Category Archives: Bible Study

Study of the Kingdom – Elijah

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Elijah, the mysterious prophet, who is introduced in 1 Kings 17 announcing a drought on Israel is a powerful figure, both in Judaism and Christianity.  John the Baptist and Elijah are linked together because of prophecies in Isaiah, Malachi and an angel of the Lord (Luke 1), the tradition of Jewish elders, and the testimony of Jesus.  Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:2, and Luke 1: 11-17 and 76 refer to Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1 and 4:5.  John does not quote the Old Testament but refers to the Baptist as a witness of the Light.  Jesus instructs the Three on the Mount of Transfiguration of the John/Elijah connection.  Elijah’s miracles of the drought, blazing offering, and the killing of the prophets of Baal are focused in 1 Kings 18:37 while he was praying and acknowledged that God was “turning their hearts back again”.   This idea is reinforced in Malachi 4:5, which also opens the door for John the Baptist and the empty chair at Passover. 

The Jewish custom of an empty chair or an extra glass of wine at Passover is linked with him reportedly visiting each circumcision because he is checking on the people’s heart and turning them to God (check the websites below).  John the Baptist fulfills this by his message in Matthew 3:2 – “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near”.  John’s baptism or ritual washing echoes requirements of the Law, but also carries the idea of leaving Egypt.  It is amazing that this wild man of the desert, this deliverer of fire has become a signal fire of hope as we wander through this wilderness of our lives.

As I read Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 17 I get the feeling that he was well known before the drought.  He had an audience with Ahab in verse 1 and Obadiah recognized him. For two powerful officials to know you, it should mean that they were accustomed to seeing you.    

Elijah in the New Testament

Elijah is mentioned twenty-nine times in the NIV New Testament.  I am going to list a loose timeline of when Elijah is mentioned.  I am doing this more by event because Matthew and Mark share the same references.

  1. Luke 1:17 + 47 – Gabriel and Zechariah talking about John’s mission and how it related to Elijah.
  2. John 1:21+25 – John being questioned if he is Elijah.  He says no and then quotes Isaiah 40:3.
  3. Luke 4:24 – Jesus at Nazareth teaching about prophets.
  4. Matthew 11:24 – Jesus links Elijah to John the Baptist.
  5. Matthew 16:14 – People think Jesus is Elijah.
  6. Matthew 17: 3-12 – Elijah is at the Transfiguration and Jesus teaches the Disciples about John.
  7. Matthew 27: 47+49 – Jesus on the cross, the people think He is calling for Elijah. 

Elijah is also mentioned in Romans 11:2 and James 5:17.

Luke 1:17 has given me a lot to think about!  Gabriel said, “In the spirit and power of Elijah.”  John did not do miracles!  So, the concept of “spirit and power” has made me think hard about Elijah and then how it manifested in John.  I can see “the spirit” part fairly well – both had no problem being alone in the desert, and both got kings and queens mad because of their stand for righteousness.  “The power” part is another story.  Elijah had fire fall three times and the chariot of fire.  No rain, then rain and he divided the Jordan River; so, he was given power over water.  My solution was easy!  I have the wrong idea of power.  James 5:17 talks about Elijah’s power of prayer, not fire falling.  1 Kings 1:17 – it was by his word that it stopped raining.  I do believe that today’s church needs the miraculous acts of God but in themselves miracles may not cause revival, they are to confirm the Gospel.  The power of Elijah in John the Baptist was his message and deeds – repent and be baptized.

The Voice

The Apostle/writer John quotes John the Baptist in John 1:21+25 that he is not Elijah but the voice of one in the wilderness.  Was this statement humility or cluelessness?  Gabriel said he was; Jesus said he was, why would John say anything different?  I really don’t think it is either of those!  Like Elijah, in 2 Kings 1, John knew he was a man of God and he knew his mission.

Elijah and the Miraculous

Elijah means God of Jehovah #452 (Strong’s Concordance) which is a combination of #410 and #3050.  #410, however, is also power (definition 7,8); so, Elijah could be “the power of Jehovah”. 

Moses, Elijah, and Elisha are the main people in the Old Testament that walked in the miraculous.  Yes, others had powerful encounters but not at the intensity of these three.  It has become popular to jump on Elisha’s bandwagon of the double portion of Elijah’s anointing.  There are many websites that count individual miracles to show the “double” blessing.  It was disturbing to realize that one claimed eight/sixteen and another seventeen/thirty-four and other sites had different numbers and different miracles.  Elisha, however, asked for “ruwach” or spirit which, for the most part, means breath or life.  So, I will try to list the miraculous in Elijah’s life but also some of the other things he had in his life.  (Note – the miraculous is not just what Elijah spoke, but what God did for him.  Elijah did not “ask” for every miracle.)

  • One servant and Elisha
  • He had dealings with three kings – Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram (Judah, 2 Chronicles 21:12)
  • Did one of the commands from the cave.

Okay, this list is very subjective but I am listing the miraculous not just miracles.  This is a combination of Elijah spoke, the Lord says, or angels did something.

  1. 1 Kings 17: 1 – Announces no rain
  2. 17:2+3 – go hide
  3. The ravens did feed him
  4. 17:8+9 – go to Sidon
  5. Widow to feed you
  6. 17:14 – Elijah was specific on the flour and the oil
  7. 17:19 – widow’s son healed
  8. 18:1 – go to Ahab
  9. 18:36 – prayed and the fire fell
  10. 18:41 – he heard the sound of the heavy rain
  11. 18:46 – the power to run with Ahab’s chariot approximately 40 miles
  12. 19:5 – angel delivered food and water
  13. 19:7 – angel delivered food and water
  14. 19:8 – traveled 40 days and nights on the two meals
  15. 19:7 – meeting God and receiving the instructions
  16. 21:17 – took a word to Ahab
  17. 21:28 – the word about Ahab’s change
  18. 2 Chronicles 21:12 – word to Jehoram
  19. 2 Kings 1:3 – word to Ahaziah 
  20. 1:10 – fire fell
  21. 1:12 – fire fell again
  22. 1:15 – okay to go with the third captain
  23. 2:8 – struck the river and it divided
  24. 2:10 – he knew how he would be taken (implied); the school of prophets and Elisha also knew he would be taken. 

I will do a comparison list of things for Elisha. See Elisha.

Turn the Hearts

The idea that Elijah turns hearts toward God is still part of his legend today in Jewish culture.  That really is a great idea/ministry.  In 1 Kings 18: 37 Elijah credits that action to the Lord God, which is why fire came down and burned the sacrifice on Carmel.  This also was the ministry of John the Baptist before the revealing of Jesus.  People who were baptized did believe while the Pharisees did not.  Malachi 4:5 gives Elijah the same responsibility.  This in turn leads many to wonder about the two witnesses in Revelation.

Here is a list from Bible Gateway when I used the word “turn” in a search.  I felt turning was the key word and these are examples of that idea.  There are others!

  1. Isaiah 6:10
  2. Isaiah 40:3
  3. Malachi 4:6
  4. Matthew 13:15
  5. Luke 1:17
  6. John 12:40 
  7. Acts 28:27

https://reformjudaism.org/passover-mystery-fifth-cup

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/504495/jewish/Why-Is-Elijah-the-Prophet-Invited-to-the-Seder.htm

Study of Kingdom – John the Baptist

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John the Baptist is one of the keys I have used to divide my study of the Kingdom into four sections.  So, it seems right that I take time to do a study on John.  He is mentioned in all four Gospels and the Book of Acts.  Luke mentions him the most (Luke and Acts) and John, as usual, gives a different look into him and his ministry.  I am going to list a possible timeline drawing from all four writers.  Some events are easy to compare and the mentions in Acts just refer to previous facts.  The bullet points may have more than one scripture.

  1. Luke 1:5-63
  2. Luke 3:1-20, Matthew 3:1-15, Mark 1:1-8, John 1: 6 to 40
  3. John 3: 23 – 36
  4. John 4: 1
  5. Matthew 4:12, Mark 2:18. 
  6. Matthew 9:14, Luke 5:33. 
  7. Matthew 11: 1-18, Luke 7:18-33
  8. Matthew 14:1-14  
  9. Mark 6:14-29, Luke 9:9
  10. John 5:33-36
  11. Matthew 16:14, Mark 8:28, Luke 9:19
  12. Luke 11:1 – This one may be out of place. 
  13. Luke 16:16
  14. Matthew 17:13
  15. John 10:40-41
  16. Matthew 21:25-32, Mark 11:30-32, Luke 20:4-6
  17. Acts 1:5,22; 10:37; 11:16; 13:24, 25; 18:25; 19:3,4

All of the Gospel writers included a story of Jesus’ baptism (#2). 

The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) also have #11 and #16 in common.  #11 is the story of Jesus asking the Disciples who the people thought He was?  The answers included John the Baptist and Elijah.  #16 is Jesus’ challenge to the religious rulers in the Temple during Holy Week.

John, the last Old Testament prophet.  “The voice” (Isaiah 40:3) who called Israel to repent.  Matthew (#7 and 14) quotes Jesus comparing John to Elijah.  John, the source of many sermons.  Steven Furtick in his book, Crash the Chatterbox, studies John in the chapter The Expectation Gap and unpacks a little of John’s humanity.  But in doing this study, I have gotten the idea we have not appreciated John and his ministry enough. (Personally, I got sidetracked with the Elijah connection. That is another post.)

We do not know how long John preached repentance and baptized people before Jesus came to him in #2.  Luke quotes Peter, Paul, Priscila and Aquila in Acts telling people about “the baptism of repentance” and that there was another baptism awaiting them.  Luke 7 (in #7) talks about the effects of that baptism and how it changed people to believe and accept Jesus.

John and faithful disciples and fierce enemies.  Like Elijah he had a crazy king and a vengeful queen, except John’s queen did get him killed.  He never did miracles but directed everyone to Jesus, which was his sole purpose in life.

John’s message and baptism went out before the Apostles and their mission trips.  This is seen in Apollos and Ephesus both knowing John’s baptism, and the way Paul addressed the Jews in Pisidian Antioch (#17).

MORE THOUGHTS ON JOHN:

  1. John could have been a High Priest!  Remember, his father Zachariah was behind the Curtain in the Temple.
  2. May have been an Essene.
  3. Identified, by his dress, as a prophet.
  4. He angered and awed Herod.  He had no problem killing people but was reluctant to kill John.
  5. He clearly heard from the Holy Spirit as to his mission in life.
  6. He lived his life for his mission.  He possibly never heard the accolades that Jesus spoke about him.

Pic from http://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/

Kingdom – Fourth Block of Teaching

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Since this is really an “on-going” study, I am changing my thoughts and adding a fourth block:}

WHY– 1. On Tuesday of Holy Week Jesus uses John’ baptism to silence/anger the religious. 2. This time period reflects Exodus 12: 1 – 13. Which is the time before the Passover when the lamb was prepared and in the time of no yeast. 3. This is the start of the final teaching/preparation period for Pentecost – the birth of the Church.

I am starting this block in Matthew 21 (the Triumphal Entry) and going to the Ascension.  This is an aggressive period for Jesus.  He has forceful actions and teachings that contrast His actions after His arrest.  Then, after the Resurrection, He takes on a new attitude as He prepares His followers for the future.

John the Baptist– Each of my sections have John the Baptist at or near the start of them. I know I am starting with the last section but there is nothing wrong with reading the end of the story first.  Using John’s signature teaching and act truly honors him and his place in God’s story.  I know Isaiah links John to Elijah but there is also a link to Moses because of baptism, which is linked with the passing through the Red Sea. (See Dividing the Red Sea in Passover to Pentecost Week 1.)

At the start of Matthew, John is physically present and doing his ministry, and as the story progresses he is slowly removed until it is just his primary teaching and act.  After all, John the Baptist did say he had to decrease and Jesus increase.

Sunday– Jesus fulfills Zechariah 9:9. The Kingdom principle He allows praise.  This probably runs over into Monday (Matthew 21: 15 – 16).  Luke has Pharisees complaining about the praise as Jesus enters the city.

Monday– It is not recorded, but I have an idea that Jesus returning to Jerusalem set off another round of praise.  This would have set off the Pharisees, again!  When He cleaned the Temple, stopping the selecting/buying of the lamb and other offerings, He focused on prayer.  Not a bad combination – praise to bring Jesus in and prayer once He is there! Mark/Peter has the fig tree being cursed today and then found dead on Tuesday.  Luke simply says He taught daily. John is the only one to add (12:20) that Greeks wanted to meet Him and that the Father confirmed Jesus’ message about why He had to die with a voice from Heaven.  John also includes Jesus teaching that He came as a Light and not a judge – the Father’s word will do that.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday–

This is the time period required in Exodus 12: 5 + 6 when the Lamb was to be taken care of before the meal. (After some consideration, Tuesday maybe be a better start to the fourth block of teaching.  The fig tree represents religious acts/systems that started with Adam and Eve.). “Tuesday” starts at Matthew 21: 18 and goes to chapter 26: 6.  Following when and how Jesus used the word kingdom will be this portion of the study, I will use one of the three times “kingdom” is mentioned in John.

Jesus putting the elders in a bind with the question about John is very fitting for the season they were in.  Baptism is connected to Passover with the parting of the Red Sea and passing through the Jordan (Joshua’s Passover).  Unless noted all of the references will be in Matthew.

  1. 21:31 – Jesus uses the Kingdom of God (here and in 43).  I feel it is an “in your face” move for the Elders.  He stresses those who repent and believe and going into the kingdom.
  2. 21:43 – Jesus is prophesying a change of membership in the Kingdom.  He emphases’ doing what the Father wants – “fruit production”.
  3. 22:1 – The new membership is again shown in verse 8.  The bad attitudes will be left out and not being “clothed” correctly will get you removed!
  4. 23:13 – This is restating 21:31 and begins the “Seven Woes” against the religious elite.
  5. 24:7 – Power struggles are a sign of Jesus’ return.
  6. 24:14 – Another sign of the Return is the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached so no nation will have an excuse about not knowing Jesus.
  7. 25:1 – The parable of the Wise Virgins and the mindset to be ready for Jesus’ return.  The foolish Virgins give the idea that just “playing church” will not get you into the Kingdom.
  8. 25:34 – The Kingdom has been prepared for the Sheep!
  9. 26:29 – The promise of a party when we get to Heaven.
  10. John 18: 36 – Jesus clarified His Kingdom for Pilate.

It is important to remember that item 1 through 8 is taught in one day (Tuesday).  As the Master Teacher He states who are going into the Kingdom, why the religious leaders are missing the kingdom, and examples for the people to follow in waiting for the Kingdom.

To the Ascension– Acts 1: 3b (NIV) He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God. (See Passover to Pentecost Week 4 – See Class in Session, Passover to Pentecost Week 5 – The Great Commission, Passover to Pentecost Week 6. I wrote several posts on topics about Jesus teaching the disciples and The Ascension.  My favorite is After the Cloud.)

Jesus began His ministry of teaching and showing the Kingdom with a forty-day fast, after His baptism. The baptism is symbolic of passing through the Red Sea (Week 1).  He ends His time on earth with a forty-day time of teaching.  The Holy Week teachings are very pointed about the Kingdom but they were being taught to the people and the Disciples.  This forty-day period was just for the Disciples and I believe that Jesus went into great detail.  These teachings would frame the first church attempt in Jerusalem.

The Number Twenty in the Bible

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The number twenty in the Bible is used with many individuals and with key things in Scripture. My habit is to look at the number itself (Jewish thought) and the meaning of the letter in the Hebrew alphabet and then look at the examples of the number used in Scripture. The number twenty  lent itself to nine groupings or usages and three groups of larger numbers – 120, 20,000, and 120,000. 120 and 120,000 could be handled as part of a study in the number twelve.  I found 120 interesting, so I will include it and loosely work 20,000 into this study.  I viewed other websites but the three I list at the bottom of the post seemed to be less complicated, yet very informative.  Twenty is a number that does not stir much interest!  I am not sure why.  The concordance and the Bible translation you use will produce slightly different results in the number of times it is used.  After I grouped and studied them, it seemed to me that I could have put more into the miscellaneous and time column.

The nine groups I picked are miscellaneous, Solomon, Tabernacle, food, Temple, dates and times, Jacob, rulers, and age of males (general population and Levities).  But I will start with the letter in the Hebrew alphabet that represents twenty.

Kaph– resembles the palm of an open hand.  Kaph is the eleventh letter in the alphabet.  The idea of a hand corresponds with ten fingers and ten toes, making twenty a “natural number”.

Reish/resh– This is the twentieth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is taken to represent the head and all that is involved with a human head.  The bej.org site has good details.  Resh is used for the number 200.  20 x 10:}

Examples – I listed some of the many verses from each group.  Use a concordance or Bible Gateway to find all of the references.

  • Miscellaneous– Genesis 7:20 the height of the floodwaters above the mountains, this is fifteen cubits in the KJV; Genesis 37:28 the sum of money that the brothers got for Joseph – it came to two shekels each.
  • Solomon– 1 Kings 9: 10,11 the years to build the Temple and his palace; towns he gave to Hiram for payment. 2 Chronicles 2: 10 (20,000) the amounts of wheat, barley, wine, oil he paid Hiram.
  • Tabernacle and Temple– Exodus 26, 27, 30 36, 38 and for the Temple 1 Kings 6:2,3,16,20 and 2Chronicles 3:3, 4, 8 and 3:11,13; 4: 1, and Ezekiel 40, 41, 42, 45.  These references are sizes of rooms, angels, and the shekel.
  • Jacob– Genesis 31 and 32 have references for the number of years Jacob worked for Laban and the quantities of certain animals in the gift for Esau.
  • Food– 2 Kings 4:42 loaves of bread Elisha gave away. Ezekiel 4:10 amount of food he was to eat at set times of the day.
  • Dates/Times– Numbers 10:11 is when the cloud moved so the people would travel again after the Ark and Tabernacle were made.  Many of the dates deal with when kings started to rule.
  • Rulers– Judges 4:3 Jabin and Sisera oppressed Israel, 2 Kings 15:27 years that Pekah of N. Israel ruled; Assyria deported people, Judges 15:20 years Samson led Israel, 2 Kings 16: 2 the age that Ahaz became king
  • Age of males– Exodus 30:14 – age that money was collected for them to ransom themselves, Leviticus 27: 3,5 – ages and shekels if dedicated to the Lord, Numbers 14:29 age of those counted and who grumbled against God, Numbers 26: 2, 4 age for army service, Numbers 32: 11 those who would die before the people could enter the Land,1Chronicles 23:24,27 – age of Levites in David’s counting for service to the Ark,Ezra 3:8 age of Levites to supervise work on Temple
  • 120– Genesis 6:3 length of time a man would live, Deuteronomy 31:2, 34:7 Moses’ age, Acts 1:15 number praying in Upper Room

My Thoughts on Twenty

Twenty in many of the examples seem to be a “boundary” for the ending and beginning of things.  The Tabernacle and Temple are examples of physical boundaries, while the age of accountability for the complainers is noteworthy.  Numbers 10: 11 ended the construction of the Tabernacle and the moving of the camp to the Land.

The age of twenty and the thirty-eight years of wandering have had the greatest impact on me personally.  All of the “twenties” had to die during the season of “thirty-eight” before the People could enter the Land. For two years the wonders of God and the labors of Egypt were on display for these men and women.  Their paradigms/boundaries that they had set on God had to go away. Unfortunately, they did pass some down to the “nineteens” and they were dealt with but they plagued the people again.

# Jesus, HELP!  Reset my Twenties and get me into the Promised Land!

(My DISCLAIMER – People view numbers very differently, so there are many interpretations for twenty.  Jewish studies seem to be different than Christian studies and then there are people who do not believe in God/Jesus throwing in their opinions. The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are what makes anything important! God set the boundaries – the size, age, date.  He is the One who made the number important and set the pattern and meaning. Look to Them and not a number, because they are a teaching aid in Their hands!)

The Number Thirty-eight in the Bible

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Thirty-eight is mentioned five times in the Bible.  Well, 1 Chronicles is 38,000 but that still counts because it is 38 x 1000.  Notes on the verses are below.

If you do an internet search, it is obvious that there are many thoughts about this number.  The people who wrote about thirty-eight have done some impressive research.  I guess I am taking a slightly different thought toward it, so please add this post to the mix.  Numbers in the Bible are part of the Father’s creation and He uses them in His story (history)! I have always wanted to do that:)

So, please do not try and have numbers direct your life; His peace and righteousness is God’s gift for direction in your life.

I have grouped the thirty-eights into three groups – Deuteronomy/Numbers and John, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 Chronicles.  Why!  Because this number, like many other numbers God uses, has several thoughts associated with it.

The best place to start is at its first mention/reference in Numbers 14.  Okay, anybody with a concordance knows that thirty-eight is not mentioned in Numbers.  But it was in God’s heart!   The number that is mentioned is forty (verses 33 + 34), but Deuteronomy 2: 14 explains how God carried out His plan.  There are four different viewpoints in Deuteronomy that need to be looked at:

Group 1

Deuteronomy

  1. The People – Predictably they rebelled, but they had already done that. (Remember, they had tested God ten times.)   Now, there are two sets of people in this group.  The twenty an older group who were being held accountable and the nineteen and under who were going to suffer for the first group’s grumbling.  Knowing teenagers, they would have been in on the complaining, but God drew His line at nineteen years of age.  The thought of going back to Egypt dissolved when they thought about slavery and that they were not allowed to go into the Land. (Timeline for the 38 Years in the Wilderness)
  2. Joshua and Caleb – they were in the “right” and would still have to wait to get their promises from God. If anybody had the right to be mad it was these guys!  But since they had better spirits than the others I want to imagine they started working with the youngsters.
  3. Moses, Aaron, (Miriam) – Once again they fell to their knees, but you have to think they may have been annoyed with the people. The people had already tested God ten times and this refusal to go into the Land was serious.  The brothers stood in the middle of this scene and worked for the people.
  4. God – Mad, yes! Out of love for Abraham, He listened to Moses.  He said forty and gave them credit for the first two years.  Or, He cut it short for the sake of the spies.  40 – Joshua and Caleb = 38.  (Well, it makes sense if it was common core math.).   In his viewpoint, there is mercy and cleansing in this number.

John –The man at the pool was there for thirty-eight years.  That number directed Jesus’ actions for him.  Like the people in the wilderness, he was “sick” and had a death sentence.  Verse fourteen is a warning that he “stop sinning”, which is pretty much what the nineteen and under group had to do.  I have mixed feelings about the fact he told on Jesus, was this bragging or trying to get favor? (See Psalm 95: 10.)

At the end of these thirty-eights, there were better times and promises ahead.

Group 2

1 Kings 16: 29 and 2 Kings 15: 8 have many similarities besides the number thirty-eight.  Both of these verses are timestamps of when kings of the northern tribes (Israel) came into power.  1 Kings tells of Ahab (Israel) becoming king in the thirty-eighth year of Asa (Judah). 2 Kings is the story of Zechariah (Israel) and Azariah (Judah).  Both of the kings of Judah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”.  These two kings had a severe illness at the end of their reigns.  Neither of the kings of Israel did what was “right” in eyes of the Lord.

Asa– His story is recorded in 1 Kings 15: 9-24 and 2 Chronicles 14: 2- 16: 14.  I will use the later reference for now.  Asa had everything going for him until he made a deal with Ben-Hadad of Aram.  God lifted His protective covering from Asa as a warning/lesson for later kings.  Asa contracted a disease in his feet (possibly gout).  His treaty with Aram probably took place in the thirty-eighth year of his reign, and he went from a good king to a bad king.  16: 12 says that is when he became ill and refused to seek God.  For thirty-eight years he was walking in blessings and then he shut God out!

Azariah/Uzziah– His story is in 2 Kings 15: 1-7 and 2 Chronicles 26.  2 Chronicles 26: 16 talks of pride and unfaithfulness in a king who had been doing right and was blessed.  He also had the Lord’s shield lifted from him and developed leprosy.  I have no clues to support this, but this could have happened in his thirty-eighth year.  The thirty-eight of Uzziah is for Zechariah of Israel, who is the fulfillment of the promise to Jehu.

Group 3

1 Chronicles 23: 3 is part of the preparation David made for the Temple that Solomon was to build.  Well, it is 38,000 but David requiring that the Levities once again take part in the worship of God is a major development.  In Judges, it seemed that only the sons of Aaron were working with the Ark and worship of God.

Reflections– People like definite answers for things – that will not work here!  Numbers frequently have more than one aspect to them and thirty-eight is no different. Having pondered this for a while the best idea, I have, is that thirty-eight signals A SHIFT! This may be for the better or for the worse. Group 1 and 2 easily show a shift. Group 1 went to a better state, while Group 2 declined.  Group 3 is a shift back to the way it was.

The nineteen-year-olds had thirty-eight years to THINK, listen to Joshua and Caleb, or the now regretful older generation.  Some believed Joshua and listened, looked, and learned, some did not.  But the new generation knew where the Promised Land was and that they would get back there.  They even got their own “Red Sea” experience – see Joshua’s Passover.

MY NOTES

Deuteronomy 2: 14 – This passage in Deuteronomy is a recounting of the journey to Promise Land. It was thirty-eight years from when the spies brought the bad report to them getting ready to enter the land.  The reason for the delay was the “fighting men” of the camp had to die off.  The number forty is associated with wandering.  I feel God gave them credit for the two years of battle training, constructing the Ark, and seeing miracles when He handed out the sentence.

1 Chronicles 23: 3 – David was preparing for the Temple.  He counted 38, 000 Levites and divided them into working units – 24,000 for working on the Temple, 6,000 for officials and judges, 4,000 for gatekeepers, and 4,000 to praise the Lord. This was done while he was alive before any work began on the Temple.

1 Kings 16: 29 – In the thirty-eighth year of Asa, Ahab became king in the Northern Kingdom.  Asa was a king who did what was right and Ahab was not.  Ahab was the seventh king of Israel during the reign of Asa (Jeroboam to Ahab).

2 Kings 15: 8 – in the thirty-eighth year of Azariah, Zechariah became king of Israel.  He is the grandson of Jehu (2 Kings 9 to 10) and completes the prophecy in 2 Kings 10: 30. (See 2 Kings 15: 12). Azariah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord- 2 Kings 15: 3.

John 5: 5 – Jesus was at a Feast of the Jews (vs. 1).  He healed a man of the Sabbath, who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years.  Jesus told the man to take his mat and walk.  The man was caught and threatened by the Jews for breaking the Sabbath, carrying the mat was work.  Verses 14 and 15 end the story with the man being warned and then he tells the Jews who healed him.