Biblical Storytelling of Acts 12 - Peter escaping jail and the death of Herod

Robert Turnbull from The Backyard Bard performing word-for-word from Acts 12 where Peter escapes from the jail by the help of an Angel. Also includes the death of Herod Agrippa.

Did Peter's vision of a sheet with animals portend the acceptance of non-Jewish Christians?

According to the story in Acts 10, Peter had a vision of a sheet full of animals being lowered from heaven. A voice from heaven told Peter to kill and eat, but since the sheet contained unclean animals, Peter declined. The command was repeated twice, along with the voice saying, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" and then the sheet was taken back to heaven.

At this point in the narrative, messengers sent from Cornelius arrive and urge Peter to go with them. He does so, and mentions the vision as he speaks to Cornelius, saying "God hath shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (Acts 10:28). Peter related the vision again in Acts 11:4-9.

Biblical scholar Simon J. Kistemaker suggests that the lesson God taught Peter in this vision is that "God has removed the barriers he once erected to separate his people from the surrounding nations. He argues that hthe vision means Peter has to accept Gentile believers as full members of the Christian Church, but also that God has made all animals clean, so that "Peter with his fellow Jewish Christians can disregard the food laws that have been observed since the days of Moses.

Others suggest that the implication is that all things God created are declared clean by him, and are not affected by human discriminations.

Frankly, all this interpretation seems to me to be a bit of a stretch - however well intended. Does this passage really overturn all the elaborate dietary laws we have been reading through late Exodus into Acts? And how did Peter make the leap from God's cleansing of the animals offered him to the concept that all men are acceptable by God into the Christian faith?

He ain't heavy; he's my brother

I stumbled across this tonight and thought you might enjoy...

Psalm 23 - Shepherd of my Soul

The singers are from Christ our Life ministries in Abbotsford British Columbia.

It's Shrove Tuesday - eat your pancakes!

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Shrove Tuesday is observed mainly in English speaking countries, especially Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, Canada and to some extent here in America (though we here in the States tend to think in terms of Mardi Gras). Shrove Tuesday is linked to Easter, so its date changes on an annual basis.

In most traditions the day is known for the eating of pancakes before the start of Lent. Pancakes are eaten as they are made out of the main foods available, sugar, fat, flour and eggs, whose consumption was traditionally restricted during the ritual fasting associated with Lent.

There are also festivities celebrating the day. On Pancake Day, pancake races are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake. The pancake race remains a relatively common festive tradition in the UK, and England in particular, even today. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air, catching them in the pan whilst running. In Olney today, a pancake race still takes place every year on Shrove Tuesday.

The tradition of pancake racing had started long before that. The most famous pancake race, at Olney in Buckinghamshire, has been held since 1445. The contestants, traditionally women, carry a frying pan and race to the finishing line while tossing the pancakes as they go. The winner is the first to cross the line having tossed the pancake a certain number of times. Traditionally, when men want to participate, they must dress up as a housewife (usually an apron and a bandanna).

Since 1950 the people of Liberal, Kansas, and Olney have held the "International Pancake Day" race between the two towns. The two towns' competitors race along an agreed-upon measured course. The times of the two towns' competitors are compared, to determine a winner overall. After the 2009 race, Liberal was leading with 34 wins to Olney's 25.

Below is the excitement from the 2007 race in Olney:

The power of epiphany

"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength." Acts 9: 17-19.

(From Wikipedia) An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the larger essence or meaning of something. The term is used in either a philosophical or literal sense to signify that the claimant has "found the last piece of the puzzle and now sees the whole picture," or has new information or experience, often insignificant by itself, that illuminates a deeper or numinous foundational frame of reference.

Some years ago a friend of mine recounted an experience she had that was life-changing for her. She had never been a true Christian and, like me, had struggled with her faith for many years. One evening she was awakened from sleep by the feeling that someone had sat on the foot of her bed. Upon opening her eyes, there, at the foot of her bed, was Jesus - she told me she knew instantly who He was. The entire event transpired in seconds and while no words were exchanged she told me she left the experience with a profound sense of calm and well-being. And from that moment on her life would be lived for The Lord - and to my knowledge she still follows His way to this day.

I have prayed for such a revelation as my faith is often weak. While I have never had an experience similar to that of my friend, I have on many occasions been overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the world around me and the profound nature of our existence and the blessing of life. How about you? Have you had a life-changing epiphany or are you, like most of us, struggling along while trying to nurture and develop our faith and trust in God? We are all in this together, and these daily readings certainly bring us closer to God and the possibility of a life-changing event.

What is the significance of the "burning bush" ?

Several times God reveals himself to Moses through the sign of a burning bush, which miraculously is not consumed by the flames. Why does God choose to use the sign of the burning bush, as opposed to any other miracle?

It seems to me that there should be some reason why a blazing (but not consumed) bush in the middle of the wilderness is particularly appropriate for the message that God was delivering to Moses. I was also wondering whether there is a specifically Christian interpretation of this event, given the other parallels between the Exodus and the work of Jesus.

Poking about the internet a bit, I found quite a few interpretations. One is:

"The idea behind this consuming fire is that it is the fire of God's judgment. Just before that verse in Deuteronomy, it says not to make idols (starting in verse 24) because the God is a consuming fire. We can see pretty clearly that this fire is a picture of God's judgment and wrath. By comparison, one thing that is striking about the image of the burning bush is that there is fire that does not consume. This is showing us that the imagery of the burning bush is one of mercy. The consuming fire engulfs the bush, but the bush is not consumed. The judgment is brought, but mercy is shown." - Arthur Pink

Another theory is that the burning bush indicates that Israel will not be consumed by the upcoming plagues in Egypt. It was, the theory goes, a way to indicate to Moses that there will be fires and judgments but the nation will not be consumed.

I also found:

Fire is symbolic of:

• God's glory
• A source of illumination
• An indication of power
• A source of cleansing (the environment was made holy)
• A source of warmth and comfort in cold and dark places
• God's wrath against uncleanliness

That the bush was not consumed is a sign that:

• That the fire was not sustained by the bush. God's existence doesn't depend on anything nor anyone else. He is self-sustaining, and the source of all energy in the universe (I assume that this is related to God calling Himself I AM).
• God is able to cleanse a living thing without destroying it - relating Moses' experience to the work of Christ who makes us clean without destroying us.

A final, simpler theory is simply that God used an item that was present at that time in that location (a bush in the desert) to indicate his glory. The fire that burned was simply his glory illuminating the bush. (Fire, at that time, was the only known source of light besides the sun.)

What do you think?

The "Bible Site" I use.

I usually do my weekday Year of the Bible reading at my desk early in the morning. Rather than carry a Bible to and from work each day I poked around the web and found this wonderful site. Bible Gateway offers the Bible in hundreds of versions and languages, including more than 30 versions in English. Personally, I use the New International Version (NIV), but it is very interesting to compare translations across the offerings. For example, here are today's first readings from Leviticus 6 in two comparative versions:

New International Version

The LORD said to Moses: 2 “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor, 3 or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit— 4 when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, 5 or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering. 6 And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the LORD, their guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. 7 In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the LORD, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”

The Wycliffe Bible

And the Lord spake to Moses, and said, 2 A soul, that is, a man, that sinneth, and despiseth the Lord, and denieth to his neighbour a thing betaken to his keeping, that was betaken to his faith, either taketh masterfully a thing by violence, either maketh false challenge, (Anyone who sinneth, and despiseth the Lord, and denieth to his neighbour that a thing was given to his keeping, that was given to him in faith, or who taketh a thing by violence, or who maketh false challenge,) 3 either findeth a thing lost, and denieth it furthermore, and forsweareth, and doeth any other thing of many, in which things men be wont to do sin, (or who findeth a lost thing, but denieth it forevermore, and forsweareth, or who doeth any other thing of many things, in which people be wont to sin,) 4 if it is convicted of the guilt, he shall yield whole all things which he would get by fraud, (if he is convicted, and found guilty, he shall give back whole everything which he hath gotten by fraud,) 5 and furthermore (add) the fifth part to the lord, to whom he did [the] harm. (and furthermore add a fifth part to it, for the person to whom he did the harm.) 6 Soothly for his sin he shall offer a ram unwemmed of the flock (And for his trespass offering, he shall offer a ram without blemish of the flock), and he shall give that ram to the priest, by the value and the measure of the trespass;7 and the priest shall pray for him before the Lord, and it shall be forgiven to him, for all (the) things (in) which he sinned in doing.

I am gonna stick with the NIV!

Man, it was hard on the livestock!

The Old Testament is full of animal sacrifice including God's very detailed instructions on how to carry it out. Why? What possible benefit is it to God for humans to slaughter animals and then burn them? Does God really enjoy the pleasant aroma? Wasn't it very hard for early worshipers to afford? And what about the animals that paid the ultimate price for the redemption of sins they certainly did not commit?

There is a lot of brutally in the Old Testament mostly ordered by God. This does not seem like the God of the New Testament who is a God of Love and Mercy. Could anyone please reconcile the two versions of God or at least explain it to a struggling believer? I do understand that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice - precluding the need for more animal sacrifices today. But, I am having a hard time with all this slaughter in the Old Testament. The animals really paid a price for our redemption! I have previously excused it, personally, by the times - this was a LONG time ago. The transition from a former pagan society to one under God and Christ must have been trying and I suppose the move from former pagan rituals, like animal sacrifice, must have been hard and took some time. Is that explanation good enough?

The role of the Temple and the rise of the Sadducees - Acts 5

The Temple became more than the center of worship in Judea; it served as the center of society. Priests held important positions as official leaders outside of the Temple. Solomon's Porch (modeled in the image below) as mentioned in today's reading from Acts 5 and in an earlier assignment in Acts 3, was a colonnade, or cloister probably, on the eastern side of the temple.

Throughout the Second Temple Period, Jerusalem saw several shifts in rule. Alexander’s conquest of the Mediterranean world brought an end to Persian control of Jerusalem (539 BC- 334/333 BC) and ushered in the Hellenistic period.

The democratizing forces of the Hellenistic period lessened and shifted the focus of Judaism away from the Temple and in the 3rd century BC, a scribal class began to emerge. New organizations and “social elites” appeared. It was also during this time that the high priesthood - the members of which are often identified as Sadducees - was developing a reputation for corruption. The Sadducee's persecution of the Apostles is well documented.

"Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail." Acts 5:17-18

The Ark of the Covenant - Exodus 37

The Ark of the Covenant was an ark or chest of shittim (acacia) wood two and one-half cubits long, and one and one-half cubits high (5 feet by 3 by 3) overlaid with gold, and embellished with a crown of gold extending around the chest upon the top edge. Four rings of pure gold were set in the four corners, two on one side and two on the other, through which were passed the wooden staves overlaid with gold used in carrying the sacred chest. Exodus 25:10; Exodus 37:1-10.

The Ark of the Covenant, thus fittingly enshrined, was the only piece of furniture in the Most Holy Place. It was visited but once each year by the High Priest, on the Day of Atonement, to make "atonement for the sins of the people." This was the most solemn ceremony of the Hebrew worship.

After its creation by Moses, the Ark was carried by the Israelites during their 40-years of wandering in the desert. Whenever the Israelites camped, the Ark was placed in a special and sacred tent, called the Tabernacle.

When the Israelites, led by Joshua toward the Promised Land, arrived at the banks of the River Jordan, the Ark was carried in the lead preceding the people and was the signal for their advance (Joshua 3:3, 6). During the crossing, the river grew dry as soon as the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touched its waters, and remained so until the priests—with the Ark—left the river after the people had passed over (Josh. 3:15-17; 4:10, 11, 18). As memorials, twelve stones were taken from the Jordan at the place where the priests had stood (Josh. 4:1-9).

In the Battle of Jericho, the Ark was carried round the city once a day for seven days, preceded by the armed men and seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns (Josh. 6:4-15). On the seventh day, the seven priests sounding the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark compassed the city seven times and, with a great shout, Jericho's wall fell down flat and the people took the city (Josh. 6:16-20). After the defeat at Ai, Joshua lamented before the Ark (Josh. 7:6-9). When Joshua read the Law to the people between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, they stood on each side of the Ark. The Ark was again set up by Joshua at Shiloh, but when the Israelites fought against Benjamin at Gibeah, they had the Ark with them and consulted it after their defeat.

The Ten Commandments hillbilly style (they still ring true)

Is God cruel? Exodus 31-32.

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully." - Richard Dawkins

OK, I posted that to stimulate discussion - not because I believe it. But I have to confess I am having a lot of trouble with these last few daily readings from Exodus. There are lots of dire threats of death and lots of slaughter taking place and it is coming directly from God. In today's reading - Exodus 32 - Moses has climbed Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments. The Israelites are bored and doubting, so they create a golden calf god. God immediately wants to kill them all, but Moses intervenes begging God to reconsider, and He relents. Moses returns down the mountain, chastises his people for their idolatry and then God commands him: “Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.” And, about 3,000 people died. What's up with that?

I have searched for an answer and have come across several offerings. Some say that God's wrath was needed to prevent further and more serious affronts to His authority. Some say that we should be more amazed by God's mercy since He does not simply strike us dead immediately when we transgress (as most of us do every day!). Unfortunately, in a fallen, evil world (unlike the one that God created), there are seldom any really happy alternatives. I am sure that what God eventually condoned here as necessary is certainly not what He originally envisioned as ideal.

My friend, Margaret, suggested that perhaps all the threats and slaughter were no more than early Bible authors trying to demonstrate God's power and ultimate authority through hyperbole and exaggeration.

What do you think. Personally, I could use some answers.

I am looking forward to tomorrow's reading from Exodus 34 wherein the Lord proclaims

“The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

The ordination of Aaron and his sons: Exodus 29-30

I must admit I was a bit taken aback by the elaborate and expensive nature of the Lord's demands of Moses and his people in the ordination ceremony. A bull and two rams were to be sacrificed - and detailed instructions about just how the animals should be butchered is given. In addition to the ordination offerings, Moses was instructed to sacrifice two year-old lambs every day, along with bread and wine. Every day! I can only imagine the burden that put on shepherds and the community at large. I still have trouble accepting the literal nature of the Lord's demands, so I went to my buddy Matthew Henry for insight.

"A lamb was to be offered upon the altar every morning, and a lamb every evening. This typified the continual intercession which Christ ever lives to make for his church. Though he offered himself but once for all, that one offering thus becomes a continual offering. This also teaches us to offer to God the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise every day, morning and evening. Our daily devotions are the most needful of our daily works, and the most pleasant of our daily comforts. Prayer-time must be kept up as duly as meal-time. Those starve their own souls, who keep not up constant attendance on the throne of grace; constancy in religion brings in the comfort of it."

OK, I get the value of ritual and daily devotions, but I still am struggling with the pagan nature of this entire process. I understand this happened a LONG time ago - long before Jesus' time - and I guess Moses and his folk were trying to reconcile their former pagan practices with the Lord's new edicts. But still...

If we have ever had a passage that needs comment and insight, this is one. Please offer your thoughts in the comments.

Proportionate Share?

I was listening to an audio version of Exodus in the car this weekend.  I tend to listen in chunks instead of doing the smaller, daily readings, which is detrimental to in depth discernment, but that's nonetheless what I was doing.  So I'm not sure if we have officially reached this point in the scheduled reading or not, and I can't pinpoint chapter and verse.  But what I heard was the long recitation (twice) of all the rules and regulations of Hebrew life, and one of them had to do with every person giving a fractional portion of a piece of silver as part of an annual offering of atonement.  The instructions were very clear:  the same amount was due from every man; the rich could not be required to give more, nor were the poor entitled to give less.  I'm probably revealing an unacceptable socialist bent here, but it doesn't seem fair to me that the poor would be required to give such a significantly greater portion of their assets than the rich.  Or, looking at it another way, if great sacrifice was the aim of this measure, it doesn't seem fair that the wealthy would be deprived of the blessing of that spiritual discipline by restricting the amount of their offering.  Why not a percentage instead of a "flat tax?"

LB

Matthew 25:31-46: The Sheep and the Goats Parable.

Moses' workout

In the midst of the thunder, lightning and smoke of Exodus 19, there is a rather amusing side story. I love it when the Bible strikes my funny bone; God does display a great sense of humor from time to time.

In this scene, Moses has led the Israelites to Mt. Sinai, the place God had told Moses at the beginning of his adventure to come and meet up. Now, Mt. Sinai is no Mt. Everest, but it was still a good mile and a half hike to the top. The Israelites set up camp at the base of the mountain and 80 year old Moses started to climb. He was probably keeping his eye open for any burning bushes during his ascent, since that’s how God spoke to him the last time he was in the vicinity.

Moses “went up to God” (v.3) and sure enough, God had a message for Moses to take to the people. So, Moses “went back” (v.7) and delivered the message. Then Moses took the people’s answer “back up to the Lord” (v.8). God was pleased and gave Moses another message for the people. After Moses “had gone down” (v.14), it wasn’t long before God “called Moses to the top of the mountain, so Moses went up” (v.20). Are you picturing this?

Here’s the funny part. Moses had just made his third trek up Mt. Sinai and God’s first words to him were, “GO DOWN and bring Aaron up” (v.24). Up and down, up and down, up and down. Isn’t that just the way it feels sometimes? But Moses spoke not a disparaging word; instead the Scripture says, “So Moses went down” (v.25).

Aside from the fact that Moses must have been in pretty good shape for an 80 year old, what do you think was going through Moses’ mind as he went up and down that mountain three times? Think about it this week and post your comments!

Great men should not only study to be useful themselves, but contrive to make others useful. Exodus 18

Exodus 18:17 may mark the beginning of representative government as we know it today. Moses for some time had been mediating disputes and quarrels between members of his flock when his father-in-law, Jethro, saw that the burden of judgement was taking its toll on Moses. There was only a loose system of laws so I imagine disputes were numerous. Moses needed help and Jethro had the answer:

Exodus 18:19 "Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

And again Presbyterian minister Matthew Henry has some insight:

"Here is the great zeal and the toil of Moses as a magistrate. Having been employed to redeem Israel out of the house of bondage, he is a further type of Christ, that he is employed as a lawgiver and a judge among them. If the people were as quarrelsome one with another as they were with God, no doubt Moses had many causes brought before him. This business Moses was called to; it appears that he did it with great care and kindness. The meanest Israelite was welcome to bring his cause before him. Moses kept to his business from morning to night. Jethro thought it was too much for him to undertake alone; also it would make the administration of justice tiresome to the people. There may be over-doing even in well-doing. Wisdom is profitable to direct, that we may neither content ourselves with less than our duty, nor task ourselves beyond our strength. Jethro advised Moses to a better plan. Great men should not only study to be useful themselves, but contrive to make others useful. Care must be taken in the choice of the persons admitted into such a trust. They should be men of good sense, that understood business, and that would not be daunted by frowns or clamours, but abhorred the thought of a bribe. Men of piety and religion; such as fear God, who dare not to do a base thing, though they could do it secretly and securely. The fear of God will best fortify a man against temptations to injustice. Moses did not despise this advice. Those are not wise, who think themselves too wise to be counselled."