I Am Not Dead...Yet

Once again, a great deal of time has passed since I posted last. Teaching two graduate level classes alongside a full-time job has been rather demanding. I hope you are enjoying your third reading of the Torah. Also, I hope you are finding this month to be much less demanding on the note-taking front.

I thought I would share a quick insight that I found intriguing as I read with my attention focused on repeated geography and character names. As I read through Numbers, I was struck by a few details in chapter 13, the story of the twelve spies. (Insert old Sunday School song: "Twelve men went to spy on Canaan ten were bad and two were good"...and so on.) Three keywords seemed notable: Eschol, Negeb, and Hebron.

Each of these words occur throughout Genesis 13-23. We are told here and there throughout these chapters that Abram was dwelling in Hebron (13:18) near "the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eschol and Aner (ESV, 14:13). Later on, in chapter 20, Abraham flees Hebron due to famine and travels through the Negeb to Gerar, eventually setting up shop, so to speak, in Beersheba. We are informed in 23:1 that Abraham had migrated back to Hebron (Kiriath-Arba), which was where Sarah died. He purchased the field of Machpelah to the east of Mamre (which has now changed from a person's name to a geographical location) as a burial site.

In Numbers 13, the spies take a reverse path, traveling from Paran/Kadesh through the Negeb to Hebron, namely, the Valley of Eschol. Here we are told that the name of this Valley is due the to "clusters" (eschol in Hebrew) of grapes. However, one cannot help but wonder if this is connected to Eschol, the brother of Mamre, friend to Abram the Hebrew so long ago. Suffice it to say that it seems that the Israelites found themselves in the place where two of the major covenants and promises (chapters 15 and 17) were made with and to Abram/Abraham.

It is my conviction that these details give us some warrant to consider these stories in parallel (in good Hebrew narrative fashion). In doing so, what struck me was the fact that the story in Numbers throws the reader right back to Abraham, traversing the ground on which he walked and lived. The land they were spying out was the land in which Abraham and his clan dwelt as foreigners and where God set the groundwork for the people of Israel through the covenant of circumcision. Further, it was the place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and many others' burial.

What is the possible significance of this? We might say that the site of Abraham's peace was the site of these Israelites' anxiety. In Genesis 14, Abram is informed of a situation that will require him to raid a band of warring kings to rescue his nephew Lot. In Numbers 13, the spies are tasked with reporting the situation in the land. Whereas Abram responds with familial loyalty and bravery (for lack of a better term), the spies (or the majority of them) respond with cowardice and disloyalty, shrinking before the inhabitants. Abram's overall response to God's call (represented in microcosm in chapter 14) that he should move into the land of Canaan is resolute. The Israelites are fearful despite the promise of God to provide them victory.

What connections have you seen as you read?

Third Reading Instructions

Hello Everyone,

I have been unbelievably busy over the past few weeks, so I have not been able to post as I would like. Alas...

We officially began our third reading cycle yesterday and I had forgotten to post this cycle's instructions. So, here they are:

Third Read-Through: Peoples, Places, and Things

                Instructions:

1.     You now have a solid base with which you can structure the progression of the story thematically and chronologically. In this read-through, you will focus on the people, places, and things. Your first task is to keep track of common names of characters and names of places throughout the Torah. Please note: This is not common character traits or descriptions. Look for the same or similar names. This will probably require you to spend a bit more time in the genealogy and geographical sections.

a.     For example: Lamech, the son of Methusael, is mentioned as a member of Cain’s genealogy (Genesis 4:18); Lamech, the son of Methusaleh, is a member of Seth’s genealogy (Genesis 5:25).

b.     Also stay alert for people groups that are named after their ancestors. For example: Moab, the son of the illicit union between Lot and his daughter (Genesis 19:37), is also a group of people mentioned throughout Numbers and Deuteronomy (see particularly Numbers 21-26).

c.     Finally, look for similar objects: animals, tools, elements, etc. For example: altars are built on several occasions by Noah (Genesis 8:20), Abraham (Genesis 12:7), Moses (Exodus 24:4), etc.

2.     After you have compiled your data, use your colored pencils to connect different subsections by their common geography or character references on your thematic maps.

a.     A good way of accomplishing this might be to connect the subsections or the major sections with a line of a certain color and write the name of the person, place or thing that connects them. 

b.    Revamp your sections as needed.

A Quick Question

As we are finishing our second reading today and tomorrow, I want you to do me a favor. As you read through the Joseph story starting in chapter 37, track what is going on between Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. I want to know what you all think is at stake with these characters. The story seems intent on contrasting them. What is the reason for such a contrast?

There are no wrong answers; speculate freely.

Re-envisioning Micah 6:8

Well everyone, it has been awhile. My job was a bit hectic this last week so I could not find the time to post. I hope you are all doing well as we approach the end of the second reading.

I thought I would take the time to share an insight that occurred as I was reading through Micah for a one-on-one Bible study that I am doing with a good friend of mine. A very popular verse in Micah, which has been set to a tune, is 6:8: "He has told you, O [hu]man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you? To do justice and to love mercy (probably better translated "covenant faithfulness") and to walk humbly with your God."

As I reflected on this verse in my past, I realized that, as the only verse I was actually familiar with in the book, it was the one verse I looked for as I read. I found myself skimming the rest of the book until I arrived at this familiar territory. This time, I was surprised what caught my attention. Read these verses that lead up to it in Micah 6:3-5:

3 “My people, what have I done to you?
    How have I burdened you? Answer me.
⁴ I brought you up out of Egypt
    and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you,
    also Aaron and Miriam.
⁵ My people, remember
    what Balak king of Moab plotted
    and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,
    that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.” (NIV from Biblegateway.com)

I found myself thinking, "Hey, I remember what Balak plotted! I remember the journey from Shittim to Gilgal! I remember the righteous acts of the Lord!" (My thoughts were very exciting: hence the exclamation marks.) Here, Micah is illustrating the current situation (Samaria and Jerusalem are being threatened with invasion by Assyria) with a story from Torah. Balak, in Numbers, was plotting the downfall of the Israelites and sought to curse them by means of Balaam. The God of Israel's reminder to these people is that they were delivered through this into the land of Canaan, namely to Gilgal.

Now read what precedes the famous Micah 6:8, 6:6-7:

⁶ With what shall I come before the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (NIV from Biblegateway.com)

Micah, having called the people of Israel to remember the righteous acts of the Lord from Shittim to Gilgal, asks the question of what is required as an offering in the act of repentance. I have described above the plot of Balak, but here we should remember the moral failing of Israel at the advice of Balaam to fraternize with the women of Moab and Midian, which resulted in idolatry. In that case, one thing was "required" of the Israelites. But, this "one thing" was not an offering, which is strange since Numbers details a number (Ha!) of sacrifices for cleansing (see chapter 18). What was required to save the people of Israel was the just and covenant-faithful action of one person to stop the plague that was sweeping through Israel. I would suggest that it is not the death of the man, Zimri, who brought the Midianite woman into the camp that caused the plague to cease, but the covenant-faithful act of Phineas to do what others were apparently too scared to do: namely, to punish the deliberate sin of another Israelite for the sake of the preservation of the community. 

It was not a calf or a ram, not a thousand rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil that would bring about God's mercy. The Lord requires justice, covenant-faithfulness, and humility. Micah does not call us to abstract concepts, but to actions that are rooted in the narrative of Israel. I challenge you all to branch out a bit and see the veins of the prophets filled with Torah: the heart of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Some Fruits of Our Labors

Hello Everyone,

I am not sure how many of you are left, having now read Exodus twice in the matter of three weeks or so. For those of you that are: keep on keeping on, I suppose.

In other news, I have attached a link to my sermon that I preached this week at Way of Life Christian Fellowship in Grain Valley, MO. I wanted to share it because it is a direct result of the reading and conversation that we have done on this blog.

Where Are You from and Where Are You Going?

For those of you who are not auditory in your learning, here is a brief synopsis. The text is Genesis 14:1-16. It is the story of the four kings versus the five kings wherein Abram and his band of mercenaries perform a nighttime raid to rescue his nephew, Lot. I purposely cut off the story before the Melchizedek passage (a.k.a. the "interesting" part). I argued that, from a literary and theological perspective, this text pits Abram against his own family (Chedorlaomer is from Elam, a city named after Shem's first son. Abram is the descendant of Eber who is also from the family of Shem. See chapter 10.) and requires him to ally himself with the enemies of his family (Hamites/Canaanites). As such, my contention is that calling Abram a Hebrew (14:13) in this situation is a clue to the reader that Abram has become, by nature of his calling, a third party. However, this status is more a theological distinction than a sociological one. He has become suspended between his lineage as a Shemite and his location in Hamite/Canaanite territory. He is a rogue--a wild card. With this is mind, I challenged the congregation to imagine life as followers of the Messiah in terms of being suspended between all of the history, genealogy, and geography that attempts to claim our allegiance. In essence, what does it mean to be suspended between all of these possibilities without wholly aligning ourselves to one unless it serves the purposes of God?

I hope this makes some sense of an often ignored text. Enjoy.

The First Week of Month Two

Well, as I am sure you all have noticed, we began this month in Exodus. I had hoped to send out a precursory message about this, but this will just have to do. You will notice if you look through the rest of the readings that we start with a different book each month. Here is the intention:

 
Imagine a solar system with a sun and four planets. If someone were to assign a book of the Torah to each of these hypothetical celestial bodies, most would set Genesis in the role of the Sun with the four other books rotating around it. There are several good reasons to do this. However, there are also good reasons to allow the other books of Torah to take on that role.

So now imagine that, much like the Copernican revolution, we have discovered that Exodus might be the center of this Torah-solar system. This is what I want you to consider. How does the rest of Torah relate to, re-emphasize, and generally serve to clarify the themes of the book of Exodus? Put it at the center and see how it reorients your thoughts.

Now, if you are an advocate for another book being the Sun of Torah, fear not! Each book will receive its month of exploration.

FYI: I personally think it should be Leviticus (which is not a surprise for anyone who has spent some time with me in discussion). And, perhaps, if I ever have seven to eight weeks (or months?)to converse with each of you, I could lay out my argument for such a view. But, until that time, just assume I am right.

Another note: the reflection day has changed from Saturday to Sunday as a result of the double reflection day at the end of the month.

I hope to give you a screen shot of my extended outline of Exodus tomorrow afternoon.

The First Reading Is in the Books

Congratulations! If you have been reading along then you have finished your first reading of the Torah. This is a significant accomplishment. Now we must advance to the next step. In these next two days, there is no reading. Rather, you should be finalizing your outlines of the Torah. Some questions to ask yourself as you make your map: What words/themes give a good summary of a particular story? What words/themes connect two different stories together? In order to help you, I have posted a few pictures of mine as an example.

I use the key words on this map as a short-hand way of helping me remember things. For instance, I included "Sibling Rivalry" as a theme (in yellow) that connects each section of Genesis as well as Numbers 10:11-19:22. When I see this marker, I think of Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, Joseph and his brother, and finally Moses v. Aaron and Miriam. Each of these words is connected to a section, which reminds me of a story. By linking them together, I have created a deeper connection that I am more likely to remember.

 As you look at my project, there are three things I want you to remember:

1)      DO NOT over-complicate things! The sections are supposed to be broad.

2)      DO NOT connect too many themes/key words with each section. Try to get down 4 to 5 at most; you might even have just 1 for some sections.

3)     Finally, make your own. Here is the beauty: your graphic representation of the Torah does not have to make sense to anyone else. The idea is to make a broad map that will help you put things into perspective.

I hope you have some fun trying to create this tool. This is the groundwork. Next month, this map will become more detailed. We will be giving further nuance to the larger sections and making more detailed thematic and content links between the different sections.

The true, hidden beauty of hands-on creative projects like this one is that it forces us to work with the material in a way that creates memories that are attached to the action. So, if you feel like you have nothing, just sit down and throw some ideas around; you will begin making memories of these stories based on your experience in creating the project. Trust me, I still have a detailed memory of the place and time in which I charted out Genesis 14…those were the days [stares off dreamily, eyes lose focus]. But I digress.

Here is what I would like you to do: After you finish, post a picture of your project in the comments section. I would love to see what you are creating.

Reminder: The reading resumes Monday, but we do not begin with Genesis! Exodus will launch us into the next cycle. More on that later, until then, happy map making!