Admit it, you are doing your happy dance because we have made it through Leviticus! And you thought it could not be done!
However, one minor detail remains, we have to figure out what the heck is going on in chapter 27.
While the activities that have preceded the 27th chapter are practices that are required, this chapter deals with voluntary activities, making vows to God. There are three reasons one might make a vow to God: 1. one wants to get something from God, 2. a desire to thank God for a special favor God has granted, and 3. to just spontaneously express love to God.
This chapter seeks to determine what is appropriate to offer to God as part of a vow? What happens if someone wishes to redeem their vow, thinking perhaps it was a mistake? Or if you recall the vow, are there any penalties?
The first section from 2-13 speaks to the values of human vows, and what is the exchange if one seeks to redeem a vow of a person? Such as what if Hannah had decided that she wanted Samuel back after offering him to God.
The second sections deals with homes and land, while the final covers areas that are not included in the first two sections.
If you think about it, it is kind of interesting that God would create a system in which returns are created for vows that we realize we cannot keep. Does this God know us or what?
Numbers 1
A brief introduction to Numbers is in order. The Book of Numbers covers the time that Israel wanders in the wilderness. It picks up the story from the encampment at Mt. Sinai and then will remain with Israel as it wanders for forty years. The book can be divided into two major sections; 1-25 and 26-35. These sections are divided by two census that are taken. The first section covers the "older generation", those who will not be allowed to enter into the Promised Land, while the second section covers the "newer generation" those that Joshua will eventually lead into Canaan.
The book itself is an interesting mixture of narrative (historical information) and Priestly materials (those items interested in the cultic activities of Israel.) Most of the characters remain the same and some information might also reappear from sections of Exodus, with some embellishment.
In the first chapter, God asks Moses and Aaron to take a census of the fighting men of Israel to gain a knowledge of how many men could serve in the army of Israel. Preparations, at least by God, are underway for the invasion of the Promised Land. Each tribe is listed out, each tribe corresponding to the son of Jacob that they were named for. In the future two tribes will dominate the history, Judah in the south and Ephraim in the north.
For those mathematicians out there, the total tallies would seem to be rather unrealistic, too large.
Acts 13
In this chapter we see the church at work. Notice that the Jerusalem church is not the only church sending out missions, for the church in Antioch commissioned Barnabas and Paul for a new ministry that was first ordained by the Holy Spirit.
Paul, in all, will go on three missionary journeys and this endeavor will be his first. While in the other journeys it is clear that Paul is the leader, we are not sure that is the case in this first journey. It would seem the early church probably placed more trust in Barnabas to lead this mission. However, as the story continues it is clear that Paul's abilities place him in a position of influence. It is Paul who confronts Bar Jesus and puts him in his place, it is Paul who does the preaching. This mission journey will take Paul and Barnabas to Cyprus and then to Asia Minor.
Within the chapter, we are offered Paul's understanding of God's history of salvation and he tells the story form Abraham to Jesus. The people's response to this message is overwhelming, giving a good omen of future endeavors.
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