Contemplative Bible Reading

Exodus 28:9-10 (New Living Translation)

9 “Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Israel. 10 Six names will be on each stone, arranged in the order of the births of the original sons of Israel.

God is instructing His people on the priestly garments. Here, He tells them about some stones that are to be on a robe. Note, the names of the tribes shall be arranged in the order of birth of the sons.

This occurs after 400 years in Egypt. The people knew the birth order of their ancestors some 20 generations into the past. Are you kidding? How did they know that? How did they pass this knowledge down through all those generations while living in poverty in Egypt? What did they use for recording history?

Perhaps I am too involved in what we call knowledge management and such. At work, we can’t seem to remember what happened two weeks ago let alone 400 years ago and we have all the advantages of (((post(post(whatever)))modern technology.

Was this a miracle? Did this show the (false pride) importance of genealogy of these people at this time? I just ask the questions; I don’t have the answers.

Exodus 24:9-11 (New Living Translation)

9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. 10 There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. 11 And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!

Perhaps I take this passage too literally. There are other passages that state that a person who sees God dies or has some other somewhat horrible thing happen to them. This passage, however, gives a different experience.

These people, who climbed the mountain to God, “gazed upon God” and were not destroyed. They even ate and drank in His presence.

Hmmm. Perhaps these were special circumstances. Nevertheless, this is what we are told of the event. I find this to be an example of “both…and.” Both this and that can be true when they seem to contradict one another.

Job 16:7-8 (New Living Translation)

⁷ “O God, you have ground me down
    and devastated my family.
⁸ As if to prove I have sinned, you’ve reduced me to skin and bones.
    My gaunt flesh testifies against me.

Job is talking to Jehovah God the Creator. Job is partly correct in his assessment of the situation. God has allowed Job to be reduced to “skin and bones.” God does know that Job, even for all his good attributes, is a sinner (like all of us). This is a special situation as we are told that God allowed Satan to inflict disease on Job.

The end of illness as a sign of sin.

When I am ill, is that a sign that God knows I have sinned. I don’t think so. Physical life has its consequences. There are activities, many good, clean fun like playing sports, that eventually harm our physical bodies. Physical punishment from God because of my sin? Oh, please no, I hope not. If God made me sick whenever I sinned, I shudder at the thought. No, I live in the grace of God. For that I pray that I never cease to be thankful, grateful, and try to live as an expression of thanks.

Exodus 14:13-14 (New Living Translation)

¹³ But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. ¹⁴ The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

There are times when the best thing to do is, uh, well nothing. This is especially true in the Christian walk. I tend to forget that God is on my side. I tend to want to take charge and charge and (attempt to) do it all by myself.

I suppose this is part of foolish human pride. Whatever the source, it is usually foolish.

Moses tells Jehovah’s people, “Just stand still and watch the Lord.”

Good guidance for much of life’s ills.

1 Timothy 1:9 (New Living Translation)

For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders.

Righteous persons—those who do what is right—don’t need a detailed, personal copy of the law. Those who do what is right don’t go about murdering people or rebelling against a peaceful society.

Duh.

Paul—the writer of these words, explains the righteous in verse 5:

The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

Those who accept the good news of Jesus Christ have a pure heart and a clear conscience. Those who accept the good news of Jesus Christ don’t need all that other stuff as it just doesn’t matter to them.

Murder? Who needs that? Defiling all the is Holy? Who needs that? We have the good news. All those petty things just don’t matter.

Exodus 12:12 (New Living Translation)

On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord!

Jehovah God is discussing the Passover plague that is coming to Egypt. The first sentence above gives the usual punishment coming against the firstborn person and animal of all the Egyptians.

Notice, as I had never until now, that Jehovah is to execute judgement against all the gods of Egypt as well. One way to read this is that the gods of Egypt actually exist. Why would Jehovah the LORD punish gods that didn’t exist? Does this mean these gods are real? Are they agents or angels of Satan?

On the other hand, is Jehovah executing judgement on those who believe in non-existent gods? Is Jehovah punishing those who believe in or worship non-existent gods?

I don’t know the answers to any of the questions I have asked above. It seems that either way or through another idea it will be bad for those who serve these Egyptian gods. Jehovah God is a jealous God who does not abide people who worship other gods.

Leviticus 19:4 (New Living Translation)

Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.

Here is another one of those “New Testament style” instructions found in the heart of the Old Testament law.

God gave the people specific instructions about worshiping idols. God gave the people specific instructions about destroying idols. Now, God gives the people instruction about trusting in idols.

• How do you measure trust?
• What indicates that someone is trusting in an idol?
• What do you see or hear that indicates trust?

Trust is in the heart. I can’t see inside another person’s heart. Sometimes I think I can, but sometimes I think lots of foolish things. Perhaps this is a not so subtle hint from God to the people that God can see what is in the heart.

Leviticus 19:3 (New Living Translation)

Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God.

After chapters of specific commands to the people, the LORD now gives some “fuzzy” instructions. Here is one of the first.

Respect your mother and father

This doesn’t say what specific day of what specific month to do so. This doesn’t say where you are to do so. This doesn’t say much of anything in the way of specific instruction.

• How do you measure respect?
• How do you recognize respect?
• What have you seen or heard that indicates respect?

Respect comes from the heart, and no one I’ve ever met can see inside the heart of another person. That is left up to God or at least it should be left up to God. Sometimes I decide to step in and measure the hearts of others. Foolish me. God, forgive my foolishness. Mend my heart so that I may respect others and what happens in their hearts.

Jonah 4:10-11 (New Living Translation)

¹⁰ Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. ¹¹ But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

I find that the (hi)story of Jonah to be one of the more enlightening ones in the Bible. Here, at the end of the (hi)story, Jehovah God tells Jonah that the great city of Ninevah had 120,000 persons living in spiritual darkness. God wanted Jonah to show them spiritual light—to show them Jehovah God the Creator.

Back up a bit. Nineveh is the capitol of the Assyrian empire. The Assyrians, no doubt, killed, murdered, raped, pillaged, and plundered the know world on their way to become the great Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians killed etc. more than needed in the land of Jacob’s descendants.

Jonah hated these people for what they had done to his people.

Still, Jehovah shows his pity for these people living in spiritual darkness. He sends Jonah—the most effective evangelist in recorded history. Jonah “converted” 120,000 people in a few days without TV, Radio, or the Internet.

Jehovah shows pity for me—a little guy who tries to live in spiritual light, but tends to fall behind too often. Thank you God for your grace shown to all; grace shown to the people of Nineveh, and grace shown to me.

Isaiah 25:6-8 (New Living Translation)
6 In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will spread a wonderful feast
for all the people of the world.
It will be a delicious banquet
with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat.
7 There he will remove the cloud of gloom,
the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.
8 He will swallow up death forever!
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears.
He will remove forever all insults and mockery
against his land and people.
The Lord has spoken!

I believe this passage tells us of a day yet to come. In that future time, God will gather the believers for a celebration.

I love the description given in verse 7. There is currently a cloud of doom, a shadow of death that hangs over the earth. The earth is shrouded in this awful cloud and shadow. God will remove that.

What will the earth be like when that cloud is removed? I long to see it.