by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Deuteronomy 11-13
“For the land, into which you are entering to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you used to sow your seed and water it with your foot like a vegetable garden….But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning to the end of the year.” (Deut. 11:10-12)
That’s your life now, as a Christian. Before you came to the Lord all you had was striving and striving in your own strength, but now, you know that God’s eyes are upon your life and your Promised Land. He is watching over you in all that you do.
Sometimes it may not seem like it, but it is true. What you and I have to do is reach out for that promise, just like the woman with the issue of blood or blind Bartimaeus did with Jesus. They reached out and received what He had, when others just watched Him walk by. Now it’s our turn. We too can reach out and receive this promise from our Father. (more…)
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Numbers 15, 16
God can be tough when He needs to be! Some people think of God as just an “if it feels good, do it” type of God, but they haven’t met the One True God. He is totally love, but that love can be tough from time to time.
Let’s back up a minute and think what would have happened if God had not – sometimes sternly – kept the nation of Israel on track. We know that His ultimate goal was to bring His redemption to all mankind by bringing His own Son for a sacrifice. But if He had just beamed His Son down to earth with no introduction, people wouldn’t have recognized Him or received Him. God had to spend the time necessary to prepare a nation to understand and recognize His Son when He arrived. These people were to be the caretakers of the eventual Messiah.
Boy, did that take some doing! All of the elements of human nature, with all of its selfishness, kept rising up. (more…)
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Numbers 1, 2
The first census is taken of the men who are able to fight. God is preparing the Israelites for battle.
The leader of each tribe was to step forth and represent his tribe to Moses and Aaron. They were then to account for all of the able-bodied men over 20 years of age, as these were the ones who would go out and take the land God was giving them There was then detail about the order of tribes and which should go first.
Each tribe was to have its own standard, and they were to camp together around that standard.
My husband has been doing some teaching recently on the unity God is seeking for His church. God wants us to honor each other, not focusing on the doctrinal differences, but on what we have in common, namely Jesus. (more…)
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Leviticus 17, 18
The life is in the blood. That’s the concept to which we are introduced in chapter 17. I don’t think anyone ever reaches the full understanding of just how significant this is. I say that because we can approach an understanding, but then we sense that there is more to it.
Our entire covenant with Jesus rests on the life that was in His blood. That life was pure, sinless, and Holy – coming from the Holy Spirit of God. His blood was pure because He was truly God’s Son.
That pure, Holy blood was poured out at the cross for us. The perfect Lamb.
When the laws were written, the people had no understanding about what would eventually come. They were just taking whatever God said at face value. Many times, they may have wondered why this or that was so necessary.
When you think about it, we get more enlightenment from these laws than these early recipients. We get to see them through the prism of our new covenant. (more…)
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Well, in the words of Ricky Ricardo, “I have some ‘splainin to do.” Sorry for being absent during the last few days.
I did let you know that my precious mother-in-law spent a week in the hospital with pneumonia and then passed away. (She was a true saint and really ready to be with Jesus at 94). The day after the funeral, I came down with what the doctors called “the crud.” (Not the flu, just the crud). Please forgive the delay.
But I’m back and I’ll try to make a hurried catch up on comments.
Exodus 25-31 and 36-40
Sometimes when reading the Old Testament, the details seem laborious. We may think that all the intricate design and specificity is unnecessary.
Well, when we begin to dig beneath the surface, we realize that the detail only makes it more powerful. God was the author of the Bible, as He breathed His words through men. And only God could have orchestrated such poignant symbolism to give us the pictures of the truths He wanted to show us.
When reading about the details of the temple and all of its implements, we could spend days discovering the truths He was showing us. I want to show one big one.
If we look at the tabernacle, we can see ourselves. (more…)
Deuteronomy 11-13
