A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Biblical Terms
by Rolf Jacobson, Karl Jacobson, and Hans Wiersma
Crazy Book is available now!
We think our book is pretty good. But we're biased. So here's what the completely unbiased blurb on amazon.com has to say:
"Very similar in tone and organization to Crazy Talk (A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms), the authors of Crazy Book unleash their passion, faith, and humor. This time they have their sights on the Bible and biblical terms — and they don't hold back. Here they've elected to focus on major people, events, places, books, and types of literature in the Bible, communicating the life-giving truth of the Bible via often knock-em-dead humor. The volume's savvy and sassy overtones are bound to leave an impression. An accessible book, almost devoid of scholarly jargon, but filled with scholarly insight."
Savvy and sassy, it says!
MOSES \mo-zehz\
Status: Moses would, at this point, rather have two tablets of ibuprofen than two tablets of stone.
Profile
Vocation: Deliverer, Law Giver, Wilderness Guide
Favorite Celebrity: Who else? Charlton Heston--Peace be upon him!
Favorite Movies: What else? The Ten Commandments! Prince of Egypt!
Your image of Moses may have been distorted by Cecil B. DeMille's movie, The Ten Commandments. For instance, half of The Ten Commandments is spent depicting Moses' growing-up years. The Bible only spends five verses (Exodus 2:11-15) on those years!!
If you want the skinny on Moses, put the young, strapping, shirtless Charlton Heston out of your mind and read Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Here, Moses is the poster child for the idea that God chooses the least likely persons to do God's work. Moses was wanted for murder in Egypt, so he was hesitant to return there to deliver Israel. But God prevailed and Moses found himself staring down Pharaoh (played by a young, strapping, shirtless Yul Brynner--delete that image, too). Ten plagues later, the Israelites were mucking through the Red Sea.
Most of Exodus deals with Moses' frustrations "leading" Israel around the desert. A favorite exploit is when an aggravated Moses asks to see the face of this God who's been telling him what to do. But beholding God's face would kill a mortal, so God deigns to show Moses the Divine Backside. That's a great story! One (of many) that DeMille left out. Read Exodus yourself and see how God is faithful--even while using the least likely helpers.
Key Verse: "Let my people go!" (Exodus 5:1, see also Exodus-Deuteronomy).
