I've Been Pondering My Reaction to the BKC

I've been pondering my reactions to the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).  Overall I think that it's a great book and I've been getting a lot of insights out of it, but I've been considering some of the things that it seems to be making a point of.

First I guess that I read it with a chip on my shoulder.  When it says things about how the patriarchs take multiple wives, but only because it's the tradition of the people that they're around.  To me that seems to be reading things into the Bible that aren't there, but then I guess that perhaps I might be accused of that as well.

Another thing that really bothers me is they way that the BKC seems to keep harping on the weaknesses of the patriarchs.  However, they are are humans and have human weaknesses, perhaps I should be more willing to see that they are humans and as such are people in need of the Savior, and this shows that the Lord is willing to work with people who might have problems.

Another thing hit me while I was pondering about this.  While I was reading a Rodney Stark book he pointed out that it seems to be a Semitic trait to just point out everything about their heros.  So the Muslims have no problem pointing out that Mohammad was a bandit, and that he massacred Jews, that's just who he was.  The Jews also have no problem pointing out that Rueben and his brothers massacred a city of people for raping their sister, or that Judah needed to be tricked into keeping that family line alive, or on and on.  Especially saying that they're entire nation was a nation of slaves at one point.

Another thing that has really been brought home to me recently is how far the Greek/Christian metaphysical view of God is different from the Jewish view of God.  The Jews tell a story about the Creator that is active and involved in their lives.  The Mormons do as well, and say that it really is true what the Bible says about us being children of a Heavenly Father, created in his image.  That is a wonderful teaching to myself, and it upsets me that others don't understand it, or worse consider it blasphemy.  I guess that I just need to find a way to better explain it to people when it comes up.

I'm excited to be getting to other parts of the Bible with this book.  It's going to be a long project, and I'm sure that I'm going to find many many new ideas.