Category: Numbers

February 27: Read through the Holy Bible in a year.

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 Genesareth, and then after Jesus had prayed alone he joined them by walking on the laker. 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)

February 26: Read through the Holy Bible in a year.

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.

February 25: Read through the Holy Bible in a year.

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 the 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.

February 24: Read through the Holy Bible in a year.

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.

February 23: Read through the Holy Bible in a year.

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 8, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

In the reading for today Jesus in the chapter of the gospel of Mark Jesus is full of action, teaching and preparing the disciples for the future. The four chapters in Numbers is good historical reading.

March 8: Mark 8, Numbers 33, Numbers 34, Numbers 35, Numbers 36, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Mark 8 begins with Jesus as he fed the four thousand, the Pharisees were still looking for a sign, but Jesus warned of the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod, all very confusing for the disciples; they were still not thinking in the spiritual realm. Jesus healed a blind man at Bethsaida, then followed Peter’s Confession and  Jesus predicted his death.

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 names the Cities for the Levites and defines the six Cities of Refuge.

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

March 7, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

Today there are four chapters to read.

March 7: Mark 7, Numbers 30, Numbers 31 , Numbers 32, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Mark 7. Jesus explained what is clean and what is unclean. Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon and gave an  example of Great Faith: The Canaanite woman, and the healing of her daughter.  Then Jesus healed a deaf-mute man, and the people say: “He has done everything well.”

Numbers 30 is short, and it deals with what the Law says about vows.

Numbers 31. The Israelites executed vengeance on the Midianites, returned from the war and dividied the spoils.

Numbers 32, The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh decided to settle East of Jordan.

March 6, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The three chapters chosen for today’s reading is one chapter of Mark and two chapters in Numbers.

March 6: Mark 6, Numbers 28, Numbers 29, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Mark 6  Jesus proclaimed ”A Prophet is not without honor, but in his own hometown, and among his own kin.” Jesus sent out the Twelve, and they were amazed they could heal too. John the Baptist was beheaded. By the way – the name Salome is not in the Bible, we know it because beheading fascinates many. Then is retold the feeding of the Five Thousand, and after that Jesus walked on the water.

Numbers 28 is all about offerings, the Daily Offerings, Sabbath Offerings, Monthly Offerings, Offerings at Passover and Offerings at the Feast of Weeks.

In Numbers 29 the specifications for offerings continue, Offerings at the Feast of Trumpets, Offerings at the Day of Atonement and finally Offerings at the Feast of Tabernacles.

March 5, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The chapter from Mark contains some interesting examples of healing, to say the least. The two chapters from Numbers on the other hand is mostly for historical purposes.

March 5: Mark 5, Numbers 26, Numbers 27, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Mark 5 is full of action. On a hillside east of the sea of Galilee a demon possessed man met Jesus and recognized him as “The Son of the Most High God” and begged him not to torture him. The demons in the man asked Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs, about 2000 or so. Jesus let the demons go into the swine, and they promptly rushed down the hill and into Lake Galilee and drowned. This was too much for the people living in the area, so they begged Jesus to leave. Jesus did depart, and doing so he met Jarius, who had a daughter that was dying. As they went to Jarius’ house a large crowd followed them, and a woman with a bleeding issue for twelve years touched his garment. This Jesus noticed, and said to the woman “Daughter, your faith has healed you”. While still at a distance from Jarius’ house the news arrived that Jarius’ daughter had died, they were too late for healing. Jesus ignored them, saying: “Be not afraid, only believe.” Then he told the child “Talitha koum”, she rose up, and that is the end of the chapter.

Numbers 26 lists in detail, by tribe, the Second Census of Israel.

Numbers 27 defines inheritance laws, and it was decided that Joshua should succeed Moses.

March 4, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The four chapter chose for today are one chapter of Mark dealing with Jesus’ parables and three chapters in Numbers dealing with Balaam’s oracles and Balaam’s error.

March 4: Mark 4, Numbers 23, Numbers 24, Numbers 25, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Mark 4 starts out with the parable of the sower, and Jesus provided the explanation of it, and with that the key to the parables. Then He told the parable of the lamp on a stand, not under a bushel, and the parable of the seed in the ground, followed by the parable of the faith of a mustard seed, all parables relating to the Kingdom of God. Finally Jesus calmed the storm and chastised the disciples for their lack of faith.

Numbers 23 tells of Balaam’s first oracle, his second oracle, and the beginning of his third oracle.

Numbers 24 continues with Balaam’s third oracle, his fourth, and his final oracle.

Numbers 25 finally tells how Israel went astray in Moab.