[W]henever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

Mark 3:7-21

[W]henever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known. Mark 3:11-12

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 3:7-21, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations from the text using the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Jesus does not want to be known as just someone who performs signs and wonders - miracles.  He wants it to be clear that He is the One prophesied about in the Old Testament....the incarnate Son of God.  Once again we experience the Messianic Secret.  Jesus is sovereign over demons.  Jesus calls believers to specific roles - in this case the first twelve apostles.  Judas is appointed - even though Judas betrays Jesus, Judas' sin is used for good (see also Genesis 50:20) as Jesus' arrest and crucifixion is required for Jesus to rise again, defeating sin and death.        
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: There will always be people who seek something from God - more than salvation.  They are drawn to Him for what they expect Jesus can do for them not because we all sin and are in need of salvation.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey)?: We should come to Jesus in humility, not with expectations that He will do something for us - we must acknowledge that God's will and purposes reign - not our own.  We of course should avoid betraying Jesus - instead we should please, honor and glorify God as this is our purpose. When we are called to a specific role we should follow Jesus' call to do His will.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion for me - laying down Your live for me, knowing everything about me, including my sin, yet loving me first and saving me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace and for my salvation. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel[.]

2 Timothy 2

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel[.] 2 Timothy 2:8

This morning, I continue a pause in my study of Daniel, to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which, appropriately during the Holy Week of Easter, highlights two ways to remember Jesus: (1) that He has risen, and (2) as the offspring of David.  That Jesus has risen gives us hope - we know that sin and death has already lost its sting, and regardless of what challenges, trials, and suffering we may experience, "the worst that it can do on this earth is kill you. And Jesus has taken the sting out of that enemy. He is alive. And you will be alive. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28)." The second reason is important to remember because Jesus is the Messiah the Jews waited for as fulfillment of prophecy - see also 2 Samuel 7:8-17.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good and I am grateful for my salvation that You gave to me as a gift of amazing grace.  I am hopeful that through Your resurrection, which I mark and celebrate this week, I have already tasted the benefits of victory over sin and death...and I know more is to come!  Thank You Jesus!  Yet, again, I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper seeks for believers to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  Today's Solid Joys daily devotion marks day 7 of Advent, and today John Piper contrasts Luke's gospel focus of visitors - shepherds in the field (see Luke 2:8-20) - to Jesus in the manger, to Matthew's focus of the wise men visitors from the east - the Magi. Piper points out that these wise men - Magi - were not Jews, but instead foreigners, perhaps from Babylon.  He then reminds us that "Matthew portrays Jesus at the beginning and ending of his Gospel as a universal Messiah for all the nations, not just for Jews" (see also Matthew 28:18-19 where Jesus gives believers the Great Commission). Piper wraps the devotion by sharing how Matthew's portrayal (and contrast from Luke's) "not only opened the door for us Gentiles to rejoice in the Messiah; it added proof that he was the Messiah. Because one of the repeated prophecies was that the nations and kings would, in fact, come to him as the ruler of the world." We are referred to Isaiah 60:3 for one of these prophecies. Matthew's gospel serves as "proof to the messiahship of Jesus and shows that he is Messiah — a King, and Promise-Fulfiller — for all the nations, not just Israel."  Rejoice in Jesus as the fulfillment of our promised King and go and tell it on the mountains!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a good, good Father, and all of Your promises come true.  You are the Promised King, the Messiah, and my Lord and Savior.  Thank You Jesus for all that You are and do.  I am not deserving of the blessings You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 1

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper seeks for believers to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  Today's Solid Joys daily devotion marks day 5 of Advent, and today we see John Piper looking at the broader context of how Jesus was born in humble circumstances, and how these humble circumstances extended beyond the manger where Jesus was born.  Jesus ultimately dies on the cross, and his road to Calvary is marked with suffering and scorn.  Piper asks what many do (particularly non-believers): if Jesus is so powerful, why didn't He find a nicer place for Mary and Joseph to stay on that first Christmas evening?  Piper poses this question as a series of "could have[s]": "Jesus could have been born into a wealthy family. He could have turned stone into bread in the wilderness. He could have called 10,000 angels to his aid in Gethsemane. He could have come down from the cross and saved himself. The question is not what God could do, but what he willed to do."  Piper points us to 2 Corinthians 8:9, and then moves us along the Calvary road pausing at points in Jesus' ministry, reminding us how all believers are to follow Jesus, deny themselves and take up their cross (Luke 9:23), that "a servant [believer] is not greater than his master, [so] if they persecuted [Jesus], they will also persecute [the servant]" (John 15:20), and that we should be mindful that if we do follow Jesus there will be hardship, suffering, etc. (Luke 9:57-58).  Of course, the broader point is that Jesus did all of us this for us - that we would have life to the full now and for eternity - John 3:16, 10:10.  Rejoice!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who came in the form of a baby, suffered and died on the cross so that I could have life to the full now and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.

Leviticus 24

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. Matthew 6:53-58

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - wrapping up chapter twenty-one - In God's Presence  - covering Leviticus 24:1-23, looking specifically at the fifth and final theme for the chapter - Christ Fulfills the Tabernacle Perfectly.  Here, the commentary summarizes Leviticus 24 by emphasizing how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law.  It also looks at key aspects of the tabernacle as described in Leviticus 24 - the menorah (v1-4) and the bread (v5-9) - and how Jesus lives in us, and He is our light and our bread. The commentary refers us to the following scriptures (here and here) to reinforce these key points:

•  Matthew 5:17: Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it
• John 1:14: Jesus became flesh and dwells within us
• John 8:12: Jesus is "the light of the world. Whoever follows [Him] will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
• John 6:35, 51-58: Jesus is the bread of life 
• Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 8:1-6: communion and the bread used during communion represents a symbol of taking Jesus into our lives; the commentary states that "[t]he meal is the physical shadow; fellowship with God is the spiritual substance." 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - You dwell within me and You feed me both physically and spiritually.  You also never leave or forsake me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and grace and provision.  I sin...daily...including worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.

Leviticus 21-22

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone. Matthew 5:19-20

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - wrapping up chapter nineteen - Holiness and Leadership - covering Leviticus 21-22, looking specifically at the fifth and final theme for the chapter - God Calls Us to Know Him Through His New Covenant in Christ.  Here, the commentary summarizes the key takeaways from Leviticus 21-22.  It starts by stating that "God's commands about [the] worship practices and priests [as described in these books] are helpful since they symbolize the way God relates to His people.  On the other hand, the old covenant sacrificial system and priesthood have been superseded by the new covenant in Jesus....However, the book of Leviticus is valuable because it is doubtful we will understand much of what the New Testament says about Jesus unless we know and understand Leviticus." We are encouraged to review how Jesus fulfills the laws in Leviticus 21-22. 

• Jesus is our high priest: see Hebrews 7 and 1 Timothy 2:5
• Jesus is our perfect sacrifice: see Hebrews 9:26
• We worship through Jesus; how we worship matters; we are to be right with God so we must ask Him for forgiveness of sin before we worship: see Hebrews 10:29 and 13:15 
• Jesus defines holiness - it not elitism as practiced by the Sadducees and Pharisees, but humble submission (including death on the cross!); it is also not externalism and a focus on ritual/ceremonial law, but on heart transformation: see Luke 18:9, John 7:49, Luke 12:48, Matthew 5:19-22, 27-28    

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is so full of amazing grace for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  My sin continues - worry, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Leviticus 16

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter fourteen - God Forgives and Removes Sin - covering Leviticus 16:1-34, looking specifically at the fifth theme for the chapter - Jesus is God's Offer of Atonement and Removal of Sin.  Here, although one might believe the commentary is stating the obvious, it is nonetheless important to see how the commentary uses New Testament scripture to demonstrate how Jesus's death on the cross represents the perfect sacrifice that has no equal relative to the sacrificial system laid out in Leviticus.  The commentary first points us to Hebrews 7-10, where we see how, "in detail how Jesus' death on the cross supersedes the Day of Atonement and all the old covenant sacrifices":

• Hebrews 9:12: because Jesus is eternal, His death on the cross represents an eternal redemption, not something that must be done repeatedly as described in Leviticus
  
• Hebrews 9:24: versus the Old Testament priests who entered an earthly tent to meet with God, Jesus offered Himself in the presence of God Himself
• Hebrews 9:7, 7:26-27: the Old Testament priests offered sacrifices for their own sins, but Jesus had no sin, so no sacrifice was necessary for sins that were not committed
• Hebrews 9:25-26, 10:11-12: Jesus died once and for all, eliminating the need for repeated sacrifices
• Hebrews 10:1, 8:13, 10:9: Jesus fulfilled the law and abolished the Old Testament sacrifices that were only a "shadow of the good things to come"

The commentary also refers us to 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 3:18, and 1 John 4:10 as additional scriptural examples of how Jesus serves as God's perfect offer of atonement and removal of sin. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who died for my sins - even though You led a perfect sinless life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a sacrifice - the greatest gift of grace.  My sin of harshness towards others continues as do other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sins towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Leviticus 11

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

This afternoon, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter eleven - Eating for God's Glory - covering Leviticus 11:1-47, looking specifically at the third theme - We Celebrate the Fulfillment of the Law by Jesus.  Here, in reviewing the entirety of this chapter of the commentary, we are encouraged to see several takeaways.  Broadly, the sacrifices described in Leviticus 11 for believers are no longer necessary as "Jesus is the final, once-for-all sacrifice.  Jesus fulfills the laws in Leviticus by providing (1) redemption - He purchases our freedom by going to the cross in our place; (2) purification - instead of the purification described in Leviticus that is required from how we become unclean, believers know that Jesus washes away our sin; (3) direction on how food is to be used for God's glory (vs dietary commands in Leviticus 11): (a) as a mission to reach others and share the gospel by meeting basic needs and by sharing meals with sinners as Jesus did with Zacchaeus (see Luke 19); (b) to promote fellowship among brothers and sisters in Christ (see Acts 2); (c) by avoiding consumption that causes stumbling (i.e. bad eating habits that cause poor health); (d) by subjecting eating to higher priorities as we should not worry about food as Jesus should be our highest priority (see Matthew 6). 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is the once and for all sacrifice - thank You Jesus - thank You for setting me free!  I am not deserving of how You set me free and for all the blessings You pour out for me.  I worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose Your as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

Leviticus 4

He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Hebrews 7:27

This evening, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing with chapter four - How God Deals with Sin - covering Leviticus 4:1-35, looking specifically at the theme Jesus Fulfills the Old Covenant Sacrifices for Sin. Here, my commentary focuses on how even as God commanded the Israelites to follow the sacrificial system as written in Leviticus, "God knew that He intended the levitical sacrificial system to be temporary.  God knew His people would corrupt His sacrifices." Ultimately, as my commentary goes further, "they went through the motions as if the ritual itself was sufficient to atone for sin, like someone attending church with the assumption that their mere presence in the building means that all is well with them spiritually."  The commentary refers to "legalism" and "ritualism" as over-emphasis on the "doing" of the letter of the law without concern to an appropriate heart condition that seeks to love God first and foremost and to glorify Him for who He is and what He has done. The commentary also raises an important question which is "why didn't God simply send His Son immediately after Adam and Eve's sin?"  The commentary responds by stating God intended to demonstrate a powerful lesson that was to be clear - NONE of us are able to be righteous without God and we also ALL need God to be reconciled to Him as our sin separates us from Him.  

The commentary then moves to describe how God's lessons regarding sacrifice prepared the way for Jesus.  In Leviticus, we see several types of sacrificial offerings - burnt, grain, peace/fellowship, purification - to demonstrate that no single sacrifice was sufficient and that even together such a system was imperfect as it was offered by humans.  The commentary points to several verses, including Hebrews 7:27, where it is stated that Christ died once for all and became the perfect sacrifice and atonement for all sin, for all of humanity, for all of eternity. He did this so that just so that we could have a path to atonement and reconciliation with Him - what an act of grace...amazing grace!

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You offered Yourself and died on the cross so that I could have forgiveness from sin and be reconciled to You - amazing!  The greatest gift of all time.  I am not deserving of that or any other blessing You pour out for me.  Thank You Jesus.  Yet my sin continues...worry, gossip, harshness with others.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

1 Chronicles 1, 2, 4, 3

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:5-6

Day 285 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues as my commentary* turns to the book of 1 Chronicles where genealogies are recorded "from Adam to Noah to Abraham and Isaac; the descendants of Esau (the Edomites); and the 12 tribes descending from Jacob (Israel), with the exception of Dan and Zebulun. Special emphasis is given to the royal tribe of Judah, the priestly line of Levi, and the Benjamite genealogy of King Saul."  My commentary* notes that "An important part of any nation’s history is the preservation of national archives. Genealogical records are particularly vital to the division and ownership of property, to marriages and inheritance, to right of office, and to royal privilege. Perhaps one of the most important reasons for the genealogies will not be fully appreciated until the Messiah is born. At that time one of the many proofs of his messiah-ship will be that he is of the lineage of King David and the house of Judah, just as the prophets have foretold.....Although they do not make particularly exciting reading, their importance to the nation at this time cannot be overstated."

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

I am reminded of the genealogy recorded by Matthew that describes Jesus lineage from Abraham.

For me, at least a couple of takeaways.  God promised a messiah and that the messiah would come from Abraham and David's line.  God fulfilled a promise with Jesus.  God is faithful.  We also all have an earthly father but more importantly we have a heavenly father in Jesus (Abba).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Abba, You are a good, good Father - and my Lord and Savior.  Thank You for coming to save me and for never leaving or forsaking me.  I love You.  I am not deserving of such a God.  I continue to sin, including worry, gossip, etc. Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family.

Numbers 1-2

So the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family. Numbers 2:34

Day 35 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on the census the Lord orders of all the Israelite tribes.

My commentary* indicates that the "numbering is more than a census or even a military draft...In fact it is a national registration from which the Jewish people in centuries to come will trace their ancestry".

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

Ancestry and genealogy are key to our understanding of the Bible because the Bible makes promises that certain descendants of certain lines (Abraham, Jacob, David, etc.) will become a great nation and Jesus is a descendant promised from the genealogies documented in the Bible.  An understanding of these genealogies helps us understand that God keeps His promises and prophecies are fulfilled by Jesus' life, death on the cross, and His resurrection. It is also important to note how - time and time again - imperfect people are used by God for His glory and purpose.  We should be encouraged by this.

See also posts from John Piper and DesiringGod.com on the genealogy of Jesus in both the book of Matthew and Luke, and a brief comment on genealogy as a "boring" but important aspect of the Bible.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who always keeps His promises - thank You Jesus!  I know You love me and I am greatly comforted by this as well as by all of Your promises.  Yet I am not deserving.  I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

Luke 16

It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. v17

This morning, commentary from MacArthur helps shed light on how Jesus is illustrating the importance of both the Old and New Testament teachings.  MacArthur writes: "[Jesus] neither gives or a new law nor modifies the old but rather explains the true significance of the moral content of Moses' Law and the rest of the OT".  MacArthur points to Matthew 5:17-19 and Colossians 2:16-17, and further writes that Jesus fulfills the law in all its aspects, including the moral, ceremonial, and judicial law.  "All [of] the ceremonial requirements of the Mosaic Law are fulfilled in Christ and are no longer to be observed by Christians.  Yet not one jot or tittle is thereby erased; the underlying truths of those scriptures remain"[.]

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

My Prayer: Heavenly Father - what an awesome God You are that You provide Your Word, Your Son, the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, etc. - all for me.  And You died for me - a gruesome death - that I may have life...and to the full.  Thank You Jesus for setting me free from the sting of sin and death.  I am undeserving of such blessings.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.