March 3 - Numbers 18-20: Moses and Aaron Sin, Aaron Dies

Today’s Reading: Numbers 18-20

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Moses—the greatest non-Jesus prophet ever—disobeyed God out of frustration.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

God instructed Aaron that his descendents were the only ones allowed to work with the Tabernacle's sacred object. The Levites would receive a tenth of all Israel gained instead of land.
The ash of a heifer was used to reinstate a person who had touched a dead body. If anyone did not follow the rituals they were excommunicated from the community.
Moses and Aaron angrily struck a rock to produce water instead of speaking to it as God commanded; therefore, God barred them from entering Canaan.
Edom would not allow Israel to cross its borders.
Aaron died on Mount Hor.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

God wanted the Levites to be full-time diplomats between the Israelites and God.

God did not want the Levites to have split priorities. So he offered them the ability to not work the land and become His priests. In return, they would receive 10% of the entire crop. God required only 10% of that to be given to Him (1% of the country's total). God wishes to have His Chosen People fund full-time, dedicated workers for Him.

Moses' frustration with the people comes out by disobeying God.

With all that had happened since the scouts were sent into Canaan, it is almost understandable why Moses would be so upset that he either forgot or purposely disobeyed God. These people are scum compared to Moses and they do not learn anything from God. But this mistake costs Moses and Aaron dearly. They are a cautionary tale for leaders. When leaders act out of frustration, they cannot set things right.

Edom does not allow Israel to enter both because of its lack of hospitality and its fear.

This is a difficult text. On the one hand, Israel did not have a great relationship with the Egyptians and word has mostly likely passed to the Edomites. They are also a huge group of people who could wipe out Edom's resources for the entire year. On the other, Edom must show hospitality to others. Since Israel was willing to not trespass off the roads and repay anything eaten or destroyed they should have allowed the people to pass through their land. This will come back to haunt them in the future. Those who are hospitable set things right.

March 2 - Numbers 16-17: The Aftermath

Today’s Reading: Numbers 16-17

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Today is the aftermath of God's refusal to allow Israel into Canaan.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Korah, a Levite, alongside Dathan and Abiram, Reubenites, furiously accused Moses and Aaron of overstepping their bounds. Moses exclaimed God would decide who was their leader the next day.
The next morning the men (250 in total) brought censers of incense. Moses proclaimed that God would execute these traitors. The Earth split open and the men, their families, servants, and possessions fell in.
The people blamed Moses. So God gave another test to prove Aaron's legitimacy. The people were scared God would destroy them all. Because of Moses' and Aaron's pleadings, God only killed 14,500 people alongside Korah's co-conspirators.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Israel is not taking God's punishment well.

This is the breaking point for the people, too. They have come all this way over two years in the wilderness to enter the land of Canaan and now they are told God would not allow anyone over 20-years-old enter the land. This is too much for them. Moses and Aaron have finally outlasted their patience and they want a new leader, one who would bring good news from God and lead them into Canaan.

God will not stand for His Chosen People not following their chosen leaders.

Over 14,500 people died because they would no longer follow Moses and Aaron. God chose Moses and Aaron and would not allow others to usurp that authority without His approval. God's people must follow God's chosen leaders to set things right on the earth.

How awesome of a man is Moses.

Once again, Moses asks God not to destroy the people. The same people who are questioning his authority and want to ride him out of town on a rail. How awesome is this man!

February 28 - Numbers 11-13: Drama in the Desert

Today’s Reading: Numbers 11-13

The Message

English Standard Version

Congratulations! You have reached the end of two months of reading the Bible through in a year! Only 10 more to go. Keep it up!

Thought to Guide Your Reading

God punishes the people for their lack of faith.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Israel wanted to return to Egypt because they missed meat. God punished them because they grumbled. Moses told God he was tired of shepherding the people. God gave Moses 70 helpers, but only once.
God piled three feet of dead quail at the people's feet.
Miriam and Aaron grumbled against Moses behind his back. God struck Miriam with leprosy as punishment.
God had Moses send 12 men into Canaan to scout the land. They saw the land was abundantly fruitful. Caleb wanted to take the land then. The others were scared and did not think Israel could defeat the Canaanites.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

God punishes the people because they want to return to Egypt.

God does not punish the people because they want meat. He does not punish them for asking for meat. The reason He punishes them is because they expected God to be their holy vending machine. When their lives do not go exactly as planned, they complain and want to return to their old lives of slavery. It is as if the manna, the Red Sea crossing, and the Egyptian plagues meant nothing to them. God will not stand for ungratefulness from His Chosen People.

Moses is tired of being the people's prophet.

Moses is suffering burnout. He has been the leader of these people for only two years but in that time great things have happened, good and bad. Moses is tired of the roller coaster and wants out. God does not let him out, though. Instead, He gives 70 men to share in the burden, though only for a short time.

Aaron and Miriam are guilty of racism.

This is a difficult part of scripture. We would like to say that Aaron and Miriam are jealous of Moses' power and/or his ability to speak directly to God and leave it there. Unfortunately, they are also guilty of not liking Moses because he married an African woman. This also shows why Moses is a great man and the reason God could speak directly to him. But it also gives a bad mark to Aaron, the other person you wouldn't expect a major character flaw from.

God wants the people to see the strength of the Canaanites to witness what He will do.

The Israelites know God has given them the land. He has also told them what He will do to prepare the land. He has rejected the people living in Canaan because of their unrighteousness. But instead of seeing Canaan as a place with strong people groups and praise God for His justice and mercy toward Israel they instead cower away and believe they could not take the land. This will be a big issue for tomorrow's reading.

February 9 - Exodus 30-32: Aaron Leads the People to Sin and Gives the Lamest Excuse

Today’s Reading: Exodus 30-32

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

God gives Moses the opportunity to be the father of a great nation. He turns God down.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

God gave instructions for an incense altar inside the tabernacle. Each family gave a shekel to prevent punishment during a census—no matter whether rich or poor. God had them make "holy oil" for the priests. He wanted Bezalel and Oholiab to create the tabernacle, altar, and ark. God repeated the Sabbath command.
Fearing Moses was deceased, the people begged Aaron for a god. Aaron made a calf from their gifts of gold. The people bowed down.
God offered Moses Abraham's blessing. Moses refused. Instead, he destroyed the calf and purified the camp. God also punished Israel.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Everyone paid the exact same amount in the Atonement Tax.

This is a strange tax. God required it because he would otherwise punish the people for taking a census. That is odd. What is not odd or strange is that God required each person to pay the exact amount. He is explicit that no person is to pay more than half a shekel and no person is to pay less than half a shekel. Although part of me wants to bring out a political lesson from this, I have to remind myself that the Old Testament is not a grouping of parables. I cannot make any lesson I want out of the text. So I won't.

Designers can have God-given talent.

God personally chose Bezalel and Oholiab. He gave them His spirit so they could do what he had chosen them for. God-given ability to set things right is not limited to worship or "churchy" things.

God is serious—the Sabbath is to be holy!

God is dead-set on the Israelites having a day of rest. It is in the Ten Commandments and this is the third time it is mentioned in the Law. God is adamant—everyone needs one day of rest during the week. Breaking the Sabbath is punished by exile or death. God told them to either take a day off a week or lose everything. This is a big deal. Rest one day of every week to keep things right with yourself.

The people wanted a god because they thought Moses was dead, not because they were horrible, terrible, no-good, very-bad people.

When Moses climbed the mountain, a great cloud came over and made the entire mountain look like it were on fire (chapter 24). They feared Moses had died and they were then alone. When people feel alone, they do desperate things. So they made Aaron create a god for them.

Moses turns down Abraham's promise.

God was willing to make Moses the father of a great nation. But Moses—the one all of the people grumbled against—stood up for them and begged God to spare their lives. This should show how wonderful Moses was. Moses' want to make things right ranks along with Abraham.

Aaron gives what might be the lamest excuse I have ever heard.

As noble and great Moses shows himself to be, Aaron's excuse as to why they were worshiping the calf is politician-esque.

Master, don't be angry. You know this people and how set on evil they are. They said to me, 'Make us gods who will lead us. This Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we don't know what's happened to him.' … I threw [the gold] in the fire and out came this calf. (32:22-24, The Message)

God required the blood of his own people to atone for cheating on him with another god.

This is a difficult passage to digest. Moses not only killed some of the people for worshiping the calf, he had the men kill their own family, their own friends, their own neighbors. This was to show God they were more dedicated to God than anything else. Being committed to God setting all things right on this earth requires severing ties with those who do not.