The Israelites had the amazing gift of God's presence. They could visibly see, without seeing God himself, that He was in their midst. And when He moved, they moved. When He stayed put, so did they. For any of us who have ever wondered, "should I take that job or stay here?", "should we move to a bigger house or stay put?", "should I go back to school and change careers or stay where I am?"; the moving cloud would be a welcomed indicator. How easy would that be? If the cloud moves, you move. If not, you don't. That's how the Israelites lived for 40 years...with that kind of certainty. As attractive as burning bushes and pillars of fire are to me, I have to remember that what we have, in the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit in our hearts, is a better arrangement. Now, it's only a better arrangement if we tap into it, by relating with the Holy Spirit and listening for His voice. But if we train our eyes to see and our ears to listen, we can have that same kind of certainty.
Tomorrow's reading: Numbers 7
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Bezalel gets to work!
Bezalel must have had a very capable committee working beneath him, because he was responsible for everything built in the Tabernacle. In the midst of the descriptions of the construction effort, Moses stops to record the inventory of materials collected for the Tabernacle. Since we are not familiar with the equivalence of sheckels and talents, I thought it would be interesting to know what these numbers meant. Turns out the Israelites gave roughly a ton (2000 lbs.) of gold, 4 tons of silver, and 2 1/2 tons of bronze. Modern day worth of the gold alone would have approached 1 million dollars, and when other materials (fabrics, animal skins, wood, precious stones) are taken into account, the overall cost of the Tabernacle would be equivalent to $5,000,000! This insertion into the construction details seems to be a reminder for all time, that this is what it looks like when people give as God leads them.
Moses finishes off the description with the making of the priestly garments. The final verse read "Finally, they made the sacred medallion- the badge of holiness- of pure gold. They engraved it like a seal with these words: HOLY TO THE LORD. They attached the medallion with a blue cord to Aaron's turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Aaron... Golden calf Aaron! I found myself thinking initially, "he didn't deserve to wear a turban that said HOLY TO THE LORD on it", but then was reminded that truly none of us deserves to be used of God, and yet He chooses to do so. Aaron is no different. So if you've done something in your life that you believe renders you unqualified for any use by God, think again. Could it possibly have been worse than making a golden calf for an entire nation of people to worship in blatant idolatry?! No, it couldn't. And if you've been keeping up with your readings, you know that the heroes of the faith were all broken people. But when broken people dust themselves off and get back in the game, God can do great things through them.
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 39:32-40:38 and Numbers 9:15-23
Moses finishes off the description with the making of the priestly garments. The final verse read "Finally, they made the sacred medallion- the badge of holiness- of pure gold. They engraved it like a seal with these words: HOLY TO THE LORD. They attached the medallion with a blue cord to Aaron's turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Aaron... Golden calf Aaron! I found myself thinking initially, "he didn't deserve to wear a turban that said HOLY TO THE LORD on it", but then was reminded that truly none of us deserves to be used of God, and yet He chooses to do so. Aaron is no different. So if you've done something in your life that you believe renders you unqualified for any use by God, think again. Could it possibly have been worse than making a golden calf for an entire nation of people to worship in blatant idolatry?! No, it couldn't. And if you've been keeping up with your readings, you know that the heroes of the faith were all broken people. But when broken people dust themselves off and get back in the game, God can do great things through them.
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 39:32-40:38 and Numbers 9:15-23
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Building the Tabernacle
As someone noted in the comments from yesterday, God has said something about the Sabbath every day for the past 5 days! He is clearly driving home the point that the Sabbath regulations are for real! Isn't it funny that we have to be mandated to stop working? Is working really that awesome and resting that unpleasant? I am speaking to myself louder than anyone when I say this, but we need to listen to God when he reiterates something this strongly!
The most striking thing about today's reading for me, was the willingness of the people to give. When it came time to build the Tabernacle, the people supplied the materials. On different occasions, the text speaks of "those whose hearts were willing" and "every man and woman who was eager to help" and "all whose spirits were moved". In fact, God's specific instructions were to "let those with generous hearts present the following gifts..." He does not mandate that every family within the nation of Israel donate a certain percentage of their goods. Remember that they are in possession of all of this finery because the Egyptians gave it to them as they were leaving. Did you think that strange at the time, that the Lord would have prompted the hearts of the Egyptians to hand over their finest jewelry and clothing to the fleeing Israelites? Well in hindsight, how else would the Israelite slaves have had any gold or silver or fine cloth to use for the construction of the Tabernacle??? Nothing is arbitrary. The things that make no sense to us, make sense to God whether we ever get the benefit of understanding it or not.
Back to the Israelites' cheerful giving... We do not see God forcibly requiring the Israelites to provide for the Tabernacle but rather we see him drawing the hearts of those who were willing. This was not a tithe, the 10% given by each family for the care of the Levites (priests who served the Lord in the Tabernacle and earned no income), the funding of religious festivals, and the care of the poor. This was a "love offering" and the people gave above and beyond what was needed. Moses had to ask them to stop bringing gifts for the Tabernacle! What a problem to have and what a foreign concept for the modern-day church. I heard a message over the holidays about giving, and remember it being said that if every Christian tithed, not every person just every Christian, we could end hunger and poverty and the social evils that accompany them. Clearly, we are of a different mindset than the Israelites. Just 3% of Americans give 10% of their income and less than 6% of Christians are regular tithers. Christians spend more in a year on dog food than they do in giving to their churches and Christian ministries. And in these lean times, ministries are down-sizing and even closing their doors due to lack of funding.
The Israelites were pleased to take part in the work of the Lord and the same is expected of us today. We should contribute to the Lord's work gladly and equip the church to minister to God's people as it should. Second Corinthians 9:7 reads "each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver". The tithe is no longer our benchmark, as it is an Old Testament regulation. However, most theologians would agree that the 10% recommendation should be the minimum for today's Christian instead of a mark that few even hit.
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 37-39:31
The most striking thing about today's reading for me, was the willingness of the people to give. When it came time to build the Tabernacle, the people supplied the materials. On different occasions, the text speaks of "those whose hearts were willing" and "every man and woman who was eager to help" and "all whose spirits were moved". In fact, God's specific instructions were to "let those with generous hearts present the following gifts..." He does not mandate that every family within the nation of Israel donate a certain percentage of their goods. Remember that they are in possession of all of this finery because the Egyptians gave it to them as they were leaving. Did you think that strange at the time, that the Lord would have prompted the hearts of the Egyptians to hand over their finest jewelry and clothing to the fleeing Israelites? Well in hindsight, how else would the Israelite slaves have had any gold or silver or fine cloth to use for the construction of the Tabernacle??? Nothing is arbitrary. The things that make no sense to us, make sense to God whether we ever get the benefit of understanding it or not.
Back to the Israelites' cheerful giving... We do not see God forcibly requiring the Israelites to provide for the Tabernacle but rather we see him drawing the hearts of those who were willing. This was not a tithe, the 10% given by each family for the care of the Levites (priests who served the Lord in the Tabernacle and earned no income), the funding of religious festivals, and the care of the poor. This was a "love offering" and the people gave above and beyond what was needed. Moses had to ask them to stop bringing gifts for the Tabernacle! What a problem to have and what a foreign concept for the modern-day church. I heard a message over the holidays about giving, and remember it being said that if every Christian tithed, not every person just every Christian, we could end hunger and poverty and the social evils that accompany them. Clearly, we are of a different mindset than the Israelites. Just 3% of Americans give 10% of their income and less than 6% of Christians are regular tithers. Christians spend more in a year on dog food than they do in giving to their churches and Christian ministries. And in these lean times, ministries are down-sizing and even closing their doors due to lack of funding.
The Israelites were pleased to take part in the work of the Lord and the same is expected of us today. We should contribute to the Lord's work gladly and equip the church to minister to God's people as it should. Second Corinthians 9:7 reads "each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver". The tithe is no longer our benchmark, as it is an Old Testament regulation. However, most theologians would agree that the 10% recommendation should be the minimum for today's Christian instead of a mark that few even hit.
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 37-39:31
Friday, February 11, 2011
The Golden Calf
It's amazing how short our attention spans can be. I have definitely experienced this in my own walk with the Lord, so have no right to judge, but this rush to "make for themselves an idol" so soon after the miracles of the Exodus, is stunning. And that Aaron would go along with it, is even more stunning! We must remember though, that the Israelites had been living in a pagan culture for hundreds of years and we do not know to what extent they worshipped the Lord; i.e. how much of Jacob's example had survived the generations. So idolatrous thinking and worship would have been second nature. his is no excuse but certainly helps to put the behavior in context. I was amazed that God did not kill Aaron for his disobedience, especially since so many others died for theirs. Later on we will read that God only spared Aaron's life because Moses interceded for him in prayer.
In today's passage, we also read that Moses' intercession saved the entire nation from suffering God's wrath. In fact, the text says that "the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on His people". This brings up an interesting theological discussion. Does God change his mind? The Bible clearly says that "I, the Lord, do not change" (Malachi 3:6), but is that the same thing as changing His mind? Certainly his character and nature do not change. And neither does He change His mind, though it is often described as such for the purpose of human understanding. Since God has foreknowledge of how we will react in our circumstances, it can appear that we have changed His mind when really He simply knew how we would react and set up the situation accordingly. For example, it was not God's desire to destroy His people but it was his plan to prompt Moses' prayer on their behalf. He foreknew that Moses would intercede and therefore knew that He would not wipe out the entire nation. It was not God who changed but the circumstances. Initially, God was reacting to the disobedience of the people. But after Moses' intercession, God was reacting to the heart of Moses. His prayer did make a difference, but only because God knew that it would. Confusing. Another Biblical example of this concept lies in the story of Solomon's ruling between the two mothers. We'll be reading this account in a few months, but you may recall the story of the two women who were both claiming ownership of one baby. Solomon's solution was to cut the baby in half, giving each woman an equal share. This was intended to reveal the real mother, who immediately begged Solomon to give the baby to the other woman instead of hurting him. Did her plea change his mind? No! He was never going to harm the baby. He knew how the mother would react and knew that the situation would never come to such a conclusion. In similar fashion, God "changed His mind" about destroying the Israelites. It was never His intention to do so, but to elicit a desired response in Moses. This is described as "changing God's mind" for our benefit, because it is a concept with which we can relate. One of my books offerred a good analogy of a chess match between an expert and a novice. The expert modifies his strategy in response to the moves of the novice, but he anticipates them, such that the game is never out of his control.
While on the topic of heavy theological pondering, did Moses see God, "face to face as a man speaks with a friend?" In many places, the Bible speaks of no man having seen the face of God. This came up a few days ago when Moses and Aaron saw the feet of God and the place where he stood. This passage refers to Moses meeting with God inside the Tabernacle, but just a few verses later, Moses asks to see His "glorious presence". So something was different about the two references. If Moses had truly seen God face to face as mentioned in verse 33:11, then he would have already seen His glorious presence. It seems that this "face to face" meeting involved some kind of representation of God, maybe the pillar of cloud, but not the full glory of God. And this is what Moses wanted to see. He knew he had not yet truly seen God. Because no one could see God and live, God would not allow Moses to look at His face. The description of Moses hiding in the cleft of the rock while the Lord covered his face with His hand, is anthropomorphic, as is the description of seeing the Lord's "back". Scholars suspect that what Moses actually saw was the afterglow of the Lord's passing by. Knowing that Moses' face was "brilliant" when he descended the mountain days later, gives a impression of how luminous the afterglow would have been. And later, whenever Moses would speak with the Lord in the tent of meeting, his face would be radiant. So much so that he kept his face veiled in between meetings. It was apparently too much for the people to look upon. They could see God all over him.
I can't help but equate this with the notion that we are to be "light" in this dark world and that we are to "let our light so shine before men that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven..." Is God all over us? Is his light shining through us such that others would take notice, much less be taken aback?
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 35-36
In today's passage, we also read that Moses' intercession saved the entire nation from suffering God's wrath. In fact, the text says that "the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on His people". This brings up an interesting theological discussion. Does God change his mind? The Bible clearly says that "I, the Lord, do not change" (Malachi 3:6), but is that the same thing as changing His mind? Certainly his character and nature do not change. And neither does He change His mind, though it is often described as such for the purpose of human understanding. Since God has foreknowledge of how we will react in our circumstances, it can appear that we have changed His mind when really He simply knew how we would react and set up the situation accordingly. For example, it was not God's desire to destroy His people but it was his plan to prompt Moses' prayer on their behalf. He foreknew that Moses would intercede and therefore knew that He would not wipe out the entire nation. It was not God who changed but the circumstances. Initially, God was reacting to the disobedience of the people. But after Moses' intercession, God was reacting to the heart of Moses. His prayer did make a difference, but only because God knew that it would. Confusing. Another Biblical example of this concept lies in the story of Solomon's ruling between the two mothers. We'll be reading this account in a few months, but you may recall the story of the two women who were both claiming ownership of one baby. Solomon's solution was to cut the baby in half, giving each woman an equal share. This was intended to reveal the real mother, who immediately begged Solomon to give the baby to the other woman instead of hurting him. Did her plea change his mind? No! He was never going to harm the baby. He knew how the mother would react and knew that the situation would never come to such a conclusion. In similar fashion, God "changed His mind" about destroying the Israelites. It was never His intention to do so, but to elicit a desired response in Moses. This is described as "changing God's mind" for our benefit, because it is a concept with which we can relate. One of my books offerred a good analogy of a chess match between an expert and a novice. The expert modifies his strategy in response to the moves of the novice, but he anticipates them, such that the game is never out of his control.
While on the topic of heavy theological pondering, did Moses see God, "face to face as a man speaks with a friend?" In many places, the Bible speaks of no man having seen the face of God. This came up a few days ago when Moses and Aaron saw the feet of God and the place where he stood. This passage refers to Moses meeting with God inside the Tabernacle, but just a few verses later, Moses asks to see His "glorious presence". So something was different about the two references. If Moses had truly seen God face to face as mentioned in verse 33:11, then he would have already seen His glorious presence. It seems that this "face to face" meeting involved some kind of representation of God, maybe the pillar of cloud, but not the full glory of God. And this is what Moses wanted to see. He knew he had not yet truly seen God. Because no one could see God and live, God would not allow Moses to look at His face. The description of Moses hiding in the cleft of the rock while the Lord covered his face with His hand, is anthropomorphic, as is the description of seeing the Lord's "back". Scholars suspect that what Moses actually saw was the afterglow of the Lord's passing by. Knowing that Moses' face was "brilliant" when he descended the mountain days later, gives a impression of how luminous the afterglow would have been. And later, whenever Moses would speak with the Lord in the tent of meeting, his face would be radiant. So much so that he kept his face veiled in between meetings. It was apparently too much for the people to look upon. They could see God all over him.
I can't help but equate this with the notion that we are to be "light" in this dark world and that we are to "let our light so shine before men that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven..." Is God all over us? Is his light shining through us such that others would take notice, much less be taken aback?
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 35-36
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Instructions for Tabernacle Worship
In reading over some of the passages from yesterday's reading, I realized I neglected to mention something of interest to me. In the description of the priestly garments, verse 28:30 speaks of the "Urim and Thummim" in the breastpiece such that Aaron would "always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord". I wondered, "what are the Urim and Thummim and how do they help Aaron make decisions before the Lord"? Unfortunately, the answer is that no one really knows. It must have been common knowledge to the ancient Hebrews, but modern-day scholars can only surmise that they were stones or dice used to determine God's will. Some of the hypotheses as to how they may have worked range from sounding like a Magic 8-Ball to a Ouija board, both of which I initially found ridiculous. Why on earth would God communicate with His people in such a way? And then it hit me. Because the people of that time had no written Word to consult, no Holy Spirit to offer internal guidance, and no living example (Jesus) of how to approach God in relationship. As difficult as it is for us, who have access to all of the forementioned, to discern God's will, imagine what it must have been like for them??? So things like "casting lots" and using the "Urim and Thummim", whatever they may have been, were temporary means of seeking God's will until He provided direct access to His throne through Jesus. This may also explain why there seem to be more uses of audible voices and visible manifestations of God in the Old Testament. The people had nothing else at that time. But given what we have at our fingertips, we should have no need for the same dramatic appearances from God. Regardless of how the Urim and Thummin worked, it is clear that the outcome was always ordained by God. Note Proverbs 16:33, "The lot is cast into the lap but its every decision is from the Lord".
In chapter 31 we are introduced to Bezalel and Oholiab, the men God had appointed to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle. Bezalel was "filled with the Spirit of God with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts". This is not to be confused with an indwelling of the Holy Spirit, since this did not occur until Pentecost, after Jesus ascended to Heaven. But rather this is a special anointing specific to a particular task. In essence, God gave Bezalel the ability to complete the job He set before him. Very cool, as this should reassure us that when God asks us to do something, He will equip us as well!
My final observation, and definitely a case of "saved the best for last". A few days ago, I wrote about my own questions about the Sabbath, as to whether or not it was a regulation from which we are released by the new covenant of grace or whether it was to be a lasting ordinance. Well, it was very clearly spelled out in verse 31:16 and 17. The observance of the Sabbath was to be a covenant obligation for all time. Now what that should look like in my life or in yours may be debatable, but there should clearly be something about the Sabbath that sets it apart for the Lord. Now I just have to figure out how to do that! I know that I'll never have all my questions about God and the Bible answered in this lifetime, but I sure do appreciate a quick and authoritative response, such as I received today!
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 32-34
In chapter 31 we are introduced to Bezalel and Oholiab, the men God had appointed to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle. Bezalel was "filled with the Spirit of God with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts". This is not to be confused with an indwelling of the Holy Spirit, since this did not occur until Pentecost, after Jesus ascended to Heaven. But rather this is a special anointing specific to a particular task. In essence, God gave Bezalel the ability to complete the job He set before him. Very cool, as this should reassure us that when God asks us to do something, He will equip us as well!
My final observation, and definitely a case of "saved the best for last". A few days ago, I wrote about my own questions about the Sabbath, as to whether or not it was a regulation from which we are released by the new covenant of grace or whether it was to be a lasting ordinance. Well, it was very clearly spelled out in verse 31:16 and 17. The observance of the Sabbath was to be a covenant obligation for all time. Now what that should look like in my life or in yours may be debatable, but there should clearly be something about the Sabbath that sets it apart for the Lord. Now I just have to figure out how to do that! I know that I'll never have all my questions about God and the Bible answered in this lifetime, but I sure do appreciate a quick and authoritative response, such as I received today!
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 32-34
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Plans for the Tabernacle
This may have made for some dull reading, but you've got to know that something so detailed and specific, had meaning to God. He went to great lengths to outline the exact template and materials for the Tabernacle, and not surprisingly, there is a great deal of symbolism to be found in the plan. Parallels to Christ can be found in many of the elements including the lampstand (Jesus is the light of the world) and the showbread (Jesus is the bread of life), and in details as small as the colors chosen for the embroidery and the numbers used for the measurements. The most striking relationship of the Tabernacle to Jesus, is not in the materials or elements, but in the layout itself. The Tabernacle contained an outer courtyard, which anyone could enter who was ceremonially clean. The Holy Place could be accessed only by the Levitical priests and the Holy of Holies, God's dwelling place, could be accessed just once a year by one man...the High Priest, for the purpose of making atonement for the sins of the Israelites. A thick veil walled off the Holy of Holies, reminding all of Israel that there was something separating them from God. We know that "something" to be sin, as God in His Holiness cannot be in the presence of it.
When Jesus was crucified and uttered his last words, "It is finished", the temple veil separating the Holy of Holies was torn in two. His death had made a way for man to be cleansed of his sin and approach a Holy God. The sacrificial system was instantly obsolete, as man had no further need to offer continual sacrifices for sin. Jesus death paid the price once and for all...for all sins past, present and future of anyone who would claim it. The Jews spent a few thousand years offering sacrifices and still not being able to approach God. Jesus accomplished in one act what they had not been able to. And that was the point of the sacrificial system, of the Tabernacle, of all Old Testament history...to show mankind that he could not be good enough to enter the presence of God on his own. Jesus now serves as our High Priest...One who is able to enter the Holy of Holies and tear down the curtain that separated us.
If you would like to see a visual representation of the Tabernacle, I am attaching a link. It really helps to get a visual of what all those details translated into. You will probably have to copy and paste, but it's worth doing! A Dutch man built a life-size model and it's incredible. http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernacle.htm
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 29-31
When Jesus was crucified and uttered his last words, "It is finished", the temple veil separating the Holy of Holies was torn in two. His death had made a way for man to be cleansed of his sin and approach a Holy God. The sacrificial system was instantly obsolete, as man had no further need to offer continual sacrifices for sin. Jesus death paid the price once and for all...for all sins past, present and future of anyone who would claim it. The Jews spent a few thousand years offering sacrifices and still not being able to approach God. Jesus accomplished in one act what they had not been able to. And that was the point of the sacrificial system, of the Tabernacle, of all Old Testament history...to show mankind that he could not be good enough to enter the presence of God on his own. Jesus now serves as our High Priest...One who is able to enter the Holy of Holies and tear down the curtain that separated us.
If you would like to see a visual representation of the Tabernacle, I am attaching a link. It really helps to get a visual of what all those details translated into. You will probably have to copy and paste, but it's worth doing! A Dutch man built a life-size model and it's incredible. http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernacle.htm
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 29-31
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Israel accepts the Covenant
I have been asked to provide the titles of the resource books I use, all of which were recommended by my pastor at Life Fellowship. I'll list them in order of greatest use...
"Hard Sayings of the Bible" by Walter Kaiser jr. and several others
"Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties" by Gleason Archer
"Big Book of Bible Difficulties" by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe
"Popular Survey of the Old Testament" (also a NT version I'll use later) by Norman Geisler
"What the Bible is All About" by Henrietta Mears
After Moses gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments, some other regulations are added. I'm going to comment on the ones that jumped out at me, beginning with the treatment of slaves. The idea that the Bible would provide rules for the fair treatment of slaves seemed odd, as I would think God would condemn the practice as opposed to regulating it. But what is very important to note, is that slavery in this time period was nothing like the form of slavery our country practiced a few hundred years ago. There were only two types of slaves at this time in history...those who voluntarily sold themselves into slavery to get out of debt, and prisoners of war. Israel did not capture and sell humans as the Philistene and Phoenician slave traders did. So the institution of slavery provided a means of lessening two social problems...what to do with "bankrupt" people and what to do with prisoners of war. The regulations put in place to protect these vulnerable populations were revolutionary for their time. For example, someone who sold themselves into slavery had to be set free after 6 years, along with his wife.
Secondly, the regulations for personal injury sparked some interesting research. From verse 21:12, it is clear that God condoned capital punishment in cases of murder. But the next verse, "but if it was simply an accident permitted by God..." caught my eye because of the phrase "accident permitted by God". Accidents are neither caused nor overlooked by God. They are permitted by Him. Of course there are many other potential accidents that God does not permit and we never have any inkling of, but the ones that do cross our paths, are permitted by our Heavenly Father. Now, an accident resulting in death must be punished, but it was weighted on a scale much differently than murder. Another interesting passage outlines the consequences of a pregnant woman accidentally being struck resulting in premature birth. The word used for premature birth clearly describes a live birth and is not a word used for miscarriage, a word which existed in the Hebrew language. Pro-choice advocates have tried to use this verse as proof that God does not consider a baby in-utero as a person, by translating the word as "miscarriage". This changes the meaning of the text in that if a woman miscarries but no further injury (to the woman) results, then a simple fine was sufficient. Naturally this way of thinking devalues the life of the baby. The baby dies, but no big deal. But since the word cannot logically be translated as "miscarriage", the meaning of the text is that if the baby and mother are unharmed due to the premature delivery, a simple fine would be required. If either is injured as a result of the premature delivery, payment along the lines of "eye for an eye" would be required. Mother and baby were therefore given equal value. This expression, "eye for an eye", did not literally describe physical mutilation (as in some cultures then and now), but metaphorically outlined the concept that the punishment must fit the crime.
In the section on social responsibility, the law requiring a man to marry a virgin he seduced, is put in place to protect the woman. A woman's only financial security came from getting married and producing children . If men were allowed to have sex with virgins (making them undesirable as marriage material) without marrying them, such women would have no hope of securing a mate. It forced men to take responsibility for their actions.
Finally, the Lord promises his blessing on Israel if they would serve Him only, make no treaties with the pagan people of the land, and not allow the pagan peoples to live among them. The blessing specified having plenty of food and water, protection from illness, no miscarriage or infertility, and protection from their enemies. Naturally, this sounded like a great deal and the Israelites agreed to the covenant relationship with God. Moses wrote down the laws and made a sacrifice on the altar. Then he, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu (Aaron's sons) went up the mountain where it says they saw God. This is interesting because the Bible is clear that no one can see God and live. Moses seemed surprised himself, as he marvelled that God did not destroy them for seeing Him. The translation of the text is tricky, indicating that they saw His "form or likeness" which may imply something other than God Himself. Additionally, they describe only His feet and they place where He stood. It is quite possible that they did not see the Lord in his fullness because no man can see God and live...
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 25-28
"Hard Sayings of the Bible" by Walter Kaiser jr. and several others
"Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties" by Gleason Archer
"Big Book of Bible Difficulties" by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe
"Popular Survey of the Old Testament" (also a NT version I'll use later) by Norman Geisler
"What the Bible is All About" by Henrietta Mears
After Moses gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments, some other regulations are added. I'm going to comment on the ones that jumped out at me, beginning with the treatment of slaves. The idea that the Bible would provide rules for the fair treatment of slaves seemed odd, as I would think God would condemn the practice as opposed to regulating it. But what is very important to note, is that slavery in this time period was nothing like the form of slavery our country practiced a few hundred years ago. There were only two types of slaves at this time in history...those who voluntarily sold themselves into slavery to get out of debt, and prisoners of war. Israel did not capture and sell humans as the Philistene and Phoenician slave traders did. So the institution of slavery provided a means of lessening two social problems...what to do with "bankrupt" people and what to do with prisoners of war. The regulations put in place to protect these vulnerable populations were revolutionary for their time. For example, someone who sold themselves into slavery had to be set free after 6 years, along with his wife.
Secondly, the regulations for personal injury sparked some interesting research. From verse 21:12, it is clear that God condoned capital punishment in cases of murder. But the next verse, "but if it was simply an accident permitted by God..." caught my eye because of the phrase "accident permitted by God". Accidents are neither caused nor overlooked by God. They are permitted by Him. Of course there are many other potential accidents that God does not permit and we never have any inkling of, but the ones that do cross our paths, are permitted by our Heavenly Father. Now, an accident resulting in death must be punished, but it was weighted on a scale much differently than murder. Another interesting passage outlines the consequences of a pregnant woman accidentally being struck resulting in premature birth. The word used for premature birth clearly describes a live birth and is not a word used for miscarriage, a word which existed in the Hebrew language. Pro-choice advocates have tried to use this verse as proof that God does not consider a baby in-utero as a person, by translating the word as "miscarriage". This changes the meaning of the text in that if a woman miscarries but no further injury (to the woman) results, then a simple fine was sufficient. Naturally this way of thinking devalues the life of the baby. The baby dies, but no big deal. But since the word cannot logically be translated as "miscarriage", the meaning of the text is that if the baby and mother are unharmed due to the premature delivery, a simple fine would be required. If either is injured as a result of the premature delivery, payment along the lines of "eye for an eye" would be required. Mother and baby were therefore given equal value. This expression, "eye for an eye", did not literally describe physical mutilation (as in some cultures then and now), but metaphorically outlined the concept that the punishment must fit the crime.
In the section on social responsibility, the law requiring a man to marry a virgin he seduced, is put in place to protect the woman. A woman's only financial security came from getting married and producing children . If men were allowed to have sex with virgins (making them undesirable as marriage material) without marrying them, such women would have no hope of securing a mate. It forced men to take responsibility for their actions.
Finally, the Lord promises his blessing on Israel if they would serve Him only, make no treaties with the pagan people of the land, and not allow the pagan peoples to live among them. The blessing specified having plenty of food and water, protection from illness, no miscarriage or infertility, and protection from their enemies. Naturally, this sounded like a great deal and the Israelites agreed to the covenant relationship with God. Moses wrote down the laws and made a sacrifice on the altar. Then he, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu (Aaron's sons) went up the mountain where it says they saw God. This is interesting because the Bible is clear that no one can see God and live. Moses seemed surprised himself, as he marvelled that God did not destroy them for seeing Him. The translation of the text is tricky, indicating that they saw His "form or likeness" which may imply something other than God Himself. Additionally, they describe only His feet and they place where He stood. It is quite possible that they did not see the Lord in his fullness because no man can see God and live...
Tomorrow's reading: Exodus 25-28
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