Numbers 6-7

Numbers 6 gives us the details on the Nazirite Vow. Our English word Nazirite comes to us from the Hebrew word Nazar, and it simply means to consecrate. Anyone who wanted to consecrate themselves to God above and beyond what was required of them, could do so for a set period time (as God would lead), for any reason. Have you ever sensed that call to draw even closer to God? 

• There was to be no wine during this time (not even grapes).

• There was to be no haircuts during this time (for that reason some men shaved their heads at the commencement of this vow) (this is what we see in Acts 21:23-24).

• There was to be no touching of a dead body, not even if one’s immediate family died during this time. The person under the Nazirite vow was to be exclusively given to God, as we read in:

Numbers 6:8 (NKJV) “All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the LORD.”

If the person was unable to follow through with their vow, or somehow violated it, there was a prescribed series of sacrifices that needed to be made in order to be clean, and resume their vow (Numbers 6:9-12).

When the Nazirite vow was fulfilled, there were more sacrifices to be offered (Numbers 6:13-21).

Samson was unique in that he was to be a Nazirite – from his mother’s womb (Judges 13:4-5). Tragically, Samson violated every aspect of this vow and calling, and he paid a heavy price (Judges 16:21, 30).

I’ve always loved the priestly blessing in:

Numbers 6:24–26 (NKJV) “The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

This was how the priests were to bless the people, they were to prayerfully speak God’s blessings and protection over them – His favor, smiling face, and grace over their lives…that the Lord would give them peace. What a beautiful prayer to pray for one another; a good passage to commit to memory.

Numbers 7 details the offerings the leaders of each of the twelve tribes of Israel gave to the priests, beginning with six covered carts and twelve oxen. Two carts and four oxen were given to the sons Gershon to transport the items they were responsible for in the Tabernacle. Four carts and eight oxen were given to the sons of Merrari, since they were responsible for the transportation of more items than Gershon, and no carts or oxen were given to the sons of Kohath since they carried their items on their shoulders.

After that there was the offerings given from the representative leaders of each tribe on twelve successive days.

• One silver platter weighing 3.25 pounds, and one silver bowl weighing 1.75 pounds, both full of fine flour and oil.

• One gold pan weighing 4 ounces, full of incense.

• One young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering

• One kid of the goats as a sin offering

• Two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs in their first year as a peace offering

The tally is given in Numbers 7:84-88.

The twelve tribes did not include Levi or Joseph for Joseph was represented by his two sons Ephraim and Mannasseh, and Levi was the tribe of priests receiving the offerings.

Chapter 7 concludes with another beautiful passage:

Numbers 7:89 (NKJV) “Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him.”

God met with Moses and spoke to Moses, audibly, from above the Mercy Seat (see also Exodus 25:22). This would be the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, symbolic of God’s throne; and it was there, on that very spot, where the High Priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. It is there where we also are able to meet with God, at His throne of Grace, and He will speak to our hearts.

---

Mark 12:38-13:13

O Lord, please help us to take to heart this warning You gave us in reference to the religious leaders of that day, that we would never ever be like them. They were pretenders who were only interested in the perks and preferential treatment, especially the power, but they did not like or love the Lord, or the people of the Lord – they were in it for themselves. Imagine having a heart to devour widows and their houses! 

Our Lord closes Mark 12 with a lesson on giving. In God’s economy the widow who gave 2 mites gave more than all the others, because they gave out of their abundance, but she, even though she was poor, gave all that she had.

Warren Wiersbe offers rich insight, “The Lord watches how we give (Mark 12:41–44) and examines the motives of the heart (Matthew 6:1–4). He also sees how much we give and measures the proportion, not the portion (1 Corinthians 16:2). An old epitaph reads, ‘What I gave, I have. What I spent, I had. What I kept, I lost.’”

Everyone was mesmerized by the glory of the Temple – the disciples make a comment about the stones, after all, some of them were forty feet long, weighing up to 160,000 pounds! Jesus wasn’t as impressed, informing them that the time would come when these very stones would be thrown down – not one would be left upon another.

When they reached the Mount of Olives, some of the guys asked Jesus about this, when will these things be, what are the signs of Your coming, and of the end of the age?

Jesus went on to share what Christians often refer to as the “Olivet Discourse” (see also Matthew 24 and Luke 21). He predicts that false Messiah’s would come, there would be wars and rumors of wars, ethnic tension, earthquakes, famines and so much more – all these would increase in frequency and intensity before the Second Coming of Christ. 

Jesus predicts the persecution of the Apostles who would be hated by all, betrayed by families, forced to testify in Synagogues and even before world rulers for His sake. There was no need to worry or even prepare what to say in such situations, God would give them every word. 

Mark 13:11 (NKJV) “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”

Imagine the heartbreak of families divided because of Jesus, and even the hatred some will experience, they will be hated because Jesus is hated – but He warned us all about it (Matthew 10:34-35; John 15:18-20).

Just as a quick side-note, some might attempt to apply Mark 13:11 to teachers giving a Bible Study, but the context deals with what to do when someone is arrested for preaching the Gospel. Teachers of God’s Word are to prepare for those teaching opportunities by laboring in the Word (1 Timothy 5:17) and studying to show themselves approved to God (2 Timothy 2:15). We do trust the Lord for the words while teaching and we are to be dependent upon the Holy Spirit, hoping that He will speak through us, but this passage is a precept for a different situation.

---

Psalm 49:1-20

This Psalm, which can be categorized as a Wisdom Psalm, definitely has the overtones of a Proverb – even using that very word in Psalm 49:4.

A common theme woven throughout the Psalm is the poverty of wealth, when that wealth becomes one’s trust. All the money in the world cannot buy a single fiber of God’s forgiveness, much less the redemption of our souls!

Psalm 49:8 (NKJV) “For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever.”

Psalm 49:8 (NLT) “Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough.”

Peter reveals to us the cost in:

1 Peter 1:18–19 (NKJV) “…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

Therefore, don’t envy the rich, don’t overwork to be rich; don’t pour your life into your house or the properties you may amass – that’s what the world does:

Psalm 49:11 (NKJV) “Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.”

Don’t fear or envy the rich, for in the end, they end up with nothing, even if all others commend them – God doesn’t.

Psalm 49:17–18 (NKJV) “For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself).”

Jim Elliot, “No man is a fool who give up that which he cannot keep, in order to gain that which he cannot lose.”

---

Proverbs 10:27-28

In Proverbs 10:27 we have a general principle (not a binding precept) that if we do things God’s way we will live longer. If we live longer we’ll have more time to serve Him and the people He brings our way with the wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ. If I live a life of violence, indulgence, drugs, and alcohol, chances are my life will be cut short.

In Proverbs 10:28 we discover that the hopes of the righteous will be realized and bring happiness, while the dreams of the wicked only end as nightmares.

Thank God for the righteousness imputed and imparted by faith in Jesus Christ.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you!

Numbers 4:1-5:11

More numberings take place – this time Moses numbers the Levitical sons of Kohath, Gershon, and Merrari, those who were between the ages of thirty and fifty years old, “…all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.” (Numbers 4:3)

We get to read about the specific responsibilities of each family, and even some of the details on how they were to take down and transport the tabernacle.

When it comes to the Holy Place and Most Holy Place, the sons of Aaron were to cover the Ark of the Testimony with badger skins and a blue cloth, and insert it’s poles for the sons of Kohath to carry. They were to do the same with the Table of Showbread, covering it with a scarlet cloth, the Lampstand was to be covered with a blue cloth, the Golden Altar with a blue cloth, and the ashes were to be carried away in a purple cloth.

The LORD is very meticulous with details – perhaps the scarlet points to the blood, the blue to heaven, and the purple a mixture of both? We even see glimpses of our Redeemer (Matthew 27:28; Mark 15:17).

The poles were provided so that the Kohathites were able to carry the items without touching them, for if they touched them, they would die; we read the warning in:

Numbers 4:15 (NKJV) “And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.”

Later in the Bible we’ll read the account of Uzzah touching the Ark of the Covenant because he didn’t want it to fall to the ground. He thought that he was holier than the dirt, apparently he wasn’t (none of us are), and he died for touching it (2 Samuel 6:6-7). Another time the children of Israel looked into the Ark and it resulted in a great slaughter – the children of Israel should have known better; only the sons of Aaron were allowed to see and touch these holy items, and even they had to approach these symbols of God’s presence in the prescribed way.

Everyone had their duty – the son of Aaron (Numbers 4:16), the sons of Kohath, the sons of Gershon, and the sons of Merari – we all do, in the vast Kingdom of God (Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Peter 4:10).

Numbers 5 covers what we might consider to be a bizarre law/ceremony to be conducted when a husband suspects his wife has been unfaithful to him. Considering the context of Theocracy (a nation directly governed by God), it’s not unreasonable to expect supernatural revelation woven into the law. One time I was contacted by a friend who suspected their spouse was being unfaithful – they were having a very difficult time with this. I had to tell him that God would make it clear, He would bring it to light. He always does (Numbers 32:23).

Warren Wiersbe, “This unusual law protected the woman as well as sanctified the marriage relationship. Husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. Marriage is an intimate relationship, and even hidden unfaithfulness can create a spirit of jealousy and doubt. If the wife was guilty, the truth would come out; if not, the husband could trust her, and they could live together and have a family. We have no such laws today, but we have an all-seeing God to whom we will answer one day.”

---

Mark 12:18-37

I’m sure you’ve heard that old joke about the Sadducees – they didn’t believe in angels, spirits, or life after death (Acts 23:8), that’s why there were “sad-you-see?”

But it’s true, they didn’t believe in the resurrection, so they question Jesus about the Levirate law which legislated for a brother to marry his sister-in-law if his brother died and had no children. Children were to carry on the family name and take care of their parents when they aged – this was their form of Social Security. So in the context of this law, the Sadducees share a story of a woman who had seven husbands and no children – their question was whose wife would she be in heaven? In this, they questioned the very idea of heaven. Their problem was they didn’t know the power or Word of God.

Mark 12:24 (NKJV) “Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?”

Those are the simple reasons people are confused – they don’t know the Bible, and they don’t know God. For one, Jesus explains that in heaven there is no longer human marriage, that in this sense we will be like the angels – not that we lose our genders, but we won’t marry or be given in marriage.

Bible Knowledge Commentary, “Marriage is necessary and suitable for the present world order, in which death prevails, in order to continue the human race. But angels, whose existence the Sadducees denied (cf. Acts 23:8), are deathless and live in a different order of existence where they have no need for marital relations or reproduction of offspring.”

For some, this is a tough truth to deal with. I remember talking to one couple who left a church because they couldn’t swallow this truth. I had to tell them this IS what the Bible teaches. I like to tell my wife, we might not be married, but we can still be BFFs in heaven (after the Lord of course).

Jesus goes on to confirm the resurrection of the dead (yes, there is an eternal afterlife), by pointing out the fact that the Bible refers to God as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Jesus reasons:

Mark 12:27 (NKJV) “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.”

Jesus is next questioned about the greatest commandment of all…and it’s all about love; to love the LORD the only God, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And (in case you’re interested) the second is like it, if we love the Lord, it stands to reason, we will love ALL others; this is the summary of all the law, it really is as simple as that!

In closing, Jesus gives them something to think about when it comes to a title they’d always given the Messiah – the “Son of David.” If the Messiah is simply David’s descendant, why did David refer to Him as Lord in Psalm 110:1?

Jesus was calling them (and us) to dig deeper into the Word, if they did, they would discover that the Messiah is both the root and offspring of David (Isaiah 11:1; Revelation 22:16) – Jesus is the Son of David and the Son of God.

---

Psalm 48:1-14

This Psalm is all about God and His city – the city of Jerusalem!

“In the city of our God…” (Psalm 48:1, 8)

“The city of the great King…” (Psalm 48:2)

“The city of the LORD of Hosts…” (Psalm 48:8)

Of course in that city, living right there along with the King are the citizens of the Kingdom. Such a beautiful reference to Israel’s Jerusalem, and Heaven’s Jerusalem. God will defend Jerusalem and establish it – forever! The city we will all dwell in forever and ever in heaven, is Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:10 (NKJV) “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.”

I’ll never forget visiting Israel, and the first time I saw Jerusalem, it brought tears to my eyes. It all points to a God who loves us so much that He wants to live with us, and will be with us, and be gracious to us, to guide us to our home in “Jerusalem.”

Psalm 48:14 (NKJV) “For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.”

---

Proverbs 10:26

Their version of vinegar was very, very annoying to the teeth, just as smoke annoys the eyes.

There’s something else that’s annoying, even to the Almighty, and that is the lazy messenger, who’s not faithfully, accurately giving God’s Word, not delivering the Master’s message, not willing to labor in study and prayer. This is annoying to the Almighty, it grieves God and one day they/we teachers will give an account.

So James warns:

James 3:1 (NKJV) “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you!

Numbers 2:1-3:51

God is definitely a God of complete order. We even see this in the way He details how the tribes are to camp while in the wilderness, and the order of procession whenever they moved.

On the east side of the Tabernacle would be the tribe of Judah, next to them would be Issachar, next to them would be Zebulun – these would be the first to break camp.

On the south side of the Tabernacle would be the tribe of Reuben, next to them would be the tribe of Simeon, next to them would be Gad – these would be the second to break camp.

On the east side of the Tabernacle would be the tribe of Ephraim, next to them would be Manasseh, next to them would be Benjamin – these would be the third to break camp.

One the north side of the Tabernacle would be the tribe of Dan – next to them would be Asher, next to them would be Naphtali – these would be the last to break camp.

In between the tribes and the Tabernacle would be Moses, Aaron and their sons in order to listen to God, serve God, and meet the needs of the people. We read in:

Numbers 3:38 (NKJV) “Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.”

Many Bible teaches believers that an aerial footage of Israel’s camp would depict a cross.

Chuck Missler, “It would appear to us that it is a cross! Isn’t that remarkable? And this is from the Torah, not the New Testament!”

History tells us that the banners or flags for Judah’s tribal standard was, of course, the lion. Reuben’s ensign was a man; Ephraim’s the ox; Dan’s, ultimately, the eagle. It is interesting to note that these four primary tribal standards–the lion, the man, the ox, and the eagle–are the same as the four faces of the cherubim in Ezekiel and Revelation (Ezekiel 1:10; 10:14; Revelation 4:7). Each time we encounter a view of the throne of God, we notice these holy living creatures. Some even see a resemblance of Jesus (Lion = King; Man = Humanity; Ox = Servant; Eagle = Deity).

Numbers 3 lists the sons of Aaron and the selection of the Tribe of Levi. Keep in mind that from the sons of Aaron would come the High Priests of Israel, and the sons of Levi would be their helpers as priests. We read this about the Levites:

Numbers 3:7 (NKJV) “And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.”

The children of Israel, in one sense, owed God their firstborn son, so rather than taking him from each family, God “took them” from Israel as a whole, by setting apart the entire Tribe of Levi to be priests. When Moses numbered the Levites one month old and above, the total was 22,000 (Numbers 3:39). When God numbered the firstborn among Israel one month and above, the total was  22,273. God then allowed the children of Israel to pay 5 shekels each for the redemption of the extra 273 firstborn males who were not accounted for among the descendants of Levi.

As we continue our journey through the Bible, we will see these 3 sons of Aaron – Gershon, Kohath, and Merrari and the different responsibilities they have in helping with the tabernacle.

Numbers delineates where each of these families would camp and what their duties would be.

Gershon on the west:

Numbers 3:25 (NKJV) “The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting.”

The family of Kohath would camp on the south of the Tabernacle:

Numbers 3:31 (NKJV) “Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.”

The family of Merrari would camp on the north of the Tabernacle:

Numbers 3:36–37 (NKJV) “And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them, 37 and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.”

Yes, He is a God of order, in order to get things done efficiently and effectively reach the world. It’s a blessing to see how throughout the ages, God has given duties and assignments for all of His people. May we be faithful wherever He’s called us to camp and to whatever it is that has been entrusted to our care (1 Corinthians 4:1; 1 Peter 4:10).

---

Mark 11:27-12:17

The religious leaders questioned Jesus’ actions and authority, He hadn’t gone to their schools, or run in their circles; He hadn’t been elected into office, or appointed by the Romans, how could He have the audacity to clean house like this and oppose them in their positions of power – where did Jesus get that authority? Who did He think He was? Of course we know His authority was from the Father and He now possesses ALL authority (Matthew 28:18).

Jesus responds with a question of His own, “What about the baptism of John? Was it from heaven or from men?” If they were honest with that question, they would easily have their answer – the Baptist was undeniably from God, but they weren’t willing to face the truth and its consequences. They were gravely mistaken in thinking they could forget God’s prophet, bury him, and be done with him – but they couldn’t. God wouldn’t allow it, God wouldn’t go any further with them, until they dealt with what He’d already given them.

Is there any sin-issue in my life that I’m trying to bury? I don’t want to face? If so, I very well might be stuck there, stunted in my growth – or worse, in danger of being flattened in judgment (1 Corinthians 11:31).

As the Lord Jesus draws closer to the cross, He shares some heavy warnings with the Pharisees and the other religious leaders who opposed Him every step of the way.

Israel is described as a vine in Isaiah chapter 5, and here the Lord sees the religious leaders as tenant-farmers who refused to acknowledge God’s ownership of the land. At the heart of such an agreement the tenants were to produce fruit for the owner. Instead, these leaders persecuted the prophets of God who called for fruit and they were about to execute the Son of God who saw no fruit– they actually thought they could rob the living God of His land!

But Jesus warned them of the consequences of their decision:

Mark 12:9 (NKJV) “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.”

The rejection of the Messiah had been predicted in the Old Testament Scriptures; from a Messianic Psalm 118:22-23 (quoted by Mark – they should have read their Bibles)

Mark 12:10–11 (NKJV) “Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders REJECTED Has become the chief cornerstone. 11 This was the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

The Pharisees then tested Jesus with a question about taxes, but He blew them away with that heart wrenching response in:

Mark 12:16b–17 (NKJV) “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him.

They were trying to trick Him in His words, but He could not be fooled and on the contrary, seized the opportunity to teach them (and us), heavenly lessons. The image on the coin was Caesar’s, so go ahead and give it to him, but we are created in the image of God. We have His inscription upon us, let’s give ourselves completely to God! Jesus didn’t get political, He was building a bigger Kingdom, one that would last forever.

---

Psalm 47:1-9

Psalm 47 emphasizes the fact that God is the King over all the earth, and as King He will rule the earth. It just so happens that this King also loves us (Psalm 47:4), He will defeat those who oppose us (Psalm 47:3), we can therefore clap and SHOUT with a voice of triumph (Psalm 47:1).

Do you know this about God who is over ALL the earth?

Do you know this about God who loves you dearly and gives you the victory, even in suffering? (Romans 8:37)

Do you understand God’s love and sovereignty? If so, you can now “sing praises with understanding.”

Psalm 47:7 (NKJV) “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.”

---

Proverbs 10:24-25

The wicked will get what they don’t want, their greatest fear…and the righteous will get what they’ve always wanted, the desires of their heart, so don’t lose heart my fellow believer!

Psalms 37:4 (NKJV) “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Proverbs 10:25 brings to mind Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:24-27. Will our “houses” stand when the whirlwind hits? When the test (which is on its way) is given? It all depends on if I’m in right relationship with God and living a life of overall obedience to Him.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you!

Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54

Warren Wiersbe explains this chapter in context, “If you have ever found it difficult or impossible to fulfill a promise, the message of this chapter is for you. In a moment of extreme joy or trial, a Jew might make a vow to God, offering to give Him something valuable in return for His blessing. (See Judges 11:29–40; Jonah 2:9.) The vow might involve people (vv. 1–8), animals (vv. 9–13, 26–27), property (vv. 14–25), or produce (vv. 30–33).

If the person could not fulfill the vow, he was not permitted to back out, nor could he offer a cheaper substitute. He had to give the priest the equivalent in money, plus one-fifth more. This chapter tells the priest how to evaluate the gift so that the Lord would receive the right amount, for the money was used for the work of the sanctuary. The word valuation is used nineteen times.”

Even today, when a congregant offers non-monetary donations to the Lord through the church, our administration team is required to give an approximate valuation for tax purposes. Leviticus continues with laws in this area, although this wasn’t for tax credit, the value was to be determined, the valuation of a house, or a field, etc., and what to do if the person wanted to purchase it back, or revoke their vow (add 20%). There was even specifics on how to navigate through all of this considering the Year of Jubilee. 

It was possible for a person to donate their land permanently to the Lord – to be used by the priests, but if it was a property purchased outside of the family Tribe and then donated…in the Year of Jubilee the land would be returned to the original family.

The firstborn was to be dedicated to the Lord or redeemed, after all, the Jews were spared their firstborn in their redemption from Egypt, and the day would come when God would give His Firstborn, His only Son in redemption for us. (Colossians 1:15 – not that Jesus was created or born, but Jesus functioned with the right of the Firstborn).

The book of Leviticus ends aptly:

Leviticus 27:34 (NKJV) “These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.”

As we begin the book of Numbers Bruce Wilkinson & Kenneth Boa have this to say, “Numbers, the book of divine discipline, shows the painful consequences of unbelief and irresponsible decisions on the part of God’s chosen people. Numbers begins with the old generation (chs. 1–12), moves through a tragic transition period (chs. 13–20), and ends with the new generation (chs. 21–36) poised at the doorstep to the land of Canaan. The book contains the records of two generations, two censuses, and two sets of instructions for enjoying the land of promise. God’s love is kind, but it can also be severe. His people must learn they can move forward only as they trust and depend on Him.” – Talk through the Bible

Warren Wiersbe, “Numbers is the book of wanderings. It takes its name from the two numberings of the Israelites—the first at Mount Sinai and the second on the plains of Moab. Most of the book, however, describes Israel’s experiences as they wander in the wilderness. The lesson of Numbers is clear. While it may be necessary to pass through wilderness experiences, one does not have to live there. For Israel, an eleven-day journey became a forty-year agony.”

We have the total number of soldiers 20 years old and above given to us in Numbers 1:46 = 603, 550

This total didn’t include the Tribe of Levi who were excluded from the military due to their responsibility of service in the Tabernacle. With 603,550 men of military age, what must the total population have been, when you include women, children, and elderly? There easily could have been 3 million Jews by this time!

---

Mark 11:1-26

Jesus’ “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem had been predicted and prophesied in the Old Testament – to the very day.

We read one prophecy in: 

Zechariah 9:9 (NKJV) “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

It was a colt on which no one had ever sat (Mark 11:2). It was reserved for Him. For this was the Day He finally, formally, officially “presented” Himself to Israel. Prior to this He told others, including His disciples NOT to say anything, NOT to tell anyone. Up to this point Jesus never made a fuss about Himself. He was very low key. If others were tempted to give Him any publicity, He would actually forbid it; He told them, “Don’t say anything.” (Mark 8:30; 9:9) But this time, it was time, He didn’t hold back, for this Day had been written about in Daniel 9:25 predicting 69, 7-year periods, which on the Jewish calendar totals 173,880 days after the command of Artaxerxes to restore and build Jerusalem, bringing them to April 6, 32 AD, the VERY DAY Jesus rode into Jerusalem – here He was Messiah the Prince! (Jesus even referred to this as “your day”in Luke 19:42)

The initial response of the people was receptive; they fulfilled prophecy in quoting from Psalm 118:26, which everyone knew to be a Messianic Psalm.

Unfortunately, their faith in Him did not last long, it would wither away, pictured in the fruitless and withering Fig Tree, which also provided a visual, of the judgment to come. 

The next day, which is Monday, He leaves Bethany as He heads towards Jerusalem. The Bible says He was hungry; but when He came to the fig tree… there was no fruit on it. Mark 11:13, tells us that it wasn’t the season for figs. 

Then why did Jesus judge it?

Well, the time of year was Passover, so it was the middle of the month of Nisan (our April). In Israel at this time, fig trees produced small edible buds in March followed by the appearance of large green leaves in early April. This early green “fruit” was common food for the local peasants to eat. An absence of this small green fruit, in spite of the large leaves, meant that it would bear no fruit that year. Eventually these buds dropped off when the normal crop of figs formed and ripened in late May and June, the fig season. Thus it was reasonable for Jesus, shortly before Passover (mid-April) to expect to find something edible on that fig tree even though it wasn’t the season for figs.

The religious leaders were lining their pockets with the big time profits of the money changers and those who sold “pre-approved” sacrifices, so Jesus cleaned house, and drove them out. People were making light of the Temple, despising it, when it should have been esteemed as God’s House, a House of Prayer for all Nations (they had made it a den of thieves).

I’ve always been checked and challenged by this teaching. May our lives, our homes, and our churches be “God’s House of Prayer!”

Peter is amazed by the way the Fig Tree withered away so soon, roots and all. Jesus teaches us on the power of God through prayer – that if we have faith we can move mountains, if we believe, Jesus says, we will receive. When we’re in right relationship with God we will ask in alignment with His will (1 John 5:14) and by faith we will see God move mightily!

But not only do we need faith, we also need forgiveness (Mark 11:25-26) – we must forgive others, for if we don’t, our Father will not forgive us – a serious and heavy warning!

---

Psalm 46:1-11

What a beautiful Psalm! Notice the application:

Psalm 46:1–2a (NKJV) “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 THEREFORE WE WILL NOT FEAR…”

It matters not if the whole wide world, including the mountains are moved, it matters not if the waters of every ocean rose up and roared and threatened to swallow us alive, God Himself is in the middle of it all, and He will help us (Psalm 46:5).

Psalm 46:6 is interesting for first of all, it refers to God as the “LORD of Hosts” which means the LORD of Heaven’s Army – He fights for us. Secondly, it refers to the God of Jacob as our refuge, and Jacob was that name of a man emphasizing his fallen nature, and the struggle he had, sometimes he was Jacob (conniver), sometimes he was Israel (governed by God). Not that I’m making light of sin, but we all need God’s grace. If our confidence is only in a God who helps us when we’re sinless, we will live in constant fear, because we will never know if we’re good enough. But if we understand that God helps us even when we fail and fall – He even fights for us, this LORD of Hosts, this God of Jacob – it really does bring me to that place as God’s child…“Therefore, we will not fear.”

The King of kings will one day end all wars by winning the War of wars…so he concludes:

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV) “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

What does that passage mean to you?

Don’t be afraid. Don’t panic. Don’t fret. Don’t act hastily. Don’t do too much to try and “fix” your situation. God is God not us.

---

Proverbs 10:23

I thought it was interesting to find the word “sport” in the Bible. But before I could break out my football analogies, I discovered that the Hebrew word translated “sport” is usually translated laughter, and that’s the tragedy taught here. How foolish is the man who does evil, and rather than experiencing a conscience of conviction, he ends up with a hardened heart of humor – he laughs about it.

Violence, cruelty, dishonesty, robbery, it’s just a joke to the fool.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you!

Leviticus 25:47-27:13

The law of the Kinsman Redeemer meant that anyone in the family (a kinsman, relative) could redeem land or even a loved one. This is pictured beautifully in the book of Ruth which depicts a glorious prophecy of the way Jesus redeemed the church.

The laws of blessing and cursing are given in Leviticus 26 – the Israelites couldn’t say that God didn’t make it perfectly clear, He would bless obedience, and He would punish disobedience.

Leviticus 26:3-4a (NKJV) “‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, 4 then I will…”

…give you rain, fruit, peace in the land; I will rid the land of evil beasts, chase your enemies, look on you favorably, multiply you, set my Tabernacle among you…and ultimately the beautiful promise of v. 12:

Leviticus 26:12 (NKJV) “I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.”

But then there’s the other “promise”:

Leviticus 26:14–16a (NKJV) “But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, 15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16 I also will do this to you…”

The list of chastening is vast, leading ultimately to expulsion from the land if the Jews persisted in defiant disobedience – but by the grace of God and His covenant relationship, they would not be utterly cast away.

It’s important for us to keep in mind that this is the Old Covenant and not the New. Although God still promises to bless obedience today, the blessings are not ultimately of this world, the health, wealth, and prosperity are primarily in the world to come (in heaven) they are eternal.

Of course, God is always ready to pardon and restore (Leviticus 26:40-43)

Warren Wiersbe summarized the chapter as follows:

Covenant (1–13). God used the word covenant eight times in this chapter. It reminded the people of their special relationship with Him and the responsibilities belonging to that relationship. If they obeyed the terms of the covenant, they would remain in the Promised Land and enjoy His blessings. God does not promise material success to His new covenant people today, but He does promise to be with us and meet our every need.

Chastening (14–39). God’s covenant included both blessing and chastening, for God will not share His goodness with rebellious children. Enjoying the gifts while insulting the Giver is both selfish and idolatrous. We should obey God, not to “deserve” His blessings or even to avoid His chastenings, but to show our love to Him and our desire to please His heart.

Confession (40–46). A gracious God always leaves the door open for restoration. That is one loving purpose of His chastening hand (Heb. 12:1–13). The people may break their promises to God (v. 15), but God will never break His promises to His people (v. 44). God forgets our sins but remembers His covenant! This is not an excuse for sin, but it is an encouragement for sinners to repent and return to the Lord.

Leviticus 27 begins with the valuation of vows, a bit easier for me to understand in the New Living Translation:

Leviticus 27:1–2 (NLT) “The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate someone to the LORD by paying the value of that person.”

---

Mark 10:32-52

Again, Jesus predicts His cross and resurrection, and again, the guys are oblivious to it and ignore the cross in every way; a couple of them even start jockeying for position! It’s ironic, Jesus came to us in a complete act of humiliation and His Apostles, at this point, are only interested in exaltation. Jesus uses this as another teaching moment. He explains the fact that the way of the kingdom of men is, to RULE over others, but those in the Kingdom of God are called to SERVE others. As a matter of fact, if you want to be great – be a servant, and if you want to be first (the greatest), be the slave of all! Jesus is our example and in every way:

Mark 10:45 (NKJV) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Mark 10 closes with blind Bartimaeus teaching us how to pray – he heard there was hope that Jesus might hear him, and he cried out for mercy. They told him to be quiet, but he yelled even louder. He caught Jesus’ attention who came to him, spoke with him…and answered his prayer, by healing him…and Bartimaeus was no longer blind.

Don’t ever let anyone silence you in prayer – keep crying, and crying, and crying out to God. He really is blessed and moved by persevering faith!

How would you answer Jesus’ question?

Mark 10:51a (NKJV) “…What do you want Me to do for you?”

---

Psalm 45:1-17

This Psalm was most likely written for a royal wedding and is clearly Messianic in nature, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is gracious, He is the Mighty One, He is majestic in battle, He is the King of kings, and He is God. 

Psalm 45:6-7 is quoted in Hebrews 1:8-9 in reference to Jesus being greater than the angels (notice that Jesus is referred to as God).

The rest of this section points to the beauty of the bride desired by the King and the glory she will enjoy forever and ever. This is a picture of the church, may she never look back with longing eyes to her former family.

---

Proverbs 10:22

Proverbs 10:22 (NKV) “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”

When I read this passage I can’t help but think of the church of Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-9) they weren’t rich materially, but they were rich spiritually, they were truly blessed!

If you had to choose between the two (where you could have only one) – which would you choose? 1 million dollars? Or peace of mind? 2 million dollars? Or a life of love?

For the Christian, these type of riches start now (peace and love), we get glimpses, small slivers, ultimately looking forward to that day when there will be no more sorrow (Revelation 21:4).

This verse can also be taken literally. Proverbs 10:4 teaches us that hard work brings wealth, and here we read in Proverbs 10:22 that the Lord brings wealth. God is the well, while man is the worker.

When the Proverbs speaks of the fact that God “adds no sorrow with it,” this can mean that there is no “trouble,” the upright will ever experience, that won’t inevitably be transformed into triumph.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you!

---

Leviticus 24:1-25:46

The LORD spoke to Moses, instructing him to command the children of Israel to bring pure oil of pressed olives to keep the light in the lampstand of the tabernacle burning perpetually. Although this was a very specific and practical contribution, I’ve also seen it symbolically as the prayers of the people. I like to connect it to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Gethsemane means “olive press”) and it was there where Jesus frequently prayed. I believe that as God’s people faithfully pray, the light keeps shining and the anointing remains on the congregation – the lampstand burns continually.

Then there’s the showbread, symbolizing the 12 Tribes of Israel…always in the presence of God. It’s good to know that although there may be times when God seems silent, He is never, ever absent. We are ALWAYS in His presence!

It’s hard for us to imagine the death penalty for someone who blasphemed the name of God with his lips in a moment of anger, but that’s only because we’ve drifted so far from the utmost honor God deserves. Today we no longer have this law, but we should have the utmost reverence for God’s holy name. It should break our hearts when we hear people take God’s name in vain. Jesus taught us to pray in:

Matthew 6:9 (NKJV) ”In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”

The legislation of Leviticus 24:17-21 are laws of pure justice. Jesus taught us that although it may be practiced and legislated in a society, it’s not to be practiced personally (Matthew 5:38-42).

In Leviticus 25 we have the laws of the Sabbath for the land. God commanded the children of Israel to work the land agriculturally for 6 years, but then to take the 7th year off. This would be good, not only for their own rest, but also for the soil, and even the animals. God promised to provide for the people – if only they trusted Him.

Unfortunately when the children of Israel were given the land they never practiced this commandment to give the land rest (they were greedy and refused to trust God). This was one of the reasons they were taken away into captivity, we read in:

2 Chronicles 36:20–21 (NKJV) “And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

They had been clearly warned (see Leviticus 26:33-35).

God’s commands are to be obeyed; rest and trust are important to Him because He loves us. God help us to be hard workers, yes, but not disobedient workaholics.

Then there’s the Year of Jubilee, which was to be celebrated every 50th year. In that year, not only was the land to rest, but any land that had been sold was to be returned to the original owners. 

When the children of Israel were given the land, each tribe inherited property that was to remain in the “family.” If a family experienced financial difficulties they were allowed to sell the land, but in order to make sure it didn’t get too far and over time create an economic imbalance in the nation, it was to be returned to the tribe of its original inheritance. (exceptions were made for “city property” – land within walled cities).

Warren Wiersbe, “There was an economic purpose, for God had a concern for the poor and afflicted (vv. 25, 35, 39, 47). Had Israel obeyed the law of the Year of Jubilee, it would have helped to balance the economy, and the rich would have had difficulty exploiting the poor.”

And then there’s slavery. Got Questions answers a common misunderstanding about Biblical slavery:

“The Bible does not specifically condemn the practice of slavery. It gives instructions on how slaves should be treated (Deuteronomy 15:12-15; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1), but does not outlaw slavery altogether. Many see this as the Bible condoning all forms of slavery. What many fail to understand is that slavery in biblical times was very different from the slavery that was practiced in the past few centuries in many parts of the world. The slavery in the Bible was not based exclusively on race. People were not enslaved because of their nationality or the color of their skin. In Bible times, slavery was based more on economics; it was a matter of social status. People sold themselves as slaves when they could not pay their debts or provide for their families. In New Testament times, sometimes doctors, lawyers, and even politicians were slaves of someone else. Some people actually chose to be slaves so as to have all their needs provided for by their masters.”

---

Mark 10:13-31

As a pastor, I must say…the children melt my heart. After service I have the privilege of praying for people, and often the children will come up – it brings so much joy. I can’t imagine anyone saying there’s no time for them, but that’s what the Apostles said on that day. Jesus rebuked the twelve and taught them that the Kingdom of God is made up of those who have the faith of a child, and all believers are actually children of God (1 John 3:1).

The Rich Young Ruler came to Jesus knowing he needed more than religion, he knew something was missing in his life and he saw something in Christ that attracted him. But in the end, he went away, choosing riches over righteousness. Part of his problem was he didn’t realize the deity of Christ. When Jesus asked him why he called Him good, Jesus wasn’t denying His own deity, He was declaring it, for Jesus often called Himself good (Matthew 20:15; John 10:11, 14). If the Rich Young Ruler knew that Jesus was God, I have a hunch he would have been willing to follow Him.

In those days the rich were considered blessed by God and, for the most part, in good standing with Him, especially among the Jews. But Jesus teaches us, through His dealing with the Rich Young Ruler that that’s not always the case. As a matter of fact, it’s hard for a rich man to go to heaven. Jesus said in: 

Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

This should stop me in my tracks when I’m tempted to make some moves to make more money…maybe it would be better to learn to live within my means. Hmmm.

Peter asks the Lord about any rewards they might be entitled to, since they had left all to serve and follow Christ. Jesus promises blessing on earth and rewards in heaven, but He wouldn’t leave out the fact that there’s a cross before the crown.

Warren Wiersbe, “You never lose when you give everything to Jesus. He blesses you in this life and in the life to come.”

---

Psalm 44:9-26

Have you ever felt like you’re losing the battle, that God doesn’t seem to be working things out the way He should, even though you’ve been doing your best to follow Him?

That’s exactly how the Psalmist felt. He tells God all about it – – but he continues to pray.

Psalm 44:23–26 (NKJV) “Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever. 24 Why do You hide Your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression? 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body clings to the ground. 26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.”

Paul the Apostle quoted Psalm 44:22 in Romans 8:36 and revealed the fact that Christians follow Christ in this way, that we are led as sheep to the slaughter, we will suffer, but even in that, we are more than conquerors and nothing can separate us from the love of God…nothing! Let’s trust His purposes and promises even in the pain…and let’s keep praying.

---

Proverbs 10:20-21

Proverbs 10:20 (NKJV) “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little.”

So very valuable are the words of truth and wisdom that flow forth from the righteous. Consider the content of our conversation, things like the Gospel, where preaching can save a soul, where your words can keep someone out of jail, keep someone in the Word, able to bless others in multiple ways – it’s not just silver, it’s “choice” silver, sterling silver, it’s the best “silver” of all!

Charles Bridges, “Our words should be choice silver, refined of this world’s dross, shining with heavenly brightness.”

It’s too bad that nowadays the silver-tongued person is connected to the person of eloquence, when in all reality the silver-tongued person is the wise one who speaks God’s truth…from a godly heart.

We see the antithesis in the second half of the passage – “But the heart of the wicked is worth little.” Keep in mind, words flow from the heart (Luke 6:45).

If our heart isn’t right, our words won’t be either.

Proverbs 10:21 (NKJV) The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.

What a contrast – how some feed others…that they may live. While the fool refuses to be fed or led, they can’t give it out and they won’t even take it in; they don’t offer any contributions to the lives of others…and they themselves die in the process.

Schultens, “They die of famine in the middle of the rich pastures of the Gospel”

Let’s live in right relationship with God, let’s “feed” others, may we live lives of wisdom!

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you!

---

Leviticus 22:17-23:44

This section begins with God communicating to the children of Israel that they were not to offer to God their “leftovers.” Their sacrifices were to be without blemish and without defect. We read in:

Leviticus 22:20–21 (NKJV) “Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf. 21 And whoever offers a sacrifice…it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it.”

The children of Israel were commanded not to offer the bruised, or crushed, or torn, or cut (Leviticus 22:24). Imagine you had a lamb that was on it’s last leg, on the verge of dying, so when it’s time for a sin offering you figure, “Well that one’s almost gone anyways…” and you give it to God lackadaisically instead of sacrificially. We can digress into that kind of giving to God – instead of donating a new couch to the church, we donate the used couch. Instead of giving to God first, we give to God the leftovers. Let’s resolve to give to God the “fat of the firstborn,” and the “best of the best.”

When the children of Israel fell far away from God, He rebuked the leaders for this very thing, something addressed in Malachi 1:6-14. We read some specifics:

Malachi 1:8 (NKJV) “‘And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?’ Says the LORD of hosts.”

Malachi 1:13–14 (NKJV) “You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” says the LORD of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” says the LORD. 14 “But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male, and takes a vow, but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—for I am a great King,” says the LORD of hosts, ‘And My name is to be feared among the nations.’”

Leviticus 23 covers the 7 Holy Days of Israel (Feast Days)

Warren Wiersbe has a simple breakdown of the 7 Holy Days and their symbolism:

1. Passover – Christ, the Lamb, who died for us. John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7

2. Unleavened Bread – The Christian life of fellowship, separation from sin, and feeding on Christ. 1 Cor. 5:6–8

3. Firstfruits – The Resurrection of Christ. 1 Cor. 15:20–23

4. Pentecost – The Coming of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1ff.

5. Trumpets – The Gathering together of God’s people. Isa. 27:12–13; Matt. 24:29–31; 1 Thess. 4:13–18

6. Day of Atonement – The future cleansing of God’s people. Zech. 13:1–2; Rom. 14:10

7. Tabernacles – The future joy of God’s people in His kingdom. Zech. 14:16–21

If you’d like  an inexpensive but solid resource on this I would highly recommend Rose Publishing’s, “Feast of the Bible” laminated handout.

Here’s a link to the item on Amazon:

And here’s a chart that I’ve previously share with you that I’ve found to be very helpful:

---

Mark 9:30-10:12

Once again, Jesus predicts His death and resurrection; and once again the disciples don’t understand, due to preconceived ideas (Mark 9:30-32). The disciples were under the impression that Jesus was just about to set up His Kingdom on earth, and they had been disputing who would be the greatest (imagine that).  Once again, Jesus teaches them:

Mark 9:35 (NKJV) “And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

The fallen world, our fallen nature, and fallen angels (demons) all equate greatness with promotion, with being the top gun, ruling over others, but the truth of heaven is inverted, that the one esteemed in God’s eyes, is the one willing to serve, even willing to serve any and ALL.

In the church today some may consider the pastor as the “greatest,” but that’s not the way it is, that’s not how it works! God looks not at the position, but at the heart – “Is that person willing to serve any and all?” As a matter of fact, Jesus seemed to especially esteem children’s ministry which can take place at home or elsewhere – when you give just a cup of water or fishy crackers to a little one, you’ve blessed the heart of God.

In those days children were not esteemed, yet Jesus issues a heavy warning to those who cause children to stumble – that it would be better for that person to tie a 1,000-pound stone around their necks and be cast into the sea, than to face the judgment of God for what they’ve done to that child. We are to value and cherish our children. Let’s be extremely careful how we treat them – let’s not belittle them, demean, disrespect, or treat them in such a way that we break their spirit.

Jesus connects this to hell and the Lake of Fire. This place is for those who choose any sin over salvation. In order to be granted the gift of heaven, we must be willing to acknowledge our sin, let go of it, and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. For that reason we are to deal drastically with sin. Jesus is not telling us to literally chop off our hand, or foot, or to literally pluck out our eye, but we are to treat sin as cancer and urgently perform spiritual surgery – get rid of it!

Mark 9:49 is difficult to interpret – about 15 possibilities have been proposed.

Mark 9:49 (NKJV) “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.”

The fire, contextually speaking, may refer to the fact that Jesus has just warned about the fires of hell which are never quenched. A healthy fear of hell can propel us to be those living, salty sacrifices. Salt is a seasoning, as well as a preservative, and creates thirst. As we live our lives obediently, we will have those effects on society. (see also Leviticus 2:13; Matthew 5:13)

The Pharisees come to Jesus with a question about divorce, they were testing Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” Jesus puts the question back in their lap, and they say divorce is ok, looking only to the surface of the Scriptures…but Jesus goes deeper. Jesus takes them back to the original marriage, the origin of marriage and reveals the fact that there was a concession in the Mosaic law because of the hardness of man’s heart, but the Master’s law is, “What God has joined together, let not man separate!” (the only exception being adultery and abandonment – see also 1 Corinthians 7:15)

I’ve always considered this (in one sense) the foundational truth of marriage. The more you believe it was GOD who joined you together, the deeper and stronger your foundation will be. If your foundation is deep, you can build a skyscraper. The less you believe it was GOD who put you together when you said “I do,” the more shallow your foundation will be, and this will be reflected in your marriage and marriage commitment. God honors our vows and calls it “Holy Matrimony,” He makes us one…till death do us part.

Divorce for trivial reasons might be allowed by the law of the land, but it doesn’t line up with the heart of God – He made us one, and we are to remain one. This type of love, is true-love and will be blessed by God.

---

Psalm 44:1-8

It’s a blessing to look back and see what God has done in generations past, and then to look forward, pray and ask that God would do it for us (and them), as well; that He would once again move in our generation.

This contemplation of the sons of Korah is that type of Psalm, knowing that it wasn’t the people who gave Israel the land, it wasn’t their own arm, or their own sword, it was God’s favor, it was God’s right arm! So they pray:

Psalm 44:4–5 (NKJV) “You are my King, O God; command victories for Jacob. 5 Through You we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.”

It doesn’t mean we do nothing – we do, but we fight from victory (not for victory).

---

Proverbs 10:19

Proverbs 10:19 (NKJV) “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

Bishop Butler said this takes place when, “…conversation is, merely the exercise of the tongue; no other human faculty has any part in it.” 

It’s when our mouth is running, but our brains aren’t thinking, and our hearts aren’t loving. My heart goes out to people, who have no concept of Ecclesiastes 3:7, “there is a time to keep silence.” You would think it’s easy to know when we should stop talking, but some people never learn.

I read a true story of a lady who approached D.L Moody with the words, “My talent is to speak my mind.” Moody wisely responded by saying, “I’m sure God wouldn’t object if you buried that talent.”

Ecclesiastes 5:3b, “…a fool’s voice is known by his many words.”

It was said of an old sanctified Christian, “The older he grew, the less he spoke, and the more he said.”

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you!

---

Leviticus 20:22-22:16

Again, the reason the Canaanites were being expelled from the land was that they were guilty of the atrocities mentioned in previous chapters – sins which included incest, homosexuality, abortion, bestiality, sorcery and the like. To make matters worse, these things were done unashamedly. God reminds the Israelites of this, and warns them that if they practiced such things, they too would be vomited from the land.

Leviticus 20:22–23 (NKJV) “You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. 23 And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them.”

God calls His people to be holy, set apart for Him:

Leviticus 20:26 (NKJV) “And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.”

Warren Wiersbe, “Privilege always brings responsibility. If the nation was to be sanctified, the spiritual leaders had to set the example. God had a word for the priests (1–9), the high priest (10–15), and those who could not be priests (16–24).”

The LORD required more from the priests, the sons of Levi – they were to remain clean and undefiled, as they represented God to the people, and the people to God. God was meticulous in His mandates to them, from the bodies they touched, their hair, beards, and brides. Their families were to be holy as well. (Leviticus 21:1-9)

The High Priest was called even “higher.” (Leviticus 21:10-15) The High Priest was not allowed to tear his clothes in grief or touch the bodies of his parents if they passed (this was not the case for the Levites/other priests – Leviticus 21:1-3).

Leviticus 21:16-24 reveals the fact that no man was allowed to serve as High Priest of Israel who had any defects – whatsoever.

Although there are qualifications in the New Covenant for Pastors and Elders, those qualifications deal primarily in character, with the only exception being the Pastor’s gift of teaching (1 Timothy 3:1-12). I thank God for His grace in my life. I happen to be a man with many defects, flaws, and failures, and yet the Lord allows me to be involved in the ministry. (1 Corinthians 15:10) 

As an overall summary of the Levitical laws, Halley’s Bible Handbook offers the following:

“These Laws Were the Laws of God – Some of the laws in the Pentateuch are similar to the laws of Hammurabi (from the time of the Patriarchs), with which Moses no doubt was well-acquainted. And though Moses may have been influenced by his Egyptian training and by Babylonian tradition, yet over and over he repeats, “This is what the Lord says!” These laws were not dreamed up by Moses or by a legal think-tank, or arrived at democratically—they were given to Israel by God Himself.

Some of these laws may seem severe to us. But if we could transport ourselves back to Moses’ world and time, they most likely would not seem severe enough. On the whole, the “Law of Moses,” in its insistence on personal morality and personal equality, and in its consideration for old and young, for slave and enemy, for animals and health and food, was far purer, more rational, humane, and democratic than anything else in ancient legislation.

Moses’ Law was designed by God as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24 KJV), since it showed that no one was able to fully keep the Law. And some of the provisions of the Law were accommodations, “because your hearts were hard” (Matthew 19:8).”

Leviticus 22:1-16 once again emphasizes God’s holiness and His call for leaders in ministry to be holy – and then, with that as a backdrop, He deals with exactly who was allowed to eat of the offerings. You might remember that whenever a person brought an offering to the LORD, a portion of most of those offerings was to be given to the priest, who was allowed to share it with his family, but not with anyone who was unclean or an “outsider.” Anyone who was ineligible or unclean and ate of these offerings was to be put to death.

Leviticus 22:9 (NKJV) “They shall therefore keep My ordinance, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby, if they profane it: I the LORD sanctify them.”

---

Mark 9:1-29

As Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up the mountain, He is transfigured before them. Luke tells us that the transfiguration took place, “as He prayed…” (Luke 9:29). Once again, the disciples were sleeping while Jesus was praying (I think there’s a message there).

Eventually they were awakened to get a glimpse of His glory unveiled. They woke to see Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah, representatives of the Law and the Prophets. Peter didn’t know what to say, so he suggested they make three tabernacles (one for each of them), he wanted to stay on the mountain. The Father interrupted Peter – with a word of correction, pointing Him to Jesus only, “This is My beloved Son, hear Him.” Peter writes about this glorious event in 2 Peter 1:16-18.

On the way down the mountain Jesus answers their question about the prophecy of Elijah in Malachi 4:5-6. Jesus essentially tells them that Elijah will come again (literally, physically) before His Second Coming (see Revelation 11), but in another sense, Elijah had come (spiritually), John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17).

As often is the case, the demon-possessed valley follows the mountaintop experience, and sure enough, Jesus is met with a Satanic situation, great multitudes were there where a boy was demon-possessed, and the disciples could not cast it out. Jesus was frustrated by their lack of faith and proceeded to cast out the demon. Later the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast out the demon, to which He responds in:

Mark 9:29 (NKJV) “So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’”

Warren Wiersbe, “The nine disciples who were left behind had neglected their spiritual disciplines and lost their power (v. 29; 6:7). When you find yourself defeated, turn to Him for victory and discover where you went wrong.”

“O Lord, please give us wisdom in this, how would You have us to fast? We are in desperate need of Your power. Your words to this father resonate deep within us, as well as his response to Your words…”

Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV) “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’”

---

Psalm 43:1-5

It’s one thing to have a man against you, it’s another thing to have a nation against you (Psalm 43:1).

The Psalmist was in the middle of a war and he felt that God was far from him.

Pastor Chuck Smith, “Today when we feel stressed or overwhelmed, we might say, ‘Why am I so depressed or anxious?’ Usually we feel that way because we’ve lost sight of God, or we’ve removed Him from the equation. We’re trying to figure out a solution apart from him. But David has the answer, ‘Hope in God…the help of my countenance.’”

It’s okay to talk to yourself, to ask those questions, to search your heart, but make sure to end the conversation by encouraging or strengthening yourself in the LORD, as David modeled (1 Samuel 30:6).

Psalm 43:2a (NKJV) “For You are the God of my strength…”

Psalm 43:5 (NKJV) “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”

---

Proverbs 10:18

Proverbs 10:18 (NKJV) “Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.”

We have a parallel passage in:

Proverbs 26:26 (NKJV) “Though his hatred is covered by deceit, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.”

We can’t prevent it from happening to us, but may it never be true of us – may we never be hating, lying, slandering fools – oh the damage it does! I read an account of an author by the name of Theodore Reinking who faced execution in 1646 because he had slandered King Christian IV of Denmark with a book he’d written. King Christian offered him the option of either eating his book or being executed. Reinking tore the book into shreds, soaked it in soup…and started eating away until he had devoured every page.

He literally ate his words and the book was gone. We’re not so fortunate however, it’s not that easy – because once those words go out, they can never truly be taken back.

It’s easy to make a mountain out of a molehill, all you have to do is just keep adding dirt – – and my, how people will hurt. Be careful little tongue what you say…and be careful little heart…never hate a single soul.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you!

Leviticus 19:1-20:21

We now enter into a variety of laws issued to Israel, knit together with the common thread of theology, that the LORD is their God.

Leviticus 19:2 (NKJV) “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.’”

We repeatedly see throughout this section, God’s clear commands followed by such phrases as, “I am the LORD your God,” (Leviticus 19:10, 25, 34, 36; 20:7 and “I am the LORD,” (Leviticus 19:13, 16, 18, 28, 30, 37).

God’s people are called to consecration, we’re to go against the flow of the world. There is to be an aggressive cooperation between us and the LORD. We consecrate ourselves to God and He sanctifies us to Himself.

Leviticus 20:7–8 (NKJV) “Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. 8 And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”

Many of the commandments here are duplicates, and/or give more details to initial demands, while there are some that are new. It doesn’t take a theologian to be able to study these laws and determine which are timeless principles for all, and which are precepts for that day.

In this legislation, God perfectly provided for certain segments of the poor by commanding the reapers not to glean all of the harvest, but to allow the poor to follow after them  (Leviticus 19:9-10). This makes a respectable way for the poor to be fed, but it wasn’t just handouts. There’s a difference between the poor who can’t work due to disability and the poor who won’t work due to laziness.

Isn’t it interesting the way God sees the value of correction? We read in:

Leviticus 19:17 (NKJV) “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.”

We are to love the LORD and love our neighbor:

Leviticus 19:18 (NKJV) “…you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”

We are to revere our parents (Leviticus 19:3) and give honor to the elderly (Leviticus 19:32)

There are many warnings and commandments against any type of divination, soothsayings, sorcery, or mediums (Leviticus 19:26, 31) in the Scriptures. God knows the damage this does, how this type of activity opens doors to demons. Over the years I’ve seen many people oppressed by darkness due to drugs, fortune tellers, mediums, santeria, or astrology.

People often ask me about tattoos and I usually respond by saying it’s not a full-on green light, or a never, ever red-light…it’s more of a yellow light – caution. Sure, the prohibition is not repeated in the New Testament, but such a decision should be bathed in prayer over time. What do you want to permanently put on your body (which is God’s body)? Why? If a young person is still living under their parent’s roof, they must abide by their parents personal conviction. To be honest, I may have gotten a tattoo by now, but my wife doesn’t have a peace about it, and I completely understand. Over the years I’ve seen godly people who love the Lord, get tattoos that honor the Lord, and I’ve seen godly people respectfully disagree on this issue. Let’s make sure not to judge others on this (Romans 14:4) for we all know, that God doesn’t focus on the outside, He’s much more concerned with the inside.

---

Mark 8:11-38

It’s rather ironic, because the words and works of Jesus were signs for all the people to see, but here come the Pharisees asking for a sign! The signs were all around them, even right in front of them. Jesus warned His disciples to beware of this type of leaven (hypocrisy and heresy).

When Jesus healed the blind man, it wasn’t instantly, it was a process, and often the Lord heals in this way…be patient, it takes time.

The most important question anyone will ever ask or answer is “Who do you say Jesus is?” The world has various opinions, just as they did back then, but it’s a personal question that every individual must answer in their own hearts. The world back then was thinking Jesus had come in the spirit of the prophets of old, they didn’t believe in reincarnation, but they thought that perhaps men like John the Baptist or Elijah had returned. Some see Jesus as a random Rabbi, a passing prophet, or a typical teacher among many others, just a good man. In all reality, none of these options are valid, for Jesus claimed to be God. If Jesus claimed to be God the only options are that He was a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. We know the latter is true – He is Lord!

But the question is inevitably posed to all of us:

Mark 8:29, “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered and said to Him, ‘You are the Christ.’”

Boom! Peter was right! Christ means “Anointed One” – the One the Jews had been waiting for, prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Jesus is the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King – those were the Old Testament offices which experienced God’s anointing. As Prophet He is the Messenger, as Priest He is the Mediator, and as King He is Master.

But this Christ had a cross to carry and eventually die on. Jesus preps His disciples for Calvary’s crucifixion, so Peter swiftly transitions from a spokesman for God, to a spokesman for Satan – my how we fluctuate! Peter’s problem was that he wasn’t mindful of the things of God, and he was confusing his commission as a Christian, so Jesus makes it clear, in His call for us all to take up our cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34-38).

Make no mistake about it – before the crown, there is a cross, these are the terms of discipleship. The world, the flesh, and the devil will teach and tell us to do our desires, to be what we want, to take the easy road, and follow our heart. But Jesus says, if we want to follow Him – rule #1 – we must deny ourselves. Simply put, we must live our lives in absolute obedience to God as revealed in His Word.

One of the first passages I ever memorized as a Christian was:

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

---

Psalm 42:11

This Psalm was probably written when David was distant from the tabernacle. We know David was away and on the run for approximately 10 years, so it may have been written during this time. He longed for the day when he could return to God’s prescribed presence and spend time at the tabernacle. David was desperately thirsty of God.

Psalm 42:1–3 (NKJV) “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, “Where is your God?”

David was down, depressed, and disquieted (Psalm 42:5, 11) but he encouraged himself with the rope of hope and clung tightly in prayer, believing that he would return one day to the tabernacle. David was confident about God’s love. We should be too.

Psalm 42:8 (NKJV) “The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me—a prayer to the God of my life.”

---

Proverbs 10:17

Proverbs 10:17 (NKJV) “He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray.”

He or she who has a heart to obey is on the way – on the pathway to life. 

But the one with a heart to DISobey – goes astray – the one not interested in instruction, who prefers not, to be taught, will scorn the warning. 

We’ll see this A LOT in the Proverbs. 

We see something similar in

Ecclesiastes 4:13, “Better a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.”

Charles Bridges, “The more we value discipline, the more we will take note of every practical lesson we learn in the heavenly school. But the person who ignores correction is deaf to the voice that would save him from ruin.” 

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you.

---

Leviticus 16:29-18:30

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the only holy day of Israel in which the people fasted rather than feasted. They were to confess their sins and mourn over them (Leviticus 16:29). They were also commanded not to work on this holy day, but to recognize it as a Sabbath. What an epic day it was!

Leviticus 16:34 (NKJV) “This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.”

While the children of Israel were in the wilderness they had a staple diet of Manna, therefore the eating of the meat of animals was not as common. When they DID slaughter an animal for food, the commandment at this point is to bring a portion to the LORD, it was to take place at the Tabernacle and would be a Peace Offering, also known as a Fellowship Offering, where the Lord had a portion, the Priests had a portion, and the person/family offering the sacrifice had a portion.

God also prohibited the offerings of sacrifices anywhere other than the Tabernacle. This was intended to keep all sacrifices pure and in accordance with the Levitical laws, otherwise altars would be built everywhere there were high places and those altars might be used to offer sacrifices to pagan gods (which tragically did eventually happen in Israel).

The diet of Jews (even today in the orthodox community) was to be kosher, they were not allowed to eat/drink the blood. The reasoning is found in:

Leviticus 17:11 (NKJV) “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”

Animals that died “naturally” may have died from disease, so the Lord declared them to be unclean; in Leviticus 22:8 God prohibited its consumption.

In Leviticus 18 the LORD addresses the perverse practices of the Canaanites and commands His people NOT to do what they did – just as God commands Christians not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). May we never forget that right and wrong are not determined by the world’s legislation or cultural relativism – right and wrong is determined by God, our Designer, Maker, and Maintainer who alone knows what is good for us individually and as a society.

God prohibits all forms of incest and sets boundaries in sexual intimacy. If this area of our lives is not surrendered to the Lord, than the depravity of man will lead to a society of corruption. For that reason we see the digression that took place in Canaan. In Leviticus 18:21 we have the prohibition of sacrificing our children to Molech (the abortion of their day).

Got Questions, “In addition to sexual rituals, Moloch worship included child sacrifice, or “passing children through the fire.” It is believed that idols of Moloch were giant metal statues of a man with a bull’s head. Each image had a hole in the abdomen and possibly outstretched forearms that made a kind of ramp to the hole. A fire was lit in or around the statue. Babies were placed in the statue’s arms or in the hole. When a couple sacrificed their firstborn, they believed that Moloch would ensure financial prosperity for the family and future children.” (click HERE for the full article)

After abortion the issue of homosexuality is addressed.

Leviticus 18:22 (NKJV) “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” 

This is not simply an Old Testament prohibition, it is a command repeated in the New Testament and is binding for all today (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 1:26-32). I pray that Christians and especially young people would not buy the lie propagated by the culture that such behavior is acceptable to God. I also pray for anyone reading this who might be struggling in this area. I pray you would know that God loves you, and is able to help you overcome. If you’re considering the Christian life, please know that we ALL are called to deny ourselves, and take up our cross in order to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). And if you’re interested, here’s a YouTube link that may be helpful for you, from someone who’s been there and was able to overcome.

Sexual immorality. Incest. Abortion. Homosexuality. What’s next? Beastiality (Leviticus 18:23). If we don’t allow God to be the one determining what’s right and wrong, then everyone will do what is right in his or her own eyes…and that’s exactly what happened in Canaan (Leviticus 18:23). For that reason God was forced to judge this land.

Leviticus 18:24–25 (NKJV) “Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25 For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.”

---

Mark 7:24-8:10

This Syro-Phoenician woman teaches us how to pray.

We see that Jesus tested her by not immediately answering. Would she continue to pray? At first it seemed as if Jesus was ignoring her, then it seemed as if Jesus was insulting her, but neither were the case. Jesus was drawing out her faith. This woman didn’t give up, she kept praying with the realization that all we need are the crumbs from our Father’s table! She was given a child-of-the-King’s portion in response to her faith.

May her story inspire us as we pray, especially for our children or those oppressed or possessed by demons. Believe and receive.

When Jesus healed the deaf-mute in such a unique way (fingers in his ears, spittle on his tongue) not only is it a demonstration that God is not bound by “patterns,” it was another case of Christ drawing out one’s faith. The man was healed and the synopsis was evident, “…He has done all things well.” (Mark 7:37)

Although Jesus was/is the Son of God sent from heaven – He is perfectly “down to earth” and practical in His love. The people needed food and He met that need for survival. In the process He demonstrates His infinite love and glory – feeding 4,000 men plus women and children (Matthew 15:38). I can’t even begin to imagine how good that food was that day, from the loving hands of the greatest chef in all eternity.

---

Psalm 41:1-13

David was once again, going through hard times. Isn’t it amazing how many of these Psalms were songs in the “night” (Job 35:10)? I’ve noticed that when we go through spiritual, emotional, and physical suffering, these are opportunities to sing by faith, in order to deepen our walks and strengthen our witness (here we are…studying David’s writings 3,000 years later).

The enemy was trying to take David down, tempting him to lose heart, and to forsake his faith. One of the hardest hits to handle is when a family member or friend betrays us. This happened with David when his son Absalom turned against him along with his good friend Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15-18). This was also a prophecy of how Judas would betray Jesus (John 13:18).

David gave himself to prayer; that God would grant him that victory over the enemy…and He did. God will do the same for us.

---

Proverbs 10:15-16

Proverbs 10:15 (NKJV) The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

Charles Bridges, “The wealth of the rich man fences him in and protects him from many invading evils. But this leads him to rest on human protection as his comfort and security in life. All thoughts about God are blotted out, and man becomes a god to himself. The poor have no such defense. They live in a city that has no walls and are exposed to every attack (14:20; 19:7; 22:7; John 7:48–49).”

Both the rich and poor need the Lord, but the rich often refuse to seek God because they’re satisfied with what they’ve found in the world. 

It’s not a blanket statement, but generally speaking, the poor are usually more open to the gospel. Which is why James wrote in: 

James 2:5 (NKJV) “Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”

The rich need to become poor in spirit, and the poor must become rich in faith.

Proverbs 10:16 (NKJV) “The labor of the righteous leads to life, the wages of the wicked to sin.“

We can look at this passage materially, or, spiritually. Materially speaking, “The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.” – Proverbs 10:16 (NLT) 

We work, earn, and spend our money on things that are good for us and others; while the wages of the wicked, are frequently spent on sin.

There is a material application, but I have a hunch, this is what Paul the Apostle was alluding to when he penned:

Romans 6:23 (NKJV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So someone says, “Wait a minute Manny, our labor or works don’t earn us a sliver of salvation!” True; but when he says the labor of the righteous leads to life, consider a couple of things:

#1 I can’t help but think of John 6:28-29, “Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’”

And not just that, they say it takes money to make money.

And in the same mentality:

#2 It takes life, in order to labor for more life – you can be a soul-winner. (Proverbs 11:30)

1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Our “labor” in the Lord is simple solid faith in Jesus Christ. At best, all we can “earn” is death (Isaiah 64:6), but when we trust Jesus, we receive the unearned (unmerited favor) gift of salvation. Have you wisely chosen to believe and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior? You can do that right now.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you!