Bits and Pieces

Just have a couple of  random things today.

I mentioned the other day about the simple technique of using a simple search in Yahoo.  I did a search on Jeremiah the Prophet because I have been reading Jeremiah.  I found out that Jeremiah is the author not only of Jeremiah, he is also the author of 1 Kings, 2nd Kings, and the Book of Lamentations.  I didn't know that.  Kind of cool.  I can't wait to reread the other three books now.

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I love digging into the Bible each day and learning, always looking for the deeper meaning and understanding that is buried in there.  Now I'm a big believer that God has a great sense of humor.  My basis for that belief is that we are told we are made in God's image.  Humor is a big part of the human experience and I believe it comes directly from the image of God.

Therefore I often wonder if God stuck some stuff in the Bible just to screw  with us and see if we are paying attention.  (Please don't take offense at this view because I don't mean it in a disrespectful way.  I don't know about you but I want my God to have a sense of humor.)  Let me give you a couple of examples. 

Here is the one from this mornings reading that prompted this thought:

Jeremiah 52:28-30(NKJV)

28These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Jews; 

29in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred and thirty-two persons; 

30in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty-five persons. All the persons were four thousand six hundred.

The way this is worded is weird.  He specifically refers to Jews in the first count of who was taken away.  Then in the second count he just refers to persons.  The third count refers to Jews again and then the final count refers to persons.

What I find so weird about this is that he then moves on.  Why was it important to point out the makeup of the group?  What conclusions should I draw from that?  What meaning?  I have no idea because I'm not given any real clues.  Weird!

Here is another one.

Judges 12:13-15(NKJV)

13After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 

14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. 

15Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains of the Amalekites.

What???  Again I'm just left scratching my head.  The line is just so out of context that I don't know what to make of it.

The conclusion that I draw from this is that we need to learn to discern what is important from what isn't.  I can just picture God up there snickering a little as He watches us struggle to understand some of the stuff. 

Maybe I am weird (there are some that would say there is no maybe about it) but I actually find that vision comforting!