Deuteronomy (Program #1) – An Introductory Word

The first five books of the Bible form a unit. You probably have heard of this group of books written by Moses refer to as the Pentateuch. The last of these five, Deuteronomy is a conclusion not only to the writings of Moses but the law given first to Moses on Mount Sinai back in Exodus and then developed and enlarged with the judgments, statues and ordinances were added in the latter books of Pentateuch namely Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus.

Today we begin this book with an odd sounding name, Deuteronomy.  This book is marvelous and we believe the Lord will show us many wonderful things as we fellowship through this book.  It would be good to start with a quick look, the name of the book, Deuteronomy, an odd sounding name.  Many do not have much understanding what Deuteronomy refers to.  The word itself actually means second law. At the beginning of this book. Moses and children of Israel are standing on the border of the good land. They are no longer at Mt Sinai. But they are at the border of the good land preparing to go in and possess the land. So, here Moses gives the people a Deuteronomy, a second law, which is not another law, but is a re-speaking of the law that had been spoken previously nearly 40 years before at Sinai in the wilderness.

Now, when the opening of the of Deuteronomy, we have a new generation of the children of Israel. The first generation that came out of Egypt with Moses with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, had all died out. And now, we had a new generation, they had either not been present at the first speaking of the law or they were too young to receive that speaking. So here they all were at the border of the good land before they enter into the land God burdened Moses to re- speak the words of the law to these people to prepare them for what they needed to do to enter into the land and to taking possession of it.

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Galatians (Program #26) – Getting Rid of the Leaven

Galatians 5:1 tells us that it was for freedom that Christ has set us free. Yet later, we see how this freedom can actually turn out to be a stumbling to both ourselves and others around us. How to safeguard the freedom we have received in Christ is our focus on today’s life study of the Bible.

Galatians 5 brings us to the daily walk of God’s children. And, it’s quite good to see that in chapter 5 verse 4, Paul’s letting them know, don’t be taken away from Christ; You should not be brought to nothing from Christ; and you should not fall away from grace. In our daily walk, God has jealously betrothed us to Himself in Christ. And, we should not be brought to nothing from Christ. Neither, should we fall from grace.

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Numbers (Program #31) – A Vital Sketch of the Divine Revelation in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers (1)

Most serious readers of the Bible recognize there are unmistakable portraits of of Christ in the Old Testament, among these of course are the Passover Lamb and the brass serpent.  If our understanding has been enlightened we can see not only Christ but God’s eternal purpose and plan in picture forms throughout the Old Testament.  The key to this understanding is what apostle Paul called the economy of God.  God’s economy is His plan, His purpose and all that He has arranged to work it out.  This life study of the Bible has this economy as its focus.  The result is that book after book, including the obscure  and seldom spoken of books such as Numbers in the Old Testament all become a rich treasury of light and truth unveiling Christ and God’s purpose in marvelous details.

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Galatians (Program #25) – Not Brought to Nought from Christ

To accept some kind of concept that we need to do something outward as a condition of experiencing and enjoying Christ is in a front, an insult to God. The New Testament book of Galatians reveals much about the Gospel of grace and the freedom that believers have in Christ, especially the first 4 chapters. But, chapter 5 brings us a well-known warning about falling from grace. Have you ever wondered what it is to fall away from grace? Is it to commit sins after you’re saved? Does it mean that you lose your salvation by grace? Stay with us as we look at Galatians 5 on today’s life study of the Bible.

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Numbers (Program #30) – Fighting (9)

After 40 years of experiences in the wilderness, God is ready to fulfill His promise to His people Israel to give them the good land.  But there are some requirements that He places upon them because this land has been occupied even polluted by various people apart from Israel; people with other gods and idols.  So before Israel can inherit the land, they must first drive out all these inhabitants, destroy their idols and tear down the high places.  If they don’t, they will be troubled by these things throughout their days.  Once again, the Old Testament provides us with a rich profound illustration of how we must possess our good land, the all-inclusive Christ.

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Galatians (Program #24) – Two Covenants and Two Kinds of Children

When we get saved, Christ gets into us. Then as we learn to walk in Him, we experience Him living in us. But still, this is not the goal. In Galatians 4:19, Paul says, “My children, with whom I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you”. It’s not until Christ is formed in us that we enter the full blessing of the Gospel. Don’t miss today’s life study of the Bible.

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Numbers (Program #29) – Fighting (8)

We all familiar with the Old Testament principle calling for “an eye for an eye”.  This implies the penalty for serious crime was very severe in the dispensation of the law and surely it was.  Though ‘an eye for an eye” speaks of the righteous nature of God, it doesn’t fully reflect His mercy and grace.  As the children of Israel preparing to enter into the good land, they were given a much different provision to deal with offenders and that was the six cities of refuge in which a guilty person can flee and be protected from his avenger.  Here is another aspect of our God being displayed and we all as guilty ones have benefited from taking safe refuge in God’s place of refuge; today our Savior Christ.

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Galatians (Program #23) – The Need for Christ To Be Formed

In Galatians 1, the Apostle Paul points us to the Christ who is revealed in us. In chapter 2, we have the Christ who lives in us. But in chapter 4, the focus is on the Christ who is being formed in us. Yes. Christ has been revealed in us; even, He is living us. Yet the questions remains, has He been formed in us? This is the deep burden of the Apostle Paul in Galatians, and it’s our topic on today’s life study of the Bible.

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Numbers (Program #28) – Fighting (7)

One of the great moments in all of the Old Testament history was when the children of Israel finally participated in the distribution of the good land.  In principle, it was to be distributed not according to their choice, but according to God’s direction.   Yet two of the tribes, Reuben and Gad and later joined by the half-tribe of Manasseh.  Because of their own particular situation thought they knew what they needed, so they made request of Moses and the high priest to give them the land just before the Jordan river on the east side.  God agreed and these tribes got what they had chosen and what they had asked for.  But as we will see, our own choice, if we take it before the Lord’s choice most often carries a big price.

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Galatians (Program #22) – The Spirit of Sonship

Galatians 4 is a wonderful chapter, focusing on two divine sendings. God first sent forth His Son. But, not only so, He also sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. The two sendings in Galatians 4 are our topic on today’s life study of the Bible.

It helps to see the two main points in chapter 3 are number 1, that the Spirit is the blessing of the Gospel, and number 2, that the law is a custodian leading us to Christ, conducting us to Christ, and keeping us for Christ. In this Chapter 4:1-7, we see a continuation. That is, the Spirit of Sonship replacing the custody of the law. So, we need to begin this program by asking, “Do you want the blessing or do you want a custodian?”

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