Hope for Hagar and Ishmael

Lot

The events which take place after Lot and his family flee Sodom are very strange. I haven't known what to write. Why did Lot's wife turn to a pillar of salt when she looked back towards Sodom? Why was the story of incest between Lot and his daughters considered so important that it was included in Scripture.  What are we supposed to learn from these passages?

Perhaps, Lot's wife looked back because much of her mind and heart belonged to that city.  As a result, her life was not spared.  Even in the New Testament, Jesus asks his apostles to leave everything they have and follow him.  One cannot partially follow God.  You are either giving your life to Him, or not.  Lot's wife could not fully let go of her past, and follow the Lord's messengers, so she could not be saved.

This has been the most difficult concept for me to come to terms with in reading the Bible.  It is very cut and dry.  We follow God and are saved, or turn away from him (as Lot's wife did in a very literal way) and are lost. Having once been a non-christian and having many friends with different beliefs or lack there of, it is difficult for me to think that they will not be "saved."

But when I look at my past before I became Christian, or to be completely honest, even afterwards when I didn't understand I had to live like Christ, not just pray to him,  this concept begins to make more sense. Frankly, I either overcomplicated life or was in denial of the problems my bad habits were creating.   Because they I had no idea what God could provide for me, I made decisions that lead me further away from His love. Life became hard for me because I left no room for God to act in my life.

Pastor Joel Osteen often mentions the idea of "God's favor" in his sermons, and it was not something I experienced firsthand until I started taking a few small steps back towards God.  All of a sudden, it was like whenever I took 1 step in the right direction, God took 3 towards me.  I began to see how I was meeting more loving and successful people. Now, I feel that I am always in the right place at the right time.  I trust in God to take whatever problems I have and show me how to overcome them.  That doesn't mean I never have worries.  Like everyone, I sometimes get scared either about my future or a problem.  The only difference is I give it up to God and know that since I am His child he has a great plan for me, and as long as I take action and follow Him, he will make things happen in my life.  Again, this doesn't mean bad things can't happen to good people, it only means that when we have divine guidance by our side there is nothing we cannot overcome.  Our faith and our action in working to get closer to God in all that we do, is actually our biggest tool, but before I understood this, I was lost.

I found it difficult to give up past habits and the sins that turned me away from God rather than towards him.  I was Lot's wife, looking back at the burning city, longing to still have all those things that were only making me temporarily happy.  And as I long looked back, I couldn't moved forward.  I had to let go, and now I feel saved.

The lesson is that God can only rescue us,if we want to be rescued.  If we want to follow him, then we can't look back.  We can only move forward.

***

As for the incest which took place between Lot and his daughters, I could not understand why that was included in Scripture until I did a little research. The children born of Lot's daughters after this event were Moab and Benn-Ami.  They are considered to be the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites.  Though both of these cultures are considered to have descended from the Semites, they eventually moved towards the east, and later allied with the Syrians against David and his army.  Though the Hebrews and Ammonites sometimes got along and even intermarried, many of their interactions were hostile.  This story may have been a way for Israelites to illustrate the dysfunction of the Ammonites, whom were often their enemies throughout Biblical history. 

This passage is also the last time that Lot is mentioned in Genesis.

Visitors and Messangers

Who were the three visitors who came to Abraham's tent in Genesis 18?  Abraham must have known they were divine messangers.  When he sees them he bows low to the ground.  He commands Sarah and his servants to lay out food before them, and treats them as his honored guests.  There is no mention of their names, or where they come from.  We only know that Abraham noticed these three men standing close by his tent after the Lord appears to him.

During their meal, one of the visitors announces that Sarah will give birth to a son within the year.  Sarah over hears this and laughs. (It isn't surprising then that Isaac's name means laughter) After the meal is over, God reveals his plan to destroy Sodom and Gemorrah.  As Abraham pleads for the lives of the innocent, two of the visitors who shared the meal with Abraham, now referred to for the first time as angels, enter the city of Sodom. What happened to the third visitor?  Was he an angel too?

I did some research online and found mixed results.  Many medieval and renaissance paintings depict the third visitor as God himself.  Other scholars see the visitors as three angels, the third one not being mentioned in Genesis 19 because his one role was prophesying the birth of Isaac. I feel the real importance lies in that this is the first time they are mentioned in Scripture.  They also play an extremely active role in the story.  They may appear as men, but the way Abraham and Lot interact with them proves their divine nature.

Though Lot does not know these men, he also greets them by bowing down to the ground.  Once they enter the city of Sodom, Lot insists that they seek shelter in his home rather than sleeping in the town square.  He also prepares a meal for them, at which time they east unleavened bread ( the first time this recurring them is seen in Scripture)  The cruel townspeople surround Lots house, threatening to break down the door in order to have sex with the angels.  I was unable to understand God's need to destroy Sodom until I read this passage.  It's hard to come up with anything more sacrilegious then sexually assaulting an angel.

"Look I have to daughters who have never slept with a man.  Let me bring them out to you and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come for protection under my roof."~ Genesis 19:8  When I first read this passage, the feminist in me became incredibly angry.  I momentarily lost all of my respect for Lot's moral character.  But after reading it over and meditating on it, I remembered that Lot had no sons, which means that his daughters would have been his most precious assets.  Their lives and their purity would have been extremely important to him as their father.  His daughters' safety would have normally been his number once concern.  Reading it over once more through the eyes of Lot, rather than with my own feminist 21st century mind, I realized this statement speaks more to the divinity of the angels than it does about the degradation of women.  A girl's virginity would have been considered the most important and pure thing.  A father would want to protect it above all else.  But the angels are so divine, pure, and full of light that his daughters' innocence does not even compare to that of these divine messengers. Lot will protect the angels at all costs.

What he doesn't understand is that the angels are their to protect him. He does not understand their power until the evil townspeople break down the door, and the two angels strike them all with blindness.  They had in fact been sent to deliver Lot and his family out of the city.  Through these two divine men, God is able to keep his promise to Abraham that he would save the righteous from the city. 

I have always believed in angels, and I love that they take such an active role at this point in Scripture.  It inspired me to read more about these divine beings and their role in our religious and spiritual lives.  I am very excited to get to know God's messengers better as they are introduced to us in our journey through the Bible. <3

Wife of a Prophet

 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." ~1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I do my best each night to write down my schedule for the following day.  I keep my calendar close by my bed and before my husband turns out the light I will jot down a list of "to do's."  My to do list includes errands and tasks to complete for my business. I will also block out a section of the day for quality time with my son.  Sundays are marked "God +Family."  Then there is always the all important "Me Time."  It's the best way I have found to help me manage my spiritual life, family life, and business life.  And in this juggling act, I also have to make time for my marriage.

My husband's cousin Rebecca gave me some good advice at my wedding reception.  She told me that being a mom was important, but to always remember to give my husband the time and commitment he deserves.I have to admit that on my wedding day that seemed like a given.  Now that we have built a life together, I see how work, kids, etc. can sometimes get in the way of our time together.  My husband works hard all day to support us in the short term, while I do my best to build a business that will allow us to thrive in the long-term.  When we get home, most of our time is devoted to our son.  It's easy to forget that we need to get back in touch with what brought us together in the first place, our romantic love for one another.

Our dreams are so big.  Bigger sometimes than what even our families can see for us.  We yearn for the day when we can have our own place, buy a nice car, have another baby.  But living in the moment is just as important.  Appreciating and trusting one another now should come first and foremost. 

Sarai is a role model for me as a wife.  She followed her husband on this pilgrimage to an unknown land which God had promised to her husband.  She left the city of her birth to travel through a strange country.   She followed her husband and supported him when God promised him that he would be the father of many nations.  That must have been so frightening for her, knowing that she was barren.  Sarai sacrificed her own emotions when she offered Hagar to Abram in order to provide him with a son.  She went against every jealous instinct inside her heart in order to make her husband's vision for the future come true.  In the moment in which she made that decision, she sacrificed her own well-being for her husband's dream.  Is there any love more pure than that? 

As we know, her decision eventually lead to bitterness between both her and Hagar. For, as my grandmother would say, we cannot build a strong house on a bad foundation.  She did not believe that she could bear a child as an older woman.  In fact she even laughed when the three angels visited Abraham and told her that she would have a son within the year.  Even after God changed her name to Sarah, and promised her that she would be the mother of Isaac, she had a hard time believing in God's promise.  This fault makes her more human to me.  She struggled with her faith as we all do.  And even though it may have taken decades,  God finally brought Sarah and Abraham's dream to reality with the birth of their son Isaac. 

The love story between Abraham and Sarah is an example to my husband and I, and to all married couples, of what love truly is and should be within a marriage.  It is also a tale of Hope.  Nothing is impossible with God.  And if we continue to serve him in all that we do, and we continue to trust in him, our dreams will come to fruition.  Let our marriages be unselfish relationships of complete and total love.  Let us not forget the base romantic relationships on which are families are made. <3

A Note on Easter

Conversion has been a process for me.  Even after I came back to the church, I made some great mistakes.  I continued to stumble and fall.  But when I look back, even to a year or two ago...I have come a long way.  This year my relationship with God has grown exponentially.  I've learned that believing is not enough.  Belief is just the first step of many.  If we are Christian, than we must do as Christ did.  Walk as He did.  Love as He did.  Sacrifice as He did.

In the past, I prayed mostly to God or to Mary.  I did not feel as connected to God the Son as I did God the Father.  Though God blessed me with many things to be thankful for as I grew up, I also dealt with many adult issues at a young age.  God the Father was a comforting figure.  I could rest in Him.  My problems seemed so big.  Too big for a little girl like me.  But to Almighty God they were less than dust.  I could surrender my struggles to Him, and all would be taken care of.  However, it was not until this year that I began to truly understand the importance of Christ.

As an adult, I am attracted to the story of Jesus because of his humanity.  He struggled as I do.  As all of us do. He suffered more than any of us will ever have to, and was courageous in the face of great evil.  I get emotional when I think of Jesus' agony in the garden of Gethsemane.

"'Father if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.' An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."   Luke 22:42-44

Knowing that he experienced a greater fear than we will ever endure, died, and conquered the grave so that we may live forever gives me unspeakable love for my Lord.  Knowing that he lived, laughed and loved as we do makes him seem more tangible and reachable.  I used to wonder why Easter is considered the highest holiday in the Catholic church.  Though Christmas is holy because it marks the birth of the Savior, Easter is the fulfillment of his purpose on Earth.   This is the first year that I have come to fully realize that.

When "The Passion of the Christ" first came out in theaters a few years ago I didn't see it because I thought it was more important to make a movie about Jesus' life than the manner in which he died.  Looking back now, I feel much differently.  Being God, Jesus could have saved himself.  He could have run or hid, or denied the accusations of the high priests.  He could have stayed away from Jerusalem as his apostles had begged him to do.

But he didn't

There is a reason he allowed himself to go through that pain, and to rise again.  And because his death and resurrection were part of God's plan, it is important for us to understand what he went through.  Though we will never grasp that experience fully, we must do our best to know his sacrifice.  For everything that he sacrificed was for us.  To ignore that, is to ignore His love.  Therefore, I would encourage you to read the last few chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John this week.

As we mourn over the final hours and the death of Jesus over these next few days, so will we celebrate his resurrection this Sunday.  I wish you all a wonderful and happy Easter, as well as a reflective and spiritual final few days of Lent.

God Bless!

From Abram to Abraham

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." ~Genesis 12:1-3

 When imagining a prophet, I used to think of an old man with a white beard who communicates with God as we do daily with any ordinary human being.  I envision someone without fault, who walks with God and lives in a constant state of righteousness.  Reading of Abraham's life has completely changed my view of what a prophet is.  Born Abram, son of Terah, Scripture gives no reason as to why this man was chosen above all others to be the father of many nations. Like Noah, Abram is not described as exceptional in any way.  His actions show his true character.  Abram's bravery, faith and obedience are evident throughout the major events of his life which take place after he is first called upon by God.  And yet...

He is not perfect.

Abraham makes mistakes.  In fact, sometimes he makes the same mistake several times in a row, but because his heart belongs to God, he is always able to recover from the setbacks he creates for himself.  This was a great relief to me.  I know that I have made some big personal mistakes in the past, and to know that God is forgiving and ready to help us make the best of our past errors was extremely comforting to me. I hope that you are able to receive that happy message into your heart as well when you read Genesis 11-25.

When Abram first answers God's call, there is no indication that he has any idea where he is being led.  He is wandering through the land guided only by his faith.  How scary!  I would be terrified!  Did he not worry about where he would sleep?  How he would survive?  How he would support his wife, nephew and the rest of his caravan?  He was responsible for the lives of all these people and he had no idea where he was going!!!  But God knew, and that was all that mattered to Abram.

When they finally arrive in the land of the Canaanites there are already people inhabiting that land, but God tells him that his descendants will inhabit that territory in the future.  Abram then builds an altar to the Lord in thanks for this great gift.  At this time, his wife Sarai is considered barren and he himself is over 75 years old.  He has left the rest of his immediate family behind to embark on a quest which leads him to a land that is already populated by people of another culture. But Abram's great faith does not allow him to question God's ways.  Though God's promises must have seemed impossible, Abram knew that God had indeed given him the gift of land and numerous descendants.  This reminded me of a quote I once heard. "Faith is believing in something you cannot yet see with human eyes."  This story is such a great illustration of that definition!

Soon after, a great famine strikes the land. Abram and his people are forced to migrate to Egypt.  While there, Abram becomes overwhelmed by fear.  Sarai was extremely beautiful, and fearing that someone would kill him in order to take her as their wife, Abram lies, and claims to be her brother.  When Pharoah hears of her beauty, he calls her to his palace.  Thinking that Abram is her brother, Pharoah showers him with gifts.  Of course, God is not pleased by this and inflicts plagues upon the Pharoah's household.  Once Pharoah comes to the realization that Sarai is actually Abram's wife, he becomes fearful of Abram's God and sends them both away unharmed.   The fascinating part is that Abraham makes the same mistake again in Negev several years later.   Further on in Scripture, his son Isaac fabricates a similar story in Negev as well.  The king takes Isaac's wife, Rebekah, into his palace thinking that she is Isaac's sister, and after God curses his household, she is released.    Perhaps the moral here is that lessons that go unlearned by the parents are often passed on to the children.  It is no rarity for father and son to share the same faults and make similar errors in life.

The next portion of scripture highlights the special relationship between Abram and Lot.  Lot is the only man in Abram's family who accompanies him on this journey of faith.  His father, Harran, passed away when Abram and his family were still residing in Ur.  Perhaps Abram was a father figure to Lot, but it is clear that they valued each other's friendship.  According to Scripture Abram and Lot are accompanied by other people. (the Bible never mentions specifics as to who these "people" are or how they are related to either of Abram or Lot) By the time their caravan reaches a place called Bethel they have acquired so many people, animals, and riches; that the land cannot support their two parties, and tensions rise among the herders.   

"So Abram said to Lot," Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company.  If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go the left." ~ Genesis 13:8-9

So Abram and Lot seperate.  I found this to be a remarkably loving decision, especially considering the time and place in which they lived.  Many men in their situation would have resorted to violence, each one claiming the land as his own.  Abram loves Lot so much that he does not care which portion of the land Lot takes for himself, and Lot cares so much for Abram in return that he does not even try to claim the land where they are currently settled, but moves to the plains of Jordan. How many times have we bickered over what is ours versus what belongs to another?  In this chapter of Genesis we learn that preserving a friendship is vastly more important than any material wealth we feel is rightly ours.

Unfortunately for Lot, the territory he chooses for himself and his people is soon overcome by a great war.  The armies of Sodom and Gomorrah were defeated.  As the remaining soldiers were driven back into the Valley of Siddim, many of them found themselves stuck in tar pits, adding to the grisliness of this battle.  The victorious armies then took all the plunder from Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as Lot and his people.  Who knows what cruelty him and his people faced at this time?

When Abram hears that his nephew has been kidnapped and taken prisoner he raises an army of 318 men. I had no idea that Abraham was a warrior as well as a prophet of the Lord!. Even more shocking, is that Abram would have been an old man at this time.  However, he is not one to let age stop him from saving his nephew and best friend.  His men stalk the armies of Lot's captors during the night before beginning the attack.  Not only does Abram win this battle, but he recovers Lot, his people, their possessions, and all of the captured women as well!  Again, Abram shows us his exceptional character through his actions.  Most people would begin mourning if they heard the news that their loved ones had been carried off by an army.  It would be a lost cause, but apparently Abram's sense of duty knew no bounds.

The kings of the defeated army meet with Abram after Lot's rescue.  This passage in the Bible is the first mention of several important themes present throughout Scripture. 

"Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered enemies into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything." ~ Genesis 14:18-20
 
I am assuming that because of King Melchizedek's description, he must have believed in one God as Abram did, or he was a holy man of a different religion who converted after seeing how God blessed Abram.  After all, at this time in history, believing in one God would have been an extreme rarity.  It is also the first time that the sharing of bread and wine is mentioned in the Bible.  A holy priest saying blessings over bread and wine does sound familiar to something many of us do every Sunday doesn't it? :)  I am beginning to understand how many of these small passages are preparing the way to the New Testament.

Since I returned to church in 2004 I have heard the word "tithing" mentioned here and there.  One religion that takes tithing very seriously is the Church of Latter Day Saints.  Most of us know them as Mormons, though nowadays most of them prefer to be called LDS.  Practicing LDS give 10% of their income each year back to the church.  I believe Judeo-Christian religions in general hold tithing as an important practice, but in my own personal life I see my LDS friends being the most active in doing so.  I have to admit that I have never personally practiced tithing, though I have been giving it a lot of thought lately.  In fact, only a few days after I had a good talk with my dear friend Michael about tithing did I read this passage. :)  This is the first chapter in Scripture which mentions donating a tenth of what we own to something holy.  I am also a firm believer in getting back what we give out.  I'm not saying that we should start tithing because we want more money to come.  We should give without expecting anything in return, but the Universe always rewards good deeds and I guarantee if we start doing this we will see big rewards.  Not necessarily financially, but in the way we feel, our personal relationships, and who knows what other areas of our life will be impacted by it.  Because let's face it, doing a good deed makes us feel happy inside!  And it makes others happy too. :) 

When the King of Sodom attempts to trade goods for Abram's people, Abram refuses.  He will accept nothing from the evil king. He does not want the knowledge that part of his wealth came from bartering with such a sinful person.  The moral?  Do not make deals with people who have bad intentions.  Wouldn't you rather your wealth and success to be attributed to your good works and accomplishments, rather than your associations with bad people? Of course!

At this point in time, Abram is very distraught.  God is promising him that he will be the father of many nations and yet he has not conceived a child with his wife Sarai.  God makes a covenant with Abram, promising him a son and descendants as numerous as the stars.  I was listening to Joel Osteen online a few weeks ago.  He was saying how important it must have been to Abram that anytime he began to doubt what God had told him, he could go outside and see the stars and remember God's promise.  God wants so much for us.  We only have to reach out and grab it.  There is nothing preventing us from accomplishing the things that others "greater than us" have already accomplished.  It is only our mindset that stops us.  Sometimes our dreams, like Abram's, take a long time to come to fruition. Yesterday, my friends and I had a dream board party where we cut out pictures that represented goals we want to reach and put them on a poster board.  Whenever we begin to doubt ourselves we can look at that board and remember what we are working towards.  This is what God gave Abram.  A giant dream board in the sky, so he would always know, even in times of hardship, that his dreams were in the process of becoming a reality. :)

God also predicts the future migration of the Hebrews to Egypt, their enslavement, and their journey back to the Promised Land.  In this passage we get a small peak at the next book of the Bible, the Book of Exodus.

We will cover some of the subsequent chapters on Hagar, Ishmael, Sarai/Sarah, Isaac, Lot and the Angels in later posts.  However, I will quickly touch upon two more major events in Abram's life.  When Abram is 99 years old God appears to him again.  He changes Abram's name to Abraham, meaning father of many nations.  God also informs him that Sarai will now be called Sarah, and have a son with Abraham called Isaac.  When Abraham hears this he laughs heartily. They are both close 100 years old in age, but God promises him that his covenant will be with Isaac.  He also promises that Ishmael will be a father of nations as well.  Though he is not Sarah's son, he is still blessed for he is of Abraham.  Then God demands that all men in Abraham's household be circumcised and that all future male children be circumcised on the 8th day after their birth.  It sounds like an odd request, but since Abraham and his people were wandering from place to place (and probably rarely bathing) this may have been a sanitary measure and a way to prevent disease.  Abraham must have also been a powerful leader and expert seller of ideas because that same day, he, and every other male in his caravan are circumcised.  Scripture does not even mention him questioning this command from God, as strange as it may have sounded.

In fact, the only time Abraham every questions one of God's intentions is when he announces the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to Abraham.  Both cities had become ruled by sin to such an extent that we do not understand until we hear of Lot's experience the night when the city burned.  Perhaps Abraham pleaded with God because he knew his nephew resided in Sodom, or perhaps it was also because he thought of the innocent men, women, and children who might be destroyed along with the city.  But it is obvious through his words that Abraham is not at all pleased with God's decision.  Abraham is so upset by this that he is bold in arguing with the Lord.  "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?....Far be it from you to do such a wicked thing- to sweep the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike.  Far be it from you!  Will not the Judge of all the earth to right?" ~Genesis 18:23-25  In the end, God promises Abraham to save any righteous people in the city.  This is a really great example not only of Abraham's sense of duty and justice (one that goes so far that he would question God), but of also not fully realizing the scope of God's plan.  Once we finally understand what is going in Sodom in the following chapter we do not at all doubt God's decision in destroying it.  In our own lives, there are times when we do not understand why God is placing certain trials in our life, but God has a bigger picture in mind.  So that in the end, our suffering and questions only lead to greater things. :)

Introduction to the Epic of Abraham

I have heard the Bible described as a great love story. Reading about Abraham finally helped me to begin to understand that concept.  Despite, Abraham's mistakes and hardships,  God never abandons him or his family.  He is constantly working behind the scenes to make sure that the promises he made to Abraham are upheld.  Abraham's life reads like an epic. His story takes us from Ur, to Canaan, to Egypt, and back again.  While we knew nothing of Noah's wife, Sarah is as complicated a character as Abraham.  The relationships between the members of his family are complex.  Most fascinating of all is the introduction of angels into Scripture.  They play an active role throughout Abraham's life.  There are so many inspiring and interesting aspects to this story that I would strongly advise anyone reading this blog to read Genesis 12-25, reread it, and reread it again! :)

Up until this point I have deconstructed each story we have come upon in chronological order.  For this portion of scripture   I would rather break it down character by character.  Abraham's relationship with God is at the center of the story, but the life experiences of Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, Lot, Ishmael, and others hold great lessons for us as well. 

From Shem to Abram

The Tower of Babel

It took me several days to figure out what to write about this story.  This portion of Scripture did not inspire me.  In fact, it angered me.  Why would our God prevent a major human accomplishment? What about building a tower to the heavens threatened Him?  He had wanted humanity to succeed and now that our species was accomplishing something truly amazing he wanted to stop it?  Frankly, it made no sense to me. 

I began asking coworkers and family members what they thought of the story.  Some said, "A story is just a story."  Others claimed that "Our God is a jealous God." Some of my fellow parishioners told me it was simply an allegory which explained how the different languages were created.  None of those explanations resonated with me.  I read The Tower of Babel again and again.  I highlighted and underlined the phrases that I thought would lead me towards the moral.  I wrote questions in the margins.  I listened to sermons, surfed the internet, and still found nothing to write about.  At least nothing that inspired me or made me feel closer to God. 

The answer came a few nights later when I was working late at the office.  My friend Mike and I were both on our computers in the conference room.  I don't remember the exact reason why, but during our conversation, Mike quoted one of his favorite preachers.  Once I realized he was a Bible reader, I began asking him a ton of questions.  The funny thing is, none of my questions were about The Tower of Babel.  However, I did tell him I was having trouble interpreting Scripture.  "I have no background in theology," I said.  "I feel like I need to find a great preacher or a rabbi who can school me in the lessons behind The Old Testament."

"Do you pray before you read the Bible?" he asked.

I had never thought of that before.  Reading the Bible itself seemed like an act of prayer already.  "No," I responded.  Mike then explained that the best preachers and rabbis would have me pray beforehand and then listen with my heart as I read the words.  Mike's preacher is currently having the congregation read Proverbs 23 everyday for the next few weeks. He told me that surprisingly, every time he reads over that passage, he has a new revelation and feels closer to God. 

The following day I read the story again, but this time I followed Mike's advice and said a prayer first.  Though I did not yet feel ready to start writing, I noticed a key phrase that I had underlined a few days earlier, but the words suddenly revealed themselves to me in a completely different light. 

"Come let us build a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth." 

~Genesis 11: 6 

I decided to meditate on that phrase for another day or two.  Finally, today, Sunday, I found the courage to write down what  I feel is the meaning behind this story.  I lit a candle, prayed to God, and began to type.  

I've realized that perhaps the reason why I struggle to understand this chapter of Genesis, is that I have found myself personally making the same mistakes as  God's people in the story.  Humanity did not strive to build the tower to glorify God.   The tower made no positive impact on the world.  To build it would not have been a great accomplishment, for the tower itself has no point.  Once built, it would have just been a symbol for "look what I can do."  Even today, when we spend money and resources on creating something new for our cities, it generally has a positive purpose.  The skyscrapers we build are corporate offices for the companies which help run our economy, our municipal buildings are centers for civil servants such as policeman and fireman.  We build schools, prisons, libraries and memorials.  Even the statue of liberty, a symbol of America's greatness was created as a thank you gift from the French government.  Humanity pooling all of its resources together to create what is essentially nothing more than a tall empty building,  is a great metaphor for how we frame our goals and accomplishments in life. 

For example, fame and material wealth are common goals and dreams in our society, yet they are only accomplishments if they make the world a better place.  When fame comes out of something beautiful, like a film or other artistic project, that fame is well deserved and if used correctly can have a positive impact on our world.  I'm sure that actors who use their notoriety to promote important charities or use fame as a chance to set a good example will lead far more fulfilling lives than someone who uses fame  as nothing more than a way to get personal attention.  Why are there so many celebrities who turn to drugs or sabotage their own careers?  Because they have built that "tower" for themselves, but it is empty and provides no real worth to their life or anyone else's.  Just as humanity did in Genesis 11, they are trying to"build a name" for themselves, and nothing more.  But there is nothing in a name.  A name does not glorify God or his people.  It does not create art, humor, expression, or feeling.  It is nothing.  So when God saw that humanity was creating something immense by working together, but as a purely selfish exercise, he stopped them by creating the different languages.  Therefore never again could we succeed in building something great with selfish intentions. 

When I reflected on how this was relevant in my own life, I came back to a realization I had little more than a year ago.  I left an abusive household at a young age.  When I made that decision the expectations of many of the adults in my life was that I would fail, so I set out to prove them wrong. To "build a name" for myself.  Though it felt as if I was moving towards something positive, the fact that I was basing all of my goals on a negative and selfish intention actually caused me to tumble into more bad life decisions.  God's plans for my life only began revealing themselves to me once I changed my motivation.  Instead of doing everything with the intention of, "I will prove everyone wrong and make a name for myself,"  I am now motivated by the goal of being a positive leader who inspires leadership in others.  I know that whenever I live with this intention I am personally fulfilled, and because I am helping the world become a better place, my life is taken care of as well.  As my mentor in business always says, "When you help others get what they want, you will get what you want."

Proving others wrong was my "tower."  These "towers" we create can never be finished because they will never be enough.  If I had continued to live with that old intention, I would have never been truly satisfied in life.  My tower, just like The Tower of Babel, would have never been finished.  However, when I live with the intention of being a light in the world that inspires others to find the light within themselves, I will always be successful and fulfilled.  That is not to say that we should not have goals for our own success. To the contrary, I believe going for our biggest dreams is exactly what God wants from us, but let's examine what is driving those goals.  For example, do we want that nice car because we actually like it and it is a reward for our hard work, or because we want to be better than our neighbor?  Are we building a tower, or are we building something that glorifies our God and our world, which in turn rewards us with fulfillment?

The Table of Nations

click here to see enlarged map

Chapter 10 of Genesis is yet another genealogical list, and only the second of many which we will encounter on our journey through the Bible.  The few times that I would skim through the Bible before writing this blog, I would always skip over theses chapters, but one thing I have learned since we started our reading is that Scripture includes only what is necessary to get the main message across.  It is not written like a novel, with detailed descriptions of all of its characters.  Most of what we know about the prophets,we understand because of their actions.  For example, we believe that Noah was a man of extreme faith because of his persistence in the face of what probably felt like insurmountable obstacles, not necessarily because the Bible describes him that way in black and white.  Therefore, what is important to the story is included in Scripture, and what is not is left out.  Thus, we do not know what Noah looked like or what his life was like before the Great Flood, because in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter!  So when the writers of Scripture went through the trouble of going into detail, it means those small details are of great importance. Genealogy is one of those small details that makes a big impact on biblical history and the lessons we can derive from Scripture :)

Notice that the last genealogy chapter we read in Genesis was simply called "From Adam to Noah." For that describes exactly what that chapter is about.  It is a recognition of the great men who walked the Earth before Noah.. However, "The Table of Nations" is a much stronger title, for it describes not only the family lines which descended from Noah's 3 sons, but how the world was repopulated after the Great Flood.

I expected Canaan's descendants to come into some sort of misfortune in this chapter since Noah cursed Canaan's father in the previous story.  However, Canaan's descendants come into a nice stretch of land which you can see for yourself in the above map.  (I suppose the prophecy will be fulfilled later on) The clans of Canaan spread from Sidon all the way south to Gaza.  Cush, Canaan's brother, had sons and grandsons as well.  The most famous being Nimrod who's kingdom spread from Ninevah (later the capital of Assyria and the title of this blog ;) ) down south to Uruk. I'm still trying to figure out why the word nimrod has a negative connotation when the original Nimrod was a great leader.  If your find the answer please comment!



I had a harder  time finding the location in which the descendants of Shem and their respective clans spread.  However, the Bible does say that they settled  further east.  Japheth's descendants inhabited the area surrounding Tarsus by the Mediterranean sea.  There are also many legends surrounding The Table of Nations.  Some regions still claim one of Noah's son's as their direct ancestor.  Numerous maps created by theologists and amateur biblical historians can be found online and in book stores which list the exact regions each descendant of Noah inhabited.  But since these  are the only regions described directly in Scripture, they are the only ones we will go into.


I believe the most important lesson to take away from this chapter is not just that they scattered throughout the middleast and repopulated the world, but that even though many of these regions would later become rivals, they all descend from Noah, and thus from Adam.  In other words, we are connected, and we are all a human family.  Though the Assyrian Empire later becomes the enemy of the Hebrew people, they could both trace their family lines back to the same person.  Therefore, no matter what our culture, race, or

click here to see enlarged version of  genealogical table

Nobody's Perfect- Noah in the Vineyard

It's hard to imagine someone as faithful and righteous as Noah, passed out drunk and naked inside his tent, but alas that is exactly what takes place in this story.  Though Noah was the only man God chose to save from the flood along with his family,  and though he was the one whom God chose to establish a covenant with, he made mistakes too!  Such as sampling too much of the wine from the vineyard he planted! Moral:  We are all human and we all sin. 

I know several people who would find that statement disempowering.  Original Sin is one of the main religious concepts that influenced my mother to leave the Catholic Church.  I actually find that Truth to be a relief.  We often demand perfection of ourselves.  I know from my own experiences and thoughts that I am often consumed with the idea of being the perfect wife, mother, friend, career woman etc.  But to err is human, and it is from making these mistakes that we learn some of our greatest lessons in life.  Noah's silly mistake is simply a reminder that he stumbled like the rest of us do.  Therefore, if Noah was just like the rest of us, there is also potential for us to have great Faith as he did, despite our natural human errors. :) 

Not only is this portion of Scripture able to teach us about our own tendency towards sin, but the importance of how we react to the mistakes of others as well.  Noah had three sons; Ham, Shem, and Japheth.  It was Ham, the father or Canaan, who was the first to discover his father intoxicated and exposed inside the tent.  Instead of covering him with blankets, and keeping quiet about his father's error, the first thing he did was to go outside and tell his two brothers.  How many times have we heard some juicy gossip about someone in our community and instead of keeping quiet about it; we chose to talk about it behind that person's back? If we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that at one time or another in our lives we made the same choice as Ham did that day in the vineyard.  Ham's two brothers took the high road, and not wanting to shame their father, walked backwards into the tent (so as not to see his nakedness) and covered their father's body.

When Noah came to his senses and realized what had taken placed he both cursed his youngest son for talking of his shame to others, and praised his 2 eldest sons for making a kinder decision.  I am guessing that his words are prophetic and foreshadow the difficulties which will arise later for Canaan's descendants.

"Cursed be Canaan!
The lowest of slaves
will he be to his brothers."

He also said,

"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem!
May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
May God extend Japheth's territory;
may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth."
 ~Genesis 9:25-27

I suppose we will find out later in Scripture  how history plays out for these three branches of Noah's descendants!

The Great Flood- Perception vs. Reality

"First, notice that in Noah's case FAITH WAS THE FIRST PRINCIPLE. The text begins, "By faith Noah." We shall have to speak about his fear—being "moved by fear"; we shall also remember his obedience, for he "prepared an ark to the saving of his house." But you must take distinct note that at the back of everything was his faith in God. His faith begat his fear: his faith and his fear produced his obedience. Nothing in Noah is held up before us as an example, but that which grew out of his faith" ~C.H. Spurgeon

The story of Noah's Ark is for many children, one of their first exposures to the Bible. When we were getting ready for the birth of my son, I do not think I can count on my fingers alone how many gifts we received with an image of Noah and his happy creatures sitting in that lovely large wooden boat.But in reality this story is not at all g-rated and the picture I posted in the top right corner is a very understated version of what this tragedy would have looked like.  

"On that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the Earth for forty days and forty nights." (Genesis 7:11) Scripture then continues to say, "Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark." (Genesis 7:23) All I could think of when I read this passage was how terrifying this would be. I had heard that water fell from the sky for forty days and forty nights but I had never realized that it was also coming from the ground.  Everything is wiped out.  All life on Earth is extinguished except for that of Noah, his family, and the creatures on the ark.  This story describes a catastrophe beyond which we can even imagine. 

Since I began reading the Bible a few weeks ago, I have thought back to all the times I was told that the God of the Old Testament was jealous and vengeful.  But even after reading about the expulsion of man from the Garden of Eden, the punishments endured by Cain, and the tragedy of The Great Flood...

I simply don't agree.

In the portions of Scripture that I have read so far, it is humanity that turns away from God, not God that turns away from humanity. In essence, we are choosing our fate.  Our free will determines how our lives will change.  Since Noah was righteous, God saved him, but when we veer off of that path, it is no longer up to God to save us.  It is OUR choice.

God did not want Adam and Eve to suffer, they chose that when they took a bite of the Forbidden Fruit and did not take responsibility for their actions.  

God did not want Cain to wander the world without Him, but Cain made that choice when he struck his own brother. 

God was proud of his Creation until humanity turned away from Him completely, and by Him I do not just mean God in the personal sense, but God in the sense of all that is love and peace. "The Lords saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil at the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled." (Genesis 6:5-6) Since according to the story, ALL humanity except for Noah was evil, it is much easier for us to understand why God takes such drastic measure.  But again, it is important to note that it is humanity that guides God's decision through their actions.  After all, Noah's goodness saved him. :)

After reading through Noah's epic tale several times, I began to search for sermons about these passages in order to draw the deeper meaning out of the story. My favorite sermon is by C.H. Spurgeon. (I have included a link below)  I chose the quote at the top of the page because I agree that Faith is indeed the essence of this story.  All that Noah did, he did out of Faith. IMMENSE Faith.  

God tells Noah the exact specifications on how to build the ark.  When the measurements are converted we find that the boat would have been truly massive.  Anywhere from 450-515 ft long.  Keep in mind that during Noah's time, men in Mesopotamia were still using wedges to split wood in two.  This would have taken an incredibly long time, especially since the only help he had was from his family.  Not to mention that everyone (including his family at first) must have thought he was completely insane. 

Spurgeon brought up how people would have snickered behind his back and jeered at him.  Despite all these obstacles Scripture says, "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." (Genesis 6:22) Once The Great Flood begins, Noah's family is shut up inside the boat with all of the strange and beautiful creatures inside for 150 days before settling upon a mountain top. It is another 40 days before Noah even dares to open a window to let out the raven to see if the waters have receded enough to reveal dry land and leave the ark.  More weeks go by until he sends out a dove from the ark a second time and it returns with an olive leaf.  (Aha! The symbol for peace..I get it now! :) )Even then he waits, sends it out a 3rd time, and the dove does not return for it has presumably found a home. Guess what he does then? He waits some more! 

One can only imagine how terrified Noah and his family were after witnessing such a catastrophe.  I don't blame him for waiting so long before stepping out of that boat.  The inhabitants of the ark stayed on the boat for the better part of a year.  It would have been an unimaginably dark and treacherous voyage, but when Noah steps out of the ark, a New Day begins. :)God makes a covenant with Noah saying, "Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the Earth." (Genesis 9:11) God places a rainbow in the sky as a beautiful sign of this promise.

But what is the significance of this flood? There are several stories dating from this same period in Mesopotamia which speak of a terrible flood.  The Epic of Gilgamesh is but one of them.  Scholars believe that there was indeed a great flood in this region at 9400 b.c.  When the Earth's temperature rose the water from the Mediterranean flooded into the Dead Sea, forcing many to abandon their towns and homes.  Perhaps this helped to develop the story of Noah, though it would have been told orally for thousands of years before finally being written down.

I think the deeper message is God baptizing the Earth.  He is literally washing away the sins of humanity.  Once he does this Noah and his family can begin a new life with God. In addition, Noah is held out to us as an example of Faith.


*I have included the links to a History channel documentary on Noah's ark and a sermon by C.H. Spurgeon.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixga38W-_4k

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/sermons36.ii.html

Family Lines

I considered skipping the genealogy accounts which lead to the story of Noah, but I decided that there must be a reason for that passage in scripture.  If it weren't important, it wouldn't be in there right? :)  I have included the chart above so you can easily see the names and lifespans of the ten generations of men which occurred between Adam and Noah.

Each of these men have lives which span between 350 to almost a thousand years.  When I researched this on the internet the general consensus was that biblical scholars are stumped.  I wish I had more answers here but all I have is more questions! 

If the numbers are taken literally, that means Noah was born only 126 years after the death of Adam.  Methuselah and Lamech would have been alive when Noah began building the ark. I had never thought about all this generational overlap before!  And though each of these men have long lives, it is a relatively short time between the creation of man and the great flood. 

Enoch is the most mysterious character in this portion of Scripture.  "After Enoch became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Genesis 5:22-24  In what way did Enoch "walk with God"?  When God "took him away," did Enoch die or was he raised up body and soul?  There seemed to be a lot of debate over this when I did research over the internet.  I also don't understand why someone who was so close to God would have only brief passage in the Bible.  I want to know more about the mysterious Enoch!

Reading this portion made me realize more than anything that I need the help of some spiritual and theological teachers along the way.  Though I would love to simply comment on the way each Bible story makes me feel and the meaning I draw from it, I think it is most important to understand the scriptures' full context first! I will keep you posted on what resources I choose to help us along the way!

Cain: A Lesson in Personal Responsibility

"All blame is a waste of time.  No matter how much fault you find within another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you."  ~ Wayne Dyer 

Accepting 100% responsibility is one of the greatest challenges we face. Most adults will blame their problems on almost anyone before they acknowledge that it is their choices, and nothing  else, that have landed them in their current situation.  Looking inward to find an answer in our own hearts and minds is much scarier and difficult than blaming our families, government, parents, teachers, bosses etc.  This is not to say that we do not suffer from the bad decisions of others.  That is only natural, but it is how we choose to view and use those outside circumstances which determines our success in life.  Jim Rohn, the premier business philospher of the 20th century was known to say, "The same wind blows upon us all.  It's how you set your sail that makes the difference."

Perhaps you are wondering what this has to with the story of Cain and Abel. It was evident to me that Cain displayed a total lack of personal responsibility throughout this story.  When the brothers each made an offering to God, Cain brought some of the plants he had harvested.  Abel on the other hand, brought forth meat from the firstborn lamb of his flock.  Since Abel had given God the best offering he could provide, he was looked upon with favor.  Cain had not put as much effort into his sacrifice and therefore he did not receive the Lord's favor.  As we know, Cain was furious and instantly looked for someone to blame.  If Abel wasn't around to make him look bad, Cain's offering would have been favorable to God. But in reality, the only person he had to blame was himself.  If Cain had put in the same amount of care into his offering, both sacrifices would have been seen as favorable in God's eyes.  

Instead of accepting responsibility for his error, Cain tricked his brother into accompanying him into the fields where he then kills him.  

"Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?'
'I don't know," he replied. 'Am I my brother's keeper?'"  (Genesis 4:9)

If you are not clear on what Cain means by this, it is basically akin to him sarcastically telling God that he isn't his brother's babysitter.  The famous 19th century preacher, Charles Spurgeon, spoke in one of his sermons, "Cain displayed a shameful tone of presumptuous impudence in his insulting reply to the Lord God. If it had not been on record in the page of inspiration, we might almost have doubted whether a man could speak so impudently when actually conscious that God himself was addressing him." It is such a stunningly insolent response, and at the same time, a form of denial.  Cain knows exactly what he did, but doesn't want to accept responsibility.  His sarcasm could be seen as a defense mechanism to avoid God's question.  It is interesting as well that his parents blamed one another after they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.  Neither one would admit guilt.  There seems to be a pattern building, even at the very beginning of the Bible's version of human history,  humanity seeks to blame outside circumstances for their own mistakes.

God of course knows the crime which Cain has committed. "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground." (Genesis 4:10) Cain is then cursed to wander the Earth, but God does not abandon him.  When Cain begins to fear that he will be killed after being driven from the land, God puts a special mark on him so no one will harm him, and proclaims that anyone who would kill Cain would suffer vengeance seven times over.  I found it amazing that God would still protect Cain even though he just murdered his own flesh and blood!

This is an amazing example of the love of God in the Bible.  Though He is punishing Cain, God does not want to see any harm come to his children.   

The Fall From Grace

Have you ever heard the same song repeatedly and then gone on without hearing it for a long time?  Then one day it is randomly aired on tv or radio and you suddenly hear the words or understand the meaning behind them in a different way?  That's how I felt about Adam and Eve after reading the story for the first time in years.  My first conclusion after having read it this past week was that the story was much more tragic than I remembered.  The second was how much richly layered symbolism occurs in this portion of scripture.  As a child, the two trees were just two trees.  The snake was just a snake.  And the story was just a story.  As an adult, I've realized that isn't the case.

I'd like to insert a short reminder here to the reader that we may all identify with Scripture in different ways. What I have listed below are simply the revelations I drew from the text.

After God creates man from the dust of the Earth, and breathes the breath of Life into Adam's nostrils, he plants a garden called Eden which is pleasing to the eye and good for food.  He puts Adam in the garden and creates a partner for him named Eve. The garden lies between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which is in fact a region easily located on a world map. It known as Mesopotamia or "The Cradle of Civilization" because of the agricultural revolution which first boomed in this region in 10,000 B.C.  In the center of this garden, God placed the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  And God commanded Adam "But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." ~Genesis 2:17

In this garden, Adam and Eve had everything they could ever want or need.  They had immortality, an abundant food supply, a loving God, a beautiful place to live, peace, and love for one another.  The serpent who tempts Eve is described as more crafty than any of the animals the Lord God had made. Once Eve saw that the fruit looked good enough to eat she was tempted by the fact that she could earn wisdom from eating it.  It is then that she takes her first bite before sharing it with Adam.  Once they gain this knowledge of good and evil they are instantly ashamed and cover themselves with fig leaves.

I found this to be very true to the human condition.  How many times do we choose to let go of a perfect situation so we can experience something new, even when we know it may hurt us in the long run?  We are so curious and tempted by the knowledge a certain experience may bring that we would sacrifice our own happiness.  We see this over and over again in history and today's society. It is also interesting to note that once they understand both good and evil, they experience a new emotion.  Shame or guilt, which is the only wisdom they receive from the forbidden fruit.  It is because of this shame that neither Adam nor Eve take responsibility for the mistake they have just made.  Adam blames it on Eve, and Eve blames it on the snake.  Therefore the knowledge of good and evil and the guilt which comes from knowing the difference causes them to make yet another mistake.

God understands that all of them are equally responsible and puts a curse on each of them.  The snake must crawl forever on his belly. Woman must experience the pains of childbirth, and Man has to work the ground for  food.  At this point the story takes a different direction.  Instead of just being about the nature of human error, it becomes an explanation.  If we knew nothing of science or how we came to be, one can only imagine what we would think when we saw women giving birth or men working hard all their lives just to survive.  It probably begged the question What did we do to deserve this?

The second two chapters of Genesis hold our answer. Humanity, in general, is never satisfied. God gave Adam and Eve all that was good but they had to have the one thing that was forbidden to them, simply because it wasn't already in their grasp, even though they knew it had the potential of causing great harm.  I also found it fascinating that Eve was tempted by the wisdom she could attain from the fruit.  Humanity is never content to just experience the world moment by moment.  We are curious.  We want to know why, how, where, who? It is what separates us from the rest of the creatures on Earth. We have an insatiable desire to to learn.  To know what we know not already.

Once Adam and Eve understood the meaning of good and evil they were banished from the garden and forbidden to eat of the Tree of Life which would grant them immortality.  So perhaps the harsh moral of this sad story is that our constant dissatisfaction with Life, or our increasing wants and desires are what separate us from God.  I remember reading a book by the Dalai Lama in which he explained that true happiness is achieved when we no longer desire anything. Perhaps the ancient Hebrews would agree with him.

My husband has a very hard time stomaching this story.  The past three days that I have been researching the symbolism of the two trees, the fruit, etc., he has been comparing the Garden of Eden to a totalitarian government.  "Everything is provided and you aren't supposed to ask questions.  It sounds like 1984 or North Korea."  To be completely honest, I could see his point.  It's hard to agree with a story in which our quest for knowledge is seen as forbidden or negative. I believe that more of God is found in everything we learn and discover.  He created our curious minds and so he must have a purpose for them.  However, I do agree that human greed, our want for things we cannot have, can at many times be our undoing.  

My sister has another interesting opinion. She holds the belief that our souls choose to come down to Earth and experience life and to learn more about the different ways to experience love.  Perhaps that is similar to the ancient Hebrews' answer to why we are here.  It is because humanity would rather learn through struggle than stay in blissful ignorance for eternity.










 






   

The Fullness of Creation

In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth..." ~ Genesis 1:1

Day 1: Separation of Light from Dark 


Day 2: Creation of sky


Day 3: Division of Land and Sea; sprouting of plants


Day 4: Moon, stars, sun are created to give light to the Earth, as well as to "serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years..." Genesis 1: 14


Day 5: Creation of birds, and creatures of the sea


Day 6: Wild animals and livestock + creation of man in God's own image


Day 7: a holy day of rest

To be completely honest, I may have more questions than answers for the beginning of the Bible, even though the story of creation is written very simply.  Each day, God blesses the planet with a new gift.  His creations please him, and so he creates more.  But what intrigues me is, why seven days? Why were things created in that order? It is very specific, and after this first chapter of Scripture, the number 7 is encountered repeatedly in the subsequent chapters and books of the Bible.  So I did a little digging...

After all, I highly doubt that the first writers of Scripture picked this number out of the blue and just decided it would be Holy.  It had to have some significance if not it wouldn't be in there in the first place!  Well it turns out that the root of the word seven in ancient Hebrew meant to be full and complete. Aha! Well now that makes more sense!  The idea behind the 7 days of creation, is that it was perfect. Nothing needed to be added or taken away.  The world was as it should be, and God saw that it was good. 

And what completes the fullness and perfection of God's hard work in creating all that we know in the Universe? Why, a day of rest of course!  "...so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating he had done." ~ Genesis 2:2~3 Wow, what an important lesson!  After a hard week at work, even God needs a break to reflect on all the good he has created, and to relax as well.

For many of us who are strong in our faith, the Sabbath is a day to honor God.  We may go to church, the temple, the mosque, or wherever your house of worship may be, and there we praise God for all the blessings he has bestowed upon us.  We recognize his work in our lives.  Even those without faith in the Lord have their Sunday rituals.  How many of you reading this sleep in on Sundays and make pancakes with your kids, or relax in the backyard with a cup of coffee and the newspaper?  Many of us still honor some of the principles behind the Sabbath every week without even knowing it!  But how often do we use it as a day of reflection, to rest and reflect upon our own successes during the week?  God created us in his image and yet we have a hard time acknowledging ourselves for the things we created or did the previous week.  Acknowledging God for his hand in our lives and relaxing on this day is important, but lets not forget that the completeness of the week (according to the first two chapters of Genesis) came from resting because God looked upon the good things he had accomplished. If God finds the need to do that, then we sure do too!

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A day of rest may complete the week, but the culmination of God's creation is man.  "Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  Genesis 1:26  

I have to admit I had a hard time swallowing this one. The idea of humans thinking that they "rule over" all living things seems to get us into big trouble (i.e., global warming, animal extinction, threatening the ecosystem...I could go on and on)  And the craziest part of this is that when we do take a hand at dominating Mother Nature we end up further harming ourselves.  All living things on Earth are interconnected.  We know this is fact.  So when we interfere too much it's not only bad for the environment, the animals, the plants, but it's also really bad for us in the long run!

I had to reread this passage a few times to realize that I was seeing the phrase "rule over" in a negative light. Most of the time when we hear that phrase we think of someone exerting power over the helpless (at least I do.)  So maybe this passage isn't just supposed to give us a sense of entitlement over the Earth.  Perhaps God is bestowing a RESPONSIBILITY upon Adam.  A good ruler doesn't take advantage of the helpless.  He protects them. He helps them to thrive.  So instead of seeing this passage as proof of humanity as supreme beings, I am choosing to see it as a task God has given us.  Because as all you Spider-Man fans out there know, With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. :) 


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Actions Steps:

-This Sat./Sun (whenever you celebrate the Sabbath or have your day of rest) write down the things you accomplished in the previous week.  It can be patting yourself on the back for finishing that triathlon, being more patient with your family, or even just recognizing yourself for getting to work on time every day this week!

-Be a good protector of the Earth.  If God truly created us in his image to rule over the Earth than it's our job to treat it with respect.  If you see a piece of trash on the sidewalk, pick it up and throw it away.  If you haven't watered your indoor plant in a while, water it!  Donate five bucks to the ASPCA, play with your Dog. Give your cat a treat.  Do whatever it is that makes the world a little better for our roommates here on Earth!

-Give thanks- Thank God for the wonder that is creation.  Think of how amazing Life on this planet is. How it can adapt to almost anything.  How long did it take for that canyon to be carved up by the water running through it?  What dramatic shifts in the Earth's crust had to take place for a mountain to form?  How many generations did it take for human intellect to evolve to its current state?  That is all so amazing!  The best part is that creation never truly stopped.  Our world is constantly changing, our environment always adapting.  Think of how complicated a process like photosynthesis is, or how intricate the human circulatory system is.  How many microscopic events had to take place in order for Life on Earth to thrive the way it does?  If you truly believe God had a hand in all these things, thank him! If you are still unsure of the existence of God or are in a state of unbelief, feel free to write down what you are grateful for in the Universe anyways.  Staying in a state of gratefulness keeps us humble and in awe of the world around us. 

The Plan!

http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/PDF/Plan1.pdf

Picking and Choosing

Now that we have set out upon this quest, two big questions remain.

1. What version of the Bible will we read?
2. How much of the Bible will we read per day, and what is our deadline?


I say "we" because I'm inviting you to read along with me.  My interpretation of a passage may be different than yours and I feel that by making this an interactive experience each of us will get more out of this journey.  Of course, if reading the entire Bible seems too daunting a task at the moment I also invite you to simply take a look at the blog and if you are inspired, to look up the passage we are discussing.  Like I said,  no matter what your religious background or lack their of, I'm happy to have you along for the ride!

Now as to the subject of what version of the Bible to read, well this decision is more complicated than I originally thought.  Turns out there are dozens of English translations of scripture.  Perhaps you knew that already, but I was not aware that we could fill an entire book case with different versions of the Bible.  Before a long Google search, browsing a local Barnes and Noble, and asking enough questions at the local religious media store to drive any sane sales clerk mad, I only new of King James, whatever the Catholic version was called, and was also vaguely aware of another translation known by the acronym NIV.  I had, and still have a lot to learn!

Since our options are numerous I decided to write down a few criteria for the version of the Bible that would best fit our purpose in this blog.

1. It must be easy to read so that you and I are able to follow along without looking up every other old English word that is now barely used in everyday language (as few thees, thous, hithers, and thithers as possible)

2. It must be as literal a translation as possible while still remaining clear in the English Language.  The more literal the translation, the less likely we are to have the latest translator's opinion versus the actual word of God.  Of course, no matter which version we choose, the stories in the Bible were told orally for many generations before they were finally written down and will always have the writer and translators personality mixed into the message, but we want to remain as close to the essence of the story as possible.

3. It must not be so simply written that the beauty of certain passages are lost, or certain messages glossed over.  Even though we want our Bible to be one we can understand easily, we must also accept that because Scripture describes an ancient time, will sometimes have to do some research and digging on our own to find the deeper meaning.  Simple texts have a way of describing the meaning for us instead of letting us find it ourselves.  And that is the opposite of what this blog is about!

4. The version we choose must be well known, cheap and easily accessible.  Of course it is natural and good to want to invest in a beautiful, ornate, and sometimes expensive family Bible.  However, I intend to highlight, write in the margins, bookmark, and fold over page corners while studying Scripture.  I think it would be best for myself and you the reader to have a Bible in which you can scribble notes and ideas.  Its important that if you decide to read along, the Bible I choose is easy for you to find and inexpensive so no matter what your financial situation is, you can get hold of a good quality one.

After sifting through different versions I came up with a few possibilities.

 The New Living Translation
The New American Standard Bible
The New American Bible
The New International Version
(I found it amusing how every version I found appealing had "New" in the title.)

I know many of you are fond of Ol' King James but from my research I found that though it is a beautiful version of the Bible, it is also one of the least literal.   At the time of translation, not many of the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts were consulted, resulting in beautiful psalms written in Old English, but with many of the original messages lost in all the ornate language. So in case you were wondering why one of the most common translations in not on our list, please note that though any Bible that you can draw inspiration from is fantastic, but for our purposes it isn't the best fit.
 
The New Living Translation (NLT) has a reputation for being easy to read while remaining as close to the original ancient Hebrew and Greek texts as possible.  I also picked the New American Standard Bible  because it is supposed to be a very literal translation, though it sometimes gets criticized for not sounding "pretty enough" when you read it out loud.  At first I could not see how this would be an issue, but I guess if we are going to read the whole Book than it would be nice to have one with a translation close to the original ancient texts while still sounding beautiful in the English language.  It's all about balance right?

Which brings us to The New American Bible which is also a very literal version but translates beautifully.  Personally, this would be my number one choice, however since it is created especially for the Catholic Church I don't know if it would go with our theme of all-inclusive scripture interpretation. In addition, it is harder to find at your average book store.

The New International Version (NIV) I was happy to find, is reputedly the most highly researched translation on the market.  It remains close to the original Hebrew and Greek texts while being easy to read. Best of all it is the most widely read English version of the Bible in the world, which means it is easy to find, and guess what? Its inexpensive too.  So after having reviewed the list above The New Internation Version is our winner! :)

However, before we go running into the other room to grab one that may already be in our house, or go to the bookstore to purchase a Bible, please note that the NIV also publishes special editions such as study Bibles, Bibles for Mothers, Bibles for Fathers, Bibles for Children etc.  We just want a plain old Bible people!  No frufru fancy stuff!  We don't want a book that tells us the meaning for you, we want a Bible that make you search for the meaning yourself!  Of course there are times when knowing the historical circumstances behind a biblical story can enhance our understanding of its message,but we will find our sources when the time comes.  So don't worry.  I will keep you posted!  In the meantime get yourself a 2011 edition of a standard NIV Bible. :)

Now, how will we divide our reading over time? When is the deadline?  My mentor in business has always told me that if we fail to plan, we plan to fail.  In order to set a goal it must be attainable, measurable, and have a time frame.

I could not think of a better time frame than 1 year.  I will be including an attachment with our reading plan in the next 24 hours and tomorrow our adventure begins!  There will be a 365 day countdown on each post so we can track our progress.  I am excited to know what you are hoping to get out of this too, so please feel free to post in the comment section below!


Yours in Faith,
Mimi <3