Ruth is a book about a widow and her faithful daughter-in-law, who are rewarded for their faithfulness by God's provision. Naomi's daughter-in-law, Ruth, said "Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." Naomi needed a relative on her husband's side to "redeem" her husband's land and property in order to maintain their family name and estate. God provided Boaz, who was a relative and became interested in helping Ruth and Naomi. Before witnesses, Boaz announced that he would take Ruth as his wife and redeem the property of Elimelek and Mahlon. The Lord blessed Ruth further by giving her a son by Boaz, and the people said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

Hallelujah!

Judges 21 The Israelites mourned for their brethren Benjamite tribe, yet did not yield from their decision to prohibit any Israelite daughter to marry a Benjamite. Instead, they offered the surviving women from the conquered tribe of Jabesh Gilead and also suggested a plan for the remaining Benjamite men to take wives from the clan of Shiloh. The Israelites then left and went home to their own tribes an clans.

Judges 20
The other tribes of Israel came together to avenge the Benjamite men who raped and killed the wife of the Levite ( Judges 19). The men of Israel destroyed all the Benjamite men, animals, and livestock. They also set their towns on fire.

Judges 19 begins with "In those days Israel had no king". I'm supposing that this is a reminder again that these people are continuing to do whatever evil is in their heart with no regard to God. In this chapter, a Levite's wife was unfaithful to him and left him. He went after her and took her back, but then ran into trouble on the way back home. The couple end up staying with a nice old man who insisted on giving them shelter and provisions, but a group of wicked men arrived with perverse intentions. The old man tried to send the men away, but they raped and abused the Levite's wife and she eventually died the next morning. The chapter ends with a statement about how such evil things had never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt.

Judges 18
The people from the tribe of Dan were traveling and seeking a place to settle. "In those days, Israel had no king", so the Danites did whatever they pleased. When they came upon the land of Laish near Micah's estate, they encountered the Levite that Micah had hired to be his priest. The Levite blessed them saying, "Go in peace, for your journey has the Lord's approval". The Danites went to the house of Micah and took his ephod, household gods, his idols, and also persuaded the Levite priest to join them. Micah confronted the Danites, but could do nothing since they were too strong. The Danites took over the area, burned down the city of Laish, settled the land and rebuilt the city, naming it Dan, after their ancestor. The Danites set up for themselves the idols of Micah and Jonathon and his sons for their priests. It would seem that the Danites had no regard for the true God of Israel.

Judges 17 is about an Israelite named Micah who stole a bunch of money from his own mother and then became the hero in returning it to her. She was so ecstatic that she dedicated the money to the Lord for her son to make a carved image and a cast idol to "give it back to the Lord". She hired a silversmith to make the idol and image to put in Micah's house. With Micah's shrine of idols, he installed one of his sons as his priest. Then Micah invited a Levite from Bethlehem to stay with him and be his father and priest, offering to pay him and give him room and board. Micah said, "Now I know the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest." This blasphemy and idol worship occurred because "everyone did as he saw fit" (v.6).

Judges 16
Samson, still ruling as judge over Israel, again gave in to his lustful temptations in Gaza, where he met with a prostitute. The people there conspired to kill him at dawn, but he escaped again with a display of God-given supernatural strength. Next, Samson fell in love with a Philistine woman in Sorek, named Delilah. The Philistine leaders made a deal with her, paying her generously to lure and manipulate Samson into revealing his weakness and the source of his great strength. After many days of nagging, prodding, and torment, Samson finally gave in to her manipulation and explained his Nazirite status and that his great strength would be lost if he broke his vow and shaved his head. The Philistine leaders helped Delilah shave Samson's head while he was asleep and they then subdued him and seized him, gouged out his eyes and imprisoned him. Samson was surely humbled and realized his desperate need for God's mercy and grace, praying "O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more". He was taken in shackles before the rulers of the Philistines to entertain them. But, Samson braced himself against the two central support pillars on which the temple stood and pushed them, toppling the structure down on the rulers and all the people, killing "many more when he died than while he lived".

Judges 15
When Samson learned that his wife was given away to a Philistine, he went off to get even with them. He set fire to the Philistine vineyards, olive groves, and stored grain. But when the Philistines heard what Samson had done, they burned his wife and her father to death. Samson had gone away to stay in a cave in Judah, but the Philistines pursued him there and asked the men of Judah to surrender Samson to them. The men of Judah confronted Samson and he allowed them to tie him up and hand him over to the Philistines. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson in power and he broke away the ropes and struck down a thousand Philistine men with the jawbone of a donkey. Afterwards, Samson cried out to the Lord in acknowledgement, "You have given your servant this great victory". He was very thirsty and God provided an opening in a hollow place and water came out for him to drink. Samson's strength was renewed again and he led Israel for twenty more years in the days of the Philistines.

Judges 14
God lead Samson to Timnah, where he met a Philistine woman and desired to marry her. His parents didn't know this was from the Lord and didn't like the idea of Samson choosing a wife from the uncircumcised Philistine people. On the way to introduce his parents to the woman in Timnah, Samson was empowered by the Spirit with great strength in order to kill an attacking lion. Samson gave a feast for seven days, as was customary for bridegrooms. He gave a riddle for the people and offered a challenge to solve it, but the people threatened Samson's wife to get the answer for them. Since they had solved the riddle with deception and evil threats, Samson was empowered again by the Spirit and struck down thirty Philistine men. The Lord would continue to use Samson to confront the Philistines who were ruling over and oppressing the people of Israel at that time.

Judges 13
A man named Manoah had a wife who was unable to have children. An angel of the Lord came to her and instructed her not to drink any fermented drink nor to eat anything unclean for she was to soon conceive a son who would be a Nazarite. The angel told her that the boy would be set apart to God from birth and would help deliver Israel from the Philistines. Manoah prayed, asking God for further instruction and wisdom in how to raise the boy. When the boy was born, he was named Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him and the Spirit of the Lord stirred within him.

Random 2
I have become aware from my recent studies and readings (Luke 14-15, Romans 5-10, and the book of Judges) that I often do not acknowledge the fullness of God's grace and mercy towards the lost (and myself included). Sometimes I lack a rightful appreciation for these and pray that God will grant that His will be done in my heart and change me, so that I may have the compassion that Paul had in chapter 9 of Romans, "... my conscience confirms in the Holy Spirit--- I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers ". Lord, I want to extend your extravagant love and grace to the lost and rejoice with you upon their return to fellowship with you, just like you have done for me and continue to do for me every day.

Random 1

On the occasion that I ponder my current status with God, assessing my closeness or level of intimacy in my fellowship with God, my default thoughts go directly to evaluating my obedience compliance both to the so-called "holy habits" ( regular time in the Word, prayer, bible study, fellowship with the body, serving the church, etc) and secondly to behavior compliance in regards to sin management. Instead, my default thoughts should be acknowledging that my status in right standing and fellowship with God depends only on His grace and my position in Christ as an eternal child of God. Just like we can not steal the glory from Christ's work at the cross to boast in our efforts, works, and desires in our regeneration, we can not trust in our behavior compliance or sin management to impact our level or rate of spiritual growth. Our sanctification is the work of the Spirit. We have been destined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son-- only God can change our hearts and this is His work in us. Paraphrasing from 1 Corinthians 5: In Him, we are being enriched in every way... He will keep us strong to the end, ... and we will be declared by Him to be blameless on the day of the Lord. God who has called us into fellowship with Him is faithful !

in Judges 12, Jephthah led the Gileadites into a victorious battle against the Ephraimites. Jephthah then led Israel six years before he died. He was succeeded by Ibzan (7 years), Elon (10 years), and Abdon (8 years) before the Israelites returned to their evil ways again and the Lord allowed them to be oppressed by the Philistines for the next 40 years.

Judges 11 is about a mighty Gileadite warrior, Jephthah, who was given the responsibility of leading Gilead into war with the Ammonites. He tried to settle the dispute peacefully, but the king of Ammon paid no attention. "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD : If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."
Jephthah went out and fought the Ammonites and devastated their towns and Israel subdued Ammon. When he returned home, his only child came out to greet him , dancing with tambourines. Jephthah was horrified as he recalled his vow to the Lord, but he fulfilled his promise since the Lord had avenged the enemies of Gilead.

Judges 10
The Israelites went back to their evil ways and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths and foreign gods. They forsook the Lord and no longer served him, so He became angry with them and allowed them to become oppressed by the Philistines and the Ammonites. While in great distress, the Israelites cried out to the Lord, "We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals...Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." They returned to the Lord and served only Him and "He could bear Israel's misery no longer".

Judges 9
The people of Shechem aligned with one of the sons of Jerub-Baal, Abimelech, and together murdered all the other sons. They then gathered and crowned Abimelich king of Shechem. But one of the sons, Jotham, had hidden and escaped. When he heard what had happened, he spoke to the people of Shechem and said to them, "Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves- and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian - if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too! But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!" Later, the citizens of Shechem became afraid of Abimelech and gathered to the stronghold tower, but when Abimelech heard that they had assembled there he ordered his men to set it on fire. All the people were killed. Next Abimelech beseiged and captured the city of Thebez, but during this pursuit "a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull". The "curse of Jotham" had fallen on Abimelech and the people of Shechem as God punished them for all their wickedness.

In Judges 6-8, the Israelites again did evil in the eyes of the Lord and were given over into the hands of the Midianites, but the Lord called Gideon to rescue them when they cried out to Him for help. Gideon was doubtful that he was qualified to save Israel, but God said to him, "I will be with you and you will strike down all the Midianites". The Lord directed Gideon to tear down the alters to Baal and to cut down the Asherah poles and to build a proper alter to the Lord. Gideon and 32,000 of his men were preparing to battle the Midianites, but the Lord told him to only bring 300 men against the Midianites. This way, they could only boast in the Lord when He delivered the Midianites into their hands. After defeating the Midianites, the Israelites asked Gideon to rule over them, but he told them that he would not and instead "The Lord will rule over you". During the rest of Gideon's lifetime, there was peace for forty years.

Judges 3-5 explains that the Lord allowed some pagan nations to remain in the promised land in order to teach warfare to the generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle. Through this, the obedience of the Israelites would also be tested in whether they would hold fast to their own God and His commandments or accept the Pagan nations into their family and adopt their pagan customs and worship their gods. The Israelites failed and began to serve the images of Baal and the Asherah poles and God then allowed the Aram-naharaim King Cushan-rishathaim to enslave them for eight years. When the people returned to their Lord and cried out to Him for help, He sent a rescuer, Othniel. The Lord gave Othniel victory over King Cushan and there was peace in the land for 40 years. This pattern repeats several times more with Israel returning to evil ways and then the Lord allowing them to be defeated and oppressed by foreign Kings before they finally come back to Him and He delivers them once more.

Judges 2

"The LORD raised up judges... Yet the Israelites would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD's commands. Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, He was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways."

Judges
After the promised land was divided among the twelve tribes, each was responsible for driving out the remaining enemies from its own territory. In chapter 1, we read about some tribes that didn't drive out their enemies from their lands. For their disobedience, God withdrew His help in driving out the Canaanites and His blessing of the Israelites in battle.

Joshua 24
Joshua addressed the whole assembly of Israelite leaders, elders, judges, and officials, reminding them of their history regarding where they have been and have come from and all the events leading them to the promised land. Joshua reminded them of God's faithfulness, provision, protection, and keeping of His promises. Then Joshua said, "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Joshua 23
Joshua addressed the leaders, elders, judges, and officials of Israel, saying "Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now...You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed."

Joshua 22-
Before the Eastern tribes ( Reubenites, Gadites, Manassha half-tribe) had returned home, Joshua gathered them and blessed them saying, "You have done all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you. Now that the LORD your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul."
But, when they were leaving, the Eastern tribes built an alter near the Jordan and the Israelites thought they were breaking faith with the God of Israel and turning away for the Lord. The Israelites knew from past experiences that the wrath of God would be on the whole community of Israel, so the whole assembly of Israel gathered to go to war against them. But the Eastern tribes reassured the Israelites that they built the alter to the Lord and to witness before the generations to follow that they also have a share in the Lord.

Joshua 12-21
So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Joshua 11
All the northern kings came with their troops, horses, chariots, joining forces to fight against Israel. But the Lord told Joshua "Do not be afraid of them," since He would hand them all over to Israel, and Israel was to totally destroy them, not to spare anything that breathed. "So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war."

Joshua 10

The five kings of the Amorites joined forces and attacked the Gibeonites, since they had made a treaty with the Israelites. But, the Lord "threw them into confusion" and rained large hailstones down on them. Israel defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon and the Lord caused the sun and moon to stand still for a full day. Then Joshua and all Israel conquered Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir, destroying their villages and all their people. They subdued the whole region, "because the Lord God fought for Israel". Joshua had done everything according to how the Lord had commanded, and the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands and none of them were able to withstand the Israelites.

Joshua 9
Without consulting or inquiring of the Lord, Joshua was deceived by the trickery of the Gibeonites and thereby granted them a treaty of safety from being conquered by the Israelites. When Joshua and the leaders of the Israelites came to a realization of the situation, they had to decide how to proceed. They then acknowledged that they had made a foolish oath by the Lord, but now had to keep it. The Gibeonites admitted that they did what they did because they feared for their lives. Joshua was now confronted with "doing what seemed good and right", so he decided to honor the oath made by the Lord.
We often find ourselves in similar situations, realizing we had made foolish mistakes and wanting to now do the right thing. This lesson from Joshua teaches us to first consult with the Lord in our decisions so that we don't find ourselves in these situations.

Joshua 8

God told Joshua to trust Him and take his army and attack the land of Ai, using an ambush strategy to conquer king Ai's men. Joshua followed the instructions from the Lord and defeated Ai and destroyed the city, keeping the plunder for the Lord. Then Joshua built an alter at Mount Ebal to the Lord as Moses had formerly instructed. There Joshua, in the presence of the Israelites, copied on stones the entire law of Moses and read all the words of the law aloud to the whole assembly of Israel.

Joshua 7

The Israelites were defeated by an army from Ai because they had violated some instructions from the Lord to keep some holy items set apart for the Lord (robes,silver coins, gold bars, etc). A man named Achan admitted his sin against the Lord, so Joshua sent some men to find the items and bring them before the Lord. The Lord told Joshua that the man who was guilty of this sin would have to be destroyed along with his entire household. So, Joshua and the Israelites took Achan, the silver, robes, bars of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, and everything he owned and brought them to the valley of Achor. Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” Then they were all stoned and burned. Then the Lord was no longer angry with the Israelites.

Joshua 6
Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."

Joshua 5

When the Amorite and Caananite kings heard what God had done, allowing the Israelites to cross over the Jordan on dry ground, "their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites."

"On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan."

Joshua noticed a man with a drawn sword and asked him if he was an enemy or foe, but found that he was actually the commander of the army of the Lord who had come with a message, " Take off your sandals,for the place where you are standing is holy".

Joshua 4
As a memorial, men from each tribe of Israel carried a stone from the bottom of the Jordan river over to the place where they made camp that night. The stones would serve as a sign for the people to remember forever how the Lord had cut off the flow of the river when the priests carried the ark of the Lord across the Jordan. "He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."

Joshua 3

The Lord told Joshua that He would exalt him in the eyes of the people, so that all Israel may know that the Lord is with him just as He was with Moses. The Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, followed after the priests across the Jordan on dry land. The Lord had cut off the Jordan river, so that the water upstream stopped flowing when the priests entered the river's edge with the ark of the covenant. "So the people crossed over opposite Jericho and the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground".

In Joshua 2, two of Joshua's men are sent ahead of them to spy out the people and the land of Jericho. But, the King of Jericho found out about their plans and tried to stop them, but they were kept hidden and safe by a woman named Rahab. Joshua's men were grateful and agreed to be merciful to her family when they returned to claim the promised land.

Joshua 1

The Lord said to Joshua, "Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Deuteronomy 29-34

The terms of God's covenant with the Israelites is given again by Moses. He also reminded them of all that they had witnessed, including the trials, signs, and wonders. The Lord's faithfulness and daily provision during their time in the desert was witness of His continued presence with them. Moses said, " the things revealed by the Lord our God belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of His laws.... And you shall love the Lord your God, walk in His ways, and then you will live.. and the Lord your God will bless you." He told them to choose life, by loving God, listening to His voice, and holding fast to him, "for the Lord is your life". Moses summoned Joshua and instructed him to be strong and courageous, taking now the responsibility of leading God's people, "Do not be afraid, for the Lord goes with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you". Then the Lord appeared at the Tent in the pillar of cloud and said to Moses, "You are going to rest with your fathers". And the Lord spoke directly to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you." Moses spoke before all the people and leaders, "Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." Moses went up to Mount Nebo that day, seeing the promised land from a distance, and died.

Deuteronomy 27-28
"Moses and the priests, who are Levites, said to all Israel, "Be silent, O Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the LORD your God. Obey the LORD your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you ..."
"If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth... blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God... However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees, ... curses will come upon you and overtake you...If you do not carefully follow all the words of the law, ... and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God- the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses... Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. "

Deuteronomy 24-26
..you have declared that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways... and the LORD has declared that you are His people, His treasured possession as He promised... He has declared that He will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations He has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as He promised.

Deuteronomy 23
If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.

Deuteronomy 22

A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this.

Deuteronomy 12-21
...walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him... that the Lord might show you mercy, and have compassion on you...because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God.. and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God. You shall truly tithe year by year... and may the Lord bless you in all the work of your hand which you do... You shall open your hand wide to him (who is in need) and willingly lend him sufficient for his need.

Deuteronomy 11
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Deuteronomy 10
"..what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? ..the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today..the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome..Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him..He is your praise; He is your God,"

In Deuteronomy 9, Moses reminded the Israelites... "Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.... From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the LORD..... and have become corrupt... have turned away quickly from what I commanded and have made a cast idol for yourselves.... doing what was evil in the LORD's sight and so provoking him to anger....you rebelled against the commands of the LORD your God. You did not trust him or obey him. You have been rebellious against the LORD ever since I have known you."
And Moses prayed to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign LORD, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin.. they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm."

Deuteronomy 8 is a reminder to God's people that He is with them, cares for them, provides for them, and disciplines them as a father. His people should appreciate His provision, walk in His ways, be satisfied in Him, and praise Him daily for His faithfulness, mercy, and grace.

Deuteronomy 7
"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession... The Lord set his affection on you and chose you... because He loves you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers... He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love.. therefore take care to follow His commands, decrees, and laws... pay attention to them and be careful to follow them.. He will love you and bless you... do not fear, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God."

Deuteronomy 5
"..be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess."

Deuteronomy 3-4
Moses urges obedience... "Follow the laws that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the Lord is giving you... Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about the decrees and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people'. What other nation is so great as to have their god near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? ...Be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

In Deuteronomy 2, Moses reminds the Israelites of recent events in the past few decades as God lead them through the desert.... "The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything."

Deuteronomy 1 The Lord said, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain... Go to the land of the Canaanites... See, I have given you this land... Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore He would give to your fathers and to their descendants after them." Moses reminds the Israelites of the faithfulness of God in keeping this promise to them, despite their rebellion, arrogance, and unwillingness to even listen to the commands of the Lord.

The book of Numbers ends with the Israelites camped "on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho" with the promised land now in sight. The forty years of wandering was finally over.

Numbers 35
" 'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.' "

In Numbers 34, the Lord instructs Moses regarding the boundaries of the promised land (Canaan). God gives the specific land marks for the boundaries on the North, South, East, and West, of the special land that will be the possession of the Israelites. Next, the Lord directs Moses to give responsibility of dividing the land to Eleazar and Joshua. Also, the leader of each tribe is enlisted to help oversee the dividing of the land among the Israelites.

Numbers 33 ... the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes. " 'But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56 And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.' "

Numbers 28-32

Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the LORD has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the LORD had given them. The LORD's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 'Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob- not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.' The LORD's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.
"And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the LORD even more angry with Israel. If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction."

In Numbers 27, Moses is directed by the Lord to go up to the Abarim mountain range and view the land that will be given to the Israelites after his death. Moses then asked God to appoint someone to take over the responsibility in shepherding the Israelites. The Lord told Moses to take Joshua as his successor and commission him before the whole assembly of Israelites so that they will respect his authority and obey him.

Numbers 26 records the second census instructed by the Lord, "Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families--all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel." The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.
"Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb and Joshua."

In Numbers 25, the Lord sent a plague upon the Israelites, killing 24,000 as a result of their immorality and participating in Moabite sacrifices to the Baal of Peor. A grandson of Aaron, Phinehas, turned the Lord's anger away from the Israelites by his zeal for God's honor. God said to Moses, "Therefore tell him (Phinehas) I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites."

Numbers 24
The Holy Spirit of God came upon Balaam and he received a clear message from the Lord, as he again blessed the Israelites. "...water will flow from their buckets, their offspring will have all they need, their king will be great .. their kingdom will be exalted..God brought them out of Egypt and for them He is strong. " Balek again became enraged that Balaam had blessed the Israelites, but Balaam says again, "I am powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord.. I could say only what the Lord says".

Numbers 23
King Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done? I brought you to curse my enemies (Israelites), but instead you have blessed them!!" Balaam responded, "Can I say anything except what the Lord tells me? Didn't I tell you that I must do whatever the Lord tells me? How can I condemn them? For the Lord their God is with them. I received a command to bless them."

Numbers 22
King Balak called on Balaam to curse the "vast horde" of Israelites which arrived from Egypt because he felt threatened by them.
Balaaam was, however, directed by God not to cooperate. Balaam told Balak that "the Lord will not let me go with you" and also that he "would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord". The Lord told Balaam they he may say "only what I tell you to say". Balaam told Balak , "I have no power to say just anything . I will speak only the messages that God gives me." Though Balaam probably was willing to be employed by King Balak and to cooperate with his plans to curse the Israelites, he acknowledged God's sovereignty and yielded to God's guidance and direction.

Numbers 21 ... and they spoke against God..."Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert?" Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them, killing many Israelites. The people then acknowledged their sin in speaking against the Lord and asked Moses to pray for them. Moses prayed for them and the Lord instructed Moses to make a bronze snake on a pole for the people to look upon and they would live.

Numbers 20 When the people complained to Moses about not having any water, Moses went to God for help. God instructed him to go before the people and speak to a rock, which would then pour out water for the people and their livestock. But, Moses instead struck the rock with his staff and then water did gush out for the people. God said to Moses, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them". Since Moses did not do exactly as God had instructed him, he would not be given the privilege of leading the people into the promised land.

In Numbers 19, the Lord gave instructions to Moses regarding how to deal with being "unclean" or unfit to fellowship, offer sacrifice, or worship God. A process of purification was given, which required the ashes of a special sacrifice, a red heifer.

Numbers 17-18

You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance.

From the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth as the LORD's offering.

You must present as the LORD's portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.

Numbers 15 -16

...you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all My commands and will be consecrated to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.' "

... the LORD will show who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will have that person come near him. The man the Lord chooses He will cause to come near Him.

Numbers 14 contrasts the fear of those with little faith and the confident faith of those who trust in Him. The fearful people in the Israelite camp grumbled, complained and wept loudly, and suggested going back to Egypt rather than face hardship and challenges. The confident faithful Israelites , like Joshua and Caleb, continued to suggest that God "will lead us into the land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us.. don't rebel against the Lord and do not be afraid ... the Lord is with us..do not be afraid..." The Lord told Moses that those fearful faithless ones will never see the land He promised to their forefathers, but the faithful ones, who followed God wholeheartedly, will be brought into the promised and and will be blessed.

In Numbers 13, the Lord directed the Israelites to send out a survey team to "spy" out the promised land of Canaan. So, Moses sent out a group of men who were heads of the families of Israel. On their return, they reported that the land was very fertile, "flowing with milk and honey" , but the people who currently possess the land were very strong and their cities were heavily fortified. They were fearful of the inhabitants there and did not believe they could overtake them in order to gain Canaan for themselves. However, Caleb faithfully "quieted the people before Moses and said, ' we should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it. "

Numbers 12

When a prophet of the LORD is among you,
I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams.

7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.

8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?"

Numbers 11 is about the constant provision and faithfulness of the Lord, despite the complaints and grumbling of the Israelites. I like God's response to Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."

Numbers 10
“When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies who attack you, sound the alarm with the trumpets. Then the Lord your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind the Lord your God of his covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.”
"They marched for three days after leaving the mountain of the Lord, with the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant moving ahead of them to show them where to stop and rest. As they moved on each day, the cloud of the Lord hovered over them. And whenever the Ark set out, Moses would shout, 'Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!'. And when the Ark was set down, he would say, 'Return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel!'

Numbers 9
On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.

Numbers 8
The Lord instructed Moses regarding making the Levites "ceremonially clean" that they would be purified and may be "ready to do the work of the Lord". The Lord said the Levites were to be "set apart from the other Israelites" and they "will be mine" and "are to be given wholly to me.. in place of the firstborn sons of Israel..and I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron to do the work at the Tent of Meeting to make atonement for them."

Numbers 7 When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings.

Numbers 6 The Lord said, "If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the Lord, ... throughout the period of his separation, he is consecrated to the Lord." Then the Lord instructed Moses and Aaron.. "This is how you are to bless the Israelites.. 'The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.' So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

Numbers 5, some rules were given to uphold the purity and holiness of God's people in the camp, where God lived among them.

Numbers 4, the Lord divided up the many specific duties of the Levites and assigned them to the different Levite family clans--the Kohathites, Gershonites, Meranites,

Numbers 3, the Levites were called to serve Aaron as assistants, performing the sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle, maintaining all the holy furnishings inside the sacred tent on behalf of all the Israelites. God said, "I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel.

Numbers 2, God gave instructions to Moses and Aaron, "Each tribe will be assigned its own area in the camp, and the various groups will camp beneath their family banners. The Tabernacle will be at the center." Each clan and family set up camp just as God had instructed.

Numbers 1 , God said to Moses, "Take a census of the whole community of Israel by their clans and families List the names of all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron are to direct the project, assisted by one family leader from each tribe."

Leviticus 24-27 provides instructions regarding conversation and conduct in the promised land. Profanity is forbidden and dealt with severely, vows and freewill offerings to the Lord are to be carried out as promised. Also, rules are given regarding regular periods of rest for the land. Every seventh year there must be rest given without sowing or reaping, and every fiftieth year marks a jubilee when debts are cancelled and possessions go back to their original owners. God promises to bless in abundance the year prior to the Sabbath year and Jubilee years, just like He supplied the double portion of daily manna before each Sabbath. "These are the decrees, laws, and regulations that the Lord established on Mount Sinai between himself and the Israelites through Moses".

Leviticus 23 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' When we recognize and appreciate the mercies that we have received from God, it becomes easier and even natural to show mercy to others.

Leviticus 22
"Keep my commands and follow them. I am the LORD. Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD."

Leviticus 21 is about the rules for priests..... "A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean". God says, "I am the Lord, who makes them holy."

Leviticus 20 describes the punishments for many "detestable" sins and God says again, "consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep My decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy....and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own."

In Leviticus 19, the Lord says to the Israelites, " Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." Then a bunch of laws and commandments are mentioned again... respect your parents, don't make idols, follow all the sacrifice regulations, don't steal or lie, love your neighbor as yourself, and others. After each set of commands, God says "I am the Lord". Then the Lord gives a few reminders of "due punishment" if sins are committed. The chapter concludes , "Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord." You know that you better pay attention when God follows with "I am the Lord". It's like God is saying, "Hey! It's Me talking and you better listen. This is really important and there will be consequences if you don't obey." He says this phrase at least 15 times in this chapter alone. Maybe He's serious. I wonder if that might work with my kids? "Behave yourself. I am the Daddy." That might actually work if my kids saw that I always behaved perfectly. God says "Be holy because I am holy".

In Leviticus 18, God tells Moses to instruct the Israelites not to do the wicked things that the Egyptians and the Canaanites practice, but rather obey God's decrees and laws. The Lord said, " Keep my decrees, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord." God asks them not to defile themselves like those whom He is going to drive out of Canaan. "Everyone who does any of these detestable things--such persons must be cut off from their people... I am the Lord your God."

Leviticus 17 describes more rules for the Israelites to obey regarding sacrifices and offerings made before the "Tent of Meeting". "Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off."

Leviticus 16
"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert."

Leviticus 11-15 explains details of many guidelines given to the Israelites to live a holy lifestyle in obedience to their Lord, maintaing "cleanness". These included rules about unclean foods, purification after childbirth, regulations about skin infections, mildew contamination, and unclean bodily discharges. The Lord directed, "You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in the uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them". In these chapters, the word "unclean" occurs more than a hundred times, and each time refers to restrictions in conduct for the Israelites in order to remain acceptable for worshiping their holy God.

In Leviticus 10, we learn about the death of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons who didn't follow the commands of the Lord. They offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, and the fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them. "All the house of Israel may mourn for those the Lord destroyed by fire." The Lord said to Aaron, "You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses."

Leviticus 8 & 9 are about the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests and the beginning of their ministry. The Lord directed Moses to bring Aaron and his sons before the Tabernacle and gather the people, and then the Lord commanded Moses to wash them with water and dress them with the holy garments. Aaron was dressed with a tunic, sash, ephod, breastpiece, Urim and Thummim, turban, diadem, etc. The sons of Aaron were dressed similarly and they all were consecrated with anointing oil. Then they performed the sin offering, the burnt offering, and a ram was slaughtered for the ordination also. Moses said, "What has been done today was commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you... and Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses". They came with the entire assembly near the Tabernacle and stood before the Lord and Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you." Moses then instructed the priests how to make the offerings as atonement for themselves and the people. "Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them... Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting and when they came out, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the offerings and the fat portions on the alter and when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown."

Leviticus 7 concludes the instructions for the offerings, including the guilt offering and peace offerings. "The Lord gave these instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai when he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai." The process of the various offerings teaches about the seriousness of sin, the importance of confessing and repenting of our sins, and bringing them to God for forgiveness.

Leviticus 6 "If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do- when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering. And as a penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to the LORD, his guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty."

Leviticus 5 describes more situations when someone would be guilty of sin, requiring a sin offering. Whether or not something sinful was done knowingly, admission of guilt was required once you realized the foolishness of what was done. When a person became aware, he must confess his sin and bring an animal sacrifice as the penalty for such sin, in order to be made right with the Lord and receive forgiveness.

Leviticus 4 gives the details for "sin offerings" that God prescribed to the Israelites for unintentional sin, not that of outright rebellion against God. So there were procedures also in these instances for bringing bulls, goats, or sheep to the Tabernacle to be presented to the Lord as sacrifices and the priest would "make an atonement for them and they would be forgiven".

Leviticus 3:16 (NIV) All the fat is the Lord's.

Leviticus 2 gives details of how the Israelites were to bring grain offerings to the Lord. They were to be made from only "fine flour", with oil poured on it, but without any yeast. They were to be brought to the Lord as an offering of the firstfruits. The priest would burn "a handful of the fine flour and oil" as a memorial portion on the fire, producing an aroma pleasing to the Lord. The rest of the grain offering was given to Aaron and his sons as the "most holy part of the offering made to the Lord by fire".

Leviticus is about holiness. The first part of the book is about worshiping our holy God and the second part is about living a holy life pleasing to Him. Leviticus 1 is about offering burnt offerings of animals sacrificed from the herds and flocks of the Israelites. Many details were given as guidance in how to do this properly and exactly in order for the Lord to accept the sacrifices as their substitute, making atonement for the Israelites. Whether a bull, male sheep, turtledove, or young pigeon, they were to be offered as a "whole burnt offering made by fire, very pleasing to the Lord". The animal sacrifices were offered from their own flocks and herds and only animals with no physical defects were to be chosen. Only the holy priests were to perform the sacrifices, sprinkling the blood, and placing the animal on the fire. The offering process demonstrated God's justice, holiness, and mercy; and it also demonstrated the Israelites' dependence, commitment, and submission to God's laws.

Exodus 35-40 The people brought to the Lord their offerings and materials for the Tabernacle construction and its furnishings and for the holy garments. They brought their offerings "if their hearts were stirred and they desired to do so", "both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing". Two craftsman, Bezalel and Oholiab, were gifted by the Lord with "wisdom, skill, and intelligence to construct an furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded". Gifts and materials were offered each morning and soon the craftsmen told Moses, "We have more than enough on hand now to complete the job", so Moses sent a message throughout the camp, "Bring no more materials!-You have already given more than enough." When the work was completed, Moses inspected everything and blessed the people because the work had been done just as the Lord commanded. "Then a cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glorious presence of the Lord filled it." "Whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle and moved, the people of Israel set out on their journey, following it." God's presence continued to guide the Israelites in their journeys as He remained faithful to His promises of provision and blessings.

In Exodus 34, Moses brought the two newly chiseled stone tablets up Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him. When the Lord came to meet him, He said, "The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin, yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished." Moses bowed and worshiped the Lord and He said, "I am making a covenant with you , before all your people, ... Obey what I command you today... Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread at the appointed month which you came out of Egypt.. The first offspring of every womb belongs to me... Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and Israel". Aaron and the Israelites were afraid when they saw Moses , since his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord, but Moses called them to him and he gave them the commandments of the Lord.

In Exodus 33, the Lord told Moses to lead the people now up to the promised land and His Presence would go with them and give them rest. God said, " I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

In Exodus 32, the people gave up on Moses since he was up on the mountain so long and they turned to making idols as their gods. Even Aaron joined them and lead them to make a golden calf to worship with sacrificial offerings. God told Moses that He was going to destroy these "stiff-necked" people, but Moses asked God for mercy for them and the Lord relented. When Moses came down the mountain, he carried the two tablets engraved with the writings of God. When he saw the people running wild and dancing around their golden calf idol, he threw the tablets down , breaking them to pieces. Moses then said, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me." All the Levites rallied to him and he told them that the Lord said "Each man strap a sword to his side and go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, killing his brother, friend, and neighbor". Three thousand people died, but Moses said to them, "You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and He has blessed you this day." Moses told the people that they had committed a great sin against the Lord in worshiping idols, and he went to the Lord to ask for atonement for them. The Lord said he would not blot them out of His book, but "when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin" and they were struck with a plague.

Exodus 31 :18 When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God

Exodus 30:10 "Once a year Aaron must purify the alter by placing on its horns the blood fro the offering made for atonement of sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the Lord's supremely holy alter". These sacrifices could only cover sins temporarily, until the day when Jesus would serve as the perfect atonement once and for all forever,

Exodus 28-29 give lots of details of the proper attire (priestly garments & accessories) for Aaron and his sons as they serve the Lord as priests for the people. As 28:36 says, they are to be consecrated as "HOLY TO THE LORD" and to be anointed and ordained as ministers of the tabernacle according to all the ordinances given by God. God said, "So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the alter and Aaron and his sons... then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God... they will know that I am their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God."

Exodus 27 gives more details of the tabernacle, the alter for burnt offerings, the courtyard, and the lampstand. The alter for burnt offerings was the means for the people to come to God, since they hadn't yet benefited from the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their sins. The Lampstand was to be kept burning constantly before the Lord.

In Exodus 25-26, the Lord instructed Moses with details how to have the people build a holy sanctuary where God would be able to live among them. Among the details, they were told to use pure gold for building much of the sanctuary and the furnishings ( table, lampstand, etc). There was much attention to precision and purity and God said "Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you". The symbolism of perfection and purity in construction emphasized God's holiness.

In Exodus 24, after meeting with the Lord again, Moses recounted all the Lord's ordinances for the people and they responded "All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!".

As Exodus 23 begins, God instructs His people in mercy and justice. He warns against favoritism, being a malicious witness, perverting justice by siding with the crowd, or denying justice with false charges. God reminds them that they were once oppressed in Egypt and were blessed by His mercy. God's laws of fairness were to be applied even to enemies. God told them He would send His angel to guide them, protect them, and give them further instruction, and go ahead of them and lead them to the promised land. God told them "if you listen carefully and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you... and if you worship the Lord your God, His blessing will be on your food and water.. I will take away sickness from among you, none will miscarry or be barren in your land, and I will give you a full life span".

In Exodus 22, many examples are given of rules of responsibility , making it easier for the Israelites to discern God's will in different circumstances. God gave them these practical guidelines, " If a man ... , then he must...", because He says "You are to be my holy people" (v.31).

Exodus 21 introduces some laws regarding everyday life for the Israelites, so that they would understand that their actions had consequences. Judges were given the "eye for an eye" guideline so that punishments would fit the crimes.

Exodus 20 is the giving of the ten commandments to Moses. The commandments came from the God "who rescued you from slavery in Egypt" and his first command was to worship only Him. These ten commands were meant to be practical guidelines for His people to live in holiness for others to witness. As they lived this way, others could witness the nature of God.

Exodus 19 takes place at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites were camping after leaving Egypt. God said to Moses, "tell the people of Israel: 'you yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession... you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' " The people responded to Moses all together, "We will do everything the Lord has said" ( Yeah right, we've heard that before!). Moses told the Lord what the people had said and He then gave Moses instructions as to how the people should consecrate themselves and keep their distance from the mountain, as God came to meet with them. On the third day, there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, causing all the people to tremble. Moses then lead the people to the foot of the mountain to meet with God, as He had instructed Moses. God had met with Moses on the mountain "so that the people will hear Me speaking with you and will always trust in you." I wonder if the Israelites understood that God had chosen them in love and mercy, not because of their obedience, to represent and teach the nations how to live according to His ways and about the hope for salvation by God's grace.

In Exodus 18, Moses is visited by his father-in-law, Jethro, who advises him to share his heavy load of serving as judge before the people. Moses listened to Jethro and accepted his suggestions, selecting capable trustworthy men who fear God, who would serve as judges for the people , and would bring only the difficult issues to Moses. Moses also taught the people the decrees and laws, showing them the way to live, so that they would not always need to bring their disputes to the judges.

In Exodus 17, the Israelites complained again to Moses. They grumbled about the lack of water and Moses responded, "Why do you put the Lord to the test?". The Lord told Moses to take his staff and strike the rocks and water came out for the people to drink. The Lord provided for them again and continued to be faithful to His people. When the Amalekites came and attacked, Moses sent Joshua with his men to fight them. Then Moses went up to the top of a hillside and held up his hands towards God, trusting in Him again for deliverance. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites prevailed and were winning the battle with the Amalekites, so Aaron and Hur held up his arms when he grew tired, so that his hands remained steady until Joshua overcame the Amalekite army. Afterwards, Moses recorded the battle account on a scroll as something to be remembered and also built an alter, calling it "The Lord is my Banner", for "hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord".

In Exodus 16, the Israelites grumbled about not having enough food, so the Lord said to Moses "I will rain down bread" . Moses reminded the people that it was God who delivered them in Egypt and that in the morning the glory of the Lord would again be seen and He would provide for their needs. God gave them instructions , testing their obedience, in regard to the gathering of food each day. They were to gather twice as much on the sixth day, since there would be none available to gather on the seventh day. Also, they were told not to keep any for the next day, except for on the sixth day. The Lord also provided meat each evening, sending quail to them each day at twilight. Some of the people wend out to gather on the seventh day, so the Lord said to Moses "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?"

Exodus 15 starts with a song to the Lord, in which Moses and the Israelites praise Him for their deliverance and His glory which was displayed in their rescue from Pharaoh's army. Then as they traveled from the Red Sea into the desert, they did not have water for 3 days. They cried out to the Lord and He provided water for them to drink. God said to them, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." God then led them to Elim, where there was shelter and water and they camped there.

In Exodus 14, Moses lead the Israelites to camp by the sea near Migdol, just as the Lord had instructed. This was part of God’s plan to gain glory for Himself, since Pharaoh would bring his army against them there, thinking he had them “hemmed in” by the sea. Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened as he continued to pursue the Israelites, but God said, “I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord”. The Israelites were terrified when they saw Pharaoh’s army marching after them, but Moses said to them “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” Using Moses’ outstretched hand over the sea, God divided the water so that the Israelites could go through on dry ground, for “the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land” with a wall of water on the right and left. As the Egyptians pursued them, God “threw them into confusion” and “made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving”. The Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” Then the Lord, through Moses’ outstretched hands, made the sea waters flow back over the Egyptian army as they pursued the Israelites and the entire army of Pharaoh was swept into the sea without any survivors. “That day the Lord saved Israel (again) from the hands of the Egyptians...and when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed ..., the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him”.

Exodus 13 is about the establishment of an annual festival, celebrating what the Lord did for the Israelites, "with the power of His mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt". Part of the annual event would include the dedication of every firstborn among the Israelites to the Lord, so in this way they would always remember how the Lord had rescued them from their slavery in Egypt. When they left, Moses brought the bones of Joseph, since Joseph had said "God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place." When the Israelites left, "the Lord went ahead of them and guided them" leading them day and night through the wilderness.

Exodus 12 is the account of the last plague and the eventual "exodus" of the Israelites. The Lord gave Moses and Aaron lots of specific instructions as to the proper timing and details of how they must prepare a lamb for the "passover". They were told to "take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs". And the blood would be a sign for the Lord to pass over, when He goes throughout Egypt striking down every firstborn in judgment of Egypt. This occurred on the fourteen day of the first month, just as the Lord had said, and there was "loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not an (Egyptian) house without someone dead". Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested". God had seen the misery of His people and rescued them, and the Israelites journeyed out of Egypt that night.

In Exodus 11, after many plagues, the Lord said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely." This last plague would be the worst, which would cause every firstborn son in Egypt to die, even Pharaoh's son. Even the animals belonging to the Egyptians would lose their firstborn, but the Israelites would not lose any firstborn. Hearing about this, Pharaoh still refused to listen and let the Israelites go out of his country, since the Lord hardened his heart.

In Exodus 9, three more plagues occur in Egypt due to the refusal of Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave to worship their God. First was the death of all the livestock of the Egyptians, then boils broke out among all the men and animals in Egypt, and then God sent the worst hailstorm ever to land on Egypt and crushed the fields and trees. Pharaoh summoned Moses and again asked him to pray to the Lord and tell Him that he would let the people go. Moses prayed and the the storm stopped, but Pharaoh again hardened his heart and he would not let the Israelites go. In Exodus 10, God sent two more plagues to Egypt , locusts which ate every remaining green plant and tree, and then complete darkness in which no one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Even after all these plagues, Pharaoh still hardened his heart and was not willing to let them go and worship. Pharaoh told Moses , "Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! " Moses replied, "Just as you say, I will never appear before you again."

Exodus 8 is about the next series of plagues that God sent to Egypt because Pharaoh would not yield and continued to harden his heart against the commands of God. Before each plague, the Lord sent Moses to ask Pharaoh to let the Israelites go to worship their God. Each time, Moses would also warn Pharaoh of the next plague that would occur if Pharaoh did not let the Israelites go. Pharaoh began to recognize the power of the God of the Israelites with each plague, asking Moses to pray to the Lord to take away the plague from Egypt. Even Pharaoh's magicians confessed, "This is the finger of God", and they could not remove the plagues, "but Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said".

In Exodus 6, God tells Moses that Pharaoh will eventually let the Israelites go because of His "mighty hand". God tells Moses to remind the Israelites of the covenant He established with them, saying "I will free you from being slaves, ...redeem you with an outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgment, .. will take you as my own people, and I will be your God... I will bring you to the land I swore to Abraham... I will give it to you as a possession. " But, the Israelites "did not listen because of their discouragement and cruel bondage. Moses asked the Lord why Pharaoh would listen to him , since not even the Israelites would listen to him "since I speak with faltering lips". In Exodus 7, the Lord encourages Moses, saying that He will make him like God to Pharaoh, and Aaron will be his prophet, both speaking everything to Pharaoh that the Lord commands. The Lord showed a sign to Pharaoh and his officials, through a miracle of making Aaron's staff become a snake when he threw it down to the ground. Still, Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would listen. So, next God sent Moses to meet Pharaoh by the water and give him this message " until now you have not listened.. By this you will know that I am the Lord" and Moses will strike the water of the Nile with his staff and it will become blood, killing the fish and making the water undrinkable. Aaron was told to do the same with his staff and all the remaining water in the streams, canals, ponds, reservoirs, buckets and jars will also become blood. Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. But, Pharaoh's heart became hard again, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 5 begins with a visit to Pharaoh to inform him of what the Lord has said, but Pharaoh did not listen to Moses and Aaron, saying “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” Pharaoh then blamed Moses and Aaron for trying to take the people away from their labor, so he ordered the slave drivers to be more harsh and increase their labor. Moses returned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon the people?” and Moses complained to God that he had not rescued the people.

In Exodus 4, Moses says "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you' ?" So Moses was again unsure of his ability to lead the Israelites, but God told Moses that He would show Himself to the people through Moses by wonderous signs and miracles. Then Moses said, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." God responded, "Who gave man his mouth? ... Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Moses begged, "please send someone else to do it". Though the Lord was angry at Moses, he sent Moses' brother, Aaron, also and said "I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do". God then told Moses to return to Egypt, perform signs and miracles before Pharaoh that He will give power to do, and then say to Pharaoh, "Let my people go". God warned Moses that Pharaoh's heart will be hardened and he would not let the people go. God instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh that the consequence will be the death of his firstborn son, since he refused the request for His firstborn son, Israel, not allowing him to worship the Lord. Then Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites and told them everything the Lord had said to Moses and that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery. Moses then performed for the Israelites all the signs and they believed and bowed down and worshiped the Lord.

In Exodus 3, the angel of the Lord appears to Moses in the flames within a bush. God called to him within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" and Moses said, "Here I am". God then told him "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt... I have come down to rescue them .. and bring them up out of that land ... I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt." Moses did not feel qualified, saying "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh...?" and God said, "I will be with you.... say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--has sent me...and the Lord has seen what has been done to you in Egypt. He has promised to bring you up out of your misery'." God told Moses to assemble the elders and ask the king of Egypt to allow the people to take a three day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to their Lord. God said also to Moses that He would "stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians will all the wonders that I will perform among them and after that, he will let you go... and I will make the Egyptians favorabley disposed toward the people... they will put articles of silver and gold on your sons and daughters.. and so you will plunder the Egyptians".

Exodus 2 introduces Moses. Forbidden to keep a baby boy, his mother hid him as long as she could, but eventually left him in a basket by the bank of the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter found the baby and took him and raised him as her own son. Later, when Moses was grown, he had compassion on the Hebrew people and defended them against the Egyptians. He once even killed an Egyptian who had been beating a Hebrew slave, When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled to Midian. There, Moses met and married Zipporah, and had a son, Gershom. During this time, the Israelites groaned and cried out to God, and He heard them and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, "So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about thiem."

Exodus 1 begins the oppression of the Israelites by the king of Egypt. He said " the Israelites have become much too numerous...we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." So they enslaved and oppressed them into forced labor and worked them ruthlessly, making their lives bitter. The king of Egypt also told the midwives to only allow the girl babies of the Israelites to live, but the midwives said to him, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives even arrive." So God was kind to the Israelites, and they became even more numerous. But, Pharaoh, then gave an order to all his people, "Every (Hebrew) boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."

In Genesis 49-50, Jacob again blessed his sons and gave them his final instructions and then died. After a period of mourning, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers. His brothers were worried that now Joseph might pay them back for the wrongs they did to him, but he said, "don't be afraid.. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." Joseph lived in Egypt, having seen three generations of children, and then said to his brothers, " I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Genesis 48 begins with Joseph discovering that his father is ill, so he brought his two sons and visited Israel. Israel then reckons Joseph's two sons to be his own and blesses them with God's promises to his descendants. Then he blessed both sons and Joseph also saying, "... may God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm--may He bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth." Joseph was surprised that Israel had intentionally placed his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim, saying, " The younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations. The older son will too become a people, and he too will become great." Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers".

In Genesis 47, God continued his plans of provision for the people of Israel during the famine, using Joseph in leadership, coordinating the rationing of food and negotiating payment by various means ( livestock, land, service, harvest,etc). And the people said , “you have saved our lives! May it please you to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.”

In Genesis 44-45, Judah pleads with Joseph to let Benjamin return with them back to Jacob, or their father will surely die in sorrow and misery. Unable to control his emotions, Joseph ordered all to leave his presence, except his brothers, and he wept loudly as he told them that he was their brother. The brothers were terrified, but Joseph said, "do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save the lives that God sent me ahead of you... God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save our lives by a great deliverance... So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. " Joseph then sent them to tell their father and to ask him to bring all his household, flocks, and belongings, and come to live in Goshen. When Jacob learned about Joseph, " he was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph said to them, and all that Joseph had sent, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, ' I'm convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go see him before I die." Genesis 46 records that God spoke then to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!". "Here I am," he replied. "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." When they arrived in the land of Goshen, Joseph threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. "Israel said to Jacob, 'Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive."

Genesis 42 is the account of Joseph being reunited with his brothers as they come to Egypt to buy grain during the famine. Their father Jacob sent only the ten brothers, keeping Benjamin safe at home. The ten brothers bowed before Joseph, now recognizing him only as the Egyptian official who would sell them some grain. Joseph's dreams had come true. And, God had used the evil actions of the brothers in his providential purposes. God then used Joseph for the correction and restoration of his brothers, allowing them to confess and release their guilt and anguish that they had carried for many years regarding their treatment of Joseph. Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die". When Jacob learned of what had transpired, he said "Everything is against me!", which implied that he was losing faith that God would provide and take care of the things which he did not know or understand. With much hesitation and reservation, Genesis 43 records that Jacob finally agreed to allow them to take Benjamin, saying " If it must be, then...may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man ( Joseph) so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved." Joseph became very emotional when he saw the brothers return with Benjamin and he was gracious to them and served them a feast.

Genesis 40 is about God interpreting dreams through Joseph, first for two men in prison with him. These two men were the Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker, but had angered Pharaoh and were put in prison. Joseph interpreted the cupbearers dream and then said to him, " when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison". Then Joseph also interpreted the meaning of the baker's dream, that he would soon be hung on a tree. Though Joseph interpreted both dreams correctly, even the cupbearer did not remember Joseph. Later though, in Genesis 41, when nobody could help interpret the Pharaoh's dreams, the cupbearer remembered Joseph and brought him before Pharaoh. When Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret the dreams, he said "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." Joseph then told Pharaoh that the dreams meant there would be seven years of famine in the future and that food should be stored during the times of plenty. The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and he said, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you... I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." Pharaoh gave Joseph also Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, to be his wife and before the famine came they had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Joseph said, "God has made me forget all my trouble... and God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." When the famine had spread, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold the grain, and all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.

Genesis 39 continues the account of Joseph after his brothers sold him to the Egyptian merchants and then later was sold to Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh's guard. Through his hardships in Egypt , we see that God continued to remain faithful to Joseph and bless him. Potiphar gave Joseph many responsibilities over his personal household, since he could see that the Lord blessed Joseph in everything he did. Joseph remained faithful and resisted propositions from Potiphar's wife. Though Joseph was punished unjustly and imprisoned, God continued to bless him for his obedience and "the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness ... and gave him success in whatever he did".

Genesis 38 is about Judah and his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Judah's son , Er, was a wicked man and the Lord took his life, leaving his wife, Tamar, a widow. So, Judah asked another son, Onan, to take her as his wife, so that Tamar could have a child to be Er's heir, as their laws required. But, the Lord also took the life of Onan, since he also behaved wickedly and prevented Tamar from conceiving a child. Then, Judah told Tamar to go live with her parents and remain a widow until Judah's youngest son, Shelah, was old enough to marry her. However, Judah didn't really intend to give Shelah to marry Tamar, for fear that he too would die like his brothers. After some time, Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but Judah had not called her to marry him, so she disguised herself as a prostitute and fooled Judah into propositioning her to sleep with him. Judah's payment was a young goat, but Tamar asked for a pledge that he would send it back to her later. So, Judah left a few of his personal belongings ( identification seal, cord, walking stick, etc.) that he was carring. Later, Judah's servants could not find her when they brought her the young goat for payment, and the town's people denied that they had any prostitute there. Bewildered, Judah said " Let her keep my pledge items! We tried our best to send her the goat", and they left. About three months later, Judah heard that Tamar was pregnant as a result of prostitution and he said she must be then executed. But, she said to everyone, "The man who owns these pledge items is the father-- Do you recognize them?" Judah then admitted they were his and said, "She is more in the right than I am, because I didn't keep my promise to let her marry my son, Shelah."

Genesis 36 gives the history of the descendants of Esau ( called Edomites). Esau had three wives, two from Canaan and one was his cousin. He had 5 sons in all that were born to him in Canaan. When Esau's household and goods and livestock became too great, they moved away from Jacob's household to the hills of Seir, since the land could not support both households.
Genesis 37 begins with an account of Joseph tending flocks with his brothers. Joseph was Israel's ( =Jacob's) favorite son and his brothers despised him for that. Furthermore, Joseph had shared some of his dreams with his brothers, in which he was a ruler over the people. His brothers were jealous even more, but Israel took the dreams into consideration. Later, when the brothers were out with the flocks, Israel asked Joseph to go check on them to see if all was well and then return to report their status. When the brothers saw him coming they plotted to kill him, but instead decided to throw him into a deep pit and then tell their father that wild animals must have eaten him. Then some traveling merchants came by and the brothers sold Joseph to them as a slave and he was taken to Egypt. The brothers took Joseph's coat and dipped it in goat's blood and brought it to their father. Israel believed that Joseph had been killed by some ferocious animal and he mourned for many days and refused to be comforted. Joseph was sold by the merchants to Potiphar, and official of the Egyptian Pharaoh.

In Genesis 35, Jacob moves his family to Bethel as God had directed him and tells everyone to destroy all their idols. God appeared to him again, reminding him that he will now be called 'Israel' (=one who struggles with God), and that he is to multiply and become great nations, and will receive the land given to Abraham and Isaac. Leaving Bethel, they traveled on to Bethlehem, but before they arrived Rachel gave birth to another son, Benjamin. Jacob now had twelve sons in all. Rachel died soon after the delivery of Benjamin. Jacob moved back to the home of his father Isaac, near Hebron, where Abraham also had lived. The chapter ends with Esau and Jacob burying their father, Isaac, who lived 180 years.

Genesis 34 begins with Jacob's daughter, Dinah, being taken and sexually assaulted by Shechem, who is the son of the local ruler, Hamor. Shechem wanted to take her also then for his wife and asked Hamor to "get me this girl as my wife". Jacob and his sons were "filled with grief and fury" because of the disgraceful thing that was done to Dinah. Hamor came to Jacob and asked permission for his son to marry Dinah and also for his other sons to marry Jacob's daughters. Shechem himself also came to Jacob and his sons and asked, "let me find favor in your eyes... let me marry her.. I will give you whatever you ask".
But, Jacob's sons responded deceitfully and told them they would agree to give Dinah if all the men among them were circumcised. Hamor and his sons agreed and instructed the town council to have every man in the town circumcised. Then Jacob's sons came 3 days later, while the men's wounds were still sore, and slaughtered them all with their swords. They also plundered and looted all their wealth, heards, and even their wives and children as captives. Afterwards, Jacob was angry, saying " You have ruined me ! .. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us.. my entire household will be wiped out !"
Their only response was,"But why should we let him treat out sister like a prostitute?". They avenged the evil done to their sister, rather than allowing God to deal justly with Shechem.

Genesis 33 begins with Jacob bowing as he approached his brother Esau cautiously, but Esau "ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed (Jacob)". Esau then asked Jacob why he had sent all the flocks, and Jacob said, "to find favor in your eyes". But Esau said " My brother, keep what you have for yourself". What a picture of forgiveness!
Esau did finally accept the gifts, since Jacob insisted, but then he said to Jacob, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you." Jacob, though, told him to go on ahead, since he had to move along slowly with his droves and children. Esau then offered, "Then let me leave some of my men with you." Jacob said to Esau, "to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably".