Week 63, Day 5: No prophet like him, until…
Today’s Reading: Deut 34:1-12
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
In the final chapter of Deuteronomy we are told about the death of Moses. Moses is shown all the promised land from the mountain top. It appears that Moses went by himself and God spoke with him there on the mountain. After Moses dies, God buries him in the valley of Moab. I have always thought it interesting that no one knew where Moses was buried at. I have often wondered if such things were God’s way of keeping man from making pilgrimages to such places. Man wants to focus on the physical instead of keeping his eyes on the spiritual goals.
At the end of the chapter we are told some additional detail about Moses’ service. Since the time of Moses no prophet arose in Israel like Moses. The Lord knew Moses face to face, God showed many marvelous signs and wonders through Moses’ hands, and God displayed great power through Moses’ deeds. This passage made me think about how Moses had stated to Israel in Deut 18:15, & 18-19 that God would raise up a prophet from among their contrymen who was like Moses. God would put His words in that prophet’s mouth and all the people were to listen to him. We know from the NT that this was speaking of Jesus. When you think about the wonders and signs and great power demonstrated by God through Moses’ hands, and then you consider the great multitude of signs Jesus performed it is an impressive comparison. Jesus raised men up from the dead, healed a man blind from birth, healed over distances by speaking the word, and He emphasized repeatedly that His words were not His own but that they came from the Father.
Question: What came upon Joshua after Moses died and why was this needed?
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Week 57, Day 5: Keep your soul diligently
Today’s Reading: Deut 4:1-49
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Moses has now finished doing a very quick summary of the journey of Israel up to where they are now, on the east side of the Jordan. He now turns to the main trust of His admonitions. He will soon be leaving them because he cannot enter into the promised land with them. So he begins to try to reinforce that they need to be careful to keep the commands the Lord God has given to them. He tells them to “give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life;” (9). And he tells them to “watch yourselves carefully” that they are not tempted to create a graven image for themselves to represent God. He includes in this last area the warning that they be careful not to be “drawn away” to worship and serve the sun, moon and stars. Moses is cautioning them to give diligence to keep their hearts true to God. Don’t forget what all they had seen done. God had spoken to them from Mount Sinai and He had taken them as His people from Egypt by trials, signs and wonders, war and by a mighty hand. These people had seen these things (they were young men when at Mount Sinai, younger than 20(Num 1:2-3)). But Moses also states here a knowledge that after they have been long in the land, they will turn away from God. And Moses also knew that God would drive them out of the land to be scattered among the nations (28). How would he know these things unless he was truely a prophet of God.
Question: How is God described in verse 24? Why did the Lord let Israel hear His voice from out of the heavens (vs 36)?
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Week 56, Day 3: The Journey Recounted
Today’s Reading: Numbers 33:1-56
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
It is close to time for Moses to die and Joshua to take over leading Israel. Moses recounts the journey from Egypt to where they are now. And then he looks to the near future. Israel will be going into the promised land soon. So Moses warns them to be sure to drive out all the inhabitants of the land and destroy all their figured and molten images. They are also to demolish all the high places. He tells them very clearly that if they don’t do this then the inhabitants who remain will become pricks in their eyes and thorns in their sides and trouble Israel. And if this was not bad enough God warns them that if they don’t drive out the inhabitants and destroy their idols then he will do the same to them (vs. 56).
Question: Why would it be good to remind Israel of the places they have journey through getting to where they are?
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Week 56, Day 2: The Eastern Possession
Today’s Reading: Numbers 32:1-42
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
The tribes of Gad and Reuben decide that they want to have their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan since the land is good for livestock. They approach Moses, Eleazar and the leaders of the congregation to request that they have this as their possession. The problem is emphasized when they say “do not take us across the Jordan”. Moses very quickly rebukes them for acting like their fathers by discouraging their brothers from entering into the promised land. Gad and Reuben then agree they will send their armed men into the promised land to help their brothers take the land. In exchange for this they will be given the land east of the Jordan for an inheritance.
This account is interesting since Gad and Reuben have not yet seen the land that God has promised to give them. How can they know that this land is what they want without seeing the land God has promised them? I see here a warning for us today. We need to be on guard that what we see now does not keep us from inheriting what God has promised. The children of Isreal were promised and given a land flowing with milk and honey. They were to trust in God to receive this land. And yet here Gad and Reuben see something that looks good to them so they say we’ll take this. When we consider the things in this world, what could possibly compare to the dwelling that God has prepared for His children in heaven? And yet so many times in the pursuit of getting more or enjoying life we put these things before our service to God. In essence we say that we are willing to give up what we could receive for what we can get right now. Be on guard brethren. Do not forget that God has much more to offer us than what this world offers. Don’t let the world distract us and get us off of the path we are to walk in.
Question: How could our actions discourage our brethren from entering into the promised land?
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Week 56, Day 1: Midian Punished
Today’s Reading: Numbers 31:1-54
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
God directs Moses to send out 12,000 men to go and destroy Midian because of their actions in getting Israel to sin by worshipping their idols. Note that only 12,000 men were sent. We are not told how many people were in Midian but this number sounds small. They did not need to send out all of the army because God was with them. Among those killed are Balaam (vs 8). We are also told that it was through his counsel that Midain caused the sons of Israel to sin at peor (vs 16). So even though Balaam had not cursed Israel outright, he told Midian how they could get Israel in trouble with God. I have wondered at times if Midian and Moab would of had any trouble from Israel if they had just let them pass. I can understand being worried that Israel was there to conquer everything but we know that Israel was not after the land Midian now possessed. It was only after they made themselves a thorn in Israel’s side that they were destroyed.
The amount of booty that Israel gathered from destroying Midian was enormous. It is impressive that the leaders of the army didn’t see a problem with bringing back the women even though these were the very women who had invited them to sin at Peor and brought such trouble on Israel. It makes you wonder if they simply liked the looks of the women are were trying to avoid killing them. A very self serving motive instead of remembering the reason for why they were taking vengence on Midian. Too often people allow the appeal of the looks of things to persuade them to get close to sin. They are enticed by how inviting something looks and don’t think about the implications of their actions. What back could come from being close to certain actions or going to certain places. Moses chided the commanders and told them to kill all the women who had “known” a man. Only the young and innocent were spared. Thus Israel purged out the influence that might come from these people.
Question: Can you think of a time in the past few years where you did something without really thinking about whether it would have a negative effect on your dedication to God? Did you learn any lessons that could help you be on your guard better in the future? How can brethren help someone avoid engaging in activities that could be detrimental to your relationship with God?
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Week 53, Day 5: Waters at Meribah
Today’s Reading: Numbers 20:1-29
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Once again we have an occasion where Israel comes into an area where there is not water (they are still in the wilderness). The people contend with Moses for bringing them out here. They say this as if Moses himself decided to drag the people out into the wilderness. The people also say that this isn’t a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates. This to me seems like a jab at Moses for deceiving them. Before they left Egypt, Moses had told the people that God would bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. The people seem to be accusing Moses of lying to them about doing this. But we all know that the reality is that they would have been already in that land had they believed God and followed Him. Also, the fact that they are contending with Moses because there is no water verses requesting that Moses petition God for water shows that there has been little change in their attitude even though they had been shown so many signs.
Moses goes to the tent of meeting and is told to go before the people and speak to a rock and it will bring forth water. What Moses and Aaron do however is to disobey God. Instead of speaking to the rock Moses strikes the rock twice and also speaks to the people, “shall we bring forth water for you?” I have wondered at times if the way Moses and Aaron spoke to the people showed a lack of respect toward God because they didn’t say that it was God bringing the water forth for them. This one occasion is what prevents Aaron and Moses from entering the promised land. They had “not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel”. Disobedience shows a lack of respect and certainly not giving God the glory for providing for His people is not treating God with esteem. I have often cited this passage in studies on authority because what you and I could think of as only a minor thing causes Moses to not be able to enter the land. Afterall, Moses had served faithfully for years out in the wilderness and had such a close relationship with God. How could one occasion be all it took to keep him out? Man sometimes sees things from only his perspective. Man can try to reason that his actions should be accepted by God or that doing something contrary to God’s word is not a big deal as long as we have good intentions but keep in mind what we see happen here. Man’s ways are not God’s ways. God demands that those who come near to Him must treat Him as holy. We risk much when we think we “ought” to be okay to do something or that we think God will be pleased with doing something. God has told you oh man what is pleasing to Him. The Bible gives us all we need to make us complete and furnished completely for every good work (2 Tim 3:17).
Question: Why do you think water came forth from the rock even though Moses had disobeyed God?
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Week 52, Day 4: Rebellion
Today’s Reading: Numbers 14:1-38
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
After the bad report is brought back by 10 of the 12 spies, the people begin to rebel. They speak of replacing Moses as their leader and going back to Egypt. Despite Caleb’s efforts to convince them that God will give them the land they speak of stoning Aaron, Moses and Caleb (vs 9-10). What stops them from doing this? Not reason or rational thought but rather it was God intervening. The glory of the Lord appears in the tent of meeting.
God decides to punish the people for their rebellion by making them wander in the wilderness until all those who have “seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice” died in the wilderness (vs. 22). God would not permit these men to see the promised land. Only Caleb and Joshua would be allowed to survive because they had a “different spirit and followed God fully” (vs 24). Rather than permitting these people to enter into the land God would give it to their children whom the people had said would become prey to their enemies (vs. 31).
Question: What kind of attitude is reflected by the people going ahead and trying to go into the land (vs 39-45)? How hard do you think it was for Caleb to speak up when they returned from spying out the land and when the people were lifting up their voices?
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Week 52, Day 2: Trouble on all sides
Today’s Reading: Numbers 12:1-16
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
If it were not enough that the sons of Israel have begun to complain, now Moses has problems from his brother and sister. The trouble with Aaron and Miriam seems to stem from his decision to marry a cushite woman (vs 1). We are not told exactly why Aaron and Miriam have a problem with his marriage but it sounds like it has to do with where she originates from. This could be simply that Moses married a woman who was not an Israelite. It could be that for some reason the people of Cush (Ethiopia region) were not well thought of. For whatever reason this is given as the reason they spoke against Moses. But their complaint included the statement, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” This goes beyond questioning Moses’ decision making skills but also strikes at his leadership and role as a spokesman for God.
God answers this complaint directly by having Aaron, Miriam and Moses come before Him at the tent of meeting. The Lord tells them that with other prophets He speaks in visions or in a dream. He does not speak openly to them but in “dark saying” or in mysteries/ riddles. But this is not the way He speaks to Moses. With Moses He speaks “mouth to mouth”, openly, and Moses beholds the Lord’s form. Because of this distinction they should have been afraid to speak against Moses.
It is remarkable to consider the kind of relationship God had with Moses. We are told a lot about Moses in this chapter.
Because of their actions in complaining against Moses, Miriam is struck with leprousy.
Question: Why do you think Aaron was not struck with leprousy as well? Was Miriam’s leprousy a punishment for Aaron?
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Week 51, Day 5: Trumpet Call
Today’s Reading: Numbers 10:1-36
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
It is revealed to us how Israel communicated quickly throughout the camp. Remember that you have a camp with at least 600,000 men in it. The camp would have been huge. Moses was instructed to make two silver trumpets. These trumpets were to be blownn a certain manner or time to instuct Israel to move out ffrom camp, for the leaders to assemble, or for an alarm. During their time traveling through the wilderness such forms of communication would be essential. There are things like this that I sometimes don’t wonder about how it happened until a verse like this. I assume that there would be different ways to make a trumpet blast so that these different commands could be conveyed. I associate the different sounds with the picture of a bugler from the days of the wild west. By blowing a certain “tune” he could sound the advance or the charge depending on the order. Here Moses could have the two trumpets blown to alert the camp or to summon the leaders to come to him for a meeting.
Question: How do you think you could tell the difference between when one trumpet was blown verse both trumpets being blown?
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Week 51, Day 3: Levites cleansed
Today’s Reading: Numbers 8:1-26
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
The main thrust of this chapter is the cleansing of the Levites. We are not told all the “whys” in many passages. I had wondered why the Levites were required to shave all the hair from their body as part of the cleansing process (vs. 7). But regardless of understanding why they had to, it was what was commanded. Moses was to cleanse the Levites and present them before the Lord and the sons of Israel. The sons of Israel were to lay their hands on the Levites. This too is an interesting action. In this instance this action of laying on their hands is part of Israel offering the Levites as a wave offering before God. Again, this is an interesting picture because we do not see such an action happen with people. Verse 12 has the Levites lay their hands on the bulls, which would be them in some symbolic way imparting their sins onto the animal that is to be sacrificed.
Question: Why did the Levites have to be cleansed before being able to serve?
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