Thursday, April 29, 2010

Psalms and the Holocaust

In the psalm for David I noticed that it was all about the good times. You know before David slept with that woman and killed her husband to be with her. But it also shows that after the Lord punished him, he kept thinking of him as a light through the dark. When he walks through the valley of the shadow of death, only strength comes because God is with him. David was a strong man who leaves a legacy of strength and good behind. God gave everything he could to David to show his approval for him as his servant. I am sure that if all follow David’s path of praise surely goodness and mercy shall follow them all the days of their life, unless they deceit God.

When I read Day, the character in the story sort of talked like this. He felt God had abandoned him and wondered where he had gone. I am sure that in the Holocaust the questions in psalm 23 were on the mind of everyone on a daily basis. That feeling of complete solitude and not knowing what is to come always around them. It kind of shocks me to think the questions that are said in this psalm because the truth is it is sad. The fact that a God abandoned you in your moment of most dire need and you question yourself over and over where he is, is scary. I can’t imagine myself dealing with these questions in my head or feeling completely and totally abandoned.

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God”.

There are those moments when a person can feel completely abandoned and wonders where God went. I am not very religious but I admit that in the moments when I feel most distressed or worried I do wonder if God is watching over me.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”

Forgiveness is hard at any moment. David sinned and his ultimate goal is forgiveness by God. In this psalm you get a clear picture of how hard forgiveness can be. In the quote above I feel that David wanted to go back to being the golden boy for God. Later God did punish him but I think David was a t peace knowing that he actually tried to be forgiven. I also found the last line of the quote kind of funny because David himself is a sinner and a sinner teaching others what to do could be a bit messed up.

Another holocaust reference is found in this psalm for me. When they say: “For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?”, I remembered this scene in The Pianist when the Jews are forced to dance for the Germans. I am sure they felt the same as those by the rivers of Babylon. Is it a coincidence that all these psalms somehow remind me of the holocaust?

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Discovering David

David showed that he was truly a good servant of god. His morals are high and he upholds Gods opinion over everything. Still even though his conduct was right and exceptional he can also make mistakes.

David is part of a bigger mission that God has in store for him which is that by his hand God will save his people of Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all of their enemies. Immediately you would think the power rises up to David’s head and that he would abuse what he’s got. The truth is he remains an emotional, kind, just and honest man who wants the best for his people.

Proof that David is ambitious is all the battles he has with those that oppose him. He also doesn’t settle for what is good but he wants the best whenever he gets a chance to have it. Even though his ambitions did cloud his judgment when he orders Jobe to “Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smited and die”. Just so he can take possession of his widow.

Another thing I noticed about David is how he is an emotional man who grieves for others a lot. You see a clear example of his emotions when Abner dies: “And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?
3:34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him”. His feelings guide him to make good decisions for his people but they also deceit him in moments. I believe God liked David so much because he was so in touch with his feelings and could rule with a clean heart, for the most part.

“And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.”

The quote above shows how he does believe that justice and honesty. It also shows that he was also obedient to whatever was told to him by God. David believes that it is not up to him who is killed but God guides him in the direction of those who should be punished. His rule is just and it never bends the rule of overpowering God even though you see he sometimes is a power hungry man who wants only the best. Still he remains loyal and only carries out his will unless it is approved by God.

Kindness is another virtue David brings to the table. When he finds out about Jonathans lame son, instead of not offering anything he brings his son to him. He also asks moments before how he can show his kindness for the sake of Jonathan to the house of Saul. He says: “I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually”. Instead of treating him differently to other name because of his handicap, David treats him as an equal who is bound to dine with kings. Along with being kind, he also shows signs of being humble when he bonds with his people: “And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to everyone a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed everyone to his house”. He gives back and doesn’t abuse the power he has with his people.

Devotion is what gave David everything he has. He admits that God is the only reason he is where he is because he was devote. To show his devotion he goes to God many times to seek counsel or just to praise him: “And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
6:14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
6:15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet”. Even when others don’t approve of what he does he esteems God the greatest and follows his words and orders in whatever way he can.

I believe that David was a good man whose morals should be esteemed but he did fail. When he did one small mistake everything was taken from him. In a sense I think it was unfair to take everything away but what he did went against his morals. Most part of the reading I only got a spoonful about what a good king he was but then when the mistake is made, a kind of new side to David is revealed. Even after God told him what was coming he continued to be the same man and praise the Lord but still what was done was done.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Action and Aventure

I found this part of the Book of Samuel to be the best part yet of the Bible we have read. It was not like the Book of Job that it was just a bunch of men talking but more like an action/adventure story. In the beginning I thought a lot about the opening scene in troy because of the battle David had with the Philistine. In troy Achilles fights with the best warrior of another army and beats him just by the swing of his sword. I kind of pictured David being very small and beating a guy that looked more powerful than him like in the movie.

I have some friends that are short but I have learned that you never underestimate little people. The part when David fights with the philistine made me think that you should never underestimate your opponent. Sure David was weak in the mind of the philistine because he was “but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance” but he battled with a true heart. Instead of going to battle with the armor that they gave him, he decided to go and fight with the elements he knew how to handle and with the mentality that violence with weapons could be avoided. Then all through the reading you see that David preferred not to fight but let things unfold by themselves.

I don’t understand why nations have to overpower each other. What is the dispute between the Israel people and the people from Palestine? Maybe my history isn’t very good but why is there so much tension even today between these two nations? Today its not only these two places that seek to overpower each other but worldwide countries try to prove to each other how much better they are than the other.

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.
18:11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.”

This is so typical. Now I think where Hollywood gets all the ideas of jealousy and competition for their movies. David and Saul are a clear example of wanting more and being jealous of those that have what you don’t. Saul to me is kind of desperate because he always guides himself by violent measures just to be approved. Hadn’t he given any thought that maybe if he did succeed in killing David he would have been hated because he killed the good guy?

Jonathan and David remind me of Gilgamesh and Enkidu because of the way they have each other’s back. Jonathan holds his friendship with David as his greatest possession. He even turns his back on his own father to protect David who to him is part of his soul: “David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded”. Gilgamesh had that bond too. The one in which they would do anything for each other. Hardships and dangers were nothing for Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Jonathan and David showed that it was not only Enkidu and Gilgamesh who had each other’s backs: “O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
1:26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”

“ Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 24:14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. 24:15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.”

David is so innocent that he doesn’t notice the envy that Saul has. He also holds the power of God over everything and knows that Saul will not die under his hand but the Lord knows when it will happen. David’s character is opposite Saul and in a way I think Saul wishes he was David. David has not only the people’s approval but the Lords approval which makes him a better person. One always wants what one can’t have and Saul is no exception to this rule.

“And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
1:16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.”

The quote above was a bit unclear and would like a little explanation on it. The only other part of this reading that gave me trouble was the last part after Jonathan and Saul died. There was all this talk about servants going and sitting by a pool and then they mentioned these other guys that hadn’t been mentioned much. Other than that this has been up to now my favorite story in the Bible.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

God Shows Up

It was meant to happen sooner or later. If I was Job I would have been a bit embarrassed that God listened to me go on and on about how terrible and unfair he is. The verses begin with God finally intervening in the conversation of the men. If I was Job I would have been frightened that God would have killed me right then and there. First Job failed the challenge of standing up for God and then as he lies in his “death bed” all he can do is bicker about how God is so unfair. This is the first time I hear of a story in which instead of pointing out all the goods in God, the main character is completely pointing out the bad. It was like they were trying to do an anti thesis to prove the good points of the argument. In the end God looks like this great guy that did great things and Job cowards in his presence and just takes things as they were.

It was interesting to read about how God confronts Job and shows him that if it wasn’t for him nothing would exist. God acknowledges that Job was speaking badly about him and fights back by showing him how much power he has over him. As I read about the creation of things and how God had to think out every little detail, my favorite part was: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding”. The reason this part got my attention was because in the past verses Job sounded as if he knew everything he was arguing about but when God says this he shows that Job really hasn’t seen that much since he didn’t even see the creation of the Earth. Still as God spoke about everything he did, I interpreted it as if he was showing off a little too much. It sounded like he was one of those rich guys on MTV Cribs showing his house:” So this is my cool ocean I created, that took me a while but there it is. Oh and check out my mountains yeah I know they are great”. But hey maybe that’s just me who heres God giving us a tour of his “crib”.

If someone insulted me I wouldn’t fight them back by rewarding them. Sure God and Job made up but still prizes? After a fight a hug and a kiss is ok but Job comes out victorious with “fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses”. It’s like he won a game show! The guy had been insulting God for more verses than the verses of being nice to him and he still becomes a millionaire. I guess this is where you really see that God is merciful and forgiving but only if you submit to him. Maybe I should pick a fight with God and then make up with him that way in the end; I can be a very happy owner of a bunch of farm animals.

The part when God is telling Job everything he does and how it is not easy to be him, reminded me of this movie called “Bruce Almighty”. In the movie, Bruce is a guy that insults God and blames him for everything. Then Bruce actually gets to be God for a while and sees that it really isn’t as easy as it looks. While I was reading this I was thinking that maybe God will put him in his shoes for a while to see how hard it is. I was kind of disappointed when he didn’t.
All through the chat of Job and God I could have sworn he was going to die. These last verses really showed me that God is forgiving and does stand up for himself. God truly entrust a lot to his people and has faith that his people will become better. Maybe that’s why God “blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.He had also seven sons and three daughters.And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.So Job died, being old and full of days”. Good things happen to those that believe in God so what happens to those who dont?
To finish here is the trailer of Bruce Almighty.





Thursday, April 22, 2010

Locked Up in My Room With Job

I had a debate about free will. In lots of websites I visited about free will most people spoke about how God had already arranged our destiny. Somehow in the talk all these men were having with Job they talked about how God guides people. Maybe he does maybe he doesn’t but I would find it weird for God to guide the destiny of man even though in the Bible there is proof he does. The story of Adam and Eve shoed he did want them to leave the garden of Eden that way he sould continue to expand their race. I don’t know how someone could hold my destiny in their hands when I myself am so unsure of my future. I am 3 years away from going to college and I still don’t know hwat I want to study and it annoys me. If someone out there does know what is to happen in my future it would be nice to be clued in.

Job mentions in some verses that God is kind to those who don’t deserve it. He talks about how those who have the best lives aren’t the best people. Even today I see proof of this seeing how many “narcotraficantes” like Pablo Escobar who caused so much pain lived a very good life. But I disagree with Job in relation that it has to do with God. Sure God is powerful but if what the Bible has said up to know is true, he only rewards those who are pure. Those who are living the life but didn’t get there in a good way are punished sooner or later. Hey maybe karma exists for God too.

“Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.”

This quote talks again about how our destiny is sealed. When Job says “thou numberest my steps” he makes reference about how God knows everything about him. The reason I chose this quote is because it caught my attention how Job speaks about his destiny and his service to God like it doesn’t matter. He mentions how he will answers when God calls but it feels like he only answers because he has to and not because he wants to. I don’t really understand what the last part of the quote means but what I can gather is that Jobs advancement in life is finished and now only his sins are being looked at over his good.

In chapter 18 one of the men talks about a place that bad men go to. It sounds like a very sad place where someone would have to spend eternity for not upholding God above everything. The place is depressing and it really does sound like hell. Then they keep mentioning a robber which makes it seem more like hell because I believe robbers are going to hell so there they are. Here is a small portion about the hell description: “The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.” How can you not believe that is hell?

Job is convinced God is against him and doesn’t like him very much. I believe it is impossible for God to hate someone but then again there was that whole hell chat. Anyway this part of the debate between Job and his friends made me thing about turning your back on someone. Job truly believes that God is not in his team and is against him. This reminds me of a friend of mine who is convinced that everyone will turn on this person if she stops being friends with another. Ok how can people stop like in another person one day to another? Or base their likes on a person on the likes of another? It just doesn’t make sense and I am sure that this is what Job feels, what my friend feels. But I am sure that no matter what each person has their perspective on others. And anyway God can’t choose teams he is God after all, an impartial calm guy.

“God distributeth sorrows in his anger. They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.”

I must agree with this quote. God does cause pain only based on his sorrows and bad moods. For example the flood in Noah’s time, he was angry and it started to rain. I mean Job is right about that but it would be kind of impartial of God to punish everytime he is angry or having a hard day. What if God was a woman? Women have way more mood swings than men, would she punish us all if she was having a mood swing day? Maybe a mortal threw some trash into the ocean and Female God was having a one of those days and decides to punish us all? Wouldn’t that be bad? Still a Female God would be cool.

There are two powers in these verses the Almighty and God. Are they really two powers or not? We already said that there was God and Lord God now there is Almighty? The reason I think there are two powers is because of quotes like this: “Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment”. So are there more powers than Lord God and God?
“1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock. Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?”

This part of the text when Job talks about the respect he got when he was young was interesting. Then this quote came up about how the young tower over the old which got me thinking about being old. Job talks about old age like it is a curse that is bad. I believe that old age and death are part of every body’s destiny. I got a feeling that Job was feeling useless just because he was old which is kind of sad. The part when he says “whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?” showed that he does feel bad because he is old. Its weird to bring this up but my mom says that when people get old they get annoying. I wouldn’t know since I don’t really hang out with old people but even people my age can be annoying. I hope my parents don’t get annoying but my mom insist I intern her into an old people asylum when she gets old that way she won’t annoy me which I guess is nice of her. Too bad these places didn’t exist in Jobs time; he would have felt good in one of those.

To finish I would just like to say old men bicker with each other too much and that this is probably my standing record in Bible reading ever. Oh and just so you know I officially don’t have a life thanks to the Bible.



Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The Job

It’s the first time Satan is mentioned in the Bible. His character in the Bible is exactly like I have always interpreted him. Mean, competitive, and dark are word I would use to describe him. It’s like his source of power comes from the suffering of God. I recently saw the Clash of the Titans and thought this was very Hades and Zeus. While Zeus believes in power through love, Hades believes in power through pain and suffering. When Satan gets his kicks on God is not happy. I wonder if the reference for the whole Zeus and Hades relationship was based out of the Bible somehow. I mean according to the Bible man always knew there was God but how did the Greeks invent their Gods? Anyway Satan and God have a relationship based on overpowering and if I was to put Satan in a modern context, he would so be a drug dealer. Why? Drug dealers live out of the pain and suffering of other.

“After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
cb(3,2);
3:2 And Job spake, and said,
cb(3,3);
3:3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
cb(3,4);
3:4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
cb(3,5);
3:5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it”

I wonder if this was the first official time cursing God happened. Job blames all his suffering on God and we still continue seeing this. Maybe back in the day it was really bad but now we turned it into a common thing. Think about it. Here they make a huge deal about how Job is cursing God but in our day to day lives we often say phrases like: Holly Crap or Por Dios. Have we really lowered our respect towards God that phrases that could have once made us tremble in fear, are now part of everyday speech?

“Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
cb(4,18);
4:18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
cb(4,19);
4:19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
cb(4,20);
4:20 They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.
cb(4,21);
4:21 Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.”

I found this interesting because it talks about seeing negative things in God. It’s like Job was getting peer pressured into completely losing his faith in God. I also enjoyed this quote because it talks about how we can’t expect to excel God because he himself doesn’t give anyone the chance to excel. In a way it talks about how unworthy we are of even thinking about overpowering our maker.

God is a type of weapon. You know how when you were little you would threaten to tell the teacher about anything? You could intimidate with God. You could go: Hey I’ve been a pretty good guy all my life and you just stole my chips, you are so going to get clothed with shame and dwell in a place of wickedness. They even mention it here in the book of Job how if you are good you get repaid and if you’re bad you don’t. It is very Santa Clause.

“Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
cb(8,21);
8:21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
cb(8,22);
8:22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.”

Another aspect I thought about of in this text was about seeing the good and bad in people. If you think about it most days of our life we are judging those around us. Here we have Job and his friends seeing both the good and the bad about God. This part reminded me of a debate and how opposite views can be. God is truly a mystery man will never unravel.

Monday, April 19, 2010

"Hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let them go." What A Tough Guy

Why did God choose Moses? He himself questions this and it makes me wonder if God chose Moses because he also relates to him like he related to Noah. Was Moses authorities and powerful as God? Or was he just another different choice from the other men.

It’s sad how Moses says no one will believe him unless he takes proof. If faith was what it is now, which is believing without seeing, no proof would be needed just the word of the man who brings the news. Sure it is tough to prove God spoke to you but simple proof should do the trick. No need for rods to be turning into serpents. Then again I myself struggle with my believes and if I had lived in the time I would have probably asked for proof too. Still I wish that I could find the courage in myself to believe without proof being needed like I did when Santa and the Easter Bunny were very real beings in my mind.

“And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
cb(4,11);
4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?”

It must be intimidating to stand up to someone like that. I mean he did create you and created every aspect of your life. This part kind of reminded me of Jonathan Goldsteins interpretation of Noah for some reason. Maybe because God sounded so tough and know it all like the character Goldstein depicted.

Aaron and Moses are like superheroes. But Aaron is the sidekick. Their mission intrusted to them by God is their complete mission and in a way you can think they are saving the world one Hebrew at a time. They completely march into strange lands to liberate complete strangers in the name of a guy they have never seen (very Charlie’s angels). They lay their lives ready to be taken but they persist with the task in hand. I had never really thought about any biblical character like a hero in any way.

I really liked the part when Aaron drops his snake and it becomes a snake but then all the pharaohs magicians drop theirs and they too become snakes. By making the snake that Aaron cast eat the others God truly showed his power to the Pharaoh and his followers. The question is if they truly got the meaning? Guess not seeing how plagues and death followed after encountering our two heroes’.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
cb(8,2);
8:2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:
cb(8,3);
8:3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:
cb(8,4);
8:4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.”

Run! Frogs! Who is scared of frogs? Is this seriously plagued? I mean sure frogs are slimy and sometimes poisonous but compared to other things God could have cast upon the Egyptian people frogs should have been last in the list. I guess in the good old days frogs weren’t really appreciated.

Finally after tones of tries Pharaohs hardened heart turns soft. I mean why God didn’t just take up the problems with the pharaoh. After leaving God made them do the Sabbath. I don’t really understand what that is but from what I got is that you can’t leave your house and that eating bread is a priority. Someone should explain this point and why it is so important.

I am kind of confused with this story. I know I should mix text with animated movies but I don’t know if they did say it but is Moses the son of another pharaoh? In the movie he was a Egyptian prince and to see what I mean I will like to conclude with the trailer to Moses.



Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Too Many Things To Put In A Title

In all these chapters some things really stood out like: Preference, treatment of women, Gilgamesh, cheating, and that wrestling with God has happened physically and not only mentally. I had heard parts of the stories that were exposed to us in this chapter and after reading them I have a better understanding of how the God I believe in came to become the God he is now.

The first moment preference is shown is with Isaacs’s sons. Isaac preferred Esau over Jacob but their mother Rebekah prefers Jacob over Esau. The impression I got form Jacob was that he was a total cheater while his brother was a “cleaner soul”. Still his reasoning for being favored were very entertaining: “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man”. I couldn’t help thinking about Gilgamesh and Enkidu in this part just because one was better than the other just because he looked less hairy aka more civilized. I don’t really understand the whole competition between brothers, being an only child and all, but I think jealousy is always in the mix and how you want more attention than others. I believe that Jacobs’s ways were wrong and his punishment of being banished was a good way in a sense to ensure his safety from the wrath of his brother.

Gilgamesh also came into my thoughts when Jacob is sleeping and God shows him the stairway to heaven. The reason I thought about Gilgamesh was because also in that story, Gilgamesh’s Gods communicates with him through dreams. I guess everywhere dreams are the way to go, I mean it’s easy you just disturb someone’s dreams to put in your own to give them a subliminal message you hope they understand. I give points to God though, for not hiding his message but actually explaining it.

While I was reading the story about Laban and Jacob I realized I had heard the story somewhere else. There is this really good movie/musical called “A Fiddler on the Roof” and they speak about this part of the text in the movie. I had never heard the full story but after reading this I get the crazy expressions the guy got when he said: “the moral of this story is to never trust your employer”.

With Jacob and Laban, after completing all his time of working, I thought that what Laban was doing was pure blackmail. He completely played Jacob by marrying him to his other daughter so that he would have to work more. The funniest part about this tale was how God change the animals being born just so Laban wouldn’t get anything but Jacob would take it all:

“And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.”

Women are treated like cattle here. To square deals out the men would offer their women to get out of trouble:

”The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.”
God didn’t help either, Instead of making the women richer and giving them land he just gave them a better reproduction system so that their husbands could have “children as many as the stars in the sky”. Where is the justice? Not only do all the sons get turned into kings but the women still get to multiply and not become queens. It also annoys me how God has the ability to “open wombs” and close them. I mean that is a total violation of privacy! Still the women don’t help themselves either. They have the mentality that “being fruitful and multiplying” is all they can do. When I read this I thought about this story my mom told me about how girls in some public schools in the States raise their social status by getting pregnant. It isn’t just about the fact that you got pregnant, to raise your status the higher in power is the guy you sleep with, the more your status rises. I think the women of the time had to prove themselves to their husbands and also felt they had a social status to maintain by giving birth and giving birth.

Something that made me laugh was the deal about being bretheren only if the others gor circumcised:
“But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.”
So apparently to square issues and “fit in with the crowd” circumcision was a must. I guess I found this funny just because of the absurdity of it all. I mean I’m not going to stop being friends with Billy just because he isn’t circumcised or, I m not going to sign that contract for billions of dollars just because the guy giving me the money isn’t circumcised. Man how times have changed!

All in all in these chapters I learned that relationships work out and forgiveness is part of life. The last point I want to touch is Jacob wrestling with God. An expression about “wrestling” with God in your head exists I think. It was interesting to see how it would be like in real life. In the end I think that the message was that even though you fight with God he will never stop being with you. You are never alone and God is always with you no matter how hard you wrestle to get him off your back.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Circumcision, Old Men, and Love

I knew what circumcision meant before I read this so I couldn’t help but read it with a bit of a shock. I thought the Bible no matter what, kept these types of topics of its pages. I mean I guess it’s something really normal but it’s just weird to think that God wants guys to be circumcised. The fact that it exists because God said “it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you” is kind of weird. I mean how can cutting a piece of flesh of someone’s body make them closer or create a bond between him and God? And why does it have to be that particular piece of flesh? God works in mysterious ways.

I’ve noticed that all through these chapters God gives things to Abraham and Sarah in exchange for them completing certain objectives. An example of this is:

“Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.”

God gives Abraham things ranging from children all the way to vast kingdoms. He probably does this so his word, the words of the Lord, will roam all over and let Abraham be one of his Sheppards. You know how they call priests Sheppards of Gods people because they “take care of us” I guess Abraham was part of this first generation of Sheppard to expand Gods words.

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our Father.And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.”

Apparently keeping the seed of the family alive is really important for the people of the time. Ok first of, they lay with their really old father. Besides the fact that it was their father it was an old man! The other thing is that they took advantage of their old father in a drunken state. He probably had no idea what was going on around him and had no idea he was “laying with his daughters”. Earlier it was mentioned that some angels came to visit Lot and the town’s people wanted to hurt them. To prevent this from happening Lot told the people to “do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof”. Yes they were angels but the fact that he offered his daughters and then they slept with him is kind of disturbing.

The part when Isaac and Abraham go up the mountain to make an offering to God is the most known tale of Abraham. I’ve seen comic strips and cartoons of this scene when faith is tested. I don’t understand why it is that only one part of each prophet’s life is shown. The only one who’s complete life was shown was Moses (they made a movie) but for Abraham they don’t show his true story of his many travels. Isaacs’s moment was symbolic but when someone reads this and learns the true life of these men and their families you see there was more to them that meets the eye.

My favorite part of this section we had to read was the one of Rebekah and Isaac. Even though she was kind of sold off and went to marry a man she had never met. I guess God knew that Rebekah was the one for Isaac and led the servant in the promising direction. The love at first sight that they shared was sweet and then she provided comfort to Isaac who didn’t know her but fell completely in love with her.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Understanding Abram

Its interesting to see how all of the sons of Noah went their own ways. It says that each son went out after the flood and created their own nations. Its an interesting way to show how nations and countries began in the world. For once this creation was not made by God but it was probably pushed by him. Nations like "Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh," rose from the hand of man and not by the hand of God. This also reminds me of how the more science advances the more we are proving that our believes, the believes in this book, can be mere fairytale. Man is overpowering God, even in the 21st century.

The sons of Noah came but they lived all together and spoke the same language but ruled different nations. They explained this in Genesis 11 so I was a bit confused above.

" Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city."
What I got from this is that God actually doesn't want them to interact together so that they will in a way not reach their full potential. He is putting a halt to them and the plans they have together. Its interesting to think that we all speak different languages because a guy somewhere thought we would be too powerful unified under one language.

The story of Abram is 3 chapters long. I didn't really understand the whole part of being in Egypt. They went there to escape a plague but then they left and then many things happened. They parted ways with Lot, why? The only part I really understood was the part when the maid is blessed by an angel while the wife is in a way judged. She shouldn't have been jealous she chose for her maid to be with her husband. I guess no matter if you ask or not, a woman will always be jealous of another with her man.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

"Be Fruitful and Multiply"

In the third chapter of Genesis, we see how Eve lures Adam into trying the fruit. Ok yeah she did but only because the serpent mislead her. But now thanks to that woman is known to be misleading and treacherous at times. The punishments given to Eve were a bit unfair. Adam got a punishment that wasn’t nearly as bad as hers. Didn’t God create these two beings to be equal? And yet it is Eve who has to go through the physical pain of childbirth and be overruled by man. There are still some of us out there fighting to prove that we are equal to men.

I didn’t really understand chapter 4. I understood that Eve had a child and then lots of other people were having children after one of Adam and Eves sons was murdered by the other. God of course punished the murderer but I didn’t really understand what his punishment was.
Begat is a past tense of beget ( basically be the father of, produce). Yes I looked it up because there was so much begating going on that it got a bit confusing. There was lots of begat in this time. Seth had a child, Mahaleel had a child, and many more had a child so this makes me wonder: If all of these guys are descendants of Adam and Eve, are we all brothers and sisters? I mean they were the only ones and then their children came and who did they have kids with if not their own sisters?


It must be hard looking down on us and that one of the observations that stands out is that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Still even in present days there are still Noah’s that make the world worth looking at. Like god said there are “generations of Noah's” and our generation has its good people. The best way to describe the way there is evil in the world but how the good outshines it is this speech done by Sam in “The Two Towers”:


I wonder if Noah's family felt guilty in the end knowing they were the only living humans or maybe they felt like v.i.p s. God is really into the whole “be fruitful and multiply business”. At the beginning he said it to Adam and Eve and now he tells it to Noah's family. Again we are faced with the whole are we sisters and brothers drama.

Still have lots of questions to explore but up to know it has been interesting reading the Bible.

The Start of Something New

In chapters one and two of Genesis, we see how God created earth. I had read the Bible before but not the old testament and found it interesting. People have different views towards God personally I believe Earth and everything we see around us was created by the big bang. Some part of me (the religious part) sometimes believes in the creation in seven days but most of the time I opt for a scientific path.

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

Of all the creations, the one that I enjoyed the most was the thought of the creation of light. I had never read this before but yet I had heard the line "let there be light" somewhere. I find God extremely creative if he came up with all the names for things like Day and Night. Just coming up with these words out of nowhere. In fact I had never really thought about God as much as I have while reading this. It was also productive that he gave them names that way we knew how to call them. Again I don't fully believe in this, I am just writing in a perspective of someone who doesn't question this version of existence. Something just occurred to me, is the idea of the creation of light linked to the light bulb representing an idea? When you see someone get an idea on a cartoon a light bulb is shown, does this have anything to do with the Bible?

When they say that God saw something and it was good, it makes me picture an old man pondering something deeply and making sure it fully satisfies what he wants and wont take anything less to perfection. Like with Adam, God makes Adam out of himself. An image that to God is total perfection which is himself. I don't truly belief in the Adam and Eve story. I believe that we evolved from monkeys and not from clay (like it is said in some tales).

I am sure that while I am reading this I will not only battle with text but I will most definitely battle within myself. Question my views and see if anything in the Bible truly sticks to my beliefs.