Numbers 22-24.  “Your Treasure Is Where Your Heart Is” In today’s passage Balaam looks pretty good on the outside.  However, we are reminded that “the heart reflects the person” (Prov. 27:19).  As we continue reading Scripture, we find that Balaam’s heart was far from right.  Balaam was guilty of leading others astray (2 Pet. 2:14-15), and willing to do anything for money (Jude 11), and responsibl...  Read More

This week we wrap up the book of Numbers.  For each of these seven days you will be reminded of God’s Perspective.  God’s perspective has to do with His purpose, His plans, His discernment, His assessment, and the like.We are often guilty of letting our human reasoning try to evaluate God’s decisions.  As we read the next few days of God’s detailed plans for Israel, His purpose in discipline, and ...  Read More

This week we wrap up the book of Numbers.  For each of these seven days you will be reminded of God’s Perspective.  God’s perspective has to do with His purpose, His plans, His discernment, His assessment, and the like.          We are often guilty of letting our human reasoning try to evaluate God’s decisions.  As we read the next few days of God’s detailed plans for Israel, His purpose in discipline, and His motives for rules, we will come to understand the futility in trying to outguess God.  Instead, we should take great pleasure in our God who has a perfect perspective.  Read More

Numbers 16-18.  “Rebellion of Korah” God’s justice is not often talked about in our churches.  We would much rather talk about His love and mercy and grace.  The story of Korah, Dathan and Abiram is a vivid reminder that our God is a just God who cannot let sin go unpunished.  These men were challenging the leadership of Moses and Aaron, and worse, they were in rebellion to the Lord.For me, the di...  Read More

Numbers 14-15.  “Missed Blessings” The report from the spies truly tested if Israel trusted God for their protection.  Already struggling with the level of sacrifice expected of them, they decided the prospect of engaging the inhabitants of the Promised Land wasn’t worth it.  The people ignored the fact that the Lord was with them (Num. 14:9).  You might find it easy to criticize their lack of fai...  Read More

Numbers 11-13.  “Whining and Complaining”          I have overseen a few short-term mission trips with teenagers, and am preparing for another.  It has been my experience that the most important rule for keeping the group together and focused is that there is no complaining.  Anytime you choose to follow the Lord’s leading there will be some form of sacrifice associated with it.  Whining or compla...  Read More

Numbers 6 and 10.  “Dedicated to Sacrifice” The Nazirite vow was a special way for an Israelite to dedicate one’s self to the Lord, and he knew that it came with certain restrictions.  We even see this practiced by the Apostle Paul who shaved his head because of a vow (Acts 18:18).Not every Israelite would make a Nazirite vow, but every believer who is indwelled by the Holy Spirit is already dedic...  Read More

Numbers 4-5.  “Sacrifice of Fellowship” In the instructions that the Lord gave to Israel through Moses, purity was greatly stressed.  There were a number of reasons for this, and the one given in this passage is because the Lord dwelled in their camp.Praise God that we live under a covenant of grace and not one of law as the Israelites did.  And yet, even though we are called to grace, we cannot i...  Read More

Numbers 2-3.  “Sacrificing Our Freedom” As I reflect on the responsibilities given to the Levites, I am rather overwhelmed.  Could you imagine being responsible for taking care of the one place where the true God could be worshipped?  Wow!  Then I think about the fact that they didn’t aspire to this, but that the Lord chose them and they were born into it.  Their whole purpose in life was the prop...  Read More

The theme for this week is sacrifice.  Recently you have read much on the various sacrifices that the Israelites were to perform in their worship of the Lord.  This week we are going to explore what it means for us to sacrifice.            One of the key verses that will be brought up this week is Romans 12:1-2:  “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind He will accept.  When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”          May you, as you read this week, ponder the ways in which your life can be a living and holy sacrifice.  Read More

The theme for this week is sacrifice.  Recently you have read much on the various sacrifices that the Israelites were to perform in their worship of the Lord.  This week we are going to explore what it means for us to sacrifice.  One of the key verses that will be brought up this week is Romans 12:1-2:  “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God.  Let them be a...  Read More

Leviticus 25:24-26:46.  “Blessed by God” “…anyone who believes in Jesus Christ will never be disappointed” (2 Peter 2:6).In chapter 26 God promises a long list of blessings if the Israelites obey Him.  Their harvests will be plentiful, they will live securely, He will live among them, and on and on.However, He also says that they will receive a long list of punishments if they disobey Him.  Their ...  Read More

Leviticus 23-25:23.  “Refocus” Israel was instructed to remember seven specific holidays each year.  Some festivals lasted one week and others just one day.  But each holiday represented something important: Passover reminded them of God’s deliverance from Egypt, Unleavened Bread reminded them of their new way of life, Firstfruits reminded them of God’s provision, and so forth down the list.Apart ...  Read More

Leviticus 20-22.  “Calling Sin ‘Sin’” Homosexuality.  Bestiality.  Adultery.  Incest.  These are terms that when mentioned can bring a look of disgust or shock upon our face.  Are we allowed to talk of such things?  Are we allowed to say such things are wrong, violently wrong?We are being inundated from our culture with the idea that we should not stand and loudly label certain things as sin.  We ...  Read More

Leviticus 17-19.  “Be Holy Because Your Lord Is” The thought of exactly how to be holy has suffered from many false concepts.  In some circles, holiness is equated with a long list of “don’ts.”  For others, holiness means a particular style of dress or mannerisms.  And for still others, it may mean an unattainable perfection.A word study reveals that to be holy is to be morally blameless.  It is t...  Read More

Leviticus 14:33-16:34.  “Covering is Not a Cure” Once each year the Israelites would confess their sins, and the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle (and temple later) to make atonement for them as a nation.  This was called the Day of Atonement, and it was obviously, one of the most important days of the year.  The ceremony had very specific rules that the high priest wa...  Read More

Leviticus 12-14:32.  “Vitamin Be One” This section covers some things that are kind of unpleasant just to read about.  But, amazingly, it all goes back to the theme of Leviticus—holiness.  I have read historical accounts of the physical health of the Israelites compared to other nations of their time and area.  The Israelites were far healthier.  Their birthrate was higher.  The longevity and heal...  Read More

We are in the heart of Leviticus this week and holiness is the topic.  Now, I've got a confession to make, and perhaps you can relate to what I'm going to tell you.  The first few times I took on reading through the Bible, when I would get to the book of Leviticus I would accomplish some of the fastest speed reading you could ever imagine.  As you go through the book you read about rules for clean...  Read More

We are in the heart of Leviticus this week and holiness is the topic.  Now, I've got a confession to make, and perhaps you can relate to what I'm going to tell you.  The first few times I took on reading through the Bible, when I would get to the book of Leviticus I would accomplish some of the fastest speed reading you could ever imagine.  As you go through the book you read about rules for cleansing, rules for food, rules for priests, and so on.  Regardless of my initial reaction, there is a theme that runs through the book that is perhaps more essential and impactful to my everyday life than maybe the themes in many of the other books.          The theme is holiness.  Prayerfully, as you read this book you will see something that relates very directly to yourself, and that is that God desires that His people are holy and pursuing holiness.  “For I am the LORD your God.  You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy… For I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God.  Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.” (Lev. 11:44-45).  Read More

Leviticus 7-8.  “Worship with a Willing Heart” The theme that has been running through this entire week is a willingness to do things God’s way.  Worship for Israel was very detailed.  God had directed through Moses how they were to worship Him.  As Christians and members of the new covenant, we do not have this amount of detail from the Lord for our worship services.  At best we have some princip...  Read More

Leviticus 4-6.  “Seeking Forgiveness” Is it possible to sin without knowing it?  Absolutely.  Many times, when we sin against another person, we may not be aware of it for some time.  And sometimes no one else is aware either.  The instructions regarding the sin offering we read today were to be followed “when they became aware of their sin” (4:14; 23; 28; 5:5; 17).  God does not expect us to seek...  Read More

Numbers 8:1-9:14; Leviticus 1-3.  “Willing to Believe” There were numerous types of sacrifices in the Old Covenant system of worship.  In our modern mindset, we might wonder why all these sacrifices were necessary.  It is difficult for us to relate to and understand this system of worship and forgiveness that God had ordained.  However, there is a connection between their receiving of forgiveness ...  Read More

Numbers 7.  “A Living and Holy Sacrifice” Over the course of twelve days the twelve tribes of Israel gave their gifts of dedication for the tabernacle.  You probably noticed that all twelve gifts were identical.  To me this is a remarkable thing.  Bible Commentator Matthew Henry notes that this points to the “equal share” that each tribe had in the tabernacle and altar.  I am sure that it was temp...  Read More

Exodus 39:32-40:38; Numbers 9:15-23.  “Time to Go Again” In our first seven years of marriage, my wife Kristi and I (David) had seven different addresses.  We would often make jokes about being part nomadic or having the “year-and-a-half itch. However, through those years and all the moves, one thing was consistent – it was always our decision when we moved.  As you read today, that was not necess...  Read More