You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, you mortals." – Psalm 90:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 31, 2025): Psalm 90

Hatshepsut was the eldest daughter of the Pharaoh Thutmose I. However, life moves fast and sometimes unexpectedly. When Thutmose I died, he had reigned about twelve years. I am unsure if his death was expected, but at this moment, his son, Thutmose II, came to power. Thutmose II was the half-brother of Hatshepsut, and in what is probably a surprising fact for those living in our contemporary world, Thutmose II married his half-sister when both were only about fourteen or fifteen.  

It was a different world. Part of Thutmose II's problem was that he was the son of a minor wife of Thutmose I, while Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose's Great Royal Wife. What that meant was that, other than the fact that Hatshepsut was female, her credentials for the throne were more substantial than her half-brother's. So, marrying his half-sister solidified his claim to the throne.

The marriage didn't last long, nor did Thutmose II's reign. We know very little about him; most of history is far more obsessed with the lives of his father, wife, and son (but not a son born of Hatshepsut), Thutmose III. However, we are sure he didn't reach his thirtieth birthday and may not have reached the age of twenty. When Thutmose II died, his son and heir was only two years old. As a result, he couldn't rule. 

Enter the Royal daughter of Thutmose I and widow of Thutmose II. For a long time, we assumed that Thutmose III ruled from the time of his father's death through a regent, maybe Hatshepsut. However, more recent scholarship has argued that Hatshepsut ruled over Egypt in her own stead for the next two decades. Not only did she rule, but she rose to the top of the pack as one of the best female Pharaohs Egypt had ever experienced. In the assessment of James Henry Breasted (1865-1935), Hatshepsut was "the first great woman in history of whom we are informed." Kara Cooney says Hatshepsut was "arguably, the only woman to have ever taken power as king in ancient Egypt during a time of prosperity and expansion." Hatshepsut was known for her building projects and the furthering of the economy of Egypt, but the most significant female Pharaoh (and at the time, female rulers in Egypt were never Queens but always Kings) was instrumental in setting up the reign of the most significant male Pharaoh in Egyptian history, Thutmose III

Approximately a hundred years after the beginning of Hatshepsut's reign, Moses began the Exodus of Israel. I am not sure what he was thinking, but it might have been that even powerful Pharaohs would die and return to the dust from which they came. Two of the greatest Pharaohs Egypt knew had died, and unlike the belief of the Egyptians, they were not gods and held no power. Egyptian mummification might have slowed the process, but even they were returning to dust, and everything that had made them great was gone as a new king reigned in their place.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 21

They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! – Numbers 20:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 30, 2025): Numbers 20

A few years ago, I sat down and had a conversation with a suicidal woman. She was of ill health, and it was her health condition, both physical and mental, that was the cause of her desire to die. I am not sure, but maybe it was my chronic health issues that caused her to be honest with me about her desire to move on to heaven. But that was where the similarity ended. Her willingness to die was sincere. She would end up taking her life during the COVID-19 pandemic (and, yes, I miss her). But I have always felt that as long there was breath inside of me, even if that breath wasn't easy, there was hope. Maybe someday that will change, or perhaps I will remain an optimist until the end; I am not sure which will end up being true. However, I just want to take it one day at a time. I have survived a few life-and-death situations. But each time, I believed this was not the end; that somehow, I would survive.

There have been a few people around over the years who have taken their own lives in a moment of despair or pain. I have struggled to understand and think I comprehend the causes intellectually but not emotionally. I also understand that there is a significant difference between people who have lost the will to live and those who use the threat of suicide in a misguided attempt to get what they want. But the difference between the two is often a mystery to me, so I usually believe that suicide is a distinct possibility until I know for sure that it isn't.

As a result of my belief regarding suicide, I have struggled with the concept introduced in this passage. The community of Israel has found themselves in a place with no water. Miriam, likely the third most important person in the community after her brothers Moses and Aaron, has died. However, there is no indication that her death resulted from a lack of water.  

Thirst can be a powerful motivator; we can't survive long without water. The people seemed scared, not wanting to die of thirst. Maybe the surprise in this passage is that, despite all of the things that God had done among the people of Israel, instead of asking God for water, they went straight to the threat of suicide.

The people had recently watched their compatriots die in a rebellion led by Korah (the tale is found in Numbers 16). The surprise is that, in this moment of thirst, they long to be numbered among the destroyed rather than the obedient who lived through the time of Korah's rebellion. Had they lost the will to live, or was this just a childish attempt to get what they wanted? Admittedly, I can't be sure, but I think it might have been the latter. I believe this threat was a childish attempt to manipulate God, something that we all have tried on occasion. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 90

This is a requirement of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. – Numbers 19:2

Today's Scripture Reading (January 29, 2025): Numbers 19

On October 7, 2023, Hamas and several other militant groups launched what appeared to be an unprovoked, coordinated, armed incursion into an area known as the Gaza Envelope of Israel. What has caused such anger among many supporters of Israel is that it wasn't an attack of an armed military against military targets. The attack was against an unarmed population, made up of many age groups, but included children, teens, and seniors. Most of the victims of the attack didn't have any weapons, so they didn't have a chance to defend themselves. They were killed outright, injured and died later, raped, and taken prisoner. Since the day of the attack, many of the prisoners have died who survived the initial attack, while some have simply been lost in the process. They might be alive, but no one seems to know exactly where they might be. 

When Hamas was challenged about the reasons for the attack, they tried to establish the foundation for the one-sided military operation. One of the weird reasons why Hamas and their associate groups felt that the time had come for an attack on Israel was that Israel had been importing Red Angus cows from Texas. Apparently, that action is not as innocent as it might seem. There has been a strict ban on the export of U.S. cattle to Israel. But that didn't stop the importers of these cattle. The Texan Red Angus cattle were imported into Israel as pets. Yep, some people want a cute puppy, while others desire an adorable cow. Have you ever stared into a Red Angus cow's beautiful, deep brown eyes?

Why did the presence of red cows in Israel create such an affront to Hamas? The secret is found in the "Red Heifer" passages of the Bible. The belief is that the Temple Mount must be cleansed before the Temple can be rebuilt. Temple Mount, where Solomon's and Herod's Temple once stood, is an essential place for spiritual pilgrimage in Islam. Today, this hill in Jerusalem is the home of both "The Dome of the Rock," an Islamic Shrine and the oldest existing example of Islamic architecture, as well as the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the second oldest mosque in the Islamic world. All of this results in the Temple Mount being incredibly important to both Islam and Judaism and, by extension, to Christians as well.

The enemies of Israel fear that the gathering of the Red Heifers is the beginning of a concerted Jewish effort to take Temple Mount back, which would mean the destruction of the Islamic shrines located on the holy hill. The cleansing of the Mountain would necessarily involve the sacrifice of a Red Heifer to cleanse the sacred hill, all accomplished according to the instructions left for us in the biblical record. The requirements are that the heifer must be totally red, have no black hair, never have been put to work in the field, and never have given birth to a calf. Whether Israel is planning now to cleanse the Mount or making sure that they have the capability of cleaning the Mount if the opportunity arises sometime in the future, only religious groups in Israel can know for sure.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 20

You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. - Numbers 18:5

Today's Scripture Reading (January 28, 2025): Numbers 18

He spoke to a group of church leaders. To be brutally honest, I am not sure why I was even there. I wasn't a pastor; in fact, at the time, I had no idea I would ever be a pastor or church leader. I was an older teenager who dreamed of being a doctor or maybe a research psychologist. That was where I thought my life was heading. And to top it off, I didn't even like this pastor who was speaking to this group of church leaders. I had been part of his church, and I felt he was too full of himself to make a real difference in the world around him. I remember being in the hospital when he came to visit me. But when he discovered that my parents weren't around, it was apparent he had no time for me. I am not even sure that he knew my name. He was destined for big things, and talking to a teenager wouldn't get him there. 

But he was chosen to speak to this group of leaders, and part of his conversation was to tell us about the interview he had with the church I had once attended. I wasn't invited to that meeting, so all of this was news to me. In his address, he told us that he threatened to turn down the offer to come to the church if certain things were not addressed; all of his demands were cosmetic. The church I was attending was a downtown, historic church. The problem was that most of the people attending the church drove into the church from their comfortable homes in the suburbs.  

I remember the houses that once surrounded the church, which the church had purchased and torn down to expand their parking. They all were broken-down hulks that had long ago seen their better days. And, to be honest, so had the church. Structurally, it seemed fine, at least to the teenager I was, but there was no doubt that several of the rooms needed a fresh paint job and probably some new flooring. And these were the items that had to be updated if we expected this pastor to grace us with his presence. And this was the story this pastor had chosen to share with a room full of strangers.

He was right, although I am not sure I would have made such a public declaration of his interview demands. However, while I agreed with what he was saying, I was unsure that our reasons matched. I think he felt that the changes were needed to be worthy of him and his plans for the church. For me, it was because I firmly believed that the church belongs to God, and how we care for the church building is part of our testimony about how we feel about God.  

God makes it clear that the Levites were in charge of the upkeep of the sanctuary and the altar. And while the Levites might have been responsible for the work, all of Israel was responsible for bearing the upkeep cost through their tithes and offerings. The Tabernacle and Temple both went through periods when the upkeep was delayed because the people were no longer thinking about the things of God. As a result, even if the Levites were willing, the money wasn't available. However, one of the themes we see during the days of revival in Israel was that the Temple was one of the first things to benefit, as people began to care once more about the physical condition of God's house.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 19

So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them. – Numbers 17:6

Today's Scripture Reading (January 27, 2025): Numbers 17

The United States has fifty states; Canada has ten provinces. Every nation seems to be made up of several subgroups. And every nation appears to have regional differences reflected in these divisions. Sometimes, the differences become more profound, something that I admit I struggle to understand. In the United States, there might be fifty states, but there are also five inhabited territories made up of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. I am unsure why these areas are not states, especially if the population would like to receive State Status, but that is something for politicians to work out.

The same is true for Canada. (I admit I am centering my thoughts on Canada and the United States only because these are the nations I know the best, and for other reasons that might become clearer later.) Canada has three territories. Although the borders of these territories, non-provinces, or non-states, have changed several times over the nation's history. I currently live in Canada, and the area I inhabit was once land that comprised a portion of the Northwest Territories, one of the three Canadian Territories. Today, the Northwest Territories is considerably smaller, and the place where I live can be found in the province, which citizens of the United States would call the state, of Alberta. It is an official subgroup of Canadian land. Canada's three territories are, from east to west, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon. In the case of the Canadian Territories, which are all in the northern portion of the country, I assume that a lack of population has a lot to do with the Territory status of these Canadian districts.

So, when Donald Trump, jokingly or not, offers Canada status as the 51st state, what would that mean? If all of Canada became one state, then the 51st State of the United States, Canada, would have more land area than any other nation except Russia. However, it also ignores the differences represented by the thirteen Canadian districts, which share some similarities and many differences in belief, even about how the government should react in various situations. There is also a very real English language vs. French language and culture debate. Quebec, a French-speaking province, decides every once in a while that it would like to leave Canada. Would they be happier as a minority voice in the American State of Canada? Somehow, I don't think so.

I have struggled with this passage because the number is wrong. There were thirteen tribes of Israel, although only twelve of those tribes would receive territory in the new Israel. Maybe we could argue that one of them doesn't hold statehood, although that is not entirely true. So, how can we reconcile the number? The most straightforward interpretation would be that the one tribe that would not receive a territory, Levi, was to be left out of this counting. Except that Aaron's staff, representing the tribe of Levi, was included among the staffs given to Moses, so that solution is not available to us.

So, we are left with three conclusions: One is that a scribe simply made a mistake, and thirteen staffs were given to Moses. The second possibility, related to the first, argues that this passage should read that twelve staffs were given to Moses in addition to Aaron's, meaning that Moses once again received thirteen staffs. The last possibility is that, for some unknown reason, Ephraim and Manasseh, two tribes that had emerged from Joseph, the son of Jacob, are combined into one tribe of the descendants of Joseph. The problem is that they had been separated now for four hundred years, so why would they be recombined for this moment in history?

I think the second possibility is the most likely, but that is just a guess; I believe the intention here is that there should be twelve plus one staffs. But your guess is probably as good as mine.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 18

With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. – Numbers 16:2b

Today's Scripture Reading (January 26, 2025): Numbers 16

I heard the story decades ago. It was told by the late Mark Beeson, who was, at the time, the founding and lead Pastor of Granger Community Church. I have to admit that I really enjoyed listening to Mark speak, usually because he connected with where I was and maybe where I wanted to be. I still remember the day he placed leeches on his arm after rolling up his always long white sleeves to illustrate some point or other in his sermon.

On this day, I was struggling. Mark told the story of the move that Granger made from the movie theater where they had started the church to their new building. The move in space wasn't far, just a few blocks, so Mark and his leadership team decided to make a march out of it. On a Sunday morning, they met at the movie theater, their former home, and then proceeded to walk to the new sanctuary. It was an incredible day of celebration, except for Mark. Mark knew something of which the rest of the people walking with him were blissfully unaware. At the same time, as this group of people was joyfully traveling to the new site, another group of leaders was meeting at the new church to discuss their pastor's firing. According to some, Beeson had allowed demonic forces to lead the church, and something had to be done; that something was to get rid of Mark and any leaders or congregational members who objected to the pastor's removal.

As Mark told the story, I faced a similar challenge in my church. There was a vocal minority that wanted to get rid of me as their leader. I took some strength in knowing that this was nothing new and that even people I admired had suffered through similar moments during their ministries. I needed to hear Mark's story, even if it was just to know that such opposition is common, even if you follow God's will.

Not only do contemporary pastors have to deal with these moments, but opposition was also present in Moses's ministry. For Moses, 250 officials and community leaders decided to rebel against Moses's leadership. I am sure that they had similar accusations to make about their leader. Maybe the message that we need to hear is that there will always be people who believe that they know better than the leader about the direction of an organization. Sometimes, they might even be right. However, the more important factor is who follows the will of God. That is the only crucial thing that anyone needs to know. Whatever side of a disagreement you might find yourself, it is the only thing you need to ascertain about yourself. In the case of both Moses and Mark Beeson, I am convinced that they were following God. All I want to do is ensure that I follow their example in the direction of the Creator of the Earth.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 17

The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the LORD: - Numbers 15:15

Today's Scripture Reading (January 25, 2025): Numbers 15

I live in a pluralistic society. That means I share space in the community with people of many faiths, as well as those of no faith. Societal experts have noticed the drastic increase of the "nones," those who profess no faith, within our societies. And I have heard the Christian alarmists cry out about this horrible condition in our societies. I am not so sure that the pluralistic society isn't a bit of a blessing. In the past, and in some current areas we might call "a Bible Belt," there are many who we might call "cultural Christians." And it isn't just us. In some places, there are cultural Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. People who go along with the faith, but have never internalized the belief. They identify because job advancement or cultural acceptance demands it. But in a pluralistic society, we allow people to be what they want to be. It also should allow us to live out the true faith among those who live around us. 

I believe that, at least for Christianity, the detractors of the faith are often not actually reacting against the faith but against the faith as they see it lived out by cultural Christians. I love the writing of evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. I thoroughly enjoyed his book, "The Selfish Gene," which I read in university. I have continued to read Dawkins's writings, even when he talks about this silly belief that we Christians have in God. I can honestly join with him as he describes the God he doesn't believe in and state, "You know what? I don't believe in that God either." My struggle is that I firmly believe that, as Christians, we have bought into doctrines that don't make any sense. They have been handed down to us by people who have been able to scare us or bully us into believing, often based more on societal expectations than biblical direction. The problem is that, in the years since, we have begun to accept these claims as if they were biblical. However, none of this changes the fact that the expectations owe their creation more to societal fears than biblical belief. 

It was a condition that Israel also seemed to suffer from. To be blunt, they were not the only ones. The biblical story is told within the expectation that gods ruled over certain areas. You believed in the Babylonian god if you lived in Babylonian territory, and the Greek gods if you lived in Greece and her surrounding territories. Sometimes, only the names of the gods changed, as seems to be true with the Roman pantheon of gods, which consists of the Greek gods known under Roman names. But the expectations were always societal in nature. 

And so, the law reminds Israel that worship of God was a societal demand for all who lived within her boundaries. But this expectation did not result in a people with a genuine faith, but instead of a people with a diluted faith. Because the faith of Israel was watered-down, it became easy to substitute other regional gods in the place of the God of Abraham. As a result, Israel would continue to pay a severe price for her lack of faith. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 16

Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. – Numbers 14:5

Today's Scripture Reading (January 24, 2025): Numbers 14

Alexander the Great was the son of Philip II, King of Macedonia. When Alexander was only twenty years old, Philp II was assassinated by a trusted member of his bodyguards, a man named Pausanias of Orestis. The result of the assassination meant that Alexander was to be the King of Macedonia much earlier than anyone expected. He was twenty, and yet he was still the Boy King.

According to the gossip of the realm, at some point, this boy was pulled aside by someone, maybe even his mother, and told that the story of his birth as he knew it was a lie. Philip II was not the young man's father. His birth wasn't that ordinary. I am not sure how it might have happened; maybe Mom took her son to the base of Mount Olympus, the Mountain of the gods, just to the south of the young King's territory. There, Alexander was pointed toward the top of the Mountain and told that he was not the son of Philip II, an earthly King. He was the son of Zeus, making Alexander a demigod, a child of the gods.

Was he? Of course not. But it wasn't a bad way to encourage a young man who needed to grow up and become a King faster than anyone thought, to exhort this boy to go out and do as he needed to do. Whatever he set his mind to, he could achieve. He wouldn't be an ordinary King like his stepfather; his ancestry lay with the Greek gods. Who could argue with the gods? 

Israel has been on a journey. They are separated from their enslaved lives by barely a year. And now God was ready to take them home. Moses sends in spies to scout out the land, men who are charged with discovering the kind of land that God was giving to them. It was a beautiful land filled with good things. And all of it was theirs if they would just enter the land.

But most spies don't see the good; instead, they are blinded by the obstacles, by the giants living in the land. It doesn't matter how good the land is if they cannot possess it. They don't have the power to take it themselves, and they have lost faith that God walks with them and that he will help them take the land. Instead, they call for another leader, one that will lead them away from this place and back into their lives of slavery in Egypt. They want someone who will apologize to the Pharaoh, beg his forgiveness, and hope he will let them back into their old lives. They want a leader who isn't Moses or Aaron.

Moses and Aaron fall down on their knees without saying a word. They knew that talking to the people at this point was a waste of breath. Right now, they need to pray for the forgiveness of the God they served because they fear what this God might do. And so, they fall on their knees with their faces to the ground, symbolizing the awe with which they held their God. It was also an acknowledgment of the power and judgment of God, something that the people refused to understand. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 15

So at the LORD's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites. – Numbers 13:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 23, 2025): Numbers 13

When Abraham and Sarah were of an advanced age, Sarah became pregnant. I can't imagine the joy and amazement that must have been present in the home of the elderly couple. And maybe the worry. Sarah was elderly, long past her childbearing years. No one could understand the dangers such a pregnancy might present to both the woman and the child. I am sure extra precautions were taken for the nine months of the pregnancy. And when the pregnancy was over, and Isaac was being held in his mother's arms, a celebration began that had never been experienced by Abraham and Sarah. Abraham was a hundred years old, and Sarah was ninety. 

Maybe it was Sarah's words that summed up the moment. "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me … Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age" (Genesis 21:6-7).

Isaac was the pride of his parents. And yet, there was also a predictable problem in the family unit. Isaac had an older brother, well, half-brother. His name was Ishmael, and while he was fourteen years older than his younger sibling, he was also making the journey from being the heir presumptive of Abraham to relinquishing that role to this new baby in the family: Isaac would now be the heir apparent. 

I am not sure that we can understand how that might have felt. In Ishmael's culture, the fourteen-year-old would have been considered an adult, yet a little boy still lived inside him, a little boy who one day was the most important child in the land and the next day had to give that title over to his younger brother.

According to the biblical story, one day, Sarah looked out and saw Ishmael teasing Isaac. It was probably a typical practice between siblings throughout history, but it was an incident that roused Sarah's anger. How dare anyone make fun of her child. As a result of this incident, Sarah calls Abraham and commands that Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, be sent away. She will not let Abraham share Isaac's inheritance with anyone other than her son, especially not this child of a slave girl. Abraham was upset, but he did as Sarah had commanded. Hagar and Ishmael were sent away into the desert of Paran.

Now, hundreds of years later, Isaac's descendants stood in the same wilderness where once Ishmael had been sent, and according to tradition, the place Ishmael's descendants still lived. Israel had been ejected from the land promised to Abraham, just as Ishmael had. And it was from this wilderness that Israel was going to make its first attempt to return home.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 14

Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. – Numbers 12:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 22, 2025): Numbers 12

James Earl Carter, Jr died on December 29, 2024. We remember him better as Jimmy Carter, a name that almost seems too familiar for a President of the United States. And yet, that is what he was: the thirty-ninth President of the United States. President James Carter, it doesn't sound right, does it, lived to the age of 100. I have to admit that I have seen real fake news, as opposed to the typical contemporary definition of fake news, which seems to mean "news I don't like," that had proclaimed his death several times over the last few months. So, when someone finally told me that he had died over the Christmas break, my first reaction was, "Is this really true, or just another fake story trying to gather our attention."

Even as a lifelong Conservative, President Jimmy Carter is one of my favorite politicians. He was a man of tremendous integrity, trying to live out the beatitudes every day of his life. Jimmy Carter revolutionized what it meant to be a former President. Don't tell Donald Trump, but Jimmy Carter's reputation has only increased since his time as President of the United States. He might have been numbered among the failures at the end of his Presidency, but since then, his reputation has increased, and now he is remembered as a great man. 

I remember Carter's Inauguration speech in which he said that the wisdom of the people would make up for his mistakes. Carter banned the playing of "Hail to the Chief" before his appearance for at least part of his Presidency because his humility would not allow what I am sure he felt was a prideful musical statement. Eventually, he recognized that regardless of how much he didn't want it played, the people needed to hear it, not because they wanted to honor Jimmy Carter, but because they respected the office of the President. On the day of his inauguration, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter got out of the official limo and walked up to Capitol Hill. I believe that Jimmy Carter was a great President, but I know that he was a humble man and that humility was essential to who he was. It was never about him; life was always about the people. 

The author of Numbers reminds us of the humility of Moses. The first five books of the Bible are attributed to Moses as the author, which might be accurate, but there had to be others who added to the book. And this is one of those additions. There is no way that Moses would have written these words, just as Jimmy Carter would never have said, "Now Jimmy Carter was a very humble President, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." That attribution of humility was left up to the rest of us who watched how he lived his life. And Moses would have done the same thing. 

Moses knew that everything that was happening was not about him. His life was the story that God was telling. We call Moses the Lawgiver, but I am confident Moses would not be pleased with that assessment. God was the Lawgiver; he was nothing more than a servant.

Humility is Moses's legacy, and I hope it is how we remember President Jimmy Carter. Here, we have a model for all of us to follow: genuinely great people are also humble people. And we follow a humble king: Jesus.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 13

If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin." – Numbers 11:15

Today's Scripture Reading (January 21, 2025): Numbers 11

A couple of decades ago, I remember watching a video about a man who went from door to door with the message of Jesus Christ but received no response from those to whom he spoke. The film then told the story of this man fasting for thirty days but still not receiving a positive response from the people around him. I watched as this saint poured out his heart to God, asking for a new place to work, and received the response, "No, I placed you here. Don't ask for a new place?" Maybe the video impacted me because I understand the angst, as well as the response of God. 

I love Moses's response here because it reminds me, at least partially, of what my response is supposed to be. In the middle of the whining and complaining, Moses falls before God and says, "Okay, kill me. God, you have given me a job I can't fulfill, and death seems to be the only way out of this." My interpretation of Moses's response is that, for Moses, dying was apparently an option he was willing to consider. But quitting, returning to Midian and the old life that he had enjoyed for forty years before God and that burning bush wasn't an option.  

I also remember a board meeting I chaired a few decades ago. The meeting had been a bit of a difficult ending to our year, but I had a great group of dedicated leaders who attended the meeting. At this meeting, it had become apparent that we were ending the year with a bit of a financial crunch. Our income had plateaued, but expenses were continuing to rise.   

We had a problem, and we were agonizing over the solutions. One board member had jokingly said, "Let's just all quit." One man, our missions president, quietly looked around the table after the response and said, "I can't; God has called me and told me that this is where I am supposed to be." That was the response I needed to hear at that meeting because I felt the same way. However, I also recognized it as a Moses response. More than that, I know that the response came from a stressful life change situation when it would have been easy to say to God, "I need to step back and take care of my life. Let me get back to you later, and we'll talk about what you want me to do." Instead, the response was, "God has placed me here, and there is nowhere else I can go."

I believe that each of us is called to do something for which we are gifted to build up the body of believers. We need to get back to where you can say that God has called me to be in this place and do precisely what I am doing.

Do you know why you're here on this earth? Do you understand what God is calling you to do? Are you willing to stand up and say to God and those around you that I am here and there is no place else where God wants me to be?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 12

When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies. – Numbers 10:9

Today's Scripture Reading (January 20, 2025): Numbers 10

Officially, the battle began on July 10, 1940, and lasted just short of four months. The belligerents are listed as the United Kingdom and Canada against Germany and Italy, although many more countries were involved in the conflict. The battle consisted of four months of German planes flying into British airspace and dropping their bombs on London before flying back home. During these four months, the most crucial sound was the sirens that went off at night, warning that planes had been detected on their way to London. It was a time when the residents gathered in bomb shelters and other safe spaces, just hoping that they would live to see the next sunrise.

Early in the battle, the British anti-aircraft guns were silent. After all, in the darkness of the night, the planes couldn't be seen, so to shoot was a waste of valuable ammunition. However, at least according to rumors, Winston Churchill commanded that anti-aircraft guns fire whether or not they could acquire a target. While actually hitting a plane in the darkness might be a massive stroke of luck, the people needed to hear the guns and know that Britain was fighting back against the Germans. The people needed to hear the guns. And so, for four months, the sirens blared, the guns rang out, and the people hid as the German bombers terrorized Britain's capital city. 

For Israel, the counterpart of the sirens were the trumpets. The sons of Aaron were to blow the trumpets to call the people to worship at the Tabernacle, as well as when the nation was attacked by those who sought to oppress them. Different codes were likely used to identify various reasons for blowing the trumpets. According to Jewish tradition, long blasts on the horn would indicate that the nation was being called to the Tabernacle for times of worship. Short, staccato blasts would suggest that the people were under attack. Those of military age would be called to the fight, while the others would be ushered to places of safety. 

Whatever the circumstances, the descendants of Aaron would blow the horn, and the people would respond to the message that the trumpets carried to the people.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 11

But they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. – Numbers 9:11

Today's Scripture Reading (January 19, 2025): Numbers 9

Voting in advance of an election is increasingly becoming a routine activity. No longer is it an option given for the few who might be out of town or have serious conflicts on their schedule with the election date. Now, it has become a matter of convenience. If you don't want to stand in line on election day to vote, you can go to a polling station during the much broader pre-voting period or even skip the lines entirely by voting by mail. For some, this move to advance voting is an invitation for the corruption of the voting process. For others, it is a way to get more people involved in the electoral process. And the wing of your political experience will likely govern how you feel about advance voting.

Yet, if voting is a critical activity, we must find a way to at least attempt to obtain the vote of everyone who wants to vote. There needs to be a process whereby people who can't, I am still unsure whether it should extend to those who would rather not vote on the day, can still be involved in the voting process. The process needs to accommodate as many as it can. 

The Passover was the first Holy festival that Israel was commanded to celebrate. Passover celebrated Israel's release from slavery in Egypt. The celebration was essential to Jewish life but was also subject to conditions and limitations. One of those limitations was that you had to be ceremonially clean to participate in the remembrance. If you had become unclean, maybe because you had either purposefully or accidentally come in contact with a dead body, then you were not allowed to celebrate Passover. The question that the worshippers might ask is, what happens then? I might want to celebrate Passover, but what can I do if I am forbidden from participating in the celebration?

God provides this answer. If you have become unclean or are away traveling at the time of the Passover, then you are to celebrate Passover a month later. Rather than commemorating in advance, which might be impossible, especially if your ceremonial uncleanliness was accidental, it is a month after the original feast. Today, the celebration is called "Pesach Sheni" or "Second Passover." It had become a day not just to celebrate what had been missed a month earlier but also a time when those who did celebrate looked back at the commitments made at the earlier celebration and rejoiced over the Passover one more time. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 10

You are to bring the Levites before the LORD, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them. – Number 8:10

Today's Scripture Reading (January 18, 2025): Numbers 8

The youth were heading out for a mission trip. The teens were excited and, I believe, a little scared. The concept was that they would travel through the surrounding area, making stops at several small churches and offering to do some work for these congregations. They would also put on some services and drama presentations. This would be the last Sunday before the trip, and somehow, I wanted to impress on this group of young men and women the importance of their task. So, at the end of the morning worship service, I had the mission team come and kneel at the altar at the front of the church. Then, I asked the congregation to approach and place their hands on the teens and their leaders and pray. But among a congregation comfortable with praying silently to their God, I wanted them to pray out loud and all at once.

I heard a speaker many years ago who distinguished between audible and inaudible prayer. He argued that only the audible version was really prayer; the inaudible version carried a different name, which we call thinking. That definition has never been my belief. Whether you speak your prayers aloud or just say them in your mind, I believe that God hears the words that you direct toward him. However, on this morning, my request that the congregation pray for the teens with audible prayers had nothing to do with God being able to hear them. My request was for the benefit of this youth mission team. When things started to go wrong, and I knew on the week-long trip there would be times when things wouldn't go perfectly, in those moments, I wanted the mission team to remember this time of prayer and that a church back home was continuing to support them, holding them up before God.

God instructs that the Levites be brought together. Maybe they knelt around the Tent of Meeting, I don't know. But then the rest of the Tribes, the congregation, were instructed to come and lay their hands on them. The ceremony shares an image with the instructions for the slaughter of an animal that was being sacrificed to God. In that case, the worshipers placed their hands on the animal as the priest slits the throat of the sacrifice, killing the animal. In the ritual, there was a recognition that this animal was dying because of the worshipper's sin. Here, the worshipers recognize that the members of the Tribe of Levi are a sacrifice for them. No, they wouldn't be killed, but just as the lamb took the place of the worshipper on the altar, this Tribe of Levites had been chosen to take the place of the people at the Tabernacle. They would work before God on behalf of all the Tribes of Israel. A fact that both sides needed to recognize. And this moment was one way of illustrating that reality to the gathered people of Israel.

This symbology remained intact as my congregation laid hands on the youth mission team. We weren't all traveling on this mission trip with them, but these teens would take our place at all the churches where they would stop. And we were authorizing all of their ministry on our behalf.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 9

They brought as their gifts before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle. – Numbers 7:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 17, 2025): Numbers 7

There is a dance in life that sometimes we don't seem to understand. Resources are always finite. I have joked that possibilities are unlimited as long as we have enough money to purchase the resources we need to carry out the task, but the reality is that sometimes we simply have to make do with less than what we need. I remember one day when my sound technician walked into my office unannounced and burst out laughing. As he entered the room, I was sitting with my laptop on my desk, a towel over my keyboard, and a scene from the fictional planet of Dagobah on my screen. And on the towel, a Yoda bobblehead was placed in front of the screen. He had caught me filming a promotional advertisement for an upcoming teaching series using illustrations from the first three Star Wars films. When my tech finally stopped laughing, he said, "That is what I like about you. No matter how often we tell you something is impossible, you still find a way to get it done." Yep. I have made do with things for most of my life; sometimes, I have even been successful. 

This passage speaks of the covered wagons that would be used to carry the things of the Tabernacle from place to place during the wilderness wanderings. These wagons would have been a luxury during this era of Israel's journey. It was such a luxury that there were only six of them, and two tribes had to combine their resources to gift one wagon to the temple. Each tribe would also provide one ox to pull the wagons. All of which meant that there would be six wagons and two oxen assigned to each wagon. 

The covered wagons would alleviate some of the effort required to carry the Tabernacle from place to place and provide protection for the Tabernacle and its furnishings from the elements: the sun and rain. Ronald Allen, the Senior Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary, makes this comment about these carts. 

        The Hebrew word for 'cart' (agalah) is modified by the noun sab ('litter'), used only here and in                Isaiah 66:20. This phrase has traditionally been understood to describe a covered wagon, though            the precise meaning of the wording is debated. Covered wagons would certainly be appropriate for          transporting the sacred items" (Ronald B. Allen).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 8

Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the LORD as a Nazirite.' – Numbers 6:2

Today's Scripture Reading (January 16, 2025): Numbers 6

Her name was Hazzelelponi, maybe. Hazzelelponi is listed as the sister of Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Together they are remembered as the children of Etam, and form one of the clans of Judah. But the truth is that this is all we know of Hazzelelponi; one verse that lists Hazzelelponi as the sister of three brothers with no other information given. Women listed in the genealogies are a relatively rare occurrence, and when they are included, it is usually because they accomplished something important or maybe infamous. 

And yet, we know nothing of Hazzelelponi except that she is included in the family of Etam, which begs the question: why is she, above many other women, included in this genealogy? The honest answer is that we don't know, but rabbinic literature gives us a possible connection of Hazzelelponi with the history of the people of Israel. The supposed connection is that Hazzelelponi might be Samson's mother. According to the story of Samson, the mother of Samson and the wife of Manoah, Samson's dad, is unnamed. But, according to Rabbinic literature, she is Hazzelelponi, the daughter of Etam. 

We argue a lot over the role of women in the church. The truth is that both sides of the argument pick up on various biblical comments and understandings to build our theology. Both sides of the argument believe that they are right. I wish that on this issue, and many others, we could offer each other the grace God has lavished on all of us. But that seems difficult for us to do.

On my side of the argument, I believe there is a radical equality in Christian theology between the sexes. I have often commented that there are women I know who are better theologians and pastors than I am. It is what I believe. 

One of the reasons for my belief is based on this verse. When it came to taking a Nazirite vow, that privilege was not just reserved for men, but women were to be included. However, according to the biblical record, primarily men are listed as the people who have taken the vow. These men include Samson, Samuel, John the Baptist, and Paul. However, there is one woman the Bible says is commanded to take the Nazirite vow. 

A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, "You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines" (Judges 13:2-5).

Not only would her son be a Nazirite, but she would also live out her pregnancy as a Nazirite. Her son's name would be Samson, but her name is not given; she is just the wife of Manoah. 

But maybe we can guess her name. Maybe her name was Hazzelelponi, the daughter of Etam.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 7

Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them. – Numbers 5:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 15, 2025): Numbers 5

Pandemics. We act as if this is something new and unknowable. And maybe it is. However, history has shown us that pandemics are a very regular feature on this planet of ours. Pandemics occur about every one hundred years. Unfortunately, the frequency of pandemics means that every time they strike, we have to learn all over again what it is and how to react to it because it is likely the first and only pandemic we will face during our lifetime.  

Not only are pandemics not unknowable, but they are expected. I think one of the problems with the COVID-19 pandemic was that we were expecting its advent, and we had a few false starts before we finally met COVID-19. I remember going to a conference soon after the turn of the century that was built around the church's responsibility during the coming pandemic and having my associate remind me that neither of us, with our pre-existing health conditions, was likely to survive when the real pandemic showed up. I did survive, although my associate passed away a few years before COVID-19 raised its ugly head; I guess she was wrong on both counts. 

Before COVID-19, the last pandemic was the Spanish Flu in 1918. Spanish Flu is a bit of a misnomer. It got its name because Spain seemed to have received the worst effects of the flu. At the time, it was assumed that this flu probably began there. We now know that the Spanish Flu likely started in the United States. It went through the West quickly, primarily because of the First World War. The nations involved in the fight didn't report how sick their people were largely because they feared it would give the enemy an advantage. Spain was neutral during the war, and so, for Spain, there was no advantage in hiding the seriousness of the flu.

When we are up against the unknown, isolation is an essential weapon in our reaction. The various closures we suffered through are likely the main reason that I was able to live through this most recent pandemic. A children's rhyme in 1918 stresses how a pandemic can move through a population. According to the rhyme,

I had a little bird

Its name was Enza

I opened up the window

And in-flu-enza

With the Spanish Flu, the death rate was as high as 2.5%. Many stories circulated describing the deadly effects of the Spanish Flu as it was passed from person to person. One story told of four women playing bridge one afternoon; that night, three of the women died of the Spanish Flu.

God tells Moses to isolate those experiencing skin diseases. It was the priests who were responsible for the task of separating the people. And it wasn't just isolating someone who was confirmed to have leprosy but included anyone who seemed they might be a little sick. The priests were instructed to take no chances when the health of the community was concerned. It didn't matter if they were rich or poor, male or female, powerful or enslaved; leprosy would not spare anyone in its path. It was a constant pandemic that threatened to overtake the world if it was just given a chance. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 6

Count the Merarites by their clans and families. – Numbers 4:29

Today's Scripture Reading (January 14, 2025): Numbers 4

It is a new world where you can be anything you want. I recently finished a Karin Slaughter "Will Trent" novel, and part of the plot revolves around a person pretending to be a detective. The character possessed the raw talent for the job but lacked any training. Still, the character sold herself online because she believed she could be anything she wanted to be, regardless of her lack of training. Or, maybe Slaughter's intention is that we live in a culture where only men are considered credible private investigators because this woman also portrayed herself as a man. In a world where we can be anything we want, it is easy to represent ourselves as something we are not in the anonymity of the internet. 

It is also what makes the internet so scary. That fifteen-year-old pen pal your daughter has been sharing messages with online could be a fifty-year-old man pretending to be something he is not. It happens more often than we want to believe. Many years ago, I counseled a man who was experiencing money problems. Part of the problem was that he had been sending money to a single mother who was going through a financial crisis of her own. But here was where the problem arose. My friend had never met this woman in the real world. He had no idea if the woman was a young mother, a mother, or even a woman, let alone that she was experiencing a financial crisis. The only thing I knew for sure was that now my friend was experiencing a financial crisis because of the money he had given to someone he believed to be in financial trouble. I mean, isn't that the Christian thing to do? Years have passed since the incident. In the intervening time, the communication between my friend and his pen pal has dried up. To my knowledge, my friend still doesn't know if the crisis or even the person was real.

Moses has been instructed to count the Levitical sub-families. The reason behind the count was that each family group had a specific task to complete. In the case of the Merarites, the task they had been assigned was caring for the Tabernacle's physical elements. These were the people who were responsible for the poles and cross beams of the Tabernacle, right down to the tent pegs that held the massive tent up. We can surmise that the Merarites also pitched the tents and took them down. 

This was the job that was handed to the sons of Merar. One of the nagging questions I have struggled with is whether this expectation was fulfilled through the generations or if people with an aptitude to care for these physical elements became honorary sons of Merar. It seems possible that these honorary Merarites became the carpenters needed to maintain the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple, regardless of whether or not they were of the tribe of Merar.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 5

This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai. – Numbers 3:1

Today's Scripture Reading (January 13, 2025): Numbers 3

Alphonso de Borja was elevated to the Papacy on April 8, 1455, becoming Pope Callixtus III. It was a time of great trial for the Roman Catholic Church. Western Civilization was under threat from Turkey, and the Western nations needed a leader who could defend them from Turkish power. Callixtus was instrumental in setting the model for future leaders. German historian Ludwig von Pastor (1854-1928) argued that Pope Calixtus III …

        gave a grand example to Christendom, and it is to be observed that in the midst of the military and         political interest which claimed so large a share of his time and attention, he did not neglect the                internal affairs of the Church, and vigorously opposed heresies (Ludwig von Pastor, History of the         Popes, Volume 2).

If there was a black mark on his short reign as Pope, which was just over three years, it was that he promoted two of his nephews to the office of Cardinal. One of them, Rodrigo de Borgia, who later ruled as Pope Alexander VI, became recognized for his corruption and immortality. It got so bad that his successor, Julius II, on the day of his election to the papacy, remarked, "I will not live in the same rooms as the Borgias lived. He desecrated the Holy Church as none before." As a result, the Borgia Apartments were closed from Alexander's death in 1503 until 1889, when Pope Leo XIII had the rooms restored and opened to the public. One has to wonder what might have happened if Calixtus had not elevated his nephew to the office of Cardinal in the first place. 

Nepotism, elevating relatives to important positions, has a history of being negative on any institution. It is not always a bad idea, but when a person is elevated more because they are the relative of someone important than because they are good at some task, there is a problem. In my estimation, hiring a relative needs to be closely examined by people unrelated to the person in charge. I think my children are great at several tasks in the church, but I absolutely should not be the one to elevate them. If they were to be hired, I would want that move to come from an independent board, not me.

Moses seems to have agreed. This passage opens up by saying it is "the account of the family of Aaron and Moses," but one thing is missing from what follows: the family of Moses. We hear about Aaron's family, and his sons were elevated to key positions in the Tabernacle, but the sons of Moses are rarely even mentioned. Moses's descendants are lost in the mix of other Levites. None of Moses' family members received any position in the Tabernacle despite their relationship with the lawgiver.

Maybe the next logical question is whether Moses even had children since none are mentioned in this passage. We know that Moses had at least two sons. The oldest son was Gershom, and the younger was called Eliezer. These sons did not accompany Moses through the complete journey of the Exodus. Instead, they lived with their maternal Grandfather during their youth. Eventually, they joined Moses for the wilderness wanderings. However, they also enjoyed a life of anonymity among the Levites of Israel.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 4

So the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family. – Numbers 2:34

Today's Scripture Reading (January 12, 2025): Numbers 2

Everything progresses in a specific direction; from my experience, that direction is from order to disorder. It happens all the time. Just before Christmas, I found a bunch of pictures in my home office. I picked up the pictures and realized that the pictures were of the family of a friend. The pictures were in a reasonably large envelope, so I added a book I knew belonged to my friend and placed his name on the front of the envelope. Then I had the envelope ready for the next time I would see him.

When I gave the envelope to him, his first question was, "Where did you find these?" I smiled and told him I had been cleaning my office and stumbled on them; I had no idea why I Had them. My friend's next question was a little surprising. "Why were you cleaning your office?" I don't remember what I said to him, and I am not sure what reason he was imagining, but the reason I was cleaning my office was reasonably straightforward: my office had made the journey from order to disorder. I'm not sure what your living space looks like, but sometimes, you must take time to restore the intended order. At least, that is true for me, because my office doesn't become ordered all by itself. Someone had to do it, and then the journey from order to disorder would begin once again. 

Israel had existed in a state of disorder. It wasn't all that long ago, maybe a year or a little more, that they were enslaved in Egypt. Since their escape, Israel seems to have existed more as a mob than anything else in the months since. There didn't seem to be any order as they made their way through the Red Sea. And as they gathered at the base of Mount Sinai, no discernable order could be seen in the nation. Even when building the Tabernacle, there were just a bunch of people. This problem was that this disorder made it hard for the Tribal leaders to lead their tribes. Something had to change before the nation could move forward.

God gave Moses the diagram of how the nation should be arranged. It involved how the tribes should camp around the Tabernacle and how the people should move when it was time to leave the base of God's mountain. It was a distinct change to how Israel had been organized, or more accurately, disorganized. However, someone had to give the instructions and get the people set out in a way that made sense and would allow the nation to make the most of their situation. 

Israel did as God had commanded. They organized as God had told them to. They would have to be reminded from time to time because the natural direction is from order to disorder, but, for now, order had been intentionally created out of disorder. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 3

From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab. – Number 1:7

Today's Scripture Reading (January 11, 2025): Numbers 1

Sometimes, if we don't know much about a person, even one who is of cultural importance, but if the person is important enough, we tend to begin to make up stories about them. So, George Washington couldn't tell a lie; at least, that is the story we communicate about him. So, one day, the young boy chopped down a cherry tree. It was an action that angered his father so much that he demanded to know who did it. According to tradition, little Georgie responded to his father's demand; "I cannot tell a lie; I chopped down the tree." Is it true? Probably not; it is just a story. The reality is that we know very little about the pre-revolution George Washington. However, after his death on December 14, 1799, there was a great appetite for the stories of young George. And people did their best to fill the void, even if they had to make stuff up. But little George had grown up to be a very honest person, and the story highlights his honesty.

We know very little about Nahshon, the son of Amminadab. Yet, he seems like a very important leader in Israel and a tribal leader of Judah. And so, we have tales of him, some logical extensions of his life, and other more fanciful stories. One of the more imaginative tales argues that Nahshon began the Hebrew people's passage through the Red Sea. According to the story, the parting of the Red Sea was not as immediate as it might have seemed in the movies. As a result of a temporary delay after Moses commanded the water to part, Nahshon rushed into the cold waters in his premature attempt to cross the Red Sea. According to the tale, he was nose-deep in the waters of the Sea before the Sea finally parted. But Nahshon was a man of faith, so he kept on walking, knowing that, at some point, the water would part.

More likely assumptions include that Nahshon was a very noble man; we know that he was the Judean Leader, but some also think that maybe his sister, Elisheba, was the wife of Aaron, Moses's elder brother.

Nahshon also represented the half-way mark between Judah, the son of Jacob, and King David. Nahshon was considered a model prince and even called a King by those who served under him. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 2

Set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. – Leviticus 27:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 10, 2025): Leviticus 27

I am going through the process of discarding some of the books from my rather considerable library. Last night, I held in my hands an old book that was published more than 100 years ago. It was actually given as a gift 110 years ago. The giver was my great-grandfather, Hallet Smith Mullen, and the recipient was his wife, Elizabeth. At least, that is how we would address her today, but the inscription in the book is actually to Mrs. H. S. Mullen. It was a formality between husband and wife that just doesn't exist today. I didn't know either one of my great-grandparents. My great-grandmother passed away three years before I was born in a car accident. Great-grandpa died a year later; according to family lore, he died of a broken heart. 

As I held the book in my hand, I had to place a value on it. I struggled with whether this book was worth keeping in my library. If worth was based on the probability that I would someday want to reread the book, then the value was minimal. Besides, most books of that era can be obtained on my computer or e-reader for no or minimal cost. If its value was based on whether anyone else would want to purchase the book, again, the value was likely low, and the inscription to my great-grandmother might even devalue the book for any purchaser. But the fact that my great-grandfather had lovingly chosen the book for his wife and that my great-grandmother had held the book and turned the pages meant that the book was of great value to me. I didn't throw it out. It remains a valued part of my library, and I hope that one of my children or grandchildren will one day want the book after I have left this earth. 

A few years ago, I found an autographed copy of one of my grandfather's albums for sale on an internet site. I already had a copy of the record, but knowing that I could buy something autographed by my grandfather, who had passed away three decades earlier, was too tempting. I bought the record, which is proudly displayed in my home office. 

The concluding section of Leviticus deals with redeeming or buying back what has been dedicated to God. For instance, if a person decides that he wants his life to be dedicated to God, meaning that he can do nothing else with his life, that life could be repurchased with a monetary donation to the Temple. It was a method of raising money for Temple operations. In this case, the donation was based on how much physical work could be done by the person. Therefore, according to this valuation, a man in his prime was valued the most, and the youngest among us was valued the least.

It was an understanding that was carried over into the cultural expectations during the time of Jesus. According to society, men were of value, and children were not. So, when children were brought to Jesus, the disciples responded by turning them away. After all, the Rabbi had limited time, and that time could not be wasted on people who were not of value. However, Jesus went against that cultural standard. 

When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them (Mark 10:14-16).

I tend to agree with Jesus and disagree with Leviticus. If raising the annual budget is the goal, we need the older ones. But if we are talking about the world's future, the hearts and minds of the children are of utmost importance and the most value to this planet that we share. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 1

If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands … - Leviticus 26:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 9, 2025): Leviticus 26

On Mount Sinai, God handed Moses the Law. We call Moses "the Lawgiver," but whether he was is part of a debate. I recently spoke with a friend who asked, "How much is from Moses?" The point is that in popular culture, we have somehow come up with the idea that God gave Moses the Big Ten, and Moses or the priests came up with the rest. I wish I could say that it is a silly question, but it is one with which even the experts struggle. Some experts seem to believe that the ten and maybe a couple more regulations were given to Moses, but maybe centuries later, the priests came up with the rest.

Moses spent a lot of time up on the mountain. Long enough that the people got disillusioned, he was on the mountain long enough that the people thought their leader might be dead, long enough to cast a vision and develop a plan to make a golden calf. Moses was on the mountain long enough for Aaron to convince people to donate gold, melt it, shape it, and devise a liturgy to worship a golden calf.

However, was it long enough for God to give all 613 laws to Moses? Our roadblock is that if God gave all of the Law to Moses, he would need more than two tablets to write it down. But our hesitancy arises out of our dependency on the written word. I keep going back to my public school days. I remember having a math test in school, and one of the prevalent questions was, "Is it an open or closed-book test." And part of our issue as kids was that there would never be a time in the real world when we couldn't look up the formula in a book. So why make us memorize it?

I remember a psychology class I took back in my university days. The final the professor had devised was an open-book test. More than that, it had no time limit. You could bring as many books as you wanted into the class and take as long as you wanted to write the final exam with the understanding that we couldn't leave the room until we were done. Leaving the room meant that you had finished the test. No bathroom breaks were allowed, and there would be no skipping out for a sandwich or a drink of water. We could even bring food and drink into the room, but ultimately, our bladder would be the timer for the exam. The average person brought four or five books into the final, and the average time spent on the exam was right around the three-hour mark. But it was an exam for the literate.

My final highlights a problem we have with the Israelites. Moses had grown up in the Pharaoh's palace in Egypt. He would have benefited from all the educational opportunities provided to the palace's children. Moses could read the tablets that God gave to him. But he was likely the only one. The rest of the nation was made up of slaves. They had been born enslaved and probably expected to die in slavery. They hadn't received any education beyond whatever was necessary to do the bidding of their masters. 

We live in a literate society. I know we are not all literate, but the vast majority of us are. We recycle the same questions I asked in public school; I can always look this information up, so why should I memorize it? But for Israel, outside of Moses, the reverse was true. I can't look this information up because I can't read, so I must memorize it.

One of the things that we run into with the Bible is that it is likely that most of the books of our Bible were written down long after the content was actually authored. There was no hurry to write down the information because most people couldn't read it anyway. And the people became very adept at remembering large swaths of information. As a result, there is no reason to believe that all of the Law wasn't given to Moses, even if it wasn't written down on stone tablets.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 27

The LORD said to Moses at Mount Sinai … Leviticus 25:1

Today's Scripture Reading (January 8, 2025): Leviticus 25

I tend to be a "camper." That doesn't mean I like to go out to a resort with a tent, trailer, or even a motor home. There was a time in my life when that was part of who I was, but I have to admit that that era of my life didn't last long and has been firmly placed in the rearview mirror. When I admit to being a "camper," it just means I tend to stay in one place. When I go out for lunch, spending some time at the restaurant isn't unusual. I am sure the servers are not enthused to see me walking through the door. On vacation, of late, I usually rent a vacation home for about two weeks. I don't want to move around; I want to "camp out" at one location. 

There was one restaurant that I frequented many years ago. The restaurant no longer exists, and I hope I am not the reason for the closure, but the waitress at the time started giving me the staff table. While I was there, the staff sat at another place. But the staff understood that I would be there for a while. They also served as my personal greeter, often asking guests if they were there to see Pastor Garry. Frequently, my extended stay is not premeditated; I just get talking with people, and time flies by. But I admit that even at a restaurant, I tend to stay put for a while.

The phrase "The Lord said to Moses" or variations on that theme is repeated ninety-six times in Exodus, forty-two times in Leviticus, and another seventy-nine times in Numbers. But this is the only time Moses tells us, "The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai." This assertion is a reminder that Israel has been camped at Mount Sinai since their arrival at the mountain, an event we are told about in Exodus 19. Overall, they have been camped out at the base of Mount Sinai for almost a year, and it has only been about a little longer than that since the Israelites escaped their time of slavery in Egypt.

Israel will soon begin to move. But for now, they are camped out at the base of the mountain of God. They have been busy building the Tabernacle and learning what God expected of them so that they could live and journey in obedience to God when they left the mountain base. With this amount of time and the teaching that was going on, no one could honestly claim that they didn't know right from wrong. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 26

Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. – Leviticus 24:2

Today's Scripture Reading (January 7, 2025): Leviticus 24

Sometimes, it is easier to pull at the heartstrings of the giver in order to get a donation. We have all seen the advertisements from compassionate organizations asking you to sponsor a child. It is difficult to get people to give to the general problem of world hunger, knowing that money also has to be directed toward caring for the administration of the organization raising the money. Getting people to send thirty dollars a month to support seven-year-old Elias, living through a famine in some far-off nation, is a little easier. Of course, most of us recognize that our thirty dollars is not just going to Elias and his family. Some of it is being used to pay the company's administration costs, including paying the CEO and other administrative workers, and a portion is directed toward other projects in the area where Elias lives. Poor Elias is nothing more than an advertising prop to get our money. 

I am not saying that any of this is wrong. Money needs to be raised for everything I have mentioned, but few of us want to pay to keep the lights on at World Vision or some other organization. However, without payments that keep the doors open, there won't be anyone around to try to help Elias and his friends survive the famine or the war that jeopardizes their futures. It is a reality that we need to understand, but it also is a recognition that those within compassionate organizations need to keep these expenses to a minimum. 

When Moses raised the need for gold, silver, and other metals so that the implements of the Tabernacle could be produced, the people responded. It seemed that all of Israel wanted to know that they had played a part in building and furnishing the Tabernacle, the place where God would live in their midst. 

But after that successful offering had been raised, there was still a need for more mundane things. One of those more mundane things was pure oil from pressed olives. This oil was used to keep the lamps burning inside the Tabernacle. These lamps were the only light source inside the Tabernacle and needed to be kept burning at all times. And that meant a continual supply of pure olive oil was required.

Maybe it wasn't as "sexy" as donating gold for the Tabernacle, but it was just as important. The olive oil was essential to the operation of the Tabernacle. It was an administrative cost that needed to be paid. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 25

Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.' – Leviticus 23:2

Today's Scripture Reading (January 6, 2025): Leviticus 23

Today is Epiphany. I don't know about you, but I don't get up on January 6 and think, "Wow, Epiphany, what a celebration." Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but years have passed without me giving a second thought to the Holiday of Epiphany. Often, I only remember Epiphany when we reach the first Sunday of Epiphany because that shapes the readings that I might use in the Weekend Worship experiences. Maybe we will sing a variation of "We Three Kings." We sing a great version of the song, "We the Kings [Perfect Light]," written by our Worship Leader. We have already used the song twice during the Advent or Christmas season, even though the song belongs more appropriately to Epiphany than Advent. Most of us have left Christmas behind by the time we reach Epiphany. There are exceptions. I worked for a pastor early in my career who believed we shouldn't sing Christmas songs until Christmas Eve. After all, how can we sing of the birth of Jesus before he was born? We sang Christmas songs into Epiphany in that church, but that belief is an exception rather than the rule.

Most of us are unsure what Epiphany even celebrates. On the most basic level, Epiphany celebrates the Magi or Wise Men coming from the East to visit the Christ Child. It is important, not just because it recognizes a biblical event, the Wise Men's journey to Bethlehem, as well as the conflict with King Herod and the subsequent slaughter of the innocents. It also tells a story about the Wise Men, who were non-Jews, and likely Zoroastrian believers, visiting the Jewish Messiah. The idea that God included even them in this biblical tale is a critical moment in the story of the Christ Child. All of this should be a reminder to us that the Christmas message is not just the Jewish Messiah coming to the Jewish people but that the message of the Messiah has been extended to include all of us Gentiles who, by definition, are not Jews.

I have mentioned in other blogs that, in recent years, there seems to have been a move toward not celebrating Christian holidays because they weren't celebrated in the Bible. Some Christian churches have even taken up celebrating some Jewish feast days, like the Feast of Tabernacles or even Passover-related events. But the reality is that there are Christian Festivals that I believe we should be celebrating. 

This passage in Leviticus outlines six annual feasts on top of the weekly Sabbath. But while we don't need to celebrate the Jewish versions of these holidays, we should recognize that our Christian versions are sometimes an outgrowth of these celebrations. Two annual Jewish celebrations are missing from this list: Purim and Hanukkah. These celebrations are not addressed because they grew out of events that happened much later in Jewish history. But the celebration of Purim and Hanukkah do provide a template for us to add our Christian Festivals.

What might be included in a list of necessary Christian celebrations? Let me suggest that a similar list of Christian Festivals might consist of The Lord's Day (Sabbath), Christmas, New Year, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday (Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement), Easter, Pentecost, and Thanksgiving. These are days that should be celebrated with a spiritual focus. These are our Holy Days, the appointed festivals intended to honor our God. 

What do you think? Have I missed any?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 24

Say to them: 'For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD.' – Leviticus 22:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 5, 2025): Leviticus 22

It is a privilege to be a spiritual leader. However, I have also always believed that the character demands of a spiritual leader are always higher than those of others. The best example of that might be found in the person of Moses. Moses's sin is minor compared to the sins of the people of Israel, yet the penalty is severe. After ably leading the nation for over forty years, Moses is excluded from the list of people who would enter the Promised Land. The sin might have been minor, but the penalty was considerable. It is the caution I give to anyone who declares that they want to become part of Church Leadership because the demands of being a leader are significant. It was a joke that my associate used to tell. She was in it for the money (which, if you saw her paycheck, you would understand was a huge joke), and I was in it for the power (which also is a joke).

I also know from experience that much of the trouble I have experienced as a Pastor has been when I was thought to have violated the demands of Christian character, whether that character violation was accurate or not. Unfortunately, the accusation is often enough when talking about these violations, and we are never considered innocent until proven guilty. 

This law concerns accusations that someone was ceremonially unclean when they came to serve in the Temple. And the responsibility is for the participant to know whether or not he, and again, it was always a he, knew that he was unclean. If he had become unclean for some reason, he needed to declare his uncleanness and remove himself from the list of Levites scheduled for service in the Temple. If an unclean person served in the Temple, and then it came to light that he was unclean, that person must be cut off from the presence of God. 

The word that we have as "cut off" means that the unclean person would have forfeited his ability to serve in the Temple any time in the future. What makes this even more significant is that only members of the Tribe of Levi could serve in the Temple, so being cut off from that privilege meant that the person would lose all of the rights and privileges obtained by being born into the tribe. It would be as if the person was no longer a Levite but was now just one with no tribe and no tribal identity within the nation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 23

If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire. – Leviticus 21:9

Today's Scripture Reading (January 4, 2025): Leviticus 21

Many years ago, while my daughter was still living at home, I received an uncomfortable phone call from a stranger who informed me that he had picked up my daughter in a nearby park the night before. Asking if she needed a ride, the young girl began going through her list of what sexual acts were available for purchase. He quickly said that he was a Christian and uninterested in what she was selling, but he gave her a ride into the city center area and twenty dollars to get something to eat. The girl excitedly told him her dad was the pastor at the church at which I was serving, so he had decided to give me a call.

I must admit that my first thought went to where my daughter was on the night in question, but trying not to sound like a typical father defending his daughter, I continued to listen without arguing. His description matched my daughter, but at the same time, deep down, I was sure that the report was wrong. I hung up the phone. It didn't take long to confirm that the girl was not my daughter, who was babysitting at a friend's on the night in question. It also didn't take long to figure out who the unfortunate girl was; she was the adopted daughter of a former pastor at the church. The girl had been born with "fetal alcohol" syndrome and had a history of risky behavior. This young woman could sometimes be found sitting in the backyard of her sister's house in the middle of the night or even wandering around the church. She also continued to describe her father as the church's pastor, even though he had left the church more than a decade earlier.

I struggle with this passage. I understand that in Israel, and especially because prostitution in ancient times also involved the worship of pagan gods, the penalties for sin were severe. Yet, when I read this passage, it is this girl that comes to mind. It probably doesn't help that I knew this pastor's daughter as a beautiful child who seemed to have so much going for her when she was younger, or that since I received the phone call, this child of God met a violent end unfortunate, murdered by a misguided individual and the murderer, to my knowledge, has never been apprehended. However, I am told the police believe that the perpetrator might be in prison, having been convicted on unrelated charges. 

I also admit that I never felt that her father had been disgraced. Instead, I think he showed the unconditional love of God in his dealings with this girl and the rest of his adopted children. I accept that this was the law, but I also believe that while this girl might deserve death, in the shadow of the cross, forgiveness is available for all of us, including this pastor's daughter as well as the rest of us living in this broken world 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 22

If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek. – Leviticus 20:4-5

Today's Scripture Reading (January 3, 2025): Leviticus 20

A few weeks ago, I walked past a room where a multicultural prayer service was taking place. It was an engaging experience. The prayers and songs were being spoken in a different language that I didn't understand. I stood and listened for a few minutes, vicariously enjoying the spirit of the meeting. But one of the things that amazed me, as I was listening to some very soft-spoken people pray, people who I had talked to and often struggled to hear, was how loudly they projected their prayers to God. At times, it almost seemed that they were yelling as if God was so far away that he might not hear their prayers if they didn't speak loudly. But I recognize that that is just the impression of a Westerner who more often hears the prayers of others almost whispered rather than spoken.

It is interesting how traditions vary. And most of the time, the differences are harmless or even positive changes in how we do things. I think I enjoy the prayer meeting where someone seems to be yelling their prayers over the one so quiet I can barely hear the prayers being offered. However, I am sure that God hears both of them.

My one nagging thought, though, is how much of what we do is influenced by other religions and is that necessarily a bad thing. I know that people call Christmas "pagan" because it draws from traditions other than those that are Christ-based. I have heard people rail against Christmas and Easter because neither are celebrated in the Bible, and the date of Christmas is based more on pagan celebrations surrounding the shortest day of the year than the birth of Christ, who was likely born in April or maybe even June. I am not convinced that any of this matters. Celebrating Jesus's birth in December, a date that was chosen so that Christians would have an alternative celebration to the pagan shortest-day celebrations that were already being celebrated in late December, doesn't devalue the Christian purpose behind the holiday. We know that Jesus was crucified during Passover, so our Easter celebration is grounded firmly in history, even if it was never actually commanded.

Molech, or Molek, was an ancient Canaanite god. From the biblical record, it appears that this God demanded child sacrifice as part of his worship experience. Even the Kings of Israel and Judah seem to have fallen to these demands, sacrificing their children to please this Canaanite god. However, some experts question whether this was ever true. Maybe these reports are just horror stories told around campfires or tales to make Israel's enemies seem worse than they really were. 

But the more disturbing possibility is that we are not talking about a god here, but rather a practice. This theory questions if Molek might not have been a foreign god but rather a foreign practice; that molek could be the practice of sacrificing children to the gods that would even include Yahweh. The thought that child sacrifice might have been used to worship the God of Abraham is almost too much to imagine. And it is no wonder that Leviticus demands that such activity must be erased from the house of Israel. God instructs that the practice is so bad that even those who knew the behavior was happening but decided to do nothing about it must be removed from the community.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 21

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. – Leviticus 19:9

Today's Scripture Reading (January 2, 2025): Leviticus 19

I am sometimes not incredibly compassionate. Maybe I need to rephrase that. I am compassionate with people who I know need help. I am not rich, but I help as I can. And sometimes, with the stranger, I can be compassionate. To be honest, I am a sucker for a sad story. One of my "practices" over the past few years is to stop carrying cash with me. However, once in a while, someone will catch me on a day when I have money, but by the time I go home, my pockets are often once again empty.

But I also know that very few people who come to ask me for money need the money. A while back, such a person wandered into my office. First, there was the request; in this instance, it was for a hundred dollars. The reason for the need was that his car had broken down, and he had to get it towed home, a destination he said was on the opposite side of the city. Next came the reason why I should want to help him. His wife actually attended my church. I asked my new friend her name, and this was his first mistake. He gave his wife's surname as Hunt. Hunt happens to be my wife's former surname, the one she had before we got married. As a result, I tend to remember people named Hunt. But I didn't recognize this woman's name. I asked what she looked like, and he told me she was medium height, had brown hair, and was slightly overweight. I admitted that that described half the women who attended my church.

The reality was that I didn't have a hundred dollars. And so, my friend asked if I had a credit card. I said yes, and he asserted that I could go to the restaurant across the street and get $100 cash put on my credit card. I was reluctant to do that, knowing that vendors sometimes pay pretty high bank fees for their credit card transactions, and I know how much they love customers who come in wanting money (sarcasm). 

I did have an idea. I would go to where his car had broken down and put the tow on my credit card. My new friend quickly backed away from that suggestion. His mother-in-law was with him, and he didn't want her to know that he couldn't afford the tow himself. She thought he was at the bank getting some money out. At this point, I began to suspect that I was being played. (I know, you probably would have realized that much earlier.) I assured him I would come and pay for the tow truck, but that was the only way I would be involved. And my new friend went away very disappointed. 

In my experience with people, I often find that the ones in most need of help are also the ones most reticent to ask for it. They are embarrassed, frequently too ashamed to ask for my assistance. Most of the ones who ask for money don't really need it. Yet, I admit that if I have cash on me, I usually give it to them anyway.

In ancient times, the farmers provided the solution to feed people experiencing poverty. Farmers were instructed not to reap to the edges of their fields. The edges and the corners were to be left for those who were hungry but could not afford food. Someone who was experiencing need didn't have to embarrass themselves by asking for food; they could just go to the edges of a farmer's field and collect what was there. An example of this principle is seen in the story of Ruth. People experiencing poverty could come and pick up what was on the edges of the field and even what the harvesters had missed on their first pass through the fields. In this way, the poor were blessed by those who had food to share. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 20

Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. – Leviticus 19:29

Today's Scripture Reading (January 1, 2025): Leviticus 18

I must admit that I have struggled with something Jesus said over the past few decades. Maybe struggle is the wrong word. It is not that I don't believe what Jesus said. Quite the reverse, actually. I take the words to heart, but I don't want them to just flow out of my mouth; I want to understand them deep in my being, and I want the words to be reflected in my life and teaching. What are the words?

 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40).

The impact for me is that all of the Bible, what Jesus calls the Law and the Prophets, somehow connects to the Law of Love. Every time we declare that something goes against the desires of God, what we are saying somehow violates the Law of Love.

We can become very heavy-handed with the Law, and sometimes especially with this passage in Leviticus. One commentator wrote;

This chapter is one of the most extensive and direct passages in the Bible reflecting God's stated will and commands regarding the expression of human sexuality. These are the words of God, and as such they have immeasurably more authority than the words, opinions, theories, desires, feelings, longings, or wishes of any person or persons (David Guzik)

I agree, but somehow, as we struggle with this passage, we must understand how it violates the Law of love. And some of it is easy. Adultery, in whatever form we find it, violates the trust and love between two people. By sleeping with relatives, we violate the love between people who are bound together in a family unit. Every time we violate these bonds, we are endangering the essential community in which we live, and it is no wonder that violating these rules means we must be cast out. 

But our theology must continue to connect the reason for our sin to the Law of Love. Only then can we get to the root cause of our sin, our unwillingness to love as God would have us love. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 19

Happy New Year to all. I wish you all the best in 2025.