Musings by John Weir

Jesus Through The Bible
In GENESIS, Jesus is the Ram at Abraham’s altar
In EXODUS, He’s the Passover Lamb
In LEVITICUS, He’s the High Priest
In NUMBERS, He’s the Cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night
In DEUTERONOMY, He’s the City of our Refuge
In JOSHUA, He’s the Scarlet Thread out by Rahab’s window
In JUDGES, He is our King
In RUTH, He is our Kinsman Redeemer
In 1st and 2nd SAMUEL, He’s our Trusted Prophet
In KINGS and CHRONICLES, He’s our Reigning King
In EZRA, He is our Faithful Scribe
In NEHEMIAH, He’s the Rebuilder of everything that is broken
In ESTHER, He is the Mordecai sitting faithful at the gate
In JOB, He’s our Redeemer that ever liveth
In PSALMS, He is my Shepherd
In PROVERBS and ECCLESIASTES, He’s our Wisdom
In the SONG OF SOLOMON, He’s the Beautiful Bridegroom
In ISAIAH, He’s the Suffering Servant
In JEREMIAH and LAMENTATIONS, it is Jesus that is the Weeping Prophet
In EZEKIEL, He’s the Wonderful Four-Faced Man
In DANIEL, He is the Fourth Man in the midst of a fiery furnace
In HOSEA, He is my Love that is forever faithful
In JOEL, He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit
In AMOS, He’s our Burden Bearer
In OBADIAH, He’s our Savior
In JONAH, He is the Great Foreign Missionary
In MICAH, He is the Messenger with beautiful feet
In NAHUM, He is the Avenger
In HABAKKUK, He is the Watchman that is ever praying for revival
In ZEPHANIAH, He is the Lord mighty to save
In HAGGAI, He is the Restorer of our lost heritage
In ZECHARIAH, He is our Fountain
In MALACHI, He is the Son of Righteousness with healing in His wings
In MATTHEW, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God
In MARK, He’s the Miracle Worker
In LUKE, He’s the Son of Man
In JOHN, He is the door by which everyone of us must enter
In ACTS, He is the Shining Light that appears to Saul on the Damascus road
In ROMANS, He is our Justifier
In 1st CORINTHIANS, He is our Resurrection
In 2nd CORNITHIANS, He is our Sin Bearer
In GALATIANS, He redeems us from the law
In EPHESIANS, He is our Unsearchable Riches
In PHILIPPIANS, He supplies our every need
In COLOSSIANS, He’s the Fullness of the Godhead Bodily
In 1st and 2nd THESSALONIANS, He is our Soon Coming King
In 1st and 2nd TIMOTHY, He is the Mediator between God and man
In TITUS, He is our Blessed Hope
In PHILEMON, He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother
In HEBREWS, He’s the Blood of the everlasting covenant
In JAMES, it is the Lord that heals the sick
In 1st and 2nd PETER, He is the Chief Shepherd
In 1st, 2nd, and 3rd JOHN, it is Jesus who has the tenderness of love
In JUDE, He is the Lord coming with 10,000 saints
And in REVELATION, He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

You may know the basic Bible stories, but the Bible is a long, multifaceted work, and it goes a lot deeper than the forefathers and foremothers. Here are ten biblical stories you may have missed (or skipped in Hebrew school). Some of them might make you gasp, others might make you snicker. All of them are worth reading.

1. Judah and Tamar

Genesis 38

Tamar marries two of Judah’s sons. After the second one dies she’s supposed to be married to Judah’s third son, but Judah stalls the marriage. So Tamar dresses up like a prostitute and sleeps with her father-in-law, ultimately giving birth to twins that he fathered.

2. Moses’ Healing Snake

Numbers 21:4-9

After the Israelites complain about how hard life is in the desert they’re struck by a plague of fiery serpents that bite and kill many of the people. When the Israelites beg Moses to intercede on their behalf he makes a copper snake sculpture that heals all who look at it.

The Return of Jephthah, by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini.

3. The Sacrificial Daughter

Judges 11:29-40

When a warrior named Jephthah is in battle he promises that he will sacrifice to God whatever comes out first to greet him when he gets home. Unfortunately, that turns out to be his daughter.

4. The Chopped Up Concubine

Judges 19:22-30

A concubine is gang-raped and left for dead by a group of violent men in the town of Gibeah. In the morning, when her husband finds her, he takes her home on his donkey, and then chops her up into twelve pieces, which he sends to the different parts of Israel to show the people how violent and depraved they have become.

5. Watch Out for the Hemorrhoids

1 Samuel  5:9-6:18

After the Philistines capture the Israelites’ Ark they move it from town to town because wherever it goes the people nearby catch hemorrhoids. Eventually the Philistines decide to give the Ark back, paying interest in the form of golden sculptures of mice and hemorrhoids.

6. Witches and Ghosts

1 Samuel 28:3-25

After the prophet Samuel dies, King Saul realizes he still needs advice from his mentor and hires a witch to raise Samuel’s spirit. This, despite the fact that it was Saul himself who outlawed witchcraft in Israel. When Samuel is risen he berates Saul for breaking the rules, and predicts Saul’s downfall.

7. Amnon and Tamar

2 Samuel Chapter 13

Amnon and Tamar are half-siblings, both children of King David. Amnon becomes infatuated with Tamar, and ultimately rapes her. To retaliate, Absalom, another of David’s sons, kills Amnon.

8. Elijah passes the torch to Elisha

2 Kings Chapter 2

The prophet Elijah doesn’t die; he ascends to heaven in a chariot. But before he leaves he gives Elisha a double portion of his spirit (whatever that means), and Elisha performs a series of wild miracles, including summoning two bears to mangle 42 unruly children.

9. Daniel the Wise Vegetarian

Daniel 1:8-21

When Daniel and his friends Hannah, Michael, and Azania are living in King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace they don’t want to eat the (presumably non-kosher) food being served, and they ask for beans and legumes instead. The chief officer in charge of them is afraid going vegetarian will make them weak minded, but they become the wisest of all the men in the kingdom.

10. Hosea’s Family Names

Hosea 1:2-8

God commands Hosea to marry a prostitute, which he does. When she begins having children Hosea names them Jezebel, Not-Accepted, and Not-My-People.

The mountain smoldered and quaked. Thunder and lightning rent the skies. The Jewish people in their great multitudes stood transfixed at the foot of the mountain, awestruck by the spectacle of the revelation of the Divine Presence on the mountaintop and the knowledge that they were about to receive the divine Torah. But what did they actually receive at Mount Sinai? In fact, it was only a small percentage of the entire Torah – the Ten Commandments. These were the instructions God chose to pronounce on that unforgettable occasion. These were the instructions He chose to inscribe on the Tablets that Moses carried down from the mountaintop.

Clearly, these ten pronouncements are the most fundamental of all the Bible’s commandments, the very bedrock of Judaism. They define the relationship of the Jewish people to the Creator and to their fellow man. Have faith in God. Do not worship idols. Do not blaspheme. Keep the Sabbath. Honor your father and mother. Do not commit murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not rob. Do not bear false witness. Do not covet another’s property or wife.

Do not covet? How did this commandment find its way into this august group? Is coveting in the secrecy of one’s heart an abomination against God or society comparable to the other commandments?
The commentators explain that the tenth commandment is actually the key to all the others. Let us reflect for a moment. How can we control a feeling? How can a wretched person see his neighbor’s prosperity without yearning for the same good fortune? Isn’t it only natural for him to be overcome by a strong desire to enjoy those gifts of life that have been denied to him? How then does the Torah command him not to covet? What is he supposed to do?

The answer lies in our total acceptance of God’s will and a profound faith in His absolute and total goodness. The world is one vast interconnected organism, and every single person, every tree, every blade of grass has its designated role in the grand scheme of things. In guiding this great caldron with pure benevolence, God pays meticulous care to even the minutest element so that all together the purpose of creation will be fulfilled. He assigns each of us a specific role in life that will help our purpose become a reality, a personalized mission for each of us to accomplish. If we acknowledge these truths, if we realize there can be no greater fulfillment in life than accomplishing this divine mission, all else becomes trivial. If a wretched person truly believes his mission in life is to shine in his state of wretchedness, he will not covet another person’s good fortune. The tenth commandment enjoins us to bow to the divine wisdom, to accept His guidance in every aspect of our lives and not to covet that which God has chosen not to give us.

This then is the most fundamental of all the commandments, and the extent to which we fulfill it colors and characterizes our fulfillment of all the others. Why do we refrain from idolatry, murder and robbery? Why do we honor our parents and observe the Sabbath? Is it mere obedience, the grudging submission to the powerful Being who has commanded us to do so? Or is it something that resonates in the very depths of our hearts? If we have learned not to covet, if we are focused on our divinely ordained mission in life, then we will undoubtedly view the fulfillment of all the commandments as a joyous privilege that will help us reach the transcendent goals towards which we strive.

Thanks and Legacy, Copyright  2011 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

Individuals with a positive attitude are those who somehow always manage to find something new and interesting even in the most mundane tasks. They don’t allow themselves to be bored, because they are always seeking ways to do things faster, better, and more efficiently. If you make it a practice to find better ways to do the same old things, you will soon be marked for advancement. You will be supervising others who are performing your old job because you’ve proven that you are a person who can be counted on to take the initiative and do what needs to be done without being told.

The Character of Success
by Dr. Napoleon Hill

A part of this philosophy is that adversity is good for us! The person who really ought to be pitied is the one who grows up with a "silver spoon" in his mouth, with a rich dad and no responsibilities! It’s a safe bet that such a person will never be a very strong competitor of the individual who has had to fight hard for every foot of ground that he or she has covered.

No, it is not wealth that makes a person—it is character, persistence and a strong determination to be of service to the world! You might as well understand now that your real success will be measured and determined by the quantity and quality of service that you render the world! There is no guesswork, no luck or chance about this. It’s according to nature’s own laws.

You may be wealthy, but that isn’t success! You may have a splendid education, but that isn’t success either. You may have wealthy parents, but neither is that success, for you must remember that wealth is an evasive thing which sometimes takes wings and flies away.

The only real, permanent and worthwhile success is represented by the character you are building!

And remember that you are building some sort of a character all the time. The chances are about ten to one that if you are devoting some of your time to self-improvement, developing self-confidence and self-control, you are building a character that will be an asset to you in years to come.

Character is built slowly, step by step. Your every thought and every act goes into it. Character is the crystallization of the things you do, the words you speak and the thoughts you think! If you think about worthwhile things, you are pretty much apt to be a worthwhile person.

You can be pretty much what you want to be if your will keep your mind on the one thing you want to be long enough. Remember, I said if you try hard enough—not if you wish hard enough.

We should never complain if success does not come easily. If it did, we might not recognize it when it arrived! I have no complaint to register against fate for taking me over the pathway of hard experience. I have no kick to register against the world for the rough manner in which it has used me. An easy time in life doesn’t seem to leave the proper temper in the metal. No one wants to cash a check on the Easy-Time Bank. The world is afraid of it.

The world is waiting for men and women who are seeking the opportunity to render real service—the kind of service that lightens the burdens of our neighbors; the kind of service that makes the world a better place to live in; the kind of service that ninety-five people out of a hundred to not render because they do not understand it. Shakespeare was right when he said, "our only sin is that of ignorance."

Source: Excerpted from the 1919 issue of Hill’s Golden Rule Magazine as appearing in the Think and Grow Rich Newsletter, July 1993, Volume 5, Number 10, pg. 7.

Far too many people spend more time planning their weekends than their lives. Then they suddenly realize that life has passed them by and they weren’t even aware it was happening. When you intently study what you most desire in life, you begin to focus your mind and concentrate your energy upon that which you wish to achieve. One of the great advantages of having a definite goal for your life is that it helps you prioritize your activities. When your major purpose is clear in your mind, it is unnecessary to analyze each individual situation. You know automatically whether your actions will move you toward your goal or away from it. You can then use all of your resources-time, money, and energy-to best advantage. 

Where will you be in ten years from now if you keep on going the way you are going?

Many people fail to realize that big success is the result of little successes achieved, often over a very long period of time. Truly successful people are long-term thinkers. They know that they must build upon each achievement and constantly learn new and better ways of doing things. A regular review of your progress is an essential part of goal-setting. A goal is a little more than a wish unless it has a timetable for completion. Make sure your plan for your life includes short, medium and long term goals. Revise your goals as circumstances dictate, check them off when they are completed, and set new and bigger goals for yourself as you grow. And take time to reflect often to make sure you are on the right course.

Another clip from Victor Antonio. Don’t listen to dream killers, and a great definition of stupid people.

The con man works harder and pays more for what he gets out of life than any other person, but he kids himself into believing he is getting something for nothing.

There is a fundamental rule in sales, that applies to life in general: You must sell yourself first before you can effectively sell others. If you can’t believe in the value of your products or service, no one else will either. If you are conning others into an unfair deal, you must work mightily to overcome your internal resistance to doing something wrong. A deal is a good one only when it is good for everyone involved. When each participant has an equal opportunity to profit and the risk is shared among partners who care about one another’s welfare, not only is the likelihood of success far greater, but the journey toward it will also be much more enjoyable.

This is what I see my life looking like. How does yours look like? Hopefully it looks similar!