The next section of the sermon on the mount is Matthew 5:17-20. Here, Jesus says he did not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them. "Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished." There are many disagreements in christendom as to what that means. Heaven and earth have not disappeared. Does that mean the law of moses is still in effect? Some would say yes. However, others would say Jesus accomplished everything/fulfilled the law when he died on the cross. Now there is a new law, the law of the heart. The old law is dead. What do you think is the true meaning of this passage?
Jesus goes on to say that anyone who breaks the commandments, or teaches someone else to break them, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. (But do they still get to be part of the kingdom?) "Whoever teaches and practices the commandments will be called great in the kingdom of heaven...I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the pharisees and teachers of the law, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (That answered my question.) It seems clear to me that Jesus wanted people to obey the law of Moses. Was that teaching just for those people there on the mountainside, or for everyone, for all time?
What about those pharisees and teachers of the law? My study bible says that they were excessively legalistic, following the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. Frankly, I question the existance of a spirit of the law. It is not evident in the Old Testament. The phrase "spirit of the law" does not exist in the whole bible. Plus, isn't it even more legalistic for Jesus to insist that his followers become more righteous than even the Pharisees are? How is it less legalistic? He says you won't get into the kingdom of heaven otherwise! I wonder what those faith vs. works people think of this passage.
Luke slightly echoes this in 16:16-17, which is not part of the comparable sermon. It says, "The law and the prophets were proclaimed until John (the baptist). Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of god is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. (??? What does that mean? How can someone force their way into the kingdom?) It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the law." This statement comes after Jesus has berated some pharisees, telling them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but god knows your hearts." Again, he has raised the standard. It is not enough to do right, you must think right as well.
As far as I can tell, this is not in Mark or John.
Showing posts with label Ten Commandments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ten Commandments. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Friday, January 15, 2016
Deuteronomy chapter 10
After reading chapter 10:
*Now Moses tells about his chiseling of the second set of stone tablets and his construction of the ark. Even my study bible's footnotes admit that this sequence of events is different than that in Exodus 34-37. There, the ark is not made til after Moses brings the second set of tablets down from the mountain, and then it was made by Bezalel, not Moses. Also, the commands Yahweh gave Moses to put on the second set of the stone tablets in Exodus 34 are very different than the famous "Ten Commandments" mentioned in Deuteronomy. The ones in Deuteronomy say nothing about feasts, sacrifices, or cooking young goats in their mother's milk.
*Then we are told in an aside that the Levite's inheritance is the lord not land and they have the responsibility of caring for the ark with the commandments inside. After the aside, Moses stays on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights, again. Then God tells him to go lead the Israelites to the promised land. Again they are reminded to obey god's commands, for their own good. Again they are told everything belongs to God and God loves them in spite of their obvious flaws (why?).
*Verse 17 is in praise of Yahweh, the lord of lords and God of gods. This is an interesting verse. Does it mean the Israelites believed there were other gods besides Yahweh? If you look at an interlinear translation, you can see that the word "gods" is a form of Elohim, the same word translated as "God" (singular) a great many times in scriptures so far. The verse says God shows no partiality, but he obviously shows partiality to the Israelites. It says he accepts no bribes but we have seen that he expects many many sacrifices. We are told he loves the alien (foreigners) but he plans on destroying the Canaanites. Then the Israelites are told to *love* aliens because they were aliens in Egypt. ???
Well, guess what, they are still aliens in Deuteronomy. They just think they own land that belongs to someone else.
*Lastly, they are told again to fear God and serve him.
I use the Bible Hub website for interlinear translation.
*Now Moses tells about his chiseling of the second set of stone tablets and his construction of the ark. Even my study bible's footnotes admit that this sequence of events is different than that in Exodus 34-37. There, the ark is not made til after Moses brings the second set of tablets down from the mountain, and then it was made by Bezalel, not Moses. Also, the commands Yahweh gave Moses to put on the second set of the stone tablets in Exodus 34 are very different than the famous "Ten Commandments" mentioned in Deuteronomy. The ones in Deuteronomy say nothing about feasts, sacrifices, or cooking young goats in their mother's milk.
*Then we are told in an aside that the Levite's inheritance is the lord not land and they have the responsibility of caring for the ark with the commandments inside. After the aside, Moses stays on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights, again. Then God tells him to go lead the Israelites to the promised land. Again they are reminded to obey god's commands, for their own good. Again they are told everything belongs to God and God loves them in spite of their obvious flaws (why?).
*Verse 17 is in praise of Yahweh, the lord of lords and God of gods. This is an interesting verse. Does it mean the Israelites believed there were other gods besides Yahweh? If you look at an interlinear translation, you can see that the word "gods" is a form of Elohim, the same word translated as "God" (singular) a great many times in scriptures so far. The verse says God shows no partiality, but he obviously shows partiality to the Israelites. It says he accepts no bribes but we have seen that he expects many many sacrifices. We are told he loves the alien (foreigners) but he plans on destroying the Canaanites. Then the Israelites are told to *love* aliens because they were aliens in Egypt. ???
Well, guess what, they are still aliens in Deuteronomy. They just think they own land that belongs to someone else.
*Lastly, they are told again to fear God and serve him.
I use the Bible Hub website for interlinear translation.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Deuteronomy chapter 9
After reading chapter 9:
*Moses tells the Israelites that the people and cities in the land they will take are bigger and stronger than they are. Nevertheless, God will go before them and subdue those people so the Israelites can annhilate them. After that, the Israelites better not claim it was because of their righteousness, it was because of the other people's wickedness...still the best religious excuse for destroying other people.
*Then Moses reminds the Israelites of the time he was on the mountain waiting to receive the tablets of stone, for forty days and forty nights, without bread and water. A person can only live up to a week without water and three weeks without food. That's a little short of 40 days. But maybe Moses had meat and wine.
*After he got the stone tablets, he went down off the mountain and saw that the Israelites had made an idol for themselves. God was angry. Moses was angry. Moses broke the tablets. Then Moses had no bread and water for another 40 days! Incredible!
*After that incident, Moses pleaded to Yahweh on behalf of Aaron and the Israelies, and God listened to Moses. Then Moses took the golden calf, ground it to a powder and threw the gold dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain. It doesn't sound nearly as horrific as the story in Exodus 32:20 where Moses put the gold dust in the Israelites water and made them drink it. Gold thrown into a stream would just be washed down stream or sink to the bottom. Besides, people can consume gold without harm, though it seems a waste of gold to me.
*Starting at verse 22, Moses tells the Israelites about all the times they made God angry, and how the only reason they are still alive is because Moses interceded on their behalf, laying prostrate before the lord for another forty days and nights. Moses persuaded God to keep the Israelites as his people so Yahweh's reputation would not be tarnished in the eyes of the Israelite enemies.
*Moses tells the Israelites that the people and cities in the land they will take are bigger and stronger than they are. Nevertheless, God will go before them and subdue those people so the Israelites can annhilate them. After that, the Israelites better not claim it was because of their righteousness, it was because of the other people's wickedness...still the best religious excuse for destroying other people.
*Then Moses reminds the Israelites of the time he was on the mountain waiting to receive the tablets of stone, for forty days and forty nights, without bread and water. A person can only live up to a week without water and three weeks without food. That's a little short of 40 days. But maybe Moses had meat and wine.
*After he got the stone tablets, he went down off the mountain and saw that the Israelites had made an idol for themselves. God was angry. Moses was angry. Moses broke the tablets. Then Moses had no bread and water for another 40 days! Incredible!
*After that incident, Moses pleaded to Yahweh on behalf of Aaron and the Israelies, and God listened to Moses. Then Moses took the golden calf, ground it to a powder and threw the gold dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain. It doesn't sound nearly as horrific as the story in Exodus 32:20 where Moses put the gold dust in the Israelites water and made them drink it. Gold thrown into a stream would just be washed down stream or sink to the bottom. Besides, people can consume gold without harm, though it seems a waste of gold to me.
*Starting at verse 22, Moses tells the Israelites about all the times they made God angry, and how the only reason they are still alive is because Moses interceded on their behalf, laying prostrate before the lord for another forty days and nights. Moses persuaded God to keep the Israelites as his people so Yahweh's reputation would not be tarnished in the eyes of the Israelite enemies.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Deuteronomy chapter 5
After reading chapter 5:
*Moses again summons all Israel and makes another speech. He tells the Israelites that it was not their fathers that he made his covenant with, but them, those who were alive at that moment. This is patently false. The Israelites who were alive at this time weren't even considered adults at that time, forty years ago. Then Moses proceeds to talk to them as if it truly was they who were present at the reception of the "Ten Commandments." He reiterates the basic commands:
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make and/ or worship idols.
You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh.
You shall observe the sabbath and keep it holy.
Honor your father and mother.
You shall not commit murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (It dies not say you shall not lie.)
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Thought crime.)
* In verse 22, Moses says that God gave the Ten Commandments and added nothing more, then wrote them on stone and gave them to Moses. We are skipped over the forty days Moses spent on the mountain while God gave him hundreds of other rules and regulations, before the stone tablets were given to Moses. (Exodus chapters 20-31)
*Then Moses says a lot of baloney about how these Israelites, who had to have been minors at the time, responded to Moses and God. Supposedly, after God spoke to them from the fire and cloud on the mountain top, they were sufficiently awed and frightened to freely give all authority to converse with God personally to Moses, and they agreed to obey whatever Moses would tell them that God said. So, they better be careful to do what the lord said, if they want to live long and prosper.
*Deuteronomy refers to the place these events took place as Mount Horeb, where Exodus refers to it as Mount Sinai. It appears that no one actually knows where either of those places may have originally been located, or whether they are the same place.
*Moses again summons all Israel and makes another speech. He tells the Israelites that it was not their fathers that he made his covenant with, but them, those who were alive at that moment. This is patently false. The Israelites who were alive at this time weren't even considered adults at that time, forty years ago. Then Moses proceeds to talk to them as if it truly was they who were present at the reception of the "Ten Commandments." He reiterates the basic commands:
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make and/ or worship idols.
You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh.
You shall observe the sabbath and keep it holy.
Honor your father and mother.
You shall not commit murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (It dies not say you shall not lie.)
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Thought crime.)
* In verse 22, Moses says that God gave the Ten Commandments and added nothing more, then wrote them on stone and gave them to Moses. We are skipped over the forty days Moses spent on the mountain while God gave him hundreds of other rules and regulations, before the stone tablets were given to Moses. (Exodus chapters 20-31)
*Then Moses says a lot of baloney about how these Israelites, who had to have been minors at the time, responded to Moses and God. Supposedly, after God spoke to them from the fire and cloud on the mountain top, they were sufficiently awed and frightened to freely give all authority to converse with God personally to Moses, and they agreed to obey whatever Moses would tell them that God said. So, they better be careful to do what the lord said, if they want to live long and prosper.
*Deuteronomy refers to the place these events took place as Mount Horeb, where Exodus refers to it as Mount Sinai. It appears that no one actually knows where either of those places may have originally been located, or whether they are the same place.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Deuteronomy chapters 3 and 4
After reading chapters 3 and 4:
*In chapter 3, Moses retells the story of the defeat and decimation of the territory of Og, King of Bashan, told in Numbers 21, but with embellishments. The Deuteronomist emphasizes the great physical size of the people the Israelites encounter, much more than the author of Numbers did. Next, we are again told of the division of the land East of the Jordon to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Mannaseh, in return for their help in conquering Canaan for the rest of the Israelites. Then, it is reiterated that Moses will not cross into the promised land, instead Joshua will lead the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan.
*In chapter 4, Moses tells them to remember what happened at Baal Peor. That story is found in Numbers 25. That was a lesson to teach them to obey all of Yahweh's commands when they enter the promised land. Supposedly, it will make all the other nations think the Israelites are special snowflakes and their God is the specialist snowflake of all. Then he asks them to remember when they stood before the lord at Horeb and recieved the ten commandments. There is one problem here. It was 40 years ago. Everyone alive in this chapter would have been under the age of twenty at that time, many not even born yet. Yahweh wasn't speaking to them at Mt. Horeb, but their parents and grandparents, and they are dead because of god's decree that none of them would live to enter the promised land, except Joshua and Caleb.
*Next, Moses reminds the Israelites that God is a jealous God and he will tolerate no idolatry of any kind. If they should practice idolatry, they will "quickly perish," be destroyed, and scattered among the nations so that only a few survive. (Here is one reason to think this book was put together after the exile, prophecy written after the fact.) There they would worship idols that do not see, hear, eat, or smell, instead of Yahweh, who also doesn't see hear, eat, or smell. However, later they would turn back to Yahweh and obey him, so that it would go well with them and they would live long in the land. The Israelites are asked,"has any other God taken a nation for himself by miraculous signs and wonders like Yaweh?" Apparently not. Then we are again told of the cities of refuge, one for each of the three clans that will be living on the east side of the Jordan. This ends the first speech of Moses in Deuteronomy.
*The stories of Balaam, and the slaughter of the Midianites, along with the keeping and distribution of the Midianite young women, are skipped.
Edited.
*In chapter 3, Moses retells the story of the defeat and decimation of the territory of Og, King of Bashan, told in Numbers 21, but with embellishments. The Deuteronomist emphasizes the great physical size of the people the Israelites encounter, much more than the author of Numbers did. Next, we are again told of the division of the land East of the Jordon to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Mannaseh, in return for their help in conquering Canaan for the rest of the Israelites. Then, it is reiterated that Moses will not cross into the promised land, instead Joshua will lead the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan.
*In chapter 4, Moses tells them to remember what happened at Baal Peor. That story is found in Numbers 25. That was a lesson to teach them to obey all of Yahweh's commands when they enter the promised land. Supposedly, it will make all the other nations think the Israelites are special snowflakes and their God is the specialist snowflake of all. Then he asks them to remember when they stood before the lord at Horeb and recieved the ten commandments. There is one problem here. It was 40 years ago. Everyone alive in this chapter would have been under the age of twenty at that time, many not even born yet. Yahweh wasn't speaking to them at Mt. Horeb, but their parents and grandparents, and they are dead because of god's decree that none of them would live to enter the promised land, except Joshua and Caleb.
*Next, Moses reminds the Israelites that God is a jealous God and he will tolerate no idolatry of any kind. If they should practice idolatry, they will "quickly perish," be destroyed, and scattered among the nations so that only a few survive. (Here is one reason to think this book was put together after the exile, prophecy written after the fact.) There they would worship idols that do not see, hear, eat, or smell, instead of Yahweh, who also doesn't see hear, eat, or smell. However, later they would turn back to Yahweh and obey him, so that it would go well with them and they would live long in the land. The Israelites are asked,"has any other God taken a nation for himself by miraculous signs and wonders like Yaweh?" Apparently not. Then we are again told of the cities of refuge, one for each of the three clans that will be living on the east side of the Jordan. This ends the first speech of Moses in Deuteronomy.
*The stories of Balaam, and the slaughter of the Midianites, along with the keeping and distribution of the Midianite young women, are skipped.
Edited.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Wrapping up Exodus
*In this book, we find no information about Satan, demons, heaven, hell, or an afterlife. People still lived an unusual length of time, into their 130's. Rewards and punishments are earthly. Death and excommunication are common forms of punishment.
* Angels rarely appear. Sometimes they are called Angels of the lord and speak to Moses. One was around the burning bush. One is called the destroyer, and kills the Egyptian first born. The one that will go ahead of the Israelites and pester the people in the promised land is called God's terror and the hornet. Angels no longer appear in human like bodies.
*There is no concrete extra- biblical evidence for any of the events or main characters. The Pharoahs of Exodus are not named and it is impossible to know who they might have been. The archaeology of the relevant time periods give no indication of any event similar to the exodus. There is no evidence of a series of plagues or the sudden departure of over a million people. There is no evidence that Moses ever existed. There is no physical evidence that over a million people and their flocks, wandered around in the desert at that time. If nothing else, there should be numerous piles of quail bones.
*The events surrounding the Exodus would have caused a major economic collapse for the Egyptians. There is no evidence of such a collapse. Over a million people (The population of Austin, Texas.) living, camping, and traveling together in the desert is a practical impossibility.
*The book speaks of Moses and the events in Exodus in third person, and displays knowledge of events beyond the lifetime of Moses. It can not have been written by Moses. If it was, it would not have been written in Hebrew. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Israelites originated in Canaan and did not spend any significant time in Egypt. Also, the book does not claim to be the word of God.
*The Israelites are said to be hungry and are given manna from heaven, yet they have animals enough for a significant number of sacrifices. They also have flour for unleavened bread.
*The tabernacle and religious paraphernalia is very similar to those things used by other ancient religions. The verses claimed to be the Ten Commandments do not appear to be anything like the traditional commandments we have come to know. Three yearly feasts and the observance of the Sabbath have been instituted and an elite priesthood has been established.
Note: I thank you if you have been reading along. Please feel free to share this site with others you think might be interested. Next up- Leviticus. That promises to be interesting. As with Genesis and Exodus, I will try to read it as though I am encountering it with fresh eyes. We will keep looking at how it measures up to reality.
Edited to add an interesting video that I've watched recently: Matt Dilihunty in Atheist Debates- Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.
* Angels rarely appear. Sometimes they are called Angels of the lord and speak to Moses. One was around the burning bush. One is called the destroyer, and kills the Egyptian first born. The one that will go ahead of the Israelites and pester the people in the promised land is called God's terror and the hornet. Angels no longer appear in human like bodies.
*There is no concrete extra- biblical evidence for any of the events or main characters. The Pharoahs of Exodus are not named and it is impossible to know who they might have been. The archaeology of the relevant time periods give no indication of any event similar to the exodus. There is no evidence of a series of plagues or the sudden departure of over a million people. There is no evidence that Moses ever existed. There is no physical evidence that over a million people and their flocks, wandered around in the desert at that time. If nothing else, there should be numerous piles of quail bones.
*The events surrounding the Exodus would have caused a major economic collapse for the Egyptians. There is no evidence of such a collapse. Over a million people (The population of Austin, Texas.) living, camping, and traveling together in the desert is a practical impossibility.
*The book speaks of Moses and the events in Exodus in third person, and displays knowledge of events beyond the lifetime of Moses. It can not have been written by Moses. If it was, it would not have been written in Hebrew. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Israelites originated in Canaan and did not spend any significant time in Egypt. Also, the book does not claim to be the word of God.
*The Israelites are said to be hungry and are given manna from heaven, yet they have animals enough for a significant number of sacrifices. They also have flour for unleavened bread.
*The tabernacle and religious paraphernalia is very similar to those things used by other ancient religions. The verses claimed to be the Ten Commandments do not appear to be anything like the traditional commandments we have come to know. Three yearly feasts and the observance of the Sabbath have been instituted and an elite priesthood has been established.
Note: I thank you if you have been reading along. Please feel free to share this site with others you think might be interested. Next up- Leviticus. That promises to be interesting. As with Genesis and Exodus, I will try to read it as though I am encountering it with fresh eyes. We will keep looking at how it measures up to reality.
Edited to add an interesting video that I've watched recently: Matt Dilihunty in Atheist Debates- Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Exodus chapter 34
After reading chapter 34:
*Yahweh told Moses to chisel out two stone tablets to replace the ones he smashed. Now we know those were stone also. Moses was to go back up the mountain alone and no one else was to go anywhere near it. So, Moses did that and God came down in the cloud and stood there with him.
*Now we see God proclaiming his personal attributes to Moses. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. BUT...he does not leave the guilty unpunished. He punishes the children for the sins of the father to the third and fourth generations. Maybe it's just me, but the second part seems to negate any benefit of the first part. Why should I obey a god if I'm going to be punished for all the sins of my forefathers anyway?
*So, Moses again begs God to go with the Israelites, in spite of their disobedience. Again, God says he is making a covenant with them and will drive out the people living in the lands they are going to. However, they must break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. There is to be no worshipping of any other gods. Apparently, Yahweh has another name and it is Jealous. Why doesn't he just tell them that no other gods actually exist?
*There are to be no treaties with the inhabitants of the land. This might lead to them participating in sacrifices to other gods. They might also marry their sons to the daughters of people other faiths. This could lead the sons to worship the other gods. Here the worship of other gods is metaphorically, not literally, equated with prostitution.
*There are more instructions that have been given before, Moses writes them down on the tablet, these are the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. Let's take a look at them:
1. Do not worship any other god. (Verse 14)
2. Do not make cast idols. (Verse 17)
3. Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened bread. ( verse 18)
4. The first offspring of every womb belongs to God.(verse 19)
5. Six days shall you labor but on the seventh day you shall rest (verse 21)
6. No one is to appear before God empty handed. ( verse 20)
7. Celebrate the Feast of Weeks at the wheat harvest and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. ( verse 22)
8. Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice along with anything containing yeast and do not let any of the
Passover feast remain until morning. ( verse 25)
9. Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the lord your God.(verse 26)
10. Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. (Verse 26)
Does this look anything like the Ten Commandments you have seen before?
*Yahweh told Moses to chisel out two stone tablets to replace the ones he smashed. Now we know those were stone also. Moses was to go back up the mountain alone and no one else was to go anywhere near it. So, Moses did that and God came down in the cloud and stood there with him.
*Now we see God proclaiming his personal attributes to Moses. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. BUT...he does not leave the guilty unpunished. He punishes the children for the sins of the father to the third and fourth generations. Maybe it's just me, but the second part seems to negate any benefit of the first part. Why should I obey a god if I'm going to be punished for all the sins of my forefathers anyway?
*So, Moses again begs God to go with the Israelites, in spite of their disobedience. Again, God says he is making a covenant with them and will drive out the people living in the lands they are going to. However, they must break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. There is to be no worshipping of any other gods. Apparently, Yahweh has another name and it is Jealous. Why doesn't he just tell them that no other gods actually exist?
*There are to be no treaties with the inhabitants of the land. This might lead to them participating in sacrifices to other gods. They might also marry their sons to the daughters of people other faiths. This could lead the sons to worship the other gods. Here the worship of other gods is metaphorically, not literally, equated with prostitution.
*There are more instructions that have been given before, Moses writes them down on the tablet, these are the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. Let's take a look at them:
1. Do not worship any other god. (Verse 14)
2. Do not make cast idols. (Verse 17)
3. Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened bread. ( verse 18)
4. The first offspring of every womb belongs to God.(verse 19)
5. Six days shall you labor but on the seventh day you shall rest (verse 21)
6. No one is to appear before God empty handed. ( verse 20)
7. Celebrate the Feast of Weeks at the wheat harvest and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. ( verse 22)
8. Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice along with anything containing yeast and do not let any of the
Passover feast remain until morning. ( verse 25)
9. Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the lord your God.(verse 26)
10. Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. (Verse 26)
Does this look anything like the Ten Commandments you have seen before?
Friday, September 25, 2015
Exodus chapter 32
After reading chapter 32:
*Moses was up on the mountain for a long time. Understandably, the Israelites began to wonder what had happened to him. Aaron took things in his own hands and fashioned a golden calf idol out of donations of gold from the Israelites. It was announced that this was the God that brought them out of Egypt. Aaron built an altar in front of the calf and announced a festival. The next day they made animal sacrifices and had a big barbecue, and possibly an orgy, though that is not clear.
*Yahweh told Moses it was time he went back and saw what the Israelites were doing. God was so angry that he wanted to destroy the Israelites and make Moses into a great nation. ( Didn't God know that would happen? ) Moses had to calm God down by reminding him that the Israelites were his special people and he had already done so much for them that he couldn't give up on them now. God cooled off and Moses went down the mountain.
*So, Moses went down the mountain with the tablets that had been engraved by God. Joshua, who had gone with Moses, but apparently was not privy to the conversation between God and Moses, heard the noise from the camp and thought it was the sounds of war. Moses knew it was a party. Still, like a parent coming home and finding out the children had taken over, he got angry. He smashed the tablets of testimony on the ground. Then, he took the idol, burned it, ground the ashes into powder, sprinkled the powder on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
*Then Moses berated Aaron, who practiced a little blame shifting and verbal gymnastics. Things were out of control, so Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said that anyone on Yahweh's side was to stand by him. The Levites ( read priests) all rallied around Moses. Who can blame them, the priests were the favored group. I'm sure they didn't want to lose their benefits.
*What happens next is extraordinarily disturbing. Moses told the Levites that Yahweh was ordering them to take swords and make their way through the camp indiscriminately slaughtering people. How is this not murder, which God is supposedly against? Three thousand people were killed. Even more extraordinary, the Levites were praised for killing their own family members in service to God!
*The next day, Moses went back to Yahweh and offered to have himself blotted out of god's book. We are not told what that means. God said he would blot out whoever sinned against him. Moses was to continue to lead the people to the promised land. Then God struck the Israelites with a plague because of their behavior with the golden calf.
*It was fascinating for me to find out that the original tablets Moses was given were not the Ten Commandments at all. My study bible says they were probably two copies of the agreement between God and the Israelites, one for God, one for the people, if everything happened the way the bible says.
*Moses was up on the mountain for a long time. Understandably, the Israelites began to wonder what had happened to him. Aaron took things in his own hands and fashioned a golden calf idol out of donations of gold from the Israelites. It was announced that this was the God that brought them out of Egypt. Aaron built an altar in front of the calf and announced a festival. The next day they made animal sacrifices and had a big barbecue, and possibly an orgy, though that is not clear.
*Yahweh told Moses it was time he went back and saw what the Israelites were doing. God was so angry that he wanted to destroy the Israelites and make Moses into a great nation. ( Didn't God know that would happen? ) Moses had to calm God down by reminding him that the Israelites were his special people and he had already done so much for them that he couldn't give up on them now. God cooled off and Moses went down the mountain.
*So, Moses went down the mountain with the tablets that had been engraved by God. Joshua, who had gone with Moses, but apparently was not privy to the conversation between God and Moses, heard the noise from the camp and thought it was the sounds of war. Moses knew it was a party. Still, like a parent coming home and finding out the children had taken over, he got angry. He smashed the tablets of testimony on the ground. Then, he took the idol, burned it, ground the ashes into powder, sprinkled the powder on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
*Then Moses berated Aaron, who practiced a little blame shifting and verbal gymnastics. Things were out of control, so Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said that anyone on Yahweh's side was to stand by him. The Levites ( read priests) all rallied around Moses. Who can blame them, the priests were the favored group. I'm sure they didn't want to lose their benefits.
*What happens next is extraordinarily disturbing. Moses told the Levites that Yahweh was ordering them to take swords and make their way through the camp indiscriminately slaughtering people. How is this not murder, which God is supposedly against? Three thousand people were killed. Even more extraordinary, the Levites were praised for killing their own family members in service to God!
*The next day, Moses went back to Yahweh and offered to have himself blotted out of god's book. We are not told what that means. God said he would blot out whoever sinned against him. Moses was to continue to lead the people to the promised land. Then God struck the Israelites with a plague because of their behavior with the golden calf.
*It was fascinating for me to find out that the original tablets Moses was given were not the Ten Commandments at all. My study bible says they were probably two copies of the agreement between God and the Israelites, one for God, one for the people, if everything happened the way the bible says.
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?!
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Exodus chapter 20 part 2
*When Moses approached God, he again told Moses he didn't want the people worshipping any other gods along side him. He didn't say no other gods exist. Plus, they were to make no gods of silver or gold. It doesn't say none of wood or clay.
* They are also to make an earthen alter for sacrificing burnt offerings and fellowship offerings of sheep, cattle, and goats. Wherever Yahweh causes his name to be honored, he will bless them. If they should ever make a stone altar it is to be made of uncut stones. Using tools on it would defile it. This word defile is an abstract concept related to uncleanness and is hard to grasp. Nevertheless, it is obviously not good. Why it is not good is unanswerable.
*Last but not least, there will be no steps up to the altar, so that God, or any one else, won't be able to look up their skirts and see their private parts. All righty then.
*My bible has this chapter labelled "The Ten Commandments." The text hasn't actually called them that yet, and they are not yet carved in stone.
* They are also to make an earthen alter for sacrificing burnt offerings and fellowship offerings of sheep, cattle, and goats. Wherever Yahweh causes his name to be honored, he will bless them. If they should ever make a stone altar it is to be made of uncut stones. Using tools on it would defile it. This word defile is an abstract concept related to uncleanness and is hard to grasp. Nevertheless, it is obviously not good. Why it is not good is unanswerable.
*Last but not least, there will be no steps up to the altar, so that God, or any one else, won't be able to look up their skirts and see their private parts. All righty then.
*My bible has this chapter labelled "The Ten Commandments." The text hasn't actually called them that yet, and they are not yet carved in stone.
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