Almost Cut My Hair

Numbers 6:1-21

So, if you're an Israelite youth who's clamoring for a little more law in your life- the Nazirite vow might be for you. Apparently this is a vow to help you go above and beyond the requirements of the typical child of God. It seems that this vow could be taken by either a man or a woman.

After taking this vow, there are several things that must be avoided:

No wine. In fact no vinegar made from wine. In fact no grape juice. Or grapes. Or raisins. Nothing from the grapevine- not even seeds or skins.

No cutting hair.

No going near a dead body. Not even if someone in your immediate family dies.

If someone dies in your presence- and defiles your hair (I guess this happens by just being in the presence of a dead body? Maybe contact with the body and your hair which would be kind of weird anyhow?) you've got to shave it on the day of your cleansing (apparently the seventh day). On the eighth day the Nazarite is to bring two doves or pigeons to the priest. One is a sin offering, the other a burnt offering- the burnt offering seems to be to make up for being near the corpse.

Following the period of separation- not sure how long that period is- the rules change. He brings a bunch of things for the priest to sacrifice- a one year old male lamb, a one year old ewe lamb, a ram, grain offerings, drink offerings, a basket of yeast-free bread, and cakes and wafers with oil.

The bread and the ram are a fellowship offering. At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite is to shave off his hair and burn it in the fire beneath this fellowship offering. The priest makes a wave offering using a boiled shoulder of the ram, a wafer and a cake. The priest gets to keep much of the meat as well as the waved cake and wafer.

After this, the Nazirite can start drinking wine again. This is all offered in addition to anything else the Nazirite can afford.

This whole concept puzzles me. As best I can tell, this vow is totally voluntary. Who could look at the burdens of the law and think- you know what, I'd like a little more law in my life? It seems a bit like an attempt to show God how great you are.

God, not only can I not steal, lie, covet- etc... but look what else I can do. Pardon me while I flip my hair.

And I have this same hangup. Instead of accepting grace- I try to make things a little harder for myself. It isn't enough that I'm sorry for my sin, that I've prayed about it, that I've tried to stop committing it- I try to punish myself more. It's like I'm saying, God, look how sorry I am. Let me show you why you should forgive me, because deep down, I'm not convinced that you already have.

So let me impress you with all I've done to make up for the wrong I've committed. If I wasn't truly sorry, I wouldn't have gone through this much effort. Get the grace ready, because I'm about to check off the box that will release the grace lever and send it pouring down on me.

And the end result might be best summed up by John Prine, "Jesus Christ died for nothing, I suppose."

Maybe the Nazirites had noble reasons for taking this extra vow. My struggle is to keep cutting my hair, and truly believing that His grace is enough- no extra credit needed.

She Turned Me Into a Newt

Numbers 5:11-31

A rare passage in Numbers that I find fascinating. Disturbing and odd, but fascinating.

So, if a man suspected his wife of being unfaithful- there was a sure fire test to determine her guilt. It sounds like it comes straight out of the Salem witch trials. He is to bring his wife (and a grain offering of barley flour) to the priest. The grain offering is because of jealousy.

The priest mixes some holy water with dust from the tabernacle floor. He loosens her hair and puts the dust water (in a clay jar) into her hands. He holds onto some bitter water. He puts her under oath... I'm not sure what she had to put her hand on to make this happen- and says the following to her:

""If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. ²⁰ But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband... may the LORD cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell.²² May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away."

I'm not sure what the oath was for, since the woman isn't asked any questions regarding her guilt or innocence. She is supposed to say "Amen. So be it."

The priest writes the curse down and washes the words off into the bitter water and gives it to the woman to drink. So the curse literally enters the woman's body. Then the priest burns the grain offering and the woman drinks the holy water that he was holding.

The result will be a wasting thigh, which sounds a little like leprosy to me- and the inability to have children. If she bears a child, she is innocent and cleared of all charges.

This seems like it's all set-up for problems. What if a woman was already unable to bear children- is she then to pay the penalty for adultery? What if the husband shoots blanks? Maybe God wouldn't allow this scenario to take place.

What about a man who refrains from sex with his wife because he assumes she has been sleeping around and he's still hurt over the whole thing? Seems like that might prevent the birth of a child, too.

Sadly interesting that there is no scenario to punish a man who falsely accuses his wife. It seems like if she is found innocent the scene is more like "oops, my bad."

There's also not much room here for grace. We aren't told about a woman's ability to plead her case. What about rape? Or just a mistake? Can there be no reconciliation?

And why wouldn't a guilty woman just confess instead of going through this process? Just to buy her a little more time before she's found guilty? Does she think maybe there's a way out in the meantime? Maybe she doubts God's power to make the curse work?

This passage seems to illustrate God's hand in the administering of justice. If nothing else, it shows that God's not too fond of adultery. And while it seems like God is making sure justice occurs- I'd much rather have grace.

The Impossible Dream

Numbers 5:5-10

God tells Moses that when someone wrongs someone else in any way, that person is guilty and must confess his sin. He must make financial atonement for the sin adding one-fifth of the value to make up for it. If the wronged person has no close relative (I guess assuming the innocent party has died) the restitution belongs to God and goes to the priest- with the addition of a ram used for atonement. He ends with "Each man's sacred gifts are his own, but what he gives to a priest will belong to the priest." I'm not sure what to make of the distinction.

This is an issue that ties me in knots over and over. There are so many elements that make this hard to deal with.

First, you have to be aware of the sins committed. If they unknowingly wronged someone, were they condemned simply because they didn't realize their actions? Or is this part of the command more about a refusal to humble self and bend will? I realize I've sinned, but I won't admit it.

Second, every wrong demands restitution. So does that mean if I tell you a story and exaggerate a detail, suddenly now I owe you money and must confess my sin? What financial value gets placed on non-financial sins? Does every sin demand restitution?

Third, what about sins that happened so long ago, the details are fuzzy. I have so many of these memories and they eat me up. Am I supposed to look up people from my past and let them know sketchy details of how I wronged them a decade ago? Do their puzzled looks and awkward responses somehow make something better? Is this really what God wants?

Fourth, who is the confession made to? When he says every sin is confessed, does that mean confessed to God? To the person you sinned against? To another person who can pray for you? To a priest?

Fifth, are there times when confession can make things worse? If a person doesn't realize a wrong, can an apology hurt someone's feelings or hurt a relationship? If I apologize for harsh comments when a person thought I was joking, has my confession caused more harm?

Sixth, when does it end? For every ancient, inconsequential wrong I can dig up and try to apologize for, I can think up two more. Is this to be my life's work?

But the two most important questions in my mind:

One, is this what God wanted? It kind of seems like He's talking about confessing to the actual person wronged- except that he talks about the no-close relative clause. Certainly in those instances such confession was impossible. Was it even desired?

Two, is this what God wants for us? Is the principle more, as I sin, be aware of who I've hurt and when possible and beneficial, confess to them? Always confess to God, but not in a legalistic if I don't remember every one I'm going to Hell kind of way.

I once had a conversation with a friend about trying to go back and amend for a complicated wrong from years ago. It would have involved hunting down someone I had only met a few times who lived in a different state. His comment was "that's what Jesus is for"(Or something like that).

And hopefully that's the key. We have Jesus' blood to cover us. I don't need to live in constant dread because I have a handful of wrongs I can think of that I've never made amends for.

And if that's not the case, it's gonna be a long road. I better look up my college friend who I haven't spoken to in a decade and let him know that I lied about why I wanted to borrow his car.

Long road, indeed.

Dishonorable Discharge
Numbers 5:1-4

God tells Moses to oust people who make the camp unclean. These include people we talked about before: contagious skin desease carriers, anyone who has a "discharge" of any kind, or anyone made unclean by contact with a dead body. Much of this was covered back in Leviticus 13.

This may qualify as one of the world's worst jobs. "Excuse me, I'm checking for skin diseases...any discharges I should know about?"

Two things of note here- God isolates them. He gives them a little direction for re-purification procedures back in Leviticus 21- but at least for now- they're not to be physically part of the camp. God apparently treats the camp as holy, and imperfections have no place.

However, this next phrase says a lot. He wants them out of the camp- beyond defiling range "where I will be with them." He doesn't desert them. He's there on the journey back to purification.

When we're in that state- he does no less. When I mess up (over and over...and over), I'm still His child, He's still my Dad. I'm not banished from His presence. He takes us as we are and loves us in every state we're in.

Festering sores and all.

Feel Like a Number

Numbers 4: 34-49

This section is low on plot and interesting insight. Basically- Moses and Aaron follow through with the census commanded earlier. Before you keel over in anticipation- here are the results.

They only counted men between 30-50 years of age- working age for whatever their clan was assigned to.

2,750 Kohathites

2,630 Gershonites

3,200 Merarites

8,580 total. You can check it with your calculator.

Once again- it could have just worked out that way- but fairly round numbers for all three- especially for the Merarites. I don't know if these numbers are approximations or handled by the anal retentive. I'm not sure what difference it makes.

I'm also not sure what to take from this section. Maybe the idea that while at times we are significant individually in the work we do- sometimes what matters more is that we become part of a group larger than ourselves and pursue God's work.

Or maybe just that Numbers is boring.

See Previous Post

Numbers 4:29-33

This section seems to be a slight variation on the last one. The names have been changed to protect the boring.

Another census- this time to see how many Merarites there are frame-carrying age. Ithamar continues his power trip assigning the specific tasks. No Blazzar! I said you carry the northwest corner tent pegs! C'mon...listen!

The Merarites are in charge of lugging frames, posts, bases and the like.

It strikes how arbitrary this all is. Hmm, now the Merarites seem naturally inclined to be post people... keep them away from the curtains. You know how they are around curtains.

This is not assignment based on skill, or likely even on merit. This is an organizational attmept to make sure everything gets done. Because of my fabric expertise, I might be more inclined to cover the table, but since I'm a Merarite, I'm not put in that position, even though I know in my heart I could serve better there. Carrying crossbars is my lot.

In the same way that arbitrary things like your family name, notoriety, or economic status open doors for some, they close them for others. This isn't saying life should work this way- it just does. If I'm a Merarite, I can dream all day of being a Gershonite- but I'm still carrying posts.

I'm not suggesting that a person can't break through unfair circumstances- but maybe understanding that sometimes my position has nothing to do with who I am, but instead criteria beyond my control can help me deal with the situation I'm in. Post carrying isn't always a punishment. If I don't view it as such, maybe I can better deal with my self-worth whether I like my job or not.

Carry On My Gershonite Son

Numbers 4: 21-28

Short section about the group assigned the duty of lugging stuff related to: "the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, 3:²⁶ the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes—and everything related to their use."

And that's really all there is to it. Aaron's son Ithamar (who sounds like he had lisping parents) was in charge of assigning them specific tasks. They lugged around curtains and sea-cow hide. This was their sacred assignment.

It would be easy to feel a little less than important if your task for God was simply carrying around curtains- like you were nothing more than the flunky for a spiritual interior designer.

Maybe what we can learn from the Gershonites (besides the benefit of taking claim of the legal right of name changing) is to be content with your "calling." I'm not really comfortable with that word, though I hear it used often enough. But simply put, whatever position you find yourself in regarding service to God, be it with or without status or prestige- find the value. The guy that mows the lawn at the church building is important (and not likely to be me). The person who volunteers childcare, the person who shows kindness to neighbors, the political activist speaking for the voiceless, the international missionary, the mother teaching her child to read, the guy making dinner for a family going through hard times, the guy carrying the curtain... are all important. Whatever you figure out to do... find the value in it- and own it.

Carry the curtain, wayward son. There'll be peace when you are done.

Got it Covered

Numbers 4: 1-20

So as we learned way back in Numbers 3, the Kohathites were in charge of "the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use."

Moses is to take a second census- this time to see how many Kohathite males are between 30-50 years old who are able to serve in this capacity. I'm not sure what makes these ages magic- maybe they wanted to make sure the workers were old enough to take it seriously and young enough to not be as apt to drop something. Because when you hit 50...

So, Aaron and his sons are to cover everything- the ark with the shielding curtain, hides of sea-cows, and blue cloth; the table of presence with a blue cloth, then the plates, cups, etc., then a scarlet cloth and then sea-cow hides; lampstands and accessories get covered with blue cloth and then wrapped in sea-cow hides; gold altar gets the blue cloth, sea-cow hide treatment as do the ministering articles. The Bronze altar gets its ashes removed and a purple cloth placed over it- then its utensils get placed on it and its covered with the sea-cow hide. All poles are also put in place.

They must have had quite a collection of sea-cow hide.

Once Aaron and Aaron-spawn finish this task, the Kohathites do the lugging. That's right boys, you were chosen- but chosen for grunt work. Congratulations. The covering must be thorough- if the Kohathites touch anything directly, they will die. In fact, it says at the end of this section that if they even look at the holy things, even for a moment, they will die.

Aaron's son, Eleazar, is put in charge of the tabernacle and of everything in it- things like oil and certain offerings are singled out.

God tells them to make sure that the Kohathites aren't cut off from the other Levites. This is a little puzzling- what about this work would cut them off? It seems to have something to do with the sacredness of the work, because He follows up with precautions about contact with the holy items. Aaron's sons are to assign who carries what and the Kohathites carefully carry with their eyes closed and their breath held... just in case. Oh maybe not, eyes closed might heighten the chance of messing up.

This is all a little odd to me. Why all the ceremony surrounding these items. I guess that paying this much respect to them kept them and the ceremony surrounding them fresh and special. It would be hard to sleepwalk through service if you knew it might mean death- although I would suspect that at some point it would reach a monotonous state anyhow.

The emphasis seems to be- these things are holy... you are not- so keep away from them. This seems a bit demeaning- it would be easy to get a complex, feeling like you weren't even good enough to be in the presence of God's dishes- but maybe the reaction should be the opposite- even though you're full of sin- even though you rarely get it right- even though you aren't holy... I love you anyway- you are still My children.

Levites 501, 502...

Numbers 3

A little family time with Aaron and Moses.

Moses gives us a brief recap of Nadab and Abihu... those "strange fire" guys- you can read our original discussion of it here:http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2009/09/strange-fire-leviticus-10-day-one-of.html

As a result of these firemen's escapade, Aaron was left with two sons to serve as priests. Nadab and Abihu were childless, so Aaron's line continues completely through Eleazar and Ithamar.

God tells Moses to "bring" the Levites to Aaron- they are his to aid in tabernacle duties- including furnishing the Tent of Meeting. Only Aaron and his sons can approach the sanctuary- anyone else who does is to be put to death. I assume this would allow for sanctuary duties for male offspring of Eleazar and Ithamar, but it's pretty ambiguous.

God takes claim to the Levites. He says that since He struck down the Egyptian firstborn, all firstborn in Israel, man and animal are His. He's claiming the Levites instead of the Israelite firstborn.

So, apparently to make sure that He claimed the right number of them, he institutes a Levitical census. And then the structure of the tribe is laid out. The opposite of fascinating.

Levi had three boys, so there are three groups in the tribe which each have separate clans. It's like reading taxonomy in biology class.

Gershon had the Libnites and Shimeites- 7500 males. They were to camp west of the tabernacle. Eliasaph was in charge. They were "responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes—and everything related to their use."

Kohath got the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites- 8600 males. Elizaphan was in charge. They took care of the sanctuary and camped south of the tabernacle. They were "responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use."

Finally, Merari got the Mahlites and the Mushites- 6200 males. Zuriel was in charge. They camped north of the tabernacle. They were "appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, ³⁷ as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes."

Moses, Aaron and their children camped to the east. They took care of the sanctuary.

So every male a month or older totaled 22,000. So to make sure He claimed enough of them, He had Moses count the firstborn Israelite males a month or older. When Moses did, he got 22,273. So God told them to take up a collection to make up for the 273 firstborn not accounted for- five shekels per extra firstborn.

So Moses did, and as commanded, the money went to Aaron and his sons.

What's weird to me about this passage is that the Levite numbers seem to be rounded off. It would be weird if all three tribes had round numbers of males. This rounding wouldn't be odd if they weren't being compared to Israelite firstborn whose numbers obviously weren't being rounded off.

Maybe it was just a weird coincidence and those numbers are exact. Maybe the individual clan numbers are rounded- but when you add the actual numbers, they come out to the round total. Maybe Moses realized after the Levite count that an exact sum was needed, and paranoid about ripping off God, he gave the exact numbers of firstborn Israelites.

Whatever the reason, God seemed to be ok with it all.

Rand McMoses

Numbers 2

Lots of recapping from last chapter. As exciting as it was the first time, it was even less so this time.

What's added here is the blueprint of camping for the tribes. East part of the camp is for Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. They set out first.

On the south is Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. They're second.

On the west, Manasseh, Benjamin, and Ephraim. They go third.

On the north, Dan, Asher and Naphtali. They go fourth.

In the middle is the Tent of Meeting and all of the Levites.

The chapter also points out who is in charge of each tribe. I'll spare you that list.

That's it. Chapter two is action packed!

I am curious, though, as to the mindset behind who went where. Was it an attempt to balance the population? Looking at the numbers, they're kind of balanced- although the western flank has fewer people.

Did God try to group people who would get along? Joesph and Benjamin's offspring are together, so that could be part of it.

I wonder what the reaction was. It feels kind of like preparation to me. After all the talk of soldiering in chapter one, I would wonder, were I an Israelite youth, if this structure was war preparation.

Or maybe it's just like assigned seats the first day of school.

Either way, it's not too exciting.

The Bible for Obsessive Compulsives

Numbers 1

Buckle in folks, Numbers may be a bumpy ride. If you are fascinated by counting, if you're a bit OCD, or if you don't have an affinity for dramatic build- this might be the book for you.

So- On February 1st on the second year of Egyptian freedom (or the equivalent based on our calendar), God tells Moses that it's census time. There's a master list to be created of every man categorized by clans and families. Surprise, surprise- they apparently didn't count the women.

It seems the main motivation may be to count the number of men fightin' age. Anyone twenty or older who could serve in the army is to be counted.

Someone from each tribe is assigned to help with the counting of that tribe- each appointed man is the head of his family. Apparently, even then, the gender stereotype was that boys were better at math.

I bet you can't wait for the results. Here they are:

From Reuben: 46,500

From Simeon: 59,300

From Gad: 45,650

From Judah: 74,600

From Issachar: 54,400

From Zebulon: 57,400

From Ephraim: 40,500

From Mannasseh: 32,200

That's 72,700 from Joseph for all of you math nerds.

From Benjamin: 35,400

From Dan: 62,700

From Asher, 41,500

From Naphtali: 53,400

So- the total of men to serve... 603,550. And I checked the math. Gold star, Moses. It works out. Care to look at my checkbook?

Levi wasn't counted. They were exempt from army service. Instead they were to be in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony. They dealt with set up, carrying, etc. Any contact with the tabernacle was through them. If anyone else went near, it would mean a death sentence.

The Israelites were to set up camp by divisions- each man in his own camp. I assume this means tribes, though I suppose it could be military divisions. Levites weren't part of this- they set up camp around the tabernacle.

A few random observations:

Benjamin's tribe wasn't too prolific. Perhaps mostly female offspring? Was he so much younger than the rest that his offspring would have had less time to procreate? However, using this logic it would seem like Reuben would have many more. Maybe Benjamin himself had fewer children which made the tree branch more slowly.

Interesting that the priests were cleared of military service. Is this a statement about a contrast between holiness and combat? Is it a bestowing of honor to a special tribe? Is it all about Jesus coming from that tribe (and what implications exist as a result of that?)?

The census seems to be a military decision. Is there a reason that God wasn't interested in knowing how big his non-fighting squadron (women, children, aged men, Levites) was?

Why did God need a count to be made- if he knows how many hairs are on my head (a less challenging calculation daily) why didn't he know how many Israelite men there were?

Was this simply an exercise to show the Israelites how powerful they were- and by counting themselves they'd be more impressed by it?

Was it simply a test of obedience?

Something doesn't add up.

Oh, let the math puns begin.

Accounting for Israelite Finance

Leviticus 27

The book of Leviticus ends just as interestingly as it began (not very). Here we get the low-down on tithing- and it's no joke. They don't really do IOU's- or approximate, or round down- if they don't have the cash, God still gets what's His.

First, apparently they could vow on behalf of people. It's a bit vague, but the best I can tell, if they didn't have the money for their tithe, they could pledge people to God; maybe slaves, family members, unruly children. I'm not sure how your life changes if you've been pledged to God by someone else, but the chapter spells out the monetary values of these pledges. The best rate comes for a 20-60 year old male- you get much less for a one month- five year old female.

I'm not sure if it's more troubling that people could be pledged by someone else, or that there's a sliding scale based on your age and gender. If the person paying for the vow can't make the payment, they can present the person and work out a price with the priest. This is really confusing to me- I'm not sure what purpose the money and the vowed people serve- but I think I'm pretty glad to not be dealing with it on a regular basis.

If the vow is paid for with an animal, it becomes holy. Once it's submitted, it's submitted- you can't switch out a good one for a bad one or a bad one for a good one. If you try to, both animals become holy. If the animal is an unclean animal- it's presented to the priest to work out a fair price. Whatever the priest determines, is the price. If you want to buy it back, add 20%.

Same deal with your house. If you dedicate it, the priest sets the value. If you want to buy it back, add 20%.

If you dedicate land, the value is determined by how many seeds it takes to plant the land. The price will also vary depending on how close to Jubilee it is. The land can be bought back for 20% beyond what was credited. If the field is not redeemed or is sold, it can never redeemed- at Jubilee, it becomes the property of the priests. If the land was not from the seller's family, at Jubilee it returns to the original family.

Firstborn cannot be offered (Hooray for firstborns), because the LORD already owns them.

Now it seems there is another level of dedication- a "devotion" of something to God. Anything devoted cannot ever be redeemed. If a person is "devoted", they cannot be ransomed, they are to be put to death.

Everything is tithed. No keeping the best. One tenth of everything goes to God.

This is a pretty hard core system. I tend to be much looser with what I "devote" to God. I don't often think of it in percentages, and when I do, I think about post tax, in my wallet, after the insurance came out and I've already gotten a couple of Route 44 diet vanilla cokes at Sonic. This system doesn't really allow for such approximation. One tenth of the vanilla syrup isn't mine.

All frivolity aside (or at least most, all is awfully hard with me), this idea of tithing, or dedicating in our context is fuzzy at best. What constitutes a gift to God? Is it strictly what goes into a collection plate, or is the five bucks you give the homeless man part of the math problem? How about the big tip you leave at a restaurant, the money you send to help with the latest natural disaster?

I certainly don't have all the answers, but I do like to think of our context being much less about the legalistic ten percent dogmatism, and more about having a giving spirit. However, it may all just be wishful thinking.

I don't think what I spend at Itunes goes toward it, unfortunately.

Expecting Pain

Leviticus 26: 14-46

Lots of brimstone here.

So after telling his people the goodness in store for them if they obey God's commands, He let's them know what's in store if they don't follow His commands. No time-out chair is involved.

These punishments come in stages:

Stage One: Sudden terror, wasting diseases, and blinding fever. Farming will be unproductive because enemies will eat their food. Enemies will prevail- in fact they'll be paranoid enough to run even when no one is after them.

Stage Two: Throughout God speaks of punishment for sins seven times over- I'm not sure if each stage is another x7, but the point is- you thought things were bad... but just wait. God will break down their pride. The sky will be like iron (I'm not sure what that means- maybe just a barrier between God and man?), and the ground like bronze- not such a good environment for growing crops. Crops won't grow- trees won't grow fruit.

Stage Three: Wild animals will steal their children, and destroy their cattle. Animals will devour enough of them to make the roads deserted.

Stage Four: God will bring the sword upon them (maybe just a metaphor to express death?). Even when they withdraw into the cities, a plague will follow them. Enemies triumph and capture. And then this puzzling curse-

"When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied."

I guess it means that there will be so little bread that they can all cook it at once in one oven. They'll have to ration it- skinniest person gets the most since he's the closest to wasting away. Even so- you'll still be hungry.

But wait, there's more:

Stage Five: They will resort to cannibalism and eat their sons and daughters. mmm, undernourished offspring. High places will be destroyed, incense altars cut down, dead bodies piled on idols- He will abhor them.

Cities will be in ruins, sanctuaries laid waste. Offerings will not smell good to Him. Israelites will be scattered among the nations and God will pursue them.

While it's hard for me to come to peace with the harshness of the message, it becomes even more complicated when you consider all God has to lose in the deal. These are His people, His children, if He's willing to essentially destroy them, then what purpose does His creation serve? Would He have started over? Would he have grabbed Moses and Aaron and their families and let them repopulate the earth? Would he have washed His hands of us? Would it have caused Jesus to come sooner than He did?

Interestingly, if this comes about- the land will then get its sabbath. It'll be desolate and resting. So even if they neglect the commanded land sabbath, the land will get some rest one way or another. Seems like God is showing concern for the other parts of His creation here too. If you won't care for My land... I'll still see that it's cared for.

People who are left at this point in their enemy's lands will be scared enough by the sound of a blowing leaf to start running. Even if no one is chasing them, they'll be running. While they're running away, they'll trip over each other like the Keystone Cops, but less funny. The enemies lands will devour them- for their sin and their father's sins.

Dying for the sins of their fathers is a pretty hard idea to fathom- but their own sins are part of the equation here, too, so it's hard to argue injustice.

It's easy though to argue harshness. It's scary to think of Abba Father (or Dad) as being a Being willing to threaten severe torture, pain, death, and worst of all hatred. One thing is certain, our God is an emotional being. Our actions matter to Him. He wants our love and obedience and feels rejection in a very personal way. But He's also a God of mercy, love and compassion-

He ends by saying if they'll confess their sins and their father's sins- once they're humbled (or rather once their "uncircumcised hearts" are) and they've paid for their sin (how?), God will remember the covenant with Isaac and Abraham. Even while they're in their enemy's lands paying for their sins, He will remember the covenant.

This must have been a fun message for Moses to report back to the Israelites. It seems like it would have caused them to walk on eggshells and constantly feel paranoid that God's wrath could strike at any time.

Even under our covenant, it's hard for me to come to peace with this God- and the God that Jesus calls Father. I know it's the same Entity- and that Jesus Himself makes a big difference in it all. But even as I type this on Easter day- understanding that Jesus makes the difference, I fear the God who threatens to devour the ones he loves. In the face of such a daunting punishment, it's hard to not respond with legalistic attempts to do everything right and ultimately end the process having failed- discovering it's impossible to get it all right.

It's a good thing the tomb was empty.

Expecting Rain

Leviticus 26:1-13

God forbids idols, images, sacred stones, or carved stones for bowing down to. He commands Sabbath observances and reverence for the sanctuaries.

So in a world overrun with television, photo albums, facebook, and trinkets (and that's just in my house) what qualifies as an idol? Is the literal worshiping of it the key- or were sculptors of the day not admired for their talent? And what does it all mean for us?

He goes on to tell them what's in it for them if they comply.

1. Rain. Lots of it. Enough to keep the crops coming. They'll have all the food they want. He says they'll still be eating last year's harvest when they have to move it out to make room for this year's. Grapes are specifically mentioned, so perhaps they'll not be thirsty either.

2. Safety. Lots of it. God will give them peace in the land. They won't need to be afraid when they sleep. If they have enemies, the enemies will not be victorious. Five Israelites are enough to match up with 100 of the enemy. 100 could chase off 10,000.

3. Virility. They'll be fruitful-and God will keep His covenant with them.

4. His love. God's dwelling place will be among them. He will walk among them. And in a huge case of understatement- or perhaps an issue in translation... He won't abhor them.

This last bit is kinda scary. Obey me and I won't hate you. This is a bit different than the "God is love" description we get later on. However, pre-Jesus, this God of fear and trembling paints a quite imposing picture.

And on the eve of Easter, perhaps it really illustrates what our fate would be before our maker were it not for our Savior putting our shortcomings on his shoulders.

Own to Rent

Leviticus 25: 8-55

So this Sabbath year bit continues for seven sets of seven years (49 years for those of you arithmetically challenged). Year 50 is the Jubilee. Seems like it's an extra Sabbath year- so they get two years back to back. No work for two years in a row. So on July 10th (on our calendar) a trumpet blows- this is the Day of Atonement. No sowing no reaping.

In addition, on this 50th year, anyone who has sold property goes back to where they used to live. They reclaim their house keys and put the couch back in the living room. No matter when you sold it, it reverts back to you. God tells them- you don't really own it- so you can't permanently sell it. You can let someone use it for awhile- but when Jubilee comes, it goes back to the original "owners".

He also warns about price gouging. Your price should reflect how close it is to jubilee when you sell the property. Year one sales should be much higher than year 47. Actually this price gouging is only mentioned in reference to buying from and selling to fellow Israelites. If you're selling to a foreigner... than buyer beware.

In regards to food for that 50th year, God says there will be major abundance in year 48. In fact so much that three years worth of food will be produced. There will be enough to eat until the harvest of year 51 comes in.

If someone is hurting financially and sells their property in order to make ends meet- his nearest relative should come buy it back. If he doesn't have any relatives, but wins at the track, invests well, or somehow comes into money- he can go and get the land back. He is to evaluate the worth of the land and pay the difference to the person he sold it to. If he can't do that- he gets it back at Jubilee anyhow.

Rules are different in a walled city. If you sell property, you get a year to come back and reclaim it. After that, the buyer keeps it. It does not go back to the original buyer at Jubilee.

Levites can always get their property back (this process in all of these contexts is referred to as redeeming). The town's pasture land, though, cannot be sold.

If a fellow citizen hits hard times- you are supposed to help him. No interest charged- no profiting on food you sell to him. If he sells himself to you, treat him like an employee, not as a slave. The motivation here seems to be that you do everything you can to help him be able to keep living among the Israelites.

If he's sold himself to you- he is released on the year of Jubilee- and he goes home. All is returned to as it was.

If you get slaves, they should come from surrounding areas. They can also come from temporary residents. They can be willed as property and are slaves for life. I wish I could just pretend this little section didn't exist here, but it does. Troubling, indeed. I get that God's people here are chosen by race and that this set-up changes with the coming of Jesus. But even under that context, the idea of it being okay to have slaves that are outside of "God's fold" doesn't seem to fit with ideas of love and humility.

If you sell yourself as a slave to a foreigner- you can be "redeemed" by your relative at anytime- once again figuring out the price based on when Jubilee is. If that doesn't happen, you are free at Jubilee time.

This year of Jubilee thing is amazing. No matter what mess you've made of things over the last few decades- if you can just hang on till Jubilee- you get to start over. You're free! You get your land back! You go home!

And maybe just the promise of it all- the knowledge that you just have to hang on until year 50 would be enough to help them hang on- help them deal with whatever tight spot they found themselves in.

I think you see where I'm going with this.

Hmm- feels a little like Jubilee around here. This redemption stuff really works.

Random Harvest
Leviticus 25: 1-7

So in addition to the other sabbaths set up to observe- there is also a sabbath for the land. Odd. For six years, they were to sow, prune, and gather. On year seven, not so much. On this seventh year there is to be no sowing, no reaping, no pruning, no harvesting. Whatever the land happens to produce is fair game to be eaten- but it's not business as usual for that year.

This certainly makes the job of farmer a lot more appealing. Every six years you get a year off. Sweet. No early mornings, no back breaking weeding, oops- no spinach grew, guess I'll have to have some more twinkees instead.

It certainly makes reliance on God much more necessary. If I give up complete control of food production, and perhaps my livelihood (the year off wasn't a paid year off I would assume) and I totally depend on God to provide for me, how does that change my perspective of my relationship with Him- and how does it change my appreciation for His gifts?

In our day and age, what does that look like? How does we give the land a sabbath? I'm the opposite of a farmer (although I'm a pretty good consumer)- is it good for the land to get a year off? Is the world of agriculture improved by not overproducing food that doesn't get eaten? Is God telling us that as great as His creation is, we need to treat it with moderation?

Or is this more about our need to depend on Him? But how does that work in our context? Quit your jobs for a year? No grocery shopping for a year? No vegetables for a year? I'm leaning toward that one. Maybe our culture has become so complex and busy that stopping anything for a year would make our whole way of life crumble. And maybe that's the point.

Everybody Must Get Stoned
Leviticus 24: 10-23

Wow- an interesting yet quite troubling story. So you've got this Egyptian and Israelite who get into a fight. And apparently in the midst of it all, the Israelite emits a curse against God (blasphemed the Name with a curse). The needle drags across the record, the jukebox is quiet, all conversation stops- everyone knows something bad has just happened. So they get this guy in custody until God's will becomes clear to them. At this point, the story sounds pretty good- people of God waiting for a sign of what to do to this person who cursed.

Then the answer comes- Take him out of camp and stone him. Everyone who heard it puts their hand on his head (to hold him down?) and the whole assembly is to stone him to death. God tells Moses anyone who curses God is responsible and all who blaspheme the name of the LORD will be put to death. I think we've found a solution to our overpopualtion problems. As if the death itself weren't gruesome enough, the entire assembly does the stoning. So I hear the curse and now I'm legally obligated to be involved in physically killing someone. That'll ruin your day.

Interesting that after commanding taking part in putting someone to death for blasphemy, the next section talks about the death penalty for whoever takes the life of a human being. Doesn't that create an endless cycle? Kill John, he blasphemed. Kill Peter, he killed John... etc. Is this why the whole assembly is doing the stoning? We don't know which rock actually killed him so we don't know who actually did it... It seems like this could create a society of snitches looking for an excuse to throw a rock or two.

Killing an animal results in restitution. If you injure your neighbor- same thing happens is done to you. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. I know Gandhi's famous line, but I like a tooth for a tooth and we're all gumming applesauce. Notice that there's no mention of intent here. Sorry I ran over your mailbox... go ahead and back your car into mine. It's like a sort of mandated karma- except even that involves intent.

In both instances, the alien receives the same punishment as the native born.

So they take the blasphemer out and stone him.

This is troubling to me on two fronts. First... stoning? Killing someone for cursing? What does that entail exactly? Just saying "God" or "Yahweh"? Does the curse translate? I rarely say "Yahweh" at all, so am I safe on the name in vain front? Especially since "god" and "lord" are English words in different contexts, does that suggest that these English words don't qualify here? Regardless- seems a bit steep. And if we lived by this, how many of us would still be alive? The concept of God's people being violently engaged in frontier justice is hard for me to swallow. Maybe God was a little more blatantly involved in the prosecution process- but it seems like it would be a pretty easy thing to manipulate ala "The Crucible".

Second, maybe it's bad that hearing God's name as a curse doesn't put the sort of anger or rage in me that it seemed to in their context. Honestly, hearing God's name in vain does get under my skin (OMG, GD, etc.- you get the idea)- but certainly not to the point where I feel compelled to become a vigilante. I think it's important to point out that this "cursing" here is related to God's name exclusively and not cuss-words which seem to me to be highly cultural in both their existence and usage.

I'm not suggesting I should be wishing people dead whenever I hear God's name cursed, but maybe it should bother me more. Maybe it suggests a lack of sanctity for things holy- maybe it suggests a numbing of conscience, maybe it suggests yet another example of conflict avoidance in my life- but I don't have any desire to stone people to death for such usage any more than I wish to lay down on an altar for my slips.

This passage certainly paints a contrast between God's wrath and God's grace. Not quite the go your way and sin no more mentality I cling to in the NT. But in the midst of it all, maybe there's a lesson about the need for discipline in our attitude to God- if misusing His name resulted in death, maybe I should treat it holy too.

Eternal Flame

Leviticus 24: 1-9

Nine verses, but not a lot of content. The Israelites are commanded to bring another couple of things.

First, olive oil- to be used as fuel for the lamps on the pure gold lamp stand in the tent of meeting outside of the curtain of testimony. These lamps are to be always lit from evening to morning. Aaron is in charge of making sure they stay that way. I'm not sure why they need to be constantly lit. The most obvious metaphor that comes to mind deals with letting your light shine before men- but maybe this is more like an open sign- an indication to the Israelites that there isn't a time that they can't come before Aaron (or God) with their testimony- or prayer- or whatever. Maybe God is saying, Look- Aaron's going to be up keeping the lamp lit anyhow- don't worry about bugging him- you are always welcome here.

Second, bread. Lots of bread. Twelve loaves each Sabbath (total, not per person) to be put on the golden table. This is part of Aaron's family's share- though they are to eat it in a holy place. There is also supposed to be incense placed on the table to represent the bread. The bread apparently gets eaten, the incense offered to God.

Open all night- dispersion of bread- seems like an Isreali Krystal. That's some pretty serious clashing of cultures.

Table or Booth?

Leviticus 23: 33-44

Five days later the festivities continue. Apparently coinciding with the end of harvesting, this marks the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles, one week in length. Day one... you guessed it, a day of rest- no regular work. They were supposed to pick fruit and rejoice. The day following the celebration (day eight for those of you doing the math) is also a day of rest. Day eight consists of a sacred assembly and fire offerings, no mention of fruit consumption. It is referred to as the closing assembly.

All the days in between consist of fire offerings to the LORD as well. Being an Israelite would be a pyromaniac's dream. This festival is to be a lasting ordinance- for generations to come.

Finally they are admonished to live in booths for these seven days. I have no idea what this means. Are they hanging out at Wendy's? What would these booths be? Whatever they are, God wanted future generations to know that He had the Israelites live in booths after coming out of Israel.

I'm sure these booths are significant in some way. But I haven't a clue how.

Atone Deaf

Leviticus 23: 26-32

Nine days later there is to be another day of resting- this time a day of atonement. Atonement is really a difficult concept for me to get my mind around. Making amends- or fixing your wrongs. Even in this legalistic context, the Israelites were unable to undo the terrible things they had done- and with all of the specific regulations, there was surely a great need for atonement in every home.

God's arrangement here is a fire offering, fasting, and rest- This is the same prescription as the feast of trumpets- but hanging over this day is the need to be reconnected to God.

Atonement is a word, if not a concept that isn't too common in our culture. Atonement doesn't seem to be the same thing as forgiveness. It implies a making up for wrongs- unless I'm misunderstanding. So, if I get the implication here- and much later with Jesus' gift - the sacrifice is more than forgiving us for messing up countless times- it's rectifying it for us- it's making up for it-

Maybe this is minutia- maybe it's all in my head- maybe I'm saying the same thing in multiple ways- but it all speaks to the enormity of Christ's gift to us. No fire offering, no fasting, no day off, necessarily- but a system where he covers our lacking- he not only forgives, but in a cosmic, spiritual sense- he undoes. The wrong is gone- made up for- erased- over.

Satchmo the Israelite

Leviticus 23: 23-25

Incredibly short section. God tells the Israelites that on the first day of the seventh month there is to be a sacred assembly - a day of rest, trumpet blasts will mark the occasion. And since July 1st is my anniversary, it's especially cool.

A fire offering is also to be made.

I love the idea that a day of rest is commemorated with a trumpet blast. Give me a Saturday and some Louis Armstrong on my ipod. The fire offering, I'm not so sure about.

Offerama

Leviticus 23: 15-22

So, seven weeks and one day later (or 50 days for those of you arithemetically challenged) they were to bring a new grain offering. This offering was two loaves made with about four quarts of fine flour- actually baked with yeast. This was to come with seven one-year-old, defect-free, male lambs, one young bull and two rams. Somehow this combination of items would comprise a burnt offering, a grain offering, and a drink offering- not sure what they'd be drinking.

They were then to sacrifice one male goat and two one-year-old lambs as a fellowship, or peace offering. The priest (who is obviously in good shape) will wave the lambs as a wave offering. There is to be a sacred assembly proclaimed on this day- and no work is to be done.

Finally- they are instructed to not reap to the edges of their fields or go back and pick up what they missed- they're supposed to leave that for the alien and the poor. So I'm guessing it was ordinary to see strangers in your field getting food to tide them over. Far from the land of gated communities and welfare reform.

Maybe it's because I'm in the middle of Francis Chan's Crazy Love right now, but I'm really hit by the focus on giving back to God. In the last section I was struck by God getting the best and the first and us getting what was left over. But it seems like even more than that. How much would be left over? After all of these sacrifices, days off from work, and profits squandered to help the poor, what would be left?

Maybe some of the message isn't just give Me the best- but focus on giving to Me- you don't need to keep much for yourself. This life isn't about getting stuff- it's about Me, and focusing on what I've done and will do for you.

That's really hard to make tangible. What does it mean to let go and trust God? Empty my bank account? Sell my car? Open up my guest room to a stranger? Live on the street? Can I have a tv? An ipod? At what point am I being materialistic and selfish and not giving God and others what I could or should?

I can find tons of excuses (some of them valid) to not do specific things. If I sell my car, I can't get to work and then I become one of the poverty stricken in need of help..., etc. But I can't find excuses for the principle- you don't need stuff. Sacrifice and help the poor.

What's harder to determine is how.

Temporary Atkins Diet
Leviticus 23: 9-14

Seems like a lot of ground we've covered before. When the first harvest happens, they are to bring a sheaf of the first grain harvested and give it to the priest. The priest will wave it as an offering the day after the Sabbath. On that same day, a one-year old lamb (without defect) gets sacrificed as well. At the same time a mixture of flour and oil gets offered- and supposedly it smells pretty good... "a pleasing aroma." And the offering extravagnza is topped off with a drink offering (a quart of wine).

Until this offering was made, they weren't to eat any bread or new or roasted grain. This was a permanent law- for generations to come, wherever they happened to live, promised land or not.

What strikes me here is the focus of sacrifice. They didn't just give a percentage- or even save out the best at the end- the offering came first and they got was left over. Not just the best, but also the first.

The application seems fairly obvious and hard to live up to. It's even hard to figure out what the best and first is. I think it's a far cry from dropping a check in a plate passed around where all of your church folks can witness and approve. It may have a lot more to do with how we treat each other, how we look out for each other, how we love each other. Maybe I'm missing the point a little, but in short, sacrifice seems to be all about love. You're more important than me- so let me make your life better by sharing- my money, my goods, my time- or perhaps most importantly (not that the others aren't crucial, too) my heart.

Crack-er Houses
Leviticus 23: 4-8

Another short section detailing specifics of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On day fourteen of the new year Passover begins at twilight. The next day marks the start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread- one week of matzo-city. On the first day they are to hold a "sacred assembly" and to refrain from working. For that week they are to present offerings by fire daily building up to day seven- another sacred assembly- another day off from working.

And so began the tradition of national holidays. Mandatory days off. I wouldn't want to do the work they had to do in between, but I like the idea of days with NO work. Sign me up.

And I Thought Sleeping Through Sermons was a Bad Thing

Leviticus 23:3

Here's one of those odd one verse sections. Basically, God says work for six days- rest on the seventh, no matter where you live. He refers to the day as a day of sacred assembly- and that's the phrase I find particularly interesting. I guess not the phrase itself, but that it's found in this sabbath section. Not that we rest. Not that our assembling is sacred. But that these two ideas are interwoven.

Our worship should be a period of rejuvenation. We should feel rested as a result of the time we spend together praising. That's an interesting concept- and difficult- especially if you've been wrestling with three kids, taught a bible class, belted out some harmony, and fought off hunger pains.

It's not about punching a clock with your eye on your watch waiting to check your service off of a list- but instead looking forward to shared time as a respite from the rest of the week.

Challenging mindset... amazing payoff.

Animal Testicles, Warts, Running Sores, and Other Dinner Conversation

Leviticus 22:17- 23:2

God tells Moses that any sacrifice- either to fulfill a vow or simply as a freewill offering must be an unblemished male from your cattle, sheep, or goats. Nothing blind, injured, or maimed, nothing with warts, or festering or running sores will be accepted. If it's a freewill offering you can bring an ox or sheep that is deformed- but only as a freewill offering- not if it's a vow fulfillment. I'm guessing this is since the freewill offering is above and beyond what was required.

God goes on to specify:

Don't offer an animal with bruised, crushed, torn, or cut testicles. They will not be accepted.

Don't offer an animal until it's eight days old. Keep it with it's mother for a week first. Don't slaughter a cow or sheep and it's young on the same day. This is an odd rule- is it to reduce trauma for the bovine clan? Maybe to reduce a rash decision regarding slaughtering for freewill offerings? I thought giving everything was a good choice- but maybe if i do it gradually I'll determine exactly what I want to offer. Perhaps, but seems a little fuzzy. I'm not sure about the why.

What's sacrificed must be eaten that day. Nothing is to be left until morning.

And to sum it all up, He says: Follow My commands, don't profane My name, The Israelites MUST acknowledge Me as holy. I make you holy- I brought you out of Egypt to be your God.

And this seems to be the key. I'm God- show me honor by giving Me the best and treating Me as holy. Remember what I've done for you? Give me what I deserve.

Finally He sets up the next section- description of feast days. Get ready for some rollicking discussion of unleavened bread.