The Israelites arrived at the desert at Zin, where Miriam died. There was no water, so the Israelites started grumbling. Moses and Aaron went to the Tent of Meeting, where God told them to strike a rock with a rod. Moses did so, and water came gushing out.
God, however, was angry that Moses & Aaron did not trust Him enough to honor him as holy in the sight of the Israelites, He told them they would not have the privilege of bringing the community into the promised land.
The Israelites then approached Edom and asked if they could pass through their land. The Edomites said no, threatening to attack them "with the sword" if they tried. The Israelite saw the big armies and decided not to try passing through.
The Israelites moved on to Mt. Hor. There, God repeated that Aaron would never enter the land and would die there. God told Moses to take Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar.
The Canaanite king then heard the Israelites were passing through, and captured many. The Israelites pleaded with God, promising to destroy Canaanites if God delivered the Israelites. God heard them, and the Israelites responded by destroying all the Canaanites.
The Israelites then took a circuitous route to get around Edom. While on that long detour, they started to grumble again at their harsh conditions. God sent venomous snakes who killed many of them. The Israelites repented and begged for mercy. God then told Moses to make a snake and put it on a pole. Whoever looked at the snake would live. Moses crafted a snake out of bronze and the Israelites were saved.
The Israelites then moved onto Oboth, and then Beer, where (lol!) God gave them water.
The Israelites then asked for permission to pass through the Amorites' land. The Amorite king refused, and there was a huge battle. The Israelites captured the Amorites, occupied the land, and settled there. They continued to take surrounding lands, and also defeated the king of Bashan.
The Israelites then moved on to camp along the Jordan near Jericho at the plains of Moab. The Moabites saw them coming but were freak out because they had heard of how the Israelites had defeated all these other lands. They summoned Balaam (who, I guess, they knew was a prophet???) to curse the Israelites.
Balaam told them he had to talk to God and he'd get back to them the next day. God told Balaam he could not curse the Israelites because they were blessed. Balaam came back and told Balek he could not curse them.
Balek sent more distinguished people to talk to Balaam and tried to bribe him. Finally, God told Balaam he could to Balek, but he must do what God told him to do.
The next morning Balaam set out on a donkey. God was angry so he tried to stop Balaam several times by putting an angel of the Lord in Balaam's path. The donkey would see the angel, freak out and try to turn around, but Balaam would get angry and beat the donkey. The third time, God gave the donkey the ability to speak to Balaam. Balaam was angry and accused the donkey of making a fool of him, and how he would kill the donkey if he had a sword.
Suddenly, God opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel there. He repented. God told him to go, but to "only speak when I tell him."
When Balaam saw Balek, he told Balek he could only speak what the Lord told him.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Numbers 17-19
God decided to stop the grumbling by clearly showing the Israelites who he had chosen. Moses took staffs from each leader of the 12 ancestral tribes. They placed the staffs in front of the Tent of Meeting. The next morning, Aaron's staff had budded, flowered, and grown some ALMONDS!
God told Moses to put the staff at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting as a sign of the rebellion. The Israelites feared they would all die.
God outlined at the duties of the Levites. They had to take care of the Tent of Meeting, offer sacrifices and offerings. God specifically said that everyone had to tithe 10% and this money would be given to Aaron and the Levites as their inheritance, since they would not inherit any land. The Levites also had to present 10% of their wages (which came from the Israelites' tithes) to God as an offering as well.
God told the Levites to redeem every first born unclean animal, but not the clean "holy" animals. Instead, the fat and blood of the holy animals would be offered to God. The Levites could eat the meat.
God then gave instructions on how to make water for cleansing. Take a red heifer (who has never been yoked), give it to Eleazar the priest, who will slaughter it and burn it. At this point, the priest is unclean. He must bathe, but he will be unclean until morning.
A clean person then takes the ashes to a place outside the camp. The ashes will be used for washing, for purification from sin. Now this previously clean person is also unclean, and will remain so until evening.
God then tells them rules concerning dead bodies. Essentially, if you are in the presence of one, you are unclean for 7 days. The unclean person can wash himself with the cleansing water. A clean person can then dip hyssop in the water and sprinkle it all over the places where the dead body had been.
Now the clean guy sprinkling the water becomes unclean. Anyone who touches the water of cleansing becomes unclean. He must wash his clothes and wait until evening.
Man, lots of contamination happens!
God told Moses to put the staff at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting as a sign of the rebellion. The Israelites feared they would all die.
God outlined at the duties of the Levites. They had to take care of the Tent of Meeting, offer sacrifices and offerings. God specifically said that everyone had to tithe 10% and this money would be given to Aaron and the Levites as their inheritance, since they would not inherit any land. The Levites also had to present 10% of their wages (which came from the Israelites' tithes) to God as an offering as well.
God told the Levites to redeem every first born unclean animal, but not the clean "holy" animals. Instead, the fat and blood of the holy animals would be offered to God. The Levites could eat the meat.
God then gave instructions on how to make water for cleansing. Take a red heifer (who has never been yoked), give it to Eleazar the priest, who will slaughter it and burn it. At this point, the priest is unclean. He must bathe, but he will be unclean until morning.
A clean person then takes the ashes to a place outside the camp. The ashes will be used for washing, for purification from sin. Now this previously clean person is also unclean, and will remain so until evening.
God then tells them rules concerning dead bodies. Essentially, if you are in the presence of one, you are unclean for 7 days. The unclean person can wash himself with the cleansing water. A clean person can then dip hyssop in the water and sprinkle it all over the places where the dead body had been.
Now the clean guy sprinkling the water becomes unclean. Anyone who touches the water of cleansing becomes unclean. He must wash his clothes and wait until evening.
Man, lots of contamination happens!
Numbers 15-16
God tells them to prepare an offering after they enter the promised land and every time of the first of your ground meal, and it will be an aroma pleasing to God. It sounds like everyone (including aliens) should bring an offering to God, and that it should be an animal (ram or bull) with grain or wine.
If you unintentionally fail to obey God's commandments, the the whole community has to offer a young bull as an burnt offering, and they also have to bring stuff for grain, drink and sin offerings. That is a lot of offerings, but this is the only way they will be forgiven. But if you knowingly sin and break one of the commandments, then you are cut off from the rest of the people. Then the passage segues into a story about a guy who was found working on the Sabbath and was gathering wood. The village stoned him to death (Harsh! So glad that we don't get stoned for doing chores).
Now God said to Moses that the Israelites have to make blue tassels and wear them on their garments to remind themselves of the commandments.
A Levite named Korah rebels against Moses with 250 Israelites, who were well known community leaders. They accused him of being holier than everyone else. Moses responded by saying that the Levites have gone too far and the Lord will show who is holy tomorrow. They seem to be jealous that they don't get to be priests and that they have not reached the promised land yet. Moses was really angry and told God not to accept their offering. He told the people that they all had to take their incense container and put fire and incense in it, even Aaron. They obeyed Moses. God told Moses and Aaron to move away from the group so he can kill them, but they pleaded with him not to kill all of them when only one guy is responsible. Instead God told him to move the others away, and then created an earthquake to kill the Korah and his family, where the earth literally swallowed them up and the earth closed over them. When Korah's supporters saw that the men were swallowed alive, they panicked too, and then God burned them alive. Aaron had to take the incense containers and scatter the remains. The containers are holy, so they were to flatten them out and put them on the altar and become a sign to the Israelites that no one but the priests should burn incense before God.
People blamed Moses and Aaron for killing those people. God was upset again and planned to kill them. Aaron rushed to make atonement for them but the plague had already started. 14,700 people died from the plague. Wow lots of people died from sin in this passage!
If you unintentionally fail to obey God's commandments, the the whole community has to offer a young bull as an burnt offering, and they also have to bring stuff for grain, drink and sin offerings. That is a lot of offerings, but this is the only way they will be forgiven. But if you knowingly sin and break one of the commandments, then you are cut off from the rest of the people. Then the passage segues into a story about a guy who was found working on the Sabbath and was gathering wood. The village stoned him to death (Harsh! So glad that we don't get stoned for doing chores).
Now God said to Moses that the Israelites have to make blue tassels and wear them on their garments to remind themselves of the commandments.
A Levite named Korah rebels against Moses with 250 Israelites, who were well known community leaders. They accused him of being holier than everyone else. Moses responded by saying that the Levites have gone too far and the Lord will show who is holy tomorrow. They seem to be jealous that they don't get to be priests and that they have not reached the promised land yet. Moses was really angry and told God not to accept their offering. He told the people that they all had to take their incense container and put fire and incense in it, even Aaron. They obeyed Moses. God told Moses and Aaron to move away from the group so he can kill them, but they pleaded with him not to kill all of them when only one guy is responsible. Instead God told him to move the others away, and then created an earthquake to kill the Korah and his family, where the earth literally swallowed them up and the earth closed over them. When Korah's supporters saw that the men were swallowed alive, they panicked too, and then God burned them alive. Aaron had to take the incense containers and scatter the remains. The containers are holy, so they were to flatten them out and put them on the altar and become a sign to the Israelites that no one but the priests should burn incense before God.
People blamed Moses and Aaron for killing those people. God was upset again and planned to kill them. Aaron rushed to make atonement for them but the plague had already started. 14,700 people died from the plague. Wow lots of people died from sin in this passage!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Numbers 12-14
Moses had been married a long time to Zipporah, so for Miriam and Aaron to be upset now at Moses for marrying a Cushite (now modern day Ethiopia) probably meant that he recently remarried or took a second wife. It doesn't say why they didn't like her, but some commentaries believe it was due to the color of her skin. They also started questioning his spiritual authority. God heard the accusation and told all three of them to come out to the Tent of Meeting. God came down in a pillar of cloud and defended Moses and how he's very special because God talks to prophets in dreams, but God actually talks to Moses face to face because Moses is humble. God leaves angrily, and then immediately Miriam contracted leprosy. Both Aaron and Moses plead with God to heal her. God said to quarantine her for 7 days, and she'll be healed.
God tells Moses to send one of its leaders from each tribe to explore Canaan because he will be giving that land to the Israelites. They went to do some recon for 40 days to see what the people who inhabit the land were like and if they were unwalled or fortified.
When they came back, they reported that the land indeed flowed with milk and honey. However, the cities are fortified and lots of different powerful tribes live there. A man named Caleb said that they are certainly able to take possession of the land. The rest of the recon team rebeled and said the inhabitants are so big that they looked like grasshoppers compared to them. Then the Israelites started to complain again and wanted to go back to Egypt and die there instead of dying in war. They wanted to pick a new leader to lead them back to Egypt. Joshua spoke to them and told them not to rebel against God and be afraid. Instead, the people wanted to stone them. God wanted to destroy them, but Moses pleaded with God, saying that other nations will hear that God did not deliver his people to the land he promised. God forgives the Israelites, but he says that all the people older than 20 who disobeyed him will never see the land, except for Caleb and his people. God said they will suffer for 40 years, until the last person in the first generation dies. The recon team, however, were killed immediately of a plague (only Joshua and Caleb survived). The Israelites mourned and then told Moses that they will go to the place the Lord promised now. However, they can't go there now because God was not with them and they would lose. They still didn't listen, and so they lost the battle.
God tells Moses to send one of its leaders from each tribe to explore Canaan because he will be giving that land to the Israelites. They went to do some recon for 40 days to see what the people who inhabit the land were like and if they were unwalled or fortified.
When they came back, they reported that the land indeed flowed with milk and honey. However, the cities are fortified and lots of different powerful tribes live there. A man named Caleb said that they are certainly able to take possession of the land. The rest of the recon team rebeled and said the inhabitants are so big that they looked like grasshoppers compared to them. Then the Israelites started to complain again and wanted to go back to Egypt and die there instead of dying in war. They wanted to pick a new leader to lead them back to Egypt. Joshua spoke to them and told them not to rebel against God and be afraid. Instead, the people wanted to stone them. God wanted to destroy them, but Moses pleaded with God, saying that other nations will hear that God did not deliver his people to the land he promised. God forgives the Israelites, but he says that all the people older than 20 who disobeyed him will never see the land, except for Caleb and his people. God said they will suffer for 40 years, until the last person in the first generation dies. The recon team, however, were killed immediately of a plague (only Joshua and Caleb survived). The Israelites mourned and then told Moses that they will go to the place the Lord promised now. However, they can't go there now because God was not with them and they would lose. They still didn't listen, and so they lost the battle.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Numbers 9-11
Passover
A little after two years following the escape for Egypt, the Lord told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover. Some, however, were ceremonially unclean at the time, and didn't know what to do. After consulting with God, Moses told the Israelites they should still ALL observe the Passover, but with on the 14th day of the SECOND month (not the first month), and they should eat lamb.
God is very serious about this, and says that anyone who is clean, not on a journey, and does not celebrate the Passover with be "cut off from his people" and will "bear the consequences of sin." Even aliens living amongst them have to celebrate the Passover.
Cloud
God guided the people in a cloud/fire. By day it was a cloud, by night it was fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from the tabernacle, the Israelites knew it was time to move on (and wander some more). Sometimes they would stay in a location for days, sometimes for months. They never really knew, they just obeyed.
Fire
Some complained of the hardship of hearing the Lord. God got mad, sent down fire from heaven, and "consumed some of the outskirts of the camp." The people cried to Moses, who prayed to God. The fire went down.
Lesson: craving Meat
The Israelites were getting sick of manna, which they gathered, ground up, and baked into the same olive-oil flavored cakes everyday. They started complaining that they wanted meat. They longed for the days in Egypt when they could eat cucumbers, leeks, garlic, and other fine tasting foods. Moses complained to God saying he couldn't stand leading these grumbling people anymore, and asked God to just "kill me now!"
God asked Moses to gather 70 elders so he could put the Spirit on the 70 elders so they could help out Moses. As the Spirit came onto the elders, they all began prophesying. In fact, a few other non-elders were also filled with the Spirit and started prophesying.
God then sent wind, which brought in TONS of quail from the sea. The Israelites hungrily gathered tons of quail and cooked it to eat. Yet, while the meat was between their teeth and before they could swallow, the Lord's anger BURNED and he struck them with a huge plague.
They buried the Israelites were had been hungry and have craved meat.
A little after two years following the escape for Egypt, the Lord told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover. Some, however, were ceremonially unclean at the time, and didn't know what to do. After consulting with God, Moses told the Israelites they should still ALL observe the Passover, but with on the 14th day of the SECOND month (not the first month), and they should eat lamb.
God is very serious about this, and says that anyone who is clean, not on a journey, and does not celebrate the Passover with be "cut off from his people" and will "bear the consequences of sin." Even aliens living amongst them have to celebrate the Passover.
Cloud
God guided the people in a cloud/fire. By day it was a cloud, by night it was fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from the tabernacle, the Israelites knew it was time to move on (and wander some more). Sometimes they would stay in a location for days, sometimes for months. They never really knew, they just obeyed.
Fire
Some complained of the hardship of hearing the Lord. God got mad, sent down fire from heaven, and "consumed some of the outskirts of the camp." The people cried to Moses, who prayed to God. The fire went down.
Lesson: craving Meat
The Israelites were getting sick of manna, which they gathered, ground up, and baked into the same olive-oil flavored cakes everyday. They started complaining that they wanted meat. They longed for the days in Egypt when they could eat cucumbers, leeks, garlic, and other fine tasting foods. Moses complained to God saying he couldn't stand leading these grumbling people anymore, and asked God to just "kill me now!"
God asked Moses to gather 70 elders so he could put the Spirit on the 70 elders so they could help out Moses. As the Spirit came onto the elders, they all began prophesying. In fact, a few other non-elders were also filled with the Spirit and started prophesying.
They buried the Israelites were had been hungry and have craved meat.
Numbers 7-8
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Offering of the Tribes
When the tabernacle was completely set up, Moses anointed and consecrated it. Then the leaders of all the tribes came forth to give their offerings. Carts and oxen were given to the Levites, Gershonites and Mararites to enable them to do their work. However, the Kohathites did not get anything because they had to carry the holy items on their shoulders. (!)
Then, the next 12 days, each of the tribes took turns bringing the same exact offering:
One silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, [a] and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, [b] both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 14 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, [c] filled with incense; 15 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 16 one male goat for a sin offering; 17 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering.
Moses then entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord.
God told Moses to ask Aaron to set up the 7 lamps to light the area in front of the lampstand, which Aaron happily obliged.
Levites Are Important!
God again emphasizes and declares that the Levites are wholly His in exchange for all the firstborns in Israel. He has given the Levites to the Israelites to do the work at the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites so that they will not suffer plagues.
God instructed the Levites to remain ceremonially clean. Aaron would then present the Levites as a wave offering to the Lord.
Levites between the ages of 25-50 would work. After 50, they can help out, but are essentially retired.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Numbers 5-6
Here we start to see some laws that were set out.
1. Unclean People Sent Away
Ceremonial unclean Israelites (e.g., infectious disease, discharge, etc) had to leave the camp so that they did not defile the camp.
2. Restitution for Sins
When one wrongs another, he must confess his sin, make FULL restitution for his wrong, and then add 1/5 to it and give it back to the person he has wronged. If that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made, then he must give it to the priest. Would you give it to a relative if, for some reason, that person is gone? Like . . if you'd killed him or something?? I'm a little unclear on the relative part.
3. How to Know If Your Wife Has Cheated On You
If a husband suspects his wife is cheating on him and feels jealous, he can bring his wife to the priest. He must bring a grain offering for jealousy, a "reminder offering to draw attention to guilt."
The priest takes some holy water, puts it in a clay jar, and adds dust from the tabernacle floor. The water is bitter. The priest then recites the following oath/curse:
"If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. 20 But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband may the LORD cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell. May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away."
The woman then drinks the bitter water. If the woman has really cheated, these things will happen to her and she will suffer greatly.
Numbers 6 goes into describing the Nazarites, people who have decided to make a vow of separation for the Lord. During the time of separation, these people cannot cut their hair, nor drink wine. Furthermore, they cannot be in the presence of a dead body. If they are, they must shave their heads and present burnt offerings as an atonement for the sin of being in the presence of a dead body. At the end of the period of separation, he is to shave off the hair of his dedication and the priest will present several offerings to God.
1. Unclean People Sent Away
Ceremonial unclean Israelites (e.g., infectious disease, discharge, etc) had to leave the camp so that they did not defile the camp.
2. Restitution for Sins
When one wrongs another, he must confess his sin, make FULL restitution for his wrong, and then add 1/5 to it and give it back to the person he has wronged. If that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made, then he must give it to the priest. Would you give it to a relative if, for some reason, that person is gone? Like . . if you'd killed him or something?? I'm a little unclear on the relative part.
3. How to Know If Your Wife Has Cheated On You
If a husband suspects his wife is cheating on him and feels jealous, he can bring his wife to the priest. He must bring a grain offering for jealousy, a "reminder offering to draw attention to guilt."
The priest takes some holy water, puts it in a clay jar, and adds dust from the tabernacle floor. The water is bitter. The priest then recites the following oath/curse:
"If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. 20 But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband may the LORD cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell. May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away."
The woman then drinks the bitter water. If the woman has really cheated, these things will happen to her and she will suffer greatly.
Numbers 6 goes into describing the Nazarites, people who have decided to make a vow of separation for the Lord. During the time of separation, these people cannot cut their hair, nor drink wine. Furthermore, they cannot be in the presence of a dead body. If they are, they must shave their heads and present burnt offerings as an atonement for the sin of being in the presence of a dead body. At the end of the period of separation, he is to shave off the hair of his dedication and the priest will present several offerings to God.
Numbers 3-4
Numbers 3 is about Aaron and the Levites. Only Aaron's descendants were priests and the Levites were appointed by God to serve them. "The Lord also said to Moses, “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.” God says this three times in this chapter, so it must be important!
God instructed Moses to count all the Levites by their families and clans and also to count every male a month old or more. The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar, who was one of Aaron's sons. Since Aaron's two oldest sons died, Eleazar was the next oldest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
The rest is just taking census of the Levites. There were clans within the Levites, and each clan had a specific duty, like taking care of the furniture or taking care of the building structure.
Now that they are moving, they need to pack everything up. Everything was holy so they needed to cover everything. Only the priests were allowed to touch it. If a Levite touched a holy object, they would die. Numbers 4:6 says to cover the ark of the Testimony with hides of sea cows (NASB says porpoise, KJV says badger..so the translations are wildly different). What I don't get is where would they find a manatee? Aren't they in the desert?
God instructed Moses to count all the Levites by their families and clans and also to count every male a month old or more. The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar, who was one of Aaron's sons. Since Aaron's two oldest sons died, Eleazar was the next oldest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
The rest is just taking census of the Levites. There were clans within the Levites, and each clan had a specific duty, like taking care of the furniture or taking care of the building structure.
Now that they are moving, they need to pack everything up. Everything was holy so they needed to cover everything. Only the priests were allowed to touch it. If a Levite touched a holy object, they would die. Numbers 4:6 says to cover the ark of the Testimony with hides of sea cows (NASB says porpoise, KJV says badger..so the translations are wildly different). What I don't get is where would they find a manatee? Aren't they in the desert?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Numbers 1-2
This passage is good timing because it's about the census, and our country is also conducting a census right now. However, this is mainly for a military draft. The current US census is for social services and redistributing electoral college votes (we have something similar for young men called the Selective Draft though).
God told Moses to conduct a census and to count all the men and their families older than 20 years who can go to war. The head from each tribe is going to help conduct the census. The tribes ranging from 30-70 thousand people. The tribe of Levi wasn't counted in the census because they're responsible for the tabernacle, so I'm assuming they don't have to fight in the war.
Now the camps have to organize themselves before they go into the Promised Land. They were to camp around the Tent of Meeting, and God instructed where each tribe should be in relation to the Tent and who should set out first - east, west, north, or south of the Tent. The Levites set out in the middle of the camps. In all, they totaled 603,550 people (minus the Levites).
God told Moses to conduct a census and to count all the men and their families older than 20 years who can go to war. The head from each tribe is going to help conduct the census. The tribes ranging from 30-70 thousand people. The tribe of Levi wasn't counted in the census because they're responsible for the tabernacle, so I'm assuming they don't have to fight in the war.
Now the camps have to organize themselves before they go into the Promised Land. They were to camp around the Tent of Meeting, and God instructed where each tribe should be in relation to the Tent and who should set out first - east, west, north, or south of the Tent. The Levites set out in the middle of the camps. In all, they totaled 603,550 people (minus the Levites).
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Leviticus 25-27
Now we start talking about the Sabbath and the Year of Jubilee!
Jen harvesting in Pastor Chuck's garden
Jubilee
The theme of the "Jubilee" seems to be redemption. A time when everyone returns back to their homes and reclaims what was once theirs.
The Jubilee only occurs once every 7 Sabbath years (7x7 = 49 years) = Day of Atonement. On the 50th year, consecrate the land and proclaim liberty for all its inhabitants! In the year of the Jubilee everyone returns to his own property.
Pay fair prices according to the number of years from the Jubilee.
God then lays down some rules regarding property and land with respect to the Jubilee. For example, if a person becomes poor and sells himself, you should not treat him as a slave, but treat him as a hired hand until the Jubilee, at which point you should release him to return to his clan/ his family.
Certain properties can always be redeemed at the Jubilee, like houses in villages without walls and the property of Levites. Other properties, like the open pastureland belonging to towns or a house in a walled city not redeemed within a year, are NOT returned during the Jubilee. In fact, pasturelands can never be sold - they permanently belong to the towns.
God emphasizes that they could never make a fellow Israelite a slave. The "servant" could always be redeemed. God saw the Israelites as "his servants" not as slaves.
Sabbath
Every 7 years the Israelites were not to farm, and instead were supposed to let the land rest. I'm a little confused. God says not to reap or harvest, but then He also says "whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you." How to you eat if you don't reap or harvest?
Jen harvesting in Pastor Chuck's garden
Jubilee
The theme of the "Jubilee" seems to be redemption. A time when everyone returns back to their homes and reclaims what was once theirs.
The Jubilee only occurs once every 7 Sabbath years (7x7 = 49 years) = Day of Atonement. On the 50th year, consecrate the land and proclaim liberty for all its inhabitants! In the year of the Jubilee everyone returns to his own property.
Pay fair prices according to the number of years from the Jubilee.
God then lays down some rules regarding property and land with respect to the Jubilee. For example, if a person becomes poor and sells himself, you should not treat him as a slave, but treat him as a hired hand until the Jubilee, at which point you should release him to return to his clan/ his family.
Certain properties can always be redeemed at the Jubilee, like houses in villages without walls and the property of Levites. Other properties, like the open pastureland belonging to towns or a house in a walled city not redeemed within a year, are NOT returned during the Jubilee. In fact, pasturelands can never be sold - they permanently belong to the towns.
God emphasizes that they could never make a fellow Israelite a slave. The "servant" could always be redeemed. God saw the Israelites as "his servants" not as slaves.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Leviticus 23-24
OOh this next section is about sacred feasts: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)! But before he starts to talk about the feasts, he mentions that the seventh day of the week is a Sabbath day and we don't do any work. You aren't to do any work on a sacred feast day either. Some of these last for 7 days, so you don't do work on the first and last days.
Passover - celebrated on the 14th day of the 1st month.
Unleavened Bread - day after Passover. Don't eat bread with yeast for 7 days.
Firstfruit - bring the first grain you harvest to the priest. Bring a burn offering of the lamb along with your grain offering. No bread or grain until you bring this offering to God.
Feast of Pentecost - count off 7 weeks and present an offering of new grain to God and a burnt offering of seven male lambs, one young bull, and two rams.
Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) - celebrated by trumpet blasts.
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) - celebrated on the tenth day of the seventh month. Anyone who works today will be destroyed.
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) - celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Present offerings to God for 7 days.
I'm not sure what a booth looks like, but you have to live in one for 7 days to commemorate when they were brought out of Egypt.
The lamps outside of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting is supposed to burn continually, so the Lord commanded the Israelites to bring olive oil. Bread should be set out before the Lord regularly as a lasting covenant. It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy part of the offerings.
The case of the blasphemer
A fight broke out between a half-Egyptian, half-Israelite and an Israelite. The mixed ethnic guy cursed God, so they brought him to Moses. The Lord said to Moses that anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death. The town heard that and stoned the guy to death. God also brought up more punishments like life for life, tooth for tooth, eye for eye.
Passover - celebrated on the 14th day of the 1st month.
Unleavened Bread - day after Passover. Don't eat bread with yeast for 7 days.
Firstfruit - bring the first grain you harvest to the priest. Bring a burn offering of the lamb along with your grain offering. No bread or grain until you bring this offering to God.
Feast of Pentecost - count off 7 weeks and present an offering of new grain to God and a burnt offering of seven male lambs, one young bull, and two rams.
Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) - celebrated by trumpet blasts.
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) - celebrated on the tenth day of the seventh month. Anyone who works today will be destroyed.
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) - celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Present offerings to God for 7 days.
I'm not sure what a booth looks like, but you have to live in one for 7 days to commemorate when they were brought out of Egypt.
The lamps outside of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting is supposed to burn continually, so the Lord commanded the Israelites to bring olive oil. Bread should be set out before the Lord regularly as a lasting covenant. It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy part of the offerings.
The case of the blasphemer
A fight broke out between a half-Egyptian, half-Israelite and an Israelite. The mixed ethnic guy cursed God, so they brought him to Moses. The Lord said to Moses that anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death. The town heard that and stoned the guy to death. God also brought up more punishments like life for life, tooth for tooth, eye for eye.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Leviticus 21-22
Rules for Priests
God begins to give rules for priests. A priest can't make himself unclean except in very rare circumstances (e.g., for a close relative). They can't shave their heads nor their beards. They must be holy because God is holy. For example, they can't marry divorced women or prostitutes. They must marry a virgin. Even the descendants of Aaron cannot come near to offer food to God if they have defect (e.g., disfigured, blind, etc). They can eat the holy food, they just can't present it.
Priests cannot come near the offerings if they are unclean. Only priests can eat the sacred offerings. If a priest's daughter marries a non-priest, she cannot eat the sacred offerings anymore.
Unacceptable Sacrifices
God describes how an offering must be a make without defect. Can't offer blind, lame, ingured, mained animals. God also says not to slaughter a cow and its young on the same day. Furthermore, don't accept them as gifts from foreigners.
Finally, God ends by reiterating the decree - Keep my commands and follow them."
God begins to give rules for priests. A priest can't make himself unclean except in very rare circumstances (e.g., for a close relative). They can't shave their heads nor their beards. They must be holy because God is holy. For example, they can't marry divorced women or prostitutes. They must marry a virgin. Even the descendants of Aaron cannot come near to offer food to God if they have defect (e.g., disfigured, blind, etc). They can eat the holy food, they just can't present it.
Priests cannot come near the offerings if they are unclean. Only priests can eat the sacred offerings. If a priest's daughter marries a non-priest, she cannot eat the sacred offerings anymore.
Unacceptable Sacrifices
God describes how an offering must be a make without defect. Can't offer blind, lame, ingured, mained animals. God also says not to slaughter a cow and its young on the same day. Furthermore, don't accept them as gifts from foreigners.
Finally, God ends by reiterating the decree - Keep my commands and follow them."
Leviticus 19-20
God lays out a laundry list of laws. A lot of them are not new like honor your mother and father and do not have other gods. He also repeats the laws from earlier in Leviticus, I guess to nail down how important it is to follow these laws or to highlight the really important ones.
Leviticus 20 lays out the punishments for sinning, and the punishments deal mostly with the incest described in detail in Leviticus 18 (also if you curse your parents, you're put to death!). Basically if you sleep with someone that you shouldn't be, like a family member or a friend's wife, you're both put to death. The method of death isn't specified for most of them, but if a man marries both a woman and her mother, they are to all be burned in a fire. If a man marries his sister, then they don't die but are exiled until the sin is atoned for (That's it?). Same with having sexual relations with a woman on her period. If you have sexual relations with your aunt or marry your brother's wife, you're held responsible and die childless. Not sure why having sexual relations with your mother-in-law ends in death, but you only die childless if you have relations with your aunt.
Leviticus 20 lays out the punishments for sinning, and the punishments deal mostly with the incest described in detail in Leviticus 18 (also if you curse your parents, you're put to death!). Basically if you sleep with someone that you shouldn't be, like a family member or a friend's wife, you're both put to death. The method of death isn't specified for most of them, but if a man marries both a woman and her mother, they are to all be burned in a fire. If a man marries his sister, then they don't die but are exiled until the sin is atoned for (That's it?). Same with having sexual relations with a woman on her period. If you have sexual relations with your aunt or marry your brother's wife, you're held responsible and die childless. Not sure why having sexual relations with your mother-in-law ends in death, but you only die childless if you have relations with your aunt.
Leviticus 17-18
God said that sacrifices have to be made at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, not in the camp or outside or it, or they will be guilty of bloodshed and will be an outcast. They also can't sacrifice to any others or drink the blood. “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.” Also, if you eat an animal that's already dead, then that person will be unclean until the evening when he washes his clothes and bathes.
Now God turns to unlawful sexual relations and tells the Israelites that they have to obey God's laws and not the laws of Egypt. There is a whole laundry list of who you cannot have sexual relations with, including close relatives - mother, mother-in-law, sister, daughter-in-law, daughter, cousin, aunt, sister-in-law, threesomes with two relatives, neighbor's wife, wife's sister, and any woman during her period. I'm not sure how verse 21 fits in because it says don't sacrifice any of your children to Molech. Then it says, do not lie with another man or an animal. “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants...And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you." Wow even the land was defiled! God means business here, and I'm sure they have probably heard stories of previous nations.
Now God turns to unlawful sexual relations and tells the Israelites that they have to obey God's laws and not the laws of Egypt. There is a whole laundry list of who you cannot have sexual relations with, including close relatives - mother, mother-in-law, sister, daughter-in-law, daughter, cousin, aunt, sister-in-law, threesomes with two relatives, neighbor's wife, wife's sister, and any woman during her period. I'm not sure how verse 21 fits in because it says don't sacrifice any of your children to Molech. Then it says, do not lie with another man or an animal. “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants...And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you." Wow even the land was defiled! God means business here, and I'm sure they have probably heard stories of previous nations.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Leviticus 15-16
Ok this chapter is gross because it talks about bodily discharges, so I will try to keep it short. If someone has a discharge, then he's unclean and anything he touches will be unclean, like his bed or chair. If someone comes into contact with him, they'll have to wash their clothes and bathes and that person will be unclean until the evening. When he no longer has the discharge, he'll have to wait 7 days for the ceremonial cleansing. Then he can do the cleansing by bringing two birds to the priest and using them for a sin and burnt offering. A woman is unclean during her period and the same rules apply as in the bodily discharge. It says in Leviticus that they Israelites have to be separate so they won't die in their uncleaniness.
Leviticus 16 establishes the Day of Atonement, better known as Yom Kippur. It is one of the most holiest days and you atone for the sins you've made against God over the past year.
God says that Aaron can no longer come into the Most Holy Place whenever he wants to because he'll die. When Aaron enters the sanctuary, he needs "to offer a bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household." He also has to bring two male goats for a sin offering and ram for a burnt offering. One of the goats is for the Lord and the other is for the scapegoat. The one for the Lord is sacrificed for a sin offering while the scapegoat is used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat. "In this way, he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been." Then he has to do make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and the altar. "He is to lay both hands on the head of the liver goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites - all their sins - and put them on the goat's head." Then he sends the goat away into the desert. Then Aaron is to wash his clothes and bathe become going back to camp. Also on this day every year from now on, God instructed them to take a sabbath of rest that day, and the Lord would cleanse them from all their sins!
Leviticus 16 establishes the Day of Atonement, better known as Yom Kippur. It is one of the most holiest days and you atone for the sins you've made against God over the past year.
God says that Aaron can no longer come into the Most Holy Place whenever he wants to because he'll die. When Aaron enters the sanctuary, he needs "to offer a bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household." He also has to bring two male goats for a sin offering and ram for a burnt offering. One of the goats is for the Lord and the other is for the scapegoat. The one for the Lord is sacrificed for a sin offering while the scapegoat is used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat. "In this way, he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been." Then he has to do make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and the altar. "He is to lay both hands on the head of the liver goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites - all their sins - and put them on the goat's head." Then he sends the goat away into the desert. Then Aaron is to wash his clothes and bathe become going back to camp. Also on this day every year from now on, God instructed them to take a sabbath of rest that day, and the Lord would cleanse them from all their sins!
Leviticus 14
Once you're over your skin disease, the priest examines you. Then he gathers up a bunch of materials (two live birds that are ceremonially clean - but only one is killed, the other is released afterward, a stick of cedar,s some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch) and boils them together, then sprinkles it over the person 7 times before he's pronounced clean again. Then that person has to wash his clothes, bathe, and shave off all his hair. He has to wait 7 days before he can come back to the camp, and just before returning, he has to shave all his hair - eyebrows, beard, head, everything! The he has to sacrifice some animals for the guilt offering and grain for the grain offering to the Lord.
What to do if you have mildew in your house
Go to the priest and have him examine your house (So not only is the priest performing tasks of a doctor, he's also a home inspection agent. Busy man!). If he finds mold, then he closes down your house for 7 days. Pray that it doesn't spread, because if he does, then he orders for the moldy stones to be thrown into an unclean place out of town (is it like their version of a landfill?). Then all the inside walls have to be scraped and replastered. If the mold comes back, then the house is torn down. :( If the mold doesn't spread, then the priest will purify the house using the same ingredients for the skin disease.
What to do if you have mildew in your house
Go to the priest and have him examine your house (So not only is the priest performing tasks of a doctor, he's also a home inspection agent. Busy man!). If he finds mold, then he closes down your house for 7 days. Pray that it doesn't spread, because if he does, then he orders for the moldy stones to be thrown into an unclean place out of town (is it like their version of a landfill?). Then all the inside walls have to be scraped and replastered. If the mold comes back, then the house is torn down. :( If the mold doesn't spread, then the priest will purify the house using the same ingredients for the skin disease.
Leviticus 13
Skin disease
If you have a skin disease, the priest will determine whether it's a serious skin disease or a rash. If it's a rash, you're quarantined until it goes away, but if it's serious, then you're considered unclean. If you have open sores, boils, burns, or shiny white patches and they don't heal, then you're unclean. When they heal, you're declared clean again. If you're considered unclean, then you have to tear your shirt and not wash your hair. You also have to yell "Unclean! Unclean!" whenever you're near anyone so that they don't come near you. You're forced to live in isolation. :( I just found out that although very rare, 150-200 people in the US are diagnosed with leprosy every year.
If you get mold on your clothes, you also have to show it to the priest. If it spreads, then it's unclean, and the priest has to burn it. If it doesn't spread, you just have to wash it and hope it comes out completely, because if it's still faint, th priest will cut out of the fabric. Then it'll be holey again! Lol.
If you have a skin disease, the priest will determine whether it's a serious skin disease or a rash. If it's a rash, you're quarantined until it goes away, but if it's serious, then you're considered unclean. If you have open sores, boils, burns, or shiny white patches and they don't heal, then you're unclean. When they heal, you're declared clean again. If you're considered unclean, then you have to tear your shirt and not wash your hair. You also have to yell "Unclean! Unclean!" whenever you're near anyone so that they don't come near you. You're forced to live in isolation. :( I just found out that although very rare, 150-200 people in the US are diagnosed with leprosy every year.
If you get mold on your clothes, you also have to show it to the priest. If it spreads, then it's unclean, and the priest has to burn it. If it doesn't spread, you just have to wash it and hope it comes out completely, because if it's still faint, th priest will cut out of the fabric. Then it'll be holey again! Lol.
Leviticus 11-12
Leviticus 11 talks about clean and unclean food. Only animals that have a split hoof completely divided and that chew the cud can be eaten. So camels, rabbits, pigs - they are all unclean. As for things living in the water, anything that doesn't have fins and scales is to be detested. As for the birds, eagles, vultures, owls, ravens, they are bad too. Also all flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable (but some with joint legs like grasshoppers can be eaten---hmmm...) Also creatures that move about on the ground are unclean. Anything that touches unclean things becomes unclean.
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DICTIONARY: Cud: "the portion of food that a ruminant returns from the first stomach to the mouth to chew a second time."
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Chapter 12 discusses women's purification after giving birth to children. If a woman gives birth to a boy, she is to be unclean for 33 days; if daughter, she is to be unclean for 66 days (why??!). After the purification period, the woman will give a burnt offering and a sin offering (to be made ceremonially clean).
***
DICTIONARY: Cud: "the portion of food that a ruminant returns from the first stomach to the mouth to chew a second time."
***
Chapter 12 discusses women's purification after giving birth to children. If a woman gives birth to a boy, she is to be unclean for 33 days; if daughter, she is to be unclean for 66 days (why??!). After the purification period, the woman will give a burnt offering and a sin offering (to be made ceremonially clean).
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Leviticus 8-11
The Lord asks Moses to anoint Aaron. Moses goes through all the steps as the Lord commanded, painstakingly following all the instructions with regards to the burnt offering, wave offering, and ordination offering! When all this had been done, God commanded them to stay at the Tent of Meeting for 7 days. If they did not obey, they would die.
Moses then asked Aaron to make various offerings on behalf of the people (sin offering, grain offering, burnt offering).
Fire came down and consumed the burnt offering and the pat portions on the alter. The people rejoiced and fell facedown in worship.
Aaron's sons offered unauthorized fire before the Lord against his command. As a result, fire came down and consumed them. Just as God said, if you don't follow him, you will die. Moses then warned the other sons (and Aaron) what they must not do if they don't want to die (e.g., leave the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, not drink wine).
Moses then got mad at Aaron's sons for not eating the sin offering in a holy place. Instead, the goat from the burnt offering had been burnt up. Aaron responded "but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?"
I'm not positive what this means, but I'm guessing that Aaron had gone through a lot (lost two sons), and perhaps was not fit to take away the guilt of the community today? Not sure, anyone else have thoughts?
Moses was satisfied with Aaron's response.
Clean and Unclean Foods
1. Can only eat animals with split hoof and chews cud, not either or. (e.g., cow is OK, pig & rabbit are not) What is a coney???
2. Fins & scales are OK, others are bad (fish is OK but no shellfish?)
3. Birds OK except eagles, vultures, kites (?), ravens, owls, gulls, hawks, ospreys, storks, herons . . .
4. Insects are OK!
5. Nothing that moves on the ground! (snakes? worms?)
If you touch the carcass of these animals, you are unclean! You must wash your clothes!
Moses then asked Aaron to make various offerings on behalf of the people (sin offering, grain offering, burnt offering).
Fire came down and consumed the burnt offering and the pat portions on the alter. The people rejoiced and fell facedown in worship.
Aaron's sons offered unauthorized fire before the Lord against his command. As a result, fire came down and consumed them. Just as God said, if you don't follow him, you will die. Moses then warned the other sons (and Aaron) what they must not do if they don't want to die (e.g., leave the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, not drink wine).
Moses then got mad at Aaron's sons for not eating the sin offering in a holy place. Instead, the goat from the burnt offering had been burnt up. Aaron responded "but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?"
I'm not positive what this means, but I'm guessing that Aaron had gone through a lot (lost two sons), and perhaps was not fit to take away the guilt of the community today? Not sure, anyone else have thoughts?
Moses was satisfied with Aaron's response.
Clean and Unclean Foods
1. Can only eat animals with split hoof and chews cud, not either or. (e.g., cow is OK, pig & rabbit are not) What is a coney???
2. Fins & scales are OK, others are bad (fish is OK but no shellfish?)
3. Birds OK except eagles, vultures, kites (?), ravens, owls, gulls, hawks, ospreys, storks, herons . . .
4. Insects are OK!
5. Nothing that moves on the ground! (snakes? worms?)
If you touch the carcass of these animals, you are unclean! You must wash your clothes!