A Humanist perspective on what we can learn about what is morality from the Bible.
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Numbers 1: Get Out Your Abacus
Synopsis:
God commands Moses to count all the men 20 years and older so they can prepare for war. They are to be counted by tribe.Reuben - 46,500
Simeon – 59,300
Gad – 45,650
Judah – 74,600 (3 score 14 thousand and 600)
Issachar – 54,400
Zebulun 57,400
Joseph (Ephraim) – 40,500
Manasseh – 32,200
Benjamin – 35,400
Dan – 62,700 (3 score 2,00 and 700)
Asher – 41,500
Naphthali – 53,400
Total – 603,550
The Levites were not includes in this number. The reason is because the Levites are in charge of the temple, they aren’t part of the army getting ready for war.
In other words:
One year after they left Egypt with 6,000 people – they counted up the men they have who can fight and they now have 603,500 men of fighting age – not including the women and children living in an encampment in the desert.Why I think these numbers are wrong:
First, the largest city in Egypt at this time probably had 40,000 to 60,000 people in it (Memphis or Thebes). So having an encampment 10 times the size of a huge city isn’t likely.Second: 603,500 is a city the size of Denver CO. It’s a huge number. And this is only the fighting age men. In reality – to support them and to include the women – you probably had double that so close to 1.2 million people – which is a city the size of Dallas Texas – living in an encampment in the desert.
Third: Even with a really robust sexual propagation program and including the slaves these people probably took with them, it’s unlikely you could get a 100 fold increase of people in 1 year.
What now makes sense about Leviticus
Even if the number of people in the encampment was a fraction of this number, it does explain why they had so many rules about cleanliness. The logistics of keeping feces out of your drinking water and taking away waste and getting clean water and preventing the spread of disease in an encampment of this size would have been enormous.Moral Lesson Learned:
Always double check your numbers (Numbers 1)Numbers 2: Pitch Your Tent
Synopsis:
God tells Moses and Aaron where everyone should pitch their tents in relationship to the Tabernacle. For the record here is how the encampment was laid out:East of the Tabernacle: (186,400 men – 1st rank)
Judah (Nashon is captain)
Issachar (Nethaneel is captain)
Zebulum (Eliab is captain)
South of the Tabernacle: (151,450 men – 2nd rank)
Reuben (Elizur is captain)
Simeon (Shelumiel is captain)
Gad (Eliasaph is captain)
The Levites are to camp around the Tabernacle and take care of it – so they are in the center
West of the Tabernacle: (108,100 men – 3rd rank)
Ephraim (Elishama is captain)
Manesseh (Gamliel is captain)
Benjamin (Abidan is captain)
North of the Tabernacle: (157,600 men – 4th rank)
Dan (Ahiezer is captain)
Asher (Pagiel is captain)
Naphtali (Ahira is captain)
In other words:
The armies are organized and people are given their sleeping assignments.Favorite bit:
That the numbers add up correctly.Moral Lesson Learned:
Stay organized. Everything has it’s place.(Numbers 2)Numbers 3: The Levites get their assignments
Synopsis:
The Levites belong to God so he wants every male child over 1 month counted. Here are their numbers, assignments regarding care of the Tabernacle and where they are to sleep. There are 22,000 males over 1 month old, except that there are more like 22,273 males, except that the numbers counted add up to 22,300.Gershon Family: 7,500
Sleep west of the Tabernacle.
Chief is Eliasaph.
Responsible for Tent and door hangings and cords
Kohath Family: 8,600
Sleep south of the Tabernacle
Chief is Elisaphan
Responsible for care of Ark, table, candlesticks, altars and vessels.
Merari Family: 6,200
Sleep north of the Tabernacle
Chief is Zuriel
Responsible for boards, pillars and sockets
Moses and Aaron:
Sleep east of the Tabernacle
Responsible for the Sanctuary – kill any stranger that comes nigh
The last bit of this chapter is confusing because the odd number over 22,000 (273) is given 5 shekels each 1,365 and this money is given to Aaron and his sons.
In other words:
The Levites are given their assignments.Moral Lesson Learned:
Double check your math (Numbers 3)Numbers 4: Levite workers are counted:
Synopsis:
Only the men between the ages of 30 and 50 are allowed to do the work servicing the temple and it has to be done in a very specific way lest they accidentally touch the holy things and die. Here are the numbers of workers from each family.Kohath - 2,750
Gershon - 2,630
Merari – 3,200
Total – 8,580
In other words:
Only Levites 30 to 50 can work on the Tabernacle.Favorite bit:
Numbers 4:15 – The sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. None of the other Levites are threatened this way. This must be because they have to bear the altar and all the gold stuff which is actually worth something. Aaron is to oversee everyone’s work and make sure everything is ready to be transported before the Kohath’s come in because if they see the holy things, they will die. Pretty sure – they don’t want their pretty things to get stolen.Moral Lesson Learned:
Make sure everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing (Numbers 4:19)Leviticus 1: Rules for Killing and Burning Offerings
Synopsis:
The rules of what to offer, how to offer it, how to kill it, where to sprinkle the blood, and exactly how to cook it are laid out. Three classifications of animals are included in these rules: cows, flock animals like sheep and goats and fowl. All offerings must be unblemished.In other words:
God tells Moses how to kill and cook meat.Favorite bit:
Leviticus 1:16 –“And he shall pluck his crop and feathers, and cast it besides the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes.”Moral Lessons Learned:
Flay your meat before cooking it. (Leviticus 1)Leviticus 2: Rules for Offering Bread
Synopsis:
If you offer flour – you must also offer oil and frankincense. A portion of this will be burned by the priests. Any baked bread must be unleavened and made with fine flour and oil. Same rule applies if the bread is baked in a pan or in an oven. All bread offerings must include salt. A portion of bread will be burnt, the rest is the property of the priests. Raw grains can be offered as long as they are dried. This is treated the same way as an offering of flour and you must include oil and frankincense.In other words:
You may offer bread as an offering, but it must be unleavened and include salt.Favorite bit:
That “meat” offerings are actually offerings of flour goods.
Most interesting bit:
That you aren’t allowed to burn leavened bread or bread made with honey.Moral Lesson Learned:
Don’t forget to put salt in your bread. (Leviticus 2)Leviticus 3: Peace Offerings
Synopsis:
A peace offering can be cow, sheep or goat. Same rules for slaughter and cooking except you are not allowed to cook the kidneys and the fat upon the kidneys. Those have to be taken away. Also, you are not allowed to eat blood or fat ever.In other words:
If you want to make a peace offering, don’t cook the kidneys.Favorite bit:
That the kidneys and the fat on the kidneys are to be taken away. No idea why, just, if it’s a peace offering, don’t cook those.Most interesting bit:
That at the end, a blanket prohibition on eating fat and blood is given. This doesn’t appear to be related to the sacrifices, it’s literally “a perpetual statue for your generations that ye eat neither fat nor blood.” (Leviticus 3:17)Moral Lesson Learned:
Don’t drink blood. (Leviticus 3)And
Don’t eat animal fat (Leviticus 3) – though I don’t agree with that.
Leviticus 4: What happens if you violate any of the commandments
Synopsis:
If a priest violates a commandment, bring a bullock to be slaughtered. The priest will take the blood, dip his fingers in it, put some on the horns of the altar and then take the fat and burn it on the altar. The rest of the cow will be taken out of town and burned. If the entire congregation sins, then all the heads of the tribes have to put their hands on the bullock before the ritual is done and then the entire congregation will be forgiven. If a ruler sins and violates the commandments He needs to bring the kid of a goat, and then the blood ritual is done and the fat burned. Not sure what happens to the rest of the goat. If a commoner sins and violates the commandment they need to bring a female got, and then the blood is offered and fat burned. If he brings a lamb instead of a goat, this is ok, the sacrifice will be done and the person forgiven.In other words:
If you violate the 10 commandments, that’s ok, as long as you did it out of ignorance. Just make a sin offering and all will be forgiven.Most interesting bit:
That it was assumed the priests, as well as everyone else, would sin and that there is a method to atone, fairly easily for those sins.Favorite bit:
Leviticus 4:11 “And the kin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards and his dung.” Not sure if this is for burning or part of the bull being taken out to be burnt out of town.Moral Lessons Learned:
If you make a mistake, fix it. (Leviticus 4)Leviticus 5: Don’t Swear
Synopsis:
This chapter lays out the rules on how to atone for swearing or for touching unclean things and unclean parts of a man. It doesn’t matter if the words leaving your lips were evil or nice. You have to provide a female sheep or a kid of a goat. If you can’t afford that, you can bring two turtledoves or pigeons. The blood will be sprinkled besides the altar and at the bottom to atone for your sins. If you can’t afford that, you can bring some flour, but don’t put oil or frankincense on it, for it’s a sin offering. If someone commits a sin against holy things, than they need to provide a ram plus you have to make amends for what you did.In other words:
If you swear, you have to pay a small fine in the form of a sheep or some birds.Favorite bit:
Leviticus 5:3 – “Or if he touch the uncleanliness of man, whatsoever uncleanliness it be that a man defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. “ I have no idea what this is referring to, probably skin sores because that takes up quite of bit of this book later, but you never know. My first thought is that it is referring to a penis or poo, so this bit amuses me.Moral Lesson:
Don’t swear (Leviticus 5) and/orIf you do something wrong, make amends and fix it (Leviticus 5:16)
Leviticus 6: Rules about lying and the burnt offerings
Synopsis:
If you lie, or are deceitful or take someone else’s property by force, you need to return it plus another 1/5th of what it was worth and bring an unblemished ram for sacrifice. This chapter then pivots to Aaron having to keep the fire burning all the time and how to dispose of the ashes (Put on your blood soaked linen garments, take the ashes out and put them to the side. Change into your regular clothes and take the ashes out of town to a clean place.) Finally it closes with how much Aaron and his sons are supposed to eat of the offerings and exactly where in the complex they are to eat things. And what they aren’t supposed to eat (If it is a meat/bread offering from the priests themselves – that isn’t to be eaten).In other words:
Don’t lie cheat or steal and keep your altar clean of ashes.Favorite bit:
That in order to clean the ashes out Aaron has to wear the blood soaked linen outfit. (Leviticus 6:10)Most interesting bit:
That things are holy if they get the blood of the sacrifice on them except for earthen vessels, which need to be broken if sodden. Metal vessels can be scoured and cleaned. (Leviticus 6:28)This must be important:
(Leviticus 6:30) Don’t eat blood offerings. Burn it on the altar instead.Moral Lesson Learned:
Keep your grill and fireplace clean of ashes. (Leviticus 6)Leviticus 7: Trespass Offerings, Peace Offerings and Portions for the Priests
Synopsis:
It is a trespass offering, give the rump and the fat, the kidneys get taken away. It’s all burned and the male priests shall eat it. If it is a sin offering, the priest gets the skin of the burnt offering. If it is a meat offering, if it is baked in a pan or fried it is for the priest. Any offering needs to be eaten the same day. You can eat anything left over the 2nd day. But if it goes to a third day, don’t eat it. If it is unclean, don’t eat it. If it is clean, that you can eat. If you eat anything unclean, you will be cut off from the people. Don’t eat fat. You can use it for other things, but don’t eat it. If you eat fat, you will be cut off from the people. Don’t eat blood. If you eat blood, you will be cut off from the people. If it is a peace offering, the fat shall be burned but Aaron and the priests get the right shoulder.In other words:
Aaron and his sons, the other priests, get a portion of all offerings for themselves, but they have to eat it promptly. If it goes more than a few days, they need to burn the rest of it, presumably so they don’t get food poisoning.Favorite bit:
(Leviticus 7: 18) Don’t eat flesh offerings after 3 days. I like this because it makes sense. They didn’t have refrigeration. The meat would probably go bad if left too long.Odd bit:
If you eat fat, or blood you will be cut off from the people. Not sure what was so bad about that. I understand if you touch something unclean (Leviticus 7:21) getting cut off, because you could be contagious too, but blood and fat eating. Not sure how that would make you dangerous to the others.
Moral Lesson Learned:
Don’t let your food go to waste (Leviticus 7:18)Leviticus 8: The blood sacrifice begins
Synopsis:
After all the talking and discussing and laying of rules, the blood sacrifice begins. Aaron is clothed, anointed with oil and a bull is killed, blood sprinkled and the bull cooked. A ram is killed, blood sprinkled and the ram cooked. Another ram is killed, this blood is poured on Aaron and his sons. They are then told to boil this ram and eat it and then stay within the tabernacle for seven days until they are “officially” consecrated.In other words:
The first sacrifice is finally made. It doesn’t seem nearly as bad as it was described, but perhaps that’s just the redundancy.Favorite bit:
That we probably don’t have to hear about this first sacrifice in such detail ever again.Moral Lesson Learned:
If you have to do something unpleasant – just get it over with. (Leviticus 8)Leviticus 9: Burning fat causes a fire
Synopsis:
On the 8th day, after the initial consecration, Aaron emerges and they start the other sacrifices, peace, sin, etc. All is going as it should, but apparently they put too much fat upon the altar that they weren’t supposed to and a huge fire erupts out of the altar.In other words:
Burning fat for a sacrifice inside a tent causes a fire.Favorite bit:
Leviticus 9:24 – “And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat which when all the people saw, they shouted and fell on their faces.” It must have been some fire that erupted.Moral Lesson Learned:
Be careful when grilling, always have a fire extinguisher ready in case of fire. (Leviticus9:24)Leviticus 10: Two Sons of Aaron are killed in the altar fire
Synopsis:
It turns out that two of Aarons sons were killed in the fire in chapter 9. This is attributed to them not doing things EXACTLY as the lord wanted. The bodies are taken out of town and they are not to be mourned. Aaron promises to do better and to take better care to make sure his kids do the offerings properly in the future. This appeases Moses.In other words:
2 sons of Aaron are killed in the altar fire.Favorite bit:
That new rules are placed upon Aaron and his sons and daughters concerning what they may eat or drink so that this doesn’t happen again. Basically, it comes down to this (Leviticus 10:9) “Do not drink wine nor strong drink thou, nor thy sons with they, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation lest ye die.”Moral Lesson Learned:
Don’t grill while drunk, for safety reasons. It’s important that you don’t let your fire get out of control. (Leviticus 10:9)Exodus 1: Help! The Israelites are everywhere!
Synopsis:
Joseph dies and a new Pharaoh who doesn’t know about Joseph
takes over and is worried about all these Israelis who are living in Egypt. So
he hatches a plan to drive them out of Egypt by enslaving them and he tells the
Hebrew midwives, if a Jewish boy is born – kill him, you can let the girl
children live though. The midwives ignore Pharaoh’s orders and the Israelites
multiply. God gave the midwives houses to thank them for not killing the boy
babies. Pharoah is not amused and he once again orders all the sons of Israel
killed saying they should be cast into the river.
In other words:
There are a lot of Hebrews in Egypt and Pharaoh wants them gone.
He orders the boy children killed, but is ignored.
Favorite bit:
Exodus: 1:17 The midwives ignore Pharaoh.
Moral:
If you want something done, you have to do it yourself
(Exodus 1)
Exodus 2: Moses in a nutshell
Synopsis:
Moses is born to a man from the house of Levi. He is hidden
for 3 months, then his mother sets him adrift in an arc on the river. He is
found by Pharoah’s daughter. She hires Moses’s mom to nurse hi. He grows up
sees the Hebrews toiling, and sees an Egyptian “smiting” a Hebrew. So he kills
the Egyptian and hides the body. The next day and couple of Hebrews ask him why
he killed the man and does he plan to kill them as well. Pharaoh finds out and
wants to kill Moses but Moses runs away to the land of Midian but they think he
is an Egyptian. Long story short, he is allowed to stay and marry one of
priests daughters and she had a son. In the meantime Pharaoh dies and is
replaced by a new King. All seems well except that God finally realizes the
people of Israel are suffering in Egypt and decides he is going to do something
about it.
In other words:
Moses is born, grows up, kills an Egyptian, flees, gets
married, and has a son.
Favorite bit:
Exodus 2: 14 – where the two Hebrew’s challenge Moses over
the murder – who made thee a prince and a judge over us?
Least favorite bit:
(Exodus 2: 24,25) God is reintroduced, rather unnecessarily
it seems.
Moral Lesson Learned:
Murder is murder and it is never justified. (Exodus 2:
13,14)
Exodus 3: Moses has a psychotic vision
Synopsis:
So there is Moses, minding his own business, minding the sheep of Jethro (his father in law) when all of a sudden, a bush bursts into flames. Moses wants to look but God (the burning bush) tells him not to and to take off his shoes. God then tells Moses that he intends to deliver the Israelits out of Egypt and give them the land of Canaan, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites Hivites and the Jebusites, Oh, and by the way – the land will flow with Milk and Honey. So Moses should go and tell all the elders about it so they can be ready. Moses says, uh, one problem; they aren’t going to believe me. No problem says God, tell them my name is I AM and they will believe you. Once you have them all together, go as a group and ask Pharaoh to let you go and make sacrifice to me for three days up here on the mountain. Pharaoh won’t let you go so I will smite them. When you are finally allowed to go, make sure to steal all the wealth from your Egyptian friends before you go.In other words:
Moses sees and hears a vision of god which involves flames
and a plan to free the Israelites, which Moses is pretty skeptical about.
What I think really happened:
Moses is starting to have hallucinations and has
schizophrenia or a related mental health issue. It does run in his family after all.
Favorite bit:
Exodus 3:13 Moses tells god – this isn’t going to work, no
one is going to believe me.
Most annoying bit:
Exodus 3:18-22) Let me get this straight. God is going to
deliver the Israelit’s from Egypt, but first, he has to make everyone suffer a
great deal because Pharaoh has to say no so that I AM can smite them. And while
we are at it, why exactly do the Israelites need to steal the wealth of their
Egyptian friends?
Most interesting bit:
That Moses is skeptical of the plan, but not skeptical of
the fact a burning bush is talking to him.
Moral Lesson Learned:
It is permissible to argue with God if God has a really
stupid idea. (Exodus: 3:14)
Other moral lesson learned:
When confronted by a burning talking bush – it is perfectly
ok to be skeptical. In fact, it’s preferable to question whether you are really
experiencing what you seem to be experiencing.
Exodus 4: Making God Mad
Synopsis:
Moses tells God he can’t do this because no one will believe
him. So God shows him a couple of “signs” he can use to prove he has God on his
side. The first is turning a rod into a snake. The 2nd is covering
his hand in leprosy and turning it healthy again. Moses then argues that he
isn’t a very good speaker and which point God gets angry and says, fine, I will
use your brother Aaron to speak on your behalf and you can do the signs. So
Moses goes back to Jethro and asks permission to go to Egypt to see his family.
On the way there, they stop at an Inn and God apparently tries to kill Moses
but his wife intervenes by cutting the foreskin off her son. They continue on,
meet up with Aaron. Moses tells Aaron everything and together they go to speak
to the Israelites who do, in fact, believe them.
In other words:
Moses tries to talk God out of using him as a messenger, but
God insists.
What I think really happened:
The specific signs Moses witnesses, it’s like he is having a
bad trip or something. Definitely seems like a hallucination.
Favorite bit:
Exodus 4:10 – Moses tries a 2nd excuse and this pisses off God, quite a bit.Strangest bit:
(Exodus 4:24-26) The attempted murder and circumcision by
Zipporah is REALLY strange. There are too many pronouns and it is impossible to
follow who is doing what and why. And, it doesn’t seem to have any impact on
the story, so, really, it’s just confusing.
Oddest bit:
That God is so mad at Moses, he wants to kill him, but isn’t able to because of a piece of bloody foreskin.Moral Lesson learned:
If you don’t feel comfortable with a deal, negotiate a
better one, even if you are negotiating with God. (Exodus 4: 10-13)
Exodus 5: Making Matters Worse
Synopsis:
Moses and Aaron go to Pharoah and insist that he let the Israelites go to worship their God. Pharaoh refuses and orders the overseers to stop giving hay to the Israelites specifically because this will make making bricks harder. The officers of the Israelites complain, Pharaoh responds by making things harder still. They complain to Moses, see, you’ve made things worse. So Moses asks God, why he tasked him to confront Pharaoh if that only was going to make things worse.In other words:
Moses asks Pharaoh to let his people go. Pharaoh says no. Here’s some more hard work for you all to do!Favorite bit:
Exodus 5: 23 – “For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither has thou delivered they people at all.” Moses is a bit of a complainer.Ponderable:
Were the bits where god says, this won’t work right away
inserted later to kind of justify the fact that the people aren’t let go right
away, because it sure seems like Moses was expecting this to work right away.
Moral Lesson:
People don’t change their minds right away – it takes time. (Exodus 5)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)