August 13, 2009, 6:56 am by dc-agape.

Exodus 39:32 – 40:38

We have come to the end of the Book of Exodus.   This last post on the Book of Exodus is rather anti-climatic.  From the “god-bias” it is supposed to be the exciting beginning journey of YHWH and his Israelites.  But actually, the Books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are just expansions on the stories in the Book of Exodus.  The Book of Exodus covers the first 80 years of Moses’ life and the other three Books cover his last 40 years.  This, of course, is also the 40 years the Israelites spent in the desert as punishment for the Golden Calf Incident.  Not until the Book of Joshua does the conquest and butcher of Canaan begin.

In the study notes the editors have added some spiritual guidelines/meanings to these passages as well.  But to an Atheist they seem rather patronizing.  Things like “Moses was so good because he did exactly what YHWH wanted”, seems like modern humans saying that their dog is so smart because he obeys their commandments!  The editors also add some mumbo-jumbo about “just like the creation story, the creation of the Tent of Meeting ends with ‘and it was completed’”.  The editors end with “how glorious it is that YHWH tents with the Israelites and leads them to the fulfillment of promises”.  This commentary completely ignores the Book of Judges, the divided Kingdom, the Exile, and the Books of the Minor Prophets.

From the Atheist point-of-view three main points are worth mentioning from this section of the Book of Exodus.  The time it took to finish the Tent of Meeting, Aaron’s descendents place in the future, and the process of moving from one place to another.  After a three month trip to Mount Sinai and a three month stint with Moses up with YHWH at the top of the Mount (1^st and 2^nd trips) it takes an additional six months to complete the Tent of Meeting.  The Israelites are camped at the foot of Mount Sinai for an entire year (minus 14 days).  YHWH makes it quite clear that Aaron’s sons will be priests for all generations to come.  This of course is not true.  And the movement from place to place is proscribed by YHWH presence in the Tent of Meeting, which just happens to keep Moses out of the Tent!

The people have already complained about food and water just in the first three months of the trip (Exodus 15:24, 16:3, and 17:2).  Now they are camped at the foot of Mount Sinai for nine months…with only manna to eat.  Today this region is home to less than 200,000 people and that is the entire Peninsula!  2,000,000 people just at the base of the mountain seems like quite a stretch of the imagination.   Further the addition of food stocks for the animals would make this a great exaggeration.  With an annual rain fall of less than 22.4 inches (570mm) per year, even the “miracles” that Moses performed in the first three months would not be enough for the entire camp for nine additional months.

The second thing that I want to point out from this section of the Book of Exodus is a specific verse that indicates, once again, that the Word of God is not completely true.  And of course, once even one verse is in error, how do you trust any of it?

Exodus 40:15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests.  Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come.

This is the Word of YHWH recorded in the Word of God by Moses himself!  Yet it claims that Aaron’s descendents will be priest for ALL generations.  This would indicate that YHWH had no plans to change the priesthood!  Yet Christians claim that Jesus took this place but we know that Jesus was not a descendent of Aaron (thanks to the Gospel of Matthew).  So a contradiction like this is at the core of the Christian faith.  The Bible says one thing in Exodus and yet in the Book of Hebrews (written by Barnabas or Apollos), – chapters 5 and 7 – uses Psalms 110:4 to claim that Jesus is a new priesthood.  Which leads to a schism between the “forever” that YHWH gave David and the “all generations to come” he gave to Aaron.  Christian apologist will of course, claim that YHWH does not change, yet this is a clear example of YHWH changing three times.  The first change is to make a permanent priesthood out of Aaron’s lineage.  The second change is to give this power to David’s lineage.  And the third change is to make it permanent in Jesus.  Apologist will also claim that these changes were planned ahead waiting for the time of Jesus.  What the apologist fail to do and possible ignore is that the Word of God uses words like “all generations to come” and “forever”.  Both of these words are permanent, which either leaves the translation of the Bible in error or leaves the Word of God in error.  For the first case, all English speakers are royally screwed if we cannot trust YHWH to ensure the proper translation of “his word” into our language.  In the second case, the entire Word of God becomes suspect!  And this, of course, is where Atheists find difficultly from the literal translation of the Word of God.

The final section that is of interest to an Atheist reading of the Bible is the last four verses of the Book of Exodus.  The most puzzling verse is this one:

Exodus 40:35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

When YHWH left the Tent of Meeting this was the sign of at least 40 years to get moving.  But why can Moses not enter the cloud now, yet was able to for numerous other occasions previously?  Also, why mention Moses’ ability to enter the Tent?  It was Aaron that was required to maintain the Tent of Meeting on a daily basis.  Remember Aaron was to light the Lamps (Chapter 27) and fill the Incense Altar (Chapter 30).  Aaron was also required to tend to the Table (Chapter 25).  Could Aaron enter the Tent of Meeting to accomplish his required duties?  So this section seems to be slightly skewed toward unimportant information.

Posted in Exodus, Contradictions, Traditions of Men, Inerrancy - My Ass, Tall Tales, Readings | Print | 10 Comments »

August 11, 2009, 2:12 pm by dc-agape.

Exodus 35-39:31

I will be introducing a new post structure for this section of Exodus.  I am not getting tired of reading the Bible; unfortunately YHWH (for some unknown reason) decided to repeat himself in numerous places.  The following chapters of Exodus are the first example.  A second set of examples are the Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles.  Additionally, the Apocrypha of the Catholic Bible repeats sections of the Books of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah.  Even the Gospels do this, especially the Books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  Many apologists for YHWH claim that this is to give us a second (or third) view point.  But many scholars recognize that this was not always the case.  The Books of the Old Testament were written in four distinct styles: documents lettered J, E, D, and P.  Some of these texts were written from the Northern (Israel) territory and others were written from the Southern (Judah) territory.  No original documents have been found, unfortunately lost to the savage effects of time.  With the Synoptic Problem (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) many of the stories and parables are the same as the posts I have written for the Gospel of Mark.  The format that I will introduce for the ending of the Book of Exodus will be used in these sections as well.

Chapter 35

This starts with the same old commandment about the Sabbath (Exodus 31).  But it does add one more stipulation: no one can build a fire on the Sabbath.

Moses relays the commandment of YHWH to the people of Israel about the Tent of Meeting.  Those that have not lost their gold jewelry to the Golden Calf Incident bring it.  It also includes all the other materials looted from the innocent Egyptian civilians.  This would have included the great numbers of dead sea creatures (Exodus 26).   Of course, all these were freewill offerings…except that no one would want to look stingy!

Chapter 35:30 – 36:7

This really only repeats what was said in Exodus 31:1-11.  The slight addition is that the offerings made by the Israelites exceeded what was needed to create the Tent of Meeting and all the bling that YHWH wanted in his new Tent.  See my post here.

Chapter 36:8 – 36:38

This just tells how the craftsman made the Tent exactly the way YHWH wanted it.  See my post here.

Chapter 37:1 - 10

This just tells how the craftsman made the Tent exactly the way YHWH wanted it.  See my post here.

Chapter 37:23 – 24

This just tells how the craftsman made the Tent exactly the way YHWH wanted it.  See my post here.

Chapter 37:25 – 29

This just tells how the craftsman made the Tent exactly the way YHWH wanted it.  See my post here.

Chapter 38:1 – 20

This just tells how the craftsman made the Tent exactly the way YHWH wanted it.  See my post here.

Chapter 38:21 – 30

This section is different.  It actually describes the exact amount of costly items required to satisfy YHWH lust for golden objects.  The total amount of gold was 29 talents and 730 shekels (2193.25 pounds – 994.84 kilograms).  Which would be at today’s market value - $30,197,121.39US.  The total amount of silver was 100 talents and 1, 775 shekels (7544.38 pounds – 3422.07 kilograms.  Which would be at today’s market value - $1,729,775.45US.  The bronze was 70 talents and 2, 400 shekels (5,310 pounds – 2,413.63 kilograms).  Today’s market value would be about - $3,924.40US.  Unfortunately, Moses did not keep an accurate number of sea life required to make the purple yarn for the Curtain or the number of sea cows murdered for the roof of the Tent.  I made a rough estimate here.

Chapter 39:1 – 30

This section describes the Israelites making fancy clothes for the priest of YHWH (very similar to any other religion of the day).  I have posted on this topic before, linked here, here, and here.  The garments for the priests took a number of posts!

In closing, as an Atheist, I would like to say just one thing.  This is some fancy digs for a supernatural being who was satisfied with un-worked stone altars up till this point in history!  For nearly 2500 years YHWH had been satisfied with a few stones put on top of each other.  I guess ultimate power does corrupt ultimately!  You cannot deny that there is a huge difference between un-worked stone (pre-exodus style) and a bare minimum of 32,000,000 US dollars (post-exodus style) temples.  Even when this is what the Israelites stole from the civilians of Egypt – that had nothing to do with the possible slavery (see my post on the Lasts Word of…).

Posted in Exodus, Freewill, Readings | Print | 16 Comments »

August 10, 2009, 10:47 am by dc-agape.

Exodus 34

Basically this chapter is correcting the damage done by Moses’ anger.  During the Golden Calf Incident Moses had exploded with anger and destroyed the first set of tablets that YHWH had made.  You would think that something made by a perfect, omnipotent, omniscience super being wouldn’t break so easily, so Moses sure was angry! 

Moses makes another set of tablets for YHWH to write on (very similar to John Smith and the Golden Plates).  When Moses got to the top of the mountain, YHWH fulfills, at least one promise, by passing by Moses and proclaiming his name.  But in “all his goodness” YHWH saves the best “goodness” till last.

Exodus 34:7 …maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.  Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.

In modern times this equates to YHWH punishing a nation (or group of people) for well over 130-150 years…for sins that were done in 1860’s (pre-civil war USA)!  Now that is pure goodness.

Moses then worships this image of YHWH.  After that YHWH makes two promises, with easy outs.  The first easy out promise is that he will do miracles greater than anyone has seen to the nation of Israel.  The second easy out promise is that YHWH will drive out the native inhabitants of the Promise Land (the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites).  I call both these promises easy outs, because then YHWH make these promises conditional on Israel’s good behavior.  YHWH already knows that the Israelites are a “stiff-necked people” and easily prone to sinning!  With YHWH’s promise to punish to the fourth generation, this leaves YHWH an easy out for not fulfilling the other promises.

YHWH even makes a list of all the things that the Israelites are not to do (or else he will not fullfill his promise)!  The Israelites are not allowed to make treatises with the natives of the Promised Land, they are to destroy all altars to other gods, they cannot intermarry with the original people of the Promised Land, they cannot make new idols, they must celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, all firstborn (even of humans) must be redeemed before YHWH, everyone is to have something to give to YHWH, the Sabbath must be kept holy, they must celebrate the Feast of Weeks (three times per year), they cannot sacrifice blood with yeast (YHWH really has something against yeast), and yearling goats cannot be cooked with its mother’s milk (very odd commandment).

Oddly it took another 40 days to complete the second set of tablets.  Even more odd is that this time the Israelites did not sin!  Previously when Moses came down from Mount Sinai he looked like a normal human being, but this time he was glowing with the radiance of YHWH.  It would seem that for the rest of Moses’ life any time that Moses went into the Tent of Meeting he renewed the radiance of his face.   Odd how here is the first case of someone wearing a burqa and it happens to be a man instead of a woman!

Posted in Exodus | Print | 1 Comment »

August 9, 2009, 1:55 pm by dc-agape.

Exodus 33:7 - 23

The beginning of this chapter is a little back history.  Prior to the instructions for the Tent of Meetings Moses had used a small tent of meeting.  So it was an up-grade from the altars of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.  It was also an up-grade from the altar that YHWH commanded Moses to make from un-worked earth (Exodus 20:24-25).  But this tent of meeting was not inside the Israeli camp. 

Some issues occur with the concept of putting a tent outside the camp.  The Word of God tells us that all (2,000,000) Israeli would worship when Moses interred the tent outside the camp.  I have in past posts attempted to describe the size of this camp.  I have also explained that if there were 600,000 men (over the age of 20) then there were at least an equal amount of women and children.  What must also be added to this are the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.  So Moses setting up a tent of meeting outside the camp meant that it had to be (giving each person even a 3’x3’ area (1m²) – on average – up to at least 1.25 miles (2 km) from some of the Israelites.   Yet all the Israelites stop what they were doing while Moses was in this tent.  Somehow, even with the “pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent” people could see that up to 2km away.  The other issue that tent brings up is that if everyone stopped to worship, camp routine would be disrupted.  How long did Moses stay in the tent of meeting and how often did he inter the tent?  Animals had to be tended, food had to be prepared, children had to be looked after and most important – sanitation had to be continually dealt with.  Disrupting camp routine numerous times a day or even a week would leave the camp in massive disarray.  Animals would die, children become lost, and waste would spread disease.  You would also think that after spending over 3 months in one location modern humans would find the refuse from this many people staying near Mount Sinai.

Joshua would remain in the tent at all times, except when he accompanied Moses to the top of Mount Sinai.  During the first 40 days that Moses was on Mount Sinai no one tended to the tent. I guess that since YHWH wasn’t there the tent was useless.  But we have no dimensions of this tent, was Joshua also in the presence of YHWH during this time, or was there two rooms in the tent so Joshua was separated from YHWH?

The second part of this chapter continues Moses argumentative character.  Moses nearly demands that YHWH tell him who will travel with the Israelites and guard them from enemies.  YHWH clearly tells Moses:

Exodus 33:14 The Lord replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

But for some reason this does not satisfy Moses:

Exodus 33:15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not do with us, do not send us up from here.

Moses goes on to demand answers to how other nations will know that YHWH is pleased with Moses, himself, and the Israelites if YHWH is not with them.  He even wants to know what will distinguish the Israelites from other nations.  (So would any Atheist todayJ)  But Moses becomes even more bold.  He demands to see the presence of YHWH.  This initiates a situation that has two interesting conclusions.  I will start with the second one.  YHWH promises to show Moses “all his goodness”, but with a hitch.  Moses will only be able to see YHWH from the rear, after YHWH has passed by the place where Moses is waiting.  The first situation is actually the most important, and I want to end on it:

Exodus 33:19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence.  I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Of course, Moses is only allowed to see the tail end of YHWH’s goodness, but at least he will hear YHWH name – Jealousy (Exodus 34:14) I mean Lord.  But that is not the point I wanted to make.  It is that second part of the verse that is important.  Notice how YHWH makes one thing clear:  he will choice who he has mercy on and who he will show compassion to.  This, to an Atheist, indicates that YHWH chooses who will be saved and who will go to hell.  Then, as a result, this verse means that humans, under Christianity or Judaism, do not have freewill.  There is no choice; YHWH decides who receives peace and who receives punishment.  How does this indicate a loving supernatural being?  Arbitrarily deciding who will be punished for eternity, because YHWH has chosen not to have mercy on a soul, is not a sign of love.

Posted in Contradictions, Exodus, Tall Tales, Freewill, Readings | Print | 9 Comments »

August 8, 2009, 1:51 pm by dc-agape.

Exodus 32 – 33:6

Moses spent 40 days in the presence of YHWH, receiving the instructions for the Tent of Meeting.  During this time the Israelites quickly forgot all the “miracles” that YHWH performed to get them out of Egypt and all the events that took place during the three months to make their way to Mount Sinai.  Even when presented with “miracles” these people did not believe/trust in YHWH.  That would certainly explain why YHWH doesn’t bother with miracles today!  Why bother, when people who saw the miracles were unaffected by them.

When YHWH had finished detailing his Tent of Meeting he instructed Moses to go down to the Israelites.  In fact, it was a direct commandment from YHWH to leave.  But Moses disobeyed YHWH, instead he argued with YHWH.  He used a guilt trip on YHWH to save the Israelites.  Moses had to remind YHWH of the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.  Moses also had to remind YHWH of the acts that were preformed in Egypt.  Finally, Moses pushed the ultimate button on YHWH:  “what will the Egyptians think of you if you kill the Israelites?”  For a supernatural being of ultimate power YHWH sure is concerned with what sinful people think of him, because this trick worked. 

Here the study guide to the NIV makes a simple mistake.  The Word of God clearly states that Joshua goes with Moses up to see YHWH (Exodus 24:23).  But in the study notes for Exodus 32:17 claims that Joshua did not enter the presence of YHWH.  Yet nowhere in the Word of God does it indicate that Joshua did not follow Moses.  And it is certain that Joshua did not go down to the Israelite camp, because Moses never interceded with YHWH on Joshua’s account (as he did for Aaron).

The situation of the Golden Calf brings up a number of issues.  Didn’t YHWH know this was going to happen before it occurred?  He is supposed to be all-knowing.  But more importantly, why did he get angry, if he knew it was going to happen?  Or does he not know the future?  Not knowing the final outcome would explain the anger and the remorse.  Knowing the future would eliminate any reason for becoming angry.  But by explaining this away as freewill (of the Israelites) would mean that YHWH does not know what we will do, so he is not all-knowing.   It also indicates that YHWH showing himself to modern humans would not negate our freewill.  From the Atheist perspective, this one incident removes the issue of freewill, an all-knowing supernatural being, and the absence of YHWH’s presence in modern times.

Also, why did Aaron make the Golden Calf?  Why did Aaron lie to Moses?  And why did YHWH choice Aaron to be the High Priest, knowing that Aaron would make the Golden Calf?  Further, why would Moses have to intercede on Aaron’s behalf in Deut 9:20, if YHWH had already decided that Aaron was going to be the High Priest?  Many questions are left unanswered and all of them deal with YHWH perceived omniscience and human freewill.

Another issue that the Golden Calf presents is Moses’ actions.  First, he directly disobeys YHWH command to leave Mount Sinai.  Second, he actually argues with YHWH.  Modern Tradition of Men indicates that both of these actions would result in instant wrath from YHWH.  In fact, what we see today is people claiming that YHWH will bring wrath down on those who disagree with him, but no one who is standing up to YHWH.  Third, Moses does something that YHWH did not prearrange.  When Moses reached the Israelite camp (knowing that the Golden Calf existed), he ordered the Levites to murder 3,000 people.  YHWH did not communicate this to Moses; Moses chose this action on his own yet then claimed that it was an order from YHWH:

Exodus 32:27 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side.  Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’

YHWH did not tell Moses this!  Moses choice this option from his own anger!  Is this any different than the psychopaths today that claim “YHWH told me to kill!”?  Was Moses a charismatic psychopath in charge of the Israelites?

The story of the Golden Calf ends with Moses making peace with YHWH.  But YHWH left the Israelites to their own devices.  YHWH still promised to drive the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites from the Promised Land.  Yet in the Book of Ezra (440BC) these tribes were still influencing the Israelites.  YHWH did not fulfill his promise to drive these people out of the Promised Land with an angel before the Israelites.  And this verse clearly says that this was YHWH’s promise to Moses:

Exodus 33:2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

So to end this post we have seen how one story about a Golden Calf has destroyed many Traditions of Men that exist today in Christianity.  Lying is acceptable behavior (Aaron), back talking to YHWH is approved (Moses), pretending that YHWH ordered something is OK (Moses), miracles do not eliminate freewill (the Israelites), YHWH does not know the future (YHWH’s anger), and YHWH does not fulfill his promises (the angel).  I am sure that I missed some extra opportunities to point out some more Traditions of Men that are not factual, but I think I have given you a taste.

Posted in Exodus, Contradictions, Personal Responsibility, Traditions of Men, Freewill, Readings | Print | 2 Comments »

August 7, 2009, 12:56 pm by dc-agape.

Exodus 31

This is the last chapter before Moses comes down from the Mount Sinai and finds the people already sinning by worshipping the Golden Calf.  In this chapter two topics are discussed.  YHWH appoints two men to oversee the construction of his glorious Tent and all the expensive accouterments of worshipping him.  This new alter was unlike YHWH’s commandments to Moses prior to the Mount of Sinai.  Previously YHWH was satisfied with an earthen alter made from un-worked stone (Exodus 20:24-26).  Technically there was no worked stone in the Tent of Meeting, but the gold, silver, bronze, and the semi-precious stones that were added to the Tent were removed from stone and had to be worked.  It would seem that within 11 chapters YHWH has changed his mind about what an altar to him should look like.  The second topic is YHWH favorite: the Sabbath.  This is one that modern Christians and Jews pretty much ignore, but YHWH seemed very serious about it in the Old Testament.

The two men YHWH appointed to make the Tent of Meeting were named Bezalel and Oholiab.  These two men survived the coming murder by the Levites (3,000 men were killed – Exodus 32:28) and the plague that YHWH set against the Israelites (an unknown number were killed – Exodus 32:35).  These two men were talented in all the craftsmanship required to build the Tent of Meeting and all the expensive items that YHWH desired.  These men could: “make artistic designs in gold, silver, and bronze, cut and set stones, woodwork, and all other kinds of craftsmanship including the knowledge of how to make clothing, perfumes, and the anointing oil.  Humans have lost a lot of skills over the millennia…today you’re lucky if can find one person skilled in a single one of those talents!

The rest of the chapter stresses YHWH desire for the Israelites to remember the Sabbath.  Three verses are crucial to this discussion.  The first one is about the permanency of this regulation:

Exodus 31:16-17 the Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for generations to come as a lasting covenant.  It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.

It would seem that YHWH was serious about this Sabbath thing.  He wanted it to be celebrated forever!  But he wanted it celebrated in a special way…by resting.  No work was allowed to be done on the Sabbath.  But even here YHWH could not make up his mind if he wanted someone who worked on the Sabbath to be exiled or killed.  These two verses are definitely in contradiction to each other:

Exodus 31:14 Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you.  Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people.

Now the difference between desecrating and working the Sabbath is not specified.  But the punishment for the two crimes is certainly different.  Desecration required the death penalty, where as working the Sabbath required being exiled from Israel.  But then YHWH changes his mind and says this only in the next verse:

Exodus 31:15 for six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord.  Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.

Notice the reversal of punishment.  In the 14^th verse exile was required.  Yet in the 15^th verse humans are to kill the person working on the Sabbath.  Also notice that YHWH was not going to do the killing…No, he required his followers to carry out the sentence.  Yet today no one is murdered for working on the Sabbath.  What seemed very important to YHWH in Moses’ time can be ignored in modern times.  I guess we should be glad that YHWH is not as demanding as he was to the poor Israelites.

Posted in Contradictions, Exodus | Print | 3 Comments »

August 6, 2009, 12:58 pm by dc-agape.

Exodus 30

This chapter is broken into five sections. The first part of the chapter is about the burning of incense.  This includes the shape, size, and full description of the Altar of Incense.  The second section is about the price of Atonement during the yearly census.  Here is the only source of tithing that includes money.  The third section deals with the Basin used to cleanse the priests prior to entering the Tent of Meeting and making sacrifices.  Here is where two contradictions occur.   The fourth section is about the Anointing oil.  The final section of the chapter goes into detail about what incense is appropriate to use in the Tent of Meeting.  These two sections give specific recipes for the oil and the incense.

The Altar of Incense is a special alter that was to be used only for burning a perfume twice a day.  When the High Priest tended the lamps in the Tent he was to have this Altar filled with incense.  Nothing else could be burned in this Altar.  It was a third of the size of the Altar of Burnt Offerings.  Which would explain why YHWH didn’t want anything but incense burned in this alter.  The outer dimensions were to be only 1.5 ft x 1.5 ft (0.5m²) and 3 foot (0.9m) high.  The top of this Altar was as high as a modern kitchen counter.  It is not clear if this included the “horns”, but it would seem to indicate that since the horns were to be of “one piece with it” that the burning surface was lower than three feet.  As with the Altar of Burnt Offering this would let us know that the Israelites of 3000 years ago were much shorter than modern humans.  It would certainly be uncomfortable to work day after day, having to bend down to add incense to the altar.  In modern day use of incense burners these hang at shoulder height or about 5 ft (1.8m). 

The next section is about YHWH promise to not send plagues among the Israelites if each year, during the census, every man above the age of 20 gives 1/2 shekel to the Priest.  This price of Atonement has not changed and its value today is 1/5 oz (6 grams).  Here YHWH is not so precise, no indication of which material the 6 grams are made of is given.  Silver has become the accepted material, but that is due to the Tradition of Man.  Of course, YHWH did not keep his promise on preventing plagues.  In fact, numerous times YHWH uses plagues to punish his people, even though they had (assumedly) paid the Atonement (Lev 26:25, Num 14:37, Num 25:8, Num 31:16, 2^nd Sam 24:15).

The third section is about how the priests must wash themselves with water prior to entering the Tent of Meeting.  Actually it was only rinsing the dirt of their hands and feet.  No soap was required, so this was only a ritual.  Here is where two contradictions occur as well.  The first contradiction includes the use of water.  If the people are complaining about not having water, how do the priests wash their hands and feet with it (Num 20:2)?  Or do the priests have special benefits where they had water when the people did not?  The second contradiction is about the “lasting ordinance”.  “For generations to come” would indicate that this process was eternal.  Neither the Judaic nor the Christian religions practice this ritual today.  Here the commandments of YHWH have been eliminated from Tradition.

The last two sections are about the Anointing Oil and the Incense recipes.  Both recipes call for very expensive ingredients.  But YHWH has spared no expense in the worship of himself with the Tent, the Altars, the Priestly Garments, or the Ark.  To be exact, the oil required 12.5 lbs (6kg) of myrrh ($8.50/1oz – $1,700.00US total), 6.25lbs (3kg) of cinnamon ($13.60/lbs – $85.00US total), 6.25lbs (3kg) of cane (pricing unavailable), 12.5 lbs (6kg) of cassia ($9.31US/oz – $1863.33US), and 4 qt (1.1L) of olive oil ($4.98US).  How all this was to be dissolved in such a small amount of oil is questionable.  But more important is the cost of these items.  The total price of this Anointing Oil would have been (in today’s value – $3,653.31US).  The incense was not any less expensive.  Even though amounts are not indicated the four ingredients were: gum resin (today’s price $6.65US/6.5g), onycha ($150.00US/16 oz), galbanum ($50.00US/oz), and frankincense ($10.00US/5mm).  The gum resin was more valuable than the myrrh itself.  The onycha was made from mollusk shells.  The galbanum was made from the roots of a plant that only lives in Syria and Persia.  Frankincense is a resin from a tree that only grows in southern Arabia.  So during the 1400 years that YHWH required this combination of oil and incense, the Israelites would have to trade with the native people of Syria, Persia, and southern Arabia…since YHWH did not proved the required materials to grow in Israel.  We can assume that during the 40 years in the desert the Israelites had enough of these raw materials to continue to make the Oil and Incense, even though none of these items were native to the area.   To end this section YHWH makes it clear that if anyone ever made these two mixtures for any reason other than to worship him, that person would be “cut off from his people”.  This was more serious a punishment than death.  To be “cut off” meant that they were exiled from Israel and that they no longer had YHWH to protect them.  I am not sure that this was such a bad thing though.  YHWH tempter was so great that throughout the OT he continued to punish his chosen people.  Most of the time while nations like the Egyptians and the Philistines grew stronger!

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August 5, 2009, 3:58 pm by dc-agape.

Exodus 29

This entire chapter is about preparing Aaron and his sons to be the high priests of the Israelite people forever.  And I do mean forever…

Exodus 29:9 …The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. …

Yet YHWH has obviously changed his mind since this was written.  As a result, this means that YHWH is not consistent, he is not unchangeable, and he is influenced by the Traditions of Men.  This chapter, more than any I have read yet, proves that YHWH is a fabrication of Man and not the “Supreme Being” that for some bizarre reason the Traditions of Man have made him.

Most of the chapter is about the sacrifices that must be made to sanctify and ordain Aaron and his sons.  But it clearly indicates that every generation after Aaron will be treated in the exact same manner:

Exodus 29:29-30 Aaron’s sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.  The son who succeeds him as priest and comes to the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear those seven days.

This does not occur in our time, either for Christians or for Jews.  No one can claim direct descent from Aaron.  Yet the position of High Priest was to be hereditary.  Why has an all-powerful, all-knowing YHWH allowed his own “lasting ordinance” to decay into nothing?  Why would the Word of God say that it was to be Aaron’s bloodline that ruled Israel if YHWH knew that in the future things would change?  If Christians are right (and Jesus has replaced Aaron), why has Judaism lasted?  But even before this, why does Jesus not come from Aaron’s bloodline?  Did YHWH change or did man change YHWH?

Two burnt offerings were to be made daily for “the generations to come”.  In the morning a year old lamb with 2 quarts (1.8L) of flour, 1 quart (0.9L) of fine olive oil, and 1 quart of wine (0.9L).  This was to be repeated in the evening.  Now this brings future events into question.  Soon the Israelites will piss YHWH off and he will make them wander in the desert for 40 years (Num 14:30).  Now this would mean that Aaron would have to have 29,200 year old lambs to obey this “lasting ordinance”.  This would mean that the number of adult sheep was well in to the 1,000’s at least.  Which creates another problem, in Num 20:1-13, the Israelites had no water.  How could they keep thousands of sheep alive and breeding without water?  There would have been nothing to feed the adult sheep.  And anyone with a biology major or trained in the upkeep of livestock knows that without water and food the young die first!  There is something more difficult for the Israelites to obtain, for those forty years is the flour, oil, and wine.  Remember, they ate manna during this time (Exodus 16:35).  Why were they eating manna if they had access to 60,000 quarts of flour?  Or is this why they had to eat manna, because YHWH demanded they use their flour for sacrifices?

Even though Christians do not like to think about these questions, the questions remain.  The story of the Exodus just does not line up.  What YHWH required and the resources available are in conflict.  What is reported in the Word of God as the complaints by the Israelites and the sacrifices required to satisfy YHWH bloodlust cannot be justified.  I will continue posting on this topic as I read through the Pentateuch, since it is repeated in almost every chapter of the first five Books of the Old Testament.  I hope that someone can give me a rational explanation of how YHWH’s requirements and the documented struggles of the Israelites can be justified.  But do not expect me to believe that “YHWH just did it” explains away this problem!  It is impossible for shepherds to have livestock and not have meat to eat (Num 11:4).  It is impossible for shepherds to have livestock and no water to drink (Exodus 15:22, 17:1).  Remember that there were more than 600,000 men over the age of 20 in the Israelite assembly.  Water and food (both meat and vegetable) would be required for more than 2,000,000 people plus the food stocks for the livestock!

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