The Jesus Storybook Bible

An excerpt from the introduction of my favorite children's Bible. It is called "The Jesus Storybook Bible"

“No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne-everything-to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You see, the best thing about this Story is- it’s true. There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle-the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture. “

Numbers 11

In Numbers 11 Scripture talks about how the people are complaining to the Lord of their misfortunes, and how the Lord hears this and is angry. A few verses down Moses hears all of the people weeping at the door to his tent. "And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased." Moses goes on almost in an angry rant toward God. I was really shocked by how Moses acted and talked to God. He asks why God is dealing with the people this way, why have you laid this burden on me. "Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, 'carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child'..." So Moses is having what seems like a fit, but the LORD doesn't respond the way I thought He would. He gets Moses to gather elders and he will give some of the Spirit that was on Moses and spread it to them, so that they can share the burden. I did like in verses 18-20 how the LORD said,

"And say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, "Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt." Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, "Why did we come out of Egypt?"'"

This just reminds me of how often I complain about the things I know nothing of. God is in control, but yet, many times, I am still an idioit and don't trust what the Lord commands of me. I get angry and think I am right and I know best, when in reality I am an infant and can't see past my own understanding. My Father is wise and knows what he is doing, yet at times I forget, and think that I am the one in charge.

This passage really highlighted the arrogance in my life. So often I tell my Sovereign God what is right and wrong and what He needs to do for me. This is such an ugly thing to be shown, but has been done in such a loving way only my Savior could do.

Standouts in Leviticus

So it has been two months since I have posted. It took me forever to read Leviticus. Probably about a month, due to my amazing procrastination skills. I am in Numbers at the moment and am once again procrastinating. Who knew there would be so many numbers in Numbers? Well I want to get back into the swing of things, so here are some things that jumped out at me in Leviticus:

God is provider for Aaron and his sons by having the people's offerings be shared with this family. God is faithful to take care of His children.

Leviticus 9:6- "This is the thing that the Lord commanded you to do, that the glory of the Lord may appear to you."
God has demanded obedience, so we may see the glory of God. What love is this.

Leviticus 10:3b- "Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified!"
I adore this. At first I was confused about the whole "I will be sanctified" because we as humans talk so much about how we are being sanctified by trials in our lives, so I began to wonder why God, our perfect father, is saying he will be sanctified. I looked up the definition and this is what it says: "made holy" so among those near to God He will be made holy and before everyone He will be glorified. Such a beautiful verse about the glory of our God.

In Leviticus it says if a person cannot afford a sheep, then he can offer this, if he can't offer this because he can afford it, he can offer this. This just demonstrated to me how God is gracious and merciful and meets us where we are-in our lowly sin and depravity.

Leviticus so often talks about uncleanliness, and if you touch the person, you too will be unclean. Jesus showed such compassion when he touched these people and loved these people. How incredible that must have been to these people that knew they were unclean and feeling so unworthy of touch/love, and along comes the Messiah and I would assume, rocks their world. That just led me on the thought process of how unclean and unworthy I am, yet Christ took on that sin and drank the cup of God's holy righteous wrath. Wow. It is only by the grace of God that I am made righteous in His sight.

TATTOOS!
Leviticus 19:28-"You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD."
I'm not going to lie, I love tattoos. I think they are gorgeous. I want to know if this is still applicable or not?

Leviticus

Does anyone know of anything to help me get through Leviticus? A sermon series, something to help me along, because I am struggling here.

Exodus and Heart Hardening

The hardening of hearts; A very interesting, but potentially touch subject.

Exodus 4:21

And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

I think if I were Moses, at this point I would be like, um God, your plan is awesome and all, but why are you going to make me go do this if you are just going to harden his heart? What is the point?

Exodus 7:14

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.”

In this verse it is more of a seemingly passive voice from God. Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. He refuses to let the people go.

Exodus 9:12

But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

This seems to be an action of the Lord, whereas before it didn’t. “the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh”

Exodus 9:34-36

But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his hear, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

I might be reading this wrong, but it seems to have both a passive and active voice. Pharaoh hardened his heart, but a few words over, the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, which seems like it wasn’t all of Pharaoh’s doing.

Exodus 11:9

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

This verse is simply beautiful

Romans 9:17-18- yes people, we are going there…

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

If you know me well, you know that I am all about the complete sovereignty of God, but I want to know:

What does all of this mean in your opinion? I want to know about your thoughts on the sovereignty of God, hardening of hearts, and God’s role in that. I don’t care if you are a new Christian, ten years old, have a doctorate in theology, think you are dumb, think you are brilliant, don’t know me very well, know me better than I know myself, or have never talked to me in your life. I want to hear your thoughts.

Exodus 23:18

Exodus 23:18
"You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning."

Communion?
When we take communion it is representative of drinking the blood of Christ and eating the body of Christ.

My dad actually asked me a question about this a couple months ago when we were talking about the bread in the communion at Asbury. It is a delicious loaf of bread. A delicious yeasty loaf of bread.
My dad's question was why does it have leavening in it? My response... um I don't know.
I had never had communion with that kind of bread until I went to a Methodist church, and I never have looked behind their reasoning for doing it that way. That was pretty much the end of my thought process on it until I read this verse.

Why does the bread at Asbury have yeast, and should it not? Is this verse even applicable?

Genesis 3

So we are back to Genesis. KFalk and I were discussing a verse the other night, and got confused on the translation/meaning, so I need input from people.

Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."

The word for apparently can be translated to against, at least that is what the bottom of my Bible said. This is so confusing to me.
Katie interpreted it as you will have a desire for your husband, and I thought of it as you will have the desire to rule over/be in control of your husband, but he will rule over you.
I don't know what the deal with this verse is.
I guess I've always thought women have this natural tendency to want to be in charge and control but God didn't give them that command. He gave this responsibility to men, and therefore, tension/strife is present.
Then there is also the idea on the other possible translation, for. As women, we always seem to be desiring a husband, and perhaps that is what this verse is talking about, that incessant desire.

Frankly I don't know. What do you think?