Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Ezra: Just a Few Questions

Short List

There was really not a whole bunch that the book of Ezra had to offer as far as my questioning the books of the Bible goes, thus this is a very short post. Enjoy!

1. Ezra 1:1-3
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the LORD fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:

"This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: "The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.


Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!


Questions

     1) Oh look! The LORD stirred the heart of Cyrus of Persia. Would Cyrus would have done what he did if the LORD had not put him up to it? Is this yet another example of good old Lordy-Poo manipulating the free will of a human king or ruler yet AGAIN?

     2) Manipulation. Hummm. Sooo...this book of the Bible starts off with a lie?

2. Ezra 3:5
After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the LORD, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the LORD.

Questions

     1) There are New Moon and harvest festivals and all kinds of sacred holidays in just about every culture that are aimed at thanking a wide variety of divine beings. Sooo...God's/the LORD's people can have all of these types of sacred feasts and holidays but everyone else who worships different gods can't (at least not without incurring the supposed wrath of the God of the Bible)?

     2) Free will offering? Considering how often Senor Yahweh jacks with the free will of human beings don't you think this is a laugh at best?

3. Ezra 3:12-13
12 But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple's foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy.

13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away.


Questions

     1) This is not a good thing in this case. I thinking the crying SNAFU could be indicative of severe mental/psychological trauma, right? I mean, is the LORD going to tell the people building this temple just what He told the people who built the last temple? You  know...when He makes them think it will last forever?

4. Ezra 6:21
21 The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned from their immoral customs to worship the LORD, the God of Israel.

Questions

     1) What is the truth here? Isn't the truth that the people will always be in exile and captivity so long as they are God's people? What has human history shown about this?

5. Ezra 7:6
This Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the LORD his God was on him.

Questions

     1) Skilled in the Law of Moses? You mean the Ten Commandments? How fucking skilled do you have to be for ten goddamn commandments?

6. Ezra 7:17
17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem.

Questions

     1) Yeah, since money has no blood of its own to be taken in sacrifice they have to use the money to buy some blood, right?

7. Ezra 10:1
While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel--men, women, and children--gathered and wept bitterly with him.

Questions

     1) Throwing themselves down and crying bitterly? They got the kids to do this as well? WTF?

8. Ezra 10:10-12
10 Then Ezra the priest stood and said to them: "You have committed a terrible sin. By marrying pagan women, you have increased Israel's guilt.

11 So now confess your sin to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do what he demands. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from these pagan women."


12 Then the whole assembly raised their voices and answered, "Yes, you are right; we must do as you say!"


Questions

     1) Right out of The Children of the Corn, right? Yessssss, MAS-tah! we shall toss our women aside like kindling because they are...pagans? You have increased Israel's guilt sooo...leave your women? How fucking stupid and heartless and irresponsible is this?

https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/


https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/theopoly


https://sites.google.com/site/esterlighthorse/deluge-of-disparity-and-debauchery-in-christian-faiths


http://www.zazzle.com/smartytwoshoes


http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Ester%20Lighthorse&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

No comments: