Daily GNT Bible Reading Podcast

NUMBERS 4 Yesterday we learned that the Levite clans were given separate tasks in the care of the sacred tent. The 22,000 Levites became substitutes for Israel's 22,273 first-born sons. PSALM 28 David cries out to the Lord with all his heart. I love the imagery of the Lord as David's 'rock', 'shield', and 'shepherd'. (v1, 7, 9) As a translator, one sometimes has to make the choice of whether to re...

Yesterday in the book of Numbers we heard about the organization of Israel's camp, having three tribes on each of the four sides of the tabernacle. This also determined their marching positions when the whole group moved. PSALM 27: Psalm 27 is a beautiful song, expressing David's confidence in the Lord's protection, and he asks the Lord to vindicate him. LUKE 18b: Yesterday in the first half of Lu...

NUMBERS 2: Yesterday in Numbers chapter 1, God ordered a census of the men capable as soldiers in war. And we heard the list of the clan leaders of the 12 listed tribes— excluding Levi. (The number of tribes remains at 12 because the tribe of Joseph is split in two.) PSALM 26: This poem is a personal lament. It is similar to Psalm 25 but does not contain confession. David asks for God's vindicatio...

  NUMBERS 1: Numbers is the 4th of Moses' 5 books. In this book we will see that unbelief hinders God's blessings for Israel. HC Mears says, "Numbers might be called the Wilderness Wanderings," because it chronicles the journey. And "Numbers might be called the book of the March and the Roll Call. ... It might, too, be called the Book of Murmurings, because from beginning to end it is filled with...

LEVITICUS 26-27: Yesterday in Leviticus, we heard about the Sabbath year and the year of Restoration/Jubilee. Before the Year of Restoration, property could be bought back//redeemed. In the Restoration year property was returned to the original owners and poor people who had become enslaved were set free. I suspect these laws were never done in all of Israel's history. If they were, perhaps only o...

LEVITICUS 25: Yesterday in Leviticus we heard about the seven important yearly celebrations of the Jewish religion. Then we heard about oil and bread for the tabernacle. Following that, we heard about the example of a law-breaker who was stoned to death for his crime of blasphemy. PSALM 23: Today we read the most famous psalm of all. My wife has often said: Psalm 23 is so often quoted at funerals,...

Today I would like to give pointers for understanding Jesus' parables. I consider the parable to be one of the greatest of all teaching devices, and a legacy of the Greatest Teacher. I will end this episode by sharing a non-Biblical parable. One little detail to understand is that the word 'parable' (Greek paraboles ) had a wider meaning than we normally think of in English, and you may see this s...

LEVITICUS 21-22: In yesterday's reading in Leviticus, we heard various laws that are for preserving the holiness of God's people, and various kinds of punishment for disobedience. PSALM 21: Psalm 21 is a companion to yesterday's psalm, which was for the nation and the king in time of war. Today's poem is the corresponding victory song. I have made a comment about the psalmists switching back and f...

LEVITICUS 19-20: Yesterday in Leviticus we learned about the rule that all sacrifices must be done at the tabernacle, also the prohibitions of eating anything containing animal blood, and forbidden sexual practices. PSALM 20: Today we will read Psalm 20, which is a prayer for the nation of Israel and their king, asking for national security in a time of war. LUKE 13: In the second half of Luke 12,...

LEVITICUS 17-18: Yesterday in Leviticus we learned about regulations concerning uncleanness caused by bodily discharges of all kinds. Then we heard the procedures for the high priest to perform yearly on the day of atonement. PSALM 19: Today's Psalm— Psalm 19, is a famous poem celebrating the heavens and God's creation, and secondly celebrating the perfection of God's Word. LUKE 12b: In yesterday'...

LEVITICUS 15-16: Yesterday in Leviticus 14 we heard about sacrifices following the healing of skin diseases and after getting rid of the diseased infection in a house. Note that the infection in a house is probably more serious than mildew, which is the word used in some translations. Did you happen to notice in that chapter Who is said to cause such infections? (14:33) Chapter 15 is about defilin...

LEVITICUS 14: After hearing about the serious skin diseases in Leviticus 13, today we hear of the regulations if someone is healed from one. Note that these regulations were probably very seldom performed— until perhaps when Jesus caused a wave of men who had been healed to come with offerings. Note that our modern translations use either 'serious skin disease' or 'contagious skin disease' instead...

LEVITICUS 13: Yesterday in Lev. 11-12, we learned the animals considered clean and edible, and those that were considered unclean and detestable. Then we heard about the sacrifices for purification after a woman gives birth. PSALM 16: Today we read Psalm 16. E.C. Olsen says that the Old Testament is like a sundial. "It is not difficult to read the hour marks on a sundial. Anybody can read them and...

Yesterday in Leviticus, Aaron and his sons started their work, and the glory of the Lord was revealed. But right after that Nadab and Abihu died because they offered an unauthorized kind of fire to the Lord. There are important lessons for us in that story. We will see other stories also were others who wanted to 'do it their way' instead of God's way were severely punished or died like Nadab and...

LEVITICUS 9-10: Yesterday in Leviticus, we heard more regulations for the priests (mainly), and then heard the story of the ordination ceremony that Moses performed for Aaron and his sons. PSALM 14: Psalm 14 can be classed as a messianic psalm because of v7. (However, the messianic nature of that verse is not made clear in all translations.) David shows us what God sees when He looks at this world...

LEVITICUS 7-8: In yesterday's reading in Leviticus, we heard about sin and guilt offerings and about the ordination offering for priests. In today's reading, it sounds to me that for repayment offerings (repayment being a sin which would usually be intentional), the person offering the sacrifice would not be entitled to receive any of the meat. In today's reading, Lev. 8:17, we read that "He (Mose...

 LEVITICUS 5-6: Yesterday we read about sacrifices given for unintentional sins and for peace offerings. And I said that we would hear about offerings for intentional sins today. PSALM 12: In Psalm 12, we hear of trusting in God's promises even in the midst of hard times. Translation note: 6 The [words//promises] of the Lord can be trusted; they are as genuine as silver refined seven times in the...

LEVITICUS 3-4: Yesterday in the beginning chapters of Leviticus, we heard about burnt offerings and grain offerings. In the first chapter, did you happen to notice how many things were being done by the person bringing the offering, not the priest? Andrew Bonar states about Leviticus: "There is no book in the whole compass of that inspired Volume which the Holy Spirit has given us, that contains m...

LEVITICUS 1-2: Yesterday in the final chapter of Exodus, the worship in the completed and the dedicated tabernacle was started. Leviticus is a continuation of Exodus, in the same way, that Exodus is a continuation of Genesis. Leviticus also starts with the word 'And'.  The title once again comes from Latin Vulgate which was based on the name in the Septuagint. So the name does not come from the He...

EXODUS 40: Yesterday in Exodus we read about Bezalel making the outside articles for worship— like the altar for burnt offerings. There was a listing of materials used, and then we heard of the making of the priests' clothes— all according to how Moses was instructed by God. Moses inspected everything and blessed the people. The stage is set for the start of worship according to God's instructions...

EXODUS 38-39: In the two chapters we heard in Exodus yesterday, we heard of the building of the tabernacle, the Covenant Box, and the other furniture of the Holy Place and Most Holy Place. Everything was done precisely as God had described before. The actor 'he' as we start chapter 38 is again Bezalel. PSALM 8: Today we read Psalm 8. Verses 4-8 from this Psalm are quoted in Hebrews 2 but frequentl...

EXODUS 36-37: Yesterday in Exodus we read about how Moses returned to the top of the mountain, taking two stone tablets which he had made, and God repeated many of the terms of the covenant. In the Hebrew text, chapter 34:28 says that 'he' engraved the 10 commandments over again on the second set of stone tablets. Because Moses is the last actor mentioned, some translations take it that Moses engr...

EXODUS 34-35: In yesterday's reading in Exodus, we heard about how God's meeting with Moses was interrupted because of the people making the golden calf. (Don't ya' hate interruptions!) Aaron caved into the people's desires. Moses interceded for the people, and God agreed not to destroy them. God eventually agreed to go with the people to the promised land. As we heard at the close of chapter 33,...

EXODUS 32-33: Yesterday in Exodus, we heard about the plans for the incense altar, and about the making of incense and anointing oil. We heard also of God's choosing and giving the ability to Bezalel and Oholiab for making everything required in the worship of God. And God emphasized the importance of keeping the Sabbath as a covenant responsibility. PSALM 5: Psalm 5 is a song for early morning (w...