So I have decided to read though the Bible because I have never completely read it, and I have heard it is a profitable thing to do. It may just be me, but I like to know what exactly I am dedicating my life too, because it definately isn't just the chapel choir singing "How Great is Our God" while the congregation sings along with raised hands and swaying hips. That should be the product of the thing for which I am dedicating my life, not the cause. I do not know God because I go and sing with soul, I sing with soul because I know God. I think that concept is often confused. People forget that God is not in the church, the church is in God. God is so much more than what we include in our man made institution we call "Christianity". I think it is interesting that Judiasm is a specific following created by God, but Christianity isn't. We created Christianity, and it is not the only way to Heaven. Jesus is.
Anyways, I am in the book of Psalms as of this week. It has taken about a year, maybe a year and a half, to get this far. The whole questioning mentality opens so many doors for thought and makes the bible alive. Like usually I would skim over most of the laws and then forget about them, but now I am looking back at some that I read with new eyes. For example, if a Israelite raped a girl (specifically a virgin), those two would have to get married. Would you want to marry the man that raped you? I wouldn't. There may have been a cultural difference that lessoned the shock value of this law. Marriage were arranged for stratigical purposes, so I don't think that would have been as contreversial as it might be now in the time of "soul mates to love and cherish forever". It would actually be a punishment for the man because he would have to pay a large dowry, and the marriage wouldn't neccesarily have any gain. Still, this is God's law, and it strikes me as odd. If a son can get stoned for not obeying his parents, why wouldn't a rapist be stoned? Is there any inherant sin in not obeying your parents that doesn't exist in the raping of a virgin? I mean, technically if she were a virgin it wouldn't be breaking any law other than the one that requires you to love your neighbor as yourself, whereas disobeying a parent is deliberate rebellion agianst the authority that God has set above the son. There seems to be a lot of verses speaking out against the latter as opposed to the former. Rebelling against the authority that God set above you is like rebelling against God, right?
I wonder how often people were stoned in the Jewish community. How often is someone executed on death row?
I've been trying lately to even pick up my bible. I don't think I know where to start, not that there is any specific place to start. I like how you're pointing out the old school Judaic laws in the bible. I've read some of those as well and I just think "What the hell?!?!" (not sure if you can say that when reading the bible). But that's part of the reason Jesus came was to abolish the old law and to get rid of this constant routine of "Good VS. Bad". Sometimes it's hard to see how we can be so organized in our religion, yet we miss the point that our "religion" only makes us like half the religions out there. They all have their quirks and standards. God wants it to be so much deeper. He wants the glorification that He so rightfully deserves. He most definitely should receive it. Thank you for pointing this out. I haven't put any thought to this at all lately.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, was there anything wrong with the Old Law?
ReplyDeleteI don't even know what "what the hell" means anymore. I think it just is an exclamation like golly gee, or its like a hulk-enized question mark.
I don't believe there was anything wrong with the Old Laws. God put those Laws in place to be the consequences for our sins, but then He sent His Son to be the sacrifice in our place. So in a way He overturned those Laws with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you change a flawless thing? Or is the old law not flawless, the new covenant is just more flawless. What was the reasoning for the original covenant? (and I guess that would mean Abraham, but Moses would be interesting to look at too)
ReplyDeleteI feel kinda forthright. I debated publishing more questions. I'm not trying to shut you down, this is just something that really makes my mind turn, and I am curious about what other people think about it all.