Matthew 11 - 13

Parables

NOTE: The following section is provided by Pastor Mark Strohkorb, a personal and good friend of mine and a brother in Christ.  I was not satisfied with my commentary on this portion and the Lord graciously directed Mark to my blog and compelled him to send me an explanation for the parable of the leaven that I think is much more edifying and, more importantly, scripturally correct than the traditional interpretation.

"My own sense is that the use of leaven, is in this instance does not represent sin. I believe it represents the way we take the Word and hide it in our hearts (three measures of meal = man as three part being; body, spirit, soul). Woman represents the church. We take the Word into our hearts through the agency of the church (Rom.10:14). And just as leaven causes the bread to rise, doing its work unseen, inside, in the darkness --- so the Word mysteriously goes to work from the inside out; soul, spirit, and body, giving 'life' to the bread which becomes food for others once it matures (i.e., rises). The 'rising' in this case is not the puffing up of pride, but the growth (often hidden in one's life) until it becomes apparent that God is 'rewarding' openly the secret work He has been accomplishing by His Spirit (Mt.6:4,6,18).

"Though leaven was a type of sin throughout the Old Testament, remember there was leaven in the wave offering at Pentecost. This is a beautiful type of the Church. There were two loaves used (vs. one at Passover). Two here simply represents plurality. Whereas there is no leaven at the Passover meal and only one loaf (Hear O Israel, the Lord Thy God, the Lord is One), at Pentecost (representing the birth of the Church) both loaves are baked WITH leaven. Obviously this demonstrates that there is NO sin in our Lord Jesus Christ, while there IS in His church. Note, however that the offering itself still pertained to Christ.

"It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to declare that the Kingdom of Heaven is 'like unto leaven,' if leaven is sin. So the Kingdom of heaven (in this model) is like sin which the woman (the church) intentionally fills the church with in order to spread that sin thoroughly throughout. Just doesn't work for me. I believe the sin model works perfectly for the previous parable. A grain of mustard seed (smallest of all seeds; e.g., "for who hath despised the day of small things..." -- Zech 4:10) becomes so great (large; accommodating) that even the birds (evil spirits, cf., Mt 13:4,19) nest in its branches. I can see evil nesting inadvertently among the righteous. But I can't see evil as the intent of the Church, sown throughout."

Amen Mark, Amen!!! And thank you!


NOTE: The following is my original post:
Today's reading contains several notable subjects.  First, I think it remarkable that after Jesus blessed and commissioned His disciples in chapter 10, the first verse of chapter 11 states that he immediately went and did what He instructed them to do.  Matthew 11:1 states, "When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region."  Once again, the Lord not only teaches but demonstrates exactly what He wants done.

In chapter 13, the third major discourse in Matthew is presented. To review, the first discourse was to the people who attended synagogue and the second was to His disciples. The third sermon is to those who are following him. This discourse also begins Jesus' parabolic ministry.  This type of teaching required the listener to have a spiritual ear and understanding. He explains to His disciples why he teaches in parables, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables."

He presents seven "Kingdom of Heaven" parables. The first three are related to grain/seed: the sower; the wheat and tares (weeds); the mustard seed. The fourth deals with leaven (yeast) as an evil influence. The fifth and sixth deal with hidden treasure and treasure (pearl) to be gained at any price. The seventh is the net that brings in all types of fish.

All of these have a meaning. In the first parable where the seed lands when sown determines whether is thrives or dies. We need to provide the correct environment of the Word of God to grow in us.  The second is indicative of the evil influences (the tares) the devil places around us. From this we learn to rest in Christ and not be influenced by evil. The third parable - the mustard seed - is symbolic of the speed with which the Gospel of Jesus Christ grew and took root.  The fourth parable - the leaven (yeast) parallels the Old testament references to leaven as evil and pervasive.

The fifth parable - the hidden treasure - is representative of Israel, who Christ found and paid everything for. The sixth parable - the pearl of great price - represents the Church.  The pearl is a symbol of unity and comes at the price of God's Son, Jesus. The final Kingdom parable is the parable of the net. This represent the preaching of the Gospel which brings in all types, but through time, those who do not believe are cast out.

At the end of chapter 13, there is a final parable. This is not a Kingdom parable but speaks about those who convert from the Law to Grace. They are then able to go to their storehouse for gems of truth, i.e. the Word of God.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Matthew 6 - 10

Where Is Your Treasure?

Note: I noticed that the spreadsheet had 7 - 10 instead of 6 -10. The mistake has been corrected.

The Lord Jesus continues, in chapters 6 and 7, the sermon He began in chapter 5. This sermon is to the Jews who follow the Law and continues to address how His ministry is a fulfillment and amplification of the Law.

Verse 6:1 sets the tone for this part of the sermon, "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly." This is a radical departure from the self-righteous Pharisees - showing off how holy they were, demonstrating their strict adherence to the Law.  The same thing is repeated in 6:16 "...don't make it obvious when you fast."  This new commandment (really a new attitude towards the extant commandments) places the glory back on God and takes it from the self-righteous hypocritical spiritual leaders of that day.  The parallels with modern celebrity and Hollywood cannot be overlooked, as evidenced by their recent self-promoting activities in Haiti and, earlier, in New Orleans. Perhaps there is a sincere desire to help, but this desire is equally matched or surpassed by the glory and notice they wickedly desire.

The Lord continues to teach and begins to make clear that man has a choice: serve evil or serve God.  Verse 6:21 states, "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." and 24, "No one can serve two masters." So in this initial teaching, Jesus begins to distance Himself from the rigorous attention to details of the Law and establishes that one's attitude towards God is extremely important.  In verse 33 He states, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." He did not state to obey every law to the letter, rather they were to seek Him.

In chapter 7, verse 1, Jesus continues attacking the self-righteous spirit prevalent in the worship of that day by saying, "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged." This is not a call to compromise or ignore sin, but a call to mercy.  It asks the believer to realize that all people are sinners and to be concerned with your own faults instead of everyone else's. So provocative and fresh was Jesus' preaching that in 7:28 at the end of His sermon the Bible states that the people "were amazed at his teaching."

Jesus demonstrates His great healing power in chapter 8.  I think it is remarkable in verse 4 that Jesus follows His own teaching telling the leper, "Don't tell anyone about this [the healing]." And in comparison to the people's amazement at His teaching, Jesus is amazed at the faith of the centurion. (8:10).  Jesus even heals Peter's mother-in-law, which means that Peter was married (not sure what Catholics do with this).

Chapter 10 contains the second of five discourses by Jesus in Matthew.  While His first sermon was to the Jewish people, His second sermon is to His disciples. They are sent specifically to the Jews, in fact He forbids them to go to the Gentiles or Samaritans (10:5).  The commission He gives them is essentially to do the same things He has been doing: announce the Kingdom of Heaven, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Unlike the televangelists of today, Jesus told His disciples to NOT accept money (10:9).  He puts their ministry on an equal plane with His stating in 10:40, "Anyone who receives you receives me..."

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Matthew 1 - 5

The Messiah

Note: Today our Bible reading takes a dramatic change from the Old Testament to the New Testament, from the giving of the Law by the Lord through his prophet, Moses to the fulfilling of the Law by the Lord through His son, Jesus. Just like in the Old Testament where we read the first 5 books, in this phase we read the first 5 books of the New Testament.

Matthew's Gospel is the Gospel to the Jews. Jesus is presented as the Messiah and King. The first verse of chapter one establishes His lineage back to Abraham through David. The succeeding 15 verses traces His ancestry from Abraham, the father of faith, to Jesus, the fulfillment of that faith.  Everything about His birth is spiritual and heaven inspired. An angel comes to Joseph three times - to provide an explanation of His birth; to protect Jesus after He is born; to return Jesus to Israel to fulfill His prophetic purpose.

Matthew's Gospel is also the only Gospel to tell of the wise men. Tradition says there were three wise men, but the Bible only states that wise men brought three gifts and does not specify the number of men. The gifts symbolize His purity - gold, His sweetness - frankincense, and His suffering - myrrh. The wise men state that they saw "his" star (2:2) and came to worship Him. These were men from the East, perhaps Persia, that had knowledge of the Jews, perhaps the descendants of those with whom Daniel dwelt in captivity.  Suffice it to say, they were more perceptive to the royalty of Jesus Christ than the secular rulers, Herod and the Romans, and the Jewish spiritual leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees.

After being baptized by John the Baptist (3:15), Jesus went to the wilderness for forty days. There the scripture relates three distinct temptations by the Devil (4:3, 5, 8) that tempted him physically, mentally, and spiritually. Jesus overcame all these temptations by using the Word of God, quoting scriptures from Deuteronomy each time (your Bible should have the references). This sets a excellent example for the believer in overcoming tests and temptations from Satan - we must use the Word of God and allow His spirit to strengthen us.

After the temptation, the Lord returns and settles in Capernaum to begin His public ministry. It is not a coincidence that Jesus' initial message is verbatim identical to the message of John the Baptist, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." (4:17 and 3:2). This establishes Jesus' ministry and confirms John's.

Chapter 5 provides the first of five lengthy discourses by Jesus in Matthew, and is commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon is in great contrast to the strident discourses in the Numbers and Deuteronomy. Jesus speaks of blessings to the poor, the mournful, the humble, the meek, the merciful, those who are persecuted.  No mention is made of the quid pro quo so often cited in the Old Testament Law, i.e. obey and be blessed, disobey and be cursed.

However, in 5:17, Jesus makes it clear that the Law is of supreme importance stating, "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose." He did not abolish the Law, He amplified it. Murder is no longer physically killing a person, murder now is talking evil of a person (5:21-22). Adultery is no longer a physical act, it is lust in the heart (5:27-28). Vows, revenge, marriage, divorce, enemies - all of these subjects are amplified by the teachings of Jesus.

Chapter 5, in the last verse, 48, Jesus sets the expectation He has for those who follow Him, "You are to be perfect, even as your Father is heaven is perfect."  The word "perfect" is the Greek word telios - meaning complete and mature. This declaration tells me two things. Jesus want nothing less for us than the holiness of God and because He expects this, He has to have prepared a way for the perfection to occur.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Deuteronomy 32 - 34

The Song Of Moses
What Do You Call the Lord?
Note: Today completes the reading of the Pentateuch/Torah and ends our Old Testament reading for the next seven weeks.
Chapter 32 contains some of the most beautiful scripture in the Torah, in my opinion. In this song to the people of Israel, Moses bares his soul before all of heaven and earth and sets the stage for the blessings of the tribes in chapter 33.

Much could be written about the Song of Moses, but there is one theme in the song that has always impressed me. Moses refers to the Lord as "the Rock" five times in the song.  Each of these references highlights a special attribute of God and His relationship with Israel.  Why does Moses choose this particular appellation? The Rock?

I think this is tied to his experience at Meribah in the wilderness of Zin as described in Numbers 20:12 (see my commentary on this for a full description).  Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock. This proved to be a defining moment in Moses' life and in His relationship with God.  This one act of disobedience cost him the privilege of leading the people into the Promised Land - something he begged the Lord to allow (see Deuteronomy 3:25-26 and my previous commentary) but was denied. In fact, he refers to his preclusion from crossing over up until his death.

So, once again, why this appellation? To me, it defines the greatness and the humility of Moses. Moses was the greatest prophet Israel ever had (34:10) yet, in all his greatness, he committed an act of unbelief and was willing to accept the consequences no matter how personally disappointing it was.  He should have spoken to the rock and obeyed the Rock, yet he did not.  Thus, in this song, he honors the greatness and strength of the Lord by employing the metaphorical name, Rock.

There are five references to this name:

1. Verse 4 - He is the perfect Rock. Every decision, every judgement is perfect in all aspects.
2. Verse 15 - He is the Rock of salvation. He saved Israel from their enemies and themselves.
3. Verse 18 - He is the Father Rock. The Lord is the progenitor of Israel, their very source of existence.
4. Verse 30 - He is the protective Rock. He is their hiding place, the deflection of the enemies weapons.
5. Verse 31 - Hes is the unique Rock. The defining attribute of Israel's God. His Oneness. He is the only true God.

After reading Moses' experience, one has to ask oneself, "What name does my experience give the Lord?" 

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Deuteronomy 26 - 31

The Promise of Blessings or Curses
Today's reading is one of the longest so far (partly because of my error in the spreadsheet), however it's theme is  simple: Obey and be blessed; Disobey and be cursed.

Chapter 26 ends up the previous section reiterating the laws concerning the sacrifice of the first fruits of the harvest, one of the first things the people are to do when crossing into the Promised Land.  Chapter 27, begins the section on blessing and curses. In 27:12-13 Moses divides the tribes into two groups - one group is to recite blessings and one group is to recite curses. Then in verses 15 to 26 he has the curses read first.  The people have to say "Amen" after each curse is pronounced.  The curses deal with idolatry, theft, injustice, sexual immorality and deviancy, attacks and murder, and disobedience to the Law in general.

Chapter 28 - one of the longest chapters in Deuteronomy - begins with blessings for obedience. Every aspect of the people's lives will be blessed: their dwelling, their crops, their children, their flocks and herds, their food, indeed everything they do and everywhere they go will be blessed!.  They are promised decisive victory over their enemies, prosperity, health, riches, and a blessed existence.  Unlike the curses, the blessings are dealt with in a converse manner in 28:16-19.  This indicates that obedience and disobedience are not mutually exclusive opposites. If a person is not disobedient, that does not mean he is obedient, but if a person is not obedient, then they are disobedient.  In other words, the Law required full and unequivocal obedience, anything less was disobedience. The converse blessings are a direct reversal of the blessings given at the beginning of the chapter.

The rest of chapter 28 articulates all the diverse ways Israel will be cursed for their disobedience.  If the intent was to engender reverential fear in the listeners, then the wording is highly effective.  No sane person would want to endure the punishments described in this chapter. Disobedience will lead to starvation to the point that fathers will cannibalize their own children and mothers will consume the afterbirth of newborns. The curses are written in withering, inescapable, fatalistic terms and describe an existential nightmare that never ends.

The end of Chapter 30 contains a heart-wrenching plea from Moses to the people.  He makes it crystal clear that the blessings of God are attainable in verse 11, "This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and is not beyond your reach."  He explains in the next verses that no special effort is required, it is not just a spiritual command (v. 12) or one faraway (v. 13) but "the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so you can obey it." (v.14).  In others words, the power lies in their confession (lips) and faith (heart). Verse 19 states the tremendous choice that lies before them: life or death, "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!"

This is the same choice God has always given mankind.  In the Garden, Adam and Eve could choose the Tree of Life and live, or the Tree of Knowledge and die. Cain could choose to offer a correct sacrifice, but chose death instead.  Esau could choose to keep the birthright, but he sold it for a bowl of uncooked lentils. The children of Israel could choose to enter the Promised Land at Kadesh-Barnea, but instead chose to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until all of the unbelievers died.  And today a person can choose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and live or reject His sacrifice at Calvary and die.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Deuteronomy 22 - 25

Laws Concerning Everything
Some subjects of the Law are spelled out in exquisite detail. For example, construction of the Tabernacle and all the implements and holy objects.  The Law concerning sacrifices goes on for many pages and are reiterated throughout Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Then there is today's reading. The subject matter is as large as it is diverse.

The diversity of laws happens from verse to verse.  In 22:4 the people are instructed about what to do if they see their neighbor's donkey in the road.  22:5 discusses the abomination of cross-dressing by men and women.  22:6 discusses bird's nests.  22:7 discusses adding a railing to a roof to prevent accidental death and liability.  22:9-10 discusses farming issues.  22:11-12 discusses clothing .  It is incredible with seemingly no logical progression.

All of the chapters in today's reading are similar. Some stick to a subject (e.g. sexual purity in 22:13-30) for many verses, others jump around like the beginning verses of 22.  What is remarkable is how sensible most of these "miscellaneous" laws are.  Even modern society would do well to follow the precepts laid out in these chapters.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

NOTE - SPREADSHEET WAS UPDATED!!!

ALL,

I realized yesterday that I had an error in the Linear Blended Spreadsheet.  I have corrected the error and posted the correct version to google docs.  The link will take you to the corrected spreadsheet. 

The net result of the correction is we begin our reading of Matthew on Friday instead of Wednesday this week.  By Sunday the spreadsheet is back to its original plan.

Thanks,

Dale

Deuteronomy 19 - 21

Trees
In today's reading, Moses reiterates the laws concerning cities of refuge, crime investigation, war regulations, unsolved murders, marriage, firstborns, rebellious sons, and other legal matters.  What is interesting is that all three chapters mention trees: 19:5, 20:19-20, and 21:22-23.

Trees are important in the Bible, full of symbolism, and representative of nations (the olive tree and fig tree type Israel), sources - the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge in the garden of Eden,  and men as in Psalms 1:3 where a righteous men are likened to a trees planted by rivers.  Trees were used to construct Noah's ark.  Aaron's rod was from a tree.  Jesus cursed a tree that gave no fruit when He wanted it. Trees were used to burn the sacrifices. Clearly trees perform a major role in the scripture.

Returning back to our reading we find that these three references to trees form a common thread through this portion of Deuteronomy in that all are related to death.  In the first usage, a tree is being cut by an ax blade that mistakenly detaches from the handle and kills a person.  The death is an accident bearing no malicious forethought by the person responsible for the death. This is where the cities of refuge come into effect allowing  safe havens for the killer from those who would avenge their slain brother. In this example, the tree is indirectly connected to the death of a person in an accident who does not deserve to die.

In the second usage, trees are provided a place in the regulations of war. When a battle lingers on for a long time, the Israelite warriors are forbidden to chop down fruit trees in enemy territory. They may partake of the fruit and they may chop down non-fruit trees to provide for tools, weapons, etc. for the war effort. But, they must not denude the land of its trees. In this example, the tree is indirectly connected to the death of a person in war, who may or may not deserve to die but is a casualty.

The final usage directly connects the tree to the criminal, someone clearly deserving of death.  If a person is hung on a tree to die for a capital offense, they must not be allowed to remain there overnight and must be buried immediately. This is the scripture that relates to Jesus on the cross who though He did not deserve to die, took upon Himself the sins of the world, which did cause Him to deserve death. The Bible states, "For anyone who is hung on  a tree is cursed in the sight of God."  Jesus became the curse for our sins and died in our place that we may live through Him.

In the first usage, trees are being chopped down symbolic of the man chopped down by the errant blade.  In the second usage certain trees cannot be chopped down and other may.  Just like in war, some men are killed and some are not - to me the metaphor is unmistakable. In the third usage the tree is used to kill the guilty person and that person must be removed, i.e. chopped down.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Deuteronomy 16 - 18

Kings ... And A True Prophet Is Promised
Note: Today we start week 8 in the spreadsheet.

Today's reading provides a prophetic instruction that will not be followed and a prophecy that has been fulfilled.

Nothing catches God by surprise. He is omniscient. In 17:14-17, instructions for appointing a king and for kingly behavior are presented.  Although Israel had not possessed the Promise Land or even crossed into it, the Lord presages this inevitability by providing clear criteria for selecting a king: He must be a "he;" He must be someone the Lord chooses (accepts); He must be an Israelite (no foreigners) (vs 15).

The rest of the instructions are for the king himself:

1. He cannot build up a large stable of horses for himself only. (vs 16)
2. He must not take horses from Egypt. (vs 16)
3. He must not take many wives. (vs 17)
4. He must not accumulate large amounts of wealth.  (vs 17)
5. He must copy these instructions on a scroll himself. (vs 18)
6. He must keep the copy with him. (vs 19)
7. He must read the instructions daily (vs 19)

I could find no instance in Scripture where any of Israel's kings followed instructions 5, 6, and 7. They may have, but I could find no record of it.  We know that David and Saul disobeyed the instructions concerning "many wives."  (If you know of a scripture showing obedience by one of the kings of Israel to these instructions please comment on this post or email me.)


In 18:15, a prophecy is made which is fulfilled, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites.  You must listen to him."  The prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus, however the admonition to "listen to him" was rejected by the Jews at His first coming, but will be obeyed and fulfilled when He returns to them and reveals Himself after His second coming.  Lord, come quickly.

Deuteronomy 13 -15 (part 2)

The Awl In The Ear
The Hebrews were permitted to keep slaves - through capture in war and through voluntary servitude.  The slaves were to be treated humanely and with dignity and were not to be taken advantage of. If a fellow Hebrew sold themselves into slavery (or voluntary servitude) they were only bound to the agreement for six years (15:12).  In the seventh year the servant had to be set free (15:12).

I found the concept of voluntary servitude somewhat in contradiction with 15:4, "There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession." So, if there were to be "no poor" what was the need for a Hebrew to sell himself into slavery?  Verse 5 provides a partial answer, "You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the Lord."  So, if a Hebrew was disobedient to the point of financial indigence, then slavery was an option - but this still seems drastic to me.

When a slave was released they had to be provided with food, wine, and some animals from the flocks. The opportunity presented is overwhelming.  However, if a slave were to make the fateful decision to remain a slave, then he/she volunteered for a life sentence of slavery. This was confirmed by a hole in the earlobe - an awl was used to punched through the earlobe into a door.

The symbolism for the Christian of this entire scenario is telling.  The Hebrews represents the community of believers.  As believers we are to be living in the bountiful blessings of God. There should be no "poor in spirit" among us, provide we are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Like the Hebrews, some will backslide and disobey God's word and fall into slavery to sin for a season.  The Lord permits this to get a son/daughter of His to pay attention to Him.

Jesus, through the Holy Spirit offers a way of escape by accepting His sacrifice on Calvary and applying the blood to our life.  But, if a person is so enamored of sin and the sinful lifestyle that they consciously refuse to repent and turn their life towards Him, they volunteer for a life of slavery to sin.  This calls to mind Hebrews 6:4, "For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened-those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit." To reject the Holy Spirit and remain a slave to sin is the most pathetic condition one can experience.

Notice that once freedom was rejected, an awl was used to bore a hole in the ear lobe.  Once a person rejects Christianity, a hole is bored in their spiritual ear, i.e. they are unable to hear the Word of God and are forever enslaved to sin.  Lord help us to see and accept Your Way.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Deuteronomy 13 - 15 (part 1)

Do Not Be Led Astray
Chapter 13 is essentially a three part iteration of the same warning: "Do not let others lead you into worship of other Gods."  The progression of the types of individuals is interesting.  First prophets/dreamers/miracle workers are mentioned (vs 1).  The prophecies, dreams, miracles, signs, and wonders are not the issue.  If one of these prophets say, "Come let us worship other gods" (vs 2), they must be totally rejected.  They must be immediately killed.

Next "someone" is mentioned. The someone could be a brother, son, daughter, wife, or close friend (vs 6).  If the someone says, "Let us go worship other gods" (vs 6), they must be put to death (vs 9) and the Bible commands, "Strike the first blow!"  This seems (and is) extremely harsh, showing no mercy.

Third, when the people have crossed over to the Promised Land and "are living in the towns the Lord" gives them (vs 12), "scoundrels" (another translation is "children of Belial") may say, "Let us go worship other gods" then not only is the scoundrel to be put to death, and all the inhabitants put to death, but the entire town and all of its contents are to be destroyed by fire and never rebuilt (vss 15 -17). Once again the ferocity of the judgement is harsh beyond imagination.

The harshness and unmerciful tone of this chapter is alarming.  It shows the absolute seriousness the Lord placed on worship to Him alone.  He cannot abide and will not stand for any other worship by His chosen people.  In fact in verse 14 the Bible states, "The Lord your God will be merciful only if you listen to his voice and keep all his commands that I am giving you today, doing what pleases him."  So to receive mercy the people must show no mercy to those who would lead them astray.

The entire gamut of spiritual believers are covered: Holy men (spiritual leaders), those closest to you (peers), and those who are professed believers in other gods (sinners).  This shows to me that one's position is not the deciding factor in who receives judgement or mercy. It is strictly based on whether or not they turn people away from true worship in the one true God.

The lessons for Christians in this are many.  Obviously, it would be incorrect for a Christian to stone someone who attempted to cause them to stray from the faith.  We do not live under the law with judgment rather we love under grace with mercy.  However, in a spiritual sense we are to destroy any spirit or influence or attitude in our life that leads us away from serving the Lord.  We must utterly destroy it and the conditions that give it spiritual life.

To entertain evil spirits is to invite the judgement of God and to accept spiritual death. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell where sin resides. Therefore we must guard our lives with prayer and circumspection. Witnessing to sinners about the saving power of Jesus Christ, and living a life where Jesus is on display is what is needed. However, fellowshipping with sinners in sinful pursuits, compromising the values and grace of God for the sake of natural friendship, and entertaining the idea that there is "salvation merit" in other belief systems contrary to Christianity is not acceptable in God's eyes and has to be shunned and eliminated.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Deuteronomy 10 - 12

Where He Chooses
Today's portion contains an admonition from God in chapter 12 that is repeated four times (vss 5, 14, 18, and 16) "Worship in the place he chooses."  This concept is critical to understanding worship of the one True God.

In chapter 10, Moses recounts the rewriting of the Ten Commandments in stone and the placement of them into the Ark. He reminds the people that he (Moses) interceded on their behalf with the Lord to prevent them from being destroyed in spite of their wickedness and stubbornness. In Chapter 11, the choice between the blessings of God and the curses of God is spelled out in clear terms.  If the people obey the Lord's commandments they will be blessed, if they rebel and are wicked and disobedient, then the curse reserved for their enemies will be visited upon them (11:26-28).  These chapters set the stage for what Moses presents in chapter 12.

Like the children of Israel, we are not free to define our worship to God.  This seems counter-intuitive, and it is obvious that the Lord enjoys worship freely given from a true heart.  But for Israel, their worship had to be done in a place the Lord chose, i.e. the Tabernacle in the wilderness and, eventually, the Temple in the Promised Land.  The people were strictly forbidden to worship like the unbelievers they drove out of the land.  They had to worship where the Lord chose for them.

The same is true for us.  As Christians our worship is not defined by geography.  There are no "holy places" for Christians.  Once Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Law by His sacrifice on Calvary, the need to worship in a specific place ceased to exist.  However, the Lord still defines where we must worship Him.  We must worship the Lord in the Holy Spirit! Our worship must come from a life surrendered to Him.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Deuteronomy 7 - 9

Destroy Them All
Today's portion has a rather ominous message when considered by today's standards.  In  7:2 the Bible states the following: "When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy." Within the context of when and why this was said, there is, to me, no conflict with this statement.

There are three steps in this process:
1. Deliver
2. Conquer
3. Destroy

The Lord promises those preparing to cross over to the Promise Land that he will deliver the inhabitants of the land to them (7:1) and enumerates the seven nations presently occupying the land.  The land is the promise, the occupiers are what needs to be overcome.  The Lord has promised that they will be delivered (or handed) to them, i.e. God sets the stage.  Then the people must act on the promise. They must conquer the occupiers. Once conquered the people must not allow them any opportunity to return - they must be destroyed without mercy.

The Lord adds some things that the Israelites are to consider: No mercy, no treaties (vs 2); no intermarriage (vs 3); break down their altars (vs 5); do not worship their gods (vs16); do not fear them (vs 18). These are the areas of temptation where the Israelites might succumb to their own way of thinking and not obey the Lord's commandments.

The same is true in a Christian's life. The Lord has delivered to us His promises and blessings, but we must be willing to conquer the influences of the Devil to obtain these promises. We must be willing to completely destroy sin in our lives.  How do we obtain the power to overcome?  We don't within ourselves, our own ability!!! We have to die daily. We have to take up "our cross" and allow His Spirit to dwell in us.  We must rest in His promises and rely on His strength to overcome.  Paul wrote that in his weakness he was strong (in the Lord) but in his strength, he was weak (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In our reading today in 8:11, the Lord warns, "But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands." When things are going well, we must guard against a lax attitude towards the things of God.  This is the condition that Satan is looking for and finds easiest to exploit.  So as we accept, conquer, and destroy we must also thank God and be vigilant.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Deuteronomy 4 - 6

Listen Israel
Chapter 4 begins with "And now, Israel, listen carefully...", chapter 5 "Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, 'Listen carefully, Israel'...", in 6:3, "Listen closely..." and 6:4, "Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone." This verse is commonly referred to as the Shema, considered by the Rabbis to be the fundamental statement of the Jewish faith.  Jesus commented on this scripture in Matt 22:24-29; Mark 12:28-31; and Luke 10:25-28. It establishes the Oneness of the Godhead - The KJV (and other translations) state, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." Israel must hear these words of Moses!

So vital are these final words, so critical, that Moses warns in 4:2, "Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you."  Compare this with John's warning at the end of Revelations, 22:18-19, "[...] If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book."  These parallel warnings are unmistakably linked by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to His prophets.  Israel is compelled and commanded to hear, to tell their children, to write them on their door posts, and to forever obey the commandments they have been given.

In chapter 5, the Ten Commandments are reiterated.  Verse 6 reminds the people that the Lord delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Then the Ten Commandments provide the guidance to free the individual from slavery to sin, culminating in the final commandment which, when obeyed, frees the individual from slavery to their own will. It is a beautiful re-enumeration of the Commandments to a people that need all the guidance the can get.

In chapter 6:5 - a continuation of the Shema - the people are exhorted that "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." This verse speaks to triune nature of every individual - their spirit, their soul, and their body - and, if obeyed, subjects all of these "natures" to God's nature.  The order in which this exhortation is given is important. The heart - representative of the spirit/intellect of man is first mentioned.  The intellect is the gate-keeper, where choice is made.  If we choose to love God, then the next element, the soul, will manifest faith. If we reject God, i.e. we do not love Him, then our soul manifests unbelief, which is sin. Finally, our strength - our human body - is either subjected willingly to God's law through our love for Him and our faith in Him, or is turned over to worldly, sinful pursuits because of unbelief.  O, the wonderful long suffering Grace of Almighty God!

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Deuteronomy 1 - 3

These Are The Words
Today's portion is the beginning chapters of Deuteronomy, one of the most beautiful books in the Old Testament.  Written like a covenant between a king and his subjects, it is God's covenant with His chosen people.  Deuteronomy in Hebrew is mishne torah - copy of the law. In some ways it is a retelling of the the law, but this book is much more than that.  Deuteronomy is a first-person address by Moses, a series of speeches of the aged prophet to his attentive audience.

The beginning of the book is moving to me.  1:1, "These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel..."  Contrast this with Exodus 4:10, "But Moses pleaded with the Lord, 'O Lord, I'm not very good with words, I never have been, and I'm not now, even though you have spoken to me, I get tongue-tied , and my words get tangled.'" After 40 years of leading his people, Moses has matured.  Aaron is gone. His sister Miriam is gone. Now, there is Moses preparing to die, but first he has something to say.

In 40 years Moses has learned to talk. He is no longer tongue-tied, questioning the wisdom of the Lord.  What flows forth for the next 24 chapters is pure literary beauty, as inspired as any of the Holy Bible.  He begins by recounting their journey starting at Mt Sinai and the giving of the Law. He tells of their recalcitrance to enter the promised land, a mere 11 days journey from Sinai. He tells how the Lord was angry and vowed to not let those who refused to enter ever see that land.  He even tells of his experience with angering (when he smote the rock) the Lord and how he besought the Lord in earnest to enter, but it was not to be.

There is a tinge of sadness, a pathos, throughout all of Deuteronomy.  There is great victory, but the victory came at an even greater cost.  For Moses, the cost was almost to much to bear.  In a poignant moment of self-disclosure he tells of his pleading in 3:25, "Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side."  But the Lord in verse 26 states admantly, "[...] That's enough! ... Speak of it no more."  This sad and futile exchange between the greatest human leader to ever live and the Leader of the Universe sets the tone for all that Moses has to say.  "Do not speak of your own frustrations and failings Moses, speak to my people that which they need to hear!"

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 34 - 26

Preparing To Inherit
Note: We complete our reading of Numbers today.  This is four books out of sixty-six to be read.
Numbers ends in a non-dramatic fashion which is not surprising considering the overall message and tone of this book.  It is a book of counting, of planning, of reiterating the details of the law, and of preparing a wandering people to become a ruling people.

In chapter 34, leaders from every tribe are appointed to manage the distribution of land. In 35, the Levites are granted cities and land for grazing from each tribe proportional to the tribe's size.  The "cities of refuge" are discussed providing a safe haven for those who accidentally kill another person.

While murder must be avenged by the death of the murderer at the hand of the avenger, accidental death is exempt from this judgement.  The cities of refuge provided a safe-haven for those who needed it.  The law concerning these cities provided a way for the person responsible for the death to return back to their land. In a society based on "in-kind" and retaliatory judgment, the Lord provides a way for people to cool off and consider the facts.

Finally, in chapter 36, the concept of women's inheritance is revisited.  This allowed women who, through unfortunate circumstances, had no male relatives through whom they could stake their inheritance of land. The Lord graciously provides a ruling for this situation allowing a woman in these circumstances to still be part of the inheritance and distribution of land in Canaan.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 31 - 33

Learning To Possess
The children of Israel are nearing the end of their journey in the wilderness.  All those who refused to enter when they were at Kadesh-Barnea have died.  Joshua and Caleb have remained faithful and Moses is told his end is near. The Lord begins to work on the mind set of the people attempting to change is from wanderers and "dependers" to conquerors and "possessors" (excuse my coinage).

For forty years the people have wandered.  The Lord has provided them direction, safety, food, water, and leadership.  He has done this because he wants them to possess a land He has promised them - Canaan.  This is to be the land of Israel.  They have been in minor skirmishes, but in chapter 31 the Lord directs Moses to have the people avenge the sin caused by the Midianites when they led the Israelites into idolatry.

The armies of Israel utterly destroy the Midianite men but return with the women which outrages Moses.  The women were what the Midianites used at the direction of Balaam to lead Israel into idolatry.  They all must be killed, except the virgins!  The booty from the skirmish is sizable.  Almost 420 pounds of gold and 675,000 sheep and goats, with 72,000 head of cattle.  This will prepare them well for their crossing over into Canaan.

In chapter 33, the Lord issues a solemn order, "When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, you must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines." (vs 51-52).  In verses 55-56 He warns, "But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live. And I will do to you what I had planned to do to them."

This is a warning that we, as Christians, can heed.  When we rid our lives of sin and possess the promises God has for us, we must completely remove all traces. We do not keep "reminders" or tokens of our past sinful lives, rather we fully sanctify ourselves over to Him.  The more of sin we allow to remain in our lives, the more it hinders our walk with Jesus Christ.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 28 - 30

Sacrifices and Vows
Note: Today completes six weeks of reading - 46 weeks to go. We are more that a tenth of the way through the Bible.
The laws and instructions concerning the daily, Sabbath, monthly, and Festival offerings are reiterated in chapters 28 and 29.  Precise instructions are given by Moses.  At this point, Moses is nearing the end of his role in the journey of the people to the Promised Land.  Joshua has been chosen as the leader-in-waiting.  Moses wants to make the law and sacrificial worship crystal clear to those as they anticipate their move to the the land the Lord has promised them.

Chapter 30 provides information concerning vows.  In particular the relationship between an unmarried daughter and her father and a married woman and her husband where vows are concerned are discussed. First, any vow made by a man has to be kept, he may never break it (30:2).  If a daughter makes a vow, but the father nullifies it she is not bound. If he does not object, then she is bound to keep it.  The same holds true for a wife or a betrothed woman.  If the man objects or nullifies the vow, she is not bound to it. But, if he does not object, she must keep the vow.  If he waits one day and then objects, he is held guilty if she does not keep it.

The law concerning vows is a prophetic type concerning Jesus and what He did for us at Calvary.  We were bound to sin, we were under "vows" to the Devil and worldliness.  But Jesus nullified our vows and the attitudes that bound us to sin. When we accept His sacrifice, we are bound by a new vow to Him which can never be broken by Him.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 25 - 27

Sin, Counting,  Inheritance, and a New Leader
A wide variety of subjects is covered in today's reading. First, the people of Israel sin with the Moabite women, committing physical and spiritual fornication.  Until Phineas is inspired to slay one of the men sinning (25:8), 24,000 people in Israel died under the Lord's judgement.  Phineas' act represents the attitude all believers should take towards sin (for the record, I am not advocating murder!). Sin must be immediately dealt with and destroyed, otherwise if sin is allowed to linger in one's life, it will spiritually kill the sinner.

After this incident, the Lord has Moses and Eleazar number the people again. (A quick digression is needed here.  Aaron died in chapter 20 and Eleazar, Aaron's son was appointed high-priest in his place. At this point, Moses alone has assumed all the authority.) It is interesting to note, that after wandering in the wilderness, the total number of warriors had only declined by less than 2000.  Although all those who refused to enter the Promise Land had died in the wilderness, the Lord had bless the people and maintained their strength.

In chapter 27, the grand-daughters of Manasseh present their case to Moses that just because their father had died in the wilderness, they should still receive an inheritance.  The Lord, in His grace, provides a law and ruling for these types of cases. In type, we who have no inheritance (the Gentiles) are still given an inheritance through Jesus Christ.

At the end of chapter 27, the Lord warns Moses that he will soon die. In preparation He instructs Moses to impart some of his authority to Joshua.  This is so that the people will still have a Godly leader to take them into the Promise Land.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 22 - 24

Balaam
Today's reading covers Balak and Balaam.  Often referred to as the "hireling prophet" Balaam is representative of someone who knows the power of God, but who is willing to be influenced by sinners and tempted by fame and wealth.


Balak, the son of the Moabite King, is worried about the Israelites.  He is worried about his wealth, his safety, and whether or not his kingdom can maintain the status quo.  He beseeches Balaam, a person with a reputation for hearing from God, to curse the Israelites, offering to pay him handsomely for this service.


Balaam, in all his self-righteousness, and feelings of grandeur entertains the idea.  A true prophet would not have been tempted and would have cursed Balak for even asking such an evil thing.  But not Balaam. He asks Balak's messengers to spend the night.  After the Lord informs Balaam that a curse would not be forthcoming, Balak rebids the offer and Balaam tells his messengers (22:19), "Stay here one more night."  Now why would a person do this unless, in their heart, they wanted the Lord to change His mind?  The evidence points to the greed in Balaam's heart.


So hard headed is Balaam and so determined is he to deliver a curse, that he cannot perceive the angel of the Lord while riding his donkey.  The donkey takes three actions: bolting off the road, crushing Balaam's foot against a wall, and lying down for which he is beaten severely by Balaam.  In only the second incident in all of Holy Scripture, the Lord allows an animal to converse with a human (vs. 28). (The other incident is the serpent's conversation with Eve). Although apologetic to the angel, Balaam still pesters the Lord for a curse that never comes.


Ironically, the blessings Balaam delivers to the children of Israel and some of the prophecies he delivers are wonderful.  His first message confirms God's care for Israel and prophesies their number will be great.  His second message confirms the Lord's protection of Israel and prophesies their defeat of their enemies.  His third message confirms the the Lord's peace and blessings upon Israel and prophesies their destruction of other nations. His final message actually prophesies the coming of King David and the Lord Jesus Christ (vs17 "A star will rise from Jacob, a scepter will emerge from Israel").  Because Moab wanted to curse Israel, the Lord has Balaam's final message curse Moab (vs 17) and Israel's other enemies (vss. 18-24).


The lesson to be learned from Balaam is crystallized in 24:9, "[...]Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you."


May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word. 

Numbers 19 -21 (part 2)

Speak To The Rock
This reading contains an event that marks Moses' life forever.  His actions demonstrate the supreme importance of the symbolism of the Old Testament, the requirement to follow God's orders, and the unrepentability of God's calling.

Chapter 20 starts out with the ominous announcement of Miriam's death.  Remarkably terse, and with no details, this is all that is said.  Surely Moses and Aaron and the people of Israel grieved over the death of Miriam, but nothing is mentioned.

As is typical, the children of Israel complain about the lack of water.  At this point, one has to wonder how much more the Lord has to do to convince the people that they need to depend on Him. The Lord has continuously delivered them from every hardship. He has clearly demonstrated the leadership of Moses and that He is will Moses.  Yet, the slightest sign of trouble evokes fatalistic complaints ("We wish we had died in the LORD's presence with our brothers!" vs. 3), leadership doubts ("Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place?" vs.5), and a general non-recognition of God.

Moses and Aaron immediately call on God and He appears as a presences (vs 6).  The distinction of the acts of Moses/Aaron and the people is highlighted by the juxtaposition of these verses.  One has to question, Why did not the people call on God for water?  Why all the complaining and fatalism? Like us, the children of Israel had a lot to learn.

Verse 7 states that the Lord spoke to Moses and in verse 8 very precise instructions are given to Moses that he is to speak to the rock.  This was absolutely critical!!! The rock typified Jesus Christ.  Moses had already struck the rock (Exodus 17:5) symbolic of the crucifixion of Christ. Once Jesus was crucified and had resurrected, the believer only needs to speak to Him for deliverance.  Why did water still come forth even though Moses disobeyed?  Because Moses was ordained a prophet from his birth and gifts and callings are without repentance. The Lord honored this gift in Moses even though it broke His Word and His spiritual symbolism.

Moses' disobedience came with a heavy price.  He was told (vs 12) that "you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!"  Notice that it did not say that Moses would never go to the land, but that he would not lead them. The scriptures cannot be broken.  Moses did indeed go to the promised land hundreds of years later when he appeared on Mt Transfiguration with Jesus and Elijah! (Matthew 17:3).

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 19 - 21 (part 1)

The Red Heifer and Waters of Separation
NOTE:  Today's reading has several key topics in it which will require multiple blog entries.

The ceremony of the Red Heifer and waters of separation are presented in chapter 19.  The symbolism is rich and speaks of Christ, the church, the dispensations of grace, and the seven church ages. The ceremony was used to prepare ashes and water kept in a purified place outside the camp, so that if an individual comes in contact with a dead body, they could be restored to a state of ceremonial cleanliness.  A person had to be ceremonially clean or he/she was cut off from the community (vs 20). It was an absolutely critical and permanent law for the Israelites.

Verse 2 states that the heifer had to be red and without spot, i.e. totally red with no extraneous color markings.  The red speaks of redemption by blood, Christ's sacrifice on Calvary.  It was female, representing the church. It could not have had a yoke on it - meaning it was not under bondage to a creed or heretical dogma.  It had to be perfect with no defect, sinless like Christ.

It took three ceremonially clean men to complete the ritual. The three speaks to the three dispensations of grace: justification, sanctification, and baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The men had to be clean, i.e. no sin against them. This is a type of the Holy Spirit filled minister who handles the Word of God.  The heifer had to be slain outside the camp, just like Jesus was crucified outside the city.

Notice that Eleazar, the High Priest (representing God) watched over the ceremony.  After the heifer was slain, Eleazar dipped his finger in the blood and sprinkled it seven times towards the door of the Tabernacle. This symbolized that all worshipers throughout the seven church ages had to pass through the blood to access God.  Eleazar observed as the entire animal was burned representing that God held nothing back in His allowing His son to be crucified.  Jesus gave it all!

While the sacrifice was burning, three items were added to the fire: a cedar stick, a hyssop branch, and scarlet yarn. The stick and branch formed a cross, the scarlet yarn represented the blood.  Additionally, these three reiterate the theme of the dispensations of grace: justification, sanctification, and Holy Spirit baptism.

After the heifer was burned, the ashes were gathered and deposited in a clean place outside the camp.  Verse 9 states, "[...] This ceremony is performed for the removal of sin.

If a person touched a dead person, or was in the tent when a person died, or touched a dead body on the battle field, the waters of separation ceremony had to be performed. The dead is representative of sin. If we accept dead creeds instead of the fresh Word of God and His Spirit, then we need to be cleansed by His Blood. If we associate with sin, it is spiritual death unless with accept the sacrifice of Christ.

The ashes and the water were mixed and sprinkled on the unclean person on the third and seventh days.  The ashes represented the sacrifice (Christ) and the water represented the Word (Ephesian 5:26 - He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word.)  As the ministry delivers the Word, we are cleansed by the sacrifice of Jesus.  The water and ash mixture was sprinkled using hyssop.  Hyssop was a common plant and represents faith.  So the Word is applied by faith!

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 16 - 18

Korah - From Bad To Worse
Things go from bad to worse.  Yesterday's portion dealt with the evil report of the explorers and the curse of 40 years of wandering, and the promise that none of those who believed the evil report would ever go into the Promise Land.  In chapter 14, the curse of death begins immediately with the 10 men who brought the evil report falling dead from the plague.

Then a group of people decide to flaunt the curse of God and attempt to enter Canaan only to be forced back by the inhabitants.  In chapter 15, verses 32-26, a story is recounted where a man gathering on the Sabbath is stoned to death.  Chapter 16 starts off with more misery.

A Levite, Korah, gathers his friends to mount a rebellion against Moses and Aaron.  He convinces 250 men to follow him in the uprising.  Moses puts them to the test and accuses them in verse 11, "The Lord is the one you and your followers are revolting against!"  They all (the 250) bring their incense burners before the Lord for a showdown with Moses. Of course, the battle was over before it began.  Moses is the chosen one and the Lord will not abide any rebellion.  Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and their families, are swallowed up by the Earth. The 250 are slain by fire.  Those who continue to murmur are slain - 14,700 souls (16:49)!

This, all because they chose not to believe the Lord and take what He was giving them.  To settle the matter in the people's mind that Moses and Aaron are the chosen leaders, the Lord has each tribe present a staff (a wooden pole) along with Aaron's staff, and place it in the Holy of Holies.  The presence of God was so powerful that a stick (a dead, dried up piece of wood) blossoms and produces fruit (almonds) overnight! In 17:10 the Lord declares, "[...]This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths."

We shall see if the people learned this lesson.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 13 - 15

Go Explore The Land
Chapters 13 and 14 recount one of the most critical junctures in the travels of the children of Israel.  They were on the brink of entering into the Promise Land and allowed their fears to control their thoughts and actions.  The lessons to be learned by Christians in these chapters are painfully obvious. The Lord states in 13:2, "Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites." The Lord is giving them the land!  He does not instruct the leaders to determine all the reasons they cannot go, but that is exactly what 10 of the 12 men did.

The twelve are gone for 40 days and return to Kadesh Barnea with evidence - grapes, pomegranates, figs - that the land is good and bountiful. Yet, for 10 of the men, there had to be something within them that did not understand or trust God, something that did not hear (or ignored) His promise to give them the land.  They give an "evil report" that frightens the people to the point that they want to return to Egypt. Only Joshua and Caleb accept God at His Word and declare, "Let's go at once and take the land. We can certainly conquer it." (13:30).  With such vigor did Joshua and Caleb deliver their message of conquering the land, the people wanted to stone them.

The Lord is so angered, He wants to destroy the people!  Only the intervention of Moses and Aaron spares the people from utter annihilation.  Ultimately, one year of wandering in the wilderness is prescribed for each year the men spent exploring the land, and the curse of not seeing the land for those who complained is imposed and the people wander for 40 years until all the nay-sayers die.

The tragedy of this event is overwhelming!  Think of this in terms of your own life.  Haven't we all experienced a "Kadesh Barnea" in our lives?  We have come to the precipice of attaining and accepting one of the Lord's great promises only to let our pride, our ego, our fear, our self-righteousness, our self-pity, our hard-headedness stop us.  And then we spend countless years attempting to regain that which we lost.  There is nothing more pathetic than a Christian not willing to accept all the good things Christ has for him/her.

As we will find out later in the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua, everything the Lord said would happen, did happen.  All of those, save Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness and did not get to enter the Promised Land - including Moses!

Lord, help me at this time and every moment of my life to accept Your will and believe Your promises.  Do not let fear or my own understanding rule me. Let me be like Caleb and Joshua, willing to accept you at Your Word.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 10 - 12

Moving, Complaining
As people are wont to do, once they are comfortable and in a routine, despite their best intentions, they become resistant to change.  This is true of the children of Israel.  They had been free from Egypt for one year. Moses had become their undeniable leader and had established the Law, the Tabernacle, the Tribes, Formal Worship, and the Pillar of Fire/Cloud of God had settled over the Tabernacle.  Everything was good, but the people were making no effort, or showing no desire to move to the Promised Land.

Then the Cloud lifts from the Tabernacle (10:11) and they begin their journey.  Everything started off well - all the Tribes in order and doing their assigned duties.  The Ark covered by the Cloud was leading the way. But, only three days into the journey the complaints began.  They were tired of the manna, they wanted meat, they were tired of walking, etc.  The Lord afflicts them with fire, yet still they whine.

In 11:10 to 23, there is an argument/discussion between Moses and the Lord that amazes me every time I read it.  Moses sounds angry, almost arrogant, questioning God about why he is so burdened with the cares of the people. Moses complains about the people complaining!  He is so exasperated he asks the Lord to strike him dead (11:15). Clearly, Moses is not happy with the situation.  The Lord's response is equally surprising.  He comforts Moses. He provides a way for Moses' burden to be eased by imparting His spirit to 70 men.  He even tells Moses that the Lord is going to provide so much meat to the whining people, they will become sick of it.

Then the complaining becomes personal.  Aaron and Miriam complain about Moses, stating that they can be used of God too.  This complaint has bothered me for many years, because the excuse they give (that Moses married a Cushite woman) seems anachronistic.  Moses had been married for many years.  Aaron was a priest and Moses' right-hand man.  The Lord had elevated Aaron to an elite position and allowed only him and the other priest to enter the Holy of Holies.  Yet Aaron complained.  Miriam was Moses' sister - why would she be concerned about Moses' wife after so many years?  I think there is more to the story and suspect jealousy was the motivating spirit.

In 12:3 there is an outstanding scripture, "Now Moses was very humble - more humble than any other person on earth."  This is shocking considering the complaints Moses voice in the previous chapter!  Either way, the complaints of Aaron and Miriam exemplify and prophesy the trouble the children of Israel were in for as they continued their journey to the Promise Land.  Miriam is stricken with severe leprosy from head to toe and had to remain outside the camp for seven days.  Little did she and Aaron and the complainers realize that they would soon encounter the most critical juncture of their journey.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 7 - 9

Move When The Cloud Moves
Today's portion opens with a lengthy and repetitious account of the gifts and offerings each tribe brought to the Tabernacle over a 12 day span.  The repetition indicates (to me) the communal based worship of the children of Israel.  Each gift is essentially the same - no tribe was better or worse than any  of the others.  All of the gifts were put into use by Aaron, the priesthood, and the Levites.

The Levites are dedicated and the people of Israel are ready to move.  Prior to moving from Mt Sinai, they celebrate the Passover as they had been instructed.  Everyone who could celebrate had to celebrate or they would be cut off from the rest of the people.  Even those would could not celebrate because of being ceremonially unclean, were given instructions on becoming clean and instructions on celebrating the Passover one month later - in a manner exactly like those who celebrated at the appointed time. This underscores the necessity of this feast to the children of Israel.

The people watched the cloud/pillar of fire as it hovered over the Tabernacle.  When it moved, they prepared the Tabernacle and moved.  When it stayed, they stayed.  This is a type of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When He directs us, we need to be sensitive and obedient and follow.  When He puts us someplace to do a specific task, then we need to stick with His plan.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 4 - 6

The Priest's Blessing
Today's portion contains one of the most familiar and loved passages in the Old Testament - a simple three line blessing (6:24-26):


     May the Lord bless you and protect you.
     May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
     May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.

Verse 23 calls this a "special blessing" to the people.  This is still used in some Jewish and Christian liturgy today.  But, you do not have to attend a formal meeting to repeat this blessing or to receive from its benefits!

Notice that each line invokes God's name, Jehovah or Yahweh.  The priest is not giving the blessing, he is imploring God to bless you.  The blessing asks for six things:

1. Bless you - Give you the abundance of God.  This does not mean wealth or material possessions only, but asks the Lord to give you what you need to serve Him.
2. Protect you - Keep you from harm, from sickness, from danger, and from evil influences.
3. Smile on you - Show that He is pleased with your actions.  When a person smiles at you, they are pleased with what they see.  Jehovah is the same.  He wants His children to do His will.
4. Be gracious to you - Give you His grace, His unmerited favor.  We do not want His law or judgment, we want His grace and mercy.
5. Show you His favor - Provide special gifts to you. Allow His Angels to minister to you, inspire your Pastor to preach a sermon that answers the questions you have.  Allow a brother or sister in the Lord to show you favor.
6. Give you his peace - His Peace, His rest, the calmness of God.  The ability to rest in His promises despite the tumultuous conditions of your life.

In verse 27 the Bible says, "Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them."  This is a tremendous promise to believers!

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Numbers 1 - 3

Assessment and Placement
We begin a new book that has a new emphasis.  While Genesis dealt with beginnings, Exodus with redemption and leaving, and Leviticus with the Law, Numbers begins by assessing the strength of the tribes.  All the tribes are numbered with Judah having the most men and Manasseh having the least. After numbering, they are grouped in sets of three tribes and placed around the Tabernacle which is in the middle of the camp.  This is no surprise - God should always be in the center of our existence.

The duties of the Levites are enumerated and a breakdown by clan is identified.  The Levites belonged to God and thus were charged with assisting the priesthood of Aaron and his descendants.  Each clan had a specific duty concerning the temple.

All of this is in preparation for the children of Israel to begin their journey.  After leaving Egypt and crossing the Red Sea they camped at Mt Sinai and Moses received the Law.  Their approach to God, their reverence for the Tabernacle, and their moral duties to each other and foreigners all had to be defined first. To get them ready to move forward, there must be some organization of the resources.  Tribal leaders had to be designated and Moses and Aaron needed to know the strength of their army if they faced hostile inhabitants in the Promised Land.

Additionally, every person needed to know their place relative to each other and, more importantly, relative to the Tabernacle.  The Holy place of God had to be defended and without prior organization, there would be chaos. To emphasize the importance of the Tabernacle and the importance of each person's role, the scripture states three times (1:51, 3:10, and 3:38), "Anyone other than a priest or Levite who went too near the sanctuary was to be put to death."  These reiterations were important in inculcating the proper attitude towards God.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Leviticus 25 -27

The Jubilee Year
NOTE: Today marks the end of the third book of  the Bible and third book of our daily reading.  We are in our fifth week.  If you have been following the plan, congratulations! If not, I pray you still read your Bible daily.

Chapter 25 speaks about the year of Jubilee - the 50th year. This was a year of rest and redemption.  Every seventh year, the Israelites were commanded to let the land rest, let the land lay fallow and only eat from the harvest of the sixth year and what the land voluntarily produced in the seventh year.  In addition to the practical value of not over-farming the land, this also allowed for those who farmed to focus on other things.

After seven sets of seven years, there was the year of Jubilee.  This year was special because it provided for the release of Israeli slaves and the redemption of land back to the original owners.

The book of Leviticus ends in a non-dramatic, matter-of-fact way - similar to how it starts.  It is the book of Law, the spiritual law given to the children of Israel.  It provides the ritualistic guidelines for worship, sacrifice, interactions in business, moral law, treatment of slaves, etc.

Chapter 26 is particularly chilling, in that it describes in harrowing detail what will happen if the children of Israel do not obey the Law.  However, the grace of God is always present even when His children disobey and dishonor Him. I found 26:44 poignant, "But despite all this [the curses of disobedience previously spelled out in this chapter], I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with them by wiping them out, for I am the Lord their God."  Praise the Lord for His unending Grace!

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Leviticus 22 - 24

The Festivals
The Festivals (or Feasts) are His appointed festivals - time set aside for an appointment with God.  These are described in order of occurrence and with detailed instructions in chapter 23.  Remarkably, and without surprise, the Festivals represent the life of Jesus Christ and the believers.  There are seven annual festivals - three Spring festivals and four Fall festivals.

• Passover - A one day spring festival starting at sundown.  This is a meal of remembrance of the night the death angel slew the first born in Egypt and spared the first born in Goshen.  1 Cor 5:7c states, "[...]Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us." Christ is represented by the blood that was applied to the doorposts by hyssop (symbolic of faith) to protect us from spiritual death.
• Unleavened Bread - Immediately follows Passover and lasts for seven days. This commemorates the Exodus from Egypt.  Leaven (yeast) had to be thoroughly purged from every household.  Leaven is representative of sin.  See 1 Cor 5:7-8. To the Christian it represents the total cleansing from sin through Jesus' sacrifice.
• First Fruits - This is the final Spring Festival and celebrates the grain harvest.  This represents Christ's resurrection.  1 Cor 15:20 states, "But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.  He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died."
• Harvest or Pentecost - The celebrates the harvest of grain in the fall.  Christ, the seed, was planted and rose again. Fifty days after the First Fruits He manifested Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit to the believers gathered in the Upper Room (see Act 2).  Now it is no longer God above us in Jehovah, and God with us in Jesus, it is God in us in the Holy Spirit.
• Trumpets - This is a special Sabbath and is tied to the repentance of Israel when Jesus reveals Himself to His Jewish brethren.
• Day of Atonement -  Ten days from the Feast of the Trumpets.  The most holy day in the Jewish religion. The high priest made the atonement sacrifice for the people to cover their sins.  When Jesus is revealed to the Jews, they will realize that He fulfilled all the requirements for a perfect sin offering and has redeemed them and they are free from the Law.
• Feast of the Tabernacles/Shelters/Booths - To celebrate the children of Israels freedom from Egypt but to remember their journey to the promise land when they lived in tents.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Leviticus 19 - 21

I Am The Lord Your God
In the Torah cycle this portion is know as K'doshim-"Holy People" because of chapter 19, verse 2, "[...] You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy."  God wanted a holy people to reflect His holiness.  Chapter 19 is interesting in the structural sense because of the staccato repetition of "I am the Lord your God" in verses 3, 4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 25, 28, 30, 31, 34, 36, and 37. This phrase acts to emphasize the previous instruction.  While there are similarities to the Ten Commandments, the chapter's recitation of commonly accepted truth and it's broader scope allow it to stand on its on merits.

Most of the instructions are in a negative format, "Do not put your trust in idols," "Do not steal," "Do not twist justice."  But some are stated positively - the ones that deal with respect for others, and respect for God.  Verses 3, 5, 30, 32, and 37 are all positive.  Verse 18 is particularly indicative of the ethic God is instilling in His people, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

If a people are expected to be holy, then they must understand what holiness is as defined by the Law.  While it is apparent that even the most ardent worshiper would find it impossible to keep every aspect of the Law, the Lord, in His grace, provides a sacrificial way to atone for mistakes and sins.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.