GOSPEL ON REPEAT

Welcome to the “But first, Bible” daily devotional podcast with Dave Miers.

Our readings for today are Numbers 21-23 and Mark 7:14-8:10.

Just like yesterday, the pattern continues for Israel grumbling against God and against Moses in the book of Numbers.

In Numbers 21, God’s means of judgement for their grumbling and his salvation from it is intriguing.
Have a look at Numbers 21:4–9,

[4] From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. [5] And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” [6] Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. [7] And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. [8] And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” [9] So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. (ESV)

It sounds terrifying to be confronted by many fiery serpents! Many of the people die. But then perhaps even more interesting is the way that the LORD spares his people from the fiery serpents. “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”

Look to the pole, and you will be healed from your serpent bite! A truly intriguing scenario.

Continue reading “Feb 28 – Numbers 21-23; Mark 7:14-8:10 – THE BRONZE SERPENT”

Welcome to the “But first, Bible” daily devotional podcast with Dave Miers.

Our readings for today are Numbers 16-17 and Mark 6:33-56.

One of the responses that we continue to see in the Gospel of Mark is that the disciples and the crowds are astounded at the things that Jesus is doing and saying.

In Mark chapter 6 – Jesus does some really remarkable miracles. We’ve already seen a number of Jesus’ miracles, but in today’s reading, we see two more.

The first one is the feeding of over 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. Now he doesn’t cut it all up into tiny crumbs and then shares it out with tweezers. He miraculously multiplies the bread and the fish so that there are literal basket-loads of leftovers at the end! Astounding!

Continue reading “Feb 26 – Numbers 16-17; Mark 6:33-56 – UTTERLY ASTOUNDED”

Welcome to the “But first, Bible” daily devotional podcast with Dave Miers.

Our readings for today are Numbers 7 and Mark 4:21-41.

I’m currently attending the Acts 29 Australia/New Zealand Conference. Acts 29 is a diverse, global family of church planting churches. Our church – City on a Hill: Brisbane – is part of this network and I love being part of what God is doing around the world as Jesus is made known through the planting of churches that plant churches.

Now, the conference is on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia… and right now there is a tropical cyclone not far off the coast, with all sorts of severe weather warnings. Yesterday, all the beaches were closed along the strip because of the massive swells.

Extreme weather, wind, and waves is the context for part of our Mark 4 reading today.

Let me read from Mark 4:35–38,

[35] On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” [36] And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. [37] And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. [38] But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (ESV)

This is a big storm! Remember – many of Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen – they knew these waters, they knew what it was to be on the sea during high winds… and yet on this occasion, they are fearful that the storm will get the better of them.

Where is Jesus in the storm? He’s asleep on a cushion!

And so the disciples wake Jesus up. Did you notice they address him as “Teacher”? They know he has great authority to teach, but they want to know where he cares for them. And they want to know if he has any authority in this situation.

You can imagine the disciples bailing the water out of the boat, frantically trying to keep the boat from plunging to the depths of the sea… and yet now that Jesus is awake look at what happens in Mark 4:39-41

Continue reading “Feb 22 – Numbers 7; Mark 4:21-41 – PEACE! BE STILL!”

Welcome to the “But first, Bible” daily devotional podcast with Dave Miers.

Our readings for today are Numbers 1-2 and Mark 3:1-21.

As we begin the Old Testament book of Numbers I have a challenge for you today. Send a text to 3 Christian friends and ask if they have a bible reading plan. If they don’t have a plan encourage them to join in with the But First, Bible reading plan. Even if they don’t listen to these devotions, get them to start reading Numbers and Mark’s Gospel.

You can find the reading plan at butfirstbible.com, also it’s available in the ESV Phone app in the plan called ‘Read Through The Bible’, and ESV also has a podcast called ‘Read Through The Bible’ where you can listen to the Bible readings as part of this plan.

But now, to the book of Numbers.

I recently highlighted that esv.org and the ESV Bible app has given access to the Global Study Bible for free. It’s a simple companion to use as you read through books of the bible.

Today I thought I’d read to you from the Global Study Bible’s Introduction to the book of Numbers.

Continue reading “Feb 19 – Numbers 1-2; Mark 3:1-21 – THE BOOK OF NUMBERS”