THIS...is American Idol

So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes." Gen. 35:2

So we got rid of cable a few months ago. We did not do it for any noble reason, like cutting television out of our lives and focusing on what is important. Nope, we just couldn't afford the $200 monthly cable bill with me in school/studying for the bar exam/not working very much.

It was terrible. It still is terrible! I miss my DVR. We got a digital converter box - like the OLD PEOPLE had to do with the digital conversion! (See how judgmental I am? That was mean. I almost deleted it, too, but it was my honest thought at the time. Literally, the only people I knew at the time that didn't have cable were old people, or hippies. We were neither of those, therefore - I judged.)

So, we spent the end of the Spring television season watching network shows. And it was a difficult change. We would have to always make sure to be home in time to watch a show. We dug out the old VCR to tape shows that were on at the same time. It was like living in the dark ages. But something happened over the course of the last few months. Our house got quieter.

No longer was the television constantly on in the background (that is because there is NOTHING TO WATCH on broadcast t.v.). We got an old Muppet video for Ophelia at Goodwill for her to watch (over and over and over and over again). We turned on the news in the morning instead of music videos. If we missed a show on t.v. because we were out doing something else, we might try to catch it online. But it turns out we weren't as addicted as we thought, and not watching shows is generally preferable to watching them on the computer. The digital antenna didn't like American Idol very much. The picture froze a lot, the sound skipped. So we stopped watching it.

We are still getting used to it. Our lives were still extra busy because I was studying every night. It's only been in the last month, when none of us has had something else to do, that we've been able to appreciate the benefits of not having 200 channels to surf. We rarely turn on the t.v. (except to watch Muppets) before Ophelia goes to bed. And we usually turn it off by 9.

We got rid of one of our idols, those things in our lives that stand between us and God. Our house is cleaner, our food is healthier. I was able to finally see that all that noise, the constant television watching, was getting in the way of my spending time in God's word. So instead of watching a dating show or a cooking show for an hour in the evening, I am trying to spend that hour reading the Bible.

But I still miss cable.

Jacob Have I Loved - even when he's wrong

It is nice to know that even those who had the benefit of literally having a conversation with God still acted like complete idiots a lot of the time. Abraham was told that Sarah would give birth to a child, that he would father many nations, but he still didn't, or couldn't bring himself to, believe God. So Sarah just gives him her servant and says, here, get her pregnant. That's just a horrible idea. And these were people who talked to God all the time!

Then Jacob, taking after his grandfather, did the same thing with both Rachel and Leah's servants. Plus, the whole having four wives thing was not the best. I always remember hearing about all of these people in the Bible, some of God's best, having wives and concubines, and just thinking that it was okay - that's how they did it back then. But reading it now, I realize that it was never okay. Just because these were God's people, that does not mean they did not make mistakes. Huge, glaring mistakes.

It is clear that these amazing people with amazing stories did selfish, foolish things. A lot. Even Joseph was prideful and boastful. His brothers were no picnic, but is it really any surprise they wanted to kill him, and ended up selling him?

On the one hand, it is kind of a bummer. These were the people who walked with God, who talked with God. If they couldn't even live fairly blameless lives, what kind of chance do we have? But on the other, much more important hand, it's great. We are not expected to be perfect. No one is perfect. But we are expected to always turn to God. Despite Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph's mistakes, God kept his promises to them. Somewhere later in the Bible it says God will never leave us, nor forsake us. After reading the first 40 chapters of Genesis, I'd say that's pretty obvious.

The Nephilim

Gen 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

I am not sure how I missed this interesting tidbit in all the previous times I have read Genesis. I need to do some research, purely for my own historical amusement. A quick internet search produces some interesting images and theories. The Nephilim might have been giants, possibly the same that Goliath came from. Some say they were the product of fallen angels procreating with human women. Sounds like something out of Supernatural (the CW show).

Walking with God

So I have read Genesis at least 10 times, but I am picking up on different things this time. Between chapters 5 and 6 the phrase "walked with God" appears three times; twice in reference to Enoch, and once referring to Noah. I'm using my youversion page to "tag" these references. I'd like to know how many times that phrase is used, and in what context. Particularly in these first few chapters of Genesis, it seems like the phrase is literal. I'd like to read some commentary to see if that is the case or not.

14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

I've never really noticed before that God says in Genesis 9:14-15 that whenever a rainbow appears he will remember his covenant. Not Noah, or everyone else. I've always found rainbows to be comforting, reminding me of God's promise. It's nice to know that God is reminded, too. It's kind of like sharing a secret with God.

Through the Bible in 90 Days

I've always wanted to read through the entire Bible. I have probably read most of it in bits and pieces. Everytime I start one of those year long reading plans, though, I get through maybe the first five books and quit. I stumbled upon the youversion site and decided to jump right into the 90 day reading plan. It is a lot of reading, but it will be worth it to get done with the entire Bible in three months.