Deuteronomy 33 - Joshua 2

Dt34.10 "Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face" Every sign and every wonder flowed from that privileged relationship

Jos 1.8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night." Day and night: I guess thats 2 chapters in the morning and two in the evening for us then Tom?

Jos 2.23 “Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.” He has already prepared the harvest. It is only us that need to prepare ourselves.

Deuteronomy 13-16

Deut 15v11: "Be openhanded towards your brothers..." Love is to be expressed in practical ways towards our brethren.
Deut 15v15: "Remember that you were slaves..." This phrase keeps popping up. I was once a slave. It's important to remember that, so that firstly I don't try to return to that slavery by allowing sin to have a grip on my lifestyle, and so that secondly I have greater compassion on those still held in that state of slavery.

Deuteronomy 9-12

Deuteronomy 10v12 - "...to fear the Lord, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands...". I'm speaking about the fear of the Lord in a few weeks, and I wondered if all the above actions are the same thing - what do you think, John? Is Moses repeating himself for the sake of emphasis? Does fearing the Lord involve imitation and adoration? Sincerity and servitude?
Deut 11v19, 20: Such great importance given to the teaching of children - a responsibility to be shared by all the people!

Deuteronomy 29-32

29.4 Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.

30.6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

The problem is answered by the promise. Just seek the promise keeper.

Deuteronomy 25-28

"..remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother’s house.’" Dt 25.9 So it's important to build up your brother's house then. Who is my brother? Let me build His ministry and help it bear fruit.

What amazing promise of blessing in these chapters for those who obey God. Terrible curses for the disobedient, but amazing blessing. Amazing blessings.

Blessed in and out. The head and not the tail. Blessed with health and increased prosperity. Blessed all over really. Blessed to be a blessing.

Deuteronomy 21-24

This is cool indeed, and we're in it for the long haul: Revelation here we come!

I am taken by God's insistence on responsiblity for sin. It really catches my heart particularly as I work amongst boys, and blame is always apportioned elsewhere. On a separate note, what is the significance of this passage:

6 “If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; 7 you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days.

Intriguing.

Deuteronomy 5-8

The commandments are given in the context of freedom - "I have brought you out of slavery" (Deut 5v6). Sincere obedience to God gives us a taste of the freedom of Eden.
Idol worship is the reason for the ruthless approach to enemies (Deut 7v1-5). The people are to be full of love for God (Deut 6v5) and are not to share that love with idols. Just like marriage, there is only room for two.

Deuteronomy 1-4

OK, John, you got here well before me - but how cool is this? We've travelled through another book! Praise the Lord for what He's teaching us!
Moses recounts some of the Exodus. God's grace is revealed - (Deut 1v39) "The little ones that you said would be taken captive...they will enter the land..." His grace overturns the predictions of unbelief.
Some good advice for preachers - "do not add... and do not subtract..."(Deut 4v1). The Word of God provides its own boundaries.

Numbers 33-36

What a picture - the Israelites are freed as the Egyptians bury all their firstborn (Num 33v3, 4). The Egyptians paid such a high price - yet even today people are prepared to lose their souls in the hope of gaining the world.
The Lord secures the inheritance for the tribe of Gilead (Num 36). The Lord secures our inheritance, too - and keeps it 'reserved in heaven'.

Deuteronomy 17-20

Rule for a King: Read your Bible every day (Ch17)

Rule for an army: only take those who are ready to die. (Ch20) Only those who are prepared to die will be effective in destroying the works of the enemy.

Deuteronomy 13-16

I love God's heart for the poor. I love that he built forgiveness of debts into the system. Thankyou for the cross Lord Jesus.

Deut 9-12

God says go and destroy. His absolute hatred of sin is striking. We emphasise the point that "pluck out your eye" is metaphorical and miss how serious God is about sin. We live in the midst of an unclean nation and it is normal to watch lewd acts in public on our screens. But God hates sin. He wants to destroy its source. Only the new creation will survive the flames.

Numbers 29-32

Well, you can tell I've started writing the blog first thing in the morning, as I've had to edit a few mistakes - especially mixing up Balaam and Balak...!
The Reubenites and the Gadites discover the past can come back to haunt you! They want land on this side of the Jordan, and Moses must test their desire. Do they want the Lord's way, or do they just want the easiest way? As believers, we must come out of the shadow of our parents, and find God's path for us, even if it means admitting our parents sometimes got it wrong!

Deuteronomy 5-8

7.22 And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.

The only limit on our increase is our ability to handle it. How ready are we to receive the hungry masses and feed them? God give us souls. God may our hearts be ready to love them and provide for them.

Numbers 25-28

The zeal of Phinehas. The concern for families and their inheritances. Moses is told he will not enter the promised land - rather than complain, his concern is for the people of God to have a leader. 'Your will be done' - death is not viewed as a disappointment.

Deuteronomy 1-4

Go in and possess the land. What a command. We're saying "Stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord", but He's saying: "Go in and possess the land!" The church needs to get active; we are His salvation army! We must proclaim the good news. Trust and obey.

"Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle." We are a people called to start a fight. How do you start a fight? With words like swords from our mouths.

4.35 "To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God;" God does supernatural stuff so that we might KNOW that He is God!

Numbers 21-24

This is one of the blessings of doing this blog, John - I can honestly say the account of Balaam has 'flown under the radar' previously, and reading it now has been fantastic!
The account of Balak. Hard to sum this one up, there's so much there! Balak's stubbornness is almost comedic! As Balaam continues in faith, he sees more and more of the will of God for His people, leading to the fantastic prophecy at the end of ch.24, which directs our thoughts to Christ.

Numbers 17-20

(Lev 17) The rod becomes a symbol of authority, and is used as such to end the grumbling. 'Spare the rod, and spoil the child'. Forsake your authority as a parent, and there will be a negative impact upon your child!
(Lev 20) The people harden their hearts. We must have soft hearts, ready to listen even to truths that make us uncomfortable. We must trust in Christ, the Rock that supplies living water of eternal satisfaction.

Numbers 13-16

It's hard to believe, but the people want to go back to Egypt! Instead, rebellion leads them into the wilderness. In Christ, we have already reached the promised land - we are safe 'in him'! But rebellion against his will means we stop enjoying the milk and honey!

Numbers 9-12

Back from a weekend away learning how to handle the Psalms! Refreshed and with new determination to make some changes...and I was able to do some catching up!
Moses takes his time as he seeks his answers from the Lord (Lev9v8). Later, the Israelites have their faith tested as they must learn to follow as the Lord leads (Lev9v23).
The burden of so many people is too much for one man, and God delegates the sharing of that burden. A reminder to us of our limitations, but also of the supremacy of Christ. He carries the burden of the sins of ALL his people at the cross - He succeeds where Moses fails.

Numbers 33-36

Numbers 33 says the Israelites left Egypt full of boldness: of course, they'd just seen God's power displayed against their enemy. They would have kept the boldness if they'd kept that memory in their heart.

Numbers 34-5. It must have been really helpful for the people's faith to hear detailed instructions given for the dividing of the land, its borders and how many levitical cities, when they hadn't even begun to conquer it.

Numbers 29-32

Man I love Phinehas! God sends the guy with the covenant of peace to head up the fight! Thats where our prayer warriors need to be: on the streets, in the heart of the action!

Numbers 5-8

The people of God are to be pure (Lev.5v1-4). Though we fail to be perfectly holy, we are pure in the eyes of God because Christ came and lived a life of purity in every respect on our behalf. He was the perfect 'people of God'. The Levites are chosen for a particular service to God - 'I set them apart for myself' (8v17). God also sets the retirement age at 50 - Bonus!

Numbers 25-28

Phinehas kills a man for his sin and is awarded with a covenant of peace. Every man or woman used of God to bring revival in the land has not shrunk back from confronting sin. Whether it was Wesley's call to holiness orEvan Robert's prayer for bending and breaking, the emphasis was the same: "Lord would you destroy sin in our midst."

Number 21-24

Great to see you back Tom! I really appreciate your thoughts about clear roles (and perhaps also respecting those roles once they are appointed!)

21.2 Says that "Israel made a vow to the Lord." How? Presumably it means that representative individuals, Moses or the priests, made that vow. It is extremely interesting to me that somehow the corporate cry of the people can be expressed in one person. God said he heard the cry of the people in Egypt, so He raised up Moses. Their cry was thus in a sense expressed through Moses. Sometimes for leaders it can be frustrating dealing with a people who don't seem entirely behind you. It is encouraging to realise that we may be the expression of their heart cry; even if they later on they don't recognise that.

Numbers 1-4

Phew - back to the blog! Preaching engagements out of the way, bronchitis clearing up, back pain sorted - hopefully I'll be able to catch up over the next few days...
The Levites are separated from the other Israelites in order to fulfil roles regarding the tabernacle and its contents. This made me think about how Christ was among his people, and yet separate from them, set apart for a role that no other could share. Also, the Levites are given very clear roles - a good example for us to follow when considering the day-to-day running of a church!

Numbers 17-20

“Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

We serve an awesome God. It is a solemn undertaking to lead his people, and those who do it will receive a stricter judgment. Their sins, however minor or unintended, have much graver consequence.

“This is what the LORD spoke, saying:‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’" Lev. 10.3

Numbers 13-16

Twelve leaders named in the book who were to go into the land and see what God prepared. 10 ae named to their disgrace; two to their honour. How important it is for leaders to see with faith and hope and expectation as they lead the people.

13.16: mentors should speak new identity over the people, not just new jobs.

"if only we had died in this wilderness". And they did. God's people should be careful with their words, lest God say "Amen."

Ch 15 Uninintentional sin needs atoning for. Unintentional sin is still sin.

Lesson from Korah: he was reponsible for carrying holy things. They became presumptuous because of that privilege. We are privileged to enter the very holiest place and to handle the most holy things, but we must take care to remember that for all that grace God is a Holy God.

Numbers 9-12

Num 9: The unclean men asked why they couldn't receive the passover. Moses said "stand still". He asked God why. God said they could. It is really important not to make religious assumptions based on what seems to fit a pattern. It is good to have the confidence to tell the people to wait. It is vital to wait on God for answers everyday. (Its a good idea to wait on Him for answers before the questions arise).

The lesson of the cloud is: Wait. Watch. Move only when God moves. "I do ONLY what I see my Father doing." John 5.19 (paraphrase)

A "mixed multitude" (11.4) caused the Israelites to complain. Be careful who you mix with and what you listen to!

Numbers 5-8

"If a spirit of jealousy comes upon you" meaning if you feel jealous. Solution? Cast out the spirit of jealousy? No! Seek counsel from God. He can cope with our moods, and sometimes it is legitimate to be jealous or angry or downcast, and the cause, not the symptom, needs to be dealt with.

Numbers 1-4

The praying, worshipping priesthood lies at the heart of the camp. It is the secret centre of victory for all the armies that surround.

Rejoice!

We should celebrate in some way. We could add a picture each? This one is called: "Rejoice."

Well done, Brother!

Hey - we made it through Leviticus! I'm glad to be sharing this journey with you - See you in Numbers!
TJM

Leviticus 21-27

The priest's holiness - the acceptable sacrifice - the sabbath rest - the passover - make you think of anyone? The shadow of the Messiah is found here. Then in chapter 26 - 'I will walk among you and will be your God...'
Obedience to God leads to the experience of covenant blessings friom God - rejection of God leads to the experience of being disciplined by God - repentance before God leads to the experience of forgiveness from God.
TJM

Lev 21-27

Lev 23: God loves parties. God loves us to work, but God loves us to rest, and God loves us to party. Trumpets and wine and cakes and a whole lot of meat. Is it holy to smile while you consume all this stuff on God's behalf as a priest? Is it holy to give a satisfied burp? Does the Church really know what it means to make a great rejoicing? A pure, holy, praise-filled party? Solemn and afflicted we can do. Party? Not convinced. Have we even discovered how to rejoice for one day, let alone seven days in a row?

Lev 26: Did Israel ever keep a years sabbath for the land? How long were they in the promised land before exile? The land rested 70 years in their exile: do the numbers add up? I'll bet they do!

Lev 17-20

25 For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

Its amazing to think that creation itself reacts to the sin of its people. Creation groans, longing for the revealing of the sons of God. Trees clap their hands and stones cry out praise. However metaphorical the personification, it is nonetheless true that God causes the land to react to its inhabitants. Sin causes sickness and vomiting to the land. Our surroundings are blessed when we walk in righteousness, and cursed when we rebel against God.

Leviticus 17-20

Leviticus 20v22 - God makes clear that obedience is part of their freedom. Other nations would be 'driven out' because they rejected God's way. God's wider prerogative is found in 19v33, where the 'alien' is to be regarded as 'native-born'.
TJM

Lev 13-16

Such detailed care to deal with uncleaness! The people had to be clean, the house had to be clean, the leaders had to be clean, and all through confession of sin and the blood sacrifice.

Our Heavenly Daddy (Abba!) has provided a way for us to enter boldly before the throne of grace. It is not on the basis of presumption or tradition or habit. It is solely by dint of the shed blood of Jesus. Conscious confession of unconfessed sins and acknowledgement of his sacrifice for those sins is a key to confidence in prayer.

The Anglican liturgy which encourages corporate confession of sin doesn't seem a bad idea to me.
JDI

Leviticus 13-16

Clean or unclean? The first appearance of health and safety regulations, in order to control the spread of diseases. It's interesting that Aaron has to be 'made clean' by a sin offering before he can approach God as the priest. The sins of the people are placed on one animal, who is then forsaken as the scapegoat.
TJM

Leviticus 9-12

The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. What an awesome statement. What form did that glory take? Does it refer only to the fire? The priest diligently applies the blood, for himself, and for the people, and the fire falls. Would God raise up the priestly ministry again amongst His people. May we plead before God like Daniel, pleading the spilt blood of Jesus for our land. Lord have mercy, you died for the people of Great Britain , let faith arise in this nation. Daniel 9:19”O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

“You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you” It is a serious responsibility we carry as priests unto our God. We cannot take this privilege lightly. The actions of the high priest determined the favor and forgiveness of the nation. A priest cannot be given to dissipation or folly.
JDI