Numbers seems to be a non sequitur. End of 14, Israel has their butt handed to them by the Canaanites. They disobeyed God, they are not allowed into the Promised Land. 15 starts with sacrifice rules "When you come into the land you are to inhabit..." Then they move to sacrifices for unintentional sins, then the death penalty for Sabbath breaking (by stoning), and then a fringe rule to remember the covenant.
I see it as a promise renewed. They can't go in now, but the LORD hasn't abandoned them. Unintentional sinning, here is a way again to make up to the LORD. The LORD hasn't gone away just because the people did.
Now, the Sabbath death penalty...seems harsh to my ears. But it kind of explains why the Jewish leadership got all riled up when Jesus was healing on the Sabbath. And probably why Jesus did so much intentional healing on the Sabbath. The LORD makes the rules of the Sabbath, not the people. It is a day to honor the LORD, the day the LORD rested from creation.
16 is a crisis of leadership. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram lead a rebellion of 250 leaders of Israel against Moses and Aaron. The charge: Arrogant leadership and (unsaid) failure to deliver up the Promised Land after yanking Israel out of Egypt. But Moses and Aaron are not the leaders, the LORD is. They work for the LORD.
So the rebels are swallowed up by the earth and a plague runs through the camp, killing a lot more of the people 14000 from a population of 1.4 million (or so).
SIDEBAR: The LORD...you see this in the text a lot, Lord in all caps. God told his name to Moses at the burning bush. Jewish leaders thought that name too holy to pronounce, so in the scripture verses, they annotated the name so people would read Adonai, the Hebrew word for Lord, instead. LORD is how that is designated in the translation into English.
Acts 18 and 19 are the conclusion to Paul's second missionary journey and the beginning of the third. Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila, fellow tentmakers (Paul is bi-vocational), who will appear in letters Paul has written.
I was raised on these stories like they were road trips. But Paul spent 18 months in Corinth, and two years in Ephesus on the third journey. (There are letters of Paul to both churches).
At the end of his second journey, Paul cuts his hair for a special vow, 18:18. It is probably the vow of a Nazarite (see Numbers 6).
We also find out that it is not just through Jesus that the Way (the Acts name for the church) is spreading. We meet Apollos at the end of 18, gifted preacher, but baptized by John the baptizer, not Jesus. It was a 'baptism of repentence, to believe in the one who came after' according to Paul in 19:4 at which point they too were baptized into the Holy Spirit.
Through 19, Paul is carrying on like Jesus did, preaching, performing miracles, casting out evil spirits. He made inroads into the professional magician community, a bunch of them converting and burning their magic books (this becomes a parable for me growing up about teens who find Jesus and then burn their heavy metal rock music collection).
In Ephesus, Paul causes a riot because of his economic influence. He is apparently so successful in preaching that the local economy, built on the tourist trade for religious articles related to Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt and patron of Ephesus, the local economy begins to suffer. It got so bad that the proconsuls and the regular assembly met to deal with it.
There is not a lot here explicitly in the conflict between Paul and the Jerusalem church expect for the press exposure Paul is getting. It is going to lead up to another conversation. Whether that conversation is a challenge to the power of Jerusalem or simply a growing church going through growing pains, that remains to be seen.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Numbers 13, 14 and Acts 16,17
Numbers 13 and 14 conclude the first attempt to come to the Promised Land. Spies are recruited, leaders from each tribe, and dispatched on a mission. Of note, a renaming ceremony: Moses renames Hoshea to Joshua, so, in biblical tradition, expect great things from him.
Mission does not go well. Ten say the land is unconquerable, despite God's promise of victory and despite the very nice produce they bring back. Only Joshua and Caleb, of the tribe of Judah, side with God (always a good side to be on).
Interest reaction: God appears, ready to destroy the people, Moses intercedes in prayer, God relents, but the punishment is the death of this entire generation, everyone 20 and older except for Caleb and Joshua. So, it is back to the wilderness for 40 years. The people's reaction is like that of a naughty kid. God forgave us, everything is okay, we don't believe in consequences.
They actually move to invade the Promised Land but without Moses and without the Ark of God to lead them, and they are defeated.
Acts 16-17
Paul begins his second journey, but with Silas. He also selects Timothy, Jewish mom and Greek dad, as a companion, and Timothy undergoes circumcision as an apparent full vetting to lead the Way with Paul. Taken in context of Paul in potential conflict with Jerusalem, one might interpret this as Paul appeasing the church of Jerusalem by making sure his ministry team is fully obedient to the law of Moses, even if the converts do not have to be. This will become an issue later.
Note in vs. 6 and following that the Holy Spirit prevents them from going to certain places. Then, in verse 11, the text switches to a first person narrative, almost as if Luke has gone from using the notes of others to his own travelogue.
In Philippi (where Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians), a few noteworthy things happen. There is a girl with the spirit of divination who focuses on them and becomes rather annoying. The response of Paul and Silas get them thrown into prison and beaten. When the earthquake comes and they could have escaped (parallels to Peter in ch. 12?), things end very differently with the jailer. This is where we find out that their being Roman citizens carries certain privileges.
Into chapter 17, the pattern from before reemerges. They go to the synagogue in Thessalonica, preach and convert, provoking the jealousy of the Jewish leadership, who then rouse the authorities to push them out. Happens again in Beroea, when agitators catch up to them from Thess. Paul is sent on to Athens for his own safety while Silas and Timothy finished up business in Beroea.
Then comes one of my favorite stories in Acts. Athens is a most superstitious city, the cradle of the Greek religion fully taken over and exploited by the Romans. Every god and goddess and divine creature seems to have an altar there. This includes an altar to an 'unknown God'. That becomes Paul's lever. There is a history to that altar to the Unknown God. I heard the story in "Eternity in their Hearts", the author of whom came to seminary while I was at Westminster.
But that is a blog post for another day.
Mission does not go well. Ten say the land is unconquerable, despite God's promise of victory and despite the very nice produce they bring back. Only Joshua and Caleb, of the tribe of Judah, side with God (always a good side to be on).
Interest reaction: God appears, ready to destroy the people, Moses intercedes in prayer, God relents, but the punishment is the death of this entire generation, everyone 20 and older except for Caleb and Joshua. So, it is back to the wilderness for 40 years. The people's reaction is like that of a naughty kid. God forgave us, everything is okay, we don't believe in consequences.
They actually move to invade the Promised Land but without Moses and without the Ark of God to lead them, and they are defeated.
Acts 16-17
Paul begins his second journey, but with Silas. He also selects Timothy, Jewish mom and Greek dad, as a companion, and Timothy undergoes circumcision as an apparent full vetting to lead the Way with Paul. Taken in context of Paul in potential conflict with Jerusalem, one might interpret this as Paul appeasing the church of Jerusalem by making sure his ministry team is fully obedient to the law of Moses, even if the converts do not have to be. This will become an issue later.
Note in vs. 6 and following that the Holy Spirit prevents them from going to certain places. Then, in verse 11, the text switches to a first person narrative, almost as if Luke has gone from using the notes of others to his own travelogue.
In Philippi (where Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians), a few noteworthy things happen. There is a girl with the spirit of divination who focuses on them and becomes rather annoying. The response of Paul and Silas get them thrown into prison and beaten. When the earthquake comes and they could have escaped (parallels to Peter in ch. 12?), things end very differently with the jailer. This is where we find out that their being Roman citizens carries certain privileges.
Into chapter 17, the pattern from before reemerges. They go to the synagogue in Thessalonica, preach and convert, provoking the jealousy of the Jewish leadership, who then rouse the authorities to push them out. Happens again in Beroea, when agitators catch up to them from Thess. Paul is sent on to Athens for his own safety while Silas and Timothy finished up business in Beroea.
Then comes one of my favorite stories in Acts. Athens is a most superstitious city, the cradle of the Greek religion fully taken over and exploited by the Romans. Every god and goddess and divine creature seems to have an altar there. This includes an altar to an 'unknown God'. That becomes Paul's lever. There is a history to that altar to the Unknown God. I heard the story in "Eternity in their Hearts", the author of whom came to seminary while I was at Westminster.
But that is a blog post for another day.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Games Criminals Play, part 3
Finished it last night. Didn't have a lot left, but the final section I wanted to be able to focus on. It was the cautionary tale, what to do to protect yourself in case of the set up. We don't want to believe that people will seek our manipulation. Trusting fellow humans is a strong core strength of being a human being, and to have that basic strength betrayed is difficult to say the least.
We are encouraged to trust our gut instinct. If something feels off, it very well might be. Beware of someone trying to give you something for nothing. That is NOT how life works, no matter how we might want it to work like that.
The prison is a fixed entity in which their research was conducted. The lessons learned there and documented in the book do translate powerfully to the world beyond. We don't like to think about the FACT that there are some very sinful people out there who will do their best to take advantage of us.
We are encouraged to trust our gut instinct. If something feels off, it very well might be. Beware of someone trying to give you something for nothing. That is NOT how life works, no matter how we might want it to work like that.
The prison is a fixed entity in which their research was conducted. The lessons learned there and documented in the book do translate powerfully to the world beyond. We don't like to think about the FACT that there are some very sinful people out there who will do their best to take advantage of us.
Numbers 10-11-12, Acts 14, 15
Things started out well, but ended badly. Silver trumpets, meant to summon the people for marching, for emergencies, hearkening to the Final Trumpet of Revelation, opens this section. Then the people are marching out, headed for the Promised Land, and that is a happy chapter 10.
The next two chapters begin to explain why they do not march into the Promised land, but return to the wilderness for 40 years. First the people complain about their God-provided manna. They want meat. Moses intervenes, and God sends quail, so much meat that it will be coming out their noses by the time they are done.
The second is a round of sibling rivalry and leadership questions. Moses' brother and sister, Aaron (the high priest) and Miriam, come at Moses "because of the Cushite woman he had married". You can interpret that a couple of different ways. Cush is south of Egypt, and is used in a couple of different places in the bible as a marker for people with 'black' skin. This might be a racial challenge. It might be a Gentile challenge, because Moses did not marry a "nice Jewish girl".
But at the end of the day, Miriam is punished for the both of them because Aaron is the High Priest and can't endure God's displeasure.
In the book of Acts, Paul and Barnabas complete their first missionary journey. It was marked with great success. But there is an undercurrent. There is a group from the Jerusalem church that is declaring to join the Way of Jesus, you must get circumcised according to the Law of Moses. Paul has preached that those portions of the law of Moses have been fulfilled by and transcended by Jesus' death and resurrection to a new life and a new way.
Here is the cusp of the 'challenge' between James, the brother of Jesus and Paul, the upstart newcomer. In the middle of chapter 13, John, who was traveling with them, left to return to Jerusalem. It seems that he brought back reports of Paul's teaching style. The circumcision party is then working off that information. It leads to a Grand Bargain.
Paul can continue to teach in the 'new way', but a few pieces of law of Moses are to be preserved, no eating of meat offered to idols (sacrificial worship), no 'fornication' (my best guess, no sexual practices involved in the worship of other religions, and no consuming a strangled animal or its blood.
God taught the people in the time of Moses that the life of the animal was in the blood. Killing (I refuse to call it 'harvesting' the animals like it is talked about today) the animals for food was done in such a way that the blood was drained from them. The blood was then used as part of the sacrificial offering to God in the temple. The lifeblood holds again a worshipful significance that is to be respected by the new converts, Jew or Gentile.
At the end of the Council in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas are about to head out on their next journey. John pops us to go along. Paul refuses to have him along again-was it because he carried back reports to Jerusalem as a spy? So, Paul and Barnabas split, find new partners, and move forward.
The interpretation of the Grand Bargain in Zealot is that Paul is being reined in, that the power is still in Jerusalem, that this is a glossed over power struggle. I see the rules laid down in Jerusalem as hedges against other forms of worship being seen as a part of the faith being practiced in Jesus' name.
The next two chapters begin to explain why they do not march into the Promised land, but return to the wilderness for 40 years. First the people complain about their God-provided manna. They want meat. Moses intervenes, and God sends quail, so much meat that it will be coming out their noses by the time they are done.
The second is a round of sibling rivalry and leadership questions. Moses' brother and sister, Aaron (the high priest) and Miriam, come at Moses "because of the Cushite woman he had married". You can interpret that a couple of different ways. Cush is south of Egypt, and is used in a couple of different places in the bible as a marker for people with 'black' skin. This might be a racial challenge. It might be a Gentile challenge, because Moses did not marry a "nice Jewish girl".
But at the end of the day, Miriam is punished for the both of them because Aaron is the High Priest and can't endure God's displeasure.
In the book of Acts, Paul and Barnabas complete their first missionary journey. It was marked with great success. But there is an undercurrent. There is a group from the Jerusalem church that is declaring to join the Way of Jesus, you must get circumcised according to the Law of Moses. Paul has preached that those portions of the law of Moses have been fulfilled by and transcended by Jesus' death and resurrection to a new life and a new way.
Here is the cusp of the 'challenge' between James, the brother of Jesus and Paul, the upstart newcomer. In the middle of chapter 13, John, who was traveling with them, left to return to Jerusalem. It seems that he brought back reports of Paul's teaching style. The circumcision party is then working off that information. It leads to a Grand Bargain.
Paul can continue to teach in the 'new way', but a few pieces of law of Moses are to be preserved, no eating of meat offered to idols (sacrificial worship), no 'fornication' (my best guess, no sexual practices involved in the worship of other religions, and no consuming a strangled animal or its blood.
God taught the people in the time of Moses that the life of the animal was in the blood. Killing (I refuse to call it 'harvesting' the animals like it is talked about today) the animals for food was done in such a way that the blood was drained from them. The blood was then used as part of the sacrificial offering to God in the temple. The lifeblood holds again a worshipful significance that is to be respected by the new converts, Jew or Gentile.
At the end of the Council in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas are about to head out on their next journey. John pops us to go along. Paul refuses to have him along again-was it because he carried back reports to Jerusalem as a spy? So, Paul and Barnabas split, find new partners, and move forward.
The interpretation of the Grand Bargain in Zealot is that Paul is being reined in, that the power is still in Jerusalem, that this is a glossed over power struggle. I see the rules laid down in Jerusalem as hedges against other forms of worship being seen as a part of the faith being practiced in Jesus' name.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Numbers 8 & 9; Acts 13
Numbers 8 & 9-The lampstand to make light for the Lord leads off these chapters. It is another of the accoutrements of the tabernacle. But then we come to the cleansing of the Levites. Their role replacing the first born of all Israel has already been outlined. But now they are cleansed, washed to begin their service before God's priests (Aaron's family).
Jesus' baptism came to my mind as I read this passage. It was at that moment that Jesus received God's Spirit and truly began his ministry. Up to now, all the pieces have been put in place for the Levites, their camping order around the tent of meeting, who takes care of what pieces of the tent of meeting, etc. The rest of the people have offered their sacrifices prepping for the reception of the tent of meeting (Tabernacle, portable house of God). Now, the Levites are actually set aside to begin their service. It was at Jesus' baptism that he truly moved forward to begin his service.
Chapter 8 is inclusive of the universality of Passover. Jews ritually unclean or traveling away from their lands are allowed to 'break' the rules of cleanliness because the act of worship to God in Passover, the passing over of God's Angel of Death of their houses to affect only the houses of the Egyptians.
Jesus has been called the Passover Lamb, come to save the world from its sins. I see the universality of the celebration of Passover as a parallel to the universal salvation Jesus has brought through his death and resurrection.
Finally in Numbers, when the cloud of God moves, the people move. When it stays, the people stay. God is in control and guiding their lives.
Acts 13
Paul and Barnabas begin their first preaching journey, sent out from Antioch. On Cyprus, they convert the Roman governor. The magician Bar-Jesus (interesting play on Jesus' name), tries to defy them. So Paul sees him struck blind (how Paul started his process of conversion).
Then we see Paul's sermon, drawing upon the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) to lay the foundation of Jesus' coming, preaching Jesus' fulfillment of the law of Moses. This is the foundation of the conflict in Reza Aslan's Zealot, Paul undercutting the law of Moses in his preaching and the Jerusalem church seeking to reign him in. The results are impressive.
Paul starts in the synagogue but the people who really pick up on his words are the devout, Gentiles attracted to the Jewish faith, some who have even converted, others who simply find the Jewish faith to be compelling-though out of reach. The Pauline interpretation of the Jewish faith through the lens of Jesus is liberating and brings them to the gospel in droves. Following the Mosaic law kept such people out of the Jewish faith. Jesus' liberating power brought them in.
The argument in Zealot is that Paul intentionally undercut the message of the Jerusalem church for his own take on the gospel, that Jesus never intended this undercutting of the law of Moses. I would agree. Jesus pushed for the absolute, yet impossible, total obedience to the law of Moses. Yet when the law was broken, sacrifice had to be made to restore right relationship with God.
It looks to me that Paul is drawing on that, the sacrifice, the final sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus opened the way of direct intercession from God for forgiveness, not a system where sacrifice had to be made first to please the God whose law was broken. And the system of sacrifice was in place for the Jews.
Gentiles seeking to follow the law of Moses, to follow what God wants, had no way to enter into the temple, to offer sacrifice and receive forgiveness under the old way. But Jesus' final sacrifice, Jesus freed them from those obligations so they could come directly to God.
The final result was jealousy on the part of the Jewish community. The Gentiles turning away from their support of the synagogue turned them against Paul and Barnabas. The Jews then turned to the local power brokers and they forced the missionaries out.
Jesus' baptism came to my mind as I read this passage. It was at that moment that Jesus received God's Spirit and truly began his ministry. Up to now, all the pieces have been put in place for the Levites, their camping order around the tent of meeting, who takes care of what pieces of the tent of meeting, etc. The rest of the people have offered their sacrifices prepping for the reception of the tent of meeting (Tabernacle, portable house of God). Now, the Levites are actually set aside to begin their service. It was at Jesus' baptism that he truly moved forward to begin his service.
Chapter 8 is inclusive of the universality of Passover. Jews ritually unclean or traveling away from their lands are allowed to 'break' the rules of cleanliness because the act of worship to God in Passover, the passing over of God's Angel of Death of their houses to affect only the houses of the Egyptians.
Jesus has been called the Passover Lamb, come to save the world from its sins. I see the universality of the celebration of Passover as a parallel to the universal salvation Jesus has brought through his death and resurrection.
Finally in Numbers, when the cloud of God moves, the people move. When it stays, the people stay. God is in control and guiding their lives.
Acts 13
Paul and Barnabas begin their first preaching journey, sent out from Antioch. On Cyprus, they convert the Roman governor. The magician Bar-Jesus (interesting play on Jesus' name), tries to defy them. So Paul sees him struck blind (how Paul started his process of conversion).
Then we see Paul's sermon, drawing upon the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) to lay the foundation of Jesus' coming, preaching Jesus' fulfillment of the law of Moses. This is the foundation of the conflict in Reza Aslan's Zealot, Paul undercutting the law of Moses in his preaching and the Jerusalem church seeking to reign him in. The results are impressive.
Paul starts in the synagogue but the people who really pick up on his words are the devout, Gentiles attracted to the Jewish faith, some who have even converted, others who simply find the Jewish faith to be compelling-though out of reach. The Pauline interpretation of the Jewish faith through the lens of Jesus is liberating and brings them to the gospel in droves. Following the Mosaic law kept such people out of the Jewish faith. Jesus' liberating power brought them in.
The argument in Zealot is that Paul intentionally undercut the message of the Jerusalem church for his own take on the gospel, that Jesus never intended this undercutting of the law of Moses. I would agree. Jesus pushed for the absolute, yet impossible, total obedience to the law of Moses. Yet when the law was broken, sacrifice had to be made to restore right relationship with God.
It looks to me that Paul is drawing on that, the sacrifice, the final sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus opened the way of direct intercession from God for forgiveness, not a system where sacrifice had to be made first to please the God whose law was broken. And the system of sacrifice was in place for the Jews.
Gentiles seeking to follow the law of Moses, to follow what God wants, had no way to enter into the temple, to offer sacrifice and receive forgiveness under the old way. But Jesus' final sacrifice, Jesus freed them from those obligations so they could come directly to God.
The final result was jealousy on the part of the Jewish community. The Gentiles turning away from their support of the synagogue turned them against Paul and Barnabas. The Jews then turned to the local power brokers and they forced the missionaries out.
Monday, February 24, 2014
"Games Criminals Play", Part 2
The body of the work is a more detailed explanation and Case Studies of the attempts by inmates to set up and take advantage of prison employees. The fascinating piece seems to be that if the employee recognizes and resists the set up, they gain respect among the inmates and are actually able to do their work.
People targeted are either seen as too soft, therefore easy to manipulate, or too hard, where it is assumed that their hard attitude is a veneer that covers up a soft or uncertain underbelly. The authors use the term mellow to describe employees not so easily set up. The mellow employee knows their limits, when to be soft and supportive, when to be hard and rule-enforcing. They are, in other words, professionals in their work.
To anyone seeking to help others, there is the takeaway. We are compassionate and seeking to show the love of Christ. But we must also recognize that there are people out there who are going to try and play off that loving spirit to take advantage, to use emotion to manipulate, to lie for their own purposes. And their own purposes may not be noble, stealing to eat for example. Messing with us is simply the game they play, a game that might either lead to prison or be learned from prison.
The value of this work, being done in prisons, is that the data was be systematized and quantified. As a pastor, with a book devoted to the stories of manipulated pastors, the evidence is from the case studies, from the anecdotes, patterns are harder to find, and the consequences far harder to document. What pastor is going to admit being conned?
The conclusion of the work is on spotting the setup. That may be the most useful tool that we can take away from the book. More to that tomorrow.
People targeted are either seen as too soft, therefore easy to manipulate, or too hard, where it is assumed that their hard attitude is a veneer that covers up a soft or uncertain underbelly. The authors use the term mellow to describe employees not so easily set up. The mellow employee knows their limits, when to be soft and supportive, when to be hard and rule-enforcing. They are, in other words, professionals in their work.
To anyone seeking to help others, there is the takeaway. We are compassionate and seeking to show the love of Christ. But we must also recognize that there are people out there who are going to try and play off that loving spirit to take advantage, to use emotion to manipulate, to lie for their own purposes. And their own purposes may not be noble, stealing to eat for example. Messing with us is simply the game they play, a game that might either lead to prison or be learned from prison.
The value of this work, being done in prisons, is that the data was be systematized and quantified. As a pastor, with a book devoted to the stories of manipulated pastors, the evidence is from the case studies, from the anecdotes, patterns are harder to find, and the consequences far harder to document. What pastor is going to admit being conned?
The conclusion of the work is on spotting the setup. That may be the most useful tool that we can take away from the book. More to that tomorrow.
The Sacrifice Refrain and Acts, the End of Act 1 (pun intended)
Numbers 7, a longer chapter, the extent of my reading yesterday. Weekends may be a little problematic for the weekday bible reading with Sunday preparations underway.
It is a longer, but highly repetitive chapter. Each tribe comes forward, gives dishes to the Tabernacle and an identically prescribed set of sacrifices. This after an introduction where oxen and carts are given to the Levites to carry the materials of the Tabernacle. Well, it is given to most of the Levites.
Certain key articles of the Tabernacle are NOT to be carried on carts, including the Ark of the Covenant (portrayed pretty well in Raiders of the Lost Ark), the Table of Consecration, and a few other specified items. The Levite clan in charge of those was not given a cart. Now David is going to forget this. When he seeks to bring the Ark to Jerusalem as he is building God's City, it is on a cart, and when one of his men goes to steady it, they are struck dead, because David did not bother to check out God's law before moving the thing.
The end of the chapter is a description of when Moses is talking to God. He goes before the Ark of the Covenant and God's voice comes somewhere from over the Ark. I take away the idea that the Ark is God's footstool and that he is enthroned (divinely speaking), up and away, toward heaven.
But secondly, by the time of Jesus, only the High Priest could go in before the Ark once a year to make high sacrifice for the people of Israel, and nobody else could see it, lest they died. But apparently Moses when it any time he felt the call to converse with the Almighty and, when they moved from place to place, the Ark was set on the shoulders of Levites and paraded at the front of the entire nation.
It is also recorded in the Gospel that when Jesus died, the curtain in front of the Ark was torn in two. There was a sign that Jesus, the final sacrifice, opened again the direct access to God for all who believed, the kind of access Moses had throughout his own life.
Now, Acts 12. It seems to be the conclusion to a composite narrative that will, in Acts 13, switch over to a focused narrative on the life and times of Paul as Missionary and Traveler for Jesus. Perhaps there, the implied tension of Paul and the Jerusalem Church will be focused on more.
But in this instance, Herod is seeking a repeat of the "success" that came at the Passover when Jesus was killed. He starts with the second martyrdom, James, the brother of John, is 'put to the sword'. Peter, the spokesperson for the church, is then arrested, and it appears Herod was going to parade him out in front of Jerusalem pre-Passover in a sequel to Jesus' death.
But then Peter is miraculous released by an angel of God. He is chained between two soldiers, locked within several layers of the prison facility, but none of it matters. I love the detail that when the angel first shows up, Peter thinks it's a vision of release, like maybe the release of death to go to be with Jesus. No, Peter gets up, gets dressed, and walks out a free man. Rhoda, the maid, leaves him standing in the cold, she is so thrilled to hear his voice, but then he is brought in among friends.
From that moment, Peter doesn't stick around but goes into hiding, for his safety and the safety of his comrades. Herod is so furious, he has ten guards executed. But then the chapter ends with his demise, worms bursting out of his guts, explained as punishment for assuming the rank of God.
At the moment of Herod's death, the first round of persecutions for the Way (the name given to the church in the Book of Acts), seems to come to a close. We've pursued various stories of the exploits of the Apostles, the opening prediction that the church would come to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth has come to pass with a series of deliberate arrivals of the Holy Spirit during times of baptism, Saul is now Paul and on the rise as a missionary and apostle, and Herod the Persecutor is dead.
It is a longer, but highly repetitive chapter. Each tribe comes forward, gives dishes to the Tabernacle and an identically prescribed set of sacrifices. This after an introduction where oxen and carts are given to the Levites to carry the materials of the Tabernacle. Well, it is given to most of the Levites.
Certain key articles of the Tabernacle are NOT to be carried on carts, including the Ark of the Covenant (portrayed pretty well in Raiders of the Lost Ark), the Table of Consecration, and a few other specified items. The Levite clan in charge of those was not given a cart. Now David is going to forget this. When he seeks to bring the Ark to Jerusalem as he is building God's City, it is on a cart, and when one of his men goes to steady it, they are struck dead, because David did not bother to check out God's law before moving the thing.
The end of the chapter is a description of when Moses is talking to God. He goes before the Ark of the Covenant and God's voice comes somewhere from over the Ark. I take away the idea that the Ark is God's footstool and that he is enthroned (divinely speaking), up and away, toward heaven.
But secondly, by the time of Jesus, only the High Priest could go in before the Ark once a year to make high sacrifice for the people of Israel, and nobody else could see it, lest they died. But apparently Moses when it any time he felt the call to converse with the Almighty and, when they moved from place to place, the Ark was set on the shoulders of Levites and paraded at the front of the entire nation.
It is also recorded in the Gospel that when Jesus died, the curtain in front of the Ark was torn in two. There was a sign that Jesus, the final sacrifice, opened again the direct access to God for all who believed, the kind of access Moses had throughout his own life.
Now, Acts 12. It seems to be the conclusion to a composite narrative that will, in Acts 13, switch over to a focused narrative on the life and times of Paul as Missionary and Traveler for Jesus. Perhaps there, the implied tension of Paul and the Jerusalem Church will be focused on more.
But in this instance, Herod is seeking a repeat of the "success" that came at the Passover when Jesus was killed. He starts with the second martyrdom, James, the brother of John, is 'put to the sword'. Peter, the spokesperson for the church, is then arrested, and it appears Herod was going to parade him out in front of Jerusalem pre-Passover in a sequel to Jesus' death.
But then Peter is miraculous released by an angel of God. He is chained between two soldiers, locked within several layers of the prison facility, but none of it matters. I love the detail that when the angel first shows up, Peter thinks it's a vision of release, like maybe the release of death to go to be with Jesus. No, Peter gets up, gets dressed, and walks out a free man. Rhoda, the maid, leaves him standing in the cold, she is so thrilled to hear his voice, but then he is brought in among friends.
From that moment, Peter doesn't stick around but goes into hiding, for his safety and the safety of his comrades. Herod is so furious, he has ten guards executed. But then the chapter ends with his demise, worms bursting out of his guts, explained as punishment for assuming the rank of God.
At the moment of Herod's death, the first round of persecutions for the Way (the name given to the church in the Book of Acts), seems to come to a close. We've pursued various stories of the exploits of the Apostles, the opening prediction that the church would come to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth has come to pass with a series of deliberate arrivals of the Holy Spirit during times of baptism, Saul is now Paul and on the rise as a missionary and apostle, and Herod the Persecutor is dead.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Seeking Not To Be Taken Advantage Of
Games Criminals Play, by Bud Allen and Diana Bosta, Rae John, Sacramento, CA, 34th Printing, 2013. 228 pages. The subtitle is "How You Can Profit By Knowing Them".
A few times in my ministry, I have been taken advantage of. There are people who present themselves as being in need, when they are not. It doesn't happen all that often, but it happens enough that it pushes my comfort to a point where I feel like I have to do something. Looking around for resources, I came upon this book.
What I want is a profile of what to look for in someone who might be playing me. Does this seem rather cynical for a pastor? In all honesty, I was looking for some wisdom because I am beginning to get a bit cynical to people in need that I don't have a familiar friendship with. And with my latest work reaching more into the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I can't afford to be cynical. I need to be smarter.
Well, "Games Criminals Play" isn't exactly what I was looking for. It focuses on the games that inmates in prisons play in an attempt to compromise corrections personnel for their own gain, whether for advantage, to alleviate boredom, to advance criminal purposes, whatever. In some ways, I am finding this book to be more helpful then one that was more designed for 'con games' by people seeking charitable giving.
The kind of corrections person, someone who truly cares and wants to change the lives of people, is a prime target for being 'soft' or malleable. I was malleable when I was taken for a ride.
Some good concepts to take away, for example, the idea of the familiar and the unfamiliar friend. A pastor wants to be a friend to someone in need. But recognize that this friendship is unfamiliar and keep up a certain guard against overfamiliarity, and perhaps being taken advantage of. It takes time for someone to become a familiar friend.
Simply to have confirmation of people who are out for their own purposes, to manipulate, not for help, to know that is normal behavior, that other people far more trained than I fall for their games, makes me less harsh on myself for what has happened.
More lessons on what to look for are coming in the next section of the book. I look forward to reading that.
A few times in my ministry, I have been taken advantage of. There are people who present themselves as being in need, when they are not. It doesn't happen all that often, but it happens enough that it pushes my comfort to a point where I feel like I have to do something. Looking around for resources, I came upon this book.
What I want is a profile of what to look for in someone who might be playing me. Does this seem rather cynical for a pastor? In all honesty, I was looking for some wisdom because I am beginning to get a bit cynical to people in need that I don't have a familiar friendship with. And with my latest work reaching more into the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I can't afford to be cynical. I need to be smarter.
Well, "Games Criminals Play" isn't exactly what I was looking for. It focuses on the games that inmates in prisons play in an attempt to compromise corrections personnel for their own gain, whether for advantage, to alleviate boredom, to advance criminal purposes, whatever. In some ways, I am finding this book to be more helpful then one that was more designed for 'con games' by people seeking charitable giving.
The kind of corrections person, someone who truly cares and wants to change the lives of people, is a prime target for being 'soft' or malleable. I was malleable when I was taken for a ride.
Some good concepts to take away, for example, the idea of the familiar and the unfamiliar friend. A pastor wants to be a friend to someone in need. But recognize that this friendship is unfamiliar and keep up a certain guard against overfamiliarity, and perhaps being taken advantage of. It takes time for someone to become a familiar friend.
Simply to have confirmation of people who are out for their own purposes, to manipulate, not for help, to know that is normal behavior, that other people far more trained than I fall for their games, makes me less harsh on myself for what has happened.
More lessons on what to look for are coming in the next section of the book. I look forward to reading that.
Jealousy, Nazarites and the Final Move of the Spirit...
So, what is my presupposition as I read on in Numbers and through the Old Testament? It is Christological. Christology-the science of Jesus Christ. Where do themes of the New Testament and of Jesus flow from this, the only bible that Jesus and his disciples had?
Numbers 5 and 6 move out of the census and into some rather weird rituals for the people of Israel. Unclean people are cast out of camp, crimes of theft demand a 120% return, there is a really weird ritual for husbands who suspect their wives of cheating-something that could make their uterus drop if they lie about it, and then the ritual of the nazirite.
This makes for an interesting comparison and contrast. The law of jealousy runs one way. The husband thinks the wife is cheating, can't find any evidence, not in her cellphone or email accounts, so he can accuse her in front of the priests, who then subject her to a rather degrading ritual. And the penalty for lying-she can't conceive children. Such was the measure of womanhood in the Old Testament (see the story of Hannah, the mother of Samuel).
I see Jesus fulfilling the first laws. The unclean were to be put of the Camp of Israel. What was Jesus' response: heal them and cleanse them. The law of jealousy, Jesus did away with the division of male and female-Paul speaks of that in Galatians.
But, while the family law is so very sexist, the law concerning consecration to God, is liberating. Women or men can take this vow, and there is no hint of permission needed by the woman from whoever the boss-male (husband or father) might be.
That is probably the most interesting, because there are a few cases in the Scripture when this vow is undertaken. Samson, the strong man with the long hair, is the most obvious potential example. But at the end of Acts, before Paul is deported to Rome to appear before the emperor, it appears he was also taking a nazirite vow. There is also a case to be made of this nazarite vow and Jesus, the Nazarene (from Nazareth, but come on, it sounds close!)
Onto Acts 9 and 10, the Holy Spirit comes in the baptism of the "ends of the earth", in this case, a Roman Centurion named Cornelius. Again comes the question of fulfilling the law of God. Peter, the devout Jew, goes to the Gentile when Jesus gives permission to move beyond the dietary laws of Moses. The dietary laws marked the people of God as separate from the rest of the world. Now, the people of God are spreading out into the rest of the world (us Gentiles).
It is an arc, the vision, the baptism of Cornelius, then Peter defending the vision before 'the circumcised believers' in Jerusalem.
Then we switch gears back to Paul. In chapter 8, Saul's persecution scattered the members of Jesus' following. In the scattering, many Hellenist Jews were brought into the fold, centered in Antioch, north and out on the coast. Barnabas was dispatched by the church in Jerusalem to check things out, and he brought with him the newbee to the ministry, the one who caused the followers of Jesus to scatter in the first place, Paul.
The Reza Aslan view is of Paul rising in rank and the church in Jerusalem attempting to keep him down. I am looking for that root in the Acts and in Paul's letters. From here, we begin Paul's ministry, so now we can really begin to look for those troubles.
Numbers 5 and 6 move out of the census and into some rather weird rituals for the people of Israel. Unclean people are cast out of camp, crimes of theft demand a 120% return, there is a really weird ritual for husbands who suspect their wives of cheating-something that could make their uterus drop if they lie about it, and then the ritual of the nazirite.
This makes for an interesting comparison and contrast. The law of jealousy runs one way. The husband thinks the wife is cheating, can't find any evidence, not in her cellphone or email accounts, so he can accuse her in front of the priests, who then subject her to a rather degrading ritual. And the penalty for lying-she can't conceive children. Such was the measure of womanhood in the Old Testament (see the story of Hannah, the mother of Samuel).
I see Jesus fulfilling the first laws. The unclean were to be put of the Camp of Israel. What was Jesus' response: heal them and cleanse them. The law of jealousy, Jesus did away with the division of male and female-Paul speaks of that in Galatians.
But, while the family law is so very sexist, the law concerning consecration to God, is liberating. Women or men can take this vow, and there is no hint of permission needed by the woman from whoever the boss-male (husband or father) might be.
That is probably the most interesting, because there are a few cases in the Scripture when this vow is undertaken. Samson, the strong man with the long hair, is the most obvious potential example. But at the end of Acts, before Paul is deported to Rome to appear before the emperor, it appears he was also taking a nazirite vow. There is also a case to be made of this nazarite vow and Jesus, the Nazarene (from Nazareth, but come on, it sounds close!)
Onto Acts 9 and 10, the Holy Spirit comes in the baptism of the "ends of the earth", in this case, a Roman Centurion named Cornelius. Again comes the question of fulfilling the law of God. Peter, the devout Jew, goes to the Gentile when Jesus gives permission to move beyond the dietary laws of Moses. The dietary laws marked the people of God as separate from the rest of the world. Now, the people of God are spreading out into the rest of the world (us Gentiles).
It is an arc, the vision, the baptism of Cornelius, then Peter defending the vision before 'the circumcised believers' in Jerusalem.
Then we switch gears back to Paul. In chapter 8, Saul's persecution scattered the members of Jesus' following. In the scattering, many Hellenist Jews were brought into the fold, centered in Antioch, north and out on the coast. Barnabas was dispatched by the church in Jerusalem to check things out, and he brought with him the newbee to the ministry, the one who caused the followers of Jesus to scatter in the first place, Paul.
The Reza Aslan view is of Paul rising in rank and the church in Jerusalem attempting to keep him down. I am looking for that root in the Acts and in Paul's letters. From here, we begin Paul's ministry, so now we can really begin to look for those troubles.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Israel's Fighting Men and the Martyrdom of Stephen
This was partnered with the first review of the book "Warrior Grunt", but on reflection today, the posts have been divided. This is the first active review of the Bible reading that I do as part of my own discipline. It is blogged on as part of a personal discipline for at least the next 30 days of ongoing review and reflection of what I read.
At the beginning of the book of Numbers in the Scriptures, a survey of the Israelite fighting men, age 20 and over, count over 600,000 as they begin their march on the Promised Land. Wonder how they prepared for war? Now I have always had questions about Hebrew numerology. The really big numbers, like these, I tend to reduce it by a factor of ten. 60,000, not 600,000, GASP, Shall I Be Burned At The Stake For Questioning The Irrelevancy...er...Inerrancy of Scripture?
Ok.
Read the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts over on the other side. I am taking the reading of Acts and of Paul's letters from the point of view of Reza Aslan in Zealot, that Paul pressed for a Hellenist/Gentile church over the Jewish development of a Messianic community around Jesus' family.
So, in this story, Saul watches with approval as Stephen is killed. It begins the contrast that will ultimately lead to his conversion experience. Saul, a Pharisee, was arresting Jesus followers among the Jews (not yet are they called Christians) and Stephen was one of the Deacons, a Hellenist Jew included in the church as it begins to reach the Jewish community dispersed across the Roman Empire.
So, if we are going to take the story as a lifting of Saul/Paul at the expense of the Jerusalem church, I believe we are looking at the lead up to his conversion, laying out just how much Saul/Paul is to be converted from.
At the beginning of the book of Numbers in the Scriptures, a survey of the Israelite fighting men, age 20 and over, count over 600,000 as they begin their march on the Promised Land. Wonder how they prepared for war? Now I have always had questions about Hebrew numerology. The really big numbers, like these, I tend to reduce it by a factor of ten. 60,000, not 600,000, GASP, Shall I Be Burned At The Stake For Questioning The Irrelevancy...er...Inerrancy of Scripture?
Ok.
Read the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts over on the other side. I am taking the reading of Acts and of Paul's letters from the point of view of Reza Aslan in Zealot, that Paul pressed for a Hellenist/Gentile church over the Jewish development of a Messianic community around Jesus' family.
So, in this story, Saul watches with approval as Stephen is killed. It begins the contrast that will ultimately lead to his conversion experience. Saul, a Pharisee, was arresting Jesus followers among the Jews (not yet are they called Christians) and Stephen was one of the Deacons, a Hellenist Jew included in the church as it begins to reach the Jewish community dispersed across the Roman Empire.
So, if we are going to take the story as a lifting of Saul/Paul at the expense of the Jerusalem church, I believe we are looking at the lead up to his conversion, laying out just how much Saul/Paul is to be converted from.
Warrior Grunt, Part 2
Finished the book last night. I like what is presented. First, there is the narrative of what someone needs to do to succeed as a warrior. There is basic information to be mastered, tips on physical prowess and training, and the need of mental toughness. The remainder of the book then lays out practical ways and means to achieve the mental toughness.
I have found centering to be of particular value to me personally. The volume is lean, about 80 pages, but the material is a summation of some of the best that I have seen in the area of Warrior Prep, whether for the military, martial arts, or law enforcement.
I would recommend it for the hands of any young man or woman contemplating a commitment of military service. The authors are right that it would translate easily into law enforcement academy prep as well.
For me, as a pastor, the idea of mental toughness, the need of mental toughness to be a healer in a world of sin is paramount. We each carry a burden, bear the cross of our own situations. God lays those burdens upon us so that we MUST depend upon Him. This book, and the website, www.mindsighting.com, catalogue for us the skills and resources that God has built into humanity to live the life given to us to our best.
I have found centering to be of particular value to me personally. The volume is lean, about 80 pages, but the material is a summation of some of the best that I have seen in the area of Warrior Prep, whether for the military, martial arts, or law enforcement.
I would recommend it for the hands of any young man or woman contemplating a commitment of military service. The authors are right that it would translate easily into law enforcement academy prep as well.
For me, as a pastor, the idea of mental toughness, the need of mental toughness to be a healer in a world of sin is paramount. We each carry a burden, bear the cross of our own situations. God lays those burdens upon us so that we MUST depend upon Him. This book, and the website, www.mindsighting.com, catalogue for us the skills and resources that God has built into humanity to live the life given to us to our best.
Jesus and the Tribe of Levi and Paul's conversion
Continued on in the reading of Numbers. After the census of the entire tribe, comes the census of the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe. It is a very interesting description to be made of that tribe. They are the replacement of the first born of the tribes of Israel. The law of Moses calls for the dedication of the first born to God. Levi is the tribe dedicated who now takes the place of every other firstborn son, human and bovine, except that the numbers didn't quite match up, so there was a cash bonus to redeem the firstborn that the Levites couldn't cover...
Does that sound really complicated? Well, here is the punch line. The Egyptian firstborn killed in the final plague, well, let me quote the Big "when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel...they shall be mine. I am the Lord." There is another firstborn who was killed to the consecration of the rest of us. Am I reading the death of Jesus on the cross back into an obscure passage from the Torah or does the bible rotate around Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man?
You decide.
Over in Acts, we've moved beyond the death of Stephen. Saul scatters the church, Simon the Magician (from whom the term 'simony', a medieval church sin, is derived) was converted, the Ethiopian eunuch was converted, the Holy Spirit spread to Samaria, the third sphere of influence (From Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, to the ends of the Earth), and Saul is converted.
First, he gets a warrant to go hunt followers of the Way (not yet Christians) over in Damascus, to bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. There, he is struck blind and sees Jesus (I love the blind seeing thing), is converted, scares the local followers because he was THE bogeyman to the followers of Christ, almost gets killed once, then is shipped back to the heart of the church in Jerusalem.
Chapter 9 concludes with Peter healing a paralytic and raising a woman from the dead, performing miracles very much in the image of Jesus.
So, three conversions, a magician who wants the tricks and signs, a foreigner seeking to understand the Word, and a persecutor turned most fervent servant of Christ. It kind of feels like Luke has woven together a few narratives into a chronological tale for the book of Acts.
Does that sound really complicated? Well, here is the punch line. The Egyptian firstborn killed in the final plague, well, let me quote the Big "when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel...they shall be mine. I am the Lord." There is another firstborn who was killed to the consecration of the rest of us. Am I reading the death of Jesus on the cross back into an obscure passage from the Torah or does the bible rotate around Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man?
You decide.
Over in Acts, we've moved beyond the death of Stephen. Saul scatters the church, Simon the Magician (from whom the term 'simony', a medieval church sin, is derived) was converted, the Ethiopian eunuch was converted, the Holy Spirit spread to Samaria, the third sphere of influence (From Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, to the ends of the Earth), and Saul is converted.
First, he gets a warrant to go hunt followers of the Way (not yet Christians) over in Damascus, to bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. There, he is struck blind and sees Jesus (I love the blind seeing thing), is converted, scares the local followers because he was THE bogeyman to the followers of Christ, almost gets killed once, then is shipped back to the heart of the church in Jerusalem.
Chapter 9 concludes with Peter healing a paralytic and raising a woman from the dead, performing miracles very much in the image of Jesus.
So, three conversions, a magician who wants the tricks and signs, a foreigner seeking to understand the Word, and a persecutor turned most fervent servant of Christ. It kind of feels like Luke has woven together a few narratives into a chronological tale for the book of Acts.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Basic Training
So, this blog is going to become a month long reflection on whatever I happen to be reading at the moment. We'll see what happens. Find a book part and a bible part, and maybe a connection between the two.
Warrior Grunt: Start, "Warrior Psychology & Mental Toughness for Excelling in Basic Training" by Michael J. Asken and Robert E. Obrecht. 80 pgs.
Major title for a slim work on what can be done to prepare for the military. Seem like a very strange book for a pastor to read? Perhaps, but wait.
I am about half way through, and I think this book will do what it claims on the cover "What you need to know-What you need to do".
It is not so much on physical toughness but mental toughness. Tips for how to prepare, for what to expect, strategies to cope in a tough situation, for mustering and reducing adrenalin, for focus.
What I can say is that through my other studies as a law enforcement chaplain, as a pastor, as one who seeks to prepare as a warrior and a healer, is that the information is good.
I read this for me and my work. Personal toughness as a Christian living in a sinful world is not to be underrated. Seeking to lead others in the Christian life led me to seek out whatever strategies might work. And short of living out the joys of basic training, or-in my work-the police academy, I seek to find the best materials written for the preparation of warriors.
Warrior Grunt: Start, "Warrior Psychology & Mental Toughness for Excelling in Basic Training" by Michael J. Asken and Robert E. Obrecht. 80 pgs.
Major title for a slim work on what can be done to prepare for the military. Seem like a very strange book for a pastor to read? Perhaps, but wait.
I am about half way through, and I think this book will do what it claims on the cover "What you need to know-What you need to do".
It is not so much on physical toughness but mental toughness. Tips for how to prepare, for what to expect, strategies to cope in a tough situation, for mustering and reducing adrenalin, for focus.
What I can say is that through my other studies as a law enforcement chaplain, as a pastor, as one who seeks to prepare as a warrior and a healer, is that the information is good.
I read this for me and my work. Personal toughness as a Christian living in a sinful world is not to be underrated. Seeking to lead others in the Christian life led me to seek out whatever strategies might work. And short of living out the joys of basic training, or-in my work-the police academy, I seek to find the best materials written for the preparation of warriors.
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