Douglas Jacoby Podcast

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Ruth -- 12x in Ruth and once in Matthew 1:5
• No'omi (Naomi) -- 21x in Ruth
• Mara' -- bitter
• Bo'az -- "In him is strength," or "quickness"
• 'Elimelekh (eh-LEE-meh-lekh) -- Elimelech, or "My God is king"

Further study:

• Passages covered in this podcast
  • Ruth 1-4
  • Leviticus 19:9-10; Genesis 2:24; Genesis 29:20/34:1-3; Hebrews 13:4
• For more on Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, check out the women's audio series.

Some things we learn about God:

• God works in the lives of all people, foreigners included.
• God expects patience in the face of adversity.
• We are to honor God's plan for marriage.
• When we do the right thing, God will work through us.

Key verses:

• Ruth 1:16 -- Ruth affirms her faith in the God of Israel
• Ruth 3:9 -- Ruth "proposes" to Boaz
• Ruth 4:13 -- She becomes the great-grandmother of David, and an ancestress of Jesus Christ.

Next lesson: Hannah

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Shimshon (Samson). May be related to the Hebrew word for sun, shemesh; if so, here is a polytheistic overtone.
• Appears 39x in the Bible

Further study:

• Passages covered in this podcast
  • Judges 13-16
  • Scripture referred to in passing: Numbers 6:1-21; Romans 8:28; Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1; 21:25.
• More advanced
  • Hebrews 11:32 -- compare the lives of the various persons of faith listed here along with Samson.
  • Study the effects of sexual temptation and sin in the lives of Samson, David, Absalom, Amnon...
  • Read the material on the Nazirites and parenting in Principle-Centered Parenting (formerly The Quiver), esp. focusing on Manoah's parenting of Samson. (Note: this book is also available in Spanish. The title is La Aljaba. Visit www.ipibooks.com.)
  • Extrabiblical
    • See 4QSama, from the Dead Sea Scrolls: "A Nazirite forever all the days of his life."
    • Search the web for (superficial) parallels with Hercules and Gilgamesh. What would you say to critics claiming the Samson cycle has merely been copied from earlier pagan accounts?
    • Take a peek at a Philistine temple, similar to the one Samson brought down. Here is a link. Archaeologists have in fact uncovered two Philistine temples, at Tel Qasile (northern Tel Aviv) and at Tel Miqne (ancient Ekron, 21 miles S of Tel Aviv). Both temples share a unique design: two central pillars supported the roof. The pillars were made of wood and rested on stone support bases. With the pillars being about six feet apart, a strong man – especially a large one – could dislodge them from their stone bases and bring the entire structure down. (For reference, my "wingspan" is 6’7” [2m], so I could pretty easily reach both pillars with my hands if I were standing between them.)

Some things we learn about God:

• God works even through our mistakes to accomplish his purposes (Judges 14:4).
• In times of spiritual chaos, God may just work through a "radical," even someone who is emotionally immature!
• There are serious consequences when we renege on our spiritual commitments.

For kids:

• Introduce Samson, reading selections to illustrate a few of the following points:
  • A man who did not listen to his parents.
  • A man who liked to move things and break things.
  • A man who could not say no to a pretty girl.
  • A man who got even when people treated him wrongly.
  • Mentioning – or, for older children, reading selections from – Numbers 6, explain that there were three rules for Samson’s life (not to cut his hair, not to drink alcohol, and not to touch a dead body.
• Read excerpts from Judges where we see him violating all three rules.
• Talk about the consequences.
  • Were there any consequences?
  • What were they?
  • What do you think we are supposed to learn from the story?
• For young children:
  • God gave Samson great strength to use for his purposes. Talk about the things Samson did with his strength.
  • What different “strengths” has God has given you – things you are good at doing? How God might like you to use your strengths?
  • The Bible (James 1 and 1 Corinthians 4) says that all our strengths are a gift from God, so we don’t have room to brag.
  • Have a time of prayer thanking God for strengths and praying for opportunities to use them.
• For older children and teens):
  • Samson’s life is an example of the trouble we can bring on ourselves when we aren’t wise in the friends (and dating relationships)  we choose, when we stay in relationships or situations where we are under constant peer pressure to cave in and compromise.
  • Read the section about Samson and Delilah. Questions:
    • When we are selecting friends, what are the qualities of a good friend? One quality discussed might be that a good friend brings out the best in you, or wants the best for you
    • What did Delilah want?  How did she go about getting it? Have you ever encountered pressure like that?  In what areas? How did you respond? Why do you think Samson played a game with her and wasn’t direct in telling her that he wasn’t going to tell her his secret?
    • Have you ever had to be direct with a friend? Are you ever afraid of losing a friend? In what situations do you think we need to let a friendship end?
    • Why did Samson give in? What did he lose by giving into the pressure?  What do you lose when you compromise your values in a relationship?
  • Think about your best (good) friends and the qualities they have and the good influences they have on your life. Take some time to thank God for them.  Are there some friends that you need to be direct with?  Is their negative influence on you stronger than your influence on them for good?  Pray and get advice on how to handle friends who aren’t a good influence.

Key verses:

• Judges 13:3 -- God appears to Manoah and wife, promising birth of their child, who is to be a Nazirite.
• Judges 14:1 – Samson wants to marry outside the people of God. All the same, the Lord uses this violation of the covenant to promote his will.
• Judges 15:11 – Childish retaliation.
• Judges 15:20 – Despite his immaturity and underdeveloped spiritual character, God used him to lead/judge.
• Judges 16:21 – His lack of spirituality catches up with him. (The Philistines seize him.)
• Judges 16:30 – Even in dying, Samson has an impact, making something of a come-back.

Next lesson: Ruth.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Gidh'on (Gideon) -- 41x in Judges 6-8 and Hebrews 11
• Yerubba'al (Jerubbaal) -- sounds like Yerubh bo ha-ba'al (Let Baal contend) -- 14x in Judges 9, 1 Samuel 12, and 2 Samuel 11

Further study:

• Passages covered in the poscast:
  • Judges 6-8
  • Hebrews 11:32-33.
  • Referred to: Luke 9, Exodus 32, Numbers 21, Genesis 2
• Learn about Gideon's son, Abimelech -- Judges 9
• Study further passages where the Lord commissions a man or woman, who hesitates (either to obey or out of a sense of unworthiness), then follows God's word and wins the victory: Saul (1 Samuel 9), Isaiah (Isaiah 6), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1), Esther (Esther 4), Amos (7), Peter (Luke 5… Can you find any more?
• Advanced:
  • See James Greig's intriguing Gideon Reconsidered.
  • For more on how we discern God's will (fleecing, how the Spirit works, etc), see: The Spirit (Jacoby) and Decision Making and the Will of God(Friesen).

Some things we learn about God:

• Stature among one's friends and family, community or colleagues does not impress God. He is looking for faith.
• At times the Lord may accede to our requests for faith-confirming signs (not that we have any guarantees what transpires might not be coincidence). As in the case of Thomas (John 20), He understands our debility and doubt.
• When we are dormant spiritually, God may activate us!

For kids:

• Take a look at Gideon the Unlikely Warrior.
• Also see Children’s Bible Lessons (on the Judges) – includes a word search.

Key verses:

• Judges 6:12 -- Gideon is commissioned.
• Judges 6:27 -- He tears down the altar to Baal.
• Judges 6:37 -- He puts out a "fleece" (not recommended).
• Judges 7:22 -- The Midianite army defeats itself!
• Judges 8:21 -- Gideon slays the Midianite rulers.
• Judges 8:27 -- Gideon, like Aaron before him, fashions what will become an object of (idolatrous) worship.

Next lesson: Samson

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Devorah ("deVOrah") -- Deborah, Hebrew for bee
• Appears 9x in the Bible, and only in Judges 4-5 (if we don't include the other Deborah, Rebekah's nurse [Genesis 35].)

Further study:

• Passages touched on in this podcast
  • Judges 4-5
  • Hebrews 11:32-34
  • Galatians 3:28
  • Judges 2:11-19a
  • 2 Timothy 2:21
• Advanced
  • Notice that Judges 4 is the prose account of the battle, while Judges 5 is the poetic version. How are they similar? Where do they diverge? What does this show us about the literary vehicles the Lord has chosen through which to convey his revelation?
  • See the interesting book on women, Two Views on Women in Ministry. This is a careful exploration of the two major views, the egalitarian and the complementarian.

Some things we learn about God:

• God raises up leaders in times of distress and repentance. Sidenote: This leadership will not be perfect, but it is leadership all the same. (Deborah emerges as one of the best leaders in Judges, perhaps if only because her weaknesses do not seem to have been recorded.)
• God cares about our pain, even when it is self-inflicted.
• If it suits his purposes, he can use women as well as men.
  • We see this twice in our account: with Deborah and with Jael.
  • Probably it is overstating to conclude that when men don’t, or won’t lead, God will use women. Though this may well be true, we aren’t given enough information in the passage to prove it. We do know, for example from 2 Timothy 2:21, that though we serve in different ways, the purity of the vessel is even more important than the type of vessel. God looks at the heart. This is not to say anyone can be anything he or she wants to be, rather that how far we go has much to do with the moral condition of our heart.

For kids

• See the lesson suggestions (Deborah and Jael) at the Bible.org. link.
• For more ideas, click here.

Key verses:

• Judges 4:4 -- Deborah a prophetess and a leader.
• Judges 5:1 -- Deborah writes a song (with Barak).
• Judges 5:7 -- Deborah a "mother" in Israel.
• Hebrews 11:32 -- Counter to expectation, though Deborah is better remembered, Barak is the one who receives the mention in the “Hall of Fame of Faith”

Next lesson: Gideon

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Khelev (Caleb) -- dog
• Appears 35x in the OT (compared to 223x for Joshua), in Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, and 1 Chronicles

Further study:

• Passages covered in this podcast
  • Numbers 13-14
  • Joshua 14-15
  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Proverbs 13:12; Hebrews 11:13,39.
• Quotable quotes
  • “I am long on ideas, but short on time. I expect to live to be only about a hundred.” – Edison
  • "To hold the same views at forty as we held at twenty is to have been stupefied for a score of years, and take rank, not as a prophet, but as an unteachable brat, well birched and none the wiser." – a famous educator
  • "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." – Lincoln
• Some passages on old age
  • Leviticus 19:32
  • Psalm 71:8; 91:12-15
  • Isaiah 46:3-4
  • Luke 2 (Simeon and [H]anna), Philemon 9 (Paul), etc.

Some things we learn about God:

• As he did for Caleb, God will give us too a different spirit -- the Holy Spirit!
• God will work in our lives till the very end, if we keep our faith.
• Even when we are old, God still has work for us to accomplish! (Ephesians 2:10 always applies.)

For kids:

• Read the Caleb story.
  • Ask the kids to act out how a very old person walks / talks / moves around.
  • Then ask them to move and speak the way they imagine Caleb did.
  • Ask, What is the difference? Is it only that his body was different than theirs? (No -- his spirit was different!)
• Read some of the extra verses on old age (above).
• Pray together:
  • That we and our friends will respect the aged.
  • That we will learn from their wisdom.
  • That the older members of the church will be active in the work of the Lord.
  • That the older members of the church will be and feel valued.
  • That the children in the church will respect parents, grandparents, and all their elders, as the word of God instructs.
  • That we will keep our spiritual fervor as we age.

Key verses:

• Numbers 13:30 -- Caleb a dissenting voice among the tribal spies.
• Numbers 14:24 -- Caleb has "a different spirit."
• Joshua 14:10 -- Still vigorous in old age.
• Joshua 14:12 -- "Give me this hill country!"

Next lesson: Deborah

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Yehoshua -- "God has saved", Joshua's new name after:
• Hoshea -- "He has saved" (Numbers 13:16). Moses was the one who changed his name.
• Joshua appears 223x in the Bible, 27x before the book of Joshua.
• Iesous (pronounced yay-SOOSS) -- The word in biblical Greek for both Joshua and Jesus.

Further study:

• Mentioned in this podcast
• Period of preparation
  • Born in Egypt (during Israelite slavery)
  • Exodus 17 -- appears in the Battle of Rephidim
  • Exodus 24:13, 32:17, 33:11 -- serves as Moses' assistant
  • Numbers 11:28 -- uncomfortable with God's making an exception to his normal way of working.
  • Numbers 14:6-10 -- He exhibits a great faith as he rejects the negative counsel of the spies.
  • Numbers 14:30 -- God will allow him to enter the Promised Land (even though neither Moses nor Aaron is permitted -- Numbers 20).
  • Numbers 27:18ff, Deuteronomy 34:9 -- Moses commissions him, and is told to encourage Joshua (Deuteronomy 1:38).
• Platform for spiritual success laid out (Joshua 1). Key concept: Success and confidence flow from obedience to God's word.
• Lifetime accomplishments
  • Assumes leadership of the nation (Joshua 1
  • Takes the land
    • Southern campaign (Joshua 2-10). Some miracles
    • Northern campaign (Joshua 11). No miracles.
  • Divides the land, allocating it to the 12 tribes (Joshua 13+)
  • Calls the people to commitment (Joshua 23-24)
• N.T. passages: Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8
• Advanced
  • See the book by Francis Schaeffer, Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History. Click here.

For more on the background of Joshua, see the excellent piece by James Greig. Click here.

About innkeepers and espionage, the Law of Hammurabi §109: “If scoundrels plot together in an innkeeper’s house, and she does not seize them and bring them to the palace, that innkeeper shall be put to death.”

Did Joshua marry Rahab? Click here.

Some things we learn about God:

• He gives us victory when we follow his word. 
  • God works through others to train us. Therefore we need to have a heart that is willing to "follow the leader," not acting in arrogance or a false "spontaneity."
  • We must follow his instructions.
  • Then we can call others also to follow.
• We learn more about God by carefully comparing both testaments. There are amazing parallels between Joshua and Jesus.
  • Joshua + Jesus (in Greek). Jesus is our salvation; God (in the flesh) is acting to save us.
  • Both are commanders, leading the people of God.
  • Both lead the people into the Promised Land.
  • Both rescue God's people from their enemies.
  • Both bring the people "rest."
  • Both call us to decision!
• We must discern what God is doing. Four events in Joshua's life are key to grasping this principle, and show how the great leader of God's people did not always see how the Lord was moving.
  • Numbers 11:28 (jealousy or possessiveness vis-a-vis how and in whom God words)
  • Joshua 5:13-15 (commander of army of the Lord). Different to the Jabbok (Genesis 32:22-32) and the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1-4:17).
  • Joshua 7:1-26 (Ai) -- Leaders must have a godly concern for the purity of the camp (the people of God).
  • Joshua 9:3-27 (the Gibeonites) -- They failed to consult the Lord, thus misinterpreting his will.

For kids:

• Explain who Joshua is. Read portions of Joshua 1, and perhaps also the account of the fall of Jericho. (For an action devotional!)
• Ask questions:
  • "Be strong": Is God talking about our muscles, or something else?
  • "Obey": Whom do we need to obey? (Teachers, parents, policemen, God...) Who's the most important one to obey?
  • "Be brave": How can we be braver when we don't feel brave?
  • "Meditate on the Law": How can this make us stronger and braver?

Key verses:

• Deuteronomy 34:9 -- Moses lays hands on Joshua
• Joshua 1:8 -- Focus on God's Word
• Joshua 5:13-15 -- Encounter with commander of army of the Lord
• Joshua 24:15 -- Don't follow the crowd (even among the people of God)! Have your own convictions; lead your family.

Next lesson: Caleb

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Phinechas – "mouth of brass" or possibly "negro" (in old Egyptian). Appears first in Exodus 6:25, and also in 17 other OT location. Not to be confused with a later Phinehas (son of Eli, 1 Samuel 1:3) and yet another Phinehas in Ezra 8:33. Although his name was imitable, apparently his character was less imitable!
• Tsamad – join, yoke (Numbers 25:3); tsemed = couple, pair
• Qubbah – large vaulted tent. There exists a similar word in Arabic meaning "camp sanctuary." Appears only here in Bible.
• Qin’ah – ardor, zeal, jealousy (Hebrew). From qana’ = be jealous.
• Zelos – jealousy, zeal (Greek NT and LXX). Whereas in English the Greek root evolved into two adjectives (zealous and jealous), it did not evolve to two nouns (zeal and "jeal"). But it could have!

Further study:

• Passages the podcast covered or referred to:
  • Number 25
  • Exodus 32; Leviticus 10; 2 Samuel 6
  • James 4:7-10
  • Romans 12:11 (see also Revelation 3:16); Colossians 1:28-2:1; 3:1ff; 3:16; 4:2-6.
  • Matthew 5:30; 1 Corinthians 5:5,7,13; 6:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; Hebrews 13:4; Revelation 21:8.
  • In the NT: 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 11, Revelation 2:14
  • Psalm 106:28-31
  • (2 Cor 11:2 -- here Paul is jealous [zēlô] with a zeal [zēlō].)
• Advanced
  • Phinehas was chief of the Korahite Levites (1 Chronicles 9:20). Learn more about him in Joshua 22:13ff, 30-32 and Judges 20:28ff.
  • He is lauded in the Apocrypha in 1 Maccabees 2:26, 54 and Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 45:23-24.
  • He's even mentioned three times in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Some things we learn about God:

• God's jealousy, which is sinless, is white-hot, holy, and cannot be compromised.
• He punishes sin.
• God detests illicit yoking (with unbelievers).
• He commends those who stand up for his righteousness.

For kids:

• Due to the mature subject matter and shocking nature of the principal text, Numbers 25, this lesson is more appropriate for children who are exposed to significant sexual temptation. (In the United States, this is normally from age of 12.) Be sensitive.
• For more mature kids, read Numbers 25 and have a discussion. Begin by asking, What character strengths Phinehas has:
  • Strong conviction.
    • Does not follow the flow; understands that there are absolutes.
    • Is unapologetic.
  • Takes the initiative.
  • Demonstrates leadership in a time of moral crisis.
  • His anger is not for his own sake, but because he understands and believes deeply in God's law.
  • True zeal...
• Ask, in what sorts of situations should a godly person take a stand (e.g. in school, in sports, at church)?
• In regard to leaving home /going to university, ask, What are you going to do/say when you see people engaged in gross sin?
• Ask, How does the world oppose and even ridicule such a man?
• Conclude by reading Joshua 24:15 (begin in v.14 and read as far as you need in order to paint the picture).

Key verses:

• Numbers 25:11
• Psalm 106:31

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Bil'am (Balaam in the Greek version) appears 63x in the Bible. The Hebrew Bil'am means "devourer."
• 'Athon (female donkey, as in this account). Chamor is a male donkey, while pere'means wild donkey.

Further study:

• Passages the podcast covered or referred to:
  • Numbers 22-24 (many verses); 31:1-8, 16
  • Other O.T. books: Deuteronomy 23:4-5; Joshua 13:22, 24:9-10; Nehemiah 13:2; Micah 6:5
  • Divination: Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10,14; 1 Samuel 15:23; Galatians 5:20
  • Parallel passages: Joshua 5 (opposed by the angel of the Lord), 1 Kings 18 (the altars and sacrifices)
  • In the N.T.: 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 11, Revelation 2:14
• Advanced
  • Balaam is the prototype of Judas Iscariot. Explore this notion!
  • Two eminent and ancient Jewish writers also comment on Balaam: Josephus and Philo.
  • Archaeological inscription discovered (1967): At Deir Alla, Jordan, an Aramaic prophecy by Balaam was found, dated to c.800 BC. For more, click here.
  • Helpful commentaries on Numbers:
    • Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (for the average reader): volume by Gordon Wenham.
    • Word Biblical Commentary (advanced): volume by Philip J. Budd

Some things we learn about God:

• God knows the hearts of all men!
• God sometimes will oppose our path when it is reckless.
• If our hearts are wrong, he may or may not expose us before the end of our lives (or even the end of time).

For kids:

• Read selections from the Balaam cycle (Numbers 22-24) and introduce and assign the main characters:
  • Balaam: "I must say only the right thing... you can trust me." (Repeat this, like a mantra.)
  • Balak: "Curse your church..." (He bad-mouths the local church, just as Balaam was asked to curse the Israelites.)
  • The donkey: Bray like a donkey.
  • The angel of the Lord: "Stop, prophet! These are bad people!" -- or something to this effect.
• Act out the story, in a manner age-appropriate for your own family.
• Paraphrase the N.T. verdict (2 Peter 2).
• Do you have any family pets? Ask, "How is ____ better than we are? Does he/she ever show better sense than we do? How?" (E.g. doesn't complain, quickly forgives, learns from his/her mistakes.)

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Miryam (Mir-yam), Miriam, appears 13x in the Bible.
• The name was very popular, and several women in the NT are named after the Miriam of the OT. The form of the name usually appears as Maria, though also occasionally as Mariam. In particular, Luke calls the mother of Jesus Mariam.

Further study:

• Passages the podcast covered or referred to:
  • Exodus 15:1-21
  • Numbers 12:1-16
  • Numbers 20:1, Deuteronomy 24:8f, Micah 6:4
  • Further study: Compare the three lepers of Numbers 12, 2 Kings 5, and 2 Chronicles 26.
• Advanced
  • As various Bibles mention in foot notes, "leprosy" may not necessarily be leprosy (Hansen's Disease). "Snow" may refer to the color of the skin, or perhaps to the texture -- the scaliness of various dermatological conditions. For more on this, click here.
  • The Qur'an is hopelessly confused about Miriam. In surah (chapter) 19 of the Muslim scriptures, Maryam is confused with Mary (the mother of Jesus). And yet they lived at least 1300 years apart!
• Listen to the podcast The Leprosy of Miriam in the CLEAN series.

Some things we learn about God:

• God encourages us to rejoice in spiritual victories. Miriam led the women of Israel in song. Such expressiveness is not only natural, but healthy. That's because we relate to God not only intellectually, but on the emotional level.
• Back in the days of inspiration, the Lord spoke through men and women alike. (Miriam isn't the only prophetess in the OT or NT.) Anyone can speak for God (even if we are not inspired, or miraculous guided).
• God does not exempt leaders from the rules. There's one standard for everybody! In fact, in the Bible the standard for leaders is higher, if anything. Even under the old system (clergy/laity), all were expected to be holy, to be righteous.
• When a leader sins publicly, and repents publicly, all the people of God know about it. Before this process has been completed, the people of God cannot "move on."

For kids (devotional -- best for three or more children):

• Talk about the talents/gifts the three children of Amram had. Moses was a great leader; Aaron was a great speaker, as well as a priest; Miriam was talented musically, in addition to being a prophetess. Also, she is probably the one who helped Pharaoh's daughter to locate Moses' mother.
• Talk about the various personal gifts in your own family (among your children, perhaps including mother and father, and even your own families of origin if this seems appropriate or interesting).
• Aaron and Miriam were jealous of Moses (Numbers 12).
  • Have a talk about family jealousy.
  • Does jealousy ever bring us closer to one another?
  • Have you ever been jealous? When? Why?
  • (For older children) explain the difference between jealousy (which is fiercely possessive and unwilling to share) and envy (which wants what the other guy has).
  • God punished Miriam. If we are jealous, God will oppose us -- just as he opposes the proud (James 4:6 etc).

Key verses:

• Exodus 15:21 -- Miriam's musical celebration after the Exodus
• Numbers 12:1ff -- her criticism of Moses
• Numbers 20:1 -- Miriam's death

Next lesson: Balaam

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• 'Aharon (pronounced "a-ha-RONE") -- Aaron. Mentioned 353 times in the Bible, only 4x in the NT.
• 'Egel (pronounced "aygul") -- the calf/bull worshipped in Egypt and Canaan. Either translation works.

Further study:

• Passages the podcast covered or referred to:
  • Exodus 7:7 (also Numbers 33:39 and Deuteronomy 34:7) -- three-year age difference between Moses and Aaron
  • Exodus 32 -- focus of this podcast
  • Exodus 4:16, 7:1 -- Aaron as Moses' "prophet"
  • Numbers 12:1ff -- challenge to Moses' authority
  • Deuteronomy 9:20, Numbers 20:12, Numbers 20:28
• Advanced:
  • Genesis 34:25, Exodus 32:26, Numbers 25:8 -- zeal (even to the point of violence) among Levi and his descendants
  • For more on the golden calf (bull), click here and also here.

Some things we learn about God:

• Sometime a leader can be weak and ineffective, and yet remain in his position for many years. God does not force leaders to change, nor does he forcibly remove them even when they are failing.
• Our character and sins do affect our children. Two of Aaron's sons took great liberties in their approach to the priesthood. (Was this the partly caused by Aaron's tendency to back away from a challenge?) The other two were more spiritually solid.
• Although an influential figure, Aaron was more a spokesman (assisting Moses) than the leader of a nation. In accomplishing his will, sometimes the Lord has us rely on others with complementary gifts. He is not looking for a "one-man show."

For kids -- a devotional on Excuses

• Read parts of Exodus 32 and describe the scene.
• Highlight Aaron's lame excuse for the bull idol he had made.
• Talk about other lame excuses.
  • Are they sometimes funny?
  • What does God think?
  • What are some of my own lame excuses for not doing his will?
  • Who am I fooling: others? myself? the Lord?
• For more material on excuses (time allowing), visit Luke 14 (the Parable of the Great Banquet).

Key verses:

• Exodus 32:24 -- weak leadership
• Numbers 12:1ff -- resents Moses' leadership
• Numbers 20:28 -- death, excluded from the land of promise

Next lesson: Miriam