In each of these various passages there is a constant theme: Obedience.  There are illustrations for us as to what obedience produces, and in turn, what disobedience produces.            There are also lessons on leadership, lessons on communication, lessons on consequences and their “ripple effect,” and lessons on the sovereignty of God.          In its entirety, it produces a week truly focusing on the impact of our choices, and describing the necessity for those choices being in-line with God’s desires and instructions.  Read More

Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19.  “Random Acts of Kindness” Today’s reading was full of a variety of laws and regulations for Israel to do when they entered the Promised Land.  All of these laws were important for them to remember as they prepared to cross the Jordan River and experience a new beginning.As I read through this passage, a seemingly insignificant command really jumped out at me.  In Deuteron...  Read More

Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9.  “Wisdom does not Guarantee Obedience” Deuteronomy 17:14-20 outlines the guidelines for the future kings of Israel.  If you are familiar with the history of Israel, then you know that most of them failed to live up to this standard.  In fact, if you look at 1 Kings 10:14-11:13 you will see that one king, Solomon, disobeyed all three of the prohibitions given to Israelite ki...  Read More

Deuteronomy 13:1-16:17.  “Canceling of Debts” Every seven years Israel was to have a fresh start or a new beginning financially.  It was not a total reversal of someone’s financial outlook, but it was an opportunity for them to have a fresh start.  This was accomplished in two ways: the first was the canceling of financial debts that a fellow Israelite had incurred.  The second was granting of fre...  Read More

Deuteronomy 10-12.  “Place of Worship” Why was God so concerned with having a centralized location for worship?  I think that there were two main reasons for this.  First, the sacrificial system foreshadowed the coming sacrifice of Christ and having the sacrifices performed in a central location made it less likely for changes or variations to take place which would cause it to lose this great mea...  Read More

Deuteronomy 6-9.  “Living by God’s Grace” God’s grace is a wonderful and beautiful gift.  Deuteronomy 9:4-6 is a picture for us of God’s gracious gift.  The Promised Land for Israel was God’s blessed gift to His chosen people.  And it is for us a foreshadowing of our future in Heaven.  Israel in the Promised Land was God’s chosen people living in a ‘perfect’ land, with God Himself dwelling among t...  Read More

Deuteronomy 3:21-5:33.  “Whom He Loves He Disciplines” Deuteronomy 4:26-31 foreshadows the future collapse of Israel and subsequent captivity in Babylon.  God’s covenant faithfulness toward Israel is so great that He does not abandon them even when they are in violation of the covenant.  What a comfort it is to know that God does not abandon those whom He loves.  And yet even though He does not ab...  Read More

During this week you will read over two thirds of Deuteronomy.  Some of it will be repetitive to portions of Exodus and Leviticus.  This is where the name for the book comes from.  In Greek deutero means second, and nomos means law, therefore the name Deuteronomy means second law or second giving of the law.            And our theme for this week is New Beginnings, for as Moses reiterates the law, Israel is on the verge of a grand new beginning in the Promised Land.  Read More

First, you are doing great in your reading!  Keep up the good work and you will be rewarded. Romans 10:17 reminds us that our faith will be strengthened as we read and hear God’s Word.During this week you will read over two thirds of Deuteronomy.  Some of it will be repetitive to portions of Exodus and Leviticus.  This is where the name for the book comes from.  In Greek deutero means second, and ...  Read More

Numbers 34-36.  “God’s View” Envision the most analytical person you know (it may be you—it’s not me).  Everything has a place and everything is in its place.  Everything is planned out and scheduled right down to the minute.The chapters today remind us that God had things extremely planned out.  God was meticulously concerned with and involved in the distribution of the Promised Land.  God had sp...  Read More

Numbers 32-33.  “God and Me” Until recently, my parents and my wife’s parents lived in the same homes we grew up in.  My children will not be able to say the same thing.  We have moved several times, but nothing compared to the list in chapter 33.  The Israelites wandered in the wilderness from place to place to place.  From verses 5-49 a variety of locations are listed.  Yet, what caught my eye m...  Read More

Numbers 30-31.  “Pinky Swear” Do you ever remember a day when your childhood friends made you cross your heart, and then make sure your fingers weren’t crossed, and then they would finally believe your words were true?Some grown-ups apparently need the same prodding.  Jesus condemned the Pharisees of declaring their pledge wasn’t good if they swore by the Temple and not by the gold in the Temple, ...  Read More

Numbers 27-29.  “Grandma’s Fudge” Try to recall one of your favorite aromas.  It has to be a smell that was more than just sweet, but also comforting.  For me it’s Grandma’s fudge.Grandma made the best fudge, which we would drizzle on our vanilla ice cream (actually I would make every attempt to drown my ice cream in her fudge).  When my brothers, sister, and I would smell Grandma’s fudge on the s...  Read More

Numbers 25-26.  “Counted with Whom” Perhaps it’s a baseball cap, sweatshirt, bumper sticker, or something else we utilize that gives evidence to the fact that we are identified with the winning team.  We love to be part of the winning team.If you can only be counted with one group which one will it be?  Therein lies the conundrum.  Human nature, being what it is, generally would prefer to be count...  Read More

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 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

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

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