Day of rest

 Leviticus 23:26-41: Day of Atonement shall be a day of rest. Festival of booths shall last 7 days and the fruits of the harvest shall be brought for sacrifice. No work shall be done....... I'm not one for ritual, but I think these holy days were set up to give people some rest. Otherwise the bosses would have them work everyday.

Psalm 53: a Psalm lamenting people have fallen away from God. No one does good..... It's kind of over the top. The powers that be tend to exaggerate things to keep people in line.

Revelation 19:1-8: Rejoicing in heaven that God has judged the persecutors of his servants. The fine white linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. ...... People want to believe that people will get their just rewards sooner or later. I don't think that's always true. You just have to live your life and not be too concerned with what other people are getting.

A use for A.I.

 I've been reading about Hamilton and Gallatin and the setting up of economic systems and as much as I and a lot of the progressives hate to admit it, we need a competitive economic system to support an advanced, technological civilization. Somehow, though it'd be nice to round off the hard and cutthroat edges.

I got to thinking about how in the Bible, when people would gather in the harvest, they would leave some grain behind for the poor to glean. And then I got to thinking of those movies, where the crooks siphon off those odd pennies on computer transactions.

So what if you had A.I., not in secret but as part of a taxing system, sort of like that book, Capital by Thomas Piketty , that advocates for a global capital tax, that would siphon off pennies here and there from those millions of stock transactions and drop them into the economic system. I think they already have some stores with electronic prices on the shelves that can be changed instantaneously. You could have an A.I. algorithm that would drop money to various areas and stores and online market places where it would do the most good. And no one would really notice it too much, but over time it would smooth out the worldwide income disparities between rich and poor.

The produce of the land

 Joshua 5:9-12: The manna stops falling on the ground and the Israelites start eating of the produce of the land.

2nd Corinthians 5:16-21: Paul says everything is a new creation in Christ..... I take this to mean that the old class systems and ritual worship can be ignored. People relate to each other by what's in their hearts.

Luke 15:1-3,11b-32: The story of the prodigal son. I like it mostly because of the fatted calf. Kill the fatted calf and let's have a BBQ party. Not a good picture for vegetarians, but when I was a kid my Dad bbqed a lot. I can understand the loyal son being perturbed about him not ever getting a party, but what the heck, a party is a party; invite your friends and kick back. Jesus is saying to the Pharisees, lighten up a little. I may be eating with the unwashed, but let your guard down a little and enjoy yourselves for a change.

Repentance

 Exodus 32:7-14: The Israelites worship the golden calf and God is ready to wreck his vengeance, but Moses talks him out of it.

Luke 15:1-10: Parables of the lost sheep and lost coin. There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Like the last person in a race, fans cheer the loudest.

The Israelites are representative of all creation. If God wrecked anything, it'd be like cutting off his right hand. You ever heard of the right hand of God? That's us. Of course, we should act like it more often.

Memorial

 Joshua 4:14-24: God exalts Joshua in front of the people, so they revere him like they did Moses The reason Joshua sets up 12 stones at Gilgal is so when the children ask what these stones are for, they can tell them it was when God dried up then Jordan. This is good because the people seem to never remember anything of the great deeds of God.

2nd Corinthians 5:6-15: Paul mentions the judgment of seat of Christ where people receive recompense for what they've done. I don't think much of that concept. You live, you die and people remember you, good of and bad.

Have faith 2

 Joshua 4:1-13: God told Joshua to take 12 stones out the Jordan and place them where they camped to commemorate God stopping the Jordan so the people could cross. Verse 9 says Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan and he didn't get struck down for that. Because when Moses struck the rock to get water the second time, when he was just supposed to speak to it, God kept him out of the Promised Land.

Psalm 32: Offer a prayer in time of distress and God will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; God will counsel you with his eye upon you. God says don't be like a horse whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle. He's saying he's not going to take away our freedom of choice. God's like a coach watching from the sidelines. He's taught us everything we need. Just keep your eye on the end zone.

2nd Corinthians 4:16-5:5: Paul says have faith in what we can't see yet. There's a spiritual body waiting in the heavens. 

Have faith

 Numbers 13:17-27: Moses sent spies into the land of Canaan to check things out. It was a great place. But right after this passage, the spies said, but we'll have to fight hard for it and the people were afraid except Caleb and Joshua.

Luke 13:18-21: Parables comparing the Kingdom of God. Plant the mustard seed, the smallest of seeds, and it will grow into a great tree. Take yeast and mix it with the flour and it will rise into a big loaf.

Law written on your heart

 Ezekiel 17:1-10: Story about a vine transplanted to good soil and plenty of water, the vine representing Israel. God asks: will it thrive? Or will it not wither on the bed where it grew?

Romans 2:12-16: Paul takes awhile to get to the point but it seems that it is all well and good to have a lot of laws written down to organize society, but the only law that counts is what's written on their hearts.

Today(March 25th) also celebrates the annunciation of our Lord( Luke 1:26-38) when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear Jesus and she said let it be...... There were a few other passages associated with today and they all seemed to say, God doesn't care about sacrifice or ritual, just listen to your heart and do the right thing.

Conflicting messages

 Psalm 39: Sounds like David is getting near the end. He's asking God to give him peace," before I depart and am no more ".

Jeremiah 11:1-13: God says Israel & Judah have broken the covenant and are serving false gods especially Baal. ......here I vote for the people. Back in the Torah, there are a plethora of laws given, that no one could follow that would make anyone irritable. When all God wants is people to be nice to each other. And as for the idols, maybe it's because worship and sacrifice is reserved for the Temple. And most people can't afford to go there or have the time. So maybe they just want to set up a prayer space in their home. And maybe they aren't really in to foreign gods, maybe it's more like praying to a saint or Mary, because God seems so big and distant.

Romans 2:1-11: Paul says don't judge others for what you are doing yourself. But then he says God will repay according to one's deeds. And those who do good will get eternal life. But other places in the Bible, it says no one can be good enough, that you are saved by faith. ..... So like in the above Jeremiah passage, sometimes it seems like religion is just a cultural control mechanism. And I think a lot of people feel that , well, I'm just going to try to be nice and have my own private prayer space. Which is what Jesus said at one point, don't pray or do good deeds so everyone knows it.

Circuit rider

 Isaiah 55:1-9: Return to the Lord and he will have mercy. But I noticed verse 6: Seek the Lord while he may be found, call on him while he is near.There are hints in the Bible that God isn't around all the time. Like the 400 years the Israelites spent in Egypt. And the 400 years between the end of  the Old Testament and when Jesus showed up. Then 300 years until Constantine, and the Great Schism in 1000 and St. Francis in 1200, the Reformation in 1500, the Great Awakening in the 1700s, Vatican II in the 1960s and the church expanding now in Africa and Latin America. Is God a cosmic circuit riding preacher? It seems like sometimes he is absent from the scene.

Luke 13:1-9: Jesus says repent or perish. And then the parable of the barren fig tree. The owner says, it's been 3 years since it gave fruit, cut it down. The gardener says give it one more year. So Jesus is saying there is time to change but not forever.

Good tree, good fruit

 Isaiah 5:1-7: Story of the cared for vineyard that only produced wild grapes. Analogy of Judah and Israel cared for by God. He expected justice, but saw bloodshed. Righteousness, but heard a heard a cry. Isaiah is saying here as in most other places in the Bible, you can have the best religious ritual and theology, but if you don't treat people right, it all means nothing.

Luke 6:43-45: A good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good...... I can do stuff, even good stuff, but a lot of times my heart isn't in it and it becomes a lame exercise...... Just an aside: I volunteer at places, but sometimes I get tired because I'm doing things set up by these non-profits. The process is helping people but sometimes my heart isn't in it because sometimes these food banks are so regimented it just isn't any fun. Sometimes it's better just to be nice to someone on your own. It's like the rich man and the beggar Lazarus(Luke 16:19-31). I'm sure the rich man gave plenty to the temple, but if he just gave a piece of bread to Lazarus on his way in and out, the world would have blossomed.

Doctrinaire

 Daniel 12:1-4: Talks about resurrection of the dead, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting contempt. .....I used to believe in eternal life. I suppose there might be some way to experience it in the memories of others. But generally I figure pass the baton and fade away.

Revelation 3:1-6: Apparently, the church at Sardis has fallen away from the correct doctrine, according to the author of Revelation..... But back in the early days, people interpreted Jesus each in their own way just like today. The person who wrote Revelation gets kind of weird and pushy sometimes.

Meditate

 Psalm 63:1-8: A Psalm of praise for God. I like verse 6...and when I meditate on you in the watches of the night. I've done that before.

Daniel 3:19-30: When Nebuchadnezzar threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace for not bowing down to him. And they came out without a scratch. That's the one thing I couldn't do, bow down to anyone although I doubt if I'd have made it out of the furnace. Kings get stuck on themselves and usually get their due eventually. That's where a hierarchical religion kind of inspires hierarchical government. Horizontal religions are better. People getting along across borders. If the higher-ups want to soothe their egos, let them go to St. Helena, that island in the South Atlantic where they sent Napoleon.

Revelation 2:8-11: the angel says to the church at Smyrna: that they will be persecuted and suffer. Be faithful unto death. For me, I'll be faithful to my family but this political religious stuff is for the birds.

Do the right thing

 2nd Chronicles 20:1-22: Judah was being attacked and King Jehoshaphat gathered the people for prayer. God said don't worry, I've got it. Reminiscent of Patton's prayer for clear skies during to the Battle of the Bulge. Hard to to believe God would be on any side in war. Go home people and do something constructive.

Luke 13: 21-30: Someone asks Jesus if only a few will be saved. Jesus says try to enter by the the narrow door, many will try but not make it. Maybe this means not to weigh your soul down with worldly cares. Keep it streamlined. People will say to God, remember me? God says who? The last shall be first and the first shall be last. Ritual, tradition and prayer won't get you anywhere. Get up everyday and do the right thing.

Constitutional amendment for a non-presidential government

 The problem is not Trump. The problem is having a president in the first place. Here is the government I have in mind:

The House of Representatives would be increased to 500 members and these would be allocated by state based on population. The Speaker of the House would be elected by a majority of the House and would be the effective head of government and commander-in- chief of the military. He would choose other members of the House as his cabinet. All bills would start in the House.

The Senate would stay at 100 members or two per state if new states were ever voted in. The Senate could hold hearings on House bills and propose amendments. When a House bill was passed, the Senate would have 30 days to veto a bill by 2/3 majority. The House could then override the veto by a 2/3 majority of the House. The President of the Senate elected by a majority of the members would appoint federal judges and the Senate would approve them. The current presidential duties of meeting and entertaining foreign dignitaries would go to Senators on a rotating monthly basis.

Also, just to throw it out there, in order that D.C. residents could have representation in Congress, I propose:

The city of Washington be absorbed back into Maryland. The federal government would retain control of federal buildings and certain land on the National Mall between the Capitol building and the White House.

Tests

 Numbers 14:10b-24: This passage follows the story about the Israelites spies going into Canaan, and everyone but Joshua & Caleb, thought the people were too strong to overcome. So the congregation said let's go back to Egypt. God says, what's wrong with these people. I will strike them down. But Moses said, forgive them, because if you strike them down, people will think you couldn't give them victory. So God said I will forgive them but none of the old ones who saw my glory at Sinai will see the Promised land. They will die in the desert except for Caleb and Joshua.

1st Corinthians 10:1-13: Paul recounts Israel's struggles in the desert. He says don't be like them. Trust in God. You will not be tested beyond your strength and God will provide a way out. ..... I never look at bad happenings as tests. I look at it as Gravity and bad decisions. As for a way out, you either die or keep on keeping on.

You think Trump is bad

 In 1792, Washington used troops to put down the Whiskey Rebellion. You say well the small rural farmers were breaking the law. But the law was bad. The small farmers were paying a larger per gallon tax than the big city distillers. And that was Hamilton's plan, to put small farmers and artisans out of work to turn the U.S. into a big farm, big manufacturing country and have the little guys be hired labor.( See The Whiskey Rebellion, by William Hogeland,p. 68-70).

Then John Adams, my favorite president, though not for this, used the 1798 law that Trump is using now to put people in jail for their politics.

Then Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War to put people in jail if they disagreed with his war policies. 

Woodrow Wilson used the Alien and Sedition Act to put people in jail during WWII for protesting against the war, including Eugene Deba, one of my favorite presidential candidates.

FDR only did the New Deal because he knew with the country at 30% unemployment, him and his elite cronies would be dead meat if he didn't get people to work and then during WWII, he rounded up all the Japanese.

Obama, the best president during my lifetime, used cruise missiles to kill American citizens overseas without any trials. They justified it, saying they were terrorists, but that is what Trump is doing now.

Trump is no good. He mistreated women, stiffed his contractors and tenants, but New York City looked the other way. They could have put him out of business years ago, but all the foreign oligarchs buying his properties were bringing big money into the city.

So I don't want to hear anything from Democrats or anyone associated with any political party. We're all complicit.

Stiff-necked people

 Exodus 33:1-6: God is still mad at the Israelites for making the golden calf. He tells them to leave Sinai and go up to Canaan. But God says he will not go up among them as he would consume them on the way as they are a stiff-necked people. He says take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you. Later, Moses appeals to God's good graces and God relents and gives Moses two new tablets and renews the covenant. I guess this is why people believe in God. God is always there to pick up the pieces and forgive.

Psalm 105: Give thanks and praise to God. Then the Psalm goes on to recount the Israelites' history from Abraham to the conquest of Canaan.

Romans 4:1-12: Paul says before Abraham was circumcised and made a covenant with God, he believed God. So Paul then says, you don't have to be a part of a special group or perform rituals, you just have to believe in God.

All politics are local

 People shouldn't have to pay more than 10% of income to income tax. And everyone should pay. If CEOs are making $1 and getting the rest in stock options, they need to pay a minimum tax. No deductions or loopholes and just a low personal exemption.

Back in the day Feds had War, Navy, Treasury, State and Justice Depts. We should return to that. Defense budget should be cut in half. 6 carrier task forces: 2 for each coast and 2 in maintenance status. Treasury takes care of collecting taxes and handling interstate issues. State has embassies in certain countries, but mostly just a small office. Justice enforces federal laws. Federal laws will be reduced by 90%. Social Security taxes for each person will go into a fund guaranteed 5% interest which people can tap at 65. Medicare deductions go into individual healthcare funds.

States main focus will be state police, road maintenance and clean water and air regulations, and any national or state parks. State universities supported as budget allows.

Counties will take care of everything else. No individual city governments. Just one police/ fire/ government for whole county. Any forests, county will take care of. No state or federal forests. Schools, healthcare and indigent care are county issues. People's medical accounts from Medicare deductions help pay for healthcare. Money from the 10% tax distributed as follows: 50% to counties, 30% to state, 20% to federal.

Not yours to give

 Genesis 15:1-12,17-19: God gives Abram all the land from the Nile to the Euphrates. Seems to have forgotten the people living there. Eerily familiar to the Europeans taking over the Americas, Africa, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Luke 9:37-43a: Jesus heals a possessed boy that his disciples couldn't. Shakes his head wondering when they will have faith. Well, people try to do things on their own too much. Need to tap in to community resources. 

Truth

 Psalm 118:26-29: Give thanks to God, for God is good, God's steadfast love endures forever. For me that means in a series of unfortunate events, I try to not take anything personally, but just keep on keeping on.

Matthew 23:37-39: Jesus laments Jerusalem, the city that kills prophets and stones those who are sent to it. "You can't handle the truth!"

Peasants Revolt

 In 1517, Martin Luther translated the Bible into German so everyone could read it. He said heaven's not for sale for indulgences. 7 years later 1524-1525, when the peasants revolted, he said, kill them all. The elites always stick together to preserve the hierarchy.

Tithe 3-14-25

 Happy Pi Day π!

Genesis 14:17-24: Abram is blessed by Melchizedek, priest of God Most High, after a military victory. Abram gives him a tenth of all the spoils of war. This is where the tithe originated, giving 10% to God. Tithe is very elusive. Some people give off the gross, some net, after taxes. Some after rent, food, car payments. In New Testament, there's no set amount, just that you give willingly and cheerfully.

Philippians 3:2-12: This epistle reading is actually yesterday's and yesterday's today. Here Paul says I did everything right by the law. He was a Pharisee's Pharisee. But he'd give up all that stature to be aligned with Christ and have the resurrection from the dead. I can understand this. But I look at it as being connected to the Christ spirit that pervades the entire universe. Maybe it's the background radiation that is measured. But the end result, is not to be stuck on yourself, which is hard for me, but to pitch in with the long-term bigger picture.

Egos 3-13-25

 Genesis 13:1-7,14-18: Abraham and Lot have too much stuff. So Lot takes the valley and Abraham takes the high ground. God tells Abraham, look in all directions. It's all yours through all your descendents.Hard to believe in a God that plays favorites. Maybe it's "yours" in a spiritual sense.

Psalm 27: Here's David again. Lots of enemies. Hard to feel sorry for him. He could have stayed a shepherd.

Philippians 3: 17-20: Paul says follow his example. Well, he's usually full of himself, so don't know if that's a good idea. Many are enemies of Christ. Their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. I can see that. Direct opposite of Genesis and claiming land.

Strange stories 3-12-25

 Job 1:1-22: Job is an upstanding man and worships God. But Satan says that's just because he's a rich guy. So God let's Satan test Job, but he says just don't hurt him. So Job loses all his wealth and his sons and daughters. This is a bizarre story. Even as fiction, I don't like it.  And it's another story about rich people. Not many stories in the Bible about everyday people.

Luke 21:34-22:6: Jesus says always be ready as the bad times are coming and you need the strength to get through it. Then the story of Judas going to the leaders to betray Jesus.  I think the writer just wanted to discredit Judas for some reason. This just like the wise men story. Herod could have sent one of his men to follow the wise men to Jesus. Here, the Pharisees could have sent someone to always keep and eye on Jesus. Actually, I think it was the Romans  that were after Jesus. Jesus was on the fringes of accepted theology, still, he was one of the Jewish nation. And some Pharisees thought he was ok, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.

Follow the rules

 Zechariah 3:1-10: God laments that Israel has fallen away so much. But Zechariah has a vision in the 2nd year of Darius of the high priest Joshua standing before God with Satan as his accuser. But God rebukes Satan and says he will take Jerusalem back in the fold. An angel changes Joshua's filthy clothes to festal apparel. The Angel says to Joshua that he must walk in God's ways and keep my requirements.

2nd Peter 2:4-21: People are saved when they believe in Jesus, so false prophets have arisen and say eat, drink and be merry and fool around as you're saved no matter what. Peter says you have to follow the straight and narrow road. 

Both these passages bring to mind that although there is talk of God's love and saving grace, a lot of the Bible is do this, don't do that. The Bible seems to be more of a cultural moral standard thing, than a life transforming thing. Because the higher ups can't look in people's hearts, they can just look at what people do. Which is why Jesus said, don't judge, that's God's business.

Overreaction 3-10-25

 1st Chronicles 21:1-17: David takes a census and apparently this is a no-no as God hits Israel with a plague that kills 70,000 people. This is weird as they had all that numbering going on back in the book of numbers. This makes me think of work where 20% of your job is just keeping the boss happy. You're doing things that have nothing to do with keeping the business functioning or helping customers. This makes me think that having hierarchical religions, tend to lead to hierarchical government and businesses with ego fulfilling bosses, instead of horizontal systems where everyone works together to get a well- functioning society.

Psalm 17: Speaking of egos, here's David again saying I'm a great guy, get rid of my evil enemies. Well, Samuel warned Israel when they demanded a king, how weird it would be.

1st John 2:1-6: Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. And how may we be sure we know him, by obeying his commandments. And who get to decide what his commandments are and who decides if we are following them? The same stuck on themselves leaders as in the previous two readings.

First fruits 3-9-25

 Deuteronomy 26:1-11: First fruits of the land go to God. In verse 12, it mentions a tithe(10%) in the 3rd year. Maybe the first one was 3 years to let them get the land in shape and then every year after? The tithe should go to the Levites, the resident aliens, the orphans and widows.

Romans 10:8b-13: If you believe Jesus is Lord and God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved..... Saved from what? Saved from yourself, maybe.

Luke 4:1-13: Jesus temptation in the wilderness. Make this stone into bread. You shall not live by bread alone. Devil says, I will give you all the kingdoms. Jesus says, worship God only. Throw yourself off the pinnacle of the temple and angels will save you. Do not put God to the test.

Time for everything

 Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: a time sow and a time to reap, a time to mourn and a time to laugh......life is complicated. There's work and suffering, fun and fulfillment.

John 12:27-36: Jesus will die and rise up and draw all people to him. People say, Messiah will stay forever. They don't understand..... Jesus drew a couple billion people to himself, at least on this planet. What goes on on other outposts in the universe?

Complicated 3-7-25

 Exodus 6:1-13: God says I'll take care of you. Moses tell the Pharaoh to let my people go. Moses says the people won't listen, why should Pharaoh? God says, do it anyway. This sets up God sending the plagues on Egypt. It's a lot of death and destruction. Seems like some people are doing ok in Egypt after 400 years. The ones that want to leave could slip away in the night. I've read some people think the whole thing never happened. The Israelites were just another tribe in Canaan and Torah was written to hold them together. In any event, these stories are about the big shots and not about everyday people.

Acts 7: 35-42: More of Stephen's speech where he says all along the Israelites rejected God, just like Pharisees rejected Jesus. And then they stoned him for mouthing off. Seem like government and religion is hard to change. Too many vested interests. Everyday people should just treat their neighbors halfway decent and live their lives. Let the powers that be self-destruct around them.

Bricks 3-6-25

 Exodus 5:10-23: Pharaoh makes the Israelites make bricks without straw. Israelites are mad at Moses because he made Pharaoh mad. Moses mad at God for causing the whole situation..... Israelites are a tight group, but I wonder if a few here and there snuck off during the night during the 400 years in Egypt, because they were fed up and wanted to go home.

Psalm 91 1-2, 9-16: God says, stick with me and I'll watch over you.

Acts 7:30-34: Stephen mentions Moses in his speech before his stoning. He talks about the the burning bush and how God told Moses, I've seen my people's suffering and is sending Moses to Egypt to rescue them..... But they've been there 400 years and God is just noticing. Is he like a comet, just coming in the neighborhood every so many years???

Ash Wednesday 3-5-25

 Psalm 51: a good Psalm for when you're in a repentant mood. Good verses. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. And God does not desire burnt offerings, but a broken and contrite heart.

Isaiah 58:1-12: The people say we're fasting. God says you serve your own interest on your fast day and oppress your workers. God says, is this not the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to let the oppressed go free. To share your bread with the hungry and take the homeless into your house.

Matthew 6:1-6,16-21: when you give alms, don't let your left hand no what your right is doing. When you pray, go into your room and pray in private. And when you fast, don't look dismal, so people know you are fasting. God knows what you do, so don't broadcast to everyone. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Story location 3-4-25

 Ezekiel 1:1-2:1: The priest Ezekiel had a vision of God while in exile along the river Chebar in Babylon. Meanwhile the regular people were back in Israel and Judah tilling the soil. That's the story I want to hear, not about the elites in Babylon.

Acts 10:23b-33: Peter goes to see Cornelius and says, usually it is not normal for a Jew to associate with gentiles, but God has shown him that no one is profane or unclean. This is a lesson we're still trying to learn 2000 years later.

Tabernacle 3-3-25

 Exodus 35:1-29: materials and workpeople for the tabernacle. I never got into this. Seems like houses of worship, no matter what religion, put most of their money into buildings and salaries. People are always running herd on non-profits, to make sure they aren't putting too much money into overhead instead of needy people. But houses of worship put over half, probably 80%, in buildings and salaries.

Psalm 35: David appealing again to God to save him from his enemies. I always think, David, you need to ask yourself why you have so many enemies and change your ways.

Acts 10:9-23a: Peter received his vision from God that gentiles don't have to follow the kosher food rules to be a Christian. I like kosher pickles and hot dogs, but it's nice to be able to eat a wide variety of food, especially BBQ pulled pork.

A glow 3-2-25

 Exodus 34:29-35: After Moses came down from the mountains with the second set of stone tablets, his face glowed from being in the presence of God. So he wore a veil when he was talking to the people and took it off when he went in the tabernacle to talk to God.

Luke 9:28-36: Jesus took Peter and John with him up on a mountain and while there he became dazzling white and was talking to Moses and Elijah. Peter and John heard God say," This is my son, my Chosen; listen to him.

2 Cor 3:12-4:2: Paul mentions the veil that Moses wore and it is removed by Jesus. We see the glory of the Lord, as though reflected in a mirror. That's kind of the way I see it. Jesus is like a lens through which we look to see God.

Rebellious people 3-1-25

 Deut 9:15-24: Moses says you people have been in rebellion against God since the word go. And the people say, well, we were left in Egypt 400 years, so here and there over the next few thousand years, we'll get in 400 years of rebelliousness.

Luke 10:21-24: Jesus thanks God for hiding things from the wise and revealing them to the innocent. And no one knows the Father except Jesus and who he chooses to reveal him. Sounds like a reverse elitism.