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.