by Jacob D. Gerber | May 22, 2019 | Bible Meditations, Numbers
Bible Readings for May 22nd Numbers 31 | Psalm 75–76 | Isaiah 23 | 1 John 1 The text of Numbers 31 raises many difficult questions about subjects like warfare, genocide, plundering, and slavery. Yahweh instructs Moses to “avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites”...
by Jacob D. Gerber | May 21, 2019 | Bible Meditations, Numbers
Bible Readings for May 21st Numbers 30 | Psalm 74 | Isaiah 22 | 2 Peter 3 In Numbers 30, Yahweh insists that his people keep their vows. The basic principle is simple: if you make a promise, keep it. Or, as Yahweh himself puts it, anyone who makes a vow or swears an...
by Jacob D. Gerber | May 20, 2019 | Bible Meditations, Numbers
Bible Readings for May 20th Numbers 29 | Psalm 73 | Isaiah 21 | 2 Peter 2 It is difficult to overstate the significance of the calendar of worship that Yahweh gave for his people. Every year, Yahweh commanded the people of Israel to appear before him during three...
by Jacob D. Gerber | May 19, 2019 | Bible Meditations, Numbers
Bible Readings for May 19th Numbers 28 | Psalm 72 | Isaiah 19–20 | 2 Peter 1 It is staggering to consider the sheer volume of sacrifices that were offered on the altar of Israel. When we think of sacrifices, we might imagine an occasional sacrifice here or there, but...
by Jacob D. Gerber | May 18, 2019 | Bible Meditations, Numbers
Bible Readings for May 18th Numbers 27 | Psalms 70–71 | Isaiah 17–18 | 1 Peter 5 Because Moses will not remain with Israel forever, we find Moses making more and more preparations for his looming absence as we continue to read through the end of the Pentateuch. Here...
by Jacob D. Gerber | May 17, 2019 | Bible Meditations, Numbers
Bible Readings for May 17th Numbers 26 | Psalm 69 | Isaiah 16 | 1 Peter 4 The reason our English Bibles call this the book of “Numbers” is that two national censuses are taken—one in the first chapter and another here: “Among these the land shall be divided for...
