But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go. – Deuteronomy 12:5

Today's Scripture Reading (February 28, 2025): Deuteronomy 12

Many years ago, I served as an Associate Pastor in a church pondering a move. We had secured a piece of land for an excellent price. It was a relatively large piece of land on the outskirts of the city, and there was some discussion about whether the lot size was too much for us. There seemed to be a movement within the body that disagreed not with the move but with the size of the land package we were trying to purchase. We discussed many options about what we could do with the land, including building a senior apartment complex on the property. But some members remained unimpressed.

One day, I remember knocking on my boss's door. I had a question. In recent years, there has been a movement for medium to large churches in the city's center to move their ministries to the outskirts, where land is plentiful. It appeared that we might be following that trend. Our building was old, and we needed more space. One corner of the church was sinking, and parking was almost nonexistent. There seemed to be no end to the reasons why the move was a good idea. And yet, there was a question that still raged in my brain. Was this move part of God's plan for our church, or was it just part of our human motive to get ahead? 

I knocked on the door, my boss told me to come in, and I asked my question. I still remember my boss's response. He told me he didn't think that God cared where we ministered. God would be happy with us if we stayed in the neighborhood where we had ministered for the past four decades or moved to the edge of the city. Admittedly, his response took the pressure off the move. Whether we moved or stayed in our current neighborhood, it was all according to God's plan.

I was not sure that I agreed. But I also didn't possess an answer to my query. I was unsure about what God was asking us to do. Ultimately, we did not move, and a few months later, my boss decided to accept a position with the denominational hierarchy; to this day, I remain unconvinced that the two events were not connected. 

Moses tells the people that the Tabernacle will exist at a place where God would choose, and it was there that the nation would come to worship. Where was that place? Well, that is part of the problem. It appears God chose Shechem as the place where the Tabernacle would be located. But while the nation moved away from an itinerant society that traveled from place to place and began to build an agrarian society where the people built their homes and farmed their pieces of land, the Tabernacle remained itinerant. Even in the Promised Land, the Tabernacle continued to move from place to place, starting at Shechem but then moving to Bethel. Finally, the Tabernacle was placed in Shiloh before it was replaced by the Temple built in Jerusalem. The tendency is to argue that each of these places became "the place the LORD your God will choose." But sometimes, I wonder if this, too, was simply part of the people's rebellion. 

There is an adage that tells us that "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." But it is a human expression. Maybe the better adage for the Christian Church is this one: "Bloom where you are planted." It is often more challenging, but maybe God has placed you precisely where he wants you to be."  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 13

The curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. – Deuteronomy 11:28

Today's Scripture Reading (February 27, 2025): Deuteronomy 11

If you are a fan of the sitcom "Seinfeld," you probably recognize the phrase, "yada, yada, yada." The phrase was initially made popular by comedian Lenny Bruce in the early 1960s, but it was revived when it became a catchphrase for the cast of "Seinfeld." In Seinfeld, it came to substitute for the middle of the story and mundane or sometimes sensitive details that could be left out. "I got up this morning and it was Thursday, and yada yada yada, here I am at work." Many things happened between "I got up this morning" and "arriving at work," but you can probably fill in the blanks without me boring you with the details.

The phrase is used to summarize the mundane moments of life, but it has also been used to summarize the sensitive moments of life. The phrase has been used in several memes. Many years ago, I remember one of these memes that made fun of Lori Loughlin's legal troubles over the bribes paid, and lies told, to get her kids into the college of their choice. The meme showed Loughlin saying. "So, I'm on 3rd Avenue, mindin' my own business, and yada, yada, yada, my kid gets into USC." Again, you get to fill in the blanks with the details you think are essential. 

Deuteronomy uses the word "yada" forty-three times. But it is not used as filler. In Deuteronomy, the word is used to indicate what it is that Israel either knows or should know. Moses stresses that the people should teach it and repeat it over and over again, making sure that this knowledge is placed in the hearts of the people and their children. Teach them well. Make sure that they know.

Here, yada is used in the negative. It isn't what the people know or even what they should know, but what they don't know. Moses's point is that they have traded the God they know (yada) for the foreign gods they don't know (don't yada). The worship of foreign gods would be the initial stage of the curse that God would leave with Israel. The curse was that God was willing to let go of Israel and leave them in the hands of false deities. However, the question that would remain was if Israel had taught the children to know (yada), why wouldn't they follow the commands of the God who divided the Red Sea and allowed Israel to cross on dry ground? This was the same God who had supplied the manna, quail, and even water when it was needed. It was this God who had helped them defeat even enemies who were stronger than they were. This story needed to be taught to the children to ensure they knew (yada). If the children were not taught well, they might follow after gods they did not know. But, if the stories were told, the hope was that the children would follow the God of their ancestors and know, yada, yada, yada.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 12

I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the ark."- Deuteronomy 10:2

Today's Scripture Reading (February 26, 2025): Deuteronomy 10

Leadership is a strange thing. And there are very few real leaders who walk among us. Part of the reason is that leadership is difficult and often unfair. Not only does the leader set the path for those who follow, but they also take the blame when things go wrong. It is that second part that is hard and unfair. Most of us would love to set the path for people, to have the ability to say "do this" or "don't do that." Setting the agenda and watching as people actually do what we say is the fun part of leadership. But when everything falls apart, even if it is because people don't follow the path we have set for them, a true leader is willing to say, "That's okay; that is my fault." This is the part of leadership that is less fun. And yet, for a leader, that is part of the job.

Moses went up on the mountain to talk with God. The rest of the nation has been left at the bottom of the mountain. How long Moses spent on Mount Sinai is not revealed, but it was long enough that the people began to wonder if maybe their leader had died on the mountain and was never coming back. They didn't go and try to find him; they couldn't; they had been prohibited from even stepping on the mountain's base. So, they created a new God at the base of the mountain. They made a golden calf and called the calf God; they created an idol, an act that violated the very covenant that God was giving to Moses on the mountain. 

As Moses descends from the mountain, he sees the calf and the people of whom he was the leader worshiping the calf. As a result, in his anger, he breaks the tablet God gave him with the law written on it. It was a moment of great symbolism; the tablets contained God's law and the requirements that defined the behavior he expected from his people. As the people broke the expectations listed on the tablet, Moses broke the tablets. This leads to a conversation between Moses and the people and the destruction of the golden calf before Moses ascends the mountain one more time for a conversation with God. 

God reminds Moses of two things. The first is that Moses broke the tablets. Moses couldn't deny what he had done. Moses broke the tablets on which the writing of God had been placed, but he also took responsibility for the people's breaking of the covenant when they created the golden calf. This is the hard part of leadership. Moses was their leader, and he had learned to take responsibility for his followers' wrongdoings. 

The second significant reaction was that God was willing to replace the broken tablets. Remaking the tablets was an act of grace. It represented a second chance both for Moses and Israel. It was the do-over that Israel needed and the one that we need as well.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 11

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my now teen-age granddaughter, Emilina.

Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. – Deuteronomy 9:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 25, 2025): Deuteronomy 9

Have you ever wondered if God really sees our problems? Does God know what it is that we are going through, or how big the Giants really are that we have to face in our world? I have said that my favorite name for God is "El Roi." It is an obscure name; in fact, it only occurs once in the entire Bible, and that is in Genesis 16 and the story of Hagar and Ishmael. Hagar has run away from her boss, Sarai (Sarah), because Hagar is being mistreated. As a result, Hagar finds herself in the wilderness. And there, she meets with the God of Abraham. God reminds her that he knows how big the Giants are in her world, but he also wants her to see that he is with her. And while the future of Abram and Sarah might be in his hands, so is the future of Hagar. He has plans for her life and the life of her son. Then Genesis makes this comment; "She [Hagar] gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." You are El Roi, and now I have seen El Roi. 

I need to be reminded that El Roi looks over me. He sees me and the Giants that I am up against. He was, is, and always will be the El Roi, the God who sees me. And that is something that I need to know. 

In about a month, Israel is going to be entering Canaan. It has been thirty-eight years since Israel sent spies into the land. Thirty-eight years have passed since those same spies returned to Moses with a report that said there were giants in the land. There are cities there which are too big and too strong for us to defeat. Because of the reports of the spies, Israel decided not to take the land. The giants were literally too big for Israel to handle. In fact, the giants were too big for even God to handle. 

Thirty-eight years have passed, and Moses comes to Israel and reminds them that nothing has changed. The situation that existed thirty-eight years earlier still exists. The cities are still strong, the giants are still big, and the walls are still high. The time that Israel has spent in the wilderness hasn't changed the original report of the spies. On top of that, the people of Israel are still too weak to take the land. What had changed was that Israel was willing to trust God for a situation beyond them. They knew that they were weak, but he was strong.

It is something that I need to remember. It is the theme of a song written by an unknown author that dates back to the African-American Church of the 1800s and maybe even to a time before the American Civil War. This unknown author wrote:

        I am weak but Thou art strong,

        Jesus keep me from all wrong.

        I'll be satisfied as long as I walk,

        Let me walk close to thee.

It is our confession. For El Roi, a God who sees me, all I need to do is keep walking close to him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 10

… then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. – Deuteronomy 8:14

Today's Scripture Reading (February 24, 2025): Deuteronomy 8

Has someone ever told you that "they have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps?" Maybe you have used the phrase yourself. Often, what we mean when we use the phrase is that we have accomplished some goal strictly through our own personal effort. No one helped us; we didn't have a parent give us our first million dollars. We possess everything we have through hard work; we did it ourselves. "We have pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps."

I question the premise. Regardless of how hard we have worked, most of us have had help from someone or even benefited from luck at some point in the process. I know I have. My parents did not give me a million dollars, but they loved and supported me when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Friends have done that as well; some even helped me without expectation of repayment, just asking me to pay it forward. We have all received help somewhere and need to recognize that assistance.

But let me go back to the phrase, and especially the origin of it. Bootstraps, the fabric at the back of a boot that you use to pull on to get your foot into a boot, originated in the mid-1800s. If you are a fan of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, which takes place in the 1700s, you might remember the character of "Bootstrap Bill." However, the character is an anachronism because bootstraps weren't a thing in the 1700s. Sometime after we started to pull our boots on with the assistance of that little piece of material attached to the heel of our boots, the phrase appeared in a physics textbook. The concept was formed as a question. Is it possible to lift yourself up by your bootstraps? Can you lift yourself off the ground by pulling at your bootstraps? Why or why not? And the answer is no, that is impossible, just like you can't lift yourself off the ground by lifting the chair on which you are sitting. To lift anything, you need something that is firmly connected to the ground. If you could pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you would be saying that you have learned to levitate or maybe even fly. 

So, the next time someone brags that they lifted themselves up by their bootstraps, the answer is, "No, you didn't." Because that is physically impossible, no one can do that, regardless of what we think.

God is saying the same thing. He has brought Israel to a place where they will be able to build a future. It is a place where they can build homes, grow crops, and pasture animals. It is a place where they can take care of their wants and desires as well as the needs of their neighbors. And the temptation was going to be, "I did this. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps." The people will become proud and forget all God has done to support them. In doing so, they will plant their seeds of destruction because God will let them, and us, go it alone if that is what we want.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 9

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. – Deuteronomy 7:6

Today's Scripture Reading (February 23, 2025): Deuteronomy 7

There is a discussion within theological circles about whether all of the promises the Tanakh proclaims for Jews now apply to Christians. And does that mean that they no longer apply to our Jewish brothers and sisters? Maybe let me address the second issue first. I believe all of the promises we find in the Hebrew Bible still apply to Israel. The relationship between God and the Jews has no end date attached. However, these promises did come with an expectation. God chose Israel as his people so that they would be salt and light in the world. He called them to make this world a better place. And that expectation is still in place. The Jewish people have been called to be positive change agents in the world. Judaism is a success as long as that is true. Israel remains a people that is holy to the Lord, set apart for his purposes. 

The second question is more troubling, and I think the answer is some but not all. However, it also means that God has added the Christian Church to his expectations for Judaism; we, too, should be salt and light. This world should be a better place because we are in it. Our presence should be transformational; if it isn't, then we have failed at the job God has given to us. 

Moses reminds Israel that they are a holy people. God has set the nation aside for his purposes and intends to bless Israel as long as it stays holy or set apart. And that is as much true today as it was almost 3500 years ago. Israel is still holy and is still a nation set apart. I am disturbed by the way that Israel has responded in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. It is not that they didn't have the right to respond, but they responded in a very similar way to the way Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran might have responded. There was no difference, no mercy that could be extended to the non-combatants and children, just as Israel wishes that Hamas would have acted with mercy to children and non-combatants in the original attack. There should have been a difference in behavior, but there wasn't. God's call to Israel remains that they are set apart and different, and that difference should be evident to the world and evident in a positive way.

And this is one expectation that is true for Judaism and is also true, or even raised, for the Christian Church. The true church is set apart. We are different; our reactions should be different from that of the world. A warmongering church is an oxymoron; that shouldn't be us. However, the Apostle Peter insists that not only are we a holy people, set apart for God, but we are a holy priesthood. 

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5).

We are different. Our responses should be different. Gossip and hate should be an anathema to the Christian Church. It is not who we are created to be. We are different, and the world should see that difference and be blessed. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 8

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. – Deuteronomy 6:5

Today's Scripture Reading (February 22, 2025): Deuteronomy 6

Poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014) said that "Love recognizes no barriers." If we love, we will not see the barriers that others see. And it is more than just romantic love. We are to live our lives living out the aims of love to everyone, even those who disagree with us. This kind of love seems to make us feel weak in this world. If I love my neighbor despite the bad behavior that they do, then how will I change their behavior? (I have great neighbors, but I know that not everyone is as lucky as I am.) How do I love that neighbor who gets drunk late at night and then goes out in his backyard and yells at the stars but still get him to stop what he is doing? And sometimes, what our neighbors need is to know that we love them, despite what they might be doing, even when they annoy us and yell at the stars. 

Deuteronomy 6 is one of the most critical passages in the Tanakh. It is called the "Shema," and it begins with these words.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts (Deuteronomy 6:4-6).

The first command that Israel needs to learn is to love God with everything they possess. Love is the starting place of worshiping God. Australian Old Testament Scholar J. A. Thompson (1913-2002) writes;

What God most wants from humanity is love. It is easy to think that God is more interested in many other things: time, money, effort, will, submission, and so forth. But what God really wants from humanity is their love. When people really love the LORD with all the heart, soul, and mind, then all else is freely given to the LORD. If one starts by giving to God all the rest – money, time, effort, will, and so forth – without giving Him love, then all is wasted – and perhaps, all is lost. "Israel's obedience was not to spring from a barren legalism based on necessity and duty. It was to arise from a relationship based on love." (John Arthur Thompson)

Once we learn to love God, we begin to love those God has created, regardless of who they are. The barriers start to drop. If we are true worshippers of God, we will be characterized by love, beginning with God and spreading to others, not because it is our duty but arising from a relationship based on love. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 7

The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. – Deuteronomy 5:2

Today's Scripture Reading (February 21, 2025): Deuteronomy 5

I know I have said this before, but names in the Bible are important. Names are more than just something we call a particular person or place. And often, in North America, the way we name our cities and towns is to copy names from the United Kingdom or Europe or other places, sometimes even places in the "new world." So, there is a London in England and a London in the Canadian province of Ontario. Speaking of Ontario, the largest province in Canada is named Ontario, but there is also a city named Ontario in California in the United States. My ancestors, who came over from Europe almost 400 years ago, landed and lived in a place called New Amsterdam, a region named after the capital city of the Netherlands. But don't go looking for New Amsterdam on a map. The area where my ancestors started living their lives in the New World no longer goes by the name it had taken from the Netherlandic Capital. It changed its name, removing the name from the name adapted from the Capital of the Netherlands and exchanging it for the name of a cathedral city in England, a place called York. The area where my ancestors began their lives is now part of New York. There is very little originality in these names; they are memories of somewhere else or names that arise from a different language. The city and province of Ontario find their name origin in the language of the Iroquois people. Ontario means "beautiful" or "sparkling water;" for the Canadian province, it alludes to the Great Lakes, especially the Eastern ones, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, while, for the Californian city, the allusion is to the Pacific Ocean. 

But in the Bible, names are chosen because they have meaning. And so, people sometimes had two names. As a result, Simon, which means "listen" or "hearing," becomes Peter, which means "rock." Abram, which means "exalted Father," becomes Abraham, meaning "Father of Multitudes." 

So maybe it shouldn't surprise us that the Mountain of God, the place where Moses received the "Ten Commandments," also carries at least two names, and both names refer to the character of God. Maybe the most common name is Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai refers to God's "glory and holiness." It reminds us of the moment when God met with Moses, and the people of Israel were commanded to stay away from even the base of the mountain. God was holy, and he was separate. Everything that had to do with God had to be entered into very carefully and with significant forethought and planning. When Israel began to treat God casually, they got into trouble. And all of this was summed up in the name "Sinai."

A less well-known name for the same mountain was Mount Horeb. Horeb concentrated on God's "judgment and wrath." It called into consideration what had happened to the nation when they forgot about the meaning of Sinai. It was another side of God that Israel knew well.

In this moment, Moses stresses the Horeb side of God. Moses wouldn't be with Israel when they entered the Promised Land. But they couldn't forget that God was still there and that the best results always came when they listened to God and acted as he had instructed them. This meant obeying God even in those moments when his instruction didn't make sense. (Like marching around the walls of Jericho. Really!)

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6

You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. – Deuteronomy 4:35

Today's Scripture Reading (February 20, 2025): Deuteronomy 4

"Believe it when they tell you who they are!" It is a phrase that I think I have heard more in the last decade than I have ever heard before. The context is usually directed at the current conservative movement in North America and Europe. (I admit that I am a conservative, although I acknowledge that I am a different kind of conservative, one that believes in small government and balanced budgets.) But the reality is that this is a time when people are saying things out loud that once we would have never said, even if we thought it, both on the political right and left. Politicians are telling us who they are with an honesty that seems new. But we still don't believe them. So, when they do what they said they would do, we are still surprised, and our response is, "We thought you were exaggerating."

But they weren't. Politicians from all stripes must be laughing at the people's gullibility. Regardless of what they tell us, we seem to believe what we want to believe. When we enter our vote, we still vote for the one we think will do what we want, and we often ignore what they tell us. 

The result is that we are becoming more dissatisfied with our political system than ever. In the last year, I have even heard people openly wonder if democracy even works anymore. Maybe it would be better if we had a King or a beneficial despot at the helm of our countries. I can hear the cry of our ancestors who fought against the absolute rule of monarchs in times past. And, yes, there have always been pockets of these people, but now that questioning of democracy has become part of the mainstream political discussion, where I have never heard it before.

There is also an idea that rich people will make us rich. The idea is laughable because most rich people, although not all, became wealthy by making other people poor. And the rich have seldom been the repository of what is moral. But maybe that isn't important anymore.

Moses is speaking to Israel. Part of the message is that what God has done in the past should be all Israel needs to know as they move into the future. He had helped them defeat their enemies in the past and would help them in the future. God has fed the nation in the past and will help them grow the crops the country will need in the future. He had led them where they should go in the past, and he would help guide them in the future. However, maybe even more importantly, he had been the moral example for them in the past and would be the moral authority in the future. These things had been shown to Israel so they would know who this God was, and there was none other like him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 5

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my grandson's, William and Henry

Next we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei. – Deuteronomy 3:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 19, 2025): Deuteronomy 3

Edrei was a town located on the King's Highway. As a result, the world passed by the city. It was also situated on a bluff that allowed the residents to see any attack approaching from the South or the East. The town was in a coveted position and sought after by several different nations. As a result, the city became culturally important and was influenced by the cultures of several civilizations. 

Bashan was in the northernmost portion of what we now call the Transjordan. The area the Bible calls Bashan is now part of the nation of Jordan, and its westernmost part makes up most of the Golan Heights. It is an area covered with forests and known for its rich pastures and high hills, like the one on which Edrei sat.

Israel seems to have taken the southern portion of the King's Highway. Because of the vantage point offered by Edrei, there is no way that the people of the city didn't know that Israel was coming. And so, Og, the King of Bashan, sends his troops out to meet Israel at Edrei. Likely, this is not the first time the King sent troops to this city on a hill. He may have even had a portion of his military permanently headquartered at Edrei. However, Deuteronomy tells us that Og sent all of his army to Edrei, likely in hopes that the show of force would deter the wilderness wanderers from even trying to get through the city. The King hoped that Israel would simply turn around and go back the way that they had come. 

But they didn't. They had heard the promise of God and believed that even if Og engaged them in battle, which he would, they would come out on top in the end. The Battle of Edrei would become an encouraging moment for Israel as they prepared to inhabit the land God had promised them. The nation could not be stopped as long as they depended on his power and guidance.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 4  

Give the people these orders: 'You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. – Deuteronomy 2:4

Today's Scripture Reading (February 18, 2025): Deuteronomy 2

Many years ago, I chased a mouse throughout my house. It was late; my wife had already gone to bed when I started to hear something running through the house. I emptied boxes and looked into corners, but while I could hear the animal, I couldn't find it. Late hours became early hours, but the chase was still on. Going to bed didn't seem to be an option. I realize that once you become aware of a mouse in your house, your problem is much bigger than just a single animal. But still, I was obsessed with this one mouse. Finally, in the early morning hours, I cornered it. Then, the mouse attacked. Yeah, it wasn't much of a fight, but in the end, I was shocked enough at the change in strategy that the mouse made it into a closet and a box filled with winter footwear. I tossed the contents of the box outside and watched my mouse jump from the box and away from me.

The phrase, "a cornered rat is a dangerous rat," is an English expression that seems to have risen in the 1700s. Then, the phrase started multiplying and started featuring several different animals. It appears that a rat, or in my case, a mouse, just doesn't present a terrifying enough image to the listener, although I am not sure that I would want to take on a cornered rat. As a result, the animal in the phrase morphed into something else. One of the images became a cornered tiger. However, there is a problem with the change that we sometimes seem to overlook. What makes the original phrase powerful is that a rat, when compared to a human, is a relatively small, weak animal. So, when it goes on attack, there is a change in relationship; the hunted becomes the hunter. However, a tiger is a scary animal, whether cornered or not. All of this makes the rat a better choice for the expression. 

God instructed Moses to tell Israel that they were about to go through the land of some of their relatives, beginning with Edom. He tells them the Edomites would fear them, but they should still be careful. If they were cornered, the Edomites would fight, but that was not the situation God desired. The Edomites could be dangerous, so don't provoke them. Move through their territory with respect and in an attitude of peace. 

Maybe God was looking into the future and a day when the most famous Edomite would be a thorn in the side of Israel. His name was Herod the Great. According to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (c. 37-c. 100), Herod was an Idumean, meaning that he was a descendant of Esau and the Edomites. During the time of Jesus, Herod was the King of the Jews, even though he was not a descendant of David. Herod was also paranoid and dangerous. And it was Israel that had let him because of the sin into which the nation continually seemed to fall. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 3

Then all of you came to me and said, "Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to." – Deuteronomy 1:22

 Today's Scripture Reading (February 17, 2025): Deuteronomy 1

There is a military tradition to train soldiers to react to orders, obeying what they are told as quickly as possible. In recent generations, this has changed a little as soldiers have been tried for following illegal orders. Being ordered to commit a crime cannot be used as an excuse. Much of this changed during the Second World War when superiors ordered soldiers to commit war crimes. As a result, we have tried to make soldiers culpable for their crimes, even if they were under orders to do the illegal act. But there is also a problem with this change. In times of conflict, superiors may not have the time to explain the reason for the order. Success is often related to the speed at which a soldier carries out the order he has received. If doubt is introduced to the system and the soldier has to decide the legality of the order, then the chances of military success begin to decline.  

As Moses begins to relate all of the things that Israel has gone through, he begins with God bringing them to the edge of the Promised Land. Here, we start to see the planting of the seeds of failure. Like a soldier trying to figure out the legality of an order, it was the seeds of doubt that doomed Israel. Sometimes, we know the story so well that we miss some of the essential elements. One of the earliest problems is found in this verse. God has already repeatedly told Israel that the land he is giving them is good. 

        So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of            that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the                Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (Exodus 3:8).

        When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and                    Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—           you are to observe this ceremony in this month (Exodus 13:5).

        But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing         with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations (Leviticus         20:24). 

God had already repeatedly told Israel that the land was good, and he had set it apart for them. There was no reason to send spies into the land to scout the route and find out if it was good unless they doubted their commander, God. It was that seed of doubt that would plague Israel throughout their wilderness wanderings, the time of the Judges, and even into the time of the Kings. It was that doubt in God that would necessitate their exile in Babylon. And it starts here, with the innocent act of sending spies into the Promised Land.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 2  

Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah—married their cousins on their father’s side. – Numbers 36:11

Today's Scripture Reading (February 16, 2025): Numbers 36

I think I have mentioned in this blog that my paternal grandparents were related to each other. They were eighth cousins, so it is not a close relation, but my grandmother never had to change her name; she was born a Mullen and remained so for the rest of her life. It is not that there are a lot of Mullens, but there are pockets of Mullens, so there are places where the name is dominant. But to put my grandparent’s marriage in perspective, I don’t know if I have ever met an eighth cousin, in fact I kind of doubt it. If I have, I didn’t know we were related. Rumor has it that my grandfather’s sister-in-law demanded that the family move far away from where the family had grown up because she didn’t want any of her kids to marry even an eighth cousin. Maybe that was a pragmatic move. 

Today we understand the damage that marrying within a clan can bring. But in a recent article, the benefits of cousins marrying were also highly stressed. Apparently, marriage between cousins increases the survival chances of children born to the union and also the number of children born. It also amazed me that while marriage between cousins is common in many parts of the world, it is not illegal in Canada. In fact, I was blown away by the assertion that four out of every 100 marriages in Canada are marriages between cousins. I am still not sure I believe it is that high. Maybe Canadians are all related to each other. After all, the population of Canada is just a little more than the population of the state of California. We are just spread farther apart.

Zelophehad’s five daughters were commanded to marry within their tribe. The reason for this was that the land that they were inheriting needed to stay within the tribe. Today, if I move, which I have done several times over the years, I don’t change the borders of a town or city to which I am relocating. I used to live in various places, but my residence decides where I live, I don’t make my new home a part of a different city just because I am living there. That was not true in ancient Israel. The fear was that if the daughters married men of a different tribe, the land would pass from the tribe of Manasseh to the tribe of their future husbands. At this moment, tribe identification was decided by the male. It would seem to change later in history, especially within the tribe of Benjamin after the almost eradication of the tribe during the time of the Judges. So, to keep the land in the tribe of Manasseh, the daughters of Zelophehad needed to make sure that they married within the tribe.

All five of the daughters not only married within the tribe, they married their first cousins; the sons of their father’s brother. And in doing so, they kept the memory of Zelophehad alive both in the tribe and in the family.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 1

Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. – Numbers 35:2

Today's Scripture Reading (February 15, 2025): Numbers 35

I admit that I struggle with the affluence in which some pastors live. I won't mention any names, but I recently saw an evangelical mega pastor's sprawling mansion and lands and openly questioned the need for such opulence. At the same time, I know that some question the opulence in which I live. Some have suggested that maybe I need to sell my house and live in something smaller. I have listened to the argument, but the reality is that the move would significantly increase my cost of living if I made that change. Many years ago, a fellow pastor wanted me to sell my house and buy a home in a new neighborhood. I thought about it, but the reality is that I love my home and have no desire to leave it, even for a newer or bigger one.

But there is an underlying truth regardless of which side of the argument we might be on. Pastors have to live somewhere. We need a space where we can lay our heads at the end of the day and a home where we can raise a family. A house, rather than a church-owned parsonage, also allows clergy to prepare for a time of retirement that will come for all of us at some point in our lives. How we take care of these tensions is a dance that we all do differently, and maybe we (and I) need to recognize that fact.

Levites did not receive an inheritance with the other tribes of Judah. Part of the idea is that God didn't want to gather the Levites in one section of the nation but wanted them to be sprinkled among the tribes like salt on food. However, Levites still needed a place to lay their heads at night and raise a family. However, in a world where land was wealth, the Levites were not supposed to chase after that kind of affluence.

As a result, some have wondered if this passage contradicts that reality. Here, the Levites are to receive a place to lay their heads and land on which they could pasture their animals. Wasn't that a land inheritance just as the other tribes received, just spread out throughout the nation? Gordon Wenham, reformed British Old Testament theologian and author, answers that question.

        Even with the surrounding pasturelands for the cattle, the total area assigned to the Levites came to         15 square miles (40 km2), about 0.1% of the land of Canaan. In a society where farm-land was                wealth, this minute fraction of the land meant that the Levites would still be dependent on the                generosity of the secular tribes among whom they lived" (Gordon J. Wenham).

The Levites received a place to sleep at night but very little more. They would receive their inheritance straight from God and depend on the people around them for support to survive in the world where God had placed them.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 36

Cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon … - Numbers 34:4

Today's Scripture Reading (February 14, 2025): Numbers 34

Eilat is Israel's southernmost city, located on a busy port at the Northern tip of the Red Sea. When President Donald Trump proposed changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,  Google Maps very early on committed to calling the gulf by the Trump name for people in the United States and to include both names for users outside of the United States, we sometimes forget that it is not all that unusual for something to exist with two names. A case in point is the gulf on which Eilat sits. For those in Israel, the body of water is known as the Gulf of Eilat. However, in the Arab world, the same body of water is known as the Gulf of Aqaba.

The modern city of Eilat was founded in 1951. However, there is evidence that settlements have existed in the area for the past 9000 years, which means that people were living in the area of Eilat long before Israel even existed. Today, the city consists of almost 80% people of Jewish heritage. 

Moses specifies the southern boundary of Israel. It is a border that would include the area where the city of Eilat now sits. But Moses also stipulates that the boundary for Israel would pass south of Scorpion Pass, indicating that Scorpion Pass would also be part of Israel. Scorpion Pass is a steep, twisted section of road known today as Route 227. The pass's importance is that it was the only way to travel from the Red Sea to central Israel for thousands of years. 

Of course, being the only way also meant that it could be a dangerous journey, a fact that a group of Israeli travelers discovered on March 17, 1954. It was on that day that attackers stopped a bus filled with civilians making its way through the pass. The Ma'ale Akrabim Massacre (Spider's Ascent Massacre) took place in the middle of the day. The attackers attempted to kill all of the people on the bus, all of whom were of Jewish descent. The bus was making its way from Eilat to Tel Aviv. Of the sixteen people on the bus, eleven were shot dead immediately, and one died of the injuries received on that day thirty-two years later. Chaim, a nine-year-old boy riding the bus, was shot in the head and did not regain consciousness, spending the next thirty-two years in a coma before succumbing to his injuries. Four people survived the attack, with two of them receiving injuries. The survivors included two soldiers, a woman, and a 5-year-old girl who happened to be the little sister of Chaim. Both the driver and the alternate driver were killed in the attack. 

In 2017, the road through the pass was closed due to the topographical dangers of the pass, which include an abyss below the pass and the fact that there are no guard rails on the road. The road also has extreme drop-offs of hundreds of meters. Today, there are other ways to get to central Israel. Still, at the time of the birth of Israel, the Scorpion Pass was the only way to get from the southernmost point of the nation to where the center of power and spirituality resided for all of Israel.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 35

Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. – Numbers 33:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 13, 2025): Numbers 33

My Grandmother kept a travel journal whenever she went on a journey. These trips were with my Grandfather, and as far as I know, these journeys were always by car. Sometimes, it was with a tent trailer in tow, but later, they would travel using roadside motels. The information Grandma kept in her little journal included notes on the weather, the places where they stopped for meals, the name of the restaurant if one was visited, and the places where they stayed for the night. If an activity was participated in, her commentary always included that information. I remember stopping in a campground with my grandparents as a kid and finding a wild blueberry patch where grandma and I spent some time picking the little blue spheres. I am sure that that information made it into her journal.

As a result of the journal, Grandma could go back years later and remember the trip. And if my grandparents took the trip again, she could highlight places where they might want to stop for a second or third time, as well as the spots that should be avoided, all because she had written that information down when they had ventured there on a previous trip.

This verse begins a sort of travel journal, much like the one my Grandmother kept. The difference is that this journal includes forty years' worth of travel. It includes all the significant stops Israel made throughout their wilderness wandering. These were the places where Israel pitched their tents during the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. The journal includes the Israelites leaving "Ramses" in Egypt and concludes at Abel-Shittim on the "Plains of Moab." It contains forty-two significant places where Israel stopped and camped during the forty years that the fledgling nation spent wandering in the wilderness. Of these forty-two places, twenty-four are mentioned within some of the other stories in the books of Moses. This means that there are eighteen places that we know of only because they are mentioned in this journal.

Many of the places mentioned in this journal are unknown. They are not cities where other things are happening, but rural locations in the middle of nowhere only remembered because a nation of itinerant wanderers paused there for a while before they moved on to their next stopping place. It is a record that later generations could read as the descendants of these pioneers remembered the places their ancestors went and celebrated the hand of God on a people who wandered the wilderness for forty years. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 34

But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. – Numbers 32:23

Today's Scripture Reading (February 12, 2025): Numbers 32

It is a Silly Song. Actually, that statement is quite literal. The song is part of a special class of VeggieTales songs; if you have no idea what VeggieTales might be you need more children in your life. In this case, the song begins with "And now it's time for Silly Songs With Larry. The part of the show where Larry comes out and sings a silly song." There are several "Silly Songs;" one of my favorites (yes, adults are allowed to have favorite "Silly Songs") is "The Hairbrush Song," a song about a Cucumber named Larry who has lost his hairbrush, an event of significant trauma even though Larry has no hair. 

But today's "Silly Song" is "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." The song lists several things that these pirates have never done.

        Well, I've never plucked a rooster.

        And I'm not too good at ping-pong.

        And I've never thrown my mashed potatoes up against the wall.

        And I've never kissed a chipmunk.

        And I've never gotten head lice.

        And I've never been to Boston in the fall.

(I guess if this is a list of qualifications for being a pirate who doesn't do anything, I qualify. The line "And I've never been to Boston in the fall" is repeated throughout the song, so it must be an essential characteristic of a pirate who doesn't do anything.)

        'Cause we're the pirates who don't do anything

        We just stay at home and lie around.

        And if you ask us to do anything

        We'll just tell you, we don't do anything (Mike Nawrocki, Kurt Henry Heinecke).

The people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad decided that they wanted to make their home on the east side of the Jordan River. The problem Moses and the leadership had with the suggestion was that the rest of the tribes would have to go to war to take the land on the west side of the Jordan River. It is a task that Moses knows they will need every male to achieve, including the men of Gad and Reuben. In response, Gad and Reuben promise that they will help take the land on the west side of the Jordan, even though they will have no inheritance there. The idea is that the land on both sides of the Jordan would become the nation of Israel.

Moses accepts the promise but then adds that if they don't follow through on their promise, if they decide not to do anything, that will be a sin against God. Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon based on this passage entitled "The Great Sin of Doing Nothing." In it, he makes this observation.

        A do-nothing professor is a merely nominal member, and a nominal member is a real hindrance. He         neither contributes, nor prays, nor works, nor agonizes for souls, nor takes any part in Christian                service, and yet he partakes in all the privileges of the church. Is this fair? What is the use of him?         He sits and hears, and sometimes sleeps under the sermon. That is all (Charles Spurgeon).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 33

Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people. – Numbers 31:2

 Today's Scripture Reading (February 11, 2025): Numbers 31

"Vengeance" is a problematic word for me to get my head around. Part of my problem is that it is a concept that seems to be opposed to the idea of love. I admit that I sometimes have an unhealthy obsession with World War II and the Nuremberg trials. The question I struggle with is what is the appropriate penalty for Adolf Hitler and his key supporters? Was support for Hitler enough to get you executed? Is that how it should be; did Nuremberg get it right? The killing of the Jews and those who opposed Hitler are among some of the worst crimes ever committed on our little blue planet. But where should we draw the line in punishing the criminals?

Consider Robert Ley. He was an ardent supporter of Adolf Hitler right up until the very end. But his importance in Germany had declined since before the first bullet was fired in World War II. Yes, he had some unhealthy ideas, and he was also a drunk, quite likely a thief, as well as a hypocrite because he forbade those under him from the consumption of alcohol while he had a serious alcohol problem. But were any of these things enough that the man should be executed? Unfortunately, we will never know. Robert Ley committed suicide before the Nuremberg trials even began. But the ending of his life by hanging in his cell was part of the vengeance that the West had on Nazi Germany after the conclusion of the Second World War. 

And it wasn't just those who did the deeds who died in our quest for vengeance. One picture from the last days of World War II that haunts me is a photograph of the dead bodies of Ernst Lisso, the deputy mayor of Leipzig, his wife Renate, and his daughter Regina. All three committed suicide as the American military entered the city on April 18, 1945. What is especially disturbing about the photo is that if you look closely at the picture, you will note that Regina is wearing an armband and a cap that seems to indicate that she was working for the German Red Cross, the agency that was giving aid to the wounded army and citizens of the city. Again, this was suicide, but when people fear vengeance, the fear itself is often enough to cause people to kill themselves, and many of those victims should never have died. The death of innocents or even those who live far from the decision-making powers of the nation does not make up for the death of innocents on the other side; they add to the injustice of the war.

Maybe all of this simply muddies the picture. Maybe there are times when vengeance is a necessary response; I don't know. But I can say this: I am more comfortable with God as the author of vengeance than I would be if I were the originator of the action. My judgment is too biased to be trusted in times of evil.

God tells Moses that there is one job left before he leaves his position of leadership, and that is vengeance on the tribes of Midian. It is not a vengeance that will result in territory or wealth for Israel. It is strictly because the Midianites had had an evil influence on Israel. It should be noted that Moses would not die immediately after this is concluded, but rather, several months later. 

Concerning vengeance, I think Paul offers us the best advice for Christians living in our world. 

            Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of                             everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do              not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It              is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:

                    "If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

                    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

                    In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 

                    Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 32

If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. – Numbers 30:10-11

Today's Scripture Reading (February 10, 2025): Numbers 30

"As long as you live under my roof, you live under my rules." I am unsure if I ever said that to my kids growing up, but I might have thought it a few times. The idea is that since I am paying the bills, and you are living here using my money, then I get to dictate the rules of the house. This would only come into play if some reasonably major issues had arisen in the house. Having said that, I have never said those words to my wife, and I would not recommend anyone trying to speak them to your significant other. Passages like this are what make some biblical passages hard to read in our contemporary society. Some might want to live in a world where the man rules the roost with an iron fist, but that isn't our cultural understanding. It is not that the biblical encouragement about the relationship between the sexes is right and we are wrong, or even the reverse. It is simply different. This rule simplified things 3000 years ago. Today, my advice for a man or woman would be to not make a vow before checking with your spouse. It is a conversation that my wife and I have frequently. My wife and I have discussed the amount of our tithe check or a year-end donation. If we are committing to do something, we talk about it. And in those rare times when we didn't speak, I usually wish we had. Neither way is correct; it is just different. 

Maybe the best biblical example of this principle is seen in the life of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, and the story of Samuel's birth. Hannah makes a vow to live as a Nazirite through her pregnancy. Elkanah, her husband, hears of the vow but does not tell his wife that he opposes her decision. The result of the vow would mean that Hannah would not consume alcohol during her pregnancy. In this, Samuel's mom was ahead of her time; the non-consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is now a recommended practice in our society. But Hannah would also be vowing not to cut her hair or to go near a dead body. All of these practices were part of the Nazirite vow. It was a time of dedication and self-denial. We do not read that Elkanah supported his wife or joined with her in this vow, but he remained silent which, according to Numbers, meant that he was permitting his wife to go through with the vow. 

She did. And that vow was not completed until the moment that she presented Samuel to Eli, the High Priest. 

After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, "Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there (1 Samuel 1:24-28).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 31

With the bull, the ram and the lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. – Numbers 29:37

Today's Scripture Reading (February 9, 2025): Numbers 29

As Donald Trump took office for the second time, becoming the forty-seventh President of the United States, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Initiatives took center stage. During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Trump promised to end these programs, restoring a meritocracy in the United States. The concept behind a meritocracy is that people receive positions based on their ability or merit rather than for some other reason; the best person received the job instead of the person who checked some other box, like gender or race. The reason DEI programs existed was not because we didn't want a meritocracy but because ingrained racism often meant that white men received jobs for which women or a racial minority were better qualified. DEI programs meant that these skilled people had to be considered for the open position, something that wouldn't have happened without some kind of an inclusion program.

The reality is that DEI programs were never a permanent solution to the problem of jobs being given because of gender or race rather than to the best-qualified person. At best, they were a stop-gap measure to get us to the point where we stopped penalizing people for their gender or race and started to recognize the merit that can be found among all people of all nations and races. And some industries have always been excluded from these DEI initiatives. And one of those industries is the Christian Church. 

One example in the Christian Church is the role of women. Some denominations prohibit women from having places of leadership in the church, whether those positions are paid, volunteer, or even elected. In these areas, women need not apply. Even if the denomination does not prohibit women from leadership, I have met with church boards who have been extremely reluctant to consider a woman pastor for their empty pulpits. The Christian Church, even in the most tolerant areas, is still essentially a men's club and often a white men's club. The radical equality that I read about in the Bible is still beyond the experience of many Christians.

With the shutdown of DEI programs in the United States, the questions that rage are whether we simply don't need them anymore or whether this is about a desire to step back to the way things used to be. 

The eighth day of the Festival of Tabernacles was the last and greatest day of the eight-day celebration. It is an idea that was stressed in the Christian Gospel of John. 

     On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is         thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water         will flow from within them." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later      to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified (John      7:37-39).

Jesus says anyone can come, regardless of gender, age, race, or any other dividing line we might want to draw. But even more important is the reality that while sacrifices are required on all eight days of the festival, the sacrifices required on the eighth day are less than those demanded on any other day. It is a nod toward the idea that the sacrificial system itself was temporary. The day would come when the sacrifices would no longer be needed because the one would come who would be our sacrifice for sin, once and literally for all, regardless of on which side of a dividing line we might stand.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 30

With each bull there is to be a drink offering of half a hin of wine; with the ram, a third of a hin; and with each lamb, a quarter of a hin. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon during the year. – Numbers 28:14

Today's Scripture Reading (February 8, 2025): Numbers 28

It was a song that was written about racism and released in 1970. A Canadian wrote it, and if you believe that stereotype that Canadians are an inoffensive group of people, well, don't tell some people who have taken offense from the song. Maybe the offense was where this Canadian musician decided to place the blame for racism. The Canadian was Neil Young, and the song was "Southern Man." 

        I saw cotton and I saw black.

        Tall white mansions and little shacks.

        Southern man, when will you pay them back?

        I heard screaming and bullwhips cracking.

        How long? How long? 

But Young doesn't stop there. He moves on to comment about the religious beliefs of the "Southern Man" and the perversion that he saw present in the racism that was still present from right-wing Christian groups who believed both in God and in the supremacy of the white race. We need to understand that Young alleged that the racism of the past was still alive and well in the Southern United States.

        Southern man, better keep your head.

        Don't forget what your good book said.

        Southern change gonna come at last.

        Now your crosses are burning fast.

        Southern man.

The "Southern Man" message wasn't lost on some Southern Rock groups. Most notably, Lynyrd Skynyrd replied to the accusations made by Neil Young in "Southern Man" with their Southern rock anthem, "Sweet Home Alabama." The song was written as a direct response to Southern Man and released in 1974.

        Well, I heard Mr. Young sing about her.

        Well, I heard old Neil put her down.

        Well, I hope Neil Young will remember.

        A Southern man don't need him around, anyhow.

And the feud was on. At least, that is the way fans like to think about it. I am not convinced the feud was as severe as fans thought it should be. Neil Young admits, "I don't like my words (the lyrics of "Southern Man") when I listen to it today. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, too easy to misconstrue." Young also added, "I'd rather play "Sweet Home Alabama" than "Southern Man" anytime." (So would I Neil.)

As for Lynyrd Skynyrd, they deeply agreed with the anti-racist message that Neil Young had placed in "Southern Man" but felt that they needed to stand up for the non-racist people of the Contemporary South.

All of this highlights how easy it is for us to cause unintended hurt. It is one of the epidemic problems in our contemporary society. Sometimes, it is hurt that results from personality differences. Sometimes, it is a problem inherent in our language. Sometimes, it is a difference in our sense of humor. But the result is still the same: we tend to collect hurt.

Part of a healthy response is to recognize our part in the hurt. God prescribes a monthly ritual where we make a sacrifice for sin, for all of the ways we have intentionally gone against God and people, and for our unintentional hurts and words that are "not fully thought out" and "too easy to misconstrue." At the beginning of every month, Israel was to make a sacrifice and recognize all of the ways that they had failed, and hopefully even let go of the hurt that had been collected in the previous month of living.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 29

Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives." – Numbers 27:4

Today's Scripture Reading (February 7, 2025): Numbers 27

A few years ago, I was involved in a dowry argument between families originating in a different nation and culture. It was a steep hill for me to climb because there was no such thing as a dowry expectation in my culture. When I married my wife, I was a poor student and had no money to give to my future father-in-law if that was what he demanded. As I learned more about the culture with which I was dealing, everything was couched in rural terminology. The woman who wanted to get married was worth so many cows. Once the woman's worth in cows was figured out, those cows needed to be translated into dollars. The man's family typically paid the dowry to the woman's family. Admittedly, to contemporary ears, it sounds like the purchase of a wife. But that was not how the practice was seen by the people involved. It was just the standard practice of the culture as a couple moved toward a wedding. 

Having become an expert in this kind of dowry payment (read those words with heavy sarcasm), my world was turned upside down again as I learned that that was not the practice in the biblical dowry payment. The practice, at least at the time of the daughters of Zelophehad, started with the basic understanding that women did not inherit land from their fathers. Men inherited land, and that inheritance was their financial security. Over the years, this would change, with only the oldest male receiving the land and the rest receiving a monetary payout. Still, economic security was handed down through the male line. Women received their financial security through their husbands. It still is somewhat true in our contemporary culture. Women are much more independent than they might have been historically, but they are often searching for someone to marry who will enhance the family's financial stability. The best advice I can give single men looking for someone to spend their lives with would be to go out and get a job. 

However, this didn't mean that historically, there was no way to enhance the financial stability of a daughter. And here we see the entrance of the dowry. Biblically, the dowry was a little more convoluted than the dowry situation with which I had been involved. Traditionally, the dowry was paid from the bride's father to the bride. This dowry was her security nest egg or a bit of help as the young couple attempted to survive. However, most, or all, of the dowry actually came from the groom. It proved to his future father-in-law that he could support his family. It is one reason why grooms were often a few years older than their wives. They had used that time to save up for the payment of the dowry,

One of the problems with the daughters of Zelophehad is that there is no evidence that any of these girls were married. As a result, the dowry might be in doubt, partially because there was no one to negotiate with the groom. The second problem was that it would seem that their father, who in the last years of his life had faithfully served God, was going to be erased from history. So, the daughters appear in front of Moses and other Israelite leaders with a request. Give us the land that would have been given to our father or brothers if we had any. That way, Zelophehad would be remembered, and the daughters would have the security the dowry would have customarily provided. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 28

"Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the LORD commanded Moses." These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt: - Numbers 26:4

Today's Scripture Reading (February 6, 2025): Numbers 26

After the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the people were taken into captivity in Babylon, an unknown prophet arose out of the ashes of the Judean civilization. He began to write encouragement to the people living in exile in Babylon. Discouraged and alone in a strange place, they wondered if God cared for them anymore. Did he know what was happening to his people, but maybe even more importantly, did he still call them his own? Back in Jerusalem, before the city fell, they had never believed that their God would allow the city and Solomon's Temple to be destroyed. But they had been wrong. And the question they began asking themselves was, "What else were we wrong about? Was it time to rethink their entire theology? Had they been wrong about everything?"

It is into this situation that this unknown prophet stepped. His words are included with the writings of Isaiah, a Prophet who ministered to the royal families of Judah almost 200 years earlier. This new Isaiah writes this message to the Israelites living in a strange land. 

    But now, this is what the LORD says—

    he who created you, Jacob,

    he who formed you, Israel:

    "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

    When you pass through the waters,

    I will be with you;

    and when you pass through the rivers,

    they will not sweep over you.

    When you walk through the fire,

    you will not be burned;

    the flames will not set you ablaze.

    For I am the LORD your God,

    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:1-3).

The prophet reminds the people in exile that even in Babylon, they are significant enough that God knows them by name. 

Israel has reached a milestone in their journey. After wandering in the wilderness for almost four decades, a new generation is ready to enter the promised land. And as they prepare for that moment, God tells Moses to take a census. A census involved going to every person and writing down their name and family connection. A new generation is about to start a new journey with God, and God wants them to understand that each of them is important and that he knows them by name. He basically reminds a new generation that they matter and are still featured in God's plan; "I (God) have called you by name and you are mine."

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 27

The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family. And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family. – Numbers 25:14-15

Today's Scripture Reading (February 5, 2025): Numbers 25

Sometimes, people marry because they love each other. I sincerely hope that if you are married, that love is the reason for your union. I know some argue that sometimes arranged marriages can work out better than couples who marry for love, and the rising divorce rate in the West would seem to support that idea, but I still think that marrying for love is the ticket to a happy life. The trick is to keep working on your marriage and your love. Love can be starved out of a marriage if it is ignored, and I believe that that is the real story of the rising Western divorce rate. 

However, marrying for love or enjoying an arranged marriage between families are not the only reasons for a marriage. Some marry for money. It happens, although this reason is often left to the gossip corners of our world. I am not sure I have ever heard a young blond woman admit that she married that older man because he was rich, and that was the only reason for the marriage. (And yes, that is the usual direction but not necessarily the only direction the married-for-money action usually goes.) I will not make any accusations focused on couples in our contemporary society.

However, one of the most common historical reasons for marriage might be the marriage-for-power union. It happened frequently among more affluent families and even nations. King Solomon had seven hundred wives, and I would guess that most of them were marriages that he and those around him hoped would consolidate power. The concept is that it is harder to declare war on your in-laws than it is on some unsuspecting stranger. As a result, nations became allies through marriage. It is also why most of the royal families were related to each other at the outbreak of World War 1. The World Wars of the Twentieth Century ended even the ceremonial rule of the various Royal families throughout most of Europe. At the outbreak of World War I, there were three crucial Kings on the thrones of critical European nations. George V reigned in the United Kingdom, ascending to the throne in 1910 following his father's death. Czar Nicholas II ruled in Russia from 1894 until his execution in 1917. Kaiser Wilhelm II was King over Germany from 1888 until the royalty was abolished in 1918, just two days before the war's official end on November 11, 1918. What we sometimes forget is that Nicholas and George were first cousins. Nicholas also married another of George's first cousins, making the two men related by both blood and marriage. Wilhelm of Germany was also a first cousin to George. Nicholas and Wilhelm were third cousins, but there are stories of the three boys spending time together as children, even though the oldest (Wilhelm) was nine years older than the youngest (Nicholas). You have to wonder, if the three Kings were more than just ceremonial Kings at the outbreak of World War I, if maybe they would have met in a sandbox somewhere and decided their differences in some other way than dragging the world into a shooting war. At least, that would have been the hope of the marriage-for-power scheme.

Zimri was a political leader within Israel, ruling over the tribe of Simeon. The woman who had died with him was named Kozbi. Kozbi was the daughter of a Midianite tribal leader. It is not hard to figure out what the thought process was with this union. This was a marriage-for-power blending that Zimri hoped would give him a leg up on the other Tribes of Israel. The problem was that it would have produced a division in Israel that wasn't supposed to exist. And it was evidence that at least this Israelite leader was depending more on foreign tribes than the God who had brought them out of their slavery in Egypt. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 26

May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed! – Numbers 24:9b

Today's Scripture Reading (February 4, 2025): Numbers 24

Abram was in Ur of the Chaldees when God called him to move to an unknown place. It takes a lot of faith to go with God to a place that not only have you never been, but that there isn't even a name by which the place is known, at least not one that you have ever heard before. Yet, that is precisely what God does to Abram. It was a "come with me" moment. Abram would likely be asked to follow the Euphrates River from Ur as it winds northwest toward modern-day Turkey. Then, he would follow the fertile crescent as it made a turn south along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea until he came to Canaan and the land that God was going to promise to Abram's descendants.

Do you ever wonder what would make Abram go to such a place? I do. The answer might be relatively simple. Abram heard the voice of God as he made this promise to him. 

The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you.

"I will make you into a great nation,

    and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

    and you will be a blessing. 

I will bless those who bless you,

    and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

    will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:1-3).

Abram, go, and I will bless you. Not only that, but I will also curse those who curse you. And it wasn't just Abram of whom God was speaking. It was the nation that would emerge from Abram's descendants. The biblical identity of that nation is Israel. However, we shouldn't miss the transactional nature of this promise. God promised Abram and his descendants that if they passed the blessing they would receive from God on to the world around them, God was willing to bless those who blessed Abram and curse those who cursed Abram. From our point of view in history, God promises to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel.

It has not been a great time for King Balak. First, he hires Balaam, a prophet, to curse Israel. But it is a task that, from Balak's point of view, Balaam is unequipped to complete. In his first attempt, Balaam simply fails to produce an effective curse on the nation. But Balaam isn't done. He attempts to curse Israel a second time, except that this time, what comes out of Balaam's mouth is not a curse but a blessing. But Balaam still isn't done. In his third attempt to curse Israel, he actually curses Balak. And the curse that he utters is straight from the blessing God gave to Abram during his call to move to Canaan. "May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!" Balak sought to curse Israel. Balaam ends up reminding his employer that the result of that curse would be that King Balak would be the one who felt the effects of that curse. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 25

Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you." Then he went off to a barren height. – Numbers 23:5

Today's Scripture Reading (February 3, 2025): Numbers 23

Back in college, the friends I hung out with played a little game with each other. The basis of the game was that we didn't lie to each other, but we did twist the truth. We just phrased it in a way that was true, although the truth was phrased in a way that served our purposes. It was an interesting endeavor, even if it was more than a little misguided. Everything depended on how the question could be phrased and how the answer could be crafted. It was an endeavor that relied on the literal meaning of the words spoken and being specific instead of general with both the questions and answers.

In the story of Balak and Balaam, Balaam is a corrupt prophet, but he is not a false one. There is a critical difference between the two, and that difference is not just a semantic one. A false prophet makes up his answers. They lie without remorse. A corrupt prophet is willing to do whatever he can to make money and is even willing to work around the word of God to get what he wants, but what a corrupt prophet would not do is lie about what it was that God said. 

Pastor and theologian David Guzik imagines this conversation could have occurred between Balak and Balaam.

Balak: "I want you to get the gods to curse Israel. Ask Baal or some other god to do it."

Balaam: "It doesn't work like that. Yahweh, the God of Israel, is greater than all those gods. If Israel is going to be cursed, Yahweh has to do it."

Balak: "Then let's get the God of Israel to curse them."

Balaam: "We can try – but I can tell you only what the God of Israel tells me" (David Guzik).

The two men would now work on the problem from different angles. Balaam would work toward fulfilling Balak's desires, trying to get Yahweh to curse his people. Balak would go off to barren or desolate heights. This phrase alludes to the places where altars were built to honor the gods. While Balaam worked on the problem from his knowledge of Yahweh, Balak leaned on his understanding of the false gods honored in the high places of the nations and hoped that they would give him the answer he wanted. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 24

Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. – Numbers 22:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 2, 2025): Numbers 22

When I was a child, my family made a 2000-mile, or 3000-kilometer, move from east to west. We went from a place where we had family all around us to a place where we had no close family anywhere in the vicinity. The plan for the move had been in place for months. My mother had purchased the house we would live in months earlier without the assistance of my dad. I was the reason for the move, or maybe more precisely, my health would be the reason for the move.

I probably wasn't aware of all of the things that were happening around me. It was an adventure to a new world for my eight-year-old self. The journey began with the breakdown of the three-ton truck my dad had purchased for the move. My paternal grandfather had decided to accompany us through the first leg of the trip. Still, as the adventure progressed and unexpected trials mounted, Grandpa decided to join us for the entire move.

When we finally arrived at our destination, we discovered that the house we had planned to move into wasn't empty. The former owner and his family still inhabited the home. So, while we had arrived at the end of our journey, the adventure wasn't over. According to eyewitnesses, again, the young me had no idea what was going on, my grandfather moved into action, demanding concessions from the delayed owner. The next day, my family moved in the back door, as the previous house owners moved out the front. 

Israel has reached the end of the journey, but the adventure isn't quite over. There are still hurdles to cross and mountains to climb. The biblical community will camp on the other side of the Jordan across from Jericho for at least another year. But the Plains of Moab would be the site of the rest of Israel's wilderness story. But there were still lessons to be learned before the people were ready to take the land, moving in through the back door at Jericho. The story of that event is told in the Book of Joshua. 

But everything that is told in the rest of the book of Numbers and Moses's addresses, given in detail in the book of Deuteronomy, would take place on this plain across from the city of Jericho. And I am sure everyone in the neighborhood, including the residents of Jericho, was well aware of their presence.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 23

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way. – Numbers 21:4

Today's Scripture Reading (February 1, 2025): Numbers 21

When we are traveling, I am one of those guys who looks at a map and makes plans. I try to estimate when I can arrive at a particular place. I will plan to eat lunch at a specific place and spend the night in this city. I also tend to make a reservation in the area where I am planning to end my day. You have to understand, this was not the example my parents and grandparents passed down to me. In my childhood, we ate at a restaurant sometime between 11:30 and 1:00, depending on how hungry we were and whether we had found an appropriate stopping place. At the end of the day, we looked for a vacancy sign at a local motel. There were no plans, just the journey. Sometimes we made good time, and sometimes we didn't. But it was all part of the trip.

A few years ago, I was traveling with my wife on our annual vacation, and I had reserved a hotel room in a particular town along our journey. However, we encountered a problem about two hours from our destination. We were going through a rugged mountainous area, meaning there was only one road to our destination, and someone on a motorbike had met an unfortunate end just ahead of us on that road. It was about four in the afternoon when we reached the place where the police were stopping traffic. Slowly, we watched as vehicles reached the police barricade, had a conversation with one of the officers, and then turned around to go back into the town we were passing. 

When it was our turn to reach the front of the line, we were given our options. We could stay here; the road was expected to open around midnight. It was about four in the afternoon, so the wait time would be about eight hours spent sitting in a small mountain village. Or we could travel a couple of hours south, hoping to catch a ferry across a mountain lake and then drive another couple of hours to our destination. The problem was that, with the increased traffic, there was no guarantee that the ferry would be able to handle the increased traffic, at least not today. We had a decision to make.

It can be frustrating to watch a plan fail, especially if that failure means you have to delay something for which you have built up anticipation. Israel had planned to follow the path of the King's Road toward Canaan. But that required moving through land belonging to Edom. And Edom had denied passage. As a result, Moses and his itinerant community had to reverse their course and move back to the Red Sea to get around Edom. It was discouraging, and the people became discouraged. The detour began to shape how the people viewed the journey as a whole. And as often happens when we get discouraged, people start to look for someone to blame. As a result, Moses and his God were once again easy candidates for their criticism.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 22