Chapter 5: verse 1... God must get rid of ALL impurities before He can be present, because God is holy and cannot tolerate sin... this passage, though does help clarify why the disciples would have a misunderstanding about sin and its effect on infirmities and vice versa (see John 9:1-3)
verse 2...why unclean because of dead bodies? How did they care for the dead if no one could touch them without becoming unclean? Who took care of this? Where they eternally unclean, then, or did they have some kind of "free" pass because of the job they were assigned to? or what???
verse 6... whenever we sin against man, we are actually and ultimately sinning against God, Himself.
verse 7...the person must confess before restitution can be made... there are 3 steps to forgiveness (we just learned this in church today!)... the first, is to love the person despite their sin; the second, is to release the debt... both of these first two parts are done unconditionally and do not require repentence; they are done with or without a repentence heart... the third step is different though, in that it requires a change in the other party... the third step is Restoration, and it can only be acheived when the person repents and confesses of their wrongdoing (see Matthew 18:15-35, and Luke 17:3-4)... God requires all three to take place on our behalf, too... the first two are done by God, but the third part, the repentence heart and the confession of our guilt, is required of us for restitution to be made between us and God (see Acts 3:19, Romans 10:9-10, Luke 24:46-48)
verse 11 and on... ok, my first question is "what about the test and punishment of unfaithful husbands?!"... but as I got thinking, maybe there wasn't the same standard for men because if a man wanted more wives he could just take them, so if a man cheats, it could be with another wife, which would be a mess (a whole Jerry Springer thing)... also, in that case, he knows the baby is still part of his lineage, but if a woman cheats (and women were not allowed more than one husband), then the lineage of the baby would be unknown... God seems to place alot of clout on the lines of ancestory, so the unknown paternal line would be a big problem since this is how the clans, etc, where traced, divided up for responsibilities, etc.... anyway, that is me trying to be gracious about what appears to be an anti-women's lib rule from first glance.... however, the study notes suggest that this law was put in place as a deterrent and a way of keeping harmony within the family groups so that there were no riots or whatever (jealous male testosterone and all)... so it was a safety net for the woman because she had nothing to fear from a holy and just God, if she was innocent, but without the test for her innocense, she had a lot to fear from a jealous husband... not to mention that God hasn't instituted any bouncers onto the scene, so if a fight broke out it might be hard to put it to rest.
Also, study notes suggest that this chapter is more about how destructive the private sin of adultery is, and how God knows all... even if no human has witnessed our "private sin", God still always knows what we have done, are doing, and will do.
verse 15 is also interesting, as the husband, who wants to go around accusing his wife, must pay for his accussation... also, he has to pay for her, even if he is the one that was wronged by her... this probably helps keep people from going around making random and erroneous claims, and also this pays the priests for his efforts and time, since part of it, at least, is a wave offering (verse 25), I think that means the priest can eat it later.
verse 19 reminded me at first of the Salem Witch Trials where they would burn women and assume that if they were a witch they wouldn't burn and so free themselves, but that didn't make sense because they'd be burning perfectly innocent women, and if there was a witch among them, then they'd really be in for it... but then, after a second look at this passage, this is not an unfair and ridiculous trial like the witch hunts.... instead, it is a safety net pf assurance and comfort to the woman (who is probably scared to death at this point), because the curse only applies if she is guilty (verse 28), so if she is innocent, then she has nothing to worry about and so hopefully that would help put her at ease (although I would not want to have to be the first woman to undergo this law and be the guinea pig to try it out)
verse 31... at first I was kind of frustrated by the fact that the man was not punished because of a false accussation, but I guess that the man should receive some kind of kuddos as he didn't kill anyone and instead should self-control in handling the matter in an orderly and God-ordained manner.
Chapter 6: Question... is "Nazarite" where Nazareth gets its name? What is the origin of the root word? And important meaning? Just wondered. :)
Similar rules for priests as for Nazarites (see Leviticus 21)
Famous Nazarites are Samuel and Samson.
verse 2... interesting that a man OR a woman could become a Nazarite... are there any references to women Nazarites in the Bible?
verse 5-8... hair length is a symbol of consecration to God and shows holiness.
So, the period of separation is the time period during which the person has dedicated themself to God... any idea how long that traditionally was for?
verse 11... interesting thought that the person sinned, just by being in the presence of a dead body... why? because death represents sin, so they are symbolically unclean? or ???
verse 12... so, if the person gets defiled, then they have to start their days over again, back to day one of the consecration vow period? Wow, I would hope no one gets defiled on their last day as a Nazarite, and have to "go back to start"!
verse 21... so, the person must give all they have to God as payment for their service, and as a payment to then leave the service of the Lord?... Also, I like how it says that the person "must fulfill the vow" that they made to the Lord... God does not take it lightly when we say we are giving our lives to Him.
verse 24-27... I like this blessing because we did it in Perspectives, and liked it so much that we incorporated it into our training for the Discipleship Walk... we would turn to someone that we do not know, hold their hands, look them in the eyes, and insert their names in after the "you", as we read the blessing to them... it is really powerful to have someone bless you in this way and really moving to be able to bless someone else... you should try it sometime if you never have.... also, I want to note in verse 27, that whatever God puts His name on will be blessed? So, I know I do not want to start something that God has not ordained/put His name on, because without the blessing of God it is like building a house on sand and the first high tide wash it away or the first strong wind will knock it down.
Chapter 7: I guess I thought the tabernacle was already set up since we've talked so much about it up to this point... shocked me that it was just getting up and going.
verse 9... the Kohathites had to carry the stuff on their shoulders... that included the lampstand and alters and things (see Numbers 3:31)... they had to be some strong guys to carry that a good distance without a wagon or pack animal.
verse 11-83...The order of the offerings line up with the order of the camps given in Numbers 2... ok, just wondering, why, if all the tribes gave the same things, why give the details over and over instead of just saying they all brought the same gifts or whatever... why include all these verses, instead of just leaving it at the summary in verse 84-88? The study notes comment that these gifts were to help the Israelites identify with the tabernacle, and that the identical gifts were important to help build unity between the tribes... also it would help them concentrate on the reason behind the gift giving instead of worrying about who got off "easy" in their gift giving and who had to "bear the load" or whatever... I guess I can see that because our kids sometimes complain like that... for example, we always try to divide the household chores up evenly between kids and make it fair according to age, abilities, previous jobs, preferences, etc, but no matter how hard we try to be fair, there are just some days when they want to complain that things are just not fair... if they all had the same job, then maybe they'd complain less? It is always worth hoping for, but my guess is they'd complain that the younger one had to do the same as the older one, or something... isn't it funny how we can always find something to complain about? (I mean funny "sad", not funny "haha")
verse 89... so, this was the first time that the tabernacle was put to use? If that is the case, then God is REALLY thorough in preparing before He takes action!... I wonder, how does that apply to me and the work He is wanting to do through me? Am I still in preparation stage? How close am I to being "dedicated" into His sevice? How close do I want to be?... Kind of cool to think of hearing the voice of God coming out from between two angels above the cover to the box that was His "house"... even cooler to think about how Moses spoke to God!... I know that God speaks to me, too, but it is in a totally different way than to audibly hear His voice... also, why did Moses just hear God's voice and not see Him face to face like He had in the past when he talked to God? Maybe he only heard God's voice then, too?
Chapter 8: verse 1-4... see Exodus 25:31-40 for instructions on making lampstands, and Exodus 27:20-21 on other instructions about the burning of the lamps, and finally, Exodus 37:17-24 for further instructions on making, etc, of lampstands.
verse 6... "useable" Levites totalled 8,580 (see Numbers 4:48)...
verse 10... the Isrealites lay their hands on the Levites... so they are dedicated by the people they are making atonement for and will be working on behalf of... adds a new dimension to the offerings/sacrifices that were given when you make it about the people.
verse 11... so they are a wave offering... that wave offering thing is coming in handy... it is a way of sacrificing something without burning it up, so it can still serve a purpose beyond its place as a sacrifice.... in this case, so that the Levites will be ready to work for the Lord... reminds me of how on construction sites and things, the men wave to each other when they are ready to do something, to signal their readiness... kind of like the priests were waving to God and saying, "all ready to go here, boss"
verse 12... had a thought about burnt offerings and fire and such: fire makes atonement for sin, so, is that why Hell is a pit of fire? To burn off the eternal sin from those who refused to confess and repent of it? If a lifetime was not enough to remove it, will it take an eternity to remove such impurity from a soul?
verse 15-19... brings clarification to the why? questions posed in Numbers 3 and fulfills the requirement to give the firstborn in Exodus 13 (which did apparently have to do with the death of the Egyptian firstborn in Exodus 11... so every action of God on our behalf has a consequence for it? or just this time? is this a universal truth, or does it just apply to that particular situation?)
verse 24... I thought the age to serve was thirty? (see Numbers 4:3)... maybe they needed five years to learn everything and then didn't start serving until they were 30?
verse 25... so here is our answer to yesterday's question about what happened after they turned 50... they do retire, at least from "regular service" and "no longer work"
verse 26 says they can "assist"... does that mean they then can serve in supervisory positions as opposed to manual labor?... the study notes suggest that this early retirement age might reflect that the nature of their work was hard and difficult and required younger men to safely perform it?
Keep on reading... we'll be back to the interesting narratives soon enough!
In His Love,
sandJ
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Numbers 1-4 today... Numbers 5-8 tomorrow...
Author of Numbers is traditionally thought to be Moses. Again, as with the other 3 books we've read, that were thought to be written by Moses, too, the date of the writings is hard to say for sure and is based on when the Exodus actually took place. Scholars place is either in the 15th century or 13th century BC.
The Theme of Numbers is: "God's faithfulness despite Israel's rebellion, which resulted in 40 years of misery and mercy"... sounds like Numbers might have more of the kind of stories we encountered in Exodus
Historical Background: "The Book of Numbers relates the story of the forty years during which Israel journeyed from Mount Sinai to the edge of Canaan. This was a time of great turmoil for Israel in which the people expressed not gratitude for deliverance from Egypt but rebellion against God. Consequently, they lived out their lives in the desert."
Characteristics: "Arranged around the travel itinerary of the Israelites' wilderness wanderings, the book chronicles God's actions in leading his people toward the land of promise. What makes these actions truly remarkable is that they establish God's faithfulness in spite of the people's rebellious nature. The central human figure in all this is Moses. The extraordinary individual [although remember what Moses thought of himself in Exodus 3-4] combines his many talents with a humble spirit to act as intermediary between his God and His people. [This idea here reminds me that maybe God does always know best when He makes His choices... remember how Moses stood up for what was right back in Exodus 2? So, God knew Moses's character from the start and knew he'd be up for the task that seems to be coming up in this book... interesting... I wonder what God is preparing us for and what He sees in our character, that maybe we don't, but He knows will be just the right fit for future events?] The Book of Numbers provides us with a dramatic portrait of Moses, the Israelites, and God as they struggle to turn the disaster of the wilderness wanderings into success."
(Sounds like there should be lots of life applications in this book since we are all "struggling to turn the disaster of [our] 'wilderness wanderings' into success" for God, too, huh)
Most of the above was taken from the "Invitation to Numbers" section that begins this book in my Bible.
Total random side note... I found that even though I like to read, these geneology parts are way better to listen to on the audio bible because you can hear how the names are pronounced instead of having your eyes glaze over as you try to sound them all out (or skip them completely) :)... plus, the guys voice on the Bible Gateway audio has a really cool accent and fun, yet dramatic reading style. :)... and with that, on to today's reading/listening commentary. :)
Chapter 1: This is the second census God has commanded be taken (see Exodus 30 and 38 for the details of the first one). God seems to do a census when He is finding out how many people He has to work with (not that He doesn't already know, I'm sure, but He's probably just giving the details to everyone else)... anyway, this makes me think about the saying 'Stand up and be counted'... if God took a census today, would we be among those who are on His service list, or would we be in the "other" category... the ones not mentioned because they had no use to God's purpose (at least not at this point)... harsh to think about how we may be of no use to God, but important to be honest about in our life... that doesn't mean that we can never be of use... remember the comments yesterday about how if we just confess and turn back to God with humble hearts He will heal us and put us on His 'team' (see Leviticus 26:40-41)... also it makes me think about how much God does for us even when we are turning our back on Him or playing for the opposite team... Romans 5:7-8 (in The Message version) says it best, I think: "He [Jesus] presented Himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put His love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to Him."... I love that part: "while we were of NO USE WHATSOEVER to Him"... God loves us so much that He even though we are not of use to God because we are too focused on our pride, or love of the world, or whatever, even though we do not want anything to do with Him, He is still working on our behalf, in hopes that we will choose to change our minds and humble our hearts to Him... now that is love! That kind of love makes me want to give my life wholly to God, because nothing else will provide that kind of satisfaction, as knowing you are giving yourself fully to someone who gives themselves fully for you.... and we can only find that in Jesus.
verse 32... notice that Joseph's clan was the only one split between his sons... not completely sure why, but I think it might have something to do with how Joseph was 'lost' to the Egyptians, but Jacob asked Joseph to give him his boys to be Jacob's sons, and so they were claimed, on Joseph's behalf, to carry on his line/clan under Jacob's name? (see Genesis 48:5, 17-20)
verse 49-53... why were the Levites to be set apart? well, see Numbers 3:11-13 for the answer, which also ties into Exodus 13:1-16... the Levites were to be in the holy service of the Lord as priests and helpers of the priests... they were not to be part of the 'fighting' army, as was the case of the other men of the other clans, as described in the directions/census given of each clan. This made me wonder how the Levites must have felt to be excluded from the census at first, before they knew the whys of how they were CHOSEN to be the carriers and helpeers, etc, of God's very 'home' and all that went with it.... that made me think about how Jesus says several times in the New Testament that we are to be in the world, but not of the world (in various termonolgies, but same basic meaning)... sometimes I forget that it is a good thing that we, as Christians, are set apart from the world... it can sometimes seem a lonely place to be when you see everyone else doing their own thing and you just want to join in, but then, when you see that God has plans for you to be HIS, the rest of the world fades away and the things you once enjoyed no longer hold any delight or value to you because you have a new purpose in life, one more special than you could have ever imagined... you are in the service of the very King of Kings Himself!... so, sometimes it is a good thing to get 'picked last' and 'left out of the game' :)
verse 46... interesting to note that the number from the census was the same number as before (603,550... see Exodus 38:26)... was this taken before Aaron's two sons died (Leviticus 10) and the blasphemer was stoned (Leviticus 24)?... was the death rate the exact same as the birth rate?... was it a coincidence (I say that in some humor as I know at this point in my life that there is no such thing as coincidence with God)...
Chapter 2: ok, I have is a question for this chapter... why were these groups divided as they were?... at first I thought it might have something to do with Jacob's blessings (see Genesis49), but that didn't fit... then, I thought it might have to do with birth order, but that didn't fit everyone either... I'm sure it's not a random choice, as God does not come across as a random God so far (reread end of Exodus and all of Leviticus if there are any doubts)... any insights you have would be helpful here. :)
Chapter 3: Mostly this is just a reiteration of things we've already discussed and a breakdown of who is responsible for what within the Levite clans. I did like how God made the transaction fair to justly handle the difference between His original claim to the firstborn and His decision to take the Levites as a replacement (see verse 39-51)... I did wonder, though, which 273 people had to give 5 shekels and how that was determined... was it the oldest firstborns (since they'd likely have the money"... was it the youngest firstborns (since they were the lowest on the totem pole, so to speak, and the older ones had taken all the slots already)... or what?
The Study Notes make an interesting point in conjunction with the idea that anyone who was not Aaron or his sons, that approached the sanctuary must die (see verse 10)... they refer to Hebrews 4:14-16, and also Hebrews 10:19-25, to point out that even though we would have been among those who would have died from approaching God ourselves before, since Jesus came on our behalf, we can now approach God and His sanctuary with CONFIDENCE on our own... we no longer need an intercessor (someone to act as a go-between on our behalf)... so, since we are free to come before God completely, what is stopping me? and how can I overcome this (or allow God to work through me to overcome it)? Just something to ponder a bit...
Chapter 4: this chapter has a cool color coded breakdown... beats writing on a box with marker :)... from what I can gather, the red was to cover the things that had to do with edible food from the offerings... the blue was used to cover all the gold stuff [so basically everything... God must really like blue and gold... I bet there is a football fan out there using this as his reason to say God likes his favorite team best :)]... and the purple was used to cover stuff from the burnt offering alter (the bronze one and all the bronze stuff)
verse 3... why didn't they serve until they were 30? was this why Jesus' ministry began at 30? (see Luke 3:23)... also, why did they stop serving at 50? was that like retirement age for them? what did the men do before and after these ages?
verse 19... I like how God is protecting the people from what could happen to them by setting in place a safety net long before it is needed to assure their success in Him and for Him... it reminds me that God prepares for the work He acts us to do, so we are never going it alone or "pioneering", since God has already gone ahead and prepared the way (remember Exodus 23:20, John 10:3-4, and Ephesians 2:10)
The Study Notes suggest some reflection on how many people it takes for a church service to run and how many people it takes for a church building to continue to operate? why is it important for those things to continue to go on? what is our role in all of that?
That's all for tonight... probably more than enough. :) Hope you have a wonderful night!
In His Love,
sandJ
The Theme of Numbers is: "God's faithfulness despite Israel's rebellion, which resulted in 40 years of misery and mercy"... sounds like Numbers might have more of the kind of stories we encountered in Exodus
Historical Background: "The Book of Numbers relates the story of the forty years during which Israel journeyed from Mount Sinai to the edge of Canaan. This was a time of great turmoil for Israel in which the people expressed not gratitude for deliverance from Egypt but rebellion against God. Consequently, they lived out their lives in the desert."
Characteristics: "Arranged around the travel itinerary of the Israelites' wilderness wanderings, the book chronicles God's actions in leading his people toward the land of promise. What makes these actions truly remarkable is that they establish God's faithfulness in spite of the people's rebellious nature. The central human figure in all this is Moses. The extraordinary individual [although remember what Moses thought of himself in Exodus 3-4] combines his many talents with a humble spirit to act as intermediary between his God and His people. [This idea here reminds me that maybe God does always know best when He makes His choices... remember how Moses stood up for what was right back in Exodus 2? So, God knew Moses's character from the start and knew he'd be up for the task that seems to be coming up in this book... interesting... I wonder what God is preparing us for and what He sees in our character, that maybe we don't, but He knows will be just the right fit for future events?] The Book of Numbers provides us with a dramatic portrait of Moses, the Israelites, and God as they struggle to turn the disaster of the wilderness wanderings into success."
(Sounds like there should be lots of life applications in this book since we are all "struggling to turn the disaster of [our] 'wilderness wanderings' into success" for God, too, huh)
Most of the above was taken from the "Invitation to Numbers" section that begins this book in my Bible.
Total random side note... I found that even though I like to read, these geneology parts are way better to listen to on the audio bible because you can hear how the names are pronounced instead of having your eyes glaze over as you try to sound them all out (or skip them completely) :)... plus, the guys voice on the Bible Gateway audio has a really cool accent and fun, yet dramatic reading style. :)... and with that, on to today's reading/listening commentary. :)
Chapter 1: This is the second census God has commanded be taken (see Exodus 30 and 38 for the details of the first one). God seems to do a census when He is finding out how many people He has to work with (not that He doesn't already know, I'm sure, but He's probably just giving the details to everyone else)... anyway, this makes me think about the saying 'Stand up and be counted'... if God took a census today, would we be among those who are on His service list, or would we be in the "other" category... the ones not mentioned because they had no use to God's purpose (at least not at this point)... harsh to think about how we may be of no use to God, but important to be honest about in our life... that doesn't mean that we can never be of use... remember the comments yesterday about how if we just confess and turn back to God with humble hearts He will heal us and put us on His 'team' (see Leviticus 26:40-41)... also it makes me think about how much God does for us even when we are turning our back on Him or playing for the opposite team... Romans 5:7-8 (in The Message version) says it best, I think: "He [Jesus] presented Himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put His love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to Him."... I love that part: "while we were of NO USE WHATSOEVER to Him"... God loves us so much that He even though we are not of use to God because we are too focused on our pride, or love of the world, or whatever, even though we do not want anything to do with Him, He is still working on our behalf, in hopes that we will choose to change our minds and humble our hearts to Him... now that is love! That kind of love makes me want to give my life wholly to God, because nothing else will provide that kind of satisfaction, as knowing you are giving yourself fully to someone who gives themselves fully for you.... and we can only find that in Jesus.
verse 32... notice that Joseph's clan was the only one split between his sons... not completely sure why, but I think it might have something to do with how Joseph was 'lost' to the Egyptians, but Jacob asked Joseph to give him his boys to be Jacob's sons, and so they were claimed, on Joseph's behalf, to carry on his line/clan under Jacob's name? (see Genesis 48:5, 17-20)
verse 49-53... why were the Levites to be set apart? well, see Numbers 3:11-13 for the answer, which also ties into Exodus 13:1-16... the Levites were to be in the holy service of the Lord as priests and helpers of the priests... they were not to be part of the 'fighting' army, as was the case of the other men of the other clans, as described in the directions/census given of each clan. This made me wonder how the Levites must have felt to be excluded from the census at first, before they knew the whys of how they were CHOSEN to be the carriers and helpeers, etc, of God's very 'home' and all that went with it.... that made me think about how Jesus says several times in the New Testament that we are to be in the world, but not of the world (in various termonolgies, but same basic meaning)... sometimes I forget that it is a good thing that we, as Christians, are set apart from the world... it can sometimes seem a lonely place to be when you see everyone else doing their own thing and you just want to join in, but then, when you see that God has plans for you to be HIS, the rest of the world fades away and the things you once enjoyed no longer hold any delight or value to you because you have a new purpose in life, one more special than you could have ever imagined... you are in the service of the very King of Kings Himself!... so, sometimes it is a good thing to get 'picked last' and 'left out of the game' :)
verse 46... interesting to note that the number from the census was the same number as before (603,550... see Exodus 38:26)... was this taken before Aaron's two sons died (Leviticus 10) and the blasphemer was stoned (Leviticus 24)?... was the death rate the exact same as the birth rate?... was it a coincidence (I say that in some humor as I know at this point in my life that there is no such thing as coincidence with God)...
Chapter 2: ok, I have is a question for this chapter... why were these groups divided as they were?... at first I thought it might have something to do with Jacob's blessings (see Genesis49), but that didn't fit... then, I thought it might have to do with birth order, but that didn't fit everyone either... I'm sure it's not a random choice, as God does not come across as a random God so far (reread end of Exodus and all of Leviticus if there are any doubts)... any insights you have would be helpful here. :)
Chapter 3: Mostly this is just a reiteration of things we've already discussed and a breakdown of who is responsible for what within the Levite clans. I did like how God made the transaction fair to justly handle the difference between His original claim to the firstborn and His decision to take the Levites as a replacement (see verse 39-51)... I did wonder, though, which 273 people had to give 5 shekels and how that was determined... was it the oldest firstborns (since they'd likely have the money"... was it the youngest firstborns (since they were the lowest on the totem pole, so to speak, and the older ones had taken all the slots already)... or what?
The Study Notes make an interesting point in conjunction with the idea that anyone who was not Aaron or his sons, that approached the sanctuary must die (see verse 10)... they refer to Hebrews 4:14-16, and also Hebrews 10:19-25, to point out that even though we would have been among those who would have died from approaching God ourselves before, since Jesus came on our behalf, we can now approach God and His sanctuary with CONFIDENCE on our own... we no longer need an intercessor (someone to act as a go-between on our behalf)... so, since we are free to come before God completely, what is stopping me? and how can I overcome this (or allow God to work through me to overcome it)? Just something to ponder a bit...
Chapter 4: this chapter has a cool color coded breakdown... beats writing on a box with marker :)... from what I can gather, the red was to cover the things that had to do with edible food from the offerings... the blue was used to cover all the gold stuff [so basically everything... God must really like blue and gold... I bet there is a football fan out there using this as his reason to say God likes his favorite team best :)]... and the purple was used to cover stuff from the burnt offering alter (the bronze one and all the bronze stuff)
verse 3... why didn't they serve until they were 30? was this why Jesus' ministry began at 30? (see Luke 3:23)... also, why did they stop serving at 50? was that like retirement age for them? what did the men do before and after these ages?
verse 19... I like how God is protecting the people from what could happen to them by setting in place a safety net long before it is needed to assure their success in Him and for Him... it reminds me that God prepares for the work He acts us to do, so we are never going it alone or "pioneering", since God has already gone ahead and prepared the way (remember Exodus 23:20, John 10:3-4, and Ephesians 2:10)
The Study Notes suggest some reflection on how many people it takes for a church service to run and how many people it takes for a church building to continue to operate? why is it important for those things to continue to go on? what is our role in all of that?
That's all for tonight... probably more than enough. :) Hope you have a wonderful night!
In His Love,
sandJ
Numbers 1-4 today... Numbers 5-8 tomorrow...
God gave Israel certain guidlines for organizing the Israelite camp. I am now thinking about how wonderful my wife started to get the whole house decluttered and cleaned this past week. Thank you sweetie! :)
I think this would be a great opportunity to teach the children about organization and use the scriptures of how God gave directions to the Israelite to be organized. We can do the same with our children these simple steps.
1. Demonstrate how each task is done.
2. Do it with each child.
3. Let each child do it alone while being supervised.
4. Have each child do it alone but check up afterwards.
As you can guess that adults and children's most common conflicts are the child's messy room. We, as parents solve the problems by usually closing the child's door. Then, settle for one or two days a week when the room must be straightened up be a certain time is not realistic. We need to teach the children how to meet the expectations. Do make sure the expectations are within the child's ability.
Good night,
Sandj
I think this would be a great opportunity to teach the children about organization and use the scriptures of how God gave directions to the Israelite to be organized. We can do the same with our children these simple steps.
1. Demonstrate how each task is done.
2. Do it with each child.
3. Let each child do it alone while being supervised.
4. Have each child do it alone but check up afterwards.
As you can guess that adults and children's most common conflicts are the child's messy room. We, as parents solve the problems by usually closing the child's door. Then, settle for one or two days a week when the room must be straightened up be a certain time is not realistic. We need to teach the children how to meet the expectations. Do make sure the expectations are within the child's ability.
Good night,
Sandj
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Leviticus 20-22 today... Leviticus 23-25 tomorrow
Only two more days and we will be done with Leviticus! Yeah! (for more than one reason) :)...
Ok, so on to Chapter 20: This chapter seems to reiterate various commands/laws from the previous chapters, giving further insight into some... maybe these are some that were really a big problem for the people back then... or maybe they are ones that were largely practiced by the pagans, and so God really wanted to make His point that the Israelites were HIS people, and should be so different that that point was obvious to all those around them.
verse 2... a web search for who Molech was found that he was an Assyrian god (small "g"), also a Canaanite god of fire to which children were sacrificed.
verse 4-5... reminder again that by not speaking up against a sin, we are actually joining in on the sin.
verse 6... do not sell yourself to Satan! How many ways can (or maybe even "do") we do this nowadays? Scary, huh
verse 8... "I am the Lord, WHO MAKES YOU holy"... only through God can we be holy (see Hebrews 13:12... and remember that Jesus is God in human form)
verse 10... maybe this is why Jesus upheld the woman who was brought out to be stoned for adultery (see John 8:1-11), because He knew they were not actually following the law, only making a mockery out of it to try and trip Him up.
verse 14... what about the person who performed the marriage ceremony and attended, participated, etc? Where they not sinning too? (even by the sin of "ommission" and keeping quiet about what was right?)
verse 23... reminds me of the New Testament sayings to that even though we are in the world, we are not to be of the world (I can't find the verse I want off hand, but see John 17:14-15)
verse 24... I like the last part of this verse "I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nation... (and continued in verse 26)...I have set you apart from the nations to be my own."... We are God's chosen people... how cool is that! :) (see Colossians 3:11-13, 1 Peter 2:9-10... ok, so if you care about whether the world likes you it is not cool, but since we are to focus on God, and we know He LOVES us, it is totally cool to be His chosen ones... and anyone who believes in Him can be part of the "group", see also 1 Peter 2:3-5, John 15:18)
Study Notes make a comment about the "death penalty" as seemed to be the prescribed and preferred penalty of God in this chapter... that got me to thinking about how most Christians seem to be anti-death penalty (or capital punishment), yet God seems for it... why?... and why no second chances, like we have now?... are we wrong and should be uphold stronger punishments for crimes, or should we give grace as we have been given grace?... I think the answer is that when Jesus came and did away with the requirements of the old testament law (see Romans 7:4-6), He made it clear that it is God's job to judge and ours to love (as Billy Graham says, I believe, see 1 Corinthians 4:4, Matthew 5:43-47, and Matthew 22:36-40)... we are to forgive 70x7 and not to take an eye for an eye, but instead go the extra mile to show love for God's glory (Matthew 5:38-42)... why the change?... or is there a change? I'm not 100% sure, but I know that God knows and that His ways are perfect (2 Samuel 22:31-32), so I'll just trust in that.
Chapter 21: so the priests could make themselves unclean, not just by sinning, but by cutting their hair wrong (verse 5) among other things... at first I was like, wow, crazy... but then I realized that God just wants the people who represent Him to be as good of a representative as possible... I mean, really, what would I think about the president if all the senators and representatives were dirty and bum-y looking (yes, bum-y is a word... it means to look or act like a bum... I should write to Webster about that one... ok, so I digress... yet again... sorry)... it makes me think about how many people are turned off from God because of the way "Christians" (or representative of God) act... how many people swear off church, or bible studies, or prayer, or whatever, because someone, who claimed to be a follower of Jesus, hurt them... many times intentionally? When I look at it that way, I don't think God is over-reacting anymore, and it makes me want to take a closer look at how I represent Him in every area of my life.
verse 10... definition of High Priest... I think.
verse 11-12... so priests don't officiate funerals? who does/did?.... also, I like how God keeps saying "I am the Lord." after many of these commands/laws... it's like He's saying, "Stop your whining... I'm God, you're not... and do it because I said so." :) Sometimes these small things make me feel better about my parenting... ok, sad, I know, but it at least makes me smile. :)
verse 16-23... alright, I'm sure you will just give my own advice back to me in a second (that God is perfect, etc), but I have to admit that this section really bugs me... I mean, isn't God the one who makes people and is over all things?! Isn't it He who gives and takes away, and who ordains all things... even Satan has to ask His permission to do stuff (see Job 1:9-12)... And if this is all so, then, isn't it logically to then assume that the defect the person had came from God?... it's God created and ordained, so then, is it really a defect? I mean, isn't that like saying God messed up?... plus, then, why punish the person for something God did (or at least allowed)?... I'm sure that if I thought about it with a clear mind I could reassess this and see God's goodness in it, but right now I am pouting and grumpy about it, so it just doesn't seem fair to me! (And God said, "I am the Lord."... see comments on verse 12)... I suppose I should reread my own comments at the beginning about verse 5 and on, now, huh? sorry for the rant.
On to a lesson from the Study Notes... "the function of the priests was to restore the nation to a right relationship with God"... and concerning our High Priest (Jesus) as compared to the priests of Leviticus, the notes refer to Hebrews 7:26-28 "26Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever."
Chapter 22: verse 3... remember Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-2?
verse 4-8... "Don't touch me!"... makes me want to break out in some MC Hammer dancing, or recall my younger days of long car rides with my siblings. :)
verse 11... slaves must have then been considered part of the family
verse 15-16... don't lead others astray!
verse 18 and 25... were the aliens/foreigners considered Isralites and part of God's people, too, somehow? If so, how? If not, then was anyone who visited the Israelites required to follow their laws while in their community? Did God reveal Himself to other people, too? was He worshipped by other groups? Did He love and help them, too? Now, of course He does (see Acts 10:28, Romans 3:29-30, Romans 10:12-13, John 3:16), but what about then?
verse 23... why are those ok? Was it because of they were of higher value to begin with, so that meant they were still a large financial sacrifice anyway, regardless of their condition...like maybe people would have less of them to begin with, so the loss of one was more significant or something? Just a guess
verse 29... my paraphrase: "Don't bring a crappy gift, half-heartedly, and then stupidly whine about why it wasn't accepted"... nuf said :)
verse 33... "I am the Lord"... and don't you forget it!
Study Note things to think about... "In what area are you giving God less than your "best"? Where are you trying to just get by with offering God "left overs"? What is keeping you from offering God your best? What will you do today to begin giving Him your best?"... good stuff to think on!
Have a wonderful night!
God Bless,
sandJ
Ok, so on to Chapter 20: This chapter seems to reiterate various commands/laws from the previous chapters, giving further insight into some... maybe these are some that were really a big problem for the people back then... or maybe they are ones that were largely practiced by the pagans, and so God really wanted to make His point that the Israelites were HIS people, and should be so different that that point was obvious to all those around them.
verse 2... a web search for who Molech was found that he was an Assyrian god (small "g"), also a Canaanite god of fire to which children were sacrificed.
verse 4-5... reminder again that by not speaking up against a sin, we are actually joining in on the sin.
verse 6... do not sell yourself to Satan! How many ways can (or maybe even "do") we do this nowadays? Scary, huh
verse 8... "I am the Lord, WHO MAKES YOU holy"... only through God can we be holy (see Hebrews 13:12... and remember that Jesus is God in human form)
verse 10... maybe this is why Jesus upheld the woman who was brought out to be stoned for adultery (see John 8:1-11), because He knew they were not actually following the law, only making a mockery out of it to try and trip Him up.
verse 14... what about the person who performed the marriage ceremony and attended, participated, etc? Where they not sinning too? (even by the sin of "ommission" and keeping quiet about what was right?)
verse 23... reminds me of the New Testament sayings to that even though we are in the world, we are not to be of the world (I can't find the verse I want off hand, but see John 17:14-15)
verse 24... I like the last part of this verse "I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nation... (and continued in verse 26)...I have set you apart from the nations to be my own."... We are God's chosen people... how cool is that! :) (see Colossians 3:11-13, 1 Peter 2:9-10... ok, so if you care about whether the world likes you it is not cool, but since we are to focus on God, and we know He LOVES us, it is totally cool to be His chosen ones... and anyone who believes in Him can be part of the "group", see also 1 Peter 2:3-5, John 15:18)
Study Notes make a comment about the "death penalty" as seemed to be the prescribed and preferred penalty of God in this chapter... that got me to thinking about how most Christians seem to be anti-death penalty (or capital punishment), yet God seems for it... why?... and why no second chances, like we have now?... are we wrong and should be uphold stronger punishments for crimes, or should we give grace as we have been given grace?... I think the answer is that when Jesus came and did away with the requirements of the old testament law (see Romans 7:4-6), He made it clear that it is God's job to judge and ours to love (as Billy Graham says, I believe, see 1 Corinthians 4:4, Matthew 5:43-47, and Matthew 22:36-40)... we are to forgive 70x7 and not to take an eye for an eye, but instead go the extra mile to show love for God's glory (Matthew 5:38-42)... why the change?... or is there a change? I'm not 100% sure, but I know that God knows and that His ways are perfect (2 Samuel 22:31-32), so I'll just trust in that.
Chapter 21: so the priests could make themselves unclean, not just by sinning, but by cutting their hair wrong (verse 5) among other things... at first I was like, wow, crazy... but then I realized that God just wants the people who represent Him to be as good of a representative as possible... I mean, really, what would I think about the president if all the senators and representatives were dirty and bum-y looking (yes, bum-y is a word... it means to look or act like a bum... I should write to Webster about that one... ok, so I digress... yet again... sorry)... it makes me think about how many people are turned off from God because of the way "Christians" (or representative of God) act... how many people swear off church, or bible studies, or prayer, or whatever, because someone, who claimed to be a follower of Jesus, hurt them... many times intentionally? When I look at it that way, I don't think God is over-reacting anymore, and it makes me want to take a closer look at how I represent Him in every area of my life.
verse 10... definition of High Priest... I think.
verse 11-12... so priests don't officiate funerals? who does/did?.... also, I like how God keeps saying "I am the Lord." after many of these commands/laws... it's like He's saying, "Stop your whining... I'm God, you're not... and do it because I said so." :) Sometimes these small things make me feel better about my parenting... ok, sad, I know, but it at least makes me smile. :)
verse 16-23... alright, I'm sure you will just give my own advice back to me in a second (that God is perfect, etc), but I have to admit that this section really bugs me... I mean, isn't God the one who makes people and is over all things?! Isn't it He who gives and takes away, and who ordains all things... even Satan has to ask His permission to do stuff (see Job 1:9-12)... And if this is all so, then, isn't it logically to then assume that the defect the person had came from God?... it's God created and ordained, so then, is it really a defect? I mean, isn't that like saying God messed up?... plus, then, why punish the person for something God did (or at least allowed)?... I'm sure that if I thought about it with a clear mind I could reassess this and see God's goodness in it, but right now I am pouting and grumpy about it, so it just doesn't seem fair to me! (And God said, "I am the Lord."... see comments on verse 12)... I suppose I should reread my own comments at the beginning about verse 5 and on, now, huh? sorry for the rant.
On to a lesson from the Study Notes... "the function of the priests was to restore the nation to a right relationship with God"... and concerning our High Priest (Jesus) as compared to the priests of Leviticus, the notes refer to Hebrews 7:26-28 "26Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever."
Chapter 22: verse 3... remember Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-2?
verse 4-8... "Don't touch me!"... makes me want to break out in some MC Hammer dancing, or recall my younger days of long car rides with my siblings. :)
verse 11... slaves must have then been considered part of the family
verse 15-16... don't lead others astray!
verse 18 and 25... were the aliens/foreigners considered Isralites and part of God's people, too, somehow? If so, how? If not, then was anyone who visited the Israelites required to follow their laws while in their community? Did God reveal Himself to other people, too? was He worshipped by other groups? Did He love and help them, too? Now, of course He does (see Acts 10:28, Romans 3:29-30, Romans 10:12-13, John 3:16), but what about then?
verse 23... why are those ok? Was it because of they were of higher value to begin with, so that meant they were still a large financial sacrifice anyway, regardless of their condition...like maybe people would have less of them to begin with, so the loss of one was more significant or something? Just a guess
verse 29... my paraphrase: "Don't bring a crappy gift, half-heartedly, and then stupidly whine about why it wasn't accepted"... nuf said :)
verse 33... "I am the Lord"... and don't you forget it!
Study Note things to think about... "In what area are you giving God less than your "best"? Where are you trying to just get by with offering God "left overs"? What is keeping you from offering God your best? What will you do today to begin giving Him your best?"... good stuff to think on!
Have a wonderful night!
God Bless,
sandJ
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Leviticus 1-3 today... Leviticus 4-7 tomorrow...
Chapter 1: Ok, I am very glad I was not a priest at that time, because that is really yucky stuff... granted I get creeped out by making a turkey at Thanksgiving, or baiting a hook and taking the fish off...but still, too many details for me in this chapter.
Chapter 2: Ok, I could handle this one... God just wants the best.
Chapter 3: Back to yuck... I would have to stick with the grain offerings found in the previous chapter... I'm so glad that Jesus came and we do not have to do this anymore!
I am sure there is a reason for all the details involved in the yuckiness, but I don't have any suggestions. Does anyone know if the people had a choice of what kind of offering to make, or did they have to do certain ones for certain reasons?
Well, on to more offerings tomorrow... don't eat and read at the same time. :)
Much Love,
sandJ
Chapter 2: Ok, I could handle this one... God just wants the best.
Chapter 3: Back to yuck... I would have to stick with the grain offerings found in the previous chapter... I'm so glad that Jesus came and we do not have to do this anymore!
I am sure there is a reason for all the details involved in the yuckiness, but I don't have any suggestions. Does anyone know if the people had a choice of what kind of offering to make, or did they have to do certain ones for certain reasons?
Well, on to more offerings tomorrow... don't eat and read at the same time. :)
Much Love,
sandJ
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Exodus 38-40 today... Leviticus 1-3 tomorrow...
The last several chapters reports the construction of the tabernacle. It was stated twice and in detail. Clearly it was important for Israel to have a place to worship the Lord. A place to gather in order to build a relationship with God.
Think about the place where you worship. Does the church and its ministry encourage you to grow and to build supportive relationship?
Only as you grow in your own relationship with God are you able to model Christ in your family. So look for a place where God is REAL to the teacher, the Bible is an exciting book, and the teacher is eager to share his or her faith.
The place where we worship is important.
God Bless you with wisdom,
Sandj
Think about the place where you worship. Does the church and its ministry encourage you to grow and to build supportive relationship?
Only as you grow in your own relationship with God are you able to model Christ in your family. So look for a place where God is REAL to the teacher, the Bible is an exciting book, and the teacher is eager to share his or her faith.
The place where we worship is important.
God Bless you with wisdom,
Sandj
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Exodus 35-37 today... Exodus 38-40 tomorrow...
Can you believe it, we are almost done with our second book of the Bible!!! Way to go guys!!! :) Two books in less than a month... I am totally siked and feeling like I've accomplished something... I can't imagine how cool it will be to know I read the whole thing. :)
Anyway, on to today's commentary...
Chapter 35: verse 3... ok, this is me focusing on worldly stuff, but I did wonder if they couldn't light a fire on the Sabbath, how did they stay warm that day?
verse 5 (also 21, 22 and 29)... I've said this basically before, but I still like the idea in this verse... how God wants us to give an offering to Him out of what we have (not go get something or become someone else)... and also, to give an offering willingly (not out of obligation or force or guilt)... this is as it should be, even now... the study notes ask "What do you bring God when you worship Him? Which are you more likely to contribute to a project for the Lord? a. your time? b.manual labor? c.supervisory skills? d. money?"... sometimes people say one of those choices is better than another, but I wonder if that is really true... looking over this chapter, some people brought things, some people made stuff with what was brought or with what they had, some people taught others how to make stuff, etc, so it seems to go back to the idea of "giving what you have"... time isn't necessarily better than money, etc... it is about using what God has given you (blessed and equipped you with) to the best of your ability for His glory... I think that that is different for different people because God made us each unique (see also Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Romans 10:13-15... we all have an important, but different role in doing God's work)
Section on "Bezalel and Oholiab" (Exodus 35:30-36:7)... interesting that these two were not chosen because of their skills, instead, they were given skills because God chose them... so, it makes me wonder, why them?... but wow! How cool to be chosen specifically by God to do His work! (1 Peter 2:9-12, Matthew 28:18-20)... do you ever wonder, why did God choose me? I know I ask that question all the time, why me? surely there was someone else better? but that makes me think about a training someone went to one time where they were going to learn how to shoot professionally, and the trainer said it was preferable if the students had never shot a gun before because it is easier to train someone the right way to do something if they didn't have to untrain them from the wrong way first, so maybe God likes to use people who don't know what they are doing so He can train them in His way without having to untrain them from the wrong way... also, when the impossibly person is chosen, it is obvious that their talent, etc, came from God because it obviously didn't come from them. :)
Chapter 36... verse 1-2... God gives us our gifts and abilities, so isn't it fitting that we serve Him with them?
verse 5-7... interesting that rulers, like Pharoah, etc, had to enslave people and force them to build pyramids, temples, monuments, shrines, etc to/for them, but God just had to ask and the people gave more than was even needed, out of love... what power love has!... wouldn't that be an awesome problem nowaday?! That people were too generous and places had to ask them to stop giving!... you know God is really blessing your work for Him if that is the case, huh?
"The Tabernacle" section (verse 8-38)... made as God instructed in Exodus 26... made by all the skilled men among the workman
Chapter 37... "the ark" section (verse 1-9)... instructions for construction found in Exodus 25... made by Bezalel only... cool that God asked him to specifically make His special house!... sometimes God asks us to do special projects for Him... things that He has equipped only us to do... God made each of us for a special purpose (Psalm 139:16)... what an honor!
question on the making of the cherubs... how did Bezalel know what they looked like? Did God give him a creative license to just go with his imagination? or did God offer him a real cherub to sit there while Bezalel sculpted him (like they do with models in art classes and stuff)? or what?... wouldn't it be cool if God was like, hey, here's the cherub model, and Bezalel got to see a real like little angel (isn't that what a cherub is?)?... anyway, I digress...
"the table" section (verse 10-16)... instructions in Exodus 25
"the lampstand" section (verse 17-24)... instructions in Exodus 25... all the talk of branches and being all one piece and light (idea from lampstands), makes me think about God being our vine and us being the branches (John 15:1-8), and how apart from God we cannot "grow" or "produce fruit"... it also makes me think of our lives being lights/lamps we put on a "stand" so others can see God through us (Matthew 5:14-16, Luke 11:33)... I don't know if that is why God put the details on the lampstand that He did (or even why He had them make the lampstand to begin with), but it made me think about it anyway. :)... the study notes had a question about all the things and details being made: "What is the difference between physical "aids" and religious "idols"? What can you do to ensure that they remain aids and do not become idols?"... I thought these were good to think about because it can really be a fine line that we walk sometimes between what we do or have that helps remind us or bring us closer to God, and what we begin to worship instead of God.
"the alter of incense" section (verse 25-29)... instructions in Exodus 30... verse 29 is about the annointing oil and fragrant incense which had their instructions in Exodus 30 also.
I thought it was interesting that the Isrealites could make these things to a "t", but they couldn't seem to follow God's other commands... why are the tangible "do" type things easier to follow than the "heart" things so often?
That's all I've got for tonight... Have a wonderful evening!
In His Love,
sandJ
Anyway, on to today's commentary...
Chapter 35: verse 3... ok, this is me focusing on worldly stuff, but I did wonder if they couldn't light a fire on the Sabbath, how did they stay warm that day?
verse 5 (also 21, 22 and 29)... I've said this basically before, but I still like the idea in this verse... how God wants us to give an offering to Him out of what we have (not go get something or become someone else)... and also, to give an offering willingly (not out of obligation or force or guilt)... this is as it should be, even now... the study notes ask "What do you bring God when you worship Him? Which are you more likely to contribute to a project for the Lord? a. your time? b.manual labor? c.supervisory skills? d. money?"... sometimes people say one of those choices is better than another, but I wonder if that is really true... looking over this chapter, some people brought things, some people made stuff with what was brought or with what they had, some people taught others how to make stuff, etc, so it seems to go back to the idea of "giving what you have"... time isn't necessarily better than money, etc... it is about using what God has given you (blessed and equipped you with) to the best of your ability for His glory... I think that that is different for different people because God made us each unique (see also Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Romans 10:13-15... we all have an important, but different role in doing God's work)
Section on "Bezalel and Oholiab" (Exodus 35:30-36:7)... interesting that these two were not chosen because of their skills, instead, they were given skills because God chose them... so, it makes me wonder, why them?... but wow! How cool to be chosen specifically by God to do His work! (1 Peter 2:9-12, Matthew 28:18-20)... do you ever wonder, why did God choose me? I know I ask that question all the time, why me? surely there was someone else better? but that makes me think about a training someone went to one time where they were going to learn how to shoot professionally, and the trainer said it was preferable if the students had never shot a gun before because it is easier to train someone the right way to do something if they didn't have to untrain them from the wrong way first, so maybe God likes to use people who don't know what they are doing so He can train them in His way without having to untrain them from the wrong way... also, when the impossibly person is chosen, it is obvious that their talent, etc, came from God because it obviously didn't come from them. :)
Chapter 36... verse 1-2... God gives us our gifts and abilities, so isn't it fitting that we serve Him with them?
verse 5-7... interesting that rulers, like Pharoah, etc, had to enslave people and force them to build pyramids, temples, monuments, shrines, etc to/for them, but God just had to ask and the people gave more than was even needed, out of love... what power love has!... wouldn't that be an awesome problem nowaday?! That people were too generous and places had to ask them to stop giving!... you know God is really blessing your work for Him if that is the case, huh?
"The Tabernacle" section (verse 8-38)... made as God instructed in Exodus 26... made by all the skilled men among the workman
Chapter 37... "the ark" section (verse 1-9)... instructions for construction found in Exodus 25... made by Bezalel only... cool that God asked him to specifically make His special house!... sometimes God asks us to do special projects for Him... things that He has equipped only us to do... God made each of us for a special purpose (Psalm 139:16)... what an honor!
question on the making of the cherubs... how did Bezalel know what they looked like? Did God give him a creative license to just go with his imagination? or did God offer him a real cherub to sit there while Bezalel sculpted him (like they do with models in art classes and stuff)? or what?... wouldn't it be cool if God was like, hey, here's the cherub model, and Bezalel got to see a real like little angel (isn't that what a cherub is?)?... anyway, I digress...
"the table" section (verse 10-16)... instructions in Exodus 25
"the lampstand" section (verse 17-24)... instructions in Exodus 25... all the talk of branches and being all one piece and light (idea from lampstands), makes me think about God being our vine and us being the branches (John 15:1-8), and how apart from God we cannot "grow" or "produce fruit"... it also makes me think of our lives being lights/lamps we put on a "stand" so others can see God through us (Matthew 5:14-16, Luke 11:33)... I don't know if that is why God put the details on the lampstand that He did (or even why He had them make the lampstand to begin with), but it made me think about it anyway. :)... the study notes had a question about all the things and details being made: "What is the difference between physical "aids" and religious "idols"? What can you do to ensure that they remain aids and do not become idols?"... I thought these were good to think about because it can really be a fine line that we walk sometimes between what we do or have that helps remind us or bring us closer to God, and what we begin to worship instead of God.
"the alter of incense" section (verse 25-29)... instructions in Exodus 30... verse 29 is about the annointing oil and fragrant incense which had their instructions in Exodus 30 also.
I thought it was interesting that the Isrealites could make these things to a "t", but they couldn't seem to follow God's other commands... why are the tangible "do" type things easier to follow than the "heart" things so often?
That's all I've got for tonight... Have a wonderful evening!
In His Love,
sandJ
Monday, January 18, 2010
Exodus 32-34 today... Exodus 35-37 tomorrow...
Chapter 32: Remember Exodus 20:3-4...
verse 1... How often do I get impatient and try to imitate God's plan on my own?... It's never as good as God's would be if I would just wait, though... and it usually takes longer to fulfill God's plan because we have to first "undo" what I messed up...."come make us gods" (or "a god")-still trying to fill their "God hole"... what "gods" do we try to fill our "God hole" with?... the only thing that ever fills us up perfectly is the one true God, Himself... the words "this fellow Moses", as if he's just some random guy to them at this point? How soon we forget and how fickle we can be!
verse 2... So no argument on the part of Aaron?! Where's the loyalty? Just shows, yet again, that even clergy, and those "called by God" are imperfect... we ALL are (see Romans 3:23)
verse 3... The people obeyed... that kills me!...It does make me think about whether they would have obeyed if Aaron had admonished them(or corrected them in love)? We have a responsibility when we are in positions of leadership, to encourage what is right and holy, and renounce what is evil (James 3:1)
verse 4... this was not an act of passion... it obviously took some time to make so it was premeditated... they had time to rethink this, but didn't... also, God wants His stuff to be made by skilled craftsman (see previous chapters), but the gods of this world will take any old effort... what does this (or should this) tell us about the quality of what (or who) we worship?... and what does this tell us about the effort we should put into worshipping God, who deserves and desires our best (see also Exodus 34:26, among other places)?... I also thought it was crazy that they credited the god that THEY had JUST crafted with bringing them out of Egypt!... How could that god have done it?! They just made it! did they think that they had brought themselves out of Egypt? It is easy to be incredulous and judgemental with the Isrealites, but honestly, how often do we cry out to God for His help, and when He gives it to us, and rescues us, we then forget and forsake Him, and instead of thanking and worshipping Him, we pat OURSELVES on the back?
verse 5... HOW RUDE! this seems like a slap in God's face to me... the study notes asked, "After fashioning the golden calf himself, why did Aaron announce a festival to the Lord (Yahweh)? a. He was trying to turn the people back to God (I don't think so or he wouldn't have blamed them and lied about how it was made-see verse 22-24); b. he felt guilty about what he had done; c. he thought the calf was the Lord; d. the calf was simpy a decoration for the party; e. I'm not sure (this is the one I am going with... any ideas???)
verse 7... God disowns the people already because He knows what they are up to ("... because YOUR people...")
verse 10... interesting that God is still willing to uphold the covenant... but only with righteous seed... I did wonder though, would it have mattered to start over, as men's inclination is evil... wouldn't a few generations after Moses potentially become corrupt again, too?... how do we ensure that our generations are still faithful to God?
verse 12... Does disaster sometimes come because we do not ask God to relent? Because we do not intercede on the behalf of others? What responsibility do we have to do this?
verse 16... I wonder what God's handwriting looks like? What did He write with? Lightening? or ???
verse 18... ahh, but they did defeat themselves, even if they did not know it yet... how often do we bring defeat on ourselves because we refuse to trust and obey God?
verse 19... when the threw the tablets down, I wonder if God was angry or felt justified by this or ???... Do we sometimes try to execute what God had wanted to do anyway? Why? Because we didn't believe God when He said it? It hadn't affected us yet, so we didn't see the need? Does God withhold sometimes so we can understand His point of view better? The Study Notes suggest that maybe the breaking of the tablets (which held the covenant laws) was symbolic of the breaking of the covenant, maybe making it null and void, or at least breaking the Law.
verse 20... "... made the Isrealites drink it."... ok, I just felt like I wanted to say to them "You go, Moses! Serves them right!"... like the phrase "made your bed, now lie in it"... so, that makes me be more humble because I have done this to myself (in various ways) before... and I thank God that He let me because I have grown in character and learned from it... or at least for a time (because I am very slow, I think!)
verse 21... Moses gave Aaron the benefit of the doubt and assumed Aaron at least put up a fight or something... sad that Aaron didn't live up the the assumption he was given.
verse 22... Aaron blames the people but "forgets" his own evil... isn't that just like us to want to shift blame off of ourselves... but, as we read in verse 35, God always knows the truth... why do we even lie? we can't fool God!... but not the first time (see Genesis 3)
verse 24... not quite! (see verse 4)
verse 25... do our actions make people mock God?
verse 26-29... the Levites rallied with Moses and God... these are the future priests... Is this the reason that God trusted them with that important position? Or did this event play any part in that choosing?
verse 27-28... sin leads to death (see also Romans 6:23)... Moses fulfills, in part, what God had wanted to do.
verse 29... do these apply here or clarify at all?: Luke 14:26-27, Matthew 10:34-38, Micah 7:4-7
verse 31-23... When I read this it made me think about those who worship idols even today... we need to pray this for those who do not yet know God, in hopes they will on day renounce their gods and serve only the one true God.
verse 32... why pray this? Was it because Moses didn't want to serve an uncompassionate God?
verse 34... sometimes our punishment it delayed for God's glory, and to be most effective... I wonder if maybe waited to send the plague (verse 35) until Moses was going up onto the mountain the next time, so they would be too ill to get "creative" again in his absence? Just a thought, not able to back it up.
Chapter 33: verse 3... Wow! I hope I never am so disobedient that God leaves me! I think I would rather be destroyed by God then to be gone from His presence (someone once said that that is what Hell is... being totally cut off from the presence of God)... interesting that God holds us His deal even though He can't stand to be around them!... the study notes suggest that time away from God may be for our own good... it asks "Why do you think we have those spiritual dry spells? a. to learn patience; b. to practice listening to God; c. God has run out of things to tell us; d. time to digest what we already know; e. to appreciate the fruitful time more; f. to test our loyalty to God; g. to anticipate the Big Moments"... I don't know if I hold to some of these, but others had me thinking...
verse 5... just obey and be quiet, so I have time to cool off and think, and don't kill you... I've said this to my kids before... I am encouraged in this. :)
verse 7-11... I would rather be with God than among the wicked people, too... the study notes ask "Why would Moses seek God's face at a time like this?"... in reality, do I seek God's face when the times are "wicked"?
verse 11... so Moses saw God? What about verse 20? Did God "veil" His face to a degree or something?... How awesome to speak to God like a friend!... that made me think: Do I treat God like a friend? Do I talk to Him like that? Do I think of Him like that? Do I let Him be my friend? If not, what or how can I change to make this a reality in my life, too? Isn't that what He wants, I mean, doesn't He call us His friends, too (see John 15:9-17, specifically verse 14-15)?... wonder why Joshua doesn't leave the tent? Maybe that is how he stayed pure enough (and not badly influenced by the people) to be allowed to lead the next generation into the promised land (see Numbers 14:30)?
verse 13... this is my prayer, too, and the reason that I am doing this Bible Study... so I can know God.
verse 14... "my Presence"... is this the Holy Spirit?... also, "give you rest"... comforting to remember that we are to find our rest, strength and peace in God, NOT ourselves... see Matthew 11:28... how comforting to KNOW that God is really with you. :)
verse 14-17... Request of our family... Don't go without God, for how else will we be distinguishable enough to be lights for God that others will want to follow Him?
verse 19-20... COOL! :)
verse 21-23... God always protects us. :)
Chapter 34: verse 1... "...which you broke"- this made me smile because I picture God kind of calling Moses out on this... kind of like "ribbing" him, since God had been so angry, and then Moses made a point of pacifying Him, but then, Moses was so angry about the same thing He asked God not to be angry about, and Moses could not contain himself... I see God kind of smiling and poking Moses on this point, like see I told you so, now do you see. :)
verse 11-26 are a repeat and expansion/clarification in some areas of the previous commands God gave (see Exodus 20-23)
verse 15-16... do not let yourself be ensnared by evil practices, by the ways of the world.
verse 17... I heard once that laws are made because of need... you would think that they would have been able to get this one without the need for specification, but then I think back to the lady with the McDonalds coffee, and how now there is wording on the lid "Caution: Hot"...
verse 21... no excuse for not resting! If God requires rest from His work (see Exodus 31), then why would we assume He would allow us to not rest from our work? Isn't He and His will and goals greater than us and ours? (see previous point in verse 17, though) :)
verse 28... Moses fasted 40 days and 40 nights, is that why Jeuss did, too (see Matthew 4, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4)?... Jesus spent this time with God to get Himself ready for the ministry He was about to do, so I am interested to see if Moses has some big stuff coming up...
verse 29... it doesn't mention that Moses's face was radiant the first time He came down from the mountain... why? Was it because of the sin of the people he encountered? It makes me think how sin keeps us from fully experiencing God (in our lives, too).
verse 29-35... see also 2 Corinthians 3:7-18... these verse made me think, how can we not help but be radiant after speaking with God (or being with God)?... He fills us up and His love and joy overflow out of our souls!... ok, now here is a side note that I thought of, but I preface it with the fact that it is just my mind rambling and I have no real biblical basis to back it up, but I thought it was a sweet thought: if being with the Lord makes a person's face "radiant", and children are a blessing from God, then maybe that is why pregnant women "glow", because they've been "touched by the hand of God", and "His face has smiled down on them"? :)
Ok, I've rambled on way too much for tonight, so sorry. Hope you have a wonderful evening!
God Bless,
sandJ
verse 1... How often do I get impatient and try to imitate God's plan on my own?... It's never as good as God's would be if I would just wait, though... and it usually takes longer to fulfill God's plan because we have to first "undo" what I messed up...."come make us gods" (or "a god")-still trying to fill their "God hole"... what "gods" do we try to fill our "God hole" with?... the only thing that ever fills us up perfectly is the one true God, Himself... the words "this fellow Moses", as if he's just some random guy to them at this point? How soon we forget and how fickle we can be!
verse 2... So no argument on the part of Aaron?! Where's the loyalty? Just shows, yet again, that even clergy, and those "called by God" are imperfect... we ALL are (see Romans 3:23)
verse 3... The people obeyed... that kills me!...It does make me think about whether they would have obeyed if Aaron had admonished them(or corrected them in love)? We have a responsibility when we are in positions of leadership, to encourage what is right and holy, and renounce what is evil (James 3:1)
verse 4... this was not an act of passion... it obviously took some time to make so it was premeditated... they had time to rethink this, but didn't... also, God wants His stuff to be made by skilled craftsman (see previous chapters), but the gods of this world will take any old effort... what does this (or should this) tell us about the quality of what (or who) we worship?... and what does this tell us about the effort we should put into worshipping God, who deserves and desires our best (see also Exodus 34:26, among other places)?... I also thought it was crazy that they credited the god that THEY had JUST crafted with bringing them out of Egypt!... How could that god have done it?! They just made it! did they think that they had brought themselves out of Egypt? It is easy to be incredulous and judgemental with the Isrealites, but honestly, how often do we cry out to God for His help, and when He gives it to us, and rescues us, we then forget and forsake Him, and instead of thanking and worshipping Him, we pat OURSELVES on the back?
verse 5... HOW RUDE! this seems like a slap in God's face to me... the study notes asked, "After fashioning the golden calf himself, why did Aaron announce a festival to the Lord (Yahweh)? a. He was trying to turn the people back to God (I don't think so or he wouldn't have blamed them and lied about how it was made-see verse 22-24); b. he felt guilty about what he had done; c. he thought the calf was the Lord; d. the calf was simpy a decoration for the party; e. I'm not sure (this is the one I am going with... any ideas???)
verse 7... God disowns the people already because He knows what they are up to ("... because YOUR people...")
verse 10... interesting that God is still willing to uphold the covenant... but only with righteous seed... I did wonder though, would it have mattered to start over, as men's inclination is evil... wouldn't a few generations after Moses potentially become corrupt again, too?... how do we ensure that our generations are still faithful to God?
verse 12... Does disaster sometimes come because we do not ask God to relent? Because we do not intercede on the behalf of others? What responsibility do we have to do this?
verse 16... I wonder what God's handwriting looks like? What did He write with? Lightening? or ???
verse 18... ahh, but they did defeat themselves, even if they did not know it yet... how often do we bring defeat on ourselves because we refuse to trust and obey God?
verse 19... when the threw the tablets down, I wonder if God was angry or felt justified by this or ???... Do we sometimes try to execute what God had wanted to do anyway? Why? Because we didn't believe God when He said it? It hadn't affected us yet, so we didn't see the need? Does God withhold sometimes so we can understand His point of view better? The Study Notes suggest that maybe the breaking of the tablets (which held the covenant laws) was symbolic of the breaking of the covenant, maybe making it null and void, or at least breaking the Law.
verse 20... "... made the Isrealites drink it."... ok, I just felt like I wanted to say to them "You go, Moses! Serves them right!"... like the phrase "made your bed, now lie in it"... so, that makes me be more humble because I have done this to myself (in various ways) before... and I thank God that He let me because I have grown in character and learned from it... or at least for a time (because I am very slow, I think!)
verse 21... Moses gave Aaron the benefit of the doubt and assumed Aaron at least put up a fight or something... sad that Aaron didn't live up the the assumption he was given.
verse 22... Aaron blames the people but "forgets" his own evil... isn't that just like us to want to shift blame off of ourselves... but, as we read in verse 35, God always knows the truth... why do we even lie? we can't fool God!... but not the first time (see Genesis 3)
verse 24... not quite! (see verse 4)
verse 25... do our actions make people mock God?
verse 26-29... the Levites rallied with Moses and God... these are the future priests... Is this the reason that God trusted them with that important position? Or did this event play any part in that choosing?
verse 27-28... sin leads to death (see also Romans 6:23)... Moses fulfills, in part, what God had wanted to do.
verse 29... do these apply here or clarify at all?: Luke 14:26-27, Matthew 10:34-38, Micah 7:4-7
verse 31-23... When I read this it made me think about those who worship idols even today... we need to pray this for those who do not yet know God, in hopes they will on day renounce their gods and serve only the one true God.
verse 32... why pray this? Was it because Moses didn't want to serve an uncompassionate God?
verse 34... sometimes our punishment it delayed for God's glory, and to be most effective... I wonder if maybe waited to send the plague (verse 35) until Moses was going up onto the mountain the next time, so they would be too ill to get "creative" again in his absence? Just a thought, not able to back it up.
Chapter 33: verse 3... Wow! I hope I never am so disobedient that God leaves me! I think I would rather be destroyed by God then to be gone from His presence (someone once said that that is what Hell is... being totally cut off from the presence of God)... interesting that God holds us His deal even though He can't stand to be around them!... the study notes suggest that time away from God may be for our own good... it asks "Why do you think we have those spiritual dry spells? a. to learn patience; b. to practice listening to God; c. God has run out of things to tell us; d. time to digest what we already know; e. to appreciate the fruitful time more; f. to test our loyalty to God; g. to anticipate the Big Moments"... I don't know if I hold to some of these, but others had me thinking...
verse 5... just obey and be quiet, so I have time to cool off and think, and don't kill you... I've said this to my kids before... I am encouraged in this. :)
verse 7-11... I would rather be with God than among the wicked people, too... the study notes ask "Why would Moses seek God's face at a time like this?"... in reality, do I seek God's face when the times are "wicked"?
verse 11... so Moses saw God? What about verse 20? Did God "veil" His face to a degree or something?... How awesome to speak to God like a friend!... that made me think: Do I treat God like a friend? Do I talk to Him like that? Do I think of Him like that? Do I let Him be my friend? If not, what or how can I change to make this a reality in my life, too? Isn't that what He wants, I mean, doesn't He call us His friends, too (see John 15:9-17, specifically verse 14-15)?... wonder why Joshua doesn't leave the tent? Maybe that is how he stayed pure enough (and not badly influenced by the people) to be allowed to lead the next generation into the promised land (see Numbers 14:30)?
verse 13... this is my prayer, too, and the reason that I am doing this Bible Study... so I can know God.
verse 14... "my Presence"... is this the Holy Spirit?... also, "give you rest"... comforting to remember that we are to find our rest, strength and peace in God, NOT ourselves... see Matthew 11:28... how comforting to KNOW that God is really with you. :)
verse 14-17... Request of our family... Don't go without God, for how else will we be distinguishable enough to be lights for God that others will want to follow Him?
verse 19-20... COOL! :)
verse 21-23... God always protects us. :)
Chapter 34: verse 1... "...which you broke"- this made me smile because I picture God kind of calling Moses out on this... kind of like "ribbing" him, since God had been so angry, and then Moses made a point of pacifying Him, but then, Moses was so angry about the same thing He asked God not to be angry about, and Moses could not contain himself... I see God kind of smiling and poking Moses on this point, like see I told you so, now do you see. :)
verse 11-26 are a repeat and expansion/clarification in some areas of the previous commands God gave (see Exodus 20-23)
verse 15-16... do not let yourself be ensnared by evil practices, by the ways of the world.
verse 17... I heard once that laws are made because of need... you would think that they would have been able to get this one without the need for specification, but then I think back to the lady with the McDonalds coffee, and how now there is wording on the lid "Caution: Hot"...
verse 21... no excuse for not resting! If God requires rest from His work (see Exodus 31), then why would we assume He would allow us to not rest from our work? Isn't He and His will and goals greater than us and ours? (see previous point in verse 17, though) :)
verse 28... Moses fasted 40 days and 40 nights, is that why Jeuss did, too (see Matthew 4, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4)?... Jesus spent this time with God to get Himself ready for the ministry He was about to do, so I am interested to see if Moses has some big stuff coming up...
verse 29... it doesn't mention that Moses's face was radiant the first time He came down from the mountain... why? Was it because of the sin of the people he encountered? It makes me think how sin keeps us from fully experiencing God (in our lives, too).
verse 29-35... see also 2 Corinthians 3:7-18... these verse made me think, how can we not help but be radiant after speaking with God (or being with God)?... He fills us up and His love and joy overflow out of our souls!... ok, now here is a side note that I thought of, but I preface it with the fact that it is just my mind rambling and I have no real biblical basis to back it up, but I thought it was a sweet thought: if being with the Lord makes a person's face "radiant", and children are a blessing from God, then maybe that is why pregnant women "glow", because they've been "touched by the hand of God", and "His face has smiled down on them"? :)
Ok, I've rambled on way too much for tonight, so sorry. Hope you have a wonderful evening!
God Bless,
sandJ
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Exodus 28-31 today... Exodus 32-34 tomorrow...
Chapter 28: Study Notes ask how each color used in the garments serve to dignify their role... that is a good question... we went to visit a Catholic church as part of our worship class and the priest there explained the different colors of the various robes they wore for different occassions and seasons, but now I don't remember the meaning behind them... is it the same as the meaning behind these colors?
Ok, I have a couple of "what is it"s: ephod? (verse 6...Is it a robe or something like that?), Urim nd Thummim (verse 30)...
The section on the breastplate with all the ornateness and precious stones made me think, "Wow! How fancy! God certainly does not spare any expense to show/demonstrate His love"... but that really should not come as any surprise I suppose, I mean afterall, He did give up His one and only Son, Himself, as payment of our sin... now that is ultimate love and definately sparing nothing (see John 3:16, and John 15:12-13)... so we should be willing to follow His lead and follow suit.
verse 29-30... in reference to how the priests make decisions, the Study Notes gave Proverbs 16:33... which made me think about how we have choice, but it is within God's boundaries... for example: we can choose how we live our lives, but we will all ultimately die... the only choice we have in this is whether we choose eternal life in Heaven after our death (by accepting Jesus as our Savior and ultimate ransom), or if we choose eternal separation from God and torture in Hell (Hebrews 9, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Mark 10:45, Matthew 20:28, Revelation 20:11-15).
The study notes go on to talk about how God's plan here for the decision making was different than Jethro's idea in Exodus 18:13-23... My first thought was that Jethro's suggestion was wrong, but then I thought about how God did allow it for a time, and it made me think about how in Ecclesciates it says that there is a time for everything (Ecclesciates 3), and so I thought that maybe this means that although we should delegate responsibilities and seek advice and council from others, maybe there are also times when we need to step up and take the lead, and make the ultimate decision on our own, based on our closeness with, and the direction given to us, by God... I thought of Paul in Acts 21:10-15, and how he had to follow God's direction despite the loving protests of his friends... so, our relationship with God needs to be the basis for our decisions, whether we seek input from others or not... our thoughts and actions should be tied directly to God's will...nothing more and nothing less.... I think that this is kind of the meaning behind the last part of verse 30, "... Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Isrealites over his heart before the Lord."
verse 35... are the bells so God knows that someone is approaching Him and who it is so God can keep Himself from revealing so much of Himself so as to kill someone?... I thought I had heard once that the bells were so that the people outside would know that the priest was still alive and had not died... like, if they didn't hear the bells, they would pull the preist out by a rope because they would assume he was dead, or something like that? Any references you know of to legitimize (or correct) this thinking?
verse 41 must be where the idea of ordination of minister/pastors/clergy comes from
verse 43... why would they die if they did not wear their undergarments? How would this incur guilt for them? I don't get this part, because God didn't seem upset about Adam and Eve's nakedness until they became ashamed of it themselves, and now God's mentioned at least twice that the exposed body, under the robes is shameful or sinful or something of the sort? Why? What changed?
In regard to all the colors, scents, decorations, sounds, images, materials, etc, the Study Notes reflects on how God wants to be worshipped with all our senses... I think this is partly because God enjoys His creation very much, and wants us too also, so we can worship His fullness... He wants to enjoy our full enjoyment of all He made, since He made it for us, as well as Him... requiring all these senses to be enacted is like giving us a gift each time we worship Him... I honestly can't say if I have ever worshipped Him with all my senses, and I am certain not all at the same time... although I do thank Him for the smell of roses, the taste of chocolate chip cookies, the hugs of my kids, the feel of warm blankets on a chilly night, and the sight of happy smiling faces on my family... so, maybe I do worship Him with all my senses and just never thought about it before... it does bring me joy, so I am thankful God is so thoughtful and loving to us, even as He wants us to love Him in return!
Chapter 29: verse 6... there is an old hymn that says, in part, "... bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all."... I now know what a diadem is (see Exodus 29:36-38). :)
In reference of this section "Consecration of the Priests", the study notes comment that "In this detailed service of installing priests, God seeks to ensure the sacredness and completeness of any and all sacrifices to Him." The notes then go on to provide links to the New Testament for the ritual of "washing" (see Hebrews 10:22).
verse 20... ok, that is just weird... any ideas as to the "why" behind this one?
There appear to be 4 types of offerings that God desires: sin offering (verse 14), burnt offering (verse 18), wave offering (verse 26... never had heard of this one before), and fellowship/peace offering (verse 28)... I suppose that I could somehow find references for these or relate them to daily life today, but my brain is not cooperating, so if anyone has any insight here, that would be great. :)
verse 30... I hope they get more than one set of clothes.
verse 37... I like the idea that "whatever touches it will be holy"... do we give enough consideration to the holiness of God?
verse 41 (and also in the "annointing oil" section of Exodus 30)... "pleasing aroma to God"... the Study Notes reference 2 Corinthians 2:14-16... also see Ephesians 5:1-2... the challenge to us is "How in our busy lives can we keep the incense of prayer burning always, and offer our lives up as pleasing aromas, or fragrant offerings to God?"... maybe a hint to the answer lies in the word "busy"?... are we filling our lives with things according to God's will?... Have we asked Him?... the notes further challenge us by asking, "What do you do that consecrates yourself for the Lord's work... daily?... annually?... once and for all?"... just some things to think about...
verse 45-46... I really like these verses, and they are a major theme throughout the Bible: "I will be their God... I am their God... They will know it... I will dwell among them."... I'm so glad God doesn't give up on us!
Chapter 30: Other references for incense (verses 1-10) are noted as Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, Revelation 8:3-5.
verse 12... this is the first census... the second one is found in Numbers 26:2... also in this verse I found it interesting that each person was required to give a ransom for his life to God... and it didn't matter if the person was rich or poor, their ransom was the same... this made me think about the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30, where it didn't matter how much the person was given it was about what they did with what they had... it also made me think how God really has given to us equally, in that each of us has one life, and when it comes to the end of our lives, we have all had the same amount of time (one life) to use for God... it doesn't matter how many days were in our life, it matters what we did with the days (the one life) we were given, and how we lived it (or didn't) for God's glory.... so in that respect, rich or poor, we are all equal.
In reference to the ceremonial washing (verse 17-21), the law was given to wash so they would not die... the study notes give Mark 7:1-23 as a New Testament reference as to how this ordinance became abused by those upholding the Law... in all of these ordinances I think that we need to remember that it is all about worshipping God to the fullest, not about observing every detail just for the sake of saying we did it.
Another note on the "annointing oil" and "incense" sections... smell is linked to memory... it apparently has a very strong link, which is why babies attach to their mothers (and caregivers), etc, or why the smell of fresh baked bread reminds you of your grandma's house, or whatever... I think that is why God was so adement about wanting to "copyright" certain smells, so that the Isrealites (and their generations) would link the fragrance to the rememberance of worshipping God, and there by have one more way to remember their Creator, their God... God knows we all have bad memories (both then and now), and so I think it is gracious of Him to give us so many reminders of who He is, His awesomeness, and His love.
Chapter 31: The main thing I took away from this chapter was that what God requires us to do, He will equip us for and give us the skills we need, by His Spirit.... see verse 3 and 6.
Also, in the "Sabbath" section (verse 12-18), we remember the Sabbath as a sign to God that we acknowledge who He is, and all He has done in our lives... verse 14-15 made me wonder if we treat the "sabbath" seriously enough and with enough reverence today?... we may not be struck down dead nowadays for going to work on Sunday, but God's law does still have some effect because if we do not rest and push ourselves nonstop, we will suffer from health issues like heart attacks, etc, which may lead to death, or at least substantial impairment... it does us good to remember that God's laws are in place for our wellbeing, in addition to His glory, because when our bodies are healthy for Him, when we take care of and treat His "temple" well (our bodies that He now calls His home... see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) then He is glorified through that... so rest is part of that, and part of who God made us to be and how He made us to function (in His image, and He rested, too, see Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:2-3)... the study notes add these comments: "Having just set before the people all the work there is to do, and the workers to do it(vv 1-11), why does God remind them abou the Sabbath (vv 12-17)? If the project was top priority, why not work overtime? What values are held in tension here?"... I would like to add a thought/question... what does that tell us about the priority of rest over ministry work (things we do for God's glory)? I am not saying that we should be lazy... but many times we feel guilty about saying no to doing "God's work", but God is reminding us that even though His work is important, we need to take time to rest, even from that, because He knows what "no rest" will do to us... and our ability to offer our bodies as living sacrifices for His ultimate glory... something to think about next time we are tempted to stretch ourselves "too thin", or add "just one more thing".
verse 18... the "Testimony" is finally given to them (as promised in Exodus 24:12... a written version of all the laws, ordinances, and commandments God told them).
Also, in this verse, I like the phrase "inscribed by the finger of God"... that is just cool, and I want to think about things in my life that I can say that about... obviously the Bible, for one... but other things, maybe, too?
And final thought... these chapters seem to act as a reminder that we must prepare ourselves for God (like the bride described in Revelation 19:7, Revelation 21:2, and in the idea behind the parable in Matthew 25:1-13)... we, also, must not take His Word lightly or for granted.
Have a wonderful night! We look forward to reading your thoughts on these (and the other) chapters!
Much Love,
sandJ
Ok, I have a couple of "what is it"s: ephod? (verse 6...Is it a robe or something like that?), Urim nd Thummim (verse 30)...
The section on the breastplate with all the ornateness and precious stones made me think, "Wow! How fancy! God certainly does not spare any expense to show/demonstrate His love"... but that really should not come as any surprise I suppose, I mean afterall, He did give up His one and only Son, Himself, as payment of our sin... now that is ultimate love and definately sparing nothing (see John 3:16, and John 15:12-13)... so we should be willing to follow His lead and follow suit.
verse 29-30... in reference to how the priests make decisions, the Study Notes gave Proverbs 16:33... which made me think about how we have choice, but it is within God's boundaries... for example: we can choose how we live our lives, but we will all ultimately die... the only choice we have in this is whether we choose eternal life in Heaven after our death (by accepting Jesus as our Savior and ultimate ransom), or if we choose eternal separation from God and torture in Hell (Hebrews 9, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Mark 10:45, Matthew 20:28, Revelation 20:11-15).
The study notes go on to talk about how God's plan here for the decision making was different than Jethro's idea in Exodus 18:13-23... My first thought was that Jethro's suggestion was wrong, but then I thought about how God did allow it for a time, and it made me think about how in Ecclesciates it says that there is a time for everything (Ecclesciates 3), and so I thought that maybe this means that although we should delegate responsibilities and seek advice and council from others, maybe there are also times when we need to step up and take the lead, and make the ultimate decision on our own, based on our closeness with, and the direction given to us, by God... I thought of Paul in Acts 21:10-15, and how he had to follow God's direction despite the loving protests of his friends... so, our relationship with God needs to be the basis for our decisions, whether we seek input from others or not... our thoughts and actions should be tied directly to God's will...nothing more and nothing less.... I think that this is kind of the meaning behind the last part of verse 30, "... Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Isrealites over his heart before the Lord."
verse 35... are the bells so God knows that someone is approaching Him and who it is so God can keep Himself from revealing so much of Himself so as to kill someone?... I thought I had heard once that the bells were so that the people outside would know that the priest was still alive and had not died... like, if they didn't hear the bells, they would pull the preist out by a rope because they would assume he was dead, or something like that? Any references you know of to legitimize (or correct) this thinking?
verse 41 must be where the idea of ordination of minister/pastors/clergy comes from
verse 43... why would they die if they did not wear their undergarments? How would this incur guilt for them? I don't get this part, because God didn't seem upset about Adam and Eve's nakedness until they became ashamed of it themselves, and now God's mentioned at least twice that the exposed body, under the robes is shameful or sinful or something of the sort? Why? What changed?
In regard to all the colors, scents, decorations, sounds, images, materials, etc, the Study Notes reflects on how God wants to be worshipped with all our senses... I think this is partly because God enjoys His creation very much, and wants us too also, so we can worship His fullness... He wants to enjoy our full enjoyment of all He made, since He made it for us, as well as Him... requiring all these senses to be enacted is like giving us a gift each time we worship Him... I honestly can't say if I have ever worshipped Him with all my senses, and I am certain not all at the same time... although I do thank Him for the smell of roses, the taste of chocolate chip cookies, the hugs of my kids, the feel of warm blankets on a chilly night, and the sight of happy smiling faces on my family... so, maybe I do worship Him with all my senses and just never thought about it before... it does bring me joy, so I am thankful God is so thoughtful and loving to us, even as He wants us to love Him in return!
Chapter 29: verse 6... there is an old hymn that says, in part, "... bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all."... I now know what a diadem is (see Exodus 29:36-38). :)
In reference of this section "Consecration of the Priests", the study notes comment that "In this detailed service of installing priests, God seeks to ensure the sacredness and completeness of any and all sacrifices to Him." The notes then go on to provide links to the New Testament for the ritual of "washing" (see Hebrews 10:22).
verse 20... ok, that is just weird... any ideas as to the "why" behind this one?
There appear to be 4 types of offerings that God desires: sin offering (verse 14), burnt offering (verse 18), wave offering (verse 26... never had heard of this one before), and fellowship/peace offering (verse 28)... I suppose that I could somehow find references for these or relate them to daily life today, but my brain is not cooperating, so if anyone has any insight here, that would be great. :)
verse 30... I hope they get more than one set of clothes.
verse 37... I like the idea that "whatever touches it will be holy"... do we give enough consideration to the holiness of God?
verse 41 (and also in the "annointing oil" section of Exodus 30)... "pleasing aroma to God"... the Study Notes reference 2 Corinthians 2:14-16... also see Ephesians 5:1-2... the challenge to us is "How in our busy lives can we keep the incense of prayer burning always, and offer our lives up as pleasing aromas, or fragrant offerings to God?"... maybe a hint to the answer lies in the word "busy"?... are we filling our lives with things according to God's will?... Have we asked Him?... the notes further challenge us by asking, "What do you do that consecrates yourself for the Lord's work... daily?... annually?... once and for all?"... just some things to think about...
verse 45-46... I really like these verses, and they are a major theme throughout the Bible: "I will be their God... I am their God... They will know it... I will dwell among them."... I'm so glad God doesn't give up on us!
Chapter 30: Other references for incense (verses 1-10) are noted as Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, Revelation 8:3-5.
verse 12... this is the first census... the second one is found in Numbers 26:2... also in this verse I found it interesting that each person was required to give a ransom for his life to God... and it didn't matter if the person was rich or poor, their ransom was the same... this made me think about the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30, where it didn't matter how much the person was given it was about what they did with what they had... it also made me think how God really has given to us equally, in that each of us has one life, and when it comes to the end of our lives, we have all had the same amount of time (one life) to use for God... it doesn't matter how many days were in our life, it matters what we did with the days (the one life) we were given, and how we lived it (or didn't) for God's glory.... so in that respect, rich or poor, we are all equal.
In reference to the ceremonial washing (verse 17-21), the law was given to wash so they would not die... the study notes give Mark 7:1-23 as a New Testament reference as to how this ordinance became abused by those upholding the Law... in all of these ordinances I think that we need to remember that it is all about worshipping God to the fullest, not about observing every detail just for the sake of saying we did it.
Another note on the "annointing oil" and "incense" sections... smell is linked to memory... it apparently has a very strong link, which is why babies attach to their mothers (and caregivers), etc, or why the smell of fresh baked bread reminds you of your grandma's house, or whatever... I think that is why God was so adement about wanting to "copyright" certain smells, so that the Isrealites (and their generations) would link the fragrance to the rememberance of worshipping God, and there by have one more way to remember their Creator, their God... God knows we all have bad memories (both then and now), and so I think it is gracious of Him to give us so many reminders of who He is, His awesomeness, and His love.
Chapter 31: The main thing I took away from this chapter was that what God requires us to do, He will equip us for and give us the skills we need, by His Spirit.... see verse 3 and 6.
Also, in the "Sabbath" section (verse 12-18), we remember the Sabbath as a sign to God that we acknowledge who He is, and all He has done in our lives... verse 14-15 made me wonder if we treat the "sabbath" seriously enough and with enough reverence today?... we may not be struck down dead nowadays for going to work on Sunday, but God's law does still have some effect because if we do not rest and push ourselves nonstop, we will suffer from health issues like heart attacks, etc, which may lead to death, or at least substantial impairment... it does us good to remember that God's laws are in place for our wellbeing, in addition to His glory, because when our bodies are healthy for Him, when we take care of and treat His "temple" well (our bodies that He now calls His home... see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) then He is glorified through that... so rest is part of that, and part of who God made us to be and how He made us to function (in His image, and He rested, too, see Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:2-3)... the study notes add these comments: "Having just set before the people all the work there is to do, and the workers to do it(vv 1-11), why does God remind them abou the Sabbath (vv 12-17)? If the project was top priority, why not work overtime? What values are held in tension here?"... I would like to add a thought/question... what does that tell us about the priority of rest over ministry work (things we do for God's glory)? I am not saying that we should be lazy... but many times we feel guilty about saying no to doing "God's work", but God is reminding us that even though His work is important, we need to take time to rest, even from that, because He knows what "no rest" will do to us... and our ability to offer our bodies as living sacrifices for His ultimate glory... something to think about next time we are tempted to stretch ourselves "too thin", or add "just one more thing".
verse 18... the "Testimony" is finally given to them (as promised in Exodus 24:12... a written version of all the laws, ordinances, and commandments God told them).
Also, in this verse, I like the phrase "inscribed by the finger of God"... that is just cool, and I want to think about things in my life that I can say that about... obviously the Bible, for one... but other things, maybe, too?
And final thought... these chapters seem to act as a reminder that we must prepare ourselves for God (like the bride described in Revelation 19:7, Revelation 21:2, and in the idea behind the parable in Matthew 25:1-13)... we, also, must not take His Word lightly or for granted.
Have a wonderful night! We look forward to reading your thoughts on these (and the other) chapters!
Much Love,
sandJ
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Exodus 25-27 today... Exodus 28-31 tomorrow...
25-27 The Tabernacle, The Altar of Burnt Offering,and The Priestly Garments.
Read it.
Sandj
Read it.
Sandj
Friday, January 15, 2010
Exodus 21-24 today... Exodus 25-27 tomorrow...
Ok, there is alot that I do not understand within these laws, and even more that made my eyes cross as I was reading them, so I am just going to generalize some things I see instead of try to explain things that I don't even understand enough to properly formulate questions about them...
It appears to me like most of chapter 21-23 are an expansion of the 10 Commandments... like God is clarifying the ten basic ideas by filling in some blanks about the "what ifs" on how they may be applied.
In Chapter 21, verse 23-25, you can also reference other Old Testaments scripture with similar statements (Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21), and Jesus's teaching in the New Testament in Matthew 5:38-42.
I can really see how important it is for someone to take the whole Bible in context and not just excerp verses, because there are so many of these laws, that if not clarified by the New Testament, or even if just used for personal desires, could (and have) really been used for evil (like the Salem Witch Hunts... see Exodus 21:18; or kidnapping people to make them slaves... see Exodus 21:20, but then, also see Exodus 21:16, 26-27; or "faith healing"... see Exodus 23:25-26; etc)... humans can really pervert things that God intends for good and has put in place to help us, or bring us closer to Him.
There are also places that seem to be predecessors for what Jesus's teachings clarify in the New Testament, like Exodus 22:21-27, goes right along with Matthew 7:12 ("Golden Rule")... and Exodus 23:2-5 goes along with Matthew 5:23-28 (love your enemy)
Any ideas on Exodus 22:29-31? What is meant by "give Me [God] the firstborn of your sons"?
Exodus 22:28 is one that we should probably remember today, even though it is especially hard, because Romans 13 reaffirms that governing authorities are put in place by God, so even if we don't like God's choice, we still need to trust God and honor Him by being respectful to the leaders He gives us.
Chapter 23: I liked learning about the 3 Festivals (verses 14-19).
I thought verse 20-23 were cool because I didn't know God actually sent His angels down to guide people, but it appears as if His angel is not like the cuddly cutesy ones I've seen dipicted in story books, since the angel punishes disobedience and is "terror" that goes ahead of them (verse 27) to send the Isrealites enemies running... I'm thinking the angels are more like warriors than beings who sit on fluffy white clouds... plus God put a cherubim (in Genesis 3:24) to guard the gate to Eden, which I am pretty sure a cherubim is a kind of angel... maybe different angels have different jobs, I don't know, but anyway, I thought this was interesting... also, the idea of God going before to prepare the way is comforting (and is seen again in the New Testament in John 14, when Jesus tells His disciples, and us, that He is going to prepare a place for us... this time, in Heaven.)
I liked verses 29-30, and the idea that we should remember that God sometimes does take a little extra time to do something (even if He has the power to do it instantly for us), but His reasoning behind delaying is for our benefit, maybe to prepare us or make us ready to experience the full extent of His blessing.... so, if we don't see God moving quickly, we need to trust in His sovereignty and know He loves us and is moving slowly for our own good... I'm so glad God sees the big picture, because I would surely rush ahead and be overcome by wild animals (so to speak).... it also makes me wonder about how much trouble I bring on myself because I don't wait for God to give me the "all clear". I think it is awfully compassionate of God to tell the Isrealites about this delay in advance, too, since He knew they were prone to drift from their faith when things got tough, He wanted to reassure them before they needed it, so they had that reassurance already in their minds the second they started to worry, wonder, or doubt.
I sort of think that maybe some of all these laws, although kind of weird seeming to us, may go back to the "don't worship other gods" thing... maybe some of the forbidden practices were things that were done in the pagan rituals, so if the Isrealites did them, then they might be mistaken as worshipping the pagan gods, or even get themselves confused and "contextualize" too much to the point of forgetting that they were supposed to be worshipping the one true God.... that makes me think about what I may "skimp" on when I worship God... what do I overlook, or "contextualize" too far, so that I lose focus on the worship I am supposed to be giving to God... this is a really important thing to be careful of, because if we give in even a little to just "accept it all", then we can be "taken over" before we know it (see verse 32-33 in Exodus 23)... love your enemies, but do not condone their actions... universalism is not ok.
The Study Notes suggest that yeast=sin, and blood sacrifice=forgiveness, or at least that is what they represent.
Chapter 24: Any clarification on the men seeing God in verses 9-11? Is this God, in the form of Jesus again (see John 1:14-18)?
verse 7... is this Book of the Covenant, the laws that Moses wrote down in verse 4?
verse 12... I always thought that the first time the people were given the laws was when Moses brought the 10 Commandments down from the mountain, but by reading these last few chapters, that's not the way it happened... God spoke the 10 Commandments first (in Exodus 20), then verbally clarified and added details to all the laws (Exodus 21-23), Moses wrote them all down and then reread them to the people (Exodus 24:3-4,7), and then God gave them a "hard copy" of these laws (all of them, not just the 10 commandments) (Exodus 24:12)... at this point, God is not giving them the laws, He is showing the permanence of His covenant with them... and they have verbally told God they were going to uphold it on their side... this makes me think back to Exodus 15:26...
Thinking ahead a little, I am feeling really sad for God... I mean, can't you just see Him and Moses going over all the details to how God is going to come back and live with the people again for the first time since the Garden of Eden... God has got to be so excited... like when we go to build a new house, only more excited... and then, the people go and turn their back on Him, even while He is happily planning their lives with Him... anyway, I know that is like going way ahead (starting with tomorrow's lesson and on), but it just is really sad, and makes me want to cry for God... He must have been so disappointed, yet He loves mankind so much that He even then gave them a second chance... it makes me think about spouses who are cheated on and their sadness but then finding the love to reconcile and give a second chance... I've never really experienced this, but it seems to correlate... anyway, sorry for the book today... Have a wonderful night!
God Bless,
sandJ
It appears to me like most of chapter 21-23 are an expansion of the 10 Commandments... like God is clarifying the ten basic ideas by filling in some blanks about the "what ifs" on how they may be applied.
In Chapter 21, verse 23-25, you can also reference other Old Testaments scripture with similar statements (Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21), and Jesus's teaching in the New Testament in Matthew 5:38-42.
I can really see how important it is for someone to take the whole Bible in context and not just excerp verses, because there are so many of these laws, that if not clarified by the New Testament, or even if just used for personal desires, could (and have) really been used for evil (like the Salem Witch Hunts... see Exodus 21:18; or kidnapping people to make them slaves... see Exodus 21:20, but then, also see Exodus 21:16, 26-27; or "faith healing"... see Exodus 23:25-26; etc)... humans can really pervert things that God intends for good and has put in place to help us, or bring us closer to Him.
There are also places that seem to be predecessors for what Jesus's teachings clarify in the New Testament, like Exodus 22:21-27, goes right along with Matthew 7:12 ("Golden Rule")... and Exodus 23:2-5 goes along with Matthew 5:23-28 (love your enemy)
Any ideas on Exodus 22:29-31? What is meant by "give Me [God] the firstborn of your sons"?
Exodus 22:28 is one that we should probably remember today, even though it is especially hard, because Romans 13 reaffirms that governing authorities are put in place by God, so even if we don't like God's choice, we still need to trust God and honor Him by being respectful to the leaders He gives us.
Chapter 23: I liked learning about the 3 Festivals (verses 14-19).
I thought verse 20-23 were cool because I didn't know God actually sent His angels down to guide people, but it appears as if His angel is not like the cuddly cutesy ones I've seen dipicted in story books, since the angel punishes disobedience and is "terror" that goes ahead of them (verse 27) to send the Isrealites enemies running... I'm thinking the angels are more like warriors than beings who sit on fluffy white clouds... plus God put a cherubim (in Genesis 3:24) to guard the gate to Eden, which I am pretty sure a cherubim is a kind of angel... maybe different angels have different jobs, I don't know, but anyway, I thought this was interesting... also, the idea of God going before to prepare the way is comforting (and is seen again in the New Testament in John 14, when Jesus tells His disciples, and us, that He is going to prepare a place for us... this time, in Heaven.)
I liked verses 29-30, and the idea that we should remember that God sometimes does take a little extra time to do something (even if He has the power to do it instantly for us), but His reasoning behind delaying is for our benefit, maybe to prepare us or make us ready to experience the full extent of His blessing.... so, if we don't see God moving quickly, we need to trust in His sovereignty and know He loves us and is moving slowly for our own good... I'm so glad God sees the big picture, because I would surely rush ahead and be overcome by wild animals (so to speak).... it also makes me wonder about how much trouble I bring on myself because I don't wait for God to give me the "all clear". I think it is awfully compassionate of God to tell the Isrealites about this delay in advance, too, since He knew they were prone to drift from their faith when things got tough, He wanted to reassure them before they needed it, so they had that reassurance already in their minds the second they started to worry, wonder, or doubt.
I sort of think that maybe some of all these laws, although kind of weird seeming to us, may go back to the "don't worship other gods" thing... maybe some of the forbidden practices were things that were done in the pagan rituals, so if the Isrealites did them, then they might be mistaken as worshipping the pagan gods, or even get themselves confused and "contextualize" too much to the point of forgetting that they were supposed to be worshipping the one true God.... that makes me think about what I may "skimp" on when I worship God... what do I overlook, or "contextualize" too far, so that I lose focus on the worship I am supposed to be giving to God... this is a really important thing to be careful of, because if we give in even a little to just "accept it all", then we can be "taken over" before we know it (see verse 32-33 in Exodus 23)... love your enemies, but do not condone their actions... universalism is not ok.
The Study Notes suggest that yeast=sin, and blood sacrifice=forgiveness, or at least that is what they represent.
Chapter 24: Any clarification on the men seeing God in verses 9-11? Is this God, in the form of Jesus again (see John 1:14-18)?
verse 7... is this Book of the Covenant, the laws that Moses wrote down in verse 4?
verse 12... I always thought that the first time the people were given the laws was when Moses brought the 10 Commandments down from the mountain, but by reading these last few chapters, that's not the way it happened... God spoke the 10 Commandments first (in Exodus 20), then verbally clarified and added details to all the laws (Exodus 21-23), Moses wrote them all down and then reread them to the people (Exodus 24:3-4,7), and then God gave them a "hard copy" of these laws (all of them, not just the 10 commandments) (Exodus 24:12)... at this point, God is not giving them the laws, He is showing the permanence of His covenant with them... and they have verbally told God they were going to uphold it on their side... this makes me think back to Exodus 15:26...
Thinking ahead a little, I am feeling really sad for God... I mean, can't you just see Him and Moses going over all the details to how God is going to come back and live with the people again for the first time since the Garden of Eden... God has got to be so excited... like when we go to build a new house, only more excited... and then, the people go and turn their back on Him, even while He is happily planning their lives with Him... anyway, I know that is like going way ahead (starting with tomorrow's lesson and on), but it just is really sad, and makes me want to cry for God... He must have been so disappointed, yet He loves mankind so much that He even then gave them a second chance... it makes me think about spouses who are cheated on and their sadness but then finding the love to reconcile and give a second chance... I've never really experienced this, but it seems to correlate... anyway, sorry for the book today... Have a wonderful night!
God Bless,
sandJ
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Exodus 18-20...Exodus 21-24 tomorrow...
18-20 Can you imagine listening to God as he speaks to us from heaven? I know that I am not worthy, but I know that is does speak to me in a quiet voice in my heart. I would also be scared if I heard the loud trumpets and thunder from the heavens above.
I didn't know that God spoke to the Moses and the people when he gave his commandments. I was taught that God gave it to Moses who passed on to the people to next generations. I am learning everyday during my reading. Go figure, if you read you will learn...
Good Night,
Sandj
I didn't know that God spoke to the Moses and the people when he gave his commandments. I was taught that God gave it to Moses who passed on to the people to next generations. I am learning everyday during my reading. Go figure, if you read you will learn...
Good Night,
Sandj
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Exodus 15-17 today... Exodus 18-20 tomorrow...
Chapter 15: first thing they do is praise God... good to follow this in our lives.
verse 9-10... what great takes might from man only takes a breath from God.
verse 13... God will lead us, so just stay in His lead, do not try to run ahead because a leader can't lead if we don't let them (see also Psalm 27:14)
verse 14-16... because they have seen what God can do they now look ahead to what they want Him to do... also, they have faith He can and will fulfill the rest of His promise completely.... the part, "until the people YOU brought", reminds me that it is God who gives us our victories and leads us out of "slavery" and into the next part of our lives, so if it is God who leads us there, then He will also be with us throughout it as He is leading us into the next thing... like the saying "If God brings us to it, He will lead us through it."
Study Notes talk about how we should use our creativity to praise God... a great book that I found for praying and praising with art (actually I was turned on to it by a friend of ours who did it for us)... the name of the book is "Praying in Color" and they have one for kids, too, it is by Sybil MacBeth.
verse 22-24... it only took 3 days for the praise to turn to grumbles because they took their eyes off the eternal and put them on the temporary (see 2 Corinthians 4:8-9,18)
verse 25... didn't remember hearing this story ever before... God proves Himself over and over on the same basic things... if I think over my life, I have the same hangups that I grumble over each time,too... how do we break away from repeating these so much? or even ever again?
verse 26 made me smile because God is like "stop whining or I'll give you what the Egytians got", and it made me think about the times when my kids are whining about stuff for the millionth time and I say the same basic thing, "stop and I won't punish you", "obey and you'll live" :)... what was Bill Cosby's famous comedy line? "I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it", "I made you and I can make another just like you"... or something like that. :)
Chapter 16: ok, the "Desert of Sin", wow! what a name!... now in introspection, do I have a place in my life with this name? Am I camped there, or have I set out away from it? If not, how can I pack up and leave starting right now?
The next part about manna and quail made me think of a few things... first, in verse 3, the Isrealites whine about not having meat, and not having all the food they wanted... so, God gives them exactly what they were wanting: quail=meat, and manna=all the food they wanted (verse 12, 16)... God listens intently to our desires and our needs. Also, God has unlimited patience and love, but why grumble? If He lovingly gives you what you need when you grumble, and even when you don't even mention it, won't He give you what you need when you respect Him enough to ask Him politely and humbly in prayer and thankfulness? Just a thought.
verse 8... when we sin it is ultimately always against God... also, we should be careful not to take our stress out on others who are just doing what God has assigned for them to do (this can be explored on so many levels)
verse 4,20... God supplied enough for that day, yet even though God had proven Himself trustworthy, not everyone trusted that He would supply their need in the future, too... I know I am guilty of this, and just like when the manna got maggoty, the things I try to store up as treasure on earth wears out and falls apart and becomes no good for me anymore, too (see Matthew 6:19-21)... my love and trust can only grow when I obediently act upon what God has already given me so I can take the next step and see Him provide even more... when I try to supply for myself, I am cheating myself out of the blessings God wants to give/show me.
Another thought on manna... it is just like us reading God's Word everyday... if we think of the "bread of life" as we do the bread we eat, then, with that perspective let's answer a couple of questions? Is it necessary? Is it boring? Is it just the same-old same-old? If we had to eat the same thing every day to stay alive, how would be view it? As a blessing or as a frustration? How do we view our daily dose of "manna" when we read the Bible? Anyway, I know I need to work on my perspective of it sometimes, and be thankful that God has allowed me to be "fed" everyday, so I can "stay alive" and "healthy".
verse 26-27... I thought it was interesting that God instituted the Sabboth prior to the 10 Commandments... and then I thought about the other 9 commandments and realized that God probably has already set some of these other laws in place, too... certainly "do not kill", that was back in Genesis toward the beginning (somewhere shortly after Cain killed Abel, I think)... so, maybe, although this is jumping ahead a little, sorry... maybe the 10 Commandments weren't a set of new laws or something like I always thought, but just a compiling of existing things that the people needed reminding of, and it was put all in one place so they could see it and remember it easier... kind of like how I put the verses I need to work on on my mirror or something... I don't know, just a thought.... like the verse, "Thy Word I will hide in my heart so I will not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11, and Deuteronomy 11:18)
verse 29... I like how God says that He has given them everything they need so that they can rest on the Sabbath... so often I feel guilty for taking a rest, yet God is saying that He gives us rest as a blessing... but we have to be willing to accept the blessing, and not go looking for "work" to do (like in verse 27)... the Study Notes suggest that one point of the Sabbath for us might be to learn that nothing is lost by observing a day of rest... I think that is something I need to accept... the world will not end if I choose to rest for a day... and it might just do me and everyone else some good. :)
verse 31... like that manna means "what is it"... I think I have made "manna" for dinner before. haha :)
verse 34... is the "Testimony" the elders? the alter? the???
Chapter 17: see Psalm 95 and Hebrews 3:7-11,15 for other tie-ins/commentary concerning this event. Also, there is another water/rock episode in Numbers 20... that is apparently the one I had heard of, where Moses does not obey God completely... in this one here in Exodus, Moses does obey God's instructions and does give glory to God.
verse 2 made me think, "for goodness sake, come up with something new to whine about already!", but I have to admit that I do the same thing, as I already confessed earlier... I am so thankful for God's immense patience... this really is a comfort to me, because so often I find myself thinking that I must be annoying God to death and wonder if He is just about ready to "cut me off", but throughout Moses's story and that of the Exodus, God has been infinately patient and so although it is not my goal to be whiny and annoying, I am thankful for the confirmation that God does have the patience to work with me as I am trying to grow in Him.... also, this verse made me think about how we must be careful not to put our physical needs ahead of spiritual instructions and truths.
verse 4... "What am I to do with these people"...I have asked God this same question in regards to my kids some days, and I am sure our kids have asked God this in regards to their parents some days, too. :)
verse 7... God does tell us to test and try His Word to prove its truth and validity, but it seems to really upset God when we keep trying and testing even after we have already been assured of who He is.
verse 8 and 10... who are Joshua and Hur?... the other named characters seem to have lineage given in association with their names when they are given important parts in the stories, but Joshua and Hur are just thrown in... are they just some Isrealites? I'm kind of asking because I thought I remembered hearing that Joshua was maybe a Canaanite or something? Maybe they were part of the "others" that came out of Egypt with the Isrealites (Exodus 12:38)? Any ideas about the history, theology, or even importance of this?
I love verses 10-13! Great teamwork, and proof that we can't do God's work alone! :)... is this why we lift our hands to God when we worship Him (verse 16), or did this practice come from somewhere else?
Ok, have a great night, and good reading!
Much Love,
sandJ
verse 9-10... what great takes might from man only takes a breath from God.
verse 13... God will lead us, so just stay in His lead, do not try to run ahead because a leader can't lead if we don't let them (see also Psalm 27:14)
verse 14-16... because they have seen what God can do they now look ahead to what they want Him to do... also, they have faith He can and will fulfill the rest of His promise completely.... the part, "until the people YOU brought", reminds me that it is God who gives us our victories and leads us out of "slavery" and into the next part of our lives, so if it is God who leads us there, then He will also be with us throughout it as He is leading us into the next thing... like the saying "If God brings us to it, He will lead us through it."
Study Notes talk about how we should use our creativity to praise God... a great book that I found for praying and praising with art (actually I was turned on to it by a friend of ours who did it for us)... the name of the book is "Praying in Color" and they have one for kids, too, it is by Sybil MacBeth.
verse 22-24... it only took 3 days for the praise to turn to grumbles because they took their eyes off the eternal and put them on the temporary (see 2 Corinthians 4:8-9,18)
verse 25... didn't remember hearing this story ever before... God proves Himself over and over on the same basic things... if I think over my life, I have the same hangups that I grumble over each time,too... how do we break away from repeating these so much? or even ever again?
verse 26 made me smile because God is like "stop whining or I'll give you what the Egytians got", and it made me think about the times when my kids are whining about stuff for the millionth time and I say the same basic thing, "stop and I won't punish you", "obey and you'll live" :)... what was Bill Cosby's famous comedy line? "I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it", "I made you and I can make another just like you"... or something like that. :)
Chapter 16: ok, the "Desert of Sin", wow! what a name!... now in introspection, do I have a place in my life with this name? Am I camped there, or have I set out away from it? If not, how can I pack up and leave starting right now?
The next part about manna and quail made me think of a few things... first, in verse 3, the Isrealites whine about not having meat, and not having all the food they wanted... so, God gives them exactly what they were wanting: quail=meat, and manna=all the food they wanted (verse 12, 16)... God listens intently to our desires and our needs. Also, God has unlimited patience and love, but why grumble? If He lovingly gives you what you need when you grumble, and even when you don't even mention it, won't He give you what you need when you respect Him enough to ask Him politely and humbly in prayer and thankfulness? Just a thought.
verse 8... when we sin it is ultimately always against God... also, we should be careful not to take our stress out on others who are just doing what God has assigned for them to do (this can be explored on so many levels)
verse 4,20... God supplied enough for that day, yet even though God had proven Himself trustworthy, not everyone trusted that He would supply their need in the future, too... I know I am guilty of this, and just like when the manna got maggoty, the things I try to store up as treasure on earth wears out and falls apart and becomes no good for me anymore, too (see Matthew 6:19-21)... my love and trust can only grow when I obediently act upon what God has already given me so I can take the next step and see Him provide even more... when I try to supply for myself, I am cheating myself out of the blessings God wants to give/show me.
Another thought on manna... it is just like us reading God's Word everyday... if we think of the "bread of life" as we do the bread we eat, then, with that perspective let's answer a couple of questions? Is it necessary? Is it boring? Is it just the same-old same-old? If we had to eat the same thing every day to stay alive, how would be view it? As a blessing or as a frustration? How do we view our daily dose of "manna" when we read the Bible? Anyway, I know I need to work on my perspective of it sometimes, and be thankful that God has allowed me to be "fed" everyday, so I can "stay alive" and "healthy".
verse 26-27... I thought it was interesting that God instituted the Sabboth prior to the 10 Commandments... and then I thought about the other 9 commandments and realized that God probably has already set some of these other laws in place, too... certainly "do not kill", that was back in Genesis toward the beginning (somewhere shortly after Cain killed Abel, I think)... so, maybe, although this is jumping ahead a little, sorry... maybe the 10 Commandments weren't a set of new laws or something like I always thought, but just a compiling of existing things that the people needed reminding of, and it was put all in one place so they could see it and remember it easier... kind of like how I put the verses I need to work on on my mirror or something... I don't know, just a thought.... like the verse, "Thy Word I will hide in my heart so I will not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11, and Deuteronomy 11:18)
verse 29... I like how God says that He has given them everything they need so that they can rest on the Sabbath... so often I feel guilty for taking a rest, yet God is saying that He gives us rest as a blessing... but we have to be willing to accept the blessing, and not go looking for "work" to do (like in verse 27)... the Study Notes suggest that one point of the Sabbath for us might be to learn that nothing is lost by observing a day of rest... I think that is something I need to accept... the world will not end if I choose to rest for a day... and it might just do me and everyone else some good. :)
verse 31... like that manna means "what is it"... I think I have made "manna" for dinner before. haha :)
verse 34... is the "Testimony" the elders? the alter? the???
Chapter 17: see Psalm 95 and Hebrews 3:7-11,15 for other tie-ins/commentary concerning this event. Also, there is another water/rock episode in Numbers 20... that is apparently the one I had heard of, where Moses does not obey God completely... in this one here in Exodus, Moses does obey God's instructions and does give glory to God.
verse 2 made me think, "for goodness sake, come up with something new to whine about already!", but I have to admit that I do the same thing, as I already confessed earlier... I am so thankful for God's immense patience... this really is a comfort to me, because so often I find myself thinking that I must be annoying God to death and wonder if He is just about ready to "cut me off", but throughout Moses's story and that of the Exodus, God has been infinately patient and so although it is not my goal to be whiny and annoying, I am thankful for the confirmation that God does have the patience to work with me as I am trying to grow in Him.... also, this verse made me think about how we must be careful not to put our physical needs ahead of spiritual instructions and truths.
verse 4... "What am I to do with these people"...I have asked God this same question in regards to my kids some days, and I am sure our kids have asked God this in regards to their parents some days, too. :)
verse 7... God does tell us to test and try His Word to prove its truth and validity, but it seems to really upset God when we keep trying and testing even after we have already been assured of who He is.
verse 8 and 10... who are Joshua and Hur?... the other named characters seem to have lineage given in association with their names when they are given important parts in the stories, but Joshua and Hur are just thrown in... are they just some Isrealites? I'm kind of asking because I thought I remembered hearing that Joshua was maybe a Canaanite or something? Maybe they were part of the "others" that came out of Egypt with the Isrealites (Exodus 12:38)? Any ideas about the history, theology, or even importance of this?
I love verses 10-13! Great teamwork, and proof that we can't do God's work alone! :)... is this why we lift our hands to God when we worship Him (verse 16), or did this practice come from somewhere else?
Ok, have a great night, and good reading!
Much Love,
sandJ
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Exodus 12-14 today... Exodus 15-17 tomorrow...
Chapter 12: Just wondered what month this is... I know it says later in Exodus 13:4 that it is Abib, but what is Abib? Is it January? Just curious.
I like how God makes His requirements practical... He does require the best, but not the extreme, He just wants the best of what they already have (not something new they have to get, or become... isn't the opposite what we sometimes think though? That God wants us only if we become something else or someone else?)... anyway, I also like the practicality and realistic nature of God... He tells them not to waste anything and to eat what they use... He also takes into account that their may be small families who need to share with others... God is so understanding and all encompassing in His care for us... His details are so specific, so that the Israelites don't have to worry about making any mistakes... That makes me think about what God really wants from me: in my life; as an offering; as a sacrifice; in obedience; etc.
verse 11: God tells them to basically be ready to go because they are leaving... but I still don't think they really get it... it reminds me of Jesus and the disciples in the New Testament, where He tells them He is God like a bizillion different times and ways, and even though they kind of get it briefly sometimes, even right after His death, they are still unsure... I have to say that my life is characterized by this too... until I see it, alot of times I just don't really get it enough to understand and believe.
I have wondered how God could easily separate the Egyptians and Israelites all the other times, and even in amazing ways, but this time, He "couldn't" without the sign of blood on the doorposts? I got thinking though, that it wasn't because it was "too dark" for God to see or something, so maybe He wanted the Israelites to do this act of service because God had shown His power, shown His love/protection/allegiance/etc, and now He wants to see theirs through obedience and trust... Kind of like God did with Abraham and Isaac (see Genesis 22).
The study notes asked why blood was a good choice as a protecion against death, and I was thinking that is was like blood=life (maybe), like the term "lifeblood" or something?
I have to say that I thought it was kind of harsh that God would say that anyone who ate yeast during the celebration would be cut off from the community of Israel... like forever I think... but I guess if God could do so much for them, then the least they could do was to abstain from yeast for one week a month (verse 19)... I am thinking about how much I whine about the minor things God asks me to give up, like time, tithing, harsh words, etc, and yet I think about ALL He has done for me and what all He gave up for me... His only Son (John 3:16).
verse 26 made me think about how I need to have a better understanding of the holidays we celebrate as Christians, so that when our children ask, "Why do we put up a Christmas tree", or "Why are candy canes red and white", or whatever, I can tell them... it also makes me want to know because if there are things we do at Christmas or Easter that do not point to Jesus, do I really still want to do them? What would be the point? And does doing them detract from the message I really want to convey? I think that I need to think those things out a little more and not just follow the lead of our cultural norms.
verse 38... any ideas on who the "others" that went with them were, or why they went along?
verse 39... sometimes we do not know the why, but God always does... its cool when we see the dots connected... Cool how God gives them the celebration details/instructions in advance to eat "unleavened" bread (verse 17...) and then, they see the why when they have to hurry out... I love the meaning behind the celebration details!
verse 41 made me remember that it is all in God's timing... "to that very day"... God's perfect timing.
verse 51... fulfillment of God's fortelling in Exodus 6:26
The study notes also compare the Passover with the Lord's Supper (aka Communion) that we partake in today (see also "Lord's Supper" in New Testament, like in Matt 26:17 and on).
Chapter 13: Does anyone know that actual meaning of "consecrate"(verse 2) and "redeem" (verse 13) your first born males... does it mean make a sacrifice for them? put them through a rememberance story telling ritual? or ??? I assume it does not mean to kill them. I get that this is like a way for the Israelites to once again remember that God brought them out of Egypt with the plague that took the firstborn of all the Egyptian households, and so to show honor they are to consecrate their firstborn to God, but I was surprised that with all the other details given for other things, this did not appear very clear (or maybe it is and I just don't see it)...
verse 9... I think it is interesting that God does not COMMAND us, as His "chosen" people today to celebrate "Easter" or "Christmas"... I suppose this is just another proof that we no longer live under the law, but instead grace.
verse 17... sometimes God takes/leads us the long way, but is it for the best, and probably actually the easiest over all for us... God knows us intimately and cares about us enough not to push us "over the edge", but to still help us grow in Him.
verse 19 (in reference to Gen 50:25)... Cool! What a testimony to the Hebrews memory and reverence... kind of a commemoration of the fulfillment of God's prophesy and promise.
verse 21-22... I have always loved the "pillar of cloud" and "pillar of fire", and how they NEVER left their place in front of the people... God is a faithful leader... He always is with us and guiding us if we just choose to see and follow Him (anytime, day or night)! :)
Chapter 14: verse 2... so, sometimes God does make us go in circles to fulfill His will... that makes me feel better because I have recently (and at other times in the past) gotten so frustrated when I feel like I am walking in circles, but I also feel like I am doing what God wants me to do... I just thought that I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, but couldn't figure out where or how... a wise friend of mine once asked me why I thought that the answer had to be that I had stepped off the path or been misled... I've been pondering that ever since... I never fully understood this before, but thankfully now I do and it is SO comforting and reassuring to me! :)
verse 7... just wondered if the "chariots" refered to are actually "groups" of soldiers or whatever, because it says that they were "with officers over them all"... so, either only officers drove them; the officers were over all the forces in general; or the "chariots" were groups that had officers over each group... probably not of any importance, but it just struck a curiosity button with me. :)
I find it kind of amusing (in a "laughing at myself, too", kind of way), that the Israelites march "boldly" (verse 8) when they thought they were home free, and then they were immediately fearful again (verse 13) when they relized they still faced some opposition... my faith can be so wishy-washy too, and although it is my true desire to become more steadfast, it is a comfort to know that I am not alone in this struggle. The study notes also make a note about how equipped the Egyptians were compared to the Israelites and how that played a part in their reactions... I know that I do this-there are many times that I feel so ill-equipped for the work God has called us to, yet I forget it is God that has done it all and will continue to do it all, both now and in the future, anyway... also, God doesn't want me to be able to handle it on my own, because then I don't learn to trust Him, and the glory doesn't point to Him.
verse 12... reminder to stop always looking for the "greener grass" and call brown yucky "grass" what it is, not immortalize it as "lush"... God gives us past "slavery" and a memory of it in our lives for a reason... probably so we don't fall back into it, among other possibilities... for clarification, by "slavery" I mean whatever had kept an unhealthy hold on us or taken the place of God, like addictions, love of the world, etc.
verse 14... LOVE this verse!... I have used this verse to remind myself to bite my tongue on more than one occassion when I just want to "fix" of "justify", but I know that I shouldn't for various reasons... this verse is very helpful in arguments (should they ever occur, on very rare occassions) with my spouse, to help keep myself in "check" :) .... I also like it in conjunction with Ephesians 6:12 when we realize that it is the Lord's battle and His victory to win overall anyway.
verse 19-20, and verse 25, too... I like how the pillar switches to the back... it reminds me that God is both our leader and our protector... He is everything we need exactly when we need it! Also, I like how God shows His division and love for His people again, and His limitless power, just like He did in Egypt... Boy, what a box I put God in! Lord forgive me!
verse 21-22... I have always pictured the Israelites walking along and looking at the fish staring back at them... like it was the first aquarium or something. :)
verse 31... and then the Isrealites feared and trusted the Lord... God must have been thinking, "Finally!!!"... What does it take for me to finally trust God? Why do I require Him to do so much before I trust Him? Do I fully trust Him yet? Hasn't He done enough already? And how long is my trust? Forever? Just until the next hardship or easy time?
Ok, so here is a random thought: I really am growing to like the Hebrew writing. They repeat themselves all the time, just like I do... so next time someone makes fun of me for repeating myself so much I am just going to tell them that I am "speaking Biblically". :) Seriously, though, I like how they give the ending, then, fill in all the details of the story, give relief spots here and there, and then repeat the main ideas at the end, and tie it all together by reminding the reader of the promised ending, which has now come to pass. I think it is a pretty cool way to write... kind of goes along with the guidelines for good expository/report writing that we learn nowadays.... and helps me remember better. :)
Have a great night!
In His Love,
sandJ
I like how God makes His requirements practical... He does require the best, but not the extreme, He just wants the best of what they already have (not something new they have to get, or become... isn't the opposite what we sometimes think though? That God wants us only if we become something else or someone else?)... anyway, I also like the practicality and realistic nature of God... He tells them not to waste anything and to eat what they use... He also takes into account that their may be small families who need to share with others... God is so understanding and all encompassing in His care for us... His details are so specific, so that the Israelites don't have to worry about making any mistakes... That makes me think about what God really wants from me: in my life; as an offering; as a sacrifice; in obedience; etc.
verse 11: God tells them to basically be ready to go because they are leaving... but I still don't think they really get it... it reminds me of Jesus and the disciples in the New Testament, where He tells them He is God like a bizillion different times and ways, and even though they kind of get it briefly sometimes, even right after His death, they are still unsure... I have to say that my life is characterized by this too... until I see it, alot of times I just don't really get it enough to understand and believe.
I have wondered how God could easily separate the Egyptians and Israelites all the other times, and even in amazing ways, but this time, He "couldn't" without the sign of blood on the doorposts? I got thinking though, that it wasn't because it was "too dark" for God to see or something, so maybe He wanted the Israelites to do this act of service because God had shown His power, shown His love/protection/allegiance/etc, and now He wants to see theirs through obedience and trust... Kind of like God did with Abraham and Isaac (see Genesis 22).
The study notes asked why blood was a good choice as a protecion against death, and I was thinking that is was like blood=life (maybe), like the term "lifeblood" or something?
I have to say that I thought it was kind of harsh that God would say that anyone who ate yeast during the celebration would be cut off from the community of Israel... like forever I think... but I guess if God could do so much for them, then the least they could do was to abstain from yeast for one week a month (verse 19)... I am thinking about how much I whine about the minor things God asks me to give up, like time, tithing, harsh words, etc, and yet I think about ALL He has done for me and what all He gave up for me... His only Son (John 3:16).
verse 26 made me think about how I need to have a better understanding of the holidays we celebrate as Christians, so that when our children ask, "Why do we put up a Christmas tree", or "Why are candy canes red and white", or whatever, I can tell them... it also makes me want to know because if there are things we do at Christmas or Easter that do not point to Jesus, do I really still want to do them? What would be the point? And does doing them detract from the message I really want to convey? I think that I need to think those things out a little more and not just follow the lead of our cultural norms.
verse 38... any ideas on who the "others" that went with them were, or why they went along?
verse 39... sometimes we do not know the why, but God always does... its cool when we see the dots connected... Cool how God gives them the celebration details/instructions in advance to eat "unleavened" bread (verse 17...) and then, they see the why when they have to hurry out... I love the meaning behind the celebration details!
verse 41 made me remember that it is all in God's timing... "to that very day"... God's perfect timing.
verse 51... fulfillment of God's fortelling in Exodus 6:26
The study notes also compare the Passover with the Lord's Supper (aka Communion) that we partake in today (see also "Lord's Supper" in New Testament, like in Matt 26:17 and on).
Chapter 13: Does anyone know that actual meaning of "consecrate"(verse 2) and "redeem" (verse 13) your first born males... does it mean make a sacrifice for them? put them through a rememberance story telling ritual? or ??? I assume it does not mean to kill them. I get that this is like a way for the Israelites to once again remember that God brought them out of Egypt with the plague that took the firstborn of all the Egyptian households, and so to show honor they are to consecrate their firstborn to God, but I was surprised that with all the other details given for other things, this did not appear very clear (or maybe it is and I just don't see it)...
verse 9... I think it is interesting that God does not COMMAND us, as His "chosen" people today to celebrate "Easter" or "Christmas"... I suppose this is just another proof that we no longer live under the law, but instead grace.
verse 17... sometimes God takes/leads us the long way, but is it for the best, and probably actually the easiest over all for us... God knows us intimately and cares about us enough not to push us "over the edge", but to still help us grow in Him.
verse 19 (in reference to Gen 50:25)... Cool! What a testimony to the Hebrews memory and reverence... kind of a commemoration of the fulfillment of God's prophesy and promise.
verse 21-22... I have always loved the "pillar of cloud" and "pillar of fire", and how they NEVER left their place in front of the people... God is a faithful leader... He always is with us and guiding us if we just choose to see and follow Him (anytime, day or night)! :)
Chapter 14: verse 2... so, sometimes God does make us go in circles to fulfill His will... that makes me feel better because I have recently (and at other times in the past) gotten so frustrated when I feel like I am walking in circles, but I also feel like I am doing what God wants me to do... I just thought that I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, but couldn't figure out where or how... a wise friend of mine once asked me why I thought that the answer had to be that I had stepped off the path or been misled... I've been pondering that ever since... I never fully understood this before, but thankfully now I do and it is SO comforting and reassuring to me! :)
verse 7... just wondered if the "chariots" refered to are actually "groups" of soldiers or whatever, because it says that they were "with officers over them all"... so, either only officers drove them; the officers were over all the forces in general; or the "chariots" were groups that had officers over each group... probably not of any importance, but it just struck a curiosity button with me. :)
I find it kind of amusing (in a "laughing at myself, too", kind of way), that the Israelites march "boldly" (verse 8) when they thought they were home free, and then they were immediately fearful again (verse 13) when they relized they still faced some opposition... my faith can be so wishy-washy too, and although it is my true desire to become more steadfast, it is a comfort to know that I am not alone in this struggle. The study notes also make a note about how equipped the Egyptians were compared to the Israelites and how that played a part in their reactions... I know that I do this-there are many times that I feel so ill-equipped for the work God has called us to, yet I forget it is God that has done it all and will continue to do it all, both now and in the future, anyway... also, God doesn't want me to be able to handle it on my own, because then I don't learn to trust Him, and the glory doesn't point to Him.
verse 12... reminder to stop always looking for the "greener grass" and call brown yucky "grass" what it is, not immortalize it as "lush"... God gives us past "slavery" and a memory of it in our lives for a reason... probably so we don't fall back into it, among other possibilities... for clarification, by "slavery" I mean whatever had kept an unhealthy hold on us or taken the place of God, like addictions, love of the world, etc.
verse 14... LOVE this verse!... I have used this verse to remind myself to bite my tongue on more than one occassion when I just want to "fix" of "justify", but I know that I shouldn't for various reasons... this verse is very helpful in arguments (should they ever occur, on very rare occassions) with my spouse, to help keep myself in "check" :) .... I also like it in conjunction with Ephesians 6:12 when we realize that it is the Lord's battle and His victory to win overall anyway.
verse 19-20, and verse 25, too... I like how the pillar switches to the back... it reminds me that God is both our leader and our protector... He is everything we need exactly when we need it! Also, I like how God shows His division and love for His people again, and His limitless power, just like He did in Egypt... Boy, what a box I put God in! Lord forgive me!
verse 21-22... I have always pictured the Israelites walking along and looking at the fish staring back at them... like it was the first aquarium or something. :)
verse 31... and then the Isrealites feared and trusted the Lord... God must have been thinking, "Finally!!!"... What does it take for me to finally trust God? Why do I require Him to do so much before I trust Him? Do I fully trust Him yet? Hasn't He done enough already? And how long is my trust? Forever? Just until the next hardship or easy time?
Ok, so here is a random thought: I really am growing to like the Hebrew writing. They repeat themselves all the time, just like I do... so next time someone makes fun of me for repeating myself so much I am just going to tell them that I am "speaking Biblically". :) Seriously, though, I like how they give the ending, then, fill in all the details of the story, give relief spots here and there, and then repeat the main ideas at the end, and tie it all together by reminding the reader of the promised ending, which has now come to pass. I think it is a pretty cool way to write... kind of goes along with the guidelines for good expository/report writing that we learn nowadays.... and helps me remember better. :)
Have a great night!
In His Love,
sandJ
Monday, January 11, 2010
Exodus 8-11 today... Exodus 12-14 tomorrow...
Chapter 8: I thought it was interesting how God kept stepping the plagues up a notch each time... the first one didn't really affect Pharoah, so he didn't care (Exodus 7:23), but the frogs came up in his space, so he couldn't turn his back on them... sometimes I am guilty of this... I think, well that is sad but it doesn't affect me so I quickly forget and move on... I need to be more active in, at the very least, praying for others and also take more action to help them in their situations, instead of focusing on "me" and how it may or may not affect "me".
verse 10... I wonder why Pharoah gave the time of tomorrow, instead of immediately or today?
verse 14 made me think about how we can be so quick to ask for relief from hardships, but then, how quickly we also forget "our side" of the "deal"... the worship of God, etc...when all becomes good again.
verse 18 and 19... again, I like how God keeps stepping it up, and now, the magicians can't follow suit... first, God shows His overall power, little by little increasing it until it is obvious only God can do it... then, God goes on to show which side He is on by keeping His people safe... it is so strategic how He executes this... if He had done it any other way, He would not have had the Israelites attention, and they would not have been so fully ready to worship Him when it was all said and done...
Chapter 9: I love verse 2, because it's not just about letting the people go and alleviating their suffering, but it includes the reason "to worship"... so often I think that it is all about me... the suffering, the blessing, everything... yet, it is "so that" the very important part can happen: God's plan is always for the purpose of His worship and glory.
verse 5- from here on out, God's timing is always "tomorrow"... I wonder if that is based on the precedence that Pharoah set up in chapter 8, or if "tomorrow" is somehow just overall significant in the culture?
verse 14-16... I love how God is again stepping it up and showing His strength... He talks about now laying on His full force (becuase up until then He'd been holding back, yet it was already above and beyond what the others could do), and also God reminds them how He really could just wipe them out if He wanted to, but He has a purpose in all this and it is for them to recognize who God is and that all the earth will know God... this is the overarching theme of the Bible... it is here, was in Genesis, and continues throughout the whole New Testament... I AM your God, you ALL are my people and I will be known by everyone everywhere for who I AM.
I like how in verse 19, even though God is going to bring some suffering, He still cares and gives them an additional warning so they do not have to die or suffer unneccessarily... but only some listen... again, how often do I bring unneccessary suffering and hard times on myself because I do not listen to God's instruction... it is there for my benefit, but I act like He is punishing me by giving me His words of warning in love sometimes.
verse 29-30... I think it is cool, how even though God knows the true heart of the people, that it is not really for Him completely, God still delivers them anyway... His love is so amazing, and I know He does this for me too and I am so glad that He does.... I just hope that at some point I stop making Him have a reason to bail me out again.
Chapter 10: I love how the forgiveness just keeps flowing each time when asked... it reminds me of Jesus saying forgive 70times 7 (verse: Matthew 18:21-22, Luke 17:2-4)... He is not asking us to do anything He has not already done millions of times over!
verse 21-23 is my favorite plague... ok, I know it is weird to say that, but I think it is awesome that it is so dark you can't see anything (like in a cave or something), and that the light that the Israelites had was to localized and didn't spread... that is really cool and amazing (albeit from a nerdy point of view, but still really cool)! :)
Chapter 11: verse 3... reminder that favor in the eyes of people comes from God not by our own works (so, I don't have reason to ever have a big head, because, guess what... once again, it is not about me!) :)
verse 9... God even has a purpose for the "difficult" people in our lives... it is really cool that ALL things... EVERYTHING that happens is part of God's plan... it really makes me think about the details and stand in awe of all that God orchestrates throughout any given day... it also makes me want to look at difficult situations in a different way... I mean, if God is allowing them to fullfill His purpose, then I should look at the grumpy person or difficult event as a blessing or a gift or at least something to learn from (which is a blessing/gift, too)... that will take some working on, but I am glad to be able to see this idea so I can work on it.
Good to have you back Val and welcome "R"... hope all is well with you both, and thanks for your insights! Have a wonderful night!
God Bless,
sandJ
verse 10... I wonder why Pharoah gave the time of tomorrow, instead of immediately or today?
verse 14 made me think about how we can be so quick to ask for relief from hardships, but then, how quickly we also forget "our side" of the "deal"... the worship of God, etc...when all becomes good again.
verse 18 and 19... again, I like how God keeps stepping it up, and now, the magicians can't follow suit... first, God shows His overall power, little by little increasing it until it is obvious only God can do it... then, God goes on to show which side He is on by keeping His people safe... it is so strategic how He executes this... if He had done it any other way, He would not have had the Israelites attention, and they would not have been so fully ready to worship Him when it was all said and done...
Chapter 9: I love verse 2, because it's not just about letting the people go and alleviating their suffering, but it includes the reason "to worship"... so often I think that it is all about me... the suffering, the blessing, everything... yet, it is "so that" the very important part can happen: God's plan is always for the purpose of His worship and glory.
verse 5- from here on out, God's timing is always "tomorrow"... I wonder if that is based on the precedence that Pharoah set up in chapter 8, or if "tomorrow" is somehow just overall significant in the culture?
verse 14-16... I love how God is again stepping it up and showing His strength... He talks about now laying on His full force (becuase up until then He'd been holding back, yet it was already above and beyond what the others could do), and also God reminds them how He really could just wipe them out if He wanted to, but He has a purpose in all this and it is for them to recognize who God is and that all the earth will know God... this is the overarching theme of the Bible... it is here, was in Genesis, and continues throughout the whole New Testament... I AM your God, you ALL are my people and I will be known by everyone everywhere for who I AM.
I like how in verse 19, even though God is going to bring some suffering, He still cares and gives them an additional warning so they do not have to die or suffer unneccessarily... but only some listen... again, how often do I bring unneccessary suffering and hard times on myself because I do not listen to God's instruction... it is there for my benefit, but I act like He is punishing me by giving me His words of warning in love sometimes.
verse 29-30... I think it is cool, how even though God knows the true heart of the people, that it is not really for Him completely, God still delivers them anyway... His love is so amazing, and I know He does this for me too and I am so glad that He does.... I just hope that at some point I stop making Him have a reason to bail me out again.
Chapter 10: I love how the forgiveness just keeps flowing each time when asked... it reminds me of Jesus saying forgive 70times 7 (verse: Matthew 18:21-22, Luke 17:2-4)... He is not asking us to do anything He has not already done millions of times over!
verse 21-23 is my favorite plague... ok, I know it is weird to say that, but I think it is awesome that it is so dark you can't see anything (like in a cave or something), and that the light that the Israelites had was to localized and didn't spread... that is really cool and amazing (albeit from a nerdy point of view, but still really cool)! :)
Chapter 11: verse 3... reminder that favor in the eyes of people comes from God not by our own works (so, I don't have reason to ever have a big head, because, guess what... once again, it is not about me!) :)
verse 9... God even has a purpose for the "difficult" people in our lives... it is really cool that ALL things... EVERYTHING that happens is part of God's plan... it really makes me think about the details and stand in awe of all that God orchestrates throughout any given day... it also makes me want to look at difficult situations in a different way... I mean, if God is allowing them to fullfill His purpose, then I should look at the grumpy person or difficult event as a blessing or a gift or at least something to learn from (which is a blessing/gift, too)... that will take some working on, but I am glad to be able to see this idea so I can work on it.
Good to have you back Val and welcome "R"... hope all is well with you both, and thanks for your insights! Have a wonderful night!
God Bless,
sandJ
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Exodus 4-7 today... Exodus 8-11 tomorrow...
I love Moses, because he makes me think that if God can use him, then God can use me too... I am every bit as whiny and a scaredy cat (Exodus 4:3) as Moses was, and God did great things through him... not that being whiny and fearful is our goal at all, but it reminds me that God is not limited by our weaknesses... God can do anything regardless of how unamazing we seem/are, and that makes Him so much more amazing (2 Corinthians 12:9)... it also makes it that much more amazing that He allows us to participate in all that He is doing... it is so humbling and such an honor.
Chapter 4: verse 5-I never realized the significance of the Egyptians knowing the God of Jacob,etc, before, but they would have known of Him becuase Joseph knew Him, and although the Pharoah now did not know of Joseph (Exodus 1:8), there had to have been records of him and thus records of God. verse 14, it says that Aaron is already on his way to meet Moses... I like this, because it is a reminder that God already knows what we'll say and what it will take for us to follow, and so He has already gone ahead to prepare... I know we say "Getting ahead of God", but we really can't go ahead of God, although we do like to try to get off course sometimes.
I like verse 16-17... God's almost like, "If you think you know so much more than me, and feel the need to doubt me, then you see what it is like to be God.... and if your idea doesn't work, try Mine, like I, God, suggested to begin with." :) Moses seems to think it is a good idea, because he now decides to go... but later he finds its not so easy to fill God's shoes, and ironically complains when the people don't listen and do as he says.... hmmm... :) It does seem though that God took some of Moses responsibility away and gave it to Aaron, but did it result in Moses losing some of his blessing to Aaron, too? I can't judge though, as I know that I do this sometimes... it does make me wonder what hardships I bring on myself (and others) because I try to be God, instead of just trusting Him to be and do what He says.
Verse 21 (and others)... I heard a great explanation of "harden his heart" one time, and I can't for the life of me remember any of it right now... any good comments on this?
Ok, verse 24-27 is weird, and I can imagine why I have not heard a sermon on this, but does anyone have any ideas or thoughts as to why this is here... to show the significance of giving yourself fully to God?... to ???
Chapter 5: Ok, verse 2 would make me like run for cover from lightening bolts or something... I mean, wow! how bold is that!... but he'll know the Lord soon enough, and isn't that what we all need to remember, that we all must bow before the throne of God at some point, either now by choice or later at judgement (Romans 14:10-12).
I found it interested that in verse 19-21, when they "realized they were in trouble", they didn't rally with God (and Moses and Aaron), instead, when hard times got harder, they turned their back on the help they had asked for... it remindes me of a joke I heard a long time ago: there was this person stuck on their roof and it was flooding. The person prayed, "God save me!". A short time later, a boat came by, and the owner asked the person on the house if they wanted a ride. The person on the house said, "No, God will save me." The waters rose higher. Again, the person on the house prayed, "God save me!". Soon, a rescue helicopter arrived. The person on the house turned them away, saying, "No, God will save me." The waters rose higher, and the person prayed again, "God save me!". The coast guard arrived, and told the person on the house to get on their boat, because it was the last chance. The person on the house again told them to leave because "God will save me." The waters rose higher, and the person on the house died. When they went to Heaven and stood before God, they said, "God, why didn't you save me?" And God said, "Who do you think sent the boats and helicopter?"... Anyway, it is best to recognize and thank God for His help and not push it away... it comes down to our trust in God... do we believe He hears, cares, and will help, or don't we?
Verse 22-23... I like how Moses, even though frustrated and confused, still "returned" to God... I feel like this sometimes, when I look at what God has asked us to give up, and all the obstacles that have come up since we agreed to His plan (whether reluctantly or not), but I remind myself that I must remember that God is God, and I am NOT... that it is not about me looking like a hero, it is about God being glorified... and He has a plan... it is HIS plan not mine, and He will do it as He sees fit... He is perfect, so I just need to trust and obey, and it will all turn out exactly as it is supposed to in the end... "very good".
Chapter 6: God starts off the chapter by telling them how it will be... "because of ME (not you, not Pharoah, not the Israelites, not who or whatever), but because of ME, GOD, you will be free".... and moves on to verse 6 reminding them that He is a God who upholds His promises.
verse 7 is an overarching theme throughout the Bible: I am your God and you will be my people.
verse 8 is cool, in that God says He will "give" the land to them... it is a gift, not an earned thing... sometimes God does give us gifts as possessions, but we must remember the other part of that covenant... they are blessings solely so we can be blessings (back to Genesis).
verse 9 was so powerful to me... "BECAUSE of their discouragement" and hardships they did not listen to God's word... isn't that so true... when we feel like God doesn't care, the last place we want to be is in His word, yet it is the first and only place we should be because it is there that we can see how God has worked in our lives, how He is working, and how He promises to work... and that His promise is good and faithful... I think this is why God then takes the time to remind Moses and Aaron of their history and lay out the strategy to them all over again (verse 13-27)... plus, the study notes point out that verse 26 says that they are to "bring out the Isrealites by their divisions", and the geneology would remind them how to do this, plus give Moses and Aaron the confidence booster of who they were (both for their sake and the rally of the "kinship bonding" of the others).
Chapter 7: verse 5... one reason hard times come is so we can recognize God, without a doubt, when we see Him... maybe because we didn't recognize Him when all was good.
verse 12 is a reminder that even though Satan masquarades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and tries to imitate God, Satan is still a created being and NOT as powerful as God.
verse 18 made me wonder, so the Egyptians could not drink the water, but it didn't say the Isrealites... could they drink it?
and then, verse 24 made me wonder: so, was the groundwater not blood? These two thought made me think about how God shows that He still loves them, because He doesn't want to kill them, just get their attention... I know the old saying is "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", but maybe it would be better stated in another way... something like, "whatever doesn't kill you directs you to God".
So, on to more plagues tomorrow... :)
Have a wonderful night!
God Bless,
sandJ
Chapter 4: verse 5-I never realized the significance of the Egyptians knowing the God of Jacob,etc, before, but they would have known of Him becuase Joseph knew Him, and although the Pharoah now did not know of Joseph (Exodus 1:8), there had to have been records of him and thus records of God. verse 14, it says that Aaron is already on his way to meet Moses... I like this, because it is a reminder that God already knows what we'll say and what it will take for us to follow, and so He has already gone ahead to prepare... I know we say "Getting ahead of God", but we really can't go ahead of God, although we do like to try to get off course sometimes.
I like verse 16-17... God's almost like, "If you think you know so much more than me, and feel the need to doubt me, then you see what it is like to be God.... and if your idea doesn't work, try Mine, like I, God, suggested to begin with." :) Moses seems to think it is a good idea, because he now decides to go... but later he finds its not so easy to fill God's shoes, and ironically complains when the people don't listen and do as he says.... hmmm... :) It does seem though that God took some of Moses responsibility away and gave it to Aaron, but did it result in Moses losing some of his blessing to Aaron, too? I can't judge though, as I know that I do this sometimes... it does make me wonder what hardships I bring on myself (and others) because I try to be God, instead of just trusting Him to be and do what He says.
Verse 21 (and others)... I heard a great explanation of "harden his heart" one time, and I can't for the life of me remember any of it right now... any good comments on this?
Ok, verse 24-27 is weird, and I can imagine why I have not heard a sermon on this, but does anyone have any ideas or thoughts as to why this is here... to show the significance of giving yourself fully to God?... to ???
Chapter 5: Ok, verse 2 would make me like run for cover from lightening bolts or something... I mean, wow! how bold is that!... but he'll know the Lord soon enough, and isn't that what we all need to remember, that we all must bow before the throne of God at some point, either now by choice or later at judgement (Romans 14:10-12).
I found it interested that in verse 19-21, when they "realized they were in trouble", they didn't rally with God (and Moses and Aaron), instead, when hard times got harder, they turned their back on the help they had asked for... it remindes me of a joke I heard a long time ago: there was this person stuck on their roof and it was flooding. The person prayed, "God save me!". A short time later, a boat came by, and the owner asked the person on the house if they wanted a ride. The person on the house said, "No, God will save me." The waters rose higher. Again, the person on the house prayed, "God save me!". Soon, a rescue helicopter arrived. The person on the house turned them away, saying, "No, God will save me." The waters rose higher, and the person prayed again, "God save me!". The coast guard arrived, and told the person on the house to get on their boat, because it was the last chance. The person on the house again told them to leave because "God will save me." The waters rose higher, and the person on the house died. When they went to Heaven and stood before God, they said, "God, why didn't you save me?" And God said, "Who do you think sent the boats and helicopter?"... Anyway, it is best to recognize and thank God for His help and not push it away... it comes down to our trust in God... do we believe He hears, cares, and will help, or don't we?
Verse 22-23... I like how Moses, even though frustrated and confused, still "returned" to God... I feel like this sometimes, when I look at what God has asked us to give up, and all the obstacles that have come up since we agreed to His plan (whether reluctantly or not), but I remind myself that I must remember that God is God, and I am NOT... that it is not about me looking like a hero, it is about God being glorified... and He has a plan... it is HIS plan not mine, and He will do it as He sees fit... He is perfect, so I just need to trust and obey, and it will all turn out exactly as it is supposed to in the end... "very good".
Chapter 6: God starts off the chapter by telling them how it will be... "because of ME (not you, not Pharoah, not the Israelites, not who or whatever), but because of ME, GOD, you will be free".... and moves on to verse 6 reminding them that He is a God who upholds His promises.
verse 7 is an overarching theme throughout the Bible: I am your God and you will be my people.
verse 8 is cool, in that God says He will "give" the land to them... it is a gift, not an earned thing... sometimes God does give us gifts as possessions, but we must remember the other part of that covenant... they are blessings solely so we can be blessings (back to Genesis).
verse 9 was so powerful to me... "BECAUSE of their discouragement" and hardships they did not listen to God's word... isn't that so true... when we feel like God doesn't care, the last place we want to be is in His word, yet it is the first and only place we should be because it is there that we can see how God has worked in our lives, how He is working, and how He promises to work... and that His promise is good and faithful... I think this is why God then takes the time to remind Moses and Aaron of their history and lay out the strategy to them all over again (verse 13-27)... plus, the study notes point out that verse 26 says that they are to "bring out the Isrealites by their divisions", and the geneology would remind them how to do this, plus give Moses and Aaron the confidence booster of who they were (both for their sake and the rally of the "kinship bonding" of the others).
Chapter 7: verse 5... one reason hard times come is so we can recognize God, without a doubt, when we see Him... maybe because we didn't recognize Him when all was good.
verse 12 is a reminder that even though Satan masquarades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and tries to imitate God, Satan is still a created being and NOT as powerful as God.
verse 18 made me wonder, so the Egyptians could not drink the water, but it didn't say the Isrealites... could they drink it?
and then, verse 24 made me wonder: so, was the groundwater not blood? These two thought made me think about how God shows that He still loves them, because He doesn't want to kill them, just get their attention... I know the old saying is "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", but maybe it would be better stated in another way... something like, "whatever doesn't kill you directs you to God".
So, on to more plagues tomorrow... :)
Have a wonderful night!
God Bless,
sandJ
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