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Daily Bible Study

February 19, 2019 Bible Study — The Israelites Rebel Against Moses Because He Would Not Follow The “Crowd”

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Numbers 16-18.

After their devastating loss when they entered the Promised Land against Moses’ and God’s command, the people were dissatisfied by Moses’ leadership.  A Levite by the name of Korah lead a rebellion to replace Moses as spokesperson for God.  He and three leaders from the tribe of Reuben led a rebellion against Moses.  It appears that the core of Korah’s rebellion was that he demanded that he and 250 of his followers be allowed to function as priests.  Perhaps Korah was also calling for all of the people of Israel to be acknowledged as able to function as priests. 

Actually, there seems to be two elements to the rebellion.  Korah and the Levites who followed him wanted to be able to serve as priests (and probably wanted the authority that went with that).  While the Reubenite leaders appeared to want to reject Moses’ authority to lead.  When Moses summoned Korah and his followers to the Tabernacle for a contest to demonstrate who had divine approval, the Reubenite leaders refused to come and take part.  This suggests to me that they believed that Moses had rigged the contest.  Despite their unwillingness to go before Moses and God to make their case, they died for their rebellion along with the rest of Korah’s key followers.  The passage tells us that the death of Korah and his leadership cadre was not enough to settle the grumbling against Moses and Aaron.  It took a plague stopped by Aaron’s intervention and the miraculous blossoming of Aaron’s staff to settle the discontent among the people.

 

Daily Bible Study

February 17, 2019 Bible Study — One of the Israelite Leaders Was a Woman

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Numbers 11-13.

In yesterday’s passage we read about some people who were disappointed in not being able to celebrate the second Passover (and the solution which Moses gave them).  Today’s passage contains examples of how only a short time later the people began to complain about Moses’ leadership.  I was going to write about the people’s ungratefulness, but I realized that I want to focus on the lessons in leadership from this passage.  God told Moses to appoint 70 elders to assist with managing the people and their problems.  The passage gives us no idea how these 70 elders were chosen, but Moses summoned them to the Tabernacle.  Two of the 70, for reasons never disclosed, did not come to the Tabernacle.  Nevertheless, when God poured his Spirit out on the elders, those two received it along with those gathered at the Tabernacle and began prophesying.  Joshua, Moses’ assistant, wanted Moses to stop them.  Moses declined to do so.  What we learn is that these 70 elders had authority given to them from God, not from Moses.  Joshua wanted Moses to exert his authority to establish that these 70 were subordinate to him and were only acting on his authority.  Moses declined to attempt to supersede God’s authority by doing so.

Again I find myself going in a different direction from my original intention.  I had planned to connect the dispute between Moses and his sister and brother (Miriam and Aaron) to the above issues.  However, it struck me that this dispute gives us a lesson on women in leadership (although perhaps not the one you might think).  Miriam and Aaron were wrong in challenging Moses’ authority.  However, the important lesson is that Miriam, a woman, had sufficient authority in the first place to be able to challenge Moses.  Miriam was clearly one of the leaders of the people of Israel.  She had enough authority to challenge Moses for overall leadership of the people (although only with Aaron to act as her proxy).

As a side note, this is the second time where Aaron acted in a way which brought down God’s wrath where he did not directly suffer.  The first time was when he made the golden calf for the people to worship.

Daily Bible Study

February 16, 2019 Bible Study — The Second Passover

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Numbers 8-10.

When it came time to celebrate the Passover in remembrance of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt the first time (the first Passover was part of that deliverance), some of the Israelites were unclean and unable to partake.  They came to Moses to ask how they could celebrate this important occasion.  Moses recognized their sincere desire to worship God and celebrate His great power, so he told them to wait while he consulted with God.  The answer God gave Moses was that those who were unable to celebrate the Passover at its appointed time should do so one month later.  However, this special dispensation only applied to those who were truly unable to celebrate at the appointed time because they were ceremonially unclean, or were away on a trip.  It did not apply to those who found it inconvenient to celebrate the Passover at the appointed time. 

Daily Bible Study

February 15, 2019 Bible Study –Dedicating the Tabernacle

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Numbers 7.

The tribal leaders all gave gifts for the dedication of the Tabernacle and of the altar.  For the Tabernacle they banded together and gave six wagons and twelve oxen.  These were divided up among the Levite clans according to their duties regarding transporting the Tabernacle in order for them to transport their portion.  Those who were responsible for transporting the Ark of the Covenant and other sacred furnishings were not given any wagons because they were supposed to carry the items for which they were responsible. 

They all wanted to bring their offerings for the dedication of the altar at the same time (so that none of them were seen to have been lax in their giving).  However, because some of their offerings were going to be sacrificed on the altar, Moses instructed them each to bring their offerings on a separate day.  As a result, the dedication of the Tabernacle and its furnishings was a twelve day festival.

Daily Bible Study

February 14, 2019 Bible Study — Hockey Players and the Vow of a Nazirite

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Numbers 5-6.

It is at this point where I start looking forward to getting to the end of the Pentateuch.  I really dislike the procedure described for determining if a man’s jealousy about his wife is justified or not.  However, if one truly believes that God will divinely intervene in human affairs, then one can believe that He will intervene to protect an innocent woman unjustly accused by her husband.  Interpreted in light of the later instructions concerning divorce it puts a different light on those instructions: “No, you cannot divorce your wife just because you are convinced she has been unfaithful.  You must have proof.  If you have been unable to catch her being unfaithful, you can follow this procedure.  No, it’s not free.  You need to make an offering along with the request.”  I really don’t think much of a man who puts his wife through such an ordeal.

I have never fully understood the vow of a Nazirite.  What is its purpose?  Moses here describes what one needs to do in order to fulfill such a vow, but makes no mention as to why one would do so.  It appears that Samson’s mother vowed that he would be a lifelong Nazirite before his birth.  The men whom Paul accompanied to the Temple when he was arrested appear to have been completing a vow of a Nazirite.  So, I did a little research and found that most people took the vow of a Nazirite in response to being healed of some great affliction, or in response to receiving something greatly desired (such as the birth of a child).  The example of Samson suggests that some people took the vow of a Nazirite as part of a commitment to God, and a request for His aid, to work towards some godly goal.  As a hockey fan it reminds me of the playoff beards that most (maybe all) hockey players grow.  For those of you who do not follow hockey: NHL players typically stop shaving when their team enters the playoffs and do not shave (and usually do not even trim their beards) until their team has been eliminated.  They do so as a sign of their dedication to winning.  Modern Christians would be well served to have similar traditions to signify our dedication to serving God, or to signify our gratefulness for what He has done for us.

Daily Bible Study

February 11, 2019 Bible Study — Actions Have Consequences

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Leviticus 26-27.

Today’s passage outlines the blessings which God will give to a people who obey His commands, and the punishments which He will mete out to a people who disobey them.  These blessings and punishments are the consequence of obedience or disobedience.  People often complain about God punishing people for disobeying His arbitrary commands.  What they fail to realize is that God’s commands are not arbitrary.  The blessings are the result of living according to God’s commands, but not just the letter of the commands.  To get those blessings you must live according to their spirit.  The punishments are the consequence of disobeying God’s commands.  I like to compare this to putting oil in your car.  You may not like oilt.  You may think it is dirty and messy, but if you do not put it in your car’s engine your car won’t run very long. 

As I read this passage there seems to be two sorts of dedication to God being described.  The first involves paying an amount to the priesthood/Temple in order to dedicate someone to God.  The second involves giving something to the priesthood/Temple with the option to buy it back.  I started to write this because I hoped that by doing so I would come to a better understanding of this.  However, while I understand what the words mean, I do not understand what principle is being presented here.

Daily Bible Study

February 8, 2019 Bible Study — “I Am the Lord Your God”

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Leviticus 19-21.

As I read today’s passage I noticed that every couple of verses the writer includes the phrase, “I am the Lord your God”.  As the passage continues, he includes two variations.  Considering that most people would have learned these by hearing them recited (either from memory or by someone reading it to them as part of a group) both this phrase and the fact that it varies make it easier to remain focused on what is being read.  The first variation, “I am the Lord”, seems to be there just to provide variety. 

The second seems designed to remind us that God will hold us accountable even when our fellow man cannot or will not: “Fear your God. I am the Lord.”   The first time this variation appears it comes right after warning against insulting the deaf or causing the blind to stumble (both instances of taking advantage of someone’s disabilities for your own amusement).  Right after this variation is the warning against favoring the poor or the rich.  The next time it occurs is right after telling us to respect the aged and before telling us not to take advantage of those without connections living among us (foreigners).  I am not sure that this was intended to bring these commands into special focus, because I think that most of the commands in chapter 19 contain variations of treating others with respect and concern.

Daily Bible Study

January 2, 2019 Bible Study — Give to God First

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Genesis 4-7.

We have here the story of Cain and Abel.  They both brought gifts to God from what they had produced that year, but God accepted Abel’s gift and rejected Cain’s.  What was wrong with Cain’s gift? At first it seems that Cain’s gift was rejected because it was from his crops rather than from the flocks as was Abel’s.  However, a careful reading shows us the real difference.  Cain presented “some of his crops” as a gift to the Lord, while Abel brought “the best portions of the first born lambs.”  Cain’s gift to the Lord was just some of what he had produced, while Abel’s gift was from the first of what he produced.  Abel gave to God first, Cain did so as an afterthought.  Cain was jealous of the blessings which God gave Abel as a result of his faithfulness.  However, rather than imitate Abel so that he could receive similar blessings going forward, Cain killed Abel.   People today still follow Cain’s example, perhaps not to the extent of murder, rather than imitate the successful they seek to take what they have for themselves.

We also have the beginning of the story of Noah.  The writer tells us that the “sons of God” took beautiful human women as their wives and that their offspring were the Nephilites, the heroes and famous warriors of old.  The writer tells us that Nephilites lived on the earth at this time and for some time after.  Later, when the Israelite spies went into Canaan, they reported that they saw the Nephilim there (the writer at that point tells us that the Anak people were descended from the Nephilim).  This suggests that either the “sons of God” continued to take human women as wives after the Flood, or that the Flood was not as comprehensive as the writer states in today’s passage.  I tend towards believing that the Nephilites after the Flood were not descendant from the ones before the Flood, but wanted to point out the possibility from the passage of an alternate explanation.  I would not be shocked to learn that the flood “merely” wiped out the civilizations on the earth at that time, that the animals on the Ark were merely those which had been domesticated.  The writer tells us that everything which lived on dry land died, and that is what I believe to be the case, but I wanted to note that other parts of the passage contain ambiguous statements which might suggest otherwise.

Daily Bible Study

December 10, 2018 Bible Study — No rules, just be kind, compassionate, humble patient, and above all loving

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Colossians 1-4.

The Gospel message changes lives.  It does not result in us following a set of rules to which we can find loopholes.   We see the way rules fail to save, or change, people in our society today.  Our society rejected Paul’s teaching on sexual morality, but discovered that without it they needed rules to protect the vulnerable.  Now society is discovering that it needs to ever extend those rules because sinful people find loopholes through which they can exploit the vulnerable.  

  Paul writes that we should forgive those who offend us and live our lives with compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility and patience.   Letting all of these express the love which Christ will cause to live in us.  No rule set can ever cover all of the things which flow out of such characteristics.  No matter how you write the rule set, those who do not possess those characteristics will find ways to abuse others.  On the other hand, those who possess all of those characteristics will never abuse others, even if there are no rules at all.   The point which Paul makes again and again is that sexual immorality, evil desires, and greed are all contrary to the above characteristics.

Paul tells us to bear with the faults of others, although elsewhere he also tells us to confront sinners about their sin.  However, this does not present the conundrum that many people think it does.  Paul tells us not to confront sinners to show them how much better than twe are.  Nor are we to confront sinners as a way to pay them back for what harm they have done to us or others.  No, we should confront sinners because we love them and want them to stop harming themselves with their sins. 

Daily Bible Study

December 8, 2018 Bible Study — Honesty and Love Preclude immorality and Sin

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I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ephesians 4-6.

Paul tells us to stop living as sinners, who are hopelessly confused, or as the NIV translates it, stuck in futile thoughts.   They have hardened their hearts and closed their minds because they are unwilling to give up lustful pleasures and impure activities. I love the way Paul explains how we should live our lives in chapter 4 verses 31 and 32.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Earlier in the chapter, Paul instructs us to stop telling lies and tell our neighbors the truth. I find it very telling that Paul links sexual immorality with being dishonest. Paul focuses on three categories of sin, sexual immorality, impurity, and greed. Paul warns us against those who try to excuse sins: no matter what excuse you come up with, sin will still damage your relationship with God. There is a reason so many sins are done in secret, because no matter how far they push the boundaries of what is socially acceptable, they still want to go beyond that.

Paul tells us to carefully determine what pleases God and take every opportunity to do those things. Not only should we avoid worthless, sinful deeds, but we should expose them for what they are. Here Paul is referencing back to when he told us to tell our neighbors the truth, that involves telling them that certain activities are sinful and therefore worthless. The best part about this is that we will rarely have to verbally express this if we live as God desires. If we live a life of love, following Christ’s example, God’s light will shine out from us, exposing the darkness and sin around us. Let us wisely live according to God’s desires for us. We can find a joy superior to that which others find in inebriation by being filled with the Holy Spirit and praising God.