviticus chapter 9:
*On the eighth day after the ordination of Aaron and his sons, Moses summoned them and the elders of Israel. He told them to make a sin offering with a goat, a burnt offering with a calf and a lamb, a fellowship offering with a ram and an ox, and a grain offering. They gathered up the things for the offerings and met at the front of the tabernacle. Verse 5 says the entire assembly came near and stood before the lord. Does that mean all million plus people? That must have been some crowd in front of the tabernacle. Moses told Aaron to make the offerings. They were done according to previous instructions. Then Aaron lifted his hands and blessed the people. How much power do you think that blessing had over those people's lives? After that, Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle, presumably to consult with God. When they came out, they blessed the people again, and the (indescribable) glory of God appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the lord and consumed the burnt offering, which had already been burnt in verses 12-14, and again in verse 16. I'm confused. Anyway, when the people saw it, they cheered and fell facedown. Did the people in the back of the crowd even know what was happening?
*On the eighth day after the ordination of Aaron and his sons, Moses summoned them and the elders of Israel. He told them to make a sin offering with a goat, a burnt offering with a calf and a lamb, a fellowship offering with a ram and an ox, and a grain offering. They gathered up the things for the offerings and met at the front of the tabernacle. Verse 5 says the entire assembly came near and stood before the lord. Does that mean all million plus people? That must have been some crowd in front of the tabernacle. Moses told Aaron to make the offerings. They were done according to previous instructions. Then Aaron lifted his hands and blessed the people. How much power do you think that blessing had over those people's lives? After that, Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle, presumably to consult with God. When they came out, they blessed the people again, and the (indescribable) glory of God appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the lord and consumed the burnt offering, which had already been burnt in verses 12-14, and again in verse 16. I'm confused. Anyway, when the people saw it, they cheered and fell facedown. Did the people in the back of the crowd even know what was happening?
Friday, October 2, 2015
Leviticus chapter 8
After reading Leviticus 8:
*This chapter is about the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests, which I thought had already happened back in Exodus chapter 40. Here it goes into much more detail and is pretty much an acting out of god's instructions delivered in Exodus chapter 29. After the ordination ceremony, Moses told Aaron to cook the meat from the sacrifice and eat it at the entrance to the tabernacle. They were not to leave the entrance for seven days and nights so they would not die. They did everything Yahweh had commanded.
* I am going to ask the same question Ramona Quimby asked her kindergarten teacher about Mike Mulligan. "When did they go to the bathroom?" I will add "Where did they go?" as well. Ramona recognized that was a very important question, even if her teacher didn't. Seven days is a long time for five men to spend in the entrance of a tent without proper facilities and means of waste disposal.
*Also, what did they eat and where did they sleep during that time? Their priestly garments had blood and oil sprinkled on them, wouldn't that have attracted critters while they slept? Those fine clothes would have been mighty smelly, dirty, and wrinkled by the end of seven days.
*This chapter is about the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests, which I thought had already happened back in Exodus chapter 40. Here it goes into much more detail and is pretty much an acting out of god's instructions delivered in Exodus chapter 29. After the ordination ceremony, Moses told Aaron to cook the meat from the sacrifice and eat it at the entrance to the tabernacle. They were not to leave the entrance for seven days and nights so they would not die. They did everything Yahweh had commanded.
* I am going to ask the same question Ramona Quimby asked her kindergarten teacher about Mike Mulligan. "When did they go to the bathroom?" I will add "Where did they go?" as well. Ramona recognized that was a very important question, even if her teacher didn't. Seven days is a long time for five men to spend in the entrance of a tent without proper facilities and means of waste disposal.
*Also, what did they eat and where did they sleep during that time? Their priestly garments had blood and oil sprinkled on them, wouldn't that have attracted critters while they slept? Those fine clothes would have been mighty smelly, dirty, and wrinkled by the end of seven days.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Leviticus chapter 6
After reading chapter 6:
*If anyone sins against their neighbor by stealing, cheating, extortion, swearing falsely, etc., they must make restitution and make a guilt offering.
*Verses 8-13 are about how the priests are to keep the fire on the altar perpetually burning. There are also instructions for how the priests are to dispose of the ashes, which requires wearing different garments and underwear for removing ashes from the altar and for carrying the ashes outside the camp. Why does it matter what clothes and underwear a priest is wearing when the ashes from sacrifices are being moved from one place to another? Are these the kinds of things Yahweh cares about?
*Verses14-18 deal with how the priests will treat their portion of a grain offering. It must not be baked with yeast and it must be eaten in a holy place, preferably the tabernacle courtyard. Any male descendant of Aaron can eat it. Whatever touches it will become holy. The priests don't get to eat all the leftover flour donated to the lord. They also have to make a grain offering very morning and evening. It must be burnt completely and not eaten.
*Verses 24-29 deal with more regulations for sin offerings. I do wish these rules for individual kinds of sacrifices were all contained within their proper categories. It seems we must revisit them over and over. The place the animals are slaughtered is holy. The priest making the offering eats its meat in a holy place, the courtyard of the tabernacle. Whatever touches the meat becomes holy. If sacrificial blood gets on clothes, they must be washed in a holy place. There are more holiness rules about cooking pots and descendants of Aaron. It all seems rather pointless for something as ambiguous as holiness.
*If anyone sins against their neighbor by stealing, cheating, extortion, swearing falsely, etc., they must make restitution and make a guilt offering.
*Verses 8-13 are about how the priests are to keep the fire on the altar perpetually burning. There are also instructions for how the priests are to dispose of the ashes, which requires wearing different garments and underwear for removing ashes from the altar and for carrying the ashes outside the camp. Why does it matter what clothes and underwear a priest is wearing when the ashes from sacrifices are being moved from one place to another? Are these the kinds of things Yahweh cares about?
*Verses14-18 deal with how the priests will treat their portion of a grain offering. It must not be baked with yeast and it must be eaten in a holy place, preferably the tabernacle courtyard. Any male descendant of Aaron can eat it. Whatever touches it will become holy. The priests don't get to eat all the leftover flour donated to the lord. They also have to make a grain offering very morning and evening. It must be burnt completely and not eaten.
*Verses 24-29 deal with more regulations for sin offerings. I do wish these rules for individual kinds of sacrifices were all contained within their proper categories. It seems we must revisit them over and over. The place the animals are slaughtered is holy. The priest making the offering eats its meat in a holy place, the courtyard of the tabernacle. Whatever touches the meat becomes holy. If sacrificial blood gets on clothes, they must be washed in a holy place. There are more holiness rules about cooking pots and descendants of Aaron. It all seems rather pointless for something as ambiguous as holiness.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Exodus chapter 40:
After reading chapter 40:
*Yahweh told Moses how to set up the tabernacle and all its paraphernalia on the first day of the month. Then, Aaron and his sons were to be washed, anointed, and clothed in the priestly garments. All that was done on the first day of the first month of the second year from the time the Israelites left Egypt. The tablets of the covenant were placed in the ark. When everything was finished being set up, the cloud settled on the tabernacle and the glory of the lord filled it. Because of this, Moses could not enter the tabernacle.
*From then on, whenever the cloud rose off the tabernacle, it was time for the Israelites to pack up and move on. Otherwise, they stayed put.
That marks the end of the book of Exodus.
*Yahweh told Moses how to set up the tabernacle and all its paraphernalia on the first day of the month. Then, Aaron and his sons were to be washed, anointed, and clothed in the priestly garments. All that was done on the first day of the first month of the second year from the time the Israelites left Egypt. The tablets of the covenant were placed in the ark. When everything was finished being set up, the cloud settled on the tabernacle and the glory of the lord filled it. Because of this, Moses could not enter the tabernacle.
*From then on, whenever the cloud rose off the tabernacle, it was time for the Israelites to pack up and move on. Otherwise, they stayed put.
That marks the end of the book of Exodus.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Exodus chapter 32
After reading chapter 32:
*Moses was up on the mountain for a long time. Understandably, the Israelites began to wonder what had happened to him. Aaron took things in his own hands and fashioned a golden calf idol out of donations of gold from the Israelites. It was announced that this was the God that brought them out of Egypt. Aaron built an altar in front of the calf and announced a festival. The next day they made animal sacrifices and had a big barbecue, and possibly an orgy, though that is not clear.
*Yahweh told Moses it was time he went back and saw what the Israelites were doing. God was so angry that he wanted to destroy the Israelites and make Moses into a great nation. ( Didn't God know that would happen? ) Moses had to calm God down by reminding him that the Israelites were his special people and he had already done so much for them that he couldn't give up on them now. God cooled off and Moses went down the mountain.
*So, Moses went down the mountain with the tablets that had been engraved by God. Joshua, who had gone with Moses, but apparently was not privy to the conversation between God and Moses, heard the noise from the camp and thought it was the sounds of war. Moses knew it was a party. Still, like a parent coming home and finding out the children had taken over, he got angry. He smashed the tablets of testimony on the ground. Then, he took the idol, burned it, ground the ashes into powder, sprinkled the powder on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
*Then Moses berated Aaron, who practiced a little blame shifting and verbal gymnastics. Things were out of control, so Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said that anyone on Yahweh's side was to stand by him. The Levites ( read priests) all rallied around Moses. Who can blame them, the priests were the favored group. I'm sure they didn't want to lose their benefits.
*What happens next is extraordinarily disturbing. Moses told the Levites that Yahweh was ordering them to take swords and make their way through the camp indiscriminately slaughtering people. How is this not murder, which God is supposedly against? Three thousand people were killed. Even more extraordinary, the Levites were praised for killing their own family members in service to God!
*The next day, Moses went back to Yahweh and offered to have himself blotted out of god's book. We are not told what that means. God said he would blot out whoever sinned against him. Moses was to continue to lead the people to the promised land. Then God struck the Israelites with a plague because of their behavior with the golden calf.
*It was fascinating for me to find out that the original tablets Moses was given were not the Ten Commandments at all. My study bible says they were probably two copies of the agreement between God and the Israelites, one for God, one for the people, if everything happened the way the bible says.
*Moses was up on the mountain for a long time. Understandably, the Israelites began to wonder what had happened to him. Aaron took things in his own hands and fashioned a golden calf idol out of donations of gold from the Israelites. It was announced that this was the God that brought them out of Egypt. Aaron built an altar in front of the calf and announced a festival. The next day they made animal sacrifices and had a big barbecue, and possibly an orgy, though that is not clear.
*Yahweh told Moses it was time he went back and saw what the Israelites were doing. God was so angry that he wanted to destroy the Israelites and make Moses into a great nation. ( Didn't God know that would happen? ) Moses had to calm God down by reminding him that the Israelites were his special people and he had already done so much for them that he couldn't give up on them now. God cooled off and Moses went down the mountain.
*So, Moses went down the mountain with the tablets that had been engraved by God. Joshua, who had gone with Moses, but apparently was not privy to the conversation between God and Moses, heard the noise from the camp and thought it was the sounds of war. Moses knew it was a party. Still, like a parent coming home and finding out the children had taken over, he got angry. He smashed the tablets of testimony on the ground. Then, he took the idol, burned it, ground the ashes into powder, sprinkled the powder on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
*Then Moses berated Aaron, who practiced a little blame shifting and verbal gymnastics. Things were out of control, so Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said that anyone on Yahweh's side was to stand by him. The Levites ( read priests) all rallied around Moses. Who can blame them, the priests were the favored group. I'm sure they didn't want to lose their benefits.
*What happens next is extraordinarily disturbing. Moses told the Levites that Yahweh was ordering them to take swords and make their way through the camp indiscriminately slaughtering people. How is this not murder, which God is supposedly against? Three thousand people were killed. Even more extraordinary, the Levites were praised for killing their own family members in service to God!
*The next day, Moses went back to Yahweh and offered to have himself blotted out of god's book. We are not told what that means. God said he would blot out whoever sinned against him. Moses was to continue to lead the people to the promised land. Then God struck the Israelites with a plague because of their behavior with the golden calf.
*It was fascinating for me to find out that the original tablets Moses was given were not the Ten Commandments at all. My study bible says they were probably two copies of the agreement between God and the Israelites, one for God, one for the people, if everything happened the way the bible says.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Exodus chapter 30
After reading chapter 30:
*Next we have instructions for constructing an altar for burning incense and where to put it. Aaron must burn incense every morning and evening. Once a year he dabbles blood on the altar it to keep it holy.
*Then we have instructions for a kind of poll tax whenever a census is taken. Every one who is older than twenty years is to give half a shekel to the lord, to atone for their lives. The money is to be used in service of the tabernacle. In other words, the priests will get it. 600,000 men left Egypt. That's 300,000 shekels, a nice tidy sum.
*There is also to be a bronze basin for the priests to wash their hands and feet before they enter the tabernacle, or else they will die. This is another lasting ordinance. Because God is a germaphobe.
*Then we have instructions for the mixing of a special anointing oil. It will be used on the tabernacle, the ark, the table and its accessories, and the basin. This will make them holy. Aaron and his sons are also to be anointed. That special formula of anointing oil is just for the priests, no other Israelites. Any one who makes similar oil and puts it on will be cut off from the rest of the Israelites.
*Last, we have instructions for how to make holy incense. This formula is also reserved for the priesthood. Anyone who makes similar incense and uses it will be cut off from the rest of the Israelites. This shows what kinds of things are most important to Yahweh, and keeps the priesthood an elite institution.
Edited.
*Next we have instructions for constructing an altar for burning incense and where to put it. Aaron must burn incense every morning and evening. Once a year he dabbles blood on the altar it to keep it holy.
*Then we have instructions for a kind of poll tax whenever a census is taken. Every one who is older than twenty years is to give half a shekel to the lord, to atone for their lives. The money is to be used in service of the tabernacle. In other words, the priests will get it. 600,000 men left Egypt. That's 300,000 shekels, a nice tidy sum.
*There is also to be a bronze basin for the priests to wash their hands and feet before they enter the tabernacle, or else they will die. This is another lasting ordinance. Because God is a germaphobe.
*Then we have instructions for the mixing of a special anointing oil. It will be used on the tabernacle, the ark, the table and its accessories, and the basin. This will make them holy. Aaron and his sons are also to be anointed. That special formula of anointing oil is just for the priests, no other Israelites. Any one who makes similar oil and puts it on will be cut off from the rest of the Israelites.
*Last, we have instructions for how to make holy incense. This formula is also reserved for the priesthood. Anyone who makes similar incense and uses it will be cut off from the rest of the Israelites. This shows what kinds of things are most important to Yahweh, and keeps the priesthood an elite institution.
Edited.
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