The scriptures read are 1 Kings 10-12, Psalm 101 and Acts 16.
1 Kings 10. The Queen of Sheba visits. No hint of an affair. The whole chapter is like a breathless fan magazine drooling over Solomon and his wealth and throne and crib and wisdom and boats and chariots and horses...
1 Kings 11. ...and women. Solomon is as bad as his father in this department except he ends up with 700 wives and 300 concubines! (True story: I once won a trivia contest with this question and won a couple of nights in a nice resort for my wife--just the one--and me.) Many of these marriages might be for sealing political alliances and treaties but the foreigners seduce Solomon away from God with their gods and this gets Solomon's God mad! So he raises up some enemies and promises to rip the kingdom away from the house of David, all but Judah.
1 Kings 12. And under his son, Rehoboam, it happens. The people want some respite from Solomon's extravagant spending and building. Rehoboam decides to be hardnosed and call their bluff. Only it isn't.
Jeroboam becomes the first king of the northern kingdom called Israel (the southern kingdom, the Davidic one, is now called Judah). Jeroboam starts off on a bad foot by setting up rival pagan shrines to the temple in Jerusalem. So God's people are once more straying.
Psalm 101. A king's psalm that, had Solomon heeded, would have let him avoid a lot of unpleasantness.
Acts 16. Paul picks up a protege named Timothy. He circumcises him to avoid offending Jews (!)
Paul receives a vision that leads him to northern Greece, after he has been blocked from taking his missionary band to other areas.
Also the author joins the crew. Notice the "we" in the passages. Dr. Luke is on board.
The first European convert is a woman named Lydia. She is apparently a wealthy woman.
Paul and Silas get arrested and beaten. But as the two are having a midnight hymn-sing, an earthquake opens all the cell doors. Paul manages to stop the jailer from committing harakiri over what he thinks was a mass escape. The man becomes a convert. And the next morning Paul gives the city officials a nasty shock when he reveals that he and Silas are Roman citizens and should never have been whipped. Lots of bowing and scraping and apologies follow.
Congratulations! You are a third of the way through the Bible Challenge. You've finished 14 books and are midway through 3 others. Keep it up!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The Bible Challenge: Day 121
The scriptures read are 1 Kings 7-9, Psalm 100 and Acts 15.
1 Kings 7. Solomon loves luxury. After building God's house in 7 years, he takes 13 to build his own. It's longer and wider than the temple, though the same height.
He gets a different Hiram, a coopersmith, to build so many bronze things for the temple court that no one could weigh them. Most intriguing are the pillars Jachin ("Security") and Boaz ("Stability"). In Hebrew the 2 names are a sentence: "May he establish in strength." So the big bronze pillars are like a prayer made physical, guarding the entrance to the temple of God.
Also intriguing is the Bronze Sea on the backs of bronze bulls. See the link in my last post to view an artist's rendition of this.
1 Kings 8. Solomon's prayer is beautiful. He starts by emphasizing how the temple is a visible sign of the invisible God's presence among his people. The litany he and I imagine the priests as well say is fabulous. I wonder if part of it is used when cathedrals are dedicated? The emphasis here is that when anyone goes astray and sins, if they come to the temple and pray, God will forgive them. Even the resident alien is listed and there is a foreshadowing of the exile.There is a sort-of refrain where it is asked that God hear in his heaven and respond to his people.
The celebration of the dedication of the temple is held over another week.
1 Kings 9. God renews his promises to Solomon and his descendants--provided they stay faithful.
Psalm 100. A glorious and familiar hymn. It swaps the recent kingship theme for the "God as shepherd" one.
Acts 15. Gentiles entering the church continues to be controversial since some Jewish Christians insist the Gentile believers get circumcised first. Peter and Paul lead the charge for inclusion. It's decided that only a few rules should be observed by the Gentiles: abstaining from idolatry, sexual immorality, and eating meat with the blood still in it.
Paul and Barnabas split their successful missionary team over John Mark. Barnabas wants to give his nephew a second chance. Paul is still sore over his bailing out on them before. Barnabas and Mark go their way; Paul takes Silas and goes his way.
1 Kings 7. Solomon loves luxury. After building God's house in 7 years, he takes 13 to build his own. It's longer and wider than the temple, though the same height.
He gets a different Hiram, a coopersmith, to build so many bronze things for the temple court that no one could weigh them. Most intriguing are the pillars Jachin ("Security") and Boaz ("Stability"). In Hebrew the 2 names are a sentence: "May he establish in strength." So the big bronze pillars are like a prayer made physical, guarding the entrance to the temple of God.
Also intriguing is the Bronze Sea on the backs of bronze bulls. See the link in my last post to view an artist's rendition of this.
1 Kings 8. Solomon's prayer is beautiful. He starts by emphasizing how the temple is a visible sign of the invisible God's presence among his people. The litany he and I imagine the priests as well say is fabulous. I wonder if part of it is used when cathedrals are dedicated? The emphasis here is that when anyone goes astray and sins, if they come to the temple and pray, God will forgive them. Even the resident alien is listed and there is a foreshadowing of the exile.There is a sort-of refrain where it is asked that God hear in his heaven and respond to his people.
The celebration of the dedication of the temple is held over another week.
1 Kings 9. God renews his promises to Solomon and his descendants--provided they stay faithful.
Psalm 100. A glorious and familiar hymn. It swaps the recent kingship theme for the "God as shepherd" one.
Acts 15. Gentiles entering the church continues to be controversial since some Jewish Christians insist the Gentile believers get circumcised first. Peter and Paul lead the charge for inclusion. It's decided that only a few rules should be observed by the Gentiles: abstaining from idolatry, sexual immorality, and eating meat with the blood still in it.
Paul and Barnabas split their successful missionary team over John Mark. Barnabas wants to give his nephew a second chance. Paul is still sore over his bailing out on them before. Barnabas and Mark go their way; Paul takes Silas and goes his way.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The Bible Challenge: Day 120
The scriptures read are 1 Kings 4-6, Psalm 99 and Acts 14.
1 Kings 4. Numbers and facts that emphasize how organized and prosperous things were under Solomon. He ruled Israel at its most expansive limits. And he was a bit of a renaissance man. By the way, did you catch Ben-Hur, one of Solomon's regional administrators?
1 Kings 5-6. Solomon builds the Temple. A lot of detail is given, though less than for the Tabernacle. If you wish to get an idea of what it looked like, a collection of artist's renditions are found here.
Psalm 99. Another psalm to God as king but obviously incorporating the imagery ("seated on the cherubim") and location ("his holy hill") of the temple.
Acts 14. Paul and Barnabas preach God's good news on their first missionary trip and see a lot of good results. But the opposition is growing and getting physical. Paul is nearly killed. Some pagans almost sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas as gods. They stop that but just. After appointing leaders for the churches, the 2 apostles go back to Antioch, report and rest.
1 Kings 4. Numbers and facts that emphasize how organized and prosperous things were under Solomon. He ruled Israel at its most expansive limits. And he was a bit of a renaissance man. By the way, did you catch Ben-Hur, one of Solomon's regional administrators?
1 Kings 5-6. Solomon builds the Temple. A lot of detail is given, though less than for the Tabernacle. If you wish to get an idea of what it looked like, a collection of artist's renditions are found here.
Psalm 99. Another psalm to God as king but obviously incorporating the imagery ("seated on the cherubim") and location ("his holy hill") of the temple.
Acts 14. Paul and Barnabas preach God's good news on their first missionary trip and see a lot of good results. But the opposition is growing and getting physical. Paul is nearly killed. Some pagans almost sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas as gods. They stop that but just. After appointing leaders for the churches, the 2 apostles go back to Antioch, report and rest.
Friday, May 3, 2013
The Bible Challenge: Day 118
The scriptures read are 1 Kings 1-3, Psalm 98 and Acts 13.
1 Kings 1. King David is a thin old man, who cannot stay warm. Even the most beautiful woman in the kingfom can't get a rise out of him. So his son Adonijah throws himself a coronation feast. Which causes the supporters of Solomon--Bathsheba his mother, Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest--to remind David of his promise and motivates him to designate Solomon as his successor and have him enthroned pronto.
1 Kings 2. Partially at David's urging, Solomon takes care of those who threaten his kingdom. After David's death, he has Adonijah, Joab and Shimei killed, very much as Michael Corlioni does at the end of the Godfather. Solomon's wisdom at this point looks like street smarts.
1 Kings 3. Solomon speaks to God in a dream. God offers Solomon whatever he wants. He asks for a wise heart. God gives him wealth and the ability to lead Israel as well.
Then we get a glimpse of Solomon's wisdom. 2 prostitutes were living together. Their babies were born within days of each other. When one of the babies dies in the night, the one prostitute switches babies. Now the other is demanding her living child back. Solomon has no way to determine the truth and so sends for a sword. His shrewd reading of human psychology helps him determine the mother of the remaining baby.
Psalm 98. A joyous psalm about God's righteousness and his coming judgment.
Acts 13. Saul (hereafter called Paul) and Barnabas are commissioned by the church at Antioch to spread the gospel. They take off with John Mark who eventually leaves them and goes back home to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas are wildly sucessful, especially among Godfearers, Gentiles who attended synagogue but hadn't gone so far as to convert to Judaism. Luke gives us a summary of one of Paul's sermons.
1 Kings 1. King David is a thin old man, who cannot stay warm. Even the most beautiful woman in the kingfom can't get a rise out of him. So his son Adonijah throws himself a coronation feast. Which causes the supporters of Solomon--Bathsheba his mother, Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest--to remind David of his promise and motivates him to designate Solomon as his successor and have him enthroned pronto.
1 Kings 2. Partially at David's urging, Solomon takes care of those who threaten his kingdom. After David's death, he has Adonijah, Joab and Shimei killed, very much as Michael Corlioni does at the end of the Godfather. Solomon's wisdom at this point looks like street smarts.
1 Kings 3. Solomon speaks to God in a dream. God offers Solomon whatever he wants. He asks for a wise heart. God gives him wealth and the ability to lead Israel as well.
Then we get a glimpse of Solomon's wisdom. 2 prostitutes were living together. Their babies were born within days of each other. When one of the babies dies in the night, the one prostitute switches babies. Now the other is demanding her living child back. Solomon has no way to determine the truth and so sends for a sword. His shrewd reading of human psychology helps him determine the mother of the remaining baby.
Psalm 98. A joyous psalm about God's righteousness and his coming judgment.
Acts 13. Saul (hereafter called Paul) and Barnabas are commissioned by the church at Antioch to spread the gospel. They take off with John Mark who eventually leaves them and goes back home to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas are wildly sucessful, especially among Godfearers, Gentiles who attended synagogue but hadn't gone so far as to convert to Judaism. Luke gives us a summary of one of Paul's sermons.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
The Bible Challenge: Day 117
The scriptures read are 2 Samuel 22-24, Psalm 97 and Acts 12.
These last 3 chapters of 2 Samuel feel like appendices or a grab bag of David stuff not previously included.
2 Samuel 22, 23. 2 poems by David praising God. The first is about God saving him from Saul and all his other enemies and probably should fit in earlier in his story. The 2nd is supposed to be David's last words, though we haven't yet gotten to his last illness. That said, I could totally see these done as rap. There is a lot of swagger in these.
2 Samuel 24. A very odd story about David taking God's advice to take a census but finding that doing so was a sin! (In 1 Chronicles 21 we are told Satan put David up to this. The two accounts are not irreconcilable. If Satan acts as he does in the first few chapters of Job, he proposes the test but must get God's permission to act. One could argue that it was God who allowed David to be tested and so he is ultimately responsible. There is a train of thought glimpsed in certain passages of the Bible that is so strictly monotheistic that it has no problem seeing God as the author of everything, both good and evil. The traditional position is to distinguish between God's express will and his permissive will, what he permits to happen though he doesn't approve of it. It has to do with giving creatures free will.) Anyway, God gives David a choice of 3 punishments. David demures and gets 3 days of a deadly epidemic. God stops the angel dispensing pestilence when it threatens Jerusalem. David buys the place where he sees the angel stop, sets up an altar and sacrifices to God.
Psalm 97. Another psalm about God reigning. Throws in righteousness and justice, storm imagery, good and evil, Zion and a condemnation of idols, all in a breathless 12 verses.
Acts 12. James becomes the first of the Twelve to be martyred. King Herod plans to follow that up with killing Peter. Till an angel rescues him.
Lots of comedy here. The angel goes on his way and Peter realizes it wasn't a dream, he really is free. But he better find shelter before his escape is noticed. He goes to the door of the mother of John Mark (more on him later) and encounters the worst doorkeeper ever! The servant Rhoda recognizes Peter's voice...and goes to tell others who are praying, leaving Peter out in the street! Then Rhoda and other members of the household argue about whether it really is Peter or not! Finally, they open the door, solve the problem of whether it's him or not and rejoice. Peter gives them a message for the church leaders and then leaves for a better hiding place, presumably with folks who have better sense than to argue about whether a condemned fugitive is really the person hammering on the door, asking to be let in!
Herod gets his comeuppance. And Saul and Barnabas return to Antioch with John Mark, who may be the guy who later acts as secretary to both Peter and Paul and who possibly writes the Gospel of Mark, the first of the canonical gospels to be put to paper.
These last 3 chapters of 2 Samuel feel like appendices or a grab bag of David stuff not previously included.
2 Samuel 22, 23. 2 poems by David praising God. The first is about God saving him from Saul and all his other enemies and probably should fit in earlier in his story. The 2nd is supposed to be David's last words, though we haven't yet gotten to his last illness. That said, I could totally see these done as rap. There is a lot of swagger in these.
2 Samuel 24. A very odd story about David taking God's advice to take a census but finding that doing so was a sin! (In 1 Chronicles 21 we are told Satan put David up to this. The two accounts are not irreconcilable. If Satan acts as he does in the first few chapters of Job, he proposes the test but must get God's permission to act. One could argue that it was God who allowed David to be tested and so he is ultimately responsible. There is a train of thought glimpsed in certain passages of the Bible that is so strictly monotheistic that it has no problem seeing God as the author of everything, both good and evil. The traditional position is to distinguish between God's express will and his permissive will, what he permits to happen though he doesn't approve of it. It has to do with giving creatures free will.) Anyway, God gives David a choice of 3 punishments. David demures and gets 3 days of a deadly epidemic. God stops the angel dispensing pestilence when it threatens Jerusalem. David buys the place where he sees the angel stop, sets up an altar and sacrifices to God.
Psalm 97. Another psalm about God reigning. Throws in righteousness and justice, storm imagery, good and evil, Zion and a condemnation of idols, all in a breathless 12 verses.
Acts 12. James becomes the first of the Twelve to be martyred. King Herod plans to follow that up with killing Peter. Till an angel rescues him.
Lots of comedy here. The angel goes on his way and Peter realizes it wasn't a dream, he really is free. But he better find shelter before his escape is noticed. He goes to the door of the mother of John Mark (more on him later) and encounters the worst doorkeeper ever! The servant Rhoda recognizes Peter's voice...and goes to tell others who are praying, leaving Peter out in the street! Then Rhoda and other members of the household argue about whether it really is Peter or not! Finally, they open the door, solve the problem of whether it's him or not and rejoice. Peter gives them a message for the church leaders and then leaves for a better hiding place, presumably with folks who have better sense than to argue about whether a condemned fugitive is really the person hammering on the door, asking to be let in!
Herod gets his comeuppance. And Saul and Barnabas return to Antioch with John Mark, who may be the guy who later acts as secretary to both Peter and Paul and who possibly writes the Gospel of Mark, the first of the canonical gospels to be put to paper.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The Bible Challenge: Day 116
The scriptures read are 2 Samuel 19-21, Psalm 96 and Acts 11.
2 Samuel 19-21. David's grief for his rebellious son Absalom is demoralizing the troops. Joab gives David a stern talking to and David regains popularity by reviewing the troops. But there is a breakaway group following a fellow named Sheba. Joab goes after him with his usual bloody tunnel-vision. But then a woman of the town where Sheba is holed up strikes a bargain with Joab: they'll throw Joab Sheba's head if he'll stop besieging the city. Done.
Then there's a 3 year famine taken care of by honoring some grudges between the Gibeonites and the descendants of Saul. And the Philistines start acting up. But David discovers he know longer has the stamina of a young warrior and must leave fighting to his men.Especially when it comes to fighting giants.
Psalm 96. "Sing to the Lord a new song"
Acts 11. Peter has to justify baptizing Gentiles to the church in Jerusalem but then it becomes an acceptable evangelism field. Antioch is doing very well at it. Barnabas is sent to oversee it and he brings in Saul. In Antioch believers are first called Christians.
2 Samuel 19-21. David's grief for his rebellious son Absalom is demoralizing the troops. Joab gives David a stern talking to and David regains popularity by reviewing the troops. But there is a breakaway group following a fellow named Sheba. Joab goes after him with his usual bloody tunnel-vision. But then a woman of the town where Sheba is holed up strikes a bargain with Joab: they'll throw Joab Sheba's head if he'll stop besieging the city. Done.
Then there's a 3 year famine taken care of by honoring some grudges between the Gibeonites and the descendants of Saul. And the Philistines start acting up. But David discovers he know longer has the stamina of a young warrior and must leave fighting to his men.Especially when it comes to fighting giants.
Psalm 96. "Sing to the Lord a new song"
Acts 11. Peter has to justify baptizing Gentiles to the church in Jerusalem but then it becomes an acceptable evangelism field. Antioch is doing very well at it. Barnabas is sent to oversee it and he brings in Saul. In Antioch believers are first called Christians.
The Bible Challenge: Day 115
The scriptures read are 2 Samuel 16-18. Psalm 95 and Acts 10.
2 Samuel 16-18. The rest of the story of Absalom's rebellion told in 3 breathtaking chapters of intrigue and action. David encounters allies and enemies; his spies and plants in Jerusalem work out as planned; Joab once again acts with bloody pragmatism. David's heartbreak over Absalom's fate is affecting.
Psalm 95. Praising God as king and remembering the ingratitude of the people at Meribah.
Acts 10. Peter receives an odd vision of a non-kosher all-you-can-eat luncheon and then is summoned to meet with a Roman officer who is a Godfearer. Peter preaches the good news to them and the Gentiles start speaking in tongues, the sign that the Spirit has been poured out on them. Peter and his followers see no reason why they shouldn't baptize the whole lot.
2 Samuel 16-18. The rest of the story of Absalom's rebellion told in 3 breathtaking chapters of intrigue and action. David encounters allies and enemies; his spies and plants in Jerusalem work out as planned; Joab once again acts with bloody pragmatism. David's heartbreak over Absalom's fate is affecting.
Psalm 95. Praising God as king and remembering the ingratitude of the people at Meribah.
Acts 10. Peter receives an odd vision of a non-kosher all-you-can-eat luncheon and then is summoned to meet with a Roman officer who is a Godfearer. Peter preaches the good news to them and the Gentiles start speaking in tongues, the sign that the Spirit has been poured out on them. Peter and his followers see no reason why they shouldn't baptize the whole lot.
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