Daily Devotional

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 25    Five kings of the Amorites join together to fight against the people of Gibeon because they have made peace with Israel. The Gibeonites cry out to Israel for help. Sounds like terrible odds--5 to 1--until God is factored into the equation--"And the LORD said to Joshua, 'Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand;  not a man of them shall stand before you'" (Josh. 10:8). ... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 24  Joshua and the people of Israel no sooner recover from Achan's deception than they fall for another deception. The Gibeonites hear about the defeat of the people of Jericho and Ai and devise a plan to save themselves from the same destruction by deceiving Israel into making a treaty with them. This story alerts the reader to seven conditions that make a person vulnerable to deception: Exhaustion--Israel has... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 23  When God opens up a new phase of your life, how should you begin? Joshua had warned the people, "You have not passed this way before" (Josh. 3:4). They are about to enter a new phase of life. What will God require of Israel as they camp at Gilgal and prepare to enter Canaan? Chapters four and five reveal five clear truths for making the transition to a new phase of life. A new phase of life requi... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 22  As Israel prepares to leave the wilderness behind and enter the land of Canaan, God grants Moses three forward-looking glimpses into the Conquest Era before he dies: the Levites made responsible for Bible literacy, a panoramic view of Canaan, and the transfer of leadership to Joshua. The Law Moses pronounces a blessing on each of Israel's tribes before he dies. He appoints the Levites as responsible for Bible l... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 21  "I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the LORD has said to me, 'You shall not cross over this Jordan'" (Deuteronomy 31:2). Moses lived 40 years in Egypt, 40 years in the wilderness as a shepherd, and 40 years in the wilderness leading people. Prior to his death, he assessed life, "The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of stre... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 20 As in Deuteronomy 28's blessings and cursings, Moses urges those whose parents died in the wilderness to choose life as they enter Canaan: See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the lan... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 19 The Blessings and Cursings of Deuteronomy reveal both God's good intent toward His people and their evil response toward His goodness. "Life is good" for those who love and obey Him. "Life is bad, very bad indeed" for those who disobey Him. "Life is good" - God's heart to do good to and for His people is revealed through the blessing statements, "And all these blessings shall com... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 18  Living in close proximity to other people reveals the sin and selfishness that reside in the hearts of individuals--that which destroys community.  As Israel prepares to enter the land of Canaan, Moses elaborates on a few areas of social engagement (Deut. 21-23): Cold cases - 21:1-9 When a body is found dead and the cause of death remains unknown, the tribe closest to where the body is found is responsible to ... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 17   Moses speaks of a day in Israel's future when they will cry out to God for a king like the peoples around them (17:14). He gives them five guidelines for when that time arrives: The king must not be a foreigner (15). The king must not trust in warhorses obtained from the Egyptians, but he must rely upon the LORD to protect him (16). The king must not multiply wives for himself (17). The king must not use h... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 16  Not a day goes by that forgiveness isn't required. By me. By others. You owe me money. You owe me honor and affirmation. You owe me an apology. You owe me forgiveness. You owe me a pay increase or a promotion. You owe me gratitude. You owe me quality time. You owe me my inheritance. You owe me for broken promises or broken items. You owe me exoneration from false accusations. The list is as long as you... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 15  God longs to be among His people. He tells Moses of a day when He will choose a place among all the tribes of Israel to place His Name. He also warns Israel against redefining who He is and worshiping Him the way others worship their gods: "Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did t... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 14  Moses issues a number of warnings to Israel as they prepare to move into houses that they did not build and harvest vineyards and olive groves that they did not plant (Deuteronomy 6:10-11): Do not forget God. While slavery to the Egyptians had caused Israel to cry out to God, prosperity in the land of Canaan may cause Israel to forget God. Bible literacy will keep gratitude alive as Israel remembers her former years... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 13  Worldly men govern people by their own wisdom rather than by depending on the manifest wisdom of God. Oppression soon rules the day, and depression and despair characterize the people. Not so with God's people. God distinguishes Israel from all the peoples around them by making a covenant with them and by giving them regulations to guide their behavior, Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as t... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 12  Israel's forty years in the wilderness finally come to a conclusion. Moses gives Israel a final "pep" talk (Deut. 1-8). First, he reviews how Israel has responded to God's leadership in the past: Instead of going up against the Amorites, the Israelites request that a spy delegation be sent to determine which route to take and to report back. After assessing the goodness of the land, ten of the ... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 11  The Levites as a tribe were not assigned a territory like their brethren. They were, however, allotted towns within each tribe's territory. Forty-eight towns in twelve territories were given to them, along with limited pasture land surrounding the town. Since their primary role was to serve in the Tent of Meeting why does the Lord spread them throughout the land? The duties of the Levitical priesthood include: ... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 10 Israel moves 40 times in 40 years (Numbers 33). God utilizes each of these moves as learning experiences for Israel in the wilderness as well as for future generations. Truths Israel learns about God while moving about in the wilderness: God is not like the gods of Egypt. He is personal, holy, and takes exception to complaining, sin, and unbelief. God is holy and will be treated as such by His people. His manifest pre... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 9  Moses delivers to Israel the annual calendar of celebrations that they are to follow when they enter Canaan. These celebrations require the sacrifice of hundreds of animals who have no defects. Where will these wilderness wanderers obtain such a vast number? Finally, the Lord gives Moses one final instruction, "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your p... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 8 Moses prepares the "new" generation to enter the land of promise and gives them an annual calendar containing specific dates and sacrificial requirements for those dates: "And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation" (Num. 29:1): Daily: two lambs without defect, a grain offering, a drink offering Weekly (on the Sabbath): two lambs a year old without defect... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 7  Zimri, a leader among the Simeonites, brazenly takes a Midianite cult prostitute into his tent-in broad daylight-in front of Moses. (Num. 25:14) Sexual sin normally begins "under the radar," but Zimri's boldness is an act of public defiance. In essence, he is saying, "I will do what I want to do, when I want to do it, where I want to do it, and with whom I want to do it. And no one is going... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 6  Indigenous people groups have their own gods. Balak, the king of the Moabites, terrified of the Israelites, bands together with Midianites and calls for a famous diviner, Balaam, to come and curse the Israelites. He knows that he and the god of his people are not up to the challenge. Balaam understands "that a people's own god had the greatest power over them for bad or good, Balaam attempted to establish contact with ... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 5  Whine. Whine. Whine. That's all that Israel has done for 40 years! Israel is at Kadesh, where they've camped a number of times over the past 40 years. This formerly well-watered oasis is waterless. Israel cannot see the water hidden within the rock waiting to become a river. Instead of asking the Lord to manifest His provision, the people blame Moses for their lack and demand that he do something: If only we... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 4  Selfish ambition reveals its presence in the heart of man when a man craves what God has given to another. Unchecked, selfish ambition percolates into envious thoughts and  envious thoughts mature into destructive actions. Korah, a distant cousin to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, envies Moses" leadership position in Israel. He resents the elevation of his cousins over him, the Levites, and the entire congregati... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 3 The heart soon follows what the eye sees. The children of Israel learn through the fiasco of the spies that it takes very little to stimulate the sin that resides in their hearts. The LORD commands Israel to incorporate a visible reminder of HIs commands and the dangers lurking in their hearts. Speak to the children of Israel: "Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, a... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), March 2   Twelve spies report back to Israel regarding their 40 day excursion into Canaan. All twelve spies see the same thing: The land flows with milk and honey. The people who live there are powerful. The cities are fortified and very large. After the spies conclude their report, Caleb declares in a burst of faith, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it" (Numbers 13:30).... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale 2013), March 1 The Lord commands Moses to communicate a threefold blessing to His people: The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). The blessing is directed to the entire congregation, rather than to any individual. It consists of three parts. The first phrase of each blessing announces God's good... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 28  Feminists often accuse God of being a male chauvinist. They are misinformed. The LORD reveals His care for women who are falsely accused of adultery by ungrounded suspicions of jealous husbands: "If the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled hersel... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 27  "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 'Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them to Aaron the priest, that they may serve him"" (Num. 3:5-6). No one likes to move. Moving involves packing, sorting, discarding, and serious planning. Imagine the planning and work it would take to move the Israelites in the wilderness. In the midst of all the moving, Israel had also the task of moving the Ten... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 26  God is the great Organizer. Creation reveals His organizational skills as He forms the heavens and the earth and then fills them with life. Throughout the process He creates systems (solar system, ecological system, reproductive systems, biological systems) which He has sustained for thousands of years. The Lord gave Israel a number of systems during their first year while they camped at Mount Sinai: the sacrific... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 25 Israel camps around the Sinai area for a number of months while Moses meets with God on the mount until the Tent of Meeting is constructed. God lays out the rules and regulations for Israel's spiritual and communal life. Moses administers the first census, to determine how many people have come out of Egypt, and the camp is organized according to God's instructions. God's final message to Israel before they... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 24  Celebrating birthdays reminds each person of their entry into family. Annual events such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving remind families of past events that impact their present wellbeing and connect families to the greater community of celebrants. The Lord requires Israel to set aside days on their annual calendar to commemorate His relationship with them as individuals, families, and community. These ann... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 23 To defile an object means that something permanently destructive occurs to the object that prevents or disables it from performing the service for which it was created. When Adam and Eve sinned, humanity was permanently defiled. The promise of redemption and the picture of redemption given by God in the garden of Eden were their only hope. A redeemer would come who would undo what occurred in the garden, and it would re... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 22 "According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances" (Lev. 18:3). Moses spends the following twenty verses unpacking "their practices" by addressing sexual relationships. He completes his message with an explanation, "Do not defile you... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible (Tyndale, 2013), February 21  Leviticus 16 sits in the middle of the Torah, indicating that the Day of Atonement is the centerpiece of communal life of Israel. Leviticus 16 highlights three celebratory days for the people of God: The Passover recalls Israel's deliverance from Egypt The Feast of Tabernacles remembers God's presence during the wilderness travels The Day of Atonement acknowledges and addresses the holiness of God and t... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 20 Germs spread quickly, especially in crowds. In order to protect the community from communicable disease the LORD enacted laws to identify and prevent their spread. Priests were given the responsibility of inspecting and distinguishing between what was communicable and what was not. Failure to correctly diagnose an individual's infirmity would endanger the entire congregation. Fourteen days of quarantine may seem li... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 19  "These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard after its kind" (Lev. 11:29). Kids ask a lot of "Why?" questions. In Leviticus, God gives a lot of instructions that naturally lead to asking, "Why?" questions, like: Why is it permissible to eat only animals with divided hooves and that chew the cud? W... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 18 When sin exposes Adam and Eve's nakedness, the LORD slays an animal and used its skin to cover the couple's nakedness. God who makes the first sacrifice and establishes the blood of animals as the medium of atonement, to cover man's sin until the way into the Holiest of All is manifest (Hebrews 9:8). It is symbolic. "Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respect... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 17  "If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter-if he does not tell it, he bears guilt" (Lev. 5:1). Have you ever realized later that you should have defended someone's innocence or spoken up in a situation? Have you ever been contaminated by something harmful and not realized it until later? Have you ever made a hasty and thought... Read More

  Reading Leviticus is like eating dry toast. Boring and seemingly useless to 21st readers. Or not. Our youngest son is a trend eater. Years ago when he was around eight years old he only wanted four slices of dry toast for breakfast. Without jam. Without butter. For six months. Needless to say, I worried about the quality of his nutritional intake. Until one morning when I removed four slices of bread to place in the toaster and noticed these words on the plastic bag, "Fortified with ei... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible (Tyndale, 2013), February 15 Twelve days of giving followed the anointing of the completed tabernacle for the LORD. Each day one leader from one of the tribes of Israel, beginning with Judah, presented Moses with a dedication offering to the LORD, and the LORD commanded Moses to accept their offerings, "Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man a... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 14 "Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Ex. 40:34-35). The artisans may now rest from the "minutiae of obedience." The fruit of their painstaking labors is about to be revealed. After the tedium of ... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 13  Bezalel had no idea of the importance of his work. He just knew that he was gifted by God to do the task set before him. As Bezalel labored over the ark of acacia wood, the poles, and the mercy seat, he had no idea that God's glory would reside over it and that the blood of God's Son would sprinkle its heavenly copy. When Bezalel planed and sanded the table for the show bread and the poles that would bea... Read More

The One Year Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 12 "Then all the gifted artisans among them who worked on the tabernacle made ten curtains woven of fine linen, and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim they made them" (Ex. 36:8). All the work recorded in chapter 36 tires the eyes and the body. They made the tabernacle . . . The curtains . . . Upright frames . . . The crossbars . . . Bezalel made the ark . . . The atonement co... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 11  Aaron blew it. Aaron failed to lead when the people came to him and demanded an idol, "Come, make us gods that shall go before us" (Ex. 32:1). Aaron became a follower of men rather than a follower of God. The people led him instead of the other way around. Aaron was a people-pleaser. The Bible offers five clues that Aaron was a people pleaser: Moses' absence threatens Aaron's leadership po... Read More

The One Year Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 10  "So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests. I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the LORD their God" (Ex. 29:44-46). Ever since man's eviction from the... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 9  Behind every design is a designer-someone with a vision and a piece of paper. God is the Heavenly Designer of redemption. He communicates both His desire and His design to Moses, who oversees its construction on earth. The Lord gives Moses the pattern from which he builds the Tent of Meeting―the place where holy God meets with sinful man. He instructs Moses, "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may d... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 8 Throughout the Creation Era, God reveals that He is Jehovah-Jireh, "God Who Provides." He demonstrates His lavish provision in the garden of Eden through trees containing mature fruit that also contain seed, thus ensuring continuing provision for humanity. He anticipates man's need of redemption when He creates the animal that will be sacrificed to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness before He creates Adam a... Read More

The One Year Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 7  A community without rules is like a prison full of dangerous criminals turned loose. No one feels safe in a community without rules or fences. Imagine the chaos that would transpire if your city removed all driving ordinances and signs. A dramatic increase in accidents and loss of life would immediately occur. Imagine 2.5 million people living together in community without laws, rules, and regulations to guide their b... Read More

God desires that His people become people of the ear rather than people of the eye. Adam and Eve became people of the eye, instead of people of the ear, when they disregarded God's prohibition (what God had spoken regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to h... Read More

God's ways challenge my trust. "Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near, for God said, 'Lest perhaps the people will change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.' So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea" (Exodus 13:17-18, emphasis added). The Lord delivers Israel from the cruel grasp of their Egyptian bondage and promi... Read More

The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV, (Tyndale, 2013), February 4 The Passover would mark the new beginning of the nation of Israel: "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you" (Ex. 12:2). The weeklong celebration would be called "The Feast of Unleavened Bread." On the tenth day of this month at twilight a lamb per household would be selected and watched for four days to ensure that it had no blemish (12:4-6). On... Read More