Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Taking another Look at the Genealogy of Jesus Christ: Part I

It is generally accepted by tradition that the Biblical account of events are factually correct, even when the information is either not available or in some cases contradictory. One of the more noticeable cases, and often overlooked is regarding Matthew’s account of Jesus’ lineage; which serves as a continuing challenge for this ongoing study.

Matthew 1: 12-16
And after the deportation to Babylon, to Jeconiah was born Shealtiel; and to Shealtiel, Zerubbabel; and to Zerubbabel was born Abiud; and to Abiud, Eliakim; and to Eliakim, Azor; and to Azor was born Zadok; and to Zadok, Achim; and to Achim, Eliud; and to Eliud was born Eleazar; and to Eleazar, Matthan; and to Matthan, Jacob; and to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called the “Christ.”

"JECONIAH"
I Chronicles 3: 16-20
And the sons of Jehoiakim [“Eliakim”] were Jeconiah his son, and the sons of Jeconiah, the prisoner [during the “Babylonian captivity”], were Shealtiel his son, and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. And the sons of Pedadiah [“Shealtiel”; Matthew 1: 12??] were Zerubbabel and Shimei. And the sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shemolith was their sister; and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushabhesed, five (??)[by “Shimei”, verse 19??].

Matthew’s account has some significant inconsistencies which have been previously noted, but in addition to those listed above, there are others. Abiud, Azor, Achim, Matthan, Jacob son of Mattan, and Joseph son of Jacob are not mentioned in any genealogical record or Scriptural reference; except here in this account.

"ELIAKIM"
There are 2 Eliakim’s; one is a son of Hilkiah (Cp. II Kings 18: 18) and the other Eliakim is the king of Judah, whose name was changed to “Jehoiakim” by Necho king of Egypt (Cp. II Chronicles 36: 4).

"ZADOK"
As for Zadok, it is a little difficult to pinpoint his ancestry because it is so varied. He is the son of Ahitub (Cp. I Chronicles 6: 6-9, 11-15; Ezra 7: 1-5), the son of Meraioth (Cp. Ezra 9: 11), the son of Baana (Cp. Nehemiah 3: 4, 6), and the son of Immer (Cp. Nehemiah 3: 29)

"ELEAZAR"
Eleazar is interesting because according to I Chronicles 6: 4, he begat Phinehas, but I Chronicles 23: 22a; 24: 28 states that he died having no sons but only daughters. Ezra 7: 5 and I Chronicles 9: 20 mentions that Phinehas is the son of Eleazar. He is also mentioned as the son of Dodo the Ahohite in I Chronicles 11: 12, and as the son of Mahli(Cp. I Chronicles 23: 21; 24: 28).

"MATTAN"
Mattan is mentioned as a priest of Baal who was killed during the purge of Jehoiada(Cp. II Chronicles 23: 17; II Kings 11: 18) or the father of Shepthatiah
(Cp. Jeremiah 38: 1).

NOTE: Presumably this Mattan is Matthan?

"JOSEPH"
Joseph is the son of Bani(I Chronicles 25: 2; Ezra 10: 42)or the son of Shebaniah
(Cp. Nehemiah 12: 14).

To sum it all up, the difficulty in getting an accurate genealogical record is the fact that ancestors are sometimes referred to as sons or children and not necessarily be an immediate family member or biological kin. Also there is the Jewish custom of ‘Levirate’ marriage where the nearest male relative [a brother, uncle, etc.] will continue to carry on the family name if a married man dies before having a son. In this way the deceased man’s name continues on throughout subsequent generations. Names are given to children in some cases because they are popular or because they have political or religious significance. The author of Matthew may have had access to sources or documents that have since been long lost in time and the association of these names with the Lord Jesus Christ may have more to do with certain ‘Messianic’ expectations than to a natural bloodline.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 20, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com

Some Interesting and Puzzling O.T. Biblical Passages

Genesis 2: 8
And the Lord planted a garden eastward in Eden. . .
NOTE: Scholars have been trying for millennia to discover the location of mythical ‘Eden’ and perhaps a passage in the Old Testament holds a clue.
II Kings 19: 12b refers to the people of Eden who were in Telassar.
3: 23-24
The Lord God drove the man (‘Adam’) out of the Garden of Eden. . .
NOTE: The text doesn’t mention about ‘Eve’ being driven out of the Garden
5: 2
He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them ‘Man’ (“ADAM”) in the day when they were created
9: 24-25
Noah knew what his youngest son (??) did to him and cursed his descendant (Canaan) with servitude to his brothers. . .
NOTE: Ham was not the ‘youngest’ son (Cp. 5: 32; 6: 10; 7: 13; 9: 18)
11: 2
And it came about as they journeyed east; they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. NOTE: Who are they??
15: 18
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt [“Nile”] as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: NOTE: No explanation as to why at this time
17: 17
Abraham laughed in his heart when God told him about bearing a son in his old age.
18: 11
Sarah laughed in her heart when she overheard the Lord tell Abraham about having a son in an old advanced age, at which time she had to give an account for her inner thoughts, but Abraham didn’t (Cp. 18: 12-15??)
NOTE: It’s almost like 2 different versions of the same event woven together.
20: 2-3
Abimelech king of Gerar (land of Judah) took Sarah and God appeared to him in a dream and told him that he was a dead man for taking her because she was married.
NOTE: How feasible is it that a king would be attracted to a woman ninety years old (Cp. 17: 17); unless she really, really didn’t look her age?
20: 12
Sarah is Abraham’s sister; the daughter of his father but not from his birth mother, which would make Sarah his half-sister. NOTE: Why is this not mentioned before? (Cp. 11: 26-29)
22: 2, 19-20, 23
And He [God] said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba. NOTE: Guess who was living in the wilderness of Beersheba or is it Paran (Hagar; Cp. 21: 14-21??)
23: 2
And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
NOTE: Why did Abraham live in Beersheba and Sarah in Hebron; was it over Abraham taking Isaac to offer him as a burnt sacrifice on one of the mountains of Moriah??
24: 4, 10
Abraham’s country, and his relatives lived in Mesopotamia (‘Ur of the Chaldeans;’ Cp. 11: 28; 12: 1) NOTE: Interesting that the ancestor of the Jewish people is an Iraqi??
26: 7-33
NOTE: Isaac’s encounter with Abimelech almost identical to that of his father Abraham, and not only that, but it is forty years later at least (Cp. 20: 1-18??)

Exodus 4: 20, 24-26
Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin (which one; Cp. 18: 3??) and threw it a Moses' feet, and she said, "You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me". So He let him alone (??). At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood” because of the circumcision. NOTE: This is a most unusual and difficult passage to understand why the Lord tried to kill Moses. Also, his wife knew about the rite of circumcision and he didn’t at this time? Lastly, they had two sons but only one was mentioned as circumcised.
14: 21-22
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, so that the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
NOTE: This is quite a different version from Cecile B. DeMille’s movie “The Ten Commandments.”
19: 20-21, 24; 24: 9-11
Then the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, on top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.” Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heaven in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.
22: 16-17
“If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. “If her father absolutely refuses to give her [in marriage] to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins.”
NOTE: This is probably the nearest equivalent to modern-day ‘dating’ or pre-marital sex

Numbers 12: 1-3
Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard it. (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth). NOTE: What was the real issue regarding Moses marrying a Cushite woman and where is Zipporah, his Midianite wife? Also, Moses is the unlikely author of this particular statement, let alone the rest of the book.
22: 9-10, 12
Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Nippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me. . . And God said to Balaam, “Do not go up with them; you shall not curse the people; for they are blessed.”
22: 20-22, 34-35
And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do. So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey; and went with the leaders of Moab. But God was angry he was going (??), and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. And Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.” But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Go with the men, but you speak the word which I shall tell you (??).” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.
26: 11
The sons of Korah, however, did not die (Numbers 16: 24, 32-33??).
31:14-18
And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. And Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live?" “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord. “Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately".
NOTE: Kill every woman who is not a virgin?? Moses commanded, "But all the girls who have not known man intimately, keep alive for yourselves". (interesting??)

Deuteronomy
10: 1-5
“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. ‘And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.’ “So I made an ark of acacia wood (‘Bezalel’ made it; Cp. Exodus 35: 30, 31, 37: 1??) and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. “And he wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. “Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the Lord had commanded me.”
10: 6-9
(Now the sons of Israel set out from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died and there he was buried and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his place. From there they set out to Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water. [NOTE: This account is a slightly abbreviated version and not entirely consistent with the passages in [Numbers 20: 20-28; 33: 30-39??] At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day. Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God spoke to him.)
29: 27
‘Therefore, the anger of the Lord burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; and the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’ NOTE: Very significant because it seems to suggest a later period for the writing during either the Babylonian or Assyrian captivity.

Joshua 5: 13-15
Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with a sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No, rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” And the captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy (Cp. Genesis 3: 2-5).” And Joshua did so.
10:11-12
And it came about as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon".
10.13-14
So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. "Is it not written in the book of Jashar?" And the sun
stopped in the middle of the sky, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. "And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel".

Judges 1: 16
The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father [‘brother’]-in-law (??).
NOTE: Moses’ father-in-law was Midianite (Cp. Exodus 2: 16, 18; 3: 1; Numbers 10: 29); the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law (Cp. Numbers 10: 29??) were undoubtedly Kenites (Cp. Judges 4: 11) NOTE: Reuel or Jethro was not previously mentioned as having a son, only 7 daughters (Cp. Exodus 2: 16, 20??)
13.17-18
Then Minoah said to the angel of the Lord, “what is your NAME, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?" But the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask my NAME, seeing it is incomprehensible". (very interesting??)
18: 1
In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites were seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them. NOTE: This contradicts the account in Joshua 19: 40-48
I Samuel 3: 1
Word from the Lord was rare in those days and visions were infrequent.
NOTE: This is an interesting statement.
6: 18
Even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they sat the ark of the Lord, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
NOTE: Another statement in which the event seems as contemporary. Also, is the large “stone of Abel” part of the famous ‘Kaaba’ stone revered by Muslims the world over and around which is built Islam’s holiest shrine?
6: 15, 19
The Levites took down the ark of the Lord. Some of the men of Beth-Shemesh (territory and tribe of Judah) looked into the ark of the Lord and He struck down
50, 070 men of the people. NOTE: This is like what happened to those Nazi soldiers and Professor of Antiquities from Germany in the “Indiana Jones” movie.
15: 35b
And the Lord repented creating man and that He had made Saul king over Israel Cp. Genesis 6: 6; I Samuel 15: 11).
NOTE: One of the few instances in all sacred Scripture where God regrets something.

Jeremiah 43.12
"He will shatter the obelisks of Heliopolis (Heb. Beth-shemesh, the house of the Sun-god), which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire". NOTE: Shemesh must have been a minor god because the Great Sun god of the Egyptians is RA; not to mention other gods and goddesses.
44.15-18
Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, "As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you". "We will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring libations to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our princes and our kings did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food, and we were well off, and saw no misfortune". "But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring libations to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine". NOTE: This is quite surprising as this seems to be a more powerful deity than the usual Ashtoreth or Asherim because neither is referred to in such a reverential manner.

Isaiah 20: 18-25
In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of Hosts (YHVH Sabaoth); one will be called the city of Destruction (Arab). In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. And it will be for a sign and a witness to the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. Then the Lord will be known to Egypt in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria-A blessing in the middle of the land, whom the Lord shall bless, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My People, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance."


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 19, 2008

Sources and Authors of the Old Testament??

It is commonly accepted that Moses wrote the first five books called the ‘Torah,’ which means Law, but it is highly improbable that he wrote all of them; especially in the end of Numbers where it mentions how humble Moses was and in Deuteronomy, which mentions Moses' death. It is difficult to know who the author is in many cases because it is unknown and the title of a given book only refers to the individual as the main subject; in many cases. In Psalms 68: 11 it reads, “The Lord gave the word and great is the company of them that published it,” and so with this in mind an attempt will be made to search for the internal evidence of who the biographer is or what source(s) supply the material for much of the Old Testament Canon.

One name which stands out quite prominently is Zadok the priest, who first appears in I kings 1: 8, 39 and all the way to Ezra 7: 1-5. There is a Zadok mentioned in Nehemiah 3: 6 (“Zadok son of Baana”) and Nehemiah 3: 29 (“Zadok son of Immer).

I Chronicles 29: 29
The acts of David are written in the book of Samuel the seer, the book of Gad the seer, and in the book of Nathan the seer.

NOTE: The prophet Samuel anointed David King, replacing Saul and Nathan and Gad were seers of King David at one time or another.

II Chronicles 9: 29
The acts of Solomon are written in the book of Nathan the prophet, the prophesy of Ahijah the Shilohnite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer.

12: 15
The acts of Rehoboam are written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer concerning genealogies.

13: 22
The acts of Abijah and his sayings are written in the annals of Iddo the prophet.

20: 34
The acts of Jehoshaphat are written in the book of Jehu, the son of Hanani the seer (Cp. 19: 2).

26: 32
The acts of Uzziah, the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz wrote (Cp. Isaiah 1: 1).

32: 30
The acts of Hezekiah are written in the visions of Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz (Cp. Isaiah 1: 1)

33: 1a, 19b
The rest of the acts of Manasseh before he was humbled, indeed are they not written in the acts of the Hozai (“seers”).

36: 12-23
The prophet Jeremiah is the source for much regarding Zedekiah and the Babylonian captivity under King Nebuchadnezzar.

The seer Iddo is just as prominent a figure and perhaps more important than Zadok the priest; and he is mentioned in II Chronicles 13: 22b; Ezra 5: 1; 6: 14; 8: 17; Nehemiah 12: 14, 16. Iddo is one of the returning exiles (Cp. Nehemiah 12: 14) and the individual who keeps track of genealogies (Cp. II Chronicles 12: 15), which is crucial in maintaining the ritual purity of the Levites and priests, especially. Even some of the writings of Jeremiah the prophet were performed by Baruch the scribe (Cp. Jeremiah 36: 4, 17-18, 32: 45: 1). And lastly, Ezra was a scribe as well as a priest and wielded quite a lot of power among the people by the authority of Xerxes king of Persia (Cp. Ezra 7: 11-26) and doubtless influenced the religion of the returning captives, the native Jewish remnants, as well as the foreign immigrants in the cities throughout Judea.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 20, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com

Monday, August 11, 2008

What the Bible Teaches on Marriage and Divorce

One of the more interesting controversial issues facing the Christian is that of divorce and remarriage, and surprisingly, the Bible doesn’t offer a lot of specific guidelines to this complex and often contentious social experience. What needs to be kept in mind is that Christianity inherited a Jewish cultural as well as theological perspective imprinted upon a non-Jewish world. In a patriarchal society where the ‘man’ was more valued because he controlled the factors of production, religious and social laws, and inheritance of property was through the lineage of the male, it is not surprising that a woman would not have the same rights and be esteemed as much. Even when it comes to the order of ‘creation,’ the “Woman” was created from the “Man (Cp. Genesis 2: 7, 18, 21-23),” but since that one unique and special act, the woman is the one from whom all subsequent human life springs from. Throughout the entire history of the Jewish people, and even before they were a nation as such, a woman’s body and reproductive rights were controlled by a male-dominated society; and strict requirements pertaining to a woman’s virginity, chastity, and purity was strictly enforced. There were harsh penalties for a woman [punishment, usually ‘death’ by stoning], and possible social stigma or isolation for violating this taboo. It doesn’t seem that the man’s behavior in this matter was quite as demanding, closely watched or regulated, or even as much of a concern.

Exodus 22: 16-17
And if a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay the money equal to the dowry of virgins.

Leviticus 21: 1a, 7, 13-15
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them. . . They shall not take a woman who is profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he [the priest] is holy to his God. ‘And he shall take a wife in her virginity. “A widow or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not take; but rather, he is to marry a virgin of his own people; that he may not profane his offspring among his people; for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.”

Deuteronomy 22: 28-29
If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her [“rapes her”] and they are discovered, then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.
NOTE: Can the woman divorce her husband??

Deuteronomy 22: 13-19
If a man takes a wife and goes in to her and then turns against her and charges her with shameful deeds (“harlotry;” Cp. 22: 20-21), and publicly defames her, and says, “I took this woman, but when I came near her, I did not find her a virgin,” then the girl’s father and her mother shall take and bring the evidence of the girl’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. And the girl’s father shall say to the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man for a wife, but he turned against her; and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.” And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. So the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him, and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give it to the girl’s father, because he publicly defamed a virgin of Israel. And she shall remain his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.
NOTE: The issue of blood resulting from penetrating the ‘hymen’ of the female is collected and brought to the elders (“men”) for examination; talk about humiliation, outrage, embarrassment, and a few other thoughts on the matter.

Deuteronomy 22: 20-21
But if the charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin, then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death because she has committed an act of folly in Israel, by playing the harlot in her father’s house; thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
NOTE: What if the circumstances were like in Exodus 22: 16-17??

Deuteronomy 24: 1-2
When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her from his house, and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife.

Matthew 19: 3-11
And some Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS CAUSE SHALL A MAN LEAVE THE FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH’? “Consequently they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE AND DIVORCE HER?” He said to them, Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives [for any reason]; but from the beginning it had not been this way. “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality [adultery], and marries another woman commits adultery. The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.”

Mark 10: 10-12
And in the house the disciples began questioning Him about this again. And He said to them, “”Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her [his wife]; and if she herself [a wife] divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery [against him].

The aforementioned passages in Matthew and repeated in Mark has been used by the Christian Church to condemn divorce and remarriage of a formerly married spouse, but the circumstances, tradition, history, and context must be carefully read before fully understanding the meaning of a Biblical text. The background of this event is that the Pharisees weren’t interested in spiritual enlightenment or guidance but rather were seeking an opportunity to ‘trap’ Jesus, and they cleverly and rightly asked about divorcing the woman “for any reason;” since this is essentially what the Jewish men had been doing to their wives by their harsh treatment for centuries, no doubt. And even Jesus’ statement cannot be fully appreciated without reading Deuteronomy 24: 1-2 for some perspective. Jesus answered more than what the Pharisees really wanted to know and by His edict, helped the woman gain a little bit more dignity and protection as well as challenge this nonsense where men were almost getting away with murder when it came to the shameful treatment of a woman.

The part that many people don’t realize is that Jesus is saying that in the way divorce was practiced [“for any reason”] isn’t justified and if someone else marries anyone who leaves a marriage under such circumstances when that person is still ‘bound’ [married]; and therefore, if the individual remarries, this is tantamount to committing adultery, and it is in point-of-fact. However, this may be not the definitive and only answer to the marriage/divorce question, but rather a direct answer to a specific trick question from a sect of Jewish leaders who did not even exist in the times of Moses and the giving of the Law. The following passages by the apostle Paul expands more on this question, is more widely applicable, invaluable, as well as relevant to the circumstances in which other guidelines on this subject are desperately needed and appreciated.

I Corinthians 7: 10-11
But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not send his wife away.
NOTE: the verse in parenthesis is an editor’s comment and should be taken as that.
25, 27-28a
Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek to be bound. But if you should marry, you have not sinned (after being released??); and if a virgin should marry, she has not sinned.

39-40
A wife is bound as long as her husband lives but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

Romans 7: 1-3
Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she be joined to another man
(Cp. Matthew 19: 5-6).

Even the apostle Paul, whose writings compromise most of the New Testament Church’s teachings, was in his own words, brought up in the strictest sect of Judaism, a “Pharisee of Pharisees” (Cp. Acts 26: 4-5; Philippians 3: 5), was not without some bias when it came to his attitude about the rights of men and women. If in this study with the myriads of complex social, psychological, and financial problems among other considerations that married couples face is such that infidelity is the ‘only’ legitimate reason for a man or woman to legally or obtain a spiritually sanctioned divorce [outside of secretly praying that the other spouse ‘drop dead’], is quite disheartening; and perhaps the disciples were quite astute when they said, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” In certain instances, a growing number of the leadership in Protestant Churches are reluctantly acquiescing to allow and Biblically authorize ‘divorce’ (similar to the Catholic Church’s rite of ‘annulment’), but usually with some counseling and admonition against remarriage. This may have the impact of seeming to condemn ‘remarriage’ and thereby subject one to a life of loneliness, bitterness, solitude, indolence, and may make the person socially inhibited, withdrawn, and suspicious; at least on the negative side. However, there are those rare individuals endowed with the special gift of God who can live a life of ‘celibacy,’ devoting themselves to the things of God while enjoying a full, healthy, vibrant, and purposeful life filled with fun, social philanthropy and activism.

The one thing to keep in mind is the principle found in Genesis 2: 18, which applies to most of us, and that is, The Lord said, “It is not good that the man should be alone. . .” To reinforce that point, the lyrics of a popular ‘Rock and Roll’ song from the 1970’s included the lyrics which go something like this, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever use. . .” and it is inconceivable that ‘the God Who is Love’ would deny to anyone the right to find and experience the most beautiful and cherished of human expressions in a lifelong ‘covenant’ relationship with another person. It doesn’t seem consistent with God’s nature and the fulfillment of human happiness and a stable society that just because of our imperfections and the limitation of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual being-ness, and in some cases due to circumstances beyond our control or influence, that anyone should be prohibited from finding that one ‘special’ person of our heart’s desire who can truly make us very, very, happy.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 9, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Friday, August 8, 2008

“WHAT IF” Jesus Christ Applied for American Citizenship?

If the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth were to have lived in modern times, it would have been quite interesting to see Him fill out documentation and be interviewed by the INS officials to become an American citizen. There would certainly have to be a few questions which need clarification, for starters, namely, where He is from. He was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, had a home in Capernaum, and to top it off, He existed in ‘heaven’ before He was born. It gets even more interesting because Jesus says God is His Father, and in fact nowhere in the entire New Testament does Jesus even mention Joseph. Jesus talks with His mother and brothers but not Joseph. Jesus is mentioned to have sisters and even Joseph is included by those with whom He grew up, but there is no personal conversation involving them and Him.

Mary, His mother became pregnant but it wasn’t by Joseph but by the Holy Spirit of God, Who overshadowed Mary and Jesus was formed inside her womb. And when it was almost time for Mary to give birth to Jesus, she and Joseph make this arduous and dangerous trip, at least for Mary, from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for a census. Mary gives birth to Jesus in a cave or in the section of a house where animals are kept and after He is born, wraps Him in some swaddling cloths and places Him in a feeding trough which is used by animals. This act would certainly have alarmed DSHS as well as the medical community because this would have placed the infant Jesus in jeopardy for exposure to animal diseases and as a newborn with a weakened immune system He would have been susceptible to infections, viruses, germs, parasites, etc. Besides, who would have administered the PKT test and innoculated Jesus from all the childhood diseases, and did Joseph circumcised Jesus? Not only would Jesus have been susceptible to infection but certainly mother Mary for sure. There were no pre-natal visits and screening for STD’s or birth defects for Mary as well as check her blood pressure, or dilation of her uterus, and no fetal sonogram or check of her amniotic fluid.

Another incident in Jesus life at around the age of twelve when He and the family were traveling to Jerusalem for a feast and on the way back Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was in the company of their relatives and it wasn’t until three days later that they discovered He wasn’t with them and they became worried because they lost track of Him and backtracked to Jerusalem where they found Him in the temple having a discussion with the teachers of the Law. Their seemingly irresponsible act or neglect would have prompted a visit from DSHS and possibly the police in this country. The Gospels do not mention Jesus going to school but rather that He never had an education, which means that Mary and Joseph would have violated ‘truancy laws’ by not admitting Him in public school; unless He was home-schooled.

Jesus practiced medicine and cured people using some rather unorthodox methods, such as using saliva and clay [dirt], all without a medical degree; taught religion with a theology degree, and Jesus didn’t work but rather was supported by some of His female followers or disciples out of their own private finances. Jesus usually referred to Himself by the enigmatic name, “Son of Man” and He was accused of having lost His mind and even His own people [relatives] wanted to come and take custody of Him. The relationship between Jesus and His mother and siblings may not have been nurturing and it would no doubt be considered ‘dysfunctional.’ Jesus told a crowd to eat His flesh and drink His blood and one could accuse Him of ‘cannibalism’ and Jesus made a chord and whipped some of the moneychangers in the temple and overturned their tables; thereby creating a civil disturbance as well as the criminal charge of assault and battery, but in His defense He said, “ZEAL FOR MY FATHER’S HOUSE CONSUMED ME.”

Jesus had a little brush with the Courts, both Jewish and Gentile, where in the latter He was unjustly condemned and sentenced to death by a weak and vacillating Roman Governor and brutalized by officers of the Jewish Supreme Court and soldiers of the Roman Praetorium. Jesus wasn’t ‘Mirandized’ and appeared before the bar of justice without legal counsel, which is a violation of Jewish Law. Lastly, Jesus was executed by Capital Punishment without the advocacy of social activists demonstrating this form of barbarism or ‘state-sponsored Murder’ but after He died, Jesus rose again from the dead three days later. There is no death certificate signed by the ‘Coroner’ or Medical Examiner (ME), nor is there any forensic evidence to support His fantastic claim. This is the written statement of Jesus Christ and a thorough background check including interviewing the residents of the places He lived, court records, oral and written histories are not able to verify with absolute certainty the truthfulness of these facts.

So here it is, an applicant with no birth record or genealogy or affidavit signed by witnesses, no formal education, no work history, uncertain paternity, questions of residency, dysfunctional family background, alleged psychological problems, anti-social tendencies, practicing medicine and curing people by some unseen power and teaching Theology without credentials, was found guilty and executed after a judicial hearing (both religious and secular), and He as well as His followere claim He had died and come back to life again; without providing verifiable scientific proof. Therefore, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Lord of lords and King of kings, the Alpha and Omega [Aleph and Tau], your request for citizenship is hereby denied forthwith; and Lord forgive us and have mercy on our souls.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 8, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com