Daily Readings in the Bible Deuteronomy 4-6
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:4). This command is the orthodox Jew’s confession of faith. Israel was to confess there was only one God, and they were to pledge their lives only to Him (Deut. 6:5). Israel wasn’t to make any graven images to worship (Deut. 4:15-20). Israel’s singular […]
Daily Readings in the Bible Deuteronomy 1-3
The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of the Pentateuch. The original name given to this book was “These are the words” which was taken from the first verse (Deut. 1:1). The name Deuteronomy is made up of two Greek words “deuteros” and “nomos” mean “Second Law” when put together. The reasoning […]
Daily Readings in the Bible Numbers 35-36
The Levites weren’t allowed to own any land in Canaan, because the Lord was their portion (Deut. 10:9). For this reason Israel was to designate specific cities for the Levites to live in (Num. 35:1-5). Those six cities were assigned to be “cities of refuge.” If an Israelite or stranger unintentionally killed a person, then […]
Daily Readings in the Bible Numbers 33-34
Taking possession of the Promised Land wasn’t going to be easy for Israel. They were going to have to drive out all the inhabitants of the land (Ex. 23:20-33). Not only were they to drive the inhabitants out, they would also need to destroy any semblance of the people’s religions and lifestyles. The Lord said, […]
Daily Readings in the Bible Numbers 31-32
Between the conquest of Sihon and Og (Num. 21:21-35) and crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and a portion of Manasseh requested to stay in the land east of the Jordan. The land was suitable for pasturing large herds and and flocks (Num. 32:1). Moses wasn’t pleased with […]
Daily Readings in the Bible Numbers 28-30
Now that the previous generation had died, it was time to start instructing the new generation. The Lord, through Moses, began to teach the new generation concerning the daily, monthly, and yearly offerings (Num. 28-29). The Hebrew calendar centered around the worship of Jehovah. A new generation needed a new commitment, and it was going […]
Daily Readings in the Bible Numbers 26-27
The generation of Hebrews that escaped Egypt died in the wilderness, never to possess what they left for. They left behind a legacy of murmuring, complaining, and unbelief. If their children were to visit their graves, they’d have to go back to the wilderness to pay their respects. On their graves it would be written, […]
Daily Readings in the Bible Numbers 23-25
The king of Moab, Balak, grew in fear as he beheld the large Hebrew population. Moab, apparently, didn’t have a large enough army to engage Israel in battle. Balak resorted to hiring a soothsayer to curse them. Balak sent dignitaries from Moab and Midian to a man named Balaam. Balaam operated in familiar spirits, and […]
Daily Readings in the Bible Numbers 21-22
Scripture records the children of Israel complaining at least fourteen times during their wilderness wandering (Ex. 5:1-22; 14:11-12; 15:22; 16:1-4; 17:1-4; 32:28; Num. 12:1-12; 14:1-10; 14:10; 16:1-40; 41-50; 20:1-5; 21:4-5). Chapter twenty-one has the last recorded complaint in the wilderness. Israel, again, bemoans the wilderness and their food (Num. 21:4-5). The Lord, without warning, sent […]
Daily Readings in the Bible Numbers 18-20
Numbers chapter 20 is a sobering chapter. It includes the death of Miriam and Aaron, and the failure of Moses. Rest is a significant theme in the Old Testament. The Lord rested after His creative activity (Gen. 2:2). The Sabbath was to be a day of rest (Ex. 31:15). The Promised Land was to have […]