What similarities do you see in Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness and God’s people living just prior to the Second Coming of Jesus? (See 1 Corinthians 10:1-11.) Throughout history, God’s people have been roaming in the wilderness as they seek the Promised Land. This wilderness has many faces. Right now, it looks like an endless media barrage, the … Continue reading –>
What opportunity is God offering Moses in the face of this rebellion? Read Numbers 14.11-12. God is offering to destroy the Israelites and make a whole new nation with Moses as the father of them all. How does Moses respond to this outright rebellion, not simply against him but against God? (Numbers 14:13-19). This is the moment that … Continue reading –>
The story begins on a positive note. The Israelites have finally reached the borders of Canaan, and 12 spies are sent to explore the land. Their report is extraordinary. Read the spies’ report in Numbers 13:27-33. At which point are the expectations of the Israelites dashed? In spite of Caleb’s intervention, the voices of the doubters and … Continue reading –>
Read Numbers 12:1-3. What are Miriam and Aaron upset about? Ostensibly, Miriam and Aaron were unhappy about Moses’ Cushite wife. Zipporah was an outsider hailing from Midian (see Exodus 3:1). Even among Israel’s “elite,” the fallenness of our nature is revealed, and not in a very pleasant way either. (Is it ever?) The biblical text, however, clearly shows … Continue reading –>
Israel must have felt restless and unhappy when they departed Sinai on their way to Canaan. More than one year had passed since they had left Egypt (Num: 1:1). They were ready to enter the Promised Land. They had been counted and organized. They had witnessed incredible displays of divine favor and clear signs of God’s … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Num: 11:1-33, Num: 12:1-13, Num: 13:27-33, Num: 14:1-23, 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, Num: 14:39-45. Memory Text: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Over the centuries, many people have reported strange, restless behavior in … Continue reading –>
Flipflops and Fights By Andrew McChesney Everything seemed strange to 6-year-old Danay when he arrived in the United States with his father, mother, and six older siblings. Cars filled the streets of their new hometown. Danay hadn’t seen many cars in the refugee camp in Thailand where his family had lived after fleeing violence in … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: “In the estimation of the rabbis it was the sum of religion to be always in a bustle of activity. They depended upon some outward performance to show their superior piety. Thus they separated their souls from God, and built themselves up in self-sufficiency. The same dangers still exist. As activity increases and … Continue reading –>
Read Genesis 4:1-12. What made Cain “a restless wanderer” (Genesis 4:12) on the earth? The biblical text does not explicitly state why God respected Abel and his offering but did not “respect” Cain and his offering ( Genesis 4.4-5). But we know why. “Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to the … Continue reading –>
A verbal form for rest often found in the New Testament is anapauo, “rest, relax, refresh.” It is used in one of Jesus’ most famous statements on rest, Matthew 11:28: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (NKJV). It can refer to physical rest (Matthew 26:45). In the … Continue reading –>
