Numbers 28

This chapter contains a summary of the regular scheduled offerings the Israelites were to make - daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly (at important feasts or holy days). I don't have a lot to say about it, but something did come to my mind that has been floating around ever since we started getting the instructions for offerings and sacrifices back in Exodus. There always seems to be a combination of some or all of the following: meats, grains, oils, and liquids (alcoholic by the sound of it); however, fruits and vegetables seem to be missing entirely! This mirrors the story of Cain and Abel, where God was pleased with Abel's animal sacrifices but not with Cain's fruits. Now I've heard that might have been because Abel brought the best of his flock, and Cain isn't explicitly said to have done the same - but the lack of fruits and veggies in Israelite offerings makes me wonder if there might not be a deeper significance to it.

Genesis 4

Well, there are a lot of firsts in this chapter. The first children born, the first brotherly competition, and the first murder. A lot of things stand out to me, so I think a list may be the easiest way to represent all of them.

- It appears that the oldest occupation is farming, not prostitution (as it is often stylized to be).

- Cain and Abel both made sacrifices to God from what they gained by work, similar to how we tithe today. God seems to have liked the animal offering from Abel, but not the produce from Cain. I've often been curious why that was, but from the commentaries I have found and the translation notes in the New English Translation it appears that it was not the contents of the gifts that separated the brothers but the motivation behind it. The comments about Abel bringing his gift from the first-born of his flocks indicates that he went out of his way to provide the best to God, and we can assume from the results that Cain did not do so.

- I'm rather surprised at God's reaction to the murder of Abel. No death penalty, not even imprisonment, but simply exile. Back then, with so few people around, I can't really understand how that was such a bad thing; heck, he even got to take his wife with him and start his own town! I guess it is a good example of God's mercy, and it reflects somewhat poorly on me that I would have expected - perhaps even insisted on - capital punishment for such a clearly unprovoked killing.

- We've also got the first list of genealogy in the Bible at the end of this passage. There will be a lot of that coming up, so don't expect too many comments when a whole chapter is devoted to names ;)

- Lastly, the final line of the last verse seems a bit odd: "Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD". Again, commentaries and translation notes are invaluable here: apparently this is the first occurrence of prayer and worship to the Lord. I don't really understand why Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel weren't doing this - but perhaps it is because they were able to communicate directly with him. Even after the fall, Cain and God had direct dialog. How amazing must that have been!

This chapter in:
New America Standard, New King James, New International