This is a small group that was following the plan to read through the Bible one chapter at a time with Good Morning Girls. Good Morning Girls is on an indefinite break. But will we continue reading through the Bible.
Each Monday go to the Weekly Reading Plan or the Bible Study Thread for our current book to see the introductory post for the week and the weekly reading passages, discussion questions, and memory verse.
Be sure to come here each day to see what the members of the group are sharing. Try to participate in the discussion with a post at least once each week to share with us what God is teaching you. Posting on the forum helps motivate all of us to keep reading by seeing the others persevering and it provides additional insight and learning.
Each Friday we will attempt to share a Friday Devotional that addresses some of the topics we have read that week.
Please also take time to read the Group Overview post that provides some ideas on how to get the most out of your study here! You can find this post in the the "Bible Study" section of the board.
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Re: Numbers
Week of December 7, 2015
This Week’s Reading Assignment
S.O.A.K. any verse of your choosing.
Don't forget to check the introduction on Mondays, links on Wednesday and the devotional on Friday at Good Morning Girls.
Monday
Reading: Numbers 31
Verse of the Day: Numbers 31:19
Optional GMG Discussion Question: God gave specific instructions for how the Israelites were to handle the plunder from war. The purpose was to preserve the holiness of God's people. How are you careful to not allow the things of this world to drag you away from holiness?
Tuesday
Reading: Numbers 32
Verse of the Day: Numbers 32:23
Optional GMG Discussion Question: The people of Gad and the people of Reuben decided they did not want to receive their inheritance in the Promised Land. Instead, they preferred to receive it on their current side of the Jordan River. Share a time when you allowed fear, comfort or worldly desires to hold you back from what God had planned for you?
Wednesday
Reading: Numbers 33
Verse of the Day: Numbers 33:53
Optional GMG Discussion Question: The Israelites were told to remove all the idolaters and their idols so that they themselves would not fall into temptation. Are there things that God is laying on your heart that you need to separate yourself from?
Thursday
Reading: Numbers 34
Verse of the Day: Numbers 34:18
Optional GMG Discussion Question: The land was very fruitful and could supply all of the people's needs. God once again provided them with everything they needed. How has God met your needs recently?
Friday
Reading: Numbers 35
Verse of the Day: Numbers 35:34
Optional GMG Discussion Question: God provided a refuge for those who committed murder until they could be judged appropriately. Jesus is our refuge. How does knowing this bring you encouragement and comfort today?
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Re: Numbers
Numbers 31
31:3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midian.
The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:20). We should not be focused on avenging ourselves; we should be focused on defending God’s honor. Jesus never got upset when He was dishonored, but he became livid, for example the money changers, when the Father was dishonored.
We also may need to be brave and go to “battle” to stand for God. We see more and more how Christians all over the world are having to stand in the face of persecution to stand for God.
We also need to go to war over anything in our lives and hearts that is not honoring to God. I think of that movie, Fireproof, where the lead character destroyed his computer with a baseball bat and threw it out because it was leading him into sin. And I think of where Jesus said if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off (Mark 9:43-48).
So, we need to go to war against anything that is dishonoring God in our lives.
31:6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
God went with them, it was His battle. Do we go to battle without God because it is our battle, our plan, and not His battle and His plan?
31:15-16 Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live? Behold, these, on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD.
We are not willing to kill the sources of compromise in our lives? We don’t act harshly enough against those things that lead to compromise and temptation.
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Re: Numbers
Numbers 32
What I see is that the people of Reuben lost focus on God’s task for them.
I don’t think they did not want to fight or were afraid or lacked trust in God. I think they just saw this land and thought, oh, this is perfect, why don’t we just stay here. And it seems they just did not think about the fact that they still had to finish God’s plan to go and fight and claim the Promised Land. When Moses brought it up, they were more than willing to do so, they just did not consider that when they initially made the request.
Also, it does not seem like the request was wrong or evil and it was fine if they wanted to live there. The only problem is that they needed to remember to still finish the work God had ordained.
To me it reminds us that we can see things that we would like in life and lose focus on God’s agenda. It is fine if there are certain things that are within appropriate bounds that we would like, but we need to make sure we don’t get distracted from the work God has for us.
They were just thinking of their comfort, just as those in North America at least, I think often get distracted by our comfort. We just think of our comfort and what makes our life nice and pleasurable and forget to be active and bold and engaged in God’s work and to be about God’s agenda and not our own.
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Re: Numbers
Numbers 33
The first thing that struck me, was the unlikely route the Israelites took. Even before they sinned and God had them purposely wander, it still seems the route was not direct.
It made me think that you can’t know the route God is taking us to get us to the destination He has planned. I think of the route He took with me and my husband to get us into the situation we are in now. Some good, some bad, but it was all working for the purpose of getting us where we are now, which is a good place.
33:52-53 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.
We must root out the sins and sources of compromise in our lives. Like Song of Solomon said, the little foxes that spoil the vineyard.
Also, we need to possess the area of influence that God has given us for Him and for His kingdom.
33:55-56 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them."
I see the danger and risk of comprise. This is the same for us, we allow those things in our life that lead us astray and fail to appreciate God’s great displeasure and the great spiritual risk to ourselves.
It is especially easy to let people lead us astray. So we should beware.
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Thread Starter- TBG
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Re: Numbers
Numbers 34
My Bible notes indicate that these leaders listed here are not from the same families and fathers as the ones listed in Chapter 1. Chapter 1 they were listed as leaders, but all we saw through the book was the lack of faith. The offspring of the original leaders were no longer leaders in their own times. And, so the new leaders were selected from different families.
It made me think of the word “disqualified.” It is as if their lack of faithfulness disqualified them from God’s plan to put them in positions of authority. God choose others who would be faithful to Him to fulfill His purposes.
In the Bible notes it also points out what we will see as we read further, that Israel never came close to occupying all the land that was laid out here as being given to them.
As the story unfolds we will see that they allowed compromise, contentment, apathy and fear to prevent them from fulfilling God’s plans.
Do we allow compromise, contentment with our ease, desire for comfort and pleasure, apathy or fear to prevent us from fulfilling God’s plan for us?
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