Day 31: Into the Wilderness

Well, I've done a month. And so have you, if you've got this far with me. "Never mind if you're not reading this at the end of January, every day you read some of the Bible is a good day.) The title feels appropriate: into the wilderness. It's going to get more of a struggle from now on - we've got the desert of Leviticus and Numbers ahead. Never mind - let's learn from the Israelites in the wilderness, and we'll be ready for the tough times ahead.

From Shur to Marah, to Elim, to the Desert of Sin
Exodus 15:22, Numbers 33:8, Exodus 15:23-7, Numbers 33:9, Exodus 16:1, Numbers 33:10-11
Murmuring about the lack of food
Exodus 16:2-3
Manna promised and provided
Exodus 16:4-22, 31-36
Law of the sabbath
Exodus 16:23-30
From the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim
Exodus 17:1, Numbers 33:12-14
Murmuring about the lack of water
Exodus 17:2-4
Water from rock on Mount Horeb
Exodus 17:5-7
Conflict with Amalek
Exodus 17:8-16
Relatives visit Moses
Exodus 18:1-12
Jethro's wise counsel
Exodus 18:13-27
Sinai Approx 1461 BC
From Rephidim to Sinai
Exodus 19:1-2, Numbers 33:15
Giving of the Law: Covenant renewed and preliminary instructions
Exodus 19:3-8

Predictably, after the highs of yesterday, things come crashing down today. There is a lack of water, and the water of Marah isn't drinkable, until God instructs Moses to perform another miracle. But by the time the people reach the appropriately named Desert of Sin, life in Egypt has become the Good Old Days. They've run out of food, complaints against Moses are escalating.
Moses and Aaron think that the miracle of manna will silence the grumbles once and for all: "you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt," (16:6). The daily provision of manna trained the people to rely on God. They couldn't hoard the stuff - it went bad. God would only let them collect enough for a day (except when it was the sabbath). So they had to go to sleep every night in the hope that the miracle would be repeated the next day. God was building up their faith muscles.
Still a way to go though. When the water ran short again, they complained bitterly. Moses complained too, to God, and another miracle was provided. But the lesson that they should trust in God, was proving a hard one to learn.
Then, just as Moses is getting ground down with the simple stupidity of people not bothering to think for themselves, along comes his father in law, Jethro, with some sound advice. "Delegate, man!" You don't have to do it all yourself. He saves Moses' life then and there. We can see already that this isn't going to be a straightforward journey home - there's been a battle to fight, the people are hard to please, and even Moses' new-found confidence is tested to the limit.
But at last they get to Sinai, where God had appeared to Moses first of all. That must have encouraged him. And the people seem to be paying attention as he passes on God's latest message.
 

Day 30: Crossing the Red Sea

It's quite eerie, reading what happened to Pharaoh at the same time as present day Egyptians are putting their president under  such pressure. Today, it looks like Mubarak will have to go, and if he does, what celebrations will take place!
What's your favourite moment of triumph? England winning the Ashes? Your footy team winning a trophy (not in my case!) Some personal success? Well, remember that feeling as you read today's chapters.

Passover instructions
Exodus 13:1-19
From Succoth to Etham
Exodus 13:20, Numbers 33:6
Pillar of fire and cloud
Exodus 13:21-22
From Etham to Pi-Hahiroth
Exodus 14:1-2, Numbers 33:7
Pharaoh pursues
Exodus 14:3-20
Crossing the Red Sea
Exodus 14:21-31
Song of victory
Exodus 15:1-21

The Israelites marched out with pride, only to be pursued by the chariots of Pharaoh. This causes them to panic, and to begin their first of many complaints to Moses. "Oh I see, there wasn't enough burial space in Egypt so you brought us out to die here."
"Stay calm," says Moses, "Don't move til you see the whites of their eyes." Has he changed? Not stammering and depressed any more. Confident and unflustered, he obeys God's command and faces the impassable barrier of the sea. All night God keeps the two forces apart and then in the morning, like a cosmic lollipop man, he ushers the Israelites across the sea bed. Then the waves crash back in and drown the Israelites.
I always thought the song in chapter 15 was a bit feeble. It hasn't got the poetry and depth  of some of the Psalms. But then it's a victory chant - basically, it's the Israelites singing "One nil, one nil, one nil," to the tune of Amazing Grace.
It won't last. But for now, let them enjoy their moment.

Social Media Code of Practice Part 4

There's one more problem I want to mention about clergy types using Facebook and Twitter, before I start suggesting what I think should be done.

My third problem is simply one of confidentiality. It should be a no brainer, but I think there's a risk here. There's something about online communication that tempts us into saying and doing things that we wouldn't do face to face, or through another means of communicating. Probably because it's all still new to us. Let's face it, most of us aren't exactly at the bleeding edge of new media, we're doing our best, but hey, this is the Church of England. Doing things on the cheap is what it's all about. 

Mostly that just makes us look a little quaint and amateurish. But sometimes it can be worse, because our day job is dealing with people's lives (that and the Almighty, of course.)

And so we might break a confidence, we might tell our friends and (accidentally) the wider world something that we should have kept to ourselves. But we didn't understand the privacy settings. Or we meant to reply to one individual, but sent a public tweet instead. Easily done. No so easily undone.

We haven't got the time to read the online help. And even if we did, we might not understand it anyway. Do you know your way round Facebook's privacy settings?

Day 29: The Passover

Clearly Egypt needs the Israelites. They have become dependent on their slave labour, and as Pharaoh twists and turns, making one small concession after another, he wants to ensure that the Israelites come back. Let the menfolk go, but not the women on children, he says at one point. Then, you may all go, but leave your livestock behind. But God's people don't belong in Egypt, and nothing short of a complete and permanent departure will do. That's what God promised. And that's what must happen.

10: Killing of firstborn: warning
Exodus 11:1-8
Pharaoh's heart hardened
Exodus 10:29-8-9, 11:9-10
Passover instructions
Exodus 12:1-12
Importance of the blood
Exodus 12:13-27
First born of Egypt killed
Exodus 12:29-30
Deliverance begins
Exodus 12:31-36, 40-42, Numbers 33:1-4
The Exodus: c 1462 BC
From Ramases to Succoth
Exodus 12:37, Number 33:5, Exodus 12:38-9, 43-51

This is it. This is the defining moment for the nascent nation. They dated their calendar from the Passover - Passover Day was New Year's Day. The story is interwoven with instructions about how it is to be celebrated in the future - either because they realised that the time what a significant moment this was, or because later, people re-visited this story and filled it up with meaning and instructions that defined Israel's identity. Either way, this is the moment they changed from being a bunch of slaves to being a nation.
A figure that's always fascinated me is the angel of death. The translation I'm using (NIV 2010) calls it "the destroyer." Robert Harrison deals with it by having his angelic hero show those poor humans what heaven is really like. They die in a moment of ecstasy. Not a bad way to go. Bob Hartman wrote a beautiful story where the angel of death spends centuries grieving over what he has done, and his grief is finally healed when he is given the task of being the angel that sits in the empty tomb of Jesus, announcing the resurrection to the women who came early on the first Easter morning.
Out of death comes life. This is God's way.

Social Media Code of Practice part 3

Social Media is good. 

It's a great way for church workers to engage with people and each other. But it's not without its problems. So far I've discussed the risk of inappropriate use of social media. 

To my way of thinking, the second problem that can occur when clergy tweet or book their faces is to do with mixing up the public and the private. 

It's well known that journalists find Twitter a godsend. No need to seek an interview with the famous, if they're posting their inmost thoughts online every day. Every time a footballer gets substituted after a bad game, you can bet your bottom euro that his twitter account is being watched avidly. Will he give vent to his feelings? Is he going to hint he wants a transfer?You can hear reporters chortling almost every day on the News about Twitter.

Now I don't kid myself that ordinary vicars are particularly newsworthy figures, but a few of us church people undoubtedly are. If you're a bishop, and a tweeting bishop, then you're certainly news fodder. And at the right time, and the right place, a tweeting vicar could be equally newsworthy. Remember how the media spotlight fell on the Vicar of Soham? If I was he, I think my instinct would be to stop tweeting immediately. Or maybe it wouldn't. Maybe I wouldn't think, and I'd let my friends know how scared I felt at suddenly having to deal with the attention. I'm sure a negative message could be spun out of any unguarded comment.

Most of us think that we're only talking to our friends on Facebook. But have we checked our settings? If you're privacy settings let "Friends of Friends" see your posts, then you might as well go out and write them on the front door of your church. Potentially anyone can see them. 

And then there's hacking. Facebook are just introducing https security. About time too. If you're checking your account on a public wi-fi, up to now, you've been vulnerable. 

So unless you're sure, really sure, that only the people you want to read your posts can actually read them, the only way to be safe is to assume that your favourite journalist is looking over your shoulder as you type.

Day 28: God continues the plagues

As I write this, protests against President Mubarak are mounting in Egypt.  Is this going to be the end of his long and comparatively stable rule? I can't help spotting the parallels with Pharaoh under pressure, but I'm uneasy about this.
I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels uncomfortable about the plagues. It's all about "My God is bigger than your god" theology, or so it seems. The question, I suppose, is could the Israelites be expected to be more sophisticated than that in their beliefs. Given their suffering, given their circumstances. My first answer is yes, we can expect more of them - Job did better than that in the face of suffering. Let's see what I think after I've read them again.

3. Gnats
Exodus 8:16-19
4. Flies
Exodus 8:20-32
5. Death of livestock
Exodus 9:1-7
6. Boils
Exodus 9:8-12
7. Hail
Exodus 9:13-35
8. Locusts
Exodus 10:1-20
9. Darkness
Exodus 10:21-27

In a Passover meal, the leader splashes red wine on a plate whilst reading the list of plagues. One splash for each plague. It's chilling, to watch the pool of red wine spread out like blood.
At first the Egyptian magicians copy God's plagues, persuading Pharaoh not to give in, but soon the plagues move beyond their power. Anyway, all they can do is add to the woes, they can't take the plagues away. Moses "cried out to the Lord" because of the effects of the plagues (8:12) suggesting that he is upset by them too. We must remember he was brought up in Pharaoh's court, so would have sympathised with the suffering.
Also, as the plagues get worse, the Israelites are exempt. Their suffering does not increase, but presumably they are still being forced to make bricks without straw.
God repeatedly says that he has hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he can perform all these amazing signs and convince all Egypt of his glory. That is one explanation of the plagues. But Pharaoh is still to blame - each time the plague stops, he sins, and refuses to let the people go.
It's a game of poker, and the stakes are getting higher.

Social Media Code of Practice Part 2

There are three problems that I can see with the way that clergy and church workers are using FaceTwit et al.

Lots of advantages, but three problems. The first is to do with the danger of online grooming and false accusations. When someone is arrested for having indecent images on the computer, apparently the favourite excuse is “I was doing some research.” So no wonder my intended sabbatical project rang alarm bells in certain ears. A magistrate and a police officer involved in child protection both wanted to ask me all sorts of awkward questions. 

It culminated with me being asked along to police headquarters, to meet an officer in the child protection unit. Not to show me around, as I naively thought, but to ask some searching questions about what I was doing and why. "We're paid to be cynical," he told me. On his advice, I avoided any direct contact with children and young people on this subject, and kept my research on a theoretical level.

If I had got myself stuck into online communities, perhaps I would have felt the temptation to begin inappropriate relationships with minors. Even if I didn't, perhaps I could be accused of so doing. So, there's a need to be seen to be squeaky clean.

This is not just a question of avoiding tabloid headlines. It's about ensuring that there is a rigid boundary that defines what is acceptable and unacceptable online contact between adults and children.  Those in the caring professions have a responsibility to understand where the line is, and not cross it. I'm not sure we clergy do.

What about youth workers? For those who hang out with their young people on Facebook, how are they being accountable? 

If this is the negative side of social media use, then the positive needs accentuating. Christians should be distinctive in using social media in a good way, a way that builds people up and doesn't harm them, a way that commends the God we worship and serve.

The next post in this series will look at the divide between our public and private lives. Please comment, and help me refine my thinking. Thank you.

Day 27: Moses becomes leader

Always, God's plans seem to be in jeopardy. He chose a 70 year old man with a barren wife to be father of a nation, his descendants had to leave the Promised Land because of famine, and now, to lead them back, God's picked someone with clinical depression. God works with such unlikely material. Howe can he possibly turn Moses into a leader?

Moses returns to Egypt and contends with Pharaoh
Exodus 4:19-5:3
Pharaoh increases burdens
Exodus 5:4-23
Final instructions to Moses
Exodus 6:1-13, 26-30, 7:1-6
Second meeting with Pharaoh
Exodus 7:7-13
The ten plagues
1: Rivers turned to blood
Exodus 7:14-25


I had to stop reading chapter 4 when I got to verses 24&25, because it didn't make any sense to me. So I reached for a commentary, which reassured me by saying, "this is an obscure passage." But it's no good just skipping over bits that don't make sense, we need to try to understand what's going on. What puzzled me was why God should appear to Moses and try and kill him, just after he's given him a very important job to do. The answer seems to be to do with the significance of circumcision, which God had give to Abraham as a sign of his covenant, his promise. The commentary suggested that Moses' sons had not been circumcised, since they were born away from the Hebrews, to a non-Jewish wife. The importance of circumcision is not the thing itself, but what it signified: it was a sign of God's promised blessing in setting apart a race of people for himself. It meant a purification and a stripping away of sinful things so that this race could be dedicated to God. So it must be taken seriously. If Moses is going to grow into a leader, he needs to strip away the things that would keep him away from God.
Moses and Aaron meet - presumably for the first time as grown men, and worship when they realise that God has called them both, and has chosen to act to rescue his people from their hardship. This is a poignant moment.
Things don't go well when Moses and Aaron speak to Pharaoh. He simply makes the Israelites' burden heavier, and predictably, Moses complains to God "You've just made things worse, and now everyone blames me."
Have faith, Moses, have faith.
6:9 shows that the rest of the Israelites are feeling much like Moses: "they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labour." Now Moses has a crisis of confidence - Pharaoh won't listen to me, "because I speak with faltering lips." It's not looking good.
God gives Moses a pep talk, and sends him and Aaron back into the fray, this time, to do some magic with their staff to convince Pharaoh that God is with them. Pharaoh isn't impressed, his sorcerers know that trick too, and so the stage is set for a power struggle. "Blood was everywhere in Egypt." The suffering is going to be great.

Clergy, church workers and social media - do we need a code of practice?

Everybody's favourite bishop/the bishop we all love to hate (delete as appropriate) got himself in hot water over some intemperate comments on Facebook a while back. 

Meanwhile, there is considerable pressure for tricky vicars and trendy revs to start tweeting, posting their status on Facebook and reaching out to to folk online.

I did a sabbatical recently in which I looked at young people and the internet. When I made it known what I was going to be doing, I was warned to “be very careful,” by a magistrate and two police officers. Why? I think because they heard “internet,” “young people,” and “vicar” and added them up to paedophile. “Just watch you don't get yourself into trouble,” was their advice.

The world of education has strict guidelines about that say things like: "Do not talk about your professional role in any capacity when using social media such as Facebook and YouTube." Teachers keep their personal and professional online lives separate. You can see why. Should clergy and church workers do the same?

Seems to me there are three problems. One is the danger of online grooming and false accusations.

The second problem is to do with mixing up the public and the private.

The third problem is one of confidentiality.

I'm going to post on each of the problems, and then begin to suggest a way forward. Please comment, tell me I'm stupid, misguided and wrong, and hopefully  I'll end up with something worth saying at the end of it.

Day 26: The birth and commission of Moses

So we begin Exodus, the third book that we'll read in its entirety. Years have passed since the famine brought the promised people to live in Egypt, and they're in danger of forgetting their destiny. They're not in danger of settling down in peace and prosperity, because the Egyptians have forgotten why they were grateful to these people, and just see them as an immigration problem.

Population of Israel grows
Genesis 47:27, Exodus 1:7
Egypt's bondage and oppression
Exodus 1:8-14
Moses and his family
Numbers 26:59, Exodus 6:20, Exodus 1:15-22, 1 Chronicles 23:13, Exodus 2:1-10
Aaron's family
Exodus 6:23, Numbers 26:60, 1 Chronicles 6:49
Moses slays an Egyptian and flees to Midian
Exodus 2:11-20
Moses marries Zipporah
Exodus 6:21-22, 1 Chronicles 23:14-15
God hears Israel's groanings
Exodus 6:23-25
Moses receives his commission
Exodus 3:1-22
Moses' objections
Exodus 4:1-13
Moses complies
Exodus 4:11-18

So first we hear about the hardship of the Israelites - slaves to a cruel Pharaoh who has forgotten about Joseph. A baby boy survives the harsh decree that all Hebrew boys must be killed at birth, and is brought up as an Egyptian prince. He tries to bring justice to his people, but an impetuous act makes him a murderer and a fugitive. God's promise is under threat again.
So God acts. He calls this fugitive, and makes a promise to him, that he will be the one to lead the slaves to freedom in a land "flowing with milk and honey." Somthing else has been forgotten - the famine!
But Moses is lacking in self-esteem, and needs a lot of persuading. A friend of mine, Robert Harrison, tells this marvellously in the book called Oriel in the Desert. In this book, his Moses is in the pit of depression, and gradually, gradually picks himself up as he realises that not only has God given him a great task, but actually, with God's help, he can do it. It's a wonderful portrait of dawning faith.
So Moses is the most reluctant person we've met so far. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Job, all of them accepted what God said to them. Moses says, "No Lord, please send someone else." (4:13) At which point, God gets angry.

Day 25: A faithful patriarch

We come to the end of Genesis today. Phew! I know we've read Job as well, but this feels like the first big landmark on the journey through the Bible. We've covered untold centuries, moved from the cosmically sublime to the ridiculousness of a soap opera. Two characters stand out for me - Abraham and Jacob. Flawed people, strange choices by God. But he never let them down, and despite some pretty desperate circumstances, his promise that one day they would be a great nation looks to be on the way to succeeding. Just one little problem - they've gone and moved to Egypt...

Jacob speaks to his twelve sons
Genesis 49:1-32
Death and burial of Jacob
Genesis 49:33, 50:1-14
Joseph reassures his brothers
Genesis 50:15-21
Judah's descendants
Ruth 4:18, 1 Chronicles 2:5-8
Joseph's latter days
Genesis 50:22-25
Death of Joseph and his brothers
Genesis 50:26, Exodus 1:6
Jacob's blessing reflects the character of his sons as we know it. Simeon and Levi, Judah and Joseph, are all referred to in ways that we recognise. Judah's blessing is especially significant because it contains a prophecy about being a ruler. From Judah were descended the kings of Israel, and of course the Messiah. Of the others, some of the references might make sense depending on where the tribes with their names finally settled in the Promised Land.
So a sense of peace descends over the chosen family. After their great mourning at the death of Jacob, they live quietly in Egypt under the protection of Pharaoh. Even when Joseph dies, there's no sense of urgency to return to Canaan - why should they? - they're plenty prosperous here in Egypt. God's promise goes to sleep, and the years pass.

Day 24: Provision instead of famine

Joseph's story is one that we Christians love to dwell on - God working in secret through the circumstances of life (looking bad more often than good) and eventually we see how he was looking after us all along. Great when we find we've been part of a story like this, but we mustn't assume God will always bail us out. Real faith demands that we go further than that, and play our part. Joseph didn't sit around and wait for God to show up, he worked incredibly hard for the good of whoever came in sight, whether it was Potiphar, fellow prisoners, Pharaoh, or his family.

Joseph reunited with his brothers
Genesis 43:15-34, 44:1-34, 45:1-15
Jacob hears good news
Genesis 45:16-28
Jacob goes to Egypt
Genesis 46:1-7
Joseph's family settle in Egypt
Genesis 46:8-27, Exodus 1:1-5, Genesis 46:28-34, 47:1-12
His wise leadership continues
Genesis 47:13-26
Jacob's last days, and his blessing
Genesis 47:28-31, 48:1-22

A lovely line in 45:24 - "Don't quarrel on the way," says Joseph to his brothers as they go to fetch Jacob. There's humour in this book!
Judah it is who speaks up, telling Joseph the whole truth about what had happened in Canaan. Judah, made wise by the pain of losing two sons, is ready to die in place of Jacob's beloved Benjamin. The brothers have finally realised the consequences of their actions, even though Joseph warns them not to start arguing on their way home!
So Joseph brings his whole family safely to Egypt, and there are tears and poignant reunions. Joseph brought the whole land through the famine, and when Jacob finally comes to the end of his life, he kneels with his two sons to receive his father's blessing. But Jacob has one last trick up his sleeve. He gives the best blessing to the younger son. Why? Who knows. Perhaps this little detail just shows us that Jacob's character remained to the end. Although he learnt humility, and gratitude, and wisdom through his long life, he could never resist the chance to seize events as they ran through his hands, and give them a little twist.

Day 23: Joseph's brothers travel to Egypt

You can see why Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd-Webber wrote a musical about it. It's a brilliant story. Rags to riches, powerful personalities clashing, and I'm looking forward to reading the wonderful denouement today.

Joseph marries Asenath
Genesis 41:45
The seven years of plenty
Genesis 41:46-9
Joseph's sons born
Genesis 41:50-52
Judah and Tamar
Genesis 38:6-26
Birth of Perez and Zerah
Genesis 38:27-30, 1 Chronicles 2:4
The seven years of famine
Genesis 41:53-57
Joseph's brothers' first journey to Egypt
Genesis 42:1-28
Their report to Jacob
Genesis 42:29-38
Jacob sends them to Egypt again
Genesis 43:1-14

Oh what a wonderful line Jacob's got in chapter 42! "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" This is something new for the patriarch's family - they've never experienced poverty before. Jacob was already doing well with Uncle Laban when his children began to be born, and they've always had enough of everything. But now that the food is running out they can't look beyond their rivalries and think about what needs to be done. Old Jacob has to rouse himself and kick them into action.
When they meet Joseph, he sets about playing on their guilty consciences. It isn't hard. And that's good news. For all their jealousy and hatred, they are sorry for what they did. There is a good chance that this might all end happily.
The story is interrupted as we pick up the story of Judah and his family, as a sideline. This is the disadvantage of the reading scheme I am following, which aims to be chronological. I'm sure there is a reason why the writer of Genesis put this story of deception and mistaken identity where he did, rather than telling the events in the order they happened. We need to know that the Judah who soothes his father's fears for Benjamin by offering to look after Jacob's youngest, is the man who has lost a son of his own, struggled to provide for his daughter in law and ended up wronging her profoundly. Judah is older and wiser, and as such, he understand better how Jacob feels in this time of crisis.

Day 22: The ascent of Joseph

We're into Andrew Lloyd-Webber territory now, as we watch Joseph's career. Apparently the technicolour dreamcoat could just have been "a long-sleeved robe." Not so grand, but its significance is the same. Joseph is special. The question is, is that just Jacob's opinion, or is there something remarkable about this lad that others will see?

Joseph's early days in Egypt
Genesis 39: 2-6
Joseph flees from Potiphar's wife
Genesis 39:7-19
Joseph put in jail
Genesis 39:20-23
Sons of Levi
Exodus 6:16, Numbers 3:17, 1 Chronicles 6:1 & 16
Joseph interprets dreams
Genesis 40:1-23
Death of Isaac
Genesis 35:28-9
Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream
Genesis 41:1-37
Joseph made governor of Egypt
Genesis 41:38-44
We are told quite clearly that " the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did." It is not that Joseph is remarkable in himself, although he was good looking and clever, but God was on his side. There is the matter of the promise, you see. In the midst of the family turmoil of the last few chapters, it might have been forgotten. Indeed I suspect it was forgotten by Jacob and his family for much of the time. But not by God, who repeatedly turns the bad things that happen to Joseph into good. First, his brother's hatred is turned into gainful employment in Egypt. Then, his mistress's jealousy is turned into useful work in prison. Finally, an official's forgetfulness of Joseph's help to him is turned into Joseph becoming governor of all Egypt - a remarkable rise for a man started out as a puffed up dreamer. God is at work in him, preparing a safe haven for the patriarch's family when the terrible famine comes.

The rape of Dinah

I wrote this when I was at college, trying to see the shocking story of Dinah's rape through the eyes of the Shechemites.  It was so long ago, that Bosnia and Serbia were in the news, and you might detect references to the Balkans scattered through it.

They say that when things get really bad, even rape becomes a weapon of war. Well it wasn't like that in this case! It truly wasn't. We used to live in harmony with each other, they bought land from us and settled nearby – we welcomed them.
Yes I know it's different now. I suppose there's no way we can ever live in the same country as them any more. How can we forgive and forget when we were tricked, attacked when we couldn't defend ourselves, our young men at a time that they said was sacred? And that wasn't enough for them! They didn't just kill the soldiers, they came and slaughtered everyone. We were ethnically cleansed, and we didn't deserve it!

But didn't it begin with your prince doing them wrong?

You're suggesting that we started it, aren't you? Why don't you listen to the facts before jumping to your conclusions? Listen to me! I was there! That woman and I, we were actually friends. More than that, myself and the other women in Shechem, we were her only friends! We took pity on her! I don't suppose you knew that, did you?

Tell me about Dinah.

She wasn't liked at home. You see, her father Jacob had two wives. He loved one, but not the other. You know whose daughter she was? The unloved one, of course! This goes very deep, and Dinah told me the whole story.
Before they settled among us, her father had worked for his uncle, a shepherd called Laban. Laban had two daughters, one was beautiful, and one wasn't. Guess which one Jacob fell in love with! Laban struck a bargain that Jacob should work for him for seven years, and then get the daughter of his choice, But after the seven years, he tricked him. Under the wedding veil was the other daughter! Jacob never forgave him, even though he got his other wife in the end. He remembered that trick. and he's been playing it back ever since. If you listen to them say they‘re all one happy family. But I tell you they're not!
Anyone who was burn of Leah, the ugly one, is looked down on, even though they're older than the ones born of Rachel, who was barren for years. Old Jacob's bitterness has poisoned his whole clan. Dinah told me so! She was lovely! She really was good-looking. If anyone deserved to be loved, she would have been. But not in that family. No, they're all twisters in that family!
You don't believe me? I'll prove it to you. Do you know what Leah called her first three sons? The first one she called Reuben, which means “See, a son” because she thought her gos had seen her misery and taken pity on her. The next one, Simeon, his name sounds like the word “to hear” - she hoped her god had heard her husband didn't love her. And the third she called Levi, which sounds like “attached” - still hoping that Jacob would be come attached to her.
She was coming to see us, the day it all started. And our prince fell for her. And well he might! Alright, I don't excuse what he did, it was wrong to have sex with her without doing the courteous thing and asking for her in marriage. But to hear them talk, you'd thing Shechem was the Ripper! He didn't hurt a hair on her head, he loved her! He took her home, he looked after her, he treated her a thousand times better than they did.
But when he went to ask for her – to ask, mind, not to insist: - they bleated away about defilement and desecration. What an insult! Any of us women would give anything to be Shechem's wife – he was the most honoured of Hamor's sons – and here he was, offering them any price they cared to name, for a daughter they didn't want.
They insisted all our men would have to be circumcised. I've heard of the bridegroom getting circumcised, but everyone ?
Nothing was too much ask for Shechem. And anyway, at the time it seemed a good deal. This could be the of a fruitful alliance between Jacob's clan and us. Jacob was wealthy, having him with us
would have greatly increased our power. His sons even said that we could up as one race. Does that sound like we were enemies?
Anyway, all the men agreed to be circumcised. Everyone who was old enough for military service, “all who go out of the city gate” as we say. It was a solemn occasion. And a painful one, too! I remember we laughed – all the men will be walking around like cowboys for a week, we said.
Then they played their terrible trick. Simeon and Levi came like two whirlwinds and killed our men. They killed Hamor and Shechem and dragged Dinah off with them, The poor men were still in pain and no one could move fast enough to stop them.
But there was worse. Far worse. When the rest of the clan found out, did they execute justice on Simeon and Levi? Oh no! They came, all of them, and took all that was left. Women, children, animals, plunder. Whatever their bulging eyes saw, their filthy hands grabbed. I wish they'd killed me that day!
They left soon after that, they went south to Bethel. I suppose that shows they've got some shame for what they've done. So tell me, do you still think it was our fault?

What happened to Dinah?

How should I know? They took her away again, didn't they? I don‘t suppose they'll treat her any better than they did before.

If they didn't want her in the first place, why did they take her?

Ah. but who took her? Don't Forget it was Simeon and Levi, Leah's sons. Still trying to prove themselves to their father, I reckon. They know they're not loved as much as his favourite son. Have you seen the wonderful coat his father gave him? Mark my words – they won't stop at this. The precious Joseph will be next for the chop.

Yes but what did Dinah really want? Did she want to be with Shechem?

Why do you keep asking me about her?

Well...

Is it because I'm a woman and you think I ought to sympathise with her? What's her sadness compared to mine? Have you any idea what it's like to see everyone you love being butchered, to see your city carved up before your eyes, to sit there in panic wondering when your turn will come?

Yes, but surely Dinah was treated badly too?

Oh, my heart bleeds! Listen, whose fault do you think that was? Ask yourself this, who else but Shechem ever really loved that woman? If she had any sense, she'd have wanted to stay with him.

But, Simeon and Levi...

Are you joking?! They killed the man who wanted to be her husband! What sort of love do you call that?

Didn't you love Dinah?

No, I didn't love her. I felt sorry for her, because of the way she was treated. I mean, nobody ever stopped to ask her what she wanted in life. Nobody!
But I didn’t love her. After all, she was a foreigner. When I knew Shechem loved her, I was jealous. When the Israelites killed him, I hated her.

Why did you hate her?

Because I loved Shechem.

Day 21: The Selling of Joseph

Back in familiar Sunday school territory now, with the story of Joseph. (Yesterday and chapter 34 definitely wasn't Sunday School territory! Though maybe it should be. But that's another thought.) Soaps are telling us nothing new. The drama potential of dysfunctional families has been around since the Bronze Age.

Jacob's sons take revenge
Genesis 34:13-31
Jacob's return to Bethel
Genesis 35:1-9, 11-15
Death of Rachel at Benjamin's birth
Genesis 35:16-19, 38:7, 35:20-22
Jacob's return to Hebron
Genesis 35:27, 37:1
Joseph's early days and dreams
Genesis 37:2-11
His brothers' conspiracy
Genesis 37:12-35
Sold into Egypt
Genesis 37:36, 39:1
Judah's first three sons
Genesis 38:1-5, 1 Chronicles 2:3

Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, who have learned deceit well, commit murder to get her back. I'll reflect more on this story in a separate blog post.
I can't help but feel uneasy about what happens next. Jacob moves on to Bethel, meets with God there, who renews all his promises to him. Not a word about the evil that was committed in Shechem. It's as though those people didn't count. God is only focussing on Jacob and his dynasty. That's why I've included a separate post, something I wrote years ago, reflecting on this story from the pont of view of a Shechemite woman. The women were treated as possessions, the foreigners were despised. And God doesn't tell them off for it.
In chapter 37, we hear that the brothers are grazing their flocks in Shechem, and Joseph is sent off to that fateful place. We've heard about his pride, how he relished his "favourite son" status, and how the others hated him for it, and sure enough, they rise against him. Only Reuben demurs - Reuben was the only one of Leah's sons not to avenge the rape of his sister with such violence. He's the oldest, and seems to be the wisest. Nevertheless, Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt, and the brothers look to have rid themselves of him for good.

By the way, it's good to know that a few friends are following me in this Bible reading journey - thanks fir the company! Feel free to leave a comment, then I'll know you've been here. And don't worry about falling behind, I've got a feeling I'll need a pause for breath one day.

Parish Magazine Article: February 2011

Dear Friends,

I'm sure you know by now that John Budd died just before Christmas. We held a Memorial Service here in church at the same time as his funeral in Malvern. Marion Harding spoke with great affection about John, and we all swapped stories afterwards. He is a hard act to follow as vicar, but he was unfailingly kind and supportive to me and Rachel. He will be greatly missed.

I thought it would be nice to record our memories of John, and to make them into a book that we could present to Jill. Many people at the Memorial Service took a sheet of paper away to write their memories on, and if you would like to join in with this, the sheets are still at the back of church, and will be for a month. Please return your memories to me, or leave them in church, by the end of February.

Love,

Nick

Day 20: Jacob changes name

Names are of huge significance in the Bible. I've been struck by the poignancy of the names Leah chose for her children - desperately hoping that Jacob would come to love her. What happens now that God chooses a new name for Jacob? Will he change his character?

Jacob's departure from Laban continued
Genesis 31:33-55
Jacob's apprehension at meeting Esau
Genesis 32:1-23
Jacob wrestles with the angel
Genesis 32:24-32
Jacob's name changed
Genesis 35:10
Jacob meets Esau
Genesis 33:1-16
Jacob returns to Shechem
Genesis 33:17-20
Dinah's defilement
Genesis 34:1-12
Well, Jacob and family get away with it again. He and Laban huff and puff at each other, and eventually agree to part, making a solemn agreement not to interfere with each other in the future. There's been tricks on all sides, some pretty strange and untrusting relationships, but on the whole it's been a good time for Jacob. He went to Uncle Laban for refuge, and he leaves with family, flocks and status. A patriarch indeed.
But the patriarchs never relax for long. Their trust in God is always undermined by their fear of what other people might do to them. Jacob is panicking about meeting his brother again.
He disposes his forces as if defending them against enemy attack, and the night before he is due to meet Esau, he is left alone, for a different encounter. He wrestles with an angel until dawn. One thing Jacob doesn't lack is tenacity. He wrestles a blessing out of the angel, and gets a new name into the bargain. "Israel" means "he struggles with God." Yes, Jacob does struggle. He struggles to trust, but he struggles to preserve himself and his family, and in so doing he protects the promise that God has given to his dynasty.
When they meet, Jacob and Esau have a friendly exchange. Esau invites him home, but Jacob doesn't come - instead he goes to Shechem. Seems he still has a problem with trust. It might have been better if he had accepted his brother's hospitality, because in Shechem, the prince with the same name rapes Jacob's daughter, Dinah.

Day 19: Esau's History

When Ishmael was born to Abraham, there was uncertainty as to whether God's promise would follow him and his descendants, but instead it went to Isaac, and the story of Ishmael was dealt with fairly briefly (if poignantly). There's been a similar split, and we wonder whether Esau will inherit the promise to be a great nation, or his machinating brother, who has done everything in his power to supplant Esau. I'm also curious to see whether God's mercy will be extended to Esau as it was to Ishmael. It seems there's an important point here about God's choice: what does it mean for you if you are not chosen? Has God rejected you, or does he still care?

Esau marries Mahalath
Genesis 28:6-9
Esau's marriages and descendants
Genesis 36:1-30, 1 Chronicles 1:35-42
Kings of Edom: Bela, first king
Genesis 36:34-39, 1 Chronicles 1:43-44
Other kings
Genesis 36:34-39, 1 Chronicles 1:45-50
Chiefs of Edom
Genesis 36:40-43, 1 Chronicles 1:51-54
Jacob's departure from Laban
Genesis 31:17-32

We start the story with Esau with a moment of repentance. He realises that his Canaanite wives
have upset his parents, so to make it all better he marries someone else! No sign that he really appreciates the point, which presumably is that God asked them to keep themselves apart from local nations, to be a dynasty on their own. Esau does indeed form a dynasty of his own, and Genesis proceeds to list it without comment. Then they're listed again, this time called chiefs. Clearly Abraham's descendants are either made of honourable stuff, or they've made themselves wealthy enough to be honoured among their community. They are the ruling class. However, there is no emotion in these lists, no sign of special attachment, so it seems clear that the promise really has passed to Jacob.
We return to his story, as he finally takes his leave of Laban. There's always an undercurrent of fear when one of the patriarchs comes under the protection of another influential man. So now, Jacob departs in secret, without saying goodbye, and Laban comes after him, all sweet words, but actually upset because his household gods have been stolen. Seems that Rachel has learned some tricks too. We'll see how this story finishes tomorrow.

Day 18: The history of Jacob

So Jacob the twister takes centre stage. Isaac's character never really emerged from the shadows - what we did see of him seemed very like his father. But the evidence is already there to show that Jacob is not exactly upright and honourable. His approach to sibling rivalry was to outsmart his brother wherever possible, and his mother helped out when she could. Well, he's won - he's stolen the birthright and the blessing, let's see what he can do with them. Oh, and the promise - it's hanging on his shoulders now.

Jacob sent to Laban's house
Genesis 28:1-5
Dream at Bethel
Genesis 28:10-22
Arrives in Haran
Genesis 29:1-14
Works 7 years to get Rachel
Genesis 29:15-20
Marriage to Leah then to Rachel
Genesis 29:21-30
12 children born while working for Laban
Genesis 29:31-30:24
Jacob's closing days with Laban
Genesis 30:25-43, 31:1-16

Jacob realises that he has overstepped the mark, and humbly obeys his father when told to go away and find himself a wife from his kinsfolk. On the way, he has the wonderful vision of the stairway to heaven (cue crooning Robert Plant) and - typical Jacob - makes a bargain with God. If you make your promise come true, you can be my God. Abraham just believed. Jacob does a deal.
Once again there's a happy coincidence as soon as he arrives in Harran - he meets Rachel straight away, just as Abraham's servant met Rebekah. At first, all goes well - Laban welcomes him, and promises him Rachel in return for 7 years work. But Laban has a trick or two up his sleeve, and gives him the ugly daughter instead. Poor Leah - another victim of sibling rivalry, but she bears it stoically. There's real pain in the account of her naming her children "perhaps my husband will love me now."
Jacob proves to be an astute herdsman, and multiplies his flocks at the expense of Laban - indulging in a bit of selective breeding. He's doing plenty of breeding of his own, as his 12 sons (and daughter Dinah) are born, and we can see the seeds of tension being sown as there is no love lost between Leah and Rachel.

What the Bishop said

On Sunday, we watched the Bishop of St Albans via DVD, launching "Living God's Love."
It's an important time for us in the Diocese, and Bishop Alan has done a good job in putting the message across. Here's what he said. (And for those who were disappointed on Sunday when I showed them the full length version, this is the shorter, family-friendly one!)

Day 17: Incidents in Isaac's life

Yesterday we came to the end of Abraham's tumultuous life. Long and full of twists, it was ultimately a life lived by faith, not by sight. Now for Isaac. Will he prove to be a chip off the old block?

Sale of birthright
Genesis 25:27-34
Esau marries two Canaanite women
Genesis 26:34-35
Famine and covenant renewal
Genesis 26:1-5
Isaac lies about Rebekah
Genesis 26:6-10
Isaac's success at Gerar
Genesis 26:11-16
Isaac the well-digger
Genesis 26:17-22
Isaac makes an altar at Beersheba
Genesis 26:23-25
Isaac's truce with Abimelech
Genesis 26:26-33
Jacob obtains Esau's blessing
Genesis 27:1-46

What is it about pretending your wife is your sister? Abraham kept doing it, and now Isaac does as well. Both of them have run ins with Abimelech, who actually seems to be an honourable man. patient with the patriarch's machinations. But this land "flowing in milk and honey" is going through a drought time, and competition over water is scarce, so Isaac has to keep moving. God pops up to reiterate his promise "one day all this will be yours" but for the meantime, Isaac is a wanderer on the face of the earth.
As for his children, sibing rivalry might have been invented to describe them. Esau's marriage causes his parents grief, the children are so competitive with each other it's not true, and in the end it's the trickster who comes out on top. Esau's fatal flaw is that he's lazy, whereas Jacob will work hard on his devious schemes. Mind you, he got it from his Mum, who tricks blind Isaac good and proper, to make sure her favourite son gets the patriarch's blessing.
Loving 27:46! Sounds just like a domestic spat!

Day 16: The death of Abraham

So today we complete the story of Abraham - a story told in great detail, yet much of it I find hard to understand. I don't feel as though I've got a grasp of the man's character, his actions puzzle me. Maybe the historical distance is too great. Maybe I don't understand enough of the culture to pick up the clues. I admire him for his faith and his sense of honour, but I'm perplexed at his lying and cheating, and his lack of regard (so it seems to me) for the people dependent on him.

Isaac marries Rebekah

Genesis 24:1-67, 25:20

Abraham's children by Keturah

Genesis 25:1-4, 1 Chronicles 1:32-33

Isaac heir of all things

Genesis 25:5-6

Death of Abraham

Genesis 25:7-10

Death of Shem

Genesis 11:11

Isaac blessed

Genesis 25:11

Birth of Esau and Jacob

Genesis 25:19, 21-26

Death of Eber

Genesis 11:17

A beautiful story of God's guidance, as Abraham's servant finds Rebekah, granddaughter of Abraham's brother, as wife for Isaac. The story is told in loving detail slowly and with care, so that we can savour it.
For a moment there's some tension: in 25:21 we read that Rebekah was childless. Oh no! Not more painful waiting? But then she conceives twins, who are rivals in the womb, and rivals ever after. There could be trouble ahead.

Day 15: Incidents in Abraham's life

So the wait is nearly over for a legitimate heir for Abraham and Sarah. Abraham continues up and down, and I wonder what it was that God saw in him that made him the choice as father of a nation. Clearly God trusted him, shared his plans for Sodom and Gomorrah with him, and Abraham had the courage to debate with God. But was there anything that made him special? Perhaps not - which is reassuring in itself, meaning that God doesn't just choose the special ones among us, we don't have to be remarkable to catch his eye. Phew.

Lot's daughters give birth to sons

Genesis 19:30-38

Birth of Isaac

Genesis 21:1-7, 1 Chronicles 1:34

Isaac and Ishmael

Genesis 21:8-13

Hagar and Ishmael cast out

Genesis 21:14-21

Death of Shelah

Genesis 11:15

Ishmael's children

Genesis 25:12-18, 1 Chronicles 1:28-29

Abimelech's covenant with Abraham

Genesis 21:22-34

Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac

Genesis 22:1-19

Abraham learns of Nahor's family

Genesis 22:2024

Death of Sarah

Genesis 23:1-20

Chapter 19: This is the end for Lot - although the story tells us that his line continues, it does so in a shameful way and he is not to be part of God's plans for greatness.
Laughter and joy as Isaac is born. But there is jealousy and rancour between Sarah and Hagar, and Sarah doesn't deal with it well. Hagar is thrown out, despite Abraham's reluctance, and only God's mercy preserves them. This bitterness is never resolved, and its painful consequences endure. Ishmael's descendants lived in hostility towards their neighbours ever after.
Then we come to the remarkable story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac. Having obeyed God and let Ishmael go, he's ready to obey God and let Isaac go as well. Even to the point of dispatching him himself. This is painful to read. Nothing would induce me to part with Michael, except that he's growing up and will leave of his own accord. But he will still be my son. Is this wonderful faith from Abraham, or unreasonable requests from God? You should never ask someone to do what you're not willing to do yourself, it is said, and God did not withhold his own son, but gave him up freely for us all.
Abraham's grief continues as he buries Sarah, but we don't hear about his sadness, just his honourable dealings as he buys her a burial place. It's a reminder that Abraham is a foreigner in the land, and also that he is highly regarded - a mighty prince among us, the Hittites say.

Living God's love

This is by way of an experiment. Still new to blogging, I haven't cracked embedding a video yet. Or perhaps I have now.
And you can comment at last.
After Sunday, I'll post the Bishop's full sermon. We'll be watching it in church this Sunday.

Day 14: The Birth of a nation

God's been insisting on his promise, but still we've yet to see it come true. No sign of an heir for Abraham yet. Abraham's faith  has been boosted by God's words and actions, but he still has to believe without seeing.

God appears to Abraham and Sarah is promised a son
Genesis 18:1-15
God and Abraham discuss the fate of Sodom
Genesis 18:16-33
Angels warn Lot
Genesis 19:1-22
Lot's escape, the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, and of Lot's wife
Abraham's lies to Abimelech
Genesis 20:1-18

Chapter 18 is a remarkable story. God appears in the form of three angels, accepting Abraham''s hospitality, and reiterating the promise of a son. Sarah laughs in disbelief, then lies to cover up her confusion. Abraham, undaunted, gets into a discussion with God, who decides to share his thoughts about the fate of Sodom. With a wonderful bit of bargaining, he reverse haggles God down to 10 righteous people - the price of saving the city. But Sodom is a mess. Lot acts like Abraham, offering hospitality, but his family seem to be the only ones not steeped in wickedness. So the destruction plan goes ahead, and Lot's wife, poor woman, torn in two, looks back and is destroyed.
Chapter 20 is strange! Once again Abraham seems to succumb to fear, passing Sarah off as his sister. The king of the land, Abimelech, takes a fancy to this eligible single woman (as she seems) and only God's intervention through a dream prevents him from adding her to his harem. Strange behaviour from Abraham, who, as we've seen, acts sometimes like an equal to the various potentates he encounters, sometimes like a fugitive. Why does his trust in God waver? Oh, I forgot. He's only human.

Day 13: The Covenant with Abram

So the tension in this story is "How are this elderly couple going to have children?" How is God's promise going to be fulfilled? Maybe it's through Lot. He's Abram's nephew, after all. Has God got plans for him? Let's see.

Lot caught up in a war
Genesus 14:1-13
Abram rescues Lot, meets Melchizedek
Genesis 14:14-20
God's covenant with Abram
Genesis 15:1-21
Sarai gives Hagar to Abram - Ishmael is born
Genesis 16:1-16
Death of Arphaxad
Genesis 11:13
Abram becomes Abraham
Genesis 17:1-8
The sign of circumcision
Genesis 17:9-14
Chapter 14 begins with details of a war: names which mean nothing to me, and which include one of those explanatory footnotes that suggest that they had faded into antiquity pretty fast, and needed explaining by the time the text reached its final form.  Abram marches in to save his nephew, and with 318 men defeats a series of kings. This puts it into perspective - we're not talking about crowns and palaces here, just local chieftains whose influence is comparatively minor. Abram is at least as powerful as any of them.
Then the mysterious Melchizedek appears. Priest of God Most High, he blesses Abram. Who is this man? Where does he come from? How does he know God? All unanswered questions. For now, all we know is that Abram has an ally.
Chapter 15 then gives Abram some of the reassurance that he needs. God appears to him in a vision, giving him the chance to ask his most burning question: "I have no son and heir. How are you going to make good your promise?" Then God enters into a covenant, a solemn agreement, in much the same way that those chieftains would have understood - all the paraphernalia of cutting sacrificial carcases in two and walking between them. The promise is renewed.
Meanwhile, Sarai has been thinking. This is all my fault - I can't have children, so I'm blocking God's promise. I'd better let Abram have my slave girl. And in the jealousy and rancour that follows this attempt at surrogate motherhood, God is very gracious to Hagar the slave.
Then God appears again, to straighten out Abram's faith. He makes it clear that Sarai will have a child, and he reinforces their faith by asking for an action (circumcise every male) and changing their names (Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah). Names matter - Abraham means father of many. Every time someone called his name, Abraham would be reminded of God's promise.

Day 12: The Call of Abram

Back to Genesis now, and to the seminal story that lies at the root of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Between us, we three religions number more than half the word's population among our adherents, and this man Abram is there at the beginning for us all. I'm looking forward to examining him afresh. What sort of man was he?

Abram travels from Ur to Haran
Genesis 12:1-3, 11:31
Death of Terah
Genesis 11:32
On to Canaan
Genesis 12:4-9
Trip to Egypt
Genesis 12:10-20
Abram leave Egypt wealthy
Genesis 13:1-4
Abram and Lot separate
Genesis 13:5-15
Covenant renewed
Genesis 13:14-17
Abram goes to Hebron
Genesis 13:18

I never noticed this before,  but chapter 12 begins "The Lord had said." So Abram had received his great call sometime before. 11.31 describes his family's obedience to the call. Terah, Abram's father, together with his extended family, had left home for Canaan, but got no further than Haran. Only after his father dies does Abram continue his journey. Perhaps Terah's faith failed him. The promise itself is written in verse, as if Abram committed it to memory and repeated it to himself every day, until it became the mantra he lived by.
Abram was an important figure in his own right. Important enough to be given hospitality by Pharaoh of Egypt (even if Abram did feel he had to lie about his wife). Indeed he was so rich when he left Egypt that he and Lot had to part company - there wasn't enough grazing for them both to keep their flocks and herds in proximity to each other. You get the feeling from this that Abram could well be the start of a great and mighty nation - except for one problem. He had no children.

Day 11: Job Part 7

This is an extraordinary book. It reminds me in a strange way of Herman Melville's Moby Dick, where Melville keeps the reader waiting and waiting for an encounter with the giant whale, padding out the story with great big chunks of encyclopedic information about whales and whaling. The storm clouds are gathering, getting more and more oppressive, and you know there must be a terrible denouement. But when will it come?

Elihu observes the power of God
Job 37:1-13
Job required to explain the forces of nature, and reminded to fear God
Job 37:14-24
Discourse with Yahweh
God Questions Job
Job 38:1-41, Job 39:1-30
Job humbles himself before God
Job 40:1-5
God reasons with Job and shows his power
Job 40:6-24, 41:1-34
Job humbly submits to God
Job 42:1-6
He intercedes for his friends
Job 42:7-10a
His renewed prosperity
Job 42:10b-17

In chapter 37 Elihu sounds reasonable, extolling God's greatness, and saying how inappropriate it is for us to think we can call him to account. Then suddenly out of the blue, in chapter 38, God himself speaks, and takes up the same theme. He questions Job, saying can you do the wonders I can? For two chapters he bombards Job with unanswerable questions, without continuing to the conclusion that Job's friends all did: that we have no right to challenge God.
Then in chapter 40 he says, “Come on, Job. Speak up!” Job is cowed. He will not speak. God continues, outlining his greatness, saying who are you, to challenge my justice. Job's final answer is this: “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” And yet I cannot help feeling that God would have listened to Job's complaint, he would not have punished him for daring to question.
What sublime poetry in these ancient words! Try going outside on a starry night and reciting 38:31-33.
You know, I'm slightly disappointed that Job doesn't ask his questions. God's willingness to be challenged is perhaps shown in the fact that he rebukes Job's friends, saying “you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”
There's a happily ever after ending, Job is restored with more wealth, children and honour than he had before. God is acknowledged as supreme, but our questions? They are still to be answered.

Day 10: Job Part 6

Job just goes on and on. I've read 30 chapters now, and the story hasn't really advanced since chapter 3. Job's friends still reckon he's being punished for his sins, Job still maintains his innocence. The friends aren't helping Job think constructively about his suffering, Job himself only fleetingly asks the questions I would want to ask in this situation: “God, why make something then break it?” “God, why do the wicked get away with it?” “God, when are you going to put things right?” Let's see what today brings.

Job declares his uprightness
Job 31:1-40
Elihu joins the debate
Job 32:1-22
Elihu offers to reason with Job
Job 33:1-33
Elihu reproves Job for challenging God
Job 34:1-37
Elihu reproves Job's impatience
Job 35:1-16
Elihu counsels Job
Job 36:1-33

NNUURRGGGGHHHHH! After all this talk, Job finally talks himself into silence, his friends have nothing left to say, and a new voice joins the conversation. At last, something new! He promises a perspective of youth – something different to break the deadlock – and what does he say? The same! Elihu pops up, having held his tongue until now because he thought his elders should speak first. Like Job's other friends, the best thing he did was keep quiet. Now that he does speak, he is angry with Job for daring to challenge God. He is angry with the three friends for failing to convince Job of his fault. He adds nothing to the debate, just another turn of the screw.

Day 9: Job Part 5

I'm beginning to get tired of Job! Probably shouldn't admit this, since I'm only in my second week of Bible reading, and there's a whole year to go, but I might as well be honest. But it's hard to have to read the same stuff over and over again, there's no movement or progression. At least, not yet.

Wickedness often unpunished
Job 24
Bildad shows that people cannot be justified before God
Job 25:1-6
Job reproves Bildad
Job 26:1-4
Job acknowledges God's power & protests his sincerity
Job 26:5-14, 27:1-6
The miserable end of the wicked
Job 27:7-23
Concerning worldly wealth
Job 28:1-11
Wisdom – God's precious gift
Job 28:12-28
Job's former comforts
Job 29:1-25
Job's honour is turned to contempt
Job 30:1-31

The short chapter 25 has Bildad saying something you can't disagree with. The problem is that he then draws the wrong conclusion from it. So often we do the same – we correctly understand what the Bible is saying, then glance across at real life, and apply it all wrong. There's probably a lot I can learn from this!

In chapter 27, Job shows that he agrees with his friends' hermeneutic, but not their application. Yes God is all-knowing, yes he punishes the wicked, but no, I am not wicked myself. In chapter 28 Job shows the difference between his understanding and theirs – he prizes Wisdom above all else. Wherever people delve for treasure, they will never find wisdom there. It cannot be bought, only found in the fear of God. In chapter 29 Job talks about his former status without a hint of pride. Matter of factly he relates how he was held in high honour...but now, all that is gone. Chapter 30 is a moving lament, “My lyre is tuned to mourning.” All Job's songs are in a minor key now.

Day 8: Job part 4

Like a pressure cooker warming up, the tension is building. The early chapters of Job go round and round, the friends are saying the same thing, Job is saying the same thing. Over and over, round and round. Pressure cookers scare me. I always think they might blow up. But they don't, and out comes a perfectly cooked meal. (At least, if Rachel's in charge it does)

Job complains of unkind treatment

Job 19:1-7

God was the author of his afflictions

Job 19:8-22

Job's belief in the resurrection

Job 19:23-29

Zophar speaks of the short-lived joy of the wicked

Job 20:1-29

Job entreats attention

Job 21:1-6

The prosperity of the wicked

Job 21:7-16

The dealings of God's providence

Job 21:17-26

The judgement of the wicked

Job 21:27-34

The third round of speeches

Eliphaz shows that human goodness does not profit God

Job 22:1-4

Job accused of oppression

Job 22:5-14

The world before the flood

Job 22:15-20

Eliphaz exhorts Job to repentance

Job 22:21-30

Job complains that God has withdrawn

Job 23:1-7

He asserts his own integrity

Job 23:8-12

The divine terrors
Job 23:13-17

19:23-27 Where does this come from? Out of the blue Job gives voice to a real hope in the resurrection. He expects to be vindicated one day, to stand before God face to face. But belief in the resurrection took centuries to develop. It wasn't even complete by the time of Jesus. How does Job see so clearly? Zophar trots out the familiar story – in the end the wicked will be punished. This prompts Job to complain – no they aren't! How modern this sounds! How often have I heard people say this to me. The good die young, but the wicked get away with murder. The Eliphaz speaks, giving voice to the view that God is people's goodness does not benefit God. He sees God as aloof, remote enough from humanity not to be affected by our actions. But he does punish wickedness, so you must have been a bad man, Job! Remember the flood? (Eliphaz seems to have conveniently forgotten God's promise via the rainbow, never to inflict this punishment on the world again.)

There is much groping around, guessing about what God is like. Job's friends have fixed ideas – not unlike the Daily Mail – about God and his sense of right and wrong. Only Job has little flashes of insight into a God who is much more subtle and believeable than the rigid, stern enforcer that his friends believe in.

Day 7: Job part 3

As Job's “friends” continue with their misguided comfort, Job's patience wears thin. The patience of Job is a legendary thing, but in reality, poor old Job loses his rag with his comforters pretty freely. That's not to say that they don't deserve it, but unfortunately they are so convinced they are right that nothing will change their minds. Have I ever been this certain, and this wrong? I expect so. Worryingly, I'm not aware of it.

Job reproves his friends

Job 13:1-12

He professes his confidence in God and entreats to know his sins

Job 13:13-28

Job speaks of human life and death

Job 14:1-15

By sin humanity is subject to corruption

Job 14:16-22

The Second Round of Speeches

Eliphaz reproves Job

Job 15:1-16

The unease of the wicked

Job 15:17-35

Job reproves his friends

Job 16:1-5

He represents his case as deplorable and maintains his innocence

Job 16:6-22

Job appeals to God and puts his hope in death

Job 17:1-16

Bildad reproves Job

Job 18:1-4

Ruin awaits the wicked

Job 18:5-21

There's a lot of reproof today! Everybody is reproving each other, left right and centre.
Job is an honest man. When his friends are talking rubbish, he tells them so. 13:5 - “If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.” Job asks God to show him if he has sinned. That reminds me of a preacher who said, if you want an answered prayer, then pray this; “O God, show me something I need to repent of.” But if Job is as righteous as he is made out to be, God will be silent. Then Eliphaz speaks, and there is no connection between them. No connection at all. He doesn't understand Job, and he talks completely across him. These days, we accord someone a certain dignity in their suffering. We listen to them, and show them respect. Eliphaz's words aim to flatten Job completely. Job in his response mentions the theme of blood again: 16:18 - “O earth, do not cover my blood: may my cry never be laid to rest.” Job wants his blood to plead his case unsilenced, no doubt hoping that it will be heard, as was Abel's. Finally for today, Bildad speaks again, basically saying, Job, shut up! We know that evil people suffer. You're suffering, so the conclusion is a no brainer.

Day 6: Job Part 2

So we continue into Job, and I expect the good man's frustration with his blinkered friends will mount. Their trouble is, they just won't take no for an answer. Or as my father sometimes says, “I know what I believe, just stop trying to confuse me with a load of facts!”

Job's troubles

Job 7:1-21

Bildad reproves Job and asserts that God is just

Job 8:1-22

Job acknowledges God's justice and pleads with his maker

Job 9:1-35, 10:1-22

Zophar reproves Job and assures him of blessings if he repents

Job 11:1-20

Job reproves his friends, complains that the wicked often prosper and recognises God's wisdom and power

Job 12:1-25

7:4 “The night drags on, and I toss till dawn.” That was me last night! Fortunately verse 5 doesn't apply! But I mustn't laugh at Job's sufferings – here's a man who feels that the eye of the Lord on him is very heavy, very heavy indeed. Bildad responds by saying “How dare you criticise God? You must have let him down, otherwise you wouldn't be suffering. Your complaining proves that you are a sinner.” I often encourage people to shout at God - “He's got broad shoulders, he can take it,” I tell them. There is comfort to be had in complaining to the Almighty. But for Bildad, this is a sign of loss of faith. Job knows that God is right. This reminds me of a time when I desperately wanted to do something that God had forbidden. I knew that if I did, it would end in disaster, because I knew that God was right. But that just made me feel worse. Job desperately wants to state his case before God, and yearns for some sort of mediator, or advocate. If only he had someone to speak to God on his behalf, saying, “God, be gentle with him, he's doing the best he can.”
Job actually has a powerful argument against God: “You made me, why are you now destroying me?” Then Zophar speaks up, saying much the same as Bildad. He is hurt to hear Job questioning God's wisdom, but he can't understand how his criticism hurts Job all the more.

Day 5: Job Part 1

The story of Job is an ancient one, and it's a surprising thing to have survived from such antiquity. Not myth or legend, more philosophical musings from a very rich perspective. It feels modern, because we are a rich generation too. If it had been written by someone poor, it might have dealt with death; if it had been written by a ruler, it night have dealt with war. As it is, the themes of misfortune and suffering seem very contemporary.

Job's early history

Job 1:1-5

Satan and God discuss Job

Job 1:6-2:10

Job complains to his three friends

Job 2:11-13, 3:1-26

The first round of speeches

Eliphaz reproves Job

Job 4:1-21

Sinners are punished by God

Job 5:1-27

Job justifies his complaints and reproves his friends

Job 6:1-30


Chapter 1 emphasises that Job did not sin, either by cursing God or accusing God of wrongdoing. In chapter 3, Job curses the day he was born, but speaks no word against God. Eliphaz starts gently at first, but the thrust of his speech is that God protects the righteous. Job doesn't seem to be being protected, so... These words are no comfort to Job, who believes himself to be completely blameless. A classic case of not scratching where the poor man is itching.

Day 4: From the Flood to the Patriarchs

We make the transition from pre-history to history today – from myth to date-able historical events. Was there a flood? There are many legends that suggest such a catastrophic event did take place, but we cannot know for certain. But from now on, we are dealing with real people.

Noah's Descendants
Genesis 9:18-19, 10:1-32, 1 Chronicles 1:5-27
Noah's vineyard and drunkenness
Genesis 9:20-21
Curse of Ham
Genesis 9:22-27
Death of Noah
Genesis 9:28-9
The Tower of Babel
Genesis 11:1-9
Shem to Abram
Genesis 11:10-26
Abram's family
Genesis 11:27-30

As I plough through my first proper genealogy, I realise that it has been annotated to suit later readers – where the Philistines come from is made clear. They're notorious, of course, and a familiar name amidst a list of strangers. I've been reading the Bible for nearly 30 years, and only about half of these names sound even slightly familiar. But I guess this was true for those readers for whom the footnote was added. Again the significance of the story of Noah's drunkenness appears to place it at a time when Israel was in the Promised Land: it's an anti-Canaan polemic perhaps to dissuade worship of Canaanite gods.
The final legend is that of the Tower of Babel, which really does read as one of those legends designed to explain something: “Dad, why do people speak different languages?”
“Well, son...”
The moral of the story would seem to have to do with hubris – an earlier echo is God throwing Adam and Eve our of Eden, lest they eat of the fruit of the tree of life and become like gods.
An interesting point: Peleg's name means division, and in the genealogies it is mentioned that during his time the earth was divided. Does this suggest that the events of Babel took place during his lifetime?

I m a University student who follows Jesus

Hat tip to  Carson T Clark

Day 3: The Flood – Genesis 6-9

Instead of enjoying a bank holiday properly, I've still got a flu-like bug that's made me spend half the morning in bed. A good chance to read today's verses, although my head is pounding.

Corrupt Civilisation

Genesis 6:1-7, 11-12

Instructions for building the ark

Genesis 6:8, 13-21

Birth of Noah's sons

Genesis 5:32, 6:9-10, 1 Chronicles 1:4

Death of Lamech

Genesis 5:30-31

Death of Methusaleh

Genesis 5:26-7

Entering the ark

Genesis 6:22, 7:1-9

The Flood: rain falls

Genesis 7:10-24

The Flood: rain stops

Genesis 8:1-19

God's rainbow covenant

Genesis 8:20-22, 9:1-17


6:6 - God was grieved that he had made the world – grieved, not angry – and his heart was filled with pain. God is not like other mythological gods, capricious and cruel, so obviously made in the image of humans, rather than the other way round. 7:2 - Noah is told to take seven of every clean creature – this bit is presumably a later addition, since the law has not been given yet. 7:11 is the most wonderful poetry: “All the springs of the deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.” I wish I could read it in Hebrew. Ah well, my fault – I had two chances to learn Hebrew at college, and gave up both times.
As God made a new covenant with Noah, the reach of human dominion is extended. We are told that all animals will fear people, and humanity is given permission to eat animals as well as plants. Human dominion becomes more terrible and more total. But the lifeblood remains sacred, harking back to Abel's blood spilt, and setting up a powerful theme that will resonate throughout the 65 books to come.

Day 2: The Fall, and the first of many lists

After the shining glory of the creation yesterday, things are going to rapidly get sordid. I've got the Fall to look forward to, the first murder, and humanity coming to terms with life without God.

The Temptation & Fall

Genesis 3:1-7

God's Judgement and Curse

Genesis 3:8-19

Expulsion from Eden

Genesis 3:21-24

The story of Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:1-15

Seth and his descendants

1 Chronicles 1:1, Genesis 4:25-26, 5:3, 4:26, 5:6 & 9, 1 Chronicles 1:2, Genesis 5:12, 15 & 18

Cain and his descendants

Genesis 4:16-24

Adam's descendants continued

1 Chronicles 1:3, Genesis 5:21 & 25, 5:4-5, 5:22-24, 5:7-8, 5:28-29, 5:10-11, 5:13-14, 5:16-17, 5:19-20

Satan is rapidly reintroduced: seeking to spoil the creation of God. He succeeds in tricking Adam & Eve, and their eyes are opened: innocence is lost. However, God is merciful. Having warned them not to eat, on pain of death, he does not kill them, just banishes them from Eden, and warns them that life will be hard from now on. As for Satan, his fate is bound together with that of the human race – he will always be striking at them, but in the end a descendant of the human raise will crush his head.

Cain and Abel flit across the scene, and again God is merciful – he doesn't punish Cain with death, only banishment, but his grandson Lamech had failed to learn the lesson of mercy: crowing over his murder of a nameless adversary, a young man who had struck him.

Adam and Eve start again with Seth, and the beginnings of a line of descent is made, with the first born children named, including the mysterious Enoch who managed to recapture something of the relationship with God that Adam and Eve enjoyed in the garden, and was spared death, being taken away by God.

I don't like this dotting about with verses here, verses there. I know Cover to Cover tries to give a chronological journey through the Bible, but this is trying a bit too hard, and is annoying. Hopefully it will settle down soon. On the positive side, at least I get to read 1 Chronicles in very little bits!

Parish Magazine Article: January 2011

Dear friends,

Welcome to 2011!

The start of a New Year is always the time to make new promises and commitments, so what is it going to be this time?

This year is the 400th anniversary of the King James version of the Bible. It has been described as the single most important publication in history. The last Harry Potter book sold 44 million copies - the Bible has sold 2.5 billion some say, or six billion, say others.

But how many of us actually read this book today?

I want to use 2011 to encourage people to read what the Bible actually says. We might be surprised!

My own personal pledge is to read the Bible from cover to cover this year – something I haven't done for many years. If you want to see how I'm doing, pop into church and round the walls I'll be sticking up a visual indication of how well I'm doing. There are 774,746 words in the Bible altogether, so I'm taking on a task of reading slightly over 2000 words a day!

If you want to keep up with me electronically, why not follow me on Twitter – I'm @nlsharp. I'll be tweeting my progress to keep you informed.

I'm not expecting anyone else to take on the same challenge (but don't let me stop you if you want to!) However, I would love to encourage you to read at least some of this amazing book for yourself, and make up your own mind about it.

During the year I hope to publish some articles about different books in the Bible, to encourage you to dive in and have a go for yourself.

Why not make this a truly Biblical New Year?

With love,

Nick