Commuter Bible OT

You’d think that by this point, the people of Israel would have settled on the well-established conclusion that Moses is in charge by command of the Lord and by the signs and wonders performed that confirm he is God’s chosen leader. Even so, in today’s reading, a man named Korah incites a rebellion against Moses, questioning his authority. Armed with the conclusion that the entire community of Isr...

Israel has finally arrived just outside the Promised Land, and all that’s left to do is enter it and take from those people whom God has set apart for destruction. Their journey should have ended here with a military campaign against the inhabitants of the land, but instead of confronting their enemies as the Lord had commanded, they cower, complain, and make excuses. Lacking faith and conviction,...

Just like any family trip to a far away place, everyone starts getting grumpy quick . New complaints arise about not being able to take the Passover while unclean. After Israel leaves Mount Sinai for the Promised Land they all become 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 peop...

As noted in previous episode introductions, we are in a section of Numbers that includes a lot of numbers and repetition, but take heart: after this episode, we’ll begin the narrative section of Numbers that covers the 40 years of Israel wandering in the wilderness. With that being said, take note in today’s episode that things begin well in Israel, and leaders from every tribe bring an equal offe...

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 repetition today, so if you want to put me on 2x speed for that section, I won’t judge! Consider, though, that the repetition is intentional. When you’re writing everythin...

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 rejoice over the number of indigenous believers saved through the work a missionary? The numbers presented in these first few chapters may seem boring to us, bu...

Our time in Leviticus comes to a close today as we hear a foreshadowing of the coming exile of Israel some 900 years before it occurs, as the Lord God makes plain that to abandon the covenant is to exchange blessing for a curse. God warns that the covenant is not to be taken lightly, for if Israel fails to observe the Lord’s commands, they will be cut off from the Lord, and their sacrifices will n...

Our reading begins with instructions for the bread and the oil in the tabernacle, but soon thereafter these instructions are somewhat interrupted by a fight. A young man has blasphemed the Name of God, and instructions are given about what must be done, followed by further instruction for punishment of violent crimes. Later, the Lord explains the institutions of Sabbath years and the year of Jubil...

Moses continues to receive instructions from the Lord, and today’s episode begins with instructions for the priests in eating their portion of the sacrifices to the Lord. Recall that the Levites will not be given large portions of land when they enter the Promised Land; instead, the Lord will be their portion. For their service in the tabernacle, they will receive portions of food from the offerin...

Our passage today begins with an appeal to Israel to be holy before their holy God, using some of 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, b...

We’re continuing to read through the Levitical law that was given to Moses and Aaron. These were the statutes, ordinances, and observances commanded by the Lord that Israel must keep in order to maintain the covenant. God Almighty, who is perfect in holiness, is to dwell among them. Since man is imperfect, God is giving this law as a means for them to be justified before him. By humble obedience t...

We’re continuing to work our way through the Levitical law concerning those occasions where one is considered clean and where one is considered unclean. As mentioned previously, to be unclean is not to be equated necessarily with being immoral or sinful. To be unclean simply means that one may not enter the camp of Israel, a people who were set apart for the Lord. These intermissions of uncleannes...

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. It does mean these thin...

The Lord has been giving explicit instructions to Moses and Aaron concerning the manner in which he should be worshipped. In our reading today, the priestly ministry of the Levites begins when Aaron faithfully executes the burnt offering, sin offerings, and fellowship sacrifices. When he is finished, the glory of the Lord appears to all the people and fire comes from heaven to consume the offering...

As you continue to listen to these instructions on sacrifices, I encourage you to imagine what it would be like to be present for these sacrifices and experience them first-hand. The warmth of a live animal and the feel of coarse hair under your hand as the animal is slaughtered for the sin that you have committed. Imagine the smell of incense, baked bread and roasted meat. There’s even more symbo...

We are beginning the book of Leviticus; which 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. The Lord gives Moses instructions for offering different kinds of sacrifices to be made before the Lord, allowing an impure people to be made holy by obedience to a perfect God. We’ll lo...

Our time in the book of Exodus comes to a close today, but our journey with Moses and the nation of Israel in the wilderness has just begun. Remember, the book of Exodus is one of five books in a set of books called the Pentateuch and it all tells one continuous narrative. Here in the final two chapters, Israel finishes creating all of the items that would be used in assembling their portable hous...

Have you ever talked to someone who’s really into their work, and they’re so excited about it that it seems they just can’t stop talking about it? Maybe you’ve done that with your own work, with a hobby you enjoy, or with stats about your favorite team. To our ears it may seem like the book of Exodus is simply repeating itself, but in actuality it’s communicating the excitement, the gravity, and t...

In our last episode, Israel had turned away from the Lord while Moses was with the Lord on Mount Sinai. Even though they had just committed themselves to following the Lord God, they quickly lost their resolve and turned to Aaron, who in turn gave them a golden calf to worship. After this grave sin, God tells Moses He will no longer go with Israel to the land He had promised Abraham and his descen...

By the end of our reading Moses will have spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai, and in that amount of time, the Israelites will have given up on Moses and on the Lord. Not long beforehand, the nation of Israel had promised that they would do all that the Lord had commanded, but in short order, they turn away from God. They instead turn to Aaron, who caves to the crowd’s demands, making them a golden calf fo...

In today’s episode, the instructions for worship in the newly established tabernacle continue to be revealed. The first half of our reading is devoted entirely to the priestly garments. The priests were instructed to wear very specific apparel while ministering in the tabernacle. Each item had a particular purpose or symbolism, and the priestly garments were only to be worn while ministering. The...

Some episodes are going to be action-packed and some are going to sound like you’re reading an instruction book, and this episode may tend toward the latter of the two. It’s important to remember, however, that the tabernacle is the place where the God of the universe, perfect in all His ways, matchless in power and authority, would meet with His people in a unique way. If it were up to you to bui...

On today’s episode God begins to give very specific commands to the Israelite people on what it looks like to be fair, kind, and gracious to one another. The Lord’s justice is severe for those who are selfish and outright rebellious, but gracious toward those who have no intention of causing harm. As you listen, it can be tempting to think that these are dry or irrelevant, but put yourself in the...

In today’s episode, Israel arrives at Sinai and Moses ascends the mountain to speak with God. The Lord sends him back down with a proposition: if Israel will carefully listen to Him and keep His covenant, then they will be his own possession out of all the peoples, even though the whole world belongs to God. After confirming with the people, Moses ascends again and receives a moral code by which t...

As the nation of Israel begins their journey into the wilderness, they find themselves without food and water, but rather than turn to the Lord, they complain to Moses. After seeing such amazing and tangible deliverance and providence, the nation of Israel still worries that they will not be cared for. God provides quail as well as something that has never been seen before: fine flakes of somethin...