I read this interesting exchange between the Israelites, Moses, and the Lord this morning on my scripture study. It involved at heart what I would call a "democratic" rebellion against Moses as the representative of the Lord, and it had some pretty harsh consequences (I just include excerpts here, but a few people get swallowed... Continue Reading →
True love and marriage in the Old Testament: The book of Hosea
I picked up a copy of Abraham Heschel's The Prophets the other day from the library for my next book. I have read Heschel's God in Search of Man, and was stunned by his beautiful explanation of the Jewish faith. The Prophets seemed like a fitting book, as we are currently reading the Old Testament... Continue Reading →
Proverbs: Wisdom literature in the Bible
I chose to turn to the Book of Proverbs next, because I wanted to get try on of the books in the Old Testament considered Wisdom literature. I read a fascinating book last year called Re-reading Job: Understanding the Ancient World's Greatest Poem, and one of the things I took away wasn't specific to the... Continue Reading →
Take time to be holy: Why productivity for productivity’s sake doesn’t work
I have been fascinated by the idea of liturgy, which I understand as seeking to make time itself holy. Liturgy isn't a word often encountered in LDS culture, be we have our own version if you use the definition. However, I wanted to use it in a more personal sense. I often notice that hours... Continue Reading →
Daniel as an example of righteous defiance
Next, I chose to turn to a later story in the Bible, the story of Daniel in Babylon. Daniel and his fellows, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, were taken into the king's court during the Babylonian captivity. the Israelite nation was invaded, a puppet king installed, and its people forced to move from their homeland in... Continue Reading →