The Story that Changes Everything

The texts for today describe God's victories fought for Israel warding off coalitions of kings coming to attack them. God is faithful to extend the territory of Israel in Canaan and give them a time of peace.

Today's texts move from the easy victory over Jericho to the failure against Ai. Something went wrong. The sin of Achan is discovered and dealt with. The people defeat Ai and renew their covenant with God. Now nations will be coming for them, but the first one - the Gibeonites - trick them into assuring their survival.

Everything is going great for the Israelites. They pass through the Jordan and build a memorial. The reaffirm their covenant relationship, celebrate Passover, and encounter the leader of Yahweh's heavenly forces. Then they march around the walls of Jericho until they fall and God gives the city to them in victory - sparing Rahab and her family along the way. So far, so good.

We begin our journey through the Book of Joshua. In these opening chapters Joshua commands the people to get ready, he sends spies out into the land who encounter and are protected by Rahab, and they start crossing the Jordan on dry ground.

We finish the Torah today with chapters 32-34 of Deuteronomy. Moses' final act is to bless the 12 tribes individually. And then Moses dies. As significant as Moses was as a leader, he is just an episode in the story of God. The story continues in Joshua and the generation moving into the Promised Land.

The texts for today are part of Moses' final speech to the people. It is a hopeful call that this life to which they are called is not impossible but can happen because the Word of God has come near and because God will circumcise not just their bodies but their heart.

The texts for today - Deuteronomy 26-28 - close out the list of codes and laws with an invitation to be filled with gratitude. Moses then turns to the seriousness of obedience by describing for the people the blessings that come with faithfulness to God's ways and the curses that come with disobedience.

Today's texts are filled with more seemingly random law codes. However, at their heart they have to do with caring for people in vulnerable situations. The Amalekites receive God's wrath for misusing the Israelites when they were weak and vulnerable. God's people are commanded to act in ways of care that reflect the concern of God.

Today's texts expand on two of the Ten Commandments: Thou shall not kill and Thou shalt not commit adultery.  They are several diverse codes and issues addressed, but several of them not only limit the damage those with authority can do to others but occasionally they are radically re-imaginative and reveal important aspects of the character of God. A few of today's codes also show up in the life of Jesus.

The texts for today - Deuteronomy 18-20 - expand the commands to honor authority and to not kill. Priests and prophets will be important influences in guiding the people. And God wants a people who find ways to value life as much as possible in the complexities of a violent world.

Today's texts deal with liberation, holy days, and how we use power. God's people are called to conserve all that is good about God and God's purposes while also working to liberate people from the structures that keep them oppressed.

The texts for day 57 are Deuteronomy chapters 12-14. These chapters launch us into the Deuteronomic Codes. Israel must worship rightly, listen to the right voices, and shape their appetites to reflect the holy people God is forming them to be.

The texts for today - Deuteronomy chapters 9-11 - are like a final letter of care and concern from Moses to the new generation entering into the land. Moses (and God) want them to have the kind of hearts that will want to always choose God's good paths for them and find life. The great psalm for today, Psalm 23, affirms that the LORD is our Shepherd and leads us into the paths of life and goodness.

The texts for today - Deuteronomy 6-8 - are some of my favorite chapters in the Torah. We get the great Shema text, warnings about external threats in the Promised Land, and internal warnings about prosperity in the Land. It is from these texts also that Jesus resists the temptations in the wilderness and defines his Kingdom not as "bread alone" but dependent upon every Word that comes from the mouth of God.

Today's readings - Deuteronomy chapters 4-5 - give a long introduction to the reason why the people must keep the Law. It is clear to see that the texts are shaped in such a way that Moses is not just speaking to the "new generation" of his day but also to a "new generation" coming out of exile in Babylon several centuries later. It's good for them and for us to listen again to the Ten Commandments so that we don't forget who we are called to be.

We start into the fifth book of the Torah today with Deuteronomy chapters 1-3 and Psalm 22. Moses his giving his final words to the generations that will enter the Promised Land. The stories are familiar but told with an emphasis on the need this generation will have to continue to trust in God. Moses won't get to go with them, but the One who began this good work will be faithful to carry it to completion.

The texts for day 52 finish off the book of Numbers - chapters 34-36. It's time to divide up the land equally. The Levites are granted some property and are given cities of refuge for those needing protection. The five daughters of Zelophehad finish the book embodying the boldness and faith of the new generation ready to enter into Canaan.

The texts for today - Numbers 31-33 and Psalm 21 - deal with war and violence as a call to purity. They are difficult texts but there are hints here of a holy life that will move beyond exclusion of others. The new generation is ready to enter the Land, but some tribes want to stay behind. It's been a long journey - 42 stops in all - but it is nearing an end.

The texts for today - Numbers 28-30 - shape the new generation of Israel in the practices that will form their faith and shape the oaths and commitments that they will make to God. The people will learn to be faithful to the God who is faithful to them.

The texts for today deal with the threats of assimilation, counting up the new generation, and handing the reins of leadership onto the next leaders. The people must move forward into the promise, and these texts guide us through those transitions.

The texts for today tell the complete story of King Balak of Moab, Balaam the seer turned prophet, and Balaam's talking donkey. Hoping for curses to be called down upon God's people, king Balak ends up having blessings called down upon them through Balaam instead. Crazy things taking place up on the mountains, and the Israelites have no knowledge of all the ways God is protecting them.

The texts for today deal with several conflicts. How do the people move on from death to life? What makes Moses so angry and why does it forfeit his entrance into the Promised Land? How will Israel deal with all these warring clans that block their passage into Canaan? And what's up with all these snakes and how do we get rid of them?

The readings for today - Numbers 16-18 and Psalm 19 - reveal God's deep passion for unity. Moses and Aaron are faced with an attempted insurrection that God wards off by having the earth swallow up the usurpers. The staff of the Levites and of Aaron blossoms and their leadership and role within the community is affirmed. How appropriate that the Psalmist prays that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts would be acceptable to the LORD.

In the texts for today, God has Moses send 12 spies into the Promised Land. They are more than excited about the land! However, 10 of the spies are shaped by fears and adamantly resist any attempt to enter the land. Two others, Joshua and Caleb, have a "different spirit." They are sure that with God on their side, they can enter the land. Because of their lack of faith, all of the original generation - with the exception of Caleb and Joshua - will perish in the wilderness. 

The texts for today are Numbers 10-12 and the last half of Psalm 18 (verses 25-51). Israel's trumpets will be the primary signal for the Israelites to rejoice, fight, and pick up and move. They haven't gone very far from Sinai and the complaints begin. God gives them so much meat it comes out of their nostrils. Complaints even arise within the immediate family of Moses, but as his siblings learn quickly Moses and the Law have a special relationship with and to God so don't try to replace them in the moment or any time in the future.

The texts for today - Numbers chapters 7-9 - continue the preparation for the journey from Sinai to the Promised Land. All of the tribes give equal gifts to make the journey possible, the priests and Levites are purified again, the people observe their first Passover in the wilderness, and the pillar of cloud and lightning will be their guide.

In today's texts, the LORD hears David from the temple, the Levites learn how to move the tabernacle without dying, the people work hard to keep the wandering caravan holy, Nazarites make some serious commitments, and we are given one of the Scripture's most beautiful blessings.

Today we launch into the book of Numbers by reading chapters 1-3. The people take a census, figure out how many fighting men they have, and get ready to journey through the wilderness away from Sinai. The Levites are set apart to help Aaron and the priests with all of the work, care, protection, and transport of the tabernacle.  The people obey and do exactly what Moses had commanded. The trip is off to a good start. What could go wrong?

Welcome to the fourth special bonus episode for The Story that Changes Everything. In addition to the daily guides, we want to add special conversations now and then along the journey with biblical scholars who have studied and written on these sections of the Scripture.

 Especially for those who want to dig deeper into the study of God’s Word we want to highlight and encourage you to get connected to The New Beacon Bible Commentary published by The Foundry Press. If you would like to order this helpful new commentary series, you can find it at the...

The texts for today - Leviticus 25-27 close out the book. One of the most beautiful and important laws in the Torah is given here - the Year of Jubilee. The LORD speaks blessings on those who obey the law but curses and alienation on those who disobey. And the book ends with a handbook on what to do with special gifts given to the LORD. Congratulations! You made it through Leviticus.

The texts for Day 39 - Leviticus 22-24 and Psalm 17 - end the instructions for the priests and begin the final section on rituals. The priests must be careful how they treat holy things. The liturgical rhythm of the year for Israel will be shaped by Sabbath, Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks (or Pentecost), the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. The theology of Israel will not just be in their heads but also learned through their bodies.

At the center of the message for Leviticus is the call in 19:2, "Be holy, because I, the LORD your God, am holy." It is clear in Leviticus that living into the holiness God requires takes a new way of behaving (saying "no" to destructive decisions, and "yes" to actions that give life), participating in the worship led by the priesthood, and receiving in the rituals the grace of God that both forgives and transforms us.

Chapter 16 is the high mark moment in Leviticus. The Day of Atonement represents not only the costliness of grace but the removal of our guilt and shame. Chapters 17-18 begin the Holiness Code that will finish off the book. The people must sacrifice in a way that reminds them that all things come from God. And they must live out their relationships in ways that remain within the grain of the universe and glorify God with their bodies.

Today's texts are the final chapters in the first section of purity codes. These chapters are concerned about skin diseases and bodily discharges. They are strange and foreign texts to us in some ways, but like us they are trying to find ways of treating challenging situations with grace and reconciliation while also trying to maintain both the holiness and safety of the community of faith.

The texts for today tell the tragic story of Nadab and Abihu. These chapters also shift into the purity laws related to clean and unclean food and childbirth. What to do with these texts isn't always clear. But what is clear is that no area of life is exempt from the call to be holy.

In the chapters for today - Leviticus 7-9 - the final instructions for offerings or sacrifices are given. The ribbon-cutting of the tabernacle can now happen as Aaron and his sons are anointed for service. When all is ready, the fire of God fills the holy of holiness and the flame will now be kindled and kept burning.

The texts for today - Leviticus chapters 4-6 - deal with the offerings for unintentional sin and also begin to give the priests instructions on how to offer these gifts rightly. It is clear in these texts that grace is not cheap and that God cares deeply for how we live in holiness and in community with one another.

It's day 32 and we move into the interesting book of Leviticus. Our texts for today are chapters 1-3 and Psalm 14. God calls Moses into the tent of meeting and begins to give him instructions about entirely burn offerings, grain offerings, and offerings of wellbeing. These texts remind us that gifts are given not just for the forgiveness of sin but also as expressions of worship and gratitude.

Welcome to the third special bonus episode for The Story that Changes Everything. In addition to the daily guides, we want to add special conversations now and then along the journey with biblical scholars who have studied and written on these sections of the Scripture.

Especially for those who want to dig deeper into the study of God’s Word we want to highlight and encourage you to get connected to The New Beacon Bible Commentary published by The Foundry Press. If you would like to order this helpful new commentary series, you can find it at th...

The final chapters of Exodus - chapters 38-40 - narrate the completion of the tabernacle and the anointing of the priests. However, the tabernacle would just be a fancy tent if the unique presence of the Lord doesn't descend and fill it with the divine presence. As Exodus ends, God dwells in the midst of the people and now lead them into their redeemed future.