When I take pictures, sometimes I like to get the big scope, and other times I like to focus in on small details. I think with Bible reading we should have some of both. Often times, however, I find myself reading in what would be called "Sweeping Generalizations" in the paper-writing world. After spending time with my students this past week working on honing their diction/description abilities in the verbal universe, I was determined to come back to the Bible and apply some of those concepts to my own studying. After all, reading and writing are a circle in different stages; we read what someone has written, and we write for the purpose of recording so we can come back to read.
I was inspired by a conversation with Isaac last week about how he and several of his close friends are reading through the Torah slowly... carefully... looking at the small details. In conjunction with that, I was going through old files on my computer recently and saw the downloaded document that got saved in my computer's brain from my friend Anthony last January as he was going through the Bible and writing down a summary and key verse from each chapter. Climbing rapidly up Bloom's Taxonomy of thinking levels, I decided to use both of these guys' goals as inspiration for my next devo project: I want to read through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy carefully - perhaps only a chapter or two a day - and write out in my QT notebook (a gift from my cousins, Ann and Charlie, last birthday) key impressions, thoughts, convictions, interesting word choice, and note a verse or two that seems to sum up the significance of each chapter.
I took quite some time to read Genesis 9, 10, and 11 today, and I got dumped on.
While I won't relate my entire conversation with the Lord this morning, I did noticed some wording in Genesis 9 that stopped me in my tracks. The Bible reports that Ham saw his father's nakedness and told his brothers. There are so many other ways to say this, I stopped and thought about why God chose to put it in such undetailed language. If I was writing, I would have used so many other descriptive words! Was Ham spying on his Dad? Did he burst into his room unannounced, rudely putting his own demands above common courtesy? Did he jeer? Was he disgusted? I don't know what Ham's attitude exactly was, but regardless, it obviously wasn't as respectable as his brothers. If we carry this literal story over to less literal ideas, I realized that when we see weakness in parents (or anyone else close to us) - whether because of their own stupidity or accidentally - I should seek to "cover" or "protect" them, rather than report and expose their weakness to others. Wow. There's a twisting in my heart and I had to take time to repent for some many foolish, stupid things I've said or reported in my LACK of "covering" and "protecting" attitudes. Likewise, Noah's reaction seems, frankly, a bit excessive... I would even go so far as to say that it seems defensive. This was also convicting: how many times have I had a weakness or vulnerability or sin exposed and I've lashed out, reacting rather than taking correction or revelation into consideration and acting in response? Lord, have mercy on me and my weaknesses!
Genesis 10, of course, is one of those seemingly long and boring family lineage accounts that I usually skim through rapidly. While I didn't agonize over how to pronounce names, I did notice at the end of the chapter how the Bible states that all of the tribes and peoples of the world come from Shem, Ham, and Japeth. Is it not significant that God is promoting this idea of a world-wide family? In the previous chapter I just saw how Ham didn't do what was best in terms of a family member's vulnerability. If we're all from the same origins, that would make us all family, which would then imply that we should be protective, honoring, and considerate of ALL of humanity, does it not? I know I do not always do that. IF I manage to pull myself out of my selfish rut and look out for the good of people who are close to me or for whom I feel responsibility toward, I feel like my job is done with the half dozen to a dozen folks I "need" to act that way toward. The call of being so... caring and generous and kind to the whole world is overwhelming! It's amazing to me how Jesus managed to do such overwhelming things, though...
Just when I thought there wouldn't be much more God would possibly "dump" on me today for me to become aware of and repent of sins, I got to Genesis 11. I don't know why, but for some strange, absurd reason I always got the feeling that God was somehow threatened by or wary of or concerned-due-to-fear by the Tower of Babel and what people were trying to accomplish there. Of course that isn't the case! As I read this chapter, I realized I'd been holding that incredibly erroneous understanding, which is frankly quite demeaning to God and His sovereignty, wisdom, and infinite majesty. To think a human could in ANY way, shape, or form threaten God's position as ultimate Ruler and King is just so absurd! It's a good thing the Lord loves me and is so patient with me - otherwise I would never have had the guts to bring yet another issue before Him to confess and ask forgiveness of... As I read over this chapter again slowly, I realized a couple things: 1: I don't think the people are being condemned for building a city. There doesn't seem to be any concern with the actual act of making bricks, settling together, etc. 2: I think the problem stems from how the people sought to build a city and a tower in it to make themselves famous AND so they wouldn't get "lost" (or something along those lines). The attitude here seems to be the key problem: essentially, they sought to increase their own fame among humanity, and they tried to find safety and security in something of their own doing.
Once again: Wow. How completely selfish and disrespectful of God. And how often I'm guilty of the same thing. I began to think of how I promote myself rather than Jesus, and how I stress about or seek security and safety from things that I can (or at least attempt to) do, rather than relying solely on the goodness, wisdom, and trustworthiness of my God. I mean, case in point: graduate school decisions. As I look at this, I've been realizing that I'm weighing this decision on the wrong scales: I've been thinking of it in terms of "what will provide training for the most versatile career options and job security?" I have not been thinking in terms of, "What training will help me partner with God in bringing Him fame, respecting and protecting and "covering" my fellow humans, and treating this world of people like they're my family?" Holy conviction here!
Lastly, I noticed how good God is in this chapter to confuse languages. I don't think I've ever grasped that before. It seemed silly to consider how we all spoke the same language once upon a time here on earth, then God messed it up, then He died for us so we could be in relationship with Him, then He told us to go preach that good news to everyone. It seems like it would have made more sense to maintain the original language to begin with, because then preaching could happen pretty fast and we'd just move right along to eternity... But obviously that wasn't His plan. God is good, and He knew all that would transpire - the length of human's lives, the time passing on earth, individual and national histories, etc. I think it's fairly safe to say that one person can do a lot of destruction, given their sin nature, but 100 people and their sin natures working together can do massively more than just an individual can on her own. God knew that. I cannot help but think the confusion of the languages was one of His many incredibly merciful acts to limit the destruction, chaos, pain, and misery of what this world could be like.
Anyhow, as I move on into the rest of my day pondering these chapters and ideas and convictions, I'm undeniably reminded of how God meets us and refines us and changes us through His Word. I am filled - like pushing back from the dinner table at Thanksgiving after savoring each and every bite... slowly... focusing on the details.
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