Friday, November 16, 2007

Deutoronomy 1

The LORD your God will lead you, and he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt and in the desert. You saw how he brought you safely all the way to this place, just as a father would carry his son.' But in spite of what I said, you still would not trust the LORD, even though he always went ahead of you to find a place for you to camp. To show you the way, he went in front of you in a pillar of fire by night and in a pillar of cloud by day. Deu 1:30 -33


Lord, forgive me for my faithlessness
For sometimes doubting your will
Like the Israelites,
I sometimes question you, Oh Lord

Forgive me Lord for doubting
That you will not give burden that I cannot carry
That it is you who will fight for me
And it is you who will find a camp for me
When I grew tired and weary

Forgive me Lord for doubting you
For doubting your guidance
For doubting that in times of troubles
You are my pillar of fire that will guide me at night
At day, You are my pillar of cloud
That will hide me from my enemies

Forgive me Lord, forgive me
For doubting that you are the Sovereign Lord
The Lord of my life.
Amen.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Numbers 36

These are the rules and regulations that the LORD gave the Israelites through Moses in the plains of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.

Num 36:13


Here ends my readings on the book of Numbers. Though I tried to keep my re-readings of the Bible daily, unfortunately and admittedly busi-ness and I admit laziness overcomes me most of the times. This my second time to reread the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation and like the first time I did it, it’s proving to be a challenge especially with these O.T. books which deals mostly with rituals, rules, traditions, genealogies, histories and even genocide. It’s not fun reading these books but it has its moments.

1. The story of the exploration of Canaan by the twelve spies. A good story on minority report (not the movie of course).
2. The quail from the Lord. An ironic story.
3. The mutiny of Korah, Ditham and Abiram.
4. The Budding of Aaron’s staff. This is a good story on leadership. Those who challenged the leadership of the priesthood were silenced when they saw how the Lord made Aaron’s staff blossomed and fruit.
5. Balaam’s donkey.

These stories blessed me.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

NUmbers 34-35

Choose six cities, three east of the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan. These will serve as cities of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners who are temporary or permanent residents. Anyone who kills someone accidentally can escape to one of them.

Num 35:13-15

The Lord commanded Moses and the Israelites to choose six cities of refuge. Here those who have committed manslaughter and murder may flee for temporary refuge from avengers until trials.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

NUmbers 33

Chronicles of Israel’s Journey.

There in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho the LORD gave Moses
the following instructions for Israel: "When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land. Destroy all their stone and metal idols and all their places of worship. Occupy the land and settle in it, because I am giving it to you. Divide the land among the various tribes and clans by drawing lots, giving a large piece of property to a large clan and a small one to a small clan. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those that are left will be as troublesome as splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they will fight against you.

If you do not drive them out, I will destroy you, as I planned to destroy them."

Num 33:50- 56

Friday, November 2, 2007

Numbers 32

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan. And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?

Num 32:1-7

The children of Reuben and Gad found a fertile land and they asked Moses if they could settle there. Moses was angered because he though that they would desert their brothers in their quest and fight for the Promised Land. Moses made these tribes to give their vow to the Lord to fight for their brother Israelites before he gave them permission to settle there.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

NUmbers 31

And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Num 31:15 -17

God has ordered Moses to kill the Midianite women. This is understandable because the Midianite women seduced the men of Israel. The virgin children were spared.