Numbers 20
Israel seems to be getting close to inhabited areas and it is worrying the locals. The king of Arad attacked the Israelites and took captives. Israel flattens the cities in his realm and kills everybody there.
This seems like over reaction, but that is from a 21st century perspective - even then there are those who would do the same today.
I've lost count of how many times the Israelites grumble about their lot. In this case God sends a plague of snakes. When the Israelites work out that they managed to upset God again Moses makes a bronze replica of the snake which he sets on a tall pole, anybody bitten could get relief by simply looking at the bronze snake.
This, I believe, is the origin of the medical symbol that is used to this day.
The Israelites carry on their journey toward Moab, as they travel they come across 2 kings of Sihon and Og,
Sihon is of the Amonite tribes (A son of Lot, Abraham's nephew. Israel offers to travel peaceably through his land keeping to the highway - Sihon marched out and attacked Israel, he lost.
Og also marched out and was also destroyed.
Israel takes possession of these lands.
Numbers 21
This is one of the best stories in the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible) Having seen what Israel did to Sihon and Og, king Balak of Moab gets some help from a guy called Balaam who actually came from somewhere close to where Abraham started from.
Balaam seems to have a gift for blessing and cursing, so Balak asks Balaam to curse Israel.
God tells Balaam not to go when summoned, so Balak sends some more impressive messengers.
Balak tells Balaam that money is no object, and Balaam agrees to go in the end.
On the way an angel blocks the road with a sword in his hand - Balaam cannot see the angel but his donkey does and the creature turned off the road into a field.
Balaam beat the animal back to the road.
A second time the angel blocks the road close to a walled vinyard, the donkey scraped Balaams leg on the wall trying to get past.
Third time, the Angel picks a spot where the donkey cannot go around - so it lies down and is again beaten.
Next moment the donkey starts to argue with Balaam - demanding Why did you beat me?
Balaam answers that he has been embarrassed by the donkey and if his staff was a sword there would be no more trouble.
The donkey asks, based on their long relationship if he is in the habbit of doing this, and Balaam has to admit that he does not.
At this moment Balaam is able to see the angel, who tells Balaam that his talking donkey has just saved his life - I hope Balaam's ass didn;t sound like Eddie Murphy who played Donkey in the Shrek movies!
Now read the story and try not to hear Eddie Murphy's voice!!
Balaam carries on and warns Balak that he cannot curse Israel unless God tells him it is ok.
Israel seems to be getting close to inhabited areas and it is worrying the locals. The king of Arad attacked the Israelites and took captives. Israel flattens the cities in his realm and kills everybody there.
This seems like over reaction, but that is from a 21st century perspective - even then there are those who would do the same today.
I've lost count of how many times the Israelites grumble about their lot. In this case God sends a plague of snakes. When the Israelites work out that they managed to upset God again Moses makes a bronze replica of the snake which he sets on a tall pole, anybody bitten could get relief by simply looking at the bronze snake.
This, I believe, is the origin of the medical symbol that is used to this day.
The Israelites carry on their journey toward Moab, as they travel they come across 2 kings of Sihon and Og,
Sihon is of the Amonite tribes (A son of Lot, Abraham's nephew. Israel offers to travel peaceably through his land keeping to the highway - Sihon marched out and attacked Israel, he lost.
Og also marched out and was also destroyed.
Israel takes possession of these lands.
Numbers 21
This is one of the best stories in the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible) Having seen what Israel did to Sihon and Og, king Balak of Moab gets some help from a guy called Balaam who actually came from somewhere close to where Abraham started from.
Balaam seems to have a gift for blessing and cursing, so Balak asks Balaam to curse Israel.
God tells Balaam not to go when summoned, so Balak sends some more impressive messengers.
Balak tells Balaam that money is no object, and Balaam agrees to go in the end.
On the way an angel blocks the road with a sword in his hand - Balaam cannot see the angel but his donkey does and the creature turned off the road into a field.
Balaam beat the animal back to the road.
A second time the angel blocks the road close to a walled vinyard, the donkey scraped Balaams leg on the wall trying to get past.
Third time, the Angel picks a spot where the donkey cannot go around - so it lies down and is again beaten.
Next moment the donkey starts to argue with Balaam - demanding Why did you beat me?
Balaam answers that he has been embarrassed by the donkey and if his staff was a sword there would be no more trouble.
The donkey asks, based on their long relationship if he is in the habbit of doing this, and Balaam has to admit that he does not.
At this moment Balaam is able to see the angel, who tells Balaam that his talking donkey has just saved his life - I hope Balaam's ass didn;t sound like Eddie Murphy who played Donkey in the Shrek movies!
Now read the story and try not to hear Eddie Murphy's voice!!
Balaam carries on and warns Balak that he cannot curse Israel unless God tells him it is ok.
No comments:
Post a Comment