Tag: Old Testament

November 14, 2023

November 14th, 2023

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 24-25

Highlight Verse:

“And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭24‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve always read right past this verse before, not giving it much thought.

But these 74 priests and elders of Israel were at a feast with God, in the wilderness.

They saw God!

They had a meal with God!

And they survived!

In that culture, sharing a meal together was the usual sealing of a covenant, agreement, or treaty. It signified that all present were working toward one purpose.

The priests and elders were in complete agreement with God’s purpose for the people of Israel.

You don’t have to read too many chapters ahead to know how uncommitted the elders really were to that covenant.

But where the priests and elders failed, Jesus renewed the covenant and took it straight to the people who would follow Him.

Every time we worship through communion, we renew that covenant.

Each time we invite God to join us at our meals through a prayer of grace, we renew that covenant.

The covenant of grace for God’s people began that day in the wilderness.

We still reap the benefits today.

Are you continuing the renewal of God’s covenant with His people?
Do you know what it’s like to be in God’s presence?
November 10, 2023

November 10th, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Lamentations 5

Highlight Verse:

“Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My middle school students reminded me last night that November is the perfect month to remember to give thanks every day.

Lamentations is kind of the opposite of that – until we get to the few verses like this scattered through the book.

While it is not exactly giving thanks, today’s verse points to the fact that God is able to restore His people. Joy can return. They have not gone beyond the point of no return.

God did restore His people to their land, in His timing.

His people did return to joyous praise and worship.

No matter how bad your situation, there is always room for giving thanks, even if it is just for the potential of joy existing.

Have you ever been in a situation where all you had to give thanks for was the fact that there was nowhere to go but up?
What are some of the things you can give thanks for today?
November 8, 2023

November 8th, 2023

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 19-20

Highlight Verse:

“Then Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, “We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭19‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I feel for David in this situation. He was already depressed since his son Absalom had stolen his kingdom. He had hoped to regain his kingdom without Absalom dying, but Absalom was killed.

He mourned the loss of his son.

Too much.

His mourning demoralized his troops.

Joab wouldn’t stand for it.

We all need a Joab.

We need that friend who is bold enough to call us out if we are way out of line.

To David’s credit, he listened to Joab. He did what he needed to do to maintain his authority as King of Israel.

As much as we need that Joab, we also need to listen to that person,

honestly evaluate what they are saying, and take the appropriate action.

Do you have that person to correct you when you need it?
Do you listen to them?
November 7, 2023

November 6th, 2023

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 23

Highlight Verse:

““You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭23‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We just had a discussion last night about jury duty.

One of my daughters potentially has jury duty on the day after her birthday. She is not thrilled.

I have served on three juries and was the foreman each time.

How do you get to be foreman? Just mention that you’re willing, and they’ll vote you in immediately.

I have to admit, I actually enjoy jury duty. I love justice and count it a privilege to help find it.

The toughest thing about jury duty is being able to tell when someone is telling the truth or a lie.

There are some really good liars out there. I’m not one of them. There’s not much I can get away with.

You don’t have to be involved with a jury trial in order to help with justice. Sometimes it is meted out in a courtroom.

Sometimes, justice comes in the court of public opinion. Your opinion can influence how people see others.

No matter where our opinions are expressed, we have a responsibility to be honest and fair in our testimonies.

In what kid of situations have you had to share your testimonies?
Have you been able to take part in our justice system?
November 4, 2023

November 4th, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Leviticus 19:23-37

Highlight Verse:

““Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭19‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s November again. Many men observe “No Shave November” to bring attention to men’s health issues or because they want an excuse to not shave.

If you’ve seen me personally, you know that I got a jump on November and quit shaving simply because I like the warmth of a beard in the winter.

If you read today’s passage, you find that growing a full beard was as virtuous as making sure your daughter doesn’t become a prostitute.

Whoa!

Why have I been shaving all these years?

Of course, that was one of a long list of rules, many of which still make sense today, but many were specifically aimed at keeping the people of Israel pure in the midst of an idolatrous regional culture.

Untrimmed beards were one of those rules that made more sense at the time. Men in the surrounding cultures would trim their beards in specific shapes to honor certain idols.

Beard trimming and shaving no longer has that cultural significance.

But, in the cold Colorado winters, the thicker the beard, the warmer the face.

What are some other Old Testament rules that no longer make sense in today’s culture?
What are there some rules you could come up with that might help keep a person on the right track today?
November 3, 2023

November 3rd, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Lamentations 4

Highlight Verse:

“Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children. They have eaten them to survive the siege.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sorry, but I just couldn’t get this verse out of my head.

How desperate do you have to get to eat your own children?

It’s unthinkable!

Apparently, food was not the only thing they lacked. They suffered from a very serious lack of conscience accompanied by a lack of parental protective instincts.

I wouldn’t want to survive if it came down to sacrificing children.

Not a chance!

Yet, Jeremiah points out that even the tenderhearted women did this unspeakable thing.

If our society dissolves to the point of accepting that, we have some serious problems.

And we do.

…Have serious problems, that is.

You may think I’m speaking of the serious lack of morality in our society.

What I am more concerned about is the way we combat that immorality and hatred since that’s what we can control.

When we confront it with hate, we fan the flames causing more people to reject God.

When we confront it with love and compassion,

we quench the flames

as we quench the deep longing for love that so many people have.

What can you specifically do to quench the flames of hatred and immorality in our society?
Do you have hope left for our society?
How do you express that hope?
November 1, 2023

November 1st, 2023

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.””
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

How tempting it was to highlight the fact that Absalom was undone by his huge head of hair.

But I felt more led to speak of a father’s emotions.

I can relate to David.

Okay, I’m no great warrior or king, nor have I committed adultery or murder.

But he was a man of many emotions.

My kids have not always walked in the ways I would like. No, they haven’t stolen half my kingdom, but there are times when I have to pray that their plans not succeed. I want them to seek earnestly after God and sometimes their plans go against that.

At the same time, I love them deeply. I would take a bullet for any of my kids or my wife in a heartbeat.

So, I understand David mourning.

Sure, he could have been a little more discreet about it, but he was a dad.

The takeaway for me here is that emotions are real and complex. While there are times they need to be kept under control, there are also times when they need to be released.

David had deep compassion. That came out as deep sorrow in this case.

Sometimes it must in us as well.

Are you a person of deep emotions?
Do you sometimes express deep sorrow?
Are those emotions channeled into deep passion for action at other times?
October 31, 2023

October 31st, 2023

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 21-22

Highlight Verse:

““You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭22‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I admit it. I took the easy verse to highlight.

That said, let’s look at the herd of elephants in the room.

Old Testament laws and rules seem very harsh by today’s standards.

But, when you read them, keep two things in mind –

• These were rules meant to keep the Israelites a strong nation in a world nearly devoid of morals. And…
• They were revolutionary at the time. They granted limited rights to women and slaves. In that day, in that region, that was nearly unheard of.

Back to the highlight verse. Israel had a rather welcoming attitude toward people visiting their land and even joining their nation.

This stemmed from the fact that they were foreigners in a foreign land before coming to the promised land.

I can relate, at least a little.

My Dad’s family came from Spain to Mexico and then from Mexico to the US.

Being half Mexican, half white, I never felt fully a part of either culture. I can understand a little of how the Israelites felt when they settled the promised land.

God defends His people with a rule granting his people citizenship in their own nation.

He also defends the foreigner in the land by granting them some rights.

I believe we would do well to welcome the foreigner with God’s love and respect.

Mind you, I’m not trying to politicize the treatment of foreigners in the land. I think this principle allows for a wide range of immigration policy which I won’t comment on.

But I believe a precedent is set here about how we personally treat individuals and families.

Is it difficult for you to treat certain types of people with respect?
Can you relate to the foreigner in the land?
October 29, 2023

October 29th, 2023

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 134-136

Highlight Verse:

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭134‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV

I often listen to the Bible. YouVersion has an excellent narrator for the NLT. But when I listen to the Psalms that way, it’s easy to forget that these were songs.

When I read Psalm 134 from my old leather-bound Bible, a song immediately leapt into my mind.

A couple of days ago, I mentioned working at a Christian conference center. I went on to full time staff there for a couple of years and one of the groups that came back every year was Jews for Jesus.

Those guys could sing!

And dance!

Psalms were not a calm poetic reading to them. This Psalm was a vibrant, lively praise song! You could dance to it. It was fun and full of praise.

These Psalms were sung as the people of Israel travelled to Jerusalem for festivals. They weren’t just a way to remind people of the greatness and history of God. They were a celebration of all that God had done for them.

So, as you read these, think of the liveliest praise song you know and double the amount of joy and celebration from it, and you might come close to what the Israelites experienced with these.

Do you celebrate the greatness of God through music?
Have you ever experienced the joy of a Messianic Jewish celebration?
October 27, 2023

October 27th, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Lamentations 3

Highlight Verses:

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the summer of 1985, I ran sound for a large Christian conference center. The theme that summer was “God is Faithful.”

Twice a day, all summer long, we sang the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness.

Some of you may be thinking, “how boring.”

I look back and think, “how strengthening!”

Hearing and singing that day after day for a full summer helped ingrain into my mind how faithful God really is.

It was then that I learned the origin of that hymn was from today’s Bible reading.

In the midst of a book of literal laments, blooms this little gem of faith.

No matter how bad the Israelites’ situation seemed, God was still faithful to them.

That helped me to realize that no matter how bad my situation may get, God is still faithful.

He stands by His promises. He provides what I need. He leads me on the best path. He carries me through the storms.

In my life, He always has!

In what ways has God proven faithful to you?
How has He carried you through life’s storms?
Can you trust that He will be faithful going forward?

Tag: Old Testament

They had a meal with God!

Every time we worship through communion, we renew that covenant.

Each time we invite God to join us at our meals through a prayer of grace, we renew that covenant.

We still reap the benefits today.

My middle school students reminded me last night that November is the perfect month to remember to give thanks every day.

No matter how bad your situation, there is always room for giving thanks, even if it is just for the potential of joy existing.

We all need a Joab.

As much as we need that Joab, we also need to listen to that person,

We just had a discussion last night about jury duty.

No matter where our opinions are expressed, we have a responsibility to be honest and fair in our testimonies.

Why have I been shaving all these years?

Beard trimming and shaving no longer has that cultural significance.

It’s unthinkable!

we quench the flames

But he was a man of many emotions.

David had deep compassion. That came out as deep sorrow in this case.

Sometimes it must in us as well.

That said, let’s look at the herd of elephants in the room.

I can relate, at least a little.

But I believe a precedent is set here about how we personally treat individuals and families.

When I read Psalm 134 from my old leather-bound Bible, a song immediately leapt into my mind.

So, as you read these, think of the liveliest praise song you know and double the amount of joy and celebration from it, and you might come close to what the Israelites experienced with these.

I look back and think, “how strengthening!”

He stands by His promises. He provides what I need. He leads me on the best path. He carries me through the storms.