Og, king of the ancient realm of Bashan, formed up his army and marched against the Israelite nation. Strategic mistake. Completely destroyed, Og faded into history.

Except for his bed.

Og possessed a bed the was decorated with iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide (14 feet by 6 feet). That’s twice as long as a California king (7 feet long and 6 feet wide).

Why would this king need such a long bed? And why include such a bizarre detail in the chronicles of Israel?

Og descended from the Rephaim, which means giants, so Og might have been a really big guy who needed a really big bed. Many of my tall friends sleep with their feet hanging off the bed, and Og moved to mitigate this annoyance.

Perhaps this giant bed represented Og’s rule as king. He took whoever he wanted, and his bed pointed to his power and virility. Or maybe “bed” referred to a sarcophagus, Og’s future place of burial. No matter what, the bed stood out. Designed to impress, it begged for attention and awe.

I believe the author included this odd detail for a simple reason. Although big and powerful and rich and virile and smart and talented, Og crumbled before the Lord. The message to Israel was clear—trust in the Lord your God—not in the kings of this world. The bed stood for years as a sort of tourist attraction, a symbol of the foolishness of standing against the Lord.

Which makes me wonder—as silly as it sounds—what are the giant beds in my life? What do I consider wonderful or powerful or important, but moves my eyes from the Almighty? Our days fill with vain symbols of prestige. Do I pause to consider that all will soon crumble?

Some men build giant towers in their honor—this man built a bed. No matter the token, only the Lord remains worthy of our ultimate trust.

Deuteronomy 3 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Zulian Firmansyah

He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

No kidding. I love the clarity of the Bible.

Jesus fasted 40 days, sat in the desert starving, and at just the right moment the devil materialized in his face.

I notice how Jesus used scripture to parry the temptations thrown at him. It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone and It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.

However, his ever resourceful opponent quoted scripture right back. For it is written…

Twisting words remains a temptation.

I grow as I approach the word of God with humility and patience and depth of view, asking the Lord to reveal his wisdom and insight. I fail altogether when I cherry-pick a verse and fire off a salvo, or tickle an ear with a tempting interpretation that’s not quite true to the text but fits my cultural leanings.

So, when considering an argument and proofing it from the scriptures, it helps me to remember that both saints and devils know their Bible verses.

Luke 4 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Hansjörg Keller

We tend to register for lots of things in life. I remember going to the post office at age 18 and registering for Selective Service, meaning I was eligible for the military draft. Never called, but it made for a thoughtful signature on the form.

We register our vehicles, we register to vote, newly engaged couples register for wedding gifts. I might register a complaint at times. And apparently I’m registered on a number of sales lists. I get marketing emails and texts and calls for phones, golf gear, auto services, travel and restaurants. It’s a bummer being on the wrong list.

In the wilderness the Lord asked Moses and Aaron to take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by the father’s houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war.

Moses and Aaron set about registering the fighting men, eventually reaching a total of 601,730. Then a chilling reminder of an earlier registration: But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, “They will die in the wilderness.”

The Lord kept his promise. The entire generation who rejected the Him at the edge of the promised land all those years ago died off (except Caleb and Joshua, of course), just as the Lord predicted.

Which underscores the point—it’s a bummer being on the wrong list.

Numbers 26 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Tiffany Tertipes

The angel Gabriel made what seems to me an odd comment when predicting the career of John the Baptist to his father, Zechariah:

He will go before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Most parents I know already turn their hearts toward their children. What might Gabriel mean?

John the Baptist spent all his public ministry turning hearts to the Lord. Right up until the day Herod displayed his head on a silver platter, John preached in spirit and power, turning the disobedient toward wisdom.

One thought reflects the idea that those Jewish ancestors who followed the Lord back in the day would be pleased with the new righteous devotion of a younger generation. Passing on a fervent faith remains a value of all followers of Christ.

Another more personal idea emerges. John worked to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. This includes his initial Jewish hearers, but expands much deeper than Zechariah could have imagined. Gabriel predicted John’s work would reverberate down centuries, include both Jews and Gentiles, and influence those following the ways of the Lord ever since.

Gabriel’s promise to a stunned and muted priest remains in place. Even today people prepared for the Lord benefit from the example of Zechariah’s son, a wild man who laid the groundwork for Jesus.

Luke 1 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Jim Wilson