Reading the Bible Through

1 Kings 9 - 13   I enjoy hearing of Solomon's wisdom and his visit from the Queen of Sheba. I also think how splendid and luxurious Solomon's palace and temple must have been.  It is beyond sad that Solomon falls away from the Lord for lusting after woman.  Here we first meet Jeroboam son of Nebat. If my memory serves me correctly, Jeroboam turns out to be a bad choice because he worships other gods and does evil.  Whatever happened to this book of The Acts of Solomon? Rehoboam starts off with a very bad decision: to be harsher than his father. This evening this reminds me of the "Great Resignation" and the desire for work/life balance.  Jeroboam son of Nebat starts out by making golden calves to worship. They've been tripping up Israel since they came out of Egypt.  Why does the old prophet lie? What is the point of this? Then the old prophet gets the body of the other prophet mourns him and buries him stating to be buried beside him? Why? What does this a...

1 Samuel 15 - 17   Saul did not follow the Lord wholeheartedly. He sacrificed the lesser things. (As I understand it, this was also what was 'wrong' with Cain's sacrifice. It was not the best for the Lord.) Then Saul lies about what he did to Samuel's face while Samuel could hear the captured animals that were to have been sacrificed. Did Saul's power corrupt him or was it from fear? This was the same man who hid among the baggage. In 15:24, Saul owns that he was afraid of the people.  The Lord regretted making Saul king over Israel. What does it mean to have a God who had regrets, yet is always good and perfect. It is hard to see this God in the old testament being full of love for all people when he keeps telling the Israelites to devote them to destruction/kill them all.  In chapter 16, the elders of Bethlehem ask Samuel if he comes peaceably. What would the other answer be? A quick google search indicates Samuel may have come to rebuke or judge them in some mann...

1 Samuel 3-5   How can Samuel lie down where the ark of God was? Wouldn't that have been sacrilege? Maybe he was not in the same part as the Ark.  Eli's sons were not righteous men, but it seems like Eli was. I am always intrigued by his death. When he hears that the Ark has been captured, he falls with such force that his neck breaks and he dies. From this, I think, that although he could not control his sons, Eli, himself, was ...hmmm... what's the word. I cannot say righteous, for no one is. Also, God had said,  the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever. May I'm trying to say that Eli wasn't evil, but he allowed evil in his sons. Isn't that kinda the same thing?  Eli's daughter-in-law bears a son. It says that she didn't respond or pay any attention when she was told she had a son. Then it says she named him Ichabod. How can both be true? 

Deuteronomy 6 - 8   6:5 Here is the greatest commandment according to Jesus:    Love  the  Lord  your God with all your heart  and with all your soul and with all your strength Today I find that I am struck by 6: 25  And if we are careful to obey all this law  before the  Lord  our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness. It proved impossible to obey this law. Righteousness could not be achieved. This is yet another way of explaining the need for Jesus to come.  Verse 8: 17  You may say to yourself,  “My power and the strength of my hands  have produced this wealth for me.”  I am convicted of my own pride. 

  Numbers 10-12 I thought Moses' father-in-law left some time ago? Perhaps I am mistaken.  Fire from the Lord burned among them because they complained of their hardships in the hearing of the Lord. This sounds to harsh to me yet, it is this same Father that sent Jesus for us.  The Israelites rejected the Lord saying why did we ever leave Egypt. This makes me think of the ways we continue to do this today. We want to run back, or stay, in what is known to us even if it's miserable and unknown to us. New paths are scary and likely make us feel insecure. However, we must lean on the Lord and not whatever is the Egyptians in our lives.  The Lord sends quail, but sets a plague on those who eat it. This seems excessive to me. Perhaps the lesson is that we must trust the Lord instead of our own desires.  Moses married a Cushite wife. When did he do that? Frankly, how did he have time.  Aaron and Miriam oppose Moses sounds like sibling rivalry to me. I must say it...

Exodus 40 - Leviticus 2   The cloud and fire of the Lord was in sight of the Israelites and guided all their travels. May I follow God so completely.  "The salt of the covenant  of your God" This is a new phrasing. What is the significance of salt? It gives flavor, but what is the whole  meaning here in this passage?  Most of the time, I find Leviticus fairly boring. However, one time, it really spoke to me of the holiness of God. We shall see how I find it in this reading currently. 

Exodus 17 - 19   In 17:8, Moses says to Joshua. Where did Joshua come from? I think this is the first mention of Joshua. I also notice that Hur is now mentioned. Moses' father-in-law brings Moses's wife and sons to him. When had Moses sent them away? Was it so they would avoid all the plagues in Egypt? I also wonder how Jethro, Moses' father-in-law knew where to find them since they were nomads wondering in the dessert.  Moses' father-in-law cautions Moses against wearing himself out. With hustle culture, definitely advice we need today. You cannot pour from an empty pitcher. 

Today's reading:  Genesis 38 - 40 Judah & Tamar, Joseph & Potiphar's Wife, the Cupbearer & the Baker,  Er and Onan were so wicked in the Lord's sight so the Lord put them to death. What did they do that was so wicked? Jacob was no angel from my point of view. Jacob deceived Isaac and got his brother's blessing and birthright. In Onan's case, it tells us that it's because he would not fulfill his duty as a brother-in-law by producing children with Er's wife, Tamar. This just seems an odd custom to me. I cannot understand it without more cultural explanation. Tamar is not given to Judah's 3rd son, Shelah, as the custom would indicate, so Tamar takes matters into her own hands. Tamar poses as a proustite in order to sleep with Judah. Judah and Tamar negotiate a price for her services as a prostitute. Why does this seem permissible for Judah? How did Tamar know that he would partake of her "services"? When Judah tries to pay this prosti...