Saturday, June 30, 2007

God's view of nocturnal emissions

Deuteronomy 23:10 If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY

This must make for some very interesting conversations "outside the camp."

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Women cursed with painful childbirth and subjection to men

Genesis 3:16 To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you."


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


I wonder what the statement "you desire will be your your husband" means and why it's a curse?

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Happy is the one who....

Psalms 137:8-9 O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed,
Happy is the one who repays you as you have served us!
Happy is the one who takes and dashes
Your little ones against the rock!


PERSONAL COMMENTARY

Some of my favorite verses in the Bible are:

Happy are those who are gentle and humble.
Happy are those who are hungry and thirsty for justice.
Happy are those who are merciful.
Happy are those whose hearts are pure.
Happy are those who work for peace.


These verses are distinctively different than our reading for today.

Monday, June 25, 2007

The Terror of God

Genesis 35:5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY


There's something unsettling about the phrase "the terror of God."

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Kill those who go near the tabernacle

Numbers 1:51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who goes near it shall be put to death.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY


Other translations say "stranger" or "layman" or "outsider." However, it does seem as if it applies to anyone who is not a Levite.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Samson kills 3,000 men and women and commits suicide

Judges 16:25-30 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.
When they stood him among the pillars, Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them." Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


Have you ever stopped to consider that this children story had Samson committing suicide?

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

God causes 120,000 men to kill each other

Judges 7:20-22a,8:10 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


This is a bit confusing but I think I got this right. Let me know if I didn't.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Caleb gives his daughter as a prize to her cousin

Joshua 15:16-17 And Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY


It's a good thing marrying your cousin wasn't a big deal back in these times.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Rape, Murder, and extreme violence

Judges 19:22-29 While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."

The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."

But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, "Get up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


Wow! This is definitely X-Rated stuff. Doesn't this sound very similar to the Lot story?

Sunday, June 17, 2007

The peaceful people of Laish slaughtered

Judges 18:27 Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a peaceful and unsuspecting people. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY


For what were the people of Laish being judged?

Friday, June 15, 2007

85 Priest killed then all the men, women, children, infants, cattle, donkeys, and sheep from their town

1 Samuel 22:18-19 The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY


Thank goodness they had no goats.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Sin against God and he will put you to death

1 Samuel 2:5 If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was the LORD's will to put them to death.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY


God "may" mediate. I wonder what criteria God uses to make this decision.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers - Gideon

Judges 8:6-7 But the officials of Succoth said, "Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?" Then Gideon replied, "Just for that, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers."

PERSONAL COMMENTARY


Nice guy, that Gideon.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Even though God already defeated them, 25,000 more Benjamites killed

Judges 20:40-46 But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the smoke of the whole city going up into the sky. Then the men of Israel turned on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, because they realized that disaster had come upon them. So they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the desert, but they could not escape the battle. And the men of Israel who came out of the towns cut them down there. They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily overran them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. Eighteen thousand Benjamites fell, all of them valiant fighters. As they turned and fled toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon, the Israelites cut down five thousand men along the roads. They kept pressing after the Benjamites as far as Gidom and struck down two thousand more.

On that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite swordsmen fell, all of them valiant fighters.


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


This is all within the family. Imagine if this was the real enemy.

Friday, June 08, 2007

Men, women, and children killed but virgins spared

Judges 21:1-14 The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: "Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite."

The people went to Bethel, where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. "O LORD, the God of Israel," they cried, "why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?"

Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

Then the Israelites asked, "Who from all the tribes of Israel has failed to assemble before the LORD ?" For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the LORD at Mizpah should certainly be put to death.

Now the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites. "Today one tribe is cut off from Israel," they said. "How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?" Then they asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to assemble before the LORD at Mizpah?" They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. For when they counted the people, they found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead were there.

So the assembly sent twelve thousand fighting men with instructions to go to Jabesh Gilead and put to the sword those living there, including the women and children. "This is what you are to do," they said. "Kill every male and every woman who is not a virgin." They found among the people living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.

Then the whole assembly sent an offer of peace to the Benjamites at the rock of Rimmon. So the Benjamites returned at that time and were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there were not enough for all of them.


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


This breaks down the theory that God kills everyone (including babies) to keep evil from spreading.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

God finally defeated the Benjamites - 25,100 killed

Judges 20:27-25 And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministering before it.) They asked, "Shall we go up again to battle with Benjamin our brother, or not?"
The LORD responded, "Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands."

Then Israel set an ambush around Gibeah. They went up against the Benjamites on the third day and took up positions against Gibeah as they had done before. The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads—the one leading to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

While the Benjamites were saying, "We are defeating them as before," the Israelites were saying, "Let's retreat and draw them away from the city to the roads."

All the men of Israel moved from their places and took up positions at Baal Tamar, and the Israelite ambush charged out of its place on the west of Gibeah. Then ten thousand of Israel's finest men made a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did not realize how near disaster was. The LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


After allowing 40,000 Israelites to be killed by the Benjamites even though God directed the Israelites to fight, God finally defeats the Benjamites.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

The women sing "joyful songs" about the number of people Saul and David had killed

1 Samuel 18:6-7 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang:
"Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands."


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


Was this a competition? Would you consider these "joyful songs?"

Monday, June 04, 2007

Another 18,000 killed even though God commanded the Israelites to fight

Judges 20:23-25 The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They said, "Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our brothers?"
The LORD answered, "Go up against them."

Then the Israelites drew near to Benjamin the second day. This time, when the Benjamites came out from Gibeah to oppose them, they cut down another eighteen thousand Israelites, all of them armed with swords.


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


I'm confused.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

22,000 killed when God directs his people to fight each other

Judges 20:17-21 Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them fighting men.

The Israelites went up to Bethel and inquired of God. They said, "Who of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites?"
The LORD replied, "Judah shall go first."

The next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. The men of Israel went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day.


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


Who are the good guys here?

Friday, June 01, 2007

Samson lights 300 foxes on fire

Judges 15:4-5 So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY


Anyone else feel sorry for the foxes?