Numbers 8

The dedication of the Levites is a substitute for the Lord’s command that all the first born belong to God. The implication is that ideally, every firstborn male would serve the Lord at the Tabernacle.

Numbers 7

For the transportation of the Tabernacle, the holy objects are carried while they received gifts of ox carts to carrry the rest. Never noted that detail before.

Numbers 6

This is the law of the Nazarite, someone who makes special vow to the Lord, for what is not specified, but Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as “Nazarene”, connects gospel here in ways I do not fully understand.

Numbers 5

I thought the opening of expelling anyone sick from the camp was heavy handed, but the “law of jealousy” that justifies a man putting his wife through a barbaric ritual to determine if his feelings are just?

Numbers 4

It is a census of and duty assignments to Levites charged with packing and carrying the Tabernacle parts as the people move toward the Promised Land. This is before they get bumped to the 40 year Exodus?

Numbers 3

The tribe of Levi is set up to take charge of the Tabernacle, to form up as an inner defensive square, and to be taken by the Lord in place of the first-borns as commander in Exodus.

Numbers 2

The twelve tribes, numbered for war, are now set up in a box formation, 3 tribes to a side, around the Tent of Meeting.

Hebrews 9

For those who have labored to read and understand the Torah, the law of Moses, this chapter provides an incredible primer and connection to God’s intent and our Lord Jesus.

Numbers 1

The deal is getting real, there is a census of the men of Israel to determine those fit for war.

Hebrews 13

To conclude the book, the writer offers a list of what is good and proper for those who follow Jesus.

Hebrews 12

From the life and example of those of faith in chapter 11, we are called to live such lives of faith, persevering to the end to glory.

Hebrews 11

This is a hero-list of faith, the writer looking back to those who believed and lived for the Lord in the time before we had Jesus.

Hebrews10

Jesus as high priest and sacrifice, what it means, what it means to turn from, what expectations it offers moving ahead. This is the new covenant.

Hebrews 8

How do we get from Old Testament to New Testament? Paul addresses this but to condemn those who want to impose the law of Moses on the church. What is the transition? We get that here, in the theology of the High Priest, in what we are to think about and understand in what put in motion with the High Priest. 

Hebrews 7

Our focus is so much on Jesus as the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world that it is easy for this theology, this way of thinking about our Lord Jesus, as high priest and what that means, can feel very foreign to us.

Hebrews 6

The most powerful promise that can be made in all creation, God swearing by Godself. Reminds me strangely of Gollum swearing by the One Ring in Lord of the Rings, but in our case, the promise is absolute and binding.

Hebrews 5

The focus of Jesus upon the role upon the role is central Hebrews to Hebrews. This is somewhat different from the Gospels, where the authority of Jesus on earth is kingly. As he is son of David.  But at the time of Jesus, the king was of the family of Herod, disconnected from David and from religiously legitimated rule. Thus the focus on high priest?

Hebrews 4

The context of heaven and everlasting life is shaped by the language of the Old Testament. Where God promises, God’s people, a Sabbath rest, the promised land, forever. Again, in the language of the old testament call, mom comes through of Jesus, our high priest.

Propoganda Warfare Against the Early Church

1 Peter 2:12

Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.

Joan Jett sings a song entitled “I Don’t Give a D**n About My Bad Reputation”.  It is the context and culture of a rock star.  Peter has a similar message, but from a very different point of view.  His audience has been ‘maligned as evildoers’.  In the wider context of the passage, this 'evildoing' seems to have sexual overtones. 

But while Joan Jett is reflecting musically on the context of the rock culture, Peter is trying to address a campaign of misinformation against his audience. 

The “Jesus movement” is splitting from Judaism.  And it is not simply disappearing into the historical vortex of failed religions.  It is causing enough of a stir that it is becoming a threat to the Jewish mainstream, or at least perceived as a threat.  At this point, the followers of Jesus had no political power or influence.  God was their power to be a threat-and God will lead them to dominate the empire.

At work here is a fundamental lesson of propaganda warfare.  If you cannot attack their ideas, attack their character.  If they seem to be doing good things, attack their motives.  Do whatever you can to undercut their ability to function in polite society.  Sounds like politics as usual, doesn't it?

It is not that Peter doesn't give a...hoot...about their bad reputation.  Ultimately, he knows that they are in God's hands, not those of the people. 

Behave Yourselves! Even If You Are Already Behaved... Answering Rumors

1 Peter 2:12

Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.

So we have just come off a verse where Peter tells his readers to abstain from the desires of the flesh.  The reason is developed here.  They are to “conduct themselves honorably”.  There is no declaration that they have been acting dishonorably, but rather it is being implied, they are being accused of acting in a ‘dishonorable’ way. 

Why is there is a need to speak of issues of conduct among the Gentiles?  This is a personal letter that Peter is circulating to these disciples.  He speaks to the issue because it exists among the Christian communities that he helped to establish. 

This seems to be a fascinating moment in the early development of the church.  Beginning in the synagogue, it will eventually be pushed out.  From a new Jewish sect, it will become the dominant faith of the empire.  That will come through Gentiles joining, not Jews.  There just aren’t enough Jews.

It seems that the Jews are pushing out the followers of Jesus and bad mouthing them among the dominant Gentile culture so that they will have no place to go but into trouble.  Peter's words here are an attempt to counteract those attacks, and we will see that developed in this verse.