Sun.’s Devo - God’s Calendar of Events

Read: Deuteronomy 16:1-17-20; Luke 9:7-27; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 12:8-9
The feasts are mentioned in Exodus 23, Leviticus 23 and now again because they are God’s calendar of events that he chose to do wonderful miracles in the past and he was going to do wonderful miracles in the future on those days. Three times a year all the male were to come to Jerusalem and bring an offering - at Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and Tabernacles. They were times of harvest of barley, wheat and fruit. They were a time when God’s people would be gathered together as one to worship God.
Every city that had gates was to appoint judges to judge the people by God’s Word. This is the picture of the father in a family or the local church. These judges were not to take bribes, distort judgement or show favoritism but were to judge righteously. If the matter was too big for them, they were to take their matter to Jerusalem and present it before the priests. This is a picture of the courtroom in heaven that we go to in prayer when we are being oppressed by our adversary, the devil. Jesus is the just judge who listens to our cries for help and judges righteously in our behalf. Our defense is the blood of Jesus.
If a person is found guilty of serving other gods, they were to be brought to the city gates and stoned to death. There must be two or three witnesses before this can be carried out. God was clear about removing sin from among them.
In Luke, Herod was afraid that John the Baptist, the one he had beheaded had come back to life in the person of Jesus. Then Jesus took 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and fed 5,000 men. What Herod thought had happened to Jesus was about to happen to thousands. Jesus was going to die and resurrect in his people and they were going to go out in his name and in his power and change the world.
Lord, you have put your blood and Holy Spirit in us and we are your representation on earth. Help us to walk in your steps and your power and do the things you want accomplished on the earth.

Sat.’s Devo - A Sure Foundation

Read: Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23; Luke 8:40-9:6; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 12:5-7
God uses false prophets to try our hearts to see if we will believe their lies. The proof is not in their story or their miracle but in if it lines up with God’s Word. God told them to put that man to death. If that person is someone who is related to us by blood, then we are the first to put our hands on him and then the congregation would join us in putting him to death by stoning him.
Since we don’t live in the dispensation of the law but of grace, putting someone to death by stoning would mean that we bring him to the Word - the stone, and we show him the error of his teaching. If he repents then we have put him to death to his old belief. If he refuses to repent, then we put him out of the church and warn others of his false religion.
If a town is infected by a false religion, it is to bring all the vessels used in that religion to the center of the town and burn them. The whole town is to be burnt. So if a whole church has been built around a false religion, it is to be completely burned to the ground because its foundation was built on something other than Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection.
When it tells what you can eat, it explains what is false and what is true doctrine. What we believe is what we consume so our food is our doctrine. They could eat any animal that had a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud. We are to eat the Word of God that is rightly divided and its foundation is even, not lob-sided in one teaching. Chewing the cud means that the Word of God is meditated on and comes up when needed. If we put the Word of God in our hearts it will guide us when we need it. That would be chewing the cud.
They could eat fish that had fins and scales. Fins allow the fish to swim upright and steady and stay in the right direction. Scales cover their hidden flesh. We are to walk upright and circumspectly, directed by the wisdom of the Word and the Holy Spirit. The blood of Jesus and our faith is our scales that shield us from sin and protect us from the firey darts of the enemy.
The first born of their animals and the first tenth of their fields was to be set aside to the Lord. God was to get our first and best because he gave us his first born and his best. Every three years the tithes were to go to pay the Levites for their service of teaching and all their service to the Lord on behalf of the nation.
At the end of every seven years, the slaves get to go free and all debts were cancelled. At the end of our lives we will no longer be a slave to sin or this world. All our debts in this life will be over. This happens spiritually when we become a Christian.
In Luke, Jesus made a point to recognize the woman who had been healed of her hemorrhaging. He was healing more than her body; he was healing her soul. She had been an outcast for twelve years and not able to enter the synagogue or walk down the street without yelling that she was “unclean”. She had come incognito to see Jesus and Jesus wanted to announce publicly that she was clean. Jesus wanted to take her shame away.
Lord, thank you that you not only save us but you take the shame of our past away. You pronounce us “Clean!”

Fri.’s Devo - The Blessings

Read: Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32; Luke 8:22-39; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 12:4
When God condemned the children of Israel to 40 years of wandering while they died out, he didn’t condemn their children who were under the age of 20. They were the ones who had grown up and were now the leaders. Moses addresses them because they had seen with their own eyes the parting of the Red Sea and the judgements on the disobedient. They would be held to a higher accountability because of what they had seen. God was giving them a land that he took care of himself, that wouldn’t have to be irrigated for water or worked. It was cultivated and fruitful, not like Egypt.
If they promised to obey his commands, God would expel the nations ahead of them and give them the land they walked on. No one would be able to withstand them. God gave them the choice of living in a curse or living in his blessing. If they believed and obeyed his commandments, then they would be nothing but blessed. If they disobeyed, they would bring upon themselves curses. The decision was up to them.
God would set up the place of worship and they were only suppose to bring their sacrifices there. They were to bring him a tenth of their grain, new wine or olive oil, the firstborn of their cattle or sheep and any offering they had vowed or wanted to bring to that place and eat them before the Lord. The Levites were to be their guests and they were to always provide for them.
Interestingly, once they were in the land, no food was considered unclean (vs. 20). The only restriction they had was blood. They could not eat something that was still alive; they had to kill it first. He wanted them to learn mercy. He warned them again not to get caught up in worshiping the idols of the land.
Lord, your laws are not grievous but for our good and they bring joy to all who walk in them. Thank you for your Word.

Thurs.’s Devo - Parables

Read: Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22; Luke 8:4-21; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 12:2-3
God went to great lengths to let the children of Israel know that they were not getting the land because they were so righteous, but because the people who lived in the land at the time were so wicked. Moses reminded the people how many times they had rebelled against the Lord in the wilderness and how he had spent 40 days and nights repenting for them.
Moses had to get the law twice because they had broken them before Moses could deliver them to the people. Moses threw the first tablets down and broke them out of anger. If you have children, you can relate with Moses’ frustration. But, after all their rebellion, it was still the Lord’s will to lead them into the land.
Moses gave them God’s will in a nutshell: fear him, walk in his ways, love him, and serve him with all their heart and soul. He reminded them that the laws God had given them were for their good. Then he told them to love the alien. These two commandments were the ones that Jesus gave the Pharisee who asked him what the two most important commandments were in Mark 12:29-31.
In Luke, Jesus gave the parable that all the parables hinge on. It is the parable about the seed and the sower. It tells of four different soils that the seed fell on: the path, the rock, the midst of thorns, and the rich soil. The only soil that the seed prospered and survived in was the rich soil. He explained to the disciples that the seed was the Word of God and the soil was the heart of man. Whether the seed prospered depended upon the condition and receptiveness of the heart. Those who had rich soil in their hearts would receive the word and act on it. If they didn’t understand this parable, none of the others would make any sense either.
Lord, help us to open our spiritual eyes and hearts to understand your mysteries and parables in our own lives.

Wed.’s Devo - Giants in the Land

Read: Dueteronomy 7:2-8:20; Luke 7:36-8:3; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 12:1
Everything in the Old Testament is foundation that we should walk on in the new covenant. It was pictures and types and shadows of how we should live. In Canaan, they fought real people who carried real spirits and sins that God did not want his people to inherit. We don’t fight real people but principalities and powers of the unseen world. Every one of the seven nations that were in the promised land were spirits and giants in our land also.
Here is a list of the nations and what they mean to us:
Hittites - terror and fear. These lead to confusion, anxiety, bondage, worry and faithlessness. They give us an unhealthy fear of death and love of life.
Gergashites - fornication, slumber. These cause us to walk in guilt, gluttony, whoredoms and the evil imaginations of the heart. They cause us to have a low self image and the desire to conquer.
Amorites - sorcery and witchcraft which leads to rebellion, control, anger infirmity manipulation. These cause us to have an unhealthy drive to be independent and to love to dominate.
Canaanites - idolatry and error. These lead to rejection, heaviness, anti-christ spirit, and the desire to reason. These will cause us to have an unhealthy love for money and wisdom.
Perizzites - poverty spirit, envy. These will lead to hatred, jealousy, unforgiveness, bitterness and the desire for revenge. It can eventually lead to murder and slander.
Hivites- liars. Lying leads to deception, exhibitionism, divination and craftiness. It will lead to the love of self-image and self-deception.
Jebusites - despising, haughty. These will lead to strife, a critical spirit, spiritual blindness, and the desire to accuse others. It will eventually cause self-justification and the love of self-esteem.
These are also the giants in our land that we have to get rid of. God promised to drive these enemies out little by little and that is how he does it with us. We can read this list and get discouraged as we see ourselves in it or we can get encouraged as we remember that it is the Holy Spirit who is working in us to perfect us to the image of Christ. Sanctification is a work that takes a life-time. Our job is to cooperate with the spirit of God and not rebel against it.
In Luke, we see a woman who had many of these spirits and in one encounter with Jesus, had her sins forgiven. We hold on to our sins like we have to pay pentance when all we have to do is ask forgiveness and receive it by faith. The devil wants us to wallow in our mistakes and sins; Jesus wants us to rise up and walk in newness of life.
Lord, help us to walk in the overcoming power of the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit who helps us be victorious.

Tues.’s Devo - The Ten Commandments

Read: Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25; Luke 7:11-35; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 11:29-31
Moses reminded the people that God had made a covenant with them at Mt. Horeb. That was when Moses had fled Egypt and was alone on the mountain. God spoke from the bush and told Moses that He was ready to deliver his people out of Egypt and take them to a land flowing with mild and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and the Jebusites (Exodus 3).
God was speaking again with fire to the people on Mt. Sinai and he told them that it was not to their fathers but to them he was giving his laws.
He told them that he was the Lord, their God and it was him who brought them out of Egypt. They were to not have any other god but him. They were not to make any idols or images of created things and worship him. One day he would send his image down to earth in the form of Jesus Christ. They were not to misuse his name. They were always to honor the Sabbath and set it apart as a holy day. It would one day represent their millennial rest. They were to remember that they were once a slave but God delivered them out of Egypt with his powerful hand. They were to always honor their natural and spiritual forefathers who went before them. They were not to murder, commit adultery, steal, or give false evidence against each other, They were not to covet what their brothers had.
When the people heard the voice of God they were afraid and asked Moses to tell God to speak to him because it scared them too much. God was actually pleased that they had a fear of him because he knew that if they feared him, they would obey his commandments. He also knew that they wouldn’t always fear him or keep his commandments. God sent the people back to their tents and gave Moses the rest of the commandments. He warned Moses to tell them not to forget His commandments when they entered into their promised land but to diligently teach their children and to recount the story of the exodus from Egypt and the mighty miracles the Lord did for them.
In Luke, it is important that we remember what Jesus said in Luke 4:18-19 to understand John’s question. God had revealed to John that Jesus was the Messiah when he baptized him and he saw the Holy Spirit descend on him like a dove. But, John was in prison and Jesus had said that one of his reasons for coming was to proclaim freedom to the imprisoned. Isaiah said that this would be the sign of the Messiah. John, who was Jesus’ “Isaiah” was in prison and Jesus had not delivered him from prison. He sent the question of whether he was the one they were looking for because he didn’t understand why Jesus had not come to help him.
Jesus’ response to John’s question was to look at the things he had done: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers and cleansed and the deaf hear. He added, and blessed is anyone who is not offended in me. He knew that John was offended and he wanted him to concentrate on what he WAS doing and not in what he was NOT doing. What a lesson to us! We might not understand what why what we are going through is lasting so long or why God hasn’t chosen to deliver us when we know he can, but God has a bigger plan and it is his best. John had fulfilled his plan to usher in the Messiah and his reward in heaven was going to be great. His promotion would come earlier than most but it would be worth it.
Lord, help us to remember that your ways are always best and your plan is perfect!

Mon.’s Devo - The Greatness of Our God

Read: Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Luke 6:39-7:10; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 11:28
This is Moses’ last speech to the children of Israel before he was going to die and they were going to cross over with Joshua. He reminded them to not add to or take away from God’s laws. God’s laws were the most righteous laws of any nation on the earth and they were good. God warned them that if they or their children after them choose to follow the gods of other nations or worship the things God created instead of him, then God will destroy them. He reminded them that God was a jealous god, a consuming fire but he was also a god of mercy and will never fail them or forget his covenant with them. He would prove this as he went before them into the land and helped them drive out nations much greater and stronger than them.
Moses set aside three cities of refuge on the east of the Jordan : Bezer for Reuben, Ramoth for Gad, and Golan in Bashan for Manasseh. This cities would be where the Levites would live and be the cities of refuge for innocent people who accidentally killed someone.
In Luke, Jesus gave a parable directed straight to the religious leaders. They were the blind teachers leading their blind disciples into a pit they were themselves falling into. Instead of telling everyone else their sins, they needed to get the sin out of their own lives first.
Then he spoke to the crowd and told them that it did them no good to call him “Lord” and listen to his messages and then not act on them. The next story was an example of a man who not only knew who Jesus was but acted on his authority. This was the centurion who had a much loved servant who was dying. He sent a message to Jesus to come and heal him. This man was a Jew who had built a synagogue with the money he made. When Jesus was almost to his house, the Roman officer sent word that Jesus didn’t need to come to his house because he was unworthy of his visit. But he knew that Jesus needed only to speak the word and his servant would be healed. Jesus was amazed at the understanding and faith of this officer. He healed the servant.
Lord, You asked the children of Israel, “what other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way you are near us when we pray?” Thank you that you hear us when we pray and our prayer transcends time and space and distance. Remind us to pray without ceasing today and to expect results.

Sun.’s Devo - Coming to the End of their Journey

Read: Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29; Luke 6:12-38; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 11:27
The children of Israel had traveled from Egypt down to the tip of the Sinai Peninsula, then up to the wilderness of Zin where they went in circles until they had all died out. After they had served their 40-year-sentence, it was time to travel north, through Edom, and Moab. Then they would enter into their promised land. God gave them instructions not to mess with the Edomites or the Moabites because they were in the land God had given them. God reigns over the just and the unjust - he is in total control. God had used the Edomites and the Moabites to drive out the Rephaites, the Horites and the Caphtorites.
God told them to engage the Amorites in battle and take possession of their land. When that happened, God would put fear in the other nations so it would make it easier to take them. This was judgment on Sihon the king of the Amorites because he had refused to let them peacefully travel through his land when they came there the first time, 40 years earlier. The Israelites obeyed and took Sihon’s cities and Og, king of Basham’s cities. These were giants. King Sihon’s bed was more than 13 feet long and 6 feet wide.
When they got to the border of the promised land, Moses pleaded with God to let him at least cross and see the land. God would not hear of it but told him to go up to the top of Pisgah and he could see the land from there. Then he was to commission Joshua and encourage him to lead the people into their inheritance.
In Luke, we read that Jesus prayed all night then came down with a list of twelve men God had chosen to be his disciples. Did Jesus ever sleep? I’m going to ask him that when I get to heaven.
Jesus then taught the people from the coast of Tyre and Sidon. He blessed the ones who suffered in this life for his name and cursed the ones who lived in luxury while others were suffering. Jesus taught his up-side-down kingdom of loving your enemies and treating others like you would want to be treated whether they deserved it or not. He said that the blessing you give to others will come back to you.
Lord, help us to walk in the way that Jesus walked. Help us to love like you love.

Sat.’s Devo - Our Gifts

Read: Numbers 36:1- Deuteronomy 1:46; Luke 5:29-6:11; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 11:24-26
There arose a problem about inheritances. The daughters of Zelophehad from the tribe of Manasseh had no males so they got the land in their names. But, if they married a man from another tribe then their land would go to that tribe thus changing the geography of the tribes. To keep this from happening, Moses commanded the women of that tribe to marry within their tribe. Problem solved!
Every tribe had their own gifts and they were to pass on these gifts to their children. As a nation, they blessed one another with their different gifts. We do the same in our families and churches. We teach our kids the things we know and our gifts so that we can bless the whole Body of Christ. We are all different members but all of the same Lord. Romans 12:4-8 explains this a little better.
Before they entered into the land they had waited so long to have, Moses assembled them and caused them to remember their history and all the things the Lord had done for them and also all the things they had done against him. God wanted them to learn from their mistakes. He told them they were burdensome, bothersome, and quarrelsome… not very complementary.
It reminds me of the things John says about the churches in Revelation. He had some good things to say, but then he had some not-so-good things to say also. Man, unredeemed, will never get it right. The only good we have in us is what we allow God to do through us. We are righteous because of the blood of Jesus and we can walk in righteousness the more of him we let live through us.
In Luke, Jesus had just named Levi, a tax-collector to be one of his followers. Jesus, as a rabbi was to select followers to be under his mentorship. All rabbi’s did this. Usually the rabbi would choose the top students in the class, but Jesus chose the least studious. He didn’t want a student who knew all the answers according to their Torah schools because they didn’t teach Moses’ law, they taught their own. Jesus chose men who were teachable and hungry which irritated the scribes and Pharisees to no end. Jesus didn’t choose them. So, they followed him anyway looking for anything they could accuse him of doing against their laws. He did plenty of things that broke their laws, but none that broke God’s.
When they complained that Jesus ate with sinners, he told them that he didn’t come to the righteous but to the sinners - the ones who needed a doctor. They were always condemning his healing on the Sabbath, calling it work. He explained that the Sabbath was made as a day to do good on and that is what he was doing. He gave them the example of the foolishness of putting a new patch on an old coat and putting new wine into old wineskins. It wouldn’t work and neither could he put the new kingdom into their traditional minds and hearts. They had to have new minds and new hearts to be able to hold it. That is why we must be born again to understand spiritual things.
Lord, thank you for new birth. Thank your for renewing our minds in you every day and letting us see clearer and clearer as we grow in you.

Fri.’s Devo - Cities of Refuge

Read: Numbers 33:40-35:34; Luke 5:12-28; Psalm 65:1-13; Proverbs 11:23
After Aaron died they traveled on to the plains of Moab. Moses gave them explicit orders that they were to completely drive out the inhabitants of the land and destroy all their means of worship or they would become a hindrance to them. If they didn’t drive them out, they would teach them their ungodly worship of idols and God would become their enemy also. God mapped out their boundaries and told them that this was as far as they were to go. The rest of the land was their enemies and they were to honor the borders.
There were eight and a half tribes who would divide the land. Two and a half tribes stayed on the eastern side of the Jordan and the Levites were not to get land although they were to be dispersed throughout the tribes and given cities to live in. These cities would be cities of refuge for anyone who accidentally killed someone. They could flee to that city and the Levites would listen to their plea. If they found them innocent then they could stay safely in the city till the death of the high priest when they would be set free.
This is a picture of our redemption. We are all murderers who killed Jesus with our sins. When we realize this and repent then we are declared innocent and set free because our High Priest, Jesus died for us.
This is also a picture of those who rested in Sheol, in the grave awaiting the death of Jesus. When Jesus died, he preached to those in prison and delivered them out. Many came out of their graves and walked the streets of Jerusalem after he rose. (Matthew 27:52-53)
In Luke, Jesus healed a man completely covered in leprosy. He told him to go show himself to the priest and let them do the ceremony that Moses had told them to do when a person was healed of leprosy. The priest had never had to do that ritual since no one had ever been cleansed of leprosy except Naiman and he wasn’t Jewish. The ritual involves two birds. The priest kills one and smears its blood with hyssop, scarlet thread, and wood on the other bird. There is also running water which is poured over the dead bird. Then the blood of the bird is sprinkled over the man who is cleansed and the living bird is loosed into the open field. (Leviticus 14:2-9). The man then washes his clothes, shaves his hair and washes himself in water.
It is all a picture of the cross and the blood shed to cleanse us from the sin of our flesh. Jesus wanted to give the priests one more picture so that maybe they would get it. I bet the priest had to brush off his scroll and read that part again. I would have loved to see them scramble for all the props they would need for this ceremony.
The scribes and Pharisees were continually offended by what Jesus did. He forgave sins, ate with sinners and chose tax collectors to be his disciples. But they could not dispute the miracles they saw.
Lord, help us to step out and believe you for miracles and wonders. We are suppose to walk as you did so increase our faith.

Thurs.’s Devo - Entering In

Read: Numbers 32:1-33:39; Luke 4:31-5:11; Psalm 64:1-10; Proverbs 11:22
The Ruebenites and the Gadites liked the land on the west side of the Jordan and asked if they could have it for their inheritance instead of the land God had prepared for them. Crossing the Red Sea is like John’s baptism - repentence from sin. Crossing the Jordan was like Jesus’ baptism of fire and power. Many people are content to be “saved” from hell but are not interested in going deeper and walking in the Spirit with power and with the gifts.
The children of Rueben and Gad half of the children from the tribe of Manasseh did promise to cross over and fight for the others which seem to suffice Moses. They took the land they had gotten from the king of Sihon and Og and rebuilt their cities and renamed them. That was what we are to do with the things we take back from the devil. We are to rename them. For example we can rename fear - hope or victory.
I wonder if we don’t settle with the first thing we see instead of asking God if it is his best. Being content can be a good thing and a bad thing. We are to be content with earthly things but always wanting more spiritually.
The Israelites started out from Rameses which means “evil is the standard” and ended up in the land of promise where God’s goodness was the standard.
In Luke, Capernaum became Jesus’ home since he had been kicked out of his hometown of Nazareth. He did so many miracles here and gave the people so much truth that Jesus later said that Capernaum would be judged harder than any other city for rejecting him (Luke 10:14-16).
I think it is notable that Jesus always mentions the women he heals and he heals many of them. Women were considered to be inherent liars and evil by the priests and Pharisees. They were not allowed to be taught the Torah or to have any land, or vote, or to divorce a man, or to eat with the men. They were servants and baby makers. Jesus made a point to heal them, teach them and honor them. This flew in the face of the leaders in the synagogue.
Today seems to be Simon’s day. Jesus healed his mother-in-law, then went and preached from his boat. Simon had just come in from a day of catching no fish. He let Jesus use his boat then Jesus blessed him with such a catch, it put the fear of the Lord in Simon. Simon became a follower that day.
Lord, let us not settle for mediocre when you want us to hunger and thirst for more. May we enter into all the promises you have for us.

Wed.’s Devo- God’s Way

Read: Numbers 30:1-31:54; Luke 4:1-30; Psalm 63:1-11; Proverbs 11:20-21
The laws about vows could be broken by a father or a husband. Our father is God and our husband is Jesus. So we are protected by God and Jesus if we make a covenant they disagree with. They can annul our promises if they know it will harm us or not be what they want. That is grace.
God gave one last assignment to Moses before he would take him to heaven and that was the kill the Midianites. Balaam was from this people and they had infiltrated their ranks with their women and their idolatry. Moses sent a thousand men from each tribe to attack the Midianites. They killed the five kings of Midan. The meanings of the kings names are desire or lust, deception, harassment, a pit, and a fourth part. I don’t understand the last one but the others are self-explanatory.
When the soldiers returned with the booty, Moses was angry that they had let the women and boys live. He knew that they would just bring their idolatry into the camp and pollute Israel once again. He had them kill every woman and boy except the virgins who could be rehabilitated.
God was always telling them to cleanse themselves on the third and seventh day. Jesus came on the fourth day and will come again after the seventh day so we have to be ready and clean when he comes. The first time he sent John the Baptist to cleanse the people of their sin. The last time he will send Elijah.
The spoil was to be divided so that the soldiers got half and Israel got half. The half that the people got would then be divided further and the priests be given a fiftieth of it. The priest were always to be taken care of just as we as God’s priests are always to be taken care of. The miracle of the whole battle was that not one Israelite was killed.
In Luke, Jesus has to be tested before he can enter into his ministry. He is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted and tried. One of the tests was against his identity and if he really knew who he was. The other was if he could wait for the Lord’s timing. Every time Satan came to him he said, “If you are the son of God.” This was the test against his identity. Every temptation was about his ministry. He WAS the rock that was turned to bread. He WOULD rule all the kingdoms of the earth. And, he WOULD be cast down and angels would bear him up but it would all be after he endured the cross. Satan promised to give it to him then. Satan is always about instant gratification and God is always about the process of maturity. Satan’s looks the easiest and the best but it leads to death and lack. God’s is harder but it leads to life and abundance.
Jesus left his temptation with power and went straight to the synagogue where he proclaimed his reason for being on earth. It was to preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, give sight to the blind, release the oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. At first the people were in awe of his words but when he gave the two examples of God doing miracles for Gentiles, they wanted to kill him. He made himself invisible and walked right through the crowd.
This was the beginning of his ministry!
Lord, help us to be obedient to what you tell us to do and not bow to the approval of man.

Tues.’s Devo - The Feasts of the Lord

Read: Numbers 28:16-29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 11:18-19
There were seven feasts that the Lord wanted his people to join him in . They were all looking back to what God had done for them and looking forward to what God was going to do in the future. I want us to notice the sacrifices offered at the different feasts.
At Passover, which would remind them of their great deliverance from bondage in the future would be fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross. On the first month of the religious calendar, Nisan, on the 14th day they were celebrate the Passover. The next day they would begin a week of Unleavened Bread. They would offer two bulls (for the morning and evening sacrifice), one ram and seven male lambs. They were also to offer grain offerings and a goat for a sin offering.
The third feast was Firstfruits and they were to offer the exact offering on that day. Numbers skips Pentecost and goes to the seventh month and the last three feasts.
On the first day of the seventh month is the Feast of Trumpets and they were only to offer one bull, one ram and seven male lambs. This will be the day that Jesus comes back for those who are left on the earth. The trumpet will sound and God will send his angels to gather his elect from the earth (Matthew 24:30-31). Ten days later will begin the days of tribulation. The ten days between are the days of Yom Kippor where people will have one more chance to repent. On the tenth day it is the Day of Atonement where they will offer the same offering as on the Feast of Trumpets but on the fifteenth there is a countdown. This starts the Feast of Tabernacles. The offering starts with 13 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs with the grain offering and the goat. The next day it’s 12 bulls, then 11, then 10, and every day one less bull till it gets to 7 bulls. On the eighth day of the feast it will be last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Then it will all be over and there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
In Luke, Jesus began his public ministry at the age of 30. It was supposed that his father was Joseph so we are given Joseph’s family line. His line goes all the way back to God’s son, Adam. Joseph was from the tribe of Judah and his was the kingly line. Very famous people and kings were from his line: David, Boaz, Isaac, Abraham, Noah, Methuselah and Enoch, just to name a few.
Lord, thank you that we have been adopted into your line and we have an inheritance as your people. We don’t have to fear the end because your plan is perfect.

Mon.’s Devo - Preparation to Cross into their Promise

Read: Numbers 26:52-28:15; Luke 3:1-22; Psalm 61:1-8; Proverbs 11:16-17
Today we read the purpose of the census. It was to determine the size of their inheritance. The larger tribes needed more land because they had more people. Where their land was was decided by lot so no-one could say they were treated unfairly. Lots were determined by the Lord. The Levites were numbered separately because they would receive no inheritance of their own. The only two people who were in the first census of those who came out of Egypt were Caleb and Joshua because they had believed God and wanted to take the land the first time they came to the border. The rest of the people died in the wilderness. Even Moses would die before entering in.
I think that the size of the inheritance is a picture of our inheritances. We are given a task to do in accordance to our faith. God will also increase our faith to the size of his assignment for us.
The daughters of Zelophadah complained that they had no male heir but they wanted an inheritance to build up their father’s name. God agreed with them and made a law that women could have inheritances if there was no living male.
God called Moses up a mountain so he could see the promised land before he died. Moses prayed for a new leader for the people and God chose Joshua. He had Moses bring Joshua in front of all the people and let the high priest, Eleazar lay his hands on his head to commission him to lead the people into the promised land.
Then God gave Moses instructions about the morning and evening sacrifice that must be made once a year. Each was to be made with a drink offering that was to be poured out and a grain offering. This offering was also to be made on every Sabbath. An offering of two bulls, one ram and seven male lambs with a grain offering and a drink offering made at every new moon. This was all about atonement. Jesus was bound to the cross at the time of the morning sacrifice and dieded at the time of the evening sacrifice. His blood was poured out for our sins and his body was consumed as a grain offering.
In Luke, John the Baptist preached a straightforward message: repent of your sins and be baptized. He brought people’s hearts to repentance so they could receive the truth that Jesus would bring. John was not afraid of anything or anybody. When he spoke out against the sin of the Roman tetrarch because he had taken his brother’s wife, John was thrown into prison. Before he was imprisoned he baptized many including Jesus who manifested a dove from heaven that came and landed on his shoulder. That was John’s sign that the Holy Spirit had chosen this man to be the Messiah, the son of God.
Lord, may we be bold like John and faithful like Joshua and Caleb. Thank you for all the promises you have given us to walk in and for being our sacrifice that would once and for all atone for our sins.

Sun.’s Devo - Waiting on the Lord 3-17-19

Read: Numbers 26:1-51: Luke 2:36-52; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 11:15
A census was taken after the plague of the ones who got to cross over to the promise land. They only counted men 20-50 years old. I always find it interesting what God highlights when he lists the tribes. Of Rueben, God reminds us that Dathan and Abiram were officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and followed Korah. It also makes the point that Korah’s line did not die out. There will always be those that rebel against the leaders.
Another point it makes is that Er and Onan were the sons of Judah that died because they were so wicked the Lord killed them. They were husbands of Tamar who finally had to trick Judah into fathering a son with her so she could continue the line of Judah. She had twins: Perez and Zerah. Because Tamar saw the importance of posterity, their line had the most people.
In Luke, there was a woman who was 84 years old. She had been married in her youth for 7 years when her husband died. The rest of her life she had dedicated herself to prayer and waiting for the Messiah to come. She stayed at the temple so when Mary and Joseph came to dedicate Jesus, she instantly knew who he was and prophesied that he was the redemption of Jerusalem.
When Jesus was 12, Mary and Joseph took him to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. He was of age to enter into the business of his father so he went to the temple. Somehow he knew that God was his father and his business would be in the temple. When his parents missed him for three days, they found him there. When they asked him why he had scared them and not come home with them his reply was “didn’t you know I would be about my Father’s business?” He submitted to his father and mother and came home and followed the business of his earthly father. He grew and learned how to obey his parents and God.
Lord, teach us your timing and help us to grow in the process of waiting like Jesus did.

Sat.’s Devo - Signs

Read: Numbers 24: 1-25:18; Luke 2:1-35; Psalm 59:1-17; Proverbs 11:14
When Balak took Balaam to the third spot to look at Israel and curse them, Balaam did not consort to sorcery but actually listened to what God said about them and his prophecy was so much more than, he had to bless them. He actually saw into Israel’s future and saw how God felt about them. When Balak rebuked him for not cursing them, Balaam told him what Israel would do to his people. He saw the star that would come out of Jacob and the kingdom that would come from this star. He prophesied the destruction of the kingdom of Amalek and that of the Kenites.
Balaam and Balak parted ways but Balaam influenced Israel to join in the sacrifices of the Baal of Poor, his country and his gods. Evil gods always lead God’s people into sexual perversion. God told them to rid the evil from the camp every man who had taken a foreign wife had to die. One man blatantly brought his Midianite wife before the Tent of Meeting and the priest, Eleazar took a knife and followed the man into his tent and killed him. The woman was also killed whose name was Cozbi. Cozbi means “my lie” because that is what she was. She was one of the daughters of a tribal chief of Midian.
In Luke, Caesar Augustus ordered at census of the entire Roman empire so everyone had to return to their home town to be counted. Joseph and Mary had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted. They were engaged but not married yet and Mary was 9 months pregnant. During the census there would be thousands of people traveling to their homelands so the inns were all filled up. Shepherds were out in the field watching over the sheep that would probably be used in the temple sacrifices. The heavens opened up and they saw all the angels proclaiming the birth of the Son of God. The angel told them about the king born in Bethlehem and they went to see this baby wrapped in the cloths. These were probably the old clothes of the priest’s garments.
The shepherds and Simeon confirmed to Mary and Joseph that they had heard God and that this child really was the Messiah.
Lord, help us to see the signs that you send to confirm your word to us. Help us to see them.

Fri.’s Devo - God Reigns Supreme

Read: Numbers 22:21-23:30; Luke 1:57-80; Psalm 58:1-11; Proverbs 11:12-13
Even though God had allowed Balaam to go with the princes of Moab, he was very angry with him for asking. God had made it clear at the beginning he didn’t want him to go, but Balaam wanted to go hoping he could make some money. On his way, God closed the eyes of Balaam but opened the eyes of his donkey showing Balaam that he could use a donkey if he wanted to and he had no greater gift than an ass. The donkey tried to keep his master from being killed by the angel, but Balaam was oblivious. Finally, the donkey spoke to him and told him why he was acting so strangely. God opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the angel and it warned him once more that he could only spoke what God said and add nothing else to it.
This is a great lesson about spiritual authority. God is over all the spiritual realms, evil and good. They all bow to His authority. Balaam was not a godly man but he understood the pecking order in the spiritual realm. He knew better than to defy God’s command. Balaam had to bless Israel three times in spite of what he wanted to do. Later, Balaam got back at Israel and taught them how to worship strange gods using his evil power.
In Luke, John had been mute for Elizabeth’s whole pregnancy. I bet he though he would always be silenced but once he wrote down what John’s name was to be, his tongue was loosed. He prophesied John’s ministry to prepare the way for Jesus. John grew up in the desert until God was ready to present him to Israel with his message.
Lord, we acknowledge you as the Lord of all lords and the King of all kings.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Curse Made a Blessing

Read: Numbers 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 11:9-11
Surrounding their land of promise were kings who were set on keeping Israel out. They captured some of the Israelites so they went to the Lord and promised him that if they would give them back their people, they would completely destroy their enemies. God heard and let them completely destroy them and their towns. The place they destroyed was called Hormah which means “destruction”.
After their victory, they quickly forgot to be thankful and complained because they were out of water, and bread and they were tired of eating manna. So God sent snakes that bit the people and many died. They realized their sin and repented. God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole and whoever looked at the pole would die. This snake on the pole was a precursor to the cross which would become the curse so that we could receive the blessing.
In Chapter 21:14 it mentions a book called the Book of Wars. There are many books mentioned in the Bible that are not in our 66 books. I can’t wait to read that one in heaven.
They traveled on and met two very powerful kings Sihon, king of Amon and Og, king of Bashan. God gave them victory over both of them which put fear in the surrounding nations. They camped across from Jericho waiting God’s instructions. Balak the son of Zippor heard what they did to the other two kings and saw the multitude of their people so he hired Balaam, a well-known sorcerer, to curse Israel. When Balaam consulted God, he told him not to go with these men. He could not curse who God had blessed. Balak sent a more distinguished group to beg him to come curse Israel. Instead of just saying “no”, he went back to God to see if he would change his mind. God let him go with strict orders to say only what he said.
In Luke, it is the sixth month which is called Adar. Elizabeth is six months pregnant which means that John the Baptist was born in the month of Pentecost which makes so much sense since he was a light to lead people to the Messiah. In the sixth month, the angel came to Mary and told her that she would give birth to the Messiah and he would be called Jesus. He also told her that her aunt, Elizabeth was six months pregnant. As soon as the angel left, Mary left to see Elizabeth. When Mary entered the threshold of Elizabeth’s house and spoke a greeting, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt and was filled with the Holy Spirit, another reference to Pentecost. If they are going by the civil calendar, then Jesus would have been conceived on Passover and born on Hanakkah. All of this is speculation and everyone has their own interpretation. This is mine for what it’s worth.
I do know that God uses the feasts as dates to do his special appointments on earth so they were born on feast seasons.
Lord, your ways are so wonderful. Thank you for hiding your mysteries so that we can seek you and find them out. Thank you for becoming the curse so that we could walk in the blessing of salvation.

Wed.’s Devo - The Red Heifer

Read: Numbers 19:1-20:29; Luke 1:1-25; Psalm 56:1-13; Proverbs 11:8
God gave the priests the commandments about the red heifer. It was to be without defect or blemish that has never been under a yoke. It was to be burned outside the camp but the one who sacrifices him was to be unclean until the next day which started in the evening at sundown. The red heifer is the picture of Jesus on the cross. He was blameless and not under the yoke of the Pharasee’s. His teaching came from God. The priests and any one involved in the ceremony would be unclean and must wash their clothes and themselves. He must be purified on the third and seventh day. The third day represents the day we are re-born. We repent on day one, our old man is buried on day two and our new man is raised on day three. Day seven represents the day we die and are raised to heaven.
Coming into contact with the dead just has to do with the sin of the world and the contaminates sin has. We cannot help but get the sin of the world on us so we have to be cleansed of it. We do that by repenting and the water of the Word washes us and makes us clean.
Once again, the children of Israel come to the same place - the desert of Sin and camped by the same rock that water had come from. Once again they are out of water and once again they are complaining. This time God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come out of it. The last time he had told him to strike the rock once. Instead, Moses struck the rock twice and God was so angry with him that he was not allowed to enter the land he had spent over 40 years bringing the people to. It seems harsh but God had a reason for being so upset. The rock that had followed them all through the wilderness was Christ (1 Corinthians 1:4). He was struck once for our sins and now we are saved by confession of our sin and believing in our hearts. God wanted Moses to speak this time to show that concept. Moses messed up the picture that would be passed down for generations so he had to die. Miriam and Aaron also had to die before going into the promised land. Miriam and Aaron had both rebelled against Moses so they lost their privilege of entering in. Moses stood for the law. The law and rebellion will keep us from entering into the promises of God.
Between them and the promised land was the land of the Edomites. They asked them if they could pass through their land and they said refused so they had to go around them the long way. God would later punish the Edomites later through Saul.
Luke is the account of Jesus that is written in order. Luke wrote to Theopolis, a Hebrew priest to show him that it had been God’s plan all along to include Gentiles. He also wrote to the Greek followers who attended the synagogue and emphasized the fact that Jesus was the Son of man. He wanted to link the promises in the Old Testament with the events of Jesus life. He started his account at the beginning with the birth of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the one the prophets had said would go before the Messiah and prepare the way for him. He made sure the miracle and wonder was told. He came with signs and angels proclaiming his birth and he came first to the priesthood of his people. Then, we see the same signs of Jesus’ birth. This was no ordinary beginning. God always talks through signs and wonders and angels when he is going to do something big.
Lord, help us not to miss the signs and wonders you put in our lives everyday. May we prepare our hearts for your coming.

Tues.’s Devo - Inscribed

Read: Numbers 16:41-18:32; Mark 16:1-20; Psalm 55:1-23; Proverbs 11:7
I love how God opened up the ground, swallowed Korah and his family, then sent fire and killed others and all the people could do was to blame Moses. These were their words, “You have killed the Lord’s people.” I find that hilarious since it was God who killed his people because they disobeyed, so really, they were responsible for their own deaths. But somehow, Moses got all the blame. It is not easy to be a leader.
I think that when God wanted to kill them all, I might have let him but Moses was different. He fell down before God then told Aaron to run and put incense in his censer and take fire from the altar and take it to the people to make atonement for them. The plague had already started but when Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them the plague was stopped though 14,700 people had already died.
Then Moses told the leaders of every tribe to carve their own names on their rod and bring them to him. Moses would put the rods in front of the ark and see what God did. The next morning only Aaron’s rod had changed. It had sprouted with buds, blossoms and almonds. It stood as a testimony to the people of their rebellion and who God had chosen to minister in his presence. On that day, God gave the office of Korah’s family to Aaron’s and they were to be the priests who served in the tabernacle. He told them that the priesthood was a gift from Him. Salvation itself is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).
God bestowed upon the priests gifts which are all pictures of our salvation. They were given the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain. We are given the Holy Spirt which is the oil and the new wine; and we have the revelation of the Word of God which is the grain or the seed. They were given the first fruits of the land which is the best. The offerings the people gave to the Lord were theirs to live off of. When the true Church realizes that everything on this earth was give to us, we will start taking ownership and becoming better stewards of it. What happens in Washington is our responsibility and should reflect God’s kingdom. What comes out of Hollywood and Nashville should reflect the kingdom of God and we should be the head and not the tail. We are to be bringing the kingdom of heaven down to earth and not bringing up the kingdom of hell to earth. We have let the devil rule this planet much too long and there needs to be a major shift. I see it coming.
In Mark, Mary Magdala and Mary, Jesus mother went to the tomb to bring spices for Jesus’ body. On their way they were wondering how they would get the stone away but when they got there, not only was the stone rolled away, but an angel was there who told them Jesus had risen and would meet them in Galilee. They told the disciples, but they wouldn’t believe them.
Jesus appeared in another form to two men who were walking from the crucifixion and talking about it. They ran back to the disciples and told them also, but they wouldn’t believe.
Finally, Jesus appeared to the disciples and rebuked them for not believing the testimony of the others. Jesus told them that now would be the time to go out and tell everyone what they had seen Jesus do and to do the same things he did. Jesus was taken back to heaven and they had an assignment to do.
Thank you, Lord, that you have inscribed our names in the Book of Life and our names are always before you.

Mon.’s Devo - The Power of the Cross

Read: Numbers 15:17-16:40; Mark 15:1-47; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 11:5-6
Once the children of Israel got settled in the promised land, they were suppose to dedicate their first loaf of bread to the Lord as a thanksgiving for all the bread they would eat in the future.
God made sure they had every way possible to stay in his presence. If they did something wrong unintentionally, there was a way of atonement. But if they sinned intentionally they were blaspheming God and had to be cut off from the people and his offense remained with him. An example of this was the man who was gathering wood on the Sabbath. That was an intentional disobedience to God’s law of working on the Sabbath so he had to be stoned.
Korah and his family were the ones who handled the holy things and got to minister in the tabernacle. They started getting proud and jealous of Moses’ authority and wanted it for themselves. Because they challenged God’s chosen authority, God had to show the people how dangerous that was to do. The earth swallowed them up along with their families and their possessions. Then fire came out from God and destroyed 250 of the men who offered incense as Korah’s followers.
It is self-destroying to oppose a man who God has placed in authority. He is God’s responsibility to rebuke. God sees everything that goes on and he disciplines in his timing, his way. Our job is to pray for all men in authority that they would stay true to the truth and humble.
In Mark, we read the ending of the crucifixion. I never get used to reading what they did to Jesus. He was mocked beyond comprehension. I think that that had to be more painful than the physical pain. Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah 53. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. A man named Bar - Abba was let free in his place. Barabbas’s name means son of a father. Jesus was son of THE Father.
Jesus was bound to the cross at the exact time the Pascal Lamb which would die for the nation was tied to the altar in the Temple. He died at the exact time the Pascal lamb was slain at the ninth hour. When Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he was quoting Psalms 22 which describes the crucifixion in detail. He was directing his followers to this Psalm because it was being fulfilled in their eyes. The veil of the temple was torn showing both God’s sorrow as a priest would tear his garment in mourning and to God’s opening up the way to his presence for everyone. It made a believer of the centurion administering his death.
Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus body, wrapped it in linen and laid it in his own tomb. Just like Joseph’s tomb in the Old Testament had to be emptied when they went to the promised land, Joseph of the New Testament had to have his tomb emptied. Death had been defeated!
Lord, remind us today of what the cross has paid for us so that we don’t live in it’s death but in its life. We don’t want what you did to be in vain. Thank you for dying in our place that we might live for you.

Sun.’s Devo - The Penalty of Sin

Read: Numbers 14:1-15:16; Mark 14:53-72; Psalm 53:1-6; Proverbs 11:4
The camp of Israel was distraught and discouraged as they felt that their escape from Israel and all their hardships had been in vain. They had finally reached their land and it looked impossible to take. They spent the night arguing among themselves and crying. They wanted to stone Moses and Aaron and choose a new leader and return to Egypt.
Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of the people to beg them to change their hearts. Joshua and Caleb tried to encourage the people that they could take these people and their land. God showed up in a cloud over the tabernacle just in time. He wanted to destroy the whole lot and start over with just Moses. Moses was able to reason God from his anger but at the expense of all the people who had seen his wonders in Egypt. They would pay the price of their disbelief. They would wander in the wilderness one year for every day the spies spent in the land until they had all died out. Their children would cross over into the land they rejected.
When Moses told the people what God had said, some of them tried on their own to enter the land. They were badly defeated.
God also gave them instructions of the voluntary offering that would be made once they were in their land. It must be a lamb, bread and wine. We can enjoy all three of these once we are in the kingdom: salvation, fellowship with the Word and joy.
In Mark, Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin who accused him of blasphemy when they couldn’t get any testimony to stick. He was sentenced by his own testimony that he was the Messiah, the Son of God. You can see the hatred of Satan through the way the religious people treated Jesus. He was blindfolded, spit on, and beat as he was being mocked to prophesy. In the meantime, Peter was in the garden denying he knew him. What a lonely time for Jesus.
Lord, thank you for all you endured to save us from our sins. You who knew no sin, became sin for us; we are so grateful!

Sat..’s Devo - God’s Perpectual Love

Read: Numbers 11:24-13:33: Mark 14:22-52; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 11:1-3
Moses called 70 men to come outside the camp so God could place His spirit upon them and they could help Moses lead the people. Two of the men didn’t come. When God placed his spirit on the 68 men it also fell on the two that remained in the camp. They all began to prophesy, even the two that didn’t come. Their names were Eldad and Medad which mean “God has loved” and “Would be loving”. God was trying to tell them that even if they didn’t come to him, he would come to them because he loved them in the past and he will would love them in the future.
Aaron and Miriam let jealousy lead them to judge Moses about his Ethiopian wife. They pointed out that God had spoken to them too, not just Moses. God called Aaron and Miriam out and put them in their places and stood up for Moses. He told them that Moses was the only one who was faithful in the whole lot, including them. With Moses, God spoke face to face and clearly, not in riddles. God was so mad that by the time he had finished speaking to Miriam and Aaron, Miriam was completely covered in leprosy which was the picture of sin. Moses cried out for her healing so God told him she had to be put out of the camp for seven days for her punishment, then she would be healed.
Once Miriam’s week was over they were able to continue to the promised land. They got to the outskirts and Moses sent 12 men from each tribe to reconnoiter the land 40 days. They found a branch of grapes so large they had to carry it on poles between two men. It was the time of the fall feasts because the fall feasts happen at the grape harvest. It was time to tabernacle in the new land God had given them, but all they could see were the giants. Only Caleb stood up and said that they could take the land.
In Mark, Jesus finished the Seder and lead them to the Mount of Olives telling them that they would all lose faith in him. Peter quickly disagreed that he might be the only one, but he would not lose faith. Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times before the night was over.
They couldn’t even pray an hour at Jesus’ most needful time because without the Holy Spirit, they are too weak. Jesus was letting them and us see that without the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are not able to stand against our own desires or against Satan’s.
Judas approached with the Roman soldiers and some of the Sanhedrin and Jesus identified him as his betrayer. Judas kissed Jesus and Jesus was taken. Peter cut off the high priest’s chief assistant to make him blemished for service.
I love how God puts in little sentences that make no sense to us like the man in the linen garment who runs away naked. These men in linen are all through the Bible. They are watchers from heaven sent to watch what goes on here on earth. They are little priests from Melchizedek’s priesthood in heaven. This one gets exposed, but gets away. Selah!
Lord, thank you that you stand up for your own and don’t ever let us down even though we let you down many times. Your love is everlasting: past, present and future. Thank you.

Fri.’s Devo - Understanding the Times You are In

Read: Numbers 10:1-11:23; Mark 14:1-21; Psalm 51:1-19; Proverbs 10:31-32
God told them to make two silver trumpets to use for calling the community together and for setting out to march. When both were sounded, the whole community was to meet at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting (the tabernacle). If only one was sounded only the leaders were to come. They had a special signal that meant the tribes on the east were to set out and the next blast meant the ones on the south were to set out. This is how our military works today.
They were to sound the trumpet before going to war so the Lord would go with them. They were also to sound the trumpets when they celebrated their appointed feasts and New Moon festivals and over their burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. The trumpet was a way of letting their voice be heard as one sound. It was the sound of praise, unity, and courage.
On the 20th day of the 2nd month of the 2nd year, God raised the cloud for them to move. (That’s a lot of 2’s.) I think they had gotten step one accomplished and were moving into step two.
I couldn’t help but notice that there were three tribes, then the Gershonites and Merarites who carried all the equipment to set up the tabernacle, then three more tribes, then the family of the Kohathites who carried the ark and the furniture. By the time they got to the camp, the Gershonites and Merarites had everything ready for the furniture to be set in place. And last were the last five tribes. God is very strategic and orderly.
This is the first time they had traveled since receiving the law. It took them three days of travel for the people to complain so loudly that God heard them and sent fire to consume those on the outskirts of the camp. Moses prayed for them and the fire stopped but as Moses walked the camp he realized that every family was complaining about the same ole manna as they remembered all the choices they had in Egypt. They somehow forgot the cost of those onions and the slavery and bondage.
Moses went to the Lord and complained about the people wanting meat and his great responsibility to please the people. God saw that Moses load was too much for one man so he told him to pick 70 men to put His spirit in to help lead the people. Then he told Moses to tell the people to consecrate themselves because tomorrow they would eat meat.
In Mark, it was almost time for the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus was at Simon’s house when a woman came in with a bottle of very expensive perfume. She quietly anointed Jesus’ head with the whole bottle. No doubt it was perfume that she had saved for her wedding day but wanted to use it on someone much more important - her eternal groom. This is when Judas took his leave. This must have been the last straw for him. He was so concerned with money and his own selfish end he couldn’t understand what was going on. Jesus exposed him at the last supper but only he knew it was happening. The other disciples’ eyes were closed till later. I think those last days were a fog to them. Even though Jesus had laid it all out just as it would happen, they couldn’t comprehend it. They had preconceived ideas to how God was going to reveal the Messiah and set up his kingdom and they couldn’t make the transition. I think this is us many times. We know we are in the last days and everyone has their opinion about how it is going to happen but God has spelled it out in the Word and will reveal it more and more the closer it gets. We just have to trust and try not to get set in our minds as to exactly how it is going to happen. God always plays the trump card!
Lord, help us to have total faith in your plan. Help us to understand the times we are in and be prepared.

Thurs.’s Devo. - God’s Grace

Read: Numbers 8:1-9:23; Mar 13:14-37; Psalm 50:1-23; Proverbs 10:29-30
God told Moses to make sure Aaron set up the lamp stand where the light would go in front of the menorah. This reminds me of what David wrote in Psalms about the Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It goes before us just as the cloud went before the people and led them. The same cloud lit up like a fire at night. The Word is a shield and a light.
Now it was time to cleanse the Levites for service in the tabernacle. They were to lay their hands on the head of the bull and transfer their sin into it, then it would be killed as a burnt offering. They would take the place of the first born and be a picture of the redeemed of the Lord.
It had been a year since they came out of Egypt and it was the time of their first Passover when they had placed the blood on their doors so the Lord wanted them to make this a yearly celebration to remember what He had done for them. The Levites were to officiate the feast but some of them were ceremoniously unclean because they had touched a dead person. Moses went to the Lord who is gracious and kind and he made a way for them. He told Moses that if a Levite was out of town or was ceremoniously unclean, he could wait until the next month at the same time and observe the Passover. God is always looking for mercy over judgment even in the Old Testament. He didn’t change from Old to New, he has always been the same loving gracious Father. We are now living in a dispensation of God’s grace but he has always been gracious and kind. God even allowed Gentiles to celebrate the Passover if they wanted to.
Passover represents the death of Jesus and our salvation. God’s salvation has always been available to everyone the Jew and the Gentile.
In Mark, Jesus told his disciples what would happen in the end of the ages. There would be an abomination that would happen in the holy place that would be a sign for those who are left to run to the hills. This will all happen after the Church has been taken and those left have had to endure the tribulation. This will be hard times that the earth has not seen yet. We are not in those times. We are getting closer but we will not endure the tribulation. These scriptures are for the people who will be left. Jesus tells them that they won’t know the day or hour that he would come. For us, Jesus is not the thief that comes unexpectantly. I Thessalonians 5:4 says, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” It goes on to say that it is because we are the children of light.
Lord, thank you that your ways are a refuge for the righteous and we will never be forsaken.

Wed.’s Devo - The Nazarite Vow

Read: Numbers 6:1-7:89; Mark 12:38-13:13; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 10:27-28
There were two people who were Nazarites from the womb and they were Sampson and John the Baptist. Anyone else could volunteer to do a Nazarite vow if they wanted to separate themselves to the Lord for a time. The conditions of the Nazarite vow were to abstain from anything from the grape, not to shave his head and not to go near a corpse. The grape was linked to wine, so this vow was totally sobering - a time of reflection and consecration to the Lord. It is a very personal vow, not one that the nation participates in like a fast.
A Nazarite was also not to shave his head but to keep his head covered with hair. For Samson, his strength was in his hair and once it was cut he lost it. When it grew back, his strength returned. I think their hair covered their shame like the blood of Jesus covers us and removes our shame. In Jeremiah 14:4 he was speaking to Judah about the result of their sin. It has caused there to be no rain and when the plowmen saw the dry earth they were ashamed and covered their heads.
The last part of the vow was to not go near a dead person. That is a picture of not being around ungodly people who have no care for God. They are dead in their sins and not wanting to repent.
I think of a Nazarite like a monk or mystic that sets himself away from people to get serious with God.
Chapter Seven is a long list of all the sacrifices that each tribe was to bring to dedicate the altar after it had been anointed. It was a ceremonious event where each tribe, in order, brought their gifts on the day appointed for 12 days. Each tribe gave exactly the same offering because we all give the same offering to the Lord - ourselves. We can’t pay God off and get his favor with gifts.
In Mark, we see this same concept. The widow gives little in the world’s eyes, but great in God’s eyes because she gives it all. Then Jesus shifts into the future and tells them what will happen in the next few years there, but it is a parallel to what will happen in the end of days. Things would get bad and many would be martyred. He warned them not to be fooled by false teachers and not to be afraid because the Holy Spirit would give them words to say to their accusers. Jesus promised to deliver any who did not faint.
May You bless us and keep us. May you make your face shine on us and show us your favor. May you lift up your face toward us and give us peace.

Tues.’s Devo - The Law of Jealousy

Read: Numbers 4:1-5:31; Mark 12:18-37; Psalm 48:1-14; Proverbs 10:26
The three branches of the priesthood were the Kohath family, the Gershon clan and the Merari clan. The Kohaths worked in the tabernacle caring for the most holy things like the furniture and utensils used in the service of the tabernacle. They were to cover them with certain cloths. I like to think that the ones with the leather hides represent our skin and these are the ones that are in our hearts and the ones with blue cloths on them are ones that are in heaven also. Moses copied the ones God’s showed them in heaven. The Kohaths could cover the holy things but not look at them or they would die.
Eleazar, the high priest was to be responsible for the oil in the menorah, the incense, the grain offering and the anointing oil. He was in charge of everything that went on in the tabernacle because he stands for Jesus, our High Priest.
The Gershonites were responsible for carrying all the curtains and the ropes and the utensils from campsite to campsite. They called this “carrying burdens”.
The Merarite’s duty was to do the service of carrying the posts and frames, tent pegs.
These priests represent us. The Kohath which means “obedient and waiting”. The obedient get to be closest to God’s holy things. Gershonites means “outcast”. Jesus loves those that the world casts away. Merari means “my bitterness”. We all come to Jesus with disappointments and bitterness but he is the one who can put the oil and cleanse our hearts.
In Chapter 5 we read the law of jealousy if a man suspects his wife of having an affair with another man. I am reading in a Jewish Study Bible so it reads that if she drinks the water, says the curse and she is guilty then her private parts will shrivel and her belly will swell. This is a picture of a person becoming pregnant with no baby inside. She is also unable to have children after this. This is exactly what will happen to a person who claims to be a Christian but is not living it in his heart. He will look like all is well, but there will be no fruit. This woman will look pregnant but never bear fruit. Neither will we if we keep hidden sin in our lives. Guilt is Satan’s play ground and he will keep you there as long as he can. The way to escape is confession and repentence.
In Mark, Jesus nailed the Sadducees who didn’t believe in the resurrection. Instead of just asking him point blank if he believed in the resurrection they asked a question as if they did believe in it. Jesus saw right through the question and explained how scripture taught of a resurrection from the time of Abraham. Then another teacher of the law addressed Jesus as a fellow rabbi and asked him which was the most important law of all the laws. Jesus replied to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. The second most important was to love others as you love yourself. The teacher was very impressed with his answer and Jesus told him he was close to the kingdom. Not all of the scribes and Pharisees were tainted with their own religion. There were an elect few that earnestly sought the coming of the Messiah and were hungry for the truth.
Lord, may we meet people who are hungry for the truth and be able to encourage them in their quest for the kingdom.

Mon.’s Devo - The Banners of the Tribes

Read: Numbers 2:1-3:51; Mark 11:27-12:17; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:24-25
The tribes were to camp in the order God set. Each tribe had its own banner with the symbol that represented their tribe. Here is the symbol that was on each banner:
Reuben - water, a river
Simeon - a castle with a gate
Gad - a tent
Judah - a lion
Issachar - a donkey
Ephraim and Manasseh - a bundle of wheat
Benjamin - a wolf
Dan - a scale of justice
Asher - a palm tree
Naphtali - a ram
Levi - the breastplate of the High Priest
They were grouped in three tribes per group with Judah leading. Since Judah stands for praise, that makes perfect sense that the first three tribes would be under the banner of Judah and start first. The second group went out under the banner of Reuben which was the water which stands for the spirit. And the third group went under the banner of the Levites which were the “set apart” and the last group went out under the banner of Dan which stands for judgment and justice.
In Chapter three, God made a change that instead of the first born being his, the priests would be his. Since there were more first born’s than priests, they had to pay and buy back those first borns with an offering. God was trying to show them that it was not enough to be born in the right order but you had to do the works of the Lord and have your heart changed. Colossians 1:15,16 tells us that Jesus was the first born of every creature but he was also our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:17). We have to be saved and sanctified.
I would have loved to be in the crowd when Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees. He had no fear of them and put them in their place. They were the ones who handled his law and were to teach the people God’s laws, but instead they taught them theirs. Jesus refused to cast his pearls before swine. The parable about the man and the vineyard had to do with how the synagogue and religious people had been the ones to kill all the prophets that the Lord had sent to them through the ages. Now the son of God was standing before them and they would do the same to him. They were truly blind guides going nowhere and leading others nowhere.
Lord, help us to walk in truth and love. Help us not to be afraid of our enemy but stand firm with the truth girded around our hearts.

Sun.’s Devo - The Firstborn

Read: Leviticus 27:14 - Numbers 1:54; Mark 11:1-25; Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 10:23
The firstborn animals and people were automatically consecrated to the Lord. They were the first to come through the blood of their mother’s womb which represents those who are called from the foundation of the earth. Ephesians 1:4,5 says that God has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. We were predestined to be adopted by Jesus to himself.
Every other person had to be redeemed by a price. In Judaism, they believed there were three groups of people: the totally righteous, the totally wicked and the in-betweener’s. The in-betweener’s were those that could go either way. That is a pretty good way to look at it. Some are destined for salvation but others have to be rescued. Either way, we are called to the field to work in the harvesting of souls.
In Numbers, we have two lists of the tribes of Israel. The first is the list and their tribal leaders. I noticed that they named all of Leah’s sons first, then Racheal’s, then Bilhah’s and Zilpah’s. In the second list they did the same only they listed Gad, with Leah’s. I have no idea why, I just find it interesting.
They were to count all the men who were army age: 20-60. Everyone was counted except the Levites who were exempt from the army since their job was the tabernacle. This is such a great picture of Ephesians 6. Our fight is not against flesh and blood. We don’t fight like the heathen’s fight. We, as priests of the Lord, battle principalities and spiritual forces in the heavenlies with praise and faith and the name of Jesus.
In Mark, Jesus is following the practice that they have been doing for years. The pascal lamb which is chosen on that day by the priests to atone for the people would be coming down a similar path at the same time Jesus was coming down his path. Everything they did for Jesus, they did for the lamb. They met at the same place in Jerusalem and the pascal lamb would be taken into the temple and examined for four days to make sure it was unblemished. In the same way, Jesus would be examined by his own priests and the government to see if he was without sin. Both would be declared innocent and be killed for the sins of the people.
Jesus went to the temple and cleansed the temple because that is what unleavened bread was all about - getting rid of the sin. He then went to the fig tree which stood for the nation of Israel to see if it bore any fruit. Since it didn’t, he cursed it and Israel has lived under that curse for years. One day it will be lifted and they will be fruitful again.
Lord, help us to walk in the freedom of the cross. Thank you for dying for our sins and making us righteous and clean.

Sat.’s Devo - Our Kinsman Redeemer

Read: Leviticus 25:47-27:13; Mark 10:32-52; Psalm 5:1-17; Proverbs 10:22
The land and the person were measured for their worth by the number of years they would be the most fruitful. The land was worth more after a Jubilee because the new buyer would be able to farm it more years before it had to be returned to its original owner. A person was worth more between the ages of 20-60 because he was stronger and could do more work.
These are all pictures of our lives. We are more fruitful for a longer time if we come to the Lord early in our lives. Our Jubilee is our day of salvation where we go back to our original owner who is God.
The laws of property had to do with land beyond the city with walls. Land in the city was permanently owned. Just as our walls are salvation and we are safe in God’s city. No one can take our land. But the people out in the field are the unsaved or the saved who have left God’s protection to do their own thing.
Land could be redeemed by a kinsman redeemer just as Boaz bought Ruth and her land and just as our Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus bought us out of our bondage of sin and redeemed us to live in his city. Jesus was believed to have entered into ministry in a Jubilee year. He came to redeem people back to their original owner and give them their rightful inheritance.
In Mark, Jesus explained, once again, that the kingdom of God is not like earthly kingdoms. It is just the opposite. To live you have to die; to be exalted, you have to be humbled; to get you have to give, and to live your have to die.
On his way to be crucified, Jesus does a very noteworthy act. A blind man recognizes that he is the Messiah. To say: “son of David” is to say “Messiah”. He could see spiritually already, so Jesus asked him what else he wanted. He said, he wanted to see in the natural also, so Jesus graciously did this for him. Jesus commended him for his faith.
Lord, may we too be commended for our faith and may we see spiritually better than we see in the natural. Thank you for being our Kinsman Redeemer.

Fri.’s Devo - The Cost of the Kingdom

Read: Leviticus 24:1-25:46; Read: Mark 10:13-31; Psalm 44:9-26; Proverbs 10:20-21
The menorah was to be lit continually with olive oil. The table of shewbread was to be furnished with new bread every Sabbath. These were to represent the fact that the Spirit and light of God was to burn continually in our hearts and we were to constantly be feeding ourselves on the Word of God.
A fight arose between two young men because one of them blasphemed God’s name. The blasphemer was the son of an Egyptian father and an Israelite mother. God said that he was to be taken outside the camp and stoned to death. This is a picture of a person who have not made God their father yet they are in the church. They defy the truth so they are to be told the truth. To be “stoned to death” means that the truth must kill the old man so that the new man can resurrect.
In the Old Testament the rule was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. This law was about restitution and revenge but Jesus said not to resist evil, but to turn the other cheek. This goes against our nature and feels like we are laying down and giving in to evil, but God doesn’t see it that way. To win in the kingdom means we have to lose everything in this world. But if we seek God’s kingdom, then everything worthwhile will be added back. Giving up our “rights” is what God wants us to do. It is choosing his rights first.
The land was to be worked six years but to rest during the Sabbath year. In that way, the land would be able to replenish and rebuild its nutrients. God was giving them a whole year off of working but they never did observe this because of their fear of losing out on income. Because of this, God had to drive them out of their land for 70 years so the land could be repaid for all the Sabbaths it had been robbed of.
The fiftieth year would be a year of Jubilee where everything would go back to its original owner. Slaves would be set free. Israel won its independence during the Balfour in 1917, a year of Jubilee. Fifty years later, in 1967, Israel won the Sixth Day war and got Jerusalem, or part of it. In 2017, President Trump proclaimed that Jerusalem should be the place of Israel’s embassy. All these happened during Jubilee years. God still keeps his Word.
In Mark, Jesus explained the cost of the kingdom. It will cost you everything just as it would cost him his life.
Lord, remind us of what you paid for our freedom when we feel we are losing this world. It is just not worth keeping what will not benefit us in the long run.