A 1189 Day Journey Through the Bible

I am writing from my desk in Seattle, WA. Deuteronomy 22: Welp, this chapter is not a good one.  It is a classic example that someone points to when expressing that the Bible is barbaric and immoral.  Lets dive in. It starts out okay with a reminder to return a lost item if you find it; whether this be an animal or a piece of clothing. Then we have some bizarre rules. A woman must not wear men's clothing, and vice versa.  We are told that God detests this.  Does anyone actually believe the creator of the universe is genuinely disgusted when a woman wears a man's sweatshirt?  The short answer is no. If you find a bird's nest, you can take the young but not the mother. So we have a part about returning lost items, then not wearing certain clothes, then a bird's nest. LOL. If you build a house, make sure you put a wall around the roof so no one falls in and you feel guilty. What? Don't plan two kinds of seeds in your vineyard?  Anybody do...

I am writing from my couch in Seattle, WA. Deuteronomy 21: This one is a bit odd.  It opens with some bizarre instructions.  If you find a dead body in a field and the killer is unknown, you have to go get a cow and break its neck. In the midst of war, if you find a beautiful woman that you’re attracted to, then you can take her and marry her if you want.  Because she’s property.  If you aren’t pleased with her, you can let her go whenever you want.  Is this isn’t clear that women were property, I’m not sure what is. Then a part about what kind of inheritance your sons get based on whether you love your wives or not. If you don’t listen to your parents, your parents can take you into town and have you executed via stoning. Lastly, if a dead body is put on a pole, you can’t leave it there overnight.

I am writing from my desk in Seattle, WA. Deuteronomy 20: I like the first half of this chapter. This is about going to war, but lets read it metaphorically. We start off with a reminder not to be afraid when you go into battle and you see that your enemies are bigger than you, because God is with you. Now I don't know what God is.  Some mystery perhaps. Trials in your life are going to seem insurmountable at times.  When you lean into that mystery, an inexplicable courage is found.  You will find a faith that says the future is full of hope. “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” Your courage can be contagious, but so can your fear.  Surround yourself with people who can move into the future with you. The second half of this chapter is messed up.  If you capture a city, kill the men and plunder the rest.  As for the cities that are inheritance, you must ...

I am writing from my couch in Seattle, WA. Deuteronomy 19: More recap.  First we got those refuge cities.  The main reason is so you can escape there if you accidentally kill someone.  Are there really that many people accidentally knocking people off? Then some stuff about being a good witness to a crime.  If a witness lies, then you “show no pity.” This chapter closes with a reminder that you should seek revenge. Don’t do this lol.

I am writing from my bed in Seattle, WA. Deuteronomy 18: Well I wrote this last night but didn’t post it for some odd reason. This chapter opens with some stuff about some offerings and inheritances.  Not interesting. Also, no witchcraft or sorcery.  Which suggests that sorcery is a thing, which is odd lol.  This one closes with some stuff about prophets, and how you’ll know they are real if what they say comes true.  Hmm.  Mostly recap stuff, kinda boring.

I am writing from my bed in Seattle, WA. Deuteronomy 17: This chapter has some weird rules that no one does. Don’t sacrifice any defective animals.   If you worship other gods and this can be proven, well you get executed by stoning.  But you need at least two witnesses to approve the execution, one won’t cut it.  Interestingly, the witnesses must throw the first stones. If a case is too difficult to judge, go to some priests and they’ll decide for you since they are speaking on behalf of god.  I can’t imagine how many times this has been abuse throughout human history.  It also instructs to obey every word of these priest people.  If you speak up to them, well you get put to death.  Sounds like a power structure.  It even says that the people will hear and be afraid, so it’s pretty obvious that fear is the motivator here. Next, when you get some new land, you need to appoint a kind and he’s supposed to come from fellow Is...

I am writing from an undisclosed location on planet earth. Deuteronomy 16: This is another recap chapter.  We are reminded of Passover, the festival of weeks and the festival of tabernacles.  Appoint some judges and don’t worship other gods.