tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-349025112009-02-21T01:48:44.078-05:00A secular humanist reads the BibleJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.comBlogger304125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-26492666713977270152008-12-09T08:11:00.000-05:002008-12-09T08:12:23.583-05:00

Two rather surprising facts from our most recent reading. First, if you want to humiliate someone, Old Testament style, what you need to do is shave off half their beards and cut their clothes at the buttocks. I mean, who wouldn't be humiliated by something like that? (2 Sam. 10:4)Second, if you thought your hat was heavy, consider the plight of the ex-king of Rabbah, whose crown weighed a talent

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-67800515880802149922008-12-08T08:32:00.000-05:002008-12-08T08:33:30.483-05:00

We might remember from 1 Samuel that David's best friend was Jonathan, Saul's son. Jonathan died at the end of 1 Samuel, but he left behind a crippled son named Mephibosheth. In 2 Samuel 9, David finds out about Mephibosheth and wants to show him kindness for the sake of his father, David's best friend. Mephibosheth is understandably worried, knowing that his grandfather Saul was David's enemy.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-3073009402194625082008-12-07T10:53:00.001-05:002008-12-07T10:53:27.233-05:00

(Today's passage covers David's many conquests; his kindness towards Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son; his defeat of the Ammonites and Syrians; his affair with Bethsheba, and the aftermath thereof.)In today's passage, we see the odd reasoning of David's mind. It seems he acts first and rationalizes later, trying to do what's right, but when that fails, doing what's necessary.Perhaps an example is in

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-9192870484443907882008-12-06T11:48:00.001-05:002008-12-06T11:48:43.150-05:00

In 2 Samuel 7, David is feeling guilty: he has a beautiful cedar palace, and the ark (God's house) is housed in a tent. He asks Nathan, God's prophet, whether he should build a house for God. In a dream, God replies to Natahan that David should do no such thing. Instead, he promises to establish David's "seed" and "establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-36377661001848549942008-12-05T08:04:00.001-05:002008-12-05T08:04:56.049-05:00

In 2 Samuel 4, for the second time in as many readings, we encounter a case of regicide. Two of Ishbosheth's captains, Rechab and Baanah, see which way the wind is blowing and decide to take matters into their own hands. They go into Ishbosheth's house during the king's midday nap on the pretence of fetching wheat, and then they stab the king through the belly. The decapitate the corpse and bring

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-87908793656579773212008-12-04T08:33:00.000-05:002008-12-04T08:36:31.563-05:00

(Today's passage covers Ishbosheth's murder, David's conquest of Jerusalem and some Philistine armies, the return of the Ark to Jerusalem, and God's promise to David that he'll establish his line forever.)As 2 Samuel 5 opens, David is the undisputed king over all Israel. All the tribes have pledged their allegiance to him, and all that remains is for him to set himself up in proper kingly style.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-88680955282168209432008-12-03T08:31:00.000-05:002008-12-03T08:32:45.367-05:00

In 2 Samuel 3:1-5, we find out that after settling in Hebron, David had six sons by six different women. The first two were by his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, but we don't know whether David was married to the other four. Regardless, when Abner decides to defect to David's side (see the latest essay), one of David's conditions is that Abner bring him Michal, Saul's daughter and David's first

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-25899887939934995762008-12-02T08:28:00.000-05:002008-12-02T08:29:04.800-05:00

At the very beginning of 2 Samuel (1:1-16) that we read a second account of Saul's death, this time as it was told to David. We read in 1 Sam. 31 that Saul had been wounded by arrows, asked his armour-bearer to finish him off, and when the latter refused, Saul fell on his own sword. Now we read that, in fact, it was an Amalekite who killed Saul when he was fatally wounded. How do we know? Because

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-81994728765031983962008-12-01T08:11:00.001-05:002008-12-01T08:11:08.841-05:00

(Today's passage covers David's anointment over Judah, the civil war between the houses of David and Saul, especially as played out through their generals Abner and Joab.)Welcome back to Daily Breadcrumbs. I know it's been a while, but we're now ready to pick up where we left off, with Saul dead and David poised to inherit the kingdom. After all, Samuel had anointed him way back in 1 Samuel 16,

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-46063791403239326142008-06-10T10:48:00.000-04:002008-06-10T10:52:29.931-04:00

Hello, all my faithful readers. I know it's been longer than the two weeks I promised in my last post. In fact, I seem to have lost my motivation for Daily Breadcrumbs. I will continue to do my private readers, and I will occasionally update Daily Breadcrumbs if something particularly relevant strikes me. For the time being, though, I'm putting Daily Breadcrumbs on semi-permanent hiatus.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-4467016388913945402008-04-30T08:41:00.000-04:002008-04-30T08:42:01.032-04:00

First, a big thank you to all my readers. I appreciate the time you're devoting to reading along with me.However, my life has gotten quite hectic lately. I started a new job this week, and I'm trying to get myself used to the new schedule. Because of this, Daily Breadcrumbs is going on hiatus for a few weeks (or maybe longer) while I adjust. I hope to be back soon so we can delve into 2

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-10389967577450319272008-04-29T07:24:00.000-04:002008-04-29T07:26:10.648-04:00

When David and his men go back to Ziklag, the town granted to them by King Achish, they find that Amalekites have burned the buildings and run off with their wives. This cannot be tolerated. David takes 400 of his men in pursuit (200 were so weary they couldn't go with the main force). Thanks to a chance encounter with an Egyptian ex-slave of the Amalekites, David gets led straight to the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-47319016320733950032008-04-28T08:14:00.000-04:002008-04-28T08:15:43.600-04:00

In 1 Sam. 29, the Philistines are gearing up for a massive offensive against the Israelites. In their ranks are David and his men, loyal followers (theoretically) of King Achish. However, the Philistine princes are getting a bit anxious. Isn't David an Israelite? Isn't he the very one from the songs that say, "David slew his 10,000s?" Is it really wise to keep him here? they ask. What if he

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-61521420233261287652008-04-27T08:50:00.000-04:002008-04-27T08:53:28.511-04:00

(Today's passage covers Saul consultation with a witch, David's destruction of some Amalekites, and Saul's death.)In these final chapters of 1 Sam., Saul finally loses it, both metaphorically and literally. First, he loses contact with God. We've known for some time that God has abandoned Saul in favour of David, but Saul finally acknowledges this in 1 Sam. 28. He acknowledges it, but he

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-70970802204032480702008-04-26T08:13:00.001-04:002008-04-26T08:13:24.912-04:00

At the end of 1 Sam. 25, we find out that David has taken two new wives: Abigail (wife of the now-deceased Nabal), and Ahinoam of Jezreel. But what about David's first wife, Michal? We might recall that David married Michal, Saul's younger daughter, in 1 Sam. 18. But now it seems that Saul has voided the marriage and given Michal to Phalti, the son of Laish. We have no news about why the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-64775399669524038432008-04-25T08:47:00.001-04:002008-04-25T08:47:38.933-04:00

In 1 Sam. 25:1, we find out that Samuel died. And that's it, really. The people lamented him, buried him and Ramah, and moved on with their lives, all in the course of a single verse. Surely, the protagonist of the first half of the book, in fact it's namesake, deserves better than a single verse of mourning. And yet, that's all Samuel gets. At least it seems he died in his sleep, and not

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-11545802738469784932008-04-24T09:27:00.000-04:002008-04-24T09:29:34.095-04:00

(Today's passage covers David's racketeering in Carmel, another near-murder of Saul, and his defection to the Philistines.)In today's reading we get to see three sides of David, all of them ambiguous. Story #1 (1 Sam. 25): David is in Carmel with his men, who are starting to get hungry again. (Who would have thought you need to feed an army of 600?) David decides that Nabal, a rich local, is

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-39156197060823511082008-04-23T09:29:00.001-04:002008-04-23T09:29:44.065-04:00

As he runs away from Saul, one of David's companions is Abiathar, the son of priest Ahimelech (you might recall that Doeg killed his entire city on Saul's orders). When David wants to consult with God, he has Abiathar get his ephod, a priestly robe. When Abiathar's wearing the ephod, David can suddenly receive God's word -- in this case, that Saul is coming and the citizens of Keilah will give

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-54297335662356564672008-04-22T10:34:00.001-04:002008-04-22T10:34:11.946-04:00

Early on in our narrative, David runs away into the land of Gath. It turns out, though, that King Achish has heard of David's battle-prowess. David gets worried at this point, perhaps because he thinks Achish will see him as a potential rival. So when the servants drag him before the king, he pretends to be a madman, writing on doorposts and drooling into his beard. The king falls for it hook

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-61994219540191291792008-04-21T10:13:00.000-04:002008-04-21T10:17:07.332-04:00

(Today's passage covers David and his crew running away from Saul, and Saul pursuing them.)You've got to hand it to David; he's one sneaky guy. Over the course of these four chapters, he successfully scams a bunch of people and smooth-talks his way into getting an apology (yes, again) from Saul.To start at the beginning. When last we left our intrepid hero, he'd just kissed goodbye to his best

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-66822819876599095912008-04-20T12:54:00.001-04:002008-04-20T12:54:43.791-04:00

I'd like to thank all of my devoted readers, and even my less-devoted readers, for coming back day after day and reading my take on the Bible. You guys encourage me to keep writing, even when sometimes life gets a bit hectic.And, to show my gratitude, I've got a question for you: do you read any other blogs or websites on similar topics to Daily Breadcrumbs? If so, please let me know! I'm

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-85789828488182910552008-04-20T09:45:00.000-04:002008-04-20T09:46:50.022-04:00

Back in 1 Sam. 10, we found out the source of an apparently proverbial saying, "is Saul also among the prophets?" Back then, it was because of one of Samuel's signs that Saul would be king: Saul prophesied with a group of singing prophets on his way back to his father's house. In 1 Sam. 19, we're given an alternate explanation: when Saul finally gets fed up with sending incompetent assassins

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-20306657809705314762008-04-19T11:17:00.001-04:002008-04-19T11:17:37.560-04:00

You've got to wonder about Jonathan and David. In chapter 18, Jonathan loves David "as his own soul." They make a covenant, and Jonathan gives David all of his clothes. (1 Sam. 18:1-4) Throughout the rest of the book, it seems that the two are (at the very least) best friends. Jonathan hides David when Saul is trying to kill him, reasons with his dad to bring David back into the fold, and

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-39648245019112048782008-04-18T08:56:00.000-04:002008-04-18T08:59:45.570-04:00

(Today's passage covers Jonathan and David's deepening friendship, and Saul's deepening jealousy towards David.)Things were going so well. David, the poster-child for Israelite can-do power, was in King Saul's good books, carrying his armour and playing the harp. And then -- boom! -- Saul decides to kill the kid. And we're not talking a half-hearted attempt, either: over the course of these

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34902511.post-57851248132910240122008-04-17T09:52:00.000-04:002008-04-17T09:53:10.129-04:00

Some of you might remember from my breadcrumb a few days ago that Samuel prophesied Saul's kingdom wouldn't continue because of his disobedience at Gilgal. In 1 Sam. 15, the message is hammered home again. Saul was supposed to go completely wipe out Amalek for their oppression of Israel during the Exodus. Saul does this... mostly. But he saves King Agag and the best animals to sacrifice to

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605546292851678763noreply@blogger.com0