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 Joseph. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joseph. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Joshua chapter 24 part 2, plus wrap up.
*We have come to the end of the book of Joshua. Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance. Then he dies. He was 110 years old. That would make this somewhere around the year 1267 B.C.E. (I've been counting back from Bishop Ussher's date of 4,004 B.C.E. as the supposed date of the beginning.) Joshua was buried at his inherited land. The Israelites served Yahweh during the lifetime of Joshua. Joseph's bones, which had been brought from Egypt and presumably carried around this whole time, were buried at Shechem on a piece of land that Jacob had supposedly once bought. Though how they could know that after over 400 years in captivity is a mystery. Think of all the ways of record keeping we have today, and it is still very difficult to know much about our ancestors of 100 years ago, let alone over 400. The high priest Eleazor, son of Aaron, died and was replaced by his son Phinehas.
Wrap Up
*In this book, we are not told it is the word of God, or that it was written by Joshua. We find no mention of heaven, hell, satan, Angels, demons, etc., except for the hornet and we are not told what that is. The only obviously supernatural event is the crossing of the Jordan in chapter 3. It clearly mirrors the crossing of the Red Sea. There is no mention of a messiah. There are only earthly blessings and cursings that pertain to the lives and conduct of the Israelites, not their thoughts.
*Joshua has become the new conduit for Yahweh's commands and instructions after Moses's death. . He alone hears the words of Yahweh. The people are expected to believe and obey. Obedience is stressed over and over. Consequences of disobedience are usually death.
* Yahweh is a jealous God, vengeance is his, he will repay. He pelts hailstones at his enemies while they run away. He changed his mind about the no plunder rule. He orders the deaths of multitudes of men, women and children, so that the Israelites can have the land that he supposedly promised one of their ancestors over 400 years ago. He orders the torture of horses. His power to help eliminate the remaing tribes living in the promised land seems limited after the initial slaughter. He is currently living in Shiloh.
*The Israelites have conquered the land and taken posession, just like Yahweh promised. Sort of. The land was allotted to each of the Israelite tribe by casting lots. However, there is still plenty of clean up to do. Some pesky tribes refuse to be conquered so they are made to do menial tasks for the Israelites. Make sense of that.
*Finally, there is little to no historical evidence of any of the events in this book. It is probably historical fiction, used by the Israelites to explain and justify their presence in the land. It also was probably used to retroactively "foresee" the eventual conquering and exile of their people. This is attributed to disobedience, of course.
*This wraps up the story of the origins of "the people" of the land of Israel. It establishes their group identity. It is interesting to note that most ancient tribes had origin stories and a large percentage of them called them selves "the people" of some sort. Just take a look at some names of Native American tribes and their meanings. Look at the Preamble of the constitution of the United States, "we the people." It is natural for people to group themselves with those who are like them in culture and background and think of everyone else as "other." It makes us feel more comfortable, but it artificially separates and divides people from each other. This is one of the causes of war and genocide throughout history.
Edited
Wrap Up
*In this book, we are not told it is the word of God, or that it was written by Joshua. We find no mention of heaven, hell, satan, Angels, demons, etc., except for the hornet and we are not told what that is. The only obviously supernatural event is the crossing of the Jordan in chapter 3. It clearly mirrors the crossing of the Red Sea. There is no mention of a messiah. There are only earthly blessings and cursings that pertain to the lives and conduct of the Israelites, not their thoughts.
*Joshua has become the new conduit for Yahweh's commands and instructions after Moses's death. . He alone hears the words of Yahweh. The people are expected to believe and obey. Obedience is stressed over and over. Consequences of disobedience are usually death.
* Yahweh is a jealous God, vengeance is his, he will repay. He pelts hailstones at his enemies while they run away. He changed his mind about the no plunder rule. He orders the deaths of multitudes of men, women and children, so that the Israelites can have the land that he supposedly promised one of their ancestors over 400 years ago. He orders the torture of horses. His power to help eliminate the remaing tribes living in the promised land seems limited after the initial slaughter. He is currently living in Shiloh.
*The Israelites have conquered the land and taken posession, just like Yahweh promised. Sort of. The land was allotted to each of the Israelite tribe by casting lots. However, there is still plenty of clean up to do. Some pesky tribes refuse to be conquered so they are made to do menial tasks for the Israelites. Make sense of that.
*Finally, there is little to no historical evidence of any of the events in this book. It is probably historical fiction, used by the Israelites to explain and justify their presence in the land. It also was probably used to retroactively "foresee" the eventual conquering and exile of their people. This is attributed to disobedience, of course.
*This wraps up the story of the origins of "the people" of the land of Israel. It establishes their group identity. It is interesting to note that most ancient tribes had origin stories and a large percentage of them called them selves "the people" of some sort. Just take a look at some names of Native American tribes and their meanings. Look at the Preamble of the constitution of the United States, "we the people." It is natural for people to group themselves with those who are like them in culture and background and think of everyone else as "other." It makes us feel more comfortable, but it artificially separates and divides people from each other. This is one of the causes of war and genocide throughout history.
Edited
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Nativity wrap up
First, we have no idea who wrote these stories and where they got their information. No other bible authors tell a story of Jesus's birth, not even Paul, who was the most prolific writer before the gospel accounts came along. There is no historical corroboration, except for the existence of Herod and Quirinius with his census, but they were ten years apart. We can see that Matthew and Luke have two very different stories with different casts of characters. In Matthew, Mary has a very minor role, merely birthing Jesus. In Luke, she takes a significant part in the story with dialogue. There she becomes "blessed."
Naturally, a virgin conception of a male child appears to be an impossibility to us today. In that time, the microscopic mechanics of reproduction were not known. It was believed that the male "planted the seed" that would become a child. The woman's womb was the fertile, or barren, ground in which the seed grew. God was responsible for making the woman fertile or barren. If she was barren, she was in disgrace. Ultimately, the child belonged to the father, not the mother. Supposedly, the Holy Spirit was Jesus's father.
That a child should be concieved by a male God with a human mother was not a surprising thing in the first century. We can recall our school literature classes where we learned about ancient mythology and abundance of male gods who impregnated beautiful young women and had "special" children. Zeus alone was notorious. Here are some links to peruse:
Son of God
Demigod
List of demigods
Zeus's offspring
To read a fuller critique of Jesus and his life as recorded in the bible, I recommend The Christ by John E. Remsberg, found here.
Naturally, a virgin conception of a male child appears to be an impossibility to us today. In that time, the microscopic mechanics of reproduction were not known. It was believed that the male "planted the seed" that would become a child. The woman's womb was the fertile, or barren, ground in which the seed grew. God was responsible for making the woman fertile or barren. If she was barren, she was in disgrace. Ultimately, the child belonged to the father, not the mother. Supposedly, the Holy Spirit was Jesus's father.
That a child should be concieved by a male God with a human mother was not a surprising thing in the first century. We can recall our school literature classes where we learned about ancient mythology and abundance of male gods who impregnated beautiful young women and had "special" children. Zeus alone was notorious. Here are some links to peruse:
Son of God
Demigod
List of demigods
Zeus's offspring
To read a fuller critique of Jesus and his life as recorded in the bible, I recommend The Christ by John E. Remsberg, found here.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
The Nativity part 5- summary of Luke's story with comments.
Luke:
First we have two very similar stories. The angel Gabriel visits Zachariah; says,"do not be afraid;" tells him he will have a son; tells him what to name his son; tells him his son will be great; Zachariah questions this on physical grounds, the angel gives him a sign- muteness, no one else saw the angel, his wife says Yahewh has done this for her. (Technically, it was her husband.)
Then, the angel Gabriel visits Mary; he says," do not be afraid;" tells her she will have a son, tells her what to name her son, tells her that her son will be great, Mary questions this on physical grounds, the angel gives her a sign- Elizabeth's miraculous pregnancy, no one else saw the angel, Mary declares herself to be the lord's servant. Mary saying she was a servant may have been deliberate. A woman could have both a master and a husband, if she was a slave. The child would belong to the master, no matter who had fathered it. So, we have one very old barren woman, and one very young unwed woman, both pregnant. It must be a miracle, right? Unless someone lied, stretched the truth, or made up the stories.
Next, Mary goes to the hill country of Judea all the way from Nazareth, to visit Elizabeth, at least a several days journey on foot. Alone? Not likely. To put it bluntly, she might not have remained a virgin if she travelled alone. When she gets to Elizabeth's house, Elizabeth's baby leapt in her womb when Mary greeted her. Is it unusual for a six month old fetus to be very active inside his mother? No. Nevertheless, this was seen as a sign that what was predicted was true. Then Mary breaks out in song/poetry, praising God. Mary stays for three months, presumably till the birth of John. Baby John is born and circumcised on the eighth day. Then Zachariah beaks out in song/poetry praising God.
Now, supposedly Mary had returned home to Nazareth and we have what feels like another story, starting in chapter two. It takes place during the census of Quirinius, which was 6 C.E. Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to register for the census because he belonged to the line of David, which the Romans would not have cared about. Plus, the Census takers travelled to where the people were, not the other way around. The story does not say at what point in Mary's pregnancy they were supposed to have travelled, but it would be incredible to think of a woman making an eighty mile trip on foot or the back of a donkey, at nine months pregnant. Only a man would think such a thing was reasonable. Anyway, the baby was born, and placed in a manger,because there was no room in the inn. Some christian scholars think "inn" should say " upper room." I think it doesn't really matter, if the likelihood that it actually happened is slim.
Then we have shepherds in the fields at night which tells us it probably wasn't winter. They saw angels who told them about Jesus and praised God. The shepherds left the sheep that were in their care to go find Jesus who they were told was the christ. After they found the baby, they went back to their sheep. On the eighth day Jesus was circumcised, after the fortieth day he was taken to the temple to be presented as a first born son. Then his parents had encounters with Simeon and Anna, who seemed to have expected him.
In this story we have no Magi, no star, no Massacre of the innocents, and no trip to Egypt.
Edited.
First we have two very similar stories. The angel Gabriel visits Zachariah; says,"do not be afraid;" tells him he will have a son; tells him what to name his son; tells him his son will be great; Zachariah questions this on physical grounds, the angel gives him a sign- muteness, no one else saw the angel, his wife says Yahewh has done this for her. (Technically, it was her husband.)
Then, the angel Gabriel visits Mary; he says," do not be afraid;" tells her she will have a son, tells her what to name her son, tells her that her son will be great, Mary questions this on physical grounds, the angel gives her a sign- Elizabeth's miraculous pregnancy, no one else saw the angel, Mary declares herself to be the lord's servant. Mary saying she was a servant may have been deliberate. A woman could have both a master and a husband, if she was a slave. The child would belong to the master, no matter who had fathered it. So, we have one very old barren woman, and one very young unwed woman, both pregnant. It must be a miracle, right? Unless someone lied, stretched the truth, or made up the stories.
Next, Mary goes to the hill country of Judea all the way from Nazareth, to visit Elizabeth, at least a several days journey on foot. Alone? Not likely. To put it bluntly, she might not have remained a virgin if she travelled alone. When she gets to Elizabeth's house, Elizabeth's baby leapt in her womb when Mary greeted her. Is it unusual for a six month old fetus to be very active inside his mother? No. Nevertheless, this was seen as a sign that what was predicted was true. Then Mary breaks out in song/poetry, praising God. Mary stays for three months, presumably till the birth of John. Baby John is born and circumcised on the eighth day. Then Zachariah beaks out in song/poetry praising God.
Now, supposedly Mary had returned home to Nazareth and we have what feels like another story, starting in chapter two. It takes place during the census of Quirinius, which was 6 C.E. Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to register for the census because he belonged to the line of David, which the Romans would not have cared about. Plus, the Census takers travelled to where the people were, not the other way around. The story does not say at what point in Mary's pregnancy they were supposed to have travelled, but it would be incredible to think of a woman making an eighty mile trip on foot or the back of a donkey, at nine months pregnant. Only a man would think such a thing was reasonable. Anyway, the baby was born, and placed in a manger,because there was no room in the inn. Some christian scholars think "inn" should say " upper room." I think it doesn't really matter, if the likelihood that it actually happened is slim.
Then we have shepherds in the fields at night which tells us it probably wasn't winter. They saw angels who told them about Jesus and praised God. The shepherds left the sheep that were in their care to go find Jesus who they were told was the christ. After they found the baby, they went back to their sheep. On the eighth day Jesus was circumcised, after the fortieth day he was taken to the temple to be presented as a first born son. Then his parents had encounters with Simeon and Anna, who seemed to have expected him.
In this story we have no Magi, no star, no Massacre of the innocents, and no trip to Egypt.
Edited.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
The Nativity part 4- summary of Matthew with comments.
Matthew:
Joseph discovers his fiancée is pregnant with someone else's child and decides to break off the engagement without a fuss. Then he has a dream (he would be the only one who would know the actual content of his dreams. No witnesses.)of an angel telling him the father of the baby is the Holy Spirit and he should marry Mary anyway. The angel supposedly told him to name the baby Jesus. Joseph married Mary, but they didn't sleep together till after the baby was born. (We are told this to assure us the child was not Joseph's, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors. )
Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of Herod. During that time, some magi from the east went to Herod and asked him where they could find the king of the Jews. They saw his star* and wanted to worship him. (These are Zoroastrians, not Yahweh worshippers, yet they are taken seriously by Jews?) Herod was troubled by this question and asked the religious leaders where the christ was supposed to be born. They said Bethlehem. Herod told the magi and asked them to report back if they found him. Luckily, the star was going in that direction, so they followed it to the house where Jesus and his mother were. They worshipped Jesus and gave him gifts of gold incense and myrrh. They went home, instead of reporting back to Herod, because they had been warned in a dream.
Joseph has another dream of an angel, telling him to go to Egypt, because Herod was going to try to find and kill Jesus. Herod gave orders for all the baby boys, in and around Bethlehem to be killed. (There is no historical record of this.) After Herod died, Joseph had another dream telling him to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel. When they got there and heard Herod's son was ruling in Judea, where they had come from, they were afraid. Another dream told him to go live in Nazareth of Galilee. (Those dreams were very helpful.)
What do we not find in this story:
-Zachariah, Elizabeth and the birth of John
-Mary being visited by Gabriel
-Mary visiting Elizabeth
-Mary speaking/ singing
-Mary and Joseph being previous residents of Nazareth
-A census and Quirinius as governor (He replaced Herod's son)
-A manger
-Shepherds with Angels
-The circumcision of Jesus and the presentation of him at at the temple
-Simeon and Anna
-Anything supported by the contemporary history of that time, except place names, Herod, and his son.
*The people of that time made a habit of studying the stars and keeping records of unusual things in the sky. There is no historical record of such a star appearing in the time frame required. Plus, stars are so far away, no one could tell if one was directly over a particular house, and they don't stop, start, and move freely.
Edited.
Joseph discovers his fiancée is pregnant with someone else's child and decides to break off the engagement without a fuss. Then he has a dream (he would be the only one who would know the actual content of his dreams. No witnesses.)of an angel telling him the father of the baby is the Holy Spirit and he should marry Mary anyway. The angel supposedly told him to name the baby Jesus. Joseph married Mary, but they didn't sleep together till after the baby was born. (We are told this to assure us the child was not Joseph's, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors. )
Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of Herod. During that time, some magi from the east went to Herod and asked him where they could find the king of the Jews. They saw his star* and wanted to worship him. (These are Zoroastrians, not Yahweh worshippers, yet they are taken seriously by Jews?) Herod was troubled by this question and asked the religious leaders where the christ was supposed to be born. They said Bethlehem. Herod told the magi and asked them to report back if they found him. Luckily, the star was going in that direction, so they followed it to the house where Jesus and his mother were. They worshipped Jesus and gave him gifts of gold incense and myrrh. They went home, instead of reporting back to Herod, because they had been warned in a dream.
Joseph has another dream of an angel, telling him to go to Egypt, because Herod was going to try to find and kill Jesus. Herod gave orders for all the baby boys, in and around Bethlehem to be killed. (There is no historical record of this.) After Herod died, Joseph had another dream telling him to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel. When they got there and heard Herod's son was ruling in Judea, where they had come from, they were afraid. Another dream told him to go live in Nazareth of Galilee. (Those dreams were very helpful.)
What do we not find in this story:
-Zachariah, Elizabeth and the birth of John
-Mary being visited by Gabriel
-Mary visiting Elizabeth
-Mary speaking/ singing
-Mary and Joseph being previous residents of Nazareth
-A census and Quirinius as governor (He replaced Herod's son)
-A manger
-Shepherds with Angels
-The circumcision of Jesus and the presentation of him at at the temple
-Simeon and Anna
-Anything supported by the contemporary history of that time, except place names, Herod, and his son.
*The people of that time made a habit of studying the stars and keeping records of unusual things in the sky. There is no historical record of such a star appearing in the time frame required. Plus, stars are so far away, no one could tell if one was directly over a particular house, and they don't stop, start, and move freely.
Edited.
The Nativity part 3- the main characters
In order of appearance:
Matthew-
*Joseph- son of Jacob, the 39th generation descendant of Abraham through David, a righteous man, saw an angel in his dreams.
*Mary- virgin, pledged to marry Joseph, found to be with child through the Holy Spirit, gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.
*Jesus-Son of Mary and the Holy Spirit, 40th generation from Abraham though not related, born in Bethlehem, prophesy said he was to be called Immanuel but he was named Jesus.
*An angel of the lord-unknown name, appears to Joseph in dreams, does not appear to anyone else.
*King Herod-worried about his position as King of the Jews, murdered children.
*Magi- from the east, possibly Zoroastrian astrologers, found Jesus in a house and gave him presents, outsmarted Herod.
*The chief priests and teachers of the law-Jews that Herod consulted about the Christ.
Luke-
*King Herod- King of Judea, no other info.
*Zachariah- a priest of the division of Abijah, upright, blameless, father of John, prophesied his son would be a prophet.
*Elizabeth- older cousin of Mary, mother of John, lives in a Judean hill country town, possibly Bethlehem, upright, blameless.
*An angel of the lord (Gabriel)-appears in person to Zachariah in the temple and to Mary in Nazareth, to announce that each of them would have a son and foretold the greatness of John and Jesus,told Mary to name her child Jesus, brought news of Jesus's birth to shepherds.
*Joseph-from Nazareth, a descendant of David, son of Heli (3:23), 55 generations from Abraham, 85 generations from Adam.
*Mary-lives in Nazareth, a virgin, pledged to marry Joseph, "overshadowed" by the Holy Spirit which caused her to be pregnant, sang a poetic/ prophetic song.
*John (the baptist)- son of Zachariah and Elizabeth, circumcised on the eighth day, his father's prophesy said he would become a prophet.
*Caesar Augustus- emperor of Rome, issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire roman world.
*Quirinius- governor of Syria during the census.
*Jesus- conceived by the Holy Spirit, born in Bethlehem, slept in a manger, circumcised on the eighth day, Gabriel prophesied he would be called the son of the most high and would reign on the throne of David, his kingdom would never end, 56 generations from Abraham, 86 generations from Adam.
*Shepherds-living in the fields watching their flocks, given a message by an angel, saw more Angels praising God, saw Jesus in the manger.
*More Angels- praised God.
*Simeon-righteous, devout, told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the christ, saw Jesus and prophesied about Him.
*Anna- prophetess, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher, eighty for year old widow, lived in the temple fasting and praying, saw Jesus and prophesied about him.
We can see that beside Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and an angel, Matthew and Luke have a completely different cast of characters. Plus, some details about the core characters differ.
Matthew-
*Joseph- son of Jacob, the 39th generation descendant of Abraham through David, a righteous man, saw an angel in his dreams.
*Mary- virgin, pledged to marry Joseph, found to be with child through the Holy Spirit, gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.
*Jesus-Son of Mary and the Holy Spirit, 40th generation from Abraham though not related, born in Bethlehem, prophesy said he was to be called Immanuel but he was named Jesus.
*An angel of the lord-unknown name, appears to Joseph in dreams, does not appear to anyone else.
*King Herod-worried about his position as King of the Jews, murdered children.
*Magi- from the east, possibly Zoroastrian astrologers, found Jesus in a house and gave him presents, outsmarted Herod.
*The chief priests and teachers of the law-Jews that Herod consulted about the Christ.
Luke-
*King Herod- King of Judea, no other info.
*Zachariah- a priest of the division of Abijah, upright, blameless, father of John, prophesied his son would be a prophet.
*Elizabeth- older cousin of Mary, mother of John, lives in a Judean hill country town, possibly Bethlehem, upright, blameless.
*An angel of the lord (Gabriel)-appears in person to Zachariah in the temple and to Mary in Nazareth, to announce that each of them would have a son and foretold the greatness of John and Jesus,told Mary to name her child Jesus, brought news of Jesus's birth to shepherds.
*Joseph-from Nazareth, a descendant of David, son of Heli (3:23), 55 generations from Abraham, 85 generations from Adam.
*Mary-lives in Nazareth, a virgin, pledged to marry Joseph, "overshadowed" by the Holy Spirit which caused her to be pregnant, sang a poetic/ prophetic song.
*John (the baptist)- son of Zachariah and Elizabeth, circumcised on the eighth day, his father's prophesy said he would become a prophet.
*Caesar Augustus- emperor of Rome, issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire roman world.
*Quirinius- governor of Syria during the census.
*Jesus- conceived by the Holy Spirit, born in Bethlehem, slept in a manger, circumcised on the eighth day, Gabriel prophesied he would be called the son of the most high and would reign on the throne of David, his kingdom would never end, 56 generations from Abraham, 86 generations from Adam.
*Shepherds-living in the fields watching their flocks, given a message by an angel, saw more Angels praising God, saw Jesus in the manger.
*More Angels- praised God.
*Simeon-righteous, devout, told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the christ, saw Jesus and prophesied about Him.
*Anna- prophetess, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher, eighty for year old widow, lived in the temple fasting and praying, saw Jesus and prophesied about him.
We can see that beside Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and an angel, Matthew and Luke have a completely different cast of characters. Plus, some details about the core characters differ.
Friday, December 18, 2015
The Nativity part 2- the setting
Question: When did the birth of Jesus take place?
Answer: It depends which story you are reading. Matthew says " during the time of King Herod." This Herod died approximately 4 B.C.E., so Jesus must have been born before then. According to the text, the baby could have been as much as two years old by the time Herod found out about him. ( chapter 2:16) This would mean Jesus could have been born around 6 B.C.E. Or even a year or two earlier. The text says Joseph and Mary took the child to Egypt and stayed there till Herod died. (2:14) We are not told how long that was.
The book of Luke starts off with the pregnancy of Mary's cousin Elizabeth,"In the time of King Herod." ( chapter 1:5) Six months later, Mary is pregnant with Jesus. (1:26). So far, so good. However, when we get to Jesus's birth, we are told it was when " Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria." (2:1-3)
A problem arises because the historical records clearly show that Quirinius was not governor of Syria till 6 C.E., which is also when he began the census of the province of Judea. There was no Census of the entire Roman world at that time. Augustus taxed the citizens of Rome and the provinces in different ways. This would place Jesus's birth a decade after the death of Herod, who was supposedly alive when Jesus was conceived. Matthew's story does not mention Quirinius or a census.
Question: Where does the birth story take place?
Answer: Matthew's tale begins with the birth in Bethlehem of Judea, supposedly to fulfill Micah 5:2., which is a cryptic prophecy of a future ruler of Israel, similar to David. Then Jesus is taken to Egypt, supposedly to fulfill " Out of Egypt I have called my son." (Hosea 11:1) which is is merely a reference to the Exodus. After that, Jesus's family supposedly settles in Nazareth of Galilee to fulfill "he will be called a Nazarene," which is not an Old Testament prophecy at all. Plus, there is some question about whether a person living in Nazareth was called a Nazarene. Matthew does not mention travel to Bethlehem from Galilee with or without a 9 months pregnant Mary on a donkey. There is no mention of registering for a census, a barn or stable, or a trip to Jerusalem to be consecrated.
Luke's story begins with Mary being visited by Gabriel in Nazareth of Galilee. Mary then goes to a town in the hill country of Judea, where her cousin Elizabeth lived. Interestingly, Bethlehem was a town in the hill country of Judea. Mary stays three months, then returns home. Then Joseph also goes from Nazareth to Judea to register for the census with Mary, supposedly because he was from the house of David, but the Romans would not have cared who his jewish ancestors were. After Jesus's birth he was put to bed in a manger, but the text does not say he was born in a barn or stable. At least forty days after his birth, when Mary was ceremonially clean, Jesus was taken to the temple in Jerusalem to be consecrated to the lord. After that Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth in Galilee. No mention is made of any side trip to Egypt or any prophecies.
Edited.
Answer: It depends which story you are reading. Matthew says " during the time of King Herod." This Herod died approximately 4 B.C.E., so Jesus must have been born before then. According to the text, the baby could have been as much as two years old by the time Herod found out about him. ( chapter 2:16) This would mean Jesus could have been born around 6 B.C.E. Or even a year or two earlier. The text says Joseph and Mary took the child to Egypt and stayed there till Herod died. (2:14) We are not told how long that was.
The book of Luke starts off with the pregnancy of Mary's cousin Elizabeth,"In the time of King Herod." ( chapter 1:5) Six months later, Mary is pregnant with Jesus. (1:26). So far, so good. However, when we get to Jesus's birth, we are told it was when " Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria." (2:1-3)
A problem arises because the historical records clearly show that Quirinius was not governor of Syria till 6 C.E., which is also when he began the census of the province of Judea. There was no Census of the entire Roman world at that time. Augustus taxed the citizens of Rome and the provinces in different ways. This would place Jesus's birth a decade after the death of Herod, who was supposedly alive when Jesus was conceived. Matthew's story does not mention Quirinius or a census.
Question: Where does the birth story take place?
Answer: Matthew's tale begins with the birth in Bethlehem of Judea, supposedly to fulfill Micah 5:2., which is a cryptic prophecy of a future ruler of Israel, similar to David. Then Jesus is taken to Egypt, supposedly to fulfill " Out of Egypt I have called my son." (Hosea 11:1) which is is merely a reference to the Exodus. After that, Jesus's family supposedly settles in Nazareth of Galilee to fulfill "he will be called a Nazarene," which is not an Old Testament prophecy at all. Plus, there is some question about whether a person living in Nazareth was called a Nazarene. Matthew does not mention travel to Bethlehem from Galilee with or without a 9 months pregnant Mary on a donkey. There is no mention of registering for a census, a barn or stable, or a trip to Jerusalem to be consecrated.
Luke's story begins with Mary being visited by Gabriel in Nazareth of Galilee. Mary then goes to a town in the hill country of Judea, where her cousin Elizabeth lived. Interestingly, Bethlehem was a town in the hill country of Judea. Mary stays three months, then returns home. Then Joseph also goes from Nazareth to Judea to register for the census with Mary, supposedly because he was from the house of David, but the Romans would not have cared who his jewish ancestors were. After Jesus's birth he was put to bed in a manger, but the text does not say he was born in a barn or stable. At least forty days after his birth, when Mary was ceremonially clean, Jesus was taken to the temple in Jerusalem to be consecrated to the lord. After that Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth in Galilee. No mention is made of any side trip to Egypt or any prophecies.
Edited.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Leviticus 19
After reading Leviticus 19:
*Here we see Yahweh telling Moses to speak to the Israelites and give them more rules. Some of these have been stated before, so I'll just go over the new ones.
-They are not to reap to the edges of their fields or thoroughly strip the vineyards of grapes, but to leave something for the poor and non-Israelites to gather.
-Do not hold back the wages of a hired man.
-Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind. It's a shame that anyone would have to be told this. Unfortunately, things like that probably happen today.
-Do not pervert justice, judge your neighbor fairly, not based on his social standing.
-Do not endanger your neighbor's life.
-Do not hate your brother in your heart. How would anyone know if you don't tell them?
-Tell your neighbor straight up when he's doing something wrong, so you won't share his guilt.(Verse17)
-Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge, but love your neighbor as yourself.
-Do not mate different kinds of animals. Generally speaking, this is not actually possible, unless we are talking about closely related animals.
-Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. This is monoculture which has advantages and disadvantages.
-Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. This is a mystifying rule, one broken without compunction throughout the world. I've seen various extra-biblical explanations, but the text does not provide us with one.
*Verses 20-22 are very disturbing. If a man sleeps with a slave girl who was promised to another man, they will not be put to death, because she is just a slave. (Notice that slavery is not said to be wrong, and the woman is treated as an object to be possessed.) The guy has to sacrifice a ram at the tabernacle for a sin offering, then he will be good to go. What will become of the girl? We are not told.
-The fruit of newly planted fruit trees is forbidden to be eaten for three years. On the fourth year, all its fruit is to be given to the priests, um, the lord. That will insure an increase in future harvests. Yeah, riiight. (There is nothing wrong or special about eating any fruit produced by a tree in the first four years. It doesn't do anything to the tree.)
-Do not practice divination or sorcery. You mean like their illustrious ancestor Joseph, who had a special cup for divination? Why doesn't God tell us it is nonsense?
-Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip the edges of your beard. Another mystifying rule.
-No cutting or tattoos.
-Do not make your daughter a prostitute. Duh.
-Do not use mediums or spiritualists. (No seances. Notice we aren't told they are fakes, which they are, of course.)
-Show respect for the elderly.
-Foreigners living among them must not be mistreated, but must be treated as one of their own people.
-Do not use dishonest standards when measuring and weighing in business transactions.
The agriculture rules cannot be enforced until they actually own land. Many of the other rules are only applied to people within the community, as we shall see later.
Edited.
*Here we see Yahweh telling Moses to speak to the Israelites and give them more rules. Some of these have been stated before, so I'll just go over the new ones.
-They are not to reap to the edges of their fields or thoroughly strip the vineyards of grapes, but to leave something for the poor and non-Israelites to gather.
-Do not hold back the wages of a hired man.
-Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind. It's a shame that anyone would have to be told this. Unfortunately, things like that probably happen today.
-Do not pervert justice, judge your neighbor fairly, not based on his social standing.
-Do not endanger your neighbor's life.
-Do not hate your brother in your heart. How would anyone know if you don't tell them?
-Tell your neighbor straight up when he's doing something wrong, so you won't share his guilt.(Verse17)
-Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge, but love your neighbor as yourself.
-Do not mate different kinds of animals. Generally speaking, this is not actually possible, unless we are talking about closely related animals.
-Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. This is monoculture which has advantages and disadvantages.
-Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. This is a mystifying rule, one broken without compunction throughout the world. I've seen various extra-biblical explanations, but the text does not provide us with one.
*Verses 20-22 are very disturbing. If a man sleeps with a slave girl who was promised to another man, they will not be put to death, because she is just a slave. (Notice that slavery is not said to be wrong, and the woman is treated as an object to be possessed.) The guy has to sacrifice a ram at the tabernacle for a sin offering, then he will be good to go. What will become of the girl? We are not told.
-The fruit of newly planted fruit trees is forbidden to be eaten for three years. On the fourth year, all its fruit is to be given to the priests, um, the lord. That will insure an increase in future harvests. Yeah, riiight. (There is nothing wrong or special about eating any fruit produced by a tree in the first four years. It doesn't do anything to the tree.)
-Do not practice divination or sorcery. You mean like their illustrious ancestor Joseph, who had a special cup for divination? Why doesn't God tell us it is nonsense?
-Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip the edges of your beard. Another mystifying rule.
-No cutting or tattoos.
-Do not make your daughter a prostitute. Duh.
-Do not use mediums or spiritualists. (No seances. Notice we aren't told they are fakes, which they are, of course.)
-Show respect for the elderly.
-Foreigners living among them must not be mistreated, but must be treated as one of their own people.
-Do not use dishonest standards when measuring and weighing in business transactions.
The agriculture rules cannot be enforced until they actually own land. Many of the other rules are only applied to people within the community, as we shall see later.
Edited.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Exodus chapter 13
After reading chapter 13:
*The first part of the chapter looks into the future and introduces us to the first Israelite rules. They begin with instructions for the seven day feast of unleavened bread, again. This must be observed at the proper time, year after year. Next, the Israelites are told that all first born males of people and animals belong to Yahweh. Make no mistake, this represents a physical sacrifice (slaughter). However, a lamb may be sacrificed in place of a donkey. If a firstborn male donkey is not redeemed by a lamb, it's neck must be broken. Lovely. First born sons are not to be sacrificed but also redeemed by the blood of a lamb. Part of the ritual is answering children's questions about those practices in the proscribed manner.
*When the Israelites left Egypt they did not take the quick route to Canaan because of the possibility of war. Instead, God led them around by the desert road. They were armed for battle any way. The bones of Joseph were taken with them to fulfill his dying request. One wonders what the point of that was. Could it be the Israelites and Joseph believed that wherever Joseph's bones were, he was?
*All of the million-plus people camped at the edge of the desert. They were guided by Yahweh in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night, so they could see in the dark. It did not leave them.
NOTE: I am in the habit of going back to previous posts to edit for grammar, spelling, and fact checking. From now on, I will include the last date of editing at the bottom of each post.
*The first part of the chapter looks into the future and introduces us to the first Israelite rules. They begin with instructions for the seven day feast of unleavened bread, again. This must be observed at the proper time, year after year. Next, the Israelites are told that all first born males of people and animals belong to Yahweh. Make no mistake, this represents a physical sacrifice (slaughter). However, a lamb may be sacrificed in place of a donkey. If a firstborn male donkey is not redeemed by a lamb, it's neck must be broken. Lovely. First born sons are not to be sacrificed but also redeemed by the blood of a lamb. Part of the ritual is answering children's questions about those practices in the proscribed manner.
*When the Israelites left Egypt they did not take the quick route to Canaan because of the possibility of war. Instead, God led them around by the desert road. They were armed for battle any way. The bones of Joseph were taken with them to fulfill his dying request. One wonders what the point of that was. Could it be the Israelites and Joseph believed that wherever Joseph's bones were, he was?
*All of the million-plus people camped at the edge of the desert. They were guided by Yahweh in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night, so they could see in the dark. It did not leave them.
NOTE: I am in the habit of going back to previous posts to edit for grammar, spelling, and fact checking. From now on, I will include the last date of editing at the bottom of each post.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
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.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Genesis chapter 41
After reading Genesis chapter 41:
*Two years after chapter 40, Pharoah had a dream with seven fat cows and seven skinny cows. The skinny cows ate up the fat cows. The dream woke him up. He managed to get back to sleep and had another dream with seven thin heads of grain swallowing seven fat heads of grain. Then he woke up again. He sent for all the (crackpot) magicians and (pretend) wise men in Egypt. They couldn't tell him what the dreams meant. Then the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharoah how he had interpreted dreams in prison.
*Pharoah sent for Joseph and asked him to interpret the dreams. Joseph said God could interpret dreams, not him, but he proceeded to do so anyway. The seven fat things represented seven years of plenty, the seven lean things were seven years of famine that were to come. God would be the one causing these events. Pharoah should prepare ahead of time for the lean years, following the plan Joseph laid out.
* Pharoah was impressed with Joseph and his relationship with God. He put Joseph in charge of the palace and made him second in command. He gave Joseph all the royal paraphernalia necessary for being in charge of all the land of Egypt: a signet ring, fine linen robes, a gold chain, and a chariot. Joseph was also given the daughter of a priest of Ra to marry. Now Pharoah was free to go fishing and if anything went wrong, it would be Joseph's fault. Joseph was 30 years old by this time.
*Joseph, however, continued to be the go- getter he always was. He made sure that an abundance of grain was stored during the years of plenty in preparation for the coming famine. Before the famine came, he fathered two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. When the famine hit and people ran out of food, Joseph distributed the grain he had stored. The famine spread to the surrounding countries and they also came to Joseph for grain.
*Two years after chapter 40, Pharoah had a dream with seven fat cows and seven skinny cows. The skinny cows ate up the fat cows. The dream woke him up. He managed to get back to sleep and had another dream with seven thin heads of grain swallowing seven fat heads of grain. Then he woke up again. He sent for all the (crackpot) magicians and (pretend) wise men in Egypt. They couldn't tell him what the dreams meant. Then the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharoah how he had interpreted dreams in prison.
*Pharoah sent for Joseph and asked him to interpret the dreams. Joseph said God could interpret dreams, not him, but he proceeded to do so anyway. The seven fat things represented seven years of plenty, the seven lean things were seven years of famine that were to come. God would be the one causing these events. Pharoah should prepare ahead of time for the lean years, following the plan Joseph laid out.
* Pharoah was impressed with Joseph and his relationship with God. He put Joseph in charge of the palace and made him second in command. He gave Joseph all the royal paraphernalia necessary for being in charge of all the land of Egypt: a signet ring, fine linen robes, a gold chain, and a chariot. Joseph was also given the daughter of a priest of Ra to marry. Now Pharoah was free to go fishing and if anything went wrong, it would be Joseph's fault. Joseph was 30 years old by this time.
*Joseph, however, continued to be the go- getter he always was. He made sure that an abundance of grain was stored during the years of plenty in preparation for the coming famine. Before the famine came, he fathered two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. When the famine hit and people ran out of food, Joseph distributed the grain he had stored. The famine spread to the surrounding countries and they also came to Joseph for grain.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Genesis chapter 40
After reading chapter 40:
*While in prison, the warden assigned Joseph to serve the king's chief cupbearer and the king's chief baker. The king was angry with them and had them imprisoned. One morning Joseph found them both in a dejected state of mind. They had dreamt weird dreams and could not interpret them. (Because weird dreams always mean something, right?)
*Joseph said the interpretation of dreams belongs to God. He must be god, because he proceeded to interpret those dreams himself. The chief cupbearer's dream meant that he would get his old job back. (His head would be lifted up.) Joseph asked him to mention Joseph to Pharoah when he was back in Pharoah's employ. He wanted out of prison. The chief baker's dream meant that he would be hung from a tree and eaten by birds. ( His head would be lifted off.)
*On his birthday, three days later, Pharoah gave a feast for all his officials and released the cupbearer and baker. Joseph's predictions for them both came true. However, the cupbearer forgot all about Joseph.
* Herod Antipas is the next biblical king that has a birthday party with all his officials. John the Baptist was in prison at the time and Herod had him beheaded, an interesting coincidence.
*While in prison, the warden assigned Joseph to serve the king's chief cupbearer and the king's chief baker. The king was angry with them and had them imprisoned. One morning Joseph found them both in a dejected state of mind. They had dreamt weird dreams and could not interpret them. (Because weird dreams always mean something, right?)
*Joseph said the interpretation of dreams belongs to God. He must be god, because he proceeded to interpret those dreams himself. The chief cupbearer's dream meant that he would get his old job back. (His head would be lifted up.) Joseph asked him to mention Joseph to Pharoah when he was back in Pharoah's employ. He wanted out of prison. The chief baker's dream meant that he would be hung from a tree and eaten by birds. ( His head would be lifted off.)
*On his birthday, three days later, Pharoah gave a feast for all his officials and released the cupbearer and baker. Joseph's predictions for them both came true. However, the cupbearer forgot all about Joseph.
* Herod Antipas is the next biblical king that has a birthday party with all his officials. John the Baptist was in prison at the time and Herod had him beheaded, an interesting coincidence.
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