We have kept up pretty well. A few days behind here and there, but still plugging along. Does anyone else feel that the Israelites have been going in circles since they left Egypt? They don't like being in slavery to the Egyptians but when they get the chance for freedom and the land of milk and honey they question the Lord at every turn.
We thought that the bible said that the Israelites wondered in the desert for 40 years. But in Numbers 33 v 38 it says that Aaron died in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. After that we are reading that they are still not at the promise land. Are we adding our years wrong? I guess that might be another question for Chuck.
Another verse that we really connected with is Luke 12 v16. Jesus often withdrew to a lonely places to pray. Jeff and I were thinking that maybe we should do this more often. I don't think we take enough time to quiet our hearts and be still with the Lord. We are going to try and work on that.
Leviticus and Numbers has been a tough read for us. I read all of the daily reading out loud after we eat dinner. Some of my pronunciations are very funny and I have been skipping the run downs on the tribes and the names of the elders. So many rituals for what we would call minor infractions. Boy am I glad the Lord chose to put me in this time and place.
On to Deuteronomy!!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
A little like an Indian Jones movie...
I was 12 days behind in my bible readings this morning. I know, I know, that defeats the whole purpose of having a page to read a day but I don't know what happened. I got tired one night, didn't read, and it just snowballed. But I was determined to get caught up today, on Palm Sunday.
And I did, I read for about an hour and a half. And it was interesting to me all the things I read about. A talking donkey. A stone that when tapped produced water. A plague, of among many things, snakes. And a snake made of bronze on a stick that could cure people. Breaking of teeth. Still more sprinkling of blood. Death. Destruction. Birth. Life. Cakes made of meal. People not able to talk at all until God determines they have faith. People allowed only to say what God wants them to say. Sexual immorality. Brothers marrying sisters-in-law.
It really does seem like something of a story, it's hard to imagine any of it as real. But then again, angels and an almighty savior strike some as unfathomable as well. As I was reading I started thinking, why doesn't God just let us read the New Testament. I mean, that's the way it is now right - Jesus died for us and our sins so God won't condemn us anymore. But then I got to thinking about history. And why we teach it in schools and how important it is to know not only where you come from, but how you got to where you are today.
Last night we had 3 women from work over for dinner. We had a great time and after about 6 hours of eating and chatting I realized we'd all shared stories from just about every part of our lives. There were stories from our childhood, stories of family members, stories from college, and stories from just last year, just last week. And that's a lot of what relationship are - telling someone your stories, sharing your life with someone. And I got to thinking this morning that that's what God is doing with the Old Testament, He's sharing His, and our, stories. He's making sure we know what happened before, I am guessing in large part so we can appreciate what we have now.
What do you think?
(P.S. - I knew from a trivia contest in college that Baalam's donkey talked (the only animal in the Bible to do so), and we have this running joke about quoting it - "Why do you hit me these 3 times?" But it was very cool to read the whole story of Baalam and his donkey. To learn it was a she, and she was trying to protect him. And that the angel would have spared her for doing so. Again, I'm glad God shared that story with me.)
And I did, I read for about an hour and a half. And it was interesting to me all the things I read about. A talking donkey. A stone that when tapped produced water. A plague, of among many things, snakes. And a snake made of bronze on a stick that could cure people. Breaking of teeth. Still more sprinkling of blood. Death. Destruction. Birth. Life. Cakes made of meal. People not able to talk at all until God determines they have faith. People allowed only to say what God wants them to say. Sexual immorality. Brothers marrying sisters-in-law.
It really does seem like something of a story, it's hard to imagine any of it as real. But then again, angels and an almighty savior strike some as unfathomable as well. As I was reading I started thinking, why doesn't God just let us read the New Testament. I mean, that's the way it is now right - Jesus died for us and our sins so God won't condemn us anymore. But then I got to thinking about history. And why we teach it in schools and how important it is to know not only where you come from, but how you got to where you are today.
Last night we had 3 women from work over for dinner. We had a great time and after about 6 hours of eating and chatting I realized we'd all shared stories from just about every part of our lives. There were stories from our childhood, stories of family members, stories from college, and stories from just last year, just last week. And that's a lot of what relationship are - telling someone your stories, sharing your life with someone. And I got to thinking this morning that that's what God is doing with the Old Testament, He's sharing His, and our, stories. He's making sure we know what happened before, I am guessing in large part so we can appreciate what we have now.
What do you think?
(P.S. - I knew from a trivia contest in college that Baalam's donkey talked (the only animal in the Bible to do so), and we have this running joke about quoting it - "Why do you hit me these 3 times?" But it was very cool to read the whole story of Baalam and his donkey. To learn it was a she, and she was trying to protect him. And that the angel would have spared her for doing so. Again, I'm glad God shared that story with me.)
Saturday, March 1, 2008
How Rude!
I am having a hard time with Leviticus. At first it was a bit repetitive with all the rituals and offerings and measuring everything just so. I was thinking, man God didn't have much to do if he was telling Moses how long the curtains should be. But yesterdays and today's readings were upsetting to me. I know that I have been told all my life that to be a Christian means to be God fearing but to be honest, I have never really feared. Not in the way the people of the old testament had to. I know the ten commandments and while I try to follow all of God's rules, I think that because we have the safety net of Jesus we don't have to fear.
In this reading, God himself sanctioned a man to be stoned to death and explained the rules for slavery. He said it was OK as long as it wasn't his chosen people, wow talk about teachers pet! I am so glad that I have been sticking with this even if I get behind man times. It is really opening my eyes. I have read this all before but never in this context and I am really able to see now what it truly means and what God sending Jesus truly meant to the people of that time and to us.
My question is why. Why did God decide to stop being mean and wanting offerings in a perfect way, people following his every command, eye for an eye, why did he suddenly decide to give is blanketed forgiveness? I know I have to be patient and keep reading but for the first time I feel like reading the Bible has put me in the middle of a novel that I can't wait to finish.
In this reading, God himself sanctioned a man to be stoned to death and explained the rules for slavery. He said it was OK as long as it wasn't his chosen people, wow talk about teachers pet! I am so glad that I have been sticking with this even if I get behind man times. It is really opening my eyes. I have read this all before but never in this context and I am really able to see now what it truly means and what God sending Jesus truly meant to the people of that time and to us.
My question is why. Why did God decide to stop being mean and wanting offerings in a perfect way, people following his every command, eye for an eye, why did he suddenly decide to give is blanketed forgiveness? I know I have to be patient and keep reading but for the first time I feel like reading the Bible has put me in the middle of a novel that I can't wait to finish.
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