The only theological significance I have been able to pull from the endless genealogies in the Bible are that the Hebrews had a more historical and communitarian sense of selfhood than we do. I do not end when I die, but live on through my children and grandchildren. They are who I am. That is significant. But that is it. Besides that one lesson, it all seems so completely useless to me. It makes reading the Bible more difficult and it annoys me. I usually skip over the genealogies. Don't you?
So completely was the tribal status of the Levites removed that they are not included on the census roles in Numbers. The Levites became a class within Israel, they were not a tribe after they were removed from that place and given priestly duties.
There are classes of priests in the Bible we know little about. Levites and Aaronic priests were not the only ones. Nazirites had a special role, and the establishment of Nazirites in the Bible is interesting. We know little about them except they were set apart by special duties and restrictions. Samson was a Nazirite, and he broke all of his vows except cutting his hair (Nazirites could not cut their hair). Once that vow was broken as well, he lost his great strength. I have often wondered if there is some connection between Jesus being born in Nazareth and the Nazirites. Other priestly groups included the Maccabees (Hasmoneans), and the Rechabites.
Kings and princes had a priestly role as well. The full extent of this role, we know little about.
People demanded Jesus bring them manna. Ironically, the people complained about the manna in the Old Testament. It wasn't enough, they wanted more than mere sustenance. They wanted variety. The manna came to be seen as something of a burden. We always go before God and want more, more, more.
Moses spread his authority around to seventy other people. Power is given by God to be shared with others. We are to be conduits of the Spirit, not it's containers. When the Spirit is visited upon people Moses didn't specifically lay hands on, he doesn't stop them but encourages them. Jesus has a similar episode with the disciples. How then can some churches insist upon the doctrine of apostolic succession? Isn't this a clear refutation of it?
Aaron and Miriam got jealous of Moses' authority and success. It is understandable, he was their little brother and wasn't even raised in their household. We must not be jealous of those God touches with more power. We must pray humbly and do whatever tasks God assigns to us in that moment, that day. We each have our role to play.
In Numbers 13 we are told that some of the Canaanites were descendants of the Nephilim. But shouldn't they have been wiped out with the flood. Crazy to think about people who are part angel running around the earth. I'm not a plenary inerrantists so it is easy for me to attribute this to error. But still interesting to think about.
Joshua doesn't fear the Canaanites. Nor does Caleb, in Numbers. They believe that God plus one is a majority.
Moses had to deal with many revolts within the Israelites in the desert. And God had to punish them over, and over again. It is a pattern that will persist for a long time, until about 500 BC.
The punishment Moses faced for the water at the rock at Kadesh bothers me. He seems to have done worse things with less consequence. The whole thing is weird.
Speaking of weird, the setting up of the Bronze Serpent to cure snake bites is very strange indeed. It seems like magic or idolatry. Later on that serpent was worshipped and had to be destroyed. So strange.
The story of "Balaam and His Donkey" is one of my favorite in all of scripture. The humor should be apparent. Balaam doesn't even think it strange that his donkey starts talking. The angel tells Balaam that he would've killed him and spared his Donkey, but the animal saved it's master's life. There are funny lessons about animal rights, and about God's sense of humor. It is just great.
Baalism was the biggest challenge to worship of Yahweh. It was a fertility religion popular with Canaanites. Much of the Bible is Baal vs Yahweh. Apparently this religious conflict started early on.
The conflict between Israelites and Midianites is very strange, given Jethro's place as Moses' father-in-law and confidant. Some historians think that Moses learned the name Yahweh when living with the Midianites. The later conflict between the two groups has always bothered me.
The stories of sex slavery and rape in the Bible disgust me. They reconfirm my rejection of plenary inerrancy every time I read them. No God deserving of the name could counsel or condone this.
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