Tag: Christianity

February 9, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

February 9: Matthew 14, Exodus 38, Exodus 39, Exodus 40 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 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, but they kept following him, and so came the feeding of the 5000 out of five loaves of bread and two small fishes. After all were satisfied they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. Jesus dismissed the crowd, made the 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 water. A very interesting read.

Exodus 38 retells of how the altar of burnt offerings made, the basin for washing, the courtyard around the tabernacle and all the materials used.

Exodus 39 retells how the priestly garments are 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 is finished, the Priests installed and finally God blessed the tabernacle with His presence when the Glory of the LORD filled it. That is the end of the book of Exodus.

 

 

Take heart. Take care of your heart.

Being an engineer I have always tried to understand what makes us tick. The heart is a wonderful piece of engineering and it keeps on ticking no matter what, faster when anxious or exercising, then going back to resting pace when the challenge is over. It worked fine for the first 75 years of my life, but then I noticed a gradual change. Well, this is part of normal aging I thought, so I shrugged it off and went on with my life as best I could. One very early morning I woke up with a cold sweat and pain in my chest and both arms, so I stood up and started to walk it off. I burped and burped and after a couple of minutes it went away and I felt a good warmth in my chest and that was it, so I went back to sleep. Checking my stamina later I found it had gone down by at east a factor of two. This fall I had a congestive cold and found that I could not do the trick that always worked before, whenever I found myself short of breath with a slight pain in my chest I hyper ventilated until it went away. That does nor work well in a coughing spell. Anyhow, I decided to wait until my yearly physical checkout. That is when my doctor discovered I had anemia as well. Sudden anemia is usually a sign of internal bleeding, so first I was in for a complete plumbing checkout. But I insisted that I better see a cardiologist asap, and there was a cancellation, so I could go in the day after the colonoscopy. I failed the stress test miserably, and they found blockages. Off to catheterization. It revealed that my Left Anterior Descending artery (yes, that is the so called widowmaker) was more than 90% blocked. But it also revealed that another artery was 100% blocked, and the heart had connected that artery with another artery, it had provided its own bypass. Isn’t it wonderful how God in the 750 Megabyte DNA information provided in every cell He also provided us with a very good repair kit. However,  the widowmaker artery is alone, so when it goes altogether, that’s the end. For me, it was not too late, so they put in a stent, and already when I was wheeled out of the operating room I felt like a new man. (Yes, you are awake during the procedure, they tell you to hold your breath so they can take yet another x-ray as they poke around.) Poking around they found a third, partially blocked artery, but it may be fixed with medication.

I am thankful to God for modern medicine. They can do all these things just by going in through the artery in the wrist, look around and put in a stent. When I grew up, if you got a heart attack, that was it. But most of all I stand in awe at the wonders of God

Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

February 8, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

February 8: Matthew 13, Exodus 36, Exodus 37 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 13 tells of many parables on the Kingdom of heaven: The sower, the wheat and tares, the mustard seed and the yeast, the hidden treasure, the pearl of great worth and the fishermen and the net. Then Jesus explains what the parables mean 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”.

Exodus 36 describes how the tabernacle was built.

Exodus 37 tells of the Ark with its cherubim, the table, the lampstand and the altar of incense.

February 7, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

February 7: Matthew 12, Exodus 34, Exodus 35 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Matthew 12 Jesus proclaims he  is the Lord of the Sabbath and healed a man with a withered hand. Since this was on a Sabbath it was considered blasphemy. Jesus continued to heal in secret, but the Pharisees said he did it by Beelzebub (lord of the flies). Jesus answer? “A Kingdom divided against itself will not stand.”  Jesus also says “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 says that the only sign given will be the sign of Jonah. Finally Jesus in a way rejects his own mother and brothers by pointing to his disciples and saying: “Here are my mother and brothers, for whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother”.

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

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

 

February 6, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

February 6:  Matthew 11, Exodus 32, Exodus 33 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Matthew 11 the followers of John ask if Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus answers back that John is Elijah, sent to prepare the way. Jesus despairs of the current generation, but promises: “Come to me…. my yoke is easy and my burden is light”.

In Exodus 32 Moses has come down from the mountain and what does he find? The Golden Calf and the people in orgies singing and dancing. Moses gets so angry he throws down the two tablets with God’s commandments, and they break in pieces. Then he pleads with God not to destroy His people.

In Exodus 33 God tells the Israelites to leave the place. take off all the ornaments and go to the promised land. Moses established the tent of meeting, and there he asks to see God. God promises Moses he would see His back hiding “In the cleft of the rock”

February 5, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

February 5:  Matthew 10, Exodus 29, Exodus 30, Exodus 31 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Matthew 10 Jesus names his 12 disciples and sends them out to preach “the Kingdom of Heaven is near” They will do the same miracles as Jesus but will also meet resistance. Jesus promises there will be opposition and division because of the message. A most interesting chapter.

Exodus 29 tells of the consecration of the priests.

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

Exodus 31 is short; it tells of two specific craftsmen to be the 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 God’s finger.

February 4, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

February 4: Matthew 9, Exodus 26, Exodus 27, Exodus 28 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Matthew 9 Jesus continues his healing ministry, he heals a paralytic, but the real story is Jesus forgave him his sins, a blasphemy unless Jesus is who he says he is. Then he calls Matthew the tax collector, and explains why his disciples do not fast while Jesus is with them. Moving on he heals a woman with a bleeding issue, brings a girl back to life, heals the blind and mute. Then he looked at all the people, seeing they were sheep without a shepherd and said “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”.

Exodus 26 tells how the tabernacle is to be built.

Exodus 27 tells how the altar of burnt offering is to be constructed and how to do 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. Even the undergarments are specified.

February 3, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

February 3: Matthew 8, Exodus 23, Exodus 24, Exodus 25 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 8 tells of Jesus continuing his healing ministry. He heals a man with leprosy and a Roman centurion displays his faith in Jesus, so Jesus heals his servant because of faith. He heals many others, and the strange encounter with the demon possessed men from east of Lake Genesareth. Many want to follow him, but Jesus warns them off by telling the price of following him. It also recalls how Jesus calmed the storm.

Exodus 23 continues with laws about justice and mercy, how you are to help even someone who hates you. He institutes the Sabbath laws, that in six years you may harvest your fields, but the seventh year you will let it go fallow. in my childhood Sweden this 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 harvesting and the feast of ingathering. Finally God warns of worshiping other Gods.

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

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

February 2, read through the Bible in a year.

On today, groundhog day there are four chapters, and they are momentous. Read them carefully. (Maybe not Exodus 22, it deals mostly with property rights and social responsibility.)

February 2: Matthew 7, Exodus 20, Exodus 21, Exodus 22 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 7 is a continuation of the sermon on the mount. Jesus is admonishing us not to be judgmental but to look to our own faults before condemning others. And don’t waste your time by casting pearls before swine. Ask, seek, knock is another theme, and so is doing to others what you would have them do to you. This sums up the Law and the Prophets. It grows into a crescendo with people claiming to have done good deeds, prophesyings and miracles in Jesus’ name. And Jesus answers them: “I never knew you”. I took the liberty to add my own discovery of the meaning of these verses. It ends with the foolish and the wise builders.

In Exodus 20 Moses is at Mount Sinai and God gives him the ten commandments.

Exodus contains regulations on servanthood and slavery, penalties for manslaughter and personal injuries, all Mosaic law.

 

February 1, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

February 1: Matthew 6, Exodus 17, Exodus 18, Exodus 19 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 6 continues the sermon on the mount. Jesus speaks of doing good, fasting and prayer, do it without fanfare, in secret if possible and be sincere. He then institutes what is called “The Lord’s prayer” which really is a pattern prayer for us, short, direct, but covers the essentials. Then he continues recommending to store up eternal, spiritual treasures, not physical riches, for you cannot serve two masters, you serve either God or money. Then Jesus continues how foolish it is to worry about the future, concentrate what is important, seek first the Kingdom of God, and God will take care of all the other things.

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. 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 till sunset, and so the Amalekites were defeated.

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

In Exodus 19, time has come to visit Mount Sinai. God declares that the Israelites will be a Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation. The chapter deals with the three-day consecration that is to occur before Moses goes up to meet with God.