Matthew 4

Matthew 4

• Jesus is led to the wilderness and is tempted by the devil.
• Jesus uses scripture to defend against the tempter.
• The tempter uses scripture as well.
• When John was put in prison, Jesus began to preach 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.'
• Jesus calls James, John, Peter and Andrew to come and follow him.
• Jesus does miraculous signs by healing sick people while preaching the word. Large crowds began to follow him.

Matthew 2-3

I've just started reading this book and so far, it is really interesting. I find it fascinating that the mind can cause so much discomfort. The book focuses on TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome), what it is and treatment for it. So far, I haven't got to the point where we have treatment.

Matthew 2:

• The story of Jesus as a baby, dealing with Herod, fleeing to Egypt and his return. He really brings to life Jeremiah 29, where it says 'For I know the plans I have for you'.
• There is a lot of fulfilling of prophecy thus showing that Jesus is LORD.

Matthew 3:

• A prophecy about John the Baptist comes from Isaiah 40:3.
• John calls for confession, repentance and good fruit.
• John's baptism is one of repentance and does not have the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus is baptized by John and the Holy Spirit descends down to Jesus in the form of a dove. 

Matthew 1

Matthew 1

• Reading through this chapter, it is fairly easy to glaze over the names of the genealogy. But I took note that was David's grandmother. Rahab was Ruth's mother-in-law, once she married Boaz... interesting.
• There isn't too much in the Bible about Joseph, but here is a bit about him. This passage shows his obedience to God. It does say that he was faithful to the law, so he is a servant of God.

Isaiah 7:13-16

Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

Leviticus 26-27

Leviticus 26

• If you obey the rules, there will be blessings from God, particularly if you obey you will have food in abundance. If you do not obey, then essentially the opposite happens. Others will take the food away. Diseases will come. If that doesn't work to change the heart, then worse things will come, such as no food will grow at all. If that doesn't change the heart... you get the idea. It gets worse. God will punish seven times over at this point. Wild animals take the kids, cattle, and maybe even you. Wow. 

Leviticus 27

• Anyone who makes a special vow to dedicate a person to the LORD by giving the equivalent value pays a set price by the gender and age of the person. They can also vow an animal and that animal becomes holy. You can't dedicate the firstborn, however, as it is already belongs to the LORD. The tithe belongs to the LORD.

Leviticus 25

Leviticus 25

• Interesting. The land is to have a year of rest, without pruning and such. Six years work it, and the seventh year, let it work itself. How about that. I bet God blessed those who honored that...
• Every fifty years a Jubilee. The Jubilee represents some kind of redemption, where things are returned to people, mainly property, but I think it may apply to other things as well. God reminds them over and over that he brought them out of Egypt, that he is giving them the land and that they should listen and obey the commands so that they may prosper.