We are now at Hebrews chapter thirteen, the last chapter. The end is in sight! In this chapter, the Hebrews are told to continue loving each other as brothers, because they might entertain angels without knowing it. They also need to remember those in prison and those being mistreated, as if it were they themselves suffering. What good will being remembered do for the people who are actually suffering?
The author goes on to say " marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed be kept pure." That means nobody gets to have sex with a non spouse. Why? Because God hates adulterers and the sexually immoral. What is the difference between an adulterer and a sexually immoral person? I don't know, maybe they are the same thing. I was wrong when I previously wrote that Jesus said nothing about sex. He was clearly against adultery and lust.
The readers are also told not to love money. They need to be content with what they have, "because god has said I will never leave you or forsake you." (A quote from Moses to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 31:6) What good is god's invisible presence when you have no food or shelter or means to obtain it?
The Hebrews are also told to say with confidence, "The lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me." (Psalm 118:6-7) In case you didn't already know, man/mankind can do a lot of harm, to other people and property, in spite of a god who is supposed to be a helper. At many times, there are legitimate reason to be very afraid. It's almost like there is no god.
The readers are also told to remember their leaders who spoke the word of god to them.(Like maybe the author of this book?) The leaders are providing an example of life and faith that needs to be imitated. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Amen. That means every believer should be living and believing the exact same way. "Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings." Like stories about crucified and risen saviors, who became invisible heavenly high priests, and sprinkle their invisible blood, making people have eternal life?
Next, the Hebrews are to that it is good for their hearts "to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them." Huh? First of All, what in tarnation is grace? How can it strengthen a heart? Second, what do ceremonial foods have to do with anything? The author appears to be sharply veering right back into his high priest and temple metaphor, or the heavenly reality of which that earthly stuff is a shadow. He speaks of people having no right to eat from the altar they minister at. Presumably he is talking about the earthly high priests.
Again, the author talks about the earthly high priest carrying the blood of animals into the holy place. He says the bodies of the animals were burned outside the city, after the sacrifice. Then the author somehow associates this with Jesus "suffering outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood." So, likewise the believers should bear the disgrace Jesus bore by being outside the city. (Presumably Jerusalem) They don't need the city, because they are looking for the enduring city that is to come. Hmm. This seems like the kind of thing outcasts might say.
I'm going to revise my ruminations and guess that this book may have been written before the fall of Jerusalem after all, in the infancy of Christianity. It definitely appears to be pre synoptic gospels, and maybe even pre Paul.
Till next time.
Showing posts with label Deuteronomy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deuteronomy. Show all posts
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Hebrews part two
We are in Hebrews 1:5. The author is giving us old testament scriptures that show god telling some man he is gods son. We haven't actually been given Jesus's name yet, but it is assumed the reader knows who the author is referring to. The implication is that Jesus is god's son and that it was foretold in the Hebrew scriptures. We've read the first quoted scripture from Psalms and have seen that it is problematic as a foretelling of Jesus. It is most likely referring to David.
Let's look at the next scripture given. It comes from 2 Samuel 7:14. "I will be his father, he will be my son." These words of god are coming from the prophet Samuel and being told to David, about David. In fact the rest of the verse reads "when he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men." Is god really also speaking of Jesus here?
The next Old Testament verse quoted is supposed to be about when god's first born came into the world (aka the birth of Jesus). Deuteronomy 32:43: "Let all god's angel's worship him." There is a problem with this sentence. It is not found in all the manuscripts of Deuteronomy, just one dead sea scroll and the Septuagint. It is obviously an addition. Not only that, when the phrase is put in context, the subject is god, not Jesus. The angels are worshipping god, not his son at all. There is no mention of god's son in Deuteronomy 32.
The author of Hebrews then goes off on a tangent. "Speaking of angels" he decides to include an Old Testament reference to angels, Psalm 104:4. "He makes his angels winds and his servants flames of fire." Even though this phrase has nothing to do with Jesus, it is interesting, in that the author has quoted this scripture differently than how it appears in the context of the Psalm. In Psalm 104, natural elements are being created and used by god for his purposes. "He makes the wind his messengers and flames of fire his servants." He does not start with spiritual beings and turn them into forces of nature. The author of Hebrews is clearly playing word games.
Back to the son. The author of Hebrews next quotes Psalm 45:6-7. "Your throne, o god, will last forever and ever, and righteousness ("justice" in my OT) will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore god, your god, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." What in the world is the oil of joy? First of all, in context, this Psalm specifically states in verse one that it was written for the king who lived at that time. What king? We don't know, but nevertheless, an earthly king born in the lineage of David, long before Jesus. He is called a man in verse two. He is also called god in verse six.
Guess what, it was not uncommon for kings in ancient days to be thought of as gods themselves. However, the same terminology was often used for gods and kings, even when the kings were not considered divine, such as "lord" and "master." This is terminology that was also used for Jesus in the New Testament. My study bible notes say that the king was probably called god as an honorific, because he was god's representative on earth. However, it is a false equivalence to assume that every king or revered person called god actually was a supernatural god. Not to mention, the same individual called god in the Old Testament Psalms was not in any way the same person as Jesus.
Did the Jews believe in reincarnation? Did they believe he was David reborn? Do Christians believe that? That's almost what they would have to believe in order to believe this Psalm is talking about Jesus. Otherwise, the author is just cherry picking phrases that he likes and applying them to his perception of who Jesus was. In fact, I am beginning to be convinced that is exactly what Jesus's followers originally believed. When he was called the son of god or the christ (anointed one), I think they knew very well that those phrases referred to King David, the king of the Jews.
Remember in Mark, when Jesus asked Peter who people thought he was. Peter replied "Some say
John the Baptist, some say Elijah." Jesus would have been a reincarnation to be John or Elijah. Peter
then told Jesus that he believed Jesus was the christ. Who would have been reincarnated then? David! No wonder Jesus told his disciples not to tell people about him. No wonder he was killed for claiming to be king of the Jews! That makes sense to me, what do you think?
Let's look at the next scripture given. It comes from 2 Samuel 7:14. "I will be his father, he will be my son." These words of god are coming from the prophet Samuel and being told to David, about David. In fact the rest of the verse reads "when he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men." Is god really also speaking of Jesus here?
The next Old Testament verse quoted is supposed to be about when god's first born came into the world (aka the birth of Jesus). Deuteronomy 32:43: "Let all god's angel's worship him." There is a problem with this sentence. It is not found in all the manuscripts of Deuteronomy, just one dead sea scroll and the Septuagint. It is obviously an addition. Not only that, when the phrase is put in context, the subject is god, not Jesus. The angels are worshipping god, not his son at all. There is no mention of god's son in Deuteronomy 32.
The author of Hebrews then goes off on a tangent. "Speaking of angels" he decides to include an Old Testament reference to angels, Psalm 104:4. "He makes his angels winds and his servants flames of fire." Even though this phrase has nothing to do with Jesus, it is interesting, in that the author has quoted this scripture differently than how it appears in the context of the Psalm. In Psalm 104, natural elements are being created and used by god for his purposes. "He makes the wind his messengers and flames of fire his servants." He does not start with spiritual beings and turn them into forces of nature. The author of Hebrews is clearly playing word games.
Back to the son. The author of Hebrews next quotes Psalm 45:6-7. "Your throne, o god, will last forever and ever, and righteousness ("justice" in my OT) will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore god, your god, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." What in the world is the oil of joy? First of all, in context, this Psalm specifically states in verse one that it was written for the king who lived at that time. What king? We don't know, but nevertheless, an earthly king born in the lineage of David, long before Jesus. He is called a man in verse two. He is also called god in verse six.
Guess what, it was not uncommon for kings in ancient days to be thought of as gods themselves. However, the same terminology was often used for gods and kings, even when the kings were not considered divine, such as "lord" and "master." This is terminology that was also used for Jesus in the New Testament. My study bible notes say that the king was probably called god as an honorific, because he was god's representative on earth. However, it is a false equivalence to assume that every king or revered person called god actually was a supernatural god. Not to mention, the same individual called god in the Old Testament Psalms was not in any way the same person as Jesus.
Did the Jews believe in reincarnation? Did they believe he was David reborn? Do Christians believe that? That's almost what they would have to believe in order to believe this Psalm is talking about Jesus. Otherwise, the author is just cherry picking phrases that he likes and applying them to his perception of who Jesus was. In fact, I am beginning to be convinced that is exactly what Jesus's followers originally believed. When he was called the son of god or the christ (anointed one), I think they knew very well that those phrases referred to King David, the king of the Jews.
Remember in Mark, when Jesus asked Peter who people thought he was. Peter replied "Some say
John the Baptist, some say Elijah." Jesus would have been a reincarnation to be John or Elijah. Peter
then told Jesus that he believed Jesus was the christ. Who would have been reincarnated then? David! No wonder Jesus told his disciples not to tell people about him. No wonder he was killed for claiming to be king of the Jews! That makes sense to me, what do you think?
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Heaven part five.
We are now looking at the plural of heaven--heavens. Skimming through the references in Strong's concordance, it seems clear that the Ancient Israelites believed in multiple heavens in layers above the earth. Deuteronomy 10:14 says, "To the lord your god belong the heavens, even the highest heavens.." 1 Kings 8:27 says, "the heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain" god. The same is said in 2 Chronicles. Nehemiah 6 says Yahweh made all the heavens, even the highest heavens.
In Psalm 2, the one enthroned in the heavens laughs at the kings of the earth. In Psalm 18, Yahweh parted the heavens and came down, on dark clouds, with smoke pouring from his nostrils and fire from his mouth. "He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind." Hail, thunder, and lightening, announced his presence. Pretty cool imagery. In a few Psalms, god is said to be above the heavens. In 68:4, Yahweh rides on the clouds in the NIV, he rides in the heavens in the KJV. The word translated clouds and heavens here is a totally different word, arabah,that usually refers to a desert, which is wierd. In 68:33, the NIV says Yahweh rides the ancient skies above. The KJV says he rides upon the heaven of heavens. Again, the word translated skies and heavens is the same root word shameh.
There are multiple passages in Psalms where the heavens praise Yahweh. They rejoice and declare his righteousness and glory. Many passages in the Old Testament with the word heavens are redundant. God made the heavens. The heavens are high. They have clouds, dew, rain, stars, birds, etc. Yahweh's right hand spread out the heavens in Isaiah 48:13.
I have come to a very interesting passage in Isaiah 66. It speaks of new heavens and a new earth. There will be no crying there. Infants will not die and people 100 years old will be thought young. They will be blessed and Yahweh will never harm them. This is specifically for the Israelites but Christians tend to co-opt it.
Jeremiah 10:11 tells us that the gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under heaven, but not the god that made the heavens and the earth, Yahweh. (Sorry to break it to Yahweh, but his days are numbered as well.) When Yahweh thunders, the waters in the heavens roar, he brings the wind out from his storehouses.
In Ezekiel 1:1, the heavens opened and Ezekiel saw visions of god. After seeing a few surreal fantasy like creatures, at the end of chapter one Yahweh appears. He is sitting on a throne of sapphire. From the waist up he looks like glowing hot metal. From the waist down he was on fire. A brilliant light surrounded him and looked like a rainbow. In Joel and Haggai, the heavens are shook. In Zechariah 6, four spirits of heaven, who stand in the presence of the lord of the whole world, look like chariots with horses. They head out to the east, south, north, and west, of course.
That's it for heaven/heavens in the Old Testament. What have we learned? The word/words heaven in the Old Testament are almost exclusively the same root Hebrew word, shameh. That word is also translated as sky, air, and clouds in the NIV. Yahweh created the heavens/sky. He also lives there. (Where did he live before he created the heavens? ) At times he is said to be above the highest heaven or in the heaven of heavens. He's got a throne in the heavens and the earth is his footstool. From there he speaks, hurls lightening, sends hail, rain, dew, and winds which are stored there. Birds fly and clouds float in the heavens above. There are multitudes of spirit beings in heaven or the heavens which are often represented by the stars or are the stars, depending on which passage you read. One day there will be a new heavens and a new earth for the Israelites. I found nothing about people ever living an eternal life with god in heaven, if they believe in a messiah.
The New Testament is next.
In Psalm 2, the one enthroned in the heavens laughs at the kings of the earth. In Psalm 18, Yahweh parted the heavens and came down, on dark clouds, with smoke pouring from his nostrils and fire from his mouth. "He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind." Hail, thunder, and lightening, announced his presence. Pretty cool imagery. In a few Psalms, god is said to be above the heavens. In 68:4, Yahweh rides on the clouds in the NIV, he rides in the heavens in the KJV. The word translated clouds and heavens here is a totally different word, arabah,that usually refers to a desert, which is wierd. In 68:33, the NIV says Yahweh rides the ancient skies above. The KJV says he rides upon the heaven of heavens. Again, the word translated skies and heavens is the same root word shameh.
There are multiple passages in Psalms where the heavens praise Yahweh. They rejoice and declare his righteousness and glory. Many passages in the Old Testament with the word heavens are redundant. God made the heavens. The heavens are high. They have clouds, dew, rain, stars, birds, etc. Yahweh's right hand spread out the heavens in Isaiah 48:13.
I have come to a very interesting passage in Isaiah 66. It speaks of new heavens and a new earth. There will be no crying there. Infants will not die and people 100 years old will be thought young. They will be blessed and Yahweh will never harm them. This is specifically for the Israelites but Christians tend to co-opt it.
Jeremiah 10:11 tells us that the gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under heaven, but not the god that made the heavens and the earth, Yahweh. (Sorry to break it to Yahweh, but his days are numbered as well.) When Yahweh thunders, the waters in the heavens roar, he brings the wind out from his storehouses.
In Ezekiel 1:1, the heavens opened and Ezekiel saw visions of god. After seeing a few surreal fantasy like creatures, at the end of chapter one Yahweh appears. He is sitting on a throne of sapphire. From the waist up he looks like glowing hot metal. From the waist down he was on fire. A brilliant light surrounded him and looked like a rainbow. In Joel and Haggai, the heavens are shook. In Zechariah 6, four spirits of heaven, who stand in the presence of the lord of the whole world, look like chariots with horses. They head out to the east, south, north, and west, of course.
That's it for heaven/heavens in the Old Testament. What have we learned? The word/words heaven in the Old Testament are almost exclusively the same root Hebrew word, shameh. That word is also translated as sky, air, and clouds in the NIV. Yahweh created the heavens/sky. He also lives there. (Where did he live before he created the heavens? ) At times he is said to be above the highest heaven or in the heaven of heavens. He's got a throne in the heavens and the earth is his footstool. From there he speaks, hurls lightening, sends hail, rain, dew, and winds which are stored there. Birds fly and clouds float in the heavens above. There are multitudes of spirit beings in heaven or the heavens which are often represented by the stars or are the stars, depending on which passage you read. One day there will be a new heavens and a new earth for the Israelites. I found nothing about people ever living an eternal life with god in heaven, if they believe in a messiah.
The New Testament is next.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Heaven
I've already covered the topic of hell, so I thought we would do a survey of heaven in the bible. According to Bible Gateway, there are 622 times heaven/ heavens is used in the NIV, 691 in the KJV. It's important to note that it is probable that most of the instances are referring to the area above the earth, the atmosphere, or space. Sometimes that is indistinguishable from the residence of Yahweh.
Strong's concordance shows that through most of the old testament one single Hebrew word is translated into the English word heaven, most of the time. It is the word Shameh, which is defined as pertaining to the sky or the invisible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher "ether" where the celestial bodies (planets) revolve.
This same heaven is the one created by god in Genesis, the one that contains the stars. This is the same heaven that let loose the flood waters that carried the ark. This same heaven is the one that rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah. This is the same heaven from which god spoke to Abraham. This is the same heaven to which Jacob's dream ladder reached. This is the same heaven that holds the stars and the dew. It's all the same word. There is no differentiation between the sky/upper atmosphere and the realm of god in the whole book of Genesis.
In Exodus, god talks to Moses from heaven. He sends manna to the Israelites from heaven. In Deuteronomy, god lives in heaven (the sky) and on earth. He speaks from heaven. Smoke and fire goes up to heaven. Rain comes down from heaven, etc. It's all one and the same heaven.
In Joshua, the lord threw stones down from heaven and the sun stood still in heaven. In Samuel, the lord thunders from the same heaven.
More to come.
Strong's concordance shows that through most of the old testament one single Hebrew word is translated into the English word heaven, most of the time. It is the word Shameh, which is defined as pertaining to the sky or the invisible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher "ether" where the celestial bodies (planets) revolve.
This same heaven is the one created by god in Genesis, the one that contains the stars. This is the same heaven that let loose the flood waters that carried the ark. This same heaven is the one that rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah. This is the same heaven from which god spoke to Abraham. This is the same heaven to which Jacob's dream ladder reached. This is the same heaven that holds the stars and the dew. It's all the same word. There is no differentiation between the sky/upper atmosphere and the realm of god in the whole book of Genesis.
In Exodus, god talks to Moses from heaven. He sends manna to the Israelites from heaven. In Deuteronomy, god lives in heaven (the sky) and on earth. He speaks from heaven. Smoke and fire goes up to heaven. Rain comes down from heaven, etc. It's all one and the same heaven.
In Joshua, the lord threw stones down from heaven and the sun stood still in heaven. In Samuel, the lord thunders from the same heaven.
More to come.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Deuteronomy wrap up
*Now that we are finished with Deuteronomy, we can see that it is very unlikely that the book was written by Moses, unless he wrote about himself in the third person, telling how wonderful he was. It seems to have been written by a person or persons, far in the future of Moses, who knew that the Israelites had prophets and that they were conquered and taken into captivity. This makes its authorship either during the captivity or after their return to the promised land. We are also not told that the book is the word of God.
*Deuteronomy is extremely redundant with very little new material. There is a repetion of many laws, traditions, and admonitions. There is a constant harping on the need for complete obedience, or else dire consequences would ensue. Most of the new material is an expansion on old themes and an addition of details to material found in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.
*We find no references to Angels, demons, and Satan. There is no mention of a personal savior or messiah. Heaven is mentioned as the place Yahweh lives in the clouds. We find a hint of hell in one passage about sheol, but it is not said to be a place of eternal torture or a spiritual punishment. It is underground. All rewards and punishments appear to be earthly and physical.
*In this book, Yahweh is a jealous, angry, and strict God, expecting absolute obedience. He continues to communicate solely with Moses, often from the pillar of smoke over the tabernacle tent. He seems to forget that he killed off most of the original adult Israelites who left Egypt forty years ago during the exodus. His commandments and covenants with Israel are said to be eternal and everlasting, which could present a dilemma to christians.
*The book ends with the death of Moses and the institution of Joshua as the new leader. If we assume Bishop Ussher's date of creation at 4004 BCE, and do the math using the numbers gleaned from the Old Testament so far, and without adjustments based on New Testament input, it should now be around the year 1297 BCE. Just for the record, I realize this probably isn't going to work out later, but let's just go with it.
On to Joshua, which promises to be more interesting, and more bloody.
Edited.
*Deuteronomy is extremely redundant with very little new material. There is a repetion of many laws, traditions, and admonitions. There is a constant harping on the need for complete obedience, or else dire consequences would ensue. Most of the new material is an expansion on old themes and an addition of details to material found in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.
*We find no references to Angels, demons, and Satan. There is no mention of a personal savior or messiah. Heaven is mentioned as the place Yahweh lives in the clouds. We find a hint of hell in one passage about sheol, but it is not said to be a place of eternal torture or a spiritual punishment. It is underground. All rewards and punishments appear to be earthly and physical.
*In this book, Yahweh is a jealous, angry, and strict God, expecting absolute obedience. He continues to communicate solely with Moses, often from the pillar of smoke over the tabernacle tent. He seems to forget that he killed off most of the original adult Israelites who left Egypt forty years ago during the exodus. His commandments and covenants with Israel are said to be eternal and everlasting, which could present a dilemma to christians.
*The book ends with the death of Moses and the institution of Joshua as the new leader. If we assume Bishop Ussher's date of creation at 4004 BCE, and do the math using the numbers gleaned from the Old Testament so far, and without adjustments based on New Testament input, it should now be around the year 1297 BCE. Just for the record, I realize this probably isn't going to work out later, but let's just go with it.
On to Joshua, which promises to be more interesting, and more bloody.
Edited.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Deuteronomy 34
After reading chapter 34:
*So, Moses climbs Mount Nebo and there Yahweh shows him all the promised land across the Jordan that he will never set foot on, all the way to the western sea (the Mediterranean). That's quite a distance. At 120 years old, Moses has bionic eyes.
*Moses then died and was buried in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but "to this day no one knows where his grave is." "To this day" means that at the time this was written Moses had been dead long enough for the Israelites to have forgotten where the grave was. This would also happen if there never was a Moses and consequently no grave to find. This passage does not say Moses's death actually took place on the mountain. It just says he died in Moab. However, his death occurring on the mountain itself is very strongly rooted in tradition. Tra-di-tionnnnn!
*We are told that Moses was strong and clear sighted when he died. Then why did he die? Clearly it was not of natural causes. So, was it suicide, foul play, or did God just snuff out his life? After his death, the Israelites mourned Moses for a month then Joshua became the new leader, because Moses had laid his hands on him and had given him the spirit of wisdom. Whoa, shades of the apostles: passing the gift of the spirit by the laying on of hands.
*Deuteronomy ends by saying that since Moses there never has been a prophet as great and powerful as he was. This means that the book of Deuteronomy was written long after Moses lived and died, even after there had been other prophets in Israel.
We are finally done with Deuteronomy!!!
*So, Moses climbs Mount Nebo and there Yahweh shows him all the promised land across the Jordan that he will never set foot on, all the way to the western sea (the Mediterranean). That's quite a distance. At 120 years old, Moses has bionic eyes.
*Moses then died and was buried in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but "to this day no one knows where his grave is." "To this day" means that at the time this was written Moses had been dead long enough for the Israelites to have forgotten where the grave was. This would also happen if there never was a Moses and consequently no grave to find. This passage does not say Moses's death actually took place on the mountain. It just says he died in Moab. However, his death occurring on the mountain itself is very strongly rooted in tradition. Tra-di-tionnnnn!
*We are told that Moses was strong and clear sighted when he died. Then why did he die? Clearly it was not of natural causes. So, was it suicide, foul play, or did God just snuff out his life? After his death, the Israelites mourned Moses for a month then Joshua became the new leader, because Moses had laid his hands on him and had given him the spirit of wisdom. Whoa, shades of the apostles: passing the gift of the spirit by the laying on of hands.
*Deuteronomy ends by saying that since Moses there never has been a prophet as great and powerful as he was. This means that the book of Deuteronomy was written long after Moses lived and died, even after there had been other prophets in Israel.
We are finally done with Deuteronomy!!!
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Deuteronomy 33
After reading chapter 33:
*This chapter is also written in poetic style. It is Moses's blessing on the Israelites, in contrast with the last chapter which could be classified as a cursing. He touches on the history of the Israelites and the exodus, and each of the Israelite tribes is blessed.
* There is a special commendation for the Levites, who care more for serving Yahweh and being safeguards of the covenant than they care for their own blood relatives. This seems to be an oblique reference to the events of Exodus 32:25-29 when the Levites coldbloodedly slaughtered 3,000 people indiscriminately, without regard to relationship. Verse 11 of today's chapter has a curse for those who rise up against the Levites. This is significant because the Levites already have tremendous power as the purveyors of knowledge about the laws and the covenant, the authorized users of the Urim and Thummim (tools for divining the will of Yahweh), the performers of ritual and sacrifice, the caretakers of the religious paraphernalia, and the final authority when it comes to religious "cleanness." Israel is a theocracy, and as in all theocracies, the priests are in control. Which means they are also the ones saying which texts are official scripture, probably that which was originally written by them.
*In marked contrast to the last chapter, the Israelites are told that God is their refuge and help. He will drive out their enemies and cause them to live in peace, comfort, and security. They will trample on the gods of their enemies and show them Yahweh is boss.
Edited.
*This chapter is also written in poetic style. It is Moses's blessing on the Israelites, in contrast with the last chapter which could be classified as a cursing. He touches on the history of the Israelites and the exodus, and each of the Israelite tribes is blessed.
* There is a special commendation for the Levites, who care more for serving Yahweh and being safeguards of the covenant than they care for their own blood relatives. This seems to be an oblique reference to the events of Exodus 32:25-29 when the Levites coldbloodedly slaughtered 3,000 people indiscriminately, without regard to relationship. Verse 11 of today's chapter has a curse for those who rise up against the Levites. This is significant because the Levites already have tremendous power as the purveyors of knowledge about the laws and the covenant, the authorized users of the Urim and Thummim (tools for divining the will of Yahweh), the performers of ritual and sacrifice, the caretakers of the religious paraphernalia, and the final authority when it comes to religious "cleanness." Israel is a theocracy, and as in all theocracies, the priests are in control. Which means they are also the ones saying which texts are official scripture, probably that which was originally written by them.
*In marked contrast to the last chapter, the Israelites are told that God is their refuge and help. He will drive out their enemies and cause them to live in peace, comfort, and security. They will trample on the gods of their enemies and show them Yahweh is boss.
Edited.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Deuteronomy 32
After reading chapter 32:
*This chapter is the song that Moses supposedly taught the Israelites. It is written in poetic form and speaks as though said in the future. The main themes: Yahweh is great. Yahweh is good. He gave each Israelite tribe its inheritance and divided up the promised land for them. He took very good care of them but they abandoned him and made him jealous because of their worship of foreign gods. As a consequence, Yahweh rejected them. He was so angry that he sent calamities on them.
*In verse 22 we have a first hint of the doctrine of hell. "A fire has been kindled by my wrath, one that burns to the realm of death below." (NIV) The King James says "unto the lowest hell." Other versions say the depths of Sheol, which is the original Hebrew word in this passage. Still others translate it as the lowest pit or the netherworld.
*Verse 27 seems odd because Yahweh is speaking yet he says, "I would scatter them and blot out their memory, but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand and say, 'Our hand has triumphed; Yahweh has not done all this.'" In other words God would have completely annihilated the Israelites, but he didn't want others to get the credit for what was actually his punishment of the Israelites and say that he had no power. He goes on to say the enemies are obviously without discernment. They should have known it wouldn't have been so easy to conquer so many people if their God hadn't given them up. Yahweh is worried about his reputation.
*Verses 35 and 41 declare Yahweh's right to bloodthirsty vengeance against his enemies. Who are his enemies? Those nations that conquered his servants, the Israelites. (Wait a minute, I thought he was through with them because of their unfaithfulness and disobedience. Apparently not.) They are still his land and his people after all. Verse 39 declares,"See now that I myself am He! There is no God besides me. I put to death and I bring life, I have wounded and I will heal." This reminds me of what others have said about the human relationship to God: You are sinful, wicked, and horrible. You make God so angry that you deserve to die. But God loves you.
*On that very same day that Moses taught the Israelites his song, Yahweh told him to go up on Mount Nebo, across the Jordan from the promised land. There he was to die looking at the the land and knowing he would never enter it because he did not uphold Yahweh's holiness among the Israelites back in Numbers 20. God held a grudge for forty years.
Edited.
*This chapter is the song that Moses supposedly taught the Israelites. It is written in poetic form and speaks as though said in the future. The main themes: Yahweh is great. Yahweh is good. He gave each Israelite tribe its inheritance and divided up the promised land for them. He took very good care of them but they abandoned him and made him jealous because of their worship of foreign gods. As a consequence, Yahweh rejected them. He was so angry that he sent calamities on them.
*In verse 22 we have a first hint of the doctrine of hell. "A fire has been kindled by my wrath, one that burns to the realm of death below." (NIV) The King James says "unto the lowest hell." Other versions say the depths of Sheol, which is the original Hebrew word in this passage. Still others translate it as the lowest pit or the netherworld.
*Verse 27 seems odd because Yahweh is speaking yet he says, "I would scatter them and blot out their memory, but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand and say, 'Our hand has triumphed; Yahweh has not done all this.'" In other words God would have completely annihilated the Israelites, but he didn't want others to get the credit for what was actually his punishment of the Israelites and say that he had no power. He goes on to say the enemies are obviously without discernment. They should have known it wouldn't have been so easy to conquer so many people if their God hadn't given them up. Yahweh is worried about his reputation.
*Verses 35 and 41 declare Yahweh's right to bloodthirsty vengeance against his enemies. Who are his enemies? Those nations that conquered his servants, the Israelites. (Wait a minute, I thought he was through with them because of their unfaithfulness and disobedience. Apparently not.) They are still his land and his people after all. Verse 39 declares,"See now that I myself am He! There is no God besides me. I put to death and I bring life, I have wounded and I will heal." This reminds me of what others have said about the human relationship to God: You are sinful, wicked, and horrible. You make God so angry that you deserve to die. But God loves you.
*On that very same day that Moses taught the Israelites his song, Yahweh told him to go up on Mount Nebo, across the Jordan from the promised land. There he was to die looking at the the land and knowing he would never enter it because he did not uphold Yahweh's holiness among the Israelites back in Numbers 20. God held a grudge for forty years.
Edited.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Deuteronomy 31
After reading chapter 31:
*Moses says that he is now 120 years old and Yahweh told him he would not cross the Jordan. Yahweh will cross over the Jordon along with Joshua. Wait a minute, why does Yahweh need to cross the Jordan? Isn't Yahweh an omnipresent god, ruling over the entire earth? Apparently Moses and the authors of Deuteronomy didn't know that. So, the Israelite's God would deliver the people and the land into the hands of the Israelites and it would be their inheritance. They are not to be afraid, yet.
*Moses wrote down the laws and gave them to the Levite priests,to be read at the end of every seven years, during the feast of tabernacles. Everyone, men, women, and children, must hear and learn the law and learn to fear Yahweh as long as they live in the promised land.
*Then Yahweh told Moses his death was imminent. So, Joshua was commissioned at the tabernacle to be the replacement leader. Yahweh appeared over the tent as the pillar of cloud and told Moses it wouldn't be long before the people broke the covenant. Then Yahweh would be angry and the consequences would be bad. (Why was he angry if he already knew this would happen? Of what benefit are emotions in an eternal deity? How does he feel anger without a brain, body, cortisol, and adrenaline?) Moses wrote a song about the coming events of their destruction and taught it to the Israelites. The song appears in the next chapter.
*Again, we are told Moses wrote down the law and gave it to the Levites. They were to put the book of the law beside the Ark of the covenant where it would be a witness against the Israelites because they are so rebellious and provoking. The elders and officials were to be assembled so Moses could tell them how they would deserve what they had coming to them when they broke the covenant. Heaven and earth would also be witnesses. After all two or more witnesses are required in a legal proceeding. Before the Israelites even got to the promised land they were heaped with the guilt of their descendants.
*Moses says that he is now 120 years old and Yahweh told him he would not cross the Jordan. Yahweh will cross over the Jordon along with Joshua. Wait a minute, why does Yahweh need to cross the Jordan? Isn't Yahweh an omnipresent god, ruling over the entire earth? Apparently Moses and the authors of Deuteronomy didn't know that. So, the Israelite's God would deliver the people and the land into the hands of the Israelites and it would be their inheritance. They are not to be afraid, yet.
*Moses wrote down the laws and gave them to the Levite priests,to be read at the end of every seven years, during the feast of tabernacles. Everyone, men, women, and children, must hear and learn the law and learn to fear Yahweh as long as they live in the promised land.
*Then Yahweh told Moses his death was imminent. So, Joshua was commissioned at the tabernacle to be the replacement leader. Yahweh appeared over the tent as the pillar of cloud and told Moses it wouldn't be long before the people broke the covenant. Then Yahweh would be angry and the consequences would be bad. (Why was he angry if he already knew this would happen? Of what benefit are emotions in an eternal deity? How does he feel anger without a brain, body, cortisol, and adrenaline?) Moses wrote a song about the coming events of their destruction and taught it to the Israelites. The song appears in the next chapter.
*Again, we are told Moses wrote down the law and gave it to the Levites. They were to put the book of the law beside the Ark of the covenant where it would be a witness against the Israelites because they are so rebellious and provoking. The elders and officials were to be assembled so Moses could tell them how they would deserve what they had coming to them when they broke the covenant. Heaven and earth would also be witnesses. After all two or more witnesses are required in a legal proceeding. Before the Israelites even got to the promised land they were heaped with the guilt of their descendants.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Deuteronomy 30
After reading chapter 30:
*Verses 1-10 are supposedly prophetic. After all the blessings and cursings take place and the Israelites have been dispersed throughout the nations, they will have a change of heart and return to pure Yahweh worship. Then God will bring them back to the promised land and they will take possession of it again. (This prophecy will be very convenient as justification for future Israelite activities.) When they love God with all their hearts, he will deflect the curses onto their enemies, but only if they are obedient.
*In verses 11-20 the Israelites are basically told the laws are not rocket science. They are not out of the reach of mortals. They should have no trouble obeying. After all, the word is in their mouth and heart, whatever that means. Obedience is commanded for the umpteenth time. Blessings and cursings are emphasized again. The Israelites are encouraged to choose the blessings of obedience or life and prosperity, instead of the cursings of death and destruction.
*Verses 1-10 are supposedly prophetic. After all the blessings and cursings take place and the Israelites have been dispersed throughout the nations, they will have a change of heart and return to pure Yahweh worship. Then God will bring them back to the promised land and they will take possession of it again. (This prophecy will be very convenient as justification for future Israelite activities.) When they love God with all their hearts, he will deflect the curses onto their enemies, but only if they are obedient.
*In verses 11-20 the Israelites are basically told the laws are not rocket science. They are not out of the reach of mortals. They should have no trouble obeying. After all, the word is in their mouth and heart, whatever that means. Obedience is commanded for the umpteenth time. Blessings and cursings are emphasized again. The Israelites are encouraged to choose the blessings of obedience or life and prosperity, instead of the cursings of death and destruction.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Deuteronomy 29
After reading chapter 29:
* Moses calls all the Israelite people together on behalf of Yahweh to make a covenant with them in Moab. It is in addition to the one made in Horeb after they left Egypt. First he tells them that with their own eyes they saw the events of the exodus from Egypt, even though this was not true. All those who were adults when the Israelites left Egypt were now dead. (Numbers 14:26-35, 26:64-65)The Israelites had wandered in the desert for Forty years but their clothes and sandals miraculously did not wear out. Supposedly, they had also eaten no bread and had drunk no fermented drink during that whole time, even though the laws given in Exodus and Leviticus include bread and drink sacrifices. Next he tells how the Israelites conquered land on the east side of the Jordan and gave it to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Mannasseh, as their part in the Israelite "inheritance."
*Moses then tells the Israelites that all the people standing there that day, including the women, children, servants, and foreigners are entering into a covenant with Yahweh. (Apparently consent didn't matter.) This is an extension of the covenant Yahweh made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There must not be a hint of the worship of other gods. Also, just because they recieve a blessing from being present at this covenant ceremony, they shouldn't assume that they can't be thoroughly cursed some day, if they insist on doing things their own way. And what a mighty cursing it will be. When people ask,"Why is Yahweh so angry?" The answer will be,"Because these people abandoned the covenant." Verse 28 is interesting: In furious anger and in great wrath Yahweh uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now. As it is now? The study bible says that is just what the people would say in the future, IF the curses actually happened. It just as easily could mean that the authors wrote the book of Deuteronomy while in exile, which would have been hundreds of years after the events recorded therein.
*Then comes a statement that secret things belong to Yahweh, but revealed things belong to the Israelites and their descendants forever. (Or until someone claims that a new covenant has come.)
* Moses calls all the Israelite people together on behalf of Yahweh to make a covenant with them in Moab. It is in addition to the one made in Horeb after they left Egypt. First he tells them that with their own eyes they saw the events of the exodus from Egypt, even though this was not true. All those who were adults when the Israelites left Egypt were now dead. (Numbers 14:26-35, 26:64-65)The Israelites had wandered in the desert for Forty years but their clothes and sandals miraculously did not wear out. Supposedly, they had also eaten no bread and had drunk no fermented drink during that whole time, even though the laws given in Exodus and Leviticus include bread and drink sacrifices. Next he tells how the Israelites conquered land on the east side of the Jordan and gave it to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Mannasseh, as their part in the Israelite "inheritance."
*Moses then tells the Israelites that all the people standing there that day, including the women, children, servants, and foreigners are entering into a covenant with Yahweh. (Apparently consent didn't matter.) This is an extension of the covenant Yahweh made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There must not be a hint of the worship of other gods. Also, just because they recieve a blessing from being present at this covenant ceremony, they shouldn't assume that they can't be thoroughly cursed some day, if they insist on doing things their own way. And what a mighty cursing it will be. When people ask,"Why is Yahweh so angry?" The answer will be,"Because these people abandoned the covenant." Verse 28 is interesting: In furious anger and in great wrath Yahweh uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now. As it is now? The study bible says that is just what the people would say in the future, IF the curses actually happened. It just as easily could mean that the authors wrote the book of Deuteronomy while in exile, which would have been hundreds of years after the events recorded therein.
*Then comes a statement that secret things belong to Yahweh, but revealed things belong to the Israelites and their descendants forever. (Or until someone claims that a new covenant has come.)
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Deuteronomy 28
After reading chapter 28:
*First we have a reiteration of the necessity for obedience, then a list of blessings and cursings. If the Israelites obey Yahweh, they will recieve blessings in the form of abundant wealth, food, children, and defeat of enemies. They will become the top dogs in the land and the benefactors of other nations.
*If they do not obey, they will be cursed in every way, including lack of wealth, food, and children. They will contract many different diseases and health problems. There will be drought and famine. The Israelite's enemies will defeat them. They will go mad, be unsuccessful in every endeavor, and end up oppressed and robbed. Their brides to be will be violated before they can marry them. They will labor and build in vain. They will be ridiculed and become the lowest of the low.
*The cursings go on for some length and are very poetically detailed. At one point there is a quite gory description of the Israelite's descent into the depths of cannabalism. Not only cannabalism, but selfishly refusing to share the flesh of their children. How sorry can you get.
*Then, after all these horrendous cursings, the Israelites will be scattered among the nations and worship other gods. They will have sunk so low that they will be sent back to Egypt on ships and no one will even want to buy them as slaves. That's low.
*There you have it, the carrot and the stick, heaven and hell on earth, not in any invisible realms.
*First we have a reiteration of the necessity for obedience, then a list of blessings and cursings. If the Israelites obey Yahweh, they will recieve blessings in the form of abundant wealth, food, children, and defeat of enemies. They will become the top dogs in the land and the benefactors of other nations.
*If they do not obey, they will be cursed in every way, including lack of wealth, food, and children. They will contract many different diseases and health problems. There will be drought and famine. The Israelite's enemies will defeat them. They will go mad, be unsuccessful in every endeavor, and end up oppressed and robbed. Their brides to be will be violated before they can marry them. They will labor and build in vain. They will be ridiculed and become the lowest of the low.
*The cursings go on for some length and are very poetically detailed. At one point there is a quite gory description of the Israelite's descent into the depths of cannabalism. Not only cannabalism, but selfishly refusing to share the flesh of their children. How sorry can you get.
*Then, after all these horrendous cursings, the Israelites will be scattered among the nations and worship other gods. They will have sunk so low that they will be sent back to Egypt on ships and no one will even want to buy them as slaves. That's low.
*There you have it, the carrot and the stick, heaven and hell on earth, not in any invisible realms.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Deuteronomy chapter 26 and 27
After reading chapter 26:
*After they conquer the people who lived in the promised land first, and take over their property, and set up a place to worship Yahweh, the Israelites have to perform a ceremony of giving first fruits, to show Yahweh how grateful they are. The third year, they have to give the tithe to the Levites, foreigners, widows , and orphans. It is repeat info, but this time they are given specific phrases to declare.
*The chapter ends with yet another exhortation to obedience and more rhetoric about the Israelites being special snowflakes.
Chapter 27:
*Here we find a lot of redundant and superfluous phraseology telling the Israelites that after they enter the promised land they are to go up on Mount Ebal (fascinating info on Wikipedia) set up some stones, cover them with plaster, and write the words of the law on them. Then they are to build an altar of uncut stone, and have a big BBQ party (Sacrifice and feast.) After that, they are to divide up into specific tribes. Some tribes will stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses, the rest will stand on Mount Gerazim to pronounce blessings, as mentioned in previous scriptures. Now, however, the exact words for the cursings are given. After each curse, the people are to say, Amen!" The curses contain an odd collection of rules regarding conduct.
*After they conquer the people who lived in the promised land first, and take over their property, and set up a place to worship Yahweh, the Israelites have to perform a ceremony of giving first fruits, to show Yahweh how grateful they are. The third year, they have to give the tithe to the Levites, foreigners, widows , and orphans. It is repeat info, but this time they are given specific phrases to declare.
*The chapter ends with yet another exhortation to obedience and more rhetoric about the Israelites being special snowflakes.
Chapter 27:
*Here we find a lot of redundant and superfluous phraseology telling the Israelites that after they enter the promised land they are to go up on Mount Ebal (fascinating info on Wikipedia) set up some stones, cover them with plaster, and write the words of the law on them. Then they are to build an altar of uncut stone, and have a big BBQ party (Sacrifice and feast.) After that, they are to divide up into specific tribes. Some tribes will stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses, the rest will stand on Mount Gerazim to pronounce blessings, as mentioned in previous scriptures. Now, however, the exact words for the cursings are given. After each curse, the people are to say, Amen!" The curses contain an odd collection of rules regarding conduct.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Deuteronomy chapter 25
After reading chapter 25:
*More miscellaneous rules and laws:
-Disputes are taken to court where judges will decide a suitable number of lashes with a whip for the guilty party. No more than forty lashes, or the person may be degraded. (What does degraded mean in this context?)
-Let your ox eat some of the grain it is treading while it is working.
-A widow must not marry outside her husband's family. She has to marry his brother, if he has one. Any children she has are considered the dead husband's, so his name will not be "blotted out." This is what is known as Levirate marriage. It was common practice in many parts of the East. However, if the brother doesn't want to marry the widow, she can accuse him in the presence of the village elders, take off his sandal, and spit in his face. Then his family will be called "the family of the unsandaled." Big whoop.
-If a woman's husband gets in a fight and the woman tries to help by grabbing the other man's private parts, she gets her hand cut off as punishment. Wow. This seems pretty harsh, but remember chapter 23 says that no one with damaged testicles could participate in the assembly of the lord. After all, Yahweh cares more about men's testicles than women's hands.
-Merchants must use accurate and honest weights.
-The Israelites are to remember their grudge against the Amalekites and destroy them when they take over the promised land.
*More miscellaneous rules and laws:
-Disputes are taken to court where judges will decide a suitable number of lashes with a whip for the guilty party. No more than forty lashes, or the person may be degraded. (What does degraded mean in this context?)
-Let your ox eat some of the grain it is treading while it is working.
-A widow must not marry outside her husband's family. She has to marry his brother, if he has one. Any children she has are considered the dead husband's, so his name will not be "blotted out." This is what is known as Levirate marriage. It was common practice in many parts of the East. However, if the brother doesn't want to marry the widow, she can accuse him in the presence of the village elders, take off his sandal, and spit in his face. Then his family will be called "the family of the unsandaled." Big whoop.
-If a woman's husband gets in a fight and the woman tries to help by grabbing the other man's private parts, she gets her hand cut off as punishment. Wow. This seems pretty harsh, but remember chapter 23 says that no one with damaged testicles could participate in the assembly of the lord. After all, Yahweh cares more about men's testicles than women's hands.
-Merchants must use accurate and honest weights.
-The Israelites are to remember their grudge against the Amalekites and destroy them when they take over the promised land.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Deuteronomy chapter 24
After reading chapter 24:
*More miscellaneous rules and laws:
-A man can give his wife a certificate of divorce and make her leave his house, if he finds something indecent about her. No definition of indecent. There is also no mention of a woman being able to do this, of course. The man owns the house. Anyway, if she gets married again, she becomes "defiled." Then, if the second man divorces her, the first guy is not allowed to remarry her. That would be detestable. However, there appears to be no reason a third guy couldn't have his turn.
-A newlywed man doesn't have to go to war for a year, so he can make his wife happy. (In other words, impregnate her.)
-Millstones cannot be taken as security for a debt because it would deprive the owner of a way to make a living. What do you know, a good rule!
-No kidnapping, enslaving, or selling fellow Israelites on penalty of death. Nothing is said about non-Israelites.
-Obey the Priest's rules about leprous diseases.
-Be considerate to the poor when they are offering a pledge.
-Do not take advantage of hired hands, Israelites or foreigners. Pay their wages on time.
-Children and parents cannot be put to death for each other's sins. Each is to die for his own sin. (If your child works on the sabbath, they die, not you. So, no worries, right?)
-Orphans, widows, and foreigners are to be treated justly.
-When harvesting, don't go back over the fields and vinyards a second time. Leave what was missed for the orphans widows and foreigners to glean.
*Well, some of today's laws weren't as strange or disturbing as usual. In fact many were downright compassionate.
*More miscellaneous rules and laws:
-A man can give his wife a certificate of divorce and make her leave his house, if he finds something indecent about her. No definition of indecent. There is also no mention of a woman being able to do this, of course. The man owns the house. Anyway, if she gets married again, she becomes "defiled." Then, if the second man divorces her, the first guy is not allowed to remarry her. That would be detestable. However, there appears to be no reason a third guy couldn't have his turn.
-A newlywed man doesn't have to go to war for a year, so he can make his wife happy. (In other words, impregnate her.)
-Millstones cannot be taken as security for a debt because it would deprive the owner of a way to make a living. What do you know, a good rule!
-No kidnapping, enslaving, or selling fellow Israelites on penalty of death. Nothing is said about non-Israelites.
-Obey the Priest's rules about leprous diseases.
-Be considerate to the poor when they are offering a pledge.
-Do not take advantage of hired hands, Israelites or foreigners. Pay their wages on time.
-Children and parents cannot be put to death for each other's sins. Each is to die for his own sin. (If your child works on the sabbath, they die, not you. So, no worries, right?)
-Orphans, widows, and foreigners are to be treated justly.
-When harvesting, don't go back over the fields and vinyards a second time. Leave what was missed for the orphans widows and foreigners to glean.
*Well, some of today's laws weren't as strange or disturbing as usual. In fact many were downright compassionate.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Deuteronomy 23
After reading chapter 23:
*This chapter contains more miscellaneous rules and laws. The first are concerning who can not enter the assembly of the lord: no one with damaged testicles, no one in a forbidden marriage, no descendant of a forbidden marriage- to the tenth generation (They'll have to keep mighty good records for that one), no Ammonites or Moabites- to the tenth generation. Edomites and Egyptians are okay after the third generation, because Edomites are distant relatives and the Israelites used to live in Egypt.
*The army camps are to be kept "clean." Anyone with a nocturnal emission has to stay outside the camp for a day then wash themselves before they return in the evening. So who volunteered this information every morning? Was there an inspector? Excrement was to be buried so the lord wouldn't have to look at anything so indecent and unholy. Wait. Wasn't God supposed to have created human bodies to get rid of waste in this way? Doesn't God see everything at all times any way? Why didn't Yahweh say it was to prevent the spread of disease?
*If a slave takes refuge among the Israelites, they are not to turn him over to his master. They are to let him live among them and not oppress them. Someone should have read this to the colonial Americans.
*No Israelite is to become a shrine prostitute. Money from that profession is not to be given to the lord.
*Israelites can't charge each other interest, but they can charge foreigners.
*All vows to Yahweh must be quickly paid up.
*The Israelites could go in each other's vinyards or field and eat their fill. They just couldn't take any home.
*This chapter contains more miscellaneous rules and laws. The first are concerning who can not enter the assembly of the lord: no one with damaged testicles, no one in a forbidden marriage, no descendant of a forbidden marriage- to the tenth generation (They'll have to keep mighty good records for that one), no Ammonites or Moabites- to the tenth generation. Edomites and Egyptians are okay after the third generation, because Edomites are distant relatives and the Israelites used to live in Egypt.
*The army camps are to be kept "clean." Anyone with a nocturnal emission has to stay outside the camp for a day then wash themselves before they return in the evening. So who volunteered this information every morning? Was there an inspector? Excrement was to be buried so the lord wouldn't have to look at anything so indecent and unholy. Wait. Wasn't God supposed to have created human bodies to get rid of waste in this way? Doesn't God see everything at all times any way? Why didn't Yahweh say it was to prevent the spread of disease?
*If a slave takes refuge among the Israelites, they are not to turn him over to his master. They are to let him live among them and not oppress them. Someone should have read this to the colonial Americans.
*No Israelite is to become a shrine prostitute. Money from that profession is not to be given to the lord.
*Israelites can't charge each other interest, but they can charge foreigners.
*All vows to Yahweh must be quickly paid up.
*The Israelites could go in each other's vinyards or field and eat their fill. They just couldn't take any home.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Deuteronomy chapter 22
After reading chapter 22:
*Verses 1-12 are a series of odd laws that seem to have nowhere else to go:
-Give lost animals and personal property back to their rightful owners. No "finders keepers."
-Help a fellow Israelite restore a fallen animal to its feet.
-Noone must wear the clothes of the opposite sex, God detests people who do that. (The obvious inference would be that some people did this at that time.)
-Wild bird eggs can be harvested from nests, but the mother birds must be left alone.
-A railing must be built around the edge of a roof, so that the owner of the house won't be liable if someone falls off the roof.
-Do not plant two kinds of seeds in a vinyard or the vinyard will be defiled.
-Do not yoke an ox and a donkey together.
-Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
-Make tassels on the four corners of your cloak
*The rest of the chapter contains some rather barbaric marriage rules. Basically, if a man expects to be marrying a virgin, he better get one. If he doesn't like his wife, he can yell foul after the marriage and the bride's parents have to provide proof of the bride's virginity in the form of a cloth stained with blood from the wedding night. If there is no proof, the woman is to be stoned to death at the door of her father's house by the men of the town. If there is proof of her virginity, it is to be shown to the village elders and the accusing husband is to give his father- in- law 100 silver shekels. Then he can never divorce the woman. Poor woman.
-If a man sleeps with another man's wife, they must both die. No exceptions.
-If a man sleeps with a virgin in town, who was pledged to be married, they must both be stoned to death. 1. Because she belonged to another man. 2. Because she was in town and didn't scream. Um, how do they know this in advance? What if she was threatened with death if she screamed?
-If a man rapes a virgin in the countryside, who was pledged to be married, only the man is to be killed. After all, she screamed bloody murder and no one could hear her. That makes her innocent. Again, how do they know this? She could have been quite willing and no one would know the difference.
-If a man rapes a virgin who is not pledged to be married, he must give her father fifty shekels of silver and marry her. This marriage is for life, no divorce permitted. Poor woman. Unless, the two of them cook up this scheme so that the father could have no choice but to agree to the marriage.
-A man may not sleep with his father's wife. We would say "duh" but if this wasn't an issue, why is it mentioned? Reuben, son of Jacob (Israel), did this very thing in Genesis chapter 35.
Lesson: It's safer for a woman to be raped in the country, especially if she was already pledged to be married. Then she gets to live and won't have to marry her rapist.
*Verses 1-12 are a series of odd laws that seem to have nowhere else to go:
-Give lost animals and personal property back to their rightful owners. No "finders keepers."
-Help a fellow Israelite restore a fallen animal to its feet.
-Noone must wear the clothes of the opposite sex, God detests people who do that. (The obvious inference would be that some people did this at that time.)
-Wild bird eggs can be harvested from nests, but the mother birds must be left alone.
-A railing must be built around the edge of a roof, so that the owner of the house won't be liable if someone falls off the roof.
-Do not plant two kinds of seeds in a vinyard or the vinyard will be defiled.
-Do not yoke an ox and a donkey together.
-Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
-Make tassels on the four corners of your cloak
*The rest of the chapter contains some rather barbaric marriage rules. Basically, if a man expects to be marrying a virgin, he better get one. If he doesn't like his wife, he can yell foul after the marriage and the bride's parents have to provide proof of the bride's virginity in the form of a cloth stained with blood from the wedding night. If there is no proof, the woman is to be stoned to death at the door of her father's house by the men of the town. If there is proof of her virginity, it is to be shown to the village elders and the accusing husband is to give his father- in- law 100 silver shekels. Then he can never divorce the woman. Poor woman.
-If a man sleeps with another man's wife, they must both die. No exceptions.
-If a man sleeps with a virgin in town, who was pledged to be married, they must both be stoned to death. 1. Because she belonged to another man. 2. Because she was in town and didn't scream. Um, how do they know this in advance? What if she was threatened with death if she screamed?
-If a man rapes a virgin in the countryside, who was pledged to be married, only the man is to be killed. After all, she screamed bloody murder and no one could hear her. That makes her innocent. Again, how do they know this? She could have been quite willing and no one would know the difference.
-If a man rapes a virgin who is not pledged to be married, he must give her father fifty shekels of silver and marry her. This marriage is for life, no divorce permitted. Poor woman. Unless, the two of them cook up this scheme so that the father could have no choice but to agree to the marriage.
-A man may not sleep with his father's wife. We would say "duh" but if this wasn't an issue, why is it mentioned? Reuben, son of Jacob (Israel), did this very thing in Genesis chapter 35.
Lesson: It's safer for a woman to be raped in the country, especially if she was already pledged to be married. Then she gets to live and won't have to marry her rapist.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Deuteronomy 21
After reading chapter 21:
*The first 9 verses are the rules for atoning for an unsolved murder with no eye witnesses. The elders of the nearest town take a heifer that has never been yoked, to a valley that has not been plowed, by a flowing stream. Then they break its neck, wash their hands over it, and declare their innocence. This will supposedly absolve them from the guilt of the shedding of innocent blood that is floating around that area. What a waste of a good heifer. Wait, the priests are there too. I'm sure they will find some use for that young cow carcass. Veal scaloppine.
*Verses 10 -15 are about captive wives acquired through war and conquest. Let's be clear. These were women taken away from their homes by force, and without their consent. If an Israelite is attracted to a beautiful captive, he can just take her for his "wife." First, her head must be shaved, her nails trimmed and her old clothes replaced. She is to be allowed to mourn for her father and mother for a month. How generous, considering they were probably murdered by the Israelites. After that the Israelite man can go to her and be her husband. In other words, he can sexually use her. If he doesn't like her, he can let her go wherever she wishes. In other words, he can abandon her. He can not sell her or treat her as a slave (?!) because he has dishonored did her. So, he can't make any money from her, but he can save money by getting rid of her. How do you think the "dishonored" woman would feel about that? Is there any limit to the number of throw away wives?
*If an Israelite man has two wives and loves one more than the other, he must still give priority of inheritance to his first born son, no matter which wife bore the son. The first born gets a double share.
*If an Israelite man has a rebellious, stubborn, disobedient, drunken son, he will be brought to the elders at the gate by his parents. All the men of the town will stone him to death. This will put fear into the rest of the Israelites. No kidding. I guess stoning dispenses with the need for jails.
*Last, if a guilty person has been hung, his body must not be left up overnight. He is to be buried the same day, because anyone who is hung is under God's curse and the curse can spread. We wouldn't want that to happen.
*The first 9 verses are the rules for atoning for an unsolved murder with no eye witnesses. The elders of the nearest town take a heifer that has never been yoked, to a valley that has not been plowed, by a flowing stream. Then they break its neck, wash their hands over it, and declare their innocence. This will supposedly absolve them from the guilt of the shedding of innocent blood that is floating around that area. What a waste of a good heifer. Wait, the priests are there too. I'm sure they will find some use for that young cow carcass. Veal scaloppine.
*Verses 10 -15 are about captive wives acquired through war and conquest. Let's be clear. These were women taken away from their homes by force, and without their consent. If an Israelite is attracted to a beautiful captive, he can just take her for his "wife." First, her head must be shaved, her nails trimmed and her old clothes replaced. She is to be allowed to mourn for her father and mother for a month. How generous, considering they were probably murdered by the Israelites. After that the Israelite man can go to her and be her husband. In other words, he can sexually use her. If he doesn't like her, he can let her go wherever she wishes. In other words, he can abandon her. He can not sell her or treat her as a slave (?!) because he has dishonored did her. So, he can't make any money from her, but he can save money by getting rid of her. How do you think the "dishonored" woman would feel about that? Is there any limit to the number of throw away wives?
*If an Israelite man has two wives and loves one more than the other, he must still give priority of inheritance to his first born son, no matter which wife bore the son. The first born gets a double share.
*If an Israelite man has a rebellious, stubborn, disobedient, drunken son, he will be brought to the elders at the gate by his parents. All the men of the town will stone him to death. This will put fear into the rest of the Israelites. No kidding. I guess stoning dispenses with the need for jails.
*Last, if a guilty person has been hung, his body must not be left up overnight. He is to be buried the same day, because anyone who is hung is under God's curse and the curse can spread. We wouldn't want that to happen.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Deuteronomy 20
After reading chapter 20:
*This chapter is instructions for when the Israelites go to war, not if, when.
-They are not to be afraid of larger, stronger, or better equipped armies, because Yahweh will be with them.
-The priest will give the army a pep talk before battles.
-The officers will allow exemption from service for the dedication of a new house, a vinyard that hasn't begun to produce yet, plans to marry, and fear of war. Then they will appoint commanders.
-When the army goes to attack a city, they will first offer it peace on condition of the forced labor (slavery) of the inhabitants. If they refuse, the Israelites are to lay siege to the city. When they win, the men are to be slaughtered; the women, children, and valuables are to be taken as plunder. They are free to use the "plunder." God gives it to them. This only applies to cities further away.
-The above does not apply to the cities of the nations God gives the Israelites as an inheritance. Those cities will be completely decimated and "anything that breathes" must not be left alive, otherwise they might be taught to do some of the despicable things those people do. How do innocent children and infants pose a threat? Not to mention animals.
-When the Israelites lay siege to a city, they are not to destroy the fruit bearing trees because they are useful to them for food, besides what did the poor trees do to deserve that? However, it's okay to cut down other types of trees to build siege works.
*This chapter is instructions for when the Israelites go to war, not if, when.
-They are not to be afraid of larger, stronger, or better equipped armies, because Yahweh will be with them.
-The priest will give the army a pep talk before battles.
-The officers will allow exemption from service for the dedication of a new house, a vinyard that hasn't begun to produce yet, plans to marry, and fear of war. Then they will appoint commanders.
-When the army goes to attack a city, they will first offer it peace on condition of the forced labor (slavery) of the inhabitants. If they refuse, the Israelites are to lay siege to the city. When they win, the men are to be slaughtered; the women, children, and valuables are to be taken as plunder. They are free to use the "plunder." God gives it to them. This only applies to cities further away.
-The above does not apply to the cities of the nations God gives the Israelites as an inheritance. Those cities will be completely decimated and "anything that breathes" must not be left alive, otherwise they might be taught to do some of the despicable things those people do. How do innocent children and infants pose a threat? Not to mention animals.
-When the Israelites lay siege to a city, they are not to destroy the fruit bearing trees because they are useful to them for food, besides what did the poor trees do to deserve that? However, it's okay to cut down other types of trees to build siege works.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Deuteronomy 19
After reading chapter 19:
*Here we read again about cities of refuge for persons who have killed unintentionally. The Israelites are to divide the land they will acquire into three parts. Each part is to have a centrally located city with easy access by roads. These cities are to be the cities of refuge, a place to escape the "avenger of blood", probably a relative of the deceased who is assigned the task of avenging the death. If god enlarges thier territory as he promised, they are to set aside three more cities. This is slightly different than Numbers 35 which tells them to set aside six towns to begin with. Numbers also says these are Levite towns, Deuteronomy does not. Intentional murderers cannot be given refuge, they are to be handed over to the avenger of blood.
*Verse 14 has a command not to move boundary stones, which has nothing to do with the verses before or after and seems totally out of place.
*Next we are again told that a criminal matter can only be established by the testimony of more than one witness. Judges must investigate and make sure witnesses are not malicious. A false witness is to be punished in the way he intended his victim to be punished. Show no pity. Life for life, hand for hand, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Extenuating circumstances don't matter. I guess that keeps things simple.
*Here we read again about cities of refuge for persons who have killed unintentionally. The Israelites are to divide the land they will acquire into three parts. Each part is to have a centrally located city with easy access by roads. These cities are to be the cities of refuge, a place to escape the "avenger of blood", probably a relative of the deceased who is assigned the task of avenging the death. If god enlarges thier territory as he promised, they are to set aside three more cities. This is slightly different than Numbers 35 which tells them to set aside six towns to begin with. Numbers also says these are Levite towns, Deuteronomy does not. Intentional murderers cannot be given refuge, they are to be handed over to the avenger of blood.
*Verse 14 has a command not to move boundary stones, which has nothing to do with the verses before or after and seems totally out of place.
*Next we are again told that a criminal matter can only be established by the testimony of more than one witness. Judges must investigate and make sure witnesses are not malicious. A false witness is to be punished in the way he intended his victim to be punished. Show no pity. Life for life, hand for hand, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Extenuating circumstances don't matter. I guess that keeps things simple.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)