Matthew 10, 11 & 12

My mind is a jumble today, so I'm having trouble forming coherent thoughts. However, one thing that stuck out to me was this: When Jesus was talking about John the Baptist, among many other things he says that John "did not come eating and drinking, and they said he had a demon. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they called him a glutton and a drunkard."

First of all, now Scriptural validation for my pet saying, "No matter what you do, there's always someone ready and willing to tell you you're doing it wrong."

But secondly, I know there's a whole contentious school of thought about whether or not Jesus drank actual wine or just grape juice. I was raised by juicers, but how could anyone have accused Jesus of being a "drunkard" if he only ever drank plain old grape juice? I do know people who think you're a drunkard even if you only have a glass of champagne to celebrate the New Year. It doesn't take becoming drunk to make legalists think you're an alcoholic. Jesus wouldn't have had to do more than socially nurse a goblet of wine at a wedding to set their tongues wagging.

Just my random thoughts for the day powered by pure caffeine. I'd probably do better if I had some protein before I did these. And now we're off-topic.

Isaiah 10, 11 & 12

The thing that stood out most to me is the beginning of chapter 10, where it says woe to those who enact crooked laws and pass oppressive statutes. All I can think about is first, how this is an election year, and second, how many people still to this day thing God doesn't really care about politics or the political workings of our country. God has an awful lot to say about the way societies are run, most of it very stern warnings. I can't imagine that the responsibility for making that evil decisions won't extend to those of us who elected the people that made those decisions. Just something to chew on pre-primary.

Job 8, 9 & 10

I'll be honest, when I started this one, I wasn't really excited. Job is pretty depressed at this point and It's not fun reading negativity. Not real negativity, anyway. And then another one of his friends pops up and starts saying, well, a lot of good things actually. Talking about how God is sovereign and powerful and all-knowing...and then saying, so obviously He knows you've sinned, Job, so stop pretending and just confess your sin already.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but if there's anything to learn from Job's friends, it's that we can take good biblical truth and absolutely ruin it by putting our own spin on it. It's like the people who use the book of Proverbs as ammo. We may be "right" in what we're saying, but not in how we're saying or how we're applying it.

And then, when this friend stops speaking, at the beginning of Chapter 10, Job gets snarky. I almost laughed out loud. "Wisdom will die with you!" Yes, obviously you know way more about my situation than I do, so please, continue telling me everything I'm doing wrong from a position of total ignorance. And he goes on to say, even fish know as much as you do on this subject. Bahaha.

At least, that's how I read it. I'm sure that's not the model way to reply to a well-meaning idiot...but it made me smile today.

Joshua 8, 9 & 10

I was wondering while I was reading, how there are so many battles in the Old Testament, and how so many people have a serious problem with it. Joshua led the Israelites, essentially razing the Middle East. Over and over it says they took a city and left no one alive. Now, when they did leave some alive, it always led to misfortune - they'd leave the women alive and then the Israelite men would get seduced into idolatry or other alternative lifestyles. So there is that. But I wonder if there isn't another layer to it.

The people who make treaties with Israel come to them and say, "We have heard about you and your God..." not because of the miracle in Egypt (primarily) or sending down manna and quail for days on end. No, it was because of their battle conquests. And that brings foreigners into the tribes and leads them to worship God.

I wonder if perhaps that's another reason God chose to lead the Israelites in battle to claim the Promised Land, rather than just striking down all the people already inhabiting it supernaturally. I wonder if it was because it gave the people a chance to make peace and form treaties rather than be annihilated, because at that time, they would recognize superior military strength as having supernatural implications that today we wouldn't.

I don't know. I don't have a conclusion. I just wonder.

Gen 8, 9 & 10

God remembered Noah.

Good thing, too. I imagine it was getting pretty stinky in there. Chapter 10 is a genealogy chapter, and I did read it. I don't know how much I got out of it, but I am glad there are other people out there who make that their focus of study, able to trace back the origins of the human race through these records.

This is also where we see God's promise manifested in the rainbow. I remember in high school one of my Sunday School teachers saying how much it saddened her to see God's promise to us, of safety and beauty, being distorted to represent something completely different. And it's true, having grown up in surrounded by that culture, I do have to make an effort to see a rainbow and remember the real meaning behind it.

This also makes me stop and think: many people, at least as children, have an inherent fear of thunderstorms. And, presumably, thunderstorms were involved in the Great Flood. Doesn't it speak to God's love for us that He made His physical reminder that He will never use a flood to destroy the earth to pop up after every storm? I mean, just having it written in the Bible would be sufficient. It is for every other one of His promises (just throwing that in there). And yet, it's like after every rain, God is telling us not to be afraid, that we don't need to worry, He still promises. I can't express it very well right now, coffee is working slow today. But I like that.

This week's memory verse:

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:16

Matthew 7, 8 & 9

Chapter 7 starts with the "Do not judge" passage people like to quote so frequently. But Jesus didn't say absolutely "do not judge." He said, "First remove the plank (or log, depending on your translation) from your own eye, then remove the speck from your brother's eye." The point is, do not judge without self-examination, do not judge hypocritically - not do not be discerning and call what is evil, evil.

Chapter 9 ends with the Bible telling us Jesus has compassion on the crowds because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. I had to think about that for a second, but what happens to sheep without a shepherd? There's no one to take care of them, no one to protect them from danger, no one to guide them to food and water. They have to struggle and fend for themselves, and sheep don't exactly have the best sense of direction, from what I understand. That's who God wants to be to us, who He is to us if we are his children. We don't have to fend for ourselves.

Lastly Jesus tells us, looking out at the weary crowd, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord that he will send out workers for the harvest."

Selah.

Isaiah 7, 8 & 9

Isaiah has such beautiful figurative language. "Don't be afraid of those smoldering stubs of firebrands." I love it. Also reading chapter 9 and the Messianic prophecy, I love it. It's a little hard to follow the rest, I haven't really done a study on Isaiah, maybe ever. So I don't automatically know which prophecy refers to what period in time. That's a project for another day.

I just have to write this down somewhere. God has really been looking out for me the last few weeks. Like, when I finally get real and unburden my heart, within hours the exact encouragement I need comes seemingly out of nowhere, usually in ways the messenger has no idea about what's going on. Yahweh Who Sees sees me. That's what I've been learning.

Job 7, 8 & 9

So, if there's anyone who sees this and wonders why I haven't posted in...a while...it's because I fell off the wagon on my Bible readings. I got to experience today the theory of being able to miss a few days and not lose my place or have to read 37 chapters to "catch up." Which, on the one hand, is really nice. But I certainly felt the difference in those days where I didn't read. A big part of that is the Hubs had a long weekend, and it's a lot more difficult for me to keep up with my daily routine when he's home. In fact, everything pretty much goes out the window. I'm still working on that.

Anyway, it could just be because I'm extra hormonal right now, but today's reading was pretty depressing. We get more of Job's friends telling him, this time, the reason his kids died was because they obviously deserved it, and he deserved to lose them, because of some sin somewhere in his past. We still know that's not true, and on some level so does Job. However, he's wearing down. His reply this time is nowhere near as strong as it was before. He's still fairly confident he didn't bring on this misfortune because of sin, and still testifies that God has the right to do whatever He wants, but has now reached the conclusion that God just must not care about the people He hurts. Chapter 9 ends with the words, "I am on my own."

Ugh.

Thank goodness the Bible isn't just one chapter (like Proverbs 31) or just one book of the Bible (like Galatians). We not only have the whole rest of Job to finish the story, but the entire Scriptures to tell us both about God's sovereignty and His loving-kindness. I'm ready to get to that part.

Matthew 4, 5 & 6

Wow. So much in these passages. The first chapter is when Jesus was tempted by Satan (we already covered how Satan is a real person, so yes, this conversation actually took place.) And it's not a new lesson, but it's worth remembering that Jesus showed us how to defend against Satan's temptations: not with cunning or willpower, because those aren't strong enough. Only the Word of God is strong enough.

Chapter 5 is the Beatitudes. I wonder why we still call them that. I mean, that's not in the original text. It's a KJV word. Maybe there's just not a good word to replace it.

Then we get an interesting contrast between chapter 5 and chapter 6. Chapter 5 says to let your light shine before men, so they will see our good works and glorify God because of them. Then chapter 6 says that when you do good, to do it in secret (says the same thing with fasting, Daniel Fasters) so that only God would see it and reward you. I'm going to have to ponder on those for a while, how those work together.

Job 4, 5 & 6

Oh, the beginning of Job's "friends." Gosh I hate these guys. I guess I shouldn't, but they're so annoying. (Except for Elihu, but he doesn't speak up till later) They show up and basically say, "Obviously you did something to deserve all this punishment, because it wouldn't be happening if you hadn't." With absolutely nothing to base it on, they just assume Job has done something to deserve it. I wish that breed had died out long ago. I know it gives people comfort to think, "Well, bad things happened to them because they did something to bring it on; therefore, if I don't do what they did, bad things won't happen to me."

Sorry, the story of Job basically proves that's not the case. Not always the case, anyway. Obviously there is the law of cause and effect. But the rain always falls on the just and the unjust. Sometimes things just happen. And I'm going to stop here because this has already turned ugly in my head. Which I'm sure isn't the point of reading the Bible.

Gen 4, 5, 6 & 7

You'll notice I didn't post yesterday. I did read. Then I took a nap. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Lots in Genesis today. Cain and Abel, to start with. I never really thought before about God speaking to Cain personally. People talk about how, after the garden of Eden, God didn't walk with man anymore or have that type of relationship. Yet here he is, having multiple conversations with Cain. Not just decrees, conversations. And I wonder if God spoke to all of Adam and Eve's children. Because we only see it recorded with Cain. Not Abel, the "good" one. Cain.

Also, I never noticed how the legacy of murder continued with Cain's children. I guess it continued with all mankind. But it specifically linked Lamech with Cain.

And then we get to Noah and the flood. Right now, where I am, it's overcast and drizzling sleet. And I'm pretty much not wanting to get off the couch. Really I wouldn't be out of bed if the puppies hadn't insisted on it. And I think of 40 days and 40 nights of rain and think...ugh.

A few years ago, in Oklahoma, we had over 20 days and nights of rain. Solid rain. I remember talking to my mom and some other people and all of us were literally developing depression from the lack of sunshine. (Side note about how the pacific NW allegedly has the highest rates of depression and fewest days of sunshine.)

I can only imagine being stuck on a boat, full of livestock, no one but your family, and constant rain and thunder, for over 40 days. Because there was all that time waiting for the earth to soak up enough water for them to get out of the boat, too, remember. I'm glad God picked Noah and not me. He wouldn't have picked me anyway. I'm hardly the most righteous person I know. But that's a tangent.

On a lighter note, whenever I think of Noah and the flood, this comes to mind:

Romans 1, 2, & 3

Yay, Romans! Pretty sure it's my favorite book in the Bible. Paul's letters are all my favorite, mostly because of his writing style. He writes the way I think, making a statement, addressing possible disagreements with that statement, backing it up with OT Scripture, and then restating his point. And very dynamically, too. I just love it.

Really glad we start Saturdays in Romans.

Matthew 1, 2 & 3

Exciting stuff. I love reading the Gospels. I love even more that my reading plan calls them "history," because they are.

What I love about Matthew is how many times he annotated his account with "...this fulfilled the what the prophets said concerning the Messiah." Even better, having a Bible with footnotes citing the passages he was referring to. I remember in high school, in one class, we had to calculate the probability that one person could fulfill all the Hebrew Scriptures Messianic prophecies, and I think it was something like .00000025% or something. Meaning, only super-natural pre-ordination could make it happen. Very cool.

I also found that I am much more successful at really getting something out of my reading when I don't look at the news first. Shocker, I know. But good to keep in mind.

Isaiah 1, 2 & 3

Today's reading was a little perfunctory. I haven't been to Isaiah in a while, and I was looking forward to that, but then I got distracted by the news on the computer and truthfully could barely see straight while I was reading. I found a new memory verse for next week, which I'll share then. But to be honest, I'm so distracted right now I don't have much to say. At least I read, and there's always tomorrow.

Job 1, 2, & 3

I've heard it's become a popular new interpretation technique to see Job as entirely allegory, rather than history. Job wasn't a real person, his friends weren't real people, God didn't really speak to him, and - the big one - Satan doesn't really exist.

Yeah, I know. The intellectual and theological gymnastics you have to commit to get to that point blow my mind.

Obviously, we have actual people and actual regions named, so these are real people. And, unless one just simply doesn't want to accept the existence of evil, it's blatantly obvious that God and Satan are having a conversation, an actual conversation, because there's no difference in style or break in the writing between the portions of human interaction and supernatural interaction.

"Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?" That's what Job says when all his property is destroyed, his children are killed and he has lost his health. Should we accept only good from God and not adversity? Yahweh gives and Yahweh takes away. Praise the name of Yahweh.

That's the basis of my favorite worship song. If anyone's actually reading this, won't you join me and take a moment to praise His name?

Joshua 1, 2, 3 & 4

I think I've finally found my verse for the year in this reading:

Haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go. ~ Joshua 1:9

I felt really drawn to this verse, probably because we're looking at the Big D this year. Granted, it's still a ways away, but there are plenty of times of separation before that, as well as other personal tasks and goals that are pretty intimidating at this moment. Remembering God is with me during those times - and all the time - is a great comfort and I want that truth always at the front of my mind.

(If you want to know why I used God's proper name, Yahweh, rather than simply "The LORD," see here, here, here and here.)

My memory verse for the week also came from today's reading:

This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. ~ Joshua 1:8

I've written both of these down on cards, marking the memory verse with "January." My goal is that, having a physical record to help me keep track, by the end of the year I will have 50ish verses to go back over and recite.

Gen. 1, 2 & 3

I've started so many "reading through the Bible" plans that I've got these chapters practically memorized (depending on the translation). This time through, some new and not-so-new thoughts occurred to me.

Obviously, the Bible starts with the creation account. I have a theory as to why that is, aside from chronology. It's like God's starting out by saying, "Look, if you can't believe what I'm telling you here about what I'm capable of, about the miraculous beginnings of all known matter in the universe, then there's no reason you can believe what I tell you I will do for you in the future." Okay, God probably didn't think that. But I do.

So many people feel the need to try and explain away how God told us He created the universe, for one reason or another. But I have to say, and I'm not calling anyone out here, but personally, if one can't believe in a six-day creation, I don't see how one could be a Christian.

I mean, what's more fantastic? An omnipotent supernatural being creating a world, or a man being tortured to death, dead for three days and rising from the dead as a penalty for all the misdeeds of the entirety of mankind? Both instances are about life being created from non-life.

If you can't believe one, then logically, you can't believe the other.

Either you believe in miracles, or you don't.

The other thing, which is totally random, is when God says He's going to create a partner for Adam, he has to go through every possible mammal before he finally makes a human woman. I wonder why that was. Why not just skip straight to the woman? I wonder if maybe Adam needed convincing that there wasn't a better option than the one God gave him. Eh, maybe I'm projecting there :)

The last thing, in Chapter 3, when God prophesies the Messiah, He says to the serpent that his undoing would come from the woman, that his battle would be with the woman's seed. I find that interesting. Elsewhere in the Bible, we read that sin entered the world, not because Eve ate the fruit and disobeyed God, but because Adam did. And yet it wasn't through Adam that God decided to bring deliverance.

Obviously that is foreshadowing the virgin birth. But I like to think there's another element to it as well. God brought deliverance not through Adam, through man, but through Eve (later Mary) - through woman. I think that's pretty cool.