Things I Didn't Learn in Sunday School -- Part 1

I learned many things about God/Jesus and other Bible stories in my years in Sunday School. I learned that Noah built the ark, Moses parted the Red Sea, David killed Goliath with a slingshot, Jesus walked on water and was crucified, Daniel survived a lion's den and Jonah was eaten by a whale! As I started my own personal study of the Bible I found out there was much more to these stories. I even discovered a few stories I did not know about. Here are 5 interesting facts/stories I found on my own:

1) Genesis 3:6 -- Every one knows the story of Adam & Eve, and how Satan in the form of a serpent tempted Eve to eat of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. But, did you know Adam witness the entire event. At least that what Genesis 3:6 says, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was there with her, and he ate it". Why didn't Adam kill the snake? Why didn't he interfere and take Eve away from the tree? There goes every one's excuse for blaming the ladies for bringing sin into the world. Eve may have taken the first bite, but it seems Adam was just as much to blame for not protecting his wife as a godly man should have done.

2) Genesis 7:17-24 -- Just how long was Noah on the Ark with his family and all those stinky animals? The Sunday school answer I got was 40 days and nights. Not so!!! If you read Genesis 7:17-24 you will find that Noah was on the ark between 150-190 days. It took 40 days to cover the earth with water (v. 17-23) and then the water covered the earth for 150 days (v. 24). Wow! 150 days couped up with a bunch of stinky animals. Way to go Noah!

3) 1 Samuel 17:16, 51 & 57 -- Sure David killed Goliath, but here are a couple of interesting notes I found. We all know that Goliath taunted the Israelite army. He called them "dogs and cowards." But did you know he did this at least 80 times? 1 Samuel 17:16 says, "For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand." For 40 days straight, day and night, Goliath made the Israelite army quake in their shorts. Not one of God's chosen people, not even the King, Saul, stood up the bully who defied the LORD. It took a young man with a sling and a stone to finally prove the true power of our God. After David killed Goliath, David took Goliath's sword and cut off the giant's head. Upon seeing the head of their champion, the Philistines took off running and the Israelites finally engaged their enemy and soundly defeated them. Now here is where it gets funny...(sort of)...King Saul wanted to know who this young man was who defeated the giant. "As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine (Goliath), Abner (King Saul's main assistant), took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head." Not only did David cut off Goliath's head, he apparently toted it around for a while, like a bowling ball, and even took it with him to address the king. Isn't that hilarious?

4) 2 Kings 2:23-25 -- Did you know it might not be a good thing to make fun of a bald man? In 2 Kings 2:23-25, we read a story about the prophet Elisha. As he was traveling to the city Bethel, some kids came out of the town and started to jeer him, calling him, "bald head." Elisha apparently did not take kindly to this show of disrespect to God's prophet, "He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths." That will teach you not to make fun of a bald holy man.

5) Genesis chapter 34 -- Talk about defending your sister's honor. In Genesis chapter 34 we read about the story of Dinah. Dinah was a daughter of Jacob and Leah. Yes, Jacob had a daughter or two other than his, then 11 sons. It seems that there was this fellow named Shechem who seduced Dinah, and they apparently had a little "whoopie" before any marriage vows were exchanged. Needless to say, Jacob was more than a little peeved about the whole "affair." Evidently so were Dinah's 11 brothers. They came up with a plan to get revenge on this man, and his people, for disgracing their sister. They convinced all the males in Shechem's family that they needed to get circumcised, as part of an agreement to let Shechem marry their sister Dinah. Not only did Shechem and his family agree to this procedure, but so did every other male who lived in that city. "Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male." When Jacob found out about this...he scolded them harshly. Their reply to their father, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?"