Episodes three and four of The Bible have focused on the growth of the Hebrew nation from the 2 million slaves who left Egypt to population of over 6 million who occupy the Promised Land of Canaan. No longer under the leadership of Moses and Joshua, the people are led by a collaboration of the judges and Levite priests ruling together to hear God's voice and direct His people. Over the three hundred years since the death of Joshua, Israel's territories are ruled by local judges like Deborah (Judges 4-5), Gideon (Judges 6-7) and Samson (Judges 13-16). But the judges did not develop the strong connection to God the early leaders cultivated and so they repeatedly failed to follow God's commands and led Israel astray.
Last week we saw how Samson's great strength might have stabilized Israel's power in the land. Instead, Israel was compromised and he was destroyed because he believed his wants were more important than the leadership of God. In an irony of justice, Samson's eyes, which have consistently led him to feed his desires instead of the will of God, are gouged out by his Philistine captors and this powerful man becomes their helpless slave (Judges 16:21). Some time later, Samson asks God for one last gift of unusual strength to take down the building where 3000 Philistine leaders and women are partying. God grants his prayer, but the vengeance topples Samson as well as his captors (Judges 16:28-30). The book of Judges summarizes the era as one in which the people had no one righteous leader to follow "so everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).
Sandwiched between the stories of the judges and the kings are books of Ruth, whose devotion to Naomi and Israel's God puts her in the lineage of Christ and in First Samuel 1-3, Hannah's willingness to return to God's temple her promised son, Samuel, to be trained to take his place as Israel's final judge-high priest. Take the opportunity to read Ruth and First Samuel to be reminded of the dedication and steadfastness of these servants of God.
While Samuel is a faithful leader, he is a poor father and his sons are corrupt and evil men, unfit to rule in Samuel's place (First Samuel 8). Eventually, God commands Samuel to add another anointed post to prophet and priest - that of king. God directs him to anoint the first two kings of Israel: King Saul and then David. And with God's permissive will, the rocky and crooked reign of Israel's kings begins. These first kings vividly show us how God's clay pots can have bursts of greatness with His leadership followed by long, all too familiar periods of weak self-serving. For me, these stories show me what we look like in God's eyes...limitless potential for His mighty work frequently mired in the dust of our humanity.
Alana
Monday, July 1, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
"Pharaoh, Pharaoh....let my people go, Huh!"
In our second episode of The Bible, we saw the first 40 years of Moses' life as a prince of Egypt. He was adopted as baby by the daughter of the ruling Pharaoh and given every opportunity and luxury that any offspring in the royal household would enjoy. He was well fed, well educated, pampered and protected; she even chose the name Moses "because I drew him out of the water" (Ex 2:10). He knew the social and political workings of the royal government, he may have been expected to take a place next to the Pharaoh's heir as a trusted advisor and confidant. God knew where Moses would get the finest earthly preparation for leading and governing a nation, His nation.
But in the next part of the story, we may see some creative storytelling. Moses may have known he was a Hebrew...he had probably been identified as God's at 8 days old as Hebrew boys were; circumcision wasn't a common practice among Egyptians. He may have even known his Hebrew family. When God sends him back to Egypt, He tells him "your brother Aaron, the Levite is coming out to meet you and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart" (Ex 4:14).
Neither do the scriptures say anything about a rivalry between the heir to the Egyptian throne and Moses. He did flee Egypt because he killed an Egyptian overlord, but when sending him back, the Lord reassured Moses "all the men who were seeking your life are dead" (Ex 4:19). If the Pharaoh Moses faced when he returned 40 years later had wanted him dead, he probably would not have made it past the first round of guards. Surely there was some deep connection between the two.
God was even gracious enough to tell Moses (and Moses tells Aaron) what the end result of all the back and forth with Pharaoh would be: "he will let you go" (Ex 4:20). What our movie doesn't show us is the hardship the Israelites had to endure while Moses and Pharaoh were wrestling back and forth; the punishment for Moses' constant request to Pharaoh. Nor does the Bible tell us how long this tug of war took...it must have been months because of the plagues on several types of crop rotations, it could have been a year! Neither does it show us that at least 3 times Pharaoh asked Moses to intercede with God and stop a plague, agreeing to let the Israelites go and then reneging. Or that when the Israelites left Egypt they were a wealthy nation because they requested "from their Egyptian neighbors the articles of silver and articles of gold" (Ex 11:2)...and they gave it to them!
The Bible may skip the rich details of the delivery of the children of God but the end result is the same...the angel of death passes over only the houses that have marked their door posts and transom with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. And with the death of his own son, Amenhotep II releases the slave labor of Egypt. The first census soon after the exodus says there were "six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children" (Ex 12:37). Allowing for women, young men between the ages of 12 and 20 and children, Ryrie believes there could have been 2,000,000 Hebrews released from Egypt that night. Two million people who now had to travel as a group across the desert to Canaan (a 40 year journey...God's route is never direct) and learn to become a nation. Even the trip to the shores of the Red Sea took many weeks with that many people.
But they were guided by the Lord in a pillar of fire at night and a cloud during the day (Ex 13:21). And once they crossed the Red Sea, they had 10,000 square miles of desert...and the Promised Land...ahead of them. I imagine our next episodes will show us how this rag-tag group of slaves grew from children marked by God to a nation formed by and for Him. Like all of our faith journeys, it promises to be a serpentine route!
Alana
But in the next part of the story, we may see some creative storytelling. Moses may have known he was a Hebrew...he had probably been identified as God's at 8 days old as Hebrew boys were; circumcision wasn't a common practice among Egyptians. He may have even known his Hebrew family. When God sends him back to Egypt, He tells him "your brother Aaron, the Levite is coming out to meet you and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart" (Ex 4:14).
Neither do the scriptures say anything about a rivalry between the heir to the Egyptian throne and Moses. He did flee Egypt because he killed an Egyptian overlord, but when sending him back, the Lord reassured Moses "all the men who were seeking your life are dead" (Ex 4:19). If the Pharaoh Moses faced when he returned 40 years later had wanted him dead, he probably would not have made it past the first round of guards. Surely there was some deep connection between the two.
God was even gracious enough to tell Moses (and Moses tells Aaron) what the end result of all the back and forth with Pharaoh would be: "he will let you go" (Ex 4:20). What our movie doesn't show us is the hardship the Israelites had to endure while Moses and Pharaoh were wrestling back and forth; the punishment for Moses' constant request to Pharaoh. Nor does the Bible tell us how long this tug of war took...it must have been months because of the plagues on several types of crop rotations, it could have been a year! Neither does it show us that at least 3 times Pharaoh asked Moses to intercede with God and stop a plague, agreeing to let the Israelites go and then reneging. Or that when the Israelites left Egypt they were a wealthy nation because they requested "from their Egyptian neighbors the articles of silver and articles of gold" (Ex 11:2)...and they gave it to them!
The Bible may skip the rich details of the delivery of the children of God but the end result is the same...the angel of death passes over only the houses that have marked their door posts and transom with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. And with the death of his own son, Amenhotep II releases the slave labor of Egypt. The first census soon after the exodus says there were "six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children" (Ex 12:37). Allowing for women, young men between the ages of 12 and 20 and children, Ryrie believes there could have been 2,000,000 Hebrews released from Egypt that night. Two million people who now had to travel as a group across the desert to Canaan (a 40 year journey...God's route is never direct) and learn to become a nation. Even the trip to the shores of the Red Sea took many weeks with that many people.
But they were guided by the Lord in a pillar of fire at night and a cloud during the day (Ex 13:21). And once they crossed the Red Sea, they had 10,000 square miles of desert...and the Promised Land...ahead of them. I imagine our next episodes will show us how this rag-tag group of slaves grew from children marked by God to a nation formed by and for Him. Like all of our faith journeys, it promises to be a serpentine route!
Alana
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Obedience and sacrifice
Today we watch the second episode of The Bible. We are skipping over the last chapters of Genesis...Jacob and his boys; Joseph, the coat of many colors and brothers of many jealousies, the children of Israel who eventually become slaves of the Pharaoh...to leap into the Exodus and Moses. As we work our way through the characters of the Old Testament, I am being reminded that obedience to God always has a cost and it is often pretty steep. We don't think or talk about it, but it is becoming very real in these stories of the patriarchs of the faith.
As western Christians we want to believe God wants us to be happy and have everything we desire to get us there. But that isn't what the stories in The Bible are reinforcing. Noah, Abraham, Moses and, I imagine, the others to follow all keep saying "trust in God", "God cares about us", "do what God says." Nowhere is the guarantee of safety, security, acceptance, happiness or ease. In fact, as I thought this week about Abraham, I was struck with what he had to give up to be obedient to what he felt God asked him to do.
He left his homeland and the places, people and life he had always known. He let Lot separate from him, a nephew we were reminded was "like the son he did not have." He took another woman into his care and provision who bore his son Ishmael and then turned them out into the wilderness, an act we would see as murderous, giving up yet another son. And finally he had to be willing to kill Isaac. We read that story in Genesis 22 pretty quickly but what the video brought home to me was the reminder of what the scriptures don't give us details about: everyday life after Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac.
The Bible gave us a glimpse when we see Isaac refuse his father's help descending the mountain and the look on Sarah's face when she has her son back in her arms. Can you imagine what your household would be like if your spouse took one of the kids off to sacrifice because God spoke to them? I don't think things go back to the way they were.
Genesis 22:19 says "Abraham returned to his young men and they arose and went together to Beersheba and Abraham lived in Beersheba." What about Sarah and Isaac?
The first few verses of Genesis 23 tell us Sarah died about 10 years later in Kiriath-arba in Canaan, and Abraham spoke to the tribesmen of the area to purchase a burial site for her telling them he was "a stranger and sojourner among you." Did he separate from his family, give up his son yet again? All for obedience and the promise of descendants?
Abraham outlived Sarah by 40 or more years. According to Genesis 25, he took another wife, maybe even while Sarah was still living. Keturah gave him 6 sons, many of whose names (according to Ryrie) are identified with Arab tribes...the father of many nations. While he provided gifts of flocks and land for all 7 of the other sons, Isaac inherited everything Abraham owned.
His earthly possessions went to Isaac but it looks to me like he really gave all he had to God. I suspect we will see a lot more of that kind of obedience...and that kind of sacrifice.
Alana
As western Christians we want to believe God wants us to be happy and have everything we desire to get us there. But that isn't what the stories in The Bible are reinforcing. Noah, Abraham, Moses and, I imagine, the others to follow all keep saying "trust in God", "God cares about us", "do what God says." Nowhere is the guarantee of safety, security, acceptance, happiness or ease. In fact, as I thought this week about Abraham, I was struck with what he had to give up to be obedient to what he felt God asked him to do.
He left his homeland and the places, people and life he had always known. He let Lot separate from him, a nephew we were reminded was "like the son he did not have." He took another woman into his care and provision who bore his son Ishmael and then turned them out into the wilderness, an act we would see as murderous, giving up yet another son. And finally he had to be willing to kill Isaac. We read that story in Genesis 22 pretty quickly but what the video brought home to me was the reminder of what the scriptures don't give us details about: everyday life after Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac.
The Bible gave us a glimpse when we see Isaac refuse his father's help descending the mountain and the look on Sarah's face when she has her son back in her arms. Can you imagine what your household would be like if your spouse took one of the kids off to sacrifice because God spoke to them? I don't think things go back to the way they were.
Genesis 22:19 says "Abraham returned to his young men and they arose and went together to Beersheba and Abraham lived in Beersheba." What about Sarah and Isaac?
The first few verses of Genesis 23 tell us Sarah died about 10 years later in Kiriath-arba in Canaan, and Abraham spoke to the tribesmen of the area to purchase a burial site for her telling them he was "a stranger and sojourner among you." Did he separate from his family, give up his son yet again? All for obedience and the promise of descendants?
Abraham outlived Sarah by 40 or more years. According to Genesis 25, he took another wife, maybe even while Sarah was still living. Keturah gave him 6 sons, many of whose names (according to Ryrie) are identified with Arab tribes...the father of many nations. While he provided gifts of flocks and land for all 7 of the other sons, Isaac inherited everything Abraham owned.
His earthly possessions went to Isaac but it looks to me like he really gave all he had to God. I suspect we will see a lot more of that kind of obedience...and that kind of sacrifice.
Alana
Friday, June 7, 2013
Something to ponder as we start our journey...
I think everyone in Effective Living has some basic familiarity with the stories in the Bible but frequently one of the questions people new to church want to know is: "why waste time in the Old Testament"? It is full of stories about people we can't pronounce and some pretty gruesome tales of murder and mayhem. This first episode of The Bible flies through the first 22 books of Genesis at a pretty good clip. They land for a good part of the episode on the story of Abraham, Sarah and Lot.
SO as we start our summer journey, here are a couple of things I'll throw out for your comments:
The producers are very clear that they wanted to keep the tradition and at the same time help those without extensive Bible knowledge follow the plot by staying with the overarching themes but not necessarily accurate to the text.
Is it ok to perpetuate the 'familiar' myths that many unchurched and some churched people accept?
How much of the accurate story do the adults and children in our own church know?
Is it ok to take artistic, poetic license with the Bible stories? What happens if people go looking for them in the Bible and they don't match? Is that important to the faith or the church?
Is is more important to be accurate or compelling?
We'll be together in the Youth Lounge to share their comfy couches and new big screen with surround sound (they tell me) on Sunday. Show starts promptly at 10 a.m. Bring snacks and drinks, if you want.
I can't wait to see what everyone has to say about our first look at the History Channel's The Bible.
Alana
(Wait til you see those angels!)
SO as we start our summer journey, here are a couple of things I'll throw out for your comments:
The producers are very clear that they wanted to keep the tradition and at the same time help those without extensive Bible knowledge follow the plot by staying with the overarching themes but not necessarily accurate to the text.
Is it ok to perpetuate the 'familiar' myths that many unchurched and some churched people accept?
How much of the accurate story do the adults and children in our own church know?
Is it ok to take artistic, poetic license with the Bible stories? What happens if people go looking for them in the Bible and they don't match? Is that important to the faith or the church?
Is is more important to be accurate or compelling?
We'll be together in the Youth Lounge to share their comfy couches and new big screen with surround sound (they tell me) on Sunday. Show starts promptly at 10 a.m. Bring snacks and drinks, if you want.
I can't wait to see what everyone has to say about our first look at the History Channel's The Bible.
Alana
(Wait til you see those angels!)
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Our starting point
Can you believe that Effective Living is stepping into the world of blogging? This is quite a jump for us but why not? We are very cutting edge!
This will be our forum for sharing our thoughts, questions, doubts and insights...and anything else we want to post...for the next 10 weeks as we watch the History Channel's series The Bible during our 10 am Sunday School hour.
I can't wait to see what everyone has to say...June 9th is our launching point in the youth lounge. But don't let missing a SS class keep you from asking or commenting on this blog. Everyone in our Effective Living family is part of this 'Summer Adventures in The Bible.'
Alana
This will be our forum for sharing our thoughts, questions, doubts and insights...and anything else we want to post...for the next 10 weeks as we watch the History Channel's series The Bible during our 10 am Sunday School hour.
I can't wait to see what everyone has to say...June 9th is our launching point in the youth lounge. But don't let missing a SS class keep you from asking or commenting on this blog. Everyone in our Effective Living family is part of this 'Summer Adventures in The Bible.'
Alana
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