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Dear Lord; Open our eyes and ears as we share our reactions to your word today. May our thoughts and words bring glory to your name and allow us to find application to our lives.
Response to Numbers 4:1-5:31
In today's reading, the Priests and Levites are given the marching orders for whenever the camp is moved. All healthy men of the Levite clans between 30 and 50 years of age register with Moses and Aaron for Tabernacle services. (This age appears to be changed in Numbers 8:24)
First orders are again given to Aaron and his sons. It becomes apparent also in this reading that the sacred vessels of the tabernacle are off limits even to the Levites. Before the Kohathites are even able to move these articles, Aaron and his sons must cover all the Tabernacle articles with blue, purple, or scarlet cloth wrapped in hydes of sea cows and set on carrying frames. (This increased sacredness of the holy items surprised me as Leviticus had stated that the Israelites were to slaughter their own sacrifices within the courtyard right up to the very door of the tabernacle.) The Kohathites are then allowed to come to carry the items. The remaining family members of Aaron and his sons and Moses and Miriam must also prepare their camp which lies to the east of the tabernacle between it's entrance and the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulan.
Of the 8600 Kohathite males older than one month counted in chapter three, 2700 register for tabernacle service to carry the sacred articles of the tabernacle. The remaining members of their clans prepare their camp which lies to the south of the tablernacle between it and the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad.
Aaron's son Eleazar is put in charge of the Kohathites and services the inner sanctuary and the sacred vessels.
Of the 7500 Gershonite males older than one month counted in chapter three, 2630 register for tabernacle service to pack up the tent curtains and it's coverings including the courtyard curtains surrounding the tabernacle. The remaining members of their clans prepare their camp which lies to the west of the tabernacle between it and the tribes of Ephraim, Mannassah, and Benjamin. Aaron's son Ithamar is to supervise the Gershonites in their work as well as the Mararites and their work.
Of the 6200 Mararite males older than one month counted in chapter three, 3200 register for tabernacle service to pack and carry the frames of the tabernacle and courtyard to include all their crossbars, pillars, and bases. The remaining members of their clans prepare their camp which lies to the north of the tabernacle between it and the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. (supervised by Ithamar)
I have often questioned whether Moses and the people were getting a little stir crazy about the time Numbers 5 was written. I have always felt the treatment of the women in verses 11-31 were a tad chauvinistic on the part of the males. As much as western culture judges Arabian culture for their male dominance of females under Sharia law, it is passages like this that makes me feel that all such ideology has a common root. Therefore, I feel we must analyze the word of God very carefully and realize when we are dealing with the laws of man and when such laws reflect some deeper meaning. To blindly claim "Its in the Bible, so God demands it" is a dangerous ideology. Before we discuss this further, let's look at Numbers 5:1-10.
The unclean are asked to leave the camp in Numbers 5:1-4. In their estimation, the camp must remain holy as God is Holy and abides within the camp. From my youth I questioned this as I understood God to be everywhere. Therefore, the symbolism of what was being done and the affect such thought had on the heart and mind of the community was the point - unless it was a superstition. The fact people died for disobedience certainly put life into the superstitions and forced these people to revere the laws Moses was handing down. If you are want more detail on laws on leprosy, discharges, and clean and unclean laws, start in Leviticus 12.
The law of restitution (verses 5-10), with the additional 20%, if not demanded or blackmailed would work well for attitudes of repentance and apology and keeping the peace. However, the probability that these laws would be taken advantage of by some within the community seems high. Again, there is an assumption that men, or priests, will honor God and love their neighbor as themselves. That's always been a tough egg to crack.
This brings us back to the evil water. Yes, women, I'm concerned that the man can accuse the woman, but the woman cannot accuse the man. The wasting of the thighs and abdomen as a sign of guilt seems quite unfair given the laws of nature and aging. The dust from the floor mixed with holy water and the taking of an oath and drinking the water sounds completely demeaning and absurd to me without prayer and study. I should note that the meaning of wasting thighs and abdomen could also mean a miscarrying womb and barrenness which fits with verse 28. However...
The Bible generally treats the Male Female relationship just as God cares for each of us or the church. Much of the Prophets referred to the Israelites as the harlot. She went after other Gods and God put her away. As odd as this passage seems, it is a reflection of the day Moses ground up the golden calf and made the people drink it and it reflects the symbolism of God putting away the nation of Israel for a season for her unfaithfulness to Him. As a prophet, Hosea was told to marry a harlot to understand how God felt regarding his relationship to Israel. As it relates to the dirty holy water, Hear Hosea 9:1-3: "Do not rejoice, O Israel;
do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor. Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people; the new wine will fail them. They will not remain in the Lord's land; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria
In using this prophetic symbolsim to justify our own breaking of vows, allow me to remind you of our reading from mark 10:2-12 on February 28: "Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" "What did Moses command you?" he replied. They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."
I'm the blogger here, so I'm going to be quite blunt. Marriage is for life. Nothing has changed. Sex before marriage our outside of marriage is wrong. Love, honor, and forgiveness within marriage is required. Before there are problems, invest in friendships with like minded couples who can offer a support system in times of need. The church is a great place to find such bonds. Honor God together with your spouse and family. There is truth to the phrase "The family that prays together stays together" for the honor and structure as much as the faith. The greatest virtue of God to man is love. The greatest virtue of man to God is Honor. Both virtues are the glue that will hold all of our relationships together. Express love and honor in everything you do and commit to solving problems instead of being a coward and running away. If you're suffering from jealousy within, drop to your knees and pray before you open your mouth. Do your best to invest some joy back into your relationship. Don't attempt to force your will upon the other person, that's just muddied holy water.
A final thought regarding dealing with these serious problems in marriage comes from I Corinthians 7:5: "Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control"
Response to Mark 12:18-37
In yesterday's blog, I connected the Herodians and the Sadducees into one group through the use of a link. However, as I see today's reading being a continuation of the same dialogue near the entrance to the Temple that began in Mark 11:27, I must assume that the Sadducees represent a different group. Jesus has now been approached by chief priests, scribes, elders (11:27), Pharisees, Herodians (12:13), and now the Sadducees.
The Sadducees question about the seven brothers and one wife (Mark 12:18-27) is also found in Matthew 22:22-33 and Luke 20:27-38. Notice the use of the number seven again. Make of that what you will. This story may have had it's roots in the book of Tobit. This book portrays Jewish folklore of a man named Tobit from the tribe of Naphtali living in Nineveh following the Assyrian deportation of the 10 tribes of Israel around 721 B.C. In this story, We hear of the plight of Sarah, who shall be wed to Tobit's son, Tobiah:
From The Old Testament of the New American Bible copyright 1970: Tobit 3:8: "For she had been married to seven husbands, but the wicked demon Asmodeus* killed them off before they could have intercourse with her, as it is prescribed for wives. So the maid said to her: 'You are the one who strangles your husbands! Look at you! You have already been married seven times, but you have had no joy with any one of your husbands.'" *Asmodeus: in Persian aeshma daeva, "demon of wrath," adopted into Aramaic with the sense of "the Destroyer." He will be subdued (Tb8,3) by Raphael (v 17), "God heals."
In our reading, the Sadducees quote Deuteronomy 25:5: "5 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her." which had roots in earlier culture reflected in Genesis 38:8 "8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother." The purpose of this law was based both in land rights and honor to the family name.
The purpose of the Sadducees question appeared to stem from their belief that there was no resurrection, so as far as they were concerned, the question was mute and they're intent was probably to make Jesus look the fool to their followers. Jesus immediately quoted Exodus 12:3 hitting the core of their belief and pride as children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He could have added Daniel 12:1-3, Isaiah 26:19, or even Ezekiel 37:1-14.
Perhaps more than just the 'teacher of the law' ('scribe' RSV) who questioned Jesus in Mark 12:28-34 were beginning to realize Jesus spoke the word of God with tremendous knowledge of both the heart of God and the hearts of men. His question of the greatest commandment sounds very like the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-31. This second dialogue is also found in Matthew 22:34-40. Jesus answer to his question of the first commandment is a quote from Deuteronomy 6:4-5; " Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (NIV). The fact that Jesus added a few words should make those of us who don't have the Bible memorized word for word feel comfortable when we share the good news with others.
This 'teacher of the law' is the first of the officers of the Temple who chose to show honor to Jesus wisdom. Perhaps he wished to question a rumor he had heard that Jesus claimed to be a second God! Jesus spoke to his intellect and understanding in their mutual confirmation that God is one and there is no other but Him. This 'teacher of the law' also understood Jesus teaching from the previous day which was recorded in Mark 11:15-19 when he chased the animals and sacrificial booths out of the Temple. Following mutual compliments, the Temple leaders stopped hounding Jesus with questions. Perhaps their intent for arrest would have to wait for yet another day, and a Roman execution by crucifiction was scheduled before the week was out!
Jesus knew this interaction with the 'teacher of the law' was not the correct time to begin explaining the unity that He and the Father experienced through the Holy Spirit - this hostile crowd of temple leaders would have been thrown into an uproar and arrested Him on the spot. Although He complimented this 'teacher of the law' in verse 34, He began to question the 'teacher's of the law' in verses 35-40. They knew and we know that Christ would be, or was (See Matthew 1 and Luke 3) descended as a son of man from David. This reading from Mark 12:35-37 (also Matthew 22:41-46 and Luke 20:41-44) is a response to the 'teachers of the law's understanding of "One God" in verse 32 without the crowd that day catching on to what was being said.
Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1 which stated; "The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." Many of those standing there knew this Psalm well as one of the prophetic revelations that God would send the Messiah to conquer the nations just as Jews and Christians understand it today. The question posed; How can David call Him Lord in the present if the Messiah is to come in the future? The answer that Jesus was referring to, without getting himself into trouble, was the answer to the real question the Scribe was asking! Yes, there is One God! I am He as I and the Father are One through my baptism by the Holy Spirit (John 10:30) As no one caught on, there was no condemnation of blasphemy, and His ministry continued to an attentive and awestruck audience.
Response to Psalm 48:1-14
Did you notice that today's Psalm is another song by the 'Son's of Korah'? Check the last couple day's blogs to find out what that's about. Try it in the word search engine to the right. Given verse 7, this was probably not a song written for the celebration as the Ark of the Testimony was brought to the Tabernacle in Jerusalem, unless it was changed at a later date.
Perhaps this was another song sung as David brought the Ark of the Testimony into the place of worship He had set in Jerusalem. The people sing of Mount Zion, the city of David, the city of our God. Through David's design, Solomon later built the first Temple on this mountain and through the design of Ezekiel, the second temple was built during the time of Nehemiah. This second temple was destroyed around 70 AD as Jerusalem fell. A rich history shared by Jewish, Christian, and Islamic culture surrounds the region. Pilgrims from each faith flock to these Jerusalem to worship from all over the earth every day. For more history and photos, check out the following websites:
http://www.biblewalks.com/sites/mountzion.html "An aerial map" of the modern Mt. Zion, not Mt. Moriah
http://www.bibleplaces.com/mtzion.htm "The modern Mt. Zion is a misnomer applied by Byzantine pilgrims who thought that the larger, flatter Western Hill must be the original City of David. Archaeological evidence has shown that this hill was only incorporated within the city's fortifications in the 8th century B.C. but the name has stuck. The Hinnom Valley borders this hill on its western and southern sides."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount The Temple Mount (Hebrew: הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit), also known as Mount Moriah and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram al-qudsī ash-sharīf), is a religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Psalm 48:2 speaks of the elevation of Mount Zaphron in the far north. This mountain may have been used as a focal point for the people of the Exodus as the Israelites crossed the Red Sea in Exodus 14:2. Due to it's height, it is quite possible it could be seen by them across the Mediterranian Sea. Mount Zaphron's height causes storm clouds to form around it's peak and was known in Caananite times as the center for the worship of the storm god, Baal. For more information on Mount Zaphron, now named Mount Aqraa, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaphon "located near the mouth of the Orontes River on the Syrian-Turkish border"
The stories we will visit in the books of Kings and Chronicles provide testimony of God's mighty power in protecting His people both in the days of King David and through generations to come including the times of the Maccabees brothers in I and II Maccabees. Considering even the history of the Exodus, the power of God gave the nation of Israel a great heritage to sing praises to their God. These praises were well reflected in today's Psalm.
As mentioned above, verse seven ages this Psalm as it speaks of the ships of Tarshish being shattered by the east wind. This story may be found in I Kings 10:22, I Kings 22:48, and Ezekiel 27:25-26. The two cities of Tarshish and Tyre are often referrenced together and it may be that many of the inhabitants from the destruction of Tyre ended up in Tarshish.
Personally, I see Psalms 48:9-14 being a wonderful sign of the end times. His steadfast love which is honored within our places of worship shall reach the ends of the earth, all nations and peoples. His name, and the resulting praise shall bring rejoicing throughout the world as we understand that He loves us all and sent His only begotten son to die so that we can be reunited in peace with Him as one body. That sacrifice of salvation took place outside the walls of this religious center of so many cultures. Go to Zion, see all her citadels. - this indeed represents a history of worship to God by all man. Tell the next generation of this rich history! Our common Creator, Lord of Heaven and earth - He will be our guide for ever!
Response to Proverbs 10:26
As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.
What great word pictures. I think "If you need something done, do it yourself" is a similar phrase. Clenched teeth, burning itchy eyes - very bothersome! So is sending someone who moves as slow as a slug. I hate to wait.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you were fed. Don't forget to write.
Rick.
Friday, March 5, 2010
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