March 23, Reading Notes

Numbers 36

You did it! You finished the first four books of the Bible! If you're up to date in your reading, great. If not, don't sweat it. It literally takes you a couple, three, years to get into shape, to lay down the daily habits, and the only way you do that is by getting behind and coming up with ways to stay on target.

Numbers concludes with the tribe of Manasseh. I don't think this story is put here for trivia. It demonstrates that people learned to seek the Lord and ask for modifications of the laws He had given. First the daughters came to Moses the right way, then the leaders of the tribe asked for an amendment, and finally the daughters complied and did the right thing.

This story was to show that the people now knew to come to God, and His appointed representatives, to get answers instead of complaining or doing their own thing. It will be sort of funny in Joshua to see the people come after Joshua for making a decision without consulting the Lord. They got the message.

Deuteronomy 1

One more book to go and you have read the Pentatuch! The Penta-who? The Jewish name for the first five books. Again, as you've seen so far, these books are rich in helping us, as disciples, see the heart of God as the plan of redemption unfolds. There are lots of foundational truths, biography, stories and symbols. And all of what we find here helps us see the great heart of God, our savior.

Deuteronomy is one big final speech to the people. These are Moses' final words to the nation he shepherded out of Egypt and through the wilderness for 40 years. At the beginning they were 2,000,000+ rebellious, disorganized people. Now Israel is an obedient nation. They will never be this devoted to God again, until the tribulation and the return of Christ.

Vs. 1-5 seem to be written by Joshua or a priest.

Vs. 6-18 seem to be Moses' telling the people, many of whom were not there, what led to the organization of Israel as it is now.

Vs. 19-46 This is a retelling of the rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea.

Notice in v. 22 that Moses says that it was the idea of the people to spy out the land.

Notice also in v. 29 that giants are mentioned.

In v. 37 Moses blames their rebelliousness as part of the reason God wouldn't allow him to enter the land. This is parenthetical since the event occurred 38 years later, but it was spurred on by the same kind of bitterness and complaining of the people.

As disciples, we really should be about the future and working to reach lost people and make them disciples. Still, it is good to look at history, personally or as a church. When was our faith fresh? If it isn't fresh anymore, what happened? When was the church on target? Was it reaching people? Did it only grow through transfer growth? What have we lost? What do we need to do? I've seen two churches totally ignore their history and fight in denial to accept what happened to them. It's not in the Bible, but it is true, that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. In Christ there is a very cool "reset" button, Him: His grace, His love, His forgiveness, His freedom, His mission. In any culture on earth, in any time period, these things with His Word and His Spirit will put our lives on the right track, following Him in the harvest.

Luke 5:29-6:11

Luke 5:29-38

These two events happened very near to each other. The Pharisees went after Jesus' disciples first, and Jesus told them that He didn't come to call the "righteous." The Pharisees didn't get it and they weren't satisfied either. Then the Pharisees went to the disciples of John the Baptist to create a division between the followers of John and Jesus. In Matthew, it is the disciples of John who ask the question, but here it is the Pharisees. The Pharisees must have gone to John's disciples and led them to Jesus, probably initiating the conversation. Jesus' words, in parables, would have been understandable to the disciples of John, but the Pharisees would have missed the point. Read the end of John 3 and you'll know why.

Jesus' second Passover, mentioned as the "feast" in John 5, happens here before Luke 6. If you read John 5, notice the words of the Pharisees, "Who is the man who told you, 'take up your pallet and walk?'"

Luke 6:1-11

The Pharisees have already decided they have to get rid of Jesus after His actions in Jerusalem. Now they are constantly following Him, looking for something. These two occasions gave them the necessary proof and anger to plan Jesus' death.

Psalm 66

It doesn't say who wrote this or when it was written, but you could imagine that this was written by the nation shortly after the victory at Jericho.

Notice that the effect of what the Lord did with Israel would bring faith and submission to the surrounding nations.

Proverbs 11:24-26

Sounds like the Lord is giving us a good argument for tithing and being generous.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.