Time and time again throughout the story of Job, Job's three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, make speeches to Job. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a fourth friend steps in and is given six consecutive chapters to present yet another speech to Job. However, at the end of the story, God chastises all of Job's friends except Elihu. Why was he exempt? Was there something special about his speech that God liked?
Esther 2:14 - In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king
again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name. I don't know why this scene never stood out to me before. After the king banishes Vashti, the virgins of the land are taken to the king's palace, placed in a harem, given beauty treatments, forced spend a night with the king to see in whom he most delights, and are placed in a second harem under the care of a eunuch who oversees the concubines. It is not unfair to assume that the king had relations with the virgins upon becoming aware of these circumstances. Did Esther and the rest of the virgins sleep with the king? My sources say yes. 1 Samuel 20:5 - "David said to Jonathan, 'Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.'"
1 Samuel 20:18 - "Then Jonathan said to him, 'Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.'" As I was reading this passage, I wondered, "What's so great about a new moon, and who cares whether or not David shows up for supper on the new moon?" As we have studied in the Bible thus far, nothing insignificant is placed within the text. Surely there is some purpose for these passages also. So, let's find out what the big deal is... Judges 1:6 - "Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes."
I could not even get through the first chapter of Judges without coming across some gore. Of course, there have already been several instances of violence throughout our readings, but this one made me ponder, "Why?" More than that, it made me wonder if perhaps there was significance in cutting off thumbs and big toes. To my satisfaction, there was... |
AuthorKatie Cleveland Archives
November 2012
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