Deuteronomy 1 & 2: Forty Instead Of Eleven
Verse of the Day: (1:2) There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.

1. Eleven (1:1-21)
And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them; (1:3)

Instead of eleven days, Israel took forty years wandering around in the wilderness, before they began to possess their Promised Land! Why? Unbelief. Israel failed to believe that what God had promised, He shall fulfil, instead, they used their own understanding, and wandered aimlessly for forty years. Though God chose Moses to be their leader, and Aaron, his assistant, yet they also failed to believe that they could take eleven days to reach their Promised Land. After forty years, Moses now led the younger generation after God destroyed the older ones who were twenty years and above, except for Joshua and Caleb, because of unbelief. Moses encouraged the younger ones to believe in God that He shall fight for them, and grant them victory over their enemies. Let us believe that God shall fulfil all His promises to us in His time and according to His will. (Hebrews 3:15-19)
  
2. Eyes (1:22-46)
The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; (1:30)

Though Israel wandered for forty years in the wilderness, yet God was with them all the time, as the pillar of cloud in the day, and the pillar of fire at night, to lead them, until they reached the Promised Land. No matter how disobedient and rebellious Israel was, God was longsuffering and merciful, and He kept convicting their hearts to repent of their sins of unbelief and fear. Indeed, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power, love and strong mind, and let us keep our eyes on Jesus amid our life storms. (2 Timothy 1:7)

3. Esau (2:1-37)
And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: (2:4)

Jacob, which means “the deceiver” deceived Esau his older twin brother, the firstborn of Isaac their father, of his birthright and blessings. Subsequently God chastised Jacob and he repented his sins and God named him, Israel, meaning “the prince with God’s power”. Though Jacob deceived Esau, yet both their descendants forgave each other and the descendants of Esau allowed the descendants of Israel to advance to their Promised Land. Indeed, let us forgive one another, even as God also forgives us. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, please help me to fully believe and trust in You in everything.

Numbers 35 & 36: Marry Your Own Tribe
Verse of the Day: (36:6) This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry. 

1. Moses (35:1-8)
And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, (35:1)

Leadership is vital for the success of any organisation, and it is even more so for God’s church. God’s way is to choose His leader, and then work with him to accomplish all that He has for His church and people according to His will. God chose Moses, and He worked with him to lead Israel until the day He called Moses to His home in heaven. This time, God through Moses commanded Israel to give forty-eight cities to the tribe of Levi as they did not have any inheritance, and then to designate six of these cities as refuge for alleged murderers who were considered innocent until proven guilty. Indeed, God loves and cares for His people, and He is our refuge and present help in time of trouble, and shall surely protect and preserve us, as we fully trust and obey Him. (Psalms 46:1-11)
  
2. Murderer (35:9-34)
Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. (35:30)

Though God loves all yet He shall judge those who sinned against Him, especially the murderers. During the time of Moses, the murderers received capital punishment if there was sufficient evidence and reliable witnesses to prove that they were guilty. However, alleged murderers were sent to the cities of refuge pending investigation, and the only time they could be released was after the death of the high priest. Indeed, God is merciful and full of compassion, and let us commit and yield our lives to Him. (Lamentations 3:22) 

3. Marry (34:1-29)
And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father. (36:12)

God loves His people and He desires us to have the best of everything. This was why God commanded the daughters of Zelophehad to marry their own tribe, Manasseh, so that their tribe could continue to keep their inheritance that God had blessed them with. Today, God’s command for His people is that we must marry another Christian to receive His spiritual blessings. The Christian couple can then attend the same church and worship the same true and living God, and one day, by His amazing grace, lead their children to believe in and receive Jesus as their personal Saviour and Lord. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, please help me to marry my own tribe, Your people and children.

Numbers 31 & 32: Will Your Sins Be Found Out?
Verse of the Day: (32:23) But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

1. Separation (31:1-54)
Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water. (31:23)

To be holy before the holy God we must repent our sins, and believe and receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. God commanded Israel to destroy the wicked Midianites as they cursed and harmed them. Israel destroyed them including the false prophet, Balaam. However, Israel sinned against God when they had earlier listened to the counsel of Balaam by sparing the women of Midian and then marrying them and worshipping their idols. God then commanded Israel to destroy all the women of Midian except the unmarried girls. God also commanded those men who destroyed the Midianites to put the gold, silver, brass, iron, tin and lead they took from them through the fire and the water of purification. Those things that could not be passed through the fire they put them through the water, and finally they must wash their clothes on the seventh day before they returned to their camp. Indeed, let us be holy as God is holy. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
  
2. Sit (32:1-19)
And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? (32:6)

God’s ways are not man’s ways as He is the Creator and man is only the creature. When the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh saw the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they chose to sit and reside on these lands than to be with the rest of Israel to cross the river Jordan and to fight against their enemies so as to possess their Promised Land. God rebuked them and they realised that they could never hide their sins of unbelief and cowardice before Him. Let us be strong and courageous, and seek God and His Word, and one day God shall grant us His Promised Land in Heaven! (Joshua 1:8-9)

3. Sin (32:20-42)
But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith. (32:27)

Thank God the tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh, chose to obey God as they sent their men together with the rest of Israel, led by their new leader, Joshua, to cross the river Jordan, fought many battles before possessing their Promised Land. Indeed, it was their faith in God that they did the impossible. Let us therefore have faith in God that we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us. (Philippians 4:13)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, please help me to repent my sins as You even know my secret sins.
 

Numbers 33 & 34: Is God With You In Your Life Journey?
Verse of the Day: (33:2) And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. 

1. Journey (33:1-49)
These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. (33:1)

Our life journey is really beyond our control as we do not exactly know when it will end. However, as Christians who believe in Jesus Christ, we know that our journey shall end in our eternal home called Heaven, and best of all, Jesus is with us throughout all our journey, and even in heaven, He is with us as we worship Him forever. At the last chapter of Moses’ life, God inspired him to write in details their journey through the wilderness for forty years before they finally entered their Promised Land. Though the names of all the places seemed insignificant, the fact is, God was with them all the time, as a pillar of cloud in the day, and a pillar of fire at night, at every station of their journey, leading and guiding them, and demonstrating His everlasting love for them. (Hebrews 13:5-8)
  
2. Jordan (33:50-56)
And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, (33:50)

We all have our milestone in life, and in particular, we remember what God had done for and with us during our happiest as well as the darkest moment of our lives. Israel too had their milestone in their life journey, especially through their wilderness journey before entering the Promised Land, such as God miraculously opening the Red Sea and river Jordan for them to cross to the other side. Indeed, let us be thankful for every milestone of our lives, including the hardest one, because we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) 

3. Joshua (34:1-29)
These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. (34:17)

Though the church may vote for their next pastor or the pastor appoints his successor, ultimately it must be God who chooses His leader, just like He appointed Joshua to succeed Moses as the next leader of Israel with Eleazar as the next high priest after Aaron. Now God through Joshua and Eleazar allotted the Promised Land to the twelve tribes of Israel with the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh receiving their inheritance on the east of Jordan, while the rest of the tribes received them on the west. Indeed, though God loves all, yet He hates sins and only saves those who repent their sins and believe in Him, and condemn those who refuse to repent to fiery hell. (2 Peter 3:9)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, thank You that You are always with me in my life journey to heaven.

Numbers 29 & 30: How Is Your Soul Today?
Verse of the Day: (30:2) If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

1. Seven (29:1-5)
And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. (29:1)

Seven is mentioned many times in the Bible as it is God’s number, and it means completion. God through Moses commanded Israel to offer burnt offerings before Him on the first day of the seventh month, and that they must worship Him for who He is and what He had done for them, and so find rest and completion in their lives and souls. Indeed, God’s desire is that all His creatures, especially man, make in His image, please and live for Him and Him alone. However, God gives man choices, and the first couple, Adam and Eve, chose to sin against God. As a result, we are born sinners and our final destination is hell because of our sins. The only way we can be reconciled with God is to repent our sins and believe in and receive Jesus Christ, His Son, as our personal Saviour. Before Jesus came, the people offered sacrifices to God to atone for their sins, and by faith believe that Jesus shall one day come to this earth and be the ultimate sacrifice to die for the sins the world. Today, Jesus already came, and had died for us, and when we by faith believe in Him, our souls shall be with Him in heaven forever. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
  
2. Sacrifice (29:6-40)
Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. (29:6)

God desired Israel not just to offer their sacrifices to Him, but to trust and obey Him, so that their sacrifices shall be sweet smelling and well pleasing to Him. Today, let us offer our lives as the sweet smelling sacrifice to God, by trusting and obeying Him, because He truly loves us and gave His only Son as the final sacrifice for our sins. (Philippians 4:18)

3. Soul (30:1-16)
Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. (30:13)

People may break their vows and promises, but as God’s people, we must be very careful when we make our vows and promises, because we must keep them. Indeed, God always keep His promises, especially, when He promises us eternal life with Him as we believe in Him. Let us therefore commit our lives and souls to Him forever. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, thank You that my soul is well as I am bound for heaven, Your home.
 

Numbers 27 & 28: Who Is Your Shepherd?
Verse of the Day: (27:17) Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

1. Son (27:1-11)
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father. (27:4)

God is fair, and He treats everyone equally. Even though Adam is the head of the family, with Eve as his wife, yet He blessed both of them. Though God blessed the sons of Israel with inheritance, yet He also loved the daughters of Israel. Indeed, whether the sons or the daughters received the inheritance, they must all use them for God’s glory, because everything belongs to Him. The daughters of Zelophehad did the right thing when they asked God for their inheritance since their father had no son. God then blessed them not only with their father’s inheritance, but also commanded Israel to adhere to the law of inheritance whereby the priority of inheritance would begin with the sons, followed by the daughters, the brothers, the uncles and finally the relatives. Today, our inheritance is eternal life with God in heaven when we believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. (John 3:16) 
  
2. Shepherd (27:12-23)
And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; (27:18)

Though the church or the pastor himself may appoint his successor, ultimately, it must be God who appoints His leader for His church, just like He appointed Joshua to succeed Moses. God knows the hearts and spirit of man, and He knew the heart and spirit of Joshua, that he had the heart after His heart. Indeed, the sheep must have their shepherd to lead them to green pasture and still waters, and so must man have God appointing them His leader to lead them to higher ground of holiness and humility. (Psalms 23)

3. Sacrifice (28:1-31)
Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season. (28:2)

Let us thank God for His Son, Jesus Christ, who became the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world when we repent of our sins, and believe and receive Christ as our personal Saviour. Before Christ became the final sacrifice, the people of Israel, with the service of their priests, had to offer daily, weekly, monthly and yearly sacrifices to atone for their sins at the tabernacle before God. Indeed, Christ is our everything! (Hebrews 9:28)

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, thank You that You are my great Shepherd, my personal Saviour.
 

Numbers 25 & 26: Are You Zealous For God?
Verse of the Day: (25:13) And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

1. Plague (25:1-9)
And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. (25:8)

Though the false prophet Balaam and Balak the king of the Moabites failed to curse and destroy Israel, yet they persisted in their evil deeds by deceiving the men of Israel into marrying the daughters of Moab thus resulting in widespread idolatry. Immediately, God judged Israel, and many were destroyed for their sins of rebellion and idolatry. However, God stopped His judgment when Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron the priest, destroyed the couple who had blatantly disobeyed God by their intermarriage as they presented themselves before Moses and Israel. God then blessed Phinehas, and covenanted with him that his descendants shall be blessed with an everlasting priesthood. (Hebrews 7:11)
 
2. Phinehas (25:10-18)
Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. (25:11)

God commended Phinehas as he was zealous for Him and His Word, and he did what was right before Him. Let us be like Phinehas, and especially, Jesus, God’s Son, who was obedient to His Father, even the death on the cross, which was the most humiliating death, though He did not sin, yet He bore the sins of the whole world. (Philippians 2:5-8)
 
3. People (26:1-65)
Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt. (26:4)

This was the sad and tragic history of Israel when God commanded Moses to take the census of Israel, and thereafter He had to destroy all those who were twenty years old and above, except for Joshua and Caleb and those nineteen years old and below, because they kept rebelling against Him, and doubted that He was able to bring them to the Promised Land. In fact, God gave them many opportunities to repent of their sins, but they persisted to disobey and rebel against Him. Let us therefore trust and obey God, and believe that He can do anything and everything, even saving our souls from eternal condemnation, and promoting us to be with Him in heaven glory land! (Hebrews 3:12-19)  

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be zealous for You and Your Word now and forever.

Numbers 23 & 24: Will You Believe In The Star?
Verse of the Day: (24:17) I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

1. Seven (23:1-12)
And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. (23:1)

Seven is God’s number and it means completion. Though Balaam completed all that God commanded him as he requested Balak to build him seven altars so that he could offer seven oxen and rams on each of the altar, yet he was actually conspiring with Balak to curse Israel. However, instead of cursing, God made Balaam to bless Israel. Many people, like Balaam, profess to be Christians actively serving God, but in fact, they are actually serving the Devil to get the best deal in their pursuit of material wealth. Indeed, only God knows our hearts, and let us search them that they be after His heart. (Acts 13:22-24)
 
2. Son (23:13-30)
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (23:19)

No matter how much bribe Balak offered to Balaam, he could never get him to curse Israel, because God controlled Balaam’s mouth just like He controlled Balaam’s ass, and Balaam had to keep blessing Israel. Man, like Balaam, wavered between God and the Devil, the spiritual and the material, because man is a sinner and a creature made in God’s image. However, God is the Creator of everything, including man, and He never wavers but fulfils whatever He promises. We must therefore strive to be like Christ that we mean what we say from our hearts which are after God’s heart. (2 Corinthians 1:18-20)
 
3. Star (24:1-25)
And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. (24:10)

Though Balaam conspired against Balak, and attempted to curse Israel three times, yet God was with Israel, and instead of cursing, God made Balaam to bless Israel three times. In fact, God also used Balaam to prophesy the great coming of the Star or the Sceptre out of Israel, who was none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to die for the sins of the whole world. Whoever believes in Jesus shall have everlasting life with Him in glorious heaven, and shall escape eternal condemnation. Indeed, nothing not even death, and no one, not even the devil, shall separate us from God’s eternal love! (Romans 8:31-39)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I believe in You, the Star, God’s Son and my Saviour.

Numbers 21 & 22: Will You Look To The LORD?
Verse of the Day: (21:8) And the LORD said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

1. Look (21:1-16)
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (21:9)

Again, Israel murmured and complaint against God and Moses, as to why God delivered them out of Egypt and then to suffer and die in the wilderness. They failed to see God’s grace, and that God was testing their faith in Him. God then judged them by sending fiery serpents to bite and destroyed them. Israel pleaded with Moses, and he prayed to God to deliver them. God answered Moses, and commanded him to make a fiery serpent on a pole, and whoever was bitten shall be healed and live when they looked at the pole. Indeed, this was the prophecy that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shall bear the sins of the whole world on the cross, and the fiery serpent represented the sins of the world, while the pole represented the cross that was lifted up, and whoever looks upon Jesus shall never perish in hell, but have everlasting life with Him in glorious heaven. (John 3:14-16)
 
2. Lawgiver (21:17-35)
The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah: (21:18)

After God healed Israel from the bite of the fiery serpents, they praised and sang to Him, and obeyed Moses, His lawgiver, who then directed them to dig wells for their own water consumption. Indeed, though we depend on God, yet we must do things for ourselves too. This was the very rare moment when Israel sang to God and obeyed His law as most of the time they murmured and rebelled against Him. Let us praise God, and obey and delight in His laws as they are good for us, and keep us safe and sound. (Romans 7:22-25)
 
3. LORD (22:1-41)
And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? (22:28)

God can do anything and everything as He is the Creator and Saviour of the world. Balak, the king of Moabites, had bribed Balaam, the false and greedy prophet, to curse Israel, God’s people, for they were a great threat to him and his people. However, God was with Israel, as He opened the mouth of Balaam’s ass to stop him from cursing Israel. In fact, the ass saved Balaam’s life not once but thrice as he could have been killed by God’s sword if not for his ass stopping him. Indeed, God shall protect His people as we call upon Him and He shall answer us, and show us great and mighty things. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to look to You in everything as You are my Saviour.

Numbers 19 & 20: Water Out Of The Rock
Verse of the Day: (20:8) Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

1. Red (19:1-22)
This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke: (19:2)

God commanded Israel to offer a red heifer without blemish and never been yoked as a sacrifice before Him. Eleazar the priest had to bring the sacrifice outside the camp to slay her and then sprinkled her blood directly before the tabernacle seven times. This ordinance signified that Israel had been spiritually cleaned and sanctified before the holy God. The heifer was red in colour to symbolise the blood of Jesus Christ, and this was the great prophecy that Jesus, the Lamb of God, shall be the ultimate sacrifice to die on the cross, and shed His precious blood for the sins of the whole world. (Hebrews 9:19-22)
 
2. Rock (20:1-21)
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. (20:12)

Israel again murmured against God, and this time they complained that they was no water for them and their flock. God then commanded Moses to speak to the rock, however, he disobeyed God, and instead, struck the rock twice. Nevertheless, God graciously allow water to flow miraculously out of the rock! Indeed, with God everything is possible, and He can even raise the dead and promote them to heaven if they trust in Him. (Luke 1:37)  
 
3. Rebel (20:22-29)
Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. (20:24)

God disciplined Moses and Aaron by forfeiting them from leading Israel to the Promised Land, because they had rebelled against Him, when Moses struck instead of speaking to the rock at the water of Meribah. Though they did not enter the Promised Land with Israel, yet God’s grace was with them, as when they died, they were promoted to Heaven, His Promised Land! Though they were imperfect, yet they believed in the perfect and loving God who chose Moses to be His greatest prophet in Israel, and appointed Aaron as His first High priest serving at His tabernacle. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12, Hebrews 5:1-4)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, I believe in You, and that I can do all things through and in You.