After reading chapter 27:
*The daughters of a man named Zelophehad went to the tabernacle and stood before Moses and the other leaders. They wanted their father's inheritance because their father had no sons. Moses asked Yahweh what to do and he said if a man has no sons, his daughters inherit. Then he laid out a plan of inheritance for someone who dies without direct (male) descendants.
*After that Yaweh tells Moses to go up on a mountain to look at the promised land, then he will die. Moses asked him to appoint a new leader first. God told Moses to choose Joshua and commission him in the presence of the priests and the assembly. Joshua was to obtain his decisions from Eleazar the priest, who would get them by asking the "Urim" which was an unidentified object used for divination, introduced in Exodus 28. So, Joshua was commissioned.
Showing posts with label Eleazar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eleazar. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Numbers chapter 20
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.
*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.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Exodus chapter 28
After reading chapter 28:
*We are told that Aaron, and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar are to be the priests. The preists are to have special costly garments made for them to wear, a tunic, robe, ephod, breastplate, sash and turban. They will probably have the finest clothes of all the Israelites. Why does God need priests?
*Next, there are instructions for the construction of the ephod. On each of the gold filigree shoulder pieces of the ephod, there is to be an onyx stone engraved with the names of six tribes of Israel.
*Next are instructions for the breast plate. It will have twelve different colored precious stones, each engraved with the name of one of the tribes of Israel. They are to be set in gold filigree. Aaron will wear the breastplate whenever he enters the holy place. (The special room in the tabernacle with the ark and God hovering over it.) The Urim and Thummim , apparently some kind of stones used for divination, are also to be put on the breastplate to help Aaron make decisions for the Israelites. Why can't Aaron just ask God straight out? Why the necessity for hocus pocus?
*There are additional instructions for the ephod and the robe. The robe is to have bells on its hem, so that the sound of the bells will be heard when Aaron enters the holy place and when he comes out, "so that he will not die." God needs a warning, or he will kill if surprised? That doesn't sound very god-like.
*We also have instructions for the turban Aaron is to wear. It must have a gold plate engraved with the words " holy to Yahweh." Somehow this gold plate insures that the Israelites sacrifices will be acceptable to God. Aaron will bear any guilt associated with the sacrifices. That doesn't seem fair, does it?
*Next are more instructions for the construction of the tunics, sashes, and head bands to be worn by Aaron's sons. These will give them dignity and honor, and make them look wealthier and more important than other Israelites. Aaron's sons are to be consecrated as priests by anointing and ordaining, because those things magically make a person holy.
*Last, but not least, the priests must wear special underwear before they can enter the tabernacle. Or they might incur guilt and die. Because going commando is just wrong. It is so wrong that priestly underwear is a lasting ordinance.
*We are told that Aaron, and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar are to be the priests. The preists are to have special costly garments made for them to wear, a tunic, robe, ephod, breastplate, sash and turban. They will probably have the finest clothes of all the Israelites. Why does God need priests?
*Next, there are instructions for the construction of the ephod. On each of the gold filigree shoulder pieces of the ephod, there is to be an onyx stone engraved with the names of six tribes of Israel.
*Next are instructions for the breast plate. It will have twelve different colored precious stones, each engraved with the name of one of the tribes of Israel. They are to be set in gold filigree. Aaron will wear the breastplate whenever he enters the holy place. (The special room in the tabernacle with the ark and God hovering over it.) The Urim and Thummim , apparently some kind of stones used for divination, are also to be put on the breastplate to help Aaron make decisions for the Israelites. Why can't Aaron just ask God straight out? Why the necessity for hocus pocus?
*There are additional instructions for the ephod and the robe. The robe is to have bells on its hem, so that the sound of the bells will be heard when Aaron enters the holy place and when he comes out, "so that he will not die." God needs a warning, or he will kill if surprised? That doesn't sound very god-like.
*We also have instructions for the turban Aaron is to wear. It must have a gold plate engraved with the words " holy to Yahweh." Somehow this gold plate insures that the Israelites sacrifices will be acceptable to God. Aaron will bear any guilt associated with the sacrifices. That doesn't seem fair, does it?
*Next are more instructions for the construction of the tunics, sashes, and head bands to be worn by Aaron's sons. These will give them dignity and honor, and make them look wealthier and more important than other Israelites. Aaron's sons are to be consecrated as priests by anointing and ordaining, because those things magically make a person holy.
*Last, but not least, the priests must wear special underwear before they can enter the tabernacle. Or they might incur guilt and die. Because going commando is just wrong. It is so wrong that priestly underwear is a lasting ordinance.
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