Reading from Tuesday, April 13

Hey o. So I think I unloaded enough thoughts today in the two "Thinking" blog posts. So let's just go right to the bible.

Reading for April 13
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Well, this isn't getting any easier to read. The section opens with an inquisition as to who stole plunder from the fallen city of Jericho after they were specifically instructed no to by God. It turns out that a guy named Achan took the gold and silver. He admitted it, showed the Israelites where it was and gave it back. But because his actions were direct disobedience to God, he had to be killed. The Israelites brough Achan out to a field and the entire nation of Israel stoned him to death for bringing God's horrible wrath upon them. It says that once Achan was killed, God's anger subsided.

That's just so backwards to me...

The second section here talks about, what do you know, another Genocide. Who's keeping score here? How many war crimes and crimes against humanity is that so far? 7? 10?

God commands Joshua to lead a particularly tricky militaristic strike against the nation of Ai. He causes a distraction with one group of soldiers which causes all of the Ai soldiers to chase them. The second group then sets fire to the city, kills all the remaining people in the city, and then finally kills the soldiers. Another race of people wiped off the face of the earth.

Ugh...it's not worth getting upset over at this point.

Luke 16:1-18
¹⁰"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. "

So I tried to do a pretty scummy thing a few days ago. Last weekend at the bachelor party, the external flash for my camera was dropped and broke, which I was really bummed about because Jilly got it for me for Christmas. So I devised a little plan. I decided I was going to email the company that sold it and tell them that it was a very late Christmas gift and when I opened it, it was smashed.

As I was writing the email to the company Jill asked what I was doing. I told her. She said "Isn't that extremely dishonest?" "...Yes" I replied and closed and deleted the email. I felt like a butthole, and I think this verse from Jesus is very poignant. If I had successfully pulled off the "flash swap", I would have had a taste for getting what I wanted through deceit and that could have led to a dark place. Anyway, I love my wife for convicting me to do the right thing.

Psalm 82:1-8
 ⁸ Rise up, O God, judge the earth,
       for all the nations are your inheritance.

Boom. All the nations. It says to judge the earth, and judge it he did. His reaction was to send his son to be brutally beaten is mutilated for our salvation. Yes.

Proverbs 13:2-3


 ² From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things,
       but the unfaithful have a craving for violence.
 ³ He who guards his lips guards his life,
       but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

Hey, I'm feeling better. If you happened to pray for me, thanks. I know I needed it.