Second Bible Read Thread

[SarahsKnight]

I wonder if in Deuteronomy 27:12 there is any particular reason the six names of the Israelite tribes were chosen to bless all the people that they were, and the other six to speak the curses of disobeying the law God had just presented to them through Moses, before crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land.

Why the six to speak the blessing were Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph (isn't that the same tribe as Manasseh and Ephraim, who were among his sons? They seemed to be used interchangeably a few times in the Pentateuch), and Benjamin, and the six to speak the curses were the rest: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, and Zebulun?

 

[Multifavs]

I wonder if in Deuteronomy 27:12 there is any particular reason the six names of the Israelite tribes were chosen to bless all the people that they were, and the other six to speak the curses of disobeying the law God had just presented to them through Moses, before crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land.

Why the six to speak the blessing were Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph (isn't that the same tribe as Manasseh and Ephraim, who were among his sons? They seemed to be used interchangeably a few times in the Pentateuch), and Benjamin, and the six to speak the curses were the rest: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, and Zebulun?

Hm, I'm not totally sure about that either. My Bible says that the Levites spoke the curses, but I don't remember Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, and Zebulun being the Levites.

 

[TheGirlOnFire]

the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. These are the children of Bilhah and Zilpah, the servant women of Jacob’s two lawful wives. (Reuben is the exception — though he was one of Leah’s legitimate sons, he was cursed because he had sexual relations with Bilhah, his father’s concubine — Genesis 35:22, 1 Chronicles 5:1). I don't know if that has something to do with it.

 

[Multifavs]

Oh yes, maybe it does have something to do with them being from different/certain tribes. Maybe we will be able to figure out more when we read the part about the blessings tomorrow.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 78: Apr 16

Deuteronomy 28 and 29

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 79: Apr 17

Deuteronomy 30 and 31

 

[Multifavs]

God is merciful to the repentant sinner and even though we have free will to choose life and death, He urges us to choose life. This is true not only in these chapters but also in life today.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 80: Apr 18

The last bit of the Pentateuch today.

Deuteronomy 32 through 34

And also another Psalm by Moses:

Psalms 91

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 81: Apr 19

Here is the MEV's summary for the book of Joshua:
This book was likely written between 1400 and 1370 BC. According to Jewish tradition, Joshua is the attributed author. Evidence suggests that the tribes had been in the land for some time when the book was given its final form. The theme of Joshua is the conquering and division of Canaan. The story opens in [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim, just north of the Dead Sea and east of the Jordan River, as people prepare to take possession of the Promised Land. Miracles and bloody battles, including the battle of Jericho, are recounted as Joshua leads the people in military campaigns to possess the land God has promised them. This book clearly shows how a leader's obedience to God results in divine help in the face of overwhelming odds.

Joshua 1 through 4

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 82: Apr 20

Joshua 5 through 8

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 83: Apr 21

Joshua 9 through 11

Joshua goes all out today to wipe out the pagans inhabiting the land God swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give to their future generations. Indeed, it does seem quite drastic, and I admit I always questioned why. Why all this war and destruction? Is God a God of violence? Does He actually command us to just seek out enemies and slaughter them?

... Of course not. (Besides, let us not forget that by no means were the Israelites all-powerful, who could just conquer any number of enemy armies with inhuman might and skill; no, only by God's miraculous deliverance could they under Joshua's leadership so easily take down every king and nation - no matter how numerous - that came before them here in chapters 9 through 11.) It is easy to question the things that happen in the OT, because they seem so unlike the commands Jesus gave to us in the Gospels today. But it took me a long while to realize that for one, God had promised these lands to the Israelites long before they were even enslaved by the Egyptians; He does not go back on promises.

And two, I think the Bible gives us enough of a hint that these nations were pretty crazy with idolatry. Each and every one isn't specifically named off to have done these things, but several speak of the worship of false gods and also heinous practices of child sacrifice, in seemingly every land that the Israelites came through on their journey eastward and around the east ends of the Jordan, before finally coming over westward into the Promised Land. Now then, if the Savior of all man is to come from the Israelite peoples fifteen hundred years or so later, it only makes sense that Israel must remain pure before God and not go the way of other nations and their false gods. And of course, that is exactly as we see not one but many a time in the remainder of the OT when the Israelites get too close to pagan nations around them. They continually follow after gods who neither see, speak, nor hear, even after seeing and hearing the voice of their one and only living God, as a pillar of fire or a great cloud, and seeing His mighty works before their very eyes. And so forth God decrees destruction and the way of the sword upon the Israelites in these times until they turn back and seek Him again. And thankfully we see time after time again, in both the OT and our own shortened mortal lives, as vapors in the wind before Him who hate alone immortality (1 Timothy 6:16), that He always is willing to take us back. ... Now then, what other gods do any of us know here who are both so mighty AND merciful and compassionate?

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 84: Apr 22

Joshua 12 through 15

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 85: Apr 23

Joshua 16 through 18

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 86: Apr 24

Joshua 19 through 21

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 87: Apr 25

Joshua 22 through 24

A map I found from biblestudy.com of the division of the Promised Land among the Israelite tribes in Joshua's time after conquest.

It doesn't appear fully accurate, at least going by what I remember reading in the last several chapters describing the borders of each tribe's inherited section of land (for instance, I am certain I saw that the Bible describes a few chapters ago as Asher's section bordering Judah on the south side). but in any event, it does give a general picture, at least. In this picture, part of Manasseh, Gad, and Reuben are sure enough on the east side of the Jordan as they desired, and Simeon was given land within the division that had already fallen to Judah. Just as described in the previous four or five chapters of Joshua.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 88: Apr 26

Judges 1 and 2

 

[SarahsKnight]

The MEV summary of Judges is as follows:

The book of Judges was likely written between 1045 and 1000 BC. Jewish tradition attributes Samuel with the authorship of Judges. The book was later edited in about 1000 BC, after the monarchy has been established. The setting is ancient Canaan. Its them of defeat and deliverance carries through the military rule (called judges) of twelve men and one woman. After Joshua's death the lack of strong central leadership led to dissension among the people and oppression from surrounding nations. During this time of national; decline, when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes", the judges led Israel. The pattern of Judges is clear: People abandon God, and God punishes them by allowing a foreign power to oppress them; the people cry out for deliverance, and God raises up a deliverer - a judge.

I found the wording of Adoni-Bezek - apparently one of the Canaanites that Judah and Simeon fought against when trying to drive them out of their inherited territory, perhaps an enemy commander or leader - strange here in Judges 1:7. When captured and punished, Adoni-Bezek says this: "Seventy kings whose thumbs and big toes were cut off once collected scraps of food under my table. Just as I have done, so God has repaid me."

I thought perhaps he was receiving punishment ironically, as though he himself had once subjugated that many rulers and kings and severed their thumbs and toes, and Adoni-Bezek was admitting it to himself that God was repaying him in the same way for such violent acts; eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Or perhaps Adoni's words had a more generic meaning, that if one lives by the sword, indeed he should expect to die by it. Since the MEV refers to 1 Samuel 15:33 on the side for this verse, where Samuel pronounces judgment upon the Amalekite king Agag in these words: "As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women", just before putting Agag to the sword, perhaps the above is a suitable explanation for Adoni's words to himself before death.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 89: Apr 27

Judges 3 through 5

 

[Multifavs]

It's interesting that Ehud was left-handed (because I draw, write, and sew left-handed) and that there was a prophetess in this chapter.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 90: Apr 28

Judges 6 and 7