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Day 97 (April 7): Elimelech and sons die leaving wives, Naomi urges sons’ wives to return to homeland, Ruth stays, women go to Naomi’s family, Boaz marries Ruth

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— Ruth 1-4:12
For background information on Ruth, go to http://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/ruth/
(1140 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (Ruth 1:2-3): Haven’t we talked about the Israelites battling the Moabites before?  If so, then why didn’t Elimelech find another place that was fertile?

A. The Moabites, we are told in Genesis 19, are descendants of Lot, and therefore close relatives of Israel.  The story seems to imply that he knew something about the good land and crops there during the famine.  It appears he considered it an acceptable alternative to Israel.  Israel and Moab have fought some and will again (2 Kings 3), but they appear to be on good terms at the time of this story.  Don’t forget, the period of the judges takes place over a long period of time.

Q. (1:13): Was it fair for Naomi to say that the Lord raised his fist against her?

A. I guess that’s a matter of opinion, but at this moment in her life, it certainly felt that way to her.  The death of her husband and sons would have been devastating to her prospects of survival.  There would have been absolutely no one to take care of her, and she likely knew — wrongly as it turned out — that her family line would die with her.  Watch for her speaking differently about God by the end of the story.

O. (2:1-23): In my opinion, Naomi was bold to say the Lord has been raising his fist at her.  But, maybe she is just being honest that God is testing her.  She obviously strongly believes in Him because she praised God for the kindness Ruth received from Boaz.

Q. (3:7-9): I find it strange that someone would go to sleep on a pile of grain.  And, I guess by lying at his feet, Ruth would show that she is indebted to him for his kindness, but it also must signal that she is asking him to take care of her?  Can you explain the uncovering of feet and the meaning of this scene?

A. During harvest season, the harvesters would spend the evenings in the fields to guard the crops they were processing from theft overnight.  It was also a time of celebration, which likely would have involved feasting and probably some alcohol consumption — the use of “good spirits” in 3:7 probably means he was a bit drunk.  But your guess is correct: this scene is both a request for care and, more importantly, a proposal of marriage that is being initiated by Ruth.  She is asking Boaz to be her kinsmen-redeemer, and the easiest way for him to do so as a man of wealth was to marry her.

Q. (4:5): It seems very important for the people of these times to carry on their family name.  It is important to many people today, but normally no relative would “take over” the husband duties and be humble and give them the name of the deceased.  Can you talk about the importance of carrying on a family name in these times?

A. Family is prized above everything else in this society except God.  The societal expectation was that you would do anything to ensure the survival of a “branch” on your family tree, including marrying a widow of a family member and declaring that any children produced from the marriage were the children of the dead relative.

Q. (4:11): I love the honor that is given here to Rachel and Leah.  If you have been reading along, you would know that I have been taking the treatment and view of women personally.  I don’t feel that God would have created women any less than men.  But, in the Bible there is such abuse of women — not all, there are a lot of positive Scripture too — that is very hard for me to accept.  It seems that any negativity that comes to man is of his own demise or has nothing to do with being a man.  Where women can be severely abused because they provide something men want, and in many cases, are treated as property.  Their treatment is out of their control.

A. What you are describing is not just the way things were in the story of the Bible, but basically the way things were in the entire world until the modern era (though in places like Saudi Arabia, it continues to this day).  And it’s not just women: children are treated just as much like property as women are.  Men ruled the day, and even with the instructions in the Law that women were to be treated with respect and cared for, they often bore the brunt of oppression by men.  But there’s a lot going on.

First, we must consider that we are 21st century readers looking back more than 3,000 years.  It can be hard to get our mind around their treatment of women and children, but we must understand that we are NOT reading about the modern world.  That the Law gave ANY consideration of women made it revolutionary for its time.  Centuries later, that Jesus and Paul would speak of women (and children) as full participants in the Gospel was again groundbreaking and revolutionary.

As I look at Scripture as a whole, I see God at work in a fallen world.  One of the rules in this fallen world is “might makes right,” and generally, men are the mighty ones, which allows them to exploit women and children.  But even if this is what the Bible tells us, it does not mean that what happens to women is in any way ENDORSED by God; far from it!  But God understands that human character does not change overnight, and so He works incrementally to bring about the change that He desires, changes that are seen most clearly in Jesus Himself.  While modern Western society may desire to forget its “backward and sexist” Judeo-Christian roots, it is not a coincidence that Western society alone has offered the full rights and privileges that women enjoy today.  Western society is centered around and built from the Church and her teachings, and one of the clearest teachings of the Bible is that women are made in the image of God just as much as men (Genesis 1:27) and women are an equal part of the Body of Christ (Galatians 3:28).  Without the Church and her guidance, I highly doubt that women reach that equal status they enjoy throughout North America and Europe today (and I think the same argument can be made for slaves and other minorities, but that’s another story).  It can be difficult to see things in this way, but part of me feels that God’s truth that all people are special to Him is most clearly seen in the way that the treatment of women in Scripture repulses us.  If it breaks our heart, surely it breaks His.  Praise God for the way that He has been able to guide our world in such a way that we have arrived at a place where women can truly be seen as full partners in the Kingdom of God!

Great answers!!!  Hope to see you tomorrow!

For further study: What was a guardian redeemer? https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/quest-bible/0238/07/16?interface=print

Shop: God’s Word is a story of love for us! https://livinlight.org/product/deepest-love-t-shirt/

Tomorrow’s reading
— Ruth 4:13-22
— 1 Chronicles 2:9-55
— 1 Chronicles 4:1-23
— 1 Samuel 1:1-8

 

Song of Moses. The song exalted the power of God and how He would bring them victory.
Categories365 Daily Bible Readings by

Day 80 (March 21): Song of Moses, God keeps his promise to forbid Moses from entering Canaan, prayer of Moses

Credit: Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— Deuteronomy 31:30-32:52
— Psalm 90
(1406 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

O. Before I read today’s readings, I was thinking about Moses’ relationship with God.  Thus far, he has been the closest human to God, so we should focus on what he is about to say and know that the words are coming from a man who has spent many days with God and had God’s glory in him.

Q. (32:8): Can you explain this verse?  I’m at a loss.  When it says “divided up the human race” is he talking about the tribes being assigned land?  And what is the heavenly court? From my footnotes, it looks like it could have several meanings?  The Dead Sea Scrolls, the Greek version and the Masoretic Text all say something different.

A. Nice job incorporating our material from yesterday!  I don’t have a clear explanation for the verse.  The dividing up the human race appears to be a reference to the Tower of Babel and the distribution of the nations after its fall from Genesis 11.  The heavenly court is usually viewed as the congregation of the angels, as we saw in the beginning of Job.  There are some Jewish traditions that ascribe to a notion that angels had a territory among the different nations, so the reference to division based upon the court might refer to that.  But, I can’t say it definitively.

Q. (32:10): What does the second part of the verse mean where he says he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes?

A. You guard your eyes like no other part of your body.  Even as a reflex (blinking, pulling away, etc.) your body automatically will take great steps to ensure that your eyes are not damaged.  They are so important.  God is watching over Israel just as closely, it says, as how carefully you guard your own eyes.

Q. (32:15): Moses refers to God as a Rock here.  I’m sure there is a good meaning behind the name.

A. Even today, we think of rocks as being steady and unbreakable.  That’s a central part of the image.  Also, in this era, rock faces and caves would have served as shelters for people who desired to hide, so we can also think of rocks as a source of protection.  So God as the Rock paints an image of protection, steadiness, and longevity.

O. (32:39): A verse worth noting.  It brings up a question we have had before about if there are other gods.  “Look now: I myself am he!  There is no other God but me!  I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand.”

Q. (32:40-41): Is Moses talking for God here or himself?  I don’t know what Moses means when he says, “As surely as I live, when I sharpen my flashing sword and begin to carry out justice, I will take revenge on my enemies and repay those who reject me.”

A. Moses is talking for God here.  This imagery refers to God avenging Himself among those who reject Him, referring specifically to the many Israelites who will be unfaithful to Him.  We will see various instances of this in future readings (I’m thinking of Joel 2 in particular, which is a powerful image of God avenging Himself), so let’s see how this verse is seen in subsequent stories.

Q. (32:50): What is the significance of both Moses and Aaron dying on a mountain?

A. Mountains are associated with the presence of God (like Mt. Sinai/Horeb), so dying on a mountain would be associated with the path a person “walks” to join God on high.  It is symbolic of a life journey where the end destination is God.

Q. (Psalm 90:4): Can this verse be used as proof of creation?  The 7 days of creation may have been longer.  I know it’s not important how long it took God to create the world.  I just thought it may be used to explain that.  Or, was Moses just making a quip?

A. You have touched upon something that is common in some circles: to use this verse and other citations of it to say that Creations could have been longer than one 24-hour period.  I don’t put much stock in these.  Moses is using metaphorical language to say that our concept of time means nothing to God.  I wouldn’t take it to mean anything more literal than that.

Q. (Psalm 90:5-9): This doesn’t paint a pretty picture of a reverent relationship with God.

A. In light of the eternal nature of God, I can’t say that I disagree with the assessment.  Next to Him, everything seems finite and fading.  It is only by His mercy that we are able to be more than dust in the wind, as it were.

Q. (Psalm 90:12): This verse says a lot!  I often think of troubles I have or things I want to do but can’t, for reasons of time and money.  And, if I’m in my right mind — which isn’t often enough — I remember that our time on Earth is so short and that if I don’t get the things done on my bucket list, then it’s no big deal.  God has bigger and better things for me waiting in heaven.  And I also think that my future in heaven, and possibly other’s futures, relies on what I do right now on Earth.  That gives me perspective to keep on seeking God’s guidance and do what He wants me to do.  This does sound a little dogmatic and I don’t mean it to.  I truly believe that He has given me, and anyone else who cares to listen to Him, a curriculum for my time on Earth.  And, from that, I gain the wisdom to make the right choices and not waste my time on empty matters.  Did I apply this correctly, Rob?

A. If we have properly fixed our gaze and decisions on the eternity of God, and not our time on earth, then I think that we are able to make decisions that allow us to live in light of this eternity.  You’ve got the idea.

Thanks for reading along.  See you tomorrow!

Further reading:
— Seven things to know about the Song of Moses, https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/inspiring-things-to-know-about-the-song-of-moses.html
— A deeper look into the Song of Moses, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_of_Moses

Tomorrow’s reading: Deuteronomy 33-34, Joshua 1-2

Second census of Israel for men of 20 years and older.
Categories365 Daily Bible Readings by

Day 66 (March 7): Israelite men defile themselves with Moabite women, God’s fury sends plague killing 24,000, second census of troops

Credit: Wong Chim Yuen

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

 Today’s Reading
— Numbers 25-26
(1407 BC) Click here for a timeline of the whole Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (Numbers 25:1-18): In 25:5, Moses ordered Israel’s judges to kill those who had defiled themselves.  It sounds like to me that this order was not carried out except for Phinehas killing Zimri who had taken a Midianite woman into his tent.  That is why 24,000 died?

A. I would assume that the story recorded of the Midianite woman is a representative example of the callousness that these men showed for God in this instance.  The man in question brought a foreigner into the presence of Moses and the leaders — not to mention God’s presence — at the Tabernacle: this is a huge violation of the Law and a major affront to God’s holiness, which I suspect is what prompted the violent reaction.  The man appeared to be flaunting his defiance of the leadership!  I think we can safely assume that other “ringleaders,” as the text called them, were executed, but not before many thousands of people had died in a plague that spread among the people.

Q. (26:5-50): The tribes’ census doesn’t mean anything to me, given my knowledge.  Is there anything that we should pay special attention to?

A. As we will discuss below, while the book of Numbers is not carefully dated, nearly 40 years have passed since the original census has been taken at the beginning of the text.  These two censuses are a big part of the reason this book gets its name: the Israelites are numbered twice, at the beginning of their wandering, and again at the end.  Regarding the importance of THIS census, if you compare the numbers at the beginning and end of the text, you see that there are roughly the same number of Israelites ready to serve in the army (around 600,000), but the tribes from which they come has changed a bit: Simeon’s tribe is the biggest loser of people — nearly 60K in the first, only 22K in the second.  This leads some scholars to speculate that the 24,000 who were killed were from Simeon’s tribe — at least partly because the flagrant offender from the previous question was from Simeon’s tribe.  The big “winners” in the second census are Benjamin — 35,000 to 45,000 — and Joseph’s son Manasseh — 32,000 to 52,000 — but the reasons for this are not given.

Q. (26:51-56): I assume God is telling him to divide up the land of Canaan, right?  But, they are not even there yet.

A. Moses is getting the instructions of how the land of promise is going to be divided up: larger tribes get more than smaller ones, and also individual plots of land were to be given by lot, essentially allowing God Himself to divide up the land as He saw fit.  I’m sure we will revisit this in Joshua when it actually happens, and we can talk about how the process was actually carried out.

Q. (26:64): Has it already been 40 years?  I thought the Israelites had quite a ways to go yet before they were permitted to go to Canaan.  There are songs and sayings that talk about “The Lord’s Army.”  Is this what the census has comprised?  God made a new census because so many had died and they didn’t have a right to be in His army anyway?  God wanted to start with a clean slate?

A. Other than a handful of people, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, etc., the vast majority of the people counted in the previous census, who were more than 20 years old 40 years ago, remember, are dead.  God is indeed starting fresh, with a new army that is made up of a new generation of Israelites, and they will be getting their new leader soon in Joshua.  The invasion of the Promised Land is coming as soon as we get the farewell sermon of Moses.

For further reading: Are numbers in the Bible accurate? https://www.gotquestions.org/numbers-Bible-accurate.html

Shop: Just like God wanted to grow the Israelites, Jesus came to earth to spread the message of love.  He is an example of showing love and He taught others to follow in his footsteps.  Follow the teacher: https://livinlight.org/product/teacher-t-shirt/

Tomorrow’s reading: Numbers 27-29

Balaam and Balak. God caused donkey to speak against getting beat.
Categories365 Daily Bible Readings by

Day 65 (March 6): Balak asks Balaam to curse Israel, God ensures Balaam’s readiness, donkey talks, Balaam aids Israel, Balaam shares Israel’s future

Wong Chim Yuen

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— Numbers 22-24
(1407 BC) Click here for a timeline of the whole Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (Numbers 22:4): Has Balaam been mentioned in the Bible until now?  From today’s reading, he sounds like he is really close to God.  How come he has not been mentioned thus far, or did I miss something?

A. You did not miss anything.  This is the first time we have met Balaam, because he is not an Israelite.  This three-chapter interval in the story appears to have its origins in the fear of the Moabite king and a pagan prophet.

Q. (Numbers 22:22): I don’t understand why God was upset with Balaam for going to see Balak when God told him to go the night before.

A. Yes, this is tricky.  I would suspect that God’s anger with Balaam has to do with his motives.  God gives Balaam permission to go, but not to curse Israel, so perhaps that is what Balaam was planning to do that offended God, even after He had granted permission to go see the king.  I can see why a face value reading of the text would cause confusion, however.  There is quite possibly some sort of error in the text that presents itself as God contradicting His own order.

Q. (22:23-34): The understanding I have of this verse is that Balaam is in his own world.  He’s not looking up to see the angel of the Lord, so God knows that Balaam isn’t tuned in to him.  He sent the angel to give Balaam a wakeup call to make sure he is speaking God’s words?  Also, when Balaam is whipping the donkey, God makes the donkey talk, which made me think that God was trying to teach him a lesson that he needs to pay attention to others and not just himself.

A. I think that is very insightful.  Your suggestion could be another reason God was not pleased with Balaam and forbid him to go: he was only focusing on himself, and needed a “wake up call.”

Q. (23:1-6, 23:14) Rob, you have told us that when we see the number 7 in the Bible, it signifies completeness, how does this the seven altars signify completeness here?

A. You have correctly noticed another incident of 7.  The number apparently was significant in the minds of Israel’s neighbors as well, for they also see it as a significant number.  According to my commentary, Balaam is using a pagan technique of prophecy called liver divination, and this many animals sacrificed would surely have given Balaam plenty of organs to examine (a lovely image, isn’t it?).  This type of divination would have been specifically forbidden to the Israelites, but was commonplace for professional pagan prophets (say that 5 times fast) like Balaam.

O. (23:7-12) I can imagine how totally ticked off King Balak would be.  I guess this is God’s version of humor.  It works for me!

Q. I just wonder if Balak, after hearing the blessings prophecies, changed his mind if God would change his fate?  Or, is it already predetermined?

A. That’s a tricky question.  In the short term, Moab is NOT one of the nations that will be conquered by Israel: they are not in in the Promised Land, but are rather outside of it.  The vision that Balaam has about a specter rising to crush Moab is probably that of King David, who will conquer many of the surrounding nations.  As we keep reading, however, I think you will see the Moabite reaction to Israel.

For further reading: What reminders can we glean from the talking donkey story? https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/important-reminders-from-the-story-of-balaam-and-his-talking-donkey.html

Tomorrow’s reading: Numbers 25-26

Categories365 Daily Bible Readings by

Day 64 (March 5): Purifying with water, Miriam dies, water from rock, Moses punished, King refuses Israel, Aaron dies, victories, manna woes, bronze snake, Moab

Credit: Wong Chim Yuen

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— Numbers 19-21
(1426-1407 BC) Click here for a timeline of the whole Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (Numbers 19:1-22): We have talked about how Israelites would be ceremonially unclean if they touched a dead person and would need purification to become clean again.  We have said that the reason for this is a hygienic issue.   God did not want disease to enter the Tabernacle.  Is there anything more?

A. The hygiene is the underlying issue to consider when it comes to the purification, but ultimately, God is providing instructions for obedience, and part of it was not having the Tabernacle come in contact with things that were unclean because they had been in various forms of contact with the dead.  God WAS interested in helping the community not suffer from disease, especially among the priests, but the reason the people were required to obey didn’t just have to do with the spread of disease, but because God was teaching them to trust and follow His commands.  If God declared that contact with dead bodies (including animals, as this passage reminds us) caused people to be unclean, that was all they needed to know in order to obey.  We can see considerations of community hygiene, but they were simply expected to obey because that is what God told them.

Q. (20:1): Not much is made of Miriam’s death.

A. That is true.  Something that I read is that because of her proclamation of victory after crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 15), she became a figure associated with water.  Thus, the next section of the story, the provision of water in the wildnerness, even with the cost to Moses and Aaron, was a way of honoring her spirit.  Miriam remains an important figure to Jewish women, and one of the most well-known and commonly used Jewish names.  Mary, Jesus’ earthly mother, and what seems like a dozen other women in the New Testament, bear the same name, Mary.  Mary is the English version of the translation of the same name in Greek, the Hebrew name Miriam.  So while the story does not seem to honor her, she remains to this day a very revered Jewish figure.

Q. (20:2-5): In a reading a couple days ago, you mentioned that because of the disrespect and disbelief that this generation of Israelites had that God intentionally made them wander in the desert for 40 years, long enough for that rebellious generation to die off.  Here they are grumbling again.  Did God reveal to them why they keep wandering?

A. I think the previous texts made the matter pretty clear (Numbers 14 tells them that their time in the desert matches the time in days the spies were in the Promised Land: 40 years for 40 days.  But it appears they didn’t get the message, and rather then seeking to repent, they tried to force God’s hand by going into the land anyway, and continuing to complain about Moses and God’s provision.  Some people learn hard.

Q. (20:6-13): I know this story, so I know that God was upset with Moses because Moses struck the rock instead of just speaking to it.  But, if you don’t know this story and are just reading along, you may be confused because Moses got water for the people from the rock as God told him to.  It’s the specific instructions that Moses does not follow.  Do we know if this is intentional on Moses part, or just a misunderstanding?  I guess we take it that Moses did it intentionally, because God knows his heart and Moses did write this book, as best to our knowledge.  Maybe Moses is upset with God: His sister just died?  So, now Moses and Aaron will not see Canaan, just like the rest of that generation of Israelites.

A. Moses will see the Promised Land, just not enter it.  You’ll see how.  I’m sure the death of his sister had something to do with his frustration, but ultimately he directly disobeys God, and joins his generation in being kept out of the Promised Land.  There’s a lot of speculation about what Moses actually did, clearly it wasn’t just a misunderstanding, but rather willful intent on his part.  He is clearly angry with the people, and very likely at the end of his rope in frustration with their complaining.  Personally, I think that what God reacts to is Moses claiming credit for the provision of water (“must I provide it for you”), when God was the one who had made the provision.  It is never a good thing when we claim personal credit for things that we know are the will and provision of God alone.

Q. (20:14-21): The descendants of Esau comprise Edom, right?  Jacob and Esau parted on good terms years ago.  Why would the king of Edom not let the Israelites pass through?  Do we know how other nations view the Israelites at this time?  They are a huge traveling group.  There must have been talk.

A. Remember that Esau’s other name was Edom, related to his red hair and foolish desire for red stew (Genesis 25:30).  We do not know exactly what motivated the king’s decision, but the antagonism between Jacob’s descendants and Esau’s is one of the things we noted back in Genesis was something we would follow throughout the narrative.  As you mention, the group was probably quite intimidating, so perhaps there is little surprise that various nations refused to let them enter their territory.

Q. (20:29): I wonder here if mourning means observance of death or actual mourning.  The reason I bring this up is that the Israelites yo-yo between respecting Moses and Aaron and rebelling against them.  To mourn for 30 days must mean they respected him at this time?  They also seem to be following in the next passage, Numbers 21:1-3.

A. Most ancient societies had standard operating procedures for honoring the dead, which appears to be what the text is describing.  I do think that it is a powerful tribute to the respect they had for Aaron, even as they refused to listen to him.  Aaron, along with Moses, certainly did a lot for the people in terms of, you know, keeping the people alive and out of God’s wrath, and I think the people knew it.

Q. (21:4-9): I must say, I would think that if I had the same thing to eat over and over again that I would complain about it.  Is the lesson that the Israelites are not getting that they have made bad choices (complaining, doubting, being envious) and thus have brought this long journey in the desert on themselves?  If they would have trusted in God, they may have already been enjoying the Promised Land?

A. I think you’ve put it well.  Note the tone of the complaint: we hate this horrible manna, the very provision God made for His people day after day.  No wonder God was angered!  This isn’t, “Moses can we have quail or something else”, this is, “I hate what you are providing for me God,”  That’s very dangerous territory for any of us!

Q. (21:35): So after the Israelites destroyed these cities (God was with them), they could settle in those houses instead of using their tents?

A. I honestly don’t know if they used the territory; the text doesn’t tell us.  I would say it is a fair assumption that they (temporarily- they would be moving soon) used some of the buildings they conquered.

For further reading
— All about manna https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-is-manna.html 
— See a map of the Israelites 40-year journey in the desert. https://bible-history.com/maps/route-exodus

Shop: Follow God and you will have a great life! https://livinlight.org/product/overflow-t-shirt-2/

Tomorrow’s reading: Numbers 22-24