Jo’s Place

​ The Book of Instructions   Moses wrote the entire body of instruction  (from the Lord),  in a book, and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, …and to the elders of Israel.  Then, Moses gave them this command:  “At the end of every seventh year, the Year of Release, during the Festival of Shelters, you must read this Book of Instruction, to all the people of Israel, when they assemble before the Lord your God, at the place He chooses.  Call them all together—men, women, children, and the foreigners living in your towns—so they may hear this Book of Instruction …and learn to fear the Lord your God …and carefully obey all the terms of these instructions.  Do this, so that your children, who have not known these instructions, will hear them …and will learn to fear the Lord your God.  Do this as long as you live, in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.”  Deuteronomy 31:9–13 (NLT) Praise be to God!

​ The Book of Deuteronomy   Deuteronomy is a set of sermons, preached by Moses to all of Israel, shortly before his death, urging Israel's faithful obedience, to the covenant laws, given 40 years previously at Sinai. The name Deuteronomy comes from the Greek title for the book, deuteronomion, meaning “second law” or “repeated law,” a name attributed to one of the Hebrew Scripture books, from the Mishneh Torah. God’s promise, to Israel, in Deuteronomy, is that    the LORD your God will bless you in the land He is giving you.  The LORD will establish you, as His holy people… because He promised you on oath… that if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in His ways… then, all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will respect you. This is the core of Deuteronomy -    the covenant that binds Yahweh and Israel, by an oath of fidelity and obedience. God will give Israel blessings of land, fertility, and ...

The Book of Numbers The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The book of Numbers tells that story. Numbers follows Israel’s journey from the foot of Mount Sinai (which is where Leviticus ends), to the edge of the promised land… of Canaan.  If this were a regular road trip of the time, the journey would only take about two weeks. So why does it take 40 years?  Well, it’s the ongoing story of the disobedience of the Israelites, their lack of faith in the Lord.  When the people get about halfway there, Moses sends a few spies into the promised land, to scout it out for the upcoming invasion.  Most of the spies come back in a panic, claiming that the Canaanites are far too powerful for Israel to overcome.  This leads to a revolt, with the people refusing to take the land.  God gives them their wish, decreeing that the whole generation, who revolted, will die in the wilderness, and the land will be taken by their children. It’s a vital par...