Proverbs 13:5-6
April 15 is tax day in the United States. This year it falls on a Sunday and there is a holiday in the District of Columbia on the 16th so actual taxes aren't due until the 17th. I find it highly ironic that our proverb today is "Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner." This Wiki answers says 30-40% of people cheat. That is an amazing number! One out of three!
In my real job, I deal occasionally with the IRS. Those folks scare me. It would be a cold day in hell before I would intentionally falsify income taxes.
But 1 in 3 tells me that there are a lot of folks who do not feel the same way. And let me just say, I am no fan of taxes.
And the whole concept of having to worry about the cheat. I have more than enough to worry about without adding to that load! I do just fine on piling on my worry plate without that.
So for all of you who haven't filed their taxes and are the 1 in 3, let me just say this -- don't do it. File right, even if you end up owing and you can't pay right away. Let righteousness guard you. And may the sleep odds be forever in your favor.
Psalm 84
Another Psalm that has been turned into modern, well, relatively modern music. This is a Requiem by Johannes Brahms using psalm 84.
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Just as an aside, a Requiem is the Mass for the Dead. The word requiem means 'rest or repose'. Requiem comes from the opening words of the mass "Lord, grant them eternal rest". And I really couldn't resist this one although it has nothing to do with our scripture reading, but this is my favorite Requiem and my favorite movement:
Faure' Requiem: The Santus (which means to make holy)
Luke 17:11-37
This is just an observation, but thank goodness bad manners have been a constant, even from the days of Jesus!
Today at my farmer's market, *2* customers said please. And No One said thank you. Not even the ones that tried every single cheese I had and bought none of them. It irritated me a bit until I read the scripture tonight.
Don't you think *you* would have come back and said THANK YOU for healing you of leprosy???? But only one.
And if this is a cautionary tale for us, what does that tell us about our own manners? Do we say please and thank you? How about to our spouses/partners, parents and children? Co-Workers?
Here is a task for you. Today, carry an index card and make hash marks every time you say please and every time you say thank you. How many did you get? Do you need to ramp it up? Let's don't be the 9 lepers who got the cure but weren't grateful.
Peace and grace to you on this Sunday.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
April 14
NT – luke 16:19-17:10
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Lazarus, the beggar and the interpretations of the story:
Interpretations
Illustration by Gustave Doré of the Rich man and Lazarus.
There are different views on the historicity and origin of the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.[8] The story is unique to Luke and is not thought to come from the hypothetical Q document.[1]
[edit] As a literal, historical event
Some Christians view the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man as an actual event which was related by Jesus to his followers;[9] this was generally the view of the medieval Church. According to this view, this story is not a parable but literal biography. Supporters of this view point to the amount of detail in the story. For example, in no other parable does Jesus give a character's personal name, but refers to the characters as "a certain man", "a sower", etc.
[edit] As a parable created by Jesus
Other Christians consider that this is a parable created by Jesus and told to his followers.[10] Tom Wright[11] and Joachim Jeremias[12] both treat it as a "Parable". Proponents of this view argue that the story of Lazarus and the rich man has much in common with other stories which are agreed upon parables, both in language and content (e.g. the reversal of fortunes, the use of antithesis, and concern for the poor).
[edit] Luther, a parable of the conscience
Martin Luther taught that the story was a parable about rich and poor in this life and the details of the afterlife not to be taken literally:
"Therefore we conclude that the bosom of Abraham signifies nothing else than the Word of God,.... the hell here mentioned cannot be the true hell that will begin on the day of judgment. For the corpse of the rich man is without doubt not in hell, but buried in the earth; it must however be a place where the soul can be and has no peace, and it cannot be corporeal. Therefore it seems to me, this hell is the conscience, which is without faith and without the Word of God, in which the soul is buried and held until the day of judgment, when they are cast down body and soul into the true and real hell." (Church Postil 1522-23)[13]
[edit] Lightfoot, a parable against the Pharisees
Illustration of Lazarus at the rich man's gate by Fyodor Bronnikov, 1886.
John Lightfoot treated the parable as a parody of Pharisee belief concerning the Bosom of Abraham, and from the connection of Abraham saying the rich man's family would not believe even if the parable Lazarus was raised, to the priests failure to believe in the resurrection of Christ:
"Any one may see, how Christ points at the infidelity of the Jews, even after that himself shall have risen again. From whence it is easy to judge what was the design and intention of this parable" (From the Talmud and Hebraica, Volume 3)[14]
E. W. Bullinger in the Companion Bible cited Lightfoot's comment above,[15] expanding it to include coincidence to lack of belief in the resurrection of the historical Lazarus (John 12:10, see below). Additionally Bullinger considered that the lack of identification "parable" by Luke is because contains a parody of the view of the afterlife in the story:
"It is not called a parable because it cites a notable example of the Pharisee's tradition which had been brought from Babylon. See many other examples in Lightfoot vol.xii. pp.159-68" (Companion Bible, p.1488)
[edit] Drioux, a parable against the Sadducees
An alternative explanation of the parable is a satirical parable against the Sadducees. One writer to identify the Sadducees as the target was Johann Nepomuk Sepp.[16] The arguments in favour of identification of the Rich Man as the Sadducees are (1) the wearing of purple and fine linen, priestly dress,[17] (2) the reference to "five brothers in my father's house" as an allusion to Caiaphas' father in law Annas, and his five sons who also served as high priests according to Josephus,[18] (3) Abraham's statement in the parable that they would not believe even if he raised Lazarus, and then the fulfillment that when Jesus did raise Lazarus of Bethany the Sadducees not only did not believe, but attempted to have Lazarus killed again: "So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well" (John 12:10). This last interpretation had wide circulation in France during the 1860-'90s as a result of having been included in the notes of the pictorial Bible of Abbé Drioux[19]
[edit] Perry, a parable of a new covenant
Simon Perry has argued that the Lazarus of the parable (an abbreviated transcript of 'Eleazer') refers to Eleazer of Damascus, Abraham's servant. In Genesis 15, God says to Abraham "this man will not be your heir" (Gen 15:4). Perry argues that this is why Lazarus is outside the gates of Abraham's perceived descendent. By inviting Lazarus to Abraham's bosom, Jesus is redefining the nature of the covenant. It also explains why the rich man assumes Lazarus is Abraham's servant.[20]
For me, this parable has always been a cautionary tale. Since the real Lazarus is no longer living, I don’t really care if Jesus is talking to Caiaphus or not. But I do care about my own skin.
Let’s face it, I live a very comfortable life. I am only hungry when I am trying to diet. I live in temperature controlled, smooshy bed, nice comfy chair to do my computer work – my computer!! – and most importantly of all, I am healthy. So is most of my family.
But there are many who do not have one or any of these luxuries. I clearly am the rich man in the story. This is another one of those checklist things – feed the hungry, bind up their wounds, visit them in their infirmities. But more importantly, care in the moment!
I suspect, like so many other stories in the Bible, that this one has a serious back story. I think I will put it on my list to discuss with Jesus if I make it to heaven – through the narrow gate, don’t you know.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Lazarus, the beggar and the interpretations of the story:
Interpretations
Illustration by Gustave Doré of the Rich man and Lazarus.
There are different views on the historicity and origin of the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.[8] The story is unique to Luke and is not thought to come from the hypothetical Q document.[1]
[edit] As a literal, historical event
Some Christians view the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man as an actual event which was related by Jesus to his followers;[9] this was generally the view of the medieval Church. According to this view, this story is not a parable but literal biography. Supporters of this view point to the amount of detail in the story. For example, in no other parable does Jesus give a character's personal name, but refers to the characters as "a certain man", "a sower", etc.
[edit] As a parable created by Jesus
Other Christians consider that this is a parable created by Jesus and told to his followers.[10] Tom Wright[11] and Joachim Jeremias[12] both treat it as a "Parable". Proponents of this view argue that the story of Lazarus and the rich man has much in common with other stories which are agreed upon parables, both in language and content (e.g. the reversal of fortunes, the use of antithesis, and concern for the poor).
[edit] Luther, a parable of the conscience
Martin Luther taught that the story was a parable about rich and poor in this life and the details of the afterlife not to be taken literally:
"Therefore we conclude that the bosom of Abraham signifies nothing else than the Word of God,.... the hell here mentioned cannot be the true hell that will begin on the day of judgment. For the corpse of the rich man is without doubt not in hell, but buried in the earth; it must however be a place where the soul can be and has no peace, and it cannot be corporeal. Therefore it seems to me, this hell is the conscience, which is without faith and without the Word of God, in which the soul is buried and held until the day of judgment, when they are cast down body and soul into the true and real hell." (Church Postil 1522-23)[13]
[edit] Lightfoot, a parable against the Pharisees
Illustration of Lazarus at the rich man's gate by Fyodor Bronnikov, 1886.
John Lightfoot treated the parable as a parody of Pharisee belief concerning the Bosom of Abraham, and from the connection of Abraham saying the rich man's family would not believe even if the parable Lazarus was raised, to the priests failure to believe in the resurrection of Christ:
"Any one may see, how Christ points at the infidelity of the Jews, even after that himself shall have risen again. From whence it is easy to judge what was the design and intention of this parable" (From the Talmud and Hebraica, Volume 3)[14]
E. W. Bullinger in the Companion Bible cited Lightfoot's comment above,[15] expanding it to include coincidence to lack of belief in the resurrection of the historical Lazarus (John 12:10, see below). Additionally Bullinger considered that the lack of identification "parable" by Luke is because contains a parody of the view of the afterlife in the story:
"It is not called a parable because it cites a notable example of the Pharisee's tradition which had been brought from Babylon. See many other examples in Lightfoot vol.xii. pp.159-68" (Companion Bible, p.1488)
[edit] Drioux, a parable against the Sadducees
An alternative explanation of the parable is a satirical parable against the Sadducees. One writer to identify the Sadducees as the target was Johann Nepomuk Sepp.[16] The arguments in favour of identification of the Rich Man as the Sadducees are (1) the wearing of purple and fine linen, priestly dress,[17] (2) the reference to "five brothers in my father's house" as an allusion to Caiaphas' father in law Annas, and his five sons who also served as high priests according to Josephus,[18] (3) Abraham's statement in the parable that they would not believe even if he raised Lazarus, and then the fulfillment that when Jesus did raise Lazarus of Bethany the Sadducees not only did not believe, but attempted to have Lazarus killed again: "So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well" (John 12:10). This last interpretation had wide circulation in France during the 1860-'90s as a result of having been included in the notes of the pictorial Bible of Abbé Drioux[19]
[edit] Perry, a parable of a new covenant
Simon Perry has argued that the Lazarus of the parable (an abbreviated transcript of 'Eleazer') refers to Eleazer of Damascus, Abraham's servant. In Genesis 15, God says to Abraham "this man will not be your heir" (Gen 15:4). Perry argues that this is why Lazarus is outside the gates of Abraham's perceived descendent. By inviting Lazarus to Abraham's bosom, Jesus is redefining the nature of the covenant. It also explains why the rich man assumes Lazarus is Abraham's servant.[20]
For me, this parable has always been a cautionary tale. Since the real Lazarus is no longer living, I don’t really care if Jesus is talking to Caiaphus or not. But I do care about my own skin.
Let’s face it, I live a very comfortable life. I am only hungry when I am trying to diet. I live in temperature controlled, smooshy bed, nice comfy chair to do my computer work – my computer!! – and most importantly of all, I am healthy. So is most of my family.
But there are many who do not have one or any of these luxuries. I clearly am the rich man in the story. This is another one of those checklist things – feed the hungry, bind up their wounds, visit them in their infirmities. But more importantly, care in the moment!
I suspect, like so many other stories in the Bible, that this one has a serious back story. I think I will put it on my list to discuss with Jesus if I make it to heaven – through the narrow gate, don’t you know.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
April 13
OT -- Joshua 7:16-9:2
My NIV says that the tribe of Judah, the clan of Zerhaites, the family of Zimri, and Achan were 'taken'. The Message says 'singled out'. New International says 'chosen'. The true meaning of the Hebrew word is to choose.
I pondered for a while why NIV did not use it. Here is what I finally came up with. "Chosen" in the Bible has such a positive meaning. Moses was The Chosen One. The Children of Israel were God's Chosen People. God Chose David, and stuck with him through thick and thin.
Achan was bad. When he 'chose', he chose the wrong side. And it cost him. And not just him, all his children and livestock. Didn't say anything about wives in my Bible. Maybe they were dead? But all his sons and daughters.
Here again, The Godfather gives a peek into why. Leave the son alive and he will seek revenge. Even 40 years later. If they all get stoned, you won't have to worry about them growing up with 'bad' seed or 'bad' feelings.
This is a very bloody part of the Bible.
Unfortunately for me, I have no Rashi to turn to for help. My Stone Chumash ends with Deuteronomy. What will I do??
I emailed one of my rabbi friends and he said "not to worry. I will leave you a stack of commentary for the rest of the scriptures." A stack? "Yes, what you have been reading from is nothing as far as Midrash. Wait until you see what I have for you!" Which I will go pick up tomorrow. Can't wait.
NT -- Luke 16:1-18
Okay, not my favorite Luke passages. But then I remembered that this is part of the Lost sets. Go back and start reading from Luke 15:1 through 16:18.
REmember that Jesus is making fun of the Pharisees by saying obvious foolishness that they are agreeing to. Remember?
Of course the kingdom of heaven will be populated by people who cheat their masters!! Of course it will!!
NO!
These are what Jesus is comparing the Pharisees to. THEY wouldn't go after a lost sheep. But God would. THEY wouldn't help an old woman find her 1/10 of her estate. But God would. THEY wouldn't let a thief like the dishonest manager into heaven. But God would.
God's population is not the one of the holier-than-thou. His is the population of the stumbling, the sick, and oppressed. Who make giant mistakes but are really sorry and try to do better. Fall down, ask for help, and then keep going.
We are God's population when we mix and mingle with this crowd and admit that we are one of them.
Perfect. Who can attain it? No one, so you might as well ask for forgiveness and move on.
And is this the perfect Psalm for this Luke passage or what?
Psalm 82
'Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Selah!
Much love and gratefulness for this community. I hope you have a splendid weekend and enjoy the beauty of our world!
If your email does not display YouTube videos, click here.
My NIV says that the tribe of Judah, the clan of Zerhaites, the family of Zimri, and Achan were 'taken'. The Message says 'singled out'. New International says 'chosen'. The true meaning of the Hebrew word is to choose.
I pondered for a while why NIV did not use it. Here is what I finally came up with. "Chosen" in the Bible has such a positive meaning. Moses was The Chosen One. The Children of Israel were God's Chosen People. God Chose David, and stuck with him through thick and thin.
Achan was bad. When he 'chose', he chose the wrong side. And it cost him. And not just him, all his children and livestock. Didn't say anything about wives in my Bible. Maybe they were dead? But all his sons and daughters.
Here again, The Godfather gives a peek into why. Leave the son alive and he will seek revenge. Even 40 years later. If they all get stoned, you won't have to worry about them growing up with 'bad' seed or 'bad' feelings.
This is a very bloody part of the Bible.
Unfortunately for me, I have no Rashi to turn to for help. My Stone Chumash ends with Deuteronomy. What will I do??
I emailed one of my rabbi friends and he said "not to worry. I will leave you a stack of commentary for the rest of the scriptures." A stack? "Yes, what you have been reading from is nothing as far as Midrash. Wait until you see what I have for you!" Which I will go pick up tomorrow. Can't wait.
NT -- Luke 16:1-18
Okay, not my favorite Luke passages. But then I remembered that this is part of the Lost sets. Go back and start reading from Luke 15:1 through 16:18.
REmember that Jesus is making fun of the Pharisees by saying obvious foolishness that they are agreeing to. Remember?
Of course the kingdom of heaven will be populated by people who cheat their masters!! Of course it will!!
NO!
These are what Jesus is comparing the Pharisees to. THEY wouldn't go after a lost sheep. But God would. THEY wouldn't help an old woman find her 1/10 of her estate. But God would. THEY wouldn't let a thief like the dishonest manager into heaven. But God would.
God's population is not the one of the holier-than-thou. His is the population of the stumbling, the sick, and oppressed. Who make giant mistakes but are really sorry and try to do better. Fall down, ask for help, and then keep going.
We are God's population when we mix and mingle with this crowd and admit that we are one of them.
Perfect. Who can attain it? No one, so you might as well ask for forgiveness and move on.
And is this the perfect Psalm for this Luke passage or what?
Psalm 82
'Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Selah!
Much love and gratefulness for this community. I hope you have a splendid weekend and enjoy the beauty of our world!
If your email does not display YouTube videos, click here.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
April 12
OT – Joshua 5:1-7:15
Just sayin’ but I bet Joshua was not a popular man when he came around with the knife….
Check out this marketing video using Noah’s Ark and the Walls of Jericho. If your email doesn’t display YouTube, click here.
NT: Luke 15:1-32
Jesus tells these 3 ‘lost’ stories. In each one of them, he makes us out to be foolish right from the get –go. No shepherd leaves 99 for the one. No woman has a party that costs loads when she finds a small coin. And Leviticus 25:47-54 tells us WHY no Israelite man would have allowed himself to be sold and his family not redeem him. Here is what Rashi has to say about that verse in Leviticus:
“The ultimate degradation is for a Jew to be sold as a slave to a non-Jewish resident of Israel. In that unpleasant case, the Torah places a responsibility upon his kinsmen to redeem him, but they must do so without depriving the owner of his legitimate property rights. “The scenario that Jesus outlines simply would not have happened and everyone listening would have known that . But there the Pharisees are shaking their heads and looking wise. I don’t want to give away the end of the story but once those Pharisees figured out Jesus was making them look stupid, they got mad again and started talking and planning Jesus’ ultimate demise. Which is just what Jesus wanted. This is a very strange way to run a religion.
Thanks for your kind words today regarding my lack of post. I will tell you, it is hard not to go back and read yesterday’s. But that is the rule. I am not after perfection, I am after learning limits and doing the best I can.
So for any of you that are still in the ‘perfect’ read mode, I salute you and wish you continued success. It is hard for me not to try for that!
Just sayin’ but I bet Joshua was not a popular man when he came around with the knife….
Check out this marketing video using Noah’s Ark and the Walls of Jericho. If your email doesn’t display YouTube, click here.
NT: Luke 15:1-32
Jesus tells these 3 ‘lost’ stories. In each one of them, he makes us out to be foolish right from the get –go. No shepherd leaves 99 for the one. No woman has a party that costs loads when she finds a small coin. And Leviticus 25:47-54 tells us WHY no Israelite man would have allowed himself to be sold and his family not redeem him. Here is what Rashi has to say about that verse in Leviticus:
“The ultimate degradation is for a Jew to be sold as a slave to a non-Jewish resident of Israel. In that unpleasant case, the Torah places a responsibility upon his kinsmen to redeem him, but they must do so without depriving the owner of his legitimate property rights. “The scenario that Jesus outlines simply would not have happened and everyone listening would have known that . But there the Pharisees are shaking their heads and looking wise. I don’t want to give away the end of the story but once those Pharisees figured out Jesus was making them look stupid, they got mad again and started talking and planning Jesus’ ultimate demise. Which is just what Jesus wanted. This is a very strange way to run a religion.
Thanks for your kind words today regarding my lack of post. I will tell you, it is hard not to go back and read yesterday’s. But that is the rule. I am not after perfection, I am after learning limits and doing the best I can.
So for any of you that are still in the ‘perfect’ read mode, I salute you and wish you continued success. It is hard for me not to try for that!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
April 11
I am sorry to have to break my string, but I just did not have time to do the reading today.
Monday, April 9, 2012
April 10
OT -- Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24
Moses died and God buried him. Here is Bible trivia for you. God buries no one else in the Bible. He takes a few up to heaven without dying but nobody gets buried by God.
There is tremendous significance in that. God clearly had such great respect for Moses. And Moses really, really, really wanted to go to The Promised Land. God refused to relent. It really seemed sort of trivial to me, the whole whapping of the rod on the stone when he was supposed to just tap. And Moses gave up so much to be God's mouthpiece. Rashi says Moses gave up sex with his oh so beautiful Midian wife, Zipporah. And think of the squabbles the man had to listen to and judge.
Even at the end, when God took Moses up to Mt Nebo and showed him it all, and Moses was still strong, but he didn't get to go. I feel sorry for Moses. One of the medieval rabbis Or HaChaim says that this is not a sacrifice on Moses' part. According to rabbinic tradition, all souls must go through Israel before they can ascend to heaven. Moses was so great, he did not need to pass through Israel in order to ascend. I leave you to decide which one you agree with.
NT -- Luke 13:22-14:6
Why, after they have spent 10 or so chapters questioning Jesus trying to get him to trip up, are the Pharisees silent? Surely, they aren't getting smarter?
Proverbs 12:26
You do have to be careful in friendships. People will definitely lead you astray or down paths you would not have trod. And don't get me started on group mentality. With prom for Matthew this week, I am just in the hold on and pray mode. Then the following week is Cole's. Yes, there is a bunch of wicked involved in this season.
Blessings on you and your meditations. May your readings be illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
Moses died and God buried him. Here is Bible trivia for you. God buries no one else in the Bible. He takes a few up to heaven without dying but nobody gets buried by God.
There is tremendous significance in that. God clearly had such great respect for Moses. And Moses really, really, really wanted to go to The Promised Land. God refused to relent. It really seemed sort of trivial to me, the whole whapping of the rod on the stone when he was supposed to just tap. And Moses gave up so much to be God's mouthpiece. Rashi says Moses gave up sex with his oh so beautiful Midian wife, Zipporah. And think of the squabbles the man had to listen to and judge.
Even at the end, when God took Moses up to Mt Nebo and showed him it all, and Moses was still strong, but he didn't get to go. I feel sorry for Moses. One of the medieval rabbis Or HaChaim says that this is not a sacrifice on Moses' part. According to rabbinic tradition, all souls must go through Israel before they can ascend to heaven. Moses was so great, he did not need to pass through Israel in order to ascend. I leave you to decide which one you agree with.
NT -- Luke 13:22-14:6
Why, after they have spent 10 or so chapters questioning Jesus trying to get him to trip up, are the Pharisees silent? Surely, they aren't getting smarter?
Proverbs 12:26
You do have to be careful in friendships. People will definitely lead you astray or down paths you would not have trod. And don't get me started on group mentality. With prom for Matthew this week, I am just in the hold on and pray mode. Then the following week is Cole's. Yes, there is a bunch of wicked involved in this season.
Blessings on you and your meditations. May your readings be illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
April 9
NT – Luke 13:1-21
I thought we were through with poor, blighted fig trees but I guess not. Although I like this version better than Jesus cursing the fig tree that was not in season yet didn’t produce fruit. All of these allusions were set out to make a point – the kingdom of God is not what we think it is.
As I write this post, I am on an AirTran 737 heading back to Atlanta from Chicago. Airline travel is something Jesus’ disciples could not believe, yet we willingly jump through hoops with shoes off, laptops out of their cases, no outside fluids (not even 7 oz toothpaste tubes that made it through security in Atlanta but did not in Chicago) to be herded into aluminum tubes that squish us all together and whisk us from one part of the world to another in minutes or hours. Walking to Jerusalem for the disciples took DAYS.
And we still have the same problems understanding what the kingdom of God will be like. Do you think Jesus was being deliberately obtuse about it when he compares it to a mustard tree and yeast? Earlier, he had called the Pharisees yeast. And not in a good way.
It seems like our ideas about who will populate the kingdom and who will lead it are topsy turvy from what present society is like. You see this on this airplane. Who gets to get on first? The rich. Even though it would make so much more sense to board from the back to the front, ‘business class’ boards first. Me, I would put everyone on the plane from back to front, then load the babies and toddlers, then load first class and take off. If you pay your money, you go first. Except in the kingdom. It is not money that gets you in, it is doing what is required by God with a pure heart and believing that Jesus is the Son of God. I am thinking it is the pure heart that is going to trip me.
Here is a YouTube of a mustard seed song. Click here if your email does not display YouTube videos.
Psalm 78:65-72
Gosh, this is a long psalm. I have had to go back and reread the three earlier sections to understand where we are. As a recap, this psalm traces the history of Israel from Jacob and his children, through the flight to Egypt, up out of Egypt, through the desert with all the wonders, and through the conquest of Israel. The psalm talks about the sinning of the people and how God would become angry and let them be overwhelmed.
Today’s section is the victorious David, the champion of God, taking the kingship and the reins of the people. Clearly, this was written at the beginning of David’s reign. Everything is glorious.
I recently got a comment on the blog which I deleted because of its harsh tone and its anonymous user. But I think the psalm refutes part of the commenter’s statement which was basically that the exiles in Babylon made Moses up to provide hope. This psalm does not follow even closely the wording or the ‘feel’ of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Yet it tells the same stories, albeit from decidedly different perspectives. And while Moses is not named, clearly there was a leader that God provided to shepherd his flock through the flight and during the conquest. And this psalm was almost certainly written during David’s early reign. Notice that there is no mention of the capitol being Jerusalem, rather Shiloh is mentioned. David moved the capitol to Jerusalem in the early/middle part of his reign.
One of my favorite TV shows is the remake of BattleStar Galactica which aired from 2003-2009. A million times better than the original, the characters are flawed and ‘real’ human beings, even the Cylons who are machines. In one episode, Laura Roslin, the president of the Colonies tells Adama that he is lucky. Why, Adama asks. In battle you die once, says Roslin. In politics you die a thousand times. I think David would have agreed with Roslin. I am looking forward to studying David in this Bible study.
OT – Deuteronomy 33:1-29 Last full day in Deuteronomy
Is it me or is this little bit of poetry different from the earlier sermons that Moses gave in Deuteronomy? I am thinking this is another of those inserts during the disagreements with the Jehovah line and the priestly line.
I looked in my Stone Chumash to see what “king over Jeshurun” meant. Here is what Rashi had to say about that. Maybe I am mistaken but I don’t think I have ever seen Jacob described that way. “Jeshurun, i.e. Israel. This title of honor is from the word meaning straight, righteous. It designates Israel in its ideal state as God’s upright nation.
Once Israel declared its eternal loyalty to the Torah (vs. 3-4), GOD became ‘king of Jeshurun’, because it is only among those who grasp and diligently involve themselves in its study that He is truly King.” Stone Chumash p. 1113
Proverbs 12:25 Truer words have never been spoken. Anxiety weighs a million pounds per square item.
And just an administrative note. This is a Bible blog, written by someone who has not been to seminary nor do I have a degree in any kind of Biblical studies. I do make mistakes and I do question a lot. I do call myself a Christian although I recognize there are those out there who would not. I don’t mind people taking me to task on my beliefs either by a comment or by email or even in the grocery store, but I do expect you to be civil and I do expect you to provide your contact information to reply or rebut as I see fit. I am open to alternative views and would have like to have seen the material that the poster quotes but does not source. I have my own questions about Moses. During this time of study, I have tried to suspend some of my previous thoughts about him and I am the richer in Bible knowledge for it. That does not mean that my questions or my doubts have gone away, if anything, they are more numerous and larger. A Bible study of this magnitude and depth will change you and I am open to the change – for good or worse. Civility is my choice for arguments of all kinds. Since this is my blog, I would appreciate the courtesy of same.
I thought we were through with poor, blighted fig trees but I guess not. Although I like this version better than Jesus cursing the fig tree that was not in season yet didn’t produce fruit. All of these allusions were set out to make a point – the kingdom of God is not what we think it is.
As I write this post, I am on an AirTran 737 heading back to Atlanta from Chicago. Airline travel is something Jesus’ disciples could not believe, yet we willingly jump through hoops with shoes off, laptops out of their cases, no outside fluids (not even 7 oz toothpaste tubes that made it through security in Atlanta but did not in Chicago) to be herded into aluminum tubes that squish us all together and whisk us from one part of the world to another in minutes or hours. Walking to Jerusalem for the disciples took DAYS.
And we still have the same problems understanding what the kingdom of God will be like. Do you think Jesus was being deliberately obtuse about it when he compares it to a mustard tree and yeast? Earlier, he had called the Pharisees yeast. And not in a good way.
It seems like our ideas about who will populate the kingdom and who will lead it are topsy turvy from what present society is like. You see this on this airplane. Who gets to get on first? The rich. Even though it would make so much more sense to board from the back to the front, ‘business class’ boards first. Me, I would put everyone on the plane from back to front, then load the babies and toddlers, then load first class and take off. If you pay your money, you go first. Except in the kingdom. It is not money that gets you in, it is doing what is required by God with a pure heart and believing that Jesus is the Son of God. I am thinking it is the pure heart that is going to trip me.
Here is a YouTube of a mustard seed song. Click here if your email does not display YouTube videos.
Psalm 78:65-72
Gosh, this is a long psalm. I have had to go back and reread the three earlier sections to understand where we are. As a recap, this psalm traces the history of Israel from Jacob and his children, through the flight to Egypt, up out of Egypt, through the desert with all the wonders, and through the conquest of Israel. The psalm talks about the sinning of the people and how God would become angry and let them be overwhelmed.
Today’s section is the victorious David, the champion of God, taking the kingship and the reins of the people. Clearly, this was written at the beginning of David’s reign. Everything is glorious.
I recently got a comment on the blog which I deleted because of its harsh tone and its anonymous user. But I think the psalm refutes part of the commenter’s statement which was basically that the exiles in Babylon made Moses up to provide hope. This psalm does not follow even closely the wording or the ‘feel’ of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Yet it tells the same stories, albeit from decidedly different perspectives. And while Moses is not named, clearly there was a leader that God provided to shepherd his flock through the flight and during the conquest. And this psalm was almost certainly written during David’s early reign. Notice that there is no mention of the capitol being Jerusalem, rather Shiloh is mentioned. David moved the capitol to Jerusalem in the early/middle part of his reign.
One of my favorite TV shows is the remake of BattleStar Galactica which aired from 2003-2009. A million times better than the original, the characters are flawed and ‘real’ human beings, even the Cylons who are machines. In one episode, Laura Roslin, the president of the Colonies tells Adama that he is lucky. Why, Adama asks. In battle you die once, says Roslin. In politics you die a thousand times. I think David would have agreed with Roslin. I am looking forward to studying David in this Bible study.
OT – Deuteronomy 33:1-29 Last full day in Deuteronomy
Is it me or is this little bit of poetry different from the earlier sermons that Moses gave in Deuteronomy? I am thinking this is another of those inserts during the disagreements with the Jehovah line and the priestly line.
I looked in my Stone Chumash to see what “king over Jeshurun” meant. Here is what Rashi had to say about that. Maybe I am mistaken but I don’t think I have ever seen Jacob described that way. “Jeshurun, i.e. Israel. This title of honor is from the word meaning straight, righteous. It designates Israel in its ideal state as God’s upright nation.
Once Israel declared its eternal loyalty to the Torah (vs. 3-4), GOD became ‘king of Jeshurun’, because it is only among those who grasp and diligently involve themselves in its study that He is truly King.” Stone Chumash p. 1113
Proverbs 12:25 Truer words have never been spoken. Anxiety weighs a million pounds per square item.
And just an administrative note. This is a Bible blog, written by someone who has not been to seminary nor do I have a degree in any kind of Biblical studies. I do make mistakes and I do question a lot. I do call myself a Christian although I recognize there are those out there who would not. I don’t mind people taking me to task on my beliefs either by a comment or by email or even in the grocery store, but I do expect you to be civil and I do expect you to provide your contact information to reply or rebut as I see fit. I am open to alternative views and would have like to have seen the material that the poster quotes but does not source. I have my own questions about Moses. During this time of study, I have tried to suspend some of my previous thoughts about him and I am the richer in Bible knowledge for it. That does not mean that my questions or my doubts have gone away, if anything, they are more numerous and larger. A Bible study of this magnitude and depth will change you and I am open to the change – for good or worse. Civility is my choice for arguments of all kinds. Since this is my blog, I would appreciate the courtesy of same.
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