The Bible - Leviticus and Numbers

So as I have been continuing my reading, I have come to the book of Numbers. Through Leviticus and Numbers the Israelites are constantly grumbling and fearful of death resulting from their precarious position in the wilderness. And every time the LORD hears them, he is outraged. Well, if you had saved someone from slavery and brought them to a paradise land that you were going to give them on a silver platter and all they did was complain that they hadn't had meat to eat since they left Egypt and that the people in your new land were so big and scary, you would be angry too! But the thing that I find interesting is that Moses is able to calm God down! Imagine that. The creator of the universe, fuming mad because his people are whining and rebelling, simmered down by a single man and his pleas for forgiveness. Absolutely incredible.

I am also struck by the humanness of Moses. God asked him to speak to a rock to get water from it for the people. (sounds strange right? apparently from what I have read it is supposed to be telling of the future relationship between God and Man through Christ... I don't remember how that works though.) But he didn't! Instead he struck the rock like he did before. Water still came out of the rock, but God punished Moses. He would not let Moses into the promised land because of his disobedience. But why did Moses disobey? Conjecture would lead me to suggest that perhaps Moses was embarrassed to speak to a rock in front of the entire Hebrew nation. But I suppose that is a question left for the hereafter.

This journey has been a difficult one for me to keep up with. I will not be able to reach my goal of completing the Bible cover to cover in 30 days. But now I have a more realistic goal in mind: 90 days. It will allow me to take the time to actually read and understand more clearly. I won't post daily about my experience, but I will keep you abreast of what is going on at Casa de Heise.

DH out.