All along I thought it would be the Old Testament that would give me the most to think about having studied the New testament the most. But today I have a question about the New Testament reading. When Jesus and the disciples were in the boat and Jesus was sleeping and the storm comes up....we all know the story. The boys get scared, they wake Jesus up and he calms the storm down, and he says - you of little faith. Today when I was reading that (I was a little behind) I started to think, would they have been ok if Jesus hadn't been woken up? Would the storm have gone away and everything been fine on its own? Now I realize that would not have been a story for the Bible but I was wondering. Were the disciples making a mountain out of a mole hill. Is that what Jesus was telling them, telling us? Is that a given and it just went over my head all the other times I heard it? Just curious.
Also - in regard Deuteronomy 15:16-17 If the servant does not want to leave after seven years the master is to take and awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become a servant for life. What on earth is an awl????
Thanks, Angela
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Around in circles
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!!!
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!!!
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.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Still here and still loving it!!!!
We definately agree with Ang. and not hearing God like they were able to in the Old Testiment. We have commented several times about whether we would have questioned God when he was right there with us and we were able to hear him on a regular basis. I guess that is another one of you never know what you will do until you are in that situation.
The explicite detail that God goes into when he tells the Isrialites how to make the tabernacle and everything in it is amazing. It definately made it easy for them to make it. I didn't care for the sprinkeling of the blood on Aaron and his priests from some of the offerings. I can only imagine how that would smell after awhile. To tell you the truth we have skimmed over some of the finer details. Reading aloud to everyone is a little hard with just facts.
Now reading Matthew has been great. Especially since this is the Lenten season. I know we will be through it by the time Easter gets here, but that's ok. Christy has been adding a great deal to the discussion we have during and after the nights reading. It is wonderful to see her faith blossom and grow.
Ok, so I have a question on last nights reading. All this time God has been talking to various people, Jacob, Issac, Moses etc. I don't remember just how I guess I never thought of it. But when Moses has been going up on the mountain and talking to God I just assumed that they were talking face to face. But in Exedus 33:20-23 he tells Moses that no man may see me and live. So he pushed him into a cleft in the mountain with his hand while he passes so Moses will only see his back. I wonder why no man can see his face. Is is beyond our comprehension? Would we not be able to handle what he really looks like? I guess we will all find out in our alloted time.
I pray everyone is getting as much out of this study as we are. It is bringing our family together in a very different and wonderful way.
Julia
The explicite detail that God goes into when he tells the Isrialites how to make the tabernacle and everything in it is amazing. It definately made it easy for them to make it. I didn't care for the sprinkeling of the blood on Aaron and his priests from some of the offerings. I can only imagine how that would smell after awhile. To tell you the truth we have skimmed over some of the finer details. Reading aloud to everyone is a little hard with just facts.
Now reading Matthew has been great. Especially since this is the Lenten season. I know we will be through it by the time Easter gets here, but that's ok. Christy has been adding a great deal to the discussion we have during and after the nights reading. It is wonderful to see her faith blossom and grow.
Ok, so I have a question on last nights reading. All this time God has been talking to various people, Jacob, Issac, Moses etc. I don't remember just how I guess I never thought of it. But when Moses has been going up on the mountain and talking to God I just assumed that they were talking face to face. But in Exedus 33:20-23 he tells Moses that no man may see me and live. So he pushed him into a cleft in the mountain with his hand while he passes so Moses will only see his back. I wonder why no man can see his face. Is is beyond our comprehension? Would we not be able to handle what he really looks like? I guess we will all find out in our alloted time.
I pray everyone is getting as much out of this study as we are. It is bringing our family together in a very different and wonderful way.
Julia
Monday, February 4, 2008
Is anybody out there?
It's been pretty quiet on the blog lately - just wondering who's around and still reading...
In today's OT reading I found it interesting that in the first part we are commanded by God to among other things, "not murder." And yet, on the next page we are to "put to death" anyone who "strikes a man, schemes and kills another man deliberately, attacks his father or mother, kidnaps and sells or still has someone, curses his father or mother," etc... Any thoughts?
Hope everyone's doing well - we're already a month down, only eleven more to go!
~ Sarah
In today's OT reading I found it interesting that in the first part we are commanded by God to among other things, "not murder." And yet, on the next page we are to "put to death" anyone who "strikes a man, schemes and kills another man deliberately, attacks his father or mother, kidnaps and sells or still has someone, curses his father or mother," etc... Any thoughts?
Hope everyone's doing well - we're already a month down, only eleven more to go!
~ Sarah
Sunday, February 3, 2008
The Plagues
I have been holding off on posting about all this Moses stuff because I thought it might become clear to me but it hasn't. So here goes:
- Why does God harden Pharoh's heart every time he makes Moses and Aaron go talk to him? I know they didn't have a lot of free will back then but it seems as though God was playing a mean trick on the Egyptians, who didn't really get a say in it.
- How did God and Moses have these chats? Was God a voice? Was there a confessional box like the Catholics? Was there a pay phone? Random burning bushes around Egypt? Do you think Moses was hearing God in his head? I mean maybe Moses was just schizophrenic and the Isrealites wandered around for 430 years for no reason? Maybe they really did have a reason to complain?
- This communication thing is really interesting to me, in the old testament, everyone gets to speak directly to God and knows exactly what God wants them to do. But we don't ever know how. It doesn't say he appears to them, they didn't have phones, so how did they talk to him. And how did they know it was him. Did I miss something in Sunday school or does this bother anyone else?
- Why does God harden Pharoh's heart every time he makes Moses and Aaron go talk to him? I know they didn't have a lot of free will back then but it seems as though God was playing a mean trick on the Egyptians, who didn't really get a say in it.
- How did God and Moses have these chats? Was God a voice? Was there a confessional box like the Catholics? Was there a pay phone? Random burning bushes around Egypt? Do you think Moses was hearing God in his head? I mean maybe Moses was just schizophrenic and the Isrealites wandered around for 430 years for no reason? Maybe they really did have a reason to complain?
- This communication thing is really interesting to me, in the old testament, everyone gets to speak directly to God and knows exactly what God wants them to do. But we don't ever know how. It doesn't say he appears to them, they didn't have phones, so how did they talk to him. And how did they know it was him. Did I miss something in Sunday school or does this bother anyone else?
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