Category Archives: Bible study

Numbers 12; Without My Two Cents

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Moses’ own siblings, Aaron and Miriam, were talking about Moses behind his back. They complained about his wife, and were jealous of his following. And, like most gossip, their complaints got back to Moses.

How did he react? The Bible tells us “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” (12:3)

Sounds like Moses “turned the other cheek.” There is no record that he defended himself. Oh, say something against God and Moses would be in your face. Say something about Moses, and he’ll either ignore you, or go to God about it.

As it turned out, God handled it without Moses doing a thing.

It’s unrealistic to think, especially for those of you in positions of authority, that everyone is going to love and/or agree with you all the time. (Ask President Trump). But I’ve found that often, when I react to gossip, or try to defend myself, I can make matters worse.

That’s not to say that there aren’t times when God will prompt us to speak up against gossip or slander or threats of some kind. Then, I believe, He’ll give us the words to say to bring about a solution that brings glory to Himself. But unless I know He is nudging me toward action, I’d like to react like Matthew Henry says Moses reacted: He, as a deaf man, heard not.

I want to learn from Moses’ example. I want to learn when to just keep my mouth shut. I want to learn that if God thinks it’s necessary to defend me, He’s able to do that without my two cents.

Leviticus 23; Jewish Feasts and Jesus (Part 2)

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I shared earlier that I have been looking at the feasts God instructed the Israelites to observe, and seeing Jesus. It’s been a study that has blessed my heart and made me realize how intentional God is. Like my last post, this is not an extensive study on the subject. But I’d like to share what God has laid on my heart, beginning with the fourth feast.

4. The Feast of Weeks (Rejoice). This feast is also known as Pentecost because it was to be observed seven weeks after the feast of First Fruits. That feast was held after the first barley harvest, and not only reminded them how blessed they were by God, it pointed to the risen Savior. Now, seven weeks later, the Jews were instructed to observe a feast to celebrate a second harvest, this time of wheat. Bread was made with new grain and yeast (yeast rises), then two of the loaves were waved before God. Some have suggested that the two loaves represent the Jewish nation AND the Gentile world after Jesus was raised from the dead. I like it! Because Jesus died once and for all, and that means me! Anyway, Jewish men would come to Jerusalem from all over the known world to celebrate. But it is also recorded that the Feast of Weeks was a time to celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. In a sense, it was celebrating the beginning of the Jewish nation. What I find so exciting is that the time frame between The Feast of First Fruits and the Feast of Weeks in the Old Testament, is the same time frame that occurred between Calvary and Pentecost, ushering in the beginning of the Church. Coincidence? I think not!

5. The Feast of Trumpets (Resolve). Trumpets were used to call people to worship. This feast was held to celebrate the Jewish New Year. It was announced by the blowing of a trumpet, a time to reflect on past sins and to decide to make changes in the coming year. A new beginning, so to speak. And isn’t that what we receive when we accept Jesus as our Savior? Old things pass away. All things become new. This feast is also said to look ahead to the second coming of Christ. At the sound of the trumpet, in the twinkling of an eye, Jesus will descend from the heavens to gather up His children. Even so, Lord Jesus, come.

6) The Day of Atonement (Repent). This feast was held the day after the Feast of Trumpets. This was a very solemn day for the Jews. They fasted and repented of sin. This was the day the High Priest dared to enter the Holy of Holies, the day the scapegoat would take on all the sins of the people and remove them from their midst. You don’t have to look very hard to see Jesus here. Jesus became our scapegoat when He took our sins to the cross. He died so we can be forgiven. Then, He ripped open the Holy of Holies and granted us access to the Father.

7) The Feast of Tabernacles (Revival). This was the feast where people took time to reflect on all God had done, how He provided. There was a water ceremony to thank Him for nourishing the ground the past year, and praying for rain for the next growing season. Jesus told us, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” He told the woman at the well that whoever drank the water He gives will never thirst again. This feast was a time of rest and refreshing, to get strength to get out there and do the work God had for them to do. The same can be said when we allow Jesus to fill us, then we get out there to share the Gospel.

I know that my overview of the feasts doesn’t make a dent. But as I studied these from various sources, I was reminded that the Bible, all of creation, life itself is about Jesus. God does not want us to miss Him. You can find Him everywhere, including on every page of this precious book we call the Bible.

 

Leviticus 23; Jewish Feasts and Jesus

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Wow! I’ve enjoyed looking into the feasts that God instructed Old Testament Jews to observe. Nothing God commanded His people to do didn’t point to Jesus. He is in every moment of every one of these feasts. And it’s so beautiful! I want to give you a little taste of the feasts (pun intended). What I am going to share is just a fraction of the truths that are connected with them.

Instructions concerning the Sabbath, although it isn’t usually counted as one of the feasts, begins this chapter. It was a day of Rest, like God modeled for us after six days of creating the universe. John tells us Jesus was with God before creation and, in fact, IS the Creator Himself. Jesus used the words, “I AM” (the name of God) in reference to Himself, like in John 8 when he said, “before Abraham was even born, I AM.” Then in Matthew 11 He clearly says, “I will give you rest.” Yes, Jesus is seen in the Sabbath.

  1. The Feast of Passover (Redeemed). Remember the blood of the perfect lamb protected the Jews from certain death. That lamb’s death bought the Israelites their freedom. And it’s Jesus’ blood, our own Perfect Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, that purchased our redemption, our freedom from the chains of sin. Jesus is seen in the picture of the lamb, it’s blood painted on the doorposts. When I look at the blood dripping down that wooden cross, I see my Redeemer.
  2. Feast of Unleavened Bread (Remember). This feast started the day after the Feast of Passover. They were to eat bread with no yeast and remember how God had provided the mana to His children in the desert. Didn’t Jesus tell us He is the Bread of Life? We who are His children by accepting His work on the cross, are provided with our daily bread. When He gave the bread to His disciples there the night before He died, Jesus said, “Take. Eat in remembrance of me.” We remember.
  3. Feast of First Grain or First Fruits (Risen!) This feast was to be held at the beginning of the harvest. They were to bring the first of what they reaped and give it to the Lord. Jesus said “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24) Jesus died, and lives again! His resurrection is still producing fruit today. The Old Testament Jews were blessed by the harvest. We are blessed by the risen Lord!

Ok. That’s enough for today. I’m going to keep looking into the remaining Feasts and share later. This is good stuff, y’all (to quote my dear pastor.)

Leviticus 8-9; The Holy Spirit

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I understand that oil in the Old Testament represented the Holy Spirit. Oil played an important role in the sacrifices, and in the ordination of Aaron and his sons. I am reminded that the oil was important because the Holy Spirit was not living in men at that time.

Do I understand how blessed I am in 2017? When God says He will never leave or forsake me, He means it! And the Presence of the Holy Spirit lives in me.

Lives in me.

What more is there to say?

Exodus 24-26; Where Worship Is

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I know people say you can worship God anywhere. I actually hope you do worship Him often throughout the day, every day. I’m sitting here in my enclosed porch watching a couple birds make their home in a birdhouse that was once my dad’s. A squirrel just ran along the top of my fence. And my azalea bush is at the end of its beautiful display. I worship the Creator in the magnificent work of His hand.

But does sitting here today mean I don’t need church? God’s instructions to Moses concerning the building of the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant include minute details. These were carefully instructed, ornate, expensive, purposeful places where God’s people would gather to worship.

As I read these chapters it occurs to me that if God was so interested in the physical places of corporate worship back then, He probably is still interested in us taking our places of worship seriously. In the building of these structures God was providing a place for the Jews to gather together to worship because corporate worship was important to Him.

Still is. Don’t neglect the gathering of saints just because you think you can worship God on a golf course. Oh, go ahead and worship Him on the golf course. Just don’t do it on Sunday morning when you have the unique opportunity to gather together with other believers and worship God as one.

I think God, by the example we read in these chapters, must think it’s pretty important.

Exodus 17-18; Tap The Rock

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Someone said there is no thirst quite as painful as thirst in a desert. The pounding heat from the sun, the hot sand on your feet, the dry air burning your lungs with every breath can drive a person mad if they have no water. And it doesn’t take long before a person feels the overwhelming thirst in that situation.

Water. Water. Water is the only focus at times like these. And that is what the Jews were experiencing in the desert, when God instructed Moses to take his staff, tap the rock, and watch the refreshing salvation pour out.

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, says that rock we see in Exodus is a picture of Jesus. If you know Him as your Savior, you most likely have experienced the refreshing that comes when the Holy Spirit is poured out in you, your sins are washed away, and you stand before a Holy God, absolutely clean.

Have you tapped into the Rock? I pray that is so.

Exodus 16; Give Us This Day

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Manna intrigues me. It was something no one had ever seen before, or has seen since. It came straight from God in a very visible way. It was good, refreshing, and nourishing. The Israelites could bake it or boil it. And God gave exactly what everyone needed every day.

One commentator I read suggested I put myself in a Jewish sandal for a moment. Their food supply was spent. They went to bed hungry every night, and parents knew their children were starving. Is it any wonder they complained to their leader?

And is it any wonder that, when that first manna came down from heaven, some hoarded a bunch? They had learned to go to bed each night with no food in the fridge, and it was pretty understandable they wanted a backup plan in case the manna didn’t come again in the morning.

But the manna came. And their hoarded food spoiled. Lesson: Trust God even when things look  hopeless. The Israelites learned they could go to bed at night without any food in the house and no means of supplying food on their own, and trust that God would provide. Every. Day.

Sometimes I can lie awake in bed at night and worry over a situation, or plot a plan of action just in case. I need to learn from the Jews and trust God to supply exactly what I need. When will I learn to pray believing in every situation?

Scripture has been likened to manna. Jesus told us He is the Bread of Life. And Jesus taught us to pray “… give us this day our daily bread…”

Jill Briscoe, in her book “Here Am I… Send Aaron,” points out an important lesson from this account in Exodus 16. If God’s Word is manna, and Jesus is the Bread of Life, how’s my diet?

Most of us have probably been “hangry” a time or two in our lives. You know that irritable feeling that comes from being hungry. Isn’t it Snickers that has the commercial that tells us, “You’re not yourself when you’re hungry”? Been there. Done that.

But how many angry Christians do you know? Christians who complain about the pastor, who divide the fellowship with malicious gossip, who find fault in every decision, and who blame God when they don’t get their way. Jill suggests those kinds of Christians aren’t collecting manna.

We are all created with a hunger to know God. And God has supplied the manna in the pages of the Bible. But if we don’t read it, think on it, pray over it every day, we are starving ourselves. Too many people expect the pastor to feed them a week’s worth of manna on Sunday. They have reason to be “hangry” if that’s the case. They are starving!

Jesus prayed, “give us this day…”  God does. We just need to collect it this day, and every day. If we feed our souls, feast on God Word, ingest our Bread of Life daily, we will be healthy, productive children of God.

If we don’t, well… it’s not God’s fault.

Exodus 14&15; A Lesson From The Bottom

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We’ve all heard about the Israelites and the parting of the Red Sea. They escaped their enemy on dry ground when God parted the waters. They had but to step down, and walk through on the sea’s floor.

John Wesley said something in his Bible Commentary that has me thinking. He suggests it was no accident God provided salvation for His people in such a way. We don’t read that God fashioned a boardwalk so the people could walk over the water. We know Jesus walked on water, so He could have given the same ability to the Jews. And we don’t read that God picked up the whole gang and placed them on the other side, like Philip’s experience after meeting with the eunuch.

Salvation occurred when God’s people stepped down into the bottom of the sea. Wesley says it’s a picture of our own requirement for salvation. A stepping down from control, a humbling, a total submission to the will of God.

We might want to be elevated, or go to God on His level. In fact, there are some churches that preach that you can. But salvation comes when we humble ourselves and allow God to rescue us from the depths of our souls, from the bottom of the sea.

Exodus 13; No Short Cuts

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Another thing jumped out at me concerning God’s hand in the events of our lives. Verse 17 says God led the people by the desert toward the Red Sea, a longer route, because He knew if they took the short cut and had to go to war, they would want to give up and go back to Egypt.

It speaks to me of choice. God didn’t make them go into the desert. He led them, yes. But they chose to follow His lead. He led them that way for their own good, because He knew they could choose to go back to Egypt, and He gave them the chance to keep moving ahead toward the Promised Land.

It seems to me God directs our steps, but whether or not we follow His lead is up to us. Following where He leads helps us avoid hardships, even though the road might be longer. It might not be the road that makes sense to us, or looks to be the easier route.

God is directing our path. And if we follow Him, it’s always going to work out for our good, and His glory.

Exodus 11&12; Only The Blood

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This is salvation. When God instructed the Israelites about the final plague, he painted a picture of what He was prepared to do Himself. The perfect lamb, slain, it’s blood painted around the door, it’s meat ingested, resulting in life and freedom from bondage, and the hope of the Promised Land.

The blood that saved them from certain death, while those without the blood suffered unspeakable loss. The blood, the only means of salvation.

Yes, that’s Jesus. God didn’t require anything of His people He wasn’t willing to fulfill Himself. He demanded obedience of His children, and He was obedient to His Father. That blood protected the families from death. Not might, or intellect, or self-effort. It was only the blood.

And it is still only the blood. What protects you from the consequences of sin? Without the blood of Jesus, there is no protection at all.