The Bible by David Alley

by David Alley

Season 1

Numbers 33 - Israel's Journey from Egypt to Moab |Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 33 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Numbers 33 Moses recounts the journey from Egypt to the plains of Moab, where they are about to enter the promised land, and he does so step by step, location by location. THe starting location is the region of Rameses, which is modern day Tel Daba, or the ancient city of Avaris. Most of the locations are known to us today, but commentator Cole has 14 of them listed as unknown, which makes complete sense for something that happened thousands of years ago in a desert. This video will comment on a few of the more interesting locations, and then finally on the significant of the number of them, being 42. This is the same number of the generations from Abraham to Jesus, and gives us a symbolic picture of our salvation, from slavery through to freedom.

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Jul 31, 2022

16:41

Numbers 32 - Tribes East of the Jordan | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 32 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Numbers 32 the tribes of Reuben and Gad request land be given to them east of the Jordan. This was in the territory they had conquered from the eastern kings. (see previous chapters of Numbers) Moses was wary of repeating the problem of 40 years earlier, of shirking the fight because of a lack of faith. But these 2 tribes don’t shirk the fight, and promise to settle and then send the men to keep the fight, and Moses is happy with that. It was beneficial because it provided a chance to settle where they were guaranteed to get land they liked (because of their cattle) and also to settle their families, and not take them into further warfare.. But there were two issues: First of faith, were they shirking? And second being mindful of others. Would they fight not just for themselves, but for others? After being given permission, the tribe of Manasseh is also assigned land east of the Jordan too.

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Jul 30, 2022

11:32

Numbers 31 - War Against the Midianites | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 31 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Numbers 31 They are now taking on the source of their temptation, and going to war against the forces which led Israel into sin and temptation previously. Phinehas is chosen to be the leader. This is hugely sensible because he is resistant to the potential for temptation that exists and other Israelites succumbed to earlier in the book of Numbers. In our spiritual lives, when we have faced temptation and been defeated, we must overcome, but to go straight into the battle in the same state as before is a disastrous idea. Instead we must rally behind one that has not succumbed to temptation, which is Christ. Jesus said the evil one “has nothing in me.” Jesus also overcame the devil during forty days of testing in the wilderness and overcame, unlike the Israelites whose 40 years of testing in the desert was a disaster. We should take on those things that affect us in prayer, humility and bedding the guidance and leadership of Christ. Our prayer should be that we “love righteousness, and hate wickedness.” Everything captured is destroyed except animals and unmarried women, essentially the girls. Passages like these sound horrific to the modern worldly mind, but spiritually the lesson is apt. We must not fall again into the same sin which previously entrapped us. We must be careful to remove all the sources of future temptation. The modern mind doesn’t really equate how abhorrent sin is to God, and how he sees all things from an eternal perspective. God could easily have destroyed the Midianites via an earthquake or some other method, but in using Israel, we are taught a valuable lesson in confronting sin. These numbers of captured items are huge. 675000 sheep, 72000 cattle, 61000 donkeys, 32000 unmarried women. The plunder from the defeat of the one who antagonised is a picture of what treasures are available to those who overcome sin. The rewards and treasury of Christ are huge when we press in and defeat the adversary who holds us back.

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Jul 29, 2022

12:38

Numbers 30 - Laws for Vows | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 30 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Numbers 30 we consider making vows. God took vows seriously, and here indicates vows shall not be broken. In the New Testament we are told by Jesus to simply let our yes be yes and our no be no, everything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matt 5:37) Making vows doesn’t make us holier, but instead binds us into legalism, from which we are surely bound to fail. John Alley (my father) has a great teaching on the danger of vows and covenants. In particular the great Jonathan Edwards had overseen a wonderful revival in Northampton (I believe from memory) that he wanted to protect. He covenanted with the people to do certain things to preserve the revival, where it immediately ceased. The vows were the death blow. John encourages us to simply cling to Christ’s words and not make our own. Making vows out of sincerity to help enhance our walk with the Lord only hinders instead. The rest of the chapter is about vows that women make, which can be overridden by the men in her life. Firstly here a father can override a daughter’s vow. But if a woman had taken a vow and then later married, her husband can now override the vow and release her. A husband can override a wife who makes a new vow, but if he doesn’t it stands, but a divorced or woman who is widowed is bound by her vows. Is this similar to Adam, when learning of Eve’s sin, doesn’t overrule it, but accepts it, and thus it becomes his sin? Forever it is the sin of Adam. Rather than the modern way of thinking which sees this as ‘patriarchal’ and a curse to women, instead this should be seen as a blessing. Rather it is the men who foolishly make vows and bind themselves with no voice to override their momentary words. Christ’s words to not make vows, because they are from the evil one, (Matt 5:37) seems to be relevant here to both men and women.

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Jul 28, 2022

10:33

Numbers 29 - Laws for Offerings and Festivals | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 29 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Numbers 29 the summary of sacrifices in the feasts continues. Confusingly for those not in the know, there were two years in the Jewish calendar, There was the usual year and the religious or ceremonial year. This is similar to Australians who have the normal year, and the financial year. Here the feast of trumpets is described as happening in the seventh month, but is also the first day of the normal year. It is a kind of day for new years resolutions. It depends on which calendar is being discussed. The day of atonement is the tenth day of the normal year. After this, the three great feasts are summarised in this video. Firstly of the three great feasts is Passover, which equates with our salvation, and represents the outer court of the temple where we come to God. The second of the feasts is Passover and represents the giving of the spirit, or the baptism into power, and represents the holy place in the temple. Believers who have experienced the spirit are drawn closer to God. Finally the third great feast is tabernacles, which represents a true knowing of God, that is dwelling with him, an intimacy. This is represented by the holiest place, being in the very presence of God. The huge number of sacrifices at tabernacles represent the hugeness of the gift of God to all people in bringing us to Himself, but also represent the sacrifice required by those who truly want to know God. John the apostle writes in his short letters of children, young men and fathers, representing the three stages of christian life, and symbolised by the three feasts. Those who have come to “know Him” have experienced tabernacles and really dwell with God.

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Jul 27, 2022

17:37

Numbers 28 - Laws for Offerings and Festivals | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 28 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Numbers 28 and the next chapter, all the offerings and feasts of Israel are summarised. This video considers a couple of things in this chapter. First, on the daily sacrifices. The daily sacrifice was two lambs, one in the morning at 9am, and the other in the afternoon at 3pm. These coincide with the time Christ was nailed to the cross, and the time that he died. Second about Passover & the Feast of Unleavened Bread Passover is the night of the last supper, most likely to be Wednesday April 25th, 31AD according to my own calculations. The feast of unleavened bread was a seven day feast starting the day after Passover. Because Jesus died on Passover (sundown of April 25th to sundown of April 26th 31AD) it meant the next day was the start of the feast of unleavened bread and a Sabbath by default, and a Friday. The next day was the usual sabbath giving two in a row. Matthew 28:1 records (in greek) the resurrection occurred ‘after the sabbaths.’ What is important isn’t whether Jesus died on any particular day of the week, or that we even know what the date was, but that he died for us.

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Jul 25, 2022

Numbers 27 - Laws for Inheritance and Succession |Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 27 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Numbers 27 two points are covered. First, How exactly does a father keep his family name, and his inheritance, when he has only daughters? This chapter explains how. Some of the specific details as to how this would happen were ironed out in Numbers 36 where the daughters would be required to marry within their tribe only. Spiritually this is a precursor to the New Testament position where if you are in Christ you receive an inheritance. According to Paul there is no greek or jew, no male or female, and no slave or free. In Christ inheritance is for everyone. Second, Moses does as the Lord commands and anoints his successor, passing on his authority. Such a godly thing alleviates a succession struggle afterwards, and also allows grace to pass from father to son in the Lord. It is now going to be Joshua and Eleazar instead of Moses and Aaron. The laying on of hands is a real thing, because the Lord decrees it. The New Testament says not to lay hands on someone hastily, not only because of what people will think, or because of the danger of pride to the individual, but because of the spiritual power that is attached. An amateur in such a position is ill equipped to handle the opinions of others, the pride and the power. But Joshua is hardly an amateur. Aside from Moses, only Caleb is older than 40 years old. He has served faithfully for 40 years, and was one of only two to keep the faith during the years of testing. Joshua is a type of Christ.

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Jul 25, 2022

10:07

Numbers 26 -The Second Census of Israel's Warriors |Bible Podcast,David Alley,Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 26 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Numbers 26 we find the second census. The first was taken about one year into the wilderness time in the early chapters of Numbers, and the second at the end of 40 years. This provides the opportunity for comparison. Reuben: Down 2,270 (-6%) Simeon: Down 37,100 (-63%) Gad: Down 5,150 (-11%) Judah: Up 1,900 (+2.5%) Issachar: Up 9,900 (+18%) Zebulun: Up 2,100 (+5.5%) Ephraim: Down 8,000 (-20%) Manasseh: Up 20,500 (+63%) Benjamin: Up 10,200 (+29%) Dan: Up 1,700 (+2.5%) Asher: Up 11,900 (+28%) Naphtali: Down 8,000 (-15%) -------------------------------- TOTAL: Down 1820 (less than -1%) Firstly we note that the grand total is roughly the same, slightly less. Usually one would expect modest growth over a forty year period, of at least 2-3%. However in this case, given the plagues in the wilderness, the judgements of God, and the harsh terrain, its actually remarkable that it didn’t decline more. Interestingly, inheritance is based on fruitfulness. Those tribes which obeyed the Lord had greater populations and were more fruitful. Certain tribes which complained and rebelled, such as Simeon which was key in the Baal-peor problem, had less people. They were thus allocated less inheritance. Levi is counted separately and the males (1 month+) grew by 1000.

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Jul 24, 2022

16:53

Numbers 25 - Israel's Sin with Moabite Women | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 25 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. Numbers 25 is a continuation of the Balaam story from the previous chapter. At first this seems at surface value to have no connection with Balaam, yet what happens in this chapter is the result of his advice to Balak. Balaam instinctively knew that God would be displeased with his own people if they sinned against him, so he enticed them to sin. This incident is recorded in Micah 6:5 and elaborated further in Revelation 2:14 Moabite and Midianite women tempt the Israelites into sexual sin, and it displeases God. Israel had been in the desert for 40 years, where following the ten commandments was simpler, absent from temptation. But the rest of the pagan world was heavily involved in sexually oriented religious practices, and this mingling with Moab was too tempting. Such was the same for the Corinthian believers, and for many people all through history and even today. Why is a Midianite woman involved when a plan of Moab is underway? Simply because King Balak the king of Moab was a Midianite, ruling over both groups. Various individuals may be one or the other, but both tribes are cooperating at this point. Phinehas becomes zealous for God, and kills Zimri and Cozbi, two of the perpetrators. God then makes a covenant with this individual, as he did with Abraham. However, through the cross, he has made this same covenant of peace with us all. May we all be jealous for God as Phinehas was. Zimri and Cozbi are people of high ranking. This suggests a deliberate planned event here, not just giving into temptation that comes by occasion. Coffman’s commentary says the name Cozbi means “voluptuous” in its language. This adds another element to the discussion.

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Jul 23, 2022

11:38

Numbers 24 - Balaam's Final Prophecies | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Numbers 24 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Numbers 24 we have the last 5 of 7 prophecies by Balaam who was wrongly motivated, but spoke truly. Unlike the previous two prophecies, the Holy Spirit now comes upon the very unholy Balaam. This point is notable for a few reasons. Firstly, the idea that the Holy Spirit will not come on an unholy person is shown to be untrue. Even the gross sin, and evil motivations of Balaam were not more powerful than the intentions of God to work through him. Secondly, this demonstrates that having the gift of prophecy is not a guarantee that one is themselves holy. Not only in this example, but later with King Saul, we see that even the unholy have prophesied, even accurately. Prophecy number 4 is the standout of Balaam’s seven messages. This must also be one of the most remarkable of all the Old Testament prophecies, even though coming from a false prophet. In that prophecy it speaks of Christ. Even Jews who don’t acknowledge Jesus, do acknowledge that this is a Messianic prophecy. King David, who came a few hundred years later, was a type of precursor of the Messiah, and there is a partial fulfilment of some parts of the prophecy in him, but the fulness is in Jesus Christ. Balaam didn’t actually return to Aram, as the next chapter shows. He presented to Balak an alternate strategy to undermine Israel, despite knowing God had determined to bless them. He set himself against the Lord, and died on the Moabite side as Joshua 13:22 records.

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Jul 22, 2022

11:30

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