March 3 Readings

You can also check out all these Reading Plans Blogs to go through the Bible in a year from Back to the Bible Reading Lists:the Chronological Reading Plan blog; OT and NT Together blog; Historical Readings blog; Blended Readings blog and Beginning to End blog In addition, there is the Theophilus1 blog in the One Year Bible format

The Back to the Bible OT and NT Together Reading Plan
Numbers 26-28; Mark 8

Numbers 26 dealt with the Second Census. The First Census was taken some 38 years earlier. Most of the first generation of men 20 years or older had all died except Joshua and Caleb. This generation was almost ready to enter the Promise Land. Moses was assisted by his nephew Eleazar, since Aaron had died (Num 20.28). In this census, the prominent clans of each tribe is listed. God had not forgotten His promise to let the people enter the promise land but it was on God's terms, not man. He is eternal and sovereign and His purpose will be fulfilled in His own time. He waited for the whole generation (because of their disobedience and lack of faith (see Num 14).

In Number 27, Zelophehad's daughters, had a fathe who had no sons, and this posed a problem for them whether they could get inheritance and make sure that their father's name was not removed was not removed from the land. They went with boldness and God granted their request.
God told Moses that he should go in the mountain in the Abirim range and from there see the Promised Land, after that he would die. Moses and Aaron had disobeyed God at the Waters of Meribah, (Num 20.1-13) by not honoring Him as holy. Consequently both could not enter the promose land. In this passage, Aaron had already died. Moses asked God to chose a successor. God chose Joshua, a man of the Spirit. and told Moses to lay his hand on him. Moses and Eleazar would then commision Joshua in front of the community. In the transition before his death Moses was ordered to give Joshua some of his authority and instructed how to make judgement with the help of Eleazar and the Urim before the Lord.
We who are in leadership, should humble ourselves before God. Our authority is not from the senior pastors or elders or the denomination but from God. We are indispensible. Remember for every Moses, there is a Joshua.
Today's reading from Numbers 28-30
The Back to the Bible Historical Reading Plan

Numbers 28 spoke about daily offerings v. 18
Sabbath Offerings v. 19-10
Monthly Offerings v. 11-15

Numbers 28 began to speak about the Feast Days which were the Sabbath (Lev 23.3);
The Passover and the Unleavened bread (Lev 23.4-8; Exo 12.4-20; Num 28.16-25; Deut 16.1-8),
First Fruits (Lev 23.9-14);
Feast of the Weeks (Lev 23.15-22; Num 28.26-31; Deut 16.9-12);
the Feast of the Trumpets (Lev 23.23-25; Num 29.1-6);
the Day of Atonement (Lev 23.26-32; Lev 16.2-34; Num 29.7-11)
and the Feast of the Tabernacles (Lev 23.33-43; Num 29.12-39; Deut. 16.13-17).

It is so easy to get bogged into the details of the offerings. It's like we are not looking at the forest but at the the leaves of the trees of the forest! We tend not to see the big picture.
We have to look beyond the ceremonial details to see that Christ is foreshadowed in the offerings and feast days of Leviticus. All of these feast days have prophetic significance. For example, Passover symbolizes Good Friday, the Feast of the Unleavened Bread symbolizes Jesus was buried, and the Feast of the Firstfruits symbolizes the Resurrection of Jesus, the First Fruit (1Cor. 15.23)

Jewish Feast Days Prophecy of Jesus the Messiah
Jewish Feasts and their Significance

Numbers 26 with Commentaries, verse by verse
Numbers 27 with Commentaries, verse by verse
Numbers 28 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)

Jesus Saves
Numbers 26 with Commentaries, verse by verse
Numbers 27 with Commentaries, verse by verse
Numbers 28 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 8

Mark 8.1-10
There was a large crowd listening to him teach, but they had nothing to eat. Jesus told his disciples that he had compassion for the people. They were with him for three days and had nothing to eat. Jesus asked how many loaves of bread was there and they said seven. Jesus performed a miracle by feeding four thousand with seven loaves and a few fish. They even had seven basketful of leftover bread.
In this passage, the disciples only brought one loaf of bread and left the rest of the bread on shore. Jesus warned them to watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod. They did not understand what He was saying to them, they thought He meant that they forgot to bring the bread. Jesus rebuked them for not understanding him. He reminded them of the feeding of the five thousand (Mark 6.32-44, and the feeding of the four thousand (Mark 8.1-13 which happened a few hours before). He told them that they did not see or understand, and their hearts were hardened. In the same way we do not have the spiritual insight or perception of things unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to us.

Jesus healed a blind man from Bethsaida in a unique way. He put spit on the man's eyes, and asked him if he saw anything. The blind man saw people but they looked like trees. He touched his eyes and he was healed. He told him not to go into the village

Jesus asked the disciples the question, "Who do people say I am?", but then he asked the disciples more specifically, "But what about you? Who do you say I am?" Peter said that you are the Christ. In Mat 14.17 Jesus said to Peter that Peter knew this without man's knowledge but with the inspiration from God.

Jesus is a prophet, predited the Fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and His second coming (Mat 23.37-25).Today He predicts His death and resurrection. Other passages are Mat 16.21-28; Luke 9.22-27; Mark 8.31-9.1. Peter, after mading that remarkable confession, rebuked Jesus! But you see, it was Satan speaking, not Peter! Then Jesus said a challenge to them and us today, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.” This is law of spiritual paradox. If you want gain your life, you have to lose it. If you gain the whole world, you lose your
soul.

More Links in Mark
Dan Hill on Mark
Ray Stedman on Mark
Jeff Miller on Mark
Chadwick on Mark
Dr. Thomas Constable Study Notes is a PDF file, open with Adobe Acrobatic Reader
Sermons on Mark by Ryle, Spurgeon, and Whitefield
John Piper Sermon's on Mark
Peter Pett Commentary on Mark 6.7-8.26

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.