"...The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me."~Exodus 22:29b
This reminds me of the story of Hannah. {Short version: Hannah was barren. She prayed for the Lord to give her a son and promised that if He would, she would dedicate Him to the Lord. The Lord granted her request and gave her a son whom she named Samuel. Once he was weaned, she brought him to the priest, Eli, where the boy remained and eventually became a prophet of God.}
Wow. Now that I have a son, this has new meaning to me. According to this verse, I would give my son to God. Now, if I understand properly, he could be redeemed with a sacrifice, but he would still "belong to God."
Because God gave His firstborn son for the world, however, this is no longer required. My son has been redeemed by Jesus' sacrifice. But, likewise, he still "belong[s] to God." One day, he will choose whether or not to accept the free gift of salvation and to follow God, but until that day, I am to "train up [this] child in the way he should...[so that] when he is old, he will not depart from it."
What an awesome and difficult task!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
[God is the same]}
...yesterday, today, and forever.
I've heard it all my life, but I'm not sure I've ever truly believed it. After all, how could the God of the Old Testament who had whole groups of people slaughtered be the same as the God of the New Testamet whose Son decreed "turn the other cheek???" I think I truly believed that the Israelites were God's favorites, so He only let them into Heaven (with possible rare exceptions), then finally decided that He was being unfair and well, fine, He would send His son and let whoever wanted to, to come to Heaven.
I still don't yet understand why God slaughtered whole groups of people, however, through one small portion of a verse, I'm beginning to get it. God is so good to provide wisdom at just the right time.
In Exodus 19:6a, I read: "and you [the nation of Israel] shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
Finally, when I read this, it made sense: God's plan was for Israel to be "set apart" ["holy" from verse 6] to do the work of God. Abraham had been a righteous man and I believe God was like, "Yes, Abraham! You GET it! Because you get it, I will multiply you [your descendants] and use them to further my kingdom!" The problem came when the nation of Israel began to act like bratty children. They refused to obey God and got so wrapped up in legalism (such as having to make sacrifices) that they thought they were doing everything God wanted. Basically, they were trying to do as little as they could to get by and so they missed the big picture: being a shining example to the world like their forefather, Abraham--the reason God chose them!
So, each time Israel rebelled, God disciplined them in order to persuade them to change their course back to the originally intended direction. Finally, God heeded their grumblings and sent a Savior who took away their distractions (sacrifices, legalism, the law), not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Jesus was the perfect, shining example showing God's people what God asks of us. Then, Jesus, the only son of God, died for us, for all people, to be the one living sacrifice that would atone for all our sins, freeing us from having to atone for each and every sin ourselves (through sacrifices). Once our sin, guilt, and shame were cleaned white as snow, we, God's people, were (more) free to do God's will, to tell others about God, to follow Jesus' example, and to be an example ourselves.
So really, God was the same, is the same, and will continue to be the same. It's simply that the Israelites rebelled and did not follow God's plan.
So this, of course, begs the question: "Am I following God's plan? Am I following Jesus' example so that in turn I might be an example to those who see me? What am I doing to help others know God and to choose Him?"
I've heard it all my life, but I'm not sure I've ever truly believed it. After all, how could the God of the Old Testament who had whole groups of people slaughtered be the same as the God of the New Testamet whose Son decreed "turn the other cheek???" I think I truly believed that the Israelites were God's favorites, so He only let them into Heaven (with possible rare exceptions), then finally decided that He was being unfair and well, fine, He would send His son and let whoever wanted to, to come to Heaven.
I still don't yet understand why God slaughtered whole groups of people, however, through one small portion of a verse, I'm beginning to get it. God is so good to provide wisdom at just the right time.
In Exodus 19:6a, I read: "and you [the nation of Israel] shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
Finally, when I read this, it made sense: God's plan was for Israel to be "set apart" ["holy" from verse 6] to do the work of God. Abraham had been a righteous man and I believe God was like, "Yes, Abraham! You GET it! Because you get it, I will multiply you [your descendants] and use them to further my kingdom!" The problem came when the nation of Israel began to act like bratty children. They refused to obey God and got so wrapped up in legalism (such as having to make sacrifices) that they thought they were doing everything God wanted. Basically, they were trying to do as little as they could to get by and so they missed the big picture: being a shining example to the world like their forefather, Abraham--the reason God chose them!
So, each time Israel rebelled, God disciplined them in order to persuade them to change their course back to the originally intended direction. Finally, God heeded their grumblings and sent a Savior who took away their distractions (sacrifices, legalism, the law), not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Jesus was the perfect, shining example showing God's people what God asks of us. Then, Jesus, the only son of God, died for us, for all people, to be the one living sacrifice that would atone for all our sins, freeing us from having to atone for each and every sin ourselves (through sacrifices). Once our sin, guilt, and shame were cleaned white as snow, we, God's people, were (more) free to do God's will, to tell others about God, to follow Jesus' example, and to be an example ourselves.
So really, God was the same, is the same, and will continue to be the same. It's simply that the Israelites rebelled and did not follow God's plan.
So this, of course, begs the question: "Am I following God's plan? Am I following Jesus' example so that in turn I might be an example to those who see me? What am I doing to help others know God and to choose Him?"
Monday, January 31, 2011
Update
I know I haven't written a blog in ages! Many apologies!
I have been keeping up with my reading, but I have not been keeping up with taking notes. So, that's just how it is right now.
I'm finished the book of Job and I'm back to finishing the book of Genesis now. I am learning quite a lot and absolutely love reading the Bible in this new, chronological format.
It's interesting to me how different the culture was back then from how it is now. Many things are still the same. People still sin, for example. But, many things have changed. (Like the brother's obligation to give his sister-in-law children if her husband--his brother--has died)
Anyway, since I started so many resolutions at the same time, I'm having trouble keeping up. But, I will make this one of my new habits to keep up with in either February or March, perhaps.
I have been keeping up with my reading, but I have not been keeping up with taking notes. So, that's just how it is right now.
I'm finished the book of Job and I'm back to finishing the book of Genesis now. I am learning quite a lot and absolutely love reading the Bible in this new, chronological format.
It's interesting to me how different the culture was back then from how it is now. Many things are still the same. People still sin, for example. But, many things have changed. (Like the brother's obligation to give his sister-in-law children if her husband--his brother--has died)
Anyway, since I started so many resolutions at the same time, I'm having trouble keeping up. But, I will make this one of my new habits to keep up with in either February or March, perhaps.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Day #7-Job 14-16
Whew, Job is a struggle for me. It is written much differently than the other books of the Bible.
Ch. 14
vv. 1-2-Life is short.
vv. 3-6-We cannot win against God. God will always have the upper hand...because He is GOD.
vv. 7-22-Man is mortal.
Ch. 15
vv. 1-3-Eliphaz accuses Job of "useless talk."
v. 4-Eliphaz accuses Job of being irreverant.
vv. 5-6-Eliphaz accuses Job of being "guilt[y]."
vv. 17-35-Eliphaz talks about life. He says basically that without God, it doesn't matter how much wealth you acquire on Earth. If you are guilty, you will pay.
Ch. 16
v. 2-Job says his friends are "sorry comforters."
v. 4-Job says if he were in their place, he could look down on them, too.
v. 6-Job says it makes no difference whether or not he speaks because it does not lessen his pain.
vv. 7-14-Job says God has attacked and "shattered" him.
vv. 15-22-Job cries to God. He says he is innocent and that his friends scoff at him.
Ch. 14
vv. 1-2-Life is short.
vv. 3-6-We cannot win against God. God will always have the upper hand...because He is GOD.
vv. 7-22-Man is mortal.
Ch. 15
vv. 1-3-Eliphaz accuses Job of "useless talk."
v. 4-Eliphaz accuses Job of being irreverant.
vv. 5-6-Eliphaz accuses Job of being "guilt[y]."
vv. 17-35-Eliphaz talks about life. He says basically that without God, it doesn't matter how much wealth you acquire on Earth. If you are guilty, you will pay.
Ch. 16
v. 2-Job says his friends are "sorry comforters."
v. 4-Job says if he were in their place, he could look down on them, too.
v. 6-Job says it makes no difference whether or not he speaks because it does not lessen his pain.
vv. 7-14-Job says God has attacked and "shattered" him.
vv. 15-22-Job cries to God. He says he is innocent and that his friends scoff at him.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Day #5 and #6-Job 6-9 and 10-13
Somehow I missed writing and posting my chapters from Job yesterday (but I did read them!).
I don't really have any mind-blowing thoughts for these last 8 chapters. Honestly, I'm struggling with them. Basically, it goes back and forth between each of Job's friends, in turn, talking and then Job responding to them. I'm having a hard time retaining what I'm reading in these chapters, so I'm not poring over it like I normally would.
I don't really have any mind-blowing thoughts for these last 8 chapters. Honestly, I'm struggling with them. Basically, it goes back and forth between each of Job's friends, in turn, talking and then Job responding to them. I'm having a hard time retaining what I'm reading in these chapters, so I'm not poring over it like I normally would.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
[Day #4-Job 1-5]}
[NOTE: I am reading through the Bible chronologically, so it will skip around some.]
Ch. 1
v. 6: "sons of God"
-angels?
"and Satan also came among them"
v. 13: Job's children were at the eldest brother's house; since there were 7 brothers and they went to one a day, this means it was most likely a Sunday.
v. 14: Job loses oxen, donkeys, and servants.
v. 16: He loses sheep and servants
v. 17: He loses camels and servants
v. 18: He loses all 10 of his children (7 sons, 3 daughters)
v. 20: "Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshipped."
-Job's response to losing all of his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, and [nearly all] of his servants? Throw himself into a state of mourning (by tearing his robe and shaving his head) and worship.
v. 21: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away/Blessed be the name of the Lord."
v. 22: "Through all this, Job did not sin or blame God."
-Does this imply blaming God is not a sin? Or is it simply saying "Job did not sin... [he did not even] blame God."
-Job did not sin or blame God--Wow. How many times have I done both over much much smaller trials.
Ch. 2
v. 7: Satan smote Job with boils all over.
v. 8: Job scraped himself with a potsherd--was this to help the boils? Or was it self-mutilation? My guess is that it helped drain the boils of pus (gross, sorry).
v. 9: Job's wife says to "curse God and die." What an encouraging wife. Not. Would I be any better in this instance? She has lost all of her children and her security--Job's wealth. She had placed her faith in the things they had instead of in God. Why place your hope and faith in things so temporary and fragile? God alone is worthy and capable . I say I place my faith in God, but do I live that way? Or do I live with my faith placed in my husband's job which pays for our house, food, heat, etc.? Do I place my faith in myself? I'm no better than Job's wife many times.
v. 10: "...in ll this Job did not sn with his lips...?
-Does this imply Job sinned in action but not in word? Or is this simply to show that Job did not even sin in word?
-James 3:4 says, "Look at the ships, also though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires." And James 3:2-"...if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well."
v. 11: Job had three friends come visit him.
v. 12: They wept and mourned with Job.
v. 13: They provided companionship and solidarity, but they allowed him to continue to mourn. They didn't "speak...a word to him." No pat answers. No "on the bright side" or "it'll get better" or "at least..." They "saw his pain was very great" and knew nothing they could say would make it better. Yet, they did not abandon him or ignore him or his pain. They stayed in relationsip with him. Relationship does not always require speaking. They stayed with him for 7 day and 7 nights.
Ch. 3
v. 1-26: Job wishes he had never been born. Several phrases throughout this chapter suggest life begins at conception.
Ch. 4 & 5
These two chapters are a soliloquoy by Job's friend Eliphaz. Some of what he says seems to ring true, but not all of it. I'll have to take a closer look at this passage.
Ch. 1
v. 6: "sons of God"
-angels?
"and Satan also came among them"
v. 13: Job's children were at the eldest brother's house; since there were 7 brothers and they went to one a day, this means it was most likely a Sunday.
v. 14: Job loses oxen, donkeys, and servants.
v. 16: He loses sheep and servants
v. 17: He loses camels and servants
v. 18: He loses all 10 of his children (7 sons, 3 daughters)
v. 20: "Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshipped."
-Job's response to losing all of his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, and [nearly all] of his servants? Throw himself into a state of mourning (by tearing his robe and shaving his head) and worship.
v. 21: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away/Blessed be the name of the Lord."
v. 22: "Through all this, Job did not sin or blame God."
-Does this imply blaming God is not a sin? Or is it simply saying "Job did not sin... [he did not even] blame God."
-Job did not sin or blame God--Wow. How many times have I done both over much much smaller trials.
Ch. 2
v. 7: Satan smote Job with boils all over.
v. 8: Job scraped himself with a potsherd--was this to help the boils? Or was it self-mutilation? My guess is that it helped drain the boils of pus (gross, sorry).
v. 9: Job's wife says to "curse God and die." What an encouraging wife. Not. Would I be any better in this instance? She has lost all of her children and her security--Job's wealth. She had placed her faith in the things they had instead of in God. Why place your hope and faith in things so temporary and fragile? God alone is worthy and capable . I say I place my faith in God, but do I live that way? Or do I live with my faith placed in my husband's job which pays for our house, food, heat, etc.? Do I place my faith in myself? I'm no better than Job's wife many times.
v. 10: "...in ll this Job did not sn with his lips...?
-Does this imply Job sinned in action but not in word? Or is this simply to show that Job did not even sin in word?
-James 3:4 says, "Look at the ships, also though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires." And James 3:2-"...if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well."
v. 11: Job had three friends come visit him.
v. 12: They wept and mourned with Job.
v. 13: They provided companionship and solidarity, but they allowed him to continue to mourn. They didn't "speak...a word to him." No pat answers. No "on the bright side" or "it'll get better" or "at least..." They "saw his pain was very great" and knew nothing they could say would make it better. Yet, they did not abandon him or ignore him or his pain. They stayed in relationsip with him. Relationship does not always require speaking. They stayed with him for 7 day and 7 nights.
Ch. 3
v. 1-26: Job wishes he had never been born. Several phrases throughout this chapter suggest life begins at conception.
Ch. 4 & 5
These two chapters are a soliloquoy by Job's friend Eliphaz. Some of what he says seems to ring true, but not all of it. I'll have to take a closer look at this passage.
Monday, January 3, 2011
[Day #3-Genesis 8-11]}
Ch. 8
*v. 2: "Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained..."
-"...fountains of the deep..." What are the fountains of the deep? Would that be the underground springs, geysers, etc.?? I always thought of the flood as just being rain from the skies, but water was even springing up from the ground! Wow.
*According to Genesis 7:11, the flood started in Noah's 600th year, on the 17th day of the 2nd month. Genesis 8:14-17 says that the flood ended during Noah's 601st year, on the 27th day of the 2nd month.
-So, Noah, his family, and the animals, were in the ark for a total of approxiately 1 year and 10 days. Oh my word! I cannot fathom being locked up in an ark with my family and anywhere from 2-14 of every species of creature found on Earth.
*v. 21: [After Noah offered a burnt offering to God.] "The Lord smelled the sooting aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, 'I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing as I have done.'"
-There were a very limited number of animals, yet Noah still offered a burnt offering to the Lord.
-"...for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth..." I find this part of the verse really interesting. First of all, it proves my husband right about every person being evil at heart, not good at heart like I tried to argue once. Secondly, it says "from his youth," not from birth or from the womb. According to Blue Letter Bible's online concordance, this phrase means "youth" or "early life" in the Hebrew. Could this mean that people are not evil from birth? That "develops" at some point? Maybe around or before the age of accountability? Just thinking outloud...I'm not sure what the answer is.
Ch. 9
v. 3: "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you as I gave the green plant."
-The human race was no longer on a vegetarian diet.
-I find it interesting that now that there is a limited number of animals--every species is now an "endangered species," the most of any secies is 7 males + 7 females=14 total--that is the time the Lord gives animals to Noah and his family and his descendants as food. And God doesn't even say "every...thing that is alive [may] be food for you," he says, "shall be food for you." Interesting.
v. 13: The rainbow comes into existence as a sign of God's covenant with Noah, his family, and his descendants.
Ch. 10
This chapter was full of geneaologies and I really don't have any remarkable things to say about it lol.
Ch. 11
v. 1: "Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words."
-Wow, can you imagine that? If everyone spoke one language, the same language as everyone else? 'Course this doesn't mean everyone was a great communicator ;)
Parts of verses 3-6: (3) "They said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly...'" (4) "They said, 'Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top wil reach into heaven, an let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'" (6) "The Lord, 'Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech.' So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of he whole earth, and they stopped building the city."
-The people were afraid of being scattered over the face of the whole earth, and yet that is exactly what happened.
-"...and let us make for ourselves a name..." I wasn't there, so I can only speculate, but it sounds like they may have been prideful, wanting to make themselves look good, instead of giving glory to God.
-Does God want things to be impossible for us? I don't think so. Maybe in His infinite wisdom, He knew that we would be so proud of ourselves and able to do so much that we would think nothing was impossible for us and wouldn't see our need for God and for a Savior? I'm not sure. This is a passage I haven't really noticed before. I would not say God is a God of confusion and yet He did come down and confuse their language so that they were incapable of communicating with one another. But, I don't really have the answers for why He did it.
*v. 2: "Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained..."
-"...fountains of the deep..." What are the fountains of the deep? Would that be the underground springs, geysers, etc.?? I always thought of the flood as just being rain from the skies, but water was even springing up from the ground! Wow.
*According to Genesis 7:11, the flood started in Noah's 600th year, on the 17th day of the 2nd month. Genesis 8:14-17 says that the flood ended during Noah's 601st year, on the 27th day of the 2nd month.
-So, Noah, his family, and the animals, were in the ark for a total of approxiately 1 year and 10 days. Oh my word! I cannot fathom being locked up in an ark with my family and anywhere from 2-14 of every species of creature found on Earth.
*v. 21: [After Noah offered a burnt offering to God.] "The Lord smelled the sooting aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, 'I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing as I have done.'"
-There were a very limited number of animals, yet Noah still offered a burnt offering to the Lord.
-"...for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth..." I find this part of the verse really interesting. First of all, it proves my husband right about every person being evil at heart, not good at heart like I tried to argue once. Secondly, it says "from his youth," not from birth or from the womb. According to Blue Letter Bible's online concordance, this phrase means "youth" or "early life" in the Hebrew. Could this mean that people are not evil from birth? That "develops" at some point? Maybe around or before the age of accountability? Just thinking outloud...I'm not sure what the answer is.
Ch. 9
v. 3: "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you as I gave the green plant."
-The human race was no longer on a vegetarian diet.
-I find it interesting that now that there is a limited number of animals--every species is now an "endangered species," the most of any secies is 7 males + 7 females=14 total--that is the time the Lord gives animals to Noah and his family and his descendants as food. And God doesn't even say "every...thing that is alive [may] be food for you," he says, "shall be food for you." Interesting.
v. 13: The rainbow comes into existence as a sign of God's covenant with Noah, his family, and his descendants.
Ch. 10
This chapter was full of geneaologies and I really don't have any remarkable things to say about it lol.
Ch. 11
v. 1: "Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words."
-Wow, can you imagine that? If everyone spoke one language, the same language as everyone else? 'Course this doesn't mean everyone was a great communicator ;)
Parts of verses 3-6: (3) "They said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly...'" (4) "They said, 'Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top wil reach into heaven, an let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'" (6) "The Lord, 'Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech.' So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of he whole earth, and they stopped building the city."
-The people were afraid of being scattered over the face of the whole earth, and yet that is exactly what happened.
-"...and let us make for ourselves a name..." I wasn't there, so I can only speculate, but it sounds like they may have been prideful, wanting to make themselves look good, instead of giving glory to God.
-Does God want things to be impossible for us? I don't think so. Maybe in His infinite wisdom, He knew that we would be so proud of ourselves and able to do so much that we would think nothing was impossible for us and wouldn't see our need for God and for a Savior? I'm not sure. This is a passage I haven't really noticed before. I would not say God is a God of confusion and yet He did come down and confuse their language so that they were incapable of communicating with one another. But, I don't really have the answers for why He did it.
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