With mothers’ day coming up it seems a good time to reissue an old post, with a new format and somewhat cleaned up audio. I briefly remind you of some of the passages that picture God as a midwife. The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) regularly pictures Yahweh as intimately associated with forming in the womb and with birthing. In view of “his” role as midwife “he” can hardly have been thought of as a male god.

Remembering this stuff and celebrating motherly God (who is no god) is particularly appropriate as we approach mother’s day! Better for us than extra chocolate too And it’s not un-topical here in NZ where the TV is showing a drama about Midwives just now, either.

Attentive audience by San Jose Library

I’ve been marking student assignments for a course on Genesis. The more I mark the more I become aware of the issue of the intended (expected/implied) audience. In this podcast I’ll suggest that the answer is not as simple as it sounds and draw a conclusion about our practices of reading Scripture…

Photo by Kai Laborenz

Like all good stories, and the Bible is before and after everything else a story, Scripture begins at the beginning. The beginning of everything, and a garden planted by God. Everything falls apart, for humans fall apart, and many of the stories in Scripture are horrible, grotesque or inspiring, for such a mixture describes the world we inhabit.

In the middle of the Bible story, at the start of the second part of the library of Scripture, we hear the story of Jesus and his teaching, his death and resurrection. This is prolonged into the beginning of the story of the new humanity and illustrated by various letters before the big story ends in terror and destruction leading to a new heaven and earth.

Contents list from a typical Bible, showing "Books" with their abbreviations and page numbers.

The Christian Bible is a big sprawling collection of documents from widely different time periods (roughly the end of the Bronze Age to the Roman empire) in many different genres (as different as history and love poems, or proverbs and lengthy letters) composed in three languages and two different writing systems.

To make matters worse most Bibles do not “work” the same as other books. Page numbers do not help in identifying sections because they differ in most of the myriad different translations and editions.

So, how does one find one’s way around and use such a weird book? This podcast explains “chapters” and “verses”, how to find “books”, and gives the chief key to making some sort of sense of the widely and wildly different contents of The Holy Bible.

Future podcasts in this Bible in 5 minutes series will include (I may well add others to this list, so please suggest any you think could be useful :

• The Bible in 5 minutes: Where do I begin?
• The Bible in 5 minutes: The Story

Two Narrators by absentmindedprof

Since I am teaching Genesis again I am filling out the gaps in my podcasts on this book. I think it is important to notice that Genesis is told to us by (at least) two narrators. The story comes to us as an edited text, that is it already in its telling belongs, not to one person, not even a great hero like Moses, but to a community. For it is a book that tells of the origins not only of “everything” but of the people of God…

In this podcast I’ll focus on chapters 1-5 where it is easiest to spot the different narrators, then (all being well) I’ll talk about the rest of the book soon.

Here is the audio: Genesis as an edited text: pt.1 Genesis 1-5.

Andean Bear with her cubs an mage of YHWH (Photo by Smithsonian's National Zoo)

In this podcast I’ll again argue that Robert Carroll gets it wrong. Despite his own fierce black humour he fails to acknowledge its presence or at least its prevalence in the prophets. He writes about humour in Hosea in:

Carroll, Robert P. ‘Is Humour among the Prophets’. On humour and the comic in the Hebrew Bible. Edited by Yehuda T. Radday and Athalya Brenner. Continuum International Publishing Group, 1990, 179-180.

Bob was a fine friend, and a great scholar, I wish he was still around to argue against me! Since he isn’t perhaps you will do him the honour of looking for the gaps or weaknesses in what I say and pointing them out in the comments (he’d appreciate it

Here’s the audio: Humour in the Bible: book 28: Hosea

The first chapter of Genesis (in the Israel Museum) photo adapted from Wikimedia

My class on Genesis starts soon, and I’ve been working on a Bible Dictionary article on “Genesis” , so it seemed like a good time to fill in a gap in my Genesis page. I am a bit “bunged up” today, so forgive the nasal quality to the voice please.

I’ve tried both to introduce very briefly some of the scholarly issues as well as the theological importance of this magnificent book, let me know where you think I suceed or fail! Your criticisms could be really helpful

Here is the audio: Introducing Genesis

Torah scroll by Lawrie Cate

One of the things I have not yet done as well as I’d like is to package these podcasts into convenient forms to give quick simple  introductions for students in classes I teach, so I’ve been collecting the posts on Genesis with that in mind.

I’ll gradually be adding podcasts to fill some of the gaps. Here’s one to introduce the section of the Bible that contains Genesis, the Torah or Pentateuch. I’ll try briefly (5 minute Bible) to explain what the Torah is and what it does. To do this we’ll also look briefly at what it contains, and hint at the role of the Pentateuch as Christian Scripture.

Here is the audio: Introducing the Torah or Pentateuch

Like Esther, Daniel is set in a foreign court and telling to the trials and triumphs of exiled Judeans and is packed with humour at the expense of the imperial overlords.

In this podcast I’m following an article by Hector Avalos from CBQ and focusing on the repeated lists of Dan 3. For his comparison text Avalos went to the early English Piers Ploughman but I’ll refer to “How the Whale got his throat” from the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling (for obvious reasons

Audio file: Humour in the Bible: book 27: Daniel the humour of lists

Life on the rubbish dumb in Mae Sot is "Better than Burma" Amos spoke about justice (photo by Jacob Baynham)

In Understanding the prophets: Part one I spoke about the “Three Cons” as a key to reading the prophetic books of the Old Testament with understanding and in ways which are faithful to their original intention. In this second part we’ll look at an example from Amos 5:18ff. and apply this approach. The result will be an uncomfortable word from God for us today.

Here are the slides from that talk: Understanding the Prophets: Part Two: Amos 5:18ff. There are some podcasts that deal with the book of Amos here and there is a detailed free online commentary with a wealth of background information and pictures here.

Cow Dung Patties (photo by mary jane watson)

If podcasts can have dedications, then this one is dedicated to Robert Carroll. The podcast is full or irony, first that of an introvert who spoke before thinking and who failed to read or digest a fine work by an admired teacher and friend, and then that of a frequently (and often mordantly) humorous Irishman who denies title humour to black humour so like his own. And then in the end, in Ezekiel 4:9ff. I’ll suggest there is both irony and (black) humour in the account of the Lord GOD conceding a customary prohibition to his staunch, righteous and rigorous prophet, while demanding that nevertheless he break the clear commandment of Scripture.

Here’s the audio: Humour in the Bible: book 26: Ezekiel

In this podcast I refer to:
Chotzner, Joseph. “Humour of the Bible.” In Hebrew humour and other essays, 1-12. Luzac & co., 1905. (The quotation is from page 12.)

and especially to:

Carroll, Robert P. “Is humour also among the prophets?” In On humour and the comic in the Hebrew Bible, edited by Yehuda T. Radday and Athalya Brenner. 169-189. Continuum International Publishing Group, 1990.

When I searched for "my beloved among young men" (Song 2:3) this photo by Steve Punter turned up.

Gender is not (only) a Feminist issue!

I ended my double post Proverbs as a gendered text and Proverbs as a gendered text: Proverbs 31:10ff. with the question of where reading such (strongly) male texts left women readers. Sadly it has had little response, (though thank you Judy

So I’ll end this podcast with a reverse of the question with which I ended the one on Pr 31, and suggest there are parts of the Bible that heterosexual men can only read with the help of a little creative gender bending.

Let’s see what you make of my (literal) reading of Song 2:1ff.?!

More on gendered texts: Turning the tables

Massebah at Gezer (Photo by Tim Bulkeley)

Back to the longer series, just in case you thought I’d forgotten. Jeremiah has a harsh and cutting humour on almost every page. In this post we’ll look at Jer 2:26-28. And just so you don’t think I am inventing the humour I find there I’ll cite some proper scholarship.¹

Here’s the audio: Humour in the Bible: Book 24: Jeremiah

1. William R. Domeris, “When metaphor becomes myth: A socio-linguistic reading.” In Troubling Jeremiah, edited by A. R. Diamond and Society of Biblical Literature. Composition of the Book of Jeremiah Group. Continuum, 1999, 257.

Proverbs 31-19 Weaving "She handles the distaff, and her hands support the spindle" (Proverbs 31-19) Work by Dvorit Ben-Shaul - Photo by zeevveez

The poem in Prov 31:10ff. has been read in various ways, by men and by women, as an oppressive and as a liberating text. I will suggest two clues to making sense of the poem. The first is to read it in the context of the book of Proverbs (and not as an isolated poem), and the second is to read it precisely as a gendered text.

This podcast was provoked by reading a short piece on this text by Ann Wansborough produced back in 1992 for the Uniting Church in Australia’s “Commission on Women and Men”. (Thank you Judy

BTW since Proverbs is a gendered text, and since I read it as a male, I offer an invitation to my women listeners to do a short (ideally 4-6 minute) female reflection on this text from a woman’s perspective to set alongside mine… Where/How do you find the Strong Woman?

Here’s the audio: Proverbs as a gendered text: Proverbs 31:10ff..

Old Babylonian Queen of the Night (Ishtar?) Photo by seriykotik1970

While it is quite clear that Proverbs is a gendered text, the way it speaks of women is interesting. For a text coming from an ancient patriarchal society human women who serve as aspirational models are a surprise.

No doubt any real Feminist would instantly switch into “pedestal” mode, but I think it’s worth pausing and noticing what’s going on, and maybe as I’ll suggest in a follow-up podcast finding inspiration for contemporary spiritualities…

Here is the audio: Proverbs as a gendered text

How Raffael imagined Ezekiel's vision, but what was the point? (Raffaello Sanzio, Wikimedia Commons)

I am doing a three part series at South City Baptist Church on Sunday afternoons on Understanding the prophets. This week thinking, about what a prophet was and how they spoke, I used the title: “What does a prophet? What does it profit?” these are the slides from the talk.

A key idea in this talk was the ideas in my Prophets: three principles to unlock the code another podcast that uses the same idea (but to address a New Testament prophet) is: The teachings of Jesus the prophet. There are many more of these 5 minute audio teaching about the Hebrew prophets and about particular prophetic texts. Just use the menu above > OT > and choose a prophetic book.

Another good place to explore the nature and contents of biblical prophecy is the book of Amos. My commentary with also a huge amount of Bible Dictionary type material is here Amos: Postmodern Bible.

Hut in a field on the Thai-Burma border (photo by Tim Bulkeley)

At last, I’m on the home straight, the first of the prophets The prophetic books are packed with humour. But right at the start we’ll need to get one thing clear. Humour is not just the comic, entertainment that promotes a giggle or a smile. There is humour also in tragedy, at times when “you either have to laugh or cry” and those when the sharp scalpel of cutting wit is needed to cut through defenses.

I’ll try to explain this idea of tragic (as well as comic) humour in exploring Isaiah 1, and will also argue that in this passage (at least in Isaiah 1:8ff) all but two of the “signs of humour” we have been working with are present. One that isn’t is “lighthearted mood” but you’d hardly expect that if there is such a thing as “tragic humour”, as I am claiming.

So, listen to the podcast and tell me if YOU think that tragic humour exists, and if I’ve rightly named it!

Humour in the Bible: book 23: Isaiah: tragic humour

A literalist reads the Song of Songs (from Dean & Laura of Acts 17-11)

If you ever want to provoke laughter in church in the 21st century, just read a chunk of the Song of Songs, of course it works better if you get a couple to read to each other! The imagery is just so strange to our culture that almost any passage will achieve laughter in moments. But this does not mean that the book is intended to be funny.

So my difficult problem in this podcast is to try to convince you that there is humour, as well as poetry and sex, in this very best Song.

It won’t be easy or quick, indeed this is the longest ever “5 minutes” at way over 6 minutes on the other hand, I’m convinced that looking seriously at the topic of humour in the Song is a great way to get closer to its heart…

Here is the audio: Humour in the Bible: 22: Song of Songs

Photo (again) by Abode of Chaos

Never one reluctant to ask for more, David Ker has rightly pointed out that I did not explain how/why Ecclesiastes 10:5-15 is (and was meant to be) funny. So here goes…¹

Oh, don’t worry, this won’t be a dull dissection or a boring breakdown, I’ll just show you how several of the signs of humour are present, and in doing so hopefully reveal (without analysing to death) the humour in this passage!

So, here’s the audio: Humour in the Bible: 21B: Ecclesiastes (again)

1. If I had the hubris I’d title this podcast: “An artist’s reply to just criticism”, but that would be most unfair to poor David

Avatar de Abode of Chaos "Vanité des vanités, dit l'Ecclésiaste" (Photo by Abode of Chaos)

This series is just getting more and more interesting For Ecclesiastes I came across:

Ouch! (Photo by By Paul Garland)

There certainly should certainly be humour in Proverbs, after all the books says:

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. (Proverbs 17:22)

And sure enough when I went humour-hunting Google quickly fitted me up with Hershey H. Friedman, he used to be Bernard H. Stern Professor of Humor so you know he’s a serious humour scholar, and he wrote on “Humor in the Bible” with lots of examples from Proverbs. The article is in the journal Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, (Vol. 13:3, Sept. 2000, 258-285) so again we know this is pukka academic stuff.

The trouble is what Hershey found funny, often left me un-moved, and worse he seemed to have an affinity for nagging wife jokes, and Barbara is no nag! But he did prompt me to look at Proverbs 26 (lots of his examples came from there) and boy is that right, as you’ll see nearly every line is funny. I only get up to verse 10.

Though the humour does sometimes raise questions, like those Randal raised about ethnic sterotyping in Paul’s comments about Cretans.

Here’s the audio: Humour in the Bible: book 20 Proverbs

In the Thai border town of Mae Aw, people from the nearby Burmese Shan province drop by to shop. They brave a rough trek of couple of hours - over the mountains - hiding from the Burmese army. Once here, they buy, pack their merchandise, have lunch and rest a little. Then loading the packs on their back they march off again. (Photo by Preetam Rai)

When looking for humour in Psalms, towards the end of the marking season, when teachers are always at a low ebb, I again cheated, asking Bob MacDonald (who has been studying the psalms closely for years now).

I’ll repeat some of his general insights about the book, and then take up his suggestion about Psalm 94 (his rendering of the psalm is here). I invited him to do a guest post, but for a mix of reasons he declined. So please do not blame Bob for what follows, it’s my reading of the psalm suggested by his idea… This psalm works for me because I hear in it the sort of overt dialogue between God and speaker that I often hear in the prophets, and like in Jeremiah’s confessions I think here God is gently leading his servant on and educating them

The audio is here: Humour in the Bible: book 19: Psalms

Jean Fouquet Job and his False Comforters 1452-60 Illumination Musée Condé, Chantilly

After some quite difficult books, suddenly a couple in a row that are easy. Job is full of humour, for all its dreadful topic and storyline, or perhaps because of them, almost every page sparkles with fun, or with sharp irony or more pointed sarcasm.

The big question, of whether the book as a whole is ironic and humorous, I’ll leave to you. For the purposes of this series I’ll just read a bit from Job’s first reply to his friends “comfortable words” (job 6:1ff.).

Here’s the audio:

Humour in the Bible: book 18: Job

BTW the classic article I refer to is:

E.A. Speiser, “The case of the obliging servant”, Journal of Cuneiform Studies 8, 1954, 98-105.

"The Banishment of Vashti" by Paolo Veronese, via Wikimedia Commons

I have argued before that Esther is full of sexual and/or gendered humour, but that was before I took the topic of humour in the Bible (documents from very different cultural contexts from ours) seriously. Now however I have nine criteria to measure whether it is likely that authors intended the humour we find. These are all present in Esther chapter 1:

1. incongruity
2. lighthearted mood
3. surprise
4. ingenuity (cleverness is often a mark of humour think of puns)
5. hyperbole
6. inferiority
7. disguise or something or someone pretending to be something else
8. “inelasticity” (following Bergson)
9. human pretension revealed in all its lack of glory!

So, enjoy

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible: book 17: Esther

Nehemiah and his heroes rebuild the wall, notice the superhuman strength of the guys holding up a huge block of stone, while Nehemiah reads a proclamation.

Nehemiah seems like a typical Sunday School story of a book, a sort of hero story made even less interesting by being told by the hero. Like Ezra it is not the first place I’d look searching for humour in Scripture. Yet, I think reading Nehemiah 6 we can trace more than one example of humour, at least one subtle and another quite open.

See what you think

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible: book16: Nehemiah

The chronology of ancient kingdoms amended: to which is prefix'd, a short chronicle from the first memory of things in Europe, to the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great: with three plates of the temple of Solomon / by Sir Isaac Newton. Dublin. Image is of plate #1 (Image from Wikipedia)

Ezra is far from the funniest book in the Bible, or the easiest read. Yet even here there are hints and traces of that most human of phenomena, humour. In Ezra 3:12-13 (as often) one either has to laugh or cry. Throughout the book something funny is going on with language and translation (see e.g. Ezra 4:7, 18), but no one has yet explained satisfactorily what! The ever so tactful representation of Ezra’s lack of faith in Ezra 8:21-23 is often cited. And in the end, I cannot resist mentioning David’s candidate in Ezra 5-6 culminating in Ezra 6:8-13. Isn’t this punctilious obedience a surprise

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible, book 15: Ezra

Not what either Zedekiah the prophet or a real Viking would wear, but it is funny (photo by dionhinchcliffe)

The strange, and strangely disturbing story of Micaiah ben Imlah in 2 Chronicles 18 which repeats very closely its source in 1 Kings 22¹ it ticks all the boxes as a passage intended to be funny.

And when you read it, it is hilarious. From Jehoshaphat’s gentle resistance through Zedekiah with a “Viking” helmet, and Micaiah telling porkies after swearing the truth, only when caught claiming a Lying spirit from Yahweh tricked him, to Micaiah’s last laugh from prison, the tale is a riot

But what is its point?

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible, book 14: 2 Chronicles 18

1. Which may mean this entry is cheating in terms of finding humour in every book of the (Hebrew) Bible, though it does seem to show that the Chronicles was not so humourless as to damage fine humour when he came across it. BTW if anyone has an example of humour in 1 Chronicles, I am still looking and would value your help. Tyler hinted at some killer comedy in Chronicles but so far no one has proposed a good example…

Larger babies are sometimes refered to ironically as "the baby elephant" (photo by silentcow)

The prayer of Jabez was wildly popular a few years back among voguish Christians worried about the lack of obvious and excess prosperity in their lives (compared to those richer and general better off than them, not compared to the world population in general).

Even without that 1 Chron 4:9-10 is funny (strange peculiar, if not humorous) in several ways:

• first narrative in Chron
• not part of surrounding genealogy seems stuck in
• Jabez does not seem to fit into the genealogies
• though there is a town of that name inhabited by possibly Kenite scribes
• and begins “there was” vayyehi like stories do
• though there are puns and other wordplays in the genealogies, they are more prominent here
• Jabez is honoured, but was born in pain, and prays for pain to be removed from his life

So there are a number of clues that the passage may contain intended humour.

Tyler pointed me to it, and Chris Heard has an article in JHS: R. Christopher Heard, “Echoes of Genesis in 1 Chronicles 4:9–10: An Intertextual and Contextual Reading of Jabez’s Prayer” JHS 4:2, 2002

Among the other resources I used I’ll quote from: Japhet, Sara. I & II Chronicles: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press, 1993, 110.

Heard argues against Japhet’s claim that in the Chronicler naming implies destiny, making Jabez’ name almost a curse and shows that it rather (as in the text) reflects his mother’s pain (hearing an echo of Gen 3:16).

He also argues that we should read this little story with the other small stories in the opening of Chronicles dealing with the acquisition of land in the south by non-Judahites (Rubenites and Simeonites) in this case Jabez is more honoured (than his brothers in story) because he gets his land by prayer rather than warfare.

This is a miniature story full of delightful and amusing turnarounds.

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible 13: 1 Chronicles 4 The Prayer of Jabez

Elijah the Tishbite was a "lord of hair" (photo by JD Hancock)

Since Google suggests the first chapter of 2 Kings is humorous I’ll measure it against the criteria. It meets most (but not all) which i think makes it clear this passage is not merely funny but was intended to be funny. Though again it is a “black” humour.

As a bonus I’ll offer a reading of the passage, it seems a shame to be talking about humour but not be “allowed” to get any laughs NB: this reading is basically the NRSV, which being a very literal translation captures the fairy tale quality of the telling rather well.

So, here are links to the audio:

Humour in the Bible: Book 12: 2 Kings 1: Mission interrupted

Special bonus: reading of 2 Kings 1 based on the NRSV

Image of Elijah (on Mt Carmel, photo by brett.wagner)

Idols, “gods” that people make! The very idea of making a god is one of those notions that almost have to reduce you to tears (whether of laughter or sadness and desperation depends on the circumstances), and the Bible has plenty of fun at the expense (in both senses) of idols. In this episode, therefore, we’ll look at 1 Kings 18 (particularly 1Kings 18:27 & 39).¹

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible 11: 1 Kings: In an idol moment

1. There is fuller background on this in 1 Kings 16:29 – 19:18: The big fight at Mt Carmel

The narrative books are on the whole easy targets for finding humour, so again I’ll recycle an old podcast This time in 2 Samuel 7 where God plays with words and puns away while explaining what he meant…

So, here’s the link to the audio: God the Exegete

Donkey by jlmaral

For 1 Samuel I am going to cheat again, I just don’t think I can beat the hilarious introduction the first king, Saul, receives. In these two podcasts (again repeated)¹  I’ll point up some of the fun in the tale of Saul and the donkeys

So, here are links to the audio:

Introducing Saul (1 Samuel 9)

Still introducing Saul (1 Samuel 9)

1. • Introducing Saul
   • Still Introducing Saul

Who is that girl? Gustave Doré (1832-1883) from Wikimedia

Ruth is a lovely story, it’s humour is¹ gentle and subtle. Part of the subtlety is that most (though not all) of the signs of humour are missing. However, I think we are intended to smile in at least two ways in the portrayal of the characters.

For this entry in the humour series I am repeating my podcast on chapter 2, where I think several of the signs are present, if subtly:

• incongruity: found I’ll claim in the disparity of cultures between peasant farming Bethlehem and semi-nomadic herding Moab
• lighthearted mood – it’s harvest time and there’s a meal
• surprise – Ruth “happens” on the field of a suitable husband
• ingenuity (cleverness is often a mark of humour think of puns) – if it’s present it is in Ruth’s possible playing with words for servanthood, but that’s too technical for this post
• inferiority – Ruth is a foreign, young, woman; Boaz is a wealthy, older, man
• “inelasticity” (following Bergson) – does Boaz’ slight pomposity count?
• human pretension revealed in all its lack of glory! – not at all present
• hyperbole – not present, except perhaps in the quantity of grain Ruth gleans

The other candidate is the use of direct speech to characterise, and since it is even less overt I’ll just point to the file for those who want to listen: Anyway here’s my candidate for humour in Ruth: Direct speech in biblical narratives

So, here’s the link to the audio: Ruth is from Moab, Boaz is from Bethlehem

1. Chapter three is a possible exception  – and the humour there, if there is humour, is disguised and sexual, so very difficult to spot with confidence across cultures!

Rembrandt (1606–1669) Sacrifice of Isaac (Wikimedia)

Usually I try to present the ideas in these podcasts so that anyone can understand. However, this time if you cannot read Scripture except in translation and you have not learned to use an interlinear or computer Bible to get beyond that handicap, this podcast may be less accessible.

It deals with the naming of God, in one of the most challenging and difficult stories in the Bible, the near-sacrifice (or binding) of Isaac.

An unheard of second warning, in this podcast I don’t reach any conclusions, I either leave that to you, or you will have to wait till I am inspired to make a follow-up ‘cast

So, here’s the link to the audio: Would a rose smell as sweet? What’s in a name? Genesis 22

Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, was a military general in the Book of Judges in the Bible. "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum" Published by Guillaume Rouille (1518?-1589) Wikimedia

Judges is one Bible book where it has been common to recognise humour. Ehud killing the fat and oppressive king Eglon in the toilet has been a popular example, though  I’ll pretty much leave the scatology to David and others who appreciate it

I’d rather focus on gender.

In Judges relationships between men and women are either funny or horrible.

The story of Deborah (Judges 4) may provide examples, but the humour in the poem (Judges 5) is much clearer. It shows all nine of my diagnostic signs of humour. And develops some powerful (and this being Judges disturbing) gender bending humour. Though after the harsh laughs of the role reversals it is with a pleasant smile that we notice the delight Sisera’s womenfolk take in their imagined looted finery with “divers colours of needlework on both sides” (Judges 5:30) with its gender stereotyping
So, here’s the link to the audio:  Humour in the Bible Book 7 Judges: Gender Bending

Don Adams, as Maxwell Smart, holding the famous shoe phone. (Wikipedia)

The little story, in Joshua 2, of Rahab and the clueless pair of young Israelite would be spies, provided Spenser¹  (see Signs of humour: especially in written texts across cultures) with a nice example of several of his criteria all together in one text, making it evidently humorous.

What do you think? Do the criteria work? Or is this vignette deadly serious?

So, here’s the link to the audio:
Humour in the Bible: Book 6 Joshua: Rahab and the bungling spies

1. F. Scott Spencer “Those Riotous – Yet Righteous – Foremothers of Jesus: Exploring Matthew’s Comic Genealogy.” In Are we amused?: humour about women in the biblical worlds, edited by Athalya Brenner, 7-30. Continuum, 2003

This second look at the complaint psalms continues to focus on Psalm 22. Part three will return to Jeremiah…

Right-click here to save the podcast for this audio

This post starts to talk about Psalm 22, mentioning Job 10 on the way, we will examine these passages as a way into understanding “complaint psalms”. Complaints are the commonest type of psalm in the book of psalms. You might like to listen to my earlier post “Arguing with God: Jer 12:1-4” first, it sets the scene for this one, and should probably have been called “Complaint psalms: Part One”!

I hope the next post – in a few days – will follow up looking some more at Psalm 22.

Right-click here to save the podcast for this audio

Photo of traditional site of Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (Mount Tabor). The settlement on the plain in the background is Kfar Kish. Taken in Palestine 2005 by Bantosh

This podcast, suggesting a gentle wry smile in Dt 1:6 was inspired by a blog post from Rabbi Michal Shekel “Could it be possible to stay too long at the site of Revelation?”

There are also quotes from: Tigay, J. Deuteronomy. Jewish Publication Society, 1994, 8; and Rashi on Dt 1:6.

As well as Dt 1:6-7 I will also refer to Mark 9.

No one has get suggested humour in Leviticus, so I’m moving on while I think…

Numbers 11 provides a fun story with several wry smiles, and Moses tells God that as Israel’s mother (which role Moses himself is not at all keen on) Yahweh should feed and care for these “babies”.

 
So, here’s the link to the audio:
Humour in the Bible: Book 4 Numbers

A fine pile of manure.

I never said all the humour in the Bible was gentle or polite. We have come to expect harsh even toilet humour from the prophets, but in this reading Leviticus outdoes Ezekiel sharpening his toilet humour and even making it shorter and more pointed.

In this podcast I’ll compare Ezek 6:3-6 with Lev 26:30, and even throw in some Hebrew and a reference to Cuneiform, just to show how serious Leviticus’ humour really is

.

So, here’s the link to the audio:
Humour in the Bible: Book 3 Leviticus

An ironically blond European Moses discovered (Paul Delaroche 1797–1859 Moïse exposé sur le Nil)

In this post we’ll discover some humour from below. The humour of the oppressed often pokes fun at the oppressor. Those who subjugate others fear them, and this fear generates feelings of inferiority that in Exodus some oppressed women manipulate delightfully.

Please open your Bibles at Exodus 1-2.

So, here’s the link to the audio:
Humour in the Bible: Book 2 Exodus

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In a post Why the Bible is just not (so) funny David returned to a theme he’s argued before, that the Bible is not funny. Aparently back in 2007 he issued a challenge that readers of his blog could not give examples of humour from every book in the Bible: Funny Stuff in the Bible. Now of course his 2007 post was cheating. He set a (nearly?) impossible task, to find humour in Lamentations might be hard! But that does not mean that there is no humour in Scripture. Just think of one of the occasions when Jesus spoke about camels (he seems to me to have had a thing about camels). Or, for crying out loud, read Jonah aloud in any translation or language you like, and try keeping a straight face…

I thought I would take up David’s challenge. Not seriously, as I said I expect there are some books devoid of humour, it takes all sorts to make up God’s world, even the humourless! But I do plan to work through the Bible (or at the very least the Hebrew Bible) pointing out humour in most of the books.

This podcast refers to Gen 1:14ff. and Gen 3:1-7.

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible: Book 1 Genesis 

By Tokistar (Template:The artist)

The prophet Jonah (at least as his story is told in the book that bears his name) is perhaps the most orthodox if perhaps the most heteropractic¹ prophet in the Bible!

Yet this book perhaps better than any other in the Old Testament encapsulates the essential truths of Scripture.

[For more on the "Perspicuity of Scripture" see The Perspicuity of Scripture or see the podcasts listed here.]

The next podcast on Jonah should return to a detailed look at a small chunk of the book, this one is big-picture stuff, just to keep you interested

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1. The prefix “ortho-” straight or right and “hetero-” different or wrong are used as opposites. The endings “-dox” to do with worship or theology and “-praxis” to do with action. So orthodox is right-thinking and heteropractic is wrong-doing.

God as creator from the Sistine Chapel (photo Wikipedia)

I’ve already a podcast on Jonah 1:7-8 Direct speech in biblical narratives if you want a fill in between the last podcast and this one.

Had you noticed? We were eight verses into the book and Jonah had not said one word. In Jonah 1:1-8 not a peep out of Jonah the prophet, so 1:9 where he finally speaks has to be significant…

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"It was slightly disturbing to find giant 'Thomas the Tank Engine' faces looking up from the ground" by oxyman

In these two verses we get some more clues about how to read the book of Jonah, we’ll notice how everything is big, and how the ship has personality. I’ll suggest that Jonah is in some ways like a children’s story, larger than life and painted in bright primary colours. I’ll even suggest that there are hints the telling is like Thomas the Tank Engine

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The soldiers who obey the orders of the Generals who rule Burma/Myanmar regularly rape, kill and burn houses of villagers who are not of their ethnicity. The Free Burma Rangers provide documentation of these atrocities when they can.

As a counterbalance to Jonah I’ll take Psalm 69. I’m considering it as typifying many Bible passages where people pray imprecation on evil people (usually their own enemies, but sometimes the enemies of others).

Something deep in us wants to believe that God is just. Such prayers appeal to this.

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Jonah and the Whale. Photographer: Brams. Hvidbjerg Kirke in Hvidbjerg Sogn in Thyholm Kommune, Denmark.

In this short series (of two podcasts) I’ll describe two things I think I know, two stakes in the ground when I come to think about the topic of “universalism” that has been much discussed (and even more an excuse for slanging matches) recently around the Bible-focused blogs.

Let’s start by admitting there are many many things on this topic that we simply do not know. I list a few of the many things that I am firmly agnostic about in a blog post OK, till now I’ve held my peace, and avoided discussing that Bell fella and universalism. But….In this podcast and the next one I’ll offer two things that I do know related to this topic. Today from the book of Jonah (for other podcasts that may give a fuller idea about how I read Jonah go here) and tomorrow from Psalm 69. In both cases the set text is intended to be typical of a major strand of thinking and expression in the Bible.

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Back in the days before I was a professional Bible teacher I could never have imagined anyone wanting to rip the book of Jeremiah from Scripture. Jeremiah the emotional prophet, who speaks sometimes such lovely promises, who expresses how his own and God’s hearts are torn by the terrible future (and present) Judah’s apostasy and sin have brought upon Jerusalem the holy city, how could anyone not love Jeremiah!?

But then I was asked to teach Jeremiah, and once I did. In preparation I read the book, aloud into a recorder, and then listened to the recording, while driving to work. I discovered, to my horror, but more and more strongly that I detested the book. It is grubby, nasty and leaves such a sour taste that I wanted to spit it out.

And yet, I’ve continued to live with Jeremiah, it’s part of Scripture, it’s part of my Prophets in Context course… and perhaps I can see why it remains in the canon….

I’ll try to illustrate some of this looking at Jer 6:1-8 as a sample passage.

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Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), Cappella Scrovegni a Padova, Life of Christ, Nativity, Birth of Jesus - detail with midwife Salome. (Image from Wikipedia)

In this podcast I’ll briefly argue that since the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) regularly pictures Yahweh as intimately associated with both forming in the womb and birthing, and particularly since “his” role is often as midwife “he” cannot be thought of as a male god. Rather “he” is God and as later (though very early since several key Patristic fathers say it) in God there is no gender, God is not part of any group (gender).

The primary passage I’ll discuss is Psalm 22:9-10 (MT 10-11). This is discussed more fully in the section Yahweh and the womb of my online discussable book Not Only a Father.

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Misty mountains, southern olympics by Julie Olson

We looked at this passage in class last week. I’ve based this podcast on my own very literal translation (so as to make spotting how if works easier). The translation with a couple of explanatory notes is here: Jeremiah 4:23-27 (translation and notes)

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In some Bible passages as atheists and others who want to avoid the claims of God are quick to point out God sounds like a Dalek.

Deut 7:2 is a typical case.

When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. (NLT)

Here God demands that Israel exterminate all the Canaanites. What’s going on? Is the God of the Bible (or at least the Old Testament agenocidal maniac?

This is part one of a series, so it will only deal with part of the answer. You will have to watch out for the other parts for a fuller treatment. The really difficult takes more than five minutes

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My earlier podcast: The last Confession of Jeremiah: Jeremiah 20: Yahweh seduces his prophet I simply assumed the translation seduce” for patah But “seduce” is not a translation favoured by English translations.

I dealt with this issue briefly in a blog post Did Yahweh seduce Jeremiah? with a bibliographic note Did God seduce Jeremiah? Addendum but since the issue was raised orally it seems right to deal with it orally here.

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So, in Jer 20:7ff does Jeremiah claim YHWH seduced him, or not? Listen to the podcast and then you decide!

As well as Jer 20:7ff. these other places where patah is used in the piel are mentioned:

• Gen 9:27
• Ex 22:15 (v.16 in English)
• Jud 14:15; 16:5
• 1 Kgs 22:20,21,22 cf. 2 Chron 18:19,20,21
• Ps 78:36
• 2 Sam 3:25
• Pr 24:28
• Hos 2:1
• Pr 1:10
• Ez 14:9

Jeremiah by Michaelangelo from the Sistine Chapel roof (Wikimedia)

Sorry this podcast is firstly out of order (it should have come before the last confession and then late (it should also have come a while back but I’ve been busy trying to get a paper on Isaiah finished

This fourth confession illustrates strongly both the dramatic narrative character of these “confessions” and that they are not to be taken as examples to follow, or as a mine from which we can quarry “texts”. For anyone who followed Jeremiah’s example would be rightly shunned, and any text torn screaming from this matrix would yield most unchristian applications!

No! Rather read this “confession” as a further episode in the continuing drama of Jeremiah and his Yahweh. As you read, allow yourself to be read, and you will listen with profit to the prophet

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Jeremiah gets more personal in his complaints, but his “conversation” with YHWH still seems to shut out any response… curiouser and curiouser… and which ending will you choose of this series?

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Pulpit Bible by contemplativechristian

Jeremiah’s third confession is a monologue, mainly (or all, depending where we think it starts) addressed to God. Complaint is the dominant tone, and Jeremiah asks for vengeance on his opponents. So this text raises interesting questions about the nature of Scripture, and how God might read (some parts of) the Bible…

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Continuing a series on The Confessions of Jeremiah, we’ll explore the second of these rich and complex texts Jer 15:10-21. Although I only have 5 minutes I hope I’ll give you material to spark several times that of study of the biblical text for it is out of such personal wrestling (sometimes like Jeremiah’s struggles with Yahweh) that we grow and learn from our Bible reading

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An Act against Atheism and Blasphemy, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1697 (Wikimedia)

In the previous two podcasts in this series I’ve introduced “the Confessions of Jeremiah” and the first confession (11:18-12:6). Here we’ll look at this text from the point of view of how it portrays the characters of Jeremiah (in the book the speaker of the passage) and his God (whom he often addresses and on whose behalf he speaks to others).

I’ll suggest that this passage is far from a neat static cartoon of Jeremiah and God on one side and the Judeans (or the “Men of Anathoth”) on the other, goodies and baddies. Rather it shows a rich depth of character as Jeremiah learns to experience God more profoundly.

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Before thinking about this “confession” we’ll first look at lament psalms briefly. Lament psalms often contain:

• an address (maybe simply “O God” or “O Lord”)
• a/some complaint(s)
• a request for help addressed to God
• the affirmation of trust in God, as thanks for past action or simply as praise and conviction God will act
• a vow to praise God when the crisis has passed (44:8; 80:18).

The first Confession of Jeremiah is a good illustration of both how these speeches are like, and that they are unlike Lament psalms. We will also notice how in Jeremiah the lament-like material works with its surrounding text. The condfessions are not a separate part of the book, they are parts of the book. (The next podcast will continue to look at this text, building on this material.)

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Jeremiah, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th cen. Iconostasis of Kizhi monastery, Karelia, Russia

A series of passages in Jeremiah stand out because of their contents which presents itself as powerful debates about Jeremiah, his call, his enemies and his God. In some of them Jeremiah seems to be speaking alone, in otgher God responds.

These “Confessions of Jeremiah are: Jer 11:18-20; 12:1-6; 15:10-21, 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20:7-13 (the exact details of the list are debatable, but its broad lines are well established.

This podcast introduces Jeremiah’s confessions, subsequent podcasts in the series will examine each in turn.

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Photo by PBoGS

We’ve just recorded the video for the new CareyMedia DVD, this year it is conversations between small groups of us, one I was involved in was about worship. So, here I want to suggest that Leviticus (esp. Lev 19:1-2) and Isaiah 6 can help us come back to the heart of worship (as the song puts it).

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I once made a silly offer: “Give me a random Old Testament passage, and I’ll show you how the 5 step process works!” So they offered me 2 Kings 10, the lovely story of the seventy heads offered to Jehu in baskets. (Read it yourself if you don’t believe me.)

My goal was to show how the 5 step process could take us from that passage to a sensible message I could preach in church on a Sunday. This podcast is a summary of what we did. (I say “we” because I made my listeners do much of the work, asking:

1. What DID the story mean? (I.e. what was it supposed to communicate to its early hearers, Jews in or just after the exile.)
2. What are the differences that make a difference? (I.e. what has changed that either makes us likely to misunderstand, or that make our situation significantly different from theirs. One that isn’t mentioned in the podcast, but should have been is that we will be shocked by this tale of mass murder, they probably cheered it on, politics was a rougher game there than for most of us today
3. What does it say about God? (If the Bible is about God then each passage will tell us something about God. And Scritpture IS about God and NOT about us.)
4. How do we understand this in the light of Jesus? Or, since this is an Old Testament passage: How does Jesus complete or fill out what is here?
5. How does that work today?

Listen and see if you think I succeeded, got a message for today, and one which is Christian, and one which is fair to the lovely passage of Scripture they gave me!

BTW my mate Jonathan has been writing about Christian Preaching of the Old Testament, I wonder what he thinks of this example

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Gathering at First Presbyterian Church Bing (Photo by citizenactionny)

The flat out contradictions in Scripture make Bible readers jumpy.Conservatives seek to defend the “integrity” of Scripture by denying that there is any (even the slightest) disagreement, those on the other side delight in the “proof” that the Bible is merely a collection of venerable ancient texts of no relevance today. Both responses are dead wrong!

Contradictions in Scripture are real guides to how we should read. In Proverbs they reminded us how proverbs work, and how we have to select when to apply which proverb. In other places they are often reminders of the humanity of Scripture, that we have the thoughts of particular authors, in particular times and places, who were inspired by God not the words of God taken down as dictation.

So Is 56:6-8 stands in contrast in its welcoming approach to foreigners to the harsher attitude of Ezra’s prayer 9:5ff.
The debate between the two passages shows us Scripture as incarnate word, rooted in particular times and places, but then that is how the God of the Bible works: choosing the Jews, coming to earth in Jesus…

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Igorot Beggar photo by martiniko

Peter gets some powerful lines in these two great chapters Since I was a child I’ve loved his: “I don’t have silver and gold, but what I do have I’ll give you. Get up and walk!” So different from what we usually hear… And then when faced by the authorities he talks about his Master as the “Stone the builders rejected” quoting Ps 118:22. This superb Psalm all through contrasts human power and “protection” with God’s steadfast love that endures forever…

So in these chapters, two powerful reminders from Peter that Christian faith is NOT about human power, just the opposite. And the challenge of hearing how the first Christians lived. The Bible is perspicuous, we just wish we could remain blind and deaf!

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OK this story must be one of the best-known that Jesus ever told, everyone has heard it! And if not (at least if they speak English or French or just about any other European language) they know the main character’s name – The Good Samaritan. Except that, what we know if we know this, is all wrong!

Jesus was a prophet so to understand what he’s doing here we need to remind ourselves how Prophets work. So after a quick recap on prophets we think about what Jesus the prophet is doing when he tells this story.

For more on prophets try these:

• E100-36: 2 Samuel 11:1 – 12:25: David and Bathsheba?
• E100 Week 10: Prophets: three principles to unlock the code
• E100-46: Isaiah 51:1 – 53:12: Reading prophets for pleasure and profit
• E100-47: Jeremiah 1:1 – 3:5: Getting started as a prophet
• E100-50: Malachi 1:1 – 4:6: The book that makes the bridge

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This week’s readings contain a sample of Jesus teachings. In reading them we will notice two things particularly that will help us better understand:
(a) Jesus is a prophet: so the rules we learnt for reading Old Testament prophets will help us understand Jesus. These rules were:

1. Prophets spoke to a context: knowing the who, what, when, where, how & why can help us get the point.
2. Prophetic speech is often a conversation.
3. Prophets are about conversion (not prediction).

(b) Jesus taught (often) in parables. Parables are picture language. Parable in Greek parabole or in Hebrew mashal means a “comparison”. So to understand a parable, as well as looking at the context we need to ask what comparison is being made?

In the first reading (the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, Mat 5:1-6:4) we’ll notice that Luke has a Sermon on a Plain and so how each Gospel remembers Jesus for themselves, that like any good biography Gospels are not transcripts, but meaningful retellings of the life of Jesus.

The second reading is the second part of the Sermon on Mount (Mat 6:5-7:29) we’ll notice that Jesus teaches like the prophets and how radical that teaching is.

The third reading Mat 13 introduces us to parables, and also shows us that parables are sometimes intended to make us think not provide quick simple answers.

For the fourth reading, Luke 10:25-37, I’ll suggest that the “Good Samaritan” is not about the Good Samaritan Jesus remember is a prophet and prophets turn things upside down and inside out.

Then we’ll apply all this to the lost and found parables Luke 15:1-32, especially to “The Prodigal Son” and again I’ll suggest the parable is not about the prodigal son, or even his forgiving father.

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Malachi is a short prophetic book, the name Malachi just means “my messenger” which seems to be what the speaker calls himself. It has no more details of time, place or person in the superscription (as most prophetic books do), but the content suggests Judah after the exile under Persian rule.

The book opens opens with a strong statement of Yahweh’s election of Israel, using hyperbole (exageration) to make it’s impact. “Malachi” accuses his audience of being willing to obey and seek to please humans but not God! He calls for proper sacrifice cf. pre-exilic prophets who were less impressed by sacrifice. The book usually signals when others words are being imagined, making it easier to read.

It addresses priests much of the time and the greater importance of priests, sacrifice and law/torah is a feature that suggests the time when Israel was province.

Malachi’s mix of concern for the here and now and for the future is typical of prophetic books, but this book is more weighted to future than most. More than any other short prophetic book Malachi prepares for and links to the New Testament.

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These four chapters tell the story of God’s prophet Jonah (who attentive Bible students know from 2 kings 14:25:

He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.

This true prophet runs away from  God, says a long prayer inside a fish, preaches a five word sermon and converts the capital of an unusually brutal empire, and then tells God off grumpily! The story of Jonah is told in ways that cause us to laugh, or at least smile. This book is funny from beginning to end – which is different from other Bible books even though many of them contain humour see the podcasts here.

What’s going on? and Why’d he do it?

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There are a number of podasts if you want more on Jonah, or I have some study notes on the book of Jonah (not yet quite finished, or a longer lecture on Jonah.

In this 5 minute recording I try to introduce Daniel, a book that has been placed among the prophets in Christian Bibles (following the tradition of the old Greek translation) but is not a “prophet” in the Hebrew Bible. The book contains two sorts of material, stories about Daniel, like this one “Daniel in the Lions’ Den”, and records of Daniel’s visions, which seem to speak in a half hidden coded language. The visions are rather like Revelation in the New Testament, and scholars class both as “apocalyptic” (from the Greek for uncover or reveal what is hidden). The stories are most like the stories of Joseph and Esther.

I also suggest that reading chapter 6 (Daniel in the Lions’ Den) with chapter 3 (The burning firey furnace) adds an important link between Daniel and the Christian message in the New Testament.

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The call of Jeremiah should really have come before the Isaiah reading, as it gives us a good introduction to what a prophet is, and what prophets do. This reading also gives us a clear idea why prophets were often not much appreciated by the people to whom they were sent to proclaim God’s message.

There is so much one could talk about here, that I will focus mainly on Jeremiah’s call and what that tells us about prophets, to help you understand other prophetic books. I will also talk a little about the other chapter and a bit, but recognise that there are loads of issues in that section that I will not touch on, because of the interest in making sense of prophecy in general…

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I have not focused these 5 Minutes on how Is 53 speaks so clearly about Jesus, it is the Old Testament passage that is most clearly, directly and simply fulfilled in Christ. But that status should not make it paradigmatic for undedrstanding how Jesus fulfills Scripture. For more on that (and there is nothing on that in this podcast see What DOES “fulfil” mean? And other podcasts on this topic here.

Instead in this audio talk I want to focus on reading the prophets. The prophets are problematic today, in part because  Christians sometimes make them seem more like Nostradamus than Nathan, but even more because these books do fit Yancey’s friend’s description: “weird, confusing and all sound alike”. In these five minutes I’ll mention two key tools background (“context“) and hearing the “voices”.

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William Blake: The Ghost of a Flea

Prophets and prophecy: the most misunderstood part of OT, “mysterious messengers”. A random chunk from a prophetic book will offer a confusing, seemingly muddled, confusion of vivid picture language. Yet, three simple principles can (usually) unlock the mystery and allow the prophets to speak:

• conversion not prediction
• context not timeless
• conversation not monologue

As I’ll explain briefly in this podcast these three principles can cause mere fortune tellers to become evangelists, and their mysterious messages to become a call to convert, to change our behaviour, to redeem our world…

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Proverbs are pithy sayings. Short, thought-provoking, often using vivid imagery proverbs work by making you think. But they are often used as a source of quick simple answers. The book of Proverbs is a collkection of loads of such sayings with a long preface and short epilogue that encourage young men to meditate on this advice. The goal of Proverbs is lives lived well.

A proverb can be applied like a Band Aid to appropriate situations, BUT their greatest value is when you meditate them. So Proverbs 10-30 is the one part of the Bible that is better read verse-by-verse. This most secular of Bible books offers surface results (wealth, success…) but with under the radar spirituality.

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Most of Proverbs contains collections of proverbs (pithy sayings about life) but the book has a nine chapter prologue and a half chapter epilogue. The epilogue is a poem describing an ideal(ised) wife. The prologue seeks to motivate the student (a young male – notice all the “my son” language) to follow his mother’s advice and live a faithful, respectable, respectful, honest life.

The last chapters sex up this motivational speech by picturing Wisdom as a woman, who should become the young man’s fiancee and eventually bride.

The podcast though focuses on these chapters, with a short digression explaining what the Apocrypha is.

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There are some technical details to explain: what a “hymn” is (not a long old-fashioned worship song), what it means to “bless God” and the meaning of hesed. But mainly this podcast aims to encourage you to  hear the celebration of the creator God who is gracious, even to those who do not deserve it, merciful and above all faithful. It’s a beautiful psalm, that expresses how God is not “a god” clearly and sharply, and it just begs us to join in blessing Yahweh!

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The biblical text tells us how to read this psalm. Whether or not we agree with those who see the words “build the walls of Jerusalem” at the end as a reference to the need to (re)build after the destruction of 586, and so (perhaps along with other reasons) see the psalm as actually written later, we are told to read the psalm against the story of David’s sin and Nathan’s visit

NB: the headings like <To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.> are often printed as if they had less authority than the big bold headings Bible publishers add – but they are part of the Bible and the publishers headings are NOT!

So that’s how I’ll read it. In doing so I’ll commont on details of wording, as well as on how this psalm fits into the big picture of the Bible.

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Wadi Qelt, Judean Desert, with St George's monastry by Ester Inbar, available from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:ST

Perhaps the best known and popular psalm among both Jews and Christians but not easy to categorise, except that it expresses trust in God. The imagery makes even better sense when some geography and culture is understood:

• sheep follow shepherds, they are not left on the hills and then driven
• green pastures, means land where there is some green vegetation, not just rocks and dust
• wadis: steep sided gorges, semi-desert little vegetation, quick run off from  hills = flash floods

For more on this see also my “Psalm 23 in context”

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This week’s 5 is a somewhat artificial collection, putting together two different things. Yet both Psalms and Proverbs work differently from the narrative/history and prophecy that comprise the bulk of the Old Testament, and both are used a lot by Christians along with Genesis and Isaiah (while most of the Old Testament lies unread the Two-Thirds Bible).

In this podcast we’ll look at how different genres (see the posts here, especially: Genre matters: 1- Why genre matters) work. This will help understanding and applying the week’s readings. In doing this we’ll learn for example why so often proverbs contradict each other!

Incidentally in the Bible the commonest genre of psalm are complaints, but there are no complaints among the three readings chosen, to lpearn more about them see the podcasts here.

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Detail from Sennacherib's Lachish frieze showing prisoners being impaled

Today’s is a grim reading. But such brutality was not unusual in the Ancient Near East. The Assyrians, for example, when they captured the Judean city of Lachish after a siege in 701BC impaled the surviving leaders outside the city, and left a mass grave of 1,500 people (mainly women and children).

Despite what one might even see as gentle treatment of the city by the Babylonians in 586, the fall of Jesusalem marked Hebrew thought deeply because it was God’s city, their last toehold of political independence in the promised land and Yahweh’s holy temple that the Babylonians destroyed. In doing so they also destroyed many Hebrew’s faith in Yahweh, and thus shaped our Bibles. Many of the prophetic books either warn of the coming desctruction, or seek to cope with the exile of the leaders and their resulting loss of faith in Yahweh.

Today’s reading therefore tells the core event that helped shape much of the Old Testament.

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Banana plantation at the foot of Mt Carmel

Since this is a gripping, but well-known, story what I’ll try to do in this podcast is show you how a bit of context (see here for more on context and understanding the Bible).

I’ll also tell you God’s two nicknames, in some religious traditions knowing all a god’s names is really important, in Hinduism the god Vishnu has 1,000 names, in Islam there is a tradition that God has 99 names. Yahweh the God the Bible talks about has kicknames as well as formal names!

Forrested crest of Carmel from the Eshkol Tower of Haifa University

A couple of photos to illustrate the geography

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Photo from The Russian Institute of Radionavigation and Time, http://www.rirt.ru/

Solomon’s prayer understands that Yahweh is a different God, the gods (like Ba’al and his crowd) lived in the sky – and lanced thunderbolts down on people they disliked – heaven/sky was like the earth only bigger and better.

When Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev said “Gagarin flew into space, but didn’t see any God there“. Solomon’s prayer sees the stupidity of Krushchev – how could the creator of universes be see from a measly 302Kms from earth? But even this is not the real difference. This Yahweh is a God who’s name means “being with you” cf. E100-17: Exodus 3-4: Getting the holy between your toes! Yahweh wants a relationship, loves us, and is therefore a jealous God
cf. E100-21: Exodus 19:1 – 20:21: The Ten Commandments.

The story of Israel’s ancestor, Jacob, was bookmarked by two nighttime meetings with God, the second time he was given the name “Israel”. Solomon’s story also has two nighttime meetings with God, in the first he got his wish, and chose wisdom, in this reading after dedicating the temple in a dream God warns Solomon that all his promises to the chosen people are conditional on Israel’s obedience. Therefore they provisional and as we will see are only really fulfilled in Jesus.

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The judgement of Solomon by Gaetano Gandolfi (1734–1802)

In just two chapters we get some of the most beautiful and inspiring, and some of the grubbiest and most bloodthirsty stories in the Bible. It is no wonder that telling the stories of David (with Saul and Solomon and perhaps the rest) as a serial, like a soap opera has the audience panting for more

In this podcast I’ll again point to clues to how we can, and (often of more use) how we should NOT “read” Bible stories.

I’ll also make a shameless plug for my Not Only a Father an online book about the use of motherly language and imagery to describe God in the Bible and in later Christian theology, which you can discuss, argue with or ask questions about as you read – and if you can’t see how that connection fits this passage… then listen to the podcast

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Bathsheba goes to David by Francesco Salviati (1510–1563)

These two chapters mark the turning point in David’s story.

They offer vital clues also to how we “read” biblical narratives.

• Nathan’s story within a story provides hints, abouit the nature of narrative meaning
• David’s strange behaviour  during his child’s illness and on his death provides both a clue to an interpretative rule, and some good practice

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“The fall of Israel” is a theological (not historical) title. This five covers almost the whole history of the Israelite kingdoms from David to the destruction of Jerusalem. The Deuteronomistic History (Joshua-Kings) from which they all come (cf. remarks on Judges) tell the story with the end in view, one important goal of these books is to explain the fall of Jerusalem and the exile.

So this is a good selection to understand what is going on:

1. Even the great king David is human and fails (spectacularly)
2. Solomon is seen at his best – asking for and displaying wisdom not wealth or power;
3. building the temple and expressing fine theology
   not as the king who began to lose an empire, and introduced idols to the temple
4. Elijah and the fight on Mt Carmel is an archetypical story of the conflict between belief in gods and in God
5. Then the final reading tells the ghastly and traumatic story of the fall of Jerusalem and the end of Israel as a political entity – but worse of the temple and crown promised by God!

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by didbygraham

Bible stories, with a few exceptions (maybe some parables for example) do NOT have nice neat “morals”. If you want to say “and the moral of the story is…” don’t read the Bible. But by contrast if you want people with real depth, who make it difficult for us to work out what their motives are, and therefore hard to simply place them in appropriate “boxes”, the Bible is the book for you

In this reading we’ll notice depth and complexity in two of the less central characters, Michal and Nathan. In that complexity we may find clues to living our own, often also complex, lives…

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"head and shoulders above the rest" by jenny downing

Just when you begin to wonder if any Bible story is really suitable for simple Sunday School reading, and have begun to suspect that the Bible has no message but: Humans are broken and need mending, humans are sinful and therefore they keep spoiling God’s lovely world and hurting each other. Along comes a story to remind us of another truth… Just as the story of Ruth  followed the grime of Judges, so now in 1 Samuel 24 we get a story, set amid the war and political jostling of the beginnings of the Hebrew monarchy, with not one but two real heroes. Both protagonists are noble in this chapter. Both we know from other chapters are sinful broken men, but here young David and poor old, broken and probably insane, Saul both act with gracious nobility.

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-34-1-samuel-237-%e2%80%93-2422-two-noble-opponents/feed/ 0 0:05:32 "head and shoulders above the rest" by jenny downing Just when you begin to wonder if any Bible story is really suitable for simple Sunday School reading, and have begun to suspect that the Bible has no message but: Humans are broken and nee[...] "head and shoulders above the rest" by jenny downing Just when you begin to wonder if any Bible story is really suitable for simple Sunday School reading, and have begun to suspect that the Bible has no message but: Humans are broken and need mending, humans are sinful and therefore they keep spoiling God’s lovely world and hurting each other. Along comes a story to remind us of another truth… Just as the story of Ruth  followed the grime of Judges, so now in 1 Samuel 24 we get a story, set amid the war and political jostling of the beginnings of the Hebrew monarchy, with not one but two real heroes. Both protagonists are noble in this chapter. Both we know from other chapters are sinful broken men, but here young David and poor old, broken and probably insane, Saul both act with gracious nobility. E100 Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-32-1-samuel-161-%e2%80%93-1816-slain-in-the-spirit/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-32-1-samuel-161-%e2%80%93-1816-slain-in-the-spirit/#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:18:46 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=457

Saul the hero close up by donwolf1979

Yes, like some of the Bible writers, I just can’t resist a pun, especially if it really does help carry the message And in this case I think it does, more specifically after we have noticed quickly some of the good stuff in the famous David and Goliath story of David and Goliath. For this podcast, perhaps as homework, you might want to play with a computer Bible… and you might also want to return to the comments, and discuss the vexed question of the nature of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit…

I'll leave you to work out why I chose this picture for this podcast photo by quapan

This is the story in which we hear the interface between Judges, “Everyone did as they saw fit, for there was no king in Israel”, and the story of the Hebrew kingdoms. In these few chapters there is loads of good stuff to notice (for a start try):

• Humour in the Bible: Part 1: Introducing Saul
• Humour in the Bible: Part 2: Still Introducing Saul
• Direct speech in biblical narratives

But this time I’ll restrain myself, and just mention one or two neat narrative details. Instead I’ll talk more about the big theological picture.

Quotation in title from Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (without apologies to Aristophanes)

.

Three great chapters, full of well crafted narrative, with a stirring  song thrown in! There is too much detail to notice in the way these stories are told, you’ll have to watch for the fun yourselves. In this ‘cast I’ll focus more on the song, and not so much on its detail as overall how it works. (For more background on this see my Why Read the Bible? Dreams and visions which is part of a longer series of reflections on Lost Treasures of the Bible: reading “from another place”: reading for a change that was earlier published as part of the Fetschrift for Brian Smith:

Sutherland, Martin, and Carey Baptist College. Mission without Christendom : exploring the site : essays for Brian Smith. Auckland N.Z.: Carey Baptist College, 2000.

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-31-1-samuel-11-%e2%80%93-321-on-not-missing-the-voice-in-the-darkness/feed/ 0 0:05:07 Three great chapters, full of well crafted narrative, with a stirring  song thrown in! There is too much detail to notice in the way these stories are told, you’ll have to watch for the fun yourselves. In this ‘cast I’ll focus more[...] Three great chapters, full of well crafted narrative, with a stirring  song thrown in! There is too much detail to notice in the way these stories are told, you’ll have to watch for the fun yourselves. In this ‘cast I’ll focus more on the song, and not so much on its detail as overall how it works. (For more background on this see my Why Read the Bible? Dreams and visions which is part of a longer series of reflections on Lost Treasures of the Bible: reading “from another place”: reading for a change that was earlier published as part of the Fetschrift for Brian Smith: Sutherland, Martin, and Carey Baptist College. Mission without Christendom : exploring the site : essays for Brian Smith. Auckland N.Z.: Carey Baptist College, 2000. E100 Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-week-7-bible-stories-for-adults/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-week-7-bible-stories-for-adults/#comments Sat, 29 May 2010 15:42:05 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=479

Newspaper photo by Jachin Sheehy

If you thought Bible stories were for children, nice little tales with a nice little moral at the end, then you probably have not been following the E100 up to this point, and you certainly have not been reading the bits the organisers censored out!

Bible stories are NOT like that, rather they tell in the most realistic way possible the stories of real people, who we must watch, listen to and then work out how we’ll respond. Is Samuel the real hero of the books that bear his name? Is Saul a hero or a villain? And David a plaster saint? Just to pose the questions is to suggest answers that don’t fit the Sunday School Story mode of reading the Bible.

This set of five readings will give us more practice at reading the real Bible

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-week-7-bible-stories-for-adults/feed/ 0 0:04:47 Newspaper photo by Jachin Sheehy If you thought Bible stories were for children, nice little tales with a nice little moral at the end, then you probably have not been following the E100 up to this point, and you certainly have not been reading the [...] Newspaper photo by Jachin Sheehy If you thought Bible stories were for children, nice little tales with a nice little moral at the end, then you probably have not been following the E100 up to this point, and you certainly have not been reading the bits the organisers censored out! Bible stories are NOT like that, rather they tell in the most realistic way possible the stories of real people, who we must watch, listen to and then work out how we’ll respond. Is Samuel the real hero of the books that bear his name? Is Saul a hero or a villain? And David a plaster saint? Just to pose the questions is to suggest answers that don’t fit the Sunday School Story mode of reading the Bible. This set of five readings will give us more practice at reading the real Bible E100 Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-30-ruth-11-%e2%80%93-422-at-last-a-nice-story/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-30-ruth-11-%e2%80%93-422-at-last-a-nice-story/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 15:56:41 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=437

Well, Judges was thoroughly censored for E100, as it is for most church use, the bits we got were the rare good bits, cf. my Twisted tales: or should the book of Judges be censored? (which got me into trouble with a fundamentalist who could not be bothered to actually listen to what I was saying before condemning me to hell – so it may be worth listening to

Ruth is about “redemption”, the need for husband for Ruth and so a baby to continue the “house of Elimelek” and to provide for the two widows, and so it’s about the primary virtue of the OT (and of redeemers) “hesed” faithfulness/love/kindness in covenant relationships.

So Ruth (in the Christian Bible placed between Judges and Samuel) redeems:

• it echoes and redeems the ancestral stories of failure: Judah and Tamar
• it announces and prefigures David (remember David & foreign woman, Bathsheba?) and redeems him
• it stands between the terror and chaos of Judges and presents a world where God’s virtue is revealed in his creatures lives!

An everyday tale of country folk – but crammed with theology and incidentally a crackingly well-told tale with no violence, death or hatred, but which keeps our interest all through

I have a few other podcasts on this lovely book.

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-30-ruth-11-%e2%80%93-422-at-last-a-nice-story/feed/ 0 0:04:40 Well, Judges was thoroughly censored for E100, as it is for most church use, the bits we got were the rare good bits, cf. my Twisted tales: or should the book of Judges be censored? (which got me into trouble with a fundamentalist who could not be b[...] Well, Judges was thoroughly censored for E100, as it is for most church use, the bits we got were the rare good bits, cf. my Twisted tales: or should the book of Judges be censored? (which got me into trouble with a fundamentalist who could not be bothered to actually listen to what I was saying before condemning me to hell – so it may be worth listening to Ruth is about “redemption”, the need for husband for Ruth and so a baby to continue the “house of Elimelek” and to provide for the two widows, and so it’s about the primary virtue of the OT (and of redeemers) “hesed” faithfulness/love/kindness in covenant relationships. So Ruth (in the Christian Bible placed between Judges and Samuel) redeems: it echoes and redeems the ancestral stories of failure: Judah and Tamar it announces and prefigures David (remember David & foreign woman, Bathsheba?) and redeems him it stands between the terror and chaos of Judges and presents a world where God’s virtue is revealed in his creatures lives! An everyday tale of country folk – but crammed with theology and incidentally a crackingly well-told tale with no violence, death or hatred, but which keeps our interest all through I have a few other podcasts on this lovely book. E100, Ruth, Theology Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-29-judges-131-%e2%80%93-1631-samson-a-biblical-superhero/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-29-judges-131-%e2%80%93-1631-samson-a-biblical-superhero/#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 15:28:17 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=434

It’s certainly hard to find a superhero in the Bible! Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and even Moses – all fail – though some of them look good the way we try to… by comparison with their neighbours, family or friends think of how Moses shines when compared to Aaron.

But Samson! He’s super strong, has a fatal weakness, and a secret identity (as a Nazirite

However in this podcast we’ll look closer, and in noticing some details of how the story is told uncover what is really going on

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-29-judges-131-%e2%80%93-1631-samson-a-biblical-superhero/feed/ 0 0:05:25 It’s certainly hard to find a superhero in the Bible! Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and even Moses – all fail – though some of them look good the way we try to… by comparison with their neighbours, family or friends think of how Moses shines whe[...] It’s certainly hard to find a superhero in the Bible! Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and even Moses – all fail – though some of them look good the way we try to… by comparison with their neighbours, family or friends think of how Moses shines when compared to Aaron. But Samson! He’s super strong, has a fatal weakness, and a secret identity (as a Nazirite However in this podcast we’ll look closer, and in noticing some details of how the story is told uncover what is really going on E100, Judges, Narrative, Reading Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-28-judges-61-%e2%80%93-725-unlikely-victors/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-28-judges-61-%e2%80%93-725-unlikely-victors/#comments Tue, 25 May 2010 15:54:25 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=429

This story is often used to support testing whether God really wants us to do something we are reluctant to do, just like Gideon. In this podcast, as well as drawing attention to some other thoroughly human characteristics of our hero, I’ll point to the censored Bible story (one we do not read in church) in 1 Kings 22, and suggest we should heed its warning before we hurry to copy Gideon.

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-28-judges-61-%e2%80%93-725-unlikely-victors/feed/ 0 0:04:39 This story is often used to support testing whether God really wants us to do something we are reluctant to do, just like Gideon. In this podcast, as well as drawing attention to some other thoroughly human characteristics of our hero, I’ll po[...] This story is often used to support testing whether God really wants us to do something we are reluctant to do, just like Gideon. In this podcast, as well as drawing attention to some other thoroughly human characteristics of our hero, I’ll point to the censored Bible story (one we do not read in church) in 1 Kings 22, and suggest we should heed its warning before we hurry to copy Gideon. E100, Judges Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-27-judges-41-%e2%80%93-531-deborah-%e2%80%93-a-twice-told-tale/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-27-judges-41-%e2%80%93-531-deborah-%e2%80%93-a-twice-told-tale/#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 16:27:35 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=424

The story of Deborah, the prophetess and judge, is one of those biblical stories told to us twice, first in a prose narrative and then in a poetic celebration (the Exodus crossing of the sea in Ex 14 & 15 provides another example).

In this case the details, what Western minds call “facts” and worship above all other sorts of information, are strikingly different between the two tellings:

• In chapter 4: there is a focus on Canaanite oppression of the people of Israel, the battle concerns particularly the tribes of Naphtali & Zebulon, the victory is assured when Yahweh “confused” the Canaanites, in telling Jael’s killing of Sisera (the Canaanite general) her actions are presented as a parody of motherhood: “don’t be afraid” she says, then fed him milk and tucked him up.
• In chapter 5: the issues at stake seem to concern the free passage of trade, Yahweh ensures Canaanites’ defeat by sending a storm, various (Northern) tribes are involved, including Ephraim, Benjamin, Issachar etc. as well as Naphtali and Zebulun, the telling of Jael’s actions stresses her hospitality, giving him milk, even cream, instead of just water etc.

Another reminder that the focus of the tellers of Bible stories was not on the information content (that we focus on) but more on the relationships and especially on the primary relationship between us (as hearers of the telling) and God. Both tellings are full or irony, and both upset our notions of appropriate gender roles, as well as our stomachs. Stories in Judges are always disturbing.

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-27-judges-41-%e2%80%93-531-deborah-%e2%80%93-a-twice-told-tale/feed/ 0 0:04:59 The story of Deborah, the prophetess and judge, is one of those biblical stories told to us twice, first in a prose narrative and then in a poetic celebration (the Exodus crossing of the sea in Ex 14 & 15 provides another example). In this case [...] The story of Deborah, the prophetess and judge, is one of those biblical stories told to us twice, first in a prose narrative and then in a poetic celebration (the Exodus crossing of the sea in Ex 14 & 15 provides another example). In this case the details, what Western minds call “facts” and worship above all other sorts of information, are strikingly different between the two tellings: In chapter 4: there is a focus on Canaanite oppression of the people of Israel, the battle concerns particularly the tribes of Naphtali & Zebulon, the victory is assured when Yahweh “confused” the Canaanites, in telling Jael’s killing of Sisera (the Canaanite general) her actions are presented as a parody of motherhood: “don’t be afraid” she says, then fed him milk and tucked him up. In chapter 5: the issues at stake seem to concern the free passage of trade, Yahweh ensures Canaanites’ defeat by sending a storm, various (Northern) tribes are involved, including Ephraim, Benjamin, Issachar etc. as well as Naphtali and Zebulun, the telling of Jael’s actions stresses her hospitality, giving him milk, even cream, instead of just water etc. Another reminder that the focus of the tellers of Bible stories was not on the information content (that we focus on) but more on the relationships and especially on the primary relationship between us (as hearers of the telling) and God. Both tellings are full or irony, and both upset our notions of appropriate gender roles, as well as our stomachs. Stories in Judges are always disturbing. E100, History, Judges, Narrative Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-26-judges-26-%e2%80%93-36-a-vicious-cycle-or-a-divine-alarm-clock/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-26-judges-26-%e2%80%93-36-a-vicious-cycle-or-a-divine-alarm-clock/#comments Sun, 23 May 2010 15:58:16 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=416

The deuteronomistic cycle described by Richard Martin

There’s a nasty cycle that repeats time and again in Judges, and that forms a theme of the history in the books of Samuel and Kings too:

• Israel forgets that Yhwh is the ONE who has given them everything
• they start to worship/serve other Gods
• God allows an enemy to oppress them
• they call to God – who raises up a strong leader who by God’s power rescues them

This pattern was described in Deuteronomy so these books (with Joshua) get called the “Deuteronomistic History” by scholars.

The prophetic cycle by Richard Martin.

Incidentally since I have used Richard Martin’s fine diagram of this vicious cycle I will include also here (though it is really describing an extension of this pattern found in the prophetic books) his prophetic cycle – in the hopes some of you will find his superb class notes useful

After all it is appropriate while reading Judges to remember that this depressing book is part of a wider Scripture that is all fulfilled in Christ! The prophets will point more clearly to that fulfillment than Judges does.

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-26-judges-26-%e2%80%93-36-a-vicious-cycle-or-a-divine-alarm-clock/feed/ 0 0:04:57 The deuteronomistic cycle described by Richard Martin There’s a nasty cycle that repeats time and again in Judges, and that forms a theme of the history in the books of Samuel and Kings too: Israel forgets that Yhwh is the ONE who has given t[...] The deuteronomistic cycle described by Richard Martin There’s a nasty cycle that repeats time and again in Judges, and that forms a theme of the history in the books of Samuel and Kings too: Israel forgets that Yhwh is the ONE who has given them everything they start to worship/serve other Gods God allows an enemy to oppress them they call to God – who raises up a strong leader who by God’s power rescues them This pattern was described in Deuteronomy so these books (with Joshua) get called the “Deuteronomistic History” by scholars. The prophetic cycle by Richard Martin. Incidentally since I have used Richard Martin’s fine diagram of this vicious cycle I will include also here (though it is really describing an extension of this pattern found in the prophetic books) his prophetic cycle – in the hopes some of you will find his superb class notes useful After all it is appropriate while reading Judges to remember that this depressing book is part of a wider Scripture that is all fulfilled in Christ! The prophets will point more clearly to that fulfillment than Judges does. E100, Judges Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-week-six-is-ruth-also-among-the-judges/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-week-six-is-ruth-also-among-the-judges/#comments Sat, 22 May 2010 16:19:45 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=441

The book of Judges starts badly and gets worse. The end gets completely censored, never read in church, even the Sunday School stories get their naughty bits covered up!

The book ends with a slogan in 21:25 “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” Which neatly prepares for the books of Samuel except by the time we reach the end of 2 Kings (even if we are slow learners) we realise that kings are not much better.

And that’s how Scripture develops in the Hebrew Bible, in the Christian Old Testament Ruth stands between a beautifully told and thoroughly nice story between two ugly collections of humans behaving badly. A reminder of God’s redemption of human wrong, and of the part we humans can play in revealing that redemption.

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-week-six-is-ruth-also-among-the-judges/feed/ 0 0:04:54 The book of Judges starts badly and gets worse. The end gets completely censored, never read in church, even the Sunday School stories get their naughty bits covered up! The book ends with a slogan in 21:25 “In those days Israel had no king; e[...] The book of Judges starts badly and gets worse. The end gets completely censored, never read in church, even the Sunday School stories get their naughty bits covered up! The book ends with a slogan in 21:25 “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” Which neatly prepares for the books of Samuel except by the time we reach the end of 2 Kings (even if we are slow learners) we realise that kings are not much better. And that’s how Scripture develops in the Hebrew Bible, in the Christian Old Testament Ruth stands between a beautifully told and thoroughly nice story between two ugly collections of humans behaving badly. A reminder of God’s redemption of human wrong, and of the part we humans can play in revealing that redemption. E100, Judges, Ruth Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-25-joshua-513-%e2%80%93-627-the-fall-of-jericho/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-25-joshua-513-%e2%80%93-627-the-fall-of-jericho/#comments Thu, 20 May 2010 16:03:40 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=379

The remains of the Bronze Age walls of Tell es-Sultan (Jericho?) are impressively massive. Photo from Wikimedia

A great Sunday School story again raises the issue of divinely ordered brutal killing, which will need a small series of 5 Minute Bible ‘casts outside this E100 series, which I am committed to doing…

The story is also in several ways full of creative tensions, that raise it beyond a nice tale for kiddies into a thoroughly thought provoking story for adults, with some profound and striking theological points to make.

I’ll even get the chance to talk (briefly) about Amos! (As well as Amos 4: 1-3, I’ll also mention the grim account of Achan at the start of Joshua 7.)

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-25-joshua-513-%e2%80%93-627-the-fall-of-jericho/feed/ 0 0:04:43 The remains of the Bronze Age walls of Tell es-Sultan (Jericho?) are impressively massive. Photo from Wikimedia A great Sunday School story again raises the issue of divinely ordered brutal killing, which will need a small series of 5 Minute Bible [...] The remains of the Bronze Age walls of Tell es-Sultan (Jericho?) are impressively massive. Photo from Wikimedia A great Sunday School story again raises the issue of divinely ordered brutal killing, which will need a small series of 5 Minute Bible ‘casts outside this E100 series, which I am committed to doing… The story is also in several ways full of creative tensions, that raise it beyond a nice tale for kiddies into a thoroughly thought provoking story for adults, with some profound and striking theological points to make. I’ll even get the chance to talk (briefly) about Amos! (As well as Amos 4: 1-3, I’ll also mention the grim account of Achan at the start of Joshua 7.) E100, Joshua Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no http://5minutebible.com/e100-24-joshua-31-%e2%80%93-424-crossing-the-jordan/ http://5minutebible.com/e100-24-joshua-31-%e2%80%93-424-crossing-the-jordan/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 15:59:41 +0000 tim http://5minutebible.com/?p=384

In spring it becomes a torrent, today's river is depleted by water taken by modern pumping stations for cities and irrigation

For today’s reading there are historical (standing stones) and geographic (the Jordan river) information that is important, and perhaps better communicated by pictures and words, rather than words alone. So here are some relevant pictures, with brief captions…

Even today the Jordan valley has (in places) dense bush, making it a strange and dangerous place for people more used to dry pastureland. Photo Wikimedia.

Ancient monoliths (like these from Tel Gezer in the Judean Shephelah) are still impressive. Photo Tim Bulkeley

They were often erected in rows or circles, they still cause us to wonder why they were raised.

This chapter focuses on Joshua taking over from Moses, now that (at the end of Deuteronomy) Moses is dead and gone (though no one except God) saw him die. In the reading we learn a lot about how the Bible views leadership, and it does not easily fit with any of our modern, well-worn patterns. Thank God! We also (not coincidentally) learn about cooperation among God’s people.

Basalt Stele of the god Hadad on a bull with a thunderbolt in hand from Arslan Tash (Tiglath-Pileser III, c.744-727BC

This passage was probably chosen because it contains two famous “Bible stories”, the Golden Calf (in which a priest does what the people want, and becomes so successful that drunkenness, idolatry and other stupidity reigns) and the time Moses got to see God’s backside. But more troublingly it is another passage where God commands and demands killing. I can’t offer easy answers, indeed in one 5 minute podcast what did you expect but I will return to these passages and examine the issue in podcasts outside this E100 series.

]]> http://5minutebible.com/e100-22-exodus-321-%e2%80%93-3435-the-golden-calf/feed/ 2 0:05:04 Basalt Stele of the god Hadad on a bull with a thunderbolt in hand from Arslan Tash (Tiglath-Pileser III, c.744-727BC This passage was probably chosen because it contains two famous “Bible stories”, the Golden Calf (in which a priest doe[...] Basalt Stele of the god Hadad on a bull with a thunderbolt in hand from Arslan Tash (Tiglath-Pileser III, c.744-727BC This passage was probably chosen because it contains two famous “Bible stories”, the Golden Calf (in which a priest does what the people want, and becomes so successful that drunkenness, idolatry and other stupidity reigns) and the time Moses got to see God’s backside. But more troublingly it is another passage where God commands and demands killing. I can’t offer easy answers, indeed in one 5 minute podcast what did you expect but I will return to these passages and examine the issue in podcasts outside this E100 series. E100, Exodus, Genocide Dr Tim Bulkeley clean no