The Year of Living Biblically

Natalie's blog about The Year of Living Biblically was very interesting. I too would love to read this book. I can only imagine how entertaining and funny the book will actually be. She does a great job letting the book describe itself. I also found it very interesting to find out that there are 3,000 different versions of the bible in English alone. No wonder there is so much controversy over what we think is correct. By reading this blog it has made me want to go out and get the book immediately. It sounds so interesting and entertaining. 

Exodus

In Exodus God almost seems like Lord Vuldimort in Harry Potter. He cannot go up to Pharaoh and take him out like you would think the Almighty can do. instead, He has to get a human being to translate twaht he is saying. Lord Vuldimort is the same. He doesn't have power to coquer Hary Potter on his own. He needs to do his dirty work through someone else's body. I also have a question about the good Lord. Why is He only a god to the Israelites? I thought He is supposed to be The God, the only God. I guess in this story He is only got to His chosen people. 

I also think Pharaoh is really stupid. If I saw a man turn all the water into blood, I would like to think I would listen to what he is saying. Pharaoh isn't bothered by this at all. The only thing that really upsets him so far are frogs. Then Pharaoh lies and says he will give them what they want if they take back the frogs. Pharaoh is more scared of frogs than he is of all the water turning into blood. He is crazy. Then God kills the frogs! Why wouldn't He send them back tot eh Nile where they came from. Does He really have to kill them? God continues to "harden his heart" for several more cruel attempts to free his people. I don't really understand why God would harden his heart. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of trying if God says no?

Susanna

The first time I read "Peter Quince at the Clavier" I was very confused and had no idea what it was about. Then I read the book of Susanna. The book of Susanna was about a young woman bathing in her garden when two elders were filled with desire. They blackmailed her into lying with them, but she refused. The elders lied and said they caught her with another man. She was put on trial and convicted. But a young man named Daniel saved her by taking the elders into different rooms and questioning them both. Neither of their stories were exactly the same. In the end the elders were killed and Susanna live happily ever after. The end. 

"Peter Quince at the Clavier" was very similar to the story I had just read. While reading the poem I felt as if there was music playing while reading the story all over again. I could see how this scene could be in a movie and the "poem" would be playing in the background. 

God's Backside

Moses sees God's backside in Exodus 33:20. It doesn't actually say his backside though. It just says back. God covered Moses with His hand until he had passed by. When God removed His hand, Moses could see God's back. 

Yesterday in church our pastor talked about divorce in the book of Mark. It says that if a man gets divorced and remarries, he is committing adultery and vice versa. This upset many people in the congregation. He proceeded to tell the people that the bible was written in a different culture in a different time. He also told people to start picking up their bibles and reading them. He said not to be afraid but excited and that it is okay to question God. A lot of people came up to me afterwards and asked me what I thought about reading the bible thus far. I wanted to give them a good answer, but I couldn’t. The truth is the sermon upset me. I don’t like the fact that the bible says divorce is a bad thing. I have seen so many couple abuse each other and are upset all the time, and then they get remarried and everything is better. The kids are happier and are living in a safer place. Now the bible is telling me that it is wrong to have a happier life? I just told them that reading the bible has opened my eyes a little wider. Ever since I started reading the bible I have been questioning God. There are parts I love about it and parts that really disturb me. I am not really a fan of all the “rules” there are to being a follower. I am also not a fan of killing and torturing people. I was just like those people in church who haven’t actually picked the book up and read. This class has made me get over my fear and start questioning God.