Numbers 6:1-27
Numbers 10:1-36
There seems to be a
deliberate retention of mystery concerning the Nazarites,
or maybe I am just so disconnected from being especially consecrated that I am
reading something that is not there. Perhaps
it is simply what it seems – a simple, but disciplined, God-specified way to
draw closer to the Lord, such as fasting.
I was noticing the order of
their offerings – sin, burnt, peace, unleavened bread, grain, drink. Later (in ch 10),
the trumpets are blown to rejoice over these offerings (except the sin
offering). When we confess our sins, we
come in brokenness; when we consecrate ourselves, we make peace with God
through the Bread of Life – sinless and broken for us; and when we offer the
fruit of our labor, then we do all with rejoicing.
The logistics of millions of
nomadic people moving essentially together is staggering to consider, but it is
springtime and the presence of the Lord draws us to the Promise.
Numbers 11:1-13:33
I was curious why the
foreigners were traveling with the Israelites in the first place and then why
they didn’t just leave, but I guess there are always some who just want to
change you to something less, rather than just separate from you.
This section focuses on the
complaining of the people about their boredom with food, their hardships, and
even Moses’ wife. God was angry. He punished and they repented.
Moses surprises me a little
here in questioning God’s ability to feed meat to all the people, but even as
he did, God was gathering the quail. All
the while, God is gracious to Moses who became overwhelmed by the heavy
responsibility.
This section finishes with
the fearful report from the scouts about
Numbers 14:1-15:41
It is so easy to criticize these people. They seem such a mess. They certainly have done wrong. Even God confirms that. But I look back truthfully on my life and I begin to understand how people who have had amazing encounters with God can still mess up. It’s so easy for us to look through this narrative’s window into the lives of these people, see all the wrong, and judge them. But how would you feel if you had lived in a glass house with microphones all your life, while a large audience was seated comfortably just outside, watching, criticizing, judging. And then, every generation afterwards gets to check out the film and the narrative. What do you think? How active would they be in picking every little thing apart?
They’ve got a lot of
splinters in their eyes, and even a few logs.
How about we just use their examples to whittle down that log in our own
eye?
In
Moses’ intercession is first
class advocacy and God agrees to forgive the sin, but also to punish it.
God help us to follow the
example of Joshua and Caleb. The people
repented and even tried to make amends but it was too little, too late.
In the instructions regarding
offerings, the Lord is careful and repetitive to say that the foreigner is no
different than an Israelite.
Numbers 16:1-18:32
The overriding theme of this
section is the identification of the difference between holy and common. One is not holy by self-proclamation. God makes it clear in this whole section -
who can approach Him and who cannot.
Korah and his followers learned the lesson the hard
way. The Israelites received a hard
lesson regarding this when 14,700 died from a deadly plague; before Aaron
stopped the plague, by way of the redemptive action that was required.
God also makes clear that
while the Levites are responsible for ministry in the Sanctuary, only the
descendants of Aaron are responsible for the priestly duties.
The support of the Levites will
come from the tithe of
Numbers 19:1-21:35
I sense the ritual regarding
the Water of Purification had both practical and spiritual value. The
science of modern health shows the wisdom of hygiene in regards to dead
animals. In fact, the timing has been
confirmed as uncannily exact regarding the periods of defilement.
The cedarwood,
the hyssop, and the scarlet thread are found in this ritual, as well as on
There are so many things in
this section like Moses striking the rock in disobedience, the death of Aaron,
the bronze snake, and the victories over their enemies. How do I capture the heart of this in such
few words? I can’t.
Disobedience to God can keep
you from the Promised Land, the land where sin is to be battled, defeated,
destroyed, and peace and prosperity prevails.
Everybody dies, but all who look to Jesus are saved. In one way, it’s a no-brainer; in another,
it’s an all-brainer.
Numbers 22:1-24:25
Balaam is a very interesting
person. If it were not for commentary
provided in the New Testament, we might even mistake him as occasionally
godly. He spoke to God and God spoke to
him, seemingly directly. But it
apparently is a relationship like portrayed in Job, between God and satan. Balaam seems
to know his limitations.
I was bewildered for a bit
about God becoming furious with Balaam for going to see Balak
when God was the One telling him to go.
But apparently what made God furious was Balaam’s plans. He was not going with the intent of doing
what God told him to do, but rather what Balak would
tell him to do.
His prophetic utterances are
profound, especially his prophecy regarding the coming Christ in 24:17. “A Star will rise from Jacob; a Scepter will
emerge from
God uses whoever He chooses
and no resistance can triumph over Him.
Numbers 25:1-26:65
It is kind of startling to
read about the men flirting with the Moabite women, because of all that had
happened before. But considerable time
had passed and none of us should be too shocked at what sinfully short memories
we have.
While I am sure the Lord was
angry about the defilement and the attendance of sacrifices, this passage
specifically says He was angry because they joined into the worship of Baal of Peor. Sin tends to
lead to more sin, doesn’t it?
God’s promise to Phinehas makes me think that we should look to his
descendants to discover the shift from Eli’s descendants to Zadok’s.
Finally, the fact that God called
for a second census following the plague, makes me wonder if at least one
reason was to show us that it was Simeon’s descendants who were “dirty dancin’” with the Moabite women.
Numbers 27:1-29:40
The verses about the gals
wanting land prove that God thinks no less of women than men. [That seems to me a worthy note, since I have
run into some who think differently.]
This means they are equal. It
does not mean they have the same roles.
The simple testimony of different physique teaches even a child that
truth. A man is best fulfilled when he
performs the role God gave him, and a woman is best fulfilled when she performs
the role God gave her.
It is of course no surprise
that Joshua should be the replacement for Moses. “Joshua” means the salvation of God. It is the message of the Bible - the Law
cannot save you. If you would turn the
land of battles into the land of victory, you must follow Jesus, Whose name
comes to us from the Anglicized Greek rendering of Joshua. Joshua and Jesus are the same name! So those who say they have never seen the
name, Jesus, in the Old Testament, should take another look. J
Just one quick note about the
festivals – they all point or teach of Jesus - His attributes, His life, and
His passion. There’s that Person, Jesus
showing up again in the Old Testament!
Come to think of it, the Old Testament presents Jesus with much more
clarity than the surface readers would have us believe. The problem is, most preferred then (as they
do now) to avoid the implications of a suffering Christ, so they simply did not
see the Christ of the Bible. But not all, i.e. Simeon and Anna (in the
Jesus makes it clear (Jn
Numbers 30:1-31:54
Concerning vows, one has the
sense that keeping a promise is important to God, but I recall that Jesus said
we should not even make vows. I think we
should remember that we are made in God’s image and God keeps His promises, but
we should especially remember that while we are made in God’s image, we are not
God and we cannot very well say “Not my will, but Yours be done, Lord,” when we
are making personal vows that will bind us to our will.
Once again, the vows give us
clear insight into God’s will for the roll of man and woman. In fact, the section concludes with a comment
that it is all about relationships in the family (rather than vows).
Finally, we are reminded of
our sinfulness by the soldiers trying to keep the idolatrous and deceitful
women of Midian alive. Also note the purification process and God’s
equity with the spoils.
Numbers 32:1-33:56
The possession of land on the
east side of
I suppose there are some who
are willing to help others take possession of the Promise but then prefer
themselves to retreat to the temporal comforts and hang on to the temporal
riches outside. And God grants this.
After reviewing the wilderness
journey a solemn warning finishes this section.
A warning is given to “cleanse” the land of its current occupants, or
else the same judgment of displacement would happen to
Numbers 34:1-36:13
When I consider the
boundaries, it causes many thoughts. The
people of God have boundaries and those boundaries are not set by anyone but
God. Jesus expressed those boundaries in
2 commandments, “Love God and love your neighbor.”
Also, more literally
approached, we see God’s love for the nations around
The administration system for
land division showed simple wisdom, including taking care of the servants of
God (Levites).
The cities of refuge speak
powerfully to both the concept of justice and the concept of mercy.
And God graciously responds to the alert concerns about the loss of ancestral lands through women inheriting land.
Deuteronomy 1:1-3:20
This section begins the book
of Deuteronomy, which is mostly a review of much in the previous 3 books. It is Moses’ final instructions and
historical review to a new generation. The generation of adult males of 40 years
before were dead in the wilderness because of unbelief. Moses would also die soon because of his
disobedience.
This is a sad section that
speaks of constant, loving, caring provision from God; responded to with
unbelief, disobedience, complaining, and at times it seems, blasphemy.
The children of
But God’s promise stands true, and victory over Sihon and Og starts the process of receiving that promise. Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh acquired that land, but would continue fighting until their brothers were at peace.
Deuteronomy 3:21-5:33
This section is all about
obedience and the resultant blessings.
So much of the heart of God is seen in this section.
I thought it was interesting
how Moses seems to displace his responsibility for God’s anger toward him. In verses
There is also much revelation
of the magnitude of God’s love in this section because God knows that His
warnings will not be heeded. This whole
idea, I think, is summed up in one word.
In verse
Deuteronomy 6:1-9:29
How do I even hint at the
content of this section in such a restrictive space? It can’t be done. Nevertheless, I plow on.
The people are reminded of
the commands of God summed up in one, “Love the Lord your God with all your
heart, soul, and strength.” In verse
The Israelites were saved from destruction through Moses’ intercession; today we are saved from damnation by the intercession of Jesus, Who provided Himself as a sinless sacrifice for us. There has never been one person saved by personal worthiness – it is only the grace of God.
Deuteronomy 10:1-12:32
There is so much for the
people of
This section is all about
relationship and the part religion plays in it.
We should not put religion and relationship in opposition to each
other. God (not man) will give us the
relationship that facilitates true religion.
James wrote about “true religion.”
False religion is manmade and does not come from or lead to a true
relationship with God. True religion
flows from true relationship. It is not
manmade. It is clearly prescribed by
God. We “do” because we love; not love
because we “do.”
That is why this section begins with 2 stone tablets, and a call to love and obedience; and ends with, “Do not add or subtract from [the commands].”
Deuteronomy 13:1-16:17
I think every new Christian
or even anyone considering Christianity should be forced to read and re-read
Deuteronomy 13. We are commanded to love
God and that love will be tested. Each
Christian should be consecrated to God and all of his or her associations
should be consecrated to God as much as is in his power, and if there seems to
be insufficient power then cry out to God, Who is the only source of any
effective power anyhow.
Chapter 14 has been studied
and proven to be the soundest advice ever presented on nutrition, as well as
financial giving and management. While
some “experts” may snub their noses at it, none have ever proven it to be
anything but the best advice.
This system of administration (and worship to God) in the release of debtors, slaves, and in the remembering and celebrating of God’s past and present blessings; just makes sense but until one tries, one can never know.
Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
This section is rich with
instruction regarding the system of justice to be employed in
Again, the system of support
for the priests and Levites is reviewed.
It is interesting the Lord God “suggests” that the people will later
want a king and He gives the guidelines for selecting a king, which of course
we know the people do not obey (because of Saul).
God also makes it clear that
most of what is on our television sets today is detestable and disgusting to
the Lord. We are told to stay away from
mediums, séances, witchcraft, fortune telling (much of what people today
consider harmless fun). Indeed, it
should sober us considerably that this message goes out to the people of God,
where it is ultimately disobeyed. The
familiarity feels perilous to me. What
about you?
We also read of the rules of
engagement in war. This section is also
replete with examples of mercy within the systems and rules.
Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19
This section deals
considerably with practical regulations that will insure
Some things not only offend
the natural laws of God, but some things offend the holiness of God
directly. These are the things He
detests. Several items regarding sexual
purity are dealt with and then a small listing of those who should be excluded
from the assembly of the Lord.
Finally, there are those
issues that deal with the health and social well-being of the community such as
how to dispose of sewage outside the camp, loans to fellow Israelites, divorce
and remarriage, etc.
God is intimately concerned with the welfare of people, physically and spiritually. Always has been – always will be.
Deuteronomy 26:1-29:1
God loves His special people
so much that He gives them instruction, re: what they should already know to
do. They are to give thanks and praise
to God for His abundant provision. But
how often do we forget God when all is good?
How often do we forget that all the good is from God? God knows this and lovingly gives His people
precise instructions, including what to say in their thanksgiving ceremony, so
they will always remember the awesome deliverance of God.
Then there is a general
listing of blessing for obedience and cursing for disobedience. The only specific listing given here is of
the cursing from
Deuteronomy 29:2-31:29
Once again I witness how
alive God’s Word is. I do not know if
29:4 is a figure of speech. It seems in
the context of this section it is, because otherwise it would appear to blame
God rather than the people for their unbelief, disobedience, and rebellion. The context is a call from God to obey and be
a truly holy nation and receive the blessings that come as a result; or else
disobey and receive the curses that come from that. It is true that God knew the people would
disobey, but we should not conclude that God was faking it with a less than
genuine offer. Certainly there were some
who obeyed and remained true, but as a nation they did not. The choice of life and death (ch 30) is not a fake opportunity – it is genuine.
We need God’s intervention – God’s draw to choose Him, because we are so depraved, but in order for choice to be genuine, it must be rejectable. Let’s love Him!
Deuteronomy 31:30-32:52
Psalm 90
Oh God, what more can we
desire – what more can we ask than that you would make our work for the beauty
of Your glory successful? However, there
is another request that must be included and it must be first. It is, “Create in me a clean heart.” For without a Spirit-filled heart – without a
regenerated heart, all of my efforts will be of sinful influence – a dark
mosaic at best.
And so Moses closes his Psalm
90 and his life on earth.
The Song of Moses in
Deuteronomy is a song of sadness, a song of prophecy, and ultimately, a song of
triumph. The glory of God is never
absent from it although it is also laced by references to the pathetic ways of
man. Moses shows the people (and us)
that this song is more than “mere words” – they are your life!
Moses broke faith with the
Lord and could not enter the Promised Land, but with Christ he has entered (and
so will we!).
Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12
Joshua 1:1-2:24
Moses’ blessings on the
tribes of
After Moses’ death, the Lord
charges Joshua with the responsibility of leading the army against the (city)
nations to the west. Then Joshua charges
the Israelites, making sure that the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of
Manasseh are included.
The story of Rahab is a beautiful story about the grace of God and the
sinfulness of man. It is reminiscent of
Noah’s
May we all remain (or abide)
in Christ and may our identity be the Crimson Cord of Calvary. Amen.
Joshua 3:1-6:27
Joshua was expecting great
things to happen, but he still had to exhort the people to “Purify
yourselves…” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if
we lived more in Holy Communion with the Father, more filled with His Spirit,
more committed to His Son?
God clearly established
Joshua as the leader to be treated with respect equal to that of Moses. This was done through the miracle of the
crossing of the
Joshua has what appears to be
an encounter with Jesus; specifically, a Christophany,
a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus.
And this section tells us of
the wonderful testimony of Rahab and her powerful
faith. She and her family were saved by
the safety of her dwelling clearly marked by the scarlet cord. Of course, more appropriately she was saved
through obedience regarding the scarlet cord.
Joshua 7:1
1 Chronicles 2:7
Joshua 7:2-9:27
In our present age many (even
in the church) believe God is a great benevolent being who loves all so much
that he just winks at sin. He is
something less than holy. They should
take another look at the cross. This
section opens with the exposure of the sin of Achan. It is a frightening reading because Achan simply got a little greedy, which just about captures
all of
After dealing with Achan and defeating Ai, Joshua and the people renewed their
covenant with the Lord. Ironically,
shortly after that, they failed to seek the Lord about the Gibeonites
even as they considered the possibility of deception. As a result, they disobeyed God and made a
treaty with those that should have been destroyed.
Have you made a treaty with
certain sins? Have you compromised? The solution is repentance. The Lord is merciful to those who despise their
inclination to rebellion, and find their delight in Him.
Joshua 10:1-12:6
This section gives the
accounts of the defeats of the many kings and destruction of the many cities of
the South and the North. It seems the
process is speeded up by the kings forming alliances and going up against
Joshua in greater numbers. This does not
hinder the victories of God’s people one bit.
I wondered about the 5 kings
of the South that Joshua killed and buried in a cave. Joshua then destroyed their cities and the
Bible says captured and killed their kings.
This confused me at first, but it is reasonable that some time elapsed
after the killing of the 5 kings at the cave and the cities simply installed
new kings.
The land west of the
Joshua 12:7-15:19
And now,
‘The
God will promise to do His
part to make all provision for you including to enable your helpless soul to
receive Him, but He does not override His own gift of choice to you.
I am amazed at this woman, Achsah. She seemed
to have more of a head for business than her husband. Besides, what is the
Joshua 15:20-17:18
This section lists the towns
and boundaries of Judah, Ephraim, and West Manasseh. Because of what I have read regarding their
past and their future, (not to mention in this present section), I am again
saddened. I suppose it is good to
celebrate what they did have as the blessings of God, but it seems that God
wanted to give them so much more; and yet to their shame, they satisfied
themselves much too easily. It is heart
breaking to read that they could not take
The section closes with Ephraim and Manasseh asking Joshua for more land, but when he gives it to them, they claim that the people there are too strong to be driven out. Talk about deja’vu! These guys should know better and Joshua pretty much tells them that. My paraphrase of Joshua would be, “Shut up and get busy!”
Joshua 18:1-19:48
It is kind of humorous that
Joshua has to “get after” the 7 tribes who had not taken possession of their
land. I think I understand what these
people were feeling. They had learned
how to be together – how to hover around the Tabernacle and a certain feeling
of security was established in this even when they left the wilderness area and
began fighting. Taking possession of the
land probably had a strong feeling of uncertainty and so even though they knew
they needed to get down to business, they somehow continued clinging to the old
ways.
Joshua said they would cast
sacred lots. This seems kind of sad to
me, because it represents a devolution in how God communicates with His
people. He used to speak directly to
them. He now uses indirect means that
seem mystical. Later He will use
prophets. In our day, God speaks to us by
His Spirit through His written Word. And
we speak to Him through Jesus, by Whom we have access to the throne of God.
Joshua
1 Chronicles
After the division of the
land was complete, then the special allotments were taken care of, except for
Caleb who got his pick right up front. But
even he is affected by these special allotments on the tail end. Joshua gets to pick himself a town, which he
chooses in the hill country of course, and then rebuilds the town. I suppose most of these towns showed much
battle damage, as well as neglect from being abandoned after the people (who
lived there before) were destroyed.
The descendents of Aaron
shared 13 cities with a portion of the Kohathites. It appears they tried to stay relatively close
to where they would need to fulfill their duties in the Tabernacle.
Joshua 21:43-45 seemed a
little odd to me because I thought that the Israelites never did fully conquer
and take possession of all the land the Lord had promised them. Of course, there are several possible
reconciliations, but this is not the format for that discussion.
Joshua 22:1-24:33
I have mixed feelings about
the altar that Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh built.
Based on Eleazar’s words, it was ultimately
acknowledged as a good thing, but it startles me that they did not trust God to
preserve their heritage and it surprises me that they did not communicate about
this with the other tribes. Were they
all oblivious to this potential? On the
other hand, there is a certain loveliness in their intent. They loved their heritage and their brothers
and they cared deeply about that identity.
Joshua’s words regarding the
land, the enemies, and the covenant renewal are quite revealing of human
nature. First, there is a sadness when I
think that much of the allotted land was still not conquered even after a long
time. Also, after encouraging the
decision to serve the Lord, Joshua suddenly makes it crystal clear that they
are totally incapable of serving the Lord.
The reason? – God is holy.
Joshua’s warning is actually a prophecy.
Judges 1:1-3:30
I noted an apparent paradox
in Judges 1:8 and
The message at Bokim is a message for America. Indeed it is a message not just for Israel
and America, but for all people everywhere.
Turn from all false gods in the land and destroy their altars.
And so begins what has often
been called “the sin cycle.” What amazes
me is that even after constant repetition over 1000’s of years, the cycle goes
on in country after country. This is one
area that people do not seem to learn from history. Perhaps an underlying lesson here is what
happens when parenting is poor. If
children are not taught properly to follow God, they will most certainly follow
their own way, which ends in destruction.
Ó 2007 C. E. Briggs