The Bible Challenge: Day 4

The Scriptures read were Genesis 10-12, Psalm 4 and Matthew 4.

Genesis 10-12. More family trees, then the famous story of the Tower of Babel. Babel means "gate of god" and the tower is probably a ziggurat, a staircase for the gods to come down to earth. God does come down and he doesn't like what he sees. Usually we see people cooperating as a good thing. But people can cooperate on bad stuff as well. The Nazis, united under Hitler, conquered almost all of Europe. Whatever God sees in this incident, he decides the way to break it up is to multiply the languages. People can't communicate with each other and begin to spread over the earth. The Rosetta Stone people are happy.

Finally we get to Abram and Sarai. Abram is called by God to go to the land of Canaan. When a famine hits, he decides to go to Egypt. And while there he pretends to be his wife's brother, because she's so good-looking that he's afraid men will kill him to get her. Pharaoh actually latches onto her. But God makes everyone in the household so sick that Pharaoh tells Abram to come and get his wife. It's an odd incident but it shows us 2 things. First Abram is flawed just as any of us. Second, we see that Abram doesn't totally trust God to protect him at this time.

Psalm 4. Really hate paraphrased Psalms. Gonna start reading them in the Tanakh, a translation that is to Jews what the NRSV or NIV are to Christians. Much better. I especially like the part about being freed from distress and the last verse: "Safe and sound, I lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, keep me secure."

Matthew 4. Jesus and Satan face off. Satan first tests if Jesus will use his power for himself, then for kicking off his ministry with a miracle (he later does but it is saving the face of newlyweds with a limited wine budget) and lastly to see if he will do anything to get worldly power. Jesus has an apt scripture for each test (always from Deutronomy) and sends the devil packing.

Time to launch his ministry, not by bungee jumping from the temple, but by announcing the coming arrival of God's Realm. Everyone needs to get their act together. Jesus moves from Nazareth to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. He recruits some students from among the local fishermen by offering to teach them how to snag people. And he starts to spread the word by preaching and healing. Spiritually hungry, the folks start streaming to him for the word of God that gives more life than bread alone.