April 29

OT – Judges 9:22-10:18
I admit it. I am too sensitive to male chauvinism. Vs. 54 “Hurriedly he called to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’ So his servant ran him through and he died.”
Now, I recognize this culture is not the same as my own. But just today, some dude was joking with his buddy at the market and I overheard, “I’d rather be ANYTHING than a woman.” I have no idea the context. I really don’t care. All I know is that attitude is still out there and it really makes me mad. I’d use another word but this is Blogger. Someone would report me.
When I read stuff like that in the Bible, I just want to throw the book out the window.
Now, other people read it and they hear anti-Semitism in the NT. Or endorsement of oppression of those who aren’t of the same faith.
I have a bunch of Jewish associates (and some Christian ones, too) that use Biblical scriptures as a direct method to oppress and kill Muslims. Especially those who live on ancestral lands in “The Holy Land”.
All of this, all of this, makes me angry.
So what am I to do with scriptures like Judges 10:11 “The Lord replied, When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their lands.” The Israelites INVADED these people’s lands. They weren’t supposed to fight for them????
What do you do with these kinds of feelings when you butt up against them in the scriptures?
Me, I am planning on just living with them. I can’t understand God and I can’t see the big plan. I also don’t have the luxury of knowing all the stories that go with all the scriptures. I don’t have to like them to be moved by them.
But I do know one thing – I drop a water jar on somebody’s head who is trying to kill my family and he asks to be run through so he won’t be killed by me, a woman, and I am going to drop another rock right away. Then we’ll see who gets to run around saying they died some other way.

NT – Luke 24:13-53
Thank goodness for the different scriptures. After the bloodbath of OT, we come to The Walk to Emmaus in Luke. I find it interesting that only one is identified. Is this because Luke only talked and verified from Cleopas? Or was the other one purposefully left out due to some later problem or indiscretion?
I am glad that he finally used his power to open their minds to the Scriptures. I never realized that he finally had to do it in order for them to KNOW what and who Jesus was and is.

Psalm 100
This is one of the shortest psalms in the Bible but one of the nicest. If you haven’t already, memorize it. It is a lovely one to have on hand.