May 2015

May already!  My how time flies!  Here for your exhortation and encouragement is the next month’s reading through in a year.

If you'd like to 'link up' to see the past or future months:  http://www.backtothebible.org/reading-guide/13/5

Deuteronomy 30-31, 32-34

Deuteronomy 30-31

30:6 zip And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart...

Whose doing the action?

Why does 'modern' Christianity think the person does the action?

How many times is the phrase love the LORD used in Scripture?

31:20 fat and sassy, resting on laurels. Serving other gods. Bad paraphrase, but stop and think are we really any different?

Nations (made up of people) surrender to serving things, stuff. Wood, stone, hay, stubble. Movies, TV shows, music, electronic gadgets. Where are we really investing our time?

Deuteronomy 32-34

32:8 God divided the nations, separated the sons of Adam. Is this at Babel?

Cross reference Acts 17:26, Genesis 11:8.

Rock 32:4, 15, 18, 30, 31

Deuteronomy 17-20, 21-23

Deuteronomy 17-20

Deut 17:19

Read the word daily = fear God, keep His words.

Instruction for king, aren't we kings? NT verse corresponding?

Priest had no earthly inheritance. Aren't we priests?

20:10-12

Proclaim peace. No resistance = take them as tributaries. Resistance = war.

How does this relate to the Gibeonites which came deceptively? Was Israel wrong? The Gibeonites didn't wait for war to come to them.

Deuteronomy 21-23

22:22 man lying with woman, both stoned.

What hypocrites Jesus encountered. The woman 'caught in the act' and they only got her?

Or did they 'know' the man and like a 'good' doctor or a bad Roman catholic priest, don't tell my sin or expose me and I'll return the favor?

Bah!!!

Judge not that ye be not judged and we toddle along fearful of confronting sin. Shame on us.

Deuteronomy 3-4. 5-7, 8-10

Deuteronomy 3-4

Voice of God.  Was it always the same?  Having watched the 10 Commandments movie I have this remembrance of the 'voice of God' being deep and throaty.

Whatever timbre, Moses heard it several times. Was it truly audible to others? Obviously the nation of Israel 'heard' it; however many of the people he's speaking to weren't even born!

Deuteronomy 5-7

5:28 heard the voice of your words? Why not just heard your words?

Deuteronomy 8-10

Humble
Humbled

10:12 ...what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (Cross reference Mic. 6:8, Deut. 6:5)

The verse begins: And now, Israel...

I hesitated to include it knowing the balance of the verse is reiterated in the NT. I've struggled with replacement theology and disavow it.

I know there is still a physical Israel; however as I sat here pondering the word Israel, the Lord bought to my remembrance how the church is Jew and Gentile, in ONE body.

We've been grafted in...I've 'known' this but don't think I've fully embraced it. I know God will graft physical descendants of Abraham back into the covenant, but the true Israel isn't a physical nation.

It's always been a spiritual nation with a physical manifestation. Prior and during Christs' first advent it was in a set apart nation. Now we are a set apart people, scattered across the globe.

Looking to Israel the nation for signs or as a watch is focused on the wrong entity. We're to keep our eyes upon Jesus. He is the master timekeeper. All history DOES NOT revolve around Israel, it revolves around Christ Jesus.

He told us He would (and did) send the Holy Spirit to remind us of Him, His words. Not to be caught up in end time prophecies or 'watching' Israel for signs.

I'm beginning to wonder if some of my early Christian life wasn't wasted focusing on 'the signs', preoccupied with end time theories, if a large segment of Christianity isn't duped into watching, reading and listening to end time philosophy.

What a perfect dupe by the deceiver. Just enough 'good' to keep people thinking they're on the right path. Studying Scripture to 'read' the signs versus reading the Word to find Him. To fall in love with Him. How incredibly sad.

Shame on the charlatans who peddle their indulgences to the masses and those who are willfully deceived. Shame on all of us for our lack of diligence to His word. To study it, meditate on it, eat it and live.

...know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Deut. 8:3

Happy

I like to think when I drive - quiet, solitude - contemplating.  My children were trained to be quiet in the car - we played a game called hush puppy - and with two competitive boys they would see who could go the longest without talking...ahhhh.

It didn't dawn on me how odd this might seem to others, until once day when we'd dropped our car for service and received a ride from the courtesy driver. he asked, "Do they ever talk?"

Well yes, yes they did...but we all need quiet and solitude, the Lord tells us to be still.  Why?  To think, meditate on Him, reflect on His Word.

Which is what I was doing during a recent road trip - thinking...this must be one of my favorite things to do - think I mean, though I enjoy driving too.

As I'm burning black ribbon, I was musing upon the word 'happy' - we want to be happy, feel happy, make others happy (well we should anyway)...anyway, my thoughts ran along the lines of, hmmm, is the WORD happy in the Bible?

If so, how is it used?  E-Sword (what a blessing!) searching for the word 'happy':

25 verses found, 28 matches - so who, what, when, why, how, and where is this 'happy' happening?

Gen_30:13  And Leah said, Happy (H837) am I, for the daughters will call me blessed (H833): and she called his name Asher.

H837 - From H833; happiness. - Used 1 time...once in all of Scripture!

• H833 - A primitive root; to be straight (used in the widest sense, especially to be level, right, happy); figuratively to go forward, be honest, prosper. - Used 16 times, translated as blessed, go (go?), guide, relieve, lead, leaders, led.

Leah is happy because her handmaid has just borne Jacob another son (technically Leah's 6th son).

Deu_33:29  Happy (H835) art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

H835 - From H833; happiness; only in masculine plural construction as interjection, how happy! - Used 45 times - also translated as blessed.

1Ki_10:8  Happy (H835) are thy men, happy (H834) are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 

2Ch_9:7  Happy (H835) are thy men, and happy (H835) are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. 

Job_5:17  Behold, happy (H835) is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: 

Psa_127:5  Happy (H835) is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. 

Psa_128:2  For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy (H835) shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 

Psa_137:8  O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy (H835) shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. 

Psa_137:9  Happy (H835) shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. 

Psa_144:15  Happy (H835) is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD. 

Psa_146:5  Happy (H835) is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: 

Pro_3:13  Happy (H835) is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 

Pro_3:18  She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy (H833) is every one that retaineth her. 

Pro_14:21  He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy (H835) is he. 

Pro_16:20  He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy (H835) is he. 

Pro_28:14  Happy (H835) is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. 

Pro_29:18  Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy (H835) is he. 

Jer_12:1  Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy (H7951) that deal very treacherously? 

H7951 - The second form being used in Job_3:26; a primitive root; to be tranquil, that is, secure or successful. - Used 5 times - translated as safety, prosper (3).

Mal_3:15  And now we call the proud happy (H833); yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 

Interesting read through just looking at the verses with the word 'happy' - that's not even looking at any of the other times the Hebrew (or Greek) word is used, but translated into a different English word.

Joh_13:17  If ye know these things, happy (G3107) are ye if ye do them. 

G3107 - A prolonged form of the poetical μάκαρ makar (meaning the same); supremely blest; by extension fortunate, well off. - Used 50 times (good number), translated as blessed, happier (1x).

Act_26:2  I think myself happy (G3107), king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: 

Paul's happy - yet he's 'lost' everything - in jail.  How happy am I when I'm not suffering even a smidgen of what Paul is...and usually NOT because I've been preaching the gospel?

Rom_14:22  Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy (G3107) is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 

Jas_5:11  Behold, we count them happy (G3106) which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

G3106 - From G3107; to beatify, that is, pronounce (or esteem) fortunate. - Used twice - once as blessed (Luke 1:48).

1Pe_3:14  But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy (G3107) are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 

1Pe_4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy (G3107) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

So beloved are we being still before the Lord?  Contemplating His Word?  Meditating upon it?  How happy are we with where He has divinely placed us?  The situations and circumstances He has allowed us to be in, pass through?

You're either coming out of a trial, in one, or going in...there is no rest this side of heaven...how well 'muscled' are we?  How well do we 'count it all joy?'

How often do we see or know of others in trials but minimize it when it's not us?  Pray for others?  Pray WITH others?

Deuteronomy 1-2

1:21-23 Israel requested spies or God commanded? Cross reference to Numbers 13:2-3.

Deu 1:21  Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. 

Deu 1:22  And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come. 

Deu 1:23  And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:

Cross reference:

Num 13:2  Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. 

Num 13:3  And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.

So was this an ordained choose spies by God?

Rebelled used how many times in Deuteronomy?

Deu 1:26  Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God: 

Deu 1:43  So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.

H4784 - A primitive root; to be (causatively make) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively to provoke).

This particular word is used 8 times in Deuteronomy - exceed only by the Psalms which uses it 10 times.

Psa 78:17  And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

Psa 78:56  Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: 

I don't think I've ever stopped and thought about something I do, say or think actually provoking God.  That's quite a light bulb moment.  I'm scared to even think how often I may do this...do I really reflect on what my actions, words, and thoughts mean to God?

2:6 money? Items of value? Gold, silver, previous gems?

Deu 2:6  Ye shall buy meat of them for money (H3701), that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money (3701), that ye may drink. 

Heh...the word money is used 140 times in 123 verses...okay, so where have I been hiding?

In the Old Testament:

H3701 - From H3700; silver (from its pale color); by implication money. - This is the primary word used throughout the OT...very few references to the other words translated as money.

H3702 - (Chaldee); corresponding to H3701.

H3724 - From H3722; properly a cover, that is, (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively a redemption price.

H7192 - From an unused root (probably meaning to weigh out); an ingot (as definitely estimated and stamped for a coin.

In the New Testament:

G4715 - From the base of G2746; a stander (standard of value), that is, (specifically) a stater or certain coin.

G3546 - From G3543; what is reckoned as of value (after the Latin numisma), that is, current coin.

G694 - Neuter of a presumed derivative of G696; silvery, that is, (by implication) cash; specifically a silverling (that is, drachma or shekel).

G5475 - Perhaps from G5465 through the idea of hollowing out as a vessel (this metal being chiefly used for that purpose); copper (the substance, or some implement or coin made of it).

G2773 - From a derivative of G2772; a handler of coins, that is, money broker.

G2772 - From G2751; a clipping (bit), that is, (specifically) a coin.

G5536 - Something useful or needed, that is, wealth, price.

G694 and 5536 are the primary words translated in the NT.

Numbers 35-36

Voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.

If guilty - death.

Not guilty - banishment

At least until the high priests death.  Interesting the high priest doesn't 'retire' as the other workers.

If you had involuntarily killed someone you were still 'outcast' temporarily from your inheritance.  You had to live in the city of refuge. So what did someone who'd be 'imprisoned' do?  What happened to your family, home, land, livestock?

Did your family pack up and move to be with you?  Bring the livestock and start afresh?

Zelophehad - which tribe? Daughters could inherit AND choose their own husbands.  Not arranged marriages?

Num 36:2  And they said, The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters. 

Num 36:6  This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.

Is this similar to be married only in the Lord?  Or don't marry an unbeliever.  Who were these ladies?

Num 36:11  For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father's brothers' sons:

Ahh...of the family of Manasseh, from Joseph.

Jos 17:3  But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 

Numbers 33-34

Israel pitched:

1. Succoth
2. Migdol
3. Marah
4. Elim
5. Red sea
6. Sin
7. Dophkah
8. Alush
9. Rephidim
10. Sinai
11. Kibrothhattaavah
12. Hazeroth
13. Rithmah
14. Rimmonparez
15. Libnah
16. Rissah
17. Kehelathah
18. Shapher
19. Haradah
20. Makheloth
21. Tahath
22. Tarah
23. Mithcah
24. Hashmonah
25. Moseroth
26. Benejaakan
27. Horhagidgad
28. Jotbathah
29. Ebronah
30. Eziongaber
31. Zin-Kadesh
32. Hor
33. Zalmonah
34. Punon
35. Oboth
36. Ijeabarim-Iim
37. Dibongad
38. Almondiblathaim
39. Abarim
40. Jordan

I was wondering how many places...I didn't count them when entering on my phone...so 'technically' a different place for each year.

That's a whole lot of pitching!  Living in tents, wandering from place to place while you wait for the rebels to die, for the sentence to end.  How hard was it?  How hard is it now?

Am I in a corrective place (not that we're not always in need from the Lord to be refined) because of my sin, or someone else's?  Do I see or perceive myself as being in a corrective place?  How about you?  Waiting out your sentence?

Or are we rather, rejoicing in His goodness and provision through the trials and tribulations?  Even seeing our daily grind or situations as such?  What yoke has He given to bear that we resist?

Numbers 1-27

Numbers 1-2

God's foresight. ..Ephraim and Manasseh split from Joseph to provide Levi for the priesthood. 

Reflecting about how God makes provision for the future and most of the time I am clueless. Not trusting...God. Think about that I doubt God.  Sad.

Numbers 5-6

The jealousy curse - the man can 'call' out the woman but not vice versa?

Barren reminds me of Zachariah and Elizabeth...did he ever doubt her? People say stuff?

6 - Nazarite vow - is this the same one Paul took?

Numbers 14-15

14:22 tempted God 10 times? Listed?

14:34 breach of promise

Numbers 18-20

Gift. First mention? Aaron's service to the tabernacle is a gift.

Numbers 23-25

Word put in Balaam's mouth.
Balaam didn't ask before 2nd and 3rd sacrifices?
23:21 - though Israel had been stiffnecked and rebellious?
21 total sacrifices.
24:1 seek enchantments
24:2 spirit of God came upon him? How different than word put in his mouth?
25:1 mingling with the ungodly. Did Balaam have a part in this?

Numbers 26-27

26:46 Sarah?  Why mentioned?

26:65 God's word is not faulty.

27 - God didn't cover inheritance for sonless families until now?

Is this an instance of not giving instruction before it's time? Too much weight to bear?

Leviticus 26-27

26:19 heaven iron, earth brass?

Lev 26:19  And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass (H5154): 

Searching for heaven and iron...we get:

Deu_28:23  And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass (H5178), and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

Iron - H1270 - Perhaps from the root of H1269; iron (as cutting); by extension an iron implement.

Brass:

H5154 - Feminine of H5153; copper.

H5178 - For H5154; copper; hence, something made of that metal, that is, coin, a fetter; figuratively base (as compared with gold or silver).

Keil and Delitzsch Commentary:  "First stage of the aggravated judgments. - If they did not hearken אֵלֶּה עַד, “up to these” (the punishments named in Lev_26:16, Lev_26:17), that is to say, if they persisted in their disobedience even when the judgments reached to this height, God would add a sevenfold chastisement on account of their sins, would punish them seven times more severely, and break down their strong pride by fearful drought. Seven, as the number of perfection in the works of God, denotes the strengthening of the chastisement, even to the height of its full measure (cf. Pro_24:16). עֹז גְּאֹון, lit., the eminence or pride of strength, includes everything upon which a nation rests its might; then the pride and haughtiness which rely upon earthly might and its auxiliaries (Eze_30:6, Eze_30:18; Eze_33:28); here it signifies the pride of a nation, puffed up by the fruitfulness and rich produce of its land. God would make their heaven (the sky of their land) like iron and their earth like brass, i.e., as hard and dry as metal, so that not a drop of rain and dew would fall from heaven to moisten the earth, and not a plant could grow out of the earth (cf. Deu_28:23); and when the land was cultivated, the people would exhaust their strength for nought."

Fifty - Leviticus 24-25

This particular number is interesting to me because.....I'm 50!!!

Lev 25:10  And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

Fifty means?

H2572 - Multiple of H2568; fifty.

• H2568 - A primitive numeral; five.

G4004 - Multiplicative of G4002; fifty.

• G4002 - A primary number; “five".

Not much difference between the Hebrew and the Greek.

Used where in Scripture?  Heh, the word 'fifty' is used 157 times in 138 verses.

The first usage is in Genesis 6:15, regarding the ark:

Gen 6:15  And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

I had heard certain trees or plants didn't 'bear' until they were fifty, when I went looking I came across a site BA50 - Better After Fifty...specifically my search words blooming after 50 and this article came up:  Love Blooms When You Take a Chance

What I was really looking for was this: How Long Does A New Palm Tree Take to Bloom

As a newly single mom, I'd attended some retreats hosted by Palm Tree Single Moms.  The founder had mentioned some palms take 50 years to bloom and it stayed with me.  Our society loves to champion youth, youthful looks, body, face, etc.

If you're not slim, trim and taunt, well, what worth are you?  Each season of life has positives and negatives.  Why aren't those who are older, learned, experienced seen as such?  Off with the old, on with the new.

Before the proclamation of the fifteth year, we have the trumpet of the jubile:

Lev 25:9  Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

Jubile - H8643 - From H7321; clamor, that is, acclamation of joy or a battle cry; especially clangor of trumpets, as an alarum.

Alarum?  Archaic term for alarm.  I wonder if that's a valid scrabble word?

H8643 - Used 36 times in 33 verses.

Forbearance

The ladies at our church have been working through a book by Nancy Leigh DeMosss, Forgiveness.

I've listed the chapter titles below; however one passage in particular about forbearance captured my attention.

1 - Walking Wounded
2 - What Happens When We Refuse
3 - The Promise of Forgiveness
4 - Forgiving for Jesus' Sake
5 - The Art of Forgiveness
6 - Angry at God
7 - What True Forgiveness Is - and Isn't
8 - Returning a Blessing

I have mulled this word over, looked it up, 'rolled it around on my tongue,' prayed about it, thought about it...and come to the conclusion that I really don't exhibit forbearance to others.

Forbear - Translated such 22 times in 22 verses - in the Old Testament:

H2308 - A primitive root; properly to be flabby, that is, (by implication) desist; (figuratively) be lacking or idle.

H4900 - A primitive root; to draw, used in a great variety of applications (including to sow, to sound, to prolong, to develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be tall, etc.).

H2820 - A prim root; to restrain or (reflexively) refrain; by implication to refuse, spare, preserve; also (by interchange with H2821) to observe.

H1826 - A primitive root (compare H1724, H1820); to be dumb; by implication to be astonished, to stop; also to perish.

In the New Testament:

G5339 - Of uncertain affinity; to be chary of, that is, (subjectively) to abstain or (objectively) to treat leniently. Also translated spare...as in:

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 

G4722 - From G4721; to roof over, that is, (figuratively) to cover with silence (endure patiently).  Bears...as in:

1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

The Hebrew words are interesting...flabby, idle.  I like the 'roof over' from G4722, cover with silence, endure patiently.

From Revive Our Hearts:  Here's the issue:

"You see, the danger is that we have expectations in relationships. We think we deserve more. We are worthy of more. People ought to treat us more nicely, especially within our homes, our family relationships. And when those expectations are unfulfilled, what happens?

Anger. Resentment. Sometimes it starts as just smoldering hurt. But those embers get stirred up and ultimately became a flame of bitterness and anger."

So how often do we give ourselves a 'pass', but don't extend the same level of compassion, care, understanding to someone else, especially if that person has hurt us (deliberately or not)?  How many times do we take offense and attribute the painful words/actions as being deliberate?

This isn't excusing abuse, and there is a difference, we all say thoughtless words, thoughtlessly do (or not do) things.

So beloved saints, how forbearing are we of one another's sins...considering how we sinned against a sinless savior?

April 2015

Here we goooooooooooo....April already? I couldn't find Ruth, one of my f-a-v-o-r-i-t-e books...it's not up until August!!

Up next, May:  http://www.backtothebible.org/reading-guide/13/5