We are now at Mark 7:24. Have you noticed that in Mark, each event seems to happen immediately after the last, in quick succession. There is no real sense of how much time has actually passed since Jesus started preaching. There is also quite a bit of vagueness as to specifically where Jesus was. We get regions and vicinities, as in this next passage. Jesus is said to have left "that place" (what place?) and to have gone to the vicinity of Tyre. Keep in mind that Tyre is not Jewish territory. Jesus was the outsider there. We are told he tried to keep his presence there a secret, but we are not told why. Also wouldn't he have known that wasn't going to work?
While Jesus was in the vicinity of Tyre, a Greek Syro-Phoenician woman (a native of that area) came to Jesus to beg him to drive a demon out of her daughter. Here is another Gentile with a demon. Now comes an extraordinary dialog. Jesus tells the woman, "First let the children eat all they want, For it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." This is quite shocking because the clear implication is that the "children of Israel" are more precious to god and deserving of healing than this woman's daughter and her people. He is calling them dogs, a clear insult. This is a definite example of prejudice, and by Jesus. Unbelievably, the woman replies, "Yes Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Jesus is impressed with the woman's sassy answer and heals her daughter long distance. So, the only thing Jesus did in Tyre was heal a little girl that he never saw, of a demon that she probably didn't have, while trying to remain incognito? And how did the author of Mark come to know this story? How could anyone have known if it was true?
Then Jesus left that area and into the region of the Decapolis, Gentile territory again. There he heals a deaf and mute man. First he takes the man away from the crowd. Why? Wouldn't these miracles be more believable the more people saw them? Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears, then spit, then touched the man's tongue. Ewww. Jesus then looked up to heaven, heaved a big sigh, and said, "Be opened!" Very dramatic. Of course the man began to hear and speak again or we wouldn't have the story. Jesus commanded the people present not to tell anyone, which of course was futile, as he should have known. They spread the news about how wonderful Jesus was. Again, from where did the author of Mark get this story? And how could anyone know if it was true?
We get to chapter eight and another vague time reference, "During those days, another large crowd gathered." We are not told anything about the location, except that it is remote, again. Again, the people needed to be fed. Again, the disciples ask about how to feed them. Again, Jesus asks how many loaves the disciples have. Last time they had five loaves and two fish. 5+2=7. Seven is a magic number. This time there are seven loaves and a few small fish. This time there were seven baskets of leftovers. Four thousand males were present.(100x40, 40 being another magic number) Again, females don't count. Again, what was done with the leftovers, which were presumably edible?
Afterward Jesus and his disciples got in the boat (Wait! What boat?) and headed to "the region" of Dalmanutha. Funny, There is no reason to believe Dalmanutha ever existed. Here is one man's take on the subject. (Link) The pharisees just happened to appear there to question Jesus. Those Pharisees got around. However, they don't seem to have been around in the places Jesus is supposed to have performed miracles. They asked Jesus for a sign from heaven. Jesus blew them off with a non-insult insult. "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given it." (Get out of here, I'm not going to show you my gun.) The Pharisees were skeptics, good for them.
After that brief encounter the disciples amd Jesus all pile back in the boat and cross the lake again.
Showing posts with label forty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forty. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 22, 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.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Jonah chapter 4
After reading chapter 4:
* God has not destroyed the Ninevites as he (actually Jonah) threatened. This made Jonah mad. He complained to Yahweh that he knew this was going to happen. That's why he tried to run away to Tarshish. He knew that Yahweh was a softy and would change his mind. Like he did during the flood, the death of all the first born Egyptians, Sodom and Gommorrah, the Canaanite masacres?
Now, because Yahweh did not destroy the Ninevites, Jonah is says, "Just kill me." Do you get the feeling that Jonah had been looking forward to the annhiliation? Or is it just that he feels like a fool, having predicted the destruction, only to find out it won't happen. After all, the measure of a prophet is whether his predictions come true.
Jonah goes outside the city to wait and watch whatever would happen to the city. He had built a shelter and Yahweh supposedly made a vine grow over it to give him shade. As a gardener, I can tell you, any type of vine is not going to get that big that quickly. We aren't told how long it was, but remember, back in Jonah 3:4 the Ninevites are told the city was to be overturned in forty days. Did Jonah wait for fourty days. (Where did he get food?) That could possibly be long enough for a vine to grow over a shelter, even without divine intervention.
At dawn the next day (the next day from when?) God provided a worm to chew the vine. Oh! So that's where vine borers come from! If I kill the vine borers in my garden, am I obstructing the work of God? Jonah's vine died. Jonah lost his shade and got overheated. He again expressed a desire to have his life terminated. God asked him if he had a right to be angry about the vine. He said he did, angry enough to die. Wow! Jonah didn't have anything else to live for? Poor guy.
Yaweh says Jonah is sorry for a vine that he didn't even plant or tend. It sprang up in one night and died overnight. Wait, this was not a forty day vine, it was a one day vine? That makes it officially a miracle! Also, my study Bible says it may have been a castor oil plant, not a vine at all. Do castor oil plants get tall and shady in one day? Nope. Also, castor oil plants are toxic to many insect pests as well as humans. It is often used as a natural insecticide. It is not likely to be killed by a chewing worm.
Any way, Yaweh tells Jonah that the great city of Nineveh has more than one hundred twenty thousand people, shouldn't he be concerned about them? (Not to mention all the cattle. ) Amazingly enough, the actual number of inhabitants in Nineveh at its peak probably was very close to one hundred twenty thousand. It truly was a great city of antiquity, and there is proof of its existence. Strangely enough, there is not one shred of proof of the nomadic tribe of two million (!) Hebrew people, not to mention their animals, who spent forty years in the desert of the Sinai peninsula. And people have looked.
Burning question: Why didn't Yahweh send prophets to the Canaanites, warning them to turn from their evil ways, before he had them slaughtered. Why wasn't he always a humanitarian?
* God has not destroyed the Ninevites as he (actually Jonah) threatened. This made Jonah mad. He complained to Yahweh that he knew this was going to happen. That's why he tried to run away to Tarshish. He knew that Yahweh was a softy and would change his mind. Like he did during the flood, the death of all the first born Egyptians, Sodom and Gommorrah, the Canaanite masacres?
Now, because Yahweh did not destroy the Ninevites, Jonah is says, "Just kill me." Do you get the feeling that Jonah had been looking forward to the annhiliation? Or is it just that he feels like a fool, having predicted the destruction, only to find out it won't happen. After all, the measure of a prophet is whether his predictions come true.
Jonah goes outside the city to wait and watch whatever would happen to the city. He had built a shelter and Yahweh supposedly made a vine grow over it to give him shade. As a gardener, I can tell you, any type of vine is not going to get that big that quickly. We aren't told how long it was, but remember, back in Jonah 3:4 the Ninevites are told the city was to be overturned in forty days. Did Jonah wait for fourty days. (Where did he get food?) That could possibly be long enough for a vine to grow over a shelter, even without divine intervention.
At dawn the next day (the next day from when?) God provided a worm to chew the vine. Oh! So that's where vine borers come from! If I kill the vine borers in my garden, am I obstructing the work of God? Jonah's vine died. Jonah lost his shade and got overheated. He again expressed a desire to have his life terminated. God asked him if he had a right to be angry about the vine. He said he did, angry enough to die. Wow! Jonah didn't have anything else to live for? Poor guy.
Yaweh says Jonah is sorry for a vine that he didn't even plant or tend. It sprang up in one night and died overnight. Wait, this was not a forty day vine, it was a one day vine? That makes it officially a miracle! Also, my study Bible says it may have been a castor oil plant, not a vine at all. Do castor oil plants get tall and shady in one day? Nope. Also, castor oil plants are toxic to many insect pests as well as humans. It is often used as a natural insecticide. It is not likely to be killed by a chewing worm.
Any way, Yaweh tells Jonah that the great city of Nineveh has more than one hundred twenty thousand people, shouldn't he be concerned about them? (Not to mention all the cattle. ) Amazingly enough, the actual number of inhabitants in Nineveh at its peak probably was very close to one hundred twenty thousand. It truly was a great city of antiquity, and there is proof of its existence. Strangely enough, there is not one shred of proof of the nomadic tribe of two million (!) Hebrew people, not to mention their animals, who spent forty years in the desert of the Sinai peninsula. And people have looked.
Burning question: Why didn't Yahweh send prophets to the Canaanites, warning them to turn from their evil ways, before he had them slaughtered. Why wasn't he always a humanitarian?
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Jonah chapter 3
After reading chapter 3:
Yahweh tells Jonah to go to Ninevah, again, and give them his message. Then we are told Ninevah is such an important city that a visit requires three days. (The same number of days Jonah was in the big fish! Coincidence?) on the first day, Jonah goes into the city and starts proclaiming that Ninevah will be overturned in forty days. (Forty days is another very familiar number of days.) Lo and behold, the Ninevites believed Jonah! That was easy. They declared a fast and put on sackcloth.
When word reached the king, he must have believed it too, because he took off his royal robes and also put on sackcloth. Theses people were obviously not sceptics, if they believed a stranger who roamed around saying that a foreign god told him they are doomed. Nevertheless, the king issued a proclamation that every man and beast (poor beasts) was to be covered in sackcloth, give up their evil ways, and call urgently on God, maybe he would relent. Or... Maybe it never was going to happen in the first place.
The last verse of chapter three says that when God saw how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring the destruction on them that he had threatened. So, God promised to destroy Ninevah (said Jonah) but he didn't. He broke his promise? But, if this happened, there was only Jonah's word that God spoke to him. God didn't tell this to anyone else, not even a single Ninevite. A revelation to one man is just that. Why should anyone believe it?
Plus, have you noticed, we aren't even told what the "evil ways" of the Ninevites were.
Yahweh tells Jonah to go to Ninevah, again, and give them his message. Then we are told Ninevah is such an important city that a visit requires three days. (The same number of days Jonah was in the big fish! Coincidence?) on the first day, Jonah goes into the city and starts proclaiming that Ninevah will be overturned in forty days. (Forty days is another very familiar number of days.) Lo and behold, the Ninevites believed Jonah! That was easy. They declared a fast and put on sackcloth.
When word reached the king, he must have believed it too, because he took off his royal robes and also put on sackcloth. Theses people were obviously not sceptics, if they believed a stranger who roamed around saying that a foreign god told him they are doomed. Nevertheless, the king issued a proclamation that every man and beast (poor beasts) was to be covered in sackcloth, give up their evil ways, and call urgently on God, maybe he would relent. Or... Maybe it never was going to happen in the first place.
The last verse of chapter three says that when God saw how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring the destruction on them that he had threatened. So, God promised to destroy Ninevah (said Jonah) but he didn't. He broke his promise? But, if this happened, there was only Jonah's word that God spoke to him. God didn't tell this to anyone else, not even a single Ninevite. A revelation to one man is just that. Why should anyone believe it?
Plus, have you noticed, we aren't even told what the "evil ways" of the Ninevites were.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Judges chapter 13
After reading chapter 13:
*The Israelites did "evil" in the sight of Yahweh, so he delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for a standard biblical length of time, forty years. Then a man named Manoah from the Danite clan had a wife who was childless. The angel of Yahweh appeared to her as a man and told her she would have a son. This son was to be a Nazarite, set apart to Yahweh from birth. The mother was not to drink anything fermented, or eat anything unclean. Also, the boy will never have a haircut. Numbers 6 describes the Nazarite vow. However, it appears to be voluntary and temporary, unlike this boy to be born, who has a permanent decision made for him.
*The woman went to her husband and told him what had happened. Manoah prayed to Yahweh to send the Angel back to teach them how to raise the boy. The angel appeared to the woman again while she was working in the field. She ran and told her husband. Manoah followed her back to the field and spoke to the angel. He asked him for instructions. The angel basically repeated what he had originally told the woman. Manoah volunteered to prepare a young goat to eat. The angel, who Manoah seems to have thought was a prophet, turned it down. He told Manoah to make a burnt offering to Yahweh instead. Manoah asked the angel what his name was but was told he wouldn't be able to understand it.
*Manoah sacrificed a goat and a grain offering to the Yahweh on a rock, which was a clear violation of the law of the Israelites. Sacrifices were to be done by the priests at the altar in front of the tabernacle, which was currently supposed to be in Shiloh.( Numbers 18 and 22)However, Yahweh doesn't seem to have a problem with it at this time. As the flames of the sacrifice blazed up, the angel ascended to heaven in the flame. Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. Manoah thought they were doomed to die but his wife replied practically that, if that were true, Yahweh would not have accepted the sacrifice and told them about their future son. Eventually, the boy was born and they named him Samson. One day the Spirit of Yahweh began to stir in him.
* One can't help wondering how many women of ancient times told their husbands that a god had decided she would become pregnant.
Edited.
*The Israelites did "evil" in the sight of Yahweh, so he delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for a standard biblical length of time, forty years. Then a man named Manoah from the Danite clan had a wife who was childless. The angel of Yahweh appeared to her as a man and told her she would have a son. This son was to be a Nazarite, set apart to Yahweh from birth. The mother was not to drink anything fermented, or eat anything unclean. Also, the boy will never have a haircut. Numbers 6 describes the Nazarite vow. However, it appears to be voluntary and temporary, unlike this boy to be born, who has a permanent decision made for him.
*The woman went to her husband and told him what had happened. Manoah prayed to Yahweh to send the Angel back to teach them how to raise the boy. The angel appeared to the woman again while she was working in the field. She ran and told her husband. Manoah followed her back to the field and spoke to the angel. He asked him for instructions. The angel basically repeated what he had originally told the woman. Manoah volunteered to prepare a young goat to eat. The angel, who Manoah seems to have thought was a prophet, turned it down. He told Manoah to make a burnt offering to Yahweh instead. Manoah asked the angel what his name was but was told he wouldn't be able to understand it.
*Manoah sacrificed a goat and a grain offering to the Yahweh on a rock, which was a clear violation of the law of the Israelites. Sacrifices were to be done by the priests at the altar in front of the tabernacle, which was currently supposed to be in Shiloh.( Numbers 18 and 22)However, Yahweh doesn't seem to have a problem with it at this time. As the flames of the sacrifice blazed up, the angel ascended to heaven in the flame. Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. Manoah thought they were doomed to die but his wife replied practically that, if that were true, Yahweh would not have accepted the sacrifice and told them about their future son. Eventually, the boy was born and they named him Samson. One day the Spirit of Yahweh began to stir in him.
* One can't help wondering how many women of ancient times told their husbands that a god had decided she would become pregnant.
Edited.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Judges chapter 8
After reading chapter 8:
*For some reason, the Ephraimites took offense that Gideon had not asked for their help when he originally went to fight the Midianites. Even so, they had come to Gideon's aid and helped capture two of the Midianite leaders. Pursuing the rest of the Midianites, Gideon and his men crossed the Jordan after two more rulers of Midian. They asked a couple of different cities for food, but were rejected. Gideon cursed those cities.
*There were 15,000 men left of the remnants of the eastern armies. 120,000 had been killed in battle. Gideon and his 300 men (amazingly, none dead) routed the remaining Midianites and captured the leaders, Zebah and Zalmunna. Then Gideon went to the towns of Succoth and Peniel, who had rejected his plea for food. He punished the elders of Succoth with desert thorns and briars, tore down the tower of Peniel, and killed the men of the town. Questioning Zebah and Zalmunna, Gideon found out they had killed his brothers. He ordered his son to kill them, but being just a boy, he wouldn't. Zebah and Zalmunna dared him to do it himself and he did.
*The Israelites asked Gideon to be their king. He refused, saying Yahweh should rule over them. However, he asked each of them to give him one gold earring from their plunder. The earrings had a total weight of about 43 pounds. Gideon made the gold into an ephod. It was taken to Gideon's town of Ophrah and eventually worshipped. The land had rest for another forty magical years. Gideon went back home and had 70 sons by his many wives and concubines. (Seventy being another special number usually referring to large assemblies.) After Gideon died the Israelites began worshipping Baal-Berith and forgot about Yahweh and the heroic deeds of Gideon.
*For some reason, the Ephraimites took offense that Gideon had not asked for their help when he originally went to fight the Midianites. Even so, they had come to Gideon's aid and helped capture two of the Midianite leaders. Pursuing the rest of the Midianites, Gideon and his men crossed the Jordan after two more rulers of Midian. They asked a couple of different cities for food, but were rejected. Gideon cursed those cities.
*There were 15,000 men left of the remnants of the eastern armies. 120,000 had been killed in battle. Gideon and his 300 men (amazingly, none dead) routed the remaining Midianites and captured the leaders, Zebah and Zalmunna. Then Gideon went to the towns of Succoth and Peniel, who had rejected his plea for food. He punished the elders of Succoth with desert thorns and briars, tore down the tower of Peniel, and killed the men of the town. Questioning Zebah and Zalmunna, Gideon found out they had killed his brothers. He ordered his son to kill them, but being just a boy, he wouldn't. Zebah and Zalmunna dared him to do it himself and he did.
*The Israelites asked Gideon to be their king. He refused, saying Yahweh should rule over them. However, he asked each of them to give him one gold earring from their plunder. The earrings had a total weight of about 43 pounds. Gideon made the gold into an ephod. It was taken to Gideon's town of Ophrah and eventually worshipped. The land had rest for another forty magical years. Gideon went back home and had 70 sons by his many wives and concubines. (Seventy being another special number usually referring to large assemblies.) After Gideon died the Israelites began worshipping Baal-Berith and forgot about Yahweh and the heroic deeds of Gideon.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Judges chapter 6
After reading chapter 6:
* The last sentence of chapter five was " then the land had rest for forty years," forty being one of the bible's magical numbers. Now we again see Israel backsliding. So, Yahweh gave them to the Midianites for seven years (another magical number). They were reduced to hiding in caves and other secluded places. Whenever they planted crops, their crops were destroyed by invading Midianites and Amalekites from the east. The odd thing about this is that back in Numbers chapter 31, all the Midianite males were killed, their towns and camps burned, and their virgin women taken as plunder. The apparently resurrected Midianites harassed and plundered the Israelites, causing poverty and distress. Again they cried to Yahweh for help.
*Yahweh sent the Israelites a prophet who gave them a review lesson in history then said their troubles were their own fault for not listening to Yahweh and for following other gods. Then, one day an angel of Yahweh, appearing as a man, visited Gideon and said Yahweh was with Gideon. He was naturally sceptical. The angel said he was sending Gideon to save Israel. Gideon was naturally sceptical, again. He asked for a sign but first made some food as an offering and gave it to the Angel under the oak in Ophrah. Remember that great trees, often oaks, were ancient places of cultic worship and where people communed with gods. We have seen this motif in the bible before.
*The angel had Gideon put the food on a rock, then he incinerated it with his staff. This surprised Gideon who apparently hadn't realized he was a REAL angel. The angel said "Peace, do not be afraid." Then Gideon built an altar to Yahweh on the spot and called it Yahweh is Peace (shalom). This passage is one of the reasons Peace is considered one of the names of God. That night, according to Yahweh's instruction, Gideon destroyed his father's altar to Baal, cut down the Asherah pole, and used the wood in the fire for the sacrifice of one of his father's bulls on the altar to Yahweh. This was done at night, in secret, because of course none of that was his property.
*In the morning all was discovered. Gideon was denounced as the culprit by a hostile crowd and his execution was demanded. Gideon's father, Joash, seems to have been a rational man. He argued that if Baal needed defending, couldn't he defend himself? This seemed to placate the mob and they settled for calling Gideon names.
*Now all those marauding easterners joined forces and came across the Jordan. Gideon was the beneficiary of the spirit of the lord and blew a trumpet summoning help. Then Gideon tested Yahweh's promise of help by placing a wool fleece on the threshing floor and seeing if it would be wet in the morning, but the ground dry. It was. The next day he requested another test. This time asking for the fleece to be dry and the ground wet. It was. In spite of having the spirit of Yahweh, and personally meeting the angel of the lord, Gideon wasn't taking any chances.
Edited: The Midianites were exterminated in Numbers 31, not 13.
* The last sentence of chapter five was " then the land had rest for forty years," forty being one of the bible's magical numbers. Now we again see Israel backsliding. So, Yahweh gave them to the Midianites for seven years (another magical number). They were reduced to hiding in caves and other secluded places. Whenever they planted crops, their crops were destroyed by invading Midianites and Amalekites from the east. The odd thing about this is that back in Numbers chapter 31, all the Midianite males were killed, their towns and camps burned, and their virgin women taken as plunder. The apparently resurrected Midianites harassed and plundered the Israelites, causing poverty and distress. Again they cried to Yahweh for help.
*Yahweh sent the Israelites a prophet who gave them a review lesson in history then said their troubles were their own fault for not listening to Yahweh and for following other gods. Then, one day an angel of Yahweh, appearing as a man, visited Gideon and said Yahweh was with Gideon. He was naturally sceptical. The angel said he was sending Gideon to save Israel. Gideon was naturally sceptical, again. He asked for a sign but first made some food as an offering and gave it to the Angel under the oak in Ophrah. Remember that great trees, often oaks, were ancient places of cultic worship and where people communed with gods. We have seen this motif in the bible before.
*The angel had Gideon put the food on a rock, then he incinerated it with his staff. This surprised Gideon who apparently hadn't realized he was a REAL angel. The angel said "Peace, do not be afraid." Then Gideon built an altar to Yahweh on the spot and called it Yahweh is Peace (shalom). This passage is one of the reasons Peace is considered one of the names of God. That night, according to Yahweh's instruction, Gideon destroyed his father's altar to Baal, cut down the Asherah pole, and used the wood in the fire for the sacrifice of one of his father's bulls on the altar to Yahweh. This was done at night, in secret, because of course none of that was his property.
*In the morning all was discovered. Gideon was denounced as the culprit by a hostile crowd and his execution was demanded. Gideon's father, Joash, seems to have been a rational man. He argued that if Baal needed defending, couldn't he defend himself? This seemed to placate the mob and they settled for calling Gideon names.
*Now all those marauding easterners joined forces and came across the Jordan. Gideon was the beneficiary of the spirit of the lord and blew a trumpet summoning help. Then Gideon tested Yahweh's promise of help by placing a wool fleece on the threshing floor and seeing if it would be wet in the morning, but the ground dry. It was. The next day he requested another test. This time asking for the fleece to be dry and the ground wet. It was. In spite of having the spirit of Yahweh, and personally meeting the angel of the lord, Gideon wasn't taking any chances.
Edited: The Midianites were exterminated in Numbers 31, not 13.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Judges chapter 3
After reading chapter 3:
*The last chapter told us that Yahweh left some Canaanite nations unconquered to test the Israelites ability to follow his ways as their forefathers did, even though it is clear their forefathers clearly weren't that great at it. However, in this chapter, a parenthetical statement says that Yahweh's purpose for this test was only to teach the the Israelite descendants who were inexperienced in battle, a kind of on-the-job training. In the very next sentence, we are again told Yahweh was testing their obedience to Yahweh's commands given through Moses. Then we are given the names of some people groups who the Israelites fought and/or comingled with. It is a little confusing. Did they fight with the Canaanites and Hivites, or did they live with them and form family alliances?
*Apparently, in spite of the constant admonitions of obedience to Yahweh given to their ancestors, the Israelites completely forgot about Yahweh and served other gods. Yahweh became angry and "sold" them as subjects to the king of Aram Naharaim for 8 years. They cried out to Yahweh (I thought they had forgot him?) and he raised up Othniel, Caleb's younger brother. The spirit of Yahweh, which had last been manifested in Joshua, inhabited Othniel. So, this isn't even one whole generation later? Wow! They forgot Yahweh very quickly. Othniel went to war, which apparently is Yahweh's forte, and overpowered the king of Aram. Then the Israelites lived in peace for 40 years, that magical number, until Othniel died.
* Once again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. Then the King of Moab attacked Israel and made them his subjects for 18 years. The Israelites cried out to Yahweh and he made Ehud, the left handed man, their deliverer. Ehud had made a special sword and concealed it under his clothes. He went to deliver tribute to the king of Moab and told the king he had a secret message. The king sent everyone from the room and Ehud plunged his sword into the king's hugely fat belly. It went in so deep that even the handle was covered by the fat. After Ehud was gone, the servants found the room locked and thought the king was having a private bathroom moment. They waited a long time, then finally opened the door to find the king dead. Ehud escaped, gathered some Israelites, blocked the crossing of the Jordan, killed ten thousand Moabites, and made Moab subject to them. After that, there was peace for 80 years. (2x40)
*After Ehud came Shamgar, who killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.
*The last chapter told us that Yahweh left some Canaanite nations unconquered to test the Israelites ability to follow his ways as their forefathers did, even though it is clear their forefathers clearly weren't that great at it. However, in this chapter, a parenthetical statement says that Yahweh's purpose for this test was only to teach the the Israelite descendants who were inexperienced in battle, a kind of on-the-job training. In the very next sentence, we are again told Yahweh was testing their obedience to Yahweh's commands given through Moses. Then we are given the names of some people groups who the Israelites fought and/or comingled with. It is a little confusing. Did they fight with the Canaanites and Hivites, or did they live with them and form family alliances?
*Apparently, in spite of the constant admonitions of obedience to Yahweh given to their ancestors, the Israelites completely forgot about Yahweh and served other gods. Yahweh became angry and "sold" them as subjects to the king of Aram Naharaim for 8 years. They cried out to Yahweh (I thought they had forgot him?) and he raised up Othniel, Caleb's younger brother. The spirit of Yahweh, which had last been manifested in Joshua, inhabited Othniel. So, this isn't even one whole generation later? Wow! They forgot Yahweh very quickly. Othniel went to war, which apparently is Yahweh's forte, and overpowered the king of Aram. Then the Israelites lived in peace for 40 years, that magical number, until Othniel died.
* Once again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. Then the King of Moab attacked Israel and made them his subjects for 18 years. The Israelites cried out to Yahweh and he made Ehud, the left handed man, their deliverer. Ehud had made a special sword and concealed it under his clothes. He went to deliver tribute to the king of Moab and told the king he had a secret message. The king sent everyone from the room and Ehud plunged his sword into the king's hugely fat belly. It went in so deep that even the handle was covered by the fat. After Ehud was gone, the servants found the room locked and thought the king was having a private bathroom moment. They waited a long time, then finally opened the door to find the king dead. Ehud escaped, gathered some Israelites, blocked the crossing of the Jordan, killed ten thousand Moabites, and made Moab subject to them. After that, there was peace for 80 years. (2x40)
*After Ehud came Shamgar, who killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Deuteronomy 29
After reading chapter 29:
* Moses calls all the Israelite people together on behalf of Yahweh to make a covenant with them in Moab. It is in addition to the one made in Horeb after they left Egypt. First he tells them that with their own eyes they saw the events of the exodus from Egypt, even though this was not true. All those who were adults when the Israelites left Egypt were now dead. (Numbers 14:26-35, 26:64-65)The Israelites had wandered in the desert for Forty years but their clothes and sandals miraculously did not wear out. Supposedly, they had also eaten no bread and had drunk no fermented drink during that whole time, even though the laws given in Exodus and Leviticus include bread and drink sacrifices. Next he tells how the Israelites conquered land on the east side of the Jordan and gave it to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Mannasseh, as their part in the Israelite "inheritance."
*Moses then tells the Israelites that all the people standing there that day, including the women, children, servants, and foreigners are entering into a covenant with Yahweh. (Apparently consent didn't matter.) This is an extension of the covenant Yahweh made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There must not be a hint of the worship of other gods. Also, just because they recieve a blessing from being present at this covenant ceremony, they shouldn't assume that they can't be thoroughly cursed some day, if they insist on doing things their own way. And what a mighty cursing it will be. When people ask,"Why is Yahweh so angry?" The answer will be,"Because these people abandoned the covenant." Verse 28 is interesting: In furious anger and in great wrath Yahweh uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now. As it is now? The study bible says that is just what the people would say in the future, IF the curses actually happened. It just as easily could mean that the authors wrote the book of Deuteronomy while in exile, which would have been hundreds of years after the events recorded therein.
*Then comes a statement that secret things belong to Yahweh, but revealed things belong to the Israelites and their descendants forever. (Or until someone claims that a new covenant has come.)
* Moses calls all the Israelite people together on behalf of Yahweh to make a covenant with them in Moab. It is in addition to the one made in Horeb after they left Egypt. First he tells them that with their own eyes they saw the events of the exodus from Egypt, even though this was not true. All those who were adults when the Israelites left Egypt were now dead. (Numbers 14:26-35, 26:64-65)The Israelites had wandered in the desert for Forty years but their clothes and sandals miraculously did not wear out. Supposedly, they had also eaten no bread and had drunk no fermented drink during that whole time, even though the laws given in Exodus and Leviticus include bread and drink sacrifices. Next he tells how the Israelites conquered land on the east side of the Jordan and gave it to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Mannasseh, as their part in the Israelite "inheritance."
*Moses then tells the Israelites that all the people standing there that day, including the women, children, servants, and foreigners are entering into a covenant with Yahweh. (Apparently consent didn't matter.) This is an extension of the covenant Yahweh made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There must not be a hint of the worship of other gods. Also, just because they recieve a blessing from being present at this covenant ceremony, they shouldn't assume that they can't be thoroughly cursed some day, if they insist on doing things their own way. And what a mighty cursing it will be. When people ask,"Why is Yahweh so angry?" The answer will be,"Because these people abandoned the covenant." Verse 28 is interesting: In furious anger and in great wrath Yahweh uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now. As it is now? The study bible says that is just what the people would say in the future, IF the curses actually happened. It just as easily could mean that the authors wrote the book of Deuteronomy while in exile, which would have been hundreds of years after the events recorded therein.
*Then comes a statement that secret things belong to Yahweh, but revealed things belong to the Israelites and their descendants forever. (Or until someone claims that a new covenant has come.)
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.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Numbers chapter 20
After reading chapter 20:
*This chapter starts on the first month of an unknown year. My study bible says it must have been the end of the forty years the Israelites were condemned to wander in the desert, back in chapter 14. If this is true, it appears that nothing noteworthy happened during the intervening years. They are back in Kadesh, where they started forty years ago. Miriam dies and is buried there. Echoing Exodus 17, the Israelites complain of no water. Moses and Aaron go to the tabernacle, where Yahweh tells Moses ( not Aaron) to take the magical staff that has apparently lasted all this time and speak to a rock, which would pour out water. This is the same staff that Moses turned into snakes, used to part the Nile, and which became Aaron's staff which blossomed. So, they gather the Israelites for a show of god's power. Moses struck the rock just like before, and just like before, water gushed out. All million plus Israelites and their livestock now had water. The text says these were called the waters of Meribah, just like the waters struck from a rock over forty years ago in Horeb. God takes this opportunity to remind Moses that he will not be going into the promised land.
*Then Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission for the Israelites to pass through his land, with promises not to disturb anything. The king denied them passage. The Israelites said they were coming through any way. The king of Edom said, "No, you are not." He sent a large army against the Israelites and they backed off.
*On the border of Edom, at Mount Hor, Yahweh told Moses it was time for Aaron to die. Moses, Aaron, and his son Eleazar, went up the mountain. Moses removed the high priest garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar. Aaron died. Then, Moses and Eleazar came down the mountain. Sounds mighty fishy to me.
*If we continue to follow the bible chronology, placing the creation at 4004 B.C.E, this would have taken place around the year 1296 B.C.E.
*This chapter starts on the first month of an unknown year. My study bible says it must have been the end of the forty years the Israelites were condemned to wander in the desert, back in chapter 14. If this is true, it appears that nothing noteworthy happened during the intervening years. They are back in Kadesh, where they started forty years ago. Miriam dies and is buried there. Echoing Exodus 17, the Israelites complain of no water. Moses and Aaron go to the tabernacle, where Yahweh tells Moses ( not Aaron) to take the magical staff that has apparently lasted all this time and speak to a rock, which would pour out water. This is the same staff that Moses turned into snakes, used to part the Nile, and which became Aaron's staff which blossomed. So, they gather the Israelites for a show of god's power. Moses struck the rock just like before, and just like before, water gushed out. All million plus Israelites and their livestock now had water. The text says these were called the waters of Meribah, just like the waters struck from a rock over forty years ago in Horeb. God takes this opportunity to remind Moses that he will not be going into the promised land.
*Then Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission for the Israelites to pass through his land, with promises not to disturb anything. The king denied them passage. The Israelites said they were coming through any way. The king of Edom said, "No, you are not." He sent a large army against the Israelites and they backed off.
*On the border of Edom, at Mount Hor, Yahweh told Moses it was time for Aaron to die. Moses, Aaron, and his son Eleazar, went up the mountain. Moses removed the high priest garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar. Aaron died. Then, Moses and Eleazar came down the mountain. Sounds mighty fishy to me.
*If we continue to follow the bible chronology, placing the creation at 4004 B.C.E, this would have taken place around the year 1296 B.C.E.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Numbers chapter 14
After reading chapter 14:
*So, after the 12 explorers got back, the Israelites began to complain again because they were afraid of the people whose land they were supposed to take over. It was suggested that they elect someone to take them back to Egypt. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb begged and pleaded with the Israelites, telling them not to be afraid, because Yahweh would protect them. The Israelites seriously considered stoning Moses and his cronies.
* Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, not the people, for some reason, and told him that he was sick and tired of the Israelites not respecting him. He just might destroy them with a plague and make Moses into a nation bigger and better than they are. Moses was worried that the Egyptians would hear about it and ruin Yahweh's reputation. Plus, people in the promised land had already heard great and wonderful things about Yahweh and the Israelites. How would it look if he gave up on them now?
*We again read those fundamentally contradictory statements about god's abounding love and forgiveness, plus his punishing of those who sin against him to the third and fourth generations. So, Yahweh relents and forgives them, BUT none of the people who disobeyed him in the desert would get to see the promised land, except Caleb. He's different. The wierd thing about this passage is that God never actually tells the Israelites to do anything so what command are they disobeying?
*Next they are told to turn back towards the desert. Since the Israelites are such a complaining bunch, every complainer twenty years and older will die in the desert. Their children will get to see the promised land after 40 years of a nomadic shepherding life. That's one year for each of the forty days that the land was explored. Then God says the whole community is wicked and banded together against him. Now who is complaining? As if mere mortals could stop the plans of an all powerful God!
*The ten explorers who started this trouble were struck down by a plague. Only Joshua and Caleb survived. After the Israelites were informed of all this, they said they would go into the land after all. Moses said, if they did, it would be disobedient again and God would not protect them. They went anyway, and the inhabitants of the land beat them back.
*So, after the 12 explorers got back, the Israelites began to complain again because they were afraid of the people whose land they were supposed to take over. It was suggested that they elect someone to take them back to Egypt. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb begged and pleaded with the Israelites, telling them not to be afraid, because Yahweh would protect them. The Israelites seriously considered stoning Moses and his cronies.
* Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, not the people, for some reason, and told him that he was sick and tired of the Israelites not respecting him. He just might destroy them with a plague and make Moses into a nation bigger and better than they are. Moses was worried that the Egyptians would hear about it and ruin Yahweh's reputation. Plus, people in the promised land had already heard great and wonderful things about Yahweh and the Israelites. How would it look if he gave up on them now?
*We again read those fundamentally contradictory statements about god's abounding love and forgiveness, plus his punishing of those who sin against him to the third and fourth generations. So, Yahweh relents and forgives them, BUT none of the people who disobeyed him in the desert would get to see the promised land, except Caleb. He's different. The wierd thing about this passage is that God never actually tells the Israelites to do anything so what command are they disobeying?
*Next they are told to turn back towards the desert. Since the Israelites are such a complaining bunch, every complainer twenty years and older will die in the desert. Their children will get to see the promised land after 40 years of a nomadic shepherding life. That's one year for each of the forty days that the land was explored. Then God says the whole community is wicked and banded together against him. Now who is complaining? As if mere mortals could stop the plans of an all powerful God!
*The ten explorers who started this trouble were struck down by a plague. Only Joshua and Caleb survived. After the Israelites were informed of all this, they said they would go into the land after all. Moses said, if they did, it would be disobedient again and God would not protect them. They went anyway, and the inhabitants of the land beat them back.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Numbers chapter 13
After reading chapter 13:
*Now that the Israelites are in the desert of Paran, Yahweh tells Moses to send twelve men, one from each tribe, to go explore the land lof Canaan. This land was currently being occupied by people who had no idea that Yahweh was giving the Israelites their land. All twelve men are specifically named.
*Moses told the men to go through the Negev and into the hill country to scope out the land and the people. They were told to report on the civilizations and crop growing conditions. It was grape season so they were told to bring back a sample. What if the land was barren and infertile, would the Israelites have rejected Yahweh's gift? Would we be reading this story today? Since historical evidence suggests that the Israelites may have actually been long term natives of that land, this story is probably more like nationalistic propaganda.
*Some of the places the men travelled that we haven't covered before included Rehob and the Negev. When they reached the valley of Eshcol, a place that supposedly still exists, though I could not find much information about it. They took a sample of the crops growing there. Two of the men carried a cluster of grapes on a pole between them. This doesn't necessarily mean the grapes were large and heavy, it may just have been their way of keeping them from getting bruised. The men explored for 40 days, a very biblical length of time.
*They went back and reported to Moses that it was a great land " flowing with milk and honey." Caleb confidently suggested they take the land right away. The other men that had gone were leary of the inhabitants and said they saw Nephilim, or Anakites, who were supposedly of great size. They made them feel as small as grasshoppers.
*Now that the Israelites are in the desert of Paran, Yahweh tells Moses to send twelve men, one from each tribe, to go explore the land lof Canaan. This land was currently being occupied by people who had no idea that Yahweh was giving the Israelites their land. All twelve men are specifically named.
*Moses told the men to go through the Negev and into the hill country to scope out the land and the people. They were told to report on the civilizations and crop growing conditions. It was grape season so they were told to bring back a sample. What if the land was barren and infertile, would the Israelites have rejected Yahweh's gift? Would we be reading this story today? Since historical evidence suggests that the Israelites may have actually been long term natives of that land, this story is probably more like nationalistic propaganda.
*Some of the places the men travelled that we haven't covered before included Rehob and the Negev. When they reached the valley of Eshcol, a place that supposedly still exists, though I could not find much information about it. They took a sample of the crops growing there. Two of the men carried a cluster of grapes on a pole between them. This doesn't necessarily mean the grapes were large and heavy, it may just have been their way of keeping them from getting bruised. The men explored for 40 days, a very biblical length of time.
*They went back and reported to Moses that it was a great land " flowing with milk and honey." Caleb confidently suggested they take the land right away. The other men that had gone were leary of the inhabitants and said they saw Nephilim, or Anakites, who were supposedly of great size. They made them feel as small as grasshoppers.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Leviticus chapter 12
After reading chapter 12:
*This chapter addresses purification after childbirth, as though childbirth makes someone impure. I can't remember where I heard it, but I agree with the statement that the Israelites seem to have an obsession with blood. Blood is Bad. We have not been told it up to this point, but the blood of a woman makes her guilty of uncleanness. After she waits the proscribed times following childbirth, she must make two sacrifices before she can be considered clean, a burnt offering and a sin offering. Presumably this means there is something sinful associated with childbirth. Between childbirth and purification, she must not touch anything sacred or visit the sanctuary. She's got cooties.
*Before the offerings can be made, there must be a waiting period. If she had a boy, she is ceremonially unclean for seven days after giving birth. Then she must wait 33 more days to be "purified," a total of 40 days. (Two magic numbers in one command! It must be holy.) I don't understand the difference between the first seven days and the following 33 days. She's still considered unclean until the priest pronounces her clean.
*A newborn male is to be circumcised at 8 days old. I have some questions. Who does the circumcising? Wouldn't the baby be considered unclean since he is in constant contact with his mother? If he is unclean, wouldn't anyone who comes in contact with him also become unclean? Did fathers avoid contact with their wives and newborns during this time? That would be sad. Will we get answers to these questions later?
*Oh, unlucky woman who has a daughter! She is unclean for 14 days, then must wait another 66 days to be purified. That is twice as long as it takes after birthing a male. Extra magic must be needed to counteract the girl cooties.
*After childbirth, it is possible for a woman to experience some bleeding for up to 40 days, but highly unlikely for it to go longer than that. Plus, there are no fundamental differences between birthing a daughter or a son. That is just, well, silly.
*This chapter addresses purification after childbirth, as though childbirth makes someone impure. I can't remember where I heard it, but I agree with the statement that the Israelites seem to have an obsession with blood. Blood is Bad. We have not been told it up to this point, but the blood of a woman makes her guilty of uncleanness. After she waits the proscribed times following childbirth, she must make two sacrifices before she can be considered clean, a burnt offering and a sin offering. Presumably this means there is something sinful associated with childbirth. Between childbirth and purification, she must not touch anything sacred or visit the sanctuary. She's got cooties.
*Before the offerings can be made, there must be a waiting period. If she had a boy, she is ceremonially unclean for seven days after giving birth. Then she must wait 33 more days to be "purified," a total of 40 days. (Two magic numbers in one command! It must be holy.) I don't understand the difference between the first seven days and the following 33 days. She's still considered unclean until the priest pronounces her clean.
*A newborn male is to be circumcised at 8 days old. I have some questions. Who does the circumcising? Wouldn't the baby be considered unclean since he is in constant contact with his mother? If he is unclean, wouldn't anyone who comes in contact with him also become unclean? Did fathers avoid contact with their wives and newborns during this time? That would be sad. Will we get answers to these questions later?
*Oh, unlucky woman who has a daughter! She is unclean for 14 days, then must wait another 66 days to be purified. That is twice as long as it takes after birthing a male. Extra magic must be needed to counteract the girl cooties.
*After childbirth, it is possible for a woman to experience some bleeding for up to 40 days, but highly unlikely for it to go longer than that. Plus, there are no fundamental differences between birthing a daughter or a son. That is just, well, silly.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Exodus chapter 24
After reading chapter 24:
*Moses told the Israelites all the laws that Yahweh had made and, with one voice, over a million people agreed to obey God. Then Moses wrote down everything God had said. What did he write it on? What did he write with? In what language did he write?
* The next morning, Moses built an altar and set up twelve stone pillars to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Some bulls were sacrificed and blood splashed on the altar. Then Moses read the book of the covenant aloud to the people. Though how they could all hear it is a mystery. Also, is this the same thing he just wrote or something different? Again, the people all agreed to obey. Then Moses spritzed the people with blood from the sacrifice. All the people? Or was this just a symbolic flinging of blood into the crowd? While Moses was sprinkling the blood, he announced that it was the blood of the covenant. Wait a minute, where did the bulls come from? I thought the Israelites had run out of food and were complaining because they had lots of meat back in Egypt. Wasn't that the reason for the quail and manna? Had someone been holding back animals that could have been eaten?
*Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu (Aaron's sons) and seventy elders approached the mountain and saw God! This is supposedly the same God the New Testament tells us no one has ever seen. He must have looked like a person because he had feet and his feet were standing on pavement made of lapis lazuli. The people who saw God had a feast, presumably eating the meat from the bulls that had been sacrificed. Everyone else probably had to make do with manna.
*Then God asked Moses to come up the mountain and get some tablets of stone on which would be written the law and commandments. Moses took Joshua with him and told everyone to wait til he came back. Aaron and Hur would be in charge. Moses went up on the mountain and waited for six days while the cloud with God in it settled on the top of the mountain. To the people below, it looked like there was a fire on the mountain top. It sounds almost like a volcano. On the seventh day, Yahweh called Moses and Moses entered the cloud zone. He wasn't seen again for forty days and forty nights.
Edited.
*Moses told the Israelites all the laws that Yahweh had made and, with one voice, over a million people agreed to obey God. Then Moses wrote down everything God had said. What did he write it on? What did he write with? In what language did he write?
* The next morning, Moses built an altar and set up twelve stone pillars to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Some bulls were sacrificed and blood splashed on the altar. Then Moses read the book of the covenant aloud to the people. Though how they could all hear it is a mystery. Also, is this the same thing he just wrote or something different? Again, the people all agreed to obey. Then Moses spritzed the people with blood from the sacrifice. All the people? Or was this just a symbolic flinging of blood into the crowd? While Moses was sprinkling the blood, he announced that it was the blood of the covenant. Wait a minute, where did the bulls come from? I thought the Israelites had run out of food and were complaining because they had lots of meat back in Egypt. Wasn't that the reason for the quail and manna? Had someone been holding back animals that could have been eaten?
*Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu (Aaron's sons) and seventy elders approached the mountain and saw God! This is supposedly the same God the New Testament tells us no one has ever seen. He must have looked like a person because he had feet and his feet were standing on pavement made of lapis lazuli. The people who saw God had a feast, presumably eating the meat from the bulls that had been sacrificed. Everyone else probably had to make do with manna.
*Then God asked Moses to come up the mountain and get some tablets of stone on which would be written the law and commandments. Moses took Joshua with him and told everyone to wait til he came back. Aaron and Hur would be in charge. Moses went up on the mountain and waited for six days while the cloud with God in it settled on the top of the mountain. To the people below, it looked like there was a fire on the mountain top. It sounds almost like a volcano. On the seventh day, Yahweh called Moses and Moses entered the cloud zone. He wasn't seen again for forty days and forty nights.
Edited.
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.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Genesis chapter 26
After reading chapter 26:
*There was a famine. God told Isaac not to go to Egypt but to stay in that area so God could bless him. So, he went to Abimelech, King of the Philistines. The study bible says this must have been a descendant of the Abimelech Abraham dealt with, but we have no way of knowing. Just like his father, Isaac told the people that Rebekah was his sister because he was afraid they would kill him for her. However, this time it wasn't even a half truth. Abimelech saw Isaac and Rebekah in a public display of affection and said, "what's up with that?" Isaac explained and Abimelech gave orders that they were to be left alone.
*Isaac became very prosperous and the Philistines became very jealous. Abimelech told him it was time to go. So he took his family back to the area where his father had dug some wells. There were disputes with other nomadic groups over those wells and some other wells Isaac dug. Finally, he dug a well that nobody else wanted.
*Then Isaac went to Beersheba and had his own personal revelation from his father's God. He built an altar, dug another well, and settled down there. Abimelech came to him to make a peace treaty and there was a party to celebrate.
*Verse 33 is very confusing. It says Beersheba got its name because of the well Isaac dug. However, it was called that before he dug the well. His father had also been to Beersheba long before.
*As an afterthought, we are told that at the age of 40 Esau married two Hittite women, which made Isaac And Rebekah unhappy.
*There was a famine. God told Isaac not to go to Egypt but to stay in that area so God could bless him. So, he went to Abimelech, King of the Philistines. The study bible says this must have been a descendant of the Abimelech Abraham dealt with, but we have no way of knowing. Just like his father, Isaac told the people that Rebekah was his sister because he was afraid they would kill him for her. However, this time it wasn't even a half truth. Abimelech saw Isaac and Rebekah in a public display of affection and said, "what's up with that?" Isaac explained and Abimelech gave orders that they were to be left alone.
*Isaac became very prosperous and the Philistines became very jealous. Abimelech told him it was time to go. So he took his family back to the area where his father had dug some wells. There were disputes with other nomadic groups over those wells and some other wells Isaac dug. Finally, he dug a well that nobody else wanted.
*Then Isaac went to Beersheba and had his own personal revelation from his father's God. He built an altar, dug another well, and settled down there. Abimelech came to him to make a peace treaty and there was a party to celebrate.
*Verse 33 is very confusing. It says Beersheba got its name because of the well Isaac dug. However, it was called that before he dug the well. His father had also been to Beersheba long before.
*As an afterthought, we are told that at the age of 40 Esau married two Hittite women, which made Isaac And Rebekah unhappy.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Genesis chapter 25
After reading chapter 25:
*Abraham marries again when he is over 137 years old. In spite of his advanced age, he fathers 6 sons by his new wife. He had more sons by concubines. While he was alive, he gave his concubine's sons gifts and sent them to live in the East, away from Isaac.
* Abraham dies at 175 years of age. Isaac and Ishmael bury him with Sarah. Isaac inherits everything. The year is about 1880 B. C. E., according to Biblical chronology. Shem, the son of Noah would still be alive until 1846 B.C.E.
*We are given the names of the twelve sons/tribes of Ishmael. Ishmael died at the age of 137, which would have been about 1833 B.C.E. His descendents settle in land to the east, which some people believe was the Arabian peninsula. There is no concrete evidence supporting this.
*Isaac had married Rebekah at the age of 40. She didn't have children until Isaac prayed for them. (Barrenness, and praying for a child who is granted by God, who then becomes something special, is another theme we see throughout scripture. ) Rebekah found she was going to have twins, and they were wrestling inside her. Yahweh told her that her boys would be the fathers of two nations and the older would serve the Younger Brother. The first boy was red and hairy, they named him Esau. The second boy was born holding on to his brother's foot, they named him Jacob. Thier names are puns associated with their birth. In fact, so many bible names are so punny, it makes you wonder if they were made up to fit the story.
*Esau became a hunter and daddy's boy. Jacob was quiet and stayed at home with mom, who loved him best. One day, Esau came home from a hunt famished and saw Jacob cooking stew. Esau begged for some stew and Jacob said he would give Esau stew in return for the right to inherit the firstborn's portion of their father's estate. Esau agreed, which was awfully stupid. Here, we see an etiological story that plays right into the theme of the book of Genesis. Later descendants of Esau will encounter descendants of Jacob and the reader will look back and say, look there is the reason life is the way it is today. The storyteller knows all this in advance, of course.
*Esau swore to give his birthright to Jacob. Jacob gave him stew. According to the text, Esau despised His birthright. Clearly, Jacob despised Esau. A person who thought he was a descendant of Jacob wrote this story.
*Abraham marries again when he is over 137 years old. In spite of his advanced age, he fathers 6 sons by his new wife. He had more sons by concubines. While he was alive, he gave his concubine's sons gifts and sent them to live in the East, away from Isaac.
* Abraham dies at 175 years of age. Isaac and Ishmael bury him with Sarah. Isaac inherits everything. The year is about 1880 B. C. E., according to Biblical chronology. Shem, the son of Noah would still be alive until 1846 B.C.E.
*We are given the names of the twelve sons/tribes of Ishmael. Ishmael died at the age of 137, which would have been about 1833 B.C.E. His descendents settle in land to the east, which some people believe was the Arabian peninsula. There is no concrete evidence supporting this.
*Isaac had married Rebekah at the age of 40. She didn't have children until Isaac prayed for them. (Barrenness, and praying for a child who is granted by God, who then becomes something special, is another theme we see throughout scripture. ) Rebekah found she was going to have twins, and they were wrestling inside her. Yahweh told her that her boys would be the fathers of two nations and the older would serve the Younger Brother. The first boy was red and hairy, they named him Esau. The second boy was born holding on to his brother's foot, they named him Jacob. Thier names are puns associated with their birth. In fact, so many bible names are so punny, it makes you wonder if they were made up to fit the story.
*Esau became a hunter and daddy's boy. Jacob was quiet and stayed at home with mom, who loved him best. One day, Esau came home from a hunt famished and saw Jacob cooking stew. Esau begged for some stew and Jacob said he would give Esau stew in return for the right to inherit the firstborn's portion of their father's estate. Esau agreed, which was awfully stupid. Here, we see an etiological story that plays right into the theme of the book of Genesis. Later descendants of Esau will encounter descendants of Jacob and the reader will look back and say, look there is the reason life is the way it is today. The storyteller knows all this in advance, of course.
*Esau swore to give his birthright to Jacob. Jacob gave him stew. According to the text, Esau despised His birthright. Clearly, Jacob despised Esau. A person who thought he was a descendant of Jacob wrote this story.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Genesis chapter 8
After reading chapter 8:
* God remembered Noah? Verse 1. Was he in danger of forgetting?
*The ark was afloat from the 17th of the 2nd month ( chapter 7) to the 17th of the seventh (!) month, which makes six months. Then it landed on the mountains of Ararat, which, contrary to popular belief, has not been verified.
*It took another two and a half months for the mountain tops to become visible, and another 40(!) days after that for Noah to open THE window to send out a raven. The fresh air must have been awesome. The raven just kept flying back and forth until the water dried up. That was one raven with a lot of pent up energy. The dove was less enthusiastic and came back quickly. After another 7(!) days ,the dove brought back an olive branch. After another 7(!) days, the dove flew the coop.
*On the very first day of the new year, the water was gone. But did they come out? No. They waited till 27th day of the second month to make sure the ground was really, really dry.
*When all the months and days are counted up, after about one year of being shut up in a floating zoo, everyone and everything came out. One wonders if there were more creatures and people coming out than originally went in, or less? Think about it.
*Noah builds an altar to the lord and roasts some livestock and birds on it. Barbecue! It smelled really good to God, in spite of the fact that he doesn't have a nose. Then Noah and his family probably feasted on the cooked meat, because that is what was done with meat sacrificed to gods. Gods can't eat meat (no digestive systems), they just smell it.
*Then, God supposedly took back his curse on the ground, (verse21) but people still sweat and toil and contend with weeds and pests. ( chapter 3:17-19) So, one wonders what curse he was talking about.
*In spite of us all being evil from childhood, God promises never to kill the whole world again. We should be grateful.
* God remembered Noah? Verse 1. Was he in danger of forgetting?
*The ark was afloat from the 17th of the 2nd month ( chapter 7) to the 17th of the seventh (!) month, which makes six months. Then it landed on the mountains of Ararat, which, contrary to popular belief, has not been verified.
*It took another two and a half months for the mountain tops to become visible, and another 40(!) days after that for Noah to open THE window to send out a raven. The fresh air must have been awesome. The raven just kept flying back and forth until the water dried up. That was one raven with a lot of pent up energy. The dove was less enthusiastic and came back quickly. After another 7(!) days ,the dove brought back an olive branch. After another 7(!) days, the dove flew the coop.
*On the very first day of the new year, the water was gone. But did they come out? No. They waited till 27th day of the second month to make sure the ground was really, really dry.
*When all the months and days are counted up, after about one year of being shut up in a floating zoo, everyone and everything came out. One wonders if there were more creatures and people coming out than originally went in, or less? Think about it.
*Noah builds an altar to the lord and roasts some livestock and birds on it. Barbecue! It smelled really good to God, in spite of the fact that he doesn't have a nose. Then Noah and his family probably feasted on the cooked meat, because that is what was done with meat sacrificed to gods. Gods can't eat meat (no digestive systems), they just smell it.
*Then, God supposedly took back his curse on the ground, (verse21) but people still sweat and toil and contend with weeds and pests. ( chapter 3:17-19) So, one wonders what curse he was talking about.
*In spite of us all being evil from childhood, God promises never to kill the whole world again. We should be grateful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)