Sheila Deeth Bible Studies

The Rise of Isaiah

2012-02-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

When was Judah ruled by a queen?
Did kingly succession always proceed in an orderly manner in King David’s house?
Was Baal ever worshiped in Jerusalem?
What are the first known collection boxes in church?
Did Israel ever conquer Judah?
What sickness did Uzziah suffer from?
Who invented machines of war in the Old Testament?
Who redesigned the Temple at Jerusalem?
Who lived in Israel after it was conquered?
How did the Babylonians discover

When the newly anointed Jehu kills King Jehoram of Israel inJezreel, Jehoram's ally King Ahaziah of Judah flees. Shot in the back, Ahaziah dies atMegiddo. His mother Athaliah, daughter of Jezebel, tries to kill all the heirsand take Judah's throne but Ahaziah’s sister saves the youngest son, Joash. Sixyears later Jehoida the priest commands the army to make 7-year-old Joash kingof Judah. Athaliah is killed (2 Chron 23, 24), the temple is repaired, Baalworship (encouraged by Athaliah) ceases, and peace reigns for a while. Jehoidaeven institutes collection boxes to raise money for God’s work (2 Kings 12, 2Chron 24), though Joash ends up handing over temple gold in tribute to Hazaelof Damascus to avert a war. Joash is murdered by his servants (2 Kings 12)after a falling-out with the priests (2 Chron 24). His son Amaziah kills theservants but surprisingly refrains from a bloodbath by sparing their children(2 Kings 14). Amaziah takes an army against Edomite rebels, hiring, then firing help fromIsrael. He takes the Edomite “gods” or statues as spoil (2 Chron25). Pride leads him to fight Israel but he loses to Jehoash. Azariah (Uzziah),son of Amaziah, succeeds as king (2 Kings 15), and the prophet Isaiah appears(Isaiah 6).

Isaiah encounters the angelic seraphim (also translated asfiery serpents—a popular contemporary symbol of heavenly guardians). Isaiah, preachingin Judah, echoes the calls of Amos and Hosea in Israel, to repent of foolishworship and reject opulent oppression. Meanwhile King Uzziah successfully fightsPhilistines on the Western coast, using new weapons with longer range inventedby “skillful men” in Jerusalem, but when he burns incense on God’s altarinstead of waiting for priests, he becomes leprous (2 Chon 26), leading to hisson Jothan ruling as co-regent. (Judah’s avoidance of king-priests is in contrastto surrounding cultures which combined the offices.) Israel allies with Syriaagainst Assyria, but Judah's Jothan allies with Assyria. AfterJothan’s death, Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel come to force Judah intojoining them, but Jothan’s son Ahaz buys Assyria’s assistance with temple gold(2 Kings 16). Isaiah tells Ahaz to ask for a sign, and prophesies a “virginshall conceive…” (Isaiah 7). By the time a newborn comes of age, God promisesthe threat will be gone, but in the meantime, Syria sends Jewish captives toIsrael, where the prophet Oded calls for their release (2 Chron 27). Aftervisiting Assyria, Ahaz makes major changes to God’s temple in Jerusalem (2Kings 16) and the prophet Micah is inspired to mourn for Jerusalem’s impendingdestruction—like Amos, he’s an “ecstatic prophet” speaking because God demandsit rather than because he holds office in the court of the king.

Israel’s flower fades (Isaiah 28:1) and Isaiah continues towarn Jerusalem’s leaders, but Ahaz turns to Israel’s gods instead of listening(2 Chron 28). Meanwhile Assyria pursuesits custom of relocating tribes and peoples, filling Israel with foreigners,and sending a Jewish priest to keep the god of the region placated (and killlions, 2 Kings 17). Hezekiah succeeds his father Ahaz in Jerusalem, and adds toSolomon’s book of proverbs (Prov 25), even trying to unite Israelite andJudahites at Passover (1 Chron 30), and opposing Assyria's rule (2 Ki 18). WhenHezekiah falls ill, God heals him with Isaiah’s figs and extends his life (2Kings 20, Is 38). The King of Babylon sends envoys to inquire after his healthand spy on his wealth, and Isaiah prophesies that Babylon will steal it allafter Hezekiah’s death.

The Fall of Israel

2012-02-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

My Old Testament Bible studies stopped with the split between Israel and Judah. The royal families continue to intermarry, and the faith continues to be diluted by foreign beliefs. In both countries, God is worshiped on the high places while true priests and prophets preach and teach. Both royal courts are served by God's prophets. The Temple at Jerusalem contains multiple altars and is the center of Judahite worship, but Israel maintains a similar culture and symbolism in the bull statues at its boundaries. Judah and Israel straddle major trade routes and are both subject to frequent invasion as the Syrian empire rises. So... continuing the tale...

What happened to the king of Damascus?
Whatever happened to Jezebel?
What had a bow and arrow to do with Israel and Syria?
Whose court included the prophet Jonah?
Where did the prophet Amos come from?
Does the Old Testament God only love His own people?
Does killing God’s enemies in the Old Testament guarantee God’s blessing?
Does being anointed by a prophet in the Old Testament guarantee God’s blessing?
Do Israel and Judah ever ally with each other?
Do Israel and Judah ever ally with other nations against each other?

The Syrian empire, to the North of Israel, was often athreat, but Ben-Hadad of Damascus provided a valuable buffer for Israel andJudah. When when Ben-Hadad fell ill, he sent his servant Hazael to the prophetElisha to ask God’s help. Elisha wept because Hazael was going to usurp thethrone and attack Israel. Known in Assyrian documents as a usurper, and callinghimself a dog, Hazael murdered Ben-Hadad, and did just as was prophesied (2Kings 8). War between Damascus and Israel and Judah followed, and the line ofOmri comes to an end. A new king Jehu becomes God’s chosen king of Israel,annointed by Elishah while Joram recovered from battle wounds in Jezreel. Jehuattacks Jezreel and treats all offers of peace as treachery (because Joram’smother is the “witch” Jezebel). He shoots Joram in the back with an arrow,throwing the body in Naboth’s vineyard (poetic justice, since Jezebel stole thevineyard from its owner, 1 Kings 21). When Ahaziah flees back to Judah he’sshot in the back as well, but lives a little longer. Jezebel sues for peacefrom the parapet of her castle but is thrown down to die (2 Kings 9). Then Jehukills off all possible contenders for the throne. He tricks the Baal-worshipersinto attending a great feast and kills them. (2 Kings 10), but God is notpleased (because Jehu still values the golden calves at Bethel and Dan, orbecause God didn’t ask for all this slaughter?).

Hazael gradually reduces the territory of Israel, and Jehu’ssuccessor, his son Jehoahaz, prays for relief (2 Kings 13). History recordsthese prayers being answered in Hazael’s death when a weaker king (anotherBen-Hadad) succeeds to the throne. Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz becomes king inIsrael and seeks blessing from the elderly, and sick, prophet Elisha. Elishatells Jehoash to shoot an arrow through a window. Jehoash then has to smash hisremaining arrows against the ground, but only hits it 3 times, so Israel willonly be delivered only 3 times from Syria. Jehoash, followed by his sonJeroboam, fight to regain cities lost to Damascus and succeeds three times, asprophesied. Israel’s territory expands southwards too, when cities lots toJudah are also recovered, heralding a golden age.

Jonah becomes court prophet in Israel, (2 Kings 14) perhaps takingElisha’s place. Assyria is now the biggest threat and Jonah is called toNineveh but famously swallowed by a whale (or kept alive in its mouth) when hetries to escape. Nineveh repents (Jonah 3), but non-Biblical sources don’tmention the event (it’s a big city, but it’s not a capital). Soon the prophetsAmos and Hosea are called to warn Israel of the Assyrian threat. Amos evenpoints out that the Exodus story means Israel’s subject to God’s harshestjudgment, and other non-chosen nations have been blessed (Amos 3:1, 9:7).Israel relies on protection from Syria and Damascus, even when Amos prophesiesDamascus will fall (6:1) and Israelites be scattered (7:11). Eventually Amos isbanished home to Judah (Amos 7:12). His message against the oppression andinjustice of Israel’s golden age is balanced by Hosea’s call to reject falsegods, reflecting God’s concern for both the physical and the sacred. And thingsfall apart. Jerobam’s son, Zechariah, is assassinated after 6 months (2 Kings15) by Shallum, who is assassinated one month later by Menahem. Ten yearslater, Menahem is followed by his son Pekahiah. The anti-Assyrian Pekahassassinates Pekahiah and allies with Rezin, king of Syria (2 Kings 16) whoattacks Judah, attempting to force them to ally against Assyria. Hosheaassassinates Pekah, becomes subject to Assyria, then falls after trying to makean alliance with Egypt (2 Kings 17), at which point Israel finally falls as well.

With all good wishes for Christmas

2011-12-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

This isn't really a Bible study post, but I've just completed a journey through the Bible in 25-word segments on my writing blog. Click here to find out more. And Merry Christmas !

Meanwhile, in Judah...

2011-08-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

How did the golden shields in Solomon's temple turn into bronze?
How is the mother of Abijam related to his father?
Where did the Ethiopians do during Asa’s reign?
What illness did King Asa have?
What did Asa do with the remaining temple gold?
How did it affect Jehoshaphat?
Who were Micaiah and Zedekaiah?
What happened to the relationship with Edom under Jehoram, Jehoshophat’s son?
Who caused the deaths of a king of Israel and a king of Judah, both at the same time?
What was Jehu famous for?

Rehoboam retains only the southern part of Israel, calledJudah for the predominant tribe, after the country splits. Although he’s saidto have lost ten tribes, in fact the land belongs to Judah, Simeon and Benjamin,and there are still Levites living there. It also contains Jerusalem andSolomon’s Temple, and the Temple treasures, but Shishak of Egypt attacks andsteals the gold, so Rehoboam makes fake treasures from bronze. Rehoboam’s sonAbijam inherits the throne on his father’s death and continues the war withJeroboam in the north. Abijam’s mother is Maacah, the daughter of Absalom,making her King David’s granddaughter, just as Abijam’s father is David’sgreat-grandson (1 Kings 15:2, 2 Chron 11:20-21). Abijam’s son Asa reigns afterhim; he is credited with turning the nation back to God and banishing Maacahfor idolatry. After fighting Zerah the Ethiopian’s attempted invasion, Asaresponds to prophesy (from Azariah, son of Obed, 2 Chron 15) by cleansing Judahfrom Baal-worship, at which point many from the border tribes (Ephraaim andMenasseh) join Judah.

Baasha murders the ruling family of Israel and invades Judah,reclaiming land lost by Ephraim and Menasseh and building a fortress city atRamah. Asa turns to Damascus for aid (2 Chron 16), handing the remaining templetreasures to Benhadad of Syria. Baasha retreats when Benhadad attacks in thenorth, and Asa reinforces the border with Israel, solidifying the nationalsplit. The prophet Hanani points out Asa should have relied on God, so Asa putshim in jail. Crippled by foot disease in his old age, he’s recorded as relyingon human physicians rather than God, and is finally buried in state. His sonJehoshaphat sends prophets through the cities of Judah (2 Chron 17—includingObadiah and Zechariah). Perhaps hoping to lift the curse of his father’salliance with Syria, he offers to join Israel (ruled by Ahab) both in commerceand in attacking Benhadad. The Israelite prophet Micaiah declares that Israelwill lose, but the prophet Zedekaiah curries favor with the kings and disagrees(violently, 1 Kings 22). History proves Micaiah to be the true prophet sinceAhab dies in battle. After quelling an uprising of Ammonites and Moabites (withthe aid of prayer, praise and priests, 2 Chron 20), Jehoshaphat again allieshimself with Israel (under Ahab’s son Ahaziah, then Jehoram) and fights theMoabites again, this time with the prophet Elisha promising success (2 Kings 3)and the King of Edom joining their side. A field of water appears as a field ofblood leading to victory.

The royal families being so intertwined, it’s not surprisingthat Judah and Israel have kings with the same name. Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoramreigns after him and marries Ahab’s daughter (perhaps a diplomatic move tocement relations between the two countries, though it damages Judah’srelationship with God). Edom rebels against what seems like Israelite rule inJudah (2 Kings 8). Jehoram is succeeded by his son Ahaziah, who joins Jeroramof Israel in fighting Hazael of Syria (Benhadad’s successor). The prophetElisha anoints Jehu king of Israel, inviting him to remove the false gods. Jehustarts by killing both Jehoram and Ahaziah. Jehu proceeds to wipe out the wholeline of Omri, including Jezebel, Ahab’s 70 sone, Ahaziah’s 42 brothers, and allthe Baal-worshipers (by trickery, 2 Kings 10), thus breaking treaties withPhoenicia (where Jezebel came from) and Judah (where Ahab’s daughter was stillqueen mother), leaving Israel vulnerable to Syria and then Assyria. The prophetHosea, 100 years later, still denounced the massacre (Hosea 1:4)

Elijah and Elisha

2011-07-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

Which half of David and Solomon’s kingdom did Elijah and Elisha live in?
How did Samaria become the capital of Israel?
Who was Ahab?
What did Jezebel do?
Which prophet raised someone from the dead?
Who spoke with a still small voice?
How did Naboth lose his vineyard?
What were Elishas’ first three miracles?
Who was Naaman?
Which three kings fought against Moab?

Omri, king of the northern kingdom of Israel by conquest,buys a hill and builds a city (hills were good, defensible places for cities)called Samaria, which then becomes the capital of Israel. Omri’s son Ahabmarries the Zidonian princess Jezebel and institutes Baal worship, possiblyeven child sacrifice, among the Jews of Israel (1 Kings 16). Under Jezebel’sauthority, Jewish prophets are slaughtered but Obadiah hides some away (1 Kings18). Meanwhile Elijah prophesies a drought then hides by a brook where ravensfeed him, afterwards staying with a widow in Zarephath where oil and grainmiraculously never run out. When the widow’s son dies, Elijah prays, lies on topof him, and revives him (1 Kings 17). The drought ends with God setting fire towet wood on an altar in response to Elijah’s prayers while the gods of Baal proveunresponsive and incapable (1 Kings 18). In his moment of triumph, Elijah runsaway again but God leads him to Mount Sinai where Elijah finds God in a “stillsmall voice” (1 Kings 19).

Elijah chooses Elisha as his successor by sharing his cloak withhim (1 Kings 19)—a standard mode of succession in those days. Meanwhile KingAhab is embroiled in battles with Benhadad of Syria. Refusing to hand over hisfamily, Ahab is helped by a nameless prophet and God leads Israel to victory inthe hill country. When Benhadad claims the Israelite God is only God of thehills, another victory follows on the plains (aided and abetted by a wallfalling down on the Syrian army) (1 Kings 20).

Queen Jezebel engineers the death of Naboth so King Ahab cansteal his vineyard. Elijah prophesies against the king, but the king begsforgiveness and gets to keep the kingdom a little longer (1 Kings 21). Ahab’sson Ahaziah inherits but falls ill and calls on the prophets of Beelzebub foraid. Elijah prophesies his death and the soldiers sent to change his mind alldie (2 Kings 1). Ahaziah’s brother Jehoram becomes king then, tries to haveElishah beheaded (blaming him for prophesying famine, 2 Kings 6) and is laterkilled by treachery in that same vineyard (2 Kings 9). When the Moabites rebel,Jehoram gets Judah and Edom to come to his aid. The Moabites wrongly assumethese traditional enemies will destroy each other and so are killed whilefoolishly celebrating (2 Kings 3). Judah and Israel remain on good terms tillElijah’s successor Elisha instigates a rebellion led by Jehu in which both KingJehoram of Israel and King Ahaziah (son of Athaliah, king Ahab’s sister, 2Kings 8) of Judah are killed.

Elijah’s death, like Moses’ before him, is a secret oneleaving no grave (2 Kings 2). Elisha watches Elijah vanish on a flaming chariotand returns wearing Elijah’s cloak. Like Elijah (and Moses) before him, Elishaparts the waters of a river (his first miracle). He cleanses the water of anearby city, and the people who mock his bald head are mauled by bears (secondand third miracles). Later miracles include water for an army (2 Kings 3),multiplying oil, a child born to an elderly woman and raised from the dead,poisoned pottage redeemed with an antidote (2 Kings 4), healed leprosy and a deceivingservant given leprosy (Naaman and Gehazi, 2 Kings 5), floating ax-heads, mysticknowledge of Syrian battle-plans followed by visions of chariots and blinded(later healed) Syrian soldiers (2 Kings 6), the end of a famine (and prophesythat a nobleman will miss its blessing), more Syrian deception (2 Kings 7),many more prophesies, and, after his death, the resurrection of someone who’sburied next to his bones (2 Kings 13)! Elisha prophesies Jehu’s reign and hashim anointed, instigating his takeover of the kingdom.

Prophets Priests and Kings

2011-05-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

1. Why did the kingdoms of Judah and Israel split?
2. Did either, both or neither kingdom follow God?
3. Did either, both or neither kingdom maintain the lines of priests and Levites?
4. Why are the stories of the kings different in Kings and in Chronicles?
5. What is the significance of Jeroboam’s golden calves, and how do they relate to oxen?
6. Who was killed by a lion?
7. What’s the connection between King Nadab and the next king Baasha?
8. What happened to Jeroboam’s family under Baasha, and Baasha’s (Elah’s) under Zimri?
9. How did Zimri die?
10. Who were Tibni and Omri and why is Omri famous?

The second half of 1 Kings, together with 2 Kings (2 books since they wouldn’t fit in one scroll) tells the story of God’s people from the time of Solomon to the captivity in Babylon. The two books of Chronicles tell the (much longer) story from Genesis to the return from exile. The books are probably compiled and written from combinations of the same and different source materials, and there are strong arguments (language, phrasing, references to Shiloh as a center of worship, importance of kings, concern for wandering Levites rather than just centralized religion, etc.) for suggesting the prophet Jeremiah compiled the books from Deuteronomy to Kings, as well as Jeremiah and Lamentations, emphasizing God’s covenant with His people and His king and frequently using terms such as “to this day.” (The final passages of Kings may have been amended later when Judah fell.) Chronicles were more likely compiled later, most probably by priests since the role of organized, priestly religion is emphasized much more. Having two versions of the same story tends to validate the underlying facts and is really no different than having several versions of the Gospel accounts.

The kingdoms of Israel and Judah split fairly quickly after Solomon’s son Rehoboam ascends to the throne. Jeroboam, Solomon’s former servant, returns from Egypt to lead a delegation asking favors of the new king. The young king prefers the advice of his friends to that of his elders and stirs up trouble, leading to rebellion (1 Kings 11). The two kingdoms were both supplied with priests and Levites and God continued to send prophets in both kingdoms, so it’s clear that neither completely rejected or was rejected by God. The fact that the Temple was in Jerusalem—the southern kingdom—posed a problem of course, which Jeroboam may have resolved by symbolically turning his whole kingdom into a temple. The oxen carrying the circular sea of Jerusalem’s temple are replaced by golden calves at the outermost parts of the kingdom, but memories of Aaron’s golden calf in Exodus make this somewhat heretical, even without Jeroboam’s calling them gods (12:28). The book of Kings records a prophet declaring that one day a descendant of David called Josiah will break down Jeroboam’s foreign altars, and the rest of the book leads up to Josiah’s shortlived triumph, changing tone after his death. (The prophet was tricked into eating food in Israel after promising not to and so is killed by a lion (1 Kings 12); the fact that the lion eats neither prophet nor donkey proves the prophet to have been true and leads other to believe God has spoken against Jeroboam.) Jeroboam’s son Nadab ascends to the throne after his father but is killed two years later by Baasha who wipes out his whole family (1 Kings 15:27-29). Baasha rules for 24 years, followed by his son Elah. But again the family is wiped out after a military coup (16). The military leader Zimri becomes king for seven days but Omri leads the army to Tirzah in rebellion; Zimri burns his house down, killing himself. Omri fought Tibni for the kingdom, winning four years later; Omri’s fame spread beyond Israel and he is mentioned on a Moabite monument.

The book of Chronicles records (1 Chron 11:13) the priests and Levites leaving Israel for Judah, but priests are still mentioned in Israel afterwards so it seems more likely that at least some stayed. When the kingdom divided there were probably portions of historical documents held in both archives, resulting in slightly different versions of the same historical stories—different versions of Noah’s ark for example… that were later combined when the northern country fell and its religious leaders fled south.

The Wisdom of Solomon

2011-05-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

1. Who built the Solomon’s Temple?
2. How long did it take to build the Temple and how long to build the palace?
3. What has the Bible got to say about the value of pi?
4. Did Solomon believe God only cared for Israelites?
5. Who is the Queen of Sheba?
6. How many concubines did Solomon have?
7. How many times did God appear to Solomon?
8. Why did the prophet Ahijah tear the robe into twelve pieces?
9. What is “the book of the acts of Solomon?”
10. How did Solomon lose God’s favor?

In common with many great rulers of the time, King Solomon was a writer and is credited with writing the book of Proverbs (a very practical comparison of the value of pursuing wisdom as opposed to the danger of pursuing folly), the Song of Solomon (a love song, sometimes interpreted as allegorical of God’s relationship with mankind, sometimes as a poem written for one of Solomon’s many weddings) and Ecclesiastes (often considered a rather sad volume, thought the more recent translation of “vanity” as “a puff of air, a light breeze from God’s mouth” gives a much more positive sound to the writing.) It’s probably the case that Solomon’s proverbs were combined with writings of other wise men at a later date, just as David’s psalms were combined with others when collected together.

As he grew wealthier, Solomon poured his riches into building projects—a temple for the Lord, and a palace for the king. The temple was started in Solomon’s 4th year, 480 years (1 Kings 6:1, or 12 generations—possibly 300 years) after Exodus. (Various listings of names of high priests support the 12 generations interpretation.) Temple building took 7 years, and the palace took a further 13 (1 Kings 7:1) since it included many additional structures. The Bible records building practices, and builders, that are well-authenticated as appropriate to the time and place; it also records a value of approximately three for pi, the relationship between the circumference and radius of a circle (1 Kings 7:23-26).

God appeared to Solomon early in his reign and gave him the gift of wisdom (1 Kings 3). He appears again after the dedication of the Temple, promising disaster to nation and Temple if Solomon betrays God’s trust. Solomon allowed his many wives to continue worshipping their own gods—probably essential if he was to maintain the alliances bought by these marriages. Eventually though, Solomon began to worship his wives’ and concubines’ gods (1 Kings 11:5: he has 700 wives and 300 concubines at this point), perhaps demonstrating the wisdom of God’s separating His own people from others. As a result the agreement with God is broken and only a remnant of the country is ruled by Solomon’s line.

The Queen of Sheba was one of Solomon’s most famous visitors. She probably came from Saba on the southwestern Arabian peninsula rather than Africa, and she visits shortly after Solomon’s building of a cargo fleet on the Gulf of Aqaba (I Kings 9:26-28: Note, the Red Sea named here is the same as the Red Sea of Exodus) and her gifts (10:2) may well be in exchange for trade agreements.

Near the end of Solomon’s reign, after he’d lost favor with God, the prophet Ahijah meets Solomon’s servant Jeroboam and tears a new robe into 12 pieces (1 Kings 11:31), representing the 12 tribes. Jeroboam is given 10 pieces, with only two remaining to fulfill God’s promise to the house of David, that there would always be a Davidic king. Solomon is understandably displeased with this arrangement and Jeroboam flees to Egypt. Solomon’s son Rehoboam takes the throne on Solomon’s death, but doesn’t last long, lacking both his father’s wisdom and his holiness.

Various books are referenced in the account of Solomon that aren’t in the Bible, suggesting our account is built from older texts, including the book of the acts of Solomon, not all of which were preserved.

Not a Bible study - some poems for Easter

2011-04-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

Kimberly Blackadar has posted some beautiful Easter poems on her blog, including one from me, so I just thought I'd share a link with you:

http://kimberlyblackadar.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/poetry-for-easter/

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter, and thanking you for your support as I share my Bible studies with you. Please come back later for more Old Testament Tales.

Old Testament Tales- Solomon

2011-04-12T18:48:00.001-07:00

1. Who were Solomon’s brothers and which were born of the same mother?
2. How did Solomon come to be king?
3. Why was Solomon a good military choice?
4. What sort of promises did David require of Solomon?
5. What sort of wisdom did Solomon have, and why?
6. How did Solomon judge between two women?
7. How did Solomon organize the country?
8. How did Solomon relate to neighboring countries?
9. How had Israel changed between Saul’s time and Solomon’s time?
10. How had the armies changed?

People with lots of wives and concubines tend to have large families, and David’s family was no exception (1 Chron 3). The wives he married in Hebron (before becoming king) gave him six sons, Amnon (born of Ahinoam, a Jezreelite; Amnon died after raping Tamar), Daniel (born of Abigail, a Carmelite), Absalom (grandson of the King Of Geshur; Tamar’s brother, he died after leading a rebellion), Adonijah (son of Haggith, heir apparent—he had himself proclaimed king when David dies, but Bathsheba and the prophet Natahn persuade David to have Solomon crowned at once), Shephatiah (Abital), and Ithream (Eglah). After becoming king in Jerusalem, David’s wives game him thirteen more sons, Shimeah, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon (all by Bathsheba), Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. Solomon appears kind of in the middle of the list and wasn’t even the first-born of his mother since his older sibling died. The obvious heir, Adonijah gave up the throne to Solomon on David’s orders, and Solomon ruled as co-regent with his father (1 Kings 1). When David died, Adonijah tried to acquire David’s final wife, presumably as a political power ploy, and was condemned to death.

Before David died (1 Kings 2), he prepared Solomon for kingship with a tour through major events and people of his reign. A descendant of Saul who had been spared during earlier troubles was marked out to be watched before he could destabilize the kingdom. Obligations due to alliances and previous kindnesses were made clear. The names of trusted and un-trusted advisors were communicated, and Solomon began his reign as a new broom, sweeping out the dangers of the old. The priest Abiathar who had supported Adonijah was exiled, and Joab, the over-zealous military leader, was killed.

Solomon was young enough to provide stable leadership, close enough to his father to provide continuity, familiar with the dark side of war and politics through his mother, and not related to any great Jewish house or line. It turns out he was also wise and good at taking advice, all of which made him a good choice for king. As a holy man he prayed often and dreamed that God offered him a gift (1 Kings 3). Solomon asked for understanding and was given divine wisdom to go with his human intelligence. In the famous story of two harlots both claiming ownership over a baby, Solomon threatens to cut the child in half, knowing the true mother would let her child grow up with another rather than let it die.

Solomon divided the country into 12 provinces, instituting taxes to support the royal household as well as the arm7 (1 Kings 4)—no more David’s rushing in from the fields with food for soldiers. He made alliances with neighboring lands, built forts on high ground with space in the plains for mustering large armies, and even equipped his army with war-chariots at last (1 Kings 9,10). Forts guarded the trade routes through Israel, facilitating Solomon’s rising fortunes. A large army was kept in Jerusalem, ready to march and ride to wherever it was needed. Roads must have been leveled and graded—a huge and continuing undertaking.

Old Testament Tales: David, the later years

2011-02-27T10:12:00.000-08:00

1. What is the story of Amnon and Tamar?
2. Why did Absalom run away?
3. Why did David run away?
4. How did Saul’s supporters respond to David’s losing Jerusalem?
5. What is the connection between Ahithophel and Hushai?
6. How did David reunite the kingdom?
7. What happened to Sheba son of Bichri?
8. How did David appease the Gibeonites?
9. What happened when David tried to count the Israelites?
10. How did Solomon inherit the throne?

David’s relationship with Bathsheba leads to unfortunate consequences. Nathan the prophet tells him (2 Sam 12) God’s will allow some very visible betrayals, the first of which is when David’s son Amnon rapes another son’s sister, Tamar. Absalom arranges to kill Amnon (2 Sam 13), and David gets word that all his sons are dead—the usual exaggeration of the grape-vine. In the end, all return, except Amnon who’s dead and Absalom who runs away. David mourns Absalom and his captain Joab arranges a reunion (2 Sam 14), but the rift remains. Absalom begins to usurp his father’s power (2 Sam 15), eventually having himself declared king, at which point David flees Jerusalem rather than fight his son, taking wives and concubines and his personal army, including all the mercenaries. The priests volunteer to bring the Ark of the Covenant to David, but he sends them back, convinced that if God wants him to return to Jerusalem he will return, and otherwise, the Ark should stay with God’s people.

Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors, supports Absalom, but Hushai works with Zadok and Abiathar the priests as David’s spy. Saul’s descendants throw stones at David’s army as they march past (2 Sam 17), but David refuses to punish them since his own son is effectively also throwing stones. David’s armies conquers his son’s and Absalom is killed (2 Sam 18). David’s mourning dismays his captain when they should be celebrating victory (2 Sam 19). David marches back to Jerusalem, refusing to listen to advisors who want to destroy those cities that didn’t support him, and his kindness reunites the land. Absalom’s captain Amasa is killed by David’s captain Joab, and Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjaminite who tries to continue opposing David, is beheaded by the people in a city where he takes refuge.

David’s story ends with an explanation of what happened to the rest of Saul’s male descendants, probably recounting events from earlier in David’s reign (2 Sam 21). During a famine which God tells David is due to Saul’s breaking a treaty with the Gibeonites (Josh 9; we’re not told how or when he broke the treaty) David offers compensation and the Gibeonites demand seven (a number symbolic of perfect planning) deaths from male descendants of Saul. Mephibosheth is spared of course. The mother of one of the sons protects the bodies (left hanging after death) until burial, and David, in admiration for her devotion, recovers the bones of Saul and Jonathan (likewise left by the Philistines) and buries them. The story continues with more details of giants involved in the earlier war against the Philistines. The first of David’s psalms is recorded from the end of battle (2 Sam 22), followed by David’s last words—another psalm (2 Sam 23). It’s likely that the books of Samuel (two books because it’s too long to fit on one scroll) were compiled from various contemporary sources, and these parts were “left over” at the end. (The military and cultural accuracy of the details makes it clear the sources were written very close to the events.) Finally we read how David took a census of the people of Israel, taking pride in how numerous they were (2 Sam 24, 1 Chron 21. God requiring the census is probably like God hardening David’s heart.) In punishment David has to choose between famine, flight or pestilence.

David’s death isn’t recorded till Kings (or Chronicles), where various machinations take place after Adonijah declares himself king, but Solomon finally becomes gains the throne. David’s songs tell the story of David’s reign through his prayers and are included with others in the book of Psalms.

Old Testament Tales: David the King

2011-02-25T10:11:00.000-08:00

1. Who became King of Israel when Saul died?
2. How did David respond to political assassinations?
3. How did David and Michal get back together?
4. How did David conquer Jerusalem?
5. Why did the Philistines leave their idols behind?
6. What happens to anyone who touches the ark?
7. How did David and Michal break up again?
8. Why didn’t David build a temple?
9. What happened to Saul’s sons?
10. Who was Bathsheba?

David was welcomed at king in Judea after defeating the Amalekites, but Saul’s son Ishbosheth became king of Israel, appointed by Saul’s captain Abner (2 Sam 2). Judah and Israel fought, with David winning after a disagreement between Abner and Ishbosheth (2 Sam 3). Abner returns Michal to David, but is killed by David’s captain Joab when he leaves. Ishbosheth’s remaining captains kill him and are killed by David in reward—he’s clearly not too enamored of political assassination.

David settles his warriors on the borderlands, giving them good reason to fight in defense, then sets about conquering Jerusalem, a strategically important city that’s not claimed by any tribe, making it a perfect place for a capital. Joab sneaks into the city through the water-shaft after David conquers the fortress outside the town (2 Sam 5). At this point the Philistines begin to see David as a threat and attack, but David’s forces rout them so completely they flee without their sacred statues. In a second attack, David uses the forests as cover, his army being lighter-armored and faster-moving than the Philistines, and the sound of the morning breeze disguising the noise of their movement. (The Greek word “panic” refers to Pan, the spirit of forests, and the fear large armies have of fighting there.)

Having conquered Jerusalem, David brings the ark to his new capital, establishing religious and civil power in the same location (2 Sam 6). The law says no one can touch the ark (Num 4:15), so a man who steadies it in a stream immediately dies. (Is that God’s punishment, or was the law made because there’s something about the ark that would cause this to happen?) When Michal expresses disapproval of David’s dancing before the ark (what lack of proper religious decorum!) David separates from her.

Given a choice between establishing his kingdom and building a temple for God, David consults a prophet (2 Sam 7) who concludes that David’s warrior life means his son will have to be the temple builder. David then sets about extending the borders of his kingdom, conquering Moab and Edom. Ahimelech and his uncle Zadok (descendants of the priest who fed David)are chief priests, Joab leads the armies, and Jehoshaphat writes the records (2 Sam 8)—interesting details that tie the stories together.

David now tries to provide Saul’s male survivor, a politically astute move as well as an honest one (he’d promised not to destroy Saul’s family, 1 Sam 24:21). He takes Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth into his court (2 Sam 9). His next political move doesn’t fare so well when the new king of the Ammonites accuses David’s servants of spying when they messages of comfort. The account of Joab’s battle with the Ammonites shows good military tactics (2 Sam 10) against an attack on multiple fronts. David’s army was a combination of regulars and mercenaries (e.g. Urriah the Hittite). Levites formed a strong “home guard,” and reserves for major battles were pulled from the other tribes (1 Chron 27:1) with wars “planned” to avoid crop-seasons and followed regular calendars (2 Sam 11:1). “Thousands” and “hundreds,” of friend or foe, were probably military terms rather than strict counts, like Roman centuria. During the next battle season, David fell in love with a mercenary’s wife, Bathsheba, and contrived to marry her. Her first child by David dies, but the second becomes King Solomon.

Old Testament Tales: David, the early years

2011-02-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

1. How was David anointed king?
2. When does Bethlehem first appear in the Bible?
3. When did Saul first meet David, and what happened?
4. How old was David when he fought Goliath?
5. How did David and Jonathan become friends?
6. How did David and Saul become enemies?
7. How did David escape from Saul?
8. Whose side did David fight on?
9. How many wives and concubines did David have?
10. How did David begin his reign?

When Saul lost favor with God Samuel annointed the next king (1 Sam 16) from among the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. (Bethlehem was where Rachel was buried (Gen 35), homeplace of the judge Ibzan (Jud 12:8), Naomi (Ruth), the Levite who served a king instead of God (Jud 17:7), and the concubine whose death in Gibeah led to war with Benjamin (Jud 19-20). Samuel was impressed by several sons, but God chose the youngest. That said, David already had a reputation as a warrior when he was called to play music at court for King Saul (1 Sam 16:18), and he was probably of similar age to Saul’s son Jonathan, already a soldier, since they later shared clothing and weapons (1 Sam 18:4).

When David’s brothers go to fight the Philistines, David, home caring for sheep, is sent to carry food to the front as a family member. David volunteers to fight the Philistine giant, Goliath (1 Sam 17). He refuses to wear Saul’s armor because it’s uncomfortable, not because he’s a child (1 Sam 17:38), then kills his foe with a slingshot, afterwards joining the army chasing the fleeing enemy. Saul makes David his armor-bearer (definitely a man’s job). David and Jonathan become close but David and Saul are soon estranged when a song makes Saul jealous (1 Sam 18:8) with its traditional second-line exaggeration.

Saul sends David away from court and hopes to get him killed as a captain in the army (1 Sam 18), offering his daughter Merab as temptation. When David fails to die Merab ends up married to someone else. Meanwhile Michal, another daughter, has fallen in love with David; Saul challenges David to win a great battle to gain her hand. David survives this challenge too and Saul tells his servants and his son to kill him, but Jonathan intercedes on his behalf.

Saul tries to kill David himself with a javelin (1 Sam 18:11, 19:9). Michal helps him escape from court by climbing out a window (1 Sam 19) and Samuel leads him to shelter with the prophets. Everyone Saul sends ends up prophesying in David’s favor, even Saul himself! David asks Jonathan to confirm whether the relationship is irretrievably broken (1 Sam 20) and Saul throws a javelin at Jonathan as well. David departs with a troop of followers, sustained with holy bread at a temple (1 Sam 21). One of Saul’s followers, an Edomite, takes news back to the king. Meanwhile David settles in caves on the borderlands, where four hundred of the country’s discontented come to join him (1 Sam 22). Saul demands the death of the priests who fed David, but only the Edomite who reported them responds. Abiathar, son the priest, escapes and joins David, giving him access to priestly intercession.

David has several chances to kill Saul (1 Sam 24, 26) but refuses. The two are briefly reunited, David promising not to destroy Saul’s family when he becomes king. David marries Abigail, after she helps avert a battle and feeds his army—her husband dies of heart problems—and Ahinoan. By the end of the story, David will have seven wives (1 Chron 3). Eventually David and his followers settle in Ziklag, serving with Israel’s enemies, the Philistines. When the Philistines attack Israel, David is, quite logically, sent to fight elsewhere (1 Sam 29). The Amalekites invade Israel (and Ziklag) from the South as the Philistines invade the North, so David fights Amalek. Saul dies in the Northern battle and David becomes king in the South, killing the self-proclaimed killer of Saul as his first action.

Old Testament Tales: King Saul

2011-02-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

1. What tribe is Saul from?
2. What human reasons would make Saul a good choice for king?
3. How did Saul raise an army?
4. What sort of army did Saul and Jonathan control?
5. How did Saul lose God’s favor?
6. How did Jonathan lose Saul’s favor?
7. What is a prophetic frenzy?
8. How many giants are there in the Bible?
9. Did David join Saul’s army?
10. How did Saul die?

Saul was a Benjaminite—a king chosen from the smallest tribe reduced the likelihood of other tribes battling for favor. Also, Benjamin occupied the mountainous land north of Jerusalem, where the Philistines were strong, making Saul highly motivated to fight. And Saul cut an impressive figure. Sent out to search for his father’s missing asses, Saul ends up seeking Samuel’s advice. Meanwhile, God tells Samuel the promised king is approaching. King and prophet eat together; then Samuel anoints Saul, prophesying how he’ll find the asses and who he’ll meet on the way, thus convincing him of God’s favor. When Saul meets a troop of prophets he’s overwhelmed by the Spirit and joins them in prophetic dance and singing (1 Sam 10:11, similar perhaps to modern accounts of people overtaken by the Spirit).

Saul’s first battle is against the Ammonites in the east. At home in Gibeah (north of Jerusalem), Saul carves up a team of oxen (1 Sam 11, rather like the Levite carved up his murdered concubine in Judges 19 and sends pieces throughout the tribes to call up an army. When the battle’s won, Saul retains the first Israelite “standing army” of soldiers bound to the king rather than the tribes. The 3,000 soldiers (1 Sam 13:2) are split between Saul and his son Jonathan.

The Philistines recover from their earlier defeat at the hands of Samuel but are driven out again by Jonathan. Their army regroups at Michmash, firmly in Benjaminite territory and Saul, with his standing army beginning to desert (1 Sam 13, only 600 remain), moves to face them. Meanwhile Jonathan and his shieldbearer pretend to be deserters and sneak round the back of the Philistine army, causing chaos and confusion (1 Sam 14). Fleeing Philistines are mistaken for Israelites, the enemy ends up fighting itself, and the Israelite deserters return to join the fray. But the battle against the Philistines had its down-side too. Saul, frustrated as his army dissipated, and tired of waiting for “his” priest Samuel, started the sacrifice to God more as a call to unity than a call to prayer (1 Sam 13:9). Then in the heat of battle Saul demanded that no-one should eat till the fighting was over (1 Sam 14:24), expecting the people to treat this as God’s command, not man’s. Unfortunately Saul’s son Jonathan hadn’t heard the ruling and did eat some honey. Meanwhile Samuel proclaimed that Saul’s family would no longer inherit the throne.

Soon Saul is fighting the Amalekite nomads (1 Sam 15; Ex 17:8) and spares king Agag, whose descendant Haman attempts to destroy the scattered Israelites in Persia in later years (Esther), contrary to God’s instructions via Samuel. Samuel never sees Saul again after this confrontation. Saul’s battles continue, leading up to the famous confrontation with the Philistines (again) where David (newly anointed by Saul as the future king) fights Goliath, a very large Philistine (1 Sam 17:4) whose relatives, likewise large, appear in later battles (2 Sam 21:16-22). (Giants have been mentioned several times earlier in the Bible—in pre-history (Gen 6:1), in Canaan (Num 13:33), during Joshua’s conquest of Canaan (Josh 12:4), etc.)

In later years, Saul’s madness could only be calmed by David’s music. Saul alternated between exalting and trying to kill David. Battles continued till Saul’s army was driven into the hills by Philistine chariots at Aphek while David fought Amalekites in the South. Fearing the battle, Saul consults a medium (1 Sam 28:7) and Samuel’s ghost says he will lose. At the end of battle, Saul dies by his own sword.

Old Testament Tales: Ruth, Samuel and Co.

2011-02-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

1. Who was Samuel’s mother?
2. How did Samuel end up serving in the Temple?
3. What connection is there between Samuel and Samson?
4. Who were the Philistines?
5. What’s special about Shiloh?
6. What tribe did Samuel come from?
7. What happened to the priests, and what happened to the ark, and who is Ichabod?
8. What else was going on in Canaan when Samuel came to power?
9. What was the main Philistine advantage and how did they maintain it?
10. What was the main Jewish advantage and how did they lose it?

The Bible records how God’s people traveled to Egypt to escape famine in the time of Abraham and again in Joseph’s time. Similar journeys were taken on a smaller scale throughout the time of Judges. Naomi and Elimelech, from Bethlehemjudah, moved as a family and stayed in Moab during a famine. Elimelech and his two sons died, leaving Naomi with two widowed Moabite daughters-in-law. The book of Ruth describes how Naomi returned to her people, where Ruth gleaned food from the fields of Naomi’s relative Boaz, and Biblical rules and traditions were followed in Ruth’s betrothal and marriage. (The Moabite, Ruth, goes on to become an ancestor of Jesus.)

The birth of Samuel to Hannah and Elkanah takes place at a similar point in history. Elkanah, a Kohathite (1 Chron 6:34, Kohath is a branch of Levites) living among Ephraimites (1 Sam 1; Levites don’t have land of their own), has two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah, still childless, prays in the temple at Shiloh so fervently the priest assumes she’s drunk (1 Sam 1). Hannah promises her unborn child to God, making a similar vow to Samson’s mother’s. She keeps her son Samuel at home until he’s “weaned,” which probably means till he’s old enough to work the fields. At this point Samuel is left in the temple for training with the priest Eli, while his mother cares for her now-growing family.

Eli’s sons prove unfaithful (1 Sam 2), and God chooses Samuel as His new priest and prophet, calling him by name (1 Sam 3). When the Israelites go to war with the Philistines (presumably continuing the conflict of Samson’s times), Eli’s sons use the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh as a magical token, carrying it into battle. They die and the ark is lost, God not being ours to control. Eli collapses on hearing the news, and his daughter-in-law goes into labor, naming her son Ichabod, which means the glory is gone from Israel (1 Sam 4). Meanwhile Philistine statues collapse and their people get sick till the ark is returned to Jewish hands in Kirjathjearim. Samuel, the latest (and last) judge, calls for faithful repentance and makes sacrifices before battle, securing the coast against the Philistines (1 Sam 7).

The Philistines were seafarers, probably from Greece and roundabout. They’d fought the Egyptians earlier and now lived as Egyptian allies on the Western coast of Canaan, land the Israelites needed for trade and diplomacy. Though Samuel’s army defeated them this time, they soon had strongholds in the mountains north of Jerusalem and were renowned for their skills with iron (1 Sam 13:19). At the same time, the Ammonites were conquering Gilead, east of the river Jordan, putting more pressure on the tribal Israelites. The time was close when a loose confederation of tribes would need to unite under a single leader to remain viable.

Samuel attempts to pass the mantle of judge/prophet/leader on to his sons but they take bribes and can’t be trusted (1 Sam 8), so the people ask for a king. God points out all the disadvantages of kingly rule—conscription, taxation, loss of personal freedoms etc.—but agrees to provide (and bless) a king, at which point Samuel is required to anoint King Saul. This necessary leader unites and protects the people, proving the cost worthwhile.

Old Testament Tales - Samson and Delilah and Co

2011-01-12T15:50:00.000-08:00

1. What tribe did Samson belong to?
2. Why was Samson a Nazirite?
3. How did Samson lose his wife?
4. Why were the Israelites and the Philistines at war?
5. What has the jawbone of an ass got to do with Samson?
6. What have lions and honey got to do with Samson?
7. Who was Delilah?
8. Why was Samson a prisoner?
9. How did Samson bring down the house?
10. What’s the connection between the tribe of Benjamin and Sodom and Gomorrah?

The earliest judges were called by God when God’s people turned to Him for aid. Later judges were more like tribal dynasties, living and dying by the sword. But Samson, the Danite, was called before his birth when God sent an angel to tell his barren mother that she would bear a child (Judges 13). The woman’s husband is unconvinced, but the angel reappears and the woman brings her husband to see him. Samson’s mother follows the rules of a Nazirite (no grapes, no wine, no strong drink, and presumably no cutting her hair) during her pregnancy because the child is going to be a Nazirite.

At this time the western tribes lived under Philistine rule. Samson falls in love with a Philistine woman, Timnah, over his parents’ opposition. Samson doesn’t appear to be too good a judge of character. He deserts Timnah when she tricks him into answering his own riddle (“out of the eater came food and out of the strong came sweetness” Judges 14), and later his beloved Delilah deceives him by making him break his Nazirite vow (by cutting his hair). Timnah’s trickery sends Samson into a rage, precipitating war with the Philistines. According to the Bible, this was in accordance with God’s plan, the Israelites having become far too comfortable in their mixed community.

The Philistines demand that the tribes hand over Samson to pay for his crimes, but Samson escapes his bonds and kills a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass, afterwards finding water in the bone to ease his thirst (Judges 15). He then appears to wander the land, sleeping with harlots and causing havoc, till he meets Delilah (Judges 16). She tries to tempt him into revealing the secret of his strength, and when she cuts his hair, breaking his Nazirite vow, Samson feels himself deserted by God and is taken prisoner. Blinded by the Philistines (and perhaps also by God), Samson is paraded in the temple of Dagon where he calls upon God’s help and pulls the whole building down by breaking its pillars.

Troubles continue amongst the tribes of Israel. A travelling Levite on his way from Bethlehemjudah is lured into serving a rich man’s gods for pay instead of serving God (Judges 17). Danites, seeking to increase their land, steal the Levite and the household gods away, setting up a temple in Shiloh (Judges 18). Then another Levite takes a concubine from Bethlehemjudah, spends the night in Gibeah among the tribe of Benjamin (because he’s afraid of the Jebusites who control nearby Jerusalem) only to find himself forced to “share” his concubine with the mob—a very similar mob to that which descended on the angels at Lot’s house in Sodom (Judges 19). When the concubine’s found dead, the Levite cuts her body into twelve pieces, one for each tribe, as a symbol of how God’s people are fallen. The tribes decide to cut off Benjamin (Judges 20). More battles ensue, but the tribes reunite eventually, handing over the female orphans of Jabesh-Gilead to Benjamin after that town’s apostasy, and giving the Benjaminites their pick of the ritual dancers at Shiloh (Judges 21).

The phrase “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes,” repeats like a solemn refrain throughout the book of Judges—these aren’t the stories of what happens when people obey God, but rather, an account what goes wrong when they don’t.

Old Testament Tales - Times of the Judges

2011-01-11T15:46:00.001-08:00

1. What does the Bible mean by judge in the book of Judges?
2. What was a Baal?
3. What was an Asherah?
4. Who was the first Judge in the book of Judges?
5. Why was it important that Ehud was left-handed?
6. What was Gideon’s fleece?
7. Who was the first “king” in Israel?
8. What was the Tower of Shechem?
9. What was Jephthah’s vow?
10. When was a lisp important?

The book of Judges opens with the conquest of southern Canaan and destruction of Jerusalem. Further north, the other Israelite tribes gain hold of the hill country but can’t conquer the cities of the plains since they’re protected by armies with chariots (Judges 1). Unable to separate themselves completely from their enemies, God’s people begin to mix their religion with that of the locals. Ba’al was a title meaning “Lord” and could be applied to divine or human rulers, including God, but came to mean a false god in the time of judges. Names such as Jerubbaal (a name given to the judge Gideon) in the Bible began to be changed to Jerubbosheth, where bosheth means shame. Asherah was generally the female consort of the Baal, and Asherah poles symbolized power and fertility. The Bible tells how God refused to give His people control of the Promised Land because they failed to obey Him and occupy it fully. But he gave them “judges,” or military leaders/prophets, to defend them.

The stories in Judges refer to different rulers in separate times and places over individual tribes. There was no single nation of Israel. Othniel (related to Caleb who was one of only two spies to fully trust God, Num 13:30) was the first judge, freeing Judah from the king of Mesopotamia and bringing 40 years’ peace. Later the Benjaminite Ehud freed them from the king of Moab using unexpected left-handed swordplay. In northern Canaan (Galilee) meanwhile, the Israelites fell prey to well-armed city-dwellers intent on driving them out. Deborah was a well-respected prophet (yes, women can be prophets) who worked with Barak of Naphtali to produce an impressive military plan (Judges 4), splitting the opposition and bogging the enemy’s chariots down in swampy land near the Kishon river. Later, the southern tribes, under attack from Midian, protect themselves by hiding while their villages are raided. When raiders spread north, Gideon is chosen by God as judge (Judges 6); he cuts down the Asherah poles, calling the tribes together under his leadership and God’s guidance. In order to confirm God’s presence, Gideon puts out a fleece, first asking that it should be wet and the ground dry at daybreak (not too unlikely), then asking the opposite (so I guess it’s okay to ask God for more than one sign). Gideon gathers a large army then whittles it down at God’s command till a small, quiet strike force engineers a successful surprise attack at night (Judges 7). Interestingly, Israel has peace for 40 years again (Judges 8, perhaps 40 really is symbolic of a generation), but one of Gideon’s sons, Abimelech, tries to kill the others and have himself proclaimed king (Judges 9). When the people of Shechem refuse to follow him, the Tower (temple) of Shechem (a highland stronghold controlling Megiddo to Jerusalem) is destroyed, the land laid waste with salt, and the wooden city burned (all very much in keeping with historical evidence). Abimelech himself dies when a woman throws a millstone on his head, but demands his warriors fake a more heroic battle wound.

The story continues with leaders and people turning away from God, conquest by the Philistines, Ammonites, and Amorites. Jephthah the Gileadite, cast out for his ignoble birth (Judges 11) is recalled as a judge East of the Jordan. He promises to sacrifice whatever greets him first after battle and ends up condemned to give up his only daughter (though it’s unclear if he sacrifices her or merely keeps her a virgin). The Gileadites end up fighting with Ephraim and Menasseh (Joseph’s tribes), using a lisping mispronunciation to determine the nationality of spies (Judges 12).

Old Testament Tales - Conquest of Canaan

2010-12-28T17:26:00.000-08:00

1. What happened at Ai?
2. Who were the Gibeonites?
3. What happened when the sun stood still?
4. What have chariots got to do with Joseph’s tribe?
5. What happened at Shiloh?
6. What was a city of refuge?
7. Where was Gilead?
8. Why didn’t Egypt defend Canaan?
9. Who said “One man of you shall chase a thousand”?
10. What happened at Shechem?

The tribes entering Canaan were just that, tribes, and the land they entered was governed by alliances of tribes, supposedly supported by Egypt, though Egyptian power was waning. Bible stories of how the land was conquered reveal a detailed and historically valuable account of tribal life and the lay of the land. Jericho provided a logical bridge-head for invasion, commanding important fertile ground and trade routes. Marching round the walls is a well-known military tactic, lulling defenders into false security; the walls may have fallen victim to invading force even as they tumbled down. Flush from this success, a small Israelite army entered the mountains to gain the high ground. They were repelled at Ai and Achan (Joshua 7) was found to have kept treasures from Jericho to himself, thus removing God’s protection from the people. Achan’s death would have roused the armies to try again, and the Israelites successfully destroyed Ai with a larger two-part army and clever strategy (Josh 8), possibly augmented with allies from the Gibeonites (Josh 9), building altars there to remind themselves of God’s care.

The Gibeonites separated themselves from other tribes of the plains and tricked the Israelites into an alliance. Soon the other tribes attacked Gibeon and Joshua marched to their aid under cover of night and forests, surprising the Amorites into fleeing. With a need to complete his success before dawn, Joshua prayed for the sun and moon to stand still (Josh 10:12). It’s not clear who measured the length of the day’s darkness, but mists and fog, together with a storm of (maybe hail)stones, by God’s miraculous timing, could have helped Joshua’s army complete their rout. The tribes spread through the hill country then finally encountered (iron) chariots when a northern tribal alliance fought against them. Surprising the enemy in an enclosed camp made it possible for the Israelites to start this ill-matched battle with victory (Josh 11) at the waters of Meron—a good central location from which to spread out. Unable to use chariots, Joshua’s army burned them, then continued a rapid deployment against their enemies.

The Israelite conquest probably began with sparcely populated mountainous regions, safe from enemy chariots and away from the cities. The Bible records how the Israelites didn’t destroy the cities (Josh 11:13), perhaps intimating their siege-craft skills were lacking, as would be expected of nomadic peoples. Joseph’s tribes pointed out the need to spread onto the plains (Josh 17:16-18) and were promised the chance to spread out from the forests onto plains at a later stage. The land west of the Jordan was split between nine-and-a-half tribes (only half of Manasseh having stayed East of the river), though other (foreign) tribes remained—in particular the Jebusites retained the city of Jerusalem (Josh 15:63) and Canaanites in Gezer became servants to the Ephraimites (Josh 16:10). Land was assigned by lot when the tribes gathered at Shiloh. Cities of refuge were defined where those accused of murder to hide in safety until fair trial (Josh 20:9), marking the beginning of national civilization. Forty-eight scattered cities were assigned to the Levites (Josh 21:41). Then the two-and-a-half tribes returned across the Jordan to Gilead leaving an altar in witness that they still belonged to the same God (Josh 22:34).

Joshua called the tribes together at Shechem before his death (Josh 24), reminding them of all they could do with God’s aid, and of their need to stay faithful to God.

Old Testament Tales - Joshua

2010-11-30T15:00:00.000-08:00

Joshua:

1. Where does Joshua first appear in the Bible?
2. How close were Joshua and Moses?
3. What tribe was Joshua from?
4. What has a talking donkey got to do with Bible?
5. Did the Israelites kill all their enemies in the desert?
6. Where is Gilead?
7. What happened to Rahab the harlot?
8. How did the Israelites enter the Promised Land?
9. What happened at Jericho?
10. How many times did the Israelites cross water on dry land?

Joshua (Hoshea), an Ephraimite (Num 11:28, 13:8, descendant of Joseph), first appears in the Bible when the Amalekites attack the Israelites on their way to Mount Sinai. Moses tells Joshua to lead the army (Ex 17:9). Later Joshua goes up Mount Sinai with Moses, and so is not involved in the golden calf incident (24:13).

Moses leads the Israelites in the desert, handing leadership over to Joshua just before they cross the Red Sea into Canaan (Num 27:18). Their travels are plagued with rebellion, plague, thirst (back at Meribah near Mount Sinai, Num 20), poisonous snakes (21:4-9), and the threat of attack (Num 20:18, 21:1,23,33). The fact that they survived in such great numbers, is testimony to God’s provision for their physical, mental and spiritual health in his many commandments, and sickness and disaster might be seen more as God removing his protection than God actively moving to harm his people. And despite rumors to the contrary, God didn’t always tell his people to destroy anyone who opposed them—they simply marched round the land of the Edomites (20:21).

When the Israelites were camped outside Canaan in the land of the Amorites, Balak king of Moab called for supernatural help against them and sent for the prophet Balaam (Num 22:1-6). At first Balaam refuses to help, since God has told him he cannot say anything against the Israelites, but eventually God lets him at least to go speak to Balak (22:20), but then sends an angel to stop him (perhaps because he didn’t wait to hear God’s message). Balaam’s donkey sees the angel before Balaam does, and God speaks through the donkey’s mouth. Balaam is unable to curse Israel, and Balak sends him away in disgrace. Meanwhile the Israelites have begun to mingle with the Midianites and with their worship of Baals (Num 25). Another plague comes to the Israelites in consequence, followed by war and the destruction of Midian (Num 31:1-31). While we view the death as punishment, the Jews viewed is as vengeance. Since death is ordained for all of us, it’s interesting to ask how God views it, and if that might change our image of this destruction. Perhaps the plague could not be removed without the death of all those carrying it (Num 31:17-18).

As the people approach the Promised Land, the tribes of Gad and Reuben ask if they can stay in Gilead East of the Jordan—land that wasn’t originally promised to Israel (Num 32:5,33). Moses agrees as long as they, and Manasseh (half of Joseph’s tribe) send soldiers to aid in the conquest. God decrees how the rest of the Promised Land should be shared between the remaining 9 ½ tribes (Ephraim representing the other half of Joseph’s tribe), with the Levites having cities and duties rather than land. After Moses death (Deut 34:9), Joshua sends spies to Jericho, who stay with Rahab the harlot (she may just have been an inn-keeper according to Josephus). She hides them under bundles of drying flax—a detail which rings true given the location and the season, and is rewarded by her family being spared when the city falls (Josh 2:6, 6:23). Joshua leads the people across a miraculously dry River Jordan (dried by an earthquake and resulting mudslide at Adam, where such slides are known to happen, 3:16). Jericho falls to the sound of trumpets and the stamping of feet (6:20, not impossible, though the timing is surely God’s) and the conquest begins.

Old Testament Tales - Road to Canaan

2010-11-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

Road to Canaan

1. What happened to Miriam?
2. What happened to Aaron?
3. What happened to Aaron’s sons?
4. How did Moses die?
5. Where did Moses die?
6. Who was Korah?
7. Why did the Israelites have to wander in the desert?
8. How many years did the Israelites spend in the desert?
9. Where were the Israelites when they were in the desert?
10. Who died in the desert?

Moses’ sister Miriam saved his life when he was a baby, and became a prophetess among the Israelites. Her victory song after the Red Sea crossing is one of the earliest recorded psalms (Ex 15:20). She objected to Moses’ leadership, in particular to his being married to Gentile (Cushite) and his claiming a special relationship with God (Num 12:1-2). After being exposed to the cloud of God’s presense, her skin was white and she was banished for seven days as a leper. According to some traditions, she married Hur, one of the friends who held Moses’ hands during the battle with the Amalekites near Mount Sinai (Ex 17:10) and who guarded them when Moses went up the mountain (24:14), which might make her the grandmother of Bezaleel (31:2) who works on building the tabernacle. Miriam died shortly before Aaron (Num 20:1) and is remembered as one of God’s chosen servants (Mic 6:4).

Moses’ brother Aaron was a gifted speaker called to help Moses communicate God’s will (Ex 4:14). When Moses was on the mountain, Aaron made the golden calf, though it’s not clear it was entirely his idea (32:22). While many Jews died as a result, Aaron survived to be consecrated as a priest, together with his sons. When the Israelites finally set off from Mount Sinai, two of Aaron’s sons die as a result of disobeying God’s command not to touch the altar. The fire is described as coming from God, but God frequently uses natural forces and it could be that their death was equally a side-effect of not listening to warnings when standing on a volcano (Lev 10:2). Again Aaron survives, and when he and Miriam challenge Moses’ leadership, it’s Miriam who suffers the consequences.

Aaron’s cousin Korah later leads a public rebellion against Moses’ leadership and is swallowed up in the earth (Num 16:25-35), God again making use of fire. Aaron and his son Eleazer are instrumental in halting the ensuing plague. When Aaron’s rod miraculously blossoms (Num 17:8) Aaron’s line is confirmed as being distinct from that of the other Levites. While others are devoted to sacred service, maintenance of the sanctuary and altar belongs to the Aaronites (Num 18:1-7). Aaron is believed to have died before entering the promised land, just as Moses did, as punishment for impatience at Meribah (Num 20:1-13). His priesthood was handed to his son Eleazer (Num 20:24-29).

The Israelites are condemned to wander the desert for 40 years, or until one generation passes away (which could be more like 25 years) as a result of not trusting God to overpower the “giants” and Nephilim (first mentioned in Genesis) living there (Num14:1-45). Of the spies who visited the land, only Joshua (who accompanied Moses on Mount Sinai, Ex 24:12-18) and Caleb are faithful to God’s plan. The wandering starts with the Israelites standing by the River Jordan. They appear to return to the region of Mount Sinai, where Moses strikes a rock instead of speaking to it (Num 20). If Mount Sinai is on the Sinai Peninsula, it’s hard to see why they returned, but if it’s in Arabia their wanderings corresponding to the normal wanderings of nomadic tribes. They continue north again to Edomite territory along the established inland road, skip Edom (Num 20:18) and head west to the Red Sea and continue up the coast road through the land of the Amorites. Then Moses gives his final address and blessing and dies on Mount Nebo (Deut 34) passing the leadership on to Joshua.

Old Testament Tales - Ten Commandments

2010-11-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

Ten Commandments
1. How many plagues of Egypt were there?
2. How many good people in Sodom and Gomorrah would have been enough to save them?
3. How many horns did Daniel’s beast have?
4. Have many toes did Daniel’s statue have?
5. How many laws are there in the first five books of the Bible?
6. Why might Catholics and feminists number the ten commandments the same way?
7. How long did Moses stay up the mountain talking to God?
8. What was God telling Moses while the Israelites were making the golden calf?
9. What’s the significance of a golden calf?
10. What was the punishment for worshiping the calf?

Ten appears frequently in the Bible. It’s the highest number we can count to just on our fingers. And it’s a good symbolic number, used to represent something countable, something limited, something belonging to mankind. There are people who said the world was approaching its end when the European Union reached ten members, because of Daniel’s statue (Dan 2:41). Possibly there were people in Smyrna during the writing of the Book of Revelation who counted the days of their tribulation, giving up hope at ten (Rev 2:10). According to Jewish tradition, there are 613 laws, including the ten commandments, given by God in the first five books of the Bible. Some are very clear, explicit rules, like the Decalogue (referred as “ten commandments” in several places: Ex 34:28, Deut 4:13, 10:4). Others are implicit, as in “eat and be satisfied” tied to blessing and prayer (Deut 14:29). And still others are deduced by reasoning (Deut 27:22, incest laws extend to daughters as well as siblings).

While there’s not much debate about which Biblical passages constitute the ten commandments (Ex 20:2-17, Deut 5:6-21), the lists derived from the passages are not always the same. Jewish tradition places “I am the Lord your God” first and separately from a single injunction against other gods and idols. Catholic tradition puts all three together. Others read “I am the Lord” as an introduction and split after having no other gods. As a result, Jewish and most Christian traditions agree on the numbering of the 3rd through 10th commandments, while Catholic and Lutheran traditions separate coveting neighbors’ wives from coveting their goods, rather pleasingly implying that wives are not property, and creating three (divine) God-related commands followed by seven (God’s plan) concerning human relationships.

Moses received many commandments from God, came down the mountain to speak and write, then climbed the mountain again (24:12-18) to learn how to build an ark, how to furnish the temple, and how to dress the priests. Moses stays in the cloud for 40 days (another symbolic number, indicating something limited but too big to count). By the time he came down, the Israelites had given up hope, perhaps unsurprisingly, and were making sacrifices to the local god of the region (Sin, the moon god, worshiped with golden calves—yellow for the moon, calf for its moon-shaped horns). Perhaps they feared Sin had conquered their God. Moses famously breaks the tablets of the law (31:18, 32:19, but probably not the Book of the Covenant, 24:4, where he wrote the earlier commandments). He punishes the people by grinding their golden calf into dust which they drink in water. Levites kill the instigators of rebellion, and God punishes the people with a plague (perhaps heavy metal poisoning).

It’s interesting that all the building and clothing techniques Moses is given are validated by other contemporary documents. The roofed area of the tabernacle measures 45 by 15 feet, and includes a cubical (15x15x15) Most Holy place covered with four roofs (4 symbolizes earth). In Revelation, the Holy City itself is a cube, its walls decorated with just the same twelve stones (12 for God’s choosing) as are prescribed for the priests’ breastplates, implying we are all priests in the end and the whole world becomes holy (Rev 21:15-21, Ex 28:15-29).

Old Testament Tales - Parting Seas and Manna in the Desert

2010-11-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

Parting Seas and Manna in the Desert

1. How long did the plagues of Egypt last?
2. How many men were in the Exodus?
3. Did any Egyptians travel with the Israelites?
4. What did the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire look like?
5. How many bodies of water ran dry for the Israelites?
6. Why might the Red Sea be the Reedy Lake?
7. Where did the Red Sea crossing take place?
8. Where did Moses make bitter water sweet?
9. What did the Israelites eat and drink in the desert?
10. What did Mount Sinai look and sound like?

The plagues of Egypt began with the red river in late summer and continued through to March or April of the next year, when the Exodus took place. Hailstorms would have left the desert with water and abundant plants, making this the only time of year such a large group of people could travel with their flocks. The Bible “counts” the people, giving a total of 603,550 men (Num 1:19-21)—so many they would easily outnumber any other army of the time though the Bible also says they weren’t a large nation (Deut 7:7, Ex 23:20). Since ancient Hebrew used the same word for thousand and troop, a better interpretation of the numbers may be 5,550 men in 598 groups—a nation of around 20,000 people, not dissimilar from the size of other tribes at the time. The tribe included at least one Egyptian, Bithiah (1 Chron 4:17-18,) who was probably Moses’ foster-mother.

Since Moses fled Egypt to Midian earlier, it seems reasonable to guess the Israelites followed a similar path. The pillar of cloud and fire (Ex 13:20-22) could even be interpreted as outbursts from volcanic eruptions. When the Bible says the cloud switched from front to back of the tribe (14:19), they may have been marching away from the mountain temporarily, corresponding well with the most likely geography of their route. Some historians suggest the Red Sea crossing (13:18) took place on a reedy marsh, since ancient Hebrew says Reed Sea, not Red Sea. Others locate it on the Gulf of Suez, giving the Israelites access to the Sinai peninsula. A third option is the Gulf of Aqaba, seven days journey from Rameses. There the sea was both reedy and coral-red. Egyptian chariots chasing the Israelites would have taken a northern route while footsoldiers marched down the pass, leaving the tribe trapped (Ex 14:9) between two armies and the sea. Then a perfectly timed east wind (14:21), as described in the Bible, could have dried the sea with a river bore. Later, a mudslide dried the River Jordan (Joshua 3:16) allowing another dry crossing.

In Midian, they probably passed close by Madian, Moses’ old home. His father-in-law Jethro later caught up with the tribe near Mount Sinai, bringing the family (who presumably stayed behind, Ex 18:2) and offering advice to Moses on how to govern the people. The wells at Madian are usually sweet, but the same storm that dried the sea might have fouled them, necessitating Moses’ inspired use of charcoal (15:25) and the name Marah. It’s possible to trace a likely route (see the Miracles of Exodus by Colin J Humphreys) from there to an Arabian volcano that might be Mount Sinai. Of course, other routes lead to the modern Mount Sinai. Some advantages of the Arabian route are: Arabian traditions about Moses; hills and oases corresponding to Bible descriptions and place names; a desert where quail migrate, a manna-like substance is deposited on the ground, and dewfall provides plentiful drinking water (16:13-16); a mountain where water can be drawn from porous rock by striking it (17:8); a plain surrounding the volcano, large and well-watered enough for a tribe of 20,000; land that belonged to the Amalekites who fought the Israelites (17:8); land that didn’t belong to the Egyptians, who stopped chasing them.

The Biblical mountain exhibits many characteristics of a volcano, besides being a holy mountain: fire (Deut 4:11, Ex 19:18), explosions and thunder (Ex 19:16), trumpets (a lesser-known but equally valid volcanic phenomenon, Ex 19:19), lightning (Ex 19:16), earthquakes (19:18), smoke and clouds (19:16,18), and lava (Judges 5:5), all occurring at precisely the right time, by God’s command.

Old Testament Tales - Burning Bushes and Plagues of Frogs

2010-10-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

Burning Bushes and Plagues of Frogs

1. How old was Moses when he returned to Egypt?
2. Where was the burning bush?
3. Can bushes burn without burning away?
4. Can sticks turn into snakes?
5. What did Moses and Aaron ask the Pharaoh to do?
6. What have red rivers, dead fish, and plagues of frogs got in common with each other?
7. Which plague was the first that the Egyptian magicians failed to copy?
8. Did God try to help the Egyptians at all?
9. Did the Egyptians try to help the Israelites at all?
10. If the Israelites fled across the Sinai peninsula, how long would it take to escape Egypt?

The Bible says Moses was grown up (Ex 2:11) when he fled from Egypt and 80 (7:7) when he returned. A generation was about 25 years though it might be “estimated” at 40—a generic big number. 80 years could represent two generations, making Moses about 50 and Aaron 53. (When the Israelites are spend 40 years in the desert, 40 years is described as the same as "a generation": Num 32:13)

Moses lived with his father-in-law, called Jethro or Reuel (one is probably the tribal name). Modern tribes still keep sheep and goats, and take them across the desert to the mountains during summer. The mountains are cooler, and the grass is lush, growing as it does on volcanic remains. So when Moses went to the far side of the desert, he could have been heading east into Arabia. There he came to a Holy Mountain, Sinai, also called Horeb. Sinai may come from the name of the Midianite moon god, Sin. (There’s no record that the Sinai peninsula contained a mountain called Sinai back then, only that the whole peninsula belonging to Egypt. But there are Arabian traditions of Moses having traveled east.)

While the Bible doesn’t say the mountain was a volcano, holy mountains often were volcanic, called holy for obvious reasons. And bushes on volcanic mountains, particularly acacia bushes, particularly at the beginning of volcanic action, can burn to charcoal while maintaining their shape, thus not burning away. Moses hears the voice of God in the burning bush and asks who it is, maybe wanting to confirm whether this is a Midianite god or his own God. God answers, saying “I am” and sends Moses back to Egypt to rescue his people, providing Aaron as a mouthpiece since Moses claims to be afraid.

Moses and Aaron ask the Pharaoh to let God’s people go into the desert, worship and return (Ex 3:18, 8:27), a seven day journey. Seven days’ travel along the desert road would get them to the Gulf of Aqaba and the safety of Midian, where Moses had been living. (So, does God sometimes ask us to lie? Interesting.) Pharaoh refuses, of course, even when the God-given staff turns into a snake—a trick that the magicians already know (done with a particular hold on a particular type of snake: Ex 7:11). The Nile flowing red is a known phenomenon, occurring in late summer, but the fish don’t usually die (7:21)—perhaps the red flood coincided with a poisonous red tide from the ocean? Frog populations would reach their maximum soon afterwards, and dead fish and polluted water would send them thronging away from the river and into homes, where they would die (8:14), encouraging tiny flies (8:16)—the first plague the magicians couldn’t copy. These are probably the flies that carried illnesses deadly to livestock in the 5th plague. Larger flies would also breed more copiously in the absence of frogs, causing the boils of the 6th plague, though they probably wouldn’t spread to the hill-country of Goshen (8:22). The 7th plague, of hail, most likely took place in February or March (deduced from the grains mentioned in the Bible) and God warned the Egyptians to protect their animals (9:20), leaving the earth damp and ripe for the breeding of locusts. Then all the chewed up crops would have worsened the spring dust-storms bringing the 9th plague—darkness. Even the 10th plague can be given a "natural" explanation (though the timing is supernatural)—the storing of damp crops with locust feces and poor air circulation (dust storm) causing infection in the top layer, used to feed the first-born. After this plague, Pharaoh finally lets the Israelites go, and the Egyptians load them with treasures (12:36) to appease their God (and buy water in the desert perhaps).

Old Testament Tales - Young Moses

2010-10-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

Young Moses

1. Why were the Israelites in Egypt?
2. How long were the Israelites in Egypt?
3. Where did the Israelites live in Egypt?
4. How many Israelite midwives served the whole community?
5. Why wasn’t Aaron killed as a baby?
6. Why wasn’t Moses killed as a baby?
7. What was the name of Moses’ real mother?
8. What was the name of Moses’ foster-mother?
9. Why might Moses have written some of the books of the Old Testament?
10. Why did Moses run away?

At the end of Genesis, God’s people are living in the hill-country of Goshen near the Nile delta, near the area where Rameses will later be built. They’re pretty isolated from other Egyptians, since they’re shepherds and shepherds are despised. They stayed there for 400 years (Ex 12:40) and probably consolidated their memories of the Genesis stories while telling them round the camp-fire. Other tribes may have added and expanded traditional stories in the retelling, but the Israelites believed their stories to be God’s word and would have been careful not to add anything extra. (Which may be why the Bible seems so boring compared to the fanciful myths of other peoples…)

Towards the end of the 400 years, it seems God told the Israelites to move and they refused (Ezekiel 20:6-8). How easily we do that. Then the Egyptians began to build Rameses and enslaved the nearest tribespeople as unwilling volunteers. In an effort to keep the local slave population down, they told the Israelite midwives Shiprah and Puah to kill all baby boys, but they refused. Then they told the Egyptian soldiers to kill any babies they found while rounding up slaves. Aaron was probably born before this latter edict and was three years old at Moses birth. Moses’ sister Miriam helped hide him in a basket when he was small, and encouraged the Egyptian princess Bithiah (1 Chron 4:17-18) to adopt him, while Moses’ own mother Jochebed was hired as his nurse. Quite probably Jochebed and Moses would have lived in the palace while Miriam and Aarons stayed in Goshen with Amram (Moses’ father Ex 6:20).

The Israelite shepherds are unlikely to have developed writing, but Moses, growing up in the Egyptian palace, would have been exposed to Egyptian writing and teaching (and Egyptian gods). His mother probably taught him the stories of his own people, and it’s not unlikely that Moses would have been the first Israelite to write the stories down. Other Israelites probably learned to write during the time of slavery, and while travelling with Moses, so their writings may have been compiled with Moses’ into the first five books of the Bible.

It’s not hard to imagine Moses, brought up in relative luxury, viewing himself as the great saving hope of his people. In keeping with this, he tries to “help” an Israelite slave by killing an Egyptian. Probably a bad move. Then he runs away.

There was a road across the Sinai peninsula from Egypt to Midian, and since Moses ends up marrying a priest of Midian, this is probably the road he took. It would have been about a 7-day journey. 3 days further, on the road leading down to the Gulf of Aqaba, he would have reached Marah (Ex 2:15, 15:22, Num33:8), where he met Jethro (Reuel) and married his daughter Zipporah. They had two sons together, but it seems Moses didn’t have either of them circumcised (Ex 4:25). When he fell ill on his return journey, Zipporah blamed Moses’ god and performed the circumcision herself, so perhaps it had always been a bone of contention between them, or perhaps it was God’s way of convincing Moses that the return really was His will and not something commanded by a foreign god.

Old Testament Tales - Joseph

2010-10-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

I'm teaching a class on faith and science at church on Sunday. If you want to see my notes, I'm posting them on http://refracted-muse.blogspot.com

Joseph

1. Who was Joseph’s mother?
2. Was Joseph the youngest son?
3. Was Joseph a patriarch?
4. What did Judah do?
5. Which brother didn’t want Joseph to be killed?
6. Who was Joseph sold to first?
7. When did Joseph first know he could interpret dreams?
8. How forgiving was Joseph?
9. What happened to Joseph’s sons?
10. What happened when Joseph died?

Joseph was the first-born of his father’s favorite wife, Rachel. For a long time he was the youngest son—most likely the spoiled pet. He was probably a young teen when the family moved back to Canaan—Jacob is said to have worked 7 years each for Leah, Rachel, and his flocks, but the number might be symbolic (7 can stand for a plan). Soon after the journey, Rachel’s second child Benjamin is born and Rachel dies. At seventeen, Joseph tells tales on his brothers (Gen 37) and is rewarded with a multi-colored coat. He also, rather tactlessly, tells his brothers about dreams in which their sheaves of corn bow to his, or where 11 stars and the sun and moon, representing his family (except for Dinah presumably) bow to him. Even Jacob is less than impressed with him. Meanwhile his brothers plot murder, though Reuben suggests they just give Joseph a scare. Joseph is thrown in an empty pit and Reuben wanders off. Meanwhile Ishmaelite traders come by and Judah sells his brother for 20 pieces of silver, returning home with a colored coat soaked in animal blood to tell Jacob Joseph is dead.

Back home, Judah marries and has three sons. The first son marries and dies, so his wife, in accordance with custom, marries the second, who also dies after trying to avoid having children (Gen 38). Tamar, the wife, should then be given to the third son, but Judah decides she’s bad luck and sends her away. Tamar then pretends to be a harlot so Judah will sleep with her and she bears twin sons, one of whom becomes an ancestor of King David and of Jesus.

Joseph is taken to Egypt and sold to Potiphar. He prospers but is thrown in jail after refusing the advances of Potiphar’s wife. There he interprets the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants. Two years later, Pharaoh’s having dreams that his magicians can’t interpret. The surviving servant suggests Joseph might help. Joseph predicts a famine, crediting God for the warning. He’s placed in charge of storing up food during the intervening years so the people won’t starve. Joseph eventually nationalizes farms to protect livestock and introduces 20% taxes (Gen 47) as the land recovers.

Nomadic tribes often went to Egypt, as Abraham did, during a famine, camping just outside and sending representatives to ask permission to enter. Jacob refuses his brothers permission, accuses them of spying, and throws them in jail. He keeps Simeon hostage when he sends the others back, sending food and money, presumably to save Benjamin (who didn’t travel with them). Joseph insists if they want Simeon back they must bring their youngest brother next time, but Jacob won’t let Reuben take Benjamin. Eventually the family needs more food and all the brothers return. When Joseph tries to keep Benjamin behind, framing him for theft, Judah sticks up for his brother and Joseph finally reveals himself. He invites the family to stay in Goshen, an area that’s great for shepherds but undesirable to Egyptian farmers, the fact that the family are shepherds making them less of a threat to the Pharaoh (Gen 46,47). Seventeen years later Jacob dies and gives Joseph’s younger son, Ephraim, the older son’s blessing. Joseph carries his father’s body back to Abraham’s tomb for burial, but Joseph’s body is embalmed when he dies and placed in an Egyptian coffin so the Israelites can carry them back to Canaan when God leads them out of Egypt.

Old Testament Tales - Twelve Tribes of Israel

2010-10-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Twelve Tribes of Israel

1. What relation is Laban to Jacob?
2. How many holy dreams did Jacob have?
3. How long after marrying one sister did Jacob get to marry a second?
4. How many children did Leah have before Jacob began sleeping with the maids?
5. What have Jacob’s sheep got to do with the Bible?
6. What happened to Laban’s household gods?
7. What happened to the hollow of Jacob’s thigh?
8. What happened to Dinah?
9. When did Jacob’s name change to Israel?
10. How did Judah become the most important son?

Jacob goes to Padamaram, or Haram, or Nahor, where he stays with his uncle Laban, brother to Rebekah and grandson of Abraham’s brother Nahor (hence that extra generation in Abraham’s age—he was indeed an elderly father). Their relationship is cordial and Jacob works 7 years for the privilege of marrying the younger daughter Rachel, but finds himself wed to Leah instead. (There really were traditions that oldest daughters should marry first, and that wives and their maids form a harem for their husband.) One week later (a week being the wedding vow’s fulfillment) Jacob marries Rachel too.

Leah’s first sons are named Reuben (God has seen her sorrow), Simeon (God must have heard), Levi (her husband must join her now), and Judah (just praising God.) Rachel persuades Jacob to sleep with her servant (as Sarah persuaded Abraham) and Bilhah bears sons Dan (God judges) and Naphtali (wrestles). Not to be outdone, Leah offers her maid Zilpah who gives birth to Gad (a troop’s coming) and Asher (happy). In a neat side-story, oldest son Reuben shares his mandrakes (a love potion perhaps) with Aunt Rachel in exchange for mother Leah’s sleeping with his father, resulting in Issachar (hired out, for mandrakes perhaps), followed by Zebulun (dowry, presumably because Jacob continued to sleep with her) and the sole daughter Dinah. Finally Rachel bears Joseph and Jacob decides it’s time to leave.

Laban offers flocks to Jacob in exchange for staying longer, promising him the multicolored sheep, then quickly removing them to a different part of the land so Jacob can’t find them. A little genetic maneuvering ensues, with multi-colored lambs conceived from mixed parentage (before the removal, Gen 31:10). Jacob is described as using striped and speckled rods, and mating strong cattle with strong, to increase his flocks (Gen 30:37). Finally he leaves, heading home as God has commanded. His wife Rachel steals her father’s household gods (small statues, many of which have been found by archeologists—presumably Laban no longer followed one true God). She hides them in her saddle and claims it’s the wrong time of the month, so she can’t move and Laban can’t find them when he follows the family. Later Jacob buries the gods to purify the family (Gen 35).

Jacob offers increasing numbers of gifts to his brother Esau as he heads home, not realizing that Esau’s already forgiven him. Then Jacob wrestles, perhaps with God, resulting in a name change to Israel (prince who prevails), injury to his thigh, and a limp (Gen 32:32). At this point, Isaac is still alive, despite the deathbed scene precipitating Jacob’s departure. Esau and Jacob separate, as Lot and Abraham did and Jacob buys land to settle in Canaan. Unfortunately, his daughter becomes entangled with a local prince Shechem. The families attempt to arrange a marriage according to local custom, and Shechem’s family even agree to circumcision to join Israel. But Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi (numbers 2 and 3) murder them. At this point, Jacob finally destroys the household gods. God repeats Jacob’s name change and his promise in a dream(35:7), and the youngest son, Benjamin, is born. Rachel dies and is buried in Bethlehem in a tomb marked with a pillar. Reuben (son number 1) seals his fate by lying with his father’s concubine (35:22), making Judah the son who will eventually inherit the promise.

Old Testament Tales - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

2010-10-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

1. Why did Abram have a child with his wife’s handmaid?
2. How old was Ishmael when he was sent away from home?
3. What happened to Ishmael after he was sent away from home?
4. Did Ishmael and Isaac keep in touch with each other?
5. How many women bore children to Abraham?
6. When did Abram’s name get changed to Abraham?
7. How many times did God repeat his covenant to Abraham?
8. Who did Isaac marry?
9. What did Esau do wrong?
10. What is Jacob’s ladder?

Abram returned home after rescuing Lot from Chedorlaomar, and wondered why he still hadn’t got any of those divinely promised descendants. At this point, his wife suggests he try the traditional Egyptian solution, having a child by her servant Hagar (Genesis 16). According to the Bible, Abram is 86 years old when Ishmael is born and 100 at Isaac’s birth, making Ishmael clearly the older brother. (The age difference is small enough to be convincing, while Abram’s 86 years might mean two generations plus a bit.) The birth causes problems and jealousy of course, and when Sarah’s own son Isaac is born she soon persuades her husband to send the older boy (now 14 and technically adult) away with his mother. Lost in the desert, Hagar prays for aid (Genesis 21) and an angel leads her to water. Ishmael marries an Egyptian and becomes father to 12 tribes (Gen 17:20) while Isaac becomes grandfather to 12.

God’s promise was first made to Abram when He instructed him to move to Canaan (Gen 12:1-3). The promise is repeated (Gen 13:14-18) after Abram and Lot separate, and again (15:5), with all the ceremony of ancient covenants, when Abram ponders making an adopted slave his heir. Just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God visits Abram to repeat his promise and change Abram’s name to Abraham—father of many nations. Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah, and the tradition of circumcision is founded. Abraham laughs at the thought of another child; soon afterwards, Sarah laughs similarly, though her pregnancy is far from simple, accompanied by the destruction of Sodom and a journey to Gerar where Abraham again tries to pretend she’s his sister (Genesis 20).

With Ishmael temporarily out of the picture (though still in constant touch with the family—he returns for Abraham’s funeral (Gen 25:9) and his daughter marries Abraham’s grandson (Gen 28:9)), Abraham is “tempted” by God to sacrifice his “only” son (Gen 22). For Christians, the story prefigures the sacrifice of God’s son on the cross. For Muslims, it’s often told that Ishmael was the sacrifice. And for many the story tells how God provides, and how He does not desire the death of his children.

Abraham buys his first piece of property for Sarah’s tomb (Gen 23). He provides for his grieving son by finding a wife in his brother’s family (now living in Nahor, or Haran), then remarries (Keturah, Gen 25) and eventually dies, being buried in the same tomb. The new patriarch, Isaac, repeats his father’s trip to Gerar during a famine, claiming his wife is his sister (Gen 26). Such claims and alliances made over the digging of wells mirror non-biblical accounts of society at the time.

Isaac and Rebekah’s twin sons, Esau and Jacob, bicker from birth to adulthood, and God again chooses the younger son (just as he chose Isaac over Ishmael) for the continuation of the covenant. The older son, Esau, gives away his birthright in a non-binding argument over food, then marries outside the tribe, causing grief to his parents (Gen 26:34). Rebekah’s maneuvering results in Isaac blessing Jacob instead of Esau, after which Jacob runs away to his uncle’s family in Nahor. Esau stays home, effectively retaining the human birthright of inheritance, and even takes a third wife from Ishmael’s family to please his father (who insists Jacob must marry within the family). Meanwhile Jacob dreams of a ladder up to heaven and realizes God is guarding him. And rumors of Isaac’s imminent death prove unfounded.

Old Testament Tales - Abraham and Lot

2010-10-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

Abraham and Lot

Who set out from Ur of the Chaldees heading for the land of Canaan?
What relationship was Lot to Abram?
How often did Abram pretend that his wife was his sister?
Who were the “kings of the plain”?
Who was Melchisedek?
What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah?
Why were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed?
Where did Ishmael’s mother come from?
How old was Ishmael when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed?
How old was Ishmael when Isaac was born?

Genesis 11 describes the many generations of mankind scattered at Babel, and finally reaches Terah, father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. Terah lives in Ur of the Chaldees and sets out, after the death of his son Haran, to go to Canaan. Terah’s son Abram travels with him, bringing his childless wife Sarai and nephew Lot, son of Haran. Abram’s other brother Nahor appears not to have left Ur at this time. Terah stops before he reaches Canaan and lives out his life in the town of Haran (perhaps named for the lost son). The town’s name later changes to Nahor, suggesting Nahor must have joined him later. But Abram takes Sarai and Lot and leaves his father in Genesis 12, when God tells him to continue to Canaan.

Abram is a nomad and, when famines strikes, he goes south from Canaan to Egypt, just as many others would have done (and just as Jacob does later in the story of Joseph). Abram pretends that his wife is his sister, a common ruse that in Abram’s case results in his gaining much property before he leaves. (He repeats the ruse in Genesis 20, just before Isaac is born, and Isaac himself repeats it in Genesis.) It’s possible Sarai obtained the Egyptian serving girl Hagar at this time.

On returning to Canaan, Abram and Lot split up, Lot heading to the Cities of the Plain on the east of the Dead Sea and Abram heading for the hills. Archeologists have discovered the remains of several cities round the Dead Sea, where Sodom and Gomorrah probably stood. The story of the cities and their five kings being conquered by Chederlaomer (Genesis 14) fits in with other histories of the area. Abram comes to the rescue with an army of nomadic tribesmen, and is greeted by Melchisedek, king of Salem (probably Jerusalem) with a gift of bread and wine for God. Later Melchisedek comes to represent all those priests and people of God who do not claim Abraham as their ancestor, because he recognizes the one true God. There’s some suggestion that by this time Abram’s tribe are the only people still keeping the monotheistic God-stories pure, while others have added fanciful traditions and multiple deities.

Ishmael is born soon after this battle, and another 13 years pass before Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) are destroyed. The ruins bear witness to flames from the sky, burned from the rooftops down, and bitumen pits (Genesis 14:10) and geological instability give ample cause. The crimes for which the towns are destroyed are less easily explained. God initially tells Abraham he’s going to destroy them for their sins but doesn’t specify which ones. When angels visit Lot the townspeople demand to “know” them, hence the word sodomy; but Lot tries to offer his virgin daughters instead. Ezekiel 16 compares Jerusalem to the people of Sodom, saying they were arrogant and didn’t help the poor and needy. Jeremiah and Lamentations associate Sodom and Gomorrah with adultery and lies. Isaiah compares the shameless sins of Babylon to those of Sodom and Gomorrah. And in Deuteronomy Moses warns the Jews not to fall into the sins and sicknesses of Sodom and Gomorrah. All in all, the most we can say for sure is that the people were sinful and their sins included sexual sins.

Lot escapes, hoping to stay in one “small city” that will be spared (and was, if the archeologists are right). He ends up living in the hills instead, and his wife ends up turned into a pillar of salt. While it’s hard to imagine such instant transformation, it’s likely the plain would be scattered with such pillars after Lot’s flight, and indeed, some still exist. Meanwhile, Isaac is born one after the destruction.

Old Testament Tales - Noah's Ark

2010-09-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

Noah’s Ark and the Tower of Babel

1. Which came first, Noah’s flood or the Tower of Babel?
2. Which came first in Noah’s flood, the rain or the rising waters?
3. Where might Noah’s flood have taken place?
4. How many of each animal did Noah take into the ark?
5. How long did the flood last?
6. What is the first incidence of drunkenness in the Bible?
7. When did God tell man not to eat meat with the blood in it?
8. Who was Methuselah?
9. Who was Enoch?
10. Where was Babel?

The Bible records early people living to great ages (Genesis 5). Adam is recorded as dying at age 930, his son Seth at 912, grandson Enosh 905, etc. with Methuselah (Noah’s grandfather) reaching the grand old age of 969—a Biblical record! Some traditions describe the miracle of God’s giving us long life. Others suggest that the patriarch’s name is used throughout the existence of the tribe, not just the man. Non-Biblical documents seem to record great ages as proof of great wisdom and power. For myself, I struggle to remember my own age, even with the aid of calendars, newspapers, internet, commerce etc. Still, it’s interesting to note that the Biblical numbers imply Methuselah died in the same year as Noah’s flood (Genesis 6), while Noah’s great-grandfather, Enoch, appears to have died miraculously, with his body never being recovered.

There are many flood myths besides the Biblical account, which could mean the Bible was based on legend, but could also mean the legend was based on fact. The Bible account is somewhat boringly factual—lengths and measures given more space than fear and feelings—making it sound more like an original document. By contrast, the Babylonian myth depicts war in the heavens and a goddess throwing her necklace into the sky to make a rainbow. (Note, the Bible doesn’t say God waited till the flood to make rainbows; just that he pointed one out after the flood—see Genesis 9.)

Physical evidence suggests the Black Sea was once a fertile plain watered by a narrow river. Much of civilization appears to have settled there. The earth would have cooled in a mini-ice age, making the valley the most fertile spot remaining. Then global warming caused the Mediterranean to rise over the Bosporus Straits (the river still hides a reverse current in its depths). The valley would have flooded very quickly and cataclysmically, with almost all life washed away. But Noah survived. According to the Bible (Genesis 7), the floods came up before the rains came down, suggesting this might be an accurate picture.

After the flood (40 days, or 150: Genesis 7), Noah lands on dry ground and makes sacrifice to God (Genesis 8). During the intervening period, the family must have been eating on the boat. Perhaps that’s why Genesis 7 suggests there were 7 pairs of each clean animal carried, while Genesis 6 says one pair of everything. (It’s also likely that the Bible account is a combination of two other written records.) The ground around their landing place would have been littered with carcasses, which might explain why God gives the command not to eat meat with the blood in it (Genesis 9), i.e. only meat they’ve personally killed rather than flood-kill or victims of plague. Of all the fruits carried on the boat, grapes were the most likely to still be palatable. Unfortunately they were probably also rather alcoholic, and in Genesis 9 we read tate Noah became drunk, resulting in his cursing his sons, a very human tale.

Genesis 10 continues with lists of descendants, providing an interesting picture of how early human tribes spread out. And in Genesis 11 we see the building of a tower in Babel, or Babylon, resulting in mankind’s being scattered and our languages divided. Certainly by this period of prehistory, tribes were splitting and spreading, and different languages would have developed.

Old Testament Tales: Adam and Eve

2010-09-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Beginning: Adam and Eve

1. Did God make plants before people or people before plants?
2. Did God make man before woman or woman before man?
3. What did the first human beings eat?
4. Where was the Garden of Eden?
5. What did God tell Adam and Eve not to eat?
6. How many children did Adam and Eve have?
7. Where did Adam and Eve live after they were thrown out of Eden?
8. Why did Cain kill Abel?
9. What happened to the surviving brother?
10. Where did civilization begin?

For some people, the Bible story of creation is “just a myth.” For others, it proves evolution doesn’t exist. And for others, myself included, the remarkable agreement between Genesis and the discoveries of modern science (as opposed to traditions of ancient belief) make it hard not to believe in God. After all, how could people more than 3,000 years ago (a very conservative estimate) ever have guessed that plants evolved before fish and birds before mammals before man?

In the beginning, there was light, or maybe the Big Bang. When scientists first postulated this, a breakaway group refused to accept the evidence and produced ever more complicated theories explaining it away. They didn’t like the idea of a Big Bang because a “primal cause” (beginning) might imply a “primal causer” (God). It doesn’t, of course, though I believe God is the primal causer and eternal guide. Today a different segment of the scientific community is equally convinced evolution implies the non-existence of God. But other Christians believe evolution is the tool God used to create.

After light, God made water—a second essential to life. A day passed, or a period of time, depending on just how specific we believe primitive Hebrew to have been. Then came plants; then the skies began to clear so the sun and moon appeared. Next came fish and birds and animals and man. Did primitive man eat nuts and berries as the Bible says? Most probably, yes. And the primitive world would have had them in abundance.

Of course, Genesis 2 tells a completely different story from Genesis 1. There, God forms man after water but before the plants, and then he makes the garden. Interestingly, there’s an eastward motion implied—man is created, placed in “the east” in a garden, then thrown out eastwards with a fiery guard placed at the eastern gate to prevent his return. Various studies, including recent ones in genetics, suggest humanity began in Africa and moved eastwards to the fertile crescent as the earth warmed and the land behind became uninhabitable. So maybe Eden is in Africa, and the fiery sword is desert heat.

The Bible tells us (Genesis 3) God placed two special trees in Eden—the Tree of Life, and the Tree of Knowledge. The one we weren’t meant to eat from was the tree of knowledge. In some traditions, it bore grapes; in others, apples. Some stories say Adam and Eve’s sin was pride. Others say it was the very human desire to control and make decisions for ourselves. Whatever, the Bible tells that the perfect ecological equilibrium of Eden was spoiled by sin. From then on, we live in a broken world.

Adam and Eve had three sons, Cain, Abel and Seth. Cain killed Abel in jealousy over sacrifices made to God. Since Abel offered meat, it’s likely mankind was no longer vegetarian. (Meat smells better than grain when burned, which might explain Cain’s jealousy). In punishment, Cain was banished. In some traditions, he marries his sister first. In others he marries into a different tribe, credited with building the first cities and civilizations before they died out (Genesis 4). Genetically, there must be one “father” from whom all human genes descend, so Cain’s tribe might represent a genetic dead-end.

New Testament Tales - That Final Book

2010-09-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

That Final Book

1. When was the final list of books in the New Testament completed?
2. When was the last big debate over which New Testament books were canonical?
3. Which was the last book included in the New Testament?
4. Who wrote the last book of the New Testament?
5. How many churches was the book of Revelation addressed to?
6. What’s so special about 144,000?
7. What’s so special about 666?
8. What four beasts are in the book of Revelation?
9. What four beasts are in the book of Daniel?
10. What four beasts are in the book of Ezekiel?

Paul’s epistles circulated throughout the world by the end of the 1st century and are mentioned in contemporary Christian writings. The four gospels were accepted as canonical by 160 AD (with various references to four being the number of winds and corners of the world). Origen’s list of canonical books in 200AD left out James, 2 Peter and 2 and 3 John, and included the Shepherd of Hermas, which was later left out. There are records of debates yielding general agreement on the books which were finally chosen to include in the Bible. Just before 400AD, the books currently accepted (in the New and Old Testaments) were approved by several different councils around the world, though there remained some questions about James and Revelation. As recently as the 16th century, Martin Luther continued to question the presence of James, Jude, Hebrews and Revelation in the Bible.

Revelation was probably the last book (almost) universally accepted into the New Testament. It’s generally believed to have been written during Domitian’s reign, around 95AD. The author calls himself John and is traditionally believed to be the apostle. In his gospel, John calls himself “the disciple Jesus loved,” but no other disciples take part in the events of Revelation so it’s not surprising that he uses his own name there. The epistles of John may have been written shortly before or shortly after Revelation.

Revelation starts with seven letters to seven churches. Seven is a symbolic number, and many numerical symbols are used in books known as apocalypses—a popular form of writing at the time. Seven represents the completeness of God’s plan, so the seven churches might represent the universal church on earth. It’s certainly interesting to see how their failings are mirrored in our modern churches—teaching man’s doctrine as God’s, losing our first love, thinking we’re healthy when we’re not, etc… When churches harp back to the “good old days” of the New Testament, it’s wise to remember that the church of the book of Acts was divided, and the churches of Revelation were warned because of their failings as well as praised for their strengths. Perhaps we’re not so different today.

The four beasts of Revelation (Rev 4:7, Ezekiel 1:10, Daniel 7:3) might well be just as symbolic as the four gospels accepted in the New Testament, four being a number often used to represent earth. Three represents god and certainty, twelve (tribes or apostles) represent God’s choosing, ten represents mankind, or something countable (commandments, or a limited number of years of suffering for example), forty represents a generation (as in the Old Testament), fifty is Jubilee—the yearlong celebration following seven sevens of years. 144,000 (otherwise listed as a number too great to count) might represent 12 (chosen tribes) times 12 (chosen apostles) times 10 (mankind) raised to the power 3 (for God). And 666 might represent a three-fold (divine) failure to follow the plan (7), as well as code for a Roman emperor.

Reading Revelation as a roadmap can often obscure its symbolism. It’s prophesies have been used to prove the world was ending in 1,000AD and 2,000AD, or when the European Union reached 10 nations, or a certain church reached 144,000 members. But perhaps the message is for all of us (7 churches) for all of time, and the reminder is that trouble is part of our nature, while God’s plan divine.

New Testament Tales - the Apocrypha

2010-09-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

Which writings didn’t make the cut?

1. Why didn’t the Gospel of Thomas get included in the Bible?
2. What is supposed to have written three different gospels about Jesus’ death?
3. How many ancient books are known to have been written about Jesus’ childhood?
4. Did Pilate become a Christian?
5. How many books of Acts didn’t make it into the Bible?
6. Why isn’t the Gospel of Judas included in the Bible?
7. How many Apocalypses were written in early Christian times?
8. Why are Paul’s writings included in the Bible?
9. Why are Luke’s writings included in the Bible?
10. Why isn’t the Left Behind series included in the Bible?

The early Christian church accepted Hebrew scripture as the word of God, looking to Jesus’ followers for interpretation and application. As the disciples died, they created a “canon” of books consistent with Christ’s teaching, just as the Jews had a canon of approved interpretations. Each document was authentically written by someone who knew and respected Jesus, or who was known and respected by those who knew him. Paul’s letters are included because of evidence that he saw resurrected Jesus, and because apostles who knew Jesus saw him as chosen by God. Luke’s gospel and the book of Acts are included because of Luke’s verifiable research amongst those who directly knew Jesus.

The Gospel of Thomas didn’t make it into the Bible. It includes two parts: The first, known as the Infancy Gospel, contains stories about Jesus turning clay birds into real birds and wounding playmates with a look; the second collects sayings of the adult Jesus. It’s believed to have been written in the 2nd or 3rd century. Like many religious writings, it was popular, but it probably wasn’t written by Thomas the apostle so it didn’t make it into the Bible. Other “gospels” about Jesus’ childhood include the Gospel of James, the Syriac Infancy, the History of Joseph the Carpenter, and the Life of John the Baptist. Three Jewish Christian may have been rejected because they dwelled on singular interpretations of words, such as “locust” being rendered “cake” to make John the Baptist a vegetarian, or because they excluded reference to Gentiles. Other “rival” gospels made more serious changes and were rejected because they were known to be derivative. The Gospel of Judas, recently discovered, contains religious theology dating from the 2nd century, making it clearly a later writing than the canonical gospels; it suggests, inconsistently with other writings, that Jesus only made his real purpose known to Judas.

Several gospels center on the passion of Christ. Like the (more recent) movie, they were written long after the death of Christ: The Gospel of Peter tells how the cross was miraculously able to speak and move; it was the first non-canonical gospel to be rediscovered by modern archeology. Scholars generally agree it was written in the second half of the 2nd century. Another “passion gospel” is that of Nicodemus, or the Acts of Pilate, written in the 4th century and including accounts of saints raised after the crucifixion, describing what had happened to the Sanhedrin. Another saint accompanies Christ to hell to witnesses the raising of the Patriarchs. There’s no record of Pilate becoming a Christian, and Pilate’s real letters to Rome date from much earlier. Bartholomew is credited with the Gospel of Bartholomew, the Questions of Bartholomew (which includes dialogs about the end of the world in different places in different versions) and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, all of which appear to have been written long after Jesus’ death. Rejected (apocryphal) books include those telling the stories of Joseph’s staff; Quo Vadis and Peter’s inverted crucifixion (Acts of Peter); and Veronica’s veil (Acts of Pilate).

There are at least twelve different books known as Acts, some written as late as 400AD, ten epistles (some by famous Christians, but not Biblical since they lived too long after Jesus), eight Apocalypses (not counting end-times books of the modern era), and numerous other documents, known from existing fragments, or from quotes and comments in other writings. And there’s the Bible, created only from documents which could be authenticated in those days when the death of Jesus was still recent history.

New Testament Tales - Which Epistle is Which?

2010-09-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Which Letter is Which?

1. Which epistle tells us to anoint the sick with oil?
2. Which epistle warns of the dangers of the tongue?
3. Which epistle mentions “the rapture”?
4. Which epistle says the greatest of these is love?
5. Which epistle includes a request that two church leaders try to get along with each other?
6. Which epistle contains a long discourse about how the whole world knows about God?
7. Which epistle contains instructions on women covering their heads?
8. Which epistle is written in sorrow and talks about joy?
9. Which epistle mentions somebody’s mother and grandmother?
10. Which epistle asks for mercy on a runaway slave?

The epistle of James is believed to be the first one written. James writes about everyday concerns in Jerusalem, the bridling of the tongue to avoid inflaming hostilities (between Christians and Jews, since they lived together and Christians were still a small sect of Judaism), and prayer for the sick, accompanied by anointing with healing oils (nothing radical; just practical advice). He doesn’t mention the circumcision debate or questions about eating meat sacrificed to idols, both of which became important as Christianity spread to the Gentiles and the Gentile world.

The next epistle is probably Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians. Paul visited Thessalonica on his second missionary journey (probably carrying Peter’s lost letter from the council at Jerusalem: Acts 17:1), and it seems from his letters that the apocalyptic part of Jesus’ message became more important to them than the message about life on earth. Paul’s letters to them encourage them not to stop working just because the end is near, and dispel a doubt about whether those who die before the end can still be saved.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians mention divisions in the church (1 Cor 1:11), issues of sexual immorality (1 Cor 5:1), plus many musings on matters that would have been of serious importance in a community living among Gentile idol-worshipers (the use of courts 6:1, avoiding sexual temptation 7:1, the importance of virgins 7:25, food offered to idols 8:1, the way women might wear their hair 11:6), but it's in Philippians (4:2) that he asks two women leaders, Euodia and Syntyche, to work on their friendship. The best-known passage in Corinthians may be the song that reminds us of the importance of love (1 Cor 13), a fitting conclusion to a discourse on rules, and a wise reminder to readers that the rules are made for the people (and particular rules for particular societies), not the other way around.

Paul’s letter to the Romans contains less personal and particular discussion, and much longer, well-reasoned arguments, as is fitting for the people he is writing to—a group of people with serious questions, as opposed to a group of believers with serious issues. The beginning of the letter might almost be written to serious believers today, explaining how all should be able to know God, and how God gives societies over to sin and impurity when we exchange God’s glory for mere objects and images. The argument ends with a reminder not to try to pass judgment on others when we ourselves are sinners (Romans 2:1)

Paul’s letter to the Philipians, most probably written when he had been held prisoner for several years in Rome, is filled with messages of joy despite Paul’s evident fight against discouragement (Phil 2:17). It also includes personal details of Paul’s imprisonment and those who visit him—as a historical document it’s a valuable illustration of how house arrest was enforced. Timothy is clearly one of Paul’s friends, like a son with a father (2:22), and later (assuming a time-line where Paul is eventually released) Paul writes personally to Timothy who is now leading a church on his own. Paul includes instructions on how someone might be deemed qualified to lead a church. Paul’s second letter to Timothy includes praises for his mother and grandmother who brought him to faith (2 Tim 1:5). Onesimus, another friend of Paul in prison, is sent from Rome with Paul’s letter to the Colossians (Col 4:9), and carries a second letter to his former master, begging for Christian mercy (Philemon 1:10).

New Testament Tales - the Holy Spirit in Acts

2010-09-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit in Acts

1. What are the “gifts” of the Holy Spirit?
2. What’s the connection between the gift of “tongues” and the sacrament of baptism?
3. Which apostles are also described as prophets?
4. Whose daughters were prophets?
5. What’s the connection between anointing with oil and prayer for healing?
6. How does the Holy Spirit guide in the book of Acts?
7. Who prophesied that Paul would be arrested?
8. What miracles occur in Acts?
9. What prophesies are recorded in Acts?
10. Who said “We must obey God, not men”?

Paul lists nine gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:1-14, seven in Romans 12:6-8, and five ministries in Ephesians 4:11. All these gifts are apparent in the stories in the Book of Acts. The gift of tongues is frequently connected with Pentecost and baptism, but only because that is where it is usually seen first. Acts seems to accept tongues as evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit, perhaps in the same way as the Old Testament accepted ecstatic utterances (1 Samuel 10:5-12). In Acts the gift is given by the Spirit, not by the sacrament or minister, so it arises before or after baptism is administered. Also, it’s not always mentioned, and while sometimes its absence is used to indicate someone is not fully baptized, there are other baptisms mentioned where tongues don’t seem to occur. Paul notes in 1 Corinthians that tongues without interpretation aren’t terribly useful, and the story of Pentecost seems to indicate that everyone heard and understood, as if interpretation were given to the (unbaptised) listeners just as tongues was to the disciples. (Even allowing that the disciples may have been speaking in foreign human tongues, interpreting such a babble of different languages would require quite serious gifting.)

Prophecy appears in many different guises in Acts. Peter announces the expectation of prophecy at Pentecost (Acts 2:16) in fulfillment of Joel. When Ananias and Sapphira try to deceive God, Peter doesn’t so much condemn them as prophesy death (Acts 5:9). When Barnabus and Saul are staying in Antioch, some prophets (including Agabus) predict a famine, prompting Christians to send aid (and send Saul and Barnabas). Saul and Barnabas are both described as prophets before the Spirit calls them to be missionaries (Acts 13:1), and their journey begins with Saul prophesying the false prophet Elymas will become blind (Acts 13:6,11). At the end of Paul’s first journey, the apostles write a letter and Judas and Silas, described as prophets, offer encouragement (Acts 15:32). In Ephesus, Paul lays hands on the newly baptised so they speak in tongues and prophesy. Philip’s four daughters are described as prophets in Caesarea (so there are women prophets Acts 21:9), but it’s Agabus, the same one who foretold the Jerusalem famine, who ends Paul’s journeys with a prediction of his arrest (Acts 21:11).

The Spirit’s gifts also include wisdom and skills for teaching, as promised in Acts 1:8. Peter’s bold defense before the religious leaders is inspired by the Spirit (Acts 4:8, 31), and Stephen is described as speaking with irresistible wisdom given by the Spirit (Acts 6:10). The Holy Spirit is also credited with guiding the apostles in many different ways, something we should remember when praying for guidance or when wondering about “unanswered” prayer. The Spirit speaks to Philip encouraging him to evangelize the eunuch (Acts 8:29). Ananias receives a vision calling him to visit Saul (Acts 9:10). Both Cornelius and Peter receive visions leading to the baptism of Gentiles (Acts 10). We’re not told how the Holy Spirit chose Saul and Barnabas, but prayer and fasting seems to be involved (Acts 13:2). Afterwards the Spirit guides Paul’s journeys (Acts 16:6-9). And Paul resolves “in the Spirit” to go to Rome, interpreting the vision of Agabus rather differently from those who beg him to stay (Acts 21:4).

Although miraculous healings occur many times in Acts, James includes more prosaic healing prayer accompanied by “anointing with oil” (James 5:14) which, in that time, was equivalent to taking your medicine. The Spirit works, but we work too, not as slaves or automata but as gifted family.

New Testament Tales - Miracles in Acts

2010-09-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

Miracles in Acts

1. Which apostle performed the first healing miracle in Acts?
2. Who said “Silver and gold have I none”?
3. Whose shadow was said to heal people?
4. Who healed Saul’s blindness?
5. What happened to a woman whose name means gazelle?
6. Which disciples raised the dead?
7. Who was called a god for healing a crippled man?
8. Who handled poisonous snakes?
9. Who was mistaken for an angel?
10. Who stayed in jail after his chains had fallen off?

Christian traditions differ about the place of miracles in the expanding church, some claiming that miracles were needed in the earliest days to verify God’s plan but died out later, others claiming they have never died out. The Catholic church even goes so far as to investigate potential miracles to verify which ones might be true, while other churches claim God prefers to work through modern medicine, and still others deny the value of any medicine other than prayer.

The Book of Acts is full of miraculous events, far more than we often realize. Straight after Pentecost we hear that many signs and wonders were performed by the apostles (Acts 2:43), and at the start of the next chapter, Peter heals a crippled man at the Beautiful Gate, inspiring the song “Silver and gold have I none,” and resulting quickly in the arrest of Peter and John. After their release, all the apostles are again performing miracles, and Peter’s shadow gains a reputation for miraculous power (Acts 5:12,15). After Stephen’s death, Philip preaches and heals in Samaria (Acts 8:7). Ananias heals Saul’s eyes (Acts 9:18). Peter is recorded healing a paralyzed man in Lydda and a dead woman in Joppa (Acts 9:36). (Paul also raises the dead later in the tale, when a young man falls out of a window, Acts 20:9-12.)

Paul starts healing people on his first missionary journey, A cripple is healed in Lystra (Acts 14:9) because of his faith and people start calling Paul a god, though he and Barnabas (both called apostles, with Barnabas in the lead) preach the story of Jesus to them. Paul ends up being beaten and left for dead outside town, but miraculously recovers when the disciples pray over him. On Paul’s second journey, while travelling with Timothy, Silas and Luke, Paul heals a girl from a spirit that has called her to shout out fortunes (Acts 16:17). By the time of Paul’s third trip, we’re simply told “God continued” to do many miracles by his hands (Acts 19:12). And when Paul is shipwrecked on Malta during his trip as a prisoner to Rome, he again becomes known for healing the sick (Acts 28:9).

There are other miracles besides healings recounted in the book of Acts. Peter and John are miraculously rescued after being thrown in jail by the religious authorities (Acts 5:19). This is their second arrest by the Jewish authorities—they were released the first time and prayed for boldness to continue witnessing. When recaptured, Peter famously declares he must obey God rather than men. Another miraculous jailbreak occurs when Peter is imprisoned by Herod, at the same time as James is killed. The believers pray, but not with much faith it seems, since they’re so startled by Peter’s return that they forget to open the door (Acts 12:1-16), telling Rhoda it must be Peter’s angel. (Incidentally, the description of the chains and different sets of guards is considered to be very authentic for how such prisons were run.) Paul and Silas are miraculously unchained in prison after healing the prophetic girl (Acts 16:26), but they stay around and convert the jailer and family, baptizing them before proceeding to argue with the magistrates. On his journey as a prisoner to Rome, an angel visits Paul who then encourages and guides the sailors through shipwreck disaster and storm (Acts 27:23-26), then Paul miraculously handles a poisonous snake (Acts 28:4-5). There’s no proof that miracles continued beyond the end of the book of Acts, but there’s plenty of non-Biblical evidence of belief. And our lives are full of small miracles as God cares for and spares us, whatever we think of the big.

New Testament Tales - letters from the missionary field

2010-08-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Letters from the Missionary Field
1. Which is believed to the first written epistle?
2. Which city did Paul write his first letters to?
3. How many letters did Paul write to the Corinthians?
4. Which letters were carried by a runaway slave?
5. Where did Peter write his first letter from?
6. Why might we think 1&2 Timothy and Titus were written later than Paul’s other letters?
7. Why might Paul not have signed the letter to the Hebrews?
8. When did Peter write his second letter?
9. When did Jude write his letter?
10. When did John do his writing?

The epistle of James is generally considered to have been written first, probably before 50AD since it doesn’t mention circumcision which became such a major controversy in the early church. Paul would have visited Galatia around 51AD carrying Peter’s letter with the judgment about circumcision (Acts 16), moving on to Philippi and Thessalonica (Acts 16,17) via jails and riots and to Corinth (Acts 18) where he spent eighteen months. (Luke joined him around Philippi.) His letters to the Thessalonians were probably the next epistles, written while many believers still expected Jesus’ imminent return.

Paul returned to Jerusalem around 54AD after a brief visit to Ephesus, then headed to Galatia again. This time he spent three years in Ephesus,and probably wrote 1 Corinthians (not his first letter to them since he mentions a previous one) around Passover in 56AD. He probably visited Corinth by boat a few times during this period, writing 2 Corinthians (a 3rd, or possibly 4th letter) later in the journey. He stayed in Corinth again on his way back to Jerusalem in 58AD (Acts 20) and could have written his epistle to the Romans from there during the spring. In Jerusalem, Paul was captured and kept under house arrest, to protect him from death threats issued by extremists. Felix and Festus, the governors mentioned in the Bible, are recognizable historical figures.

Luke probably worked on the book of Acts while staying with Paul at this time. He travelled to Rome with Paul, arriving around 61AD. Paul was under house arres againt, preaching to believers who came to hear him. Luke’s account ends with the carpenter of Nazareth being proclaimed in the most important city of the world, but of course, the real story continues. Paul probably wrote to his letters to the Ephesians, Philippians and Collosians while at Rome. Ephesians doesn’t contain any personal greetings, despite the long time Paul spent there, so it’s often believed to be a “form letter” sent out to many churches at once. The runaway slave Onesimus carried letters to Philemon and the Colossians.

Many believe Philippians to be the latest of these letters, written perhaps in 63AD, since Paul seemed to be finding his imprisonment more onerous. There are more details of church structure, suggesting the church was becoming older and more organized. In fact, there’s even more structural information in Timothy and Titus; many scholars believe Paul was eventually released and wrote 1 Timothy around 63AD and Titus a few years later. He was arrested again, writing 2 Timothy, and possibly Hebrews, shortly before his death in 68AD. If Paul wrote Hebrews, he probably didn’t sign it to avoid the Jerusalem believers rejecting it.

Peter reached Rome during Paul’s first imprisonment and wrote 1 Peter, including references to Paul’s letters. Peter wrote a second letter during his own imprisonment around 68AD. Jude the brother of James (therefore maybe Jesus’ cousin or brother) wrote his letter at this time (just before the destruction of the Temple). But John’s letters are frequently dated later. One theory is John was exiled when Peter and Paul were martyred, and wrote his gospel and Revelation during the exile, writing his short letters later. Other evidence suggests he was exiled around 90AD during Domitian’s reign, since Domitian liked exiling people. Either way, John’s are probably the latest pieces of writing in the New Testament.

New Testament Tales - Out of Israel

2010-08-24T16:53:00.001-07:00

Out of Israel
1. What nationality and background were the first Christians?
2. How long did Christian believers worship in Jerusalem before being scattered?
3. How soon after Jesus’ death did he appear to Saul of Tarsus?
4. Where were Christians first called Christians?
5. What were they called before that?
6. When were they first called Christians?
7. What happened around ten years after Jesus’ death?
8. When did Paul start travelling to preach the Gospel?
9. When did Paul start writing to preach the Gospel?
10. When did Luke start travelling with Paul?

The book of Acts opens around 30AD. The first followers of Christ are crowd celebrating Pentecost, converted after hearing Peter’s sermon (Psalm 16:10, Joel 2:28). The church functions much like any other Jewish sect, except for a more radical call to sharing. Stephen, chosen to keep peace between Hellenist (Greek-speaking) and Nationalist (Arabic-speaking) believers, is stoned in 33AD, and Saul begins his persecution of Christians, causing them to flee the city. As Paul himself later writes (Romans 8:28), all things work for good, and the Gospel spreads. Saul is converted by a vision of Jesus (about five years later) and preaches in Damascus, later returning to Jerusalem where believers won’t trust him ‘til Barnabas speaks up for him. Still threatened by the crowds, he retreats to Tarsus (Acts 9:30).

At this point (42AD) Peter is travelling and preaching the Gospel, eventually converting Gentiles after God gives him a vision. Meanwhile Barnabas and Saul go to Antioch where Christians, previously known as followers of “the Way” (Acts 9:2) are first called Christians. Peter is imprisoned when authorities stage another crackdown in Judea, but an angel releases him (much to the surprise of those praying for him). Herod Agrippa dies in 44AD (Acts 12:19-23) after accepting praise due to God, an event recorded in Josephus as well as in the Bible. And Gentile believers are recorded sending aid to their Jewish allies during a famine at this time.

John Mark—possibly the writer of Mark, and possibly the young man who ran away naked in the garden—joins Paul and Barnabas on Paul’s first missionary journey, leaving under a cloud and causing their later separation. By now, Saul calls himself Paul—the Roman version of his name—and is listed before Barnabas, indicating increasing importance. In Cyprus, Paul is opposed by a Jewish sorcerer who advises the proconsul wrongly; the sorcerer is blinded and Paul wins the argument.

Around 50AD Paul returns to Jerusalem to arguments about the conversion of uncircumcised Gentiles. Peter and the elders write a letter setting up a subset of Jewish rules for converts—not the first Christians letter, since James has probably already written his epistle (which doesn’t mention circumcision). Paul sets off with Timothy and Silas carrying the letter on his second missionary journey.

Paul keeps trying to head in one direction while circumstances (aka the Holy Spirit) stop him. He and Silas end up in prison, but their chains fall off in an earthquake and they convert the jailor. Soon Paul reaches Athens (via Galatia, Philippi and Thessalonica), preaching the well-known sermon on the “unknown God” before travelling to Corinth for eighteen months, during which time he writes his first known epistles, to the Thessalonians.

Luke meets Paul on his way to Macedonia (Acts 16:9), probably staying behind at Philippi when Paul returns to Jerusalem around 54AD before his third missionary journey. In Ephesus Paul meets Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila, and stays for three years, plus occasional visits (and letters) back to Corinth. Luke rejoins Paul for the journey back to Jerusalem, convinced they are following the Spirit’s guidance despite warnings of imprisonment and worse. Paul is arrested and Luke follows him to Rome.

New Testament Tales - Building a Church

2010-08-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Building a Church
1. What were the first deacons appointed to do?
2. Which men called to work in food distribution became famous for their preaching?
3. When did the first baptisms take place after Jesus’ resurrection?
4. What rules did the early church follow for Baptisms?
5. What rules did the early church follow for Communion?
6. What rules did the early church follow for sharing property?
7. Who is the first “evangelist”?
8. What happened to Ananias and Sapphira?
9. Who worked miracles in the early church?
10. Who spoke in tongues?

After receiving the Holy Spirit, the disciples set about continuing Jesus’ mission, first as a Jewish sect in Jerusalem, and then around the world. Like many other Jewish sects, they cared for their widows and orphans. And like many human groups, they ended up trying to resolve disputes about fair play. The 12 disciples chose 7 people (generally considered to be the first deacons, though the Bible doesn’t say so) to deal with everyday life, freeing them for holier work, though Philip (the evangelist – Acts 21:8) and Stephen became more famous as preachers than as kitchen laborers. (Twelve and seven are nice Biblical numbers – God’s choosing and God’s complete plan.)

New members were baptized into the early church, starting with three thousand on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38). They then appear to have lived communally, sharing everything, though it seems the system broke down after a while (Acts 5:1-5). After Stephen’s death the believers scattered and the next recorded baptism takes place in Samaria where Philip calls and baptizes followers of the sorcerer, Simon, eventually converting Simon too. At this point Peter comes to re-baptize them with the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:16), and Philip is carried off to baptize the Ethiopian (Acts 8:36). Saul is baptized by Ananias, who also heals his blindness, after encountering the risen Lord on the road. Soon the Gentiles are speaking in tongues, having received the Holy Spirit without being baptized, and Peter agrees that they’d better baptize them too. (Acts 10:47). Soon the baptisms of John and of Jesus (Acts 19:3) are treated as separate events, the one signifying repentance and the other involving the Holy Spirit. It’s possible that some churches interpret this as a separation between baptism and confirmation. When Lydia, in Thyatira, is baptized, all her household are baptized as well (Acts 16:5). It’s not clear who is involved in the household, but again, some churches interpret household baptism (1 Cor 1:16) as confirming that infants can be baptized. Using the Bible as a template for baptismal rules becomes difficult with so many different actions in different passages. It might be more a matter of interpretation than of divine conviction. . It might be more a matter of interpretation than of divine conviction, as with so many other rules. In Acts, different groups argue about leaders, followers, circumcision and even the types of meat which can be eaten.

Different Christian denominations use different events in the New Testament to define their lists of sacraments. While most churches agree on baptism and communion (Luke 22:19-20), additional sacraments can include confirmation (or adult baptism, or rebaptism, or recommitment), confession (John 20:23), anointing the sick (Mat 6:13, John 9:6, James 5:14), marriage (Hebrews 13:4), and Holy Orders (there are many references to apostles and leaders being among the “anointed”). Seven sacraments, of course, results in a good "traditional" Biblical number.

When Paul breaks bread after raising Eutychus from the dead, it’s generally believed he celebrated communion; similarly when he blesses breaks and eats bread on the sinking ship (Acts 20:11, 27:35). But the Lord’s Supper itself is not mentioned till Paul gives instructions to the Corinthian church (1 Cor 11:23-34).

The book of Acts contains many references to healing miracles (Acts 5:12-16; also in chapters 3, 4, 8, 9, 14, 16, 19 and 28), miraculous rescues from prison and shipwreck, raising of the dead, snakes safely held, foreign tongues being spoken, etc. And Jesus’ teaching spreads with the promise of salvation.

New Testament Tales - Life after Death

2010-08-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Life after Death
1. How long did Jesus stay with the disciples after his resurrection?
2. What’s the biggest number of people the Bible records seeing Jesus after his resurrection?
3. What supernatural things did Jesus do after his resurrection?
4. What natural things did Jesus do after his resurrection?
5. What did Thomas do besides doubting?
6. Where did Jesus first appear after his death?
7. Where did Jesus last appear in the Bible after his death?
8. Who walked to Emmaus?
9. How long after the ascension was Pentecost?
10. Who is the thirteenth disciple?

According to Acts (1:3) Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of forty days after his resurrection. It’s not clear if anyone was keeping count, or if forty days was another way of saying “for a few weeks,” but forty is a number often used in the Bible – Noah’s flood, Jesus’ time in the desert, etc. Paul records Jesus appearing to 500 people at once (1 Cor 15:6), a pretty wild claim and one that would be easily disproved if false, but there’s no record of where or when. (It’s interesting to wonder, just how many people would Elvis have to appear to all at once for a story from nowheresville to become so popular the American President declared it to be true. Stories of Jesus’ resurrection did eventually convince the Roman Emperor.)

Some theories suggest people saw what they wanted to see after Jesus’ death, a sort of mass hysteria. But mass hysteria doesn’t usually result in people seeing what they least expect, and stories of Jesus’ resurrection appearances make it clear his closest followers had no idea what was coming. They even make themselves appear foolish for doubting rather than wise and ready to lead. Other theories say Jesus wasn’t actually dead, though the description of his death is pretty graphic, and the Romans were generally good at killing people.

Jesus appears and disappears (John 20:16, 19), has holes in his body (John 20:27), finds fish (John 21:6), prophesies (John 21:18, Acts 1:8), and ascends into the clouds (Acts 1:9, Luke 24:50) after his death. He also walks and talks and eats, and does “many other things” (John 21:25) which are not recorded.

According to John, Jesus’ first resurrection appearance was to the disciples in an upper room. In Luke the first recorded appearance is to Cleopas and another unnamed follower on the road to Emmaus. Interestingly, Luke’s gospel story ends with Jesus ascending into the clouds at Bethany, while his book of Acts starts with the ascension from the Mount of Olives (which is between Jerusalem and Bethany). And when Ezekiel (Ezekiel 10) prophesies the removal of God’s visible presence from the Temple, the presence is last seen to the East – the same place again. (Note, Jesus does appear after the ascension, to Saul and to John.)

In John’s account, Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit onto his disciples. In Acts, the disciples return to Jerusalem between the ascension and Pentecost (50 days after the resurrection, therefore 10 after the ascension) for the Holy Spirit to appear as fire (a frequent image for God’s presence). Passover was when the Jews celebrated their escape from Egypt. Three days later they made a “wave offering” of first fruits (Lev 23: and Jesus is the firstfruit of the dead). 50 days later is Pentecost, another Jewish feast.

While they hid in the upper room (the disciples and Mary mother of Jesus), a new apostle was chosen to replace Judas. The vote was between Joseph Justus (Barsabas) and Matthias. Matthias won. Tradition claims Joseph as one of the seventy, Bishop of Eleutheropolis, and a martyr. Matthias’ remains may be in Georgia or Trier, Germany. Meanwhile Thomas, best remembered for doubting, is also the apostle who bravely said “Let us go… die with him,” (John 11:16) and who confesses he doesn’t know where Jesus is going (John 14:5). Tradition has him preaching in India but mystically transported to Mary’s tomb to view her ascension, after which he is the believer who convinces others by showing her girdle.

New Testament Tales - Death and Resurrection

2010-08-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

What Stories are Told of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection?

1. Who was Veronica?
2. What is the Turin shroud?
3. Who was Simon of Cyrene?
4. Who was Joseph of Arimathea?
5. What was the Holy Grail?
6. Who guarded the tomb?
7. Who moved the stone?
8. Who first realized Jesus was risen?
9. Who did Jesus first appear to?
10. Who first spoke in tongues?

In the Bible, Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem as he carries his cross. Catholic tradition names one of the women as Veronica (a Latin version of Berenice, which means bearer of victory, though tradition includes the Greek eikon in the name, making it bearer of the image). Some traditions say she’s the woman who was healed of an issue of blood (establishing a prior connection between her and clothes touched by Jesus); others that she’s Martha, Lazarus’ sister. The story appears in the apocryphal Acts of Pilate. Some stories say Veronica’s veil was destroyed in the sack of Rome; others that it was never found; tradition says it had healing properties, just as Jesus’ garment did earlier.

The Turin shroud is believed by many to be the gravecloth that bound Jesus’ body. Modern studies of ancient customs have shown it to be correctly wrapped round the body for the time, and to bear accurate markings for a crucifixion. The face that appears in negative on the shroud is certainly a plausible image of Christ, and appears to have been well-known in history, since many old paintings reflect a similar image. Carbon dating hasn’t yet been conclusive, so it’s hard to prove the shroud is either fake or real. Perhaps, whether or not we believe it authentic, it makes a good modern day example of our instinct to view evidence through the lens of belief, and of the fact that God is more than science can ever prove.

Simon of Cyrene, father of two sons, was a passing pilgrim who helped Jesus carry his cross. Joseph of Arimathea gave his tomb for Jesus’ burial. He was probably a member of the Sanhedrin and a secret follower of Jesus, a reminder that in any court there are likely to be dissenters. Some say he was one of the seventy apostles sent out by Jesus. Legend has Joseph sailing to England with twelve followers to bring Christianity there – there is evidence that the Christian faith reached England before the Roman conquest. Joseph is said to have carried the Holy Grail, which was used for wine at the last supper, and which therefore contained Jesus’ blood (either miraculously, or from the cross), though the story probably dates back to an account as fictional in the middle ages as the movie “The Robe” is today.

Roman soldiers guarded Jesus’ tomb after his death (Matthew 27:65), at the request of the Pharisees. There’s a clear implication that they wanted to make sure no one stole the body. But it disappeared anyway, and the next day women going to anoint Jesus' flesh found an angel instead of a body. The gospel accounts don’t say who moved the stone, and there are no traditions laying the blame (though Mary Magdalene wanted to blame the authorities at first). There are no written traditions until centuries later of people venerating Jesus’ tomb, as would normally happen with a martyred leader, though there were traditions about its location which led to churches being built. There are Biblical accounts of Jesus appearing to people after the crucifixion. Paul claims that he appeared to 500 people at once (1 Corinthians 15:6). Given how far Paul’s writings were disseminated, and how close to the events (physically, and in time) they were written, it’s hard to believe we wouldn’t have equally influential writings denying this if it hadn’t happened. But even Josephus contents himself with saying that people claim Jesus appeared after death. Then Jesus rose to heaven, the disciples hid in an upper room, and the Holy Spirit came upon them. At which point they speak in tongues but aren’t drunk.

New Testament Tales - Why did Jesus die?

2010-08-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Why did Jesus die?
1. Who said “no one can see God and live?”
2. Who said “with his stripes we are healed?”
3. Who said “You shall bruise his heel?”
4. Who said “on a colt, the foal of an ass?”
5. Who said “they know not what they do?”
6. Who said “behold your son?”
7. Who said “you will be with me in Paradise?”
8. Who asked God why he had forsaken him?
9. Who said “It is finished?”
10. Who committed his Spirit into his Father’s hands?

Why did Jesus die? In the Old Testament there are several places where we read that “no one can see God and live” (Exodus 33:20, Genesis 16). If the Godhead is “veiled” in Jesus, at least until the transfiguration, perhaps Jesus had to die so that we, all over the world, could see God and live.

The Old Testament mandates different animal sacrifices to preserve the relationship between the people and God. Today we view the sacrifice of animals as somehow barbaric, though these animals died surrounded by sacred ritual and the devoted thanks of the people, whereas today animals might be treated simply as cogs in the factory. Perhaps the Old Testament sacrifices represented a greater reverence than ours for life, as well as prefiguring Christ’s death. And perhaps it’s that recognition that life belongs to God which makes necessary (and sufficient) the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus’ life for ours (Isaiah 53:3). Animal sacrifice in Jewish actually replaced human sacrifice in other cultures, as if the recognition that life is owed to God is somehow wired in to humanity. Genesis 22, where an animal is substituted for Abraham’s son, shows God preserving human life and maybe even ascribing greater value to animal life. But sin and the fall have consequences, and while animals bore those consequences symbolically in Temple sacrifice, Jesus bore and resolved them on the cross.

In Genesis 3, God foretells the fall of Satan under someone born of woman. But if God knew we would fail the test, why did he test Adam and Eve in the first place? Did Adam’s sin change God’s plan? Or could the plan have always been to lift us up, recognizing that first we would fall. A parent’s plan is for the child to learn to ride a bike, even though the child will probably hurt himself. The parent foresees pain, and knows beforehand how to deal with it. And the wound that hurts the child really does hurt the parent more – as Jesus’ death must have hurt God.

Some argue that Jesus was bound to die, because we always destroy that which is most perfect. Perhaps, as creatures of a fallen world, that really is inevitable. Meanwhile some say Jesus would not have had to die if his people, the Jews, had accepted him. But God always knew what would happen, and how to heal. Jews and Romans together led Jesus to the cross, and we all should take the blame.

Some arguments say Jesus chose his death to fulfill the prophecies. While he might perhaps have chosen to ride a donkey into Jerusalem for its symbolic meaning (Zechariah 9:9), it’s hard to see that he would choose crucifixion in fulfillment of Psalm 22, since it wasn’t till the advent of modern science that we saw how closely the psalm parallels the sufferings of the crucified.

The story of Jesus’ death is the most important story in Christianity. It's told prominently in all four gospels, given at least as much space as his life and teaching – clearly not the end of everything but a vital part of the story. It’s the apocryphal gospels, written later, that play it down. Near the time of Christ’s death, the death of a carpenter in a nowhere place really was the biggest news in the world, and really was Good News.

New Testament Tales - What did Paul say?

2010-08-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

What did Paul say?
1. about divorce?
2. about homosexuality?
3. about murder?
4. about sex outside marriage?
5. about law?
6. about faith?
7. about works?
8. about grace?
9. about women?
10. about the end of the world?

Some people argue that Paul changed Jesus’ teaching, leading to a church based on Paul’s ideas rather than Jesus’. Certainly Paul teaches more about homosexuality (i.e. he mentions it), perhaps because of the locations in which he teaches. He treats it (and sex outside marriage) as sin, but references to homosexuality are couched in passages about fallen societies and the worship of pagan gods (Rom 1:22,26: such worship included “religious” homosexual acts), and in the context of God’s new law requiring more than “just” adherence to rules (I Cor 6:1,9, 1 Tim 1:10, 13). Paul’s teaching on marriage and divorce includes an injunction that it might be better to remain unmarried (1 Cor 7:7), but Jesus’ disciples made the same comment (Matt 19:10). Paul’s attitude to women included them as church leaders in some places (Rom 16:3), but asked them not to speak in others (1 Cor 14:34), perhaps where women’s religiosity was too tied up in oracles and false gods. (In a similar manner, Paul says it’s okay to eat meat sacrificed to idols, but not if it might disturb your neighbor’s faith.

In terms of judgment, Paul is himself proof that murderers can be redeemed, since he is blamed for the deaths of many early Christians, and stood by while Stephen was stoned. He clearly “judges” himself and his actions harshly, and calls himself the chief of sinners (1 Tim 1:15). Meanwhile, like Jesus, he requires perfection of the saved, though he tempers this (2 Cor 12:9) with God’s statement that “power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul demands that we “work out our salvation” (Phil 2:12), but frequently reminds us that we are saved “by grace through faith,” (Eph 2:8) not by works. Many of his arguments hinge on showing that we all stand condemned under the law, that we need to be perfect (Rom 12:2), and that we can only be saved by God’s favor. (The only place grace is mentioned in the gospels is in the first chapter of John. But Jesus, in a sense, models the grace of God, which Paul then teaches.)

Paul and John are the two sources of end-times teaching most quoted in the modern church. Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians include much about how we should behave in the light of Christ’s imminent return. And John’s Revelation uses vivid symbolic language, and veiled references to Rome, to describe God’s control over man’s destiny. Jesus taught that:

Jerusalem would fall and the Temple destroyed (This happens during Paul and John’s ministry)
False prophets will predict the time. (Jesus, John and Paul all claim not to know the time)
There’ll be wars, famines and natural disasters (John illustrates these in various places in Revelation) but these won’t be the end.
The good news will be proclaimed to all the earth. (Certainly Paul worked on this.)
The desolating sacrilege will stand in the Holy place. (This was possibly fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem, when those in the know fled to the hills and were spared.)
There will be false prophets and false Messiahs who will impress with false signs.
The sun will grow dark, the stars fall, and every nation will see the sign of His coming. (John’s Revelation describes this with more detail.)
The trumpet will sound. (Paul adds that the dead will rise first, and we’ll meet together in the clouds, giving rise to stories of the rapture.)
Judgment will follow and some will be condemned.

New Testament Tales - What did Jesus say?

2010-07-31T16:05:00.000-07:00

What did Jesus say?
1. about divorce?
2. about homosexuality?
3. about murder?
4. about sex outside marriage?
5. about the unforgivable sin?
6. about forgiveness?
7. about judging?
8. about women?
9. about perfection?
10. about eternal damnation?

It’s interesting sometimes to separate what Jesus said from what is taught in church. For example, Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, even though it (or more strictly, bisexuality) was almost the norm for rich Greeks. Jewish society must have been aware of its existence, just as they were aware of eunuchs, who Jesus does mention. Jesus’ teaching on divorce (Mark 10:5; 10:10, Matt 5:31;19:4) has led to different churches defining different rules. His words were prompted by a question concerning Moses’ rules (Deut 24:1-4) made because of our hardness of heart (therefore similar to rules resolving restitution after injury). There’s no indication, in the Bible or the world, that our hearts might have softened with time. Perfect marriages are God’s design, but we still live in a fallen world.

Jesus agrees with the Old Testament that sex outside marriage is adultery if either participant is married to someone else. Otherwise it’s fornication. Then he equates lustful thoughts with adultery, and unreasoning anger with murder, making Old Testament law seem even stricter. He even tells us to be perfect as his Father is perfect (Matt 5:48). On other sexual issues, Jesus never mentions abortion, or the status of children born out of wedlock. (In the Old Testament they were forbidden from full participation in the community, just as any other non-Jew). But he extends the Fatherhood of God extends to us all (John 1:12, Luke 6:35), making non-Jews (and presumably those born out of wedlock) into God’s children as surely as Jews.

Jesus speaks to women, not something religious leaders of the day would normally do, and he includes stories about women in his lessons. Women follow him, minister to him, and presumably, bring their children to him. But he doesn’t make any great pronouncements about their status in society.

Above all, Jesus is seen through his actions as compassionate. He welcomes children, speaks to women and foreigners, stops to explain, feeds crowds, touches lepers. If “actions speak louder than words” it might be wise to ask, “What would Jesus do?” when tempted to condemn our neighbors. We’re told forgiveness is given to those who forgive. Those who set themselves up as judges will be judged. And faith can move mountains, perhaps even leading to repentance. Still, we’re also told it’s important to recognize the difference between right and wrong. Jesus is furious in the Temple. He complains at his disciples’ lack of faith. He despairs of his current generation, and describes how not all who say “Lord lord” will be spared. He condemns the “unforgivable sin” (Mark 3:29, Luke12:10, Matt 12:31) of “blaspheming the Spirit” (though churches have argued through the ages about what that means. And Jesus forgave Paul who religiously persecuted Christians, making it even harder to define).

Jesus’ teaching about hell makes it clear that there is a righteous judge, and there are consequences to sin. Interestingly, he doesn’t use the words Sheol and Hades used in the Old Testament (meaning underworld, or hidden), but rather Gehenna, which refers to a physical place condemned because of burned sacrifices once offered to Moloch there, and used a place to burn refuse. Even so, he teaches far more often about eternal life – a perspective we might be wise to emulate if we’re to avoid the temptation to judge.

New Testament Tales - Jesus' Teaching

2010-07-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Jesus’ Teaching
1. What are the beatitudes?
2. How did Jesus make the law even stricter?
3. How did Jesus make the law gentler?
4. When did Jesus disagree with the customary law?
5. What methods of teaching did Jesus use?
6. How did Jesus include women in his teaching?
7. How did Jesus include foreigners in his teaching?
8. How did Jesus include helpers in his ministry?
9. How did Jesus make it clear he wasn’t just a good man?
10. How often did Jesus prophesy his death?

The Beatitudes are often viewed as Jesus’ ministry manifesto. The rules of his culture demanded that one could only be “right” with God if one obeyed all the laws; obedience to law was ensured by couching each rule in others that protected people from accidental disobedience. Jesus, by contrast, suggested we can tell we’re right with God by what we are (by our attitudes), rather than what we do. Of course, that makes it harder to judge whether our neighbor is right with God, but as Jesus says, “Judge not.”

One problem with protecting laws by more laws is that loopholes are introduced. Under Jesus’ rules, you disobey a law even if you want to disobey it, and the loopholes are plugged. (A prime example was the way a man could dedicate his possessions to the temple, thus avoiding the need to provide for his parents.) Of course, under Jesus’ rules, we are all most definitely sinners. Luckily Jesus demonstrates his ability to heal sins by also healing physical ills (the paralyzed man let down from the roof), he welcomes sinners as a doctor come to their aid, and he promises answers to prayer.

Jesus used many methods to teach the people: argument (as when he answers questions), illustration (parables), action (healings, which demonstrated power, authority, compassion and fulfillment of prophesy), and trust (letting others teach and heal in his place). While we’re not told about women being sent out amongst the seventy, we cannot be certain that they weren’t. What we can be sure of is that some of Jesus’ parables were clear depictions of women’s lives, making them welcome as listeners and followers, and that he welcomed women when they joined in conversation (Mary, the woman at the well, and the Syrophoenician woman) just as surely as when they served dinner (Martha). Jesus’ stories, praise for faith, and healings also included foreigners (the centurion’s servant, the good Samaritan), setting the stage for their inclusion in the Christian faith.

While Jesus didn’t outwardly proclaim his identity as Messiah in his early ministry, there were many ways that he made it clear. When John asked if he was truly the expected one, Jesus quoted Isaiah’s prophesy, which his actions were fulfilling every day. When he performed miracles, he laid claim to God’s special favor. And in certain particular miracles, he made his claim clear to those religious leaders who were looking for the Messiah. There were three specific miracles that would traditionally only be performed by the Messiah—healing a Jewish leper, healing someone who was mute because of an evil spirit, and healing a person born blind. In John’s gospels we see more times when Jesus’ words proclaimed his identity (“I and the Father are one” etc.), and all the gospels record the private revelation to Peter when Jesus asks “Who do the people say that I am?”

Jesus does not live up to man’s expectations for a Messiah, but rather to God’s, and we should probably remember we’re as vulnerable as the Jews of Jesus’ time to misinterpreting God’s words. Jesus prophesies his death three times to the disciples, with varying degrees of success, first after Peter’s announcement (Matt 16:21) when Peter disagrees, then after the transfiguration (Luke 9:44) when the disciples discuss who’s the greatest, and again (Mark10:33) when James and John asks for special favor.

New Testament Tales - Jesus' Parables

2010-07-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Jesus’ Parables
1. Which Gospel includes the most parables?
2. Which Gospel includes the fewest parables?
3. How many parables are there in the gospels?
4. What have mustard seeds got to do with the kingdom of God?
5. What has yeast got to do with the kingdom of God?
6. What is a Pearl of Great Price in the Bible?
7. Why was the Samaritan good?
8. Are sheep better than goats?
9. Should we always try to pull weeds out of our gardens?
10. Why do we pray?

John’s gospel, being written later and for a much more educated audience, retells Jesus’ teaching in many long sermons without parables. But the other gospels include parables as the primary teaching tool, with Luke containing slightly more examples than Matthew, and Mark containing fewest. It seems likely that Jesus had a wealth of stories that he used in teaching, and differences in detail or emphasis between stories probably represent different times that the same story was used.

Parables were a common form of teaching, but Jesus told his disciples he spoke in parables so those who have (the truth) would obtain more while others would fail to understand. Similarly, he keeps his identity as Messiah, and even healer, quiet in his early ministry. His ministry was based far more on individuals coming to the truth than on a mob mentality; his teaching required quiet thought and comprehension rather than the shouting of a mob demanding their own interpretations.

Some stories show the Kingdom of God growing from small beginnings (mustard seed, leaven.) Others are meant to portray its great value (the hidden treasure, the pearl). It is something that we’re meant to share with our neighbors (lamp under a bushel, new cloth or wineskin on old, sower. It’s an undeserved gift (workers in the vineyard, wicked tenants). It’s a joy and a commitment (wedding feast, wedding garment, place of honor at table), and a serious responsibility (talents, sheep and goats). Loss and redemption are portrayed through stories of the lost sheep, lost coin, lost (or “prodigal”) son. The faithful servant and the ten virgins remind us to be prepared. The tares (weeds), rich fool, budding tree and barren tree warn us of times to come. Forgiveness is illustrated by the unforgiving servant (who failed to forgive his neighbor though his master had forgiven him: he was thrown in jail by his master). Mercy appears in the story of the Good Samaritan (who actually shows mercy to someone he’d be expected to despise, while the man’s supposed neighbors leave him to suffer). Prayer is illustrated by the importunate friend at night, by the persistent widow, and by the Pharisee and tax-collector.

Some lists of parables only include complete stories (with a beginning, a middle and an end). Others include short sayings as well, giving a total of between 33 and 60 parables in all. In Matthew, most of the general parables appear in chapter 13. A group of short illustrations appear in chapter 7 (with one in chapter 5). Chapter 18 includes stories of God’s and man’s forgiveness. In chapter 20, Jesus begins to teach about his death with the story of the servants in the vineyard, and in 21 he begins his final public teaching and call to redemption, leading up to end-times parables in chapter 25. Mark, being shorter, includes fewer stories, mostly in chapters 2 and 4, with Jesus’ final teaching in chapters 12 and 13. Luke includes many parables not found in the other two gospels—presumably, since he wasn’t present, his stories are based on other people’s recollections rather than just the stories that most influenced the disciples. Most of Luke’s parables are found in chapters 10 through 21.

As is clear from Jesus repeated use of the same stories, and from his explanation of the parable of the sower, it is possible to assign meaning to lots of different elements of a story, but it’s not necessary to insist that every element have meaning; each story is told to emphasize a single, major point.

New Testament Tales - Jesus' Miracles

2010-07-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Jesus’ Miracles
1. How many times did Jesus raise the dead?
2. What was Jesus’ first miracle?
3. How many lepers does the Bible say Jesus healed?
4. When did Jesus use physical items in healing someone?
5. Where do Peter’s Fish get their name?
6. Why couldn’t Peter walk on water?
7. Who slowed Jesus down on his way to heal someone?
8. Why did the pigs run over the cliff?
9. Which miracle made the disciples ask “Who is this?”
10. What are the essential ingredients of any healing?

The four gospels don’t include all the same miracles with the same order and details. While they were written relatively soon (for historical documents) after the events they describe, they’re clearly not blow-by-blow newspaper diaries. But in those days it was far more important to group related facts together in writing, rather than depicting events chronologically. (Have you ever tried choosing between writing chronological minutes for a meeting, and writing a clear account of what was discussed?)

Turning water into wine at a Cana wedding feast is only mentioned in John’s gospel (John 2), but it’s usually acknowledged as Jesus’ first miracle, partly because Jesus tells his mother “My time has not yet come.” The assumption is that his “time” came afterwards, and many healings followed to authenticate his ministry and illustrate his teaching. Mark and Luke record Jesus’ first healing as being of a possessed man who proclaims him Messiah and is told to be silent (Mark 1:24, Luke 4:34), setting the scene for the rest of the story. Matthew opens with many, non-specific healings (Matt 4:24), then moves straight into the sermon on the mount.

Jesus’ miracles can be grouped into nature miracles and healing miracles, with the ultimate healings (in human terms) being when someone is raised from the dead. Jesus is recorded as raising Jairus’ daughter (even though no-one there had faith), a widow’s son at Nain, and, of course, Lazarus (another well-known story, told only in John). Other healings include the blind (one of whom was healed with the aid of a paste of mud and spittle), the paralyzed (one let down from the roof, one by a pool), the demon-possessed (who might include those with mental illnesses, and the man whose demons went into pigs), lepers (who might include those with other skin diseases), a withered hand, two “female” problems (Luke 13 adds another to the one with the hemorrhage), the deaf and dumb (one of whom was healed with the aid of spittle and wiping out his ears), Peter’s mother-in-law, and, of course, Malchus’ servant in the Garden of Gethsemane. Miracles of nature include turning water into wine, walking on water, calming storms, finding a coin in a fish’s mouth, withering a fig tree, and providing large catches of fish.

Jesus ties healing to faith several times: healing the centurion’s servant, healing the paralytic let down from the roof; healing a woman who touches his garment—which delayed him so much that Jairus’ daughter died and had to be raised; the Canaanite woman’s daughter; several blind men (Mat 9:22, Mark 10:52); the woman who washed his feet (she was “saved” which might include healing from guilt); and the tenth leper (Luke 17:19). But lack of faith is not necessarily tied to lack of healing (or lack of protection), though Peter’s ability to walk on water seemed to depend on faith, or on where he was looking to for help. Jesus calms the storm despite the disciples’ lack of faith (they looked to him, and afterwards seemed more awed by his power over nature—something magicians and even well-learned Romans couldn’t copy—than by his power over sickness); he feeds the thousands (twice), and heals the unfaithful lepers with the faithful.

Sometimes we’d like to make rules that define who can and can’t be healed, and when, and how, but Jesus seems to prefer compassion (Mat 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34, Mark 6:34; 8:2, Luke 7:13).

New Testament Tales - Jesus' Disciples

2010-07-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Jesus’ Disciples
1. Which disciples were brothers?
2. Which disciples followed Jesus first?
3. Which disciple was a serious student?
4. Which disciple was a tax collector?
5. Which disciple first recognized Jesus as the Messiah?
6. Which disciple had four daughters?
7. Which disciple died first?
8. Which disciples were present at the raising of Jairus’ daughter?
9. Which disciples were present at the transfiguration?
10. Which disciple betrayed Jesus?

According to John’s gospel, Andrew and one other disciple of John the Baptist left him to follow Jesus. Andrew ran to his brother Simon, announcing “We’ve found the Messiah!” According to Origen, Andrew preached in Asia Minor, the Volga and Kiev, becoming the patron saint of Ukraine, Romania and Russia. (He’s also the patron of Scotland, following legends that his relics were supernaturally brought to St Andrews from Constantinople.) Tradition (based on non-gospel accounts) has him starting the first church in Byzantium (or Constantinople), and dying by crucifixion on a diagonal, St. Andrew’s, cross. Sometime around the 3rd century, an apocryphal book, the Acts of Andrew, was written and ascribed to him. Andrew’s more famous brother Peter was originally called Simon, and the name change in the original language is probably a play on pronunciation.

John was probably the other disciple that followed Jesus with Andrew, but the next disciple is Philip, who Jesus meets in Bethsaida in Galilee. Philip leads Nathaniel (a student of religion, also called Bartholomew) to Jesus, though Nathaniel is reluctant to believe anything good can come from Nazareth. Since James and John, like Simon and Andrew, are Galilean fishermen, Jesus was probably on his way to meet John’s brother at the time. James and John are recorded in Mark as the next disciples after Andrew and Simon. James was killed by Herod Agrippa soon after Jesus’ death. Tradition has him preaching in Spain before his return to his death in Judea. Meanwhile John is believed to have written a gospel, several epistles and the book of Revelation, assuming he is John of Patmos. (In his gospel John refers to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved,” but in Revelation, John of Patmos, refers to himself by name.) Peter, James and John were the only disciples to witness the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the transfiguration and the agony in the garden. If John is truly the writer of Revelation, then he lived to an old age and became an influential bishop before his death, despite being exiled for a while.

Matthew (or Levi), a tax collector (therefore well able to write a gospel), is the next disciple, called after Jesus eats at his house. Finally more are added to the number to make a symbolic twelve (like twelve tribes, the number of God’s choosing), who are sent out in pairs to teach. The additional disciples are Thomas (doubting Thomas), James son of Alphaeus (James the Less, or the Just, and possibly Matthew’s brother), Thaddeus (or Jude, or Judas son of James, possibly the writer of an epistle), Simon the Zealot (or the Cananean, or Simeon, 2nd bishop of Jerusalem), and Judas Iscariot.

The Philip of the gospels may or may not be the same Philip referred to in Acts as a deacon, converter of the Ethiopian and of Simon Magus in Samaria, father of four prophetess daughters and friend of Paul. Bartholomew/Nathaniel may or may not be the Bartholomew who worked with Paul. Tradition has him carrying Matthew’s gospel to India, and founding the Armenian church with Jude.

Thomas travelled beyond the Roman Empire and brought the gospel to Persia and India. There’s a tradition (related to Joseph of Arimathea) that he was the only witness to the assumption of Mary into heaven. The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of “hidden sayings” of Jesus which seems to have been collected or built onto long after Jesus’ death. James the Less is believed to have died in Egypt.

New Testament Tales - Jesus' Journeys

2010-07-12T10:17:00.001-07:00

Jesus' Journeys
1. How far did Jesus’ family travel from Bethlehem to Egypt?
2. How far did they travel from Egypt to Nazareth?
3. How far from Nazareth was Jesus baptized?
4. Where did Jesus go after his baptism?
5. Where did Peter’s family live?
6. Where did Jesus first recorded miracle take place?
7. Where did Jesus meet a woman at a well?
8. Where did Jesus meet the Gerasene demoniac?
9. Where did Jesus preach on the mountain?
10. Where did Jesus calm the sea?

Nazareth was in the North-eastern part of Israel, in Galilee. Bethlehem and Jerusalem were in Judea, and Samaria lies between Galilee and Judea. The “best” route from Galilee to Judea would follow the Jordan river on the Eastern edge of Samaria, since Samaritans and Jews didn’t like each other. Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 68 miles, at least two days’ journey. From Bethlehem to the nearest stopping place in Egypt was probably about 100 miles, or around four days’ journey.

John baptized in the River Jordan, which flows from the Sea of Galilee in the North to the Dead Sea East of Jerusalem. John’s gospel records him as being accosted by the priests near East Bethany, which is the north end of the Dead Sea, on the other side of the Jordan from Jerusalem. (Bethany, where Martha and Mary lived, was on the west side of the river, closer to Jerusalem.) The wilderness of Judea, where Jesus was tempted, lies south of Jerusalem, between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.

Jesus’ first miracle is recorded in John as happening at Cana, a small village between Nazareth and Capernaum, about 90 miles from Jerusalem and Bethany. Jesus was probably travelling north, stopped at Nazareth, went to the wedding, and went on the larger city of Capernaum at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, where he healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and met with Nicodemus. A lot of Jesus’ ministry takes place in this area. The mountain where he gave his famous sermon was between Capernaum and Nazareth, with a view over the Sea of Galilee (where he calmed the storm). The land of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes, where Jesus cast demons into a herd of pigs) was south-east of Capernaum, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. But Jesus travelled south through Samaria (woman at the well) to Jerusalem and Bethany too.

In Jesus’ third year of ministry he travelled 40 miles north of Capernaum to the region of Tyre and Sidon, where he would have been able to teach the apostles quietly without so many questioners.The healing of the 4,000 takes place in the Decapolis region, again outside Israel, to the east and south of the Sea of Galilee.

The transfiguration takes place on a mountain near Caesarea Phillipi, a large Roman town about 30 miles north of Capernaum.

New Testament Tales - Out of Heaven

2010-07-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

Out of Heaven
1. What Old Testament prophecies refer to the birth of Jesus?
2. What Old Testament prophecies tell us about Jesus’ life?
3. What Old Testament prophecies tell us about Jesus’ death?
4. Which angel spoke to Elizabeth?
5. Which angel spoke to Mary?
6. Which angel spoke to Joseph?
7. How many times does the Bible say God spoke out loud to Jesus?
8. How many times does the Bible say Jesus spoke out loud to God?
9. What holy names did Jesus use to refer to himself?
10. What did other people say Jesus was called?

Christians recognize many Old Testament prophecies as referring to Jesus though other interpret them differently. For example, Isaiah says a virgin will bear a child, but “virgin” could mean young girl; he could be prophesying that a war will be over when a boy about to born comes of age. Christians read many prophesies as having three meanings—one obvious when the prophesy was made, a second true for all time (e.g. that God is always “Immanuel”—God with us), and a third, future meaning (e.g. that the virgin Mary will bear a son). Famous prophesies of Jesus’ birth, from a Christian point of view, include Isaiah 7:14 (the virgin birth), Genesis 3:15 (born of woman), Micah 5:1-2 (at Bethlehem), Genesis 49:10 (from the tribe of Judah), Psalm 132:11, Jeremiah 23:5,6; 33:15,16 and Isaiah 11:1 (of David’s line), and Jeremiah 31:15 (resulting in the slaughter of the innocents).

Prophecies fulfilled in Jesus’ life include Genesis 12:3; 18:8 ( “all people,” will be blessed), Deuteronomy 18:15-19 (a prophet like Moses), Isaiah 9:1-7 (Galilee), Isaiah 35:5-6 (blind see, deaf hear), Malachi 3:1 (speaks with authority), and Isaiah 53:1 (won’t be believed). Prophecies fulfilled in Jesus’ last days include Zechariah 9:9 (donkey), Psalm 118:22,23, Isaiah 28:16; 53:3, Zechariah 13:7 (rejected, disciples flee), Psalm 41:9, Zechariah 11:12,13 (betrayed for 30 pieces of silver), Psalm 35:11, Isaiah 53:7 (falsely accused, stays silent), Numbers 21:8 (lifted up), Isaiah 53:5-9;12, (killed, crucified with criminals), Psalm 69:21 (drinks gall and vinegar), Isaiah 53:9 (buried with the rich). Psalm 22 famously gives a heartbreaking description of crucifixion and was quoted by Jesus at his death.

God isn’t just involved in setting the stage for Jesus’ life and death. God’s angels take direct action: Gabriel (the angel who spoke to Daniel) announces the births of Jesus and John (to Mary and Zechariah), an angel speaks to Joseph both before Jesus’ birth and afterwards, warning him to move to Egypt, and angels spoke to the shepherds. An angel may have told the wise men not to return to Herod (they were warned in a dream). Angels supported Jesus after he was tempted in the desert. One angel supported him in Garden of Gethsemane just before his death. Angels appeared at his’ tomb, encouraged the disciples after he ascended to heaven, and will come with him when he returns.

God himself speaks at Jesus’ baptism and the transfiguration. Jesus speaks aloud to God in the garden and on the cross. At other times he prays, or makes exclamations (“How long…”) which are probably spoken to God. Jesus uses, or allows many prophetic names to refer to himself—Lord (Sermon on the mount, as in “not everyone who says to me LORD…”), God’s son (as in “my Father”), God’s representative (as in “I tell you…”), Son of Man (refers back to Daniel and one who comes on the clouds of heaven), Christ (he praised Peter for this), and Covenant maker (as in “this is the blood…”). John records Jesus calling himself Light of the World(8:12), true vine(15:1), bread of life(6:12), the way the truth and the life(14:6), the good shepherd(10:11), the gate(10:7), I am(8:58), and the resurrection and the life(11:25). John calls Jesus the Word, the creator (as in “through him…”), the King of Israel(1:49), Lamb of God(1:29), and only begotten son of God(1:18). Others called him Lord, Master, Teacher, Rabbi, or John the Baptist, Jeremiah or one of the prophets (Matthew 16:14).

New Testament Tales - Out of the Desert

2010-06-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

Out of the Desert
1. How was John the Baptist related to Jesus?
2. What’s special about the birth of John the Baptist?
3. What’s special about John’s father? And his mother?
4. What’s the significance of John’s diet and clothing?
5. What sort of ministry did John have when he baptized Jesus?
6. What did baptizing Jesus do to John’s ministry?
7. What did Jesus do after his baptism?
8. How did John end up in jail?
9. Was John always convinced that Jesus was the Messiah?
10. How did John die? Does his death sound plausible?

Jesus began his public ministry by receiving the sacrament of Baptism from his cousin John. John is the son of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. Zechariah was a priest, therefore a Levite. The fact that Elizabeth is also a Levite means Zechariah is particularly honored, but the fact that they have no children would be looked on as a curse. They lived in the hill country of Judea, south of Jerusalem, except when Zechariah had to serve in the Temple. There would have been about 50 priests doing Temple duties when Zechariah was chosen to burn incense on the Altar, something a priest would only do once in a lifetime. There he meets an angel—Gabriel from the book of Daniel—who tells him Elizabeth will have a child. Zechariah becomes mute as punishment for not believing, or as evidence of the truth of the angel’s power. John’s birth is very similar to that of the prophet Samuel in the Old Testament, conceived after his mother had been barren for a long time.

After the angel tells Mary that she is pregnant too, Mary visits Elizabeth and the baby John leaps in his mother’s womb, presumably in recognition of the nearness of Christ. But there’s no record of the families staying close during the boy’s childhoods.

When John is born, his family wants to call him after his father but Zechariah insists on the name God has promised for the child. The name John doesn’t have any obvious Old Testament significance. John grows up to wear the clothes of a prophet—in particular he dresses and eats like Elijah (2 Kings 8)—and to fulfill the prophesies of Malachi and Isaiah. Jewish tradition suggested Elijah would reappear before the Messiah, and Jesus says in Matt 17:11-13 that Elijah has already come.

The Essene sect practiced baptism, as did John—it wasn’t a particularly Christian invention. The gospels record John being reluctant to baptize Jesus, perhaps because, again, he recognizes who he is. After baptism, and God’s announcement (which may or may not have been heard by everyone) Jesus goes into the desert for a symbolic 40 days where he is undergoes the famous temptations. Meanwhile, presumably, John continues to preach. On Jesus’ return, John’s disciples start to desert to Jesus. In particular, according to John’s gospel, Andrew follows Jesus and goes to fetch his brother Simon, though in Luke we’re told that John had already been arrested. Such disagreements actually add to the authenticity of the gospels, since it’s rare to find un-fabricated accounts that agree in all details.

John’s story is found in the writings of Josephus as well as in the gospels. Herod (Antipas, not the Great) imprisons him for denouncing Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, and later executes him. According to Josephus, the execution is a result of a military defeat. According to the gospels, it results from a rash promise Herod makes to his wife’s daughter. In either case, the story is entirely plausible for the time.

At some point during his imprisonment, John sends messengers to ask if Jesus really is who he says. It’s not clear whether this represents doubt on John’s part or a desire to force Jesus’ hand. Whatever the reason, Jesus responds with words that clearly refer to prophecy but makes no direct statement of identity, thus avoiding the consequences of too early a revelation.

New Testament Tales - Out of Nazareth

2010-06-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Out of Nazareth

1. When was Jesus presented in the Temple?
2. What’s the significance of the gifts his parents gave?
3. When was Jesus lost in the Temple?
4. What’s the significance of where he was found?
5. How could Jesus’ parents have lost him?
6. What other stories do we know about Jesus’ childhood?
7. When did Joseph die?
8. How many brothers and sisters did Jesus have?
9. Why do so many stories not appear in the gospels?
10. What’s the difference between faith and tradition?

Jesus was circumcised and named on the eighth day according to Jewish law. After six weeks, when Mary and Jesus had completed the period of purification (another Jewish law that protected mother and child from illness during those critical early days) Jesus was presented in the Temple as the first-born son. (First-born son means both first child and first male child. Sons born after miscarriages would not have been first-borns.) The gift they bring is the substitute gift (doves or pigeons) rather than the more expensive gift of a lamb (Lev 12:8). A holy man, Simeon, and a prophetess, Anna, both recognize the baby by the power of the Holy Spirit (given equally to men and women), and Simeon speaks the familiar words “Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace…”

Jesus’ family return to the Temple for Passover every year during his childhood (Luke 2:41). When he’s twelve, almost an adult, Jesus probably has a lot more freedom on the journey than in previous years. As a result, his parents don’t always know where he is or who he’s travelling with, and they manage not to notice when he, like a typical teenager, is left behind. The fact that he spends three days speaking with the priests might be symbolically significant – in the same way he is to spend three days in the grave, and to prophesy the rebuilding of the Temple in three days. Three is a number usually associated with God and perfection. The fact that he’s able to intrigue the priests so much with his teaching speaks well of his human learning and his divine calling.

There are other traditional stories about Jesus’ childhood, though they’re not included in the gospels. He is said to have used his powers to protect his parents on their journey to and from Egypt (though lots of people probably travelled the route in safety). Sometimes we hear of him turning clay models into live birds, and raising a childhood friend from the dead after a prank goes wrong. The Selfish Giant meets the little boy Jesus in his garden in Oscar Wilde’s story. And the Little Drummer Boy plays at the manger. Most of these legends date from apocryphal books, written much later than the original gospels, and not accepted as reliable works of truth. Early, illiterate Christians probably longed to “know more” just as we do, and were happy to learn such tales, but church leaders looking for historically verifiable texts would not have included them.

The Bible doesn’t tell us when Jesus’ adoptive father, Joseph, died, or what he did before he married Mary. Apocryphal stories suggest he was a widower with children before he married Mary; these are used to suggest that Jesus might be Mary’s only child while still having brothers and sisters, though it’s tradition rather than the Bible that says he had no siblings. (The word used for brother in the Bible might also mean cousin, so there’s no proof in the Bible that Jesus did have siblings either.)

Joseph is not mentioned during Jesus’ ministry, while his mother and brothers are, leading us to believe that Joseph was already dead. Jesus was probably working as a carpenter in his father’s place before he began his public ministry (in the Temple, in his Father’s place). Jesus was referred to as “the son of Joseph” by the people of Nazareth, which might suggest identification as the first-born son, or as inheritor of Joseph’s carpentry business.

New Testament Tales - Out of Bethlehem

2010-06-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Out of Bethlehem

When was Jesus born?
Where was Jesus born?
Where did Jesus’ family come from?
How did the shepherds find Jesus?
How did the wise men find Jesus?
How many kings were there?
What’s the significance of the gifts the wise men gave?
When and why did Jesus’ family go to Egypt?
Which children were killed?
What did Jesus’ family do when they returned to Israel?

The calendar switches from 1 BC (one year “before Christ”) to 1 AD (first “year of the Lord”) with no zero in between. While this makes logical and literary sense, it’s kind of confusing mathematically. Is Jesus meant to be born in the first year before Christ, or is he zero years old in 1 AD? Actually, Jesus’ birth is probably in a completely different year. Herod the Great, who killed the innocents in Bethlehem, died in 4 BC, suggesting Jesus was born before 4 BC. But Quirinius conducted a census in 6 AD, suggesting a later date. (Luke describes this as “the first census when…” so he could have conducted an earlier one too.) Halley’s Comet appeared in 6 BC and could possibly be the same heavenly body as the star that led the wise men (in which case Jesus was born in summer).

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah (City of David), as opposed to Bethlehem of Benjamin (Rachel’s tomb), though the two may be the same location absorbed into the larger tribe’s land. We’re told Jesus was laid in a manger, but it’s not clear what sort of stable this implies. Traditional houses would have stables as an integral part of their ground floor, rather like the modern walk-in garage. And traditional hospitality would demand that some distant relative provide lodging for Joseph and Mary, since they were both members of the house of David (a sub-tribe of Judah). Perhaps they were looking for more space because of Mary’s pregnancy, but ended up sharing stables and living rooms with everyone else. Or perhaps, as others have suggested, they stayed in caves outside Bethlehem that doubled as burial chambers and accommodation for sick lambs (in which case the swaddling cloths Jesus was wrapped in might even have been burial cloths.)

Shepherds were not part of polite society when Jesus was born. There would have lived and worked in the hills around Bethlehem, where angels told them of Jesus birth and gave directions to the manger (rather than the stable.) Meanwhile wise men, often called kings, came from the East – the Orient. They could be Babylonian philosophers following prophecies given when the Jews were in exile. Despite their supposedly heretical reliance on astrology, they were welcome at the manger. We should perhaps be wary of being less welcoming than Jesus’ family. The number of wise men is unknown, though three gifts are mentioned, gold for a kind, incense for a god, and myrrh for burial.

Not surprisingly the wise men started out by visiting the local king, Herod. After finding the prophecies about Bethlehem, Herod plotted to kill the infant king—not so much an evil act as a politically expedient one, and not out of character for the time. The number of children killed (fulfilling the prophesy of Rachel crying) was probably quite low since the town was small. Jesus may well have been two years old by this time, living in a house with family in Bethlehem. His parents probably delayed moving back to Nazareth, where they came from, till their child was older. Warned of Herod’s treachery in a dream, Joseph flees south to Egypt where he stays till he hears of Herod’s death. Then the family move back to Nazareth, to Joseph’s business as a carpenter.

Revelation: Conclusion

2010-06-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

15: Revelation 22:6-21 Conclusion

The passage lists three witnesses to the truth of Revelation, symbolically promising that the message is certain.
1. The angel - 6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true
2. Jesus - 7 “See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
3. John - 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.

Daniel was told to keep the end of his apocalyptic visions secret: Daniel 8:26 26 As for you, seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now. But John is told not to seal up his vision now. Everything changed when Christ died. Now the end is coming “soon,” at least in God’s terms.

In the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:30), the farmer tells the laborer to 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest. Here God repeats the message, saying that the evildoer will continue to do evil, to the end of time. But we are not to be afraid.

Isaiah 40:10 10do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 62:11 11The LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, “See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”

Perhaps that is the central theme of John’s vision—not some secret code that will tell us how to recognize an end that even Jesus could not see, but an open message to remind us that God is in control, the end is in His hands, and the future is sure.

Jesus signs his own letter as the vision ends, like Paul signing his epistles. Jesus' signature reminds us that he will bring the reward. 12“See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

I AM…the name of God
Alpha and Omega… first and last letters of the alphabet. Only used in Revelation.
First and Last …Isaiah 44:6 6I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
Beginning and End… God not only knows the beginning and the end. He is the beginning and the end.
Root and descendant of David… The divine in the root, the human in the descendant.
Bright morning star… God’s gift (Revelation 2:28) is himself!

Verse 14. We have the right to the tree of life (once lost in Genesis), and to enter the city freely.
Verse 15. God does not reject people for rejecting Jesus, but for their sins. If our name is in the Book of Life, Jesus forgives our sins. (Which begs the question of course: how do we know whose names are there? If I feel that God has given me a burden for someone, does that mean God has a burden for them, and that He is waiting for them to realize the joy of finding that their own name there too?)

The Spirit, the Bride, and the thirsty all long for Jesus to come.
Whoever is thirsty receives a free gift. No strings are attached, but there is a warning, not to add or take away – not to teach man’s imaginings as if they were God’s words (Revelation 2:24).

“Surely I am coming soon.” If we long to see him, if we long to understand, if we long for justice, if we long for salvation…

Revelation: City of God

2010-06-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

14: Revelation 21-22: The City of God
The final visions in Revelation seem to move away from the immediate impact of images that could be applied to the Christians under Rome. Images of the City of God seem much more clearly apocalyptic, just as parts of Jesus' message in Matthew 24 applied to the immediate future and the fall of Jerusalem, while others were purely apocalyptic.

Peter takes up the message of a new creation in 2 Peter 3. 12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

1. The New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-8)
1 Sea… implies separation, and is also representative of a source of evil (as in the beast from the sea).
2 City includes culture and life as well as bricks and mortar.
2 Jerusalem… represents peace and the presence of God. The word itself is plural in Hebrew, representing both heaven and earth.
2 Bride… suggests the Bride of Christ as opposed to Whore of Babylon.
7 …they will be his peoples ,and God himself will be with them… promises fulfillment of the central promise of the Bible.
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, … creates a contrast, not between believers and unbelievers, but rather between sinners and forgiven.

2. The Bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9-14)
Now John is shown the same City from a different point of view.
9 Then one of the seven angels… The angel is free to act for man’s good now.
10 And in the spirit… suggests that what is seen cannot be understood in the flesh, and so must be interpreted symbolically.
10 holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God… suggests something eternally coming down, rather than a single occurence.
12 great, high wall… promises protection. No evil can get into the Holy City. None will even exist.
12 twelve gates… for God’s chosen people. There’s no separation between Old and New Testaments now.
13 three gates on each side… Three represents God and perfection.
14 twelve foundations… Again, there are twelve for all the chosen. Foundations suggest safety. Besides being unable to enter, no evil can even develop inside the City.

3. Measuring the City (Revelation 21:15-21)
The city is measured again, just as in Ezekiel 40 and Revelation 11. John did the measuring on earth (in Revelation 11), but the angel does it now in heaven.

16 The city lies foursquare… 19 The foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with every jewel… Traditionally, the Jewish priest wore a square breastplate over his heart, decorated with 12 jewels for the 12 tribes (Exodus 28:15-29). The breastplate symbolized God keeping his people close to His heart.

16 its length and width and height are equal… The inner sanctuary of the Temple, where God lives, was a cube in Solomon’s and Ezekiel’s temples (Exodus 26).

17 one hundred forty-four cubits…The numbers are probably symbolic again – all God’s people.

21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls… Rabbinical sources promised that God would bring pearls to Jerusalem to be carved and used as gates.

18 pure gold, transparent as glass… Symbolize value and purity

4. The Glory of the City (Revelation 21:22-27)
22 I saw no temple in the city – No barrier is needed between God and his people at the end.
23 the glory of God is its light – Readers would remember the Shekinah glory of the Old Testament.
23 and its lamp is the Lamb – We can’t separate light and lamp; the Lamb is truly God.

Isaiah 60 describes God’s new creation: 19The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for rightness shall the moon give light to you by night;but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory

26 the glory and the honor of the nations. We are God’s treasured possessions – Exodus 19:5 5Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. And we have found the treasure hidden in the field – Matthew 13:44 44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field…'

5. The Water of Life (Revelation 22:1-2a)
The Old Testament contains images of a river flowing from Jerusalem: for example…
Psalm 46:4 4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
Ezekiel 47:1 1Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple; there, water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple
Zechariah 14:8 8On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem

6. The Tree of Life (Revelation 22:2b-3a)
Ezekiel 47:7-12 describes the pure cleansing water, and the trees that stand beside the river. 7As I came back, I saw on the bank of the river a great many trees… 12Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.
And in Genesis, the tree of life grew in the garden of Eden.
Revelation describes in beautiful images how all that was lost in the fall will be restored.

7. The Throne of God (Revelation 22:3-5)
God and the Lamb are now referred to as “him”, and with “his face:” powerful images suggesting that the Lamb is truly God.

These final images provide a contrast between the old world and the new. All that was lost, and more, is given to us.

We can see God and live, whereas before no one has seen the Father.
His name is on us. We were told he would write our names in the Book of Life.
We reign forever. We were promised just 1,000 years.

Revelation: Millennium

2010-06-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

13: Millennium – several views
The fourth and fifth images of victory show Satan bound and Jesus reigning with the Saints for 1,000 years, the Millennium. But what does it mean?

One thousand years: Symbolically, 1,000 = 10x10x10 = the time of man (10), made complete (raised to the power of God, or 3). But it could also be a physical period of time, possibly 1,000 years, or just a generic long time, which is yet to come to pass.

Premillennial Interpretation:
This is the oldest interpretation in the Christian church.

Jesus will come. He will defeat the beast. The dead saints will rise and reign with Jesus for 1,000 years. Then Satan will be let loose. He will be defeated again. The final resurrection will take place and the saints will go to heaven.

The prefix PRE indicates that Jesus comes BEFORE the millennium.

This interpretation unites Jewish apocalyptic and Messianic ideas: The Messiah comes and establishes a reign on earth. The thousand years then coincide with the fulfillment of other Jewish prophesies, such as the return to Jerusalem, rebuilding of the Temple, etc. Meanwhile we on earth have no hope of prevailing against Satan as he is free to do as he wishes till Jesus return.

Amillennial Interpretation:
Augustine, in the 5th century, saw Revelation more symbolically, with Christ’s death as more central, and the spiritual reign of Christ as more important to the message than the earthly reign of saints.

In this interpretation, the 1,000 years is now. We reign with Christ on earth, against Satan’s (limited and hopeless) opposition. Satan is destroyed when Christ returns, and then God brings in a new creation.

The prefix A implies there is no physical thousand year reign, no future millennium to wait for, just the the symbolic millennium of the present day.

This interpretation separates Jewish apocalyptic and Messianic ideas. Christ reigns now, through suffering, in our hearts. The image of Satan thrown down to earth (Revelation 12:9) is combined with that of Satan bound (Revelation 20:2-3): Satan fights now on earth, but has already lost the battle. He never has free reign until the day God removes his protection in the end times. We can prevail against Satan now because God is helping us. And we will prevail in the end, because God will destroy him.

Postmillenial Interpretation:
This interpretation was popular in the 17th century: Believers held that the church would spread the gospel throughout the whole world. A Golden Age of peace and justice would last literally, or symbolically, 1,000 years. Then Christ will return.

The prefix POST indicates that Christ returns AFTER the millennium.

The interpretation places more emphasis on what we can do, and less on what God will do. It became less popular when progress towards an earthly Utopia became less likely.

Just for reference, most early Reformation leaders believed in a literal 1,000 years where the church prospered, from the Fall of Jerusalem until 1073AD. Under their interpretation, the anti-Christ took control of the Christian (Catholic) church in around 1073AD, causing heresy and persecutions.

Revelation - God's Victory

2010-05-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

I guess I had plans to complete this study in time for Pentecost, but I don't suppose it will hurt to continue a little bit longer... Still to come:

Rejoicing and scenes of victory,
Different views of the Millennium,
The City of God, and
the Conclusion

12: Revelation 19:11-20:15 - Rejoicing, Scenes of Victory

In chapters 19 and 20 of Revelation, parallel set of images describe the same events described in 17 and 18. The judgment and fall of Satan are seen this time from the point of view of God and his followers – scenes of victory instead of defeat.

List of 7 Victory Scenes:
1. The White Horse and Rider contrast with the Whore of Babylon riding the Beast.
2. The Great Supper parallels the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, but is seen here right at the start.
3. Defeat of the Beast and Prophet parallels the Fall of Babylon
4. Satan is Bound, just as the parallel scene showed the Escape of the Saints
5. The Saints Rule, where before we saw the lost lamenting over the City
6. Satan is Destroyed, where before we saw the City fall. And
7. The Last Judgment continues the Feast of the Lamb

A. Victory over Satan’s armies
The victory scenes start with God’s victory over Satan’s armies.

1. The White Horse and Rider, Revelation 19:11-16
Parallels with the Whore of Bablyon, seen in the first scene of judgment, are fairly obvious:

White horse...................................Red beast
Male rider.........................................Female Rider
Faithful and true............................great whore
Judges and makes war..................tempts and makes drunk
Eyes like fire, many crowns.........purple and scarlet, gold and jewels
Secret, Word of God.......................Mystery, Babylon the Great
Armies of heaven...........................alone on the beast
Sharp sword....................................cup of abominations
Rule with rod of iron......................drunk with blood of saints
Name on robe and thigh................name on forehead
King of Kings...................................mother of whores

Parallels with other Biblical passages are fairly easy to find too:

Psalm 2:7-9 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
John 1:1 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 12:47-49 47I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge,
1 Timothy 6:15 15—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Traditionally, one who gives a name is superior to one who is named, so Jesus has no superior.
The one who treads a winepress gets stains on his robes, so Jesus treds the winepress of God.
The “armies of heaven” could be angels (as in Lord of Hosts), but their wearing clean white linen is reminiscent of 19:8, suggesting they could be the redeemed, us, riding with God to victory.

2. The Great Supper, Revelation 19:17-18
This time a feast is announced before the battle even begins – celebrations preceding a battle whose outcome is already known. The wedding supper of 1-10 is paralleled with a feast of carrion for birds, reminding readers of Ezekiel’s description of the aftermath of war against Gog and Magog.

Ezekiel 39:17-20 17As for you, mortal, thus says the Lord GOD: Speak to the birds of every kind and to all the wild animals: Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. 18You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth—of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. 19You shall eat fat until you are filled, and drink blood until you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. 20And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with warriors and all kinds of soldiers, says the Lord GOD.

B. Victory over Satan’s Powers
The great battle degenerated into a carrion feast, and now the consequences of God’s victory are seen:

3. Defeat of the Beast and the Prophet, Revelation 19:19-21
The army is the same as that of Revelation 16 (the 6th plague) gathered at Armageddon. But in God’s eyes, the battle doesn’t last very long!

Daniel 7:11 11I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.

In Daniel, the beast is killed then burned. In Revelation, the beast is burned alive.
In Daniel, the beast is “a kingdom.” Revelation’s beast is the Antichrist which powers all evil kingdoms.
The death of armies is the death of the mortal body. A “second death” will soon be described as something much greater and much worse.

C. Victory over Satan Himself
The visions here parallel the “second half” of creation. Victory began when Christ died (day 3 ½) and is completed at the end of time.

4. Millenium, Satan bound, Revelation 20:1-3
Satan is thrown out of heaven at the death of Christ.

Satan is bound, not destroyed, at the death of Christ, suggesting that he still has limited power. Satan cannot deceive the nations now, but he can still deceive people and work through them. The “two witnesses” are still witnessing against him.

Ephesians 2:12 12remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Colossians 2:15 15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

5. Millenium, Reign of the Saints, Revelation 20:4-6
While Satan is bound, the Saints reign.

4 Beheaded: Separation of the body from the head, in the imagery of the day, suggests the body separated from the soul. The beheaded would then suggest all who have died in Christ.
4 Souls …came to life probably means living souls, waiting for the resurrection of the body, in contrast with “came back to life,” which would suggest resurrected bodies. (The resurrection of the body is then delayed by a symbolic thousand years 5.)
5 First resurrection could mean a period ruling in heaven with Christ now, before the end of time.
5 The rest of the dead might mean those who did not testify to Jesus. Perhaps God’s people live now and reign in heaven, until the end of time (hence, their crying out “How long?” from under the altar in 6:9.) But those who are not God’s people have to wait for the end of time.
6 Second death would then be that which awaits those who are not God’s people.

6. End of the millenium. Destruction of Satan, Revelation 20:7-10
The last battle of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 39) is referenced again, leading readers to think back to the time and place where the beast and the false prophet were destroyed.

D. God’s Ultimate Victory
The series of images ends again with God’s victory:

7. Last Judgment, Revelation 20:11-15
Where Satan saw a great and furious battle, all God sees is a walkover. Meanwhile the saints see judgment.

11 the earth and the heaven fled… There is no place for this present, corrupted creation before God’s throne, as in Romans 8:21 21… the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

12 12The dead, great and small standing before the throne… The 1,000 years are over. But those who belong to Christ are not dead at this point. Instead, they are reigning with Christ, and their names are written in the Book of Life. 1 John 5:12 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

14 the lake of fire is another Old Testament end times image. Daniel 7:10 10A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

The Millennium
Familiar theories about the Millennium stem from this series of visions, giving rise to disagreement between Christians, and differences of interpretation over time. A period of 1,000 years is certainly mentioned. But the number is more likely to be symbolic than physical. Different interpretations claim that the saints will reign before or after Christ’s return. Many modern interpretations add Paul’s teaching of the saints “caught up in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) and teach that the saved will be “raptured” while sinners remain on earth to suffer the trials of Revelation, but this is by no means the only way to “read” and “interpret” Revelation. As an interpretation of events yet to come, it may or may not be correct. As a message to the world for all time, and the present time, it might be necessary to look for God's present message as well as trying to interpret God's future plan.

Revelation - God's Response

2010-05-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

11: Revelation 17:1-19:1: Responses, Scenes of Judgment
After burning incense in the Temple, a priest would intone God’s verdict in the responses. Again, the complete response is seven-fold, repeating the pattern of earlier parts of Revelation.
List of 7 Judgment Scenes:
1. The Whore of Babylon
2. The angel’s explanation
3. The Fall of Babylon
4. The Escape of the Saints
5. The Lament over the City
6. The Fate of the City
7. The Wedding Feast of the Lamb

1. The Whore of Babylon - Revelation 17:1-6

John is shown a vision of the antichrist, Satan’s power in the world, and the spirit that lies behind all false governments. The images would have had very powerful symbolic meanings.

Woman/Whore: A woman is often used to represent worldly powers, that of nations other than Israel, or that of Israel when she turns from the Lord. Isaiah 23 refers to Tyre as a prostitute 15…it will happen to Tyre as in the song about the prostitute:
Wilderness: a place that is in the world but not of the world, somewhere not seen clearly.
Scarlet Beast: This is the same image as the first beast – false government – in the 7 signs.
Cup: Reminds the reader of Babylon in Jeremiah 51 7Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine, and so the nations went mad.
Mystery: God and his angels reveal secrets that were once hidden.
Babylon: In Genesis 11 people built the Tower of Babel, a monument to the pride, ambition and glory of man.

2. Angel’s explanation - Revelation 17:7-18

This time the angel explains the images to John, giving specific references that would be understood byJohn and his readers, and general references applicable to later times.

Local references:
Was and is not: refers to the emperor Nero. Romans believed he would one day would return from the dead.
Seven mountains: was a popular way to refer to Rome
Seven kings: There were seven Roman rulers declared to be “divine”:

Augustus (at the time of Jesus’ birth),
Tiberius (Jesus’ ministry),
Caligula,
Claudius (the famine in Acts 11),
Nero (dead and expected to rise again),
Galba and
Otho (who both had short reigns).

General references:

The beast is both one of the kings, and one who will return – the evil power which dwells in evil powers. Satan’s rule continues through evil human rulers.
Ten leaders: Ten represents mankind. As Rome’s human rulers serve the beast when John is writing, so will all rulers (those not “chosen and with” God, verse 14) at the end of time.
Waters: The woman, representing the evil kingdoms, rides on the beast. This suggests human rule trying to control Satan’s power. She rides over the waters, representing the people of the world. But, in the end, the woman can control neither beast nor people.

3. The Fall of Babylon - Revelation 18:1-3.

The next vision is a culmination of the prophetic voice of Israel, filled with Old Testament references.

Isaiah 13 21 But wild animals will lie down there, and its houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will live, and there goat-demons will dance. 22 Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces;
Isaiah 34 13 Thorns shall grow over its strongholds, nettles and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals, an abode for ostriches. 14 Wildcats shall meet with hyenas, goat-demons shall call to each other;
Jeremiah 50 2 Declare among the nations and proclaim, set up a banner and proclaim, do not conceal it, say: Babylon is taken,
Jeremiah 51 7Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine, and so the nations went mad.
Zephaniah 2 (prophesying about Nineveh) 14 Herds shall lie down in it, every wild animal; the desert owl and the screech owlshall lodge on its capitals; the owl shall hoot at the window, the raven croak on the threshold; for its cedar work will be laid bare.
Ezekiel 27 (prophesying about Tyre) lists all the nations that trade and grow rich with Tyre, and follows with, 27Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners and your pilots, your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise, and all your warriors within you, with all the company that is with you, sink into the heart of the seas on the day of your ruin.

4. The escape of the saints– Revelation 18:4-8

The message in verse 4 to “come out of her” is a message of deliverance, like Lot called out of Sodom, rather than a call to purity.

Jeremiah 50:8 8Flee from Babylon, 51:6 6Flee from the midst of Babylon, save your lives, each of you! Do not perish because of her guilt, for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; he is repaying her what is due. 51:9 9 We tried to heal Babylon, but she could not be healed. Forsake her, and let each of us go to our own country; 51:45 45 Come out of her, my people! Save your lives, each of you, from the fierce anger of the LORD!
Isaiah 48:20 20 Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it forth to the end of the earth; say, “The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!”

The message has a different flavor from the calls to purity given elsewhere.

Isaiah 52:11 11Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
2 Corinthians 6:17 17 Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean;

5. The Lament over the City– Revelation 18:9-20

The lamenting over the city includes descriptions of the sins for which it is condemned.
13. Note, slaves are included in the lists of cargo – social concerns as well as financial woes.
15. The merchants mourn from far off. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are exempt from punishment; it just describes how they feel about it, as a separate description from their physical suffering.
17. Everything is laid waste “in one hour,” suggesting that God’s judgment when it comes will be quick and final.
20. In the midst of all the mourning is a call to rejoice – only the wicked will mourn. God’s judgment will seem right and just to those He saves, and we truly will no longer be conformed to this world. Romans 12:2 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

6. The Fate of the City– Revelation 18:21-24

The angels symbolizes the fate of Babylon – of false government - by throwing a stone into the sea.
Jeremiah 52:42 42The sea has risen over Babylon; she has been covered by its tumultuous waves.
Jeremiah 51:25 25I am against you, O destroying mountain, says the LORD, that destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burned-out mountain
Verse 23 references sorcery, reminding readers of the prophesy about Nineveh in Nahum 3:4 4Because of the countless debaucheries of the prostitute, gracefully alluring, mistress of sorcery, who enslaves nations through her debaucheries, and peoples through her sorcery,…

7. The wedding feast– Revelation 19:1-10

The story ends with a vision of heaven again, the “earthquake” having been resolved in the destruction of the city. Heaven is the most important and lasting part of the message. The image is reminiscent of Jesus’ parables of the wedding feast. The bride is prepared for the groom, and the wedding is taking place.

Verse 9 mentions those who are invited to feast. In some way that we cannot yet understand, God chooses us while we ourselves are choosing to follow Him.
In verse 10 John bows down to the angel but is reminded to worship only God. The words used reference the three-fold God and are amongst the earliest recorded references to the Trinity: Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Father, Son and Spirit.

God’s response to his fallen creation has now been pronounced, from condemnation to destruction to the joy of the wedding feast. Next comes the response of God’s people in the form of great rejoicing and scenes of Victory.

Revelation. The Incense Offering

2010-05-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

10: Revelation 15:5-16:21: Burning of the Seven Bowls of Incense

In the Temple, incense is burned after the readings have been heard. The imagery fits well with this next part of the book of Revelation, and the specific plagues recall passages from the Old and New Testament.

The plagues are sent out from the Temple, from the place where the law is kept (and incense burned), implying a connection between their effect and disobedience to law. The angels are dressed as priests, symbols of holiness. And the four creatures offering the bowls have been seen earlier in Revelation, representing the created world—seven bowls and seven angels representing God’s complete plan. The rising smoke reminds readers of God’s glory, as when law was given on Sinai.

The increasing numbers of people affected by the plagues leads readers to imagine God’s increasing urgency as He calls us to Himself, and the inevitability of consequences when God stops holding back His wrath.

List of Plagues
1. 1st plague: The 6th plague of Egypt in Exodus 9:9-11 resulted in painful sores. The plague was not imitated by the magicians because they got sick too with 9festering boils on humans and animals throughout the whole land of Egypt. Leviticus 13, 14 suggest that skin diseases make the sufferers unclean. Perhaps this plague is a revealing of man’s inner uncleanness on surface of the body.

2. 2nd plague: The 2nd trumpet (in Revelation 8:9) only destroyed 1/3 of life in the sea when the water turned to blood. Now everything dies.

3. 3rd plague: Just as when the 3rd trumpet (Revelation 8:10-11) blew, the rivers are now affected as well as the sea. The angel of the waters may be like angels of the churches, one given guardianship and responsibility. While we might be shocked, viewing this through present-day eyes, the angels approve of destruction. And we, in our future selves, the redeemed waiting at the altar, clearly understand and approve at the last. We will know, though we can’t see it now.

4. 4th plague: Fire brings to mind 2 Peter 3:7 7But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless. Some readers have interpreted this as meaning the earth will end in fire this time, instead of in a flood at the time of Noah, but fire also symbolizes purification, and this may just be symbolic of the earth and its peoples being purified (1 Corinthians 3:15).

The trumpets – the world as it is – of Revelation 8 were meant to warn us. But People did not listen to the warnings. Now they curse God (15:9,11)

5. 5th plague: The Kingdom of the Beast is under attack, and people curse God because of their pain and sores. Job’s refusal to curse God is brought to mind. Where do we put our trust?

6. 6th plague: In a reminder of the 6th trumpet and of the Garden of Eden, the River Euphrates dries up. God removes his protection from the fallen earth and Satan’s power is increased.

Note, God has always allowed and used evil spirits: 1 Samuel 18:10 10The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul. The coming of the frogs does mean God is no longer in control. And indeed, verse 15 reminds us that these things are told so we can be prepared.

Revelation 16:15 15(“See, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and is clothed, not going about naked and exposed to shame.”)
Matthew 24:43-44 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Armageddon – the Hill of Megiddo, sometimes called Harmagedon. Megiddo lies on a plain rather than a hill, but the reference may well be symbolic rather than physical, reminding readers of Zechariah 12 which speaks of the Day of the Lord. When they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. 11On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

7. 7th plague: When the voice from the Temple cries “It is done!” it’s hard not to be reminded of Christ on the cross in John 19:30 crying It is finished. We may not understand what happens at the end of time, just as Jesus’ followers didn’t understand His death, but resurrection follows.

The Earthquake is mentioned again, but even now, sinful man still curses God, right to the end.

The Sequence of messages in Revelation consistently leads to a grand finale:
7 letters: each ending with a promise of heaven.
7 seals: depicting the state of the world
7 trumpets: with the promise that God warns everyone.
7 signs: portraying the truth that Satan is actively opposing God.
7 bowls of incense/plagues: portraying the parallel truth that God is victorious over Satan.
7 descriptions of judgment: the fall of Satan’s armies
7 victories: the victory of God’s armies
7 views of heaven: the ultimate goal.

There is also a sequence within the messages, with the position of an image indicating its importance. For example, many psalms start with “how long,” or “woe is me,” and the suggestions that God isn’t listening. But they end, far more importantly, with faith in God, trust in His power, rejoicing in His love. The important message is the one we are left with at the end.

The seals, trumpets, signs and bowls all leave the reader with similar images:
a) God’s people will approve of his actions and stand beside Him, rejoicing.
See Seal 5 and interlude (Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-17); Trumpet interlude and 7 (Revelation 10:5-9, 11:15-17); Sign 4 and 7 (Revelation 14:1-5, 15:2-4); Plague 3 and 7 (Revelation 16:7, 17)
b) All the evil of the world will eventually be destroyed, symbolized in the final earthquake seen in the sixth seal, the seventh trumpet, the sixth sign (where the angel comes out from the Temple, reminding readers of the Temple curtain torn in the earthquake at the death of Christ) and the seventh plague.
c) The ultimate goal is heaven, as revealed in the 7th seal and explanation between the seals, the 7th trumpet, 7th sign, the opening of the Holy of Holies as the angel steps out in the 7th sign, and the “It is done” message of the 7th plague.

We will rejoice and be saved; all evil and trouble and pain will come to an end; and we will see heaven.

Revelation: 6 more signs

2010-05-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

9: Revelation 13:1 – 15:8: Reading from the Scroll – 6 more signs

Imagine the story of heaven and earth being read, but the truth is beyond human words and we struggle to understand. Now imagine the words read so beautifully, so powerfully, that we can see the images—the signs—in our minds. But the truth is beyond human images too; the picture is filled with symbols and we struggle to comprehend.

2. Deception of False Government:
Revelation 12:18-13:10 brings back memories of the beasts Daniel 7.

Daniel’s beasts
• A Lion/eagle/human
• A tusked Bear
• A Leopard with 4 wings and 4 heads and
• A Ten horned monster with iron teeth and bronze claws.
Revelation 13:2: 2And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.

Daniel’s prophesies: The beasts in Daniel represented governments of the world…
• 4 kingdoms (beasts) lead up to final war against God’s people.
• A little horn on last beast boasts,
• oppresses God’s people for “a time, times and half a time”
• then is thrown into fire.
Revelation 13:5: 5The beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.

In Revelation the Beast is created by the dragon, giving rise to other images in the reader’s mind:

Imitation of God:
• The dragon creates life (Revelation 12:18): Creating life out of the chaos of water implies great power.
• The dragon’s creation appears to rise from the dead (Revelation 13:3) in imitation of Christ.
• The dragon’s creation is worshipped because of its master’s authority (Revelation 13:4) andGod gave his authority to Christ.

God’s protection for his people:
In spite of all this, the message of Revelation is that God, not the dragon (or Satan) is in charge and is able to protect us.
Revelation 13:8 8 all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered.
(Note, the Book of life is also mentioned in Philippians 4:3 Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. So it was a known New Testament reference.)

3. Consequences of False Religion:
Revelation 13:11-18 brings more images of the devil imitating God.

Three parts in one Devil: The second beast reappears later in Revelation, and is identified as the false prophet, in a triune list of dragon, beast and prophet (imitating the 3-fold God):
Revelation 16:13 13And I saw three foul spirits like frogs coming from the mouth of the dragon, from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet.
Revelation 19:20 20And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed in its presence the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image.
The two horns on the lamb may be symbolic, or may simply be a lamb’s physical horns.

Spiritual power: The second beast arises from the land, making it symbolically less powerful than the beast from the sea. It’s interesting that the creature representing religion (signs and wonders, supernatural events) should be depicted as less powerful than the one representing wordly governments.

Economic power: Religion and finance become mixed. Roman trade guilds were dedicated to pagan gods, and Certificates of sacrifice to Caesar were required from guildsmen.

Symbolic Number: 666 could be 3-fold falling short of perfection (7). It might also have been read as Nero by early readers, using an Aramaic translation of the Greek spelling of his Roman name.

4. Union of Heaven and Earth:
Revelation 14:1-5 repeats many of the previous symbols. Those with God’s mark will be redeemed, will stand with the Lamb, will be virgins (as in virgin brides of Christ – pure, undefiled by false religion), and will be blameless (despite our present sin). The same symbolic (and uncountable) 144,000 appear as in Revelation 7:4.

5. God’s Answer:
In Revelation 14:6-13 three angels proclaim God’s answer
• Salvation is offered to all people (14:6-7)
• Evil will be defeated (14:8)
• Those who follow evil and refuse salvation will be punished (14:9-11)

Familiar Symbols reappear: Babylon representing those who fight God’s people with laws, or set themselves up in place of God (trumpets), and Torment representing God’s truth as living water to the saved, and poison to the unsaved. How do we picture “justice”?

6. Harvest:
Revelation 14:14-20 is filled with symbols too:
• The grape and grain harvest – Israel’s main crops – is a time of rejoicing (14:15, 18).
• One “like the Son of Man” is probably “another angel”, but may be Christ, present at end as well as beginning of time (14:14). God appears to Abraham as an angel in Genesis 18:16,17.
• (14:15)“The hour has come” – God decides the time.
• (14:18) The altar is where we are, so we approve.
• (14:20) 1,600 stadia is another symbolic number (whose meaning is lost when the distances are translated into modern units). 4x4x10x10 represents the Whole earth and Whole of mankind.

7. Sabbath Rest:
Revelation 15:1-8 reminds us:
• God’s wrath has an end 1…for with them the wrath of God is ended.
• God’s wrath has a plan 7seven golden bowls
• Purification will be complete: 2…a sea of glass mixed with fire,
• Worship will continue: 2harps of God in their hands
• And both Old and New Testament covenants will be represented: 3And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

Revelation: The first sign

2010-05-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

8: Revelation 12: Reading from the Scroll – The First Sign

At this point in Revelation’s heavenly worship service, the readings from the scroll begin. The messages are told through pictures of the history of creation and salvation. Old Testament images, contemporary “apocalyptic” images, numerical symbols and Christian symbols all intertwine to create a fascinating story. But if we try to read it as “reality” we end up struggling to give rational meaning to pictorial symbolism, and risk missing the message—just like an alien trying to understand why Batman’s fist should create star-shaped patterns in the air with “BAM” and “POW” written across them.

List of Signs
1. A History of Salvation. The dragon and the child. 12:1-17
2. The Deception of False Government. The beast from the sea. 13:1-10
3. The Consequences of False Religion. The beast from the earth 13:11-13:18
4. The Union of Heaven and Earth. The 144,000. 14:1-5
5. God’s answer. 3 angels. 14:6-13
6. God’s Harvest. 14:14-20
7. Sabbath Rest. Vision of the Righteous. 15:1-4

First Sign: A History of Salvation:

Revelation 12:1-17 tells the story of the woman, the son, and the dragon.

1. The woman: Revelation 12:1-2
The symbols used to describe the woman would have brought the nation of Israel to mind for early readers:
1a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth.
The Moon symbolizes the Old Testament, a reflection of God’s glory.
The Sun symbolizes the New Testament, the new covenant of Christ.
12 stars symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel.
Suffering brings to mind the suffering of Old Testament Israel.

The image of Joseph in Genesis would clearly be brought to mind: Genesis 37:9-10 9He had another dream, and told it to his brothers, saying, “Look, I have had another dream: the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

2. The dragon: Revelation 12:3-4
The dragon symbolizes Satan
3a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.

7 heads: The head symbolizes vigour, and 7 symbolizes the supernatural – God’ plan rather than man’s. Thus the dragon has supernatural vigor, but only in accordance with God’s plan.
7 crowns: A crown symbolizes authority, suggesting a creature of supernatural authority, again bound by God’s plan.
10 horns: A horn symbolizes power, and ten symbolizes purely human, measurable limits.
1/3 of the stars: As three represents God, and the stars, or the heavens, His domain, a third of the stars would represent a divinely ordained portion of what belongs to God.
Red symbolizes sin (Isaiah 1:18)

In the modern world, there’s a great temptation to wonder what a dragon with all these properties would look like. In the ancient world the interest was more in what the properties “meant.” By focusing on what we can imagine, or what we can picture, we lose the intended focus on truths beyond our imagination.

3. The son: Revelation 12:5
The son is described with many of the symbols which are used to point to Jesus
5And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.
Psalm 2: 7I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have begotten you. 8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

4. Time of the Woman’s protection: Revelation 12:6
1,260 days = 3 ½ years = ½ of 7 years = ½ of the time of the created world.
The period translates symbolically in the same way as “a time, times and half a time” in 12:14, and reminds readers that God will continue to protect Israel – He does NOT reject her.

5. Time Before Christ. Revelation 12:7-8
This verse introduces Michael the Archangel, the Guardian of Israel, seen before in Jude and Daniel.

Jude 1:9 9But when the archangel Michael contended with the devil…
Daniel 10:13,21, 12:1 1“At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people…
Michael and his angels fight against Satan throughout the Old Testament.

6. Birth and death of Christ. Revelation 12:9-12
There is a sense in which Jesus splits time. In this interpretation, the woman’s pregnancy and labor takes place as Israel is beloved and prepared for the birth of the Messiah. The life of Christ, and most particularly his death, leads to Satan’s being cast out of heaven. And the time afterward—the present time—is short and can only lead to God’s final victory.

11 But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…
Luke 10:18 18He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.

Michael’s battle is won. Now it’s our turn, with Christ our champion.

7. Time After Christ. Revelation 12:13-17
Satan wages war on earth against Israel (the woman) and Christianity (the rest of her children).
17Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children

Eagles wings are a reminder of Exodus 19:4 4You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
The serpent might remind readers of the serpents in the desert Numbers 21:8-9 Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
The flood is reminiscent of Noah’s flood, as if Satan attempts to copy God’s miracles. But God’s rainbow reminds us we will not be destroyed.

6 more signs remain...