Moses by Frida Kahlo
1945
This is actually several day's readings.
We first find Mo getting instructions for a census. Everybody is to give a little in order that they have no plague fall upon them.
Now heres the part I know my dear friend simply loves, the rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less. No comment.
Then we get a bunch of directions, the big one seems to be "DO NOT WORK ON THE SABBATH!!!!!"
Things are just getting crazier and crazier. Moses is spending more time on the Mt. chatting it up with the Big Guy, getting pages and pages of instructions.
While he's doing this he's left in brother in charge down below to near disastrous consequences. He goes and does all sorts of stuff that he's not suppose to do, including making a GOLD CALF for the people to have as a god?!?
WHATEVER, I was even like COME ON! You can't be serious Aaron.
So I don't know what that was about, but neither God nor Moses was pleased. ......and so people had to be killed.
The good guys come forward and and Moses goes up to the Lord and sorta asks that he take the blame for them. God says no, that they must take the blame and he sends a plague.
Why doesn't Aaron get into trouble though?
Then God decides to show himself (sorta) to Moses, which is crazy to me. I just don't think of God as looking like anything.
Moses spends 40 days and 40 nights (always with the 40 days and 40 nights?) and he came down with the 10 commandments and super shiny skin (like Edward, for you Twilight people). It freaked everybody out so Moses wore a veil on his face after he talked to God.
We get through the building of the tabernacle and the tent and all the details about Aaron and his bathing.
God gives the instructions for all the feasts that and such that should be kept and the sacrifices that should be made.
That basically takes us out of Exodus.
5 comments:
The Golden Calf was not necessarily a separate or different God all by itself. It was a symbol of God (and maybe a compilation of some others). But God does not want us to make graven images, even of Him. He cannot be contained and shouldn't be portrayed to be represented by anything on Earth or that we could imagine. This is very important for me cause I believe it's a hit on Catholics. Without going to far on that, I will just say that they are always making some sort of representation of Jesus, Mary, the Apostles, or Saints...and they shouldn't. Nor should they bow to them. But I digress.
A simpler lesson (and saying) : cleanliness is next to Godliness. I wonder if this is where that comes from. With all of the washing that Aaron and his sons have to do before they go into God's presence.
The Angel of the Lord is always going ahead (and protecting the caboose) of the Israelites. The lesson is God will make our curved road straight. He'll guide and direct us. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. He is always willing to forgive (and forget) or sins if we are just willing to repent. He did this over and over again with the hard-headed Israelites.
Moses, upon seeing the golden calf, became angry and threw down the first tablets that God had gave him. You'll notice (like Jesus later) that although Moses became angry, that wasn't a sin. It's ok to get angry, just be careful what you say, do, and think while you're angry. Anger is not sin.
Yes, I am thrilled about the rich and the poor being treated equally. I mean isn't that fair? Are we suppposed to discriminate against the rich? Are we supposed to arbitrarily help all poor people regardless of why they're poor? Afterall, most people are in their particular situation (both poor and rich) because of their own doing. Should our courts give greater favor to someone because of their economic level. That's not justice.
We see throughout this that God will fight our battles. We just have to trust Him and stay in faith. If we go too far in taking matters in our own hands, we may limit what He can or will do for us. Vengeance is His. He will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you. I love what it say about remaining at rest and keeping your peace...cause He will do the heavy lifting/fighting.
We begin to see here that God does not like the joining together of the righteous and unrighteous...which is one reason He wants everything consecrated before it comes before Him; back then thru ritual and sacrifice, now throught the accepting of Jesus as our personal savior. Later we'll see how this extends to marriage and the bonding of a believer and non-believer. He doesn't want leaven (or honey) as part of the sacrifices because they are symbols of corruption/unrighteousness, because of the fermentation they can cause. Interesting for such a "primitive" and "ancient" people to be so keenly aware fo the yeast process. I take this also as God is fiercely opposed to corruption (later we'll talk about bribery)....which means most of our politicians are in BIG trouble.
We are also beginning to see the shaping of the tithing principal...that is, first fruits (later more specifically 10% of the first fruits). God doesn't want second best. He doesn't want left overs. He wants our best. Afterall, we've already been told that our talents and abilities are God-given, so why not give him the first 10% back, WILLINGLY AND UNGRUDGINGLY? If you knew that someone was responsible for your success, wouldn't you give them a little in return? He also wants the best of our attitudes and efforts. He wants us to people of excellence and integrity in every way. That's how we are examples of Him.
God specifically says in here that His Word(s) have purpose and character. I think that is a powerful statement. And I believe it's true (in how He created us) for our words as well. That's why I think actual verbal declarations out loud are very important and powerful. I think we have to be very careful what we say outloud, to and about others (esp. children) and about ourselves. Our words can be self-prophesying.
Although Moses at the time was the only one given favor enough to speak directly to God (like Crystal said, kind of), nowadays (since Jesus) we can all have that kind of personal communication/talks with God. Again, He wants to be a very personal God. He's even more accessible than the internet or friends via txt and cell phone. If you can think, you can reach Him 24/7.
So I notice in the first post we are already establishing which Christian religiosity have it wrong. Fulfilling my expectation of organized religion completely. I'm assuming we're reading the Talmud next. The Koran?
How can it be a hit on Catholics? There were no Catholics at this point. And again isn't this picking and choosing, why hold onto this particular rule?
Crystal, when Jesus came it changed the sacrificial rules and traditions. There was no longer a need for them. It did NOT change the applicability of the Ten Commandments. Why would substituting Christ for older sacrificial traditions carry over to allowing people to sin? The two aren't the same. And I wasn't saying the Bible was "diggin" on Catholics; I was saying my comment was.
Delia, it's not a matter of being right vs. wrong necessarily. It's a matter of saying you believe the Bible, but ignoring what the Bible clearly says. There are several areas where the Catholic religion does this, and I will bring it up whenever we run across such an item. It says, in no uncertain terms, no graven images. This means even of God (Jesus, Holy Spirit). So any "statue" or picture which is supposed to be a symbol or likeness of Him is wrong. And of course bowing (or worshipping or praying) to others who are not God is totally wrong. The only difference of opinion here can be whether or not someone wants to believe that the Pope has the authority to change Biblical rules or not; which is the underlying, fundamental difference in Christian and Catholic religions. Catholics think that the Pope was given the authority of Jesus on Earth, and so he can change/alter the "rules"; whereas, Christians do not.
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