Numbers 33: Chapter is a retelling of the journey up to this point. Nothing much to add…just that they’ve walked a long way and have been traveling for a long time. Although, at the end God made it clear that they must drive out all the people who currently live in Canaan. If not, they will continue to be a problem for the Israelites.
8/30 Reading (Numbers 27-29; Acts 19)
Numbers 27: I like that the first part of this chapter focuses on the daughters of Zelophehad, who didn’t have any sons. I think it’s pretty cool that they had the courage to approach Moses and request inheritance. Then God explained the ordinance/rules that need to be considered in case a man has no sons, or no children, or…and so on. This seems very progressive/modern for that time.
8/24 Reading (Numbers 12-14; Acts 15)
I didn’t have much to say about Numbers today. Just for my own recollection I’ve included the subtitles for each chapter if I don’t write anything else.
8/22 Reading (Numbers 6-8; Acts 13)
Numbers 6: Chapter is all about instructions for people who want to be nazirites. The rules for them are interesting. They are supposed to stay pure while in this position. According to the notes in the CEB study bible (p. 213 OT), “a nazirite is not an ethnic description but a special category for a person who has vowed to perform a sacred duty.” Does this still exist?
8/17 Reading (Leviticus 25-26; Acts 10)
Leviticus 25: Chapter is about the sabbatical year (every 7th year) and Jubilee year (every 50th year) and the rules associated with each one. The sabbath year is a special year of rest for the land. In the Jubilee year, people must return to their original homes, slaves must be freed, land must be restored to their original owners, and farmland must not be planted or harvested. What’s interesting here is that God specifically outlines how people must help the poorer people of society. They are supposed to help them so they can survive. AND, the people are not allowed to cheat the poor or charge interest. God specifically tells them they have to be treated as well as they would treat an immigrant or a foreign guest. As I’ve said many times already, I wonder if our elected leaders are aware of this passage?
8/16 Reading (Leviticus 22-24; Acts 9)
I have to be honest here, I’m relying heavily on the notes and section headings for the rest of Leviticus, primarily from the CEB version. I just keep struggling with Leviticus and I think the problem is the feeling that I need to write a lot. After talking with my father about all of this I realized that I can’t let myself get frustrated about this. If I don’t write much, so be it. That’s how I felt on that particular day or during those readings.
8/15 Reading (Leviticus 19-21; Acts 8)
NOTE: I had a lot to say on these readings. Just an FYI.
Leviticus 19: This chapter focuses on laws that all people are to follow. There are many of them and I kinda want to list some of them. It seems like most rules are followed with the statement “I am the Lord your God” or some variation. I’ll come back to my thoughts in a minute:
8/11 Reading (Leviticus 10-12; Acts 6)
Leviticus 10: As I read this chapter I can’t help but think about the time in Exodus where God mentions that he’s not quick to anger. Within the first two verses, Aaron’s sons, the two who were consecrated, were killed by God. Here’s what happened: “Now Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. ² And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (Lev 10.1-2). This may make people mad, but that’s not an example of someone who isn’t quick to anger.
8/10 Reading (Leviticus 7-9; Acts 5)
Leviticus 7: The first part of this chapter outlines the ritual for the guilt offering from chapter 5 in Leviticus. The text actually says “the guilt offering is like the sin offering, there is the same ritual for them” (Lev. 7.7). That makes life easy for the priests. Next we get the ritual for the well-being offering from chapter 3. As with the other rituals, the text is very detailed on what an individual is supposed to do in this situation.
8/9 Reading (Leviticus 4-6; Acts 4)
I read a really interesting article in the Washington Post today titled Seriously, ‘Game of Thrones’ made me a better Bible reader. I encourage people to read it. I’ve already mentioned numerous times over this past month how I wonder if people realize just how much sex and violence is in the Bible. The author said this: