Navigating the Worlds of Science and Religion
NOTE: I had a lot to say on these readings. Just an FYI.
Leviticus 19: This chapter focuses on laws that all people are to follow. There are many of them and I kinda want to list some of them. It seems like most rules are followed with the statement “I am the Lord your God” or some variation. I’ll come back to my thoughts in a minute:
Leviticus 10: As I read this chapter I can’t help but think about the time in Exodus where God mentions that he’s not quick to anger. Within the first two verses, Aaron’s sons, the two who were consecrated, were killed by God. Here’s what happened: “Now Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. ² And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (Lev 10.1-2). This may make people mad, but that’s not an example of someone who isn’t quick to anger.
I read a really interesting article in the Washington Post today titled Seriously, ‘Game of Thrones’ made me a better Bible reader. I encourage people to read it. I’ve already mentioned numerous times over this past month how I wonder if people realize just how much sex and violence is in the Bible. The author said this:
There are some days where reading the Bible is a challenge. It’s not necessarily a chore, just challenging to read. Sometimes it’s the message in the text, sometimes it’s everything else going on with work, or sometimes it’s just because I’m tired. Today was one of those days.
Several parts of this reading today seemed to bother me.
Exodus 10: The eighth (locusts) and ninth (darkness) marvels occur in this chapter. Pharaoh seems like he is slowly coming around after his officials tell him that he needs to let Moses and his people go. He relents, but says they can’t take any of the young people. Moses says it needs to be everyone. Pharaoh says no. On with the locusts. Those little pests destroy all remaining vegetation in the land. Pharaoh begs them to stop and pray to God for him. God gets rid of the locusts, but “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Ex. 10.20) again! Seriously!!! Then after the next marvel (darkness) occurs, Pharaoh says all people can go, but no livestock. Moses disagrees. Again, “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Ex. 10.27). Pharaoh steps up his rhetoric and tells Moses the following: “‘Get away from me! Take care that you do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.’” (Ex. 10.28) On to the 10th plague, which is sad.
Genesis 28: This is about Isaac telling Jacob to not marry a Canaanite woman. On his trip to find a wife, he has a dream and God speaks to him: “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; ¹⁴ and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. ¹⁵ Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Gen 28.13-15) This is similar to what God said to Abraham. Just an interesting observation.
NOTE: I had a lot to say on this reading today.
Genesis 25: In this chapter Abraham remarries and has many children with his new wife. Abraham then dies and is buried with his first wife, Sarah. The text then explains Ishmael and his descendants followed by Isaac and his descendants, twin boys named Esau and Jacob. While Esau was a strong and gifted hunter, Jacob was clearly smarter and cleverer than Esau. At the end of this chapter, Jacob makes Esau give over his birthright for food.
Genesis 19: This chapter is about rescuing Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. I found several parts of this chapter troubling. First, the fact that Lot offered his virgin daughters to the men of the town so they wouldn’t harm his guests: “Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please” (Gen 19.8). That one definitely bothered me. Second, the death of Lot’s wife bothers me: “But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Gen 19.26). I kinda feel this was Lot’s fault. Yes she turned around, but he hesitated several times and questioned the angels. Last, the whole incest thing: “‘Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the world. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, so that we may preserve off spring through our father.’” (Gen 19.32-33) Just wow! Granted, his daughters thought they were the last people, but wow. One last thing, why was Gomorrah destroyed? It’s not really clear from this chapter. The first mention of Gomorrah in this chapter comes in Gen 19.24: “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.” The only explanation I could find is from Gen 19.29: “when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had settled.”