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Numbers 29-36 End of the Book
- "...and you may be sure that your sin will find you out." Numbers 32: 23
Finished with the book of Numbers...on the whole, neither Leviticus or Numbers had a lot of content that I found enlightening...but they do serve an important historical purpose and they do shed light on what life looked like for the believer before Jesus came to earth...
Acts 17-18:23
- One of my dad's favorite passages..."Now the Bereans were of more noble character thatn the Thessalonians, for they received the messag with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Chapter 17, 11
- POWER CHAPTER: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them, and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone- an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. for he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." Chapter 17, 24-31
Numbers 26:52-28
- "May the Lord, the God of the spirits fo al mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd." Chapter 27, Verses 16 & 17
Acts 16:16-40
- Such an amazing story in this chapter...
- "About midnight Paul & Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose." Chapter 16, Verses 25 & 26 But Paul & Silas didn't escape and when the jailer realized the prison doors were opened & went to kill himself for this happening on his watch, they said, "Don't harm yourself! We are still here!" Verse 28 and the jailer responded with, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God- he and his whole family." Verses 30-34 And Paul & Silas were acquitted the next day...
Numbers 23:27-26:51
- "I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord-" Chapter 24, Verse 13
- "...for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them..." Chapter 25, Verse 11
- "...because he was zealous for the honor of his God..." Verse 13
Acts 15:36-16:15
Numbers 22-23:26
- "I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God." Chapter 22, Verse 18
- "'Well, I have come to you now. But can I just say anything? I must speak only what God puts in my mouth'...'Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you'...God met with him...'I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations'...'Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?' The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth...'God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it...The Lord their God is with them, the shout of the King is among them.'...'Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?'" Chapter 22, Verse 28, Chapter 23, Verses 3, 4, 9, 12, 16, 19, 20, 21 & 26
Acts 15:22-35
- Short reading today....complete!
Numbers 18-21
Acts 14-15:21
- "We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself wihtout testimony. He has shown kindness by giving you rain form heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." Chapter 14, Verses 15-17
Numbers 7-17
- The first few chapters of today's readings are mostly unrelatable details...
- "At the Lord's command they encamped, and at the Lord's command they set out." Chapter 9, Verse 23 If only we did everything by the Lord's command today...instead of @ our own whim & choosing...
- "When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies." Chapter 10, Verse 9
- "For the Lord has promised good things to Israel." Verse 29
- "Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you." Chapter 11, Verse 23
- "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." Chapter 12, Verse 3
- "When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions. I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" Verses 6-8 Don't mess with those whom God speaks to face to face....!
- "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?" Chapter 14, Verse 11
- "The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion." Verse 18
Acts 11-13
- Peter was so in-tune with the Holy Spirit...it's incredible..."The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them." Chapter 11, Verse 12 He so clearly understood the Holy Spirit's prompting & was confident in that...
- "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" Verses 15-17 I appreciate Peter's humility in saying, "Who was I to think that I could oppose God?" Many of us think we're really somebody & question God on all fronts..."So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life." Verse 18 Good thing, "even the Gentiles" because anyone who isn't Jewish, is a Gentile...so that's me! And even I can now have repentance!
- "The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord." Verse 21
- "When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord...the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." Verses 23, 24 & 26
- "Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. 'Quick, get up!' he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists." Chapter 12, Verse 7
- "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." Verse 11
- "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." Chapter 13, Verses 38 & 39
- "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" Verses 46 & 47
Numbers 5-6
- How the priests were expected to bless the Israelites...now a common Benediction
- "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Chapter 6, Verses 24-26
Acts 10:24-48
- "I know realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." Chapter 10, Verse 35
Numbers 1-4
- All genealogies in these first four chapters...
Acts 9:32-10:23
- Accounts of believers worth emulating..."In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor." Chapter 9, Verse 36
- "At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly." Chapter 10, Verses 1 & 2
Leviticus 22-27 The last 5 chapters...
- Mostly, I found these chapters to have more unrelatable content to present-day living...but here are a few verses with some poetry or subtance to them...
- "Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. Do not profane my holy name." Chapter 22, Verse 31
- "If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit." Chapter 26, Verses 3 & 4
- "I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies and they will fall by the sword before you." Verses 6 & 7
- "I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you." Verse 9
- "I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people." Verse 12
Acts 7-9:31 Living in Fear of the Lord...
- Jam-packed chapters just as the first 6 were....such an enthralling book!
- "At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child." Chapter 7, Verse 20 God grant me the ability & wisdom to raise a child who is everything but ordinary & useful for your kingdom...
- "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men." Verse 48
- "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit." Verse 51
- At Stephen's stoning...he prayed out to God to receive his spirit and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Verse 60 I can't imagine having the fortitude of character & faith in God's justice to ask Him to not hold such a grievance against my "enemies"....it's unreal to be able to see past such hurt and forgive....
- "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." Chapter 8, Verse 4
- The final verse in this reading talks of the people throughout Judea, Galilee & Samaria at the time of Saul's conversion and how they were, "...strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit...grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord." Chapter 9, Verse 31 That is what I see lacking in my life and the lives of many who are close to me....we don't live in fear of God...we abuse our freedom to live for ourselves and however we choose....and it's crippling....
Leviticus 16-21
- Still having a hard time gleaning much relateable wisdom from Leviticus...I read 2 days' worth today and did find a few interesting verses....
- "Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God." Chapter 19, Verse 3 Two of the commandments that I admit I struggle with....
- "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly." Verse 15
- "Do not hate your brother in your heart." Verse 17
- "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself." Verse 18
- "Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God." Verse 32
Acts 5:12-6
- "...tell the people the full message of this new life." Chapter 5, Verse 20
- "We must obey God rather than men!" Verse 29
Leviticus 11-15
- Well, it turns out that the next few chapters of Leviticus appeared mostly as irrelevant as the first 10....so I've scanned 3-days' worth of reading again today...hoping that by tomorrow, there'll be some content in Leviticus to learn from....
Acts 3-5:11
I don't know that realized it before...but Acts might be my favorite book in the Bible...great verses from today's reading...
- "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Chapter 3, Verse 6
- "...and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." Verse 10
- "You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead." Verse 15
- "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Verse 19
- "It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed." Chapter 4, Verse 10
- "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Verse 12
- "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Verse 13
- "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Verses 19 & 20
- "...enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." Verse 29
- "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." Verse 32
Jesus Christ, the author of Life............
Leviticus 1-10 Start of a new book!
The first 10 chapters of Leviticus are mostly detailed accounts of various offerings the Israelites were required to perform before God...therefore, I skimmed until I found content & checked-off 5 days worth! Tomorrow should be the start of actual gleaning from this book...
Matthew 27:45-28
- Wow! Power reading today...literally..."And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people." Chapter 27, Verses 50-53
- "When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened they were terrified, and exclaimed, 'Surely he was the Son of God!'" Verse 54
- "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." Chapter 28, Verse 6 The entire validity of Jesus as the Son of God & the Savior of the world is wrapped-up in those 11 words...they immediately remind me of a verse in the New Testament that says in black & white that Jesus' resurrection from the dead is everything...that our faith is nothing without that...and I couldn't find the verse on my own, so I called-up my preacher Dad who knows his Bible inside & out...and the verses I was thinking of are in 1 Corinthians 15: 13-14 "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." Also verse 17, "And is Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." One of the most amazing things about believing in Jesus is that we can step out of our sins and take on the redeeming blood of Jesus instead...something I would never exchange...
- Jesus final words in Matthew, to the 11 disciples..."All authority in heavn and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Verses 18-20 A lot of speakers working from this passage emphasize the verb, "Go!" and challenge us that it really is an action word, used for a reason...to literally get us off our buts, out of our houses and definitely out of our comfort zones...to find people who don't know Jesus and make disciples...of all nations...
To be caught-up with how far ahead I checked-off in Leviticus...I might as well start the book of Acts and catch that up to the same place for tomorrow....so here are the first 2 chapters of Acts....
Acts 1-2:47
- Double-Wow power chapters of Acts!!! There is SO much in those few pages, it's unreal.....so many verses that just cut me to the heart..."But you will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Verse 8 This means we must not be satisfied with living mediocre lives...God has given us POWER to be His witnesses!!! Can I get a witness?!!! How much courage & fortitude it will take to live as a witness for God...
- Reminder that Jesus will return..."After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight...This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Verses 9 & 11
- PENTECOST...."They were all together in one place (emphasis on the believers meeting together). Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Chapter 2, Verses 1-4 I appreciate that as it explains in the next verses...that the speaking in tongues that took place on this occasion was the speaking of truth in other actual languages...languages the believers did not already know, but of people who were there in the area, who could then hear the Truth spoken in their own "tongue".....that's what I call effective use of speaking in tongues!
- "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Verse 21
- "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose..." Verse 23 Proof that the Jews cannot be blamed for crucifying Jesus Christ...God meant for that to happen...
- However, "...it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." Verse 24 Hallelujah!
- "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence." Verse 28 One of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read.....and will read over & over in my lifetime.....
- "God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all witnesses of the fact." Verse 32 Even we who were not there so many years ago...are all witnesses of the fact that Jesus is alive....we see Him working in our lives today, and we know the truth....!
- "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ." Verse 36
- "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off- for all whom the Lord our God will call." Verses 38 & 39
- "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Verse 40
- And my favorite part of these two chapters is the next few verses...the entire framework for how the church should be founded on & carried-out...
- "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved." Verses 42-47
Exodus 35:30-40
Matthew 26:57-27:44
- The end of this book describes the torture Jesus endured for us...it's ridiculous to imagine..."Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, 'Prophecy to us, Christ. Who hit you?'" Chapter 26, verses 67 & 68
Exodus 34-35:29
Matthew 26:31-56
- In the Garden of Gethsemane...Jesus asks his disciples to, "Stay here and keep watch with me." Verse 38 while he withdrew to pray. And 3 times Jesus returns to find his disciples sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Verses 40 & 41 We so easily fall asleep, lose heart, are distracted or desire to fulfill our selfish wants rather than give God the time He asks of us...sometimes just one hour....
Exodus 30:11-33
- Interesting verse about atonement money that made me think of our current H1N1 crisis...."When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them..." Chapter 30, Verse 12 Is our world fighting off plagues & disease right now because of our sin? Is it our sin as a whole, or the sin of each individual? Daunting thought....I don't generally believe that God causes these things to happen but that He sometimes allows them to....the latter is more comforting...
- Then this reading gets into the Sabbath...which has be perpetually puzzled...wondering how closely to the Old Testament we should be observing the Sabbath in present day...it's clear from a verse I recently read in Matthew (Chapter 19:16-20) that God still expects us to honor the 10 Commandments, which include, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy..." Exodus 20:8 But since we are no longer bound to the old law, what are God's expectations of our adherence to this commandment? This chapter says of the Sabbath, "This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you...The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever." Chapter 31, Verses 13, 14, 16 &17 The terms "lasting covenant" and "forever" sound to me as meaning this practice is to be continuing today.
- It might be easy for my household to practice this as a family as my husband already isn't required to work Sundays and I could likely choose not to...however, there are many who have professions that require work on Sundays (medical personnel, police services, etc.) who would have a hard time accomplishing this today...
- In Chapter 32, after the Israelites rebel against God and make themselves idols out of gold, Moses stands at the entrance of the camp and says, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me." Verse 26 For some reason, I have always envisioned a scenario such as that happening to me in my lifetime, where I will literally be asked, before a group of people, to choose to stand for God or for man...I'm sure I have dozens of instances day-to-day that ask me to do the same but I don't recognize them...however, it would be amazing to truly be in that position one day....probably frightening as well...
- I love in chapter 33, how it talks about Moses speaking to God face to face as he would a friend...the way God revealed Himself to Mack in "The Shack"....Verse 11
- Moses says to God, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you." Verse 14
Matthew 25:31-26:30
- "Come, you who are blessed by my Father: take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothes me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me...I tell you the truth, whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do for me." Chapter 25, Verses 34-36, 40 What I want said of me at the end of my life....on judgement day.....more is required of me throughout my days in this accord....
Exodus 22-27:19
- Thought-provoking verse about how liberally & disrespectfully we discuss & view the leaders in government these days..."Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people." Chapter 22, Verse 28 There are several verses in Scripture about honoring the rulers of government in your country...We consider it our right these days to voice a negative opinion and be perpetually unsatisfied with our leaders...
- "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong." Chapter 23, Verse 2 So easy to do....
- "Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt." Verse 9 Makes me think of the "Keep on Standing" book I just completed last week....
- This next verse is hard for me to grasp...sounds like a "name it & claim it" concept...which is contrary to what I believe..."Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span." Verses 25 & 26 This promise must have been exclusive to the Israelites at that point in time...because there are people in my life who worship God who have been sick, have had miscarriages and have not lived a full life span...although I do believe God had blessings on their lives...He didn't prevent these things from happening...
- "To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain." Chapter 24, Verse 17 Do we sometimes cease to recognize God's consuming fire from day to day?
- "You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give." Chapter 25, Verse 2 I wonder if one's heart has to be very in-tune with God for it to genuinely be prompted to give....we tend to hold onto our riches with tightly clenched fists....
Matthew 22:15-25:30
- "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God'." Chapter 22, Verse 21 Which I believe means, pay your taxes & your bills...no Christian is exempt from what he owes society in this way...
- The Greatest Commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Chapter 22, Verses 37-40 The "loving your neighbor as yourself part" is not an easy task to accomplish....it really isn't....my understanding of what this could look like barely touches what I can imagine it can be...
- "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Chapter 23, Verses 11 & 12
- "More important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness... " Verse 23
- "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Verse 39
- Signs of the end of the age..."Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various place. All these are the beginning of the birth pains...Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come...'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." Chapter 24, Verses 7, 8, 12-14, 29-31 Let my love of God not grow cold....
Exodus 20-21 The 10 Commandments...
- And now, the 10 Commandments:
- #1: "You shall have no other gods before me
- #2: You shall not make for yourself an idol...
- #3: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God...
- #4: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy
- #5: Honor your father and your mother...
- #6: You shall not murder
- #7: You shall not commit adultery
- #8: You shall not steal
- #9: You shall not give false testimony...
- #10: You shall not covet... " Chapter 20, Verses 3-17
- "Whenever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you." Chapter 20, Verse 24
Matthew 21:33-22:14 The Parables of the Tenants and the Wedding Banquet
Exodus 18-19
- Moses meets with his father-in-law Jethro, who says of all that has happened in Egypt, "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly." Chapter 18, Verse 11
- Moses walks up Mount Sinai to meet with God...God talks of, "...how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." Chapter 19, Verse 4
- God also makes a statement that clears-up my understanding more on the role of the Hebrew/Jewish nation as His chosen people...when I know that all of humankind are precious in His sight & anyone who believes is a child of God..."Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." Chapter 19, Verses 5-6 The whole earth is valuable in God's sight & belongs to Him...but there is a special place in His plan for the sons of Abraham...
Matthew 21: 1-32
- Jesus enters Jerusalem...and his effect on the city is unreal..."A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!' When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, 'Who is This?' The crowds answered, 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.'" Chapter 21, Verses 8-11 Jesus proceeded to overthrow the tables in the Temple, heal the blind & the lame while there and give us the next two important lessons...
- "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea, and it will be done.' If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Verses 21-22
- And The Parable of the Two Sons is SO profound, I don't know why there aren't more sermons focused on it...
- "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted? 'The first,' they answered. Jesus said to them, 'I tell you truth, the tax collectors adn the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.'" Verses 28-32 I would call this a warning to those who claim to be Christians but do not truly believe...God knows your heart......
Exodus 16 & 17
- The Israelites are wandering through the dessert now and lose trust in God all over again...they cry out for food & wonder why they didn't stay in Egypt where they were at least fed...but Moses says to them: "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we that you should grumble against us?" Chapter 16, Verses 6 & 7...
Matthew 20:17-34
- It's so crazy to me that Jesus knew what was coming to Him in Jerusalem...He knew in detail that He would be condemned, turned over to the Gentiles, mocked, flogged & crucified...and yet He willingly continued on His journey... Verses 17-19...
- "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to his His life as a ransom for many." Verses 26-28...
- I need to find tangible ways in which God can use me as a servant, so that I can understand how to live the life Jesus did on earth....
Exodus 14:5-15
- The Israelites were on their way...trekking out of Egypt, towards the Red Sea...when God hardened Pharoh's herat and he began to pursue them...as soon as the Israelites realized they were being chased-down, they were terrified and accused Moses of leading them out in the dessert to die! After everything God had just accomplished, they still had no faith in Him.....but Moses stood firm, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14: 13 & 14 My husband actually painted me a canvas of the last part of that verse once for a gift....it compels me to believe its' truth....
- See how God continues to fight for them..."Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left...The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen- the entire army of Pharoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived...That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant." Chapter 14: 19-22, 28, 30-31
- Moses sang out to Lord, "The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name...In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strenth you will guide them to your holy dwelling." Chapter 15, Verses 2, 3 & 13
Matthew 19:16-20:16
- A rich man asks Jesus what he must do to be saved..."If you want to enter life, obey the commandments...If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Chapter 19, Verses 17 & 21
