Chapter 17: verse 1-2... a curious beginning to a curious story... so, kid steals money, mom yells and curses... then, kid gives money back to mom, admits he stole it, and mom praises him for it?... makes me think about how we should be careful of what we say... both the bad, and the good... yes, it is good that Micah told the truth, and he should be praised for that, but I get the impression he is not a child anymore, but at least a young man, so shouldn't he know better... I do wonder what he had planned to do with the money and why he had stolen it to begin with... but maybe he was trying to turn from his sinfulness since he takes on a priest later on (verse 10-13)... although I wonder if he was just trying to 'earn some extra points' with God, so he could try to 'even out' his bad deeds? How often do we try to do this, even though God clearly tells us that no amount of good works will get us to Heaven, it is only by accepting His gift of grace (Ephesians 2:1-10) verse 3... story gets more curious, as the mom offers a portion of her silver as a gift to God, but goes about it in the exact way the Isrealites were told not to do (see Deuteronomy 4:15-18, Exodus 20:4, Exodus 34:17)... how can it be honoring to God if it is done in complete defiance to His requests? it's like knowing your spouses favorite thing is their car, and instead of taking it out and washing/waxing it, you push it into the river!... this verse also makes me think about how we sometimes try to 'buy worship'... what I mean is that it is sometimes easier to throw money at a problem or offer money to God, than it is to actually roll up our sleeves and SHOW our appreciation through the work of our lives... another thing to think about on this verse is how we can sometimes have the right intentions behind our desire to give, but not be informed about where to give, and instead of helping feed people, or whatever, this mom used her money to make a lump of silver that would sit on the shelf and do not good for anyone... ok, probably beat this verse to death, so moving on... verse 4-5... so Micah had like a "God-complex" or something? did he want to be a priest or feel important, is that why he tried to set up his only little mini-temple? I know that now-a-days we are able to worship God at home, or in our car, or wherever, because we are no longer under the law (Romans 6:14-15), however, in this time, this was apparently wrong (see verse 6, and also I can't find the verse, but didn't we read that they were to only worship at a specific place?) verse 10... if this Levite can live on 10 shekels of silver a year, than Micah's mom must have been rich... no wonder she was so upset about losing 1100 shekels of silver! verse 11... was the young Levite like one of Micah's sons because he loved him or becuase he made him a priest? (see verse 5) verse 12... I thought the Levite was a priest for God?! apparently peopel thought they could jsut employ God's preists for their own agendas at that time? makes me think about the sad stories I've heard about some churches that are 'bought' by wealthy people... when God's people are controlled by money and power, we all lose out. verse 13... I'm thinking that God will be angry since the priest is living in Micah's house under these circumstances... but I guess we'll see. sandJ
Chapter 18: verse 1... because they had trouble taking the land God had given them (Joshua 19:40-48)... sometimes things are hard because God is growing us... sometimes things are hard because we don't give it a good effort... sometimes things are hard because we don't let God help us... sometimes things are hard becasue we don't trust God to do what He says and we try to usurp Him and do it on our own... wonder which the Danites were going through? verse 3... interesting that they recognized the Levites voice since he came from the tribe of Judah area (Judges 17:7) verse 4-6... I am still incredulus that God is ok with the Levite working for this man... maybe he is seen as missionary or something, I don't know, but I sure would have expected him to get rebuked by the Danites, and I would have expected the Levite to have admonished Micah about the idol, and I kind of thought God would have struck someone with lightening by now... but instead, God continues to work through the Levites... I guess it can be a good lesson to us, that although we do not want to continue sinning, God can still use us as part of His plan, even though we are sinners.... although it never says he did actually ask God anything, so maybe he just gives them the 'good' news that they would want to hear... the priest does kind of seem like the shady type, I don't know verse 7... they were 'sitting ducks' verse 9-10... such excitement... makes me re-wonder why the Danites had trouble taking their land to begin with verse 14-17... apparently this was something they had rehearsed?... why would they want the idols? why even ask God if He would bless their journey, just to throw it back in His face by stealing idols to worship, too?... are we ever spiritual opportunists like this? verse 18-20... first you think that the Levite might just have some character... but, no... he is just as much of an opportunist as everybody else!... not good when your priest robs you blind... note to self: make sure to never be that kind of witness for God! verse 21... at first I thought they were being cowardly by making their children go ahead of them, because it is odd that they would want the 'slow' people and things in front... but then I thought that maybe this was to protect their families and possessions as they were expecting to be pursued because of their theivery... if the men were in the back, with their back to the town they were leaving, they would be the first to encounter the battle that they were expecting to have. vers 23... ok, really laughing here... duh, you stole all his stuff and now you wonder why he's angry?! :) vers 24... duh :) verse 25... speaking in third-person? why? verse 26... gave up kind of easy verse 27-28... without the story of Micah before this battle, I would have felt like the Danites were given a deserved victory, like they were claiming their rightful land that God had given them... however, after they robbed Micah, and were such bullies to these poor city inhabitants, I have a completely different view of the Danites... makes me think how our actions can really play a huge part in how other view Christians in general, and God, specifically... we should be cautious of this, I think verse 30... was Jonathan the Levite priest that had been mentioned this whole time?... also, why the footnote difference between whether Jonathan was a son of Moses or Manasseh? could he have been either since he was a Levites, anyway? the study notes say this is an important thing, since the ancestory of one verse the other is important, but it doesn't say why... any ideas? verse 31... sad... truly sandJ
The IDEA: Romans 1:12-That we may be mutually strengthened, encouraged, and comforted by each others faith. Have you ever read the whole Bible before? We have never done it. We want to share God’s Word, but how can we if we do not know it.
The PLAN: Ecclesiastes 4:12-One person is easily overcome, but two can stand together and conquer. Three is even better, though, as a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. With each others help we can succeed-So, let us team up and read the Bible in a year.
The DATE: We will start Dec 26, 2009 - Dec 26, 2010.
The FYI: We will read 3-4 chapters each day, starting in Genesis, and post thoughts daily. If you do not have a Bible, you can access many translations at www.biblegateway.com. You can also download an audio for each chapter at: http://www.audiotreasure.com/webindex.htm
Read it.
ReplyDeleteSandj
Chapter 17: verse 1-2... a curious beginning to a curious story... so, kid steals money, mom yells and curses... then, kid gives money back to mom, admits he stole it, and mom praises him for it?... makes me think about how we should be careful of what we say... both the bad, and the good... yes, it is good that Micah told the truth, and he should be praised for that, but I get the impression he is not a child anymore, but at least a young man, so shouldn't he know better... I do wonder what he had planned to do with the money and why he had stolen it to begin with... but maybe he was trying to turn from his sinfulness since he takes on a priest later on (verse 10-13)... although I wonder if he was just trying to 'earn some extra points' with God, so he could try to 'even out' his bad deeds? How often do we try to do this, even though God clearly tells us that no amount of good works will get us to Heaven, it is only by accepting His gift of grace (Ephesians 2:1-10)
ReplyDeleteverse 3... story gets more curious, as the mom offers a portion of her silver as a gift to God, but goes about it in the exact way the Isrealites were told not to do (see Deuteronomy 4:15-18, Exodus 20:4, Exodus 34:17)... how can it be honoring to God if it is done in complete defiance to His requests? it's like knowing your spouses favorite thing is their car, and instead of taking it out and washing/waxing it, you push it into the river!... this verse also makes me think about how we sometimes try to 'buy worship'... what I mean is that it is sometimes easier to throw money at a problem or offer money to God, than it is to actually roll up our sleeves and SHOW our appreciation through the work of our lives... another thing to think about on this verse is how we can sometimes have the right intentions behind our desire to give, but not be informed about where to give, and instead of helping feed people, or whatever, this mom used her money to make a lump of silver that would sit on the shelf and do not good for anyone... ok, probably beat this verse to death, so moving on...
verse 4-5... so Micah had like a "God-complex" or something? did he want to be a priest or feel important, is that why he tried to set up his only little mini-temple? I know that now-a-days we are able to worship God at home, or in our car, or wherever, because we are no longer under the law (Romans 6:14-15), however, in this time, this was apparently wrong (see verse 6, and also I can't find the verse, but didn't we read that they were to only worship at a specific place?)
verse 10... if this Levite can live on 10 shekels of silver a year, than Micah's mom must have been rich... no wonder she was so upset about losing 1100 shekels of silver!
verse 11... was the young Levite like one of Micah's sons because he loved him or becuase he made him a priest? (see verse 5)
verse 12... I thought the Levite was a priest for God?! apparently peopel thought they could jsut employ God's preists for their own agendas at that time? makes me think about the sad stories I've heard about some churches that are 'bought' by wealthy people... when God's people are controlled by money and power, we all lose out.
verse 13... I'm thinking that God will be angry since the priest is living in Micah's house under these circumstances... but I guess we'll see.
sandJ
Chapter 18: verse 1... because they had trouble taking the land God had given them (Joshua 19:40-48)... sometimes things are hard because God is growing us... sometimes things are hard because we don't give it a good effort... sometimes things are hard because we don't let God help us... sometimes things are hard becasue we don't trust God to do what He says and we try to usurp Him and do it on our own... wonder which the Danites were going through?
ReplyDeleteverse 3... interesting that they recognized the Levites voice since he came from the tribe of Judah area (Judges 17:7)
verse 4-6... I am still incredulus that God is ok with the Levite working for this man... maybe he is seen as missionary or something, I don't know, but I sure would have expected him to get rebuked by the Danites, and I would have expected the Levite to have admonished Micah about the idol, and I kind of thought God would have struck someone with lightening by now... but instead, God continues to work through the Levites... I guess it can be a good lesson to us, that although we do not want to continue sinning, God can still use us as part of His plan, even though we are sinners.... although it never says he did actually ask God anything, so maybe he just gives them the 'good' news that they would want to hear... the priest does kind of seem like the shady type, I don't know
verse 7... they were 'sitting ducks'
verse 9-10... such excitement... makes me re-wonder why the Danites had trouble taking their land to begin with
verse 14-17... apparently this was something they had rehearsed?... why would they want the idols? why even ask God if He would bless their journey, just to throw it back in His face by stealing idols to worship, too?... are we ever spiritual opportunists like this?
verse 18-20... first you think that the Levite might just have some character... but, no... he is just as much of an opportunist as everybody else!... not good when your priest robs you blind... note to self: make sure to never be that kind of witness for God!
verse 21... at first I thought they were being cowardly by making their children go ahead of them, because it is odd that they would want the 'slow' people and things in front... but then I thought that maybe this was to protect their families and possessions as they were expecting to be pursued because of their theivery... if the men were in the back, with their back to the town they were leaving, they would be the first to encounter the battle that they were expecting to have.
vers 23... ok, really laughing here... duh, you stole all his stuff and now you wonder why he's angry?! :)
vers 24... duh :)
verse 25... speaking in third-person? why?
verse 26... gave up kind of easy
verse 27-28... without the story of Micah before this battle, I would have felt like the Danites were given a deserved victory, like they were claiming their rightful land that God had given them... however, after they robbed Micah, and were such bullies to these poor city inhabitants, I have a completely different view of the Danites... makes me think how our actions can really play a huge part in how other view Christians in general, and God, specifically... we should be cautious of this, I think
verse 30... was Jonathan the Levite priest that had been mentioned this whole time?... also, why the footnote difference between whether Jonathan was a son of Moses or Manasseh? could he have been either since he was a Levites, anyway? the study notes say this is an important thing, since the ancestory of one verse the other is important, but it doesn't say why... any ideas?
verse 31... sad... truly
sandJ