The King is to read the Book of the Law all his life

Monday 31Jan2022

In my Old Testament reading today, my attention was drawn to a passage in Deuteronomy chapter 17 where Moses commanded that any king whom the children of Israel chose must not be a foreigner, must not have large numbers of horses, particularly those from Egypt, must not have many wives, and must not enrich himself with silver and gold.

Instead, the king must keep a copy of the Book of the Law (Torah) near him, and he is to read from this Book of the Law ALL HIS LIFE.

Deuteronomy 17:15 - 20  GNB  Good News Bible
15Make sure that the man you choose to be king is the one whom the LORD has chosen. He must be one of your own people; do not make a foreigner your king. 16The king is not to have a large number of horses for his army, and he is not to send people to Egypt to buy horses, because the LORD has said that his people are never to return there. 17The king is not to have many wives, because this would make him turn away from the LORD; and he is not to make himself rich with silver and gold.
18When he becomes king, he is to have a copy of the book of God's laws and teachings made from the original copy kept by the levitical priests. 19He is to keep this book near him and read from it all his life, so that he will learn to honour the LORD and to obey faithfully everything that is commanded in it. 20This will keep him from thinking that he is better than his fellow-Israelites and from disobeying the LORD's commands in any way. Then he will reign for many years, and his descendants will rule Israel for many generations.

Brothers and Sisters in Iesus the Anointed One, let us keep the commands of our Lord near to us. Let us read the Scripture every day, all of our lives.

Places of Rebellion in the Wilderness

Sunday 30Jan22 12:25 hrs GMT+8

Deuteronomy 9:8
- Horeb

Deuteronomy 9:22
- Taberah
- Massah
- Kibroth Hattaavah

Horeb (Exodus 32:18 - 19)

- Aaron made golden calf
- Moses threw down the two tablets and shattered them

Taberah (no cross reference)

- place of burning,
- possibly synonymous with Kibroth Hataaavah

Massah (Exodus 17:7), a.k.a. Meribah

- Massah means "testing"
- a place near Rephidim
- where children of Israel murmurred against Moses
- because of lack of water
- Meribah means "quarrelling"
- there is a slightly different account of Meribah
- in Num 20:2 - 13, where Moses disobeyed the LORD
- by striking the rock instead of commanding water to flow from it

Kibroth Hattaavah (Numbers 11:34)

- graves of craving
- children of Israel craved meat
- Yehovah sent quails
- destroyed those who craved, with a plague

Wandering in the wilderness: 40 places in 40 years

Saturday 29Jan2022

Shabbat Shalom. Today is the Seventh Day of the Biblical Week. Let us rest from all our work to remember the Sabbath Day and honour it.

In my Old Testament readings this afternoon, I came across a long but noteworthy passage in the book of Numbers chapter 33. This passage records a detailed account of all the places that the children stopped at and put up camp throughout their forty years of wandering in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt.

At the end of their wandering, they arrived in the lowlands of Moab by Jordan at Jericho where the LORD gave the following command to Moses:

Numbers 33:50 - 56  BBE  Bible in Basic English
50 And in the lowlands of Moab by Jordan at Jericho, the Lord said to Moses,
51 Say to the children of Israel, When you go over Jordan into the land of Canaan,
52 See that all the people of the land are forced out from before you, and put to destruction all their pictured stones, and all their metal images, and all their high places:
53 And take the land for yourselves, for your resting-place: for to you I have given the land as your heritage.
54 And you will take up your heritage in the land by the decision of the Lord, to every family its part; the greater the family the greater its heritage, and the smaller the family the smaller will be its heritage; wherever the decision of the Lord gives to any man his part, that will be his; distribution will be made to you by your fathers' tribes.
55 But if you are slow in driving out the people of the land, then those of them who are still there will be like pin-points in your eyes and like thorns in your sides, troubling you in the land where you are living.
56 And it will come about that as it was my purpose to do to them, so I will do to you.

The following lists the 42 places that the children of Israel traversed in their wanderings in the wilderness, beginning from Rameses in Egypt on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after their first Passover, and ending in the lowlands of Moab by Jordan at Jericho in their fortieth year of wandering.

All in all, between Rameses in Egypt and the end of their sojourn at Jericho, the children of Israel stopped at 40 places in 40 years of wandering.

This list is based on Numbers chapter 33, Bible in Basic English

1. On 15th day 1st month, on the day after Passover:
   - went out from Rameses
   - put up their tents in Succoth.
2. From Succoth,
   - put up their tents in Etham on the edge of the waste land.
3. From Etham,
   - turning back to Pi-hahiroth which is before Baal-zephon,
   - put up their tents before Migdol.
4. Journeying on from before Hahiroth,
   - went through the sea into the waste land:
   - went three days' journey through the waste land of Etham
   - put up their tents in Marah.
5. From Marah,
   - went on to Elim:
   - in Elim there were twelve water-springs and seventy palm-trees;
   - put up their tents there.
6. From Elim,
   - put up their tents by the Red Sea.
7. From the Red Sea,
   - put up their tents in the waste land of Sin.
8. From the waste land of Sin,
   - put up their tents in Dophkah.
9. From Dophkah,
   - put up their tents in Alush.
10. From Alush,
    - put up their tents in Rephidim, - where there was no drinking-water for the people.
11. From Rephidim,
    - put up their tents in the waste land of Sinai.
12. From the waste land of Sinai,
    - put up their tents in Kibroth-hattaavah.
13. From Kibroth-hattaavah,
    - put up their tents in Hazeroth.
14. From Hazeroth,
    - put up their tents in Rithmah.
15. From Rithmah,
    - put up their tents in Rimmon-perez.
16. From Rimmon-perez,
    - put up their tents in Libnah.
17. From Libnah,
    - put up their tents in Rissah.
18. From Rissah,
    - put up their tents in Kehelathah.
19. From Kehelathah,
    - put up their tents in Mount Shepher.
20. From Mount Shepher,
    - put up their tents in Haradah.
21. From Haradah,
    - put up their tents in Makheloth.
22. From Makheloth,
    - put up their tents in Tahath.
23. From Tahath,
    - put up their tents in Terah.
24. From Terah,
    - put up their tents in Mithkah.
25. From Mithkah,
    - put up their tents in Hashmonah.
26. From Hashmonah,
    - put up their tents in Moseroth.
27. From Moseroth,
    - put up their tents in Bene-jaakan.
28. From Bene-jaakan,
    - put up their tents in Hor-haggidgad.
29. From Hor-haggidgad,
    - put up their tents in Jotbathah.
30. From Jotbathah,
    - put up their tents in Abronah.
31. From Abronah,
    - put up their tents in Ezion-geber.
32. From Ezion-geber,
    - put up their tents in the waste land of Zin (which is Kadesh).
33. From Kadesh,
    - put up their tents in Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.
    - Aaron the priest died on Mount Hor, age 123 years old.
    - On 1st day 5th month 40th year
    - after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt,
34. From Mount Hor,
    - put up their tents in Zalmonah.
35. From Zalmonah,
    - put up their tents in Punon.
36. From Punon,
    - put up their tents in Oboth.
37. From Oboth,
    - put up their tents in Iye-abarim at the edge of Moab.
38. From Iyim,
    - put up their tents in Dibon-gad.
39. From Dibon-gad,
    - put up their tents in Almon-diblathaim.
40. From Almon-diblathaim,
    - put up their tents in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
41. From the mountains of Abarim,
    - put up their tents in the lowlands of Moab by Jordan at Jericho; - planting their tents by the side of Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth
    - as far as Abel-shittim in the lowlands of Moab.
42. Finally, at the lowlands of Moab by Jordan at Jericho

By the command of the LORD we encamp and we remove

Monday 24Jan2022

Today's readings took me through the Book of Numbers chapters 4 to 10 in the Old Testament and the Gospel according to Luke chapters 13 to 15 in the New Testament.

A verse that spoke to me this afternoon is from Numbers chapter 9 which tells us that throughout their wandering in the wilderness, the children of Israel stopped and set up camp whenever the LORD commanded them to do so. Likewise, they broke camp and removed when the LORD commanded them again.

Numbers 9:18  LXX  Septuagint Brenton
The children of Israel shall encamp by the command of the Lord, and by the command of the Lord they shall remove: all the days in which the cloud overshadows the tabernacle, the children of Israel shall encamp.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, like the children of Israel sojourning for forty years in the wilderness, we are sojourning in this world today.

And like the children of Israel, there are times when the LORD tells us to stop and "encamp" in a particular place, to do a particular work, or even be stalled in a particular situation without making progress as we wish. Let us "set up camp" wherever the LORD leads us to do His will and accomplish His purpose while we wait patiently for Him to tell us to move on to another place or work or circumstances that he has willed for us.

Will the Son of Man be ashamed of you when He comes in His Father's glory?

Monday 10Jan2022

This afternoon in my New Testament reading, I am reminded of the teaching of our Lord in Mark chapter 8, telling his disciples that everyone who is ashamed of the Lord and His teachings in this "faithless and sinful age", the Lord will be ashamed fo that person at his second coming.

Mark 8:38  WNT  Weymouth New Testament
38 Every one, however, who has been ashamed of me and of my teachings in this faithless and sinful age, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels.'

Brothers and Sisters in Iesus the Anointed One, let us ask ourselves,"Are you ashamed of the Lord and His teachings?"

Doing all the work: as the LORD commanded

Sunday 09Jan2022

In my Old Testament reading this afternoon, I observed in Exodus chapter 39 that the children of Israel carried out ALL the work of building the Tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting according to ALL that YeHoVaH commanded Moses (Exodus 39:32). Moses inspected ALL the work and saw that they had done it as YeHoVaH had commanded (Exodus 39:43).

Exodus 39:32 - 33a  WEBBE  World English Bible British Edition

32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished. The children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses; so they did. 33 They brought the tabernacle to Moses:

The Tent of Meeting  (Exodus 39:33 - 38)

• The tent
  • with all its furniture,
  • its clasps,
  • its boards,
  • its bars,
  • its pillars,
  • its sockets,
• Coverings of the tent
  • the covering of rams’ skins dyed red,
  • the covering of sea cow hides,
  • the veil of the screen,
• The ark of the covenant
  • with its poles,
  • the mercy seat,
• The table
  • all its vessels,
  • the show bread,
• The pure lamp stand
  • its lamps, even the lamps to be set in order,
  • all its vessels,
  • the oil for the light,
• The golden altar
  • the anointing oil,
  • the sweet incense,
• the screen for the door of the Tent,

The Court outside the Tent of Meeting  (Exodus 39:39 - 41):

• The bronze altar
  • its grating of bronze,
  • its poles,
  • all of its vessels,
• the basin and its base
• The hangings of the court
  • its pillars,
  • its sockets,
  • the screen for the gate of the court,
  • its cords,
  • its pins,
• And all the instruments of the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting

The Vestments of the Priests  (Exodus 39:41):

• the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place,
• the holy garments for Aaron the priest,
• and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.

Exodus 39:42 - 43  WEBBE  World English Bible British Edition

42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work.
43 Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded. They had done so; and Moses blessed them.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us serve our Lord diligently by doing all that he has commanded us.

Two Tablets: engraved on Front and Back

Saturday 08Jan2022

Shabbat Shalom. Today is the Seventh Day of the Biblical Week. It is Sabbath. Let us rest from all our work in keeping the Fourth Commandment.

From my Old Testament readings today, the accounts in Exodus chapters 24, 31, and 32 tell us that God gave Moses two tablets of stone after Moses had spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain to which God had called him and his helper Joshua. (Exodus 24:18)

From Exodus 24:12, we learn that the stone tablets contain the law and commandments which God had written for the instruction of the children of Israel.

Exodus 24:12, 13, 15 - 18  NRSV  New Revised Standard Version
12The LORD said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’ 13So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.

15Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Further on, Exodus 31:18 tells us that the two tablets were called "tablets of the covenant", and were written with the "finger" of God.

Exodus 31:18  NRSV
18 When God finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

And finally in Exodus 32:14, we can read that the two stone tablets were written on both sides, on the front and on the back. This verse also states that the writing on the tablets was the writing of God Himself, engraved upon the tablets.

Exodus 32:14 - 16  NRSV
15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, written on the front and on the back. 16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets.

Call no man Father, for one is your Father: He who is in Heaven

Thursday 06Jan2022

This morning in my New Testament reading, I am reminded of our Lord's teaching in Matthew chapter 23 that, unlike the scribes and Pharisees, we are not to love high positions nor to assume lofty titles for ourselves.

Whilst the scribes and Pharisees "love the chief place at feasts, the chief seats in the synagogues, the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi, Rabbi' by men", the Lord Iesus told his disciples, ". . . he who is greatest among you will be your servant" (Matthew 23:6,7,11 WEB).

Matthew 23:8 - 12  WEB  World English Bible

8 But don't you be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
12 Whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be exalted.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us beware of fallng into the love of high positions and lofty titles. Let us be one another's servants instead.

Are your eyes evil because mine are good?

Wednesday 05Jan2022 16:12 hrs GMT+8

In my New Testament from Matthew chapter 20 today, I am reminded of the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. In the parable, our Lord tells of how a householder promised to pay a shilling to each worker from a group he hired early one morning to work in his vineyard. Later in the morning, then at noon, and again in the evening, as late as five o'clock, he hired more workers that he came across in the market place. At the end of the day, he decided to pay all of them a shilling each, regardless of how many hours they have worked that day.

Naturally, the group of workers who agreed to work from early morning for a shilling became unhappy. "These who came last have done only one hour's work, and you have put them on a level with us who have worked the whole day and have borne the scorching heat." they complained to the householder (Matthew 20:12).

Matthew 20:13 - 16  KJV  King James Version

13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Matthew 20:13 - 16  WNT  Weymouth New Testament

13 ''My friend,' he answered to one of them, 'I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a shilling?
14 Take your money and go. I choose to give this last comer just as much as I give you.
15 Have I not a right to do what I choose with my own property? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16 'So the last shall be first, and the first last.'

The term "evil eye" is a Hebrew expression that means envious, or greedy, or jealous. Similarly, the term "good eye" is a Hebrew euphemism that means generous. When the householder asked the disgruntled workers, "Is thine eye evil because I am good" (Matthew 20:15 KJV), he actually meant "Are you envious (or greedy) because I am generous?". This is how Weymouth New Testament renders this verse in the passage above.

The following lists Matthew 20:15 from several other English translations for comparison.

• NIV v15 Are you envious because I am generous?
• NRSV v15 . . . are you envious because I am generous?
• GNB v15 . . . are you jealous because I am generous?
• ESV v15 Do you begrudge my generosity?
• RSV v15 . . . do you begrudge my generosity?

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us endeavour to have good eyes. Let us beware of having evil eyes.

It will be done for them by my Father in Heaven

Monday 03Jan2022

Today I am reminded from Matthew chapter 18 in my New Testament reading that whenever we assemble together and agree in prayer, our Father in Heaven will answer our prayers. This is because "where two or three" come together in the name of our Lord Iesus, our Lord is among us.

Matthew 18:19 - 20  BBE  Bible in Basic English
19 Again, I say to you, that if two of you are in agreement on earth about anything for which they will make a request, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are come together in my name, there am I among them.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us assemble and pray together in the name of our Lord Iesus. Our requests will be done by our Father in Heaven.

Sign of the Prophet Jonah

Sunday 02Jan2022

Matthew chapter 16, from my New Testament reading today, tells of our Lord's reply to the Pharisees and the Sadducees who demanded a sign from Him. He pointed out that they knew how to predict the weather from the appearance of the sky: that a red evening sky would bring fair weather but a red morning sky would mean bad weather. However, they could not discern the signs of the times.

It is obvious that the saying, "Red skies at night, sailors' delight. Red skies at dawn, sailors be warned." was already common knowledge in ancient Biblical times.

Matthew 16:1 - 4  KJV  King James Version

1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

To the Pharisees and the Sadducees who could not discern signs of the times, who ignored the warning and call to repentance by John the Baptist, who refused to believe the preaching of the kingdom of heaven by our Lord Iesus, to such people, there was only one sign from God the Heavenly Father: when they see that the Lord Iesus would be killed, be buried and be raised by God on the third day.

This was the Sign of the Prophet Jonah.

Matthew 12:40  ESV  English Standard Version

For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.