Exodus 31 - Leviticus 27 (p.210 in my Bible)

This brings me up do date for 6 weeks of reading.  Friday, December 25, will be 7 weeks, and the next 30 pages I shall report on at that time to stay on schedule.  What a beautiful present to give Jesus!  One little boy said to me recently, If Jesus' birthday is what we celebrate on Christmas, why do we give gifts to everyone but him?  
Good question. I responded.  Our time is our best gift.  I could preach now but I won't.  I will just say, Happy Birthday Jesus!  I'm reading your book today!

If you are reading with me rather than counting your pages, here are the next weekly readings through the end of January 2010: 

By 12/25/09 - Through Numbers 15 (page 210)

By 01/01/10 - Through Numbers 34 (page 240)

By 01/08/10 - Through Deuteronomy 18 (page 270)

By 01/15/10 - Through Joshua 5 (page 300)

Note:  I have written this entry in my short-hand notes.  Some things I just want to remember.  It is organized by chapter.

Holy Ghost, Teach me........

• Bezaleel & Aholiab - first builders/construction workers! God instructed them to build the tabernacle. 
• Exodus 31 - the first tablets were written by the finger of God, the second set of tablets written by Moses
• 32:14 - The Lord repented of the evil.  An interesting thought.
• 32:22 - Aaron blames the people for the golden calf...reminds me of Adam blaming Eve in the garden
• 32:27 - Levi's were commanded by Moses to slay their brothers.  3000 were dead as a result. 
• Exodus 33:7 - Tabernacle of Congregation established
• 33:11 - Joshua stayed in the tabernacle.  I like the thought that he didn't want to leave.  Wanted to live in God's house.  I don't blame him!
• 34:10 - terrible thing - fearful is a better definition http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H3372&t=KJV

• 34:14 - God's name is Jealous
• 34:18 - month of Abib http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H24&t=KJV - Jewish calendar has different month names, but still 12 months

• Exodus 35:20 - Wise-hearted people brought voluntary, willing offerings.  Where did they get all that stuff to give just coming out of slavery?  Egypt!
• 35:34 - God put the desire in the builders to teach.  I like that this is pointed out.
• 36:5 - Israelites had more than enough fresh out of slavery for hundreds of years...and had to be restrained from giving any more!  I love this problem!
• 37 - Intricate design & instruction details are repeated from being spoken from God to performed by man.
• 38:3 - Brass vessels - still beautiful, but more durable metal than gold
• 38:8 - looking glasses of women - mirrors, not eyeglasses
• 39:5 - curious girdle of his ephod  - curious meaning ingenious work http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H2805&t=KJV
• 39:23 - habergeon - a piece of body armor for the trunk; usually consists of a breastplate and back piece http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=corselet
• 40:12 - Priests had to be washed at the tabernacle.  Imagine having to shower at church before you preach.
  
• Leviticus 1 - Offering commandments/instructions
  
• Lev. 2 - Meat offering = flour, baked, fried variations - instructed to not burn leaven or honey
  
• Lev. 3 - Hand on the head of the offering while it was being slain as a sacrifice - I cannot imagine having to do this
  
• Lev. 4 - Thank God we don't have to do things this way anymore!  No killing animals!
  
• Lev. 5 - Lamb -or- 2 turtledoves -or- 2 young pigeons (sin offerings)
  
• Lev. 6 - In the day when he is anointed 
• Lev. 7 - Offering types:  peace, heave, voluntary, meat, burnt, wave, freewill, sin
• Lev. 8 - Ram of consecration
• Lev. 9 - Why is it called Leviticus?  It seems that the priests of Aaron and his sons are being instructed rather than the sons of Levi.
• Lev. 10 - Priests only ate of the holy sacrifices - now everyone takes communion
• Lev. 11 - Meat - eating instructions/law; Be ye holy for I am holy
• Lev. 12 - Why does blood make unclean?
• Lev. 13 - Leprosy instructions/law - priests acted as doctors - God spoke to Moses and Aaron this chapter
• Lev. 14 - Trespass offering - blood on the priests' thumb, ear, and big toe - again, Thank God we don't have to do all this anymore!  Thank you Jesus!!!
• Lev. 15 - flowers - euphamism for menstruation in women
• Lev. 16 - scapegoat instructions
• Lev. 17 - The answer to my question from Lev. 12!  Blood makes atonement and is the life of a being.  This is God's reason for not eating blood.
• Lev. 18 - Who said there were only 10 commandments???  They have not read this book!!! - Also Molech is introduced.  Israelites offered their infants as sacrifices to Molech and God had to instruct them not to.
•  Lev. 19 - Had to wait until the 5th year to eat fruit of trees
• Lev. 20 - Consequences of not obeying these laws:  being cut off from among ones' people, death, burnt with fire, dying childless, being stoned
• Lev. 21 - Priest law
• Lev. 22 - Priests' childrens' law, Law for strangers, Law for eating holy things, Freewill offerings, sacrifice of thanksgiving
• Lev. 23 - Keeping the Sabbath is reinterated.  3 Feasts introduced:  1) Feast of unleavened bread, wave offering, Day of Atonement on 7/10, Holy convocation 2) Feast of Tabernacles, 3) Feast of Booths or Harvest
• Lev. 24 - Lamp in tabernacle instructions to be burnt continually.  Also famous Eye for an eye passage
• Lev. 25 - Seventh year sabbath for soil/land introduced and instructed.  Also 50th year of jubile introduced.  No interest!  What a financial system!  Everything was returned to you in the 50th year and you bought and sold based on how long it was until the next jubile.
• Lev. 26 - God instructs to reverence my sanctuary & says I will have respect as a condition of obedience.  Finally happy words!  However, it is a conditional blessing.  Negative consequences list is longer and more specific. 
• Lev. 27 - Estimations - more control than catholicism.  Shekel of sanctuary measurement is given.

Exodus Pictures

Exodus 11-30 (p.180 in my Bible)

Issues, Instructions & Noticings Exodus 15:1 - This looks like the first time singing is mentioned in scripture.  "Song of Moses" is introduced. 15:20 - Miriam the prophetess:  the first female prophetess mentioned 15:23 - Marah= bitter, was named that by the children of Israel based on its lack of drinkability.  This opens up a mental conversation in my mind about Biblical naming traditions.  How often we see Bible names  based on actual meaning and experience of life.  15:27 - Elim= palms, had 12 wells of water & 70 palm trees 16:18 - mete with an omer = measure, stretch, or extend 1-10 of an ephah (about 2 liters) - the way the children of Israel measured manna 16:21 - The manna melted in the sun like ice cream! 16:31- coriander seed; wafer with honey - the description of the way mannah tasted.  I would like to try some recipes to see if I can recreate this to some extent! Exodus 17:1 - wilderness of Sin = thorn or clay; Rephidim ="rests" or "stays" or "resting places" 17:15 - Jehovah-nissi = "Jehovah is my banner" 1) the name given by Moses to the altar which he built in commemoration of the discomfiture of the Amalekites. This is the only time this word is used in the Scripture 18:3 - Gershom = "foreigner", Eliezer = "God is help".  Again, I am amazed at the way people were named.  How disappointed I would feel if my name meant "foreigner," or "stranger," although I am sure it made sense to that generation. 18:7 - obeisance = 1) to bow down a) (Qal) to bow down b) (Hiphil) to depress (fig) c) (Hithpael) 1) to bow down, prostrate oneself a) before superior in homage b) before God in worship c) before false gods d) before angel What Moses did when he met his father-in-law.  My mother told me in Tunisia this is still practiced today...can you imagine falling on your face on the ground instead of shaking, or even kissing someone's hand? 18:20 - Moses' father-in-law paved the way for Moses to instill more order amoungst the children of Israel...suggesting a system for dealing with peoples' issues.  How interesting that a fundamental paradigm shift happened without the voice of God thundering the mountains or carving stones...and through an in-law! 19:1 - Sinai = "thorny" 1) the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact site unknown.  Come to find out, this is actually pronounced more like "seen-eye". 19:13 - The strictest guidelines were given for the things of God.  Death was the price to pay.  My how things have changed.  Thank God for mercy. 19:22 - This is interesting that lest the Lord break forth upon them is not something you want in the context of this verse.  "break forth" = 1) to break through or down or over, burst, breach a) (Qal) 1) to break or burst out (from womb or enclosure) 2) to break through or down, make a breach in 3) to break into 4) to break open 5) to break up, break in pieces 6) to break out (violently) upon 7) to break over (limits), increase 8) to use violence 9) to burst open 10) to spread, distribute b) (Niphal) to be broken through c) (Pual) to be broken down d) (Hithpael) to break away 20:5 - I know God created all things, but it seems strange that he actually began the process of generational curses.  3rd & 4th generations paid for their parents' disobedience. 20:21 - God was in the darkness.  Also, God continued speaking forth the commandments beyond the 10 while Moses was on the mountain. 21:1-6 - Slave laws.  aul = 1) awl, boring-instrument Apparently, if a slave desired to work forever for the master after the required time, he got his ear pierced. 22 - Ox rules 23:11 - 7th year rest commanded for soil in farming.  This is how nutrients stay in food.  This practice would help increase nutritional value of our food. 23:14 - 3 Feasts were commanded yearly 23:19 - seeth a kid in his mothers' milk  23:31 - God gave the children of Israel an exact location of their literal physical destiny.  24:10 - I just love the poetry of this verse. And they saw the God of Israel: and [there was] under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in [his] clearness. 24:18 - Now God is in a cloud. 25 - The Ark of Testimony instructions.  It isn't called "Ark of the Covenant" until the book of Numbers. 26 - Tabernacle Instructions 27 - Altar & Court Instructions 28 - Priest Instructions 29 - Offering Instructions 29:19 - the priests had to put their hands on the head of the animal being sacrificed. 29:29 - The priests' garments were passed on from generation to generation. 29:39 - 2 lambs a day lost their life as a sacrifice 30 - Oil Instructions 30:33 - Commanded not to put the oil on a stranger To complete the next weeks' readings, I will read through page 153 in my Bible. http://sites.google.com/site/valeriesorensenministries/ www.stickam.com/valeriesorensenministries www.livestream.com/kingdomrevival http://www.yudu.com/library/22980/Valerie-Sorensen-Ministries-Library

Genesis 41-Exodus 10 (p.150 in my Bible)

Holy Ghost Teach me....

I am amazed at the way time has travelled since beginning this literary adventure!  It has been 10 days since my last writing.  Constantly I find myself battling against "should be's" and imaginations of what it should look like reading the Bible in one year.  It is okay not to follow a booklet.  It is okay to not have daily readings but do weekly lump sum readings.  It is okay to finish one week in 10 days and the next week in 4 (which will be the case this week.)  I will not be graded at the end of the year.  No jury.  No final.  No pulling all-nighters to hope all the answers are stowed away somewhere inside my subconscious.  Just the simple pleasure of reading to be reading.  Without judgment.  Without trying to prepare for a sermon.  That's a big one.  Already so many times I read and I think, "Man that will PREACH!"  But I have to just keep going.  And I want to!

Perceptions: 

1. Dreams.  Wow, dreams really begin to be seen with Joseph and Pharoah. 
2. Egyptian priests:  (Gen.41:45) Just dawned on me that many faiths have "priests," even the ancient Egyptians.  Joseph was given the daughter of one as a wife.
3. Manasseh & Ephraim had the same situation as their grandfather, Grandaddy Jacob, with his brother Esau, in the sense that the younger got the elder's birthright.
4. Simeon had to wait in jail until the family back home finished that load of corn they brought from Egypt and decided to come back with Benjamin. (Gen.45:36)
5. Hebrews & Egyptians couldn't eat together.  It was an abomination to Egyptians! (Gen.43:32)

Definition of divine as a verb when used by Joseph to challenge his brothers that had come to him for food in Egypt (as in Gen.44:15): H.5172: 

1) to practice divination, divine, observe signs, learn by experience, diligently observe, practice fortunetelling, take as an omen

a) (Piel)

1) to practice divination

2) to observe the signs or omens

7.  Jacob calls his life a pilgrimage when speaking to Pharoah.  (Gen.47:9)
8.  They had couches in the Bible!  (Gen.49:4)
9.  I love how this so elegantly expresses crossing over.  Allow me to just quote and see for yourself:  And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people. (Gen.49:33)
10.  Appalling that Pharoah would be so heartless to ask the midwives, who delivered babies, to kill baby boys.  Shocking.  I am so happy they refused!  (Ex.1)
11.  Moses had a son!  It seems obvious, but never pondered it.  His life was so profound.  The sons' name was Gershom (meaning foreigner in Hebrew) because Moses felt to be a stranger.  (Ex.2:22)
12.  God had respect for the children of Israel.  (Ex.2:25)
13.  Zipporah's possible case of culture shock, as Egyptians didn't practice circumcision (Ex.4:25-26)
14.  There is a huge distinction between Joseph making a way for the Israelites in Goshen (drawing near in Hebrew) and where the Israelites found themselves in the generation of Moses. Joseph told his family to request Goshen from Pharoah, and then in Moses' time Goshen was where the flies did not swarm because it was still the land of the Israelites.
15.  At this point Moses seems to win the prize for the longest conversations with God, at least that we find written in Scripture.  Makes sense since he wrote the first 5 books of the Bible.

Praise the Lord!  I can't wait to keep reading.  Plagues are next and the famous Exodus story of leaving Egypt. 

This week (in the next 4 days) I will be reading through page 123 in my Bible.  (Exodus 11-30)