Deuteronomy 5 - 4:21 . Deuteronomy 6 - 10:27 . Deuteronomy 7 - 14:26 . Psalm 61 - 20:57 . You can hear a sense of desperation and heartfelt pleading as we read the words of Moses today, as he continues to urge a new generation to trust the Lord and obey His statutes so that they might flourish. When they are given to fear, when they are tempted to worship other gods, when they get comfortable in the land they are being given, in all these things, they are told to remember what the Lord has done....
Apr 08, 2024•23 min•Season 4Ep. 65
Deuteronomy 2 - 1:04 . Deuteronomy 3 - 7:58 . Deuteronomy 4 - 13:55 . Psalm 60 - 20:31 . We began the book of Deuteronomy in our last episode and we’ll pick up where we left off today. Deuteronomy loosely translated means “second law,” because it’s in this book that Moses reviews the Law and the promises of God for a new generation before he, himself, passes away. The former generation has all died because of their iniquity, just as the Lord had sworn, which means that the next generation needs ...
Apr 05, 2024•23 min•Season 4Ep. 64
Numbers 35 - 1:03 . Numbers 36 - 7:13 . Deuteronomy 1 - 9:51 . Psalm 59 - 17:53 . Today, we’re wrapping up Numbers and proceeding straight into the book Deuteronomy. Looking back on our time in the book of Numbers we notice a few things. First, God is faithful to keep His promises; even when His chosen people are incredibly unfaithful, God fulfills His promises. Second, God does not take grumbling and complaining lightly; he punished those who forgot His salvation and who chose instead to focus ...
Apr 04, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 63
Numbers 32 - 1:02 . Numbers 33 - 7:52 . Numbers 34 - 13:54 . Psalm 58 - 17:39 . Israel has just defeated Midian and they entire community is getting ready to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land and begin their military campaign against the inhabitants of the land. When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manassah, see that the land of the Midianites is good for cattle, they ask if they can settle there. Moses wrongly assumes that they are trying to avoid going to war with their ...
Apr 03, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 62
Numbers 29 - 1:04 . Numbers 30 – 7:07 . Numbers 31 - 9:52 . God is giving Moses final instructions to hand down to the Israelites because Moses is about to die at the Lord’s hand. Our reading opens with instructions on three festivals which are to be held in the seventh month. This is followed by instructions on how one should consider the validity of vows made to the Lord under different conditions. Finally, God instructs Moses to go to war with Midianites as retribution for the Peor incident, ...
Apr 02, 2024•18 min•Season 4Ep. 61
Numbers 27 - 3:15 . Numbers 28 - 7:36 . Psalm 57 - 11:59 . When we last left Israel, they had just prostituted themselves with the women of Moab as an act of Baal worship. The Lord sent a plague among them that was only stopped when Phinehas impaled a fornicating couple through with his spear. In the wake of this tragic display of unfaithfulness, the Lord tells Moses in today’s reading that he will soon die because he didn’t obey the Lord’s command at the water of Meribah. The Lord gives Moses d...
Apr 01, 2024•15 min•Season 4Ep. 60
Numbers 24 - 1:05 . Numbers 25 - 6:26 . Numbers 26 - 9:20 . Psalm 56 - 15:55 . In our last reading King Balak of Moab had hired Balaam, the professional soothsayer and prophet for hire, to come and put a curse on Israel. The king had heard about how Israel had plowed through the Amorites when that nation refused to let Israel pass through, and he was scared. After two attempts, Balaam finds himself unable to curse Israel, because the God of Israel is so powerful that Balaam must do as the Lord s...
Mar 29, 2024•19 min•Season 4Ep. 59
Numbers 21 - 1:01 . Numbers 22 - 7:29 . Numbers 23 - 14:43 . Our reading opens with another instance of Israelite rebellion, and this time, the Lord punishes them by sending poisonous snakes into their camp. In order to be healed, they must lift their eyes upward to look at a bronze snake mounted to a pole. You’ve probably seen an image of this on the side of an ambulance as a symbol of healing. By acknowledging their need for salvation and looking upon that their curse, they would be saved. We’...
Mar 28, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 58
In our last episode, Korah and his posse decided that they wanted to present offerings to the Lord, but the Lord God has made clear, that Aaron and his sons were to receive the priesthood as an inheritance. When this rebellious cohort presented offerings, the ground beneath them opened up and swallowed them alive. Today, the Lord makes it clear that Aaron and his sons are to guard the tabernacle and the priesthood from iniquity. Later, the people rebel again when there is no water to be found. G...
Mar 27, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 57
Numbers 16 – 1:01 . Numbers 17 – 10:49 . Psalm 53 – 13:05 . Psalm 54 – 14:22 . You’d think that by this point, the people of Israel would have settled on the well-established conclusion that Moses is in charge by command of the Lord and by the signs and wonders performed that confirm he is God’s chosen leader. Even so, in today’s reading, a man named Korah incites a rebellion against Moses, questioning his authority. Armed with the conclusion that the entire community of Israel is holy, he conte...
Mar 26, 2024•16 min•Season 4Ep. 56
Numbers 13 - 1:01 . Numbers 14 - 5:23 . Numbers 15 - 14:04 . Israel has finally arrived just outside the Promised Land, and all that’s left to do is enter it and take from those people whom God has set apart for destruction. Their journey should have ended here with a military campaign against the inhabitants of the land, but instead of confronting their enemies as the Lord had commanded, they cower, complain, and make excuses. Lacking faith and conviction, the Lord tells Moses that his people w...
Mar 25, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 55
Numbers 9 - 1:01 . Numbers 10 - 5:13 . Numbers 11 - 10:55 . Numbers 12 - 17:37 . Just like any family trip to a far away place, everyone starts getting grumpy quick . New complaints arise about not being able to take the Passover while unclean. After Israel leaves Mount Sinai for the Promised Land they all become dissatisfied with what the Lord provides, complaining that the food they had in Egypt was better than manna from the Lord. Moses complains to the Lord that these people aren’t his babie...
Mar 22, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 54
Numbers 7 - 1:00 . Numbers 8 - 13:56 . Psalm 52 - 18:22 . As noted in previous episode introductions, we are in a section of Numbers that includes a lot of numbers and repetition, but take heart: after this episode, we’ll begin the narrative section of Numbers that covers the 40 years of Israel wandering in the wilderness. With that being said, take note in today’s episode that things begin well in Israel, and leaders from every tribe bring an equal offering for the dedication of the tabernacle’...
Mar 21, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 53
Numbers 4 - 1:00 . Numbers 5 - 8:56 . Numbers 6 - 15:15 . Psalm 51 - 20:11 . We’re continuing in the book of Numbers today, which has a reputation for putting people off both because of the title and because the first seven chapters (or so) contain a good bit of repetition. You’ll experience some of that repetition today, so if you want to put me on 2x speed for that section, I won’t judge! Consider, though, that the repetition is intentional. When you’re writing everything by hand, there is no ...
Mar 20, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 52
Numbers 1 - 1:01 . Numbers 2 - 9:01 . Numbers 3 - 13:05 . Numbers are boring, right? I mean, who gets excited about counting things? Well, did you ever count your Christmas presents as a kid? Have you ever memorized the stats of your favorite athletes, or checked the number of likes on a post, or rejoice over the number of indigenous believers saved through the work a missionary? The numbers presented in these first few chapters may seem boring to us, but they represent the faithfulness of God t...
Mar 19, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 51
Leviticus 26 - 1:02 . Leviticus 27 - 10:39 . Psalm 50 - 16:50 . Our time in Leviticus comes to a close today as we hear a foreshadowing of the coming exile of Israel some 900 years before it occurs, as the Lord God makes plain that to abandon the covenant is to exchange blessing for a curse. God warns that the covenant is not to be taken lightly, for if Israel fails to observe the Lord’s commands, they will be cut off from the Lord, and their sacrifices will no longer be pleasing to God. He will...
Mar 18, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Leviticus 24 - 1:01 . Leviticus 25 – 8:40 . Psalm 48 - 15:21 . Psalm 49 - 17:08 . Our reading begins with instructions for the bread and the oil in the tabernacle, but soon thereafter these instructions are somewhat interrupted by a fight. A young man has blasphemed the Name of God, and instructions are given about what must be done, followed by further instruction for punishment of violent crimes. Later, the Lord explains the institutions of Sabbath years and the year of Jubilee. In short, Isra...
Mar 15, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 49
Leviticus 22 - 1:01 . Leviticus 23 - 7:57 . Psalm 47 - 16:38 . Moses continues to receive instructions from the Lord, and today’s episode begins with instructions for the priests in eating their portion of the sacrifices to the Lord. Recall that the Levites will not be given large portions of land when they enter the Promised Land; instead, the Lord will be their portion. For their service in the tabernacle, they will receive portions of food from the offerings given to the Lord, and thereby be ...
Mar 14, 2024•19 min•Season 4Ep. 48
Leviticus 19 - 1:10 . Leviticus 20 - 7:54 . Leviticus 21 - 14:15 . Psalm 46 - 18:12 . Our passage today begins with an appeal to Israel to be holy before their holy God, using some of the Ten Commandments as bullet points for discussion. As we read, you’ll notice that there is to be an “otherness” amongst the Israelites that makes them distinct from the rest of the world. To our modern ears and worldview, it may seem limiting or perhaps cruel that the Lord would be so particular, but every insta...
Mar 13, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 47
Leviticus 16 - 1:01 . Leviticus 17 - 8:45 . Leviticus 18 - 11:49 . Psalm 45 - 16:42 . We’re continuing to read through the Levitical law that was given to Moses and Aaron. These were the statutes, ordinances, and observances commanded by the Lord that Israel must keep in order to maintain the covenant. God Almighty, who is perfect in holiness, is to dwell among them. Since man is imperfect, God is giving this law as a means for them to be justified before him. By humble obedience to the Lord, th...
Mar 12, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 46
We’re continuing to work our way through the Levitical law concerning those occasions where one is considered clean and where one is considered unclean. As mentioned previously, to be unclean is not to be equated necessarily with being immoral or sinful. To be unclean simply means that one may not enter the camp of Israel, a people who were set apart for the Lord. These intermissions of uncleanness and the procedures required to be declared clean once again would have served as a perpetual remin...
Mar 11, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 45
Leviticus 11:24-47 – 1:05 . Leviticus 12 - 5:01 . Leviticus 13 - 7:18 . Psalm 43 - 19:32 . As part of their covenant with the Lord, the Israelites were given regulations concerning what is considered clean and unclean. At times this is a means of health and well-being. At other times it serves as a distinction from surrounding nations. The term “unclean” doesn’t necessarily mean those things are dirty, germ-infested, or immoral, though some of them certainly are. It does mean these things are al...
Mar 08, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Leviticus 8 - 1:02 . Leviticus 9 - 7:40 . Leviticus 10 - 11:56 . Leviticus 11 - 16:33 . Psalm 42 - 19:23 . The Lord has been giving explicit instructions to Moses and Aaron concerning the manner in which he should be worshipped. In our reading today, the priestly ministry of the Levites begins when Aaron faithfully executes the burnt offering, sin offerings, and fellowship sacrifices. When he is finished, the glory of the Lord appears to all the people and fire comes from heaven to consume the o...
Mar 07, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 43
Leviticus 5 - 1:00 . Leviticus 6 - 6:17 . Leviticus 7 - 12:22 . Psalm 41 - 18:22 . As you continue to listen to these instructions on sacrifices, I encourage you to imagine what it would be like to be present for these sacrifices and experience them first-hand. The warmth of a live animal and the feel of coarse hair under your hand as the animal is slaughtered for the sin that you have committed. Imagine the smell of incense, baked bread and roasted meat. There’s even more symbolism to be found ...
Mar 06, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 42
Leviticus 1 - 1:00 . Leviticus 2 - 3:50 . Leviticus 3 - 7:36 . Leviticus 4 - 10:23 . Psalm 40 - 17:04 . We are beginning the book of Leviticus; which basically means, “pertaining to the Levites,” as this book dives deeper into the responsibilities of priests and the divine-human relationship codified on Mount Sinai. The Lord gives Moses instructions for offering different kinds of sacrifices to be made before the Lord, allowing an impure people to be made holy by obedience to a perfect God. We’l...
Mar 05, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 41
Exodus 39 - 1:01 . Exodus 40 - 8:33 . Psalm 38 - 13:56 . Psalm 39 - 16:54 . Our time in the book of Exodus comes to a close today, but our journey with Moses and the nation of Israel in the wilderness has just begun. Remember, the book of Exodus is one of five books in a set of books called the Pentateuch and it all tells one continuous narrative. Here in the final two chapters, Israel finishes creating all of the items that would be used in assembling their portable house and temple for God Alm...
Mar 04, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 40
Exodus 36 - 1:01 . Exodus 37 - 7:27 . Exodus 38 - 12:25 . Psalm 37 - 17:57 . Have you ever talked to someone who’s really into their work, and they’re so excited about it that it seems they just can’t stop talking about it? Maybe you’ve done that with your own work, with a hobby you enjoy, or with stats about your favorite team. To our ears it may seem like the book of Exodus is simply repeating itself, but in actuality it’s communicating the excitement, the gravity, and the importance of the ta...
Mar 01, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Exodus 33 - 1:00 . Exodus 34 - 6:39 . Exodus 35 - 14:31 . Psalm 36 - 19:55 . In our last episode, Israel had turned away from the Lord while Moses was with the Lord on Mount Sinai. Even though they had just committed themselves to following the Lord God, they quickly lost their resolve and turned to Aaron, who in turn gave them a golden calf to worship. After this grave sin, God tells Moses He will no longer go with Israel to the land He had promised Abraham and his descendants after him. Today,...
Feb 29, 2024•23 min•Season 4Ep. 38
Exodus 30 - 1:02 . Exodus 31 - 7:56 . Exodus 32 - 10:41 . Psalm 35 - 18:42 . By the end of our reading Moses will have spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai, and in that amount of time, the Israelites will have given up on Moses and on the Lord. Not long beforehand, the nation of Israel had promised that they would do all that the Lord had commanded, but in short order, they turn away from God. They instead turn to Aaron, who caves to the crowd’s demands, making them a golden calf for them to worship. The ...
Feb 28, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 37
In today’s episode, the instructions for worship in the newly established tabernacle continue to be revealed. The first half of our reading is devoted entirely to the priestly garments. The priests were instructed to wear very specific apparel while ministering in the tabernacle. Each item had a particular purpose or symbolism, and the priestly garments were only to be worn while ministering. The second half of our episode involves the consecration of the temple, or in other words, instructions ...
Feb 27, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 36
