Adultery Trials

 Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I attempt to read the Bible with fresh eyes, as if I don't know anything about it, and without consulting experts on what it "really" means.. Let's see where this takes us! 

I'm reading Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Numbers 5

Numbers Chapter 5 starts off with some sensible if unfortunate public health requirements to remove those with skin diseases from the camp, "where I [the LORD] dwell among them." This is followed by a call for common-sense, restitution-based justice.

Looking at this from another angle - yesterday's angle - I will see how this applies if this chapter is only about YOU (or ME).

• Just as skin diseases can spread throughout your body or "eat away at you," so can thoughts of bitterness and resentment. Just as lepers must be banished from the camp, so must grievances be banished from your mind.

• When you "steal" from yourself by doing what you know is wrong instead of doing what is right, it takes even more effort (such as 20% more) to get back to where you ought to be, than if you had done right in the first place.

Carrying this to the "adultery trial" where a jealous husband puts his wife before a priest. I haven't read ahead, but I can safely assume that the next chapter won't be about a husband's adultery trial. And, we can say this section reflects a patriarchal, misogynistic bias.

But as I'm writing this, I'm also studying Neville Goddard, and in his book Feeling is the Secret he discusses the metaphysical meaning of the masculine and feminine. We all have both aspects within us, even though biologically and culturally masculinity is associated with males and femininity with females

In short, the masculine is the conscious mind (or "husband" in this chapter) which is active, and the feminine (wife) is the subconscious and passive. The husband thinks, the wife feels. When the husband thinks a good thought, the wife feels good, and the person physically feels better. But when the husband (i.e, your conscious self) stops actively thinking, the wife (your subconscious self) will start "feeling" any random thoughts that do pop up.

When those thoughts are shameful, worrisome, or regretful, the feelings act accordingly and the body begins to feel bad. When the body doesn't feel good, the "husband" will suspect the wife's feelings or emotions have been running wild. Therefore this "wife" must be condemned or marginalized.

Since both the "husband" and "wife" are you, however, you can always begin again with a "new" subconscious that won't drag you down.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support!

(Photo credit: TyshkunVictor)