So...I made it. I finished Revelation today. It wasn't easy, with finals looming overhead, but it was a very, very slow week at work, so I had some extra reading time there...although I bet most of you know by now how awkward it is to be approached while you're reading the HOLY BIBLE. People always take you for some sort of crazy Bible thumper!
Before I begin my analysis of the last books of the Bible, I just wanted to say how great a class this has been and how much I've enjoyed being in it. The great thing about it was that not only did Dr. Sexson provide countless genius insights, but so did all of my classmates. It was so much fun reading all the blogs because you don't usually get to read the papers of your classmates and really get to know what they're thinking. But I think in a setup like this, it inspires, well, inspiration to take place. Anyway, I was amazed at how smart and insightful all of my classmates were, and I'm really going to miss this class, because I think I've learned more in this class than any other class I've ever taken.
I have to say that even though I've read some cool things in the Old Testament, Lazarus is a close second to my favorite story in the Bible. I like it so much, that if I ever have a baby boy, I think that's what I'll name him! It's always been so reassuring to me that when Jesus messed up, he fixed it. He didn't get to heal Lazarus on time, so he brought him back from the dead. I've heard a lot of nay-sayers say that Lazarus wasn't really bed, and it brings up another question: why certain people feel the need to constantly try and disprove the Bible. It's just cruel, if you think about it. Trying to disprove the whole life base of millions of people. What makes people do that? I don't believe in Buddhism or Hinuism, but I don't go through their holy books and try to pick out things that are "impossible." "Impossible" seems to be the word of choice for some people. Maybe we all need to go back to our childish thoughts and remember "Impossible things are happening every day" (Courtesy of Ms. Whitney Houston, and Rodgers and Hammerstein...). Because nothing is really impossible. I know it sounds cheesy, but if people are brought back to life after being legally dead for a number of minutes, then why couldn't Jesus have brought Lazarus back to life? Why can people accept the "miracle of science" but not just a "miracle?"
I must admit that the New Testament, after reading about Jesus, is no where near as interesting as the Old Testament. I've heard countless church-goers say that the Old Testament is really boring. But reading Paul preaching to different churches over and over again is not a roller coaster ride of fun, if you ask me. Reading about scandal and war and prophecies; that's what's great in the Bible! The stuff no one ever thinks to read!
My mother always says that her favorite part of the Bible was the part in Ephesians, where it says to "put on the full armor of God." I guess that fits. It's funny that you can judge a person's character by what parts of the Bible they find memorable. Ephesians fits my mother because she's a strong, assertive person. "Putting on armor" would obviously appeal to her. I'm kind of an optimist and an idealist, so I love Esther and the story of Lazarus, because they have happy endings. I'm also a writer, so the stories are what really appeal to me.
I admit that I didn't really read Romans. I have some bad memories of Romans. When I was in 5th grade, right around when puberty hit, I went to a Christian school for a year. They obsessed on Romans, even using it to prove that women couldn't pray (I still don't know how they got that out of Romans) and that we were all bad little sinners and would go to hell no matter what. Yeah. So I don't much care for Romans.
I think it's funny that Paul had to write 2nd Thessalonians because they didn't get the message the first letter. Don't tell my pastor this, but I never really liked Paul. He just seems like one of those holier-than-thou fire-and-brimstone kind of guys. Everyone knows people like that; my brother's friend's father was like that. He was always preaching at people, telling them what they could and could not do. It just seems like Paul missed the whole "don't focus on the speck in your brother's eye before you get the plank out of your own" speech. Perhaps he was just overcompensating for killing Christians.
James, on the other hand, I do like. You can tell from his writing style that he had a kind soul. While Paul talks about sin and damnation, James talks about love and acceptance. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, if you ask me.
John is my other favorite New Testament author. 2nd John is kind of a guide to life; short and sweet. 1st John talks about the antichrist. My parents swear Obama is the antichrist, but I'm pretty sure people have said that about every president...I used to have my money on Pat Robertson being the antichrist (he just has that evil gleam in his eye...) but he's getting up there so I just don't know...
And of course we talked about Revelation in class quite a bit. There's not much more I can say about it than what's already been said. When I was young, I struggled with depression quite a bit, from the age of 7 to about 17. Whenever I would get really depressed, my dad would tell me to go read out of Revelation. I think that's his favorite book. Anyway, I would be so overwhelmed with the imagery and power of the book that I would forget all about being depressed. My mom would always say that life is hard, but someday it will be worth it when Jesus comes back to get us.
In closing, I'd like to recommend some further reading to my classmates. If you get the chance, pick up the DC Talk book Jesus Freak. It's filled with true, amazing stories of martyrdom, bravery, and hope. It's always been one of my favorite things to read, and I did correspondence work for Voice of the Martyrs for a long time, and I think now that I have a better backround in the Bible, I will start doing things for them again (which consists of writing encouraging letters to persecuted Christians in other countries, and to the government officials who persecute them). It's always good, especially in college where it's sometimes hard to think of things other than class, to get outside of yourself and think about others.
Plotz was definitely right when he said that the less you believe, the more you should read. I think God wants us to believe because we know his Word and trust it, not just because our parents and pastors told us to. I came into this class confused about how I felt about God, but after reading the Bible I feel like I can now honestly call myself "Christian."
And no one has a right to judge until they have read.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The Gospels
Since I've continually been exposed to the Gospels since Sunday school when I was, say, 4 or 5, I decided to do something a little different for these books instead of picking out parts of them to comment on. Because, frankly, I'm sick of them (also due to the fact that our Pastor just finished a 4-year-long series on Matthew not long ago...4 years...just talking about Matthew. Verse by verse. So you can understand that I didn't want to read it again...). So I decided to write about the synoptic gospels as a whole.
One thing I've noticed in places like cartoons, on tv, ect. is that a lot of people poke fun at the miraculous conception of Mary. As a Christian, this is somewhat insulting to me, that people assume that Mary committed an indiscretion then tried to cover it up with God. Why couldn't Mary have been immaculately impregnated? Stranger things have happened in our world. And why do people poke fun at Christians? I don't see anyone poking fun at Buddhists for their gods, or poking fun at Mormons or Muslims for their prophets. Sometimes I get tired of the cynicism that our country has bought into. Are we really so jaded that we can't believe God made a child?
Another round of evidence that I've seen people use against Jesus is that Mary doesn't count as a line to David because she is a woman. People forget that the line passed through Ruth to get to David first. Actually, today, children born to a Jewish mother are automatically Jewish, even if the father is not Jewish, but they are not if they are born to a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother. So the line can also be matriarchal, making Jesus a direct descendant of David through Mary.
The Da Vinci Code has really taken a toll on serious spiritual scholars in America, in my opinion. The public reads a book with no historical or scientific background whatsoever, and believes it to be truth. Scholarly debate challenging traditional beliefs about Christianity is just fine, because extensive research has been done and evidence found. Writing a novel borders on blasphemy and encouraging people to believe that you didn't just make it up is an entirely different story. The Da Vinci Code has not only made the point that the savior of a widespread religion was actually not sinless at all (one of the fundamental points of Christianity), but that a man and a woman cannot have a platonic relationship. If Jesus and Mary Magdalene cannot have a relationship without sex, than neither can anyone else.
Going off of that point, it seems like in Biblical discussion, Mary Magdalene never gets a fair shake. Thanks to the Da Vinci code, she is now seen in one of two ways: as Jesus' ex-hooker baby mama, or as a random person who didn't do anything and who nobody cared about. Yes, Jesus loved Mary Magdalene. In John 19:26, it says: "Jesus therefore saw His Mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing by." The disciple he is talking about, as we learn from the previous verse, is Mary Magdalene. She, his mother, a few other women, and a man called Joseph of Arimathea were the only ones present through his entire crucifixion; the rest of the disciples were too afraid to be there. Also, after he was crucified, it was Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Joseph of Arimathea who prepared his body for burial. Mary Magdalene was also the first one to see Jesus resurrected. Though she is not quoted or mentioned much in the Bible, we can see just from her actions and what happened to her that she was a very important disciple. However, Jesus could not have had a child with her. That would have been fornication; the Bible says time and time again that Jesus was sinless.
I guess I'd better wrap it up; I'll probably have more to rant about soon enough.
One thing I've noticed in places like cartoons, on tv, ect. is that a lot of people poke fun at the miraculous conception of Mary. As a Christian, this is somewhat insulting to me, that people assume that Mary committed an indiscretion then tried to cover it up with God. Why couldn't Mary have been immaculately impregnated? Stranger things have happened in our world. And why do people poke fun at Christians? I don't see anyone poking fun at Buddhists for their gods, or poking fun at Mormons or Muslims for their prophets. Sometimes I get tired of the cynicism that our country has bought into. Are we really so jaded that we can't believe God made a child?
Another round of evidence that I've seen people use against Jesus is that Mary doesn't count as a line to David because she is a woman. People forget that the line passed through Ruth to get to David first. Actually, today, children born to a Jewish mother are automatically Jewish, even if the father is not Jewish, but they are not if they are born to a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother. So the line can also be matriarchal, making Jesus a direct descendant of David through Mary.
The Da Vinci Code has really taken a toll on serious spiritual scholars in America, in my opinion. The public reads a book with no historical or scientific background whatsoever, and believes it to be truth. Scholarly debate challenging traditional beliefs about Christianity is just fine, because extensive research has been done and evidence found. Writing a novel borders on blasphemy and encouraging people to believe that you didn't just make it up is an entirely different story. The Da Vinci Code has not only made the point that the savior of a widespread religion was actually not sinless at all (one of the fundamental points of Christianity), but that a man and a woman cannot have a platonic relationship. If Jesus and Mary Magdalene cannot have a relationship without sex, than neither can anyone else.
Going off of that point, it seems like in Biblical discussion, Mary Magdalene never gets a fair shake. Thanks to the Da Vinci code, she is now seen in one of two ways: as Jesus' ex-hooker baby mama, or as a random person who didn't do anything and who nobody cared about. Yes, Jesus loved Mary Magdalene. In John 19:26, it says: "Jesus therefore saw His Mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing by." The disciple he is talking about, as we learn from the previous verse, is Mary Magdalene. She, his mother, a few other women, and a man called Joseph of Arimathea were the only ones present through his entire crucifixion; the rest of the disciples were too afraid to be there. Also, after he was crucified, it was Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Joseph of Arimathea who prepared his body for burial. Mary Magdalene was also the first one to see Jesus resurrected. Though she is not quoted or mentioned much in the Bible, we can see just from her actions and what happened to her that she was a very important disciple. However, Jesus could not have had a child with her. That would have been fornication; the Bible says time and time again that Jesus was sinless.
I guess I'd better wrap it up; I'll probably have more to rant about soon enough.
Final Paper
Esther: An Immortal Heroine
Just as the ever-wise Dr. Sexson explained time and time again, almost every major literary work written has some influence from the Bible, and the Bible is one of the most important anthologies ever written. One Old Testament tale that is especially intriguing is the story of Esther. Though it is a minor book, this story has become a very important part of Jewish culture, along with Passover and the story of Jonah and the fish. Jews now still, after thousands of years, recite the story during the feast of Purim. Esther tells the story of a young woman who is chosen by King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes) to be the Queen of Persia. However, she is Jewish and soon learns of a plot by the King’s second in command, Haman, to kill the Jews, including her uncle Mordechai, the man who raised her. Bravely, she risks death and tells the King about Haman’s plot. He surprisingly spares Esther’s life and has Haman killed while Mordechai is rewarded. It is a story that has been repeated time and time again, names and locations changed. The story of Esther stands out predominantly in four well-known and classic novels: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, and The Slave by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Esther is an immortal role model “not because of her external beauty and not because she was queen of a powerful empire, but because of her inner fortitude and devotion” (Kohn). Throughout the book to which she lends her name, Esther continually demonstrates a deep devotion to God, honesty, modesty, and generosity. The authors of these four novels, even if they did not know it, have also created enduring characters who share these same traits.
Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s undying tale of bravery, acceptance, and love, is one of these characters. Atticus is very similar to Esther in many ways. He stands up for Tom Robinson when the whole town believes he is guilty, just as Esther stands up for Mordechai even though Haman wants him dead. Both Atticus and Esther are very modest. While Esther is being prepared to meet the king, she asks for no special treatment; rather, she reluctantly accepts any treatment at all: “Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abigail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed” (2:15). Atticus behaves similarly when he is asked to shoot the rabid dog. Everyone knows that Atticus is the best shot in the town, but he expresses profound modesty by, at first, rejecting the gun and rebuking their claims of his marksmanship. Atticus displays his generosity by refusing any payment, save for a basket of vegetables, from Walter Cunningham for his legal dues. Esther prepares not one but two banquets for the King and Haman, who she knows is trying to kill her family. One difference between the two of them is that Atticus loses his case for Tom Robinson, while Esther convinces the King not to kill her people.
A surprising similarity rises between Esther and Randle McMurphy of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Even though the personalities of the two people are completely different, their actions throughout their respective tales give the parallel away. First of all, both Randle and Esther are striving for something outside of themselves. Esther is trying to save Mordechai and her people, and Randle is trying to help the patients in the institution break free of the oppressive rule of Nurse Ratched. They both face a great amount of danger. Esther risks death by approaching the King without being summoned: “All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, [there is] one law of his to put [him] to death” (4:11). She is spared, but Randle is not so lucky, forced to undergo a lobotomy, then is mercifully suffocated by Chief Broom.
A female character whose story parallels Esther’s is La Esmeralda from Victor Hugo’s Notre Dame de Paris (a title later Americanized to The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Early in their stories, both Esther and Esmeralda marry men for a cause, not because they love them. Esther marries King Ahasuerus because she believes God has a plan for her. She is very young and doesn’t know the King at all, but is brave and knows that God has a plan for her. Esmeralda, in turn, marries the poet to save his life. Esther, however, is faithful to her King, as far as we know, while Esmeralda goes on to have an affair with Phoebus. Though Esmeralda has character flaws like committing adultery and occasionally being cruel to Quasimodo, she sticks to her morals when she tells Frollo she will not sleep with him or marry him, a choice that later results in death. Esther also obeys her morals by standing up for her Judaism and admitting to the King that she herself is a Jew so that Mordechai does not die. An interesting correlation between the lives of the two characters is that they are both put in a lower social stratum because of their heritage. Esmeralda is a Gypsy of Egyptian descent, and looked down upon because she is poor and a beggar (a character trait to be expected, knowing Hugo). Esther is Jewish. Mordechai advises her to keep her heritage a secret until she is married so that she is not judged for her religion: “Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew [it]” (2:10). Esmeralda definitely has bouts of spiteful behavior in the book, but shows kindness too. After Frollo recruits Quasimodo to attack her, he is punished and jailed. She brings him water, even though he was trying to kidnap her. Esther invites Haman to two dinners even though she knows he wants to kill her uncle, and that he would kill her if he found out who she really was.
Perhaps the strongest similarity is that between Wanda/Sarah in The Slave and Esther. Singer based the characters in his book off of Biblical ones. Sarah is most obviously connected to Rachel, but the comparison is not entirely fair because it is in the context of her marriage to Jacob, not a metaphor for her own personality. The first obvious connection between the Esther and Sarah is that they both leave their homes and lives for a purpose; Sarah loves Jacob, so she leaves everything she knows behind to be with him, even though she knows she will never really be accepted as a Jew. Esther leaves her modest life behind to become the Queen of Persia, one of the biggest empires at the time. Both journeys would have been incredibly frightening, exhibiting the intense bravery of the two women. Sarah does not speak, because she knows she will face persecution if she does and poses as a deaf mute. However, when Pilitsky threatens to hurt Jacob, Sarah risks everything and speaks up. Esther also hides her Judaism from the King until her people are threatened. She tells the King she is Jewish and that Haman is trying to kill her uncle, not knowing what will happen. In all reasoning, the King should have sided with Haman, the man who was his second-in-command for much longer than Esther was his wife. “Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage. Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, The adversary and enemy [is] this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath [went] into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king” (7:3-7). Against the odds, he sides with Esther and the Jewish people are saved. Sarah’s fate is not so optimistic, but she lives a virtuous life after marrying Jacob until her death.
The three novels mentioned are only a few examples amidst hundreds more. It is not hard to see why the Jews tell the story of Esther every year: to remind themselves to be brave in the midst of danger, to trust God, and to believe in themselves during hard times. The story is undying, and Esther’s character becomes a muse for countless authors. The book’s message transcends sex, religion, race, age, and location. Esther is one of the most important books in the most important book, and Esther the Queen will continue to be remembered forever, even after another three thousand years.
Works Cited
Hugo, Victor. Notre Dame de Paris. New York: A Wessels Company. 1902. Book.
Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. New York: Penguin Books. 1962. Book.
Kohn, Leah. “The Essence of Esther: A Character Study of Judaism in Exile.” Women in Judaism. 2000..
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Lippincott Company, 1960. Book.
Singer, Isaac Bashevis. The Slave. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 1962. Book.
Just as the ever-wise Dr. Sexson explained time and time again, almost every major literary work written has some influence from the Bible, and the Bible is one of the most important anthologies ever written. One Old Testament tale that is especially intriguing is the story of Esther. Though it is a minor book, this story has become a very important part of Jewish culture, along with Passover and the story of Jonah and the fish. Jews now still, after thousands of years, recite the story during the feast of Purim. Esther tells the story of a young woman who is chosen by King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes) to be the Queen of Persia. However, she is Jewish and soon learns of a plot by the King’s second in command, Haman, to kill the Jews, including her uncle Mordechai, the man who raised her. Bravely, she risks death and tells the King about Haman’s plot. He surprisingly spares Esther’s life and has Haman killed while Mordechai is rewarded. It is a story that has been repeated time and time again, names and locations changed. The story of Esther stands out predominantly in four well-known and classic novels: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, and The Slave by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Esther is an immortal role model “not because of her external beauty and not because she was queen of a powerful empire, but because of her inner fortitude and devotion” (Kohn). Throughout the book to which she lends her name, Esther continually demonstrates a deep devotion to God, honesty, modesty, and generosity. The authors of these four novels, even if they did not know it, have also created enduring characters who share these same traits.
Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s undying tale of bravery, acceptance, and love, is one of these characters. Atticus is very similar to Esther in many ways. He stands up for Tom Robinson when the whole town believes he is guilty, just as Esther stands up for Mordechai even though Haman wants him dead. Both Atticus and Esther are very modest. While Esther is being prepared to meet the king, she asks for no special treatment; rather, she reluctantly accepts any treatment at all: “Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abigail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed” (2:15). Atticus behaves similarly when he is asked to shoot the rabid dog. Everyone knows that Atticus is the best shot in the town, but he expresses profound modesty by, at first, rejecting the gun and rebuking their claims of his marksmanship. Atticus displays his generosity by refusing any payment, save for a basket of vegetables, from Walter Cunningham for his legal dues. Esther prepares not one but two banquets for the King and Haman, who she knows is trying to kill her family. One difference between the two of them is that Atticus loses his case for Tom Robinson, while Esther convinces the King not to kill her people.
A surprising similarity rises between Esther and Randle McMurphy of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Even though the personalities of the two people are completely different, their actions throughout their respective tales give the parallel away. First of all, both Randle and Esther are striving for something outside of themselves. Esther is trying to save Mordechai and her people, and Randle is trying to help the patients in the institution break free of the oppressive rule of Nurse Ratched. They both face a great amount of danger. Esther risks death by approaching the King without being summoned: “All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, [there is] one law of his to put [him] to death” (4:11). She is spared, but Randle is not so lucky, forced to undergo a lobotomy, then is mercifully suffocated by Chief Broom.
A female character whose story parallels Esther’s is La Esmeralda from Victor Hugo’s Notre Dame de Paris (a title later Americanized to The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Early in their stories, both Esther and Esmeralda marry men for a cause, not because they love them. Esther marries King Ahasuerus because she believes God has a plan for her. She is very young and doesn’t know the King at all, but is brave and knows that God has a plan for her. Esmeralda, in turn, marries the poet to save his life. Esther, however, is faithful to her King, as far as we know, while Esmeralda goes on to have an affair with Phoebus. Though Esmeralda has character flaws like committing adultery and occasionally being cruel to Quasimodo, she sticks to her morals when she tells Frollo she will not sleep with him or marry him, a choice that later results in death. Esther also obeys her morals by standing up for her Judaism and admitting to the King that she herself is a Jew so that Mordechai does not die. An interesting correlation between the lives of the two characters is that they are both put in a lower social stratum because of their heritage. Esmeralda is a Gypsy of Egyptian descent, and looked down upon because she is poor and a beggar (a character trait to be expected, knowing Hugo). Esther is Jewish. Mordechai advises her to keep her heritage a secret until she is married so that she is not judged for her religion: “Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew [it]” (2:10). Esmeralda definitely has bouts of spiteful behavior in the book, but shows kindness too. After Frollo recruits Quasimodo to attack her, he is punished and jailed. She brings him water, even though he was trying to kidnap her. Esther invites Haman to two dinners even though she knows he wants to kill her uncle, and that he would kill her if he found out who she really was.
Perhaps the strongest similarity is that between Wanda/Sarah in The Slave and Esther. Singer based the characters in his book off of Biblical ones. Sarah is most obviously connected to Rachel, but the comparison is not entirely fair because it is in the context of her marriage to Jacob, not a metaphor for her own personality. The first obvious connection between the Esther and Sarah is that they both leave their homes and lives for a purpose; Sarah loves Jacob, so she leaves everything she knows behind to be with him, even though she knows she will never really be accepted as a Jew. Esther leaves her modest life behind to become the Queen of Persia, one of the biggest empires at the time. Both journeys would have been incredibly frightening, exhibiting the intense bravery of the two women. Sarah does not speak, because she knows she will face persecution if she does and poses as a deaf mute. However, when Pilitsky threatens to hurt Jacob, Sarah risks everything and speaks up. Esther also hides her Judaism from the King until her people are threatened. She tells the King she is Jewish and that Haman is trying to kill her uncle, not knowing what will happen. In all reasoning, the King should have sided with Haman, the man who was his second-in-command for much longer than Esther was his wife. “Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage. Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, The adversary and enemy [is] this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath [went] into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king” (7:3-7). Against the odds, he sides with Esther and the Jewish people are saved. Sarah’s fate is not so optimistic, but she lives a virtuous life after marrying Jacob until her death.
The three novels mentioned are only a few examples amidst hundreds more. It is not hard to see why the Jews tell the story of Esther every year: to remind themselves to be brave in the midst of danger, to trust God, and to believe in themselves during hard times. The story is undying, and Esther’s character becomes a muse for countless authors. The book’s message transcends sex, religion, race, age, and location. Esther is one of the most important books in the most important book, and Esther the Queen will continue to be remembered forever, even after another three thousand years.
Works Cited
Hugo, Victor. Notre Dame de Paris. New York: A Wessels Company. 1902. Book.
Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. New York: Penguin Books. 1962. Book.
Kohn, Leah. “The Essence of Esther: A Character Study of Judaism in Exile.” Women in Judaism. 2000.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Lippincott Company, 1960. Book.
Singer, Isaac Bashevis. The Slave. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 1962. Book.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Hosea through Malachi
All of the later Old Testament books seemed to be the same story over and over again to me; berating Israel for straying from God.
Hosea returns to the "whoredoms" motif, mentioning the word at least four more times. One verse even says "they have gone a whoring." I laughed, because I can just see some crazy hillbilly saying it...Later, he compares God to a father and Israel to a son, an interesting change from the husband-whore theme.
In Joel, he calls the Israelites "drunkards." Then he says that the "moon will turn into blood." That reminded me of a sleepover I went to in the seventh grade. The moon was red that night, and my friends and I were all convinced that the world was ending. We called our parents and everything, and were very concerned until our moms told us that this happened all the time, and that the world wasn't ending. I also noticed that, several times in the Old Testament, it says that land will "flow with milk." I just don't see why a stream would flow with milk. Is it supposed to be a simile for an abundance of food? I'm just not sure.
As someone who has not actually read Jonah before, I was surprised that such a popular and important book was so short. I always thought it was funny that Jonah tried to hide from God, just like Adam and Eve did. Where do these people get the thought that you can hide from God? I've also heard a lot of "scientists" say that it's impossible to spend three days in the belly of a fish. Why is it impossible? I hate how people try to disprove things just because they are in the Bible. If it was a Greek or Roman myth, we would have scientists out there trying to prove that it did happen. I think it could have really happened. Stranger things have happened.
I found it interesting that Micah mentions dragons. I have to wonder if there really were dragons around back then, even though we haven't found any evidence for them. I just find it odd that every group of people from all around the world has had a dragon myth. How would all those people write about the same creature if they never spoke to or saw each other?
Nahum: more horses, this time prancing ones with deadly horseman, and "whoredoms." Is "whoredoms" even a word?
Zechariah seems to be all about numerology. "Four horns, four carpenters, seven lamps, seven pipes, two olive trees..." and so on. There must be a meaning between all these numbers! Seven I can connect, but four and two? I thought the part where Zechariah predicts Jesus' riding on a donkey pretty cool.
That's all I've got for the rest of the Old Testament. I'll leave you with a picture of my new kitten, Scout (Named after Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird...my roommate's cat's name is Atticus. We are huge nerds). Just because she's damn cute.
Hosea returns to the "whoredoms" motif, mentioning the word at least four more times. One verse even says "they have gone a whoring." I laughed, because I can just see some crazy hillbilly saying it...Later, he compares God to a father and Israel to a son, an interesting change from the husband-whore theme.
In Joel, he calls the Israelites "drunkards." Then he says that the "moon will turn into blood." That reminded me of a sleepover I went to in the seventh grade. The moon was red that night, and my friends and I were all convinced that the world was ending. We called our parents and everything, and were very concerned until our moms told us that this happened all the time, and that the world wasn't ending. I also noticed that, several times in the Old Testament, it says that land will "flow with milk." I just don't see why a stream would flow with milk. Is it supposed to be a simile for an abundance of food? I'm just not sure.
As someone who has not actually read Jonah before, I was surprised that such a popular and important book was so short. I always thought it was funny that Jonah tried to hide from God, just like Adam and Eve did. Where do these people get the thought that you can hide from God? I've also heard a lot of "scientists" say that it's impossible to spend three days in the belly of a fish. Why is it impossible? I hate how people try to disprove things just because they are in the Bible. If it was a Greek or Roman myth, we would have scientists out there trying to prove that it did happen. I think it could have really happened. Stranger things have happened.
I found it interesting that Micah mentions dragons. I have to wonder if there really were dragons around back then, even though we haven't found any evidence for them. I just find it odd that every group of people from all around the world has had a dragon myth. How would all those people write about the same creature if they never spoke to or saw each other?
Nahum: more horses, this time prancing ones with deadly horseman, and "whoredoms." Is "whoredoms" even a word?
Zechariah seems to be all about numerology. "Four horns, four carpenters, seven lamps, seven pipes, two olive trees..." and so on. There must be a meaning between all these numbers! Seven I can connect, but four and two? I thought the part where Zechariah predicts Jesus' riding on a donkey pretty cool.
That's all I've got for the rest of the Old Testament. I'll leave you with a picture of my new kitten, Scout (Named after Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird...my roommate's cat's name is Atticus. We are huge nerds). Just because she's damn cute.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Daniel
Daniel...two more beloved VeggieTales stories! The first is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (who, in Daniel refused to worship false Gods, and on Veggietales refused to worship a giant chocolate bunny...) and the story of Daniel in the lion's den. Both pretty cool stories. When I was little I used to get confused and think it was Jesus in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and then I thought it was God. In Daniel, the verse actually says: "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire,and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." So...what does that mean? Was it really Jesus, even though he wasn't born yet? Was it God? Was it an angel? I guess we'll really never know...
The writing on the wall is one of the most famous stories in the Bible, and, in my opinion, also one of the most creepy! The imagery is so powerful. And it was interesting that God's hand was the same shape as a man's hand. He's God. He could have just made the words appear, yet he chose to write them with a man's hand. Although, men are modeled after God's own form.
Daniel in the lion's den was one of the first Bible stories I even remember learning when I lived in Billings and actually went to Sunday school. I remember thinking it was kind of a scary story, but it was also very reassuring. If angels could hold the mouths of lions, I guess I could depend on them to protect me too.
The prophecy in Daniel is similar to all the rest of the prophecy in the Old Testament. Daniel sees lions, and eagles (and bears--oh my! Old, I know...) and leopards, and bears. I actually watched a history channel show with my boyfriend the other night that said that all the creatures from the Old Testament were really aliens and that maybe God was really just an alien too! I can't believe the things that are on television...
Here is the first mention of Gabriel, a recurring character throughout the New Testament. Only two angels (other than Satan) are mentioned by name in the Bible: Gabriel and Michael. Gabriel seems to be the bearer of good news, while Michael is God's top warrior-angel.
The writing on the wall is one of the most famous stories in the Bible, and, in my opinion, also one of the most creepy! The imagery is so powerful. And it was interesting that God's hand was the same shape as a man's hand. He's God. He could have just made the words appear, yet he chose to write them with a man's hand. Although, men are modeled after God's own form.
Daniel in the lion's den was one of the first Bible stories I even remember learning when I lived in Billings and actually went to Sunday school. I remember thinking it was kind of a scary story, but it was also very reassuring. If angels could hold the mouths of lions, I guess I could depend on them to protect me too.
The prophecy in Daniel is similar to all the rest of the prophecy in the Old Testament. Daniel sees lions, and eagles (and bears--oh my! Old, I know...) and leopards, and bears. I actually watched a history channel show with my boyfriend the other night that said that all the creatures from the Old Testament were really aliens and that maybe God was really just an alien too! I can't believe the things that are on television...
Here is the first mention of Gabriel, a recurring character throughout the New Testament. Only two angels (other than Satan) are mentioned by name in the Bible: Gabriel and Michael. Gabriel seems to be the bearer of good news, while Michael is God's top warrior-angel.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Script (2nd Samuel Ch. 14-24)
2nd Samuel Ch. 14-24
On the streets of Jerusalem:
Derek(narrator): Wanting to reunite father and son, Joab hatches a plan. He has a widow go and trick David into feeling guilty for ex-communicating Absalom. David falls for his plan and tells him that Absalom can come back to Jerusalem.
Joab: The King said that you can come back to Jerusalem.
Absalom: Don’t I get to see him?
Joab: He’s still pretty mad. Don’t push your luck.
Absalom: (grumbles angrily)
Random women: O my god! It’s Absalom! (swoon)
Absalom: (flips hair)
Random women: (swoon)
In a field
Narrator: David refuses to see Absalom for two long years. Drastic measures must be taken.
Absalom: (has a torch and is lighting stuff on fire) Ha ha ha!
Joab: What…what is this?
Absalom: You told me I could see my father, so I came all the way back to Jerusalem! Now random women stalk me wherever I go! I should have stayed in Geshur!
In the palace
Joab: King, can you please see Absalom? The kid’s a nutcase; he’s going around Jerusalem and setting things on fire!
David: (sighs) Fine, fine…bring him in.
-Enter Absalom-
Absalom: (bows)
David: I guess you’re still my son, and I forgive you for killing your brother.
Absalom: (to the side) Hehehe…now I can hatch my evil plan…
Joab/David: What was that?
Absalom: Nothing.
On the streets of Jerusalem
Absalom: Your King is a sham! My brother raped my sister, for God’s sake! And he did nothing!
Citizens: (whispering)
Absalom: I’m the rightful king! And I’m much better looking (flips hair, women swoon)!
Citizens: Ok.
In the Palace:
Narrator: Here, the Bible says that forty years passed, but this is actually thought to be a misinterpretation. Scholars believe that it was actually only four years later. Absalom decides to plant his friends around Jerusalem to say “All Hail Absalom when a trumpet sounds. His little prank goes better than expected. It turns out that the people of Jerusalem agreed with Absalom. A messenger was sent to tell David to watch out, because the people liked Absalom better. David gave up and went into the wilderness. Absalom decided to get a bunch of men together and go after David, but not after some “extracurricular” activities…
Absalom (chasing concubines around): Being King is great! I should have done this years ago!
Concubines: (giggle and run around)
Soldier: Sir! We must proceed to battle!
Absalom: Dang it! All right…
Narrator: A great battle took place, and 20,000 people died. Some men who were with Joab killed Absalom, and his short reign was over. David returned to Israel to become King again. The King was sad that Absalom was dead, even though he seemed to want him dead this whole time…The people of Judah remained loyal to the King, but some of the other Israelites left and supported Sheba. But David had more important things to attend to.
In the palace
David (to the concubines): Into the basement with you!
Concubines: What did we do?
David: You slept with my son!
Concubines: But he was the king…and we’re concubines! That’s our job!
David: You’re only supposed to sleep with the true king!
Concubines: How are we supposed to know who the King is? You left and Absalom was the king…
David: Enough! You have to live in the basement now!
Concubines: Awww…
Narrator: The King and Joab went out against Sheba, and his head got cut off. After that, there was a terrible famine. David asked God why he was punishing the Israelites, and God said it was because of all the bad things Saul did, including killing some Gibeonites. So David apologized to the Gibeonites and gave him all Saul’s children (except Jonathan, of course…) and they hanged them. The famine ended, but the Philistines declared war on the Israelites. Again. But they defeated them. Again. So David wrote some Psalms and all was well.
In the palace:
God: I’m angry with you David. You’ve done some mean things in your lifetime.
David: I’m sorry…
God: That’s not good enough. You have to choose a punishment: Behind door number one we have seven years of famine. Behind door number two lies three months of getting chased by your enemies And door number three holds three days of plague.
David: Well…I guess…
Servants: Pick door number 1/2/3!
David: Number 3!
Narrator: David chose the three days of plague, and 70,000 Israelites died.
David: Oops…
Narrator: But after David offered some sacrifices, the plague was lifted. Israel would live to see another day!
The End.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Ezekiel
The first thing I thought while starting to read Ezekiel: "Yes! More strange Biblical creatures!" The first is a creature with four faces: lion, ox, eagle, and man. Each one had four wings, and they had cows feet and hands. No science fiction writer can do it better than this.
God makes Ezekiel shave off his beard and hair too. Plotz is right: God does love bald men. Only Ezekiel has to scatter it around.
Unlike the "small voice" Elijah heard, God talked to Ezekiel in a "loud voice."
Another thing with four faces: face 1=cherub, face 2=man, face 3=lion, and face 4=eagle.
"Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls!" What?
Ezekiel seems to think that Noah, Daniel, and Job were the three most righteous men. Interesting, considering most other sources point to Abraham, Jacob, and Moses.
Chapter 23 says the word "whoredom" roughly ten times.
The coolest part of Ezekiel, by far, was the part with the valley of bones. I'm pretty sure this is the first "horror movie." About zombies. It was really cool.
God makes Ezekiel shave off his beard and hair too. Plotz is right: God does love bald men. Only Ezekiel has to scatter it around.
Unlike the "small voice" Elijah heard, God talked to Ezekiel in a "loud voice."
Another thing with four faces: face 1=cherub, face 2=man, face 3=lion, and face 4=eagle.
"Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls!" What?
Ezekiel seems to think that Noah, Daniel, and Job were the three most righteous men. Interesting, considering most other sources point to Abraham, Jacob, and Moses.
Chapter 23 says the word "whoredom" roughly ten times.
The coolest part of Ezekiel, by far, was the part with the valley of bones. I'm pretty sure this is the first "horror movie." About zombies. It was really cool.
Lamentations
The second verse of Lamentations ("among all her lovers, she hath none to comfort her") reminded me of an episode of Sex and the City (my mom and I watched the whole series...don't ask), where Samantha comes down with the flu and she finds out that, out of all the "friends with benefits" she has, she doesn't have anyone to take care of her. Even though she was a "free, independent" woman, she sacrificed having a connection with anyone because she slept with everyone. I guess the author here is saying the same thing about Israel: they've "been with" so many gods, but none of them will come to help her when she needs it.
The rest of Lamentations is pretty much just what the name implies, with a plea to God tacked onto the end.
The rest of Lamentations is pretty much just what the name implies, with a plea to God tacked onto the end.
Jeremiah
I liked the verses in Chapter 1 where God says "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee." It reminded my of how my mother would always tell me, "God knew you before you were even born." It was always reassuring to me.
Jeremiah has a lot of interesting quotes that, translated, don't make much sense. Example: "Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding." This verse conjures images of kids sliding down snowy hills on their backs...
There's a lot of horse imagery in the Bible. I found it somewhat strange that God would pick a horse to represent anger and vengeance. He says they will "devour the land and [...] all those that dwell within." I never really thought of horses as particularly ferocious.
Jeremiah 16: The most angry chapter in the Bible.
Another example of mis-translation: "One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe and the other basket had very naughty figs." Naughty figs? I remember those really old commercials for california raisins where the raisins were in a rock band. I guess their groupies could be naughty figs...
Later, God alludes to "evil figs" to describe the people of Israel.
Jeremiah 41 really points out how different the ancient Hebrews were than other civilizations at the time. It says that the Israelites considered "treasure" to be "wheat, barley, oil and honey." No gold, silver, or jewels.
More prophet-feeling-like-a-woman-in-labor stuff. Pretty prominent theme in the prophecy books.
Jeremiah has a lot of interesting quotes that, translated, don't make much sense. Example: "Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding." This verse conjures images of kids sliding down snowy hills on their backs...
There's a lot of horse imagery in the Bible. I found it somewhat strange that God would pick a horse to represent anger and vengeance. He says they will "devour the land and [...] all those that dwell within." I never really thought of horses as particularly ferocious.
Jeremiah 16: The most angry chapter in the Bible.
Another example of mis-translation: "One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe and the other basket had very naughty figs." Naughty figs? I remember those really old commercials for california raisins where the raisins were in a rock band. I guess their groupies could be naughty figs...
Later, God alludes to "evil figs" to describe the people of Israel.
Jeremiah 41 really points out how different the ancient Hebrews were than other civilizations at the time. It says that the Israelites considered "treasure" to be "wheat, barley, oil and honey." No gold, silver, or jewels.
More prophet-feeling-like-a-woman-in-labor stuff. Pretty prominent theme in the prophecy books.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Slave
I have to say, The Slave was the only book I read this semester that wasn't a textbook or the Bible, so I enjoyed it. Singer is a fabulous writer for creating a story during which you can feel both sorrow and joy.
The most interesting theme I found in the story is impossible love. It might not be a theme that's easily noticed, but I found it to be particularly touching because I think it's something a lot of people have experienced. Jacob falls in love with Wanda in the beginning, but he is taken away from her. When he gets her back, she passes away. It's a classic Romeo/Juliet story, only instead of the roadblocks being political or because of the person's family, they are Cosmic. It doesn't come right out and say it, but I saw a definite correlation between God and the Prophets, such as Ezra and Neamiah, preaching about intermarrying and the forbidden marriage of Jacob and Wanda. I think everyone's had an experience with someone who they really care about but, due to certain circumstances, can't be with.
So that's my little spiel about The Slave, which made me not really laugh but definitely cry. It wasn't the best book I've ever read and I don't know how particularly inspiring or memorable it was, but it was definitely an enjoyable read and it was nice to have a good book to go to after reading Stats and Psychological Theory...
The most interesting theme I found in the story is impossible love. It might not be a theme that's easily noticed, but I found it to be particularly touching because I think it's something a lot of people have experienced. Jacob falls in love with Wanda in the beginning, but he is taken away from her. When he gets her back, she passes away. It's a classic Romeo/Juliet story, only instead of the roadblocks being political or because of the person's family, they are Cosmic. It doesn't come right out and say it, but I saw a definite correlation between God and the Prophets, such as Ezra and Neamiah, preaching about intermarrying and the forbidden marriage of Jacob and Wanda. I think everyone's had an experience with someone who they really care about but, due to certain circumstances, can't be with.
So that's my little spiel about The Slave, which made me not really laugh but definitely cry. It wasn't the best book I've ever read and I don't know how particularly inspiring or memorable it was, but it was definitely an enjoyable read and it was nice to have a good book to go to after reading Stats and Psychological Theory...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Term Paper
My idea for my term paper is to write about Esther, because, as you all probably know by now, it's my favorite book of the Bible. I'm going to compare Esther to some other literary characters. I'm not sure which literary characters yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to use The Slave and at least two other novels.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Isaiah: one of my favorites so far
So we move into one of the most pointless books of the Bible to one of the most important. Isaiah, as evidenced by my poem, is (along with Esther) one of my favorite books of the Bible so far, just because I think the prophecy books are really cool.
"the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet." Great imagery here. I can just see self-important women strutting around. Not much has changed since B.C. Israel...
The part about the seraphim is the coolest thing I've read so far.
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." Jesus! Yay!
This verse kind of hit home. For all the pro-choicers who say there is nothing in the Bible about abortion; I present this: "they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children."
One interesting facet I found in Isaiah (and later, in Jeremiah) are men saying that, during their "visions" or whatever you want to call them, they feel the pains of childbirth. Kind of interesting.
"And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of the darkness." This is where the lyrics to one of my favorite Christmas songs came from "Mary, Did You Know."
The next verse says "the meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord." Jesus re-iterates this in Matthew, in his Sermon on the Mount.
I like when Isaiah yells at the Israelites for their transgressions. He seems like the guy who would say all the things everyone was thinking but too afraid to say. He says, "Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning?"
But then God reassures them and says, "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them." God is kind of like an overprotective parent. He definitely punishes the Israelites when they do something wrong, yet he's still there for them when they really need him.
"their molten images are wind and confusion." I just really liked that verse.
God says, again, that he will take care of the Israelites: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?"
God explains why good people die: "and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come." I never thought of it that way.
"And the Gentiles shall come to thy light" More prophesizing about Jesus.
"the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet." Great imagery here. I can just see self-important women strutting around. Not much has changed since B.C. Israel...
The part about the seraphim is the coolest thing I've read so far.
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." Jesus! Yay!
This verse kind of hit home. For all the pro-choicers who say there is nothing in the Bible about abortion; I present this: "they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children."
One interesting facet I found in Isaiah (and later, in Jeremiah) are men saying that, during their "visions" or whatever you want to call them, they feel the pains of childbirth. Kind of interesting.
"And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of the darkness." This is where the lyrics to one of my favorite Christmas songs came from "Mary, Did You Know."
The next verse says "the meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord." Jesus re-iterates this in Matthew, in his Sermon on the Mount.
I like when Isaiah yells at the Israelites for their transgressions. He seems like the guy who would say all the things everyone was thinking but too afraid to say. He says, "Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning?"
But then God reassures them and says, "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them." God is kind of like an overprotective parent. He definitely punishes the Israelites when they do something wrong, yet he's still there for them when they really need him.
"their molten images are wind and confusion." I just really liked that verse.
God says, again, that he will take care of the Israelites: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?"
God explains why good people die: "and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come." I never thought of it that way.
"And the Gentiles shall come to thy light" More prophesizing about Jesus.
Solomon: The Hef of the Bible
A lot of preachers I've heard over the years have tried to justify Song of Solomon as "the way Christ is supposed to feel about his Church." No. It's about sex.
While most of the book seems like the lame guy at the bar trying to pick up girls by reciting poetry, there are some romantic bits. For example, the woman says that her "soul" loves the man, and I thought that sounded nice.
One weird part is how they keep saying that each other's teeth are "like a flock of sheep." I don't really understand how teeth look anything like sheep...
He keeps calling her "my sister." Maybe just a weird translation.
Also, I didn't get how her breasts looked like deer.
"I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me." On what? Seems like kind of a strange thing for a mother to teach her daughter.
"I would cause thee to drink of the spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate." Her pomegranate? Is she talking about what I think she's talking about? Kinky...
While most of the book seems like the lame guy at the bar trying to pick up girls by reciting poetry, there are some romantic bits. For example, the woman says that her "soul" loves the man, and I thought that sounded nice.
One weird part is how they keep saying that each other's teeth are "like a flock of sheep." I don't really understand how teeth look anything like sheep...
He keeps calling her "my sister." Maybe just a weird translation.
Also, I didn't get how her breasts looked like deer.
"I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me." On what? Seems like kind of a strange thing for a mother to teach her daughter.
"I would cause thee to drink of the spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate." Her pomegranate? Is she talking about what I think she's talking about? Kinky...
Ecclesiastes
Who the heck translated this verse: "I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards"?
"For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities, but fear thou God." This verse reminded me of the conversations we had in class about how logos meant word, and how words were seen as powerful.
"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour." I was excited to read this verse, because my high school orchestra director always used to warn us about not being "a fly in the ointment," and I never knew what it meant until I read it in context.
The verse Dr. Sexson wouldn't want us to see: "of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh."
That's all I've got for Ecclesiastes. It's a short book about how good God is.
"For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities, but fear thou God." This verse reminded me of the conversations we had in class about how logos meant word, and how words were seen as powerful.
"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour." I was excited to read this verse, because my high school orchestra director always used to warn us about not being "a fly in the ointment," and I never knew what it meant until I read it in context.
The verse Dr. Sexson wouldn't want us to see: "of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh."
That's all I've got for Ecclesiastes. It's a short book about how good God is.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Isaiah 6:2
Isaiah 6:2 is the coolest verse of the Bible I've read so far. It is the part when Isaiah sees the angels, only they didn't look like our traditional interpretation of angels:
"Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly."
The imagery here was so incredible to me, that it inspired a short poem. Keep in mind, this is a very rough draft, so I can't be certain yet whether it's great literary art or a random smattering of brain-vomit. But I suppose you can judge for yourself.
Isaiah 6:2
I walked along black pavement
under the stars;
there is no moon.
Oh...you're back so soon?
From your mission to Mars
your proud achievement.
You approach me,
Hands covering your face,
shoes covering your feet
waiting, waiting ever to meet
the terms of your love's disgrace
pledging your protection eternally.
You told me once it was a fact
you would always sit behind my shoulder
but sometimes I look and I can't find you.
And when I turn back around I see the proof.
You wipe a tear from my cheek, your hands so much colder
than the cashmere fog settling onto your back.
And you fly away to space
but you're still standing at my side.
Peace is in your face,
but war in your eyes.
And light in your wings.
So, it needs a little bit of work, but it's a start. Hope you liked it. I'll leave you with a few artist's interpretations of Isaiah 6:2:
I couldn't find the name of the artist who did the first painting. The second one is by Viktor Vasnetsov. The third one came from Godwin's Cabalistic Encyclopedia, circa 13th century.
"Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly."
The imagery here was so incredible to me, that it inspired a short poem. Keep in mind, this is a very rough draft, so I can't be certain yet whether it's great literary art or a random smattering of brain-vomit. But I suppose you can judge for yourself.
Isaiah 6:2
I walked along black pavement
under the stars;
there is no moon.
Oh...you're back so soon?
From your mission to Mars
your proud achievement.
You approach me,
Hands covering your face,
shoes covering your feet
waiting, waiting ever to meet
the terms of your love's disgrace
pledging your protection eternally.
You told me once it was a fact
you would always sit behind my shoulder
but sometimes I look and I can't find you.
And when I turn back around I see the proof.
You wipe a tear from my cheek, your hands so much colder
than the cashmere fog settling onto your back.
And you fly away to space
but you're still standing at my side.
Peace is in your face,
but war in your eyes.
And light in your wings.
So, it needs a little bit of work, but it's a start. Hope you liked it. I'll leave you with a few artist's interpretations of Isaiah 6:2:
I couldn't find the name of the artist who did the first painting. The second one is by Viktor Vasnetsov. The third one came from Godwin's Cabalistic Encyclopedia, circa 13th century.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Psalm 23, just in time for Halloween.
Since we were supposed to write about someone else's blog, I thought I'd mention Lisette's on Psalm 23. She centered on the more gentle-natured themes of the Psalm. My thoughts were a bit darker.
I remember watching a show on the History channel (Dr. Sexon's favorite-haha) once about supernatural occurrences, and Lisette's blog made me remember a connection that one of the men on the show made with the "shadow of death" verse and supernatural stuff. I've always had an interest in the macabre, so I decided that now was the perfect time to do some research.
I didn't find much. Apparently, others aren't as interested in this connection as I am. I found one nonfiction book, called Cabinet 24 by Sina Najafi, and I read the summary for the book. The summary mentioned that one person in the book explained that, since we are all in "the valley of the shadow of death," it could explain people seeing ghosts and the like. It makes sense to me. If we really are in the shadow of death, it means death is all around us.
Maybe I'm just crazy, but it was an interesting thought I wanted to run with. I with I could have found more information on the subject, or remembered what the History channel show was called. Oh well...
With that, I will wish all of you a Happy Halloween. Fear no evil...
I remember watching a show on the History channel (Dr. Sexon's favorite-haha) once about supernatural occurrences, and Lisette's blog made me remember a connection that one of the men on the show made with the "shadow of death" verse and supernatural stuff. I've always had an interest in the macabre, so I decided that now was the perfect time to do some research.
I didn't find much. Apparently, others aren't as interested in this connection as I am. I found one nonfiction book, called Cabinet 24 by Sina Najafi, and I read the summary for the book. The summary mentioned that one person in the book explained that, since we are all in "the valley of the shadow of death," it could explain people seeing ghosts and the like. It makes sense to me. If we really are in the shadow of death, it means death is all around us.
Maybe I'm just crazy, but it was an interesting thought I wanted to run with. I with I could have found more information on the subject, or remembered what the History channel show was called. Oh well...
With that, I will wish all of you a Happy Halloween. Fear no evil...
Proverbs
I always liked Proverbs, even when I was little. I don't know exactly why; I think it's just because it's a generalized "guide to life," if you will. I just always found it comforting.
Verse 11 of Chapter 1 reminded me of an Anne Rice novel (my favorite author): "Come with us, let us lay wait for blood." Let's see the stupid Twilight author come up with a line like that.
I noticed one thing right away about Solomon: if there's one thing he is not, it's sexist. Solomon loves women, and anything female for that matter. In the first Chapter of Proverbs, and throughout the rest of the book, he even refers to Wisdom, the thing that matters the most to Solomon, as "she."
"For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother." So David didn't really pay much attention to his special son, even though he took the throne away from Absalom for him?
Even though Song of Songs is generally the "marriage" book, I thought this verse was really...well, romantic: "Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roa; let her breasts satisty thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love."
More "empowering women" info: "Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."
We need to tell high school rumor-spreaders this verse: "A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul."
"Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard." Kind of Dickens-esque, is it not? Scrooooooge....
"Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them." I think this verse has a lot of relevance today, because it seems like everyone is envious of bad men (and women), like celebrities and politicians. A lot of times, we're jealous of those with more money than us, regardless if they're good or evil.
"He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length." Interesting verse.
Solomon says a virtuous woman has a price "far above rubies." I wish men still thought like that today...why isn't virtue a virtue anymore?
Verse 11 of Chapter 1 reminded me of an Anne Rice novel (my favorite author): "Come with us, let us lay wait for blood." Let's see the stupid Twilight author come up with a line like that.
I noticed one thing right away about Solomon: if there's one thing he is not, it's sexist. Solomon loves women, and anything female for that matter. In the first Chapter of Proverbs, and throughout the rest of the book, he even refers to Wisdom, the thing that matters the most to Solomon, as "she."
"For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother." So David didn't really pay much attention to his special son, even though he took the throne away from Absalom for him?
Even though Song of Songs is generally the "marriage" book, I thought this verse was really...well, romantic: "Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roa; let her breasts satisty thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love."
More "empowering women" info: "Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."
We need to tell high school rumor-spreaders this verse: "A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul."
"Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard." Kind of Dickens-esque, is it not? Scrooooooge....
"Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them." I think this verse has a lot of relevance today, because it seems like everyone is envious of bad men (and women), like celebrities and politicians. A lot of times, we're jealous of those with more money than us, regardless if they're good or evil.
"He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length." Interesting verse.
Solomon says a virtuous woman has a price "far above rubies." I wish men still thought like that today...why isn't virtue a virtue anymore?
Psalms
Psalm 3 contains the lyrics to one of my favorite songs that we sing in church: "Thou, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."
I thought this was a funny verse: "O my God: for though hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly"
In Psalm 9, the writer says, "thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name forever and ever." But this verse is an out-and-out lie. God didn't rebuke the heathens, he didn't destroy the wicked (except for Sodom and Gomorrah), and he certainly didn't put out their name forever because we certainly still have them now. It seems like a lot of these Psalms are appeals to God's vanities--perhaps in hope of help with battles and wars, perhaps?
Jesus' last words occur in Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" That verse always used to make me cry when I was little, just because I thought it was so sad that God would leave Jesus during the toughest time. When I was older, I understood, but this line used to really get me before I was old enough to understand.
It sounds like the Psalmist is being a little sarcastic in Psalm 51: "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice." Well, it's somehow your fault that I have a broken leg, God, but at least you let me win the big game....
Around the mid-50s, David (or whoever...) gets a little whiny: "Save me, O God (54)," "Give ear to my prayer, O God (55)", "Be merciful unto me, O God (56 and 57)", "Deliver me from mine enemies (59)," and so on and so forth. Sounds like he's getting a little demanding. It must have been frustrating for God. It reminds me of this episode of Family Guy where Peter is looking at a bag blowing in the wind and talking about how beautiful it is, and God says something like, "It's just a piece of trash! Do you know how complicated your circulatory system is?" I could see God saying something like that to David.
Why does every important Biblical character have to wander around in the desert?
I just thought this line was really beautiful: "The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid; the depths were also troubled."
There's a lot of singing and dancing going on here. Again, I wondered why the puritans had such a problem with dancing when it's all over the Bible...
Another "bribe" to God: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger." Slow to anger? Really?
Shortest Psalm: 117. Longest Psalm: 119. I counted 19 parts to this Psalm. It could be a book of the Bible by itself!
"Behold,how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" (133). Unless your brethren are Philistines...
I thought this was a funny verse: "O my God: for though hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly"
In Psalm 9, the writer says, "thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name forever and ever." But this verse is an out-and-out lie. God didn't rebuke the heathens, he didn't destroy the wicked (except for Sodom and Gomorrah), and he certainly didn't put out their name forever because we certainly still have them now. It seems like a lot of these Psalms are appeals to God's vanities--perhaps in hope of help with battles and wars, perhaps?
Jesus' last words occur in Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" That verse always used to make me cry when I was little, just because I thought it was so sad that God would leave Jesus during the toughest time. When I was older, I understood, but this line used to really get me before I was old enough to understand.
It sounds like the Psalmist is being a little sarcastic in Psalm 51: "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice." Well, it's somehow your fault that I have a broken leg, God, but at least you let me win the big game....
Around the mid-50s, David (or whoever...) gets a little whiny: "Save me, O God (54)," "Give ear to my prayer, O God (55)", "Be merciful unto me, O God (56 and 57)", "Deliver me from mine enemies (59)," and so on and so forth. Sounds like he's getting a little demanding. It must have been frustrating for God. It reminds me of this episode of Family Guy where Peter is looking at a bag blowing in the wind and talking about how beautiful it is, and God says something like, "It's just a piece of trash! Do you know how complicated your circulatory system is?" I could see God saying something like that to David.
Why does every important Biblical character have to wander around in the desert?
I just thought this line was really beautiful: "The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid; the depths were also troubled."
There's a lot of singing and dancing going on here. Again, I wondered why the puritans had such a problem with dancing when it's all over the Bible...
Another "bribe" to God: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger." Slow to anger? Really?
Shortest Psalm: 117. Longest Psalm: 119. I counted 19 parts to this Psalm. It could be a book of the Bible by itself!
"Behold,how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" (133). Unless your brethren are Philistines...
Monday, October 26, 2009
My Crappy Day...
Last Tuesday, I went to work at 9 like a good little employee, and went to class at 9:30, like a good little student. Around 10, my stomach started cramping up. My boyfriend was feeling sick too, so we both went home. Hoping it was just food poisoning, we took the rest of the day off. Well, luck would have it, I woke up the next morning with a sore throat, fever, and stuffy nose. He, of course, fought it off and was fine. So I took Wednesday off, and called the doctor. They said not to bother coming in, because I wasn't a "high-risk" patient, so they wouldn't give me any Tamiflu; I just had to drink a lot of juice and sleep. So I did. Went to bed that night, woke up on Thursday feeling even worse. Slept all day, felt a lot better that evening and hoped I would be able to go to work on Friday because I had plans to go out with friends after work. I went to bed.
And, guess what? Woke up on Friday feeling like I couldn't breathe. Friday was my bad day, because it was also my birthday. Talk about karma, right? So my mom took me to the ER, thinking I had pneumonia. For some reason, they made me put on one of those gross hospital gowns and everything before listening to my chest and telling me I didn't have pneumonia. They really couldn't have done that in my normal clothes? Anyway, they told me I couldn't breathe because of my athsma, and to take an athsma treatment with this really loud annoying machine we have (because my whole family has athsma...) every four hours.
So that was my very bad day. But actually it got a lot better in the evening. Even though I felt terrible, I was happy because my mom ordered pizza (we almost never have pizza) and my boyfriend brought a cake and ice cream (and more orange juice) over, then we went and got some movies and watched Monty Python and MST3K until the wee hours.
But it's ok, because I have a lot of fun things planned for Halloween, and that's a birthday party enough for me...
It's amazing how much a bad day can make you appreciate the little things.
And, guess what? Woke up on Friday feeling like I couldn't breathe. Friday was my bad day, because it was also my birthday. Talk about karma, right? So my mom took me to the ER, thinking I had pneumonia. For some reason, they made me put on one of those gross hospital gowns and everything before listening to my chest and telling me I didn't have pneumonia. They really couldn't have done that in my normal clothes? Anyway, they told me I couldn't breathe because of my athsma, and to take an athsma treatment with this really loud annoying machine we have (because my whole family has athsma...) every four hours.
So that was my very bad day. But actually it got a lot better in the evening. Even though I felt terrible, I was happy because my mom ordered pizza (we almost never have pizza) and my boyfriend brought a cake and ice cream (and more orange juice) over, then we went and got some movies and watched Monty Python and MST3K until the wee hours.
But it's ok, because I have a lot of fun things planned for Halloween, and that's a birthday party enough for me...
It's amazing how much a bad day can make you appreciate the little things.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Job
I'll admit: Job wasn't easy to get through. It took me over a week to read, which is pretty long for me. Most of it is basically just Job arguing with his various friends. Depressing and boring....
The first thing that jumped out at me is Job's wife famous phrase "Curse God and die." My mom says this all the time, and I never knew it was from Job. I was confused about the connotation of the phrase, though. Is Job's wife saying "If you curse God, you will die because He will kill you," or is she saying "Just curse the damn Lord and die already!" Judging from what happens to her, I think it was option #2. But I had to laugh, because my mom always means it like the first example, so I don't think she gets what it means in context.
I found an interesting allusion from The Slave in Job: 6:8-9: "Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me." This is pretty much the same thing Jacob repeats in the first few chapters of Singer's novel (which is a great read by the way, and pretty easy too).
Throughout the book of Job, I was reminded of Northrop Frye's stages of language. Job is definitely full of metaphors. Some are pretty comical, actually. Here's one: "Hast thou not poured me out as milk and curdled me like cheese?" Kind of entertaining.
"Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?" I think this is where the "by the skin of his teeth" saying came from. I still don't understand what it's supposed to mean...
Even after God does all this horrible stuff to Job, he's still faithful "My lips shall not speak wickedness nor my tongue utter deceit." I guess this is why, whenever something bad happens to you and you ask your pastor about it, he/she will always say--and I guarantee this--"You need to read Job."
Job mentions an organ. I didn't know they had such advanced instrumentation back then...
Elihu, the youngest of the friends, actually turns out to be the wisest. God seems to be a man of extremes: his heroes are either very young, like David, or very old, like Abraham.
"Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment." I think we need to apply this verse to our Congressmen...
Since it says Job lived to be 140, I'd have to agree with Dr. Sexson that this book belongs way back, that it's chronologically out of place.
And if Job's wife died, and his sons died, then why does it say at the end "And [he] saw his sons and his sons' sons." Where did they come from?
The first thing that jumped out at me is Job's wife famous phrase "Curse God and die." My mom says this all the time, and I never knew it was from Job. I was confused about the connotation of the phrase, though. Is Job's wife saying "If you curse God, you will die because He will kill you," or is she saying "Just curse the damn Lord and die already!" Judging from what happens to her, I think it was option #2. But I had to laugh, because my mom always means it like the first example, so I don't think she gets what it means in context.
I found an interesting allusion from The Slave in Job: 6:8-9: "Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me." This is pretty much the same thing Jacob repeats in the first few chapters of Singer's novel (which is a great read by the way, and pretty easy too).
Throughout the book of Job, I was reminded of Northrop Frye's stages of language. Job is definitely full of metaphors. Some are pretty comical, actually. Here's one: "Hast thou not poured me out as milk and curdled me like cheese?" Kind of entertaining.
"Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?" I think this is where the "by the skin of his teeth" saying came from. I still don't understand what it's supposed to mean...
Even after God does all this horrible stuff to Job, he's still faithful "My lips shall not speak wickedness nor my tongue utter deceit." I guess this is why, whenever something bad happens to you and you ask your pastor about it, he/she will always say--and I guarantee this--"You need to read Job."
Job mentions an organ. I didn't know they had such advanced instrumentation back then...
Elihu, the youngest of the friends, actually turns out to be the wisest. God seems to be a man of extremes: his heroes are either very young, like David, or very old, like Abraham.
"Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment." I think we need to apply this verse to our Congressmen...
Since it says Job lived to be 140, I'd have to agree with Dr. Sexson that this book belongs way back, that it's chronologically out of place.
And if Job's wife died, and his sons died, then why does it say at the end "And [he] saw his sons and his sons' sons." Where did they come from?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Poetry and the Bible
For this blog, I read Susanna and compared it to the poem. Obviously, the first two stanza's of Wallace Stevens' poem are just a retelling of the original story. The last stanza is the really important one. He seems like he's almost blaming Susanna for her beauty; "in the flesh it [beauty] is immortal," "Susanna's music touched the bawdy strings/ Of those white elders." I didn't see it that way at all. Poor Susanna was only trying to take a bath in her own back yard, and she had two old, perverted peeping toms. I guess this story landed a little close to home for me, because I had a stalker, a friend's father, when I was 15, so I know how she feels. Only mine was never punished for anything, and the elders were chopped in half....
The other thing we were supposed to do is find a connection between a modern poem and a Bible Story. The first thing that popped intomy head was T.S. Eliot, my favorite poet. I remembered that in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (the poem I used for my Poem Analysis paper my senior year of high school that ended up being 22 pages long....) he makes a brief mention of Lazarus. I looked for another Eliot poem; the most obviously Biblical being "The Journey of the Magi." On the surface, "Magi" retells the story of the three wise men who came to see Jesus. But there are plenty of other allusions dispersed throughout the poem. The first other allusion I came across was the mention of the white horse; there is a white horse in Revelation.
The second one is a bit less obvious. Eliot says that there is "a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel," an obvious representation of the lamb's blood the Hebrews smeared over their doors when God came and smote the firstborn children of Egypt. Just after this line comes a mention of "pieces of silver," an allusion to how Judas sold Jesus to the Jewish elders for 30 pieces of silver.
He mentions "empty wine skins." It's a stretch, but I think he's alluding to Jesus turning the water into wine.
The last stanza says that when the people die, they "returned [...] to these Kingdoms." I think this is an allusion to the Kingdom mentioned in Revelation.
You've got to love Eliot.
The other thing we were supposed to do is find a connection between a modern poem and a Bible Story. The first thing that popped intomy head was T.S. Eliot, my favorite poet. I remembered that in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (the poem I used for my Poem Analysis paper my senior year of high school that ended up being 22 pages long....) he makes a brief mention of Lazarus. I looked for another Eliot poem; the most obviously Biblical being "The Journey of the Magi." On the surface, "Magi" retells the story of the three wise men who came to see Jesus. But there are plenty of other allusions dispersed throughout the poem. The first other allusion I came across was the mention of the white horse; there is a white horse in Revelation.The second one is a bit less obvious. Eliot says that there is "a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel," an obvious representation of the lamb's blood the Hebrews smeared over their doors when God came and smote the firstborn children of Egypt. Just after this line comes a mention of "pieces of silver," an allusion to how Judas sold Jesus to the Jewish elders for 30 pieces of silver.
He mentions "empty wine skins." It's a stretch, but I think he's alluding to Jesus turning the water into wine.
The last stanza says that when the people die, they "returned [...] to these Kingdoms." I think this is an allusion to the Kingdom mentioned in Revelation.
You've got to love Eliot.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Esther
Esther, as I've said before, is my favorite book of the Bible. I love a great story about a brave woman who single-handedly saves a bunch of people.
I've loved the book of Esther since I was a little girl. In fact, it was even my favorite VeggieTales movie! My brother and I had all of the DVDs when we were kids, and I loved to watch Esther; it was funny, it was inspiring, I laughed, I cried...so I was kind of excited to get to it now.
I wonder what the King actually wanted Vashti to do. He says that he wants to show them "her beauty." Does that mean he wants her to get naked for everyone? The ancient version of Hooters? In the VeggieTales video, the king throws the queen out because she won't make him a sandwich. Just thought I'd throw that in there...
Another question I had is why Esther must touch the top of the King's sceptre every time she comes into contact with him. Is that some kind of phallic symbol?
I was always inspired by Esther's bravery. She could have been killed just for seeing the King unannounced, not to mention accusing his right-hand man of plotting murder.
Also, why did the King sign the order to kill the Jews when he never wanted to? Did Haman trick him or did he just not read it?
Greatest irony ever: Haman is hanged on the gallows he built to hang Mordecai on. That didn't happen in VeggieTales...
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Ezra and Nehemiah
Spoiler Alert: Ezra and Nehemiah are really bad. Just like Dr. Sexson said. In fact, I think Dr. Sexson may have even sugarcoated a little bit...
I really didn't catch much from either of them, but I'll see what I can come up with.
The only thing (seriously, the one and only thing) I found interesting about Ezra is how Cyrus, the King of Persia, decides he's a Jew and heads down to Jerusalem to build a temple.
In the first verse of Nehemiah, he ays he was in the month of Chisleu. I'd be interested to see how the Jewish Calender works and compare it to the Roman Calender we use.
I thought the last line of Chapter 1 was cool "For I was the king's cupbearer." It 's a nice transition statement, and I thought I was getting ready for a great story. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
That's all I've got. Even though Ezra and Nehemiah are really, really boring, I'd still suggest chugging though them, because after Nehemiah comes Esther. And Esther, by far, is my favorite book. Short, sweet, and to the point, it tells one of the best stories in the Bible. So just remember that Ezra and Nehemiah are only a means to an end...
I really didn't catch much from either of them, but I'll see what I can come up with.
The only thing (seriously, the one and only thing) I found interesting about Ezra is how Cyrus, the King of Persia, decides he's a Jew and heads down to Jerusalem to build a temple.
In the first verse of Nehemiah, he ays he was in the month of Chisleu. I'd be interested to see how the Jewish Calender works and compare it to the Roman Calender we use.
I thought the last line of Chapter 1 was cool "For I was the king's cupbearer." It 's a nice transition statement, and I thought I was getting ready for a great story. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
That's all I've got. Even though Ezra and Nehemiah are really, really boring, I'd still suggest chugging though them, because after Nehemiah comes Esther. And Esther, by far, is my favorite book. Short, sweet, and to the point, it tells one of the best stories in the Bible. So just remember that Ezra and Nehemiah are only a means to an end...
1st and 2nd Chronicles
1st and 2nd Chronicles are, sorry God, the most pointless books of the Bible. I'm not kidding. They are the exact same story as 1st and 2nd Kings. Only told in much more boring language and with a lot of genealogy thrown in.
I'm kind of surprised that Chapter 13 mentions trumpets. I wonder if the author really meant the kind of trumpets we know today or if the instrument was merely lost in translation.
I thought it was kind of cool that God assigned different talents to different tribes. For example, the Levites were good singers, according to Chapter 15.
One important part of 1st Chronicles: chapter 17, where God outlines his plan for Jesus. Kind of interesting.
I think Chapter 21 is one of the first times in the Bible we actually hear about Satan, when he tempts David to take a census...I don't get it...what's satanic about taking a census?
Even though David does some really stupid things, it is obvious that he found such favor in God's eyes because he was such a moral man, demonstrated when Ornan offers to give him things for his offering but David insists on paying for them.
The first part I liked about 2nd Chronicles was how the Israeli people welcome the Gentile with open arms and invite him to pray with them.
It was interesting learning that Soloman received "gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks" from Tarshish. Somehow I can't see the wise Soloman playing with a monkey...
In Chapter 13 of the second book, Abijah says that God gave Israel to them "by a covenant of salt." I wonder what that means...
I'm kind of surprised that Chapter 13 mentions trumpets. I wonder if the author really meant the kind of trumpets we know today or if the instrument was merely lost in translation.
I thought it was kind of cool that God assigned different talents to different tribes. For example, the Levites were good singers, according to Chapter 15.
One important part of 1st Chronicles: chapter 17, where God outlines his plan for Jesus. Kind of interesting.
I think Chapter 21 is one of the first times in the Bible we actually hear about Satan, when he tempts David to take a census...I don't get it...what's satanic about taking a census?
Even though David does some really stupid things, it is obvious that he found such favor in God's eyes because he was such a moral man, demonstrated when Ornan offers to give him things for his offering but David insists on paying for them.
The first part I liked about 2nd Chronicles was how the Israeli people welcome the Gentile with open arms and invite him to pray with them.
It was interesting learning that Soloman received "gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks" from Tarshish. Somehow I can't see the wise Soloman playing with a monkey...
In Chapter 13 of the second book, Abijah says that God gave Israel to them "by a covenant of salt." I wonder what that means...
Thursday, October 1, 2009
2nd Kings
Elijah pulls a Moses in Chapter 2 and parts the waters for him and Elisha.
He pulls another Moses in Chapter 3: "And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. And they said, this is blood."
Then Elijah pulls a Jesus in Chapter 4 when he miraculously fills up the ladies' pots with oil.
There's a lot of fire imagery in relation to Elijah, just like there is a lot of water imagery about Jesus. I'm sensing a theme here. Maybe Moses's image was earth, because he spent a lot of time on the mountains.
I see a parallel between Jehosheba and Joash and Moses's being hidden from Pharaoh.
Isaiah is really really cool. He actually turned back time. All this time we've dreamed of time travel...Isaiah had it figured out way back then!
He pulls another Moses in Chapter 3: "And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. And they said, this is blood."
Then Elijah pulls a Jesus in Chapter 4 when he miraculously fills up the ladies' pots with oil.
There's a lot of fire imagery in relation to Elijah, just like there is a lot of water imagery about Jesus. I'm sensing a theme here. Maybe Moses's image was earth, because he spent a lot of time on the mountains.
I see a parallel between Jehosheba and Joash and Moses's being hidden from Pharaoh.
Isaiah is really really cool. He actually turned back time. All this time we've dreamed of time travel...Isaiah had it figured out way back then!
Monday, September 28, 2009
1st Kings
Obvious parallel between Soloman and Adonijah and Jacob and Esau.
What's with all the gold in Soloman's house? I thought all the great men of the Bible were paupers and carpenters and fishermen.
This sounds dumb, but I didn't know that the Queen of Sheba was actually a character in the Bible. I just thought she was mythical historical figure, like King Arthur or something. I enjoyed reading about her, because when I was very little, like 5 or 6, I always used to put a towel over my head after I took a bath and my dad would always say I looked like the Queen of Sheba. Every time. I still don't understand why I looked like the Queen of Sheba, but at least I know now who she was.
11:1 "But king Soloman loved many strange women." Sounds interesting...
You would think that if God himself told you not to eat or drink anything, you wouldn't. You would think so, at least.
What a cool image of the ravens bringing food to Elijah. I admit, I wasn't terribly excited about Kings but this Elijah has some pretty interesting stories that no one really ever talks about.
Another parallel between Elijah and the woman with the meal and the oil and Jesus and the loaves and fish.
Also, no one ever talks about the number of times Elijah revives the dead. I can't count the number of times that people have told me that the "only ones in the Bible resurrected from the dead were Lazarus and Jesus." Obviously not true. I counted several instances of Elijah doing it.
Why do people say "Jumping Jehoshaphat?" I didn't notice him jumping any...
What's with all the gold in Soloman's house? I thought all the great men of the Bible were paupers and carpenters and fishermen.
This sounds dumb, but I didn't know that the Queen of Sheba was actually a character in the Bible. I just thought she was mythical historical figure, like King Arthur or something. I enjoyed reading about her, because when I was very little, like 5 or 6, I always used to put a towel over my head after I took a bath and my dad would always say I looked like the Queen of Sheba. Every time. I still don't understand why I looked like the Queen of Sheba, but at least I know now who she was.
11:1 "But king Soloman loved many strange women." Sounds interesting...
You would think that if God himself told you not to eat or drink anything, you wouldn't. You would think so, at least.
What a cool image of the ravens bringing food to Elijah. I admit, I wasn't terribly excited about Kings but this Elijah has some pretty interesting stories that no one really ever talks about.
Another parallel between Elijah and the woman with the meal and the oil and Jesus and the loaves and fish.
Also, no one ever talks about the number of times Elijah revives the dead. I can't count the number of times that people have told me that the "only ones in the Bible resurrected from the dead were Lazarus and Jesus." Obviously not true. I counted several instances of Elijah doing it.
Why do people say "Jumping Jehoshaphat?" I didn't notice him jumping any...
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