Have you heard the saying that “Normal is just a setting on the dryer”?
Well, this week was “normal.” This means that for Anya it was full of school, gymnastics practice, drivers’ ed, and not much else. We did sneak in a movie at home last weekend with Anya’s friend, Annaliese. And on Saturday evening, we joined the Tanzanian Mission Team for a Christmas party. It was a great time of wonderful food and sweet fellowship. The highlight is the white elephant gift exchange. Anya was pleased with the outcome!
Her ingenious mind was seen when she negotiated with one of the youth, Alex, to get his second pare of identical Grinch boxers in exchange for the pick of all the available gifts. Pretty good strategy!
I’m working on PhD dissertation writing still. I made almost all of Knut’s suggestions for revisions that I could at this time. One sub-section will take more effort. However, I completed my textual criticism of all my focal passages. This means looking at the issues that arise from the variant readings to see which ones are significant for interpreting the passage. Take a look at a sample page from the Biblical Hebraica Stuttgartensia, which is the standard version of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).
The variant readings are listed in the bottom paragraph. Its a bit of decoding and then evaluating if the different texts are significant for meaning. Nothing really exciting seen in my texts, though there are some obvious harmonizing of the Deuteronomy 5 version of the Ten Commandments with the Exodus 20 version. The most interesting difference (the theological rationale for the Sabbath) isn’t part of my discussion.
Did you know that these two books have two different rationales for the Sabbath? Compare Exod 20:11 (ESV)
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
And Deut 5:15 (ESV)
You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
The good news is that we are given the gift of the Sabbath. Are you enjoying the gift? I love to take a long walk on Sunday morning before church. Here are pictures from this last walk.
With blessings,
Beth