3–9 April 2016. Numbers 26 (click to read). Numbers 26 begins by mentioning the plague in chapter 25 that killed off the last of the old generation of Israelites. God had threatened them before that none of the generation that left Egypt would enter the promised land. This was their punishment for all the ways […]
Bonus March 2016 Text. Numbers 17–18 (click to read). In Numbers 17 we have a very late story about power – not God’s power but the power and authority claimed by Israel’s priests. At times in Israel’s past, people questioned the authority and even the need for priests. So Bible scholars tell us that in […]
27 March – 2 April 2016. Numbers 9–10 (click to read). Many Christians think the Jews were incredibly strict when it came to following the law, that they carefully obeyed each word as it was written. Sadly, some Christians even want to introduce this type of strict legalism into the church! But the situation was never […]
20–26 March 2016. Leviticus 27 (click to read). We have all gone through bad times in our lives. In ancient Israel, when people were in trouble they often made a vow to God, a promise to give some great offering if God would only hear their prayer and save them. Sometimes vows were also made during […]
13–19 March 2016. Leviticus 17–18 (click to read). In Leviticus 18 we find a lot of Jewish laws about sexual relationships. For us today, we know that positive sexual relationships are those that focus on loving and respecting each other, relationships where we care for each other’s physical as well as emotional health. But that’s […]
6–12 March 2016. Leviticus 9–10 (click to read). Back when we were children in Australia, we used to watch American TV shows and would see how some actors would have these really complicated handshakes. They would meet each other and do some special moves with their hands – and as kids we used to think […]
28 February – 5 March 2016. Exodus 40 (click to read). In the last few chapters of Exodus, the instructions to the Jews on how they should set up their tabernacle are repeated. In these last chapters we also see a lot of detailed instructions for the priests. These detailed instructions continue into the next […]
21–27 February 2016. Exodus 31–32 (click to read). At the start of today’s long passage from Exodus 31–33, we hear about two skillful craftsmen, Bezalel and Oholiab, who are chosen to decorate the tent where the Israelites worship God. Wouldn’t that be great, to be called out by God this way as someone with such […]
14–20 February 2016. Exodus 22 (click to read). The Old Testament law contains 613 commands, but as we see in the gospels (e.g. Matt 22:34–40) Jesus gives us only two: love God completely, and love your neighbour as yourself. In today’s text, we see some concrete examples of that second command. In verses 21–27 we […]
7–13 February 2016. Exodus 12 (click to read). Exodus 12 has all the characteristics of a frightening horror story. It begins with the killing of a lamb, holding it down while it kicks and struggles, drawing a sharp knife across its throat and collecting the blood that spurts out. It talks about smearing that hot […]