I made it to Kentucky...
But more importantly, in terms of this blog, I got my computer hooked up, just about, oh, 15 minutes ago.
I'm in my two-bedroom duplex in Wilmore, which is plenty big enough for Ellie, my cat, and me. The seminary is about a 15 to 20 minute walk around the small pond, past the Jessamine County Ambulance and the firemen shining their red truck. It's small town living.
School doesn't start until September so I'm just busy taking care of paperwork, unpacking and getting acquainted with my new surroundings. And, yeah, I do miss Bakersfield and all the cool people I know there (you know who you are!).
The trip across country was pretty good and uneventful, even for Ellie. : X) She's quite a trooper. Drop me a line or ask Vance for more details on our journey.
But anyway...
I've been thinking a lot about Judges lately. No, not Judy or Wapner, but the book of Judges. If you keep up with the Daily Office than you know it's been in the news lately.
A lot of bad stuff happens in Judges -- the one that's been standing out for me is in chapter 19, as well as the subsequent events in 20 and 21. (Note: this is the stuff in the Bible that they don't read to you as a youngster in Sunday school class; viewer discretion is advised.)
OK, now that you got your Bible opened, anyone? anyone? it's the way the Levite man treats his concubine. Has this man no honor? By the way he acts and what he says, it's obvious he thinks he does. It took me more than one reading to realize how complicit he is in the crime/travesty/horror being committed here. And then, in chapter 20, he retells his whitewashed version of the events with his role in it conveniently left out.
The following events are just as horrifying, as Israel nearly wipes out one of its own, the Benjamites, and then commit more atrocities to make sure the tribe can continue.
But back to the Levite and the concubine. The way he treated her, lacking compassion or concern, and then mutilated her, I found well, disturbing. It's weird how you can read volumes of stories of violence, oppression and other kinds of evil and then one just really grabs you. I hurt for this woman. This poor woman, sent to the slaughter by her husband who slept during her ordeal and then treated like a dead animal. It makes me sick.
As I start talking to people about it and reading commentaries, I guess what I'm getting is: it should make you sick. One commentary (sorry, I was just looking at it in the bookstore, didn't write down the title, please don't rat me out!) was saying that this was a good example of just how completely out-of-control and evil as a society Israel had become.
This isn't the way man is supposed to behave. It sure isn't what God intended. The author of Judges concludes:
Apparently so.
As I prayed this morning, a thought came to me as I was thinking on the sacrifice Christ made for me and the whole world.
Jesus died for her, too.
And as I spoke with a new seminary professor over lunch today, she commented that Jesus' sufferings made it possible for Him to know our sufferings -- all our horrible, terrifying and at times, inhumane sufferings and humilations.
It seems God was the only one left to care about that woman and I have to think that Jesus remembered her on the cross just like you and me.
That kind of love humbles me.
Only Jesus could ultimately forgive those evil deeds and only He could make it possible for a woman now considered filthy on so many levels to be loved, hopefully to be brought into Paradise.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have thoughts on this, I'd love to hear 'em.
I'm in my two-bedroom duplex in Wilmore, which is plenty big enough for Ellie, my cat, and me. The seminary is about a 15 to 20 minute walk around the small pond, past the Jessamine County Ambulance and the firemen shining their red truck. It's small town living.
School doesn't start until September so I'm just busy taking care of paperwork, unpacking and getting acquainted with my new surroundings. And, yeah, I do miss Bakersfield and all the cool people I know there (you know who you are!).
The trip across country was pretty good and uneventful, even for Ellie. : X) She's quite a trooper. Drop me a line or ask Vance for more details on our journey.
But anyway...
I've been thinking a lot about Judges lately. No, not Judy or Wapner, but the book of Judges. If you keep up with the Daily Office than you know it's been in the news lately.
A lot of bad stuff happens in Judges -- the one that's been standing out for me is in chapter 19, as well as the subsequent events in 20 and 21. (Note: this is the stuff in the Bible that they don't read to you as a youngster in Sunday school class; viewer discretion is advised.)
OK, now that you got your Bible opened, anyone? anyone? it's the way the Levite man treats his concubine. Has this man no honor? By the way he acts and what he says, it's obvious he thinks he does. It took me more than one reading to realize how complicit he is in the crime/travesty/horror being committed here. And then, in chapter 20, he retells his whitewashed version of the events with his role in it conveniently left out.
The following events are just as horrifying, as Israel nearly wipes out one of its own, the Benjamites, and then commit more atrocities to make sure the tribe can continue.
But back to the Levite and the concubine. The way he treated her, lacking compassion or concern, and then mutilated her, I found well, disturbing. It's weird how you can read volumes of stories of violence, oppression and other kinds of evil and then one just really grabs you. I hurt for this woman. This poor woman, sent to the slaughter by her husband who slept during her ordeal and then treated like a dead animal. It makes me sick.
As I start talking to people about it and reading commentaries, I guess what I'm getting is: it should make you sick. One commentary (sorry, I was just looking at it in the bookstore, didn't write down the title, please don't rat me out!) was saying that this was a good example of just how completely out-of-control and evil as a society Israel had become.
This isn't the way man is supposed to behave. It sure isn't what God intended. The author of Judges concludes:
In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.
Apparently so.
As I prayed this morning, a thought came to me as I was thinking on the sacrifice Christ made for me and the whole world.
Jesus died for her, too.
And as I spoke with a new seminary professor over lunch today, she commented that Jesus' sufferings made it possible for Him to know our sufferings -- all our horrible, terrifying and at times, inhumane sufferings and humilations.
It seems God was the only one left to care about that woman and I have to think that Jesus remembered her on the cross just like you and me.
That kind of love humbles me.
Only Jesus could ultimately forgive those evil deeds and only He could make it possible for a woman now considered filthy on so many levels to be loved, hopefully to be brought into Paradise.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have thoughts on this, I'd love to hear 'em.
posted by Michelle | 10:50 PM
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