Choose Ye This Day

There is a lot of scholarly hoopla these days about the "historicity" of the Bible. Did Joshua actually march around the city all those times, and did the walls of Jericho actually come tumbling down when everybody shouted? Inquiring minds want to know, I guess, but I think all that digging around in archaeological tells, trying to find pieces of the fallen walls, misses the point of the scriptures. The Hebrew writers had a different view of history than we do; what mattered to them was that every great episode in the history of Israel be presented to us in such a way that we learn life lessons from it. As Joshua said when he had the elders gather 12 stones from the dry riverbed after crossing over Jordan in a parting of the waters designed to establish him as the new Moses: "This shall serve as a symbol among you: in time to come, when your children ask, 'What is the meaning of these stones for you?' you shall tell them, 'The waters of the Jordan were cut off because of the Ark of the Lord's Covenant; when it passed through the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.' (Joshua 4:6-7) What matters is what we learn, and what we teach our children as a result.

And so we might ask ourselves, 'What are the meaning of these stories for us?' Like the 12 stones, each story in the Old Testament is a memorial of certain aspects of God's character, and of His relationship to each one of us. What does the Torah mean to us? The first five books of the Old Testament span the time from Creation to the Iron Age, and introduce us to some of the greatest characters who ever lived. We are invited into their thoughts, their fears and their failures as well as their faith and their triumphs. Their stories have inspires some of the best thinking of mankind. (Kierkegaard wrote a whole book about Abraham's walk up Mt. Moriah with Isaac, and Thomas Mann spent a decade and 1500 pages pondering the life of Joseph.) Generations of families have read these stories and believed as a result that God could help them fight their own Jericho battles. And they have been right to believe.

Many scholars contend that the book of Joshua should be part of the Torah, because it finishes the narrative arc as Israel crosses the Jordan and begins to inherit the "land of milk and honey." Milk and honey, by the way, prefigure the millennium, because they are two essential foods that you can consume without killing anything. Milk and honey also refer to the two great, and often competing, occupations, herding and agriculture. (I got those two facts from scholarly articles. Being on a different level, milk and honey just makes me think of Winnie the Pooh, and I find myself longing for a "little smackerel of something…") Joshua brings the fulfillment of Abraham's promise.

What Have We Chosen to Worship?

The great issue that the book of Joshua deals with is expressed in the final chapter during the "recovenant" ceremony, where Joshua recounts all of the miracles that have led them to the banks of the Jordan, ready to cross into the promised land. He says: "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15) We tend to skip the middle of this verse, but it's important to realize that serving other gods was a very viable option for these people. They hadn't been monotheists all that long, and had always been surrounded by a variety of deities, in whom many had faith. We need only look back on Rachel, risking her life to steal her father's household gods, or the former slaves of Egypt building a golden calf as soon as Moses turned his back, to appreciate the pull that these "other gods" had.

Some of us might be in the same boat, figuratively speaking. Craig and I have been setting up a second home in Utah, where two of our kids live, and recently we were having a discussion about what kinds of pictures to put in the living room. We wondered if pictures of the Savior might be too "religious" for the living room, and instead belonged in the secondary rooms. Meanwhile, we never gave a second thought to putting the biggest TV we could fit in that room, as well as making sure that we had WiFi, and Netflix, and every other technology that streams worldliness into our home. I thought about that today when I read Joshua's words, and wondered if I  was worshipping "other gods" without realizing it.

Like the children of Israel I can confidently say, "The Lord our God, he it is that brought us up… from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed…therefore will we also serve the Lord, for he is our God." (Joshua 24:17-18) That is the point of every one of these stories.

When we remember to lean on His mighty arm, no matter what the battle, the walls come tumblin' down. Those "other gods," while entertaining, have no real power to save or heal us. So that picture of the Savior is going up in the living room after all.

Exodus for the Rest of Us

          

       
           Exodus, according to the Jewish Study Bible, "is arguably the most important book in the Bible since it presents the seminal events in Israel's history and the definitive institutions of its religion, themes that have reverberated through all subsequent Jewish and Western history." The enslavement of the Hebrews, their liberation through Moses, the deliverer, and their subsequent 40 years of wandering in the wilderness make great drama. (Watch out ~ I hear Batman is set to play Moses in the next movie version!) But what does the Exodus mean to us today? Here are three takeaways from Exodus:

1. God is involved in our lives, but usually in mysterious, confusing ways. Moses is another example of an obscure child that has a great destiny. Like the Savior, he is born into a humble home and must be hidden to save his life. Miraculous things happen to put him in the unique position to represent his people. (Without his upbringing in Pharoah's household, could he have even gotten an audience with the great king?) The Old Testament is chock full of these stories, where the small and the simple are used to make great things happen. So if you are confused about your life, but you are trying to do what is right, don't despair, you may be on the right track after all. It just may be a "40 year" journey before you find out where you are headed!

2. There is a big difference between miracles and magic tricks. Moses is given the power to work miracles, and Pharoah's magicians are able to copy several of them. The sorcerers are unable, however, to do anything positive or creative; they can only make more of the bad stuff. These days we have our own set of sorcerers and the Internet is the box of magic tricks. It can give you the illusion of learning, when you are only browsing. It can give you the illusion of privacy, when in reality unseen people are watching and tracking your habits. And above all, it offers both the worst and the best that people are creating, almost effortlessly. As parents and influencers, it is important to teach our children the difference between miracles and magic. Miracles heal the soul, inspire and give strength to do what is right. Magic tricks tend to shock and awe, which leads to a need for greater shock and awe, and eventually to an addiction to the rush. Pharaoh got the difference too late, and his loss was great.

3. The commandments are conditions of a covenant. The Ten Commandments are modeled after the ancient treaties that were established between overlords and their vassals. The formal style signaled to this mixed group of Israelites and other enslaved people who left with them that God was serious about a relationship. He would guard and protect and bless them on condition of their obedience to certain stipulations. As the narrative unfolds we will see how the Israelites become mired in the minutiae of the commandments and lose sight of the covenant relationship. Could this happen to us? When I asked our class to discuss the difference between covenants and commandments one sister responded, "Commandments are open to interpretations. You can argue about them all day. A covenant is simple. You are either in or you're out."

          Would you describe yourself as a covenant person? One whose relationship with God is not based on scorekeeping, but on loving promises that have been exchanged? Exodus gives us a lot to think about in our own journey, and much to apply that may save us wasted time and sorrow. As one Rabbi said, "In every generation one should look upon himself as if he, personally, had gone out of Egypt."
         

As Promised: A List of Bible Commentaries

This is by no means a comprehensive list of Bible commentaries. These are just the ones I am using, listed in the order of the frequency with which I am using them!

Old Testament Student Manual, Genesis - 2 Samuel (Religion 301) (Paperback)

by LDS Distribution Center

SKU 183648

Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament (Hardcover)

by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Dana M. Pike, David R. Seely

Study Commentary on the Old Testament (Paperback)

by Richard J. Allen

SKU 5112363

Unlocking the Old Testament Commentary (Paperback)

by Ed J. Pinegar, Richard J. Allen

SKU 5027707

Verse by Verse, The Old Testament Vol. 1 & 2 (Bookshelf eBook)

by D. Kelly Ogden, Andrew C. Skinner

SKU 5121112

The Essential Old Testament Companion (Hardcover)

by Kerry Muhlestein

Bible Translations: 

I am using the King James Version of course, but for the Old Testament I am also using the NIV, the New English Bible and…

I am loving my Jewish Study Bible! It is very well annotated and gives me a different perspective.

The Jewish Study Bible: Featuring The Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation Hardcover – January 4, 2004

by Adele Berlin  (Editor), Marc Zvi Brettler  (Editor), Michael Fishbane  (Editor)

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

Sarah and Hagar make an interesting pair. Sarah, so beautiful that Abraham was in continual danger of being bumped off because of her, was unable to bear children. Hagar (who was perhaps part of the compensatory gift that Abimelech offered Abraham in apology for nearly marrying his wife) was suddenly elevated from the role of servant to a second wife to her master. When she gave birth to Ishmael the very same kinds of jealousies, fears and rivalries that have split families forever caused Sarah to send her away. But God had a plan, and saved Hagar and Ishmael. He always has a back-up plan, and we are never alone, no matter how far into the wilderness we might have wandered.

Reading about Sarah and Hagar makes me wonder how many times we jump in to solve a problem without asking God what the best course might be? Years later, when Sarah overheard the angels saying that she would give birth to a child in her old age, she laughed. But once again God had a plan, and at the wonderful fulfillment of that prophecy Sarah named her darling boy Isaac, referring both to her initial laughter and her eventual rejoicing.

Seeing Our Lives Through His Eyes

When Spencer W. Kimball was called to lead the church in 1974, he was old, ill, and felt inadequate to the task. But almost immediately he began to reshape the vision of the church regarding missionary work. In his great address, "When the World Will be Converted," delivered to audiences around the globe, he told the story of Sarah, laughing at the angelic prophecy, and challenged us to open our eyes and see what God could see. Many of us were a part of that great surge in missionary effort, and had the thrill of seeing prophecy in action, as thousands of young people heard a prophet's call and came into the mission field to teach their own countrymen and women. They rose to the vision.

What if we could see what God sees about our lives? What is it that now seems just too hard to overcome, that could be conquered with His help? Perhaps it's worth asking ourselves, when we feel overwhelmed, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" and invite Him to show us what He sees that we are missing.

We'll Tell You Bible Stories Like You Never Heard Before

The Bible opens with an ambitious project, covering the history of the world from the dawn of creation to the call of Abraham in just eleven chapters of Genesis. Here are some lessons we learn along the way.

It’s not easy being green: The Garden of Eden sounds idyllic, but Adam and Eve found it difficult, and eventually chose to leave it for the “lone and dreary world.” It's interesting that while we all long for it, innocence actually becomes a negative in the long run. Experience may be painful, but it is the only way to become a spiritual adult. A nice reminder when we find ourselves longing for the good old days, before we made all those mistakes!

We are never alone: Adam and Eve left the garden, but God went with them. The Hebrew word YHWH is used in the Biblical passages that describe a God who takes walks in the garden, literally blows life into Adam, and personally shuts the door of the Ark. The Bible authors want us to feel His closeness. Enoch’s vision, recorded by Joseph Smith in the Book of Moses, describes a God who (even though He's omniscient and thus should know better) actually weeps over us. He reacts to our emotions with emotions of His own; a startling and life-altering perspective.

We can’t go back, but we can go forward. There isn’t a way back to Eden, to innocence, but there is a way forward through repentance. Even Cain (responsible for killing ¼ of the world’s population) is offered protection and a way to move on. No matter what happens ~ even in the worst storm ~ God will help us build an Ark to cover and protect ourselves and our loved ones until we land safely home.

How to Read this Book

Here are four guidelines for studying the Old Testament:

1. Understand the Context

                        History, cultural concerns, social norms

            2. Learn the Language

                        Literary styles, idioms, teaching techniques

            3. Use Modern Revelation

                        The perspective of the full gospel plan

            4. Keep the Focus on Jesus

                        See how the story leads us to Christ

The Old Testament is full of stories, and though they appeal to children, their complexity has occupied the keenest thinkers throughout history. Like every great work of literature, it demands the best of us, and as a great work of scripture, it asks us to change our minds and our behavior in response to its warnings. We’re in for a wild ride! Remember what Joseph Smith said: “He who reads it oftenest will like it best.”   

And Sometimes We Get a Little Silly….

If we are serious all the time our heads might explode, so you might enjoy some silly songs about the Old Testament with your kids. My dad taught me this one: 

Young Folks Old Folks Everybody Come, Join our Bible School We Have a lot of Fun

and here is a great old camp song about Noah: The Arky Arky Song.

Finally, we couldn't resist having Bill Cosby tell us the story of Noah!

A New Look at an Old Book

We begin our study of the Old Testament on September 9, 2014. We will meet every Tuesday in the Cardiff Chapel, so come as you are and bring a friend. (Though we call our class Sisters in Scriptures men are freely welcome to attend, as long as they behave themselves!) Bring any translation of the Bible that you like ~ our emphasis this year will be on finding Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, through prophecy, analogy, symbology, and archetypal stories that have inspired generations of readers.We'll dive right into Genesis on day one and spend several weeks there, so read the first few chapters if you can and come ready with your questions, answers and insights. I look forward to seeing you all!

We will use the Institute Old Testament manual as a guide, though it is not necessary to have it.  It is available at Deseret Book or online at this link: Old Testament Manual.

Revelation is Tough to Get!

You can take this title two ways of course. As we finish up our study of the New Testament we wade fearlessly into the most difficult book of all, Revelation, or the Apocalypse. Apocalypse means literally to uncover or to reveal, and just a little time spent in this book makes one long for some clarity! So here are a couple of guidelines to follow when reading Revelation, a book that Northrope Frye said, "Either finds a man mad or leaves him that way."

Guideline #1: Learn the lingo. Apocalyptic literature was a genre that was familiar to John's readers, but is strange to us. Imagine that you had never seen or heard of science fiction novels, and then were confronted with a book that included space aliens or humans with super powers. It would be rather disconcerting, to say the least! In the same way, we are disturbed by the extreme imagery (women with seven heads or ten arms?) and the hyperbolic language of Revelation. John's readers would have been familiar with that type of literature and knew what not to take literally.

Guideline #2: Think Oriental, not Occidental. The symbolism of Revelation is Oriental in nature. If the writer wants to communicate a being that is omniscient, that being might have ten heads. If the being is involved in many activities, that being might have many arms. Think of the Hindu or the Buddhist symbols for deities and you will get more of a feel for Oriental symbolism. One commentator wrote that Western writers use words like building blocks and Eastern writers use words as ornamentation. Try to get in an Eastern frame of mind.

Guideline #3: Know the history. Many of the symbols and events in Revelation can be traced to actual events happening in John's day. Though they may also foreshadow events in the future, we may have a harder time figuring out those connections. A famous example is the number of the beast, 666 (or 616 in some manuscripts) which has been tied to evil leaders in every generation. Caesar Nero, however, the despot that initiated the first wave of persecution of the Christians, really did have a name whose letters added up to the number 666. (Gematria, the system of attaching a number to each letter of the alphabet, meant that every name in Hebrew or Greek had a numerical equivalent.) So without trying to stretch the interpretation too far, we can find many meanings in the events surrounding the composition of the book.

Guideline #4: Use modern revelation. Joseph Smith, who famously called Revelation "one of the plainest books ever written," asked and received answers to fifteen questions about Revelation in Doctrine and Covenants Section 77.  It is a fascinating commentary and a great place to start in your study. Add the comments of modern day prophets and apostles, and there is a wealth of information on Revelation to help us.

My personal take-home from the book was this: John sees history as a great scroll with seven seals, and no one can open the seals except the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. The seven great ages of history are opened, one by one, by Him, and John sees their meaning. For me, now in my sixth decade, there is a lesson here. No one can open the seals of our own lives except Jesus, and with Him we can go back through each decade and understand the meaning of the events that have occurred. With Him we can also go forward, decade by decade, and can find purpose in all of it.

Finally, Revelation shows us that when Christ comes in his glory and ushers in the millennium, all we have suffered, all of the unfairness and injustice of life, what Hamlet calls "the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to," will be understood and healed and dissolved in His matchless love. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Rev 21:4)

That is such a comforting vision of the future that we are moved say with John, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."