After Their Situation Changes, David Gives Them New Jobs The book of Numbers is so named because it starts and ends with a census—a numbering of the people. These take place forty years apart. Moses orchestrates both counts, at God’s command. For the third part of the first census, Moses counts all men who can […]
Contrary to the Law of Moses King David Reassigns the Duties of the Levites In the book of Numbers, Moses details the assignments and responsibilities of the tribe of Levi, mentioning them over fifty times. Though the priests, descendants of Aaron, are from this tribe, the rest of the Levites have God-assigned responsibilities too. Chief […]
When it Comes to God, Should We “Fake it Till We Make It?” Psalm 142 is a prayer of lament. David’s hiding in a cave, likely fearing for his life. He feels alone with no one walking alongside him or having any concern for him. He cries out that he has no refuge, no protective […]
May Our Soul Pant for God with the Same Urgency as a Deer Panting for Water King David penned Psalm 41. He opens with a powerful image of a deer panting for water. It illustrates David longing for God. David concludes his song by confirming he will praise God. Sandwiched between the opening and ending […]
David Models Bold Action and His Nephew Learns from It Most people are familiar with the story of David and Goliath in the Bible. It tells of the young boy David, armed only with godly confidence and a sling, killing the warrior giant of a man Goliath. David’s example an inspiring tale of courage and […]
Control Your Tongue and Watch Your Words There’s a saying of disputed authorship, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” As such, we need to be careful what we say. The Bible has much to share about our words and our tongue. Tame the Tongue James […]
Understanding the Background behind the Death of Uzzah The book of Numbers contains details that are easy to gloss over or dismiss as irrelevant, even boring. Yet they’re in the Bible for a reason, and we can learn something from each one of these verses, no matter how trivial they may seem. Such is the […]
Balance Old Testament Commands with New Testament Freedom Psalm 15 opens with one essential question, phrased in two ways, that most everyone asks, either out loud or to themselves. In this Psalm, David asks God, “What must I do to live with you?” The next four verses give us the answer. Actually, it’s a series […]
Nathan Takes a Wise Approach When Confronting David about His Sins King David, a man after God’s own heart, is far from perfect. After the Bathsheba affair and the subsequent murder of her husband at the hand of scheming David, God wants to deal with David and restore him to right relationship. This story provides […]
When Leaders Have Absolute Power They Can Commit Terrible Atrocities In the early days of the nation of Israel, a time under its first king, we witness a bad transition of leadership. King Saul abuses his power and shows his lack of trust in God. David Anointed King God wants him gone, replacing him with […]