February 12, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented

After every book in the Old Testament I insert one day of sayings from King Solomon about human behavior in the form of teachings or sayings. In the sermon on the mount Jesus speaks of seeking the Kingdom of God and the spiritual blessings that comes with that. This is in stark contrast with the world and its doublespeak.

Matthew 6:19-34 continues the telling of the sermon on the mount. Jesus spoke of  storing up eternal, spiritual treasures, not physical riches, for you cannot serve two masters, you serve either God or money. Jesus then continued by telling how foolish it is to worry about the future, concentrate on what is important, seek first the Kingdom of God, and God will take care of all the other things.

Ecclesiastes 3. There is a time for everything. The gift of God is that He has set eternity in our hearts, yet injustice seems to prevail.

Ecclesiastes 4. There is oppression but no comforter, there is vanity of selfish toil. There is value in having friends “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken,” yet, popularity passes away.

With all the double speak today, Psalm 12 is especially valid. The Lord has something to say about that.

Psalm 13 has only 6 verses; used as a moving Anglican Chant. Enjoy.

February 11, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 6:1-18 continues the telling of the sermon on the mount. Jesus spoke of doing good, of fasting and prayer, do it without fanfare, in secret if possible and, above all, be sincere. He then instituted what is called “The Lord’s prayer” which really is a pattern prayer for us, short, direct, but covers the essentials. Fasting should go together with serious prayer, but make it simple.

Exodus 38 records of how the altar of burnt offerings and the basin for washing was made, continuing telling about the courtyard around the tabernacle and all the materials used.

Exodus 39 records how the priestly garments were to be made, the ephod, the breastplate, the bells and pomegranates, the mitre and undergarments and finally the words “Holy to the LORD” to be fastened to the priest’s turban.

And in Exodus 40 the tabernacle was finished, the Priests installed and finally God blessed the tabernacle with His presence when the Glory of the LORD filled it. That ends the book of Exodus.

February 10, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 5:21-48 is a continuation of the sermon on the  mount. Jesus first addressed murder, where vengeance is not for us to do, instead you must be reconciled with your adversary before you can be reconciled to God. Then He dealt with adultery, you are not only not to do it, you are not allowed to even think about it. Likewise, the only time divorce is allowed is for already committed adultery. Piling on, he addressed taking of oaths, this was serious business under the Law, but Jesus said “Let your yes be yes and your no, no”. Furthermore it was said “An eye for an eye” But Jesus told us to pray for our adversaries, no matter what, and to love your enemies. This is an important distinction between Old and New Testament Theology, and Jesus brought it fourth.

Exodus 35 is a more detailed repeat of Sabbath regulations, materials for the tabernacle and who were the leaders of building of the tabernacle.

Exodus 36 describes in detail how the tabernacle was to be built.

Exodus 37 continues describing how the Ark of the Covenant was to be built with its cherubim,( by necessity very sketchy since nobody would be allowed to see them once they were made,)   the table, the lampstand and the altar of incense.

February 9, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 5:1-20 tells of the Beatitudes, which form the beginning of the Sermon on the  Mount. Then Jesus added the spiritual dimension to the Mosaic Law. He had not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it.

In Exodus 33 God told the Israelites to leave the place they were staying, take off all the ornaments they were wearing and go to the promised land. Moses established the tent of meeting, and there he asked to see God. God promised Moses he would see His back while hiding “In the cleft of the rock”

After breaking the two stone tablets, Moses in Exodus 34 had to go back up the mountain and write the words of God on two new stone tablets. Then God repeated much of what was said in previous chapters, even reiterating the Covenant, but the chapter ends with the radiant face of Moses because Moses had spoken with God.

February 8, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 4:12-25. After Jesus was baptized and was led into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights he began his ministry and called his first disciples.

Exodus 30 describes the  altar of incense, mentions rules for the poll tax and the basin for washing, anointing oil and rules for sacred incense.

Exodus 31 is short; it tells of two named craftsmen to be leaders of performing the artistic aspect of all the work to build the tabernacle. Then there are rules of how to observe the Sabbath, and with that, God finished His message to Moses by giving him the two tablets of stone containing the ten commandments written by the finger of God.

In Exodus 32 Moses went down from the mountain and what did he find? He found the Golden Calf and the people singing and dancing in orgies. Moses became so angry that he threw down the two tablets with God’s commandments, and they broke in pieces. Then he pleaded with God not to destroy His people.

Jesus began his ministry giving the same message as John the Baptist: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” When a believer from Ukraine or Russia speaks of their conversion experience they do not use the word salvation, they speak of when they repented.

February 7, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 4:1-11 tells of Jesus as He was led into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan after he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Jesus combated Satan with scripture, but Satan could quote scripture too. In the end Satan left him “for a season”.

Exodus 27 tells how the altar of burnt offering was to be constructed and how to construct the courtyard around the tabernacle. It also specifies there must always be oil for the lampstand.

In Exodus 28 the priestly garments are specified, in detail, with the breastplate, down to the urim and thummim, and the plate “HOLINESS TO THE LORD”. Even the undergarments are specified.

Exodus 29 specifies how the consecration of priests was to be performed.

The scripture for today tells that even Jesus was tempted by the devil and had to use scripture to defend against it. We get the advice from scripture: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7). This usually works, but with sexual sin the only advice is: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18). This is important, since the importance of the tabernacle was God’s dwelling here on earth, and in the New Testament the body of the believer is called the Tabernacle or Shrine of the Holy Spirit in Greek: Do you not know that your bodies are temples (shrines)of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

February 6, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

In Matthew 3:11-17 Jesus came to be baptized by John the Baptist. Afterwards the holy Spirit descended like a dove on Jesus and a voice from heaven said: “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”.

Exodus 23 continues with the writing down laws about justice and mercy, how you are to help even someone who hates you. God instituted the Sabbath laws; in six years you may harvest your fields, but the seventh year you will let it go fallow. (In my childhood Sweden this seven year planting cycle was still practiced by many farmers.) The seventh day rest was to be practiced by all and applied to work animals as well. Moses also defined the three annual feasts, the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of harvest and the feast of in-gathering. Finally God warned of worshiping other Gods.

In Exodus 24 God confirmed His covenant with the people, and Moses went up to Mount Sinai and stayed there 40 days and 40 nights, a long time for the people to be without a leader.

In Exodus 25 Moses told the people make an offering, and out of this offering was made three furnishings for the tabernacle, the ark, the table and the lampstand.

Exodus 26. God described to Moses how the tabernacle was to be built.

God told Moses to have the tabernacle built to be the dwelling place of God on earth. Solomon was allowed to replace the tabernacle with the temple, and God filled the temple. Later the Glory of God left the temple. When Jesus was baptized, symbolically a dove descended on Jesus, signifying the Holy Spirit descended into Jesus, and he begun his ministry. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit entered the believers, and from that time on our bodies are the tabernacle of God, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

February 5, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 3:1-12 presents John the Baptist preaching repentance. He came to prepare the way of the Lord. John the Baptist baptized in water for repentance. He prophesied that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire. John the Baptist is still under the law but prepares the way for Jesus.

In stark contrast to the New Testament gospel Exodus 21 and Exodus 22 contain regulations on servanthood and slavery, penalties for manslaughter and personal injuries, all Mosaic law.

John the Baptist was a transition figure. He still preached repentance to return to full obedience of the Mosaic law. Bot he also prepared the way of the Lord. He proclaimed that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire, giving new life, as Jesus would later explain. For now, Jesus also preached repentance and promised the Kingdom of heaven was near.

I for one is thankful we are no longer under Mosaic law, but under God’s perfect law; Follow the Lord Jesus Christ, love one another, pray continually, rejoice always, in everything give thanks etc.

February 4, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 2:13-23. After the wise men had visited Jesus they returned back East via another way. Meanwhile Joseph was told to get out of Bethlehem and flee to Egypt. Herod was furious that he had been had and murdered all male children under the age of 2 in and around Bethlehem. Herod died soon after, and the little family went back to Nazareth. (As a side note, in the Middle East Christians are nowadays called Nazarenes.)

In Exodus 19, time had come to visit Mount Sinai. God declared that the Israelites would be a Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation. The chapter deals with the three-day consecration that was to occur before Moses went up to meet with God.

Exodus 20. Moses went up Mount Sinai, and there God gave him the ten commandments.

Matthew describes the early life of Jesus in detail; born in Bethlehem fled to Egypt and then raised in Nazareth. His emphasis is to portray Jesus as legitimate King through the prophecies. Mark gives no genealogy, he portrays Jesus a servant. Luke portrays Jesus as the man and finally John declares Jesus is God.

February 3, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 2:1-12 . We get to read about the Magi (probably about 15 of them including servants) who came to Jerusalem to ask about the King of the Jews. This worried King Herod and all Jerusalem, and Herod asked the Scribes and the other learned men where he was to be born. They answered “In Bethlehem of Judea”, but were otherwise remarkably uninterested. The wise men went to Jesus (he is by now at least a few months old), but did not report back to Herod, instead they returned another way.

In Exodus 16  God gave them Manna (what is it?) and quail, and Moses gave the instructions on how to gather it. And they ate Manna for 40 years.

In Exodus 17, lack of water is a recurring theme in the desert. In Rephidim there was no water at all, so God told Moses to strike the rock at the foot of Mount Horeb. Water gushed out and they were all filled with good water. Good it was, for the Amalekites attacked them right afterwards. Joshua and his men fought a good fight, and Moses helped by raising his hands, and as long as he held them high Joshua prevailed. But Moses got tired, so Aaron and Hur held up his hands until sunset, and so the Amalekites were defeated.

Exodus 18 tells of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law when he visited Moses, who now was in a difficult situation trying to lead his people all by himself, and Jethro gave Moses good advice about real leadership, delegation of management, a practice essential for all governing.

The lesson for today is the wise men acted on what they saw,; the teachers of the Law seemed uninterested and were afraid to find out. The people that had miraculously escaped Egypt complained and wanted to go back to slavery. Moses wore himself out trying to govern, but Jethro, his father in law gave good governing advice. So began in earnest the 40 year journey.