We are now at Hebrews 11:17. It's time to read more about Abraham's faith. Abraham's faith was so great that he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice when god tested him. God was being a sadistic bastard. He had previously told Abraham that the promise of numerous offspring would be fulfilled through Isaac. The Hebrews author claims Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac because he "reasoned" that god could raise the dead. Baloney. The author of Hebrews is trying to use the old testament story to prove that belief in resurrection has always been part of Hebrew beliefs. There is actually no indication in most of the old testament that anyone of the ancient Abrahamic tradition believed in a resurrection of the dead. Sheol was the fate of every dead person. The author of Hebrews goes on to say that "figuratively speaking, he (Abraham) did receive Isaac back from the dead." Just so you know, figurative speech doesn't have any more substance than faith.
Next, the author says, that by faith Isaac blessed Jacob's and Esau's future. In other words, he said magical words at them that were supposed to have some mystical power over their lives. By faith, Jacob also "blessed" Joseph's sons. By faith, Joseph spoke of the exodus from egypt and what he wanted done with his bones. Joseph did speak of the Israelites leaving Egypt, going to the promised land, and taking his bones with them, in Genesis 50, but there were no other specifics. We are not going to go into the fact that none of the stuff we are reading about actually happened. So, it doesn't matter what these supposed patriarchs supposedly said or did and why they did it. It's the same as if we would take the Iliad and the Odyssey seriously.
The author goes on to say, "by faith Moses's parents hid him for three months after he was born because they saw that he was no ordinary child, and they were afraid of the king's edict." Any parent worth being called a parent would try to do anything they could to save their child from death. Faith has nothing to do with it.
We are also told that "by faith, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of god rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time." Again, this never actually happened, but let's look at what Exodus says. Did Moses refuse to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter? Nope, can't find that. Did Moses choose to be mistreated along with the people of god? Nope, can't find that either. In fact, Exodus 2:11 says Moses went out and watched his people doing hard labor.
In Hebrews 11:26, the author says, Moses "regarded disgrace for the sake of christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward." This is blatant nonsense. Go back and read Exodus 2. Moses killed a man and became a fugitive, eventually going incognito as a shepherd. He had no eternal reward in mind only saving his own skin. Moses had no christ in mind.
Next, the author says, "By faith (Moses) left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger, because he saw him who is invisible." At least that part is true to the Exodus story. The reader is also told,"By faith (Moses) kept the passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel." That also happened in the story. Plus, Moses never pleaded on behalf of all the innocent children that would die that night. Nice guy.
Some more things that supposedly happened by faith: the people walked through the Red Sea on dry land, the walls of Jericho fell, Rahab welcomed spies and was not killed. These are all stories that most likely never happened, so faith had nothing to do with them. Besides, if faith was a factor, it wasn't faith in Jesus or a resurrection, was it?
Till next time.
Showing posts with label Jacob. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jacob. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Hebrews part fourteen
We are now at Hebrews chapter eleven, verse 4. Will the famous faith chapter convince us to have faith in Jesus our heavenly high priest? We shall see. The reader is now going to be told about various old testament characters who had faith. First up is Abel. According to the author, faith made Able give a better sacrifice than Cain did. What was different about Abel's sacrifice? It was a Blood sacrifice. The Hebrews author has already told us blood needs to be shed for god to keep his promises. Cain didn't get the blood sacrifice thing so he offered grain. God liked Abel's sacrifice better. As we all know, Cain killed Abel. Now Abel is dead. (Genesis 4)However, according to Hebrews, Abel still speaks by faith. I can't hear him. Can you?
The next faithful person mentioned is Enoch. Enoch didn't die. The old testament tells us god took him away. (Genesis 5) Enoch pleased god because he had faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please god....Anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." You gotta believe, or you get nutthin'. And sometimes you get nothing even when you believe.
Next up: Noah. He built the ark by faith when he was warned about the future flood. By faith he saved his family and condemned the rest of the world. That way he became one of the heirs of righteousness. Great job Noah! It's so righteous to watch everyone die while you float away to safety.
Abraham is fourth on the faithful list. Abraham went to a far away land because a voice in his head told him that the land would eventually be his. He believed it. Abraham lived in the foreign land. So did his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. They were also supposed to be heirs of the promise that had been given to Abraham. I don't remember if they heard the voice in their heads too. Abraham's faith made him believe the voice in his head when it told him he would have descendants that were as numerous as stars or grains of sand. Even though his wife was barren and Abraham was no spring chicken, his faith in the voice enabled him to become a father. Is that how babies are made, through faith?
Each of the faithful people mentioned are said to have remained faithful till they died. (Let that be a lesson to you.) They never actually got what the voice in their heads promised them. They just "saw and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted they were aliens and strangers on earth." Except, the Old testament never says that those faithful people saw and welcomed a promise from a distance. And the only time any of them said they were aliens and strangers was in Genesis 23:4, when Abraham told the Hittites that he was a stranger among them.
Even though those people never said those things, the Hebrews author says that people who do say those things are "looking for a country of their own." (Or one that they can take away from someone else?) Otherwise, they would have taken the opportunity to return to the country they had left. He must be talking just about Abraham, because this doesn't apply to all the others. The author goes on to say "They (Who's they?) were looking for a better country-- a heavenly one." Of course they were. That's why they never actually mentioned it. Must have slipped their minds.Nevertheless, that''s why god has prepared a (heavenly) city for them. Lucky dogs.
Till next time.
The next faithful person mentioned is Enoch. Enoch didn't die. The old testament tells us god took him away. (Genesis 5) Enoch pleased god because he had faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please god....Anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." You gotta believe, or you get nutthin'. And sometimes you get nothing even when you believe.
Next up: Noah. He built the ark by faith when he was warned about the future flood. By faith he saved his family and condemned the rest of the world. That way he became one of the heirs of righteousness. Great job Noah! It's so righteous to watch everyone die while you float away to safety.
Abraham is fourth on the faithful list. Abraham went to a far away land because a voice in his head told him that the land would eventually be his. He believed it. Abraham lived in the foreign land. So did his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. They were also supposed to be heirs of the promise that had been given to Abraham. I don't remember if they heard the voice in their heads too. Abraham's faith made him believe the voice in his head when it told him he would have descendants that were as numerous as stars or grains of sand. Even though his wife was barren and Abraham was no spring chicken, his faith in the voice enabled him to become a father. Is that how babies are made, through faith?
Each of the faithful people mentioned are said to have remained faithful till they died. (Let that be a lesson to you.) They never actually got what the voice in their heads promised them. They just "saw and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted they were aliens and strangers on earth." Except, the Old testament never says that those faithful people saw and welcomed a promise from a distance. And the only time any of them said they were aliens and strangers was in Genesis 23:4, when Abraham told the Hittites that he was a stranger among them.
Even though those people never said those things, the Hebrews author says that people who do say those things are "looking for a country of their own." (Or one that they can take away from someone else?) Otherwise, they would have taken the opportunity to return to the country they had left. He must be talking just about Abraham, because this doesn't apply to all the others. The author goes on to say "They (Who's they?) were looking for a better country-- a heavenly one." Of course they were. That's why they never actually mentioned it. Must have slipped their minds.Nevertheless, that''s why god has prepared a (heavenly) city for them. Lucky dogs.
Till next time.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Mark part twenty three
We are at Mark 13:5. Jesus is going to give a speech about the signs that will happen when the temple is about to be destroyed. It is probably a retroactive prophecy. Here are the various signs:
1. People who are not Jesus claiming to be Jesus or the messiah/christ.
2. Wars and rumors of wars.
3. Earthquakes and famines.
4. Flogging of the disciples of Jesus. (That's who Jesus is talking to, and he says "you." It would be wrong to say this applies to future christians in general.)
5. Arrests of disciples of Jesus after they preach the gospel to all nations and their appearance before governors and kings.
6. Betrayal by family members.
7. Hatred of the disciples because of Jesus. (Again, he says "you.")
When they see the "abomination that causes desolation standing where it does not belong" they must escape Jerusalem, not stopping for anything. (There is no consensus as to what abomination of desolation means.) It will be a time of great distress and not safe for the weak. However, that turmoil will not last long, "for the sake of the elect." Here, the elect could be Jews, who traditionally considered themselves Yahweh's elect, or Jesus's disciples. It is not clear here specifically who the elect are. However, if this was written after Paul wrote and preached, it may be referring to Paul's teaching in Romans chapter 11. There, the elect are a "remnant chosen by grace," not Jews, but gentiles.
The disciples are to be aware of the possibility of false christs and false prophets who will try to perform signs and miracles to deceive them. After the distress (the 70CE fall of Jerusalem?), "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken." Jesus is quoting a passage from Isaiah 13:10. Its context is a supposed prophecy against Babylon, which in the symbolism of the New Testament book of Revelation, is equated with Rome. However, Mark seems to be equating it with Jerusalem/Israel. If one was living in Rome at the time, it might also be an apt description of the 79CE eruption of Vesuvius. That would make the original date of Mark even later.
The earliest Biblical symbolism of sun, moon and stars, is in Genesis, where Joseph dreams about the sun, moon, and stars bowing down to him. The sun and moon represented his parents. The stars represented his brothers. The sun= Jacob= Israel= the Jewish nation. The sun is also a universal symbol for a king or divine ruler. The moon represents his consort. The stars/constellations/heavenly bodies are the divine children. Notice that there are twelve zodiac constellations and twelve tribes of Israel. There are also twelve disciples. This may not be a coincidence. All of this is my speculation.
In verse 26, the author makes Jesus say that at "that time men will see the son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory." This never happened, unless we are missing a record of it. The son of man is supposed to send his angels to gather his elect. Either this is metaphor for something like apostles teaching to the gentiles or it is meant to be literal. In that case, it didn't happen.
Jesus goes on to say that the above signs will let the disciples know when the destruction of the temple will occur. Then he says "this generation will not pass away until all this things have happened." That seems quite straightforward to me. That generation has passed away, so these things must have already happened right? Jesus continues on to say neither the angels nor the son know the exact time of these coming events, only the father (god). Clearly then, Jesus is not god.
1. People who are not Jesus claiming to be Jesus or the messiah/christ.
2. Wars and rumors of wars.
3. Earthquakes and famines.
4. Flogging of the disciples of Jesus. (That's who Jesus is talking to, and he says "you." It would be wrong to say this applies to future christians in general.)
5. Arrests of disciples of Jesus after they preach the gospel to all nations and their appearance before governors and kings.
6. Betrayal by family members.
7. Hatred of the disciples because of Jesus. (Again, he says "you.")
When they see the "abomination that causes desolation standing where it does not belong" they must escape Jerusalem, not stopping for anything. (There is no consensus as to what abomination of desolation means.) It will be a time of great distress and not safe for the weak. However, that turmoil will not last long, "for the sake of the elect." Here, the elect could be Jews, who traditionally considered themselves Yahweh's elect, or Jesus's disciples. It is not clear here specifically who the elect are. However, if this was written after Paul wrote and preached, it may be referring to Paul's teaching in Romans chapter 11. There, the elect are a "remnant chosen by grace," not Jews, but gentiles.
The disciples are to be aware of the possibility of false christs and false prophets who will try to perform signs and miracles to deceive them. After the distress (the 70CE fall of Jerusalem?), "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken." Jesus is quoting a passage from Isaiah 13:10. Its context is a supposed prophecy against Babylon, which in the symbolism of the New Testament book of Revelation, is equated with Rome. However, Mark seems to be equating it with Jerusalem/Israel. If one was living in Rome at the time, it might also be an apt description of the 79CE eruption of Vesuvius. That would make the original date of Mark even later.
The earliest Biblical symbolism of sun, moon and stars, is in Genesis, where Joseph dreams about the sun, moon, and stars bowing down to him. The sun and moon represented his parents. The stars represented his brothers. The sun= Jacob= Israel= the Jewish nation. The sun is also a universal symbol for a king or divine ruler. The moon represents his consort. The stars/constellations/heavenly bodies are the divine children. Notice that there are twelve zodiac constellations and twelve tribes of Israel. There are also twelve disciples. This may not be a coincidence. All of this is my speculation.
In verse 26, the author makes Jesus say that at "that time men will see the son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory." This never happened, unless we are missing a record of it. The son of man is supposed to send his angels to gather his elect. Either this is metaphor for something like apostles teaching to the gentiles or it is meant to be literal. In that case, it didn't happen.
Jesus goes on to say that the above signs will let the disciples know when the destruction of the temple will occur. Then he says "this generation will not pass away until all this things have happened." That seems quite straightforward to me. That generation has passed away, so these things must have already happened right? Jesus continues on to say neither the angels nor the son know the exact time of these coming events, only the father (god). Clearly then, Jesus is not god.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Resurrection part one
I feel like we need to cover resurrection in the bible as a natural segue to the study of heaven. First I want to note that the word resurrection does not appear at all in the Old Testament. What do you make of that? In the New Testament, the Greek word usually translated resurrection is anastasis, which according to Strong's concordance, means "standing up again" or a literal resurrection from the dead. It can also be used in a figurative sense. We will see how that works as we go through the scriptures.
We first encounter the word resurrection in Matthew 22. Verse 23 tells us that the Jewish sect of the Saducees did not believe in a resurrection. That would make sense, since the Hebrew scriptures do not contain the word. In verse 28, Jesus is asked a trick question about marriage after the resurrection by the Saducees. Jesus replied, "silly Saducees, marriage is not for the resurrected." Instead, Jesus goes on to say, the resurrected dead will have bodies like angels. Jesus's proof of the resurrection is that god said he is the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since god is not the god of the dead, but the living, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, must be alive. How can they be alive, unless they are resurrected? Gotcha! Does this mean Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were already resurrected, before the final judgment? The book of Revelation skipped that part. Does this mean they were resurrected before Jesus? I thought he was supposed to be the first.
In Matthew 27:51-53, after Jesus died on the cross, there was an earthquake. "The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. (Before Jesus?) They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people." Strangely, there is no other record of this extraordinary event.
Mark chapter 12 also tells the story of the Sadducees asking about marriage for the resurrected. So does Luke chapter 20. Luke adds that the resurrected will no longer die and they are god's children. Luke also adds that to god, everyone is alive, which is interesting. If everyone is alive to god, what's the resurrection for?
In Luke 14:13-14, Jesus says, "when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Did Jesus appeal to empathy and say that all people need to eat and that it's good to feed those less fortunate, because if they were in that situation, the listeners would need food also. No, he did not. Instead, he appealed to their selfishness. They would get a reward from god...eventually.
We are now at John chapter 5. Here we get new resurrection information. Jesus tells the Jews who are persecuting him that he is the son of god the father. Verses 21-22 say, "Just as the father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the son." In Revelation 20:11 is unclear about who s sitting on the throne of judgment. It says things like "he who is seated on the throne." Revelation 22 calls it the throne of god and the lamb, as though the two are melded together.
John 5:24-29 goes on to say, "whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (Sounds a bit metaphorical there.) ...a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the son of god and those who hear will live....Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." Wait, no baptism requirement?
More to come.
We first encounter the word resurrection in Matthew 22. Verse 23 tells us that the Jewish sect of the Saducees did not believe in a resurrection. That would make sense, since the Hebrew scriptures do not contain the word. In verse 28, Jesus is asked a trick question about marriage after the resurrection by the Saducees. Jesus replied, "silly Saducees, marriage is not for the resurrected." Instead, Jesus goes on to say, the resurrected dead will have bodies like angels. Jesus's proof of the resurrection is that god said he is the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since god is not the god of the dead, but the living, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, must be alive. How can they be alive, unless they are resurrected? Gotcha! Does this mean Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were already resurrected, before the final judgment? The book of Revelation skipped that part. Does this mean they were resurrected before Jesus? I thought he was supposed to be the first.
In Matthew 27:51-53, after Jesus died on the cross, there was an earthquake. "The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. (Before Jesus?) They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people." Strangely, there is no other record of this extraordinary event.
Mark chapter 12 also tells the story of the Sadducees asking about marriage for the resurrected. So does Luke chapter 20. Luke adds that the resurrected will no longer die and they are god's children. Luke also adds that to god, everyone is alive, which is interesting. If everyone is alive to god, what's the resurrection for?
In Luke 14:13-14, Jesus says, "when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Did Jesus appeal to empathy and say that all people need to eat and that it's good to feed those less fortunate, because if they were in that situation, the listeners would need food also. No, he did not. Instead, he appealed to their selfishness. They would get a reward from god...eventually.
We are now at John chapter 5. Here we get new resurrection information. Jesus tells the Jews who are persecuting him that he is the son of god the father. Verses 21-22 say, "Just as the father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the son." In Revelation 20:11 is unclear about who s sitting on the throne of judgment. It says things like "he who is seated on the throne." Revelation 22 calls it the throne of god and the lamb, as though the two are melded together.
John 5:24-29 goes on to say, "whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (Sounds a bit metaphorical there.) ...a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the son of god and those who hear will live....Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." Wait, no baptism requirement?
More to come.
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Malachi, part 1
As I read through the first chapter of Malachi, I notice a literary pattern. First Yahweh makes a statement. Next, Israel or the priests ask a question based on the statement. Next, Yahweh elaborates. Then Israel asks another question based on what Yahweh just said, and so on.
The first statement Yahweh makes is "I have loved you." He is asked in return, "How have you loved us?" Then Yahweh talks of Jacob and Esau, when what he is actually referring to is the lands of Israel and Edom. Jacob and Esau were brothers, yet Yahweh favored Jacob. The statement "Jacob have I loved" is quite famous. In Malachi, land of Edom is said to be a wasteland. Yahweh basically says it is cursed and under his wrath. The author of Malachi has associated Edom with Esau. Since we know Yahweh never actually spoke to anyone, the author clearly has some kind of prejudice against the land of Edom and its people that he wants to see maintained. If you read the Wikipedia article on Edom, you will see several possible reasons Israel may have had for its animosity. Plus, it is unclear if a kingdom of Edom even existed by the time of this writing. As is suspected of many prophetic writings, the prophet may have been writing about Edom after it was already destroyed. This prophecy that is not actually prophecy is called postdiction.
Yahweh's second claim is to tell the priests that he gets no respect from them. They show contempt for his name. The priests ask, "how have we shown contempt for your name? Yahweh says, "You place defiled food on my altar." (This is his third claim) The priests ask, "How have we defiled you?" The answer to that question takes up the rest of chapters one and two.
These are the ways the priests defiled Yahweh: 1. They offered crippled and diseased animals as sacrifices. "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal." If the priests do not listen to this admonition, they will also be cursed. Yahweh demands proper reverence, as in the old days when Levi was priest. 2. They married the daughters of foreign gods. This is akin to breaking faith with Yahweh. There is this weird kind of marriage analogy that represents Israel's relationship with Yahweh. In Malachi 2:14-16 it is not clear if god is talking about a man's actual relationship with his wife or his faith in god, or both. We are told Yahweh hates divorce. Yet Yahweh also hates the Jews' marriages to foreign women. He tells them not to break faith with the wife of their youth, but we saw in Nehemiah that the Jews were told to break up their marriages with the non-Jewish women. Confusing.
More to come.
The first statement Yahweh makes is "I have loved you." He is asked in return, "How have you loved us?" Then Yahweh talks of Jacob and Esau, when what he is actually referring to is the lands of Israel and Edom. Jacob and Esau were brothers, yet Yahweh favored Jacob. The statement "Jacob have I loved" is quite famous. In Malachi, land of Edom is said to be a wasteland. Yahweh basically says it is cursed and under his wrath. The author of Malachi has associated Edom with Esau. Since we know Yahweh never actually spoke to anyone, the author clearly has some kind of prejudice against the land of Edom and its people that he wants to see maintained. If you read the Wikipedia article on Edom, you will see several possible reasons Israel may have had for its animosity. Plus, it is unclear if a kingdom of Edom even existed by the time of this writing. As is suspected of many prophetic writings, the prophet may have been writing about Edom after it was already destroyed. This prophecy that is not actually prophecy is called postdiction.
Yahweh's second claim is to tell the priests that he gets no respect from them. They show contempt for his name. The priests ask, "how have we shown contempt for your name? Yahweh says, "You place defiled food on my altar." (This is his third claim) The priests ask, "How have we defiled you?" The answer to that question takes up the rest of chapters one and two.
These are the ways the priests defiled Yahweh: 1. They offered crippled and diseased animals as sacrifices. "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal." If the priests do not listen to this admonition, they will also be cursed. Yahweh demands proper reverence, as in the old days when Levi was priest. 2. They married the daughters of foreign gods. This is akin to breaking faith with Yahweh. There is this weird kind of marriage analogy that represents Israel's relationship with Yahweh. In Malachi 2:14-16 it is not clear if god is talking about a man's actual relationship with his wife or his faith in god, or both. We are told Yahweh hates divorce. Yet Yahweh also hates the Jews' marriages to foreign women. He tells them not to break faith with the wife of their youth, but we saw in Nehemiah that the Jews were told to break up their marriages with the non-Jewish women. Confusing.
More to come.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Shepherds part 3
Last time I posted a link to a piece of writing by the first century Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria. It is titled "On Husbandry." I think it is pertinent because Philo actually lived during the time Jesus was supposed to have lived and this writing discusses shepherds.
Before we get to shepherds, skim through the first few section of the writing until you arrive at section VII. Philo begins by showing what he believes are the concrete and philosophical differences between a husbandman, a farmer with agricultural skill, and a mere tiller of the soil. One cares for the land and the growing things on it, probably because he is the owner. The other is a mere hireling concerned about his wages. Philo goes on to talk of the various growing things that represent bad traits and how they are tamed, pruned, or destroyed by the husbandman. Then there are the good plants that bear fruit and represent virtues. These are encouraged to grow and multiply. This is the "husbandry of the soul." The mere tiller is an "unjust man" and bears the "heaviest burdens without knowledge." Philo says Moses, in the scriptures, has made an example of Noah as a husbandman and Cain as a mere tiller. (V:20-21)
Philo infuses his extended metaphors with real life examples of differences in life station within a single field of occupation, farming. I don't think he realized the prejudices he betrayed in himself. The wealthier, more educated man with property is equated with the more caring and more virtuous person. The mere wage earner, the tiller, is akin to a murderer, because of what Moses supposedly wrote in the scriptures. I know Philo intended to use this example as a spiritual application, but I find it useful as a look at the sociological class constructs of that era. Next we will see a similar treatment given to Philo's idea of the difference between true shepherds and mere keepers of sheep.(VI:29)
Philo now tells us that a good and faithful superintendant of the flock of the soul is a shepherd, an indifferent manager of the flock is called a keeper of sheep. People are said to have parts of themselves compared to flocks of sheep, specifically: the mind, the five senses, the organs of speech and the organs of generation. Individuals must superintend all these parts of themselves.
In section VII, Philo shows what happens when the superintendant of the flocks indulge them and let them have everything they want, even if it is not good for them. Then the "flocks" get out of control and stray, even if the superintendant tries to reign them in. There comes a slippery slope, leading to gluttony, drunkenness, and illicit "amorous gratifications." These people are mere keepers of sheep.
Those who would be called shepherds practice restraint, inflicting punishment on those parts of the flock that stray. (It sounds suspiciously like self mortification.) Shepherds prefer those things that are "useful, Though mixed with unpleasantness, to those that are pleasant but pernicious." Philo says this is why Jacob and Moses were called shepherds. Moses also declared "The assembly of the Lord shall not be like sheep who have no shepherd."
Philo then compares governing one's own flock (remember it is a metaphor for soul and body) with the various types of government in his world at that time. Not only is tyranny and anarchy evil, but even too much gentleness is to be despised because it is injurious to leaders and subjects, leading to disrespect and insolence.
To be continued.
Before we get to shepherds, skim through the first few section of the writing until you arrive at section VII. Philo begins by showing what he believes are the concrete and philosophical differences between a husbandman, a farmer with agricultural skill, and a mere tiller of the soil. One cares for the land and the growing things on it, probably because he is the owner. The other is a mere hireling concerned about his wages. Philo goes on to talk of the various growing things that represent bad traits and how they are tamed, pruned, or destroyed by the husbandman. Then there are the good plants that bear fruit and represent virtues. These are encouraged to grow and multiply. This is the "husbandry of the soul." The mere tiller is an "unjust man" and bears the "heaviest burdens without knowledge." Philo says Moses, in the scriptures, has made an example of Noah as a husbandman and Cain as a mere tiller. (V:20-21)
Philo infuses his extended metaphors with real life examples of differences in life station within a single field of occupation, farming. I don't think he realized the prejudices he betrayed in himself. The wealthier, more educated man with property is equated with the more caring and more virtuous person. The mere wage earner, the tiller, is akin to a murderer, because of what Moses supposedly wrote in the scriptures. I know Philo intended to use this example as a spiritual application, but I find it useful as a look at the sociological class constructs of that era. Next we will see a similar treatment given to Philo's idea of the difference between true shepherds and mere keepers of sheep.(VI:29)
Philo now tells us that a good and faithful superintendant of the flock of the soul is a shepherd, an indifferent manager of the flock is called a keeper of sheep. People are said to have parts of themselves compared to flocks of sheep, specifically: the mind, the five senses, the organs of speech and the organs of generation. Individuals must superintend all these parts of themselves.
In section VII, Philo shows what happens when the superintendant of the flocks indulge them and let them have everything they want, even if it is not good for them. Then the "flocks" get out of control and stray, even if the superintendant tries to reign them in. There comes a slippery slope, leading to gluttony, drunkenness, and illicit "amorous gratifications." These people are mere keepers of sheep.
Those who would be called shepherds practice restraint, inflicting punishment on those parts of the flock that stray. (It sounds suspiciously like self mortification.) Shepherds prefer those things that are "useful, Though mixed with unpleasantness, to those that are pleasant but pernicious." Philo says this is why Jacob and Moses were called shepherds. Moses also declared "The assembly of the Lord shall not be like sheep who have no shepherd."
Philo then compares governing one's own flock (remember it is a metaphor for soul and body) with the various types of government in his world at that time. Not only is tyranny and anarchy evil, but even too much gentleness is to be despised because it is injurious to leaders and subjects, leading to disrespect and insolence.
To be continued.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Exodus chapter 1
After reading chapter 1:
*We are reminded of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) and his seventy direct descendents, who all ended up in Egypt. They all died, but their descendents continued to multiply and prosper. A new king who did not remember Joseph came into power. It is no wonder he didn't remember; according to Exodus 12:40, 430 years went by before the Israelites left Egypt, making it approximately 1337 B.C.E. (If you count from the date that the Israelite clan was supposed to have entered Egypt and use Bishop Ussher's problematic year of creation, 4004 B.C.E. ) This was the time of Amenhotep IV, commonly known as Akhenaten. However, he is not one of the popular choices for the possible Pharaoh of Exodus. Sigmund Freud connected the exodus with Akhenaten in his book Moses and Monotheism. The events of this first chapter would have been about 80 years before the exodus. The Pharoah is never named in the book of Exodus.
*This new king was worried about how numerous the Israelites were becoming. He didn't want them to join forces with an enemy and start a war. So, he decided to enslave them and force them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses. The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied, the more they multiplied, the more they were oppressed. Then the king spoke to the Hebrew midwives,( who are named even though the Pharoah is not ) and told them to kill all the male babies that were born to the Hebrews when they were in attendance.
*The midwives did not kill the baby boys because they were afraid of God. They told Pharoah that Hebrew women easily bore healthy children without the help of midwives. The people continued to increase in number. Then the Pharoah gave an order to all his people to throw every boy that was born into the Nile River. The text doesn't say every Hebrew boy, but that is assumed.
*There is no concrete historical evidence of a large group of Israelites living in Ancient Egypt, or being enslaved by the Egyptians.
*We are reminded of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) and his seventy direct descendents, who all ended up in Egypt. They all died, but their descendents continued to multiply and prosper. A new king who did not remember Joseph came into power. It is no wonder he didn't remember; according to Exodus 12:40, 430 years went by before the Israelites left Egypt, making it approximately 1337 B.C.E. (If you count from the date that the Israelite clan was supposed to have entered Egypt and use Bishop Ussher's problematic year of creation, 4004 B.C.E. ) This was the time of Amenhotep IV, commonly known as Akhenaten. However, he is not one of the popular choices for the possible Pharaoh of Exodus. Sigmund Freud connected the exodus with Akhenaten in his book Moses and Monotheism. The events of this first chapter would have been about 80 years before the exodus. The Pharoah is never named in the book of Exodus.
*This new king was worried about how numerous the Israelites were becoming. He didn't want them to join forces with an enemy and start a war. So, he decided to enslave them and force them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses. The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied, the more they multiplied, the more they were oppressed. Then the king spoke to the Hebrew midwives,( who are named even though the Pharoah is not ) and told them to kill all the male babies that were born to the Hebrews when they were in attendance.
*The midwives did not kill the baby boys because they were afraid of God. They told Pharoah that Hebrew women easily bore healthy children without the help of midwives. The people continued to increase in number. Then the Pharoah gave an order to all his people to throw every boy that was born into the Nile River. The text doesn't say every Hebrew boy, but that is assumed.
*There is no concrete historical evidence of a large group of Israelites living in Ancient Egypt, or being enslaved by the Egyptians.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Genesis wrap up
What have we learned from the book of Genesis?
*We don't know who wrote this book or exactly when. Historians place its origin long after Moses would have lived. Nowhere does the book of Genesis claim it is God's word, or is inspired by God. Nor does it claim to be the words of Moses. The Hebrew language in which Genesis is written comes from approximately the 6th century B.C.E., about a thousand years after the last events recorded in the book. There are few place name anachronisms.
*We are not told anything about an afterlife, Hell, Satan, or demons. Everybody died and stayed dead, except Enoch.
*The God of Genesis is very powerful but not omnicient or omnipresent. He is able to do human activities like walking, talking, seeing, smelling, wrestling, and eating. He comes down to earth from some unknown place in the sky where he lives with some unknown others and angels. He likes dead animals, and the smell of roasting meat. He doesn't like grain sacrifices, tall towers, or clueless Pharoah's and kings. He doesn't seem to mind deceit, slavery, or the mistreatment of women. He needs to be reminded of his promises. His powers seem to be limited to being able to manipulate people and nature. He can be overpowered by a man. (Jacob) After God wrestles with Jacob, he no longer appears in physical form as a man. For the rest of the book, he is only seen in visions.
*Nothing derogatory is said about other gods. There are no prohibitions against worshiping other gods. Yahweh ( the lord) is said to be "Abraham's God, " not the only God.
*Angels look and act like regular people. They have a few powers. Sometimes they speak for God. We aren't told why he can't speak for himself.
*Circumcision is an everlasting covenant with all of Abraham's descendants who want to be part of the family and in on the promise of owning the land of Canaan. I underlined everlasting because about 2,000 years in the future a person named Paul will claim it is no longer necessary, and that it was actually just a metaphor. There is no indication in Genesis that circumcision is a metaphor for a spiritual state. It is an act of obedience, pure and simple.
*Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are all enriched, with God's support, at the expense of others, by deceit.
*We are given the supposed names of dozens of rulers of petty Canaanite kingdoms, who lack any proof of their existence. We are not given any of the names of the at least three Pharoah's of Egypt mentioned in Genesis. This is in spite of the fact that Hebrew writing would not have existed in the time frame of Genesis and that Egypt is a rich source of recorded ancient history.
*The first few chapters are obviously mythological, containing completely unrealistic and magical creation events.
*There are no concrete extra biblical evidences for any of the main characters in the stories contained in Genesis. Many of the place names and people groups are also unknown to history, with a few notable exceptions. The events themselves are also impossible to verify. In fact, it is very reasonable to accept Genesis as an etiological story, written as folk lore for a people (Israelites) trying to forge an identity and explain how their world came to be the way it was at the time of the story's writing. Other people groups had their own explanations of the world and humanity. Today, we know that the history of humanity didn't really revolve around the Middle East. It just happened to have very effective propaganda.
*We don't know who wrote this book or exactly when. Historians place its origin long after Moses would have lived. Nowhere does the book of Genesis claim it is God's word, or is inspired by God. Nor does it claim to be the words of Moses. The Hebrew language in which Genesis is written comes from approximately the 6th century B.C.E., about a thousand years after the last events recorded in the book. There are few place name anachronisms.
*We are not told anything about an afterlife, Hell, Satan, or demons. Everybody died and stayed dead, except Enoch.
*The God of Genesis is very powerful but not omnicient or omnipresent. He is able to do human activities like walking, talking, seeing, smelling, wrestling, and eating. He comes down to earth from some unknown place in the sky where he lives with some unknown others and angels. He likes dead animals, and the smell of roasting meat. He doesn't like grain sacrifices, tall towers, or clueless Pharoah's and kings. He doesn't seem to mind deceit, slavery, or the mistreatment of women. He needs to be reminded of his promises. His powers seem to be limited to being able to manipulate people and nature. He can be overpowered by a man. (Jacob) After God wrestles with Jacob, he no longer appears in physical form as a man. For the rest of the book, he is only seen in visions.
*Nothing derogatory is said about other gods. There are no prohibitions against worshiping other gods. Yahweh ( the lord) is said to be "Abraham's God, " not the only God.
*Angels look and act like regular people. They have a few powers. Sometimes they speak for God. We aren't told why he can't speak for himself.
*Circumcision is an everlasting covenant with all of Abraham's descendants who want to be part of the family and in on the promise of owning the land of Canaan. I underlined everlasting because about 2,000 years in the future a person named Paul will claim it is no longer necessary, and that it was actually just a metaphor. There is no indication in Genesis that circumcision is a metaphor for a spiritual state. It is an act of obedience, pure and simple.
*Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are all enriched, with God's support, at the expense of others, by deceit.
*We are given the supposed names of dozens of rulers of petty Canaanite kingdoms, who lack any proof of their existence. We are not given any of the names of the at least three Pharoah's of Egypt mentioned in Genesis. This is in spite of the fact that Hebrew writing would not have existed in the time frame of Genesis and that Egypt is a rich source of recorded ancient history.
*The first few chapters are obviously mythological, containing completely unrealistic and magical creation events.
*There are no concrete extra biblical evidences for any of the main characters in the stories contained in Genesis. Many of the place names and people groups are also unknown to history, with a few notable exceptions. The events themselves are also impossible to verify. In fact, it is very reasonable to accept Genesis as an etiological story, written as folk lore for a people (Israelites) trying to forge an identity and explain how their world came to be the way it was at the time of the story's writing. Other people groups had their own explanations of the world and humanity. Today, we know that the history of humanity didn't really revolve around the Middle East. It just happened to have very effective propaganda.
Genesis chapter 50
After reading chapter 50:
*Joseph mourned his father Jacob and embalmed him in the Egyptian way. Then, he asked Pharoah for permission to take his father's body back to Canaan to be buried. Pharoah gave permission. All the dignitaries of Egypt, Joseph's household, and Joseph's brothers went to bury Jacob. The children and flocks were left behind. I'm guessing the women were too.
*When they got near the Jordan River, they began a period of loud mourning. The locals noticed. Jacob was buried as he had asked to be, in the cave with his other relatives. After the burial, everyone returned to Egypt.
*Joseph's brothers began to worry that Joseph might be holding a grudge for what they did to him. Perhaps he hadn't acted on it because of their father. Now that dad was dead, what was he planning to do? So they sent a message to Joseph asking for forgiveness. Then, they went to Joseph and offered themselves as his slaves. Joseph said he was convinced God had planned everything that way on purpose so they would all live. He told them not to be afraid, he would continue to take care of them. I wonder how many people who weren't related to Jacob died in the famine. I guess God wasn't as concerned about their welfare.
*Joseph lived 110 years and became a great great grandfather. When he was about to die, he talked to his brothers, most of whom were older than he was. He made them swear an oath and told them that eventually God would come to their aid and help them leave Egypt to go to the land promised to their forefathers. When they did, they were to carry his bones with them. He died, was embalmed and put in a coffin in Egypt. The year would have been approximately 1696 B.C.E.
THE END
*Joseph mourned his father Jacob and embalmed him in the Egyptian way. Then, he asked Pharoah for permission to take his father's body back to Canaan to be buried. Pharoah gave permission. All the dignitaries of Egypt, Joseph's household, and Joseph's brothers went to bury Jacob. The children and flocks were left behind. I'm guessing the women were too.
*When they got near the Jordan River, they began a period of loud mourning. The locals noticed. Jacob was buried as he had asked to be, in the cave with his other relatives. After the burial, everyone returned to Egypt.
*Joseph's brothers began to worry that Joseph might be holding a grudge for what they did to him. Perhaps he hadn't acted on it because of their father. Now that dad was dead, what was he planning to do? So they sent a message to Joseph asking for forgiveness. Then, they went to Joseph and offered themselves as his slaves. Joseph said he was convinced God had planned everything that way on purpose so they would all live. He told them not to be afraid, he would continue to take care of them. I wonder how many people who weren't related to Jacob died in the famine. I guess God wasn't as concerned about their welfare.
*Joseph lived 110 years and became a great great grandfather. When he was about to die, he talked to his brothers, most of whom were older than he was. He made them swear an oath and told them that eventually God would come to their aid and help them leave Egypt to go to the land promised to their forefathers. When they did, they were to carry his bones with them. He died, was embalmed and put in a coffin in Egypt. The year would have been approximately 1696 B.C.E.
THE END
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Genesis chapter 49
After reading chapter 49:
*Jacob gathers his sons around to predict their futures, and the futures of their descendants. Reuben will not excel because he slept with his father's slave wife, Bilhah. Simeon and Levi, who killed all the men in Shechem, will be cursed and scattered in Israel. Judah will be a ruler, and is blessed. Zebulon will live by the sea. Issachar will be forced to labor. Dan will provide justice for the tribes of Israel. Gad will be attacked. Asher will be a gourmet. Naphtali will have beautiful offspring. Joseph is given many blessings and called the prince among his brothers. Benjamin is described as a ravenous wolf.
*Here is the first time we encounter symbolic references to the lion of Judah and God as a shepherd and a rock.
*For people, like me, who do not belive in being able to see the future, passages like this are assumed to have been written with hindsight, with knowledge of certain events having already happened. Therefore, it had to have been written some time after the first king of Israel in the lineage of Judah, David. That would be a good 700 years or so after these events.
*Jacob asks his sons to have him buried in the same place as Abrahaham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah, in the cave on land bought from the Hittites. Then he dies.
*Jacob gathers his sons around to predict their futures, and the futures of their descendants. Reuben will not excel because he slept with his father's slave wife, Bilhah. Simeon and Levi, who killed all the men in Shechem, will be cursed and scattered in Israel. Judah will be a ruler, and is blessed. Zebulon will live by the sea. Issachar will be forced to labor. Dan will provide justice for the tribes of Israel. Gad will be attacked. Asher will be a gourmet. Naphtali will have beautiful offspring. Joseph is given many blessings and called the prince among his brothers. Benjamin is described as a ravenous wolf.
*Here is the first time we encounter symbolic references to the lion of Judah and God as a shepherd and a rock.
*For people, like me, who do not belive in being able to see the future, passages like this are assumed to have been written with hindsight, with knowledge of certain events having already happened. Therefore, it had to have been written some time after the first king of Israel in the lineage of Judah, David. That would be a good 700 years or so after these events.
*Jacob asks his sons to have him buried in the same place as Abrahaham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah, in the cave on land bought from the Hittites. Then he dies.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Genesis chapter 48
After reading chapter 48:
* Later, Jacob became ill. So, Joseph took his two sons to visit Jacob. Jacob told Joseph how God had appeared to him in the past and told him the land of Canaan would be given to his descendants. He claims Joseph's sons as his own, so that they will inherit part of the territory promised. Then Jacob does something strange and asks who Joseph's sons are, which historians think is because of the meshing of two traditional stories into one, which also accounts for the names Jacob and Israel not being consistently used.
*Israel can hardly see,like Isaac of old. So, Joseph brings his children to his father and he kisses and hugs them. Joseph led Manasseh, the oldest, to Israel's right hand. He put Ephraim at Israel's left. These were the proper birth order blessing places. (These things don't work right unless you do them properly.) However, Israel crossed his arms, putting his hands on the opposite heads, the younger brother receiving the blessing of the first born. Joseph was displeased and tried to correct his father, but Israel said the younger would be greater than the older. In this manner, he continued the younger brother theme that we will see again. Why can't we still give our children prophetic blessings with our hands that will come true?
*Israel says God will be with Joseph and will take him back to Canaan. The ridge of land that Jacob took from the Amorites would belong to Joseph.
* Later, Jacob became ill. So, Joseph took his two sons to visit Jacob. Jacob told Joseph how God had appeared to him in the past and told him the land of Canaan would be given to his descendants. He claims Joseph's sons as his own, so that they will inherit part of the territory promised. Then Jacob does something strange and asks who Joseph's sons are, which historians think is because of the meshing of two traditional stories into one, which also accounts for the names Jacob and Israel not being consistently used.
*Israel can hardly see,like Isaac of old. So, Joseph brings his children to his father and he kisses and hugs them. Joseph led Manasseh, the oldest, to Israel's right hand. He put Ephraim at Israel's left. These were the proper birth order blessing places. (These things don't work right unless you do them properly.) However, Israel crossed his arms, putting his hands on the opposite heads, the younger brother receiving the blessing of the first born. Joseph was displeased and tried to correct his father, but Israel said the younger would be greater than the older. In this manner, he continued the younger brother theme that we will see again. Why can't we still give our children prophetic blessings with our hands that will come true?
*Israel says God will be with Joseph and will take him back to Canaan. The ridge of land that Jacob took from the Amorites would belong to Joseph.
Genesis chapter 47
After reading chapter 47:
*So, Joseph tells Pharoah his brothers are shepherds and they will be staying in Goshen. Pharoah repeats this like it is his idea. Joseph presents his father to the Pharoah who asks how old he is. Jacob says he is 130 short and difficult years old. (Since Joseph would have been about 39, Jacob was 91 when he was born. ) Then Jacob blesses Pharoah and leaves. Joseph gives his family property in the best part of the land, plus all the food they need. The property was said to be in the "district of Rameses" which is an anachronism. No Rameses had been Pharoah yet, and would not be for a few hundred years. This would have been approximately 1767 B.C.E., if we follow biblical chronology.
*Here I have to say a word about chronology. I have departed from Bishop Ussher since Abraham was born and am doing my own calculations based solely on the information given in the text of Genesis. While researching, I found that many adjustments to the chronology were made based on traditions and other books of the bible, even from the New Testament. There was an assumption that this is the chronology of the lineage of the messiah, and that all the scriptures must not contradict each other. I make no such assumptions.
*The famine raged on. People from all over Egypt and Canaan gave their money to Joseph for food, til there was no money left. They begged for food, so Joseph began to take livestock in payment until there was no livestock left. They begged for food again, so Joseph began to take land in payment, until Pharoah owned all the land in Egypt. Joseph reduced the people to servitude. (Nice guy.) The priests were the only ones left with land because they received an allotment of food from Pharoah and did not need to sell their land.
*After Pharoah owned all the land, Joseph gave the people seed and said from whatever they harvested, one-fifth would belong to Pharoah and four-fifths to them. This became a permanent law. You may have heard the phrase " the king's fifth." The priests were exempt. Apparently, so were the Israelites. They had plenty to eat, acquired property, and increased in numbers.
*When Jacob was 147, he called Joseph to him to swear that he would not be buried in Egypt when he died. Joseph swore as his father asked with his hand under Jacob's "thigh." (Read: genitals. )
*So, Joseph tells Pharoah his brothers are shepherds and they will be staying in Goshen. Pharoah repeats this like it is his idea. Joseph presents his father to the Pharoah who asks how old he is. Jacob says he is 130 short and difficult years old. (Since Joseph would have been about 39, Jacob was 91 when he was born. ) Then Jacob blesses Pharoah and leaves. Joseph gives his family property in the best part of the land, plus all the food they need. The property was said to be in the "district of Rameses" which is an anachronism. No Rameses had been Pharoah yet, and would not be for a few hundred years. This would have been approximately 1767 B.C.E., if we follow biblical chronology.
*Here I have to say a word about chronology. I have departed from Bishop Ussher since Abraham was born and am doing my own calculations based solely on the information given in the text of Genesis. While researching, I found that many adjustments to the chronology were made based on traditions and other books of the bible, even from the New Testament. There was an assumption that this is the chronology of the lineage of the messiah, and that all the scriptures must not contradict each other. I make no such assumptions.
*The famine raged on. People from all over Egypt and Canaan gave their money to Joseph for food, til there was no money left. They begged for food, so Joseph began to take livestock in payment until there was no livestock left. They begged for food again, so Joseph began to take land in payment, until Pharoah owned all the land in Egypt. Joseph reduced the people to servitude. (Nice guy.) The priests were the only ones left with land because they received an allotment of food from Pharoah and did not need to sell their land.
*After Pharoah owned all the land, Joseph gave the people seed and said from whatever they harvested, one-fifth would belong to Pharoah and four-fifths to them. This became a permanent law. You may have heard the phrase " the king's fifth." The priests were exempt. Apparently, so were the Israelites. They had plenty to eat, acquired property, and increased in numbers.
*When Jacob was 147, he called Joseph to him to swear that he would not be buried in Egypt when he died. Joseph swore as his father asked with his hand under Jacob's "thigh." (Read: genitals. )
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Genesis chapter 46
Afte reading chapter 46:
*So, Jacob and his descendants living in Canaan, sixty-four males and two females, plus the wives of the males, packed up all their belongings and began the trek to Egypt. If Judah's two dead sons plus Joseph's sons in Egypt are counted, Jacob had 70 direct descendants, only two of them female. What are the odds?
*The daughters were apparently not married. Remember what happened when a Canaanite wanted to marry Dinah? One wonders where the wives of all the sons came from. Only Judah and Simeon are said to have had Canaanite wives.
*They stopped at Beersheba, where Jacob made a sacrifice to the God of his father Isaac. God appeared to him in a vision at night (a dream) and told him not to be afraid of going to Egypt. Then Jacob sent Judah ahead to ask Joseph for directions to Goshen. Joseph went to Goshen in his chariot to meet his father. When they saw each other, they had a very tearful reunion.
*Joseph said Pharoah would be told that they were shepherds which were detestable to the Egyptians. For some reason this would guarantee them a place to settle in Goshen. If we count all the wives and the unmentioned slaves, there must have been well over a hundred people in the group.
*So, Jacob and his descendants living in Canaan, sixty-four males and two females, plus the wives of the males, packed up all their belongings and began the trek to Egypt. If Judah's two dead sons plus Joseph's sons in Egypt are counted, Jacob had 70 direct descendants, only two of them female. What are the odds?
*The daughters were apparently not married. Remember what happened when a Canaanite wanted to marry Dinah? One wonders where the wives of all the sons came from. Only Judah and Simeon are said to have had Canaanite wives.
*They stopped at Beersheba, where Jacob made a sacrifice to the God of his father Isaac. God appeared to him in a vision at night (a dream) and told him not to be afraid of going to Egypt. Then Jacob sent Judah ahead to ask Joseph for directions to Goshen. Joseph went to Goshen in his chariot to meet his father. When they saw each other, they had a very tearful reunion.
*Joseph said Pharoah would be told that they were shepherds which were detestable to the Egyptians. For some reason this would guarantee them a place to settle in Goshen. If we count all the wives and the unmentioned slaves, there must have been well over a hundred people in the group.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Genesis chapter 45
After reading chapter 45:
*After Judah pleads with Joseph, Joseph orders all his attendants to leave the room. He emotionally reveals himself to his brothers and they are terrified. He tells them not to worry about what they did to him in the past, God planned it that way so Joseph could save them from the famine that God created. (Gen. 21:28-32) God's ultimate goal was to "preserve a remnant" of this family, a theme that is echoed in other bible books.
*Joseph tells them that he is ruler over all of Egypt. The brothers must go get their father and bring him back, along with all their family members and possessions. They will live in the land of Goshen and Joseph will take care of them because there are still five years of famine left. He charges them to tell their father everything about his high position. Then everyone weeps and hugs and kisses each other.
*Pharoah is told of these events and is pleased. He offers the brothers help traveling to Canaan to get their father, and promises them everything they need and more. Everyone was loaded with gifts and sent on their way with an admonition not to quarrel along the way. When they got back to Canaan and told Jacob everything, he was stunned. At first he didn't believe them, but the rich gifts convinced him. He agreed to go to Egypt.
*This continues the pattern of each of the patriarchs of this family spending time in Egypt during famines, first Abraham, then Isaac, now Jacob (Israel). Abraham and Isaac were asked to leave. Joseph has been asked to stay.
*After Judah pleads with Joseph, Joseph orders all his attendants to leave the room. He emotionally reveals himself to his brothers and they are terrified. He tells them not to worry about what they did to him in the past, God planned it that way so Joseph could save them from the famine that God created. (Gen. 21:28-32) God's ultimate goal was to "preserve a remnant" of this family, a theme that is echoed in other bible books.
*Joseph tells them that he is ruler over all of Egypt. The brothers must go get their father and bring him back, along with all their family members and possessions. They will live in the land of Goshen and Joseph will take care of them because there are still five years of famine left. He charges them to tell their father everything about his high position. Then everyone weeps and hugs and kisses each other.
*Pharoah is told of these events and is pleased. He offers the brothers help traveling to Canaan to get their father, and promises them everything they need and more. Everyone was loaded with gifts and sent on their way with an admonition not to quarrel along the way. When they got back to Canaan and told Jacob everything, he was stunned. At first he didn't believe them, but the rich gifts convinced him. He agreed to go to Egypt.
*This continues the pattern of each of the patriarchs of this family spending time in Egypt during famines, first Abraham, then Isaac, now Jacob (Israel). Abraham and Isaac were asked to leave. Joseph has been asked to stay.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Genesis chapter 44
After reading chapter 44:
*After the feast, Joseph's steward filled the brothers' sacks with food and put back their silver. Joseph told the steward to also put his personal silver cup in Benjamin's sack. After they had left in the morning, the steward was sent after them to accuse them of stealing the cup Joseph used for "divination." I wonder which school of witchcraft and wizardry Joseph attended.
*The brothers were confused and protested their innocence. They said that anyone who possessed the cup would become a slave. The steward agreed. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack and the brothers were horrified. They all went back to the city. ( Which Egyptian city was it, by the way?) The brothers told Joseph they could not prove their innocence, so they would all become his slaves. He said that wasn't necessary, only Benjamin would be his slave.
*Judah went up to Joseph and explained what Benjamin's capture would do to their father. They told him the story of how upset his father had been at the loss of Joseph. Judah told Joseph his father's life was at stake and offered to remain in Benjamin's stead, in order to prevent such misery.
*After the feast, Joseph's steward filled the brothers' sacks with food and put back their silver. Joseph told the steward to also put his personal silver cup in Benjamin's sack. After they had left in the morning, the steward was sent after them to accuse them of stealing the cup Joseph used for "divination." I wonder which school of witchcraft and wizardry Joseph attended.
*The brothers were confused and protested their innocence. They said that anyone who possessed the cup would become a slave. The steward agreed. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack and the brothers were horrified. They all went back to the city. ( Which Egyptian city was it, by the way?) The brothers told Joseph they could not prove their innocence, so they would all become his slaves. He said that wasn't necessary, only Benjamin would be his slave.
*Judah went up to Joseph and explained what Benjamin's capture would do to their father. They told him the story of how upset his father had been at the loss of Joseph. Judah told Joseph his father's life was at stake and offered to remain in Benjamin's stead, in order to prevent such misery.
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Genesis chapter 43
After reading chapter 43:
* When Jacob's family ran out of grain, he told them to go back to Egypt and get some more. Judah reminded him that they had to bring Benjamin with them or they wouldn't be given any more grain. Jacob was against it, but they would starve otherwise. Judah offered to bear the responsibility for Bejamin's safety. Jacob relented and told them to take gifts with them and double the silver, in case getting the silver back last time was a mistake.
* So the brothers hurried back to Egypt with Benjamin. When Joseph saw them, he ordered a meal prepared for them at his house. The brothers were afraid this was a trick to capture and enslave them for non- payment. They explained their situation to the steward, who told them not to be afraid. He had received payment for the last load of grain.
*The brothers went to Joseph's house with the gifts they had brought and bowed down to Joseph. He asked them about their father. When he saw Benjamin, he had to leave the room to hide his tears. When he came back the food was served but Joseph did not eat at the same table. The Egyptians also ate at separate tables because eating with Hebrews was detestable to them. The brothers were seated in order from oldest to youngest and Benjamin was given five times as much food as every one else.
*Exactly what a Hebrew was at that time is unclear. Abraham was called a Hebrew back in chapter 14, so he can't have been the first, if we take the story as fact. It is possible that it just meant a class of shepherding nomads.
* When Jacob's family ran out of grain, he told them to go back to Egypt and get some more. Judah reminded him that they had to bring Benjamin with them or they wouldn't be given any more grain. Jacob was against it, but they would starve otherwise. Judah offered to bear the responsibility for Bejamin's safety. Jacob relented and told them to take gifts with them and double the silver, in case getting the silver back last time was a mistake.
* So the brothers hurried back to Egypt with Benjamin. When Joseph saw them, he ordered a meal prepared for them at his house. The brothers were afraid this was a trick to capture and enslave them for non- payment. They explained their situation to the steward, who told them not to be afraid. He had received payment for the last load of grain.
*The brothers went to Joseph's house with the gifts they had brought and bowed down to Joseph. He asked them about their father. When he saw Benjamin, he had to leave the room to hide his tears. When he came back the food was served but Joseph did not eat at the same table. The Egyptians also ate at separate tables because eating with Hebrews was detestable to them. The brothers were seated in order from oldest to youngest and Benjamin was given five times as much food as every one else.
*Exactly what a Hebrew was at that time is unclear. Abraham was called a Hebrew back in chapter 14, so he can't have been the first, if we take the story as fact. It is possible that it just meant a class of shepherding nomads.
Genesis chapter 42
After reading chapter 42:
*The famine reached Canaan. Jacob told ten of his sons to go to Egypt to buy grain. Benjamin, the youngest son of Rachel, was left behind. When Joseph's brothers arrived in Egypt, they went to Joseph and bowed down to ask for grain, without knowing who he was. He knew them and remembered his dreams that he would one day rule over them. He accused them of being spies even though he knew they were not. They explained who they were and why they were there, but Joseph continued to act suspicious. He put them in custody for three days and told them that one of them needed to go back and get the youngest brother to prove they were not lying. After the three days, he changed that to one remaining and the others going back.
* The brothers discussed why this had happened and became convinced it was because of the way they had treated Joseph when he was young. Unknown to them, Joseph overheard and began to cry. Then he had Simeon taken and tied up. He had their sacks loaded with grain and their silver put back in the sacks. When they stopped to camp, they discovered the silver and were afraid. They thought God was punishing them 27 years after the fact.
*When they got home, they told Jacob everything that had happened. He was very upset. Reuben offered to have his two sons put to death if Bejamin was not brought back safely. ( nice) Jacob was not going to allow Benjamin, the only surviving child of Rachel, to go to Egypt. He would surely die if Benjamin left.
* Notice that the brother's three days in prison echoes the three days between the interpretation of the cupbearer's and baker's dreams and their release from prison.
*The famine reached Canaan. Jacob told ten of his sons to go to Egypt to buy grain. Benjamin, the youngest son of Rachel, was left behind. When Joseph's brothers arrived in Egypt, they went to Joseph and bowed down to ask for grain, without knowing who he was. He knew them and remembered his dreams that he would one day rule over them. He accused them of being spies even though he knew they were not. They explained who they were and why they were there, but Joseph continued to act suspicious. He put them in custody for three days and told them that one of them needed to go back and get the youngest brother to prove they were not lying. After the three days, he changed that to one remaining and the others going back.
* The brothers discussed why this had happened and became convinced it was because of the way they had treated Joseph when he was young. Unknown to them, Joseph overheard and began to cry. Then he had Simeon taken and tied up. He had their sacks loaded with grain and their silver put back in the sacks. When they stopped to camp, they discovered the silver and were afraid. They thought God was punishing them 27 years after the fact.
*When they got home, they told Jacob everything that had happened. He was very upset. Reuben offered to have his two sons put to death if Bejamin was not brought back safely. ( nice) Jacob was not going to allow Benjamin, the only surviving child of Rachel, to go to Egypt. He would surely die if Benjamin left.
* Notice that the brother's three days in prison echoes the three days between the interpretation of the cupbearer's and baker's dreams and their release from prison.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Genesis chapter 37
After reading chapter 37:
*This chapter begins by telling us it is the account of Jacob. When we read it, we see it begins the story of Joseph, Jacob's son by his beloved wife Rachel.
* Joseph, the youngest son, is seventeen. He is tending the flocks with his brothers by Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's slave wives. He tattles.
*Joseph is Jacob's (The text can't decide whether to call him Jacob or Israel. This may be because it is a mash up of two different texts and traditions.) favorite son. Israel personally makes Joseph a fancy robe. The other sons are jealous because they know Joseph is their father's favorite child. They despise him and let him know it. Then Joseph has a dream which makes them hate him even more. His dream obviously means that he will rule over his brothers. Then, he has another similar dream. This time it includes his mother and father. (His mother died back in chapter 35!?) His father publicly rebukes him but privately wonders if there is any truth in it. His brothers become even more jealous.
*The brothers are grazing their father's flocks near Shechem, which should not exist any more because they destroyed it back in chapter 34. Israel sends Joseph from Hebron to check up on his brothers. When he gets to Shechem, a man tells him they have moved on to Dothan. He goes after them. His brothers see him coming and begin to plot to kill him. When you have killed a whole village of men, what's one more, even if it is your brother. Reuben, the oldest, convinces them just to throw him in a cistern. He plans to come back and rescue Joseph later.
*So they take off his fancy robe and throw him into the empty cistern. They see some Ishmaelite travelling merchants coming along on their way to Egypt. Judah convinces the rest of the brothers to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites. (They are also called Midianites in the next few verses. Ishmael and Midian were both sons of Abraham. That would make the traders their second cousins.) They sell him for twenty shekels of silver. Later, in Leviticus 27, we will see that God sets the value of a male between the ages of 5 and 20 at twenty shekels. Reuben was not present at the time. When he gets back he is in despair. What's he going to do now?
*The brothers kill a goat and paint Joseph's fancy coat with blood to make Jacob think he is dead. It works. Jacob goes into deep mourning. Joseph is sold to Potiphar, Pharoah's captain of the guard.
*This chapter begins by telling us it is the account of Jacob. When we read it, we see it begins the story of Joseph, Jacob's son by his beloved wife Rachel.
* Joseph, the youngest son, is seventeen. He is tending the flocks with his brothers by Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's slave wives. He tattles.
*Joseph is Jacob's (The text can't decide whether to call him Jacob or Israel. This may be because it is a mash up of two different texts and traditions.) favorite son. Israel personally makes Joseph a fancy robe. The other sons are jealous because they know Joseph is their father's favorite child. They despise him and let him know it. Then Joseph has a dream which makes them hate him even more. His dream obviously means that he will rule over his brothers. Then, he has another similar dream. This time it includes his mother and father. (His mother died back in chapter 35!?) His father publicly rebukes him but privately wonders if there is any truth in it. His brothers become even more jealous.
*The brothers are grazing their father's flocks near Shechem, which should not exist any more because they destroyed it back in chapter 34. Israel sends Joseph from Hebron to check up on his brothers. When he gets to Shechem, a man tells him they have moved on to Dothan. He goes after them. His brothers see him coming and begin to plot to kill him. When you have killed a whole village of men, what's one more, even if it is your brother. Reuben, the oldest, convinces them just to throw him in a cistern. He plans to come back and rescue Joseph later.
*So they take off his fancy robe and throw him into the empty cistern. They see some Ishmaelite travelling merchants coming along on their way to Egypt. Judah convinces the rest of the brothers to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites. (They are also called Midianites in the next few verses. Ishmael and Midian were both sons of Abraham. That would make the traders their second cousins.) They sell him for twenty shekels of silver. Later, in Leviticus 27, we will see that God sets the value of a male between the ages of 5 and 20 at twenty shekels. Reuben was not present at the time. When he gets back he is in despair. What's he going to do now?
*The brothers kill a goat and paint Joseph's fancy coat with blood to make Jacob think he is dead. It works. Jacob goes into deep mourning. Joseph is sold to Potiphar, Pharoah's captain of the guard.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Genesis chapter 35
After reading chapter 35:
*After the Dinah episode, God conveniently tells Jacob to move to Bethel. Before they leave, Jacob gathers up all the idols and earrings his household has and buries them under the oak at Shechem. Remember his household now contains all the women and children of Shechem as slaves. The tree is most likely one of the "great trees" that were found near each town. They were where the people of those places went to consult their gods.
*As they pass through the land, nobody bothers them because the "terror of God" was upon them. If this actually happened, it would be more likely they had heard about the massacre and were afraid they would be next. When they got to Bethel, Jacob built an altar. Then Deborah, Rebekah's nurse dies and is buried. What she is doing with them is anybody's guess.
* Verses 9-15 are weirdly redundant and don't seem to fit in the story. There is reiteration of Jacob being named Israel, the promise of the land of Canaan for his descendants, and Jacob naming the place where God talked to him Bethel.
*The storyline continues with verse 16. They are on the move from Bethel when Rachel gives birth to another son named Benjamin. The birth was difficult and Rachel died. She was buried and Jacob set up a pillar to mark her tomb. They moved on again and while they are in Migdal Eder, Reuben sleeps with his father's concubine Bilhah. Bilhah had been Rachel's slave and was the mother of two of Reuben's brothers, Dan and Naphtali. Here it says she was a concubine, before she was described as a wife.
*Jacob finally reaches his father in Hebron. Isaac had lived 180 years when he dies and Esau and Jacob bury him. The year would be about 1777 B.C.E. , if we attempt to follow biblical chronology.
*After the Dinah episode, God conveniently tells Jacob to move to Bethel. Before they leave, Jacob gathers up all the idols and earrings his household has and buries them under the oak at Shechem. Remember his household now contains all the women and children of Shechem as slaves. The tree is most likely one of the "great trees" that were found near each town. They were where the people of those places went to consult their gods.
*As they pass through the land, nobody bothers them because the "terror of God" was upon them. If this actually happened, it would be more likely they had heard about the massacre and were afraid they would be next. When they got to Bethel, Jacob built an altar. Then Deborah, Rebekah's nurse dies and is buried. What she is doing with them is anybody's guess.
* Verses 9-15 are weirdly redundant and don't seem to fit in the story. There is reiteration of Jacob being named Israel, the promise of the land of Canaan for his descendants, and Jacob naming the place where God talked to him Bethel.
*The storyline continues with verse 16. They are on the move from Bethel when Rachel gives birth to another son named Benjamin. The birth was difficult and Rachel died. She was buried and Jacob set up a pillar to mark her tomb. They moved on again and while they are in Migdal Eder, Reuben sleeps with his father's concubine Bilhah. Bilhah had been Rachel's slave and was the mother of two of Reuben's brothers, Dan and Naphtali. Here it says she was a concubine, before she was described as a wife.
*Jacob finally reaches his father in Hebron. Isaac had lived 180 years when he dies and Esau and Jacob bury him. The year would be about 1777 B.C.E. , if we attempt to follow biblical chronology.
Brutality in the Bible
Now that we have read the story of Dinah, it would be a good time to talk about brutality in the Bible. There will be a lot more to come.
If we take this story as an isolated incident contained within the book if Genesis, what do we see? The first thing I notice is that, so far, God has given no universal commands that apply to all humans, other than: 1. Be fruitful and multiply 2. Do not eat meat with blood in it. 3. Whoever sheds the blood of another man, by man shall his blood be shed.(Genesis 9:4-7) Levi and Simeon murdered all the men in the city of Shechem. They were never made to pay for their crime by Jacob or God.
By modern standards, this killing spree is disturbing to say the least. In first world countries today, the killers would be incarcerated, given psychiatric examinations, put on trial, and probably jailed for life or put in an institution for the criminally insane. I dare say that there has been no place in the world at any time where any group of people would choose to be slaughtered because one of their men assaulted a woman from another tribe.(If we read the story as factual, it is not even clear that Dinah was assaulted.) At most, they would give up the man for punishment, pay her bride price, or give one of their own women as restitution.
The argument that this was a cultural thing has no precedent in Genesis. Obviously, the people of Shechem had no idea that they had done anything worthy of annihilation. There is no big picture here, just psychotic rage. The argument that this "just goes to show that they were human" is based on the assumption that all humans are essentially depraved. I reject that assumption.
I recommend The History Of Violence with Steven Pinker
If we take this story as an isolated incident contained within the book if Genesis, what do we see? The first thing I notice is that, so far, God has given no universal commands that apply to all humans, other than: 1. Be fruitful and multiply 2. Do not eat meat with blood in it. 3. Whoever sheds the blood of another man, by man shall his blood be shed.(Genesis 9:4-7) Levi and Simeon murdered all the men in the city of Shechem. They were never made to pay for their crime by Jacob or God.
By modern standards, this killing spree is disturbing to say the least. In first world countries today, the killers would be incarcerated, given psychiatric examinations, put on trial, and probably jailed for life or put in an institution for the criminally insane. I dare say that there has been no place in the world at any time where any group of people would choose to be slaughtered because one of their men assaulted a woman from another tribe.(If we read the story as factual, it is not even clear that Dinah was assaulted.) At most, they would give up the man for punishment, pay her bride price, or give one of their own women as restitution.
The argument that this was a cultural thing has no precedent in Genesis. Obviously, the people of Shechem had no idea that they had done anything worthy of annihilation. There is no big picture here, just psychotic rage. The argument that this "just goes to show that they were human" is based on the assumption that all humans are essentially depraved. I reject that assumption.
I recommend The History Of Violence with Steven Pinker
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