Joshua is hardest book for me to read,I will understand more eternity.. I understand to a degree the purpose but the bloodshed is difficult..Thanks for your posts and readings!!
It's one to wrestle with. I heard about a framework for thinking about this topic that explained (and I'm paraphrasing here), that we have 4 choices with tough passages like these:
1. Toss it out, pretend it never happened, ignore it. (This one is obviously heretical and not the option to land on.)
2. Affirm that God is God and I'm not, He know's what He's doing and it's unknowable to me, but we know it's good even if it's a mystery how.
3. God revealed Himself to us gradually, finally and fully with Jesus, but in the OT we just aren't seeing the full picture because He met people of that time where they were, and was moving things incrementally.
4. There's more than meets the eye--maybe He's testing our hearts, or maybe evoking feelings on purpose, so we only see part of the story in the scripture so that God can pierce our hearts for justice, or understand suffering or some other purpose.
The idea is then that, other than the first one, some combination of the other three principles can help us understand or at least grapple with what God was hoping for us to gain from it.
I'm not sure this is a satisfying framework for me, but I think it pushed me a little closer to at least being ok with the "I'll understand more in eternity" angle to feel like there IS a reason, I just don't know the reason, but I can maybe start to see the shape of it.
Thanks for this Elizabeth! It’s been interesting to me, this being my second full trip through the Bible, how different I’m absorbing this time around.. it’s still challenging but I think it’s meant to be. So I guess I’m falling more in #4
I mostly land there or in number 2. It’s a different experience every time. That’s not something I can describe as anything but a spiritual phenomenon.
Thanks for these options Elizabeth. A combinationof 2-4 will probably be helpful. I decided this morning though that reading the Bible (specifically the OT) is no longer going to be the first thing I do in the morning as I've done for exactly 6 months today. Starting my day with violence that I find confusing is not bringing me closer to God. Today I started off with a different reflection in the YouVersion app and then just listened to TBR. I'm hoping if I go back to the reading this afternoon it will have less of a negative impact. Praying this is a good solution for me.
Also, question regarding #1 - you say it's "obviously heretical". As someone who is newly reconstructing and at the risk of seeming foolish, can you please explain why something is "obviously heretical"? Thank you my friend!
Sorry Jeannie, I should have explained that better. It is considered heretical to throw anything out of the Bible. We aren’t supposed to say “this part doesn’t belong because I don’t like it” in short. We are to assume all of the Bible is here because God wanted it to be. That said, it is NOT heretical to not enjoy a part, or to determine that a part isn’t for you right now, or that you don’t like it or understand it but know that God must know something we don’t…you get the idea.
In short, it’s totally ok to say “I’m not gonna deal with this scripture right now”, “I’m gonna put a pin in this issue to deal with someday,” “I’m going to grapple with this,” etc. But it’s not a good idea to say “I’m gonna tear this chapter out of the Bible and pretend it doesn’t exist.”
Prayer Requests
Holy Week Discussion
Torah Closing Thoughts
Sunday, March 31, Day 91: Judges 6-7
Saturday, March 30, Day 90: Judges 3-5
Friday, March 29, Day 89: Judges 1-2
Thursday, March 28, Day 88: Joshua 22-24
Joshua is hardest book for me to read,I will understand more eternity.. I understand to a degree the purpose but the bloodshed is difficult..Thanks for your posts and readings!!
It's one to wrestle with. I heard about a framework for thinking about this topic that explained (and I'm paraphrasing here), that we have 4 choices with tough passages like these:
1. Toss it out, pretend it never happened, ignore it. (This one is obviously heretical and not the option to land on.)
2. Affirm that God is God and I'm not, He know's what He's doing and it's unknowable to me, but we know it's good even if it's a mystery how.
3. God revealed Himself to us gradually, finally and fully with Jesus, but in the OT we just aren't seeing the full picture because He met people of that time where they were, and was moving things incrementally.
4. There's more than meets the eye--maybe He's testing our hearts, or maybe evoking feelings on purpose, so we only see part of the story in the scripture so that God can pierce our hearts for justice, or understand suffering or some other purpose.
The idea is then that, other than the first one, some combination of the other three principles can help us understand or at least grapple with what God was hoping for us to gain from it.
I'm not sure this is a satisfying framework for me, but I think it pushed me a little closer to at least being ok with the "I'll understand more in eternity" angle to feel like there IS a reason, I just don't know the reason, but I can maybe start to see the shape of it.
Thanks for commenting, Sean!
Thanks for this Elizabeth! It’s been interesting to me, this being my second full trip through the Bible, how different I’m absorbing this time around.. it’s still challenging but I think it’s meant to be. So I guess I’m falling more in #4
I mostly land there or in number 2. It’s a different experience every time. That’s not something I can describe as anything but a spiritual phenomenon.
Agree..The Overlapping Theme in the Torah and O.T. I the Promise of Messiah!..Blessings
Thanks for these options Elizabeth. A combinationof 2-4 will probably be helpful. I decided this morning though that reading the Bible (specifically the OT) is no longer going to be the first thing I do in the morning as I've done for exactly 6 months today. Starting my day with violence that I find confusing is not bringing me closer to God. Today I started off with a different reflection in the YouVersion app and then just listened to TBR. I'm hoping if I go back to the reading this afternoon it will have less of a negative impact. Praying this is a good solution for me.
Also, question regarding #1 - you say it's "obviously heretical". As someone who is newly reconstructing and at the risk of seeming foolish, can you please explain why something is "obviously heretical"? Thank you my friend!
Sorry Jeannie, I should have explained that better. It is considered heretical to throw anything out of the Bible. We aren’t supposed to say “this part doesn’t belong because I don’t like it” in short. We are to assume all of the Bible is here because God wanted it to be. That said, it is NOT heretical to not enjoy a part, or to determine that a part isn’t for you right now, or that you don’t like it or understand it but know that God must know something we don’t…you get the idea.
In short, it’s totally ok to say “I’m not gonna deal with this scripture right now”, “I’m gonna put a pin in this issue to deal with someday,” “I’m going to grapple with this,” etc. But it’s not a good idea to say “I’m gonna tear this chapter out of the Bible and pretend it doesn’t exist.”
Does that help clarify?
Yes, thank you! I knew you'd have a good answer. :)
Wednesday, March 27, Day 87: Joshua 19-21
Tuesday, March 26, Day 86: Joshua 16-18
Monday, March 25, Day 85: Joshua 12-15
Sunday March 24, Day 84: Joshua 9-11