Numbers 13-14 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Numbers 14:4 There you have it: the birthplace of democracy! Don’t get me wrong. Looking at current and historical forms of government, I’ll take the Constitution of the U.S.A. over just about any other, and I’m quite …
Author Archives: John S.
February 11 / Numbers 9-12
Numbers 9-12 Discontent. Grumbling. Envy. It’s not pretty. It’s not pretty in the Israelites as they complain about the menu. It’s not pretty in Aaron and Miriam as they imagine themselves on par with Moses. And it’s not pretty in us, either. Day after day the Israelites receive manna from the LORD, all that they …
February 10 / Numbers 7-8
Numbers 7-8 But to the sons of Kohath he gave [no wagons], because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder. Numbers 7:9 The LORD’s way is often not the easy way. A few chapters back, in Numbers 4:1-20, the Kohathites are given the duty …
February 9 / Numbers 5-6
Numbers 5-6 So, what to discuss today… We could talk about the importance of confession of sin, along with how making restitution might compare with penalties like prison time. (Num. 5:5-10) Or we could dive into the quagmire of the “test for adultery” with its attendant battle of the sexes coupled with a hint of …
February 8 / Numbers 3-4
Numbers 3-4 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be Mine, for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn …
February 7 / Numbers 1-2
Numbers 1-2 Congratulations! You made it through Leviticus. Today we start the book of Numbers, which gets its name from, well, all the numbers. We pick up the story of the Israelites just a month after where Exodus left off. (See Ex. 40:2; Num. 1:1.) It’s been a year since the Israelites walked out of …
February 6 / Leviticus 25:35-27:34
Leviticus 25:35-27:34 There is much to think about today for ourselves and for our culture, but let me just say this: Remember Leviticus 26 as we move through the rest of the Scriptures.
February 5 / Leviticus 23-25:34
Leviticus 23-25:34 Today we read instructions for the appointed feasts of the LORD. (Lev. 23:2) I cannot begin to explore the full meaning of these feasts, what they represent and what they foreshadow. I’ll leave that for a much deeper level of study than we can do here. Instead, I’d simply like us to use …
February 4 / Leviticus 19-22
Leviticus 19-22 There it is in today’s reading. Do you see it? Admittedly, it’s a bit inconspicuous. There are no neon signs pointing the way. There is no thundering voice from heaven, no trumpet call to draw attention. It’s just there in the midst of other rules and regulations. It’s a short little statement, not …
February 3 / Leviticus 15-18
Leviticus 15-18 Today we are once again confronted by God’s holiness — and His grace. Remember the structure of the Tabernacle’s Tent of Meeting. It is divided into two sections, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (or the “Holy of Holies”). The Most Holy Place lies behind a thick veil and contains the …