Bible Reading Plan

Author: Jon Green

  • Deuteronomy 7

    Deuteronomy 7

    Read Deuteronomy 7

    Driving Out the Nations

    7 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites,Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally.[a] Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. 3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. 5 This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles[b] and burn their idols in the fire. 6 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lordyour God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

    7 The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. 10 But

    those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;
        he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.

    11 Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.

    12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. 14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young. 15 The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. 16 You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pityand do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

    17 You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” 18 But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. 19 You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lordyour God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear. 20 Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. 21 Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. 22 The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. 23 But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. 24 He will give their kingsinto your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them. 25 The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. 26 Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

    Go Deeper

    At the beginning of Deuteronomy 7, God reminds Israel they are set apart as His. He sovereignly chooses Israel as His people and showers His love and compassion on them. His love is not based on Israel being the best, the greatest, or the strongest. God elected them as His chosen people as a free gift to them they could never repay. However, the Lord instructs Israel to cast off any idols and corruption in order for them to reach the Promised Land. They are also instructed to eliminate the Canaanites. God wants them to walk in obedience since He offers them a life that is better than anything they could imagine.

    In verses 12 through 19, Moses reminds the Israelites that blessings will come if they are obedient. This is a promise the Lord makes to them, and the Lord is not a promise-breaker. However, Israel is terrified of the Canaanites since there are so many of them. In the final verses, Moses reminds the Israelites of God’s previous faithfulness and provision and tells them not to fear the Canaanites. Then Moses instructs them not to take the Canaanites’ belongings or covet anything that the Lord did not give them. It is clear the Lord hates idols.

    One key takeaway from this chapter is found in verses 7 through 9. The Israelites have done nothing remarkable to obtain God’s favor, but God chooses them because He loves them. Verse 7 even says that the Lord has “set his love” on them. He is fixated on the Israelites and deeply desires them. This is true of us. We did not earn our way to a relationship with God nor did we do anything remarkable to prove ourselves, but the Lord has set His gaze upon His chosen people simply because He loves.

    Additionally, we are reminded of God’s faithfulness and promises, and we can be confident in the promises He makes. However, like the Israelites, we are forgetful. Our failure and flesh can get in the way of us reflecting on God’s faithfulness. We are tempted to worship things besides God alone. Despite the ways God knows the Israelites can and will fall short, the Lord blatantly tells Israel He will make them prosperous against the Canaanites. They are still afraid, but even in their fear, God grants them favor over their enemies. What a truth to hold onto! Even in our fear and doubt, the Lord is unchanging and good. 

    Questions

    1. If you remember that the Lord has fixed His love on you, how would that change the way you view yourself and others?
    2. How can you reflect on the Lord’s faithfulness in a time of doubt or fear?
    3. How can you remember to walk obediently with the Lord, not to earn God’s favor but as a result of God’s favor?

    A Quote

    Pastor David Guzik, in his Enduring Word commentary, says the following about the beginning of this chapter: 

    “This principle of battle until absolute victory is the key to victory as we take the Promised Land of blessing and peace God has for us in Jesus. We show no mercy to our enemies in the land, but we destroy them utterly. Many of us, truth be told, simply do not want to completely destroy the sins which keep us from God’s Promised Land of blessing and peace – we want to weaken them, and have some control over them, but we do not want to utterly destroy them.”

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  • Deuteronomy 6

    Deuteronomy 6

    Read Deuteronomy 6

    Love the Lord Your God

    6 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fearthe Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

    4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

    10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

    13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. 17 Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lordpromised on oath to your ancestors, 19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.

    20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?”21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”

    Go Deeper

    We have read so far in Deuteronomy a review of the history of the Israelities, a renewal of the covenant between God and His people, and the coming fulfillment of the land promise to Abraham’s descendants back in Genesis 12. Moses is now recapping the Law and going over the relational stipulations for possessing the Promised Land. In chapter 5, Moses reviews the 10 commandments and calls them to walk in obedience (5:33). The Mosaic Covenant was conditional, meaning that they could obey and prosper or disobey and perish. Their future depended on their faithfulness, and faithfulness looked like following God’s commands. In this passage, the Israelities are commanded to love God above all else. This is summarized in what is called the Shema, which in Hebrew means “hear” or “listen”. The Shema is one of the most significant passages of Scripture for the Israelities. It was cited at the beginning of worship for hundreds of years and is still used in the Jewish faith in synagogues today.

    The Shema is one of the most famous prayers in the Bible (v. 4-9). The prayer begins, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Moses is telling the Israelites to listen and to obey what they hear. He is reminding them that the Lord is one. The concept of God being one is significant because it was in complete contrast to the polytheistic cultures surrounding the Israelites for many generations. In the Canaanite territory, people were worshiping numerous pagan gods and goddesses. Monotheism set Israel apart in the ancient world. God is one yet also triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Israel needed to follow the one true God as they entered into the Promised Land and not fall into worship of the false gods of the day.  

    The prayer continues, “You shall love the Lord God with all of your heart, with all of your soul and with all might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” God wants us to love Him with our whole self. He wants us to love Him with every fiber of our being and that love to be evident in everything we do. For the nation of Israel, loving God meant obeying His Word. Jesus repeats this in Mark 12:28-30 when He is asked what the greatest commandment is. Jesus tells them that it is loving God with all of our heart, soul, and might, and loving our neighbor as ourself. The Shema also states, “You shall teach [these words] diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise.” In order to teach God’s Word to our children, we must first treasure it in our own hearts. 

    The prayer ends saying, “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates.” It is a Jewish tradition to place a mezuzah (a small piece of parchment) on the doorpost with Scripture on it. Some Jewish traditions also apply this verse by using phylacteries, which are small leather boxes that literally contain the Law of Moses in it. It is strapped around the wrist and over a person’s head. For us today, binding God’s Word on us looks like remembering it and meditating on it day and night. God’s Word should fill our hearts and minds as we go throughout our day. We love the Lord by remembering and holding fast to His Word.

    Questions

    1. Is the love of God your greatest motivation for everything you do? 
    2. What does it look like for you to write God’s Word on your heart? Is there a verse or passage you could memorize today? 
    3. Take some time today to reflect on the Shema. Think and pray about how the Lord has led you and how He has been faithful to you.

    Watch This

    Check out this helpful video from The Bible Project about the Shema!

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  • Deuteronomy 5

    Deuteronomy 5

    Read Deuteronomy 5

    The Ten Commandments

    5 Moses summoned all Israel and said:

    Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 It was not with our ancestors that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. 5 (At that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

    6 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

    7 “You shall have no other gods before me.

    8 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,10 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

    11 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

    12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

    16 “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

    17 “You shall not murder.

    18 “You shall not commit adultery.

    19 “You shall not steal.

    20 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

    21 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

    22 These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

    23 When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders came to me.24 And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty,and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them. 25 But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lordour God any longer. 26 For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? 27 Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”

    28 The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good.29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!

    30 “Go, tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

    32 So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lordyour God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

    Go Deeper

    Some families like to tell stories of joint memories or have “inside jokes” from shared experiences. While they may share these stories with younger generations, the details can fade, and the full meaning can become diluted over time. The memories may not hold as much emotion, and the inside jokes just aren’t as funny. We walk into this type of situation in Deuteronomy 5.

    When we first read this chapter, it may seem like a simple repetition of Exodus 20 (when God spoke to the Israelites and gave them the Ten Commandments). While the words of the commandments are the same as in Exodus, the context is completely different. The Israelites in Deuteronomy were a different group of people with a different plan than those in Exodus. 

    The Exodus group had lived around and among the Egyptian deities and beliefs for all their lives. Moses came, and God delivered them from the plagues, the passover, and the Red Sea. Then, God Himself spoke directly to them, setting out the Ten Commandments, teaching them how to be faithful to the one, true God, and how He was different from all the other gods they knew. 

    About 40 years later, Moses calls the Israelites together and we see the beginning of his speech in Chapter 5. The Deuteronomy Israelites are the next generation, and they are warriors. They were raised by the Exodus generation and had heard all the stories. They just defeated other nations and are preparing to settle the Promised Land. Moses gathers and reminds them of the Ten Commandments and God’s faithfulness. He does this to reinforce that their God is the one, true God, and warn them not to be led astray by other gods they will encounter in the new lands. 

    In verses 32-33, Moses declares why this is so important:

    “So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.”

    It is for the people’s good. This is true for us, as well. God gives us the Ten Commandments, Jesus’s teachings, and the whole Bible, for our own good. God is true and faithful whether we follow His words or not. All the gods of Egypt, the deities encountered in the Promised Land, or the idols we see in our society require something from their believers to receive favor, but not our God. He made us; He knows us; He loves us; and He gave His son Jesus for us. He knows the way.  God gave us His commandments so that we may know the way too, and can “live and prosper” with Him. Not to hold us back by rules and regulations, but to free us through obedience to His all-knowing wisdom.

    Questions

    1. Re-read the Ten Commandments, verses 6-21. Which command feels restricting? How might God’s wisdom in that command protect and free you?
    2. What are two practical ways you can carefully follow that command today?
    3. What does this chapter teach us about God’s character?

    By the Way

    A mechanical translation of Hebrew in verse 32 is “you will safeguard to do just as YHWH your Elohiym directed you…”  The Hebrew word used for safeguard is šāmar meaning “to guard” or “to keep.” It is the same word used in Genesis 2 when God put man in the Garden of Eden to guard or keep it.

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  • Deuteronomy 4

    Deuteronomy 4

    Read Deuteronomy 4

    Obedience Commanded

    4 Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.

    3 You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor,4 but all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today.

    5 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commandedme, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdomand understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lordour God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

    9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teachthem to their children.” 11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. 12 Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13 He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

    Idolatry Forbidden

    15 You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, 16 so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, 17 or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, 18 or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. 19 And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticedinto bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. 20 But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.

    21 The Lord was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance. 22 I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land. 23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

    25 After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evilin the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, 26 I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27 The Lord will scatteryou among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. 28 There you will worship man-made godsof wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. 29 But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lordyour God and obey him. 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

    The Lord Is God

    32 Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? 33 Has any other people heard the voice of Godspeaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? 34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

    35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other. 36 From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. 37 Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, 38 to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today.

    39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. 40 Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time.

    Cities of Refuge

    41 Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan, 42 to which anyone who had killed a person could flee if they had unintentionally killed a neighbor without malice aforethought. They could flee into one of these cities and save their life. 43 The cities were these: Bezer in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.

    Introduction to the Law

    44 This is the law Moses set before the Israelites. 45 These are the stipulations, decrees and laws Moses gave them when they came out of Egypt 46 and were in the valley near Beth Peor east of the Jordan, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. 47 They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. 48 This land extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge to Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon), 49 and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah.

    Go Deeper

    Spoiler alert: the very next chapter in Deuteronomy is one of the most important in the entire Old Testament. Since that’s the case, it only increases the necessity for us to understand today’s reading. Deuteronomy 4 is a set up to the giving of the 10 Commandments and explains why they will be so important for the people of God. 

    These are not given just so that the Israelites follow rules to make sure God isn’t mad at them. His commands will give them order so that others might see that they live with divine wisdom and understanding. As Moses says in verse 40, these instructions are given so that it might go well for the people of God. Furthermore, these directions aren’t an example of God distancing Himself from His people, but rather moving toward them (v. 7). He wants to show them the way of life that will not only honor Him, but benefit them.

    The problem is that Moses reminds the people that if they are not careful, they will forget what God has said and done. He says multiple times, “Only take care, lest you forget”. While the people might initially feel like the commands are a blessing, they can become a burden without the proper context. This is why Moses instructs the old to teach the young about the faithfulness of the Lord. He has been their savior and sustainer time and time again, and they must retell the story so they don’t forget. He didn’t leave them in slavery, but delivered them from it. In a similar way, these commands are given so that the people of God don’t fall slavery to sin. These instructions will serve as a guardrail so that they don’t forsake the Lord to follow other gods.

    We must also remind ourselves that the law of the Lord is for our benefit. He is not just out to make sure we follow rules, but He wants to give us the path that leads to life. Take great care to not forget what He has done for you! If you believe in Him, He has saved you from the death that you deserved so that you might have a life of abundance. Follow his decrees, and remind others of his faithfulness so that it might go well for you!

    Questions

    1. What most stood out to you about this passage?
    2. Where have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life?
    3. What are some ways that you can remind yourself of God’s faithfulness? Who in your life is God putting on your heart to remind of His faithfulness?

    Keep Digging

    Moses mentioned in this chapter that God was not allowing him to enter into the promised land. Do you know why? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org for an explanation.

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  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Numbers 34-Deuteronomy 3)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Numbers 34-Deuteronomy 3)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Read This

    As we kick off this new study of Deuteronomy, check out this resource page (along with a helpful FAQ section!) from The Bible Project!

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Numbers 34-Deuteronomy 3 Family Guide!

  • Deuteronomy 3

    Deuteronomy 3

    Read Deuteronomy 3

    Defeat of Og King of Bashan

    3 Next we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei.2 The Lord said to me, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.”

    3 So the Lord our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down, leaving no survivors. 4 At that time we took all his cities. There was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them—the whole region of Argob, Og’s kingdom in Bashan. 5 All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages. 6 We completely destroyed them, as we had done with Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying every city—men, women and children. 7 But all the livestock and the plunder from their cities we carried off for ourselves.

    8 So at that time we took from these two kings of the Amorites the territory east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge as far as Mount Hermon.9 (Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir.) 10 We took all the towns on the plateau, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salekah and Edrei, towns of Og’s kingdom in Bashan. 11 (Og king of Bashan was the last of the Rephaites. His bed was decorated with iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide. It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)

    Division of the Land

    12 Of the land that we took over at that time, I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory north of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge, including half the hill country of Gilead, together with its towns. 13 The rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (The whole region of Argob in Bashan used to be known as a land of the Rephaites. 14 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maakathites; it was named after him, so that to this day Bashan is called Havvoth Jair.) 15 And I gave Gilead to Makir. 16 But to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory extending from Gilead down to the Arnon Gorge (the middle of the gorge being the border) and out to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. 17 Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah, from Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea), below the slopes of Pisgah.

    18 I commanded you at that time: “The Lord your God has given you this land to take possession of it. But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites. 19 However, your wives, your children and your livestock (I know you have much livestock) may stay in the towns I have given you, 20 until the Lord gives rest to your fellow Israelites as he has to you, and they too have taken over the land that the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan. After that, each of you may go back to the possession I have given you.”

    Moses Forbidden to Cross the Jordan

    21 At that time I commanded Joshua: “You have seen with your own eyes all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. 22 Do not be afraidof them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

    23 At that time I pleaded with the Lord: 24 “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what godis there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? 25 Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.”

    26 But because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” 29 So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.

    Go Deeper

    The third chapter of Deuteronomy is a continuation of the previous two chapters as Moses remembers all that Israel has been through. Right in the middle of this remembrance of the march on to Canaan and the appointment of Joshua, Moses makes a bold proclamation of his faith. Deuteronomy 3:22 says, “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

    Fear is a battle for many of us. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Fear of sickness. Fear of rejection. Fear of change. The list could go on and on. Just as Moses reminded Joshua that he did not need to be afraid of the challenges set before him, God divinely preserved this scripture to remind us that we don’t have to be afraid.

    God doesn’t just command us to not be afraid, though. He gives us an explanation as to why we don’t need to be afraid. We don’t have to waste the time, energy, and emotional/physical strength battling all the fears that plague us because the Lord is already fighting those battles on our behalf! The million dollar question of “How do you fight fear?” is succinctly answered here: By trusting in the God who fights for you.

    In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses models for us that an important step in trusting God is to remember what God has done for you. We just read a few chapters ago in Deuteronomy 1:30-31 “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” Moses desired for the Israelites and Joshua to remember that they had faced some very real and challenging fears, but not only had the Lord carried them through, but He had gone before them and led them to where they were now, on the verge of finally entering the Promised Land.

    Psalm 139:5 says “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” God goes before us and comes behind us. Our finite minds have difficulty understanding his omnipresence, but scripture reminds us time and time again that it’s true. When the fear starts to bubble up and cloud our view of the Promised Land, we can boldly state “Do not be afraid, because the Lord your God fights for you” and then we confidently trust that he is.

    Questions

    1. What fears do you battle on a consistent basis?
    2. Do you have difficulty trusting God with those fears?
    3. Spend some time remembering how God has fought for you in the past. What steps can you take to trust God with your fears in the future?

    Listen Here

    Listen to the song “You’ve Already Won” from Shane & Shane and pay close attention to the following lyrics:

    “I don’t know what you’re doing 
    But I know what you’ve done 
    I’m fighting a battle that You’ve already won”

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    Join the Team

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  • Deuteronomy 2

    Deuteronomy 2

    Read Deuteronomy 2

    Wanderings in the Wilderness

    2 Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea, as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.

    2 Then the Lord said to me, 3 “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. 4 Give the people these orders: ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own.6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’”

    7 The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty yearsthe Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

    8 So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber, and traveled along the desert road of Moab.

    9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.”

    10 (The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. 11 Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites,but the Moabites called them Emites. 12 Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land the Lordgave them as their possession.)

    13 And the Lord said, “Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.” So we crossed the valley.

    14 Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.

    16 Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died,17 the Lord said to me, 18 “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. 19 When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.”

    20 (That too was considered a land of the Rephaites, who used to live there; but the Ammonites called them Zamzummites. 21 They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. The Lord destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place. 22 The Lord had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir,when he destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day. 23 And as for the Avvites who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorites coming out from Caphtor destroyed them and settled in their place.)

    Defeat of Sihon King of Heshbon

    24 “Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle. 25 This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you.”

    26 From the Desert of Kedemoth I sent messengers to Sihon king of Heshbon offering peace and saying, 27 “Let us pass through your country. We will stay on the main road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left.28 Sell us food to eat and water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot— 29 as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us—until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.” 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.

    31 The Lord said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”

    32 When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, 33 the Lord our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army. 34 At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed them—men, women and children. We left no survivors.35 But the livestock and the plunder from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves. 36 From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead, not one town was too strong for us. The Lord our God gave us all of them. 37 But in accordance with the command of the Lord our God, you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites, neither the land along the course of the Jabbok nor that around the towns in the hills.

    Go Deeper

    Deuteronomy is the last book of the Torah, so it happens to glance back at the first four books. Chapter 2 of this book is a call to covenant faithfulness from the mouth Moses. As Moses recalls the 40 years they’ve just experienced, he reminds the people of Israel that the Lord was present in the same way that the Lord will continue to be with them. Moses specifically mentions the wilderness years to remind the people’s call to patience.

    Patience is known to be an esteemed virtue. It’s a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 6:9), an instruction during tribulation (Romans 12:12), and a posture to hear God (Psalm 40:1). The difficulty of patience is temptation in the perceivably delayed timing. While the people of Israel wandered through the wilderness, they were told to disengage with the people that were a source of opposition. God, the people of Israel, and the Land was something meant to have full integrity. When there was a threat coming close, God asked Israel to trust Him in His timing.

    We have been granted the privilege of similar things to the ancient people: a relationship with God, a kinship with others, and a place to call home. While we are on the journey of our faith walk, we can be met with opposition. Maybe the relationship with God has found a lull, relationships in life are fractured, or frequented environments are harshly opposing Christian values. Integrity is desired for these things, but there’s a possibility that an unideal season is meant as a reminder: we do not need to be the first line of defense for a matter that is already being worked by the One, True God.

    God is right alongside us, during the highest of our highs and the lowest of our lows. “The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything” (v. 7). As Moses glanced at a time of threatened integrity, he recalled that God offered blessing. We may need to be reminded that He is a God of provision and protection; we just need to be patient to watch it be worked out.

    Questions

    1. Set aside a few minutes to reflect on your own life. How has God been faithful with provision and protection to you thus far? What’s the most recent example you can think of?
    2. Have you invited God into the things you are trying to hold together with integrity?
    3. Who do you need to come alongside you as you are living out patience in this season?

    A Quote

    The twentieth century pastor and author A.W. Tozer said this about developing patience:

    “What then are we to do about our problems? We must learn to live with them until such time as God delivers us from them. We must pray for grace to endure them without murmuring. Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting. They harm us only when we resist them or endure them unwillingly.”

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  • Deuteronomy 1 + Introduction

    Deuteronomy 1 + Introduction

    Deuteronomy Introduction

    No matter how old we get, sometimes we need to be told something more than once. We all need to be reminded of what’s true and what’s good. In a nutshell, the entire book of Deuteronomy is Moses reminding the Israelites of the Law that had been given to them. This wasn’t, however, merely a carbon copy of the instructions given to the Israelites in Exodus and Leviticus. Instead it’s a restatement and retelling of the Law for a whole new generation of Israelites. 

    As a reminder, the Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness for some 40 years at this point. They were on the verge of entering the land that had been promised to them generations before. This was a huge moment in the life of the Israelites! But before they could settle the Promised Land, God wanted to reiterate his Covenant with them. They needed to be reminded of what the expectations were. Unlike the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis (which was unconditional), the Mosaic Covenant was conditional: God would keep His promise to bless the Israelites if they remained faithful to Him. As Moses explains all of this to the next generation of Israelites, they have a choice to make: Will they wander away from God’s Law or remain faithful to it? 

    So, what can we learn by reading Deuteronomy? Any time we open up God’s Word, we can learn from it because God’s Word never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). The stories in Deuteronomy can help deepen our theology and shape what we believe to be true about God. Second, like the Israelites, we need constant reminders of what is true. We wander from what God has called us to be, so we need to be reminded over and over what is true (and what isn’t). Finally, Moses sums up the choice to pursue the things of God in this sermon found in Deuteronomy 30:19-20:

    This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

    As Christians reading the book of Deuteronomy, we’re reminded that choosing to follow Jesus means choosing life. By listening to His voice and holding fast to Him, we can live the life that God has intended for each one of us. As we read Deuteronomy together, take great notes, highlight the things that stick out to you along the way, and make connections to the New Testament. Above all, ask God each day what He wants you to learn and apply from this book.

    Read Deuteronomy 1

    The Command to Leave Horeb

    1 These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)

    3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. 4 This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

    5 East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying:

    6 The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lordswore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

    The Appointment of Leaders

    9 At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. 10 The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky. 11 May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!12 But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? 13 Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”

    14 You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.”

    15 So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. 16 And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judgefairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. 17 Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.” 18 And at that time I told you everything you were to do.

    Spies Sent Out

    19 Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful wilderness that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea.20 Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

    22 Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”

    23 The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. 24 They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshkol and explored it. 25 Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, “It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.”

    Rebellion Against the Lord

    26 But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’”

    29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

    32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

    34 When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore:35 “No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, 36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”

    37 Because of you the Lord became angry with me also and said, “You shall not enter it, either. 38 But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it. 39 And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet knowgood from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. 40 But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”

    41 Then you replied, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us.” So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.

    42 But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’”

    43 So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. 44 The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees and beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah. 45 You came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you. 46 And so you stayed in Kadesh many days—all the time you spent there.

    Go Deeper

    One fun aspect of reading a book like Deuteronomy is that we’re able to picture the setting in our minds as the narrative plays out. The book of Deuteronomy (which means “second law”) takes place around 1406 BC, just to the east of the Jordan River. The Israelites, after about forty years of wandering because of the previous generation’s disobedience, are on the verge of entering the Promised Land. But there’s a catch: their leader wouldn’t be going with them. Moses, who had led the Israelites for decades, wouldn’t be allowed to enter the Promised Land due to his own disobedience (see Numbers 20:1-13). With the Israelites all gathered around, Moses has one final chance to address his people before he would pass away. 

    What unfolds over the next 34 chapters is a mashup of sermons, history lessons, a review of the Law, and a final motivational speech to remind the Israelites to remain faithful to the Covenant they had established with God. The word “remember” is scattered throughout the pages of Deuteronomy fifteen different times. It is evident Moses wanted to make something clear to this new generation: it’s important to learn from the mistakes (and faithfulness!) of those who came before you. 

    As he begins the recounting of history, he reminds them of how they ended up near the Promised Land (v. 6-8), the appointment of leaders over smaller groups of Israelites (v. 9-18), and the sending out of the spies (v. 19-25), and ultimately, the rebellion of Israel and Moses (v. 26-46). He points them to these past failures as a way to remind them to move forward into the Promised Land abiding in the Lord and following His commands.

    As we read this chapter (and book) through the lens of twenty-first century Christ followers, we have an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the Israelites. Each time they rebelled, it strained their covenant with God. While we’re under the New Covenant because of Jesus, we still have a tendency to forget God’s faithfulness to us in our own lives. In the same way Moses wanted the Israelites to stop and remember, it would benefit us to do the same. Remember the times that God has shown you grace. Remember the times God blessed you abundantly. Remember those seminal moments in your life when you knew without a shadow of a doubt that God was on the move. God designed our brains to remember. We’re all standing on the shoulders of those whose faith came before us and, much like the Israelites, we need to stop and remember His faithfulness today.

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you in this chapter? Were there any stories Moses told the Israelites that were new to you or that you had forgotten?
    2. Why does Moses begin Deuteronomy with a history lesson for the Israelites?
    3. As you take time to remember God’s hand on your life, what are 2-3 moments that stick out most to you? It could be times that you saw God move, times you repented and were shown grace, etc.

    Watch This!

    As we begin this journey through Deuteronomy, check out this helpful video overview from The Bible Project!

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  • Numbers 36

    Numbers 36

    Read Numbers 36

    Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters

    36 The family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families.2 They said, “When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. 4 When the Year of Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our ancestors.”

    5 Then at the Lord’s command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. 6 This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan.7 No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors. 8 Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father’s tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. 9 No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.”

    10 So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses.11 Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah—married their cousins on their father’s side. 12 They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father’s tribe and clan.

    13 These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Mosesto the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

    Go Deeper

    This chapter calls us back to Numbers 27 with the daughters of Zelophehad’s inheritance brought into question by the head of the clan of Gilead. They were essentially asking, “What happens to the land they inherited if those daughters marry outside of the tribe of Manasseh?”

    We see God answer this question through Moses by saying in verse 6 that the daughters may marry whomever they think best within the tribe of their father. What we learn is that the Lord values the inheritance of each tribe. In verse 9, we see the Lord declare that no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another. 

    In our eyes, this may seem very limiting to Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Micah, and Noah to impose on them the limit to only marry within their tribe. In reality, the fact that they received an inheritance is completely against the cultural norm of ancient times, as is the fact they are able to marry whomever they wanted. In ancient times, their father would be the one to choose and sign off on the wedding. The daughters did as the Lord commanded and were married into the people of Manasseh keeping the inheritance in the tribe. 

    The question you may be thinking is Why is this the last story in Numbers? Robert Alter, a Hebrew scholar and author, says of this chapter, “It does serve as a vivid focus for the prospect of inheriting the land that confronts the Israelites as they await orders to begin their invasion…. with the viability of the tribal division of the land thus reaffirmed, the Israelites are prepared to begin the conquest.”

    Inheritance is a theme throughout the New Testament. We see that believers are promised an inheritance from the Lord. Ephesians 1:3-14 tells us that when we heard the truth of the Gospel and believed in Jesus’s work on our behalf, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit who guarantees our inheritance. First Peter 1:4 says this inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. We don’t have to worry (like the heads of the Tribe of Manasseh did) about losing our inheritance, because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

    Questions

    1. What can we learn about obedience from the daughters of Zelophehad? 
    2. Do we value the inheritance we are given as much as God values the promised land for the Israelites? 
    3. What does it mean to have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God? Search the writings of the New Testament for the word “inheritance”

    Watch This

    Now that we’ve completed six weeks reading through the book of Numbers, go back and watch the overview video from The Bible Project! 

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  • Numbers 35

    Numbers 35

    Read Numbers 35

    Towns for the Levites

    35 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelandsaround the towns. 3 Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.

    4 “The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the town wall. 5 Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.

    Cities of Refuge

    6 “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 7 In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. 8 The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”

    9 Then the Lord said to Moses: 10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 11 select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. 12 They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.13 These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. 14 Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. 15 These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

    16 “‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 17 Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 18 Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death. 20 If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die21 or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

    22 “‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally 23 or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, 24 the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. 25 The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

    26 “‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled 27 and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. 28 The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

    29 “‘This is to have the force of law for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.

    30 “‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

    31 “‘Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

    32 “‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

    33 “‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”

    Go Deeper

    Chapter 35 begins with God providing land for the Levites to live in and cultivate. The Levites will not inherit land, like the other tribes, because God will provide for all of their needs through the tithes that the Israelites present as offerings to the Lord. This includes even the land that they will live on.  God instructs the tribes to give, as an offering, land out of their inherited portion to be used by the Levites.  

    After God provides land for the Levites, He outlines how this land is to be used. Of the forty-eight towns provided for the Levites, six of them are to be cities of refuge. These are safe places for people to go if they have accidentally killed someone (a manslayer). This is because in ancient Israelite culture, the practice of avenging blood, or vengeance killing, was commonplace in order to redeem the blood of a slain family member and to restore justice to their family. The person responsible for carrying out the vengeance was typically the nearest male relative of the murdered person and is referred to as the avenger of blood.  

    However, avenging blood was only allowed when the murder was intentional in order to redeem the wrong or sin committed against a member of their family. The cities of refuge were given specifically as a safe place for those who accidentally killed another person in order to ensure that they received a fair trial and were not killed by an avenger of blood in an instance that was not justified. If it was determined that a killing was accidental, the guilty party could not be killed by the avenger of blood, but was forced to remain in the city of refuge until the death of the current high priest.  

    In The Bible Recap, Tara-Leigh Cobble states that “the premise behind this law is that only death can atone for sin and death, even accidental sin or death, and since the manslayer won’t be put to death, the high priest’s death is viewed as atonement for the wrongful death that happened on his watch.” If this sounds familiar, you are not alone.  

    All of us have committed sin against God and are worthy of death (Romans 6:23), but God has provided our ultimate High Priest and Savior to die on our behalf so that we may walk in freedom from the vengeance from our sin that we truly deserve. 

    Questions

    1. Do you consider the fact that your sin against God is worthy of death?
    2. What can you do today to remind yourself of the freedom that God has given you from the penalty of your sins?
    3. How has the gift of freedom from death changed the way that you live your life?

    Keep Digging

    Read this article from GotQuestions.org with more information about avengers of blood.

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