Resolution - to read the Bible

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A few comments on Leviticus - I really can't see how anyone (like the Anglican priest referreed to when introducing this book) could say that Leviticus is one of the most important books in the Bible. Some of it is enlightening and/or quotable - ie Love neighbour as self; treat foreigners living among you well; an eye for and eye. A lot is repetitive and boring. Some does not seem to be applicable to today's situation. ie - don't plant two different types of crops in the same field - First Peoples in Canada and the US planted corn, beans and squash together for maximum harvest; today's market gardeners often plant complementary plants togetheer.
Lots of info about the treatment of slaves - I would hope that most of us find the very idea of slavery to be abhorant.
And I note that the young man stoned to death for his part in a fight was the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father, while the other person involved in the allocation was a full Israelite. Why even mention it, if foreigners (and mixed) are to be treated the same as Israelites? A bit of prejudice sneaking in here.
Actually, the many instructions of the different treatment required for Israelites who become slaaves and foreign slaves contradicts the commandment to love the foreigner as yourself.

I do like the theory of Sabbath rest - paarticularly the idea of the year of Jubilee when all debts are forgiven, and all real estate is returned to its original owner (actually God is the owner; people only have the use of the land - and the use returns to the original person at Jubilee.
 
BetteTheRed said:
I find the concept of sabbath years and jubilees quite fascinating.

To put it in context, my daughter, at a very young age, took out one of those "money mart" type loans. Despite the fact that she's paid the actual loan off several times over, she will be, apparently perpetually in hock to them as fees add up.
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I understand completely. Seelerboy made the same mistake. He paid off the original loan and a reasonaable amount of interest, then tried to negotiate with them. No deal. Now he tries to ignor theem, paying off a lump sum every once in awhile and trying to reach a settlement but they come back within a few months - he still owes more. They threaten him - and us. Harass us by phone. He hasn't lived at home for years.
Apparently it will hang over him for life.
I'll bet if we had a Jubilee year every 50 years, when all debts are cancelled they would be happpy to negotiate a settlement before the Jubilee came up.
 
Seeler said:
A few comments on Leviticus - I really can't see how anyone (like the Anglican priest referreed to when introducing this book) could say that Leviticus is one of the most important books in the Bible. Some of it is enlightening and/or quotable - ie Love neighbour as self; treat foreigners living among you well; an eye for and eye. A lot is repetitive and boring. Some does not seem to be applicable to today's situation. ie - don't plant two different types of crops in the same field - First Peoples in Canada and the US planted corn, beans and squash together for maximum harvest; today's market gardeners often plant complementary plants togetheer.
Lots of info about the treatment of slaves - I would hope that most of us find the very idea of slavery to be abhorant.
And I note that the young man stoned to death for his part in a fight was the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father, while the other person involved in the allocation was a full Israelite. Why even mention it, if foreigners (and mixed) are to be treated the same as Israelites? A bit of prejudice sneaking in here.
Actually, the many instructions of the different treatment required for Israelites who become slaaves and foreign slaves contradicts the commandment to love the foreigner as yourself.

I do like the theory of Sabbath rest - paarticularly the idea of the year of Jubilee when all debts are forgiven, and all real estate is returned to its original owner (actually God is the owner; people only have the use of the land - and the use returns to the original person at Jubilee.
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Priests tend to see every book of The Bible as being important Seeler. They're priests.

I feel the better we understand what life was like under law, the more we'll appreciate God's grace.
 
Moving on to Exodus - (apparently by the style of writing it is by the sasme author(s) as Leviticus)
Apparently the Israelites are still camped in the Dessert of Sinai in the second year of their journey out of Egypt - so the 40 year journey wasn't continuously moving onward, but had long pauses - possibly to regroup, or to grow crops and allow the animals (and ppeople) to rest and regain their strength.
God tells Moses to take a census of all the men of fighting age and ability. Then the repetitions. Each tribe gets the same paragraph, repeating the instructions, the only difference being in the name of the tribe and the final number of fighting men.
Only the Levites were treated differently - they were the priests in charge of the tabernacle.
The second chapter is similar. Each tribe is given instructions of where they are to make their camp - and the instructions repeated, along with the info from chapter 1, over and over.
 
chansen said:
The slaves, in particular, were *totally* appreciating God's grace.
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Oh no, Chansen, not all of them. Remember the different laws for treating Israelite and foreign slaves.
Israelite slaves were set free.
Foreign slaves remained slaves for life - and their children after them.

Kind of reminds me of the difference between African slaves and Irish indentured servants (slaves).
 
Further instructions for the Levvites - Aaron and his sons are to be the leaders. The Levvites will be counted and assigned duties to care for the ark, tabernacle, etc. and to carry them when they move on.
Lots of strange names, lots of repetition.
 
Treis I'am ... plug ... when coming forth some understanding squares off ... this extracted from the jester that is allowed anywhere in the court ... as the powers don't realize what that demon soaks up ... that thing placed in a square hole? If a bit soft ad plastic ... it can be driven home --- some ecclesiastical carp enters scene as a school within it's elph ... thus a' Muse 's the people off stage ...
 
Mendalla said:
With @chansen, I tend to assume sarcasm or irony unless there is good reason to assume dead serious. Though his sarcasm is often dead serious in that it makes a point.
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Never be dead cereus in this world ... or you may enter the wacked museum with that pasty white Geisha ... flower drumming?

That's Jae com merci a' lizing ... tis transparent for some can't see it ...

Isn't that displae in Gae Paris?
 
Seeler said:
Lots of info about the treatment of slaves - I would hope that most of us find the very idea of slavery to be abhorant.
And I note that the young man stoned to death for his part in a fight was the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father, while the other person involved in the allocation was a full Israelite. Why even mention it, if foreigners (and mixed) are to be treated the same as Israelites? A bit of prejudice sneaking in here.
Actually, the many instructions of the different treatment required for Israelites who become slaaves and foreign slaves contradicts the commandment to love the foreigner as yourself
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This brings up an interesting point for me. Even today as in the past, Jews are encouraged not to intermarry, in order to keep the "religion" (people/race) pure as per God's instructions to the "chosen" people. I've often wondered how this is so different from Hitler or Trump wanting to "purify" and create a country/people that is anti semetic or devoid of certain foreigners? But Israel gets a pass from most religions because "God said so" and even finds itself being supported from other nations from around the world. Israels wall separating them from the West Bank (the former Samaria) is tolerated and mostly accepted with few exceptions. Sending support to Palestinians is looked down upon by many Christian churches despite the fact that Jesus and His disciples evangelized throughout Samaria.
It's interesting in Ezra 4:1-6 it says that the Samaritans offered to help rebuild the temple in Jerusalem but were rudely rejected due to their pagan impurity.....in retaliation for being refused they made it difficult to continue building the temple.
So here was an olive branch being extended but was rejected because the people weren't "pure" Jewish.
 
Are slave sols ... an attribute forced to express thoughts of leadership that cannot vary ...

Hate to be stuck that way ... drifty thoughts are not part of the volatiles?
 
Instructions for banishing anyone with a skin disease, or otherwise 'unclean', from the Israelite camp.
Restitution of wrongs.
A test to determine if a woman has been unfaithful - this section reads like instructions to abort a fetus.
Instructions for anyone who wants to become a Nazirite.
A blessing - still used today. "The Lord bless and keep you ... "
 
I wonder if Jesus' frequent mention of Samaritans isn't indicative of an effort to try to 'heal' that part of Judaism. It's an interesting broader question. Is it wrong for a culture to passively promote intermarriage versus intramarriage behaviours? If you think about it, it's an adult's 'normal' first reaction to knowing their child is dating extra-culturally: will the two of them have deep cultural norms/values which will clash irrevocably? And that doesn't just mean race/nation. It can mean the mother of a rich girl wondering if her child has made a good match marrying a man from long generations of military service - an 'army brat'.
 
Numbers, chapter 7 - offerings at the tabernacle - described in one long paragraph repeated over twelve times for the twelve tribes, word for word except for the change in name and the day it was presented.
Ch. 8 - the purification and setting apart of the Levites for the Lord. Interesting - they were to serve from age 25 to 50 and retire from their duties at age 50.

Celebrating the passover; the cloud above the tabernacle; instructions for moving on; leaving Sinai.
 
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Do you wonder, Seeler, reading this, what we've lost by our complete disconnect religiously from our Jewish siblings? This is part of their CORE - the five books written specifically by Moses - arguably, "their" Jesus.
 
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