Darash Chai Experiment

Here at the beginning of Deuteronomy we read what could be called the historical prologue of a Suzerain Vassal treaty. Last week we saw how Israel sabotaged themselves on their journey to the land. …

The book of Deuteronomy takes the form of a Suzerain Vassal treaty. An ancient document that is laid out in a very distinct and recognizable way. This treaty outlines the relationship between a Suze…

As we close out the book of Numbers we discover a new class of people that God provides for and cares for. A class of people that are not vulnerable in the classical sense, such as the widow, orphan…

On the east side of the Jordan, before the conquest, a challenge suddenly presents itself. Two tribes have decided that they do not want to proceed. They are happy where they currently sit and the …

Nothing bores us more in scripture than endless lists of various sorts, and in this chapter we encounter a list that is unique in scripture. A list of place names that Israel passed through on their…

On the east side of the Jordan two tribes approach Moses and they ask for a favor. They desire to settle on the east side of the Jordan and not enter into the land of promise. They desire for their…

Once again in the course of Numbers we find a series of chapters and seem completely disconnected from each other. The text shifts from the topic of holidays and sacrifice from last week to keeping …

Once again in the book of Numbers we find a section of text that seems completely disconnected from the things that surround it. Two chapters on sacrifice and the Biblical holidays. A bunch of stuf…

Once again, here at the end of Numbers the text gets boring. And here near the beginning of the end we encounter a sequence of snippets that once again seem disconnected from each other. But once aga…

Zeal for God and for His ways is something that every believer is to seek. And zeal can lead us to a place where we hate the wrong and love the right. But all too often, we misplace our zeal. We beco…

When Balaam looks over the masses of Israel he is intent on cursing them. Doing so will lead to his personal enrichment and elevation in honor and status. But Balaam is limited in his role. He is onl…

The story of Balaam and the talking donkey is one of the more popular Sunday School stories in the Bible. We are all enamored by the oddity of an animal that speaks to this odd man. And once again we…

Israel is on the move and they are heading out of the wilderness. Their 40 years of isolation, training, and judgment are nearly over. Until then, there is the trip that lies before them, and this tr…

It is easy to think that you have it all together. To delude yourself into thinking that the problems of the past have been dealt with. It is easy to think this when things are calm. When there are n…

Once more the book of Numbers dwells on the obscure and borderline mystical. There are few other places in all of scripture that baffle like the Red Heifer sacrifice. It is this sacrifice that is sai…

The rebellion has been defeated. And yet the people still don’t seem to get it. Moses and Aaron were chosen by God to lead the people. And so since death and destruction don’t seem to make the point,…

The Rebellion of Korah is an episode that is so popular that it was ripped out of its place in the timeline and added to the movie the 10 commandments. This central narrative of Numbers is foundation…

For the first time in the narrative portions in the center of the book of Numbers we encounter a chapter that seems out of place. The narratives of this central portions are put aside for a moment to…

The pattern continues this week. Israel in their lack of faith in the power of their God has slandered the promise that God has given them. The inhabitants of the land are too great! And now in their…

First it was the manna. Then it was the leader. This week Israel speaks out again. This time against the Promised Land. And we begin to see a pattern forming. An outcome that is consistent in these s…