Resolution - to read the Bible

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I just started reading Ch 30 - here are the first few verses:
When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
This certainly seems like something written by the prophets at the time of the exile.
 
Seeler said:
I just started reading Ch 30 - here are the first few verses:
When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
This certainly seems like something written by the prophets at the time of the exile.
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Seeler;
Have you ever been cursed in church? I was told I was going to hell for years until I found the blessing about questioning the entire thing and all the insubstantial stuff too ...

You have a long way to go to get there it is in I Thessalonians I believe ... enough to cause page turning ...
 
Finished Deuteronomy today - six books, Genesis, Job, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, in a month and a half. Deuteronomy was probably the easiest to read. Lots about the Covenant relationship. Lots about the laws - especially about the Lord God being One, and no worship of idols or graven images. In the list of blessings and curses and following I could see the possible roots of the prosperity gospel, but I also saw many laws about he redistribution of wealth, and about care and concern for the weakest among us - widows, orphans, the poor and sick, foreigners living among us, and even slaves. Dreams of a better time to come and the end of an era with the death of Moses.

Tomorrow I move on to Joshua - if I have time. I have two funerals to attend.
 
Seeler said:
Finished Deuteronomy today - six books, Genesis, Job, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, in a month and a half. Deuteronomy was probably the easiest to read. Lots about the Covenant relationship. Lots about the laws - especially about the Lord God being One, and no worship of idols or graven images. In the list of blessings and curses and following I could see the possible roots of the prosperity gospel, but I also saw many laws about he redistribution of wealth, and about care and concern for the weakest among us - widows, orphans, the poor and sick, foreigners living among us, and even slaves. Dreams of a better time to come and the end of an era with the death of Moses.

Tomorrow I move on to Joshua - if I have time. I have two funerals to attend.
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On the redistribution ... did the Juiced take over ... and then God preferred the gentile cultivators? Those worms worked over the remains ... the left parts by rights!
 
Joshua, ch 1 - 4
The saga of the Israelite family continues in this volume. It picks up where Deuteronomy leaves off. Moses has died and Joshua has assumed command. He is about to lead the Israelites across the Jordan and into the promised land.
First he sends two spies ahead to check things out in the city of Jericho. We read the story of Rahab to prostitute who helps them to escape. Interesting that she, a traitor to her own people, becomes a hero in the story and her name is passed down in The Gospel of Matthews account of the geneology of Jesus.
When the spies return with their report, Joshua has the Levites carry the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the tribes to cross the Jordan. Reminesent of the crossing of the Red Sea, the waters dry up and they cross on dry land. While crossing 12 chosen people pick up 12 stones from the river bottom and place them as a reminder to tell their story. Emphasis on remembering their story by telling and retelling it to their children and grandchildren and not forgetting their past.

Also again a reminder to avoid all foreign religions that worship idols. Idolatry seems to be the greatest of sins. Yet what is an idol? Could the Ark itself be considered an idol? They worship and sacrifice before it. They consider it the dwelling place of God. It represents God with them.
Is there a danger of worshiping the Ark rather than the God it represents?
Is there a danger of worshiping the Bible rather than the God it tells us about?
Is there a danger of worshiping the church as the place where we meet God?

What can we learn from the ideas of the people about the Ark? And/or about other religions?
 
Seeler said:
Joshua, ch 1 - 4
The saga of the Israelite family continues in this volume. It picks up where Deuteronomy leaves off. Moses has died and Joshua has assumed command. He is about to lead the Israelites across the Jordan and into the promised land.
First he sends two spies ahead to check things out in the city of Jericho. We read the story of Rahab to prostitute who helps them to escape. Interesting that she, a traitor to her own people, becomes a hero in the story and her name is passed down in The Gospel of Matthews account of the geneology of Jesus.
When the spies return with their report, Joshua has the Levites carry the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the tribes to cross the Jordan. Reminesent of the crossing of the Red Sea, the waters dry up and they cross on dry land. While crossing 12 chosen people pick up 12 stones from the river bottom and place them as a reminder to tell their story. Emphasis on remembering their story by telling and retelling it to their children and grandchildren and not forgetting their past.

Also again a reminder to avoid all foreign religions that worship idols. Idolatry seems to be the greatest of sins. Yet what is an idol? Could the Ark itself be considered an idol? They worship and sacrifice before it. They consider it the dwelling place of God. It represents God with them.
Is there a danger of worshiping the Ark rather than the God it represents?
Is there a danger of worshiping the Bible rather than the God it tells us about?
Is there a danger of worshiping the church as the place where we meet God?

What can we learn from the ideas of the people about the Ark? And/or about other religions?
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Tis a mist Eire with gross questions !
 
Joshua 5 - 8 - Apparently the ritual of circumcision had been neglected during 40 years' journey. So one of the first things to be looked after upon crossing the Jordan was to circumcise all the males. Then they were ready to follow God's instruction and attack the city of Jericho and destroy it completely including killing all the inhabitants.
Reading these chapters (and I suspect subsequent chapters) it is my opinion that this book reflects the people's understanding of the nature of God, and interprets events according to that understanding. When they lose a battle it is because somebody among them has done something wrong, like sparing an enemy life or keeping bounty for themselves); they've made God angry and God is punishing them. When they make things right with God, they are blessed with God's approval. And one thing they seem to think will please God is to wipe out all the people in the land.
Ch. 8 ends with a rereading of the laws and a renewal of the covenant.
 
Joshua 9 - 11 is full of reports of war as Joshua and his armies attacked and utterly destroyed the inhabitants of the land with, as they undeerstood it, God's blessing and God's help. At one point God causes the sun to stand still in the sky to prolong the day and enable more slaughter of the enemy. Another time he throws stones (hailstones?) down on the enemy and more are killed by the stones than by the sword.
Some very violent passages. Perhaaps not suitable for children (if made into a movie).
 
Seeler said:
Joshua 9 - 11 is full of reports of war as Joshua and his armies attacked and utterly destroyed the inhabitants of the land with, as they undeerstood it, God's blessing and God's help. At one point God causes the sun to stand still in the sky to prolong the day and enable more slaughter of the enemy. Another time he throws stones (hailstones?) down on the enemy and more are killed by the stones than by the sword.
Some very violent passages. Perhaaps not suitable for children (if made into a movie).
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And the walls came down ... happens with time ....
 
Seeler said:
Joshua 5 - 8 - Apparently the ritual of circumcision had been neglected during 40 years' journey. So one of the first things to be looked after upon crossing the Jordan was to circumcise all the males. Then they were ready to follow God's instruction and attack the city of Jericho and destroy it completely including killing all the inhabitants.
Reading these chapters (and I suspect subsequent chapters) it is my opinion that this book reflects the people's understanding of the nature of God, and interprets events according to that understanding. When they lose a battle it is because somebody among them has done something wrong, like sparing an enemy life or keeping bounty for themselves); they've made God angry and God is punishing them. When they make things right with God, they are blessed with God's approval. And one thing they seem to think will please God is to wipe out all the people in the land.
Ch. 8 ends with a rereading of the laws and a renewal of the covenant.
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--
Hi Seeler --This is the passage it took GOD 20 years, till GOD showed me why He killed the animals to. You see I understood GOD would kill the people. For they were full of evil spirits and were following evils ways. But why the animals. Then He" showed me Christ casting Demon's into pigs". They can travel in living Flesh". So they had to die". What of Man beings?--Do you not understand Blood has to be shed to be perfect? Your post
So one of the first things to be looked after upon crossing the Jordan was to circumcise all the males. My Post-- I am very surprised .
 
airclean33 said:
--
Hi Seeler --This is the passage it took GOD 20 years, till GOD showed me why He killed the animals to. You see I understood GOD would kill the people. For they were full of evil spirits and were following evils ways. But why the animals. Then He" showed me Christ casting Demon's into pigs". They can travel in living Flesh". So they had to die". What of Man beings?--Do you not understand Blood has to be shed to be perfect? Your post
So one of the first things to be looked after upon crossing the Jordan was to circumcise all the males. My Post-- I am very surprised .
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And pigus are better when dunked in saline ...
 
Thanks for your responses.

I've finished Joshua - hurried through the second half not because it was so well written or interesting, but more or less to get it over. In addition to a lot of repeating of laws and commands and descriptions of sacrifices as found in previous books and in the earlier chapters, many of the later chapters concern themselves with battles and killing as the people of Israel occupy the land of Canaan. And page after page of descriptions of the division of the land between the tribes. Imagine going into a land registry office and sitting down and reading deeds: from the marker on the south-east corner along the stream for -- klms, to the ... and ..... But rather than a city lot or even 100 acre farm, this is describing a large area of land to be occupied by entire tribes of people.
Some things I learned -
- although at first as I read it seemed that the battles were fought one after the other and the Israelites conquered and completely destroyed their occupants within a few months, it seems that it took them about forty years and they didn't completely drive out the Canaanites. Some cities maintained their independence for centuries. Jerusalem was not defeated until the time of King David - far in the future from the time of Joshua. And some Canaanites remained in the area, or immediately surrounding area living among the Israelites. This may account for the many times when reciting the law the Israelites are reminded to treat the 'foreigner living among you' well. And also the constant reminder not to intermingle or intermarry with the Canaanites or, most important, don't be attracted to their gods.

By the way - I did find it easier to read the 'deeds' of the land division after I looked up a map of the area at the time in one of my Bibles. Each tribe's grant is shown in a different colour.
 
Judges 1 - 7 - Reads like a continuation of Joshua. I'm thinking that it had something to do with the size of a scroll. Too long and it gets too heavy and difficult to handle - so divide the material between two scrolls. We do the same with books - Volumes 1 and 2.

Joshua has passed on. The land of Canaan has been divided among the twelve tribes. People have settled in. But, contrary to what some might believe from the descriptions of conquests, beginning with Jericho, the original peoples have not been totally eliminated or driven out. The Israelites live for long periods of time peacefully among the various tribes of Canaanite peoples. Sometimes they intermarry. And they cannot help but be influenced by their neighbours. They are attracted to worship other gods. And every now and then this annoys their One True God, and troubles come -- the blessings and curses we read about in Deuteronomy.

So far in my reading of Judges, I've come across some familiar names: Deborah, Jael, Barak in chapter 4; Gideon in chapter 7.

While most of this book, like those before it, is prose, the fifth chapter is a song or psalm of Deborah after a successful military campaign.
 
Reading the Bible is at best a chore unless one sees it as the Word. The things that helped me come to terms with the Word and the questions I have for the most part have been satisfied through a hunger for the truth.
 
Judges 8 - 12 - It seems that the various tribes lived in peace for years, then war would break out with the neighbouring tribes. The usual explanation was that Israel had 'done evil in the sight of the Lord' - mainly by worshiping other gods. Then Israel would repent and the Lord would give them protection again. Sometimes they even fought each other - one tribe of Israel against another.
Ch. 11 contains the sad story of Jophthah (one of the judges in Israel) making an oath to the Lord that if victorious he would offer 'the first person of his household to greet him on his return'. His young daughter was the victim. What a strange and horrid understanding of God's will.
Lots of stuff here that I can't agree with. It doesn't show us the trustworthy, compassionate, God that Jesus taught.
What can we learn from this? Perhaps it is retained in the sacred scriptures to show what can happen when we misunderstand and misinterpret the nature of God and our relationship with God.
 
Bolt_upright said:
Reading the Bible is at best a chore unless one sees it as the Word.
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I do not believe it is The Word, at least no more so than any other scripture, and I do not find reading it a chore. There are some wonderful stories and wisdom is be found in there and some very powerful, resonant use of language (Genesis 1 for instance). I, of course, do not view it as a sole, or even primary, source of spiritual truth, but I do read it and learn from it.
 
Mendalla said:
I do not believe it is The Word, at least no more so than any other scripture, and I do not find reading it a chore. There are some wonderful stories and wisdom is be found in there and some very powerful, resonant use of language (Genesis 1 for instance). I, of course, do not view it as a sole, or even primary, source of spiritual truth, but I do read it and learn from it.
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Whereas millions of other people, including myself, do feel it is uniquely God's word.

While I feel it is possible to glean some wisdom from other scriptures, I believe that God has chosen the Bible alone as the only text through which he will deliver us his saving grace.
 
Mendalla said:
I do not believe it is The Word, at least no more so than any other scripture, and I do not find reading it a chore. There are some wonderful stories and wisdom is be found in there and some very powerful, resonant use of language (Genesis 1 for instance). I, of course, do not view it as a sole, or even primary, source of spiritual truth, but I do read it and learn from it.
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At best a chore when it makes little sense. What good is it, until those things one has questioned, have been answered?
 
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