It's all about Him

Deuteronomy - Chapter 15

This chapter sets out the rules for cancelling debts - all of which were to be written off at the end of every seven years. “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who

Deuteronomy - Chapter 14

This chapter begins with the identity of the people as children of the Lord: “You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and

Deuteronomy - Chapter 13

In this chapter the people are told to put God first: “Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known. They might suggest

Deuteronomy - Chapter 12

This chapter is about the "one place of worship".  That place is not named as the temple or as Jerusalem - but rather as "the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name." That place will later, for a short time,

Deuteronomy - Chapter 11

This chapter begins with a link between love and obedience. Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always. Jesus says the same thing about loving him and obedience in John 14: “If you love me, obey my commandments.  And I will

Deuteronomy - Chapter 10

In verse 17 Moses gives a description of God: For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. The same titles are applied to Jesus in the book of Revelation - Chapter

Deuteronomy - Chapter 9

Moses reminds the people of the time he went up the mountain to receive the commandments from God on two stone tablets.  He stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, and he ate no bread and drank no water. This story links to the beginning of Jesus ministry,

Deuteronomy - Chapter 8

In this chapter we have another verse quoted by Jesus in his response to the temptations of Satan. The devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus replied by quoting verse 3 - "No!

Deuteronomy - Chapter 7

In verse 6 Moses tells the Israelites: "you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure." This mirrors the message to Christians by Peter in 1

Deuteronomy - Chapter 6

At the start of Jesus ministry he was tempted by Satan - we read this in Matthew 4: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.  For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. The devil took

Deuteronomy - Chapter 5

In this chapter Moses says: “The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Mount Sinai. The Lord did not make this covenant with our ancestors, but with all of us who are alive today. At the mountain the Lord spoke to you face to face from the heart

Deuteronomy - Chapter 4

At the start of this chapter Moses gives the following instructions: “And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your

Deuteronomy - Chapter 3

In this chapter Moses recalls how much he wanted to cross the Jordan and see the promised land - but God would not let him: "At that time I pleaded with the Lord and said, ‘O Sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength

Deuteronomy - Chapter 2

Well over 1,000,000 Israelites have been wandering in the wilderness for around 40 years.  And at the end of that time Moses was able to say: "the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great

Deuteronomy - Chapter 1

Deuteronomy was the book Jewish children started their studies with; it is one of the Old Testament books most quoted in the New Testament, many times by Jesus himself.  And the very name of the book leads us to Jesus.  Our English name for the book comes from the Latin

Numbers - Chapter 36

This is the final chapter of the book of Numbers, and it is all about the rules of inheritance of the daughters of Zelophehad.  We considered the position of these daughters in chapter 27, and linked their rights of inheritance with the position of Mary, and the claim to inheritance

Numbers - Chapter 35

The Levites were not given areas of land - but they did have towns, spread throughout the country.  Six of these were to be "cities of refuge", to which a person who had killed someone could flee.  The person was safe within the city of refuge, but not

Numbers - Chapter 34

In this chapter God describes the borders of the land that the people are to possess; and he also names the leader from each tribe who is to oversee the division of the land. The leaders names are nearly all theophoric names - meaning they are God-bearing names: * Judah: Caleb,

Numbers - Chapter 33

The Israelites are now on the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.  They are preparing to cross the Jordan into Canaan, and they are instructed by God to take possession of the land and settle in it. Joshua will be the leader at the time of the

Numbers - Chapter 32

Verse 23 contains a phrase that has entered into common usage: "be sure your sin will find you out" This truth lays at the centre of Jesus plan for redemption of the world.  Jesus himself said (in Luke 8, verse 17) there is nothing hidden that will not

Numbers - Chapter 31

This chapter is about God's judgement, and is full of warfare and death - including the death of women and children.  It is perhaps one of the harder chapters for many commentators.  But even so there is a link to Jesus here.  After the battle we read this:

Numbers - Chapter 30

This chapter is all about vows: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said, The best commentary on this chapter is provided by Jesus himself, during the

Numbers - Chapter 29

In this chapter we see the three autumn festivals - the fest of trumpets; the day of atonement; and the feast of tabernacles. The feast of tabernacles lasts for a week: "On the fifteenth day of the same month, you must call another holy assembly of all the people,

Numbers - Chapter 28

In this chapter there is a reminder of the feasts, and a list of daily, weekly and annual offerings and sacrifices.  These all look ahead prophetically to Jesus.  In verse 16 it says "on the 14th day of the first month the Lord's Passover is to be

Numbers - Chapter 27

Jesus is a descendent of King David, and this is shown through two genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. They are different because one is the genealogy through Joseph.  Joseph was Jesus’ legal father, but not a blood relative.  The other genealogy gives us the line through Mary, Jesus’