Commuter Bible

You can hear a sense of desperation and heartfelt pleading as we read the words of Moses today, as he continues to urge a new generation to trust the Lord and obey His statutes so that they might flourish. When they are given to fear, when they are tempted to worship other gods, when they get comfortable in their lavish provisions, in all these things, they are told to remember what the Lord has d...

Deuteronomy loosely translated means “second law,” because it’s in this book that Moses reviews the Law and the promises of God for a new generation before he, himself, passes away. The former generation has all died because of their iniquity, just as the Lord had sworn, which means that the next generation needs a recap of what has happened so far. In his final words to the nation of Israel, you’...

Paul’s purpose in writing this letter to the churches of Galatia is to rebuke them for abandoning the true Gospel for a false one, relying on works of the flesh rather than relying on the Spirit which they received through faith. He is more critical of his audience here than in any other letter, calling them “foolish Galatians” and asking “who has put a spell on you?” He also defends himself again...

Looking back on our time in the book of Numbers we notice a few things. First, God is faithful to keep His promises. Even when His chosen people, those whom he rescued, redeemed, and restored by majestic acts of compassion and power, are supremely unfaithful, God fulfills His promises. Second, God does not take grumbling and complaining lightly, punishing those who forget His salvation, choosing i...

Remember the Peor incident, where the men of Israel prostituted themselves to Baal along with the women of Moab? Turns out that was led by Balaam, the same Balaam who spoke oracles from the Lord against Moab. After defeating Midian, they begin to divide the spoils of war. When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manassah, see that this land is good for cattle, they ask if they can set...

When we last left Israel, they had just prostituted themselves with the women of Moab as an act of Baal worship. The Lord sent a plague among them that was only stopped when Phinehas impaled a fornicating couple through with his spear. In the wake of this tragic display of unfaithfulness, the Lord tells Moses that he will soon die because he didn’t obey the Lord’s command at the water of Meribah....

Sometimes when you’re watching a serial drama on Netflix they’ll take an episode to tell a back-story or a spin-off from the main story to give context to the overall narrative. That’s exactly what’s happening in today’s passage. The king of Moab, whose name is Balak, hires a man named Balaam who is some kind of diviner or priest, to put a curse on Israel. As Balaam goes to visit king Balak, the L...

It seems that Israel simply cannot handle the idea that the Lord would place Moses and Aaron in authority over them. Even after signs and wonders, including those wherein the Lord snuffs out the rebellious, they continue to groan and complain. So today, the Lord decides to put their complaints to rest with a unique sign that will stand as a testimony for generations to come. Later, the people rebe...

On our last episode, God sent spies into the land of Canaan, the land He promised to give them, but when they saw their foes, they brought back a negative report, and refused to venture onward. Today, God resolves to wipe them out for their rebellion, but Moses intercedes for the people, pleading with God to act with faithful and steadfast love. Instead, God resolves to keep their generation out o...

Just like any family trip to a far away place, everyone starts getting grumpy quick . New questions arise about who may partake of the Passover and who should abstain. After Israel leaves Mount Sinai for the Promised Land they becomes dissatisfied with what the Lord provides, complaining that the food they had in Egypt was better than manna from the Lord. Moses complains to the Lord that these peo...

We’re continuing in the book of Numbers today, which has a reputation for putting people off both because of the title and because the first seven chapters (or so) contain a good bit of repetition. You’ll experience some of that today, and if you want to put me on 2x speed for that section, I won’t judge! This repetition is intentional, however. Think of it: they didn’t have a copy/paste function...

Numbers are boring, right? I mean, who gets excited about counting things? Well, did you ever count your Christmas presents as a kid? Have you ever memorized the stats of your favorite athletes, or checked the number of likes on a post, or rejoiced over the number of people confessing Christ through the work a missionary? The numbers presented in these first few chapters may seem boring to us, but...

The author of Hebrews continues to reference Old Testament Scripture to make a defense for the superiority of Christ over all things. The earthly tabernacle is but a shadow of the heavens, where Christ serves as great high priest. He has made a superior sacrifice, shedding His own blood rather than that of goats, bulls, or rams. He oversees a new covenant, where the law is written on the hearts an...

How can Jesus be our great high priest if he is from the tribe of Judah rather than the tribe of Levi? The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 110 and explains that Jesus is a better high priest, because unlike mere mortal men, he is unstained by sin and unconstrained by death. Additionally, while the earthly high priest had to enter the most holy place in the tabernacle year after year, Jesus has ente...

Now that we’ve completed the book of Leviticus, we’re jumping into the book of Hebrews, a book that emphasizes Jesus’ role as a better great high priest and a better Sabbath. While the writer of the book of Hebrews remains unknown, we do know that this writer can quote the Old Testament Scriptures at length and is very polished in his ability to write and to reason. This letter is unique, as it ha...

Our time in Leviticus comes to a close today, as the Lord explains the institutions of Sabbath years and the year of Jubilee. Israel is to work the ground for six years, then on the seventh year they are to rest. After 49 years (7x7) they are to celebrate a year of Jubilee where debts are cancelled and Hebrew servants relieved from their service. Finally, if Israel fails to observe the Lord’s comm...

Moses continues to receive instructions from the Lord, and today’s episode begins with instructions on keeping the sacrifices pure and acceptable before the Lord. Consider that Lord does not want Israel to present anything that is second best or impure in anyway, thereby communicating indifference or irreverence for God in His perfection. We’ll also consider days set aside for celebration include...

Our passage today begins with an appeal to Israel to be holy before their holy God, using some the Ten Commandments as bullet points for discussion. As we read, you’ll notice that there is to be an “otherness” amongst the Israelites that makes them distinct from the rest of the world. To our modern ears and worldview, it may seem limiting or perhaps cruel that the Lord would be so particular, but...

We’re continuing to look at those actions or objects that make one ceremonially unclean in the Israelite community; sometimes those things are related to infectious diseases, sometimes it is because they are immoral or detestable, but other times they simply represent being set apart for the Lord. Not everything in today’s reading has a moral component, it simply means the person can’t approach th...

As part of their covenant with the Lord, the Israelites were given regulations concerning what is considered clean and unclean. At times this is a means of health and well-being, at other times it serves as a distinction from surrounding nations. The term “unclean” doesn’t necessarily mean those things are dirty, germ-infested, or immoral, though some of them certainly are, but these things are al...

As you continue to listen to these instructions on sacrifices, I encourage you to imagine what it would be like to experience these sacrifices. The warmth of a live animal and the feel of coarse hair under your hand as the animal is slaughtered for your sin; the smell of incense and roasting meat; the sight of blood splattered onto the clean, hand-crafted tunics of the priest who go before the Lor...

We are beginning the book of Leviticus; the title basically means, “pertaining to the Levites,” as this book dives deeper into the responsibilities of priests and the divine-human relationship codified on Mount Sinai. These are instructions on how an impure people can be made holy by obedience to a perfect God. We’ll look at four kinds of offering today. The burnt offering is given with prayer or...

Well today is our last episode in the book of Acts, and as this book concludes, we see Paul continue to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all. He presents his position to kings and noblemen, respectfully arguing that his position is valid and worthy of consideration. We also see that his Jewish audience is willing to listen to him up until a certain point, and that br...

As Paul’s group says farewell to the Ephesians, a Judean prophet predicts that Paul will be taken into custody if he goes to Jerusalem, but Paul is still determined to go. Though he and other fellow believers try to show the Jews that Paul is not a blasphemer, it seems to be of little use. A riot ensues and Paul is attacked. The local officials step in to help, finding out later that Paul is a Rom...

Paul continues to preach the good news of Jesus from city to city, and the Jews continue to be jealous of the attention he is getting by preaching Jesus. Riots ensue, often because Jewish leaders conspire to work up crowds against the apostles. Both Jews and Greeks come to faith in Christ, and new churches are planted. Finally, Paul says goodbye to the Ephesian church elders, knowing he will never...