Josh1Eight

Scripture: Numbers 14:19-23 "In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt. 20 Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. 21 But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, 22 not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. 23 They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it." Observations: After refusing to enter the Promised Land because of the overwhelming negative report of the spies, the Israelites were determined to take back control of their lives, abandcon God's plan, and return to Egypt. Although God nearly destroyed them again for their ...

Scripture: Numbers 15:22-25, 30-31 “But suppose you unintentionally fail to carry out all these commands that the Lord has given you through Moses. 23 And suppose your descendants in the future fail to do everything the Lord has commanded through Moses. 24 If the mistake was made unintentionally, and the community was unaware of it, the whole community must present a young bull for a burnt offering...and they will be forgiven...30 But those who brazenly violate the Lord’s will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the Lord, and they must be cut off from the community. 31 Since they have treated the Lord’s word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt.” Observations: From God's perspective, He understands the difference between sins that are accidental and those that are done on purpose. The bad news is that regardless of whether the sin was done on purpose or by accident ...

Scripture: Mark 14:10-11, 69-72 "10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus...When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” 70 But Peter denied it again. A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean. 71 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept." Observations: Mark opens and closes this chapter with two separate stories of Jesus' betrayal- once by Juda...

Scripture: Numbers 13: 3-15, 31-33 He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran. 4 These were the tribes and the names of their leaders: Tribe — Leader Reuben — Shammua son of Zaccur 5 Simeon — Shaphat son of Hori 6 Judah — Caleb son of Jephunneh 7 Issachar — Igal son of Joseph 8 Ephraim — Hoshea son of Nun 9 Benjamin — Palti son of Raphu 10 Zebulun — Gaddiel son of Sodi 11 Manasseh son of Joseph — Gaddi son of Susi 12 Dan — Ammiel son of Gemalli 13 Asher — Sethur son of Michael 14 Naphtali — Nahbi son of Vophsi 15 Gad — Geuel son of Maki 31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” 32 So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw ...