Deuteronomy 3:21-5:33 As Moses begins to recount the instructions of God for Israel, he begins with a critical statement. He tells them not to add or subtract from what God has said but to accept the revelation as he has given it. The temptation to lessen or increase the demands of God is universal. In fact, at the beginning of history, Satan tempted Eve by getting her to take away from what God h...  Read More

Deuteronomy 1:1-3:20 Today begins the book of Deuteronomy. The name literally is deutero which means two and nomy from nomos which means law, so essentially the law a second time. The book will recount the works of God and his law which was given to the Israelites as has previously been described in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. If you wonder about the importance of this part of the Old Testament...  Read More

Numbers 34:1-36:13 We have made it to the end of the book of Numbers which places Israel right on the edge of the Promised Land. They are not yet in the land, but God is already telling them how they should divide it. These commands regarding the future prove that Israel will not only enter the land, but it will be theirs. God is prophesying what will happen; therefore, Israel should believe it. M...  Read More

Numbers 32:1-33:56 We encounter two names listed as examples of lives lived out of deep commitment and trust in God. Caleb and Joshua “followed the LORD wholeheartedly” (Numbers 32:12) and were the only two allowed to enter the Promised Land from the original group that had left Egypt. Amid a sea of grumbling, discontentment, and idolatry, we see two men rise above. Regardless of the community aro...  Read More

Numbers 30:1-31:54 God tells the Israelites to go to war and take "vengeance on the Midianites” (Numbers 31:2) If you remember, Midian and Moab attempted to curse Israel and when that failed, they led them to idolatry and sin. God was unwilling to allow that sin to grow, fester, and multiply, so he called Israel to act. To understand this command and subsequent destruction, remember we do not get ...  Read More

Numbers 27:1-29:40 It may feel at times like parts of the Bible are on repeat. The Israelites are taught once again about the number of offerings they are to make. They are to offer two animals a day and then on various days throughout the year offer many more. We have heard these instructions before, so you may be wondering why it is in here again. I think one of the main reasons is because we ar...  Read More

Numbers 25:1-26:65 As we follow the Israelites and their journey toward the Promised Land, we have seen that with God on their side, there is nothing they should fear. God has promised them land, his presence, and victory. In essence, God is like a coach telling His people if they trust in him they will win. The things which keep the Israelites from experiencing these promises are not external ene...  Read More

Numbers 22:1-24:25 Rather than focusing on Israel, today we spend some time interacting with Balak and Balaam. Balak is king of the Moabites, one of the nations residing on the edge of the Promised Land, and Balaam is a diviner hired to curse the Israelites. On the one hand Balaam talks to God and makes prophesies on his behalf, on the other hand he uses methods which have been completely condemne...  Read More

Numbers 19:1-21:35Where is Jesus in the Old Testament? Since Jesus is the eternal Son of God, he is all over the pages of the Bible as it all points to him. He is there even when he is not named. We see Jesus creating at the beginning of Genesis, we see Jesus talking with the Father and Spirit as they create humanity, we most likely see Jesus as the Angel of the Lord at various moments, and we see...  Read More

Numbers 16:1-18:32Contentment. We live in a culture that seeks to breed discontentment with our stuff, with ourselves, and even with our spouses/families. The lie that somehow our lives would be better if our circumstances changed has been around forever. In our passage today we read about the Kohathites led by Korah who were assigned the role of carrying the tabernacle from camp to camp. They loo...  Read More

Numbers 14:1-15:41How do you respond to the evil and wickedness around you? God gets to a point where he is ready to annihilate the nation of Israel and start over again, but Moses inter‐ venes. God is ready for justice, but when Moses petitions for God to forgive, he relents. It is a strange interaction, but one that happens multiple times in the Bible. We have seen this when Abraham petitions Go...  Read More

Numbers 11:1-13:33God never gives us more than we can handle. This is a popular phrase that is not actually in the Bible. It is the belief that God will never make our lives too difficult, painful, or hard —that life will be a breeze. The statement actually reflects far more of a 21st century American perspective than it does of anything in the Bible. Despite the newness of this phrase, a similar ...  Read More