Exodus 24-26

When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.” (Exodus 24:3-7)

The Israeli people's commitment is invited several times and at multiple levels. Notice: Moses tells the people of the LORD's laws; and they respond, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” He writes down the LORD's laws; and they respond with burnt offerings and blood sacrifices. Moses reads the LORD's laws as they have been recorded; and the Israeli people again swear, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”

Exodus 21-23

Rules! Rules! Rules! The Bible readings today show how a premium is placed on the judges of the Israeli people. Laws are recorded here together with instructions that judges are to decide what is to be done after a law is broken. God bless those who are called judges!

I see a progression here: In Exodus, chapter 18, Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, advises the delegation of responsibilities for judging among the people. He recommends judges be appointed for thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. The judges are to be taught the demands of justice and given the responsibility for trying all but the most difficult cases, which are to be referred to Moses. After sharing his unasked for advice, Jethro goes away.

Then Moses and the people he leads travel to Mount Sinai. There the standards of justice are given and codified. With that code in hand Moses can teach the judges of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

Finally, I am told that the Law of Moses is intended, if not to extend full mercy, then at least to place limits on vengeance. The appointment of judges is a step in that direction. Whenever justice is left to injured parties it tends not to justice, but to revenge. Take Lamech for example: 

Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” (Genesis 4:23-24)

In light of Lamech's brand of vengeance the limiting of revenge seems gentler and more just in the Law of Moses: 

"...eye for eye, tooth for tooth..." (Exodus 21:24a)

Exodus 19-20, Psalms 31-32

I didn't finish and failed to save my initial work on the readings for January 28. View a reflection on those readings below.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:3-5)

In my experience the guilt of wrongdoing is most effectively handled by talking about it. Talk that leads to confession and to asking for forgiveness gets to the "heart" of such matters, making it possible for those injured to forgive. Choosing not to talk leaves the guilt of wrongdoing unexpressed, and unless those injured by wrongdoing speak out, forgiveness for wrongdoing is "put on hold."



January 28 Readings: Exodus 16-18



After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. (Exodus 18:2-3a)

I suspect there is a lot of information not recorded in the Bible connected with Moses' sending his wife and sons to live with his father-in-law for a time and then receiving them back again. I imagine Moses sent Zipporah, Gershom, and Eliezer to the safety of Jethro's home before Moses went back to Egypt on his mission of leading the Hebrew people from Egypt to Canaan. But the Bible doesn't explicitly say so. Maybe their "send off" occurred during the exodus itself. Perhaps the contentiousness between the migrant Hebrew people and their leader had increased to the point that Moses believed his family's safety was at risk. After all, he complains to the LORD, "They are almost ready to stone me." (Exodus 17:4b)

I also imagine that Moses' wife and children continue with him, not Jethro, after Moses sends his father-in-law away. (Exodus 18:27) But again, the scriptures do not give explicit information.

The trials and rewards of leadership concern not only the leader, but also the leader's family. Leaders, take heed!

Exodus 13-15

The LORD said to Moses, “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.” (Exodus 13:1-2)

I feel a certain kind of sting in this command. According to the story told in Exodus, chapters 11 and 12, a plague of death had taken the firstborn son of every Egyptian citizen and the firstborn of the Egyptians' animals, too. Now the LORD claims the firstborn son of every Israeli family. In contrast with the Egyptians' firstborn sons and animals (those devoted to death) the Israelis' firstborn sons and animals are devoted to the Lord. They belong to God. 

The firstborn sons and animals of the Israelis are to be redeemed by sacrifices made to the LORD. So there is a continuing reminder to whom all belong (the LORD) and an ongoing remembrance of the LORD's part in securing the release of the Israelis from the bonds of their slavery in Egypt.

Exodus 11-12, Psalm 30

Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh. (Exodus 11:8c)

In the divine-human contest of wills Pharaoh's attitude is described both as his own and as God-given. Pharaoh hardens his own heart, as in Exodus, chapter 8, verse 15. But then God hardens Pharaoh's heart, as in Exodus, chapter 11, verse 10. He wavers between releasing the Hebrew people and keeping them in bondage. After considering their release, his heart hardens, either by his own will or by the LORD's will, and he decides not to free them. Pharaoh does so again and again.

After announcing nine plagues and watching the LORD deliver nine plagues, Moses announces the tenth, final, and most deadly plague of all--a plague of death upon the firstborn sons of all Egyptian citizens and the firstborn animals belonging to them. Moses seems troubled that circumstances have progressed to this point. He seems neither to understand nor to accept Pharaoh's willful opposition to the LORD's plan, and he seems weary of his own role in bearing messages of doom to the Egyptian leader. No wonder, then, that Moses is "hot with anger."

What is my response when I see the hardness of others' hearts? How am I touched by the hardness of my own heart?

Exodus 8-10, Psalm 29

I was blessed as a child to live in a hilltop house that had large windows. I could sit in the living room in an old rocking chair, look through the glass, and see the countryside for miles and miles. Since those windows faced eastward I saw many sunrises, during my formative years. I can remember the look of the land in winter, spring, summer, and fall, and I relish to recall views of the sky from the comfort of my rocking chair perch.

Thunderstorms were among my favorites. My heart beat faster, as the winds drove great raindrops against the windowpane. Lightning flashed from cloud to cloud across the heavens. The trunks and branches of the trees whipped this way and that. How exciting to press my face against the glass, to feel the house shudder, to hear great thunderclaps, and to see the wet, whirling majesty of dancing skies!

On certain occasions those storms were so violent, Mom insisted we all go to the basement. There was a tornado watch or perhaps a tornado warning. I went reluctantly. I would rather have stayed by the picture window, waiting, watching, and thrilling at the sight!

Reading Psalm 29 evokes those memories for me. I imagine that my soul is akin to the psalmist's, for the psalmist links the awe of chaotic wind and water with awe of a mighty God. The psalmist hears a call to worship in the storm of his senses. By the beauty of God's storm-swept creation the psalmist is led to prayer and praise for the Creator.

Indeed, may the LORD give strength to the people. May the LORD give us peace...

Exodus 5-7

But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?” (Exodus 6:35)

The event recorded in the Bible's book of Exodus, chapter 6, is not the first time Moses uses the way he speaks as an excuse. It was one of his objections to answering the call of God in the first place (Exodus 4:10). It makes me wonder if Moses has made a habit of blaming himself when things don't go as expected and chalking it up to his poor performance in speaking. If so, then his habit prevents him from recognizing another view of his missed expectation, namely, that Pharaoh is responsible for temporarily thwarting God's efforts to release the Hebrew people from their servitude.

How often, when things don't seem to go as expected, do we blame ourselves, assuming we said or did something that foiled the expectation? A wider view might ask, "What are the many root causes of this failure of expectation?" and, "How did the expectation originate?" 

It's worth contemplating a wider view...

 

Exodus 3-4, Psalm 28

Exodus, chapter 4, introduces Aaron for the first time. Moses has been introduced already. Moses' sister has been introduced, too. Moses' tribe, his parents, his wife and father-in-law have appeared already in the biblical narrative, but not Aaron. It's odd to me, for Aaron has an important part to play as Moses' "mouthpiece."

Moses had barely escaped death as a baby. Read about his rescue in Exodus, chapter 2. Aaron must have escaped, too, but the Bible does not record that story. Aaron is on his way to see his brother, Moses, at Horeb when Aaron first appears in the story. He has high regard for his brother, and he has reverence for God.

I've always noticed Moses when reading the Bible's book of Exodus. I'm paying attention to Aaron, as I read through the Bible this time. 

Exodus 1-2, Psalms 26-27

Both attributed to David, Psalm 26 stands in stark contrast with Psalm 51...

Psalm 26                                                                         Psalm 51
Vindicate me!                                                                 Have mercy on me!
I have walked in integrity...                                            Blot out my transgressions...
Prove me...I walk in faithfulness...                                 Wash me...My sin is ever before me...

Is David of Psalm 26 the same David of Psalm 51? Apparently so, yet the two writings are so different! Perhaps the one is written in a time of confident hope. Then the other is written in a time of shame and despair. One represents a view from the mountaintop of spiritual blessing. The other gives a look into the dark night of the soul.

God is the God of both!

Genesis 49-50, Psalm 25

After their father dies Joseph's brothers become concerned for their situation, wondering if, perhaps, Joseph has forestalled vengeance against them so long as Jacob lived. They send a message to Joseph, begging his forgiveness (Genesis 50:16-17).

Joseph reassures his brothers that his forgiveness is real and that he harbors no thoughts of revenge (Genesis 50:19-21). He states a truth that bears both repeating and contemplating, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." I'm grateful that God sometimes works this way: We intend to do harm by our actions, but God uses them to accomplish something good. 

It would be both unwise and irresponsible to do as we please, both good and bad, trusting God to work it all out for the good. But it is comforting to know that God can and does use flawed human efforts in order to bring about good outcomes, especially in the case of unintended harm. 

How often, in trying to do well, do we cause some unforeseen hurt? God knows our hearts, but everyone else knows the hurts! We can apologize and try to make amends, but God can create an even greater good out of the messes we have made. The possibility is a comfort to me.

Genesis 46-48

What drew my attention in the Bible reading today was the meeting between Jacob and Pharaoh. When they first meet Jacob blesses Pharaoh (Genesis 47:7), and when they separate Jacob blesses Pharaoh again (Genesis 47:10). Now in an indirect way Jacob has already blessed Pharaoh, because Jacob is Joseph's father, and Joseph has arranged Pharaoh's business to profit from the severe famine in that region. As events unfold we learn that by Joseph's stewardship the wealth of the land, the people of the land, and the land itself comes into Pharaoh's possession. Only one class of Egyptians escapes financial ruin and indebted servitude--the priests. Pharaoh is "sitting pretty" when he first meets the father of his number one adviser (Joseph). Yet the old man (Jacob) blesses him!

Joseph's wealth-taking, slave-making, and land grabbing on behalf of Pharaoh is breathtaking to contemplate! As a youth he had been sold into slavery by his brothers. He had experienced slavery's injustice through forced labor and by the lies of his owners, Potiphar and his wife. True, Pharaoh had rewarded Joseph for his ruthless management of Pharaoh's lands, but Joseph must have known his benefits could have been stripped at any moment. He is an enslaved man. 

How could he even think of enslaving others? Yet he does (Genesis 47:21). He does to the whole nation of Egypt what his brothers had long ago done to him! Soon the whole nation of Israel (the descendants of Jacob) will be enslaved by Egypt, too. "What goes around comes around." But that story begins in the Bible's book of Exodus. And we aren't "there" yet.

Reflecting on Joseph's story: The need for care is indicated in my life, centering on the ways I have been ill-treated, for I may be tempted to mistreat others in the same or similar ways.

Genesis 43-45

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, I pray you.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God... (Genesis 45:4-8a)

Somehow Joseph has arrived at a wide view of his circumstances, and he shares it with his brothers. They had sold him into slavery in Egypt, but according to his broad vision, God had sent him there. They had tried to rid themselves of him, but God had used him to preserve their lives. Joseph forgives his brothers. The family seems to be reconciled.

How wide is your viewpoint, reader? How far does my forgiveness reach? Who in the world needs to be reconciled?

Genesis 41-42, Psalms 23-24

I did not access the internet on January 17. View a reflection on those readings below.

When Joseph's brothers come to Egypt to buy food he does not reveal his identity to them immediately. Although he recognizes them, they do not recognize him. He accuses them of espionage (Genesis 42:9).

I wonder if there is more of a struggle within Joseph than I had previously imagined. He imprisons the brothers for a time. He lets all of them go, except for Simeon. He sends provisions with them, but has the purchase money returned to them secretly. Joseph seems to be ratcheting up suspense, setting a trap, and inciting terror in his family of origin. He's been made to suffer by being sold into slavery. Is he entertaining thoughts of revenge with his accusations, designs, and intrigue?

Joseph's brothers are "sweating it" for certain (Genesis 42:28), as "their hearts sank." And their father, Jacob, is driven to the brink of despair (Genesis 42:38). Joseph seems really, really close to doing something both vengeful and violent. What tips the scales?

 

January 17 Readings: Genesis 39-40, Psalm 22

This is an interesting set of paired readings. With Joseph unjustly imprisoned and forgotten by those who might have helped it is easy to imagine his cries going up before God in this way: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest." (Psalm 22:1-2) Yet Psalm 22 is attributed to David, who lived many centuries after Joseph had lived and died.

It's interesting and encouraging, too. Since David's psalm seems to express what Joseph likely felt, I have hope that Psalm 22 (or another passage of scripture) may express my feelings, too. 

Genesis 37-38, Psalm 21

Someone has famously said, "These kids nowadays! You buy them books, send them to school, and they grow up to be just like you."

In the "school" of life Jacob might have learned something about the ill effects of parental favoritism. Jacob had been the favorite of his mother, Rebekah; and Esau had been the favorite of his father, Isaac. Their parents' favoritism, in part, had set the brothers, Jacob and Esau, against one another. So as he had grown up, Jacob had experienced some of the negative consequences of parental favoritism firsthand. He knew something about it, but did he know enough not to practice it himself? Apparently not!

Years and years pass by. Jacob has a big family--12 sons by 2 wives and 2 concubines. I can't imagine any good purpose to be served by showing favoritism to any of his children. Yet Jacob replicates his father's behavior (Genesis 37:3). As Isaac had shown favoritism to his son Esau, so Jacob shows favoritism to his son, Joseph. Jacob sows dissent and hatred among his sons, just as his father, Isaac, had done.

I sense deep mystery in another of Jacob's sons--Reuben. On the one hand, he is no paragon of virtue. He had sexual relations with Bilhah, one of his father's concubines (Genesis 35:22). Yet when the sons of Jacob plot to kill Joseph, Reuben steps in to attempt a rescue (Genesis 37:21).

It can be said of anyone, I suppose: "You are a good egg...but slightly cracked."

Genesis 34-36, Psalm 20

Psalm 20: The Art of Blessing

Verses 1 through 5 impart blessings--protection, help, remembrance, etc.--from God. Reader, when have you shared God's blessing for others? When have I?

Verses 6 through 8 show confidence in God. I find my confidence increasing whenever God's blessings are given to me, whenever God's blessings are spoken to me. It's hard to imagine any other response. Those who hear God's blessing are encouraged, emboldened, and empowered.

Verse 9 closes Psalm 20 with a specific request. Those who have been blessed feel strong enough to ask for success. Who blesses you, reader? How power-filled are you? What is your request?

God knows.

Genesis 31-33

Jacob, the man who trips other people, just as his name implies, meets his match, so to speak, in Laban. Jacob works for Laban and grows very wealthy. The story of their interactions tells of deceptive practices and half-truths told by both men. They are so much alike, they can't get along and decide to separate. Jacob assembles his people and possessions, and he strikes out for the land of his birth.

Jacob is afraid that Esau harbors anger. He had cheated Esau and had gone to Laban's homeland. He had cheated Laban and had set out for Esau's homeland. So Jacob is caught between two difficult situations and fearful of two powerful men, Esau (his brother) and Laban (his father-in-law).

All of this is brought to a head at Peniel, where Jacob wrestles all night with a man, or is it with God? No matter--he comes to the realization that his struggle with himself and with his God is as significant as his struggles with Esau and Laban, perhaps even more so. Jacob is fundamentally changed by this knowledge, as symbolized in his new name--Israel, which probably means "He struggles with God," according to footnotes to the New International Version of the Bible.

My experience is consistent with this biblical truth: The understanding that comes as the result of significant struggles can be life-changing for a person.

Genesis 28-30

Jacob's destiny seems set in a prophecy given to his mother, Rebekah (Genesis 25:23), or at his birth  and naming (Genesis 25:26). Esau's destiny seems set, too, in that same prophecy or later in life when he valued his birthright too little (Genesis 25:33) and married Hittite women (Genesis 26:34). Apparently, Esau failed to see the importance of his position as firstborn son and the significance of his lineage to his family's tribe.

Yesterday's reading, Genesis 27, told how Jacob and Rebekah had conspired to steal Esau's blessing. The conspiratorial plan worked to perfection. Jacob received a rich blessing from his father; and Esau got a "leftover" blessing. Esau became so angry he plotted to kill Jacob. Rebekah learned of the plan and responded with further planning of her own: She would send Jacob away to safety among members of her family of origin.

In the reading for today I see something I hadn't noticed before: Isaac blesses Jacob a second time (Genesis 28:1). The old man is aware of Jacob's deception and presumably aware of Rebekah's role, too. Yet, before Jacob goes away to his mother's people, Isaac blesses his younger son again. Maybe Isaac sees the hand of God in the turn of events, or perhaps he senses the inevitability of Jacob's favor, especially since Isaac is dying and Rebekah cares more for Jacob than for Esau.

A final note: Esau makes a "sour grapes" move. Upon learning that his parents despise Canaanite women, he deliberately seeks for one to wed (Genesis 28:8-9). Esau's progeny will be borne by Hittite and Canaanite mothers!

Genesis 26-27, Psalm 19

Genesis 26:6-8 reports: "So Isaac stayed in Gerar. When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, 'She is my sister,' because he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife.' He thought, 'The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.'

"When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, 'She is really your wife! Why did you say, "She is my sister"?'

"Isaac answered him, 'Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.'"

If my count is correct, then this is the third biblical "wife-as-sister" ruse. Abraham used it twice and was found out both times. Here Isaac uses it and is discovered. In each case the non-Hebrew people prove more honest and trustworthy than the patriarchs and matriarchs of our faith. Yet God continues to keep covenant with them and to favor them.

It is right there in the Bible for me: If I begin to think highly of myself as a man of faith, then the scriptures remind me of other men's forthrightness and justice. I fail God and fail often, but God never fails to keep promises made to me.

Genesis 24-25, Psalms 17-18

Genesis 22-23, Psalm 16

I had no internet access on January 9. View a reflection on those readings below.

Genesis 22 records one of the most troubling stories in the entire Bible. Why? Genesis 22:2 reports the voice of God either telling or tempting Moses to sacrifice his son, Isaac. I find that report inconsistent with the character of God revealed by the overall story of the Bible and incompatible with specific teachings I hold in high esteem. Here are some examples:

• "God is faithful..." (1 Corinthians 1:9a)
• "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4)
• "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone..." (James 1:13)

Praise God! An animal sacrifice is provided. Human sacrifice is prohibited.




January 9 Readings: Genesis 20-21, Psalm 15

"LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart..." (Psalm 15:1-2)

The short answer to the psalmist's questions is "NO ONE." No one is blameless. No one is 100% righteous. So no one may dwell in the LORD's sacred tent. Nobody may live on the LORD's holy mountain.

Still...I see the wisdom sayings in 15:2-5 as useful. They are targets--goals for which to strive. It would be foolish to aim for a blame-filled walk or unrighteous doings. It would be sad to harbor lies in the heart intentionally, then to speak them. It would be wrong to plan beforehand to slander and to do wrong to a neighbor. No! Aim at these instead: Honor God-fearing people. Keep promises made no matter what.

Genesis 18-19, Psalms 13-14

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4a NIV)

At 6:30 a.m. this morning I sat beside Blue Lake, near Andalusia, Alabama. The sky was awash in colors—purple, orange, red, gray, blue, coral, pink, white—as the sun rose over the lake. No breeze disturbed the surface of the water. It reflected heaven’s dazzling display to my eye. The song of distant yapping coyotes drifted to my ear, and nearby an owl questioned, “Who?”

Sunrise was alive with the presence of the sun’s Creator there by the lake; and I lived, loved, and breathed God’s glory for several precious moments. I feel grateful to share creation’s praise for our Creator.

Genesis 16-17, Psalm 12

A Quick Review: The first biblical record of God's promises to Abram are found in Genesis, chapter 12. At that time Abram was 75 years old. The LORD said, "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing." (Genesis 12:2)

The next instance of God's promises to Abram follow in Genesis, chapter 13. "The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, 'Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward^; for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever.'" (Genesis 13:14-15)

Again in Genesis, chapter 15, God's promises to Abram are listed. "And he brought him outside and said, 'Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.'" In this chapter the term "covenant" is used to describe God's promises to Abram for the first time. "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates...'" (Genesis 15:18)

The Bible recorded a covenant between God and Noah, Noah's descendants, and all living things in Genesis, chapter 9. So Genesis 15:18 is not the first use of the term "covenant" in the Bible. It is the first use of the term "covenant" in the Bible in reference to God's promises to Abram.

Today: In the Bible reading God's promises to Abram are restated. Abram is now 99 years old, and when he hears that his 90-year-old wife is to become the mother of his child Abram falls on his face and laughs. (Genesis 17:17) The LORD addresses the doubts arising in Abram's mind. The long hoped-for son is to be named Isaac, which means, "he laughs." 

It is a day of new, God-given names. "Abram" becomes "Abraham." "Sarai" becomes "Sarah." And "son" (with a question mark) becomes "Isaac" (with an exclamation point).

What is your new, God-given name, reader? What is the condition of the covenant between you and your God? 

Genesis 14-15, Psalm 11

Nowadays I receive daily reports of unrest from many regions on Planet Earth. So Psalm 11:5 seems especially relevant. "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The rest of the psalm suggests that the LORD punishes those who spend their time doing evil. Those who spend their time hungering and thirsting for righteousness can put their trust in the LORD, because "the upright will see his face." (Psalm 11:7c)

Those who love justice, as the LORD does, can work for justice, too. Those who claim love for and allegiance with the LORD can defend the defenseless, raise up the fallen, and nourish the hungry. In doing so, I believe, we will see the face of God.

Genesis 12‐13, Psalm 10

According to the story told in the Bible's book of Genesis, chapters 12 and 13, Abram is told to go to "a place that the LORD promises to show."  Here it gets interesting to me, because Abram "sets out for Canaan."

Remember: When Noah cursed his youngest son, Ham, progenitor of the Canaanites (Genesis 9), Noah also blessed his older sons, Shem and Japheth. In particular look at Shem's blessing, recorded in Genesis 9:26, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem." 

Abram is a direct descendant of Shem (Genesis 11). Ancient blessings and curses seem to privilege Shem's tribe over Ham's (Canaan). If Abram is aware of the ancient blessings and curses, then it seems likely he is predisposed to travel to Canaanite territory when given the message, "Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)

Whether predisposed, predestined, or perceived Abram goes. According to Genesis 12:5, "He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there."

The plot thickens...

Genesis 9‐11, Psalm 9

God's interactions with humans change with time; and humans' interactions with God vary from one time to another time and to every other time. Take Noah, for example. The Bible's book of Genesis, chapter 6, verse 8, states that of all the mostly-wicked humans on earth Noah "found favor" in the eyes of the LORD. Reading today in Genesis, chapter 9, verses 21-22, the Bible tells how Noah's favor turns into a curse for his son, Ham. Noah plants a vineyard, drinks wine to excess, takes off his clothes, and passes out in his tent. Ham goes into his father's tent, sees everything there, and tells his brothers, Shem and Japheth, outside. They cover the old man (without looking!) and exit his tent.

When Noah wakes up he curses Ham for "what his youngest son had done to him." Although the curse falls on Ham, Noah seems complicit through his thoughtless, risky, drunken behaviors. I imagine these are not the same behaviors exhibited by Noah at an earlier time when he "found favor" in the eyes of the LORD. And if Noah is still "favored" in the eyes of the LORD after cursing Ham, then I imagine it to be a different kind of "favor" altogether.

Does God have respect for Noah's cursing of Ham? Possibly--One of Ham's sons, Canaan, fathers a number of tribes, known collectively as the Canaanites (See Genesis 10:15-19).  They appear both in the story of Abram and Sarai, told in the Bible's book of Genesis, and in the story of the Exodus, where they appear as enemies of the Hebrew people. Hold onto that fact for now, reader. Remember it when reading the Bible's book of Exodus.

In the meantime continue reading the Bible's book of Genesis...

Genesis 7‐8, Psalm 8

Psalm 8 takes me to another place. Composers and lyricists seem to agree:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd7uslewV4g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdKQh7pHlwc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZTx1vIpksc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIC7ZVt4OKg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dugb_8SIWU0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrTV0KD_qQI

May you have a blessed day, reader!

Genesis 5‐6, Psalm 7

I am sorry. It seems I can't identify with the psalmist's confidence. The author of Psalm 7 seems pretty sure he has not "repaid an ally with evil" nor "robbed his foe without cause." Me? I'm not as confident. In fact I feel sure I have betrayed a friend, at times, and have cursed an enemy without provocation.

So if I urge the LORD to righteous anger against my enemy, then I invite God to punish me, too.

Sometimes, God doesn't have to get involved with punishing evildoers. Psalm 7:15-16 provides an example: "Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made. The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads."

My experience bears this out: Whenever I put a stumbling block in an other's path, more often than not, I stump my toe on it. Ouch! I haven't fallen into the snares I'd previously set 100 per cent of the time, but often enough to get the point: Don't be that way! Stop doing those things!

Better to take away a stumbling block, better to make the path straight, both for others and for me...

Genesis 3‐4, Psalms 5‐6

Reflecting on the story told in Genesis, chapters 3 and 4, prompts me to pay attention to my inner responses while reading and rereading it. One such response is my preference for the story to be mainly concerned with people who lived long ago and far away. But my heart tells me the story concerns me, too, probably in ways that are more immediate than I feel ready to admit. Shall I follow my preference or my heart, as I continue to reflect on the story?

Here is another inner response: I am struck by the enormity of the choice implied by the two trees God places at the center of humans' environment. One is the Tree of Life from which woman and man may may freely partake, just as we may feed on every other tree "pleasing to the eye and good for food."(Genesis 2:9) Another is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, from which woman and man are forbidden to partake under penalty of death. Which shall we choose? Life forever (Genesis 3:22) or die (Genesis 2:17)? My inner response is a trembling soul-quake!

Finally, I am moved to the response of compassion. As the story unfolds, woman and man do not immediately experience the death penalty promised by Creator God. Instead they live to see their second-born die, murdered by the hand of their firstborn. What could be worse for a parent? I let go of my temptation to rush into judgment: "They got just what they deserved!" Through God-given tenderness my soul weeps.