This is what I read.

I have been reading this passage and I'm curio...

2011-07-16T16:35:42.136-04:00

I have been reading this passage and I'm curious what a golden tumor might look like.

Thank you for your insight, it helped me understan...

2010-04-15T14:04:06.809-04:00

Thank you for your insight, it helped me understand more about the first sons and what was meant for them, thanks.

Thanks for linking me to your blog, Jon. I agree w...

2009-12-10T12:27:00.249-05:00

Thanks for linking me to your blog, Jon. I agree with your interpretation about this verse.

If you analyze the words closely (of course, we are talking about words that have been translated many times, but it still works), "hearing" and "seeing" are fairly passive verbs - you naturally have eyes and ears, so if there is an external stimulus, you're not going to be able to avoid it unless you close your eyes and plug your ears. You will see and hear, as you should.

But to understand and perceive - those are strong action words. Now you're getting involved. Your heart is absorbing the situation, and your mind is busy trying to figure it out.

Without noticing, you're also now deviating from God's path, and retracing footsteps and recovering lost time and opportunities aren't so easy. Especially when you have an important mission - there is no time or energy to waste.

So of course, a calloused or cold heart is not the intended outcome. Rather, you get an energetic shield that allows you to continue doing God's will.

This has been a topic of a spiritual study I've done this year - learning to separate our energy from others'. Our modern culture tends to confuse compassion with total servitude: if someone close to you has a problem, you are supposed to drop everything to lend an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on, or even your money.

As we know from experience, rarely does our "compassion" ever solve the problem. In fact, it usually makes it worse - because that person's problem is now our problem too. Our hearts, energy and bank accounts are left depleted. And the person has lost an opportunity to take care of the problem for themselves.

I don't know enough about it to place it in biblical context, but it looks like you already have, and have arrived at the same conclusion. If Isaiah had become distracted by his surroundings, even though they're out of his control, he wouldn't have been able to perform important work.

I think a modern day summary of this verse could be "mind your business, and let others mind their own."

My spiritual counselor's suggestion when someone is demanding your energy... simply say "That does sound like a problem. I have full confidence that you will be able to handle it successfully."

You are free to get back to work, and the other person is hopefully empowered or will at least go bother someone else. haha.

Great lesson! I look forward to reading more of your posts.

~Sarah

NEHEMIAH ABOLISHES INTEREST
From: johnturmel.c...

2008-12-26T03:06:00.000-05:00

NEHEMIAH ABOLISHES INTEREST
From: johnturmel.com/poembibl.htm

In Nehemiah 5 we hear complaints by needy men,
Of the conditions that existed in the nation then.
Some said "We've had to mortgage all our vineyards and our fields,
To get grain during famine though they've had abundant yields."
Some others said "We've had to borrow money for the King,
Whose taxes on our fields and vineyards leave us not a thing."
Still others said "Their flesh and blood is of our family tree,
Yet our children suffer under yoke of slavery."
When Nehemiah heard them, anger great he could not mask,
The nobles and the rulers were the ones he took to task.
He called a great assembly where he chose to lay the blame,
On bankers, judges, politicians who had run the game:
"You are exacting usury of your own countrymen,
Unlike my men who freely lend to needy brethren.
What you are doing is not right, you must do as we do.
So "Stop exacting interest!" It is the Big Taboo.
Return their fields and vineyards and their houses and their grain,
And also all the usury, the whole illicit gain."
The nobles and the rulers said: "They will not have to pay.
We'll give them back all their possessions. We'll do what you say."
Prosperity resulted from his ban on interest,
"Remember me, O God, with favor" was his last request.
Watch out for many Bibles where the most important phrase,
Has been deleted from the text, the problem not to faze.
The message Nehemiah states is "Stop the interest,
And give them back what you have seized and it'll turn out best."
The newer versions of the Bible simply state "Atone,
And give them back their stuff." No talk of interest on loan.
Who chose to cut the answer out? Who played this evil role?
We know the ones who own the publishers have sole control.

See youtube.com/kingofthepaupers

Jon - I am truly enjoying your musings and self-st...

2008-11-16T13:06:00.000-05:00

Jon - I am truly enjoying your musings and self-study as you go book-by-book through the bible. I realize I am only beginning to read what you wrote many many months ago, yet I am amused, challenged and forced to re-read for myself God's story.

You bring up a lot of good points and questions - you should hear some of the questions that my middle school kids ask on Sunday Mornings "C'mon, what about the Dinosaurs!? & the super-continent, Pangaea ... how long was a day, and what language did the serpant speak?", and my favorite "How come Eve's first response to the talking snake wasn't AHHHHHHHHHHHH! - the snake is talking!!!!"

Praise the Lord for placing a spirit of discovery, research & fortitude into you, and thanks to you for keeping a regular diary of your thoughts and ideas.

I hope to continue enjoying this for quite some time.

Jacob adopted a double method of increasing the wa...

2008-07-23T02:55:00.000-04:00

Jacob adopted a double method of increasing the wages agreed upon. In the first place (Gen_30:37-39), he took fresh rods of storax, maple, and walnut-trees, all of which have a dazzling white wood under their dark outside, and peeled white stripes upon them, הלּבן מחשׂף (the verbal noun instead of the inf. abs. חשׂף), “peeling the white naked in the rods.” These partially peeled, and therefore mottled rods, he placed in the drinking-troughs (רהטים lit., gutters, from רהט = רוּץ to run, is explained by המּים שׁקתות water-troughs), to which the flock came to drink, in front of the animals, in order that, if copulation took place at the drinking time, it might occur near the mottled sticks, and the young be speckled and spotted in consequence. ויּחמנה a rare, antiquated form for ותּחמנה from חמם, and ויּחמוּ for ויּחמוּ imperf. Kal of יחם = חמם. This artifice was founded upon a fact frequently noticed, particularly in the case of sheep, that whatever fixes their attention in copulation is marked upon the young (see the proofs in Bochart, Hieroz. 1, 618, and Friedreich zur Bibel 1, 37ff.)

I think, actually, that you're pretty well spo...

2008-04-19T16:06:00.000-04:00

I think, actually, that you're pretty well spot-on about the grabbing the stones thing—she was essentially deciding that he wasn't allowed to worship with the congregation anymore. It doesn't say anything about her punching his eyes out or anything.

And I know you're not going forward if you can help it, but don't forget that business about the ox and grain when you get to 1 Corinthians.

And I laughed pretty hard at neuteronomy.

That's pretty significant. I wonder what them...

2008-03-27T20:32:00.000-04:00

That's pretty significant. I wonder what themes we can propound upon the questions of character—how the reflection isn't the real thing. It makes me immediately consider that Christ was the exact representation of God (He 1.3).

Very, very interesting stuff. Sorry I was almost too asleep today to consider it more fully.

I guess while it's not necessarily in the purv...

2008-02-12T21:46:00.000-05:00

I guess while it's not necessarily in the purview of the text itself—which I know you're trying to stay away from—perhaps the reason that the priests had to be unblemished is because that's what God required of Jesus.

> is forcibly ejected as
> a natural ins...

2008-02-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

> is forcibly ejected as
> a natural instinct.

Good point, I had not thought of it that way. All of these commands seem to be an expansion of marriage, defining sexual union as properly done between a male and female of the same species.

Stumbled across your wonderings - interesting huma...

2008-02-04T18:38:00.000-05:00

Stumbled across your wonderings - interesting human-guy take! Thanks for sharing. (google searching "head covering" brought me to your paragraph including the head covering, and the idea of it being regularly worn so that it must be noticeable when one is not wearing) Hope you never cease to think, unless you start thinking twice too often.

It's interesting that cleanliness doesn't work tha...

2008-01-24T20:07:00.000-05:00

It's interesting that cleanliness doesn't work that way...only the uncleanness is contagious.

Your graphics rule, as usual.

"He has remem...

2007-12-19T07:53:00.000-05:00

Your graphics rule, as usual.

"He has remembered his covenant" appears later on in your readings, too -- much later, actually. I'll post the reference if you'd like, but otherwise leave it to the reader to connect some dots.

One of the really interesting features of the Hebr...

2007-12-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

One of the really interesting features of the Hebrew, I've read, is that the phrase is like "You meant it for evil, and God meant it for good." The connector shows that man and God intended—but God won. I enjoyed the post I read it in; I'll have to dig it up sometime.

The difference between you and me is that what I w...

2007-11-19T22:14:00.000-05:00

The difference between you and me is that what I wrote wasn't a combination of the "Ctrl" and "V" keys.

READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES FROM THE BIBLE AS IT H...

2007-11-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES FROM THE BIBLE AS IT HAS IMPLICATIONS ON THE WAR AGAINST TERROR/ISLAM and the claim of Israel that god gave them the land. If the child is an infant than the Judeo-Christian version becomes null and void and we are wasting our time and resources i.e. we could save trillions of dollars and create a more peaceful world rather than fighting against Islam the religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).

The COVENANT with Abraham and his DESCENDANTS is central to JUDAISM/CHRISTIANITY/ISLAM.

Please note this is not a competition between faiths but an attempt to decipher fact from fiction.

Genesis 21:14 Contemporary English version se below link

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=GENESIS%2021;&version=46;

Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar an animal skin full of water and some bread. Then he put the boy on her shoulder and sent them away.

GENESIS 16:16
And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ish’mael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ish’mael to Abram.

GENESIS 21:5
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

At Genesis 22 Abraham had only 2 sons others came later. The Quran mentions that it was Ishmael that was sacrificed hence the reference in genesis 22:2 your only son can only mean someone has substituted Ishmael names for Isaac!!

BY DOING SOME KINDERGARTEN ARITHMATIC USING ARABIC NUMBERS (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)
NOT ROMAN NUMERALS (I, II, III,IV,V,VI,VII,VIII,IX,X) NB no concept of zero in roman numerals.

100 years old – 86 years old = 14 ADD 3 YEARS FOR ISSAC’S WEANING

THAT WOULD MAKE ISHMAEL 17 YEARS OLD IN GENESIS 21:14-21
BUT IT IS A DESCRIPTION OF AN INFANT.

Carefully read several times the above passage and then tell me the mental picture you get between the mother child interactions what is the age of the child. If the mental picture is that of a 17 year old child being carried on the shoulder of his mother, being physically placed in the bush, crying like a baby, mother having to give him water to drink, than the Islamic viewpoint is null and void. Why is there no verbal communications between mother and (17 YEAR OLD) child?

GENESIS: 21:14 - 21
So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the (17 YEAR OLD) child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the (17 YEAR OLD) child under one of the bushes. Then she went, and sat down over against him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Let me not look upon the death of the (17 YEAR OLD) child.” And as she sat over against him, the (17 YEAR OLD) child lifted up his voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the (17 YEAR OLD) lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the (17 YEAR OLD) lad where he is. Arise, lift up the (17 YEAR OLD) lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the (17 YEAR OLD) lad a drink. And God was with the (17 YEAR OLD) lad, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The age of Ishmael at this stage is crucial to the Abrahamic faiths. If he is 17 than the JUDEO/CHRISTIAN point of view about the Abrahamic covenant is correct. This has devastating theological consequences of unimaginable proportions.

This makes the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac and there descendants a work of fiction. I would strongly suggest it is clear cut case of racial discrimination and nothing to do with god almighty. The scribes have deliberately tried to make Isaac the only son and legitimate heir to the throne of Abraham??

Please can you rationally explain this anomaly?

I have asked many persons including my nephews and nieces - unbiased minds with no religious backgrounds but with reasonable command of the English language about this passage and they all agree that the child in the passage is an infant.
AS THE DESCRIPTION OF ISHMAEL IN GENESIS 21:14-21 IS THAT OF AN INFANT IT CAN BE ASSUMED SOMEONE HAS MOVED THIS PASSAGE FROM AN EARLIER PART OF SCRIPTURE!!! AND HAVE GOT THERE KNICKERS IN A TWIST.

For background info on the future religion of mankind see the following websites:

http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/Muhammad_Bible.HTM

(MUHAMMAD IN THE BIBLE)

http://bible.islamicweb.com/

http://www.islamicity.com/

http://www.islamonline.net/english/index.shtml

http://www.islamalways.com/

http://ifamericansknew.com/

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/MB_BQS/default.htm

(BIBLE, QURAN and SCIENCE)

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/ANTI-WAR

http://www.harunyahya.com/
(EVOLUTION DECEIPT)

http://www.barnabas.net/

http:/www.answering-christianity.com/ac.htm

HOLY QURAN CHAPTER 37 verses 101 - 122

101. So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.

102. Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!"

103. So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah., and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),

104. We called out to him "O Abraham!

105. "Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

106. For this was obviously a trial-

107. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice:

108. And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:

109. "Peace and salutation to Abraham!"

110. Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

111. For he was one of our believing Servants.

112. And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet,- one of the Righteous.

113. We blessed him and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls.

114. Again (of old) We bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron,

115. And We delivered them and their people from (their) Great Calamity;

116. And We helped them, so they overcame (their troubles);

117. And We gave them the Book which helps to make things clear;

118. And We guided them to the Straight Way.

119. And We left (this blessing) for them among generations (to come) in later times:

120. "Peace and salutation to Moses and Aaron!"

121. Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

122. For they were two of our believing Servants.

ISHMAEL IS THE FIRST BORN AND GOOD NEWS OF ISSAC DOES NOT APPEAR UNTIL AFTER THE SACRIFICE?????

Therefore the claim that god gave the land to Israel is destroyed without the need of any WMD’s.

HADITH

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 583:
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael. She used a girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah. Abraham brought her and her son Ishmael while she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka'ba under a tree on the spot of Zam-zam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Mecca, nor was there any water So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Ishmael's mother followed him saying, "O Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her Then she asked him, "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Then He will not neglect us," and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards, and on reaching the Thaniya where they could not see him, he faced the Ka'ba, and raising both hands, invoked Allah saying the following prayers:
'O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Kaba at Mecca) in order, O our Lord, that they may offer prayer perfectly. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks.' (14.37) Ishmael's mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had).
When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him (i.e. Ishmael) tossing in agony; She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached the Marwa mountain where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwa) seven times."
The Prophet said, "This is the source of the tradition of the walking of people between them (i.e. Safa and Marwa). When she reached the Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said, 'O, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?" And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zam-zam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing), till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it."
The Prophet added, "May Allah bestow Mercy on Ishmael's mother! Had she let the Zam-zam (flow without trying to control it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin), Zam-zam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth." The Prophet further added, "Then she drank (water) and suckled her child. The angel said to her, 'Don't be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people.' The House (i.e. Kaba) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its right and left. She lived in that way till some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed by her and her child, as they (i.e. the Jurhum people) were coming through the way of Kada'. They landed in the lower part of Mecca where they saw a bird that had the habit of flying around water and not leaving it. They said, 'This bird must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in this valley.' They sent one or two messengers who discovered the source of water, and returned to inform them of the water. So, they all came (towards the water)." The Prophet added, "Ishmael's mother was sitting near the water. They asked her, 'Do you allow us to stay with you?" She replied, 'Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.' They agreed to that." The Prophet further said, "Ishmael's mother was pleased with the whole situation as she used to love to enjoy the company of the people. So, they settled there, and later on they sent for their families who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent residents there. The child (i.e. Ishmael) grew up and learnt Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up, and when he reached the age of puberty they made him marry a woman from amongst them.

Interestingly enough, Abraham gets the wood before...

2007-11-14T12:48:00.000-05:00

Interestingly enough, Abraham gets the wood before he leaves for the sacrifice. This is pretty cool to me. He didn't hesitate to do what God asked him to do.

>I wonder if and how Lot put it
>togethe...

2007-11-13T08:06:00.000-05:00

>I wonder if and how Lot put it
>together just how his daughters
>became pregnant,

Maybe it was after the kids were born and they looked alot like him?

Lot pretty much tanks in Genesis, three stories, each more nasty than the last. I can't wait until people start hitting this blog looking for advice on how to have a Daddy - Daughter date night.

One of the great things about this covenant is tha...

2007-11-06T11:17:00.000-05:00

One of the great things about this covenant is that it was unconditional—while Abram prepares all the fixins for the sacrifices, he doesn't actually walk through them (which he normally would've done, had he been awake).

I guess what I assume about the ritual dividing of the animals is that it's a warning to the covenant breaker: if you break the covenant, you'll be split in two just like these animals. As covenants go, it's pretty powerful.

Yo. They have some kind of calculations out their...

2007-11-01T21:38:00.000-04:00

Yo. They have some kind of calculations out their for ages. Apparently Methuselah died the year of the flood. What a bummer of a way to go.

>Peleg Because of a division.

Maybe ther...

2007-11-01T15:27:00.000-04:00

>Peleg Because of a division.

Maybe there was an earthquake when he was born (the earth was divided?)

Nimrod....!

"pwning"? Ha.

I one if the "perfect in his...

2007-10-26T10:24:00.000-04:00

"pwning"? Ha.

I one if the "perfect in his generations" comment about Noah is a statement basically that he was the last remaining human that hadn't been cross-fertilized by the Nephilim.

It seems to me that he didn't really escape the indictment made of the other members of his race—his heart, too, was bent on evil continually when God said, "Build me an ark."

Or even more disturbing....there are ten generatio...

2007-10-25T14:36:00.000-04:00

Or even more disturbing....there are ten generations from Adam to Noah, ending in three sons. There are ten generations from Noah to Terah, ending in three sons. Are these all the generations from Adam to Noah, or this this a genealogy which skips generations? If so, there is a possibility the earth is alot older than some people think

"but the serpent would have gotten to someone even...

2007-10-24T15:26:00.000-04:00

"but the serpent would have gotten to someone eventually."

I guess I think this is the idea behind some of the idea of "...inasmuch all sinned..." in Ro 5. Adam is the peak of the human race (at least apart from Christ), so we're all sort of thrown under the bus with him.

I think the creation of Eve is demonstrative of ho...

2007-10-22T10:17:00.000-04:00

I think the creation of Eve is demonstrative of how God created us. Really there's a lot more to creation here than just the sort of usual debates that you've mentioned. Adam is a type of Christ here—and we are a type of Eve.

The whole purpose of God parading the animals before Adam is to show that there isn't anyone suitable for him. The names are kind of coincidental.

There's a similar parallel in our relationship to Christ; no one in all of God's created heavenly host was found to be suitable for Christ, and so we were made from and for him.

Eventually when you get to Gen three, I think we can see here another parallel. Eve was deceived, but Adam ate knowingly, choosing to be with Eve instead of maintaining his relationship with God. A similar sort of thing happened between us and Christ, who forsook his fellowship with God to be with us, and did so knowingly.

Of course, there are other types of Christ in the first few chapters, too, and that prophecy in 3:15. I think there's a lot of pretty deep stuff here. Good postage.