Leviticus, Aaron, Moses, and Jethro
Happy Monday! Three weeks until Palm Sunday and just four until Easter; I hope that your Lenten time has brought you joy. I have been working on memorization this Lent. So far, I’ve captured 1 Corinthians 13 (the one about love), and I’m now working my way through Isaiah 46 (the one about God’s unending faithfulness: “even to old age I am he…”).
Recently on VerseNotes
I haven’t made much progress writing these last few weeks. I’ve kept up my daily Chapter By Chapter writing, but the long form has had to take a back seat.
Chapter By Chapter Update
Since the last newsletter, I’ve finished and posted notes for Exodus 27–40, finishing that book; Psalm 39–45, and Luke 11–17.
Delight in the Details
Last time, we talked about an unnamed man of God, but weren’t able to finish the story because it involved yet another very minor prophet. This time, we can finish that story.
King Amaziah of Judah had just won a battle against the Edomites after sending 100,000 Israelite mercenaries back to Israel on the advice of an unnamed prophet. Inexplicably, he brought back their idols with him and set them up for himself, worshiping them and sacrificing to them.
Another unnamed prophet brings him God’s mocking anger: “Why would you worship these gods who couldn’t even save their own people?” King Amaziah responds by threatening to kill the prophet, and the prophet responds by promising God would destroy him.
Sure enough, Amaziah goes to war against Israel and loses badly. Israel kidnaps Amaziah, destroys part of Jerusalem’s wall, and seizes treasure from the temple and the palace.
Et Cetera
Things I learned in my reading this week, in no particular order.
Leviticus is the Gospel according to Moses
Dr. J. Brandon Meeks, “Canon Theologian of the Bible Belt” aka @NoJesuitTricks teaches us that Leviticus, “the heart of the Torah,” is less a collection of regulations and more “the good news that God has devised means so that His banished by not expelled from Him.”
Leviticus contains more speech by God than all of the Gospels combined
Part of the previous thread worth highlighting all on its own.
Aaron : Moses :: Moses : Jethro
When Moses returns to Egypt after his exile in Midian, his brother Aaron comes out to meet him, to welcome him back to the family of Hebrews (remember, Moses wasn’t really Hebrew and wasn’t really Egyptian either). After the flight from Egypt, when Jethro comes out to meet the new nation, Moses goes out to meet him. The stories are parallel, and Ari Lamm expounds beautifully.
