OK so into Numbers as far as my OT reading takes me this morning (with a splash of Psalms and Proverbs that help the medicine go down!). Here is a sample this morning – feel free to read:
On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the Naphtalites: his offering was one silver plate weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of choice flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels, full of incense; one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a purification offering; and for the sacrifice of well-being, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan (can be found in Numbers 7).
The previous verses are a list of who did the same thing on days 1 – 11. They all gave the same offering, then at the end the offerings are totalled… I could well do without reading all of that, and if it were voted out of our Bible I would not be found mourning. Made me think.
It is partly ‘boring’ cos it has nothing to do with my history and we can easily get bored with something that has nothing to do with our personal history; it also makes no connection to my world – all that ritual is a world away. But I also realise that I have been brought up to find a verse (two verses of course make it even more convincing) that defend my views, in other words my reading has been shaped by ‘proving me to be right’. It is said that the people who read most reviews of (and view most adverts for) a product are those who have just bought it – they want to be convinced they have made the right choice. I think sometimes Bible reading can be like that. I read until I find what I agree with, or rather what agrees with me.
We are quite removed from reading the Bible as narrative but I am convinced we need to get back to that. Having said that I am not sure I will ever do a jig around the apartment when reading Numbers chapter 7 in the future… but might be more comfortable with what I don’t know. Maybe…