Well, this won't be the most uplifting entry -- I'll start with that.
Joshua 6 and 7. God tells Joshua to lead the people to the destruction of Jericho. They have to walk in a circle seven times or something like that and then everything goes to hell in a handbasket (probably literally).
Prior to this attack (which seems senseless in itself), God told Joshua that no one would take anything from the city because it would be considered a sacrifice to Him.
Well, one guy didn't care too much what God wanted and took a few things.
God was ticked off.
The Israelites well out-manned those in the city of Ai, but they lost anyway because God wasn't with them. Ultimately, God told Joshua to find the guy who stole the items and destroy him and everything related to him (family, possessions, you name it) to re-earn favor with God.
Joshua asked the person who stole the items to come forward.
Joshua 7:20-21: "And Achan answered Joshua and said, 'Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God or Israel and this is what I have done: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with silver under it.'"
So, at this point I'm thinking, "Okay. He confessed. God will forgive and it will make sense in my mind."
Yeah, that didn't happen.
Instead, all the people stoned him and his entire family and then burned them. Oh, and the passage really drives the point home that they were stoned ... with stones.
Joshua 7:25: "So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones."
So what you're saying is ... they stoned them? With stones?
I'm honestly not sure why this exchange bothers me because -- to me -- the natural thing to do is punish for wrongdoing. I have actually had to adjust my thinking to grasp the concept of forgiveness.
I think it bothers me because it creates conflict in what people preach.
What my gut wants to do with this story, though, is dumb it down to practicality.
First, did this event really happen? Did these people truly exist, or is this story a fable -- or example -- to teach us?
Whether it is a fable or just God acting this way to teach others and teach us, this is telling us that our actions will have real repercussions.
1. If we sin against God, He will not support us the way He would if we did not sin. The people of Israel were not protected in their invasion of Ai because Achan stole from God.
2. We will be punished for our wrongdoing ... if not by God, by those around us. Achan's sin affected everyone around Him. It affected his group because they did not have God's favor when they invaded Ai. As a result, his peers turned against him.
3. Our sin hurts those closest to us the most. Achan's sin affected his family the most ... they all died along with him. I think part of what bothered me about this story is that God ordered the people to punish the entire family. But if this truly is a fable (or even if it isn't, I guess), isn't it representative of what happens with sin? My sin most affects my immediate family, regardless of it having anything to do with them directly. Whether it affects my mood, my job, my health ... it affects them.
As far as my overall question, I think this goes against the I-can-do-all-things-through-God theory ... which bothers me in general.
God is not a warm, fuzzy, talk-to-me-and-I'll-give-it-to-you being. At least not from my perspective.
He is like a true parent. We need to learn our lessons sometimes. I suppose the issue is why God had to go to such lengths to punish this guy and his family.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The False Commandments
Having finished up Deuteronomy last night, I dug right in to Joshua (and somehow considered this pleasurable reading).
I read the first two chapters, covering the story of Rahab.
Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho, who was approached by two men to hide out as they observed the new land God had promised them.
Rahab hid the men and lied to authorities, saying that she saw them, but didn't let them in.
Aha! I thought. Lying! In the name of God!
I was all ready to document my evidence. I quickly turned back to the Ten Commandments to properly cite my Bible contradiction.
But, to my surprise, I found that lying is not cited in the Ten Commandments.
Now, I've read this chapter in the Bible and even have it highlighted (It is Exodus 20, by the way). But culture and religion have so shaped my view of what is "right" and "wrong" in God's eyes that I just assume that lying is in there.
In a Bible study I used to take part in, actually, it was debated whether having a surprise birthday party (therefore lying to the guest of honor) was against God's Word. In my mind, it was common sense that God was all for good fun. Come to find out, His Word even reflects that.
God's Ten Commandments (simplified):
1. God is No. 1 (no other gods)
2. No false gods (a play off No. 1 ... showing God's need for exclusivity in our lives)
3. Don't take the Lord's name in vain
4. Rest on the seventh day (how many of us violate this commandment weekly?)
5. Honor our parents
6. Don't murder
7. Don't cheat
8. Don't steal
9. Don't accuse someone of something they didn't do
10. Don't lust after things that aren't yours
Hmm. "Little white lies" aren't listed.
After making that discovery, I took note of other things that aren't on the list.
Not part of God's Ten Commandments:
1. Don't drink
2. Don't do drugs
3. Don't live with someone you aren't married to
4. Don't be homosexual
5. Don't date outside your race
6. Don't watch violent movies
7. Don't have sex outside of marriage
8. Don't live an elaborate lifestyle
9. Don't get divorced
The list goes on and on. My point is that - while God advises on all of the nine non-Commandments listed above, they are not part of the Big Ten (not to be confused with the NCAA conference).
Disclaimer: I understand that things on the list could easily lead to violation of a commandment. For example, one could drink and then drive, resulting in a crash that kills someone. That could fall under murder.
But the point is, we have made commandments out of so many things that God did not command us to do (or not do). He has advised us on every single thing above. I see it as parenting. What would be ideal for each of us?
The ideal is very rarely (if at all) lived out, though. God loves us where we are, regardless of where we are and how we end up.
I fall back on:
This is why I often question the "narrow path that leads to Jesus". What about those who haven't claimed Christ because they are being condemned "in Jesus' name"? And what about those doing the condemning?
Which person is the greater sinner?
I would wager that many "non-Christians" are living out God's plan of showing love in greater ways than those who claim Christ.
Which person is "saved"?
I read the first two chapters, covering the story of Rahab.
Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho, who was approached by two men to hide out as they observed the new land God had promised them.
Rahab hid the men and lied to authorities, saying that she saw them, but didn't let them in.
Aha! I thought. Lying! In the name of God!
I was all ready to document my evidence. I quickly turned back to the Ten Commandments to properly cite my Bible contradiction.
But, to my surprise, I found that lying is not cited in the Ten Commandments.
Now, I've read this chapter in the Bible and even have it highlighted (It is Exodus 20, by the way). But culture and religion have so shaped my view of what is "right" and "wrong" in God's eyes that I just assume that lying is in there.
In a Bible study I used to take part in, actually, it was debated whether having a surprise birthday party (therefore lying to the guest of honor) was against God's Word. In my mind, it was common sense that God was all for good fun. Come to find out, His Word even reflects that.
God's Ten Commandments (simplified):
1. God is No. 1 (no other gods)
2. No false gods (a play off No. 1 ... showing God's need for exclusivity in our lives)
3. Don't take the Lord's name in vain
4. Rest on the seventh day (how many of us violate this commandment weekly?)
5. Honor our parents
6. Don't murder
7. Don't cheat
8. Don't steal
9. Don't accuse someone of something they didn't do
10. Don't lust after things that aren't yours
Hmm. "Little white lies" aren't listed.
After making that discovery, I took note of other things that aren't on the list.
Not part of God's Ten Commandments:
1. Don't drink
2. Don't do drugs
3. Don't live with someone you aren't married to
4. Don't be homosexual
5. Don't date outside your race
6. Don't watch violent movies
7. Don't have sex outside of marriage
8. Don't live an elaborate lifestyle
9. Don't get divorced
The list goes on and on. My point is that - while God advises on all of the nine non-Commandments listed above, they are not part of the Big Ten (not to be confused with the NCAA conference).
Disclaimer: I understand that things on the list could easily lead to violation of a commandment. For example, one could drink and then drive, resulting in a crash that kills someone. That could fall under murder.
But the point is, we have made commandments out of so many things that God did not command us to do (or not do). He has advised us on every single thing above. I see it as parenting. What would be ideal for each of us?
The ideal is very rarely (if at all) lived out, though. God loves us where we are, regardless of where we are and how we end up.
I fall back on:
Matthew 22:35-41 (NIV) - One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"The greatest commandment is love.
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
This is why I often question the "narrow path that leads to Jesus". What about those who haven't claimed Christ because they are being condemned "in Jesus' name"? And what about those doing the condemning?
Which person is the greater sinner?
I would wager that many "non-Christians" are living out God's plan of showing love in greater ways than those who claim Christ.
Which person is "saved"?
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Moses. The punishment.
My eyes were opened to an entirely new culture when I began Bible study groups.
I used to have no idea what was written within the pages of the Bible other than (what I thought at the time) was the fact that I was surely not going to Heaven.
Now I can attest to having actually been involved in conversations that included statements such as, "I can't believe Moses wasn't allowed into the Promised Land!" the same way I've heard, "How was he not a unanimous All-Pro selection?"
Well, tonight I actually read the final words God spoke through Moses with the conclusion he would not be entering the Promised Land.
How does this relate to my "Big Question"?
It poses the question of why God had to be so harsh and whether He is so harsh today. Moses was definitely a faithful servant. He led a bunch of whiners (aka common people) for 40 years. That would drive anyone crazy.
His mistake happened in the face of that craziness, in fact.
Moses had reached the end of his rope.
After the 5,000th ungrateful, whining statement by the Israelites, he snapped. God had told him to "speak to the rock" to bring forth water. Well, in the midst of his frustration, Moses hit that rock twice with the rod he carried.
God was not pleased. He condemned Moses to never entering the Promised Land he had been leading the Israelites to. But even though Moses wasn't to enter, he would continue leading. What the heck?
I can truly attest to losing my cool with my kids at least 5-10 times last week. If I were to be punished so harshly for that all the time, I wouldn't have much left.
So, it results in confusion for me.
My intellectual self looks at the situation and thinks, "Well, Moses was a man to whom much was given. Therefore, he is punished harshly. He didn't give God the glory - one of God's major pet peeves - which resulted in a harsh punishment. There."
My emotional self isn't quite sure what the think. There are so many layers to the Moses-God relationship that I wouldn't know where to begin in terms of analyzing it ... and there are so many unknowns.
But one thing I absolutely love about the Old Testament is the nuances that jump out when you really dig into it.
Looking at my intellectual analysis, Moses was, in fact, the greatest prophet who ever lived.
But even the greatest prophet who ever lived was told it wasn't his responsibility to judge and condemn others.
Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He took it upon himself to kill and hide the Egyptian - executing right and wrong at his own hand.
Ultimately, he was condemned for it and he had to flee.
This is specifically placed at the beginning of Moses' story. He wasn't to execute right and wrong at his own hand. Perhaps that's something that is steering so many people wrong in this day and age.
Those who are considered today's prophets are condemning others at their own hand. I think it's safe to say that us "common" people are like sheep when it comes to a lot of things. We are swept up by culture and many aren't paying a lot of focused attention on God.
As it pertains to my "Big Question", I am not going to say this passage speaks to anything other than those highly regarded by God not specifically condemning others.
I don't believe it is the job of anyone to declare someone unworthy of Heaven or God's love or anything of the like, but those in power have an even greater duty to abide by this.
While this fits into the puzzle of the answers I am seeking, I have to make sure I don't try to draw too much from a single excerpt.
For now, though, I will say that leaving condemnation to God is a must for Christ-followers. We can't allow ourselves to believe that it is our duty to punish anyone - that is God's job, and we must leave it to Him.
I used to have no idea what was written within the pages of the Bible other than (what I thought at the time) was the fact that I was surely not going to Heaven.
Now I can attest to having actually been involved in conversations that included statements such as, "I can't believe Moses wasn't allowed into the Promised Land!" the same way I've heard, "How was he not a unanimous All-Pro selection?"
Well, tonight I actually read the final words God spoke through Moses with the conclusion he would not be entering the Promised Land.
How does this relate to my "Big Question"?
It poses the question of why God had to be so harsh and whether He is so harsh today. Moses was definitely a faithful servant. He led a bunch of whiners (aka common people) for 40 years. That would drive anyone crazy.
His mistake happened in the face of that craziness, in fact.
Moses had reached the end of his rope.
After the 5,000th ungrateful, whining statement by the Israelites, he snapped. God had told him to "speak to the rock" to bring forth water. Well, in the midst of his frustration, Moses hit that rock twice with the rod he carried.
God was not pleased. He condemned Moses to never entering the Promised Land he had been leading the Israelites to. But even though Moses wasn't to enter, he would continue leading. What the heck?
I can truly attest to losing my cool with my kids at least 5-10 times last week. If I were to be punished so harshly for that all the time, I wouldn't have much left.
So, it results in confusion for me.
My intellectual self looks at the situation and thinks, "Well, Moses was a man to whom much was given. Therefore, he is punished harshly. He didn't give God the glory - one of God's major pet peeves - which resulted in a harsh punishment. There."
My emotional self isn't quite sure what the think. There are so many layers to the Moses-God relationship that I wouldn't know where to begin in terms of analyzing it ... and there are so many unknowns.
But one thing I absolutely love about the Old Testament is the nuances that jump out when you really dig into it.
Looking at my intellectual analysis, Moses was, in fact, the greatest prophet who ever lived.
But even the greatest prophet who ever lived was told it wasn't his responsibility to judge and condemn others.
Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He took it upon himself to kill and hide the Egyptian - executing right and wrong at his own hand.
Ultimately, he was condemned for it and he had to flee.
This is specifically placed at the beginning of Moses' story. He wasn't to execute right and wrong at his own hand. Perhaps that's something that is steering so many people wrong in this day and age.
Those who are considered today's prophets are condemning others at their own hand. I think it's safe to say that us "common" people are like sheep when it comes to a lot of things. We are swept up by culture and many aren't paying a lot of focused attention on God.
As it pertains to my "Big Question", I am not going to say this passage speaks to anything other than those highly regarded by God not specifically condemning others.
I don't believe it is the job of anyone to declare someone unworthy of Heaven or God's love or anything of the like, but those in power have an even greater duty to abide by this.
While this fits into the puzzle of the answers I am seeking, I have to make sure I don't try to draw too much from a single excerpt.
For now, though, I will say that leaving condemnation to God is a must for Christ-followers. We can't allow ourselves to believe that it is our duty to punish anyone - that is God's job, and we must leave it to Him.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The opposite of love is not hate ... it's apathy
I started this project opening up my Chronological Study Bible (the one I did devotions with prior to having kids) where I left off. I ended up reading Deuteronomy 31 and 32.
God is mad. These people are worshiping false idols and He is going to hide His face from them so they will feel the repercussions of their actions.
I don't need to dig deep into the Scripture, but the chapters sparked a question within me: If the opposite of love is apathy - not hate - don't those who struggle with a relationship with God due to anger still have a tie with Him?
Think about it.
I may have an incredibly dysfunctional relationship with a friend of mine and loathe the ground she walks on, but that loathing is rooted in caring about that friend. If I didn't care at all, I wouldn't loathe her, I would just be indifferent regarding her. I would move on with my life and never think of her again.
Does that say something about God's relationship with us?
To those struggling with the idea of God or flat-out hating God for one reason or another: are they simply in a relationship with God that has "hit a rough patch"? Are those people and God "on a break"?
I say this in jest because I have no idea and I don't claim to have any idea (oddly enough, one of the few areas of my life I don't claim to know everything).
I think the key with those of us here on Earth is drawing the line in the sand. I highly doubt anyone would say that all people on Earth should go to Heaven. With all of the evil and corruption in the world, I personally am glad God has a mean streak.
But where is that line drawn between those who are "good" and those who are "bad"? I really don't know. I know what is preached is that people have to commit their lives to Jesus. Okay. I get that. But how do we know what that looks like?
Point is that perhaps those who don't want to admit they care about Jesus at all (think a scorned lover not wanting to admit she still cares what her ex-boyfriend thinks) actually care a lot about what He thinks.
And, if that is the case, they may actually be in a relationship with Jesus whether they realize it or not.
God is mad. These people are worshiping false idols and He is going to hide His face from them so they will feel the repercussions of their actions.
I don't need to dig deep into the Scripture, but the chapters sparked a question within me: If the opposite of love is apathy - not hate - don't those who struggle with a relationship with God due to anger still have a tie with Him?
Think about it.
I may have an incredibly dysfunctional relationship with a friend of mine and loathe the ground she walks on, but that loathing is rooted in caring about that friend. If I didn't care at all, I wouldn't loathe her, I would just be indifferent regarding her. I would move on with my life and never think of her again.
Does that say something about God's relationship with us?
To those struggling with the idea of God or flat-out hating God for one reason or another: are they simply in a relationship with God that has "hit a rough patch"? Are those people and God "on a break"?
I say this in jest because I have no idea and I don't claim to have any idea (oddly enough, one of the few areas of my life I don't claim to know everything).
I think the key with those of us here on Earth is drawing the line in the sand. I highly doubt anyone would say that all people on Earth should go to Heaven. With all of the evil and corruption in the world, I personally am glad God has a mean streak.
But where is that line drawn between those who are "good" and those who are "bad"? I really don't know. I know what is preached is that people have to commit their lives to Jesus. Okay. I get that. But how do we know what that looks like?
Point is that perhaps those who don't want to admit they care about Jesus at all (think a scorned lover not wanting to admit she still cares what her ex-boyfriend thinks) actually care a lot about what He thinks.
And, if that is the case, they may actually be in a relationship with Jesus whether they realize it or not.
My new beginning
It was six years ago I committed myself to God.
I went to an evangelical church after growing up Catholic and He found me there.
For the next three years, God was a huge part of my life. He played a major role in me getting through really difficult things. It changed after having Abby, though.
I'm not sure if it's the cynical part of me that grew after becoming a parent (cynical in me understanding the unfairness of life when you see this beautiful, amazing child you know can and will be hurt by the world) or just the busyness and inability to sit down and "talk" with God, but I lost touch.
I berated myself for it. I became apathetic. Now I don't even know what I believe anymore.
I go back to church or listen to people speak about God and it just doesn't make sense to me. My perception of what God was supposed to be has always been that He is all-loving. So many things preached, however, don't fall in line with that.
I know we can't be all-accepting in that we placate those who commit real wrongs, but it just doesn't make sense to me that people who have good intentions in life are told by (supposedly good-meaning people) that they are going to hell.
That is only the tip of the iceberg, but it paints the picture.
Now, after all this time of being afraid that I'm not thinking or believing the right thing, I'm taking matters into my own hands. It's time for me to have a one-on-one with God.
I'm going to explore the Bible to find the answers to my questions.
It may not be the most efficient exploration effort considering I'm currently struggling to find time in my day to sit, but I have to do this for myself and (hopefully) for my relationship with God.
I find myself not only questioning the belief systems of others, but I question why I have the belief systems I do. I get angry hearing people say that we need to follow God and He will take care of us, but what about the millions of people who seemingly don't get taken care of?
I don't know that there is a cut-and-dry answer to these questions, but I want to find my best version of that. I'm truly sick of this members-only club some "religious" people have created in which they are saved and the rest are evil.
I don't know how long this will take, but I'm going to the Source to get my answer.
Stay tuned.
I went to an evangelical church after growing up Catholic and He found me there.
For the next three years, God was a huge part of my life. He played a major role in me getting through really difficult things. It changed after having Abby, though.
I'm not sure if it's the cynical part of me that grew after becoming a parent (cynical in me understanding the unfairness of life when you see this beautiful, amazing child you know can and will be hurt by the world) or just the busyness and inability to sit down and "talk" with God, but I lost touch.
I berated myself for it. I became apathetic. Now I don't even know what I believe anymore.
I go back to church or listen to people speak about God and it just doesn't make sense to me. My perception of what God was supposed to be has always been that He is all-loving. So many things preached, however, don't fall in line with that.
I know we can't be all-accepting in that we placate those who commit real wrongs, but it just doesn't make sense to me that people who have good intentions in life are told by (supposedly good-meaning people) that they are going to hell.
That is only the tip of the iceberg, but it paints the picture.
Now, after all this time of being afraid that I'm not thinking or believing the right thing, I'm taking matters into my own hands. It's time for me to have a one-on-one with God.
I'm going to explore the Bible to find the answers to my questions.
It may not be the most efficient exploration effort considering I'm currently struggling to find time in my day to sit, but I have to do this for myself and (hopefully) for my relationship with God.
I find myself not only questioning the belief systems of others, but I question why I have the belief systems I do. I get angry hearing people say that we need to follow God and He will take care of us, but what about the millions of people who seemingly don't get taken care of?
I don't know that there is a cut-and-dry answer to these questions, but I want to find my best version of that. I'm truly sick of this members-only club some "religious" people have created in which they are saved and the rest are evil.
I don't know how long this will take, but I'm going to the Source to get my answer.
Stay tuned.
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