2023—Week09: Numbers36; Deuteronomy01-22; Mark11-14

 Numbers 36: Another word about the inheritance of the daughters of Zelophehad: the concern was that this kind of inheritance would hopelessly confuse the properties of the tribes. So the daughters who inherited were commanded to marry within the tribe.

Deuteronomy begins with Moses recounting the history of the wanderings since the Exodus with commentary. It could’ve been 11 days. In chapter 5, he reiterates the 10 Commandments. In light of all this, the charge is, listen up, love God with all your heart, mind and soul. Teach these things to your children at every opportunity. Be separate from the pagans and don’t intermarry or have anything to do with their pagan ways. Obey God and He is able to bless you! (As shown in the health of the Hebrews during the wilderness wandering.) Consider how God has set His love on you not for any loveliness on your own part and do not provoke Him as you have in the past. You’ll depend on Him as  you face the giants of the land. Look what God did with the Law you broke even while it was being given the covenant was restored through mercy and recorded again to rest under the mercy seat where it could symbolically be seen through the blood sprinkled upon that seat. Be merciful yourself after His example, and love the stranger. Love God and serve Him with a circumcised heart. Idolatry, witchcraft and false prophecy carry the death sentence; but it must be proven by two or three witnesses. Moses prophesies a King of Israel and gives laws for them: they aren’t to increase wealth too much or multiply horses or wives, which is exactly what Solomon is known for doing. They must make them a copy of the Bible and read it every day, which seems like something that would have prevented Solomon from doing what he did if he had. The priests are to be provided for, and the judges are to be the arbiter of what the Law says.

Mark 11-14: Jesus arranges for Him to arrive on the scene at Jerusalem the way Zechariah predicts. Although some receive Him the way prophecy requires, ultimately He finds no true fruit at the temple, just as He found nothing produced by the fig tree. From that point on, His relationship with the religious leaders is much more adversarial. He outlines the situation with a parable of hostile occupiers of the vineyard who won’t surrender its fruit, then they pepper Him with a succession of dilemmas: is it in harmony with the Law for them to pay tribute to their oppressors? Doesn’t it disprove the resurrection if the Law demands levirate marriage and seven brothers marry a single woman? Whose will she be in the afterlife? Pick a commandment that is more important than the rest. We dare you. They’re afraid to ask Him questions after He answers these. But He isn’t done, and poses questions to them that they cannot answer, revealing their hypocrisy. On the day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus has arranged for the upper room. He institutes the Lord’s Supper, infusing the bread and wine with the metaphorical significance, and predicts His betrayal and denial. The disciples all worry they will be the one to betray Him, then all claim they will die with Him rather than deny Him. In Gethsemene, Jesus surrenders Himself to the Father’s will and the disciples sleep, then Peter cuts off Malcus’ ear, but Jesus is arrested anyway as they all flee, including a young man who runs out of his clothing (some think this is Mark himself).