The Family Bible Journey Podcast

God provided for the spiritual needs of His people by setting up the Tabernacle. He also provided those who served in the worship life of God's people with a retirement plan. In this episode we consider the wisdom of planning for retirement by having an exit strategy that includes preparing the next generation to lead and serve.

The faithful generosity of YHWH's Old Testament people challenges us today. We will reflect on current declines in giving to religious charities and consider how we can grow in supporting the Lord's work on earth.

Here we see the basic misconception of Jesus's opponents about the source of sin. We sin because we are sinners. Not, we are sinners because we sin. It isn't until we recognize our place under God's law that we begin to appreciate the depth of His love for us.

Many of YHWH's people still today receive the blessing of Aaron in worship. YHWH told Aaron to put His NAME on His people with this special blessing. We consider how blessed, and affirmed we are in the faith as we hear these words spoken over us still today.

The priests and Levites were given strict instructions including their place in the camp, and how they were to care for the tabernacle, her furnishings, and tools as they marched. We see a few poignant "types" of Christ in their orders. We also learn how practical details show the wisdom of God revealed in seemingly mundane ways.

While Jesus is getting rejected by the people of Nazareth, the demoniac He healed chapters earlier was busy telling everyone what the love of God had done for Him. Even the disciples forgot the power of God's love in a moment of panic. But when they felt rejected, and were themselves guilty of unbelief, they crossed the sea to see God's love was still at work in the most unlikely places.

"Numbers" might better be called "Marches," because it recounts the journey of God's people from Mount Sinai to the edge of the Promised Land. We will consider the tender relationship between the Hebrew God YHWH and his people. He prepared them spiritually and militarily, for what would be a blessed, yet burdensome march to their promised home.

Leviticus ends by God reminding His people of what was His and what was theirs. We see a Biblical basis for generosity in this passage and have opportunity to reflect on our personal generosity.

Jesus was rejected by those who knew Him best in Nazareth. John the Baptist was beheaded for faithfulness. We can take heart when others reject us even though we try our hardest for God and the gospel. If God Himself can't please His people, we shouldn't be shocked when we disappoint them.

There are great blessings for obedience. When we fail to follow the Lord's will, we get in His way and suffer the consequences. When we live according to His will, faith becomes more than what we do. It becomes more and more, who we are.

How would life be better if we saved in six years enough to take every seventh year off? What would you do with that year off? How would it effect your family? We consider these things as we consider the blessings of the Sabbath year.

A demon-possessed man, woman with and incurable disease, and Jairus who lost his daughter. Each it seems, represent people whose prayers God was slow to answer. We are often waiting on the Lord. How do we process feelings of impatience or disappointment with Him? In this chapter, we learn that when God delays, He often has far more in store for us than we dared hope was possible.

Moses continues to intertwine the ceremonial and civil law of God's Old Testament people because they complement, not contradict, each other. When many are confused and lost in a society that is losing valuable institutions, we can find our place with the help of institutions that God has given to bless us along life's way.

The liturgical calendar of God's Old Testament people complemented their agricultural lifestyle. As we review the annual calendar of worship, we discover a few types of Christ. We grow in our appreciation of the God Who blesses us in earthly and eternal ways.

Jesus continues teaching about the blessings of His Word sown into our lives. What are you going to do with it? How are you going to share it? What can God do through you when you share His love with others? The only way you will find out is by joining Him in His work of generously sharing His Word.

The "Peter Parker Principle" illustrates why Aaron, the priests, and their families were required by God's law, to live by a higher standard. Priests were both God's representatives to the people, and the representative of the people before God. When we consider our life as a holy calling from God, then we are better equipped to be a blessing, even as we have been blessed. While it may not always seem fair, there is wisdom in embracing the higher calling God has given to us.

Covenant capital crimes included the sacrifice of children and certain forms of sexual immorality. God makes very clear his distaste for those who practice such sin. How are we to live as His people in a culture that opposes God's clearly expressed will in these areas of life? There is much room for prayer and mercy as we wrestle with this moral quandry.

Jesus, now accused of blasphemy and being a pawn of satan, teaches about the power of God's Word. There are those who will never hear, and those who miss out on much of the benefit of God's Holy Spirit working in their lives. But it is not because the Word is ineffective. When God has His way in our lives, we produce good fruit in abundance.

The virtues of honor, respect and justice, hold society together. What may seem a random assemblage of God's ceremonial and civil laws in Leviticus 19, show us how faith forms character. We learn the real blessings of God's character underpinning our lives and society.

Living in a confused, sex-crazed world, God laid out very clear boundaries for His people's sexual conduct towards each other. If we are led by our feelings, it is easy for us to go astray. When we listen and follow the Lord's design in faith, there may be confusion and suffering. However, the consequences suffered for faith are much better than those suffered by those who are misled by their feelings.

The religious leaders accused Jesus of casting out demons by the prince of demons. Jesus responded by warning them that if they rejected the Spirit of God, they would be rejecting God. He then turned to His crowd of followers and invited all who listened, not only to be His followers, but into His family.

On the day of Atonement, a scapegoat carried the sins of the people into Gehenna, the Valley of Hell. Here, "Go to Hell," and "Take out the trash," come together as a poignent illustration of the Lord's forgiveness.

The laws regarding bodily discharges are not just "ewwy" and "gross." God instituted them for the protection of His people. Here we see how God knew, thousands of years before humans discovered the relationship between microbes and disease, how to protect His people from preventable, comunicable disease.

While Jesus's popularity rises among the people, his opponents take issue with His unorthodox ways. In their opinion, He did things the wrong things in the wrong places, in the wrong ways, for the wrong sorts of people. But He would not be detered by His opponents as His following grew and His disciples joined in His work.

Leprosy was a physical, social and religious death sentence for many in Old Testament times. God established a religious quarantine to protect the community from the spread of disease. He also provided a way back into community if the leprosy was healed. This way, He balanced care for the community and care for individuals who had incurable disease.

In the Purification of mothers, we see two promises fulfilled by Jesus, or shall we say, fulfilled for Jesus by His parents. There is great blessing for God's people when they walk in His way, even when they don't understand it, as the dietary laws of Israel demonstrate.

In choosing to party with "sinners," Jesus showed there may be more hope for corrupt politicians and extortioners than some in the religious establishment. When Jesus was confronted by the religious establishment about forgiving sins, even though His mighty acts over the dark spiritual forces in the world verified His authority, they refused to accept Him.

Aaron's two eldest sons were consumed by fire from the altar when they did not do as the Lord commanded. This is a warning to all who serve in the Church as pastors and priests. When they stumble, many fall. Given the higher bar for those called to serve in the Church, we pray for them and those led astray by their misdeeds.

Aaron and his sons were ordained and consecrated for service in the Tabernacle. They were made bloody by the sacrifices of their oridnation, just as Jesus was bloodied on the cross. Their offering was accepted by God in a supernatural way, just as Jesus was accepted by the Father as attested by His resurrection. We thank God for faithful servants, who point us to Christ, the fulfillment of the Priestly Office.

Mark focuses us on God enlighting our darkness. The dark forces at work in the world seem to win sometimes. But we know that even when it seems God is slow to answer our prayers, He is working to deliver us in the time and the way He knows best.

The priests were told to never let the fire on the altar go out. It symbolized both God's wrath and His mercy. Here we see another earthly representation of the eternal reality in heaven. As Isaiah the prophet would learn in Isaiah chapter six, in heaven, the altar in heaven continually burns as a reminder of God's wrath and mercy.

The sin offering was different because female lambs were offered for this offering. Cute and innocent, they paid the ultimate price for someone else's sin. Here we are given opportunity to reflect on the pain our sin causes others and the forgiveness we have in Christ.

Mark's gospel is short, sweet and to the point! We see Jesus winning the victory over the dark spiritual forces of the world. This is good news for us, especially when it seems God is slow in answering our prayers.

The Old Testament sacrifices were bloody and personal. The act of laying one's hand on the head of the sacrificial animal as it was slain was a personal connection. We will be introduced to a small flock of goats to feel a small measure of this powerful connection.

We consider how the grain offering was a literal first-fruits offering to the Lord. When God's people gave a portion of their grain, their sustenance, they were trusting God with their livelihood. When we give, we give God opportunity to bless us, just as we bless Him with our gifts.

The faithful women who had attended Jesus through his death and burial returned to the tomb early Easter morning and were blessed to be the first witnesses of Jesus's resurrection. He had kept all His promises! The angel told them to, "go and tell the disciples." At the end of the gospel, Jesus encourages all His disciples to, "go and tell." But we go not without His help. Matthew's gospel ends with one more great promise of Christ's enduring presence that we hold onto today.

We begin Leviticus by learning how the principles that undergirded the Old Testament sacrifices still apply to God's people today. We also consider three different types of law found in Leviticus and learn to distinguish which apply and which don't apply today.

Exodus ends on a high note. The presence of God, which overshadowed His people in the pillar came to rest on the Tabernacle. The God Who had led them on their journey now promised to dwell among them. We consider the blessings of His presence that overshadow us in our journey.

When Jesus died, darkness covered the earth, the curtain in the Temple that divided God's presence from men was torn and the dead were raised. At these events, the Centurion declared Jesus to be the very Son of God. We too praise Him for finishing the work of our salvation for us. He was laid in the tomb, sanctifying death as our way to the Father.

The holy robes God gave Aaron and the High Priests was a splendid foreshadowing of how all God's people will be adorned in glory. He wore jewels and a holy crown to remind God's people of how special they are to God. This because God clothes us in love, even when we don't deserve it.

The generosity of faithful women and men is highlighted this time. Bronze mirrors used to beautify self were donated to beautify the Tabernacle. Faithful craftsmen were honored for their workmanship. In this episode, all who serve with their talents are celebrated.

In the upside-down world of Jesus' final hours, where wrong was right and right was wrong, He got what He deserved. He had taken the sin of humanity upon Himself and was being treated as if all sin was His. It was. He had made it so! Judas and the Jewish people would also get what they deserved. But we, like Barabbas, don't get what we deserve because in Jesus, we are forgiven and receive the reward for His righteousness.

The work on the Tabernacle began with God reminding His people of the importance of worship and rest. He didn't want them to get so consumed with what they were doing that they missed the blessing of time with Him in worship. How often do we get so busy we don't take time for God or ourselves? Here we learn the blessings of rest and godly generosity.

Moses cut new tablets and met with the Lord, Who renewed His covenant with His people. Even as the law is given, God's mercy outweighs His wrath. This is good news for all who struggle with self-worth. God loves us despite the things we don't love about ourselves.

When Jesus was arrested, He found Himself living in an upside-down world. Right was wrong. Truth was a lie. His best friend thrice betrayed Him. Yet Jesus continued through it all, knowing the worst was yet to come, thinking of you and your salvation every step of the way.

We learn of the close intimacy Moses had with God. While we pray for blessing and prosperity, it is often the difficulties of life that draw us closer to family, friends and the Lord. In this episode we explore the blessings of these close relationships.

It's hard to imagine how the Israelites could make a golden calf and worship it while they could see God meeting with Moses up on the mountain. But they did. Aaron, their called worship leader, led this idolatrous worship. In this episode, we learn how the idol worship of Israel grew out of Egyptian religious practice and the depth of God's mercy.

In the opening salvo of events of Jesus' final days on earth, He is annointed by a sinful woman, betrayed by one of His closest friends, and ends up in the Garden of Gethsemane. In this episode, we consider the weight Jesus carried, why Gethsemane was the perfect place for Jesus' agonizing prayer and who it was that actually betrays Jesus.

Why does the world so celebrate celebrity and entertainers that they get special awards just for existing? In today's podcast, we are celebrating every woman and every man who's work is essential to society, by giving them an award inspired by two men in today's lesson who built the Tabernacle and all its furnishings.

We will compare the holy calling that Aaron and his sons received as priests to the calling God gives each of us. Some are called today to serve as pastors or priests. All are called in their baptism to a life of service. We will learn how all are affirmed by God's calling.