Read the Bible with Me!

Welcome to the Pauline Family's "Year of the Bible"! I'm reading the Bible clear through this year, and I invite you to read along with me. But first, let us pray: 

I praise you, my God, with all people.
May they thank and adore you!
You have written your greatness in creation,
your Law in consciences,
your eternal promises in the Bible.
You are eternally faithful and always lovable!
As I read Sacred Scripture today, open my mind to hear your voice and understand your loving message.
Amen.

The first reading for Mass today goes exceptionally well with what we are reading right now... 

Today's chapters are Numbers 23-25.

It must be a perennial temptation to think that the true God can't (or won't) use the wrong people, or even his own enemies, to speak his word or do his work. The sacred writer teases us on just this point with the story of Balaam, who was hired to curse the descendants of Jacob. Every time Balaam attempts to do his job, blessings pour out of his mouth. (For the ancient people, the spoken word had power to do what it signified: what was said was done.) We even heard Balaam's prophecy in the first reading at Mass on Monday of the Third Week of Advent.

Unfortunately, Balaam did find a way to ensnare the people, but without using the spoken word. In Revelation 2:14 we read the reproach to the Church of Pergamum, "You have some people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the Israelites: to eat food sacrificed to idols and to play the harlot." A trap was set by which the people would destroy themselves: twin temptations of idolatry and sexual immorality (the two were usually practiced together in the ancient world anyway). 

Here we encounter a very harsh justice. Reading the account from the standpoint of the New Testament, we might begin to grasp how truly dreadful the sinful condition of the people was in this replaying of the Golden Calf episode; we might also see how long and difficult a preparation was needed before the fullness of time had come for the Lord to walk among his people in person to take all human judgment upon himself.

Start reading here.

If you are looking for a solid but approachable companion to the Bible, I can wholeheartedly recommend A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament by Brant Pitre and John Bergsma. Although the authors are top-level Scripture scholars, they write for "real" readers. Notes include recent findings from archaeology and ancient manuscripts.