Joshua 14 is really a story of remembered and continued faithfulness. As a young man, Caleb followed God with a whole heart when he was sent to spy out the land. He stood against the overwhelming "peer pressure" and said, "God has given us this land!" Now at 85 years old, He is not slowing down or slacking off. He is ready to take the toughest of the land and fight the giants that Israel feared and fled from 45 years earlier. Read More
Category: Joshua | 0 Comments
Yahweh (the LORD) commands the Israelites to remember their humble beginnings through compassion for the unfortunate. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt who were mistreated. Yet, God heard their cry and rescued them with "an outstretched arm." In return, the people of God are to be a compassionate people, taking care of the widow, orphan, and sojourner among them by not scouring the fields, trees and vineyard after harvest and leaving it for those who could not provide for themselves. There were to be no hungry persons in their midst. God's means of providing for the helpless was the corporate obedience of the people. Read More
Category: Deuteronomy | 0 Comments
It is very clear here how God is very concerned that when a person makes a vow, that he keeps it. But what is even more interesting is the amount of information given regarding a woman’s vow compared to a man’s vow. For a man, Moses simply says that if he makes a vow, he must keep it. But for a woman, her vow is subject to the authority over her – either her father’s or her husband’s. There is quite a bit of space taken to clarify this. Clearly, God is concerned that no one usurps the authority over them by means of a vow or pledge. Read More
Category: Numbers | 0 Comments
Here Moses' most close friends and confidants experienced jealousy over Moses, his new wife and his unique relationship with God. They acted wrongly in gossip and undermined the God-given authority of Moses. While God calls us to live in community with other believers he also calls us to trust in Him, knowing that we will get hurt in the process. Read More
Category: Numbers | 0 Comments
On the Day of Atonement, after making the initial atonement sacrifices for himself and the people, Aaron would lay his hands on the "scapegoat", confess the sins of Israel "and put them on the goat's head" (Leviticus 16:20-22). He would then have the goat released in the wilderness. One goat was sacrificed and one goat was the scapegoat. Not only did God provide forgiveness for the sins of Israel (sacrifice paid penalty), He removed their guilt by transferring their blame and shame to the scapegoat. Read More
Category: Leviticus | 0 Comments
Nadab & Abihu offer unauthorized (strange) fire before the LORD. Even after their elaborate ordination to the priesthood (or maybe because of it) and all the detailed instruction as to how God is to be approached and how God is to be worshipped, they decided to worship God on their own terms and approach him in a way THEY decided was best for them. Read More
Category: Leviticus | 0 Comments
(Use to prepare and format future posts. To publish, cut and paste into new post, then copy first pa... Read More
Worship is everything. In between all of these detailed instruction on the construction of God's sanctuary for worship we catch this is a big deal. Israel would experience God's very presence living among them. What a huge privilege for God's people to be able to contribute their resources toward its construction. Read More
Category: Exodus | 0 Comments
Jacob ends his life by telling Pharaoh that "Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life..." (47:9). He blesses Pharaoh then his grandsons and sons before dying. He lived in fear, in hiding or running for many years, mostly of his own doing. He was sad over Rachel's death and what he thought was Joseph's death. Were his day's really "short and evil"? It's a sad perspective. Read More
Category: Genesis | 0 Comments
In verse 1 God intends to test Abraham by telling him to offer his son, his only son as a burnt offering. Even though Abraham had another son, (Ishmael) God regarded Isaac as the promised son, the miracle child. God wanted to see if Abraham loved God's promises/gifts more than God himself. Read More
Category: Genesis | 0 Comments