Week 9, February 25-March 2: Mark 10-16, Num 1-2, 1 Tim 1-3, Ps 13-18

• Sun Feb 25: Mark 10-12
• Mon Feb 26: Mark 13-16, Psalm 13
• Tue Feb 27: Num 1-4, Psalm 14
• Wed Feb 28: Num 5-7, Psalm 15
• Thu Feb 29: Num 8-10, Psalm 16
• Fri Mar 1: Num 11-12, Psalm 17
• Sat Mar 2: 1 Tim 1-3, Psalm 18

Mark’s Gospel ends in basically the same place all four Gospels end, with Jesus risen from the dead, out of the tomb, and appearing to his disciples. It may seem a bit strange and unnecessary for us to have four separate versions of this same story. But remember, each of the Gospels tells the story a bit differently with different emphases. Notice the details as you read, meditate on the wonder of this familiar but amazing story, and let it stir your heart to worship our risen Savior.

After finishing Mark we move back to the Pentateuch and pick up where we left off there. Numbers continues the narrative from Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus, and the Israelites are still at Mt. Sinai. They will remain there until chapter 10 of Numbers, then they depart the mountain and begin their long journey to the Promised Land. Starting in Numbers 11, right after they leave Sinai, notice the similarities between these stories in Numbers and those in Exodus just before they arrived at Sinai. It seems pretty clear that the time at Sinai receiving the law didn’t cure them of their grumbling attitudes.

At the beginning of Numbers we are told the Israelites have been out of Egypt for a little over a year (Num. 1:1), and at the end of Numbers they will still be in the wilderness. However, tragically, it will be forty years later at that point. We will read of the reason for their extended time of wandering in the wilderness when we continue reading in Numbers next week.

The first few chapters of Numbers include lists of names and the numbers of people in the tribes of Israel, as well as a lot of details about where and how the tribes are to be positioned in the Israelite camp. There is also quite a lot of detailed instruction for the Levites and priests who were responsibly for all that went on in and around the tabernacle. Admittedly, it can be a bit tedious to read through some of this material, like it may have been in the later parts of Exodus and throughout Leviticus. But a genealogy in Numbers, or detailed instruction for how to handle disease in the skin or in the home, is inspired Scripture just as much as anything else in the Old or New Testament. We can be confident that, somehow, it is profitable for us, it shapes us, and it helps us to grow towards maturity and to be “equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16–17)

One of the ways this kind of challenging passage shapes us is by cultivating an attitude of humble submission before God. By choosing to spend time reading these chapters we are saying, “Lord, I’m not exactly sure what this list of difficult-to-pronounce names has to do with me or my life, but I trust that you are good, and you have given your word, all of it, to communicate with your people and make yourself known. So, because I want to know you, and because you are perfectly wise in all your ways, I am choosing to come to you and hear from you in the way you have chosen to communicate with me, even though I don’t always understand it.” He will honor that kind of humble posture. Simply obeying him and abiding in him through his word will form us into Christlikeness over time.

To use an example that may seem silly (and is probably nostalgic for some of us), it’s kind of like Mr. Miyagi. When he tells Daniel-san to paint the fence and wax the cars, Daniel doesn’t understand why. What’s the point; what does this have to do with learning Karate? But the repeated motion of painting and waxing forms Daniel, it trains him in ways he doesn’t realize while he’s doing it. When we repeatedly read through the Bible, all of it, we are taking the opportunity to be shaped in ways we may not know we need to be. We submit to our wise and kind Lord, standing under his word in order to understand the glorious mysteries he reveals to us there.

We will also read 1 Timothy over the weekend, on Saturday and Sunday. This corresponds to the sermon series in 1 Timothy that will begin on Sunday March 3^rd. We will also be preaching through 2 Timothy later this year, and we’ll cover that book in the read thru at that time. 1 and 2 Timothy, along with Titus, are referred to as the Pastoral Epistles. Paul wrote these three books to two young men he mentored and worked alongside in his gospel ministry in the early Church. Timothy pastored the church in Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3) and the two letters of 1 and 2 Timothy are Paul’s instructions and encouragement to Timothy and the others in the church there. While the letters are addressed to an individual, the benedictions at the end of each letter are addressed to a plural “you all” (1 Tim. 6:21; 2 Tim. 4:22; Titus 3:15). This suggests they were meant to be read corporately in the church, and they remain instructive to us and our church today.