Eek! I need to update this before I get much more behind. Lots of reading getting done, but we've put our house on the market, and that's taken up much more of my time than anticipated.
Recap: a lot of kings ruled over Israel and Judah. Most of them angered the Lord and continued to worship Baal (who my footnotes finally told me is the precursor to Beelzebub, aka, Satan. Bad move, Israelites). There were one or two good kings, but mostly, they were not so good. In the end, they are sent into exile and conquered by the Babylonians.
Chronicles is a recap of the Bible thus far. So far I have mostly just read genealogies. Lists and lists of names. If you're looking for a unique Biblical baby name, I need point you no further than the first few chapters of Chronicles.
Ramblings: Nothing noteworthy in the reading, really. I mean, a few things that I go "huh!" as I read them, but nothing worth writing about. I have a feeling I'll be heavily skimming through Chronicles, since I've just finished reading everything that it is recapping.
In other news, by page count, I am now just over 25% through the Bible! Woo! That's in about 3 months of reading, making the goal of getting it done in one year more realizable than I would have thought. Luckily, I've set no time constraints, so I won't be trying to speed-read come April! Still, I was surprised to note that I'm 600 pages in to my 2350 page Bible. Go me!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
1 Kings 16-21
Recap: More kings who provoke God and die. And then we get Ahab, who "did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him." This includes sinning, worshiping Baal, and marrying Jezebel, a Phoenician princess. We meet the prophet Elijah. Jezebel kills a bunch of the Lord's prophets. Elijah proves that the Lord is God in a contest with Baal's prophets. Jezebel threatens his life, Elijah flees, wanders 40 days and 40 nights, and speaks to God, telling Him that he (Elijah) is the only faithful one remaining (a bit of an exaggeration). The Lord sends him to go find Elisha to succeed him as a prophet. The Lord aids Ahab in a battle against the Arameans. Ahab tries to buy a neighbor's vineyard, but the neighbor (Naboth) refuses. So Jezebel has Naboth killed so Ahab can take the vineyard.
Ramblings: I now know why Elijah is such a popular name for little boys! I mean, I knew it was "Biblical", but like the name Abigail, I had no idea who Elijah was or why parents chose his name. I thought it was just because it was a nice name!
So Ahab, yeah, he's a bad 'un. Worshiping Baal, marrying foreigners, allowing his wife to have prophets murdered.... I gather that Captain Ahab, of Moby Dick, is named for him - however, having never read Moby Dick, I'm not sure what the parallels might be. Time to put Moby Dick on my reading list!
Jezebel is a perfect example of why I decided to read the whole Bible. I've seen Jezebel referenced before - I just finished No Name by Wilkie Collins, in which an older man chastises a young woman with "More shame for me, you young Jezebel--more shame for me!" And of course, I'm familiar with Jezebel, the women's website (feminist website? Not sure how they label themselves, but I love their work!).
And if you had asked me, before my reading last night, just who Jezebel was exactly, I would have confidently said "She was a prostitute in the Bible."
So... yeah. That was the impetus for doing this project. So I don't look like a moron whenever it comes to Biblical references in pop-culture and literature.
Ramblings: I now know why Elijah is such a popular name for little boys! I mean, I knew it was "Biblical", but like the name Abigail, I had no idea who Elijah was or why parents chose his name. I thought it was just because it was a nice name!
So Ahab, yeah, he's a bad 'un. Worshiping Baal, marrying foreigners, allowing his wife to have prophets murdered.... I gather that Captain Ahab, of Moby Dick, is named for him - however, having never read Moby Dick, I'm not sure what the parallels might be. Time to put Moby Dick on my reading list!
Jezebel is a perfect example of why I decided to read the whole Bible. I've seen Jezebel referenced before - I just finished No Name by Wilkie Collins, in which an older man chastises a young woman with "More shame for me, you young Jezebel--more shame for me!" And of course, I'm familiar with Jezebel, the women's website (feminist website? Not sure how they label themselves, but I love their work!).
And if you had asked me, before my reading last night, just who Jezebel was exactly, I would have confidently said "She was a prostitute in the Bible."
So... yeah. That was the impetus for doing this project. So I don't look like a moron whenever it comes to Biblical references in pop-culture and literature.
Monday, July 6, 2009
2 Samuel 21-24; 1 Kings 1-15
I've been busy reading, but not blogging. We are prepping our house for sale, and when I'm not cleaning, I'm playing outside with the kids. Today I'm out blogging under a beautiful sunny sky. I just love wireless routers and laptops!
Recap: David dies, there's some skirmish about who will replace him, but ultimately Solomon takes the throne. He does a pretty good job, and we get the famous "two mothers both claim the son is theirs so Solomon threatens to cut the boy in half to find out which one is the real mother" story. Solomon builds a for real temple for God's ark. Then he displeases God in various ways (like marrying foreign women) and although he dies with a unified Israel, Israel revolts after his death. Judah stays with Solomon's line, but all of the other tribes are under another ruler, and so begins divided Israel.
1 Kings is all about the doings of both sets of kings (Judah's king and Israel's kings). Honestly, it's all a bit hard to tell apart. Each king rules and displeases God in some way and dies.
Ramblings: I was so excited to read the "famous" Solomon story! Woo! It makes me feel like I'm not completely in the dark.
But honestly, oh my goodness, I cannot keep 1 Kings straight. The names are all blending together, and it's a good thing I have footnotes, because I cannot keep straight who is from David's line and who is not.
That said, I am just loving 1 Kings. All along, my Bible's footnotes have talked about the different narrative voices of the Bible. But to be honest, I haven't been able to tell. 1 Kings, though, I can tell that I am reading a new narrative voice. It reads like The Odyssey, in that way that it just reads like an oral narrative written down. I can practically hear the wise old elder, with a deep, sonorific, mesmerizing voice, going through the same formula for each king's story. And I love how each king's story ends with, "As for the other events of so and so's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?" It's so like "Dang, do I need to tell you everything? Go read it for yourself!"
Recap: David dies, there's some skirmish about who will replace him, but ultimately Solomon takes the throne. He does a pretty good job, and we get the famous "two mothers both claim the son is theirs so Solomon threatens to cut the boy in half to find out which one is the real mother" story. Solomon builds a for real temple for God's ark. Then he displeases God in various ways (like marrying foreign women) and although he dies with a unified Israel, Israel revolts after his death. Judah stays with Solomon's line, but all of the other tribes are under another ruler, and so begins divided Israel.
1 Kings is all about the doings of both sets of kings (Judah's king and Israel's kings). Honestly, it's all a bit hard to tell apart. Each king rules and displeases God in some way and dies.
Ramblings: I was so excited to read the "famous" Solomon story! Woo! It makes me feel like I'm not completely in the dark.
But honestly, oh my goodness, I cannot keep 1 Kings straight. The names are all blending together, and it's a good thing I have footnotes, because I cannot keep straight who is from David's line and who is not.
That said, I am just loving 1 Kings. All along, my Bible's footnotes have talked about the different narrative voices of the Bible. But to be honest, I haven't been able to tell. 1 Kings, though, I can tell that I am reading a new narrative voice. It reads like The Odyssey, in that way that it just reads like an oral narrative written down. I can practically hear the wise old elder, with a deep, sonorific, mesmerizing voice, going through the same formula for each king's story. And I love how each king's story ends with, "As for the other events of so and so's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?" It's so like "Dang, do I need to tell you everything? Go read it for yourself!"
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
2 Samuel 6-20
I'm already forgetting stuff that I've read, so I'm going to add in brief recaps. My goodness, my mommy memory is bad. Some of you out there have said "Hey, if I read your blog, then I'll know what's in the Bible without having to read it!" Recaps should make that easier, you lazy dogs! ;-)
Recap: David brings the Ark of God to Jerusalem. The oracle, Nathan, tells David to build a "house of cedar" for the Lord to live in. There is a lot warring and attacking. David commits adultery, and has the husband killed, and then the Lord kills the resulting baby.
David marries the woman with whom he committed adultery (Bathsheba), and they give birth to Solomon. One of David's sons, Amnon, rapes his half-sister, Tamar. Amnon refuses to marry Tamar, and David refuses to punish him. So Tamar's brother Absalom kills Amnon. Then Absalom attacks David and drives him out of Jerusalem, establishing himself in the throne by taking David's concubines. David finally sends some forces to get Absalom, but asks that Absalom's life be spared. It is not, Absalom is killed. David is sad, but forgives his soldiers and returns to Jerusalem. Everyone makes amends.
Ramblings: Good heavens, a lot happened in those 14 chapters. I've skimmed over tons of minor plot lines.
These were not chapters that paint David, or his sons, in any kind of a good light. As a modern woman, raised in modern times, raising two daughters, it is so, so hard to not get caught up in the abhorrent treatment of women in the Old Testament. Women are silenced. The story of Tamar's rape is awful. She pleads for herself, is cast off... and we never hear any more. She's done. The story goes on as her brother avenges her, and it kicks off (essentially) the whole chain of events leading to Absalom taking over the throne (and then being deposed and killed), and yet Tamar is largely forgotten.
I find my reading is tough going because I have so much trouble visualizing the stories. Unlike the novels I read, the characters aren't developed, and I hardly know enough about the period in history to have any idea what the events would "look" like. I can't really feel much one way or another about Amnon or Absalom or Uriah... heck, I can barely keep them straight (thank goodness for my Bible's extensive footnotes!!). The stories that get to me, the stories I can see in my head, are usually the ones that center on women... and those stories are usually pretty sad.
Recap: David brings the Ark of God to Jerusalem. The oracle, Nathan, tells David to build a "house of cedar" for the Lord to live in. There is a lot warring and attacking. David commits adultery, and has the husband killed, and then the Lord kills the resulting baby.
David marries the woman with whom he committed adultery (Bathsheba), and they give birth to Solomon. One of David's sons, Amnon, rapes his half-sister, Tamar. Amnon refuses to marry Tamar, and David refuses to punish him. So Tamar's brother Absalom kills Amnon. Then Absalom attacks David and drives him out of Jerusalem, establishing himself in the throne by taking David's concubines. David finally sends some forces to get Absalom, but asks that Absalom's life be spared. It is not, Absalom is killed. David is sad, but forgives his soldiers and returns to Jerusalem. Everyone makes amends.
Ramblings: Good heavens, a lot happened in those 14 chapters. I've skimmed over tons of minor plot lines.
These were not chapters that paint David, or his sons, in any kind of a good light. As a modern woman, raised in modern times, raising two daughters, it is so, so hard to not get caught up in the abhorrent treatment of women in the Old Testament. Women are silenced. The story of Tamar's rape is awful. She pleads for herself, is cast off... and we never hear any more. She's done. The story goes on as her brother avenges her, and it kicks off (essentially) the whole chain of events leading to Absalom taking over the throne (and then being deposed and killed), and yet Tamar is largely forgotten.
I find my reading is tough going because I have so much trouble visualizing the stories. Unlike the novels I read, the characters aren't developed, and I hardly know enough about the period in history to have any idea what the events would "look" like. I can't really feel much one way or another about Amnon or Absalom or Uriah... heck, I can barely keep them straight (thank goodness for my Bible's extensive footnotes!!). The stories that get to me, the stories I can see in my head, are usually the ones that center on women... and those stories are usually pretty sad.
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Prodigal Reader Returns
A funny thing happened when I took the pressure of this blog off of myself - my Bible reading gradually declined. The lack of any feeling that I ought to read something to be able to post that I read combined wickedly with my acquisition of a Kindle 2 (dude, those things are awesome) and the discovery of the sensationalist Victorian mysteries of Wilkie Collins. I found myself reaching more and more for the Kindle at night, and the engrossing mysteries loaded on to it, and less and less for my heavy and, well, somewhat dull Bible.
So like a good Catholic girl, I've been feeling very guilty, with my Bible staring glumly at me from my bedside table every night. So I'm forcing myself back into it, and back to musing to myself on this blog.
Ironically, I left off on the blog (and my reading) just when the Bible got pretty interesting. I've read about a lot of strong characters - Samson, and Naomi and Ruth, and Saul and Jonathan. I'm currently in the midst of Samuel 2, when David has just been crowned king of Israel.
When I first started on David's story, I of course read through the story of how he acquired his wife, Abigail. My first daughter is named Abigail. When I read her story, I turned to my husband and said "Hey, did you know that Abigail was one of King David's wives?"
He gave me that look that says "duh" while saying "Of course I did. You didn't?"
Man, if even my husband knew that - well, that is a sad commentary on how much I need to continue this project. Literary references routinely fly right past my husband (he is a self-professed non-reader), I'm supposed to be the one who knows these things! Yikes!
I forgot to even write down where I left off last night. I'm somewhere in the second book of Samuel, and bear with me as I try to get back into the swing of this!
So like a good Catholic girl, I've been feeling very guilty, with my Bible staring glumly at me from my bedside table every night. So I'm forcing myself back into it, and back to musing to myself on this blog.
Ironically, I left off on the blog (and my reading) just when the Bible got pretty interesting. I've read about a lot of strong characters - Samson, and Naomi and Ruth, and Saul and Jonathan. I'm currently in the midst of Samuel 2, when David has just been crowned king of Israel.
When I first started on David's story, I of course read through the story of how he acquired his wife, Abigail. My first daughter is named Abigail. When I read her story, I turned to my husband and said "Hey, did you know that Abigail was one of King David's wives?"
He gave me that look that says "duh" while saying "Of course I did. You didn't?"
Man, if even my husband knew that - well, that is a sad commentary on how much I need to continue this project. Literary references routinely fly right past my husband (he is a self-professed non-reader), I'm supposed to be the one who knows these things! Yikes!
I forgot to even write down where I left off last night. I'm somewhere in the second book of Samuel, and bear with me as I try to get back into the swing of this!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Joshua 22-24; Judges 1-2
I know: pathetic. I've been gone for days and have only 5 chapters read to show for it. And 5 unexciting ones at that. At the end of Joshua, he renews the covenant with the Lord and then dies. At the beginning of Judges, basically everything that Joshua worked to accomplish is undone. Because those dang Israelites just cannot help themselves from worshiping other gods. Really? Really, Israelites? Is it really so hard to remember such a basic commandment as "Thou shalt not worship other gods"? The intro to Judges tells me that it will follow the basic premise of: Israelites disobey God, He smites them a little, He sends a Judge to get them back in shape... and then as soon as he dies they disobey God again.
These Israelites are like my 3-year-old: absolutely, completely lacking in impulse control. I can set forth a basic command like "don't kick your sister." And I can sit there and watch as my 3-y.o. obeys for a while, but then... maybe I turn my back or something... I can see the toe twitch. And she thinks "I won't kick my sister... but maybe I'll just nudge her with my toe a little. Just one little toe. Okay, maybe all my toes. Okay, maybe..." And then I have to come lay it down "Stop kicking your sister!" and we start all over. So I understand why God seems a little edgy in these Old Testament stories.
As for the lack of reading on my part... Well. Far be it from me to question the Lord's human design, but I will just humbly suggest two things:
1. Teething seems like an unnecessarily painful process.
2. It would have been awfully nice if babies were designed to learn to sleep through the night by the time they were 10 months old... because, well, mommies get so tired!
These Israelites are like my 3-year-old: absolutely, completely lacking in impulse control. I can set forth a basic command like "don't kick your sister." And I can sit there and watch as my 3-y.o. obeys for a while, but then... maybe I turn my back or something... I can see the toe twitch. And she thinks "I won't kick my sister... but maybe I'll just nudge her with my toe a little. Just one little toe. Okay, maybe all my toes. Okay, maybe..." And then I have to come lay it down "Stop kicking your sister!" and we start all over. So I understand why God seems a little edgy in these Old Testament stories.
As for the lack of reading on my part... Well. Far be it from me to question the Lord's human design, but I will just humbly suggest two things:
1. Teething seems like an unnecessarily painful process.
2. It would have been awfully nice if babies were designed to learn to sleep through the night by the time they were 10 months old... because, well, mommies get so tired!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Joshua 1-21
I flew through a huge chunk of Joshua last night! Had I not been so tired, I think I could have finished the whole book in one go. The Israelites went to battle and got their promised land, so it was more exciting reading than I've been doing lately. There was a lot of a lot of "this king was killed and that king was killed", a lot of boundaries, a lot of battles.
The story that stuck out the most was right at the beginning: Rahab the Harlot. She shelters two Israelite spies when they enter Jericho and earns protection for her and her family. Not only were the Israelites commanded to kill everyone, but she was also a prostitute... and yet she is painted as a heroine and a woman of faith. A quick Google search of "Rahab the Harlot" will yield many, many sites that try to explain the seeming incongruity of the harlot as heroine. I mused about this story as I was driving around today. Rahab was, apparently, living on her own, able to support herself. I am very much anti-prostitution.... but then again, in Canaan, what other choice would a woman have that would allow her some degree of independence? She was not under the thumb of her father or her husband. She (apparently) kept her own house, made her own income... I mean, you can see it, in some ways, why a woman in that time would turn to prostitution. And look what she was able to do - save her family from certain slaughter. There's something noble and admirable in that.
But I'm uncomfortable with that - with admiring someone who lives a life that I am so vehemently against. I know she (presumably) accepts the Lord as her Lord and falls into line and (presumably) lives an acceptable life afterwards (I say presumably because, for all I know, I'll read another book later in the Bible that will tell me she went on to burn puppies or something). For now, I guess she's just a character about whom I cannot quite make up my mind. And judging by the number of Google hits about her, I'm not the only one.
The story that stuck out the most was right at the beginning: Rahab the Harlot. She shelters two Israelite spies when they enter Jericho and earns protection for her and her family. Not only were the Israelites commanded to kill everyone, but she was also a prostitute... and yet she is painted as a heroine and a woman of faith. A quick Google search of "Rahab the Harlot" will yield many, many sites that try to explain the seeming incongruity of the harlot as heroine. I mused about this story as I was driving around today. Rahab was, apparently, living on her own, able to support herself. I am very much anti-prostitution.... but then again, in Canaan, what other choice would a woman have that would allow her some degree of independence? She was not under the thumb of her father or her husband. She (apparently) kept her own house, made her own income... I mean, you can see it, in some ways, why a woman in that time would turn to prostitution. And look what she was able to do - save her family from certain slaughter. There's something noble and admirable in that.
But I'm uncomfortable with that - with admiring someone who lives a life that I am so vehemently against. I know she (presumably) accepts the Lord as her Lord and falls into line and (presumably) lives an acceptable life afterwards (I say presumably because, for all I know, I'll read another book later in the Bible that will tell me she went on to burn puppies or something). For now, I guess she's just a character about whom I cannot quite make up my mind. And judging by the number of Google hits about her, I'm not the only one.
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