Week 11

March 12 to 18, 2011[1. The notes, summaries and points on this page are intended as bookmarks of important matters which are covered in this week’s readings. They are not intended as complete summaries of readings. Please forgive me if some of my summaries are not 100% on point. Read the manual–i.e. Bible–so that you will get a more clear understanding of the material. Thank you.
–Tom Truex]

This is the “One Year Bible Challenge:” to read the entire Bible in one year. Assuming a normal reading level, this can be done by spending about 10-15 minutes per day, each and every day. It is NOT TOO LATE to join the Challenge! Start with today’s reading and keep reading with us through the end of this year. You’ll have to read a bit more at the beginning of next year to finish. See ReadTheWholeBible.COM for more information. If you would like details so you can join us, or if you have any other questions, please call Tom Truex. Or send an email by using the CONTACT form on K-Line.ORG.

Themes and stories: [Last week, in Numbers 16, a group of rebels lead by Korah, tried to get more power. They argued that Moses was no better than them—so why should he be in charge? God punished the Israelites who had rebelled against Moses by swallowing them up in a giant “sinkhole.”]

More of the Israelites rebelled against Moses. As punishment for their latest rebellion against Moses, God killed 14,700 more rebels in a plague.

God told Moses how to stop these pointless rebellions against Moses’ (and God’s) authority. Each one of the twelve ancestral houses of the Israelites was to write its name on a staff, and put the staff in the Tabernacle. The next day, all of the staff’s remained dead wood, except for Aaron’s staff, which represented the Levites. His staff was as a living branch. Overnight, it had sprouted buds, blossoms, and bore ripe almonds (Numbers 17:1-11). This was a sign to the other groups, confirming that the Levites were to remain in charge of the Tabernacle.

God further directed that the Levites, and no one else, should perform the duties of the priests. The Levites were to receive a portion of the offerings in the Tabernacle for their upkeep.

God directed that a red heifer, without defect, be sacrificed. God gave directions for purification after touching a dead human’s body.

We don’t know much about the next 37 years as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. Numbers 20 picks up about 40 years after the Exodus. The Israelites came to another place where they had no water. The Israelites complained to Moses again. Proving that history does repeat itself. Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle to pray. God told Moses to take his staff, assemble all of the Israelites and command water to come out of a rock. Moses did as God directed, except instead of simply commanding water to come out of the rock, Moses whacked the rock twice with his staff. Water came out of the rock. God was not pleased with Moses’ theatrical interpretation of his directions. God wants us to follow his instructions, not simply follow his rules as we see fit. Got viewed Moses deviation from His instructions as failure to trust Him. Because of his actions in this matter, God decreed that Moses would not be the person to lead the Israelites into the promised land. The punishment seems harsh. Not following God’s instructions is a serious matter.

Moses asked Kadesh, the King of Edom, if the Israelites could pass on the road through their country. Kadesh said no.

Aaron died at Mount Hor. Aaron’s priestly garments were taken and given to his son, Eleazar, who became the new high priest.

The Israelites continued to complain, as they continued to wander. God sent poisonous snakes to harass the people as punishment for their grumbling. Many Israelites died from the snake bites. Moses prayed for relief, on behalf of the people. God instructed Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole. Whoever looked at the serpent on the pole would live.

The Israelites continued to move/wander. They asked King Sihon of the Amorites, if they could pass through his lands. The King said no, and went out to defeat the Israelites in battle. Instead, the Israelites won the battle, killed the king and took his land. King Og of Bashan challenged the Israelites in battle too. The Israelites killed King Og and his sons. They took his land too.

By now, people who lived in the path of the Israelites were afraid. Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.”

Balak, King of Moab, sent for Balaam, to curse the Israelites. Balaam lived at some distance, but had a reputation which had traveled far. The nature and source of Balaam’s power has been debated. Apparently, Balaam had connections to occult practices. But he did have an understanding and belief in the God of the Israelites. God told Balaam not to go with Moab’s messengers. Balak sent more messengers. This time God allowed Balaam to go. God’s angel stood in the road to block Balaam’s path. Balaam couldn’t see the angel, but Balaam’s donkey could see the angel. The Donkey refused to proceed where the angel blocked their path. Balaam was angry, and beat the donkey. The donkey spoke to Balaam, asking why he was being beaten. Finally, God permitted Balaam to see the angel too. Balaam apologized to the angel for going with the men who wanted him to curse the Israelites. The angel told Balaam to go with the messengers, but to speak only according to the angel’s directions.

Balak was happy to see Balaam, when he finally arrived. Balaam explained that he would only say what God told him to say. The next day, Balak took Balaam out to curse the Israelites. Instead, Balaam listened to God and blessed the Israelites. Balak took Balaam to another location, and again asked Balaam to curse the Israelites. Instead, Balaam blessed the Israelites again.

The same thing happened a third time. Balak was angry with Balaam for blessing the Israelites a third time. Balaam was supposed to curse the Israelites, not bless them. Balaam blessed the Israelites a fourth time. Balak sent him home.

Meanwhile, the Israelite men were having sex with the local women of Moab. These women lead the men to worship their false god, Baal. Aaron’s grandson, Phinehas, took a spear and ran it through both an Israelite man and his Moabite woman. 24,000 died in a plague.

God told Moses to take another census of men, age 20 and older. There were 601,730 men, not including women and children. This is almost the same number as originally left Egypt in Exodus. God directed that in the future, land would be apportioned according to the size of the family group.

God gave Moses certain rules about inheritance. The issue was brought to him by the daughters of a deceased man who had no sons. The order of inheritance was: first to the son; but if no son, to the daughter; but if no sons or daughters, then to his brothers; but if none of these, then to his uncles; but if none of these, then to his nearest kin.

Moses followed God’s instructions and appointed Joshua to be his successor.

Psalms: Psalm 55:1-61:8
Proverbs: Proverbs 11:7-17

Themes and stories: [At the end of week 10, Jesus was placed in the tomb]

Easter. On Sunday morning, three women, “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint [Jesus].” Mark 16:1 (ESV). They were concerned about who would roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb so they could go about their task. But the large stone had already been rolled back. A young man in a white robe was sitting there, and told them not to worry. The young man said Jesus had been raised from the dead. The women fled in “terror and amazement.”

Jesus appeared again to Mary Magdalene and to others. Jesus appeared to the 11 disciples and rebuked them for their lack of faith, because they had not believed the reports that he had arisen. Jesus told them to go and proclaim the gospel to the whole world. After he spoke to the disciples, he was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God. The disciples did go out and proclaim the good news everywhere, just as Jesus had instructed them.

Luke. The book of Luke begins again, before the birth of Jesus. A priest named Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth had no children, but were getting older. As Zechariah was in the Temple performing his duties, the angel, Gabriel, appeared to him. The angel told him that his wife, Elizabeth would have a son. This son would be a great leader for God. Because Zechariah did not at first believe the angel, he was struck mute.

Later, the angel Gabriel appeared to the Mary. Gabriel told Mary she would conceive and bear a son named Jesus, though she was still a virgin.
Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth (Zechariah’s wife). When Elizabeth saw Mary, the child leaped in her womb.

[41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. [45] And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

When Elizabeth’s son was born, he was named John. Zechariah could speak again after the infant, John, was named. Later, Zechariah prophesied that John would be a great prophet.

The Roman Emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census would be conducted, and that all the Jews had to return to their ancestral home town to be counted. Jesus and Mary were obliged to go to Bethlehem, even though she was about to have her baby. The town was so crowded when they arrived, that there was no room for them in an inn. Jesus was born in a type of stable, and was placed in a manger for a bed. An angel appeared to shepherds in the field, and told them the Messiah had been born. They went to Bethlehem to see Jesus. After eight days, Jesus was taken to the Temple to be circumcised, according to Jewish custom.

A righteous man named Simeon was in the Temple. The Holy Spirit had told Simeon that the Messiah would appear to him before he died. Simeon recognized Jesus as the Messiah.

When Jesus was 12 years old, he traveled with his parents and a large group of people to Jerusalem for the festival Passover. Jesus was separated from his parents. At this age, Jesus might have been expected to travel with either the women and children, or with the men. They were with such a large group, that each parent thought he was with the other. Mary and Joseph traveled a day, before they realized Jesus was not with them. They returned to Jerusalem and found him in the temple. Everyone was amazed at Jesus’ level of understanding of the the topics taught and discussed in the Temple.
John the Baptist. When John grew into a man, he came out of the wilderness and began proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. Crowds came to be baptized. Some of the people thought John might be the messiah. He told them someone much greater than him would follow.
John rebuked the Jewish leader, Herod, because Herod’s wife was actually the wife of his brother. Herod had John arrested.

A women’s study group meets in Davie, FL on the 2nd Friday morning of the month. Contact Janet Truex, or use the Contact tab at CONTACT form on ReadTheWholeBible.COM.

Week 10

March 5-11, 2011[1. The notes, summaries and points on this page are intended as bookmarks of important matters which are covered in this week’s readings. They are not intended as complete summaries of readings. Please forgive me if some of my summaries are not 100% on point. Read the manual–i.e. Bible–so that you will get a more clear understanding of the material. Thank you.
–Tom Truex]

This is the “One Year Bible Challenge:” to read the entire Bible in one year. Assuming a normal reading level, this can be done by spending about 10-15 minutes per day, each and every day. It is NOT TOO LATE to join the Challenge! Start with today’s reading and keep reading with us through the end of this year. You’ll have to read a bit more at the beginning of next year to finish. See ReadTheWholeBible.COM for more information. If you would like details so you can join us, or if you have any other questions, please call Tom Truex. Or send an email by using the CONTACT form on K-Line.ORG.

Themes and stories: God continued to direct the specifics of the census of the divisions of the Levites. God described their duties relating to moving and reconstructing the Tabernacle as the Israelites moved from place to place. Only men in the Levite families who were aged 30 to 50 were qualified for Tabernacle work. The ages might be different now, since modern men are in much better physical condition at age 50, than in Bible times.

God told Moses to keep the unclean (leprous, contact with a dead body, etc.) outside of camp. God directed that if a man committed a wrong against another, he must pay restitution of full damages, plus 20%. God directed a procedure to determine if a women has committed adultery, in suspected cases where there was no proof. The particulars of the test are unclear today. The gist of the procedure was that God revealed to the priest whether the woman was guilty or not.

God gave rules to Moses for the Nazirites. Being a Nazirite required a commitment to refrain from drinking wine or other alcoholic drinks, and cutting one’s hair Nazirites could not touch a dead body, even if it was a relative.

God told Moses how they were to bless the Israelites (Numbers 6:24-26, RSV):

[24] The LORD bless you and keep you:
[25] The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you:
[26] The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

The Israelites dedicated the Tabernacle. They presented an offering to God each day. It took twelve days. The Israelites celebrated their second Passover. Some of them were away during the passover, or were unclean from having touched a dead body. God let them celebrate Passover a month later. God directed Moses to have two silver trumpets made, for the purpose of various summons and signals to the Israelites.

According to God’s command, the Israelites broke camp and moved when the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle. The people complained. God was angry at their complaining and sent fire to burn some of the outlaying areas of the camp. Moses prayed to God for relief. The fire abated.

The “rabble among them” wanted meat to eat:

[4] The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, ” Who will give us meat to eat?  [5] “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic,  [6] but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”  [7] Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. [Number 11:4-7 (NASV)]

Manna had been fine when the Israelites were hungry and had nothing to eat. People are quick to forget God’s blessings. Some of them even complained they shouldn’t have left Egypt, where they had better food to eat. God was not pleased with their ingratitude, but He promised to give them meat:

 [19] ‘You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,  [20] but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”‘”

God provided quails from the sea for the Israelites to eat.

God also sent a plague to kill the people who had been so greedy in their demands of Him.

Aaron and his sister, Miriam, complained about Moses wife, who was a Cushite woman. God gave Miriam leprosy as punishment. Moses begged God to forgive them for their bickering. God removed her leprosy after 7 days.

God told Moses to send out spies to explore the land of Canaan. Each tribe of the Israelites sent one man. After 40 days, the spies returned. The spies reported that Canaan was indeed a land that flowed with milk and honey. However the inhabitants were large, numerous and strong. The Canaanite’s towns were well fortified. Even their fruit was huge. A single cluster of grapes could only be carried on a pole, suspended between two men. Their raisin pies must have been really big and tasty. One of the spies, Caleb, recommended the Israelites go and conquer the land. But the other spies, excepting Joshua, were afraid to fight against the inhabitants of Canaan. Once again, the people bitterly complained:

[2] And all the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! [3] Why does the LORD bring us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey; would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” [4] And they said to one another, “Let us choose a captain, and go back to Egypt.” Numbers 14:2-4 (RSV).

God did not appreciate the Israelites ingratitude and lack of faith. Moses asked God not to destroy the Israelites. God did not destroy the Israelites, but he condemned them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Only Joshua and Caleb, who had remained faithful to God, would see their nation enter the promised land.

When the Israelites realized what they had done, they changed their minds, and wanted to enter the promised land. But by this time, they were too late. Moses told them to forget it. They could not prevail in taking the promised land unless God went with them. They had missed the opportunity that God had given them.

The Israelites caught a man violating the Sabbath by gathering sticks. They followed God’s law and stoned the man to death.

Some of the Israelites’ leaders rebelled against Moses. They were apparently jealous of his power. God opened up the ground beneath the troublemakers. It swallowed them up, together with their households.
Discussion points: Why did the Israelites refuse to go into the land of Canaan after Caleb and the other spies brought back their report?
Psalms: Psalm 48:1-54:7
Proverbs: Proverbs 10:26-11:6

Themes and stories: Some of the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, tried to trick Jesus. They asked him a question about a widow, who married her late husband’s brother, according to law. She married each of the seven brothers in succession, as they each died. The Sadducees asked Jesus who she would be married to in heaven. Jesus told them, they were wrong and did not understand the scriptures nor the power of God. The rules on earth don’t work the same in Heaven. “He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”

Jesus taught about the two most important commandments:

[29] Jesus answered, “The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; [30] and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ [31] The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (RSV)

Jesus also warned against the religious leaders who made a show of their religion, but actually were trying to benefit from their positions. A poor widow who gave a small amount to the Temple really gave more than most other people, because she gave all that she had.

Jesus warned about difficult times in the future. Jesus said he would return. He told the people to be ready for that day. We should be ready for Jesus’ return at all times, because no one, except God, knows when that day will be.

A woman anointed Jesus with a costly perfume. Some of the people scolded her for such a waste. The perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus responded:

[6] … “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. [7] For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you will, you can do good to them; but you will not always have me. [8] She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burying. [9] And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Mark 14:12-9 (RSV).

Judas Iscariot went to the chief priest to betray Jesus. Jesus and his disciples gathered to eat at Passover. This was to be their last supper together. Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray him. Jesus also broke bread and poured out wine for them saying, “Take; this is my body;” and “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

After the last supper, Jesus went to pray in the garden called Gethsemane. Peter, James and John went with. Jesus told them to stay awake, but they kept falling asleep. Jesus noted, “…the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The chief priests sent men with swords and clubs to arrest Jesus in the garden. Judas pointed Jesus out to them.

They took Jesus to Caiaphas, the high priest. They presented perjury against Jesus, but his accuser’s stories didn’t match up. Finally, Caiaphas asked Jesus if he was the Messiah. Jesus answered, “I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:62. The high priest had a fit. He accused Jesus of blasphemy because of this answer. Of course, Jesus’ answer would have been blasphemy, except that it was true.

Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed twice—just as Jesus had predicted.

The religious leaders turned Jesus over to the Romans. They wanted to kill Jesus, but the Roman law did not permit them to do so. The Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, could find no crime committed by Jesus. There was a custom of releasing one prisoner at the Passover. Pilate, asked the mob if he should release Jesus or the criminal, Barabbas. Pilate gave them an opportunity to release Jesus. But the chief priests incited the mob into shouting to crucify Jesus. Pilate wanted to satisfy the mob, so he turned Jesus over to be crucified.

The Roman soldiers mocked Jesus and subjected him to great pain before leading Christ to be crucified on the cross. When Jesus, weakened by his pain, could not carry the cross, the Romans conscripted a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. They walked to the place called Golgotha, which means “the place of the skull.” The soldiers cast lots to divide up Jesus’ garments. They nailed Jesus on the cross at 9 o’clock in the morning, between two thieves. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” At noon, darkness fell.

At 3 pm Jesus cried out, “E’lo-i, E’lo-i, la’ma sabach-tha’ni?” which means, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Mark 15:34 (RSV). The Roman centurion who witnessed Jesus’ death recognized that Jesus was the Son of God. Pilate gave Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Jewish Council, permission to take Jesus’ body. Joseph took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid in a tomb hewn in the rock. A large rock was placed in front of the entrance to the tomb.

Discussion points: Why did Jesus say, “E’lo-i, E’lo-i, la’ma sabach-tha’ni?” which means, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

• Why were individuals deemed “unclean” to stay outside the Israelites’ camp?
• Who were the Nazirites, and what role did they play Bible history?
• What purpose what served by the two silver trumpets described in Numbers 10:1-10?
• Why didn’t the Israelites what to go into Canaan, after receiving the spies’ report?
• The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection. So why were they asking Jesus about the widow who married 7 brothers in succession, after each one died?
• In Mark 12:40, what is wrong with the scribes’ prayers?
• What did Jesus mean when he said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The discussion notes ( PDF / TEXT ) for breakfast on Saturday, March 12, 2011 are now online — ”Milk and Honey”. This week we read about the Israelites’ plans to enter the Land of Canaan. It didn’t go well for them. In the New Testament, we’ll discuss what Jesus meant when he said from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Discussion verses: Numbers 13:21 to 14:4; Mark 15:33-37. This week’s BACKGROUND is Wycliffe’s Bible.

A women’s study group meets in Davie, FL on the 2nd Friday morning of the month. Contact Janet Truex, or use the Contact tab at CONTACT form on ReadTheWholeBible.COM.

The discussion notes ( PDF / TEXT ) for breakfast on Saturday, March 12, 2011 are now online — ”Milk and Honey”. This week we read about the Israelites’ plans to enter the Land of Canaan. It didn’t go well for them. In the New Testament, we’ll discuss what Jesus meant when he said from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Discussion verses: Numbers 13:21 to 14:4; Mark 15:33-37.