SEPT 28. READ DEUTERONOMY 13-17

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Deuteronomy 13: Shun idolatry. An interesting comment. 13:1 If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ 3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams.” False prophets cannot do the same miraculous signs as true prophets. They might in some way do their “magic tricks” to make it look like a miracle, such as Pharoah’s magicians did with their staffs “becoming snakes” like Moses’ staff did, but they can’t do real miracles. If they could, how would we know who the true prophet was? Philip met a magician in Samaria in Acts 8:9Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” 11And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.” But when Simon saw Philip doing real miracles from God, he tried to buy that power. The difference in his magic and the miracles of Philip was obvious to the people and to Simon. But Deuteronomy 13:1-3 concedes that the “signs” done by a false prophet might “come true” and look to everyone like a true miracle, as in the case of Simon. But it says in spite of that you should not listen to him if he tells you to follow other gods. What would be an example of that today? Maybe some “faith healer” who is really a “fake healer”. He claims to heal people but is not doing real miraculous healing like Jesus and the apostles did. He then claims to be a spokesman from God and people follow him. It might look his his healings are really miracles, but evidence shows that he is not really doing Bible miraculous healing. Usually his message is a “health and wealth gospel” and focuses on getting people to give money to his ministry. Look how many people follow such fake healers. Look at how many millions of dollars such preachers are worth. That alone should tell you not to follow such preachers.

Deuteronomy 13 adds: 6“If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, 7of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), 8you shall not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him.” Instead, you were to stone that person to death. Life Lesson: The influence that our family and friends can have on us. Don’t allow even your closest family or wife you cherish or close friends persuade you to disobey God. I teach tennagers and see the power of peer pressure all the time. Kids get in their “friend group” and do sinful things like drinking or drugs that they know they should not do. Adult Christians let their friends or business associates or social groups drag them into sins that they know are wrong. They end up in drinking parties and adulterous affairs. We should mix with sinners to show love and try to convert them, but be careful that your friends don’t get you to join them in sinning.

Deuteronomy 14 gives the same laws for clean/unclean meats as in Leviticus 11.

Deuteronomy 15 is interesting. 15:1 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts. 2This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor.” Capitalism is better than communism, but it can breed greed. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. But under the Law of Moses, 4However, there will be no poor among you.” The goal of God under the Law was to eliminate generational poverty. You might have tough times and need to borrow money. I’m sure God would expect you to pay off your debt the best you could before the 7th year, the Sabbatic year, arrived. But what if you could not finish paying off your loan? The lender was required to forgive whatever you still owed by the 7th year. The rule stopped poor people from being trapped in endless debt. As Tennessee Ernie Ford sang, ” You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me, ’cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store People were warned not to refuse loans just because the seventh year was near (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). You can easily see why they might be tempted to do that! Lenders could lose large sums of money with no legal way to collect it back. This system might stop generational poverty, but was it fair to the lender who might lose money he had worked hard for? But remember that the lender was not allowed to charge interest on loans to fellow Jews (he could charge interest on loans to foreigners). So the lender was not loaning money to a fellow Jew to get interest. He was loaning the money to help a fellow Jew who had tough financial times. Sure, an honest Jew would try to pay off his debt before the 7th year and not try to take advantage of the law to get out of paying his debt. But if he couldn’t pay his debt by the time the 7th year arrived, then the lender just wrote off the debt to help his fellow Jew start afresh financially. The lender had extra money he could lend to help a fellow Jew, so the lender shouldn’t worry about losing some money in the sabbatic year as long as the loss was helping a fellow Jew get “back on his feet” and get a “fresh start”. The lender would trust God that God would bless for his generosity and give him even more money to help others with. Deuteronomy 15:18“It shall not seem hard to you when you set him free, for he has given you six years with double the service of a hired man; so the Lord your God will bless you in whatever you do.”
Around 50 BC a Jewish leader called Hillel created a legal document called a prozbul. The debt was handed over to a court on paper so it did not fall under the cancellation rule. This allowed people to keep borrowing and lending. I guess that’s a practical solution but it wasn’t God’s original plan. God wanted a person forgiven of the debt, not the debt still pending by some legal loophole.

Add to this that in the 50th year, the year of Jubilee, all land returned to the fellow owner as it had been originally granted to each of the 12 tribes in the division of Canaan after the conquest of Canaan by Joshua. Each family in each tribe had their own portion of land and it stayed in that family forever. If a person had tough times and needed to “sell” his land, someone might buy the land but really he was just “renting” the land until the year of Jubilee and then he had to give the land back to the original owner. Again, capitalism can breed greed. Rich land owners get richer and richer (and more and more land) and the poor can’t even afford a parcel of ground to build a house on. Communism is not the answer. Taking from the rich to give to the poor by force will only lead to human rights violations, greedy state controlled oppression of dissidents, etc. But following God’s laws for the sabbatic year and the year of Jubilee would truly help eliminate generational poverty. Too bad that we will never implement such laws.

Deuteronomy 15:12-18 gives laws concerning the release of a fellow Jew who was “sold to you” after 6 years of labor. He was also to be released in the year of Jubilee even if the 6 years of labor had not been completed yet. I found research on this to be very helpful. “When the six years ended and the servant was freed, the master was commanded not to send them away empty-handed. The master had to provide them with a generous parting gift of livestock, grain, and wine to ensure they had the capital to restart their independent life and not fall back into poverty. If the fellow Jew slave wanted to remain a slave to a loving fellow Jew Master, he could let his master pierce his ear with an awl and become a permanent slave to his master. I wonder if he made a “pierced ear ring” to go into the hole! He might decide that he will fare better as a slave than as a freed man. Let’s dig deeper into this law.

Halakha, the concept of a Jewish person being “sold” to a fellow Jew refers exclusively to a historical institution known as the Hebrew servant (Eved Ivri). This status is completely distinct from perpetual or chattel slavery, as the Torah strictly prohibits a Jew from being treated or sold as property. Instead, it functioned as a temporary, regulated form of indentured servitude designed either as a welfare safety net or as a system of criminal restitution. 1.Voluntarily Selling Oneself (Mocher Azmo)

If a person fell into extreme, debilitating poverty and had no other way to survive or support their family, they could choose to sell their labor to a fellow Jew.

  • The Process: The individual would voluntarily contract their services to an employer in exchange for an upfront payment, which was typically used to clear debts or secure basic sustenance.
  • The Constraint: The person was strictly forbidden from selling themselves publicly on a slave auction block. The transaction had to be done privately and respectfully to preserve the individual’s dignity.

2. Sold by the Court for Theft Restitution (Nivkar BeGneivato)

If a person stole property or money and was caught, Jewish law required them to pay back the principal plus a punitive fine (usually double, quadruple, or quintuple the value, depending on the item). If the thief was entirely destitute and unable to make restitution, the Jewish court (Beit Din) had the authority to sell the thief’s labor to raise the restitution funds. [1]

The Constraint: Only a male thief could be sold by the court; women could not. Furthermore, the court could only sell the thief for the value of the base principal of the theft, not for the added fines.

The Process: The court calculated the value of the thief’s labor and assigned him to a master who would pay the court the restitution amount owed to the victim.

Again, God is not promoting chattel slavery with the buying and selling of fellow Jews. Chattel slavery is a system of enslavement where one human being is owned as personal property (chattel) by another, with the legal right to buy, sell, trade, and inherit them like livestock or goods. But did God allow the Jews to do chattel slavery with foreigners? AI: Yes, biblical law in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) permitted the Israelites to purchase and hold foreign slaves as lifelong, inherited property, distinguishing them from the temporary indentured service required of fellow Israelites. Leviticus 25:44–46: This passage explicitly states that Israelites could buy male and female slaves from the surrounding nations or from resident foreigners living among them. These foreign slaves could be kept as permanent property for life and passed down to the owner’s children as an inheritance. This six-year limit of the release in the sabbatic year or year of Jubilee did not apply to foreign chattel.” Is God endorsing and approving chattel slavery? No The laws served as a legal restriction and accommodation within an ancient Near Eastern society where slavery was already universal, aiming to curb absolute abuse rather than institute an ideal moral system. There were even protections against abuse of chattel slaves in the Law. “Although permanent, foreign slaves within ancient Israel were still subject to certain legal protections under biblical law. For instance, if a master struck a slave so severely that it resulted in immediate death, it was punishable, and inflicting permanent physical damage (such as losing an eye or a tooth) required granting the slave their freedom (Exodus 21:26–27). They were also included in Sabbath rest requirements (Deuteronomy 5:14). Involuntary man-stealing or kidnapping for the slave trade was explicitly punishable by death under Israelite law (Exodus 21:16), distinguishing it from later racial chattel slavery like the transatlantic slave trade. Deuteronomy 23:15–16 uniquely commanded that escaped foreign slaves who sought refuge in Israel must not be returned to their masters, providing a protection unknown in neighboring nations. Similar to how Jesus explained the allowance of divorce in the Old Testament, theologians argue these laws accommodated human sinfulness and societal brokenness to limit total harm in a fallen world.” Perhaps chattel slavery of foreigners was a way for God to punish survivors of the ungodly nations that God told Israel to destroy while at the same time blessing Israelites with slave labor that would increase their crops. At the same time it might give the slaves an opportunity to learn about the one true God Yahweh and become converts to Judaism. In later Rabbinic Judaism, legal traditions heavily constrained the retention of non-Jewish slaves. Authorities mandated that non-Jewish slaves be offered conversion to Judaism within 12 months; if they accepted, they were freed as full members of the community, and if they declined, they were to be sold to non-Israelite owners. Many commentators suggest that the Mosaic Law met ancient Israel at their cultural level, introducing radical restrictions and humanitarian bounds on an already existing global institution rather than violently overturning the entire ancient economic infrastructure at once.” God tolerated divorce but he hated divorce (Malachi 2:16). God hated chattel slavery but He tolerated it.

That’s a lot of AI research but it was really helpful to me and accurate IMO. We can’t deny that Yahweh allowed chattel slavery of foreigners, but we can try to understand why God did not just totally abolish some chattel slavery. The New Testament presents the same picture. Neither Jesus or the apostles commanded Christians to release their slaves or said that slaves could demand release from slavery if they become Christians. Instead, slaves were to serve their masters wholeheartedly as if they were serving Jesus himself (Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:22-24). 1 Peter 2:18, states that servants or slaves should obey their masters not only when they are kind and gentle, but also when they are harsh or unjust. Texts like Colossians 4:1 command masters to treat their slaves “justly and fairly,” reminding them that they also have a Master in heaven. I assume that the slaves in these passages were chattel slaves that the Romans had captured in their conquests of the barbarian tribes. So the New Testament does not approve or condone chattel slavery but neither does it push to abolish it worldwide.

But would the practice of the Christian faith lead to the abolishment of chattel slavery worldwide? I believe so. Paul did not explicitly command or demand that Philemon legally release (manumit) his runaway slave Onesimus, but he strongly urged Philemon to receive him back “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother”. But then he added, “confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say” (Philemon 1:21), which many interpret as a subtle prompt for release without legally forcing it.” Alexander Campbell was one of the leaders of the restoration movement of the Church of Christ. He was caught up in the early 1800’s debate over slavery. Alexander Campbell freed the slaves he inherited from his father-in-law around 1811, providing them with property, education, and assistance, though he viewed slavery primarily as a political problem rather than a direct moral or religious issue. AI: “As noted by historical overviews of the Churches of Christ, Campbell approached opposition to slavery from a “Jeffersonian” standpoint, viewing it more as a political and social crisis for the nation rather than an explicit individual sin. Fearing that polarization over slavery would fracture the church just as it threatened to divide the country, he argued that opinions on abolition should not become a test of Christian fellowship that splits congregations. Like several contemporaries of his era, he supported federal programs aimed at emancipating and relocating freed slaves to Africa, seeing government intervention as the practical mechanism for removal.” That approach seems loving and sensible to me. Chattel slavery in the US was built on kidnapping people in Africa and needed to be abolished and restitution made by those who profited from it. The Civil War was a horrible war but at least it abolished chattel slavery in the US. William Wilberforce led the parliamentary campaign to abolish the chattel slave trade in the British Empire, culminating in the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807 after 17 years of opposition to the act. Worldwide chattel slavery was built on kidnapping in the slave trade and we needed worldwide laws in each country to stop such. Over the years countries pased such laws forbidding chattel slavery. Worldwide legal chattel slavery was officially abolished in 1981, when Mauritania became the last country in the world to legally outlaw the practice. Although every nation has legally banned the practice, An estimated 50 million people live in conditions of modern slavery worldwide( most of it not chattel slavery but having the same negative impact), including 28 million in forced labor and 22 million in forced marriages. Forced labor occurs globally, with the highest prevalence of state-imposed forced labor and modern slavery found in countries like North Korea and Eritrea. While legally prohibited in most nations, forced and early/child marriages remain widespread due to poverty, tradition, and weak law enforcement. Human trafficking is not considered chattel slavery, though both are forms of enslavement. While human trafficking is widely classified as a form of modern slavery, it differs fundamentally from chattel slavery in its legal status, ownership structure, and generational permanence.”

Deuteronomy 16: 16“Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.” These are the 3 main feasts of the Jews.

Deuteronomy 17 has a prediction that in the distant future Israel will ask for a king to rule over them. That is exactly what happened at the end of the period of the Judges. Samuel was the last judge and his sons were evil. The people demanded that Samuel give them a king “like the other natons”. God was their king and He never wanted a king on earth to rule the nation, but apparently He knew this would happen, even predicting it in Deuteronomy 17. He allowed them to have kings but most of the time that turned out to be a disaster. He gives instructions for having a king here in chapter 17. “He shall not multiply horses for himself, 17He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. Solomon was the worst culprit for violating these laws which led to the dividing of the kingdom. 18“Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.” King Saul, King Solomon, all 19 kings of the northern kingdom of Israel, and most of the 19 kings of the southern kingdom of Judah did not fear the Lord and observe the Law and led Israel in evil. Even the few good kings of Judah like Asa, Uzziah, and Hezekiah ended up sadly in pride b/c their hearts were “lifted up above their countrymen”.

Wow, that’s a lot! Hope it has been helpful. I learned a lot from researching these chapters.

SEPT 27. READ DEUTERONOMY 8-12

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Deuteronomy 8 is a speech by Moses urging the Israelites to remember God’s provision during their 40 years in the wilderness and to avoid pride when they enter the prosperous Promised Land. There are several “life lessons” in chapter 8. AI:

  • The Wilderness Test (Verses 1–5): Moses reminds Israel that God humbled and tested them with hunger in the desert, providing manna to teach them that “man does not live by bread alone”, but by God’s word. Their clothes and sandals did not wear out during this time. It had to be humbling to know that you had to trust God for daily food and water, one day at a time, and there was nothing you could do to change that and get more food. I have 2 refrigerator/freezers and a pantry full of food so it is hard to relate to that. Many refugees worldwide depend on others for all that they eat.
  • The Promise of Abundance (Verses 6–10): God is leading them into a fertile land filled with water, wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and rich mineral resources like iron and copper. These are old covenant promises to Israel so keep that in mind when you read the Old Testament. The new covenant promises spiritual blessings and eternal life. Many Christians have died horrible deaths through poverty or at the hands of their enemies, but God takes care of them in eternity.
  • The Warning Against Pride (Verses 11–20): Moses warns the people not to become proud and forget God when they become wealthy and successful. He reminds them that it is God who gives them the power to produce wealth, and turning away to worship other idols will result in destruction. It is so easy in the US to forget God. We complain a lot about our cost of living, but most of us have nice houses, nice cars, plenty of food including eating out a lot, nice expensive vacations, maybe a boat or membership in a club, nice retirement plans for financial security, nice well paying jobs with benefits, etc. It is easy to forget God and think that we have accomplished all these things by our own ingenuity and hard work.
    Financial choices show what a person depends on, trusts, and loves the most. On average, American Christians give between 2.4% and 2.5% of their household income to their church or charity. While 77% of American Protestant churchgoers state that tithing (giving 10% of income) is a biblical command, only 5% of all churchgoers actually tithe. Households making over $75,000 are statistically the least charitable when measuring giving as a direct percentage of their total income (they don’t increase their giving in proportion to increases in income).

Deuteronomy 9 is Moses’ stern reminder to the Israelites that they are receiving the Promised Land through God’s grace and faithfulness, not because of their own righteousness. Again AI:

Not Because of Your Righteousness

  • Conquering Canaan: Moses tells the people that they will cross the Jordan to drive out strong, tall nations with fortified cities. Apparently Israel is about to cross the Jordan when Moses gives this sermon. 9:2“Hear, O Israel! You are crossing over the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you… ”
  • Reason for Victory: God is clearing these nations out because of their own great wickedness, and to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  • Warning Against Pride: Moses explicitly warns Israel not to say in their hearts that God gave them the land because of their personal righteousness. He stresses that they are a stubborn and rebellious people.

Remembering Past Rebellions

  • The Golden Calf: Moses recalls how Israel provoked God to anger at Mount Horeb (Sinai) by making and worshiping a golden calf while he was receiving the stone tablets. God threatened to destroy them completely.
  • Moses’ Intercession: Moses fasted and prayed for 40 days and nights, pleading for God’s mercy and reminding Him of His covenant with the patriarchs so that God spared the nation.
  • A History of Disobedience: Moses notes that Israel rebelled repeatedly, mentioning other instances of defiance in the wilderness (such as Taberah and at Kadesh-barnea), proving that their survival relies entirely on God’s mercy rather than their own goodness.

Deuteronomy 10: Moses reminds them of how he received 2 new tablets of the 10 commandments after he broke the first two during the golden calf incident. Then comes one of those great statements and a great “life lesson”: 12“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” What does the Lord require of us? Attend church, give money, get baptized? Yes, but much more than that b/c you can do those things with impure motives (Matthew 6 hypocritical giving, praying, and fasting). 10:12-13 says it all. 6:16So circumcise your heart (cut off any evil desires in your heart just like you cut off the foreskins in circumcizing male babies) , and stiffen your neck no longer.” Show your love for widows, orphans, and aliens (strangers). 6:20You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. 21He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.” Do you see why I said earlier that Deuteronomy has many principles that apply to us today as Christians?

Deuteronomy 11 again promises many physical blessings if they will obey and love God with all their hearts. He tells them to read the belessings and curses on Mt Ebal and Mt Gerizim when they enter the land. They did this under Joshua (Joshua 8:30-35).

Deuteronomy 12 focuses on all offerings to be done at the tabernacle when they enter the land. 12:5 But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. 6There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 There also you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you.” The tabernacle would initially be set up at Gilgal where they camped as they destroyed Jericho. Later, after the conquest and division of the land among the twelve tribes, it was moved to Shiloh (located in the territory of Ephraim), where it remained as a central place of worship through the period of the Judges and for 300-360 years. The physical Tabernacle structure later relocated elsewhere, functioning later in places like Gibeon during the reigns of Saul and David, before eventually being superseded by Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. The pagans had “high places” where they worshipped their gods so Yahweh wanted all sacrifices to come to the tabernacle where the priests worked. Of course, today worship and spiritual sacrifices are not restricted to any one place. Jesus told the woman at the well: John 4:21 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.””

SEPT 26. READ DEUTERONOMY 3-7

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Deuteronomy 3 recounts the conquests of Israel up to the plains of Moab, especially those of Og and Sihon. I don’t think we realize how many fortified cities they conquered. AI: “Israel conquered 60 fortified cities belonging to King Og of Bashan, alongside all the towns and cities in King Sihon’s territory (which included his capital, Heshbon, and neighboring towns like Jazer).” Og was the last surviving giant of the remnant of Rephaim (an ancient group of giants like the Anakim). Deuteronomy 3:11 notes that his massive iron bedstead measured nine cubits long and four cubits wide—roughly 13.5 feet long and 6 feet wide, so he was indeed a giant. There are a lot of unanswered questions about giants in the Bible. If the flood destroyed all mankind but 8 people, then where did giants come from after the flood? Where did Goliath the Philistine giant come from, along with his giant brothers? Some think that the Noah flood was a local flood only killing those living in the Mesopotamian valley and only sparing Noah and his family who lived in that valley. If pangea occurred at the time of the flood, then there would have been people living in the continents that separated after the flood who survived the flood which could include many races of people and giants. Others argue that the language in Genesis about the flood state that all mankind was destroyed in the flood except for 8 people. Others argue that language can be interpreted otherwise to not include all mankind. The debate goes on if you care to research that.

A very interesting comment in Deuteronomy 3. Moses begged God to let him enter the Promised Land, but God reminded him that his sin at Meribah would not allow him to enter. The Lord said to Moses, “Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. 27Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. 28But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.’” God always listened to Moses and even changed His mind on what He was planning to do at times b/c of Moses’ intercession, but this time, “Enough. Don’t bring this up again.” Our prayers can change God’s mind, but there comes a time when we just accept God’s will and leave it be!

Deuteronomy 4: Moses urges the people to obey all of God’s laws. He reminds them of the original giving of the 10 commandments and laws at Mt Sinai and especially warns them against making idols of any kind. He reminds that that there is no God who “took for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him.” 39Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.”

Deuteronomy 5: Moses recounts the 10 commandments that God gave Israel 40 years earlier at Mt Sinai. The name Deuteronomy comes from the Greek word deuteronomion, which means “second law”, but it only refers to Moses recounting the Law to this new generation. He reminded the new generation of how terrifying it was to be at Mt Sinai 40 years earlier.

Deuteronnomy 6: God has always commanded his people to teach their “son and their grandson” (6:2) God’s laws. Then comes the Shema: 6:4“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” The word Shema means “hear” or “listen,” implying active obedience and covenant faithfulness. While God might not have demanded it, the Jews actually put the Shema in little scripture boxes on their forearms and foreheads. The scripture boxes are called tefillin (also known as phylacteries in English). Tefillin shel Yad (Arm Box): Placed on the bicep of the non-dominant arm (pointing toward the heart). The leather strap is then wrapped down the forearm and around the hand and fingers. Tefillin shel Rosh (Head Box): Placed on the forehead, centered just above the hairline between the eyes, with straps hanging down over the shoulders. Observant Jews recite the Shema twice every single day—once in the morning (Shacharit) and once in the evening (Maariv).

Then 6:20“When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the Lord our God commanded you?’ it says that you should remind your children of all of God’s miraculous wonders in the 10 plagues, etc. We Gentiles can’t possibly appreciate all of that like a Jew could, but it might be conparable to telling our children about how our nation in the US came about, reviewing the wars with England and the stories of God’s providence in forming this nation.

Life Lesson: I had an atheist respond to my blog telling me that I was brainwashing children with all the Bible teaching, not allowing them to think critically on their own later about belief in God and religion. If Yahweh is not the only true God, then I guess that I am. But if Yahweh is the only true God, then I must teach others that, and teach His laws. It starts in the home with my children and extends to my grandchildren and relatives. I have done mission work in several countries, but there is no greater mission than teaching my children about the Bible, Yahweh, and Jesus Christ who died for our sins. Sure they might choose to leave faith in God when they grow up, but I have done my part in teaching them. It’s not just taking them to church and “Sunday school”. It’s talking about God at every opportunity. It’s about talking about God when you are out enjoying God’s amazing nature with your family. It’s about telling them a Bible story at night and praying with them in their beds. It’s about telling them to trust in God when they have problems and to not be afraid b/c God is with them. It’s about exposing all the sinful things in our culture, including the lates LGBTQ heresy that they are constantly exposed to by media and friends. It’s about them seeing a genuine active working faith in you. It’s about connecting them with other believers. Ephesians 6:4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The Greek word for “discipline” is paideia: Discipline, instruction, training, education (including punishment if necessary for disobedience to parents). The Greek word for “instruction” is nouthesia: Admonition, instruction, warning.” nouthesía (“warning through teaching”) improves a person’s reasoning so they can reach God’s solution – i.e. by going through His thought-process.” We are reminded of what Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Timothy had been taught the Old Testament Scriptures as a child by his Jewish mother and grandmother, but of course the New Testament is Scripture also. Timothy, even though he had a Greek father of whom we know nothing about, saw the “sincere faith of his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (2 Timothy 1:5). Teach your children about God and His Word, and live it sincerely in front of them. If so, you have a promises. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” That is not always the case but is generally true. I thank God that our 3 children all became sincere believers and have taught their children about God. I feel sorry for people who were not raised in Christian, God believing, Bible believing homes. Like Moses urged Israel to obey God, I urge you to obey God in this matter.

Deuteronomy 7: Moses warns the Israelites to totally destroy the pagan Canaanites when they enter the Promised Land and to not worship their gods or intermarry with them. Of course, the book of Judges shows that they did not follow God’s warnings and the nations that they did not completely destroy became a snare to them, oppressing them. He reminded them that they were no chosen b/c of how great they were, but simply b/c God loved them. That reminds me of 1 John 4:10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” God made many promises of physical bleessings if they would obey God: fruitful child bearing, fruitful crops and herds, no diseases or plagues, and protection from all enemies. We must realize that these promises were for the old covenant Israelites. The new covenant of Jesus is not about physical blessings. It is about spiritual blessings and eternal life. Many believers in Jesus have died horrible deaths at the hands of their enemies, but God will take care of them in eternity. As Paul said, 2 Corinthians 4:16Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 5:7for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

SEPT 25. READ NUMBERS 34-36; DEUTERONOMY 1-2

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Numbers 34: The borders of the Promised Land. Here is a good map that shows the borders of the promised land. We assume that Moses wrote this after the 40 years in the wilderness as Israel was on the last leg to going into the promised land.

Numbers 35: The 48 Levitical cities and 6 cities of refuge. The Levitical cities also had rights to use the pasture land around the cities. The Levites were the teachers of the Law for all the tribes. The cities of refuge were for anyone who killed someone but not premeditated, what we would call “manslaughter” not capital murder. Such a person could find safety from the “blood avenger” of the relative he/she killed as long as they stayed in the city until the current high priest died. Again, maps.

Numbers 36: Laws of inheritance. Do you remember those daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27)? AI: “The daughters of Zelophehad were five courageous sisters—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah—who successfully petitioned Moses for the right to inherit land in the Promised Land when their father died without sons. Later, the leaders of Manasseh raised a concern that if the daughters married men from another Israelite tribe, their inherited land would transfer away from Manasseh. In response, God added a stipulation: the daughters were permitted to marry, but only within their own paternal tribal clan. The sisters complied and married their uncles’ sons (their cousins), securing both their inheritance and tribal integrity.” In other words, the land given to each individual tribe would belong to that tribe forever. No tribe could possess the land of another tribe.

DEUTERONOMY

Deuteronomy begins with Israel camped on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River, just across the Jordan from Jericho, the first city that Israel would conquer under Joshua. They stayed in the plains of Moab several months. Deuteronomy 1:3 notes that Moses began delivering his final speeches on the first day of the eleventh month of the 40th year. So, one year at Sinai, 38 years wandering in the wilderness, one year on the final leg of their journey to Canaan.

Here is a great slide that summarizes Deuteronomy. The book is basically 3 sermons of Moses before he dies.

Deuteronomy 1: Moses reviews the history of Israel up to the time they arrived in the plains of Moab.

Deuteronomy 2: More history including mention of the 38 years of wandering in the wilderness and how God had told Moses not to kill any of the Edomites, Moabites, or Ammonites b/c they were related to Israel. Edomites came from Esau, Jacob’s brother. Moabites and Ammonites came from the incestuous relationshp Lot’s 2 daughters had with him while he was drunk after the destruction of Sodom.

I think you will find this book very interesting. It contains a lot of laws that were only for Israel, but it also contains a lot of God’s laws that apply to His children for all ages.

SEPT 21. READ NUMBERS 14-18

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Numbers 14: The congregation listened to the negative report of the 10 spies and rebelled against Moses and Aaron, wanting to choose a new leader and return to Egypt. Joshua and Caleb begged the people to trust God and not rebel, but they wouldn’t listen. God said that He was going to destroy the people and make a great nation from Moses, but Moses interceded for them and begged God not to destroy them. Moses changed God’s mind and He spared the people but would punish them by making them wander in the wildeness for 40 years. Everyone 20 and older would die in he wilderness. Of all those 20 and older only Joshua and Caleb would live to see the land of Canaan. God sent a plague killing the 10 spies. The next day the Israelites decided to obey God and attack the Canaanites even though Moses warned them not to, and they were defeated. Their motives for attacking were not sincere. They only attacked b/c of the punishment God pronounced on them, but it was too little, too late according to Moses.

Life Lesson: The 10 spies and the people were paralyzed by their fear into disobeying God. All they needed was a little faith and courage. Fear and lack of faith will keep your from obeying God. It will also keep you from enjoying God’s blessings that He has available for you (like entering Canaan to enjoy the land that flowed with milk and honey). Psalm 118:6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Psalm 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” That doesn’t mean that you won’t be afraid. It just means that you will not let your fear stop you from obeying God. You will overcome that fear with faith and courage. I ask you, “What are you afraid of in life?” Trust God and step out in faith. God will reward you. I wish that worked with phobias but I can’t seem to make it work with my fear of heights!

Numbers 15 gives laws for various animal sacrifice offerings for when they eventually enter Canaan, which is kinda weird since it would be 40 years before they entered Canaan. A man gathering wood on the Sabbath was stone to death at God’s command. The command to observe the Sabbath and not work on the Sabbath had been given at Mt Sinai.

Numbers 16 is the story of Korah’s rebellion. The Levites Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 of the leaders rebelled against the authority God had given Moses and Aaron. They were mainly attacking that authority of Aaron as high priest. God was about to destroy the whole congregation, but again Moses interceded for them and God only killed Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. He opened up the earth and they just fell into the earth along with their possessions. The next day the congregation blamed Moses for the deaths and God was ready to destroy the whole congregation again and began killing many with a plague. Again Moses interceded for the people and the plague was stopped when Aaron stood with his censor between those who died from the plague and those who were still alive. But 14,700 died before the plague stopped.

Numbers 17: God then told Moses to get a rod for each of the 12 tribes and a rod for Aaron and the Levites. He was to put them in the tabernacle overnight. The next morning Aaron’s rod budded with blossoms and ripe almonds, showing that God had chosen Aaron and his family as the only true priests with Aaron as the high priest. Aaron’s rod that budded was kept in the ark of the covenant from that time on.

Numbers 18 gives the duties of the Levites and a command for the people to give tithes to support the Levites since they would devote themselves to the work surrounding the tabernacle. They would be able also to eat some of the offerings the people made.

SEPT 20. READ NUMBERS 9-13

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Numbers 9: The Israelites obvserved the Passover on the 14th day of the 1st month in their calendar, which would be in our springtime. This would be the 1st month of the 2nd year after leaving Egypt. They had stayed at Sinai for a full year. There was a cloud over the tabernacle where God wanted them to camp. When the cloud moved, they moved. At night it looked like a cloud of fire over the tabernacle. This continued for the 40 years in the wilderness.

Numbers 10: They are told about blowing the trumpets to convene the people or the leaders at the tabernacle. Also the trumpets were blown as a warning of danger. In the 2nd year after leaving Egypt, 2nd month, 20th day the cloud lifted from the tabernacle and moved and Israel followed it. Of course, the tabernacle had to be taken down and reassembled each time they moved. The Levites took care of that.

Numbers 11: The people complained at Taberah and God killed some of them with fire. As always, Moses interceded for the people and the fire died out. The non-Israelite “rabble” and the Israelites complained again, wanting meat, complaining that all they had was the manna. They made it sound like they had wonderful food in Egypt. This evoked an emotional response from Moses. He complained to God about his burden of “carrying” these people. He told God that if things didn’t change that he just wished God would kill him. God then told Moses to choose 70 men to help him lead the people and then God put His Spirit on the 70 and they prophesied. Two men remained in the camp apart from the rest of the 70, but these 2 also prophesied. A man complained about those 2 men but Moses rebuked the man. God then sent quail for the people, covering an area of a day’s journey square and 3 feet deep, no doubt millions of quail. The people gorged on the quail and God sent a plague on them to punish them for their greed and many died. The place was named Kibroth-hattaavah, “graves of greed”.

Numbers 12: Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ brother and sister, criticize Moses b/c of his marriage to a Cushite woman. But the real reason for their criticism was that they envied the authority that God had given Moses. God struck Miriam with leprosy. Why did He not srike Aaron with leprosy?. Maybe Miriam was the main one criticizing Moses. Moses asked God to heal her and He did. Ineresting comment: 12:3 Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.” Moses wrote Numbers so did Moses write this? Perhaps this was added by someone else.

Numbers 13: Moses sent 12 men to spy out the land of Canaan. They found bountiful fruit and brought some of it back. 10 of the spies gave a negative report, saying that there were many fortified cities and even some giants in the land and that Israel could not possible conquer the land of Canaan. Only Joshua and Caleb said that, with God’s help, they could conquer the land.

More to follow.

SEPT 24. READ NUMBERS 29-33

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Numbers 29 details the specific sacrifices and offerings required for three major autumn festivals in ancient Israel: the Festival of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), all in the 7th month of the Jewish calendar. That would be in our spring. Suffice it to say, a lot of animal sacrifices and a lot of blood. Again, I’m glad we don’t live under the old covenant. We have the blood of Jesus to forgive our sins.

Numbers 30 is about God requring the people to keep vows. Numbers 30:2If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” It then gives many situation involving wows of women, wives, husbands, and widows. Of course, God expects us to keep any vows we make, especially vows made to God. Jesus points out that our word should be sufficient: “Let you yes be yes and your no be no” (Matthew 5:37). Neither Jesus or the Law of Moses condemned the swearing in making oaths. They simply warned against not keeping those oaths.

Numbers 31: Israel slaughters the Midianite men, 5 Midianite kings, and capture their women as part of God’s vengeance on Midian. Interestingly, they kill Balaam who is apparently living in Midian at the time. The last time we saw him he was in Moab. Moses criticized Israel b/c they had spared the women since it was the women who contributed to the sin at Peor, so they killed the women who had had sex but spared the virgins. The booty of the Midianite victory was divided.

Numbers 32: Moses allows the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh to settle east of the Jordan River but only if they will cross over the Jordan and help the other tribes conquer the Canaanites in the land given to each tribe. The 2 1/2 tribes did cross over and fight as Moses commanded.

Numbers 33 gives the names of many of the places Israel traveled during the 40 years in the wilderness. They were told to drive out all the Canaanites in Canaan and destroy the Canaanite idols. They were warned that the Canaanites would become a thorn to them if they did not drive them, which is exactly what happened in the book of Judges.

SEPT 23. READ NUMBERS 24-28

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Numbers 24: Balaam’s prophecy from Peor. Balaam has done his 2 prophecies for Balak, each time blessing Israel instead of curing them as Balak had paid him to do. Then the Spirit of God comes on Balaam and he gives a 3rd prophecy at Peor, again blessing Israel. Balak is angry with Balaam, but again, to Balaam’s credit, he affirms to Balak that he will only speak what the Lord tells him to speak. Is Balaam still a true prophet in good standing with the Lord? Balaam then gives a 4th prophecy that predicts events long after the current situation. Numbers 24:“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel.” AI: “Many scholars view a first fulfillment in King David, who conquered Moab centuries later (conquering Moab was part of Balaam’s prophecy). Jewish and Christian traditions also view it as a messianic prophecy, predicting Jesus to arise as king of the Jews in the distant future. Christians often connect the star imagery to Jesus and the Star of Bethlehem.” It is possible that the Persian magi read this prophecy and it influenced their journey to find the baby king of the Jews, led by a divinely guided star.

Numbers 25: So is that the end of the story of Balaam? Did he get his money promised to him by Balak or did Balak refuse to pay him since he blessed Israel instead of curing them? The answers come from the sin at Peor. The Israelite men began having sex with the Moabite women and worshipping the Moabite god Baal. God sent a plague killing 24,000. The only thing that stopped the plague was when Eleazar’s son Phinehas (a future high priest) caught an Israelite man, Zimri, and a Moabite woman, Cozbi, in the Israelite camp having sex and Phinehas drove a spear through their bodies (apparently while having sex). But what does Balaam have to do with the sin at Peor? Numbers 31:16 “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor…” Apparently Balaam still wanted his reward from Balak but the Spirit had kept him from cursing Israel. So he came up with another plan to sell to Balak. He counseled the Israelite men to start having sex with the Midianite women and to start worshipping Baal. Balaam knew that God would punish Israel if they did that, and God did indeed kill 24,000 for that sin at Peor. This is why Balaam is condemned in the New Testament.

AI: Balaam is explicitly condemned in three distinct locations in the New Testament. In each instance, he is invoked by the biblical authors as a prominent warning against false teachers, greed, and spiritual corruption.

1. Revelation 2:14 — “The Doctrine of Balaam”. In Jesus’ letter to the church in Pergamum, He condemns those who tolerate the “teaching” or “doctrine” of Balaam. This passage highlights how Balaam, unable to curse Israel directly, maliciously advised King Balak of Moab to entice the Israelites into sexual immorality and idolatry.

For the full biblical text of Revelation 2:14, please consult the referenced document.

2. 2 Peter 2:15–16 — “The Way of Balaam”. The Apostle Peter uses Balaam as a case study for false prophets who abandon righteousness out of a love for money, recalling how the prophet was rebuked by a talking donkey. You can find the full passage in the referenced source.

3. Jude 1:11 — “The Error of Balaam”. Jude groups Balaam with Cain and Korah as an archetype of rebellion and deceit, condemning false teachers driven by financial profit. The complete verse is available in the referenced document.

Numbers 26: God orders another census be taken of the fighting men over the age of 20 in the new generation. The first census was taken when Israel first came to Sinai 40 years earlier of the generation that died in the 40 years in the wilderness (all over 20). The First Census (Numbers 1) totaled 603,550 men, and the Second Census (Numbers 26) taken roughly 38 to 40 years later totaled 601,730 men. That means the entire population of Israel was over 1 1/2 million including men, women, and children.

Numbers 27 gives laws about inheritance of land. The presumably unmarried daughters of Zelophehad appealed to Moses to receive some of their deceased father’s land. Apparently they got none of his inheritance. God told Moses that they should get the first rights to their father’s land ahead of even their brothers. God gave a law of passing inheritance on “per stirpes” or blood relatives first, etc. This whole incident shows God compassion for women. Compare that with how many cultures mistreat women.

Moses is then told that he will not be allowed to enter Canaan b/c of his sin at Meribah. He is told to appoint Joshua as his successor and join Joshua with Eleazar the new high priest to lead Israel, using the Urim and Thumim to make decisions.

Numbers 28 gives the laws for animal sacrifices for the daily offering of 2 lambs, the Sabbath extra 2 lambs, the first of each month offerings, the Passover offerings on the 14th day of the first month, and the Pentecost Feast of Weeks offerings 50 days after Passover. That’s a lot of animal sacrifices and blood. All stood as a type of the need for the blood of Christ to forgive all sins of the old and new covenant. I’m glad we are not living under the old covenant!

SEPT 22 READ. NUMBERS 19-23

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Numbers 19 is mainly the burning of the red heifer (a young female cow that has not yet given birth to a calf). The ashes would be placed outside the camp so that people could use them for purification if they became unclean (for example if they touched a dead body). AI: “The red heifers in Israel are central to ongoing biblical prophecies, local breeding programs, and intense regional geopolitical tensions. Many religious Jews and Christian Evangelicals believe that performing this purification ceremony is the essential prerequisite step required to ritually cleanse worshippers and allow for the rebuilding of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The presence and potential sacrifice of these heifers have triggered profound alarm across the Muslim world.”

But let me be clear: the offering of all animals, including the red heifer, under the old covenant ceased when Jesus died and gave His blood for the new covenant. Hebrews 9:11“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse [p]your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Jews who don’t believe in Jesus are still preoccupied with offering red heifers instead of believing in the eternal cleaning power of the blood of Jesus. Pray for them that they can come to believe in Jesus. Many Jews do believe in Jesus (Messianic Jews), groups like Jews for Jesus. Don’t get caught up in all the talk about what’s happening in Israel today as if it is part of Biblical prophecy being fulfilled. Many evangelical Christians are even saying that. Just ignore it and focus on getting the gospel of Jesus out to the lost.

Numbers 20 is the death of Miriam, the sin of Moses, and the death of Aaron. Miriam was Moses’ sister, the one who was struck with leprosy b/c she criticized Moses for the exalted position God had given him (Numbers 12). Aaron was Moses’ brother who was anointed the first Levitical high priest. He was Moses’ spokesman in dealing with Pharoah but he was also responsible for letting the people get out of control in building the golden calf at Mt Sinai (Numbers 13-14). Aaron’s son Eleazar took his place (Aaron’s first two sons, Nadab and Abihu, had been killed by God for offering “strange fire” in Numbers 10). The priesthood would remain in Eleazar’s family for many generations.

The sin of Moses (and Aaron) was not just striking the rock when God had told him to speak to the rock. Psalm 106:32They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah, so that it went hard with Moses on their account; 33because they were rebellious against His Spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips.” Numbers 19:10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” God told Moses that he had not “treated God as holy in the sight of the people”. Moses basically lost his temper! You can understand why. He had just spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness with the complaining, unbelieving generation that came out of Egypt. He had watched about one million Israelites die in the wilderness during that 40 years. But now the new generation is about to enter Canaan and what are they doing? Complaining about the lack of water, wishing they had died in Egypt instead of coming to the wilderness. Moses is probably thinking, “Here we go again. God is probably going to make this new generation wander in the wilderness another 40 years. I don’t think I can handle that at the age of 120!” But he sinned, both by striking the rock instead of speaking to it and by his rash words. I’m sure God was displeased with this new generation complaining, but He was patient with them. Moses lost his patience. Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land b/c of this sin, but God actually did him a favor. Moses was 120, tired of leading disobedient, grumbling people. It would take 7 years of fighting, conquering 31 Canaanite kings, to conquer Canaan. Moses was spared all that and God would bury him. Instead Moses was able to die and enjoy a peaceful rest with God.

Life Lesson: Do people disappoint you and frustrate you at times? Do you lash out at them with words that you late regret? Are you patient with others when they let you down and when they do wrong things? Do you get tired of your friends complaining about things instead of being appreciative? Colossians 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

Moses had been told by God not to kill the Edomites b/c they were relatives, descended from Esau (Jacob’s brother), so he politely asked Edom to allow Israel to pass through Edomite territory on the final stretch to Canaan. But the Edomites would not let them pass through their territory and “came out against him with a heavy force and with a strong hand.” The map shows how Israel then went around Edom territory to avoid conflict.

Numbers 21 is the incident of the bronze serpent. As they pass around Edom, which just meant extra time in the wilderness instead of going. through Edom, the people began to complain again: no food and no water. They even “loathed” the manna God was giving them every day. Think how Moses must have felt. “I can’t believe this is happening again!” What will God do to these people? So God sent poisonous snakes and many died. The people begged Moses to intercede for them as he had done many times for the unbelieving generation, and he did. God told him to place a bronze serpent on a standard. Anyone bitten could look at that serpent and be healed. God’s patience with the Israelites is amazing. He becomes angry with them but over and over again he forgives them. Jesus used this incident to predict his crucifixion on the cross. John 3:14As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” God already knew that one day His Son Jesus would be hung on a cross when this incident with Israel happened. Did God purposely, specifically choose this bronze serpent method of healing them to give a type of the crucifixion of Jesus? Probably so. He could have healed them many other ways, but He specifically chose this bronze serpent way.

Numbers 21 continues Israel’s journey to Canaan, defeating Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. Israel lived in Amorite lands for a while. (see the map)

Numbers 22: Israel comes to the plains of Moab (see the map), east of the Jordan river. This begins the story of Balaam the prophet. Balak, the king of Moab, saw the Israelites and heard what they had done to Sihon and Og. He sent messengers to hire Balaam to come curse Israel as they passed by Moabite land. AI: “Opinions among modern Bible readers differ on whether he “fell” from a state of true grace or was always a mercenary pagan whom God temporarily commandeered to protect His people.” Balaam does seem to have a speaking relationship with Yahweh as he consults with Yahweh, which might mean that he was indeed a true prophet of God at this time. Either way, God at first told Balaam not to go. Balak sent more messengers and more money. As if the Lord would change His mind on this, Balaam apparently is tempted by the offer of riches and consults the Lord again. This time the Lord tells him to go but only to speak what God tells him to speak.

So Balaam heads to Moab on his donkey. The Lord is angry with him for going even though He had told him to go. Perhaps the Lord had only allowed him to go so God could use this to bless Israel. The angel of the Lord stood in Balaam’s path with a sword and the donkey swerved off the road. Apparently only the donkey saw the angel at first. Balaam struck the donkey at least 3 times trying to get the donkey moving but the donkey just lay down. Then follows a conversation between Balaam and his donkey. The donkey talks to Balaam and Balaam answers him, even admitting that his donkey had never acted like that before. Then the Lord let Balaam see the angel and the angel told him that the donkey had saved Balaam’s life by stopping him. He warned Balaam to continue his journey to Moab but to only speak what God tells him to speak. So this incident was just a last warning to Balaam. “Skeptics point to the talking donkey as a clear indicator of folklore and fables, arguing that literal talking animals belong in fairy tales rather than historical records.” It is a strange story, but Moses who recorded it in Numbers tells it as an actual historical event.

Life Lesson: There are a lot of stories in the Bible that critics mock. The parting of the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho falling, Jesus turning water to wine and his other miracles, etc. But the Bible is the Word of God and is not full of fables and myths. If God can make a donkey from nothing, then He can make the donkey talk. If He made water, which He did, from nothing, then He can change that water to wine, which He also made from nothing. The Bible has been shown to be the Word of God by fulfilled prophecies and you can believe all the historical events recorded in the Bible. Don’t let some professor or atheist try to undermine your faith in the Bible.

Numbers 23: Balaam meets Balak and Balak carries him to a high place of the god Baal so that Balaam can curse Israel. Instead, the Sprit of God takes over and 3 times Balaam blesses Israel instead of cursing them. Balak is obviously angry at Balak and is not getting his money’s worth from him! To Balaam’s credit, he at least at this point is obeying what God and the angel told him to do. So why is Balaam condemned in the New Testament? More to follow.

SEPT 19. READ NUMBERS 4-8

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Just a few interesting things in Numbers 4-8:

The test for an unfaithful wife (Numbers 5:11-31). If a man suspects that his wife has been unfaithful, he is to bring her to the priest who makes her drink holy water. If she is guilty, her abdomen would swell and she would miscarry (if she was pregnant). I assume that she would be stoned to death if guilty. If nothing happens to her after drinking the water, then she is innocent. I know what you are thinking (or I presume to know!). What is the test for a husband who is suspected of adultery? Well there isn’t one! So is God a misogynist? God is no respecter of persons. I think this test is to protect the wives of evil Jewish husbands. As Jesus said in Matthew 19, the law for divorce in Deuteronomy 24 was b/c of the hardness of the hearts of men’s hearts, to protect the wives. I think it is the same case in Numbers 5. The test would keep an evil husband from false accusing his wife of adultery which could lead to her shame, even her stoning.

The Nazarite vow (Numbers 6:1-21). AI: “People take the Nazirite Vow (outlined in Numbers 6) to completely dedicate themselves to God for a specific season or a lifetime by removing ordinary distractions and pursuing intense spiritual focus.

Key Reasons for Taking the Vow

Intense Consecration: By abstaining from wine and grape products (symbolizing earthly joy and luxury), letting hair grow wild (a visible sign of humility and set-apart status), and avoiding dead bodies (pursuing strict ritual purity), the person removed worldly distractions to draw closer to a higher power.

Gratitude and Thanksgiving: People often took the voluntary, temporary vow to thank God for a major blessing, such as recovering from a serious illness or the birth of a child.

Combating Temptation: In Jewish tradition, an individual might take the vow as a temporary discipline to restrain physical desires or overcome personal pride and temptation.

Samuel and Samson in the Old Testament and John the Baptist in the New Testament took the Nazarite vow.

The priestly blessing (Numbers 6:22-27).

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

24 “‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

That’s about it in these chapters. Keep up on. your daily reading. If you fall way behind, just pick up on the current date reading.