Kelsey Myers

The Hebrew Scriptures

Journal Entry 1

10-14-16

I have read these texts and heard about them all my life. I was raised in a

Christian household, and I began my relationship with Christ around the age of 10. I am

very familiar with these scriptures. This class has given me a new understanding of

these scriptures.

When we talked about that first set of readings of Genesis 1-3, I began to see

connections that I had not before. We made the connection between the different days

of creation. We talked about how on day one, God created light, and on day four, God

created the heavenly bodies. On day 2, God created the sky, and on day five, he

created aquatic animals and birds. Then, on day 3 he created land and plants, while on

day six, he created land animals and human beings. There was a sense of coherence to

how he created the universe. Another thing we talked about was the that he said, “...

and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1: 10 NASB) every day after everything he

created except once. In Genesis 1:31, after he had created man, he said it was very

good.

This class has made me think about the scriptures in a new way. Before, I only

looked at them as the words of God. Now I look at it with understanding that there is

more to it than that. That the words have more than one meaning. I can look at them

now and dig deeper than just what the words mean in English. I can look at what they
mean in their original text to gain understanding as to what it would have meant to the

people writing it.

This class has given me a better understand of my faith and supports my view of

God and the world. It has given me a new understanding for the text. It supports what I

know and believe. Some of the things that have been said in class have made me think

about what I believe, but it is a new point of view and I love to hear about what someone

else sees reading the same text. Some points of view are similar to my own, and others

are very different. I think that overall this way of looking at the text has been very

beneficial to me not only in an academic way but also in a personal way.

Kelsey Myers

The Hebrew Scriptures

Journal Entry 2

December 2, 2016

The story of David and Goliath is another story from the bible that I heard all the

time growing up. There was so much more to David than just that one fight. He was a

great king. Many people think that David’s story begins when he kills Goliath. It actually

starts while he is tending to sheep.

God led the prophet Samuel to a man named Jesse when he was looking for the

next ruler of Israel. “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on

the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as

mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’”

(NRSV 1 Samuel 16:7) Samuel asked Jesse to send for his youngest, who was tending

to the sheep, after he had seen all of Jesse’s older sons. David wasn’t physically

impressive like his older brothers, but God told Samuel to anoint him. Samuel pours oil

over David’s head, which meant he was designated by God to be next in line for king.

God didn’t judge David on his appearance, but he saw his heart. David relies on his

heart and his connection with God to lead him through most of his life.

When the Philistines and the Jewish people were fighting, the Philistines sent

Goliath to fight, but the Jewish troops did not have a champion to send to fight against

Goliath. David was sent by Jesse to bring food to the battlefield for his brothers. David

went to Saul and told him how God saved him when he killed a lion and a bear, and he
would protect him when he fought Goliath. Saul gave David his armor, but he refused.

He grabbed stones and his slingshot, killed Goliath with one stone, and cut his head off.

David showed no fear because he knew that God was with him and would protect him.

This shows his courage, his connection with God, and that God had great plans for him.

During his reign as king, David conquered the city of Jerusalem. “So David and

all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound

of the trumpet.” (NRSV 2 Samuel 6:15) David had such a connection with God and did

not praise himself. Even though David was the one who brought the Ark of the

Covenant to Jerusalem, God did not allow David to build the temple. God gave David

the knowledge that his son will build it. God communicated with David often.

The only time that David goes against God’s plan is when he murders one of his

generals, Uriah, because he gets Uriah’s wife pregnant. This is the only time in David’s

life that he sins against God. However, David takes responsibility for his actions. He

realizes that the death of his child, Absalom, is punishment for his disobedience, and

God gives him another son, Solomon. Even though God punished David for sinning, he

was forgiven and continued to be favored by God.