Numbers 13:22 - They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
I wonder why Moses mentions this fact. Why does he choose to compare these two cities? How did he know when Hebron was built? How had he heard about it? Why had he heard about it? Was it famous because the giant descendants of Anak -- Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai -- lived there? Was that the first thing you thought of when Hebron was mentioned?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
10/30/2008
Choosing Spies
Numbers 13:1-16 - The LORD said to Moses, "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders."
So at the LORD's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites. These are their names:
from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur;
from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;
from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;
from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;
from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;
from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;
from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;
from the tribe of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi son of Susi;
from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;
from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;
from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi;
from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.
These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.)
With the exception of Joshua, I wonder how Moses decided which leader to choose from each tribe. Was it done by casting lots? Was it based on history, experience, merit, and/or ability?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
So at the LORD's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites. These are their names:
from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur;
from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;
from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;
from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;
from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;
from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;
from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;
from the tribe of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi son of Susi;
from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;
from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;
from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi;
from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.
These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.)
With the exception of Joshua, I wonder how Moses decided which leader to choose from each tribe. Was it done by casting lots? Was it based on history, experience, merit, and/or ability?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
10/26/2008
Miriam's Leprosy
Numbers 12:9-15 - The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them.
When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."
So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!"
The LORD replied to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back." So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
I wonder why only Miriam was physically punished for their murmuring against Moses. Of course it's God's choice, but I think it might have been because Aaron was high priest, and it wouldn't do to have the first high priest found to be a leper.
That's just my best guess for now though. God may have had a totally different reason. His thoughts are not my thoughts, nor are his ways my ways in matters like this.
Another idea...maybe God used Miriam as a warning to Aaron and an opportunity for him to plead for his sister (to Moses) thus forcing him to recognize Moses' God-given authority.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."
So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!"
The LORD replied to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back." So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
I wonder why only Miriam was physically punished for their murmuring against Moses. Of course it's God's choice, but I think it might have been because Aaron was high priest, and it wouldn't do to have the first high priest found to be a leper.
That's just my best guess for now though. God may have had a totally different reason. His thoughts are not my thoughts, nor are his ways my ways in matters like this.
Another idea...maybe God used Miriam as a warning to Aaron and an opportunity for him to plead for his sister (to Moses) thus forcing him to recognize Moses' God-given authority.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
10/25/2008
Humility
Numbers 12:3 - (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
We assume that Moses wrote virtually all of the first 5 books of the Bible with the possible exception of the end of Deuteronomy which describes his last hours of life on earth and his death.
I wonder about this verse, too, though. I believe it but wonder who really wrote it. If you really were the most humble person on earth, would you tell everyone about it?
The editors of the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible decided to make this a parenthetical statement. Could it have been inserted by someone like Joshua? Someone who was a close friend and ally who knew Moses very well and could attest to his sincere humility?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
We assume that Moses wrote virtually all of the first 5 books of the Bible with the possible exception of the end of Deuteronomy which describes his last hours of life on earth and his death.
I wonder about this verse, too, though. I believe it but wonder who really wrote it. If you really were the most humble person on earth, would you tell everyone about it?
The editors of the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible decided to make this a parenthetical statement. Could it have been inserted by someone like Joshua? Someone who was a close friend and ally who knew Moses very well and could attest to his sincere humility?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
10/21/2008
Moses' Cushite Wife
Numbers 12:1-2 - Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard this.
I wonder why Moses' wife was a problem for Aaron and Miriam. Was it simply because she wasn't an Israelite? Apparently God didn't have a problem with that.
Had she done something to arouse their dislike? Were they just looking for an excuse to say something against Moses? Why would they want to take their brother down? Did they really want the power and authority they thought he had?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
I wonder why Moses' wife was a problem for Aaron and Miriam. Was it simply because she wasn't an Israelite? Apparently God didn't have a problem with that.
Had she done something to arouse their dislike? Were they just looking for an excuse to say something against Moses? Why would they want to take their brother down? Did they really want the power and authority they thought he had?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
Eldad and Medad
Numbers 11:26-30 - However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."
Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, "Moses, my lord, stop them!"
But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!" Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
I wonder why Eldad and Medad hadn't gone out to the Tent of Meeting with the rest of the elders. What was it that kept them from going? I can't imagine that, being elders, they didn't want to go.
I wonder why no one noticed they weren't in the group that did go to the Tent.
I wonder if they were surprised that they started prophesying. I wonder if they were near each other at the time. It seems like that might have been the case, since only one young man reported it to Moses.
I don't understand why Joshua wanted to stop them from prophesying.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, "Moses, my lord, stop them!"
But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!" Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
I wonder why Eldad and Medad hadn't gone out to the Tent of Meeting with the rest of the elders. What was it that kept them from going? I can't imagine that, being elders, they didn't want to go.
I wonder why no one noticed they weren't in the group that did go to the Tent.
I wonder if they were surprised that they started prophesying. I wonder if they were near each other at the time. It seems like that might have been the case, since only one young man reported it to Moses.
I don't understand why Joshua wanted to stop them from prophesying.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
10/19/2008
Blowing the Trumpets
Numbers 10:8 - The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.
I wonder if Aaron's sons already knew how to get a sound out of the trumpets or if they needed to be taught how to play by an experienced trumpeter.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
I wonder if Aaron's sons already knew how to get a sound out of the trumpets or if they needed to be taught how to play by an experienced trumpeter.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
Shave and a Haircut
Numbers 8:5-7 - The LORD said to Moses: "Take the Levites from among the other Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.
I wonder if the Levites were supposed to remain clean-shaven (all over) or if this was a one-time ritual.
It certainly would have made them stand out in the crowd. I'm pretty sure that was the intent. They were the Lord's special people from among his special nation.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
I wonder if the Levites were supposed to remain clean-shaven (all over) or if this was a one-time ritual.
It certainly would have made them stand out in the crowd. I'm pretty sure that was the intent. They were the Lord's special people from among his special nation.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
10/16/2008
Work for the Levites
Numbers 4:46-49 - So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families. All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting numbered 8,580. At the LORD's command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.
I wonder how many men it actually took to handle all of the jobs related to the Tent of Meeting. Was there a unique job for each man? Probably not. They probably took turns, having several men assigned to each job. If not, what would happen if a man was sick or injured and couldn't perform his assigned task? And what would happen later when the total number of men changed -- either increased or decreased?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
I wonder how many men it actually took to handle all of the jobs related to the Tent of Meeting. Was there a unique job for each man? Probably not. They probably took turns, having several men assigned to each job. If not, what would happen if a man was sick or injured and couldn't perform his assigned task? And what would happen later when the total number of men changed -- either increased or decreased?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
10/14/2008
Divisible by 10
Numbers 1:20-43 - From the descendants of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.
From the descendants of Simeon:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.
From the descendants of Gad:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650.
From the descendants of Judah:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600.
From the descendants of Issachar:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.
From the descendants of Zebulun:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.
From the sons of Joseph:
From the descendants of Ephraim:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.
From the descendants of Manasseh:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.
From the descendants of Benjamin:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.
From the descendants of Dan:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700.
From the descendants of Asher:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500.
From the descendants of Naphtali:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.
I wonder if anyone thought it unusual that the total from each tribe was divisible by 10.
I do. Correct, but unusual.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.
From the descendants of Simeon:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.
From the descendants of Gad:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650.
From the descendants of Judah:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600.
From the descendants of Issachar:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.
From the descendants of Zebulun:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.
From the sons of Joseph:
From the descendants of Ephraim:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.
From the descendants of Manasseh:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.
From the descendants of Benjamin:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.
From the descendants of Dan:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700.
From the descendants of Asher:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500.
From the descendants of Naphtali:
All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.
I wonder if anyone thought it unusual that the total from each tribe was divisible by 10.
I do. Correct, but unusual.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
10/11/2008
Blessings and Curses
Leviticus 26:3-39 - " 'If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.
" 'I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
" 'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.
" 'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.
" 'If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.
" 'If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.
" 'If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. And I will bring the sword upon you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.
" 'If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.
" 'As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies. You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will devour you. Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers' sins they will waste away.' "
I wonder what the people thought when they heard these blessings and curses promised by God. I wonder how many thought, "Yeah, let's do what he says so we get the blessings."
I wonder how many thought, "Nah, it'll never get that bad. We don't have to worry much about all those potential curses getting to us."
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
" 'I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
" 'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.
" 'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.
" 'If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.
" 'If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.
" 'If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. And I will bring the sword upon you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.
" 'If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.
" 'As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies. You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will devour you. Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers' sins they will waste away.' "
I wonder what the people thought when they heard these blessings and curses promised by God. I wonder how many thought, "Yeah, let's do what he says so we get the blessings."
I wonder how many thought, "Nah, it'll never get that bad. We don't have to worry much about all those potential curses getting to us."
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
Sabbath and Jubliee
Leviticus 25:1-22 - The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.
" 'Count off seven sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.
" 'In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property.
" 'If you sell land to one of your countrymen or buy any from him, do not take advantage of each other. You are to buy from your countryman on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And he is to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price, because what he is really selling you is the number of crops. Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the LORD your God.
" 'Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. You may ask, "What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?" I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.
I wonder how many times the Israelites -- all of them -- actually gave the land its sabbath and how many times they actually celebrated the Year of Jubilee. Remember, these are people who couldn't wait 40 days -- much less 7 (or 50) years -- for something important to happen. The leaders would probably have needed a huge, ongoing P.R. campaign just to keep these things in the people's minds. And still I wouldn't be surprised if, when the 7th year rolled around, many simply said, "Yeah, right. We're taking the year off and not planting any seed. None of us! And no one will go hungry. Sure. You try that and let us know how it works. Save your money now so you have something to buy food from us when the harvest comes. We're going out to plow now."
Now faith is being sure of of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
" 'Count off seven sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.
" 'In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property.
" 'If you sell land to one of your countrymen or buy any from him, do not take advantage of each other. You are to buy from your countryman on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And he is to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price, because what he is really selling you is the number of crops. Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the LORD your God.
" 'Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. You may ask, "What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?" I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.
I wonder how many times the Israelites -- all of them -- actually gave the land its sabbath and how many times they actually celebrated the Year of Jubilee. Remember, these are people who couldn't wait 40 days -- much less 7 (or 50) years -- for something important to happen. The leaders would probably have needed a huge, ongoing P.R. campaign just to keep these things in the people's minds. And still I wouldn't be surprised if, when the 7th year rolled around, many simply said, "Yeah, right. We're taking the year off and not planting any seed. None of us! And no one will go hungry. Sure. You try that and let us know how it works. Save your money now so you have something to buy food from us when the harvest comes. We're going out to plow now."
Now faith is being sure of of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
10/05/2008
Oops!
Leviticus 22:14 - If anyone eats a sacred offering by mistake, he must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it.
How could someone eat an offering by mistake? The rules were so strict about offerings that you'd think such a mistake would really have been made on purpose. Yet it must have been possible or God wouldn't have covered it in the rules.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
How could someone eat an offering by mistake? The rules were so strict about offerings that you'd think such a mistake would really have been made on purpose. Yet it must have been possible or God wouldn't have covered it in the rules.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
Been There, Done That?
Leviticus 19:26-28 - " 'Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.
" 'Do not practice divination or sorcery.
" 'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
" 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.' "
Some of these laws, like not eating blood, God had told them earlier.
Some of these laws were given in response to practices of other peoples which God didn't want Israel to follow. Cutting their bodies for the dead is likely in that category. Why would God even mention such a thing -- why put the idea into their heads -- if they hadn't already heard about it elsewhere?
But I wonder about a law for cutting hair and trimming beards. Was this also to keep them away from a practice that other peoples had? Did it signify a certain type of person or profession or occupation even that was not God-pleasing? Or was it simply there for Israel to show love and respect through obedience? Did it have some practical purpose that is lost in our culture today?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
" 'Do not practice divination or sorcery.
" 'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
" 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.' "
Some of these laws, like not eating blood, God had told them earlier.
Some of these laws were given in response to practices of other peoples which God didn't want Israel to follow. Cutting their bodies for the dead is likely in that category. Why would God even mention such a thing -- why put the idea into their heads -- if they hadn't already heard about it elsewhere?
But I wonder about a law for cutting hair and trimming beards. Was this also to keep them away from a practice that other peoples had? Did it signify a certain type of person or profession or occupation even that was not God-pleasing? Or was it simply there for Israel to show love and respect through obedience? Did it have some practical purpose that is lost in our culture today?
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
Goat Idols
Leviticus 17:7 - They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.
I wonder how long such sacrifices had been going on. Doesn't it seem strange that this was still going on even after all that had happened to Israel since leaving Egypt, including the building of the tabernacle? How could some people still think it was okay to sacrifice to goat idols (or possibly demons)? Was this an idea promoted by some of the aliens (non-Israelites) who were traveling with the group? No matter who it was, how could they fly in the face of God's laws so blatantly that he even had to make a rule specifically forbidding this practice?
It's not like anyone does that today, is it? Hm.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
I wonder how long such sacrifices had been going on. Doesn't it seem strange that this was still going on even after all that had happened to Israel since leaving Egypt, including the building of the tabernacle? How could some people still think it was okay to sacrifice to goat idols (or possibly demons)? Was this an idea promoted by some of the aliens (non-Israelites) who were traveling with the group? No matter who it was, how could they fly in the face of God's laws so blatantly that he even had to make a rule specifically forbidding this practice?
It's not like anyone does that today, is it? Hm.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
Birds, Cedar, Yarn, and Hyssop
Leviticus 14:1-7 - The LORD said to Moses, "These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease, the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields.
I wonder why these 4 items (see heading) were chosen as part of the cleansing ceremony. I'm sure someone has figured out the reasons why or the symbolism, if any, involved, but I'm pretty sure I've never had it explained to me before.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it ina comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
I wonder why these 4 items (see heading) were chosen as part of the cleansing ceremony. I'm sure someone has figured out the reasons why or the symbolism, if any, involved, but I'm pretty sure I've never had it explained to me before.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it ina comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
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