Wednesday 29 June 2011

Deuteronomy


Deuteronomy 6
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength. God is giving you abundance so obey him. Teach the law to your children.

Application: Love God, teach your children the teaching of God.

Deuteronomy 7
You are a holy people, do not intermarry, destroy their idols, God will bless you. God will give you victory.

Application: Do not intermarry with the world around us, be set apart from the peoples in worship of God and dedication to him.

Deuteronomy 8
Obey, God disciplines his people and teaches them and did so in the 40 years in the desert. God is giving them a good land. Followed by a reminder of what God has done for them.

Application:God trains us, live by God's Word alone.

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Numbers


Numbers 24
Balaam makes two more prophesies, one blessing Israel and the other foretelling what they are going to do to the peoples in and around the land of Canaan. Balak becomes angry after the first and orders Balaam to return home immediately, but Balaam replies about not being able to speak anything but what God wants him to say.

Application: Do only what God wants even when it makes others angry. Be in tune with God about what he wants. God blesses his people.

Numbers 27
Addition to the inheritance laws of women if there are no sons. Joshua is commissioned. Moses is going to die soon so Joshua is given a public leadership position. Shepherding is mentioned and also that Joshua has God's spirit in him.

Application: Leaders need commissioning, need to have God's spirit and they act like shepherds (what do shepherds do?)

Numbers 28
Guidelines for daily offerings, Sabbath offerings, Monthly offerings, the Passover and the feast of weeks.

Application: Feasting, holidays and celebrations are important in the sight of the Lord, so we should also take days off..

Numbers 29
Feast of trumpets and the day of atonement. The day (week) of atonement is massive, big offerings made over several days.

Application: Being right with God is important and holidays are important.

Numbers 31
Attack against the Midianites, and a great victory. Non-virgins are killed. Division of the spoils, some being given to God.

Application: Everything we receive should be tithed.

Monday 27 June 2011

Genesis


Genesis 10
A list of names, most of them identifiable people groups as descendants of Noah. Particular focus is on the peoples that would have a big influence on Israel later on in the OT.

Application: No idea.

Genesis 13
Coming from Egypt Lot and Abram are together, they separate, Abram giving Lot the choice of land. Lot goes to the region of Sodom and Gomorrah (is there a link with the attractive land and the sin?). Abram is then promised great blessing.

Application: Something that is humanly attractive (the fertile land) when linked with sin is not always the best option. God can make seemingly hard situations blessed.

Genesis 14
Lot is captured by invading, ruling kings and Abram successfully rescues him, gaining significantly in the process. Tithing the proceeds to Melchizedek.

Application:
Faithful dependence on God and then returning a tenth to the priest of God. After success, God is the one who should receive the glory.

Genesis 15
God makes a covenant with Abram. “I am your shield, your reward shall be very great.” Abram still is worried that he has no children. He then receives a vision of the coming time related to the land that God is giving him.

Application:
Having given up material riches, God gives blessing, faith brings righteousness.

Genesis 16
Sarai offers Hagar to Abraham to provide an heir. Hagar runs away when mistreated by Sarai, but an angel meets her and tells her to return and call her son Ishmael (God hears).

Application
A warning about trying to fulfil God's promise by human methods, but even then, God cares for the result of the sin. God sees our hardship.

Genesis 17
Abram and Sarai are renamed Abraham and Sarah

Application