I continue my commitment to Read Through The Bible (in one year. In alphabetical order. Sort of.)
After I read Amos last week, I started 1 Chronicles, which I finished this morning. I'll start 2 Chronicles tomorrow.
Well, what can be said about 1 and 2 Chronicles? A couple of random thoughts.
There are a lot of cool names in 1 Chronicles. A few years ago, I was writing My Novel (about Luke's quest to interview the people who knew Jesus) and needed to come up with some Jewish names for characters. I turned to Chronicles (or maybe it was Numbers). But in spite of the zillions of names, I had trouble selecting. Go figure.
It makes one wonder what lists our names are on today that will still be read over a thousand years from now.
It would be nice to be remembered as favorably as Obed-Edom (1 Chr 26:5,8); or the men of Issachar (1 Chr 112:32). But it's entirely possible I'll be remembered as Jehdeiah the Meronothite (1 Chr 27:30b -- KJV).
A close comparison of 1-2 Chronicles with 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings is an interesting exercise. The accounts cover pretty much the same people and events. They differ in lots of small details, which is tantalizing to the Bible history experts. They also differ in the overall way they portray some of the main characters, e.g., David. It seems to me that the Samuel/Kings version is pretty earthy; the Chronicles version tends to be more reverential. The two accounts are an excellent example of how "history" is written based on the author's viewpoint and interpretation of past events. I may have more to say (and hopefully more intelligent observations) in a few months after I've reviewed all these books and thought about it some more.
The differences don't bother me. They just underscore that the story of God and His people is rich and complex, written down by human authors--who were under the influence or inspiration of the Lord. I'm sure a biography of Abraham Lincoln written in the 1870s would be quite different from Carl Sandberg's volumes of the mid-20th century, which would be quite different from Michael Burlingame's, published in 2008. The "facts" about Lincoln haven't changed; only the writers and the unfolding of history.
One other thing I like about 1 Chronicles (and it's a bit shameful): I can breeze through the lists of names pretty quickly and not feel that I'm missing much important theology. My aim of reading six chapters at a stretch isn't too taxing when I'm skimming big hunks of 1 Chronicles.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
And now for something chilling: Amos
Have you read the book of Amos recently?
I guessing you haven't; it's not exactly on the top of many people's reading lists. You can read it in about half an hour, and it has incredible Hebrew poetry with beautifully evocative language. But OMG, is it chilling!
The prophet Amos dates to the eighth century B.C. and his main ministry was probably about 760-750. He was from the southern kingdom of Judah, but he mostly had words of warning for the northern kingdom, Israel. (Imagine someone from rural America traveling to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, and haranguing them about their sinfulness!)
Amos begins on a high note, saying mean things about Israel's neighbors, including Judah. That probably got everyone nodding their heads and shouting agreement. But then he takes aim at Israel, enumerating their sins. Topping the list are the words, "They sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed." Somehow, I don't think those sins were exclusive to those ancient people; there's a lot of trampling on the heads of the poor that continues to this day.
Some years ago, I was teaching through Amos and came upon the passage: "Hear this, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, 'Bring us some drinks!'" A woman in the class had a bit of a problem with the white wine--and with browbeating her husband to make more money so she could maintain her lifestyle. I went through some serious hand-wringing as I prepared the lesson that seemed to be pointed directly at her. I can only imagine the courage it took Amos to stand up the the religious and civic leaders of his day.
When God says through Amos, "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies....Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps," shouldn't everyone involved in organized religious worship sit up and take notice? Especially since the next words are, "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream." (See what I mean about beautiful poetry?) In other words, social justice should be much more dear to the hearts of us church people than the details of worship practices.
There's much more, including the famous image of God's plumb line, presumably measuring how upright the people of Israel were: "Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.'"
Or how about, "You hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth....You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts. Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil." And the remedy? "Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you just as you say He is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy."
Sadly, Amos' words went largely unheeded, and in a couple of decades, Israel was conquered by Assyria and sent into exile. Judah was similarly conquered about 150 years later and exiled to Babylonia.
And even more sadly, I don't think there's any reason to believe that Amos' warnings were to be applied solely to Jews of the 8th century. I think they thunder across the ages to us today. "The days are coming, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I will send a famine through the land--not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD....In that day, the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst....they will fall, never to rise again."
I just think it's chilling stuff; warnings that should resonate with self-conviction among individuals and nations today.
But, please, don't be afraid to open up Amos and read it, even if it is grim and scary. It actually ends on a positive note! The LORD promises to restore His people--but not till after the disaster.
I guessing you haven't; it's not exactly on the top of many people's reading lists. You can read it in about half an hour, and it has incredible Hebrew poetry with beautifully evocative language. But OMG, is it chilling!
The prophet Amos dates to the eighth century B.C. and his main ministry was probably about 760-750. He was from the southern kingdom of Judah, but he mostly had words of warning for the northern kingdom, Israel. (Imagine someone from rural America traveling to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, and haranguing them about their sinfulness!)
Amos begins on a high note, saying mean things about Israel's neighbors, including Judah. That probably got everyone nodding their heads and shouting agreement. But then he takes aim at Israel, enumerating their sins. Topping the list are the words, "They sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed." Somehow, I don't think those sins were exclusive to those ancient people; there's a lot of trampling on the heads of the poor that continues to this day.
Some years ago, I was teaching through Amos and came upon the passage: "Hear this, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, 'Bring us some drinks!'" A woman in the class had a bit of a problem with the white wine--and with browbeating her husband to make more money so she could maintain her lifestyle. I went through some serious hand-wringing as I prepared the lesson that seemed to be pointed directly at her. I can only imagine the courage it took Amos to stand up the the religious and civic leaders of his day.
When God says through Amos, "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies....Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps," shouldn't everyone involved in organized religious worship sit up and take notice? Especially since the next words are, "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream." (See what I mean about beautiful poetry?) In other words, social justice should be much more dear to the hearts of us church people than the details of worship practices.
There's much more, including the famous image of God's plumb line, presumably measuring how upright the people of Israel were: "Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.'"
Or how about, "You hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth....You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts. Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil." And the remedy? "Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you just as you say He is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy."
Sadly, Amos' words went largely unheeded, and in a couple of decades, Israel was conquered by Assyria and sent into exile. Judah was similarly conquered about 150 years later and exiled to Babylonia.
And even more sadly, I don't think there's any reason to believe that Amos' warnings were to be applied solely to Jews of the 8th century. I think they thunder across the ages to us today. "The days are coming, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I will send a famine through the land--not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD....In that day, the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst....they will fall, never to rise again."
I just think it's chilling stuff; warnings that should resonate with self-conviction among individuals and nations today.
But, please, don't be afraid to open up Amos and read it, even if it is grim and scary. It actually ends on a positive note! The LORD promises to restore His people--but not till after the disaster.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Eli, Samuel and Child-Rearing Through the Ages
In our Sunday school class this week, we talked about Eli, the priest mentioned in the early chapters of 1 Samuel. His own sons were awful--corrupt and greedy. Eli was aware of their sinfulness and in 1 Samuel 2:23-25 he rather weakly fusses at them. Young Samuel, the little boy who was dedicated to God by his mother, was also raised under the care of Eli, but he turned out really well.
I love the way the biblical text raises profound questions and leaves it up to readers to think through the answers. What was different between Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, and Samuel? Was it "genetic"? Was Eli a better "father" to Samuel because he'd learned from his mistakes with his own sons? Do we dare think that God had more of a hand with raising Samuel than with Hophni and Phinehas? We don't know anything about a mother for Hophni and Phinehas; was it the same woman, and was she part of the influence? Maybe Hannah, Samuel's mother, prayed for him every day. The text just doesn't say much, so we are left to wonder and speculate.
Fascinating as that speculation is, I think it has a real-life benefit. When we start wondering about the difference between the wayward children and the "good" children, it doesn't take long till we start thinking about families we know. And just as we don't know all we'd like to know about Eli's household, we never know very much about our friends and acquaintances. Still, by thinking through what might have worked or not worked for Eli, we can draw some conclusions about the way WE should raise our own children.
I certainly haven't broken the code on raising children, and I am convinced that every child and every family is unique. Nevertheless, I tend to think the Eli stories suggest that parents should have high standards for their children, communicate them clearly, and enforce them as best they can.
(Yes, yes, I know: my kids got away with lots of stuff I didn't approve of, and we probably didn't discipline them as well as we should have. I'm not sayin' I'm that great a parent; just that the Bible leads us to certain conclusions about how to behave!)
These Eli stories have been told and retold for thousands of years. It's fun to think about families and individuals through the ages that may have struggled with the same questions about Eli's child-rearing that we do today.
Before I sign off -- and since I'm still in Deuteronomy in my RTTB process, here's a passage that caught my attention:
"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth." Deuteronomy 8:17-18.
Oh, we all would profess this; but how often do we consciously give credit to God for our skills, abilities, talents and circumstances that allow us to make a living?
Take a moment to join me in giving all credit, praise, and gratitude to the Father.
I love the way the biblical text raises profound questions and leaves it up to readers to think through the answers. What was different between Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, and Samuel? Was it "genetic"? Was Eli a better "father" to Samuel because he'd learned from his mistakes with his own sons? Do we dare think that God had more of a hand with raising Samuel than with Hophni and Phinehas? We don't know anything about a mother for Hophni and Phinehas; was it the same woman, and was she part of the influence? Maybe Hannah, Samuel's mother, prayed for him every day. The text just doesn't say much, so we are left to wonder and speculate.
Fascinating as that speculation is, I think it has a real-life benefit. When we start wondering about the difference between the wayward children and the "good" children, it doesn't take long till we start thinking about families we know. And just as we don't know all we'd like to know about Eli's household, we never know very much about our friends and acquaintances. Still, by thinking through what might have worked or not worked for Eli, we can draw some conclusions about the way WE should raise our own children.
I certainly haven't broken the code on raising children, and I am convinced that every child and every family is unique. Nevertheless, I tend to think the Eli stories suggest that parents should have high standards for their children, communicate them clearly, and enforce them as best they can.
(Yes, yes, I know: my kids got away with lots of stuff I didn't approve of, and we probably didn't discipline them as well as we should have. I'm not sayin' I'm that great a parent; just that the Bible leads us to certain conclusions about how to behave!)
These Eli stories have been told and retold for thousands of years. It's fun to think about families and individuals through the ages that may have struggled with the same questions about Eli's child-rearing that we do today.
Before I sign off -- and since I'm still in Deuteronomy in my RTTB process, here's a passage that caught my attention:
"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth." Deuteronomy 8:17-18.
Oh, we all would profess this; but how often do we consciously give credit to God for our skills, abilities, talents and circumstances that allow us to make a living?
Take a moment to join me in giving all credit, praise, and gratitude to the Father.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Sidetrip Through Deuteronomy
In my commitment to Read Through the Bible (RTTB) in alphabetical order this year, I finished Acts the other day. But instead of moving directly to Amos, I'm going to take a little side trip through Deuteronomy.
Our Sunday School class is starting a several-week study of 1 and 2 Samuel. In preparing the introduction for the study, I reviewed the Deuteronomistic History theory. Although biblical scholars dating back to the 17th century recognized some interesting literary connections among Deuteronomy and the "historical" books that followed it (namely, Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings), the theory was best described in the early 20th century by a German scholar, Martin Noth. He theorized that there must have been one editor (or redactor) who wove together the sources that became this corpus of books. According to Noth, there were too many similarities and the transitions too smooth among these books to not be the work of one writer.
Other scholars have dealt with whether there were multiple editors, and when they might have done their redacting -- like, before, during or after the Exile. And of course, there are a lot of scholars who don't buy it; who contend that each of the books were discrete compositions.
As always, there are godly, sincere, and industrious scholars that support both sides of this issue. And, as usual, the interesting debate does not degrade even one iota of the truth of God's Word.
I kind of like the Deuteronomistic History theory. Part of its claim is that the book of Deuteronomy is very much like covenants in the Ancient Near East, laying out the history and the relationship between the two parties, the details of the agreement between them, a a series of blessings and curses to be invoked based on keeping or breaking the covenant. This particular covenant, of course, would be between God and the people of Israel. The books of Joshua through 2 Kings illustrate how the Israelites--as individuals and as a community--did and did not keep the covenant, and the results, both good and bad. It just seems possible that some Jewish theologian looked at the debacle of the Exile and sat down to write about the history of Israel in the Promised Land and how the people's choices, good and bad, landed them in Assyrian and Babylonian exile.
Anyway, it seems pretty important to me to have a fresh understanding of Deuteronomy as I get ready to study and teach 1 and 2 Samuel. So that's my RTTB plan for this week.
By the way, if you are living in the Dallas area and are interested in joining our Sunday morning Bible study, it's at Park Cities Baptist Church, starting at 9:15 a.m. in the Club Room--at the westernmost point of the church.
Our Sunday School class is starting a several-week study of 1 and 2 Samuel. In preparing the introduction for the study, I reviewed the Deuteronomistic History theory. Although biblical scholars dating back to the 17th century recognized some interesting literary connections among Deuteronomy and the "historical" books that followed it (namely, Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings), the theory was best described in the early 20th century by a German scholar, Martin Noth. He theorized that there must have been one editor (or redactor) who wove together the sources that became this corpus of books. According to Noth, there were too many similarities and the transitions too smooth among these books to not be the work of one writer.
Other scholars have dealt with whether there were multiple editors, and when they might have done their redacting -- like, before, during or after the Exile. And of course, there are a lot of scholars who don't buy it; who contend that each of the books were discrete compositions.
As always, there are godly, sincere, and industrious scholars that support both sides of this issue. And, as usual, the interesting debate does not degrade even one iota of the truth of God's Word.
I kind of like the Deuteronomistic History theory. Part of its claim is that the book of Deuteronomy is very much like covenants in the Ancient Near East, laying out the history and the relationship between the two parties, the details of the agreement between them, a a series of blessings and curses to be invoked based on keeping or breaking the covenant. This particular covenant, of course, would be between God and the people of Israel. The books of Joshua through 2 Kings illustrate how the Israelites--as individuals and as a community--did and did not keep the covenant, and the results, both good and bad. It just seems possible that some Jewish theologian looked at the debacle of the Exile and sat down to write about the history of Israel in the Promised Land and how the people's choices, good and bad, landed them in Assyrian and Babylonian exile.
Anyway, it seems pretty important to me to have a fresh understanding of Deuteronomy as I get ready to study and teach 1 and 2 Samuel. So that's my RTTB plan for this week.
By the way, if you are living in the Dallas area and are interested in joining our Sunday morning Bible study, it's at Park Cities Baptist Church, starting at 9:15 a.m. in the Club Room--at the westernmost point of the church.
Friday, January 6, 2012
RTTB -- with me?
It's January. Time to live up to the commitment I made myself sometime last year: In 2012, I will read through the Bible.
If you're reading this, I invite you to join me.
This is not a new commitment for me. I've actually read through the Bible in one year at least eight other times. I like to do it every couple of years. It's a great way to start the day; a nice basis for prayer and devotions. And I love me some Bible reading.
The key to reading through the Bible in one year is to read about three chapters per day. I usually try to read twice that much, about six chapters, Monday through Friday. I usually spend Saturday and Sunday morning working on my Sunday School lesson, and there are always a few days each month when I just don't manage my early-morning devotional time.
There are lots of guides or plans for reading the Bible in one year. Google it. Most of my read-through-the-Bible (henceforth RTTB) has been in the NIV Study Bible. This version provides plenty of explanation and other information to answer most questions and raise some new ones. I have also used a "Walk Through The Bible" version that presents a daily passage, a bit of commentary on the day's passage, a devotional thought and a Psalm. Once or twice I read through an NIV version that presented daily readings from both the New Testament and the Old Testament.
If this actually were the first time for me to RTTB, I'd read in the order the books are presented, or perhaps using a chronological arrangement that presents the books in the order of the historical events. I would recommend that for any first-time RTTB readers. It's important to understand the progress and historic sweep of the unfolding of God's revelation.
But since I'm pretty familiar with the history of Israel and the various books of the Bible, I like to mix things up a bit. It's a good way to spot things I've never noticed or thought about before.
Two years ago, I read through the books in reverse order--starting at Revelation and ending at Genesis.
This year, I'm going to read through in alphabetical order--starting at Acts, ending at Zephaniah.
I was flummoxed for a while when I thought about all those books with numbers in the titles: 1 Samuel, 2 Peter, and so on. Should I do all the numbered ones first? Last? Should I follow my husband's suggestion of reading them between Ezra and Galatians (First Chronicles, First Corinthians, etc.) and between Ruth and Song of Songs (Second Chronicles, and so on)?
I decided to just read them as if they don't have numbers: So I'll start Chronicles (First and Second) in a week or two, right after Acts and Amos.
The other part of my commitment to myself is to "blog" about the readings. This IS new for me. I'm hereby challenging myself to write at least once a week, if not more often. I give myself permission to write freely as my thoughts move me. Sometimes I expect I'll make close observations on the text; other times, I expect I'll express some other thoughts that arise from the readings.
I hope that someone out there might find this and be inspired to RTTB. Or just to read parts of the Bible (RPOTB?) If YOU do, let me know.
"Blessed is the one who reads and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near." Revelation 1:3
If you're reading this, I invite you to join me.
This is not a new commitment for me. I've actually read through the Bible in one year at least eight other times. I like to do it every couple of years. It's a great way to start the day; a nice basis for prayer and devotions. And I love me some Bible reading.
The key to reading through the Bible in one year is to read about three chapters per day. I usually try to read twice that much, about six chapters, Monday through Friday. I usually spend Saturday and Sunday morning working on my Sunday School lesson, and there are always a few days each month when I just don't manage my early-morning devotional time.
There are lots of guides or plans for reading the Bible in one year. Google it. Most of my read-through-the-Bible (henceforth RTTB) has been in the NIV Study Bible. This version provides plenty of explanation and other information to answer most questions and raise some new ones. I have also used a "Walk Through The Bible" version that presents a daily passage, a bit of commentary on the day's passage, a devotional thought and a Psalm. Once or twice I read through an NIV version that presented daily readings from both the New Testament and the Old Testament.
If this actually were the first time for me to RTTB, I'd read in the order the books are presented, or perhaps using a chronological arrangement that presents the books in the order of the historical events. I would recommend that for any first-time RTTB readers. It's important to understand the progress and historic sweep of the unfolding of God's revelation.
But since I'm pretty familiar with the history of Israel and the various books of the Bible, I like to mix things up a bit. It's a good way to spot things I've never noticed or thought about before.
Two years ago, I read through the books in reverse order--starting at Revelation and ending at Genesis.
This year, I'm going to read through in alphabetical order--starting at Acts, ending at Zephaniah.
I was flummoxed for a while when I thought about all those books with numbers in the titles: 1 Samuel, 2 Peter, and so on. Should I do all the numbered ones first? Last? Should I follow my husband's suggestion of reading them between Ezra and Galatians (First Chronicles, First Corinthians, etc.) and between Ruth and Song of Songs (Second Chronicles, and so on)?
I decided to just read them as if they don't have numbers: So I'll start Chronicles (First and Second) in a week or two, right after Acts and Amos.
The other part of my commitment to myself is to "blog" about the readings. This IS new for me. I'm hereby challenging myself to write at least once a week, if not more often. I give myself permission to write freely as my thoughts move me. Sometimes I expect I'll make close observations on the text; other times, I expect I'll express some other thoughts that arise from the readings.
I hope that someone out there might find this and be inspired to RTTB. Or just to read parts of the Bible (RPOTB?) If YOU do, let me know.
"Blessed is the one who reads and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near." Revelation 1:3
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