God Has Given The Skill

Exodus 36-40

God has given men the skill to create the works of art he has given them. Put another way, God has given men and women the wisdom to keep his commands. Or: God has given humanity the capacity to participate in the flourishing of the Earth. 

Israel is discovering their identity at Mt. Sinai. God has given them a second round of Ten Words (or Commandments), plus a lot more words and commands to live by. Keeping these commands will lead to them becoming a unique nation in the Ancient Near East. If everything goes according to plan, unique so that they can be a blessing. 

At Mt. Sinai they get detailed instructions on how to worship YHWH. Of course they would, how would they know to honor and praise him, they've been steeped in Egyptian idolatry for hundreds of years. They also were given detailed instructions on how to craft the objects to be used in this worship. We read these details with glazed over eyes. But if we read between the lines, what will we see?

God has given the detailed instructions on what he wants, and then he gives the skill to people to do it.

Think about that.

God is creating a new people, giving them a new way to worship him, to become a blessing to their neighboring tribes, to become a nation of their own having been delivered from an impressive and oppressive empire. And to do this, he not only gives them his presence - as cloud and fire - but words to follow, and then skills to accomplish it. That is good news for Israel. And us.

Alas, the rebellious instincts that lurk deep within us are powerful enough to derail us from the details God lovingly spells out for us. When Israel kept the commands, when the craftsmen hammered out the objects of worship, when the people participated in the worship of a holy God, they were blessed. But when they rebelled, grumbled, turned to idols, and rejected Moses, they became cursed. Despite all God did for them.

When we look around our community, our neighbors, our home, our church - God has details for us on how to get involved and join him in on the work he is doing. And the giving of the details often includes the capacity to do it with skill. Because God works through a community of people, he will place people in relationship to you so that together you can accomplish what he is doing in the world. Good news indeed!

You're Such A Stubborn, Hard-Headed People!

Exodus 31-35

We like to think that if we had been the ex-slaves traversing through the Desert of Sin, milling around the lonely Mt. Sinai, that we would have been much more obedient to God. It's easy to assume that we would have chosen different had we been in those difficult and trying circumstances. Us stubborn? Me, hard-headed? Ha!

Several million Hebrews have been herded along by their shepherd Moses to meet the God who delivered them. There at the mountain God will sign a covenant, much like a king would create for his people, outlining the terms and conditions of his kingdom. The language and elements of this treaty between God and the Israelites is very similar to that of other treaties found in the Ancient Near East. What an unruly crew God was seeking to tame!

It's interesting to note that God grants special wisdom and skill to craftsmen so that they can create the buildings and ritual objects for worship. That encourages me: whatever God is asking his people and church to do today, he will give us the wisdom and skills to accomplish it.

But it's also interesting to note that following the tragic and disgusting episode of the Golden Calf, Moses has to talk God out of destroying the Twelve Tribes of Israel. God is so angry and offended by the blatant disregard for his commands and covenant and commitment to them that he wants to wipe the rescued slaves off the face of the earth. And Moses has to wrestle to get God to change his mind.

This becomes a helpful picture for what Jesus accomplished on the cross when he bore the penalties of our sins. When you think about how angry you get when you hear about sins committed against others, imagine how God reacts.

It's his creation, it's the people he loves, its the world that he is always at work in - and when people sin against Him and one another and creation in all the flagrant ways that we do, it angers him. On the cross Jesus bore the wrath of God for all the sins ever committed, and ever to be committed. Though we would still sin, we live as if already forgiven. 

We're such a stubborn and hard-headed people yet today. God has impressive patience with us still. There are still consequences for our sins though, there are still missed opportunities from our fears and mistakes.

But God is still at work in us and through us to accomplish his work in the world - a work begun with Exodus, continued through Israel, climaxed with the crucifixion of Jesus, and now enlarged through the lives of the church. Jesus is now our shepherd, leading us though we resist and still rebel. But he still leads, he never leaves or forsakes us, rescuing us, and then reforming us. 

Oh, how we still need to be reformed! The work God has for us to do - he makes us capable of accomplishing it. Though we might look at our past and grimace, or our life now and frown, God sees what he can do through us and smiles!

In letting God reform and renew us, in our being honest with God about our stubbornness and pride, we become more humble and useful to him. And to others.

Don't Boil A Kid In Its Mother's Milk

Exodus 21-30

In reading through the whole First Testament and New Testament, the most difficult sections is the pieces that go on and on and on about arcane laws, tedious construction details, and disgusting sacrificial instructions. According to historians, the Exodus would have happened around 1400BC. Our society and culture is so different from then, which helps explain our slogging through some of these chapters.

Some of the commands we understand: Don't kill or beat people, don't steal or kidnap, don't be irresponsible or immoral, don't sacrifice to idols. Okay, we can appreciate those kinds of laws - in fact we seek to keep them yet today. But there there are other statutes that seem to baffle us, the most famous one being: don't boil a kid in its mother's milk. 

As I read through the lists of do's and don'ts, it helps to remember the practicality of this book and the situation of the people. They are listing stuff that has been experienced, stuff that has been a problem requires a solution, hence the commands. Obviously there had been problems with abuse, robbery, idolatry, sexual immorality, and so on. What we get is a snapshot of what the complicated problems were facing the people, and the solutions they proposed.

I was put off by how many times death is proscribed as punishment for so many of the laws. It seems rather harsh. I suppose it helps to remember that we are dealing with document over three-thousand years old. Culture was different then. But it's interesting to note that when the death penalty was put in force, an option of redemption was possible. "If a ransom is agreed upon instead of death, he must pay it in full as a redemption for his life." 

Admittedly, I skimmed through some of the details on how to construct the Tabernacle and other related items, including the vestments for the priests. I tried to read every single word, but I jumped ahead sometimes. I'm sure there is a good reason for including this information in the Bible, but it seems to have little practical application to my life. However, it does teach me that God cares about details, about creating fine art, about letting us know what he wants us to do, about practicality and beauty and functionality and holiness.

One last thing: the idea of holy is connected mostly to the idea that something is different, set apart. The priests are holy because they are not like the common person. The Tabernacle and related items are holy because they are set apart from common use, only to be handled by priests for worship.

Holy does not mean pure or unblemished, it just means different. However, the point of making the item holy is so that it won't be made impure or mishandled. In our lives, we don't become holy by becoming pure - we become holy by a decision of God. In making us holy, he sets us apart for a special task he enables us to accomplish. 

But You're Special

Exodus 16-20

In this story of freedom from slavery, we also find a story of covenant to God. Israel was freed by God - not so that they could do whatever they wanted. They were freed in order to become God's own people on the Earth. God rescued Israel, saved them that they might be his special treasure, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. 

We don't know what kind of work God was doing in the whole world during the times of the Exodus. We do know that there were tribes of peoples all over the Earth, kingdoms, empires, cities and societies. There is scant if any word of what God was doing in those peoples. But God does make it clear through his words to Moses that God intended for Israel to have a role to play when it came to the peoples of the world.

For Israel to be a kingdom of priests, it implies that they were to be mediators between God and all the peoples and tribes of Earth. As a holy nation, they were set apart, unlike the other nations, called for a special duty and task. Recall God's word to Abraham: I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make you a blessing, and through you I will bless the whole world. It was this kind of vision that God had for the Israel that he delivered from slavery in Egypt.

The stories we read in this section are fascinating - snippets of what life was like on the way to the Promised Land. This part of the journey includes episodes of their travel to Mt. Sinai where the covenant will be made between God and Israel. Along the way the people complain bitterly about lack of food and water. They are attacked by the Amalekites. Moses is overwhelmed by his role as judge for this mass of sojourners. There are good nuggets in here for reflection on leadership and faith.

As Christians, we understand ourselves to be children of Abraham - those who put their faith in Christ. With our allegiance to Jesus as Messiah and King of Israel, we belong to the New Israel that God has brought up in the world to be his special treasure for blessing the world. Christians are the next kingdom of priests, mediators between God and the people of the world. We are the holy nation, unlike everyone else in order that we might serve them and bless them and connect them with God.

To think of ourselves as special does not give us permission to become proud and haughty towards others. We've been chosen to follow in the steps of Jesus, the way of love and sacrifice, service and compassion, wisdom and healing. Just as Israel failed to uphold the covenant, so have Christians. And yet just as God worked through Israel, so he can work through us. Jesus is the one redeeming factor of both Israel and Christians - it is he to whom we should always point. And follow.

Why Are We Doing This?

Exodus 11-15

If you were God, and about three thousand years ago you wanted to free some two million people from a powerful empire, how would you do it? Let's call that empire Egypt, and the enslaved people Israel. Egypt is militarily powerful, the Israelites weakened from decades of forced labor. Everyone is religious, believing in dozens of gods and goddesses. And God has not talked to anyone in over four-hundred years.

God has decided to work in and through people. He works through Pharaoh - who has been raised to believe in his own divinity, exceedingly cruel and violent. He works through Moses who is an Israelite, raised as an Egyptian prince, exiled to the desert, existed as a scraggly shepherd, and now returns with a stutter. If the Israelites are released to the desert, the economy grinds to a halt for a few days. Or, as the Pharaoh fears, forever. God of Israel or Pharaoh-god of Egypt - who's will shall prevail?

All of this apparently got confusing for the children. When God gives the instructions to Moses on how to be prepared to be rescued, it assumes that the kids will have questions. God has words for the parents on what to say when asked: why are we doing this?

As the wheels of freedom began to grind, the noise of wailing from the Egyptians and scared bleating of the sheep and goats rang throughout the night. It would have been scary for a child to sit through the turmoil of the Passover.

When God brought about the final plague, the Death of the Firstborn, instructions were given on how to survive the night. Those that believed God through Moses obeyed. They took a lamb, slaughtered it, spread the blood over the doorposts of their home, and then roasted the meat over a flickering fire.

 The family was to eat in haste, sandals on, staff in hand, belongings packed up. This was a meal unlike any other - it even had a name: the Pass-over meal. Of course the children are going to wonder: why are we doing this?

Screams of terrified mothers and rage-full fathers tore through the darkness when they discovered their firstborn son breathless. Trembling Israelite parents clung to their kids, thankful for life, ready for the morning to arrive.

When notice was given to flee the land, they found their grieving Egyptian neighbors flinging gold and jewelry and other valuables out the window at them - a departing gift. The confusion prompted the kids to whisper: why are we doing this?

When the Israelites arrived at the shore of the Red Sea, the fresh breeze was a blessing. But when they heard the thundering approach of Pharaoh's deadly chariots, they felt cursed and betrayed.

Suddenly the crowd starts moving, you get swept up in the shuffle forward, and amidst the roars of fear and the wild neighing of war-horses you find yourself in water. Well, not in the water, but on dry ground with walls of water to your left and right. What child wouldn't ask: why are we doing this?

God wanted the Israelites to be able to tell the story of their deliverance. God wanted the children of Israel to know who they are, where they came from, and why they feast and worship as they do. God understood the inquisitive nature of children, the mystery of worship, and the complexity of historical remembrance.

When we observe Passover, the Lord's Supper, fasting, praying, giving alms, caring for the least of these - they prompt questions: why are we doing this? What would you tell your kids? 

Parents fail their children when there are shallow answers to normal questions. Especially when it comes to our faith and life with God. If parents don't know what they are doing - why do we go to church, etc - or if they don't give a good answer, they'll lose the interest of their kids.

Thoughtlessness and lack of appreciation from parents will get passed on to their kids. But so will reflection, intentionality, understanding, patient explanation in response to curiosity.

Israel would fail in future generations - like within two or three - because parents didn't give good enough answers when the kids asked: why are we doing this? It's been the curse of Israel and Christianity - parents often fail to pass on faith in God to their kids.

Why? Because the parents often fail to invest enough honest reflection into their own life to answer their own questions: why are we doing this? Many times the question of a child is God's prompt for you to do some contemplation.

Why are we doing this?

Have It Your Way

Exodus 6-10

Why do we get so stubborn? What makes us dig in our heels at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons? How do you get through to someone who is unable to break free from their enslaving desires?

Moses pleads with Pharaoh to let the Israelites venture into the desert for a few days to worship YHWH. Pharaoh's denial of their request prompts plagues from God. Each plague prompts Pharaoh to relent - but then as the calamity subsides, the stubbornness returns in force. The increasing destructiveness of the curses  increases the tension of the story - how can Pharaoh keep changing his mind and allow another day of disaster to come upon himself and his people?

Pharaoh's empire-economy was expanding in glory and might on the back of Israelite slaves. To let the men and their families enjoy a few days off would bring the "shovel-ready" projects to a halt. Worse, it would give the enslaved people a few days rest to talk amongst themselves and possibly plot insurrection. The idea that they would find respite in the desert to worship a "foreign" god was also an unwelcome thought to the Pharaoh. It's not just that Pharaoh is stubborn, he's also afraid of what will happen. 

There is often a link between our stubbornness and our fears. We get into a situation that is harming others, even ourselves - and when the opportunity is given us to change, we get stubborn and afraid. We're afraid of the future, afraid of uncertainty, afraid of being shamed, afraid of losing what we have - even if it is rotten and filthy. Stubbornness is less about wisdom then it is about power and control, familiarity and advantage. Pharaoh faces a great disadvantage in letting the Israelites go worship in the desert. What's in it for him?

What Pharaoh didn't fully comprehend was that his slave-labor would be leaving him soon no matter what. He was given the opportunity to act honorably and in obedience to YHWH. After any one of the plagues, Pharaoh could have had a change of heart, fully repented and granted freedom to Israel. But he didn't, and he wouldn't. And thus he lost his honor and his empire. And his life.

God will come to us at times, giving us an opportunity to change, to break away from addictions, from bondage to ideas and beliefs, to be freed from dangerous relationships and circumstances. He comes to help us change, that we might cease from harming others.

And when God comes to initiate those changes, we can know that the change will come - either with our cooperation and honorable participation, or without it. If we stubbornly resist God's work, we will experience ongoing disaster and destruction. God doesn't get involved in trifle matters - what he does is of grand importance.

When we are given the opportunity to change, God will speak to us through a myriad of people. We may not always recognize God in it, but we will hear the word of change that is being presented to us.

We can have it our way, or we can do it God's way. God was going to free Israel with or without Pharaoh's participation. And God will free others under your influence that you are harming, with or without your participation. 

You can have it your way,
and face a series of curses and separation from God.
Or you can have it God's way, 
where you face loss, but also a new beginning. 

Does This Look Like Rescue To You?

Exodus 1-5

This is the story of God and Moses and the rescue of Israel from Egypt. God is the main character, Moses is his supporting actor, and Pharaoh is the antagonist. Exodus is the primary story of Israel - its the story that Genesis was pointing to, preparing for. And in the story of Exodus is the clash of God and gods, Deliverance and Empire, Freedom and Slavery, Worship and Work. 

Moses was born during a ban, he was to be immediately executed for being a boy. His mother defied the Pharaoh. Ironically, the Pharaoh's daughter discovers the baby Moses floating in the Nile and takes him home! We learn that Moses grows up in a royal household, the best of education and opportunity. One thing, however, that persisted was a speech impediment. Despite forty years of Egyptian privilege, Moses still stuttered. 

As Moses discovers his true heritage, he flails in executing justice. His flight to the wilderness, however, becomes preparation for survival. He has been trained in royal leadership, now he's being trained in desert shepherding. God will meet up with Moses for the first time at just the right time. Almost eighty years of preparation, of no interaction with God, of only living one day at a time on his own. God works on his own timetable, in his own way.

When God begins to reveal his plans to Moses, things get worse for almost everyone. Jethro loses his daughter and best shepherd, and grandkids. On the way there, Zipporah saves Moses from being killed by God! Upon arrival in Egypt, the request from Aaron and Moses to Pharaoh results in more violent oppression, beatings, and cruel injustice. Moses cries out to God: Does this look like rescue to you?

What do we think rescue ought to look like in our world? When God moves us toward some kind of intervention, service, sacrifice, mission - should everything turn out roses immediately? Should we be able to see how every hardship and downturn contributes to the future victory? For Moses, it didn't. And for us, it often doesn't. We often cannot see how God's plan is going to work out. Sometimes God's involvement makes things worse. 

God is fine with Moses' questions. He is fine with your bewilderment. Will we be fine with what God wants us to do next? 
Or will we give up?

Moses: "Does this look like rescue?"
God: "No, actually it doesn't. But it is."

Don't You See?

Genesis 46-50

A shocking ending to a story! Joseph, who was once a slave, and is now the second in command of Egypt, reduces the whole nation to slavery! Reuben the first born of Jacob is cast down as the firstborn for his wickedness against his father's maidservant. Jacob brings down curses on his oldest three sons, but praises Judah with promises of royalty. And then Joseph sees God at work in all the evil that was planned against him, how good was brought out of it. 

Can we see how complicated our lives are? How complicated our world is? Do we see the complicated mess God inserts himself into? We see bits and parts, small threads of the story, chunks that make sense, but then pieces that confuse. But can we see where the complicated story is headed?

Depending on how you look at it, God enmeshes himself in evil human systems of slavery, family abuse, and corrupt Pharaoh power to keep the story of Israel going forward. Is God complicit for the wickedness that happens? Or can we see the miracle of good coming out of the despicable actions that humanity insists on repeating? 

Joseph's brothers were afraid that following the death of their father, Joseph would exact revenge upon them for their evil thoughts and actions. But Joseph responded in grace: "Don't be afraid. Do I act for God? Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now - life for many people. Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I'll take care of you and your children."

For you who have endured trauma and abuse and suffering: look for how God can bring good out of the evil that others perpetrated against you. The ways that others have wrecked your life bring sorrow - but God is capable of using those pains to bring good and life to others through you.

Rage and revenge will not undo the past. Looking to see how God has been at work to help others through your pain will bring healing to you and hope to others. In this complicated world of suffering and injustice, we must persistently choose to see where God is at work for good. 

God Was Behind It

Genesis 41-45

What can one person accomplish? A lot, actually. God sets Joseph up for the deliverance of Egypt and the surrounding nations from a terrible and prolonged famine. Pharaoh of Egypt appoints Joseph to oversee the collection of crops in the seven years of plenty so that there will be enough sustenance in the seven years of blight. God prepared Joseph over many years, through many difficulties. God was behind what Joseph accomplished.

We are reading about Israel's story, of how they ended up in Egypt. The Exodus story defines their identity - so the backstory is compelling and crucial. Joseph is the reason the tribe of Israel came to live in Egypt, in the region of Goshen. A famine forced Jacob and his family to trek out of southern Canaan to set up tents in the northeastern Nile region. Even though Canaan was the promised land, God had already told Abraham that his people would be in Egypt for a few hundred years. The promise would come true, but there were lots of preparations that God had to work on yet.

If we were in Joseph's shoes, wouldn't we have given up a lot sooner in the journey? Would we have despaired when thrown in the pit? Would we have sulked when sold to Potiphar? Would we have become embittered when thrown in jail? Would we have seeped hatred when we were forgotten in that dungeon? Would we have railed against the unfairness of God? Would we have perceived that God was behind it? And would we have raged against him? 

When it comes to God working in our world, he is bound by time and us. In order for God to work in us and through us, as brilliant and capable as he is, there are still the limitations that come with humanity. But oh the possibilities? We wonder why God doesn't accomplish more in the world? Maybe he is trying, but all the men and women he chooses to prepare (without their consent and without indication that it is for a really really big problem in the future) keep bailing on him. Maybe God is at work, but he takes hundreds of years to get things where they need to be, so the person he has prepared is ready.

Maybe we can't always tell whether God is behind what is going on in our life? How will we know if he was? The best evidence is when we keep on trusting, continue to do the next right thing in his eyes, and focus on overcoming. Joseph just didn't give up. And once he found himself prepared to help solve a really big problem, then he realized that God was behind it all. And that maybe when we realize it too.

God Was With Him

Genesis 36-40

The book of Genesis is the account of Israel's origins. It gives the account of Adam, of Noah, of Abraham, of Ishmael, of Isaac, of Esau, of Jacob, and Joseph. For Esau we get a brief genealogy of chieftains that descended from him in the land of Seir. I suppose if we were archaeologists or anthropologists who specialized in Middle Eastern kingdoms four-thousand years ago, we'd find this list fascinating. As it is, it becomes just a long list of hard to pronounce names.

But the story of Judah and Joseph and Jacob's other sons - now that is some fascinating stuff! Joseph must have been a real cocky jerk. And the favoritism that Jacob lavished on him must have been sickening. The eleven other brothers wanted to kill Joseph, they detested him so much. Isn't it interesting how favoritism is still a problem today? And sibling rivalry is still a very modern experience. One has to wonder why Jacob sent Joseph to go report on his brothers? Was Jacob blind to the rage and hatred he was fueling by how he parented?

Click here for more info about cisterns - which is where the Eleven threw Joseph as their alternative to killing him.

The story of Judah is odd and revolting. But it tells us a lot about Judah's character - and the backstory of his firstborn sons, twins. Judah's geneaology matters because from his lineage comes King David, and Jesus. Genesis records the dirty secrets of Israel's forefathers. We also find that the sins of the fathers are passed down through the sons and daughters for many generations. We find this to still be true today.

With Joseph we find that success somehow leads to failure which leads to a new kind of success which leads to a different kind of failure which somehow winds up leading to a new kind of success. Sometimes we might feel that is how our life goes - up and down, up and down. We love the ups and detest the downs. Yet it is the downs that reveal who we really are, and where we are at with God. What little Joseph knew of God was enough for him to trust the God of Jacob and ride out the bizarre twists and turns of his life.

When we adopt a similar attitude, we will be able to ride out the storm as well. Even if if the downs seem to last longer then we think we are capable of enduring. Sometimes we just got to keep on swimming. God was with Jacob, even as he wrestled and flailed. God was with Joseph, even as he strutted and stumbled. And God was with you, and is, and will be, even when you stray and fail.

Go Back Home

Genesis 21-35

God never asked Jacob to deceive his father and brother. His mother is the one that suggested it, and aided him in his sins. Yet God continues to work with Jacob, even as he runs away. While away, Jacob is deceived himself, sinned against. In all this, Jacob acquires two wives, twelve sons, lots of servants and animals, a lot of wealth. And then God tells Jacob to go back home. To which then Jacob deceives his father-in-law in order to escape.

What will happen to Jacob when he goes back home? Will his father-in-law Laban try to stop him? Will Laban threaten to destroy him for leaving? Will Esau his brother who he tricked kill him? Will Isaac his father who he shamed disown him? What will happen to his wives and children and wealth? God assured Jacob that all would go well, so Jacob began the trek home. Yet when news arrives that Esau is headed towards his brother, along with four-hundred armed men, Jacob begins to tremble. And it is here that God wrestles with Jacob, changing his name to Israel - which means God-wrestler.

God had promised Jacob that everything would be okay. Jacob thought that this meant there would be no threat of harm. God meant to test Jacob the deceiver. And Jacob was quite a match for God. Their struggle would epitomize the relationship of the nation to come with their God. In the end, God prevails, but it is not the kind of victory that one cheers about. Israel carries with it a limp, and God must continue to wrestle. And so there will be many more tests from God towards Israel in the centuries to come.

To go back home is to re-engage the tribes of Canaan. Israel goes back home and his daughter gets raped. How does this fit in with God's plan? Israel's sons Levi and Simeon seek revenge upon the rapist and his city. And God must continue to wrestle with a people who hold on to idols, slaughter their enemies, and violate and deceive one another. Go back home, God said. "There you must trust me and follow me, amongst neighbors and tribes which do not. They will threaten you, harm you, and you will fear them. But I will be with you." It seemed that Jacob wasn't doing a very good job of helping his sons listen to God. And that will be the continuing problem for Israel in the centuries to come as well.

Go Back Home

Genesis 21-35

God never asked Jacob to deceive his father and brother. His mother is the one that suggested it, and aided him in his sins. Yet God continues to work with Jacob, even as he runs away. While away, Jacob is deceived himself, sinned against. In all this, Jacob acquires two wives, twelve sons, lots of servants and animals, a lot of wealth. And then God tells Jacob to go back home. To which then Jacob deceives his father-in-law in order to escape.

What will happen to Jacob when he goes back home? Will his father-in-law Laban try to stop him? Will Laban threaten to destroy him for leaving? Will Esau his brother who he tricked kill him? Will Isaac his father who he shamed disown him? What will happen to his wives and children and wealth? God assured Jacob that all would go well, so Jacob began the trek home. Yet when news arrives that Esau is headed towards his brother, along with four-hundred armed men, Jacob begins to tremble. And it is here that God wrestles with Jacob, changing his name to Israel - which means God-wrestler.

God had promised Jacob that everything would be okay. Jacob thought that this meant there would be no threat of harm. God meant to test Jacob the deceiver. And Jacob was quite a match for God. Their struggle would epitomize the relationship of the nation to come with their God. In the end, God prevails, but it is not the kind of victory that one cheers about. Israel carries with it a limp, and God must continue to wrestle. And so there will be many more tests from God towards Israel in the centuries to come.

To go back home is to re-engage the tribes of Canaan. Israel goes back home and his daughter gets raped. How does this fit in with God's plan? Israel's sons Levi and Simeon seek revenge upon the rapist and his city. And God must continue to wrestle with a people who hold on to idols, slaughter their enemies, and violate and deceive one another. Go back home, God said. "There you must trust me and follow me, amongst neighbors and tribes which do not. They will threaten you, harm you, and you will fear them. But I will be with you." It seemed that Jacob wasn't doing a very good job of helping his sons listen to God. And that will be the continuing problem for Israel in the centuries to come as well.

What He Promised

Genesis 21-30

When ancient Israelites shared their story of where they came from, what stories did they tell around the campfires? They focused on the story of Abraham, on Isaac, and Jacob. In the years to come, God would identify himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God would make promises to each of them - and what we get is the stories of what happened. To know their stories is to better understand God and the heritage of Israel.

In these chapters we get provocative stories of very human people from a very ancient culture. These characters are not what we would call good role models. But then these stories are not in the Bible in order to help you be a better person - they are here because they are the story of Israel's origins, the story of God and his promises at work in our world. If God can use them for good in the world, then the good news is, he can use you too!

The temptation may be to read these stories and focus on what you don't understand, or to observe how it is so foreign and different to how we do things. Maybe you'll protest at how God works to keep his promises. But another approach to the Scriptures here is to let them teach you about the culture back then. The characters are fully immersed in their ancient Mediterranean culture. They are wealthy, they have many slaves, and often multiple wives. God worked within the culture that existed. And he was pretty good at it. And still is.

Note in chapter 23 an exceptional example of bartering. Note the formal language, how the two sides come to an agreement of purchasing the burial plot. The back and forth, the phrasing, the exchange is classic Middle-eastern bartering. In chapter 24 is an interesting example of how a wealthy man might seek to arrange a marriage for his oldest son. Other issues that emerge in the following chapters include that of favoritism, the privileges and rights of the firstborn son, the deceit and trickery of tribal leaders, and the powerful desire among wives to have sons.

Let these stories teach you about an ancient culture - and how God worked to keep his promises in that culture. But humanity hasn't really changed all these years later - can you see any of yourself in any of these characters? Take courage - God is still clever and brilliant and capable. If he can use Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob, then he can use you to keep his promise to bless the world.

How To Read the Bible: Lesson Two - Torah

LESSON TWO – FIRST TESTAMENT
Get To Know Your Torah

Also known as: Pentateuch, Books of Moses, the Law

Torah means: instruction, to teach, law

Made of five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Grounding of Jewish identity – both ethnic and religious.

Read it as ancient Israel’s history of where they came from, who they are, and why they exist.

Read it also as ancient Israel’s account of God, their relationship with him, their big stories of him, of God’s work in the world through them.

Remember: what you are reading is ancient literature - it is born out of an ancient culture, ancient traditions, ancient way of life. It all made logical, reasonable sense then for how they understood the universe, the workings of society, the purpose and meaning of existence. We benefit when we try to read their literature from their point of view. This is hard, but very rewarding.


What Are You Reading?
Genre of literatures in the Bible:
Myth, Poetry, Narratives, Genealogy, Lawcodes, Wisdom, Songs, Prophecy, Apocalyptic, History, Biography, Letters

Remember: when reading through Torah, you want to be able to distinguish what genre a certain paragraph, a certain story, a certain section is. It will help you ascertain the purpose of that piece, as well as how to understand it and why it is significant to the book. For practice, pick Genesis 1-11 and see how many genres are used? Or Numbers 14-21.


Understanding What You Are Reading
The Bible is like a library and each “book” stands by itself, and yet some are connected. Each “book” needs to be understood on its own merits, including what genres are included in it. But then each “book” needs to be understood with the other “books” that it is connected with in that section, as well as to the history and the story.

Remember: a helpful way to read a book in the Bible is to first skim it. Each modern translation usually has an italicized heading at the beginning of each chapter, or of a long paragraph in the middle of a chapter. By skimming over these headings, you can get a sense of what is in the book, of it's layout. Unfortunately, none of the books in the Bible have a table of contents, nor is their a summary paragraph on the front page. Get a study Bible, you will have some of this information, and it will be very helpful to you. But it is also very helpful to do the overview yourself.

Below is a brief summary of major sections in each book, or I've highlighted especially important chapters in those book as it relates to the life and teachings of Jesus. You can create your own summary and breakdowns of each book in the Torah - it will help you grasp the amount of content in it, the arrangement of the material, and will increase your familiarity with the text. And you'll more quickly find the most interesting stories! There are some real gems hidden in Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers.

One final note: one of the primary reasons I dig into Torah is to better understand Jesus. He teaches from Torah, quoting it, preaching from it, reinterpreting it. As I read and seek to understand Jesus, I am driven to the texts he read and preached from. Love God? That comes from Deuteronomy 6. Love your neighbor? That comes from Leviticus 19. Jesus as the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world? That comes from the Passover story and laws in Exodus and Leviticus. The judgment of God upon Israel? It comes from Deuteronomy. Let your curiosity about Jesus lead you into studying Torah.


Genesis
1-11 Stories of Beginnings
Creation/Fall
Flood
Babel

12-50 Stories of Fathers/Ancestors
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
Joseph


Exodus
1-19 Stories of Beginnings Again
20-31 Commands, Laws, Instructions
32-40 Stories of Rebellion, More Instructions


Leviticus
1-18 Instructions on Worship, Offerings, Priestly & National Purity
19 Love Your Neighbor
23 Festival Days
25 Sabbath Year
26 Reward for Obedience
27 Redeeming What Is the LORD’s


Numbers
1-10 Instructions and Stories of Worship Management and Ritual Purity
11-14 Israel Refuses to Enter the Promised Land
15-21 More Instructions for Rituals, More Rebellion Stories
22-24 Balaam
25-36 Stories of Failure, Justice, and More Ritual Instructions


Deuteronomy
5 Ten Commandments
6 Love the Lord Your God
7 Drive Out The Nations
8-11 Remember – Rewards and Punishments
12-30 Remember the Commands
31-34 Final Words Of Moses, and His Death

Yes, You Laughed

Genesis 16-20

What's the string that runs through all these stories and ties them together? Remember: think genealogy - think stories of people that help explain who they are, where their friendly neighbors come from and their sworn enemies. Where did the Ishmaelites come from? They come from Hagar, the maidservant of Sarah. Because Sarah disbelieved God, because she laughed at his promise to her that she would give birth to a son, she had Abraham sleep with Hagar. This did not work out as planned. There are several layers of meaning to the stories - it's rich in human personality, character flaws, and God's involvement in real life.

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah becomes the background story for where the Moabites and Ammonites come from. Along with the Ishmaelites, these three tribes will be perennial enemies to Israel for centuries and centuries to come. According to the Israelites, these three tribes have shameful beginnings - but, ironically, they all have similar ancestors! 

The thread to the story, though, is about the covenant that God makes with Abram and Sarai - and he changes their name to Abraham and Sarah. Why? In the Hebrew language of this story, God inserts the equivalent of the letter H in their name. H came to represent the name of God - he put his name in their name. God inserted himself into Abraham and Sarah's life, chose to bless them, decided to work through them to bless the world. It's not easy work dealing with humanity - we have a tendency to drift towards destruction. But God is always at work - and he is always willing to work in us and through us. Even if you laugh.

Abram the Blessed

Genesis 11-15

It's important to remember when reading Genesis, that it is a collection of stories all hinged upon the revered and famous genealogy of Israel. We don't value genealogies like the ancients did. And we don't tell stories like they did either. Genesis is about the genealogy of Abraham - his sons, their descendants, and the beginning of Israel. The genealogies in the early chapters of Genesis tell us who Abraham descended from, and then the later chapters tell us the story of those that descended from him. 

In these initial chapters about Abraham, we learn a few things: first, his original name is Abram and he is the oldest of a set of triplets. We learn that he is from Ur, a major city near Babel. Abram's father is a sojourner, traveling the traditional route west - heading north in order to not cut through the desert and follow the Fertile Crescent to Canaan. Terah, Abram's father settles in the northern city of Haran - which is where God introduces himself to Abram for the first time.

The significance of these initial chapters swirl around what we learn about God and what we learn about Abraham. We learn about God as he deals with Abram, and we learn about Abram as he reacts to God. Do you ever wonder what it was like to be Abram and meet God for the very first time? What was it like to receive the promise of blessing? The command to sojourn to Canaan and start a new life there? To begin to trust a God you'd never heard of, know nothing about, and has no image you can point to and bow down and worship?

We learn about the important people in Abram's life: his barren wife Sarai, his greedy nephew Lot, his faithful servant Eliezer he picked up in Damascus. We also learn about his nervous character while in Egypt and his conniving nature. When Lot gets captured along with the evil citizens of Sodom, Abram, we learn, has enough servants he can arm to defeat a regional military power. He has become a very powerful, wealthy, feared, and influential man in the promised land.

But: he has no heir, no son, no one to carry on his family seed and fulfill what God had promised. And that is the tension in the story. Blessed but barren. How will God keep his promise with these two old people? Trust and faith and belief become everything. They still are.

This Is The Family Tree Of...

Genesis 1-10

You'll notice in the first bunch of chapters that there are a lot of names. Why all the genealogies? Remember what the name "Genesis" means? Beginning. Genesis is Israel's account of where they came from, of their beginnings. It's a long string of stories attached to their family tree.

The book of Genesis is laid out in ten sections, ten family trees. I'm using the Message version, but if you are using the NIV, then it will be translated "the account of...", or if you are using the ESV it will be translated "the generations of...". Check out these references to see what I mean: Genesis 2:4, 5:1, 6:9, 7:1, 9:12, 10:1, 11:10, 11:27, 25:12, 25:19, 36:1 & 9, 37:2. A genealogy was how you remembered your ancestors - a way to honor them. It was also the root of your identity, and how you understood the other people in your family. A genealogy was a revered set of information - and a source of great stories!

When you're reading through Genesis - especially the first ten chapters - resist the urge to ask: did this really happen? Avoid questioning whether creation or temptation or the flood happened exactly as recorded in Genesis. That line of thinking is a distraction from the purpose of Genesis - stories hinged on the genealogies. It's interesting to note the genealogy in chapter 5 - no mention of Cain or Able. It's also worth noting in the flood story the reason behind Noah's name - and it's connection to God's blessing when the earth is dried. How does that shape our understanding of this terrible, devastating, ugly story?

One last thing: the genealogies about Shem, Ham, and Japheth reveal a lot about how Israel viewed their neighbors and enemies. Ham was the father of their enemies (Canaan, Egpyt, Babel, etc), while Japheth was the father of their good neighbors. When you're sitting around the campfire, and your little boys ask about where the marauding caravans come from, you go back through the genealogy, explain how you are connected to them, but how they are cursed. Makes for dramatic storytelling at midnight!

Remember to ask: what do these stories teach me about Israel, their beginnings, and about how they understood God.

God Saw That It Was Good

Genesis 1-3

How did ancient Israel understand where they came from? What were the stories they told about where the world came from? How did they explain the origins of humanity? Why was the world the way it was? How to account for good and evil in the world? And where does their God fit in to life as they know it?

The book of Genesis is about beginnings (that's what the name means). "In the beginning, God...." Genesis begins with a poem - a very startling poem when compared to the myths of other ancient cultures.  Typically creation stories are full of chaos, fantastic heros and gigantic monsters, there are swords and battles, destruction and mayhem, conquering and upheaval. Israel's story is much more... orderly, designed, lovingly crafted. Consider that the story of where you come from shapes your sense of who you are and your destiny in the world. What does the Creation Poem reveal to you about how ancient Israel understood their God, their world, their place in it?

The poem is followed by two stories - the first is the classic, "Dad, where did I come from?" The second story is the necessary accounting for why terrible things happen. It's how ancient Israel explained the core realities of their life. They carefully crafted these stories to communicate powerful ideas that would shape their identity, their work in the world, and their relationship with surrounding tribes. Again, it helps to compare these two stories with that of other ancient civilizations. The contrast would be apparent - there is purpose and direction in Israel's stories. It reveals the involvement of the One God, not the petty squabbling and bloodthirsty ravages of many gods and goddesses.

As you reflect on these first three chapters, it's vital to ask: what does this poem and two stories reveal about God and humanity? What is God like? How are we still like the humans in this story? The debates often rage about whether these stories are true. It's more helpful to consider how these stories are still true for us: it's a good world, cursed; men and women still strive and struggle, still procreate and provide for each other; God gives and takes away, judges and disciplines, loves and blesses.