Before Liz, Gigi to her granddaughters, died, she made me (Felix) promise to work with Dani to improve her spiritual education. Dani, a graduating senior, had enough on her plate that we were not able to fulfill that promise and before life had even a semblance of slowing down for Dani, she was in California. I decided to fulfill my promise by writing emails daily. Then Dani would be able to read them at her convenience. This web-page contains some of those emails.

08/26/2020

I know and understand the pressures you are under to leave, so will understand I won't get a chance to say good bye in person. But this I want you know:

I will miss you, even though most of your visits were in conjunction with some kind of service, like wrapping my feet, your very presence warmed my heart.

Know that I will be available to talk with you over any medium, any time. If you need anything that I may be able to supply, ask.

I suggest you get a Ignacious Bible from Kindle for your phone. It is the easiest translation to read. Try to read it daily. Your mother and dad have taught you to be a good person. Now I hope you spread those "rules" to those around you. Reading your Bible will help.

I love you!

Grandaddy

08/27/2020

Before GiGi died she instructed me to discuss our beliefs with you. I knew you were busy and used that as an excuse not to do my part. I'm sure you are going to be busy in San Diego taking another step in your growth. So I'm going to fulfill my part of my assignment in a way that may not interfere with your life unless you want it.

Often, daily hopefully, I will write a fairly brief email with scripture that I think is useful to help you maintain that innate goodness I know you have. I only ask you to read it. But I would love to discuss it with you, any time and with any medium.

You already know the importance of the Lords Prayer and I hope you develop the habit of saying it every night.

When your GiGi and I were your age, we belonged to a Church Group called the Methodist Youth Fellowship that met once a week at our respective churches. At the end of each meeting, we would join hands and recite the following ‚ÄúThe Lord Bless You and Keep You. "May the Lord's face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May God show you His Face to you and give you Peace. That is found in Numbers 6:24-26.

I love you and miss you.

Granddaddy

08/31/2020

In the King James Version this starts with "Make a joyful noise". As a choir director and musician, it was my favorite Psalm. The NIV version may be a more accurate translation but I like the way the KJV starts better.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

Love, and miss you too. I count the moments I spend doing these emails time spent with you.

Granddaddy

09/01/2020

Jesus used parables to illustrate his points. One was the parable of the "Good Samaritan‚"

(NIV) 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27 He answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

28 "You have answered correctly", Jesus replied. "this and you will live."

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30 In reply Jesus said: ‚"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. "Look after him," he said, "and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have."

36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

The fact that Jesus made a Samaritan the hero is this story is significant. Jews, during then, did not associate with Samaritans nor the other way round. When the Jews rebuilt the Temple they refused to have Samaritans participate. As a result an enmity between the two tribes resulted. The Samaritans built their own.

When your grandmother and I were your age, the churches we went to used this situation as an example of the racism that was prevalent.

Love

Granddaddy

You will often hear ,"Judge not that you be not judged." I believe you should always read scripture in context. Sometime soon I will send you a message that God sent to Ezekiel which led me to the following opinion.

(NIV) 1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

I think verse 2 actually gives you an out. Turning it around, I think what Jesus was getting across was really, don't hold others to a higher standard than you hold yourself. Remember that Jesus' main message was to love one another. I don't think that meant "not having a standard" or not helping your neighbor raise his.

Love

Granddaddy

09/05/2020

Today I had the occasion to discuss abortion with a lady from the church. The following scripture was what I used to show her what Jesus said about children.

(NIV) 15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Love

Granddaddy

09/06/2020

The following scripture illustrates how important you are. But it still strikes me as funny.

(NIV) 13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Love from Your salty old

Granddaddy

09/07/2020

The verse following the one I sent last night is often quoted by politicians. But Jesus is telling us not to hide what we are, and why.

(NIV) 14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Love

Granddaddy

PS: you are welcome to share these messages with your condo-mates.

09/08/2020

Your great-grandmother Bearden was a Bible Scholar, not one that researched the history or meaning in today's world or the like, but she knew what was in both the old and New Testament. When Gigi and I were in Colorado Springs, we had what is known as the Cuban Crisis where the Soviet Union threatened to bomb the United States if we didn,t remove a blockade around Cuba. This was before we had agreements in place regarding the Atomic Bomb. I worked at Ent AFB at a facility called SpaceTrac which was in the same building that housed the defense center that tracked missiles launched from the Soviet Union. When a threat was detected, the base was locked down and no communication between people on the base and families off base. Wives and husbands worked out a way to notify those off-base if threat existed, even though the base was locked down. When Gigi was telling my mother about the plan, my mother asked what she would do. Gigi said she would go to a designated place in the mountains that would not be affected by an atomic explosion designed to take out Ent. My mother responded, "Good. After all that is what the Bible says you should do. Head for the hills.

I decided to look for where it said that for today,s lesson.

(NIV)Jos 2:16 Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you.

(NIV) Gen 13:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills.

That is as close as I could get. My mother knew the KJV and I was using the NIV translation. BTW the story surrounding Jos 2:16 is worth reading.

Love

Granddaddy

09/08/2020

The previous scripture I sent, was from this segment of a story. There are a lot of stories like this in the Old Testament.

(NIV) Jos 2:1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land", he said, ‚"especially Jericho.". So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

2 The king of Jericho was told, "Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: ‚"Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land."

4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don‚'t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, ‚"I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone‚'s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

12 "Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."

14 "Our lives for your lives!‚" the men assured her. ‚"If you don‚'t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land."

15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."

17 Now the men had said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear. "

21 "Agreed", she replied. ‚"Let it be as you say."

So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."

Thought I might mention, your dad served lobster and steak yesterday.

Love

Granddaddy

09/09/2020

In this scripture Jesus answers the question of minimum wage and equal pay for equal work and tells us the relation of Employee and Employer. Most churches take verse 16 as the primary emphasis. Where that may be true, other points like in verse 13 and 15 are also important.

(NIV) Matt 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3 About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right, 5 So they went.

He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, "Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?"

7 "Because no one has hired us" they answered.

He said to them, "You also go and work in my vineyard."

8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first."

9 The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 "These who were hired last worked only one hour", they said, "and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day."

13 But he answered one of them, "am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?

16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Love

Granddaddy

09/10/2020

You will hear political discussions about profits, often how much a company can make during there operation. Some want to control the profit a company, some want to tax what they call excess profits, and some want to punish companies that ‚"gouge" their customers by making too much profits. Oil Companies are often the targets if their profits are greater than 10%. Several years ago, there was an outcry when they made more than these controllers permitted. However, Microsoft was making a healthy 39%. The following parable demonstrates how Jesus felt about profits.

(NIV) Matt 25:14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. Master, he said, "you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more." 21 His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" 22 The man with two bags of gold also came. "Master," he said, "you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more." His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" 24 Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. "Master", he said, "I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you." 26 His master replied, "You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 "So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Love

Granddaddy

Stories of David

09/11/2020

This is the story of David, a shepherd boy, beginning when he was only 15.

(NIV) 1st Samual 16: 1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." 2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, "I have come to sacrifice to the LORD." 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate. " 4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace? " 5 Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD‚Äôs anointed stands here before the LORD." 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." 11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered. "He is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." 12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; this is the one." 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David.

Love

Granddaddy

Sept 12, 2020

The following story I‚Äôm sure you have heard. In pursuing this path, I found that the stories of Moses were hard to read from the NIV translation, but found a web-site that published more readable versions. I will note when I use those. The David and Goliath story is from the NIV translation.

David and Goliath

1stSa 17:1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. 4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver‚Äôs rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. 8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, ‚ÄúWhy do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.‚Äù 10 Then the Philistine said, ‚ÄúThis day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other. ‚Äù 11 On hearing the Philistine‚Äôs words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul‚Äôs time he was very old. 13 Jesse‚Äôs three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father‚Äôs sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. 17 Now Jesse said to his son David, ‚ÄúTake this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.‚Äù 20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear. 25 Now the Israelites had been saying, ‚ÄúDo you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.‚Äù 26 David asked the men standing near him, ‚ÄúWhat will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?‚Äù 27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, ‚ÄúThis is what will be done for the man who kills him.‚Äù 28 When Eliab, David‚Äôs oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, ‚ÄúWhy have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.‚Äù 29 ‚ÄúNow what have I done?‚Äù said David. ‚ÄúCan‚Äôt I even speak?‚Äù 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, ‚ÄúLet no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.‚Äù 33 Saul replied, ‚ÄúYou are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.‚Äù 34 But David said to Saul, ‚ÄúYour servant has been keeping his father‚Äôs sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.‚Äù Saul said to David, ‚ÄúGo, and the LORD be with you.‚Äù 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. ‚ÄúI cannot go in these,‚Äù he said to Saul, ‚Äúbecause I am not used to them.‚Äù So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd‚Äôs bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, ‚ÄúAm I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?‚Äù And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 ‚ÄúCome here,‚Äù he said, ‚Äúand I‚Äôll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals! ‚Äù 45 David said to the Philistine, ‚ÄúYou come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I‚Äôll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD‚Äôs, and he will give all of you into our hands.‚Äù 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine‚Äôs sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. 54 David took the Philistine‚Äôs head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine‚Äôs weapons in his own tent. 55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, ‚ÄúAbner, whose son is that young man?‚Äù Abner replied, ‚ÄúAs surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don‚Äôt know.‚Äù 56 The king said, ‚ÄúFind out whose son this young man is.‚Äù 57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine‚Äôs head. 58 ‚ÄúWhose son are you, young man?‚Äù Saul asked him. David said, ‚ÄúI am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.‚Äù Saul‚Äôs Growing Fear of David 1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. 5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul‚Äôs officers as well.

Love

Granddaddy

David's Marriage

09/14/2020

This is a rather gory account of what David had to do to marry Saul‚Äôs Daughter.

(NIV) 1stSA 18:6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang: ‚ÄúSaul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.‚Äù 8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. ‚ÄúThey have credited David with tens of thousands,‚Äù he thought, ‚Äúbut me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom? ‚Äù 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. 10 The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, ‚ÄúI‚Äôll pin David to the wall.‚Äù But David eluded him twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14 In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns. 17 Saul said to David, ‚ÄúHere is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD.‚Äù For Saul said to himself, ‚ÄúI will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!‚Äù 18 But David said to Saul, ‚ÄúWho am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king‚Äôs son-in-law? ‚Äù 19 So when the time came for Merab, Saul‚Äôs daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. 20 Now Saul‚Äôs daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21 ‚ÄúI will give her to him,‚Äù he thought, ‚Äúso that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.‚Äù So Saul said to David, ‚ÄúNow you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.‚Äù 22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: ‚ÄúSpeak to David privately and say, ‚ÄòLook, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.‚Äô‚Äù 23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, ‚ÄúDo you think it is a small matter to become the king‚Äôs son-in-law? I‚Äôm only a poor man and little known.‚Äù 24 When Saul‚Äôs servants told him what David had said, 25 Saul replied, ‚ÄúSay to David, ‚ÄòThe king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.‚Äô‚Äù Saul‚Äôs plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. 26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king‚Äôs son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king‚Äôs son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. 28 When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29 Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days. 30 The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul‚Äôs officers, and his name became well known.

Love

Grandaddy

09/15/2020

In trying to give you stories about David, I found there was a lot of repetition in the Biblical account. I will continue but will try to give you a more brief account. It also occurred to me that you may need an outline. This is one that I use,

BIBLE OUTLINE

1. OLD TESTAMENT

A. Law

i. The First Book of Moses Called Genesis

ii. The Second Book of Moses Called Exodus

iii. The Third Book of Moses Called Leviticus

iv. The Fourth Book of Moses Called Numbers

v. The Fifth Book of Moses Called Deuteronomy

B. Narrative

i. The Book of Joshua

ii. The Book of Judges

iii. The Book of Ruth

iv. The First Book of Samuel

v. The Second Book of Samuel

vi. The First Book of Kings

vii. The Second Book of Kings

viii. The First Book of Chronicles

ix. The Second Book of Chronicles

x. The Book of Ezra

xi. The Book of Nehemiah

xii. The Book of Esther

C. Wisdom

i. The Book of Job

ii. The Book of Psalms

iii. The Book of Proverbs

iv. The Book of Ecclesiastes

v. The Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon or Canticles)

D. Major Prophets

i. The Book of Isaiah

ii. The Book of Jeremiah

iii. The Book of Lamentations

iv. The Book of Ezekiel

E. Minor Prophets

i. The Book of Hosea

ii. The Book of Joel

iii. The Book of Amos

iv. The Book of Obadiah

v. The Book of Jonah

vi. The Book of Micah

vii. The Book of Nahum

viii. The Book of Habakkuk

ix. The Book of Zephaniah

x. The Book of Haggai

xi. The Book of Zechariah

xii. The Book of Malachi

2. NEW TESTAMENT

A. The Gospels

i. The Gospel According to Matthew

ii. The Gospel According to Mark

iii. The Gospel According to Luke

iv. The Gospel According to John

B. Acts

i. The Acts of the Apostles

C. Epistles of Paul

i. The Epistle of Paul to the Romans

ii. The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians

iii. The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians

iv. The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians

v. The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians

vi. The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians

vii. The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians

viii. The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

ix. The Second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

x. The First Epistle of Paul to Timothy

xi. The Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy

xii. The Epistle of Paul to Titus

xiii. The Epistle of Paul to Philemon

D. General Epistles

i. The Epistle to the Hebrews

ii. The General Epistle of James

iii. The First Epistle of Peter

iv. The Second Epistle of Peter

v. The First Epistle of John

vi. The Second Epistle of John

vii. The Third Epistle of John

viii. The Epistle of Jude

E. Apocalypse of John

i. The Book of Revelation (or The Apocalypse of John)

Love

Granddady

09/18/2020

Most of the stories about David and his establishment of his Kingdom. All the stories don‚Äôt depict him as being God‚Äôs servant as he would like you to believe. This story is one of those.

Bathsheba

When it was spring, it was time to once again attack the Ammonites. Normally David would go with his men, but he decided to stay home. After taking a nap one afternoon, he walked along the sundeck that was on the roof of the palace. From there, he saw a beautiful woman taking a bath. He sent for a servant and asked, ‚ÄúWho is that woman?‚Äù ‚ÄúOh, her name is Bathsheba. She is the wife of Uriah, one of your 30 fighting men.‚Äù David sent for her, so she came to the palace. He slept with her that night. In time she realized she was expecting a baby, and she knew it was from the night she spent with the king. She sent word to David that she was pregnant. He decided he had to hide what he had done. So he immediately sent a message to Joab. ‚ÄúSend Uriah to me.‚Äù The soldier arrived and the king asked him, ‚ÄúHow is the battle going? Is Joab well?‚Äù After Uriah gave a report, the king told him he could go home to his wife before going back to the battle. He even sent a gift for the couple. Uriah left the king, but didn‚Äôt go home. He slept the night at the door of the palace with all of the king‚Äôs servants. In the morning, the king called him in and asked, ‚ÄúWhy didn‚Äôt you go home?‚Äù ‚ÄúNo, I wouldn‚Äôt do that. The Ark of God is on the field of battle. The army of Israel sleeps in tents. Joab and his officers are on the field. I can‚Äôt go to my house and live in ease. I can‚Äôt eat and drink with my wife while they are sacrificing for our nation.‚Äù Building a Nation David said, ‚ÄúStay here one more day, and then I‚Äôll send you back to the battle.‚Äù The king then asked Uriah to eat and drink with him. During the course of the evening, David got him drunk. Still, he didn‚Äôt go home, but slept on a cot at the palace doors. The next morning David wrote a letter to his commander. ‚ÄúPut Uriah in the front where the fighting is the most fierce. At an assigned moment, have your men fall back, leaving him to die.‚Äù The king gave the sealed letter to Uriah, and told him to take it to Joab. He went back to the battle and gave the letter to his commander. Joab obeyed the order and put Uriah at the exact place that was the most dangerous. At the assigned moment, everyone else fell back and Uriah was killed. Bathsheba heard that her husband died in battle, and she mourned his death. Joab continued his battle against the Ammonite capital city. Finally he broke through and captured their water supply. He sent word to David. ‚ÄúCome quickly! Lead the army into the city and capture it so you‚Äôll get the glory.‚Äù David went and led the army to victory over the Ammonite cities. He had the Ammonite people totally tear down their walls and all of their buildings. He took everything of value, and put the people to work making bricks. David then went back to Jerusalem. Once Bathsheba‚Äôs time of mourning was over, he made her his wife. Soon afterwards, she gave birth to their son. Only God knew about their sin, and he was not pleased.

Love and Happy Birthday

Granddaddy

09/17/2020

Most of the stories of David are of him as a warrior and establishing his kingdom. I have decided to move on to stories of Moses, However, as an interlude I thought I would share the story of the person after whom a person you know is named.

Rivka or Rebekah

When Sarah died, Abraham realized he needed to find a wife for his son Isaac. He said to his servant, ‚ÄúI‚Äôm sending you back to my homeland so you can find a wife for my son. Promise me you won‚Äôt choose a woman from the people around here. Make sure she‚Äôs from among my relatives.‚Äù The servant was concerned. ‚ÄúWhat if I find a woman, and she‚Äôs not willing to leave her home and come here? Perhaps I should take Isaac back there to marry her.‚Äù ‚ÄúAbsolutely not! You‚Äôre not to take Isaac back to that country! Listen, the Lord will send his angel before you. He‚Äôll prepare the way. But if the woman isn‚Äôt willing to come back with you, then you‚Äôre released from this assignment.‚Äù After a long journey, the servant reached the town where Abraham‚Äôs relatives lived. He stopped at a well on the outskirts of town and prayed, ‚ÄúOh God, help me find the right woman for Isaac.‚Äù Suddenly he had an idea. ‚ÄúLord, I‚Äôll ask a woman for a drink of water. I‚Äôll know she‚Äôs the right one if she gives me a drink, and then offers to draw water for all ten of these camels!‚Äù Soon a young woman named Rebekah came to the well. She was beautiful ‚Ä¶ and virtuous ‚Ä¶ and ‚Ä¶ she wasn‚Äôt married. She filled her jar and started to walk away. The servant stepped forward and asked for a drink of water. She gave him one, and then offered to draw water for all his camels. While she was doing this, the servant asked God to help him know for sure that this was the woman for Isaac. After Rebekah was done, the servant gave her several pieces of jewelry and asked, ‚ÄúWho‚Äôs your family, and is there room at your father‚Äôs house for my men and me to spend the night?‚Äù She told the servant the names of her father and Beginnings grandfather, and the servant knew they were Abraham‚Äôs relatives. Rebekah said that there was plenty of room for them to spend the night. She then left the servant and ran home to tell her family about this conversation. Her brother was Laban, and when he saw the valuable jewelry, he hurried to the well to see who had given her these things. He asked the servant, ‚ÄúCome, we‚Äôve prepared a place for you and your servants, as well as your camels!‚Äù Once they got to the house, the servant was invited to sit down and eat a meal with them. But he said, ‚ÄúBefore we eat this meal, I must tell you my story.‚Äù He told them about the assignment Abraham had given him. He then said, ‚ÄúI prayed and asked God to show me the right woman for Isaac. As a sign, I asked that she‚Äôd be willing to give me a drink of water and also draw water for all the camels. Rebekah did exactly that. I believe she‚Äôs the woman God has chosen to be Isaac‚Äôs wife.‚Äù Laban and his father were amazed when they heard this story. They agreed with him and immediately gave their blessing. The next morning they asked Rebekah if she was willing to go with Abraham‚Äôs servant and marry Isaac. She said she was willing to go. So, they blessed Rebekah and sent her with the servant. Isaac was in the field when he saw, off in the distance, the servant‚Äôs caravan of camels. So he started walking toward it. Rebekah saw him coming their way. She asked the servant, ‚ÄúWho is that man?‚Äù ‚ÄúOh, that is my master, Isaac.‚Äù So Rebekah covered herself with a veil. The servant told Isaac all about his trip, and how God led him to just the right woman. So Isaac took Rebekah to be his wife, and the love between them was great.

Love Granddaddy

09/18/2020

Moses was born at a time when the Israelites were growing and Pharaoh was concerned enough to limit their growth. Moses was born under a Law seeking to do just that.

The Israelite population continued to increase in number, so Pharaoh issued a new law for the nation. ‚ÄúEvery Hebrew boy-child is Beginnings to be thrown into the Nile River.‚Äù During this time of persecution, a boy was born to one of the Hebrew families. His mother hid him for three months, but it became more difficult with each passing week. Finally, she realized she needed to do something different. So she made a waterproof basket, put the child inside, and placed it in the Nile River among the reeds near the banks. The boy‚Äôs sister was Miriam. She hid nearby to see what would happen to her brother. Soon Pharaoh‚Äôs daughter came down to the river to take a bath. She saw the basket floating among the reeds and sent her servants to get it. When she opened the basket, the baby started to cry and she felt sorry for it. She said, ‚ÄúThis must be one of the Hebrew children.‚Äù Miriam came out of her hiding place and spoke up. ‚ÄúDo you want me to go find a Hebrew mother who can nurse this child?‚Äù ‚ÄúYes. I‚Äôd like that. Go get a nursing mother.‚Äù So the girl went and got her own mother ‚Äì the mother of the baby. Pharaoh‚Äôs daughter said to her, ‚ÄúNurse this child for me and I‚Äôll pay you.‚Äù When the boy was old enough, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh‚Äôs daughter and the boy became her son. She called him Moses (which means ‚Äúpulled out‚Äù) saying, ‚ÄúI pulled him out of the water

Love Granddaddy

09/19/2020

During Moses day, women were not considered equal to men. This and other stories seeks to elevate their importance by illustrating how ‚Äúheroes‚Äù treated them.

‚ÄúOnce he got there, he sat down next to a well. Soon seven women came to the well to draw water for their sheep. They were the daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian. Suddenly, some shepherds come and started to chase the women away. Moses stepped in and defended them. After the fight, he helped the women draw the water for their sheep. When they got back home, Jethro was surprised his daughters were back so soon. They said, ‚ÄúAn Egyptian protected us from the shepherds, and he even helped draw water for the flock.‚Äù ‚ÄúSo where is he? What! Did you leave him at the well? Go get him and invite him to come and have a meal with us.‚Äù Moses stayed with Jethro and his family, and eventually married one of his daughters, a woman named Zipporah. Together, they had two sons.‚Äù

Love Granddaddy

09/20/2020

This section, the Exodus, is rather long so I am breaking it into three sections. This is the assignment, where God assigns Moses the job of leading the people out of Egypt. If you compare this with the text, you will find I have left out some of the repetition.

(ESV) Exo 3:The Burning Bush 1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, ‚ÄúI will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.‚Äù 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‚ÄúMoses, Moses!‚Äù And he said, ‚ÄúHere I am.‚Äù 5 Then he said, ‚ÄúDo not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.‚Äù 6 And he said, ‚ÄúI am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.‚Äù And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the LORD said, ‚ÄúI have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.‚Äù 11 But Moses said to God, ‚ÄúWho am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?‚Äù 12 He said, ‚ÄúBut I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.‚Äù 13 Then Moses said to God, ‚ÄúIf I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‚ÄòThe God of your fathers has sent me to you,‚Äô and they ask me, ‚ÄòWhat is his name?‚Äô what shall I say to them?‚Äù 14 God said to Moses, ‚ÄúI AM WHO I AM.‚Äù And he said, ‚ÄúSay this to the people of Israel: ‚ÄòI AM has sent me to you.‚Äô‚Äù 15 God also said to Moses, ‚ÄúSay this to the people of Israel: ‚ÄòThe LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.‚Äô This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‚ÄòThe LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, ‚ÄúI have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.‚Äù‚Äô 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‚ÄòThe LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.‚Äô 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt.

Love Granddaddy

09/22/2020

Moses was concerned that his slowness of speech would be inadequate to deal with Pharaoh. So God gave him the tools to convince him. Two facts are evident from this series to me. One is that God becomes angry when we doubt His ability to use us to bring about His will. The second is that, in spite of this, He is patient with us and gives us, not only what we need, but what we think we need. The lesson here is given in the Lord‚Äôs Prayer, ‚ÄúGive us this day our daily bread‚Äù.

(ESV) Exo 4:1 Then Moses answered, ‚ÄúBut behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‚ÄòThe LORD did not appear to you.‚Äô‚Äù 2 The LORD said to him, ‚ÄúWhat is that in your hand?‚Äù He said, ‚ÄúA staff.‚Äù 3 And he said, ‚ÄúThrow it on the ground.‚Äù So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, ‚ÄúPut out your hand and catch it by the tail‚Äù‚Äîso he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand‚Äî 5 ‚Äúthat they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.‚Äù 6 Again, the LORD said to him, ‚ÄúPut your hand inside your cloak.‚Äù And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then God said, ‚ÄúPut your hand back inside your cloak.‚Äù So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 ‚ÄúIf they will not believe you,‚Äù God said, ‚Äúor listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.‚Äù 10 But Moses said to the LORD, ‚ÄúOh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.‚Äù 11 Then the LORD said to him, ‚ÄúWho has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.‚Äù 13 But he said, ‚ÄúOh, my Lord, please send someone else.‚Äù 14 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, ‚ÄúIs there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.‚Äù

Love Granddaddy

Although we do what we think is God‚Äôs will, it sometimes doesn‚Äôt result in what we think should happen. We need to remember that we only have a part in God‚Äôs plan. It would be nice if we knew, but it would not be a test of our faith.

(ESV) Exo 7 Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh 1 And the LORD said to Moses, ‚ÄúSee, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.‚Äù 6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the LORD commanded them. 7 Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 ‚ÄúWhen Pharaoh says to you, Prove yourselves by working a miracle,‚Äô then you shall say to Aaron, ‚ÄòTake your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.‚Äô‚Äù 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

Love Granddaddy

09/24/2020

Exo 7:14 thru Exo 12:32 includes the description of the ten plagues that was visited on the Egyptians before Pharaoh decided to let Moses lead his people out of Egypt. They were:

Water turned to blood
The Frogs
The gnats
The Flies
The Livestock
The Boils
Hail
Locusts
Darkness
Death of Firstborn

You may sometime want to read the full accounts but at this time I believe you just need to know their names.

Before the 10th, God established what we now know as ‚ÄúPassover‚Äù. There is a lot of detail starting at Exo 12 but what you need to know is that God had His people spread the blood of lambs on their doors so that the angel of death would ‚Äúpass over‚Äù that household. The firstborn of households not marked were struck down including that of Pharaoh to the livestock.

Pharaoh then told Moses to take his people and go.

Love Granddaddy

09/25/2020

Read the scripture first, then comment at end.

‚Äú(ESV) Exo 14: 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, ‚ÄúWhat is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?‚Äù 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. 10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, ‚ÄúIs it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‚ÄòLeave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians‚Äô? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.‚Äù 13 And Moses said to the people, ‚ÄúFear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.‚Äù

Prior to this scripture was the account of the ‚ÄúPillars and Clouds‚Äù that led the Israelis during the Exodus. Some have suggested that the phenomenon was actually a comet that was known to have been close to earth. I couldn‚Äôt find reference to that on the net.

What lesson do we get from this scripture? After Pharaoh told Moses to lead the Israelites and leave we now have him sending Egyptians after them to bring them back. The lesson! ‚ÄúYou can‚Äôt trust a Politician‚Äù

Love Granddaddy

09/26/2020

This is one of those stories that are, to a degree, confirmed. At the end of this letter I have included a link to a site that discusses how it could happen and give clue that it really happened.

(ESV) Exo 14:15 The LORD said to Moses, ‚ÄúWhy do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.‚Äù 19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, ‚ÄúLet us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.‚Äù 26 Then the LORD said to Moses, ‚ÄúStretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.‚Äù 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

Here is a link that discusses the science.

Scientific Evidence for the Parting of the Red Sea

Love Granddaddy

09/27/2020

During the exodus there was a lot of whining about what the Israelis endured and God‚Äôs responses. IMHO the next significant occurrence was that God gave Moses and his followers the 10 commandments. They represent the framework of the Jewish and Christian Faiths.

(ESV) Exo 20 The Ten Commandments 1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 ‚ÄúI am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 ‚ÄúYou shall have no other gods before me. 4 ‚ÄúYou shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 ‚ÄúYou shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 8 ‚ÄúRemember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 ‚ÄúHonor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. 13 ‚ÄúYou shall not murder. 14 ‚ÄúYou shall not commit adultery. 15 ‚ÄúYou shall not steal. 16 ‚ÄúYou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 ‚ÄúYou shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.‚Äù

09/28/2020

Following the Ten Commandments is Law for the Israelis. At that time in our, Judaic-Christian, slavery was an accepted practice. Note that the first laws concerned the treatment of slaves.

(ESV) Exo 21:1 ‚ÄúNow these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‚ÄòI love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,‚Äô 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. 7 ‚ÄúWhen a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

This is by no means a justification for slavery. But it does give you an idea of the Judaeo-Christian path of where we are today.

Love Granddaddy

09/29/2020

Some years back, I read a theologian‚Äôs explanation of the law. I tried without success to find that article on the web. Briefly he said there were three buckets: one held the absolute law, like Gravity, that promised immediate reaction if violated; the second held behavioral law, like the Ten Commandments; and the third which held advisory laws, like eating pork which, during the time of Exodus, threatened illness and death. (We have since learned that processes exist that removed that threat). Even though you may not have explicitly learned about those buckets, you have lived in an environment that recognized the differences.

While searching for the article, I came across the following article that gives another view of the law. Using the articles as a backdrop will help you better understand the law.

Love Granddaddy

https://www.ligonier.org/blog/threefold-use-law/

09/30/2020

This is the final letter in this series. I will start a new one mainly because this post is too large and unwieldy.

Love Granddaddy