A collection of under the radar interludes that keep biblical scholars pondering

“Open your mouth and eat what I give you!” God makes Ezekiel eat a scroll

The Book of Ezekiel is so filled with violent, lurid and graphically rendered sex that rabbis forbade anyone under 30 to read it, and women were completely banned. But there are other strange occurrences, not the least of which is God making his prophet eat a scroll. In his own words, Ezekiel explains how YHWH recruited him to spread the bad news to the people of Israel. A hand (presumably large) appears holding a scroll. Ezekiel is told to eat it, and then go find the Israelites and rattle their cages. The prophet does as he’s told, and finds that the scroll tastes like honey.

^“,,,and I saw a hand stretched out to me; In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” – Ezekiel 2-3 [NIV].

Questions about that manna and quail

Once out in the wasteland, the escaped Israelites start complaining, establishing a pattern that continues through the Hebrew Bible. In Ex. 16, God grudgingly rains down manna and quail because they are starving. But why are they starving, when the account is very clear that they have taken their livestock with them. Further, there are detailed (way too detailed) descriptions of daily and weekly animal sacrifices throughout the Torah. Simple question: why were they starving when they had herds of food?

“Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.- ”Exodus 12:32 [KJV].

As long as Moses keeps his hands up, the Israelites win

Having escaped the Egyptians through the Lord’s intervention and bolstered by manna and quail, the Israelites are set upon by the evil Amalekites at Rephidim. Joshua leads the Israelites into battle and Moses assists by holding up his staff and hands. Unfortunately, he gets tired and lets his hands down, whereupon the Amalekites prevail in the battle. Luckily, his brother and a guy named Hur are there to hold up his hands. Israelites win!!!!

¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ¹² When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. ¹³ So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. – Exodus 17:11-13 [NIV].

We note in passing that the Israelites had more than 600,000 armed soldiers (Ex. 9) so this should have been an easy victory.