Joshua 18 – 1:08 . Joshua 19 – 5:42 . Joshua 20 – 12:47 . Joshua 21 – 15:37 . Psalm 59 – 22:25 . Psalm 60 – 25:07 . Now that the majority of the Promised Land has been conquered, the land is being divided by lot and by size according to the number of people in each tribe. Today’s reading is the last section of text detailing the division of the land, and as mentioned in the last episode, consider the excitement and the joy that Israel experienced as each family learned where they would live and ...
Apr 12, 2024•28 min•Season 6Ep. 69
Joshua 14 - 1:10 . Joshua 15 - 3:55 . Joshua 16 - 11:46 . Joshua 17 - 13:22 . Psalm 57 – 17:36 . Psalm 58 - 19:24 . The work of conquering the Promised Land, in large part, has come to a close. Now it’s time to divide the land between the clans of Israel as Moses had instructed. To our modern ears, much of what we’ll hear today may not seem important or relevant. Try to imagine, however, if you and your family had been given large sums of real estate by the work of God’s mighty hand. Wouldn’t yo...
Apr 11, 2024•22 min•Season 6Ep. 68
Joshua 10 – 1:10 . Joshua 11 – 10:37 . Joshua 12 – 15:04 . Joshua 13 – 18:53 . Psalm 55 – 24:13 . Psalm 56 – 27:20 . A coalition of nations conspires to fight against Israel when they hear that Joshua has defeated Jericho and Ai, and they gather together to surge against them. They are no match for those with whom the Lord has covenanted, and God sends a natural disaster that lays waste to more men than the Israelites slay by the sword. After their defeat, but now another set of kings sets their...
Apr 10, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 67
Joshua 7 – 1:14 . Joshua 8 – 8:38 . Joshua 9 – 16:39 . Psalm 52 – 22:00 . Psalm 53 – 23:24 . Psalm 54 – 24:41 . In our last episode, Israel had successfully crossed the Jordan on dry ground and defeated the walled city of Jericho, not by their own strength, but by the strength of God’s mighty hand over His Creation. God had instructed that all of Jericho be set apart to the Lord for destruction, with specific instruction not to take anything or else that man would also be set apart destruction. ...
Apr 09, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 66
Joshua 1 – 1:09 . Joshua 2 – 4:26 . Joshua 3 – 10:05 . Joshua 4 – 13:31 . Joshua 5 – 18:33 . Joshua 6 – 21:37 . Psalm 51 – 27:32 . Moses has died, leaving Israel with a new legacy, a new Law, and a new leader. Before Moses’ death, the Lord appointed Joshua to lead and blessed Him. Today, Joshua takes charge over Israel and leads them over the Jordan and into the land of promise. You may recall that Joshua has seen the land already, as Moses sent him with other men to spy out the land, and that h...
Apr 08, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 65
James 1 - 1:09 . James 2 - 5:33 . James 3 - 10:58 . James 4 - 14:07 . James 5 - 17:08 . Psalm 50 - 21:04 . After spending some time writing to the church concerning trials and temptations, James writes about the role of works in the believer’s life, citing specific works such as caring for orphans & widows in their distress and avoiding favoritism. It is not one’s work that earns him salvation, rather, good works are the evidence that one is a true disciple. Faith without works is a dead fai...
Apr 05, 2024•25 min•Season 6Ep. 64
Deuteronomy 32 – 1:12 . Deuteronomy 33 – 12:35 . Deuteronomy 34 – 19:44 . Psalm 49 – 22:22 . In our final reading of the book of Deuteronomy, the Lord tells Moses that Israel will indeed rebel against Him after Moses dies. The song of Moses recorded here prophesies the coming wrath of God for Israel’s rebellion, focusing on God’s power over the worthless idols that Israel has turned to worship. After this warning, the Lord tells Moses that it is time to ascend Mount Nebo, where he will see the P...
Apr 04, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 63
Deuteronomy 29 – 1:10 . Deuteronomy 30 – 7:36 . Deuteronomy 31 – 12:51 . Psalm 48 – 19:37 . Moses continues to explain to Israel that they will be blessed if follow the Lord and cursed if they follow other gods. He calls out that thought which is so common to mankind: I am the exception to the rules, and as Moses puts it, “I will have peace even though I follow my own stubborn heart.” Contrary to what much of western society teaches, we are not called to pursue out heart’s desires, we are instea...
Apr 03, 2024•22 min•Season 6Ep. 62
Deuteronomy 26 – 1:20 . Deuteronomy 27 – 5:16 . Deuteronomy 28 – 11:00 . Psalm 47 – 22:22 . In our reading today, Moses outlines the blessings and the curses that will fall upon Israel if they fail to keep the covenant of the Lord. Keep in mind that the covenant and the statutes include the prescribed ways that Israel can repent of sin and execute justice. To reject the statutes and ordinances is to reject a good God who loves His people and to deny that His ways lead to prosperity. Israel will ...
Apr 02, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 61
Deuteronomy 21 - 1:17 . Deuteronomy 22 - 5:38 . Deuteronomy 23 - 11:56 . Deuteronomy 24 - 16:59 . Deuteronomy 25 - 21:11 . Psalm 46 - 23:33 . Our reading today contains some statutes that seem harsh, some that seem odd, and others that could easily be incorporated into daily interactions today. A few things to remember: first, the covenant with Israel was one in which the entire community had to remain holy because the Lord is holy and lived among them; sometimes this means being set apart and p...
Apr 01, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 60
Deuteronomy 16 - 1:12 . Deuteronomy 17 - 6:12 . Deuteronomy 18 - 10:33 . Deuteronomy 19 - 15:16 . Deuteronomy 20 - 19:11 . Psalm 45 - 23:30 . Moses continues to speak to the Israelites before his impending death, reminding this new generation about the laws and statutes that have been put in place. Many of the structures given here for a system of justice continue to provide a template for our judicial systems in the west today, including concepts such as the testimony of multiple witnesses, a h...
Mar 29, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 59
Deuteronomy 12 - 1:10 . Deuteronomy 13 - 8:30 . Deuteronomy 14 - 12:23 . Deuteronomy 15 - 17:37 . Psalm 44 - 22:09 . There is a beautiful picture on display in the act of bringing a tenth of your produce to the Lord as an offering. The instructions given to Israel are that they should bring the tenth to where the Lord resides and have a feast in the presence of God. So get this: God provides all the food as a gift, the Israelite brings some of it back to supply the party, and then in a way the I...
Mar 28, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 58
Deuteronomy 8 - 1:09 . Deuteronomy 9 - 4:40 . Deuteronomy 10 - 12:11 . Deuteronomy 11 - 17:22 . Psalm 42 - 22:56 . Psalm 43 - 25:04 . As Moses continues his prelude to a recounting of the Law to Israel’s next generation, he warns them against both idolatry and self-righteousness, which in both cases is a means of robbing God of the glory that is due Him and Him alone. He urges them to remember that the land they are entering has been given to them, not because of their righteousness, but because...
Mar 27, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 57
Deuteronomy 4 - 1:12 . Deuteronomy 5 - 11:27 . Deuteronomy 6 - 17:45 . Deuteronomy 7 - 22:03 . Psalm 41 - 28:11 . 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 their lavish provisions, in all these things, they are told to remember what ...
Mar 26, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 56
Deuteronomy 1 - 1:09 . Deuteronomy 2 - 9:34 . Deuteronomy 3 - 17:09 . Psalm 40 - 22:47 . 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 a recap of what has happened so far. In his final words to the nation of Israel, you’ll hear Mos...
Mar 25, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 55
Galatians 1 - 1:14 . Galatians 2 - 4:39 . Galatians 3 - 9:40 . Galatians 4 - 14:57 . Galatians 5 - 20:58 . Galatians 6 - 25:06 . Paul’s purpose in writing this letter to the churches of Galatia is to rebuke them for abandoning the true Gospel for a false one, relying on works of the flesh rather than relying on the Spirit which they received through faith. He is more critical of his audience here than in any other letter, calling them “foolish Galatians” and asking “who has put a spell on you?” ...
Mar 22, 2024•29 min•Season 6Ep. 54
Numbers 34 - 1:04 . Numbers 35 - 4:26 . Numbers 36 - 10:32 . Psalm 38 - 13:15 . Psalm 39 - 16:01 . 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, those whom he rescued, redeemed, and restored by majestic acts of compassion and power, are supremely unfaithful, God fulfills His promises. Second, God does not take grumbling and complaining lightly, punishing those who forget His salvation, choosing in...
Mar 21, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 53
Numbers 30 - 1:12 . Numbers 31 - 4:02 . Numbers 32 - 11:48 . Numbers 33 - 18:30 . Psalm 37 - 24:04 . Remember the Peor incident, where the men of Israel prostituted themselves to Baal along with the women of Moab? Turns out that was led by Balaam, the same Balaam who spoke oracles from the Lord against Moab. After defeating Midian, they begin to divide the spoils of war. When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manassah, see that this land is good for cattle, they ask if they can se...
Mar 20, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 52
Numbers 26 – 1:13 . Numbers 27 – 10:23 . Numbers 28 – 14:01 . Numbers 29 – 19:10 . Psalm 36 – 25:04 . 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 that he will soon die because he didn’t obey the Lord’s command at the water of Meribah...
Mar 19, 2024•28 min•Season 6Ep. 51
Numbers 22 – 1:14 . Numbers 23 – 9:24 . Numbers 24 – 14:53 . Numbers 25 – 20:31 . Psalm 35 – 23:36 . Sometimes when you’re watching a serial drama on Netflix they’ll take an episode to tell a back-story or a spin-off from the main story to give context to the overall narrative. That’s exactly what’s happening in today’s passage. The king of Moab, whose name is Balak, hires a man named Balaam who is some kind of diviner or priest, to put a curse on Israel. As Balaam goes to visit king Balak, the ...
Mar 18, 2024•29 min•Season 6Ep. 50
Numbers 17 - 1:08 . Numbers 18 - 3:04 . Numbers 19 - 10:10 . Numbers 20 - 14:32 . Numbers 21 – 20:33 . Psalm 34 - 26:28 . It seems that Israel simply cannot handle the idea that the Lord would place Moses and Aaron in authority over them. Even after signs and wonders, including those wherein the Lord snuffs out the rebellious, they continue to groan and complain. So today, the Lord decides to put their complaints to rest with a unique sign that will stand as a testimony for generations to come. ...
Mar 15, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 49
Numbers 14 - 1:14 . Numbers 15 - 9:30 . Numbers 16 - 16:26 . Psalm 33 - 26:20 . On our last episode, God sent spies into the land of Canaan, the land He promised to give them, but when they saw their foes, they brought back a negative report, and refused to venture onward. Today, God resolves to wipe them out for their rebellion, but Moses intercedes for the people, pleading with God to act with faithful and steadfast love. Instead, God resolves to keep their generation out of the land, promisin...
Mar 14, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 48
Numbers 9 – 1:16 . Numbers 10 – 5:13 . Numbers 11 – 10:57 . Numbers 12 – 18:15 . Numbers 13 – 21:07 . Psalm 32 – 25:55 . Just like any family trip to a far away place, everyone starts getting grumpy quick . New questions arise about who may partake of the Passover and who should abstain. After Israel leaves Mount Sinai for the Promised Land they becomes dissatisfied with what the Lord provides, complaining that the food they had in Egypt was better than manna from the Lord. Moses complains to th...
Mar 13, 2024•29 min•Season 6Ep. 47
Numbers 5 - 1:09 . Numbers 6 - 6:46 . Numbers 7 - 10:55 . Numbers 8 - 22:47 . Psalm 31 - 26:51 . 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 today, and if you want to put me on 2x speed for that section, I won’t judge! This repetition is intentional, however. Think of it: they didn’t have a copy/paste function for...
Mar 12, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 46
Numbers 1 - 1:13 . Numbers 2 - 8:56 . Numbers 3 - 13:25 . Numbers 4 - 21:20 . Psalm 30 - 29:07 . 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 rejoiced over the number of people confessing Christ through the work a missionary? The numbers presented in these first few chapters may seem boring to us, but th...
Mar 11, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 45
Hebrews 10 - 1:15 . Hebrews 11 - 8:02 . Hebrews 12 - 16:13 . Hebrews 13 - 21:58 . Psalm 28 - 26:18 . Psalm 29 - 27:51 . The author of Hebrews continues to reference Old Testament Scripture to make a defense for the superiority of Christ over all things. The earthly tabernacle is but a shadow of the heavens, where Christ serves as great high priest. He has made a superior sacrifice, shedding His own blood rather than that of goats, bulls, or rams. He oversees a new covenant, where the law is writ...
Mar 08, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 44
Hebrews 6 – 1:10 . Hebrews 7 – 4:23 . Hebrews 8 – 9:33 . Hebrews 9 – 12:14 . Psalm 26 – 18:17 . Psalm 27 – 19:42 . How can Jesus be our great high priest if he is from the tribe of Judah rather than the tribe of Levi? The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 110 and explains that Jesus is a better high priest, because unlike mere mortal men, he is unstained by sin and unconstrained by death. Additionally, while the earthly high priest had to enter the most holy place in the tabernacle year after year,...
Mar 07, 2024•23 min•Season 6Ep. 43
Hebrews 1 - 1:13 . Hebrews 2 - 3:54 . Hebrews 3 - 8:05 . Hebrews 4 - 11:03 . Hebrews 5 - 14:25 . Psalm 24 - 17:00 . Psalm 25 - 18:32 . Now that we’ve completed the book of Leviticus, we’re jumping into the book of Hebrews, a book that emphasizes Jesus’ role as a better great high priest and a better Sabbath. While the writer of the book of Hebrews remains unknown, we do know that this writer can quote the Old Testament Scriptures at length and is very polished in his ability to write and to reas...
Mar 06, 2024•22 min•Season 6Ep. 42
Leviticus 25 - 1:19 . Leviticus 26 - 11:04 . Leviticus 27 – 19:59 . Proverbs 20 - 25:31 . Our time in Leviticus comes to a close today, as the Lord explains the institutions of Sabbath years and the year of Jubilee. Israel is to work the ground for six years, then on the seventh year they are to rest. After 49 years (7x7) they are to celebrate a year of Jubilee where debts are cancelled and Hebrew servants relieved from their service. Finally, if Israel fails to observe the Lord’s commands, they...
Mar 05, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 41
Leviticus 22 – 1:07 . Leviticus 23 – 7:25 . Leviticus 24 – 15:44 . Proverbs 19 – 19:19 . Moses continues to receive instructions from the Lord, and today’s episode begins with instructions on keeping the sacrifices pure and acceptable before the Lord. Consider that Lord does not want Israel to present anything that is second best or impure in anyway, thereby communicating indifference or irreverence for God in His perfection. We’ll also consider days set aside for celebration include Sabbaths an...
Mar 04, 2024•24 min•Season 6Ep. 40
