Dear Ozair,

My name is Claudine. A long time ago (3½ years!) Scott Cherry shared with me some of his fascinating correspondence with you about a few passages in the Old Testament books of Moses (and the Qur'an) that were stimulating intense discussion. Well, way back then I wrote this letter for you but Scott chose not to post it until now, especially focused on Deuteronomy 22:28-29.[1]

I understand your difficulty with those bible passages because like many, I share in some of your thoughts. I thought that you may like to hear from a Christian woman on the issue of what seemed to you as rape and pedophilia in the Old Testament.

Nothing can be understood if we don’t understand the beginning: In the beginning...God’s creation was perfect, but a big problem happened: Man disobeyed God. Man decided to listen and trust another voice than that of his creator even though God had warned him it would lead to death. Every other problem humanity has ever experienced stems from that.

Exodus 20:1-21

The thunder and lightning, sound of the trumpet, smoke and earthquake on the mountain was God’s way of presenting himself to Israel. If there ever was a theophany, this was it! God has shown up and manifested himself to human beings.

Exodus 19:16-25   

The storm was predicted three days in advance. The early springlike weather made me skeptical that any big deal would materialize. Then it happened. A lightning bolt pierced the darkness of the night. It was followed by the loudest crash of thunder I had ever heard. In fact, it was so powerful that the neighbor’s car alarm went off. Then my security alarm went off. Sounds intensified from the car and the house. Lights flashed orange on the inside security panel. The security company sent a text message and a follow up phone call. Are you okay? When I managed to remember the passcode that was to signal that I was safe from all harm, the caller told me to have a good night and stay safe. (Total transparency: my wife was the brave one who went downstairs to make sure that no burglar had broken in and to shut off that loud, flashing warning system! We would live without that alarm system until the storm passed!)

Exodus 18:1-27

Edith Schaeffer’s What is a Family? is a classic presentation of the meaning of family. In her first chapter she describes a family as “the most versatile, ever-changing mobile that exists”. “It is a moving, changing collection of objects constantly in motion, yet within the framework of a form.” (p. 18)  Moses too was part of an ever-changing family mobile. We are not told all the details, but we can at least reflect on some of the dynamics.

Exodus 17:8-16

Do you remember your first battle? Who picked the fight? Who threw the first punch? Who won? After I was involved in an incident which included an unfortunate racial comment and response, I had to put up or shut up. So, we met outside of the school building after school and went at it. It was shortly after that seventh-grade tussle that I was introduced to wrestling in Phys Ed. That became a much more positive outlet for me, and lasted for more than ten years.