Matthew Jankowski > Recent Status Updates

Hosea: Trippy. The Lord commands Hosea marry a whore. This is in the to e of ahaz, hezekia of Judah and jeroboam of Israel. The Lord commanded Hosea name his son Jezreel. and his daughter 'No Mercy'. Little did Hosea suspect his line would later include a football player named 'he hate me'. From there Hosea details the unfaithfulnes of Israel and Judah, the comi g east wind and how Israel is unrepentant yet loved.

Daniel: Daniel interprets the king of babylon's dream, winning favor. He interprets dreams and writing on the wall, until some nobles get angry.they concoct a plan that ends David in the lions den. Daniel survives and the nobles are then placed I. The den and die. Did not really connect with David. The book ended in prophecy. I guess I prefer the Lamentations about wickedness towards the poor, orphans, and widows.

Ezekiel: imagine. A refugee from Israel in Babylon. Imagining Israel and the holy land under God. I bet the world described in Judges/Deuteronomy was preferable to being a refugee in Babylon. As I read the prophets the ot comes into focus as limited to a small group from one region. Outsiders yearning for justice. How do these books serve as a basis of a religion that reaches out to all humanity? An amazing story.

Lamentations: sweet short book after Jeremiah. Pretty much a pity party. Jerusalem throws a pity party. Ends asking to be restored.

Jeremiah: This guy is on the street corner prophesying gloom and doom! Hey you! King Zedekiah! Ya you! Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon will be here soon. You sinner! He will kill your sons, pluck out your eyes an you will die in Babylon. Oh, and all you liars and adulterers with the king! You are sooooo wicked. God has forsaken you, but one day he will love your descendants. Jeremiah. Street Prophet!

Isaiah: The Lords New Earth. Where one will build a house and live in it. Plat the vine and eat from it. Sou ds like a world without slavery to me. Also, a country absent justice is absent The Lord. It seems those who turn from justice turn also from The Lord. God still is a great fan of Israel, though only of a just Israel.

Song of Solomon: Wonder what would happen if I compared my wife's hair to ewes traveling down a mountain. :) A beautiful poem.

Ecclesiastes: Meditate for wisdom. More Biblical Self Help. Could not help bit think of Becker's Escape from Evil.

Proverbs: Wisdom. Scoffers, Wicked, Fools and Wise. How to tell the difference and what to expect from each group. Biblical self help. One of the first Old Testament books that I can imagine reading and rereading on a regular basis.

Psalms: David prays to god. Much repetition. Pray for gods favor

Job: Prosperous Job brought low by satan. Seeks reason for being brought low from The Lord. Three friends berate him; you must have sinned for god punishes all sinners and rewards all righteous. God eventually speaks, defending Gods right to do what're god wills whenever God wants. Best book of bible so far. In my opinion.

Esther: king ahasuerus needs a new queen. Esther, ward of Mordecai a Jew, finds his favor. Mordecai foils a plot to kill the King. Haman,an advisor to the king, gains the kings favor to kill all the Jews in the land. Esther turns the plot around. Leading to Hamans execution in the gallows meant for mordecai. The Jews then kill all their enemies in the land. Mordecai rises in power, second only to king.

Nehemiah: N. travels from Babylonia to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. I tent is to be able to close city on sabbath. Jewish community in Jerusalem and from all over Israel and Judah help build wall. Enemies try to stop wall building threaten local communities. Wall gets built in 52 days. Nehemiah closes gates on sabbath, allowing day of rest.

Ezra Short book. Cyrus, king of Babylon, inspired by The Lord sends a mission of Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of The Lord. Zerubabel and Jeshua the high priest rebuild the altar in Jerusalem. Samaria gets jealous, halts progress through politics. Darius supports temple building, finishing temple. Ezra journeys to Jerusalem, opposing intermarriage. I needed to read wikipedia to figure this book out.

1 & 2 Chronicles Recap of kings, focused on Judah. The Lord rewards the faithful and punishes the rest. A time of great strife for Judah. Prophets Elijah, Elisha, and Isaiah barely mentioned here.

2 Kings prophets Elijah, Elisha, and Isaiah. Prophets stick out the most. Heziakah was one of the few kings of Judah who did right by The Lord. At the end of this book both Judah and Israel were cast out of the land. Egypt, neco, took out Israel. Babylon took out Egypt and then Judah, and the. Destroyed the house of The Lord in Jerusalem.

1 Kings Soloman, son of David, builds The Lord a house. Soloman loves his wives too much, building many temples to their Gods. The Lord cursed Soloman's house. Soloman dies. Israel splits. One tribe held by David's seed holds Jerusalem. The other 10 or so tribes call themselves Israel. A time of strife ensues. Generally the kings of Israel do not hold to The Lord leading to their ruin.

2 Samuel: David becomes king of Judah. Kicks out the philistines and becomes king of Israel. Adultery Bathsheba the wife of Uriah the Hittite. At David's will with Uriah finds himself on the front lines. The Lord puts the sword on David's house. One of David's sons rapes his hipster. Ammon kills the brother then rises up against David. David flees Jerusalem and with Joab mounts a counterattack. Ammon is killed.

Samuel
Hannah, Elkanah's wife, gives birth to Samuel. Hanna places Samuel in The Lord's service. Samuel becomes a highly regarded prophet with worthless sons. Israel wants a king. The Lord thinks Israel quite dumb for wanting a king - Picks Saul. Saul kills Israel's enemies, but not thoroughly enough - angering God. God shows Samuel a new for King - David as in David & Goliath. Philistines kill Saul. David a king.

Ruth Naomi widowed, Ruth follows her back to Bethlehem. Ruth meets Kind Boaz. Boaz buys Ruth as his wife, preserving the name of Naomi's husband. The Lord ensures Ruth bears Boaz a son. The son is in the line that eventually leads to David.

Judges Israel did not kill all the folks The Lord wanted dead. Individuals fall out of line and stop following the Lords rules. The Lord delivers Israel I to the hands of its enemies. Israel repents. God nominates a Judge, hero, who raises Israel up again. Gideon and Samson (Delilah and the hair) stand out among the crowd of judges. Tribe of Benjamin's rape a woman leadi g to the Benjamin s destruction.

Joshua Tribes of Israel, led by Joshua move west across the Jordan. Depopulation of all the lords enemies (men,women,and children) ensued. Delivery of these peoples fulfilled Gods covenant with Israel. Joshua renews the covenant. Special attention paid to Jericho, Ai, and Gaebon. We lost a battle? One of you must have taken loot meant for The Lord! Otherwise The Lord delivers victory. Joshua dies.

Deuteronomy Quick read. somehow easier on the eyes than Numbers. Moses lays it all out. How to slaughter all of gods enemies in the lands of cannon. How to live on their lands once it is done. God will give what he promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses is the last of the Israelites who speak face to face with god. Now it is time for Joshua to lead the chosen people across the Jordan! Laws succinctly restated.

Deuteronomy Quick read. somehow easier on the eyes than Numbers. Moses lays it all out. How to slaughter all of gods enemies in the lands of cannon. How to live on their lands once it is done. God will give what he promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses is the last of the Israelites who speak face to face with god. Now it is time for Joshua to lead the chosen people across the Jordan! Laws succinctly restated.

Numbers Starts on mt Sinai ends on plains of Moab. God punishes entire generation for not believing they can win a war with Canaan. Sentences them all to die in wilderness. Hence 40 years of wandering. Moses strikes rock and makes water. Obedience to god rewarded with posterity (kids) land, and gods chosen.

Leviticus: god lays down the law, arranges sin, guilt, burnt offerings paid to go through Aaron's sons.

Finished Exodus. On to Leviticus! Moses sure had a rough time. After fleeing Egypt he had to build a tabernacle and the ark of the covenant just right!

Finished genesis. Halfway through exodus. Am stunned to see that men pretend their wives are their sisters not one or twice bu three times. Pity the poor traveller.