What a good message these verses give us to end this study! Of course the whole Bible is important. Many verses can surprise us or shout at us at different stages of life or in difficult situations. We should read it with our hearts open to intervention from Holy Spirit.

Since we had Sunday opening more or less right across the world there are less and less people taking a sabbath rest and many of them are wondering why they are not healthy, or are over tired. These recommendations were designed to help keep us healthy, both physically and spiritually.

Even today, it is good for us all to remember that obeying His commands will bless not only us, but the lives of our children and their children as well throughout many generations! The opposite works too. The sins that God hates have an effect on several generations following us.

The first mention of Saul, who became Paul, is at the stoning of Stephen; one of the first followers of Jesus. Just two chapters later we read of the conversion of Saul. Saul had believed that he was doing God a favour by putting to death those who followed Christ.

Many of us know people who have married someone of another race or faith, or both. Sometimes it works well, but often there is friction. Even people with the same beliefs and customs disagree and have an occasional dispute. Every added complication gives another opportunity for the enemy to intervene.

The book of Leviticus includes lots of details concerning the laws God gave to Moses, and which Moses recounted to the Israelites. There must have been much heart searching after listening to the long lists of do-nots! The point was that The Lord was looking for a Holy People.

Read Romans 7 today. Imagine yourself sitting in that place where Paul was teaching. Would you be nodding in agreement, feeling guilty at some of the things, or wishing you could listen again to the message? Think about what it means to bear fruit for life, rather than for death.

The reason given for honouring our parents is that we will then have a long life! Who is there among us who does not want to have a long, happy and healthy life? Sadly there are people in our world who do not have a relationship with their earthly parents.

In our verse for today Joshua is sending the tribes of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh back to their families who had been settled on the east side of the river. These verses are included in his parting words to them which finish with a reminder of what God had commanded.

We must remember that Jesus came to earth about 1500 years after God had given the commandments to Moses. But here we have some Jews still strictly observing the Sabbath. As many of them do today. Our family have been blessed to have some strict Jews in our extended family.