What did the old nursery rhyme say? The cow jumped over the moon? I looked real hard, but there was no cow in the air Saturday night, as we drove home from Thanksgiving in Kentucky. At dusk, the view from our windshield displayed a glorious picture of a big amber globe complimenting an azure sky. But alas, no bouncy bovines!
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That night, as I tinkered with my new camera, my son flicked on the television. Rubbernecking, I could see he was watching Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman. The programmers must have aired it to coincide with the full moon. If you know the story behind the making of that film, Bela Lugosi's voice and the subsequent editing seriously compromised the movie's potential. (Boris Karlov was the quintessential Frankenstein Monster.) I liked Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolfman, and those were top-rate special effects in their day. One review suggests that it was ultimately Lugosi's foolishness that led to this movie's shortfalls. Me? I think it was the Hungarian villagers' song that we had to endure just before they were attacked by big Frank..
Speaking of lunatics, Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Such was the case in the life of the biblical patriarch, Jacob. His biography reads more like an antihero than holy man. His life's actions continually betrayed a misplaced trust. Over and over again, he did things according to schemes he devised himself, as if anyone could possibly concoct a better plan than God's! Sadly, today's saints are probably more like him than we might like to admit. Thanks Chosenrebel, for pointing this out. I hope I respond wiser, humbly yielding to God's sovereign will..
Image by... me! I took it Saturday night with my new camera. Thanks again, Randy!!!
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14 comments:
Isn't it amazing that we were both looking at the same moon? I have never seen it quite so red.
We had a conversation about the moon that night because it was so noticeable. Daughter 1: "Look, it's a quarter moon!" Daughter 2: "No, silly. It's a crescent moon". Hubby: "Try again. It's a full moon!".
Say, I got a new camera too and have been tinkering with it a bunch myself.
Nice Moon shot.
I liked the "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" film. The Wolfman was Chaney Jr., and Bela Lugosi was Dracula, but I don't know who the Monster was.
Jacob sure was a schemer, and yet he loved the Lord. He wrestled with the Lord, and the Lord blessed him.
David is another despicable man, but he also loved the Lord, and was a man after God's own heart.
Good thoughts Craver.
I wish I had been able to pull over and take the picture while the moon and sky had even more colorful hues. By the time I was at a place where I could set up a tripod, the sky had obviously gone full-black. LL, have you ever seen The Princess Bride? Your question reminded me of Inigo's line when they were sailing: "He's gaining on us! I wonder if he's using the same wind we are using..."
AMM, ain't cameras fun? Have fun tinkering.
Hey Don! Abbott & Costello's monster was played by Glenn Strange. (I googled it.)
Jacob loved the Lord, but he'd never be faith's posterboy. Here's another thought about Jacob: He should never have married Rachel. Even though he was tricked into marrying Leah, he could have stopped there, trusting God and remaining monogamous. By whom was the covenant fulfilled? Judah... Leah's son. I'll bet he could have learned to love and enjoy her and spare himself a lot of grief and heartaches. He would likely have been a better father as well.
I wonder if any of us would be faith's poster boy? I know I wouldn't. I'm so glad God kept it real in the Bible...I can relate to Jacob!
Yeah, I wouldn't be the ideal poster child for faith, either. Which person from the Bible would you nominate as "faith's poster-child" and why? I nominate Joseph, because of how deeply he believed God, despite the situations he was thrust into. His actions showed that he was more into trusting than testing. Embarrassingly, I admit that my life probably looks more like Jacob than Joseph.
Yes, Joseph for sure.
Oh, I so want to be a Joseph; but I fear I am also a Jacob.
"faith's poster-child" and why?"
If Jacob never married Rachel, then Joseph couldn't be your 'poster boy' Craver. What'd you think? Seems like Rachel was supposed to be Jacob's wife.
My poster child, OT, would be Daniel, and Joseph a close second.
NT, Paul. There's no denying the great faith of these three pillars of the faith.
But, it's the grace of God that receieves all the praise. Even our faith, when strong is from His gracious and loving favor.
I hesitate to say that anyone was "supposed" to be a polygamist; only that God used them despite their transgression. Otherwise the image has shades of double-predestination. Nevertheless, touché, my friend; good point.
And it has been too long since I have done a decent study on Daniel. Perhaps soon, I hope.
Hi. Followed you here from a comment somewhere, I think David McMahon. I am going to add you to my blog roll and come back often.
I think God chose Abraham as his faith poster child. Romans says that there was none with greater faith. Another messed up guy God chose to use despite his failings. Sure glad He sees us through a lens filtered by Christ's blood, and not through our own "righteousness!"
I'd be honored to have you visit miller manor if you'd like.
TM
I did think about him because "Abraham believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness." The failings on his record (ex., lying, sleeping with Hagar and polygamy after Sarah died) were exceptions rather than the rule for him.
Genesis 15:6
Romans 4
Galatians 3
James 2
I like that you brought it back to the blood of Christ; our faith doesn't amount to anything with out that.
Oh, by the way, I would be honored to visit the manor. Thanks for the invitation!
"I hesitate to say that anyone was "supposed" to be a polygamist"
I'd love to kick this around a bit. Didn't the Lord give King David his wives? 2 Sam. 12:8
And the law says a man can have two wives. Deut. 21:15-17
I leaned toward the way you see it Craver, but have had to see it different since I saw these Scriptures.
I could be wrong here, but it seems like God allows for a man to have more than one wife. At least in Israel, and this culture and time.
I agree today, it would be wrong for a man to have more than one wife.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Hope this isn't too much of a rabbit path. If it is, then we can let it go.
More than fair, Don. Nathan's prophetic rebuke in 2nd Samuel 12 could make a person wonder. But without getting too far down this trail, David's natural urges led him to rape and murder. I think God was in effect removing an excuse for those egregious sins by explaining that the man's "needs" had sufficiently been provided for.
My understanding of polygamy is that this is similar in a way to divorce, in that the Lord allowed it in certain cases, but you never see it encouraged from Scripture. I don't know of any passages where God blessed or smiled upon polygamy.
That is my short answer, but I think someone did a better job answering that question here. It's only about one page long, maybe two.
"My understanding of polygamy is that this is similar in a way to divorce,"
I thought that as well. Thanks for the link. I'll check it out Craver thanks again.
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