Tuesday, August 17

What's up?

Reading for August 17
Nehemiah 12:27-13:31
This is the last chapter of Nehemiah. Another book in the...books...I guess...

It's a pretty uneventful ending to the book - the Israelites have a dedication of the new wall and the Book of Moses is read aloud again to everyone. During this reading they determined that no Moabites or Ammonites should be allowed to live in Jerusalem because centuries ago they cursed them. So they drove all foreigners out of the land.

That's pretty much it - the text just fizzles out in minute details about who was at the dedication and what their jobs were.

1 Corinthians 11:1-16
Op...the sexist part of the Bible...


Here is what Paul actually says:

³Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Here is how I think many people interpret it:

Men are better than women

Here is how I interpret it:
God designed man, then from man he designed woman. It says in Genesis that woman was created for man. But I don't think that means what it sounds like. It would be like saying my wife was created for me - that doesn't sound as bad...And I don't mean that she was created to serve me, I mean she was put on this earth for me to find her and be happy - and vice versa. So woman being in place for man doesn't mean she is there to serve the man, rather they are to serve each other in love. Paul points out later that even though woman was born from man, man is born from woman through the act of giving birth. So really the sexes are equals.

The one bit that is controversial is I think the order in which Paul lays out the power. He says it goes Woman --> Man --> Christ --> God. So in essence, the woman should defer to the man. That's certainly not how my wife and I live, in fact most of the time I defer to her judgment. If it were the other way around we would be homeless. I am an idiot with money and organizing, and she is a wonderwoman.

I do try to be the leader in terms of our faith, though - although I'm not very good or consistent at it. Maybe this is a call to try to become better at keeping us both in check as a family.

Sorry, I'm talking in circles. I don't know if any of that made sense.

Psalm 35:1-16
David gives us an example of how to live as a Christian

¹¹ Ruthless witnesses come forward;
       they question me on things I know nothing about.
 ¹² They repay me evil for good
       and leave my soul forlorn.
 ¹³ Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
       and humbled myself with fasting.
       When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
 ¹⁴ I went about mourning
       as though for my friend or brother.
       I bowed my head in grief
       as though weeping for my mother.
 ¹⁵ But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
       attackers gathered against me when I was unaware.
       They slandered me without ceasing.
 ¹⁶ Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked ^[b] ;
       they gnashed their teeth at me.

Love your enemies.


Proverbs 21:17-18
 ¹⁷ He who loves pleasure will become poor;
       whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.
 ¹⁸ The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
       and the unfaithful for the upright.

Word up. Goodnight.