Monthly Archives: January 2012

Moses ordains first priests (Leviticus 8, 9, 10)

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Bible Summary:

In front of the community, Moses ordains Aaron and his sons as priests using the exact rituals prescribed by God, including a ritual bath, the priestly garments, animal sacrifices, and placing ram’s blood on their right ear lobe, thumb, and big toe.

The next day, at Moses’ request, Aaron presents God separate sin, burnt, grain and fellowship offerings. Aaron finishes, blesses the people, and then enters the Tent of God’s presence with Moses. They return, bless the people, and God appears as dazzling lights. Suddenly, God sends fire that consumes the burnt offering. The people of Israel bow down to the ground.

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu offer coals in fire-pans that are not holy, so God sends fire that burns them to death. Moses tells Aaron not to mourn his sons since he is holy, but to let the people mourn them.

Moses also tells Aaron the rules of being a priest: no alcoholic drinks before entering God’s Tent, they must distinguish between what is God’s versus general use and between what is clean and unclean, and they must teach God’s laws to the people.

My Thoughts:

Blaming bad things on God: Moses consecrates the priests and God is happy so He reveals himself as dazzling lights. The people bow in awe. Later, God burns Aaron’s sons to death over presenting the wrong fire pans. It sure seems this was an accident everyone blames on God. How easy it is to claim victory based on our own abilities, but to blame God when things do not happen as we would like?  Praise Him if you win and praise Him if you do not.  In the end, He will take care of you.

Right Dominant: Interesting that the right dominant aspect of society goes back to biblical times, as shown by the ram’s blood being placed on the right ear lobe, thumb on the right hand, and right big toe. Per Wikipedia, left-handers make up about 10% of the world’s population and four (maybe five) of the last seven U.S. Presidents! (See the “Politics” section near the bottom of the article for details).

At least 1,500 years until next ice age

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Even though movies like The Day After Tomorrow scare us about a pending ice age that can strike in weeks, the scientist believe it will not happen for at least another 1,500 years and should take two to three years to set in.  Learn more in the Next ice age not likely before 1,500 years: study at Reuters.

The big question is: how can global warming cause an ice age?  It does not make sense – heat does not cause cold.  But, the complexity of earth’s environment provides a way for it to happen.  The theory is that global warming will melt Arctic ice and the resulting fresh water will disrupt the ocean’s Gulf Stream, which warms the northern Atlantic.  Find out more at How Global Warming May Cause the Next Ice Age at Common Dreams.

Jesus teaches to love your enemy (Matthew 5: 43-48)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus tells the crowd at the Sermon on the Mount to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. He says God makes sun and rain fall on good and bad people alike so we must become perfect and love everyone too.

My Thoughts:

Non-Violence Training: Jesus continues his non-violence training by going beyond the thought of not seeking revenge to actually loving your enemies. A small group of people cannot change the belief of the majority by force, but has a good chance by following the ways of Jesus.

Love Your Enemies: Now that is a hard pill to swallow. How can you love your enemy when they are causing you grief? Think how angry we get when someone cuts us off on the highway. But, loving your enemy is the only long-term solution. Retaliation causes retaliation and escalation. Instead, look for common ground with your enemy. Find something to talk about. Try to compliment them. The best scenario is to turn them into a friend, then you no longer have an enemy.

Flipping the Lens on Stereotyping: We should be very careful not to stereotype people because of the actions of a few. It was real easy to think badly about all Muslims because of a few extremists who orchestrated the 9/11 attacks, but most Muslims are actually very nice, Godly (“Allah” to them) people. Their religion also comes from Abraham and teaches their faithful to believe in Jesus as a messenger of God.

Statue of Liberty poet honored

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Emma Lazarus wrote The New Colossus poem that has welcomed people to America at the base of the Statue of Liberty for 125 years. The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City is honoring her in the “Emma Lazarus Poet of Exiles” exhibit running through December. Learn more about her passion for the tired, poor and huddled masses in the Exhibit illuminates Statue of Liberty poet Lazarus story at Reuters.

The New Colossus

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Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

– Emma Lazarus

Jesus teaches against revenge (Matthew 5: 38-42)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus tells the crowd at the Sermon on the Mount not to seek revenge as the old “eye for an eye” laws say, but to offer the other cheek to your aggressor, to give the thief your coat as well, and to give whenever someone asks.

My Thoughts:

Teaching meekness?: It sure seems Jesus is teaching everyone to be meek, to roll over and accept all the bad in life with a smile on their face. In reality, he is teaching them the strength of not allowing their emotions to take over a situation, getting them further into trouble. He is also teaching them not to seek revenge to remove the strife which can last for generations as long, drawn-out feuds between families where the descendants do not even know the original reason for the disagreement.

Teaching Followers Non-Violence: I believe Jesus had the foresight to realize his followers would be persecuted by the authorities for his beliefs which were different than the established laws and customs of the time. It does not matter that he was teaching good, just that it was different. To reduce this persecution, he conducted the first campaign of non-violence that set in motion a religion that would dwarf the Jewish faith and now encompasses one-third of the people around the world.

Mohandas Gandhi copied these non-violent methods to free India from British rule and Martin Luther King, Jr. copied them to gain civil rights for all Americans regardless of race, religion, or any other reason to separate people.  Non-violence works.

Walk Away: So the next time you are in a quarrel, put yourself in good company like Jesus, Dr. King, and Gandhi, and be strong enough to walk away until the other person cools off.

Payments for Sins (Leviticus 3,4,5,6,7)

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Bible Summary:

God gives Moses detailed regulations for fellowship, unintentional sins (by the High Priest, the whole community, the ruler or one of the common people), sins, repayments, burnt, and grain offerings, including animals to offer and steps to take in each case. A guilty person must confess the sin and bring the required animal offering, which the priest will offer as sacrifice for the man’s sins.

Sins include witnesses not showing in court when summoned, someone touching anything humanly or ritually unclean, like dead animals, and someone making a careless vow. Repayment offerings are to include the repayment plus an extra 20 percent. And, if anyone eats the fellowship offering without being ritually clean will no longer be one of God’s people.

My Thoughts:

Chance for Redemption: God gives the people of Israel opportunities to make amends for their wrongdoing by making offerings to receive forgiveness for their sins.

Unclean: This is the first reference in the Bible to uncleanliness. Keeping food clean may be what saved them from the plagues that killed so many in Egypt. The unclean here sound like the Untouchables of India who handle the dead.

First Late Fee: God introduces the first late payment fee of 20%. Luckily it is only a flat fee now, unless you have a low balance.

Believe: Tebow wins with 316 passing yards

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The big question is – would God really favor one football team? He seems to as Tim Tebow put up 316 passing yards yesterday to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL wild card playoff game in “Mile High” stadium.

The 316 yards matches an often quoted Gospel passage John 3:16 which reads, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die, but have eternal life.”

I watched most of the game on TV and caught a glimpse of a sign held by a Denver fan which read “Believe, Believe, Believe” and Denver fans are believing today. I mean, what are the chances? Going into overtime, Tebow needed 80 yards passing to reach the 316 number and got it in one strike to Demaryius Thomas to seal the win.

Look out New England Patriots, you never know what God has in store this Saturday.