Have you ever noticed that people don't buy cans of paint, open them up, and just leave them sitting in their house? The value of new paint isn't in simply owning the paint - the value comes when it's applied. Sure, these paint cans look pretty, but the real value comes when the colors are applied to the walls. Similarly, God's commands ... [Continue Reading]
No Matter Where You Go (Deuteronomy 3-4)
In the midst of a lot of instructions for their future, Moses tosses in a promise to the Israelites that we should pay attention to, too. The promise is this: no matter where you go, no matter how far you wander away from the Lord, you can always turn back. God is merciful, and He welcomes home those who, in humility, return to Him. Isn't that ... [Continue Reading]
No Playing Favorites (Deuteronomy 1-2)
There is one small thing in today’s reading that I want to draw attention to, and that is the importance of impartial judgment. In the dealings with the nation of Israel, God wanted people to be treated fairly – regardless of power, position, or prestige. All people were to be regarded with the same level of respect. This principle is carried on ... [Continue Reading]
Whose Glory? (Numbers 20-21, Psalm 90)
Moses was a faithful follower of God, but he made one mistake that cost him his entry into the Promised Land: he tried to take God's glory. The situation was routine - the Israelites were griping about whatever the latest irritant was, which happened to be a lack of water this time. Moses, fed up by all that had ensued over the prior 40 years, was ... [Continue Reading]
Leading with Confidence (Numbers 16-17)
My guess is that Korah and the others were somewhat regretful for challenging Moses' leadership and claiming that he was simply seeking after his own glory. It seems that many leaders, at some time or another, have their motives questioned by their followers, and I appreciate the example that Moses gives to us. I think there are several leadership lessons ... [Continue Reading]
No Turning Back… (Numbers 12-14)
When I was a pastor of students, one of the core truths that we tried to teach students on a regular basis was: "When you see as God sees, you'll do as God says" (Andy Stanley deserves the credit for the phrase). The problem with the people whom Moses sent to inspect the Promised Land is that they didn't see as God sees. It was a classic ... [Continue Reading]
Before You Complain (Numbers 10-11)
The Israelites got themselves into a bit of trouble with God as a result of their incessant complaining. This account underscores the problem with complaining: namely that it keeps us from seeing all of the good things around us. When we're in a mode of simply complaining about everything, we set up a courtroom in our minds where we're the judge and ... [Continue Reading]
More than a Million (Numbers 1)
When you read the Bible quickly, you have the opportunity to see hundreds of years compressed into just a month of time. So when we read about Israel numbering more than a million people, it’s easy to think that the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham was fairly rapid. However, such was not really the case. Abraham died not really seeing God’s ... [Continue Reading]
Separate (Leviticus 16, 19)
Many of the laws that are discussed in these two chapters were really for the sake of setting Israel apart from the other nations so that they could understand how different of a people they truly were. The Israelites were to be set apart for God, and they weren't to allow any kind of influence into their nation that might pull them away from their commitment to ... [Continue Reading]
The Glory of the Lord (Exodus 40)
I often wonder what it would have been like to see the glory of the Lord settled upon the Tabernacle in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The Tabernacle, in its beauty and splendor, was really just a foreshadowing of the glory that the followers of Christ will experience in heaven. As amazing of a sight as it must have been for the ... [Continue Reading]
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