EXODUS 29
They were to keep Aaron's consecrated garments to be worn for seven days by future generations of head priests. I did not know this before.
There were daily offerings to the Lord ... two sheep to be burned, among other things. I did not realize this either.
EXODUS 30
There was a special Altar of Incense with special incense to be burned regularly before the Lord. Twice a day for generations.
There was a special formula for anointing oil to be used on the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony and the other sacred items in the Tent of Meeting. It was not to be used for anything else.
Likewise, there was a specific formula for incense that was to be kept most holy and not used for anything other than sprinkling on the ground in front of the Tent of Meeting.
There were dire consequences if anyone duplicated these formulas to use for their own personal use or anything else.
EXODUS 31
After the Lord had described in great detail all that was to be made for the Tent of Meeting, He told Moses who He had chosen to fill with the Spirit of God; with skill, ability and knowledge to make these things.
EXODUS 32
Did Moses lose control of himself when he saw the golden calf and everyone singing and dancing and basically partying? Is that why he threw the stone tablets inscribed by the hand of God, which subsequently broke?
Why did Moses make the people drink the golden calf crushed into water?
EXODUS 33
In verse 11 Moses actually spoke with the Lord face to face, "as a man speaks with his friend." How awesome was that? I can't wait until I get to do that.
In verse 20 the Lord tells Moses that no one may see His face and live. How did Moses speak face to face with the Lord and not perish while in the Tent of Meeting?
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Exodus
EXODUS 15
How quickly the Israelites went from singing and dancing praise to the Lord (for the great miracle of parting the Red Sea and drowning the Pharoah and his charioteers) to grumbling because they had no fresh water.
Who does this remind me of?
Oh right, me! How quickly I forget God's blessings when any little irritant comes up. If I keep my eyes on God and do what is right in His eyes ... how can I go wrong? I must try harder to focus on Him even (or especially) when I'm irritated.
EXODUS 23
The last priestly garment described sounds a lot like boxer shorts. Was this the beginning of underclothes ... for modesty's sake? God indicated the priests must wear these shorts whenever entering the Tent of Meeting to avoid guilt and death. It seems to me that the Lord our God takes modesty pretty seriously. I'm thinking that means we should as well.
How quickly the Israelites went from singing and dancing praise to the Lord (for the great miracle of parting the Red Sea and drowning the Pharoah and his charioteers) to grumbling because they had no fresh water.
Who does this remind me of?
Oh right, me! How quickly I forget God's blessings when any little irritant comes up. If I keep my eyes on God and do what is right in His eyes ... how can I go wrong? I must try harder to focus on Him even (or especially) when I'm irritated.
EXODUS 23
The last priestly garment described sounds a lot like boxer shorts. Was this the beginning of underclothes ... for modesty's sake? God indicated the priests must wear these shorts whenever entering the Tent of Meeting to avoid guilt and death. It seems to me that the Lord our God takes modesty pretty seriously. I'm thinking that means we should as well.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Exodus
EXODUS 1
God rewarded the midwives for lying to Pharoah in order to help save the Israelite baby boys. So, there are certain stances when it is okay to lie?
EXODUS 4
God told Moses that He would harden Pharoah's heart so that he would not let the Israelites go. Why was Pharoah not given a chance until after his first born son had died?
God rewarded the midwives for lying to Pharoah in order to help save the Israelite baby boys. So, there are certain stances when it is okay to lie?
EXODUS 4
God told Moses that He would harden Pharoah's heart so that he would not let the Israelites go. Why was Pharoah not given a chance until after his first born son had died?
Monday, January 4, 2010
Genesis
It is difficult for me to discern what God has for me in the story of Joseph as the passages are so familiar to me.
What is impressed upon me most is that what man intends for evil God can use for good.
For that I am quite thankful.
What is impressed upon me most is that what man intends for evil God can use for good.
For that I am quite thankful.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Genesis
GENESIS 28
Esau, realizing his Caananite wives were displeasing to his parents, went and married again. This time marrying one of his Uncle Ishmael's daughters. Is this more pleasing? Ishmael was run off with his mother. Did the family now get together? Were all old times and hurts forgiven?
Jacob realized that everything he had was given to him by God. In thanks for all the gifts God had given him, Jacob would tithe 10% back.
GENESIS 29
Jacob appears to have fallen in love with Rachel on sight, before ever seeing Leah or knowing of her existence. Leah had weak or delicate eyes but Rachel was beautiful and lovely in form. Was Rachel more desirable because she was strong and healthy? Was Rachel the shepherdess because Leah was too frail for the job? Perhaps Rachel was strong and beautiful because she was a shepherdess.
Esau, realizing his Caananite wives were displeasing to his parents, went and married again. This time marrying one of his Uncle Ishmael's daughters. Is this more pleasing? Ishmael was run off with his mother. Did the family now get together? Were all old times and hurts forgiven?
Jacob realized that everything he had was given to him by God. In thanks for all the gifts God had given him, Jacob would tithe 10% back.
GENESIS 29
Jacob appears to have fallen in love with Rachel on sight, before ever seeing Leah or knowing of her existence. Leah had weak or delicate eyes but Rachel was beautiful and lovely in form. Was Rachel more desirable because she was strong and healthy? Was Rachel the shepherdess because Leah was too frail for the job? Perhaps Rachel was strong and beautiful because she was a shepherdess.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Genesis
GENESIS 20
Although Sarah was in her 80s or 90s, she was evidently still desirable or the king would not have sent for her.
Why this was done more than once is explained as Sarah is indeed Abraham's half sister and early on Abraham had told Sarah that she could show her love to him by telling all he was her brother during their wanderings for the Lord.
GENESIS 21
Just as Hagar was driven away while pregnant with Ishmael because her attitude, and perhaps actions and/or words, raised Sarah's ire ... Ishmael caused his mother and himself to be sent away when he was mocking Sarah's son.
Hagar was Egyptian and had Ishmael marry an Egyptian woman. Why are we told this? What is the importance?
GENESIS 22
Why does God test Abraham by telling him to sacrifice Isaac? God knows already how Abraham will respond. Is it to help Abraham grow in his faith? How did this episode affect Isaac? Were the circumstances explained to him? Love and obey the Lord you God above all else ... including your own children.
GENESIS 24
Putting your hand under some one's thigh to swear an oath ... was that the custom? Is this how all oaths were taken at that time?
GENESIS 25
Abraham had more children after Ishmael and Isaac. Abraham gave gifts to his other sons before he died and sent them away from Isaac to whom he left everything he owned. Were they Abraham's sons? They are referred to as "the sons of Abraham's concubines". Is this because Isaac was the only son recognized by Abraham as his? Isaac is referred to as Abraham's ONLY son.
When Abraham dies Ishmael and Isaac buried him together. Any other children had been sent away.
Isaac and Rebekah had been married 20 years before Jacob and Esau were born.
How hungry was Esau to sell his birthright for a bowl of soup? Was he truly starving? Weak with hunger? Was the food really needed to sustain him or was he simply hasty?
I have said or thought, "I'm starving!" many times but I have never actually been starving. Merely quite hungry.
GENESIS 26
Isaac, like his father Abraham, told people that his wife was his sister, fearing they would kill him so that Rebekah would be free to marry another. Was this common practice. Did many men with desirable wives call them "sister" whilst traveling? Is this the same Abimilech that Abraham and Sarah sought to deceive in the same manner? Was he on his guard to watch for such deceptions?
GENESIS 27
Why was Rebekah so deceptive. Why did she feel the need to steal Esau's blessing for her favored son?
It is sad to me that Jacob's concern seemed to be that he could get caught rather than what he was doing was wrong. Jacob says it would appear he was tricking his father. Not only would it appear that way ... he actually was tricking his father.
Isaac suspected something was amiss before he gave Jacob the blessing.
Esau accuses Jacob of deceiving him out of his birthright. Was it really deception or simply taking advantage of a hungry brother?
Although Sarah was in her 80s or 90s, she was evidently still desirable or the king would not have sent for her.
Why this was done more than once is explained as Sarah is indeed Abraham's half sister and early on Abraham had told Sarah that she could show her love to him by telling all he was her brother during their wanderings for the Lord.
GENESIS 21
Just as Hagar was driven away while pregnant with Ishmael because her attitude, and perhaps actions and/or words, raised Sarah's ire ... Ishmael caused his mother and himself to be sent away when he was mocking Sarah's son.
Hagar was Egyptian and had Ishmael marry an Egyptian woman. Why are we told this? What is the importance?
GENESIS 22
Why does God test Abraham by telling him to sacrifice Isaac? God knows already how Abraham will respond. Is it to help Abraham grow in his faith? How did this episode affect Isaac? Were the circumstances explained to him? Love and obey the Lord you God above all else ... including your own children.
GENESIS 24
Putting your hand under some one's thigh to swear an oath ... was that the custom? Is this how all oaths were taken at that time?
GENESIS 25
Abraham had more children after Ishmael and Isaac. Abraham gave gifts to his other sons before he died and sent them away from Isaac to whom he left everything he owned. Were they Abraham's sons? They are referred to as "the sons of Abraham's concubines". Is this because Isaac was the only son recognized by Abraham as his? Isaac is referred to as Abraham's ONLY son.
When Abraham dies Ishmael and Isaac buried him together. Any other children had been sent away.
Isaac and Rebekah had been married 20 years before Jacob and Esau were born.
How hungry was Esau to sell his birthright for a bowl of soup? Was he truly starving? Weak with hunger? Was the food really needed to sustain him or was he simply hasty?
I have said or thought, "I'm starving!" many times but I have never actually been starving. Merely quite hungry.
GENESIS 26
Isaac, like his father Abraham, told people that his wife was his sister, fearing they would kill him so that Rebekah would be free to marry another. Was this common practice. Did many men with desirable wives call them "sister" whilst traveling? Is this the same Abimilech that Abraham and Sarah sought to deceive in the same manner? Was he on his guard to watch for such deceptions?
GENESIS 27
Why was Rebekah so deceptive. Why did she feel the need to steal Esau's blessing for her favored son?
It is sad to me that Jacob's concern seemed to be that he could get caught rather than what he was doing was wrong. Jacob says it would appear he was tricking his father. Not only would it appear that way ... he actually was tricking his father.
Isaac suspected something was amiss before he gave Jacob the blessing.
Esau accuses Jacob of deceiving him out of his birthright. Was it really deception or simply taking advantage of a hungry brother?
Friday, January 1, 2010
Genesis
GENESIS 3
When did this happen? Had Adam & Even been in existence for a short time or had they been in the garden for decades?
GENESIS 4
Cain was the first born son. Why did Cain bring his first fruits as an offering? Did the Lord instruct him to? Did his parents? Was it because Cain loved God and wanted to thank him for his bounty? Was it not Cain's first fruits? Abel brought an offering from his first born livestock. Is this why Cain's offering was not looked upon with favor? God asked Cain, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" Was Cain already doing things he shouldn't before he brought his offering to the Lord?
"At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord." What does this last line of chapter 4 mean?
What is Lamech's story? God told Cain he would be avenged seven times. Did He tell Lamech 77 times? Where did Lamech get this idea?
GENESIS 5
Other than Seth, is this a record of first born children or just certain ones in the line of Noah?
Enoch is singled out as having walked with God rather than just living. Was he more obedient to the Lord than the others?
GENESIS 6
The Nephilim were on the earth in the days of Noah ... and also afterward. Were they wiped out by the flood? Are they still here?
Noah was blameless among the people of his time. The people of his time were so corrupt and violent that God decided to wipe the earth clean.
Noah was to bring two of each kind of living thing to be kept alive, they would come to him. Nice that he was not required to go seek them all out and gather them to himself.
GENESIS 7
Noah was instructed further to bring seven of every clean kind of animal and two of every unclean animal, seven of every kind of bird. I do remember that sacrifices were made to God upon leaving the ark. It would be good to have more than two of something if one is going to be killed as a sacrifice.
Everything living on the face of the earth and every bird of the sky were wiped from the earth.
GENESIS 9
God gave Noah and his family dominion to use clean animals for meat, just as He had given them the green plants as food in the beginning.
God established his covenant to never again cut off all life by waters; not only with Noah and his family but with all the animals that came out of the ark with them. Had the animals and birds also been corrupted and become violent so they had to be destroyed as well?
The rainbow is a sign of God's covenant with every living thing on earth.
Adam and Eve learned when they ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil that they were naked. Their immediate response was to make clothing to cover themes. The first mention of modesty. The concept of modesty reinforced when God made clothes for them from animal skins to replace the coverings they had made for themselves from fig leaves.
Noah was found naked by his son Ham who told the other brothers. The other brothers, Shem and Japheth, took pains to avoid seeing their father's nakedness while covering him so others also would not see his nakedness. Another indication we are to be modest. Reinforced by Noah cursing the son who looked upon him and blessing the sons who covered him.
GENESIS 15 & 16
God told Abram that he would have a son from his own body and that he would have countless descendants. Who the mother would be was not specified at this time. In fact, Abram had two sons from his own body. Each with a different mother and a promise from God of descendants too numerous to count.
GENESIS 17
Here God changed the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah. He also promised Abraham a son by Sarah. This son is the one which He will make His covenant. Through this line with Sarah would kings of peoples come. Sarah would be the mother of nations.
Ishmael, Abraham's first son, would also be blessed.
When did this happen? Had Adam & Even been in existence for a short time or had they been in the garden for decades?
GENESIS 4
Cain was the first born son. Why did Cain bring his first fruits as an offering? Did the Lord instruct him to? Did his parents? Was it because Cain loved God and wanted to thank him for his bounty? Was it not Cain's first fruits? Abel brought an offering from his first born livestock. Is this why Cain's offering was not looked upon with favor? God asked Cain, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" Was Cain already doing things he shouldn't before he brought his offering to the Lord?
"At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord." What does this last line of chapter 4 mean?
What is Lamech's story? God told Cain he would be avenged seven times. Did He tell Lamech 77 times? Where did Lamech get this idea?
GENESIS 5
Other than Seth, is this a record of first born children or just certain ones in the line of Noah?
Enoch is singled out as having walked with God rather than just living. Was he more obedient to the Lord than the others?
GENESIS 6
The Nephilim were on the earth in the days of Noah ... and also afterward. Were they wiped out by the flood? Are they still here?
Noah was blameless among the people of his time. The people of his time were so corrupt and violent that God decided to wipe the earth clean.
Noah was to bring two of each kind of living thing to be kept alive, they would come to him. Nice that he was not required to go seek them all out and gather them to himself.
GENESIS 7
Noah was instructed further to bring seven of every clean kind of animal and two of every unclean animal, seven of every kind of bird. I do remember that sacrifices were made to God upon leaving the ark. It would be good to have more than two of something if one is going to be killed as a sacrifice.
Everything living on the face of the earth and every bird of the sky were wiped from the earth.
GENESIS 9
God gave Noah and his family dominion to use clean animals for meat, just as He had given them the green plants as food in the beginning.
God established his covenant to never again cut off all life by waters; not only with Noah and his family but with all the animals that came out of the ark with them. Had the animals and birds also been corrupted and become violent so they had to be destroyed as well?
The rainbow is a sign of God's covenant with every living thing on earth.
Adam and Eve learned when they ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil that they were naked. Their immediate response was to make clothing to cover themes. The first mention of modesty. The concept of modesty reinforced when God made clothes for them from animal skins to replace the coverings they had made for themselves from fig leaves.
Noah was found naked by his son Ham who told the other brothers. The other brothers, Shem and Japheth, took pains to avoid seeing their father's nakedness while covering him so others also would not see his nakedness. Another indication we are to be modest. Reinforced by Noah cursing the son who looked upon him and blessing the sons who covered him.
GENESIS 15 & 16
God told Abram that he would have a son from his own body and that he would have countless descendants. Who the mother would be was not specified at this time. In fact, Abram had two sons from his own body. Each with a different mother and a promise from God of descendants too numerous to count.
GENESIS 17
Here God changed the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah. He also promised Abraham a son by Sarah. This son is the one which He will make His covenant. Through this line with Sarah would kings of peoples come. Sarah would be the mother of nations.
Ishmael, Abraham's first son, would also be blessed.
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