Reminisce...that's a word that you don't hear too often. When I was a kid, I used to love to go to my grandma's and read her Reminisce magazines. She also had a subscription of Grit, and kept the back copies for me. I think those were the farmer's version of The National Enquirer. I would sit in Grandpa's reclining chair near he cb radio and read for hours. Her cb handle was "sugar cookie." I made some of her recipe of sugar cookies the other day for my KIP project. One of the firemen at Jeff's station said they tasted like his grandma's cookies. Grandma's must have shared recipes.
- How long ago was it that Moses was told he was going to die? When God told Aaron, it was a few verses later, then BAM, it's all over. Moses wants to make sure that the Israelites do one thing: REMEMBER!, so he recaps the 40 years for them for several chapters.
- A recap of the 10 commandments is given in chapter 5 of Deuteronomy.
- It is interesting that the word "carved" is used in reference to idols (5:8). What about drawn idols? or cast idols (like the bronze snake God instructed Moses to make).
- Don't take the Lord's name in vain. For me, this has always included the expression "oh my God," and of course "Jesus Christ!" which is used in our daily conversations almost like "um" and has become common place in tv and other media. It used to be bleeped out. Not any more. Hearing that expression (used outside the context of actually appealing to God, of course) is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I guess it is how you're raised. No one in my family was allowed to say it, and my family doesn't use it as a thoughtless expression. Of course, I didn't use the word "butt" until I was in high school because my parents told me not to. Listen to yourself and your family - how often do you hear it? It seems disrespectful to God to me - maybe not necessarily what this commandment is prohibiting, but what if it is? I invite you to do a little clean up of your language if this is an expression is part of your vocabulary. I made some suggestions to Grace: oh my word, oh my goodness, leapin' lizards, great balls of fire, gee whiz - if it sounds like it would have been on "Leave it to Beaver" then it is probably a better alternative. And cut out the OMG in your text messages, too!
- 5:16 - every child should memorize "honor your father and mother" - why, not because your parents says so, but so you'll live long.
- Deuteronomy 5:4-5 is the "shema" - your children probably know it from VBS. “Hear, O Israel: "The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." The following verse and a half tell us what to do with this infomation: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children"
- 6:16 “You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah. What did they do in Massah?
- 6:20ff - why do we do this stuff, daddy? because God said to.
- 7:1 who will be cast out: where did they come from: Hittites (from Noah's son Ham's line through Canaan through Heth; they sold burial land to Abraham) and the Girgashites and the Amorites (giants, another descendant of Ham/Canaan/Heth) and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites (more descendants of Canaan, they took Dinah by force and were attacked by Simeon and Levi) and the Jebusites (another tribe of Canaan)
- Pay attention: utterly destroy those you attack - no covenants (how can you if they are utterly destroyed), no marriages (how can you if they are utterly destroyed)
- 7:9 - when the covenants between God and man are broken, it is we who break them. God keeps his covenants.
- 7:22 - the Israelites will defeat the dwellers in the land a little at a time. Not because God can't wipe them out all at once, but because the Israelites can't handle the influx of booty!
- Don't covet the silver or gold - is this in reference to the idols? or are they not to take gold and silver of any type as spoils (7:25)
- "man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord" a familiar verse from 8:3
- It is not because the Israelites are righteous that the dwellers in the promised land will be displaced, it is because the dwellers are wicked and because God keeps His promises. Don't get cocky, Hebrews. 9:5
- Here's a detail that wasn't in the first account of the second set of tables - Moses made an ark of wood and placed the commandments in it. 10:1
- Another form of the shema is in 10:12, 13
- 10:16 - not a pretty word picture - circumcise the foreskin of your heart
According to 11:4, apparently the Egyptians had still not recovered from the death of their Pharoah and his army. This makes me wonder: do we know who the Pharoah was that ruled during the Exodus? What clues have we unsurfaced in this blog alone?
It doesn't take much searching to know there are lots of theories. One Jewish scholar noted Exodus 13:17 - "Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, 'Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.' " Apparently it is historical record that the Philistines (a sea-faring people) attacking the Egyptians - perhaps this was going on shortly after the Exodus.
We are told (Ex. 1:11) that Hebrews were forced to labor at the building of Pithom and Raamses, and it is believed that latter is none other than the ancient Hyksos capital Avaris. Remember to the reference in Numbers 13:22 that Hebron was built seven years before Zoan? Apparently Zoan is another name for Avaris. The Egyptians didn't like to use the name of other peoples in their records, why would you name someone beneath you, so there is no record of the Israelites by name, but there are records that quote a pharoah of allowing an immigrant people who were an abomination to the egyptian gods to depart. All very interesting. I digress...
- 11:18-20 - mention of placing God's words on your hands and between the eyes again, and adding on the doorposts of your house. This "write them on the doorpost of your house" is called the Mezuzzah. Look it up. Look just to see to what ridiculous detail the Jews have taken one partial sentence and added some additional stipulations: 2 passages from Deuteronomy have to be written in 22 lines, placed in the top third section of the upper right side, at 45 degree angle (the compromize of two sects who argued over whether it should be 90 degrees or straight up). I could go on...the rules do! This creation and adherence to sets of rules becomes a huge part of Judiasm, much above and beyond what is called for in the scriptures. Jesus chastizes the Sadducees and Pharisees for just this type of stringent rules, but not understanding the underlying principle: have a reminder to love the Lord your God!
- The first part of chapter 12 sound just about like 2/3 of what we've read in Deuternomy already. Later in 12 - God picks the place for sacrifice, not you. Instructions on where you can and can't eat meat.
- 12:31 - a reference to Molech? Burning children as sacrifice.
- chapter 13 - don't worship other gods...those that do should be killed
- more about what you can and can't eat in chapter 14. I'm sorry, I really like pork. I can pass on the hoopoe and the bat. If you find an animal you are allowed to eat already dead, you can't eat it, but feel free to sell the rotting carcas to a foreigner. And, of course, do not boil a goat in it's mother's milk (14:21).
- 15:6 - don't borrow money.
- Chapter 15 brings to forefront another running theme...be kind to strangers, as you know what it was like to be a foreigner in a strange land. We also revisit the 7 year cancellation of debt.
- one...more...time... the feasts reviewed in chapter 16.
I didn't think this reading would ever end. Each new chapter I thought for sure Moses would take the one last walk up the mountain and lay down for the final time. Maybe tomorrow.
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