Reading from Wednesday April 14 UPATED April 17

Hey. So I just got back from recording my first podcast. And by "recording my first podcast" I mean "told a story on someone else's podcast. " Nonetheless I had a great time. I am beat though so let's hit the book.

Reading for April 14
Joshua 9:3-10:43

⁴⁰ So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.

This is a summary of this whole, huge section. Joshua led Israel through about five or six more genocides. Killing probably millions in the process.  suppose freaking out over one single genocide was silly - I have a feeling there's gonna be many many more based on how it his progressing.

Luke 16:19-17:10
OK - there is an intense story here. It's extremely confusing so stick with me...

There is a rich man and a man named Lazarus. Lazarus sat outside the gate of the rich man's home. Lazarus was covered in sores but he wished he could eat at the rich man's table. Eventually both of these guys died. Lazarus goes to heaven and the rich man goes to hell. Interesting note here: it says  

²²"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side."

Not really what I usually think about when I think about heaven, but its integral to the story. The rich man can see Lazarus and Abraham from where he is and he asks Abraham to let Lazarus help him. Here's how Abraham replies:

'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

So, realizing his situations is hopeless, the rich man asks that Lazarus be sent to his father's house to warn the rich man's family about what will happen to them if they die. Here's how it plays out:

 ²⁹"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
 ³⁰" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
 ³¹"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

So here - in clear language - Jesus is doing two things: he is spelling out that belief in him is the only way into heaven, and he is hinting at the fact that he will raise from the dead, and even then it will be difficult for some to believe. However, he does all this in such an eloquent way. He uses this fictional parable about a man coming back from the dead to save a few people to illustrate that he, himself will do the same for the entirety of mankind.

In that last line there, he even goes so far as to predict the reaction that many will have to his resurrection. If they aren't convinced by what they see already, even someone raising from the dead will not convince them.

The other thing I think that needs to be addressed here is that Lazarus is actually documented in the other gospels as someone who Jesus raised from the dead. While I was reading this story here in Luke, I kept thinking if this is what happened while Lazarus was dead - like a rare insight into the afterlife. And if that's the case, what's the deal with Abraham being the God-figure? Was that just used as an illustration to make it easier for the people to grasp the idea of God? Like how in "Contact" the alien appeared as Jodie Foster's father.

Either way, there is immense amount of depth to this story - does anyone have any more insight into this? I'm so interested in this....


Psalm 83:1-18

 ² See how your enemies are astir,
       how your foes rear their heads. 

 ³ With cunning they conspire against your people;
       they plot against those you cherish.
 ⁴ "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation,
       that the name of Israel be remembered no more."
[...]

⁹ Do to them as you did to Midian,
       as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
 ¹⁰ who perished at Endor
       and became like refuse on the ground.
 ¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
       all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
 ¹² who said, "Let us take possession
       of the pasturelands of God."

Oh man...don't go there. Asaph is praising what happened at Midian and forward throughout the reign of Joshua and his terrible massacres of the surrounding people.

I've been thinking about this immense issue of God's justice and how it's actually extremely unjust and just downright awful. A big question that has risen is "If God is all knowing, why would he create the earth and everyone in it, knowing he would have his "chosen people" wiping out other nations." And now that I think about it - I don't think it says anywhere that God is all knowing. A common verse people like to quote is Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future."

That is so often misinterpreted as "God knows all things and he will be giving me good things". But look at the operative word in that verse - plans. I could have plans to go skiing, but those plans could fall through. I could break my leg and would be unable to go.

Because think about it - if God is all knowing, why would he have started the whole thing in the first place? He would have known that Adam and Eve would screw up and his creation would be ruined. Remember the intense regret the Bible describes God having over humanity's error? If he knew it was going to happen, why would be be regretful?

My point is - I don't think God is all knowing. I think he knows what his ideal life for us is, and if we follow his commands, we will be walking in his "predicted future". But, if we stray from those plans at all, all bets are off.

Now - this also calls into question the perfect nature of God. Is is wrong to think that God made mistakes? What if God was so pissed off about his lost and damned creation that he just raged out and ordered the destruction of everyone he saw without thinking. I mean I know we're raised to believe that God is in all ways perfect, but then wouldn't his creations be perfect as well? If I was perfect and I wanted to make a model airplane, I would make sure that it was perfect.

But God chose to give man free will, because he didn't want us to be forced into loving him. But then, think about that, too. The people that are being massacred really don't have free will. It's either, believe in this God, or be brutally murdered.

I feel like I'm caught in this cosmic battle. The New Testament is so hopeful and inspiring and makes me proud of my faith, while the Old Testament makes me ashamed of my God. I am having two completely opposite reactions to each book. It's a weird place to be...


Proverbs 13:4
 ⁴ The sluggard craves and gets nothing,
       but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

There it is.