I'm off to celebrate Mother's Day a day early with my family. But before I go, here are the questions/answers and a reflection to get your day started!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Fri, May 8: What is David’s reaction when Nathan tells him that God said, “I will be his father and he will be my son. . . . But my love will never be taken away from him. . .” (2 Sam 7) DISBELIEF: 2 Samuel 7:18-19 18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?
And here's the question of the day:
Sat, May 9: Who is it that Paul cautions the Corinthians NOT to associate with? (I Cor 5)
And here's the reflection of the day:
This passage of 1 Corinthians 10 is one of those that could have been written for us today, instead of written for the church at Corinth centuries ago.
At Bible Study this week, we were lamenting how things never change--how we still do the same bad and sinful things that our ancestors in the faith did. 1 Cor 10 tells us how our ancestors were "baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea. They all ate from the same spiritual food and drank from the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
NEVERTHELESS, God was not pleased with most of them" (vv 2-5). He writes that their bodies were scattered over the desert as a punishment for their sins (v 6). Paul goes on to say, "Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did" (v 6).
Now, we may think we're doing OK. We haven't killed anyone lately; we have plans to honor our mothers today or tomorrow. We're pretty good at keeping most of the 10 Commandments. But Paul warns us, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall" (v 12). Don't deceive yourself when it comes to your sinfulness. It's tempting to look around and compare your sinfulness to the sinfulness of others because you may think you'll come out squeaky clean.
It's tempting to look at the history of civilization and think we've made great strides when it comes to holiness. But the very act of comparing yourself to someone else is a sin and will only lead to further sinfulness.
Instead, heed Paul's caution: 1 Corinthians 10:13 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Showing posts with label holy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holy. Show all posts
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Second-Guessing God
G'morning to you! (Or afternoon, or evening, or middle of the night or whenever it is that you are reading this.)
I'm glad you're hear. Let's get started.
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Thurs, Apr 2 What did the Israelites (finally) stop eating after coming into the Promised Land? (Josh 5)
Joshua 5:11-12 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan.
And here's the question of the day:
Fri, Apr 3 To whom does God show kindness? To whom does God show sternness? (Rom 11)
And here's the reflection of the day:
It's back to Romans today, chapter 11 to be exact. Romans is a very complicated book, one that people study for years and years and years and still only scratch its surfaces.
For the purposes of this blog, an in-depth analysis is not possible. As I was reading through NT Wright's commentary on Romans, he includes the following point: "At the heart of Romans 9-11 there lies the humility that recognizes God as God and does not try to second-guess or criticize what God has planned and done."
We live in the "after-glow" of the Enlightenment--a period of time in the 1700s where REASON was the primary source of authority. Since that time, at least in the Western World, reason has ruled. We (or rather, most of us) base our lives on that which is logical and calculated.
We have been taught to allow reason to infiltrate each part of our lives, helping us with the organization and administration of life together, even within the church. Don't get me wrong--life would be absolute chaos if we didn't have logic and reason. Reason is good, in moderation, of course.
Reason unchecked leads us to question everything and everyone. Reason unchecked leads us to challenge everything--to push every limit. As Wright says, historically reason "put God in the dock and declared that such a being either does not exist or, if he/she/it does, they disapprove of his/her/its actions." For a while, then, humans left God on the margins, deeming Him irrational and left "for those who feel they need it" (Wright).
Paul wishes neither to completely embrace nor entirely reject reason. He simply wishes to convey that there is a time to use reason to ask the hard questions, even the hard questions of faith, which he does so much of here in Romans. Paul's writings always bear the undeniable mark of logical and complex arguments.
But there is also a time to recognize, like Job and so many others, "that God's answer are, for the best of reasons, final" (Wright). There is great humility in NOT second-guessing God. If God is the Creator, then we are the creatures. If God is holy, then we are most certainly not.
We may not always like God's answers to our prayers, but what arrogance (and ungratefulness) we display when we second-guess God! I'm not saying I haven't done this myself; I'm just saying I know my ego is out of control when I begin to second-guess God.
Here's to a little more humility in my life and in yours!
Allison
I'm glad you're hear. Let's get started.
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Thurs, Apr 2 What did the Israelites (finally) stop eating after coming into the Promised Land? (Josh 5)
Joshua 5:11-12 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan.
And here's the question of the day:
Fri, Apr 3 To whom does God show kindness? To whom does God show sternness? (Rom 11)
And here's the reflection of the day:
It's back to Romans today, chapter 11 to be exact. Romans is a very complicated book, one that people study for years and years and years and still only scratch its surfaces.
For the purposes of this blog, an in-depth analysis is not possible. As I was reading through NT Wright's commentary on Romans, he includes the following point: "At the heart of Romans 9-11 there lies the humility that recognizes God as God and does not try to second-guess or criticize what God has planned and done."
We live in the "after-glow" of the Enlightenment--a period of time in the 1700s where REASON was the primary source of authority. Since that time, at least in the Western World, reason has ruled. We (or rather, most of us) base our lives on that which is logical and calculated.
We have been taught to allow reason to infiltrate each part of our lives, helping us with the organization and administration of life together, even within the church. Don't get me wrong--life would be absolute chaos if we didn't have logic and reason. Reason is good, in moderation, of course.
Reason unchecked leads us to question everything and everyone. Reason unchecked leads us to challenge everything--to push every limit. As Wright says, historically reason "put God in the dock and declared that such a being either does not exist or, if he/she/it does, they disapprove of his/her/its actions." For a while, then, humans left God on the margins, deeming Him irrational and left "for those who feel they need it" (Wright).
Paul wishes neither to completely embrace nor entirely reject reason. He simply wishes to convey that there is a time to use reason to ask the hard questions, even the hard questions of faith, which he does so much of here in Romans. Paul's writings always bear the undeniable mark of logical and complex arguments.
But there is also a time to recognize, like Job and so many others, "that God's answer are, for the best of reasons, final" (Wright). There is great humility in NOT second-guessing God. If God is the Creator, then we are the creatures. If God is holy, then we are most certainly not.
We may not always like God's answers to our prayers, but what arrogance (and ungratefulness) we display when we second-guess God! I'm not saying I haven't done this myself; I'm just saying I know my ego is out of control when I begin to second-guess God.
Here's to a little more humility in my life and in yours!
Allison
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Finding Truth in the Middle of Extremes
Good morning/afternoon/evening! I know I saw this a lot but I REALLY am glad you stopped by again. Sometimes I wish I could be there next to you as you read the day's chapters from the Bible--just in case you had a question or wanted to talk about something. But alas, this is the closest I'm going to get, so I'll try to make stopping by here as worth your while as I can!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Fri, Mar 20: What will happen if the Israelites turn away and worship and bow down to other gods? (Dt 11)
Deuteronomy 11:16-17 6 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you.
And here's the question of the day:
Sat, Mar 21: Romans 2:6 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." What do you think this means?
And here's the reflection of the day:
As we've been reading through the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament), we've seen the theme of God's righteousness over and over again. Leviticus tells us, "Be holy, because I the Lord your God am holy." Hence, all the rules and the regulations given to the Israelites in order to help them be just as holy as they can possibly be.
Believers are called to live according to a higher standard--morally, ethically, and in faithful obedience to God's commandments. It is even the duty of believers to share those standards with others and encourage them to live up to said standards. And sometimes, we can get a little carried away with our good intentions. Pretty easily, we can get so wrapped up in the importance of moral standards that we're imposing on others that we lose sight of whether we ourselves are living up to those very same standards.
In Romans 2, Paul has a discussion on moralizing. We might prefer a more relaxed attitude toward moral and ethical behavior and this, as Wright points out, makes us "all too eager to read Romans 2 as a denunciation of moralism and then to feel self-righteous because we are not self-righteous" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans).
Paul believed that morals mattered to both corporate society and to the individual. Disregarding these morals is sure to lead to disaster. He does not object to people having high moral standards; only when one failed to practice what one preached did Paul have an objection. Wright points out that Paul's point "was the hypocrisy of denouncing faults while secretly practicing them oneself."
And it all comes down to the final judgment, which Wright calls "excellent news for millions in our world, as it was in Paul's." He says this because judgment is "a promise that wrongs will be put to rights, offering a strong and sure hope that can sustain those who suffer oppression and injustice. But in Jesus the Messiah this hope has come forward into the present."
The final judgment has been warped in many ways over the years of reading and preaching. It has been watered down into "vague hopes for a better life hereafter and vague warnings about possible unpleasant consequences of wrongdoing" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans). But it also has been "artificially pumped up into shrill hell-fire denunciations and casual self-satisfied salvation-assurance" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans).
The truth of the final judgment lies somewhere in between these two extremes. Wrongs will be righted, and hope will be offered to the hopeless. God's perfection righteousness will be extended to those who sought, all the days of their lives, to be holy, because the Lord God Almighty is holy--doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
Have a great day!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Fri, Mar 20: What will happen if the Israelites turn away and worship and bow down to other gods? (Dt 11)
Deuteronomy 11:16-17 6 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you.
And here's the question of the day:
Sat, Mar 21: Romans 2:6 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." What do you think this means?
And here's the reflection of the day:
As we've been reading through the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament), we've seen the theme of God's righteousness over and over again. Leviticus tells us, "Be holy, because I the Lord your God am holy." Hence, all the rules and the regulations given to the Israelites in order to help them be just as holy as they can possibly be.
Believers are called to live according to a higher standard--morally, ethically, and in faithful obedience to God's commandments. It is even the duty of believers to share those standards with others and encourage them to live up to said standards. And sometimes, we can get a little carried away with our good intentions. Pretty easily, we can get so wrapped up in the importance of moral standards that we're imposing on others that we lose sight of whether we ourselves are living up to those very same standards.
In Romans 2, Paul has a discussion on moralizing. We might prefer a more relaxed attitude toward moral and ethical behavior and this, as Wright points out, makes us "all too eager to read Romans 2 as a denunciation of moralism and then to feel self-righteous because we are not self-righteous" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans).
Paul believed that morals mattered to both corporate society and to the individual. Disregarding these morals is sure to lead to disaster. He does not object to people having high moral standards; only when one failed to practice what one preached did Paul have an objection. Wright points out that Paul's point "was the hypocrisy of denouncing faults while secretly practicing them oneself."
And it all comes down to the final judgment, which Wright calls "excellent news for millions in our world, as it was in Paul's." He says this because judgment is "a promise that wrongs will be put to rights, offering a strong and sure hope that can sustain those who suffer oppression and injustice. But in Jesus the Messiah this hope has come forward into the present."
The final judgment has been warped in many ways over the years of reading and preaching. It has been watered down into "vague hopes for a better life hereafter and vague warnings about possible unpleasant consequences of wrongdoing" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans). But it also has been "artificially pumped up into shrill hell-fire denunciations and casual self-satisfied salvation-assurance" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans).
The truth of the final judgment lies somewhere in between these two extremes. Wrongs will be righted, and hope will be offered to the hopeless. God's perfection righteousness will be extended to those who sought, all the days of their lives, to be holy, because the Lord God Almighty is holy--doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
Have a great day!
Allison
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Curious Case of Numbers 31
If the charge is dereliction of duty, then I am guilty as charged! ("Father, forgive me for I have sinned; it's been 48 hours since my last blog posting." :0) Everything's OK--just got a little busy.
I hope by now you've gotten into some kind of routine or schedule for your reading. For example, I usually do my reading in the AM while I'm eating breakfast. Then I blog about it, hopefully before the work day begins. Usually this works, except when my schedule is full in the AM. I'm sure you have similar difficulties in your day-to-day schedules.
What I need to do is anticipate these little interruptions in my life (as much as one CAN anticipate interruptions--who was listening to Lori's sermon on Sunday?!) especially when they're scheduled. God's Word is so important that it needs to be a priority in our lives. So I do hereby vow to blog ahead of time when I know an interruption in my normal schedule is coming.
I hope that you too are making adjustments for the interruptions in your life.
So, I'm back now, and I've got lots of questions and answers from the last couple of days:
Tuesday's question and answer of the day:
Tues, March 10: What two people did God say would be left after all the other Israelites had died in the desert? (Num 26)
Numbers 26:65 65 For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
Wednesday's question and answer of the day:
Weds, March 11: While the Israelites are observing the sacred assemblies and preparing offerings, what one thing are they NOT supposed to do? (Num 29)
Numbers 29: “do no work”
Thursday's question of the day:
Thurs, March 12: What did the men take an oath to not do “until we have killed Paul”? (Acts 23)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Numbers 31 is a curious case, don't you think? Dozeman says this: "The book of Numbers is violent. The open versed characterize the numbering of Israel at Mt. Sinai as a registration for the draft, focusing on males who are eligible for war (Num 1:3). The march through the wilderness is a military expedition, with each tribe representing a division (Num 11:13-28) led by the ark (Num 13:1-14), culminating in the slaughter of Israelites (Num 14:39-45)" (NIB Commentary, Numbers).
With so many incidents of war, it seems Numbers needs a careful theological consideration. Is Numbers glorifying war? Are the ethics that the Israelites follow in war (see Deut. 20) the same ethics that we should follow in war? You probably already have some (strong) opinions about war, both about what the Bible says about it and war in the world today. In this post, I just want to share some info with you that might help you to understand what's going on in Numbers 31. And then maybe we'll talk a little about what holy war is.
It's a puzzling story, this Numbers 31. Generally speaking, "holy war" in the Old Testament is guided by the directions given in Deuteronomy 20. Specifically this means they are called to kill all the males of the town they conquer but may keep the women, livestock, and assorted valuables as booty. Which is what the Israelites did in this passage.
So they return home triumphant. God indeed gave them victory in war over the Midianites. As they reach the Israelite camp, they expect Moses, Eleazar and the leaders of the congregation to meet them with great praise and acclaim. And they are met by the leaders, but the leaders are full of anger, not praise.
Imagine the surprise of the army. They did what they were supposed to do; they followed the rules. What could they have possibly done wrong?
It turns out that the women of Midian had seduced the earlier generation of Israelites into apostasy. It was especially the women that Moses was interested in punishing for their part in leading the first generation of Israelites astray! Hence why Moses was so angry: because the women who caused the problem in the first place survived and were still a threat to the second generation of Israelites. Usually a holy war was waged in order to remove temptation from the Israelites; here the temptation to sexual sin and idolatry still existed. That's also why the virgins were spared, because they had not been an active part of the temptation.
So that's what's going on in this chapter of Numbers. Now, read on if you want to know more about whether "holy war" should still be the norm for today or if "holy war" is something temporary.
I know this whole notion of "holy war" is bound to stir up a variety of emotions. Much from this book of Numbers is foreign to our post-modern experience. The days of holy war in the Christian Church are long over; even today we look back on wars in the Bible and the Crusades with disapproval and shame.
One commentary I read says this about "holy war" in the Bible, particularly Numbers: "It is important to see that the holy war is portrayed as only a temporary measure in the Bible, confined to the conquest of Canaan. . . . No later texts in the prophets or elsewhere ever urge Israel to take up a holy war again. The holy war as an act of violence does not provide a continuing paradigm for the actions of God's people" (Dennis Olson, Numbers, p 178).
The goal of the holy war against Canaan is to eliminate all the inhabitants who could tempt Israel to follow other gods. It was meant to establish a boundary between the Israelites and "the other." It was to preserve their purity as a people. Remember God says, "Be holy because I the Lord your God am holy."
But this strategy failed because Israel "continued to wage battles against the enemies of God's will, but it became more and more a battle of words, persuasion, obedience, and education through devotion to God's word of Scripture" (Olson, Numbers, p. 178).
So, does this help you sort through the issue of war, at least in the Bible? Does it explain why God used war in the Old Testament in Israel's journey to the Canaan, the Promised Land? How or should "holy war" guide our ethics concerning war? What do you think?
Post a comment below or check a reaction box. Let me know what you think!
Allison
I hope by now you've gotten into some kind of routine or schedule for your reading. For example, I usually do my reading in the AM while I'm eating breakfast. Then I blog about it, hopefully before the work day begins. Usually this works, except when my schedule is full in the AM. I'm sure you have similar difficulties in your day-to-day schedules.
What I need to do is anticipate these little interruptions in my life (as much as one CAN anticipate interruptions--who was listening to Lori's sermon on Sunday?!) especially when they're scheduled. God's Word is so important that it needs to be a priority in our lives. So I do hereby vow to blog ahead of time when I know an interruption in my normal schedule is coming.
I hope that you too are making adjustments for the interruptions in your life.
So, I'm back now, and I've got lots of questions and answers from the last couple of days:
Tuesday's question and answer of the day:
Tues, March 10: What two people did God say would be left after all the other Israelites had died in the desert? (Num 26)
Numbers 26:65 65 For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
Wednesday's question and answer of the day:
Weds, March 11: While the Israelites are observing the sacred assemblies and preparing offerings, what one thing are they NOT supposed to do? (Num 29)
Numbers 29: “do no work”
Thursday's question of the day:
Thurs, March 12: What did the men take an oath to not do “until we have killed Paul”? (Acts 23)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Numbers 31 is a curious case, don't you think? Dozeman says this: "The book of Numbers is violent. The open versed characterize the numbering of Israel at Mt. Sinai as a registration for the draft, focusing on males who are eligible for war (Num 1:3). The march through the wilderness is a military expedition, with each tribe representing a division (Num 11:13-28) led by the ark (Num 13:1-14), culminating in the slaughter of Israelites (Num 14:39-45)" (NIB Commentary, Numbers).
With so many incidents of war, it seems Numbers needs a careful theological consideration. Is Numbers glorifying war? Are the ethics that the Israelites follow in war (see Deut. 20) the same ethics that we should follow in war? You probably already have some (strong) opinions about war, both about what the Bible says about it and war in the world today. In this post, I just want to share some info with you that might help you to understand what's going on in Numbers 31. And then maybe we'll talk a little about what holy war is.
It's a puzzling story, this Numbers 31. Generally speaking, "holy war" in the Old Testament is guided by the directions given in Deuteronomy 20. Specifically this means they are called to kill all the males of the town they conquer but may keep the women, livestock, and assorted valuables as booty. Which is what the Israelites did in this passage.
So they return home triumphant. God indeed gave them victory in war over the Midianites. As they reach the Israelite camp, they expect Moses, Eleazar and the leaders of the congregation to meet them with great praise and acclaim. And they are met by the leaders, but the leaders are full of anger, not praise.
Imagine the surprise of the army. They did what they were supposed to do; they followed the rules. What could they have possibly done wrong?
It turns out that the women of Midian had seduced the earlier generation of Israelites into apostasy. It was especially the women that Moses was interested in punishing for their part in leading the first generation of Israelites astray! Hence why Moses was so angry: because the women who caused the problem in the first place survived and were still a threat to the second generation of Israelites. Usually a holy war was waged in order to remove temptation from the Israelites; here the temptation to sexual sin and idolatry still existed. That's also why the virgins were spared, because they had not been an active part of the temptation.
So that's what's going on in this chapter of Numbers. Now, read on if you want to know more about whether "holy war" should still be the norm for today or if "holy war" is something temporary.
I know this whole notion of "holy war" is bound to stir up a variety of emotions. Much from this book of Numbers is foreign to our post-modern experience. The days of holy war in the Christian Church are long over; even today we look back on wars in the Bible and the Crusades with disapproval and shame.
One commentary I read says this about "holy war" in the Bible, particularly Numbers: "It is important to see that the holy war is portrayed as only a temporary measure in the Bible, confined to the conquest of Canaan. . . . No later texts in the prophets or elsewhere ever urge Israel to take up a holy war again. The holy war as an act of violence does not provide a continuing paradigm for the actions of God's people" (Dennis Olson, Numbers, p 178).
The goal of the holy war against Canaan is to eliminate all the inhabitants who could tempt Israel to follow other gods. It was meant to establish a boundary between the Israelites and "the other." It was to preserve their purity as a people. Remember God says, "Be holy because I the Lord your God am holy."
But this strategy failed because Israel "continued to wage battles against the enemies of God's will, but it became more and more a battle of words, persuasion, obedience, and education through devotion to God's word of Scripture" (Olson, Numbers, p. 178).
So, does this help you sort through the issue of war, at least in the Bible? Does it explain why God used war in the Old Testament in Israel's journey to the Canaan, the Promised Land? How or should "holy war" guide our ethics concerning war? What do you think?
Post a comment below or check a reaction box. Let me know what you think!
Allison
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Last Day!
Hello! Today is our last day with Leviticus. And today is the first day with Numbers. I thought maybe I could do a little intro to Numbers to get you started off right. But first, questions and answers.
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Weds, Feb. 25- How many years is the Year of Jubilee?
Leviticus 25:11, “The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you.”
And here's the question of the day:
Thurs, Feb. 26- What happened to Paul in Lystra?
And here's the reflection of the day:
Here are some themes to look for as you read through Numbers:
1. COMMUNITY--The nation of Israel was formed at Sinai and they journey with God through the wilderness. This is intended "to be a continuing model of how the people of God live out their faith in this world" (Thomas Dozeman, Numbers, NIB Commentary).
2. WILDERNESS SETTING--This is the primary setting for Numbers, as the Israelites travel from Sinai to the promised land of Canaan (through Num 21). The wilderness is replaced by "the plains of Moab" in Numbers 22. The wilderness is the "birthplace" of Israel, a symbol of testing, a symbol of homelessness, and is a location for "God's continuing work in creation" (Brozeman).
3. CHARACTERS--The development of the characters in Numbers revolves around the problem of how to build a theocratic ("a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the state's supreme civil ruler"--God bless www.wikipedia.org) society in the wilderness. God is the central character in the story, and all the other characters are defined in relation to God. Brozeman says, "The goal is to devise a way in which a holy God can be brought into relationship with humans who do not share this quality, and, and hence, are at risk in the presence of God."
4. TENSION--There is an underlying tension in the book of Numbers. God, who is holy, separate, and other is also in covenant with humans and creation in spite of their sin. But how can a God who is holy continue to be in relationship with sinful humanity who repeatedly violate the covenant? Something to think about as you read!
The central question of these first group of chapters is "how Israel should organize itself around Yahweh, who dwells in the sanctuary?" (Brozeman). Chapter 1 talks about how Israel was organized into 12 tribes with 12 lay leaders representing them. Also in chapter 1 we see God designating the "Levites" ask keepers (priests) of the tabernacle (0r "Tent of Meeting). Chapter 2 talks about the arrangement of the camp: tribes are clustered in groups of three, surrounding the tabernacle from four directions. Each encampment represents a different theological significance.
Numbers 1:1 sets the stage for reflecting on the importance of order for the priests. It is important that the people are numbered precisely, hence the census here in Numbers 1. The nation is divided up into groups; each group needs a lay leader; the Levites are separated from the other groups to encircle the tabernacle. All things are done "decently and in order," a Presbyterian catchphrase.
But what may seem like OCD to us is actually a response to the presence of God in the community. Administration--numbers and order--are intended to foster a new community in the wilderness. God imposed order upon the chaos at Creation, just as the priest seek to order their new society. But the order of creation is vulnerable to disruptions, just as society is easily susceptible to descent into disorder.
We see that every day, don't we? How neatly ordered life is stretched thin and frequently disrupted by those who refuse to be rank and file members of society. Chaos breaks in at any given moment, and society seeks to patch the hole. We seek to impose order again in hopes of discouraging any other chaos.
So, next time you have to read a list of numbers of this and that (the book is called Numbers, remember!), consider it the priests' way of making the community a presentable place for God to dwell. A spring cleaning of sorts.
What kind of spring cleaning do you need to do in your own life, in your own heart?
Have a great day!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Weds, Feb. 25- How many years is the Year of Jubilee?
Leviticus 25:11, “The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you.”
And here's the question of the day:
Thurs, Feb. 26- What happened to Paul in Lystra?
And here's the reflection of the day:
Here are some themes to look for as you read through Numbers:
1. COMMUNITY--The nation of Israel was formed at Sinai and they journey with God through the wilderness. This is intended "to be a continuing model of how the people of God live out their faith in this world" (Thomas Dozeman, Numbers, NIB Commentary).
2. WILDERNESS SETTING--This is the primary setting for Numbers, as the Israelites travel from Sinai to the promised land of Canaan (through Num 21). The wilderness is replaced by "the plains of Moab" in Numbers 22. The wilderness is the "birthplace" of Israel, a symbol of testing, a symbol of homelessness, and is a location for "God's continuing work in creation" (Brozeman).
3. CHARACTERS--The development of the characters in Numbers revolves around the problem of how to build a theocratic ("a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the state's supreme civil ruler"--God bless www.wikipedia.org) society in the wilderness. God is the central character in the story, and all the other characters are defined in relation to God. Brozeman says, "The goal is to devise a way in which a holy God can be brought into relationship with humans who do not share this quality, and, and hence, are at risk in the presence of God."
4. TENSION--There is an underlying tension in the book of Numbers. God, who is holy, separate, and other is also in covenant with humans and creation in spite of their sin. But how can a God who is holy continue to be in relationship with sinful humanity who repeatedly violate the covenant? Something to think about as you read!
The central question of these first group of chapters is "how Israel should organize itself around Yahweh, who dwells in the sanctuary?" (Brozeman). Chapter 1 talks about how Israel was organized into 12 tribes with 12 lay leaders representing them. Also in chapter 1 we see God designating the "Levites" ask keepers (priests) of the tabernacle (0r "Tent of Meeting). Chapter 2 talks about the arrangement of the camp: tribes are clustered in groups of three, surrounding the tabernacle from four directions. Each encampment represents a different theological significance.
Numbers 1:1 sets the stage for reflecting on the importance of order for the priests. It is important that the people are numbered precisely, hence the census here in Numbers 1. The nation is divided up into groups; each group needs a lay leader; the Levites are separated from the other groups to encircle the tabernacle. All things are done "decently and in order," a Presbyterian catchphrase.
But what may seem like OCD to us is actually a response to the presence of God in the community. Administration--numbers and order--are intended to foster a new community in the wilderness. God imposed order upon the chaos at Creation, just as the priest seek to order their new society. But the order of creation is vulnerable to disruptions, just as society is easily susceptible to descent into disorder.
We see that every day, don't we? How neatly ordered life is stretched thin and frequently disrupted by those who refuse to be rank and file members of society. Chaos breaks in at any given moment, and society seeks to patch the hole. We seek to impose order again in hopes of discouraging any other chaos.
So, next time you have to read a list of numbers of this and that (the book is called Numbers, remember!), consider it the priests' way of making the community a presentable place for God to dwell. A spring cleaning of sorts.
What kind of spring cleaning do you need to do in your own life, in your own heart?
Have a great day!
Allison
Sunday, February 22, 2009
This is the day that the Lord has made. . .
. . . Let us rejoice and be glad in it! I hope you are able to make it to worship somewhere today!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Sat, Feb. 21- Who was Cornelius?
Acts 10:1, “At Caeserea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian regiment.”
And here's the question of the day:
Sun, Feb. 22- When one enters a land and plants a tree, how long must one wait to eat the fruit of the tree?
And here's the reflection of the day:
Back to Leviticus. . .
Leviticus chapters 17-26 contain what is called the "Holiness Code." The formal introduction to it begins in 18:1-5, which is part of our reading today.
This "Holiness Code" is divided into four areas: sexual behavior, social ethics, worship, and family relations. All of these rules and regulations can be explained by the words: "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy" (11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8).
Chapters 18-20 are the foundational "principles of social morality," particularly with regard to the institution of marriage, which is the "cornerstone of all human society" (Hertz quoted in New Interpreter's Bible Commentary). Israel had been called to be a holy nation; any trifling with customs they saw in Egypt and will see in Canaan, would be to mock the call to holiness God put upon them.
These warnings are not prudish; they are extremely realistic cautions in the middle of a rather hedonistic society. The people of God fare better when they follow God's laws, and so these chapters are addressed to those who claim God as Lord. However, following these laws does not guarantee salvation, but it will lead to an abundant life.
The author of the Leviticus commentary in the NIB series (whose name I cannot find right now!) has this to say in summation. . .
"Sexual purity is only one part of the larger morality that is mandatory for all who would live a godly and righteous life before a holy God. However, sexual holiness may be the first line of practical defense for all who are on the road to living a holy life devoted to God. To give free course to our passions, appetites, and hungers in this area is ultimately to turn loose the controls over every other area of our lives."
Some good food for thought. This Leviticus stuff is actually not quite as bad as I had expected. You just have to dig a little deeper to understand it.
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Sat, Feb. 21- Who was Cornelius?
Acts 10:1, “At Caeserea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian regiment.”
And here's the question of the day:
Sun, Feb. 22- When one enters a land and plants a tree, how long must one wait to eat the fruit of the tree?
And here's the reflection of the day:
Back to Leviticus. . .
Leviticus chapters 17-26 contain what is called the "Holiness Code." The formal introduction to it begins in 18:1-5, which is part of our reading today.
This "Holiness Code" is divided into four areas: sexual behavior, social ethics, worship, and family relations. All of these rules and regulations can be explained by the words: "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy" (11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8).
Chapters 18-20 are the foundational "principles of social morality," particularly with regard to the institution of marriage, which is the "cornerstone of all human society" (Hertz quoted in New Interpreter's Bible Commentary). Israel had been called to be a holy nation; any trifling with customs they saw in Egypt and will see in Canaan, would be to mock the call to holiness God put upon them.
These warnings are not prudish; they are extremely realistic cautions in the middle of a rather hedonistic society. The people of God fare better when they follow God's laws, and so these chapters are addressed to those who claim God as Lord. However, following these laws does not guarantee salvation, but it will lead to an abundant life.
The author of the Leviticus commentary in the NIB series (whose name I cannot find right now!) has this to say in summation. . .
"Sexual purity is only one part of the larger morality that is mandatory for all who would live a godly and righteous life before a holy God. However, sexual holiness may be the first line of practical defense for all who are on the road to living a holy life devoted to God. To give free course to our passions, appetites, and hungers in this area is ultimately to turn loose the controls over every other area of our lives."
Some good food for thought. This Leviticus stuff is actually not quite as bad as I had expected. You just have to dig a little deeper to understand it.
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Whew! Bundle up!
Yikes! Curl up under your blanket and stay there as much as possible. It's going to be a cold week.
Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Tues, Jan. 13 What physical ailment of Isaac started this whole mess between Jacob and Esau? (Gen 27)
Genesis 27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see. . . "
And here's today's question of the day:
Weds, Jan. 14 On what did Jacob see angels ascending and descending during his dream? (Gen 28)
And today's reflection:
Psalm 8 explores the tension we live with as God's children. God is a great big, powerful God--the creator of the heavens and moon and stars with simply His fingertips. But we are lowly humans, sinful and full of pride, who ruined even the Garden of Eden. Yet God made us "a little lower than the heavenly beings" and crowned us "with glory and honor."
God has given us a place of honor among His creation, and yet when given the choice, we would probably choose to do harm to His creation. When given the choice, we choose selfishly. But God never chooses selfishly. God is always holy.
So, "what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" The tension we live in is this: God is holy and we are not, but because He has adopted us as His children, His holiness is passed on to us, making us holy. We are holy not because of what we have done but because of what God has done for us. So God makes us holy--exalts us over the rest of creation--and yet we are still far less than God. And since idolatry seems to be our #1 sin, this is perhaps a perspective we should ponder more often!
Bible Study is still on for today at 10:30a. We'll decide about the evening Bible Study later--snow is supposed to be moving in this afternoon. Bundle up if you're going out!
Allison
Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Tues, Jan. 13 What physical ailment of Isaac started this whole mess between Jacob and Esau? (Gen 27)
Genesis 27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see. . . "
And here's today's question of the day:
Weds, Jan. 14 On what did Jacob see angels ascending and descending during his dream? (Gen 28)
And today's reflection:
Psalm 8 explores the tension we live with as God's children. God is a great big, powerful God--the creator of the heavens and moon and stars with simply His fingertips. But we are lowly humans, sinful and full of pride, who ruined even the Garden of Eden. Yet God made us "a little lower than the heavenly beings" and crowned us "with glory and honor."
God has given us a place of honor among His creation, and yet when given the choice, we would probably choose to do harm to His creation. When given the choice, we choose selfishly. But God never chooses selfishly. God is always holy.
So, "what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" The tension we live in is this: God is holy and we are not, but because He has adopted us as His children, His holiness is passed on to us, making us holy. We are holy not because of what we have done but because of what God has done for us. So God makes us holy--exalts us over the rest of creation--and yet we are still far less than God. And since idolatry seems to be our #1 sin, this is perhaps a perspective we should ponder more often!
Bible Study is still on for today at 10:30a. We'll decide about the evening Bible Study later--snow is supposed to be moving in this afternoon. Bundle up if you're going out!
Allison
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