February 23 Readings

Today's Reading From Numbers 5-6; Mark 4:1-20 The Back to the Bible OT and NT Together Reading Plan

Numbers 5.1-4 discusses purity in terms of isolating those who had infectious skin diseases, or a discharge of any kind from the rest of the camp. This was to keep the community healthy.
Numbers 5.5-10 discusses restitution for wrongs. v. 11-31 has the test the priest must do to see if the wife was unfaithful.
Numbers 6 talks about the Nazirite vow. The person, man or woman, who is a Nazirite makes a vow of separation to the Lord. He must abstain from wine and other fermented drinks or eat anything from the grapevine. The person must let the hair of his head grow long, he cannot go near a dead body even it is his parent's. Check the commentaries below for further details.
Aaron is suppose to bless the people with this benediction that is well known to Christians and is very comforting to hear it.
Num 6.24-25 It is not only a great benediction but the words make you realize it is God who doing the work in your life, blessing, keeping, making His presence known to you and giving you His peace. This was probably the first benediction given to a community of people.

Please Note that the Commentaries studied here verse by verse include Adam Clarke, James Burton Coffman's Commentaries; John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, Geneva Study Bible; David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible; Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown; Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible, Complete and Concise; Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition); Spurgeon's The Treasury of David; Treasury of Scripture Knowledge; and Wesley's Explanatory Notes. Please be patient. It may take a while to scroll the verse you want, but you have the flexibility to change Translations, Commentaries and Bible Dictionaries.

Numbers 5 with Commentaries, verse by verse
Numbers 6 with Commentaries, verse by verse


Other Links
Dr. Thomas Constable Study Notes is a PDF file, open with Adobe Acrobatic Reader
Calvin Harmony of the Law Volume 1 Search for the chapter you want with (CTRL F)
Calvin Harmony of the Law Volume 2 Search for the chapter you want with (CTRL F)
Calvin Harmony of the Law Volume 3 Search for the chapter you want with (CTRL F)
Calvin Harmony of the Law Volume 4 Search for the chapter you want with (CTRL F)

Mark 4.1-20 with Commentaries, verse by verse
the parable is also found in Mat 13.1-15; luke 8.6-10; Mark 4.1-12
and the interpretaion found in Mark 4.13-20; Mat 13.18-23; Luke 8.11-15
In Mark 4, Jesus gave the parable of the sower. The message behind the parable is the fruitfulness of the seed planted in the soil in which the seed was planted. There are three elements here. First is the sower, then the seed and finally the soils. The things that remain constant here are the sower and the seed. There is the soil that had birds came and ate it up, then rocky ground, some fell among thorns and then the rest fell on good soils.
In v. 9 He said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" what he meant was that the Spirit enables those he chooses to hear ands understand the message. He had spoken to them in parables. Parables are earthly stories with heavenly meaning but if you have spiritual understanding by the Holy Spirit you will understand the meaning.

Some Links to the Parable of the SowerJeff Miller on Mark 4.1-20
Piper on Mark 4.1-20
Stedman - The Dimming of the Light - Mark 4
Stedman - Seed Thoughts, Mark 4:3-9, 4:13-20, 4:26-32
Dr. Thomas Constable Study Notes is a PDF file, open with Adobe Acrobatic Reader


Jesus Saves
This Posting is NOT a commentary of the passages read today but it is a devotional. Please send a comment if something spoke to you today from the passages, links or thoughts that I have shared with you.