Tag: Through the Bible in a year.

February 28, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

In between the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Mark we enjoy reading one short Psalm and two chapters of Numbers.

February 28: Psalm 15, Numbers 14,Numbers 15, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Psalm 15 is only 5 verses long but full of truth that carries on into the New Testament. For that reason there are five 5 references from the New Testament added.

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.

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.

February 27, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

Relaxing between the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Mark we read two short Psalms and two chapters  out of Exodus.

February 27: Psalm 13, Psalm 14, Numbers 12, Numbers 13, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Psalm 13 is only 6 verses, but there is a moving Anglican Chant written and sung. Enjoy.

Psalm 14 is also short. It begins “The fool has said in his heart, there is NO GOD.”

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 in Power-point, with comments.

As we are taking a pause between the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Mark we enjoy reading one chapter of Proverbs and two chapters of Numbers.

February 26: Proverbs 3, Numbers 10, Numbers 11 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Proverbs 3 continues to tell of the benefits of wisdom. The verses most often quoted are ”Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will direct your paths.”

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

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.

February 25, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

Taking a rest between the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Mark by reading two short Psalms and three chapters of Numbers that only appear long.

February 25: Psalm 11, Psalm 12, Numbers 7, Numbers 8, Numbers 9 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Psalm 11 has the phrase “flee as a bird to the mountain”, which bring back memories of songs we used to sing in choir.

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

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.

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.

February 24, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

In between the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Mark we take time out to read two Psalms and two chapters in Numbers.

February 24: Psalm 9, Psalm 10, Numbers 5, Numbers 6 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Psalm 9 and Psalm 10 may belong together as they do in the Septuagint. They speak of God’s faithfulness and the only temporary victories of the wicked one.

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.

Numbers 6 tells of the vow of the Nazarite, 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.“

February 23, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

Today there are four chapters to read, ponder the significance of the resurrection in Matthew 28. The three first chapters in Numbers are interesting for historians.

February 23: Matthew 28, Numbers 2, Numbers 3, Numbers 4 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 28 begins with Jesus being in the grave for the two adjoining sabbaths, the first day of unleavened bread followed by the normal sabbath, then there was an earthquake and the stone was rolled away. Jesus was no longer in the grave. The guards were bribed to tell the story that the disciples took the body, but two  women, the two Marys met the resurrected Jesus. He told them to tell the remaining disciples that he was risen from the dead. The Gospel of Matthew ends with Jesus giving the great commission: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Numbers 2 tells how the tribes are 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.

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.

February 22, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

February 22: Matthew 27, Numbers 1 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 27 depicts the longest day, beginning with Jesus being handed over to Pilate, the Roman governor; since the Jews did not have right to execute capital punishment. Judas hanged himself and the thirty pieces of silver given him in exchange for the betrayal of Jesus was used to buy the Potter’s field. Pilate tried to wiggle out of his role as a judge, his wife had warned him, so he came up with the idea to release one prisoner at Passover which was the custom. Pilate chose Jesus or Barabbas to be released and of the two the people chose Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be crucified. Pilate acquiesced to the mob and so Jesus was flogged by the soldiers for a public spectacle and then he was led away, but after the flogging Jesus was too weak to carry his own cross, so they forced Simon from Cyrene to carry Jesus cross all the way to the place of the skull, and there Jesus was crucified together  with two criminals. To identify Jesus they put an  inscription on the top of the cross “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” A number of prophecies were fulfilled during the crucifixion, and Jesus finally died on the cross. At that very moment the Temple veil was torn in two, from bottom to top and for the first time the holy of holiest was revealed. Jesus, now being dead was taken down from the cross and put in a tomb, a stone was rolled in front of the entrance and the tomb was sealed, and – this is important, they put up a guard to secure the tomb. Why did they do that? Think about that.

Numbers 1 consists of a listing of the heads of the people that left Egypt, the first census.

February 21, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

Today’s reading in the gospel of Matthew deals with the events the two days before Jesus was crucified. In addition we read the last chapter of Leviticus.

February 21: Matthew 26,  Leviticus 27 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 26 is enormous. It begins with the plot against Jesus, continuing with his anointing at Bethany, then Judas agreeing to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, continuing with the Lord’s supper being initiated, Jesus predicting who is going to betray him, moving on to the Mount of Olives, where Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed “Not my will, but yours be done,”after which he predicted Peter’s denial.  Jesus prayed three times and then came the betrayal and arrest of Jesus and he wss taken to the Sanhedrin to be interrogated. The chapter ends with Peter’s denial.

Leviticus 27 deals with redeeming people and property and what is to be dedicated to God.

February 20, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

Today’s chapter in Matthew deals with parables about the kingdom of heaven, and the two chapters in Leviticus deal with the Sabbath year, the Year of the Jubilee, and rewards and punishments.

February 20: Matthew 25, Leviticus 25, Leviticus 26 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 25 begins with the parable of the ten virgins, five with oil, five without oil. (Give me oil in my lamp, keep it burning). After that Jesus told the parable of the five, two and one talent given to three different people, the one with five made ten, the one with two doubled his talents, but the one with only one talent buried his. Jesus had his one talent taken away and be given to the one with ten talents. The moral of this parable is: Equal opportunity, not equal outcome. Finally Jesus gives the parable of the sheep and the goats, and the sheep are defined as those who do God’s will “You did it for me.”

Leviticus 25 defines the Sabbath year, a year of rest for the land,  and the year of the jubilee, the year when property is restored, rights redeemed, and slaves are set free. (As far as I know the year of the jubilee was never implemented)

Leviticus 26 tells of blessing for obedience and punishment for disobedience.

February 19, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The Chapter in Matthew that is chosen for today is one of the most talked about among people expecting Jesus’ return. There are also two chapters from Leviticus to conplete the reading.

February 19: Matthew 24, Leviticus 23, Leviticus 24 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 24 is knocking at the door is a song popularized by Johnny  Cash and gives a description of what is coming. Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple and the events that will occur just before his return. He even quoted Daniel the prophet: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation.” Then he described his coming return to gather his people. He assured us that heaven and earth will pass away, but not his words. However, nobody knows the time or the day of his coming. Many have tried to predict it, and so far all have failed. This makes sense since we are supposed to watch and wait, and with this admonition the chapter ends.

Leviticus 23 describes the feasts of the LORD, the Sabbath, the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Leviticus 24 describes how to care for the Tabernacle Lamps and the Tabernacle Bread. Then it defines the Penalty for Blasphemy, and the Penalty for intentional injuries: “An eye for an eye.” is a direct quote from the Law, and so is “