We are at Mark 15:38 Jesus has just breathed his last. He did not ask god to forgive his executioners and those crucified with him were not told they would be with him in paradise. His side was not pierced. He said nothing but a lament. Then, according to the text, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This would not have been seen by anyone unless they were at the temple, and certainly not by anyone at the execution. It is also not recorded in extrabiblical history.
A centurion who heard Jesus's lament and saw him die said, "surely this man was the son of god." I don't see how he came to that conclusion. Some women watched the crucifixion from a distance. One was Mary Magdalene, who is first mentioned here. Another was Mary the mother of James, Joses, and Salome. These women were part of a group of women who had followed Jesus to Jerusalem from Galilee. They had been "taking care of his needs." This probably means they cooked and washed for him, because for some reason he couldn't do it for himself. (It couldn't be because he was sexist and thought that was women's work, could it?) The text does not say Jesus's mother or any of the twelve disciples was there.
In verse 42 we are told it was preparation day, the day before the Sabbath, Friday. Either Passover fell on a Friday that year or something about the timeline in Mark is off. It is still Passover if we follow the text. Evening is coming. The Sabbath begins at dusk. Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and asked for Jesus's body. Pilate confirmed with the centurion that Jesus was already dead and then gave the body to Joseph. The body was wrapped in linen and put in a tomb. A stone was rolled in front of it. The text does not say the tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. The two Marys previously mentioned saw where the body was laid.
We are now in chapter 16. The Sabbath is over. It is just after sunrise on the first day of the week, Sunday. Jesus has been dead approximately 39 hours, less than two full days, if you count hours. If you count the names of the days he has been dead, I guess it makes three: part of Friday, all of Saturday, and part of Sunday. But that seems like cheating to me.
The two Marys are going to the tomb to anoint the body with spices. They aren't sure who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. When they got there, the stone was already rolled away. A young man dressed in white was sitting inside the tomb. The ladies were alarmed but the young man told them not to be. He said Jesus had risen. They were to go tell Peter and the disciples that Jesus was going ahead of them to Galilee and they would see him there.
The women were naturally frightened and confused. They ran away from the tomb and told no one what had happened! So, how does the author know anything about it? This is where the story ends in the earliest manuscripts, suggesting that perhaps Jesus was never actually seen alive again.
Mark 16:9-16 appear to have been added to the text at a later date, making its events highly unlikely. We will cover that passage next time.
Showing posts with label Sabbath. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sabbath. Show all posts
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Mark part two
We are in Mark chapter one, at verse twelve. Jesus has just been baptized by John the baptist who was said to have been in a desert area. The spirit, which has descended on Jesus sends him "out into the desert," which must have been nearby. Jesus stayed in the desert forty days (magical number) being tempted by Satan. Mark says he was with wild animals and angels attended him. This story is much shorter than the similar event recorded in other gospels. It includes very few details. Notice that no one else was with him as a witness. So, if this was Jesus's claim, everyone who heard it would have had to take his word that he was telling the truth. Can you think of any reason why he would lie?
From there, the text jumps to John the baptist being in prison, after which Jesus went into Galilee telling people to repent because the kingdom of god was near, they were to believe the good news (aka gospel). Do you see that? Jesus didn't start preaching till AFTER John was out of the way. John could not publicly contradict Jesus's claims if he wanted to. Also, the "good news" here was the approaching kingdom of god. It feels like there are so many different gospels in the new testament.
When Jesus was at the Sea of Galilee (which is actually a lake) he recruited Simon (later called Peter) and his brother Andrew by telling the two fishermen that he would make them "fishers of men." How punny. Naturally, they dropped everything and followed him. In this same way, he also recruited James and John, who were just about to go out to fish in their father's boat. Now there are four disciples. Disciple just means student.
They all went to Capernaum. On the Sabbath (Saturday), Jesus taught in the synagogue. This is not anything special. I'm pretty sure any male Jew was allowed to get up and say something in turn. However, the text claims that what Jesus said impressed everyone, but it does not record his words on the occasion. While he was speaking, a man possessed by an evil spirit starts yelling at Jesus. He accuses Jesus of coming to destroy them and says he knows who Jesus is..."the holy one of god." (What if it was actually just some guy yelling, "Hey, I know who he is." Then the story got stretched. It could have happened that way.) Jesus commands the spirit to be quiet and come out of the man, which it does with a shriek. Good cinema. In fact, if this actually happened, who's to say Jesus didn't plant the man in the audience. That kind of thing happens today.
The people were sogullible amazed that they began gossiping about this guy who taught like he knew what he was talking about and could exorcise demons. Naturally the news spread quickly. The five of them then went to the home of Simon and Andrew, where Jesus got rid of Peter's mother-in-law's fever. Then she began to wait on them, 'cause that's what women were expected to do after recovering from a fever and they needed someone to wait on them. Jesus did all this stuff on the Sabbath. The mother-in-law also waited on the men on the Sabbath. Was it just men who were not supposed to work on the Sabbath? Or was waiting on men not considered work?
After sunset, when it was no longer the Sabbath, people began to bring all their sick and demon possessed to Jesus to be healed. He apparently healed a lot of people with "various diseases" and exorcised many demons. (I wonder if had the same success rate modern faith healers have.) However, he didn't let any of the demons speak "because they knew who he was." Ha. That's kind of funny if you think about it. People who knew who Jesus was were not allowed to speak and were said to have demons. Hmm. There is definitely more than one way to look at that.
More to come.
From there, the text jumps to John the baptist being in prison, after which Jesus went into Galilee telling people to repent because the kingdom of god was near, they were to believe the good news (aka gospel). Do you see that? Jesus didn't start preaching till AFTER John was out of the way. John could not publicly contradict Jesus's claims if he wanted to. Also, the "good news" here was the approaching kingdom of god. It feels like there are so many different gospels in the new testament.
When Jesus was at the Sea of Galilee (which is actually a lake) he recruited Simon (later called Peter) and his brother Andrew by telling the two fishermen that he would make them "fishers of men." How punny. Naturally, they dropped everything and followed him. In this same way, he also recruited James and John, who were just about to go out to fish in their father's boat. Now there are four disciples. Disciple just means student.
They all went to Capernaum. On the Sabbath (Saturday), Jesus taught in the synagogue. This is not anything special. I'm pretty sure any male Jew was allowed to get up and say something in turn. However, the text claims that what Jesus said impressed everyone, but it does not record his words on the occasion. While he was speaking, a man possessed by an evil spirit starts yelling at Jesus. He accuses Jesus of coming to destroy them and says he knows who Jesus is..."the holy one of god." (What if it was actually just some guy yelling, "Hey, I know who he is." Then the story got stretched. It could have happened that way.) Jesus commands the spirit to be quiet and come out of the man, which it does with a shriek. Good cinema. In fact, if this actually happened, who's to say Jesus didn't plant the man in the audience. That kind of thing happens today.
The people were so
After sunset, when it was no longer the Sabbath, people began to bring all their sick and demon possessed to Jesus to be healed. He apparently healed a lot of people with "various diseases" and exorcised many demons. (I wonder if had the same success rate modern faith healers have.) However, he didn't let any of the demons speak "because they knew who he was." Ha. That's kind of funny if you think about it. People who knew who Jesus was were not allowed to speak and were said to have demons. Hmm. There is definitely more than one way to look at that.
More to come.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Numbers chapter 15
After reading Numbers 15:
*We read how offerings are to be presented when the Israelites make the promised land their home. All foreigners are to follow the same rules and regulations as the Israelites, no matter what they actually believe. The first portion of any food from the land is given to the priest, excuse me, Yahweh.
*If anyone unintentionally breaks a rule, without the community knowing it, the community is to offer a particular sacrifice and the whole community will be forgiven, because they shared in the sin. This makes no sense to me. Sacrifice and forgiveness for sins no one recognizes?
*So, while the Israelites were in the desert (notice the past tense phrasing by someone who was obviously not Moses and had not been in the desert with the Israelites.) a man gathered wood on the sabbath. Horrors! What is the world coming to? They took him into custody and Yahweh, or rather Moses speaking for Yahweh, said the man must die. So the Israelites stoned him to death. Because picking up a few sticks on a Saturday is one of the most abominable things a human can do. So, my dear children, this should remind you to always do what Moses told the Israelites, that Yahweh told him, that they should do.
*Now this is really important, so listen close. Yahweh also told Moses to tell the Israelites to wear tassels with blue cords on the corners of their garments. These tassels have magical power to remind them to keep god's commands when they look at them. This would help prevent them from getting stoned, that is beaten to a bloody pulp by people throwing rocks, till they die.
*We read how offerings are to be presented when the Israelites make the promised land their home. All foreigners are to follow the same rules and regulations as the Israelites, no matter what they actually believe. The first portion of any food from the land is given to the priest, excuse me, Yahweh.
*If anyone unintentionally breaks a rule, without the community knowing it, the community is to offer a particular sacrifice and the whole community will be forgiven, because they shared in the sin. This makes no sense to me. Sacrifice and forgiveness for sins no one recognizes?
*So, while the Israelites were in the desert (notice the past tense phrasing by someone who was obviously not Moses and had not been in the desert with the Israelites.) a man gathered wood on the sabbath. Horrors! What is the world coming to? They took him into custody and Yahweh, or rather Moses speaking for Yahweh, said the man must die. So the Israelites stoned him to death. Because picking up a few sticks on a Saturday is one of the most abominable things a human can do. So, my dear children, this should remind you to always do what Moses told the Israelites, that Yahweh told him, that they should do.
*Now this is really important, so listen close. Yahweh also told Moses to tell the Israelites to wear tassels with blue cords on the corners of their garments. These tassels have magical power to remind them to keep god's commands when they look at them. This would help prevent them from getting stoned, that is beaten to a bloody pulp by people throwing rocks, till they die.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Leviticus 25
After reading Leviticus 25:
*Verses 1-5 are instructions for the establishment of a sabbath year, once the Israelites take over the promised land. For six years they are to plant, prune, and harvest. On the seventh year they are to let the land rest, no planting, no pruning, no harvesting. They can't even reap or harvest what grows naturally. (Verse 5) So, what will the Israelites eat that year? Why, whatever the land produces of course! (Verse 6) This makes no sense to me. Maybe some sense can be squeezed out if it means all wild produce that grows on previously non-cultivated land is ok, like wild greens, nuts, and berries. Can we say massive starvation rates every seventh year? The study bible attempts to say that this practice is good for cultivated land, which makes it obviously divine. What it ignores is that there are better people -designed practices for improving the fertility of the land that don't include people not eating what grows naturally.
*Verses 8-54. On the fiftieth year, after seven times seven years, there is to be a jubilee year. What follows is a list of rules for that year. We will just hit the highlights.
-This is also a year of Sabbath rest for the land. Here, the question of what the Israelites will eat on Sabbath years is answered. Supposedly, on the sixth year, Yahweh will give them a huge bumper crop that would last for three years. So, no worries. I wonder how that worked out for them in reality.
-Yahweh owns the land, they will just be tenants. So the sale of land is never permanent. In the year of Jubilee, the possession of the land reverts to its original Israelite possessor if it was sold. All buying and selling of land is to be done with this understanding. Houses in walled cities don't count. There are exceptions to these rules for the Levites. (Read priests) All property originally owned by Levites must be returned at the Jubilee, even a house in a town. In fact, the pastureland surrounding a town owned by Levites must not ever be sold. It is their permanent possession. This is just another reason to consider that maybe the priests came up with these rules themselves.
-If another Israelite becomes poor, his countrymen are to loan the person money without charging interest and sell them food, without making a profit. This is so they can keep living in the land with other Israelites. If an Israelite sells himself to another Israelite because he is poor, he should not be treated as a slave, but as a hired worker. On the year of Jubilee he goes free, back to his own clan and property. Fellow Israelites must not be sold as slaves. Does that mean God is opposed to slavery? Read on.
-Israelites may buy and sell male and female slaves, as long as they are not other Israelites. When they buy such a slave, the slave becomes their property. They can will the slaves to their children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but they must not rule ruthlessly over other Israelites. Verse 46. By inference, it is okay to rule ruthlessly over anyone who is not an Israelite.
-If an Israelite becomes poor and sells himself to a rich foreigner living in their land, he is not a slave for life. He is to be treated as a hired worker by law. He and his relatives have the right to pay for his freedom. If he is not free by the time of the Jubilee, he and his children go free at that time. Wives of the Israelite servants are not mentioned in these passages.
-In this chapter we see Yahweh's clear preferential treatment of the Israelites, and especially the Levites, when it comes to human and civil rights.
*Verses 1-5 are instructions for the establishment of a sabbath year, once the Israelites take over the promised land. For six years they are to plant, prune, and harvest. On the seventh year they are to let the land rest, no planting, no pruning, no harvesting. They can't even reap or harvest what grows naturally. (Verse 5) So, what will the Israelites eat that year? Why, whatever the land produces of course! (Verse 6) This makes no sense to me. Maybe some sense can be squeezed out if it means all wild produce that grows on previously non-cultivated land is ok, like wild greens, nuts, and berries. Can we say massive starvation rates every seventh year? The study bible attempts to say that this practice is good for cultivated land, which makes it obviously divine. What it ignores is that there are better people -designed practices for improving the fertility of the land that don't include people not eating what grows naturally.
*Verses 8-54. On the fiftieth year, after seven times seven years, there is to be a jubilee year. What follows is a list of rules for that year. We will just hit the highlights.
-This is also a year of Sabbath rest for the land. Here, the question of what the Israelites will eat on Sabbath years is answered. Supposedly, on the sixth year, Yahweh will give them a huge bumper crop that would last for three years. So, no worries. I wonder how that worked out for them in reality.
-Yahweh owns the land, they will just be tenants. So the sale of land is never permanent. In the year of Jubilee, the possession of the land reverts to its original Israelite possessor if it was sold. All buying and selling of land is to be done with this understanding. Houses in walled cities don't count. There are exceptions to these rules for the Levites. (Read priests) All property originally owned by Levites must be returned at the Jubilee, even a house in a town. In fact, the pastureland surrounding a town owned by Levites must not ever be sold. It is their permanent possession. This is just another reason to consider that maybe the priests came up with these rules themselves.
-If another Israelite becomes poor, his countrymen are to loan the person money without charging interest and sell them food, without making a profit. This is so they can keep living in the land with other Israelites. If an Israelite sells himself to another Israelite because he is poor, he should not be treated as a slave, but as a hired worker. On the year of Jubilee he goes free, back to his own clan and property. Fellow Israelites must not be sold as slaves. Does that mean God is opposed to slavery? Read on.
-Israelites may buy and sell male and female slaves, as long as they are not other Israelites. When they buy such a slave, the slave becomes their property. They can will the slaves to their children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but they must not rule ruthlessly over other Israelites. Verse 46. By inference, it is okay to rule ruthlessly over anyone who is not an Israelite.
-If an Israelite becomes poor and sells himself to a rich foreigner living in their land, he is not a slave for life. He is to be treated as a hired worker by law. He and his relatives have the right to pay for his freedom. If he is not free by the time of the Jubilee, he and his children go free at that time. Wives of the Israelite servants are not mentioned in these passages.
-In this chapter we see Yahweh's clear preferential treatment of the Israelites, and especially the Levites, when it comes to human and civil rights.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Leviticus 23
After reading chapter 23:
*This chapter is about special days and events and how to observe them.
- The Sabbath: every seventh day is a day of rest
-The Passover: starts at twilight on the 14 th day of the first month. On the first day is a sacred assembly and no work. For seven days unleavened bread is eaten. This is called the feast of unleavened bread. Every day an offering is to be made to the lord by fire. On the seventh day is another sacred assembly and no work. There is no mention of a Passover lamb.
-The next event is not named here but my study bible says it must be the Feast of First Fruits, also held in the first month of the year, right after the Passover week was over. It is to be held on the day after the Feast Of Unleavened Bread's seventh day Sabbath. The first grain harvested is to be waved before the lord and a one year old lamb is to be sacrificed as a burnt offering, together with flour, oil and wine. The Israelites are not to eat anything made from that year's grain until this offering is made.
-Again, the next event is not named here but the study bible says it was the Feast of Weeks. From the date of the last event, seven weeks are counted, or 50 days to the day after the seventh sabbath. This is what came to be known as Pentecost. It is a big slaughter event with the sacrifice of seven lambs, a bull, and two Rams as a burnt offering. Plus, there is to be the sacrifice of a goat for a sin offering and two lambs as a fellowship offering. The lambs are to be waved in front of the lord. They are a sacred offering to the lord, for the priests. That is also a day with no work.
-On the first day of the seventh month, there is another day off and sacred assembly with an offering by fire. This is a day for blasting trumpets. Why? It doesn't say.
-On the tenth day of the seventh month, is the day of atonement, which we covered in Leviticus 16. This is a day of enforced rest and fasting.
-On the fifteenth day of the seventh month begins the Feast of Tabernacles which lasts for seven days.
The first day is a sacred assembly and no work. Every day offerings are to be made to God by fire. On the eight day is no work, an assembly and an offering. On the first day they are supposed to rejoice with fruit and Palm branches, somehow. They are also to live in booths, or mini tabernacles (tents?) for the seven days of this festival, to remind them of their time in the desert, which they were supposedly still experiencing when these laws were given.
*These specific events and offerings are required and are lasting ordinances for the generations to come. Of course, we all know the Jews no longer make sacrifices by fire. Why don't they? Well, the short answer is these lasting ordinances had some nuances that changed over the generations, which eventually made it impossible for the Jews to follow this tradition in the way they believed they must. We will see how that plays out as we make our way through the bible. A longer answer is Here.
Remember, we are basically looking at a plain reading of the bible. Jewish believers do not practice Sola Scriptura, but have a rich tradition of extra- biblical commentary and interpretation which is beyond the scope of this reader.
*This chapter is about special days and events and how to observe them.
- The Sabbath: every seventh day is a day of rest
-The Passover: starts at twilight on the 14 th day of the first month. On the first day is a sacred assembly and no work. For seven days unleavened bread is eaten. This is called the feast of unleavened bread. Every day an offering is to be made to the lord by fire. On the seventh day is another sacred assembly and no work. There is no mention of a Passover lamb.
-The next event is not named here but my study bible says it must be the Feast of First Fruits, also held in the first month of the year, right after the Passover week was over. It is to be held on the day after the Feast Of Unleavened Bread's seventh day Sabbath. The first grain harvested is to be waved before the lord and a one year old lamb is to be sacrificed as a burnt offering, together with flour, oil and wine. The Israelites are not to eat anything made from that year's grain until this offering is made.
-Again, the next event is not named here but the study bible says it was the Feast of Weeks. From the date of the last event, seven weeks are counted, or 50 days to the day after the seventh sabbath. This is what came to be known as Pentecost. It is a big slaughter event with the sacrifice of seven lambs, a bull, and two Rams as a burnt offering. Plus, there is to be the sacrifice of a goat for a sin offering and two lambs as a fellowship offering. The lambs are to be waved in front of the lord. They are a sacred offering to the lord, for the priests. That is also a day with no work.
-On the first day of the seventh month, there is another day off and sacred assembly with an offering by fire. This is a day for blasting trumpets. Why? It doesn't say.
-On the tenth day of the seventh month, is the day of atonement, which we covered in Leviticus 16. This is a day of enforced rest and fasting.
-On the fifteenth day of the seventh month begins the Feast of Tabernacles which lasts for seven days.
The first day is a sacred assembly and no work. Every day offerings are to be made to God by fire. On the eight day is no work, an assembly and an offering. On the first day they are supposed to rejoice with fruit and Palm branches, somehow. They are also to live in booths, or mini tabernacles (tents?) for the seven days of this festival, to remind them of their time in the desert, which they were supposedly still experiencing when these laws were given.
*These specific events and offerings are required and are lasting ordinances for the generations to come. Of course, we all know the Jews no longer make sacrifices by fire. Why don't they? Well, the short answer is these lasting ordinances had some nuances that changed over the generations, which eventually made it impossible for the Jews to follow this tradition in the way they believed they must. We will see how that plays out as we make our way through the bible. A longer answer is Here.
Remember, we are basically looking at a plain reading of the bible. Jewish believers do not practice Sola Scriptura, but have a rich tradition of extra- biblical commentary and interpretation which is beyond the scope of this reader.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Exodus chapter 34 part 2, and chapter 35.
Somehow I missed that verses 29-35 were part of chapter 34.
*When Moses came down from the mountain with the second set of tablets, he didn't realize his face was glowing because he had talked to Yahweh. That's not surprising, considering that it hadn't glowed all the other times he talked to God. The glow understandably scared Aaron and the Israelites. After Moses told the Israelites what God had commanded, he covered his face with a veil. Whenever he spoke to God he took the veil off. Whenever he wasn't speaking to God, he wore the veil.
After reading chapter 35:
*Moses assembled the Israelites to tell them about Sabbath regulations. They can't work or light fires, or they will be put to death. We've seen a lot of this info before, but that was God telling Moses. Now we have Moses telling the people. I wonder how easy it was to communicate while speaking from under a veil.
*Moses also explained about the construction of the priestly garments and tabernacle. After that, the people brought offerings and began work on the tabernacle and sacred garments. Many people presented gifts of gold and jewelry as "wave offerings." That means they waved it in front of God. Skilled artisans, men and women, worked on all the required objects. The Israelites were also told about Bazalel and Oholiab being the leaders and teachers of the skilled workers.
Edited.
*When Moses came down from the mountain with the second set of tablets, he didn't realize his face was glowing because he had talked to Yahweh. That's not surprising, considering that it hadn't glowed all the other times he talked to God. The glow understandably scared Aaron and the Israelites. After Moses told the Israelites what God had commanded, he covered his face with a veil. Whenever he spoke to God he took the veil off. Whenever he wasn't speaking to God, he wore the veil.
After reading chapter 35:
*Moses assembled the Israelites to tell them about Sabbath regulations. They can't work or light fires, or they will be put to death. We've seen a lot of this info before, but that was God telling Moses. Now we have Moses telling the people. I wonder how easy it was to communicate while speaking from under a veil.
*Moses also explained about the construction of the priestly garments and tabernacle. After that, the people brought offerings and began work on the tabernacle and sacred garments. Many people presented gifts of gold and jewelry as "wave offerings." That means they waved it in front of God. Skilled artisans, men and women, worked on all the required objects. The Israelites were also told about Bazalel and Oholiab being the leaders and teachers of the skilled workers.
Edited.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Exodus chapter 31
After reading chapter 31:
*Yahweh assigns Bezalel, Oholiab and other craftsmen to work on all the articles for the priests and tabernacle. Their ability to make these things was supposedly a gift from God, not because of their own personal hard work, talent, and skill.
*Next are instructions about observing the Sabbath. Anyone who desecrates it is to be executed. Any one who works on that day is to be cut off from the rest of the Israelites. Harsh. I wonder how many Jews have actually been executed or excommunicated for working on a Sabbath. I wonder how many secretly did what was considered work. The Sabbath is to take place every seventh day. This is another everlasting covenant.
*Then, Yahweh gives Moses the two tablets of the testimony, which he had inscribed using his finger. Here I notice that the text does not say exactly what is written on those tablets. Is it all the ordinances God has recently given Moses? It does not say they are the Ten Commandments. So far, we haven't even come across the phrase "Ten Commandments." We are also not told what the tablets are made of. God can write with his finger! How cool is that?!
*Yahweh assigns Bezalel, Oholiab and other craftsmen to work on all the articles for the priests and tabernacle. Their ability to make these things was supposedly a gift from God, not because of their own personal hard work, talent, and skill.
*Next are instructions about observing the Sabbath. Anyone who desecrates it is to be executed. Any one who works on that day is to be cut off from the rest of the Israelites. Harsh. I wonder how many Jews have actually been executed or excommunicated for working on a Sabbath. I wonder how many secretly did what was considered work. The Sabbath is to take place every seventh day. This is another everlasting covenant.
*Then, Yahweh gives Moses the two tablets of the testimony, which he had inscribed using his finger. Here I notice that the text does not say exactly what is written on those tablets. Is it all the ordinances God has recently given Moses? It does not say they are the Ten Commandments. So far, we haven't even come across the phrase "Ten Commandments." We are also not told what the tablets are made of. God can write with his finger! How cool is that?!
Friday, September 11, 2015
Exodus 16 part 2
*After the Israelites gathered the stuff off the ground, Moses told them they were not to keep it till morning. They did anyway and it became putrid. Every day they gathered up the " bread from heaven." When the sun got hot, it melted away. On the sixth day of the week, they gathered twice as much. Moses told them the next day would be a holy day of rest, a Sabbath. They could do whatever they wanted with the stuff and save it for the next day. They saved it this time and it did not rot. On the Sabbath, they did not find any on the ground and had to eat what they had saved. People went out to look for it anyway.
*Yahweh was a little peeved that the people didn't seem to trust him enough to obey his commands. After all, he generously gave them this day off. Now they better rest, or else. (You mean he didn't know ahead of time how the people would act?)
*The people called the bread "manna" which means something like "whatchamacallit." It was white like coriander seed (Coriander seed is light tan) and tasted like wafers made with honey. Yum.
*Moses commanded Aaron to put some in a jar and place it before the lord, to be kept for generations. This was Yahweh's idea. The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they reached the border of Canaan.
*So, for forty years, magical food, that knew the days of the week and the time of day and the amount each person needed, appeared on the ground every morning. Since that time, it has never been seen or tasted. Almost like it never existed.
Edited.
*Yahweh was a little peeved that the people didn't seem to trust him enough to obey his commands. After all, he generously gave them this day off. Now they better rest, or else. (You mean he didn't know ahead of time how the people would act?)
*The people called the bread "manna" which means something like "whatchamacallit." It was white like coriander seed (Coriander seed is light tan) and tasted like wafers made with honey. Yum.
*Moses commanded Aaron to put some in a jar and place it before the lord, to be kept for generations. This was Yahweh's idea. The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they reached the border of Canaan.
*So, for forty years, magical food, that knew the days of the week and the time of day and the amount each person needed, appeared on the ground every morning. Since that time, it has never been seen or tasted. Almost like it never existed.
Edited.
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