The girl from Timnah

The girl from Timnah has no name.  In the book of Judges, chapter 14, she is just referred to as the girl from Timnah.

Yet it is this girl who captured the attention of Samson.

This girl is also a Philistine.  Something his parents forbid him to marry.  But the Lord works through him in mysterious ways and in the end married her.

The bulk of the chapter deals with Samson's killing of a lion along the road and finding its insides full of honey.  He based a riddle on this lion to a group of Philistines.  His wife tricked him into telling her, who in turn told the Philitines the answer to the riddle.

The Philistines were rewarded by a having fine linen given to them and the girl from Timnah--Samson's wife--was given to his best man.

The beauty of God's glory

In Psalms 19, the first six verses talk about God's creation.

It is glorious how each day starts, with the sun coming out without sound, and it races across the sky like an eager runner in a marathon.

The rest of the Psalm talks about God's laws.

The laws are right and those who obey are happy, granting knowledge and wisdom to those who obey.  God is just, always fair, and keeps us safe from the evils of others.

Wisdom: the greatest treasure

Chapter 8 in the book of Proverbs deals with wisdom.

Wisdom is better than jewels or gold or even the finest silver.  To have wisdom is to have sound judgment, to honor God by hating evil, arrogance, or pride.

In verse 22, it says God created Wisdom before he did anything else.  Before the skies were formed, before the oceans began, before all life . . . there was wisdom.

Knowledge of God and his righteousness, following the path of justice, is wisdom.

And if you have wisdom, God will be pleased.

The birth of Samson

The birth of Samson is in the book of Judges, chapter 13.

Samson's mother had never given birth before, and one day an angel of God came to her and said she will bear a child, and will name him Samson.  Samson is to grow up a Nazirite, never to cut his hair and never to drink beer or wine and never to eat any forbidden fruit.

She told her husband Manoah, who prayed to God to have His angel visit again to tell him.

When the angel appeared, he offered the angel a meal.  Instead, the angel said to offer the young goat as a sacrifice to God.

The angel went up with the flames up to Heaven.  Manoah thought they were going to die, but his wife said he they were, they would've already done so.

And soon she gave birth to Samson, and the Lord's power was with him.

Trouble at home for Jephthah

In the book of Judges, chapter 12, Jephthah returned home and the people of Ephraim confronted him.  They demanded to know why they were not asked to fight the Ammonites alongside him.  They added that they were going to burn his house down because of it.

Jephthah advised them that he did indeed ask them to fight but they refused.  Then, he gathered up his own people and captured the people of Ephraim, and fought them.  He won.  To keep them from escaping, he had guards placed on every crossing of the Jordan River.  When an Ephraimite tried to cross, he had them tested.  They all failed.

42,000 Ephraimites were killed by him.

Jephthah's promise to the Lord

In the book of Judges, chapters 10-11, we come upon the tale of Jephthah.

Jephthah was a soldier, and born of a prostitute.  His father was Gilead, and his siblings rejected him at an early age.

But when he grew older and the Israelites needed a leader to defeat the Ammonites, they turned to Jephthah.  He tried to reason with the Ammonite king, to see the error their ways in worshipping other gods other than the Lord.

In the end, Jephthah promised God that if He was to help achieve them victory, the first person to come out of his home he will offer as a sacrifice to the Lord.  The Ammonites were quickly defeated, and upon Jephthah's return home he saw his daughter--his only child--come out of the house.  He told her what he had promised to God, and she agreed to be sacrified, although wished for it to be delayed two months while she went away with her friends.

He agreed.

And in two months time, she returned and she was sacrificed just like he promised.

The destruction of sexual immorality

Proverbs 7, in my Good News Bible, is titled The Immoral Woman.  But it could just as well be titled The Immoral Man too.

Not just any morals, mind you.  Sexual morals.

In verse 3, it says to follow God's teachings as if you were protecting your own eyes--this is something I personally know about, for my wife has had major complications following a stem cell transplant over 2 years ago due to her leukemia illness.

Verses 6 through 23 spell out a tale of a young man who finds a seductive woman walking near the corner of the street and invites him into her home, for her husband is away for two weeks.  Even though the focus is on the woman being the seductive one, it could very easily be the man too.  In the final verses of the chapter, it spells out that following such a desctructive path is like leading one to their death.

A victorious God

Psalms 18 is quite lengthy at 50 verses--it spans almost two full pages in my Bible.

This Psalm tells of David proclaming victory over his enemies with the help of God as his protector.  In the first verse, he says, "Lord!  You are my defender."

David recalls enemies coming at him like waves and God coming down like a huge thunderstorm, raining hailstones and lightning down on His enemies.

God gave him strength to defeat his enemies.

Because David was faithful to God, He protected him and his descendents forever.

The strange tale of Abimelech

Abimelech was a son of Gideon--one of roughly 70 such sons Gideon fathered.  His mother was a concubine, and by many of his brothers, was not worthy to carry the family name.

He went to the town of Shechem, where he asked everyone if they wanted to be ruled by his 70 brothers or just him.  They wanted just him, so he had all of his brothers killed.

All except Jotham, Gideon's youngest son.

It's a bit of a complicated story--and a long chapter at best, with close to 60 verses.  As punishment for killing his 70 brothers, God had Abimelech rule for three years before his people started turning on him.  Then, as his people attacked the city of Thebez, he set the temple on fire when a women threw a stone down and fractured his head.  He ordered one of his male people to kill him, for he wanted to die by a man's hand instead of a woman's.  The man did as he was told and they all went home.

Refusing Gideon

In the book of Judges, chapter 8, there is the final defeat of the Midianites.

At first, those who were left behind on the initial raid were angry and upset with Gideon, questioning why they weren't involved.  He then turned the tables on them and said they did more than he by defeating the two Midianite chiefs Oreb and Zeeb.

They were no longer upset.

As they traveled in pursuit of the Midianites who fled, Gideon and his people came to a town.  He asked for some food.  They were denied sustenance. Gideon told them once he has defeated the final Midianite people, he will come back and beat them with thorns and briers.

He travled on to the next town, who told him the same thing.  Again, he said he will tear down his tower once he has defeated the Midianite people.

Then, Gideon did as he had advised: once the final Midianite people were defeated, the people who denied them were punished.

And until his death forty years later, there was peace in the land.

A trumpeting victory

In the book of Judges, chapter 7, Gideon gathered up 32,000 Israelite men and set out to defeat the Midianites.

But the Lord said there were too many Israelites and if He gave them victory, they would say it was they who did it instead of through the Lord.  So Gideon sent those who were afraid back home, which left him with 10,000 men.

Still too many.

The Lord told Gideon to take them all to the river, and watched what the Israelites would do.  Of the remaining 10,000 men, 300 scooped up water with their hands instead of kneeling down into the water.  Those 300 were chosen to attack the Midianites.

Prior to the attack, Gideon and a servant sneaked down into the enemy camp.  There, he heard of how afraid they were of Gideon.  He went back, divided up jars of oil and trumpets, and using psychological warfare, blew the trumpets from three different sides.  This startled the enemy, who ended up attacking each other.

Those that remained were attacked the by 300 . . . and victory was achieved.

Healthy ways of living

In the book of Proverbs, chapter 6, we find all sorts of warnings.  Or, as I like to call them, healthy ways of living.

The first deals with promises.  Do not promise something that you aren't able to do.  Also, do not promise to be responsible for someone else's debts.  Both are like an animal getting trapped.

Next is laziness.  Are ants lazy?  Just take on look at an ant hill and you'll know the answer is no.

Lying is next.  It is one of the things God hates.  Lying does nothing but stir up trouble in the end.  It is always better to be truthful, even if it hurts.

The last half of the chapter deals again with adultry.  The best verse is 26: "A man can hire a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultry will cost him all he has."  Take one look at those who have cheated on their spouse, and you know they've lost much more than gained for the small affair they had.

Meet Gideon

The Israelites never seem to learn.  Once again, in chapter 6 of the book of Judges, they find themselves under the rule of another people, the Midianites this time.  Because they're afraid of them, the Israelites have hid themselves in caves while the Midianites take all of their livestock and decimate their land.

Then, the people of Israel, after seven years of terrible rule, cry out to the Lord for help.

The Lord answered their prayers.  Through a man named Gideon.  Gideon, by his own account, was the most unimportant man in the weakest tribe of all Israel.  Yet the Lord chose him.

Gideon had a problem though.  He needed to be constantly convinced that what the Lord was telling him was the truth.  He had a difficult time believing.  After gathering all of the Israelites together, Gideon asked God to give him a sign, that what he was doing was correct.  He laid out a piece of wool and said that if in the morning there's dew on the ground and not on the wool, he'd believe.  The next morning, it happened.  To double convince himself, he asked God to do just the opposite.

God did so.

Gideon was ready to take the Israelites into battle against the Midianites.

The prophet Deborah

I will admit, up to this point, women only seemed to play a few key roles so far in the Bible reading.  Then, I read in chapters 4-5 of Judges about the prophet Deborah.

Once again, the Israelites sinned against the Lord and were under a violent rule by Jabin for twenty years.  The Lord spoke to her, and instructed Barak to take 10,000 men and attack Jabin's soldiers--this was a feat, as Jabin's army had chariots.

Barak was afraid and told her he would not do it unless Deborah accompanied him.  She agreed, but told him that the victory would not be his.  It would be her's.  He agreed.

The attack was a success.  Victory stood on the shoulders of the Israelites.  And what happened to Jabin seems to be something taken straight out of Game Of Thrones: he was hid away in a tent and given milk to drink.  He fell asleep, and during that time a tent peg was driven right through the side of his head into the ground.

And there was peace in the land for forty years.

A sword in the gut

In the book of Judges, chapter 3, it is filled with some interesting characters.

First, the Israelites once again forget their loyalty to God and start worshipping other gods--again.  Why don't they ever learn, you may ask yourself?  No idea.  They turn away after the Joshua's death and are attacked by the kingdom of Mesopotamia.  Then, they cry out to the Lord who sends a man named Othniel to save them.

Next, after Othniel's death some forty years later, the Israelites sin again and turn against the Lord.  Again.  They remain under the rule of King Eglon for eighteen years before they cry out to the Lord again and he sends Ehud to save them.

The tale of Ehud reads like a thriller Dan Brown or Brad Meltzer would fictionalize.

Ehud is a left-handed man who has a double-edged sword, which is only a foot and a half long.  He wears it on his right side, underneath his clothes.  One day, he visits King Eglon--who is described as a very fat man.  Ehud gave Eglon gifts, then advised him that he had a secret message for him.

Eglon ordered his servants to leave them.

After they left, Ehud said he had a message from God.  He removed the hidden sword and stabbed Eglon right into the gut, all the way and through his back side.  Ehud left the sword, exited, and locked the doors behind him.  Only when he was safely away did the servants find their king was dead.

Ehud then blew a horn and ordered the attack on King Eglon's people.  They achieved victory.

The aftermath of Joshua's death

In chapter 1 of the book of Judges, the Israelies go to war against the Canaanites.  What follows is one conquering war after another, the Israelites taking this land and that.  The Canaanites were spread out, and each tribe took the time to war against them.

Most of the time they won.  Others, for whatever reason, they did not.  But the Canaanites were enslaved to work for them.

In chapter 2, the Israelites do what has been warned of them NOT to do: disobey God.

Those who had seen the awesome power God performed were faithful.  However, as the years wore on and they started dying off, the next generation didn't hold to the same faithful values and started to worship other gods.

This angered God.  And because of it, God prevented victories that should've been won to them.

Prayers for Justice

Psalms 17 regards one man's plea for help to God.

The speaker is confident God will see things his way, that God will do the right thing.  He also calls his plea an "honest prayer."

He is confident in God seeing things his way, for he confirms his heart is pure and he has never done wrong.  He has never shown any violence towards others.

He calls his enemies lions, and adds they're waiting to tear him to pieces.  He tells God to punish not only them, but their children and their children's children.

Joshua's final days

In the book of Joshua, chapter 23 is Joshua's farewell address to the Israelites.  He told them all he was very old and that they must obey God's laws long after his death.

They must serve the Lord, who drove out powerful nations for Israel to occupy.

In chapter 24, it starts with a recap of the Israelites journey, starting with Abraham and ending now with Joshua.  He told them repeatedly to throw away any false idols and to serve the Lord.

The people agreed to do so.

Joshua dies at the ripe age of 110.

Altar by the Jordan

Chapter 22, in the book of Joshua, is a rather interesting tale.  It is a tale about an altar.

Joshua told the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh that they could have the land east side of the Jordan River, and that they were to be rewarded for their loyalty to the Israelites and to the Lord.  They were given many riches, and sent on their way.

Just before entering their new lands, they built a great altar.  This act angered many of the other tribes because they thought the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh were rebelling against the Lord.  When confronted, they told them the altar was a reminder for generations to come that their people do indeed worship the Lord.  It was to be a symbol of their great faith.

The Lord was pleased.

And so was the rest of the tribes.

The lessons on this could be such that if you see someone performing an act you don't feel is right, instead of downright calling them back, talk to them.  The reasons could be completely different than what was originally thought.  So many times in our lives we take things for granted and assume--well, you know what they mean about assuming (or, rather, ass-u-ming).

Further dividing of territory in Israel

In the book of Joshua, chapters 18 through 21, there is the final dividing of the territory of Israel to the clans.

There are seven remaining clans, and each are given territories throughout the kingdom.

Then the cities of refuge are chosen--these cities house those accused of accidentally causing the death of another, keeping them from harm from the victim's family.

The Levites--the priests--are then given their own cities, all according to Moses's promise to them.

In the end of chapter 21, all of the Israelites are settled into the lands God had promised them.  None of their enemies had been able to stand against them.

What is it with those Canaanites and Jebusites?

Chapters 15 through 17 of the book of Joshua deal with a lot of specific land territory being divided up amongst the people of Israel.  It's a very analytical piece, with cities and specific areas of land being named.

The majority of it doesn't mean much, although there are a few tales told that did spark some interest.

In chapter 15, starting with verse 16, Caleb and his people come to a city that needs attacking.  He offers up one of his daughters as a prize to the one who conquers it.

At the end of chapter 15, there is a notation that states the people of Judah were unable to drive out the Jebusites, and that the Jebusites still live there with the people of Judah.  Also, at the end of chapter 16, the Canaanites were unable to be driven out as well and were forced to work as slaves.  Why these two peoples, the Jebusites and Canaanites, were singled out as being unable to be driven out is beyond my knowledge.

Then again, further readings throughout the Bible may turn up the answer.

Security in God's Presence

Psalms 16 is short and offers a quick lift of confidence in knowing God is in one's life.

You trust him for safety.

God's people are a fantastic group to be around.

The Lord gives one all they need, and in worshipping other idols, nothing good can come of it.

God's power protects one over death.  One will not be abandoned.  Trusting in God will lead to better security, as He shows you the path to lead your life.

Caleb's request

Chapter 13 of the book of Joshua opens with God telling Joshua that not only was he old, there was still much land to be conquered.

The rest of the chapter spells out what tribes will occupy which territories.

In chapter 14, it tells of a man named Caleb, who was 85 years old and told Joshua that, when Moses and the Israelites first came upon the lands, Moses sent Caleb and a group of men off to explore the lands west of the Jordan River.  The other men were afraid, but Caleb stayed true to God and gave an honest report.  Moses promised Caleb and his people that the land west of the Jordan would be his.

Joshua granted Caleb's request.

And for once there was peace in that land.

More destruction in Joshua's wake

Chapter 11 in the book of Joshua deals with King Jabin of Hazor--in those days, the kingdom of Hazor was the most powerful.

King Jabin hears of Joshua and the Israelites, so he gathers up all of his armies and of those in the nearby kingdoms.  Together, they move on to slaughter Joshua.  Only, the Israelites are much too clever and surprise attack him.

Nothing is left behind in their wake.  It is total destruction.

In chapter 12, it is a recap of the wars fought by Moses and then by Joshua.

Kill 'Em All

One may think that chapter 10 from the book of Joshua is where the heavy metal group Metallica got the name of their debut album: Kill 'Em All.  Because that's exactly what happens in that chapter.

A whole lot of killing.

The Israelites, with the help and guidance of God, literally destroyed all of the kings and soldiers and cities of the entire terrority in a single campaign.  At first, five kings rose up against Joshua and the Israelites by surrounding the city of Gibeon--the very city that offered themselves as slaves to Joshua in exchange for their lives--but Joshua heard about it and attacked them.  The five kings, being as cowardly as Oz's Cowardly Lion, hit in a cave.  Joshua sealed them up until their kingdoms were destroyed.  Then, the kings were let out and hanged.

The trail of destruction followed in their wake.  Those unbelievers of God were wiped out.

The dangers of cheating on your spouse

Proverbs 5 deals with the ugly truth of adultry.

The long and the short of it is this: stay away from another man's wife and love your own wife.  Verses talk about the respect you'll lose if you cheat on your spouse, and having children by another woman is like being raised by strangers.

To go down the dark path of being unfaithful to your spouse is like being eaten alive by a dreaded disease.  Soon, you'll be on your deathbed, wondering why you did what you did.

Love your wife.  Your spouse.  This is the one you married and said vows to.  Be faithful.  Be honorable.

Being caught in the ways of wicked men will lead you to a lonely grave.

Joshua's deception

In chapter 9 of the book of Joshua, we are told the tale of the Hivites from Gibeon.

They heard all of what Joshua and the Israelites did at Ai, and set out to decieve Joshua.  They took some old food, moldy bread, and worn-out clothes and travelled to where Joshua and the Israelites were.  They presented themselve as from far off, and demanded that a treaty be set up with them for protection.

Joshua was reluctant, but eventually agreed.  It was soon known that the Hivites' deception and the Israelites wants them killed.

Joshua refused, saying they had a treaty.  Instead, he made the Hivites slaves.  Even though the Hivites were not defeated, they still lived the life of a slave--all under the God's watch.

Entering God's Temple

Psalms 15 is short, yet powerful.  In short--no pun intended--it starts by asking the question: who may enter God's Temple?

The person who enters:

•  obeys God and always does what is right
•  does not slander others
•  does not spread rumors
•  dislikes those who reject God
•  honors those who also obey God
•  always does what he/she promises, no matter the cost

Whoever does these things will be looked upon favorably through God's eyes, and their life will be secure.

Troubles and triumph at Ai

In chapter 7 of the book of Joshua, we meet Achan.  Achan did a very bad thing: against the Lord's command, he kept some "souvenirs" from Jericho, despite the explicit instructions by God not to do so.

Because of this, the initial attack on the city of Ai went poorly.  As the defeated Israelites came back and told Joshua what had transpired, he threw himself before the altar and cried out to the Lord.  Then, God told Joshua about Achan.

Achan was then immediately confronted.  He confessed, and was then stoned, along with his entire family.

God was no longer angry.

In chapter 8, the Israelites perform a bit of trickery to lure the soldiers out of the city of Ai.  It worked beautifully, and Ai was defeated once and for all.

Afterwards, Joshua had an altar built and read the Laws that Moses had written down, from the Lord.

The fall of Jericho

In chapter 5 of the book of Joshua, the Israelites prepare for their march on Jericho.  All of the men were circumcised, and once they were healed, they set out to Jericho.

As they neared the walled city, a man holding a sword appeared before them.  Joshua asked him if he was friend or foe.  The soldier answered that he was neither, for he was there as the Lord's commander.

Joshua fell to his knees.

And the march began.

Chapter 6 deals with the fall of Jericho.  The Lord requested that Joshua had his soldiers go around the city, each day, for seven days.  Then, once the march was done on the seventh day, they were to blow a trumpet and the walls would crush down.

In the end, Jericho was completely destroyed--save for the prostitute who helped house the Israelite spies earlier.  Her family and her were spared.  Then, there was a grave warning for anyone who wanted to rebuild Jericho, that they would meet with a very unpleasant fate.

River and stones

In the book of Joshua, chapter 3, the Israelites prepare to cross the Jordan River.  The priests carrying the Covenent Box--containing the tablets of the Ten Commandments--went ahead of everyone.  They stopped at the mighty river, and when they did the river stopped flowing.  This was done in much the same way as the Israelites did at the Red Sea with Moses.

Once the Covenent Box was across, the rest of the people went afterwards, prepared for war.

In chapter 4, much emphasis is made on twelve stones to be placed where the priests stood as the river stopped flowing.  Twelve stones, representing the twelve tribes that make up the Israelites, were gathered by the leaders of the twelve tribes.  They were to be set up as a reminder of what the Lord did for the Israelites that day as they crossed the river into the land God promised them so long ago.

Joshua's first step in Occupy Canaan

In chapter one of the book of Joshua, the Lord commands Joshua--as Moses's successor--to lead His people across the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, the very land He had promised Abraham.

The Lord told Joshua that they are not to be afraid, for He will be with them at all times.

Joshua then gave the Israelites a peptalk, ordering them about how they are to cross the Jordan River and take over the land the Lord had promised them.

Chapter two deals with two spies Joshua sent over to the city of Jericho.  The spies end up at a house of a prostitute named Rahab.  Somehow the king of Jericho learns of the spies and even of their location.  In the meantime, Rahab hides the spies up to the roof, underneath stalks of flax.

The spies then leave, with the promise that Rahab and her family was not to be harmed when the Israelites attack Jericho.

The death of Moses

In chapter 33 of Deuteronomy, Moses proclaims a final blessing to all of the tribes of Israel.  Then, he goes to each one individually and gives them their own unique blessing.  He ends by saying no god is like their God.  God has always been to their defense, and they should always remember that.

Chapter 34, the final chapter of Deuteronomy, deals with Moses's death.

God shows him all of the land He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Then, Moses died and God buried him in the land of Moab.  Joshua was Moses's predecessor.  The Israelites mourned him for 30 days.

No other prophet in the Bible was a great as Moses.  He spoke to God face-to-face, and performed many miracles.

Moses's final days

In Deuteronomy, chapter 31, Moses tells the Israelites that Joshua will be his successor.  Moses then reassured the people that God was with them and that they will have victories over anyone who tries to challenge them.

God then tells Moses that he will die soon and will never set foot in the land the Israelites were traveling to.  He then warns Moses and Joshua that once Moses is dead the people wil rebel.  They'll worship other false gods.   They will break all of the commandments God has set forth.

Moses then puts together a song that he and Joshua will sing to the Israelites, and in chapter 32 Moses sings the lengthy song.  The song is put together so no one would not remember hearing it.

God's Laws Revisited

Chapters 19 through 28 in Deuteronomy deals with a rehashing of the various laws that have been spelled out several times.

However, as we've seen several times in the past, people need to be reminded over and over and over and over again . . . because people have a tendency to forget.

Then, in chapter 29, Moses tells everyone about God's Covenant with Israel.  In the end of chapter 30, Moses ends his long speech with the Greatest Commandment: if you love the Lord your God, obey Him and is faithful to Him, you will live long in the land promised to your ancestors.

Holy Messengers

In the first half of Chapter 18 in Deuteronomy, Moses tells of the priests--the Levites.  They do not known any land, however are given offerings from all of the others.  These offerings are tithes--I believe this is true, however the Bible passages don't specifically say so--and therefore the first fruits of everyone's labor.

The second half regards prophets.  When the Lord appeared to everyone at the mountain, so long ago in their journey, the Israelites were afraid and requested that the Lord speak through Moses.  Or a prophet.  The Lord liked this idea, and when Moses was gone He would have others in the place of Moses to speak the Lord's truth.

Casting stones

Much like in the book of Leviticus, more and more laws--the vast majority not being practiced today, not since the days Jesus came to the world--are spoken and repeated by Moses.

In chapter 14, verse 22, Moses mentions for the people to set aside a tithe--a tenth--of all they produce each year.  And not just any tenth.  The choice pieces, the first fruits of labor.  He also talks about cancelling debts every seven years (I wish this one was practiced nowdays, huh?)

Near the beginning of chapter 17, Moses talks about rumors and how they should be handled.  No one is supposed to take one person's word for any wrongdoing.  At least two people should bear witness, and in the case of a major crime--which, in this case, was the worship of an idol, not the Lord--those two are to be the first to cast the stones to put the person to death.

Worship the One True God

Deuteronomy chapters 12-13 deal with the worship of the Lord.

In chapter 12, Moses informed the Israelites to tear down all of the other places of worship that do not worship God.  God will then advise where, in each tribe's territory, that a single place of worship for them will be.  There, they will offer sacrifices, tithes, etc.  The Levites were the only tribe who did not have land, but is to be given a place in each territory.

The later portion of chapter 12 and all of chapter 13 deals with worshipping false idols.  God frown on this--big time!  Quite frankly, Moses instructed the Israelites to completely not listen to anyone who would have you NOT lead towards God.

He said that the only God to worship was the One who rescured them from Egypt.

Passing along the message of greatness

In chapter 11 of Deuteronomy, Moses summarizes to his people that all of the greatness they have witnessed, they must pass on to their children, so that they too may understand why it is that they worship God.

From when their ancestors were in Egypt, and all throughout their journey to the Promised Land, God's power was displayed time and time again.

He also showed the differences between the land of Egypt and the Promised Land--Egypt needed constant irrigation and maintenance where as the Promised Land was already rich with resources, and if they obeyed God's laws, they would be rewarded in abundance.

Benefits of Wisdom

Proverbs, chapter 4, deals a lot with wisdom.  Wisdom that our Heavenly Father bestows upon us.

It is written with a father speaking to his son in mind, but it can easily be translated into a father speaking to his daughter too.

"Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do" it says in verse 7, emphasizing the importance of listening to what your Father tells you and growing wise.

One of the benefits of wisdom is to know what wicked people look like and to avoid them at all costs.  If you follow His path, it will be bright.  Following in evil's ways will bring you nothing but darkness.

An interesting passage is in verse 23: "your life is shaped by your thoughts."  Which means, you are literally what you think about, you become what you constantly put in your head.

Psalms 14 - God's plan for the wicked

In Psalms 14, it goes on to describe fools as being those who say, "There is no God!"  Hence they reason they are called fool, for they only have foolish thinking.

But it seems that no one is doing what is right, that everyone is full of sin.  All of God's people are subjected to the wickedness of mankind.

However, what the wicked ones do not know is that God is on their side.  He protects them.

In the end, God makes His people prosperous again.

Disobeying God

Chapters 9-10 of Deuteronomy can be summed up in one word: disobedience.

Moses lays out where, time and time again, in their forty year journey, where the people of Israel disobeyed God.  And, time and time again, God told Moses that he was going to destroy the Israelites but Moses fell to the ground and prayed for Him to remember his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: that He was going to lead His people back the the land He promised them.

Each time, God forgave them--but never forgot--for their wicked deeds.

In chapter 10, verse 19, is an interesting passage, for it reads: "Show love for foreigners, because you were once foreigners in Egypt."  This goes to show that no matter where you are, where you came from, and where you ancestors came from, always show love for others from far-off lands.  This one passage is worth much debate in our own United States when it comes to immigration laws and processes for citizenship.

In the final passage of chapter 10, Moses tells the Israelites that when they were first enslaved there were 70 of them.  When they left, they were as numerous as the stars in the sky.

The Ultimate Underdog Story

In the beginning of Deuteronomy, chapter 7, Moses recapped how the Israelites occupied the land promised to them by the Lord.  It's the ultimate underdog story.  The nation of Israel is quite small--smaller than all of the lands surrounding it.  Yet, with the power of God as their strength, they were able to overcome all.

Even in the face of massive pressure, they were able to win and destroy their enemies.

Because God wanted them destroyed.  Killed.  Why?  Because if they didn't, some of the prisoners would convert the Israelites to turn against God--and that would be bad.

Throughout chapter 7 and chapter 8, Moses summed up their punishment if they did not obey God: their complete demise.  Death, in other words.

The Ten Commandments

Starting in chapter five of Deuteronomy, Moses told the Israelites about the Ten Commandments that God has given them:

1) You shall have no other gods but the Lord God.

2) Thou shall not make any images or likenesses of idols for worship

3) Shall not take the Lord's name in vain

4) Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy

5) Honor thy father and mother

6) Do not kill

7) Do not commit adultry

8) Do not steal.

9) Do not bear false witness against another

10) Do not covet

In chapter 6, Moses said to the Israelites that the greatest commandment is that the Lord God is our God.  He warns against disobeying God, which during their journey had already had poor consequences.  Moses said that God will punish those in the third and fourth generations if they disobey, while those who obey will be blessed for hundreds of generations to come.

Recapping the 40-year journey

In the first four chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses tells explicitly the detailed journey of the last forty years, starting when they left Egypt and ending with their arrival in the lands God had promised His people.

Moses pulled no punches.  He told them of every nation they defeated, every King they conquered.  He even reminded them of what happened when they crossed God.

He even told the Israelites that because of their deeds, Moses was not allowed into the Promised Land, across the Jordan River, into the land of Canaan.

Psalms 13 - desperate cries for help

Psalms 13 starts out with a plea--a desperate cry--for help, with questions such as:

How much longer will you forget me?

How long much I endure trouble?

Then, the speaker of the psalm gradually turns towards God and His constant love, knowing he will be rescured by Him.

What is the book of Deuteronomy about?

The book of Deuteronomy contains 34 chapters, starting with Moses recalling the trip the Israelites took from Egypt to their homeland in Moab, east of the Jordan River, which is now called Israel.

This book is important--aren't they all though?--because Moses also introduces the Ten Commandments, emphasizing the first one: worshipping the One and Only God, and not worshipping any false gods.

The final chapter deals with the death of Moses, ending a reign that started back in the book of Exodus.

Summarizing the trip from Egypt, and the finale

In chapter 33, in the book of Numbers, there is a summarized account of the Israelites' trip from Egypt to the Land God promised them.

All total, it took roughly 40 years for this to happen, as they wandered around and around the desert.

The rest of the book, chapters 34-36, talks specifically about cities to be used for refuge and also about the inheritance of land amongst women.

This is the end of the book of Numbers.

Next . . . Deuteronomy.

The promise of Reuben's and Gad's tribes

Chapter 32 in Numbers is another account, in this long epic tale, of a story within a story.

It is about the story of the tribes of Reuben and Gad.  They were in possession of so much livestock, they did not want to cross the Jordan River, for the lands to the east of the river were suitable enough for them.

Moses became angry at this, and told them that they were abandoning the Lord and sinning against Him just like their ancestors.  The tribes then told Moses that they were to build stone enclosures to house their livestock, and after that they would fight, only if it was promises that the eastern lands could be theirs.

This exchange went back and forth three times to make sure everyone understood the terms of the agreement--communication was very clear in this regard, which is a lesson that can be taken into many negotiations today.

In the end, the tribes of Reuben and Gad fought with the other Israelites, and when the fighting was over they returned to the land they requested.

Psalms 12 - The Helping Prayer

Psalms 12 starts with the line: "Help us, Lord!"

It is a short psalm, only eight verses total (much like the seven verses in Psalms 11).

It goes on to say there are no more honest men, and that all lie and decieve one another.  Then, in verse five, the Lord steps in and promises security for the needy, and that it is a promise more genuine than the purest silver.

Joshua

In the 27th chapter of Numbers, God tells Moses to appoint Joshua as his successor.

He also told Moses that once he sees the new land of Israel, Moses will die and Joshua will take over.  Moses will die because when the Israelites rebelled and Moses and Aaron said it was their power to give them water from the stone they struck, Moses sealed his fate.

Moses then gave all of his powers to Joshua, and instructed all of the people of Israel to follow Joshua as they had followed him.

In chapter 31, we see the battle of Midian and the aftermath.  The battle itself was extremely successful.  All of the men in the Midian army was killed.  Afterwards, the remaining posessions were divided amongst the soldiers, the community of Israel, and a portion was set aside for the Lord.  At the beginning of the battle, the Lord told Moses that once the Midians have been destroyed, Moses will die.

Psalms 11 - trusting in God

Psalms 11 starts out by saying that I trust the Lord.  Then, goes on to say how foolish it is to run away from God when it feels like your whole world is falling apart--he uses a metaphor of a bird flying away when wicked men aim their bows at good men.

God watches all from his temple, examining the deeds of both the good and wicked.  He hates the lawless, and punishes them for their deeds.

The good, however, are rewarded.

It's a short Psalm, only 7 verses, but a powerful one--if you need a quick pick-me-up, this one will do it.

The spear of Phinehas

In chapter 25 of Numbers, the Israelites engage in some unfavorable conduct: not only do the men have sex with the Moabite women, these same women invited them to eat a feast in honor of their god Baal.

This angered God so much that He ordered Moses to execute all of the leaders who were engaged in this unholy worship.

One day, Phineahas was at an assembly and witnessed one of the Israelites take a Midianite woman into one of the tents.  He then took up a spear and drove it through them both.  This act pleased the Lord, who then ordered the executions to cease, for he was no longer angry by Phineahas's brave act.  The Lord then appointed Phineahas with a covenant that established his people are priests.

In chapter 26, there is a census of all the families of Israel.  Tribe after tribe is counted, and what's interesting to note at the end is that not one man, except a mere handful, is left of whom started out their trek in the wilderness--all of this in accordance to what the Lord said, that they would all die in the wilderness.

The final showdown of Balak and Balaam

The final showdown between Balak and Balaam occured in Numbers, chapter 24.

From atop Mount Peor, Balaam did not need to go on to have the Lord speak for him.  The spirit of God spoke through him this time, blessing the people of Israel, who are an abundant people and will devour all of their enemies.  They are like a mighty lion.  The final lines of the prophecy are: "Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed, and whoever curses Israel will be cursed."

Balak was angry at Balaam.  But Balaam told Balak that not even for all of the silver and gold in Balak's palace will he go against the Lord and curse the Israelites.

As Balaam was to go away, he offered a final prophecy to Balak and the Moabites, one that resonated like the other prophecies.  They will be destroyed by the Israelites.  Then, he added that Israel will continue to be victorious against the surrounding nations.

The continuing saga of Balak and Balaam

In chapter 23 of Numbers, Balaam instructed the Moabite King, Balak, to have seven altars build and to have sacrifices offered onto them.

Once that is done, Balaam went alone to the top of the hill and spoke to God.  Balaam went back to Balak and uttered a prophecy, blessing the Israelite.  Balak was furious, and went to another hill.  This time, another seven altars were build and offered sacrifices on them.

Again, Balaam spoke to the Lord and then went back to speak to Balak.

A second prophecy was uttered.  In the prophecy, Balaam stated that God is not like men, who lie and change their minds.  Another blessing was sent to the Israelites and a warning for Balak that no charm or witchcraft can be used on His people, for they are like a mighty lion.

Balak was increasingly angry at this, and then took Balaam to a third place atop Mount Peor, overlooking the desert.

Balaam again had seven altars built, along with the same offerings.

Balak and Balaam

Balaam is a prophet of sorts.  He appears in Numbers chapter 22.

In the earlier part of the chapter, King Balak of Moab heard of the Israelites coming into his land and was afraid, for he knew what path of destruction they lay in their wake.  He knew they were outnumbered, and the only way they could destroy the Israelites was to have a curse put on them.

Hence, they called on Balaam.

But Balaam called on the Lord who advised him not to go to Balak, for the Israelites have His blessing.  He told the Moabite leaders what God said.  Balak then sent even more leaders to Balaam, telling him he will have great rewards if he goes and curses the Israelites.  God then instructed Balaam to go to Balak but to do what He tells him.

On his way to Balak, Balaam rode a donkey.  Three times, the donkey saw an angel of the Lord blocking their path and steered out of the way.  All three of those times, Balaam beat the donkey until the angel appeared and told him the donkey only steered away because he saw the angel.

The angel then said to Balaam that he was to go on to Balak but will only saw what the Lord tells him to say.