Evidently being a man after God's own heart doesn't exempt you from a rather ruthlessly true portrayal of you in scripture.

David's relationships are vividly portrayed in Samuel. And his loyalty to Saul is above reproach. But he does not treat his wives kindly. He takes Michal away from her apparently doting husband (a habit he repeats in a terrible fashion later on), then dismisses her after a spat. It seems as though Michal wasn't too fond of being his wife and embarrassed at his dancing before the Lord. Perhaps the following verse which tells us that Michal had no children is a subtle way of telling us their marriage, for all practical purposes, ended that day.

I just finished Judges and am on to Ruth. But the story of the Levite and his concubine is heart breaking. The story is a bit unclear. The text says she was unfaithful to him. And went back home. I don't understand if she was considered unfaithful to him because she left him, or if she was unfaithful and then left him.

To make a long story short, her husband comes to get her, he woos her back. They leave, go to Gibeah a town in the land of Benjamin, are invited to stay at an Ephraimite's house. In Sodom and Gohmorrah fashion the men of the town demand to be given the man so that they can sodomize him. Instead, the husband tosses out his concubine who ends up raped and killed. Her husband, to rally the troops, cuts her up and sends her out to all the other tribes to show what was done to her and more importantly what was done within Israel and among Israelites. Everyone responds, there is a great battle and the entire tribe of Benjamin is almost on the verge of extinction. In the end though, the remaining Benjamites are given permission to raid Shiloh and cart off the virgins for wives.

"So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant." Joshua 24:13

This idea, that all is from God goes back to the creation narrative. But it also goes back to Abraham's test, when God asks him to sacrifice Isaac. God shows the patriarch of His nation that God always provides the sacrifice. That his name is God provides.

And down through the generations God provided. He provides Israel's release from Egypt. He provides their daily bread in the desert. He provides water and when Moses fails to give credit to God, he is greatly punished. God provides victory over Israel's enemies. God provides the land flowing with milk and honey, a land reminiscent of Eden. (In the form of the tribes Israel does not disposess, he even leaves a tree of knowledge.) He does this knowing the future. Knowing that Israel will turn away from him. Knowing that Israel will one day crucify him.

The great thing about the 90 day plan is that I started Leviticus today and I finish is tomorrow.

The ministry of the priests. Okay, Leviticus tells me what the priests do. Basically they operate a slaughter house. So all of the work, the beauty of the Temple. The ornamentation. The gold. All of it surrounds the bloody slaughter of animals.

I raised sheep and cows growing up. These weren't just animals you just herded into town. These animals had to be especially selected and prepared for slaughter. You don't want a bull that could be featured in a Rodeo traipsing through the temple. And bulls, even young ones, can be dangerous animals.

In the beginning of Genesis it is all about being naked.

Now, in Exodus, God is preparing a place for himself among his people, and it seems to be all about the clothes. All of chapter 28 concerns the clothing of the priests. Starting in chapter 35 we are told about the Tabernacle. The place where God resides among his people. In a way, this Tabernacle is His clothing. Before the fall, Adam and Eve walked with God, they were naked and felt no shame. Now, because of our sin and imperfection and God's holiness and perfection, if the Israelites do not take extra precaution to wear just the right clothes, if they fail to make the right clothes for the tabernacle, they risk death.

God intends for Isreal to be his treasured possession.

He says, "Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." He gives the 10 Commandments and then elaborates upon them with the specific laws concerning alters, servants, injuries, property, social responsibility, justice, mercy, and Sabbath laws. He also tells them about the three festivals they are to have each year. Most of these laws seem like common sense to us, but that is because they have been in effect for so long, and they are the laws that have permeated much of Western Civilization. I don't think The Egyptians would have thought about helping the poor or the widow or the foreigner.

Most of us wish God would speak as plainly to us as he did to Moses. If God called from a burning bush, I'd know it was God. If God sent ten plagues to my enemies, I'd know it was God. If God led me by a pillars of fire and cloug, parted the Red Sea and killed my enemies who had also just given me all of their jewelry because they liked me . . . okay that's weird, but I'd know it was God.

The Israelites needed this kind of miracle. They'd been in a foreign land, forced to serve another master and God had become foreign to them. God, in a very powerful way, reintroduced himself. Pharoah, essentially had been their God. He used slave drivers and foremen. He made them work harder and harder. The more God worked, the harder Pharoah made them work--taking away their straw they used to make bricks. (I can identify. I taught High School English.) Their yoke under Pharoah was hard. I think it is important to note that when God comes, the first demand he makes of the Israelites is that they perform the Passover, and then they are to celebrate. How odd that the first demand of your God, whom you have not heard from in 400 years, is Celebrate!

What a great story!

They should make a movie.

This last day was about Joseph's rise from prisoner to second in command of all of Egypt. His position is all the more stunning when you read, "he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food. They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that was detestable to Egyptians."

In fact it mentions several times that the Israelites are detestable to the Egyptians. Does God show his favor upon the detestable? Is that what Christ did? If we are to do what Christ did, should we show favor on those who are detestable to us?

I forget that Jacob and Issaac and Abraham didn't have a Bible, they didn't have priests, or Daystar, or Christian radio. And they aren't Christian--that should be obvious. If I were Jewish and reading this, I'd be offended (sorry.)

If you look at humanities relationship with God as a courtship, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are basically at the meeting God for coffee stage. At any rate, God seems quite merciful.

Also, so far the prayers issued by these guys sound more like the kind of deals made with Vinny the loan shark, instead of God almighty. Abraham haggles for Lot's life. Jacob prays twice and both times are for his own life. Once on his way from his home and once upon his return. On his journey from home, Jacob promises to worship God and give God a tenth of what God gives him if God grants him safety. Gee, thanks Jacob. I God, appreciate your sharing with me MY stuff! On the way back he reminds God of his promise. He says, "I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant." All in all he seems a bit more humble.

His name means "he deceives."

And I can't help but wonder: Are you setting your child up for failure in the very beginning by giving him such a name?

Esau, on the other hand, means hairy. Hardly awe inspiring, but certainly not the kind of name that will instigate a life of crime.

So why Jacob? Why did God choose Jacob instead of Esau? Did he choose, or did he simply set up the contest. But why should Jacob win? After all he does deceive.

Jacob seems to understand the importance of The Blessing. He is willing to lie, cheat, steal to get it. In Chapter 25:34, it says, "So Esau despised his birthright." So it seems that Esau exhibits a lackadaisical attitude toward being the first born and the grandchild of Abraham. Maybe God was offended. If I had a precious family heirloom and I gave it to my firstborn child and he shrugged his shoulders, and asked if he could have a Happy Meal toy instead. I'd be offended. And I'd probably take it from him and give it to his bratty little brother, who, even though he gets on everyone's nerves because he just will not stop until he gets his way. Even though he is a mamma's boy, and momma spoils him. He is dying for the gift.