Have you ever laid a project down for only a short time and then the short time became three years? Several years ago, I started a very intense religious project which entailed watching at least five Christian sermons a week, attending humanist meetings, interviewing a witch, learning some Greek and reading the Bible on a daily basis. Did I gain anything from my obsession with religion? Not on a spiritual level... but I can beat out most Christians in Bible trivia games :)
A friend of mine has encouraged me to continue my Bible reading project and publish my work into an e-book or make it available for the general public in some other way. I did put a tremendous amount of work into writing a summaries of my daily Bible readings and it was somewhat enjoyable, but I lost interest after about 400 articles and other more pressing issues got in the way.
The following is an excerpt taken from my previous blog:
Day 36
2 Kings 14 – I Chronicles
I know it has been a while since my last reading of the
Bible in chronological order with a summary. The last reading ended with the
death of Elisha. I do read the Bible almost daily. When I can’t read it, I have
portions of it memorized to meditate over. One of the most profound books that
I have read recently is “The Way to God” by Gandhi. It is a book about the
beliefs he held. I borrowed it from the University library, and a girl had
underlined a few portions in purple ink with “Jesus” written in bubble letters
in the margins. At one point she wrote “Jesus or Paul?” Gandhi was greatly
influenced by Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and that is evident in his beliefs and
actions. If the girl who had marked in the book had been paying attention, she
would have noticed that on nearly every page Jesus was quoted. I know from
reading about Leo Tolstoy that Gandhi and he had written several letters to one
another. Tolstoy was also profoundly influenced by the Sermon on the Mount and
the synoptic gospels. Neither one of the men are considered Christians or even
considered themselves Christians. In the forward of “The Way to God” Gandhi’s
grandson had the following statement:
When Grandfather confessed to his Christian friends how
much he was impressed by the Sermon on the Mount he was asked, “Why don’t you
become a Christian?” “When you convince me that all Christians live according
to the Sermon on the Mount, I will be the first to change my religion,” he
responded.
Later in the Introduction of the book quotes Gandhi as
saying:
“One day a British cleric, well known for his
imperialistic persuasion, found himself face to face with Mahatma Gandhi.
Wishing to paper over their differences, he is said to have remarked, “Well,
we’re both men of God, Mr. Gandhi aren’t we?” “You are a politician disguised
as a man of God,” the Mahatma replied. “I am a man of God disguised as a
politician.”
I have included a picture of the Bible that I read from.
When my mother cleaned out my grandparent’s house she found this Bible. My
grandparents had a lot of things, so she would run across a Bible occasionally.
She put most of them in her antique booth writing the word “free” on it. Every
time she has done that the Bible has been picked up within a week. She found
this one in a box of stuff and asked if I wanted it. It was just the Bible that
I wanted for this project. I have several New Testaments from the Gideon’s and
some other versions, but I wanted the red letter edition KJV. I was looking at
the first page and this Bible used to belong to someone else, a woman named
Tammy, who was presented the Bible on June 5, 2002. I don’t know of anyone by
that name and have no idea how it came into my grandparents' possession. Tammy
didn’t mark in any section of the Bible or dog-ear the pages. When I first
obtained the Bible in Christmas of 2009, the only thing to indicate that it
wasn’t a brand new Bible was the white-out name and a small tear on the front
cover. Since I have had it, the margins have little sun symbols indicating
portions of solar myths, spaghetti stains are in it, some corners have been
folded, the ribbon is a little frayed at the bottom, the gold lettering on the
front is chipping and one of the blank pages now lists the Jewish calendar. The
only thing missing is my name in the front.
The reading tonight is interesting in that it presents a
kind of battle between the earth religions that were worshipped at the time and
the God that is presented in the Old Testament. They believed in many gods but
could only worship one. It is interesting to read how these “competitions”
between gods were viewed. There is also a cryptic passage involving 10 degrees,
and I think that has to do with the sun. Something called “The Book of the Law”
is found which means it was lost. King Josiah seems to have been a fervent
follower of the book and destroyed all idols.
Tammy's name was whited-out by someone else. I should write
my own name there, just in case I leave it somewhere. I don't want all of my
notes in the margins to be lost.
Amaziah, king of Judah – Amaziah was the son of
Joash. He was 25 and reigned for 29 years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan. He
did right in the sign of the Lord but left the “high places” for the people to
worship at. As soon as he was king, he killed the servants who had killed his
father. This is an odd passage, “And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to
Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the
cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and
there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the
thistle.” Jehoash took Amaziah at Beth-shemesh and broke down 400
cubits of the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate.
Jehoash stole the gold and silver that were in the temple and took hostages and
returned to Samaria. Here again, we are missing much of the story because the
rest of it are found in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and the
Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. The Bible itself writes that it is
incomplete.
Jeroboam II, King of Israel – Jeroboam was the
son of Joash and reigned 41 years over Israel. He did that which was evil in
sight of the Lord. I’m not exactly sure what he did that was evil…
Azariah, King of Judah – Azariah became a king
at 16 years old and reigned for 52 years. He did what was right in sight of the
Lord. He did as his father, Amaziah, had done and also did not remove the high
places of worship. God gave him leprosy.
Zechariah, King of Israel – He was the son of
Jeroboam and did evil. Shallum, the son of Jabesh killed him before the people
and reigned in his place. “This was the word of the Lord which he spake unto
Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth
generation. And so it came to pass.”
Shallum, King of Israel – He reigned for a month
until, Menahem, the son of Gadi came from Tirzah and killed him. Menahem then
killed people from Tirzah because “they had not opened up to
him.” He also killed “all the women therein that were
with child he ripped up.”
Menahem, King of Israel – He did that which was
evil in the sight of the Lord following in the sins of Jeroboam.
Pekahiah, King of Israel – He was the son of
Menahem. Pekahiah was killed by Pekah.
Pekah, King of Israel – Pekah was the son of
Remaliah. Hoshea killed him and reigned in his place.
Jotham, King of Judah – He reigned 16 years in
Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha who was the daughter of Zadok (I like
that name). He did that which was right but he did not remove the high places.
Ahaz, King of Judah – He did that which was
right in the sight of the Lord. This is an odd passage, “But he walked
in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the
fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from
before the children of Israel.” He also sacrificed and burnt offering
in high places and on the hills and under every green tree. King Ahaz traveled
to Damascus to meet with the king of Assyria, Tiglath-pileser. Ahaz saw an
altar there that he liked and had one built by, Urijah, a priest.
Samaria Captured by Assyria – Hoshea reigned in
Samaria over Israel for 9 years. He did that which was evil in the sight of the
Lord. Shalmaneser, king of Assyria fought against Israel. Hoshea became his
friend and gave him presents. The king of Assyria found a conspiracy in Hoshea
and that he sent messengers to So, king of Egypt. Shalmanser did not receive a
present from Hoshea when So did as Hoshea had normally given him a present.
Shalmanser put Hoshea in prison and besieged Samaria for 3 years taking Israel
away into Assyria.
The Sins of Israel and Judah – It is said that
they walked in the statues of the heathen and they feared other gods. They set
up images in groves and on every high hill and under every green tree. They
burnt incense in high places, made molten images and 2 calves. It is said that
they worshipped all the host of heaven and served Baal. They made their sons
and daughters pass through the fire and used divination and enchantments and
also sold themselves to do evil.
Israel Resettled with Assyrians – Lions were
sent by God to kill some in Assyria. It lists the gods of the various nations
and how some were worshipped.
Hezekiah, King of Judah – Hezekiah was the son
of Ahaz and did right in the sight of the Lord. He removed the high places and
broke the images and cut down the grove and broke the brazen serpent that Moses
had made. It was called Nehushtan. Hezekiah did give the king of Assyria all
the silver from the temple and the treasures of the king’s house. He also cut
the gold from the doors of the temple and from the pillars and gave that to the
king of Assyria.
The Assyrian Threats – The king of Assyria
threatened war with Hezekiah. There is a weird threat in this passage… “But
Rab-shaketh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to they master, and to thee,
to speak these words? Hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall,
that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?”
Hezekiah Sends to Isaiah – Hezekiah goes to pray
in the temple. The servants go and ask Isaiah about the situation with the
Assyrian king and he tells them to not be afraid.
Hezekiah’s Prayer – Hezekiah received a letter
from the messengers and took it to the altar. He prayed to the God “which
dwellest between the cherubims.” He asks for God to save his land and
that he is afraid of Assyria because they have conquered so many other gods. He
says, “Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out
of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord
God even thou only.”
The Divine Deliverance – Isaiah said that God
had heard the prayer. There are many signs that will be given and the whole
passage is written in symbolism. An angel of the Lord killed 125,000 of the
Assyrians. King Sennacherib of Assyria was killed by his sons while worshipping
the deity Nisroch.
The Sickness of Hezekiah – Hezekiah was told
that by God that he was going to die and for him to set his house in order.
Hezekiah was very depressed and cried. Isaiah then heard from God to tell
Hezekiah that he would be healed and live for another 15 years. Isaiah boiled a
bunch of figs and gave it to Hezekiah and he recovered. Very interesting
passage that probably has to do with the sun “And Hezekiah said unto
Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go
up into the house of the Lord the third day? And Isaiah said, This sign shalt
thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken:
shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? And Hezekiah
answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but
let the shadow return backward ten degrees. And Isaiah the prophet cried unto
the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone
down in the dial of Ahaz.”
Hezekiah’s Foolishness – Berodach-baladan, king
of Babylon sent letters and a present to Hezekiah because he had heard that he
was sick. Hezekiah showed them all the wealth that he had. Isaiah asked him
what he had shown them and he said that he had showed them everything. Isaiah
then said that everything would be carried away to Babylon and that there would
be eunuchs in the palace of Babylon.
Manasseh, King of Judah – He was the son of
Hezekiah and reigned at the age of 12 for 55 years. He did that which was evil
in the sight of the Lord. He built altars in high places and for Baal. For
Manasseh’s evil ways God says “I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a
dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.”
Amon, King of Judah – Amon was the son of
Manasseh and also did evil in the sight of the Lord.
The Book of the Law Found – Josiah was 8 years
old when he began to reign. He did that which was right in the sight of the
Lord. He sent, Shaphan, a scribe to go to the house of the Lord and bring the
high priest, Hilkiah, silver to pay the repairers of the temple. Hilkiah said
that he had found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. He gave the
book to Shaphan and he read it. Shaphan then brought the book (scroll) to the
king and he read it to the king. When the king heard the words he rent his
clothes and commanded many men to “Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me,
and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that
is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us,
because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do
according unto all that which is written concerning us.” They then
speak to a prophetess who tells them that God will bring evil upon that place
because they have forsaken God. She also says that since Josiah was faithful he
would not see the evil that was to come.
The Renewal of the Covenant – The king gathered
all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem and brought them to the house of the Lord
so they could hear the words of the book of the covenant. Josiah burned all the
things in the temple that were made for Baal. He put down the priests that had“burned
incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all
the hosts of heaven.” It also says “And he brake down the
houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the Lord, where the women
wove hangings for the grove.” He broke the Topheth which held the
place where parents would make their children pass through the fire of Molech.
Josiah died in battle at Megiddo.
Jehoahaz, King of Judah – He was the son of
Josiah and did evil in the sight of the Lord. He reighend 3 months. He was
kidnapped by Pharaoh-nechoh of Egypt. Eliakim, the other son of Josia was made
king in his place. Eliakim’s name was changed to Johoiakim.
Jehoiakim, King of Judah – He did that which was
evil in the sight of the lord. Nebuchadnezzar was king in Babylon at the time.
Jehoiachin, King of Judah – He did that which
was evil in the sight of the Lord. King Nebuchadnezzar kidnapped the royalty in
Jerusalem. He brought thousands of craftsmen to Babylon and all the skilled
workers and soldiers.
Jerusalem Destroyed – The city was besieged
while King Zedekiah reigned. The house of the Lord was burned. The poor of the
land were left to be vinedressers and husbandmen. Anything of value was stolen
by the Babylonians.
Jehoiachin in Captivity – When Jehoiachin had
been captive for 37 years the new king of Babylon, Evil-merodach, took him out
of prison. He gave him a throne with him in Babylon and gave him new clothes, a
salary and fed him well for the rest of his life.
