Job?

I'm so glad that I read the post about how nice it is to hear the perspective of those of us who are first time readers of the bible. As a first time reader I have to say that I'm really puzzled by Job. This book is broken up across several days and after the first day I was really angry. God and Satan were talking and as God extolled the virtues of Job, Satan had a comment to make, as usual. He entices God to take everything away from Job to test his devotion. I have to tell you that my first thought was of the story of Jesus in the desert and Satan comes to him offering his tempting basket of goodies. Jesus refused on all accounts, yet God gave in on the first go around. Then Job lost it all, even all his kids. Now, I know that God gives it all back and more at the end, but how can more children even begin to replace the ones you've lost? I'm still puzzled by God's actions. I know that we are not meant to understand God's motives and that He knows very well how things will turn out. Perhaps in the Old Testament God needed to be tougher on men in order to awaken their hearts to His message. Perhaps I've missed the whole message from Job myself.

Economic Force.

Ecclesiastes 4.4 is a great piece of scripture. Many times when you begin to look at a sociaty, its economy and the forces that drive those economies, you see the very complex interweaving of life and how we spend our lives, and in this, feelings about consumption, spending, rich, wealth, begin to well up and I found myself in this place recently, and really didn't have good words to express how I felt. Yesterday when I read the passage verse 4 gave words to lips for what I was feeling in my soul.

Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

I read this and I really felt like this is a very under-read piece of Old Testament text. It's a text that has potential to become a subversive counter-culture mantra for anyone tired of the 12 steps to gaining the world idealology of modern culture, or it can be more than that. Actually I hope it is more than that. Because I think, actually I believe that it's a passage of scripture that can bring liberation.

To be honest, I've been working on writing this blog for little bit, and I have re-written it several times, and I think the best I can say beyond what I already have, is let Jesus be the measure and driving force behind your life. Don't feel imprisoned if God has blessed you with a successful career, be greatful and make the most of it, for His purposes. And in that same spirit, realize that success in this life brings us no closer to the heart of God. To get closer to His heart is to climb into His lap and lay your head on His chest, and from that experience let your motivation come forth. Ironically, when we strive to impress others and create illusions of success, that is what they usually are, illusions built in debt.

Title forthcoming.

Monday night we had another OYBG meeting at la Madeleine on Westheimer, and as usual it was refreshing, interesting and inexpensive decent coffee. One of the aspects I love about the group is that for some it is the first time reading through the Bible. I can't get enough of that. It's refreshing get a different perspective on the Bible, one that doesn't have years of church cluttering and skewing the words on the page. To be honest reading the Bible lately has been a struggle. I read it searching, looking, waiting for something in the passage to jump off of a page, each time enduring until the end of the allotted reading. 

This afternoon an interesting experience occurred. Usually I think I read the Bible a lot as the protagonist. I mean if your going to read something why not be the hero? Whether it's David, or Joseph in the Old Testament, or one of the disciples in the New Testament, or a Paul writing a letter to a church that I recently visited. Back to this afternoon. Reading today in Romans 14, I read the letter differently as if Paul wrote it to me. 

Romans 14.1-23 is not the greatest letter you probably would want to receive. It's not a letter praising you for all you have done, or support for your causes. It's a section of a letter that, well, is humbling. It points to my self-righteousness. It makes loving people the way God loves them real and important. 

I really haven't a lot of thoughts on our passage in Romans, beyond encouragement to FOMers and OYBGers to read differently. To posture in a receiving end of scripture, a position as if scripture was written to you specifically. How would you read a letter or a card or an email written to you? Looking forward to the conversations.

peace!

Fear of God

Okay, as I keep on reading in the OYB I keep coming across "fear of God." This is a puzzling concept because we spend so much time talking about how God is kind and merciful. We ask for his blessing and grace daily. We thank him for his generosity and mercy, yet the bible speaks of the need for fear. This fear cannot mean the same thing in the bible that it means to us today. If that's the case, then what does it mean?

Life After the Moments

Catching up in my OYB reading this morning I came across a great passage in 2 Samuel. I think I can relate to this because, like David, the prior months of my life have not been all that great. Many times in moments in life whether its in a job or our health or finances things, bad things, happen. We get into accidents, a job might be lost, a doctor might have bad news, a child may not be possible. I many of these moments I can't help but let my mind wander into questioning, not God, but the purpose, the reason behind bad times. I have to wonder what I've done to be shattered into pieces. Through these times, I have realized through Gods grace that, it's not these moments that break us that matter, it's not a strategic move in the game of life. These bad times are moments that happen as a result of living in a fallen world, and I have found comfort in this passage in 2 Samuel. The author writes:

God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I cleaned up my act,
he gave me a fresh start.
Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways;
I haven't taken God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works,
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I'm watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

2nd Sam. 22.21-25 [The MSG]

These moments that have shattered my life, broken my plans, erased my dreams, these moments are not what is important. What I now do with the pieces, that is what is important.

May your life be shattered so He can put you back together. May your plans be erased so He can rewrite your story.

Praise God, everybody! Applaud God, all people!
His love has taken over our lives;
God's faithful ways are eternal.
Hallelujah!


Ps 117.1-2 [MSG]

His love has taken over our lives.

If only I could surrender my life easier, would His love take it over more. And with that I can dance.

Hello, My Name is Asher and I'm a....

Hello, My name is Asher, and I am a... Well I'm not an alcoholic. I've never done drugs. But I am a prisoner to my addictions.

I got to thinking about this the other day reading this passage in John

Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you."

John 8.31-32[MSG]

Usually, we stop here on, the truth will free you.

You know, the truth.

Unfortunatly, my life, many times looks like the scene that unfolds afterwards:

Surprised, they said, "But we're descendants of Abraham. We've never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, 'The truth will free you'?"

34-38Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. I know you are Abraham's descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn't yet penetrated your thick skulls. I'm talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father."

39-41They were indignant. "Our father is Abraham!"

Jesus said, "If you were Abraham's children, you would have been doing the things Abraham did. And yet here you are trying to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth he got straight from God! Abraham never did that sort of thing. You persist in repeating the works of your father."

They said, "We're not bastards. We have a legitimate father: the one and only God."

42-47"If God were your father," said Jesus, "you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn't come on my own. He sent me. Why can't you understand one word I say? Here's why: You can't handle it. You're from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn't stand the truth because there wasn't a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies. I arrive on the scene, tell you the plain truth, and you refuse to have a thing to do with me. Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I'm telling the truth, why don't you believe me? Anyone on God's side listens to God's words. This is why you're not listening—because you're not on God's side."

John 8.33-47 [MSG]

Many times I continue to find myself in these places where, sure I'm not committing one of the "really bad sins", Derek Webb said it best that we are "trading sins for others that are easier to hide I am wrong and of these things I repent" (DW)

It's easier for me to hide a self-righteous pride, or selfish generosities. I do confess these things. And I confess them with gratitude. The more I wrestle with theses things the more I realize my dependency on God, and the more I realise that the virtues of love, compassion, and selflessness are virtues that I can not obtain on my own. Rich Mullins once wrote:

Virtues are funny things. They are fruit of faith and, whenever paraded, become parodies of themselves and the worst kind of vanity imaginable. When they are not the fruit of faith they become its greatest obstacle. Virtues are most vital when invisible and most sharply imaged when they are not the focus of our attentions. They are evidence of their source (and ours) and not the generators of it (or us).

I confess these addictions These addictions to self.

I have traded sins for sins that are easier to hide. I have paraded virtues for display of selfcenteredness.

I am wrong. And of these things I repent.

Confession: Stop reading your Bible.

"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want.

John 5.39-40, The MSG

A scripture like this really has, I think, a bit of humor to it when it's read from a daily Bible reading program that's main emphasis is reading the Bible on a daily basis because the Bible is very important.

Taken out of context it stands alone as this very vague passage of scripture, interestingly enough truth rings very heavy in this passage for me. To be honest I struggle with this side of the gospel. I love the side of the gospel that encourages generosity, champions social justice, requires peace and tolerance. You know the side of the gospel that you can talk about easily in a group of people because it's comfortable to. When you talk about your church building water wells or sponsoring sports teams, people inside, outside or on the fringes of Christianity say, "That's cool man," or "sounds like an awesome thing." I can handle that side of the gospel, but the side I struggle with is the side that says Jesus has the life that you really really want.

I struggle with this because its easy to read a OYB, or to participate in set up teams or service and bask in my own little pride. I sing of course Jesus loves me, this I know, because my Bible I read more than you tells me so.

You know the spiritual disciplines are important, reading the word is very important. But this relationship with Jesus, a visceral relationship with Jesus is the only way to get the life we really want.

My Small God in a Box

http://thefom.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-small-god-in-box.html

Sitting on the front row isn't what it used to be...

“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[b]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

- Luke 19.9-14

I can't resist the notion that Jesus might actually started this parable with a bit of sarcasm, almost if he was telling a joke, and then described probably someone he may have seen at temple one day. Classic. What a beautiful picture of authentic humility contrasted against pious vanities and arrogance. Traditionally this is true and Christ even goes on for those who maybe don't get to mention if you humble yourself you'll be exalted.

I get it.

But I think there's more we can take away from this story.

Maybe I'm being over-analytical, maybe it's CSI on the TV, but I think there is a small but amazing prayer, subtly woven into the posture of the tax collector. I read this and ask God that my heart would break for Him. I pray my heart would long for Him that I would dare not even lift my eyes to heaven.

I think how we pray is important. I think being self-aware and authentically confessing our sins is important. I think being in love with Someone so much that hurts is important too.

Storing like a Woodpecker in Memorial

http://thefom.blogspot.com/2008/04/storing-like-woodpecker-in-memorial.html

Early Retirement

A great thing about allowing God to overflow into every area of your life is when those things overlap. Recently in the FOM's Total Money Makeover Group we where discussing saving for retirement, and today I was reading(catching up) in my OYB reading, and an awesome thing happens, Jesus talks about retirement.

What He says reminded me of our group discussion and something John Piper said at an event in 2003, and it made me seriously think about retiring early.

Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Luke 12.14-21

I tell you what a tragedy is. I’ll read to you from Reader’s Digest (Feb. 2000, p. 98) what a tragedy is: “Bob and Penny… took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells.” The American Dream: come to the end of your life - your one and only life - and let the last great work before you give an account to your Creator, be “I collected shells. See my shells.” THAT is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. And I get forty minutes to plead with you: don’t buy it.

- John Piper, One Day 2003

I think what is amazing is that in discussing retirement at group was awesome, because we discussed retirement as being different for followers of Christ, actually how its about more than retirement, but about how to live life. It's not just spinning it a different way, coming up with the hip, post-modern, anti-established, trendy-Jesus, view of retirement either. Its about working towards a freedom to be able to operate at my fullest capacity in God's mission to reconcile a broken and lost world to Him. Maybe I caught the Ecclesiastes bug from a poetic sunday morning rant, or maybe I'm young and can think this way, but you know it really has to stink to be the guy in the story Jesus told. He was rich and rich for a reason. He worked hard, had his emergency fund, drove a used cart and horse - paid off of course, did his debt snowball, and at the end of it all, he died. Just like we all will, and maybe, just maybe by Gods grace He'll help me on this journey to freedom. Maybe just maybe he'll rescue me from my prison of net worth . And maybe just maybe, if I'm really really lucky, by His grace, I'll be able to retire early.

Like owning one coat is sooo 30 A.D.

I've been finding the dangerous thing about being an avid reader, and reading books within the same genre, you experience overlap, points of thought emphasized and repeated. So along with my OYB, I've been reading a biographical devotional about Rich Mullins, the chapter I am starting (possibly avoiding to read past the first page) is on simplicity. The reason I mention this, is that a few days ago I stumbled across an interesting point John the Baptist makes, in answering a question on what one should do, he says;
If you have two coats, give one away,[Luke3.11, The MSG]

I read this and I think I have so much stuff, but does it really matter? To be honest with you, I don't like wrestling with these things, because well maybe I think it makes God out to be a killjoy robing us of coordinated wardrobes. As I look at what I have, what I spend my money on and I look at the size of the worlds problems I ask my self, does it really make a difference if I deny myself more than one coat?

Unfortunately the answer I am finding for myself is, well, yes.

It does matter.

It matters because in its essence it is what separates Christianity from social justice, its why the church is more than an outreach center or a spiritualized community center. A in Rich Mullins book mentions that Soren Kierkegaard once wrote, "Purity of the heart is to will one thing." That purity of heart, that essence of why consumption and simplicity matter, is Jesus, it is to will Him as one thing.

The more I think about simplicity and having fewer wants, the more I realize that Christianity's appeal is a cop-out and not why I am wrestling with this. I realize that I am wrestling with this because it is reflecting on what 'one things' I desire. The things that are my will.

Nothing Valued

Mark 12.41-44 is a great moment in the gospel. Usually this passage is used to emphasize giving, being generous, and how the poor woman is better than the rich person, and so on, but today this verse and I had an issue. Maybe it's the financial group, or recent efforts to become more financially responsible, I found myself in a conundrum. My studious crisis first begins with a women and two pennies. Here I am trying to be financially responsible, Total Money Made Overed, a person whose check book Jesus would be proud of, and yet here Jesus is saying this women is better because she gave what she couldn't afford!? To be honest, I had to stop, take a step back and really look at this. I had to be missing the point, and well I did. Reading over the passage again, I found a micro-commentary on giving, economics, and society. "All the others gave what they'll never miss".

Reading that, I felt saddened, because simply, if something is not missed it's not valued, and think that's a good commentary on the state of a certain society. Promiscuity is sex without value, true intimacy for some reason or another is no longer valued, not being missed, it is given away liberally. It's not like these guys in the bible gave little amounts, it says they "were making large contributions".

A credit score, our societies numerical definition of a financial reputation is traded for cheap moments of indulgence. Relationships are fast tracked, the value of a soul mate is no longer worth the price tag of courtship. Financial freedom is no longer worth hard work and patience. Why value anything when you can have it now, and pay for it later? Unfortunately we do pay for it later, and it is usually with interest. Turning back to the woman with two coins, I am encouraged. Encouraged because, of a pure and simple economic principle. The more you give the less you have, and the less you have the more valuable it becomes.

Jesus. PETA. And a tough read.

Leviticus. After pages and pages of what gets burnt, sprinkled, not touched, clean, unclean, who to marry, who not to marry, slave purchase agreements and faulty out of warranty clauses, etc.All I can say is wow. This is non stop.

It's good stuff and all, but I am earnestly just trying to get my head wrapped around it. How is it relevant? What's the purpose? The questions fall like a Houston summer rain, however one question sticks. One thought on perspective.

With Jesus and the cross how is this all important?

Progressive revelation makes sense I guess. Jesus came, tore the curtain, redeemed, saved a few sheep, a couple of goats, man kind. Life moves on.

Still, why is Leviticus important?

I think maybe its important because I think Leviticus is like that part in someone's Journey where they just left church camp, and they are really pumped about God, and they really want to make a difference, so they destroy all their CD's they get rid of their movie collection, tear down the posters, give up television, the list of sacrificial lambs goes on and on. And I think its funny how in this stage of our progression with Christ, this Leviticus part of our journey, we give up these things as if they matter. We give up these things as if that pigeon still matters, if that spotless goat still matters. We give these things up and we hold onto our selfishness. Our hate. Our bitterness. Maybe in my Leviticus, I was sacrificing sheep to ignore what He was really after.

My heart. My being. He was really after me.

Jesus talks about progressive revelation, He makes it sound like someone falling in love.

He talks about it like a story of a Groom. He talks about it like the story of His bride.

Joy and Fear

There's a great scene in Leviticus 9:23, where after receiving all the requirements for the tabernacle and the offerings, the people build the tabernacle and God's presence inhabits it. Then, Moses and Arron went into the tabernacle. When the came out "the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering ... AND WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW IT, THEY SHOUTED FOR JOY AND FELL FACE DOWN."

Don't you love that. The presence and glory of God produces joy and fear. They shouted for joy (YAHOO!!!!!) then fell face down (HOLY POWER WOW EEK!!!). God bring us into your presence so we can experience this intense meeting of Joy and Fear.

A discussion on yeast

Here's a link on the meaning of YEAST. I thought it really made some since. It mentions that unleavened bread was a result of a quick escape. It doesn't really explain why Moses had mentioned the no yeast rule prior to the Exodus, an explanation that can be assumed is that unleavened bread is faster to cook.
A few quick notes:
1) It can be assumed the leavening process was picked up from the Egyptians during captivity, not definite but possible.
2) Leaven in this time is about process, time, how something was done, yeast was not yeast as we normally think of it. You had to have some grain go through the "leaven" process and then add it to the bread

I guess just throwing something in the ol' crock pot is a bad idea right before liberation from bondage. From the brief research I have done, it looks like the bread was unleavened because the Israelites really, really, really, wanted to get out of there.

Interesting enough the author discusses bread as a symbol of God's Word, and unleavened bread represents Gods Word before it has 'yeast' added to it.

Peace!

ps Also, unleavened crackers used at Passover are called Matzo, a name similar to Matzah found in Matzah Ball soup.

Understanding vs. Denial

Matthew 10:34-40 was one of "those" passages of scripture. The kind that basically slaps you in the face, it shakes your values. Your beliefs. Your understanding of Christianity.

Reading the passage I was perplexed, having read it before, having heard it taught before, I had this reaction of wanting to really get down to the bottom of what the Big J was getting at here. After reading a brief commentary, I realized, a lack of understanding was not the problem here, but acceptance of the teaching. The commentary offered a simple to the point statment:

...the vast majority of people still cling desperately to life (compare Eph 5:29; Epict. Disc. 2.22.15-16). But the moment we become Christ's followers, our own lives and wills become forfeit; we die with Christ to sin (that is, to the right to make selfish choices; Rom 6:3-4) and choose a path that could lead any day to our execution for Christ's name (Mt 16:24). Although we may speak glibly today of "our cross" as the need to put up with Aunt Molly or a leaky roof, "taking up the cross" in Jesus' day meant being forced to bear the instrument of one's execution past a jeering mob to the site of one's imminent death as a condemned criminal (see Hengel 1977)


The words are writing difficult now. Syntax and sentence structure, and cohesive thought are being over ruled by this thought:

Christian community is made of men and women living selflessly for others. It's giving up your sunday afternoon to fix a car for someone you've never met with a church you don't go to. Its giving water to people you don't know in a part of the world you don't understand and that may not even like you. It's going to baseball, soccer, and basketball games when you'd rather be taking a nap. Its not allowing inconvenience to blockade you from a divine moment of not being selfish.

Bad Aliens

Poor Abimelech. Abraham, an alien traveling through the land of Gerar, fears the people there and so he conceives a deception. He decides to tell them that Sarah is his sister rather than his wife. (It turns out the Sarah is actually his half sister, but a terrible deception nonetheless.) King Abimelech takes Sarah as his wife. God comes to Abimelech in a dream and tells him that Sarah is Abe's wife. Apparently a God-fearing man, Abimelech takes Sarah back to Abraham and says... "How have I wronged you that you would bring such great guilt upon me and my kingdom. What was your reason for doing this." The reason is obvious. Abraham feared men more than he feared God. Afraid for his own life and not willing to entrust his protection to God, he takes the extraordinary action of offering up his wife. Unbelievable.

What's the lesson here for us? First, if there is a sense in which we are "aliens and strangers" in this world, the last thing we need to do is create mistrust. This defames the reputation of God in our culture. Half-truths are deceptions nonetheless. Secondly, we've got to know God well enough to fear him more than men and entrust ourselves to his care. Incredibly, Jacob pursues the same course of self-protection in Gerar a generation later by offering Rebekah as his sister. "The sins of one generation visted upon the next."

Genesis: A good not so good place to start.

Genesis is the wild west. Its the new frontier. It reads like the narration of an epic tale liking to Lord of the Rings or Conan the Barbarian. Lawrence of Arabia with out the guns (or planes). Primitive, new, undiscovered worlds colliding and growing daily with the interaction of its Creator. Stories of travel, adventure, war, destruction, incest, moments that bring wonder.

All of this a story of Gods interaction with man. It's quiet amazing to think about, almost like it is in a distant land long ago.

But it is our story.

At times I read and think, "Ok so I'm not the guy who God's angels are trying to rescue from the destruction of my city, btw I'll offer my virgin daughters to the angry mob, because that will make thinkgs all better guy." But I'm a guy, and I don't do things right, and because of Jesus who I read about in the parallel chapters, I too can have interactions with God. The thought provoked by Genesis for me, is: How? How is God intersecting and interacting in my life? How is He intersecting in the lives of others? What prejudices are blinding me from seeing God interact in the lives of the imperfect?

It's amazing you read the stories, and almost in passing a fact like "at that time men began to call on the name of the Lord." [Gen. 4.26]" is brought into the drama. Amazing. Hundreds of years in four chapters and men begin calling on God. The things I take for granted. What an amazing book this is!

The Covenants

There are several (seven) major covenants God has given his creation. This is the first of seven. Some are conditional and some are unconditional. Gen 9:8-17 "Noahic Coventant" is an unconditional covenant with every living thing on earth. Every covenant has a sign or seal "like the signature on a contract" the sign for this one was "rainbow" the sign for the covenant with Abraham was the circumcision and so on.There are 3 main colors in the rainbow (a trinity) and from them 7 other colors derive. (7 the perfect number) for more food for thought visit: http://crystal-cure.com/color-emotions2.html

posted by Ricardo.

Do Vegetarians Live Longer?

We have a few vegetarians at the FOM. Maybe they are onto something.

Did you realize that it wasn't until after the flood that God allowed man to eat meat? We were all vegetarians until Noah landed on dry ground. Then God says "Everything that lives and moves among you will be food for you." (Gen.9:3) But check this out... Noah's Dad lived 777 years. Noah lived 950 years. Then, life expectancy plummets in Gen. 11. Notice that Noah's son Shem only lived 600 years. Then, over the subsequent four generations, we're down to 200 years on life expectancy. What's up with this? Can we draw the conclusion that people would live longer if they only ate vegetables, but maybe God allowed us to eat meat because he couldn't bear with us for hundreds of years? Or maybe Daniel knew this when he asked the King to allow him and his buddies to only eat vegetables for ten days and see if they were better off than their counterparts who ate the king's food (meat, wine, etc.) Turns out they were better off.

I told Lee Anna about all this tonight and suggested maybe we should eat vegetables. She said it would need to wait at least one night because we were having Tilapia. Maybe we'll just eat vegetables and Tilapia in the future. Oh... and steak. I love steak. And hamburgers. This is going to be difficult.