According to an article in today's "Wall Street Journal," physicists are still struggling to understand the basic proton. In the 1960's, they determined that the proton was made up up three particles they called quarks. Unfortunately for them, the quarks only account for 1.5% of the mass of the proton, 20% to 30% of the proton's spin, and one-third of the proton's magnetism. The physicists have therefore added gluons (to keep the quarks together) and virtual quarks (quarks that pop into and out of existence) to their theory. Yet, these additional particles do not solve the problems in the least. Ultimately, the physicists do not know why the proton is a proton. God is still the God which "doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number" (Job 5:9). If some day they figure out what makes up the proton, they can then begin their search to understand what makes up a quark. [information taken from "Scientists Try to Put Right Spin on Quarks to Understand Matter" in WSJ, May19, 2006]
There are five major offerings described in the Old Testament (Leviticus 1-5): burnt, meat, peace, sin, and trespass. One them, the meat offering, does not use an animal sacrifice. The other four do. However, the offerings differ in whether the animals are to be male or female. Here is how they are specified. The burnt offering is to be a male (Leviticus 1:3, 10). The peace offering can be either male or female (Leviticus 3:1, 6). The sin offering is to be male when offered for "a ruler" of the people (Leviticus 4:22-23) but a female when offered for "one of the common people" (Leviticus 4:27-28). Finally, the trespass offering is to be a female (Leviticus 5:6). The question is why.
Here is a site that has pictures of the Jewish practice of Kapparot. "Kapparot, which is from the same Hebrew root as Yom Kippur and literally means "atonements", is a custom which aims to awaken the drive toward repentance while engaging in charity on the eve of Judaism's central day of prayer. The practice of kapparot using live fowl entails the following: A male or female chicken is taken in hand, corresponding to the gender of the taker or family members on whose behalf they are performing the ritual. Psalm 107:17-20 and Job 33:23-24 are recited and the live bird is swung around the person's head three times. While swinging, the person recites the following three times: 'This be my substitute, my vicarious offering, my atonement. This cock (or hen) shall meet death, but I shall find a long and pleasant life of peace.'"
The Book of Numbers is a great book when looking for devotional material. In chapters 1-10 the people seem to be wholly following the commandments of the Lord. However, chapter 11 is the beginning of woes. The very first phrase is "And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord". In chapter 12, we find the murmuring moving up the ranks into the leadership and infecting Miriam and Aaron as they murmur against Moses. In chapter 13, ten of the twelve spies come back with an evil report concerning the land of promise. In chapter 14, we find the people wanting to make a captain to return to Egypt and then wanting to stone Joshua and Caleb for their report of faith. This chapter includes the decision of the Israelites not to go into the land of promise, and then their decision to go into the land of promise after the Lord told them they could no longer go in. The Israelites decide to go against the commandments of the Lord and try to take the land of Canaan on their own, only to be smitten by the Amalekites and Canaanites.
