Author: Stephen Craven

The Bible in a Year – 21 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

21 February. Numbers chapters 23-25

These chapters cover two stories which show a marked contrast in attitudes to people of other faiths or nationalities.  Let’s take the second one first.

 

The people of God – the Israelites – have throughout their wanderings been promised the land of Canaan (which they have not yet reached, but getting near). On the way they have been opposed by several other tribes, so especially the Moabites, so it is understandable that they don’t exactly get on well with them.  Except that (as is the way of the world) some Israelite men find that the attraction of individual Moabite women is more pressing than their leaders’ condemnation of the whole Moabite tribe.  This is a tension found in every age and society – as a whole one tribal or national or religious group finds another unacceptable, but when it comes to friendship and especially sexual attraction, individual ‘others’ are found to be more than acceptable.   Add to that the concerns about women attracting men to their own faith (it is true that women tend to be more devout in their religion than men, and more easily share their faith with others) and the result is that Moses issues what we might call a ‘fatwa’ against such mixed marriages (just substitute ‘Muslim’ for ‘Israelite’ and ‘Christian’ for ‘Moabite’ to get the idea).  One of the priests is praised for his zeal in carrying out the fatwa by murdering both partners in such a mixed liaison.

 

Now to the first of the two stories.  Here it is Israel presented as the ‘other’ in the eyes of Balak the Moabite king – for once in the Bible we see God’s people in the view of their enemies. He has summoned Balaam (him of the talking donkey) to curse Israel as if he can just decide that is a good thing to do.  But Balaam is a true prophet, and with spiritual insight recognises Israel as the chosen people of the true God.  Balak, obviously, is furious – words of blessing (or curse) would have been taken to represent reality and a prediction of the outcome of any impending battle. His judgmentalism, racism even, is being challenged. Sadly the impulse to curse someone on the basis of their religion has not gone away – read one of today’s news headlines about a British Muslim.

 

It is obvious which of these people, as Jesus put it, loved his neighbour as himself.  But the question I am pondering is, would Moses have been so judgmental against the Moabites if he had known that their king was at the same time being given a prophecy that blessed the Israelites?  If we really knew how “others” saw “us” at our best, we might be pleasantly surprised.

The Bible in a Year – 20 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

20 February, Numbers 21-22

There are two miracles presented here, one in each of these chapters.  In the first, people who were bitten by venomous snakes could be healed by looking at a bronze serpent on a pole.  Apparently this imagery was known throughout the ancient near east, and the Canaanites had serpent idols of similar form.  So why does God invite Moses to make what could so easily be taken as an idol, in order to bring genuine healing?  Jesus famously made a comparison between “the serpent lifted up in the wilderness” and his own crucifixion, by which he became the saviour of the world.  Perhaps the point is that the healing miracle would be dependent on the sufferer’s faith in God, rather than in the image itself, just as salvation through Jesus is always to be through faith and not “magic”.

 

The other miracle is Balaam’s ass (donkey), which sees the angel that was invisible to its rider, and turned aside three times, being beaten for what Balaam presumed was stubbornness. The donkey then speaks to its rider who does not seem at all astonished by this, and the angel (who had come to warn Balaam not to curse God’s chosen people) is then revealed.  What are we to make of all this?  It is true that some animals can detect things that humans cannot – there are many stories of dogs or cats apparently seeing ghosts, for example. Some Christians would add that animals can actually have faith in God – after all, Jesus did speak of the “birds of the air” who do not worry because they know that God will feed them. But a talking donkey?  That really is a miracle!

 

 

The Bible in a Year – 19 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

19 February. Numbers chapters 18-20

The implications of the attempted rebellion against God and his appointed leaders in yesterday’s reading went further than the immediate death of many of the people.  “From now on the Israelites shall no longer approach the tent of meeting, or else they will incur guilt and die” (18:22) represents a permanent exclusion of the ordinary people from the very place – the tent of meeting – in which they were supposed to meet with God.  From now on only the priests and Levites could enter it.  In the later days of the stone Temple this was replicated as a series of courtyards for gentiles, women, lay men and priests before getting to the most holy place that only the high priest could enter.

 

What a change is represented by Christian worship: although the layout of large churches and cathedrals still bears echoes of this (narthex, nave, chancel and sanctuary) nowhere is actually “out of bounds” to ordinary people, and all are welcome to enter and seek God.  That is why the charging of fixed admission fees by some of the more popular cathedrals is controversial: many people think they should only request donations and not charge for what should be an opportunity to encounter holiness.

 

Chapter 19 includes a further purification ceremony:the sacrifice of a red heifer whose ashes when mixed with water would be used to purify people from ritual uncleanness. The nearest we see to that is Christian practice is probably the Ash Wednesday ritual when palm crosses from Holy Week the previous year are burned and their ashes mixed with oil and used to make a mark on the foreheads of those who come to make their Lenten confession.

 

In chapter 20 another miracle occurs when God provides water from the rock in a dry place.  Moses and Aaron make the mistake of failing to credit God for the miracle, so that it looks as if they themselves can make magic. As a result they are condemned to die before reaching the promised land.  It is always important to distinguish between natural talent and God-given gifts, though not always easy to do so.

The Bible in a Year – 18 February

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18 February. Numbers 16-17

The “Korah rebellion” is one of those shocking tales found in the Old Testament when God, despite the pleadings of a holy man (Moses in this instance) kills large numbers of people – just as most of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were killed despite Abraham’s bargaining with God.  The rebel leaders, along with their wives and children who presumably were innocent in the matter, are swallowed up by the earth, and 14,700 people are then killed by an unidentified plague before Aaron’s prayers stopped it spreading (for comparison, about 11,000 innocent Africans died in the 2015 Ebola plague).

 

But what was their sin? At one level it was an attempted political coup – Moses’ argument “is it not enough that you have been selected” (as servants in the tabernacle) was met with the ironic reply “is it not enough that you have brought us out into the desert and failed to bring us to the promised land?” (paraphrased).  And political coups either succeed, or if they fail then inevitably the leaders of the uprising are killed.

 

But this being the Bible, there is also a theological point.  God had appointed the descendants of Aaron to be priests – the highest calling – and the tribe of Levi to serve in the tabernacle. But a Levite and three members of a separate tribe (Reuben) headed this rebellion, which Moses interpreted as their desire to be counted as equal to the priests.  The severe punishments which followed were supposed to be appropriate to this sin. The miraculous budding of Aaron’s staff in the following chapter is then seen as confirmation that his descendants alone counted as true priests.

 

Nowadays we have other ways of selecting church leaders than tribal allegiance, and of course different Christian groups will have their different ways of doing this.  But the mainstream denominations (Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican) retain the concept of the ‘orders’ of Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and licensed lay workers, each of whom are allowed to perform certain functions which lower orders may not, and for a lay person to perform the sacraments as if they were a priest is still considered a breach of church discipline.  If for example I were to baptise a child, or perform a marriage service, or hear confession using  the words of a priest, I would be answerable to the Bishop.  But I do hope the ground would not swallow me up!

 

 

The Bible in a Year – 17 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

17 February. Numbers chapter 15.

Among the repeated detailed arrangements for sacrifices and offerings, two principles stand out. One is that an offering may be made for forgiveness for an unintentional sin, but deliberate sin is a different matter. Acting  ‘high handedly’ (NRSV) / ‘presumptuously’ (KJV) / ‘defiantly’ (NIV) in violation of a known command cannot be forgiven.  At best such a sinner was to be ‘cut off’ (shunned by society) or at worst, stoned to death. The distinction still matters: Jesus said that all sins can be forgiven (by his death, rather than animal sacrifices) except ‘the sin against the Holy Spirit’, which is usually taken to mean this sort of deliberate and defiant turning against God. Even in personal relationships we find that it is far harder to forgive someone who deliberately sets out to defy us or make life difficult for us, than someone who has accidentally caused us harm.

 

 

The other point is that the offerings for atonement were available not only to the tribes of Israel but to foreigners (servants, presumably) living among them. Even at this early stage of the religion there was no sense that God’s laws, or his mercy, are restricted to one group. Israel was favoured by having these things revealed to them, but not for their exclusive benefit.

The Bible in a Year – 16 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

16 February. Numbers chapters 11-14.

If these stories are taken to be in chronological order, then according to chapter 11, almost as soon as the tribes of Israel had started their march, some of them started complaining about a lack of decent food.  God provided quails to provide meat for them (though that does make me ask, what about the meat of all the bulls and sheep and birds that they were sacrificing on the altar?). The story has many elements in common with that in Exodus 16 so it may be a re-telling with embellishments, but of course God may just have worked the same miracle twice.  Either way though, what is interesting in this version, is that in between God’s promise of miraculous provision and its delivery is the coming of what later writers would call the Holy Spirit on the seventy elders who were to assist Moses, and they prophesied.  This looks like a foretaste of the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit came on thousands of people after Jesus’ ascension.  The lesson here appears that people have to be open to God working in their own lives, before he can make provision for others through them.

 

In chapter 13 the twelve “spies” were sent out.  Forget James Bond, these men would be better termed “scouts”. Two of them – Caleb and Joshua – were destined for greatness, and Caleb was confident after their scouting mission that with God’s help the Canaanites, big men though they were, could be defeated and the bountiful country settled. But the other scouts did not share his courage and persuaded the majority of the people that it was better to continue living in the desert alone than risk being subjugated by other nations.  Such decisions on the future of a people are never easy, and I imagine Moses must have felt much as Teresa May did after she took office as Prime Minister last year – disheartened that the majority of people had listened to misleading reports and voted against what she herself thought the better way.  But both leaders realised that it would not be in their interests to force the people down a route they did not wish to go.  I’m not going to push the comparison too far – the EU is not the Promised Land, Britain is no desert, and I’m not aware that God has cursed every Brexit voter to die before his plan can be accomplished.  The point is just that sometimes leaders have to accept that Plan B is the only realistic option.

 

The Bible in a Year – 14-15 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

14-15 February. Numbers chapters 7-10.

These chapters complete the instructions for the furnishings of the tabernacle and for the ministry of the Levite tribe. One little point of interest is that they were to commence their service from the age of 25 and retire from active ministry at 50 (8:23-25).  The prime of their lives was to be given to God, but not their youth or old age (50 being old then in a way that it is not now!).  Too many people leave the church in their teens or early adulthood because of other interests or family commitments, and only return after the age of 40 or 50, meaning that we end up with congregations consisting of mainly elderly people and a few young families.  How can we encourage people in that elusive 25-50 age bracket to come back and give of the best years of their lives to God?

 

Shortly after celebrating the Passover on the second anniversary of the Exodus, the tribes break camp and begin the first of many stages of wandering that would last a generation (38 more years, if the ’40 years in the wilderness’ is taken as accurate rather than indicative). All seemed well, but…

 

 

The Bible in a Year – 13 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

13 February. Numbers chapters 5-6

These two chapters are quite contrasting.  The first – the test of whether a woman has been unfaithful by seeing whether a drink of water with floor sweepings causes her to become infertile – sounds like the sort of barbaric “heads I win, tails you lose” procedures used by witch-hunters in medieval England.  This kind of divination is little better than witchcraft itself.  It is hard to see how even those who profess to take the Bible literally as a guide to modern living could apply this, when we have DNA testing if needed for such situations.

 

The second is more positive, and concerns the Nazirites – men who set themselves apart for God, either for a set period or for life, like Christian monks.  Their vows included avoiding not only alcohol but grapes in any form, and not shaving.  Samson was the most famous Nazirite, but John the Baptist may also have followed this tradition.  There is much to be admired in those who deny worldly pleasures and try to live a ‘holy life’ whether singly or in community, as long as the self-denial does not become an end in itself, or a way to salvation. But living either as a hermit or in a religious community is not easy. Let us pray for those who have made the commitment to do so, that they may live up to their promises and find a closer relationship with God.

 

 

The Bible in a Year – 12 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

12 February. Numbers chapters 3-4

These chapters concern the Levitical tribe that was responsible for the tabernacle – the place of worship.  What I find interesting is that the tribe is divided into three: the Merarites with responsibility for the “frames, bars, pillars and bases” – the structure of the tabernacle; the Gershonites responsible for the fabric, hangings and screens of the tent; and the Kohathites to look after the ark, lampstand, altar, tables and vessels – its liturgical furniture.

 

Echoes of this can be seen today in the legal duties of Churchwardens in the Church of England to take care of the building, its fixtures, fittings and the equipment used for worship. If there are two wardens (as is usually the case), often one will be responsible for the building maintenance, and the other for arrangements for worship.

 

The reason for this is that church buildings are neither irrelevant (despite what members of house-churches might say) nor the most important matter for the congregations.  We need places to meet, and it is right that they should be kept in good condition.  But of all the activities that take place in the church, alongside meetings, entertainment, foodbank collections, or whatever, it is worship that is most important. It is what sets us apart from any other community centre.  Some churches have lots of liturgical furniture and fittings, candles and incense burners; others are much plainer. Modern buildings may have audio-visual installations and sound systems instead of an organ and hymnbooks.  But virtually all will have at least a communion table, a font and musical instruments of some sort.

 

Tomorrow I will be part of a panel (including our priest and churchwarden) interviewing four architects to take forwards our plans for repairing and reordering our church building for the 21st century (at present part of it dates from the 19th century although it was partly rebuilt around 1970).  We will be looking for someone who can take good care of the building, but also has a vision for how it can be re-equipped to help us sing God’s praise and tell his story to the next generation.  Someone who is both of the clan of Merari, and the clan of Kohath.  A tall order.  May God guide us.

 

 

The Bible in a Year – 11 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

11 February. Numbers 1-2

The book of Numbers may be so called because it starts with the taking of a census, and at many other points also includes recitations of tribes and their smaller constituent groups. Whereas during the initial Exodus from Egypt what mattered was getting the whole people across the reed sea in time, in family units, now the larger tribal affiliation matters more.    But the tribal camps are equally arranged around the central ‘tent of meeting’ with no priority, to emphasise that there is no place for rivalry between them on this journey.

 

The census is that of men fit for military service, and the references to camps, standards (flags) and marching is all very militaristic.  Although God had promised Canaan to Abraham’s descendants, and kept renewing that promise, they were going to have to get fighting fit in order to claim it.  While the church is not called to fight physical battles, if we are serious about God’s mission we do have to be well organised and have a plan, as well as trusting in God’s leading.  Also, it is good to have a sense of belonging and commitment to our ‘tribe’ (whether local congregation or wider denomination) but not to the point of seeing other Christians as rivals or enemies. In the language of motivators, “we are all in this together”.