May 15

OT – 1 Samuel 17:1-18:4
How much does a shekel weigh?
Here is the info from http://topics.info.com/How-much-does-the-Biblical-shekel-weigh-in-modern-units_3105

Biblical

Volume
omer = 4.188 quarts (modern) or 0.45 peck (modern) or 3.964 liters (modern)
9.4 omers = 1 bath
10 omers = 1 ephah

Weight
shekel = 0.497 ounces (modern) or 14.1 grams (modern)

Length
cubit = 21.8 inches (modern)

So that means that Goliath’s coat of armor weighing 5,000 shekels equals 155 pounds! Just the coat of armor! Also, he was reported to have been 9 feet tall. Was this an exaggeration? Possibly. But remember when Joshua and Caleb and the other spies were sent into the Promised Land by Moses? They reported a land of giants.
I tried to figure out what the average height of a 800 BCE man was. Lots of speculation, but here are some good figures. Alexander the Great (died 323 BCE)was approximately 5’5” and was considered ‘slightly shorter than normal’. The average height of a Roman soldier (based on armor that has been recovered at Pompeii and elsewhere was between 5’6”-5’11”. Julius Caesar (died 44 BCE) was ‘slight’ of stature according to some accounts. But a life-size bust recovered from the Mediterranean puts him squarely in the 5’6”-5’8” range.
If we consider the years between Alexander and Julius Caesar and the years between Alexander and David as typical, the average height in Palestine was probably in the 5’5”-5’10” range. At any rate, neither Julius nor Alexander could have possibly worn armor weighing 155 lbs for the coat.
Which brings me back to the question, how tall was Goliath? If he is carrying around approximately 200 pounds in armor before he even begins to fight, I think he has to be at least 7-8 feet tall. Yao Ming, the NBA star at 7’5” reportedly bench presses 300 pounds. So, while the 9 feet may be an exaggeration, whatever Goliath was, he must have been a TERRIFYING sight to the 5’11” David (tall for an Israelite, according to the scriptures). Yet, David, unlike the rest of Israelite army which included 3 of his brothers, had no fear. Only resolve that the Lord God would be with him and would enable him to overcome the giant. Of course, that is what happened and we have VBS stories to revel in.
A couple of curious things, however. Why, if Saul had given David his armor didn’t he know whose son was going out there to kill Goliath? And if David had been in and out of Saul’s home, doing his lyre thing, why didn’t Saul recognize him? Does being God’s servant change your appearance? Another question for heaven.

Psalm 111
After a long and totally unproductive day (and one that SHOULD have been!!), after an emotional hour and a half with a dear friend, after reading so much YUCK in Judges and 1st Samuel; today we have this beautiful psalm. Thank you God, for your unending blessings. 2800 years ago these words were written, 2100 years ago they were set in this order, 25 years ago The Bible in a Year was published with this as the psalm for May 15 for me to read this evening to be comforted that God has my heart, home, and body in his gracious, compassionate and wonderful hands.
The very first verse led me to Dictionary.com to the meaning of the word extol. “to praise highly, laud, eulogize”. Well, we aren’t eulogizing God. But I agree with the praise highly. I have so much to be thankful for that God has provided. A healthy family, an intact family. A job I love, people I care about to work with me. A good mind that I hope is still bendable and teachable. A nice home. Friends and animals who love me that I love.
In so many of these areas, His wonderful hand is present.
But that is personal. The psalm is corporate. He is gracious and wonderful to ALL his people. His word is steadfast and His promises are forever. As God’s people, we have so very, very, very much to be thankful to him.
I’ve written over the top of this psalm – for my blue days. And God, I give you thanks for those as well.

Grace and peace and God’s blessings to you all.

May 14

OT –1 Samuel 15:1-16:23
One of the hard parts about reading OT for me is imposing my own 21st century values and morals on these stories and characters. As a Protestant, I believe I need no priest to intervene for me with God. Yet, in this story, Samuel is hearing the word of God, imparting it to Saul and then passing judgment on Saul for not exactly following the word of God.
I do recognize that this book was written after the line of David was in power and there is a certain amount of justification that is going on to say why Saul was chosen first but David took over.
But I believe that these ancient scriptures speak to us today about our problems, concerns and situation. What then, am I to make of this one?
We have read and will read of people keeping the booty for their own benefit. Yet, Saul did not. He kept the cattle live for sacrifice. The king, well, maybe he thought that as a hostage, the king was more valuable alive than dead. But leaders make mistakes in the heat of battle and Saul had no one there to advise him. Maybe if Samuel had been there, he would not have disobeyed.
What are our sacrifices and who are we supposed to eradicate for the Lord?
Who is interpreting the scriptures for our leaders and do we even want them to? What if the leader was another religion? Would we want that leader to be advised by his spiritual advisor?
What a quandary. I am not prepared with any answers, just more questions. And it is hard for me to read these scriptures and not feel pity for Saul who it appeared was doing the best that he could.

NT – John 8:1-20
Oh, so it is this story that shows Jesus’ compassion! Always, always, I want to know where the guy who was caught with the woman is!
In this reading, I was struck by that phrase, “At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, THE OLDER ONES FIRST, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. “ vs. 9
The older ones first. It does seem that the older you get, the more you realize that you are not perfect, and you are more like other folk than not like them. I guess the older ones had more ‘sins’ weighing on them than the newer ones.
But if this story is about compassion, who did Jesus have compassion for? Certainly the woman. But did he also not have compassion on her accusers? He let them slip away, unseen by his eyes as he wrote on the ground. Knowing all (remember the Samaritan woman at the well), Jesus knew who did what with whom and how often. All of us sin. By letting them slip away, he was forgiving THEIR sins as well. And maybe, just maybe, the next time they were asked to accuse someone, they thought of their own lives and their own sins. Certainly, when I read this story, I see my own faults, lies, and evil deeds written on that ground.




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May 13

May 13
OT -- 1 Samuel 13:23-14:52
What a stupid oath! Why would Saul have said that? And how can someone who is not in the camp be bound by that same oath? It is the exact same problem I have with that awful story in Judges when Jephthath ended up killing his own daughter. How can people be held to such things?
And yet it happens time and again. Rashi has a brief comment about it in one of his Midrash. He says this was God’s way of reminding his people that oaths made to God were sacred, not to be misspoken or spoken lightly. Better not to swear than to swear lightly. In a culture that had few written words, oaths made out loud had great, great weight. Anyone who broke their oath would be considered untrustworthy in all sorts of deeds.

NT – John 7:30-53
Our friend, Nicodemus shows up in today’s scripture. He does not support Jesus, no not yet, but he does question the Pharisees on a point of order. Clearly, he was not one of the disciples who ‘did not believe’ and ‘who left Jesus’. My vs 50 says Nicodemus was ‘one of their own number’. I guess he was ultimately considered by them to be a huge Turncoat.
And a reminder that John was written to clarify and amend the records about Jesus that were swirling around in first century Palestine. Thus, we have the whole “messisah from David, Messiah from Bethlehem” questions. How can Jesus be from Galilee if nothing good ever comes from there?

My study Bible says that the next verses were added to the gospel of John probably in the 3rd century and they were designed to show Jesus’ compassionate nature. Well, having just spent the last several days watching him confuse, run off disciples, and sneak around getting to and from the Temple for the Feast, we probably could use a little dose of compassion. Will have to wait until tomorrow to see what story that is. Don’t peek ahead.

On a personal note,Matthew graduated from Woodward Academy yesterday. I gave him his diploma. He graciously lent me his arm to walk down those steps and we both did fine.
His party was wonderful, friends and family gathered to congratulate and celebrate with him.
We are looking forward to the next chapter in his life.

May 12

May 12
Psalm 108
I read this psalm several times before I finally realized that there are 3 verses to this poem.
The first one is vs. 1-6. David is speaking and he is talking to God. He plans on waking God up with his music, praising God for all his glory and then sneaking in with his petition to save them.
The second verse is vs. 7-9 and God is speaking back to David. He speaks from his sanctuary (heaven) and tells David, ‘no problem! I am going to parcel out all the good stuff and the mean boys of Moab, Edom, and Philistia, I intend squash like bugs.’ (only God uses bathroom metaphors, not insects.)
The last verse is vs. 10-13 and David is again speaking, concluding that with God, David would win.

One of the reasons that the Pharisees gave for hounding Jesus was his ‘familiarity’ with God. Jesus called God, “Father”. While David does not do this, he clearly has a relationship with God that allows him to yell, beg, plead and sometimes throw verbal jabs at God without fearing for his very hide.
Moses appeared to have a similar relationship with God. He spent the last years of his life, apparently pleading with God to let him enter into the Promised Land, which God did not allow.
If the Pharisees looked very hard at their scriptures, they could have seen that while Moses didn’t call God “Father”, he called him a lot of less nicer names and so did David!

I really appreciate that David had this kind of back/forth with God. His was a very personal, involved faith. The kind I aspire to. I am not interested in a cold, calculating God or one that is removed from everyday emotions, drives and desires. I do not expect a Santa Claus God but I do want one that is present. David clearly thought God had sleeps and wakes, temper tantrums and cooling off periods and good days and bad. Makes for interesting theology that not everyone in the Bible shares.

Graduation today. It would be nice if everyone prayed that I don’t trip coming down the uneven steps at Richardson Hall after giving Matthew his diploma. I begged him not to put me in that position – I very nearly fell coming down the steps after getting my own diploma, 31 years ago. But he refused to relent and I gave in. Prayers are totally appreciated for that.

Much love, grace and blessing to you all.

May 11

May 11
OT – Samuel 10:1-11:15
When I read these little ‘tidbits’ that show up in the Bible stories like Saul hiding in the baggage, I cannot help but laugh. Those sound so much like family stories that are told on each one of us when we bring home someone new or worse yet, someone dear.
It is quite possible that the story was twisted in some way after they decided that Saul was not the ‘real’ king. But I like to think that it was true. After all, he didn’t appear to go wrangling for the kingship. He seemed just to show up on the scene and God, through Samuel, picks him.
I remember sitting one day at the park when Matt was very small and one of the moms on the bench blurted out, what if one of our sons were going to be president. And all I could think of was “gosh, I really, really, really hope not.”
Do you think this story is one that showed that Saul really, really, really didn’t want to be king?

NT – 6:43-71
Only in John do we have this sad little note about the disciples who left Jesus. In the other 3 gospels, the leaving was done after the arrest. If Jesus knew from the beginning who didn’t believe him, why did he continue to teach them? Prescience seems to be a powerful indicator of a prophet. We saw an elaborate display of Samuel’s ability in our OT scripture and here is Jesus doing it in the NT.
In the early Christian church, there were constant questions about the eating of the body and drinking of the blood of Jesus. So much so that one of the few surviving ex-Biblica references to 1st century Christianity is a critical one about cannibalism. This is also a charge leveled against Catholics in their doctrine of transubstantiation of physically eating Jesus and drinking his blood. (In today’s vampire crazy world, many of the vampire genre have racks of priests/vampires ever at the ready).
When Jesus says ‘whoever drinks my blood and eats my flesh has eternal life’, does he mean that literally? I think not. I think this is just one of John’s esoteric turns of a phrase to represent the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for our salvation.
But I can easily see how this would be misinterpreted and for all I know, *I* am misinterpreting it.

Proverbs 15:1-3
A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
This was one of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s favorite proverbs. She wrote about it in These Happy Golden Years as a statement of Ma’s. And it probably did come from her mother. But she had that proverb written above her sink in her home in Missouri. Pa makes the statement that Laura must think first, then speak when she takes her first teaching job.
This is a good lesson for all of us, me especially right now. When people are angry, they really don’t want to hear my ‘oh so great advice’. They want to just vent. And sometimes, they want to vent on me.
When I return with a nasty little retort, which I probably am entitled to, the scene escalates. The only hope to diffuse the situation is the gentle answer. Or maybe to say nothing at all! What an original idea!

On a personal note, this evening, we will be attending Matthew’s Bacculaurate service and Senior Banquet. As he enters this new phase of life, I would covet your prayers for Godly choices, clear vision, and the reprofes, when they come, to be gentle.

May 10

May 10
OT – 1 Samuel 8:1-9:27
We hear nothing of Samuel’s home life. Or his wife. Or his wives. Just that he had at least 2 sons that he appointed judges. And they, of course, shades of Eli, were unworthy. Having watched Eli, why didn’t Samuel do a better job?
But to the real scripture, the calling of a king. God gives the reason to avoid a king as costing the Israelites money, people, and possessions. But what you really give up for a king is POWER. Just to be like everyone else, you would give up power? Makes me cringe. But then, I did not live in a time where there was constant war and you had these loose little ‘clan-states’ who sometimes came to the aid of another and sometimes didn’t. I probably would have been in the crowd, calling for a king myself!
The fact that Saul was tall, good-looking, and ‘impressive’ made him a good choice. They say that the taller man usually wins in presidential elections. I guess the same was true in Judges’ world. Good looking is also a factor in elections. Nothing much seems to have changed in 3,000 years.

NT – John 6:22-42
This little story is about greed. Our greed. We want bigger and better every time.
What miraculous sign? Well, sometimes, it is ANY sign. But if the stun of that passes, I guess you would want more and more. And if the miracle worker was someone you ‘knew’, how unreal would that be?
Look at vs. 26: “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man (Jesus) will give you . On him, God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Poor Jesus. Sent to save men's souls and by happenstance, people discovered that he could heal the sick, blind, and lame. I frequently miss the message. I certainly missed it here. I wanted the miracle, the food that spoils. Thank you for the reminder that it is God's kingdom, not Sylvia's that we are working for.

May 9

May 9
NT—John 6:1-21
The Feeding of the 5,000 is the second story in John that is in all 4 gospels. John adds the tag line about the making him king by force, causing Jesus to withdraw. But otherwise, the story is the same. What are we to make of this miracle? Is it something special that there were *12* baskets left over? Left over! The twelve tribes would not ‘consume’ Jesus’ living bread? Numbers in 1st century Rome had great weight. They were never just flung around. If you used one, it had specific meaning.

OT – 1st Samuel 5:1-7:17
While I was reading the account of the tumors and destruction that having the Ark had on the Philistines, I kept thinking about Raiders of the Lost Ark. I kept thinking that if Hitler and that nasty villain archeologist Rene Belloq had only read 1st Samuel, they would not have messed with the Ark. Especially since Hitler was busy exterminating God’s chosen people. It never occurred to me in 1981 when I saw that movie that there was something really twisted about HITLER, Mr. I Hate Jews, using the Ark for his purposes. It was only years later the first time I studied the Bible in mostly whole portions in a course called Kerygma that I got that.
Steven Speilberg is Jewish. He knew all about that plot twist and yet he kept that mostly undiscussed. He would have made a great Midrash scholar if he hadn’t gone into the movie business.
A note about the god mentioned – Dagon. This is from Wikipedia:
“Dagon was originally an Assyro-Babylonian fertility god who evolved into a major northwest Semitic god, reportedly of grain (as symbol of fertility) and fish and/or fishing (as symbol of multiplying). He was worshipped by the early Amorites and by the inhabitants of the cities of Ebla (modern Tell Mardikh, Syria) and Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra, Syria) (which was an ancient city near the Mediterranean containing a large variety of ancient writings and pre-Judeo-Christian shrines). He was also a major member, or perhaps head, of the pantheon of the Biblical Philistines.”

I always find it interesting when other gods and goddesses are mentioned in the OT. It is amazing that in an area no bigger than Georgia in totality and much of it uninhabitable due to desert, you could have that many kingdoms, that many languages, that many religions all in conflict with one another.

Proverbs 14:32-33
Just a quick question about, “Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.”
Why is it if Wisdom is known by fools that they do not follow Wisdom? I am primarily speaking of myself when I do something I *KNOW* is bad but I do it anyway. Just askin’

Grace and peace to each of you. May you be a light unto the world.