Numbers 31 Dear RTB’ers, Holy war. We saw a lot of holy war last year when we read Joshua, as the Israelites were claiming the Promised Land. Today’s holy war is different from what we read earlier: The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites…” (vv. 1-2a). This war …
Category Archives: RTB 2025 – Search the Scriptures, Part 2
March 4 / Numbers 30
Numbers 30 Dear RTB’ers, Vows – caution suggested! Who makes vows today? Husband and wife take vows on their wedding day. Monks and nuns take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Elected officials and military officers swear allegiance to their nation, state, or county. And all of us sign contracts when we buy a house …
March 3 / Numbers 28-29
Numbers 28-29 Dear RTB’ers, The burnt offering to the Lord was introduced in Leviticus 1. It is now re-introduced to this new generation of Israelites in the first eight verses of Numbers 28. Then the phrase, …besides the regular burnt offering… occurs first in Num. 28:10, then another four times (or some variant of this …
March 2 / Numbers 27, 36
Numbers 27, 36 Dear RTB’ers, The daughters of Zelophehad, an interesting twist to inheritance laws and the division of the Promised Land. It is particularly interesting in that: We already read last year in Joshua 17:3-6 that this issue was resolved as the Lord had commanded – the daughters of Zelophehad were given their inheritance, …
March 1 / Numbers 25-26
Numbers 25-26 Dear RTB’ers, Good morning, folks, and welcome to March! Another RTB month behind us – 22 more to go in Search the Scriptures! While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and …
March 2025 Readings
Date Readings Verses 01-Mar Numbers 25-26 83 02-Mar Numbers 27, 36 36 03-Mar Numbers 28-29 71 04-Mar Numbers 30 16 05-Mar Numbers 31 54 06-Mar Numbers 32 42 07-Mar Numbers 33-35 119 08-Mar Mark 1:1-15 15 09-Mar Mark 1:16-34 19 10-Mar Mark 1:35-2:12 23 11-Mar Mark 2:13-3:6 22 12-Mar Mark 3:7-19a 13 13-Mar Mark 3:19b-35 …
February 28 / Numbers 23-24 #2
Numbers 23-24 Dear RTB’ers, More Balak and Balaam – today, his actual words, his blessings. And they are numerous. First, Balaam asks three times for Balak to “Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” (Num. 23:1, 14, 29). Balak does as requested and Balaam responds with …
February 27 / Numbers 23-24 #1
Numbers 23-24 Dear RTB’ers, Frankly, these chapters leave me confused. Left to my own consideration, I would be lauding Balaam – first, he refused (twice) to go to Balak to do his bidding (even if he were paid an enormous sum); then he went as the Lord directed him; then the incident with his donkey; …
February 26 / Numbers 22
Numbers 22 Dear RTB’ers, We leave Moses and the Israelites for three days to read the strange story of Balak and Balaam – and today, Balaam’s donkey. There have been a few times in my Christian walk when I have heard someone mention Balaam’s donkey, mostly as something like “If God can make Balaam’s donkey …
February 25 / Numbers 21
Numbers 21 Dear RTB’ers, Today, the story of the “bronze serpent” – the Israelites grumbling, the serpents biting them, Moses lifting up a bronze serpent, and those who were bitten being saved from death by looking at the bronze serpent. This story may seem familiar to many of you, even if you have not read …