Category: Numbers

Day 62 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 16:13-28. Peter made his famous confession: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Right after that Jesus predicted his death, unto which Peter said “Never” and Jesus answered  “Get behind me, Satan.” Those were strong words. Jesus furthermore said “Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Finally Jesus predicted his transfiguration.

In Numbers 21 the Canaanites were defeated in Hormath. The people kept speaking against God, so God sent venomous snakes their way and many died. Moses made a bronze snake, put it on a pole and when people looked at it, they got healed. (Does that remind you of a symbol used even today?) The travels continued.

Numbers 22 tells the story of how Balak sent for Balaam, and how Balaam’s Donkey behaved when he saw the Angel.

Day 61 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 16:1-12. the Jews demanded a sign. Jesus told them the there will be no sign other than the sign of Jonah: Three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish. The disciples had forgotten to bring bread and Jesus coincidentally told them : Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Huh? Jesus had to explain to them he meant the doctrine, not literal yeast.

Numbers 18 describes the duties of Priests and Levites, offerings for Supporting the Priests, tithes Supporting the Levites and the tithe of the Levites. As representatives of the LORD they were entitled to get the best part.

Numbers 19 details the laws and procedures of Purification, and introduces the red heifer.

In Numbers 20. Moses committed a major error in Kadesh. Thy were short on water, so God told Moses to speak to the rock. Instead, Moses smote the rock. Water sprung forth but God punished Moses and his people so severely that that generation was not allowed to enter the promised land. Why did God give them this harsh punishment? The rock was to be smitten only once,  the second time Moses was to speak to the rock, a foreshadowing of Jesus, who was smitten once for our sins. At the end of the chapter Aaron died.

Day 60 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 15:21-39. Jesus went to Canaanite territory, the region of Tyre and Sidon where he met a Canaanite woman with a sick daughter. She had such great a faith that Jesus healed her daughter from afar. Jesus went back to the sea of Galilee and did many other miracles. Large crowds followed him, and after having been without food for three days he fed the crowd of 4000 (plus women and children). This time they had seven loaves of bread and a few fishes. After eating to everybody’s satisfaction the disciples picked up seven baskets of leftovers. (No waste here).

Numbers 15 deals with Laws of Grain and Drink Offerings, Laws Concerning Unintentional Sin, Laws concerning Presumptuous Sin, Penalty for Violating the Sabbath, and specifies how to make Tassels on Garments, all good stuff if you are an orthodox Jew.

In Numbers 16 Korah, Dathan and Abiram as well as 250 other men rose up in opposition to Moses. It did not turn out well for them.

Numbers 17 tells of the budding of Aaron’s rod, a really short chapter.

Day 59 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 15:1-20. Jesus defined what defiles a person; it is not what he eats, but what comes out of his mouth. Ceremonial cleansing is just for show.

In Numbers 14 the people rebelled and refused to go into the promised land. As a punishment the people had to continue wandering for forty years in the desert until that generation, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua had passed away. Meanwhile the people tried to take on the Amalekites in their own strength, but failed miserably.

Psalm 21, of David. The New Testament references from Revelation 14 seems to fit. When I read this Psalm, the battle hymn of the republic kept ringing in my ears.

Day 58 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 14:15-36. After learning of the beheading of John the Baptist Jesus tried to withdraw from the people by boat to a solitary place, but there he found a large crowd, so he decided to feed the gathering of 5000 plus women and children with five loaves of bread and two small fishes. After all were satisfied, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. Jesus dismissed the crowd, made the disciples go in a boat to travel to the other side of Lake Gennesaret, and then after Jesus had prayed alone he joined them by walking on the water. A very interesting read.

In Numbers 11 the people complained about eating manna every day, so God put His spirit on seventy elders to prophecy, but He also sent them quail , a delicious game bird, but after eating quail for a whole month until it came out their nostrils they got sick, and God punished the gluttons.

In  Numbers 12 Miriam and Aaron opposed Moses and Miriam suffered the consequences.

In Numbers 13 God prepared His people to take the land He had promised them, so they were sending out scouts to survey the land and how best to take it. They came back with a discouraging report; it is a good land flowing with milk and honey, but the people are too strong for them, they felt like grasshoppers in their sight. Only Caleb dissented. (Joshua joined Caleb in the next chapter).

Day 57 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 14:1-14 tells about John the Baptist being beheaded. It is interesting that most people know the name of the daughter of Herodias, but it is not in the Bible. There is another Salome in the Bible, but she was a follower of Jesus. After learning of the beheading of John the Baptist Jesus tried to withdraw from the people by boat to a solitary place, but there he found a large crowd, so he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Numbers 8 deals with setting the Levites apart for their duties.

Numbers 9 defines how the Passover shall be celebrated from that time on. It also describes the cloud over the tabernacle, if it lifted they moved on, if it stayed, they stayed.

Numbers 10 tells of making two silver trumpets and with the blasts from them they finally leave Sinai, still in formation, tribe by tribe.

Day 56 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 13:31-58. Jesus told many parables on the Kingdom of heaven: The mustard seed and the yeast, the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price and the fishermen and the net. Then Jesus explained what the parables meant to his disciples. The parables were well received, except in his own hometown, about which Jesus said: ” Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor”.

Numbers 6 tells of the vow of the Nazirite, how he (or she!) must separate themselves totally to the LORD, not shave their hair, not eat anything from the grape, not even the dry skin, not touch any dead bodies and so on. When the separation is over an offering must be given. Thankfully the chapter ends with the priestly blessing: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:  The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.“

Numbers 7 has 89 verses, but the chapter only seems long since the same offerings for the dedication of the tabernacle are repeated for each of the twelve tribes.

Day 55 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 13:1-30 Jesus told the parable of the sower and the parable of the wheat and the tares.

Numbers 3 lists the sons of Aaron and the Levites by clan.

Numbers 4 tells of the duties of the Kohathites, the Gershonites and the Merarites. Then these Levite clans are numbered.

Numbers 5 deals with purity, how to deal with leprosy or dead bodies, restitution for wrongdoings and how to deal with marital unfaithfulness, especially for women.

Day 54 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Matthew 12:22-50. Jesus continued to heal in secret, but the Pharisees said he did it by Beelzebub (lord of the flies). What did Jesus answer? “A Kingdom divided against itself will not stand.”  Jesus also said “he that is not with me is against me.” There is no middle ground, and there is a sin that cannot be forgiven: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Continuing on Jesus said that the only sign given will be the sign of Jonah. Finally Jesus in a way rejected his own mother and brothers by pointing to his disciples, saying: “Here are my mother and brothers, for whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother”.

Numbers 1 consists of a listing of the heads of the people that left Egypt, the first census. All the people from the twelve tribes were counted, except the Levites.

Numbers 2 tells how the tribes were to be arranged around the tabernacle, three to the east, three to the south, three to the west and three to the north and the Levites in the middle.

March 7: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Matthew 18:10-35. This chapter contains the parable of the lost sheep, which leads naturally into the subject of forgiveness, reconciliation and church discipline. Jesus also promised that “where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them”. The chapter ends with the parable of the unmerciful servant.

Numbers 33 is a reciting of Israel’s Journey from Egypt, and provides instructions on how the Israelites were to conquer Canaan.

Numbers 34, defines the Boundaries of Canaan and mentions all the leaders appointed to divide the land.

Numbers 35 defines the forty-two Cities for the Levites and their six Cities of Refuge.

Numbers 36 tells about the Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters and why the Israelite women must marry within their tribe.