Our reading this week took us through the period where the Israelites were ruled by Judges to their first King. There are many wonderful events written about in these chapters. We read about Deborah and Ruth. It is in these chapters we read about Jael, the Kenite. (This is where my daughter-in-law gets her name.) We read of the almost annihilation of the Benjamites due to their sin of homosexuality which lead to the rape of the Levite's wife which caused the Levite to chop her up in to 12 parts and send her to the 12 tribes of Israel which led to Israelites going out to destroy the Benjamites which caused misguided oaths to God.....etc etc etc.
These chapters told us about Sampson, the Nazarite, and how he used/missued his annointing as the last Judge. The end of the Levites as leaders with the death of Eli and his sons when the Ark of the Covenant was captured. Next we have Samuel who is used to bridge the people from the leadership coming from Judges and the Levites to transitioning to Saul as their first King. God always wanted a theocracy but knew that eventually the people would ask for a King to rule over them "like the other nations". God made provision in his laws and rules to the people about how a king and the people were to interact. He wanted a closer long term relationship (theocracy) but in his wisdom and love gave guidelines to Moses about how to set up the rule of a King (monarchy).
Over and over again in these verses, you read of individuals and groups of people making oaths and promises to God or acting upon a "belief" that causes them to go down a road of disobedience. Whether its a promise to sacrifice the first person walking out of their home if a victory in war is won; to promising God that none of Israelites daughters will be allowed to marry a Benjamite and so forth. Reading these chapters we see evidence of great sin and its counterpart, great devotion and obedience to God. It's not possible to obey God fully without devotion to Him which includes wanting to know about Him. Another way to put it is, to know what makes God tick. It is impossible to really know about God without knowing what his word says and spending time with Him in meditation and prayer. Otherwise the decisions you make will eventually not follow God's word. That's where the rubber meets the road. That's where we end up following the wrong "thinking", all the time thinking that we are all right. "There is a way that seemeth right to a man but the end thereof is destruction." (Proverbs 16:25) We end up deceived if we do not have a relational knowledge of God and his word. If you have a good Bible concordance, I want you to take time and look up the words destruction, deceive, and way. Many of the scriptures listed will or should be familiar to you. All throughout the Bible, human beings were constantly reminded to know, love and follow after God or else sin that leads to death and destruction follows.
When reading these events, we need to ask God to show us where we may have set up idols that take precedence over God or attitudes and "beliefs" that are not in line with who God is and his word. Is it our families as with Eli? Is it our own lust or desires as with Sampson? Is it making our own "religion" as with Micah and not recognizing that it is counterfeit? The scripture that stands out to me in all the chapters and verses is in Judges 21:25. It summarizes the spiritual health of the Israelites and reads "In those days Israel had no king, everyone did as he saw fit." It was in those days that God was suppose to have been their King. Take time today to see who or what is ruling you life. Don't generalize. Be specific in your review. Who do you spend time with? Where do you spend your time? What do you do with your time? Is God included first of all in the Who, Where and What of your life? Don't forget!... Always remember!...how wonderful it is to know that when we want to learn about, love and follow God what wonderful blessings are ours. Just think about Jesus' gifts to us on the cross: salvation, healing, peace, mercy, and grace just to name a few.
Keep reading and Bon Apettit
Let's read the Bible through in 2013
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A Time of Warfare
It is amazing to me the changes the Israelites went through in a short period of time. It is estimated that they began their exodus from Egypt in 1446 B.C. headed toward Mount Sinai. We don't know exactly how long it took them to get to Kadesh Barnea, where the first spies were sent out to survey the land and its inhabitants. We know that only Caleb and Joshua brought back God's report while the others gave reports that caused the people's hearts to "melt with fear." Caleb says in Joshua 14, beginning at verse 6, that he went as a spy when he was 40 years old, returned with his report to Moses when he was 45 years old and that at the time he was to inhabit "his promised land" he was 85 years old. So doing the math shows that the 40 years only covers the space of time that they wandered in the wildnerness and not the length of their jouney prior to reaching Kadesh Barnes when the first survey was done.
We also read in Joshua about the circumcision of the males eight days old and older (which had not been a top priority while being nomadic), Rahab and the fall of Jericho, Israel's learning a lesson again through the mistakes of Achan, the deception of the Gibeonites, battle after battle, the sun standing still, and the doling out of the land. There's just too much to write about in these chapters.
Joshua 10:6-11 relates that God didn't rain down large hailstones...He HURLED down large hailstones. How would you like being stoned to death with one of these. The item on the left is a huge hailstone and the object on the right is an egg.
We also read Joshua's prayer of "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon, and the ensuing miracle of the day time stood still. Also mentioned in the following verse is the reference to, “the book of Jashar”. In my search to read or find a copy of The book of Jashar, I found that there is a copy that has been circulated but that it was found to be a counterfeit. Most Bible scholars believe the book of Jashar no longer exists. The "book of Jashar," translates two Hebrew words that signify “book of the upright” or “book of the righteous one." The Syriac translation of the text in Joshua calls it the “book of praises,” or “book of hymns." Apparently it was an ancient Hebrew hymnbook containing nationalistic songs. The references in the books of Joshua and 2 Samuel would suggest that this collection of songs were compositions designed to celebrate great battles and notable characters in Israel’s illustrative history, as the nation prepared for the coming of the Messiah.
One more thing I'd like to point out is the Bible's repeated reference to Balaam, son of Beor. We read a lot about him in Numbers chapters 21 through 25, and being killed in Numbers 31. Did you notice that he was mentioned again in Joshua 13:22 and Joshua 24:10? I decided to see if there were any other references to his name and found some in Jude 1:11 and Revelation 2:14, 17. In Job 3:8 and other verses, there is an indirect reference to him pertaining to persons who practice divinations and issuing curses. Remember, he was the one who in Numbers 22:17 said, "I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God". Hmmmm, sounds like Balaam was very confused.
Well thanks for reading (if anyone is lol)
Bon Apetit
We also read in Joshua about the circumcision of the males eight days old and older (which had not been a top priority while being nomadic), Rahab and the fall of Jericho, Israel's learning a lesson again through the mistakes of Achan, the deception of the Gibeonites, battle after battle, the sun standing still, and the doling out of the land. There's just too much to write about in these chapters.
We also read Joshua's prayer of "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon, and the ensuing miracle of the day time stood still. Also mentioned in the following verse is the reference to, “the book of Jashar”. In my search to read or find a copy of The book of Jashar, I found that there is a copy that has been circulated but that it was found to be a counterfeit. Most Bible scholars believe the book of Jashar no longer exists. The "book of Jashar," translates two Hebrew words that signify “book of the upright” or “book of the righteous one." The Syriac translation of the text in Joshua calls it the “book of praises,” or “book of hymns." Apparently it was an ancient Hebrew hymnbook containing nationalistic songs. The references in the books of Joshua and 2 Samuel would suggest that this collection of songs were compositions designed to celebrate great battles and notable characters in Israel’s illustrative history, as the nation prepared for the coming of the Messiah.
One more thing I'd like to point out is the Bible's repeated reference to Balaam, son of Beor. We read a lot about him in Numbers chapters 21 through 25, and being killed in Numbers 31. Did you notice that he was mentioned again in Joshua 13:22 and Joshua 24:10? I decided to see if there were any other references to his name and found some in Jude 1:11 and Revelation 2:14, 17. In Job 3:8 and other verses, there is an indirect reference to him pertaining to persons who practice divinations and issuing curses. Remember, he was the one who in Numbers 22:17 said, "I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God". Hmmmm, sounds like Balaam was very confused.
Well thanks for reading (if anyone is lol)
Bon Apetit
Sunday, March 13, 2011
A New Era
Hello all,
You are almost a quarter of the way through reading the Bible. This next account is one of my very favorites. I love the accounts of Joseph and Joshua and of Ruth and Esther.
You have made it through and the do's and don'ts of the Jewish Law. One of the regulations that I try to picture is the one regarding levirate marriage where if brothers lived together and the one brother dies without children, the other brother is to marry his "sister-in -law" to provide a son to carry on his brother's family line. We read about this practice when we read about Tamar and Onan. I try to imagine having to marry a brother-in-law in order to have a home and a family. (No offense meant Bob Dodd in case your reading this lol) What if the future "mate" was mean or difficult... ? What if the brother's wife didn't like the sister-in -law and was extremely jealous? What if the brother was poor and was barely managing taking care of his own family....? At any sorts IF he chose not to marry his sister-in-law then she was to bring him before the elders, spit at him and loose his sandal and his FAMILY...was to be known as "The family of the unsandaled." This was a supreme disgrace. Its one of the rare instances in the Bible where I read of a women having a course of action she could take in her own defense. I did some research regarding the significance of the curse The family of the unsandaled. I found a website that explains the Torah and ties in the New Testament. If you want to read more and the curse's significance go to: http://www.torahclass.com/ and go to Deuteronomy 25. I have added it as a link under Jewish websites. It is very interesting but a little too much to explain and go into on my blog.
I try to imagine what it must of been like to live during that time. It was a time of hard work but also a time of God's glory and power. When the people stood at the Jordan watching the priests begin to carry the ark into the water, I can imagine them standing there and a hush comes over the people as the priests wade out into the river. The priests in front going deeper and deeper until all the priests feet were in the water. They had heard the stories of the Red Sea parting but except for Joshua and Caleb they had not seen a miracle of such magnitude. I'm sure that for many, the daily miracle of the pheasant and the manna had became a matter of routine and taken for granted. Some were likely bored with the fact that they wore the same shoes and clothes for the last 30 years. Some of the women were ready to shoe shop at DSW. But then once all the priests feet were in the Jordan, it happened, the waters parted and they crossed onto dry land. The scripture relates that this occurred during flood season.
Each tribe was to have a man shoulder a stone for a memorial to be built reminding the Israelites of their crossing. The priests stood in the middle of the Jordan with the ark until all had passed by. The men were instructed to get a stone near where the priests stood. That's where the BIG rocks were. The flow of water, force of gravity and the weight of the rocks gradually will move the larger rocks to the lowest point. God wanted a big memorial so that they would have a big memory of what he had done for them. Do you think that when each tribe picked their person that they picked the strongest man in their tribe. That's what I would have wanted to do. I would have wanted my tribe's rock to be the biggest of all to show God and everyone of my love and dedication.
I'm hope you are enjoying reading the Bible as much as I am. I pray for you often asking God to help you take the time to read and asking him to open his word to you in a fresh and fulfilling way.
Keep reading
Bon Apetit
You are almost a quarter of the way through reading the Bible. This next account is one of my very favorites. I love the accounts of Joseph and Joshua and of Ruth and Esther.
You have made it through and the do's and don'ts of the Jewish Law. One of the regulations that I try to picture is the one regarding levirate marriage where if brothers lived together and the one brother dies without children, the other brother is to marry his "sister-in -law" to provide a son to carry on his brother's family line. We read about this practice when we read about Tamar and Onan. I try to imagine having to marry a brother-in-law in order to have a home and a family. (No offense meant Bob Dodd in case your reading this lol) What if the future "mate" was mean or difficult... ? What if the brother's wife didn't like the sister-in -law and was extremely jealous? What if the brother was poor and was barely managing taking care of his own family....? At any sorts IF he chose not to marry his sister-in-law then she was to bring him before the elders, spit at him and loose his sandal and his FAMILY...was to be known as "The family of the unsandaled." This was a supreme disgrace. Its one of the rare instances in the Bible where I read of a women having a course of action she could take in her own defense. I did some research regarding the significance of the curse The family of the unsandaled. I found a website that explains the Torah and ties in the New Testament. If you want to read more and the curse's significance go to: http://www.torahclass.com/ and go to Deuteronomy 25. I have added it as a link under Jewish websites. It is very interesting but a little too much to explain and go into on my blog.
I try to imagine what it must of been like to live during that time. It was a time of hard work but also a time of God's glory and power. When the people stood at the Jordan watching the priests begin to carry the ark into the water, I can imagine them standing there and a hush comes over the people as the priests wade out into the river. The priests in front going deeper and deeper until all the priests feet were in the water. They had heard the stories of the Red Sea parting but except for Joshua and Caleb they had not seen a miracle of such magnitude. I'm sure that for many, the daily miracle of the pheasant and the manna had became a matter of routine and taken for granted. Some were likely bored with the fact that they wore the same shoes and clothes for the last 30 years. Some of the women were ready to shoe shop at DSW. But then once all the priests feet were in the Jordan, it happened, the waters parted and they crossed onto dry land. The scripture relates that this occurred during flood season.
Each tribe was to have a man shoulder a stone for a memorial to be built reminding the Israelites of their crossing. The priests stood in the middle of the Jordan with the ark until all had passed by. The men were instructed to get a stone near where the priests stood. That's where the BIG rocks were. The flow of water, force of gravity and the weight of the rocks gradually will move the larger rocks to the lowest point. God wanted a big memorial so that they would have a big memory of what he had done for them. Do you think that when each tribe picked their person that they picked the strongest man in their tribe. That's what I would have wanted to do. I would have wanted my tribe's rock to be the biggest of all to show God and everyone of my love and dedication.
I'm hope you are enjoying reading the Bible as much as I am. I pray for you often asking God to help you take the time to read and asking him to open his word to you in a fresh and fulfilling way.
Keep reading
Bon Apetit
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