January 28th
February 28, 2010
This weeks readings are Leviticus 22:17-Numbers 9:23, Psalm 44:1-50:23, Mark 9:30-14:37, and Proverbs 10:19-30. Feel free to post any thoughts, comments, questions, etc. about these readings as a comment to this post.
Whew. So may I just be honest and say I’m glad we’re moving past Leviticus? I’ve really struggled with trying to appreciate all the rules God initiated. Not sure what that says about my acceptance of authority…. but.
I read a weird article today about atheist students on a college campus in Texas asking students to donate their Bibles in trade for porn. Hugely disturbing. But they were trying to prove a point that many of the things that happen in the Bible are as bad as porn. They also brought up the issue of women’s rights to say that the Bible values women almost half as much as men, quoting a passage in Leviticus.
This caught my attention because I knew I’d just read this. And not to sound like a feminist or anything, but the Lev. 27:3-7 passage did kind of confuse me when I read it, especially in contrast to the New Testament woman-at-the-well story of redemption. Obviously she was valuable enough to save, so why is there this differentiation in the Old Testament?
I think it’s funny how they single out these particular things to try to prove how horrible the Bible is without taking in the whole picture, but nonetheless, I’d like to know what you guys think in case this question ever comes up in Tech’s “Freethought Society” meetings!
Meredith,
Here’s what I think is going on in Leviticus 27.
Because this scale places the highest value on persons in their prime of adulthood, when their work productivity is at a maximum, it appears that this system of relative worth has to do with the benefit that the sanctuary will receive if the vowed person belongs to it as a servant. It has nothing to do with a person’s inherent worth (for that would contradict Genesis 1:26 and the fact that all people are made in the image of God).
The price for women being half the amount for males is because the estimation was based on the terms of work, and as a whole, males would be able to do/produce more work. After 20 years of age, redemption required the prime labor price. The fact that female valuations of work capacity are as high as they are (a female between the ages of 20-60 is worth more than any male younger than that)indicates that women were an important part of Israel’s labor force.
How easy it is to see the Israelites stray and they could have avoided much trouble. Yet God so wanted them to prosper and to fellowship with Him. Would that would my eyes to seey own rebelliousness and apathy towards Him. Praise to You Lord, Your faithfulness endures forever and Your love towards me never changes!!
Ps. 109:4–”but I am a man of prayer.” One would think that after so many years that I would be relying more and more on prayer. Yet I continued to be surprised and reminded of its importance. Lord forgive me for not discussing things with You and learning humbly at your feet!