Read/study up to page 73 in text before tomorrow’s class

Finishing up Chapter 3 Beginning on page 62 Grumbling in the Wilderness The Lord sweetens the water Provides manna and quail What was “manna”? At Sinai God sends the 10 Commandments A relationship is understood as a covenant when both parties promise to be faithful to each other

The 10 Commandments are often called the “Decalogue” 1 st Commandment does not say no other gods exist, it does say the Hebrews must worship Yahweh was their only God and that they were to worship no others In-class, read page 64 right-column on meaning of 1 st Commandment today

Use of God’s name Keeping holy the Sabbath: we belong to God, not to man Honor thy Father and Mother – The decline of the family today in supporting their elders, ex. Nursing homes – Dependence on society instead of children – a dangerous path, ex. Social Security Do not kill – the sin begins with the desire – Self-defense is not murder – Abortion is murder

Do not commit adultery – the family comes before individual desires – The sin begins with the desire Do not steal – Once you start to desire what other people have, will you ever stop or simply want more and more and more? Do not give false testimony Do not desire your neighbor's wife

Do not desire your neighbor’s property These 10 Commandments reflect an incredibly deep understanding of human nature, far beyond what people of the time could have comprehended and probably beyond something humans could ever have developed on their own – Cannot step out of yourself to view yourself objectively The “Book of the Covenant” – in your text tonight read bottom-right paragraph on pg 67

The 10 Commandments pose a fundamental question for people of conscience: What does it profit a person to gain the entire world if in the process they lose their immortal soul? Moses sealed the Covenant of Sinai in a ceremony described on page 68 The Hebrews (and later the Christians) came to realize over the centuries that to be the chosen people of God is not an easy road to walk

When Moses returned to the mountain for forty days, the Jews believed that he had left them and returned to idolatry Moses convinced God not to destroy the Hebrews. Instead Moses comes back down the mountain and destroys the two stone tables, which the people had already destroyed in spirit Later, God allows Moses to bring two blank stone tablets and God rewrites the Commandments

The Ark of the Covenant is built to house the two stone tablets and the Ark leads the Israelites on their journey Based on Moses interactions with God, and the Israelites experiences with Moses, they compose an idea of what God is like

The 13 Attributes of God  1&2: The Lord is the Lord of all creatures and the beginning and the ending of all things  3: A God  4: Merciful as a mother is merciful and nurturing to her child  5: God is kind for its own sake, not as a means to some goal  6: Slow to anger  7: Abounding in steadfast love, even when He is disobeyed  8: Faithfulness – always present and always offering love, whether it’s accepted or not  9: Endless  10, 11 & 12: God’s love and goodness are stronger than evil  13: God forgives those who want forgiveness The greatest sin is believing that we have no need to be forgiven

Chapter 4 The Law – Living out the Covenant Major Concepts  Leviticus: Holiness and Ritual  Numbers: Priestly Regulations and Inspiring Stories  Deuteronomy: The Law and Love  On the Brink of the Promised Land

For test on 11/24/10 Read up to and including page 76 in Chapter 4

Leviticus: Holiness and Ritual Writer was probably an Israelite priest in the time after the exile when the Temple was being rebuilt Priests were members of the tribe of Levi, who led worship in the Temple A handbook of instructions for Israel’s worship Community worship was critical for the Israelites because it expressed who they were: God’s own beloved people

Ritual was not to be treated lightly - had to be done according to precise instructions Leviticus presents the regulations for rituals as if they came directly from God to Moses and were as if put down during the travel through Sinai Actually written centuries later for worship in the 2 nd Temple Writer wanted Jews to see worship in the Temple as related to their daily life in the community

Writer knew that worship is genuine only if it is expressed in how people treat one another In addition to ritual, the book of Leviticus teaches how Jews should live out holiness in their relationships. It encourages: honesty respect tolerance compassion generosity and, reverence *** End of material for test on ***