Numbers

15.1  Supplementary Offerings

15.7    This phrase occurs regularly in these sacrificial texts, but Psalm 50 makes clear that God has no simple desires like us.  What pleases him is not so much the aroma itself, but the worship.  See also v24.

15.22         Offerings for Unintentional Sins

15.30  A clear distinction: unintentional sins have consequences, but defiance is punishable for its intention.

15.32         The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death

15.35  This seems like the community testing God, to ask if he really means it.  Only one answer is really possible, if this new law is to retain credibility.

15.37         Tassels on Garments

Psalms

Psalm 51

15.1    I love the historical setting.

15.10  Notice how true guilt, conviction of sin from the Holy Spirit, leads us towards God and greater purity.

15.16  Compare Numbers 15.7 and comment.  God is not interested in the sacrifices themselves, but in the attitude of worship which they represent.  Hence the ideal (v19) is a sacrifice which represents true thankfulness to God.

Isaiah

5.1    The Song of the Vineyard

5.1       This is framed as a love song, so like the Song of Songs: yet this clearly has symbolic meaning about God and his people (v7), hence all Jesus’ parables about vineyards.

5.8    Woes and Judgments

5.8       This is property takeovers, greed killing relationships.

5.12    How modern!

5.22    What a lovely phrase: “Heroes at drinking wine”!

5.26    God whistling up his troops.

Hebrews

12.1  God Disciplines His Sons

12.4    This is the nearest the writer gets to encouragement: “It’s not as bad as it could be!”  He’s knows they haven’t shed their blood yet, because they’re reading his letter…

12.14         Warning Against Refusing God