Tag Archives: Bible Study

Moses keeps the light on all night (Leviticus 24: 1-9)

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Bible Summary:

God tells Moses to command the people of Israel to bring pure olive oil to keep the lamps in the Tent burning all night each night, plus to make twelve loaves of bread to offer to God each Sabbath for all time to come.

My Thoughts:

Ceremony: As part of my son’s religious education, we visited a synagogue. I remember being amazed at how close their ceremony was to the Catholic Church. As I read the Bible, I realize that much of what Christians celebrate today came from the time of Moses, passed on from Jesus and his disciples to the church.

Jesus casts out demons (Matthew 8: 28-34)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus goes to Gadara and meets two men with demons. They scream, “What do you want from us, Son of God?” Jesus cast the demons out and into a herd of pigs, which rush into the lake and drown. The pig farmers tell everyone in town what happened. They meet Jesus and beg him to leave.

My Thoughts:

Anger: Jesus clears the men’s anger issues in one conversation. The town people are not grateful, likely because Jesus was going against the Laws of Moses, plus they feared his ability to control demons. It would be great if psychiatrist could heal patients pain in one conversation, but it could take years.

Jesus calms the storm (Matthew 8: 23-27)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus and the disciples enter a boat. A storm hits and the disciples wake him to save them. Jesus says they have little faith and then calms the storm to their amazement.

My Thoughts:

Miracles: We cannot scientifically verify Jesus’ miracles and none have been repeated in 2000 years since his death. He has not returned. Is this all just a hoax by the church?

Faith: You may have these questions, but the real message of this passage is faith, even when the storms of your life are swirling around you. Believe in God and he will help calm your storms. Hang in there!

Religious Festivals (Leviticus 23)

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Bible Summary:

God gives Moses festival regulations. Normally you have six days to work and a seventh to rest and worship. He proclaims these festivals in addition to the Sabbath responsibilities:

  • Passover begins at sunset on the 14th day of the 1st month. For seven days only eat unleavened bread. On the 1st and 7th days worship and do not work, otherwise give an offering to God each day. The priest shall present the 1st harvest offering the day after the Sabbath as 1 burnt lamb, 4 pounds of flour mixed with oil, and 1 quart of wine.
  • Harvest festival begins 50 days after the 1st Sabbath. Each family presents another grain offering of 2 loaves of bread made from 4 pounds of flour with yeast. The community offers 7 lambs, 1 bull, and 2 goats as burnt offerings to God with the grain (bread) and wine. They present 1 goat for sin offering plus 2 lambs for the fellowship offering. During harvest, do not cut the edges and leave anything left for the poor and foreigners.
  • New Year Festival begins the 1st day of 7th month to observe a special day of rest and present a food offering.
  • Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) begins at sunset of the 9th day of the 7th month as the annual ritual to take away everyone’s sins and continues through sunset of the 10th day. Do not eat all day or God will put you to death. Gather to worship and present a food offering.
  • Festival of Shelters begins the 15th day of the 7th month for a week. Worship and do not work on the 1st day, take the best fruit to celebrate. The next 7 days, live in shelters and offer food. On the 8th day, worship, do not work, and offer food.

My Thoughts:

Celebrate: We learn one of the key things in life (and business), to take periodic breaks from the daily grind to celebrate and give thanks.

A tired Jesus wants committed disciples (Matthew 8: 18-22)

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Bible Summary:

As the crowd surrounds Jesus, he tells his disciples to go to the other side of the lake. A teacher of the Law tells Jesus he is ready to go wherever he goes. Jesus says, “Foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest.” Another disciple tells Jesus he needs to bury his father first, but Jesus tells him to come and let the dead bury their dead.

My Thoughts:

Price of Fame: Jesus shares a little about the pressures of fame. The demands of the crowds weigh on him enough that he complains about not get rest and barks at his disciples who want to leave to care for their families. Many people dream of being famous like movie stars or top athletes, but they have no idea the price of fame: loss of freedom from overwhelming crowds and persistent paparazzi, demands of their agents, strained relationships, etc. Be careful what you wish for because you might be better off where you are. No matter how much fame or money you gain, you cannot buy love and happiness. Luckily Jesus knew the price he had to pay and was willing to accept the consequences for us.

Holy Offerings (Leviticus 22)

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Bible Summary:

God commands Moses that priests are to treat the offerings sacred. Anyone ritually unclean that comes near the offering can never serve at the altar again. No one with skin disease may eat the offering. Priests who have touch a corpse, unclean person or unclean animal are unclean until evening and cannot eat the offering until they have bathed. Only priest family members may eat the offering. If anyone else does they must pay the priest the value plus 20%. The offering must also be a male animal with no defects and not obtained from foreigners.

My Thoughts:

Rigidness: I am beginning to understand how the Jews could despise Jesus for going against the rigid Laws of Moses passed down from God, including not touching a corpse (Lazarus), people with skin disease (lepers) and prostitutes.

Jesus Heals Many (Matthew 8: 14-17)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus touches the hand of Peter’s feverish mother-in-law and heals her instantly. People bring him many others to heal of their demons as foretold by prophet Isaiah.

My Thoughts:

Convenience: Many of Jesus’ miracles fit too nicely into the prophecies of old like someone fit him into the mold to prove to the Jews he was the Messiah. The story is almost too perfect. And, why has he not returned in 2000 years?

Many critics bring up these points to discredit Jesus. We have no way to prove or disprove the miracles but we all know in our hearts what he taught about loving each other is right.

Holy Priests (Leviticus 21)

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Bible Summary:

God commands Moses to tell Aaronite priests to be holy and not to take part in a relative’s funeral, except for immediate family, not to shave their heads or trim their beards during mourning. The High Priest is also not allowed to defile God’s sacred Tent by visiting the house of a dead person, even if it is his mother or father.

The priests may marry virgins, but not divorcées or earlier prostitutes. If a priest’s daughter becomes a prostitute, she must be burned to death for the disgrace. And, no descendant of Aaron with any physical defects may present the food offering.

My Thoughts:

Specific Laws: The Laws of Moses are becoming more and more specific. This is a natural response: something happens a few times, the issue gets raised to a higher-up, they do not want to deal with it any longer, so they set up a rule so lower-level management can handle the situation in the future. Each repetition gets finer and finer.

Do not commit murder commandment: I do not understood the circular logic of some of the Laws of Moses. How could a priest’s daughter be put to death for becoming a prostitute if the sixth commandment says not to commit murder? Who is allowed to execute the deed without going against this commandment and being subject to the same law and outcome?

Roman officer’s great faith in Jesus (Matthew 8: 5-13)

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Bible Summary:

A Roman officer meets Jesus on the way into Capernaum and begs him to help his terribly sick servant in bad at home. Jesus agrees to go see him, but the officer asks him to give the order from there and his servant will get well. Jesus tells his followers he has never found anyone in Israel with such faith and that many will come to the feast in heaven but others will be thrown into darkness crying and gnashing their teeth. He tells the officer what he believes will be done and the servant is healed that very moment.

My Thoughts:

Faith: Very few today have the same faith as the Roman officer. Many are just going through the motions at church and in life. We talk about God, pray to God, but do we truly believe in Him? Maybe we should and perhaps the outcome will be the same.

God sets penalties for disobeying laws (Leviticus 20)

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Bible Summary:

God tells Moses to remind the people of Israel to obey His laws and sets the penalty of stoning to death for the following:

  • Worshiping other gods, specifically Molech. If the people will not stone the person, then God will turn against him and his whole family.
  • Consulting the spirits of the dead or seeking advice from someone who does.
  • Cursing your father or mother.
  • Committing adultery, incest, bestiality or homosexuality. Both involved are guilty.

My Thoughts:

Penalties: Stoning to death seems extreme but was likely a very effective deterrent. Some penalties today seem at the other extreme of too lenient.

Equal Commandments: This chapter shows how all God’s commandments were treated equally – worshiping other gods and cursing parents was just as bad as murder.