Daily Devotions · March 3
Reading for March 3
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Numbers 32–33 · Mark 10
Numbers 32–33 · Mark 10, Berean Standard Bible
Numbers 32
Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock. 2 So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.” 5 “If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.” 6 But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? 7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land. 9 For when your fathers went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land that the LORD had given them. 10 So the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and He swore an oath, saying, 11 ‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’ 13 The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone. 14 Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger of the LORD against Israel. 15 For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.” 16 Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones. 17 But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance. 19 Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.” 20 Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, 21 and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him, 22 then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD. 23 But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.” 25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as our lord commands. 26 Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says.” 28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.” 31 The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do. 32 We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan.” 33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them. 34 And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks. 37 The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. And they renamed the cities they rebuilt. 39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. 42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Numbers 33
These are the journeys of the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt by their divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 At the LORD’s command, Moses recorded the stages of their journey. These are the stages listed by their starting points: 3 On the fifteenth day of the first month, on the day after the Passover, the Israelites set out from Rameses. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians, 4 who were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them; for the LORD had executed judgment against their gods. 5 The Israelites set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. 6 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 7 They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and they camped near Migdol. 8 They set out from Pi-hahiroth and crossed through the sea, into the wilderness, and they journeyed three days into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. 9 They set out from Marah and came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10 They set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. 11 They set out from the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin. 12 They set out from the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13 They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 They set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15 They set out from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai. 16 They set out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. 17 They set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18 They set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19 They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. 20 They set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. 21 They set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23 They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25 They set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26 They set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29 They set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 They set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. 31 They set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. 32 They set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. 33 They set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34 They set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. 36 They set out from Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin. 37 They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the outskirts of the land of Edom. 38 At the LORD’s command, Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor and died there on the first day of the fifth month, in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt. 39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 Now the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming. 41 And the Israelites set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 They set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 They set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. 44 They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab. 45 They set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. 46 They set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. 47 They set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim facing Nebo. 48 They set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 49 And there on the plains of Moab they camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim. 50 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses, 51 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out before you all the inhabitants of the land, destroy all their carved images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places. 53 You are to take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. 54 And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle. 56 And then I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.”
Mark 10
Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom. 2 Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired. 3 “What did Moses command you?” He replied. 4 They answered, “Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.” 5 But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart. 6 However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” 10 When they were back inside the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter. 11 So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” 13 Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them. 17 As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he replied, “all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” 32 As they were going up the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him: 33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock Him and spit on Him and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise again.” 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you want Me to do for you?” He inquired. 37 They answered, “Grant that one of us may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory.” 38 “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?” 39 “We can,” the brothers answered. “You will drink the cup that I drink,” Jesus said, “and you will be baptized with the baptism that I undergo. 40 But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” 41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” 46 Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man. “Take courage!” they said. “Get up! He is calling for you.” 50 Throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “Rabboni,” said the blind man, “let me see again.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain.
How to SOAP
Grab a journal and a pen. Read the chapters above and watch for the verse that stops you. Then take it through four steps.
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Scripture
Write out the verse that stood out to you.
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Observation
What is it saying? Who is speaking, and to whom?
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Application
What does it mean for your life today? Be specific.
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Prayer
Talk to God about it. Ask Him to help you live it.
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Why daily devotions?
Devotions are time set aside each day to read God's Word and let Him speak. The point isn't checking off chapters. It's meeting with Him.
Ten or fifteen minutes is enough to start. Pick a time and a place and keep the appointment. Mornings work well for a lot of us, before the phone and the day start talking.
Missed a day? Don't start over. Read today's chapters and keep going.