Study Desk

"Then the generations to come, both your own descendants and the foreigners who come from distant lands, will see the devastation of the land and the diseases the Lord inflicts on it.

He said, ‘I will abandon them; then see what becomes of them. For they are a twisted generation, children without integrity.

So you will see the land from a distance, but you may not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel."

Then the Lord said to Moses, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.' I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land."

giving these instructions to the people: "When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them.

"This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy.

"Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old.

I did this to test Israel—to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the Lord as their ancestors did."

These people were left to test the Israelites—to see whether they would obey the commands the Lord had given to their ancestors through Moses.

But the Israelites pleaded with the Lord and said, "We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies."

"So you see, it was the Lord , the God of Israel, who took away the land from the Amorites and gave it to Israel. Why, then, should we give it back to you?

The woman ran and told her husband, "A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God's angels, terrifying to see. I didn't ask where he was from, and he didn't tell me his name.

When you see the young women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife!

See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well."

Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don't let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking.

But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord ! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again.

"Well," the servant said, "I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!"

When you leave me today, you will see two men beside Rachel's tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father has stopped worrying about them and is now worried about you. He is asking, ‘Have you seen my son?'

"When you get to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who are on their way to worship God at Bethel. One will be bringing three young goats, another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a wineskin full of wine.

"Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do.