OK, so I am probably cheating just a little bit here, but I decided to listen to the Bible rather than read it. We already had it in Audible and it is the dramatized version which should jazz up the genealogy sections a bit not to mention all the laws. I have read the entire Bible before but never from start to finish.
I listened to the creation stories this morning while I was getting ready for work. I was struck by how it contradicts itself and how I'm not sure how anyone can take it as a literal story. The number of questions I had from the story of Cain and Abel alone was staggering. It does not shake my faith to think that God is using the stories to tell me something about himself, about his people, about how he interacts with his people.
Now the real question is what does it reveal? What is he trying to tell me/teach me? Some of the time God is portrayed as loving and giving and other times he seems down right irrational. What was the real problem with Cain's offering? Why was it unacceptable? I don't even care that Cain went off to marry some mysterious woman that is not explained at all. The main killed his brother because God liked Abel's offering better, but I have no idea what the problem was. Very frustrating. Very.
7/6/16
Today was the story of Noah. Again, a story that I do not take literally because it makes God look vengeful. I know God is not a parent, but I often look at his interactions with me as a parental role. I love David and yes, I discipline him, but I would never destroy him to teach other children a lesson. I suppose if things were really bad and he were totally off the rails harming himself and others, I would cut him off. That isn't what God does here. He kills, annihilates, utterly ruins everything and everyone except Noah and his family. Not a cute little animal story at all.
7/10/16 Listened to the story of Sodom today and I was struck not by the point of the story because I'm not totally sure what that is, but by how irritating the story is about saving the people of Sodom. It is the most boring negotiating scene ever. Also, I have always been annoyed by the fact that Abraham tells everyone Sarah is his sister, which is technically true because she is his half-sister (yuck), but what a coward. It has made me wonder why God chose him. I guess if you think about it, God often chooses the weak or at least the people you wouldn't think he would choose...those who leave a lot of room for him to work. Honestly, that is all of us in one fashion or another. Some just stand out as especially needy.
7/20/16 I turn on audible this morning and the first Biblical words of wisdom I hear are, "Come to bed with me." The Bible is racy!
8/2/16 I have never been a fan of the Moses and Pharaoh story. I greatly dislike the phrase, "And God hardened his heart." It runs all through the story and it seems so unfair. I have always asked why? Why would God harden Pharaoh's heart? Why wouldn't he just let him make a decision and go with it. It seems very much like he intervenes and does not give him the free will we all love to claim we have. The purpose I can see this having is that it ultimately creates a better story and a better way to remember God for his miraculous signs and wonders. But is has always seemed like weakness on God's part, which sounds like total blasphemy. But why does God need to manufacture being known, thought of, remembered, worshiped? It is contrary to what I have thought about God. Maybe what I have thought about God has just been wrong.
8/20/16 I am in either Exodus or Leviticus right now. I'm leaning toward Leviticus because it is all the laws and they are awful!!! There was a whole chapter on what to do if someone has a sore with a yellow hair rather than a black hair. There are laws about mildew and periods and so many other things you don't really want to address. Even though the laws about the sores are nasty, I can see the value there. If someone has a contagious skin disease, then the whole community is at risk. But the stuff about isolating women during their period because of the blood being unclean, is a bit much. I'm wondering if it was the men or the women who came up with that bright idea. I mean I know it is supposed to be God, but I can't help wonder if there was a woman who just decided she didn't want to spend any more time with her cantankerous husband and came up with the brilliant idea that she needed to be separated from him during her time of the month. Very convenient if you ask me. It makes me wonder what the Jews of today do with regard to all these laws. Do they actually follow all these laws. They don't have a messiah that came to fulfill or replace the old law. From what I know, that law should still be in place for them. How do they handle something so out of date. I'm convinced if many Christians today were required to follow all those laws, they would quickly leave their "scripture is literal" standpoint. Would step right off that soapbox and move toward a more liberal interpretation of the law.
9/3/16 I've made it to Numbers, which I know sounds like it would be an absolute bore, but if I recall. it is a wee bit more interesting that Leviticus. We shall see. I definitely had my fill of rules and regs for a while.
9/23/16 This morning marked the end of Numbers and the beginning of Deuteronomy. The will end the Pentateuch or the Torah. I'm just trying to impress everyone because I know what the first five books of the Bible are called. I would need to do a brush up on other facts to really be impressive, but I remember a few things here and there.
11/28/16 So much has changed since the last time I wrote an entry. Jeremy got a new job in Seattle and is now living on a boat waiting on us to follow at the end of the school year. It's like I totally forgot I had a 50 before 50 list. So many other things have been on my mind. I have not thought a thing about listening or reading the Bible. All of my carefully planned out routines just flew out the window. I didn't even think about this list until Jeremy mentioned it the other day when we were out with a new couple and he said I was really good about documenting my adventures. Well that is a laugh. I do everything in spurts. I am a great starter and a lousy finisher. I love the polish of a new thing. I guess I am kicking myself a bit hard. I do follow through on 95% of things and I hit a lot of home runs, but I'm sure I could fill an ocean with all of the projects started and unfinished. On my wall should be hanging the first latch hook I started and never finished. I so wanted to do it. I could have chosen a small one. There were plenty of those with cute designs and pictures, but I wanted a monster one of a massive owl. I didn't even like owls, but I liked the idea of the project. I didn't even finish the bottom of the border. Who knows what distracted me? I'm sure it was something equally important like a spirograph or etch-a-sketch. Now that I think about it, my boy doesn't fall far from this tree. He starts and stops things all the time. Frustrates me to no end. Just finish the assignment, chore, story, etc. I probably get frustrated because I am looking at part of myself in the mirror. At the same time, I don't hold onto things too tightly. I'm not hindered by things and places. I am intrigued by so many things and I have a desire to learn and do new things. The bad and the good come as a pair. I know this is supposed to be an entry about my thoughts and observations surrounding my reading of the Bible, but what is the Bible but a collection of stories and realizations about people and their lives. This is a chapter in my own Bible.
1/21/17 Got a new phone and forgot the audible password. Haven't listened to the bible in a while. Who am I kidding? I wasn't listening long before I got the phone. Honestly, I just got out of the habit and since I haven't updated the blog in a while, it was out of sight, out of mind. Ok, I just tried and since it is Jeremy's account, I don't know the user name and password. Another excuse.
1/31/17 No excuses now. Jeremy has me logged back in to Audible and I just finished my binge watching of Offspring, which was totally distracting me from everything else. Such a good series. Has nothing to do with the Bible, however, I'm sure I could talk about all the commandments that were broken throughout the series, but where's the fun in that?
2/3/17 Listened to Ruth this morning and laughed because when Boaz went to his kinsman to ask if he wanted to redeem the land from Ruth's husband's family, the kinsman was gong-ho until he found out Ruth was a part of the bargain. Then he back-peddled quite a bit and let Boaz take it. Boaz was shrewd. I have read the story many times over, but I had forgotten Boaz was older. I'm sure he was quite flattered that Ruth offered herself to him in such a brazen way. I think uncovering his feet while lying close by was a big deal and Naomi told her to do it. Very aggressive. Ha! I then started I Samuel and I am sad to say the thing that has stuck out so far was that they sent golden tumors and golden rats to someone. Very odd. Very odd!
2/12/17 So the last several days as I have listened to 1 and 2 Samuel, I have heard several times a reference to evil spirits coming upon someone. This just has to be how they interpreted mental illness and depression. I'm sure they had no way of identifying an illness of the mind or psyche, so it had to be an evil spirit to make someone feel that way or act that way. Not just how I have missed that all these years.
2/22/17 I am often stuck by what seems to be injustice in the Bible. The story of Saul's death is an example. He is dying and in pain and asks for his servant to finish him off so he won't be captured, mutilated and humiliated by his enemies. Well, the servant foolishly does as his master asks and when he reports this to David, David basically says "how dare you!" and has him killed on the spot. There are plenty of those kind of situations in the old testament. Sometimes I just do not see they reasoning behind the story. What is this supposed to tell me? What is this supposed to teach me?
2/26/17 Based on the story of Saul's servant above, I was fully expecting Joab to be ran through after finishing David's son, Absolom, off as he was hanging in a tree by his hair. David didn't do it. Classic case of elitism. Joab was important and a leader. The servant was expendable.
2/27/17 I hate that the Audible Bible I am listening to does not tell me where I am in the Bible. I'm pretty sure we just crossed over into second Kings and I so should have written down my observations from this morning, because they were astute. Ha! Not life changing, obviously, but astute. I may just have to go back and listen again. Ah yes, I observed quite a bit of manipulation going on. Nathan used Bathsheba to tell David about how one of his sons was taking over as king when David had said Solomon who be king. He then followed up with a conversation with David as if he hadn't talked with Bathsheba ahead of time and planned it all out. I also noted, that if you were considered a threat to someone's leadership because of your family lineage, you could just expect to be taken out of the picture permanently, "if yous knows what I mean." Can't remember the third thing, but totally astute, believe me. It was huge, tremendous. I'm channeling Trump.
7/18/17 It has been a long hiatus and I will readily admit I have not been negligent in documenting my reading of the Bible. I have just not been doing it. Don't even know what book I'm in at present. My clue from this morning was the mentioned Hezikiah, but that only narrows it down a little. Kings, Chronicles, Isaiah? It is probably 2 Kings. I just can't imagine I have made it much further past that. I'm going to do my best to start listening as I get ready in the mornings. We are still in our camper but we close on our new house on August 3. So it is back to getting into a routine.
9/9/17 Damn it all to hell! I keep forgetting to do this!
9/29/17 This #1 is too easy to put off. I think I am going to have to attack it and focus on it until it gets done, which might not be the exact point I was trying to make in doing it, but it can still be relevant. I never spell relevant correctly the first time.
OK Nehemiah is finished and so is Esther. The last few chapters of Nehemiah were basically just list after list of people. The Jews sure do love to make lists of people. Now anyone who knows me well, knows I am a huge fan of lists. Heck, this blog is one big list come to think of it. But the Jews in the OT take lists to a new level. Esther has always been a mixed story for me. Such awful ways to treat woman and the prejudice that abounds in the Bible is just awful. However, I did glean something. Esther was counseled that she could not remain silent even out of fear for herself. She had to know that she may have been safe for the moment, but if she didn't speak, then one day they would be coming for her because she was a Jew. She had been placed in the palace for "such a time as this."
Makes me think of this whole Trump presidency. I have many friends with viewpoints that astound me. The prejudice and ignorance and the ability to turn a blind eye to behavior that condones holding someone down amazes me. People who I know believe they are God-fearing and I'm sure honestly believe they are doing the right thing. Sadly, it is people like them that push the masses who need God most away from Him. At what point do I speak up and tell them I disagree with them? When they are coming after my family? My friends? Me? When do I start to shout? I have always stood by the idea that talking to a fool is a waste of breath. It is time ill-spent. But there must be a balance. That idea does not mean I say nothing. It means that once I have spoken, if I am not being listened to because someone is a fool, then I stop talking to them and move on to another strategy to bring about change.
Conservatives do not have a monopoly on Christianity. Jesus was the ultimate liberal. He lead with compassion. He accepted all whose hearts were turned toward God. He challenged the status quo. He pushed for change and growth. He directed us to look to the intent of the heart to guide our judgement. This is not what I see in many of the Christians I have known in my life and past. I see fear. Fear of change. Fear of being wrong. Fear of being accused of hypocrisy. Well, perfect love casts out fear.
I need to speak when I am lead to do so and extend grace always.
9/30/17 Job is finished and I have to say I am glad. Not because Job is boring or doesn't have some wisdom in it. In fact, I think Job has several life lessons, but Job puts up a lot of questions for me as well. One lesson is stick to your guns. Job knew he was blameless and he would not allow anyone to deter him from that, not his wife or any of his amazingly long-winded friends. He had led a life pleasing to God and he stood by that.
He questioned God. I think that is a good thing, but he seemed to get chastised for it by God himself. We are reminded all through Job that we are not the owners or creators of our world. We are merely recipients and stewards for God. Job gives a taste of class systems, how the rich are viewed by the poor and are given deference and thought of as righteous because they have been blessed.
Some of the questions I have are why would God allow Satan, and he doesn't seem like the Satan that is portrayed in our day and age, to take everything from a righteous person. It seems to show weakness of God's part, that he has to prove himself to Satan. One would think God would be above taunts like that. It is a pitfall and parent would fall into with a child...fighting or debating an issue the child has no power over. And then of course right at the end when God is giving Job what for, he throws in Behemoth and Leviathan, two creatures that have zero basis in reality for that time-frame. But the description makes it sound like everyone knows about these creatures. It is like the big final point God is making about Job being a speck and having no real knowledge. It is God's way of reminding Job of his power, his control and Job's dependence and weakness.
But why use Leviathan? It very much seems like a story from a man, like folklore. This is another example of the Bible being a collection of human intersections with their God or who they perceive God to be and trying to communicate that in the very limited language and intelligence available to them. This does not seem like a story based in fact, maybe some of it is factual, but it seems more like a literary device to teach lessons. The problem I have it many people would read Job and believe wholeheartedly that Leviathan is literal and there is an unknown creature out there in the depths who has not shown up since the time of Job. And don't give me the line about faith here. Faith does not require ignorance or blind acceptance. Faith is knowing you don't understand something, but moving forward in hopes that understanding will come. It is not sitting back and just passively taking everything literally. That is the laziness. That is weakness and ignorance, not faith.
So I move on to Psalms which now puts me at the halfway mark in the Bible.
10/2/17 The book I am reading for work is called This Year I will and it is a book about finally following through. One of the strategies talked about today was to focus on 1 or 2 things so as not to get overwhelmed and to increase the likelihood of success. That is exactly what I am doing here. I finished Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon this weekend and have moved on to Isaiah.
I need to go back and listen to Psalms again and track how many songs I know based on scripture from a Psalm. It seemed like every other Psalm, I could sing a song. It made me want a heritage like that for David. Honestly, as I listen to the Bible, I do question it's relevance and validity, but at the same time there is something in me that longs for that tradition and foundation. Some would call that weakness. I'm not sure.
Proverbs speaks all the time of fools and how to talk to them, when to talk to them, when not to talk to them, what they look like, what they sound like, what you sound like when you talk to them, and on and on. It is full of a lot of good advice about not wasting your time on fools. And of course there is a lot of other wisdom as well, but that is what popped out the most.
Ecclesiastes struck me as the most instructional for me at the moment. It has a very "What is the point?" feel to it. I think I am questioning why I am doing the things I am doing. I want to learn from Solomon in his old age who chased after wealth and sex and power and in the end realized it was all meaningless, because he was no different than anybody else. He was going to die and it would all be lost. I do not believe the Jews believe in an afterlife so to speak and so his realization was that it was all final. What had he to hold on to? Nothing in his mind. I'm pretty sure the very end of Ecclesiastes tries to sum it up with a nice bow and positive note, but I think that was tagged on by someone else later who thought it needed something. I think Solomon despaired because he had not focused on important things. The question is, what is important or who? I do not want to come to the end of my life and feel like it was time wasted.
I have heard that in the end it is about relationships and the impact we have on others that brings us that sense of fulfillment. It is why I want to Cherish and Empower my family while I have them. I look at this weekend and I loved sitting around and basically doing nothing all weekend. And I think those have there place, but I don't want that to be the norm because it separates us from one another. Of course I would like for our interactions to be organic and just come naturally, but that so rarely happens. Now it does happen around the dinner table. And I like the idea of the board game after dinner and working out together before dinner is good too. I want to add consistent church attendance, but nobody really wants to go except me. Jeremy only goes because he wants to be with me and he feels bad if I go alone. And I'm sure the boys are not really interested either and go because I tell them to get up, get ready and get in the car. But that is parenting and I guess being a spouse.
Song of Solomon definitely should have been before Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in order of thought process. It is the young who are caught up in each other and can see little else. I have felt that and am very thankful for it. Knowing love and passion are a true gift and I have been blessed with them both.
10/12/17 I have made it through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations and Ezekiel and just listened to the story of Shaerach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel. And I am just too lazy to look up the correct spelling for those names. I have heard lots of very familiar stories, but honestly, the prophets are not my favorite. Lots of judgment. Here are some highlights...
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. Lamentations 3:22
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one." Ezekiel 22:30
And my personal favorite...
There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. Ezekiel 23:20
OK, that last one was just funny. You have to admit. God does have a sense of humor or just a really good eye for literature.
10/15/17 Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. With the exception of Daniel, I listed all of those with Brian's Latter Prophets song to the tune of The More We Get Together. Very handy indeed.
I will say, Daniel had balls, which is a very crass thing to say when speaking about a Bible figure, but it's true. He wasn't going to compromise his integrity or his beliefs even in the face of death. As for the latter prophets, eh! Poor Hosea having to chase after a prostitute who doesn't love him. Sounds like an awful thing for God to make someone do just to get a point across to a people who hadn't listened in the past. Makes Hosea seem crazy really. Actually, most of the prophets seemed crazy when you think of the things they did. And did God really ask them to do all these things or were they just looney toons?
My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children." Hosea 4:6
"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." Joel 2:28 Pretty sure this one is in Acts as well or some NT book because I definitely had to memorize it for bible quizzing and we didn't do OT books.
Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? Amos 3:3
He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. Nahum 1:2 and then 5 short verses later...
The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him Nahum 1:7
So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." Zechariah 4:6
I thought it was interesting that the commentary for the Bible I am reading said that after Malachi there was a 400 year silence, but that isn't true, because there are other books that are in the Catholic bible during the intertestimental period. It's just that the protestant Bible did not have those books canonized. Makes me question the rest of the commentary for other books. And if someone hasn't studies biblical history, then they would take the commentary as truth or without flaw.
NT starts with Matthew which is written to the Jews and you can see that right off the bat with the genealogy list and then the focus on the fulfillment of prophecy. Maybe my verse from Joel above is quoted in Matthew. I am in Mark now and so much of it is the same as Matthew. I feel like I have already hear some of the stories a few times now and I haven't even gotten to Luke who repeats several of the stories as well. I used to reference a Bible that had all the matching stories in the gospels side by side so you could compare and contrast them. One thing that stood out to me in these books was that is sounded like they were trying to explain things so that they could be believable. Like the reasoning behind why there is a contradictory story circulating about the resurrection. Basically saying there was a plot to disprove the resurrection and that is why there is doubt and not because it is humanly impossible and nobody in their right mind would believe it unless they had seen it for themselves.
10/19/17 BOOM!!! Done. Can't say this was my best reading of the Bible, but it is in the bag. While I was reading I was reminded of how much I know from the past study and then how much I really do not remember at all. Here are some prominent verses.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – Ephesians 2:8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. I John 4:7